The hall quieted down as Lou Yixiao announced the rules.
50,000 points → D rankEvery +10,000 → one rank higher80,000+ → A rank
Simple.
Clear.
And fair.
Expectations Rise
Students began whispering:
"50,000 isn't that high…"
"Yeah, Qin Yingying hit 90k in half a month before."
"I just want a C…"
Qin Yingying's Performance
Soon—
Qin Yingying stepped up.
She released her Charmeleon.
Elite Peak.
The crowd erupted.
"Already Elite Peak?!"
"That's insane for just one month!"
Her Attack
"Charmeleon—Flamethrower!"
Flamethrower roared out—
Heat surged across the hall.
Even spectators nearby started sweating.
The Result
The machine announced:
Score: 112,410Rank: A+
The hall exploded.
"Over 110k?!"
"That's ridiculous!"
"She's miles ahead of second place!"
Ethan Steps Up
Then—
Ethan's name was called.
The room instantly focused.
Everyone remembered:
Last time—
He broke the machine.
Same Level, Different Expectations
Ethan released his Charmeleon.
Also—
Elite Peak.
Gasps again.
"Two monsters…"
"Now it's about output…"
A Casual Command
Ethan didn't even bother directing much.
He pointed lazily.
"See that machine?"
"Beat 110k—"
"Unlimited meatballs."
Motivation Activated
Charmeleon's eyes lit up.
Food buff activated.
It unleashed a full-power Flamethrower.
The ResultScore: 103,420Rank: A+
Ethan nodded.
"Good enough."
Crowd Reaction
Shock.
Confusion.
Then whispers:
"Wait… Qin Yingying is first?"
"Did Ethan slack off?"
"Girlfriend debuff???"
Ethan: "…"
Who said that? Come out.
The Turning Point
Just as Ethan was about to recall his Pokémon—
Something snapped.
Charmeleon froze.
Then—
Turned back to the machine.
The Stubborn Spirit Awakens
Not enough.
Didn't beat 110k.
Unacceptable.
It attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Relentless Assault
Flamethrower after Flamethrower.
Scores flashed:
108k109k109.5k
Still not enough.
The gap remained.
Concern
Lou Yixiao frowned.
"Ethan, your Pokémon—"
"It won't stop."
Ethan sighed.
"…It's stubborn."
"Because it didn't win."
"Then stop it! It'll exhaust itself!"
The Moment
But before Ethan could act—
A system notification appeared.
Special Opportunity TriggeredSpecial Opportunity: Stubborn Little GluttonMultiplier: ×88What It Means
This wasn't just stubbornness.
This was:
ObsessionHungerPride
A Pokémon that:
Refuses to loseFights beyond limitsMotivated by food and victoryFinal Scene
In the center of the hall—
Charmeleon kept attacking.
Refusing to stop.
Refusing to accept defeat.
Even if it burned itself out—
It would surpass that score.
Because to it—
This wasn't a test.
It was a matter of pride.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/kakashiTL