The morning passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was afternoon. Eight classes, from Class 1 to Class 8, gathered on the playground.
The massive playground was divided into eight areas, with Class 4's section located in the northwest corner.
Class monitor Wang organized the students, lining them up neatly on the playground as they waited for the teacher to arrive.
Before long, a charismatic teacher walked over to Class 4's area. Dressed in a professional suit, she still couldn't hide her striking figure.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Tommy, and for the next year, I'll be your practical class teacher," she said confidently.
"Hello, Teacher Tommy!" The students responded with applause.
"Wow! This teacher is stunning!" David whispered to himself.
"Agreed," I thought, silently admitting that David wasn't wrong. Teacher Tommy looked far more youthful and attractive than most people I had ever seen.
"Hmph." A dissatisfied hum came from the front, carrying an air of disdain.
There was no need to ask; everyone knew who it was—Sister Disdain herself. She was perpetually displeased, though no one ever knew exactly why.
"Silence! Class monitor!" Teacher Tommy snapped, her authoritative voice cutting through the murmurs.
"Here!" Wang stepped forward, standing at attention.
"From now on, take everyone in your class and run ten laps around the playground! Trainers and their Pokémon must run together. Write down the names of the last five to finish—they'll be punished!"
"Yes!" Wang replied sharply.
The students immediately began releasing their Pokémon.
David naturally released his Charmander, while Karl released a Pidgeot.
"Wow! David, what kind of Poké Ball is that? It looks amazing!" Karl exclaimed.
David shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, it's just an ordinary red-and-white ball. I stuck some paper on it myself to give it a unique look."
"Fancy!" Karl teased, smirking.
As they talked, Wu Ni walked by with her Eevee, throwing a snarky comment over her shoulder. "Show-offs."
Karl noticed that both Wu Ni and David were using luxury Poké Balls. He couldn't help but think about how kids from wealthy families always seemed to stand out.
Before Karl could retort, a commotion erupted nearby.
"Wow! It's a pseudo-legendary!" someone exclaimed.
"Young Kiras!" gasped another student.
Even Teacher Tommy was surprised. "I didn't expect a pseudo-legendary in this class," she murmured.
The trainer, Fang , smiled awkwardly as he greeted the swarm of admirers gathered around him. Despite his outward confidence, it was clear he felt flustered.
"Stop gawking! Start running!" Teacher Tommy barked.
Fang sighed with relief and began running, his Young Kiras lumbering behind him.
As the students started their laps, Teacher Tommy observed them carefully. Her eyes lingered on Fang , Wang, David, Wu Ni, and a few others. "Not bad," she muttered to herself. "This class has some promising students—a pseudo-legendary, two starter Pokémon, and an Eevee. But will they measure up to the kids from No. 2 and No. 3 Middle Schools by the end of the semester?"
Meanwhile, David and Karl were running side by side, their Charmander and Popplio keeping pace alongside them.
By the fourth lap, David grinned and turned to Karl. "Wanna play a game?"
Karl hesitated. "Isn't that a bad idea? It's the first class."
"Come on! The playground's huge, and there are so many people. She won't notice if we take a quick break. We'll catch up in the next lap!"
Karl glanced around. Several other classes were running, and the sheer number of students made it unlikely that anyone would notice them slipping away. "Alright, let's do it!"
Just as the two were about to duck out, a voice called from behind them. "Wait up! Take me with you!"
Startled, they turned around to see Fang jogging toward them, his Young Kiras plodding along behind him.
"Man, you scared us!" Karl exclaimed, relieved it wasn't Teacher Tommy.
Fang chuckled. "You guys were running so fast I could barely keep up!"
David smirked. "Looks like your Young Kiras isn't exactly built for speed."
Fang shrugged. "Guess I'll have to stick with you guys for now."
The three of them hit it off and snuck away for a quick break. Half an hour later, they emerged from the restroom and blended back into the crowd to continue their laps.
After everyone finished, Wang organized the team and brought them to Teacher Tommy.
"David! Fang ! Karl! Step forward!" she commanded.
"Yes!" The three stepped out, hearts sinking as they realized they'd been caught.
Teacher Tommy's voice turned icy. "Did you really think you could outsmart me? Two of you ran only nine laps, and you!" She pointed at Fang . "You only managed six! Your Pokémon is a Young Kiras, for crying out loud—it's supposed to be strong and fast!"
Her frustration was evident, but there was also a hint of amusement as she referred to Fang as "big brother."
She quickly regained her composure and continued sternly, "The three of you will each run five extra laps after class. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," they replied in unison, accepting their punishment.
"Now, listen up!" Teacher Tommy addressed the entire class. "From today onward, this will be your battle class. We'll learn how to fight, train, and cultivate your Pokémon. There are 30 students in this class, and each of you will have two battles against your classmates. Your performance will determine the class rankings."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"The top ten students will receive rewards every two weeks. During this period, I'll provide feedback on your battles to help you improve. However..." Her gaze sharpened as she looked at David, Karl, Fang , and the other two students who had finished last.
"Your starting score is negative two points. This is your punishment. Do you accept it?"
"Yes, ma'am!" they replied firmly.
"Good. Let's begin. Once you've completed your battles, you can move to the side and train your Pokémon. Now, get to it!"
"Understood!"