DAY 12
I woke up to find fifteen Pokémon staring at me.
Not attacking. Not running away. Just... staring.
"Uh," I said eloquently, my voice still groggy. "Can I help you?"
A Mankey stepped forward—not the level 18 one from before, a different one. Level 25, according to my status check.
"We want to train with you," it said.
I blinked. "What?"
"Word's gotten around," a Nidorina said. She was level 22. "There's a Tyranitar who teaches Pokémon how to learn moves they shouldn't be able to learn. A Pidgeotto learning Dark Pulse. A Spearow working on Rock Throw."
"That's—those are rumors!" I sputtered. "They haven't actually learned them yet! They're just practicing!"
"But they're making progress," a Geodude said. Level 19. "We've watched. The Pidgeotto's dark energy is getting stronger every day. That shouldn't be possible for a Normal/Flying type."
I looked around wildly for Pip and Spike. They were perched in a tree, looking sheepish.
"Did you tell everyone about our training?" I asked.
"Not everyone," Pip said defensively. "Just... some Pokémon. Who told some other Pokémon. Who told their friends. And now everyone knows."
"GREAT! JUST GREAT!"
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 15 EXP for becoming locally famous!]
"I DON'T WANT TO BE FAMOUS! I'VE BEEN ALIVE FOR TWELVE DAYS!"
The gathered Pokémon murmured among themselves. A Rattata—level 11—squeaked up at me nervously.
"Please?" it said. "I'm tired of only knowing Tackle and Tail Whip. I want to learn something cool!"
I looked at the tiny purple rat Pokémon. Then at the other hopeful faces. Then at Pip and Spike, who were giving me their best encouraging looks.
"This is ridiculous," I muttered.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 5 EXP for acknowledging reality!]
"FINE! Fine! I'll... I'll teach you all, I guess! But I'm not a real teacher! I've been alive for less than two weeks! I'm making this up as I go!"
The Pokémon cheered.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 50 EXP for accepting responsibility!]
[NOTIFICATION: Level UP! You are now Level 67!]
"Of course."
And that's how I accidentally started the world's first Pokémon dojo, approximately 14,999 years before humans would invent the concept.
I organized the Pokémon into groups based on their level and type. Lower-level Pokémon (under 15) worked on basic moves. Mid-level (15-25) worked on intermediate moves. And the few high-level Pokémon—there were three in their late 20s—I worked with personally on advanced techniques.
"Okay!" I announced, using my Tyranitar voice to project over the crowd. "First rule: No fighting each other unless it's a supervised training battle. Second rule: If you can't do a move safely, DON'T DO IT! I don't want anyone accidentally causing an avalanche or setting the forest on fire!"
"Can we really learn any move?" the Rattata asked.
I pulled up the tutorial message I'd received. "According to my status screen, yes. Type restrictions only affect power and effectiveness, not whether you can learn something. It'll be harder to learn moves that don't match your type, and they won't be as strong, but it's possible."
"That's amazing!" a Caterpie said. Level 5. Probably the same one I'd scared before. "I could learn Fire moves! I could learn Ice moves! I could learn—"
"Start with String Shot and Tackle," I interrupted gently. "Master the basics before you try to learn Flamethrower, okay?"
The Caterpie looked disappointed but nodded.
I assigned Pip and Spike as assistant instructors—which they were way too excited about—and we began.
TRAINING SESSION 1: BASIC MOVES
I started with Rock Throw since it was simple and I could demonstrate it easily.
"The key," I explained to the group of younger Pokémon, "is to focus energy into the rock as you throw it. Feel the power flow from your core, through your body, and into the object."
I picked up a rock and threw it gently. It glowed with energy and flew in a perfect arc, landing exactly where I'd aimed.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 5 EXP for demonstration!]
A Pidgey tried next. It grabbed a pebble in its beak and threw it. The pebble didn't glow, but it flew straighter than a normal throw would have.
"Good!" I said. "You're channeling a little bit of energy even if you can't see it yet. Keep practicing!"
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 10 EXP for encouragement!]
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered.
"What?" the Pidgey asked.
