With the newly joined photographer Todd accompanying them, Ash and his group arrived in front of a rather formal and serious-looking building, the Pokémon League Admissions Exam.
This was another way to obtain qualification for the Pokémon League Conference besides collecting eight Gym Badges. Here, trainers could earn the right to participate through an extremely difficult written examination that tested their knowledge.
"Wow, so this is the place where you can directly get League qualification?" Misty looked around curiously.
"I heard the written test is extremely difficult," Brock added while reading the notice at the entrance. "It covers Pokémon ecology, types, moves, evolutions, and all sorts of topics. Even many experienced trainers fail to pass it."
Ash, who knew the storyline well, naturally understood what would happen here. Although he had already decided to take the orthodox route of collecting eight Gym Badges, seeing the Certification Center still stirred a bit of curiosity and a playful urge in his heart. He wanted to see how far he could go in this exam with the knowledge from his previous life and the research experience he had gained working with Professor Oak in this life.
"Since we have time today, why don't we give it a try?" Ash suggested, a competitive smile appearing on his face.
"Huh? Ash, you're going to take the written test?" Misty asked in surprise. She had heard that Ash was Professor Oak's special research assistant, but in her impression, Ash didn't seem like the type to bury himself in books.
Todd immediately raised his camera. "Oh! A challenge of knowledge! That's great material too!"
After paying the registration fee, Ash entered the examination hall.
Once the test papers were distributed, the questions proved to be incredibly comprehensive. They covered everything from the Kanto region to other regions, including some forward-looking questions that were unusual for the era. The topics ranged from common Pokémon to rare species, from basic type advantages to complex move combinations and tactical analysis. There were even obscure questions about special evolution conditions and ancient ruins.
However, for Ash, who possessed vast memories from games, anime, and guidebooks from his previous life, and who now served as a "Special Research Assistant" at Professor Oak's laboratory and had participated in discussions on several academic papers, the questions were child's play.
His pen moved swiftly across the paper, filling in answers almost without thinking.
For some questions, he even added explanations that were more detailed and advanced than the standard answers.
The other trainers in the examination hall were scratching their heads and racking their brains. Seeing Ash answering so calmly and effortlessly, they all looked at him with shock and disbelief.
When the exam ended, the results were announced on the spot.
When the examiner read out, "Ash, perfect score!" the entire hall erupted in astonishment.
It was an extremely rare result since the Certification Center had been established.
Next came the second round of the Admission Exam, Pokémon battles.
Just as Brock had said, all participating trainers were required to temporarily hand over their Poké Balls.
The examiners brought out a batch of standardized Poké Balls containing various Pokémon and randomly distributed them to the candidates.
By coincidence, or perhaps fate, the three Pokémon Ash received were Arbok, Weezing, and… Meowth!
"Pfft—"
Seeing the Pokémon released from Ash's Poké Balls, Misty and Brock almost burst out laughing, and even Todd's camera shook slightly. Wasn't this exactly Team Rocket's standard lineup?
Even the examiner's expression became a little strange.
Ash looked at the three familiar "old enemies" in front of him, who were baring their teeth at him and clearly not very willing to obey. He paused for a moment, then smiled meaningfully.
"Well… what a coincidence."
The battle began.
Ash's opponent was a trainer using Fearow, Electrode, and Sandslash.
At first, Arbok, Weezing, and Meowth were reluctant to follow Ash's commands. Meowth in particular muttered, "Why should we listen to this brat, meow?"
But Ash remained calm.
He quickly displayed outstanding command skills and tactical vision.
Instead of forcing orders, he guided them through precise timing and strategic planning, allowing them to make use of their strengths.
"Arbok, don't rush in to bite. Use Glare first to intimidate!"
"Weezing, fly up and use Smokescreen to cover the battlefield!"
"Meowth, now! Use Fury Swipes to interfere with Electrode. Don't let it charge up!"
His commands were clear and decisive, always providing the most effective option at the crucial moment.
Gradually, Arbok, Weezing, and Meowth realized that following this boy's instructions made the battle incredibly smooth, almost like flowing water. Without realizing it, their resistance turned into cooperation.
Ash cleverly combined the strengths of these three Pokémon. Poison-type disruption, aerial battlefield control from Weezing, and Meowth's agile close combat formed a level of coordination even Jessie and James had never achieved.
In the end, with a chain of tactical maneuvers, Ash led this "Team Rocket lineup" to victory!
"We… actually won…" Meowth muttered in disbelief as it looked at the defeated Pokémon on the ground.
For the first time, it experienced what it felt like to battle under the command of a truly excellent trainer.
When the evaluation ended, Ash once again achieved overwhelming results: a perfect score on the written test and total victory in the battle round. He had earned the qualification to directly participate in the Pokémon League Conference.
As the examiner handed him the special qualification badge, his eyes were filled with admiration.
However, faced with the easily obtained qualification and the congratulations of everyone around him, Ash made a surprising decision.
He calmly refused the badge.
"Thank you very much for your recognition, Examiner," Ash said clearly and steadily. "But I cannot accept this badge."
"Why?!" The examiner and everyone else were stunned.
Passing with a perfect score but refusing the qualification was unheard of.
"The path of a Pokémon trainer is not only about accumulating knowledge," Ash said seriously, his gaze sweeping across every trainer present. "True growth comes from experiencing hardships together with your Pokémon, battling side by side, learning from defeat, and gaining insight through victory. Gym challenges are not just tests of strength. They are trials of will and opportunities to deepen bonds. Each Gym Badge carries the sweat and memories of the efforts my partners and I shared."
He raised his hand, showing the Gym Badges he had already earned.
"These are the medals that belong to me and Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charizard… and all my partners. They record our growth. They are far more valuable and meaningful than any qualification gained through a written test."
Looking at the examiner, he continued sincerely.
"Knowledge is important, but it should support the journey, not replace it. I believe that only by steadily walking through every Gym and experiencing every battle can I truly deserve to stand on the stage of the Pokémon League Conference. So please leave this qualification badge for other trainers who need it more, or who choose this path. My journey will be walked step by step with my own feet, together with my Pokémon partners."
With that, Ash gently pushed the badge back toward the examiner.
The entire Certification Center fell silent.
Everyone was deeply moved by his words.
The examiner stared at Ash for a moment, admiration and respect filling his eyes. Slowly, he took back the badge and said solemnly,
"I understand, Ash. You possess not only knowledge, but also the true heart of a Pokémon trainer. I respect your choice, and I look forward to seeing you and your partners shine on the stage of the Pokémon League Conference."
[Ding! The host has demonstrated outstanding knowledge, extraordinary command ability, and unwavering trainer conviction, earning widespread recognition. Reward: 500 World Points.]
[Current World Points: 22,750.]
Although he had given up the shortcut, Ash felt more fulfilled than ever.
His path would be forged by every step he and his partners took together. And the small episode of commanding "Team Rocket's lineup" to victory soon became a widely circulated story within the Certification Center.
Interestingly enough, after the Team Rocket trio left, they still tried to steal Ash's Pikachu.
But this time, neither Meowth nor Arbok and Weezing followed their orders. Instead, they chased Jessie and James around in circles.
Unfortunately, Ash and his friends never got to see that scene. Otherwise, they would definitely have recorded it as hilarious footage.
After passing the next Pokémon Daycare on their journey, their next destination was the Cinnabar Gym.
...