Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

Xia Shen finally couldn't contain his curiosity any longer, "Why are you asking me this? Aren't the other members of the second team all better than me?"

This also raised the doubts of others: even if he showed exceptional potential yesterday, it was still just potential.

The other members of the second team had been trained for a year longer than Xia Shen's Garchomp, a gap in raw strength that couldn't be bridged in a short time.

Despite the puzzled looks from the crowd, Wang Yiyi remained calm and said, "It's easy to improve a Pokémon's strength, but it's very difficult to change a trainer's battle talent."

“Most importantly, you are different from them.” Her usually unchanged face suddenly seemed to reveal a smile.

Xia Shen silently complained to himself, "Nonsense, of course they're different. Even cloned people will be different from the originals."

Why do you like being a riddle teller so much? Can't you just speak normally?

"Senior, please just say what you want to say..."

Before Wang Yiyi could explain, Chu Si, who had been withdrawn, spoke up quietly, "When you fought me, I saw the desire for victory in your eyes."

"Isn't this something every trainer has in common?" Xia Shen said matter-of-factly. "The moment trainers' eyes meet, the battle begins!"

Chu Si shook her head and said softly, "No, this is just the opinion of those of us who truly love Pokémon battles."

"Many people want to become trainers simply for the benefits—free work, high salaries, and prestigious status. Getting ahead means climbing the social ladder."

"Most of the people in the second team have the same idea: to hitch a ride on the school team's coattails. By showing their faces in the National High School Pokémon Battle Tournament, as long as their grades aren't too bad, it can become a major bonus for their college entrance exams."

“But you are different. Even when facing a powerful enemy that you know you cannot defeat, you still fight with all your might, even if the outcome is already predetermined.”

"You are a natural trainer."

Xia Shen was stunned.

He had always taken it for granted that everyone who wanted to become a trainer was just like him, with a burning passion for Pokémon battles.

But now that I think about it, I realized that I had fallen into a cognitive trap.

In this world where you can come into contact with elves from birth, elves may be no different from the cats and dogs in your previous life to many people.

But I was different. The Pokémon from the games, anime, and comics that I had loved for over a decade suddenly appeared in front of me in real life one day.

Xia Shen still vividly remembers the excitement and joy she felt that morning when she learned she had come to the Elf World...

No, not just that morning.

An encounter with Gible...

My first battle against Zhou Yuanyuan...

The moment I saw Zoroah hatch...

Since coming into this world, the elves have brought me so many touching moments.

……

Xia Shen's eyes were burning with determination.

"Captain, I want to play!"

(Please continue reading~)

## Chapter 55 How about I lend you my sister's Salamence?

"Before the official regional qualifying rounds, the school team will conduct internal selections for the official roster. Five starters and three substitutes. You have more than two months to improve yourself. As long as you make it into the substitutes, I have a way to let you test the waters in less important games."

……

On her way back to the classroom, Xia Shen thought back to the promise Wang Yiyi made to her before they parted.

Two months later, is it difficult to defeat trainers who have been growing for almost a year longer than you?

It's very difficult! So difficult that Xia Shen could hardly imagine how to achieve it.

Even with the unique and overpowered cheat of the Emerald Washing Realm, it would be difficult to achieve this in such a short time...

Wait a minute, what about time?

If I can collect as many illustrations as possible in a short period of time and extend the time I spend in the Emerald Washing Realm each day, it might actually be possible!

Xia Shen suddenly realized this and silently pressed the calculator in his mind.

Currently, the daily time allotted for the Secret Realm is exactly two hours, which means that the number of Pokémon in the Pokédex is twenty-two.

There are over two hundred known Pokémon species in the Xicui region, including their evolved forms. Excluding some legendary Pokémon and those that are simply too difficult to defeat, there are also Pokémon that only appear in spacetime distortions.

If all goes well, at least a few dozen Pokémon should be able to get into the Pokédex.

Then the daily exploration time in the secret realm can be extended to seven or eight hours!

Even after deducting necessary travel time and rest/treatment time, at least half of the time can be used for training.

If we work a little harder during the week, it's not impossible for us to catch up with the second team's poor performance by the end of December.

The only question is how to catch as many Pokémon as possible in the shortest amount of time...

…………

In the afternoon, we had a Pokémon battle class.

Xia Shen and Yan Yan, who had just finished their match, sat on the sidelines to rest.

"By the way, do you know where I can easily borrow a flying sprite that can carry people?" Xia Shen asked while spraying healing spray on the bear cub.

