"You said forever, did you propose?"

Shirona continues to attack Kaim, but this is something she has tried before, but it is rewarded. However, I feel like I can fight back now.

"I've already told you. That's still far away. \"

"But have you thought about it?"

\"Ahh Well, if you ask me such a question, Sirona will definitely ask me too. \"

"You know."

None of them made a statement. It's not because it's been communicated, it's because it's not the time to say it. Because that's what I decided.

Both are talking about the future, though.

A future with only the two of us, a future that will no longer be just the two of us one day.

Imagining such a future, Bai Nai felt a warmth in his chest, and at the same time felt a little sleepy, and yawned.

"You're tired of doing things you're not used to. Do you want to sleep? ”

"Yes. But it's fun to do your best for the people you care about. It feels good. ”

"That's good."

"Don't be so casual."

The two put the futon back together and snuggled up again while complaining to the smiling Kaim. The two carefully pressed their foreheads together, looked at each other, and felt each other's body temperature.

Goodnight Keim

"Good night, see you tomorrow."

With that, both of them closed their eyes.

When they felt each other's presence, their consciousness fell into a slight sleep.

Although it was warmer than midwinter, the Sinnoh region in the north was still cold, and my breath was still white.

At the same time, Bai Nai shouted to Kaimu, who was repeatedly grappling with Bashamo in the garden.

"Kem. Why don't we end this now? ”

"Is it time?"

"No, but if you do too much, you'll be tired before you go."

\"That's true, right? \"

Finally, he saw through Bashamo's direct punch, turned his body, avoided it, and distanced himself from Bashamo. Then they bow to each other and send Bashamo back to the ball?? In front of the table.

I wasn't moving enough to sweat, but when I stopped moving, I still felt cold.

"Aren't you upset?"

"A little. I was distraught. ”

"It's okay, let's get ready now."

“… Ahh

Kem followed Sirona back indoors.

The place where the two of them will go in the future is Lily of the Valley Island. It is the home of the Pokémon League and the island where the Pokémon Alliance Management Committee of the Sinnoh region is located.

This time, it was not the Pokémon Alliance, but the gym director certification exam. As Togan's successor, he goes to take the gym director exam, which is officially recognized by the Pokémon League.

This is the best challenge Kem has faced so far. Therefore, I was nervous. I've heard all sorts of things from sumo, denji, Suzuna, and Higashian, but maybe because of Kem's character, I still can't get rid of my anxiety.

I left the suitcase and other things I had prepared yesterday at the door. Then, when Kem picked up the car keys, he said a few words.

"Let's go"

"Yes"

Usually Sirona walks in front of me, but now Kem walks ahead of me.

The biggest challenge of Kem's life, the gym leadership recognition exam, began.

*

Transfer to a boat from Nagisa and make a stop.

The two landed on Lily of the Valley, an island they visited last summer.

"I can't believe you're not here for the Pokémon League."

"And this time it's for you, not for me."

Every time the Pokémon League is held, I go to Lily Island of the Valley. However, Kem had very little experience of coming to the island. I was a supporter of the last league and I was only invited to play in Sirona two years ago. I'm not used to seeing this scene yet.

"What are you going to do next?"

"The league has prepared accommodation for us.

"It's a tough timeline."

"That's what exams are for, isn't it?"

From the perspective of Kem, who has already passed the tough college entrance exam, he doesn't think the schedule is that far ahead. Kem was a hard-working man who was good at managing his schedule, and he could handle such a schedule without having to manage it.

"Let's go, I just signed in, and I was asked to meet the alliance."

"yes. Let's go, then. ”

After carrying their luggage, Kem and Shirona pulled their suitcases and headed towards their accommodation.

After leaving their luggage at their accommodation, the two headed to the Pokémon League venue. After checking in at the venue office, I was taken to the conference room.

"Oh! There you are! ”

"Hey, you're here!"

For some reason, Natane and Maxi were in the conference room.

"Natane, Maximisan. Hello. \"

"It's been a while. Since the last tournament! ”

"You're on time! You've done your best! ”

\"Miss Sirona hasn't seen you for a long time! \"

"Long time no see, Nathane-chan."

Kem wasn't so excited about the two men who were happily calling him. Although he was low by nature, both Natane and Maxi could feel his nervousness.

\"Ah, nervous? It's okay, it's okay! Kem-kun will be fine! \"

"Hey, besides, why are you two here?"

