Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

"Bunnelby, use Pound!"

"Munchlax, use Defense Curl!"

As the saying goes, even if you're inexperienced, you can still sound confident. The battle performance of the Pokémon wasn't much to speak of, but the trainers' commands seemed passable enough.

Teacher Dhan nodded slightly, offering commentary:

"Munchlax typically has higher special defense compared to physical defense. Both trainers made reasonable choices."

As they spoke, the Pokémon on the battlefield began to act.

Bunnelby made the first move, its small body hopping clumsily forward, its long ears swaying behind it, looking adorably awkward.

But… it was only adorable. Its speed was slow, its movements straightforward and without any dodging maneuvers. There was no sign it had undergone any training.

Perched on Ethan's shoulder, Eevee shook her head in disapproval. If this were Pokémon Unite and she were playing a marksman, such poor movement would have landed ten hooks in a row!

On the other side of the battlefield, Munchlax wasn't doing much better.

It took nearly three seconds after its trainer's command for Munchlax to snap out of its daze and begin gathering energy for its move.

A true lagging fighter. Eevee couldn't help but wonder if Munchlax's brain was made of potatoes.

The match seemed to pit two inept battlers against each other.

While Eevee's inner monologue of sarcasm burned brightly, Teacher Dhan remained unfazed. This was the standard for most beginner trainers and their Pokémon.

His job was to help them improve; otherwise, what would they need a teacher for?

Patiently, he broke down the merits and flaws of each participant's strategy for the benefit of the students observing.

Though, truth be told, most of it was flaws.

This introductory battle lesson served to bring the lofty imaginations of the middle-school dreamers back down to earth.

Pokémon battles, after all, require a practical, grounded approach.

In the end, Munchlax managed to secure victory by a slim margin, relying on its thick hide and endurance to outlast Bunnelby.

Teacher Dhan didn't linger to critique them. Instead, he quickly sent the trainers off to the school nurse's office to heal their Pokémon.

The remaining students, of course, weren't so lucky. They stayed to watch the second battle.

Eevee vs. Doduo

Another round of murmured discussions erupted from the audience.

"Alright, I was wrong earlier. This time I'm betting on Doduo! Cute Pokémon just aren't reliable."

Eevee, with her keen hearing, caught every word, her ears twitching in irritation. She mentally conjured a question mark.

What's wrong with being cute? Does being cute cost you something?

And this wasn't just one person's opinion.

"Exactly! Against that clumsy Munchlax, they still missed several moves. That Eevee doesn't even look like it wants to fight. It's going to do worse!"

Hmph! You bunch of clueless amateurs—do you think you're worthy of igniting my battle spirit? Bring out that big Tauros if you want a chance!

"Plus, Doduo is way stronger than Munchlax—faster and more powerful. Eevee won't even have its agility advantage. This match will be one-sided!"

Oh, you ignorant fools! Do you think you're fit to comment on the champion of the beginner league?

This match will indeed be one-sided, but I won't say in which direction.

Just you watch!

Having been given a second chance in life, Eevee vowed to prove herself and her trainer, Ethan, by silencing all the doubters, past and present!

"Class 3-A, Ethan."

"Class 3-C, Dwayne. Please go easy on me."

After brief introductions, both trainers took their places on either side of the battlefield with Eevee and Doduo.

Eevee remained as nonchalant as ever. Such an insignificant opponent didn't even register in her past life memories—nothing to worry about.

She had complete confidence in defeating it with the same level of strength she'd shown Ethan before.

On the opposite side, Doduo seemed much more impatient.

Even before the battle started, its slender legs scraped the ground repeatedly, like a sprinter preparing for takeoff.

Eevee rolled her eyes. Could its intentions be any more obvious? If this dumb two-headed bird doesn't start with Quick Attack, I'll change my name to Doduo!

"Let the battle begin!"

With Teacher Dhan's signal, Ethan and Eevee's second match officially started.

"Eevee, Swift!"

"Doduo, Quick Attack!"

Both trainers chose to strike first.

Over the past month, Ethan had closely observed Eevee's "progress" and wanted to use this battle to gauge her real combat potential.

For Doduo, when one door closes, another opens.

Although its nearly invisible wings rendered it flightless, its strong legs allowed it to run as fast as a car.

This Doduo wasn't fully grown yet, so its speed wasn't quite that extreme. However, among baby Pokémon, it was already a standout.

Watching the charging Doduo, Ethan's expression grew serious.

If Eevee took a hit at that speed, it wouldn't be pleasant.

Lacking real-world combat experience, Ethan realized he'd been too hasty in aiming for a preemptive strike.

Still, Eevee had launched Swift, so it wasn't a total loss. Now, he needed to create some distance between Eevee and Doduo.

But with Doduo's speed, running wouldn't work. He'd have to think of something else.

Lost in thought, Ethan was startled by the audience's exclamations.

"No way! Did Eevee just dodge that? Unreal!"

"Dodging Quick Attack? That's way too lucky!"

Teacher Dhan, observing from the sidelines, had a different take.

"What a beautiful move by Eevee. She must have anticipated Doduo's Quick Attack and prepared to dodge in advance."

This Eevee wasn't ordinary!

With just that one maneuver, Teacher Dhan's earlier suspicions were confirmed.

As he spoke, he glanced at Ethan, who appeared calm and unsurprised, as if such precision was expected.

Impressive. To raise such an excellent Pokémon, this Ethan must also be extraordinary.

His opening Swift must have been a calculated ploy to lure Doduo into attacking at full force.

This student… shows the potential of a future Champion!

Meanwhile, Ethan had just snapped out of his thoughts. Confused but calm, he looked at the battlefield.

Doduo had halted its charge, and the gap between the two Pokémon had widened. Eevee was clumsily getting back on her feet.

Ethan sighed. Once again, she'd stumbled her way into a lucky break.

Does my Eevee have the Lucky special ability?

Having seen similar situations before, Ethan didn't bother questioning it. He simply filled in the blanks of what he must have missed.

Unbeknownst to him, Eevee's actions and his calm demeanor had convinced Teacher Dhan that they were a deeply bonded, talented trainer-Pokémon duo.