Question 7
"Beedrill's hidden ability is Swarm? O or X?"
'Although it's a free point question, isn't this a bit too careless...' Red thought helplessly as he pressed X. If real-world Beedrill's ability was truly as this question suggested, then Beedrill wouldn't be so despised by third-rate trainers.
Ash also pressed X. He still had a general understanding of his big brother's starter Pokémon's knowledge.
Question 8
"Koffing was first discovered in a bathhouse? O or X?"
Both Red and Ash simultaneously chose X. This question was equally ridiculous—Koffing feeds on polluted air, so it would be impossible for it to appear in a bathhouse.
According to rumors, Koffing's birth was due to some chemical factory explosion, which gave birth to the Pokémon species. Of course, this was just a rumor, and the truth still awaited scientific evidence.
Question 9
"Marill's nickname is Dragon Slayer? O or X?"
Red helplessly pressed X. How had his joking nickname from back then also become an exam question?
If they were really going by nicknames, its evolved form, Azumarill, would be the one worthy of being called Dragon Slayer, specifically referring to Azumarill with the Huge Power ability—a trait that doubled its physical attack power.
Ash pondered for a moment. Due to the overly similar official names of Marill and Azumarill, the memory-confused trainer regrettably chose O.
The first multiple-choice exam ended here. Since most were basic questions, many candidates breathed a sigh of relief, excited about achieving such high scores.
After finishing the questions, Ash also showed the same joyful smile as many other candidates, clearly very satisfied with his performance.
'Good thing I usually urged Ash to supplement his Pokémon knowledge...' Red glanced at the excited Ash beside him and couldn't help but smile slightly, feeling pleased for his earnest little brother.
Since they were still in the exam, Red didn't talk to Ash to avoid being suspected of cheating and being forced to leave the exam hall.
Second Round
"The second written test will assess your recognition of Pokémon," the examiner announced. "Here we will show Pokémon silhouettes and body parts. Please guess what Pokémon they are."
After speaking, the examiner pointed to the large screen behind him, but the observant Red noticed the examiner's slight smile, as if anticipating what would happen next.
'The first round was just an appetizer for you rookies. The upcoming questions will be enough to shake your confidence.'
"That question is about to appear..." Red muttered under his breath.
"Great, this time I'm going to get them all right too," Ash said confidently.
Behind Ash, Jessie and James also clenched their fists, determined to score points on this exam.
"So the first question—what Pokémon is this?"
The examiner pointed to the pitch-black sphere on the large screen behind him, having candidates write their answers on the screens in front of them.
"What, this is too easy—it's Electrode," Ash laughed, thinking he had written the correct answer.
Jessie wrote down Voltorb, while James ridiculously wrote down Poké Ball. Despite being a noble young master, he preferred playing around and hadn't memorized any Pokémon knowledge.
Knowing the correct answer, Red wrote down "Jigglypuff viewed from above."
"So the correct answer is..."
The black shadow behind the examiner gradually lit up, and Jigglypuff curled into a ball appeared on the computer screen.
"Jigglypuff viewed from above!"
"No way!" all three exclaimed in unison.
Ash, Jessie, and James nearly fainted. What kind of question was this?
Seeing the bewildered expressions of many candidates, the examiner habitually smiled. This question was designed to mess with people, to shake candidates' confidence and make them hesitant to write down answers.
This was cruel psychological warfare!
"Hmm? There's actually a candidate who got the answer right?"
The examiner looked puzzledly toward Red's position. After carefully observing Red's face, he finally realized Red's true identity.
'I never expected such an important person would also take the certification exam. It seems he's here to accompany the young man beside him.'
The examiner guessed, also recognizing that Red and Ash were brothers.
"Second question—what Pokémon has this pattern?"
A spiral pattern appeared on the large screen behind the examiner.
Red unhesitatingly wrote down Poliwag.
Ash chose Poliwhirl.
Jessie wrote down a coiled Arbok, while James ridiculously wrote down Slowpoke's shell.
"The correct answer is Poliwag!"
The examiner announced the answer, and the large screen behind him also displayed Poliwag's image.
Ash, Jessie, and James all collapsed again simultaneously.
"This one is often confused," the examiner explained. "After Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl, the spiral pattern on its belly reverses."
"Eh, so difficult," Misty said in surprise from outside the exam hall.
"These are all advanced questions!" Brock agreed.
Standing outside the examination room, Misty and Brock couldn't help but worry about Ash, since he didn't look like someone who loved studying.
The exam continued, and before they knew it, they had reached question 15.
"What Pokémon has this kind of tail?"
The large screen displayed an image of a flaming tail, but careful observers could see this was actually a mane of flames.
Red wrote down Ponyta as his answer, while Ash beside him was still debating whether it was Charmander, Charmeleon, or Charizard.
"The correct answer is Ponyta!"
"How is this possible..." Ash said helplessly, —Another wrong answer.
"At least give me one question I know!" Jessie, who hadn't scored any points, said angrily, forcefully slapping the table and standing up.
"Sit down!" the examiner scolded, telling Jessie not to disturb the exam hall order.
"What a joke! How could anyone become a Pokémon Master with questions like these!" Jessie persisted, giving the examiner no face.
"A so-called Pokémon Master must be able to face any kind of Pokémon question calmly and coolly, mastering Pokémon ecology," the examiner explained with measured authority. "Otherwise they can't become one!"
This statement wasn't just for Jessie's benefit, but for all the other candidates as well.
"I can't stand it! Who knows what you're talking about—I've had enough!"
Jessie said angrily, directly throwing the pen in her hand to the ground.
"You're disqualified!"
Seeing Jessie's defiant behavior, the examiner finally blew his whistle, declaring Jessie's exam void.
"I wouldn't want to stay in a place like this anyway!"
After cursing, Jessie violently threw her exam number from her chest to the ground, then slammed the door and left.
"Jessie..." James said in shock, not reacting for a moment.
"How pitiful..." Nurse Joy said worriedly, mistakenly thinking Jessie was under too much pressure.
"That attitude seems familiar..." Ash complained.
The angrily departing Jessie found Meowth dozing in the backyard and kicked him awake. "Let's start the operation. I've decided—I must get revenge!"
In his confused state, Meowth was inexplicably dragged away by the furious Jessie.
Results
The written test section finally ended, and many candidates gathered in the hall, wanting to check their scores through the large screen display.
The scores were divided into three categories: "Excellent Work," "Good Work," and "Needs Improvement."
Red and the others learned their scores through the large screen in the hall. Red naturally claimed first place on the "Excellent Work" list, while Nurse Joy from Fuchsia City achieved third place.
"I never expected Ash to appear on the 'Good Work' list!" Misty said in surprise, looking at the silly-grinning Ash with disbelief.
"Although it's at the bottom of the list, it's still a decent theoretical score," Brock agreed.
"I never expected the reckless Ash to achieve such results," Todd said in amazement.
"What do you mean? I'm smart too," Ash said helplessly, rolling his eyes.
In the corner area, there was also a small screen that read "Needs Much More Effort." James naturally appeared on it, while Jessie had "DISQUALIFIED" written clearly in a red box below.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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