Xiu worked steadily through the exam. His extensive knowledge base, combined with the practical experience gained at the Rescue Station and through his own daily training and observation, allowed him to navigate the complexities.
He spotted the deliberate errors, sidestepped the logical traps, answered with precision honed by countless hours of study. 'Simple memorization won't cut it here,' He thought, tackling a particularly tricky essay question on cross-species dietary compatibility. 'You need to truly understand the principles.' He felt a grudging respect for the exam's design, even as he cursed its difficulty. 'No wonder people fail multiple times.'
While the candidates battled the demanding exam paper in the main hall, a different kind of assessment was happening elsewhere in the building. In a room filled with monitors displaying real-time progress data from the examination hall, a team of markers and analysts monitored the results.
"Multiple choice and true/false sections graded," One analyst announced, tapping at their console. "Five candidates with perfect scores so far on those sections. Impressive."
"Means the top three overall are likely among that group," Another commented, leaning closer to their screen. "But let's see how they handle the essays. We've seen candidates ace the objective parts only to fall apart on the applied theory before."
"Look at this one – Candidate 317," A third analyst pointed. "Incredibly fast. Already working on the final essay section. Accuracy seems high too…"
Unlike the tense silence of the examination hall, this marking room buzzed with quiet discussion, analysts comparing data points, identifying promising candidates, flagging potential issues.
But this room, too, was just one layer of the process. Behind another door, deeper within the administrative core of the Certification Center, lay a different kind of observation space. This room resembled a luxurious lounge or private club reception area.
Several plush seating arrangements were scattered throughout the space. Small tables held refreshments – bowls of fruit, delicate pastries, steaming pots of tea. Attendants moved silently, refilling cups, ensuring comfort. The occupants of the room, however, were clearly not focused on the snacks.
They sat in distinct groups, clustered around different tables, representing various powerful interests within the Kanto region's Pokémon ecosystem. Most were middle-aged or older, dressed in expensive suits or high-ranking uniforms, with few young faces present here.
A large screen on one wall displayed the same real-time exam data as the marking room, but most of these individuals paid it little attention, preferring quiet conversation amongst themselves. These were the true stakeholders, the potential employers, the influential figures looking to scout talent.
"I didn't manage to recruit any promising seeds last year," A man with the insignia of a major pharmaceutical company sighed to his companions. "Hoping for better luck this cycle. You lot better leave a few decent ones for the rest of us this time."
"Why bother competing with us for these 'wild breeders', Director Silas?" A woman representing a prestigious private breeding facility countered wryly. "You have your own extensive research division, cultivate your own talent in-house."
"Ah, but fresh perspectives are always valuable," Silas replied smoothly. Another man at a nearby table chuckled. "Let's be honest, the real top prospects, the ones scoring near perfect, they won't choose us anyway. They'll be snapped up by the League labs or Professor Oak's associates before we even get a chance to make an offer. We're just here hoping for leftovers." He popped a berry into his mouth. "Might as well enjoy the refreshments."
"Hmm," A few others murmured agreement, their eyes drifting subtly towards the large table situated prominently in the center of the room. That table, clearly the seat of highest authority, was sparsely occupied. Only six individuals sat there, their presence commanding the attention of the entire room, even in silence.
An elderly man seated at the central table, presumably the head of the certification board or a League official of significant rank, finally drew his gaze away from the data screen. "Seems like we have competent takers this year," He remarked slowly. "No major surprises for them yet, but what do you think about the practical examination later? What challenges should we present them?"
"Before we discuss the finer details, President," Interjected a portly, florid-faced man beside him, likely representing a wealthy sponsors' guild or breeders' association, "perhaps we should allocate preliminary quotas? Avoid unseemly squabbling over the top candidates later. Better for appearances, and prevents… others… from benefiting from our indecision."
His suggestion immediately drew a sharp retort from a tall, imposing man seated opposite, whose severe expression matched his sharp military-style attire. "Quotas? What happened to candidate choice, Chairman Silver? Has your guild become so impoverished you can't afford to compete fairly for recruits anymore? Or are you trying to break the established protocols?"
The portly Chairman Silver didn't flinch, his smile remaining fixed. "Hahaha~ our resources are modest compared to the esteemed institutions you represent, General Magnus, but we manage. My concern is merely to avoid unnecessary competition amongst ourselves."
"Enough," The elderly President interjected calmly, raising a hand before the argument could escalate. "There will be ample time for discussions after the examinations are concluded. Let us focus on ensuring a fair and rigorous assessment first."
"The President is wise," A woman in her late thirties, seated beside the President, spoke up. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority that immediately silenced the brewing conflict. She wore the unmistakable uniform of a high-ranking Nurse Joy. "Let us proceed with discussing the practical examination."
