Chapter 41: An Unconventional Lesson
Green's tense expression softened when she saw Dragonair still standing.
"So I still lost…" she murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice. But deep down, she was okay with the result.
After all, if Clefable hadn't miraculously used Dragon Rush, the match would've ended much earlier.
"Draaa~"
Dragonair landed gracefully beside Asahi, affectionately nuzzling against him. Though it wanted to coil around his shoulders like it used to as a Dratini, its new size made that impossible.
"You did great!" Asahi praised, patting Dragonair on the head. Its scales, now more elastic than soft, were a testament to its growth.
Green recalled Clefable into its Poké Ball and looked at Asahi. "I lost both rounds. Does that mean my evaluation is terrible?"
Because of the students nearby, she avoided mentioning this was part of the International Police test.
Asahi shook his head. "Quite the opposite—I think you have a lot of potential."
Green looked puzzled.
Asahi elaborated, "First off, my Dragonair was at a much higher level than your Pokémon. Being able to hold your ground against stronger opponents is already impressive."
He paused, smiling. "More importantly, I noticed your understanding of battles."
"Understanding of battles?" Green echoed, mulling over his words.
"Yes, your ability to use your Pokémon's traits to develop your own combat style. That's rare."
While it sounded simple, Asahi knew from experience that few trainers could actually do it.
The students listening in were equally contemplative, realizing they might've been too focused on memorizing type matchups and move sets, ignoring the deeper strategies of battle.
A voice from the crowd suddenly shouted:
"Professor, please teach us about battling!"
In an instant, the other students chimed in, eager to learn from this extraordinary young lecturer.
Caught off guard by the enthusiasm, Asahi smiled awkwardly.
At that moment, the system chimed in his mind:
"On your first day as a teacher, you and your assistant conducted an exceptional battle demonstration, earning the admiration of your students. Title unlocked: 'Unconventional After-School Lesson.'"
"Choose your reward:"
1. Quick Claw
2. Amulet Coin
3. Exp. Share
Hearing the system, Asahi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the title. But for now, he turned to the students with a polite smile.
"Everyone, don't worry. I'm Asahi, a new visiting lecturer at Rainbow University. For class schedules, keep an eye on the notice board in the administration office."
Smoothly, Asahi shifted the responsibility onto the administration, eager to avoid unnecessary distractions from his primary goal—defeating Team Rocket and saving Kanto.
Teaching? Maybe after he'd dealt with them.
With Gardevoir clearing the way with its psychic abilities, Asahi and Green finally managed to escape the overly enthusiastic students.
Word of the commotion caused by Asahi quickly reached the principal, who couldn't help but marvel at the talent recommended by Professor Oak.
However, none of this was of immediate concern to Asahi.
Back at the hotel, after a refreshing hot shower, Asahi lounged on the sofa in his room, toying with the Amulet Coin in his hand.
Out of the three rewards, he had ultimately chosen the Amulet Coin.
It wasn't because the other options were unappealing, but the Quick Claw, the first option, was already available in the League's item warehouse, where he could purchase it at a discounted rate.
As for the third option, the Exp. Share, he already owned one.
In contrast, the Amulet Coin was something he had never seen in the League's inventory. That rarity alone made it worth picking.
The golden Amulet Coin shimmered brilliantly under the light. Despite the horizontal grooves on its surface, it felt smooth to the touch, almost identical to the coins atop wild Meowth's heads.
Speaking of which...
Asahi couldn't help but wonder, Could this actually be a coin taken from a Meowth's head?
Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, he decided it wasn't worth investigating further.
"But what exactly does this thing do?"
Holding the coin by its string, he dangled it in front of his eyes.
In the games, carrying this item doubled the prize money earned after battles.
In reality, however, achieving the same effect seemed improbable—unless:
1. The coin could somehow magically generate money or coins after a battle.
2. It had some sort of hypnotic effect, similar to a Hypno's pendant, compelling defeated Trainers to willingly hand over double the money.
"Either way, that's pretty ridiculous."
Asahi doubted it was either of those. Unable to figure out its exact function for now, he decided to treat it as a simple charm and hung it around his neck.
"Even as just a lucky trinket, it's not bad."
He then dialed Lance's number. After a few rings, Lance answered.
"What's up?" Lance sounded pleased, clearly in a good mood.
Recently, the intelligence Asahi had extracted from the Rocket Grunts captured at Mt. Moon had led to several successful League operations against Team Rocket.
Recruiting Asahi into the International Police was undoubtedly one of Lance's best decisions in recent memory!
***
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