Chapter 217: The Real Youth Training Camp!

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Primarina had high Special Defense and decent stamina, but against a Wash Rotom that had used Nasty Plot, it was still outmatched.

The Thunderbolt struck from behind, the electric current paralyzing Primarina the instant it made contact, interrupting its half-executed Dazzling Gleam.

Who knew if it was a critical hit or not? Either way, after the attack landed, Primarina was down.

The battle had been flawlessly one-sided.

Wu Ruoxue stood frozen in place, as if unable to believe her eyes.

"...It's over?" she murmured.

A battle that had lasted less than three minutes—maybe even shorter. Her ace, Primarina, had been utterly crushed by Li Xiang's newly trained Rotom.

Sure, type advantage played a role, but a one-shot KO?

Was the gap really that wide?

As one of the top students at No. 2 Middle School, Wu Ruoxue found it hard to accept.

Li Xiang walked over silently, giving her a polite nod before recalling Rotom, who had been curiously eyeing the fallen Primarina.

Lately, Rotom had been scouring the internet for information on various Pokémon, seemingly determined to become a living Pokédex. Not that Li Xiang minded— after all, who wouldn't want a portable Rotom Dex?

Nearby, Wu Ruoxue retrieved Primarina with a complicated expression.

"You…"

'Just how are you so strong?'

But she get to didn't finish her sentence. Li Xiang had already taken his ID card from the referee and jogged off without another word.

A wave of humiliation washed over her.

She suddenly realized that worse than losing after boasting was realizing that her opponent hadn't even taken her seriously.

She had been like a child flexing her tiny muscles in front of an adult—ridiculous and laughable.

"Just wait. I will beat you one day!"

Wu Ruoxue wasn't disheartened. Instead, she gritted her teeth, more determined than ever. If a single loss could break her, she wouldn't have made it this far.

After steadying her emotions, she regained her composure.

Buzz buzz buzz—

Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Frowning, she first retrieved her ID card, stepped outside the arena, and then answered the call.

It was Fang Xin.

"Yeah?"

"How'd the match go?" Fang Xin's voice was low. As No. Middle School's strongest trainer, he and Wu Ruoxue often sparred together.

"I lost," she admitted bluntly. "He won easily."

"You lost? And he won easily?"

"Yeah. His skill level is insanely high. If you face him, go all out—or you'll regret it."

With that, she hung up. 

Losing still stung, no matter how much she tried to downplay it.

Meanwhile…. Fang Xin stared at his phone in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" his teammate asked.

"Nothing," Fang Xin shook his head. "Just heard something interesting. Anyone know a guy named Li Xiang from Class 3?"

One hand shot up. "Oh! The Vice Class President who always leads the night runs!"

Another chimed in, "Yeah! On the first day, he made a group chat to help people find their luggage. I'm in it!"

"Vice Class President?" Fang Xin smirked. What kind of weird nickname was that?

But beneath the amusement, his mind was racing.

Wu Ruoxue never exaggerated. If she said Li Xiang was strong enough to warrant caution, then he was at least on Fang Xin's level—if not higher.

'Where the hell did this guy even come from? Why have I never heard of him before?'

This was bad. 

He hadn't expected someone like this in the training camp. Rubbing his temples, Fang Xin started making calls, digging for information on Li Xiang.

Ideally, he'd get his hands on all of Li Xiang's battle records. 

An unknown powerhouse appearing out of nowhere? 

Not good.

.....

Cafeteria

Unaware he'd been marked, Li Xiang was chatting with Song Jie and the others.

From enrollment until now, nearly a month had passed. Yet, aside from the initial ten eliminations, no one else had been cut.

It was as if the elimination system didn't exist.

The competition had settled into a routine—everyone knew their limits by now.

Some always ate in the first batch; others consistently ranked in the top hundred. Two distinct social strata had formed, and Li Xiang knew the camp wouldn't let this stand.

He'd never underestimate that boisterous, middle-aged camp director. If he got complacent like the others, he'd be screwed sooner or later.

"Something's coming," Song Jie said grimly, sipping his milk tea half-heartedly. "September—the official start of the semester—will be a turning point."

Li Xiang nodded. "Agreed. A month of calm means they're preparing something big. A few nights ago, during the run, I saw Pokémon moving around in the wilderness arena."