To eliminate the existence of Pokémon hunters, all Pokémon trading is illegal except at breeding bases.

Although there are still things like black markets that aren't in the open...

However, as a law-abiding citizen, Xia Shen would not test the limits of the law. Therefore, his idea was to borrow a flying spirit that could carry people to complete his grand ambitions in Xicui.

So, Xia Shen asked Yan Yan, who had the widest network of connections.

Yan Yan thought for a moment, then hesitated before speaking, "If you need it... I can borrow my sister's Charizard or Salamence."

Xia Shen: "..."

Yan Yan is a good friend; she really helps when needed! She didn't even ask Xia Shen what he needed the money for.

Xia Shen still planned to refuse the proposal, even though he could capture more Pokémon if he could borrow them.

Just kidding, Yan Yu's Pokémon intelligence is definitely not low. Trainers at her level might even have a way to communicate directly with Pokémon.

When she talks to Charizard or Salamence, Xia Shen's most relied-upon trump card will be exposed.

Before I become strong enough, I can't even expose myself to Yan Yu. At least not when I'm weaker than her.

……

Xia Shen chuckled awkwardly, "There's no need for that... I wouldn't dare command your sister's spirit, and I might need to borrow it for a month or two."

Yan Yan thought about it and realized that made sense, so she said, "My family does have a Pidgeot, which grew up with me, and I'm the one feeding it now. But my dad kept it for decoration because he thought its feathers were beautiful; it's not very good at fighting."

"But he has a bit of a strange temper. You need to gain his approval before he'll let you sit there, so... you need to come to my house and meet him..."

Yan Yan's face was slightly flushed as she carefully wiped Riolu's wounds, but the slight rise and fall of her chest betrayed her less-than-peaceful inner state.

"Leo..." Her movements seemed a little too forceful, and Leo cried out in slight pain.

Yan Yan quickly stopped and apologized, "I'm sorry, Riolu, I hurt you."

Since the elf was raised by Yan Yan, there's no need to worry so much.

Xia Shen looked at the adorable girl who was trying to hide her shyness and smiled slightly, "Why not today?"

"Ah...oh, today? Sure..." Yan Yan stammered, brushing a strand of hair that was hanging by her ear and pretending to be calm.

Xia Shen smiled and didn't say anything more to tease her.

Although I'm not exactly a Casanova, I did have two relationships in my past life.

In his personal opinion, for girls with this kind of personality, letting things take their natural course is the best choice.

------

In the afternoon, after school.

This was Xia Shen's first time visiting a girl's house, and he had never had this experience even in his previous life.

Sitting in Yan Yan's car, Xia Shen couldn't help but feel a little nervous. "Are you sure your dad isn't home?"

"You've asked three times already... I'm really not home." Yan Yan was quite speechless. "Besides, my dad is a very nice person. Even if he were home, it wouldn't matter."

He's certainly nice to you, but when it comes to the male classmate his underage daughter brings home... Xia Shen felt he probably wouldn't be so friendly.

Thinking about this, he had to consider the worst-case scenario: "Is your dad's elf powerful?"

"As for him, I haven't seen him play any matches," Yan Yan recalled. "But every time my sister challenged him to a match since we were little, he always managed to beat her with a score of six to five."

Xia Shen: "......"

No need to say more, it's obvious enough.

This level of skill is definitely at least Elite Four level. If the worst-case scenario really happens, let's just hope he goes easy on him...

The two chatted casually as the car smoothly drove into a rather large villa... strictly speaking, it could already be called an estate.

It took at least three to five minutes after the car entered the gate before it slowly came to a stop in front of a building that was more than ten meters tall.

……

Xia Shen looked around at the mansion, which was almost a quarter the size of the school.

At first glance, it looks like I've arrived at some kind of artificial elf conservation area.

Behind the house is a small, lush forest where you can often see birds like Pidgey and King Swallow taking flight or returning to the forest.

On the left is a transparent glass house where several ice nine-tailed foxes, tundra bears, and ice dragons frolic and play in the snow.

To the right is a lake of unknown depth, where a group of aquatic creatures are leisurely floating on the surface, basking in the sun.

In an area next to the artificial lake, with its rugged, rocky slopes, a Bangia is fast asleep against a boulder.

In short, apart from the house in front of us and the grassy area around it.

Elf figures can be seen almost everywhere else.

Looking at this astonishing scene, Xia Shen asked the girl beside him in surprise, "Are all these elves your pets?"

"Some of them are from here, and some of them settled here later, so we just took care of them as well," the girl explained as she walked forward.