Mythical Pokémon Era: Global Ascension — Chapter 9

Amid the clamor of public opinion, the man himself soon appeared.

Number One in Superpowers: "You little clown. One week from now, let strength do the talking."

It was a brief, straightforward reply, but it meant that the Chief Recommended Student had declared war, instantly igniting everyone's emotions.

A whole crowd flooded the comments, telling Xiao Bin to teach Roy a harsh lesson and show no mercy. Others thought Xiao Bin would not even need to step in—if Roy ran into any other recommended student, he would probably lose immediately.

The vast majority mocked him relentlessly, but...

"Roy is so handsome~~"

"Yeah, he's a little arrogant, but I don't hate a cocky younger guy."

"If this junior had enrolled a year earlier, would I still not have a boyfriend?"

"A lot of these guys are probably just jealous. So ugly."

Because his ID photo had been exposed, quite a few girls actually switched sides and began cheering Roy on.

Everyone knew how much an ID photo could drag down someone's looks.

Yet even so, Roy's ID photo had somehow come out looking like an idol photoshoot.

That drove the already furious male camp into a frenzy. Comments like "scumbags," "fandom trash," and "sisters, get them!" kept popping up one after another.

However, even Roy's most devoted looks-based fans did not think he could win.

One came from an ordinary family, while the other was a Child of the Heavenly Kings... the gap was simply too vast.

It had little to do with talent as a Trainer. It was like comparing an entrepreneur from a humble family with the son of the richest man—their starting lines were not even on the same level.

The fiercer the insults became, the faster his Popularity Points rose!

Roy was not yet old enough to remain unmoved by praise or humiliation. Seeing so many people trash-talk him, even though he had practically asked for it, still left him frustrated and upset.

That frustration made him train even harder.

Become stronger.

The world of Trainers was one of absolute strength above all else.

As long as he won the Newcomer Representative Battle a week from now, everything would be completely different.

From seven to eleven in the morning, Roy and Riolu trained their physical fitness together.

Energy Cubes -3, Bell x1.

From noon to three in the afternoon, Riolu used the Lightning Rod to attempt to develop Lightning Body Tempering, while Roy studied on the Trainer Learning Network.

Energy Cubes -3, Moomoo Milk Drinks -2, Bell x2.

From three to five in the afternoon, Riolu practiced all its moves, improving its activation speed and control.

Roy meditated on Aura Power.

Energy Cubes -3, exchanged 5,000 points for a meditation method, Bell x1.

After dinner and half an hour of rest, Roy and Riolu began physical training again, continuing until bedtime.

They could not eat too much at night, so they had one Energy Cube.

By the end of the day, they had used exactly ten Energy Cubes.

Before going to sleep, Roy and Riolu leaned against their pillows and watched battle footage from tournaments of every level. Roy did his best to review with Riolu the parts he could understand.

Again and again, day after day.

Finally, on the fourth day, Riolu gave Roy a huge surprise.

"Cha!"

Riolu drew both hands back to its waist as electricity began to flash.

The electricity flowed from its hands through its entire body, stirring ripples in the air like arcs of lightning.

Lightning Body Tempering had reached the beginner stage!

With his slightly improved Aura Power, Roy quickly understood Riolu's progress from its excited gestures.

Its current Lightning Body Tempering was not yet at the optimal frequency, but it could already stimulate cellular activity.

At that moment, the Lightning Rod finally displayed its greatest value.

Without this item, Riolu would have to stop and rest after at most fifteen minutes of Lightning Body Tempering. During those fifteen minutes, physical training would become vastly more effective, sending its fitness improvements onto the expressway.

—For everyone else, those fifteen minutes were the most appealing part of Lightning Body Tempering.

But after going down that expressway, they had to rest for a while, depending on their constitution, before attempting it again. Otherwise, they would damage their bodies.

But for Riolu, which had the Lightning Rod, the side effects of Lightning Body Tempering were completely canceled out.

