This was Growlithe's first public appearance, known previously only to students in the special css.

  "Jolteon, Pin Missile!" called Zed.

  Although Julian had sent out one of his non-main team Pokémon just like he wanted, but one look at Growlithe's appearold him this little fire type wasn't oo take lightly.

  tless beams of light turned into sharp arrows, ung from Jolteon, c the distanore than 100 meters in a fsh.

  "Fre Blitz," Julian said calmly.

  "Grow!"

  With a loud bark, Growlithe's body was engulfed in scorg fmes as it charged forward, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

  Jolteon's Pin Missile collided with Fre Blitz but didn't slow Growlithe down.

  In an instant, the seari from Growlithe on Jolteon.

  "Protect!" Zed shouted, hoping the green barrier could stop Growlithe's assault after the Pin Missile had weake.

  But the moment, cracks appeared on the barrier, shattering almost instantly.

  Growlithe, now a bzing fireball, smmed into Jolteon, sending it flying out of the battle area.

  The battlefield cked protective barriers or fences, with students watg close by. Jolteon hurtled toward the crowd, causing panicked gasps.

  Zed's expression flickered with a smirk; if this turned into an act, Julian, the cause of it all, would be in trouble.

  Among the onlookers, Jane and her friend turned pale. her was a trainer, and with Jolteon barreling toward them, Jane could only close her eyes and scream, frozen in pce.

  Julian was momentarily speechless. He'd always thought those horror movie ses where women just screamed and closed their eyes were exaggerated. But now, seeing it firsthand, he realized there might be some truth in it.

  "Grow!"

  Growlithe barked, dashing forward to catch Jolteon mid-air, abs the impad nding gracefully.

  Once Jolteon was safely on the ground, unscious, Jane and the others noticed that they hadn't been hit. They opeheir eyes to see Growlithe standing protectively in front of them.

  Growlithe's fluffy coat and strong build were a sight to behold, and now, the hero of the moment, the crowd was smitten.

  Jane and her friends couldn't help but pet Growlithe in admiration.

  "Wow, this fur is so soft and smooth!"

  "Growlithe, do you use a special shampoo?"

  "Grow!"

  Growlithe gave a firming nod, causing Jao blink in surprise, realizing she and Growlithe shared the same shampoo brand.

  Growlithe looked at Jane ahat the smell of this woman was exactly the same as his own. Could it be that she was also a dog.

  "I hought I'd be jealous of a dog"

  Luis sighed, watg as the group of students, including one girl with a slender waist, doted on Growlithe.

  "Growlithe, e back!"

  Julian called out, seeing Growlithe basking iention aant to leave.

  At Julian's voice, Growlithe abahe students instantly, trotting back with a wagging tail, eyes sparkling expetly.

  "Well done"

  Julian praised, scratg Growlithe behind the ears. Although Growlithe was at level 20 when Julian first got it, it had only been born half a year ago and was still a puppy at heart.

  That Jolteon had barely been able to test Growlithe's true strength.

  Julian walked over to the defeated Zed.

  "So, when should I expect that ten million?"

  Zed, who thought Julian had e to mock him, was taken aback by the blunt demand.

  He came from a modest background, achieving what he had with hard work and some luck. He had the money, but paying it would make things tight.

  "I'll cover it," said a voice as someoepped up o Zed.

  "President?"

  Zed looked at the newer in surprise.

  "And who might you be?" Julian asked, narrowing his eyes.

  "Alex"

  The mention of the name gave Julian pause. "Ah, Alex," he muttered, reizing one of those onist names in fantasy novels. In this world, though, those tropes were ent thanks to the popurity of Pokémon instead.

  (T/N: it was one of those cultivation genre protagonist names)

  "Brother Walker!"

  Luis and Dalton approached, meeting each aze with a fiertensity that sparked between them.

  "Tra"

  Julian said, taking out his mobile phone and pulling up his payment code.

  Without hesitation, Alex also took out his phone, sing Julian's payment code to plete the transfer before turning to leave with Zed.

  "Julian, sider our club, the Civilian Society, officially at odds with you," he said with a final, parting look.

  "Such a show-off," Dalton sneered as they left.

  "Civilian Society? What's that."

  Julian asked Luis, knowing he was the most well-informed about school gossip.

  "It's a club of talerainers with humble backgrounds. Alex is the president," Luis expined.

  "And their strength?"

  "He's around the pseudo-Elite peak level."

  "Trash"

  Julian remarked indifferently.

  'By junior year, all of my Pokémon will be at the peak of Elite level.'

  Luis wao say something but stayed quiet.

  Reag pseudo-Elite peak as a junior was impressive, surpassing even some aristocratic family trainers.

  After the pseudo-Elite level, experience required increased expoially, slowing down progress signifitly.

  After reag Elite-level even advang one level per year would feel like a rapid ast.

  "Brother Walker," Luis asked with a grin, "did you really fight Zed irl?"

  Just then, Hannah, who had been standing nearby, approached them. The grin on Luis's face became even wider.

  "I'm sorry for causing trouble, Julian. I didn't expect Zed to react this way. He kept pursuing me even after I refused."

  Hannah said giving Julian an apologetic look.

  "Maybe I make it up to you with a meal sometime?" Hannah offered.

  Luis gave her a subtle thumbs-up, looking at her emotional intelligend she clearly had a way with people.

  "Why don't we exge tacts?"

  She added, taking out her phone, which had a silver-white Metagross as her s saver.

  Seeing Julian remain unresponsive, she added softly, "Are you upset? I really didn't mean for any of this to happen…"

  Her soft, apologetie was endearing. Luis was almost tempted to accept on Julian's behalf.

  But Julian, wanting to end this quickly, took out his phone and sed hers, exging their tacts.