On the day of the entrance ceremony, the students gathered in the auditorium to listen to the principal's welcome address before moving to their respective classes. Incidentally, Jin found himself...

(In a different class from Liko and Ann...)

Without a roommate and separated from his new friends, Jin felt as if he had been hit by a barrage of super-effective moves. His HP was in the red, and he was on the verge of fainting.

"Everyone, please restart your Rotom Phones. This will activate the Pokédex feature."

Upon reaching their classroom and taking their seats, the homeroom teacher handed out Rotom Phones to each student. Besides functioning as a regular smartphone, the Rotom Phone also served as a Pokédex, a town map, a news reader, and a device for transferring Pokémon.

(It's like a combination of a Pokédex and a PokéNav... The era of the PokéNav is over. It's a bit sad for someone from the Hoenn region.)

Receiving his Rotom Phone, Jin felt a pang of nostalgia, realizing that the iconic device from his hometown had become an outdated relic.

"Next, we will hand out your partner Pokémon. When your name is called, please come forward to receive your Pokémon."

The teacher's announcement filled the classroom with a mix of tension and excitement, excluding Jin. Some students even started preparing to stand up before their names were called.

"Heh."

Jin chuckled softly at the sight. He meant no harm; he simply remembered his own experience of receiving his first Pokémon about a year ago.

(I remember being so nervous the night before getting my first Pokémon that I couldn't sleep. I even got up way too early and ended up waiting outside the lab.)

As a result, after receiving his Pokémon and returning home to introduce it to his family, he ended up napping with his new partner, delaying his journey by a day.

While Jin reminisced about his past, his classmates received their Pokémon one by one. Charmander, Chikorita, and Piplup—starter Pokémon from various regions—emerged from the Poké Balls.

"Lastly, Jin-kun. You already have a Pokémon, correct?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Since you already have a partner, you will be a senior trainer to everyone here. Please set a good example for your classmates."

As the teacher spoke, Jin felt the attention of the entire class focus on him. Some eyes were filled with respect, while others seemed more challenging, as if trying to size him up.

"Yes, of course."

Jin welcomed the challenge. He understood the eagerness of new trainers wanting to test their skills. He was more than willing to face them.

But...

(I wish this would end soon. I want to check on Liko.)

Jin was more concerned about his new friend, Liko. Even though they had just met, he had already noticed that she tended to overthink and internalize her worries. Though she hadn't voiced it, he could easily imagine her mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety about receiving her partner Pokémon.

"Alright, everyone. That's it for today. Make sure to bond with your partner Pokémon."

""Yesss, Sir!""

As the teacher finished speaking, Jin quickly stepped out into the hallway before anyone could approach him. He glanced around, trying to remember which direction Liko's class was. Then, he spotted a familiar hairstyle heading down the stairs.

(Could that be Liko?)

Jin decided to follow. If it wasn't her, he could end up missing her in the crowd, but if it was, he might catch up. Trusting his instincts had saved him many times on his journey, and he decided to trust them now.

However...

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"I lost her..."

Descending the stairs, he found the first floor crowded with students, making it difficult to navigate. He tried to weave through the crowd, looking for the girl he thought was Liko, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"...I guess I'll have to go back..."

"Ahhh!"

"Whoa!"

Out of nowhere, a girl fell from above, and Jin barely managed to catch her. He silently thanked his heightened reflexes, honed during his travels.

(I thought I was done for... but that's not the issue right now!)

"S-Sorry! Wait, Jin?"

"Liko? What happened? Is jumping off rooftops a trend in Paldea?"

"No, it's not... Oh no, where's Sprigatito?"

"Isn't that it over there?"

Jin scanned the area and pointed out a small green Pokémon heading toward some bushes.

"Wait! I need to catch up to it!"

"Shall we chase it like this?"

"What?"

Liko suddenly realized her current situation. When she had fallen from the rooftop, Jin had caught her in a princess carry, supporting her back and legs with his arms.

"Ahh! Jin, put me down!"

"Alright, alright."

Embarrassment welled up inside Liko, causing her to shriek, while Jin found the situation amusing. Their reactions were quite the contrast.

(Gosh, since yesterday, I've been clinging to Jin and getting carried like a princess. It's so embarrassing!)

(...But, What is this feeling? it's surprisingly pleasant.)

Liko blushed deeply in embarrassment, while Jin felt a strange sense of joy and satisfaction.

