Another day passed, and the swamp, which was originally the size of a soccer field, had now shrunk to the size of a basketball court.
Julian yawned, he hadn't slept the entire night, afraid that the Poison-type treasure might emerge while everyone was asleep.
Of course, the other nine trainers hadn't slept either.
Compared to Julian, who was only yawning symbolically, some of them were clearly in much worse shape.
Most of them were older, and after staying highly alert all night, their exhaustion was obvious.
Julian figured that if this kept up for another two or three nights, he wouldn't even have to make a move—they'd just exhaust themselves to death.
"I really envy you, being young is great."
Freddie looked at Julian. Even though he was yawning, he still looked full of energy, as if he hadn't been up all night at all.
Unlike Freddie himself—who was completely drained.
It reminded him of his younger days when he could stay up all night gaming and still make it to school the next day without issue.
"Keep an eye out for me, I'll go find somewhere to rest."
Julian nodded, his gaze sweeping over the others before shifting back to the swamp below.
He had a strong feeling that the treasure was about to emerge, because a powerful Aura was radiating from beneath the swamp.
Its frequency was slow—very, very slow—but incredibly strong.
Freddie walked away, though Julian wasn't sure where he went to rest.
"Julian, are you and Freddie working together?" one of the trainers asked.
Julian and Freddie had been sticking close to each other, unlike the rest, who kept at least 200 meters apart for fear of getting ambushed.
Julian nodded, he had no reason to hide it. The others were not idiots—they should have already figured it out.
Denying it wouldn't change anything.
"Then should we congratulate you in advance?"
A trainer spoke with sarcasm.
Julian glanced at him, his expression calm. "If you can't say anything useful, then don't say anything at all."
The man's face darkened, as an Elite trainer, it had been a long time since anyone had talked to him like that—let alone a junior.
Did this kid not respect his elders at all?
"Sharp-tongued brat, if it weren't for the Walker family, you wouldn't be where you are today."
"I know you're envious, but being born with a silver spoon is also a skill. If you weren't born with it, maybe you should just accept that and move on."
"There are some things you just don't get at birth—and probably never will—no matter how much you whine."
"Instead of being jealous of me, why not work harder and make sure your own kid becomes a rich second-generation?"
Julian looked at the other trainer without hesitation, he had never denied that his family had helped him—his ace Metagross was a gift from his grandfather, after all.
From the starting point, Julian had already surpassed most of his peers.
"Trainers from aristocratic families are still as disgusting as before," The man said disgustedly.
But his words didn't just offend Julian—he had practically offended everyone present.
Because aside from himself, who came from a commoner background, the rest were all from aristocratic families.
The tension between commoner-born and noble-born trainers had always existed, and it wasn't unique to this country.
This conflict was a universal issue across all nations.
Drakoria had tried to soften this divide through certain strict regulations. For example, trainers were only allowed to officially register at 17 years old—a rule agreed upon by the Global Trainer Association, which most countries followed.
Another rule was that before reaching the pseudo-Elite tier, a trainer's Pokémon could not surpass their starter in level by more than five.
These regulations at least gave commoner-born trainers a small chance to catch up with those from noble families—though, in reality, the gap remained massive.
Many other nations had similar policies.
Because of these restrictions, the class conflict between noble and commoner trainers had been somewhat alleviated.
However, the numbers spoke for themselves. Drakoria had over 500 Elite trainers—of which more than 400 came from noble families, over 80%.
In other words, the strength of these families was the true foundation of a nation's power.
Dynasties rise and fall, but noble families last for centuries.
Generation after generation, these families had continued to produce top-tier talent for the nation. Sure, many noble families had their flaws, but there were just as many that were powerful and exceptional.
Commoner-born trainers envied and resented those from noble families, but deep down, didn't they also dream of becoming one?
Once they became strong enough to establish their own family, a new noble house would be born.
And in the end, they would turn into the very thing they once hated.
Then, without a second thought, they would say, "This really is good."
The trainer who had mocked Julian might have been born a commoner, but he was extremely talented. After reaching Elite tier, he had already begun to establish his own family.
However, since his family was still new and relied solely on him, it had no real foundation. If he died, his family would collapse with him.
True noble families had at least a century of history, even if their pillar fell, a new one would rise to take their place. That was how legacy continued.
"It's shrinking again."
Someone's voice broke the tension.
Instantly, everyone's eyes snapped toward the swamp below.
Just as the man said, the basketball-sized swamp was rapidly shrinking at a visible speed—far faster than before.
A few trainers began to breathe heavily, the Poison-type treasure was about to emerge.
At the same time, everyone became even more vigilant of the people around them, wary that someone might strike first.
As if by instinct, the group subtly increased the distance between each other once again.
Julian had already released Alakazam, positioning it protectively by his side.
The presence of a peak Elite Alakazam instantly made the atmosphere even heavier.
The others quickly followed suit, releasing their own Pokémon to stand guard.
Many eyes were now looking at Julian warily.
A peak Elite Alakazam posed a significant threat to them, among the eight trainers present, only one other had Pokémon at the same level. The others were not his opponents at all.
With Pokémon being summoned one after another and the Poison-type treasure likely about to emerge.
The atmosphere at the scene became really tense.
Julian scanned the Pokémon beside them with his Probing Eyes.
A total of eight trainers, two at the early-stage of Elite, four at mid, one at late, and one at the peak of Elite.
The one who had mocked Julian before, was just an early-stage Elite trainer.
Julian: 'I thought you'd be stronger, at this level, I could crush you with ease.
"Everyone," the mocking trainer suddenly spoke, "Julian's identity is too sensitive, I have a proposal."
Julian suddenly had a bad feeling.
The other trainers turned toward the speaker.
He wasn't wrong, Julian's identity was indeed too sensitive.
They couldn't injure him, let alone kill him.
*****
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