Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

How did Plymouth University come to have such a close sister school relationship with our university?

Not to be self-deprecating, but given the current level of Chongqing University, let alone the "Big Three" universities, even Jiangzhou University, Northwest University, and Jiangnan University...

These universities, which are considered second-tier alongside Chongqing University, are also showing signs of surpassing Chongqing University.

Plymouth University clearly has better options.

That being said, Xia Shen wanted to take it back as soon as she asked the question; the level of the question... made her seem to have very low emotional intelligence.

The main problem is that people are used to criticizing their own school, and they've forgotten that Rou-ge is someone with a strong sense of collective honor who takes it upon himself to "rebuild the glory of Chongqing University."

However, Rouge is not the kind of person who is afraid to face reality, nor is she petty. She was not angry, and her tone of reply was quite strange.

"I don't know either. What's even stranger is that Principal Mu said they took the initiative to bring this up."

As Rou Ge spoke, she looked Xia Shen up and down, stroking her chin with a suspicious expression. "If you ask me what the most special and precious place in our school is, besides the Seven Luminaries Mountain Range that stretches as far as the eye can see, it's you. Could it be... that's the reason?"

"You have quite the imagination. Something between two such big schools, all for me alone?" Xia Shen pouted.

Although he denied it verbally, he was secretly considering the possibility.

Rou-ge's intuition is always very accurate. Xia Shen hadn't originally thought of that outrageous direction, but after Ye Rou mentioned it, he realized that...

It seems... that's not really the case... is it impossible?

However, such things are not easy to verify, so Xia Shen temporarily put aside his guesses and instead challenged Ye Rou to a duel.

"Alright, this has little to do with us. You've come at the right time. Rou-ge, let's have another fight!"

"Roar--"

Upon hearing this, the warlike Moon Bear beneath Xia Shen was no longer sleepy. It stood up from its prone position and looked at the Warrior Eagle with an excited and provocative expression.

Rou Ge's Warrior Eagle was no coward; his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately responded.

The moment trainers make eye contact is the signal that a battle is about to begin, especially for a warmonger like Rouge.

The two exchanged a knowing smile, and the battle began.

…………

Although both were visiting schools, the level of hospitality that Plymouth received from Chongqing University was far higher than that of Zhijiang Middle School.

It's not about worshipping foreign things; in this respect, the atmosphere in China is quite good.

After all, just a few decades ago, China stood at the top of the world in many fields.

But Plymouth is, after all, one of the world's top universities, ranked among the top fifteen.

The gap in hard power naturally instilled a sense of awe in the university administration.

Even for the Fog City government and the Trainers Association, the visit from Plymouth University was no small matter.

However, this had nothing to do with Xia Shen and the Wudu University team. When they visited, the regional league was in full swing.

This match is a home game for Chongqing University, against a school ranked in the lower tier of the Sichuan-Chongqing region.

Xia Shen, who was about to go on stage, did not notice that a group of young men and women with skin color and appearance that were very different from those around them quietly entered the huge spectator seats above the arena and sat down in the crowd during the match.

The one in the lead was a blonde with long, wavy hair, whose age and appearance were both significantly older and more attractive than the young men and women behind him.

He was watching the handsome young man who had just stepped onto the battlefield on the big screen with great interest.

------

The Fog City Elf Arena was bustling with noise.

Xia Shen's appearance brought the atmosphere of this holy land of battle between the people of the Fog City to its climax.

Although he had only been enrolled for less than a year, Xia Shen's outstanding and consistent performance, starting with his heroic performance in the opening match against Sichuan University, captivated the hearts of everyone who loved this arena.

The match in which Xia Shen played was also the one that people were most looking forward to.

Because he will only use one Pokémon in a single match.

Speculating on which team Xia Shen would play against before each match has become a popular topic of conversation.

On the field, the injured "Togekiss" reverted to its true form amidst a faint cloud of smoke.

The cool-looking, purple-haired fox demon, radiating resentment, suddenly appeared.

This elicited a deafening roar of cheers from the spectators in the stands.

…………

"The atmosphere for Pokémon competitions here is pretty good, isn't it, Jenny?"

The speaker was a blonde woman with twin ponytails, a youthful face, and an appearance and demeanor that resembled a popular female character from a certain anime about a father whose love is as deep as a mountain.

She spoke fluent Mandarin and chatted with the blonde man with long, wavy hair next to her in a half-coquettish manner.

