[Ding! New Task Triggered: Pokémon Battle Education – Defeat the Top Student Giselle and Help Joe Return to the Right Path as a Trainer!]
[Task Reward: Elite Trainer Kit – Use it on a Pokémon to unlock a complete set of elite-level training gear and regimen!]
Kazuki glanced at the picture of Giselle's smug, haughty expression and sneered.
So it's a Pokémon battle education, huh? For a second I thought this was going to be whips-and-wax kind of "training"!
A spoiled, self-absorbed rich girl like that? She's the type who needs to be brought down a peg—maybe even meditate on a tatami mat.
Once she's stuffed full, she'll behave.
…Eh, forget it. I don't have the time to "train" her slowly. Let's just finish the mission fast.
"Hey, why are you carrying a photo of some girl who bullies you around?" Misty leaned her head back with a disgusted look. "You don't have some weird fetish, do you? Ew."
"What's wrong with that?" Joe defended her. "Giselle might have a bad temper, but she's really cute!"
"Heh." Kazuki couldn't help but laugh. "You really do have a type, huh? So, where is this Giselle? I'd like to meet her."
"Hmm?" Joe tilted his head. "Wait, are you actually going to challenge Giselle?"
"Let me warn you—her Pokémon are very strong."
"And if she wins, she might say things that'll make you… uncomfortable."
Kazuki waved his hand dismissively. "No worries. I'm far more generous than she is. If I win, I'll be sure to make her feel very comfortable."
"Well… alright then! Follow me!" Joe, seeing Kazuki's confident aura, took them to find Giselle.
.........…
Joe led Kazuki and Misty to a computer lab.
"Giselle usually trains in here. Are you sure you want to battle her?"
"She's the top student in the Beginner Class, with a strength level equivalent to having more than three Gym Badges!"
"By the way, Kazuki… what level are you?"
"I—"
"No way!" Misty cut him off before he could answer. "Someone who's been stuck in a classroom all day? No way he's that strong."
"It's true! I may not get good grades, but I am officially recognized as someone with the equivalent of two badges!"
"Oh? So you think you're hot stuff? Think you can beat me?" Misty's pride as someone from the Cerulean Gym was instantly triggered.
"Cerulean Gym? That's a Water-type gym. I've beaten it tons of times on the simulator!" Joe boasted while tapping on a terminal.
Misty stared at him in disbelief. "You've really gone soft from staying in school too long, haven't you? A simulator can't compare to the real thing!"
"Our school uses cutting-edge simulation software! I think it's pretty accurate!"
"Oh? Fine! Then let's have a real battle!" Misty pulled out a Poké Ball, eyes blazing.
Joe's rigid thinking still clung to the school's data and metrics.
Kazuki didn't stop Misty either—he figured this would be a good wake-up call for Joe, and a perfect lead-in to the rest of the mission.
"Go! Starmie!"
Joe followed the simulator's prediction and chose his Water-type Pokémon.
"Using a Water-type in a dry environment like this severely weakens your advantage!" Misty countered.
"I'll use a Grass-type that resists Water—go, Weepinbell!"
"You're too rigid! Starmie, use Water Gun!"
Misty's Starmie had leveled up quite a bit through their recent grinding. One blast was all it took to KO Joe's Weepinbell.
"Wha—That's impossible!" Joe paled. "Weepinbell shouldn't be weak to Water!"
"That's why you have bad grades!" came a sharp voice from the side.
Kazuki turned toward it and saw a girl walk into the room.
She had flawless pale skin and wore a blue-and-white academy uniform. Her pleated skirt barely covered half her thighs, paired with pristine white knee-high socks.
Her outfit screamed "pure schoolgirl," yet the wine-red hair cascading down to her waist gave off an alluring, almost contradictory aura.
Her facial features were exquisite—so beautiful that even the jarring outfit couldn't hide her charm.
Pinned to her chest was a name tag: Top Student of the Beginner Class – Giselle.
"Yeah, she really is as pretty in person," Kazuki muttered.
"Huh?" Misty's victorious joy vanished in an instant as she whipped her head around, scowling at Giselle with blatant jealousy.
Giselle stood with hands on hips, eyeing Joe in disdain.
"She's from Cerulean Gym. Of course her Water-type Pokémon are high-level."
"You don't focus on your studies enough. Just looking at you irritates me."
"You're a disgrace to our Pokémon Tech."
"Please, just get stronger, okay?"
"If you can't improve, then stop getting in my way."
"Useless loser."
She tore into Joe without the slightest care for his dignity.
"Hey! That's way out of line! He just lost one match—you don't have to humiliate him like that!" Misty couldn't stand it anymore and stepped in.
"Out of line? Hahaha!" Giselle laughed coldly. "That's the treatment a weakling deserves."
"And don't think winning against that failure qualifies you to lecture me."
"I'm the Pokémon League's future brightest star!"
With that, Giselle struck a flamboyant pose worthy of a full-blown chūnibyō.
"Ugh! She's so arrogant! I can't let this slide! I challenge you!"
Between Giselle's arrogant speech and Kazuki's earlier comment about her looks, Misty was now absolutely fuming.