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August 14th, 7:30 PM.Capital Metropolis Train Station.
"Finally arrived."
After hearing the arrival announcement, Bruce left his seat with the other passengers and walked towards the exit.
Soon,
At the station exit, he saw his cousin Jessica from afar. She had short hair and looked very capable.
Jessica—her name sounded quite poetic, and one might imagine that a girl named this way would have a calm appearance.
But Jessica was the opposite. She had been a tomboy since childhood and was even wilder than the typical boys. She was everything opposite of the shy and withdrawn Bruce from the past.
Despite her personality, Jessica managed to study patiently and was admitted to Metropolis University with high entrance exam scores. Last month, she became a proud professional trainer.
Next to Jessica was a calm-looking guy wearing a white shirt and silver-rimmed glasses, exuding a gentle and refined demeanor.
This must be the boyfriend Jessica had mentioned.
"Over here, over here."
Jessica also saw Bruce standing out in the crowd, a bright smile on her face as she waved energetically.
Bruce nodded and quickly walked over to Jessica.
"Cousin, you've changed."
When Bruce stood in front of Jessica, she looked him up and down carefully and said the first words after not seeing him for a long time.
Before Bruce could respond, Jessica patted his shoulder with a smile and said, "You've become even more handsome."
"And you seem much more cheerful. It seems Pokémon has really changed you a lot."
Bruce smiled and replied, "I prefer the previous compliment."
At this, Jessica laughed heartily, then pointed to the guy beside her and introduced him, "This is my boyfriend, Liam Smith, your senior. He can watch over you once you're in school."
Liam smiled gently, extended his hand, and said, "I've already heard about you from your cousin, a top student who nearly scored full marks on the university entrance exam."
"Alright, let's get in the car first," Jessica clapped her hands, interrupting their conversation.
It wasn't exactly appropriate to stand chatting at the exit.
Soon,
The three of them got into a taxi.
"It's already evening. Tomorrow morning, you can head to school to check in. My sister has already booked a hotel for you right next to the school."
"Drop off your luggage first, then we'll go out for dinner and let you rest well tonight," Jessica said.
"Alright." Bruce nodded slightly.
Jessica then began introducing Bruce to the interesting places and delicious foods of the capital city.
The car moved slowly down the road, and the evening breeze blew gently. Bruce looked at the scenery through the window.
The neon lights on both sides of the road bloomed, and the lights of the various buildings shone brightly, merging beautifully, just like the unique charm of the city of Sootopolis.
All kinds of lights reflected in Bruce's eyes one by one, and he suddenly understood why so many people yearned for the bustling metropolis.
Before he knew it, the taxi had been on the road for over half an hour.
Jessica pointed out the window and said, "That's Kunlun University."
Bruce looked closely and saw a classic school gate, with many students coming and going through it.
Jessica continued, "Kunlun University and our school are close to each other, and there are even small paths connecting them, which is why they are jokingly called sister schools."
"So, this is Kunlun University," Bruce nodded, understanding.
Kunlun University was a top-tier university with high admission scores, and many people applied to this school every year.
The car passed by Kunlun University, and soon, the gate of Metropolis University came into view.
Known as the Northern Metropolis Capital and the Southern Liliput Capital, Metropolis University held a prestigious status as the top university in Avalon.
Not long after, the taxi stopped in front of a hotel next to Metropolis University. Bruce left his backpack at the hotel, and then, guided by Jessica, went to a hot pot restaurant.
"It's been a while since I had hot pot." Jessica tossed a piece of tender meat into the pot and sighed.
Summer was the perfect time for hot pot.
Bruce ate a piece of tripe and asked, "Cousin, is there anything I should keep in mind for the field military training?"
Hearing this, Jessica nudged Liam's arm with her elbow and replied casually, "Let me tell you, senior here is a pro in this area."
Liam smiled slightly, set down his chopsticks, looked at Bruce, and said, "Tomorrow is your check-in day. After completing a series of registration procedures, the field military training will begin the next morning."
"The field training area is in a small secret realm. This secret realm is exclusive to Capital Metropolis University and is used as a field military training site every year."
Liam's eyes flickered slightly as he slowly said, "The goal of field training is to spend seven days in this secret realm."
Jessica swallowed her tender meat and added, "It's quite a while, so prepare enough clothes beforehand. You won't need food; that's provided in there."
