In the special class of Imperial University, there are only thirty coveted spots each year. Those who earn a place here are among the best, having achieved outstanding results throughout their high school careers.
Julian had earned his spot by securing first place in both the team and individual competitions of the Yale Provincial High School League. He also possessed a rare ability: the advanced Aura and intermediate Psychic, though only a select few were aware of the latter.
Julian's extraordinary abilities had earned him recognition, but in this special class, he wasn't alone in having unique talents.
Several others in the class were similarly gifted. For instance, there was Shen's Heart's Eye and another with Heart of Dragon.
(T/N: some kind of ability that helps train and bond with dragon types easier, boosting their power)
Others had achieved top rankings in their provincial high school leagues or even challenged city-level gyms while still in their final year of high school.
Everyone here had a remarkable track record, and none of them had come to be second-best.
In a class full of geniuses, the competition was fierce—each person believed they were the best, and the only goal worth pursuing was to be number one.
Julian held student number 202201, making him not only the top student in the special class but also of the entire batch of students who entered this year.
Naturally, his status drew the attention of many in the class. Some looked on with envy, others with skepticism, and a few with outright hostility.
They didn't believe that Julian was necessarily better than them.
True, Julian came from a powerful family, but so did many of them. The special class wasn't filled with ordinary students—most were from wealthy or influential families themselves.
None of them felt inferior because of family status. The real question on everyone's mind was why Julian, despite their equal backgrounds, should be considered the best.
"Julian, you know people aren't exactly convinced with you getting no. 01, right?" Shen said with a smirk as she sat beside him.
Despite her own extraordinary ability, Shen was among the weaker members of the special class in terms of raw strength. If she hadn't awakened her powers, she likely wouldn't have made it into the class at all.
Since she was sitting with Julian, the hostility directed at him was also spilling onto her.
"Your spot as the top student/representative doesn't seem like it's going to be an easy ride," she added, with a gleeful expression.
Although she couldn't beat Julian but if others could that's also good.
Julian remained calm. "Looks like you'd rather join them," he said lightly.
Shen hurriedly shook her head. "No way! I'm with you," she said, but her guilty expression betrayed her.
Julian didn't need to read minds to sense what Shen was thinking.
'I can feel your malicious intentions.'
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway outside, and a large, imposing man in his thirties entered the classroom.
He surveyed the thirty students, nodded, and introduced himself, "I'm Frank, your homeroom teacher. Rock-type Elite Trainer."
His words carried significant weight. In Drakoria, there were hundreds of millions of registered Trainers, but only around 500 had reached Elite status.
Each Elite-level Trainer was a vital asset to Drakoria, part of the force that protected the nation from external threats and maintained its strength on the world stage.
Julian had encountered pseudo-Elite Trainers before and even defeated one, but this was only the third true Elite Trainer he had met, besides his father and grandfather.
To have someone of Frank's caliber as their homeroom teacher was a clear indication of just how special the special class truly was.
Elite Trainers were usually involved in exploring high-level secret realms, performing national duties, or undertaking high-stakes missions.
The fact that Frank was here teaching a class spoke volumes about the treatment and expectations placed on the students.
Frank wasn't just any Elite Trainer either—he had a sterling reputation among his peers.
At Imperial University, there were only six Elite Trainers, and Frank ranked second only to the Dean of the Trainer Academy.
"As students in the special class, you'll face challenges from the regular students once a month," Frank continued. "The loser will move down to the regular class, and the winner will take their place in the special class."
Most of the students had already heard this rule, but none of them believed they would ever lose to a "regular" student. The special class wasn't just for any students—they were from noble families, the elite, the best of the best.
Losing to an ordinary student was unthinkable.
"Now, let's choose a class monitor. Julian, as the representative, you can take the position. The class monitor earns 1,000 credits per month."
Julian had been about to decline, but when he heard the mention of 1,000 credits, he nodded.
In university, credits were the primary currency. Students could use them to purchase Pokémon, items, treasures, move CDs, and even hire one-on-one sessions with specialized teachers.
But for Julian, the most valuable thing to acquire were the books in the school's library. As it had journals of experience recorded by pseudo-Elite and Elite trainers.
While the Walker family was renowned for their expertise in training steel-type Pokémon, Julian knew there was always more to learn from the experience of other Trainers, even those outside his family's sphere.
Just as Frank finished his announcement, one of the students stood up, his expression filled with defiance.
"Teacher Frank, I disagree. The class monitor should be the strongest person here, and I don't think that's Julian."
Another student quickly stood up. "Yeah, me too. I think we should have a battle to decide."
In total, six students stood up, each voicing their opposition to Julian being appointed as the class monitor.
The others remained seated, watching the confrontation unfold with interest.
Frank turned to Julian. "What do you say? If you don't want to be the monitor, I can choose someone else."
He kicked the ball in Julian's court. As the representative, if he didn't have a certain level of strength, he should go down as soon as possible.
Trainer was a profession that needed competition to improve.
Julian stood up, his gaze steady. "Let's go to the battlefield."
He knew this challenge wasn't just about the position of class monitor.
These students didn't care about that—they cared about proving themselves as stronger than him, the representative.
Julian was more than ready to accept their challenge. If they wanted a battle, he would gladly take them on, and he would make sure that afterward, there'd be no more doubts about his strength.
Frank smiled slightly. Julian's confidence pleased him. This was what he expected from the best student in the special class.
*****
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