The practical assessment commenced.
As the final round of the mid-level assessment, the practical test was both the most anticipated and crucial part for Trainers.
To evaluate a Trainer's proficiency, one primarily considers the potential of their Pokemon. Demonstrating a Pokemon's capabilities, combat strength is undoubtedly a critical aspect.
Therefore, the practical assessment became the primary means to gauge a Pokemon's power. By assessing the Pokemon's performance through battles, it indirectly reflects the Trainer's prowess as well.
Regardless of how advanced a Trainer's theoretical knowledge may be, if their Pokemon lack sufficient strength, they won't gain recognition. This is because they have failed to cultivate powerful Pokemon.
No one knew the specifics of this year's practical assessment beforehand. However, upon reaching the designated location with Mandia, she provided an explanation.
In the practical assessment, each Trainer must send out three Pokemon to battle against three formidable opponents individually. The format follows a best-of-three system; winning two rounds secures passage.
For this assessment, the League prepared eighteen types of single-attribute Pokemon, all sourced from mid-level trainers.
Additionally, when pitting a Pokemon against these single-attribute opponents, it must be at a disadvantageous type match-up.
For Fire-type Pokemon, they would face either Water-type or Rock-type opponents—a choice between the two, but it must be against a disadvantageous attribute.
As Mandia explained, true Trainers should not solely rely on type advantages; sometimes, Pokemon battles do not unfold as expected.
Often, an opponent's Pokemon may have a type advantage over yours, and these situations truly test a Trainer's capabilities while also evaluating the genuine strength of their Pokemon.
Throughout a Trainer's career, they cannot always guarantee favorable type matchups. There will inevitably be moments when engaging in battle with a type disadvantage is unavoidable.
The purpose of this practical assessment was to evaluate how well a Pokemon could overcome its type disadvantage by relying solely on its own abilities, ultimately securing victory.
Two key challenges made this year's practical exam particularly difficult: battling against unfavorable types and adhering to the unchanging rule from previous years—Trainers were prohibited from intervening during battles, leaving the outcome entirely dependent on the Pokemon's performance.
This restriction had been consistent, emphasizing that the practical assessment evaluates the Pokemon's strength rather than the Trainer's strategic command skills.
This aspect was actually designed to prepare students for becoming high-level trainers, as many Pokemon of such Trainers possess autonomy. A truly autonomous Pokemon holds immense potential.
As a Pokemon's strength increases, honestly, the Trainer's role during actual battles becomes progressively smaller—though this applies only to combat scenarios. In fights, Trainers often struggle to keep up with their Pokemon's battle rhythm due to their superior speed and power.
Once a Pokemon reaches a certain level, the Trainer's command influence significantly decreases, although it never diminishes entirely; instead, it continually weakens.
Of course, Elite Four members or Champions are exceptions, having transcended ordinary human capabilities.
On the open field,
Poké Balls containing Pokémon representing all eighteen attributes were placed on the ground, while ten Trainers stood solemnly before them.
Each mid-level Trainer must have at least three primary Pokémon, which is one of the minimum requirements for attaining mid-level status, hence the best-of-three format.
Shortly after Mandia's announcement, the first Trainer began their assessment, selecting their initial opposing Pokémon based on type disadvantage.
The Pokémon prepared for this assessment were naturally not weaklings. Even Kalia appeared somewhat serious upon seeing them.
Although each Pokémon possessed only one type, they were universally recognized as powerful final evolutions. In such circumstances, winning against their natural advantages posed a significant challenge.
Many Trainers turned pale, realizing that after reaching this stage with great effort, failing now would be truly disheartening.
The first Trainer to begin the assessment seemed nervous and immediately sent out their strongest Pokémon due to the best-of-three format.
It was a Grass-type Torterra, the standard fully evolved form of a League starter Pokémon, possessing both Ground and Grass types.
Torterra has multiple weaknesses, so the Trainer understandably avoided choosing a type quadruple-weakness, which would essentially forfeit the battle. Facing such overwhelming odds to secure victory is akin to battling through hell's difficulty level.
"I choose Fire."
Ultimately, the Trainer opted to face a Fire-type Pokémon—a wise decision since, although still doubly disadvantaged, it presented a more manageable challenge.
However, Torterra inherently possesses Ground-type capabilities, which can counter Fire-types effectively, and this choice complies with the assessment rules.
In the first battle, the Trainer effortlessly secured victory against a Fire-type Pokémon. With its strong defensive abilities, Torterra withstood the initial attack, then utilized a Ground-type move to defeat the opponent.
But during the second battle, the Trainer found themselves in considerable trouble after sending out an Electric-type Pokémon. The only type capable of countering Electric is Ground.
It's well-known that Ground-type moves render Electric-type attacks ineffective, unless the Ground-type Pokémon leaves the ground.
The Trainer lost the second battle, leaving them with one final chance. Winning would ensure their pass; losing meant waiting for the next mid-level assessment opportunity.
"Charizard's greatest weakness is Rock-type, so I definitely cannot choose that. Either Water-type or Electric-type should give me a good chance of victory."
As Kalia observed the battles, she began contemplating her strategy for selecting her own Pokémon when it was her turn.
Kalia wasn't too concerned about Charizard; as long as she didn't choose a Rock-type Pokémon, it should be manageable.
Her biggest worries were Sceptile and Ninetales. Sceptile had multiple weaknesses to Flying, Fire, Ice, among others, and being single-typed limited its move repertoire significantly.
Regardless of the chosen type, each presented challenges with varying degrees of risk.
"Choose Water-type for Charizard, Ice-type for Sceptile, and again Water-type for Ninetales," Kalia decided firmly, knowing these were her best options.
Ninetales has the Drought Ability, neutralizing the type disadvantage against Water-types. Sceptile possesses Fighting-type moves, making it more effective against ice-types, thus easier to handle.
Facing Flying or Fire-types would be less favorable than ice-types, but even after deciding, Kalia remained apprehensive.
She understood that the Pokémon selected for the exam wouldn't be weak. Apart from Charizard, the other Pokémon fell within normal capabilities, so any misstep could lead to failure.
However, compared to others, at least she could ensure Charizard's victory. With just one win needed between Sceptile and Ninetales, she felt relatively confident.