Seeing how confident Aerodactyl was, Ange warned, "My test isn't that simple. You'd better watch out or you'll trip over your own feet!"
Aerodactyl was brimming with self-confidence and refused to believe it couldn't pass the test.
"Alright, then let's wait and see," Ange said, immediately beginning to announce the rules of the test.
"First, each of your groups will choose a representative!"
Hearing this, the Pokémon engaged in a brief discussion before sending forth representatives from their respective groups.
Seeing that a robust Altaria, Unfezant, Pidgeot, Aerodactyl, and Dragonite had each stepped forward from the ranks, Ange continued:
"My hiring is done on a species basis, so as long as your representative wins, it means your entire group will be hired by me."
The representatives glanced back at their peers and then toward their competing rivals, determination burning brightly in their dual gazes.
In that case, they simply couldn't afford to lose!
Ange chose to hire Pokémon of the same species as delivery couriers because he wanted to build a brand effect. This way, whenever people saw that particular Pokémon, they would immediately recognize it as a courier from Munchlax Home.
If he employed a mixed and disorderly crew, that visual impact would be drastically diminished.
Once the Pokémon were ready, the test officially commenced.
Ange first retrieved five calf-high woven baskets, placing one in front of each of the five Pokémon.
Then, amidst everyone's astonished gazes, he produced 5 bowls, 5 basins, and 5 plates.
With the aid of Mew's psychic powers, the bowls and basins were filled to the brim with lake water.
With Regice's assistance, the plates were loaded with marble-sized ice balls.
Finally, Ange placed 1 bowl, 1 basin, and 1 plate into each woven basket.
He announced, "My test is this: you must now transport these baskets containing bowls, basins, and plates smoothly and safely to the peak of the Tree of Beginning. The faster you deliver them, the higher your probability of winning."
"Awooo~" Aerodactyl figured this sounded simple enough, instantly issuing a victory declaration and casting a provocative glance toward the other four Pokémon.
The remaining four Pokémon felt a surge of inner anxiety because Aerodactyl genuinely was the fastest flyer among them.
At that moment, Ange reminded them, "Pay attention. Arriving first merely influences the probability of winning and does not guarantee ultimate victory.
As for the reason..."
Ange pointed at the baskets and said to the five Pokémon, "Think carefully about why I asked you to deliver these items!"
Aerodactyl remained immersed in the sweet joy of impending victory and completely disregarded Ange's words.
The other four Pokémon stared at the baskets and fell into deep thought.
Pidgeot was not particularly bright, and after staring at the basket for a long time, it still failed to comprehend Ange's intention.
Unfezant furrowed its brow tightly, gazing at the rippling water inside the bowls and basins, then down at the slowly rolling ice balls on the plates. It felt as though it had grasped something, yet failed to fully understand it.
Only Dragonite and Altaria wore expressions of sudden enlightenment.
"Are everyone's preparations complete? Once ready, you may set off."
"Awooo~" Ready!
Aerodactyl took the lead, shouting its response to Ange with a look of clear foolishness, prompting Ange to shake his head directly.
Dragonite and Altaria nodded along.
Pidgeot still hadn't figured it out, so it simply followed the trend and nodded.
Unfezant wore a panicked expression. Wait, wait just a moment, I'm almost about to figure it out!
However, Ange had already issued the signal for the race to begin.
"On your mark, get set, start!"
At his command, Aerodactyl, Dragonite, and Altaria grabbed their baskets and took flight first.
Pidgeot lagged a step behind, but possessed blistering speed, rocketing past Dragonite and Altaria in a sudden burst of acceleration.
However, because of this maneuver, a major portion of the water in its bowls and basins instantly splashed out, and several ice balls rolled right off the plates.
Busy chasing after Aerodactyl, it paid no attention to the contents of its basket.
Meanwhile, Unfezant had spent too much time overthinking and ultimately brought up the rear.
Seeing that the Pokémon had all departed, Ange turned to Mew and said, "Let's head to the tree peak and wait!"
"Mew~" Mew nodded, then used its psychic powers to transport Regice, Ange, Munchlax, and Doublade straight to the treetop.
Back to the competing Pokémon.
Aerodactyl surged to the front with blistering speed, leaving the trailing Pokémon completely unable to catch up.
It even glanced back at the other four Pokémon behind it, a smug smile plastered across its face.
Heh heh~ I've definitely won this test!
