NOVEL NEXT Chapter 87: New Friends
"U-um, Dante?"
As Dante put the bracelet on Pikachu and Azumarill, a call from behind made him turn his head.
There, he saw two girls standing. One was a girl with blue and white hair and tanned skin. Her wide eyes were curiously peering at the Pokemon in front of Dante and Focalors.
The other girl, who presumably was the one that called him, was Kachina.
Kachina was visibly fidgeting, her hands clasped together as she looked down at the ground.
"Hey Kachina, you're here too?"
"Y-you remember me!? Ehehe, I thought you'd forgotten~"
"Well, it's hard not to forget a girl that fell into my arms."
Kachina's face blushed hearing Dante's teasing. After waking up that day, she heard from her parents how she fell unconscious in the middle of the arena and was held in the arms of a handsome boy.
Her eyes furtively peeked at Dante's face. Seeing his refreshing smile, his mesmerizing red eyes, and his slightly messy white-red hair, Kachina's face turned even redder.
"B-b-by the way! This is my friend, Mualani!"
Kachina instinctively turned to the nearest source of distraction, namely, the one who egged her on to even approach Dante in the first place.
"Hello! I'm Mualani, your senior. If you ever have any questions about the school, you're welcome to find me anytime!" (Mualani pic in comment)
Mualani patted her plump chest, causing it to slightly jiggle. Focalors' eyes twitched after seeing this, especially when she saw Dante staring out of the corner of her vision.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Focalors, and this guy right here is Dante."
"I know you two! You're the talk of my whole class and the professors! You've got lots of expectations on your shoulders."
Mualani patted Dante and Focalors shoulders while giving them a sympathetic nod.
"Hah, don't worry. It's something I'm also looking forward to."
One of the reasons Dante even enrolled in this school was to topple the big two in the Inter-University Tournament. According to his research, the tournament has three formats: the Freshman Competition, the Team Competition, and the Individual Competition.
Dante's aim is to dominate all three of them.
"Hahaha, I like your confidence! But you need to join the school team first, and as seniors, we would be too ashamed if our juniors could easily replace our position."
"Hmm? Are you part of the school's team, Mualani?"
"You betcha! I am the school's ace!"
"EHH!!"
While Dante and Focalors were a little surprised by that information, Kachina on the side was even more shocked than the two of them. Her mouth hung open as she stared at her friend.
"T-the school's ace?! Amazing~ I didn't know you were so strong, Mualani!"
"Huh, aren't you two friends? How come you didn't know?"
"Ehehe, the truth is, we only met for the first time yesterday~."
Kachina drew circles with her right foot, a bit embarrassed while remembering how the two met.
Yesterday during lunch break, she and Drilbur explored the school grounds. The both of them were amazed at how large the school is…and got lost while wandering.
Luckily, Mualani had just been on her way back after practice. She had met the lost Kachina and after a brief chat, they formed a bond of friendship.
—
"So, you usually don't train here, Mualani?"
"Nope! I prefer going to the river behind the school, that way, I can accompany Sharky and the others while they're practicing."
After their initial introduction, the four of Dante, Focalors, Kachina, and Mualani chatted while they let their Pokemon practice. Because of the restrictions in this place, the only training their Pokemon can do is calisthenics while enduring the force of gravity.
Here, Dante was introduced to the lineup of their university team's ace:
Sharky, which is Sharpedo, is a Water and Dark-type Pokemon. He has the Speed Boost Ability which can constantly increase his speed during battle. From the Alliance database, Sharpedo's racial limits are: 70 HP, 110 Attack, 40 Defense, 95 Special Attack, 40 Special Defense, and 95 Speed.
Colly, which is Ludicolo, is a Water and Grass-type Pokemon. He has the Swift Swim Ability that doubles his speed under the rain. From the Alliance database, Ludicolo's racial limits are: 80 HP, 70 Attack, 70 Defense, 90 Special Attack, 100 Special Defense, and 70 Speed.
And Polly, which is Politoed, is a Water-type Pokemon. She has the Drizzle Ability that gives her the intrinsic capability to call on the rain. From the Alliance database, Politoed's racial limits are: 90 HP, 75 Attack, 75 Defense, 90 Special Attack, 100 Special Defense, and 70 Speed.
From Dante's estimate, both her Sharpedo and Ludicolo had already reached their racial limit. Meanwhile, Politoed is also close to attaining hers.
Mualani is already in her third year, meaning she had 2 full years to train her Pokemon. And according to her, she had Sharky years before she even became an official Trainer!
She told them how they met, and Dante couldn't help thinking it was something out of a fairytale.
Mualani found an injured Carvanha washed up on the beach when she was still young. She helped nurse him back to health, and after a week, he had fully recovered and set free on the sea.
Since then, Carvanha was always waiting for Mualani at the beach whenever she went home after school. He would swim alongside her, pull her surfboard, and basically spend their free time together.
This continued even when he eventually evolved into a Sharpedo. And on the day Mualani passed the Trainer Examination, he agreed to become her Pokemon.
