Chapter 17: The Exam Begins
Spurred on by Kenji's shocking progress, neither Leo nor Melody slacked off in their training. They pushed themselves and their Pokémon to the limit every single day.
After more than ten days of hard work, Leo's Pidove finally managed to master the basics of Quick Attack.
Melody's Charmander, however, showed even more astonishing growth. Having just hatched a few days before the training period began, its B-Rank potential as a starter Pokémon was now on full display. Not only did it completely master Dragon Pulse, but it also learned Metal Claw for close-quarters combat. Its level skyrocketed past the ten-level threshold, reaching level 11—an incredible rate of improvement.
In this world, the first ten levels were considered a Pokémon's "novice phase." Much like a human infant, a Pokémon would naturally grow and level up during this period even without any formal training.
But after level 10, everything changed. The Pokémon League had a much more detailed classification system for Pokémon strength:
Levels 10-20: Novice Class
Levels 20-40: Trainer Class
Levels 40-60: Elite Class
Levels 60-70: Gym Leader Class
Levels 70-90: Elite Four Class
Level 90+: Champion Class
The higher a Pokémon's level, the more its growth depended on its innate potential and the effort it put into training. It was no longer a simple matter of accumulating experience points like in a video game.
As for Kenji and his Beedrill, their progress was just as impressive. While Beedrill was busy training and learning new moves, Kenji spent every spare moment he had in the gym's Battle Area, observing matches and studying strategies.
More importantly, his system, which had been dormant for a while, finally showed signs of life.
[Ding! Newbie Mission Issued!]
Mission: Ace the Exam!
Requirement: Achieve an S-Rank score in the Practical Pokémon Battle Exam.
Reward: 1x Random Prismatic Hex Core Draw
Kenji scoffed. Besides its initial awakening, his damned system was practically non-existent, only giving simple responses when he asked a direct question. Now, it had finally decided to give him a proper mission.
The battle portion of the exam wasn't scored with numbers, but with letter grades: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S. Grades from F to B were determined after the battle by a panel of examiners who reviewed a recording of the match.
An A-Rank was more straightforward. To achieve it, a student had to defeat the official examiner in a battle. As long as the recording showed a clean fight, the A-Rank was guaranteed.
The S-Rank, however, was in a league of its own. After defeating the examiner, a student earned the right to challenge the local Gym Leader. The Gym Leader would then personally assess the student's skill. Winning wasn't required; one only needed to earn the Gym Leader's approval to be awarded the coveted S-Rank.
"Quick, quick, Kenji! We can check our exam times now!" Leo shouted from across the gym, having just seen a message in the class group chat.
Kenji tore his eyes away from his Beedrill's training and pulled out his phone, logging into the exam portal. The Trainer Licensing Exam in this world was different from the standardized tests of his past life. It consisted of seven subjects: Language Arts, Math, World History, Pokémon Distribution, Basic Pokémon Theory, and Practical Pokémon Battling. While the academic tests were held on a fixed schedule, the practical battle exams were staggered.
"I'm on the morning of June 9th. What about you?" Leo asked.
Kenji held up his phone. "I'm in the afternoon."
"What a coincidence, I'm on the 9th in the afternoon, too," Melody said, a pleasant surprise in her voice.
Leo sighed dramatically. "Why?! I wanted to be in the same block as Kenji..."
"Eww," Melody said, shooting him a look of mild disgust.
Kenji silently shuffled a few inches away.
"The Edgecliff Gym is being used as an official exam site for the next few days, so we won't be able to train here," Melody informed them.
Kenji glanced at Leo. "This is a good chance for you to cram for your academic subjects."
Leo puffed out his chest. "Don't worry about me. A disciplined man like myself has been reviewing his notes every single night. I've got this!"
For the final few days, Kenji eased up on Beedrill's training intensity, shifting the focus to maintaining its peak condition for the upcoming exam.
Finally, the day arrived. The exam schedule started with the practical battles, followed by the academic tests. The battles were held over two days, on June 9th and 10th.
That morning, Kenji went with Leo and his parents to the Edgecliff Gym to see him off.
"You've got this, sweetie. Mom knows you're the best," Leo's mom said, giving him a hug.
"Do your best, son. After this is over, I promise I'll never make you help out at the grill again," said Uncle Ben, Leo's father.
Leo, holding his exam documents in one hand and his Poké Ball in the other, beamed with confidence. "Don't worry, Kenji, Mom, Dad! Just wait for my good news!"
He waved and disappeared into the gym.
"Alright, Kenji-kun, your exam is this afternoon. Let your Uncle Ben drive you home so you can get some rest," Leo's mom said gently.
Uncle Ben, whose boisterous personality was just like his son's, slung an arm around Kenji's shoulders. "Come on, Kenji-kun, forget about that little rascal. Uncle Ben will treat you to some BBQ! We'll come back this afternoon to cheer you on!"
A warmth spread through Kenji's chest. "Okay. Thanks, Uncle Ben."
After Uncle Ben drove him home, he rolled down the window. "You sure you don't want to come grab a bite?"
Kenji shook his head. "No, it's okay, Uncle Ben. You go on ahead. I'm going to do some last-minute prep."
"Alright then. I'll come pick you up at noon."
Back in his apartment, Kenji released his Beedrill.
Beedrill (3-Star)
Gender: Male
Level: 13
Type: Poison / Bug
Base Stats: 515
Abilities: Swarm, Huge Power
Moves: Poison Sting, Focus Energy, Quick Attack, Fury Attack, String Shot, Venoshock, Bug Bite, Fury Cutter
Held Item: Last Whisper, Quick Claw
Potential: D-
Looking at his Beedrill's stats, Kenji felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Its move set was fantastic. Not only had it mastered Quick Attack, but it had also learned Venoshock on its own.
At noon, Leo's family picked Kenji up and they all went out for lunch together before heading back to the gym for his exam.