Pokémon: Starting with a Volcarona

The day of the midterm exam was undoubtedly a nightmare for most students.

But in truth, it was the time after the exam that marked the beginning of their real nightmare.

Because in class, teachers wouldn't care whether you could keep up or understand the content.

However, Nathan was listening intently.

Although much of the knowledge had already been self-studied by Nathan, the teachers still shared a lot of exclusive insights.

For example, what was the real difference between Thunder Shock, Discharge, and Thunderbolt? Was it really just a matter of power and name?

Or how Pokémon that evolve using evolution stones differ subtly from those that evolve naturally.

These were treasures of knowledge passed down by the wise minds and educators of this world—something ordinary people had no access to, even if they wanted it.

Of course, beyond the classroom, the real theme of a Pokémon-focused university was always about what happened outside of class.

Like battles between students.

Battles between teachers and students.

And then—

"These Pokémon have been carefully selected by the school's breeding facilities. Each of you will choose one and devote yourself to training it."

"Your future treatment, status, and the school's evaluations and grades will all depend on the Pokémon you choose."

The teacher spoke with a blank expression as he addressed the crowd on the wide training field.

You could say this Pokémon was like an exam paper—how far you could raise it would determine your final score.

At this, many students turned to look at Nathan.

Some wore gloating expressions, but most were simply curious.

They wondered whether Nathan was really that overpowered—if he could still leave them in the dust even when starting from the exact same point.

But as the Pokémon were revealed, all their attention immediately shifted.

"Squirtle or Bulbasaur? I want both! Which one should I pick?"

"They even have Arcanine? Isn't the school being way too generous?!"

"Oh, this Ekans has great potential. I'll go with this one!"

The students were all busy choosing their Pokémon—some excited, some calm, others visibly thrilled.

Nathan was no exception. He walked around with great interest, examining the various Pokémon.

There was no doubt that compared to the Pokémon from high school, the ones here were far superior in both rarity and potential.

Even though most of the students came from wealthy families, many still felt like they had struck gold.

However, most of the Pokémon didn't interest Nathan much.

Until one Eevee caught his eye.

It was a very strange Eevee—sitting arrogantly in place, ignoring every student who came near it. It even gave off an air of disdain.

You had to understand—Eevee, while having the most evolution forms among Pokémon, was actually quite weak before evolving.

Most trainers, without an evolution stone, treated Eevee more like a pet than a battle partner.

The root cause was Eevee's abilities, which made it highly unsuitable for combat in this world.

In Nathan's previous world, Eevee had the abilities Run Away, Adaptability, and the hidden ability Anticipation.

But in this world, Run Away and Anticipation had completely changed Eevee's behavior.

They made it like a rabbit—yes, it might bite if pushed too far, but expecting it to fight like a pit bull?

Forget it.

A rabbit would only end up getting bitten to death.

But the Eevee in front of Nathan was clearly different. Even when he crouched down in front of it, it still looked at him with contempt.

And when he reached out his hand to pet its fluffy head, it bared its teeth like a wild, untamable tiger cub.

Still, Nathan didn't back off. Instead, he calmly placed his palm on Eevee's furry head.

"Little guy, if you want to bite me, you're still two thousand years too early!"

Nathan chuckled as he teased Eevee, who continued to struggle and try to bite him.

He had to admit—even when it tried to be fierce, this Eevee only looked cuter.

After petting it for a while, Nathan smiled and asked:

"Wanna become my Pokémon? Who knows, maybe it won't take two thousand years—maybe just two."

Eevee hesitated.

The trainer in front of it seemed strong—completely different from those other students who got scared of being bitten but still acted tough.

So… should it go with him?

While Eevee was still struggling with its decision, Nathan simply took out a Poké Ball and gently patted its head again.

That made Eevee bare its teeth in protest again.

"Alright then, come on in. I'll make you strong—uniquely strong."

Nathan flashed a mischievous grin that made him look like some shady older guy luring a kid.

But it was exactly that kind of temptation that appealed to this Eevee.

No promises, no guarantees—why should it just accept a trainer like that?

"Hmph!"

With a snort, Eevee pressed its paw to the Poké Ball and was instantly absorbed into it in a flash of red light.

Seeing this, the teacher looked as if he'd just seen a ghost.

That unruly Eevee—the one they'd practically tossed in here because no one could handle it—was actually captured?

But the next second, his expression returned to normal.

Oh—it was Nathan.

Never mind then.

This guy had even raised champion-level Pokémon. What wasn't possible for him?

If it weren't for his pride as a teacher, he'd already have gone to Nathan to ask for tips on how to train Pokémon.

It was more outrageous than cheating!

And that was without anyone even knowing that Mewtwo was a legendary Pokémon.

If they did, everyone would probably have a full-blown existential crisis.

A literal cheat-code of a young man—plus a legendary Pokémon?

That wasn't even funny anymore.

…

After class, Nathan walked toward the school's training rooms, casually tossing his new Poké Ball.

By now, Charmander and Treecko had both reached the point where they could no longer suppress their evolution—they were ready.

Charmander aside—its situation was abnormal even by Nathan's standards, a true outlier.

But Treecko had reached the limits of a regular Pokémon.

Not only was it on the verge of evolving, it had also reached the peak of the advanced rank.

If you excluded Pokémon with only two stages—or those that didn't evolve at all—Treecko's performance was arguably even more impressive than Charmander's.

But just before Nathan reached the training room, a red-faced girl suddenly stood in his way.

"Um… Nathan, would you mind having one more girlfriend?"

Wearing a school uniform and with a mixture of admiration and nervous anticipation in her eyes, the girl spoke softly.

It was a scene many would describe as the ideal youth fantasy.

And if this had happened back in high school, it would've been even more romantic.

But Nathan's lips twitched slightly—this was clearly not the kind of thing that excited him.

He wasn't some love-struck pervert.

"Ahem, sorry, I think you've got the wrong guy. I didn't come here to waste time."

He shook his head and replied bluntly.

Just then, Eevee popped out of its Poké Ball and jumped onto Nathan's shoulder, wearing an approving expression.

Yes! That's how a proper trainer should act!

How could you waste time on pointless romance?

…

When Nathan arrived at the training center, many people immediately took notice.

It couldn't be helped—he had too many auras surrounding him.

Not to mention his good looks—anywhere he went, he attracted attention.

Everyone in the training room was curious.

They really wanted to know how exactly Nathan trained his Pokémon.

But to their disappointment, Nathan directly booked a private training room.

This kind of room not only had access to public training areas but also featured sealed-off private zones.

Of course, private zones cost money—and a lot of it.

Aside from wealthy students, most people rarely used them.

Nathan casually swiped 20,000 Pokécoins, and a staff member led him to the sealed-off room.

Once inside, Nathan could clearly see the massive difference compared to the outside.

The public areas were filled with old, worn-down equipment. The floors were cracked and damaged.

But in the private room?

The equipment was brand-new, and there was even a comfortable rest area.

No doubt about it—this was a place that valued strength.

Sometimes, financial strength was strength.

After all, it was extremely rare for students from poor backgrounds to reach the level of an Elite or Champion.

Most high-level trainers came from wealthy families.

Since Volcarona had already reached the Champion level, regular training had little effect on it.

So, Nathan simply let it out to absorb a few energy crystals, then returned it to its Poké Ball.

This time, the focus was on Treecko and Charmander.

But Charmander was just too special. The intense dragon blood in its body meant that if he wasn't careful, it could go berserk at any time.

"Maybe I should take a trip to the Wandering Mountains?"

(End of Chapter)