The coordinator led them straight onto the Obsidian Rock Gym's main arena. Ethan and Lana knew this floor well—they'd fought here a bit over half a month ago.
So this was today's exam site.
He lined the seven of them up at center court, each with their partner, in the order they'd just checked in.
Only once they were set did five examiners—and Lincoln, the gym's young master—step out onto the second-floor gallery. A handful of "special judges" padded out behind them, which made Ethan frown.
He glanced at Lana. Same puzzled look. The others? Cool as ice—except Naomi Stormvale, who was flat-out staring at the hulking Pinsir parked on the rail. Clearly the better-connected kids knew what this was.
Up on the balcony, alongside that murderously poised Pinsir, lounged several standouts from previous exams: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, a scarred Druddigon, and a sulking Banette. All familiar to Ethan—each one exceptional in its lane—and now all "little proctors," peering down at the seven like judges.
Lana elbowed him. "Ethan—look. That Abra."
He followed her chin. A yellow, fox-faced figure floated cross-legged in the air.
Maybe it felt eyes on it; the Abra's perpetually slitted lids cracked open.
It's looking at me.
No, seriously—it's looking at me.
A chill walked Ethan's spine. Some dumb classroom legend floated up—a true Alakazam sees life and death in a glance. Silly—but the stare didn't feel silly.
Abraz sleep three-quarters of the day. If it opens its eyes… there's a reason.
He wasn't the only one gawking. Why lock onto him?
Don't tell me it clocked my secret on sight.
He risked another peek. The Abra's eyes had slipped closed again.
…Maybe he was being a clown—like a shut-in convinced the pretty girl's one glance meant destiny.
Then the Abra cracked them open again—just to nod at him.
Ethan: "…"
Flirty little yellow fox, huh?
On the balcony, the dignified man from yesterday stepped up to the rail and broke the spell.
"Welcome, candidates." His voice carried. "I'm Rowan Kingsley, Director of Student Affairs at Imperial Province First Trainer High. You've reached Round Three—congratulations. Get used to each other; we'll be seeing a lot of you. May you earn exactly the rewards you're after."
He handled the courtesies, then introduced the panel and guests, left to right:
Huang Yi — shaved head, younger than he looked; Deputy Lead, Dark Faculty.
Li Yuan — violet-eyed, cool as a blade; Deputy Lead, Psychic Faculty.
Center: Director Rowan Kingsley and special guest Lincoln of the Obsidian Rock Gym. In this province, true gym masters were uncrowned mayors—Lincoln showing up was a flex.
Madam Ji — silver hair, bright face; Lead, Ghost Faculty (Ethan had met her in the Ghost hall).
Zhang Yi — bristly crew cut, square jaw, eyes like a furnace; Lead, Fire Faculty. Definitely not a cuddly type.
Then the rules.
This round was a gauntlet. No breaks, no heals. One candidate, one partner, four back-to-back matchups tailored to your starter's counters. For Ethan/Houndour: Fighting, Rock, Ground, Water in a single continuous run. Win or wash out—no pit stops.
Adrian Ashborne, Miles Cipherwright, Julian Ravenshade, and Regis Granitehall didn't even blink—they'd clearly been prepped. Naomi kept sneaking looks at Pinsir, half-listening, half-starstruck.
Ethan and Lana traded a look. Unfair? Maybe. Changeable? Nope. They'd play it as dealt.
Staff lugged out a row of tables at the apron. Seven examiners sat; fourteen marked Poké Balls were laid out.
Ethan did the math. Four weaknesses per starter across seven candidates—fourteen total exam Pokémon. Whoever went first would "reveal" the lot for everyone else to study. Information advantage to the later slots.
First up: Adrian Ashborne. His Charmander would face Rock → Ground → Water in sequence. Whoever appeared now would be Ethan's future opponents too.
Good. Watch and learn.
Ethan also eyed the Meowstic… no, the Persian—Boss Cat—by Lana's boots. Her first hit was Fighting; if that examiner mon took a beating here or later, Lana's life got easier.
On cue, the Rock examiner stepped out opposite Adrian. Charmander strutted forward, tail high.
The toss: a blue, blocky Nosepass, red schnoz pointing north.
Bracelet scan: Level 10, Sturdy.
Charmander's readout across the way pinged Level 9, Blaze.
Please don't bungle the opener so badly I miss seeing rounds two and three, Ethan thought.
The battle popped. The examiner led with Stealth Rock, littering the field with near-invisible razors.
Adrian's jaw tightened at the instant choke. He took the free tempo to buff: Charmander flowed into a compact, practiced Dragon Dance—momentum flaring.
Inherited tech, Ethan noted. Money well spent.
The examiner clocked the threat. Rock Tomb rained down—only for Charmander to carve the slabs to gravel with gleaming Metal Claw.
Steel coverage, also inherited. Nice.
Adrian pressed smart: using Metal Claw to chew safe lanes through the Stealth Rocks, he hunted Nosepass in a grueling chase. Fifteen minutes of cut, feint, and chip later, the rock finally toppled under the typed pressure.
But Charmander was heaving—spent by the pursuit.
Gauntlet rules don't care how clean the first KO was. Two more to go on half a tank? Yikes.
Adrian seemed to realize it at the same moment. He glanced back—and caught Ethan unconsciously shaking his head. Adrian's mouth set.
Across the sand, the examiner—very likely a Trainer High teacher—hid a smile. Hook, line, sinker. Not cruelty; curriculum. Some kids needed a wall early, not another open door.
The next ball popped. A sky-blue calf with floppy ears thumped down: Phanpy. Bracelet: Ground, Pickup, Level 10.
Ethan almost said it out loud. Defense Curl + Rollout. Classic.
Charmander danced aside from the first few Rollouts, but the examiner had all day. Each miss chained into the next Rollout… until the first hit landed.
From there, the snowball did what snowballs do. The second Rollout doubled power and erased Charmander.
Exam over. Adrian out.
He wore the loss like a hair shirt—not at the examiner, but at being first in line to eat it under seven sets of eyes. He could feel the imagined laughter.
"Get Charmander treated," the examiner said, recalling Phanpy. "The second Rollout hits hard."
He knew which families needed a soft landing and which needed a bruise. Adrian didn't lack resources. He lacked resistance.
Next pair up: Miles Cipherwright and his Porygon. Everyone else was quietly jealous—the gauntlet rule didn't apply to him. The AI duck only needed to clear one Fighting mon to pass his slice of Round Three.
The red light burst—and there stood Ethan's future headache too: a compact gray humanoid—Machop.
Bracelet ping: Level 10, Ability No Guard.
Ethan's mouth pulled thin. A field-zone ability: in its reach, everything hits—yours, mine, good luck. How far had this one developed its bubble? He'd find out soon enough.