Early the m, Juliao report to the school team. With just over a month left before the 100-Schools League, the team was required to meet at Battle Arena #01 every day at 8 a.m., uhere were special circumstances.

  However, only five members showed up, including Julian's cousin, Thea.

  "Julian, you're finally back!"

  Thea ran up to him and pyfully pulling his face. She knew Julian had goo an Advanced-level secret realm, so her face was full of curiosity as she asked.

  "What did you gain from the secret realm?"

  Expl secret realms was like a treasure hunt. With enough luck, the treasures found might not make you worry-free for life, but they could signifitly accelerate yrowth.

  On the flip side, bad luck might mean not finding anything—or worse, dying in the process.

  "Not telling you"

  Julian replied, deg to annoy her after she pulled his face as soon as they met.

  "Why is it just only a few of us here?"

  Seeing Thea about to pull his face again with a slightly annoyed look, Julian quickly stepped back.

  "Hmph. Some are on missions, and others are busy training," Thea expined.

  The school team had ten members, with eight having spots to pete. The remaining two were official members but essentially served as substitutes.

  Although the school team's coach, Wade, was ae, he was a Dragon-type Trainer so his expertise was naturally focused on-types. His uanding of other types wasn't as deep.

  His primary role was to teach battle experiend help Trainers improve their adaptability and anding skills in bat.

  As for improving their Pokémon's strength, that to the team members themselves. Because of this, it was rare for all team members to gather at once.

  Many of them spent their time taking on missions to train their Pokémon, using interaining routines, or, like Juliaeri realms to grow stronger.

  There were many ways tthen Pokémon, and it was all about choosing the method that suited you best.

  "Oh? Why didn't you go?"

  Julian blurted out, and immediately realized that sounded wrong.

  "Julian, are you saying you don't want to see me?"

  At that moment, a dangerous aura emanated from Thea. Even her psychiergy started to ripple, making her long hair float in the air.

  Thea was one of the rare Trainers with psychic powers. While her ability was still at the intermediate level, she was on the verge of advang to the stage.

  Psychic users often had a on fw: if their abilities became to without proper trol, it could lead to a berserk state.

  Of course, Thea wasn't actually berserk. She was just putting on a show to scare Julian.

  "Sis, I was wrong!" Julian quickly admitted.

  He had psychic powers himself, so he knew full well Thea was fine. His apology was more out of the philosophy that 'a wise ma argue with a woman.'

  He absolutely wasn't bag down out of fear.

  When the meeting time arrived, Coach Wade showed up right on time. He gnced around the gathered team members and frowned slightly.

  "Where's Alex? Why isn't he here?"

  Julian: He won't be ing anymore

  If a school team member couldn't attend, they were required to inform Coach Wade in advance.

  Even though Alex had beeed by Julian and lost his spot among the eight peting members, his strength was still sed only to the team captain and Julian.

  Wheime came for the 100-Schools League, Wade, as the coach, wouldn't leave Alex on the sidelines.

  Winning first pperial Uy was of paramount importance. Whatever personal issues existed between Julian and Alex were irrelevant to Wade.

  The rest of the team members shook their heads in respoo Wade's question. None of them knew where Alex had gone.

  ulled out his phone and tried calling Alex, but the call went to voicemail.

  "Let's start training. Today, we'll pair up for practice matches. Julian, you're with me."

  After hanging up, Wade decided not to dwell on Alex's absence, assuming he might've had an emergency.

  As Julian and Wade headed toward another battle arena, the other team members watched them with envy.

  Wade was one of the stro Elite Trainers, a Dragon-Type specialist. Though he called it a sparring match, it was more of a coag session. Such opportunities were rare, and those who had trained with Wade before had gained a lot from it.

  "e on, send out your Dragonite"

  At the battlefield, Wade had already released his Pokémon, a Druddigon.

  Druddigon was infamous among Dragon-Types, often referred to as the "Disgrace ons." The title inally beloo Flygon, but with Druddigon's appeara surpassed Flygon to cim this dubious honor.

  Its unappealing appearance lowered the Dragon-Type's overall aesthetid its base stat total was only 485. The only redeeming factor was its impressive 120 base attack.

  Still, the "Disgrace ons" niame depended rgely orainer.

  There was a saying among Trainers: 'There are no okémon, only weak Trainers.'

  With enough skill, even a Beedrill could bee a champion.

  Wade was the sed-best Dragon-Type Elite Trainer after the reigning Ton-Type Elite. In his hands, Druddigon was a force to be reed with. Even Julian's father would have to take it seriously in battle.

  Julia out his Dragonite.

  Same-Type Pokémon often shared many simirities, which ade specifically asked Julian to use Dragonite.

  Although Wade didn't have the ability to appraise Pokémon stats directly, his extensive experience made it clear that Julian's Dragonite was exceptionally well-trained.

  If level weren't a factor, Julian's Dragonite might even surpass Wade's own.

  Julian's Dragonite was currently at level 61, just stepping into the pseudo-Elite tier. Being a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, its leveling slowed signifitly as it grew stronger. Julian wasn't in a rush, though—he was fident in its development.

  Level doesn't always define bat power.

  Even though Dragonite had only just ehe pseudo-Elite tier, if it fought with everything it had, it could at least hold its own against an early stage Elite Pokémon.

  If Julian were using his Metagross instead, it could ht overpower ae-tier Pokémon in its early stages.

  In a coag match, winning or losing wasn't the focus. The guiding party iionally left openings to steer their oppo's decisions ahem improve.

  While the coaeeded to have a high level of skill, the one being guided couldn't be too weak either.

  This coag match sted nearly an hour. Julian gave it everything he had, yet he could barely trouble Wade's Druddigon.

  Who said it was the "Disgrace ons"? Under Wade's and, it was nothing short of the "Pride ons."

  In Wade's hands, Druddigon became a true artillery ptform, with its single highest attribute—attack—pushed to the absolute limit.

  Of Druddigon's five base stats, attack was the stro, while the other four were mediocre at best, or ht terrible.

  Sis weaknesses couldn't be fixed, Wade focused on amplifying its sole strength to the maximum.

  The result was devastating firepower.

  Moves like Dragon Pulse, Dragon Cw, Dragon Rush, Hyper Beam, and Focus Bst were unleashed with incredible force.

  Even with its power iionally restrained during the battle, Druddigo Dragonite no room to capitalize on any advantages.