The assessment had already entered its second stage, Frogadier against Roserade. To be frank, Frogadier was outmatched in every aspect, from type to abilities, leaving it with virtually no chance of winning.
"The battle continues! Challenger's Frogadier against Examiner's Roserade! Battle start!"
"Frogadier, move! Don't just stand there!"
Xia Hunan knew very well that if Roserade landed even one hit, no matter the move, even the desperate struggle unlocked after expending all its move points, Frogadier wouldn't be able to endure it.
However, the examiner was also anxious about the current situation. Although Roserade had recovered some stamina with Giga Drain earlier, both the burn and confusion status conditions were still affecting it.
Frogadier hopped continuously around the arena, and Roserade had no reason to stall.
"Roserade, use Magical Leaf!"
Seeing the examiner attempt to end the battle with Magical Leaf, Xia Hunan broke out in a cold sweat. If Roserade successfully used Magical Leaf, the battle would be over.
Fortunately, fate favored Xia Hunan. Roserade failed to use Magical Leaf and instead attacked itself in its confused state.
"Beautiful! Frogadier, keep moving, don't stop!"
Although Frogadier had the moves Scratch and Growl, Xia Hunan had no intention of using them. If Frogadier actively attacked, with Xia Hunan's luck, it was highly likely to trigger the opponent's ability. A poisoned Frogadier would be at a complete disadvantage against a burned Roserade.
Growl could affect stats, and while its Special Attack reduction wasn't crucial for Roserade, it would be detrimental given Roserade's confusion. Xia Hunan wished Frogadier had Taunt instead…
Roserade was hit by its own move again, its condition worsening. The examiner was helpless to do anything about it.
The two sides continued to face off. Although Roserade had sustained some damage, it still held the advantage.
"Roserade, use Giga Drain!"
"Frogadier, use Bubble to blind its eyes!"
Both sides moved simultaneously. Roserade managed to use its move faster, and then… hit itself again.
After once again attacking itself, Roserade finally regained its senses. At that very moment, Frogadier's Bubble hit Roserade's eyes.
Roserade rubbed its eyes with its petals, its vision obscured by the bubbles causing discomfort.
"Let's take a gamble, Frogadier, use Scratch!"
"Roserade, dodge to the left."
Watching Roserade lean to the left, Xia Hunan decided to trick the examiner.
"Frogadier, use Icy Wind!"
Upon hearing Xia Hunan's command, both Frogadier and the examiner were stunned. Frogadier was confused because it didn't know that move, while the examiner was surprised that this Frogadier had learned it.
Jinghai City, being a major metropolis in the Minglong Kingdom, did indeed have individuals at the Pokémon League branch who could teach moves that Pokémon wouldn't normally learn. If Frogadier truly knew Icy Wind, Roserade would be in grave danger.
"Roserade, retreat consecutively, handle with care."
With its body already leaning left, Roserade attempted to retreat consecutively. As a result, its footing became unstable, and it was hit on the head by Frogadier, falling backward.
Although Roserade was "knocked down" by Frogadier, it wasn't out of the fight. It used its rose hands to support itself and got back up.
"Tch, if that Thunder Wave had hit, the situation would be much better now."
The brief exchange ended as quickly as it began. Seeing the heavily injured Roserade and the healthy Frogadier, the examiner spoke, a rare occurrence: "I didn't expect it, you actually used Icy Wind to trick me just now."
Xia Hunan, wanting to stall for time, engaged in conversation with the examiner: "My Frogadier doesn't actually know Icy Wind. After all, in my opinion, that move's damage is a bit too low. So, would you like to bet whether my Frogadier knows Ice Beam?"
As he spoke, Xia Hunan took out the Rainbow Star Mall card that Xia Tianjue had given him from his pocket. "Although learning Ice Beam is quite expensive, I can afford it."
Xia Hunan wanted to continue the conversation, but the examiner immediately issued instructions to Roserade: "Roserade, use Magical Leaf!"
Xia Hunan truly detested moves that were guaranteed to hit their target. However, recalling various battles he had seen, he commanded, "Frogadier, judge carefully and throw Bubble at the incoming leaves!"
What was the mechanism behind Magical Leaf? How was its guaranteed hit determined? Xia Hunan decided to take a gamble.
Magical Leaf easily passed through the Bubble thrown by Frogadier and struck Frogadier squarely. Frogadier rolled on the ground, finally collapsing.
"Frogadier, are you alright!"
Hearing the voice, Frogadier struggled to get up and glanced back at Xia Hunan.