He had been curiously observing the enthusiastic crowd around him since entering the stadium, seemingly showing little interest in the match itself.

Because the Chinese nation in this world has a larger influence and cultural sphere, the influence of Chinese language is greater than in that parallel world.

Especially in Singapore, where former pursuers are now wary, Chinese language electives are a very important language course in education across the ocean.

The vast majority of these elites, who received elite education from Singapore, can communicate fluently in Mandarin.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. As soon as she arrived in Chongqing, she began to work on her Mandarin communication skills.

After all, it will be used frequently in daily life for the next month or so.

……

"Ah."

The woman called Jenny nodded slightly, her attention focused on the game, unlike the twin-tailed "Alice".

"Just watch the game. If you don't want to watch, don't bother me."

Jenny's tone wasn't harsh, but her gentle yet undeniable voice seemed to have a magical power, obediently bringing the twin ponytails back to the game itself.

However, before she could enjoy two seconds of peace and quiet, the energetic voice of the twin ponytails came to her ears again.

"Wow, it's Zoroark in its alternate form! So that's how cool he is! The guy who caused such a stir in the Pokémon world last year is studying in Mist City..."

As she spoke, she shook Jenny's arm, asking questions with surprise and curiosity.

Jenny felt the soft, rubbing sensation of her arm against something soft against her twin-tailed chest, and skillfully pulled her hand away.

"Alright, Alice, he's also on the Chongqing University team, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know him in the future... So could you please stop bothering me while I'm watching the game?"

Upon hearing Jenny's voice rise slightly, the girl named Alice instinctively shrank back.

I dare not bother this outstanding young woman, who is the best even in the world.

However, he was still muttering to himself, "I wonder what conditions he would be willing to trade Pokémon with me..."

…………

Jenny, with her keen senses, accurately caught Alice's soft whispers, and her usually gentle and easygoing expression suddenly turned serious.

Her voice rose several notches as she said, "Don't ask him that question!"

Alice was clearly startled; she stared blankly at Jenny's serious face.

I don't know why she reacted so strongly to such a trivial matter.

Jenny realized that her reaction was too agitated, so she calmed herself down and explained, "Every place has different cultural customs. Exchanging elves is very common in Star Country, but most people in China can't accept it."

She paused, then continued, "So don't ask others this question in China without permission; it's very impolite."

Alice nodded blankly, but she still felt a little itchy inside.

The variants of Zoroark and Ursaring are secondary, but that Steelix-type Goodra...

Since it was revealed to the world, she has been craving it so much that she dreams about it constantly.

Having finally met the only trainer in the world who possesses her, how could she possibly let this opportunity slip away?

Impolite?

What does politeness matter in the face of a mighty and handsome steel dragon?

If you don't take the initiative, how can a story unfold?

With this thought in mind, Alice continued watching the battle on the field absentmindedly.

----------

Author's Remarks

I'm going out with friends tomorrow, so updates might be a little later.

2022-08-06 18:00

## Chapter 223 So, let's talk like a trainer! (5.6k)

Zoroark easily completed a 1-3 run, and the University of the Mist also achieved a clean sweep victory without any suspense.

As Tyranitar and Excadrill defeated the opponent's two Pokémon, the cheers and celebrations in the Pokémon Arena reached their peak.

However, amidst the jubilation, some discordant elements emerged.

"To be honest, I'm already a little regretful about participating in this exchange activity. The level of this activity... never mind, it would be impolite to say some things out loud."

In the Plymouth delegation, a tall, blond-haired young man complained to those around him, making no attempt to hide his disappointment with the match.

The young man seemed to have a high level of prestige among the students, and his statement was met with constant agreement from those around him.

"Yes, it's a meaningless match. What can we learn in such an environment?"

"Excuse my bluntness, but those troublemakers who just joined our school team should be able to cause a ruckus in this top-level league for Chinese universities, right?"

"To be completely outmatched by a Zoroark, the level of competition in this match is just too low."

This means that these people were communicating in English; otherwise, if those around them had overheard them, it would have inevitably led to a conflict.

"Alice, what do you think?"

The brown-haired youth who brought up the topic struck up a conversation with the blonde girl with pigtails, his expression and tone quite ingratiating.

Alice, lost in thought, glanced at him but didn't try to please him like the others around her.

“I think you’re being too demanding. What can you learn from a game with such a large disparity in strength? Cole, if you don’t want to stay here, you can always go back. You can still catch the last flight back to Princeton if you leave now. Nobody’s stopping you.”