"Oops, we need to hurry or we'll lose sight of it."

"Oh, right! We have to hurry!"

They quickly resumed their chase, heading into the bushes after the Pokémon. Emerging on the other side, they found themselves by a large lake.

"Wow..."

"This is..."

Both of them were struck by the beauty of the scene. The setting sun cast a red glow over the lake, enhancing its splendor. For a moment, they forgot about the Pokémon as they were captivated by the view.

Just then, the Pokémon they were chasing emerged from another set of bushes. It seemed they had inadvertently overtaken it.

"Sprigatito! I'm so glad!"

"Meow?"

Liko hugged the Pokémon she called Sprigatito, rubbing her cheek against it in joy.

"Meow!"

She then tried to smell Sprigatito, but the Pokémon, perhaps overwhelmed by the affection, responded with a playful swat of its paw.

"Why~?"

"You seem to be having a hard time," Jin remarked.

"Ugh…"

"Is that your partner?"

"...Yeah. This is Sprigatito."

Sprigatito was a Pokémon Jin had never seen before. It wasn't from the Hoenn region, and despite seeing various Pokémon from other regions, he was unfamiliar with Sprigatito. He realized once again just how many Pokémon there were in the world that he still didn't know about.

"We should probably head back soon."

They had spent a lot of time chasing after Sprigatito, and considering the dorm's curfew, they needed to hurry back.

"Wait."

As they stood up, Jin grabbed Liko's hand.

(Huh? What? Why is Jin holding my hand?)

"Your hand is injured, isn't it? Let me see."

"Oh, um, okay."

(Oh, that's what it was. What was I thinking?)

Jin noticed the wound on Liko's hand and took out some antiseptic and bandages from his pocket, preparing to treat it.

"Do you always carry that with you?"

"Yeah, when you're traveling, you get a lot of scrapes and cuts. It's more convenient to keep this stuff in your pocket than in your bag."

(That makes sense. Jin has traveled a lot. I guess he's used to this sort of thing? Wait…)

"How did you know I was hurt? It's not a big wound."

"I saw it when you fell from the rooftop."

(What? How did he notice that in such a brief moment?)

Liko felt skeptical, but it was the truth. To be precise, he had only seen it that way at the time; he became certain she was injured when he saw her favoring her hand several times while they were chasing Sprigatito through the bushes. Jin disinfected Liko's hand with practiced ease and finally put a bandage on it.

"All done."

"Thank you."

(Jin's hands were warm...)

"You should replace the bandage in a day or two. If you leave it on too long, it can cause irritation."

"Okay, I got it."

After the treatment, the two of them, along with Sprigatito, made their way back to the dorm through the bushes they had entered earlier.

"Hey, Jin."

"Yeah?"

"How can I become friends with Sprigatito?"

"Well…"

(Now, how should I advise her?)

Liko wasn't the type to act on intuition. She preferred to think things through before taking action. However, she often overthought things, which caused her to hesitate. Telling someone like Liko to act without thinking was unreasonable.

"First, get to know Sprigatito, and let Sprigatito get to know you."

"Get to know Sprigatito and myself…"

(That sounds difficult. I don't even understand myself that well…)

"Is that too hard?"

"!"

(...Huh? Did I say that out loud?)

"It's written all over your face. I think you're probably more transparent than you realize."

"…"

"It might not be as easy as just saying it. But there's no need to rush. You have time. Just take it slowly, get to know each other, and communicate. You'll find some common ground eventually, and that'll help you discover things you'd like to do together."

"…Yeah. Thank you, Jin."

As they walked back to the dorm, Jin and Liko continued to discuss how to bond with Sprigatito and what steps she could take as a Pokémon Trainer in the future.

＊＊＊

After parting ways with Jin in front of the dormitory, Liko was writing in her diary in her room.

"Anyway, my life with Sprigatito has started... but I'm feeling anxious."

Liko had spent the entire day being completely overwhelmed by Sprigatito. Feeling anxious was probably understandable.

"Haah."

Liko sighed and unconsciously touched the bandage on her right hand.

"…Jin's hands were warm."

Touching the bandage made Liko think of Jin. On the day they first met, she had hugged him at the bus stop, and today she had been carried princess-style and had her hand held by him. Remembering all this made Liko's face turn bright red.

(So embarrassing... I can't write about this in my diary, no matter what...)

While it was largely Liko's own fault, from her perspective, the embarrassment overshadowed any thoughts about blame.

//END