Pokémon: The Path of Ascension

"This situation might be an opportunity for me."

Toshi repeatedly weighed this in his mind: "Right now, I'm struggling with how to make money, and unexpectedly, an opportunity has just appeared."

Looking around, although some people expressed that they didn't want to participate, he noticed that many others were eager to jump in.

"It seems the number of participants this time should be considerable. Plus, since there are quite a few people on the train, as long as I pay a little more attention, it should be fine."

Opportunities like this were rare, and Toshi didn't want to give up. In this world, since he had decided to rise and live a better life, how could he not work hard?

If he was always timid and hesitant, how would he ever grow?

"Since there are a lot of people this time, even if I take advantage of the situation a little, it shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Yes, that was Toshi's thinking; if he could just get a bit of compensation for a little effort, he wouldn't ask for much.

...

At this moment, most of the Trainers who were interested had gathered near the train door, and some staff members were already there to maintain order.

"Excuse me, sir, could you please let me through?" Toshi smiled and said to the man beside him.

The man slowly looked up and gave Toshi a puzzled glance: "Kid, are you really going?"

"Yes, sir! This is a rare opportunity, and gaining a little battle experience is good too," Toshi explained with a smile.

After hearing this, the man didn't say anything else and simply moved to the side to let Toshi through.

"Thank you, sir."

Once in the aisle, Toshi glanced around and noticed that not just the man beside him, but everyone wearing black caps was now sitting in their seats.

Not only that, but they were also remarkably quiet. No one was preparing to help drive away the Pokémon outside, and they seemed completely uninterested in the discussions around them.

Toshi frowned slightly: "Is this a coincidence?"

...

At that moment, the train car door opened, and Toshi stopped overthinking it and followed the crowd off the train.

Just after he arrived at the front of the first train car, he heard Shoji's voice.

"Toshi!" Shoji smiled and greeted him.

Toshi responded, "Shoji! I didn't expect to see you here too."

Shoji was visibly excited: "Yeah, I didn't expect to encounter such a big event so soon after getting my starter Pokémon. I couldn't miss this!"

"Absolutely, this is a rare opportunity; let's call it our first battle."

In the first two years at the academy, Toshi and the others primarily studied basic knowledge, including language, math, outdoor survival skills, and so on, with not much focus on Pokémon knowledge.

All learning related to Pokémon began in the third year, which was what Toshi would be studying next at the academy.

Of course, many parents would teach their children some Pokémon knowledge in advance, just like Toshi's dad with his notes. 

...

While Toshi and Shoji were talking, other interested Trainers from the train car gradually began to walk over.

Once the train conductor saw that most people had arrived, he picked up a loudspeaker and began to speak: "Hello, Trainers! I am Nakano. Due to the time constraints, I won't say much. This situation will be addressed by this Near Champion-level Trainer beside me, who will lead everyone in dealing with the wild Pokémon ahead."

As soon as everyone heard "Near Champion Trainer," they all showed excitement.

Toshi and Shoji were no exception. Through the gaps in the crowd, Toshi saw the tall man in a gray tracksuit standing beside the train conductor.

His serious expression made him seem quite intimidating.

"Toshi, that's a Near Champion Trainer! This is the first time I've seen a Trainer stronger than my dad!" Shoji exclaimed, bouncing up and down as he tried to get a better look. "Toshi, do you think I can get that Near Champion Trainer's autograph?"

Toshi felt sweat forming.

"Shoji, that's a big deal. He's not going to care about us rookie Trainers. Besides, do you think you can even squeeze in there?"

Shoji glanced at the crowded mass ahead, scratched his head, and laughed awkwardly, "You're right."

At this moment, the train conductor continued to speak.

"Everyone, to ensure that you can receive your compensation after everything is resolved, please go to our staff to collect a card corresponding to your strength before we depart. The compensation will also be distributed according to these cards."

"Of course, to avoid any misrepresentation, please summon your Pokémon so we can confirm in advance."

"Please line up and come up one by one."

After saying this, the train conductor led the Near Champion Trainer away, as if they still had more to discuss.

Shoji said, "Toshi, let's go line up."

"Let's go."

...

"This Trainer, please summon your Pokémon," a staff member said to Toshi.

Toshi handed his league ID to the staff and then summoned Butterfree.

As soon as Butterfree appeared, it settled onto Toshi's shoulder.

"Name: Toshi; Pokémon: Butterfree; Strength: Basic." The staff said while recording the information. "Alright, please take your card."

Toshi took the white card, which had the information just recorded by the staff. However, the card came in duplicate, and the staff retained a matching one.

"It must be for verification later," Toshi thought.

Shoji was in front of Toshi in line, so he had already received his card and was waving Toshi over.

"Let's go, Toshi, we should hurry."

Toshi steadied Shoji, "No rush. Our strength is too weak; running into more than a couple of Pokémon could be dangerous. It's better to follow the others."

Shoji chuckled, "Toshi, you really think I'm just some clueless hot-blooded youth? I just noticed that there are two high-level Trainers over there, and they seem to know each other. They are getting ready to act together, so we can just follow them."

Toshi paused for a moment and said, "I didn't see that, Shoji. I didn't expect you to have a clever day!"

Shoji puffed out his chest, "Of course! You should remember who I am, Shoji!"

Toshi smiled without speaking but internally noted a few Trainers, including one with elite-level strength. However, based on Shoji's demeanor, he decided not to mention it.

After waiting for a while, once everyone had finished checking, they finally saw the two high-level Trainers start to take action.

"I didn't expect them to be this cautious," Toshi remarked softly.

Shoji seemed a bit unhappy at this: "They're high-level Trainers, yet they're still worried about this and that. You can tell they must not be that strong. When I reach high level, I'll definitely be better than them."

Toshi smiled and replied, "Yes, Shoji, you're right. You'll surely be stronger than them in the future."

While Toshi was saying this, his mind was on other matters.

He noticed that the elite Trainer he had discreetly noted before hadn't taken action, and it wasn't just these three; there were many around who didn't rush out to deal with the wild Pokémon blocking the way.

He also observed that the expressions of these people were generally serious, and a few of them were constantly communicating with their companions about something.

No matter how he looked at it, something felt off...