Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

Thinking of this, Xia Chen immediately put aside his recent thoughts of enduring hardship at school and asked excitedly, "Of course I'm interested. When do we set off?"

Cynthia replied, "I just got back from near Snowpeak City in early October. I'm going to take a two-week break. I'll let you know when that's up. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

Knowing Cynthia's personality, Xia Chen didn't waste any words, "I understand, I look forward to seeing you, I'll hang up now."

Bye, see you next month.

A soft chuckle was heard, and the call ended.

Xia Chen breathed a sigh of relief, feeling inexplicably overjoyed.

I don't know if I'm happy because I'll be able to go on a trip and explore soon, or because my research on Zoroah is progressing, or even because I'll be able to meet the legendary Cynthia.

Maybe both.

However, since I'm going on an adventure trip in early October, I need to get into the top 50 of the ladder and then join the school team within this month.

If I come back in November and haven't even made it into the school team yet, things will be difficult.

The school selection competition will begin in November, and those who are not on the school team are not eligible to participate in this competition.

…………

Xia Chen pounced on the bed, buried his head in Xianbu's soft body, and took a deep breath.

"Senbu, you need to work hard this month!"

Xianbu rolled her eyes and muttered, "Buyi."

We've all tried our best; shouldn't you be the one trying even harder?

But am I going on another long trip?

Recalling his thrilling trip to Carlos a few months ago, Sinbu felt a mix of anticipation and apprehension.

Although he doesn't recall anything major happening during this period, he can't rule out the possibility of minor dangers threatening Xia Chen's safety.

After all, he, Milotic, and their other partners were still not strong enough.

But if Cynthia is with me, there shouldn't be any problems, right?

Never mind, why am I suddenly worrying about this again?

A while ago, Xianbu did some self-reflection.

She felt that now that she had access to information about the future, she would always be hesitant and timid about traveling.

But what trainer can reach the top without experiencing danger?

She made a silent vow that unless it was something as momentous as the awakening of a divine beast, she would never worry about such things again.

So don't think too much about the Sinnoh trip next month.

There is always a way out; all I need to do is walk forward with Xia Chen and my companions.

…………

It is said that there is a group of people in this world who, if they plan to go out at 2 PM, cannot do anything before then.

Xia Chen wasn't that kind of person. Although he planned to travel to Sinnoh soon, he didn't waste the time before then.

Besides training and ranking, he also needs to do some preparations before going on a trip, such as asking his teachers and principal for leave in advance.

The terms and conditions in the admissions competition champion's agreement include matters related to taking leave.

After all, trainers can't stay in an ivory tower forever.

However, when Xia Chen applied for a month-long leave of absence, Principal Yu still asked him with concern where he planned to go.

This is the future star of Beijing University, and even the entire Donghuang. It would be terrible if we lost him.

“Mt. Coronet in the Sinnoh region,” Xia Chen replied.

Principal Yu pondered for a moment, then cautiously said, "Although I don't have the authority to stop you from going there, I still want to remind you that Mt. Coronet is one of the most dangerous areas in the Sinnoh region, so..."

After considering for a moment, Xia Chen said, "Thank you for your trouble. Actually, I went with a friend this time, and she's quite capable."

Yu Chaohua kindly reminded him, "Yes, I understand. However, many areas of Mount Tianguan also have Gym Leader level Pokémon, and even Elite Four level Pokémon."

Xia Chen said quietly, "My friend's name is Shirona."

After a long pause, Yu Chaohua coughed lightly and said, "Never mind what I said."

After saying that, he decisively approved Xia Chen's leave application.

Watching Xia Chen's departing figure, Yu Chaohua muttered softly, "Could what happened on the forum really be true? Did Xia Chen get to where he is today entirely by living off a woman?"

Although this was said in jest, to some extent, it is indeed true.

However, Xia Chen's source of income is not a rich woman, but his elves.

…………

Now that the principal's leave is over, it will be easier for the teachers of the two courses to request leave.

As for the superpower-focused course, the teacher readily passed Xia Chen's exam; needless to say, the ghost-focused course went even further.

When Mo Lan heard that Xia Chen was going to explore the secrets of "Ghost-type Eevee", she immediately gave him the green light and even said that it was okay if he didn't come to the final exam.

After taking leave and getting it sorted out, Xia Chen devoted the rest of his time to climbing the ladder rankings.

After entering the top 100, the opponents became increasingly stronger, and Xia Chen's win rate was no longer as exaggerated as it had been in the first few days, which was over 80%.

As the number of matches increased, Xia Chen's win rate plummeted to just over 60%.

