Chapter Thirty-Nine: Master Joey Officially Makes His Debut!

"Thanks, driver."
"Wait a minute."
The uncle driving the bus stopped Zhuyihan. "This is a school bus, so I can drive right into the campus."
"You should have said so earlier." Zhuyihan promptly sat back down. "Then could you drop me off at the new student registration area, or the administrative building, whichever is convenient."
The driver paused for a moment. "So you're not here visiting friends or relatives, you're that transfer student."
Zhuyihan nodded. "Looks like I've become quite famous already."
"Of course, kid, your reputation precedes you."
The driver chuckled. "Consider yourself lucky, you're living in the faculty dorms, not the student ones. That area is much quieter."
"Strictly speaking, that's true. Honestly, I'm curious what it's like to live in the same building as a bunch of senior sisters."
Zhuyihan's heart skipped a beat. "I live in the faculty dorms... Does that mean I'm the only male student in the whole Joy Academy?"
"Don't worry, kid, you can ride the school bus often, so we can chat more."
That wasn't much of a comfort.
The driver laughed a few times and slowed down the bus.
"But relax, sometimes students and teachers from other schools visit for exchanges. And there are a few old guys like me around."
Zhuyihan glanced at his Poké Ball. "Uncle, you don't look like an ordinary old man."
"I'm old. Back in my day, battles were dangerous."
The driver almost needed a cigarette to mask the weariness in his eyes.
"My old buddies and I aren't planning to travel much anymore. When we were young, my old friends received a great kindness from an elder, so we came here to give back and help out."
Zhuyihan asked curiously, "If I may ask, how strong are you?"
"You know it's impolite and you still ask."
The uncle laughed heartily. "We never cared about rankings in battles. If you could win, you won, and if not, you ran from those with bad intentions."
"But sometimes, I help out with battle courses. These old bones can still handle champion-level trainers, just not for long."
Zhuyihan's eyes widened. "Wait, Joy Academy teaches battling?"
"Of course."
The uncle snorted. "Strength isn't for bullying the weak, but you can't be without it."
"Besides, whether it's a Pokémon struggling during treatment or someone causing trouble at the Pokémon Center, students need to be able to defend themselves."
Zhuyihan: ?
"Who would dare to make trouble at a Pokémon Center?"
"We did back then. It was chaotic. In their words, Pokémon Centers were full of valuable supplies, especially medicine and medical equipment."
"Food is one thing, but the medical supplies are worth the most."
The driver parked the bus. "Now, that's mostly gone. Sometimes odd young people come to shout, but the rule remains—to protect the kids."
"Every Joy capable of holding their own in a Pokémon Center, maybe not suppressing trouble with Officer Jenny and local trainers, but at least able to fight off some trainers seeking treatment."
Zhuyihan's mouth twitched. He used to think Miss Joy was just a cleric at Slowpoke Well.
Now, it seemed she was not only a cleric, but perhaps the third strongest in the team, better even than Officer Jenny's squad members.
"Good luck with your studies, kid."
The school bus drove off, and Zhuyihan picked up his Beiming Ball, feeling a headache coming on.
Battling... As a cloud gamer, he knew the basics, but real-life battles...
"I hope the rules allow trainers to participate, like wild fights."
If I used a heavy ball against a trainer, a sticky orb against their Pokémon, with a Lapras as a turret beside me, how would you respond?
"I don't have much experience with this. I think transfer students usually have to find the administration to get assigned to a class and a place, right?"
Zhuyihan suddenly wanted to call Grandpa Liu to ask where and whom he should approach.

