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Late Evening
Mrs. Yin knocked on the door.
"Li Xiang, come out."
Click.
"What's up, Mom?"
Li Xiang blinked, noticing her glance into his room. To show there was nothing suspicious, he left the door wide open. "Just researching on the computer."
Hearing this, Mrs. Yin withdrew her gaze and said, "I've signed you up for a class."
A class?
What kind of class? A tutoring class?
A tutoring class related to being a trainer?
Li Xiang froze briefly, then his face lit up with joy.
Of course! Why hadn't he thought of this?
If there are math and literature tutoring classes, why wouldn't there be classes for trainers? He might even get to battle others hands-on—that's a lot of potential candy!
Seeing his excitement, Mrs. Yin realized he might have misunderstood.
"Since you want to become a trainer, your dad and I discussed it and signed you up for a martial arts class," she said calmly.
Then, she witnessed her son's ecstatic expression drain from his face.
"A w-what class?"
Thinking he misheard, Li Xiang cautiously asked again.
"A martial arts class."
Mrs. Yin repeated, "I'll drop you off at 7 a.m. every morning and pick you up at 5 p.m."
"Hold on! Wait a second!"
Li Xiang rubbed his temples in frustration. "Mom, can I ask why martial arts… have anything to do with being a trainer?"
It's the Pokémon that battle! Not the trainers!
What's the point of learning martial arts?
Does the competition allow trainers to fight each other now or something?
"Your dad said it's always good to have more skills. Plus, being a trainer is a somewhat dangerous profession. Martial arts can help you protect yourself in extreme situations," she replied.
Mrs. Yin's tone sounded as though she was quoting Mr. Li directly.
Learning martial arts could indeed provide some degree of personal safety in emergencies. When Mr. Li had said this, Mrs. Yin had no objections, but while she had no complaints, Li Xiang certainly did.
'Extreme situations? Protect myself? Seriously?'
Modern, regulated Pokémon battles are already super safe!
And 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.? What kind of class lasts that long?
If he went, where would he find time to research, train Litten, or go to the park for experience? Not to mention battling others.
Those are all sources of candy!
"…Can I not—"
"I already paid. Transferred online. 18,000 PokeDollars," she interrupted.
"..."
Li Xiang stared wide-eyed at his mother. For the first time since transmigrating, he truly felt the terror of being a minor.
Parents acting first, explaining later!
And 18,000 PokeDollars?
What does 18,000 mean in this day and age?
How could a martial arts class cost that much? Are they teaching Sky Piercing Palm or Eight Extremes Collapse?
"Can we at least refund—"
"Your dad said no refunds if you don't attend."
Two consecutive shutdowns left Li Xiang speechless.
Litten, curious about their exchange, trotted out of the room and rubbed against Mrs. Yin's leg.
She bent down to stroke its head, while Li Xiang, leaning against the doorframe, felt utterly defeated.
The 18,000 PokeDollars had been paid—he hadn't expected that.
And no refunds if he didn't go?
Wasn't that just forcing him to attend?
If he did go…
My candy…
After a long pause, Li Xiang begrudgingly nodded. "Fine. I get it. What kind of martial arts is it?"
The decision was made; there was no turning back.
He had to find another way.
There was no way a martial arts class would have him training nonstop from morning until evening—there would surely be breaks, however brief.
Being young really comes with no autonomy. Such a big decision, and they didn't even ask for his opinion beforehand.
Then again, knowing Mr. Li and Mrs. Yin's personalities, they'd only consult him on trivial matters.
For significant decisions they deemed beneficial for him, they always acted decisively.
Past Li Xiang, ever the slacker, had deserved such treatment—without pressure or force, he would just pretend to comply.
"Dad will explain it to you," Mrs. Yin said, noticing his less-than-thrilled expression.
She then pulled him into a hug and softly added, "...Xiang, martial arts really can help you. I don't want you to get hurt. I'm scared—scared that one day you'll come home covered in injuries. Don't make me worry, okay?"
Her voice carried a weight, as if she was suppressing her emotions.
Li Xiang's unhappy expression gradually turned somber.
Mrs. Yin, like him, wasn't particularly good at expressing affection. Words like these, filled with raw emotion, rarely came from her.
"…I understand. I'll work hard and learn. Don't worry," he said after some thought, nodding firmly.
Battling did have risks, and for someone as protective as Mrs. Yin, letting him pursue a career as a trainer at the age of eleven was already a significant concession.
Her concerns were understandable.
Any loving parent would worry about their child's safety.
"But next time, I'd prefer if you discuss it with me first," Li Xiang added.
....
The Next Day
At 7 a.m., Li Xiang arrived at the martial arts venue.
Purugly, his caretaker, was fully liberated from duty—it no longer had to shadow him all day.
Yet despite its usual disdain, Li Xiang noticed no particular joy on its round, chubby face.
The dojo was a grand courtyard with a distinctly ancient vibe.
Li Xiang took in the red walls, yellow tiles, crimson pillars, and carved abstract Pokémon sculptures adorning the beams. There were also majestic Arcanine statues and an imposing, red-painted main gate.
Naturally, a black plaque with gilded lettering hung above the entrance:
Zhenxing Martial Arts Hall.
Zhenxing? Not Zhenxing as in "revival"?
Li Xiang thought the latter name would better suit a traditional naming style. The former sounded flashy and a bit over-the-top.
It was like the word defiance—cool in novels, but ridiculous in reality.
Perhaps the dojo's owner was named something like Zhenxing.
