Bill was starting to feel lightheaded.
It was obvious that Blue’s endless list of equipment requests had given him a serious headache.
Fortunately, August offered him additional research funding, allowing Bill to barely pull himself together.
As they left Bill’s lighthouse, August turned to Blue and said, “You went a little overboard this time. Bill is a researcher, not a wishing machine. How is he supposed to fulfill all those requests at once? If you scare him off, where am I going to find another suitable researcher?”
Hearing August’s words, Blue lowered her head in embarrassment.
Just as she was about to reflect on her actions, August suddenly continued, “You should’ve started with a few simple requests first. Then, as the prototypes come out, you can ask for modifications.”
Blue was momentarily stunned.
So that’s what August meant?
Seeing the thoughtful expression on her face, August was pleased that she understood.
“We’re heading to Cerulean City next…”
Just as August was about to call Blue to follow him, the communicator on his waist suddenly rang.
It was Lance.
“Lance? What’s the matter?”
“August, your instincts were right—Team Rocket was operating aboard the S.S. Anne.”
Lance couldn’t help but be impressed. Every time August provided information, it was scarily accurate.
“So, what happened? Did you catch them?” August asked, concerned.
Lance was silent for a moment before summarizing the situation.
In short, they had managed to capture most of the Team Rocket members aboard, but the battle had caused significant damage to the S.S. Anne, forcing it to cancel its upcoming voyages and dock for repairs.
“…”
August didn’t know what to say about the Kanto League’s performance.
If he wanted to compliment them, well… they had managed to capture most of the Rockets. But at the same time, they had also wrecked the S.S. Anne so badly that it needed major repairs. According to Lance, if not for the captain’s quick response, the ship might have sunk on the spot.
If he wanted to criticize them, he couldn’t say they had done terribly either. At least they had acted swiftly and minimized the number of Rockets who escaped.
All in all, the Kanto League still had some fight left in them. August felt there was still hope for them.
“Lance, you didn’t call just to tell me this, did you?”
A matter like this wasn’t worth Lance personally calling about.
“You got me.”
“The S.S. Anne incident has shaken the League Council. They’re furious about how brazen Team Rocket has become, so they’ve decided to impose stricter standards for the upcoming Gym evaluations.”
“As for what those standards should be, the Council has given me full discretion to decide… But since you are the one conducting the assessments for me, I trust your judgment. So, I’m leaving it all up to you.”
“I’ve got other matters to handle—consider this your full authority.”
With that, Lance hung up.
Listening to the dial tone, August took a moment to process what had just happened.
So, he had been given complete authority?
If he was the one setting the standards, didn’t that mean he could single-handedly determine which Gyms passed or failed?
Now this was getting interesting.
—
A month had passed since August and Blue last set foot in this city—the place where they had first met.
Cerulean City was still plastered with posters of the Cerulean Sisters, just as it had been before.
But unlike last time, August wasn’t just a passing visitor. This time, he was here as Lance’s representative to conduct an official Gym assessment.
“Is everyone in position?” August asked Blue.
“The League’s personnel are already in place,” Blue confirmed. “But making such a big scene—are you sure Lance is okay with this?”
Despite her words, Blue’s expression betrayed her excitement—she was clearly looking forward to the spectacle.
“This is a directive from the League Council. If there’s any issue, they’ll deal with it. Besides, Lance has my back.” August waved his hand dismissively, signaling that she had nothing to worry about.
Hearing this, Blue relaxed completely. “So, when do we begin?”
“Right now.”
…
As Cerulean City’s renowned Water Ballet performance center, Cerulean Gym was one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Even though it was located in the outskirts of the city, whenever there was a performance, the place would be swarmed with tourists and fans. Vendors would also gather in droves, taking advantage of the crowds.
However, today was not a performance day.
Instead, the Gym was filled with novice trainers hoping to challenge the Gym Leaders.
“What? Fully booked?” A trainer exclaimed in disbelief. “I was fourth in line!”
“Apologies,” the staff member said with a polite but weary smile. “The first three challengers already defeated all three Gym Leaders’ Pokémon. Since their Pokémon are currently recovering, we’re unable to accept any more challengers for the time being.”
The moment these words left the staff member’s mouth, the line of waiting trainers erupted in complaints.
“I’ve been waiting in line so many times already, and now this again?!”
“‘Next time’? Everyone knows the next few days are all performance days! How long are we supposed to wait?”
“Why don’t they just give us the Badges at this point? It’s not like we’d lose the battle anyway.”
The staff, clearly accustomed to such protests, remained composed.
“We understand everyone’s frustration, but the Gym Leaders’ Pokémon are simply too exhausted to take on more battles.”
“There are too many challengers at the moment. Perhaps you could try challenging a different Gym?”
The crowd fell silent.
Then, someone muttered under their breath, “If we could beat the other Gyms, why would we even bother challenging Cerulean Gym?”
This sentiment quickly earned murmurs of agreement.
Still, no amount of complaining would change the fact that Cerulean Gym was closed to challengers.
Just then, the Gym’s doors were pushed open.
One of the staff instinctively began their usual closing line: “Apologies, Cerulean Gym is about to close—”
But midway through their sentence, they saw what stood before them.
Their voice cut off abruptly.
A young man in a well-tailored suit and glasses stepped through the entrance, exuding a professional air.
But it wasn’t him alone that left the staff member speechless.
Even the girl beside him, who looked like his secretary, wasn’t the reason.
No—the real shock came from the two orderly columns of people following behind them as they marched into the Gym.
The aura of authority surrounding these people was overwhelming.
And if the staff’s eyes weren’t deceiving them… the insignia on their chests—was that the League Audit Department’s emblem?!
A sinking feeling crept into the staff member’s chest. “Excuse me, you are…?”
August stood silently.
Then, Blue stepped forward with a polite smile.
“We are Gym Assessment Officers from the Pokémon League.”
The staff member blinked in confusion.
Gym assessment?
It’s that time again already?
—
This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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