Chương 9: Under the Spotlight

At 2 PM, Zhuqing College officially released the results.

Trainers can check the score cutoffs online, but a large number of people still choose to go to the event in person.

As the best trainer academy in the Sinnoh region, the entrance exam for the Qilin Academy isn't too brutal, but it's not easy to get accepted either.

Each academic year, only 500 eligible trainers are recruited, but nearly 10, 000 trainers participate in the assessment.

The first written test will eliminate 70% of the candidates based on their ranking.

The remaining trainers will be selected through practical battles until only 500 outstanding trainers remain.

In the square of Zhuqing Academy, where hundreds of people had gathered, all eyes were drawn to a young man wearing a red suit and gray-blue hair with glasses as he walked onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Wu Song, the chief student of the third year of Zhuqing Academy. I will now announce the admission scores for the written entrance examination."

Wu Song adjusted his glasses and recited in a formulaic manner:

"The passing score for this year's written test was 46 points, and a total of 3142 trainers passed the written test, which is the highest passing score in the past ten years."

The moment the score was announced, the trainers below erupted in cheers.

Some people cheered wildly, some shed tears of sorrow, and some chose to leave silently.

After the assessment, the scores will be displayed on the screen, so everyone knows their scores, except for the passing score.

"Click? Click? (That's it? 46 points is passing? And that's the highest score in nearly ten years?)" Amidst the crowd, Lu Sha nestled in Cattleya's arms, curling her lip in disdain.

There are 100 multiple-choice questions in total, and each question has four options. Even if you choose randomly, you can still get 20-30 points.

With a bit of luck, you can get 46 points even if you just guess.

In other words, as long as you can answer about 20 questions, you can pass by guessing the rest.

So even among those from academic backgrounds, most trainers are illiterate?

Once the crowd below had quieted down a bit, Wusong stood on the stage and continued speaking:

"Next, I will announce the list of seven people who can enter the academy without taking the practical exam. Each of them scored over 90 points on the written test."

"Click! (Oh wow, there are 7 people with scores above 90?)" Lu Sha was somewhat surprised at this moment.

To be honest, 46 points is not a high passing score.

However, it is still quite difficult to get a score of 90 or above on that comprehensive 100-question exam.

Anyway, if Lu Sha were to do it himself, he would probably only get 80 points at most.

He can get the first 70 points, but for the last 30 points, he can only guess and get about 5-10 points.

"7th place, Plantina, 91 points!"

Upon hearing this name, Lu Sha's heart stirred slightly.

A strange sense of familiarity flashed through my mind, but upon closer examination, I couldn't quite grasp the specific impression.

He'll probably be a minor, somewhat famous character in the future, but not a main character.

Lu Sha didn't delve into it further and continued listening.

"5th place... 91 points!"

Wu Song announced the names in order of scores from lowest to highest, and the last four names all had a score of 91.

Moreover, Lu Sha had absolutely no recollection of those names.

Just a passerby, not important!

In comparison, Wusong is the one who has captured his attention more.

After all, Gosho is the future Sinnoh Psychic Elite Four member, a Elite Four trainer of the same type as Cattleya.

"Third place, Pal, 92 points!"

"Click! (Tsk, third place is only one point ahead of everyone else!)" Lu Sha felt a pang of emotion, yet also thought it was normal.

After all, that exam paper was truly bizarre, testing everything and covering a wide range of topics.

There's a nauseating feeling of both fearing that the test taker won't be able to answer anything and fearing that they will be able to answer everything.

Just then, Lu Sha suddenly felt the arms that were hugging her tighten slightly.

Subconsciously looking up, I saw that Cattleya was staring intently at the stage, her emerald eyes gleaming with undisguised anticipation.

Lu Shaxin understood.

With Cattleya's perfect score, first place was already hers for the taking.

At this moment, the only thing that could make her so concerned was Cynthia's score.

"Second place, Cynthia, 98 points!"

Upon hearing this, Cattleya's body visibly relaxed.

That confident and composed air of a young lady reappeared in Cattleya.

at the same time.

The mere mention of Cynthia's name caused a huge uproar, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples throughout the crowd.

"How is that possible? 98 points? That's outrageous!"

"Wait a minute, Cynthia is only second? Then who is the first-place winner?"

"Didn't you know? I heard the first-place student is a real monster! Not only did they hand in their paper halfway early, but they also got a perfect score!"

"Although Cynthia is already very strong, she is indeed a notch below in theory compared to a genius like her who should be in the research institute next door."

"Tch, this is a Trainer Academy. What's the use of doing well on the written test? Real skill is shown in battles!"

"..."

Amidst the clamor of discussion, Wusong adjusted his glasses again, a slight smile playing on his lips, and slowly uttered the final name:

"First place, Cattleya, 100 points!"

If just now it was merely splashing water, then now it's boiling over.

An even louder uproar than before erupted.

The crowd was shocked not only by the perfect score, but also by the fact that someone could actually outperform that exceptionally talented woman.

It's important to know that Cynthia is highly anticipated by the entire Sinnoh region. Even before becoming a Trainer, she was already considered a candidate for the future Elite Four and even the Champion.

