004 – Elite's Son, Riolu!
"Squee~squeak!"
Not long after Xu Jing set off, he moved past a row of one-meter-high bushes that swayed slightly in the morning breeze. The forest here was calmer than the deeper regions, much like the outer areas described in the Pokémon Adventures manga where low-level Pokémon patrol their small territories.
From inside one of the bushes, two purple little figures suddenly sprang out. Their whiskers twitched as they landed on the dirt trail, making sharp "squeaking" sounds while staring directly at Xu Jing, assessing his presence the way wild Pokémon often do when gauging an unrecognized trainer.
Xu Jing stopped and observed the two small Rattata, scanning for movement patterns or tells that might indicate aggression or fear.
[Pokémon: Rattata (Normal) ♂]
[Qualification: General]
[Level: LV.7 (Normal)]
[Individual talent: HP (6) / Atk (5) / Def (10) / SpA (13) / SpD (2) / Spe (16)]
[Ability: Not Awakened]
[Skill: Tackle]
Under the influence of the Exploring Eye his unique ability that works somewhat like the Pokédex analysis panels shown in the manga the details of the first Rattata appeared clearly before Xu Jing's vision.
This was an extremely ordinary Rattata.
It only knew Tackle, had no awakened ability, and its talent spread was thoroughly mediocre. Compared to the unusually gifted Pokémon that sometimes appear in the manga's early chapters, this one was decidedly common.
Xu Jing inspected the second Rattata. Its profile was almost the same six individual values all in the single-digit range, and no special traits or mutated stats seen in some forest-dwelling Pokémon documented in earlier chapters.
"Sorry to disturb you two little guys." Xu Jing smiled politely and continued on, maintaining a wary eye on the surrounding grass in case there were hidden nests nearby. After all, wild Pokémon often travel in small family clusters, something the manga frequently highlights.
Rattata was one of the most ubiquitous Pokémon in Earl Dervish Forest.
Its vocalizations made it easy to judge its intentions:
A single "chi" meant it was aware of you but not threatened.
Two in quick succession meant it had taken notice and was observing carefully.
A sharp cry followed by three rapid "squeaks," however, meant it considered you a potential threat and if you had no companion Pokémon at your side, retreating immediately was the correct move.
Otherwise, a Rattata pack might rush you, much like how swarms behave in the manga's forest scenes.
If you failed to retreat, an attack was almost guaranteed.
Were there rare Pokémon in the Earl Dervish Forest?
Of course there were.
To encourage the ambition and dreams of graduating students, the Star City Pokémon Alliance periodically released a handful of high-potential Pokémon into the forest during the weeks before the annual partner-selection expedition. This practice similar to how certain regions in the manga prepare designated environments for new trainers ensured that at least a few lucky youths would encounter uncommon partners.
However, "more wolves than meat" was an apt phrase.
Rattata, Caterpie, and similarly common Pokémon dominated the forest; genuine rarities were heavily outnumbered.
The entire Earl Dervish Forest stretched in a wide rectangular shape, its terrain gently sloping and filled with scattered streams and berry shrubs. Xu Jing's current destination lay in the front-left quadrant of the forest, an area where early-chapter notes suggested slightly stronger Pokémon tended to appear.
Just as Xu Jing continued toward his goal with mounting anticipation, something ahead stirred and the forest atmosphere subtly shifted.
Leaders such as the officials overseeing this Earl Dervish Forest event, the head teachers from several Pokémon-focused schools capable of teaching both theory and field knowledge, and even the commanders of the military trainer unit were already gathered inside the forest's central communication room.
A huge electronic screen occupied the entire front wall of the communication room.
The electronic display divided Earl Dervish Forest into multiple grid-labeled sectors, similar to the surveillance partitions used by the International Police in the Pokémon Adventures manga during major operations. Through the network of cameras placed throughout the forest many hidden inside tree trunks, hollow stumps, and elevated branches the monitoring staff could observe real-time activity across every area. If any danger arose, they could dispatch rescue teams immediately, just like how Rangers respond to emergencies in the manga's forest arcs.
