Jubilife City Pokémon Center, lounge area.
Wayne and Alan continued their conversation while the two young women, Claire and Autumn, huddled together on the other side of the room. Their quiet chatter effectively isolated the self-assured woman named Iris, who sat alone with an air of confidence that suggested she had already claimed first place.
The young woman who had administered the exam entered the lounge, holding a printed sheet. She read the results with a professional smile:
"Wayne, 97 points. Claire, 88 points. Iris, 81 points. Autumn, 77 points. Alan, 73 points. Congratulations to all of you on advancing to the second round."
She paused before continuing, "For the second round of the examination, Pokémon selection will be prioritized based on your first-round scores."
Alan's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't help but blurt out, "Damn! What kind of monster are you?"
The two young women, Claire and Autumn, also glanced sideways at Wayne with newfound curiosity. They had assumed Wayne was simply taking it easy during the first round, but these results told a different story entirely. Was he actually a prodigy?
Iris's face flushed with indignation. "How is that even possible? This is absolutely absurd!"
The thought of Wayne completing a 97-point answer sheet in less than forty minutes was beyond her comprehension.
The young woman maintained her calm demeanor. "The exam was graded by computer. If you have any concerns about the accuracy, you're welcome to request a review of Mr. Wayne's test paper."
Iris immediately raised her hand. "I object! I want to see his answers!"
The young woman sighed softly, clearly having expected this reaction. "Very well. Please follow me."
Driven by curiosity, Claire and Autumn decided to tag along as well.
After examining Wayne's answer sheet in detail, Iris fell silent. Her earlier confidence had evaporated completely.
"Aren't you going to say something like 'Don't underestimate me just because I'm young'?" Wayne thought to himself, watching Iris's stunned expression.
Iris suddenly became aware that her earlier attitude must have made her look like a villain in some story.
No one suspected Wayne of cheating. The test questions were randomly assembled from an extensive question bank, and the format varied with each administration. Before sitting for the exam, no one knew what types of questions would appear or how many multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, or true-false questions there would be.
Wayne's score of 97 points could only mean one thing: he genuinely had the knowledge and skill to back it up.
Alan, who stood more than half a head taller than Wayne, clapped him on the shoulder with genuine admiration. "As expected from someone whose family runs a Breeding House! That family legacy really shows. I definitely need to visit your place for an interview in the next couple of days."
Iris, who had been quiet for some time, suddenly asked, "Your family runs a Breeding House?"
Wayne nodded. "That's right. I've been learning from my grandfather since I was little."
"I see. That explains it," Iris said quietly.
The young woman spoke up at the right moment. "If Ms. Iris has no further objections, shall we proceed with the second round of the assessment?"
The second round was straightforward in its structure.
The young woman led the group to a specialized room where five Pokémon waited. Electrike, Marill, Cherubi, Glameow, and Skorupi were arranged in separate areas of the space.
"Each of you will choose one Pokémon to manage and then prepare a food item for it," the young woman explained. "Our judges will score your performance based on multiple criteria."
While she was explaining the task, Wayne glanced around the room and noticed several surveillance cameras mounted in the corners. They were probably watching from a monitoring station somewhere.
"Please note that all five of these Pokémon have particular dietary preferences and can be quite picky," the young woman continued. "According to the first-round rankings, Mr. Wayne will make his selection first."
Wayne pointed to the small, green-furred canine Pokémon sitting in the corner. "I choose Electrike."
Wayne's choice caught everyone by surprise.
Conventional wisdom suggested that choosing Marill, Cherubi, or Glameow would be the safer option. Marill might spray a Water Gun at worst if displeased, but Electrike could deliver an electric shock if it became unhappy with its handler!
The selections proceeded in order of the first-round scores. By the time Alan's turn arrived, only Skorupi remained.
Alan didn't seem fazed by this. He clapped his hands together and smiled broadly. "Come on, little Skorupi. Let's work together."
Looking up at the tall Alan, Skorupi visibly tensed, a bead of nervous sweat forming on its carapace. The Poison and Bug-type Pokémon, which had initially wanted to show off its fierce nature, obediently followed Alan instead.
Wayne put on a pair of insulating gloves and selected a non-conductive brush from the variety of grooming tools available.
"Electrike, come here," Wayne said calmly.
