Chapter 8: It Loves You More Than It Loves Itself

There were no issues for Hu Yang during the first two parts of the assessment. With only a little over twenty applicants, the examiners swiftly reached their conclusions. As expected, Hu Yang was the undisputed top candidate in the written test, practical demonstration, and interview.

Having passed the assessment, the recruitment fair had nothing more to do with him. Led by a faculty member, Hu Yang was taken to the staff dormitory. Seeing his first small home in this world, he finally let out a small sigh of relief.

"Your class schedule will be ready tomorrow," the teacher said kindly. "For now, just rest here for the night." Hu Yang nodded, watching as the teacher pulled a small booklet from his pocket. "Here, take this. It's our school's basic code of conduct. Familiarize yourself with it when you have time."

Hu Yang had no objections. "Alright."

With that, the teacher left.

The room was not large, but compared to his former student dormitory in his previous life, it could almost be called luxurious—a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It was modest in size, but certainly more than enough for a single person.

Hu Yang couldn’t help reflecting: compared to this, his old college dorm had been little more than a hovel.

After quickly getting acquainted with the room, he went to the kitchen and boiled some water. While waiting, he released the Ancient Moon Bird from its Master Ball.

He patted the bird’s head, and though he knew it couldn’t understand, he still asked, "Are you hungry? Want something to eat?"

The Ancient Moon Bird cocked its head.

The dead fish from earlier had long since been tossed into the trash. Hu Yang only had a few berries left; after some thought, he fed all of them to the Ancient Moon Bird.

Once he saw the bird could feed itself, he finally picked up the small booklet and began to read.

In this world, children who reached the age of ten were eligible to receive a starter Pokémon from the local Pokémon Professor. The League would provide three Pokémon for the Professor, from which the child could choose.

However, not everyone was entitled to this privilege. Large families didn’t need it—they would give their younger members even rarer Pokémon than the typical starters.

Children who could claim Pokémon from the Professor were usually either from the League’s inner circle or from wealthy families, with no worries about food or clothing—like Ash and his friends in the anime.

As for ordinary or lower-status children, they didn’t receive this benefit, perhaps because the League feared they couldn’t afford to raise a Pokémon.

But that didn’t mean commoners couldn’t become trainers. The League wouldn’t give them a starter, but they could find a way to obtain one themselves.

It was a harsh reality, but it didn’t dampen people’s enthusiasm for Pokémon or the dream of becoming a trainer.

Before their journeys began, the League would provide three years of schooling to children between seven and ten years old, teaching them the basics of Pokémon, training, and regular academic subjects. After those three years, those who wished to become trainers could graduate and set out on their travels. Those uninterested or who lost interest along the way could opt for higher education in subjects like physics, mathematics, and language.

This Petalburg Junior Pokémon School was precisely such an institution.

After skimming through the booklet, Hu Yang had a general understanding of this world.

Meanwhile, in the office building, Principal Kiriyama sat behind his desk, reviewing the applicants' tests. Of the more than twenty candidates, only Hu Yang had achieved a perfect score.

Nodding in satisfaction, he was interrupted by a teacher responsible for onboarding new staff. The teacher handed over a form.

Principal Kiriyama glanced at it and was astonished. "He’s only ten?"

Because Hu Yang had previously claimed to be sixteen, Principal Kiriyama hadn’t known his real age. Now, seeing the information, he was truly surprised.

The teacher hesitated. "Principal, isn’t that a bit young?"

Recalling Hu Yang’s earlier performance, Kiriyama replied, "That child is smarter than some adults."

Indeed, some children who lost their parents matured early, becoming sensitive and alert to the outside world. Not to mention, this was a child who had grown up in seclusion with his parents in the forest, never before exposed to human society.

Perhaps the reason he claimed to be sixteen was to avoid being denied a job due to his age. Upon reflection, that explanation seemed reasonable.

At that moment, Principal Kiriyama wondered what kind of knowledge those reclusive scholar parents had instilled in him during all those hidden years.

With a sigh, Kiriyama decided not to inquire further. "Let’s see how he does as a teacher. If there are no issues, the position is his. You can get back to work."

The teacher acknowledged and left.

Hu Yang was unaware of these events.

That evening, a friendly teacher came to invite him to dinner. Glancing at the Ancient Moon Bird, which was fast asleep, Hu Yang decided not to disturb it.

"Does the school cafeteria provide food for teachers’ Pokémon?" he asked.

"It does, but only basic food to fill their bellies," the male teacher replied. Catching sight of the Ancient Moon Bird, he was surprised. "I’ve never seen that Pokémon before. Are you its trainer?"

Hu Yang improvised, "It’s from the Galar region—a Pokémon my parents left me."

The teacher had heard about Hu Yang’s story. Seeing how young he looked, he hesitated to bring up painful memories. "Sorry," he murmured.

Hu Yang felt numb, his voice wooden. "I understand. The dead cannot return."

The teacher warmly clapped him on the shoulder. "That’s right! I’m glad you can move on. Come on, let’s eat! By the way, I’m Tsuyoshi Nishida, but just call me Bro Tsuyoshi!"

"Alright, Brock," Hu Yang replied.

This man reminded him of the goofy roommates from his college days—outgoing and cheerful. In just one meal, Hu Yang got to know many of the other teachers through his chatter.

Before dinner could turn into a full-blown welcoming party, Hu Yang quickly gathered up the takeout food for his Pokémon and slipped away.

By the time he returned to his dorm, night had fully fallen. With a crisp click, the bright white light flooded the room.

But the spot where the Ancient Moon Bird had been sleeping was empty.

His heart gave a jolt, but he soon recalled its habit of flying out to catch fish in the mornings back in the forest. That thought eased his nerves a bit, though he still couldn’t fully relax.

What if it was attacked out there? He wasn’t worried for the Ancient Moon Bird’s safety, but rather for the potential opponents and himself. If the bird’s counterattack accidentally hurt someone or damaged something valuable, no compensation would ever be enough.

Fortunately, the Ancient Moon Bird didn’t leave him anxious for long. Soon, it flew back from the night, a fish in its beak, and landed on the desk.

Seeing this, Hu Yang’s worries vanished.

He sat down with the takeout food, opened the bag, and pushed the container toward the bird. "Eat up!"

The Ancient Moon Bird tilted its head, spat out the half-dead fish, and nudged it toward Hu Yang.

"Are you trying to feed me?" Hu Yang laughed.

The bird’s expression was as blank and silly as ever, offering no reply.

Under the warm light, Hu Yang suddenly felt deeply moved.

He remembered the golden finger’s remark about the Ancient Moon Bird: You are its most beloved trainer. It loves you more than it loves itself.

Even if it couldn’t understand human speech, it had never forgotten to love its trainer.