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

They are descendants of large families with a rich heritage and traditions that do not rely on school resources.

For example, on the other end of the phone was the heir to the oldest Qianlong Martial Arts School in the Donghuang region...

The principal's "small goal" has become even more difficult to achieve.

After hanging up the phone, Xia Chen lay on the soft mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling.

However, since I have promised the principal, there is absolutely no reason for me to give up halfway.

Competitions are only interesting when they are challenging.

Besides, since my debut, Xia Chen has never come in second place in any competition!

"Xianbu, don't you think so?"

------

"To the idiot Xia Chen."

"It's been forty-three days since I arrived at Orange Academy in Tabletop City, Padia Region, and I still haven't received a message from that bastard. Where have you been gallivanting off to this time?! If I don't receive a reply in my inbox within three days, that person is dead meat!"

"Getting back to the main point, although the Padiya region is quite far from Donghuang, I've had a fairly comfortable time here. Zhuotai City is not as bustling as Zhijiang, but the scenery here is just as beautiful, and the locals are very welcoming."

"I met a friend here named Nemo. She's a huge fan of Pokémon battles and incredibly strong. The pressure I felt battling her was almost as intense as yours. I'll introduce you two sometime. I'm mentioning this to tell you, there's always someone better, you idiot!"

"The Pokémon in the Padia region are also very interesting. Can you imagine a Pokémon unleashing power stronger than a pseudo-legendary Pokémon just to save another Pokémon? Dolphin is so cool! Oh, and the Grass-type starter Pokémon here is the very cute new Leafeon. You'll definitely like it, but I already have Serperior, so I didn't catch it."

"However, I caught a Padian form of Upo. You can't imagine how cute its evolved form, Terrell, is. It's so silly and goofy, just like you. My next target Pokémon is the pseudo-legendary Pokémon Rissordra from the Padian region. I hope to encounter it in my future adventures."

"Finally, I hope that idiot doesn't forget his promise to travel to the Parthian region. Trust me, you'll love this place."

"Finally, this is a photo I took. If you have any conscience, please return it to me."

"Mingyi, the future champion of the Donghuang region. August 28, 2023"

…………

"To my dearest Mingyi."

"Please forgive me for not writing to you sooner; I've been too busy these past few days. Four days after you left, I also left Zhijiang and came to Beijing. Zhijiang without you is not worth staying for."

"Then, congratulations on catching your new Pokémon. But I still need to remind you that you can insult my strength and character, but don't insult my appearance. Although I've never seen the Earth King, since it's a regional form of the Quagsire, it definitely won't look like me!"

"Speaking of catching Pokémon, I also caught a new one, Dracomesia, which I caught on the mysterious Dragon Island. It's a very cute little guy. Sorry, I caught a pseudo-legendary Pokémon before you. Good luck, big sister studying in Padia!"

"Although I really don't want to brag anymore, my pen just started writing involuntarily. I got my hands on the breeding manual for Draco Valeto from Leon! If you also have a cute Draco Mercia, I would definitely share it with you. What a pity~"

"But the great Xia Chen once said that fate has secretly marked a price for every gift in the world. The price to obtain this secret manual is to win the Donghuang Youth Trainer Competition at the end of this year. I have to say, even for me, it is a considerable challenge... But just wait and see me and Xianbu standing on the podium on TV."

"With the start of the new school term approaching, my daily training schedule has become even more demanding, so I'm only now finishing this letter. Please forgive me."

"As for the trip to the Parthian region, definitely next year! *gulp*"

"Finally, here's the photo you requested. Isn't little Dorgon adorable? But why does it look like Sylvanas has gotten chubby again..."

"Your dearest Xia Chen, August 31, 2023"

…………

As the start of the semester draws ever closer, the campus of Beijing University is becoming increasingly lively, and so is the dormitory area where Xia Chen lives.

Every now and then you can see thunder and snow falling under a perfectly sunny day, which means that the upperclassmen have probably returned to school one after another.

Because this dormitory area is exclusively for the Beijing University team, Xia Chen has been observing their strength in the shared training hall and practice arena here for some time.

Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. If nothing unexpected happens, these guys will be your opponents in the year-end Young Trainers' Feast.

After observing, Xia Chen came to a conclusion.

The overall strength of these guys' teams... none of them are weaker than me.

That is, there are senior intermediate level as a basic level, and there are several elite level!

These are truly top students from a prestigious school...

Despite these feelings, Xia Chen's fighting spirit only intensified.

You grow by competing with experts; failure is always the best teacher.

The upperclassmen had a good impression of this famous junior who was very polite to them.

They rarely refuse when Xia Chen issues a challenge, especially the senior students.

Not only that, some of the senior students also enthusiastically trained with Xia Chen, teaching her their unique training methods.

Some things are useless to Xia Chen, while others are useful.

Xia Chen was like a highly absorbent sponge, frantically absorbing the wisdom of his senior classmates, learning from their strengths and combining them into a comprehensive understanding.