With another surge of acceleration, it vanished from the line of sight of the others in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Pidgeot felt a surge of anxiety and correspondingly increased its speed.
Yet it failed to notice that the water and ice cubes inside its basket had already spilled completely dry.
If Pidgeot was in such a state, one could only imagine how much worse Aerodactyl's basket fared given its faster and more violent flight.
Unfezant's speed also surpassed Dragonite and Altaria, gradually overtaking the two Dragon-type Pokémon as time passed.
Furthermore, its speed exceeded Pidgeot's, allowing it to rapidly close the distance to Pidgeot after a little while.
Noticing it was only a hair's breadth away from Pidgeot, Unfezant utilized Agility, intending to overtake Pidgeot in one fell swoop.
Yet the moment it accelerated, the water and ice cubes in its basket spilled out simultaneously.
Looking down, Unfezant witnessed this exact scene, and sudden realization dawned upon it.
The true test Ange had set wasn't about raw speed; the paramount objective was transporting the contents of the basket smoothly and safely to the destination.
Unfezant felt as though it was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Why hadn't it figured this out sooner?
Yet matters had reached this stage, and regret was futile. Since delivering the contents intact was no longer possible, it would salvage what it could of its speed.
Transforming into a streak of light, it swept past Pidgeot.
On the other side, although Dragonite and Altaria lagged behind, they appeared remarkably unhurried.
The two Pokémon maintained a virtually parallel pace, trading the lead back and forth in a closely contested battle.
Naturally, they were also quietly pushing themselves. While they had grasped the true purpose of Ange's test, speed still influenced the final outcome to a certain degree.
At the summit of the Tree of Beginning, Ange and Munchlax held baskets while harvesting leaves from the branches.
Since they had made the trip, they could conveniently gather rations for Xerneas and Yveltal, especially since their household stockpile of Tree of Beginning leaves was nearly depleted.
Mew sat leisurely on the grassy patch under a nearby tree shade, holding the juice Ange had brought and happily sipping it after Regice chilled it.
Sipping an ice-cold juice in the scorching summer heat was pure bliss!
Just then, a roar echoed through the air. Ange and Mew looked toward the sound, spotting Aerodactyl's silhouette entering their field of view.
Moments later, Aerodactyl flew close and landed with an air of complete self-satisfaction.
"Awooo~" I told you I would win!
Aerodactyl looked toward Ange, holding its chin high.
Ange walked over to inspect the basket, only to find not a single drop of water remaining inside.
Even the ice balls had shattered into icy fragments from the impacts during Aerodactyl's flight.
As for the bowls, dishes, and basins, needless to say, they were completely smashed to pieces.
Aerodactyl's flight had been excessively fast; under its full-throttle momentum, the water droplets splashing out of the basket were whipped away entirely.
Ange withdrew his gaze and shook his head helplessly.
Next to arrive was Unfezant, with Pidgeot following closely behind.
The condition of their baskets was fairly similar. While the bowls, dishes, and basins remained intact, they were knocked askew, and the water and ice were naturally gone entirely.
Ange inspected their respective baskets and shook his head once more.
Unfezant caught Ange's reaction, a flicker of disappointment crossing its gaze.
It knew that it and its peers had likely lost their chance.
Pidgeot stared at its own basket, then at the turning Ange, remaining completely clueless about the situation.
Seeing this, Unfezant sighed quietly, then muttered a few words in a low voice to Pidgeot. Upon learning the truth, Pidgeot instantly turned to stone.
How could there be a hidden requirement?!
Ange cast his gaze into the distance. The outcome now rested entirely on Dragonite and Altaria!
At that moment, a yellow silhouette entered Ange's view.
It was none other than Dragonite!
Yet no sooner had Dragonite appeared than Altaria arrived right behind it.
The two Pokémon chased each other, rapidly closing in on Ange's location with very little distance separating them, leaving the winner still undecided.
Approaching the finish line, the gap between Dragonite and Altaria remained unchanged.
Suddenly, Dragonite unleashed a burst of acceleration, its figure flickering as it crossed the finish line first.
It had utilized Agility.
Previously, Dragonite refrained from using the move because its natural speed was already sufficient; employing Agility to drastically boost velocity would only become a burden, increasing the risk of spilling the contents of its basket.
However, for a short-distance sprint, it posed no problem.
Regrettably, Altaria did not know Agility, causing it to fall just short.
Upon landing, Dragonite placed the woven basket it cradled onto the ground.