Normally, designated battlefields were off-limits to wild Pokémon. Any trespassers would be chased out.

"The training hall still isn't open, but I've seen people going in and out."

"Someone was checking the equipment in the Pokémon playground too."

"And the restricted section of the supermarket? I spotted staff entering."

Everyone shared their observations.

Putting it all together, the camp was undergoing strange changes—like the calm before a storm.

The consensus?

September would change everything.

And so, the final week of August passed like flowing water.

.....

September 1st.

Afternoon, post-theory class.

Instructor Zhong Qizhi reappeared, a stack of papers in hand and a smile on his face.

"Next, I'll be distributing your August report cards. These show your performance points for the past month. When you receive yours, do not react loudly or speak. If you have questions, wait until I finish explaining."

Zhong Qizhi motioned for Song Jie to come forward, and the latter stood to take the stack of papers.

As expected. The turning point had finally arrived.

Grades were calculated monthly, and there was a new metric in play: Performance Points (PP).

Li Xiang glanced at Song Jie, who returned a look that said, Stay calm.

The report cards were handed out in order of student numbers. Li Xiang, being No. 6, received his early.

At the top was the header: August Performance Report.

Below it stretched a long, detailed table—left side text, right side numbers—listing every battle Li Xiang had fought, his opponents, his rankings in physical training and night runs, all dated meticulously.

Every win added a +1 in the points column.

The base PP was 60, and by the end of the calculations, Li Xiang's total sat just above 200.

The final row was labeled "Miscellaneous," and this category had given him the biggest boost—over 40 points alone.

'Over a hundred already?'

Li Xiang raised an eyebrow. Since the points kept accumulating past 100, they clearly had another purpose.

Behind him, Yang Tianwang lightly tapped his back. Understanding, Li Xiang turned and showed them his report.

Yang Tianwang took it, skimmed it quickly with Qu Sheng, then handed it back with an expression tangled in envy and frustration.

When their own reports arrived, Li Xiang also peeked.

Their scores hovered around 150. Lin Feng and Xu Wan were no exception.

Their "Miscellaneous" sections barely had any additions—just 2 or 3 points at most.

'Is this some kind of "conduct score"?'

Li Xiang mused, now eager to see Song Jie's report.

Soon, Song Jie finished distributing the reports. Despite Zhong Qizhi's warning, hushed exclamations still broke out.

Returning to his seat, Song Jie slid his report over. "Here. Let's trade. You've been waiting, right?"

"You checked yours while handing them out? Smooth." Li Xiang passed his own over.

Song Jie's report was nearly identical—same battle wins, same "Miscellaneous" additions—except for one extra line at the bottom:

Class Leader: +5 PP.

However, his "Miscellaneous" total was only 20-something points, putting his final score around 180—20 points short of Li Xiang's.

They exchanged glances.

"Conduct points?"

"Probably."

Reports swapped back.

At the podium, Zhong Qizhi sat down and blew his whistle sharply, instantly silencing the room.

"Let me explain the grading system," he began. "The table and numbers should be self-explanatory. Base PP is 60. A win adds 1 point; a loss deducts 1."

"The 'Miscellaneous' category is a hidden score. The criteria for earning or losing these points won't be disclosed, but gaining them is simple—just do good deeds."

"What counts? Don't ask me. I don't know either. Maybe picking up trash gives you points."

He paused for effect.

"Now, the important part: what these points are for."

"Many of you have noticed areas in the camp currently off-limits. With PP, you can now access them—though some have minimum requirements."

"Starting today, battles are tiered:

Below 100 PP: D-Class arenas. 1 PP per match.

100+ PP: C-Class arenas. 2 PP per match. Limited slots, so King of the Hill rules. Daily Victor/Arena Defender earns +4 PP.

500+ PP: B-Class arenas. 3 PP per match. King of the Hill. Victor earns +6 PP.

1000+ PP: A-Class arenas. 5 PP per match. King of the Hill. Victor earns +10 PP.

"You can challenge the arena anytime. Each 'King' maxes out at 6 matches per day. Complete all six? You successfully defend your title/arena."

"PP takes effect immediately. Don't stress—there are many ways to earn points, not just battles."

Zhong Qizhi smiled, but his next words carried weight.

"However, students who hit zero—or worse, negative PP—will be expelled from the camp."

It was a Survival of the fittest.