"This place is insane, Ethan."
Jericho stood in front of the building with his mouth slightly open, staring at the elegant two-story structure in disbelief.
"This is supposed to be a dormitory?"
"This is literally a standalone villa!"
They had deliberately chosen an unoccupied residence. The exterior alone looked refined and expensive—white stone walls, wooden trim, and a small courtyard surrounded by greenery.
Jericho had grown up in luxury apartments downtown. To most people, that life would be a dream.
To him?
It had gotten boring.
But this—
A quiet villa backed by a forest, facing a lake, with open space and fresh air—this was perfect.
"This is my dream house," Jericho muttered. "Living here while training Pokémon? I might never leave."
Ethan, on the other hand, was much calmer.
His family home had always been similar in scale, so while he appreciated the quality, he wasn't shocked.
Still, even he had to admit—
Donghuang Academy didn't cut corners.
"Let's check the inside," Ethan said.
He entered the villa with Marshtomp and Hatenna following closely behind.
The layout was generous:
Basement + first floor: shared areas
Second floor: two identical bedrooms
The public areas were spacious but lightly furnished, leaving plenty of room for customization.
Upstairs, each bedroom was nearly fifty square meters—
Private bathroom, bathtub, desk, balcony, excellent lighting.
Ethan glanced around and smiled faintly.
"So this is student housing."
"No wonder my parents weren't worried."
He turned to his Pokémon.
"This is where we'll be living for now."
Marshtomp looked around curiously, while Hatenna floated quietly near the window, clearly liking the sunlight.
"Hat~"
"Marsh~"
Seeing them comfortable, Ethan stepped onto the balcony and looked down at the courtyard—nearly two hundred square meters of open space.
He released two Poké Balls.
"Come out—Metagross. Tyrantrum."
Light flashed.
Metagross descended with its heavy, metallic presence.
Tyrantrum, now towering and powerful, landed beside it with a low, dominant growl.
"Raaawr…"
Despite his fearsome appearance, Tyrantrum immediately leaned toward Ethan, nudging him affectionately—exactly like he used to as a child.
Metagross noticed and immediately drifted closer as well.
"Gross."
Ethan sighed helplessly.
"You two are both enormous now. At least try to act intimidating."
Despite his words, he didn't push them away.
He enjoyed this far too much.
"This is our temporary base," he said. "Any issues with the yard?"
Both Pokémon surveyed the area.
Then—no objections.
"Alright," Ethan nodded. "If you need adjustments later, tell me."
That was when—
"WHAT THE HELL—?!"
A shout exploded from the neighboring balcony.
Ethan turned.
Jericho was staring straight at Metagross, his soul visibly leaving his body.
"T-That… that Metagross—"
"It's YOUR Pokémon?!"
"Yeah," Ethan replied casually.
"He's been with me since childhood."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Jericho's brain shut down.
Since childhood.
Metagross.
His favorite Pokémon.
The one his father had promised to get him.
And then failed—because Metagross wasn't something money could buy.
Now his supposedly "ordinary" friend casually revealed he had a shiny Metagross raised from childhood.
Jericho felt like the universe was mocking him.
"…Can I touch it?" he asked weakly.
Ethan glanced at Metagross.
Metagross didn't refuse.
"Sure," Ethan said. "Just don't cling too long. He won't get angry—but he will get annoyed."
"I understand! Completely!" Jericho yelled.
He sprinted downstairs like his life depended on it.
Ethan chuckled and left him to it.
He returned inside to help Marshtomp and Hatenna arrange their space.
Then—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Ethan paused.
They had just arrived.
He glanced outside—Jericho was still worshipping Metagross.
So Ethan went alone.
When he opened the door, a stern middle-aged man in a black jacket stood outside.
"Yes?" Ethan asked.
The man studied him carefully before speaking.
"My name is Professor Zhang Benchang," he said calmly.
"I am a professor of ancient Pokémon biology at Donghuang Academy."
"You are Ethan—the student who possesses Tyrantrum."
"I'd like permission to observe your Pokémon more closely."
At that moment—
System Notification Activated
Blue Opportunity Detected – "Request of the Ancient Pokémon Authority"
Condition: Accept the request
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.
A blue opportunity…
And coming from this man?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
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