On Gyarados's otherwise sparse skill panel, one golden ability stood out immediately.
Aaron selected Dragon Dance.
[Skill Name: Dragon Dance]
[Type: Dragon]
[Power: None]
[Level: Apotheosis]
[Cast Speed: Instant (Priority +1)]
[Description: Executes a powerful battle rhythm, increasing Speed and Attack by 1 stage.]
[Special Effect: No activation delay. Instantly increases Speed and Attack by 3 stages. Additionally, all moves deal 50% increased damage (non-stackable).]
[Description: No more wasted motion—just pure power.]
...
"Damn…"
Aaron muttered under his breath.
This was pure offensive output.
One use—Speed +3, Attack +3, plus a 50% increase to move damage.
Combined with Gyarados's already devastating wide-area attacks, it would tear through group battles with ease.
It was a massive upgrade.
Both its speed and damage had jumped to another level.
Gyarados had fully stepped into powerhouse territory.
Satisfied, Aaron closed the panel and turned to his final Pokémon.
Sceptile.
Its movepool outside of Grass-type attacks was limited. The most viable options were Quick Attack, Leaf Blade, Leaf Storm, and Agility.
Quick Attack offered solid value at Apotheosis—higher priority and +2 Speed.
Leaf Blade and Leaf Storm both boosted damage output—one physical, one special.
But Agility…
Aaron hesitated.
Normally, it increased Speed by two stages. At Apotheosis level, it might jump to +4… or even gain an additional effect.
Aaron had a feeling about it.
That instinct was exactly what made the decision difficult.
"…Damn it."
"I'll trust my gut this time."
He made his choice.
"System… Sceptile will upgrade Agility."
"Ding~ Agility upgrading…"
"Ding~ Upgrade complete. Current Level: Apotheosis…"
Without hesitation, Aaron opened Sceptile's updated skill panel.
A golden glow now stood out among its abilities.
[Skill Name: Agility]
[Type: Psychic]
[Power: None]
[Level: Apotheosis]
[Cast Speed: Instant (Priority +1)]
[Description: Lightens the body to enhance mobility, increasing Speed by 2 stages.]
[Special Effect: Permanently increases Speed by 2 stages and enables short-range teleportation within line of sight.]
[Description: Started running… somehow ended up blinking instead.]
...
"Hiss—"
Aaron drew in a sharp breath.
This wasn't just a speed boost anymore—it was teleportation.
Sceptile… could teleport?
And not the usual kind that required setup—this was instant, with Priority +1.
Faster than conventional teleportation techniques.
On top of that, it granted a permanent +2 boost to Speed.
"…That's insane."
Aaron let out a quiet chuckle, clearly pleased.
"I didn't expect Agility to evolve like this… what a pull."
No one would ever expect Sceptile to vanish and reappear in the middle of a fight.
With that, all four of his Pokémon had undergone another major power boost.
...
At the same time, Aaron and the others arrived at a new testing site.
Located in the eastern part of Rivergate City, it was a provisional arena prepared for emergencies—one that, for the first time, was actually being put to use.
After regrouping, all candidates entered the new battlefield.
Though slightly smaller than the Tidecrest Arena, it was still massive—easily the size of a small city.
As waves of candidates poured in, the second round of the combat exam officially began.
This time, without interference, everything proceeded smoothly.
And at the top of the rankings—unsurprisingly—was Aaron.
Inside the monitoring room, Commander Xander, his head wrapped in bandages, watched the steadily climbing score at the top of the leaderboard.
There was no surprise on his face.
Only quiet acceptance.
The other officers were the same—completely unfazed.
No one even bothered discussing Aaron anymore.
Surprised?
Shocked?
They had already seen him command a Legendary Pokémon and overwhelm a peak Champion-level opponent.
Compared to that, topping the leaderboard barely registered.
By now, it was expected.
To them, Aaron wasn't taking an exam—he was running through it.
Wherever he went, opponents dropped before they could respond.
It wasn't even a battle anymore.
...
Meanwhile, Aaron had fallen into a steady pace.
With all four of his Pokémon newly enhanced, their combined strength was overwhelming.
Even Gym Leader–level Pokémon couldn't keep up for more than a moment.
It was completely one-sided.