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

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

So here was the question: why did Trainers have to go to school? Weren't they supposed to set off on their journeys shortly after turning ten? Why was this happening?

After thinking for a long time and still failing to understand, he voiced his question. Hala's expression became 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 travel!"

"..."

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

Perhaps seeing that he did not know much about this, Hala continued, "Our Alola Region got a late start. Because of our small area and population, we lagged behind in many aspects. We used to be regarded as nothing more than a vacation destination."

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

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

"At the time, the four Island Kahunas all took it very seriously. If there were not enough teachers or educational resources, we spent money to find them in other regions. It took several years before things finally stabilized and began to develop."

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

This was the famous Hala school enrollment pitch. Xingye knew he could not escape it. If he agreed, he would count as an Alolan. If he refused, never mind anything else—he would immediately go back to being wild.

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

Hearing his mutter, Hala suddenly smiled. "You want to become a Trainer? Going to school will do it."

"Hm?"

Seeing Xingye's confused expression again, Hala smiled and patiently continued, "It looks like you lack a lot of common knowledge, so you really need to study properly at school! In the past, there were no requirements for becoming a Trainer. Anyone could be one, which led to far too many people overestimating themselves. Children barely over ten, knowing nothing, would run straight into the wilderness..."

"To prevent the population from sharply declining, educational institutions later joined with the Pokémon League Association to establish regulations. Without attending school, you cannot become a Trainer and cannot legally own Pokémon. Also, without a diploma, there are many places you cannot go."

"..."

Xingye gave up. Was school really unavoidable? It was nothing but a complete waste of time.

But if it was six years of compulsory education beginning at twelve, then he could graduate at eighteen. For him, that meant a three-year sentence!

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

"Hm?"

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

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

"Haha, but don't worry. Our Alola Pokémon School provides an all-in-one program; the university is part of it too. After completing the six years of compulsory education, you can enroll in university directly on the spot. Nowhere else offers that kind of treatment!"

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

Xingye was truly stunned. The bizarre Pokémon in Kabukicho had already been ridiculous enough, but he had not expected humans to be even more absurd.

Hadn't he come to this world to travel around and meet Pokémon? Why did he have to go to school and take CET-4 and CET-6? He had already suffered enough in his previous life. All of a sudden, he really did not want to go to school anymore!

His mentality wavered just a little, though he could still hold steady. Still, he felt as if 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 and evening self-study sessions?"

"Normally, classes run from nine to twelve in the morning and from one to four in the afternoon. That's six hours a day, and there are no classes on weekends. However, there are regular wilderness survival courses, as well as activities to investigate ecosystems in other regions or interact 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 fairly flexible.

Then again, it made sense. This was a Pokémon School, mainly meant to cultivate Trainers. Naturally, it would not lock people entirely inside an ivory tower.

That gave him plenty more time. He could coast through three years, then coast through university. School was the sort of thing that passed before you knew it if you just muddled along.

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

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

"Then thank you very much!"

Though it still felt strange somehow, Xingye could not figure out why. Still, his luck was pretty good. Aside from owing money, everything else had actually been handled as an all-in-one service. Alola really was warm and hospitable.

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

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

"???"

The script was wrong! Xingye was dumbfounded. Shouldn't he be placed in fourth grade? Did that mean he had to wait another six years to get his diploma? Before he could travel freely?

"No. 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 absolutely no need for me to start from the beginning. Besides, I've been wandering the wilderness the whole time, so I can already handle all kinds of situations!"

"Is that so?"

Hala looked at Slowking. Slowking did not know much either, but it 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..."

"Mm-hm!"

"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, you are not a legal Trainer."

"..."

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

"Hm?"

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

"You're even giving me a Present?"

"After all, providing novice Trainers with their starter Pokémon is part of an Island Kahuna's duty. You already have Cyclizar, so I can only give you a ball to catch it with. How about it?"

"A battle..."

Xingye looked at Cyclizar, which 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!"