SWNOVELXO Chapter 22: Chapter 22: School Starts
Today marked the beginning of the new school year for Victor, officially making him a senior high school student preparing for the college entrance examination.
After a month and a half of winter vacation, Victor felt proud of his progress. From someone who had just received his initial Pokémon, he had grown immensely.
On his way to class, he greeted familiar classmates from other classes before arriving at Class 1, Grade 3. The classroom layout was unchanged, and half the desks and chairs were already occupied.
Nearly every student had one or two Pokémon by their side. Since they were students of the Pokémon Department, their classroom was quite spacious, accommodating all but the largest Pokémon like Onix, Rhydon, and Aggron.
Most of the students' Pokémon were still in the first or second evolutionary stage and weren't very large yet.
As Victor entered, several classmates came over with their Pokémon to greet him. Glancing around, he noticed that most of their Pokémon were at levels ranging from 15 to 20, with only a few exceptions.
Victor headed to his usual seat in the second-to-last row by the window. He cleaned the desk and chair with a wet wipe before releasing carbink and Torracat from their Poké Balls. The desk was just big enough for the two Pokémon to sit comfortably.
Soon, a group of female classmates gathered around, their eyes lighting up at the sight of Carbink.
"Wow, Victor, your Carbink is so beautiful!"
"Yes, can we touch the gem on her head?"
The girls were captivated by Carbink's sparkling appearance, and Victor smiled. "I don't mind, but it's up to her."
The girls offered small gifts to Carbink, who happily accepted them and allowed them to touch her gem.
Meanwhile, a boy from the desk in front, Hento, was impressed by Torracat.
"Whoa, is that the Torracat? He looks so strong!"
Hento was one of Victor's good friends, and they exchanged friendly banter.
---
Shortly after, Roman and Jiang Chengcheng arrived.
Roman, bespectacled and dressed in casual attire, had Corvisquire perched on one shoulder and a small, fluffy Swablu on the other. He resembled a bird trainer straight out of a park.
Tessa wore her trainer's martial arts uniform, accompanied by her trusty Machok and a new Pokémon, a playful Pancham.
The three friends greeted each other briefly and then returned to their seats.
---
When their head teacher, Ms.Deonna, entered the classroom, the students quieted down immediately.
Ms.Deonna, holding a thermos of scented tea, stood on the podium and addressed the class:
"From today, you are all senior high school students preparing for the college entrance examination. Pokémon battles will play a significant role in your assessments, and the results of your winter training will be tested in the upcoming grade competition."
She explained the rules:
Each student must participate.
The competition would follow an elimination format, with each trainer using two Pokémon.
The top eight would represent the school in the high school league auditions for Celestia.
Afterward, Ms.Deonna led the class to the school auditorium for the opening ceremony, which was filled with long, motivational speeches from school leaders. Victor almost dozed off but perked up when they were dismissed.
Back in the classroom, Ms.Deonna announced that the first day would end early, with regular classes resuming the next day.
---
With the free afternoon ahead, Victor suggested to Roman and Tessa that they register for the qualifying competition at Rising Sun Gym. Both agreed.
They called a Steel-Armored taxi and headed to the gym.
Inside the taxi, Victor held TORRACAT on his lap, which made Roman a little envious. His Corvisquire had grown aloof since evolving, and his SWABLU was overly particular about cleanliness.
Watching TORRACAT snuggle in Victor's arms, Roman couldn't help but sigh. "TORRACAT looks so obedient. Strong in battle, and you can even cuddle it... I'm jealous."