Whimsicott was completely bewildered.
His tiny brain couldn’t comprehend everything happening right in front of him.
Those humans rushed over one by one, bubbling with excitement, chattering away in a language he couldn’t understand.
Some pointed their phones at him and Shane, then left looking either completely satisfied or slightly disappointed.
Nothing seemed to have actually happened, and Shane hadn’t given them anything tangible, so why were their emotions fluctuating so wildly?
Happy, confused, and even some with gazes that made him feel a bit uncomfortable…
Humans truly were strange and incomprehensible creatures!
Still, seeing Shane so popular made him happy too.
‘Maybe I’m a strange and incomprehensible creature as well.’
Fortunately, Shane’s queue number was called quickly, saving his life.
Squeezing out of the crowd, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“Thank goodness I didn’t post the cafe’s address, or it would be packed to the brim.
My hands would fall off from overwork.”
The benches in the waiting area were packed with people.
The youngest Intermediate Breeder in Shane’s testing group looked to be in his forties.
As the only young man in his early twenties, his simple shorts and T-shirt looked completely out of place amidst the sea of formal suits.
Shane sat quietly, his tablet resting on his lap as he continued to read through academic papers.
He didn’t feel much pressure regarding the exam.
Professor Doran’s borderline draconian standards had long since drilled the theory into his head.
However, his presence undoubtedly cast a heavy shadow over the other candidates.
“Next, Shane, Hollis…” a cold, electronic voice announced.
Shane closed his tablet and initially intended to recall Whimsicott into his Poké Ball.
But Whimsicott refused, so he let him hang out in the lobby for a while.
From ten in the morning to noon, it was a solid two hours of theoretical testing.
The only sounds in the examination room were the rustling of pens scratching against paper and the occasional soft flip of an exam booklet.
Shane leaned over his desk, answering the questions so fluidly that he barely paused.
The obscure research papers Professor Doran had sent him had been thoroughly digested and absorbed over the past year, and now they flowed effortlessly onto the page as answers.
The questions really weren’t that difficult—at least, not for him.
When the bell rang to signal the end of the exam, a collective sigh of relief and exhaustion echoed through the room.
Shane followed the crowd out of the testing center, squinting slightly at the glaring afternoon sun.
An older man in his fifties, with streaks of gray at his temples, let out a heavy sigh.
As he passed by Shane, he couldn’t resist patting the young man on the shoulder.
“Impressive work, kid!
The future belongs to you young folks now.
Us old timers…
we really just can’t keep up anymore.”
His eyes held a mixture of admiration, envy, and a faint, barely noticeable trace of melancholy.
Shane stumbled slightly from the pat, scratching his head sheepishly as he offered a bashful smile.
‘Was it really that big of a blow to them?’
‘The questions…
The moment he stepped out of the testing area, Whimsicott darted toward him.
“Whimsi!
Whimsicott!”
Shane chuckled, using his fingers to comb through the Pokémon’s slightly messy fluff.
“Alright, alright, I know you were bored out of your mind.
Let’s go.
We still have four hours until the practical exam.
Let’s grab a bite at the restaurant next door and celebrate our upcoming certificate.”
The second phase of the exam began at two in the afternoon, but Shane’s practical slot wasn’t until three-fifty, giving them nearly four hours of free time.
They walked into the battle-themed restaurant next door.
In the center of the restaurant was a sunken, standard-sized battlefield.
At that moment, a fierce match between a Quilava and a Poliwhirl was underway.
The dazzling light effects of clashing moves and the cheers of the audience rose and fell in waves.
Dining tables surrounded the arena, allowing patrons to enjoy their meals while excitedly discussing the battle.
“Whimsi?”
Whimsicott curiously poked his little head out from Shane’s arms.
Shane found a relatively quiet corner booth and ordered a simple combo meal.
Knowing his own battling skills weren’t the best, he just wanted to hold Whimsicott, eat a peaceful lunch, and enjoy the spectacle.
Just as he placed a small dish of diced berry salad in front of Whimsicott, a burly, rugged man in dark blue overalls with bulging arm muscles strode over.
He was holding a dining token that matched Shane’s table number.
The man grinned, flashing a mouthful of white teeth.
“Hey, kid!
What are the odds, we got the same number!
How about it?
Wanna head down and have a match?
The winner gets thirty percent off their meal, and even if you lose, it’s a good warm-up!”
He patted the Poké Ball at his waist, his eyes brimming with an eager fighting spirit.
His booming voice instantly drew the attention of several people nearby.
Someone recognized Shane.
“Huh?
Isn’t that the genius Breeder?”
“It is!
Shane from Magic City University!”
“A Breeder?
He might not be great at battling, right?
I heard his combat sense doesn’t match his breeding skills.”
“Yeah, compared to the people around him, Shane’s battling ability is supposedly a bit lacking.”
The man in overalls clearly heard the gossip, but he didn’t care in the slightest.
Instead, he urged him on even more enthusiastically.
“What do you say, kid?
Don’t dawdle, just treat it as entertaining the crowd!”
Shane could feel Whimsicott’s body tense up slightly in his arms.
The little guy looked up, his large amber eyes sparkling.
He gently patted Shane’s arm, pointed at the man in overalls, and then made a victory gesture.
‘I’m full, and I’ve got plenty of energy!’
‘If we beat him, we can save money!’
‘Overalls guy, you’re definitely going down today!’
Seeing Whimsicott looking so confident, eager, and surprisingly frugal, Shane couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.
“Whimsicott, are you sure you want to battle?”
“Whimsi!” ‘Watch me destroy him!’
Shane looked up, meeting the man’s expectant gaze.
“Alright, we accept your challenge.”
The previous match ended quickly, and the showdown between Shane and the man in overalls was set to begin immediately.
“This will be a one-on-one match!
No switching Pokémon mid-battle.
The match ends when one side is unable to battle.
Will both trainers please send out their Pokémon!”
Whimsicott landed lightly on the battlefield, his cotton-like body radiating a soft glow under the spotlights.
On the opposite side, the man in overalls threw his Poké Ball.
With a heavy thud, a heavily muscled Conkeldurr wielding massive concrete pillars crashed onto the field.
Its heavy breathing carried an intense pressure, and the shadow cast by its massive frame almost completely engulfed the tiny Whimsicott.
The stark visual contrast drew a collective gasp from the surrounding audience.
“Let the battle begin!”
“Whimsicott, Leech Seed.”
“Conkeldurr, Ice Punch!”
Granted absolute priority by his Prankster ability, Whimsicott moved as fast as a green blur.
A glowing green seed shot out with pinpoint accuracy, instantly sinking into Conkeldurr’s thick arm.
Almost at the exact moment the seed took root and sprouted, Conkeldurr’s heavy fist, wrapped in bone-chilling frost, tore through the air and smashed viciously into Whimsicott!
*Bang!* A dull thud echoed across the arena.
Ice crystals shattered at the point of impact, and a freezing chill instantly permeated the air.
Whimsicott’s tiny body was sent flying backward by the immense force, his once-fluffy cotton now largely covered in frost.
It was super effective!
Furthermore, the power behind that strike far exceeded Shane’s expectations.
“Nice!” The man in overalls pumped his fist excitedly, a victorious smile spreading across his face.
However, his smile quickly froze.