Aaron raised his scoring watch, tilting his head slightly as he said in a calm, almost helpless tone,
"Can't help it… you guys just don't get what it's like having too many points."
The others immediately grabbed his wrist, eyes locking onto the absurd number displayed.
100,000 points.
It was actually 100,000.
They slowly looked up at him like they were staring at some kind of monster.
What the hell is this guy…?
Is he even human?
For a moment, they all started questioning their own lives.
Even cheating wouldn't go this far.
"Aaron… what the hell did you take?"
"How are you this strong…?"
"Who's supposed to keep up with that!?"
Yuri swallowed hard, completely unable to hide the shock in his voice.
"Exactly! Bro, you definitely shattered the combat exam record this time!"
"That's not even normal anymore…"
Victor stared at Aaron, eyes lit with excitement and disbelief.
"Aaron… I don't hype people easily—but yeah, I respect that."
Ethan said from the side, eyes shining.
Even Grace, who was usually distant, had a faint glint in her eyes as she looked at him.
"You're still ahead of me… but I'll catch up."
Aaron scratched the back of his head, smiling, but didn't say anything.
The Combat Exam was over.
Which meant they had officially graduated from high school—and were about to move on to the next stage of their lives: college.
Aaron headed off, while the other candidates boarded transport back to their respective cities.
Now, all that was left was to wait two weeks for the results.
In the meantime, they had a full two-month break.
For once, they could actually relax.
That night, no one felt like sleeping.
Fireworks lit up the sky across the city—like a send-off for everything they were leaving behind, and a welcome to what came next.
...
After getting home, Aaron told his family about his results.
His parents' reactions were instant—their faces lit up, practically glowing with excitement.
100,000 points.
Even without taking the exam themselves, they understood exactly what that meant.
Last year's top score had been 15,000—and that was enough to rank first.
And now their son had hit 100,000.
That wasn't just higher—it was on a completely different level.
His mom immediately grabbed her phone and started calling relatives.
Of course, she definitely wasn't going to mention the 100,000 points.
Yeah. Sure.
"Hey… cousin, how'd your kid do on the Combat Exam?"
"Mm? 3,000?"
"Not bad, not bad. Should get into a decent university."
"My Aaron?"
"Oh, nothing special… just around 100,000."
"Yeah, yeah. One hundred thousand."
"…Hm?"
"Hello? Cousin? Why'd you hang up?"
...
"Hello… Uncle?"
...
"Uncle?"
...
After taking a shower, Aaron came downstairs and saw his mom still glued to the phone.
He didn't even know what to say anymore.
"Mom, Dad—I'm heading out. Meeting up with some friends."
"Alright, alright—just don't stay out too late!"
"Got it."
...
When Aaron stepped outside, Yuri was already waiting.
The two of them called a ride and headed toward a villa on the outskirts of the city.
Tonight's gathering had been put together by Simon—to celebrate the end of the exam… and Aaron's ridiculous 100,000-point score.
Just a small group of close friends—and their Pokémon—getting together for a proper meal.
Aaron didn't see any reason to refuse. He agreed right away, and no one else had any objections.
They got out in front of a countryside villa with a spacious garden layout.
"Damn… Simon's loaded. Who uses a place like this just for vacation?"
Yuri stared at the massive, beautifully designed property, pure envy written all over his face.
"Come on."
The villa was brightly lit. As Aaron walked toward the entrance, he spotted a few familiar faces in the courtyard—
Simon, Victor, Grace, and Ethan.
There was also a girl he didn't recognize—cute, with twin ponytails.
Probably a friend… or family.
"Aaron, look—she's cute."
"…Twin ponytails too. I'm sold."
Yuri looked like your average cheerful, harmless guy.
But that image didn't last long.
The moment he spotted her, his eyes lit up as he elbowed Aaron with a grin.
Aaron rolled his eyes, ignored him completely, and walked ahead.
...
At that moment, Simon, Ethan, and Victor were busy at the grill.
The most tempting aroma came from the Farfetch'd leeks, sizzling as they released a rich, savory fragrance.
Grace—and the twin-ponytailed girl—both swallowed without realizing it.
"You guys got here early."
Aaron walked over, greeting them casually.
"There he is!"
"Aaron, you finally showed up. I told you I could send a driver, but you said no."
Victor set down the chicken wing in his hand with a grin.
"Your limousine's way too flashy—it'd draw way too much attention. I'll pass."
Aaron waved it off, smiling.
"Hahaha—"
Everyone laughed.
"Hey… Grace, who's your pretty friend?"
Yuri's gaze immediately locked onto the girl beside her.
Grace glanced at him, then spoke calmly.
"This is my cousin—Lyra."
"She just finished the exam too. She's from Crown City and came over for the break."
"So I brought her along. That's fine, right?"
...