Cinnabar Training Facility—exactly as the name suggested—was a special training ground dedicated entirely to Fire-types. As soon as Satoshi and Taki arrived, they felt the blazing atmosphere, filled with Fire-type Pokémon and trainers burning with passionate fighting spirit to match.
The only things Taki thought she had in common with this place were her Quilava and her own hot-headed, occasionally intimidating temperament.
[Satodear, these people seem pretty strong~ There are even experienced trainers here. Looks tough~]
It's fine. The stronger our opponents, the faster we'll grow.
Satoshi didn't feel discouraged. He had to admit, though, there was indeed a huge gap between students and serious trainers.
After all, one had to worry about daily survival, while the other lived in comfort, leading to very different growth curves.
However, some student trainers far exceeded ordinary levels—like the school's Elite Four.
Most trainers here probably wouldn't even beat Ayase Eli from earlier!
Even with a type advantage, Eli could crush most of them.
That's faith from a fiancé!
Just as Satoshi was lost in thought, Karen's eyes sparkled excitedly. Without hesitation, she suddenly hugged Satoshi from behind, gently pressing her chest against his back.
"Satoshi~ Ehehe~ Long time no see!" Her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Karen, we literally saw each other just this past Friday."
"Hmm? But not seeing you for two whole days definitely counts as 'long time no see' already."
Karen stood on tiptoe, letting her breath gently brush Satoshi's ear, sending tingles down his spine.
As a Performance Department student, she naturally knew exactly how to maximize her charm.
In truth, Karen was quite skilled at lying. Even saying "long time no see" was false—she'd been secretly watching him all day today.
But honestly speaking, this was the first time Karen had ever gotten this close to anyone, and she felt incredibly shy inside.
As for Satoshi, his internal reaction was simply...
It tickles... Why do some people love whispering right into my ear?
[Think of it as an Arcane Blade!]
"Never mind that—Karen, are you here to train as well?"
"NONNON-dayo~ I'm participating in the Cinnabar Tournament, just like you."
Karen released her hug, moving in front of him and wagging her finger playfully, showing an extremely enthusiastic expression.
"Is that so? Then that makes us rivals! Let's do our best!" Satoshi clenched his fists, excitement evident in his voice.
After all, he'd already battled Aijo Karen before—she was really smooth… No, wait, really strong!
With such a powerful opponent, the Cinnabar Tournament was sure to be exciting.
"Yes, let's give it our all together!" Karen beamed happily, vigorously nodding her head, eyes sparkling with joy as she hugged Satoshi tightly once again.
And yes, this action was completely intentional—after all, this blockhead wouldn't notice anyway!
I'm going all-out with romance tactics!
"Hah?!"
Nearby, Shiina Taki blinked in disbelief, stunned by Karen's bold move.
Before arriving, Soyo had secretly messaged her to manage Satoshi properly and keep other girls away from him, but she'd never expected such a high-level opponent to appear here.
This seemingly innocent, energetic idiot girl's performance hovered strangely between unnatural and believable.
Whose general is this? Her acting and technique vastly surpass yours, Nagasaki Soyo!
If Soyo had this kind of skill, wouldn't she have claimed Satoshi already?
There was simply no way to stop her...
As Soyo's temporary representative, Taki decisively gave up assisting her friend.
Surrender!
Anyway, it's not like she liked Satoshi herself, so there was no need to interfere. It's impossible that she would ever fall for him, right?
Besides, this world was full of girls. Surely not every single girl would end up liking Satoshi, right?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
"You two are from MYGO and the Revue Starlight, right? Welcome to the Cinnabar Training Facility! And an extra-special welcome to you, Satoshi~! I didn't expect you'd come here—I'm really excited!"
At that moment, a certain black-haired girl dashed energetically toward them, stopping directly in front of the trio.
Seeing this, Taki suddenly had a bad feeling.
She knew exactly who this girl was—Yuki Setsuna, one of the school's Elite Four, a Fire-type specialist.
For some reason, she felt a strange sense of kinship with this girl, like they were very similar people—after all, even their voices sounded almost identical.
Probably, Taki could casually mimic Yuki Setsuna's voice, and likewise, Setsuna could effortlessly mimic Taki's voice.
It was literally like another version of herself existed somewhere else in the world!
But more important than that, there was something else bothering Taki:
Don't tell me this other me likes him too?!
"You know me?" Satoshi asked curiously.
"Yup! After seeing you on TV the other day, I totally fell for you at first sight! You were super cool, taking down those villains! I'm totally fired up!" Yuki Setsuna clenched her fists energetically, eyes glittering with admiration.
Listening to their conversation, Taki couldn't help but start internally screaming.
What kind of incubus are you?!
This is seriously absurd... although he really was cool.
Thank god I don't like him!
"Then, Setsuna, will you have a battle with me?" Satoshi asked eagerly, without hesitation.
"I'd love to! Ah, but I still have some work to finish up, so now isn't really convenient. Actually, I'm the top-ranked trainer here, and lots of people have been challenging me recently, hoping to earn enough points to qualify for the Cinnabar Tournament."
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
Setsuna apologized sincerely, and Satoshi simply nodded, understanding completely.
"Well then, good luck to you guys~!" With those words, Setsuna swiftly left once again.
"So, being top-ranked means she's probably the strongest one here, right?" Satoshi muttered thoughtfully, intrigued by this new information.
"Yuki Setsuna's considered the Elite Four member closest to the school champion. If you beat her, you might actually become the school champion yourself," Shiina Taki explained with a hand on her hip.
"I see. Thanks for the info!" Satoshi nodded, deep in thought.
Come to think of it, I still don't even know who the school champion is.
[Who exactly is the school champion...? Wait, Satodear, why don't you just look it up?]
No way! Finding out in person is way more exciting!
For now, I'll focus on getting stronger!
"Hmm?" Satoshi lifted his head, ready to take a step forward, when he realized something was off.
Karen was still clinging onto him!
"Karen...?"
"Ah—sorry! I was spacing out just now, lost in thought." Karen blushed faintly, carefully putting some distance between them.
She certainly couldn't honestly admit she'd just been eagerly inhaling his scent.
"It's okay." Satoshi smiled, shaking his head, and took out a Poké Ball from his pocket.
I choose you, Combusken!
On this perfect stage meant for you, show us your most dazzling victory.
Satoshi's lips curved upward into a brilliantly sunny smile.
"Karen, Taki—wanna battle together?"
So cool! ×2
Watching Satoshi's carefree smile, both Karen and Taki felt their hearts beating faster.
Even Shiina Taki had to admit this boy truly possessed a unique charm.
But she would never, ever fall for him!
There was absolutely no way she'd engage in such embarrassing behavior as fighting over a guy.
I definitely won't like him!
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bonus chaps
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