Mythical Pokémon Era: Global Ascension Chapter 29

There was no helping it. His standing still was not high enough for him to talk nonsense in front of Pokémon Daily.

It would cause a lot of trouble.

And even if he said it, it would never make it into the paper. It would be cut outright for its negative impact, and he would lose a chance to earn Popularity Points for nothing.

That was true, but whenever Roy thought about the terrifying amount of Popularity Points he could have gained if he had been allowed to talk nonsense in Pokémon Daily, his heart ached instantly.

He had lost a hundred million.

—Endure.jpg.

At eighteen, standing before Pokémon Daily like a lowly nobody.

Roy secretly swore that one day, his standing would be high enough for him to talk nonsense in Pokémon Daily, and they would have no choice but to print it.

Once the dominant force in the media world left, reporters from other local outlets finally dared to swarm forward, each asking a lethal question.

"Student Roy, how would you evaluate the ability of Xiao Bin, the Child of the Heavenly Kings? You One-hit KO'd him in the finals. Was he perhaps undeserving of his reputation?"

"Student Roy, we heard that you once boldly declared on the forums that Riolu has Champion potential. Is that true?"

"Student Roy, there are rumors that you have been placed on the Pokémon League's key development list. Is that true??"

Well, well. Those reporters' baseless, provocative questions instantly had that familiar flavor.

It was time to harvest Popularity Points.

Roy immediately perked up and began speaking eloquently.

"No, no, no. Xiao Bin is an extremely outstanding contestant. His excellent command gave me a great deal of inspiration. I believe he will surpass his predecessors in the future and inherit his father's legacy. I only won because I was lucky..."

When the winner praised his opponent, he was indirectly elevating himself.

That was what smart people did.

If you called your opponent trash, then the value of defeating them would drop as well.

After Roy put it that way, he could brag in the future, Do you even understand the value of One-hit KO'ing a future Psychic-type Heavenly King during an entrance test?

"As for the statement about Champion potential, I did indeed say that."

Roy smiled faintly. His handsome features appeared gentle and confident, while the charm he radiated without restraint left the female reporters present slightly dazed.

"I believe in Riolu's potential, and I believe in my own future."

"I once heard something: the subtle difference between those who always strive to reach the top and those content to remain behind others will have an enormous impact once they enter society."

"Whether wild words can be realized is one thing, but if you do not even have the courage to imagine them, then a person's 'dream' will never be born!"

Professor Xing, who was listening nearby, froze for a moment. He had not expected Roy to say something so impressive.

Young people really did have spirit.

As for the media's third question, Roy did not answer, because he was equally baffled by that rumor.

The Pokémon League's key development list?

What was that?

I never bragged about that. Who the hell was bragging for me?

After thinking it over, the only ones who might do something like that were the paid commenters he had hired back then.

Roy decided to go back and leave them an additional bad review.

Early the next morning, the interview aired.

Pokémon Daily was extremely aloof. Roy deliberately bought a copy and flipped through it for ages, yet he could not find anything he had said. Just as he began wondering whether he had failed to make the paper at all, he finally saw a single sentence in a corner column.

'Sheng Hai University entrance test: dark horse freshman wins championship. Outstanding.'

Then there was nothing else beneath it...

They did not even mention his name.

Roy could only marvel. They were not letting him ride even a shred of their popularity.

Still, that was normal. How could a global-level outlet like Pokémon Daily make a big fuss over a university entrance test? To earn a place in such a newspaper, there had to be something like regional upheaval in some country, or the discovery of a new Pokémon species.

However, Shenghai's local media were incredibly supportive, with newspapers and television stations flooding the airwaves with reports about Roy.

In particular, nearly every outlet mentioned his speech.

The sheer scale of the coverage surprised Roy. He called Professor Xing and asked around before learning the reason behind it.

Shenghai's economy was extremely developed. It was the economic center of all Dragon Country.

However, its Trainer education was lacking by comparison.

Among the current Elite Four, only Heavenly King Luo had graduated from Sheng Hai University.

The other three Heavenly Kings, as well as Champion Lin Wuya, had all graduated from Jinghua University and Jing University, the two world-class institutions.

Whenever Sheng Hai Trainer Association executives discussed this, they could never hold their heads up in front of people from the Tianjing Trainer Association.

Now that Shenghai had finally produced a genius like Roy, who had even astonished professors from Jinghua University and Jing University, they immediately ordered the local newspapers and television stations to give him their full support.

The local Shenghai media dug deeply into Roy's identity and background and quickly discovered that this rookie Trainer was indeed highly suitable for promotion.

