Understanding the World, Liu Qing Was Getting Married

"Liu Qing, where are you planning to travel next?" Reggie asked as they left the venue.

"I haven't decided yet. What about you? Have you made plans?" Liu Qing asked.

"Yes. I'll keep traveling in Kanto and challenge the Kanto Battle Frontier," Reggie said.

"The Battle Frontier?" Liu Qing nodded. "Then I wish you victory."

With the Indigo League Conference over, Liu Qing took the private plane back to Saffron City with Mili and Liu Yuan. Bofeng Yu had already left that morning after Liu Qing's match. When Liu Qing arrived home, the family butler told him that Bofeng Yu wanted him in the study. Liu Qing nodded and went to the study door.

When Liu Qing opened the door, he saw an elderly man sitting in the main seat, with Bofeng Yu standing respectfully beside him. Seeing Liu Qing enter, Bofeng Yu immediately said, "Liu Qing, this is our family's grand elder. He came back especially to see you. Come and pay your respects!"

"Yes. Greetings, Grand Elder." Though Liu Qing had no idea what the grand elder's position entailed, he greeted him respectfully. The reason was simple: the grand elder felt utterly unfathomable.

"Excellent. You reached Elite Four-class in just one year. Though you've only just entered it, that is still a remarkable achievement." After studying Liu Qing with his deep blue eyes for a while, the grand elder smiled approvingly and praised him.

"Thank you for your praise, Grand Elder," Liu Qing quickly replied. Yet he was even more puzzled. He had only crossed the threshold of Elite Four-class today. Surely they hadn't summoned him just for that?

"A Yu, your son still doesn't understand the state of this world. Explain it to him first," the grand elder said, as though he had read Liu Qing's thoughts. But Liu Qing knew the grand elder had not seen into his mind. One of the abilities he had gained after transmigrating here could block outside mental probes.

"Yes, Grand Elder," Bofeng Yu replied respectfully before turning to Liu Qing. "Liu Qing, do you know where our family stands in this world?"

"Yes. Our Huayu Company is one of the world's top ten enterprises."

"You're right, but that is only the surface. Let me explain this world to you in detail." Bofeng Yu's expression grew serious. "This world isn't as peaceful as it appears. Leaving aside the Western Hemisphere, the Eastern Hemisphere is dominated by one League, one Temple, one Tower, and seventeen great houses."

"The League is the Pokémon League, originally founded by the four great families: the Oak Family, the Dragon Clan, the Sasaki Family, and the White Demon Family. The Temple refers to the Temple, and the Tower is the New Bell Tower in the Johto Region. The seventeen great houses are the Normal-type Oak Family, the Fighting-type Heart Fist Family, the Flying-type Uzumaki, the Poison-type Chiyo Family, the Ground-type Giovanni Family, the Rock-type Yamazaki Family, the Bug-type Aburame Family, the Ghost-type Sagara Family, the Steel-type Stone Family, the Fire-type Shiranui Family, the Water-type Sato Family, the Grass-type Chisen Family, the Electric-type Hatake Family, the Psychic-type Heart Cloud Family, the Ice-type Sato Family, the Dragon-type Dragon Clan, and the Dark-type Tsukishita Family."

"Both the Water-type and Ice-type families bear the name Sato. The White Demon Family among the four great families and the Sagara Family among the seventeen great houses are actually the same family, too! The famous enterprises across the continents today, such as the Devon Corporation, Silph Co., the Huayu Group, the Sasaki Group, the R9 Group, and the Veilstone Group... are all run by these major powers. Among them, the five most respected are Oak, Dragon Tamer, Uzumaki, Temple, and Stone!"

"Liu Qing, do you know why this League, Temple, Tower, and these seventeen great houses can hold such dominant positions?"

"No." Liu Qing shook his head.

"Because of Champions—because they have people with Champion-level strength! Although the Pokémon League was founded by the four great families, all the top powers now participate in it, so its supremacy is unshakable. Counting both those in the public eye and those behind the scenes, it probably has around ten people with Champion-level strength."

