Chapter Ninety-Nine: Classmates: Things Have Escalated—There's Cheating!

Adake, as an elderly champion, was regarded as a paragon of dedication and hard work for the Unova League. However, due to years of relentless exertion, his partner, Volcarona, gradually weakened and ultimately passed away, much to his helpless sorrow.

The loss of his partner shattered Adake’s spirit, and he no longer displayed the demeanor of a regional champion. Instead, he turned his focus toward the relationship between humans and Pokémon, devoting himself to nurturing worthy successors.

If Unova’s Virgil had dealt Ash a harsh blow at the regional tournament, then Shūtei was the archetypal formidable rival who planted a seed in Ash’s mind from the very beginning. Shūtei’s Arceus could stand toe-to-toe with legends, yet the playful joke about his starter, Snivy, losing to Pikachu was well-known.

Back then, in game terms, Snivy was merely a level 5 novice. A Pikachu who recalibrated its stats automatically every time it reached a new region was no joke, nor was a prodigious newcomer like Ash. Adake—more precisely, Adake before his spirit was broken—had always been Shūtei’s idol.

Yet, during one meeting, the fan’s rose-tinted glasses shattered, and Shūtei, frustrated, turned and walked away. Perhaps it was because the Sinnoh arc was portrayed so well that the white-haired monkey always felt that Shinji’s character was more vivid.

Even the most stoic battle enthusiasts, upon hearing that Ash had conquered the Battle Tower in the Sinnoh region, would feel a surge of competitiveness and anxiously request a match against Shinji.

In reality, Takeshi Han estimated that Shinji would first go through a phase of existential doubt. Considering his own and Ash’s past battle records, hearing that someone had “struggled” to conquer the Battle Tower would immediately trigger disbelief. Only after Shinji himself confirmed it would he enter that phase of doubt—commonly known as panic.

One could only imagine that if Shinji were to stroll through Professor Oak’s courtyard, judging by his battle creed, he would be itching to pry open Ash’s skull to see what was inside. Whether he could beat Ash was another matter entirely.

Takeshi Han took a research notebook filled with data from the incense burner and reviewed it. At this stage, the research wasn’t sufficient to restore Volcarona to its peak form, but keeping it alive was certainly feasible. Full recovery would require him to personally transform into a devoted older brother figure and administer treatment.

However, judging by the League’s technological prowess, restoring Volcarona to a state where it could resume accompanying Adake was merely a matter of time.

A champion was no mere one-trick wonder. A master of unique skills would retire immediately upon their signature move being banned. Even if Volcarona couldn’t engage in intense battles for a while, Adake’s other partners were no pushovers.

As a champion, Adake himself possessed a monstrous resilience. Taking a headbutt from a Bouffalant would only cause a mild headache—something Ash, who could laugh off a swarm of Tauros charging him, could certainly relate to.

If Adake was indeed the driving force behind this development, the Unova League might as well erect a statue in his honor and offer incense thrice daily. That, some monkey thought, would be well deserved.

The driver was skilled, and the facilities at Joy Academy were abundant. Students didn’t even have to disembark in Castelia City to replenish supplies.

“Mireu,” the little Fairy-type Pokémon rubbed her eyes, her constant presence on the bus evoking memories of attending classes with trainers—mainly inducing drowsiness.

“Do you want to curl up and nap for a while?”

Throughout the journey, the Poké Balls remained still, and the well-fed Dragonite had probably fallen asleep. Only Mireu, venturing outside the academy for the first time, retained a spark of curiosity about the outside world.

“Mireu.”

She shook her head, nestling atop Takeshi Han’s head, wrapping herself in his white fur like a little blanket.

“Mireu!”

“Good morning, Trainer!”

“‘Good morning’ is a greeting after waking up; it’s not the same as ‘good night’ before going to sleep,” Takeshi Han replied with some exasperation, pulling out a variety of documents from the incense burner to continue his studies.

He didn’t know if others got carsick while reading on the bus, but he certainly did not.

Junsha Academy was located near Nara City. Heading east past Mount Dorobo led to Kaji Town, which had facilities similar to Joy Academy, fully meeting students’ daily needs.

“Burnt Tower of Nara City?”

Nara City had two historic buildings. The Bell Tower, where Ho-Oh was said to have rested, stood to the east, and the Clock Tower, rumored to be Lugia’s domain, was to the west.

Familiar legends followed: the Clock Tower was reduced to the Burnt Tower by a great fire, and Ho-Oh appeared to revive the Pokémon, forming the Ho-Oh Guard. Together, they left Nara City.

Takeshi Han recalled that the local Gym Leader was a psychic practitioner who seemingly wielded a form of clairvoyance akin to divination.

If they finished early, he could stroll around Nara City briefly.

Though he wasn’t interested in the city’s traditional dances, the Burnt Tower intrigued him—as did the Bell Tower. Legend had it that if one held a Rainbow Feather and entered the Bell Tower, Ho-Oh would descend once again upon Nara City. This was said to be the only way Ho-Oh would forgive the city.

