Oliver had been wondering who exactly was calling him.
When he picked up his phone, he couldn't help but laugh—
it was Jiang Shuyun.
Come to think of it, she had said she'd visit his place to see Feebas, but days had passed without a word.
And now…
Feebas had already evolved.
"Hey, what's up?" Oliver asked.
"Old Ye—uh, Oliver!" Jiang Shuyun's loud, carefree voice burst out of the phone.
"I've got great news for you! You're gonna be thrilled, hahahaha!"
Whether Oliver was thrilled or not was debatable—but she was clearly excited enough for the both of them.
"Oh? That happy, huh?" Oliver chuckled.
"Alright, let's hear it."
"According to the latest research, the most beautiful Pokémon—Milotic—actually evolves from Feebas! Haha! How about that? Amazing, right? You owe me a meal for telling you this!"
Oliver raised an eyebrow.
"…That fast? You already know?"
Jiang Shuyun normally couldn't care less about academic forums. The fact that even she had heard this news showed just how massive the impact of the paper had been.
Of course, the truth was that she'd heard it from her father. In her excitement, she'd immediately called Oliver—without even checking who the paper's author was.
Otherwise, she might have started connecting a few dots.
"You knew already?" Jiang Shuyun's tone instantly deflated.
"Well… yeah, makes sense. You're always browsing that forum."
She had wanted to surprise him, only to find out he was already ahead of her.
"Oh right," she quickly perked back up,
"I'm heading to the Trainer Center today to register my Trainer license. Wanna come register yours too?"
Oliver thought about it for a moment.
Once registered, Trainers received a monthly allowance based on their rank—one of the League's welfare policies aimed at supporting civilian Trainers.
After all, it had been less than a century since the first Secret Realm appeared. Not everyone could become a Trainer, so the League offered incentives to encourage participation.
Besides, Oliver had no intention of staying low-key.
Publishing papers was all about acquiring resources in the first place.
This life of his was destined to be lived under the spotlight.
So why not?
"Sure," Oliver replied.
"Wait for me. Didn't you want to see Feebas before? I'll bring it out and broaden your horizons."
Half an hour later, Oliver and Jiang Shuyun met at the entrance of the Rongcheng Trainer Center.
"Old Ye—Oliver!"
From far away, Jiang Shuyun waved wildly and sprinted over, throwing her arms around him in a huge hug.
Noticing the stunned looks from passersby, Oliver rubbed his forehead helplessly.
Still as energetic as ever…
Inside the Trainer Center, the two of them headed to the Trainer License Registration Desk.
The receptionist greeted them politely.
"Hello. Are you here to register or to upgrade your Trainer licenses?"
Jiang Shuyun answered at once,
"We're here to register."
"Understood. Please wait a moment. A certified examiner will escort you to the testing area for Pokémon strength evaluation."
Soon enough, a middle-aged man arrived and led them into a room surrounded by reinforced steel walls, with only two small observation windows.
"I'm the examiner in charge of your test," he said calmly.
"All procedures are conducted under League regulations. Cameras are installed here and here to record the entire process. Please rest assured."
Jiang Shuyun leaned toward Oliver and whispered,
"Feels pretty strict…"
The examiner continued,
"Who will go first?"
"I will!" Jiang Shuyun blurted out immediately.
She pulled a Poké Ball from her waist and threw it forward.
A red flash burst forth, and a Charmeleon, about 1.3 meters tall, appeared on the field.
Oliver paused in surprise.
It already evolved?
No wonder she'd rushed to go first—she clearly wanted to show off.
Pokémon: Charmeleon
Level: Intermediate – Early
Potential: Gym Level
Ability: Blaze
Moves: Scratch, Ember, Smokescreen, Dragon Rage, Fire Fang
The examiner nodded in admiration.
"Larger than an average Charmeleon. The tail flame is vigorous, and the muscle definition is clear. You've trained it very well."
"Roar!"
Charmeleon roared proudly. Oliver could tell—it was praising the examiner's good eye.
"Next," the examiner said,
"have your Charmeleon use its strongest move to attack that target."
"Got it! Charmeleon—Fire Fang!"
Charmeleon opened its jaws. Pale-yellow flames coated its sharp teeth as it lunged forward and bit down on the target.
The number on the damage meter shot up rapidly—
113.
The examiner's eyes widened slightly.
"You're newly registered Trainers, correct? To raise a Pokémon to this level already—impressive."
Instead of boasting, Jiang Shuyun grew embarrassed, scratching the back of her head.
"It's just that this little guy has good talent. I didn't do much."
The examiner smiled.
"Talent alone isn't enough. A Trainer still has to guide that potential."
"Skill output has reached Intermediate–Early standards. Next comes the practical combat test."
He pressed the second of three buttons beside him.
With a mechanical hum, a compartment rose from the floor. Inside were three Poké Balls.
"These three Poké Balls contain Ivysaur, Charmeleon, and Wartortle."
"Next, you'll battle Wartortle. Your objective is simple—defeat it."
"…Huh?" Jiang Shuyun blinked.
"Why Wartortle?"
The examiner didn't mind her question. He was clearly more tolerant toward talented candidates.
"League regulations," he explained.
"Only through type-disadvantage battles can a Trainer's true ability be assessed."
"When you're ready—begin."
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