Shuimu No. 1 High School — one of Shuimu City's Pokémon trainer high schools.
It wasn't hard to get into.
As long as you intended to become a Trainer, you could enroll.
The only catch?
The tuition was expensive.
There was one requirement before entering first year: during the summer break, students had to register their first Pokémon with the Pokémon League.
That was exactly the stage Lin Yu had been stuck at.
The reason he hadn't registered one yet was simple.
Money.
When he was five, his parents had disappeared while exploring a Secret Realm.
Declared missing.
From then on, he grew up in Miracle Orphanage.
He had only moved out this year.
After paying tuition, he had just 20,000 Huacredits left to his name.
And that was after extreme budgeting.
That amount was only enough to buy something like a Rattata.
Or a Caterpie.
Too shabby.
More importantly, he didn't feel confident he could properly raise one at that stage.
Taking in a Pokémon without the ability to nurture it well felt irresponsible.
It was only after awakening the System that he finally dared to consider buying a Bug- or Grass-type as his starter.
But now?
Now he had a Heavenly King–tier Charmander.
Why would he settle for a "budget Rayquaza baby edition"?
"Charmander, come here. Let's take a photo."
Charmander was undeniably one of the most popular Pokémon species.
Lin Yu flashed a peace sign next to it and snapped a picture. Then he uploaded it to the class group chat.
The previously quiet chat exploded instantly.
Even though most of them barely knew each other, that didn't stop the reactions.
"Charmander?! Damn, that's a handsome one! Whose general is this, looking so fierce?"
"So jealous… mine's just a Caterpie…"
"Are we ignoring the fact that Charmander's trainer is also kinda cute? Fair skin, total puppy vibes."
"Not as handsome as Xiangzhou's Peng Yuyan though…"
The world worked like that.
Some people looked down on Charmander.
Others coveted it.
…
Teacher Qin:
Charmander, huh? Not bad. Go register your information with the Pokémon League as soon as possible!
Lin Yu replied: "Got it."
He checked the time. There was still enough time today to head to the League and officially register as a Trainer.
The process was simple.
Submit ID.
Provide home address.
Confirm Pokémon partner.
Done.
After receiving his Trainer ID, Lin Yu hurried back home.
Using Eye of Insight, he checked Charmander's updated status.
[Pokémon: Charmander]
[Ability: Solar Power]
[Gender: Male]
[Talent: Heavenly King]
[Level: 6]
[Moves: Scratch, Ember, Smokescreen, Growl]
In just a few days, Charmander had learned three new moves.
Lin Yu was still amazed—but with Heavenly King-tier talent, it made sense.
Pokémon of that caliber were rare treasures.
Then he remembered—the premium energy cubes were almost gone.
He opened the Trait Shop.
The interface refreshed.
The premium energy cubes he'd purchased earlier were now marked as sold.
But new items had appeared.
[Today's Trait Shop:]
• Fire Punch TM — 50 Trait Coins
• Premium Pokémon Food ×10 — 5 Trait Coins
• Dragonflame Fruit ×1 — 15 Trait Coins
Fire Punch!
Lin Yu's eyes lit up.
Perfect for Charmander.
Then his expression darkened.
Fifty coins.
He didn't have enough.
Was the System mocking him?
Over the past few days, he'd studied the System carefully.
White-tier traits were mostly mediocre—but could be dismantled for 3–5 Trait Coins each.
Green-tier value was still unknown.
The Shop refreshed daily.
Purchased items stayed locked.
Unpurchased items disappeared.
Right now, unless he dismantled [King of Slackers], he couldn't afford Fire Punch.
That hurt.
He hesitated.
"…Forget it. With Heavenly King-tier talent, Charmander will eventually learn Fire Punch naturally. King of Slackers is too valuable long-term."
After struggling internally, he chose to keep the trait.
Just as disappointment crept in—
The System chimed.
[Congratulations. First-time Purchase Discount unlocked. Today's first purchase costs only 1 Trait Coin.]
Lin Yu froze.
Then nearly jumped.
He instantly bought Fire Punch.
"Is this first-time discount random?" he asked.
[Random drop. Valid for one day only.]
There went his idea of saving it for a future jackpot.
Still—
This was more than enough.
He gently patted Charmander's smooth head and pressed the virtual TM against it.
Moments later, Charmander's eyes widened in delight.
It had learned something new.
Flames flickered faintly around its claws.
"Learned a new move already? That's my Charmander," Lin Yu said with exaggerated surprise.
In reality, he wanted Charmander to believe it had learned the move through its own effort.
Confidence mattered.
And it worked.
Charmander practically vibrated with excitement, eager to rush outside and show off.
Lin Yu chuckled.
It was barely over a month old.
Of course it wanted praise.
Knock knock knock.
A soft knock echoed at the door.
"Coming," Lin Yu called.
Then he turned to Charmander.
"Head back into the ball and rest for a bit."
It had just finished training and was surely tired.
While Charmander rested, Lin Yu even swapped [Effort Always Pays Off] with [King of Slackers].
Maximize efficiency.
If it was resting anyway, might as well grow stronger doing nothing.
Opening the door—
Lin Yu's heartbeat skipped.
Stunning.
Then immediately afterward—
Helpless amusement.
How did she find this place?
He had rented a small, remote apartment to save money.
Standing outside was a fifteen-year-old girl.
About 160 centimeters tall.
Delicate features. Skin as fair as snow. Clear eyes like mountain springs. A slender waist. An almost ethereal air about her.
Long black hair tied into a high ponytail with a pale ribbon.
A light-blue summer top paired with a white pleated skirt—cool and refreshing.
Her voice was soft and melodious, like wind through a quiet valley.
She was his "good" friend from the orphanage.
Back then she'd been a snot-nosed little kid.
Now she'd grown into someone radiant.
Even counting both lifetimes—over thirty years of mental age—Lin Yu felt his heart flutter.
Wait.
No.
Absolutely not.
She's fifteen.
Calm down, Lin Yu.
Three years minimum sentence, life sentence maximum…
…Not worth it.