"The New Bell Tower's strength has declined considerably in recent years. Now, only its grand elder has Champion-level strength. The Temple possesses the power of overcoming, but certain recent events seem to have sent it into a slump as well. It has about two publicly known Champions!"

"Among the four great families, the Oak Family holds the highest standing. Its best-known members are Chairman Damalan of the League and Professor Oak. Like the Temple, the Dragon Clan possesses a special power, Dragon Power. You met Lance, a direct descendant of the Dragon Clan, at this conference. They have around three Champions. The Sasaki Family seems to have only one Champion as well. The remaining family, the White Demon Sagara Family, is in the worst situation. Only those two Elite Four-class old women, Agatha and Bertha, remain to uphold its reputation. If no one in the next generation attains Champion-level strength, it will essentially be excluded from both the four great families and the top powers."

"Among the seventeen great houses, a few are rumored to have no Champions, just like the White Demon Sagara Family. The Chisen Family, for example, controls Nature Power, but apparently, because no Champion has emerged, it has largely withdrawn into seclusion. The other families all have Champions protecting them, some more than others."

"Dad, are you saying that only those with a Champion backing them can hold a dominant position in this world?" Liu Qing asked.

"Exactly," Bofeng Yu said.

"Dad, surely the grand elder didn't summon me just to hear all this?" Liu Qing's heart jolted as a vague suspicion formed.

"Child, I certainly didn't summon you merely to teach you these things. The main reason is that we elders see the potential for you to become a Champion," the grand elder said.

"Grand Elder, how exactly are these levels of strength classified?" Liu Qing asked.

"Yes, let me explain in detail. Third-rate Pokémon Trainers understand nothing and only know how to bully the weak; they aren't worth mentioning. Rookie Pokémon Trainers are those who have just received their starter Pokémon. Ordinary Pokémon Trainers get along well with their Pokémon, know their moves, and can direct them normally in battle. Elite-class Pokémon Trainers develop a deeper bond with their Pokémon and, beyond using moves, can devise tactics and create their own battle rhythm. At the quasi-Elite Four level, Pokémon Trainers and Pokémon act with a shared understanding, tactical planning improves further, and that battle rhythm evolves into a personal fighting style. Elite Four-class Pokémon Trainers begin to grasp the essence and spirit of things, battling naturally rather than forcing their actions. We also call quasi-Elite Four and Elite Four-class Pokémon Trainers Pokémon Masters. At Champion level, the mind reaches fulfillment, and understanding of the essence and spirit of things undergoes a qualitative breakthrough, bringing everything into unity. Every Champion gains different insights, and each has at least one Pokémon that has reached divine level. Legend has it that there is a Grandmaster level beyond that, but in all these years, I haven't heard of anyone reaching it."

"So that's how it works." This was the first time Liu Qing had heard such a detailed explanation of the ranks. He had only known he had reached Elite Four-class by using the perception ability he had gained after transmigrating to sense Lorelei's strength and compare it with his own.

"Liu Qing, I say you have the potential to become a Champion not merely because you reached Elite Four-class in one year, but also because your Salamence and Gyarados possess the innate potential of sub-legendary Pokémon. Once your state of mind breaks through, they will also break through to Legendary-level strength. Still, you should take both of them with you on your next journey."

"Your Arcanine is impressive as well. I watched Arcanine use Flamethrower Flame Wheel. As long as Arcanine can compress the flames until they turn completely white, Arcanine will rank among the very best even at Elite Four-class."

"Then there's Gengar. I hear Gengar has lived for over a thousand years. With such strong psychic power, Gengar has immense potential. As for your remaining Scizor and Exeggutor, that will depend on the opportunities they encounter."

"Thank you for your guidance, Grand Elder." Liu Qing bowed.

"Heh, it's only right. Our family's future will depend on youngsters like you." The grand elder gave a bitter smile. "Everyone else in my generation has died; I'm the only one left. In your father's generation, only he and his younger brother Palmer have Champion-level strength. I oversee Hoenn, while your father, as family head, oversees our ancestral territories in Kanto and Johto. Palmer serves as Tower Tycoon at the Battle Tower in Sinnoh. I fear that if no one else becomes a Champion before I die, everything our family has built in Hoenn may be destroyed in an instant!"

