c6: Primary School Graduation, Departure
In the bustling city of Shencheng.
Today marks a nationwide milestone: sixth-grade students from Pokémon-affiliated primary schools across the country officially graduate and receive their certificates, a rite of passage before beginning formal Trainer journeys or higher Pokémon education.
Chen Xiaoxiao awoke early to join her grandmother for a nutritious breakfast prepared by their family Pokémon none other than her loyal Gardevoir, who had been raised and trained from a Ralts with precision and care over the past six years.
Yes, in the blink of an eye, six full years had passed!
Gardevoir had been nurtured with love and discipline into a near-perfect domestic assistant graceful and efficient. From culinary arts passed down from Kalos chefs to laundry folding techniques favored by Breeders in Goldenrod City, there was nothing she couldn't do.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaoxiao herself had grown from a petite first-grader barely over a meter tall into a graceful, slender twelve-year-old girl standing proudly at 1.5 meters. Her delicate features, always remarkable since childhood, now turned heads even among young Trainers and researchers when she walked down the streets in her customized lavender Poké-gear.
"Grandma," she said hesitantly while chewing a buttered Oran berry toast, "I promised Leng Yue I'd visit her in Beijing during the holidays. I booked a flight out this morning... and I won't be back after the ceremony."
Grandma, who had been sipping her berry tea in silence, gave her a long, unreadable look. "Well... just be careful out there."
"I will! Don't worry seriously, it's me!" Chen Xiaoxiao smiled brightly.
"That's exactly why I am worried," Grandma grumbled, clearly disapproving but not stopping her.
Chen Xiaoxiao packed up quickly. "Let's go, Sun Pokémon Gardevoir, return to your Poké Ball!" She flicked her custom Advanced Poké Ball, catching a gleam of pink light as Gardevoir returned gracefully.
She stepped out, sunlight bouncing off the steel support rails of the city's Pokémon monorail. Taking out her blue Pokédex latest model co-developed by Silph Co. and the Huaxia Pokémon Alliance she launched the Penguin App, a popular Trainer social media tool.
She scrolled through her friends list mostly fellow gifted children from Pokémon Academy events and quickly tapped Leng Yue's name, labeled with a Glalie sticker. She typed rapidly:
"Yueyue! Just told Grandma I'm headed to see you in Beijing like we planned. I booked the morning flight. If she asks, please help cover for me! Love you forever, okay?"
Moments later, the app chimed with Leng Yue's reply.
"!!!!!! Where are you even going?! You liar! And why would your grandma ask me? She'll probably go straight to my dad! What were you thinking, dragging me into this!?"
Chen Xiaoxiao smiled awkwardly and typed back.
"...Yeah, I figured. Grandma probably already suspects something. She's too sharp."
After all, in her previous life, Chen Xiaoxiao had been an orphan who never had the chance to sneak out or be mischievous. Ever since coming to this world, she had lived cautiously and respectfully. So even if she was hiding something, she believed her grandmother wouldn't press too hard.
"You're not meeting some sketchy online boyfriend, right? You're not from Hoenn or something weird like that?" Leng Yue messaged again, this time clearly teasing.
"What the heck! Of course not! I'm never dating anyone, ever! Don't make up nonsense!" Chen Xiaoxiao quickly shot back.
"Heehee, got it! You're going wild again, right? Shencheng's outskirts too tame for you now?"
Leng Yue had a knowing tone.
"…"
Chen Xiaoxiao felt exposed. Leng Yue knew her too well. If even she could guess, then her grandmother had almost certainly figured it out already.
"I knew it!" Leng Yue messaged again. "So jealous! Being a Psychic-type user is so unfair. You can sneak past all the city barriers using Gardevoir's Teleport. Meanwhile, people like me have to beg the Security Corps or wait until sixteen! That age limit is totally outdated. It should be based on Trainer ranking, not years lived. You and I could beat half the certified Trainers already."
"Sweetheart," Leng Yue continued, "petition your grandmother to have your family propose reforms at this year's Pokémon Alliance Standing Committee. Make it fair for geniuses like us!"
"Friends like you are exhausting…" Chen Xiaoxiao replied, her mouth twitching into a grin.
While chatting, she walked down familiar streets flanked by Porygon delivery drones and Poké Mart billboards. At last, she arrived at her primary school Shencheng Pokémon Basic Academy.
Just as she stepped into her homeroom and sat down at her desk, a familiar voice called out.
"Chen Xiaoxiao."
She looked up. It was the class monitor one of only two students Chen Xiaoxiao had grown close to.
The other, of course, was Leng Yue the cool, sharp-tongued daughter of the Huaxia Ice-type Elite, a member of the prestigious Elite Four.
