As the two conversed, the small Milcery in the round bowl let out a soft hum. Its cream-like, squishy body, which had been gently rising and falling with the rhythm of sleep, suddenly twitched as if it were about to wake up.
Kai didn't miss the movement in the bowl. He exchanged a glance with Elias, who silently mouthed, "It's waking up," as a reminder.
Understanding the cue, Kai carefully placed the bowl on a small table nearby and took a few steps back. He wanted to give the newly awakened Milcery some space so it wouldn't be startled by the sudden presence of a stranger.
Elias simply smiled, saying nothing. This little Milcery had only been born recently, but it had quite the personality—enough to give this young teacher a surprise.
"Maafu~~"
Under their watchful eyes, the Milcery let out an adorable little yawn, stretching its tiny mouth as if it had just woken from a comfortable nap. Then, its featureless, milky-white eyes blinked open, still a bit hazy with sleep. The way they blended into its creamy body almost made them look like little empty spots.
Milcery stretched its tiny body in a way that defied gravity, rising straight up from the bowl and floating gently in the air.
This wasn't due to the Levitate Ability—every Milcery naturally possessed the ability to hover, as if it were an innate "gift" rather than a special trait.
Its gaze first landed on Elias, who had been taking care of it these past few days. With a cheerful expression, it greeted him with a soft call. Then, it turned toward the unfamiliar human in the room—Kai. A flicker of curiosity shone in its eyes.
This Milcery seemed to have a rather bold personality.
Kai had initially assumed it would be a timid Pokémon, but now it was openly studying him. It seemed Elias was right—his farm Pokémon were all well-socialized and affectionate. No wonder they were popular among the academy students.
After a brief moment of observation, Milcery appeared to find Kai's presence comforting. Sensing his gentle aura, it lazily floated toward him and flashed a bright, friendly smile.
"Maafu" (Hello there~)
"Nice to meet you, Milcery."
Even though he couldn't understand Pokémon speech, Kai had gained enough experience over the past year to recognize a greeting when he heard one. He returned the smile, his voice warm and welcoming.
"Maafu~"
Milcery responded with a happy chirp before suddenly—plop—dropping right into Kai's open palm. Its entire body flattened like a pancake upon impact before quickly bouncing back to its original shape.
"…Did it just run out of float?"
Kai blinked, feeling the unique texture of Milcery in his hand. Unlike most Pokémon, it was soft and airy, almost like a tangible cloud of cream. His expression turned a bit amused.
"Well, it was only born ten days ago," Elias chuckled, stepping forward. "It hasn't fully mastered its floating ability yet."
Then, with a playful glint in his eye, he added, "You know, this little one has been waiting for its future trainer. It's been looking forward to this moment."
Smiling, he continued in a half-joking tone, "Since you two get along so well, don't even think about skipping out on payment, alright?"
"Of course not."
Kai nodded lightly, glancing at the tiny Pokémon in his palm. He had already taken a liking to it.
As a Trainer, his focus had always been on raising his six main battle Pokémon, which took up most of his energy. But as a farm owner, he had plenty of time to bond with all sorts of different Pokémon.
After all, wasn't his dream of running a farm about building deeper connections with Pokémon?
With that decided, Kai continued his tour with Elias. He was soon led to the areas where Minccino, Mudbray, and Fidough were kept, carefully selecting one of each based on their temperament and first impressions.
When it came time to pay, Kai asked, "Do you also sell regular animals here? Like chickens, ducks, or fish for farming?"
"Nope, only Pokémon," Elias replied, shaking his head. "If you're looking for livestock, you should check around your own town. I'm sure someone there sells them."
With that settled, Elias confirmed that the 9,900 Pokédollars had been transferred successfully. He then handed Kai a tray holding four shrunken Poké Balls.
"Now, I know I'm the one selling them to you, but…" Elias hesitated for a moment before giving Kai a sincere look. "Please take good care of these little ones."
"Of course. You're welcome to visit my farm anytime if you'd like to see how they're doing."
Kai took the four Poké Balls and placed them carefully into his satchel. He then scribbled his farm's address onto a piece of paper.
Elias glanced at the address and let out a hearty laugh. "If I get the chance, I'll definitely stop by."
---
With four new additions to his farm, Kai was in high spirits.
By the time he checked the clock, it was already close to 1 p.m. Wandering through the bustling stalls of Porto Marinada's marketplace, he picked a random sandwich shop and bought a curry-flavored sandwich. Taking a big bite, he found himself pleasantly surprised.
No wonder sandwiches were such a staple in Paldea—there was something uniquely satisfying about their flavor.
If he could get his hands on those special Herba Mystica seasonings, he bet the taste would be on a whole other level…
After another short stroll through the market, Kai checked the time. It was nearly 2 p.m.
That meant it was time to face the challenge that awaited him—the seemingly endless staircase leading up to Naranja Academy.
Even with his stamina from traveling, climbing all those steps still took him nearly fifteen minutes. Only then did the academy's grand entrance come into view.
At this hour, the gates were mostly deserted. The lunch break had ended, and classes were about to resume, meaning most students were already back in their classrooms.
Kai's Battle Studies course wasn't strictly limited to lecture halls. In fact, he preferred hands-on experience over theory.
His students had already been notified—through Director Clavell's channels—that today's first lesson would be held on the training field.
Kai walked across campus with a steady stride, reaching the field right on time at 2:30 p.m.
There, only fifteen students had gathered. In such a large space, they looked rather scattered.
The moment they saw Kai—the new teacher who had made quite the impression at the opening ceremony—not a single student spoke. The chattering stopped, and they quickly grouped together in a well-behaved manner.
Kai smiled in satisfaction. He appreciated students who were this easy to manage.
Taking out the roster from his satchel, he scanned the names. He planned to go through them one by one, putting faces to names and memorizing each student.
"Alright, everyone. I'll be your Battle Studies instructor. You can call me 'Professor' or just 'Professor Kai'—either works."
His greeting was met with a chorus of responses:
"Good afternoon, Professor!"
"Hello, Professor Kai!"
Sweeping his gaze over the familiar faces, Kai continued, "Let's start with roll call. When I call your name, please respond and introduce your first Pokémon."
"First up—Elecis."
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