"Come on, with your current condition, you won't even be able to stand in the examination room, let alone complete the college entrance exam," Zhong Ling sighed, casting a concerned glance at Renjiro, who lay weakly on the hospital bed, his body covered in bandages.
"Let's be realistic. Take the exam next year."
Her voice was filled with a mixture of frustration and worry. It pained her to see someone so determined yet so fragile at the moment. Renjiro, despite his injuries, refused to give in.
"No. I have to go," Renjiro said, his voice barely above a whisper, but the resolve behind his words was unshakable.
Zhong Ling stared at him, stunned by his stubbornness. His face was pale, his breathing shallow, and his body still trembled from the pain. Yet, his eyes — though tired — burned with unwavering determination.
Why was he so insistent? Zhong Ling couldn't understand at first. But then she thought of his background. Born in the slums of Dawn Street, Renjiro had nothing handed to him. Every achievement, every victory, was won through struggle. Maybe that was why he was so desperate not to miss this chance.
"You know very well," Renjiro continued, his voice steadying, "if I miss the exam this year, I won't have the same opportunities next year. Previous candidates aren't allowed to register for the Pokémon practical exam. That means I wouldn't qualify for the trainer department at university. And without that... I can't access the documents I need."
Documents. Knowledge. Clues to the Mew gene. The key to creating Mewtwo and achieving his hidden goal.
Zhong Ling was silent. She felt a wave of respect for Renjiro's drive. But at the same time, she knew the reality — his body wouldn't allow it.
In the quiet of the ward, only the sound of Arcanine's gentle snoring filled the space. Even the mighty beast could sense the tension had ebbed for a moment, letting itself drift into sleep.
After what felt like a long silence, Zhong Ling broke it.
"Renjiro... why do you want to become a trainer so badly?" she asked softly, her gaze softening.
She truly wanted to understand. Before his eighteenth birthday, Renjiro had never shown interest in becoming a trainer. Yet, in the past month, he'd fought with an obsession, challenging stronger trainers, growing at an astonishing rate. What had driven him to this?
Renjiro closed his eyes, pondering the question. For a brief moment, memories of his life before this world surfaced — the world he had come from, where Pokémon existed only on screens and in books. But now... this was real.
Why did he want to be a trainer?
Maybe because in this world, trainers stood above. Trainers commanded respect. Power. Recognition. And Renjiro... he needed that to achieve his hidden mission.
"To stand out," Renjiro finally murmured, his eyes opening slowly. "I want to stand out... to rise above."
Zhong Ling stared at him. She understood. Born on Dawn Street herself, she knew the desire to escape a place where dreams were often crushed by reality. The desire to prove oneself, to climb higher, was a fire that burned within people like them.
"Renjiro," Zhong Ling said after a pause, a small smile tugging at her lips, "when you recover, why don't you come work for our Investigation Bureau?"
Renjiro blinked, surprised. "Work for you?"
"Yes. I'm impressed by your ability. And our bureau could use someone like you right now," Zhong Ling said. "If you join, I'll speak to the director personally. With your strength, you'd earn at least 10,000 Alliance coins a month."
Her tone was genuine. She wasn't wealthy and had little power to change Renjiro's fate — but this offer, she thought, could help him.
But to her surprise, Renjiro didn't seem moved by the salary. Instead, he tilted his head, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
"Do I get a Growlithe?" he asked.
Zhong Ling froze for a moment, then burst out laughing despite herself. "Growlithe? Do you think we hand them out like cabbages?"
In their bureau, Growlithe were standard partners only for combat officers, and even then, they were highly prized.
When Renjiro saw her response, he smiled faintly and closed his eyes. "Forget it then."
Zhong Ling gaped at him. "You—! You're impossible!" she fumed, feeling her temper rise. Even while injured, this guy could drive her up the wall.
"Fine! Rest well. Let's go, Mighty General," she snapped, calling Arcanine to her side. She turned to leave, unable to stand another second of his infuriating attitude.
But before she reached the door, Renjiro's weak voice stopped her.
"Wait... Officer Zhong."
She turned back, eyes wide, heart softening.
"Thank you," Renjiro said quietly, sincerely.
Zhong Ling's expression softened, and she let out a breath. "At least you can say something human," she muttered. "Rest, and eat those buns before they get cold. I'll come by tomorrow morning."
With that, she left, and the room fell into stillness once again.
Renjiro lay there, staring at the ceiling, the white tiles blurring in his vision.
"Plans... they never survive contact with reality," he whispered to himself. "If Zhang Xuewei hadn't completed the task in time, I would've been the one to die today."
The weight of it all pressed on him. He'd come so close to death.
Then, something stirred in his mind.
"The system... I remember now. Didn't it say a shopping mall function was updated?"
Excitement flickered in his eyes as he brought up his attribute panel in his mind:
---
Host: Renjiro
Pokémon: Giovanni's Beedrill, Milotic
Special Ability: Viridian Power (Heal Pokémon, sense their thoughts, help them surpass racial limits)
Eye of Insight: See through the essence of everything
Battle Value: 2400
Current Missions:
Train or recruit ten junior trainers
Reward: Summon a Team Rocket executive
Obtain Mew gene
Reward: Mewtwo research data
Subsystems: Combat Value Lottery, Combat Value Mall
---
"Good. The Combat Value Mall is finally here," Renjiro thought, a sense of relief washing over him. He navigated the mall interface in his mind.
The Combat Value Mall offered rare items, training manuals, and even enhancement stones in exchange for combat value points. It was exactly what he needed — a secret resource to grow stronger even faster.
Scrolling through the items, he found a "Primary Healing Serum" — 500 points. An enhancement stone for Beedrill's wings — 1200 points. Even a temporary physical strength booster that could help him get through the exam if necessary — 1000 points.
"This... this could be my lifeline," Renjiro realized, hope rekindling in his heart.
His mind raced with possibilities. If he played this right, he could recover just enough to sit for the exam — and continue his plan to access the Mew data.
But he'd need more combat value. That meant more battles, more missions, more risk. Still, he welcomed the challenge.
Renjiro clenched his fist weakly. "I will not fall here. No matter what... I will rise."
Outside the ward, the first rays of dawn began to break through the sky, casting soft light into the room. A new day had begun — and with it, a renewed determination in Renjiro's heart.
---