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[Aura Sphere], a Fighting-type special move, possesses the unique effect of never missing.
It isn't an exclusive move—many Pokémon can learn it, but for Riolu, mastering this technique held immense significance.
Only by learning Aura Sphere could Riolu prove that its mastery of Aura had surpassed that of its peers.
Of course, achieving this was inseparable from the Three-Blind Perception Method. But even so, it had already exceeded 99.9% of all Riolu.
Very few Riolu in the world could learn Aura Sphere while still in their base form.
Setting aside symbolic implications, the practical difference between knowing Aura Sphere and not knowing it was like night and day.
At the very least, the improvement in Riolu's Aura Vision had far exceeded Li Xiang's expectations.
"Giving me such a pleasant surprise in the middle of the night…"
Exhausted but smiling, Li Xiang pinched Riolu's cheeks, his expression bright.
Nothing brought him more joy than witnessing his Pokémon's growth firsthand. The fact that Riolu had learned Aura Sphere at such a coincidental time was also unexpected.
"Riolu!"
The blue-and-black puppy's face remained calm, but an unmistakable aura of happiness radiated from its entire body.
After achieving minor mastery in the Three-Blind Perception Method, the changes in Riolu's temperament were beyond ordinary standards.
Li Xiang could clearly sense the shift in Riolu's demeanor.
Once full of energy, it had now become as still as deep water—outwardly serene, but with unseen currents swirling beneath.
Restrained brilliance. No arrogance, no impatience.
Just by appearance alone, Riolu had already begun to mirror the aura of his Third Senior Sister.
It made Li Xiang wonder if his and Incineroar's so-called "minor mastery" had been fake, and Riolu was the only one who had truly reached it.
…Well, that was just a joke.
As his senior sister had said, the rewards of minor mastery varied from person to person.
Incineroar had gained temperature control, Li Xiang's focus and eyesight had improved, and Riolu had learned Aura Sphere, making a leap in Aura proficiency.
All different.
And Riolu's progress was undeniably tied to its relentless effort.
After some quick testing, Li Xiang confirmed that Riolu's body control, reflexes, and dynamic vision had all improved significantly.
It wouldn't be long before it could fully harness the speed of Double Team + Agility.
"A sudden leap forward, huh."
Li Xiang sighed in admiration, then remembered that he'd be returning to the Youth Training Camp tomorrow. A strange sense of anticipation bubbled up inside him.
There were so many things he wanted to test and experiment with.
Without the A-Class training facilities and the support of top-tier Pokémon Breeders, he wouldn't dare try them—too much risk of something going wrong with Incineroar and the others.
...
The Next Day.
Under the eager anticipation of nearly a hundred students, the Youth Training Camp reopened its doors.
After a winter break, everyone had grown stronger in some way. Those who wanted to stay here wouldn't have wasted their vacation slacking off.
Almost all of them had gone to great lengths to improve. Among them, Lin Feng's gains during the break were particularly shocking.
"Heracross?"
Li Xiang stared at the massive, jet-black rhinoceros beetle before him, its glossy horn reflecting light, its amber-and-black eyes gleaming. His expression turned thoughtful.
Its coloration differed from the usual deep-blue variants, and its size was noticeably larger.
Not a Shiny—just a regional variation.
Slight differences in appearance due to environmental factors.
Like how, in the Pokémon Special manga, Rattata in Kanto and Johto had different colors.
In other words…
Maybe its mother had extra ink when giving birth to it.
"Yep! This guy's amazing—crazy strong!"
Lin Feng grinned, rapping his knuckles against Heracross's head, producing a crisp tink sound.
In response, Heracross effortlessly lifted Lin Feng with one arm, its expression and movements making it clear how little effort it took.
'Monstrous strength…'
While Heracross was already known for its power, reaching this level with pure physical force was rare.
"So, your mentor gave this to you?"
Li Xiang reached out and ran his fingers along Heracross's smooth, cold horn. The texture was sleek and polished, almost as if it had been buffed to perfection.
Heracross pursed its lips and gently swayed its horn.
This species was famously docile, the polar opposite of its aggressive counterpart, Pinsir.
If Li Xiang encountered these two in the wild, he'd dare to pet Heracross on sight, but Pinsir?
Stay as far away as possible.
If Pinsir didn't attack him first, he'd count it as a blessing.
"Yeah. Since he's been taking such good care of me and I've already become his disciple, I'll probably be heading to Yuzhou."
Lin Feng hopped down, his expression tinged with melancholy. "I originally wanted to go to Shen Island."
As a devoted fan of Xia Chunyu, Lin Feng had always seen that as this world's equivalent of Harvard or Oxford—a must-attend institution.
But during the break, he'd met an old man who happened to be a retired professor from Yuzhou's Academy.
A series of small adventures later…
Lin Feng had officially become the old man's disciple, with an agreement to attend Yuzhou after the Youth Training Camp and lead Yuzhou's team to the global stage.
This darker-colored Heracross was the "master's gift" sealing their bond.
