Note: Hi! Just a quick update to avoid confusion: in the first chapters, Leo has been changed to Liam. The new Leo in the upcoming chapters is a completely different character. Joanaa has been renamed to Lynnea, and her father, Lin, has been changed to Loren. Also, in the Psychology Club, Justin has been changed to Diana.
One day later.
Although the Trainer Association had promptly cordoned off the Secret Realm, quite a few Pokémon had already slipped through the interdimensional rifts into the outside world.
Worried about leaving Owen's grandparents in South Nanwu Town, his parents had brought them back to Fairview City.
Naturally, Owen and Eevee returned as well.
Upon his return, news of his survival spread like wildfire. It became the talk of the school, and even the school leadership personally visited his home to offer their regards.
In the class group chat:
Owen scrolled through the chat history for a long time and discovered that the rumor had started right here. He couldn't resist @ing the culprit.
Owen:@Lynnea
A moment later...
Lynnea: Sorry! Couldn't keep my mouth shut. (_|||)
Lynnea: My dad told me the person trapped was a Fairview student, but I didn't realize it was actually you! Are you okay?
Lynnea: Everyone admires you so much now. Quick, tell us what happened in the Secret Realm!
Liam: Owen has risen from the dead!
Student A: Owen has risen from the dead! Repeated message x11.
Owen: Got things to do, gotta run.
Owen immediately closed the chat. Within seconds, dozens of messages had flooded in; it was overwhelming. His phone had just been repaired, and he wasn't in the mood for an information bombardment.
Speaking of which, Lynnea's father was also a Professional Trainer. Owen wondered if he had been part of the deployment to South Nanwu Town.
"Eevee!"
"Keep it down, I'm trying to do homework."
Sitting relaxed at his desk, Owen took a deep breath and shouted toward the living room. Eevee, who was watching TV, reluctantly lowered the volume. (ー_ー)
"I'll take a short break today—call it a holiday for Eevee and me. Now, should I work on this math assignment or something else?"
Owen looked at the two workbooks on the desk.
Then, he opened his laptop.
Better to refine Eevee's special training plan for tomorrow!
Suddenly, in the living room, Eevee sneezed for no reason...
An Intimidating Guest
Toward evening, accompanied by a series of heavy thuds on the door, a teary-eyed Eevee paused her show—who knows what she was watching—and looked up.
"Vee?"
Owen walked out of the bedroom, feeling puzzled. Who would visit this late?
"Coming!"
Owen hurried to the door and opened it. The man outside was of medium height with a well-proportioned waist, sturdy limbs, broad shoulders, and a high chest. He looked incredibly fit. Most notably, he looked very grim, as if Owen owed him a fortune.
Seeing this, Owen's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't realized how intimidating the man looked before.
"Ethan! What are you doing here?"
The grim-faced man was Ethan, the Professional Trainer who had rescued him and Eevee from the Secret Realm on the back of a Charizard.
"Looks like you've recovered well," Ethan said, glancing at Owen and the Eevee trotting over. Compared to before, their spirits looked much better.
"Ethan, please, come in and sit," Owen said quickly, offering the honorific "Big Brother" again. Ethan was nearly his father's age but clearly liked pretending to be younger—definitely a bachelor, Owen thought.
Owen searched the house but couldn't find any fancy drinks to serve, so he just brewed a pot of hot water. Fortunately, Ethan hadn't come for a social visit and didn't mind.
Sitting on the sofa, Ethan locked eyes with Owen. "The analysis of the pits is in. They're Salac Berry pits. The tree the Pidgeot was guarding is also a Salac Berry tree."
"That fast?!" Owen was startled. Only a day had passed.
"Since the tree was protected in its entirety by the Association, the pits themselves aren't worth an astronomical amount.
However, as the discoverer of the Salac tree, I've earned a significant amount of Merit Points. It will be very helpful for my promotion." Ethan finally allowed a smile to break through.
"I'm glad they were useful. By the way, was that Pidgeot dealt with?" Owen asked.
"Don't worry, the Secret Realm isn't dangerous anymore. It wasn't a difficult one to handle; that Pidgeot was the strongest Pokémon in there."
Ethan leaned in, staring at Owen. "Eevee ate the Salac Berries, didn't she?"
Owen nodded.
"Old He (Hayden) told me you and Eevee plan to enter the Young Ho-Oh Cup in Shanghai, which is why you were training in those woods?"
"That's right."
Ethan fell into a brief silence. "Those pits were indeed useful to me, so I owe you a favor. I'm a man of my word.
Don't be in a hurry to refuse—I don't like wasting time, so I plan to settle the debt early. But before that, answer me one question."
"How did you and Eevee spend those few hours in the Secret Realm?"
Owen and Eevee blinked. Why ask that?
Owen thought back and gave a simple description of their battles and their narrow escapes. He described it vividly enough that Eevee shivered as if she were back in the jungle.
"The truth?"
"The truth."
"Good. I'll give you two choices," Ethan said. "Your mental distress compensation will arrive in a few days.
The first choice is that I help you lobby for more compensation. That money would be very helpful for nurturing Eevee."
Ethan had heard most of the details from Doctor Hayden. For a rookie trainer who couldn't even afford high-end supplements, a large sum of compensation would indeed make a difference.
"And the second?" Owen asked.
"Between now and the Young Ho-Oh Cup, I'll find someone to help you and Eevee with targeted training. Additionally, I'll give you a way to earn money so you can buy your own supplements or training equipment.
To be honest, with your current level, you won't make it to the end of the tournament in Shanghai."
"The situation in Shanghai is much more competitive than Fairview."
Ethan finished and waited for Owen's answer.
I want both!! ...Actually, better not.
"I'll take the second one," Owen said immediately.
"But... Eevee and I still need to train. I don't really have time for a job..."
"Who said you can't train and earn money at the same time?" Ethan replied. "There are plenty of rookie trainers starting out just like you.
Some of them make money by betting on matches at public battlefields against wealthy rookies. However, I don't recommend it without sufficient strength; the efficiency is too low.
The winnings might not even cover the medical and recovery costs. At most, you just gain some experience."
"Betting on battles..." Owen's eyes lit up. Why hadn't he thought of that? After so much training, he was confident in Eevee's strength against other rookies.
"Forget about that. It wastes too much time—you might wait two or three days before finding a suitable 'deal.' I'm going to introduce you to a much better job," Ethan said.
He handed Owen a silver card. On it were bold characters: Starry Battle Club.
Owen froze. That was one of the most famous large-scale battle clubs in the country, with branches in many cities—Fairview included.
"A battle club. How does 'Battle Sparring Partner' sound to you?"
"I'll also arrange for an experienced coach there to help fix the flaws in your and Eevee's techniques. What do you say?"
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