Across the streets, rooftops, and storefronts, new figures began appearing—different from the Pokémon NPCs. These were the other trainees entering the game one by one.
As Rita flew through the city, her mind was entirely focused on one thing: how to make money.
Going the honest route? That was never an option. Honest work didn't pay fast enough.
She'd already understood that three years ago, when she and Mistblade and Fat Goose had been sitting around in ripped pants, scheming how to afford tuition.
With only three minutes left on the countdown, Rita landed in what seemed to be the center of the city. Towering buildings surrounded a large intersection, and in the middle was a fountain. At its center, on a raised platform, lay a sleeping… Cubone?
What really caught Rita's attention wasn't the Pokémon—it was the hundreds of glowing blue crystals piled in the fountain. Each was about the size of a gold coin, no bigger than her thumbnail.
It looked exactly like a wishing fountain.
