"Jacob, Kyle."
Amelia looked at Jacob and Kyle in surprise, with a hint of shyness in her eyes, but she still greeted them.
Amelia was a classmate of Jacob and Kyle. She was tall, about 5'10", taller than many boys. Her academic performance was also excellent, and she was admired by many boys at school.
Her personality wasn't as fiery as most girls from Frosthollow Region. Instead, she was very gentle and polite. She even blushed when talking to people. This was considered unusual in Frosthollow, which made many boys tease her on purpose just to see her blush and get flustered.
Jacob wasn't the type to bother teasing her. He and Amelia weren't actually that familiar with each other. The only time they'd properly interacted was when their class organized a dance, and they were paired as partners. With Amelia's height, only someone like Jacob, who stood at 6'3", could be a good match.
But Jacob had heard that Amelia's family had fallen on hard times. In recent months, her father had been seriously ill and hospitalized. The medical expenses were substantial. The school had once organized a donation drive, and Jacob had contributed 1,000 Pokédollars. Though it wasn't much, it was a kind gesture.
The person working the grill was Amelia's brother, Jeremy. Ever since their father fell ill, the family had been completely cut off from financial resources. The siblings had already spent all their savings on their father's medical treatment. Recently, they'd decided to make a living by setting up a barbecue stand. Since it was summer vacation, Amelia could help out.
However, their barbecue business hadn't been very successful. First, they were a new stand with no regular customers. Second, Jeremy's cooking skills weren't particularly good, and the taste of their barbecue wasn't better than the surrounding shops.
"What would you like to order?" Amelia greeted them, standing before them. Her tall stature made Kyle feel a little self-conscious.
Amelia's eyes lingered on Jacob. He had always been popular at school. Standing 6'3" with good looks, his academic performance consistently ranked among the top three. He'd never been involved in any scandals. His father was the Gym Leader of Starlight City, and his brother was the Gym Leader of Olivine City. All these factors combined made Jacob a frequent topic of conversation among girls since their freshman year.
Although she seldom discussed it with others, dancing with Jacob had made them somewhat more familiar with each other. She hadn't expected to run into him here.
Amelia was wearing an apron, jeans, and a pair of white sneakers that had been washed so many times they looked almost bleached. However, this didn't diminish her beauty at all. Instead, it gave her a fresh, natural charm.
"Kyle, what do you want to eat?" Jacob turned and asked his friend.
"Whatever is fine."
"Alright, we'll have two skewers of everything—both meat and vegetable options." In reality, they'd just finished dinner and couldn't eat much more, but it was rare to run into classmates, and Amelia's family was indeed struggling, so Jacob wanted to help however he could.
"Oh! You can't possibly eat all that. It would be wasteful," Amelia said quickly when she heard Jacob's large order.
Jacob found her reaction amusing. Most vendors would want customers to order as much as possible, but here she was discouraging a large order. "It's okay, Kyle eats a lot."
Kyle: "???"
"Well... alright." Amelia nodded and went to prepare the skewers for them.
...
"Seriously, Jacob, I can't eat all that," Kyle whispered once Amelia had walked away.
"I know, but consider it charity. Amelia's family is in a tough situation, so you should eat as much as you can," Jacob replied. "If you can't finish it, we can get it to go."
"That works, I guess."
While they were talking, they suddenly heard Jeremy's phone ringing. He answered it and said, "Yes, I'll send the money tomorrow. Dr. Charles, please help us. My dad really can't be discharged from the hospital. Please, Dr. Charles, find a way. We'll definitely send the money tomorrow. I promise there won't be any delay. Don't worry, don't worry."
Listening to Jeremy's pleading tone, Jacob and Kyle felt uncomfortable, especially Kyle. Though he could be shallow and a bit girl-crazy, he was actually very kind-hearted. He couldn't help but whisper, "Jacob, what if we help them?"
"How?" Jacob tilted his head and looked at Kyle.
"Give them money." Kyle's idea was simple. Both his and Jacob's families were quite wealthy. Since Amelia needed money, they should just give her some. Simple and direct.
Jacob smiled and shook his head. "What if you give them money now? What if her father's condition is chronic and requires ongoing treatment? Can you keep giving them money indefinitely? And if other classmates' family members get sick in the future, will you also need to give them money?"
Jacob thought more long-term than Kyle. He firmly believed that unless the person was a close relative or someone who had done him a significant favor, one should never give money directly. It was better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish. Once money was given, the nature of the relationship might change.
Just as Jacob said, if the other party needed money again in the future and asked to borrow it, what would you do? If you give once, you might give twice, and it could become a never-ending cycle. If you refuse later, they might forget your previous kindness and wonder why you won't help again—they might even resent you for it.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Kyle asked dejectedly. He hadn't thought that far ahead.
"Let's think about it." Jacob responded. He hadn't quite figured out how to help Amelia, but since he'd witnessed their situation, he wanted to help if possible. Besides, he respected her. She studied hard and earned good grades. Her future should involve college and better opportunities.
...
While they were talking, the barbecue arrived. It became clear why the stand had few customers—the food wasn't particularly good and lacked any special qualities.
"How is it?" Amelia asked curiously. At the moment, Jacob and Kyle were the only customers, so she acted as their personal server.
"Not bad," Kyle said, noticing Amelia's hopeful expression. He pretended to enjoy the food. This was typical of him—he didn't want to offend anyone or hurt their feelings.
"Not very good," Jacob said directly. "The flavor isn't great, and the technique seems amateur—like it was prepared by a beginner."
Amelia's expression fell when she heard Jacob's honest assessment. She quickly apologized, "Yes... I'm sorry. My brother only started this stand a few days ago, and he's not very experienced yet."
"Well, ask your brother to stand next to me and learn. I'll teach him."
"You know how to grill?" Kyle asked skeptically.
"You'll find out. Amelia, would you mind if I give it a try?" Jacob asked with a smile.
"I... I need to check with my brother," Amelia replied softly.
Jacob stood up and walked toward the grill. His 6'3" frame startled Jeremy, who initially thought he might be there to cause trouble. After listening to his sister's explanation, Jeremy finally understood. He had noticed Jacob and Kyle earlier—their expensive clothes and shoes made it clear they came from money. This made him wary, especially of Jacob, who was handsome and from a wealthy family. Jay worried his sister might be influenced by money, so he kept a close eye on her interactions with Jacob.
"Jeremy, how much do you earn in a day?" Jacob asked.
"Business isn't great, but we make around 700-800 Pokédollars daily," Jeremy answered honestly.
"How much do you need for your father's medical expenses?" Jacob continued.
"1,200."
"Alright, I have an idea. I'll give you 1,200 Pokédollars to let me run the barbecue stand tonight. I promise that no matter how business goes, you'll get the 1,200. But if profits exceed 1,200, I keep 90% of the excess. You'll need to help me, though. How does that sound?" Jacob proposed with a smile.
"Yes, of course! No problem. Come on over—I'll make space for you." After hearing Jacob's offer, Jeremy naturally wouldn't turn down guaranteed money and agreed readily.
"Great! Kyle's paying."
"???"