CHAPTER 20
c20: Campus Life
"Gardevoir! And not just any Gardevoir a Shiny Gardevoir! So it was true! The rumors about a Shiny Gardevoir making waves in Shencheng that was your Pokémon all along?! Why didn't you ever tell me?" He Xiaowen leaned forward on the sofa, her voice full of amazement as she stared at the elegant Pokémon standing nearby.
"And that incident in the capital a while back the one at the Exchange Plaza, where a Shiny Gardevoir reportedly helped bust a ring of black-market traders abusing Pokémon? That was you too, wasn't it? The undercover police case with a mysterious Psychic-type? Was that your Gardevoir as well?!"
Chen Xiaoxiao, who had just dragged He Xiaowen to the dormitory sofa to relax, looked awkward for a moment.
"…Seriously? This is giving me déjà vu Grandma said the same thing! She also mentioned the Exchange Plaza, the Shiny Gardevoir taking down scammers, and the police sting operation..."
Chen Xiaoxiao silently cursed how exaggerated all the stories had become.
"Well… yeah," she admitted, "there shouldn't be a second Shiny Gardevoir in Shencheng. And Gardevoir has been on the net a few times, I guess. But it's nothing to brag about! You never asked, so I didn't bring it up. It's like how I don't know every Pokémon you have, right?"
"That's not the same!" He Xiaowen cried, eyes wide. "Your Gardevoir does housework?! That's totally OP!"
Chen Xiaoxiao laughed, puffing out her chest a little.
"Heehee, that's just because I trained her well!"
She didn't get too excited when people praised her battle strength. After all, with a sister like hers and the kind of system she had, excelling in combat was almost expected. But the fact that Gardevoir could clean, cook, and organize all thanks to her own training.that was something she took personal pride in.
"I'm seriously jealous! I want a Gardevoir who does chores too," He Xiaowen pouted.
"Haha, that's a tough one. Not everyone can get this lucky. But hey why don't we let our Pokémon out and introduce them to each other?"
"Great idea!" He Xiaowen nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright! Let's go!" Chen Xiaoxiao announced, stepping back with a smile. "Come out, Umbreon, Espurr, Togepi!"
Poké Balls burst open in a swirl of light as her Pokémon materialized: Umbreon shimmered with its signature rings glowing faintly, Espurr twitched its ears, and the ever-smiling Togepi bounced on stubby feet.
"My turn!" He Xiaowen followed. "Come out, Primarina, Starmie!"
Her own Pokémon emerged in dazzling flashes. Primarina let out a melodic cry, ribbons of water curling at its fins, while Starmie spun midair, its core gem gleaming in the sunlight.
"Whoa! Your Pokémon are so cute!" He Xiaowen's voice rose an octave, eyes sparkling like she'd walked into a Pokémon Center raffle draw. "That's just unfair Togepi alone could melt anyone!"
Chen Xiaoxiao blushed slightly. "Yours are amazing too! Primarina's aura control is top-tier, and Starmie's gem looks like it was polished at a Contest Hall. They're both really well raised."
And just like that, the two girls fell into a flow of mutual admiration, their Pokémon curiously greeting one another, a perfect start to their first day of campus life.
"Of course! Primarina is the direct descendant of my father's partner Pokémon she's been with me since I was a child. As for Starmie, I caught and trained it myself!"
He Xiaowen's face lit up with pride after Chen Xiaoxiao's compliment.
"Umbreon, Espurr, Togepi these are my friends," Chen Xiaoxiao said, motioning to her Pokémon. "This is my good friend He Xiaowen, and these two are her Pokémon: Primarina and Starmie. Be nice and get along well, alright?"
She crouched down to address her team with a smile as He Xiaowen followed up with her own introductions.
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Primarina
Gender: ♀
Level: 47 (Mid-Stage Quasi-Elite)
Type: Water/Fairy
Nature: Gentle (+Special Defense, –Attack)
Ability: Torrent – Boosts Water-type moves by 50% when HP drops below one-third.
Hidden Ability: Liquid Voice – All sound-based moves become Water-type.
Potential: Elite
Starmie
Gender: Genderless
Level: 38 (Peak Standard Tier)
Type: Water/Psychic
Nature: Modest (+Special Attack, –Attack)
Ability: Natural Cure – Heals status conditions upon switching out.
Hidden Ability: Analytic – Moves deal 30% more damage if the user moves last.
Potential: High-Class Quasi-Elite
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Chen Xiaoxiao mentally assessed the data displayed by her system interface.
"Solid potential. Starmie's not Elite-tier yet, but with training and the right TM investment, it could definitely break through."
"Shanai~" Gardevoir chimed softly behind her, having just finished organizing the room. Chen Xiaoxiao smiled and waved her over, introducing her Shiny Gardevoir formally.
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Deep City Pokémon High School
Unlike the general knowledge and social education taught at the primary level, Deep City High focuses heavily on Pokémon specialization. While some cultural subjects remain akin to the arts and sports electives of Chen Xiaoxiao's past life the core curriculum here revolves around battle theory, evolutionary biology, type synergy, ability mastery, and trainer ethics.
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Chen Xiaoxiao was now in Class 1-A, the top academic track for first-years. With her second life beginning anew, she sat attentively as the instructor reviewed fundamentals.
Even though the teacher wasn't a top-tier battler, he was still a certified Gym-level Trainer, as all faculty were required to be under League standards.
Today's lesson covered type advantages, environmental modifiers, and behavioral categories of Pokémon species content that might seem basic, but to Chen Xiaoxiao, was eye-opening.
After all, her previous knowledge came solely from dry textbook theory. But now, with a seasoned Trainer's practical explanations and battle anecdotes, everything felt alive. She realized firsthand how even simple truths can reveal deeper insight when seen from a new perspective.
Diligently, she recorded her own reflections in her class notebook, combining system outputs with Trainer interpretation.
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When she wasn't in class, Chen Xiaoxiao often found herself at the campus library, which boasted a richer Pokémon archive than many second- and third-tier universities in the region. That unparalleled resource was one of the reasons she chose Deep City Pokémon High over other prestigious schools.
Although her family's collection especially those from her grandmother was impressive, it was heavily slanted toward Psychic-type specialization. To evolve as a well-rounded Trainer, she knew she had to diversify her understanding.
Even within the Psychic division of the school library, she uncovered rare thesis papers on Gardevoir's Mega Evolution synchronization rates, obscure journals on telekinetic battlefield manipulation, and League-approved guides on empathy-based synergy tactics.
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Of course, school wasn't all study. Her dorm life with He Xiaowen blossomed quickly. As roommates, their bond grew naturally with shared meals, strategy chats, and movie nights featuring classic Trainer League matches.
Sometimes, they'd even share the same bed not romantically, of course but simply to snuggle up under one blanket like sisters, chatting about rivals and team-building until they both dozed off.
And in the background, Leng Yue Chen Xiaoxiao's secretive system-assigned guide kept in touch with Zhou Tong through their Pokédexes, subtly maintaining the web of connections Chen Xiaoxiao was slowly mastering.
And so, day by day, this new life moved forward battle by battle, page by page, heart by heart.
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