Chapter 3 Gyms and trainers
---
The Pokémon Trainer program at Jiangnan University is relatively new, but as the only "Double First-Class" university in Zhejiang Province, it has quickly become its flagship program due to strong social and institutional support and excellent faculty.
It is said that the head of this department is Du Zhe, a talented trainer in his early 30s. After achieving the top four in the national competition, he refused a position at the Pokémon Association and chose to return home to discover and train new generations of trainers.
Jiangnan University is also the alma mater of the senior sister, which is one of the reasons Lu Cheng chose this major. However, the difficulty is immense!
First, the textbooks in this world have undergone tremendous changes. The subjects Lu Cheng studied—politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, and biology—now also included several Pokémon-related courses. Fortunately, thanks to his past memories, reviewing these subjects wasn't difficult. Otherwise, it would have driven him crazy.
The benefits of getting into this program are obvious. Trainers have traditionally been divided into two types: street trainers and academic trainers. The former often have parents who are Pokémon trainers and gain rich combat experience without formal training; the latter are mostly college graduates with strong professional knowledge and often gain more connections.
There are currently 34 provincial gyms in country C, and more than half of the gym leaders have college education experience. Most of the staff at the Pokémon Association are also college graduates; they are strong trainers and outstanding graduates.
In short, if Lu Cheng can get into the Pokémon Trainer program at Jiangnan University, it would mean he has one foot in the door to becoming a trainer. Of course, the most important thing is the bond between the trainer and their Pokémon. This seems a bit distant for Lu Cheng, who doesn't even have a Poké Ball yet. For now, his urgent task is to study hard.
Probably.
"You're daydreaming again!"
Accompanied by a fragrant scent, a soft hand patted Lu Cheng on the head. He looked up to see the senior sister with gold-rimmed glasses and black hair hanging down to her chest, standing beside him and supervising his homework.
"Who can solve this ridiculous problem!?"
Lu Cheng shouted at the densely packed "One Hundred Pokémon Lectures" book in front of him.
"Which problem?"
"It is known that Marill's tail can replace a flotation sac. When Marill's tail is up in a turbulent river, it is most likely:
a. Foraging
b. Practicing moves
c. Courting
d. Drowning"
"What the heck is drowning? Can Water-type Pokémon even drown?"
"The turbulent river is a distraction; the Pokédex clearly states that when Marill's tail is floating on the water surface, it indicates that it is submerged eating aquatic plants."
Faced with the serious senior sister and the ridiculous question, Lu Cheng could only nod with a bitter face.
"Alright, let's take a break for now."
Just as the senior sister was about to encourage Lu Cheng, the door was pushed open.
"Mawile?"
Lu Cheng turned his head to see a Mawile with a big gaping mouth on its head, fangs exposed, and two hollow, bloody eyes emitting an eerie light. He worked hard to stop himself from shivering.
"Did mom ask you to bring the watermelon? Thank you."
The senior sister lovingly patted Mawile's head, a scene that, in Lu Cheng's eyes, was no different from putting your hand in a tiger's mouth.
The senior sister took the watermelon from Mawile's hands and placed it in front of Lu Cheng.
"What's wrong? You look uncomfortable."
"It's nothing, I'm just a bit tired," Lu Cheng said, wiping his cold sweat.
"This is the Mawile I mentioned to you before. Come on, Mawile, say hi to your brother" the senior sister smiled.
Mawile cautiously walked towards Lu Cheng, looked at him shyly for a moment, then took a piece of watermelon from the plate and handed it to him.
"She seems to like you," the senior sister laughed.
Lu Cheng nervously took the watermelon. Mawile stared at him for a while, then shyly slipped out of the room.
"She's a bit shy, she's always been like that when meeting new people," the senior sister explained with a smile.
Lu Cheng nodded, showing a smile of someone who narrowly escaped a disaster.
Great, I survived!
God knows what kind of nightmarish scene Lu Cheng just experienced. The senior sister had no idea that what seemed like a warm moment to her was a disaster for Lu Cheng!
A strange creature handing you watermelon!
Fortunately, Lu Cheng's strong nerves quickly adapted. He cleared his throat and said,
"Senior sister, I will soon be able to register and own my first Pokémon. Do you have any suggestions?"
"A starting Pokémon?" The senior sister tilted her head and thought for a while, then said,
"Generally, college students choose Pokémon that match their major. By the way, Lu Cheng, what major did you choose in your mock application?"
"The Pokémon Training program at Jiangnan University."
"For Pokémon training, you should prioritize the battle strength of the Pokémon."
The senior sister smiled apologetically and said,
"I studied traditional management, so there weren't strict requirements for my starting Pokémon. Mawile was a gift from my mom, and she's not really good at battling."
"However, for the Pokémon Training program, choosing a Pokémon with strong potential is definitely the priority."
"Pokémon like Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Horsea, a Water-type Pokémon, would be good choices."
Lu Cheng's face darkened.
He had already checked that a Charmander egg's market price ranged from 700,000 to 800,000, and a rare Horsea would cost at least 300,000 to 400,000.
Completely out of his reach.
Though these prices were not a problem for the wealthy senior sister, Lu Cheng was quite poor!
However, the senior sister was right about one thing: choosing a Pokémon with strong potential meant its base stats should not be low.
Lu Cheng silently added another requirement in his mind: It shouldn't look too weird!
"By the way, I heard that for the Pokémon Training program, students need to go on field studies after a year of professional knowledge at school," the senior sister said, tilting her head.
"Is there such a thing?" Lu Cheng asked in surprise.
"Yes, because for trainers, one semester of theory is more than enough. Practical experience is much more important."
"Generally, Pokémon Training students go on field studies during the summer of their freshman year, participating in competitions or challenging regional gyms."
"In our university, I remember that the graduation requirement for seniors is to have at least four regional gym badges.
"However, eight badges allow participation in the national competition, and seniors usually collect eight badges to try their luck in the national competition."
"Last year, more than ten of the top 64 in the national competition were graduates from Jiangnan University!"
Lu Cheng had already learned that this world also had a gym system.
Gyms were divided into national and private ones. National gym leaders were often elite trainers who had achieved rankings in national competitions, while private gyms needed to be strong to gain national recognition.
These gyms received government subsidies, and some strong provinces even had multiple gyms coexisting.
Only trainers who collected at least eight badges from across the country were eligible to participate in the national competition.
This was undoubtedly the goal of any trainer.
However, becoming a trainer was not easy. A Poké Ball cost 10,000 yuan, and various expensive Pokémon eggs made trainers scarce.
Elite trainers were often wealthy, with only a few civilian trainers managing to persevere, naturally forming a trainer class.
To join the top trainers, both money and connections were indispensable.
The government stipulated that only trainers with more than three badges and under 30 years old could receive a monthly trainer allowance.
Before that, trainers had almost no income.
And trainers had to buy expensive Pokémon food, equipment, and even TMs to train their Pokémon.
As a result, trainers were rare and known as the "most money-burning profession"!
---
TL Note:
Just to let you know I am reading and translating at the same time so idk will Happen in the story.
..
If you find any mistakes in translation feel free to comment. ( I might Correct it ... Maybe?)
--
I need POWER Stones.
Powerstones!!!!!!