According to rumors, Cynthia was chosen by a legendary Pokémon when she was young, and her Gible was a gift from that legendary Pokémon.

"This is the first perfect score since the founding of the Zhuqing Trainer Academy, and it will be recorded in the academy's history. For this, the academy has decided to award 500 academy points as a reward to all students who officially enroll in Cattleya."

Wu Song's voice resounded throughout the venue through the loudspeaker, carrying the solemnity characteristic of an official announcement, yet also mixed with a hint of playfulness that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Ha, how boring!"

Cattleya gave a soft hum, instantly sensing Wusong's unspoken message through telepathy.

If nothing unexpected happens, the rewards and praise given to her should have originally belonged to Cynthia.

Even a score of 98 is enough to break history and become a legend celebrated by all.

However, because of her sudden appearance, the achievement that should have belonged to Cynthia was replaced.

"Click! (Don't let this affect you, these things were meant to be yours!)" Lu Sha keenly sensed the girl's emotional fluctuations and quickly extended her short paws to gently pat her tense forearm.

This is in public; we can't let the young lady lose control here.

"No."

Gadriya lowered her eyes, looking at Lu Sha, who truly accepted her in her arms. A ripple appeared in her usually cold eyes, and she whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"This glory belongs to you."

Before she could finish speaking, amidst countless envious and scrutinizing gazes from the audience, she made a surprising move.

She gently raised her hands, and with a soft wisp of mental energy, placed the somewhat bewildered Lu Sha steadily on her head.

The adorable little gible sits atop a cascade of dazzling golden hair, resembling a unique gible hat.

This seemingly comical combination, far from ruining the young lady's noble and aloof temperament, actually adds a touch of captivating charm and cuteness due to the stark contrast.

After finishing, Cattleya was noticeably more composed and at ease when facing the various gazes around her.

Only she herself knew that without Lu Sha, she would never have been able to surpass Cynthia.

Because of her bond with Lu Sha, and because of Lu Sha's extraordinary abilities, she, who was considered a monster by her family, was able to become the focus of everyone's attention.

Next time, she will defeat Cynthia fair and square!

In fact.

Now, she no longer has the almost pathological obsession with surpassing Cynthia that she had a few days ago.

She just didn't want Lu Sha to think that Cynthia was more suitable to be his trainer than herself.

That's it.

"Damn it! Why her?!"

In a corner of the crowd, Lei Si clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with resentment as he stared at the blonde figure who was being looked up to by everyone, and at the hideous giblet on her head.

"The one standing there, the center of attention, trampling Cynthia underfoot, should be me!"

Looking at his dismal 45 points, Lei Si gritted his teeth, a flame of resentment burning in his eyes:

"Ha, what's there to be so smug about? Just wait and see, with that unruly giblet around, your false glory will shatter sooner or later!"

"The world of trainers is all about raw skill! You can keep playing house in the academy. Once I've finished my travels and training, you'll be left far behind."

After speaking, Lei Si quietly left the square.

Even though she sensed his extreme resentment and anger, Cattleya never once looked back at him.

Instead, Gadriya slightly raised her head, glanced at Wusong in the stands, and frowned slightly.

Just now, Wusong tested him with his superpowers.

But the result...

"Has it been discovered? This is a superpower so powerful it's almost suffocating..."

Wusong stood on the stage, his body swaying slightly, and a feeling of dizziness immediately followed.

Only those who are also superpowered cultivators can know how terrifying Cattleya's potential is.

He merely probed with his superpowers, and Cattleya's simple eye contact hypnosis nearly caused him, with his professional-level superpowers, to collapse on the spot.

If it weren't for the superpowers he possessed, he might have already collapsed.

Moreover, what makes Cattleya terrifying is not just her strength.

The greatest enemy of superhumans is always themselves.

The stronger one's superpowers, the easier it is to lose control, the more closed off one becomes, and the less able one is to stand in the spotlight.

Gosong had heard of and seen superhumans at the Dojo level and even the Elite Four level, but without exception, they all had personality flaws that hindered their progress and prevented them from advancing further.

But Cattleya is different.

Not only does she possess terrifyingly powerful superpowers, but her personality shows absolutely no signs of distortion.

Furthermore, they chose a Pokémon that wasn't a Psychic-type and developed a deep bond with it.

This temperament alone was enough to terrify Wusong.

Generally speaking, non-Psychic-type Pokémon simply cannot enter the hearts of psychics, let alone act as a psychologist to constantly comfort them.

Cattleya's ability to self-regulate is already a champion quality.

"Will Sinnoh's first champion be you or Cynthia?"

Wu Song thought to himself, his gaze lingering on the two people below.

Same blonde hair, same powerful aura, same starter Pokémon Gible.

Sinnoh desperately needs a champion.

As a region with a creation myth, it was suppressed by the Kanto region for decades, mocked and humiliated by them, who constantly tried to seize their resources.

If it weren't for their slight foundation, they wouldn't even have been able to form an alliance, and would have become a playground for the Kanto people.

This situation is so frustrating!