Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Nighttime Wilderness Training.

The main goal was to train their physical endurance and willpower.

Running was just the baseline.

Under the dim glow of scattered lights, an asphalt road wound up the mountain, hidden within dense forests—so well concealed that no one had noticed it during the day.

Or perhaps no one had cared.

Everyone's attention had been focused on retrieving their luggage, Li Xiang included.

Judging by the road's layout, it wouldn't be short—at least two kilometers or more. Otherwise, the exercise would be pointless.

The real challenge?

When surrounded by pitch-black wilderness, human fear of the unknown skyrocketed.

Having companions running alongside you helped a little. But if you lagged behind, alone in the darkness, and then a few mischievous Ghost-type Pokémon decided to mess with you…

'Yeah, that would be a real treat.'

Fortunately, everyone here had been screened. There shouldn't be anyone with heart conditions or hereditary heart diseases.

Li Xiang silently stretched, even though he'd already warmed up at the training facility.

"The reward is just breakfast priority… Not much motivation to go for first place."

Lin Feng sidled up to him. "Planning to go all out this time?"

Those around Li Xiang were well aware of his freakish physical abilities. Or rather, they'd experienced them firsthand.

"Someone might be faster than me. Top ten gets nothing special anyway—top hundred is good enough."

Li Xiang twisted into an odd pose, loosening his joints.

He never assumed he was absolutely the best. The world always had a few prodigies, people with unique talents in specific fields.

Lin Feng stretched his back. "Top hundred… I wonder if I can make it."

The guy had thrown himself entirely into Pokémon training, neglecting his own fitness. At best, he was slightly stronger than the average student.

He had no idea where he stood.

Qu Sheng and the others were similarly pessimistic, doubting their chances of securing a top-100 spot.

"Should've trained more. Now I get the camp leader's intentions."

Li Xiang rolled his eyes at that.

While this world's human physical limits were higher than in his past life, that didn't mean you could just laze around and get stronger.

People who avoided exercise would never improve.

Xiang Yangwei had probably noticed the "frail" state of modern academy trainers and decided to hammer their physical conditioning.

As expected, tradition and academia each had their pros and cons.

"Just run your hardest. Don't overthink it… Actually, follow behind me. Match my pace."

After a moment's thought, Li Xiang decided to pull his friends along.

He couldn't just coldly abandon these last-minute crammers. Not that he'd babysit them—he'd just act as a pace-setter.

In many cases, following someone else's rhythm made running easier.

If everyone synchronized, it'd be even more efficient, but there was one big condition: They had to keep up.

Some people couldn't even manage that. Those were simple hopeless and he certainly wouldn't jeopardize himself to sacrifice for that.

Also, Camp Leader Xiang's wording had been odd. Instead of simply saying "No external assistance allowed," he'd been vague.

Almost like he was inviting people to exploit loopholes.

Lin Feng and the others, though not entirely understanding Li Xiang's plan, thanked him enthusiastically.

"So you noticed it too."

Song Jie murmured beside Li Xiang, "Camp Leader Xiang always creates urgency but leaves gaps… The 'moral education score' is definitely real."

Back in the dorm, the two had discussed the camp's scoring system and Xiang Yangwei's demeanor.

The camp's goal was to cultivate well-rounded, morally upright young trainers.

Pure competition wasn't the sole purpose—official documents also emphasized ethical development.

Thus, they'd theorized that the camp's scoring had two components:

Practical Performance & Moral Conduct

Strength mattered, but so did character. The Association wouldn't want to produce a generation of power-hungry trainers.

Today's two tests were likely Xiang Yangwei's way of identifying who had integrity—and who didn't.

For all they knew, someone was already reviewing footage behind the scenes.

The real question was how they planned to nurture students' morals.

"We'll handle it as it comes."

Li Xiang responded just as the distant iron gate creaked open.

A loudspeaker began its countdown. The same female voice as before.