Ange peered inside, observing that while a small amount of water had splashed out of the bowls and basins, the majority remained, and every single ice ball sat undisturbed in the dish.
He nodded in satisfaction, "Splendid, truly splendid!"
Just as Ange withdrew his gaze from Dragonite's basket, Altaria finally reached the destination.
The condition of its basket mirrored Dragonite's closely, with even less water spilled than Dragonite's load.
By a mere hair's breadth, Altaria missed out on victory.
Once Ange finished inspecting Altaria's basket, all five Pokémon turned expectant gazes toward him.
Although Unfezant and Pidgeot recognized their chances of selection had dwindled, a shred of hope lingered until the official announcement.
What if... what if Unfezant had misconstrued Ange's intent?
Alas, the Pokémon's wishful thinking was dashed as Ange announced:
"The Pokémon that has successfully passed the test is—Dragonite!"
I won? Hearing the result, Dragonite broke into a good-natured, goofy smile.
Altaria's eyes flashed with a "just as expected" expression.
Unfezant and Pidgeot lowered their heads in disappointment.
Meanwhile, Aerodactyl let out an indignant roar.
"Awooo wooo~~~" Why?! I arrived first!
Hearing this, Ange replied, "You arrived first, but I stated earlier that arrival order is merely one of the factors for winning."
"Awoo?" Did you say that?
Aerodactyl tilted its head in utter bewilderment.
"I did!" Ange nodded. "If you don't believe me, ask Dragonite and the others."
Aerodactyl turned its gaze toward Dragonite, Pidgeot, Altaria, and Unfezant, only to see all four Pokémon nodding in firm affirmation.
$(°\square^\circ)$ Aerodactyl wore a look of profound shock.
Ange asked Aerodactyl, "Do you still remember what position you applied for?"
Aerodactyl nodded: I remember, a delivery courier.
Ange pressed further, "And what is the job of a delivery courier?"
"Awooo~~" To deliver things to people.
Aerodactyl answered. Before the test began, Ange had briefly outlined the duties of a delivery courier.
Aerodactyl hadn't retained the details, remembering only that couriers delivered items to people.
Ange nodded, "Correct."
Walking over to the basket beside Aerodactyl, he pointed at the fragments of bowls and dishes inside and asked:
"Do you think a customer would accept these if you delivered them?"
Aerodactyl: [...]
Probably not...
At least, it wouldn't accept them if it were the customer.
Noting the flash of realization on Aerodactyl's face, Ange inquired, "Any objections now?"
Aerodactyl shook its head.
It then looked toward the four Dragonite and company, asking, "Did all of you figure out the hidden requirement beforehand?"
Dragonite and Altaria nodded simultaneously.
Pidgeot thought to itself: I certainly didn't figure it out!
Yet for the sake of its pride, it stiffly nodded along and adopted an air of profound wisdom, declaring, "Who couldn't figure out something so obvious!"
Unfezant wore an expression that said it saw through the charade without exposing it.
Only after speaking did Pidgeot realize Unfezant knew the truth about its ignorance, prompting it to cast a guilty glance at Unfezant. Seeing no intention of exposure from Unfezant, Pidgeot silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Pidgeot's remarks made Aerodactyl feel its intelligence had been insulted, earning Pidgeot a fierce glare.
Pidgeot shrank its neck inward.
With the results finalized, Aerodactyl and the others lingered no longer, departing in succession.
Before Dragonite departed, Ange called out to it.
"Dragonite, bring your kindred to the Nebel Plateau tomorrow. You must undergo training before starting your jobs!"
"Woo~~" Dragonite nodded, then flapped its small wings and flew off.
Upon returning, the five Pokémon relayed the competition results to their respective groups, yielding the predictable mix of joy and sorrow.
Yet none blamed their representatives for the loss, as the representatives had been chosen by popular vote to begin with.
Besides, losing to Dragonite was hardly something to be ashamed of.
Although the Dragonite clan possessed a small population, they stood as the most formidable faction within the Tree of Beginning.
After helping Munchlax harvest several baskets of Tree of Beginning leaves and spending a bit more time playing with Mew, Ange and his companions returned to the Nebel Plateau as dusk approached.
Upon arriving home, he, Munchlax, and Inteleon immediately set to work preparing dinner for everyone.
Yet no sooner was dinner finished than three Eevee scampered over in a state of panic.
"Pulsar~ Pulsar~ Ange, something's wrong, there's a monster!"
Flareon cried out.