‘So much for just “passing by,” huh?’

  Looking at the boy decked out with a travel backpad a fully equipped outdoor jacket, Natsume couldn’t help but inwardly ridicule him.

  As mentioned before, Trainers and anglers share some simirities to a degree: they both seek out uncharted territories. Only the gree of greenhorns would obediently stick to well-trodden paths.

  More experierainers, however, stantly search for untouched, unspoiled regions.

  Remote mountains, desote wilderness, barren ndscapes—none of these faze them. The fewer the people, the better.

  Fewer people mean more treasures and rare Pokémon. At least, that’s the idea; fewer visitors usually equate to greater rewards.

  What’s that? You think pces with bad enviros might not have Pokémon?

  Don’t uimate the adaptability of Pokémon!

  Sky, nd, deep sea, rais—there’s hardly a er of the world where Pokémon do. Even spad alternate dimensions are known to harbor Pokémon.

  As for this kid, Fu Gu, who called himself a "traveling Trainer," it reflected one of two major cssifications of Trainers in this world: Travelers and Academics.

  Traveler Trainers often fo higher education after high school, embarking on jouro explore and challenge gyms. Some even start traveling right after middle school.

  Of course, for safety reasons, officials reend beginning such journeys only after pleting high school.

  Oher hand, Academic Trainers progress through the traditional route—studying, taking exams, and pursuing degrees. Many tio postgraduate studies before embarking orainer careers.

  The rivalry betweewo groups has always been a hot topic, with both sides exging plenty of derogatory niames over the years.

  While both paths ultimately lead to simir destinations, that doesn’t stop the ts from looking down on one another.

  This divide also shows up in petitive recruitment during college entrance exam season—simir to those annoying telemarketing calls.

  Natsume had been through this before. In the end, between Traveler and Academic, he chose a third option: not being a Trai all.

  Instead, he decred, “I’m heading home to i the farm!”

  And as fate would have it, here we are.

  “So, what brings you here, young man?”

  Natsume’s thoughts returo the present as he eyed the boy in front of him, along with the Aipom and Weepinbell at his side. Judging by their overall energy, the boy wasn’t bad.

  For text, Pokémon strength in this world is broadly categorized into six levels:This iional system has some flexibility depending on the region, but it generally applies across the board. In Natsume’s hion, the transtions align with these levels.

  Based on observation, Fu Gu’s Pokémon seemed to hover around Level 20, marking him as a rookie—but a petent one.

  “If possible, I’d like to challenge you to a battle.”

  Fu Gu bowed slightly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. His gaze kept drifting to the shiny Furret by Natsume’s side.

  A shiny Pokémon! It was his first time seeing one in real life.

  Anyone capable of capturing a shiny Pokémon had to be strong, right?

  The boy’s thoughts were i enough.

  “...”

  Though Natsume had already guessed as much, he couldn’t help but feel a little exasperated. Trainers, after all, were like this—always hunting for battles wherever they went.

  The whole “our eyes met, so we must battle” thing ractically a motto.

  pared to Trainers, anglers seemed like a much quieter bunch. At least they stayed still while fishing. Well, except for when they got lost trying to find their way home.

  Natsume g his own Pokémon lineup.

  Rookie (1–10)Standard (11–25)Elite (26–40)Gym Leader (41–55)Elite Four (56–70)Champion (71–80)Shiny Furret: Level 25, barely on par with the oppo’s strength. Havily joihe farm, Furret hadn’t undergone any rigorous traini.Butterfree: Level 29, trained early on as both a mainstay and a tactical support Pokémon. It specialized in varied and... well, dirty strategies.Persian: Level 53, by far the farm’s stro battler. This Pokémon had been with Natsume since childhood, being from years of specially-crafted Pokéblocks.“Well, why not?”Scratg his head, Natsume shrugged and agreed. Might as well treat it as m exercise.

  “Would a 2v2 battle work for you?”

  “No problem!” Fu Gu nodded eagerly, ready to go.

  Sihis wasn’t an official match, the two skipped the formalities and ght to it.

  “Aipom, prepare for battle!”

  “You good to go, Butterfree?”

  Unlike Fu Gu’s enthusiasm, Natsume calmly turo his Butterfree for firmation.

  “Freee~”

  After a moment of thought, Butterfree nodded. It had been a while sis st fight—time to stretch those wings.

  “Alright the’s begin.”

  The battle enced with Aipom fshing a mischievous grin before letting out an ear-pierg screech.

  Scary Face, desigo startle oppos and make them flinch.

  But Butterfree remained unfazed, quickly gaining altitude. A blinding fsh of light followed, leaving Aipom’s visioirely white.

  “Screeech—!”

  “Ah, crap!”

  The sudden fsh not only blinded Aipom but also Fu Gu himself, leaving him teary-eyed. By the time his vision cleared, the sight before him was... uling.

  A thick, purplish liquid coated Aipom’s face.

  Above, Butterfree’s wings glimmered, scattering a mix of glittering powders—paralysis powder, poison powder, and rage powder—all drifting toward Aipom.

  Purple liquid? Likely Toxic.

  The bination of powders? A Sleep Powder + Air Cutter + Supersonic cocktail, garnished with disruption tactics.

  Floating leisurely in the air, Butterfree tinued b Aipom with poison and ratacks, occasionally tossing in Psybeam or Air Ssh to interrupt any ter-moves.

  A few mier, Aipom y sprawled on the ground, covered in uifiable purple fluids, tongue lolling out, with an oddly serene expression of relief.

  As Fu Gu frantically administered antidotes, he g Natsume with a hint of grievance.

  Natsume, utterly unbothered, simply remarked, “Dirty tricks are an essential part of a Trainer’s repertoire, young man. If this rattles you, you’ve still got a long way to go.”

  “Weepinbell, your turn!”

  Taking a deep breath, Fu Gu steadied himself.

  Fine. You want tricks? My Weepinbell py that game too! Paralysis Powder, Poison Prowth, and Vine Whip—it could outst Butterfree through sheer attrition.

  That was his pn, at least.

  Until he heard Natsume issue the and:

  “Butterfree, Psychic Earth Toss. Ready.”

  Fu Gu could only watch, dumbstruck, as his Weepinbell was lifted high into the air—then smmed down with brutal force.

  Fu Gu: ...

  Damn it!

  Gcell