"Nothing! Keep practicing!"
By the end of the hour, three Pokémon had managed to make their rocks glow: Spike the Spearow (who was smug about it), a determined Geodude, and surprisingly, the little Rattata.
"I did it!" the Rattata squeaked, staring at its glowing pebble in awe. "I actually did it!"
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 50 EXP for successful teaching!]
[NOTIFICATION: Level UP! You are now Level 68!]
I was gaining levels from teaching. I was literally leveling up by being a good teacher.
"This is the weirdest power-leveling strategy ever," I said to myself.
TRAINING SESSION 2: INTERMEDIATE MOVES
For the mid-level Pokémon, I demonstrated Dark Pulse.
"This one's tricky," I explained. "You need to channel negative energy—but not like actual negativity. More like... the absence of light? The shadow of existence? It's hard to explain."
I gathered dark energy in my palm, feeling it crackle and writhe. Then I released it in a wave that made the air shimmer with malevolent power.
"Think of something that makes you angry, or frustrated, or—"
"Like gaining experience from breathing?" Pip suggested.
"EXACTLY LIKE—wait, are you mocking me?"
"A little bit."
The Pokémon laughed. Even I cracked a smile.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 15 EXP for maintaining morale!]
"See? Like that. That annoyance. Channel that."
A Mankey tried first, focusing hard. Being a Fighting-type, Dark Pulse should have been difficult, but Mankey were naturally aggressive. A flicker of dark energy appeared around its fists.
"Yes!" I encouraged. "Just like that! Now try to project it outward instead of keeping it around your body!"
The Mankey concentrated, and the dark energy shot forward in a weak but visible pulse.
[NOTIFICATION: Student has successfully learned a new move through your teaching! You gained 100 EXP!]
I stopped mid-celebration. "Wait, I get experience when my students learn moves?!"
"Is that surprising at this point?" Pip asked.
"YES! EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SYSTEM IS SURPRISING!"
But I couldn't deny it was working. By the end of the session, four Pokémon had made progress on Dark Pulse, two had started learning Bite, and one ambitious Nidoran was attempting to learn Earthquake (I made them practice far away from everyone else).
TRAINING SESSION 3: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
The high-level Pokémon were a different challenge. They already knew plenty of moves and had battle experience. What they wanted was refinement.
A level 28 Primeape wanted to learn how to make their Karate Chop more effective.
A level 26 Graveler wanted to improve their Rock Slide.
And a level 29 Fearow—who'd been skeptical at first—wanted to learn Hyper Beam.
"Hyper Beam," I said slowly, "is extremely dangerous. It's a massive energy expenditure that leaves you vulnerable afterward. Are you sure?"
The Fearow nodded. "I want to be stronger. Strong enough to protect my flock."
I checked their status screen.
NAME: ??? (unnamed)
SPECIES: Fearow
TYPE: Normal/Flying
LEVEL: 29
NATURE: Brave
STATUS: Determined, Protective, Slightly Intimidated by Giant Purple Tyranitar
"Okay," I said. "I'll teach you. But we're doing this carefully and far away from everyone else."
We flew—well, the Fearow flew, I walked—to an empty clearing.
"Hyper Beam is about focusing all your energy into a single point and releasing it in a concentrated blast," I explained. "It's risky because you're using so much power at once that your body needs time to recover. But when it works..."
I gathered energy, feeling it build in my chest, concentrating it until it felt like I might explode. Then I opened my mouth and released it.
A massive orange beam of pure energy erupted from my maw, tearing across the clearing and obliterating a boulder on the far side.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 10 EXP for demonstration!]
The Fearow stared at the destroyed boulder with wide eyes.
"Now you try," I said. "Start small. Don't try to match my power—I'm level 68 and fully evolved. Just focus on the technique."
The Fearow concentrated, gathering energy. I could see it building, see the strain on their body.
"Steady," I coached. "Don't force it. Let it flow naturally. When it feels right, release it."
The Fearow opened their beak and fired.
A thin beam of orange energy shot out, maybe a tenth of the power of mine, but it was definitely Hyper Beam.
