Mythical Pokémon Era: Global Ascension — Chapter 6

Champion!

Those two words could not be uttered lightly.

Even Elite Four-level Trainers rarely praised their Pokémon so publicly and boldly, certain that they would become Champion-level Pokémon.

Champion—this was the highest honor in a nation.

And by "nation," they meant a major power!

Many small Southeast Asian countries had to band together before the Pokémon League would recognize them as a single "region," and only then could their strongest Trainer bear the title of Champion.

If a small Southeast Asian country could produce even one Elite Four-level Trainer, it would be a source of pride for the entire nation.

Yet a freshman who had just enrolled dared to claim that his Pokémon had Champion potential... Although Roy had not said Riolu would definitely become a Champion, the very act was still outrageously arrogant!

"Arrogant, arrogant, arrogant!"

"Holy shit, this guy really dared to say that!"

"Wow, that handsome guy is so cool."

"...Can you women stop letting your values follow your facial preferences? This is cool?"

"Young people can be reckless, but there should be a limit. Champion? Pfft!"

"Hehe, don't worry. Now that he's said it, plenty of people will want to slap him in the face. The recommended students definitely won't sit still."

"Who knows where this Roy crawled out from. He probably doesn't have any background, just some complete newbie. If he makes the top eight in next week's Newcomer Representative Battle, I'll eat XXX."

"Top eight? You think way too highly of him. He'll be lucky to pass the preliminaries!"

"Hey, you don't get it. The top eight is out of respect for Riolu!"

This time, Professor Xing did not stop the students below, because he too felt Roy was being a little too arrogant.

Being able to tame Riolu meant this student certainly had something special about him. A little pride and confidence were normal, but he could not get so inflated!

The only one who reacted differently was Riolu.

The aloof little dog looked at Roy with eyes full of sparkling stars.

...So Master thinks that highly of me!

...He thinks I have Champion potential. That means he thinks I can surpass Dad!

...I absolutely won't let Master down!

A spark called "a man would die for one who understands him" completely ignited Riolu's fighting spirit.

After the classroom had completely quieted down, Roy recalled Riolu into its Poké Ball and returned to his seat.

Every now and then, he could feel teasing looks and hear joking remarks from the students around him.

Mu Xixi poked Roy's elbow with the cap of her fountain pen, then slipped him a note with her slender hand.

"Did you take the wrong medicine?"

"No." Roy replied with a smile.

"Mr. Lin's defeat... hit you that hard?"

Roy paused slightly, finding it rather amusing. So Mu Xixi thought his dramatic changes these past few days were because Lin Wuya had lost?

"I have my own plans. Don't worry."

After reassuring the girl a little, Roy thought it over and decided the flames were not burning fiercely enough yet.

He took out his phone, logged onto an online marketplace, and entered two words into the search bar.

"Paid commenters."

He clicked on the highest-rated shop and opened customer service.

"Hello."

"Hello, dear! What can I do for you?"

"What are your prices for paid commenters?"

"That depends on your needs. We offer different packages based on your requirements. Our shop is highly professional, with entirely manual operations and strict confidentiality. Your personal privacy will never be leaked!"

Now that was professionalism!

Roy typed with satisfaction, "I need you to promote on Sheng Hai University's forum that my son has the makings of an emperor (delete this part)... that my Riolu has Champion potential and will surely become a peerless prodigy someday. Hype its talent as high as you can!"

"Have some of the paid commenters compare it with Heavenly King Luo's Lucario when it was young. Praise one while trashing the other, stir up arguments, and have another group viciously bash me and Riolu. Oh, and get a few sarcastic trolls pretending to be fans. We need ordinary passersby too!"

"For post titles, I suggest starting with things like 'To be fair...,' 'How should we evaluate Champion potential...,' or 'Thanks for the invitation, I'm at the Pokémon League and just got off the plane...' They'll be more attention-grabbing!"

"..."

The customer service agent typed a string of ellipses and fell into an eerie silence.

Roy: "?"

Customer Service: "Dear, have you considered going to Gotham City to fight Batman? (recalled after 3 seconds)."

Roy: "?"

Customer Service: "Alright, dear, we'll arrange it for you right away. Please wait a moment (yellow bean person kissing.jpg)."

Chapter 7: Thanks for the Invitation, I'm at the Pokémon League and Just Got Off the Plane

The title of Champion was lofty and unattainable.

If someone said their goal was to become a Champion, those around them would at most mutter wishful thinking to themselves. As long as there was no personal grudge, they would still smile and offer a few words of encouragement.

