Pokemon Paldea [228-229] (Patreon)

Chapter 228: Intimidation

Beep!

After Lucas successfully swiped his card, Ellie immediately handed him five shrunken red-and-white Poké Balls.

"Here you go, these are the Poké Balls for two Skiddo and three Nacli."

"I'll take good care of them." Lucas accepted the Poké Balls seriously, sharing a smile with Ellie.

Ellie clapped his hands, as if remembering something, and looked at Lucas, speaking tactfully: "By the way, about Miltank… I probably won't have time to go to Johto to pick one out soon. Would you like to do it instead?"

"Ah, I get it. You want me to select one from another ranch, right?" Lucas quickly caught on to Ellie's meaning.

Ellie nodded. Just as he wanted to say more, a reinvigorated Nemona burst into the main hall like a gust of wind, holding up her phone excitedly: "Teacher Lucas, look at this! I found a place that can provide Miltank!"

Nemona enlarged the photo sent by the butler and showed it to Lucas.

Looking closely, Lucas saw that the photo showed a young man around twenty-five or twenty-six with a friendly smile, wearing a straw hat, surrounded by a group of Miltank.

Ellie also came over. Seeing the photo, he praised: "You can tell these Miltank have been bred really well, no worse than the ones I've seen at Johto ranches that have bred Miltank for decades."

"But they actually moved here from Johto," Nemona explained, pointing at the young man in the photo. "Sebas told me—this person is called Hanza, from Goldenrod City in Johto. He recently moved here to Zapapico Town with these Miltank."

"When Sebas was doing business in Zapapico Town on behalf of the company, he happened to help Hanza out. He just asked, and Hanza said he's willing to gift you a Miltank, but you have to go to Zapapico Town in person."

Lucas was surprised. He had planned to travel to Johto if there were no Miltank for sale at nearby ranches, but Nemona's help saved him a lot of trouble.

With Dragonite, he could go to any town in Paldea and return the same day, just like going out for a stroll.

Still, Lucas had some concerns. Would this count as accepting a gift from Nemona's parents?

Nemona's next words dispelled his worries. She shook Lucas's arm and said: "After all, you helped me pick the best Tauros! Think of the Miltank as my thank-you gift—it cancels out!"

Lucas nodded, accepting Nemona's kindness. "Alright then."

"Yes!"

In Nemona's mind, a little chibi version of herself cheered and jumped for joy. She had always wanted to do something for Lucas, and today her wish finally came true.

She was afraid he wouldn't accept it, but thankfully Sebas's advice worked—just recite what he said, and it succeeded!

With his new Poké Balls, Lucas and Nemona left Ellie Ranch together, strolling through the streets of Mesagoza, Paldea's largest city.

The city was filled with buildings and bustling shops. Occasionally, at an intersection, they could see neat rows of stalls full of life.

Passing by a Pokémon Center, Lucas seemed to remember something and smiled, reminding: "Nemona, you should take Pawmot and Tauros to recover their strength."

Nemona was momentarily stunned, then realized: "Because you have class this afternoon?"

"Correct, but that's only half the answer." Lucas snapped his fingers with a gentle smile. "Just a heads up, this afternoon's class will be a bit tough. Make sure your Pokémon are in top form."

Nemona perked up, full of energy: "Are we doing Pokémon battles right away!?"

"I'll send that message to the other students too."

"Yay!"

Nemona was so excited that even her walking was bouncy. She was overjoyed at the prospect of another Pokémon battle in the afternoon.

Since becoming a trainer, she had increasingly enjoyed the thrill of battle, always thinking about it and seeking out wild Pokémon or trainers to challenge whenever she could.

Seeing Nemona skip along, Lucas smiled helplessly—her passion for battling even made him feel inferior.

Maybe it was this passion that let her pass the Champion's Exam at meteoric speed, even able to take down a Kilowattrel.

They stopped and walked towards the red-roofed building beside the street.

In the games, Pokémon Centers are often outside city limits, serving as fast travel points, but in reality, they're set up within cities to serve trainers.

Upon entering, the spacious Pokémon Center lobby came into view, filled with trainers chatting and sometimes heading to the battle arena out back for tense, exciting Pokémon battles.

