Chapter 10: Trainer School

On the outskirts of Celestic, there was a solitary two-story structure. The "Trainer School" sign dangled from the front door, declaring it as Celestic Town's trainer school; responsible for teaching its youths the basics needed to operate as a Pokemon Trainer. Amidst the second floor's din of children, a boy sat alone at the front row's edge, encircled by his peers. This boy was Tyson, the focus of his classmates' curiosity. Lunchtime buzzed around him, yet most of his break was consumed by responding to the barrage of questions. 'Why is this happening to me?' pondered Tyson.

- Earlier That Morning

Upon arriving at the building, Tyson and Shane were greeted by a woman with short black hair, her age evident in the streaks of gray. "Good morning, you must be Tyson and Mr. Ryuuzaki," she said, bowing. Shane returned the bow and responded, "Correct, my grandson is here for his first day of class," indicating Tyson, who added, "Nice to meet you, ma'am." The woman, pleased with Tyson's manners, smiled and said, "How courteous of you. I'm Sonia Thompson, the principal of this school." She then led them upstairs, passing a small library and lunchroom on their way to the second floor.

On the second floor, the group halted before a door marked "Advanced Class." "This is your class for the semester, Tyson," Sonia said, indicating the door, then added, "I've informed your teacher, so now it's your turn." Tyson nodded, stepped forward, and opened the door to a sizable classroom outfitted with what appeared to be digital desks. Each desk was occupied by a young student, most of whom were attentively following the lesson, although a few were visibly disinterested. At the front stood a young man with silver hair, clad in a lab coat over a traditional black suit, his expression stern as he turned towards the open door.

The young man's face lit up with a smile as he spotted Tyson. "Is this the new student, Ms. Thompson?" he inquired. With a nod from the principal, he swiftly guided Tyson to the class's center, introducing himself, "Nice to meet you, I'm Mr. Mathews, your homeroom teacher. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Standing before the class, Mr. Mathews announced, "As I mentioned yesterday, we have a new student joining us," signaling Tyson to introduce himself. "Hello, everyone, I'm Tyson Ryuuzaki. I hail from Johto and have moved here to live with my grandparents," Tyson shared, glancing at his new classmates. Several students began to raise their hands with questions, but Mr. Mathews interjected, "Please save your questions for lunchtime. I know you're eager to ask Tyson many questions, but let's wait until then."

A few students appeared disappointed but remained silent. Mr. Mathews continued, "Alright Tyson, choose an open seat. No worries about textbooks; the digital desk holds all information relevant to the lesson." Tyson nodded and made his way to an empty seat in the far-left front row. Eyes were on him, and he felt like a few were boring a hole in the back of his head. 'So, this is what it's like to be the new guy in class. I've always seen this situation in anime but experiencing it yourself helps to draw a nice comparison,' Tyson thought. As the class quieted down, Mr. Mathews continued, "Now then, as I was saying before, the Pokémon League operates on a case-by-case basis when selecting trainers. However, one thing is constant throughout each region, and that is the 'Age of Agreement'." Seeing that the class was progressing smoothly, Shane and Sonia left, with Shane wishing Tyson good luck in silence.

As the class continued, Tyson took an interest in the topic of the Age of Agreement, which concerned the legal age at which a trainer can start their journey. This age is usually decided by the region's officials, the Regional Professor, and the League Champion. 'It still confuses me how the Kanto region's legal age is 10. At such an age, most kids struggle to maintain focus on homework, much less travel a region,' Tyson thought. As the class went on, Mr. Mathews called on Tyson to confirm the current assigned ages. Thanks to Tyson's study of the Pokemon League regulations and preparation over the past few months, he quickly named off the legal ages, earning a nod from Mr. Mathews.

(Just to clarify, these ages are loosely based on the Pokémon games and anime with minor differences, different regions have different starting ages for trainers. For example, in Kanto, trainers can start their journey at age 10, while in Johto and Kalos, the starting age is 14. Sinnoh and Unova have starting ages of 12 and 13, respectively.)

