The public Pokémon provided by the Vocational Assessment Center for practical exams were, in theory, capable of obeying anyone's commands—so long as the examiner granted the appropriate authorization. If a candidate tried to pull anything extra, all it took was a single order from the examiner, and the public Pokémon would immediately ignore them completely.
To be honest, this kind of match was uncomfortable to fight.
Kael rapidly worked through his options in his head. If this had been Rhyhorn's evolved form, Rhydon, things might not have been this difficult—but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
The opponent's Pokémon was already in its final evolutionary stage, and its typing countered his own. In the eyes of many ordinary Trainers, this match didn't even need to be fought—it was practically a guaranteed loss.
"Hitmonlee, Double Kick!"
The examiner gave Kael no time to think.
This first battle was meant to test how a Trainer responded under overwhelming disadvantage. Without a calm, resilient mindset, one had no business claiming the title of Elite Trainer.
"Lee!"
Hitmonlee lunged forward, legs pumping like a sprinter's. The twenty-plus meters of the battlefield vanished in the blink of an eye as it delivered a heavy downward kick toward Rhyhorn's most vulnerable spot—its side.
Dodging was impossible.
Rhyhorn's short-range evasion was practically nonexistent. If that first kick landed, the pain would leave it wide open to the follow-up strikes of Double Kick. With type effectiveness stacked on top, Rhyhorn wouldn't just be injured—it would lose most of its fighting capability outright.
"Rhyhorn—Stomp the ground!"
Kael needed to break the first wave of offense before he could even think about turning the tide.
"Rrrhorn!"
Rhyhorn raised its thick forelimbs high and slammed them down just as Hitmonlee's kick was about to connect. The stone-paved battlefield thundered violently, the ground around Rhyhorn shaking especially hard.
"Lee!"
The sudden tremor threw Hitmonlee's balance off. Its supporting leg wobbled, forcing it to retract its attacking leg mid-strike. With a swift backward flip, it retreated from the violently shaking zone.
That reaction was pure instinct.
Hitmonlee didn't dare gamble. Even if it landed the kick, the unstable footing could send it crashing to the ground—and at point-blank range, a horn charge from Rhyhorn was not something it could afford to take.
Kael didn't relax for even a moment after gaining that small advantage.
"Rhyhorn—Dig!"
If he wanted to win, this fight had to end fast. The longer it dragged on, the worse things became for him.
As a Ground-type Pokémon, Dig was practically second nature. Still, Rhyhorn's bulky frame meant it was slower than specialists like Diglett or Sandshrew.
"Hitmonlee, stop it! Jump Kick!"
The examiner understood the situation perfectly. This was an Elite Trainer exam—there was no room for mercy. If Rhyhorn disappeared underground, Hitmonlee's close-range Fighting moves would be useless.
"Lee!"
Hitmonlee sprang upward, its spring-like legs launching it high into the air. With a sharp, stylish motion, its right leg straightened like a blade and came crashing down toward the half-buried Rhyhorn.
"Rrrhorn!"
Rhyhorn let out a pained roar. It was almost fully underground—but its thick rear still caught the full force of the flying kick.
The blow hurt badly, but it wasn't enough to knock Rhyhorn out. Its injured body wobbled once, then vanished completely into the gaping hole.
"Damn it…"
The examiner's expression darkened.
He hadn't expected this kid to adapt so quickly to an unfamiliar Pokémon. His opening blitz not only failed to disrupt Kael's rhythm—it had actually handed Kael the advantage.
The battlefield fell into an awkward stalemate.
Hitmonlee had nothing but close-range moves—no ranged attacks at all. If this were a Water- or Fire-type, they could have forced Rhyhorn out with Water Gun or Flamethrower.
Normally, the best answer to Dig was Earthquake—one strike would deal devastating damage to any Pokémon underground.
Unfortunately, Hitmonlee couldn't use it.
Though its typing countered Rhyhorn, in this situation, it was completely helpless.
The examiner raised his voice.
"I'll admit your reactions are sharp, kid—but don't think this means I'm out of options."
"Hitmonlee—Focus Energy, then keep hitting the area around the hole with Mega Kick!"
Hitmonlee nodded, standing still as it brought its palms together before its chest. As Focus Energy took effect, its muscles visibly tightened, veins bulging across its right leg.
Like Swords Dance, Focus Energy was a buffing move—but instead of technique, it drew out every ounce of physical power, concentrating it into a single explosive point.
Under the enhancement, Hitmonlee's right leg thickened noticeably, veins crawling across it like coiled cables. The leg rose higher and higher—past its head—forming a straight line with its entire body.
BOOM!
The kick smashed into the ground with a deafening roar. Cracks spread like spiderwebs around the hole, radiating outward as the earth trembled violently.
With Focus Energy amplifying it, Mega Kick was powerful enough to simulate the effects of an earthquake.
"Rrrhorn—!"
Rhyhorn's pained cries echoed from underground. The shockwaves had clearly inflicted serious damage.
Seeing his strategy work, the examiner smiled.
"Hitmonlee—again! Mega Kick!"
"Now!"
Kael, who had been silent until this moment, issued his command the instant Hitmonlee raised its leg for the second kick.
"Rhyhorn—burst out and use Horn Drill!"
"That's impossible!"
The examiner's face changed instantly.
"You're actually daring to gamble like this?!"
With Focus Energy active, all of Hitmonlee's strength was concentrated in its raised leg. Combined with the high-kick stance, it had no capacity left to evade.
Rhyhorn exploded from the ground, dust coating its armored body, cracks running across its plates. Its horn spun like a high-speed drill—
—and slammed straight into Hitmonlee's unprotected abdomen.
"Lee—LEE—!"
The violently spinning horn sent Hitmonlee skidding backward, clutching its stomach before collapsing to the ground. Its body trembled briefly… then went still.
Hitmonlee lost the ability to battle.
The match was decided.