"Hey everyone! I'm currently at the commercial district of the Yale Provincial High School League Conference. Let me show you the crowd here."
Lin Lin flipped her smartphone camera to the rear.
As a popular live streamer, she boasts over five million fans on a video platform, thanks to her striking looks and figure.
Despite being a top student at Shu University, she had come to Lake City for a task that coincided with the Yale Provincial High School League Conference.
Perched on her shoulder is a newly hatched Pichu, gazing wide-eyed at the bustling new world around it.
Whenever it spots something intriguing, it lets out a few excited cries.
A flurry of comments quickly popped up on the live stream.
"I just want to see the anchor, not the event!"
"This looks like a Pokémon marketplace."
"The anchor is at the conference too; so am I!"
"Our high school league in Bash province just wrapped up. There were a lot of participants."
"How far along is the high school league in Yale Province, anchor?"
Lin Lin read the comments and replied, "The team competition is still ongoing, but it's nearing its end. I heard there's an amazing trainer here in Lake City."
"He has a Silver Metagross."
The mention of the Silver Metagross sparked an explosion of comments.
"Silver Metagross? Anchor, surely that's just hearsay!"
"Maybe you're not aware, but that's Walker Elite's grandson—everyone knows him!"
"As the grandson of an elite trainer, he's not someone to challenge."
While Julian typically scrolls through video websites to watch various content, he sometimes encounters videos of his own battles—captured in schools, public arenas, or clubs by spectators.
Thanks to his Silver Metagross and the reputations of his grandfather, a Steel Elite, and his father, a famous national gym leader, he has garnered some online fame.
Once Julian began training with his Silver Beldum, he knew he couldn't remain low-key, especially when displaying it publicly.
"Without his grandfather and father, he wouldn't be anything."
"Everything handed to him because of his family."
While some were envious, others were critical. Lin Lin chose not to comment, avoiding unnecessary drama.
In the shopping district of the conference, many streamers like Lin Lin were broadcasting live, hoping to capitalize on the league's popularity.
As they walk, Julian encountered several people with selfie sticks streaming their experiences.
"Julian, look! There's an Aron over there!" Will exclaimed, pointing at a breeding shop that had Aron for sale.
Aron, a Steel-type Pokémon, evolves into Aggron, known for its incredible defensive abilities.
John's strongest Pokémon, aside from Metagross, was this very Aggron.
It's famous among trainers, especially since John uses it as a key player, aside from his Metagross.
Compared to the pseudo-legendary Metagross, Aron still has market potential since it's available at premier breeding shops.
"What's weird about that,"
Julian said, he didn't find it odd since this shop was still part of their family business, and most Aron in circulation were bred and sold by them.
However, all the available ones had qualifications of green or below.
A cyan-qualified Aron wouldn't be sold in a market like this.
Top families in Drakoria often monopolized one or two powerful Pokémon, which helped maintain their status.
"Thirty million!!" Will exclaimed, leaning in closer.
"This green-qualified Aron costs 30 million? That's insane!"
For comparison, his green-qualified Charmander only cost a little over a million.
Charizard, when fully evolved, was just as strong as Aggron, yet the price difference was shocking.
"At this price, you could get a decent Pokémon on the black market," Will muttered.
"Supply and demand makes Aron more valuable; they're simply not as common as Charmander," Julian clarified.
"Where can you find Charmander in such abundance?" Will retorted challengingly, as Julian was suggesting Charmander were everywhere.
Han interjected, "Every Fire-type trainer has a Charizard. It's standard."
"Aggron, on the other hand, is a hallmark for Steel Elite trainers."
Beyond the price difference, training requirements varied significantly.
Charizard primarily needed energy blocks containing fire energy, while Aggron needed ores to maintain its defensive prowess.
If you're not an Elite, you can't really afford Aggron, unless you reduce your investment in other Pokémon.
As a result, individuals from normal family backgrounds typically aim to capture an Aron once they reach the Elite level.
At the shop specializing in Aron, a large crowd had gathered, mostly people like Will who were simply there for the entertainment.
"Look at that crowd over there; let's go check it out,"
Lin Lin suggested, noticing a throng forming around one particular store while others were less frequented.
She directed her live broadcast toward the bustling scene.
"An Aron for 30 million? That's a steal! I'll offer 50 million. If you refuse, I'll raise it to 100 million. If you agree to sell, I'll act like I never made the offer," someone exclaimed.
"It's so adorable; I just want to hold it close!"
"It's 120 pounds up there; are you sure you can manage it?"
"Look, there's a kid over there who can't take his eyes off you!, anchor" pointed out one viewer.
"Honestly, how superficial! They're all just infatuated with the anchor's looks," someone else remarked.
"Anchor, don't go for the younger ones. He looks like a high school student."
Julian was actually focused on Lin Lin, or more precisely, on the Pichu on her shoulder.
Pokémon: Pichu
Level: 2
Qualification: Green
Ability: Static
Props: None
Gender: Female
Moves: Thunder Shock, Tail Whip
Disc Moves: None
Genetic Moves: Charge, Flail, Thunder, Volt Tackle
"Julian, so your idol is Lin Lin?" Will mused, noticing how intently Julian was watching Lin Lin, prompting a curious expression on his face.
No wonder Julian didn't like Chase. He seemed to prefer older girls.
"Get lost!" Julian shot back, annoyed, kicking his leg out before turning to leave.
"Don't go! Do you want me to help you get her contact info?" Will yelled after him.
But Julian ignored him.
"Looks like he's still shy. What do you think, Han?"
*****
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