"The college entrance exam is finally over!"
"Today… I can finally adopt a Pokémon of my own!"
On the outskirts of Kyoto, within the Donghuang Alliance, a private estate sat quietly amid open land.
In the courtyard, a handsome teenage boy lounged with a cup of expensive tea in hand, letting out a satisfied sigh.
His name was Ethan, a native of Kyoto.
The name Ethan might not carry much weight across the Donghuang Alliance.
But mention the name Victor Stone anywhere in the region, and it was impossible to find someone who didn't recognize it.
Victor Stone was the current Champion of the Donghuang Alliance.
As for Ethan's relationship with Victor Stone…
That's right—Victor Stone was Ethan's father.
While others struggled endlessly just to make ends meet, Ethan had long been living a life free of worry, where food and comfort were guaranteed and price tags were irrelevant.
The life of a wealthy prodigy was, frankly, dull and monotonous.
If there was anything that brought color to it, it was the Pokémon living in the courtyard before him.
"Belloo~"
"Bellossom, what is it?"
Ethan smiled lightly as Bellossom approached him.
"Belloo~"
As she spoke, Bellossom placed a freshly picked flower into Ethan's hand.
"Is this… a gift for me?"
"Thanks. I really like it."
He raised the flower to his nose and took a gentle breath. The fragrance was refreshing and calming, instantly putting him at ease.
"Belloo~ (^▽^)"
Bellossom was one of the Pokémon living in the courtyard.
She belonged to Ethan's mother, Anna Stone.
Besides Bellossom, many other Pokémon lived here as well—Ninetales, Dewgong, Azumarill, Florges, Stufful, Comfey, Mabosstiff, Espathra, and more.
All of them were Pokémon owned by Ethan's parents.
Ethan shared an excellent relationship with every one of them.
However, there was one Pokémon in the courtyard that belonged to neither his father nor his mother.
It was a Pokémon without a trainer.
"Meta—"
While Ethan was chatting with Bellossom, a massive Pokémon suddenly appeared behind him.
Standing nearly two meters tall, its bulky body resembled a giant metallic crab. Its silver-white body was accented by a radiant, golden alloy cross embedded in its face, giving it an overwhelmingly imposing presence.
Its sheer size and aura made its strength obvious at a glance.
That's right.
The Pokémon before him was a Metagross—and an exceptionally rare shiny one.
The origins of this Metagross dated back many years.
It was the "odd one out" of the courtyard.
Not because of its temperament, but because it didn't belong to anyone.
When Ethan was eight years old, he had once encountered a Beldum that was gravely injured and on the verge of death.
That day, rain poured relentlessly.
Ethan braved the storm, struggling with all his strength to drag the hundred-kilogram Beldum back home.
Under Florges' treatment, the Beldum—once hovering on the brink of death—slowly recovered.
Yet after it healed, the Beldum didn't leave.
Instead, it chose to stay.
Ethan didn't object, and neither did his parents.
They weren't foolish. They understood exactly how valuable a Beldum was.
Officially, it was known as a Pokémon that reached its peak late.
Among Trainers, it was known by an even more prestigious title—
Pseudo-Legendary.
It was the kind of Pokémon that even Ethan's Champion father would find difficult to obtain.
Not to mention that this Beldum was also a rare shiny variant.
And so, Beldum remained in the courtyard, growing slowly over time.
Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon matured at an extremely slow pace.
But even so, ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
The once tiny Beldum had long since completed two evolutions, becoming a true Pseudo-Legendary—Metagross.
According to Victor Stone, this Metagross possessed terrifying strength.
It had already reached the peak of Apex-level power, just one step away from entering Elite-level territory.
By all logic, it could have easily established itself as a dominant force in the wild.
Yet it refused to leave.
Instead, it stuck to Ethan day after day.
Despite its massive body and fearsome appearance, it was nothing more than an oversized Pokémon that loved to act spoiled.
"Alright, alright, Metagross."
"If you keep rubbing against me, I'm going to end up on the ground."
Ethan sighed helplessly as Metagross continued nudging him.
You're already this big—why are you still acting like a Beldum?
Even so, Ethan was clearly indulgent toward it.
He gently patted the radiant golden cross on its face, then picked up the afternoon dessert nearby and handed it over.
The moment it saw food, Metagross used its psychic power to tip the cake straight into its mouth.
"Meta~"
Metagross clearly thought it tasted great.
"Alright, alright. You really are endlessly greedy."
Ethan looked at it and spoke softly.
"But Metagross, I've finished the college entrance exam."
"I probably won't be coming back to this estate very often anymore."
Metagross froze.
For a moment, it didn't understand what Ethan meant.
Seeing its slightly dazed expression, Ethan smiled.
"So what I want to ask is…"
"Metagross, would you be willing to become my partner?"
"To leave this place with me and see a much wider world?"
Because Pokémon were so powerful, the Donghuang Alliance strictly regulated private Pokémon ownership.
Only those who passed the Pokémon college entrance exam were qualified to become Trainers.
In the past, Ethan had wanted to take Metagross as his Pokémon—but he lacked the qualification.
Even if his father was the Champion.
Now that the exam was over, Ethan naturally wouldn't remain at the estate for long.
Today, he would leave to adopt a starter Pokémon from the breeding center run by his mother.
A week later, he would enroll in the highest academic institution of the Donghuang Alliance—Donghuang Academy.
Officially, he would become a university student.
Naturally, this meant leaving the estate behind.
Ethan was reluctant to part with the Pokémon in the courtyard.
But sooner or later, he had to step out and see the world for himself.
He couldn't take the others with him.
But Metagross… he wanted to try.
After all, it was the Pokémon he cherished most in the estate.
Even so, Ethan wasn't entirely sure whether Metagross would be willing to leave.
After all, it lived comfortably here, with the highest-quality ores delivered to it every day.
"Meta!"
Ethan's worries were unnecessary.
The moment Metagross heard that Ethan was leaving, its heart skipped—it thought Ethan was abandoning it.
The reason it had stayed in the estate all these years wasn't just because of the abundant food.
It was because of him.
So when Ethan said he wanted to take it along…
Metagross didn't hesitate for even a second.
It agreed immediately, without the slightest doubt.
Ethan froze for a moment, then broke into a warm smile.
"Haha, then Metagross… I'll be counting on you for the rest of the journey."
"Meta~"
[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully obtained a Red-tier opportunity: Shiny Metagross captured]
[System activation prerequisites fulfilled]
[Opportunity Critical Strike System binding initiated]
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