003 High-Quality PokéMon Clues, Let's Go!
"The students who are able to come here today have all worked hard to learn the basics of Pokémon in the three years of high school, but how solid your knowledge is will only be known after you enter the Forest of Earl Dervish!"
"And the gate to Earl Dervish's Forest is right behind me. Every student present, take out your mobile phones and sign the disclaimer."
There was a broad stone square before the entrance of Earl Dervish Forest.
In the past, this plaza had always been crowded, just like the training grounds around Professor Oak's Lab in the early chapters of the manga. But since today marked the Star City Pokémon Entrance Examination when every graduating senior entered Earl Dervish Forest to capture their first Pokémon no unrelated personnel were permitted inside.
The man speaking at the front of the square was the official supervisor and the commander-in-chief of the event. Just like how the Viridian Gym oversaw regional exams in the manga, he possessed full authority to direct security forces and coordinate emergency responses.
The disclaimer each student had to sign functioned as a compulsory contract for entering Earl Dervish's Woods. Reality was not like the optimistic world often shown in the Pokémon anime. It was far more similar to the dangerous encounters depicted in Pokémon Adventures, where careless Trainers could be severely injured by wild Pokémon, as happened when Red first confronted a rampaging Machoke.
If you didn't pay attention to safety in Earl Dervish Forest… the consequences might be instant serious injury or even death.
All around, students pulled out their phones, tapped the link their teachers had sent, authenticated their identities, and signed their names.
After completing the process, Xu Jing looked up and surveyed the massive crowd.
There were roughly a thousand graduating seniors in Star City who had applied for this year's Pokémon exam, and now every one of them was gathered here, waiting at the threshold of the forest.
No one dared to speak loudly, yet whispers floated in every direction thin, excited, nervous.
"Who's your first target for an Earl Dervish Pokémon? Caterpie or Weedle?"
"I want Caterpie. Butterfree in the manga has demonstrated unusual potential remember when Red's Butterfree learned moves beyond standard expectations and showed signs of heightened sensitivity to psychic waves? It evolves quickly, it flies, and it adapts well. Practical, low cost, and safe."
"I'm picking Weedle for sure. Kakuna and Beedrill evolve just as fast, but Beedrill keeps its Poison typing. In a battle, poison status can flip everything in an instant just like when Blue used his Pokémon's status moves to overwhelm Red early on."
"I think the real reason you want Weedle is because it feels intimidating!"
"Ah… well…"
Why were there so many graduates in Star City, yet only a bit over a thousand chose to study Pokémon basics?
The biggest reason was simple
Most families couldn't afford it.
Becoming a Trainer meant far more than feeding Pokémon. Training regimens, health inspections, battle-appropriate equipment, medical supplies none of these were free. In the manga, even established Trainers like Red often needed the support of professors or gyms just to maintain their partners. Without building a solid foundation in Pokémon studies, how could a student hope to surpass their peers?
Thus, ordinary-income families favored the Earl Dervish Pokémon that followed three principles: easy to raise, fast to grow, and highly practical.
Students from well-off families those with savings exceeding three hundred thousand yuan annually could afford far more choices.
For example, raptor Pokémon such as Pidgey, Taillow, and Starly, which in the manga are shown hunting small prey and requiring large amounts of fresh meat, were also considered ideal targets by students with good resources.
About five minutes later, after everyone had signed the disclaimer, the person in charge instructed teachers from each school to begin leading their squads.
Each school moved as a unified team.
Thousands of students lined up in orderly formation.
Military Trainers dispatched by the regional defense force stood guard around the gate, much like the Ranger units that appeared in Pokémon Adventures during dangerous mission deployments.
After coordinating with the military captain, the event supervisor signaled the teachers to escort their students toward the entrance of Earl Dervish Forest.
Pokémon Experimental High School held second place in the queue.
The waiting time was less than ten minutes.
Xu Jing and his group also stepped forward to enter.
"Brother Jing, Brother Jing, have you decided which Earl Dervish Pokémon to choose? Each of us paid three full years of tuition for Pokémon basics. I still haven't decided which Earl Dervish Pokémon to capture…" Wang Ming—slender as a bamboo pole and one of the top students in the school hurried beside Xu Jing. His relationship with Xu Jing was excellent, and the excitement in his whisper was obvious.
"I'll go with the flow. Your family's conditions are great, so you can decide freely." Xu Jing originally had a specific plan, but after receiving his Pokémon Detection Eye and his High-Quality Pokémon Card in the previous chapter, his goal had to be adjusted!
Capturing an Earl Dervish Pokémon was ultimately a personal matter. Naturally, Xu Jing couldn't give Wang Ming direct guidance, so he only responded casually and pointed forward: "Let's go, it's our turn to enter."
Earl Dervish Forest was an artificial sanctuary constructed by Star City officials at enormous cost. Covering roughly 11.25 square kilometers, it resembled the specially maintained habitats shown in the Pokémon Adventures manga, large enough to easily accommodate the thousand students participating this year.
After homeroom teacher Lu Feng reminded everyone to stay alert and prioritize safety…
Students immediately began excitedly forming teams.
And as squad leader and the number one student of Pokémon Experimental Middle School Xu Jing became the most sought-after teammate.
"Squad leader, join us! We're heading toward the area where Scyther live. If we're lucky, we might capture one like the fierce Scyther Green used in the manga!"
"Brother Jing, why go after Scyther? Come with us. We're targeting Mareep, and we think we can handle the herd!"
"Squad leader, team up with us! Just tell us what to catch and we'll follow!"
Invitations came one after another.
But after thinking briefly, Xu Jing turned down all of them.
He possessed the Pokémon Detection Eye.
And he had a High-Quality Pokémon Card, prepared specifically for this moment.
Teaming with others risked unnecessary conflict.
Going alone would be simpler.
Less noise, less trouble.
Seeing that Xu Jing truly had no intention of forming a team…
The others finally relented and went in search of different partners.
When the surroundings grew quiet again…
And before the next school's group entered…
Xu Jing thought silently: "Use High-Quality Pokémon Card."
[2.2 kilometers ahead to the left]
A prompt from the Detection Eye appeared visible only to Xu Jing.
"A high-quality Pokémon is 2.2 kilometers ahead on the left?"
"Heh, it really feels like leveling up in a game!"
With firm resolve, Xu Jing headed toward the indicated direction.
ps: For clarity on Pokémon strength: qualification ranks are Ordinary, Elite, Gym Leader, Quasi-Elite, Elite, Champion, Leader (qualification influences growth rate and skill development, not the absolute upper limit).
Trainer and Pokémon strength tiers:
Ordinary Trainer LV.0–LV.29
Professional Trainer LV.30–LV.39
Elite Trainer LV.40–LV.49
Gym Leader Trainer LV.50–LV.59
Quasi-Elite Trainer LV.60–LV.69
Elite LV.70–LV.79
Champion LV.80–LV.89
Leader LV.90–LV.99
---