"Grand Elder, you'll surely live a long life, and outstanding talents will certainly emerge from Liu Qing's generation," Bofeng Yu hurriedly said. Beside him, Liu Qing stared at his father in shock. He had always assumed Bofeng Yu was at Elite Four-class. He had never imagined that the father he remembered as constantly busy with company affairs was actually a Champion-level expert. Yet when he probed him with the mental perception he had gained after his rebirth, he could detect nothing.

"Hm?" Just then, the grand elder looked at Liu Qing and gave a startled murmur. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he smiled slightly. "Liu Qing, do you know that some people in this world possess special abilities?"

"Yes. Dad mentioned a few just now: Dragon Power, Nature Power, and the power of overcoming." Liu Qing paused, then asked, "Grand Elder, can everyone in those families obtain those abilities?"

"Indeed. Members of the Chisen Family, the Dragon Clan, and the Temple can all obtain these abilities, though their strength varies. Take Lance, for example. His Dragon Tamer Power is exceptionally strong, even stronger than his family's grand elder's. Beyond Dragon Power, because he was born in Viridian, he also inherited Viridian Power in Viridian Forest, allowing him to read Pokémon's thoughts and memories and heal them," the grand elder said. "Like Viridian Power, beyond Dragon Power, the power of overcoming, Nature Power, and other hereditary family abilities, there are still other powers waiting for those with the right affinity to develop or inherit them."

"Grand Elder, do you mean I might have that possibility too?" Liu Qing asked.

"Although our Namikaze Family excels at using Flying-type Pokémon, that comes not from a hereditary special ability, but from experience and knowledge passed down through countless generations. Just now, however, I felt a kind of energy emanating from you, much like the beginnings of an ability. That is why I suspect you may obtain one too." As he spoke, the grand elder took out a Poké Ball. A flash of white light appeared, and a Xatu materialized beside Liu Qing.

"Old friend, sorry for the trouble, but please use Future Sight to take a look at this child," the grand elder said, pointing to Liu Qing.

"All right," Xatu replied through Telepathy. Then Xatu flapped both wings toward Liu Qing, glowing blue all over, and closed both eyes a moment later.

"Grand Elder, was Xatu using Telepathy just now?" Liu Qing asked.

"You guessed correctly. Aside from certain special Pokémon born with it, it is an ability Pokémon may obtain when they break through to Elite Four-class, the equivalent of minor legendary status, though the chances are very low," the grand elder explained. "Natural-born Legendary Pokémon also have ranks. Minor Legendary Pokémon include the Legendary Birds, Legendary Beasts, Legendary Titans, and Lake Guardians. Legendary Pokémon include Mew and Celebi, while Super Legendary Pokémon include Ho-Oh and Lugia."

"I see." Liu Qing nodded. These Legendary classifications were actually based on the base stat totals he had seen in the Pokédex in his previous life. Those with totals of 580 were minor Legendary Pokémon, those with 600 were Legendary Pokémon, those with 670 or 680 were Super Legendary Pokémon, and those with 720 were Creator Pokémon.

"Aah!" At that moment, Xatu suddenly slammed into the wall as though struck, letting out a cry of pain.

"Xatu, what happened?" The grand elder was startled as well. He hurriedly lifted Xatu onto the desk and asked.

"So strong. This grandson of yours has far too powerful an ability," Xatu said, still shaken. "He reflected all my foresight back at me."

"What?!" All three were stunned. The grand elder and Bofeng Yu looked at Liu Qing as though he were a monster, while Liu Qing was equally shocked. Would his future self really possess enough power to frighten a Xatu that would become a Legendary Pokémon so badly?

"But a few fragments of foresight still remain in my mind," Xatu said slowly, as though caught in a dream. "Tree... awaken... Mew..."

"What does that mean?" The grand elder frowned.

"Grand Elder, could it mean that Liu Qing's power needs Mew and a tree to awaken?" Bofeng Yu asked uncertainly after thinking for a while.