Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Battle Club

It had been no small feat to arrive in the big city, so both Xia and Amu planned to stay for a few more days. Their reasons, however, could not have been more different—Xia wished to take the opportunity to relax, while Amu… was here for the Battle Club!

The founders of the Battle Club were the East George Clan. Like the Junsha and Joy families, the East George Clan possessed their own unique power—known as the "Power of George." Unlike the all-female Junsha and Joy lineages, every inheritor of the Power of George was male, and their appearances bore a noticeable resemblance as well.

The Power of George enabled its bearers to perceive the key points in Pokémon training, identify the hurdles that needed to be overcome, and remain acutely sensitive to their Pokémon’s moves and states. Thus, the East George Clan was regarded as the world's finest Pokémon training coaches—and, by extension, the best battle referees.

If one were to name the most influential families in the world, there could be debate over who stood at number one, but the top two spots were certainly held by the Joy and Junsha families. As for the third, it was almost always the East George Clan—though, more often than not, those ranking themselves at number three were members of the East George Clan themselves, for the gap between third and the top two remained significant. When it came to the top five, at least a dozen families would claim the title.

Unlike the Junsha and Joy families, the East George Clan, though collaborating with various leagues, was not considered "essential." Battle Clubs were ubiquitous only in their homeland, the Unova region, where the clubs' ranking system could even be used to register for the Unova League—equivalent to earning gym badges. In other regions, where battle rankings did not grant such privileges, only major cities typically hosted Battle Clubs—Viridian City, naturally, was among them.

This was Amu’s first time visiting a Battle Club. Although there was one in Cerulean City—where he’d glimpsed it during his apothecary assessment—he’d never ventured inside.

Though their locations were limited to big cities, the Battle Clubs themselves were anything but small. The opportunity to battle opponents of equal strength was enticing, even without other incentives. More importantly, the clubs offered a variety of training programs.

The entrance was a two-story reception hall, but behind it stood several high-rise buildings, each equipped with training rooms and battle arenas, both indoors and out.

Perhaps noticing Amu’s curious glances, a guide quickly approached. “Hello, Trainer, is this your first time at a Battle Club?”

“Yes, I’d like to use a training room for skill practice. Where do I pay?” Amu inquired of the young attendant.

Because the Battle Club did not have a deep partnership with the Indigo League, it was not like the Pokémon Center, where the League covered costs for first-year trainers. Here, he would have to pay out of pocket.

Upon hearing it was his first visit, the guide’s eyes lit up. “Trainer, our Battle Club operates on a membership system. Membership benefits are valid at all branches within any league, and battle rankings are shared within the same league…”

Compared to the Pokémon Center, the Battle Club was clearly more profit-oriented.

“With a Silver Card, you gain access to all training rooms and can register for battles. You’ll also have use of the self-service lounge. Achieve battle level eight, and you’ll receive a complimentary year of Silver Card membership; reach level ten, and you’ll become a lifelong Silver Member for free. There’s also an upgrade option to Gold Membership, offering access to our complete move tutorial video library. If you become a Diamond Member, you’ll enjoy complimentary five-star accommodation at all Battle Clubs and receive personal coaching…”

Amu interrupted her, “I’m still a first-year trainer—Diamond is out of the question. What are the fees for Silver and Gold memberships?”

After all, the Pokémon Center already provided free accommodation and a self-service restaurant—there was no need to waste money.

“Silver Membership is three hundred thousand a year. Gold Membership is currently on special—less than three thousand a day!” The guide’s eyes sparkled.

Well, that was a clever sales pitch.

“Can I buy the Gold Membership move tutorials individually?” Amu asked, ignoring her daily rate sales tactic.

“You can, but it’s pay-per-use. If you want to buy them all at once, it’ll run into the tens of millions, and each purchase is only valid for one month…”

The tutorials weren’t downloadable discs but could only be accessed in the club’s training rooms. Watching simple videos would be pointless; these were VR simulations.

“Silver Membership it is, then… I can’t afford Gold, and besides, I have no income—I’m an orphan,” Amu added, preempting any attempt to sell him financing.

The so-called millions in costs… well, no one needed to train every single move!

Moreover, Amu could directly unlock inherited moves. Most of the time, when teaching his Pokémon new skills, he had those who already mastered the move instruct those who didn’t. Unless he needed specific guidance, buying individual tutorials was more cost-effective.

Though the guide seemed disappointed, she maintained her professional smile and helped Amu complete his Silver Membership registration. Amu immediately booked an afternoon session in the Grass-type training room and politely declined the paid coaching service.

Upon entering the training room, Amu was greeted by the rich scent of earth. Although there wasn’t a blade of grass in sight—just metal floors and paneled walls—the room felt as if one had stepped into a lush forest.

Following the instructions, Amu flipped the switch on the console, and instantly, a virtual scene of abundant greenery filled the room. The space, barely fifty square meters in reality, seemed to expand severalfold—though the visuals were just for atmosphere.

Then Amu released Exeggcute, Bulbasaur, and the ancient Voltorb—all of whom immediately looked visibly at ease.

After a brief exchange with his team, Amu realized that, in this room, the power of Grass-types was somehow amplified. According to his earlier theories, the energy of the earth was abundant here, and the simulated “sunlight” overhead was bright as if the sun itself had drawn near—essentially creating a permanent “Grassy Terrain + Harsh Sunlight.”

This environment allowed Grass-type energy to be replenished at double the rate. Training Grass-type moves here would naturally yield twice the results with half the effort.

Amu then ordered a tutorial for “Energy Ball” from the console, opting for pay-per-use. Though Voltorb could act as a guide, perhaps seeing the demonstration would spark new ideas.

Thus, all afternoon, Bulbasaur and Exeggcute practiced “Energy Ball,” while Amu found a quiet corner and immersed himself in a book.