Chapter Twenty-Three: Striving for the Championship After Winning a Match

The following days passed in repeated skill practice until the Spirit Maiden could thoroughly master them. Tang Yi still insisted on his principle of not enrolling in any training classes. While he attended his own classes during the day, he would always prepare a training schedule in advance for Ralulu.

Wake up at 8:30 in the morning, half an hour for washing up and breakfast. From 9 to 10, painting. From 10:30 to 11:30, reading novels. From 12 to 1, lunch. From 1:30 to 2:30 in the afternoon, singing. After 3 o'clock, free time.

Tang Yi gave Ralulu plenty of freedom. Ralulu herself had no objections to this training plan; this was, after all, how she had been spending her days recently, and she hardly needed a schedule at all. However, Tang Yi wanted her to allocate her training time reasonably, especially for psychic training, which was not suitable for long, uninterrupted sessions; otherwise, it would cause considerable mental strain.

On weekends, Tang Yi would take Ralulu to a nearby park for a walk, but they never encountered that creepy middle-aged man again. Considering his obvious out-of-town accent, he was probably just passing through or traveling in Qingjiang City and had likely already left.

And so, time slipped by until the day of the official selection contest arrived. As a competition to select the country’s future outstanding trainers, every city gave it ample importance. The city government even reserved suitable battle arenas for each high school.

On the day of the competition, Tang Yi first went to school, then boarded the school bus with everyone else to go to the designated battle arena. This was also the first time Tang Yi brought Ralulu to school. Faced with so many strangers, she was visibly nervous, her green bangs completely covering her eyes.

Tang Yi could have brought her in a Poké Ball to spare her the crowd, but he deliberately chose not to. First, Ralulu disliked the environment inside the Poké Ball, and second, he wanted to help her overcome her stage fright—she would have to face even larger crowds eventually.

Tang Yi sat side by side with Ralulu on the school bus; there were plenty of seats anyway. On the way to the arena, he held her slightly cool little hand, comforting her softly. “Ralulu, there’s no need to be nervous. I’m right here with you.”

“And don’t worry about the competition. Our principle is to focus on participation; you don’t need to feel any pressure.”

“Oh, right—after the contest tomorrow, how about I take you into town to buy a set of paintbrushes?”

Tang Yi’s words finally had some effect. Ralulu’s bright red eyes peeked out from beneath her fringe, a hint of surprise in them, but she quickly shook her head. “But professional art supplies are too expensive.”

Ralulu was becoming more and more considerate; she knew Tang Yi’s family wasn’t wealthy.

Tang Yi chuckled. “Don’t worry, we won’t get anything too expensive. Ordinary ones are fine.”

As Ralulu’s telekinetic control became more and more adept, regular pencils could no longer satisfy her needs. Although she never said anything, Tang Yi had noticed.

“Tang Yi, you’re really good to your Spirit Maiden,” said a girl sitting in front, turning around with a smile after listening to his gentle reassurances.

“You’re just as good to your Hoothoot,” Tang Yi replied, glancing at the girl’s companion. The girl, about the same age as Ralulu, was dressed up in magnificent clothes, with eyeshadow and lipstick—clearly made up specially for the occasion.

“That compliment doesn’t sound sincere at all,” the girl, Jiang Chen, laughed, recognizing his perfunctory tone. But she was the easygoing type and didn’t mind.

Tang Yi gave a dry chuckle. After all, they were here for a selection contest, not a beauty pageant. It seemed Jiang Chen treated her Spirit Maiden as a living doll, but Tang Yi wouldn’t interfere with how others raised theirs.

Jiang Chen grinned. “Just like you said, I’m really here just for the experience, to get a feel for a real trainer’s competition. I know my Hoothoot all too well—she only knows Peck, and even then, she can’t always use it to full effect.”

The Hoothoot girl’s eyes showed a trace of grievance.

Tang Yi smiled wryly. Spirit Maidens naturally had skin that looked like clothes; dressing them up in human outfits made them look prettier, but it only restricted their movement in battle, so it was no wonder they couldn’t use their skills to their fullest.

Jiang Chen continued, “Anyway, I’m not aiming for any top university, and my parents aren’t pushing me. My biggest goal today is just to win one match. Heh, if I win one, I’ll brag about it for a whole year! What about you, Tang Yi? What’s your goal?”

Maybe because she thought Tang Yi was in the same boat as her—just another weakling—Jiang Chen was in a chatty mood.

“As for me…” Tang Yi sensed Ralulu’s curious gaze on him. After a pause, he answered, “Well, apart from the goal of winning a match, I’ll also aim for the championship.”

Pfft!

Coughing and laughter erupted around him.

Was that even a way to set goals?

Jiang Chen choked for a second, then burst out laughing. “You’re funny! Fine, from now on, I’ll also aim for the provincial championship—on top of winning a match.”

Ralulu pursed her lips, her mouth lifting in the tiniest of smiles. For her, this was the most reserved smile she could offer to strangers.

This bad man—he’s teasing this big sister again.

But he probably said it for my sake, to help me relax.

Hmm...

Ralulu felt a slight warmth rising in her cheeks. Luckily, her eyes were hidden by her bangs, so no one could see and she wouldn’t feel embarrassed, but she couldn’t help the gentle warmth welling up in her heart.

“That’s a fun way to put it. In that case, I’ll aim for the championship too.”

“Haha, you? Your Zubat Maiden can’t even use Supersonic properly! If you’re aiming for the championship, I’ll set a little goal too—why not go for the championship?”

“I’ll go for the championship as well.”

...

Facing their very first battle in life, most of the students had been somewhat nervous, but Tang Yi’s words broke the tension and filled the school bus with laughter and light-heartedness.

Tang Yi kept holding Ralulu’s little hand. Perhaps influenced by the relaxed mood on the bus, her tense body finally began to relax.

Tang Yi smiled and let out a quiet sigh of relief. This was enough.

But his words weren’t entirely a joke. Though he had modest aspirations for the selection contest, this was his first time battling as a trainer. To avoid putting pressure on Ralulu, Tang Yi was ready to accept any outcome.

In the front row, the class monitor Qin Donghai listened to all the talk about winning championships, a compliant smile on his face—but there was a trace of disdain in his eyes. He glanced at the girl beside him with a turtle shell on her back, his gaze full of confidence.

His Squirtle had attended the best training classes since hatching. To ensure proper supervision while he was at school, his family had even hired a private coach at great expense.

Qin Donghai’s goal was clear: to earn bonus points and secure admission to a top university.

If all these others could win the championship, what would that make him and his Squirtle Maiden?