Chapter 138: Miori: My Parents Bailed at the Start (Membership Extra - )
The video continued playing.
After completing yet another Gym Battle, Miori stretched her arms high above her head, her long black hair swaying behind her with the movement.
"Mio."
Elesa’s voice came from the edge of the battlefield.
Miori turned and saw Elesa standing at the entrance to the training field.
"Mommy? Weren’t you supposed to shoot a magazine cover today?"
"I canceled it."
Elesa opened the folder in her hands.
"There’s something more important today."
Miori immediately became wary.
She knew her mother far too well. Whenever Elesa spoke in that tone, nothing good ever followed.
"Wh-what is it?"
"Your five-year plan ends today."
Elesa raised her head, the faintest hint of a smile appearing at the corners of her lips.
"So today, you’ll undergo your final assessment."
Miori released a relieved breath and patted her chest.
"Oh, it’s only an exam. You scared me. What are you testing—practical battling or theory?"
"Both."
Elesa flipped to the final page of the folder.
"There are three subjects in total: practical battling, a written examination on Gym management, and a mock Gym Battle. You’ll act as the Gym Leader, while I’ll be the challenger."
"No problem!"
Miori confidently clenched her fist.
"Luxio, Emolga, get ready—"
"Wait."
Elesa closed the folder.
"You won’t be using Luxio or Emolga this time."
Miori’s smile stiffened.
"You’ll use this."
Elesa removed a Poké Ball from her waist and gently placed it in Miori’s palm.
Miori looked down at the Poké Ball, then back up at her mother.
"...What is this?"
"A Joltik I caught this morning."
Elesa crossed her arms.
"Here are the rules of the assessment: use this Joltik in a Gym Battle against me. You don’t need to defeat me. As long as you can remain in the battle for five minutes, you’ll pass the practical assessment."
"Mom."
Miori tightened her grip around the Poké Ball.
"Doesn’t your conscience hurt when you treat a ten-year-old child like this?"
Elesa ignored her protest and took out one of her own Poké Balls.
"Your final assessment will now begin."
In the end, Miori lasted six and a half minutes with the newly caught wild Joltik.
Although Joltik’s Thunder Shock was pitifully weak, Miori repeatedly changed its position, used obstacles around the battlefield, and relied on Joltik’s String Shot to disrupt the rhythm of Elesa’s attacks.
"Six minutes and thirty-two seconds. Pass."
Elesa recalled Zebstrika and placed a check mark in her folder.
"You’ve passed the practical assessment."
"Next is the written examination."
Elesa somehow produced an entire set of test papers from somewhere else.
"The maximum score is three hundred points, and you need one hundred and eighty to pass. You have two hours."
Miori expressionlessly accepted the papers and began answering the questions.
Once the written examination ended, the mock Gym Battle was her final assessment.
The battle lasted nearly twenty minutes.
Only after fighting with everything she had did Miori manage to defeat Elesa’s Emolga and win the match.
Elesa recalled Emolga and placed a check mark on the final page of her folder.
"You passed all three assessments."
Miori froze for a moment.
Then she sprang up from the ground and threw her arms around Luxio’s neck.
"Luxio, did you hear that?! I passed!"
Luxio’s eyes rolled back from how tightly she was squeezing it, but its tail wagged furiously behind it.
"Congratulations, Mio."
Elesa closed the folder, an exceptionally brilliant smile appearing on her face.
"Now that your apprenticeship is over, you’ll officially become the Nimbasa Gym Leader."
Miori’s smile slowly froze.
"...Mommy, what did you just say?"
"I said that once your apprenticeship ends, Nimbasa Gym will officially be handed over to you."
Elesa repeated herself.
"Mommy has already taught you everything about the Gym Leader’s daily responsibilities. Make sure you work hard."
Miori stood with her mouth hanging open, resembling a statue that had been petrified.
Elesa cleared her throat.
"That settles it, then. Starting tomorrow, the Gym will be your responsibility. Mommy won’t be coming anymore."
After saying that, Elesa turned and walked away.
"Mommy, where are you going?"
"I’m going to find— work! I’m going to work!"
Elesa casually waved without looking back.
"Also, don’t call me or your father unless something important happens."
After watching her mother disappear almost instantly, Miori remained silent for a long time.
"...Fine."
Miori took a deep breath.
"I’ll be the Gym Leader, then. It was going to belong to me eventually anyway."
[Regular-Seat Chat Group]
"It’s here! It’s finally here! The era of Gym Leader Miori has officially begun!"
"She became a Gym Leader at ten years old! What kind of demonic family is this? Hahahahaha!"
"That scene where Miori lasted six and a half minutes with Joltik was incredible! I almost forgot this was an exam designed to torment her by her own mother."
"Joltik: I’m just a wild little bug who was caught this morning, yet I was forced to battle a Gym Leader’s Zebstrika for six and a half minutes. Do you have any idea how difficult that was?"
"Joltik: I’ve never fought such an exhausting battle in my life."
"Miori: My parents bailed at the start, so I became the strongest Gym Leader."
"The commenter above needs to publish that as a novel! If the bookstores don’t stock it, I’m smashing the place!!!"
[VIP Chat Group]
[Skyla]: Hahahahaha! Elesa actually dumped the Gym on her ten-year-old daughter and ran away!
[Valerie]: @Elesa, come out and accept your punishment!
[Steven]: I deeply admire Brother Asher’s ability to remain completely uninvolved in this household.
[Gary]: How is he uninvolved? He’s an accomplice. Asher deliberately stayed out of sight while Elesa escaped, so they obviously planned this together beforehand.
[Asher]: "Accomplice" is the wrong word. This is called a husband and wife acting with one heart.
[Lance]: What? Why are you defending yourself now? Didn’t you say that your parallel-world counterpart had nothing to do with you?
[Asher]: Because I cannot tolerate your malicious attempts to slander an innocent person. What exactly is there to criticize? All I saw was a deeply devoted and handsome man whom the world failed to understand.
[Wallace]: Based.
[Volkner]: Based.
[Flint]: Based.
[Lance]: Magnificent!
[Gary]: How can you possibly say something like that without feeling ashamed?
[Steven]: Don’t worry, Brother Asher. They don’t understand you, but I support you!
[Gary]: You’re the one making him look the worst! Why are you suddenly supporting him?
[Misty]: ...Forget about them for now. Does this mean Miori is already an official Gym Leader? Isn’t that a little too early? At least Raina traveled for a while before becoming one.
[Valerie]: Their situations are different. Miori has been trained specifically for this role since childhood.
[Roxie]: So the first two episodes were about "a child slowly growing up," while this one is about "a child being forced to grow up"?
[Lenora]: Elesa’s curriculum was actually extremely comprehensive. She already taught Miori everything she could possibly need, so I don’t think Miori will have any problems.
[Brycen]: Indeed. If Miori began studying Gym management at five years old, she should already be highly proficient by now.
[Viola]: In that case, she deserves the position.
[Diantha]: She may deserve it, but that doesn’t make her situation any less miserable.
[Skyla]: Hahahahahaha! Exactly!
...
TL: Thanks, Stiven Inoa, for the Tier 3 membership mu— ahem... I mean much thanks.