[NOTIFICATION: Student has successfully learned a new move through your teaching! You gained 150 EXP!]
"More experience for advanced moves," I noted. "Good to know."
The Fearow, meanwhile, was panting and looking exhausted.
"That's the recoil," I explained. "Your body needs time to recharge. In a real battle, you'd be vulnerable for a few seconds after using it. That's why it's a last-resort move."
"It's... incredible," the Fearow managed. "I feel stronger just knowing I can do it."
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 25 EXP for inspiring confidence!]
DAY 15
Three days of training had passed, and the results were remarkable.
My "dojo" had grown to twenty-five students. Pip was now level 21 and had finally learned Dark Pulse. Spike was level 26 and knew Rock Throw, Bite, and was working on Crunch.
The little Rattata—who I'd started calling Whiskers because they'd never told me their name—was level 15 and knew Rock Throw, Bite, and Quick Attack.
[NOTIFICATION: You have gained the title: TEACHER!]
[NOTIFICATION: Teaching effectiveness increased by 25%!]
[NOTIFICATION: Students learn 15% faster under your instruction!]
"I have a title now," I said to Pip. "The system gave me an actual RPG title."
"That's so cool!" Pip said. "What does it do?"
"Apparently I'm better at teaching now. Which will make me better at teaching, which will make my students learn faster, which will make me gain more experience, which will make me level up faster, which I'm already doing at an absurd rate!"
"Positive feedback loop!" Spike chirped helpfully.
"I'M GOING TO HIT LEVEL 100 BY ACCIDENT JUST FROM TEACHING!"
And you know what? I probably would.
I checked my status screen.
NAME: ??? (unnamed)
SPECIES: Tyranitar (Shiny)
TYPE: Rock/Dark
LEVEL: 73
NATURE: Hasty
STATS:
HP: 267/267
Attack: 207
Defense: 177
Sp. Attack: 152
Sp. Defense: 165
Speed: 127
ABILITY: Sand Stream
TITLE: TEACHER
MOVES: (23 total)
Tackle, Leer, Bite, Rock Throw, Scary Face, Sandstorm, Rock Slide, Chip Away, Screech, Rock Tomb, Crunch, Thrash, Dark Pulse, Payback, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Iron Head, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Outrage, Giga Impact
SPECIAL ABILITY: Growth Acceleration (10,000x)
STATUS: Healthy, Accomplished, Accidentally Running a Dojo
Level 73. Twenty-three moves. And a title.
"I've been alive for fifteen days," I said to the universe. "FIFTEEN. DAYS."
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 5 EXP for self-reflection!]
"I hate you so much."
LATER THAT DAY
I was demonstrating Stone Edge—a move I'd apparently learned yesterday without realizing it—when a shadow fell over the training ground.
Everyone stopped and looked up.
It was a Charizard. A massive, scarred, clearly experienced Charizard that radiated power and danger.
I checked its status.
NAME: ??? (unnamed)
SPECIES: Charizard
TYPE: Fire/Flying
LEVEL: 52
NATURE: Serious
STATUS: Curious, Skeptical, Assessing Threat Level
Level 52. Strong, but not as strong as me.
The Charizard landed with enough force to crack the ground and looked around at the assembled Pokémon with an unreadable expression.
"I heard there was a Tyranitar teaching Pokémon impossible moves," it said, its voice deep and rough. "I had to see it for myself."
"Not impossible," I corrected. "Just... improbable. And difficult."
The Charizard's eyes narrowed. "You're the one?"
"That's me. Level 73 Tyranitar, two weeks old, accidentally running a dojo. Nice to meet you."
There was a stunned silence.
"Two weeks old?" the Charizard repeated.
"Yep. I have a cheat ability that makes me level up ten thousand times faster than normal. It's a whole thing. Long story involving gods and reincarnation and—you know what, it doesn't matter. Are you here to train or to fight?"
The Charizard studied me for a long moment. I could see it calculating, weighing its options.
"Train," it finally said. "If what I've heard is true, you could teach me things I've never been able to learn on my own."
