The freshman training camp was over.
Three days of Secret Realm exploration had officially come to an end.
Nearly all of the hundreds of freshmen returned in miserable condition.
The boys were fine. At worst, they were dirty and unkempt—no one really cared.
The girls, however, were transported back to school in special vehicles to avoid any embarrassing appearances being seen by male students and "damaging their image."
Inside the return vehicle—
The counselor looked extremely pleased.
She pulled Chen Ran aside and revealed some news in advance.
"This time, the school has prepared a pseudo-legendary Pokémon as a reward for first place. The administration asked me to consult you— which one do you want?"
Chen Ning was glowing with happiness.
Her class had taken first place in the freshman training camp.
Not only did it make her look good—
It also meant bonuses and recognition.
All of that credit belonged to Chen Ran.
Compared to Chen Ning's excitement—
Chen Ran was simply relieved.
The school hadn't withdrawn the pseudo-legendary reward just because Ye Feng—the Champion's son—failed to win.
That alone made him feel satisfied.
"Can I choose from all eight pseudo-legendaries?" Chen Ran asked, eager.
Deep down—
He already had someone in mind.
But Chen Ning quickly crushed that hope.
"Of course not."
She rolled her eyes.
"Our school isn't one of the two giants in Kyoto. We can't obtain every pseudo-legendary species. Forget about the ones from Europe and North America."
Chen Ran immediately understood.
With the Dragon Kingdom rising rapidly in recent years, certain foreign regions had restricted the export of high-tier Pokémon species.
That included:
Garchomp (North American region)
Goodra (Nordic region)
Kommo-o (South American region)
Other pseudo-legendaries were technically obtainable—
But the prices were extremely high.
"Right now, the school can offer you one of these four," Chen Ning said.
"Dragonite, Tyranitar, Metagross, or Salamence."
Everything had already been arranged in advance.
"Originally, Ye Feng intended to choose Salamence," she added with a faint smile.
"But since you're first place— the final decision is yours."
If Chen Ran chose Salamence, the school wouldn't need to adjust anything.
If he chose something else—
The school would still honor the reward.
After the freshman training camp, the leadership had clearly noticed something.
Ye Feng may have been the Champion's son—
But his talent was only average.
His bond with Pokémon was weak.
His future ceiling… likely limited.
Chen Ran, on the other hand—
Exceptional talent.
High Pokémon trust levels.
Incredible luck.
Commoner background.
He was worth investing in.
"Is that so?"
Chen Ran chuckled.
Losing to him would probably haunt Ye Feng for life.
Starting with three starter Pokémon and elite-level guidance—
Yet still losing to a civilian background freshman?
The fact that Ye Feng hadn't completely broken down already was impressive.
"So," Chen Ning asked again, "which one do you want?"
A pseudo-legendary Pokémon had an incredibly high floor and ceiling.
With sufficient resources—
Gym-level Trainer was guaranteed.
Elite Four was possible.
Champion? Not impossible.
Chen Ning began introducing them one by one, worried Chen Ran might not fully understand.
"First, Dragonite. Our Dragon Kingdom's iconic pseudo-legendary. Cute appearance, terrifying destructive power. It's even called the 'God of Destruction.'"
She spoke like a walking Pokédex.
"Next, Tyranitar."
"Rock/Dark-type. High HP, high Attack, strong Defense. Extremely versatile. Known as the 'Desert Tyrant' and considered one of the strongest land-based Pokémon."
Chen Ran mentally nicknamed it "Mini Groudon."
…Though technically that title belonged to Torkoal.
"Then there's Metagross."
"Very high physical Attack and Defense. Its other stats are solid. Steel/Psychic typing gives it excellent offensive coverage. And with Mega Evolution, its combat power increases dramatically."
Chen Ning didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about Metagross.
But in Chen Ran's eyes—
Metagross was top-tier among pseudo-legendaries.
Used properly, it could easily rank in the top three.
"As for Salamence…" Chen Ning hesitated slightly.
"I personally don't recommend it."
She glanced at Chen Ran knowingly.
Although Ye Feng preferred Salamence—
In her opinion, it was too fragile.
"Strong offensive stats, yes. But its defenses are low. It's vulnerable to Electric, Ice, Fairy, and Rock-type attacks."
"In higher-level battles, those types are extremely common damage dealers."
"Even after Mega Evolution, it still faces heavy counters."
She shook her head.
"Dragon Dance sweeping might look beautiful in low-level matches. But in serious competition? The environment isn't kind to Salamence."
She finished explaining.
"So, Chen Ran. What's your choice?"
Four options.
Realistically—
Three.
Chen Ran suddenly felt something missing.
Then it hit him.
Wait.
Where was Dragapult?
The Dragon/Ghost pseudo-legendary—
Often nicknamed "Mini Giratina."
"Counselor," Chen Ran said eagerly.
"I'd like to choose Dragapult."
Chen Ning blinked.
Then rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"You really dream big."
"Do you know how rare Dreepy-line Pokémon are? Even the two top universities in Kyoto can't reliably obtain them."
"Let alone us."
She shook her head.
"That's simply impossible."
The school couldn't provide what it didn't have.
And Dragapult—
Was far beyond their reach.