"The first part of the Knight's Trial is the [Trial of Willpower]. The specific requirement for this trial is to run ten laps around the Castle of Chivalry. Both the Trainers and their Pokémon must complete all ten laps. Otherwise, it will be considered a failed trial, and the participant will be eliminated."
From the castle balcony, Wikstrom announced the rules in a booming voice.
"What?! Ten laps around the castle? And while carrying twenty or thirty pounds of extra weight?"
"..."
"..."
Hearing Wikstrom's words, the crowd that had been brimming with fighting spirit only moments ago erupted into cries of dismay. In their eyes, this trial was practically hell-level difficulty.
Pokémon Trainers were extraordinary professionals whose combat power was concentrated primarily in their Pokémon. The various forms of training they usually carried out were aimed at their Pokémon, while Trainers themselves rarely exercised alongside them. Even when they did work out, they usually only did so casually and never to an excessive degree.
The Castle of Chivalry they were standing in now occupied a considerable area. One lap was nearly a kilometer, meaning ten laps would be roughly ten kilometers. And on top of that, everyone had to wear weighted training vests carrying thirty pounds of additional weight.
The examination looked extremely simple on the surface, but in reality, it was incredibly demanding—at least for the Trainers around them who rarely subjected their own bodies to serious physical training.
"Misty, Clemont, Tierno, Trevor. What about you guys? No problem, right?"
After the requirements for the first trial were announced and cries of misery rose all around them, Ash turned his head and asked the people beside him.
"(*￣︿￣) No problem."
Misty smiled and nodded.
As someone determined to become the world's greatest Water-type Pokémon Master, she had always used Ash as the benchmark for her own training.
There was no need to explain how intense Ash's training was as a Psychic. Although Misty couldn't match him completely, the intensity of her own training was still considerable. Her physical conditioning was far beyond that of the so-called "delicate flower" Trainers around them who had never properly trained their bodies.
"I'm fine too."
Tierno beside them nodded confidently.
Despite his chubby appearance, Tierno's side career as a dancer meant that he exercised frequently. His apparent "fatness" was mostly due to a relatively high body-fat percentage; he still possessed plenty of stamina, strength, and muscle.
"I should be fine too!"
Trevor put on the weighted training vest fitted with iron plates and tested its weight. Surprisingly, he wasn't even breathing heavily, let alone showing any strain.
"Trevor, don't you find it heavy?"
Seeing that Trevor looked rather thin yet could carry thirty pounds of weight without showing the slightest pressure, Clemont was extremely surprised.
"Hehe Cousin, you don't know this, but whenever I go out into the wilderness to take photographs, I carry my digital camera and all sorts of other equipment. Once you add everything together, it's not much lighter than this. After doing that all the time, I ended up training myself without even realizing it~"
Trevor laughed as he explained.
"All right... I really didn't expect that I'd be the only one among us who feels pressured by this."
Clemont had originally thought that his younger cousin, who looked just as thin and frail as he did, would struggle with the upcoming trial. He never expected that he would end up being the weak link himself.
"It's fine. Everyone should just do their best. It's only a trial, after all, and it doesn't have much practical significance. It's not an official competition." Ash comforted him.
"Mm-hmm..."
"All participants, take your positions! The first trial of the Knight's Trial—the [Trial of Willpower]—officially begins!!"
Once all the participating Trainers and their Pokémon had put on their weighted vests and taken their positions at the starting line, a staff member loudly announced the beginning of the trial.
"Smack~!"
"Charge!!"
"I absolutely have to pass the Knight's Trial and earn the Knight's Honor Badge!"
"Not only am I going to pass the Knight's Trial, I'm going to place in the top three! I'm going to win the knight's armor!"
"...."
"..."
Although the Trainers had wailed in despair when Wikstrom first announced the requirements of the first trial, now that the trial had officially begun, they once again rallied their spirits and surged forward.
"Then let's go too. Know your limits, and stay together with your Pokémon partners." Ash said something to the companions beside him before setting off with Fearow.
As a Psychic—and an unprecedented dual Psychic at that—both his [Viridian Force] and [Aura Power] had tempered and strengthened his body to a level no weaker than a Fighting-type Pokémon of the same rank.
And Fearow was a Pokémon. Its physical qualities went without saying.
For Ash and Fearow, wearing thirty pounds of additional weight and running ten laps around the Castle of Chivalry was practically child's play.
Although they had waited until the main group had rushed ahead before setting off, Ash and Fearow maintained a steady pace and felt no pressure whatsoever.
While catching up to the large group that had sprinted at full speed from the very beginning, Ash also took the opportunity to observe the other companions behind him.
Immediately behind him were Misty and her Pokémon, Azumarill.
Azumarill was the Pokémon Ash had caught and given to Misty more than half a year ago. Misty's Marill had now already evolved into its final form, Azumarill.
Azumarill possessed the [Huge Power] Ability and followed a brutally powerful physical-combat style, essentially a dragon-slaying warrior who specialized in close-range physical attacks. It had undergone plenty of physical training, so carrying thirty pounds of extra weight while running around the Castle of Chivalry was hardly a problem.
Behind Misty was Tierno.
The Pokémon Tierno had brought to participate in the trial was the Poliwag that Ash and Gary had previously helped him capture through remote video assistance. It had since evolved into Poliwhirl.
Its round body, huge rolling eyes, and fists that looked as though they were wearing white gloves made it look especially goofy and adorable.
Behind Tierno was Trevor.
The Pokémon Trevor had brought to participate was the Sandshrew that Gary had remotely helped him catch through video assistance half a year ago. It had now evolved into its final form, Sandslash.
And just as Ash expected, running at the very back was Clemont—the science otaku who normally preferred staying in his laboratory conducting scientific experiments.
Although this was only the first lap and they had just started running, Clemont was already exhausted and panting heavily, bent over as he leaned against Heliolisk.
Clemont didn't ask Ash and the others to wait for him, and Ash didn't wait either. He simply continued forward with the others.
This wasn't the time to worry about camaraderie or sticking together.
The ultimate reward for this afternoon's Knight's Trial was merely a Knight's Honor Badge, while the top three would receive a set of knight's armor.
Clemont wasn't particularly interested in rewards like these in the first place. If this had been the Pokémon Summer Camp from before, where participants could obtain their starter Pokémon in advance as a reward, then Ash naturally would never have abandoned his friend Clemont, no matter what.
Besides, Clemont hadn't originally been interested in this afternoon's Knight's Trial at all. The only reason he had signed up was because he was the Lumiose Gym Leader. As a subordinate leader within the League, he wanted to show the proper respect to Wikstrom, one of the Kalos League's Elite Four.