Chairman Silver, instantly deferential, turned to her. "Indeed. I wonder, Head Nurse Joy, if the Pokémon Centers will be abstaining from recruitment again this cycle?"
The implied question – suggesting that Pokémon Centers held an unfair advantage – clearly displeased Nurse Joy. Her polite smile tightened. "Chairman Silver," She replied coolly, "you seem to forget our primary role here is supervision and ensuring standards, not competing in a recruitment fair as if this were a marketplace."
The subtle rebuke landed perfectly. Chairman Silver's smile twitched. "Yes, of course," He backpedaled quickly. "My apologies, let us proceed to the contents of the practical examination later then."
Nurse Joy inclined her head slightly, then turned her attention to another figure at the table, someone who had remained mostly silent, observing the data screen with quiet intensity. "Director Bao Ba," She asked, her tone respectful, a stark contrast to her earlier exchange with Silver. "Do you have any suggestions for this year's practical assessment?"
Bao Ba finally looked away from the screen, his gaze sweeping over the others at the table. A wide grin spread across his face, flashing his signature gold teeth. "The quality is good this year," He agreed, his voice rumbling with amusement. "Solid fundamentals across the board. My suggestion? Let's increase the difficulty and push them. Let's see who breaks."
— — —
"Ah~ Finally finished!"
"That was brutal, but I think I nailed it!"
"Definitely passed this time, I can feel it!"
"Top ten, here I come!"
"Results aren't posted till this afternoon, right? Let's grab lunch. Practical exams start at two."
"Haha~ Trying to dodge the question? How'd you really do?"
The tense silence of the examination hall dissolved into a cacophony of relieved chatter and nervous speculation as the three-hour written exam concluded. Xiu listened to the boisterous noises around him – the bragging, the complaining, the anxious comparisons – and felt another wave of that strange déjá vu. 'The post-exam buzz… same in every world, I guess.' He quickly suppressed the feeling, refocusing on the present.
Many candidates looked dejected, clearly unhappy with their performance. Others were buzzing with adrenaline, confident they'd passed. As they filed out of the hall and back into the main lobby, Xiu noticed most people pulling out packed lunches or heading towards the building's cafeteria.
Exam procedures clearly stated results would be posted shortly before the afternoon practical sessions began. However, Xiu also observed a small, select group of candidates being quietly approached by staff members and discreetly led away towards the administrative sections of the building. 'Interesting. Early interviews for top performers? Or something else?'
Xiu found an unoccupied bench in the waiting hall, unwrapped the simple cheese sandwich he had packed, and began eating— intentionally positioning himself near a group of candidates excitedly discussing potential practical exam scenarios.
"...last time I took it, the practical was injury assessment," One candidate recounted animatedly. "Showed us simulated wounds on dummy Pokémon, had to diagnose, propose a treatment plan, then execute the first aid steps. The Head Nurse of the Joy family herself was on the judging panel! She even complimented my bandaging technique! If only my written score hadn't dragged me down…"
Hearing this prompted others who'd taken the exam before to share their experiences.
"My group got pharmacological analysis," Another chimed in. "Had to identify unlabeled herbs and minerals, explain their properties, potential interactions…"
"Third group here," Added a third. "We had species identification from partial remains. Skulls, feathers, scales… tricky stuff."
Xiu listened intently, absorbing the information. 'So, the practical exam was divided into different groups, likely assigned randomly by the computer system. Different groups faced different tasks, judged by different panels of experts. Impossible to predict your specific challenge or examiner beforehand. Fair, but stressful.'
'Unless, Xiu thought, a familiar cynical smirk touching his lips as he chewed his sandwich, you assume the computer system assigning groups is truly random and tamper-proof. Which, given my experience with their network security…' He mentally shrugged. 'Not my problem right now.'
While candidates waited anxiously in the lobby, activity continued in the marking room and the supervisors' lounge. In the marking room, alongside the regular analysts, a few individuals with higher clearance levels moved between terminals, accessing specific candidate files, reviewing full examination papers flagged by the system.
"This one shows promise," One supervisor murmured, pointing at a screen. "Candidate 288. Perfect scores on objective sections. Essays show solid reasoning, though slightly lacking in nuanced application. Young, only nineteen. Definite potential."
"I prefer Candidate 104," Countered another supervisor at a different terminal. "Older, yes, nearly thirty, but look at these essay answers. Flawless theory, deep understanding of biochemical interactions. Almost intermediate-level knowledge already."
"Hahaha~ You're both wasting your time evaluating him," Chuckled a senior figure overseeing the room. "Candidate 104? He's one of ours, planted by the Examination Board to benchmark the difficulty curve and provide internal feedback. And yes," He added, glancing at the results, "you're correct. His knowledge base is assessed at mid-Intermediate Breeder level."