First floor of the castle, the Throne Room.
Alex, Melanie, and the others had been waiting here for quite some time.
Their faces were flushed with excitement, as if being here was an immense honor for them.
And all of this was simply because His Majesty Draconis was going to meet them!
Come to think of it, this was their first time in this castle... This place was truly magnificent!
The children couldn't help but swallow nervously.
They all came from families of Commoners; before the war began, they had been living in their respective villages, cutting grass and herding cattle.
And now, they were actually able to come to the castle and meet the King... If anyone had told them this a year ago, they wouldn't have believed it.
But now, it was really happening.
Alfred watched them with a smile from the side. Seeing that some seemed nervous, he couldn't help but speak up to reassure them:
"Don't be nervous. His Majesty Draconis is a very benevolent King."
They looked at Alfred, and a boy named Johnny couldn't help but ask:
"Lord Alfred, do you know why His Majesty Draconis called us here? What does he want us to do?"
Alfred smiled and said, "You'll know once His Majesty arrives."
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from ahead.
Immediately after, everyone saw His Majesty Draconis, dressed in royal robes and wearing a crown, walk out. He sat upon the throne, his gaze—majestic yet with a hint of gentleness—slowly sweeping over the crowd.
The Trainers met his eyes and couldn't help but kneel in salute.
"His Majesty Draconis!" everyone shouted in unison.
Draconis smiled and said, "Rise, everyone!"
Everyone stood up, but their faces still couldn't hide their excitement.
They really saw His Majesty Draconis! No, His Majesty Draconis was actually speaking to them in person!
"For all of you to be here today, you must have put in a great deal of effort. To emerge victorious from among hundreds of Trainers, you must be the best of the best," Draconis said softly, a look of appreciation in his eyes.
Hearing this, everyone immediately straightened their backs, feeling immensely proud.
"As it happens, I have a heavy responsibility that could influence the development of the kingdom to entrust to you."
Here it comes!
The eight of them quickly focused, their hearts growing even more excited.
Draconis looked at the excited group and said with a smile, "However, before that, I have a few questions for you."
Alex was stunned for a moment and asked, "What are they, Your Majesty?"
"I wonder how you all view the profession of a Trainer," Draconis asked.
"Trainer..." Melanie was slightly taken aback. She was the first to answer, "Does it refer to people like us, who train Pokémon and live together with them?"
"Correct." Draconis nodded. "Anything else?"
"Besides that..."
Melanie fell into deep thought, but she couldn't understand what else a Trainer should do besides training Pokémon.
On the side, a flash of inspiration struck Alex, and he quickly said, "I've got it—it's Pokémon battling! There should always be a purpose to a Trainer training Pokémon, and that is to constantly battle other Trainers to become stronger!"
Since the Grand Arena was built, Alex often went there with his Emboar for exhibition matches.
One reason was to use this as actual combat training to improve his strength, and the other was to earn some money to help support his family.
For every battle at the Grand Arena, the contestants would receive a certain percentage of the ticket sales.
"Exactly. Training is just the process. A Trainer's true purpose is to improve their strength alongside their Pokémon and become stronger!" Draconis gave Alex an appreciative look.
The others also came to a sudden realization.
"By next year, I plan to promote the profession of Trainer throughout the kingdom. Then, at the end of the year, I will hold a national-scale tournament in the Royal Capital. Trainers from all over will come here to compete until a final Champion is decided."
Hearing these words, a surge of excitement erupted in everyone's eyes.
Alex clenched his fists even tighter; he had to win this Championship!
"However, considering that there might be too many people by then—even some novices might sign up just for the fun of it—I plan to set some entry requirements for this tournament to reduce the schedule as much as possible."
"To participate in this grand battle festival, one must collect eight Gym Badges," Draconis said slowly.
"Gym... Badges?"
Hearing this unfamiliar term, everyone was stunned.
They looked at each other, then suddenly realized that their number also happened to be exactly eight!
"I plan to select eight cities within the kingdom and establish eight different Gyms there. The purpose of calling you here today is to have you go to those locations, serve as Gym Leaders, stay at the Gyms, and accept challenges from Trainers."
"If they defeat you, you will present them with a Gym Badge."
Melanie and the others looked enlightened, but Alex frowned.
He couldn't help but ask, "Then, Your Majesty, can we still participate in this tournament?"
"Of course. When the end of the year comes, you, as Gym Leaders, will be granted an exception and receive eight slots to compete."
"The final winner of the tournament will become the strongest person in the Kingdom of Eindoak and will also become the Kingdom's Champion."
"The next four winners will become the Elite Four, ranked just below the Champion."
"Whether it's the Champion or the Elite Four, your names will be known throughout the country, and you will represent the kingdom as you walk upon this land," Draconis explained.
Naturally, the primary duties of the Elite Four and the Champion would be to handle riots caused by wild Pokémon that soldiers cannot manage, as well as to mediate the relationship between humans and Pokémon.
Because wild Pokémon often appeared near human settlements to cause trouble, it was very difficult for ordinary people to deal with.
The Champion and the Elite Four would be responsible for handling these troublesome incidents.
Meanwhile, incidents like Diglett causing trouble in farmland or Lairon eating iron hoes could be left to other traveling Trainers to help with.
Because of this, Trainers would be known as the "bridge of communication between humans and Pokémon."
But the eight chosen ones had not yet thought of this.
They were still immersed in the words Draconis had just spoken.
Champion, Elite Four, the strongest person in the kingdom, names echoing across the country... could they really become people like that?
For a moment, a fervent look appeared in the eyes of the eight.
Draconis watched this scene with a smile and then said:
"After becoming Gym Leaders, you will receive funding from the Trainer Association and will be paid a very generous salary every month."
"If you wish, you can also bring your families to the cities where the Gyms are located to live with you. The Association will build Gyms for you and provide residences for you to live in."
"Your Majesty, I am willing to go!" someone in the crowd immediately shouted impatiently.
"His Majesty Draconis, I am willing as well!" Then came the second, and the third.
....
Power Stones PlZZZZ
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