—Commoner, hard work, struggle, dreams, comeback, success!

The labels attached to Roy's image were full of positive energy, and he also had an excellent appearance.

In recent years, class solidification among Trainers had become increasingly severe. Trainers from ordinary families found it extremely difficult to rise to prominence. Most of the "geniuses" the media had investigated in the past were second-generation Trainers...

Roy's emergence clearly became a symbol of hope that "ordinary grassroots people can rise too."

With Shenghai officials adding fuel to the flames, Roy became famous throughout the East China region centered around Shenghai. For a time, countless parents used Roy's story to encourage their own children.

Many uncles and aunts who knew them also called, continuously praising Roy's parents for raising their son so well and asking for advice.

Roy was delighted by the image the media had created for him, but he also felt somewhat awkward.

...Parents, I'm using cheats.

...Anyone who imitates me will die, seriously, don't!

Roy's original goal in accepting the interview had been to promote Riolu's Champion potential and get people discussing Riolu's potential and talent.

Yet he had never expected that Riolu would not become famous, while he himself did instead, becoming the kind of child parents compared their own kids to.

Fortunately, by riding Roy's popularity, Riolu's Popularity Points on the System panel surged to a full 2.4 million overnight before the upward trend gradually slowed.

—A bountiful harvest.

Roy was in no rush to spend his points. He had just received a call from Principal Fang, who asked him to visit the principal's office tomorrow.

If nothing unexpected happened, it should be about choosing a Pokémon Egg from the Breeding House.

Once his second Pokémon arrived, he would make his purchases according to a plan.

Roy was looking forward to it.

"What will my second Pokémon be..."

The next day.

After spending the entire night thinking about what his second Pokémon might be, Roy had suffered a bit of insomnia and woke up rather late.

He hastily dealt with breakfast and immediately headed out.

At the intersection, Roy ran into the Mu siblings, who had been waiting for him.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our Chief Recommended Student?" Mu Tianyang came over and lightly punched Roy's shoulder with his tiny fist, saying in an oddly mocking tone, "You finally made it, sir. Little Mu has been waiting here for ages and humbly greets you."

Roy brushed away his hand, straightened his clothes, and arrogantly raised his head.

"Dispense with the formalities. Rise."

"Damn."

Mu Tianyang had not expected him to be so shameless.

Roy turned toward Mu Xixi beside them. His attitude was completely different, and his tone became gentle.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Mu Xixi shook her head to show that she did not mind, and the three of them headed toward the university together.

The Roy family and Mu family lived not far from Sheng Hai University, so they had both chosen to commute.

Along the way, Roy and Mu Tianyang did most of the talking, discussing the university.

"I wonder which class I'll be assigned to." Mu Tianyang sighed. "You two geniuses have it good. You're both Chief Recommended Students, so you'll definitely get into the key classes... Unlike me, I can only leave it to fate. Sigh, I just hope there are pretty girls in my class."

Yes, there were two Chief Recommended Students.

The Breeder Major examination was conducted in written form.

Mu Xixi successfully ranked first in the entire university with the highest total score, becoming the Chief Recommended Student of the Breeder Major.

—Unlike the highly anticipated Trainer Major, Breeders were relatively unknown.

The Trainer Major had a high threshold and required extensive resources. After graduation, challenging the Professional-level Trainer assessment was the only path forward.

Those who could not pass the Professional-level assessment were merely ordinary Trainers. They had no status, no authority, and no income, while the cost of raising Pokémon was especially high.

Many Trainers who failed to pass the Professional-level assessment either returned home to inherit the family business or found work as coaches at clubs, training the next generation.

Whether one passed the Professional-level assessment determined whether one's circumstances would be heaven or earth, with an enormous gap between them.

It was rather like countless troops crossing a single-plank bridge, or carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.

Breeders were different. They did not require resources. As long as one was smart and willing to study hard, one could succeed, and there were many career paths available.

After graduating from the Breeder Major, students could choose to start businesses like Brother Qiangdong and become commercial superstars. They could also work for companies, where employees with extensive Pokémon knowledge were highly sought after in every industry.

They could also choose to further their studies toward becoming a Pokémon Researcher, with the goal of becoming a Pokémon Doctor.

To sum it up.

—Trainers had high thresholds, high risks, and high rewards. They could truly reach the pinnacle of power, drawing the attention of countless people and shining like stars.

—Breeders had low thresholds, low risks, and many career paths. Though they could not touch power, they could earn a great deal of money, while remaining relatively unknown.