Pokemon: My Strange Pokemons

Although it wasn't the same time or place, at this moment, it truly felt just like that moment in the past.

Ethan didn't hesitate and commanded firmly:

"Eevee, use Swift!"

"Eevee!" Eevee responded crisply, rolling to dodge Doduo's Quick Attack. Compared to last time, Eevee was doing much better.

She steadied herself, focused, and charged energy. Gleaming white star-shaped energy bullets shot out, hitting the bewildered Doduo from behind.

Meanwhile, Dwayne, Doduo's trainer, panicked.

He had never encountered a situation where Quick Attack was dodged before and was at a complete loss on how to counterattack.

Watching from the side, Teacher Dhan shook his head slightly. This was the common pitfall of rookie trainers.

They start strong, but once something unexpected happens and they lose the upper hand, they don't know what to do next.

This is what we call "single-threaded thinking."

In contrast, Teacher Dhan turned his attention to Ethan, observing this calm and composed young man.

From a confident opening prediction to a "lure them in" strategy, followed by a decisive counterattack—the entire process was smooth and seamless.

You call this a rookie?

The more Teacher Dhan observed, the more impressed he became, even feeling a faint sense of excitement.

For years, the Normal-Type Pokémon class he led had been in decline. Although it had a large number of students, their overall performance consistently ranked at the bottom among all the specialized classes.

He had analyzed the reasons, and the most significant one was the quality of the students.

This wasn't an excuse—it was an undeniable fact recognized by everyone.

Normal-Type Pokémon were mostly common and, unless specially trained, didn't have flashy abilities like spitting fire, conjuring water, or summoning lightning.

In terms of popularity, they were at a disadvantage compared to elemental types like Water, Fire, or Grass.

Many trainers who chose Normal-Type Pokémon did so out of necessity rather than preference.

If given a choice between Charmander or Bidoof, who wouldn't pick the former without hesitation?

To illustrate, among all the Elite Four members and Gym Leaders worldwide, only a handful specialized in Normal-Types.

Off the top of one's head, there were just two: Whitney of Goldenrod City in Johto and Norman of Petalburg City in Hoenn.

Returning to the school...

The Normal-Type class was usually the reluctant choice of rookie trainers from less affluent families.

Of course, there were exceptions—like Snorlax, whose appetite made it an impossible pet for most families to afford.

But exceptions aside, the Normal-Type class was consistently beaten up during inter-class "exchanges."

As the class's instructor, Teacher Dhan's reputation suffered the most.

While students only spent a year at the school, he had endured ridicule from other teachers for six straight years!

Six years!

Sometimes, Teacher Dhan just wanted to vent: Do you even know what I've been through these six years?

Three years, followed by another three years, leaving him unable to lift his head in front of the female teachers he admired.

But this year, in Ethan and his Eevee, he seemed to see the hope of a Normal-Type resurgence!

Although Eevee had a brilliant start, this battle lasted longer than the first match.

It wasn't because Doduo staged a comeback but because Eevee was held back by her young age.

With limited energy reserves, her moves lacked the power to decisively end the match.

Doduo, while not the sharpest tool in the shed, had enough raw speed and strength to trouble Eevee considerably.

Ethan avoided unnecessary commands like "Dodge quickly!"

Eevee's reactions far outpaced any instructions he could give; his role was to make key strategic decisions.

At this moment, dealing with Doduo's frantic charges was the perfect opportunity to showcase the kiting tactics Eevee had trained for over the past month.

In fact, as harsh as it might sound, Doduo's erratic attacks—aside from being fast—weren't even as challenging as the beginner-level setting on their training machine.

Eevee had initially considered pretending to be hit a couple of times for the sake of appearances. However, watching Doduo's straightforward lunges, she decided it would be impolite to continue the act.

So, Eevee showcased her month of hard work for Ethan, weaving through Doduo's charges while landing Swift attacks.

After four precise hits, Doduo finally collapsed, unable to continue the battle.

As the audience fell silent, Eevee calmly dusted herself off before leaping into Ethan's arms, relishing his soothing post-battle massage.

Seriously? I wasn't even trying, and you're all stunned?

How can a Caterpie comprehend the ambition of a Rayquaza?

For Ethan and Eevee, this ordinary victory didn't change much.

However, for some reason, Teacher Dhan's gaze at Ethan after the match felt a little odd.

Ethan didn't overthink it. After all, among the four Pokémon that battled, Eevee's performance was clearly the standout.

The month of targeted training had paid off, but Ethan reminded himself not to get complacent.

The reputation of the Normal-Type class being at the bottom of the rankings was something he had heard about long before.

For now, Eevee could only barely be considered a "big fish in a small pond."

Still, progress is made step by step. Ethan wasn't in a hurry; he was more focused on Eevee's and Feebas's evolution research.

The good news came during lunch at home when Ethan received a long-awaited friend request:

[Steel Will has requested to add you as a friend. Message: Brock from Pewter City. Found via: number search.]

Finally, that man has arrived!

Ethan immediately accepted the request and quickly sent a message to the tanned, squinting man in the profile picture.

I'mNotAPidgeotto: Hi, Teacher Brock! Eevee sends her regards. [Eevee greeting.jpg]

In both the content creation and Pokémon breeder fields, Brock was a respected senior. Given how much he had helped, taking the initiative was only polite.

SteelWill: No need for formalities. Just call me Brock. And hey, I'm a fan of yours too! [Smiling Steelix.jpg]

I'mNotAPidgeotto: Alright, let's drop the formalities then. You can call me Ethan. [Eevee nodding seriously.jpg]

The two exchanged pleasantries before getting down to business. Brock confirmed Ethan's interest in a research seminar and offered to sign him up.

Afterward, he shared a legitimate link from the World Breeder Association, correcting an earlier accidental post of a suspicious-looking site.

Ethan pretended not to notice the mishap, thanked Brock, and moved on, already looking forward to the opportunity ahead.

(Chapter End)