So damn hot! This is too much!
Comparisons really could make a person furious!
Su Yi nodded.
"At Jingtian Academy, the Pokémon Research Summary is basically the final graduation thesis. The difference is that our Pokémon graduation thesis also requires students to pass the Pokémon League's Advanced Trainer certification."
"However, the difficulty depends on which Pokémon you choose. Common Pokémon are of average difficulty; rarer Pokémon aren't necessarily harder, since you can usually pass as long as you summarize them correctly. The hard part is coming up with the summary."
"The hardest topics are the ones that don't focus on a specific Pokémon, but instead summarize a certain Ability or habitat. The academy's teachers might not know as much as you think about that Pokémon's Ability or living environment."
After Gu Yuanfang explained, Su Yi understood what kind of topic he should choose.
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask about—the Zhang Family."
Su Yi looked at Gu Yuanfang, enunciating each word.
As expected, Gu Yuanfang furrowed his brows.
"Su Yi, the Zhang Family will probably target you. But don't worry. As long as you're at Jingtian Academy, they wouldn't dare cause trouble even if they had a hundred times the nerve."
"Mm. I just wanted to find out in advance."
Of course, Su Yi couldn't tell him he was planning to strike first and deal with the Zhang Family.
"You should know that the International Pokémon League headquarters banned people from entering the middle zones of the four largest Spirit Primal Forests in the country, because they're too dangerous. But the forests are enormous, and every entrance is too large for headquarters to send enough people to guard them all. That's why the great families handle it. Many people have seized a single opportunity and risen to prominence overnight."
"The Zhang Family was one of them. They seized an opportunity to fulfill their ambition of rising to prominence, and were put in charge of guarding the entrances to the middle zones of the Spirit Primal Forests."
"However, those positions rotate every three years. In a little while, it'll be time for the Zhang Family to step down. I doubt they'll have time to bother with you right now. They're busy figuring out how to keep the job of guarding the entrances. Every year, they get a cut of the Gold Coins earned there. It's a lucrative business."
"The Zhang Family is usually arrogant and domineering, and Zhang Mu is a hypocrite. Whenever he sees a Pokémon with a good build and coloring, he forces its Trainer to sell it to him. Worse still, the Zhang Family has secretly done plenty of things that violate League regulations. Female Trainers from families with good conditions but less powerful backgrounds are often bullied by them, too. These things are all recorded in Jingtian Academy's files on the great families. You can look into them yourself when you have time."
Gu Yuanfang told him a few things about the Zhang Family. But hearing that they were busy trying to keep their post guarding the entrances, and learning about their usual conduct, Su Yi understood. A family like that might as well be wiped out. He had a plan!
After exchanging a few words with Gu Yuanfang, Su Yi went straight to the Jingtian Academy car and headed to the Pokémon League in Shangjing City. He was going to get his Trainer ID certified!
Once his Trainer ID certification was complete, Su Yi could start putting his plan against the Zhang Family into motion.
As he passed the sports field, he saw the new students there, each accompanied by a Pokémon, beginning a week of physical training under their military instructors.
Physical training was of the utmost importance.
Jingtian Academy took it seriously, too.
After the week of physical training, the academy would have students set aside one day each week to work on their own and their Pokémon's fitness.
They would also provide the students and their Pokémon with all kinds of fitness-enhancing potions.
Su Yi's fitness potion had already been prepared for him in his dormitory. However, his body had reached a bottleneck after absorbing the Self-Enhancement Potion he'd received as a system reward. He would have to wait until his body had fully absorbed the potion before taking anything else.
As he passed the sports field, a sharp-eyed freshman spotted Su Yi.
They were training here, exhausted. Why should he get to skip physical training just because he was the double top scorer?
He was the one who most needed to train!
"Reporting!"
At that thought, the student shouted out.
"Speak!"
The military instructor glanced at him.
"I think the double top scorer is the one who should be doing physical training most! At the very least, he should train just like us and our Pokémon!"
The double top scorer?
The instructor followed the student's pointing finger to Su Yi, and understood.
But before he could deliver the speech he'd prepared in his head, Su Yi came over.
There was no helping it. This was the one frustrating thing about Jingtian Academy: everyone had to pass by the sports field to enter or leave campus.
No exceptions.
The students were training right by the entrance.
When Su Yi came over, the student who'd shouted "Reporting!" summoned all his strength. His face flushed red as he punched the measuring device.
249!
Not bad strength.
After the week-long physical training, everyone was required to reach a strength of at least 240 pounds.
He'd already met the requirement on his first day, proving he'd been training long before now.
"Student Su Yi, if you don't mind, please show them why you don't need to train."
The instructor had only heard that Su Yi had met the fitness requirements. He didn't know how strong he actually was.
