From the outside, children born into powerful Trainer families appeared to live lives that ordinary people could only envy.
They possessed wealth, connections, rare Pokémon, and cultivation resources from the moment they were born.
However, hidden behind that glamorous lifestyle was a merciless set of family rules.
To earn the family’s recognition—and receive a meaningful share of its resources—a descendant had to prove that they possessed some exceptional quality.
Naturally, the most valuable quality was talent as a Pokémon Trainer.
A powerful Trainer could protect the family, expand its influence, acquire rare resources, and secure its position for the next generation.
But what if someone lacked that kind of talent?
Then they had to achieve something within a Pokémon-related profession.
They could become a researcher, breeder, doctor, or specialist in some other field.
If that was also beyond them, they could pursue a career in politics or business and contribute to the family in another way.
And if they could not succeed in any of those paths—
They had better prepare themselves to be abandoned by the family.
They would not literally be left to starve.
A great house still had its pride, after all.
However, receiving even the smallest amount of cultivation resources from the family would become nearly impossible.
Of course, there was one exception.
If an incompetent descendant happened to have an overwhelmingly powerful elder who ignored the family rules and insisted on supporting them, they might still live comfortably.
But in that case, they had better pray that their protector remained alive forever—
And that the elder’s strength never declined.
Most direct-line members of the Natsume family were Trainers.
Those who did not follow the Trainer path generally pursued Pokémon-related professions and achieved remarkable success in their chosen fields.
The branch families were treated differently.
Those with Trainer talent became Trainers.
Those without it entered politics, joined the family’s companies, or contributed to the clan’s vast network of industries in some other way.
As for the students currently surrounding Suguru—
Their families were nowhere near powerful enough to establish direct ties with the Natsume family.
At most, they could maintain relationships with a few members of the branch lines.
Contact with the direct line was ordinarily something they could only dream of.
Yet now, Suguru Natsume, a direct-line descendant of the family, had become their classmate.
How could they possibly pass up such an opportunity?
Pride?
Dignity?
Those things were worthless compared to gaining Suguru’s favor.
If he took a liking to one of them, a single sentence from him might be enough to send that person’s position within their own family soaring.
Suguru calmly exchanged greetings with the students gathered around him.
Despite their obvious attempts to flatter him, he showed neither impatience nor contempt.
That composure alone left many of them secretly impressed.
After all, even the most insignificant person today might display astonishing brilliance in the future.
Suguru did not need to invest money, resources, or effort into them.
All he had to do was exchange a few polite words.
That was an insignificant price to pay for planting a possible seed of goodwill.
Before long, the clock reached eight.
Riiing—!
The sound of the school bell echoed through the classroom.
The students surrounding Suguru reluctantly dispersed and returned to their seats.
Just as the bell was about to end, the classroom door slid open.
A tall man entered.
He swept his gaze across the room, briefly pausing on Suguru several times before walking toward the whiteboard.
“Good morning.”
The man picked up a marker and wrote his name in firm strokes.
KŌYA NATSUME
He then turned to face the class. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“I am Kōya Natsume, your homeroom teacher for the third year.”
His voice was steady and powerful.
“I specialize in Steel-type Pokémon, and I am currently an early-stage Quasi-Elite Trainer.”
The entire classroom instantly fell silent.
“Starting today, I will be responsible for preparing all of you for the national university entrance examinations.”
Kōya placed the marker down.
“My goal is to send at least half of this class to one of Yamato’s prestigious Pokémon universities.”
His gaze swept across the room once more, and a faint trace of expectation flashed through his eyes when he looked at Suguru.
“I know that some of you possess extraordinary talent.”
“However, talent does not guarantee success.”
“Effort, discipline, judgment, and perseverance are what determine how far a Trainer can truly go.”
No one spoke.
The presence of a Quasi-Elite Trainer alone placed an invisible pressure upon the classroom.
Many students, however, could not hide their excitement.
Their homeroom teacher was a Quasi-Elite.
Someone of that strength could easily serve as the chairman or vice chairman of a Trainer Association in a small or medium-sized city.
There was an enormous gulf separating the Quasi-Elite and Elite tiers.
To cross it, both the Trainer and their Pokémon had to possess sufficient aptitude.
If either one failed to meet the required standard, reaching the Elite tier would remain impossible no matter how many years they struggled.
Even descendants of wealthy Trainer families found it extremely difficult to become Elites.
On average, only one Elite-tier Trainer might emerge from every ten thousand Trainers.
The probability was painfully low.
However, the moment someone became an Elite, their social position underwent a complete transformation.
The Elite tier was also considered the minimum qualification for founding a genuine Trainer family.
Of course, creating a family and ensuring that it survived were two entirely different matters.
