As time passed, more and more people gathered in Fairhaven Town.
Among them, some were territory lords who had come to attend the Pokémon League Conference. However, the majority were ordinary civilians from the surrounding lands.
According to Fairhaven Town's announcements, the Pokémon Battle Arena would soon host a grand Pokémon battle event, so all of them had come specifically to watch.
For the residents living near the Pokémon Domain, Pokémon battles were something incredibly familiar. And with the ticket prices being quite affordable, watching these matches had become one of the most enjoyable forms of entertainment for common folk.
Besides civilians, many trainers from various other lands had also arrived. Their purpose was different — they had come to observe and study proper trainer battle strategies. Simply by spectating, they could learn a great deal.
"An official trainer examination? Now that sounds interesting."
The visiting lords showed intrigued expressions.
During their time in the Pokémon Domain, they had already spent quite a few days watching battles at the Pokémon Battle Arena. The combat between Pokémon was indeed a delight to watch.
And from the name alone, they could tell that this so-called "official trainer qualification examination" must be a component of the Pokémon Domain's entire trainer system. Naturally, they were curious about how formal trainer assessments were conducted.
Since His Highness Aven had intentionally scheduled this official trainer practical examination for the day before the Pokémon League Conference, they felt that this arrangement surely carried special meaning — and thus, they all watched with great anticipation.
…
"It's finally almost time for the practical combat portion of the official trainer exam!"
The trainer candidates who had passed the written examination were equally excited.
They had all been training their Pokémon diligently these past days, striving to strengthen them to their peak condition before the practical examination began.
At this moment, inside the Trainer Association, Aven had summoned the three leaders — Sutter, Peter, and Matthew, to finalize preparations for the upcoming exam.
"For this assessment plan of mine, do any of you have suggestions or concerns?" Aven asked, resting his chin on his hand.
Across from him, Sutter, Peter, and Matthew each had a document laid out before them — the assessment rules described in precise detail.
"Your Highness Aven… you intend for the three of us to act as examiners?" Sutter asked hesitantly.
After all, the three of them possessed exceptionally rich combat experience. Even when commanding Pokémon of the same rank, their tactical ability far surpassed that of an ordinary trainer.
If the assessment required examinees to defeat them, then… there might not be many trainers in the entire Pokémon Domain capable of passing.
"Yes, I do want the three of you to serve as examiners," Aven replied, "but the final result of the assessment does not necessarily depend on whether the candidates defeat you."
He continued explaining:
"During the assessment, you will judge their performance. As long as the examinees meet your standards, they can be considered to have passed — even if they do not win the battle."
As he spoke, Aven couldn't help but think of the Gym Battles from his previous life. With the strength gym leaders commanded, naturally, they wouldn't be defeated easily in a true fight.
Yet every year, countless elite trainers still managed to earn Gym Badges.
One reason was that gym leaders rarely used their true main team.
Another reason was the existence of gym assessment standards.
Every gym had its own criteria — some examined the trainer's bond with their Pokémon, some tested the trainer's knowledge, and some evaluated how well Pokémon had mastered their moves.
As long as a challenger met the gym's assessment standards, the gym leader would intentionally hold back, allowing the challenger to win and earn a badge.
"Assessment standards?"
Peter seemed confused.
That only made things murkier. Standards varied by person — subjective criteria sounded incredibly difficult to manage.
"Yes, assessment standards are indeed tricky to handle," Aven acknowledged.
"But for this first examination, I will help you establish a set of initial standards."
He paused to think, then continued:
"First, the candidates must demonstrate a proper understanding of type matchups."
"This time, I will prepare a large variety of Pokémon for the assessment. The examinees will be allowed to choose freely."
"You all know how significant type advantage is in battle, especially for low-level Pokémon whose move pools are limited and whose moves have not yet been refined."
"In such cases, type advantage provides a very real boost to battle effectiveness, making victory much easier to achieve."
After hearing Aven's explanation, Sutter, Peter, and Matthew all nodded in sudden understanding. This criterion was both simple and universally applicable.
"Yes, this can serve as one of the assessment standards," Aven continued.
