After the annual opening ceremony for freshman trainers at Magic University, two highly anticipated activities typically follow: Club Recruitment and the Wilderness Trial.
Club recruitment is self-explanatory, while the latter is a military-style survival exercise that takes place toward the end of the first semester.
In a prestigious institution like Magic University, clubs exist for almost every interest—from Go, anime, and piano to combat sports and even the Psychology Club (where Owen once served as president).
However, none are more famous than the Battle Club—officially known as the Pokémon Battle Club.
The reason this club acts as a magnet for trainers is that it serves as the most effective pipeline into the Magic University School Team.
Every year, the school team represents the university in the National Competition.
The roster is usually dominated by juniors and seniors; it is practically impossible for a freshman to jump straight onto the main team. Thus, the Battle Club acts as the essential intermediary.
In the Battle Club, coaches and school team members provide extra instruction and lead members to various small-scale tournaments. They also host internal campus battles to cultivate fresh blood for the varsity team.
To make the cut for the Magic University School Team, one must be the elite of the elite. Ambitious freshmen use the Battle Club as a whetstone to sharpen their skills; only the absolute best are eventually scouted for the varsity squad.
Consequently, recruitment is fiercely competitive and involves a rigorous assessment.
"A third Pokémon?" Owen's heart skipped a beat at Cynthia's words.
"Yes. The annual Battle Club assessment is a significant event—a stage for freshman trainers to showcase themselves. Most importantly... students who successfully join the club receive substantial rewards."
"The most basic perk is an increase in your registered Pokémon capacity. For example, if your current trainer rank allows you to register two Pokémon, joining the club increases that limit to three."
"Beyond that, there's a special challenge."
"If you can defeat a sophomore member of the Battle Club, you can earn a juvenile Pokémon meticulously bred by the university's top breeders."
"Even though you chose the Research Department, I imagine you're still very interested in battling, right?" Cynthia said with a knowing smile.
She could tell Owen was cut from the same cloth as her.
"It's definitely worth participating in," Director Mu added, shaking his head. "The potential of those bred Pokémon is immense. Every year, these talented creatures are snatched up by the Battle Department freshmen. It's a real shame."
Being in the Research Department didn't mean students disliked battling or rare Pokémon. Everyone wanted a shot at the school team.
However, historically, these opportunities rarely fell to the researchers. The assessment was based on combat, and the strongest trainers naturally gravitated toward the Battle Department.
Over time, Director Mu had stopped attending the events—watching other departments hog the spotlight was simply tedious.
"What kind of Pokémon are available?" Owen asked curiously.
"Mainly twelve species: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup..."
"And every single one is guaranteed to have at least one Egg Move or a unique trait. Our university breeders are quite exceptional."
Holy crap, it's a full lineup of Starters...
Owen's eyes turned red with envy. In the outside world, standard Starters from breeding centers cost an absolute fortune, let alone those with high-tier talent and Egg Moves.
Magic University wasn't just giving out rewards; they were practically handing out stacks of cash.
If he didn't fight for one of these Starters, he wouldn't be Owen.
In reality, this was an investment by the university. Those who could win a Starter were the strongest among the freshmen and the most likely to eventually bring glory to the school in the National Competition.
The prestige of being ranked first or second nationally far outweighed the cost of a few Pokémon. It was a win-win.
Owen was completely hooked by the third registration slot and the choice of a Starter. He had plenty of Pokéblocks—especially the new purplish-red ones—that were just waiting for a worthy consumer.
I need a Starter that can benefit from both the Light Blue (beauty/aura) and Purplish-Red (strength/coolness) Pokéblocks.
These blocks were Owen's secret weapon to close the gap with wealthy elite trainers. Combined with the natural potential of a Starter, his team would soon have a third pillar. He was already agonizing over which one to pick, proving he was dead serious.
"I definitely have to give this a try," Owen said firmly.
The event was scheduled for September—about half a month away.
Owen was eager, but there was nothing to do but wait. After Cynthia introduced him to Director Mu, he was effectively a "connected" student and would likely receive some extra guidance.
He also learned that Cynthia was about to leave campus; as an Elite Four member, she had numerous official duties to attend to.
"Researcher... Professional Trainer... Elite Four..."
After saying goodbye to Cynthia, Owen headed to his new dorm, full of anticipation for university life. He called out Eevee and Magneton to help him clean the room.
Once it was spotless, he happily took photos of the environment and sent them to his parents to reassure them he was doing well.
"Er..." Owen looked around the spacious, yet somewhat empty room. He felt like something was missing. (He ruled out a girlfriend immediately.)
"Vee!!"
After finishing its chores, Eevee plopped down on the bed and gave Owen a pointed look.
The computer. The computer! THE COMPUTER!
Owen had promised long ago that he would buy Eevee its own dedicated computer once they got to university. It was time to pay up.
"Oh... right, that," Owen looked at Eevee. "So... do you want a computer with a good configuration, or one with a really good configuration?"
"??" Eevee stared. Do I even have a choice?
"If you want the good one... we're starting even stricter training tomorrow. The club recruitment is in fifteen days!" Owen warned.
"This determines whether you get a new lackey or not. The opponents this time won't be rookies—they're going to be tough."
Eevee wilted. It's not me who wants a new lackey, it's clearly you who wants a new pet...
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