AN: To clear up some confusion from earlier chapters, I just wanna make it clear that Ash isn't catching anymore Pokémon. Or at least I don't plan on it. As stated earlier there's no Professor to look after extra mon so I wanted to keep the team small and manageable, and he already has six.

Spot Inspection

Chapter 16

-Ash-

"I'm so sorry!" the 'famous' photographer Todd Snapp was, still, on his knees begging for forgiveness as Ash and Jane tried not to roll their eyes. The photographer had apparently been mistaken as a contract poacher by Team Rocket and hired to steal Ash and Jane's Pokémon.

After a…brief misunderstanding about his camera lens being mistaken as a gun scope resulting in Jane sending out Blastoise to stop the attacker, things had cleared up. Mostly thanks to Ash's growing psychic powers letting him verify the truth of the whole situation. A rapid call later, and Ash was starting to wonder of Jane's family just had someone on hand to answer their calls of chaos at this point, and there were cops all where Todd was supposed to 'bring his catch'.

Three panicking criminal morons, a few explosions, and a hot air balloon later and the Team Rocket trio were somehow escaping again.

"We said it's fine Todd." Ash forced the photographer to stop groveling in the dirt, dragging the man to his feet, "It was a misunderstanding, and no harm was actually done. Just be more careful int eh future, alright?"

"Right! I will!" Todd nodded in extreme seriousness before grimacing, "First things first though, I'm going to go and edit my website. I don't want another mistake like this one."

"Good call." Ash nodded with a wince. Being mistaken for a poacher was probably a rather hard blow to his personal pride.

"What are you two going to do now?" Todd tilted his head curious even as he finally got to his feet.

"We heard about a test in the next town over where if you pass you're supposed to get a special badge that shows you're qualified to enter the league even without eight Gym badges." Ash told Todd with an easy going grin, not letting on that it was more than just an impulsive lark. In point of fact it was yet another request from Jane's family for them to look into.

"Well good luck to you Ash, and good luck in the League." Todd shook his and Jane's hands with a grin before heading off to go ensure he wasn't mistaken for a poacher…again.

"So, any update about the Sabrina situation?" Ash asked once they were alone once more, walking down the road to the test site.

"Yeah, one of my cousins told me when they were trying to catch the Rockets." Jane nodded, "She's been cooperative so far. Honestly at this point she's reportedly terrified of her own powers. According to the report she was obsessed with strengthening her powers as a kid and eventually split her personality to both improve her control and block any pain for what happened to her family. Having that split limited the mental maturity of both though and neither could properly process the things they'd done. Now that she's 'whole', she keeps going through periods where she can't do anything but cry and beg for forgiveness about it all. At the very least she's listening to the specialists and not giving them trouble."

"At least there's that." Ash nodded as they continued on their way. The facility in question was one the League had approved the creation of years ago. Not everyone who wished to compete in the League had the time, resources, and sometimes health to travel all over the region for eight Badges. So, a single facility was opened where they could go to do one intense test to get approval to enter the league. The issue was that ability of those who passed this 'test' was showing as less than what the league would deem acceptable. Given they were already in the area and already doing inspections, Jane's family asked Ash to take the test and pass over his results and written report to them. Honestly, he was pretty sure this was just them getting back at him for the paperwork thing.

"Alright applicants!" the exam proctor grinned as he looked at Ash and the rest of the assembled test takers, "This first test will measure your overall knowledge of Pokémon. Input your answers to the questions I ask on the screen in front of you. Keep in mind you have a limited time to submit each answer. Ready? Begin!"

"Question one. Lickitung's tongue is twice the length of its body. True or false?" the proctor asked as Ash nodded to himself, an overall reasonable question

"Ninetails evolves from Vulpix using only by use of the fire stone. True or False?"

"Hitmonlee is also known as the Punching Demon."

"The only attack a Magicarp originally knows is splash."

"Caterpie is the world's smallest Pokémon."

"Koffing was first discovered in a public bath house."

Ash did his best to answers the questions. Overall while the questions weren't the worst they also weren't something a regular trainer would likely just know off the top of their head. And given that it was a true or false style test then someone could just guess and pass by getting lucky.

"Alright everyone, this next part of the test will be on your ability to recognize Pokémon." The proctor nodded as a new image appeared on the screen, "Please name the Pokémon by identifying its silhouette or body part displayed. First question." The man clicked the image as a black circle appeared, "Please identify this Pokémon."

Ash worked to keep his eyebrow from twitching at how asinine this question was. That was a perfect circle which could be a Voltorb, an electrode, or a fucking pokeball for all he knew. He put down what answer he could as the proctor nodded.

"The answer is…a Jigglypuff as seen from above!" The man smiled as Ash suppressed his frustrated groan. The image wasn't accurate as a Jigglypuff's ears didn't point straight up like that to make a perfect circle from above. He already knew this test was going to try his patience.

"Next question. Which Pokémon displays this pattern?" a swirl appeared on the screen. Ash frowned as he input his choice. "And the correct answer is Poliwag! As any Master would know, when Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl, the swirl on its stomach changes direction!" Ash gripped his pencil at the stupid statement. As he took the test he noted some people were nodding in smug satisfaction. All of whom wore the exact same uniform. He started getting a suspicion in his gut.

The pattern continued on, "Question Fifteen. What Pokémon does this tail belong to?" the man just showed a bit of flame. It could have been any of the Charmander or Ponyta line, a Magmar, or even from the foreign Pokémon lines such as Chimchar. "The answer is…Ponyta!" at this point Ash was almost surprised he didn't say it was a Venasaur.

"Ugh! Can't you ask one question I know the answer to already?!" a woman with scarlet hair stood up and shouted angrily, "These stupid question won't make anyone a Pokémon master!" Ash blinked in shock at seeing the woman, and the blue haired man beside her, before he overcame his surprise.

"Team Rocket!" Ash snarled, shooting to his own feet as the duo of criminals noticed him.

"Shit, it's the twerp!" Jessie was so startled her fake glasses fell off, showing the face that was known on wanted posters. Thankfully while the test was imbecilic the proctor could at least recognize fugitives and called for security to go after them even as the two ran.

A few more questions, and the proctor's guaranteeing to the panicked test takers that it was safe for the exam to continue, and everyone was heading out back for the third part of the exam. Practical battles…but the test takers weren't allowed to use their own Pokémon. Or even know what Pokémon they would be using. They were given Pokémon trained by and loyal to the proctor they'd be battling. It defeated the point of testing if a trainer, and their team, was ready for competing in the League.

Like before, he noted certain patterns of who was and wasn't struggling. Finishing up the battles, and not even caring whether or not he passed at this point, Ash left. He had a report to submit of how far from competent the test was.

AN: Yeah, that test was far from satisfactory when I saw it in the show. The true or false questions weren't trick questions but they were also not really all that crucial for being deemed suitable to enter the League. Questions about type matchups, move priority, and other such things would make more sense. Being able to identify a Pokémon isn't a bad thing to test but those questions were trick questions or useless knowledge. And then there's the battle. It doesn't matter if someone can pass the certification test, if their entire team consists of a magicarp, a pidgey, and a ratatta then they aren't ready for the League. They can't prove their own team's strength, their ability to plan or coordinate, or anything else.

Honestly, I saw a theory once that the exam answers matched the tests at 'Poketech' from the school of hard knocks episode. That the certification exam was how the graduates 'got a guaranteed entry into the League'. Having the trick questions that were actually what the Poketech students had to memorize would explain why the academy was seen as such an impressive place and control passing rates.