Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Putting aside superficial things like school honors and personal honors, Xia Shen has another important goal to achieve in this competition.

That is to strive for the opportunity to be admitted to a top university in advance.

Although in terms of skill level, Xia Shen even surpasses the vast majority of high school seniors, no one doubts that Xia Shen cannot reach the professional level before graduation.

But rules are rules after all. Apart from the college entrance examination, the only way for universities to recruit students is through the national high school competition to select promising talents in advance.

Therefore, Xia Shen did not want to miss this only opportunity and waste another year in high school.

To put it bluntly, not to mention his classmates, there aren't many senior students a year ahead of him who could beat him.

Top universities offer not only superior resources, but more importantly, they are home to the nation's best young trainers.

Only these peers could bring Xia Shen pressure and a sense of urgency.

However, since it is a team competition, Xia Shen's efforts alone are not enough; the team's overall strength must be up to par.

Otherwise, if Xia Shen is eliminated in the quarterfinals or round of 16, even if he performs brilliantly, his performance won't be convincing enough.

Is there still room for improvement for Zhijiang Middle School in the short term?

Of course!

Throughout the entire qualifying rounds, when they faced strong teams, their doubles matches were basically free points.

So, one day in early March, Xia Shen went to the principal's office.

------

"You mean you think Chen Chuan and Pan Yujie are too incompetent?" The principal tapped the table rhythmically, seemingly lost in thought.

"Uh, what I mean is, our doubles team still has room for improvement..." Xia Shen felt that the principal's emotional intelligence was really a bit low.

The principal waved his hand impatiently, "Stop playing word games, just say what you think."

Xia Shen estimated that the principal couldn't possibly be unaware of this matter. After all, the weaknesses of the Zhijiang Middle School team were so obvious, and as the person in charge, he must have been thinking about it for a long time.

However, there are too few support heroes in the team, so the long-haired troll is already the best solution.

So Xia Shen brought a new idea to the principal: "What do you think about adding a space team to our doubles pair?"

The principal frowned slightly. "Although the Trick Room team is a great help to Aggron and Ursaring, it completely cripples Alakazam. Moreover... it's not worth it to invest two main singles Pokémon just for two points in doubles."

The principal responded to Xia Shen's suggestion almost without thinking, suggesting that he had considered the idea but later rejected it.

Xia Shen smiled slightly, "Is it possible that Alakazam isn't the only space-manipulating character on our team?"

The principal was stunned. Did our school team actually have such talent?

He carefully recalled each team member's spirit, but came up empty-handed, and looked at Xia Shen with suspicion.

Is this kid playing a trick on me?

Xia Shen didn't keep the principal in suspense and took out a red and white ball. "Come out, Tibrim!"

A flash of white light, and the little witch appeared on the headmaster's desk.

The "space setter" Xia Shen was referring to was naturally this perfectly slow Pokémon with the [Magic Mirror] ability.

As for why Tibbers' ball type changed to red and white, it's mainly because Xia Shen was worried that the Master Ball's conspicuous appearance would attract attention from those with ulterior motives, so he specially painted it that way...

……

"When did you capture another Tibrimon?" The headmaster looked at the pink and blue Tibrimon with considerable surprise.

"Tebriam...is indeed an excellent space manipulator."

"Bu..." The little witch saw this strange, bearded man she had never seen before staring intently at her, and with a quick effort, she jumped back into Xia Shen's arms.

"However, are you sure your Tibrim has combat capabilities?" The principal squinted at Xia Shen and the Tibrim nestled comfortably in his arms, raising a question.

"She doesn't seem like she has much fighting spirit at all."

"How could that be? My spirit, Xia Shen's, is no weaker than anyone else's!" Xia Shen was a little guilty, but he still stubbornly insisted. In fact, since he captured Tibris, he had not yet let her have a proper battle.

"Right, Tibrim?" As if to confirm this, Xia Shen took Tibrim out of his arms and looked at her, asking.

“Bu!” Tibrim nodded firmly, her pinkish-white pupils flashing with an inexplicable meaning.

She suddenly recalled the only image that remained in her mind before she met Xia Shen.

In the chaotic laboratory, the faces of the grotesque corpses lay contorted in horror...

However, this horrific scene did not evoke any fear in Tibrim.

On the contrary, her first feeling was one of utter calm.

There was even a hint of excitement...

Am I... a bad woman?

……

"Alright, alright, I'll give you a chance. In a month, let your Tibrim fight against Chen Chuan and Pan Yujie. As for your partner, you can talk to Yi Yi about it yourself," the principal said helplessly.

