Chapter 54: Please Keep The Word Count Under 800 And Record A Video
“Alright, authentication is done. You two can apply for skills now.”
“So, is this your first time?” Saying that, the Front Desk Guy handed Zuo Hang and Xingye a Form.
“Please briefly describe the Skill’s Practice Method, keep the word count under 800, and record a video. We have professional Recording Staff and Record Keeper. Would you like to record on-site or record privately and submit later? On-site recording requires no extra Contribution Points.”
“Record on-site.” Zuo Hang said.
“Go straight thirty meters to the right, Practice Ground 305. Recording Staff and Record Keeper will arrive shortly.” the Front Desk Guy said.
The two entered the Practice Ground.
As soon as the door closed, Xingye spoke first.
“What’s with Three-star Special Agent?? Special Agent leads to Ace, right? Doesn’t Ace require Champion strength? So isn’t Special Agent Elite Four?? Are you freaking Elite Four?! And you’re only 16, right? 15 or 16?? So young and already Special Agent! Your dad must be a high official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs!”
Ministry of Internal Affairs is the term used in Yingzhou; in China, it would be somewhere in the middle ranks.
Zuo Hang said seriously: “My dad… heh, just a B-rank Gym Leader.”
“A B-rank Gym Leader can get you Investigator identification?” Xingye immediately got heated.
“Who told you my dad got this for me? I’ve practiced martial arts since childhood, with amazing aptitude. Joined the Investigation Division at 6, became Three-star Special Agent at 12. Genius! Understand genius?”
“Pah! You’ve always been full of crap!”
“Maoji!!”
“Pika!!”
“I’ll be damned!” Zuo Hang said.
“One Special Agent and one S-rank Gym Leader! No one call out the other, okay? Call me crap! Someone in 2025 can still make up crap like third grandpa.”
“Your third grandpa is the one making it up! I really have a third grandpa! When I was little, I was super close to him. After he got caught stealing, he gave me the Gym.”
No matter how Zuo Hang listened, this sounded fake as hell.
If it weren’t for all the stuff last week, he might have believed it.
This kid Xingye was full of lies; half a true sentence out of ten would be lucky.
“Your third grandpa…”
“Don’t ask. I don’t know what he stole, but I heard it was some super awesome Fan-made Skill stored in some database in your China. It was fine at first, but then suddenly a guy named something Tian showed up.”
Zuo Hang fell silent.
What Tian?
It couldn’t be such a coincidence, Zuo Tian, right?
“Hello, if you’re ready, recording can begin.” A Photography Uncle carrying a Camera walked in from the Doorway, followed by a shorter girl who seemed to be the Record Keeper.
The Photography Uncle carrying the Camera said: “Do it a few more times. I’ll shoot from multiple angles. The final video is Edited, not done in one take. Make the Skill release look cool; it might get a higher Evaluation at the end.”
Fan-made Skills have Evaluations.
Offensive power 15~40 is D-grade, below or up to 40 is C-grade, 40~80 is B-grade, 80~120 is A-grade, 120~150 is S-grade, and above 150 can get SS or SSS Evaluation depending on the situation.
SSS Evaluation isn’t given lightly; if given, it’s inevitably world-destroying level.
Besides that, buff or control Fan-made Skills have other Evaluation standards, also D-grade to S-grade.
The higher the Evaluation, the higher the Skill’s price.
Xingye’s third grandpa got caught stealing a Fan-made Skill. Zuo Hang guessed that if true, it must have been an SSS-grade Fan-made Skill.
Pokémon that have mastered Form Change can casually release an S+ or SS Skill. To reach SSS, they must create something new on the basis of Attribute Change. Simply stacking and combining multiple Skills won’t get SSS Evaluation from the League.
Zuo Hang sent out Fletchling.
The Practice Ground also had an Alloy Mannequin.
The Uncle shouldered the Camera, found the angle, zoomed in, and gave Fletchling a close-up first.
Inhale, abdomen bulges.
A Flame with light pink in the middle and deep pink tips at the end sprayed from its mouth. The Alloy Mannequin ignited, and half a breath later, the Flame exploded, blowing off half the Alloy Mannequin’s arm.
“Do it again. I’ll change angles.” The Uncle carrying the Camera ran behind the Mannequin, planning a frontal close-up of Fletchling.
This was somewhat dangerous. If the Flame veered off, it wouldn’t be the Alloy Mannequin igniting, but the Photography Uncle standing behind it.
Fletchling’s accuracy was good. If it missed, it might affect the Skill’s scoring; Hit Rate is a major factor in Evaluation.
They said three times was enough, but Fletchling sprayed back and forth over ten times. The Alloy Mannequin in front was almost charred to charcoal.
And this wasn’t even over.
At the back of the Practice Ground, there was a row of moving Mannequins and a device like a tennis launcher.
After attacking the stationary target, Fletchling followed the Uncle and the little girl to the back to hit moving targets.
The girl held a Tablet and a stylus, looking just like an upgraded Black Terminal of Guan Tong and Teacher Xi Ran’s Mobile Phones.
Every time Fletchling hit a moving target, data appeared on the Terminal Screen. The “moving target” seemed equipped with some device that feedback Skill effects.
Zuo Hang and Xingye couldn’t understand it.
This was probably data only the Record Keeper herself could comprehend.
About half an hour passed.
The girl in charge of recording spoke: “That’s good. Let Fletchling Rest.”
The Uncle wiped sweat. In this Summer heat, carrying the Camera continuously for half an hour was tough. The Training Ground was for Pokémon training, without dedicated AC, and with Fletchling constantly using Fire-type Skills, the temperature inside was especially high.
The two Trainers, Zuo Hang and Xingye, were fine, but the Photography Uncle was exhausted.
The girl’s stylus scribbled on the Tablet.
Three minutes later, the girl spoke: “The Skill’s Damage has two stages. Averaged from the Mannequin’s feedback data: first stage Power 40, second stage Power 55. For Hit Rate, though Fletchling hit all, since it’s a ranged Skill and not homing, per League rules, I can only give 95 Hit Rate at most.”
Zuo Hang was quite satisfied with this result.
95 Hit Rate was already T1 level. In this World, Skills marked 100% Hit Rate were rare.
As for the two-stage explosion Damage, he hadn’t expected it at all—an unexpected bonus.
The girl looked up at Zuo Hang: “One stage 40, one stage 55, max Power under 80. So far, B-grade. But two-stage Damage, high Hit Rate, and from Mannequin data, 10% chance to burn opponent on hit. Comprehensive, system gives B+, and I personally agree B+.”
“Training Ground Mannequins have limited data. If the Skill causes Fear, Flinch… or other effects lowering/raising opponent/self Attributes, you can apply for special testing. Getting B++ special Evaluation is totally possible.”
Zuo Hang said: “No need for other tests. This is fine.”
“Okay, then B+.” The girl said: “Describe how to practice the Skill, estimated Practice Time, and specific Practice Method. Keep under 800 words if possible, but more is fine—don’t listen to that Front Desk Guy. There’s a word limit rule, but it can totally be exceeded.”
You… can’t you give me some normal fan art?? Looking at the cute kids next door… tears flowed uncontrollably.
