Trainers Have to Take CET-4 and CET-6 Too

Xingye was completely dumbfounded. He had always thought these people were joking when they talked about going to school, but apparently that was not the case.

So the question was, why did Trainers have to go to school? Weren't they supposed to set off on their journeys at just over ten years old? Why was this happening?

After thinking about it for a long time without finding an answer, he raised his question. Hala's expression grew even more serious. "Travel at ten? What can a ten-year-old child do? They can't do anything!"

"Wilderness survival knowledge, Pokémon training and battling knowledge, ways to handle all kinds of situations... You have to thoroughly learn all that at school before you can go traveling!"

"..."

Xingye was stunned. Weren't these supposed to be innate skills that everyone in the Pokémon world was born with? They actually needed to study them?

Perhaps noticing how little Xingye knew about this, Hala continued, "Our Alola Region got off to a late start. Because of our small size and population, we lagged behind in many areas. In the past, we were always seen as nothing more than a vacation destination."

"It was only through the tireless efforts of Trainers who went from Alola to study in other regions and later returned, more than ten years ago, that the outside world finally acknowledged us as a proper region rather than some tiny backwater."

"Then, in order to keep up with the development of other regions, we began placing greater importance on education and built the Alola Region's only Pokémon School in Hau'oli City."

"At the time, all four of us island kahunas took it very seriously. We lacked teachers and educational resources, so we spent money to bring them in from other regions. It took several years before things finally stabilized and began to develop."

"Now, every child in the Alola Region who turns twelve is required to attend school. Unlike other regions, there is no tuition here. We offer six years of compulsory education, so you can rest easy!"

This was the famous Hala school recruitment pitch. Xingye knew he could not escape it. If he agreed, he would count as an Alolan. If he refused, then putting everything else aside, he would go straight back to being wild.

He did not agree immediately. He merely let out a long sigh. "I just want legal identification and to become a Trainer. Is that really so difficult?"

Hearing his mutter, Hala suddenly smiled. "Want to become a Trainer? Going to school is all it takes."

"Hm?"

Seeing Xingye looking confused again, Hala smiled and patiently continued, "It seems you lack a lot of common knowledge. That means you absolutely need to study properly at school! In the past, there were no requirements for becoming a Trainer. Anyone could do it, which led to far too many people overestimating themselves. Children barely over ten, knowing nothing, would run off into the wilderness..."

"To prevent the population from plummeting, educational institutions later joined with the Pokémon League Association to establish regulations. If you do not attend school, you cannot become a Trainer, which means you cannot legally own Pokémon. And without a diploma, there are many places you cannot go."

"..."

Xingye gave up. Did he seriously have to attend school? What a complete waste of time.

But if compulsory education started at twelve and lasted six years, he could graduate at eighteen. For him, that meant a three-year deadline!

Perhaps seeing through his thoughts, Hala suddenly added, "That's right. You can get a diploma from the Pokémon School once you turn eighteen, and then you can go anywhere. But..."

"Hm?"

"But if you do not continue on to university, you cannot take the exams to raise your Trainer rank. Specialized knowledge is very important in this area. If your rank is too low, it will be especially difficult to take civil service exams later or enter major competitions held by the Pokémon League Association."

"Trainers have to take CET-4 and CET-6 too?!"

"Haha, but don't worry. Our Alola Pokémon School provides an all-in-one service—it includes university as well. Once you finish the six years of compulsory education, you can enroll in university right there. No other place offers treatment like this!"

"...What kind of Pokémon world is this?!"

Xingye was genuinely dumbfounded. The bizarre Pokémon in Kabukicho had already been outrageous enough, but he had not expected the human side to be even more absurd.

Hadn't he come to this world to travel everywhere and encounter Pokémon? Why did he have to go to school and take CET-4 and CET-6 exams? He had already been tormented enough in his previous life. Suddenly, he really did not want to go to school!

His mindset wavered just a little, though he could still keep it together. Still, he felt as though he was not facing an island kahuna, but some school admissions officer. Had Slowking sold him out?

With those doubts in mind, he curiously asked, "So, how do classes at this Pokémon School usually work? Do they have morning study sessions and evening study sessions?"

"Normally, classes run from nine to twelve in the morning and one to four in the afternoon—six hours a day. There are no classes on weekends, though there are regular wilderness survival courses, as well as activities like ecological surveys in other regions and exchanges with other schools."

"Oh..."

Xingye was finally relieved. He had thought it would be the kind of school that started at six in the morning and lasted until ten at night, but it actually seemed rather flexible.

But thinking about it, that made sense. This was a Pokémon School, mainly intended to cultivate Trainers. Naturally, it would not stuff you entirely into an ivory tower.

That meant he had plenty of time. He could coast through three years, then coast through university. School was the kind of thing that passed before you knew it while you were muddling through.

"Since that's the case, I'll go to school. So when can I start?"

"It's the weekend now. I'll help you sort out your identification later, and leave the rest to me. You can go to school the day after tomorrow. I'll have Slowking relay the remaining details to you."

"Then thank you very much!"

Though he still felt that something about this was strange, Xingye could not figure out what. Still, his luck seemed pretty good. Aside from owing money, everything else had been handled with an all-in-one service. The Alola Region truly was warm and hospitable.

"Oh, right. I'm fifteen now. I missed three years of education. Is that really okay?"

Hearing this, Hala laughed twice and replied, "Of course it's fine. You can just start learning from the beginning. That's right, from first grade!"

"???"

That was not how the script was supposed to go! Xingye was stunned. Shouldn't he be in fourth grade? Did that mean he had to wait another six years before getting his diploma? Before he could travel freely?

"No way. Absolutely not!"

Where was he supposed to find that much time? His expression turned serious as he said to Hala, "Actually, I know a great deal about Pokémon already. There's no need for me to start from scratch. Besides, I've been wandering in the wild for a long time, so I can already handle all kinds of situations!"

"Is that so?"

Hala glanced at Slowking. Slowking did not know much either, but still nodded.

After confirming that, Hala looked at Xingye again and said, "Indeed. It seems that aside from not being a Trainer, you are already ahead in every other respect. Starting from the beginning would waste quite a bit of time..."

"Mhm, mhm!"

"Then..."

As he spoke, Hala suddenly noticed Cyclizar over there, chasing after a wild Wattrel and playing around. He asked, "Is that your Pokémon?"

"That's right!"

"But it does not seem to have ever been caught. And even if it had been caught, you are not a legal Trainer."

"..."

Seeing Xingye fall silent, Hala suddenly smiled and asked, "How about this?"

"Hm?"

"Since you say your professional knowledge is extensive, prove it through a Pokémon battle. As long as you can win, you will not need to start from the beginning. And I'll even give you a Poké Ball!"

"You're giving me a gift too?"

"Giving newcomers their starter Pokémon is one of our island kahunas' duties. You already have Cyclizar, so I can only give you a ball to catch it with. What do you say?"

"A battle..."

Xingye looked at Cyclizar, who was still playing around over there. He could only use it to battle, but since Hala had already proposed it...

"Then let's do it. A Pokémon battle!"