That night, the entire process of John defeating Zane was uploaded to the campus network.
The reaction was explosive.
The Didler: "It's such a shame I missed it!"
Puncture Pete: "Thanks for the invite! I was there. Looked like a new star was rising."
Round Daddy: "Can we just crown John as the strongest already?"
Snakey Spice: "Is this the best the Battle Club has to offer? Starting to think they're munching on sea cucumbers."
John handed Grace her phone back, casually stretching out his legs.
"How does it look? A bunch of fansare already calling for you to take over as second-year 'Boss'," Grace teased, a sly grin spreading across her face.
"It's just a title," John replied, unfazed. "In a fight, it's your skills that matter." He tapped a bottle of beer against her hand, but she batted it away playfully.
After the welcome party, the group had planned to grab a late-night meal.
John, however, wasn't feeling up to going out. Instead, he invited everyone to his small courtyard. Recently, he'd added a glass roof over part of it, making the space cozy even in rainy weather.
"You say that, but you're officially the freshman Boss now," Grace pointed out, taking a sip from her drink. Just then, her phone lit up. "Hold up, gotta take this."
The group quieted slightly, letting Grace answer her call.
"Ah, a senior from the Battle Club? What can I do for you?"
At the mention of the Battle Club, everyone perked up, leaning in closer to eavesdrop.
Grace nodded along to the voice on the other end, then looked over at John with wide eyes. "I can't promise anything, but I'll ask him," she said, before hanging up.
"What's going on?" John asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The senior from the Battle Club says my application was approved," Grace said, setting her phone down.
"That's great! Congrats!" John lifted his drink.
"Hold on," Grace interrupted, pressing his glass back down onto the table. "Here's the twist—they want me to convince you to join. I know you're not interested, so I'll just tell them no."
John shrugged. "Yeah, not my thing. I came to Riverstone University to focus on breeding, not battling."
'Besides, If I wanted to fight, I'd just stick to NPCs in the game. At least they give you cash.'
John had already figured out how the game's NPC battles worked. Gym leaders could be challenged once a week, and their difficulty scaled over time. Regular roadside NPCs were less consistent but could be battled every three days.
John had a routine: clear out the local NPCs every few days for experience, then hit the gyms weekly. The rewards weren't stellar, but it all added up.
Clubs, though? Too much of a time sink.
It wasn't like he avoided clubs altogether. He was part of the Berry Growers Association and the Pokemon Egg Care Club. Through the first, he hoped to pick up new farming tricks—maybe even score some rare mulch. The Egg Club, meanwhile, offered techniques for improving the stats of hatched Pokemon.
As the group chatted, John's phone buzzed.
"Maybe the Battle Club is calling you directly now," Grace joked.
John glanced at the unfamiliar number and frowned. Answering, he heard a rough male voice.
"Hello, is this John? This is Professor Lee from the tactics department at Riverstone University."
John blinked. Professor Lee? That didn't ring a bell.
"Uh, hi, Professor. What's this about?"
Lee didn't waste any time. "I'll cut to the chase. Would you consider transferring from the breeding program to the battle department? If you agree, I'll handle all the paperwork. The semester's just started, so it wouldn't be disruptive."
"Thanks for the offer, Professor, but I'm happy where I am," John replied without hesitation.
"Think it over," Lee pressed. "You've got incredible potential for battle tactics. It's a shame not to pursue it. Breeding's a fine field, but success there often comes down to luck as much as skill. Battling, though? As long as you're strong enough, you'll stand out."
Lee continued, promising John top-tier resources and a streamlined transition, but John stood firm.
"Thank you, Professor, but I'm sticking with breeding. It's what I came here for."
There was a pause on the line before Lee finally relented. "Alright, but the offer stands. If you ever change your mind, reach out anytime."
"I appreciate it," John said before hanging up.
"What was that about?" Grace asked, tilting her head.
"Nothing to do with the Battle Club," John replied. "That was a professor trying to get me to switch to the battle department."
Grace and Ethan exchanged knowing looks. "Professor Lee? You don't mean the Lee?" Ethan's eyes widened.
"Probably. He teaches tactics, right?" Grace added.
"Yeah, that's him," Ethan confirmed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Who is he?" John asked, curious now.
Rose chimed in. "Lee was a gym leader back in the day, one of the most promising trainers to almost make it to the Elite Four. He's famous for his unconventional strategies. When he didn't make it, he stepped down and became a professor. He's also the vice president of the National Pokemon Tactics!"
John whistled. "No wonder he said he'd handle everything for me."
Grace and the others fell silent, a mix of admiration and envy etched on their faces.
What they'd dreamed of having handed to them was something John didn't even want.
"Alright, keep it together," Ethan finally muttered, rolling his eyes. "Your 'humblebrag' game is killing us here."