Chapter 53: Low Spirits

After delving into the mount Coronet, Mr. Isaiah and Darren walked for some time and passed through a mountain gorge. A heavy stone tablet stood erect there, with the two words "Crown Academy" inscribed on it.

"That's it up ahead," Mr. Isaiah said, leading Darren forward.

Before long, several boys and girls approached them with gloomy expressions on their faces.

These people were all dressed in sportswear and had Poké Balls hanging from their waists. They looked like trainers, and upon seeing Mr. Isaiah, they looked at him carefully before greeting him: "Mr. Isaiah... you're back."

The despondent tone of these people made Darren feel strange. Since they called him "Mr. Isaiah," they must be students of the Crown Academy.

Darren began to doubt whether he had come to the right place. He regretted it a little.

Aren't trainers supposed to be a group of energetic and passionate people?

Seeing Darren's strange expression, Mr. Isaiah cleared his throat and boasted about Crown Academy. However, these students came walking towards them with the gait of a Snorlax that had just woken up. It was too embarrassing!

"Mr. Isaiah... something big happened at the academy during your vacation. Please don't get too excited when you go back. We have a mission to do, so we'll leave now..." These boys and girls walked away with a mournful expression, without paying any attention to Darren.

"A big incident..." Darren felt a little uneasy. It seemed that this was not a peaceful place.

Taking a deep breath, Mr. Isaiah furrowed his brow and said, "Let's go."

"Darren, keep in mind that once you become a student of Crown Academy, it's important to have your own sense of pride and determination. It's crucial that you don't become disheartened like the individuals we saw earlier, when faced with obstacles or setbacks."

"The emergence of numerous exceptional trainers from this Academy can be attributed to their hard work and dedication, reflected in the sweat they've shed."

...

The Crown Academy is located within a huge wall, surrounded by the mountains. As it is located on the outskirts of the Mount Coronet, there are no fixed roads on all four sides, and it is very difficult for travelers to find this school without guidance.

Inside the academy, there are classes for new students in the elementary level, intermediate level, advanced level, and the graduation class, which is where the most outstanding students are located.

The average age of the students in the graduation class is around fifteen years old, and they work hard in preparation for the final "graduation exam."

The graduation rate at the Crown Academy is very low, with most students just dropping out. Currently, there are only about a hundred students at the academy.

This year, five new students enrolled, which is considered a good number.

Upon entering the academy, Darren immediately noticed a stark contrast between the environment inside the walls and that of the surrounding mountains. Although there were plenty of trees and streams, they all seemed to bear the marks of artificiality, which was largely due to the utilization of Pokémon and technology.

Darren sniffed and thought he could accept the environment here. It was much more comfortable than coming to Snowpoint City.

"As a transfer student, we will arrange your class directly for you." Before arranging for Darren to transfer to the Crown Academy, they needed to verify his eligibility. Although no one would cheat on such things, they still had to follow the basic process. After all, Mr. Isaiah did not have the authority to directly admit Darren to the academy.

Darren was walking along a small, bluestone-paved road that exuded a quaint ambiance, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the scarcity of people around him.

Other than the group of students he had just encountered, there seemed to be no one else in sight.

The walls surrounding the Crown Academy were vast, and the school grounds were, at the very least, more expansive than those of Fallarbor. Despite this, Darren couldn't help but wonder whether it was possible for such a sizable establishment to have only a little over a hundred students. His mouth twitched in disbelief.

The sight of its deterioration was heart-wrenching.

Having been over a month since the beginning of the school year, Darren found himself not only having to complete the enrollment procedures but also having to endure the tedious process of transferring to a different class.

As he stood in front of the overweight man in charge of admissions, Darren stared at him intently. The man nodded cordially, and Darren couldn't help but feel relieved.

"You must be Darren?"

This obese man was responsible for the admission process, and after Mr. Isaiah led Darren to him, the man was not very surprised.

"I have already learned about your situation from the principal. Leave the transfer to me."

Mr. Isaiah looked at Darren. Did he have a connection to the principal? Which wealthy family was he from?

Two free custom sportswear sets, a student ID, and a dormitory key were the most basic items for a new student.

"Darren, there are a total of four elementary classes, each with about 4 to 5 students and one teacher in charge. Here is detailed information about each of the four classes. See if there is one that suits you."

The obese man handed Darren a booklet that contained basic information about the four classes.

Of the four classes, two were for battle-oriented trainers, one was for coordination-oriented trainers to participate in Pokemon Contests, and the last one... was a special class with only two people in it. Darren's mouth twitched as he asked, "What's going on with this class of only two people?"

After receiving an explanation from the obese man, Darren fell silent.

The trend of creating "elite classes" appeared to be pervasive, a practice that went against his tastes.

"If you're interested in this class... it might be a bit difficult to get in," the obese man frowned. "The teacher of this class is very picky... If you don't meet his standards... you basically have no hope."

Moreover, because of a previous incident... the teacher had even argued with the principal, and it was unlikely the principal would give in to him. However, the obese man did not say this out loud.

"Besides..." the obese man's face fell. After he learned that there would be a transfer student from the principal, he wanted to arrange for Darren to be taught by the best teacher. However, after he informed that eccentric teacher... he was just scolded and sent back.

"A trainer like Darren who relies on connections and doesn't have much 'strength', that teacher will never accept him."

"Darren smiled and replied, 'It's okay, I'm just in the basic class. My interests don't lie here.'"

"I remember...there's a class in our academy that specifically teaches about breeding and raising Pokémon, right?"

The chubby man was surprised when Darren expressed interest in becoming a breeder. "There is indeed such a class, with relatively more students, about eight people. However, there is only one place in the academy to cultivate breeders, and the class is not divided by rank..."

"To graduate, you can only obtain a certificate as a basic breeder!"

Breeding knowledge includes theory and practice, and few children are willing to study it. Compared to battling and training with Pokémon, burying their heads in books and memorizing things is much more tedious. Therefore, the whole academy only has one class for breeders.

"I see, that's great." Darren smiled. He had long known about this class at the Academy, and although the graduation requirements may not be easier than the trainer class, for him...

As long as he's willing, he can apply to graduate at any time!

The average age of the graduating class is fourteen, and the average age of the Joy family passing the basic breeder exam is also fourteen, but Darren is an anomaly.

"You should think carefully, it can be very troublesome to transfer classes later." The chubby man warned. In the past, some people saw that there were no exams for advancing in the breeding class and all applied, but the heavy workload directly drove them to the brink of collapse.

"I think I should be fine." Darren smiled warmly.