Tuesday.
Beginning at 8:00 AM, recruitment activities for various clubs kicked off across campus. However, the undisputed protagonist of these few days was the Pokémon Battle Club.
The Battle Club had reserved the entirety of Magic University's Gymnasium No. 3. The first day was destined to be the most chaotic and crowded.
Since Class 1 of the Research Department had no classes all day, they arrived early to snag a block of seats.
The scale of the gym was impressive, and the central arena utilized by the Battle Club was hard to miss.
Despite the noise and somewhat loose organization, the atmosphere mirrored that of a formal tournament.
The chaos was driven primarily by the sheer volume of people; despite the best efforts of the organizers, they could barely contain the freshmen's fervor.
It wasn't just freshmen, either. Groups of seniors flocked to the gym to join the fun—upperclassmen looking for cute juniors and vice versa.
For bored seniors, an event like this was a spectacle not to be missed.
"We have about ten minutes before the assessment officially begins. Before we start, I'd like to say a few words.
I am Nuo, Vice President of the Battle Club." A young man in his early twenties walked to the center holding a microphone.
His voice easily cut through the din, capturing everyone's attention. "This recruitment is managed entirely by our Battle Club members.
Though it is a student-run event, don't think for a second that the university administration isn't watching."
"We already have professors and officials on-site preparing to observe the trials. You are all elites from across the country, big shots in your respective high schools.
But at Magic University, there are many people just as talented as you. You aren't that special yet. This place is packed with geniuses.
So, if you want to remain the center of attention like you were in high school, there is only one path: join the Battle Club, work hard, and strive to become a member of the school's varsity team."
"This central arena today is your first stage to become the focus of the entire school. Whether you can grasp this opportunity depends entirely on your strength."
...
"Boss, where are you?" Leo's voice crackled through Owen's phone.
"I'm at the seating section near the entrance. What, you haven't arrived yet?" Owen asked.
"The Battle Academy is pretty far from the main campus, I just got here," Leo replied, his excitement palpable. Even though he was in the affiliated academy, he still had the chance to join the Battle Club, and he was eager to make a name for himself.
"Don't worry about finding me. You'll see my handsome figure on stage soon enough," Owen said with a chuckle, walking toward the arena floor.
While stepping onto the stage early usually meant facing more grueling consecutive challenges, did Owen care? Not in the slightest.
He just wanted to finish the trials quickly so he could go pick out his Starter. The Pokéblocks were ready; all he needed was the Pokémon.
8:30 AM.
The Battle Club assessment officially began. Under the organization of a club member named Mi Li, the first candidate stepped onto the field.
His Pokémon was a Grimer—a species not often chosen by trainers. His opponent sent out a Gloom.
The two were evenly matched in both skill and scent, drawing a round of laughter from the watching crowd.
Ultimately, the Grimer trainer proved slightly more skilled and defeated the Gloom. However, the panel of Battle Club reviewers—mostly seniors—did not yet nod in approval.
"Average level. Let's see his subsequent performance," said the lead reviewer, a girl in a black short-sleeved shirt. Out of the group, she was the only one who was an official member of the Magic University school team.
"Got it, Sister Yu," the other reviewers nodded.
Since Grimer's performance wasn't particularly outstanding, several other candidates saw the trainer as a stepping stone and rushed forward to challenge him.
The host, MiLi, picked a boy who had his hand raised nearest to the field. He sent out a Sandslash to battle the Grimer. Unfortunately, Grimer had a hidden trick up its sleeve, and the challenger was quickly defeated.
Having won two rounds in a row, the Grimer trainer's ego began to swell. He looked toward the reviewers, but they remained silent.
He still hadn't shown enough strength and needed to face a third challenger.
"It's my turn, then..." Following MiLi's nod, Owen walked calmly onto the stage.
The moment Owen appeared, the students from Research Class 1 took notice.
"Is that guy in our class?" "He looks familiar, I think so." "I think his name is Owen. Everyone, cheer for him!!"
...
Owen released Magneton. The Grimer's skill level was honestly quite low; Magneton ended the fight instantly with a single burst of Hidden Power.
The Grimer trainer stood frozen in place, stunned by the sudden loss.
"A Magneton that knows Psychic powers??" The Battle Club reviewers looked surprised.
"Owen... that name sounds familiar. But the Owen I know of has an Eevee, not a Magneton," the lead reviewer in the black shirt said hesitantly. "Psychic energy alone isn't enough. Let him keep battling. I want to see the level of this Magneton's base attributes."
As Owen clinched the win, cheers erupted from the Research Class 1 section.
In the stands, Leo wasn't in a hurry to get on stage. He watched with a wicked grin, fully understanding Owen's intent. Owen was clearly gunning for the senior challenge from the start. This was going to be good.
"That Magneton... looks pretty capable. I'll go try."
Because Owen's Magneton had used mysterious psychic power to one-shot the Grimer, it was clearly no pushover.
No one stepped up for a few seconds until a girl, eager to prove herself, prepared to jump in. Her Pokémon was a Grovyle; she thought she might be able to have a balanced match and get scouted.
"Lynn, wait." Just as she was about to move, someone grabbed her from behind.
"Wait for the next person," Lan said with a complicated expression as she looked at Owen. If she wasn't mistaken, this was the trainer with the Eevee who won the young ho-oh Cup two years ago—the Rookie King.
"He's not someone you can handle easily. You might not even get a chance to show what you can do."
"Uh..." Lynn nodded, choosing to trust her friend's advice. Lan had studied at the Winter Dojo; her strength was solid, and her vision was broad.
"Do you know him?" Lynn asked curiously.
"His name is Owen. I battled him a year ago and lost. But back then, his Pokémon was an Eevee," Lan said.
Lynn's eyes widened as she realized the implication. "You mean... this Magneton isn't even his starter Pokémon?!"
On the field, Owen and Magneton took a bit more "effort" to defeat the next challenger using a combination of Thunderbolt and Hidden Power.
By now, several other students—mostly those from Fairview high schools who had participated in the provincial leagues—had recognized Owen.
They looked at Owen and his Magneton with looks of utter bewilderment. Immediately, they began whispering to their classmates, warning them not to rush up there.
This guy was not one to mess with... who knew what other trump cards he was hiding?
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