There's Something Off About My Pokémon [100]
"Refresh already!" A-Le clicked his mouse furiously, heart pounding with anticipation, while the page, as if mocking him, kept throwing up lines of error messages.
"Don't worry, A-Le," his parents said, standing by his side to comfort him. "If the results aren't what you hoped for, there's always next year. We're here for you."
"Come on, let's eat first, and check again afterward!" A-Le got up, gently nudging his parents toward the door with a smile. "Don't worry, Mom and Dad. Go ahead and eat—I'll tell you the results once they're up."
"A-Le, you…" his father began, only to stop when he caught his wife's look, closing the door quietly behind them.
Sitting alone in front of the glowing screen, A-Le took a deep breath and clicked. This time, the page loaded. His hands shook slightly as he typed in the password, making a few mistakes before finally entering it correctly.
"Chinese… English… Math…" A-Le read through his scores, blinking in disbelief before pinching his arm hard. The sting confirmed it—he wasn't dreaming.
Slowly, a dazed smile spread across his face.
His phone buzzed with a message. It was from his classmate, inviting him out for a walk later to unwind.
Just then, Pelipper flew over, eyeing the screen curiously. Recently, it had hit it off with his classmate's shiny Pelipper, spending days hoarding berries in its beak, ready to bring a stash for the next time they met up.
"Pelip?" it squawked, flapping its wings.
In a sudden burst of joy, A-Le hugged Pelipper, laughing out loud.
"Pelipper, I did it!"
---
"Big brother, are you really going to study at a university far away?" This summer, Ding Ren had grown quickly and now reached almost up to Ding Chong's chest. The slim, tall boy, holding back tears, clutched his older brother's hand tightly as he spoke.
Ding Chong's heart ached, but he patted Ding Ren's head, saying, "Yes, I have to leave. With me gone, Mom and our younger brothers and sister will need someone to look after them."
"Ding Ren is already a big boy and needs to take on responsibility for the family, right?"
Ding Ren hastily wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, sniffled, and shouted, "Yes! Ding Ren is grown up now!"
Outside the doorway, Crobat wore a similarly forlorn expression. Looking down, it spotted little Ding Li and Ding Yi crouched at its feet, peeking into the room at the two brothers.
"Big Brother, go on and study; we'll look after Mom here!" Second brother Ding Li jumped into the room, pulling little sister Ding Yi along as he proclaimed boldly, "Right, little sis?"
Ding Yi, however, just sobbed, her tearful eyes gazing up at Ding Chong as she choked out, "Big brother, can't you stay?"
Ding Chong knelt, smiling softly as he stroked her hair. "I can't, little one. Your big brother needs to study at medical school so that one day I can come back and help heal Mom."
Ding Chong had excelled in his studies, earning a place at the prestigious medical school at Modu University—a seven-year program that included both undergraduate and master's training, with full tuition covered. But it also meant he wouldn't be able to watch over his younger siblings as often, a fact that had weighed heavily on him for a long time.
At that moment, Ding Ren took Ding Yi's hand, exclaiming, "Stop crying!"
"Big brother's going to college, and you need to act grown up too. You can't keep bothering Brother Chong!"
Holding back her tears with great effort, Ding Yi finally managed to nod in agreement, her small face determined.
Ding Chong gently patted the heads of his three siblings, cherishing their warmth. Suddenly, he felt something tugging at him, like a string snapping as something warm and unstoppable slipped down his cheek.
"Big brother?" Ding Yi asked, looking up in surprise.
In that small room, the four siblings huddled together, seeking solace in each other's embrace, holding tightly to the warmth of family.
---
"Qinghua University's Research Department?" Her usually stern uncle allowed a rare smile to slip as he scanned Su Xiangrou's scores. "Not bad at all."
Su Xiangrou, dressed in a white lab coat, observed a massive Tangrowth covered in vines and dark blue tendrils behind the glass window, carefully jotting down research notes.
"It's nothing compared to you," Su Xiangrou replied evenly.
"Of course it's not," he said, smirking. His time studying at MIT in the U.S. remained one of his proudest achievements even to this day. "So, have you given any thought to going abroad yourself? With your research abilities, professors would be competing to have you join them."
"No need," Su Xiangrou adjusted her glasses. "The research level here in our country is no longer lagging behind. And with evolution studies in Pokémon as a cutting-edge field, it's still up in the air who will get the first breakthroughs."
A few weeks back, her paper on the "Effects of Moves on Pokémon Evolution" had caused quite a stir in the field, even prompting a similar publication from a research institute in the U.S. It was clear the studies were conducted simultaneously, making plagiarism unlikely, yet that brief head start cost the other institute its chance for recognition.
"Suit yourself," her uncle shrugged. "By the way, that scoundrel who got credit without pulling his weight—where did he end up? What university did he get into?"
"Not sure. I think he got a recommendation to Jiangnan University," she replied.
Her uncle muttered something under his breath before heading out of the lab.
Left alone, Su Xiangrou glanced at the data Lu Cheng had provided just three days prior on Tangela's evolution to Tangrowth after mastering Ancient Power. She knew well how much of a stir this paper would cause once published. And to think this all originated from a handful of soon-to-be freshmen.
With that thought, her pen moved a bit faster, a slight satisfaction lightening her usual composure.
---
"Now, please welcome our outstanding student representative, Lu Cheng, to give his speech!"
It was August, and the grueling college entrance prep had begun for the new senior class. With Lu Cheng's status as U20 Champion and a recommended student to Jiangnan University, he was invited to speak at the school's reopening ceremony as a model student.
"It's a great honor to be here to share my thoughts with you all today," he began, launching into the prepared speech Mr. Chen, his homeroom teacher, had conveniently written for him. Lu Cheng didn't mind—the less work, the better. Standing before the crowd, he just had to read the script. Of course, he still added in a few of his own reflections.
"The secret to training and raising Pokémon really comes down to daily persistence," Lu Cheng said, smiling. "I know some days feel monotonous, and you might even wonder if all the hard work is worth it."
"But believe me, every splash a Magikarp makes brings it closer to becoming a mighty Gyarados. Every bit of effort adds up to something greater, and when your own entrance exam day comes, that will be your moment to evolve!"
Applause broke out across the hall. Looking down at the enthusiastic faces of his juniors, Lu Cheng decided it might be better not to tell them the whole truth—that there are just too many Magikarp that never quite manage to evolve.
"Oh, that senior is so handsome—such a clean look!"
"Right? And look at his arms! He's even got some muscle!"
A group of girls seated up front whispered amongst themselves. Lu Cheng, assuming they were inspired by his speech, smiled and gave them a small nod.
"H-He just smiled at me!"
"Me too! I'm going to study hard and aim for the same university as him!"
Little did he know what they were actually thinking.
That evening, Lu Cheng met up with A-Le and Ding Chong for a little drinking celebration. Even Ding Chong, who was normally composed, ended up thoroughly drunk. Surrounded by empty bottles, Lu Cheng was half-asleep when his phone suddenly buzzed, jolting him from his daze.
"Senpai: Congrats on graduating~"
Lu Cheng gazed at his phone, a silly grin spreading across his face.
At that moment, the clouds parted, letting moonlight flood the room. The future still seemed hazy, yet somehow, it felt like it was starting to take shape.
---
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