Time for the first part of the exam! If anyone reading this has read any of my previous works, you're in luck, because a certain ranger will be making a cameo appearance as the first exam's proctor!

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Sorry, I don't really know anything like that, I don't read other people's fanfictions very often, I don't have the time.

Hellraiserphoenix: Pokemon Conservation is something I think needs more presence in the pokemon world, considering how many species there are and how much they breed.

Just a Bad Writer For Fun: There will be a certain ranger in particular, if anyone is familiar with my old, old work.

Pokemonking0924: Nail on the head with that one.

Duskzilla: Try just checking in every day or so.

Superblal: While I disagree that she's 2D, I would say that this arc will put a lot of her character into a path of development. And she's getting another one not long after this. Hopefully they'll change your perception of her.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 111

Sango swallowed, looking up at the testing facility. She was standing in the center of a large crowd of students as they filed into the building. Some of them looked much older than her, and others seemed as green and uneasy as she was. Still others had a look of confidence that she couldn't mimic, as though this test would be a breeze. She also spotted a familiar-looking fishing rod sticking up over the heads of the kids, on the back of a girl wearing an equally familiar straw hat. Marion spotted her as well, giving her a wave.

"Cast…" Silver could sense Sango's apprehension, and she gave him a comforting smile.

"It's okay, partner, we're going to get through this, no sweat."

"Attention, prospective rangers, for this test, your pokemon will not be allowed to enter the facility." A man in ranger garb stood in front of the door to the facility, looking out over the crowd of students. "Our rangers will look after them while you take the written portion of the exam. We will return them to you for the second portion of the exam and beyond, or if you fail in the first portion.

A smattering of murmurs echoed through the crowd, presumably by students who were making their first attempt at the exam.

"Bye, Silver," Sango said, patting her Castform on the head. "You don't need to worry! I'm going to do my best for the both of us, and I'll be back to see you before you know it!"

"Cast!" Silver cheered for her, bobbing up and down. He floated off to where the rangers were collecting the students' pokemon, and Sango watched after him until he was led out of sight.

"Now, we'll be handing you each a number," the ranger said, nodding to two other rangers, each holding a basket filled with small plastic cards. The two rangers stepped into the crowd, and began passing out numbers to the students. "This number will serve as your testing number for the exam. When you enter the testing room, please find the seat that corresponds with that number and be seated. Your proctor will then explain things further."

Sango took a number, Number 28, and began following the crowd into the building.

"Ow! Hey!" She glanced down, realizing she had accidentally bumped into someone she hadn't seen standing there. The girl was short, nearly Cynthia's height, but seemed to make up for it in anger if her expression was any indication. She had chocolate brown hair tied in two pigtails, and her eyes were a matching dark brown. She wore what appeared to be an authentic Pokemon Ranger outfit, much to Sango's surprise. Cosplay? It even came with a realistic-looking capture styler! What was most notable, and intimidating, about her outfit was that her waist had a saber strapped to it, seemingly longer than she could probably use properly.

"Oh, sorry!" Sango gasped, helping the girl up. "I didn't see you there!"

"It's fine," the girl curtly replied.

"So, um, your outfit is really well-made!" Sango complimented her. "Is this your first time taking the test? I'm impressed! I didn't know they let students that young get a probationary license!"

The girl narrowed her eyes and glared angrily at Sango, clicking her tongue. She whirled around and stomped away without a word.

Well, that was rude… Sango thought, putting the girl out of her mind. Still, though, that sword… what would a student need with something like that?

Thankfully, the testing room wasn't difficult to find. On the first floor of the building, a large auditorium had been cleared out, and desks lined across it, numbering easily into the hundreds. On each desk, a thick stack of papers was piled, faced down so the test could not be seen. It was quite an awesome sight, and rather intimidating, to see that many prospective students that Sango would have to outperform in order to pass this test. She decided to ignore the pressure building up by the sheer amount of human presence around her, stepping toward the front of the class where her seat was located. As she drew closer to the front, she noted that a larger desk, like that of a teacher, was at the head of the room, and sitting on it was… a Pichu?

Yup. It was most certainly a Pichu. And it was strumming on a small guitar.

"Whoa, is that our proctor?" One of the students in the back joked, eliciting some laughs from the others.

"What's to be worried about? This test should be easy!" Another student said.

The Pichu frowned, and strummed a harsh chord on its guitar, electricity flaring up and a sharp shriek echoed through the hall, the students clutching their ears in pain.

"Quite irresponsible of you," a sharp, cold voice snarled. "Luckily for you, your test hasn't started yet. If it had, you'd most certainly have failed with that lack of awareness you just displayed."

All heads turned to see the owner of the voice, and Sango's face went pale. The girl from just a few minutes ago walked through the rows of desks with purpose, her eyes flashing as she glanced over the examinees. She arrived at the front of the room and turned to face the class.

"My name is Petal Green. Normally you would know me as one of the Top Rangers of the Pokemon Ranger Institute, but today I'll be serving as your proctor for the first exam. This is Ritsu, my partner pokemon. She'll be assisting me."

