Kanto Region, Viridian City, Viridian Gym.
"He's actually willing to livestream his wilderness training?"
On the training grounds of the gym, Red—who had been drilling his Pikachu—was naturally the first to notice Ai Xia's livestream announcement. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
"Pika Pika?"
"What's up?"
A handsome young man with spiky brown hair and a special accessory necklace lounged casually on the leather sofa beside the training area, watching as Red's expression shifted and Pikachu halted its move practice.
As Red's best friend and rival, Green—who always kept a close eye on him—was naturally the first to notice something was off.
After giving his Arcanine, who was curled up behind the sofa, a fond ruffle through its warm, fluffy mane, Green smoothly stood up and sauntered over to Red's side, curiosity and anticipation written all over his face.
"Let me take a look too..."
Ignoring the Kanto Champion's slightly annoyed expression, Green leaned in close, practically pressing against Red as he peered at his phone. Three minutes later, the former Kanto Champion (who had famously held the title for all of three minutes) let out a small, knowing smirk.
"Oh, it's this streamer."
After seeing Ai Xia's livestream announcement, Green finally understood why Red had reacted like that.
"So this streamer is that friend you've been keeping tabs on?"
Red and Ai Xia becoming friends—Green obviously knew about that.
And he would never doubt Red's judgment.
Anyone who could catch Red's attention, let alone earn his friendship, was definitely no ordinary person.
But as a Champion-level trainer himself, Green had his own standards. To test whether this guy was really as impressive as he seemed, he had skimmed through some of Ai Xia's videos and past livestreams. What he found was a trainer who specialized in battle tactics and Pokémon raising.
Because of that, Green's interest in Ai Xia hadn't waned—if anything, it had only grown stronger.
After all, Green himself was someone who excelled in both Pokémon breeding and battling, to the point where he was practically unrivaled in both fields—a true dragon among men. His breeding skills were so refined that Professor Oak himself had bestowed upon him the title of "The Breeder."
Red was "The Battler."
Green was "The Breeder."
So when a trainer met someone who walked a similar path, it was only natural for that competitive urge to flare up—to compare, to compete, to see who truly stood at the top.
"Livestreaming this often, and the content is all about tactics and wilderness training... Yeah, I get it now. This is why you admire him so much, huh?"
As he examined Ai Xia's profile, the handsome young man from Viridian City couldn't help but break into a pleased grin.
He felt like he had finally figured it out.
Figured out exactly what kind of person Ai Xia was.
Because a trainer's battle strategies weren't just something they whipped up overnight—they were the result of relentless research, theoretical knowledge, real combat experience, and the deep bond between trainer and Pokémon. Most trainers would guard their techniques like priceless treasures.
Even some well-known Gym Leaders wouldn't selflessly share all their strategies for the masses to copy.
And yet, here was this relatively unknown streamer, openly broadcasting his wilderness training, meticulously explaining his tactics, even breaking down the finer details for anyone to learn from...
This kind of selfless act? It practically made him a teacher in the truest sense.
"Impressive."
After mentally hyping Ai Xia up, Green couldn't help but look at him with newfound respect.
"I get it now."
His grin turned even more smug, as if he had completely unraveled Ai Xia's intentions.
"You get it too?"
Seeing that expression, Red—rare as it was—actually smiled. He was glad that he and Green were on the same page.
"Mhm."
A trainer this strong definitely wasn't streaming so often just because he needed money.
Given Ai Xia's content style and what he'd said at the end of his last stream, Red and Green were almost certain: Ai Xia was doing this to teach young trainers. He was risking his own safety to go into the wild and demonstrate survival techniques and battle strategies.
"He's from the Dayan region. Dayan's always been big on trainer safety—no wonder he's livestreaming his wilderness training."
Comparing the differences between the two regions only reinforced Green's belief.
In Kanto, kids could get their starter Pokémon and start their journey as early as ten. Freedom to the extreme.
Both he and Red were products of that system—wild, untamed, and fiercely independent.
Meanwhile, in Dayan, the legal age for becoming a trainer was higher. You had to finish high school and pass a licensing exam before you could even think about getting a Pokémon.
Because let's face it—being a trainer might be a glamorous job, but it was also one of the most dangerous.