"Probably," I agreed. "What do you want to learn?"
"Thunder Punch. I've watched Electric-types use it for years but could never figure out how to generate electricity myself."
I blinked. "You want to learn an Electric-type move? As a Fire/Flying type?"
"You said any move is possible."
"I did say that, didn't I?" I scratched my head. "Okay, uh, I don't actually know Thunder Punch myself, but I know the elemental Fangs—Ice, Fire, and Thunder. The principle should be similar."
I demonstrated Thunder Fang, channeling electricity into my teeth until they crackled with yellow energy.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 10 EXP for demonstration!]
The Charizard watched intently, its eyes following the flow of energy.
"It's about converting your internal energy into a different type," I explained. "Your body naturally produces Fire-type energy, but at its core, all energy is the same. You just need to... change its frequency? Its wavelength? I'm not a physicist—do we even have physics here?—but think of it like... tuning a radio to a different station."
"What's a radio?" the Charizard asked.
"Never mind. Bad analogy. The point is, focus on the tingling sensation of electricity. The way it jumps and sparks. Try to recreate that with your own energy."
The Charizard closed its eyes and concentrated. I could see it struggling, trying to transform its natural fire energy into something different.
A spark appeared on its claw. Just one, tiny spark.
But it was electricity.
"YES!" I shouted. "You did it! That's the first step!"
The Charizard opened its eyes and stared at its claw in amazement. "I... I actually did it."
"Keep practicing," I encouraged. "It'll get easier each time. Eventually, you'll be able to channel enough electricity for a full Thunder Punch."
[NOTIFICATION: Student has made significant progress on a new move through your teaching! You gained 75 EXP!]
The Charizard looked at me with something like respect. "You really can teach anything."
"Apparently," I said. "Welcome to the dojo, I guess?"
DAY 18
My dojo now had forty-three students, ranging from a level 4 Weedle to the level 52 Charizard, who I'd learned was named Ember.
Yes, a Charizard named Ember. I didn't comment on it.
Pip was level 24 and knew Dark Pulse, Shadow Claw (which they'd learned two days ago), and was working on Thunderbolt.
Spike was level 29 and knew Rock Throw, Rock Slide, Crunch, and Stone Edge. A Flying-type that could use multiple Rock moves. It was beautiful and terrifying.
Whiskers the Rattata was level 19 and had become something of a prodigy, learning moves faster than anyone except Pip and Spike. They now knew Rock Throw, Bite, Crunch, Quick Attack, Flame Wheel (don't ask me how), and were attempting to learn Thunderbolt.
And I was level 78.
"Twenty-seven more levels and you hit the level cap," Pip observed, reading over my shoulder as I checked my status.
"There's a level cap?" I asked.
"In the games you remember, wasn't it 100?"
"Yeah, but this isn't a game, this is—" I paused. "Actually, I have no idea if there's a level cap here. For all I know, I could hit level 1000."
"Please don't," Ember said, walking up to us. The Charizard had become one of my most dedicated students. "You're already terrifyingly powerful. If you get any stronger, you'll accidentally cause natural disasters by sneezing."
"I'm not THAT—"
I sneezed.
The ground shook. A tree fell over. Three Pidgey fainted from the shockwave.
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 25 EXP for impressive sneeze!]
Everyone stared at me.
"Okay," I admitted. "Maybe I am that powerful."
"You think?!" Ember said.
I helped the fallen Pidgey, apologizing profusely, while trying to figure out how my life had become so absurd.
Two and a half weeks ago, I was a human. A regular person who died and got reincarnated.
Now I was a level 78 shiny Tyranitar running an accidental dojo with forty-three students, and I gained experience points from sneezing.
"This is fine," I muttered to myself. "This is completely fine. Just another 14,999 years, 49 weeks, and 4 days to go."
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 5 EXP for maintaining sanity!]
"BARELY maintaining sanity," I corrected.