Aside from Dragon-type trainers, Xia Chen's highest-ranked opponent was only 36th; he couldn't beat anyone higher up.

There are only thirty spots available for the school team, and at the end of each month, the top fifty players in the ladder rankings will compete in a challenge match.

So theoretically, you need to be ranked in the top 30 on the ladder to get into the school team.

Xia Chen is currently in a very delicate position, as if with a little more effort or a better performance in the match, he could defeat an opponent in the top thirty.

But it's also possible that they'll never be able to overcome that hurdle, remaining just one step away from joining the school team.

In order to prevent such a failure from happening, Xia Chen trained even harder in the following days, not only with the elves, but also with his own meditation training.

As his mental strength continued to grow, Xia Chen increasingly felt the help that superpowers provided for commanding battles.

Sometimes, whether a move hits, whether a Pokémon can dodge a crucial move, or the trainer's strategic maneuvering, the trainer's reaction speed has a huge impact on the battle.

When trainers and Pokémon work together, the result is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Therefore, Xia Chen believes that fake trainers only train Pokémon, while real trainers train themselves!

So, thanks to Xia Chen and the elves' tireless efforts, on September 25th, after three consecutive victories, Xia Chen finally climbed to 51st place.

With one more game, he can break into the top 50 and qualify for the relegation playoffs.

…………

Although the match ended at just past 3 p.m., Xia Chen decided to return for the crucial battle the next day because he valued the upcoming match.

Back in the dorm, I prepared a feast of all the elves' favorite dishes to reward the warriors, and then treated them to a full-service bath, shower, spa, and massage.

Xia Chen and the elves were in perfect condition for the crucial battle the next day.

The next morning.

Xia Chen opened the app called [Shangjing University] on his phone, and as usual, entered the ranking system interface and pressed match.

This is a convenient new feature developed by the school. The higher your ranking, the fewer opponents you'll be matched with.

Many high-scoring players have reported that sometimes they can't find an opponent even after queuing for half an hour in the arena.

After all, everyone has their own life, and training, classes, meals, and dating all conflict with each other's playtime.

So the school designed this new feature to make it easier for students to improve their ranking.

Given Xia Chen's current ranking, he would probably have to queue for at least one or two hours early in the morning, so after entering the matchmaking state, he took his Pokémon downstairs to have breakfast.

Unexpectedly, half an hour later, Xia Chen heard a message notification tone on his phone.

"Match successful. The battle will begin in half an hour. Please proceed to the designated battle area as soon as possible."

Xia Chen, who was eating tree nut pancakes, quickly took out his phone to check the messages.

Opponent information: Yang Zengyan, ladder ranking: 24, battlefield: E area, battlefield number 3.

hiss

The opponent ranked 24th.

Xia Chen clicked his tongue slightly. Facing such an opponent in the "advancement round" was a bit difficult.

Forget it, I'm probably just at the bottom of the school team anyway. If I can't even beat him, there's no chance I'll make it onto the school team.

Besides, beating someone with a higher ranking will also boost your own ranking. Winning this match might even raise your ranking by five or six places.

So

I'm definitely going to take Yang Zengyan's point. Even Arceus can't hold onto him. I'm telling you!

After giving himself a pep talk, Xia Chen hurriedly finished the last bit of breakfast and then led the elves to the Beijing University Arena.

------

That said, we still need to investigate the necessary information about this opponent.

As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Sitting in the shared tuk-tuk, Xia Chen held the reins with his left hand and used his phone in his right hand to search for information about Yang Zengyan on the forum.

After all, he is a top player on the school team. Although his fame is not as high as those top-ranked players, his information on his main Pokémon is still quite complete.

Relying on his current near-quantum reading speed, the swift-footed Duduli had already completely analyzed the opponent's information before even delivering Xia Chen to the arena.

Yang Zengyan, male, 21 years old, a third-year student in the Breeding Family, specializes in Steel-type Pokémon, supplemented by Ground-type Pokémon.

The initial Pokémon, also known as the ace Pokémon, is Excadrill, nicknamed the Rat-Headed Earth Dragon.

Other main Pokémon include Aggron (Steel/Rock type), Scizor (Bug/Steel type), Sagael (Ground/Rock type), Alakazam (Psychic type), and Crowbark (Flying type).

Among them, Excadrill, Aggron, and Scizor are three Pokémon with elite-level strength, and they are also the three Pokémon he uses most often in competitions.

Tsk, Steel-type mastery, even harder to beat now.

Xia Chen frowned. If he had to say what type of Pokémon his team was most afraid of, Steel-type would undoubtedly be number one.