Jun Shafeng approached the Pokémon Center's front desk, presenting three certificates from the Donghuang Pokémon Battle Club. Nurse Joy, handling trainer level upgrades, examined them closely before entering his information into the computer. His profile appeared on the screen.
After a quick review, Nurse Joy upgraded Jun Shafeng's trainer rank from E to D. "Mr. Jun Shafeng, please wait a moment while I fetch your Trainer Pokétch."
He nodded and sat patiently. A few minutes later, Nurse Joy returned with a sleek Pokétch and a small box. "Your trainer information is loaded into this Pokétch, and this box contains your D-rank badge."
Jun Shafeng accepted them, a grin spreading across his face as excitement bubbled within him.
Back home, he eagerly slipped the Pokétch onto his right wrist and admired his D-rank badge. "I'm officially a trainer now," he said proudly.
Exploring the Pokétch, he discovered it held a vast Pokédex database covering Pokémon from every region, complete with their abilities, habitats, and behaviors. It also included tips for wilderness adventures.
His thoughts drifted to Du Long's mention of a secret realm. "Lu Xue said my parents disappeared exploring one. What's in those places?" Curious, he used the Pokétch to search for information.
The screen displayed: [Secret Realms: Alternate spatial worlds inhabited by unique Pokémon. They hold rare treasures but are fraught with dangers.]
Jun Shafeng nodded thoughtfully. "So, secret realms are like dungeons in fantasy stories—risky but full of opportunities."
His Pokétch buzzed with a message. "Who's messaging me already?" he wondered, opening it.
The message read: [Congratulations on reaching D-rank! You'll receive a monthly League subsidy of 800 Alliance Coins, added to your existing 6,000-coin balance, totaling 6,800.]
Jun Shafeng smiled, then remembered his agreement with Song Zheng. "Now's the perfect time to battle his Rhydon. With Lu Xue returning soon, I should try to evolve Growlithe into Arcanine before then."
Using the Pokétch's GPS, he locked onto Water Village's location and headed there, arriving in about fifteen minutes.
Water Village was a sprawling aquatic sanctuary created by the Pokémon League. Most Water-type Pokémon here were raised for new trainers. Injured or stray Water-types were also brought here for rehabilitation, either released back to the wild or allowed to stay if they chose.
Due to the fishing tournament, Water Village—usually closed to the public—opened a small section to visitors. At the entrance, Jun Shafeng saw trainers with fishing rods and gear, buzzing with anticipation.
"I only have Growlithe," he mused. "If I run into trouble in the wild, I'm underpowered. I should catch another Pokémon."
He paid 100 Alliance Coins for a tournament ticket and entered Water Village. Spotting a Pokémon store nearby, he thought, "Perfect. I can grab fishing gear and Poké Balls."
Inside, the store was packed with excited shoppers. Jun Shafeng browsed the Poké Ball section. "Regular Poké Balls are 200 Alliance Coins, Great Balls are 500, and Ultra Balls are 1,000," he noted, wincing at the prices. "Net Balls, for Water- and Bug-types, are 1,200, with triple the catch rate of Ultra Balls."
With 6,000 Alliance Coins from recent winnings, he still felt strapped. "I can't afford the fancy ones yet." He spent 1,000 coins on five regular Poké Balls.
Heading to the fishing gear section, he overheard a commotion as a crowd rushed past the store. A group of high school girls nearby chattered excitedly.
"Is that Mizunotsume, the new Water-type Gym Leader?" one asked.
"Maybe! I heard his first Pokémon came from Water Village, so he might be here to support the tournament," another replied.
A third girl squealed, "Mizunotsume's so handsome! He won the Grand Festival's advanced division. He's got strength *and* style!"
After paying, the girls hurried out. Curious, Jun Shafeng opened his Pokétch and searched for Gym Leaders. Hundreds of profiles appeared. He typed in "Mizunotsume."
[Mizunotsume: Appointed one of the Pokémon League's eight Gym Leaders two months ago. Winner of the Grand Festival's advanced division. The eight Gym Leaders are the strongest trainers below the Elite Four, each nearing Elite-level power.]
Jun Shafeng nodded, intrigued. "So, the Gym Leaders are quasi-Elite Four level. I wonder how Mizunotsume compares to that Officer Jenny I met."
He purchased a fishing rod for 500 Alliance Coins, left the store, and, after asking around, found the fishing tournament's location.
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