Whipping, A Strange Friendship

As Xiaochun watched Xiong Yan and Abin's figures disappear completely at the end of the road, her eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly forced a smile again.

He patted the dust and grass clippings off his school uniform, walked up to Jiang Chuan and the other two, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you so much... for getting me out of that predicament."

He raised his head, the wound on his forehead still bleeding slightly, but his smile was somewhat forced.

"However... Ah Bin and the others aren't actually bad people."

Xiao Chun sniffed, as if trying to convince herself, and whispered:

"They...they were just a bit strict with me. At Nanshan Noble Academy, we have a very special kind of friendship...called 'the whip of love'."

"They said it was to push me to improve faster and become an elite worthy of the academy's name..."

"The whip of love?"

Jiang Chuan finally finished the last sip of soup in his bowl, casually placed the empty bowl on a flat stone next to him, and chuckled upon hearing this.

He looked Xiao Chun up and down: her thin body, timid eyes, and the new and old scratches on her face and body.

"Xiao Chun."

Jiang Chuan's tone was calm, yet tinged with amusement:

"You wouldn't... have some kind of unusual fetish, would you?"

"Huh?" Xiao Chun was taken aback by his question and hurriedly waved her hands, "N-no! How could I..."

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Xiaoxia nodded vigorously in agreement with Jiang Chuan, then, unable to contain her curiosity, she leaned close to Jiang Chuan's ear, lowered her voice, and asked with a touch of naivety and thirst for knowledge:

"Hey, Jiang Chuan... what kind of unusual fetish do you have? Tell me about it."

Her warm breath brushed against Jiang Chuan's earlobe, carrying a hint of chili oil.

Jiang Chuan turned his head and glanced at Xiaoxia's pretty face, which was so close to his, filled with the words "Tell me quickly," and her lips, which were especially red from eating spicy food.

He smiled slightly, lowered his voice, and said in a volume only the two of them could hear:

"I'll demonstrate it for you myself when I have the chance."

"Go and pack your things."

Jiang Chuan picked up the empty bowl that had been placed on the stone and handed it over.

"Oh... okay!"

Xiaoxia wondered what kind of fetish she couldn't have at this time.

But she still subconsciously took the bowl, obediently turned around, and went to meet up with Hanako, who had almost finished tidying up the hot pot utensils.

Jiang Chuan turned his gaze back to Xiao Chun.

To complete the task, we must first break the distorted mindset that this child has developed through manipulation.

"You said they were helping you improve."

Jiang Chuan took two steps forward, getting closer to Xiao Chun. His tone remained calm, yet carried an invisible pressure:

"Then tell me, today you were forced to run on the treadmill until you fell off, ending up with a bruised face and scraped knees..."

He pointed to the injuries on Xiao Chun's body.

"What progress have you made this time?"

"I..." Xiao Chun opened her mouth, subconsciously wanting to refute, but the words got stuck in her throat.

What progress has been made?

Aside from being more tired, in more pain, and more disheveled... it seems like there really isn't anything else.

"I've already memorized all of Bobo's knowledge perfectly!"

As if to prove she wasn't worthless, Xiao Chun suddenly straightened her back, raised her voice slightly, and added a hint of confidence:

"And...and I'm not just good at reciting! I've successfully trained a Pidgeot that can reach Mach 2! That's very rare in our grade!"

When he talked about his Pidgeot, a glimmer of light finally appeared in his eyes.

"Oh? A Mach 2 Pidgeot?"

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow. This speed was indeed quite good for an ordinary trainer.

"Why didn't you answer when they asked you about Popo's traits and Pidgeot's moves?"

Jiang Chuan continued to press, his tone unhurried yet like a precise scalpel, peeling away the vulnerability Xiao Chun was trying to conceal.

"I……"

The little bit of confidence that Xiaochun had just mustered deflated instantly, like a balloon punctured by a needle.

He lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his school uniform, his voice becoming faint and barely audible again:

"Because...because I only know Pidgey and Pidgeot..."

"After I answer Bobo's question, they immediately bring up new topics I haven't studied before..."

Xiao Chun's voice was filled with deep frustration and helplessness:

"Those...those I have absolutely no idea about. I can guess or barely answer a few questions occasionally...but I can't keep up with the new, harder questions at all."

"What if... what if I can't answer?"

He looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice filled with fear:

"They would think I'm too stupid, an 'unworkable piece of wood,' and they would give up on me and stop 'spurring me on'..."

"Then... I'll lose Ah Bin and the others' precious 'friendship,' be isolated in the elite reserve group, and no one will want to be in a group with me anymore..."

"My mom and dad... they run a small grocery store in Rainbow City. They work hard from dawn till dusk every day, saving up for many years to barely afford to send me here to study the most basic beginner course..."

"They have high hopes for me... I can't be kicked out, I must stay here! As long as I stay at Nanshan College and get my advanced graduation certificate, I can participate in the Alliance Conference and repay them..."

