Pokémon Court

Through the clouds, a vast, boundless sea could be seen.

In the clear blue sky, only the sound of the helicopter rotor spinning and waves crashing against the shore could be heard.

It was a small helicopter, with a pilot at the front and a young boy in an explorer outfit sitting in the back alongside a woman.

Terrance and Examiner Joy had departed from Ever Grande City, boarding the League's exclusive helicopter as they made their way toward an deserted island.

Looking down, Terrance observed the lush, oval-shaped island, surrounded by sheer cliffs with no beaches. The constant sound of waves crashing against the rocks echoed around them.

"We'll be staying here for a week once we get down. Aside from leaving by helicopter, there's no other way off this island—ships can't dock here," Examiner Joy said.

The uniqueness of this deserted island has cut off the possibility of communication with the outside world by ship.

However, besides the helicopter, they can also leave with the help of a Flying-type Pokémon. But not every Trainer had the skills to ride a Pokémon and make it off the island.

But, Terrance wasn't worried. He and his Altaria had once flown all the way from Lilycove City to Mt. Chimney, and this deserted island was closer to civilization than that journey.

"Before we go down, just a reminder: this deserted island is classified as a D-Level Lost Region. It has some dangers, and while you can request my help, doing so will lower your final score. So try to handle challenges on your own as much as possible."

Terrance nodded, then asked in confusion, "D-Level Lost Region?"

Examiner Joy explained, "That's the old term. It's still used in some circles—a rough way of assessing danger levels."

Terrance, in deep thought, seemed to recall reading something like this in some ancient records, "Petalburg Woods, the Hoenn Desert, and Mt. Pyre—are those considered Lost Regions too?"

"They were," Examiner Joy replied, looking at him in surprise.

"Petalburg Woods was once a D-Level Lost Region, while the Hoenn Desert and Mt. Pyre were rated at C-level. But now, the dangers have been cleared, so they're no longer classified."

"Speaking of which, the danger level of wild areas is also related to Gym. The two policies were implemented around the same time, but most people today aren't aware of it."

Terrance's curiosity was piqued by this unknown information, and he immediately humbly asked.

Around 150 years ago, the first Pokémon League Conference was held, although the League itself had existed for some time before that.

Gym policies were implemented even before the League Conference, and back then, anyone who served as a Gym Trainer was among the most capable Trainers in their area.

Their primary role wasn't to test rookie Trainers but to protect local towns and cities from wild Pokémon invasions.

More than a hundred years ago, human settlements were not the towering skyscrapers we see today, nor was technology as advanced. Faced with the invasion of wild Pokémon, ordinary people had no means to defend themselves, except for Trainers.

Gym Leaders' duties were to guard towns, acting almost like local guardian deities.

Gyms were mainly located near areas with higher dangers, like Kanto's Viridian Forest, once a C-Level Lost Region. It housed many Pokémon who occasionally rushed out of the forest and entered towns, disturbing the residents. The responsibility of Gym Leaders was to work with local police to maintain order and, if necessary, venture alone into Lost Regions to trace the source of Pokémon disturbances and resolve them.

Back then, one of the most important factors in evaluating a Gym Trainer's strength was the danger level of the Lost Region they guarded against.

A hundred years ago, Gym Leaders were mid-level figures even within the League's internal ranks.

Now, with technological advancements, it's nearly impossible for wild Pokémon to invade big cities. There was once an incident where a Gyarados attacked a small town, but it wasn't long before local Trainers voluntarily banded together and defeated it. Powerful Pokémon have since been driven to areas far from human habitation, leading to humanity's rise. The Gym Trainers' duty to protect towns has lessened significantly, to the point where it's now more of a laid-back job of testing rookie Trainers.

So, becoming a Gym Trainer today isn't as challenging as it used to be.

"So, over a hundred years ago, to become a Gym Trainer, you would need the individual combat skills to confidently venture into a D-Level Lost Region?" Terrance learned something new.

This was a gap in his knowledge—there were naturally things he couldn't know everything about.

"Guess I'm pretty lucky…" Terrance thought to himself. If he'd transmigrated over around two hundred years ago, when the League was just formed, he probably wouldn't have even had enough to eat.

Lost Regions are classified into five levels:

D, C, B, A, and S.

D-level is the least dangerous, while S-level is the most dangerous.

This deserted island, like the undeveloped Petalburg Woods, would be considered a D-level danger zone. Since the island is far from towns and cities, it doesn't need much attention, but Petalburg Woods lies between two cities, so a century ago, two Gyms were built around it for protection and monitoring. Now that the responsibilities of Gyms have diminished, professions like Rangers have emerged instead.

"How dangerous is a D-Level Lost Region, exactly?" Terrance wondered. Without a clear reference, it was hard to gauge. The undeveloped Viridian Forest was originally classified as a C-Level Lost Region, but now it has been developed to the point where even rookie Trainers can safely pass through it if they are careful, and it has been removed from the list of Lost Regions. Even so, if a rookie Trainer were to encounter a flock of Spearow, they could still lose their life. But this cannot be used as a reference for Terrance to judge the danger level of a D-Level Lost Region.

"Places like Mt. Silver and Mt. Coronet are considered A-Level Lost Regions, and with a Trainer's strength, it's still impossible to completely conquer them," said Examiner Joy.

"That's why Indigo Plateau was built near Mt. Silver—to guard it against potential threats."

"Mt. Silver is only A-level? Then what about S-level?" Terrance was taken aback.

Examiner Joy replied, "Alright, that's not something you can know right now. If you want to find out, then pass the assessment. Only then will you have the ability to come into contact with some things."

Terrance stayed silent as the helicopter came to a stop—they'd arrived.

"We'll use ropes to descend."

"Got it," Terrance replied.

Although Joy didn't say which was the S-Level Lost Region, Terrance had a few guesses.

If there were places more dangerous than the depths of Mt. Silver or Mt. Coronet…

Terrance looked at the vast sea below. The deep ocean must be one of them, along with the universe beyond the ozone layer. They are all places that are difficult for humans to reach.

Or perhaps…

The habitats of Ghost and Ghost-type Pokémon, the spirit world, and other alternate dimensions that humans cannot explore.

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