081: Oak's "Student Talent Ranking"
"Pidgey has lost the ability to battle! Victory goes to Serena's Clefairy!" The moment Pidgey collapsed unconscious on the battlefield, the referee at the edge of the field raised his arm and officially declared the outcome with a clear voice.
"Serena… Serena…"
The girl who was once known for her soft voice, her shyness, and her reluctance to even raise her head during roll calls had not only gathered the courage to participate but had now claimed her fifth consecutive victory.
Xiaolan, Shauna, and the others in the cheering section near the observation platform jumped up excitedly, calling Serena's name as if she were a champion who had just returned from an elite tournament. The girl who had once hidden behind others was now being welcomed like a battlefield hero.
The cheers from Xiaolan, Shauna, and the others seemed to ignite the surrounding energy, and the lively students around the arena joined in, clapping and celebrating without reservation.
Winning four matches might be impressive, but it still didn't guarantee attention. A fifth victory, however.that was enough to stir the crowd and raise eyebrows among even the most competitive students.
Before this match, Serena had already accumulated 8 points with her four wins, placing her third on Professor Oak's "Student Achievement Scoreboard." But with this victory boosted by Ash's tactical guidance she earned an additional 2 points, bringing her total to 10.
This sudden boost vaulted her from third place to a tie for second in the elite 9-point bracket, placing her right alongside Ash, who had already reached the 10-point tier earlier that day.
Though she wasn't alone at the top in fact, there were now six students sharing the highest rank Serena's place among the top echelon was still immensely impressive. Out of 100 children participating in Professor Oak's prestigious summer training camp, only six had managed to hit the top tier.
And no matter how many shared the lead, first place in Oak's ranking was still a status with serious weight and prestige.
From a distance, a sharp-eyed observer could see Xiaohao standing behind the crowd, his expression complicated. Hidden in the shadows of the celebration, his eyes flickered with envy and a subtle trace of bitterness.
"Serena, that was amazing! You're number one now!" Xiaolan exclaimed, running up with genuine joy glowing on her face.
"It's all thanks to Ash…" Serena replied, her face flushed with excitement. Her eyes turned to Ash, who stood calmly nearby, and her voice carried gratitude as she bowed her head slightly.
....…..
Serena had been the last among her small group to complete her challenge task. After her battle concluded, the group lost interest in watching the remaining matches at the dam.
To be fair, the remaining battles were of little interest to students like Ash and the others. Most of the kids left in the rotation were around six years old and had never interacted with Pokémon before the start of the camp. Their Pokémon still at Level 5 and equipped with barely two or three usable moves were only capable of basic exchanges.
For Ash and his peers, who had trained, studied, and refined their tactics even before arriving at camp, these matches lacked both skill and strategy. They simply didn't capture the attention of students who were already proving themselves as standouts.
As it stood now, Ash, Xiaolan, Shauna, Tieruno, and Ser Lena all shared the highest rank on the "Student Achievement Ranking List."
Of the six students currently tied for first place, Ash's circle alone accounted for five
Due to their losses in previous rounds, Gary and Trevor currently sit at third place with 8 points each. Despite being naturally talented, one defeat each was enough to stall their climb in the rankings. Meanwhile, Xiaochun had the benefit of coaching from a Trainer as skilled as Ash but she also admitted earlier that Xiaohao gave her some last-minute pointers before she entered her first match.
However, Xiaohao's lack of actual battle prowess is well known. Despite his theoretical knowledge, he falters under pressure. His so-called "coaching" only ended up misleading Xiaochun. In the end, she managed to complete five matches, but could only secure two victories, placing her squarely in the mid-tier ranks with minimal momentum.
As for Xiaohao himself, things were even more dismal. Assigned a Magikarp with no offensive capabilities and no evolution potential in the short term, he suffered a five-match losing streak, securing 0 points. He now firmly holds the bottom of the entire leaderboard a position no one has threatened or even approached.
Ash, however, didn't spare too much thought for Xiaochun or Xiaohao. Xiaochun, though kind-hearted and soft-spoken, had a naïve and indecisive nature that Ash found difficult to resonate with. And at the moment, all of Ash's attention was on Ser Lena and helping her grow stronger.
