"Question 10: What is the official base power rating of Chansey's Egg Bomb?"
"100!"
Kael answered without the slightest hesitation. Fortunately, when he had once planned his ideal team composition, Chansey had always been his top choice for team medic. Back then, he had deliberately studied a great deal of important information about Chansey.
He hadn't expected that knowledge to come in handy during today's assessment. It only proved that nothing learned was ever truly wasted.
"Alright," Nurse Joy said with her hands clasped behind her back, eyes narrowing into a playful smile. "You may now choose one of these five Pokémon to be your future partner."
"The assessment's over?" Cole was the first to speak up, confusion written all over his face. "Wait, Nurse Joy, didn't you say there were three parts?"
"Mr. Kael performed so well," she replied confidently, "that I've decided to waive the third test."
Yet Kael caught a glimmer of cunning in her eyes. It couldn't possibly be that simple. And hearing Cole mention a third test made his heart tighten.
It felt as though a pit lay ahead, waiting for him to step into it. One wrong choice—and everything he'd achieved so far might be undone.
The five Chansey were identical in appearance—like quintuplets. Same height. Same build. No visible difference whatsoever.
Kael didn't have overly demanding requirements for his team's medic. She didn't need to be exceptionally strong or possess extraordinary potential. She only needed to provide timely healing during future group battles.
Without hesitation, Kael walked straight toward the Chansey closest to him—the one sitting in a chair, carefully studying a medical atlas.
"Hello. May I get to know you?" he asked gently, crouching down.
"Lucky!"
Chansey were famously kind Pokémon. Even faced with a sudden stranger, she responded with goodwill. Setting aside her medical book, she politely extended her small, soft hand and lightly touched Kael's palm.
Beyond their well-known gentleness, Chansey were also sensitive Pokémon. From the young man's eyes, she saw genuine affection. From his emotions, she felt optimism and warmth.
At that moment, Nurse Joy approached and bent down beside them.
"This is the Trainer big sister chose for you," she said softly. "Are you willing to travel with him?"
Chansey hesitated. She turned to look at the other four, who were still working and studying. Hearing Nurse Joy's words, they quickly set aside their tasks and hurried over, their round bodies wobbling as they ran.
"Lucky~ Lucky~"
Their cries filled the room, the sound of "luck" echoing continuously. The four sisters gazed at her with reluctance in their eyes—one of them even blinking back tears.
In that moment, the richness of Pokémon emotion was on full display. They too felt sorrow at parting from their companions.
"Lulu, what are they saying?" Kael asked silently in his mind.
"They're saying they don't want big sister to leave," Lulu replied through telepathy. "The one you chose seems to be their leader."
"Nurse Joy," Kael said gently, "if her sisters truly don't want her to leave, then I'll give up the permanent breeding rights. I don't feel right forcibly separating them."
"Lucky!"
The Chansey he had chosen suddenly looked angry. She turned toward her four crying sisters and called out sharply.
She tapped each of them firmly on the head in turn, scolding them with a series of emphatic "Lucky! Lucky!" cries.
Lulu translated again: "She says she trusts Sister Joy's judgment. Whether she stays at the Pokémon Center or travels with a Trainer, she will be the best nurse she can be. Her sisters should be happy for her."
Nurse Joy's previously gentle tone suddenly turned serious.
"If you had hesitated while choosing—if you'd examined them like merchandise, picking and comparing—even if you had performed perfectly before that, I would never have let you pass the third test."
Only then did Kael fully understand. The final choice—the way he selected his partner—had been the most crucial assessment of all.
....
At the entrance of the Pokémon Center, the sun now hung high in the sky. Early-rising Trainers paused on the steps, staring with curiosity—and more than a hint of jealousy—at the scene below.
For many Trainers, Nurse Joy had been their first dream girl when they set out on their journeys. Her pure beauty, graceful figure, and eternally gentle voice.
And now, that very dream girl was looking at a young man with unmistakable reluctance.
"So what if he's got the looks?" someone grumbled under their breath.
"Please… take good care of this child," Nurse Joy said softly, handing over Chansey's Poké Ball. "I know that one day they will all leave me. I just didn't expect that day to come so soon."
"The moment I chose her, she became family," Kael said solemnly. "That's a man's promise."
He accepted the Poké Ball from Nurse Joy. Truthfully, he was delighted.
You would never encounter Chansey in the wild. And even if you obtained one through special channels, without an official breeding certificate issued by Nurse Joy, the League would immediately reclaim her if discovered.
To have secured Chansey so smoothly, the person he owed most was Cole, who had arranged the introduction. For someone who usually seemed unreliable, he had come through when it mattered most.
Sensing the look in Kael's eyes, Cole placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head at a 45° angle, reverting to his usual smug grin.
"Well? Feeling like I'm pretty damn impressive right about now?"
Kael laughed helplessly—then, amid Cole's teasing, raised his middle finger.