On Cinnabar Island, the opening ceremony of Kanto's branch school was underway. As principal and vice-principal, Agatha and Klein attended together. In addition, the Kanto League Champion, Lance, Professor Oak from Pallet Town, and the Speaker of the Kanto League Assembly were also present to show their support.
This year's incoming class consisted of 124 students, with an average age of around ten. They were divided into four classes, one of which was a police training class. Similar to the Sinnoh main campus, students in this class were trained to become officers, investigators, or rangers upon graduation.
Klein had personally designed a variety of rigorous courses, primarily targeting this specialized class. Their curriculum was closed off from the others, with students spending most of their time living and training on Cinnabar Island.
The other three classes, including those of Blue and Silver, followed a semi-open structure, balancing formal lessons with field training. The school had direct flight routes to both Saffron City in Kanto and Goldenrod City in Johto, ensuring convenient travel.
As Professor Oak's grandson, Blue was immediately drawn to the school's large ecological reserve. Since most students were traveling trainers, the school had to maintain a well-equipped facility to care for their Pokémon.
A proper Pokémon habitat required more than just vast space—it needed the right climate and conditions. Within the massive reserve, Blue noticed that Klein had personally arranged for the planting of hundreds of berry trees, ensuring that Pokémon of all types would find something to their liking.
In addition to this, the reserve featured lakes, wetlands, caves, volcanoes, and jungles—various simulated environments providing near-authentic habitats. While it wasn't as vast as the true wilderness, it was an excellent alternative.
The level of detail in its construction reflected the dedication put into the school's foundation. The campus was also connected to Cinnabar Island's newly built Pokémon Center, which housed three Chansey and a Blissey to ensure that all Pokémon received timely treatment and care.
Standing beside Blue, Silver couldn't help but scoff at his polished, privileged demeanor.
"Hey, quit nodding your head so much, rich boy."
"Huh? Oh, were you talking to me? My apologies," Blue said politely.
Though Blue apologized, Silver's glare only grew sharper. He despised that kind of fake courtesy even more.
Likewise, Blue found Silver unpleasant—his tone was too rough, and he kept sizing him up as if he were some sort of opponent. Didn't he realize how rude that was? Clearly, this guy had no manners at all.
—
On the stage, Agatha began delivering the usual ceremonial speech, and Klein quickly felt himself dozing off. But just as his mind drifted, a distinct fragrance filled the air, instantly sharpening his senses.
"This is our first time meeting, isn't it, Elite Four Klein?"
The scent belonged to none other than the Speaker of the Kanto League Assembly, Wakaba. With long black hair and a poised demeanor, she smiled at Klein.
Despite being under thirty, Wakaba was already the most powerful political figure in Kanto. When Klein was appointed as the Sandstorm Elite Four, she had been away in Hoenn for a work-related investigation and had only recently returned.
Wakaba exuded an irresistible charm, and online, she was frequently ranked alongside Lorelei as one of Kanto's "Twin Flowers"—the ultimate idols of young trainers everywhere.
Yet Klein remained his usual cold and expressionless self. Nonetheless, he showed proper respect toward his superior. "Yes, this is our first meeting, Speaker Wakaba."
"You can just call me Wakaba. The incident at Seafoam Islands must have been difficult for you."
She intertwined her fingers as she casually brought up the event. The lighthearted atmosphere immediately grew tense. Klein remained silent for a moment before deciding not to respond.
A bit stubborn, aren't you?
Though Klein's reaction might have seemed disrespectful, Wakaba didn't mind. Instead, she smiled wryly. "The Greater Kanto initiative is inevitable. Given the circumstances, we must tolerate certain individuals' arrogance."
"Our existence isn't just about setting an example of virtue and discipline. It's also our duty to stand against evil wherever it arises. As an Elite Four of Kanto, I must uphold that responsibility. This incident may be over, but if something similar happens again, I won't stand idly by."
After a long silence, Wakaba coughed lightly. "Is this how you always talk to your superiors?"
"I trust that the Speaker shares my convictions."
At Klein's words, Wakaba suddenly laughed. Her crisp, bell-like laughter caught the attention of the surrounding men.
"You're really interesting, Klein. But I understand your stance now. At the same time, I want you to trust in the Kanto League—we will never become a shield for any evil force."
With that, she stepped onto the stage to give her speech. Nearby, Blaine openly admired the striking beauty before turning to Klein with a scowl.
"Kid, is that any way to talk to your boss? You didn't give her an inch of face. Good thing Wakaba is known for being hands-off and tolerant."
Known for being hands-off...
To put it bluntly, the Speaker of Kanto's Assembly had little interest in administration. Her favorite hobby was appearing on fashion magazine covers, and she left most of the actual governance to Lance and the Elite Four.
After Wakaba's speech, the opening ceremony neared its end. Just as the students were about to leave, Klein stepped onto the stage.
"The first assessment begins now. The test will last one hour. It won't count toward your final grade—this is just a baseline evaluation."
His words hit the students like a bolt of lightning. An exam right after the opening ceremony?! They hadn't even had time to review!
However, as the head instructor and de facto school administrator, Klein swiftly organized them into their respective classrooms. Each seat was equipped with the latest model of Silph Co.'s computers, which would serve as essential learning tools beyond just exams.
The test questions were drawn randomly from a question bank, ensuring no one could cheat.
The content was basic—covering Pokémon types, abilities, and move interactions. For example, could Blastoise use Flamethrower? Did Venusaur have a Poison-typing? The questions were simple, meant to gauge each student's fundamental knowledge.
Once the test ended, the results were immediately compiled and projected onto a massive screen. Within a minute, all scores were ranked and displayed.
"This system must've cost a fortune," Agatha whispered to Klein. She had expected a standard paper test requiring manual grading, but Klein had invested heavily in cutting-edge technology.
"Silph Co. provided it at a discount."
All eyes turned to the leaderboard.
At the top was Blue, with an impressive score of 95. His outstanding performance instantly drew attention to the poised young man.
Second place was a surprise—Silver had scored 87.
Klein was taken aback. During their previous encounters, Silver had seemed clueless about these topics.
Looks like he put in real effort.
Of the 124 students, only fifteen scored above 60. Ten of them belonged to Klein's class.
The rest—over a hundred—failed.
The results left Professor Oak and the others stunned. These were some of the most fundamental questions, yet the majority of the students—who were already trainers—had such weak foundations.
Some of them were even worse than Ash...
Wait. Maybe they shouldn't have let Ash go to the Orange Islands. They should have dragged him here to take this test instead!
(Chapter End)