"Newborn elves are at their cutest—you really have to cherish this time. My Little Grant was... well, it was so well-behaved at first, but after it evolved, its temper got terrible. Just thinking about it makes me sigh," said Charles Mason.

"It's just because you couldn't carry it anymore after it evolved, of course it would get mad. Honestly, it's already good enough that it doesn't use its 'little fists' to pound your chest," said Alice Dean.

As the five of them chatted idly, they finally boarded the maglev train.

It had to be said, the service here was really top-notch.

"Dear passengers, hello! There are 28 minutes left until the train departs. While you wait, we will be providing beverages. Special reminder: our 'Magikarp Soda' is very famous—drink it and you'll experience the thrill of Splash! Don't miss out!"

"I want a bottle," said Grace Carter.

"+1" "+1" "+1" "+1," echoed the other four.

So, is the essence of humanity just being a copy machine?

The journey was long, and only their phones kept them company. After boarding, due to the environment, they spoke less and less, each picking up their phone to play.

Ryan Ford originally planned to watch a movie, but since Ethan wasn't by his side, watching alone just felt boring.

So, he decided not to watch a movie and started scrolling through his Moments feed instead.

Mark Thompson: Friendly reminder—never throw or toss your Poké Balls. The videos are all fake; you can't aim them at all.

Homeroom Teacher: Please don't mistreat your Poké Balls. Don't mistreat your Poké Balls. Don't mistreat your Poké Balls. After school starts, we'll teach everyone the proper throwing techniques.

"Heh, still too young..." Ryan Ford thought calmly.

As for throwing Poké Balls, he'd already anticipated this. Before he even got his Pokémon egg, he'd practiced countless times with a simulated Poké Ball toy.

Ryan Ford kept scrolling through Moments, but after a while, he started to feel bored. Thinking for a bit, he began searching for information about dojos.

There were several dojos in Modu, and he was quite curious about them. If he had the chance, he wanted to check them out.

These trainer dojos were said to have emerged during the era of the Monster Wars, and there were prototypes in the anime as well.

Before the formation of the Pokémon League, the earliest trainers established grassroots organizations to protect towns from wild Pokémon attacks and to teach people how to command Pokémon—this was the origin of the dojo concept.

After the Pokémon League was formed, countries established trainer associations, and most grassroots trainers were recruited.

However, due to a lack of manpower in the early days of the associations, some areas couldn't be managed, so such organizations continued to appear.

After the Monster Wars, someone in the East combined the newly popular karate with the training of Fighting-type Pokémon and achieved great results. Seeking fame and fortune, he established a dojo to teach his experience, which attracted many followers.

Since then, the dojo operation model was widely imitated. Surviving grassroots trainers from the Monster Wars founded many schools based on their own specialties—for example, yoga meditation in India, which produced the first group of psychics. In China, certain philosophies became breeding concepts and battle techniques, such as "using softness to overcome hardness."

Of course, because dojos charged high fees for their teachings, many shady, money-grubbing dojos appeared during that time, until the trainer associations cracked down hard and things gradually improved.

However, with the spread of basic education and technological development, some weaker dojos can no longer survive, while those with deep foundations have either merged with the trainer association or transformed themselves.

Modu still has several dojos with lineages that continue to this day. It's said that some even have psychics, and their dojo leaders hold high positions in the local trainer association, enjoying great prestige.

Some wealthy families not only send their children to top high schools, but also spend a fortune to have them apprentice at these dojos, learning battle techniques and breeding philosophies for better development.

"Dojos... isn't that just like the Fighting Dojo run by Karate King Kiyo in Saffron City in the anime?" Ryan Ford's scalp tingled.

Ryan Ford knew little about these schools of thought. After all, they were only briefly mentioned in the official PM novels—things like the Inner and Outer Grass Star Schools, Inner and Outer Waterfall Schools, Inner and Outer Rock Schools, and so on... In reality, he had no idea how effective they were.

But since dojos have survived to this day, they must have something unique.

The founders of these schools, though their abilities may have varied, were given very prestigious titles at the time.

Pokémon Masters.

Ryan Ford silently recited the title, thinking it sounded pretty cool. If he had the chance, maybe he could become one himself.

Chapter 13: Building Sandcastles

"We're here!"

After getting off the maglev train, they transferred to two buses and finally arrived at their destination.

Entering the resort and taking a quick look at their reserved rooms, they were satisfied and decided to go eat together.

It wasn't until the afternoon that they officially started to relax.

Ryan Ford and Ethan stepped onto the sand, the soft and comfortable sensation instantly spreading through their bodies and minds.

"How is it, Ethan?"