Expecting to become significantly stronger in just a week was wishful thinking.
But that didn't mean there weren't any gains at all.
While my own strength training and Aura control had barely improved, Zangoose was a different story as a result of her Pokémon physiology.
Her growth had been dramatic. She'd nearly doubled in height and tripled in weight, and I'd finally gotten her to learn the names of all her moves, even if she still didn't have the mastery to go with it.
Brawly had told me her Aura had grown naturally just from fighting, even though she lost every match.
I almost didn't believe him, but then I re-scanned her and—
Species: [Zangoose (Partner)]
Aura Grade: [Semi-Grade 1]
Type: [Normal]
Height: [0.55m]
Weight: [21.68kg]
Ability: [Toxic Boost]
Awakening: [N/A]
—there it was. Her Aura Grade had improved from In-Training to Semi-Grade 1!
It meant she was now operating at the level of a Grade 1 Pokémon, except her Aura was still impure. If I Cleansed her now, she'd probably drop right back down to In-Training.
And, interestingly, her rapid physical growth seemed to be linked to her rising Aura Grade. I suspected that if she was a fully pure Grade 1 Pokémon, she'd already be an adult in size.
Which reminded me of a tip Brawly gave me when I told him I planned to Cleanse Zangoose after the evaluation.
It was something obvious in hindsight, but I'd missed it. I didn't really understand the mechanics behind how a Pokémon's Aura surged after a win.
Apparently, after a victory, Pokémon enter what's called an Absorption State.
That part I knew. They absorb ambient Aura from the world around them, and whatever they take in becomes a permanent part of their strength.
What I didn't know was that this process could be controlled.
Sort of.
Basically, since her body absorbs whatever Natural Aura is closest, it's possible to nudge the outcome by surrounding her with materials saturated in the desired type.
I couldn't exactly afford to bathe Zangoose in a room full of Type-aligned crystals or precious relics, but Brawly suggested I get just one solid item to keep close—something strong, and specifically Normal-aligned.
'But what would that even be?' I couldn't help but think at the time.
There were no "Normal Stones" like there were for Fire, Water, or Grass. The closest normal-aligned item I could think of was a Silk Scarf, and that was definitely manmade.
That was, until I remembered an item I never used in the games.
So, after our training session wrapped up, I made a beeline for the academy store. At the very steep price of 350 Academy Points, I bought one:
A Normal Gem.
And a collar tough enough to hold it.
Since I didn't know what the test would be, I picked up a few other things as well. Just in case.
--------
The announcement came earlier than expected.
While I knew that a week had passed, the thought of being tested for anything this early in the morning hadn't occurred to me. Before the sun had even risen, all first-year students had been summoned through our Pokegears to the central plaza.
The chatter between students was subdued, if not silent. Most of the crowd looked freshly rolled out of bed. A lot of bedhead. Groggy eyes.
A few others, like me, looked like they hadn't slept at all.
Did the teachers not know how vital sleep was for growth? Why wake us with zero warning? My arms were still numb from yesterday's workout.
'And speaking of teachers, where are they—'
My vision was suddenly engulfed in a flash of soft light.
I jumped, startled, and fell back onto my ass. Zangoose beside me, looked around in a panic. There was no warning. Suddenly we were just standing around tired and the next…
We were no longer at the academy.
Trees. Sunlight filtering through their canopy. The thick scent of moss and bark. And… silence.
"Well," I swallowed, now paying rapt attention. "That's one way to wake us up, I guess."
My Pokégear chirped. Still in shock, I opened it. Zangoose crawled over, looking over my shoulder.
A video message played immediately, and Professor Diane's face filled the screen.
"Welcome to the Evaluation Grounds. Specifically, you've been transported to Verdant Everglade, an artificial environment built by the academy at its conception."
"Spread throughout this forest are 1,000 Miracle Seeds. Most are untouched. Some are currently being… mishandled by the local wild Pokémon."
"Your objective is simple: collect as many Miracle Seeds as you can."
The video cut briefly to drone footage—shimmering yellow seeds the size of walnuts glowing faintly in the grass, some clutched in beaks or paws, others sitting untouched in roots or puddles.
"This is, first and foremost, a test of your Aura Sensitivity. All the seeds radiate a low amount of Aura. If your senses are good enough, you'll find them. If you can't… then you'd better make up for that shortcoming with something else."
A brief pause. The next part came colder.
"If you're attacked by a wild Pokémon, you'll be penalized. The stronger the Pokémon, the more points you lose. A student with proper Aura sensitivity would have sensed the threat before getting close."
"If you're forced to forfeit by another student, they receive a minor bonus to their score. You may voluntarily forfeit at any time by pressing the red button on your gear. If you do, your score will be locked in."
"Once time is up—or all seeds are claimed—the Evaluation ends."
She leaned closer to the camera.
"I will not say 'good luck', because you shouldn't need it. Be smart. Be ruthless. Or be left behind."
The message ended with a click.
I stared at the now-black screen for a few seconds, before running my hand through my dreadlocks with a sigh.
"I should've known they'd do something like this," I muttered.
I'd almost forgotten this world had Pokemon that could just teleport you against your will. Once my Aura increased enough, bonding with one that could either prevent or replicate that would be a priority.
Still, it was hard not to admire the beauty around us. Mist curled through the ferns, golden light dappling across the undergrowth. I couldn't see them yet, but I knew those seeds were scattered nearby.
The drones showed they glowed faintly.
At night, they'd be even easier to find. Probably looked like tiny stars had dropped into the forest.
But that was the problem, wasn't it?
I wasn't the only one who realized that. The students with strong Aura sensitivity would scoop most of them up before night even fell. Waiting would just leave me with scraps.
Zangoose growled low beside me, likely sensing other Pokemon stalking around us. She was ready to move, it seemed.
So was I.
I didn't need any fancy strategy for this test.
As I'd come from a world without Aura, my sensitivity to Aura had been extremely high from the moment I awoke here. I'd been able to feel the energy in my skin from the very first day. And that ability had only gotten stronger as I was exposed to more and more of it.
Since I came from a world without Aura, my sensitivity to it had been through the roof from day one. I could feel the energy rippling across my skin from the moment I woke up here.
And that innate sense had only sharpened the longer I explored my Aura.
I wasn't a prodigy like some of the others here. I didn't have a family with generations of trainers or secret aura sensing techniques passed down like heirlooms.
But when it came to raw sensory talent?
I was king.
In fact… the more I thought about it, the more I realized something kind of funny.
I hadn't even needed to train Zangoose for this.
This test wasn't about power. It wasn't about battle skill or teamwork or strategy. It wasn't about speed or strength or type matchups. Hell, it wasn't even about winning fights.
It was about sensing.
And that meant it was my exam.
Zangoose had been growing stronger every day, throwing herself into training like she had something to prove. Of course, I had tried to match her every step of the way. But this wasn't her battlefield.
It was mine. And I—
"Zaang!"
Zangoose suddenly let out a sharp bark.
I blinked, snapped out of my own head. "Huh?"
She didn't answer, obviously, but she shot me a pointed look, then flicked her gaze toward the deeper woods. Impatience radiated off her in waves.
Right. I was still sitting here, monologuing in my own head like I had time to waste.
I exhaled through my nose and gave a small shake of my head, mostly at myself.
Maybe this test was my expertise.
But Zangoose wasn't just here to watch.
She'd trained her best, same as I did. And whatever came next, we were doing it together.
"My bad," I muttered, rising to my feet. "Let's get moving."