Natu

"Wow, is that a Popplio? I've never seen a Pokémon like it!" Several girls crowded around Xiao Ran, exclaiming over the little sea lion lying on his head. The little sea lion wasn't shy at all and greeted everyone cheerfully.

"Yes, it's a Popplio, one of the starter Pokémon from the Hawaiian Islands. They were only introduced here recently," Xiao Ran answered politely.

"It's so cute!" With its adorable looks and lovable personality, Popplio kept drawing his classmates' attention and squeals—and, of course, their barely concealed envy.

Starter Pokémon weren't something just anyone could get, much less ones rarely seen locally. Young people were always easily drawn to new things, and an unfamiliar Pokémon like this was something they could show off wherever they went. Of course, Xiao Ran didn't think that way. To him, Pokémon were friends and family who deserved respect, not tools for satisfying his vanity.

Although only a week had passed, practically all the classmates who had gotten into Pokémon universities already had Pokémon of their own. Xiao Ran took a quick look around. About a third of his classmates had brought Pokémon. Aside from those whose well-off families simply wanted a Pokémon for companionship, around ten had gotten into Pokémon universities. That was already a very high admission rate.

"Hmph! What's so great about starter Pokémon? Mine is a Natu, a rare Psychic-type Pokémon! Psychic, Ghost, and Dragon are known as the three strongest types!" Seeing Xiao Ran and his friends surrounded by admirers left quite a few classmates feeling bitter. One boy who had also gotten into Nancheng University couldn't resist speaking up loudly.

He was tall and thin, with fairly decent features, though his face was dotted with teenage acne. A round little green bird stood on his shoulder. In a world where looks were everything, he naturally couldn't compare to Xiao Ran, whose appearance could make even beautiful girls jealous. Nobody was going to crowd around him, even if he had also gotten into Nancheng University.

His name was Gu You. His academic results weren't bad; he had always ranked in the class's top ten. His family was also very well-off, not much worse than Jiang Cheng's. Otherwise, he couldn't have gotten a Natu as his starter Pokémon. Though Natu wasn't a particularly powerful Psychic-type Pokémon, the rarity of Psychic types alone drove its price sky-high. Buying one would cost at least a million.

Starter Pokémon were regulated by the League. For people within the system, obtaining one wasn't difficult, but it wasn't nearly so easy for outsiders.

Aside from starter Pokémon, though, there was always a way to buy any rare Pokémon as long as you had the money. If Jiang Cheng's family hadn't opposed him becoming a Pokémon Trainer and wanted him to come home to inherit the family business, his father might already have gotten him a pseudo-legendary Pokémon as his starter. He wouldn't have needed to pick a Magnemite from the school.

Gu You had thought bringing a rare Psychic-type Pokémon would surely make him the center of attention today. He hadn't expected to lose yet again to Xiao Ran's looks and a starter Pokémon that had never appeared in China before. Anger and resentment surged within him.

"Oh, you're right! This Natu is really cute too. But why does it keep staring at me? It feels a little weird!" One girl had initially thought Natu was pretty nice, but its behavior unnerved her a little.

Unlike the lively Popplio, Natu really did look a little spacey. Though its constant staring was actually a form of concentration, these classmates simply found it strange—and not particularly endearing.

"Hmph! It's training its concentration and improving its mental power," Gu You said with a slightly smug air. In the few days since he had gotten Natu as his starter Pokémon, he had gone out to show it off quite a lot.

"Wow! Really? It's training all the time? How hardworking!" Quite a few classmates exclaimed at Gu You's words.

What are you talking about? It's observing things—not just the people around it, but you, its Pokémon Trainer, too. Psychic-type Pokémon are clever! Xiao Ran thought with a shrug. Of course, he wasn't going to say any of that aloud. He was only too happy to have someone draw his classmates' attention away from him.

Xiao Ran swept his gaze over the Pokémon the other classmates had brought. Most were the likes of Raticate and Caterpie. The occasional Pidgey, Geodude, or Poliwag was already considered an excellent choice.

No wonder Gu You felt superior. Aside from Xiao Ran's group of four, only two people in the class had gotten into Nancheng Pokémon University. Most of the remaining students admitted to Pokémon programs had only gotten into other second-rate Pokémon universities. And among this group of Pokémon, Natu really did stand out.

The other boy admitted to Nancheng University was short, standing under 1.7 meters, but he was sharp and gave the impression of being small yet capable. As soon as he arrived, he pulled Jiang Cheng aside to chat. Though he had also gotten into Nancheng University, he didn't give off the same air of superiority as Gu You.

