The week before school started was one of the most fulfilling weeks Su Wen had ever experienced.

  He and Charmander would sleep in until 9 or 10 in the morning, then get up to brush their teeth, wash up, and have lunch. After a short break in the backyard, they’d spend two hours training and another two hours practicing moves.

  At 6:30 PM sharp, Su Wen would head to Zhou Wan’s pce for two and a half hours of martial arts training.

  There was a small incident during the week: a peak Gym-level trainer came to challenge Su Chuan’s Sking, wanting to test the strength of this so-called "strongest Gym-level Pokémon." Naturally, he was thoroughly crushed.

  Under Zhou Wan’s rigorous coaching, Su Wen made rapid progress. As Zhou Wan put it, this was "cultivating combat instincts."

  With Su Wen’s Aura and Zhou Wan’s resonance ability, Charmander and Farfetch’d also saw significant improvements in their combat skills, quickly progressing to sparring mode. However, since Zhou Wan’s martial arts experience wasn’t something Su Wen could learn overnight, Charmander lost more often than it won.

  On the st day before school started, Charmander naturally progressed to Tier 1. After finishing their martial arts training that evening, Su Wen didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he asked, "Sister Wan, the css assignments are out. Which css are you in?"

  Zhou Wan blinked. "Haven’t checked yet. Let me see." She pulled out her phone and started scrolling.

  It wasn’t that Zhou Wan was completely disconnected from the world, but with Zhou Li away on business, she didn’t want to close the gym again—her students were already compining. So, she took on the role of temporary martial arts instructor.

  Of course, Pokémon-reted training would have to wait until Zhou Li returned.

  But just teaching martial arts kept Zhou Wan so busy she barely had time to check her phone during the day.

  "I’m in Css 3. What about you?" Zhou Wan found the email from Cloud City High School among the flood of notifications.

  Su Wen shrugged. "Same as Chen You, Css 2."

  Chen You had called Su Wen the moment the email was sent, making Su Wen wonder how the guy managed to stay so plugged in 24/7.

  Mentioning Chen You, Zhou Wan crossed her arms and grinned. "That guy hasn’t met up with us all summer. Wonder what he’s been up to. Maybe he got swept off his feet by some girl."

  Su Wen instinctively denied it. "No way. That guy’s too cunning. Wait..."

  Thinking about it, Chen You, despite being cunning, was also smooth-talking and had been dubbed the "women’s best friend" since childhood. It wasn’t impossible that he’d charmed some girl.

  Zhou Wan slung an arm over Su Wen’s shoulder, leaning in. "If you hear anything, let me know ASAP."

  Su Wen chuckled inwardly. Despite her tough demeanor, Zhou Wan’s love for gossip hadn’t changed a bit. Out loud, he said, "Don’t worry, Sister Wan. If you ask Chen You, he won’t dare not tell you."

  Zhou Wan rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. That guy’s only sent me a few messages all summer, not a single call. Let’s meet at the school gate tomorrow morning. My dad’s not home, so if there’s anything that needs a parent, I might have to trouble Uncle Su."

  "No problem," Su Wen gave a thumbs-up, then headed home with Charmander to rest.

  But when he got home, he was hit with another bombshell.

  "Dad, you’re saying you and Mom are going on a trip?" Su Wen stared at Su Chuan and Wang Xuan in disbelief.

  Su Chuan corrected him, "To be precise, we’re taking all the Pokémon, including Indeedee, with us. The gym will be temporarily closed, and you’ll be the only one left at home."

  "What?! At least leave Indeedee behind!" Su Wen couldn’t help but curse. Taking Indeedee too? He was really being left to fend for himself.

  As for the gym closing, Su Wen didn’t mind. Su Chuan’s gym didn’t have any special programs—it was just Pokémon training. Unlike Zhou Wan, who could keep part of her gym running, Su Wen couldn’t handle it at all.

  Su Chuan waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t even think about it. I’m just informing you, not asking for your opinion."

  Su Wen looked to Wang Xuan for help, but she just stood to the side, stifling a ugh.

  "Fine, fine, go ahead," Su Wen gave in. He’d lived alone in his past life, but he’d gotten used to having someone take care of him. Now, it felt a bit uncomfortable.

  Su Chuan wasn’t surprised by Su Wen’s quick acceptance. After all, Su Wen had always been mature for his age. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have felt comfortable leaving him alone at home.

  After giving Su Wen a few reminders, Su Chuan and Wang Xuan started packing. Judging by the looks of it, they’d be leaving as soon as Su Wen started school the next day.

  The ones who would miss Su Wen the most were Su Chuan’s Pokémon. Without Su Wen, they’d have to go a long time without enjoying his cooking.

  The next day, Su Wen woke up early, neatly packed his bag, and slung it over one shoulder.

  "I wonder how high school will be different from middle school," Su Wen thought, munching on a piece of bread.

  The difference between middle and high school in the Pokémon world was significant. In middle school, students hadn’t received their starter Pokémon yet, so the focus was on academics. In high school, with Pokémon in hand, the curriculum was entirely different.

  As soon as Su Wen arrived at the school gate, he saw Zhou Wan holding Chen You by the scruff of his neck, smiling sweetly while saying something.

  "Sister Wan, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again," Chen You pleaded, hands csped together. Then he spotted Su Wen walking over. "Su Wen, Su Wen, help me out here!"

  Su Wen ignored him and instead asked Zhou Wan, "Sister Wan, what did this guy do now?"

  Zhou Wan smirked. "This idiot tried to flirt with the dean’s daughter at the gate. Almost got expelled on the spot."

  "Yikes," Su Wen sucked in a breath and gave Chen You a thumbs-up. "Brave move."

  Chen You looked like he was about to cry. "How was I supposed to know that random girl had such a big background?"

  "You three, stop fooling around and get inside," Su Chuan said cheerfully as he strolled over.

  Zhou Wan finally let go of Chen You, and the two greeted Su Chuan. "Good morning, Uncle Su."

  Then the three of them walked into Cloud City High School together. A father standing nearby smiled and said, "You’re lucky to have two sons and a daughter."

  Su Chuan didn’t correct him, just smiled and nodded.

  "Css 2 and Css 3 seem to have the same homeroom teacher," Su Wen said, surprised as he looked at the notice posted on a pilr. Homeroom teachers usually only handled one css.

  Chen You sighed. "Bro, look closer. That’s the trainer-specific course homeroom teacher, not the academic one."

  Su Wen noticed the footnote below: high school had separate homeroom teachers for academics and Pokémon training, clearly designed for people like him.

  "To be precise, all five csses in the Pokémon Trainer program share the same homeroom teacher," Zhou Wan pointed out, correcting him.