Pokémon: A Trainer Who Masters the Six Powers from the Start

After putting away the Pokédex and completing the registration, Ron once again marveled at how the Pokémon League supports its trainers—or rather, how it uses methods like these to encourage more people to learn about the Indigo League and promote the benefits of becoming a League Trainer.

At first glance, the Indigo League seems like just another battle event for League Trainers. However, the rewards are what make it truly enticing.

Even general competitions offer lucrative prizes, let alone a regional tournament like this one.

The champion's prize is particularly significant: the opportunity to qualify as a Gym Leader.

Each year, the League holds a Gym Leader Qualification Tournament. Securing a spot in this competition requires a hefty contribution of points. After entering, participants must undergo rigorous selection and testing. In the end, only one or two individuals earn the chance to become Gym Leaders.

But if you win the Indigo League, you can skip all those tests and still enjoy additional rewards.

That said, winning doesn't guarantee becoming a Gym Leader. You still need to pass further evaluations and demonstrate both knowledge and strength.

Nonetheless, holding the qualification alone allows you to continue accumulating experience until you eventually meet the requirements to become a Gym Leader.

Unfortunately, for Ron—who had already decided to become a Pokémon Ranger—this reward held little appeal.

Moreover, becoming a Gym Leader requires choosing a town without an existing gym and gradually developing it. Without internal support from the League, such an endeavor is incredibly challenging.

If Ron were to collaborate with someone within the League, he felt there was a high chance they'd demand his secrets for mastering techniques like Shave. So, he abandoned the idea entirely.

The second and third place winners also receive significant rewards, though these are positions within the League with varying levels of authority.

In fact, just by making it into the top 256 competitors, you can gain entry into roles such as Pokémon Ranger, Investigator, Police Officer, or Pokémon Center staff.

Before officially taking on these roles, however, candidates must undergo a three-month training program to ensure they don't disrupt operations due to inexperience.

The Indigo League can essentially be seen as a grand recruitment drive. Simply participating almost guarantees employment in coveted positions that others can only dream of attaining.

Naturally, you need to be a registered League Trainer to access these opportunities.

Over time, more and more people have come to take pride in being League Trainers. Those who aren't part of the League strive to join, motivated by the abundant rewards.

Even setting aside the inherent talent cultivated by the League itself, the sheer number of people who work hard to join is staggering. These individuals, carefully selected, represent some of the finest talent available.

This accumulation of talent over the years has made the League what it is today and is a key reason why organizations like Team Rocket and Pokémon hunters struggle to shake its foundations.

...

Walking into the Pokémon Center, Ron was greeted by the sound of people studying, occasionally spotting individuals carrying books as they moved through the lobby.

This is a hallmark of the League's certification centers. Those who aim to pass the certification exam often come here early to review Pokémon knowledge and learn how to interact with unfamiliar Pokémon.

They participate in exams held at regular intervals. Passing brings joy, while failing motivates further study until success is achieved.

Entering his room, Ron appreciated the soundproofing, which kept distractions to a minimum.

After organizing his belongings, he stowed everything important in his backpack. Ever since the "Shadow Incident," Ron no longer trusted the Pokémon Center's security and avoided leaving valuable items out in the open.

With his backpack in hand, Ron rented a training room to continue honing his skills.

The recent level increase had significantly improved Machamp's physical abilities, allowing it to master Finger Pistol with increasing ease. Ron was now working hard to help Machamp fully grasp the technique as quickly as possible.

Unlike Shave and Moonwalk, the more discreet Finger Pistol could seamlessly blend into close-combat moves, making it harder for opponents to detect.

As a Fighting-type Pokémon, Machamp excelled in close combat, and the addition of Finger Pistol would undoubtedly elevate its battle prowess.

Meanwhile, Persian—nearing mid-Elite strength—had made great progress in mastering Moonwalk, though its physical limitations kept it from fully breaking through.

Bellossom continued its steady, consistent improvement at its own pace.

The recently evolved Nidoking showed the most significant progress. Previous training had finally borne fruit, enabling Nidoking to master an advanced version of Shave, increasing its speed by a full tier during their journey out of the forest.

In the days leading up to the exam, Ron and his Pokémon stayed in the training room, maximizing their progress.

In contrast, many aspiring trainers crammed furiously, using every spare moment to memorize facts.

Entering the exam hall, Ron couldn't help but recall Ash Ketchum's similar experiences, though unlike Ash, he had no trouble with techniques like Shave.

The first phase, a multiple-choice knowledge test, posed no challenge for Ron, whose studies spanned multiple regions.

The second phase, visual identification, was the most difficult. Participants were shown partial images of Pokémon and had to identify them, requiring a deep familiarity with various species.

The large screen displayed a series of diverse, distinctive images. Ron noticed several participants turn pale, with some even giving up entirely.

Others struggled visibly, scratching their heads and glancing around nervously, giving Ron a nostalgic sense of past exams in his previous life.

Staying composed, Ron steadily wrote down his answers.

An hour later, the exam concluded. Unlike the tense anticipation of others, Ron remained calm, enjoying a meal at a nearby restaurant while waiting for the results.

As expected, his name appeared on the list of those who passed.

Those who entered with casual expectations weren't too disappointed by their failures, but many dedicated trainers chose to withdraw, planning to try again next year by earning gym badges.

Still, a significant number refused to give up. Some quietly shifted their focus to observing those who had passed the first two phases.

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