The failure of the first Trainer undoubtedly made many others realize that the double battle competition's entry threshold was quite high. Even if someone became a beginner Trainer early on, their Pokemon's strength could still lead to immediate elimination.
The second Trainer stepped forward, having learned from the previous experience. They deployed their strongest Pokemon and utilized Hyper Beam, despite its significant side effects, successfully passing the first round.
Some Trainers began to panic, aware that their Pokemon might not be strong enough, making them destined for elimination.
Elimination alone wouldn't be embarrassing, but since the first round involved scoring, getting the lowest score would be more than just losing; it risked public ridicule, which would be highly humiliating.
Facing such a crowd, only to send out one's strongest Pokemon and receive the lowest score—it was too much loss of face to bear.
As a result, many Trainers were racking their brains, trying to find ways for their Pokemon to unleash their maximum potential.
On the other hand, Julian beside Kalia remained completely relaxed. His Charmeleon could use Inferno, a powerful Fire-type move, ensuring his easy passage through the first round.
Even without using Charmeleon, during the past month, his Teddiursa had evolved into Ursaring. With Ursaring's immense strength, passing the test was guaranteed.
What intrigued Julian was how well Kalia would perform—would she score seventy, eighty points, or even higher?
"Kalia, what do you think your score will be?" Julian whispered.
"I'm not sure, but I should definitely pass," Kalia shook her head, unsure of how the machine calculated scores. However, passing was unquestionable for her.
"Not just barely passing, right?" Julian doubted it, knowing that Kalia's Charizard far surpassed his Charmeleon in power, warranting at least a score of seventy or above.
As time passed, one Trainer after another completed their tests, but the scores were generally low. Some barely reached sixty points, while others missed by only a single point, unfortunately getting eliminated.
"I refuse to accept this! My Pokemon is clearly stronger than his, so why did he pass and not me?" After failing the test, one Trainer expressed deep frustration. His acquaintance had succeeded despite often being defeated by him during regular battles.
It felt unfair; sheer move power alone cannot determine the outcome of a true battle. Victory relies on more factors than just the strength of individual moves.
However, the protesting Trainer's resistance was futile. In reality, there isn't much difference between scoring fifty and sixty points. The passing threshold was set merely to eliminate weaker beginner Trainers. Practically speaking, a Trainer with sixty points isn't significantly stronger than one with fifty.
Crossing the passing line meant success, even if ultimately they might still be defeated by more skilled trainers later on. There's no room for lucky advancements in such a rigorous assessment.
One by one, Trainers either passed or failed the test, with many more falling short. Some unfortunate Trainers scored as low as a pitiful forty points.
"Sunny."
At this moment, one of the few mid-level Trainers stepped forward. Among the dozen or so mid-level participants, Sunny had already earned six badges and passed the intermediate evaluation.
Trainers capable of passing the intermediate assessment were exceptionally strong, including their Pokemon as well. This Trainer, named Sunny, summoned his Typhlosion, a starter Pokémon from the Ellie Region.
It's not uncommon for Trainers from Sebas to obtain starters from the Ellie Region; Kalia's Charmeleon was also originally from there.
Typhlosion is known for its highly irritable temperament, much like its name suggests. Similarly, Sunny appeared quite temperamental himself. Despite being only fifteen years old, he had a robust physique and an intimidating demeanor, making it difficult to perceive him as a teenager.
Without the provided information, anyone might mistake him for an adult, given the stark mismatch between his physical appearance and age.
"Typhlosion, give it your all! Use Eruption," Sunny roared with astonishing vigor, aiming for the highest score possible.
The flames on Typhlosion's back roared, intensifying fiercely before it turned towards the blue instrument.
"I'm not responsible if that blue device gets damaged," Sunny warned arrogantly to the referee nearby.
The referee smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, this apparatus is made from special materials. Even Pokemon of Elite Four trainers cannot destroy it, so rest assured."
"Typhlosion, use Eruption!" Sunny shouted promptly. His Typhlosion had already mastered the Eruption move, considered one of the top Fire-type attacks.
Instantaneously, Typhlosion unleashed Eruption, causing its back flames to surge dramatically and explode outward. A massive wave of terrifying fire power charged directly towards the red instrument.
Surrounding Trainers hastily retreated, fearing any collateral damage. The intense heat swept through the area, engulfing everyone with a scorching sensation.
BOOM!
The ultra-high temperature flames collided forcefully with the blue instrument, producing a deafening sound. Remarkably, the device remained unscathed, absorbing all the flame energy without dispersing it around.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The energy display rapidly fluctuated, breaking past 100 points and instantly reaching 141.
"Wow!"
"Frightening, truly terrifying!"
"It surpassed 100 directly! This is the power of a mid-level Trainer's Pokemon - incredible!"
The audience was stunned as the score jumped to 141, significantly higher than previous Trainers' scores.
Many other Trainers were equally shocked, realizing the stark difference between mid-level and beginner trainers. The strongest beginner trainer had only managed around eighty points, while Sunny's Typhlosion effortlessly broke past one hundred, scoring 141—a gap of nearly seventy points, which was immense.
Although double battles primarily rely on coordination, absolute power can render even the best teamwork ineffective, akin to tearing through paper.
"Hmph, this is the caliber of Sebas region's mid-level Trainers? Pathetic." At that moment, a female Trainer suddenly spoke with evident disdain in her voice.
Everyone turned to see a young woman with long hair, strikingly beautiful features, and dressed in a white miniskirt. With a smirk, she slowly stepped forward.
Kalia glanced over and immediately recognized her as Aurora from the Pokemon Academy. As expected, she exuded arrogance, openly mocking Sunny, a mid-level Trainer right off the bat. It seemed to Anna that most Trainers didn't even warrant her scorn.
"You're being way too arrogant!" Sunny's expression darkened; anyone who just scored 141 points would be feeling quite proud at that moment, only to be mocked by a stranger - it was disheartening.
If not for Aurora's striking beauty, he might have already issued a stern warning.
"Arrogant? My confidence is well-founded, and you'll soon understand what true arrogance means." Aurora spoke with unwavering pride and assurance.
She then turned to the referee, "May I proceed with my test now? Shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"No problem, the order doesn't matter," the referee nodded. If dealing with any ordinary Trainer, they might have dismissed them outright, but Aurora was known to them - a top student from the advanced class of the Pokemon Academy, deserving some respect.
Despite her poor attitude, Aurora was indeed a prodigy from the academy's advanced class, with potential to become an Elite Four trainer someday.