"You're still a little short. Not bad, though."
Su Yi glanced at the student. The student's expression immediately soured. What did he mean, "a little short"?
Bang!!!
Su Yi casually threw a punch. His fist struck the measuring device, and the display shot straight to 500.
Holy crap!
Comparisons really could make a person furious; comparing goods really could make yours seem worthless!
With one casual punch, he'd reached a level the other guy couldn't manage even with two punches!
Too strong!
Ignoring the little incident, Su Yi left through the gate, leaving the freshmen staring in stunned silence.
"Anyone who can reach that score doesn't have to train anymore! Number 16!"
"Here!"
Number 16 was the student who'd just challenged the decision.
"Do 200 push-ups on the spot, starting now! Everyone else, take a ten-minute break!"
"..."
Outside the school was the car Jingtian Academy used to take people to the Pokémon League in Shangjing City.
With his special student ID, he could use it anytime, anywhere!
Let's go!
Shangjing City!
It was a city full of color and life.
The Pokémon League in Shangjing City was located right in the center.
Jingtian Academy wasn't far from the Shangjing City Pokémon League.
The car was fast, and it arrived in less than twenty minutes.
He showed his student ID and was let straight through.
A young woman who handled Jingtian Academy students came over to explain the rules for getting a Trainer ID certified.
Everyone else had to find out the rules for themselves.
This was one small example of how Jingtian Academy students were treated differently.
"Student Su Yi, this way, please. To be certified by the Shangjing City Pokémon League, you need at least three Pokémon of the required strength, and you must earn the approval of one of our League-appointed examiners. I'm sure you already know the basics. What level of Trainer certification would you like to take?"
The young woman asked because Su Yi was a Jingtian Academy student and had a special student ID. He didn't have to work his way up step by step. Below the King level, he could apply directly for his first exam.
If he failed his first exam, he wouldn't be able to apply directly for the level he wanted the second time. Instead, he'd have to start from the lowest level: Beginner Trainer.
"Then... I'll take the Advanced Trainer certification."
Su Yi considered it for a moment. Advanced Trainers were in the Lv. 30–39 range, and he already had three Pokémon at that level.
Elite Trainer certification covered Lv. 40–49, and also required three Pokémon. But the King-level certification was a huge leap in difficulty. Not only did it require a 6v6 battle, but instead of merely winning an examiner's approval, he'd have to defeat them!
"Very well, Student Su Yi. We've randomly assigned an Advanced Trainer to examine you. Please head to the battle arena and wait a moment."
After speaking, the young woman led Su Yi to one of the battle arenas inside.
The Pokémon League in Shangjing City was enormous.
It had at least twenty battle arenas!
Ten were used for Trainer ID certification, and the other ten were for Pokémon battles arranged with the League as a witness.
When people couldn't settle something by ordinary means, many of them would think of resolving it through a Pokémon battle. With the League as witness, the loser wouldn't dare go back on their word.
The League collected the fees from both sides before each battle.
Of course, Trainer examinations cost Gold Coins, too.
But Su Yi didn't have to pay.
This special student ID was pretty useful.
Su Yi didn't have to wait long before his examiner arrived.
He was a young man in his twenties.
"Looks like I'm in luck. I can't believe this year's double top scorer is taking his exam with me! Haha!"
When the young Trainer saw that Su Yi was his examinee, he grinned.
"Su Yi, I won't go easy on you for your Trainer certification. You'd better watch out."
The man was Zhou Lan, an Advanced Trainer with plenty of experience. At the Shangjing City Pokémon League, he was probably one of the two top examiners for Advanced Trainer certifications.
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
"Good. Let's see how the first double top scorer in history compares to other Trainers. Go, Pidgeot!"
A sturdy Pidgeot soared through the sky.
"Pidgeot, huh? Good choice. Ampharos, you're up!"
The examiner had to send out his Pokémon first. That was the rule.
The examinee had to attack first. That was the rule, too.
"So you're using Ampharos. A very good choice. Come on, let's see what makes your Ampharos special."
Zhou Lan's gaze sharpened. Pidgeot circled overhead. As long as Ampharos's Electric-type moves failed to hit it, Pidgeot would be fine.
"Ampharos, Power Gem!"
Pidgeot could fly, and if it didn't come closer, Ampharos would have a hard time hitting it.
A probing attack.
As for Vibrava, its wings hadn't fully developed yet. It couldn't compare to a sturdy Pidgeot.
Of course, if it evolved into Flygon, it wouldn't be outmatched at all.
"Pidgeot, Gust!"
Gust: A powerful gust of wind is unleashed to attack the opponent.
Pidgeot beat its strong wings.
Before you continue