But Roy's actions were even more arrogant. He had directly claimed that his starter Pokémon's talent and potential rivaled that of a Champion.

Once someone made a post about it on the campus forum, it immediately drew hundreds of replies full of mockery, ridicule, and sarcasm...

"Young people these days are more arrogant than the last."

"He has no sense of reverence. It's practically an insult to Champions. The school should give him a disciplinary penalty."

"Disgusting!"

"I heard he comes from an ordinary family?"

"When I first enrolled, I was ambitious too. I thought I was no worse than those recommended students or second-generation Trainers. Heh, then reality's iron hammer woke me up."

From that reply onward, the thread suddenly went off-topic, shifting away from Roy.

"No money, no resources, you're nothing. I even regret becoming a Trainer. Wouldn't it be nicer to just raise a few Pokémon at home? Why did I come here to grind myself to death? If I give up, I can't bear to waste all the resources I've already invested. Now I'm stuck in limbo..."

"Person above, that's called sunk cost."

"Sigh, keep it up. Once you qualify as a Professional-level Trainer, official support will make things much easier."

"How is becoming a Professional-level Trainer that easy? So many people still have to struggle for years after graduation before they make it. As for me, I'm lying flat. After graduation, I'll go home, inherit the family shop, and live a leisurely life with my Pokémon..."

"The poor play with cars, the rich play with watches, and only the super-rich can play with Pokémon."

Even though it was nowhere near nighttime, the whole thread was steeped in a NetEase Cloud Music atmosphere, lamenting life and venting bitterness. Every now and then, a few rich kids came out to comfort everyone, telling them not to give up and to keep working hard, while casually showing off their wealth.

Under normal circumstances, aside from students in Roy's class, everyone else would have forgotten about this in a few days. It would not have generated much discussion.

However, the paid commenters entered right on cue.

"How should we evaluate Riolu's Champion potential?"

"To be fair, I don't think there's anything wrong with young people being a little bold."

"My cousin is a caretaker at the courtyard. He said that Riolu really is incredible, with overall qualities that completely surpass its father's. Maybe it really does have Champion potential!"

"Just an ordinary passerby here. I think what young Trainers today lack is Roy's drive to strive forward!"

"Trash paid commenters. Can you at least wait until that guy named Roy beats a recommended student before hyping him up?"

"Thanks for the invitation. I'm at the Pokémon League and just got off the plane. I have insider information: this student Roy has already been placed on the Pokémon League's key cultivation list."

Posts flooded the campus forum's front page. The moment anyone clicked in, they saw Roy and Riolu everywhere.

Since Sheng Hai University was founded, no batch of students had ever pulled off such a shameless stunt.

—Because there was absolutely no benefit to this stunt!

—Popularity? Sure, but it was all infamy and haters.

So, even though the bait was obvious, a huge number of students still fell for it and began fiercely arguing with one another.

Once the momentum got going, even if some people saw through the paid commenters' manipulation, there was no way to stop the trend.

In just one night, the entire forum was full of related topics. Tempers grew hotter and hotter, and several people were banned for overly aggressive remarks.

Several recommended students from different classes got dragged into it for no reason, collateral damage. Everyone hoped they would teach that Roy, who did not know his place, a lesson in the Newcomer Representative Battle one week later.

"Old Lin, you can't lose! Smash that pretty boy's face in for me!"

"...I'll do my best."

Lin Shixian looked speechlessly at the WeChat message. This was already the sixth person to ask him to teach Roy a harsh lesson.

"Where did these paid commenters come from?" Lin Shixian rubbed his chin. He did not think Roy had hired them, because it brought him no benefits at all. "Did that kid offend someone? Makes sense. Mu Xixi treats him completely differently from everyone else..."

"Ugly male jealousy..."

Lin Shixian shook his head.

The recommended student system had already been criticized by many people in recent years, who felt it was unfair and too privileged.

After this incident, all the recommended students had been put over the fire. If any one of them lost to Roy, they would probably be viciously condemned.

Therefore, even though Lin Shixian had no grudge against Roy, he would have to bring out every ounce of his strength in the Newcomer Representative Battle a week later. He absolutely could not lose.

"I can't let this disrupt the plan. Just arrange the training as usual. The most important enemy isn't Roy, but that person..."

Lin Shixian thought the same way as most recommended students. Roy was merely a weakling they had to crush; the only person they truly wanted to challenge was that Chief Recommended Student.

—The true Child of the Heavenly Kings.

Seeing that 5,000 RMB had been deducted from his account for hiring paid commenters, Roy's heart ached all night. That was several months of his allowance.