Roy followed the instructions and left the Pokémon Ranch. After the senior at the door confird there was a starter Pokémon in his Poké Ball, he let Roy return directly to class.
So students who failed to connect with their desired starter Pokémon in the ranch could only follow the seniors dejectedly and accept the school's alternative assignnts.
...Abandoning or mistreating Pokémon was a serious cri explicitly written in criminal law.
Therefore, no matter how incompatible a Trainer and Pokémon might be, the Pokémon would never experience such a tragic fate. At worst, they would simply part ways.
The trainer suffered in these situations, though. Being unable to control your own Pokémon was a significant mark against your record. If it happened more than three tis, you'd be deed unqualified and have your Trainer license revoked.
"The laws and social atmosphere in this world are incredibly favorable toward Pokémon..." Roy reflected.
This kind of preferential treatnt for Pokémon was nothing like what he'd seen in the "Pocket Monsters" world from his previous life.
In the "Pocket Monsters" world, humans' preferential treatnt of Pokémon ca only from affection, but this world was different—here, there was also awe...
The Pokémon of this world were simply too powerful.
The beings known as "Legendary Pokémon" seed to wield god-like authority that human power couldn't match.
It was said that the war a century ago couldn't have ended without the assistance of several Legendary Pokémon. The human side had even signed nurous treaties with these beings.
Fortunately, these legal and social advantages hadn't made Pokémon arrogant or tyrannical...
Because they were fundantally simple creatures, without the complex and shifting thoughts that humans possessed. Once many Pokémon identified with their trainers, this bond would last their entire lives. Even Legendary Pokémon couldn't shake their resolve.
"Roy."
The girl who seed to radiate sunlight walked into the classroom, and the surrounding air appeared to drop a few degrees.
Serena glanced at Roy's waist, where the activated Poké Ball hung, with a look of surprise and anticipation. "You... succeeded?"
"Yes."
Roy nodded with a smile.
The two only had ti to exchange brief greetings before Professor Christian entered in a neat suit, clapping his hands to signal everyone to take their seats.
"I believe you've all acquired your starter Pokémon. For administrative purposes, when I call your na, please co to the front, show your starter Pokémon, and receive your entry card for the freshman tournant taking place next week."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing the enthusiastic response, Professor Christian nodded with satisfaction and began calling nas.
Common Pokémon like Pidgey, Rattata, and Nidoran♀ made up the majority, though Roy also spotted a few Pikachu.
But this world didn't have the blessing of ga developers—Pikachu was considered a rely "decent" Pokémon here.
"Serena."
"Present."
The girl stood up and walked toward the podium amid enthusiastic applause from her classmates... especially from the male students.
She tossed her Poké Ball, and a flash of white light followed.
What appeared was a fox-like Pokémon with red fur, amber eyes, and six fluffy tails.
"Aww!" Several girls couldn't help but squeal, wanting to rush forward and hug the adorable creature.
"That Vulpix... must be descended from Senior Ivy's Ninetales."
"Amazing. That girl's got talent."
"These fox Pokémon are all about appearance. Not surprising she got one."
"Sure, looks matter, but Vulpix is also an incredibly intelligent Pokémon. It's genuinely difficult to earn its trust without real ability."
The students chattered enthusiastically.
Teachers naturally favored promising students, and Professor Christian was no exception. He smiled and said, "Before Vulpix evolves into Ninetales, its combat ability is generally not exceptional. But don't rush the evolution. The focus at this stage is building a strong foundation. A Pokémon's early developnt, like a human child's, is critically important."
"For example, after evolving into Ninetales, this little one will gain access to many Psychic-type moves. If the foundation for Psychic abilities isn't established during the Vulpix stage, mastering them after evolution will be much more difficult."
Serena nodded politely. "Thank you, Professor."
"You're welco." Professor Christian stroked his beard. "When you decide it's ti for this little one to evolve, rember to purchase a Fire Stone through the university's channels—it'll be less expensive... Though even at the discounted rate, it still costs about 500,000 Pokédollars. Keep that in mind."
"Yes, sir."
