"Hey brother, are you here for the League Pharmacist Guild exam too?"
A plump, round-faced man approached uninvited, acting as if he and Feng Che were old friends. "My name is Jin Sheng. I know this Guild inside and out. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
Jin Sheng patted his chest with a beaming smile. He had a well-known quirk: he loved playing the mentor to anyone who would listen.
"Sure. If I have any questions, I'll definitely consult you, Brother Jin," Feng Che replied with a strained smile, humoring the man. Even if the stranger was a bit odd, one doesn't slap a smiling face; naturally, Feng Che couldn't be too cold.
In a secluded corner of the Guild...
"Is the matter settled? Have those problematic berries been dealt with?" a sharp, neatly dressed man whispered to a Guild staff member.
"Secretary Mano, it's done as you ordered. We've mixed the problematic berries into the materials for the Junior Pharmacist exam," the staff member replied, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. If Mano weren't a Senior Pharmacist and the Guild President's favorite, no one would dare pull such a stunt.
"Relax, no one will find out. These berries have been specially treated; even a Middle-Rank Pharmacist couldn't spot the defect," Mano sneered, his eyes narrowing. "This way, we can secretly help certain 'paying' apprentices pass while I, as the head examiner, weed out the rest without a trace. Haha!"
Tempted by massive bribes from apprentices desperate to become licensed, Secretary Mano had completely fallen into corruption.
"Secretary Mano, my son's exam... I'll leave it in your hands," the staff member added, handing over an exquisite gift box with a fawning smile.
Mano took the box, his eyes glinting with greed. "Consider it done..."
Two days ago, Feng Che had used Yue's recommendation letter to register, receiving examinee number 38. There were eight examination halls, each holding a hundred candidates.
The Junior Pharmacist exam consisted of two parts: a written test and a practical demonstration. In a move to find true prodigies, the Guild had opened a "fast-track" channel: those who passed the Junior level could immediately register for the Middle-Rank exam. Normally, one had to wait a full year. Even so, people who passed both back-to-back were rare, and a triple-pass to Senior was a legend that hadn't been seen in decades.
In the President's office, President Kaneda Taro was welcoming a high-profile League figure.
"Master Agatha, your presence as the presiding head of this exam brings immense honor to our Guild," Kaneda said respectfully.
"I'm getting old, Kaneda. I'm looking for a successor, so I came to see if there's any fresh talent," the Elite Four member replied. Agatha held a white cane intricately carved with a lifelike Arbok coiling toward the top, its mouth clutching a Toxic Orb. Despite her age, she remained stylish, her golden hair held up by a wooden hairpin carved like a Muk.
"President Kaneda, the League views this exam with the utmost importance. It concerns the future of elite Pokémon breeding. Ensure there are no oversights." Agatha took a sip of hot tea.
"We will ensure everything goes smoothly, Elite Agatha. Please, rest easy," Kaneda assured her.
"Good. I'd like to walk around alone. You may go about your business." Agatha stood up and left the office. Having long since broken ties with the Agatha/Bertha clan, she had become Kanto's Ghost-type Elite Four. She was a master of toxins and shadows, and few people actually knew what she looked like in person.
"President, should we really let her wander alone?" Mano whispered.
"No. We mustn't make her feel like we're spying. Besides, she's an Elite Four member—surely she won't bother with a Junior-level exam," Kaneda mused, looking out the window.
Mano nodded, his eyes darting away. He was unsettled by Agatha's arrival but comforted himself: A Junior couldn't possibly see the tampering in those berries. Even a Middle-Rank expert would fail to notice. An Elite Four member has no reason to look at student work.
He didn't know Agatha was there specifically because of reports of corruption.
"Gengar, gather evidence," Agatha whispered as she walked. Her shadow flickered, and a purple form slipped into the walls.
The written exam consisted of ten essay questions covering medicinal properties, pharmacology, and Pokémon therapy. While difficult for most, they were child's play for a Master Breeder like Feng Che.
He scribbled furiously. Within minutes, he was finished and sat back to meditate. The rules prohibited leaving before the thirty-minute mark.
"Examiner, I wish to submit my paper."
The room went silent.
"Is he joking? Already?" "If he fails or scores below 30%, he's banned for two years. He must have given up."
The head examiner, a bald man with a fierce aura that made him look more like an underground thug than a pharmacist, looked up. "Excellent. I thought this paper was a bit tough, but it seems someone is confident. Well done, boy."
The three examiners graded it on the spot. Perfect score.
"Listen up! We grade on speed as well as accuracy," the bald examiner barked at the stunned room. "Only the top twenty who score above 90% move on. Stop staring and get back to work!"
He pointed to a door behind him. "Kid, head through there for the practical."
Feng Che walked through a long corridor into a spacious hall. He immediately spotted an old woman resting in a chair.
Agatha? Why is she here? The 'Great Figure' in my memory wasn't her, Feng Che thought, maintaining a calm facade.
"Excuse me, are you here for the exam?" Agatha asked. "I'm just a visitor who got tired of walking."
"Yes, my name is Feng Che," he said with a polite smile. He could smell the scents of multiple deadly toxins clinging to her clothes. He knew that 'carved' Arbok on her cane was a real, specially bred Pokémon, and the hairpin in her hair was a miniaturized Muk. She was a walking arsenal.
"I thought I'd be the first, but it seems someone beat me," a voice rang out. A pink-haired Nurse Joy entered the room with a Jigglypuff.
Agatha vanished before Joy even fully entered the room. Shadow Step? Feng Che marveled. I didn't even sense her leave.
More candidates trickled in. Secretary Mano entered, followed by three examiners, including the bald man.
"I am Mano, your lead examiner," he announced. "For this practical, you must brew a Junior Healing Potion. Speed and a quality rating of 'Refined' are the requirements. You have exactly one set of materials. If you ruin them, you fail."
"A Level 2 potion for a Junior exam? That's insane!" the crowd wailed.
Feng Che, however, noticed a few candidates looking smugly confident, exchanging subtle glances with Mano.
Something's wrong, Feng Che noted. A Level 2 potion is very difficult for a Junior student. To be that calm... they must have an edge.
Twenty assistants brought out trays of herbs and berries. Mano pointed to the workstations. "The equipment is custom-made. Crystal beakers and vials to maximize potency. Now, let us begin. Maintain silence."
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