Seeing Julian shakily pull a Cheri Berry out of his pocket, it was clear he had become so accustomed to paralysis that he always kept one on hand.
The sight made Ian want to laugh, while Acacia’s frustration from her earlier loss suddenly dissipated, replaced by amusement at the scene.
Once the paralysis wore off, Julian stood motionless, his expression blank as Gastly hovered around him, occasionally letting its gaseous fumes waft into his nose.
'This smell really hits hard'
Recalling Gastly into its Poké Ball, Julian turned to see Ian struggling to suppress a laugh, his face darkening instantly.
“I was just thinking of something funny from when I was a kid”
Ian quickly explained. Although he didn’t know Julian all that well, but everyone in the Special Recruitment Class knew about Julian’s petty nature.
Even Julian’s high school classmate, Shen, had confirmed that Julian could hold a grudge over the smallest things.
“Oh, like how you wet the bed at twelve?” Julian said casually.
Ian’s face turned beet red in an instant, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and embarrassment.
“Hahaha, Ian, you still wet the bed at that age?” Acacia teased mercilessly.
“Shut up! I— It was eleven— No, wait, I never wet the bed!”
Ian stammered, his face now as red as a tomato as he practically shouted his response.
But his reaction only made it seem more suspicious.
'Damn it, Owen! It must’ve been him who told Julian! That traitor!'
Ian clenched his fists, furious. The only person he’d ever told about this embarrassing moment was his older brother, Owen.
The betrayal stung deeply—nothing cuts quite like a sibling’s knife in the back.
“So, it was eleven? Got it,” Julian said with a faint nod.
“Good to know,” Acacia chimed in, nodding along as well.
Ian glared at the two of them, his fists trembling.
After a moment, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He couldn’t take on either of them in a fight.
'Damn it! This is just bullying! I’m a Dragon-type Trainer! A Dragon-type Trainer!'
Grinding his teeth, Ian stormed off. His hurried steps and slightly hunched posture only made him look more flustered.
“Where are you going, Julian?”
Acacia called out when she saw him heading toward the main gates of Ian’s family estate.
“Back to university.”
Since the Hundred Schools League, he hadn’t been back to campus for over a month. It was about time he returned.
“I won’t lose to you next time!” Acacia shouted after him.
“Do you even believe that yourself?”
Julian turned back to glance at her.
This woman, who appeared so cold on the surface, had a streak of childish overconfidence.
With fewer resources, and weaker tactical skills, how could she possibly defeat him? By sheer force of will?
Acacia froze for a moment, caught off guard by Julian’s bluntness. His words left her both flustered and indignant, unsure how to respond.
'Who does he think he’s looking down on? Just give me some time, and I’ll—I'll... do something about it!'
Watching Julian’s departing figure, a fuming Acacia clenched her fists, then turned on her heel to find Ian.
She needed to vent her frustration somehow, and beating him up seemed like a good start.
'After all, he’s Julian’s classmate, so he’s got to take the fall'
On the way back to school, Julian stopped by the Imperial City Trainers’ Association to update his trainer rank.
Upon reaching the Elite rank and above, trainers received an annual allocation of resources from the association.
Trainers who performed exceptionally in tasks—completing tasks with high difficulty, quantity, or efficiency—were eligible for additional rewards.
These rewards ranged from rare items, to access to advanced secret realms and even priority for obtaining Elite-level Pokémon.
These incentives were put in place by the Drakorian Trainers’ Association to monitor and maintain accurate records of the number of Elite-level trainers in the nation.
Without such measures, many trainers who reached the Elite rank might choose to hide their strength and continue developing in secret.
Of course, if an Elite trainer didn’t openly display their abilities but was later discovered, the association would quickly follow up with a personal evaluation.
“Hello, I’d like to update my trainer rank”
The association’s hall was bustling with trainers handling various matters. After waiting for about half an hour, it was finally Julian’s turn.
The staff member replied, taking Julian’s trainer card and placing it on a machine. Moments later, his information appeared on the computer screen.
The staff member glanced at the screen, then looked up in surprise at Julian.
'Wait a second, isn’t this that famous young trainer?'
'And didn’t he just say he wanted to update his rank?'
The staff’s eyes widened as realization dawned. 'No way... Is he already at the Elite level?'
“Please present the Pokémon you’d like to use for the rank update.”
The staff member said, masking his shock.
Julian handed over Dragonite’s Poké Ball, which the staff member placed into a nearby device designed to precisely measure a Pokémon’s level.
After several seconds, the screen displayed three lines:
Level 71—undoubtedly an Elite-level Pokémon.
With swift and practiced movements, the staff member completed the update process.
Julian’s information was officially entered into the Elite Trainer database, marking a significant moment for the Drakorian Trainers’ Association: the addition of a promising young Elite trainer.
“Here are your updated credentials”
The staff member said, handing Julian his trainer card and Dragonite’s Poké Ball.
Julian nodded politely and walked away from the counter.
Instead of leaving the Trainers’ Association building, he found a quiet corner in the hall and took a seat. Pulling out his phone, he opened the Trainer App.
Now that his rank had been updated, the once-locked "Elite Trainer" section of the app was finally accessible. The lock icon was gone.
With a tap of his finger, the section opened, revealing two categories;
The Trading Zone and the Mission Zone.
The Trainer App’s regular Trading Zone had a wide range of items—low, medium, and high-quality alike.
However, the Trading Zone in the Elite section exclusively showcased high-tier resources, the kind rarely available to the general public.
Browsing through the listings, Julian noted some eye-catching offers:
Big_Deals: Ampharos Mega Stone for trade, looking for a Cyan-tier Heracross.
Money_Talks: Offering 3 billion to purchase a pseudo-legendary Pokémon hatchling.
Gardevoir’s_Stockings: Selling a spoon from an Elite-tier Alakazam, priced at 3.5 billion.
Iron-Clad_Machamp: Cyan-tier Geodude for sale, price set at 1 billion.
Julian skimmed the listings. The smallest figures started in the 100 million, with items so rare that even veteran trainers would go to great lengths to acquire them.
At the Elite level, both earning and spending money became a high-stakes game. Trainers at this rank required premium resources to maintain their edge.
Finding nothing particularly interesting in the Trading Zone, Julian was about to browse the Mission Zone when his phone suddenly buzzed.
A call popped up on the screen: Frank, Homeroom Teacher.
Upto 30 chapters ahead on :-