Chapter 375: Pro-Level Certification
The Trainer Certification Center in Saffron City was located on the Huangpu River, with the iconic Battle Tower visible from the entrance. Compared to the assessment centers in other provinces, Saffron's was clearly grander and more spectacular. But Saffron was rich; spending money to attract talent was nothing to the city.
Today was the day of the assessment. Basalt woke up early to prepare and arrived at the test site half an hour ahead of schedule.
The assessment center lobby was already filled with hundreds of candidates, chatting in groups or reviewing last-minute study materials. Like last time, Basalt wore a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. His age was still too young, and he easily attracted attention.
"Keep a low profile! I need to learn to be discreet!" Basalt pulled his cap lower and found a corner to wait in.
Compared to Basalt, the age range of the other candidates was vast, ranging from college students in their twenties to bearded men in their forties and fifties. This was unavoidable; Pro-level certification was highly valued, often referred to as "social elite." Success guaranteed a stable, well-paying job. For example, Frank's father, a grassroots park ranger, was comfortably middle class.
Just then, a young man about Basalt's age walked into the waiting area, striding confidently like a king surveying his territory, his face arrogant.
"Who is that kid? So arrogant! He looks like he needs a beating." A nearby candidate expressed his displeasure, but was quickly restrained by his friend.
"Shh, keep your voice down! That's Zayne Zhang from Saffron U. He's been gaining a lot of momentum recently."
"Zayne Zhang? You mean the one whose father is a professor of Electronic Technology at Saffron U? The sophomore? I heard he has an evolved form of Porygon called Porygon2? It was even in the news—a brand-new Pokémon form!"
"That's right! So, who cares if he's arrogant? He has the capital for it."
"More importantly, his strength is legit. That new Pokémon is said to be terrifyingly strong. Zayne has been challenging upperclassmen at Saffron U and winning every match. Just keep quiet. If you annoy him, you'll be the one who suffers."
The initially complaining candidate immediately quieted down.
"It's been less than a year, and Porygon2 is already out?" Basalt was slightly shocked. The world was developing faster than he had imagined. Before he left for the Takla Desert, he hadn't heard anything about Porygon. Now, it had already reached its first evolution stage.
Basalt quickly checked his Pokédex. Porygon-Z, the final evolution, hadn't appeared yet.
"Thank goodness Porygon-Z hasn't shown up yet. Otherwise, things would be difficult!" Basalt sighed in relief.
Keeping a low profile was just a temporary tactic for Basalt before the exam. Once the exam started, he planned to be anything but discreet. He was here to make a splash and be the most noticeable talent at the assessment. If Zayne Zhang stole the spotlight, that would be bad for his branding.
"I hope I don't run into Zayne Zhang in the second match. I hear that kid is brutal and likes to win by huge margins. If he goes all out, I might not even pass the assessment!" A candidate whispered, catching Basalt's attention.
Like the Advanced-level assessment, the Pro-level assessment was divided into three stages. The first was a written test on theoretical knowledge. The second was a full 6v6 battle, testing combat proficiency. The third was a Secret Realm survival exercise, testing wilderness survival skills.
In the second stage, evaluators would score the candidates' Pokémon. Without three Pokémon clearly at the Pro-level, the candidate would likely be eliminated. And in battle, one had to perform well. If you were instantly defeated, how could you show your skill?
Soon, the exam time arrived.
Led by staff members, the candidates entered the computer room based on their permit numbers and began the written test. Since the Pro-level assessment mainly focused on battle strength, the difficulty of the written test was not much higher than the Advanced-level one. Except for a few older candidates, most of the younger students finished quickly.
The written scores were posted soon after. Basalt passed easily with 79 points, without any fanfare. Out of more than two hundred candidates, only about twenty were eliminated, mostly the older candidates. The bearded man Basalt had noticed earlier was one of them.
"God, why do we need a written test?" Basalt could almost see the tears in the older man's eyes. Clearly, the man had struggled with written exams for years. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to the failures. The candidates were focused on passing the second round.
Just then, the pairings for the second round appeared on the screen. The two hundred and forty candidates were split into fifteen battle arenas, with sixteen people per group. Each candidate had an arena number next to their name.
"Candidates who have passed, please follow the signs and proceed to your respective battle arenas. The evaluators are waiting," a staff member urged over the broadcast. The morning schedule was tight, and they had to move quickly.
Following the crowd, Basalt arrived at Arena 9. Coincidentally, Zayne Zhang was also there. A peculiar sight unfolded: the other candidates huddled together, while Zayne stood alone, like an outsider.
Basalt pulled down his cap and joined the huddle.
By the side of the arena, seven evaluators of various ages and appearances were seated, flipping through the candidates' files, which contained detailed information.
"Oh? There's a candidate this young this time? That's rare! Goodness, he even has that kind of Pokémon?" An evaluator suddenly gasped in surprise.
Hearing the exclamation, the candidates immediately looked at Zayne Zhang. First, age, then a rare Pokémon. Who else could it be but Zayne?
Zayne himself naturally assumed the evaluator was talking about him. He unconsciously puffed out his chest, his arrogant look intensifying. In the upcoming match, he planned to win by a huge margin, amaze all the evaluators, and secure the top ranking. Then, he could sign with a great club, especially one of Saffron's top-tier ones. Although Capital City was better, Zayne, being a local, had strong feelings for Saffron. Besides, his professor father's deep connections in Saffron were a major factor.
The gray-haired evaluator finally looked up after reading the files, scanning the candidates, and fixed his gaze on the inconspicuous Basalt.
"Are you Basalt?" the middle-aged evaluator asked.
Zayne Zhang was stunned.
Basalt? Who is Basalt?
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