Zhong Yue had originally come to verify the Secret Realm.
But now—
He felt the urge to suppress this Charmander's sharp edge a little.
Steel that's too rigid snaps easily.
Yet as the seconds passed, he noticed something unsettling.
The fire in Charmander's eyes only grew stronger.
Its competitive spirit intensified—
To the point where, for a brief moment, it actually pushed back against Charizard's pressure.
Zhong Yue's pride stung slightly.
Still, he sighed in admiration.
"Each generation produces new talents. The young truly surpass the old."
In his estimation, if nothing unexpected happened—
This Charmander would at least reach Lord-tier.
Possibly even Master-tier.
Charizard lost interest as well.
Why bother locking eyes with a rookie?
It withdrew its oppressive gaze.
"You flatter us, Senior," Lin Yu replied politely.
But he shot Charmander a look that clearly said:
Well done.
Inside, he was thrilled.
Zhong Yue patted his old partner, then returned to business.
"Where's the Secret Realm?"
Lin Yu pointed toward the door.
Zhong Yue's eyes sharpened. He took out a device resembling a smartphone and scanned it.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Confirmed. A Secret Realm. Likely small-scale."
He visibly relaxed.
The main concern was proximity to the city.
If hostile Pokémon were inside, things could get complicated.
"After the first exploration phase, you'll be notified. Register your information with me now, and you're free to leave… By the way—how did you discover it?"
Lin Yu answered calmly:
"I was training nearby when a Rattata stole our food. We chased it here and saw it run into that door. I figured something was off—maybe a Secret Realm."
Even he thought the explanation was flawless.
If only Charmander hadn't been staring at him with visible confusion.
"Mm."
Zhong Yue didn't suspect a thing.
On the way back, Lin Yu felt light-hearted.
It was like unexpected fortune falling from the sky.
Not only had he discovered a Secret Realm—
He'd also gained a Heavenly King-tier Ralts.
But that blessing came with pressure.
He did some mental math.
Charmander consumed one System energy cube roughly every three days.
Ralts needed one about every four.
That averaged out to 3.5 Trait Coins per day.
Roughly the value of a White-tier trait.
Switching to lower-grade industrial cubes from the market?
Out of the question.
If he was going to cut costs, he'd rather craft them himself.
Thankfully, he could still afford it—for now.
The start of school drew closer.
This week's Green-tier trait had been something called [I Am an Artist].
Useless.
Dismantled.
While refining Charmander's training schedule, Lin Yu also carefully asked Ralts about her own preferences.
Did she want to train like Charmander?
Perhaps because of her harsh wandering days—
Her answer was firm.
Yes.
Lin Yu was relieved.
Charmander's training was intense.
But whatever choice she made, he would respect it.
Truthfully, he hoped future traits or shop items would refresh something tailored specifically to Ralts.
So far, only one trait suited her:
[Green Trait — Mental Focus]: Increased concentration during meditation.
A support-type trait.
August 31st.
The first day of school at Shuimu No. 3 High.
New students crowded at the entrance, peering around curiously.
Lin Yu felt curious too.
For the first nine years, education in this world had mirrored his previous one.
But high school?
That's where paths diverged.
You chose either a Pokémon academy—
Or a normal academic school.
Smack!
A hand slapped toward the back of his head—
But Lin Yu caught it mid-air.
"What class are you in?"
He turned.
Wang Mang.
An old middle-school classmate.
True to his name—reckless and straightforward.
A tall, slightly chubby guy who got along well with Lin Yu.
Back in middle school, he used to declare:
"One day I'll become a Pokémon Master and catch powerful, majestic Pokémon!"
He always emphasized one dream partner:
Charizard.
Because Charizard was cool.
Unfortunately, his family was only moderately well-off.
"What class?" Wang Mang repeated.
"Class Three."
"What's your starter?" he asked eagerly.
Classic teenage curiosity—and rivalry.
Lin Yu smirked.
"You first."
Wang Mang puffed up proudly.
"Machop. Fits me, right?"
"Not bad."
It did suit him.
Lin Yu patted his round belly.
"If you've got a Fighting-type, you better train with it. Lose some of this."
Then casually added:
"My starter's Charmander."
Wang Mang scratched his head awkwardly—
Then froze.
"Ch-Charmander?!"
"Yeah."
"Seriously?!"
"Why would I lie?"
Lin Yu waved him off and headed toward registration.
Leaving Wang Mang standing there, stunned.
In a world where Pokémon had only integrated for a couple centuries—
Owning a starter like Charmander often meant generational wealth.
Registration wasn't complicated.
Perhaps because "Old Qin" had already chatted extensively in the group chat.
When Lin Yu entered the classroom—
Chaos.
Teenagers who had just received their first Pokémon were practically vibrating with excitement.
Stories flew everywhere.
"My Caterpie hatched and scared her half to death!"
"My Pichu keeps 'electrotherapy-ing' me!"
Others huddled together—
Discussing which girls were cute.
Typical.
Lin Yu took his seat.
"Hey… are you Lin Yu? The Charmander guy?"
His desk mate was a freckled boy with glasses.
Lin Yu nodded casually.
"Shen Yue. My Pokémon's Bellsprout."
"Nice to meet you."
Lin Yu wasn't particularly talkative.
Mentally, he was over thirty.
These were children to him.
Unfortunately, Shen Yue didn't notice.
He even started calling him "Brother Lin."
The conversation drifted from Pokémon—
To which girls in class were pretty.
Of course.
At this age, it was either Pokémon—
Or girls.
Lin Yu responded half-heartedly.
Soon, Teacher Qin returned.
She really did look like a recent college graduate.
Gentle smile.
Sweet dimples.
And eyes filled with—
Clear, innocent foolishness.
Probably her first time managing a high school class.
After a brief self-introduction, she smiled.
"Class, due to some circumstances, we have a new transfer student joining us."
She glanced toward the door.
"Come in, Ye Qingxue. Please introduce yourself."