Sitting at the head of the room was none other than Jiang Nian, the vice president of the Star City Pokémon Alliance.
Within the Star City Alliance administration, Jiang Nian's position was second only to the president a status comparable to the regional executives often shown in Pokémon Adventures who supervise trainer examinations and major league affairs.
At this moment, all the personnel in charge stared at Jiang Nian with wide eyes. The leader of the military trainer force finally broke the tense silence and asked, "Vice President Jiang… what you just said could it truly be real!?"
"Of course." Jiang Nian nodded with deliberate calm.
"In recent years, our Star City Pokémon Alliance has witnessed a rising tide of talented young Trainers. To further stimulate their passion and determination, the president has personally decided to release a Riolu into Earl Dervish Forest and allow it to choose a Trainer it recognizes."
He paused before continuing, his tone steady.
"At the same time, beginning this year, the Alliance will issue an additional 20 million credits of annual funding dedicated to the Rookie Trainer event. We will also place various rare items treasures comparable to those discovered in natural secret realms throughout Earl Dervish Forest. The goal is to make the forest function more like the small-scale secret realms depicted in the manga, giving students a more authentic and intuitive experience of true field exploration."
Jiang Nian's words landed like a thunderbolt.
Riolu.
Everyone knew that the president of the Star City Pokémon Alliance possessed a trump-card Lucario, a Pokémon powerful enough to stand alongside the Elite Four if trained further. In Pokémon Adventures, Lucario is frequently portrayed as fiercely loyal and extremely selective; its aura abilities are legendary.
That Lucario, the pride of the Alliance president, was exceptionally gifted.
More importantly… she was female, and therefore capable of laying eggs.
Judging from Jiang Nian's statement, the president's Lucario had indeed laid an egg and the hatchling Riolu had been personally placed inside Earl Dervish Forest.
Riolu only needed to awaken its aura-sensing capability, just as shown in the manga, to become a phenomenal partner for any new Trainer.
No wonder the military trainer leader had reacted so dramatically.
And the additional 20 million credits of funding each year that was another explosive revelation.
It meant students from this year onward would have a legitimate chance to obtain rare secret treasures usually found only in genuine Pokémon secret realms. Such items Eviolite, type-boosting stones, rare Berries, or even minor relics could dramatically change a Rookie's future.
"Don't get carried away," Jiang Nian reminded with a faint smile. "The president was very clear: only Rookie students are allowed to interact with Riolu. All of you already have stable, fully formed teams."
Everyone nodded reluctantly.
One of the teachers couldn't hold back a sigh. "I really wonder which student will be that lucky. If someone's Earl Dervish Pokémon turns out to be Riolu, their path to becoming at least an elite-level Trainer is practically guaranteed."
"That's the child of an Elite-level future in Pokémon form," another teacher said with a laugh. "These students truly struck gold this year!"
"Well, luck is part of a Trainer's strength but at least they're being given the chance."
"And if someone manages to find a secret treasure… their entire life might change."
"Haha, with initiatives like this, Star City's Pokémon Alliance will only continue to grow!"
As instructors at Pokémon high schools, their minimum strength was already that of professional-level Trainers. Even for them, treasures of this grade and especially a Riolu were rare and tempting.
Not to mention for the Rookies.
The head teachers exchanged subtle glances, their hearts burning with competitiveness. Even though they couldn't pursue Riolu themselves, if a student from their school managed to bond with Riolu or discover a secret treasure, their school's prestige would soar.
Jiang Nian, noticing the hidden rivalry in their expressions, only shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Internally, he sighed.
"How could conquering Riolu be so simple? Over the past few days, elite-level Trainers and even Gym Leader-level Trainers have approached the president, hoping to test their compatibility with Riolu."
The result had been the same every time Riolu refused them.
Trainers could choose Pokémon.
But certain Pokémon, especially those with high aura sensitivity, could also choose their Trainers a concept emphasized repeatedly throughout the manga.
And Riolu was undeniably one of those Pokémon.
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