In the past two weeks, Xia Chen's training and development have become more systematic, and Senbu and Milos have also said that the improved training plan is much more efficient.

As for the senior students, although they always won more battles than they lost against Xia Chen, they did gain something from it.

Firstly, Xia Chen's occasional ingenious ideas during battles always provide them with some inspiration.

Secondly, Xia Chen is like the catfish in the catfish effect, spurring them to never slack off and to keep moving forward.

Every time I defeated Xia Chen, the thought that he was only a freshman would instantly wipe away the joy of victory, and I would become instantly emotional.

…………

In short, after a fulfilling summer break, the first day of school has finally arrived.

September 1st, a vibrant and energetic day.

This is also the day with the highest number of people on campus at Kyoto University throughout the year.

Xia Chen, who didn't have a rideable Pokémon, finally managed to squeeze into the large classroom of the Trainer's System.

All new trainers in the entire training line will report here and receive their items.

When Xia Chen arrived, the lecture hall, which could accommodate more than 300 people, was almost full.

I learned from Professor Lin Quan that the School of Trainers at Kyoto University admitted a total of 328 students this year.

The entire Trainer lineage, spanning all four grades, comprises approximately a thousand people.

It seems like a lot, but compared to the nearly 20,000 students at Kyoto University, it accounts for less than 10%.

The reason for this is that the admission requirements of Beijing University are very strict. This year's admission score even requires students to have a Pokémon that has reached the intermediate amateur level!

You should know that in the recruitment competition six months ago, many of the contestants' Pokémon were only amateur beginners.

There are more people in the fields of breeders and researchers, totaling more than three thousand.

The "Pokémon Battle and Research Academy," comprised of these three majors, is undoubtedly the largest college at Kyoto University.

The students who graduate from here will become the most outstanding elf-related professionals in the Donghuang region.

The school bell rang, and the teacher walked into the classroom.

Xia Chen snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the podium, only to find Lin Quan, the teacher who had been in charge of her communication these past few days.

On the podium, the rather young-looking teacher, Lin Quan, said, "From today onwards, your university life begins. I am your counselor, Lin Quan. If you have any questions about your studies or life, feel free to ask me..."

Although Teacher Lin Quan's voice was indeed like the tinkling of a spring in the mountains, he was talking about the same old things, and soon Xia Chen was sleepy.

He returned to school a month early. While he might not have become a seasoned veteran, he was already very familiar with these campus survival rules, so there was really nothing good to hear about them.

Only the last sentence contained useful information.

"Finally, the intra-school ranking competition has begun. Those who reach the top fifty in points can participate in the school team selection competition."

Chapter 189 If you're from Donghuang, then say hello (Part 2)

The so-called intra-school ranking competition is a battle system set up by the school to encourage competition among students.

This system is not limited to students in the training family; nearly 20,000 students across the entire school can participate.

This is said to be Yu Chaohua's first major reform after taking office as principal, inspired by the ranking system of the Pokémon League, which he often played after retiring.

However, he didn't differentiate between bronze, silver, diamond, or king levels. There were only so many students participating, so there was no need for so many fancy distinctions.

Even so, the rewards at the end of each "season" are far more advanced and practical than any virtual borders in the game.

At the end of each semester, the school will credit points to students' campus cards based on their final rankings. These points can be used to purchase items in a designated points mall.

From ordinary Poké Balls and Power Cubes to rare Pokémon in the Kyoto University Nursery, everything can be redeemed using points.

Xia Chen browsed the points mall list and saw something like "Principal Yu's Weekly Guidance" at the very top.

Points required: 2000000; Number of redemptions: 16

Xia Chen was surprised. Such an expensive item could be redeemed sixteen times?

Two million points is a lot; the top player on the ladder at the end of the season only has one million points.

In other words, a single guidance from the principal requires being ranked first on the ladder for at least a whole year, or in the top five for two years, to barely redeem it.

The only item in the store more expensive than the one the principal instructed was a newborn baby Gilas whose parents were both Elite Four level.

Based on this calculation, the value of a single instance of guidance from a principal is at least tens of millions.

Is it expensive?

This is a matter of opinion. Some students with money don't lack Pokémon, but they lack guidance from top-tier trainers.

Therefore, those sixteen exchanges are not surprising.

But whether it's the principal's guidance or the quasi-god cub, it's all too far away for Xia Chen right now. Even if he dominates the ladder from the first semester of his freshman year, he still won't be able to redeem it until at least his sophomore year.

What's important to Xia Chen is getting into the Beijing University team through this route.

…………

As Teacher Lin Quan said, at the end of each month, the top fifty students in the "University Ladder" ranking are eligible to participate in the school team's challenge.

To be precise, it's a positional exchange match.

After all, there are only so many spots available for the school team; it's impossible to only have spots added and not any left.

The competition in the school team is so fierce, naturally because there are many benefits.

Monthly training subsidies in the form of scholarships, larger and more spacious dormitories with better training conditions, more resources allocated to training, a more competitive environment, and most importantly—

Joining the school team is the only way to participate in regional and even international competitions.