If the legend were true, it suggested the fire in those days might have been more than just an accident.

The journey passed uneventfully. The roads were smooth, with no Snorlax or Steelix blocking the way, nor did they encounter migrating herds of Pokémon.

Though the drivers didn’t drift around corners in their large vehicles, their speed remained impressively high.

“At this pace, we should reach Nara City by nightfall. We can continue traveling under the cover of darkness and arrive at Junsha Academy.”

He wondered whether the train connecting the two places was already operational.

Closing a book, Takeshi Han’s sharp eyesight caught sight of Pokémon playing in a nearby stream. Occasionally, competitive flying-type Pokémon would keep pace with the vehicle before soaring away once bored.

He felt the unique tranquility of the Pokémon world.

That was right—if they encountered villains, he wouldn’t hesitate to urge the driver to charge through in one go, hijacking the dump truck driver’s cross-regional business.

The vehicle stopped at a roadside rest area to refuel. Students disembarked to collect boxed meals and stretch their legs, ensuring they’d be in good shape upon arrival at Junsha Academy.

Takeshi Han released the Dragonite and fed it energy cubes one by one.

“Long-distance travel by car… it’s been years since I’ve experienced this. It’s definitely not as fast as flying with a partner.”

He glanced up at the sky, where a single cloud maintained a distance from the convoy.

That was Tanabata Swellow, the academy director’s Pokémon.

He wondered if the director was riding it. The driver’s bus was at the end of the line. Besides protection, the Swellow likely served as a scout.

“Dragon-type traitor. Maybe I should try to tempt Ash into catching a Tanabata Swellow someday.”

They exchanged numbers, and Takeshi Han had now come to appreciate Ash’s team composition, which included a Pokémon expected to evolve into Dragonite—a nod to the champion team from one version of the game.

Still, with the Dragon clan’s resources, Ash’s team was hardly limited to six Pokémon.

The core of that lineup was Ash’s mastery of the natural elements of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

“Anyway, if the League Tournament is held and I have time, I might sneak into the friends and family section to watch the matches and see what standard battles look like.”

“Woof woof.”

Having finished the energy cubes, Dragonite drank two whole bottles of Moo Moo Milk through a straw, licking its lips contentedly.

Holding more energy cubes, Mireu watched Dragonite finish its battle preparations and began eating faster, carefully avoiding dropping crumbs on the monkey’s head.

Truly a big sister!

But I won’t lose either!

“Don’t get competitive at strange times like this,” Takeshi Han warned.

After grabbing a boxed meal, he casually ate while observing the rest stop. The biggest difference from his past world was the addition of a Pokémon Center and a tidier environment.

There were no strange people asking to “tighten screws” the moment you opened the door.

After resting, they resumed their journey. By the time they reached Nara City, night had fallen. The driver looked exhausted after a full day of driving.

“Uncle, want me to take over?”

Takeshi Han handed over a bottle of energy drink. “I’m a skilled driver—won’t crash.”

The driver’s hand trembled as he took the drink. “Usually, people who say they’re good drivers don’t use crashing as proof.”

A truly skilled barber promises to make your hair look better—not that they won’t hurt you, which only adds pressure.

“Don’t worry. After we reach Nara City, Junsha Academy staff will take over. I won’t be driving the rest of the way.”

The driver smiled after a quick walkaround, accepting the thanks from the Joy students and plopped down beside Takeshi Han, retrieving three Poké Balls from the console.

A burly man approached, exchanged nods with the driver by the window, then took the wheel and started the engine.

“The riot drill isn’t dangerous. Relax a little.”

Takeshi Han smiled. Naturally, he wasn’t in danger—because he was the one creating the danger.

Upon arrival at Junsha Academy, there was no elaborate welcome banner or ceremony—everything was simple. After a quick check, all students were sent to their dormitories.

Takeshi Han was assigned a single room. Inside, he placed the incense burner on the desk and released Dragonite and Mireu to roam freely.

“The setups are similar. You two play for a while, and when you’re tired, get some rest,” he said. “If all goes well, someone will be knocking on my door soon.”

The dorm assignments for others were likely randomized and scattered, so no one could discern the hidden “wolves” among them.

First, he prepared dinner for the two little ones, as he did not know when he would return.

Half an hour later, a knock sounded at the door. Junsha Academy was considerate enough to allow students a half-hour rest.

The door opened, revealing a young man with a serious expression who nodded at Takeshi Han.

“Please follow me.”

Without a word, Takeshi Han silently followed the man.

Junsha Academy’s landscape differed from Joy Academy. Even the greenery was orderly, exuding a standard windbreak and soil protection vibe, quite unlike Joy Academy’s natural park style.

They arrived at a classroom. As Takeshi Han glanced inside, the sight of a white-haired figure caused the first-year Joy students’ expressions to stiffen.

???

(End of chapter)