"I hope the administrative hall has a service desk, but this is a school..."
Honestly, the chances weren't high.
......
"Are you the new student?"
Just as he entered, an older Joy spotted the envelope in Zhuyihan's hand, and after a brief thought, her eyes lit up as if a Pokémon had used Flash inside.
"Uh, yes, could you tell me who I need to see for my registration?"
The middle-aged Joy nodded cheerfully. "You've come to the right person. Follow me."
Zhuyihan nodded instinctively. "Thank you. May I ask who you are..."
"Don't misunderstand, I'm not some big shot, just an ordinary staff member."
Joy covered her mouth and laughed. "By 'right person,' I mean with you here, I can legitimately slack off and relax a bit."
Zhuyihan: ......
Alright then.
"For this kind of thing, just go straight to the principal's office."
The principal's office? That's all?
Just?
Zhuyihan suspected he'd misheard. "This actually requires the principal?"
"How else do you think I recognized you?"
Joy patted Zhuyihan's shoulder. "Honestly, the principal was so curious she let slip a few words, and now the whole school knows."
There's only a handful of people in the League, and Grandpa Liu, who never budges, actually asked for help—instantly igniting everyone's curiosity.
Is this the true reason I'm about to become a monkey?
"Principal, our new student has arrived."
"Has he? Please, both of you, come in."
In the spacious, bright principal's office sat an elderly Joy wearing reading glasses, looking at Zhuyihan with a kindly gaze.
To be precise, half kindly, the rest nine and a half parts curious.
"Principal, I'll leave you now."
A couple more strolls, then a drink in the lounge—perfect for sneaking in some leisure.
"Thank you."
Once the slacker Joy closed the door, the old Joy nodded to Zhuyihan.
"Sit, child—no, perhaps I shouldn't call you a child. Should I call you ancestor instead?"
Zhuyihan sat down. "Just treat me as someone of normal age. Was it Grandpa Liu who told you?"
"He does have quite the seniority."
The old Joy smiled. "Yes, but don't worry, Joy Academy is dedicated to Pokémon research, we won't drag you off for dissection."
"That's a relief."
Zhuyihan smiled too, feeling the old lady before him had a youthful spirit.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Joy Jing. Just call me Principal Jing."
Joy Jing said, "So, Zhuyihan, do you know what you want to study?"
Zhuyihan shook his head. "Honestly, I don't care what I learn. I just want to meet more Pokémon. Everything else doesn't matter to me."
"Mmm, just as Old Liu said."
Joy Jing nodded. "Let's do a little test. Do you want to start with a written one or a practical one?"
Zhuyihan was surprised. "I can take a practical test straight away?"
"You can, because the supervising teachers' partners are strong enough to stop you before anything goes wrong."
Zhuyihan frowned. "No, I'll take the written test first."
"Without absolute confidence, I won't risk the lives of sick Pokémon. I won't get involved."

He'd experienced severe pain before, so he disliked anyone who took it lightly.
"Spraying medicine for wounds or feeding Pecha Berries for antidote, that's fine. But anything deeper, I won't do it, no matter what."
Like helping Sister Hua restrain a Machoke—that was already the limit, and he wouldn't follow into the treatment room.
"Ah, old age."
Joy Jing laughed. "Sorry, Zhuyihan, when you reach a certain age, your mind wanders. I should trust Old Liu, that ice-cold judge of character."
"Huh?"
Is this a test?
Such a clichéd plot.
Joy Jing seemed to know what Zhuyihan was thinking.
"This is a test, but not aimed at you. Usually, it's a written exam, assessed by the psychology teachers and professors."
Joy Jing explained, "To see if outsiders truly understand the academy's mission."
Zhuyihan asked, "Are there many who fail?"
"Not many. It's just an assessment, not a pass/fail for admission, but to tailor education so more students can become true Joys."
Joy Jing continued, "To us, the name Joy has never been a specific family."
"Anyone can become a true Joy, like you."
Zhuyihan's mouth twitched. "May I ask, are there any male Joys?"
"There are, but boys take their father's surname, girls take their mother's, so to outsiders, Joys seem all female."
"Or, Zhuyihan, if you ever find a Joy with whom you are mutually in love, no matter how you look at it, you'll all be family."
¿
Pokémon version of the son-in-law.
This old principal's youthful mindset was far beyond Zhuyihan's expectations.
Joy Jing chuckled. "Come on, I'll show you around the campus."
Zhuyihan was surprised. "Aren't you working? Isn't this too much trouble?"
"That little girl earlier, I saw everything she did. She was only imitating me."
Joy Jing shook her head. "Where do you think their habit of slacking originated?"
Ah.
Zhuyihan nodded awkwardly. "Well, you seem very healthy."
For the elderly, being able to think about the future instead of dwelling on the past was a sign of health.
"Of course."
Joy Jing wore the expression of 'I've suffered from bad company.'
"If it weren't for some older folks coming to complain, I wouldn't be stuck in the principal's office."
"On the front lines fighting crime, hammering those who disrupt the League, then healing my companions—that's what I should be doing."
Joy Jing gave a heavy snort. "Not rotting away in an office!"
Zhuyihan swallowed.
He felt the pressure of a true powerhouse.
Stealth assassin version of Joy—are you scared?
Well, for him, a new life was beginning.
Grandpa Joy, officially online!