"Not a bad deal. One of my senior sisters goes to Yuzhou," Li Xiang said, patting his shoulder. "Though she's about to graduate."
Back when he'd watched Yuzhou's matches, he'd wondered if he'd see the kind of underdog-to-champion storyline common in sports anime.
Turns out, Lin Feng was the one living it.
Who knows—maybe he'd be the one to revive Yuzhou's fallen glory.....
Assuming Li Xiang wasn't standing in his way, of course.
As for Xu Wan? She'd 100% follow Lin Feng. No question.
Meanwhile, Qu Sheng and Yang Tianwang, after a month of careful consideration and discussions with their families, had also settled on their goals.
"Shanghai. Close to Yuzhou, and a top-tier school. I don't think there's a better choice."
Qu Sheng cradled his Goomy—the promised pseudo-Legendary with Sap Sipper, perfectly complementing his rain team.
"Same here." Yang Tianwang raised his hand, his Dratini still acting aloof beside him, its serpentine neck held high in arrogance.
Compared to this drama queen, Rotom was far more agreeable. And after all this time, Dratini's tsundere phase still hadn't ended.
Yang Tianwang really was slacking.
Unable to resist, Li Xiang tapped his phone, and Rotom vibrated slightly in response.
'But Shanghai, huh? Wasn't that also on Song Jie's list?'
"Right, it's either Tiandu or Shanghai for me. What about you? Don't just ask others—you must have some goal in mind, right?"
Song Jie set down his food and asked softly.
"Honestly, I'm fine with any of the top six… Though Longdu might be nice. It's close to the Sky Pillar, so maybe I could get a Mega Stone."
Li Xiang looked up at the ceiling. He loved Mega Evolution, but the Sky Pillar only allowed one challenge.
If he could only get one Keystone and Mega Stone per attempt, he'd still need to find a way to get Metagrossite.
Wouldn't Longdu have plenty of loose Mega Stones lying around?
Song Jie chuckled. "If you like Mega Evolution that much, you could always go to Western Europe."
"They say there are undiscovered Mega Stone veins there—maybe even Keystone deposits."
"As for Longdu… no offense, but that place is basically a private playground for Longdu locals. Unless you shine so brightly they can't ignore you, you'll probably get sidelined."
To secure more resources and opportunities in higher education, you needed the attention of the faculty. And Longdu, as a highly insular region, had a strong "locals first" unspoken rule in its academies.
Other schools had similar biases, but they were far less blatant.
"Western Europe… I'll definitely go there if I get the chance."
Li Xiang nodded. If he wanted Mega Stones in this world, aside from Longdu, Western Europe was the only other option.
As for Longdu? If even Song Jie said so, then it wasn't worth considering.
That left five of the six elite academies.
"Yandu Province is too cold—bad for Incineroar. Shen Island students these days are too arrogant, looking down on outsiders… So that leaves Wudu, Tiandu, and Shanghai."
Li Xiang pondered. Tiandu was also a bit chilly, but as the capital of Zhuxia, it had the advantage of attracting top talent.
The best climates?
Wudu (Mist/Fog City) and Shanghai.
(Note: Should I just use Mist City instead of Wudu from now on?)
Especially the former—nestled between Yanzhou, Jizhou, and Chongzhou Provinces, it was a place of eternal spring.
It also bordered the world's third-largest inland lake—Mist Lake, from which the city derived its name due to the morning fog drifting into its streets.
"Wait, why aren't you going to Wudu? It's right next to Jizhou."
Li Xiang turned to Song Jie. "Wouldn't staying close to home be better?"
Song Jie rolled his eyes. "My sister's at Wudu's Pokémon Breeder Academy. You know that. Why would I go there?"
Anya was studying to be a Breeder, just like Abigail, both at Wudu. She had chosen Wudu for its proximity to home.
As for Abigail? Wudu had made it to the global stage a few years prior, achieving respectable rankings.
It had always been a strong contender for the top three in the Zhu Xia region, often regarded as the fiercest rival of Shanghai and.
The perfect place for ambitious students.
"So you're… avoiding your sister? I thought you two got along well." Li Xiang raised an eyebrow.
"Getting along doesn't mean we have to attend the same school."
Song Jie's expression remained neutral. "Visiting her occasionally is enough."
"Heeeh—"
Li Xiang's smile deepened.
"What's with that tone? I'm serious. Tiandu and Shanghai—one is the heart of Zhu Xia, the other is a bridge to the world. The quality of trainers there is higher than in an inland city like Wudu."
Song Jie tapped the table, emphasizing his point.
"Sure, sure."
Li Xiang stood up, not bothering to argue. "I'm heading out to train."
Fifty Beng Quan strikes a day—no skipping, even during school.
"…"
Song Jie watched Li Xiang's retreating back, his brow furrowing.
'This guy's acting weird. Why bring up Wudu all of a sudden?'
'…Whatever. No point warning those who won't listen. He'd figure it out once he hit a wall.'
With that, Song Jie picked up his book and stopped dwelling on it.