"Mm, she's smiling so happily."
A smile appeared on Mei's face.
She crouched down and reached out to touch Ralts.
Unexpectedly, Ralts shrank back slightly and avoided her hand.
Mei froze on the spot.
"My Ralts is a bit shy around strangers. Sorry about that."
"It's okay."
Mei stood up, her impression of Gu Qiu improving even further.
Handsome, tall, with a pleasant, magnetic voice.
And most importantly—
He could make a Ralts trust him so completely.
He must treat his Pokémon exceptionally well.
"By the way, why were you running so fast just now?"
"Ah! Oh no—the assessment is about to start!"
Mei's expression changed drastically.
She shot Gu Qiu an apologetic look before dashing off in a flurry.
"Assessment?"
Gu Qiu shook his head, unconcerned.
If fate allowed, they would meet again.
"Ralts, let's continue."
"Ralts~"
The Pewter Gym wasn't far.
About five minutes later, Gu Qiu arrived at the Gym's entrance.
The front of the Gym was unusually lively and crowded with people.
Curious, he walked closer, and a faint smile curved his lips.
His luck seemed pretty good today.
He had coincidentally arrived during the Pewter University freshman final examinations.
There were no restrictions on entering the Gym.
However, several police officers were present to maintain order, and additional staff members stood at the entrances and exits, registering visitor information.
This was to prevent criminals from sneaking in.
Each incoming class at Pewter University consisted of around a thousand freshmen.
The assessment was divided into two days, with eight sessions in total.
Eight time slots ensured the crowd wouldn't become overly congested.
After all, many local residents, members of the public, and students' parents came to watch.
Several local media outlets were present as well.
Neither Pewter University nor the Pewter Gym stopped them.
"Perfect chance to see the standard of these freshmen."
Pewter University was one of the Top Ten Academies in the Kanto region.
However, its ranking among them was relatively average—around seventh or eighth.
The strongest university was Indigo University.
Located on the Indigo Plateau—the core and most prosperous region of Kanto.
Indigo University was the dream school of countless students.
Even Gu Qiu was quite interested in it.
It gathered the most outstanding and elite talents.
Its teaching staff was exceptionally strong.
All four Titled Kings held positions there.
Even the Champion—Lance of the Dragon Clan—was affiliated with the university.
"Please register your information here."
Gu Qiu stepped forward to the registration desk and glanced at the form.
He needed to present identification and state his purpose.
He took out his Ordinary Trainer License.
In this world, a Trainer License was equivalent to an ID card.
The information on it couldn't be falsified.
"Purpose?" the staff member asked, glancing at it casually.
Ordinary Trainer.
No particular reaction.
The information indicated that Gu Qiu was currently a high school senior.
"I'm here to challenge the Gym."
Gu Qiu spoke calmly.
The staff member paused, his expression turning slightly surprised.
Still, he didn't say anything mocking or dismissive.
Quite professional.
"If you want to challenge Leader Brock, please line up over there."
"There are quite a lot of people today. Leader Brock's schedule is tight, so you may need to wait.
"No problem."
Gu Qiu nodded.
He had looked up Brock before.
The man had an excellent reputation.
If someone issued a Gym challenge, Brock generally wouldn't refuse it.
Nor would he send Gym members to fight in his place.
He believed every challenge deserved to be taken seriously, no matter who the opponent was.
"You're currently tenth in line."
"Since today is the Pewter University freshman finals, you can go inside and watch for now. You'll be notified when it's your turn."
"Thank you."
Courtesy was met with courtesy.
Gu Qiu followed the rules.
That was simply his personality.
Treat him respectfully, and he would respond the same.
Provoke him—
And he wouldn't be polite.
He held his challenge number.
No. 12.
It seemed two matches had already concluded.
Gu Qiu stepped into the Pewter Gym.
The entire arena was bustling with energy.
People filled every direction—dense and tightly packed.
The spectator stands were almost completely full.
On the field below were more than a dozen battle platforms.
At the very center stood one unused battlefield.
Gu Qiu guessed it was reserved for official Gym Challenge matches.
His gaze soon landed on Brock.
The Gym Leader was currently battling a young man on one of the side platforms.
As Gu Qiu approached, he heard the referee's voice:
"The next match will be a three-on-three battle! When all Pokémon on one side lose their ability to fight, the other side wins! Battle—begin!"
The young man immediately sent out a Geodude.
Level 21, low-grade aptitude—very ordinary.
"So your Pokémon is also a Geodude filled with the heart of rock? Excellent! This really ignites my fighting spirit!"
Brock's eyes were nearly closed, as usual.
He wore a gray outfit, calm and steady.
"Leader Brock, I'm your fan! My dream is to become a powerful Rock-type Trainer just like you!"
The young man looked worshipful.
His voice trembled with excitement.
Clearly a die-hard fan.
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