Auron Vale arrived early with Dad and Mom outside the entrance to the new testing venue.
It wasn't time to go in yet, so they waited by the gate for a while. Just then, Auron's phone buzzed with a new notification. He picked it up and glanced at the screen.
One look—and Auron couldn't help bursting into laughter, earning puzzled stares from Dad and Mom. They had no idea why he was suddenly cracking up.
Still grinning, Auron told them what had happened in the group chat last night.
Then, seeing the amusement spreading across their faces, he went on, "You'll never guess this. Yesterday, Yin Hanling said she wasn't in the same exam venue as Jace Rowan. But today? They got assigned to the same one."
"And it's not just those two. Tim Wynn's in there with them."
"Man, outside the testing hall it's literally 'enemies meet, eyes blaze red.'"
"As soon as Yin Hanling spotted Jace, she exploded on the spot—chased him down swinging before he could even react. And the best part? Tim had just gotten out of a car and caught the whole thing."
"Tim didn't hesitate. His best bro Jace getting clobbered by a girl? No way. So he whips out his phone on the spot, records Yin Hanling pounding after Jace with a hammer, and posts it to the group."
As he spoke, Auron tapped open the video on his phone. On screen, a girl stood just outside a school gate, brandishing an inflatable toy hammer as she tore after Jace like a whirlwind.
Lumbering along behind her was a pot-bellied, middle-aged man. According to Tim's caption, that was the owner of the snack stall by the gate. Yin Hanling had "borrowed" the inflatable hammer straight off his display.
The video shook occasionally along with Tim's laughter. Dad and Mom couldn't hold back their own.
They weren't laughing because Jace was being chased; what really set them off were the reactions on the side—Jace's dad standing there, utterly at a loss, face all scrunched up, no idea what to do.
And next to him, Jace's mom doubled over, laughing so hard she couldn't straighten up. That contrast was what cracked them up.
Auron put his phone away and dropped a quick reply in the group as well.
Tim Wynn: [Video]
Auron Vale: hahaha
Serena Elm: Haha, justice served.
Simon Greaves: Do me a favor and tell Yin Hanling to be careful.
Jace Rowan: @Simon Greaves, …
Serena Elm: @Jace Rowan, you still have time to text back?
Jace Rowan: Yeah, she's too slow.
Tim Wynn: You're done for. I'll tell her as soon as she runs past me.
Jace Rowan: Traitor!!
Auron chuckled at the stream of messages. He was about to type another when the gate to the venue rolled open. He stopped scrolling, handed his phone to Mom, and headed inside with Golbat's Poké Ball.
Once inside, the staff checked Auron's ID first, then verified Golbat's registration details. After confirming everything, they directed him to temporary structures erected on the field behind the building.
He barely had to do anything for the first two sections—just hand Golbat's Poké Ball over to the proctor.
The proctor would complete the first two checks, then leave the evaluation to the machine to finalize the score.
Plenty of people had complained about this method in the past, saying, "We don't even participate. How do we know the score is accurate?"
The official response was blunt:
"We use machine evaluation. The scores are absolutely correct. And if there are issues, they won't be unique to you alone—so does your participation really matter?"
That single statement shut down the argument. They still didn't like it, of course, but the college entrance exams stayed the same—no change on their account.
Soon, the checks were complete. Auron collected Golbat's Poké Ball and moved on to the next area.
This one was laid out like a large battle arena. After he entered, a big screen lit up and prompted him to choose a mode.
There were three options:
Easy
Medium
Hard
Auron didn't hesitate and selected Hard.
Next, the screen brought up a second prompt:
Battle a Trainer?
Yes ———————— No
Auron made his choice just as decisively: Yes.
If you're going to do it, do it right.
The screen began to strobe. One shadow after another flickered across it. As the silhouettes flashed faster and faster, Auron felt a prickle of tension.
The random Pokémon draw had started. He had no idea what he'd be facing, but he knew the Hard pool tended to be nasty.
The flicker rate slowed. Then the carousel stopped altogether—on a shape with two long horns.
"Pinsir, huh? Not bad."
Auron's nerves eased. Knowing the opponent made planning simple.
Across from him, a door slid open. A fearsome Pinsir stomped out, eyes locked on Auron like it wanted to split him in half.
Pokémon: Pinsir
Gender: Male
Type: Bug, Flying
Ability: Hyper Cutter (This Pokémon's Attack stat cannot be lowered by any means.)
Potential: Purple
Level-Up / Basic Moves: Vice Grip, Focus Energy, Harden, Bind, Seismic Toss, Bug Bite, Storm Throw, Double Hit, Vital Throw, Earthquake, Brick Break, Bulldoze, Cut, Hyper Beam
Egg Moves: Quick Attack, Thrash, Close Combat
Pinsir's murderous aura didn't rattle Auron in the least. He smiled and tossed his Poké Ball.
"Another 'Flying-type' that can't actually fly. Mean look you've got there, though."
Blue light burst from the Poké Ball; Golbat's body formed in midair with a beat of its wings.
On the opposing side, a translucent figure also began to coalesce: the simulated trainer randomly selected—from a top-tier "985" academy.
In the center of the field, the testing apparatus had already taken its place. It would act as both referee and proctor.
It would also record the match and assign a score.
Once both trainers and Pokémon were in position, a mechanical voice issued from the device:
"Both sides ready. Battle start!"
"Pinsir—close the gap with Quick Attack, then go in with Close Combat!"
The instant the voice finished speaking, the simulated trainer issued orders. Pinsir's eyes sharpened; its body blurred into a streak of white as it lunged for Golbat.
Auron, unhurried, gave his command in a low voice. "Double Team."
Golbat split into five afterimages in the air. Pinsir couldn't tell which was real and instinctively eased off the throttle for a heartbeat.
But the sim-trainer reacted just as fast, snapping, "Sweep with [Hyper Beam]!"
A golden beam scythed across the air, tearing through the illusions one by one. When it reached the last "Golbat," that afterimage suddenly jinked straight up, slipping the pillar of light by a feather's width.
"Golbat—Nasty Plot."
Auron's mouth tipped up. Looked like this draw had stuck him with a brawler—pure all-out offense. Perfect. He immediately called for Golbat to boost with [Nasty Plot].
His battle philosophy was simple: if you can greed, you greed. Take every free boost on the table.
And with Pinsir locked in [Hyper Beam]'s recovery, setting up was zero-risk.
The sim-trainer stabbed a finger forward. "Get in close—Seismic Toss!"
Pinsir sprang toward Golbat; when it was nearly under its target, it kicked off hard, hurtling up to collide midair.
It couldn't fly, but it had some serious bounce.
Golbat rocketed backward, and at the same time, a compact, dark-violet [Shadow Ball] condensed at the tip of its wing. It flicked the sphere straight at Pinsir.
The orb hit square on. Pinsir stalled mid-leap for a fraction of a second—long enough that it lost its angle on Golbat entirely and had no choice but to drop back to the ground.
(End of Chapter)