For a Trainer family to establish a stable foundation and continue into the future, it generally required the efforts of at least three generations.
To most people, the Elite tier was a distant dream that could be encountered only through extraordinary fortune.
For that reason, the Quasi-Elite tier became the final destination for many talented Trainers.
And those who reached that level were already regarded as geniuses in the eyes of the public.
Kōya Natsume was, in fact, a member of Suguru’s own clan.
However, Suguru belonged to the exalted direct line, while Kōya came from one of the branch families.
Kōya knew exactly who Suguru was.
Suguru, on the other hand, had never heard of him.
The fact that Kōya had become Suguru’s homeroom teacher was not entirely coincidental.
Several elders from Kōya’s branch had worked behind the scenes to secure this position for him.
Becoming the teacher of the Natsume family’s future patriarch might not immediately grant their branch any material benefits.
But it would create a teacher-student connection.
In the future, even that small bond could become extremely valuable to their entire branch.
Still, Kōya had not obtained everything through family maneuvering.
Although he was merely a branch descendant, he had relied upon his own talent and effort to reach the Quasi-Elite tier.
Within the Natsume family, he was already considered someone of considerable standing.
Standing at the front of the classroom, Kōya slowly shifted his gaze away from Suguru and began explaining the plan for the coming year.
“During your third year, you will participate in a large number of practical training sessions.”
“You will battle many different Pokémon and face Trainers with a variety of styles.”
“Every battle will become an opportunity for growth.”
His expression turned solemn.
“Do not fear defeat.”
“A Trainer who is afraid of losing will never discover their own weaknesses.”
“Learn from every failure, correct your mistakes, and continue moving forward.
That is the only way to become stronger.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
As he spoke, Kōya began writing the year’s curriculum on the whiteboard.
“Practical training is important, but you cannot neglect theory.”
“Type matchups, move effects, abilities, evolutionary conditions, habitats, diets, battle habits, and methods of cultivation…”
“You must remember all of them.”
“A Trainer who understands only theory cannot respond to the unpredictable nature of a real battle.”
“But a Trainer who relies solely on instinct will eventually make a fatal mistake.”
“Only by combining theory with practical experience can you become a truly outstanding Trainer.”
The students listened with complete concentration.
Many had already begun imagining themselves entering a prestigious Pokémon university the following year.
Suguru also straightened slightly in his seat.
His talent might be extraordinary, but he had no intention of treating the coming year lightly.
A powerful family background and the Perfect Steel Heart gave him an excellent starting point.
They did not mean that he could ignore training and education.
Kōya continued.
“In the coming weeks, I will evaluate each of you and create a training plan based on your individual characteristics.”
“For those who possess strong Trainer aptitude, I will focus on improving the coordination between you and your Pokémon while helping you uncover your partners’ potential.”
“For students who intend to enter Pokémon-related professions, such as breeding, research, or medicine, I will arrange additional practical courses so that you can become familiar with the standards and rules of those industries.”
After finishing, Kōya’s gaze once again settled upon Suguru.
“Suguru Natsume.”
Suguru looked toward the front.
“As the grandson of Elite Gendō Natsume, I believe your goals should be far higher than those of an ordinary student.”
There was no hostility in Kōya’s tone.
Only expectation.
“I hope that throughout this year, you will set an example for your classmates and help lead the entire class forward.”
Kōya had directly revealed Suguru’s identity.
However, practically everyone in the room already knew.
There was little reason to pretend otherwise.
Suguru gave a slight nod.
“I understand.”
A tense yet expectant atmosphere gradually filled the classroom.
Every student knew that this final year of high school would become one of the most important periods of their lives.
It would determine which university they entered, what resources they could obtain, and perhaps even how far they could travel along the Trainer path.
And Kōya Natsume—their Quasi-Elite homeroom teacher—would be the one guiding them through that challenging journey.
Having a Quasi-Elite work as an ordinary high-school teacher was honestly a waste of talent.
With his strength, Kōya could immediately enter the senior administration of practically any high school in the country.
“All right.”
Kōya returned to the computer on the teacher’s desk.
“For now, let us begin with introductions.”
“I will call your names one at a time.”
“When your name is called, introduce yourself and tell the class which Pokémon type you have chosen to specialize in.”
He opened the class roster.
“If you plan to become a breeder, Pokémon researcher, doctor, or pursue another related profession instead of becoming a professional Trainer, you do not need to name a type.”
Kōya glanced at the first entry.
“Kunitoshi Ban.”
A boy immediately stood from his seat.
“Good morning, everyone.”
He bowed briefly toward the class.
“My name is Kunitoshi Ban.”
Then, with a confident smile, he declared—
“I’m a Fire-type Trainer.”