Almost everyone in Team Magma believed that humanity's development was closely tied to the overall happiness of the world, and that the coexistence of humans and Pokémon would hinder their progress. This was why they wanted to use Primal Groudon to expand the landmass and increase the habitable area for humanity.
Hakuya's attitude of placing such high importance on Pokémon couldn't help but remind Courtney of those guys from Team Aqua.
No, this guy was fundamentally different from Team Aqua.
Watching Hakuya—who one second was supervising Floragato and forbidding her from being a picky eater, and the very next second was defeated by the cat's coquettish whining, forced to relent and say "just this once"—Courtney unconsciously revealed an incredibly beautiful smile.
If the guys from Team Aqua blindly placed Pokémon above all else, hoping to use Primal Kyogre's power to expand the oceans and build a utopia exclusively for Pokémon... then Hakuya genuinely placed human Trainers and Pokémon on an equally important level, without showing favoritism to either side.
"...Between Pokémon and humans... they are of the same kind, and they are equal?"
Recalling Hakuya's words from earlier, Courtney fell into deep thought.
If it were before, she absolutely wouldn't have believed it. But seeing Hakuya's interactions with his Pokémon, her heart wavered for the very first time. Perhaps the ideals and goals pursued by both Team Magma and Team Aqua were fundamentally flawed from the very beginning?
"...Hehehe... as expected... you truly are very interesting~"
The corners of her mouth curled up. For a moment, Courtney even forgot the lingering hunger in her stomach, solely focused on watching the scene before her.
However, it didn't take long for this girl—who was giggling 'hehehe' and staring fixedly at Hakuya—to receive a chop to the forehead with bamboo chopsticks.
"Ouch."
Courtney instinctively covered her forehead, a few tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"It's supposed to hurt!"
Hakuya withdrew his chopsticks and complained expressionlessly.
"Who told you to smile so creepily? Hurry up and finish the noodles in your bowl so we can battle."
He had been wondering why he suddenly felt a chill down his spine while he was eating.
Looking up, he discovered that Courtney, this perverted stalker, had been staring at him unblinkingly.
At this moment, facing the scene of the girl covering her forehead with a face full of tears, Hakuya's heart remained completely unmoved.
Although the force he used to chop her with the chopsticks was indeed quite heavy, it was a necessary measure.
—This kind of girl, who looks adorkable and innocent on the surface, is the most deceptive type. I absolutely cannot be fooled by her appearance. If I blindly raise her affection points, even if I don't get stabbed with a machete, there's a high probability I'll risk ending up chained in a basement in the future.
Furthermore, his time at night was incredibly precious.
Whether it was diving into the Easter Egg Dungeon or elbowing that Wonder Guard Regigigas to push the storyline, both required a massive amount of time.
He absolutely didn't want to waste so much time entertaining this perverted girl that it got too late, forcing him to pull an all-nighter tonight.
"Like this... is actually very creepy..."
After hearing Hakuya's words, Courtney tilted her head, a look of confusion appearing on her face.
Because there wasn't a mirror in front of her, she naturally couldn't see the expression she had just made.
However, judging from Hakuya's reaction, she could clearly understand that her behavior just now was apparently not something a normal girl would do.
—Then does that mean I shouldn't act so fanatical, and instead smile in a more natural, cute way?
Although she had never tried it before, after this thought popped up, Courtney still relied on her instincts, trying her best to clear her throat first. Then, she naturally fiddled with her hair with her hand to create an air of clumsiness, and finally, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
However, before this yandere, perverted girl could pinpoint the 'cute' style, Hakuya interrupted her casting.
"Acting cute is useless, Miss Perverted Stalker. I can only give you a maximum of ten more minutes. If you can't finish it, or if there are any noodles left over, I'll change my mind and kick you out early."
"No!"
Courtney instantly abandoned the idea of making herself look cuter and more approachable, her expression changing drastically.
Clearly, Hakuya's verbal threat was unexpectedly effective.
Setting aside the fact that the girl shed her usual flat expression... amidst her agitation, she once again unconsciously broke her bad habit of needing to pause while speaking.
"I will finish eating as quickly as possible! Please, you must have a Pokémon battle with me!"
Worried that she would be rejected, to the point of not even waiting for Hakuya's response, Courtney immediately buried her face in the bowl and started eating ferociously.
For a moment, the sound of slurp, slurp, slurp—a sound completely at odds with the girl's aura—echoed across the dining table.
"Hah..."
The corners of Hakuya's mouth couldn't help but twitch.
He discovered that this yandere girl was unexpectedly easy to handle.
And if those colleagues of hers from Team Magma were here to see this scene, they would definitely be shocked out of their minds.
After all, no one had ever seen Courtney—who usually seemed devoid of emotional fluctuations and indifferent to most things—act so deeply invested in something.
In just a few short minutes, the girl had wolfed down the noodles, completing Hakuya's set goal ahead of schedule.
"Not a single bit left... I ate it all..."
Seemingly worried that Hakuya wouldn't see, Courtney specifically picked up the bowl and showed it to him.
Immediately after, she looked at Hakuya with a face full of anticipation, her tone brimming with impatience.
"Hurry... let's battle quickly..."
"Alright, alright, alright. Don't be in such a rush. Follow me to the battlefield."
A few minutes later, Hakuya brought Courtney to an empty, deserted clearing downstairs from the dormitory.
"It's getting late. The rules are a 1-on-1 Singles match. When all of one side's Pokémon faint, the battle is considered over. Note: attacking the Trainer is strictly prohibited. You can accept these battle rules, right?"
Standing on the right end of the field, Hakuya asked for Courtney's opinion.
Of course, he was merely asking. If she didn't accept, he would conveniently have more time to play the randomizer.
"...No problem."
Courtney nodded eagerly.
She truly didn't care about so-called battle rules; just being able to have a Pokémon battle with him was enough to completely satisfy her.
She remembered that several famous Trainers had said similar things before—"When Trainers' eyes meet, it's the signal to begin a battle," and "Excellent Trainers will come to understand and see through each other more deeply during a Pokémon battle."
Coincidentally, Courtney was also a Trainer.
She was never one to deliberately hide her true inner feelings. What she liked, she liked; what she hated, she hated.
After experiencing the battle against Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon, and the brief period they spent together just now, Courtney currently felt that she was growing increasingly interested in Hakuya, wanting to understand him more deeply and thoroughly.
Therefore, a Pokémon battle was the absolute best avenue.