"Kyosuke, you're here. Have a seat." She pointed to an empty chair in front of her desk.
Kyosuke, head bowed like a small, errant quail, shuffled to Teacher Kinoshita's desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"teacher… I was wrong… I shouldn't have played with the electronic pet in class… I shouldn't have disrupted class discipline…"
He was prepared to be criticized, even to receive a more severe punishment.
However, to his surprise, Teacher Kinoshita didn't put on a stern face, nor did she start lecturing him endlessly as he had imagined.
She took out the familiar red and white Poké Ball from her drawer, gently placed it on the desk, and pushed it towards Kyosuke.
"Pikachu is very cute, isn't it?"
Teacher Kinoshita looked at Kyosuke quietly, with a hint of a smile in her eyes, a smile that was like warm sunshine, dispelling some of the gloom in Kyosuke's heart.
Kyosuke stared blankly at the Pikachu on the desk, then at his teacher, not reacting for a moment. This opening was completely different from what he had expected.
Then, Teacher Kinoshita also took something out of her handbag.
It was indeed an electronic pet!
However, it had several shiny Meowth stickers on it, a round shape, and was light yellow and light brown in color.
Teacher Kinoshita smiled and lit up the screen, saying to Kyosuke, "Look, teacher has one too."
On the screen, a pixelated cat appeared, proudly wagging its curled tail, the iconic gold coin pattern on its forehead shining brightly, holding a gold coin with its two small paws and making a polishing motion.
"It's Meowth!"
Kyosuke's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth slightly agape, almost able to fit an egg. He looked at the teacher's Meowth, then at his own Pikachu, his mind a little slow to process.
Teacher Kinoshita… actually had a pokémon electronic pet? And it was Meowth!
This was simply incredible! In his impression, teachers were always serious and old-fashioned; how could she play with something for children?
"teacher also thinks they're very cute, so I couldn't resist buying one." Teacher Kinoshita's smile held a hint of childlike mischief, as if sharing a small secret.
She looked at Kyosuke's surprised, speechless expression, and her tone became even gentler.
"teacher understands your excitement at getting a beloved toy, just like when teacher got this Meowth, I couldn't help but want to look at it and interact with it all the time."
"However, Kyosuke," Teacher Kinoshita's tone changed, her eyes becoming serious but not stern, "learning is like charging our Pikachu, or teacher's Meowth."
"Only when we ourselves have learned enough knowledge and become stronger can we better understand this world, and then better take care of them, making them stronger and more energetic, right? If the trainer himself is muddled, how can he expect the Pokémon to unleash its maximum potential?"
She didn't preach empty platitudes but guided him in a way Kyosuke could most easily understand and was most interested in.
"Moreover, constantly staring at that small screen is not good for our eyes, you know. If Pikachu knew that its trainer's eyesight was declining because of it, it would surely be very worried, and might even secretly shed tears."
Kyosuke nodded, half-understanding, and his awe for Teacher Kinoshita quietly transformed into a strange sense of closeness and trust. He felt his face wasn't so hot anymore, and his heartbeat had stabilized considerably.
He felt that this young teacher in front of him seemed different from all the teachers he had encountered before. She wasn't condescending; instead, she was like a big friend who could understand him.
Finally, Teacher Kinoshita extended her finger, her pinky, and wiggled it at Kyosuke, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Shall we make three rules, alright? Just like the promise between a trainer and their Pokémon."
Kyosuke looked at the teacher's pinky, hesitated for a moment, then also extended his own pinky and gently hooked it with hers.
"First, from now on, during class time, including break times, as long as you are at school, you absolutely cannot take out your electronic pet again. It needs to 'rest' well in your backpack, and we also need to focus on 'charging,' listening attentively, and thinking actively."
Kyosuke nodded vigorously, this time lifting his head to look directly into the teacher's eyes: "Mm! I promise!"
"Second," Teacher Kinoshita continued, her tone much lighter, "only after completing all your homework and getting it checked and confirmed by a parent or teacher, can you play with Pikachu for a while within a set time. For example, from after dinner until an hour before bedtime, this period can be used for feeding, interacting, or playing mini-games. This way, Pikachu gets enough attention, and you can ensure sufficient sleep, so you can come to school refreshed the next day, right?"
"Mm!" Kyosuke felt this arrangement was very reasonable, even more reassuring than playing secretly on his own.
"And third," Teacher Kinoshita tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement like a child who had thought of a brilliant idea, "since Kyosuke's Pikachu is so cute, and teacher's Meowth is also very interesting, why don't we find an opportunity for them to 'meet' and 'exchange feelings'? For example, under the premise of ensuring safety and not disturbing others, let's see if we can let them have a 'friendly communication' and learn from each other. But…" She suddenly changed her tone, pretending to be serious and lowering her voice, "if your studies are delayed because of the electronic pet, or if a situation similar to today's occurs again at school, then teacher might have to temporarily 'revoke' your trainer qualification and let Pikachu 'seclude itself for training' at your home for a period, until you prove yourself to be a qualified trainer with your actions."
"Friendly communication?!" Kyosuke's eyes instantly widened, the light of surprise practically overflowing from his eye sockets; he was so excited he almost jumped out of his chair. He had seen it when he was flipping through the manual: Sega had specially reserved a communication port when designing this electronic pet. He never expected Teacher Kinoshita to even know about this! And she even actively suggested letting his Pikachu and her Meowth "meet"?! This was a huge surprise! But when he heard the latter phrase, "revoke qualification," he quickly reined in his almost runaway excitement, straightened his back like a soldier taking an oath, nodded vigorously, and said in a loud voice: "teacher, don't worry! I will definitely keep my promise! I will never make the same mistake again! I will definitely behave well and strive to have Pikachu and Meowth engage in friendly communication as soon as possible!" He was already fantasizing about what interesting things would happen when Pikachu and Meowth connected.
Teacher Kinoshita smiled contentedly, her smile like the gentlest sunshine of spring. She gently pushed the red and white Poké Ball on the desk back to Kyosuke: "Alright, now teacher is returning it to you. Remember our promise, be an excellent Pokémon trainer, and even more so, be an excellent student."
Kyosuke carefully, almost reverently, picked up Pikachu. Its familiar weight and cool casing completely put his anxious heart at ease. The immense joy of regaining it, mixed with gratitude and admiration for his teacher, filled his heart to the brim. He solemnly placed Pikachu back in his pocket. This time, his pocket was no longer empty, and his heart felt as if it had been filled with a warm and firm strength. The Teacher Kinoshita in front of him, in his heart, had also transformed from an ordinary, even somewhat intimidating homeroom teacher, into a cool and understanding big friend with whom he could share secrets and even "play."
"Thank you, teacher! I understand! I will definitely 'charge' well and make Pikachu proud of me!" He bowed deeply, and when he looked up, his face bore a radiant smile he had never shown before. Even playing Pokémon could be done with such skill; Teacher Kinoshita was indeed extraordinary!