Chapter 19: Crown Academy
"Two choices, the first one, I can help you register for the Trainer qualification and get you a beginner Pokemon with excellent aptitude issued by the Pokémon League."
Trainer qualification costs 100,000 yen, and as for the beginner Pokemon, it's another 100,000 yen.
200,000 yen is a significant expense for Old Green House, which is why Grandma Arlan doesn't have the means to support a child becoming a Trainer.
The more than 2,000 yen that Terrance brought out is what he had saved up over the past four years.
Therefore, Master Victor's first choice for Terrance will provide him with tremendous help, not only solving his problem of where to live but also obtaining the identity of a Trainer. This means he can enjoy discounted meals at the Pokemon Center and many other significant benefits.
"What about the second choice?" Terrance didn't rush to make a decision.
"The second choice, well, it's giving you a chance to enter Crown Academy," Master Victor said calmly.
"Crown Academy? What is that—"
Hearing this unusual term, Terrance found it to be unfamiliar.
However, Master Victor patiently explained it to Terrance.
"Crown Academy is a renowned academy in the Sinnoh region, referred to as one of the three cradles of geniuses alongside Kanto Region's Champion Academy and Johto region's Silver Academy. The achievements of every graduate of the academy are no less impressive than those of the top three contestants in a Regional Conference. However, this is only the average level."
"But the graduation requirements at Crown Academy are also very difficult. It's not something an ordinary person can achieve. Similarly, the admission requirements for Crown Academy are even more stringent. Unless you have high talent and excellent background, if you want to use money to secure an admission qualification, you'll need a million yen..."
Crown, Silver and Champion, the three major academies!
Master Victor's words once again taught Terrance a lesson. He never expected that there were three such special places in the world. In all his books, he had never even heard of them.
"But they are not as amazing as you might imagine. The three major academies are relics of the old era. Take Wallace, for example. Even if he entered Crown Academy, he would be one of the top talents there, and there are only a few people who can compare to him." Master Victor explained, having put quite some effort into his explanation.
"For the second choice, I'm offering you a chance to enroll in Crown Academy. There, you can have tuition waived, free accommodation, meals, and the freedom to study various battle tactics for Breeders, Coordinators, and all kinds of Trainers. However, choosing this option means you'll have to go through a strict exam. If you fail, you'll lose both the opportunities simultaneously."
Before Terrance's eyes were the two paths.
The first one, obtaining the Trainer qualification, might allow him to gradually achieve his dreams through hard work. But no one can say for sure what could happen during this process.
The second one is to gain a chance to enter Crown Academy through an unknown exam. The academy mentioned by Master Victor couldn't be a simple place. Although he wouldn't be able to obtain the Trainer qualification, the opportunity to receive free accommodation and meals, along with formal education in areas such as Coordinator, Breeder, and tactics, seems like an irresistible offer. Furthermore, the academy produces outstanding graduates who go on to achieve remarkable accomplishments, making them highly sought after by various major organizations.
"Have you decided?"
"I have decided."
Without hesitation, as a qualified transmigrator, Terrance knew what kind of choice to make.
There are two options: the obvious easy mode and the hard mode. For someone pressed for time like him, there is no reason to choose the easy mode.
As Master Victor thought, only through trials and tribulations can Terrance make greater progress.
"I'm willing to take the exam."
Terrance, with the "shrewd" gaze of a transmigrator, believed that Master Victor also wanted him to make this choice.
"Are you really sure? If you fail the exam I have given you, you may lose all the opportunities," Master Victor once again tried to sway Terrance' heart, but the more he did this, the less Terrance was swayed.
The hints are so clear, how could I refuse?
"Yes, I want to give it a try." Terrance believed that Master Victor wouldn't make things too difficult for him. As long as there is a possibility of succeeding in the exam, he is determined to do his best to accomplish it!
"Haha, good, since you've chosen this path, let me tell you about Crown Academy first. It can also encourage you to work harder. As for the exam, it's not the time yet," Master Victor said with a smile. Terrance's choice really pleased him.
Crown Academy.
Established a hundred years ago by a master-level Trainer of that time, Crown Academy was created to promote the Trainer profession. After a century of development, although Crown Academy has not grown to the scale of the Pokémon League, it is recognized as an independent force by the Pokémon League.
The overall strength of the academy is formidable. Each generation of its dean is no weaker than the Elite Four. The faculty members are also incredibly powerful, with many of them being graduates of the academy. They come from various fields, including Coordinators, Breeders, Trainers, Scientists, and more. Even quite a few Gym Trainers and Elites have studied at Crown Academy.
Since the development of the Pokémon League, the number of Trainers has increased significantly. With the establishment of Regional Conferences and Gyms, the safety in the wild has improved, and Trainers' benefits have increased. Trainers prefer to travel alone, collecting Badges, capturing more Pokemons, and experiencing the joy of the journey. As a result, the status of the academy has greatly declined. Although a few places still retain some traditional aristocratic schools and preschools, they don't hold much influence.
Crown Academy, Silver Academy, and Champion Academy are the only three places that still hold the status of traditional academy.
With a century of foundation and its public nature, Crown Academy is incomparable to other emerging aristocratic institutions and organizations.
Master Victor is a graduate of Crown Academy and currently serves as its vice dean. Therefore, he has enough confidence in Terrance's enrollment.
"If you graduate from Crown Academy, you can even apply to Pokémon League for your own Gym and enjoy the League's subsidies."
Crown Academy has a four-year program, consisting of the Beginner Class, Intermediate Class, Advanced Class and Graduation Class. In theory, students enter at the age of ten and graduate at the age of fourteen. But that's just a theory. Only a few exceptionally talented individuals can pass the academy's graduation exam.
Some people even waste their time until their twenties without graduating and end up being advised to drop out.
On the other hand, there are geniuses who apply for skipping grades and complete the entire curriculum in two or three years, possessing strength equal to or even surpassing the teachers.
This is Crown Academy, a cradle of geniuses that has been abandoned by time, yet continues to pass on a spark of legacy through recommendations, nurturing, and other means.