That afternoon, Aaron received a phone call.
To his surprise, it was Major Grant.
Grant informed him that his personal Pokémon Trainer Second-Class Merit had officially been approved, and the reward from his mission at the Pokémon Reserve had already been issued as well.
He added that there was something he needed Aaron's help with and asked him to come to the base the following day.
Overjoyed, Aaron agreed without hesitation and promised to arrive on time.
...
After school, Aaron went home, finished dinner, and headed straight for the back mountain.
Unlike Frog Boss—who was basically running a broken build—Snorlax, Gyarados, and Grovyle could only improve their skill proficiency through steady training.
So one human and four Pokémon spent two solid hours practicing in the mountains.
By the end, they were completely exhausted.
After feeding them Energy Cubes, they quickly recovered—
but by then, it was already pitch dark.
Aaron recalled his Pokémon and had Frog Boss use Flying Thunder God to teleport them straight back into his bedroom.
So convenient.
He couldn't help feeling a little smug.
Just then, his Trainer Watch chimed with a notification.
He checked it—and immediately felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment.
Principal Sterling's 28-year-old daughter had accepted his friend request.
And she had sent a message:
"You're the blind date my dad set me up with?!"
Aaron's mouth twitched.
What on earth had that old man told his daughter?
A blind date?
Wasn't this supposed to be just exchanging contacts so she could look out for him once he enrolled at Pokémon Crown University?
How did that turn into a blind date?!
Aaron mentally cursed Principal Sterling for pulling a stunt like that.
He'd really spun it like that?
After staring at the screen for a while and still having no idea how to reply, Aaron gave up and simply sent:
"Baa baa baa~"
Then he turned off his watch and went to sleep.
...
Far away in a luxury apartment in Crown City, a woman in her pajamas stared at the three short words on her screen, completely dumbfounded.
What is that even supposed to mean?
Did Dad seriously set me up with a sheep?
The worst part was that after sending that message, the other side went completely silent—as if he'd already gone to sleep.
She lay awake the entire night.
...
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Aaron asked Principal Sterling for the day off, then booked a PokéRide to the base.
He could've had Frog Boss teleport him there instantly with Flying Thunder God, but that would've been far too high-profile.
So he reluctantly paid 85 credits for the ride.
Aaron had already made quite a name for himself at the Sealine City base.
The soldiers at the entrance recognized him right away, greeted him with easy smiles, and waved him through.
He went straight to Major Grant's office, knocked, and stepped inside.
But Major Grant wasn't alone.
Two others were in the room.
One was another officer in a major's uniform.
The other was a teenage boy, clearly still in high school.
"Aaron's here!"
"Come, come—have a seat!"
The moment Aaron stepped in, all three pairs of eyes turned toward him. Major Grant rose with a faint smile.
The other two looked him over openly. The young boy's gaze, in particular, was sharp and assessing.
"Major Grant!"
Aaron snapped a salute.
"Come, Aaron, have a seat."
Major Grant gestured for him to sit.
Aaron nodded, sensing the subtle tension in the room, and took the seat beside him.
"So this is the young man you mentioned—the one with championship potential who earned a Pokémon Trainer Second-Class Merit?"
The other major, a sharp-eyed man with a cold expression, looked Aaron over and spoke evenly.
"That's right… Daimon. I suggest you take your people back now. Wouldn't want this to get awkward for you."
Major Grant said it with an easy smile.
"Hmph. I don't back down."
"And besides… my trainee isn't any worse than him."
"Unless you're just talking him up?"
Major Daimon let out a faint, mocking scoff.
Aaron sat there, completely lost.
Noticing his confusion, Major Grant leaned slightly closer and explained in a low voice.
The two of them had been rivals for years. Their families had a long-standing competitive history, and neither side had ever been willing to concede to the other.
Grant had chosen to remain stationed in Sealine City, content with a quieter post.
Daimon, on the other hand, had climbed his way into a prime position in Arcanis City.
When Daimon heard that a standout young talent had emerged under Grant's command—someone who had even earned a Pokémon Trainer Second-Class Merit—he hadn't been able to ignore it.
So he'd brought his strongest student over personally to see for himself.
Understanding dawned on Aaron.
So this was the "favor" Major Grant had mentioned yesterday.
Right at that moment—
"Ding~"
The long-absent system notification rang in his ears.
...