"This bond is unusual. Rotom was struggling, but even Frogadier is enduring and not fainting."
Xia Hunan gritted his teeth and commanded: "Frogadier, use Bubble to obscure Roserade's eyes, then use Ice Beam!"
Seeing Frogadier throw Bubble again, the examiner was unwilling to gamble on the possibility of Ice Beam and ordered, "Dodge the Bubble, then use Giga Drain!"
"Frogadier, jump up, get close quickly, use Scratch, then dodge!"
Xia Hunan spoke at a rapid pace, unsure if Frogadier understood. Roserade observed Frogadier's Bubble, then shifted its feet, weaving and dodging the Bubble. Frogadier had already closed the distance and landed a Scratch.
Despite being hit by Scratch, Roserade used Giga Drain, but it missed Frogadier.
Xia Hunan observed the situation on the field: "System, how much stamina does Roserade have left?"
"Just a little longer, if we can hold on a bit longer, it should be enough."
"Frogadier, jump over and use Scratch!"
"Roserade, use Magical Leaf!"
Both Pokémon, at their last breath, launched their final attacks. In the final turn, Roserade's Magical Leaf was temporarily dodged by Frogadier. As Frogadier's Scratch hit Roserade, Magical Leaf struck Frogadier from behind.
Frogadier fell to the ground. After taking the final Scratch from Frogadier, Roserade swayed and collapsed.
The referee waved his flag: "Frogadier and Roserade have both lost the battle simultaneously. According to the rookie trainer assessment regulations, when both Pokémon lose simultaneously, the challenger is declared the winner."
Xia Hunan sat down on the ground. "Won, I won."
He recalled the collapsed Frogadier with its Poké Ball. "You worked hard, Frogadier."
The examiner also recalled his Roserade. "Congratulations. You can go to the front desk to collect your trainer certificate and install the trainer app."
After bowing to the examiner, Xia Hunan left the assessment area.
He handed the Poké Ball to the nurse at the Pokémon Medical Station, arranging to pick it up later. Xia Hunan then went to the front desk to collect his certificate from the lady who had guided him to the assessment.
The lady at the front desk smiled warmly as she handed Xia Hunan his trainer certificate. "Congratulations."
After thanking her, Xia Hunan retrieved his Poké Ball from the nurse and left the Pokémon Center.
"System, why does today feel a bit off? That examiner seemed to be targeting me. If it was just a level fifteen Budew, or even a Roselia, it wouldn't be a problem. But a Roserade! That's a difference of tens of points in stats."
The System pondered for a moment and then replied, "Who cares? You passed the assessment anyway. What's the point of dwelling on it?"
"That's true. Let's see where we should go for our first stop."
…
Meanwhile, within the Pokémon assessment hall. The examiner from earlier gestured to the referee and then handed over his duties to another instructor, going off to rest.
After leaving the assessment hall, the examiner took out his phone. "Hello, Senior Brother? I made a mistake. Your son is indeed quite capable. You don't need to worry too much; nothing major should happen."
On the other end of the line, Xia Tianjue was stunned for a moment. "Understood. Thank you for your trouble this time."
If Xia Hunan were present, he would definitely be able to figure out what was going on. Xia Tianjue would never have arranged for an examiner to target Xia Hunan so early on. After all, no one knew when Xia Hunan would arrive under normal circumstances.
All the blame for this incident had to fall on Xiao Meng.
After Xia Hunan left home, Xiao Meng arrived at Xia Tianjue and Hu Jing's bedroom with a letter. She pressed the lampshade of the bedside lamp, and a screen appeared on the wall next to the bed. On the other side of the screen were Xia Tianjue and Hu Jing.
After they read Xia Hunan's letter, Xia Tianjue and Hu Jing had a different perspective on Xia Hunan's impulsive behavior. They ultimately decided to have their junior fellow disciple test Xia Hunan. If Xia Hunan could pass this test, letting him go on a journey would be a good experience.
Upon learning the result of the assessment, Xia Tianjue and Hu Jing felt much more at ease. However, they still decided to give their unruly son a bit of a lecture to prevent him from always causing them so much worry.
…
Shifting the focus back to Xia Hunan, he and the System were looking at the electronic map on his phone. "How about we go to Tianshi City next? They say the scenery there is beautiful. Since we're out and about, why not relax for a bit first?"
The System looked at the picture on the phone. "I think it's a good idea. After all, that place has a unique training method for Water-type Pokémon, which might give you some inspiration for training Frogadier."
With that, the two of them reached an agreement. Their first destination for their adventure was decided: Tianshi City.