"Let's thank Lin Yu for that wonderful speech! We all hope he'll shine at the Provincial Tournament
and bring glory to Shuimu City!"
Lin Yu stepped off the stage, microphone in hand —
and all eyes were on him.
Some stared in awe, some in envy, and others muttered bitterly:
"He just got lucky with good Pokémon! I'd be better if I had them!"
Classic "I could do better" mentality.
It was like someone from a tiny town suddenly getting into Tsinghua —
everyone had something to say.
On his first day back to ask for leave,
Lin Yu never expected to be dragged onto the stage
to talk about how he raised his Pokémon.
What could he say?
That he cheated?
It wasn't even all the system.
The system could have gotten him here,
but it would have taken years.
So Lin Yu simply said:
"Talent, effort… and a heart that connects with your Pokémon."
"There are no useless Pokémon — only unworthy Trainers."
They never saw the abandoned Charmander, training with an obsession to grow strong.
They never saw Riolu, pushing its body past the limit with the Gravity Sphere.
They never saw Ralts, falling asleep from exhaustion while practicing "drawing" moves.
They never saw the hardship of battling wild Pokémon after wild Pokémon in the Secret Realms.
Lin Yu had seen it all.
After the speech,
Lin Yu headed to Teacher Qin's office.
His homeroom teacher and Coach Luo Xing were waiting.
They looked at Lin Yu — only a little time had passed, but he'd left his childishness behind.
They immediately knew
he'd been through countless Secret Realms.
They'd both joined the rescue mission last time!
They'd chewed him out then, telling him he was too reckless for a Class‑B Realm.
In the end, Auntie Xue had stepped in to save him.
"Make us proud."
A thousand words hung in the air, but all they said was one phrase of encouragement.
"You got it! I'll bring home the championship — then you can brag: 'See that champion? He was my student!'"
Lin Yu grinned.
He could tell from the rescue that both men truly cared about him.
The stern Luo Xing wasn't amused.
But the younger Teacher Qin laughed and said:
"Shameless. I'd be happy if you just make it to Nationals."
"Underestimate me? I'm definitely winning first place!"
After their chat,
Lin Yu headed home. At the school gate, he saw the senior.
The weather had warmed up.
She was back to her energetic self: a crisp white shirt, light blue tie, long silver hair tied in a ponytail.
She looked like she'd stepped straight out of an anime!
"Xiao Yu…"
Unlike her usual bright self, she seemed shy and nervous.
"When are you leaving?"
Lin Yu scratched his nose. "Tomorrow. I want to get settled early."
"Okay!"
Xue Nai clenched her small fists.
She knew the truth.
Even though her Alolan Vulpix had absorbed Articuno's power and its talent had soared,
Lin Yu's growth…
was just too fast.
And his childhood friend…
her rival… came from a family with terrifying power.
If she couldn't keep up…
"Xiao Yu, you're so talented — you'll go far. I've decided: I'm going to travel, challenge Gyms across the country…
and let's promise — we'll meet again at the National High School Tournament!"
Under the warm sun, her eyes were sincere and determined.
Lin Yu couldn't help but bump fists with her.
"Deal."
Before going home,
Lin Yu visited Chenghua District. He stood where he'd trained with Charmander.
He looked at the old Secret Realm entrance,
remembering how he'd fled in fear from that Gyarados.
He suddenly burst out laughing.
"Whatever. I'll come back and take you on later."
He would return to that Realm.
It was where Ho-Oh's Plume had once been found.
He'd searched countless times with Aura Sense and found nothing…
but he knew a secret lay hidden inside.
Water Metropolis, here I come!
The Imperial Capital.
The Ye Family Household.
As the leading Dragonite Trainer family in China, they'd produced Champions and countless Elite Four members.
Their strongest Honored Elite Four's main Dragonite
was said to have reached Champion tier.
A strength that could even clash with some Legendary Pokémon.
Their legacy stretched back centuries.
When Secret Realms first appeared, the Ye Family signed a contract with the SS‑Class Dragon Isle.
On top of that, direct Ye Family descendants possessed a unique Dragon Lord Power
that let them bond perfectly with Dragon‑type Pokémon.
In just 200 years,
the Ye Family had become one of China's greatest Pokémon clans.
Business, Gyms, the military, Breeding — the Ye Family ruled every field.
Only those with strong enough Dragon Power were allowed to go to Dragon Isle and catch a Dratini.
And Ye Qingxue…
had the strongest Dragon Power in a hundred years.
This power didn't just boost Dragon‑type Pokémon in battle.
Over time, it could even raise their talent.
That was why Dragonite were so loyal to the Ye Family.
Inside her pink-themed bedroom,
Ye Qingxue had just finished bathing. Her wet hair spread across the bed.
Her small, pale feet dangled in the air, rubbing together.
Her legs peeked out from her skirt, her graceful figure moving softly.
Her bright blue eyes stared fixedly at her phone screen.
It was a video of Lin Yu sending out Charmeleon to battle Breloom.
"Dragonair~ Do you think you could beat that Charmeleon?"
A slender, elegant Dragonair, about four or five meters long, opened its eyes on the bed and stared at the Charmeleon in the video.
Level 38 Dragonair!
Dragonair glanced helplessly at its Trainer,
then focused carefully.
After a moment, it shook its head.
It could tell Charmeleon was holding back.
But even so, beating it would still be a stretch.
"Mmm~"
"If you battle it next time, I won't use Dragon Power on you. And you have to go easy, okay?"
Dragonair: "???"
It nodded dejectedly, secretly vowing:
If we meet again, I'm holding nothing back!
"Kekeke… Don't underestimate that Charmeleon!"
From the shadows, a Gengar appeared with a sinister grin.
"Kid, look at its white flame. Look how long it fought — did it even pant once?"
Dragonair's gaze returned to the video.
Its eyes slowly narrowed…