His words were filled with humble persistence and immense pressure.

"Isn't your family rich?"

Just then, Xia, who had finished packing and returned, heard the second half of the story and couldn't help but interject, her face showing obvious confusion:

"Then why did you come to study at this kind of elite academy? The expenses here..."

"It's not necessarily only rich people who can study here!" Xiao Chun seemed to have been struck by a blow, and suddenly raised her head, retorting somewhat excitedly:

"The academy has a rule that as long as you pass the basic written and oral exams and pay the tuition, you can enroll! This is an opportunity for all talented ordinary trainers!"

Seeing that Jiang Chuan and the other two were dressed plainly, he subconsciously categorized them as "commoner cultivators," and his tone even carried a faint defense of "you don't understand the superior system of our academy."

However, his words have unfortunately landed him in the line of fire.

As the daughter of a dojo, Xiaoxia is extremely knowledgeable about the so-called "noble academy" system.

She put her hands on her hips, raised her beautiful eyebrows, and began to speak rapidly:

"Yes, it's not necessarily the case that only rich people can come."

"Moreover, the advanced graduation certificate can be used indefinitely without having to fight in gyms to enter the League Conference."

"But do you even know how much your 'basic' tuition fee is?"

Xiao Chun's face paled slightly. Of course he knew; he remembered the heavy, tired expressions on his parents' faces every time they sent money.

"That amount is enough for an average trainer to comfortably travel, train, and challenge gyms in the Kanto region with their starter Pokémon for at least five years! All basic expenses are covered, plus the occasional nice meal!"

Xiaoxia spoke rapidly, continuing to break it down:

"Furthermore, regarding the 'intermediate standard,' it involves organizing 'seminar battles' with prestigious academies from other regions, inviting renowned gym leaders, or even Elite Four members to give lectures or serve as honorary advisors... The sponsorship fees, invitation fees, and venue fees for these activities are all astronomical. Do you think the academy will just pay for all of this? In the end, won't it all be passed on to the students?"

"And then there's the most outrageous 'Advanced Standard,' which directly provides high-potential Pokémon for intensive closed-door battle training, guaranteeing them a recommendation to participate in the League Conference..."

Looking at Xiaochun's increasingly pale face, Xiaoxia ruthlessly revealed the bloody reality:

"Which of these things wasn't built with a huge amount of money? Are you sure your parents, working themselves to the bone to run that small grocery store, could really afford to support you through the entire 'advanced course'?"

"Even if you're exceptionally talented and manage to get through the beginner or even intermediate levels on scholarships... what will you have to compete with when you reach the advanced stages, when those students use money to acquire resources, get rare Pokémon, use top-tier energy cubes, and hire elite private tutors?"

"In the end, you may have spent your parents' life savings and endured countless 'whips of love,' only to struggle at the bottom of the college, holding a diploma whose value has been diluted, and then looking for an ordinary job."

"Or we can continue battling gyms and collecting badges."

"This...this..."

Xiao Chun was rendered speechless by Xiao Xia's series of realistic questions, and his body trembled slightly.

He wasn't completely oblivious to these issues; he just kept numbing himself with the illusions that "effort will be rewarded" and "friendship can conquer all."

Now that Xiaoxia had laid bare his true colors, he felt only a chilling despair.

"You... how do you, a trainer from a training school, know so much about the inner workings of a noble academy?"

Xiao Chun, as if grasping at the last straw, looked at Xiao Xia again.

Wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, without a single designer brand item, she looks like an ordinary, energetic young female travel trainer.

They were nothing like the college girls he remembered, who came and went in luxury cars, wore custom-made dresses, and held their chins to the sky.

However, Xiaoxia is indeed a genuine rich girl, but she has developed good values ​​and doesn't have the arrogance common among second-generation rich kids, nor does she wear a bunch of designer brands.

Moreover, the family initially decided to send Xiaoxia to the prestigious academy.

Their family runs a representative dojo in the city, which has a partnership with the academy, so you can enroll for half the cost.

However, Xiaoxia found the academy's courses mechanical and boring, and she also learned that the best result of the Kanto Academy over the past ten years was only the top 16.

After all, in aristocratic academies, money can help you level up, and once you reach the advanced level, you can participate in the Alliance Conference.

For wealthy people, money is the least of their problems.

Therefore, those who directly qualify for the Alliance Conference are generally not as strong as those from the cultivation sect.

Therefore, Misty, whose goal is to become a Water-type Pokémon Master, naturally doesn't want to choose this path.

"Why do I know? Because I'm the daughter of the Cerulean Gym!" Misty confidently stated her identity at the end.

Xiao Chun's eyes widened instantly.

"Um, so you're a young lady too!"

Xiao Chun stammered as he looked Xiao Xia up and down again:

"But...you don't seem to have that...that elegant, haughty air about you, like the young ladies in our academy!"

He had just finished speaking.

The little bit of pride on Xiaoxia's face froze instantly.

Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, it transforms into a "kind" smile.

Her fist hardened!