Chapter 597: Oh No, I've Been Tricked by Geeta

You brazen rebellious disciple!

I exhausted my heart and blood teaching you, and this is how you repay me?

Feeling so dizzy his head spun, Luo Mu, trembling with rage and turning cold, was so infuriated by Hearing Nimo's words that he didn't even notice the elevator doors had opened.

It was only when Geeta's secretary, who had been waiting before the elevator doors for who knows how long, spoke up to remind him, that Luo Mu came back to his senses.

All he could do was cast a neither light nor heavy glare at the bewildered Hearing Nimo, then stride out of the elevator.

However, Hearing Nimo's words did serve as a reminder to Luo Mu.

He finally realized the downside of having a fixed residence.

Case in point: once Hearing Nimo completed the Champion Assessment and obtained the identity of a Champion-class Trainer, it would be equivalent to half-graduating from the Naranja Academy.

He didn't know if the game's protagonist still existed; if not, wouldn't he, being the one capable of sparking her interest in battles, be in for suffering?

Luo Mu did not reject battles; on the contrary, he enjoyed them.

But what he enjoyed was an occasional, thoroughly satisfying battle, not a grueling war of attrition fought from dawn till dusk that tortured both mind and body.

No, he must find something for Hearing Nimo to do, preferably an opponent who could handle her enthusiasm for battling.

His few students under his wing, along with Kieran and Carmine, who were scheduled to transfer to the Naranja Academy, must be trained up faster!

Furthermore, the construction of the Ecological Dome must be expedited; by then, he could simply run inside, shut off the protective barrier, and Hearing Nimo wouldn't even be able to get in!

While his mind raced frantically searching for countermeasures, Luo Mu still walked without swaying a step, following closely behind Geeta's secretary, maintaining a composed expression as he led Hearing Nimo into her office.

As soon as they entered the Director's office, they were greeted by Geeta's smile, the look of someone who had been waiting for a long time.

As the office door gently closed, no one except the parties involved knew what Luo Mu, Hearing Nimo, and Geeta discussed inside.

It was only slightly later that a new notice posted on the Naranja Academy bulletin board instantly ignited the atmosphere across the campus.

【Great News!

On January 12, 799 of the League Calendar, student ID 803C251, Hearing Nimo, a student of our school who has successfully collected eight badges, will officially challenge the Paldea League's Champion Assessment!

At that time, Iono, the currently wildly popular internet streamer, will cooperate with the League to provide a live commentary and broadcast of the challenge proceedings online for everyone.

Naranja Academy, Announcement dated January 9, 799 of the League Calendar】

The time for Hearing Nimo's Champion Assessment was set: three days later.

During this period, she only needed to find time to visit the Paldea League Headquarters once, undergo a one-on-one interview with Rika, the Ground-type Elite Four member who serves as a part-time examiner, after which she could directly enter the challenge process.

Luo Mu was not worried at all about the interview aspect; judging by Geeta's barely concealable eagerness in the office just now, and the way she looked at Hearing Nimo as if she were some rare treasure...

He had no doubt that even if Hearing Nimo failed the interview, Geeta would secretly intervene personally to change the result to a pass.

In terms of thirst for talent, even Rose, the Chairman of the Galar region's League, would likely pale in comparison to Geeta.

After all, as a new League established in recent years, the Paldea League was truly too short on talent.

For a rare gem like Hearing Nimo, if not for the need to follow procedures, Geeta would probably be itching to take her to handle onboarding procedures today, sharpening her knives to exploit child labor.

She was exactly the kind of super-genius Geeta craved most, possessing talent approaching that of Red and Green, capable of seizing the Champion throne upon debut.

Walking back toward the Battle Hall, Luo Mu happened to see the notice that had somehow already been posted on the bulletin board, appearing even faster than he and Hearing Nimo had returned.

Scanning the content, the corners of Luo Mu's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This... could already be called a long-premeditated scheme, couldn't it?

This reminded Luo Mu of his own experience when challenging the Paldea League a year ago.

With such enthusiasm, one might mistakenly think he was about to join some cult organization.

It was precisely for this reason that he had solidified his decision to retire; such a huge responsibility was simply too much to bear.

Although the experiences of this past year differed somewhat from his expectations, it was nonetheless a fulfilling life.

Speaking of his past experiences, as if suddenly remembering something, Luo Mu turned to Hearing Nimo and asked, "By the way, do you know the detailed procedures for the Champion Assessment?"