Lucas didn't visit Pokémon Centers often; he preferred to buy potions and treat his Pokémon himself, allowing him to stay in the wild longer and train faster.

Nemona, on the other hand, was perfectly at home, obviously used to restoring her Pokémon at the Center.

The two Nurse Joys and two Chansey nurses were the busiest here. Mesagoza, as Paldea's biggest city, was packed with trainers—one Nurse Joy simply couldn't handle it all.

Even with an extra Nurse Joy and Chansey, they were still outnumbered, especially since Naranja Academy was right above the central plaza.

There were quite a few students in Naranja Academy uniforms, too.

"So scary."

Lucas noticed the dark circles under Nurse Joy's eyes as she dashed around the lobby, feeling a chill down his back.

Pokémon Centers are open 24/7, all year round. Nurse Joys really are amazing.

"I'll go queue up, Teacher Lucas. You can head to the Academy first~"

Waving at Lucas, Nemona ran to the end of the line, full of anticipation.

If only today's class could be a non-stop Pokémon battle until school ended!

"Ah, okay." Lucas waved as well, then turned to leave the Pokémon Center.

Suddenly, he saw a group of students in Naranja Academy uniforms crowding together and heading outside.

It should have been a normal sight, but Lucas felt something was off. Even if boys liked to roughhouse, they were standing way too close—almost squished together.

And the boy in the middle looked oddly familiar.

Glancing at Nemona, now in line, Lucas hesitated, but decided to follow the group outside.

No matter what, he would take a look.

At a rarely used street corner, several Naranja Academy students surrounded a classmate, their faces mocking.

The leader, a sturdy boy named Kenichi, teased: "Hey, idiot Kaito, I heard your Wattrel is still being treated at the Pokémon Center?"

"Even a weakling like you is already healed. How lousy must that Wattrel be to stay in the Center for two months?"

"Hahaha!"

Kenichi's words set the others laughing.

Kaito, besides shame and anger, mostly felt confusion. He didn't understand why they laughed at his Pokémon like it was a joke.

Clenching his fists, Kaito took several deep breaths, staring directly at Kenichi, the ringleader: "Let me ask again—why? Why did you trick me into thinking Ursaring's waving meant it was friendly, and then even told me where to find one, causing Wattrel to get so badly hurt saving me?"

By the end, Kaito was sobbing.

He hadn't stopped regretting that day, for being so gullible and believing Kenichi, running off to look for Ursaring near Porto Marinada, and getting Wattrel injured so badly it was still in intensive care at the Pokémon Center.

"Oh please, we told you a million times it was just a prank. How were we supposed to know you'd really go looking for Ursaring? So funny! Maybe you've got a future as a comedian, huh?"

Kenichi shrugged, laughing even harder, joined by the others.

To them, this was just messing with Kaito. Why was he so upset? It's not like they personally put Wattrel in the Center.

"You… you!!"

At that moment, Kaito finally saw their true colors. His anger burned, and his right hand trembled as he reached for his pocket.

A pair of suddenly appearing large hands grabbed his arm. Kaito looked up in disbelief, and the laughter in the alley stopped.

Standing behind him, Lucas said quietly: "Kaito, don't let anger cloud your judgment. Some lines should never be crossed."

"Teacher? But…"

Kaito's face was full of struggle, but under Lucas's stern gaze, he shuddered and regained his senses, lowering his hand in defeat.

Kenichi and his crew were confused by Lucas's appearance. He looked familiar.

Finally, one of them recognized him, whispering: "Isn't he that teacher who made a scene at last semester's opening ceremony? They say he got into the school through connections and is a fake battle class teacher!?"

The group froze. A teacher?

Kenichi looked disgruntled. He had planned to mock Kaito some more, but with a teacher here—even a so-called fake one—they wouldn't dare cause trouble in front of an adult.

"Whatever, let's go."

Clicking his tongue, Kenichi turned to leave.

"Who said you could leave?"

Lucas's calm voice echoed in the alley. Mimikyu, hiding in Lucas's shadow, curled up tightly, afraid to watch.