Hearing the price, Roy ntally whistled.
At least 500,000 Pokédollars just to buy an Evolution Stone, and that was going through the internal channels of a prestigious university...
Being a Trainer truly was a career that burned through money.
As Serena returned to her seat, Professor Christian read the next na.
"Callan."
"Present!"
An ordinary-looking boy with dark skin stood up.
Despite his unremarkable appearance, no one in the classroom dared underestimate him. Instead, everyone—including the Professor—showed anticipation.
During the earlier roll call, even those who didn't know Callan had been quickly inford by those around them.
Besides eting the financial requirents and entrance exam scores, Pokémon Universities had another admission pathway.
—Recomnded students.
Those who caught the attention of Professional-level Trainers could be recomnded with guaranteed credit. These were the elites among admitted students.
And Callan's sponsor wasn't just any Professional Trainer, but one of the three Gym Leaders in Capital City.
Callan walked silently to the front and summoned his starter Pokémon.
"Saur, saur!"
Before the white light had even faded, the Pokémon's cry was already audible.
Roy instantly recognized it as a Bulbasaur, one of the...
Sure enough, Bulbasaur—one of the famous Starter Trio—appeared.
"It's a Bulbasaur..."
"One of our region's Starter Trio."
"As expected of soone favored by a Gym Leader. I heard he's even a direct disciple, in line to inherit the Gym..."
This world also recognized the concept of the Starter Trio.
Pokémon classified as starters had their own distinctive characteristics at every evolutionary stage, with excellent combat effectiveness and potential.
Most importantly, starter Pokémon rarely beca obsolete in a Trainer's lineup.
Pokémon like Caterpie and Rattata were often removed from main teams due to their limited potential and growth ceiling...
In professional tournants, the Starter Trio had the highest appearance rate.
Generation after generation, the Starter Trio remained icons of the competitive scene, known as "The Viridian Triumvirate," familiar even to ordinary people.
"Very good," Professor Christian smiled. "You don't need my advice on Grass-type Pokémon. Carry on."
After Callan returned to his seat, Roy finally heard his na called.
Roy's family had no Trainers within three generations, and they weren't celebrities. Professor Christian harbored no special expectations. The applause from the class was sparse, with only Serena offering genuine encouragent.
However, when Roy threw his Poké Ball, the classroom suddenly fell into profound silence.
This silence lasted a full three seconds before erupting into a cacophony of various emotions!
"Ri...olu?"
"Is that THE Riolu, child of the Elite?"
"Of course it is! There's only one Riolu in the entire ranch! This Pokémon doesn't even have a natural habitat in our country—it's a foreign species! Even in its native region, it's extrely rare, once considered one of the Mythical Pokémon!"
"This... I heard that several senior students who are preparing for professional assessnt couldn't gain Riolu's approval. Who is this unknown freshman?"
"It's been so long since anyone was chosen by it. Has Riolu lowered its standards?"
"To be fair, not every child of an Elite Pokémon can match their parent's achievents. Most Elite offspring are unremarkable."
"I always thought that Riolu had a terrible personality! Too withdrawn!"
Surprise, envy, suspicion, jealousy—all manner of reactions directed at Roy and Riolu.
A palpable atmosphere of sour grapes filled the room.
Riolu gave these people a cold glance and stood calmly in front of his Trainer, arms folded, with an attitude that clearly said, "This is my decision. Why should I explain myself to you?"
Roy didn't care about these doubts. If he were one of the students below, he'd probably have a similar reaction.
What interested him more was the rising Popularity value on Riolu's status panel.
Although it only increased slightly, it undoubtedly confird one of Roy's theories.
The students here all knew about 'Riolu' already, yet they could still provide Popularity points.
In other words, it wasn't just about how many people knew Riolu, but also about the intensity of discussion surrounding Riolu—this was a crucial factor affecting [Popularity]!
If Roy wanted to acquire more [Popularity Points], he wouldn't just need to expand his recognition—he'd need to do sothing more...
Create buzz! Generate s!
Roy's lips curved into a small smile as he contemplated the possibilities.
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