The Gym staff were momentarily stunned by Blue’s words. Then, panic set in.
It wasn’t as if Cerulean Gym had never been through an assessment before.
However, their past approvals had only been secured through a combination of Misty’s personal strength, the Gym’s longstanding connections, and the immense influence it held in Cerulean City. All of these factors barely managed to keep the Gym afloat.
But… Misty had been dragged off on a journey!
As for the three remaining Gym Leaders… well, just looking at the long line of challengers waiting outside spoke volumes about their actual strength.
As a Gym staff member, she wasn’t in a position to comment, but anyone who understood the situation would know exactly what that meant.
There’s no way we’re passing this assessment.
Seeing that the Gym staff were too stunned to respond, August gave a subtle signal, prompting the League Audit Department’s elite team to step forward. One of them spoke up politely:
“Please provide us with the records of all trainer challenges and Badge distributions from the past year.”
“Retrieve any archived battle footage—we need to verify and cross-check the records.”
“We also require financial documentation regarding the use of the League’s Gym subsidy funds. Cerulean Gym must provide its accounting records for inspection.”
“And lastly… we request that the Gym Trainers of Cerulean Gym step forward for evaluation by the assessment officers.”
After speaking, the lead auditor gave a slight nod of respect toward August.
With everything laid out, August turned to the increasingly dazed Gym staff and offered a warm, reassuring smile.
“Please don’t worry. This Gym assessment is under my direct supervision, and we are committed to ensuring fairness, transparency, and impartiality. The entire process is being recorded to guarantee that there will be no bias or hidden agendas.”
He gestured to one of the auditors, who was holding up a camera.
When the Gym staff turned to look, the auditor even flashed them a polite smile.
“…”
I’d rather you be unfair and biased instead.
Somebody, please—get the three Gym Leaders here! I don’t care if we have to pull strings, bribe them, or even seduce someone if necessary—whatever it takes to keep Cerulean Gym from shutting down!
I still have a precious Seel at home to feed—I can’t lose this job!
…
By the time the three Cerulean Sisters received word and rushed to the Gym’s reception hall, they were met with an absolutely terrifying sight.
A group of auditors, clad in the League Audit Department’s official uniforms, were meticulously reviewing the Gym’s past challenge records, cross-referencing them with archived battle footage, and taking notes.
The Gym staff had been instructed to step away from all computer equipment and stand aside, ready to answer any questions the auditors had.
Some of those questions made the three sisters break into a cold sweat.
For instance:
“On March 12th, at 10 AM, why was a 3v3 Gym battle not completed? The match ended with only two Pokémon fainted before the Gym voluntarily forfeited and handed over a Badge.”
“On April 2nd, why were all challenge appointments suddenly canceled for the day? The League received 23 complaints from trainers that day—twelve of whom stated that this wasn’t the first time they’d been stood up by Cerulean Gym.”
“According to statistical reports, Cerulean Gym has hosted less than half the number of trainer challenges compared to Pewter Gym over the past year. However, the total number of Badges issued by Cerulean Gym is over three times that of Pewter Gym. How does your Gym explain this discrepancy?”
…
These were the kind of questions that made their backs break out in a cold sweat.
This can’t go on—we’re really in trouble if they keep digging!
In their long-standing tradition of slacking off, the problems at Cerulean Gym had piled up endlessly. If the League did a thorough investigation, there would be no getting out of this unscathed.
The three sisters exchanged looks.
In the end, the eldest, Lily, braced herself and stepped forward.
“Hello, I’m one of Cerulean Gym’s Trainers—”
But before she could even finish her sentence, the secretary-like girl who had been sitting on the couch stood up. She had an expression that said, I’ve been waiting for you, and greeted them with a smile.
“So, you three must be the Gym Trainers of Cerulean Gym—the Cerulean Sisters?”
Under Blue’s gaze, the three sisters instinctively nodded.
“The auditors will handle the financial review. Since you’re here, we can now proceed with the next part of the assessment.”
“The next part…?” Daisy, the second sister, suddenly had a bad feeling.
“Why, the most important part—the Gym Trainer Strength Evaluation.” Blue said matter-of-factly. “A Gym’s legitimacy is primarily determined by its trainers’ battle performance, after all.”
Cerulean Sisters: “…”
Would it have been better if we had just played dead instead?
But playing dead wasn’t an option.
The League’s assessment team had already come knocking. If they refused to participate, the League wouldn’t even need to continue the audit—they’d just strip the Gym of its qualification on the spot.
But undergoing a strength evaluation?
That was even worse!
They already struggled against regular trainers—how could they possibly stand a chance against League assessors?
The three sisters racked their brains for a way out.
Finally, Daisy had a sudden stroke of genius. With a troubled expression, she sighed and said:
“Ordinarily, we would dedicate our full effort to meeting the League’s examination.”
“But unfortunately, just earlier today, we faced an exceptionally powerful trainer who single-handedly defeated all of our Pokémon. Right now, our teams are being treated at the Pokémon Center.”
“Because of this, we even had to cancel today’s Gym challenges.”
“If you give us a couple of days for our Pokémon to recover, we promise to be in our best condition for the League’s assessment!”
As Daisy spoke, she had already made up her mind—once they got past this hurdle, she would immediately call Misty and beg her to return to help Cerulean Gym survive this crisis.
Although Misty’s figure was rather… average, when it came to battle talent, the three of them combined couldn’t even compare to her.
“Oh? A trainer who could defeat all three of you? They must be pretty skilled. May I ask for their name?” Blue asked with a smile, prompted by a subtle glance from August.
Daisy considered making up a name, but worried about getting caught in a lie. So, she quickly thought back to the strongest trainer they had encountered recently.
Her eyes lit up.
With a confident expression, she said, “That trainer’s name is Gary Oak. He’s from Pallet Town and is said to be the grandson of the renowned Pokémon Professor, Professor Oak.”
This answer not only helped Cerulean Gym dodge the immediate crisis but also ensured the League wouldn’t question their battle strength too much.
After all, that was Professor Oak’s grandson!
Feeling pleased with her quick thinking, Daisy mentally patted herself on the back.
Lily and Violet were also relieved and impressed—who knew Daisy had such a knack for improvisation?
However, they completely failed to notice the strange expressions on August and Blue’s faces.
—
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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