Xiaohao, on the other hand, was in a completely different category. Ash had disliked him since their very first meeting. Even more than Xiaohao's smug tone and sharp attitude, Ash had repeatedly sensed animosity and jealousy through his waveguide perception a grudge so tangible, it had marked Xiaohao as a clear threat. Ash had mentally blacklisted him long ago. If the chance arose, Ash would crush him without hesitation. Otherwise, he simply ignored his presence.
The summer camp's first official event began with Professor Oak distributing Poké Balls to every student, initiating a Trainer-style greeting ceremony. This wasn't just symbolic.it marked the beginning of the camp's assessment period.
The opening challenge wasn't merely for show. It was designed by Oak as a way to gauge each student's latent Trainer ability through their natural instinct, battle reaction, and adaptability. Even at this early stage, Ash and his close companions had clearly stood out especially Ash himself, with five straight victories and expert-level tactical choices that stunned the instructors.
Although matches were still ongoing in the dam area, most students had already completed at least one battle, and Professor Oak had started compiling the initial Trainer Talent Rankings based on each student's overall performance taking into account not just wins and losses, but decision-making, synergy, and reaction speed.
While the Trainer Talent Rankings didn't perfectly match the Student Scoreboard, they did correlate in many places. And in both systems, Ash ranked first.
This Pokémon Summer Camp was more than just a childhood adventure it was part of a greater system designed by Professor Oak, a top researcher and Kanto League official, to help the Pokémon League identify promising young talent.
The final Trainer Talent Rankings would be submitted to the Indigo Plateau headquarters of the Kanto Alliance, serving as an important benchmark for future Trainer recruitment and resource allocation.
Students like Ash, who performed exceptionally in both rankings, would receive priority attention from the League in the future. Professor Oak also had the authority to personally grant special resources and privileges to those he considered elite prospects.
What Ash didn't know was that Oak had already entered a preliminary talent rating for him one that ranked him at the absolute top of all 100 students. Had Ash found out, he might have laughed aloud in disbelief.
Because in his past life, Ash had been a diehard fan of Pokémon. And now, reborn into this world with the advantages of prior knowledge and the protagonist's constitution, his potential was already surpassing every expectation.
What's more, he had access to not just inherited traits like the Aura (Waveguide) and Viridian Power (Tokiwa no Chikara), but also the Mega Trainer System a mysterious support mechanism that allowed him to cultivate strength at an unprecedented rate.
Altogether, Ash's Trainer talent had long since surpassed what Professor Oak or anyone in the camp could measure or predict.
~
With the camp's opening challenge complete, Ash and his group had no interest in watching the rest of the uninspiring battles still taking place in the dam area. Most of the remaining participants were beginners children barely six years old, with barely-trained Level 5 Pokémon and a limited skill set.
The real top-tier contenders were already known: Ash, Ser Lena, Tieruno, Xiaolan, and Shauna. These five occupied five out of the six spots at the top of the rankings.
Instead of lingering, Ash and his friends returned directly to their assigned cabin. The staff had already prepared the rooms, neatly making beds and setting up living arrangements. All that was left was for each student to unpack and settle in.
Once inside the cabin, Gary, Tieruno, and Trevor remained energized, chatting animatedly about the day's battles and speculating about the next day's events, possibly expecting new challenges or a ranking reshuffle.
Ash didn't join the conversation. He calmly opened his toiletries bag, setting out his toothbrush, toothpaste, and rinse cup by the sink, then proceeded to unpack the rest of his belongings. Clothes were carefully hung on hangers, sorted and placed in his corner of the room.
Once he finished organizing, Ash gave a brief nod to his roommates. Then, with a soft whistle, he signaled Froakie who responded with a quick hop onto Ash's shoulder.
"Where are you going, Ash?" Gary asked, looking up from the ongoing conversation with Tieruno.
"Just taking Froakie for a walk around the camp." Ash waved casually as he headed out the door, the late afternoon light casting long shadows across the path ahead.
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