Chu Xin had to admit that old man Chen Huan had genuinely stunned him. Vespiquen commanded countless Combee that swarmed around Chen Huan. Their sheer numbers made his scalp prickle just looking at them, never mind having to fight them.
As expected of a Gym Leader, he really did know his stuff.
But when Chu Xin remembered Chen Huan's personality, he felt the man was far from reliable.
"Want to learn my techniques for training Monsters?"
"Well, kind of."
"Hehe, just pay the tuition and I'll teach you how to train Monsters. What do you say? Tempted?"
"Um, how much?"
"Do I look like someone who cares about money? Do I look like someone obsessed with it?"
Chu Xin stared at Chen Huan awkwardly. How are you not obsessed with money? You've practically got yuan signs in your eyes. All that's missing is you reaching into my pocket and robbing me.
"Fine, then what exactly do you want in exchange for teaching me?"
"Ahem, I just want to test whether you're truly committed to learning from me. After all, I'm a Gym Leader, so whatever gift you offer should suit my status... I think Pokéblocks would be pretty good..."
Pokéblocks? I certainly don't lack those.
"How many do you want?"
"Fifty a month. Would that work for you?"
Chen Huan hesitated for a moment before naming a number.
That few?
"If that's too much, then forty."
"Forty?"
Chen Huan gritted his teeth and stamped his foot hard.
"Thirty, and not one less!"
Chu Xin was utterly stunned by Chen Huan's asking price. Learning at this Gym only costs thirty Pokéblocks? Xiao Wu eats more than twenty a day!
Beside him, Aier shook his head helplessly. His young master was still a little unreliable. As expected, he would have to step in himself.
"Gym Leader Chen, here's our tuition for this month. When should our young master come for lessons?"
Aier placed a small box into Chen Huan's hands. Chen Huan barely lifted the lid a crack before a delicate fragrance rushed into his nose.
"Zzzt!" (Those Pokéblocks smell amazing!)
The Vespiquen behind Chen Huan also voiced admiration, but Chu Xin, who understood Pokémon speech, caught it all. That imposing queenly image from earlier instantly shattered.
"This feels way too cheap!"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing!"
Chu Xin hastily waved his hands. Meanwhile, Gym Leader Chen Huan had turned all his attention to the Pokéblocks and brushed aside Chu Xin's muttering.
Seeing no reaction from Chen Huan, Chu Xin breathed a sigh of relief. Good, he didn't hear me.
"Um, Gym Leader Chen, when can we start the lessons?"
"Huh? Lessons? Oh, right, right, lessons. Come whenever you like. You can visit the Jindu Gym anytime. Even if you show up at midnight, I'll get out of bed to teach you."
Chu Xin stared at Chen Huan in exasperation. This Gym Leader really didn't seem all that reliable!
Aier was equally helpless beside him. He couldn't blame his young master for making a fuss. Chen Huan really was the problem. It was rare to see a Gym Leader this poor.
Every Gym Leader was a top-tier Monster Master, and they were supported by the state. He had never imagined that a Monster Master could be this poor.
Chu Xin also shook his head helplessly.
"Let's leave it for another day. I didn't bring Xiao Wu with me, so we'll skip training this time. I'll bring him along another day, and you can take a look at how I should train him to make him stronger."
"You didn't bring your Monster? Here, take this."
As he spoke, Chen Huan handed him a Badge.
"This... this is the Jindu Gym's Badge!!!"
The Badge bore a very conspicuous character for "Jin." One glance was enough to tell that it was the Jindu Gym's Badge.
"Right, this is the Jindu Gym's Badge. With this, you can take your Monster outside. It's really handy. Plenty of rich people who want to take their Monsters out on the streets come here to buy some from me."
You could get a Gym Badge just by paying for it!!!
Q-Q
Chu Xin felt his entire worldview crumble. Back when he watched Pokémon, he had thought Ash getting Badges through personal favors was ridiculous enough. He hadn't expected reality to be even more absurd. You could buy Badges with money! With his family's resources, couldn't he collect every Badge in an instant?!
No, the Jindu Gym has to be an exception. Other Gyms wouldn't be this run-down.
"Aren't you afraid the authorities will revoke your Gym license for doing this?"
Chu Xin asked Chen Huan curiously. It was his first time meeting such an, well... unusual Gym Leader.
Chen Huan curled his lip and looked at the Gym with disdain.
"I'd love for them to remove me. Every year, all the funding they send goes into maintaining the historical relics, and even that's just a drop in the bucket. I have to throw in my own salary, too. With my abilities, I could find opportunities anywhere, but I'm wasting it all on this lousy Gym."
Chen Huan's laying all his cards on the table now. He's not even pretending anymore!
Chu Xin's eyelid twitched as he looked at Chen Huan. Why does this Badge feel like a hot potato in my hand? It's not going to get me into trouble, is it?
Chen Huan, on the other hand, waved a hand quite casually.
"Relax! Relax! The authorities decide how Badges are distributed. I just have to meet my quota every year. Having a Badge won't make someone an Elite Four member anyway. Without real strength, they can't stir up trouble anywhere. Otherwise, why would the authorities let me hand out Badges so freely?"
After Chen Huan's reassurance, Chu Xin finally accepted the Badge. After all, keeping Xiao Wu at home forever wasn't a solution.
Come on, I could travel with a Pokémon! That's so cool!
With the Badge in hand, Chu Xin and Aier were ready to head home. As they strolled down the street, someone suddenly stopped them.
"Oh, look who I've run into! Isn't this Chu Xin?"
Lei Xiao, dressed in casual clothes, stopped Chu Xin on the street. The familiar Growlithe behind her also greeted him excitedly upon seeing him. What surprised Chu Xin, though, was that Lei Xiao had an unfamiliar child with her this time.
"Lei Xiao, who's this?"
The child behind her stared intently at Chu Xin. Even though this was their first meeting, Chu Xin could already sense the boy's hostility toward him.
What's going on?
"You're Chu Xin, right? Auntie Lei Xiao said you're really good, but don't think I'll be scared of you just because you're handsome. My Growlithe is invincible!"
Lei Xiao's expression darkened abruptly, and her massive fist came crashing down on the brat's head.
"If you don't know how to talk properly, keep your mouth shut!"
That was way too hard! The kid's head is starting to smoke. It's definitely smoking!
Lei Xiao took a deep breath, then turned to look at Chu Xin.
"Chu Xin, I forgot to introduce him. This is my nephew, Lei Jing. He's the same age as you. That Growlithe from before was the one I was helping him train."
Oh, so that Growlithe was yours. I've finally found my enemy!
"Lei Jing, huh? Nice to meet you."
Before you continue