After class, during the break, inside the classroom.
Jiang Shuyun was pestering Oliver, asking him to teach her how to train Pokémon. In her eyes, Oliver was far more reliable than the instructors at that mysterious training base she had attended.
After all, in just two months, Oliver had trained Milotic to the point where it could contend with a veteran-level Pokémon. Could those trainers really do something like that?
Although Oliver hadn't obtained specialized knowledge about Charmeleon, he could still tell that Jiang Shuyun's Charmeleon had outstanding physical strength. In comparison, its fire-type special attacks were slightly weaker.
In other words, her Charmeleon was better suited for a physical attack route, with special attacks used only as support—relying mainly on its powerful body to deal damage.
However, since Oliver hadn't unlocked Charmeleon-specific cultivation knowledge, he only gave general advice. Coincidentally, Jiang Shuyun herself was already following that same physical-oriented training path, so she nodded in agreement. It was likely someone had already told her something similar before.
Just then, Liu—Teacher Liu—walked into the classroom.
"Oliver, Jiang Shuyun, come out for a moment."
Oliver's heart skipped a beat.
Why was Old Liu looking for him?
Could it be because of what happened earlier in class?
But then—why Jiang Shuyun too?
Confused, Oliver decided not to overthink it. Since Liu had already come to get them, there was no avoiding it.
The two followed Liu to his office.
As a veteran trainer, Liu clearly enjoyed excellent待遇 from the school. He had a private office equipped with air conditioning, a reclining chair, and a computer.
Against one wall stood a glass display cabinet filled with trophies—each one polished until it gleamed without a speck of dust.
"50th Southwestern High School Tournament – Bronze Medal"
"42nd Chengdu High School Tournament – Silver Medal"
"43rd Chengdu High School Tournament – Gold Medal"
"54th Southwestern High School Tournament – Gold Medal"
And in the corner, slightly less eye-catching:
"73rd National Youth Tournament – Top 32"
"Teacher Liu… these trophies are all—" Jiang Shuyun began.
Liu said proudly, "That's right. All Pokémon battle awards our school has earned. Many of them were won while I was leading the team."
"What about the National Youth Tournament one?" Oliver asked.
Liu glanced at it, his expression filled with nostalgia.
"That one… was from when I competed myself. That was a long time ago. I was only 22 back then."
He quickly changed the subject.
"Let's talk business. Do you know why I called you here?"
Oliver and Jiang Shuyun sensed Liu's sudden seriousness.
"The Southwestern High School Tournament?" Oliver guessed.
"Exactly," Liu nodded.
"The tournament begins as soon as the new semester starts. It's a team competition among top third-year students from across the entire southwestern region. Each school gets five slots."
"I've been observing students recently, looking for suitable candidates. You two are among the most outstanding trainers I've found so far."
"I want you to join the school team and represent Chengdu No.1 High School."
Jiang Shuyun's eyes lit up immediately.
"I'm in!" she said without hesitation.
"Teacher Liu, don't worry! Even if I'm not as strong as Oliver, restoring the glory of Chengdu No.1 is our duty!"
Oliver, however, fell into thought.
He still had to supply at least 200 energy cubes per month, and participating in the tournament would undoubtedly take up a lot of time. Joining the school team also meant staying after school every day for collective training.
That was a serious time investment.
Seeing Oliver hesitate, Liu tried to persuade him.
"Oliver, I know you plan to pursue the path of a researcher. But your Milotic's strength is among the very best of all third-year students. It would be a real shame to miss this tournament."
"And achievements in competitions like this will become an important highlight in your résumé."
Just then, the long-silent system voice sounded in Oliver's mind:
Option One: Accept Liu's invitation and represent Chengdu No.1 High School in the Southwestern High School Tournament. Rewards based on final ranking.
Option Two: Decline the invitation and focus solely on academic research. Reward: None.
Liu continued earnestly:
"The rewards are extremely generous. Last tournament, the first-place team received 10 million Alliance Credits, and the Best Individual award was 5 million. And with society placing more importance on Pokémon, the rewards grow larger every year!"
Oliver suddenly straightened up, his expression solemn.
"It's not about the rewards," he said seriously.
"I simply want to bring honor to my school and repay my alma mater for its cultivation."
Liu nodded in satisfaction.
"Good! That's the spirit of a true Chengdu No.1 student!"
"But I do have one condition," Oliver added.
"I won't participate in after-school group training. I have more important matters to attend to."
Liu frowned slightly.
"You can't underestimate the competition. While rare, there have been students with high-level Pokémon in past tournaments. Training cannot be neglected."
Oliver replied calmly, "My personal training methods are more effective. Don't you think so?"
Liu was instantly speechless.
How was he supposed to argue that?
Training a beginner Pokémon to high-level strength in just two months, with limited resources—had anyone ever done that before?
"…Fine," Liu finally said.
"But before the tournament, I will inspect your Pokémon's strength. Don't even think about slacking off."
And just like that, Oliver and Jiang Shuyun became the first two official members of this year's school team.
Later, it was said that when the principal heard about this, he called Liu into his office and scolded him harshly.
Oliver was a once-in-a-generation academic genius, someone who could very well become a future Pokémon Professor. And Liu had gone and dragged him into Pokémon battles—wasn't that holding him back?
In the end, Oliver personally visited the principal to explain that joining the competition was entirely his own decision.
After repeated assurances, the principal had no choice but to agree—after all, he couldn't force a student not to compete.
Still, the principal could only hope that once the tournament ended, Oliver would return to academic research and stop getting involved in "all these flashy distractions."
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