Ka! Snap!
Venomoth fluttered its wings covered in a thin layer of ice shards, momentarily stunned.
The purple fur on Venonat was clumped together, as if it was splashed with cold water and tossed into a fridge.
“While the effect of Castform’s Hail is not even half as strong as Rain Dance, if aided by a massive rainfall, converting the rain into ice and snow could enhance its power significantly.”
“Yet this transformation is cumbersome, reliant on the initial Rain Dance, making it more time consuming than simply summoning Hail.”
Terrance observed Venomoth and Venonat, their movements temporarily hindered. Mismagius and Castform took advantage: one created an endless Illusionary Space to wear down Venomoth’s reactions, while the other blew over delicate snowflakes, knocking Leppa Berries off the trees one after another.
Terrance and his two Pokémon hurriedly dashed forward, picking up the about ten Leppa Berries and throwing them into his backpack. Before Venonat and Venomoth could react, they slipped away swiftly.
“That was impressively quick; it shouldn’t be his first time doing this…” Examiner Joy was startled as she watched Terrance’s fluid actions. From the moment he discovered the Leppa Berries, his goal was clear: he wasn’t trying to defeat the Pokémon in front of him, but to steal the Leppa Berries. Using Snowy Day and the illusion skill to immobilize Venomoth and Venonat was quite clever.
“Castform’s abilities are ridiculous; not just any Trainer could raise it. As for Mismagius…I was puzzled for a long time, but it seems it must be a psychic attack that interferes with the opponent.”
Examiner Joy quietly jotted down notes.
On the second day of the combat assessment, Terrance and his two Pokémon, Mismagius and Castform, easily obtained Leppa Berries from dozens of Venomoth and Venonat, moving in and out with ease.
…
After obtaining the Leppa Berries, Terrance, Mismagius, and Castform returned to the cave.
Examiner Joy had arrived much earlier than Terrance. When he spotted her, she was leaning against the mountain, lost in thought.
“Thirteen Leppa Berries; if used sparingly… it might suffice,” Terrance poured out all his harvest, planning to process them further. Eating them raw would be a waste, as the nutrients would be easily lost. Terrance wanted to find some more ingredients to mix with them.
Next, he stopped Arcanine and Beautifly and told them to rest, balancing work with relaxation.
At this moment, Examiner Joy strolled into the cave, looking bored.
Terrance’s steady approach made her feel that there was no need for her as an examiner.
If Terrance encountered danger, at least she could have lended a hand and it won’t be so boring.
Seeing Terrance plan everything so orderly, Lucy Joy let out a sigh and suddenly felt a bit depressed.
Initially, she had thought Gym Trainer evaluation to be quite interesting, but now she realized handling bizarre incidents was far more fun.
Elsewhere.
At the edge of the deserted island.
Altaria landed on a sheer cliff, gazing out at the endless ocean with a deep, contemplative expression.
Flying all the way from the center of the island, Altaria crossed countless Pokémon territories. It was targeted by many Pokémon, but these attackers were all repelled by Altaria. Understanding that Altaria was not easy to deal with, they let it go.
Some Pokémon, stubborn and unwilling to relent, continued fighting until Altaria utterly crushed them and their will to resist.
Its snow-white cotton feathers were without any dust, and although the azure body appeared to have no major injuries, there were countless tiny scars.
Being mildly obsessive about cleanliness, Altaria couldn’t tolerate dirt. After each fight, it used Refresh to clean its body.
Terrance had tasked it with exploring the island, but Altaria had only completed half the journey when it stopped here on the cliff, reminiscing about its time at Mt. Chimney.
Compared to Altaria who is the overlord of Mt. Chimney, it’s strength was on the verge of surpassing its mother’s. Under the right conditions, it might even emerge victorious against her in an all-out battle.
Master Victor had once told Terrance that Mt. Chimney’s Altaria was as strong as Pokémon trained by the Elite Four. Based on Terrance’s current understanding, this strength might not match the main or ace Pokémon of the Elite Four member, but it was close to powerful Pokémon that are almost at the second tier.
After all, how many Trainers like Terrance have debuted for three years, but have only just caught six Pokémon?
If it weren’t for his plans to establish a Gym, this three-year deadline might have stretched even further…
Every Elite Four typically captures dozens of Pokémon, if not more.
“Alt~aria~~~~~~~~”
Altaria let out a loud cry, scaring away a bunch of weak Pokémon on the ground. As a sea breeze blew in, Altaria once again flapped its wings and soared into the sky.
A Wurmple on the ground caught a glimpse of Altaria’s azure figure and didn’t even dare peek out, hiding in the grass until it passed.
Three years ago, Altaria’s first battle had been against a Wurmple. It had nearly lost, saved only by its unexpected awakening of the Inherited Move Feather Dance.
Now, as it soared through the skies of the deserted island, Altaria slowly began to have the demeanor of its mother. From the inside out, its temperament had undergone a huge change, which is due to the confidence that comes from strength.
Meanwhile, Terrance set out in another direction, continuing his search for ingredients to prepare potions for his Pokémon while also gathering more food.
It was almost noon now, and while there was still plenty of food left from last night, it wasn’t enough to last seven days. Better to collect more now than risk running out later.
Seeing Terrance venture out again, Examiner Joy rubbed her eyes, not in the mood to follow. After just one day with him, she’d realized this kid was unlikely to put himself in any danger.
Still, adhering to her professional duties as an examiner, she followed from a distance.
This time, Terrance brought Beautifly and Mismagius, leaving Castform and Arcanine behind.
With two Pokémon by his side, he felt confident no major accidents would happen. At worst, he could always flee. Even if an accident happens, wasn’t Examiner Joy still following him? If the scoring is a bit lower, so be it; it can’t be that just one mistake will result in failing the assessment, right?
But Terrance couldn’t help but admire Joy’s dedication. Despite the harsh environment, she stayed close, documenting his every move for scoring. The Joy family really kept their talents hidden; each member was extraordinary.
Humming a tune, Terrance walked leisurely down the path Beautifly cleared for him.
Behind him, Examiner Joy watched his relaxed demeanor and glanced at her notes, which seemed to match the description “walking unobstructed.” Thinking about his age, and the fact that he actually had the level of a Gym Trainer, Examiner Joy felt a bit dizzy.
But he wasn’t a Gym Trainer inheriting a legacy Gym from his family—this was a completely new Gym being evaluated from scratch.
Although they are all Gym Trainers, the concepts are worlds apart. If this boy truly becomes a Gym Trainer, would he be Hoenn’s youngest first-generation Gym Leader? Examiner Joy felt it was necessary to look up information on the various Gyms afterward.
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