The Trash System That Sells Empty Promises (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)

Besides the existence of creatures like Pokémon, another thing Xia Chen liked about this world was the unified human language.

(For convenience, a slight setting adjustment: everyone spoke the same language.)

Opening the link Brock had sent him, Xia Chen carefully read through the seminar's time and location.

"October 3rd to 6th, Viridian City in the Kanto Region?" Xia Chen murmured softly.

Aside from Pallet Town, this was probably one of the places Pokémon fans knew best.

Viridian Forest, Viridian Gym, Giovanni of the Ground. Blue the Breeder.

Whether they were fans of the anime, games, or manga, this place always stirred up far too many memories.

After arriving in this world, Xia Chen had looked up some information online. The current Viridian Gym Leader was still Giovanni.

But just like in the Pokémon Adventures manga, that big shot rarely remained stationed at Viridian Gym.

Logically speaking, a Gym like that should never have passed the Indigo League inspection department's review, yet Viridian Gym remained as evergreen as its name.

Sure enough, no matter the world, Giovanni was still that Giovanni with his hands in everything.

As for Team Rocket, there was not much information about it online. It was more like the dark web from his previous life—everyone knew it existed, but ordinary people had no access to it.

After learning the basics and jotting down the relevant information from his past life in his little notebook, Xia Chen stopped paying much attention to it.

He did not think he had the ability to go head-to-head with a criminal organization operating across regions.

Let the true protagonists of this world, the chosen sons of destiny, handle dangerous things like that.

As an ordinary transmigrator without even a cheat system, he was better off being a laid-back Gym Leader.

Putting those thoughts aside, Xia Chen added the matter to his reminders. A month was quite a long time, and with how busy he had been every day, he might actually forget.

After eating, Xia Chen returned straight to school without taking a nap. Although the seminar would not be held for another month, he needed to request leave in advance.

In the office, Yang Guanghui frowned and asked uncertainly, "You're saying you want to take leave to attend a seminar organized by the World Breeders Association?"

Although this student he had been especially watching had given him quite a surprise two days ago, this excuse for leave still sounded a little absurd.

If not for their conversation two days ago, he would probably have said, "Why not tell me you're taking leave to compete in the Masters Eight Tournament at the World Championships?"

But now... Teacher Yang hesitated before cautiously asking, "Um, do you have any proof?"

Proof?

Xia Chen paused, then replied, "I have my chat history with Brock."

Before he could finish saying the word "history," he stopped himself.

If chat logs could count as evidence, this world's judicial system would be finished. Who did not have a couple of Piplup-like alternate accounts?

Teacher Yang shrugged. "If that's the case, then I definitely can't approve your leave."

The reasoning was sound, and Xia Chen could not refute it. He could only turn around and leave dejectedly.

Forget it. He would ask for leave after Brock sent him more news.

Watching Xia Chen's departing figure, Teacher Yang muttered softly, "Is the World Breeders Association really that crazy? Old Tang was just praising Xia Chen as Donghuang's Cynthia. Is he going to excel at both training and breeding?"

After not seeing him for just one summer break, Teacher Yang realized he truly could not understand this Xia Chen anymore.

What exactly had happened to him over these past two months?

After dinner, Xia Chen sat on the sofa watching television with Eevee in his arms.

Research showed that watching movies was also one way to increase the bond between a Trainer and Pokémon.

Reality was not a game; no intimacy stat appeared before him, so Xia Chen did not know exactly how close he and Eevee were now.

Although he felt pretty good about it, what if the evolution requirement was something like Ash and Greninja's bond transformation?

So Xia Chen refused to miss any chance to deepen his bond with Eevee.

It had to be said that artistic works produced in worlds with very little suffering always seemed to lack a certain flavor.

The adventure film Xia Chen had chosen, about a Trainer and Eevee traveling through different places, was boring him nearly to sleep.

"Eevee~"

Perhaps through Telepathy, before Xia Chen could fall asleep, Eevee yawned instead, even squeezing two tears from the corners of her eyes.

"How about... changing the channel?" Xia Chen asked for Eevee's opinion.

"Eevee." Eevee nodded weakly.

One human and one Eevee had already agreed. Although that was technically a majority vote, Xia Chen still democratically asked Feebas, "Feebas, do you want to finish the movie?"

The aquarium was silent. Not even a string of bubbles rose through the deep blue water.

Had sleepyhead Feebas fallen asleep again?

Xia Chen was speechless. He was beginning to suspect this Feebas was related to Snorlax. How could he sleep this much?

"Forget it, let's change the channel." Xia Chen switched to the Pokémon Battle channel.

Although there had not been any heavyweight clashes between Elite Four level Trainers recently, there were still plenty of exciting matches between elite Gym Leader level Trainers.

They were more than enough for Xia Chen and Eevee to learn from.

At the moment, the Pokémon Battle channel was broadcasting a highly anticipated match.

Nessa, a Gym Leader from the Galar Region, versus Korrina, a Gym Leader from Kalos.

Turning up the volume, Xia Chen and Eevee began watching the visually pleasing yet thrilling ranked match.

What they did not notice was that a faint flash of light flickered through the dim aquarium.

[ Ding~ Your Yinglong template growth has been updated. Current growth: 1%. Please keep up the good work, Host!]

The long-absent mechanical voice finally sounded in his mind. Feebas opened his eyes and slowly released a string of bubbles.

Over the past half month, he had not wasted a single moment, focusing entirely on absorbing the Infinity Energy within the Mysterious Water and White Jade Orb.

Though this path seemed to stretch endlessly before him, Feebas, with his astonishing Guts, had persevered.

"One percent... does that mean I can evolve into Yinglong after another hundred half-months?"

[As a Feebas, your math is quite good. However, growth is not such a simple matter. It is recommended that you first fully absorb your beginner gift pack.]

Feebas felt a little aggrieved. If that was not how it worked, then fine. Why did it have to mock him?

Forget it. Rather than think about such a distant future, focusing on the present was what mattered most.

Just as Feebas was about to immerse himself in his "cultivation" again, the battle on the television outside the aquarium caught his attention.

"It's a Milotic!" Before the dark-skinned beauty Nessa, an elegant and beautiful Milotic lay coiled across the battlefield.

Raising her head, she let out a long cry, and torrential rain instantly began pouring down across the field.

"What an amazing Rain Dance!" Feebas had seen the Milotic in the waters of Cloud Marsh Lake use Rain Dance before, but compared to the Milotic on television, it fell far short in both speed and rainfall.

[Host, there is no need to belittle yourself. Once you evolve into Yinglong, Drawing Borders, Forming Rivers will be well within your grasp.]

Oh? It could even comfort a fish?

Feebas was a little surprised, but something about it felt off.

As Xia Chen would put it, this seemed to be... selling empty promises?

That was right. Every day it talked about what things would be like after he evolved, yet it said absolutely nothing about the present.

Feebas's face darkened. "Come to think of it, you haven't even taught me a single Pokémon move yet, have you?"

The voice in his mind fell silent.

[Detected that the Host's growth has reached 1%. Main quest "Move Learning" has been unlocked!]

Trash system, stop putting on an act. You completely forgot about it, didn't you?

(The reason for the bonus chapter: it's the author's birthday~ That's how willful I am.)