TRAINING MONTAGE INTERLUDE
Over the next week, the dojo flourished:
Whiskers learned Thunderbolt and immediately tried to teach it to three other Rattata
Ember mastered Thunder Punch and started working on Ice Punch
A Sandshrew learned Flamethrower and became locally famous
Pip reached level 27 and was on the verge of evolving into Pidgeot
Spike reached level 31 and refused to evolve, saying they "liked being small and scrappy"
I learned Stealth Rock, Dragon Claw, and Aerial Ace despite being unable to fly
My student count reached sixty
I hit level 82
[NOTIFICATION: Your dojo has gained regional fame!]
[NOTIFICATION: New title acquired: MASTER TEACHER!]
[NOTIFICATION: Teaching effectiveness increased by 50%!]
[NOTIFICATION: Students learn 30% faster under your instruction!]
[NOTIFICATION: You can now sense when students are about to learn a new move!]
"I can sense move learning now," I told Pip. "That's a thing I can do."
"That's actually really useful for teaching," Pip pointed out.
"I know, but it's WEIRD!"
"Everything about you is weird."
"FAIR!"
DAY 25
I woke up to find Pip glowing again.
"Not again!" Pip shouted, even as their body began to change.
I watched as my friend evolved for the second time, growing larger, their tail feathers becoming more elaborate, their crest more pronounced. When the light faded, Pip was a Pidgeot—sleek, powerful, and magnificent.
"I'm... I'm a Pidgeot," Pip said, testing out their new voice. It was deeper, more mature.
"You're a Pidgeot!" I confirmed, grinning.
"I'M A PIDGEOT!" Pip shouted, taking off and flying faster than they ever had before.
I checked their status.
NAME: Pip
SPECIES: Pidgeot
TYPE: Normal/Flying
LEVEL: 36
NATURE: Jolly
STATS:
HP: 145/145
Attack: 89
Defense: 81
Sp. Attack: 78
Sp. Defense: 82
Speed: 119
ABILITY: Keen Eye
MOVES:
Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Wing Attack, Dark Pulse, Shadow Claw, Thunderbolt, Air Slash, Hurricane
STATUS: Healthy, Excited, Fully Evolved, Extremely Fast
"Level 36," I read aloud. "And you learned Air Slash and Hurricane from evolving. Your speed stat is 119!"
"I feel AMAZING!" Pip called from above, doing barrel rolls and loop-de-loops.
Spike watched enviously. "I still don't want to evolve."
"That's okay," I assured them. "Evolution isn't everything. You're doing great as you are."
"Thanks," Spike said. "Although... maybe when I hit level 40? I'll think about it then."
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 50 EXP for supporting a student's choices!]
[NOTIFICATION: Level UP! You are now Level 83!]
Seventeen more levels until 100.
At this rate, I'd probably hit it within a month of being alive.
The thought should have been exciting. Instead, it just made me tired.
What was I supposed to do after level 100? Just... keep going? Keep teaching? Keep gaining levels from increasingly ridiculous things?
I looked at my dojo—at the sixty Pokémon training together, learning impossible moves, pushing their limits.
They were happy. They were growing. And somehow, accidentally, I'd created something good.
"You okay?" Pip asked, landing next to me.
"Yeah," I said. "Just thinking about the future."
"The future's a long time away," Pip said wisely. "Like, fourteen thousand years away."
I laughed. "True. I guess I should focus on the present."
"Exactly! And right now, in the present, you need to teach Ember how to use Ice Punch without freezing their own hand."
"They froze their hand again?"
"Third time today."
I sighed, but I was smiling. "Alright. Let's go save Ember from themself."
[NOTIFICATION: You gained 15 EXP for accepting your role!]
Yeah. This was my life now.
And honestly? It wasn't so bad.
END OF CHAPTER 2 STATUS:
Days Alive: 25
Current Level: 83
Students: 60
Pip's Level: 36 (Pidgeot)
Spike's Level: 31 (Spearow, refuses to evolve)
Whiskers' Level: 22
Ember's Level: 56
Moves Known: 26
Titles: TEACHER, MASTER TEACHER
Times Caused Natural Disasters By Accident: 3
Pokémon Who Fainted From Sensing My Power Level: 47
Years Remaining Until Anime: 14,999.93