"Sato, good luck!" Joseph called out from the entrance of the contestant area, cheering for him.
"Don't score too low and embarrass our team, got it?" Clair had also arrived at Indigo Plateau, but as the inheritor of Blackthorn Gym, she wasn't required to participate in the first event.
Sato nodded at Joseph, then glanced at Clair before deciding she wasn't worth his time. Without another word, he turned and walked straight into the tournament venue.
"You think Sato will be okay?" Winona, standing beside Joseph, was exempt from the first evaluation as well since she was the successor of Fortree Gym. Still, she seemed a little concerned about how her new 'idol' would perform.
"He'll be fine." Joseph said with confidence.
He had been in Kanto for quite some time now, yet very few people even knew about his home region, Kalos.
But Sato was one of the few who did!
---
As Sato walked in line toward the venue, he took the chance to observe the other competitors.
The oldest was over fifty, while the youngest was about the same age as him.
Soon, he spotted a familiar face: Norman from Hoenn!
Norman's strength was undeniable, he had made a name for himself during the Young Elite Tournament, bringing great prestige to the Hoenn League.
Now, seeing Norman here as a fellow participant in the Gym Leader Qualification Tournament meant Sato had found himself a stong opponent!
Due to his height, Sato couldn't see much beyond his immediate surroundings. Since he didn't recognize anyone else nearby, he simply continued following the group in silence.
After passing through a narrow hallway and stepping through the main doors, the space suddenly opened up; a large indoor stadium had been temporarily arranged with nearly two hundred desks and chairs, all placed in the center of the hall.
Sato walked up to his assigned seat, following the list associated with his Trainer ID card, and soon realized something: his seat placement was "perfect".
Front row, dead center!
Directly in front of him was the head examiner's seat. Anyone with a weak mindset might start feeling nervous before the exam even began.
"At least no one will bother me here," Sato muttered to himself. This exam was the hardest to differentiate rankings in, and it only accounted for 10% of the total score. He was in no rush.
---
Ten minutes later, once all contestants had taken their seats and the proctors were in position, the lead examiner slowly walked out.
A refined woman in her forties, walking in high heels, took a seat directly across from Sato. Floating around her were one Gengar and four Haunter, weaving through the exam area like phantoms.
"Elite Four Agatha!"
Sato's expression flickered as he instinctively straightened his posture, feeling a hint of respect for the powerful Trainer before him.
Since the Pokémon League Headquarters was based in Kanto, the region had lacked an active Champion for some time. As a result, the Elite Four were the strongest Trainers recognized in the region, and Agatha was known as the strongest among them!
He hadn't expected the League to take this tournament so seriously; they had actually sent Elite Four Agatha to oversee the event!
"The Gym Leader Qualification Tournament, First Event: Pokémon knowledge and expertise. The test duration is three hours. During this time, all contestants must…"
Once Agatha took her seat, a secondary proctor formally read out the exam regulations, listing them off for nearly five minutes. Finally, Agatha added her own comment:
"My Haunter and Gengar will be watching you at all times… so be careful."
For some reason, a chilling breeze swept through the hall as she spoke, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present, including Sato!
"The exam begins!"
Sato flipped open his exam paper, both sides of the pages were completely covered in text, spanning five full sheets!
There were no multiple-choice or true/false questions; only fill-in-the-blank and short-answer sections!
At this rate, even three hours might not be enough!
Wasting no time, Sato immediately scanned the first question:
[Question: If a Trainer is accidentally affected by a Vileplume's Stun Spore in the wild, what type of herbal remedy should be used to treat the condition?]
Upon reading it, Sato instantly spotted several deliberate traps within the question.
First, the question referred to a Trainer being affected by Stun Spore, not a Pokémon. Otherwise, a single Cheri Berry would have been enough to cure it!
Second, each Pokémon's Stun Spore had different properties. In particular, Vileplume's Stun Spore was much more potent, making it far harder to treat when used on humans.
Finally, the question specifically stated herbal medicine, meaning the answer wasn't about using standard antidotes or emergency treatments.
If Sato hadn't undergone six months of intensive training at Joy Town, he might have stumbled on the very first question!
He had underestimated this exam.
[Answer: Decoction of Azurill's Water Grass]
Sato confidently wrote down his answer before moving on to the second question.
[Question: When Ditto transforms, what aspects remain different from the original?]
This was a tricky one! Sato smirked but quickly wrote down his response.
[Answer: HP, personality, and individual values.]
One by one, Sato filled in each answer, leaving no room for guesswork.
At times, he even paused for two full minutes before writing, carefully considering his responses.
Meanwhile, in the seats behind him, most contestants were struggling, scratching their heads in frustration. Some were still stuck on the first question!
Because of this, Sato's continuous writing stood out in the eyes of the proctors, drawing several glances in his direction.
Of course, he wasn't the only one steadily progressing; several other contestants were also answering smoothly.
As the sound of scribbling pens filled the air, Elite Four Agatha made no effort to hide her gaze, watching Sato intently.
As Kanto's top Elite Four member, Agatha closely monitored the rising stars emerging from the region.
After the League's investigation into Sato's mysterious disappearance, her interest in him had only grown stronger.
Though Agatha specialized in Ghost-type and Poison-type Pokémon, her strong sense of justice made her feel a mix of sympathy and admiration for Sato.[1]
However, Sato had made a name for himself in Johto, and now, he was under the special training of the Joy family. Recruiting him would be nearly impossible... a frustrating realization for Agatha.
Sato could feel a piercing gaze locked onto him. Judging by the direction, it could only be Elite Four Agatha.
He mentally retraced his past encounters but couldn't recall any interactions with her. Unable to figure it out, he chose to ignore the attention and focus entirely on finishing the exam.
After two and a half hours, Sato completed all five sheets, leaving only thirty minutes before the time limit.
Proctors and Haunter patrols moved throughout the exam hall, while Agatha kept watch from the front. Sato didn't even bother looking up.
Under these conditions, he had no way of knowing how others were handling the test or whether he was ahead or behind in pace.
After double-checking every answer, he confirmed there were no mistakes left to fix.
With twenty minutes remaining, Sato stood up and submitted his exam early.
[1] Yeah, sure... or maybe I've read too many fanfictions...