Mimikyu knew best—when Lucas was really angry, he was always calm. It was terrifying.

Kenichi's group hesitated, pretending not to hear, and tried to walk away. Suddenly, a giant two-meter-wide boulder fell from above, crashing onto their path with a thunderous boom, blocking their way. The shock made them tremble, and they turned to Lucas in disbelief.

"W-What do you want?"

Their voices were shaky. Wasn't Lucas a teacher? What was he doing?

Lucas waved up at Dragonite, which had dropped the rock, signaling it to land behind him. Then he took out another Poké Ball, releasing Swampert.

As soon as Swampert emerged, it marched straight toward the boulder. Pulling Kaito close, Lucas began speaking in a measured tone: "Bewear is classified as one of the most dangerous wild Pokémon in Alola. Everyone there, kids or elders, knows to stay away from its forest."

"Its main attack is a bear hug. With its powerful arms and back muscles, it can crush anything—wood, rock, metal, even bone."

Using Lucas's lecture as a backdrop, Swampert reached the group, and its mere presence made them scatter like startled deer.

"Coincidentally, my Swampert is also quite strong. It can simulate Bewear's bear hug easily."

To enhance his words, Swampert stretched out its arms and crushed the boulder into pieces with pure strength, right in front of their shocked eyes.

After that, Swampert blocked the exit like an obstacle.

Kenichi's group shuddered, realizing something. They looked at Lucas with growing fear.

Their worst fears were confirmed as Lucas's calm but terrifying voice said: "Aren't you guys jokesters? Well, I'll play a joke too. If you want to leave, each of you needs to get a hug from Swampert. Otherwise, we'll be here all day."

"You can gamble on whether I'm joking."

Kenichi's voice trembled: "You're a teacher! How can you treat students like this!?"

Lucas glanced at him, chuckling: "Didn't you already say so? Yes, I got into Naranja Academy through connections—didn't even take the teacher's exam. I'm a fake teacher. That's a fact."

"Any other questions?"

Chapter 229: The First Hellish Lesson of the New Term

"Wasn't that a little much, Teacher Lucas?"

Kaito looked awkward, as Kenichi and his gang, who had been so arrogant before, now ran out crying after Swampert gave them a gentle hug. One even tripped on the rock fragments and had to be helped up by Swampert before running off crying again—a bit comical, really.

"Too much? I only scared them a little. They basically sent you off to die with Bewear—shouldn't they be scared a bit?" Lucas pursed his lips, annoyed by their actions. He wasn't a proper teacher anyway.

He wasn't afraid they'd report him. If things blew up, it'd hurt Kenichi too; their bullying would come to light, and any adult could see their actions were bullying.

Even if Kenichi risked self-destruction to take Lucas down, Lucas figured Geeta was more likely to launch a school-wide anti-bullying campaign than fire him.

"But you, Kaito… you've been smiling ever since." Lucas teased, seeing Kaito's barely contained grin.

"Really? Hahaha." Kaito finally let himself laugh, venting weeks of pent-up emotion, until he coughed from choking on his own spit.

Afterward, Kaito remembered Lucas had stopped Kenichi before he ran off and made him release his Shroodle before letting him go. "Why did you stop Kenichi, Teacher Lucas?"

Lucas didn't answer. Instead, he bent down and pulled a ballpoint pen from Kaito's pocket, sighing and knocking him on the head.

Kaito clutched his head in pain as Lucas said, "Not your concern. I'm confiscating this. Stop thinking about weird stuff and focus on your studies. Your Wattrel will get better."

Ignoring Kaito's groans about having literature class later, Lucas spun the pen in his fingers and walked toward Naranja Academy, feeling years younger, like he was back in elementary school.

Along the way, teachers and students greeted him. Lucas responded kindly and headed to the schoolyard.

Seeing nearly half the students missing, and recalling Kenichi's group's open actions, Lucas realized something was up.

As he took attendance, he noted that future Team Star members Eri and Ortega were present, but Student Council President Giacomo—who always aimed for perfection—was absent. Remembering that Arven had recently mentioned Giacomo seemed down, Lucas figured something was happening.

