The next morning, Zane had just finished washing up when he heard a knock on the door.
He opened it to find the female teacher who had shown him to his dorm yesterday. Her name was Rika, and she couldn't have been older than eighteen, full of a youthful energy that practically buzzed around her.
Zane invited her into the living room. Rika glanced at Cramorant, who was still asleep. "Is that little guy your Pokémon?" she asked.
Zane smiled and nodded. "He is."
Rika leaned in for a closer look. "I've never seen a Pokémon like it before," she said, her curiosity piqued. "Well, since you already have a Pokémon, this next part will be simple."
She hadn't come for a chat. She placed a small stack of books on the table and began to explain. "Most of the teachers at our school are former trainers who spent years on the road. They don't have any formal teaching experience before starting here, so we give them a briefing on a few things they need to know."
That makes sense, Zane thought. Trainers can't travel forever. When they retire, they've got to find new careers.
Rika pushed the books toward him. Zane saw that the cover of one of them read, "How to Become a Popular and Effective Teacher."
"These books are for you," Rika said. "Next, I'll go over the main courses we offer at the school."
"I appreciate it, thank you," Zane said.
Rika's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Besides the basic literacy and math classes, we have four main Pokémon-related courses," she began.
"First is the Pokémon Type Class. This course teaches the students all about type matchups—which types are strong or weak against others."
"Second is the Pokémon Move Class. This one introduces students to the different moves Pokémon can learn and what those moves do. This class includes live demonstrations. It's always more effective when a teacher can have their own Pokémon demonstrate the moves for the students."
Zane understood immediately. She meant he could have Cramorant show off its moves in front of the class. His mind instantly flashed to the image of his bird unleashing Origin Pulse.
The thought of using that in front of a bunch of second-graders was terrifying. He couldn't even begin to imagine the chaos—or the headlines—it would cause.
Okay, note to self: try to use the editor to change those four moves as soon as possible. The Move Tutor function is still working, right?
"The third course," Rika continued, "is Pokémon Ecology. In this class, we teach the students about the lifestyles and habits of different Pokémon, as well as their primary habitats in the wild."
"And the fourth is Pokémon Ability Class, which focuses on teaching the students about the different Abilities Pokémon can have and their effects."
"Which course will I be in charge of?" Zane asked. He figured he was a solid fit for any of them—except, perhaps, the Ecology class.
Rika, however, threw him a curveball. "Well, our school is currently short one Ecology teacher."
Zane just stared. "..."
"So, after a discussion, the school board has decided to have you take over that class for the second-year students," Rika finished. "Can you do it?"
Zane hesitated. "My knowledge of Pokémon ecology might be a little... limited."
The games barely have an ecosystem to speak of, and the anime's version is so simplified for kids it might as well be a different world.
"Oh, that's simple enough! None of the other ecology teachers know everything, either," Rika said, her eyes shining with encouragement. "After all, there are still so many undiscovered mysteries in the world of Pokémon. That's why we've prepared teaching materials. You can just follow the lesson plans in the textbook."
Hearing that, Zane relaxed. "Okay, that's good."
With her briefing complete, Rika got up to leave. Zane walked her to the door.
"School will start next week," Rika said, turning back to him. "You can use that time to get familiar with the campus."
Zane nodded. Rika started to walk away, then paused and turned back one last time.
"Oh, right! The back of the school connects to Petalburg Woods. There are lots of wild Pokémon there. The ones near the edge are pretty friendly to people, just don't wander in too deep."
Having just clawed his way out of Petalburg Woods, Zane had absolutely no desire to return to that place anytime soon, but he appreciated the thought. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
After Rika left, Zane finally had a chance to check the time.
8:37 AM.
Cramorant was still snoozing. Zane checked on it, then returned to the living room, picked up the books Rika had brought, and started preparing his first lesson, combining the textbook's content with his own memories of being a student.
...
8:50 AM.
Cramorant's eyes opened. It flapped its wings and flew out the open window.
By this point, Zane was completely absorbed in the official Hoenn League textbook. It was filled with fascinating little ecological details he'd never known. For example, a Caterpie's entire life cycle, from hatching to evolving into a Butterfree, was only about a month long. Their fast growth and how easy they were to catch made them one of the League's top recommended Pokémon for new trainers.
Another example: Swellows would intentionally leave their nests during dark, stormy nights to fly through the thunderstorms. Researchers believed it was a method of training to make themselves stronger.
Zane was engrossed in these secret lives of Pokémon, right up until a live, flopping Magikarp was dropped in front of him.
"GAH!" Cramorant landed and pinned the struggling fish with its beak.
Zane sighed. "..."
He looked down at the unlucky fish and rescued it from his partner's clutches.
"You can't eat this," Zane said, poking the Magikarp. "It's all bones."
He remembered reading somewhere that Magikarp were basically inedible—nothing but scales and bones. There was that one episode in the original series where Ash's group and Team Rocket were starving on a raft, and James's Magikarp was their last resort. Meowth nearly broke his teeth trying to take a bite. In a fit of rage, James kicked the useless fish into the ocean, which promptly made it evolve into a Gyarados and blast them all.
"GAH?" Cramorant, of course, had no idea what he was talking about.
"Never mind," Zane sighed, seeing the bird's vacant stare. He picked Cramorant up and set it on his shoulder, then put the Magikarp in a plastic bucket half-filled with water. He grabbed the handle and headed for the door, intending to release it.
On his way out, he remembered what Rika had said about demonstrating moves and decided to try out his editor's Move Tutor function.
But as soon as he opened the list of selectable moves, a line of text appeared in his mind: [Moves Locked. Cannot Modify.]
Huh? It won't let me change them?
Zane froze for a second.
Okay... what about other Pokémon?
He looked down at the Magikarp in the bucket.
Species: Magikarp ♂
Type: Water
Ability: Rattled
Base Stats: 200 (HP: 20, Atk: 10, Def: 55, SpA: 15, SpD: 20, Spe: 80)
Moves: Splash
Current Mood: Angry (minor), Terrified (major)
Status: Dehydrated (slight)
Friendship: -50 (It hates you and your Pokémon)
Zane stared at the info panel. "..."
On the Magikarp's status screen, the option to modify its moves was available. It was unlocked.
So why was Cramorant's moveset locked down, but this random, useless fish's wasn't?
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