After finishing the test...
Ethan brought the exhausted Vibrava out of the facility.
Remembering the previous battle, Ethan still felt a slight sense of fear.
Although Vibrava had managed to use the move Gust to create a vortex surrounding its body, forming a Wind Wall, and although it also managed to use that continuously strengthened tornado to launch an attack that defeated Gigalith, it had nearly drained all of its energy.
It had to attack and protect Ethan simultaneously; it was an enormous test for both its stamina and its concentration.
During the battle, if Vibrava had run out of strength and failed to maintain the tornado, Ethan's decision would have been extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, Vibrava didn't disappoint; it fully executed the defensive core, which also meant its defense system was finally established.
And once Ethan exited through the examinee tunnel, the testing field of the Evercove City Pokémon Trainer Guild fell silent.
Looking back on the battle, Ethan's performance had been nothing short of dazzling.
...
At the same time...
The Evercove City Pokémon Trainer Guild sent Ethan's test video to headquarters.
"President, what do you think of this Ethan?"
"Among trainers under 22 years old, whether it's the strength of his Pokémon or his command ability, he is without a doubt top-tier."
"Moreover, he placed first in last year's competition for starter Pokémon slots. Although the title 'Rookie King' is somewhat exaggerated, his strength was indeed among the most outstanding of the newcomers."
"And most importantly: he maintains a very close relationship with the Pokémon Researcher Guild. He is currently already an Advanced Pokémon Researcher, and the theory of 'New Directions in Pokémon Evolution' was proposed by him."
As the secretary read the data, the president of the Pokémon Trainer Guild could not hide his expression of surprise.
"This Ethan is excellent. Add him as a preliminary member and keep observing."
"This Pokémon World Championship—in both the youth and adult categories—we must bring home the championship. Only then can we obtain more resources to prepare for the potential fusion of the Secret Kingdoms."
The president clenched his fist tightly. His voice was grave, reflecting his absolute determination to win.
The Pokémon World Championship—as the name implies—is a massive global event. Pokémon battles, being the most popular sport in the world, naturally have their own world tournament.
The tournament is similar to the World Cup: held every four years, divided into two groups: youth and adult.
Youth: ages 18 to 22
Adult: ages 23 and up
The next World Championship would take place in June of the following year.
Ethan's birthday was in July, meaning he would be 20 years old by then, still far from the upper limit of 22.
Normally, competitors enter the World Championship at age 22, since two extra years of training makes a huge difference.
Even so, according to the president's words, although Ethan was younger, he was still added to the preliminary selection list.
...
Three days later...
After the first phase of the Advanced-level exam concluded...
Everyone who had passed received a notification and gathered in a wide plaza.
In the enormous space, groups of people could be seen talking, searching for potential allies for the trials inside the Secret Kingdoms. Everyone knew that having teammates increased the probability of surviving and passing; the more allies, the better.
Ethan stayed in a corner of the plaza, with no intention of talking to anyone.
He had spent a long time thinking about the concept of a team. A group exists to cover the shortcomings of an individual formation.
In a complete team, there must be offense, defense, support, and healing.
If a trainer lacks any of these aspects, they must form a team to compensate. Joining forces allows the group's strength to be maximized.
But if a trainer already possesses a complete enough setup, then they can explore alone; and in certain situations, the absence of teammates even offers advantages.
Of course, there is no absolute "best method"; it depends on the context. After all, a trainer can only release six Pokémon at a time, and sometimes that isn't enough.
But Ethan had a special case: he could release 12 Pokémon simultaneously, equivalent to two trainers working together.
With 12 available Pokémon, he could cover all team roles; he was practically a complete team in one person.
Additionally, all his Pokémon obeyed his orders without conflict, and he didn't have to worry about the opinions of teammates. And all the rewards would be his alone.
Above all... Ethan had too many secrets.
His ability to release 12 Pokémon at once, the knowledge he possessed about the Pokémon world... these were things he could not allow others to discover.
"That one over there is Ethan Black, right? The first-place finisher in this round of the exam."
"Yeah. But it seems he doesn't plan on joining any group."
"Even though he's strong, in a place as dangerous as the survival test, anything can happen."
"There are Pokémon in there much stronger than that Gigalith. With just a Vibrava, he won't be able to stay safe."
Several people glanced at Ethan, standing alone, wearing mocking smiles.
Every survival test had a ranking, and only the top 10 could directly pass the Advanced-level exam.
Those who fell outside the top 10 would need to go through the additional third phase.
In this situation, practically everyone was a rival: no one wanted to participate in an extra round.
(End of chapter)