Chapter 18: A Wonderful Start

Speaking of school, it was really just attending a literacy class to help him recognize more characters.

Technology in the Ore Region was so advanced, yet the literacy rate in Iron Town was absurdly low — an ordinary person having the equivalent of an elementary school education from a past life was already considered remarkable.

In the final analysis, there was no sufficiently powerful and enlightened faction to integrate Iron Town.

Letting the people here form cliques and gangs, turning the place into a loose handful of sand.

The social environment of neighboring Silicon Beryllium City was worlds apart from here.

"A literacy class, huh… I just hope it won't cost too much. I don't have that many assets." Baimu was worried his little wallet couldn't take it.

From the expensive books sold in the shops, one could already see the weight of knowledge — the price of schooling would likely be even higher.

But unexpectedly, the literacy class within the Quicksand Team was free for official members and their children; they only needed to buy the required books, and the book prices were also acceptable.

Knowledge was actually so "cheap"!

Baimu almost thought he had returned to his past life. Only after asking carefully did he understand this was a benefit the top executives gave to official members.

Stirred, he signed up on the spot.

But once inside, that enthusiasm cooled considerably. A glance across the classroom showed mostly girls; the few remaining boys were probably under ten years old, masters of every kind of mischief.

There were women in the Quicksand Team's combat division — Crystal Sandstone Squad Three — such as powerful executives like Lady Ayana, but for most girls in the controlled blocks, the future after learning to read was to become a clerk, an auxiliary staff member in various fields.

"Go learn to read, become a clerk, and help out with the household."

Similar words were commonplace.

Not that this was bad — auxiliary staff had high safety and decent pay. How high was the status of Rocket Team's secretary, Birdie? Giovanni even had her lead a special squad.

But the Quicksand Team wasn't the Rocket Team. Here, where violence was revered, status was entirely converted from strength.

In short, this literacy class exposed many problems.

Contempt for knowledge, discrimination against the weak — every aspect of it…

Baimu suddenly wanted to change things — change the Quicksand Team, change all of Iron Town — but did he have that kind of ability?

And what did he truly want to do?

"Goo?"

"Nothing."

Baimu smiled at Aron and decided to set these thoughts aside for now. He himself hadn't even secured his own safety yet; thinking about such things was inevitably premature.

As for his joining, the literacy class's students and teacher were all very surprised. Quicksand Team members attending a literacy class was very, very rare — one might not see a single one in an entire year.

Probably just feeling it was novel, and wouldn't come back tomorrow.

The sole teacher knew very well that once Baimu was mocked by his comrades, he would feel embarrassed and choose to quit — that was usually how it went.

Learn to read? No need!

The strong don't need to know many characters — once your status is high enough, people will naturally read things for you.

This notion was quite common among the middle and lower ranks of the Quicksand Team. Little did they know the upper ranks generally quietly hired private tutors, sowing the seeds of wisdom in their children from a very young age.

The split between upper and lower ranks was far too severe.

However.

The next afternoon, Baimu came again — and even the afternoon of the day after that, carrying his books and his well-behaved Aron, not the least bit afraid of embarrassment.

To actually have such resolve.

The teacher was very surprised and decided to observe a while longer. If possible, he didn't want the Quicksand Team to bury such a young talent.

Don't look at it as just literacy — being able to break through prejudice and the mockery of others was already extremely difficult.

But he didn't know that on Baimu's very first day of class, word of it had already reached the ears of several big shots in the Sand Squad.

"As expected of a smart one."

Master Liu Ge was very satisfied with Baimu's performance.

Finding like-minded teammates within the Quicksand Team was too difficult — even such a small gesture could move him.

——

After class.

Baimu rushed home. After these days of Aron's diligent battling, the simulation countdown had shortened considerably — from midnight to after dusk.

He could simulate again soon! Maybe he'd roll a good skill!

Or level Aron up by five all at once?

Either one would be great, either one would be awesome!

"Lucky lucky, I'm so lucky~"

He carefully washed his face and hands, sat on the bed, hugged Aron who was lying beside him, and read his book while waiting.

Over the past few days he had tried to gather intel on Shi Yuan, but unfortunately his social circle was too small — the harvest was truly meager, and he couldn't find any place that specialized in selling information.

But at least he knew that for the recent period, that guy had no way to cause him trouble.

That was enough.

As long as he was given enough time to develop, what needed to be resolved could always be resolved.

Before long, the countdown ended.

【Choose your Birth Region ▽】

Baimu thought for a moment, decided to switch regions, and chose Johto.

Gender was still male, Pokémon was still random — he was a little curious about how exactly one could choose their own Pokémon.

【Please Draw Your Talent】

Press.

Fixed Talent:

【Sturdy Body (Very Healthy)】

Selectable Talents:

【Clumsy Hands (Pokémon Health Management: Rough)】

【Poor Family Background (Burden of Raising Pokémon)】

【Ruthless (Single-Minded Pursuit of Goals)】

【Elite System (Won't Catch Too Many Pokémon)】

Hm? Oh?

Did I just get lucky? Feels like I got lucky — the fixed talent and the bottom two talents all look so normal!

Wait, though, what looks "normal" might not actually be normal…

All Baimu agonized for a while, then vigorously rubbed Roggenrola's head, trying to borrow some of its luck, and resolutely chose the last two talents.

Simulation begins!

Still pixel animation, but this time the protagonist… hm? A camping boy?

He blinked, and that little fellow in the green hat was unmistakably the background NPC occasionally translated as "Camper."

【You were born in Kiku City, into an ordinary family.】

On the screen, the little fellow received his first Pokémon from his parents.

【At age ten, you received your first partner from your parents: Geodude. You believe you'll go far together.】

The Camper set out from Kiku City, was attacked by a bird Pokémon along the way, but with Geodude's strength, successfully caught it.

【You caught your second Pokémon on Route 30: Spearow. Your traveling companions have grown.】

After advancing a while longer, the Camper encountered a wild NPC and battled them, ultimately winning.

All Baimu's eyes went wide, feeling like things were going so smoothly — far smoother than the first two times. Was his luck getting better and better?

On screen, the Camper faced many opponents on Routes 30 and 31. Though the results were a mix of wins and losses, it could still be called smooth sailing.

Then.

When the Camper arrived in Violet City, the first Gym challenge began.

The opponent was a boy wearing a kimono, who used three Flying-type Pokémon: Hoothoot, Lickitung, and Pidgeotto.

—Which happened to be countered by the Camper's Geodude.

So the Camper very smoothly defeated this Gym Leader, and Geodude also evolved into Graveler during the battle.

【You defeated the Violet City Gym Leader Falkner and obtained the Zephyr Badge.】

【Your Geodude evolved into Graveler.】

Holy crap, that's way too smooth!

Never has there been such a wondrous opening — please applaud me!

All Baimu was clearly just a spectator, yet now he felt so relieved he wanted to cry — the first two were just too abnormal, tormenting him until his stomach ached.

Now THAT'S what you call a Pokémon Trainer — you! Camper! You're the real Pokémon Trainer!