The grand student lounge was packed wall-to-wall with every first-year in the academy. The massive, floor-to-ceiling holographic leaderboard was still blank, casting a soft blue glow over the hundreds of anxious faces. The air crackled with a mixture of hope, fear, and raw, competitive energy.
"I'm so nervous I think my heart's gonna jump out of my chest!" Elara whispered, clutching her Bulbasaur tightly. "This is it! Our first official ranking!"
"Bulba..." Bulbasaur murmured, patting her arm reassuringly with a vine.
"Don't worry," Ryuga said, a calm smile on his face. Dratini was coiled on his shoulder, its violet eyes watching the crowd with a serene confidence that mirrored its trainer's. "We both won our matches. We'll be fine."
Still, he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly at the blank screen, this is the first real test. Where do I stand in this sea of trainers?
"ATTENTION, FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS!" the Headmistress's voice boomed from hidden speakers, silencing the chatter instantly. "THE RESULTS OF YOUR PLACEMENT BATTLES HAVE BEEN TALLIED. YOUR INITIAL RANK WILL DETERMINE YOUR CLASS ALLOCATION AND PRACTICE PARTNERS FOR THE COMING WEEKS."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED IF YOU ARE RANKED LOW!" the voice commanded. "AND DO NOT BECOME COMPLACENT IF YOU ARE RANKED HIGH! AT THIS ACADEMY, YOUR STANDING CAN CHANGE WITH A SINGLE BATTLE! NOW, BEHOLD YOUR STARTING LINE!"
With a dramatic *VWOOMP*, the leaderboard flickered to life. Names and numbers began to fill the screen, starting from the very bottom.
500. Jenkins, Timmy
499. Gable, Sarah
Groans of disappointment and sighs of relief spread through the lounge as students found their names.
"Come on, come on..." Elara chanted under her breath, her eyes scanning the board frantically as the numbers climbed. The list shot past 300, then 200.
"There!" Ryuga pointed.
87. Elara
"EIGHTY-SEVEN!" Elara shrieked with joy, jumping into the air and hugging her Bulbasaur. "We made the top 100! We did it! We actually did it!"
"Bulbasaur!" her partner cheered along with her.
Ryuga laughed, patting her on the back. "See? I told you that Vine Whip was genius."
He turned back to the screen. The numbers were climbing higher now, into the top 50. Then the top 20. Whispers started to rise around him.
"Where's the Pendragon?"
"He won his match in like, thirty seconds! He's gotta be in the top 10!"
The screen refreshed, now showing only the top 10 ranks.
10. Saito, Kenji
9. Bell, Fiona
...
4. Ishikawa, Ren
3. Thorne, Isabella
The final two spots remained blank. The entire room held its breath.
2. Ryuga Pendragon
A wave of gasps and amazed shouts filled the lounge. Elara stared at the screen, her jaw hanging open. "Whoa... Rank 2... on your very first day! That's insane, Ryu!"
But Ryuga wasn't listening. He wasn't smiling. His eyes were locked on the single empty space above his own name.
With a final, dramatic flourish, the number one spot filled in.
1. Valerius Argent
A murmur of approval went through the crowd. An Argent was, after all, an Argent.
Ryuga's gaze was cold as ice. So, that's the starting line. His system pinged silently in his mind, the objective from his main quest flashing in his vision: Become the #1 Ranked First-Year Student.
Across the crowded room, he saw him. Valerius was leaning against a wall, looking utterly bored. He glanced at the completed leaderboard, then his eyes scanned the crowd and found Ryuga's.
A cold, arrogant smirk spread across his face. He gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod, as if to say, This is my rightful place. Know yours.
On his shoulder, his Bagon let out a challenging growl.
On Ryuga's shoulder, Dratini responded with a low, dangerous hiss, its body tensing.
Ryuga reached up, gently stroking his partner's head to calm it. He didn't break eye contact with Valerius. The noise of the cheering crowd, Elara's excited chatter, it all faded into the background. There was only the name at the top of the list, and the boy who held that spot.
Don't get too comfortable up there, Valerius, Ryuga thought, a fire of pure determination igniting within him.
"I'm coming for that spot."