In a joyful mood, walking as if carried by the wind and already anticipating the events three days later in her heart, Hearing Nimo lifted her head and tilted it.

"What procedures?"

Hearing Nimo looked at Luo Mu blankly; wasn't it just reservation, interview, and battle? What other procedures were needed?

Forget it, she really knew nothing at all.

Seeing through everything from Hearing Nimo's clear and bewildered eyes, Luo Mu helplessly pressed his forehead.

"You haven't looked into the procedures and rules for the battles within the Champion Assessment?"

Hearing Nimo honestly shook her head; was the battling in the Champion Assessment different from her usual battles?

Did it require the Trainer to personally enter the field together?

Recalling the rules from when he challenged the Champion Assessment, Luo Mu could only helplessly explain the basics to Hearing Nimo bit by bit.

First, unlike the League Conferences in those other regions where there are ample intervals between each match and many participants, the Champion Assessment is different.

It is a genuine struggle against several Trainers possessing strength at the apex of the League.

Four Elite Four rooms are established within the Paldea League Headquarters, with each room assigned one Elite Four member to guard it.

Defeating these four Elite Four members in six-on-six full-party battles and proceeding to the next room is the most orthodox procedure.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that once the Champion Assessment begins, leaving the room, meaning the League Headquarters, midway is not permitted.

Otherwise, the League has the right to directly regard it as a voluntary forfeiture of the challenge, requiring the collection of badges to start all over again.

"Although before challenging each Elite Four member, Trainers are given approximately ten to twenty minutes of rest time,"

"in essence, the challenger can only rely on the six Pokémon they carry to challenge and defeat the four Elite Four members in succession; only after enduring four consecutive battles do they qualify to challenge the Paldea League's Top Champion."

"This places an enormous burden on both the Trainer themselves and their Pokémon's stamina and spirit; many people tend to fail at this very stage."

"Moreover, the brief rest and treatment time before challenging the Top Champion is only about half an hour, making the timeframe quite tight."

"How to arrange the team, improve endurance, and conserve strength during battles to prepare for the next match are all things we need to seriously consider."

"If there is a Pokémon in the team proficient in moves that restore status, it will greatly increase your margin of ease."

"For example, your Diejie Diejie Mengmeng's 'Pollen Puff' move can effectively restore the stamina of team partners."

Luo Mu earnestly educated Hearing Nimo, so engrossed that he didn't even notice when they returned to the battle studio or when Penny and the others surrounded them.

Hearing Nimo listened with rapt attention, her eyes growing ever brighter.

High-pressure battles challenging one's limits—this was exactly the Pokémon battling she pursued!

Her blood was already boiling with excitement!

But at that moment, a bucket of cold water was dumped on her by Penny, who was hugging a laptop and seemingly looking something up.

"Teacher Luo Mu, the rules you described are completely wrong, aren't they?"

As she spoke, Penny pushed up her glasses, lifting her small face that reflected the screen's glow.

"Hmm?"

Luo Mu turned his head alertly toward Penny like a groundhog, frowning slightly.

What does she mean there's a problem with the rules I explained?

Paul and the others, including Hearing Nimo, all looked at Penny in confusion.

Under the gaze of so many people, the old Penny would likely have been too nervous to speak.

But now she was exceptionally calm; she directly turned her laptop screen toward everyone, pointed at it, and said, "The rules you mentioned should be the challenge regulations for various Leagues selecting a new Regional Champion."

Since her father was the former Champion of the Galar region and her uncle was the Chairman of the Galar League, Penny understood these rules quite well.

The rules Luo Mu had just rattled off to Hearing Nimo were exclusively used for challenges where one stakes their title as Champion.

Even though the Paldea region had established the position of "Champion-class Trainer," this point was no exception.

A so-called Regional League Champion must possess the strength to defeat all four Elite Four members consecutively and then overcome the previous Champion.

Only then can one fulfill the role of the League's leader, ascend to the position of the supreme powerhouse, and don the crown.

Just like Steven Stone and Wallace of the Hoenn League, Cynthia of the Sinnoh League, Alder of the Unova League, Diantha of the Kalos League, and Champion Dan Di of the Galar League.

That has absolutely nothing to do with those dime-a-dozen tournament champions.

Above tournament champions lies the Champion League, and only after that comes the challenge against the Elite Four and the Regional Champion.

