The passengers ihe train listened anxiously to the sounds of battle ing from outside, apanied by the occasional jolt of the train. Fear and panic began to spread through the partments.

  "Don't be afraid, the security team is still here"

  A mother whispered softly to her trembling child in her arms, though her own voice carried a hint of unease.

  "Why did the security team leave?!"

  A passenger, gng out the window, suddenly excimed in shock upon notig that all five security team members had left their positions.

  Panic quickly spread through the crowd. Despite the train attendants' efforts to calm the passengers, their reassurances were only marginally effective.

  Is of wild Pokémon attag trains were not unon in Drakoria, a handful of times each year. While casualties were rare, they weren't unheard of.

  Now, as the battle outside intensified and even the five security team members had vacated their posts, the passengers—many of whom were no fools—grew even more armed.

  "Ladies alemen, the situation ahead is urgent. Are there any trainers with pseudo-Elite Pokémon onboard? If so, please proceed immediately to assist."

  The ductor's voice, tinged with urgency, echoed through the train's annou system.

  While there were some trainers among the passengers, none of them had Pokémon at the pseudo-Elite level, as requested.

  It was true that the "Top Five Academies" boasted numerous pseudo-Elite students, but that was a uandard. Outside those institutions, even senior students from other uies might not have reached the pseudo-Elite tier.

  In Drakoria, the number istered pseudo-Elite traiotaled just over 200,000—a retively small figure given the try's size.

  For such a request to be broadcasted, it was clear how dire the situation outside had bee.

  Several Advanced-level trainers among the passengers stood up, willing to tribute despite the request specifying pseudo-Elite trainers.

  It was on knowledge that a group of well-coordinated Advarainers could take doseudo-Elite Pokémon.

  However, some Advarainers chose to remain silent, relut to get involved.

  Meanwhile, the train had already sent an emergency assistance signal to the outside world, and reinforts were on their way.

  In the business-css car, Julian heard the annou a out a sigh.

  "Open the door. I'll ha," Julian said to the nearby attendant.

  "Mr. Walker, I'll inform the ductor to open the door immediately," the attendant replied excitedly.

  She had seen Julian's matches in the Hundred Schools League, even attending the finals in person.

  When the ductor learhat Julian—a standout figure in the league—was aboard their train, he was overjoyed and promptly instructed the doors of the business-css car to be opened.

  "Good luck, King Julian!"

  As Julian stepped off the train, the attendant's voice called out to him.

  "King Julian" was a niame his fans had given him. Despite not being active on social media ptforms like TikTok, Julian's exceptional performance over the past year had earned him a siderable following.

  Most of Julian's fans were young people, and he had retly earhe title of being the ty of Drakoria's younger geion.

  The ductor quickly broadcast the hat Julian was onboard the train and had already stepped out to hahe wild Pokémon causing trouble ahead.

  Many passengers were familiar with Julian's name. For those who weren't, others eagerly filled them in.

  In short, with Julian there, they were certain they would be safe.

  After all, he was a trainer capable of defeating ae while still being at the pseudo-Elite level.

  As Juliaed the train, a few doors from other carriages opened as well, and five young men and women stepped out.

  "It's him! It's really King Julian! Do you see him? It's 'him'!"

  One of the girls spoke excitedly, grabbing her friend's arm as her face lit up with joy.

  The girl named Chase appeared calm, but the excitement in her eyes was just as intense as her panion's.

  "Let's go say hello"

  One of the young men suggested expetly.

  "Yes! Let's go together!"

  The first girl immediately agreed.

  Julian noticed the group of five but didn't pay much attention to them.

  His focus was on a cluster of Geodude approag the train from a dista was clear the security team hadn't mao stop them.

  Regardless of a Pokémon's level, any wild Pokémon—unless it was freshly hatched—posed a signifit threat to humans, with a high likelihood of injury or even fatality from their attacks.

  "King Julian! King Julian!"

  Just as Julian reparing to deal with the advang Geodude, he heard excited voices calling out to him.

  The niame "King Julian" always felt a bit pretentious to Julian. Every time he heard it, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

  The three young men and two women quickly approached him.

  "It's been a while"

  Julian said, reizing a familiar face among them.

  "Chase, you know him?"

  The first girl excimed, staring at her panion in disbelief. She couldn't fathom that her friend actually khe famous Julian.

  "Chase and I were high school cssmates. We were on the school team together," Julian expined.

  Chase nodded, her emotions clearly overwhelmed. She seemed unsure how to greet Julian properly in this moment.

  "Chase! You knew King Julian and old me!"

  "Taylor, I didn't mean to hide it," Chase quickly responded, flustered.

  The other two young men looked at Chase with envy, uo believe that she not only knew Julian but also seemed to have a close e with him.

  Meanwhile, the third young man in the group noticed the way Chase looked at Julian. His expression darkened with jealousy, though he dared not say anything.

  " you guys hahese Geodude?"

  Julian asked directly, not wasting any words. Sihe five of them had stepped out, it meant they were at least prepared to battle.

  "No problem! It's just a few--"

  Taylor was about to respond fidently, but her voice faltered as she noticed the increasing number of Geodude approag. The words stu her throat.

  After all, they were just first-year uy students. People like Julian, who were already renowned even as freshmen, were a rarity across Drakoria. Most freshmen were ordinary trainers.

  The more outstanding ones might have Pokémon at the early Advanced-level, but the majority were still at the Ordinary-level, with Pokémoween levels 21 and 40.

  Among the five, only Chase and the boy with the jealous glint in his eye had Pokémon at the Advanced level. That was just two out of the entire group.

  Julian, noting their levels, spoke pinly: "Think before you act like heroes."

  With their current strength, stepping up to stop the wild Pokémon was nothing short of suicide. If they fell, it wouldn't just be their own lives at stake—it could shatter the fragile hope of the passengers irain cars behind them.

  Seeing these students step out fidently might give the passengers a brief moment of relief, believing they were saved. But if they were quickly overwhelmed aed, it would bring eveer despair.

  And if these trainers couldn't hahe situation and ended up retreating, they would leave the passeo face the wrath of the enraged Pokémon alone.

  Taylor and the others blushed with embarrassment. They had rushed out without thinking things through. The allure of pying the hero had clouded their judgment.

  After all, who wouldn't want to be seen as a hero?