Victor Stone remembered the entrance assessment machine very clearly.
After all, he had taken the same test himself.
Back then, he had broken Donghuang Academy's record with his Arcanine, pushing himself and his partner to their absolute limits to score over 90,000 points.
The score had been astonishing—
But the machine itself?
It hadn't even shaken.
And now, Gao Bing was telling him that his son had outright destroyed it.
That wasn't impressive anymore.
That was absurd.
Victor stared at Ethan in disbelief.
Ethan noticed the look immediately and frowned.
"Dad… why are you looking at me like that?"
Only then did Victor realize he had lost his composure.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
At the same time, Gao Bing's voice continued through the phone.
"Victor, are you with your son right now?"
"Yes," Victor replied. "We stepped out to handle something."
Gao Bing chuckled.
"Then I won't interrupt your family time."
"But I have to say—
you truly raised an outstanding son."
"This afternoon, the academy's senior board held an emergency meeting."
"We've decided to officially include Ethan in the Donghuang Rising Star Program."
"What do you think? Any objections?"
The Donghuang Rising Star Program was a confidential elite-training initiative created to cultivate top-tier Trainers.
Only a handful of students were selected each year.
The training was intense.
And dangerous.
Parental consent was mandatory.
In the past, Victor would have rejected it without hesitation.
He never wanted Ethan exposed to real danger.
But now—
Victor glanced down at Metagross beneath them.
A Pokémon stronger than most Champions' ace partners.
After a brief pause, Victor nodded.
"You can handle it as you see fit, Teacher Gao."
Gao Bing laughed heartily.
"Understood."
"I'll leave you two to enjoy your time together."
The call ended.
Victor put away his phone and looked at Ethan.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Ethan… what do you want to do in the future?"
Ethan froze.
He hadn't expected that question.
After a moment of thought, he answered honestly.
"My short-term goal?"
"Defeat you."
Victor blinked.
Then burst out laughing.
"Haha! Beat me?"
"With Metagross alone, you might already manage that!"
Ethan shook his head.
"No."
"I want to defeat you officially, at the Donghuang Championship."
"I want people to say
'That's Ethan Stone, Champion of the Donghuang League'—"
"Not
'That's the Champion's son.'"
Victor fell silent.
Then he laughed again—this time, louder.
"So you don't like the title 'Champion's son,' huh?"
"It's not that," Ethan replied calmly.
"I just want to prove that I'm good enough."
He paused, then smiled softly.
"As for my real dream…"
He looked down at Metagross, then thought of Tyrantrum, Gible, Deino, and Hatenna.
"To travel the world with my partners."
"And meet even more companions along the way."
Ethan was mature for his age—
But he was still only eighteen.
His dreams were bright, simple, and sincere.
Victor looked at his son and, for a moment, saw his own younger self.
He smiled.
"Looks like my boy has big ambitions."
"Alright."
"Then let's make a promise."
"I'll stay at my peak."
"And one day, I'll wait for you on the Champion's stage."
"But when that day comes—
I won't hold back."
Ethan grinned.
"Good."
"Because when that happens, I'll make sure everyone knows—"
"You're not the Champion."
"You're the Champion's dad."
Victor laughed again.
He was genuinely looking forward to that day.
Metagross carried them back to Donghuang Academy.
Victor didn't leave immediately.
Instead, he invited Ethan and Anna Stone's niece, Iris Stone, to have dinner together on campus.
Fortunately, Victor wore a hat and mask—
otherwise, the Champion appearing in the cafeteria would have caused chaos.
The meal wasn't extravagant, but it was warm and lively.
After dinner, Victor spoke seriously with Iris about the Tyrantrum living in the hills behind the Stone family estate.
"Uncle Victor… that Tyrantrum is gentle," Iris said anxiously.
"She would never hurt humans."
Ethan quickly stepped in.
"Iris, Dad isn't trying to capture her."
"But Tyrantrum doesn't belong to this era."
"If she forms a wild breeding population, the ecological damage would be severe."
"So Dad's suggestion is—"
"If possible, you become her Trainer."
"She already trusts you."
"Once she has a Trainer, the risk disappears."
"And honestly?"
"I think this is a perfect opportunity for you."
After a moment of thought, Iris nodded.
If she didn't take responsibility, the League eventually would.
And that outcome would be far worse.
The issue was resolved peacefully.
Ethan finally felt relieved.
If that Tyrantrum ended up with Iris, it would be the best possible result.
Maybe mother and child would even reunite at the academy someday.
That evening, Ethan walked back to the dorm with Gible, Deino, and Hatenna.
"Gi-baa~"
Gible was extremely satisfied.
Dinner had been excellent.
Deino, meanwhile, barely ate—
she was too busy wondering why Tyrantrum hadn't appeared.
When Ethan opened the door, he froze.
Liam was sitting alone in the living room.
Gone was his usual energetic grin.
He looked… exhausted.
"Ethan," Liam said quietly.
"You're back."
Before Ethan could ask what was wrong—
A familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Blue Opportunity detected]
[Source: A trusted friend's request – Liam Carter]
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