Two years ago, when Chen Xiaoxiao had traveled with her grandmother to Beijing for the National Huaxia Pokémon League Championship, she had visited Leng Yue's home. Their grandmothers both alumni of the Breeding Division at Huaqing University had reconnected after decades and quickly rekindled their friendship, bringing their granddaughters together.
And so, two odd girls one descended from Psychic-type Trainers, the other from Ice-type royalty became friends in a world built for strength, bonds, and evolution.
Later, Grandma told the story of how she and Leng Yue's grandmother once fell in love with the same Eevee at a breeder conference co-hosted by Huaqing University and the Sinnoh Pokémon Association. After hearing that nostalgic tale, Leng Yue felt that she and Chen Xiaoxiao were destined to meet and challenged her to an official Eevee Evolution Battle under standard Huaxia League junior regulations.
Chen Xiaoxiao, however, chuckled inwardly. Her Ice-type Pokémon Glaceon possessed an Elite-tier qualification. It was likely evolved using a refined Ice Stone infused with energy from Snowpoint Temple's legacy shards, which boosts innate potential. Otherwise, the odds of two Elite-qualified evolutions emerging from a single breeding line in one generation were statistically below 0.5%, even for expert breeders.
But the level gap was still noticeable. Glaceon was only at Elite Peak level 38.
Chen Xiaoxiao's partner, her trusted Sun Pokémon Espeon was already at Quasi-Elite Advanced level 52, trained through consistent psychic resonance syncing and exposure to dawnlight for enhanced evolution affinity.
Feeling a bit guilty for the advantage, Chen Xiaoxiao secretly used Telepathy to signal Espeon to suppress half its power output during the match.
Still, the battle was intense. They clashed with agility and skill Glaceon's Hail boosted Ice Beam met with Espeon's Morning Sun and Psybeam counterplay. In the end, Chen Xiaoxiao's tactical feint with Future Sight allowed her to secure a narrow "victory."
Leng Yue, unfazed by the loss, showed excellent upbringing. Instead of frustration, she grew more delighted finding a peer who could match, or even surpass her, in this field where she rarely encountered equals.
Her favorability rating toward Chen Xiaoxiao surged, jumping from "Friend" to "Good Friend" status akin to triggering an S-Rank bond event in the Alliance Affinity System.
Once they became closer, Chen Xiaoxiao discovered Leng Yue was a total mensao a quiet girl with a surprisingly mischievous streak.
She constantly bombarded Chen Xiaoxiao via Penguin Messenger, sending funny filters and voice clips, sometimes even calling during study time just to complain about team comps.
At first, it was annoying. But when Chen Xiaoxiao learned that Leng Yue had few real friends due to her status as the daughter of Ice Elite Leng Bingxue of the Huaxia Elite Four, she relented.
(Also because Leng Yue's profile picture was way too pretty...)
Chen Xiaoxiao's other close friend was her class monitor, He Xiaowen.
Three years earlier, Shencheng Gym's former leader had retired. After a national-level assessment held jointly by the Gym Leaders Association and the Huaxia League, He Yong Xiaowen's father was appointed as the new Gym Leader, standing out from over 100 candidates thanks to his mastery of Ground-type Pokémon and a well-documented 5-year win streak in provincial tournaments.
Following the appointment, the He family relocated to Shencheng, and He Xiaowen transferred schools.
Unlike the expressive Leng Yue, He Xiaowen was calm, optimistic, and scholarly.
Due to her academic excellence, she was immediately appointed class monitor.
(Though truthfully, Chen Xiaoxiao's test scores were higher she topped every written exam. But since she often ignored lectures to read PokéWorld research journals under the desk and never submitted homework, teachers had mixed feelings about her.)
What brought them closer was proximity He Xiaowen sat beside her and, as class monitor, never nagged her about homework.
(Of course, even if she did, Chen Xiaoxiao wouldn't have submitted it. But still no pressure felt great.)
Naturally, over time, the two became familiar.
"Sir, what instructions do you have?" Chen Xiaoxiao grinned at her.
"Don't call me that. You won't be class monitor after graduation anyway. Hey, which high school did you choose?"
(Note: In this world structure, there's no junior high. Education comprises 6 years of primary, 4 years of high school, and 4 years of university, with high schools divided into Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Pokémon divisions.)
"Of course Shencheng Pokémon High. Do I even need to say it?" Chen Xiaoxiao looked confused.
"I thought you might have applied to Beijing," He Xiaowen said.
"Nah, Shencheng's facilities are solid. It's one of the Four Tier-One Cities, close to home, and has a great Pokémon combat curriculum," she explained.
"I applied to Shencheng Pokémon High too. Looks like we're classmates again." He Xiaowen smiled.
"Then I'll rely on the monitor for help again!"
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Finally, after the long and somewhat dull graduation ceremony, Chen Xiaoxiao made her way to Shencheng International Airport and boarded a flight bound for western Guangdong.
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