Chapter 118:
A few days after posting the video seeking a Rotom assistant, Hayashi Kaede was feeling somewhat disappointed.
By September 10th, there was still no news.
During these days, he had truly felt the pressing need for help at the breeding house.
One afternoon, after selling all the Energy Cubes, Hayashi Kaede sat where Takagi Megumi used to sit, feeling a little melancholy.
She had only been gone for a few days, and he already missed her.
These days, just running the shop took up most of his time. Then he had to craft Energy Cubes with Gardevoir. When bored, he could only chat with the Alcremie and Vulpix.
It felt like abandoning the 9-to-5 routine for a 6 AM-to-9 PM farm life.
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Meanwhile, at Aogiri First Middle School, the start of the school year meant senior students were taking a formal entrance exam that counted toward the National Trainer Qualifiers.
The exam was divided into two sections: written tests on Pokémon theory and practical battle assessments.
Naturally, the battle segment drew enthusiastic crowds, filling the open-air stadium. Spectators watched the candidates in the arena intently, discussing strategies with their classmates.
"That's Takagi Megumi. I heard she just passed the Junior Trainer Certification exam this June and caught a Squirtle?"
"Yeah, but it was too rushed. The examiner brought six Pokémon, and half were Grass-types. She was pretty unlucky."
"But her Squirtle seemed a bit silly. I wonder if it improved over summer break."
"I heard it couldn't even use Water Gun..."
"Not bad though. Look, the examiner brought out a Fire-type Quilava. She might still have a chance. It depends on which Pokémon she uses."
"You didn't hear? During summer break, I found a breeding house. Their Energy Cubes are amazing. It's a bit out of the way, but they deliver with Pidgeotto..."
Takagi Megumi smiled faintly as she listened to the surrounding chatter.
*Hmph, Squirtle? You all think he's the same old Squirtle. Just wait until you see his real strength.*
Over at the examiner's side, noticing the candidate hadn't released her Pokémon for a while, he reminded her, "Candidate Takagi Megumi, are you ready?"
"Yes, yes!" She quickly took out Wartortle's Poké Ball and lightly tapped it.
A round-headed Wartortle with wing-like ears and a wave-patterned tail emerged. Its skin glowed with health, and most strikingly—it was huge, standing about 1.3 meters tall. Remember, an average Wartortle is only about 0.5 meters.
As soon as it appeared, the audience was stunned.
"Wow, a Wartortle that big?"
"Is it on some kind of supplement?"
"No, no—some well-raised Pokémon grow larger than average. This Wartortle clearly eats well."
The examiner was also taken aback but remained professional, simply giving the trainer a curious look.
"The test begins. You may attack first!"
"Let's go, Wartortle! Show them what you've got—use Rain Dance!"
Wartortle clapped its hands together, and dense water energy began gathering above it. A swirling mass of energy quickly formed into dark clouds, and a light drizzle began to fall across the arena.
The rain was widespread—even spectators at the edge were getting wet. They scrambled back in surprise, staring in shock at the revitalized Squirtle.
"Rain Dance? A weather-changing move? How is that possible?"
"It's just a Wartortle..."
The examiner was equally incredulous. "It even learned Rain Dance? And with such wide coverage?" He frowned. Water already had an advantage over Fire, and now with the weather boost, the Quilava only had a level advantage.
But as the examiner, he couldn't just wait passively. "Quilava, use Swift!"
Raindrops splattered against it, agitating the Fire-type. Its innate fear of water only fueled its dislike for Wartortle. It turned, and a shower of star-shaped rays shot toward Wartortle.
Takagi Megumi reacted swiftly: "Withdraw into your shell!"
It seemed she had grown a lot since their first battle.
The Swift stars struck its shell, leaving faint marks, but when Wartortle peeked out, its face showed no sign of pain. Clearly, the attack hadn't done much damage.
This intrigued the examiner even more. While Fire was weak to Water, Quilava wasn't using a Fire-type move. How could it not break through? Unless Wartortle's defense was exceptionally high?
Various possibilities raced through his mind, but against a Wartortle like this, he felt somewhat helpless. He even felt a twinge of regret—he shouldn't have listened to the students around him and assumed the girl's Pokémon was weak. He should've sent out a Grass-type...
Meanwhile, Takagi Megumi was enthusiastically waving at Wartortle. "Wartortle, use Water Gun!"
The long-awaited Water Gun, amplified by the rain, shot out even faster. After the Quilava barely dodged the first jet, the second one struck it directly. Then came a torrent of Water Gun attacks.
What's more, the accuracy was terrifyingly high. No matter how the Quilava dodged, it couldn't escape. By the third hit, it could no longer stand.
The examiner could only nod. "Candidate Takagi Megumi defeats Quilava. Score: 100." His eyes held a look of admiration. "Young lady, you've raised your Wartortle exceptionally well!"
Takagi Megumi chuckled, said "Thank you, teacher," and walked off the field with Wartortle.
As she left, a group of students swarmed around her, staring at Wartortle in amazement, stunned by its growth.
"Takagi-san, Takagi-san, what did you do over summer break? How did Wartortle get so strong? It even evolve!"
"Even though it's a Water-type, the examiner's Quilava was completely helpless..."
"How did you do it?"
Takagi Megumi lifted her head proudly, thought for a moment, but couldn't quite pinpoint the exact reason. In her mind, Wartortle had just eaten a few batches of Energy Cubes from the breeding house.
Finally, she said simply, "Want to know the secret to Wartortle's strength? Go to the breeding house in Aogiri Town. There, you'll find the answer..."
She decided that from now on, whenever someone asked her this question, she would always mention the breeding house.