The examiner pressed another button.
All the equipment sank smoothly into the floor, and the arena instantly became wide and unobstructed.
Jiang Shuyun's Charmeleon and the test Pokémon, Wartortle, stood at opposite ends of the field.
The examiner took the role of referee.
"Battle start!"
Jiang Shuyun struck first.
"Charmeleon—Ember, then close in with Fire Fang!"
Charmeleon opened its mouth and spat out a blazing fireball straight at Wartortle's face.
Wartortle responded immediately, firing a Water Gun that extinguished the Ember on contact.
However, using the rising steam as cover, Charmeleon had already closed the distance.
"Now!"
At Jiang Shuyun's shout, flames ignited between Charmeleon's slightly parted jaws, sparks of fire leaking through its teeth.
Seeing this, Wartortle swiftly withdrew its head and limbs into its shell.
Charmeleon didn't hesitate—it lunged forward and bit down hard on Wartortle's sturdy shell.
"Raaah—!"
Charmeleon instantly recoiled, clutching its mouth with both claws. Judging by its pained expression, that bite had probably loosened a few teeth.
Fortunately, Pokémon vitality was strong—after a few days of rest, it would be fine.
"Oh no!" Jiang Shuyun exclaimed.
She'd wanted to warn Charmeleon the moment she saw Wartortle retreat into its shell, but it was already too close—and her reaction had been just a bit too slow.
Wartortle, of course, didn't miss this opening.
Still inside its shell, it launched Rapid Spin, charging straight at Charmeleon.
"Charmeleon—Smokescreen!"
Charmeleon's eyes sharpened. It opened its mouth and spewed thick clouds of smoke, instantly blocking Wartortle's line of sight.
"This Smokescreen…" Oliver suddenly caught an unusual scent.
"…So that's it. I see now. Where did this girl even learn a trick like that?"
Wartortle sensed nothing amiss and barreled straight into the smoke, relying on instinct to ram toward Charmeleon's position.
The moment Wartortle entered the Smokescreen, Jiang Shuyun's eyes lit up.
"Charmeleon—Ember!"
Still fuming over the teeth it had nearly shattered, Charmeleon showed no mercy.
It fired Ember straight into the smoke.
The examiner frowned slightly from outside the arena.
"Why Ember? Using fire inside Smokescreen would only give Wartortle a clearer target. Strong talent, but still too inexperienced…"
But the instant Ember touched the smoke—
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted.
Every area covered by the Smokescreen was instantly engulfed in raging flames.
The examiner's expression changed drastically.
With this level of explosive force, even Wartortle—shell or not—couldn't endure it.
He immediately released his own Pokémon to extinguish the flames. After a frantic effort, the fire was finally put out.
Wartortle, now badly injured, was recalled into its Poké Ball and sent off by staff for treatment.
The examiner turned to Jiang Shuyun.
"You added something to your Smokescreen, didn't you?
An excellent tactic."
Jiang Shuyun simply smiled and said nothing.
A Trainer's tactics weren't something you casually revealed.
"Then congratulations," the examiner announced.
"You've successfully registered as an Intermediate Trainer. From now on, you'll receive 1,000 League Credits per month at any Trainer Center."
"Yes! I did it!"
Jiang Shuyun cheered and suddenly lunged at Oliver, clinging to him like an octopus.
Oliver reacted on instinct, hurriedly supporting… somewhere.
Seeing this, the examiner tactfully turned away, sighing inwardly.
Kids these days… so open. Nothing like our time…
Sensing the atmosphere was getting a bit strange, Oliver gently set Jiang Shuyun down.
"Examiner, it's my turn now, right?"
"Ah—yes, correct. Please release your Pokémon."
Jiang Shuyun immediately perked up.
"Oliver! I still haven't seen your Feebas. Hurry up and let me take a look!"
The examiner looked surprised.
"Your starter Pokémon is Feebas?"
"Yes."
Oliver pressed the button on his Poké Ball.
A beam of red light struck the ground.
What appeared was a Pokémon glowing brilliantly under the arena lights—every casual movement mesmerizing to behold.
Milotic.
Silence fell over the room.
The examiner stared.
"…You call this Feebas?"
Jiang Shuyun suddenly realized something.
"Y-you… your Feebas—
it evolved?!"
Everyone knew that before today's paper was published, there had been only one known person in the world with a Milotic.
After the paper's release, that number became two—and would likely grow in the future.
But still…
No one should have been able to read the paper and evolve Feebas within a few hours, right?
The examiner suddenly thought of something.
He quickly pulled up Oliver's submitted information form.
Under the Name column were two characters:
Oliver
"…It was you?" the examiner stammered.
"You're the one who published that paper?"
A world-shaking discovery—
made by a high school student?
Who would believe that?!
Oliver smiled faintly.
"Now's probably not the time for that. Let's finish the test first."
Remembering his duties, the examiner finally regained some composure.
"Very well. As before—have your Pokémon use its strongest move on the target."
"Milotic—Water Pulse."
Although Milotic's base level was only Advanced–Early, the combined boost from Adaptability and Mystic Water made this attack terrifying.
534!
A single Water Pulse dealt damage only achievable by Advanced–Late Pokémon!
The examiner turned slowly toward Oliver, disbelief written all over his face.
"…Are you sure you only received your Pokémon this summer?"
How could someone like this even exist?
Not only a groundbreaking academic achievement—
but training a Pokémon to Advanced level in just one month?!
What had he been doing at that age?
Bonding with Pokémon?
Shaking off his thoughts, the examiner continued professionally:
"Next comes the practical combat test."
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