Thus, time flew by and, in the blink of an eye, half a month had already passed.
On November 1st, the monthly evaluation to become an intermediate-level trainer officially began.
That day, Ethan Black and Alex Baxter arrived in Ironvale City with the intention of participating in said evaluation.
Perhaps because the famous "Double Eleven" (the November 11th shopping festival) was approaching, the city was livelier than usual. Seeing it, Ethan Black recalled the Protector item he had seen in the Devon Company store, wondering if it would still be there after so much time.
"One million in shopping vouchers at the Devon store during Double Eleven?" muttered Ethan Black when he saw the huge sign at the store's entrance, his eyes shining with excitement.
As he went closer to take a better look, he discovered that on Double Eleven Day, the Devon Company Pokémon item shop would host a Pokémon battle open to all trainers who met the requirements, in a celebration that combined battling with shopping.
And the winner of the tournament... would receive a prize of one million in shopping vouchers!
"One million!"
"Devon Company sure is going all out. This is on par with the million-dollar raffles of Double Eleven on Tmall."
"Although, come to think of it, this tournament is aimed at intermediate-level trainers from across the country. I remember the prize pool of TI8 exceeded 11 million, so considering the popularity of Pokémon battles in this world, that million in vouchers is totally reasonable."
"Right! And the Protector item I saw was worth exactly one million too..."
Thinking about the price of the item, Ethan Black grew thoughtful.
Clearly, the prices of those collector's items were set very deliberately.
Could this competition also be aimed at promoting the sale of those items?
But... who in their right mind would trade one million in vouchers for a collector's piece?
Well...
Ethan Black felt that he was that lunatic. And he wouldn't mind repeating that "madness" if given the chance!
"Double Eleven, huh...?"
"Not much time left!"
His eyes gleamed with determination, and he quickly sought out a shop assistant to ask for details.
"Only intermediate-level trainers under 22 years old can participate?" repeated Ethan Black, nodding as he listened to the explanation.
After all, if even beginner-level trainers could register, the number of participants would be unmanageable.
By setting the required level to intermediate, many applicants were eliminated, saving time and making the tournament more manageable.
In addition, this restriction ensured the fairness of the tournament, preventing advanced-level trainers from completely dominating the competition. Because if advanced trainers participated, it would no longer be a tournament: they'd just have to hand over the prize directly, and the entire purpose of the battle would be lost.
"This is much better! If they didn't limit the age, even veterans stuck at intermediate level could show up and snatch the vouchers. It'd be impossible to win," commented Ethan Black, very satisfied with the event's rules.
With luck, he would soon officially become an intermediate-level trainer and participate just in time in the million-voucher Double Eleven competition.
With that thought in mind, Ethan Black headed to the Pokémon Trainers Guild to meet Alex Baxter and register for the exam together.
"Alex, your Charizard hasn't recovered yet?" asked Ethan Black, looking at the Pokéball in his hands.
"It's much better, but I want it to recover completely. For the intermediate-level trainer exam, I'll use Magneton," replied Alex Baxter, with a serious look.
Although he had trained quite a bit with Magneton, he still wasn't entirely sure he could pass the test.
"Don't worry. Our Pokémon have been at intermediate level for a while now. As long as they pass the basic physical tests and the theory exam, the rest is practically done," Ethan Black reassured him with a smile.
Then he looked at his Pokéball, the one containing Sandslash.
In terms of power, his Sandslash had already been at intermediate level before evolving. Mastery of Rapid Spin combined with Sand Attack generated an impressive force.
With the special foods and supplements for Ground-type Pokémon, its physical condition had also improved enormously.
Moreover, with the synergy between Rollout, Sand Attack, Rapid Spin, Gyro Ball, and Sandstorm, its level was clearly in the mid-range of intermediate level.
Now, Sandshrew had already evolved into Sandslash, and with the help of exclusive breeding methods for its species, its strength was far superior to before. Ethan Black was brimming with confidence, aiming straight to win the Double Eleven tournament!
"You and your Sandslash are monsters," said Alex Baxter, a little jealous. "Since you captured it, barely four months have passed, and you've already achieved what others take years to do..."
He had been with his Charmander for more than two years, and now he wasn't even sure that his Charizard could beat Sandslash...
"To be honest, I didn't expect it myself," replied Ethan Black, thoughtful. "Of course, the joint effort with Sandslash was important, but the decisive factor was Professor Harris's food and supplements, and especially the exclusive breeding method for its species. That saved me from many missteps."
Ethan Black said it sincerely. Specialized breeding knowledge was rare and valuable. Even Alex Baxter, with all his resources, hadn't managed to obtain a single exclusive guide for Charizard.
That's why his current achievements were possible thanks to standing on the shoulders of giants.
To think that at the beginning, he and Sandshrew were reckless rookies... If they had entered a competition in that state, they would surely have been eliminated in the first rounds.
While chatting, they arrived at the Pokémon Trainers Guild. After showing their exam permits, they entered the evaluation venue without trouble.
The theoretical exam for intermediate-level trainers still tested basic knowledge: type matchups, moves, and traits of many Pokémon.
For Ethan Black, that posed no difficulty. Even without studying, he was confident he'd get an excellent score.
However, it was said that the advanced-level trainer exam was indeed more complex, including field training, move combinations, and wilderness survival. Passing that test would be an entirely different level.
Very soon the exam ended. Ethan Black finished it ahead of time and walked out of the classroom with confidence.
"Whoa, Ethan! You came out before me? Don't tell me you didn't finish and just turned it in anyway?" asked Alex Baxter as he came out, confident in his own performance.
This exam had some difficulty, but for him it hadn't been a problem. That's why he was surprised to see Ethan Black already waiting for him outside.
Before the exam, he had even worried about whether Ethan Black would pass the theory test, since he hardly attended classes and only read books in the library!
"Relax. It was way too easy. I finished it in an instant," replied Ethan Black, giving Alex Baxter a mocking look.
"What...? If you know so much, why didn't you enter Pokémon University?" asked Alex Baxter, still astonished.
"It's just that... studying is a hassle," replied Ethan Black, shrugging, though inside he felt a bit frustrated.
After all, he had traveled through time right after the university entrance exam. If he had arrived earlier, he would've loved to star in a story of overcoming obstacles and enter university as a genius from the bottom up!
"Hah... how shameless. I'll give you a 10 for your way of bragging," grumbled Alex Baxter.
"I like how I am now. As Professor Harris's assistant, I enjoy the perks of a graduate student!" laughed Ethan Black.
In the end, this was the perfect university life he had always dreamed of: no homework, no classes, no thesis. What more could he ask for?
(End of chapter)