**PALDEA REGION - **Noting that she’d already claimed to be busy with homework, visiting Naranja Academy’s counselor, and helping Sprigatito with a “critical late-night grooming emergency,” rising trainer Liko confirmed Wednesday that she was rapidly running out of polite, semi-plausible excuses to avoid mentorship from Ash Ketchum.

“He means well, and I don’t want to hurt his feelings, but I really don’t need him popping up every morning on my Rotom Phone saying stuff like, ‘I see a future Champion in you, young padawan - trust in the heart of the journey!’” said Liko, adding that while she respects Ash’s experience, she’s not exactly thrilled about being taught “how to feel the battle flow” by a 30-year-old who still sprints everywhere like he’s late for homeroom.

“It’s just… overwhelming. Last time he visited one of our expeditions, he kept high-fiving my teammates and loudly announcing he was here to ‘awaken my hidden protagonist spark.’ I had to pretend my pendant was glitching just to escape before he dragged me into impromptu Aura drills. I cannot keep doing this.”

At press time, Liko was reportedly hiding in the Brave Asagi’s storage bay after Ash showed up unannounced carrying a binder labeled “How Pikachu Taught Me To Aim For The Horn.”