The classroom gradually quieted down again.
Everyone, even the teacher, was watching the two shiny Charmanders gulping down their bottles of Moomoo Milk.
Before long, both Charmanders tipped their heads back, letting out perfectly synchronized little burps.
Auron chuckled softly and handed his Charmander a specially prepared Pokéblock. He also passed one to Jace.
Catching the sweet scent of the Pokéblock, the baby dragon's eyes lit up. Its tiny claws clutched the cube, and perched on Auron's arm, it gnawed eagerly—though with its small jaws, each bite only shaved off a crumb.
It hadn't eaten much before its head began to bob drowsily.
A newborn's rhythm was simple: eat, then sleep. But even as exhaustion dragged at its eyelids, the little Charmander stubbornly took another bite before finally drifting off.
Watching the baby slumber while clutching the cube, Auron reached out, intent on removing the Pokéblock so it could rest more comfortably.
He pinched the cube gently between two fingers and tugged—but the Charmander clutched it tighter, curling in protectively.
Auron's lips twitched. If he forced it away, the baby might wake. Forget it, let it be.
The teacher herself looked a little helpless. She'd never had this happen in class before—a Pokémon not only hatching mid-lesson but promptly falling asleep.
If she lectured, she might disturb the newborns. But if she didn't lecture, standing there in silence felt strange too.
After a moment of thought, her eyes lit up. She walked over to Auron and Jace, lowering her voice.
"You two, take them to my office for now."
"Alright," both answered softly.
They carefully carried the sleeping Charmanders out. Only once the door shut behind them did the teacher raise her voice.
"This sort of thing isn't under our control. Let's just settle down and continue class. In fact, this lesson won't finish anyway. Next period's PE—I'll be borrowing that one. Any objections?"
A chorus of groans erupted instantly.
Outside, Auron and Jace exchanged looks. Both saw the same schadenfreude twinkling in the other's eyes.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
They padded lightly down the hall to the teacher's office and knocked.
"Come in."
This teacher, like Auron's homeroom teacher, was a top-ranked instructor with her own spacious office shared only with the homeroom teacher. The room was quiet and comfortable.
Inside, Auron's homeroom teacher was resting, having no class this period. When he saw the two boys walk in, his brows knit—he was ready to ask why they were cutting class.
But then he spotted the sleeping Pokémon in their arms.
"What's going on here?"
Auron gave a wry smile.
"Our Pokémon hatched in class and then fell asleep. We couldn't exactly keep them there, so the teacher sent us here."
"…Fine. Sit over there."
The homeroom teacher eyed them with surprise, then motioned to the sofa.
Once they were seated, he took a sip from his thermos of tea.
"Alright. Let's hear it."
The boys blinked, puzzled. "Hear what?"
The teacher gave them both a long look and spoke quietly.
"Auron Vale—champion of the School Battle Tournament, with Zubat. Champion of the Vantora regional Baby Cup, with Snorlax. Correct?"
"Uh, yeah," Auron confirmed.
"Jace Rowan—top four in the School Battle Tournament with Torkoal. Top sixteen in the Baby Cup with Growlithe. Correct?"
Jace flinched at the reminder of his top-sixteen finish, but nodded obediently.
"Yeah… that's right. Teacher, how do you know all this?"
The homeroom teacher set his cup down with a faint scowl.
"I'm not blind. Auron's matches are still pinned on the front page."
"That's not what I meant," Jace said quickly. "I mean, you know we've already raised two Pokémon each. Why let these hatch now, right before the exams?"
His teacher gestured at the sleeping Charmanders. Then his gaze sharpened. Suddenly, he shot to his feet.
"…What the—!"
He rubbed his eyes and leaned closer.
"Are those seriously shiny Charmanders?!"
Jace grinned cheekily.
"Teacher, didn't you tell us cursing is uncultured?"
The teacher glared at him.
"Cut it out. That wasn't cursing, that was… an exclamation."
He sat back down, exhaled, and steadied himself with another sip of tea.
"Fine. Let's set aside the shiny business. You both have three Pokémon now. How are your exams looking?"
"I'll be fine," Auron said firmly.
"Your battle exam, sure—I know that. You've already got two championships. What about your written exam?"
The teacher's eyes drooped halfway closed, his tone heavy with pressure.
Auron scratched the back of his head.
"At least I won't drag the average down. I've been working on it."
"Good." His teacher's gaze shifted. "And you?"
"I'll be fine too," Jace answered confidently.
The teacher's face eased. The oppressive weight in the room faded.
"Alright. As long as you both know what you're doing. You've already made a name for yourselves in the Baby Cup."
With that, he said no more, quietly sipping his tea and flipping through the newspaper. His thoughts drifted inward, tallying up how many of his students could actually make a mark this year.
Auron, Jace, and Serena had already proven themselves in the School Battle Tournament and the Baby Cup—no worries there. Their battle exams were solid.
As for the written tests, Jace and Serena were strong students. Auron had been a slacker once, but his last exam showed real improvement. His words about "not dragging anyone down" rang true.
But the rest of the class? Most still had only their starters, and their strength was middling at best. Their results would depend on performance under pressure—good enough in battle, plus decent academics, might land them in a respectable university. Luckily, the class's written scores weren't bad.
Auron and Jace, meanwhile, were deep in another argument.
"My Charmander hatched first," Jace insisted, chin raised stubbornly.
"Bull. Mine came out first. I saw yours hatch after," Auron retorted.
"You saw what? Your own was hatching—you had time to check mine?"
"None of your business!"
Caught in a lie, Auron's voice rose, tinged with embarrassment.
The teacher frowned, his train of thought broken.
"If you two want to fight, take it outside," he warned.
Both boys fell quiet. After a pause, Jace lowered his voice.
"Look, I'm older than you. By rights, I'm your big brother. That makes my Charmander your Charmander's big brother too. How about that?"
"Get lost. Rock-paper-scissors."
"Fine. Bring it on."
Three rounds later, Jace slumped, clutching his Charmander.
"Son… forgive your dad. I lost your elder brother title."
Auron snorted. He knew Jace was just putting on a show for his sake.
"Quit the act. My little guy's the big brother now. Give it up."
Jace's head jerked up.
"No way! There's a camera in the classroom. We'll check the footage!"
"Please. A bet's a bet. I'm not checking anything. My Charmander's the elder brother, no matter what. End of story."
It was settled, nailed down tight. Auron wasn't about to let it unravel. If Jace wanted to check the tapes, he could knock himself out. As far as Auron was concerned, the matter was closed.
(End of Chapter)