Steven had been pestering Albert for days now, but this evening, he was relentless.
They were sitting in Joseph's garden, the fading sun painting the stone paths gold, when Steven leaned forward with that gleam in his eye. "Albert, just tell me which university you picked already. Come on. We both know you've made your decision. Don't keep me guessing."
Albert didn't even look up from the book balanced on his lap. "You should decide for yourself, Steven. I won't influence you."
"That's exactly why I want to know!" Steven pressed. "If you've got recruiters chasing after you—and we both know you met with them last week—then clearly you saw the best offers on the table. Why not save me the trouble and let me follow you? It's not like I'm going to regret being at the same university as the only perfect scorer in history."
Albert finally raised his eyes, calm but firm. "That's precisely why I won't say. You have to choose based on what you want, not because you're following me."
Steven groaned, throwing his arms in the air. "You're impossible." Then, a sly grin crept onto his lips. "Fine. But when I figure it out, don't blame me if I show up at your campus uninvited."
Albert smirked faintly, returning to his reading. "Only if you can figure it out before the confirmation deadline."
Steven slumped dramatically into the armchair, muttering under his breath. "You're impossible."
But his eyes glinted with fondness, even through his exasperation.
Just then, Steven's phone buzzed.
He glanced down, and his eyes widened.
"The results!" he shouted, almost knocking over his chair as he shot to his feet. "The IPA has just released the global top scores—it's out, Albert! Finally!"
His excitement was infectious; even Albert closed his book.
Steven fumbled with his phone, pulling up the official International Pokémon Association announcement.
The logo flickered on-screen, followed by the names that would define their generation.
When the results finally went live, Steven leaned so close to the screen it was almost comical.
His excitement dimmed into stunned silence as the list scrolled before their eyes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Top 10 Worldwide Ranking —Pokémon Trainer Licensure Exam
Albert Hugo — 1000 points (Evergreen Island)
Cynthia Dallas — 986 points (Pearl Federation)
Lusamine Aether — 982 points (Freesia Isles)
Lance Blackthorn — 978 points (Silver Republic)
Diantha Rouen — 976 points (Eden Empire)
Steven Stone — 974 points (Evergreen Island)
Wallace Evans — 972 points (Evergreen Island)
Leon Redwood — 970 points (Desert Nation)
Iris Draconis — 966 points (Grayscale Kingdom)
Geeta Vellore — 962 points (Tribal Alliance)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steven's jaw dropped as he stared at the report. "Three of us… Evergreen Island put three names in the Top 10!" His voice rang with excitement. "Albert, do you know what this means? We're going to be known as the generation that put Evergreen Island on the map! You, me, Wallace—people won't stop talking about this for years!"
He laughed, almost dizzy with pride, reading his name again and again as if to make sure it was real. "This is history—Evergreen Island's history!"
Albert only skimmed the surface of his friend's words. His eyes fixed on the ranking list, tracing each line, each name, each score etched like iron into history.
Lance. Cynthia. Diantha. Geeta. Leon. Iris. Lusamine. Wallace. Steven.
His breath hitched for the briefest second. His fingers curled against his side, not from fear but from the sheer, suffocating gravity of what lay before him.
"This… can't be a coincidence," he whispered under his breath. The words were almost too low to hear.
One after another, the names lit like fire in his mind.
Not just prodigies. Not just rivals. These were the future Champions, the strongest trainers alive in every corner of the world.
Men and women who, in a matter of years, would stand at the absolute summit of power. And all of them—all of them—were his peers.
His generation. His battlefield.
The realization hit like a weight in his chest, so heavy it nearly stole his composure.
His perfect score didn't make him untouchable. If anything, it had painted a larger target on his back.
"They're all… monsters," Albert thought, his amethyst eyes darkening. "Every single one of them. This entire list is filled with people destined to rule their continents. And now… I'll have to fight them all."
Steven, swept up in his pride for Hoenn, didn't notice the way Albert's shoulders stiffened, his murmurs, or the faint tremor in his voice.
He didn't see the storm brewing beneath the veil of calm Albert wore.
Albert turned his eyes back to the ranking, his jaw tightening.
These weren't just names. They were threats. Living, breathing reminders that perfection on paper meant nothing if he wasn't ready for the future battles that would inevitably come.