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Performance Testing.
The focus here was on mastery.
In this world, the final power of a move wasn't determined by rigid numbers. Instead, it depended on, i) Where the move struck the opponent, ii) The area of impact, iii) The move's proficiency level.
In theory, when a move reached a certain level of mastery, it could undergo a dramatic transformation—like Greninja's Protean or Incineroar's Flare Blitz.
But since there was no exact numerical value for proficiency, no one could predict when a move would evolve.
The shiny Metang's move proficiency was… average.
When it swung its massive hammer-like arms, it looked imposing, but in reality, its movements were rigid and inflexible.
This wasn't the same as the martial arts concept of "simplifying complexity." It was far from reaching that level.
BANG!
The impact target let out a sharp crack under the force, and the screen above displayed a string of numbers.
Li Xiang compared the results with the B-rank training facility's records—both the average and the highest benchmarks (official Association standards).
He found that, after being meticulously trained by a top-tier trainer, the shiny Metang's performance was indeed near the top for its level.
Of course, it still fell short of the highest record displayed.
But Li Xiang wasn't obsessed with that. After all, once he used some Rare Candies, surpassing it would be easy.
....
Psychic Wave Test.
The Psychic-type was special—a favored attribute of the world. Its energy could be called mental power, spiritual force, or psychic waves.
Every Pokémon, regardless of whether it could learn Psychic-type moves, possessed these waves.
(Or, to put it more simply: brainwaves.)
Psychic and Ghost-types naturally had stronger psychic waves than others. The key difference was that their waves could be trained through various methods—meditation, stress conditioning, telekinesis practice, and more.
The stronger the waves, the greater the damage they could inflict—and the more things they could do.
But like Pokémon themselves, psychic waves varied.
Some Pokémon had exceptional clairvoyance, able to see thousands—even tens of thousands—of meters away. Some had purer psychic energy, where a single point of focus equaled multiple points for others.
Some had immense telekinetic strength, capable of moving mountains with ease.
These Pokémon weren't just the world's favorites—they were its most cherished children.
But then there were those who only appeared favored.
Like the shiny Metang.
After basic testing, its clairvoyance and telekinesis were exactly at its current level—no special traits.
Except for one thing; When its psychic waves materialized, they shimmered gold—far more dazzling than the usual sky-blue or pink-purple hues.
Using them was like flexing a VIPaccount in a cheap mobile game—instant prestige.
But that was it.
For now, Li Xiang hadn't discovered any unique properties in these golden waves. Maybe after reading Cheng Xin's books, he'd find something.
....
Physical Endurance Test
This measured resilience and willpower.
If move power and durability were the hard stats of a Pokémon's combat ability, then willpower was the hidden stat.
A timid Pokémon couldn't utilize its full strength, no matter how powerful it was. For a Pokémon aspiring to be a trainer's partner, mental fortitude was crucial.
Li Xiang stood back, watching as Metang was bombarded by soft impact pellets.
It quickly grew furious, lashing out at the emitter.
The B-rank training facility's safety measures were solid. Before Metang could strike the emitter, an electric net restrained it.
Electricity, water, fire, grass…
Blunt force, slashing, piercing…
After a full battery of tests, Metang collapsed, glaring at the room but unable to attack. It had reached its physical limit.
The data flashed on the screen.
Li Xiang skimmed it, then stepped forward, popping Metang's favorite Pokéblock into its hidden mouth (located under its pointed nose). He patted its head.
"Easy, easy. It's just a test. These are just machines."
He soothed the silver 'crab'.
Metang flailed its arms, shouting "Tang! Tang!" as if arguing.
Li Xiang sighed and had Rotom translate.
"Oh, it's saying these machines are controlled by 'someone'—probably a Porygon. Every room here has a digital lifeform managing it. I can sense it."
Rotom replied casually.
Li Xiang glanced up at the room's lone camera, mildly surprised.
"AI has been completely replaced by Pokémon intelligence now?"
Even in his original world, they hadn't gone this far—using Pokémon to monitor security cameras?
"They're just doing jobs. Don't worry about it. We're here to test, remember? This is all part of the process."
Li Xiang stopped overthinking it and continued calming Metang. Its temper was already this volatile—what would happen when it evolved into Metagross?
