"A defective product is Grade C, Ordinary is B, Good is A, and Perfect is Grade S. By the way, among the four assessments, achieving an S-grade in Pokéblock production is the most difficult. Since the start of these Junior Breeder assessments in the Johto region, only two people have ever achieved it. They are now world-renowned Breeder Masters within the League."
After listening, Eichi asked, "Professor Kant, is this S-grade truly that difficult?"
Kant nodded solemnly and replied, "It is truly difficult."
Professor Kant took a sip of water, flipped through his book, and continued, "Then there is the production of Pokémon food. This won't be as difficult for you; it's similar to the theory assessment. Achieving an S-grade there isn't nearly as hard."
After Professor Kant finished speaking, a question suddenly occurred to Eichi, and he asked, "Professor Kant, what were your scores back when you took the Junior Breeder assessment? How many S-grades did you get?"
Professor Kant paused, recalling something, and then said with great pride, "My final ranking during my Junior assessment was also first place. I achieved two S-grades: one in the practical assessment and the other in Pokémon food production."
Meanwhile, in another hotel not far from Eichi's, Yui was asking Sakuraba the same question.
Sakuraba asked curiously, "Yui, why are you suddenly asking this?"
Yui chuckled and said, "I'm just a bit curious."
Sakuraba smiled gently and replied, "When I took the Junior Breeder assessment, I received three A-grades and one S-grade."
"Auntie, you're amazing," Yui said.
"Yui, you are more talented than I was," Sakuraba said. "I hope you can get even more S-grades."
"I will," Yui replied firmly.
On the second day of the assessment, as Eichi walked through the hall, everyone watched him. He could be said to be quite famous now; everyone knew him as the first-place winner of the theory assessment. Fortunately, this wasn't Eichi's first time experiencing such attention, so he was able to ignore the stares completely.
The Pokéblock production assessment was held in a room identical to the Pokéblock classrooms at Silver Academy. Once assigned his seat, Eichi sat down. On the table, besides the Energy Model 10 machine, there was a box and a sheet of paper. Inside the box were four Berries, and the paper contained the recipe for the Pokéblock to be made today.
Eichi checked the machine and then looked at the other candidates. Perhaps because of his presence, everyone seemed particularly nervous. The invigilator stood at the podium. As soon as the time arrived and the bell rang, the assessment officially began.
First, the Berries are juiced and dried into powder. Then, the glass groove is adjusted, and the Universal Fusion Liquid is added. Next, the Berry powder is blended, with specific amounts drawn from the containers. It cannot be even a fraction too much or too little; the dosage must be controlled within a precise range. During this process, the hands must not shake—they must be level and steady. The mind cannot be rushed either, as haste leads to errors.
Eichi's heart remained calm. His entire operation was as smooth as flowing water, possessing a highly rhythmic and ornamental quality.
The invigilator for this classroom was a woman who looked very strict. When she patrolled and stood behind someone, that candidate would become exceptionally nervous, and some even made mistakes. The invigilator looked on with disappointment, slightly shaking her head.
Soon, she arrived behind Eichi to observe his production process. Eichi naturally noticed someone watching him, but he didn't panic at all. If this were an exam in his previous life and a teacher stood behind him, he would have been nervous to death. But now, it was different; he was brimming with confidence.
While Eichi was undergoing his assessment, Professor Kant and the others gathered once more. As he opened the door and walked in, Nagayama, Sakuraba, Sugisaki, and Moriguchi were already inside.
Upon his entry, Sakuraba said, "Congratulations, Kant. Your student took first place in the theory assessment this time."
Professor Kant asked with some confusion, "You all know?"
Moriguchi chuckled and said, "Many people in the hall saw Eichi sitting in the Silver Academy section, and he's often by your side. It would be hard not to know."
"I see," Professor Kant realized.
Sakuraba then turned to Nagayama and teased, "Nagayama, you'd better work hard! Otherwise, you're going to lose."
Nagayama wasn't angry at all and replied, "This is only one category. There are three more items to go. Don't be happy too early; it's quite possible I'll be the winner in the end." After speaking, he thought to himself: Well played, Kant. You were so devious yesterday, acting like that. I completely fell for it. Luckily, Kurokawa is strong, or I really might lose.
Kant sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, looked at Sakuraba, and said, "Sakuraba, Yui should be your niece, right?"
"Indeed, she is my niece," Sakuraba admitted.
"Your niece is very good," Kant praised. "When the final rankings come out, she might even be first."
Sakuraba laughed. "How could that be? I'll be satisfied if my niece makes the top three. With Eichi there, how could she take first?"
Kant shook his head and smiled. "Sakuraba, you're being too modest."
After adding the last type of Berry powder, Eichi closed the glass lid and allowed it to vibrate. A few seconds later, he pressed the drying button. Everything was finished; now he just had to wait for the finished product.
The invigilator behind Eichi nodded in admiration. Eichi's entire operation could be described as textbook-level.
Eichi turned to look at the invigilator and said, "Teacher, I'm finished. May I leave?"
"You may," the teacher replied.
Eichi walked straight out of the classroom and headed downstairs without even looking at the Pokéblock he had made.
A few minutes after Eichi left, the completion tone sounded. The invigilator operated the machine to retrieve the Pokéblock Eichi had produced. The freshly made Pokéblock was still steaming. The invigilator picked it up to inspect it. After ten seconds, her expression changed instantly as she thought: This is... a Perfect quality Pokéblock.
She looked toward the door where Eichi had departed and wondered: Who is he? She didn't recognize Eichi, so she was extremely curious about his identity.
Eichi was very confident in himself; a Perfect quality Pokéblock was simply too easy for him.
The final item in the afternoon—Pokémon food production—was just as Professor Kant had said: very simple and without much difficulty. Eichi finished it in just one hour. With the ringing of the final bell, the Junior Breeder assessment officially concluded. All that remained was to wait for the results.
Two days later, Professor Kant brought Eichi to the hall. Today, all the scores would be released, and the final rankings would be out soon. Most of the people there looked nervous, choosing to chat to alleviate the tense atmosphere.