"Meow~ Meow~ Meow~"
Nekomi seemed to be in a great mood, humming as they walked, a tune Rowan couldn't quite place.
The tune must have been from the Meowscarda song.
In her hand, she held a trophy and the champion's group photo. Compared to the Luxury Ball as a prize, these things weren't worth much materially, but they meant everything as memories.
Nekomi really liked the photo, though Rowan thought there was a small blemish in the otherwise perfect photo.
Because this group photo... had to include the tools used in the first leg of the race.
So, a wheelchair that was almost falling apart was also in the photo, appearing in it as the winner as well.
According to the staff, this competition had a tradition: the top three's vehicles would be gathered, assembled, and turned into all kinds of odd art pieces for exhibition.
Who would take an interest in that, Rowan had no idea.
When they returned to the university entrance, Old Liu was standing by a black sedan, waiting for Rowan.
"Teacher Liu, I'm back."
"I saw your race, you're pretty impressive. Have you eaten yet? Why don't you rest a bit first?"
"No need, we grabbed something on the way back. We're ready for tryouts now."
"All right, hop in. Once I finish this cigarette, I'll take you over. The Varsity Team's training grounds are quite far from here."
Holding the half-smoked cigarette, Old Liu gestured to the car, signalling for Rowan to enter first.
"Teacher Liu, you don't mind Pokémon riding in the car, right?"
"No problem, just get in! By the way, your Pokémon doesn't like Poké Ball?"
"Yes, she never goes into a Poké Ball."
"Is that so? You might have something in common with my daughter—she's a member of the 'Anti–Poké Ball Association.'"
This is a group that has emerged in society, believing that Pokémon should not be confined within Poké Balls and that captured Pokémon deserve a broader space.
Yet Poké Balls had long become an accepted convention, and most people saw no issue with them.
After all, a conventional Poké Ball's confining force wasn't that strong, and Pokémon could break out if they wanted.
Plus, Poké Balls were part of a massive industry, so this association could only be considered extremely non-mainstream.
Rowan opened the door and settled Nekomi into the back seat. By the window lay some orange peels, likely to absorb unpleasant smells.
After taking a few puffs to finish the cigarette and spending some time outside in the wind, Old Liu finally climbed into the driver's seat.
"My wife doesn't like the smell of smoke."
"I understand. By the way, Teacher Liu, where is the Varsity Team's training ground?"
In all these days, Rowan had wandered the campus but never seen the people of Varsity Team training.
"It's normal you haven't been there; our department students generally don't go there. It's near the North Gate."
The university was vast. The usual academic buildings and dorms lay to the south, so the North Gate area remained mostly "abandoned."
With the campus speed limit, Old Liu drove leisurely for over twenty minutes before they reached the Varsity Team's grounds. Rowan remembered this spot as a hillside where, in old campus legends, you could catch wild ducks.
But in this world with Pokémon, this place has become exclusive to the Varsity Team. In the nearby woods, Pokémon were battling—clearly those of the Varsity Team.
"We've arrived. Our budget is limited, so this is the best we can do. Over in the capital, they've got way more resources — the place they've prepared for the Varsity Team is bigger than several golf courses put together."
Old Liu lightly tapped the horn twice, but the elderly gatekeeper didn't seem to hear, still fast asleep. Instead, the Eevee sitting on him jumped onto the control panel and pressed the button to open the gate.
"This is Varsity Team's Coach, Jia Qiong. And this is Rowan, the person I mentioned at our meeting."
Inside the Varsity Team's meeting room, Old Liu was making introductions. The others were still training and hadn't come in.
"This is your Pokémon? It looks nice, but I'm not too familiar with the Pokemon from Paldea."
Jia Qiong wore a tracksuit with "Illumina" written on it. Beneath it, his muscles were well-defined, very much like a sports coach.
With so many Pokémon species, even top Pokémon Professors can't claim to know them all.
Professor Oak, for instance, is a leading authority in the Pokémon Professor circles, but because he lives in the Kanto region, he is most familiar with the Pokémon of the Kanto region.
He also knows Pokémon from other regions, but in terms of expertise, he is in many ways not as good as the local professors.
Battles are the most direct way to test a Pokémon's strength, but other methods can also be used, such as testing with items or other means.
For example, observing their fur color, muscle development, and so on.
As the Varsity Team's head coach as well as their Pokémon Breeder, Jia Qiong not only devises strategies but also monitors the training progress of the team members' Pokémon.
Overall, his responsibilities are quite extensive, and they've ingrained certain instincts in him.
"Coach Jia, wait, don't touch…"
Seeing Jia Qiong reaching out, Rowan hurriedly shouted. But it was too late.
Years as a coach had made him used to examining team Pokémon. He didn't think there'd be any issues.
Then…
Our dear Coach found himself looking at a very familiar ceiling.
"What a skilled shoulder throw… your Pokémon's well-trained."
Rowan could've told Nekomi to stop, and given her personality, she wouldn't disobey his orders.
However, she doesn't like being touched by others, and if this were a game, such an order would decrease affection points, let alone in real life.
Since the coach didn't listen, there wasn't much else to do.
As for why Nekomi reacted by throwing him rather than dodging—it's more like an instinct. A tiger wouldn't dodge if a rabbit kicked it; it'd just swat back.
Fortunately, this coach's way of thinking was also unique. Instead of getting upset, he started evaluating Nekomi's shoulder throw.
"Coach Jia… you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Other students' Pokémon have thrown me before."
"..."
All right, he was a repeat offender, and not the brightest.
"It wasn't a mere throw. Last time he got handsy with someone's Machamp and ended up eating a cross armlock from it. He nearly became the first coach in our university's history to die from a work-related injury."
Joy, wearing the same uniform as Jia Qiong and sporting a pair of glasses, walked in. She was the infirmary's Joy and also the Varsity Team's team doctor. One look at Jia Qiong on the ground, and she knew exactly what had happened.
"We've got the general picture now, but the rest of the Varsity Team still doesn't know you. To help them understand you better, we need a Pokémon battle. That'll also help us learn more about your Pokémon's capabilities so we can plan our strategies for the competition. Do you have any other questions?"