Trainers without strong Pokémon or solid experience? One wrong step into the wrong patch of wilderness, and they might never come back out.
So for young trainers who chafed under strict education, having a high-profile, powerful trainer like Ai Xia demonstrate wilderness survival? That was invaluable. At the very least, it could broaden their horizons, sharpen their instincts, and reduce the number of rookies who bit off more than they could chew.
And Ai Xia had taken on that role—teacher.
Not only that, but he'd even considered the fact that many new trainers had weak or unevenly matched starter Pokémon. That was why he was deliberately using a Caterpie—one of the weakest Pokémon out there—to demonstrate survival tactics, despite the huge risk.
"You might not have a strong Pokémon, but you probably have something at least as good as a Caterpie, right? Well, let me show you how to survive with just that."
"Damn. Just damn. He's doing what neither of us ever did."
By now, the way Green looked at Ai Xia's profile had completely changed.
Young. Powerful. And not the type to hoard knowledge.
Add in the fact that Ai Xia was just as good-looking as Green himself, plus that insane victory over Misty the other night? In Green's mind, this streamer had rapidly ascended to the ranks of elite intellectuals—someone both brilliant and generous.
Green couldn't help but feel genuine admiration.
He was a proud man, but not an arrogant one.
After all his trials—including that infamous three-minute Championship reign—the former Champion had long since stopped looking down on others.
Instead, he had deep respect for those who actually did good things. And Ai Xia? He was clearly one of those people.
"Alright, followed. When he goes live later, I'm showering him with Master Balls!"
Slapping his thigh, Green—never one to shy away from flexing his wealth—instantly decided that he had to befriend Ai Xia.
"Mhm."
Red called Pikachu back to his shoulder, and the two of them settled onto the gym's plush leather sofa, eagerly awaiting the start of Ai Xia's stream.
--+--
Dayan Region, Ancient Sword Mountain.
The moment he stepped out of the car, Ai Xia received a new system notification.
[System Mission: Capture a wild Pokémon.]
[Reward: Lucky Egg.]
"Hm?"
Staring at the mission prompt, Ai Xia paused in thought.
Capture a Pokémon...
Logically speaking, at this stage, most rookie trainers would've already started expanding their teams with new Pokémon.
Ai Xia was no exception.
But due to certain... pressures, he had planned to focus solely on Caterpie's training for now, only considering a new team member after resolving those issues.
And yet, the system had gone ahead and given him a capture mission anyway?
Not only that, but the reward was a Lucky Egg—an item that, in the games, boosted experience gain by 50%. Whether he gave it to Caterpie to speed up its growth or saved it for a new teammate, it'd be incredibly useful.
"Caterpie's training plan is already set anyway—it doesn't need my constant attention. Even if I split my focus to raise a second Pokémon, it shouldn't be a problem."
Plus, having a training partner might even lead to some unexpected benefits.
"Alright then."
After running the numbers and confirming that this was a win-win situation, Ai Xia made up his mind.
"I'll keep an eye out for any promising Pokémon during training."
His philosophy on captures had always been quality over quantity.
And since the system had never punished him for failing missions, he wasn't in any rush.
Even if he didn't find anything worthwhile, his Caterpie was already on its way to becoming something monstrous.
Ai Xia wouldn't mind conquering the world with just a Rayquaza...
Assuming, of course, that he and Caterpie could successfully "ascend" first.
"Alright, let's move out."
After double-checking his gear to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Ai Xia bypassed the tourist ticket area—safe, sanitized, and completely devoid of dangerous Pokémon—and headed straight for the real wilderness.
This was a trainer's paradise.
After flashing his Trainer ID at the Pokémon League checkpoint, Ai Xia officially stepped into the untamed depths of Ancient Sword Mountain.
"Caterpie, time to stretch your legs."
Tossing out his Poké Ball, he released Caterpie—who, for some reason, seemed weirdly hyped—and together, they ventured deeper into the forest.
Wilderness training?
It's on.
--+--
T/N: It's the male Green. If you don't know already, the Japanese and Chinese call Blue(American) Green because the colors are swapped. This guy is Red's rival. I'm too lazy to change the names.