The next morning, as the seven squads assembled at the Main Arena, Master Sky addressed the participants from the podium.
"Good morning. After yesterday's skirmishes, we are officially entering the training camp. There will be five assessment projects in total. The top three squads in each project will receive generous rewards. We will use a points-based system to track your progress. At the end of the camp, the Captain of the squad with the most points will be granted entry into the Pokémon Secret Realm."
Sky paused, his gaze sweeping over the captains. "Leaders must foster cooperation. No matter how strong an individual is, they can be dragged down by poor teamwork. As the saying goes: 'I don't fear a god-like opponent, but a pig-like teammate.' A good leader makes everything twice as efficient. Now, for the first task: Pokémon Capturing."
He led the group to the shore of a vast, shimmering lake. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the brilliant blue sky and floating white clouds. Sunlight sparkled on the ripples like scattered silver. Feng Che noticed several rare Pokémon playing near the surface, including rare starter species.
Staff members brought out crates filled with Park Balls. "These balls have half the success rate of a standard Poké Ball," Sky explained. "Your task is to capture rare Water-type Pokémon from this lake. Each person is limited to three balls. We will score your catches based on size, species rarity, and potential. Be warned—the Pokémon here are at least Pseudo-Elite level. They won't be caught easily."
Master Sky left the trainers to their own devices. Many Gym Leaders and Elites looked at each other in confusion—they hadn't even been given fishing rods.
"Haha! I anticipated a lack of equipment, so I prepared this!" Clemont announced proudly, pulling a two-meter-tall Sub-aquatic Capture Robot from his pack. The robot was equipped with a high-tensile alloy net.
Clemont's robot cast its net into the lake. Within seconds, it hooked something massive. The robot was nearly dragged into the water, its exhaust pipes spewing thick white smoke as it struggled for traction. Suddenly, a gargantuan Gyarados breached the surface, roaring as it unleashed a Hyper Beam.
BOOM!
The robot disintegrated in a spectacular explosion, sending gears and nuts flying like shrapnel. Clemont was caught in the blast, his hair turned into an afro once again as he slumped to the ground with swirly eyes. The other trainers silently stepped away from him.
Strategy on the Lake
"Feng Che, what's the plan?" Norman asked. He knew the Kanto trainer was full of ideas.
"I have several Super Rods, but I don't think Sky forgot to give us tools—I think he wants to see how we handle raw encounters," Feng Che replied. "Let's split up and use our Pokémon to lure and battle. We'll meet back here in four hours. Focus on rarity; that's the key to points. Stay safe."
As the squad dispersed, Feng Che sat on a rock, seemingly deep in thought. Mewtwo, what do you sense in the lake? he asked telepathically.
The Pokémon here are incredibly strong—mostly at the peak of Pseudo-Elite or the start of Elite level, Mewtwo replied. I believe the purpose of this test is to 'thin out' the dominant territorial threats. How do you plan to catch them?
"I'll use this as training for my team. Most of them are hitting a plateau," Feng Che said. "Go, Venusaur!"
"Venusaur, use Seed Bomb on the water!"
Venusaur's back-bloom glowed with green light, launching explosive seeds into the lake.
The Hidden Prize
Meanwhile, Sky and Julie watched the monitors. "Let's see if the Leaders understand the 'Fighting' nature of this lake," Sky mused. "The rarest catch here is the Milotic colony. Catching just one would skyrocket a squad's score. But the leader of that colony is a genuine Champion-level Pokémon, and they are incredibly elusive."
Back at the shore, Venusaur's explosions had drawn the attention of several angry Gyarados.
"Venusaur, show them our strength!"
Venusaur's vines braided themselves into two massive wooden mallets. It slammed them against the water's surface, creating huge splashes to provoke the beasts. When the Gyarados retaliated with a volley of Hyper Beams, Venusaur stomped the ground, raising a dense barrier of vines that absorbed the impact perfectly.