Ms. Nina took a long, careful look at Lynnea and Owen. Before she even stepped into her role, she had been told that these two were students who required "extra attention."
She understood the subtext clearly. It meant that Lynnea and Owen were the two rookies with the highest potential in the class, and she was expected to give them specialized guidance when appropriate.
I guess top students get special treatment no matter where you go...
After her brief introduction, the break was almost over. Usually, the first period was reserved for the head teacher—mostly consisting of lectures on academic discipline and motivational "chicken soup" for the soul.
However, Ms. Hailey had already covered most of that during the morning self-study. Before the bell even rang, she said something that completely shattered Owen's expectations of a normal school day:
"I have some urgent matters to attend to, so Math is canceled. Ms. Nina will be taking you for PE instead. Follow her instructions."
Owen: "..."
Seriously... what is with this intense sense of reality shifting? Canceling math for PE?
The First Lesson
Regardless, a PE class wasn't a bad trade. Compared to dense lectures, high-energy teenagers much preferred being outdoors. More importantly, it meant a chance to interact with their Pokémon.
Ms. Hailey gave a few more instructions and left the classroom, leaving the students staring at Ms. Nina.
"Before we head out, let me take attendance so I can get to know you all."
She picked up a list from the podium. All 32 students of Class 12 were listed, along with their starter Pokémon species.
"Leo." "Present." "Lynnea." "Present." "Owen." "Here."
As she finished the roll call, Ms. Nina smiled. "Great. Who is the sports representative?"
A tall, skinny boy stood up. His name was Jayden.
"Take everyone to the track for two laps, then lead the warm-ups," Ms. Nina directed.
As the class gathered, Lynnea moved toward Owen and whispered, "My dad told me Ms. Nina was the vice-captain of her university's battle team. She's actually very strong."
"The provincial Normal University's vice-captain?" Owen remarked. "She doesn't look the part."
"It's true," Lynnea said. "She might still be adjusting to teaching, but her experience as a trainer is top-tier."
The provincial Normal University was ranked among the top five in the province. Being the vice-captain meant her strength was at the top of the entire school. For someone like that to become a Professional Trainer a few years after graduation wouldn't be surprising at all.
Owen nodded, making a mental note of it.
Soon, under Jayden's lead, Class 12 finished their laps and gathered on the field. Ms. Nina was already waiting for them.
"Warm up properly, focusing on your upper bodies," she directed.
A few minutes later, the class stood in four neat rows, waiting for their next instruction. Looking at the energetic group, Ms. Nina's expression turned serious.
"Outdoor classes—both PE and Training—will be my responsibility this year. Since this is our first lesson, I want to emphasize one principle: 'A skyscraper is built from the ground up.' No matter how talented a trainer is, they must master the basics."
"I know you probably don't want a standard gym class. You want to train your Pokémon or even battle. Fine. I'll give you that chance."
"But in my class, the curriculum starts with the most fundamental skill of a trainer."
"Owen, step forward."
The eyes of the entire class snapped to him. Owen was stunned. What did I do?
Ms. Nina continued, "Next, Owen will release his Pokémon to help me demonstrate the first basic skill of a trainer."
Owen understood. The new teacher was going to use him as the "guinea pig." However, it was a good opportunity. Experiencing a lesson firsthand always led to a clearer understanding.
The "Simple" Task
At a battle court in the center of the field, Owen and Ms. Nina stood on opposite sides. The other students crowded around the perimeter, buzzing with excitement.
Using Owen for the demonstration was a brilliant move to capture the class's attention. His reputation in Class 12 was massive—after winning the Young Ho-Oh Cup, who would dare claim they were better?
If even Owen struggled, the teaching point would be made perfectly.
Ms. Nina took out a Poké Ball first, releasing a Breloom.
Breloom—a Grass and Fighting type. It looked like a kangaroo with elastic-like wrists and red claws on its limbs, which served as its primary weapons.
Owen released Eevee. Upon seeing her, Ms. Nina observed closely, noting that the Pokémon was indeed excellently raised.
"Owen, I'm going to have Breloom attack. You will command Eevee to dodge. When I give the signal, you will attempt to recall Eevee into her Poké Ball," Ms. Nina explained.
"Understood."
Owen had a vague idea of what this "basic skill" was.
The next moment, Ms. Nina's gaze shifted to her Breloom. "Mach Punch."
Whoosh!
Breloom lunged forward with light, explosive footwork. Little Eevee's pupils shrank. She had seen a lot in the arenas of Metropolis, but Breloom's speed was on an entirely different level.
The difference between a rookie's Pokémon and a senior trainer's Pokémon was staggering. Facing that Mach Punch, Eevee saw only a flash of white light before the opponent was already in her face.
With her superior reaction time, Eevee barely managed to register the move, but her body struggled to keep up with her reflexes.
However, once Breloom reached her, it intentionally slowed its attack speed, giving Eevee some breathing room. She scrambled to dodge, but Breloom was relentless, its telescopic arms punching in a rhythm that forced Eevee into a constant retreat.
"Now," Ms. Nina said to Owen.
Owen immediately pulled out his Poké Ball and pressed the recall button. A beam of red light shot toward Eevee, but because she was mid-dodge, the beam missed its mark entirely.
"Keep going."
Breloom's attacks remained fierce. Owen frowned, repeatedly pressing the button, but not once did the beam hit Eevee.
He realized the trick: Breloom was intentionally manipulating Eevee's positioning, preventing her from being in a stable spot for the recall light to land!
Ms. Nina clapped her hands, signaling the end of the drill.
"I hope you all see the point. If this were a 2VS2 battle and Eevee fell into a disadvantage, even if the rules allowed for a switch, the trainer wouldn't have the skill to recall her and send out a replacement. The result would be an unnecessary loss."
"And in a dangerous battle in the wild," Ms. Nina added bluntly, "such a mistake could very well cost a Pokémon its life."
This was her first lesson: The basic skill of accurately recalling a Pokémon under pressure.
Owen held Eevee's Poké Ball, slightly stunned. It turns out, being a trainer really isn't just about smooth-talking your way through things.
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