This time there is no Pokémon League, only Kem's Gym Curator Approval Exam. Therefore, Natane and Maxi did not particularly need to be here.

“！ We will also take this exam! To put it simply, we are the proctors! ”

"Ah, I see, it was done by the same hall director. \"

"Yes.

The certification exams for the Gym Master and the Four Heavenly Kings are always taken by trainers who have been recognized by the Alliance and awarded titles. Part of it is to prevent cheating, but the main reason is to have a tutor so that the candidate's skills can be assessed more accurately.

"By the way, what about the champion?"

"There is no accreditation test for champions. The winner of the Pokémon League of that year is the champion. The Four Kings have tests based on league and tournament results. Right there. ”

Ryo, who uses the insect type, became one of the Four Heavenly Kings shortly before graduating from Kaimu University. At that time, the champion Sirona was apparently present as one of the overseers.

"So this time, the managers will be the ones who manage the Union, myself and Maximisan. \"

"Please be gentle with me."

"Hahahaha! I've heard about your abilities! You'll be fine! ”

Then Maxi said, "Okay! He ended the conversation and sat Kem and Sirona in their chairs.

"Let's check this exam again!"

As soon as Maxi finished speaking, Natane handed the picture to Keim. The exam syllabus is included.

"Tomorrow's exam is divided into a written test, an interview, and a practical exercise! The written test starts at 9:00 and is limited to 2 hours! After the written test, the interview starts at 11:30! After lunch, there will be a combat test, but this time I will have you fight three times! ”

"Three times?"

\"Yes, the Daoist Pavilion Master is different from the Four Heavenly Kings, and their rank is also very broad, isn't it? Every time I want to fight against the Pokémon that belongs to the Gym, but I'll see if I can fight it. "Gets along well with opponents and Pokémon of any level. Kem-kun, you already know that being strong doesn't make you a gym master, right?

A few months ago, Kem served as the director of the gym, albeit as a substitute. Therefore, arms that are able to adjust their fighting arms according to the opponent are also needed. It was a little difficult at first, but eventually it worked, so you should be comfortable with it.

"Is it like this three times?"

“。 Although this is the case both times, in the end it is an all-out fight, and a fairly strong person will be your opponent, and you will see your full strength in the fight against that person. ”

"Winning or losing is not directly related to test scores.

Maxi added, "I shouldn't have done that," and laughed.

"Who's that strong man?"

"Huhuhuhuhu, this is the fun at that time~"

Seeing Natarn's meaningful smile, Kem tilted his head, but he came to the conclusion that it was useless to worry as long as he didn't know, so he stopped thinking about it.

"Continuing with the actual battle, I will let you use the Rental Pokémon that we prepared for you in the first two battles. We will prepare Pokémon that match the opponent's Pokémon level, so let's fight well. ”

"Ahh

Ordinary coaches don't understand this "good feeling", but Kem, who has been in charge of the gym for a few months, can. By mastering how to move, you can become a "gym leader" as Kem thinks.

"Okay! All that's left is the detailed schedule, exactly as it was written on paper! Do you have any questions? ”

"No, it's fine."

"Alright! Then you give it your all! Tomorrow, go all out! ”

"Yes. I'm sorry. ”

With that, Kem left the conference room.

After letting Kem leave first, Sirona turned to Natane and Maxi.

"Thank you for scheduling the exam for Kem."

"That's fine, it's not worth thanking me."

"That's right! Doing such a thing is our responsibility as the leaders of the gym! We will also help to develop the next generation! ”

"I guess it's not self-evident, but I want you to look at me from an unbiased standpoint. I'm not going to train you half-heartedly, I want you to be stricter, because I don't train you half-heartedly – heartily. ”

"I don't mean to take it lightly, but to take it seriously as Miss Sirona. \"

Sirona chuckled, and Maxi laughed. As my master, I trained Kem very rigorously, and Kem followed suit. Unless the opponent is very strong, Kem should be able to play well right now.

That's why Bai Nai dared to ask him to be stronger, so that he could grow further after passing this exam. Most of what Sirona was able to teach in battle had already been taught. Of course, they can still help in some ways, but from now on, Kem and his Pokémon will need to figure it out and steal it themselves. In other words, what you notice and what others point out is what matters. In Sirona, there were things I didn't notice, but I saw a lot. I haven't seen much of them, so I'm sure there's something I can point out. This will lead to further growth of Kem.

