I stare at the screen and sigh. This might take a while.

  Might as well have company.

  I gently lift Totodile’s egg into my lap and settle in. If I’m going to be tested, we’ll take it together.

  I select Evaluation Mode. The screen goes black for a moment before a new message appears:

  “Answer every question to the best of your knowledge. You may skip questions. The evaluation ends when you either answer all questions, skip three, or get two wrong in a row.

  Click OK to begin.”

  I tap OK.

  *

  Question #1: Name three basic starter Pokémon from any region.

  Easy—Chikorita, Totodile, Cyndaquil. Next.

  Question #2: What is the role of a Pokémon Center?

  To care for both Pokémon and trainers. A place to rest and recover during journeys.

  Question #3: What is the purpose of Gym Battles?

  I think they’re meant to test a trainer’s skill—both theirs and their Pokémon’s. It’s a way to measure progress. Or something like that. I don’t quite have the words, so I move on.

  Question #4: How many Gym Badges are required to challenge the Pokémon League?

  Eight.

  The questions vary in difficulty, but nothing too overwhelming. I breeze through twenty before one trips me up.

  Question #21: How does a Pokémon learn new moves as it levels up?

  I’ve never really thought about it. Teddy’s still low-level and hasn’t had many new moves. If I had to guess... maybe it’s tied to the type energy building up inside them? As their power grows, so do their capabilities. I hope that’s close.

  Question #22: How can a trainer make a wild Pokémon easier to catch?

  I’ve heard status effects like sleep or paralysis help, but I don’t know how it actually works.

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  The questions continue. I answer another twenty. Around question forty, the difficulty spikes.

  Question #41: Name four different evolution methods.

  Leveling up is one. Then there are elemental stones—like Eevee and the Fire Stone. My mom once said Ursaring has to perform a ritual to evolve into Ursaluna, so that counts. But a fourth… I draw a blank. I know some have strange conditions, but I don’t know them well enough.

  Question #42: Explain how weather conditions affect battles.

  That one I know. My mom’s Meganium uses Sunny Day to charge Solar Beam faster and power up grass moves. So weather impacts move strength, speed, and battlefield effects.

  Question #43: What is a Pokémon’s Nature, and how does it affect its stats?

  No clue. I’ve heard the term, but I don’t understand what it means.

  Skip.

  I keep going, getting most right, until I hit question sixty-one.

  Question #61: How does the move Transform work, and what limitations does it have?

  I have no idea. Skip.

  Question #62: What is the purpose of the move Wish, and how can it be used strategically?

  I think it heals? That’s all I’ve got.

  Question #63: Name three moves that bypass Substitute and deal direct damage.

  No clue. Skip.

  Question #64: What does Destiny Bond do, and how can it be used tactically?

  Skip.

  Question #65: Name five status conditions and explain their effects.

  Finally—something I can answer.

  Sleep knocks a Pokémon out of action temporarily.

  Paralysis sometimes prevents movement or attacks.

  Poison deals damage over time.

  Confusion makes them act unpredictably or hurt themselves.

  Burns are like poison—constant damage, and I think they lower attack too?

  I keep going. Some I get, others I don’t. By question eighty-one, I’m at the edge of what I know.

  Question #81: Explain how Hidden Power works and how its type is determined.

  Skip.

  Question #82: What is “stalling” in competitive battles, and what moves support it?

  No idea. Skip.

  Question #83: Name five entry hazards and describe their effects.

  And that’s my third skip.

  The screen flashes.

  Congratulations! You have reached Grade-1.

  You may now review explanations for the questions you attempted.

  I scroll through my results. Some of my guesses were surprisingly close. Others were way off. The explanations are thorough—even for the early questions—but the ones I skipped don’t show anything.

  Disappointing.

  But... not unexpected.

  Grade-1. That’s tier one out of five. The system goes from 0 to 4, with Tier-1 being roughly the knowledge expected from a four-badge trainer. It’s not bad for a first-year student. But still…

  I thought I knew more.

  I thought I was ahead.

  A message pops up as I return to the main screen:

  “Remember: questions change every time you access Evaluation Mode.”

  Great. No chance to brute-force the answers. I guess that’s fair.

  I sit back, Totodile’s egg still warm in my lap, and stare at the screen as it fades to black.

  I didn’t do great.

  But I answered more than I thought I could. And now… I know where to start.

  I’ve always told myself I’d become the best trainer of my generation. But now I’m starting to realize—being the best isn’t about knowing everything already.

  It’s about being the kind of person who wants to learn everything.

  And I do.

  So, next time... I’ll do better.

  Together.

  I glance down at the egg, smiling softly.

  “Next time, you’re helping me with the hard ones.”

  It wiggles gently in response.