Xia Shen shook his head, and meeting the principal's surprised gaze, he smiled slightly, "No need, just let Tibrim and Moonbear team up, I'll command them all by myself."

## Chapter 137 You're just lusting after the body of a divine beast!

"Are you sure you want to direct the doubles team all by yourself?" The principal couldn't help but repeatedly confirm with Xia Shen.

One person directing a doubles match... No one has ever done this before in the history of the National High School Championships.

It's not because the rules forbid it, it's just... no one dares to do it.

This isn't like a turn-based Pokémon game, where you get so much time to think.

Commanding a single Pokémon in battle is already extremely mentally taxing and tests one's reflexes, let alone commanding two Pokémon against an equally matched opponent.

It's not that no one can do it, but high school students who have only been involved in Pokémon battles for two years definitely cannot.

They should be thankful if they can even play well in singles matches.

A trainer with insufficient command experience and a Pokémon lacking independent combat awareness—such a combination is nothing short of a disaster on the battlefield.

It wasn't the opponent's fault, but a disaster for his own teammates.

That's why the principal was so surprised by Xia Shen's choice.

After receiving Xia Shen's affirmative reply, he shook his head with a chuckle, then nodded in agreement.

In his view, Xia Shen was getting arrogant.

That's normal. At this age, to achieve such results, it would be abnormal not to get carried away. That's what they call youthful arrogance!

However, this may not be a bad thing. If Xia Shen can stumble and fall in such an insignificant place, it will actually benefit his growth.

Ultimately, these young people are still too young...

…………

Within the secret realm of Xicui, there is pure white frozen soil.

Xia Shen rode the eagle back here from the Red Lotus Wetland.

Xia Shen felt that he could fly this route back and forth so many times that even an eagle could do it with its eyes closed.

To be honest, Xia Shen felt a little guilty. He had borrowed the Pidgeot from Yan Yan last October, saying he'd only need it for a few months, and almost half a year had passed...

It's okay, nine months is still a few months... Xia Shen comforted herself with this thought.

Before my eyes, the withered permafrost gradually disappeared from view, and what came into view was the Wise Lake, so calm that it seemed to remain unchanged for thousands of years.

Xia Shen came to take You Kexi home.

After wandering for so long, even Yuki couldn't help but feel a little homesick... Bullshit!

Living in the alternate dimension of Lake Wisdom, without electricity, internet, or friends, how could Yukshi, who had long been accustomed to the conveniences of modern life, possibly miss home?

It's more like the Arceus phone has become its home.

This time, it came back purely to "recharge" its soul.

Since it helped Xia Shen resist Tibriam's mental rampage, it has been sleeping for longer and longer periods of time.

At first, Xia Shen thought that he would recover slowly, but he found that the more he recovered, the longer Ke Xi slept.

Xia Shen was starting to worry about its condition, as it looked remarkably like the old man in the protagonist's soul form from a novel or TV series she had read in her past life, on the verge of passing away.

Startled, Xia Shen quickly pressed for answers, and Ke Xi then told him that the longer his soul was separated from his body, the weaker he became.

……

[So why did you wait until I asked you to tell me? Couldn't we have come back sooner?]

Xia Shen complained inwardly.

[No internet while washing greenery, who wants to come back!]

Yu Kexi said confidently, "No matter how beautiful the mountains and rivers are, nothing beats the real world online!"

Xia Shen was both amused and exasperated.

[Then why don't you come back sooner to "recharge" before returning to reality?]

[It just so happens that a few anime series I'm following are almost finished... I'll need a year to recharge!]

[How silly! After you return to your body, you can come back to the real world with me!]

[Your wolfish ambitions have finally been exposed! Sure enough, you were only with me because you wanted my mythical beast status and wanted to tame me! You scumbag!]

[Pah! You call yourself a legendary Pokémon? You didn't even dare to fart when facing Moltres...]

……

Amidst their bickering and arguing, Pidgeot had already flown to the small island in the middle of the lake. Using its Arceus phone, it easily unlocked the access control, and Xia Shen returned to this dark and strange space after a long absence.

For Yukshi, it didn't feel anything. Divine beasts have no concept of time. In the past, it would often leave its soul and float away to play, sometimes for months at a time.

Aside from being more special and happier, this trip was no different from any other.

Almost as soon as Xia Shen entered the space, a yellow mushroom-shaped head appeared in front of him.

Xia Shen asked in surprise, "How did you get here so fast? Didn't you say you needed to charge it?"

Yukshi's eyelids twitched slightly, as if she were rolling her eyes.