"I'll take a closer look, don't worry."

"Thank you. Well, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. ”

"I'll take care of this matter!"

"We'll keep an eye on it!"

After saying that, Bai Nai also left the conference room.

After a short walk, Kem was waiting for me.

"Wait a minute."

"Ahh

"Let's go"

Kem began to walk side by side with Sirona.

There was silence for a while, but Bai Nai spoke.

"You didn't ask me anything? What did you just talk to the two of us? ”

"I don't care"

"Maybe you're saying you want me to be a little more lenient with you? Is this uh bribery? ”

"You wouldn't do such a despicable thing. Aren't most of you asking me to be strict with you? I do not know. ”

"Why don't you take it lightly?"

If you think about it, it seems common to ask others to take it lightly. Such an answer may seem normal, but it is different for Kem.

"You're not the kind of person who would be so good to the disciples you've cultivated for a few years. In fact, I feel like you're just going to give him more tests and encourage him to grow more. ”

"Do you have that harsh impression?"

"Yes. I wonder how harsh you have been treated. ”

Those days of training until I could do it. With that in mind, I can't imagine myself being looked down upon.

"Hehe, you're right, when I teach, I do my best."

"I want to praise me for not breaking my heart."

Keim replied, feeling a little disappointed.

The two went back to their lodgings.

ーーーー

night

After finishing tomorrow's preparations and having dinner, the two rested in the hotel room.

"It's finally tomorrow."

Kaimu stroked Hei and Bashamo as he listened to Sirona's words and nodded.

"Ah, you've calmed down here."

"That's a good thing."

Maybe it will change again at the last minute, but at least now I can calm down. You can't do anything the day before. This, in turn, calms Kem's mind and keeps him calm.

"Will you use your Pokémon in the final full-scale battle tomorrow?"

It is stated that there will be three battles for tomorrow's practical exams. In the first two battles, you will fight against rented Pokémon that match the level of your opponent, but in the final battle, you will use the Pokémon you have trained yourself to reach your full potential.

The selection output of the members of this all-out contest is very important. Sirona thought to herself, even if victory or defeat alone does not determine the outcome of the exam, "How did you overcome it?" ”

"I guess it's up to the opponent. According to Natarn, he seems to be a fairly strong guy, and at least he doesn't want to dominate the genre. ”

If the opponent is sumo, even if he is his own trump card, he cannot play Koko. Black's main weapons are evil skills such as "Barking", "Evil Feather", "Blowing Inside", and "Seven Breaking Slashes". The secondary weapons also include "Telekinesis" and "Shadow Ball", but the durability-focused Black does not generate as much firepower.

"It's up to the opponent, right. It is natural to change members according to the situation of the opponent. \"

"yes, I can probably guess who the other person is."

Hearing Kam's unexpected words, Sirona's eyes widened. Even Shirona didn't know who her final opponent would be, but she didn't think anyone who took the exam would expect that.

“？ Is that so? Who? ”

"If I'm wrong, I'll be embarrassed to tell you."

"I'm mean to you"

Sirona pursed her lips and picked up Blackie from Kem's lap and placed it on her lap. Blackie didn't really resist, just leaned on Sirona relaxedly.

"It's time to go to bed, it's still early tomorrow."

Before I knew it, it was already past 11:00. Normally, it's okay to stay up a little longer, but if you take into account things like morning adjustments, it's better to go to bed early.

"Oh, it's been so long, so let's go to sleep."

"Ahh

When Kem climbed into the futon, Sirona and Blakey climbed in as well. But Kem didn't say anything. Kem no longer feels strange that sleeping together has become the norm, and most importantly, both Sirona and Heiki are in a good mood, so he doesn't particularly care either.

"Good Night"

"Oh, good night"

As they spoke, they closed their eyes.

However, Sirona did not fall asleep immediately. As Kaim began to breathe calmly, I gently stroked his face.

"You'll be fine. Believe in yourself and your Pokémon. ”

After whispering, she gently hugged Cam's head. As the two got closer, so did the contact between Black Key and Kem, but Black Key didn't show any signs of dislike, rubbing his face against Kem's face.

"Good Night"

Looking lovingly at the sleeping Kem and Heiki, Sirona closed her eyes as well.