Question 7
"Beedrill's hidden Ability is Swarm? O or X?"
(Although it's a free point question, isn't this a bit too careless…)
Red helplessly pressed X. If Beedrill in reality really had the Ability like in this question, it wouldn't be so despised by third-rate trainers.
Ash also pressed X. After all, he had a general understanding of his brother's starter Pokémon knowledge.
Question 8
"The place where Koffing was first discovered is a bathhouse? O or X?"
Red and Ash both chose X. This question was also quite ridiculous. Koffing feeds on polluted air, so it's impossible for it to appear in a bathhouse.
According to rumors, Koffing was born due to an explosion in some kind of chemical factory, which led to the creation of this Pokémon.
Of course, that's just a rumor. The truth still awaits scientific evidence.
Question 9
"Marill's nickname is Dragon Slayer? O or X?"
Red helplessly pressed X. It was just a nickname he wrote as a joke back then—how did it become an exam question?
If naming truly followed nicknames, then its evolution Azumarill could be called the Dragon Slayer, specifically referring to Azumarill with the Huge Power Ability.
(Huge Power: A Pokémon with this Ability has its physical attack power doubled.)
Ash thought for a moment. Because Marill and Azumarill's official names were too similar, his confused memory led him to regretfully choose O.
The first multiple-choice test ended here. Since most questions were basic, many examinees sighed in relief and felt excited about their high scores.
After finishing, Ash also showed a joyful smile like the others, clearly satisfied with his score.
(Good thing I usually made him study some Pokémon knowledge…)
Red glanced at the excited Ash beside him and smiled slightly, feeling relieved for his foolish younger brother.
Since the exam was still ongoing, Red didn't talk to Ash to avoid being suspected of cheating and being forced to leave the exam hall.
Second Round
"The second written test will assess your understanding of Pokémon. You will be shown a shadow and part of a Pokémon's body. Please guess what Pokémon it is."
After speaking, the examiner pointed at the large screen behind him. But the observant Red noticed the slight smile at the corner of the examiner's mouth, as if anticipating what would happen next.
(The first round was just an appetizer for you rookies. The next questions will be enough to affect your confidence.)
"That question is coming…" Red muttered.
"Great, I'm going to get them all right this time," Ash said confidently.
Behind Ash, Jessie and James clenched their fists, determined to score well on this exam.
"Now, the first question—what Pokémon is this?"
The examiner pointed to the black sphere on the screen and asked the examinees to write their answers.
"What? This is too easy—it's Voltorb," Ash said with a smile, convinced he was correct.
Jessie wrote Electrode, while James ridiculously wrote Poké Ball. Despite being a noble's son, he loved fooling around and failed to retain even basic Pokémon knowledge.
Knowing the correct answer, Red wrote: Jigglypuff viewed from above.
"Now, the correct answer is…"
The black shadow behind the examiner gradually lit up, revealing a Jigglypuff curled into a ball on the screen.
"Jigglypuff viewed from above!"
"No way!" x3
Ash, Jessie, and James almost fainted. What kind of question was that?
Seeing the confused expressions of the examinees, the examiner smirked out of habit. This question was designed to mess with people, to break their confidence and make them hesitate to answer.
This was a cruel psychological tactic!
"Hm? Someone actually got it right?"
The examiner looked toward Red's position. After carefully observing his face, he realized Red's true identity.
(I didn't expect someone this important to take the exam. Seems like he's accompanying the boy next to him.)
The examiner guessed, also realizing that Red and Ash were brothers.
"Second question: Which Pokémon has this pattern?"
A swirl pattern appeared on the screen.
Without hesitation, Red wrote Poliwag.
Ash chose Poliwhirl.
Jessie wrote a coiled Arbok, while James absurdly wrote Slowbro's shell.
"The correct answer is Poliwag!"
The screen displayed Poliwag's image.
Ash, Jessie, and James collapsed again at the same time.
"This is often confused. After Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl, the swirl pattern on its belly reverses," the examiner explained.
"Wow, that's hard," Misty said in surprise.
"These are all advanced questions!" Brock added.
Standing outside the exam hall, Misty and Brock couldn't help but worry about Ash, since he didn't look like someone who enjoyed studying.
The exam continued, and before they knew it, they had reached Question 15.
"Which Pokémon has this kind of tail?"
The screen showed a flaming tail, but careful observers could tell it was actually a mane-like flame.
Red wrote Ponyta, while Ash hesitated between Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard.
"The correct answer is Ponyta!"
"How is that possible…" Ash said speechlessly—another wrong answer.
"At least give me a question I understand!"
Jessie, who hadn't scored at all, slammed the table and stood up angrily.
"Sit down!" the examiner shouted, ordering her not to disrupt the exam.
"What kind of joke is this? You can't become a Pokémon Master with questions like these!" Jessie argued, showing no respect to the examiner.
"A true Pokémon Master remains calm no matter what kind of Pokémon questions they face and understands Pokémon ecology. Otherwise, it's impossible!"
The examiner explained calmly, addressing not only Jessie but all examinees.
"I can't stand this! Who even understands what you're saying? I'm done!"
Jessie angrily threw her pen to the ground.
"You are disqualified!"
Seeing her behavior, the examiner blew the whistle and declared her exam invalid.
"I don't even want to stay in a place like this!"
After shouting, Jessie tore off her exam number and threw it to the ground, then slammed the door as she left.
"Jessie…" James said in shock, unable to react.
"How pitiful…" Nurse Joy said worriedly, thinking Jessie had cracked under pressure.
"That attitude feels familiar…" Ash muttered.
After storming out, Jessie found Meowth dozing in the backyard and kicked him awake.
"Let's move! I've decided—I'm getting revenge!"
Still confused, Meowth was dragged away by the furious Jessie.
The written test finally ended. The examinees gathered in the hall, checking their results on the large screen.
The results were divided into three tiers: Excellent, Very Good, and Needs Improvement.
Through the screen, Red and the others saw their scores. Red unsurprisingly ranked first in the "Excellent" category, while Nurse Joy from Fuchsia City took third place.
"I can't believe Ash made it onto the 'Very Good' list!" Misty said in shock, looking at Ash, who was grinning foolishly.
"Even if he's at the bottom, that's still a decent theoretical score," Brock added.
"I didn't expect clumsy Ash to get such results," Todd said in surprise.
"What do you mean? I'm smart too," Ash rolled his eyes and said.
In the far corner, a small screen displayed "Needs Much Improvement." James appeared there as expected, while Jessie's name was clearly marked in red below with the words "Disqualified."