"She's a top ranger?" Someone whispered.

"But she's so-"

Petal slammed the end of her saber on the floor with a crack, anger radiating off of her.

"Now, who was the brave soul about to say 'short'?"

No takers.

"Now, let me explain to you what this test will entail," Petal said, getting down to business. "On your desks in front of you are pencils, erasers, and a test filled with the hardest questions the Ranger Association could think up. I'd say it wouldn't be a problem if you studied your best, but that would be a lie. You could study for years and still not be able to pass this exam."

Sango swallowed, and she could feel the tension in the room raise another few notches.

"To save time and energy, I will be grading you right here, on the spot. When you're done, raise your hand. Is that clear?"

Murmurs and nods rang out. But apparently they weren't enough.

"I said, is that clear?" Petal snarled, Ritsu sending a menacing chord through her guitar, shaking the room again.

"Yes!" The students boomed out.

"That's good. Now then, as your proctor, I will be overseeing your tests. Should any of you fail to answer the questions in a manner suitable of a Pokemon Ranger, I won't hesitate to fail you. You have five hours to finish."

Petal nodded to Ritsu, who sent a loud and energetic blast through her guitar, the sound echoing through the room.

"Your test starts now!" Petal barked. Sango and the other examinees frantically scrambled to turn their papers over, looking at the first page for questions to answer.

Sango flinched when she read the first question.

Describe the Field Move and Poke Assist of a Nintales. Include the typing, degree, and duration in all instances, as well as regional differences that may be present in various locations Ninetales can be found in.

This… this was an incredibly difficult question. Ninetales' Poke Assist was a fire type, of course, and its Field Move was probably a Burn category as well. But to what degree of a Burn? Level 3? Level 4? And what were the differences in regions? Sango had probably studied this, but she couldn't remember the specifics. And those were the easiest parts of the question. Figuring out how long was the duration of the Poke Assist relied on real-world experience Sango just didn't have. She skipped it and moved on to the next question. This one wasn't much easier. It required her to match certain obstacles with viable Field Moves for Target Clears, and while the obstacles and the necessary Field Moves themselves were intuitive enough, once again it was a matter of degree.

Calm down, calm down. You studied this… You just need to focus… Sango said, closing her eyes as she tried to summon the correct answer from where it was stored deep in her brain. Why, oh why, was she always so bad at book learning?!

The test continued on like this for a while. Much to Sango's chagrin, there was no clock in the room and her phone was forbidden, so she had no idea how much time she'd been spending. She'd only managed to answer about half of the questions she'd gotten to, and was maybe a fifth of the way through the booklet at best. Her eyes had just landed on the next question when the concentration of her and the rest of the test takers was shattered by a sharp and decisive chord from the Pichu's guitar.

"Applicants 44, 89, 193, you all fail. Dismissed." Petal declared. She had been strolling between the seats, and was standing in front of one of the students she'd just named.

"Wh-what?!" The student gasped, dumbstruck. "B-but… why, I-"

"What do you mean I fail?!" One of the students in the back exclaimed. "I haven't even finished yet, how-"

"Because I said so," Petal growled, narrowing her eyes. Sango, like many of the other students, had stopped focusing on the test and was focusing her ears on the show behind her. She was still, however, too wary to actually take a look and see.

"But… why?" That voice was probably the third student. "You can't just tell us we fail and not say why!"

"…Fine," Petal sighed, reading over the notes on her clipboard. "We'll start with you, 44. You've spent the last 20 minutes staring at Question 27, 'Which Pokemon on Sinnoh Route 213 Would be the Best Choice to Fight a Forest Fire Breaking Out on that Route?'. You don't see an issue with that? If this were a real forest fire, the entire Great Marsh would have burned to the ground in the time it would take you to figure out an answer. The Pokemon Ranger Association has no use for rangers who have to spend an hour figuring out the correct answer. You fail."

That's… that's insane… Sango could feel her pencil trembling in her hands. The woman… could actually notice how long they were spending on answering their questions? Impossible…

"89, you've written down, and then erased, two different answers for Question 18 about the degree of Scyther's Cut Field Assist over fifteen times now. The Pokemon Ranger Association needs rangers capable of addressing problems without wavering or uncertainty. Whether your answer is correct or not, the amount of time you've spent going back and forth could have been better served answering other questions. In the field, you will need to make snap judgments that you have demonstrated you are not capable of doing."

She turned to the final examinee.

"193, your handwriting is illegible. As a ranger, it will be your duty to file reports about the locations you've been assigned to with absolute clarity. However, in your case, such reports would make it difficult for your associates to understand the information enclosed. It is vital to our operations that we not only gather accurate data, but report accurate data in a manner that is easily accessible. Rangers' lives could be at risk due to a misinterpretation of something you wrote in that sloppy pensmanship of yours."

She cleared her throat.

"In summary, the three of you fail, leave your tests and get out of here. You've shown an inability to serve as a Probationary Ranger."