After Mrs. Yin dropped him off, she drove away as planned.
Carrying Litten, Li Xiang crossed the large doors adorned with golden studs.
The first thing he saw inside was a spacious, open courtyard, large enough to accommodate forty to fifty people moving freely.
Surrounding it were pine trees and stone carvings steeped in traditional aesthetics.
But the place was eerily empty.
Walking further inside, Li Xiang entered a spacious grand hall. Doors were open on all sides, and the intricately painted beams and sweeping eaves gave the place an imposing, majestic feel.
The floor was lined with meticulously arranged marble tiles, and while there was minimal furniture, several wooden apparatuses—whose purposes Li Xiang couldn't decipher—stood scattered around.
This was the agreed-upon meeting spot.
Li Xiang had asked all the necessary questions yesterday. As for those he wasn't supposed to ask, his dad hadn't answered them anyway.
What he did know was that the teacher he was about to meet, respectfully addressed by his father as "Master Duan Tianxing," was a formidable yet somewhat difficult individual.
Of course, he was also highly skilled.
During their call, Li Xiang's dad had spoken of the man with deep admiration, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of learning properly from him and making the most of the opportunity.
This naturally piqued Li Xiang's curiosity. Unfortunately, his online search yielded nothing about Duan Tianxing.
The internet hadn't reached the era of big data yet, and much information simply wasn't available.
"Duan Tianxing… Is the 'Xing' in 'Tianxing' the same as the one in Zhenxing ['Star']? Could there be another guy with 'Zhen' ['Town'] in his name? Maybe two brothers opened this martial arts school together?"
With nothing else to do, Li Xiang started exploring the hall.
Litten followed behind him, curiously observing the surroundings.
Truthfully, Li Xiang didn't dislike the idea of learning martial arts.
He understood the principle of "a craftsman must first sharpen his tools." While Pokémon were powerful, a Trainer's physical fitness was also important. After all, the "Five-Meter Rule of Life and Death" wasn't absolute.
Nothing was absolute—at best, certain principles applied in most situations.
Furthermore…
As Pokémon's energy levels increased, their moves and movements became faster and harder for ordinary people to follow. In some cases, even Trainers could get accidentally injured.
Yes, accidental injuries in Pokémon battles were a real possibility. If your positioning wasn't great and your reactions weren't fast enough, you could get hurt even if you were standing far away.
The first lesson for any Trainer was learning to dodge moves.
This skill could save your life, even in life-or-death battles with other Trainers in the wild.
Like the protagonists in Pokémon Adventures, who seemed to have their dodge skills maxed out. They could evade attacks like pros. If they couldn't dodge, well, it was usually time for them to "exit the stage."
Li Xiang, personally, was very afraid of death—and pain.
Having worked so hard to fulfill his dream of coming to the Pokémon world, he had no intention of facing any tragic endings.
Now was a good time to start learning, especially since he only had Litten. His free time was still abundant.
Once he had a full team of six, his days would likely be packed with strategizing, move training, and ranked battles to climb the leaderboard.
At that point, he probably wouldn't have the luxury of starting martial arts training from scratch.
At age eleven, he was just barely at the right age to begin learning.
.....
Two hours passed.
Li Xiang glanced at his watch. His mysterious new teacher hadn't shown up yet—not the best first impression.
Was this a test of his patience?
Could be.
Based on what his dad had said, Duan Tianxing seemed like a traditional and rigid old-school type.
If this martial arts school operated like a customer-facing business, it'd probably go under quickly. In today's fast-paced world, who had the time to waste waiting like this?
Still, Li Xiang had double-checked the meeting location.
"Well, if he's not showing up, we might as well train."
He decided to let the matter go for now and called out to Litten, who was intently examining one of the wooden apparatuses.
The place was spacious and quiet—Heat Wave might not work here, but moves like Ember could definitely be practiced.
Better to start earning today's rewards now.
Patting the bag on his back, he was glad he'd packed some snacks. If Duan Tianxing didn't show up by lunchtime, both he and Litten would be starving.
"Meow~"
Litten didn't seem to mind and jumped to his side, raising its head to respond softly.
Above the hall.
In a concealed space between the roof and the ceiling, several kids and their Pokémon crouched, peeking down through thumb-sized holes.
"What's he doing? Training his Pokémon?"
One boy whispered.
"Looks like it. Didn't you say he'd definitely run off? He's been here two hours now."
Another teased.
"Two hours? That's nothing! We stand still practicing stances for longer than that. Just wait—he'll definitely get frustrated and go looking for someone. And when he can't find anyone? He'll start crying!"
The first boy retorted defensively.
"Wanna bet? I say he won't cry. If you lose, lend me your game console for two days."
The other boy grinned.
Before the argument could escalate, a third voice snapped, "Enough! Master told me to watch him, not you lot! Get out of here before he notices. If he does, it's on all of you!"
The speaker emerged from the shadows, revealing a strikingly beautiful boy. With bright eyes and delicate features, his appearance might've been mistaken for a girl's at first glance—if not for the slight bump of his Adam's apple.
The first two boys fell silent, muttering under their breath as they shuffled away with their Pokémon. None of them dared to disobey their master's orders.
Soon, the loft was quiet, save for the remaining boy and his partner Pokémon—a dragon-like Hakamo-o, its body adorned with yellow oval scales on its arms, tail, and head.
One boy and one Pokémon watched the scene below in silence, their breaths steady, making no sound.
Master Duan had instructed him to observe Li Xiang and report back if he left.
For now, though, Li Xiang showed no sign of running.
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