Owen chatted with Liden for a few more minutes before the latter made an excuse about needing to eat and slipped away. Liden still felt a lingering sense of awkwardness whenever he was around Owen.
Watching Liden's hurried retreat, Owen shrugged and found a secluded corner to resume training with Eevee and Magneton.
3:00 PM.
Owen arrived at the classroom on time and found a seat in the back corner. The session followed the usual orientation routine: the counselor went over safety protocols and university regulations before distributing the campus cards.
Then came the election of class officers via self-nomination. During this time, the counselor's gaze drifted toward Owen in the corner more than once, clearly hoping he would step up as class monitor.
However, Owen avoided the responsibility like the plague. While being a class officer had its perks, they were meaningless to him; he preferred his freedom and a light schedule.
Ultimately, a girl named Shiran won the position of class monitor, and the remaining roles were quickly filled by others.
Half an hour later, Owen lugged his textbooks back to the dorm and immediately headed back out to train.
Three students from the same floor stopped by his room twice to visit, but they never found him. They couldn't help but sigh, convinced that the guy on the first floor was definitely a "winner at life" who spent all his time with a girlfriend.
Unless he has a girlfriend, why else would he be out all the time? It's not like he'd be out training his Pokémon the very first day of school, right?
Actually, that was exactly what Owen was doing.
The moment he got his campus card, he made a beeline for the training facilities. Magic University had a staggering variety of equipment, and Owen planned to sample every single one over the next few days.
Only by mastering the facilities could he properly map out his university life. Owen was an ambitious youth, aiming to have a full team of six Pokémon and pass the Professional Trainer exam before graduation.
His exploration was interrupted once by a call from his counselor.
"Owen, Director Mu mentioned you plan on participating in the Battle Club recruitment?"
"Yes... ," Owen replied.
The counselor's intent was simple: she told Owen to prepare well and to reach out if he needed any help.
The annual Battle Club recruitment and varsity team selections were essentially the school's "Olympic Games"—highly prestigious and closely watched.
If the Research Department had someone capable of making waves there, the counselor was happy to provide convenience.
She knew Owen had a significant background; offering a little extra care was never a wrong move.
Club recruitment was set to run from Tuesday, September 5th, through Friday.
Owen's schedule told him that going on Tuesday, the very first day, was his best bet. He had no classes on Tuesday, and getting the reward early would put his mind at ease—no use letting a good thing wait and risk complications.
Being among the first to pick a Pokémon definitely had its advantages.
On Monday, Class 1 only had two periods in the morning: Pokémon Energy Science. This was a professional course Owen had been dying to attend.
Pokémon energy is a miraculous, ever-changing thing; despite decades of study, humans have yet to fully unravel its mysteries.
The variation of a single type of energy alone is a subject with no end, let alone the complexities of combining different types.
However, once Monday rolled around, Owen was disappointed to find that the white-haired professor didn't teach a single shred of theory! Instead of a lecture, the professor took the freshmen to the training field to demonstrate a Combo Move and spent the rest of the time boasting.
He talked about his achievements, the famous students he'd taught, and the grandeur of Energy Science...
Yet, it was undeniable that the professor had real skill. The Rainbow Field created by his Quilava and Croconaw using a combination of Fire Pledge and Water Pledge was breathtakingly beautiful.
The professor talked about the Rainbow Field from every angle, and none of the students grew restless; they listened with rapt attention. While they didn't gain much "substantive" knowledge, their interest in Energy Science was thoroughly ignited.
"The Rainbow status—a combo move launched by two Pokémon where the two moves merge into one, turning the field into a rainbow.
With the power of the rainbow, the secondary effects of moves become much more likely to trigger..." Owen knew the professor had left out many details, but for freshmen, seeing such a field-effect technique was an eye-opening experience.
After class, the class monitor, Shiran, added everyone to a private group chat (without the counselor). Freed from supervision, the group immediately became lively.
Shiran: "Wait, why are there 40 people here? The total count is... 41."
Fan: "Did we accidentally add the counselor?"
Shiran: "No... who is 'Cute Vee'? They added me from the announcement group but haven't said a word."
Owen sat back, chuckling as he watched the discussion. Eevee only knew a handful of words; it wasn't ready for a normal human conversation yet. Once it finishes its studies, it'll interact with you all plenty.
The group debated for a while but reached no conclusion. Since Eevee was busy binge-watching a drama and didn't change its nickname, it was promptly kicked out of the private chat.
However, it remained in the official announcement group; the counselor likely hadn't noticed the extra member yet.
Shiran: "We have no classes tomorrow. I checked the campus forum—the club recruitment starts Tuesday. The Battle Club recruitment is supposed to be huge. Is anyone in our group planning to join?"
Shiran: "We can organize a group trip to go cheer for any classmates taking the assessment!"
The class monitor's suggestion was met with enthusiastic responses. No freshman who had spent five minutes on the campus forum was a stranger to the Battle Club recruitment; they had been looking forward to it for a long time.
Even if they weren't taking the test, going to watch the excitement was worth it.
By now, the rules for the Battle Club assessment were no secret. Since it was a student-run activity, the rules were simple and direct. Anyone wanting to join simply had to step onto the arena stage and engage in one or more battles.
Club reviewers would watch the performance; if they felt you had the strength, you passed. It wasn't strictly about winning or losing, but about the quality of the display.
Furthermore, if you wanted the extra Pokémon reward, you had to formally request a challenge against a sophomore member.
It was a four-day event that the entire university watched. Anyone who performed exceptionally during this window would see their name spread across campus instantly.
"Joining the Battle Club also grants credits. That's a nice bonus—club activities are a major source of credits," Owen thought, browsing the forum leaks. He was genuinely looking forward to tomorrow.
Since it's about performance rather than just the result, I'll let Magneton go first to rack up some real battle experience!
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