"Here!"
A tanned-skinned boy with medium-length blue hair stepped forward and responded. Under Kai's gaze, he seemed a little nervous. After a brief pause, he took a deep breath and introduced himself. "I'm Elecis. I want to become a strong Pokémon Trainer like my older brother. My first partner is Sprigatito!"
"Nice to meet you, Elecis." Kai nodded with a smile, signaling that the introduction was sufficient. Then, he continued, "Ortega."
This time, the one who stepped forward was a boy dressed in luxurious clothing, his pink bowl-cut hair giving him a refined yet distinctive look.
His expression was filled with reluctance, as if he had been forced into attending this class by someone whose authority he couldn't resist.
"Here~" Ortega called out lazily, his voice dripping with disinterest. "My first Pokémon is Fidough~"
Kai didn't comment on his attitude and simply moved on. "Pipa."
"I'm Pipa. My first Pokémon is Annihilape. I'm an athletic student specializing in sports, and I really love Fighting types!"
Pipa had an impressive physique, his confidence radiating through every movement. His strong, athletic build and striking features made him stand out.
"Peña."
"I'm Peña. My first Pokémon is Pawniard, and I currently serve as the student council president."
...
The roll call took no more than five minutes. With only fifteen students in total, Kai quickly memorized their names, appearances, and first Pokémon, mentally categorizing them.
He divided the students into two groups.
The first group consisted of those who already had some experience as trainers and had engaged in multiple battles. This included upperclassmen like Peña and Pipa.
The second group was composed of students who had only recently received their first Pokémon. Their lack of battle experience was immediately apparent. Nemona, Elecis, and Ortega all fell into this category.
As for Arven, he was a special case. His first Pokémon, Mabosstiff, had grown up alongside him. With years of accumulated strength, it was certainly no pushover. However, when paired with Arven—who had little actual battling experience—it was hard to say how much of that strength could truly be utilized.
For now, Kai decided to put him in a category of his own.
Clearing his throat, Kai addressed the class. "Just to be clear, my teaching style will focus heavily on practical experience. I will regularly request permission from the principal to take you outside the academy—to the wild, other cities, and even different regions—to gain valuable battle experience."
"It'll be tough, but I can promise that everyone in this class will grow stronger. Do you all have confidence in yourselves?"
"Yes!"
Some students, like Nemona, responded with eager enthusiasm, while others, like Ortega, sounded completely unmotivated.
Kai knew that every student required a different approach. He wasn't in a hurry to win them over in a single lesson. This was a process that would take time.
With limited class time—just a little over an hour—he wasted no time diving into the main event: battles.
First, he needed to let the students battle each other. Only by seeing them in action could he identify their strengths and weaknesses and provide tailored guidance.
"Nemona versus Elecis. Peña versus Ortega. Pipa versus Nicole... And as for you, Arven, you'll be battling me."
A chorus of responses filled the air, but Arven's dramatic groan stood out the most. Clutching his head, he looked at Kai in despair. "Kai G—uh, I mean, Professor Kai! Isn't this matchup a little unfair?!"
Kai smiled. "There are fifteen students here, and you're a special case. Naturally, I'll be the one to battle you."
"This is so unfair..."
Arven suddenly regretted signing up for Battle Studies on a whim.
Many of his classmates had chosen this course out of curiosity about their new teacher. At the opening ceremony, Kai had projected an intimidating aura, leading most students to assume he would be strict. Arven, however, had figured that since there weren't many students enrolling, he could use his familiarity with Kai to earn some easy credits.
He hadn't expected to be thrown into such an intense match right from the start.
While others were unsure of Kai's battle prowess, Arven knew all too well.
This was going to be a brutal loss.
To make things worse, Nemona—the battle fanatic from Class A—was fanning the flames beside him, practically envious that Arven had been chosen to battle Kai. For a second, Arven considered suggesting they switch places.
But under Kai's imposing gaze, he shrank back, swallowing his words. With visible reluctance, he took his position across from his teacher.
Kai had spent the past few days considering how to structure his lessons. His students weren't even at the level of average elite trainers, so using his main team was out of the question.
However, the Pokémon he had recently acquired for his farm were perfect for the job. Not only could they serve as sparring partners for his students, but they would also gain valuable battle experience themselves. This would help them grow stronger, learn new moves, and even evolve.
The stronger they became, the more useful they would be on the farm. A win-win situation.
Kai's gaze swept over the other students who had already begun their battles. He then turned back to Arven and said, "What are you so worried about? I'm not going to use Luxray or any of my stronger Pokémon."
"Relax, this little guy only just evolved recently. If anything, it's actually weaker than your Mabosstiff."
Kai retrieved a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it forward. A burst of red light revealed Poliwhirl, who landed confidently before Arven.
Arven muttered under his breath, "Even if that's the case, this is still going to be a nightmare..."
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Arven squeezed his eyes shut and, accepting his fate, threw out Mabosstiff's Poké Ball.
At worst, he'd just take the loss. Surely Mabosstiff could at least hold its ground...
"Poliwhirl, just fight Mabosstiff however you see fit. I'm going to check on the other students' battles."
Kai casually waved his hand and strolled off, leaving Arven utterly stunned.
He wasn't even going to command his Pokémon?!
Poliwhirl, however, took this as a serious challenge. Turning toward Arven and Mabosstiff, its gaze grew intense.
So this was the powerful opponent Kai had chosen for it?
It wouldn't let its trainer down. It would win this battle with flying colors!
Arven's face turned red. Did Kai seriously think his freshly evolved Poliwhirl could take on Mabosstiff without even issuing commands?
He was being underestimated!
Arven immediately called out, "Mabosstiff, use Roar!"
Poliwhirl narrowed its eyes as a veil of icy mist swirled around its body.
The next moment, the shockwave of Roar crashed into it.
Despite the force of the move, Poliwhirl took the hit head-on. Then, without hesitation, it fired a Bubble Beam to obscure Mabosstiff's vision, disrupting its focus.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Poliwhirl surged forward. With precise timing, it unleashed Brick Break, a Fighting-type move it had learned upon evolving, aiming directly at Mabosstiff.
Poliwhirl remembered Kai's words well—Fighting-type moves were super effective against Dark-types!