Becoming a Pokémon Trainer is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous professions in the world.
The greatest danger comes from battling wild Pokémon.
Without the protection of a battle shield, a single moment of carelessness can be fatal.
Every year, countless Trainers lose their lives—not because they are weak, but because they are caught in the devastating aftermath of Pokémon battles.
In official tournaments, battle shields protect both Trainers and spectators, making such concerns almost nonexistent.
Reality, however, is nothing like the anime.
A Trainer cannot simply raise an arm to block the dust after a powerful attack.
Real Pokémon battles unleash raging infernos, crashing tidal waves, blinding lightning, violent rock storms, earthquakes, and collapsing terrain.
The battlefield itself can become a deadly disaster zone.
Even a pebble launched by the shockwave of an attack can travel faster than a bullet.
Out in the wilderness, without a battle shield or a Pokémon capable of protecting its Trainer, an ordinary human has virtually no chance of surviving such chaos.
— “But only Trainers are truly superior.” The homeroom teacher’s words left the classroom in deep thought.
Many students had dreamed of becoming Trainers since childhood, yet reality was harsh.
Those from ordinary families knew that even if they became Professional Trainers, reaching the Elite Rank would already be an extraordinary achievement.
Beyond that, the odds of dying young increased dramatically.
Among the silent students sat Adrian Sterling, the protagonist of this story.
He had transmigrated into this urban Pokémon world as an infant.
Although familiar figures such as Ash, Misty, Brock, and Cynthia did not exist here, every Pokémon from his previous life was real, living, and thriving across this world.
In this era, a nation’s true strength was no longer determined by its economy, nuclear arsenal, fighter jets, tanks, or missile stockpiles.
Instead, the greatest measure of power was the number of Champion-level Trainers a country possessed.
Trainer Rank System – Rookie (Levels 1–20) – Ordinary (Levels 21–40) – Superior (Levels 41–50) – Gym Rank (Levels 51–60) – Quasi-Elite (Levels 61–70) – Elite (Levels 71–80) – Quasi-Champion (Levels 81–90) – Champion (Levels 91–100) Champions stood at the absolute peak of the Trainer hierarchy.
They represented the ultimate military power of a nation.
An Elite Trainer could reduce a medium-sized city to ruins within hours.
A Quasi-Champion possessed enough power to destroy a massive metropolis like Yindu City.
A true Champion, however, was capable of wiping an entire small nation off the map.
Nuclear missiles could be intercepted.
But how could anyone stop a Champion and their Pokémon?
The answer was simple.
Only another Champion could stand against them.
— This planet was over thirty times larger than the Earth Adrian remembered from his previous life.
Across its vast lands were 906 countries, large and small.
Yet only a little over three hundred nations possessed at least one Champion.
Among them, three superpowers stood above all others: – Xia Country in the East – The United States in the West – Russia, Xia Country’s powerful northern neighbor Both Xia Country and the United States possessed six Champions, while Russia followed closely behind with five.
Xia Country alone had a population exceeding two billion people.
Roughly half were registered Trainers, but only one-tenth of them eventually became Professional Trainers.
In other words…
Only six Champions had emerged from a pool of nearly one hundred million Professional Trainers.
The probability was unimaginably small.
That was why Champions were considered priceless national treasures and the ultimate symbol of a country’s strength.
Only a nation with a Champion could truly claim to be sovereign.
A country without one could easily be intimidated—or even invaded—by nations that did possess Champions.
After all, if diplomacy failed, what could stop an enemy Champion from simply walking across the border with their Pokémon?
Nothing.
Except another Champion.
— Although many professions allowed people to work alongside Pokémon, earn excellent incomes, and enjoy high social status, none could compare to becoming a Professional Trainer.
After all…
What young person wouldn’t dream of commanding powerful Pokémon, battling before cheering crowds, or defending their homeland against enemy Trainers?
In this world, Trainers occupied the highest position in society.
It was a profession admired by countless people.
“Yes…
Professional Trainers truly are superior.” The homeroom teacher smiled with a trace of nostalgia.
“As a Gym Rank Trainer, I understand this better than anyone.” The students collectively rolled their eyes.
We know.
You’ve reminded us at least a hundred times over the past two years.
The teacher cleared his throat before waving dismissively.
“Alright, that’s enough for today.
During the summer vacation, think carefully about your future.
You’re old enough to decide what path you want to walk.” “Class dismissed.” With those words, he concluded the final lesson of the second semester.
— Surprisingly, the classroom didn’t erupt into excitement over the coming vacation.
Instead, students immediately gathered into small groups, discussing whether they should pursue the dangerous path of becoming Trainers.
“I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life.
Of course I’m registering.” “I’ll register too.
If it turns out I’m untalented—or if it’s too dangerous—I can always switch careers later.” “My parents are both Pokémon Doctors, so I’m planning to follow in their footsteps.” Meanwhile, Adrian had already packed his belongings.
Without saying much, he walked out of the classroom.
Waiting outside the school gates was an elegant luxury car.
As the chauffeur respectfully opened the rear door, Adrian stepped inside under the envious gazes of countless students.
The Sterling Family was one of the Eight Great Families of Xia Country, and Adrian was the direct grandson of the family’s current patriarch.
He couldn’t have asked for a better identity.
Compared to the usual story of a commoner struggling to rise through the ranks, he had practically been born at the finish line.
As the saying goes…
All roads may lead to Rome, but who wouldn’t prefer being born inside Rome itself?
— And there was something even better.
System Loading…
99% Like every fortunate transmigrator, Adrian possessed a system.
The only problem…
Its loading speed was unbelievably slow.
It had been loading ever since the day he was born.
Now, after nearly eighteen years, it had finally reached 99%.
If his calculations were correct, it should finish loading within the next day or two.
— Half an hour later, the luxury car entered an enormous private estate.
This was the ancestral residence of the Sterling Family.
As one of Xia Country’s Eight Great Families, the Sterling Family had several hundred members spread throughout the estate.
Naturally, their home was vast enough to resemble a small town.
Most family members belonged to collateral branches.
Only around thirty people, including Adrian, were part of the direct bloodline.
The family’s rules were both strict and fair.
If a collateral member reached the Elite Rank or made extraordinary contributions to the family, they would be promoted into the direct lineage.
From that moment onward, both they and their descendants would enjoy all the privileges reserved for direct family members.
However, the opposite was equally true.
Even someone born into the direct lineage, like Adrian, would lose that status if they proved mediocre.
They would be demoted to the collateral branch and stripped of their privileges.
Harsh as it seemed, this merit-based system was precisely what had allowed the Sterling Family to remain one of Xia Country’s most powerful aristocratic clans for generations.
Give me more motivation!