He'd have to correct that. A Steel-type shouldn't be this aggressive.
Then it hit him—the Three-Blind Perception Technique was perfect for this. It could temper mental strength while curbing impulsiveness.
Some things just clicked once you understood them. Having a genius senior sister to rely on was clearly a blessing.
With a sigh, Li Xiang recalled the now-calm Metang. Time to go mooch off Song Jie's training session.
After the Bonus Storm, life settled into a rhythm.
For Li Xiang, it was peaceful. Even though he'd dropped to B-rank, he was still the undisputed demon king, popular with most.
After Song Jie and the others rose to A-rank, the camp only opened one A-rank arena, making competition fierce. Three people dropped back down on the first day.
With Lin Feng spending his points earlier, only Song Jie remained in A-rank, standing alone.
Luckily, within weeks, Li Xiang joined him—even though he'd been frequenting the B-rank facility and buying items, he couldn't resist the others' relentless point donations.
The two battled fiercely for the arena until one fell below 1000 points and dropped back to B-rank.
And so, January quietly came to an end.
....
The Rewards & Penalties Assembly.
Thanks to the "all bark, no bite" Bonus Storm event, most students walked away with decent points.
So few had fewer than 100 points left that Xiang Yangwei raised the standards again.
Cue another round of wailing from the stragglers.
After the assembly, the new point competition began.
Since Li Xiang had already obtained the shiny Metang, the competition's points were no longer his alone.
After setting a schedule and distribution system, the group of six still worked as a team, securing the lion's share—over 700 points.
The increase was due to the camp releasing more Pokémon—odd, since the number of students had decreased.
Only eleven students left in the final month, leaving fewer than 120—exactly half the starting number.
Those hovering near the danger zone grew anxious. This was the final stretch. Even if they were doomed to be cut, surviving the first semester would boost their chances when applying for advanced academies.
—This intel came from recruiters and was confirmed by Xiang Yangwei.
Students who lasted the first semester did have an edge in entrance exams.
They were priority candidates.
With this confirmed, students focused on hoarding points instead of battling recklessly. Those with ample points relaxed—they were safe, at least for this semester.
Next semester's problems could wait.
This mindset carried them into mid-to-late February. Few seemed to realize—or chose to ignore—that the camp had final exams.
But ready or not…
They arrived.
....
Score sheets were distributed early, and all students were summoned to the field. A cold wind blew as the crowd stood in formation, bundled in thick winter coats—a colorful, slightly absurd sight.
Xiang Yangwei, clad in an army-green overcoat, strode forward. To some students, his footsteps sounded like war drums.
His smile was as warm and annoying as ever.
"Good afternoon, students. The semester is ending, and so is our biggest challenge—the finals."
He addressed the elephant in the room.
"But the camp's finals aren't ordinary. They're a field performance exam—similar to traditional trainer battles you've seen online."
Zhong Qizhi held up a sheet of paper.
"Scoring first: Each of you will carry three wooden tags and three Pokémon."
"When you encounter others in the wild, you may challenge them to one-on-one battles. The winner takes one tag from the loser."
"You can only challenge the same person once per 30 minutes, with 10-minute cooldowns between challenges. Each tag is worth 50 points."
"Lose all your tags, and you're eliminated—your points reset to zero or go negative."
50 points per tag?!
The crowd erupted. Some students took a month to earn that many. Now they were gambling it all in one exam.
"Additional rules: No supplies or extra items are allowed—only clothes, tags, and three Pokémon."
"The exam area has four rest stations. You may enter each only once, and no challenges are allowed inside. But you must leave after 30 minutes."
"After every three battles—win or lose—you may exit the exam area. Only those who've completed three battles can leave."
Zhong Qizhi paused, then grinned.
"Oh, and one more thing—this exam is being held jointly by three camps. You'll be battling students from other camps."
'Three camps?!'
Li Xiang instinctively glanced at Song Jie.
"Camps always compete. This is normal."
Song Jie replied coolly. "No need to overreact."
"When did I overreact?"
Li Xiang's eye twitched. He felt unfairly judged. But Song Jie was right—camps did compete.
The real question was: Which two other camps were involved?
Unfortunately, Zhong Qizhi didn't seem inclined to reveal that.