"Don't rush at the start. Let the others sprint ahead if they want. Stay close to me—our goal isn't first place, it's top hundred. Keep a steady rhythm, match the footsteps in front of you. Is that understood?"

Li Xiang turned to Lin Feng's group.

He'd arranged them in a two-column formation, with himself and Song Jie leading. This would be easier to manage than a single file.

The group nodded. Right now, they'd believe anything Li Xiang said.

Their actions inevitably drew attention—especially from Class 1 students.

After the morning's events, most No.1 Middle School students viewed Li Xiang as their savior/leader. Seeing him with a new plan, they hurried over to ask.

With time short, Li Xiang simply told them to fall in line and follow. Thus, their six-person group ballooned into a small army.

Their formation also caught the eye of Xiang Yangwei on the observation platform.

"Hah! It's that kid again."

Xiang Yangwei pointed at Li Xiang, then turned to the shadows behind him.

"Still think he's just putting on an act?"

A raspy voice replied from the darkness, "It's only been twice. The first day, no less. Showing such favoritism is unprofessional, Camp Leader."

"Call it intuition. Disagree all you want—I'm still betting on him."

Xiang Yangwei watched as Li Xiang turned to shout instructions to the group.

"If we had more kids like him, Zhu Xia wouldn't just be strong—it'd be almost unstoppable."

"That doesn't justify recommending someone on day one."

The shadowy figure stepped forward—a tall, bespectacled man in his thirties.

"Regardless of your arguments, I'll adhere to the Tenth Man Theory."

The Tenth Man Theory stated that if nine people reached the same conclusion from the same information, the tenth must dissent—no matter how absurd their reasoning.

The tenth had to assume the other nine were wrong and prove it.

It was Zhu Xia's safeguard against groupthink as society accelerated.

"Do as you see fit."

Xiang Yangwei waved dismissively.

Contrarianism for its own sake was grating, even if necessary. However, Zhu Xia needed people like that.

Three—Two—One!

BEEEP—!!

A sharp whistle blast jolted the crowd.

The frontrunners shot forward instantly, taller students leveraging their stride to pull ahead.

Li Xiang's group hung back, but he remained calm, first ensuring everyone found their footing.

Chaotic steps would ruin their efficiency.

After several failed adjustments, he pulled a whistle from his pocket.

"How do you even have—oh, right. Corviknight."

Song Jie remembered Li Xiang's Corviknight responded to whistle commands.

"Follow my whistle. Left, right, left. Got it? If you're lost, watch the person beside you. Let's move!"

Without waiting for confirmation, Li Xiang blew the whistle.

Even if the formation wasn't perfect yet, it'd smooth out as they ran. This wasn't military drill—just a way to conserve energy.

The group surged up the mountain en masse.

Out of 240 students, 40 trailed behind Li Xiang—almost all from No.1 Middle School, boys and girls alike.

An eye-catching sight.

Most others couldn't join even if they wanted to. Li Xiang's pace was slow, creating a widening gap with the leaders.

Whistle between his lips, Li Xiang focused ahead.

Breath control while running? Child's play compared to dodging balls on elevated stakes while his seniors pelted him.

The slope was gentle, barely a challenge. He even had spare attention to admire the scenery.

The view from above was entirely different from below. He wondered how the training camp looked from this height.

Come to think of it, the north side of this mountain should overlook that mysterious wilderness arena.

'What exactly is that place for?'

His curiosity burned.

As they entered the forest, the world darkened. Only the occasional floodlight marked their path.

With so many people around, the atmosphere stayed lively. Some chatted as they ran, having already given up on top hundred.

Li Xiang's group, however, remained silent by his request—standing out starkly. The others began whispering about them, some comments less than kind.

Annoying, but irrelevant.

As Li Xiang gradually increased the pace, and the winding road twisted further, the chatterers soon saw only the tail end of the formation—

Then even that vanished. Not a single person in Li Xiang's group had acknowledged them.

The talkers exchanged glances, fell silent, and kept running.