Geng Zhi: "Ethan… You're the One Who's Truly Beyond Everyone Else."**
"Did she really just break Donghuang Academy's entrance record?"
"Over ninety thousand points?! How is that even possible?"
"Irene Qin… wait, wasn't she the top scorer of this year's national exam?"
The moment the result was announced, the entire hall exploded into chaos.
No one had expected that such a slender-looking girl—together with her Nidorina—would shatter a record that had stood for decades.
Donghuang Academy had existed for over a century.
The entrance evaluation itself had been in use for more than sixty years.
In the early years, records were broken frequently.
But about twenty years ago, the highest score had become a wall—one no student had ever crossed since.
And now?
That wall had fallen.
Even the instructors were shaken.
Among them, counselor Lou Yixiao stared at Irene Qin in disbelief.
She herself had once been a student here.
She knew her own limits well enough—no matter how hard she tried, she would never reach the peak as a Trainer. That was why she had chosen to remain at the academy as faculty.
And she knew exactly who had set that record twenty years ago.
That score had been achieved by the current Donghuang League Champion, Victor Stone.
For it to be broken now—
Did that mean this generation might produce another Champion?
Lou Yixiao took a deep breath, steadied herself, and stepped onto the platform.
"Congratulations, Irene Qin," she said sincerely.
"You've broken the entrance evaluation record."
Irene Qin nodded shyly in response.
Her Nidorina, on the other hand, lifted her head proudly, radiating pure confidence—as if declaring herself unrivaled.
In the audience, Geng Zhi stared at the stage in shock.
The delicate girl he had seen once before… had just rewritten academy history.
He slowly turned to Ethan.
"You were right," he said quietly.
"Donghuang Academy really is full of monsters."
"That Nidorina's attack just now… it's probably on the same level as Hattrem's Psychic, right?"
Ethan nodded.
"Her Nidorina is very strong."
"She's clearly been given a lot of resources—but more importantly, she can control that power."
"Even with a rapid boost in strength, her Pokémon didn't lose stability."
"That alone shows how talented she is as a Trainer."
This praise came from the heart.
From the system's data, Ethan already knew Nidorina was around Level 26—only slightly below Swampert.
Among freshmen, that was exceptional.
Far stronger than Geng Zhi's Level 15 Swablu, at least.
After Irene Qin stepped down, Lou Yixiao praised her again before continuing the evaluation.
Several more students took the stage.
None matched Irene Qin—but even the lowest score exceeded 50,000.
Every Pokémon tested was at least Level 23.
Ethan glanced at Swablu.
For the first time, he felt genuine sympathy for Geng Zhi.
A short while later, Lou Yixiao spoke again.
"Next—Ethan Stone."
"Is Ethan Stone present?"
The moment she said his name, her expression sharpened.
She still vividly remembered how Professor Zhang Benchu had personally asked her to locate Ethan.
Later, she'd learned the truth.
Ethan had raised an extraordinarily powerful Tyrantrum.
Her expectations rose instantly.
As Ethan stepped onto the platform, whispers erupted.
"Wait—isn't that the guy who went viral for raising a Tyrantrum?"
"So that's him?!"
"I saw it myself—his Tyrunt evolved right in front of everyone!"
In seconds, Ethan's identity was fully exposed.
All eyes locked onto him.
Even Irene Qin, now offstage, watched intently.
Among the freshmen, Ethan was already famous.
Many believed he already possessed the strength of a professional Trainer.
And they were only just beginning school.
For students who hoped to change their lives through the Trainer path, Ethan was both a goal—and pressure incarnate.
That pressure alone had raised this year's average score by nearly five thousand points.
Standing on the platform, Ethan remained calm.
Big stages were nothing new to him.
"Counselor Lou," he asked politely,
"I just need Hattrem to attack the machine, correct?"
Lou Yixiao nodded.
"That's right."
Ethan smiled at the Pokémon on his shoulder.
"Hattrem—let's see what half a month of training has accomplished."
"Maximum output. Psychic."
Hattrem's expression turned serious.
An overwhelming psychic presence flooded the hall.
Everyone could feel it.
A pressure so intense it made breathing difficult.
"HATTREM!"
The psychic force slammed forward like a descending hammer.
BOOOOM!
The evaluation machine—
the same machine that had endured Nidorina's Head Smash without a scratch—
twisted, cracked, and collapsed.
Sparks flew.
Metal groaned.
Then a broken mechanical voice echoed:
Warning… warning…
Power exceeds maximum limit…
Unable to evaluate…
Silence.
Total, absolute silence.
Students.
Instructors.
Every single person froze.
The machine… had failed.
Not a low score.
Not an error.
It was destroyed.
Impossible.
That was the only word in everyone's mind.
In the crowd, Geng Zhi stared blankly at the stage.
He had prepared himself for Ethan to amaze everyone.
But this?
This went far beyond expectation.
He finally exhaled and muttered:
"Ethan… the 'someone stronger out there' you were talking about earlier…"
"…that person is you, isn't it?"
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