"Hey!"
"It's already past three—why are you still working? Time for tea!"
Brock set food on the table. Since the Energy Cubes Ash had made earlier were practically inedible, they had all been dumped onto Gyarados. The rest of them could only fill their stomachs with a light afternoon tea.
Ash felt a little cheated.
Making Energy Cubes required a deep understanding of different Berries and their properties to create flavors suited for various Pokémon species.
So after spending a day and a half completing the win-streak mission, the reward wasn't immediately that useful.
That said, all the battles had greatly increased his Pokémon's levels.
Although the opponents weren't very strong, Pikachu, already at Elite Tier, had risen from Lv. 30 to Lv. 34.
Gyarados had also advanced to Elite Tier, reaching Lv. 30.
Pidgeotto was slightly behind at Lv. 28.
And Butterfree, holding the Lucky Egg, had gained an enormous amount of experience, skyrocketing from Lv. 15 to Lv. 26.
That leveling speed was simply terrifying.
After finishing their simple afternoon meal, Ash and his group continued their journey.
The forest they were traveling through felt strange. A dense fog hung everywhere, making visibility extremely low. Even when Pidgeotto was sent flying above to scout, it could barely see anything clearly.
At most, it managed to spot a building with a Pokémon emblem off to the side.
It turned out to be a Pokémon Trainer School for elites.
Ash, unlike his childhood friend Gary, wasn't wealthy enough to attend a Pokémon school outside of town.
The Pokémon Research School, also called a Trainer Preparatory Academy, allowed students who graduated from it to obtain Pokémon League tournament eligibility in a short time—even if they hadn't traveled to Gyms to collect badges.
Because of this, it was a school many aspiring Trainers dreamed of attending.
However…
The tuition was extremely expensive. Ordinary families would have to scrape together everything they had just to barely afford it.
"Pidgeotto says we should head left," Ash said.
They had already lost their sense of direction, so they decided to stop by the academy and ask for directions.
After walking a while, they finally arrived.
Even the school gate looked luxurious, and the guard booth had several air conditioners running.
"Sir, we're a bit lo—"
Ash hadn't finished speaking before the "security guard" interrupted him.
"What 'sir'? I'm a student here!"
The person turned around angrily.
"Sorry, big bro," Ash quickly apologized. "Could you tell us which way leads to Vermilion City?"
It was understandable.
Their school uniform looked exactly like a security guard's outfit from behind.
"I'm not 'big bro.' My name is Joe," the student said irritably.
"I'm in the beginner class."
"The beginner qualification is roughly equivalent to having two Gym Badges."
"The intermediate class is about the same as four badges, and advanced graduates can directly participate in the Pokémon League Conference without challenging Gyms."
Brock followed up with an explanation.
"In that case, I'd probably only count as beginner level here," Ash said thoughtfully while rubbing his chin.
If he studied here until the advanced level, he wouldn't even need to travel collecting badges.
"Probably not," Joe said seriously after thinking for a moment.
"Even someone like me in the beginner class—with average grades—is stronger than Trainers who only have two badges."
"We determine it through computer testing."
"Tch. What's the point of computer tests?" Misty retorted.
"Pokémon battles depend on fundamentals and on-the-spot reactions."
Ash nodded in agreement.
Battles in reality were very different from game simulations.
A fast Pokémon could completely dodge attacks, use the terrain, and adapt in countless ways.
Real battles were influenced by many factors—it definitely wasn't a simple turn-based exchange of moves.
"Don't believe me?" Joe said.
He glanced at the time.
"Practical class isn't over yet. I'll show you."
He led them to the computer lab. It was empty, though the machines were still running.
"Look at the Pokémon I selected," Joe said while operating a computer.
"The type advantages completely crush Pewter Gym and Cerulean Gym."
On the screen, he started a simulated battle.
A Weepinbell easily defeated both Gym leaders in the program.
Brock chuckled softly.
He paid little attention to the computer's data—purely programmed results rarely reflected reality.
"That's just virtual," Ash said.
"How about we try a real battle instead?"
Anyone could play games.
Ash didn't consider that impressive.
"Fine. Let's do it," Joe replied.
Before Ash could continue, Misty pushed him aside.
Seeing on the computer screen that Starmie had been one-shot by Weepinbell was unbearable to her.
She couldn't tolerate someone insulting the Pokémon of Cerulean Gym.
"Let's go outside," Brock suggested.
"There are computers everywhere here. If water gets on them, we'll never be able to pay for the damages. This academy uses top-tier equipment."
"Yeah, let's battle outside," Ash said, lying lazily across a chair.
Soon, Joe led them to the battlefield area.
There were many battlefields here, each about the size of a basketball court.
"Which battlefield do you want?" Joe asked.
He let Misty choose to avoid any excuses later—like claiming Water-type Pokémon needed water terrain to perform properly.
"A standard flat field is enough," Misty replied.
She could tell Joe was trying to give her an advantage, but she refused to accept favors.
She wanted to defeat him fairly and prove the strength of a Cerulean Gym Trainer.
"Alright."
Joe released Weepinbell.
"Go, Starmie!" Misty called.
She intended to defeat the Grass-type Weepinbell with her Water-type Pokémon to prove the capability of Cerulean Gym.
Pokémon: Weepinbell – Lv. 26
Pokémon: Starmie – Lv. 28
The levels were close.
However, Weepinbell had the type advantage.
Overall, it should have been favored to win.
"You can attack first," Joe said confidently.
With type advantage on his side, he wasn't worried.
How arrogant.
Misty didn't hesitate.
"Starmie, Swift!"
Star-shaped projectiles shot out rapidly.
"Vine Whip!"
Weepinbell extended two vines to block the attack.
Even so, it was pushed back several steps and took noticeable damage.
"Now, Leech Seed!" Joe ordered.
He intended to drain Starmie's health over time.
But Misty's next move shocked him.
"Rapid Spin!"
Starmie spun rapidly like a propeller, deflecting the incoming Leech Seed before charging straight into Weepinbell.
"Finish it—Psybeam!"
A dazzling beam shot from the red gem at the center of Starmie's body, striking the airborne Weepinbell directly.
Now it was Misty's turn to be the Type-Disadvantage Master.
When Misty got serious, she didn't talk much.
Her strength completely overwhelmed the beginner student.
"This… this can't be real!"
Joe stared in disbelief.
Not only had Leech Seed been deflected, but his Weepinbell had been finished by a fast combo attack.
They had never taught that in class.
Leech Seed could actually be knocked away?
And a Grass-type Weepinbell losing to a Water-type Starmie…
It was completely different from the results of the computer simulations.
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