He sat down on the floor and produced an Energy Cube from his pocket. The sweet aroma immediately captured Electrike's attention.
When Wayne revealed the Energy Cube, the other Pokémon in the room were instantly drawn to it as well. Glameow, in particular, swallowed unconsciously, its eyes fixed on the treat.
[Ding! Obtained 109 points of Energy Cube proficiency]
Meanwhile, in the adjacent monitoring room, several judges, including Joy, watched the five examinees intently through multiple screens.
"Alan has quite a commanding presence," one judge observed. "Even Skorupi seems intimidated by him."
"There are advantages and disadvantages to that," another judge replied. "Being too imposing can sometimes make it difficult to build trust with Pokémon."
"Look at this," a third judge noted. "Insulating gloves, non-conductive brush... Master Lionel's grandson has very solid fundamentals when it comes to breeding knowledge."
"Indeed," Joy agreed. "Electrike stores electricity in its fur, which makes brushing an essential part of its care routine. His preparation shows he understands the basics perfectly."
"Now let's see how he actually brushes its fur," the first judge said. "If he can't make Electrike feel comfortable and secure, he might still get shocked."
An elderly judge's eyes suddenly lit up with interest. "Oh! That's a high-quality Energy Cube! It appears to be an Oran Berry Energy Cube designed for stamina restoration."
Energy Cubes were classified into four quality tiers: low, medium, high, and perfect. As Wayne's Energy Cube-making skills had improved over time, he'd gained the ability to produce high-quality variants with increasing consistency.
Joy looked slightly puzzled. "Why would he choose Oran Berry specifically?"
Oran Berry had a complex flavor profile, combining spicy, sour, bitter, and astringent notes in a way that somehow created a surprisingly pleasant combination.
"If Wayne made this himself, he's remarkably talented for someone his age," one judge commented.
"It could have been made by Master Lionel," another judge suggested.
"That's certainly possible," the first judge conceded.
While the judges continued their discussion, Wayne had already begun grooming Electrike's fur. Apart from the risk of electric shock, grooming Electrike wasn't particularly difficult. He simply needed to brush along the direction of the fur growth with steady, gentle strokes.
Throughout the entire process, Electrike rested its head comfortably on Wayne's lap, cooperating fully no matter how Wayne handled it. The Electric-type Pokémon's body language radiated contentment.
He was awarded a perfect score. "Fur management: full marks. Electrike's body language clearly indicates that it's very comfortable with the handling."
"Now let's observe how he prepares the food," another judge said.
For the food preparation portion, examinees could choose to make simple dishes or tackle more challenging options like Poffins and Energy Cubes.
An Energy Cube maker sat in the corner of the exam room, and Wayne selected the model he typically used at home.
"He's going to make an Energy Cube," one judge noted with interest.
Wayne carefully removed the inner lining of the machine, inspecting it thoroughly to ensure it was properly cleaned and free of any residual odors that might affect the flavor.
Joy nodded with approval. "He's even considering the potential mixing of flavors from previous uses. Very meticulous attention to detail."
Wayne had already used an Oran Berry Energy Cube earlier and had roughly determined Electrike's taste preferences based on its reaction. Continuing with Oran Berry would be the safe choice. There was definitely no risk of error with this approach.
Among the pile of available Oran Berries, he used his Identification ability to select several specimens of particularly good quality.
Approximately twenty minutes later, the crystal-clear Energy Cube that emerged from the machine surprised even Wayne himself.
His Identification ability provided the answer.
[A nearly perfect Oran Berry Energy Cube]
Nearly perfect quality!
This was the best Energy Cube Wayne had ever produced to date. The achievement filled him with quiet satisfaction.
A pleasant fragrance filled the air, and the sounds of Pokémon swallowing in anticipation echoed throughout the room.
The elderly judge suddenly stood up from his chair, his expression filled with excitement. "This Energy Cube is even better quality than the previous one he used!"
This particular judge specialized in Energy Cube evaluation and production. He understood perfectly well how difficult it was for someone of Wayne's age to produce an Energy Cube of such exceptional quality.
"Don't you dare run away!" Alan shouted, grabbing Skorupi as it attempted to scurry over and sneak a taste of Wayne's creation.
"Everyone, please have a taste," Wayne offered generously.