Meanwhile, Paldea's Champion-class Trainers seem to occupy a position where they have the strength to defeat the Elite Four but still fall short of becoming the Regional Champion.

As far as Penny knew, when she infiltrated the Paldea League's database, she had indeed seen several Trainers who had been granted the title of Champion-class Trainer.

If things were as Luo Mu described, meaning these people had fought through all four Elite Four members and still defeated Geeta, why would the League still be so eager for talent?

Wouldn't that make their foundation even deeper than other regions?

The real reason was—

The rules for the Champion Test that these Champion-class Trainers challenged were completely different from what Luo Mu had just explained to Hearing Nimo.

Right in front of everyone, Penny directly accessed the main page of the Paldea League's official website, found the section regarding the Champion Test rules, and displayed it.

The rules listed there were roughly similar to what Luo Mu had described, but there was a fatal difference in the most critical aspect.

After challenging one Elite Four member, the challenger could rest freely until their Pokémon recovered to normal condition; if necessary, they could request healing items from the League or assistance from Young Lady Joy.

After challenging all the Elite Four members, the challenger could choose to rest for a day, recuperating until their condition peaked, before facing the Top Champion at the battle arena atop the Paldea League Headquarters.

This meant that this kind of Champion Test was merely a series of full-team battles spread over a period of time; while difficult, it wasn't that much harder.

It could test a Trainer's strength without being so impossibly hard that, like the Regional Champion title, no one could break through it for years.

Penny recalled that in the Kanto region, ever since the previous Champion resigned and vanished who-knows-where, it seemed no one had been able to claim the Regional Champion seat for a long time either.

Even Lance, who served as the Regional Champion concurrently in the Johto region, could not manage to defeat all his colleagues to ascend to the Kanto Regional Champion seat.

After reading this information, leaving aside the few students, Luo Mu fell into complete silence.

He even carefully checked the publication date of the rule announcement: League Year 794, which was five years ago!

Wait a minute, what exactly is this—

Arven hesitated before asking, "Could it be that the rules you used in your Champion Test were..."

Shizuka followed up by asking, "Don't tell me you didn't request healing assistance from my sisters?"

At these words, not to mention the sharp intakes of breath from Rika and the others who instantly realized the issue, Luo Mu's face turned utterly dark.

That's right, just as the students said.

His Champion Test a year ago had been completed within a single day.

He had successively defeated the four Elite Four members, including Rika, Brother Brother Qingmu, and Grusha, with roughly ten minutes of rest between each match, basically just using potions to heal minor external injuries on his Pokémon before immediately starting the next challenge.

Then, after finishing the consecutive battles against the Elite Four, he rested for about thirty minutes before fighting Geeta, the Top Champion.

The anime didn't depict it, and the game rules were also nearly consecutive battles, so he naturally assumed this rule was normal.

After all, he had learned the relevant rules directly from Geeta herself when she personally received him upon his appointment for the Champion Test at the Paldea Pokémon League Headquarters.

Since he had already learned the rules from Geeta, Luo Mu naturally wouldn't waste time checking the Paldea League website again.

This also meant that he seemed, probably, possibly... to have been set up by Geeta from the very beginning, tricked into directly challenging the highest difficulty?

Thinking back on how he had racked his brains, trying every possible means to avoid serious injuries, prevent any Pokémon from fainting, and conserve his strength during the consecutive Elite Four battles so he could challenge Geeta in peak condition, his brain felt like it was about to overload.

Now that he understood the truth, Luo Mu felt his past self had been utterly stupid.

—Was he risking his life there?

Before, he had always wondered why there were so few Champion-class Trainers in the Paldea region, thinking the rules were so hard that few could pass; it turned out Geeta had quietly increased the difficulty for him?

If only he had been given a little rest time and resources, he wouldn't have been reduced to having only his Luxray left when challenging Geeta.

Luo Mu momentarily fell silent.

As for Arven and the others, they looked at each other, none daring to provoke Luo Mu in his current mood.

—Only the two battle maniacs, Hearing Nimo and Paul, looked at Luo Mu with eyes that were practically glowing.

Consecutively battling the four Elite Four members and then defeating Geeta, the Top Champion—that was so cool!

Especially Hearing Nimo; she almost impatiently stood up, ready to immediately return to the Director's office to apply to Geeta for a consecutive battle format in her Champion Test!

She too wanted to challenge her own limits!

(End of Chapter)