The brief catch-up with Kun ended, and silence settled between them.

  Meanwhile, Emma was locked in an intense discussion with another boy. Judging by her animated gestures, it was probably the guy who had been spamming her with messages every day.

  When Ethan caught sight of the boy, his brows furrowed.

  With Snivy by his side, Ethan strode quickly toward them.

  "Emma, you should just give up. Your Squirtle doesn’t stand a chance against my Bulbasaur," said the boy, whose name was James Zhang.

  James flicked his blond bangs with an air of smugness, clearly thinking the gesture made him look cool.

  The two had already battled once before. Despite both starting their Pokémon journeys at roughly the same time, James was well aware of Squirtle’s shortcomings.

  Squirtle’s Water Gun was weak and couldn’t possibly hurt Bulbasaur.

  As for Tackle… well, that was even more amusing. The poor turtle didn’t even dare to lift its head properly. The only thing it could probably hit was a Kakuna that couldn’t dodge.

  Emma shot a glare at James. "James Zhang, the battle hasn’t even started yet. Who wins and who loses is still up in the air!"

  James’s eyes glinted mischievously, clearly scheming something. "Oh? If you’re that confident, how about we make a bet? If you lose, you become my girlfriend."

  "You!"

  Emma’s face turned red with anger. Even if she wasn’t the sharpest at times, she knew better than to agree to such a ridiculous demand.

  But she was so furious her mind went blank, leaving her at a loss for words.

  "If you’re feeling that desperate, go rub yourself against a tree or something," a cool, clear voice interjected. "No need to broadcast it for everyone to hear—it’s not exactly a good look."

  Startled, Emma turned to find Ethan stepping forward, his hand resting gently on her head as he moved to stand protectively in front of her.

  Ethan’s gaze was cold as he locked eyes with James, his tone unflinching.

  He had overheard the entire exchange. Initially, he thought it was just an ordinary case of someone pursuing Emma. But now, it was clear this bordered on harassment, and he wasn’t about to let it slide.

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  "Ethan! It’s him!"

  Emma’s eyes lit up as if she’d just spotted a savior.

  In her mind, Ethan was like the ultimate parental figure who always had her back. When she was bullied as a child, all she had to do was call Ethan, and the problem would be solved—whether it required arguing or fighting.

  He had never lost.

  Even when she was in the wrong, Ethan would flip the situation to teach her a lesson instead.

  James was momentarily stunned by her outburst. When he finally processed what was happening, his face turned red with frustration. "Who the heck are you?"

  "A dumb bird," Ethan replied coldly, not even bothering to elaborate.

  He turned to Emma and said, "For people like him, don’t waste your time. Block his number, delete his contact, and kick him out of any class group chats. There’s no need to engage."

  Ethan wasn’t just stepping in; he was teaching this na?ve girl how to handle unwanted attention.

  "Got it, got it!" Emma nodded rapidly, like a little chick pecking at grain.

  Trying to create the image of a prodigy rookie Trainer, huh?

  "Ah, must be nice to have money and connections. The path’s already paved for them," Ethan muttered with a hint of amusement.

  Still, he didn’t feel envious.

  After all, he had the greatest "connection" in this world.

  About ten minutes later, the balding man on stage finally finished his speech.

  "Alright, everyone, please board the buses. We’ll be heading to Wutong City’s sports arena for the Baby Cup!"

  The crowd collectively exhaled in relief, and the participants began filing onto the buses.

  Ethan glanced at the vehicles. There were three buses in total.

  After boarding, he did a quick count—each bus had 42 seats. That meant the total number of participants wouldn’t exceed 126 people.

  As the bus sped through the streets, Ethan, feeling a bit bored, pulled out his phone. A notification popped up—Uncle Charles had sent him a message.

  [Charles: Ethan! The fruits and vegetables from your plantation are incredibly popular! Uncle wants to ask—when will the second batch be ready? If you’re short on help, just let me know.]

  [Ethan: Some of the continuous harvest produce should be ready in four or five days. As for the others… not sure yet.]

  In truth, the others were also on a four- to five-day cycle, but the constant planting felt a bit tedious to Ethan.

  So, he had another idea: watermelons.

  Big, easy to sell, and perfect for this hot weather—watermelons seemed like the ideal addition to the plantation.

  [Charles: Great! I’ll come by in five days to pick up the next batch!]

  [Ethan: Sounds good.]

  As the bus came to a halt with a soft screech, Ethan looked up to see they had arrived at the Wutong Arena in Wutong City.

  Gathering his things, Ethan stepped off the bus with determination.

  For competitions like this, he usually wasn’t the type to participate.

  But when he did, he aimed for nothing less than giving it his all. First place wasn’t just a goal—it was the only acceptable outcome.

  Besides, he couldn’t ignore the reporters armed with long-lens cameras stationed all around. This wasn’t just a small-town event; it was an opportunity to make an impression.

  If he performed well enough in this competition, it would be the perfect chance to promote his Neighbor’s Breeding House!

  He could already envision it: Snivy holding up an Energy Block in front of the cameras, saying, "This is from Neighbor’s Breeding House!"

  That would be an incredibly effective advertisement.

  With such publicity, Trainers from all over would bring their Pokémon to his breeding house. And the more Pokémon he delighted, the more system rewards he could reap.

  It was a win-win strategy, and Ethan couldn’t help but smirk at the thought.