"Which of the top performers do you think the Professor has his eye on this time?" Chairman Silver asked, sidling slightly closer to Director Bao Ba, his voice lowered conspiratorially, trying to glean some inside information.
"Hmm? Oh, both seem promising," Bao Ba replied vaguely, glancing briefly at the screen displaying the profiles Silver was subtly indicating, then offering a noncommittal smile. He knew exactly what Silver was fishing for. "You know our policy, Chairman. The Pokémon Centers primarily recruit through the unified League examinations and internal development programs. You needn't worry about us poaching your preferred candidates." He deliberately misinterpreted Silver's question, feigning ignorance of the underlying power plays.
"Hahaha~ Professor, you jest!" Silver chuckled, though his eyes remained sharp. "Of course, of course! But having esteemed experts like yourself overseeing the process ensures the integrity and progress of the examination, benefiting us all!" He smoothly pivoted back to flattery.
Bao Ba simply smiled again, offering no further comment, turning his attention back to the data streams. Silver, having gotten the (non-)answer he expected, gave a slight bow and discreetly moved away, likely heading off to network elsewhere, perhaps to the cafeteria where candidates were gathering, trying to secure early commitments before the practical exams even began.
As soon as Chairman Silver was out of earshot, Head Nurse Joy leaned slightly towards Bao Ba, her expression tinged with disapproval. "Why humor him like that, Professor?" she murmured quietly. "You represent the League's standards, the integrity of the Pokémon Centers. You don't need to play these political games."
Bao Ba chuckled softly. "We recruit through official channels, Nurse Joy. We have no direct conflict of interest with Silver's guild or Magnus's military academies specifically. Why create unnecessary friction? Besides," He added pragmatically, "let's be honest. They sponsor a significant portion of the funding for these regional certification centers. It's only natural they want a return on their investment, preferential access to promising recruits. As long as they don't overtly interfere with the examination's fairness..."
"But the spirit of the examination, Professor!" Nurse Joy countered firmly, though still keeping her voice low. "It's meant to be the primary formal channel for anyone in society to demonstrate their aptitude, to gain qualification. Allowing this kind of backroom recruitment, this preferential treatment based on connections made during the exam process… it undermines the principle." Her face was set with conviction, a staunch defender of impartiality. "They're probably down in the cafeteria right now, making offers to the top candidates before the practicals even start!"
"Our responsibility," Bao Ba replied calmly, unmoved, "is to ensure the examination process itself remains fair and unbiased. What happens outside the examination hall, who contacts whom… that's beyond our purview, as long as it doesn't compromise the test's integrity." He shrugged slightly. "And let's be realistic. These candidates want better opportunities. They want to be noticed by powerful organizations. Contact is inevitable. And frankly, the candidates most likely to be approached are those already possessing some connections or attending feeder institutions. It rarely affects the prospects of the truly unaffiliated candidates competing solely on merit."
He shifted slightly, turning away from the main data screen, a mischievous glint entering his eyes. "Speaking of merit… take a look at this test paper." He indicated a specific candidate file on his personal tablet.
Nurse Joy leaned closer, her professional curiosity piqued. She saw the candidate's objective scores first – perfect marks on both multiple-choice and true/false sections. Excellent. But then she saw the scores for the short answer and essay portions. They were… average. Solid, competent, but lacking the depth and nuance expected from someone who aced the objective parts. It was an unusual, almost contradictory profile.
"Cheating?" was Nurse Joy's immediate, instinctive thought. Perhaps they'd somehow acquired answers for the objective sections but lacked the underlying knowledge for the applied questions?
"Not so fast," Bao Ba cautioned, a strange smile playing on his lips. "Look closer at the content of the essays, not just the scores."
Nurse Joy retrieved the full examination file, reading through the candidate's written responses. The answers were indeed standard, almost textbook-perfect in their structure and basic information, but lacking deeper analysis or original insight. Competent, but unremarkable. "It's… adequate," she conceded, frowning slightly. "Technically correct, but nothing special. Is there a problem I'm missing?" Confused, she glanced at the candidate's name displayed at the top of the file.
[Xiu]
— — —
Back in the main waiting hall, Xiu and the other candidates waited for the afternoon session to begin. Some nervously reviewed notes, others chatted anxiously, while a few, supremely confident or perhaps resigned, simply rested with their eyes closed. Xiu, having finished his simple lunch, was calmly reading one of the advanced breeding theory books he had acquired, seemingly unrelated to the impending practical exam.
"Attention, candidates!"