While doing physical training, Riolu could maintain its Lightning Body Tempering state the entire time.

It was always on the expressway!

What was more, simply staying on that expressway consumed an enormous amount of energy. Without the nourishment of Energy Cubes, Riolu's body would have gone into shock and shut down long ago.

Roy was not a Breeder, so he still did not know just how terrifying Energy Cubes were. His ten Energy Cubes per day, calculated at market price, meant Riolu was consuming the equivalent of several hundred thousand in food expenses every day.

How many families in all of Sheng Hai University could sustain daily spending of several hundred thousand?

When it came to throwing money around, he had undoubtedly caught up with the Child of the Heavenly Kings.

And then there were the system's miraculous items, such as the Lightning Rod and Weighted Bracelet... let alone a Child of the Heavenly Kings, even the Heavenly Kings themselves had no way to obtain them.

...A hidden dragon lurked in the abyss, waiting only to soar into the sky!

"Tomorrow is the Newcomer Representative Battle."

After training continuously for six days, Roy looked at the date, considered it for a while, and decided to cancel today's training.

The importance of balancing work and rest was obvious to anyone who understood.

Besides...

"You can't forge anything real by shutting yourself away."

There were individual and species differences among starter Pokémon, but they all basically met the standard of being young and untrained.

Everyone's starting line with Pokémon was not that far apart.

The resources Roy had invested in Riolu, the amount of training, and the Lightning Body Tempering method all far surpassed those of the recommended students.

But there was one area where he and Riolu were lacking.

"Not enough real battle experience."

Not merely lacking—Roy and Riolu had not even had a single battle.

The recommended students were different. Their families had relatives who were Trainers, so they never lacked sparring partners.

Before long, Roy arrived at the Pokémon Center counter once more.

"Roy, back for training again?" The young nurse's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she gave him a warm, sweet smile.

After the past few days, the two had already become familiar with each other.

Roy had also learned that her name was Su Yan.

"No, Sister Su. I'm changing things up today." Roy shook his head. "I want to apply for a Battle Room."

"A battle?" Su Yan suddenly understood and clapped her hands. "Right, it's about time you got some real combat experience."

"Do you need me to explain the Battle Room rules?"

"No, I looked them up beforehand."

Roy smiled.

The Pokémon Center's Battle Rooms were divided into several levels.

The ones specifically prepared for novice Trainers were 1v1 battles, known as Novice Battle Rooms.

The higher-level ones were 3v3 and 6v6 Veteran Battle Rooms.

They were not official competitions, so there were no rewards for winning. Even so, Pokémon Centers all over the world still had an endless stream of people participating every day.

The reason was simple.

Sparring with opponents of the same level was always the best way to grow stronger.

After operating the computer for a moment, Su Yan smiled. "Okay, I've entered your information. Once you're matched with an opponent, your WeChat will receive a notification. Make sure to arrive at the assigned Battle Room on time, or your reputation score will be deducted."

Roy nodded politely. "Got it. Thanks for the reminder, Sister Su."

A sly look appeared in Su Yan's eyes. "If you really want to thank me, have dinner with me tonight. My treat, okay?!"

"I need to prepare for an exam. I really don't have time."

"Huh? That excuse again!"

Roy did not answer again. He merely smiled, waved, and turned to leave.

He had long grown used to this sort of thing. When he was little, the aunties would pinch his cheeks and touch him all over because he was cute. After he grew up, even while waiting for a bus, five or six girls would come up to ask for directions.

What a joke.

Were they lost?

They were clearly after his body.

Roy made himself a cup of coffee in the lounge and sat for ten minutes before receiving a message.

Ding! Trainer ID: 976600, an opponent has been matched for you. Please arrive at Battle Room 301 within five minutes.

Roy took a deep breath and gripped the red-and-white Poké Ball at his waist.

"It's time, Riolu."

"Bzzzt—!"

The Poké Ball in his palm trembled slightly. Sensing his fighting spirit, Riolu responded.