His name was Lin Binbin, and his starter Pokémon was Wurmple, a very common Bug-type Pokémon that few people chose. Like Caterpie, it was a weak Pokémon at the very bottom of the Pokémon food chain. You could find them everywhere just by walking into a forest. It was certainly surprising that someone admitted to Nancheng University had chosen one as his starter Pokémon.

Still, Xiao Ran and his friends could sympathize. Lin Binbin was a genuine Pokémon Trainer from an ordinary family. His parents were ordinary fruit farmers who made a living tending other people's Berry orchards, so he simply couldn't afford to raise other Pokémon. He could only start with Bug-type or plant Pokémon, which required the fewest resources, and slowly accumulate enough to get somewhere. No Pokémon cost less to raise than Caterpie or Wurmple.

That was why Xiao Ran and his friends admired this classmate. Being a genuine Pokémon Trainer from an ordinary family was far harder than most people imagined.

"Jiang Cheng, I heard you got into Nancheng University too. We're both rookie Pokémon Trainers. Do you dare have a Pokémon battle with me?" After enjoying being the center of attention for a while, Gu You decided to show off his strength. Seeing Xiao Ran and his friends' starter Pokémon made him hesitate, though, and he finally settled his gaze on Jiang Cheng's Magnemite.

I heard Jiang Cheng's Magnemite is just an ordinary one he got from school. It'll be perfect for establishing my reputation, Gu You thought.

"Huh?" Jiang Cheng, who had been boasting to Lin Binbin about his glorious battle record, looked at Gu You in bewilderment, then at Xiao Ran. What was going on?

"No idea!" Xiao Ran shrugged, signaling with his eyes that he didn't know either.

But Jiang Cheng, born into a wealthy business family, wasn't about to be stumped by a situation like this. He didn't know why, but clearly someone had picked him as an easy target.

"Sure!" Jiang Cheng gave a rather "honest" smile. Did this guy really think Psychic types were invincible? After getting the latest information about Magnemite from Xiao Ran, Jiang Cheng had developed an inexplicable confidence in his Pokémon.

"Then let's start right here. Sorry for the trouble, everyone, but please move aside and give us some room," Gu You said with a confident smile. They were right outside the school gates. Winning a battle here would surely leave behind a legend about him at school.

"Isn't that a bad idea? This is the school entrance, after all," Lin Binbin said with a frown. He didn't know how strong Magnemite could be, but facing a Psychic-type Pokémon always inspired an instinctive sense of fear.

"What's the problem? Newly acquired Pokémon aren't that destructive anyway. Are you worried Magnemite's Thunder Shock will wreck the school gates?" Gu You said dismissively, his tone full of disdain for Magnemite.

"You never know. Let's go to the nearby recreation plaza instead. It's only a hundred meters or so away. We'll still be able to see the bus if it arrives." Xiao Ran stopped the hot-tempered Shen Yue, who was about to charge forward, and spoke gently. Ye Ling and the others could clearly tell he was angry, though.

Not far outside the school was an artificial lake, with a large residential area built around it. Naturally, there were plenty of parks, plazas, and green spaces for everyday activities. Ordinary people sometimes held Pokémon battles there, though most were simply local residents having fun. Truly high-level Pokémon battles weren't permitted, but that hardly mattered to Jiang Cheng and Gu You.

"Fine!" Gu You looked around and agreed with a curl of his lip. Though he would rather have battled right at the school gates, he was also a little worried that security guards might come and chase them away.

Once the two agreed, the whole crowd headed toward the plaza. It stood at the edge of a green space. In the evenings, plenty of older women gathered there for square dancing, while mornings mostly brought older men exercising. Seeing such a large group of students approaching, the older men and women all cast curious looks their way.

"There isn't much room, so let's set the boundary at thirty meters. Everyone, spread out a little." The group scattered to make room for the two of them. The onlookers immediately realized a Pokémon battle was about to take place, and a sizable crowd soon gathered.

"Is that a Natu? That's a rare Psychic-type Pokémon!" Someone recognized the little bird on Gu You's shoulder and cried out in surprise.

"Seriously? That bird is a Psychic type? Don't tell me its opponent is that Magnemite?"

"Aren't Magnemite usually used to generate electricity? You can use them in battles too?"

Hearing the crowd's exclamations and doubts, Gu You couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from rising. Being the focus of everyone's attention—this was exactly the kind of battle he wanted. Once he defeated the Magnemite opposite him, surely everyone around the school would remember him?

"Hey, are we fighting or not?" Jiang Cheng had already sent Magnemite onto the field. Seeing his opponent stand there without moving for so long, he couldn't help calling out.