On August 25th, at Lake Iional Airport, Julian, Shen, and Will boarded a pne bound for the imperial capital.

  Will, despite not being directly iagged along food reason. He had caught wind of Julian's pn to head to the imperial capital, and it just so happehat his own Uy, the Third Military Academy, was there as well.

  He figured it would be the perfect opportunity to start early.

  Though Will didn't pce too highly in the Yale Provincial High School League, his performance was still notable.

  As a result, the Third Military Academy, a well-respected institution even if it wasn't iop tier, extended an invitation to him. Naturally, he accepted right away—it was the only invitation he received, after all.

  "The academy's pretty strict, though," Julian remarked as they settled into their first-css seats. "You might find their system hard to adjust to."

  Will waved the ent away with a carefree grin. "I ha. What's the worst they do?"

  The three-hour flight from Lake City to the imperial capital passed quickly. Shen was busy cradling her newly captured Pokémon, a Mienfoo, which looked young and curious.

  "He's a nice partner," Julian said, eyeing the Mienfoo. The Pokémon had qualificatioe its youthful appearance.

  Shen beamed with pride. "Grandpa went through a lot of trouble to get this little guy for me," she said, holding the Mienfoo a little tighter.

  Julian nodded, uanding the weight behind the gesture. Shen had only retly gained her family's full reitioo awakening of Heart's eye and this was a hard-earned achievement that had brought her this rare gift.

  Shen's sense of gratitude toward Julian deepened, knowing he had pyed a role in her journey.

  "Train him well," Julian tinued, "Mienfoo's fighting style matches your abilities perfectly."

  Both Mienfoo and its evolution, Mienshao, excelled in physical aal bat, making them ideal panions for Shen's unique skills.

  Julian gnced out the window, his mind wandering. There was another Pokémon that would suit Shen eveer—the legendary Urshifu, known for its mastery in the way of martial arts.

  With either its Sirike or Rapid Strike forms, Urshifu brought both mind and body into perfect harmony.

  Unfortunately, Urshifu was incredibly rare, retly discovered in some try's secret realm but still uncaptured.

  Will, oher hand, wasn't oo miss an opportunity for attention. "Hey, Julian, chey Vulpix! Isn't she something?"

  Julian smirked as Will held up a small Vulpix he had captured during a ret trip to the intermediate-level secret realm. Following Julian's advice, Will had explored the volic area and mao not only find fire-type treasures but also subdue the Vulpix.

  "Good luck, as usual," Julian said.

  This Vulpix had qualification, Julian himself found a Slowpoke in there so sidering Will's usual luck it wasn't that far-fetched.

  "Call it what you want, but this -qualified Vulpix is my ticket to being a Fire Elite!" Will decred with a proud grin.

  qualifications were rare, and Will's Vulpix had the potential to evolve into a ales aually reach Elite status.

  After testing its qualifications, Will had even received an offer of one billion from a collector, which he immediately turned down.

  Shen looked at Will in surprise, paring her family's effort to secure her a -qualified Mienfoo with Will's seemingly effortless capture of a -qualified Vulpix.

  "If this were a novel, Will, you'd definitely be the protagonist," Shen mused. "Julian would be the rich sed-geion vilin, rich, cold, and aloof—always giving opportuo the underdog."

  Will ughed, "Yeah, right! I really am the protagonist and Julian also has that cold, calg exterior. You never know what he's hiding underh, he might be a beast inside."

  Julian raised an eyebrow.

  "I have a top tier Fire Stone here"

  "Dad, I was wrong"

  Shen: ?_??

  With Will's easygoing nature, the three-hour flight passed quickly. His sociable personality and knack for versation even led him to chat with other passengers.

  By the end of the flight, he had struck up a friendly versation with a striking womaed nearby and had even exged tacts.

  Shen watched in disgust.

  "Then brother Will, e to me when you have time iure"

  After getting off the phe woman said with a smile.

  "Okay, I will definitely e, just don't pretend not to know me then," Will said with a grin.

  The answer Will received was a shy ughter from the other party.

  "Shen, I and Will are going first"

  Ohe pne nded, Julian spotted his aunt waiting at the gate.

  Will had followed Julian and came early, so he naturally had time before Uy started and decided to follow Julian.

  "Okay, see you at Imperial Uy"

  "Yeah, see you at the Uy"

  The three of them parted ways. Julian took Will and headed toward his aunt, aiting to pick them up.

  As they walked out of the terminal, Julian spotted her standing by the exit, sing the crowd.

  Julian's aunt, a well-known Pokémon schor, was often incredibly busy with her work. She rarely had time to return home, sometimes visiting only once a year.

  Julian hadn't seen her in three years.

  "Aunt Quinn," Juliaed her warmly.

  "Hi, sister," Will chimed in.

  Julian shot Will a look.

  "Aww, Little Juli, your friend is so funny! And sweet-talking too. Is this your boyfriend?" his aunt teased. "You haven't seen me in three years, and you're still as cold as ever. But you've really grown."

  "Well, I've been waiting for 'Little Juli' to introduce me to his family," Will joked, jumping in to lighten the mood.

  Julian narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to die?" he muttered, his voice cool but ced with a threat.

  Will quickly realized he'd pushed it too far. He had almost fotten what a petty person Julian be, He cleared his throat.

  "Ahem, Julian is really popur with the girls at school, but he's way too picky. The ones who like him, don't get noticed by him. As for me, I'm not as picky, but the girls still won't give me a sed look!"

  "Aunty, let's go," Julian said, eager to escape the versation.

  He wasn't in the mood to listen to more of Will's chatter with his aunt. The way they got along seemed like they were really aunt and nephew.

  "Hahaha, jealous, Little Juli?" his aunt chuckled, reag out to pinch Julian's cheeks just like she used to when he was a child. "Still so cute!"

  "Click."

  Julian gnced over at Will, who was casually turning his phoo snap some pictures of the airport, ag as though nothing had happened.

  "Imperial Capital Airport sure is big," Will said, not meeting Julian's eyes. "I should take a few more pictures, to show my parents ter."