"The final exam is about to begin. Please choose your preferred Pokémon belt. Each belt contains three Poké Balls. What you get depends on luck—and sometimes, luck is part of a trainer's strength!"
The examiner laid out several belts, each holding three Poké Balls.
"Ash will be fine. Many of his Pokémon already have plenty of training experience," Suzie said worriedly to the two women beside her.
"It's okay," Cynthia reassured.
"Self-made techniques may be powerful, but they're only supplementary. From the earlier exams, it's clear Ash truly understands Pokémon. Even if he doesn't get his own trained partners, he knows how to handle novice Pokémon."
Hearing Suzie's concern, Cynthia remained calm. She was confident in Ash's abilities. At their level, most Pokémon could be handled—only the Legendary Pokémon or some unusual cases might be exceptions.
"Pika!" Pikachu, held in Sabrina's arms, chirped happily toward Ash on the battlefield, looking as cute as ever.
"I didn't expect to face you in the very first round, Ash!" the examiner, a middle-aged man, said with a smile.
"Neither did I," Ash replied, shaking his head. He remembered watching this battle in his previous life, but the order of matches seemed a little different.
"Go, Poké Ball!"
The match drew a large crowd; most spectators were only interested in watching Ash fight.
The examiner's first Poké Ball burst open, releasing a large purple snake—Arbok. Its hood bore eerie patterns that gave it an almost ghostly aura.
"An Arbok, huh?" Ash raised his eyebrows. He wasn't particularly skilled with Arbok, but strangely enough, the Pokémon selection matched what he remembered from his past life—even if the order was different.
"Charrrbok!" The snake hissed menacingly, glaring at the examiner across the field with fierce intent.
The examiner answered with his Pokémon: a Jolteon, its spiky fur standing on end like an electrified cat.
"That Jolteon's stiff coat will make it hard for Arbok to bind it," someone muttered from the crowd.
"Arbok, use Dig!" Ash commanded quickly after surveying the battlefield.
"Charbok!" With a hiss, Arbok dove underground, disappearing from sight.
"Jolt?" Jolteon's ears twitched as it scanned the ground, searching for its opponent.
These exam Pokémon were specially trained by the staff, obedient and disciplined, though slightly slower to react compared to regular battle-hardened partners.
"Stay calm, Jolteon. Wait for Arbok to surface," the examiner ordered firmly, steadying his Pokémon.
Ash's eyes narrowed. "Now—strike!"
The ground beneath Jolteon suddenly split apart. Arbok lunged upward in a blur of purple scales, slamming into Jolteon's unprotected abdomen. Its hood flared wide, and the serpent struck with surprising force.
Jolteon yelped in pain. Its spiky neck fur had protected it, but its belly was far more vulnerable.
"They're obedient, but a little too slow," Ash thought to himself. His tactic worked well, though he couldn't help feeling these exam Pokémon lacked the sharp reflexes of real partners.
"Jolteon, Thunderbolt!" the examiner shouted.
Electricity crackled across Jolteon's body before erupting in a brilliant discharge of Thunderbolt aimed at Arbok.
"Arbok, use Smokescreen—then Dig again!" Ash countered calmly.
"Charrrbok!" Arbok spewed a thick cloud of purple smoke, vanishing into the haze before diving underground once more.
The Thunderbolt struck where Arbok had been seconds earlier, blasting the ground apart but hitting nothing.
"Jolteon, don't lose focus! Use Agility!"
"Jolt!" Jolteon darted across the battlefield in blinding bursts of speed, making itself a difficult target.
Ash smirked. "Arbok, cover the field with Poison Sting!"
"Charbokkk!" From hidden burrows beneath the ground, Arbok launched a storm of glittering purple needles across the battlefield, scattering them in every direction and forcing Jolteon into a dangerous dance.
Ash saw Arbok suddenly burst out of the ground, scattering countless glowing purple Poison Stings across the battlefield. The needles embedded themselves into the dirt, covering the area in a dangerous trap. Anyone struck would be poisoned instantly.
"No—it's a setup! Jolteon, stop moving!" the examiner shouted in alarm as he noticed Arbok's tactic. His Jolteon was darting around the field at high speed, unaware of the danger.
"It's too late," Ash muttered under his breath.
Almost on cue, Jolteon let out a sharp cry. A faint purple glow spread across its body—it had been poisoned.
"Jolt…!" Jolteon staggered, its legs trembling from the venom coursing through its system. Even though it tried to stay standing, the poison was already sapping its strength.
...
TN:
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