As time progressed, the discussion shifted to Sinnoh's terrain and Danger Zones. While traveling, trainers are expected to adhere to these zones based on certain restrictions. These zones are blocked off to the public due to either their harsh environments or the dangerous Pokémon that inhabit them. Each zone is designated a different color to indicate the level of danger. Green Zones, while still dangerous, can be navigated by trainers with a single League Badge or more. Orange Zones require four or more badges, and Red Zones, which house dangerous climates or powerful Pokémon, can only be navigated by trainers with seven badges or more. The League has implemented these restrictions to reduce the fatality rates associated with trainer exploration.

- Presently

Classes progressed smoothly, and soon a bell rang, signaling the start of lunchtime. Mr. Mathews cleaned up his desk and advised the students to return to class in an hour. As soon as the teacher exited the class, Tyson found himself surrounded by students bombarding him with questions. Some asked simple questions like his age, while others inquired why he moved to Celestic Town. Slightly overwhelmed, Tyson hesitated but quickly explained his situation, earning looks of shock and pity from the students. Many invited Tyson to eat with them, but he declined, wanting to explore the school more. One of the students, a young boy wearing a white shirt adorned with the Pokémon League logo, blue shorts, and a red cap, quickly volunteered to show him around.

"The name's Eric Loften, nice to meet you, I'm the class president for the final year" the boy introduced himself, and Tyson nodded in response as he replied, "Tyson Ryuuzaki." They left the classroom and headed to the first floor. Along the way, Eric described the school's layout. "The second-floor houses three classrooms, the faculty office, and the principal's office. These classrooms are Advanced Classrooms for teaching third-year students and those about to graduate," explained Eric. "So, the first floor is primarily for introductory lessons and beginner courses?" Tyson asked to which Eric nodded. "The subjects we covered today are basic knowledge, typically reviewed as a refresher for the first two years. Starting from tomorrow's classes, our curriculum will become significantly more challenging," Eric informed, leaving Tyson with a clear understanding. The earlier topics were indeed widely recognized as general knowledge.

The pair strolled down the first floor's corridor, deep in conversation. As they moved along, they passed the library. "This is the school library; I only come here to study for exams. But you can find information on almost anything," Eric said. They walked past the lunchroom and stopped at a white door on the left side of the hall. "This is the nurse's office. It's important to know where it is in case you feel unwell," Eric noted. Tyson inquired, "You visit here quite often, don't you?" which made Eric recoil slightly. "Hey, I only come here once a week, thank you very much," he retorted. After speaking with Eric for a while, Tyson began to grasp his character a bit more. Despite his somewhat clumsy demeanor, he was by no means a bad person.

The duo reached the back of the school, where an open field stretched to a line of trees marking the forest's edge. "This is where we have gym class and battle studies; our teacher likes us to exercise with our Pokémon," Eric explained, gesturing towards a group of students jogging with their Pokémon. "It makes sense; it fosters a strong bond, and trainers need to be fit to travel the region," Tyson chimed in. After finishing their tour; Eric stated that he need to assist Mr. Mathews with prep for the evening classes and began making his way back inside. Standing alone, Tyson surveyed the gym field's expansive fields and tree lines, thinking, 'School life might turn out to be quite uneventful.' His tranquility was disrupted by a tug on his pant leg. Glancing down, Tyson saw a small, four-legged creature with short legs and an oversized head, its face featuring tiny black eyes with star-shaped pupils and a zigzag mouth. 'Why is this little one here? Aren't they usually in deserts?' Tyson wondered, his astonishment evident, having never expected to encounter a Trapinch at school.

Pokémon Team:

Team Rank: 1

Larvitar

Gender: Male

Type: Rock/Ground

Abilities: Guts, Sand Veil [Undeveloped]

Held Item: None

Moves: Rock Throw, Bite, Payback, Leer, Scary Face, Dragon Dance [Inherited], Ancient Power [Inherited], Stomping Tantrum