"You can't do this!" The examinee in front of her protested. "Over… over something like that, I… I've studied for months! Just because I took a little too long, doesn't mean I-"

"Yes, I can," Petal growled, reaching to her waist. She drew her sword in a smooth motion and pushed the tip in front of the student's face, menacing him into submission. She held it there until he rose to his feet and left the room, followed quickly by the other two students. Petal sheathed her sword and strolled to the center of the room, having captured the attention of everyone present.

"Now that I've made myself clear, I will say it again. I will be grading you right here. on the spot." Petal repeated. "And if any of you fail to answer the questions in a manner suitable of a Pokemon Ranger, I won't hesitate to fail you."

Petal's words hung like a sword at all of their throats. Sango gulped, sweat running down her brow. This… this was insanity.

"Have I made myself clear? If I say you fail, then you fail. In this room, my word is the law. And my judgment is absolute. A real Pokemon Ranger doesn't have the luxury of answering questions like these with a five-hour grace period in a nice little air-conditioned room. You think this test is difficult, brats? Anyone who can't handle a little something like this wouldn't last a day in the field. Now stop your gawking and get back to your papers, time's running out!"

Sango returned to her test, but her focus had been completely blown. She read the question in front of her half a dozen times without realizing it, that was how shaken she was at Petal's little display of force.

It's diabolical… As if the questions aren't hard enough on their own, with that demonstration, now everyone is going to be wary of how they're doing their work… How long is too long to spend on a question? When does a mistake become a sign of indecision? What the hell else might I inadvertently screw up on?!

Sango swallowed and closed her eyes. The ringing of Petal's sword dully echoed across the room as the proctor walked through the seats, those dark brown eyes no-doubt observing everything they were doing.

There's no way she could be paying attention to all of us at once. There's just no way. But the chance that she could be watching any of us, at any time… It's like she's staring at me head-on without even having to look my way. One misstep… One improperly answered question…

These thoughts were occurring to her as she worked on her test, going back and answering questions she was unsure of. What would be the penalty for unanswered questions, she feared? She wasn't going to find out.

This test isn't just the questions on the paper… a big part of it is probably focusing on us and how we respond to this level of pressure. A psychological test to see who is capable of being a ranger and who's going to crack under the stress… that's gotta be why she made an example of those three before… now, even if she doesn't directly come out and fail anyone else, her point has been made… we can't afford to get sloppy or careless, or we risk failing.

Petal quickly proved that it was no empty threat. In the next hour, another thirty examinees had been failed for one reason or another. Some students took too long, others had ignored specific questions, one student had even been failed for looking up from his paper one too many times, or as Petal put it, "a clear sign of a lack of focus." It seemed that she was failing people for the most arbitrary things, and at the same time her justification for it did make logical sense. Which was the most infuriating part of it all. She was effortlessly peeling away their defenses, exposing how underqualified and unprepared they all were, and not giving them any mercy to bargain with. An icy-cold air of professionalism and ruthlessness that Sango understood a Top Ranger would probably have skillfully cultivated in her years of active duty.

Every question on here… we need to answer each one as if our future depends on it. This really is a test designed to see who is and who is not capable of becoming a Pokemon Ranger. One wrong answer… one mistake… and it could all be over. Sango swallowed. Marion hadn't been exaggerating. This test… it was harder than anything she'd ever done before, there was no longer any doubt in her mind about that.

I'm not going to crack, she promised herself, clenching her pencil tightly. I'm not losing my cool or making any stupid mistakes. I'm not going to let this woman break me down. I might not know the right answer to every question… but I sure as hell am not going to back down because of that!

Sango didn't raise her eyes from her sheet, continuing to go over the questions to the best of her ability, while part of her was focused on the sound of Petal's sword and the low thrum of the Pichu's guitar. The ring was a lot closer now. Don't lose your cool, don't lose your cool.

Ring! Closer. Petal was in the same row, now. Sango flipped over the page.

Ring! Three desks away. Without a clock, Sango didn't even know how much time remained for the exam. A few hours had passed, for sure, but for all she knew, there could only be minutes left, and she was nowhere near done.

Ring! Two desks away. That was another question down, onto the next one.

Ring! One desk away. This question was hard. It was on Poke Assists and Type Advantages. But Sango knew battling and she knew weaknesses of Pokemon. This was nothing she could handle.

Ring! A shadow crossed over her paper. Sango could feel the heat of Petal's gaze boring into the top of her skull. To keep her shaking in check, she gripped her pencil so hard her knuckles turned white. Don't raise your head, don't shy away from her. It was like facing against a dangerous wild pokemon. If Sango backed down or showed any signs of weakness, she was certain it would be an immediate dismissal. She couldn't let it show that Petal's intimidation was having any effect on her. Even her breathing needed to be kept in check. The air around her was heavy and stagnant, but a single gasp or inhaling a little too strongly could mean the difference between passing and failing. What a ruthless exam this was!

There. She'd finished the question. Onto the next.

Ring! Petal had moved on to the next seat. Sango had made it. For now, at least. The test was still far from over. And without even knowing how much time she had left… could Sango withstand this atmosphere much longer?

Hopefully Sango won't succumb to Petal's intimidation tactics. Petal's really gotten nasty since she grew up.