"If a candidate cannot even grasp the most basic concepts of type matchups, then that basically means they are unqualified."
"Besides that, you should evaluate their commanding ability during battle. As long as they can issue clear, smooth commands and direct their Pokémon properly, that should be enough to pass."
"As for other aspects, you may decide according to your judgment. I fully trust your discretion."
Aven carefully explained all the rules one more time.
"Don't worry, this is only a simple assessment. Just make your own decisions; there's no need to overthink everything."
Although this method of assessment certainly had its loopholes, it was the most suitable choice for the current era of trainers — especially since true masters who could overcome type disadvantages through sheer skill were extremely rare.
The three leaders exchanged glances, then nodded solemnly.
"Leave it to us, Your Highness Aven!"
"Good. Next, there is one more matter."
"This official trainer combat exam is an excellent opportunity for publicity."
"I intend to formally reveal the existence of Poké Balls to the entire world and use this to fully ignite the development of the trainer profession."
As he said this, even Aven felt excitement bubbling within him.
After all this time… the moment had finally arrived.
"I assume that when the time comes, the whole world will go mad," Matthew said with a wide grin.
They all understood perfectly — once Poké Balls were introduced, they would completely replace beast gear equipment and usher in a brand-new era centered around the Poké Ball system.
"Therefore," Aven continued, "before the official trainer practical exam begins, I want to hold an exhibition match."
"Yes, a 3-on-3 battle using Poké Balls, fully showcasing what true trainer-style combat looks like."
The three leaders looked at one another, puzzled.
They didn't quite understand what Aven meant by "trainer-style combat."
"How about this, let's go to the training field right now. I'll demonstrate, and you'll understand immediately."
Aven stood up and walked out of the study.
The three quickly followed, arriving at a concealed Pokémon battle arena within the Trainer Association — normally used for internal training.
"Did you bring your Poké Balls?" Aven asked.
"Of course. Ever since we obtained them, I've kept my Poké Balls on me at all times," Peter said with a grin.
As the first high-ranking officials in the Pokémon Domain to possess Poké Balls, all three carried six with them, their Pokémon stored inside for convenience.
"Good. Then Peter, go stand on the opposite side of the battlefield."
Peter nodded and quickly took his position. Soon after, he saw Aven take out a Poké Ball.
"In a 3-on-3 battle, both sides first send out one Pokémon at the same time."
Hearing this, Peter nodded, thought for a moment, and took out one of his own Poké Balls.
"Have you decided?" Aven asked with a faint smile. "Choosing your first Pokémon is already a psychological battle of its own."
Then, smiling, he tossed the Poké Ball.
With a flash of white light, a Bibarel landed on the battlefield, brimming with fighting spirit.
This Bibarel was not the tribe's leader, but one of the few Bibarel who had successfully learned the move Rototiller. It had also undergone Aven's training, and its strength was quite formidable among intermediate-level Pokémon.
Across from it, Peter froze for a moment. His expression grew solemn.
His Poké Ball opened and Rhydon appeared.
"Rhydon versus Bibarel…"
Sutter and Matthew fell silent.
Rhydon, with its Rock/Ground typing, was four times weak to Water. From a type standpoint, it was hopelessly disadvantaged.
"Oh? You still chose Rhydon?" Aven rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"Most of my Pokémon are Grass-type. Even if I didn't lead with Bibarel, choosing Rhydon was not a great idea."
Upon hearing this, all three observers, Peter, Sutter, and Matthew showed thoughtful expressions. It seemed obvious now that investigating a trainer's usual Pokémon types beforehand would become an essential part of trainer battle strategy.
This was something ordinary magical beast battles couldn't match. In traditional fights, both sides brought their beasts directly into the arena, so their attributes were already visible before the battle even began.
But with Poké Balls, neither side knew what Pokémon the opponent would choose until the moment the match officially started — making the mind games far more intriguing.
"Now then… the battle begins."
"For 3-on-3 combat, the match continues until all Pokémon on one side lose the ability to battle."
Aven began reciting the battle rules, then immediately designated Sutter as the referee — the one to announce the command to begin the match.
(End of Chapter)