Prism Scale

Following the instructions in the manual beside him, Ye Qing flipped the switch.

Volcanoes, grasslands, deserts, rivers... every kind of terrain was available. Thinking of Chimchar's type, Ye Qing selected the volcanic environment.

"Click."

A faint sound rang out, and then a sight unfolded that left Ye Qing stunned.

The floor and walls in the center of the room folded open to either side. A miniature artificial volcano and lava terrain quickly rose and unfolded, while the temperature throughout the room steadily climbed.

Seeing the volcanic landscape take shape in just a few dozen seconds, Ye Qing was almost too stunned to speak.

"Come on out, Chimchar. Make sure you practice Flame Wheel properly in here."

After recovering from his brief surprise, Ye Qing took out a Poké Ball and called out.

"Ooh-ah!"

The moment Chimchar emerged, he excitedly ran back and forth across the ground. The abundant fire energy here made him feel extremely comfortable.

This room had been specially built for Pokémon, so it could withstand some of their attacks.

Watching Chimchar completely ignore him, Ye Qing shrugged helplessly.

He closed the door, sat down on the spacious sofa, and took out the little box the principal had given him, quietly studying it.

"What could it be?"

After pondering for a while without coming up with anything, Ye Qing decided he might as well open it and see.

As the box opened, a coin-sized scale appeared before his eyes.

Sunlight from outside fell onto the scale, refracting into a dazzling array of colors.

"Is this... a Prism Scale?"

Ye Qing was a little surprised. He hadn't expected the principal to give him such a valuable gift!

What was a Prism Scale? It was something that could help Feebas make a miraculous leap and evolve into Milotic!

Milotic's beauty went without saying, but more importantly, this Pokémon was also incredibly powerful. It was the sort of Pokémon one could only hope to encounter!

Ye Qing carefully closed the lid. The sight of the Prism Scale had also given him a target for his second Pokémon.

"Knock, knock."

A knock sounded at the door. Ye Qing snapped out of his thoughts and got up to answer it.

Wang Yao poked his handsome face through the doorway. "What are you doing, bro?"

Ye Qing shrugged. "Waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

Now it was Wang Yao's turn to be curious. He wondered what this guy wanted him for.

"To buy a phone."

Ye Qing spread his hands helplessly.

Understanding dawned on Wang Yao, and he slapped his forehead. "Oh, right! I almost forgot about that."

After a quick lunch in the cafeteria, Ye Qing and Wang Yao headed to the supermarket together to buy what they needed.

Ye Qing bought the same model of phone he'd had before and got a replacement SIM card while he was at it.

"What are you looking at?"

While downloading his apps one by one, Ye Qing gave the distracted Wang Yao a pat.

Wang Yao wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. "Those legs are so fair. Ah, no, that cabinet is really, really white."

Ye Qing rolled his eyes and followed his gaze. The first thing he saw was a pair of straight, fair legs, but just as he was about to look higher, the girl unexpectedly turned a corner.

"Come on, let's go."

With nothing left to look at, Ye Qing pushed Wang Yao along toward the Pokémon section to buy food.

Wang Yao pushed a shopping cart, tossing snacks into it as he asked, "Oh, right, Ye Qing. What prize did the principal give you? Why all the mystery?"

There were plenty of people in the supermarket. Ye Qing picked up a bag of dried fruit Chimchar liked and shook his head with a smile. "You'd die of shock if I told you. Better keep it to myself."

Wang Yao rolled his eyes. "Seriously. You think I even want to know?"

"Good, then."

After paying, Ye Qing stuck a lollipop in his mouth and carried his purchases back to the dorm with Wang Yao.

At one in the afternoon, Zhao Xinran stood at the lectern in a black business suit. Looking over the students below, she announced, "Today is my first day in this position. For now, the class appointments will stay as they are. I'll make adjustments once I've gotten to know everyone."

"Also, in one month, the entire year will take part in a wilderness survival challenge. There will be plenty of rewards waiting for you, so I hope you'll use this time to train your Pokémon well."

The afternoon passed amid Zhao Xinran's endless talking. Ye Qing hadn't been idle either. Since he'd obtained a treasure like the Prism Scale, he naturally had to put his plans for Milotic into motion.

Unfortunately, even after checking every textbook, Ye Qing couldn't find any established Feebas habitats. Even a large hunting ground like the Safari Zone had no specific records.

After class, Ye Qing declined Wang Yao's invitation to watch girls in miniskirts by the roadside, planning to continue researching Feebas at the library instead.

Zhao Xinran packed up her teaching materials, then looked at the worried Ye Qing and asked, "Where are you heading, Ye Qing?"

Ye Qing came back to his senses and answered, "Huh? I'm going to the library to look up some information, ma'am."

Zhao Xinran was interested in what he wanted to find. "The library? What information are you looking for? Tell me. I might be able to save you quite a bit of time."

Ye Qing thought for a moment before answering honestly. "Well, I want to look up Feebas habitats."

Looking at his determined expression, Zhao Xinran brushed back her hair. "Feebas? Why are you looking for that Pokémon? Its evolved form is certainly powerful and beautiful, but getting it to evolve isn't easy."

Ye Qing smiled and shook his head. "I just really like that Pokémon and want to learn more about it."

He didn't reveal that the principal's prize was a Prism Scale. First, he wanted to keep a trump card in reserve. Second, he didn't want anyone coveting it.

After all, a treasure like a Prism Scale was honestly worth more than enough to buy a house.

Zhao Xinran blinked and considered it for a moment. "I see. Then go to the third floor of the library. You should find something there."

"All right. Thank you, ma'am."

After thanking her, Ye Qing hurried toward the library, thinking about the basic makeup of his team along the way.

Feebas certainly wouldn't be able to evolve anytime soon. It might take a long time before she could become a capable fighter, so he would need to catch another Pokémon to fill that gap in the meantime.

As for how to earn money to raise his Pokémon, Ye Qing wasn't worried. The academy offered plenty of bounty tasks, such as picking Berries and clearing out wild Pokémon.

Of course, the most effective method was still to place in the academy's events. He'd heard that in previous years, the champion of each major tournament could win hundreds of thousands in prize money!

He made his way up to the third floor. Since this part of the campus had only opened for the first time that year today, there were no other students in the library, only the librarian.

Looking over the rows of shelves, Ye Qing followed the signs and found a book titled Detailed Guide to Water-type Pokémon Habitats.

Habitat: Feebas can live in both oceans and rivers, often congregating in waters with abundant aquatic vegetation.

Ye Qing frowned deeply, staring at the text with little energy left to complain. "Waters with abundant aquatic vegetation? Isn't that as good as saying nothing?"