Bruce nodded thoughtfully.
"The most concerning aspect is the ranking of the field training," Liam continued.
"As the saying goes, the more points, the higher the ranking. Points here are determined by the number of days completed and the strength and number of Pokémon defeated."
"To clarify, each successfully completed day grants points, as some students may withdraw early from the training due to various factors."
"There are countless Pokémon in the secret realm, which is also the main source of points. Pokémon of varying strengths provide different points."
"And," at this point, Liam lifted his gaze and looked at Bruce, then added, "since your research department and the breeding department aren't as combat-focused, the school allows you to form teams of two, while the combat department is forbidden from teaming up."
Bruce nodded.
"Of course, most students in these two departments don't pay much attention to rankings and points. The school mainly wants you to participate in the field training to hone your field survival skills."
"But these two things are very important for combat department students. Points can be exchanged for various breeder resources, even Pokémon. Rankings can boost popularity, and popularity can play a key role in many situations," Liam explained calmly.
"Alright, that's everything." Liam thought for a moment and, after confirming he hadn't missed anything, said.
"Thank you, senior, for clearing things up," Bruce said.
Liam replied with a smile, "No problem; if you run into any issues at school, just ask me."
Jessica smiled and said, "Your senior here is quite famous at school. It's definitely helpful to reach out to him."
After finishing the hot pot, Jessica and Liam returned to the school, and Bruce went back to the hotel to rest.
The next day,
Just at dawn,
After Bruce finished his breakfast, he completed a series of registration procedures, accompanied by Jessica. A new class group appeared on his social app: Research Department, Class 1.
Compared to the popular battle department, the research and breeding departments were always less crowded, with only about a dozen students in each class.
When Bruce inquired, he discovered that there were only six classes in the research department this year, with fewer than a hundred students in the entire grade.
In contrast to the battle department's hundreds of students, it felt rather empty.
The only good news was that there were more women than men in the research department—a surprising ratio.
At that time, there were 12 students in his class, of whom only three were boys, including Bruce.
After registering, Bruce said goodbye to Jessica and headed to the dormitory alone.
Despite the few people in the research department, the dormitory conditions were good. There were only two people per room, and each dormitory spanned over 50 square meters.
When Bruce pushed open the door, a boy in a green, flowered shirt was already sitting inside. He had delicate features but looked a bit thin.
Seeing Bruce enter, the boy immediately stood up and greeted him quickly.
"Bro, are you my new roommate? Introduce yourself—I'm Nero Garcia, from Capital Metropolis." Nero Garcia smiled, exuding confidence in his words and actions.
Bruce immediately sensed that this person must have a strong background.
Bruce replied with a smile, "Hi, I'm Bruce Bayne, from Fairbay City."
"Hey, Fairbay City—a great place," Nero replied.
"Bro, is that all you brought?" Nero eyed the backpack behind Bruce and asked, puzzled.
"The rest of my things were shipped ahead; I'm going to pick them up now," Bruce replied.
"I'll help you!" Nero offered without hesitation, very friendly.
Bruce gave him a sidelong glance, thought for a moment, and finally nodded, "Alright, then; I'll take you up on that."
"What? From now on, we'll be dorm mates; this little thing is nothing." Nero flashed a big, bright smile.
A while later,
With Nero's help, they moved all of Bruce's things into the dorm.
Bruce began making his bed and unpacking, while Nero sat cross-legged to the side, doing nothing.
"Bro Bruce, what's your starting Pokémon?" Nero couldn't help but ask.
"Torchic."
"Torchic." Nero patted his thigh, nodded, and said, "Torchic, good Pokémon."
Then, he looked eagerly at Bruce, saying
nothing more.
Bruce understood what Nero meant, so he asked, "And you?"
Hearing this, Nero smiled and answered without hesitation, "I've got a Gastly."
Gastly—a Ghost-type Pokémon, whose final evolution is a cute, chubby purple figure (Best Pokémon), which is quite rare.
As expected, Bruce's guess was correct—this Nero had some decent experience.
"Bruce, the field military training starts tomorrow. Our research department can team up in pairs. How about we work together and look out for each other?" Nero suggested.
Meeting Nero's expectant gaze, Bruce shook his head and declined, "Sorry, I have other plans, so it's not convenient to team up with others."
This field military training was a great opportunity to level up.
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To be Continued
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