"That's great! The three of us will challenge the Gym together!" Bea exclaimed happily.
"How do you two train your Pokémon?" Zhang suddenly asked.
He came from an ordinary family and only knew the standard training methods taught in school. He had no knowledge of the advanced techniques available to the wealthy. Both Bea and Cynthia came from famous, powerful families; they would surely know more sophisticated methods. He wanted to see if he could learn anything that might help him.
"It's not convenient to talk about it here. Let's go to the lounge," Cynthia suggested, leading them toward the departure terminal.
She guided them into the VIP lounge.
After they left, two middle-aged men huddled in a corner, whispering conspiratorially.
"A pseudo-legendary and a rare Pokémon nobody's ever seen before. Should we make a move?"
"What are you thinking? We're only at the elite tier. We couldn't beat those kids."
"What's there to be afraid of? We have plenty of people in Team Rocket."
"Let's report it up. The squad leader can notify the captain, and he can bring a large group. You think two kids can stand against that?"
"The captain might not agree. A pseudo-legendary and an unknown Pokémon are valuable to us, but maybe not to the higher-ups. A Pokémon that's already been captured can't become their own, after all. Untamed ones are the most valuable."
"And the Daxia region is tightly controlled. Team Rocket's influence here is much weaker than in other regions."
"It's worth a try. We've got nothing to lose."
"That's true. Let's give it a shot then."
In the lounge, Zhang leaned back into the plush sofa. Bea did the same, making herself comfortable. Cynthia, however, sat perfectly upright, a model of poise, unlike her two companions who had no care for appearances.
"Zhang, my family's training method is like this..." Cynthia began to explain some of the non-essential, but still advanced, techniques of her family, along with her own experiences.
After she finished, it was Zhang's turn. Although he only knew standard methods, he had studied and trained for over two years and had developed his own insights. His experience as a gamer also gave him some unconventional ideas. Then, Bea shared her methods.
The three of them talked for a long time, eagerly discussing tactics and training philosophies. In the end, each of them had gained some new perspective.
"No wonder Master always says to make more friends. 'Among three people, there will surely be my teacher.' The sages were right," Bea sighed.
"It's almost time. We should get on the plane," Zhang said, checking his phone.
"Mm-hmm," Bea nodded, jumping to her feet, full of energy.
Once on the plane, they found that their seats were all next to each other.
"We really are fated to meet," Bea commented, looking at Zhang and Cynthia sitting beside her.
"Speaking of which, with your family backgrounds, you could both afford to fly first class. Why are you in economy?" Zhang asked, curious. From their conversation, he had gathered that both of their families were incredibly wealthy.
"I don't like it. I prefer places with a lot of people. It's more lively," Bea replied, shaking her head.
"I feel much the same," Cynthia nodded. "It's just not what I want."
"An unexpected answer," he said with a gentle smile.
"What about you, Zhang?" Bea asked, her curiosity piqued. As a Gym Leader-tier trainer, he certainly wouldn't be short on money.
"For me, I grew up poor," he said, a complex look in his eyes. "So I'm reluctant to spend money on things I feel are a waste. First class is too expensive, in my opinion. It's not worth it. Even though I'm not short on money now, old habits die hard. I subconsciously look for the most cost-effective option."
If it hadn't been for his ability to traverse, he probably would have never been on a plane in his life, let alone in first class. Even high-speed trains were too expensive; the most cost-effective option was the old-fashioned green train.
"I see. So you're a genius from a humble background," Bea said, a look of admiration on her face.
In the world of trainers, those from common backgrounds were the rarest and had the hardest time succeeding. But those who did make it almost always reached the Heavenly King tier at a minimum. In a life-or-death battle, they were the strongest. They had overcome countless hardships to get where they were; they were not flowers raised in a greenhouse. There was once a Heavenly King from a common background who, in a one-on-four battle, had killed three Heavenly Kings from powerful families and seriously injured a fourth.
A civilian trainer? Cynthia thought. No wonder his Pokémon are so fierce, with such a powerful wildness. He must have gone through a lot.
"I was just lucky," he said with a modest smile.
"Zhang, what is your goal?" Bea asked, looking at him like a curious child.
"To be the strongest in the world!" He raised his hand and clenched his fist, his voice filled with a powerful confidence. It was the same spirit he'd had when playing the games, when he would declare that he would become the Champion.
"So confident! But I'm going to be the strongest. I'll definitely defeat you in the future," she declared, full of youthful energy. "This year's New Generation Tournament is about to start. I'll be there, and I'll beat you fair and square on that stage."
"Then I'll look forward to it," he smiled.
The New Generation Tournament she mentioned was a global competition for junior Pokémon trainers, officially known as the Global Junior Pokémon Tournament. Participants had to be under 18. It was held annually, and the champion received incredible prizes, such as a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, a Mega Stone, or a Dynamax Band. The winner was hailed as the Rookie King, a future Elite Four member and Champion.
"I remember last year's Daxia champion was already at the Elite Four tier," Cynthia noted. "At our current level, we might still be a bit behind."
"But the tournament is still three months away, isn't it?" Bea said confidently. "In three months, we'll definitely be at the Elite Four tier. We just have to train hard."