"Whoa, whoa, whoa—Brother Lin, look! There's a super beautiful girl outside!"
Shen Yue practically vibrated in his seat.
The girl standing at the podium was breathtaking.
Delicate porcelain skin. A perfectly proportioned figure. A youthful summer outfit—yet somehow carrying an understated air of nobility.
The kind of presence that made people hesitate before even speaking to her.
If there were a campus beauty ranking—
She'd be number one. No debate.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Ye Qingxue. I'm from Kyoto. My Pokémon is Dratini. I hope we can all get along over the next three years."
Her voice flowed like clear spring water—soft, refreshing, effortlessly graceful.
The classroom erupted.
"Dratini?! She's that pretty AND rich?! Is the world finally being nice to me?!"
"Man… if it weren't Dratini, I might've had the courage to talk to her…"
Even the girls couldn't hide their envy.
"Pretty, wealthy, and that voice…"
Nearly every pair of eyes locked onto her.
Even Teacher Qin looked impressed.
Why would someone like this come to a city like Shuimu for high school?
"Well, there's an empty seat over there. You can sit there," Teacher Qin said.
Ye Qingxue scanned the room.
Then her eyes lit up.
…
"Brother Lin! She's looking at me! She's looking at me!"
Shen Yue shook Lin Yu's arm frantically.
Lin Yu felt secondhand embarrassment.
What "three great illusions of life"?
She was clearly looking at him.
"Excuse me," Ye Qingxue said sweetly, "could you move to that empty seat?"
Shen Yue froze mid-celebration.
Like a statue.
He nodded stiffly and walked away like a robot.
Lin Yu instinctively glanced at the shadow beneath her feet.
No Gengar.
Good.
Less pressure.
"I thought you went back already," Lin Yu said.
It had been over ten days.
He really assumed she'd returned to Kyoto.
"What? I can't stay?" she replied lightly. "I'm originally from here, you know."
She was used to his tone.
Still—she couldn't help thinking.
He's only fifteen. Why does he sound like someone in his thirties?
Actually… he's always been like this.
"You see how they're staring at me? It's like they want to eat me alive," Lin Yu muttered.
Having a Charmander already made him stand out.
Now this?
He was even more of a target.
Ye Qingxue glanced around.
Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
Then—
She looped her arm through his and leaned close.
"Ge~ What's the problem?"
Lin Yu felt goosebumps instantly.
"Let go."
"What? We used to do this all the time when we were little," she pouted.
"That was when we were little. We're in class. Stop messing around."
"…Fine."
He slipped free.
That was close.
He almost wavered.
But his goal was clear.
Raise Charmander to Champion.
Make that raincoat guy regret everything.
At the front, Teacher Qin clapped her hands.
"Alright, settle down. Let me go over something important."
The room quieted.
"The freshman wilderness training will take place on September 3rd. This year, not only freshmen will participate. Some sophomores and even seniors will join as well."
"What?!"
The class erupted.
How was that fair?
Freshmen had only just received their Pokémon.
Upperclassmen had trained theirs for over a year.
"Quiet!"
Her tone sharpened.
The classroom fell silent instantly.
"Listen first. Not all sophomores and seniors can participate. Only those who have obtained their second Pokémon within the past two months are eligible."
The tension eased.
"And the reward brackets are separate—one for sophomores, one for seniors."
Then she began listing prizes.
"Tenth place: three Dragonfire Fruits and one C-rank or higher secret treasure of any attribute…"
From tenth place to first—
Each reward escalated.
The room's excitement skyrocketed.
"If a freshman's score surpasses that of sophomores or seniors, there will be additional special rewards. And they won't be inferior to the top ten prizes."
Lin Yu's heart pounded.
Dragonfire Fruit.
A rare berry found in Secret Realms.
It slightly boosted Special Attack.
He'd seen it in the Trait Shop before—
Expensive.
At least 5,000 credits per fruit.
And a C-rank secret treasure?
Five figures minimum.
Even Gym-tier Pokémon benefited from those.
The school was being generous.
"Alright. That's enough for now. I'll send detailed rules later. Self-study."
"Seems like someone's interested~"
Ye Qingxue's voice chimed beside him.
Lin Yu turned.
Her expression was calm.
Those rewards clearly meant nothing to her.
Of course.
She had a Dratini.
A pseudo-legendary.
A late bloomer capable of rivaling legendary Pokémon at full growth.
Would she lack resources?
Unlikely.
"I need resources to raise Charmander," Lin Yu said plainly.
As he spoke, he opened the Trait Shop.
(Thankfully, others couldn't see it.)
Today's refresh displayed:
[Rosemary Incense]: When burned, releases a scent that attracts Pokémon. Undetectable by conventional means. — 10 Trait Coins
[Premium Pokémon Food]
…
Lin Yu's eyes sharpened.
That item—
Perfect for wilderness training.
Scoring was based on defeated Pokémon.
This would be invaluable.
Buy it.
Immediately.
"Ge, if you're short on resources," Ye Qingxue said softly, "you can just ask me."