The rest of the story was about how Dean Ronaldo found her in their remote hometown and was invited to this university. Due to performing well in class and in tournaments, she was able to get both Lotad and Poliwag from the Breeder House, as well as exchange the items needed for them to evolve.
After her, Dante also told the story of how he found Pikachu in the forest. Kachina and Focalors followed suit, with Kachina getting Drilbur from her father's construction company, and Dratini accompanying Focalors since she was young.
Soon, the time came to 6:50 PM and they exited the gravity chamber. Outside, they waited for Shinobu and Candice to arrive while casually chatting.
"Do you two want to join us for dinner? We could introduce you to our other friends."
"Sure! Do you have a place already? If not, I know a great restaurant nearby. The food there is great, and the price is very affordable!"
"W-well, as long as it's not too expensive..."
"Haha, don't worry about the cost, Kachina, I'll treat you guys tonight. Order as much as you want!"
Dante smiled at Kachina and patted her shoulders to comfort her. Even after giving his parents 100 million and lavishly spending money for a month, he still had more than 1.8 billion credits.
And with the 20,000 credits he earns monthly from having one Gym Badge, Dante has already achieved financial freedom.
Unknown to Dante, Kachina's face was currently steaming. Feeling Dante's warm and large hands on her shoulder, her heart couldn't help beating faster.
At this time, Shinobu and Candice finally arrived. Dante took his hands off and waved at the two of them, making Kachina feel both relieved and disappointed.
Shinobu walked over and briefly explained why they were 'late'. Apparently, Candice joined Shinobu in the space chamber after getting bored in the environment simulation room. The two got so engrossed in chatting and almost forgot the time.
When Shinobu saw Kachina beside Dante, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Aren't you the girl who fought Dante with Drilbur?"
"Y-yes! I'm Kachina, I was lucky to qualify during the Rookie Competition and met the two of you."
"Lucky…haha, you know, you're the only Trainer I know who was able to seriously injure Dante's Pikachu. Even against a Cham-Dragonite, Pikachu still remained unharmed. I would say you're unlucky to have met Dante during the first day of the competition."
Shinobu had a mirthful smile as she looked at Kachina.
"Huh? She injured Pikachu!?"
Focalors looked at Kachina in disbelief, her calm facade being broken.
When training together earlier, she noticed Kachina's Pokemon was just a Drilbur who hadn't even reached its racial limit. How could a Pokemon like that hurt Pikachu when even her father's Dragonite cannot?!
"Yes, but that was a month ago, before Pikachu obtained the Light Ball. While Pikachu was also strong at the time, he wasn't as perverted as he is now."
"I see…"
Mualani's curious eyes fell on the Pikachu sitting on Dante's shoulder. From the rumors she heard, Dante was strong because of his Shiny Azumarill. But based on what she just heard, his Pikachu should be no slouch either.
Dante and Focalors introduced their newfound friend to the two. After that, their group proceeded to walk near the school's entrance where they decided to meet up with Furina.
Along the way, Mualani was greeted by countless students to which she responded back enthusiastically.
When they finally reached the meeting place, they were surprised to see Furina talking and laughing with someone. After seeing their group, she waved at them before walking over.
"Oh? It seems I'm not the only one bringing a friend along."
Furina approached with a smile as she greeted everyone. Her eyes fell on Kachina and Mualani within their group, her interest in them clearly written on her face.
Still, she turned aside first and pointed at the girl beside her.
"This is my Dawn, my friend. You could also say that we're rivals in becoming the best Pokemon Coordinator." (Dawn pic in comment)
"Hello everyone! I hope I didn't intrude."
"No, not at all! You know the saying, the more the merrier."
Focalors smiled and stepped forward to assuage Dawn's concern. She had been bothered that her sister might feel lonely, especially since all of them in the group were from the Trainer course. Seeing her gaining a new friend in her class, she became relieved.
Meanwhile, Dante had a reminiscent expression as he looked at Dawn. She was another character he knew from the Pokemon world, the same as Candice. At the same time, he was also one of the Pokemon girls he had a crush on back then.
Similar to her appearance in the anime, she had a fair complexion, steel blue eyes, and long navy blue hair. On her head, she wears a white beanie with a pink Poké Ball print on it. She also wears gold hair clips that hold up her hair in front.
After a brief introduction with each other, the group of 8 people finally began to walk under Mualani's lead toward what she called the 'school's hidden restaurant.'
A/N: Just a reminder, not all girls who Dante is close to will join the harem. Some will just be a sex buddy while others a platonic friend. The only three confirmed right now are Shinobu, Focalors, and Furina. Also, I'm going to the hospital tomorrow, so maybe the update will be late again.
Last night, my stomach suddenly started hurting so badly I wasn't even able to stand up. I would have been sent to the hospital if the pain hadn't suddenly stopped. But after waking up earlier today, my chest felt so tight I almost couldn't breathe. Fortunately, it subsided when I sat up. I suspect it's GERD, but I'll go for a check-up just in case.