A loud announcement cut through the hall's low buzz, instantly silencing conversations. Everyone looked towards the front, where a senior staff member stood holding a datapad. 'Odd. The results weren't due yet, nor was it time for the practical groupings.'
"Please listen carefully," The staff member announced, his voice amplified slightly. "There has been a change to the assessment methodology for this afternoon's practical examination."
A ripple of unease went through the waiting crowd.
"Instead of the previously utilized group testing format," The staff member continued, reading from the datapad, "all candidates will now rotate through all designated practical assessment stations…"
He elaborated on the new procedure. Previously, candidates were randomly assigned to one specific practical test – injury assessment, or pharmacology, or species identification, etc. Now, everyone would be required to complete a task from each major assessment category. Instead of facing perhaps two tasks within one specialty, they would now face five or six different tasks across the entire spectrum of breeder knowledge.
The announcement landed like a bombshell. A wave of groans and panicked murmurs swept through the hall. Even the previously calm candidates looked visibly stressed.
"Wait, isn't that the Intermediate level assessment format?"
"I'm doomed! My material ID skills are terrible!"
"Why change it now? This is so unfair!"
Xiu felt a prickle of unease himself. 'Changing the format of a major certification exam on the day, without prior notice? The f*ck? And adopting the Intermediate level structure at that?' The difficulty just skyrocketed. 'Something felt off.' A sense of crisis, sharp and unexpected, settled over him.
Adding to the candidates' anxiety, the change in format also meant the exam time was moved forward. The officials seemed intent on rushing them into the new assessment with minimal time to mentally prepare or adjust.
Swept along with the tide of anxious candidates, Xiu found himself being directed towards a different set of examination rooms than previously indicated. He entered a large laboratory space. The air smelled sharply of chemicals, antiseptics, and faintly of Pokémon musk. Rows of stainless steel operating tables stood in the center, equipped with various familiar diagnostic instruments. The walls were lined with tall glass cabinets filled with jars of herbs, minerals, preserved specimens, and countless bottles of reagents and compounds.
Three examiners sat impassively at a table near the entrance, a stack of blank assessment forms before them. "Candidates will line up," One examiner instructed tonelessly. "Draw your first station assignment and task sheet."
One by one, the twelve candidates in Xiu's assigned entry group stepped forward, drew a folded paper slip from a box held by an examiner, and received their first task sheet. Xiu watched the pained, stressed expressions on the faces of those ahead of him as they read their assignments. His own nervousness increased slightly.
While Xiu and the others faced their sudden, unexpected challenge, back in the supervisors' lounge, the change in format was being discussed.
"Director Baoba, President, are we certain about this?" General Magnus asked, his brow furrowed. "This level of difficulty… it seems excessive for a Junior certification."
"Think of it as stress testing, General," Baoba replied smoothly, sipping his tea. "And we will be adjusting the scoring weights accordingly. The overall pass/fail threshold remains effectively unchanged." He smiled reassuringly. "Besides, this old group-testing format… it's been used for years. It has flaws. Candidates could pass by lucking into a station that matched their narrow specialty, without demonstrating broad competence. This rotation ensures a more comprehensive assessment. Consider it… a pilot program for future reforms. The President and I have discussed about this extensively."
The President nodded sagely. "Indeed. Professor Baoba's suggestion is sound— a breeder's work is comprises of many things. Even specialists need broad foundational knowledge. Assessing across a wider range of skills, even at the primary level, gives us a much clearer picture of a candidate's true aptitude and potential specialization. Better than relying on a single random data point."
Baoba waited for the President to finish, then added cannily, "And it benefits you all as well, ladies and gentlemen. Seeing candidates perform across multiple disciplines gives you a much clearer indication of their strengths and weaknesses. Makes your own recruitment screening far better, wouldn't you say?"
The logic was sound. The assembled supervisors, realizing the potential benefits for their own organizations (and recognizing that they weren't the ones facing the increased pressure), murmured their assent. The change, however unfair it seemed to the candidates, was accepted.
Only Nurse Joy still looked troubled. "But the candidates who weren't prepared for this?" she asked softly, her brow furrowed with concern as she watched the anxious faces on the monitor displaying the lab feed. "Isn't this inherently unfair to those who focused their studies based on the published format?"
Baoba suddenly grinned, that flash of gold again. "Nurse Joy," He said, his voice taking on a philosophical edge, "there is rarely true 'fairness' in this world— for a qualified breeder must be adaptable, capable of handling unexpected problems under pressure. Consider this part of the test." He leaned back, his grin widening. "And besides," He added, almost as an afterthought, "isn't luck also a part of strength?"