Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

"Teacher, here is the summer homework I just collected."

In the office, Ethan placed the pile of homework entrusted to him by Rosa on the desk of the homeroom teacher.

Behind the desk, a muscular man who looked like he taught physical education glanced up.

"Is it all here?"

"Yes, it's all here."

Ethan remained calm, even though the stack of homework didn't seem to be convincing in terms of thickness.

Teacher Gerald wasn't blind, but as Ethan had expected, he only gave him an amused glance.

"Oh, just leave it there."

Ethan wasn't surprised. Even in the original world, high school teachers were aware of students' ability to study on their own during summer vacation, and they typically didn't pay much attention to these things.

Let alone in this world of Pokémon, where the focus in the Pokémon class was more on practice.

...

"Teacher, I'll be going now."

Ethan was about to leave after saying his goodbyes, but his homeroom teacher stopped him, "Wait a minute, Ethan, have you gotten your starter Pokémon yet?"

The disappearance of Ethan's parents a year ago had made news, so it wasn't a secret.

As a result of that incident, Ethan, who was supposed to be sixteen in the spring, still hadn't captured his starter Pokémon. It seemed like his homeroom teacher hadn't forgotten about this.

Ethan's heart warmed, "Yes, I caught an Eevee in early August, and I've been bonding with her. Things are going well, thank you for your concern."

Teacher Gerald nodded, "Eevee, huh? A good Pokémon, and it doesn't eat much. If it were something like a Snorlax, heh. As for evolution stones, I'll keep an eye out for any news for you. As for training, if you encounter any difficulties, be sure to communicate with me, okay?"

Teacher Gerald's detailed instructions were quite a contrast to his rough exterior.

Ethan felt even more moved, "Don't worry, I'm also doing some part-time jobs in my spare time, so I can support myself and Eevee, including her evolution. I already have a plan for that."

He wanted to reassure his teacher so that he wouldn't worry too much, but to his surprise, Teacher Gerald's expression became more peculiar after hearing this.

A part-time job that could afford Eevee's training and evolution? What kind of proper part-time job could a sixteen-year-old high school student have?

Teacher Gerald raised his head and observed Ethan, and after some silent contemplation, he hesitated and said, "Ethan, you're still young and inexperienced, but many times, life isn't about taking shortcuts, even if they can save you ten years of effort."

"But you have to know, the price for all life's gifts is already set behind the scenes. Some of them, in the end, can be quite... extreme."

Ethan: "..."

Teacher Gerald must have misunderstood something, right?

And that last sentence—did you just reveal something, Teacher Gerald?

...

Ethan's lsp soul immediately understood what Teacher Gerald meant, but he still had to maintain the image of a pure, innocent sixteen-year-old high school boy.

So, he pretended not to understand and scratched his head, saying, "Teacher, doesn't the school allow students to make videos online?"

Ethan's superb acting skills fooled Teacher Gerald, and now it was his turn to scratch his head.

"Uh, haha, making videos? The school certainly allows it. It's a very good way to make money. You're doing well... doing well."

"By the way, don't overthink what I said just now. I only heard about this from a friend. I didn't mean anything else."

Ethan was about to lose his composure.

Teacher Gerald, please stop! You're making it worse and worse!

"Report!"

Just as the atmosphere in the office became awkward, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door.

But since there were so many people Ethan knew at school, he didn't bother to turn around to see who it was.

"Ah, you must be Kai, who transferred to our class this semester. Come on in."

Teacher Gerald greeted warmly, and Ethan turned in surprise. As expected, standing behind him was the red-haired boy he had met once before.

"Long time no see," Kai greeted politely as usual.

"Yes, what a coincidence. You're transferring to our school this semester?" Ethan asked in surprise.

Kai smiled and nodded, "Yes, due to family reasons, I moved to Riverhaven this year."

...

"You two know each other?" After they finished greeting, Teacher Gerald spoke up.

Ethan briefly explained, "Yes, we had a battle at the battle park before."

Teacher Gerald understood and then looked at Ethan, "It's good for young people to communicate more, but don't focus too much on the outcome. The road of a trainer is long."

"I lost," Kai interrupted, making Teacher Gerald pause and then turn to Ethan with a surprised expression, "Ethan, your Eevee beat his Axew?"

Ethan laughed, "Of course. It's not like I beat Axew. But Eevee winning was just good luck."

"Alright, don't be so modest. Winning is winning," Teacher Gerald corrected Ethan's overly humble attitude.

"As a trainer, besides hard work, the most important thing is confidence. A trainer's mindset and character will have a big impact on their Pokémon, so it's important to build a healthy and positive..."

Ethan was completely speechless. It seemed like he and Teacher Gerald were just incompatible today.

Why does everything I say get misunderstood?

Do I look like a modest person?

But Eevee really did win by luck!

(End of Chapter)