"So this is Riverside No. 1. We've finally arrived."
Even though he had slept through the entire bus ride, Owen still felt a lingering drowsiness. He had stayed up far too late the night before studying the move manuals...
Owen leaned out the window and saw a massive banner draped over the entrance of Riverside No. 1. A group of teachers and students stood beneath it, appearing to welcome the arrival of Fairview No. 1.
"We're here! Everyone, look sharp!"
Before Owen could get a closer look, the bus hissed to a stop. Sitting at the front, Ethan snapped his eyes open, stood up, and barked the command to the back of the bus.
There were fourteen people from Fairview on the bus in total. Out of the twenty-five members of the school team, ten had been selected for this exchange.
Owen, Lynnea, and Leo were all among them. The accompanying faculty included Ethan, Dean Wu, and Ms. Nina.
"Welcome, welcome."
Ethan was the first off the bus. Immediately, a trainer around his age stepped forward with a smile and shook his hand.
"No need for formalities," Ethan said coolly.
"Guests are guests; we must be polite," the trainer replied, his smile never wavering. He looked toward the students filing off the bus. "So, these are Fairview's finest rookies this year? Not bad, not bad. They look quite spirited."
This was Blaze, a professional trainer and the teaching consultant for Riverside No. 1. He was Ethan's old friend and rival from their youth.
Blaze specialized in Water-types, while Ethan specialized in Fire-types. True to their elemental preferences, their personalities were like oil and water.
By the time the group disembarked, it was already noon. Riverside No. 1 immediately arranged for them to eat. While the ultimate goal was a competition, Riverside couldn't let their guests go hungry—it would be a blow to their prestigious image.
"The afternoon schedule is simple," Ms. Nina informed the group during lunch. "You can choose to tour the campus or sit in on a lecture."
"That's a thing?" Lynnea asked Owen.
"Well, we can't just dive straight into battling. If we fought first, the 'exchange' would probably turn into a brawl, and no one would want to hang out afterward," Owen replied, though one person was clearly indifferent to the tactical implications.
Leo was shoveling food into his mouth, looking moved. "This is incredible. If our school's food was even half as good as this, I'd be satisfied."
"They're hosting outsiders, so the kitchen is obviously putting in extra effort," Owen said, taking a bite. The flavor was indeed top-tier. "You think their students eat like this every day? If they did, I'd go home and file a formal complaint with our cafeteria."
Around 1:00 PM, Ms. Nina gathered the ten students.
"Those who want to listen to a training lecture, follow Dean Wu. Those who want to tour the campus and learn about the history and development of Riverside No. 1... follow me."
Riverside No. 1 was massive, with state-of-the-art facilities. A full tour was impossible in one afternoon, so the students had to choose.
Owen, Lynnea, and Leo chose the tour. School training methods were mostly the same everywhere, and they'd rather see the sights.
"I heard Riverside No. 1 has a massive aquatic facility with lots of Water-types. We should check that out," Owen suggested.
"Raising Pokémon in a school pond?!" Leo thought of the pond back at Fairview No. 1. What was in there? Goldfish. Not even Goldeen—just regular, ornamental goldfish. The difference in prestige was painful.
Riverside No. 1 assigned one teacher and two students, a boy and a girl, as guides for the touring group.
"Crystal, find a way to trick them into releasing their Pokémon," the boy whispered to the girl. "Seeing their species early will give us an edge in the matches."
"I know," the girl named Crystal smiled, flashing an 'OK' sign.
Before the tour officially started, she stepped in front of Owen's group. "Hello, everyone! I'm Crystal, your guide. During the tour, feel free to let your Pokémon out to walk with us, as long as they don't damage the facilities."
She spoke directly to the students, bypassing the teachers. The Fairview students glanced at Ms. Nina, but she didn't object, leaving the decision to them.
"Really? That's nice," Owen was the first to act, pulling out Eevee's Poké Ball. He wasn't afraid of exposing information—who was going to be intimidated by an Eevee? Besides, Eevee needed some fresh air.
"I'll pass," Lynnea said. A Growlithe was hard to manage indoors. "Me too," Leo added, worried Munchlax would start hunting for snacks the moment he came out.
"Oh... alright," Crystal said, her eyes fixed on Owen. As the red light faded and Eevee appeared, Crystal's lip twitched. As expected, only a total rookie would reveal their hand so easily.
"An Eevee? What combat power could that have before it evolves?" the boy guide thought dismissively. "This kid must just be from a rich family that can afford an evolution stone whenever they want. That's probably how he made the school team. Until it evolves, he's not worth worrying about."
While the students toured, Ethan and Blaze sat in a private room, leisurely sipping tea.
"Fairview's educational resources are too poor, Blaze. You'll never produce a top-tier generation there. Why don't you come work under me? The Riverside Association would welcome you," Blaze said.
"Is that so? Don't talk so big. It'll be embarrassing when you get slapped in the face," Ethan countered, taking a sip of tea.
"Hahaha! Slapped in the face? Impossible. This is Riverside's home turf. You think we could actually lose?"
"Enough talk. When does the battle start?"
Blaze replied, "No rush. Let the students mingle first. I have a feeling... a conflict will break out before the battle even starts. That makes the eventual victory much sweeter, don't you think?"
"True. In my opinion, the accompanying teachers are redundant. If we weren't here, these hot-blooded rookies would have started throwing Poké Balls already," Ethan said. "Back in our day, we were much more 'free'."
"Heh, it seems we finally agree on something. But as for which side becomes the stepping stone for the other... that remains to be seen," Blaze added poisonously. Ethan felt a sudden urge to call out Charizard and blast him with a Fire Blast.
Ethan was right. With the teachers around, the students were on their best behavior. But the moment the teachers stepped away to talk shop, the situation spiraled.
By the time Owen's group reached the gymnasium, a heated argument was already underway. Dean Wu and the Riverside Dean were currently trying to mediate.
"What's going on?" Ms. Nina asked Dean Wu.
"Nothing serious. Just a bit of 'competitive spirit' between the youths," Dean Wu sighed.
"They went too far!" Caleb, one of the Fairview students, was fuming. "They mocked our strength and claimed one of them could beat three of us. Who do they think they are?"
"Don't waste your breath," Dean Wu scolded him. "Win the exchange match, and you'll prove yourself. Lose, and your words today will just become their punchline."
"I get it..." Caleb muttered.
Soon, Ethan and Blaze arrived. Blaze organized the training students in the gym and gathered the Riverside school team. The rules were discussed.
"Let's skip team battles," Blaze suggested. "Their training isn't finished yet, so it won't show their full potential. And one-on-ones are too common. How about we use the Ten-Star Arena rules from our university days?"
Ethan's brow furrowed. That was an arena-style elimination match. "Are you daring me?"
"What's there to be afraid of?"
The rules were set: Both teams would select one player to start. The winner stays on the field to face the next opponent from the other team. The loser is eliminated. The match continues until all ten members of one team are knocked out.
Hearing this, Caleb jumped at the chance. "Dean Wu... can I go first?"
"Are you reliable?" Leo asked skeptically.
"Of course I am! Do you doubt my strength?"
Aside from Owen, Lynnea, and Leo, Caleb and Sarah were the strongest members of the Fairview team. After a moment of consideration, the teachers nodded.
"Then you're up. Be careful," Dean Wu said.
"Got it!" Caleb replied, stepping toward the arena.
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