Though he mulled it over, Lucas kept a calm face as he addressed the students: "Today's the first lesson of the term. You should've all gotten my message—make sure your Pokémon are in top shape."

"No need for a long speech. Treat this like your culture class's entrance exam."

"Pick one of the Pokémon I release and battle it. Losing's fine." Lucas shook his backpack full of potions and released Comfey. "Your Pokémon will be back in action in under a minute, so show me your holiday progress."

"Of course, those who haven't improved since before the break—I have a special reward prepared. You can look forward to it."

Lucas smiled kindly as he delivered his threat. Ortega shuddered, knowing Lucas's devilish reputation and realizing he was in trouble.

He'd vacationed in other leagues' resort cities all break, living it up, and hadn't trained at all—his Dachsbun was barely evolved!

He was doomed. His bank card would be frozen again!

On the other hand, Arven looked at the two fired-up girls next to him: Eri's eyes sparkled as she muttered about wanting to wrestle a strong Pokémon, and Nemona was flushed, already thinking about how many battles she could squeeze in.

Arven: "…"

Two battle maniacs. Another day, another headache.

Still, Arven was secretly happy—he'd gotten a heads-up from Lucas and trained all night, so he should be fine.

Under the students' gaze, Lucas produced a pile of Poké Balls and released a dozen Pokémon: Arcanine, Mudsdale, Politoed, Comfey, two Sawsbuck, three Eldegoss, three Poliwhirl, two Dragonair.

He'd brought half his ranch's Pokémon.

He stepped aside, beaming: "Pick any opponent you want."

Aliquis, spotting something odd, raised his hand: "Teacher Lucas, isn't Comfey specialized in healing? Can such a gentle Pokémon really battle?"

Lucas didn't answer directly: "You can have Sprigatito battle Comfey and see. It'll be a good reference for everyone."

Aliquis, having trained with Sprigatito over the break, felt confident—surely he wouldn't lose to Comfey.

So, Aliquis entered one of the split arenas and released Sprigatito under everyone's watchful eyes.

Comfey floated over, looking harmless.

Nemona pouted, itching to battle: "Ugh, Aliquis beat me to it. I wanted to battle Comfey too!"

Eri patted Nemona's head soothingly: "There are other Pokémon, like those Poliwhirl—they've got hidden muscles. Let's do a double battle with Primeape!"

She was reassuring Nemona, but her mouth was watering at the thought of wrestling.

Nemona, clearly a kindred spirit, eyed Arcanine, Politoed, Mudsdale, and Dragonair, plotting how to challenge them efficiently with her four Pokémon.

Arven: "…"

My silence is deafening.

Meanwhile, Aliquis and Sprigatito started their battle with Comfey—but it ended almost instantly.

Aliquis had intended for Sprigatito to go easy, not wanting to hurt Comfey.

But as Comfey suddenly glowed with blinding light, Aliquis panicked and called for Sprigatito's best move, Seed Bomb.

But it was useless.

The next moment, a dazzling beam shot out, fairy energy bursting forth, knocking Sprigatito out in one hit.

"…"

A dead silence fell. Several less confident students began to sweat.

Would they survive this class?

…

As dusk fell, the sun faded, and the Academy's field was quite a sight.

A dozen students lay on the ground, exhausted, their Pokémon sprawled beside them, panting.

Lucas had finished class and left ten minutes ago, but none of them wanted to get up. They stared at the sky, lost in thought.

Then Aliquis spoke softly, almost to himself: "I feel like I really internalized everything I learned over spring break today. Sprigatito, didn't you even learn a new move?"

"Sprigatito~—"

Sprigatito, also dazed, gazed at the sky. After so many battles, it had learned Energy Ball from Comfey—the move it hadn't managed to learn all spring at the Academy.

Eri, hearing Aliquis, shouted: "Primeape and I are almost ready to evolve!"

Nemona, still not satisfied, wished for more: "If only class was longer! Arcanine, Mudsdale, Politoed, Dragonair—they're all so strong!"

The others were infected by their enthusiasm and shared their thoughts.

Arven, lying on the ground, near tears: "Eldegoss is disgusting! Cotton Spore, Cotton Guard, and Poison Powder nearly made my Skwovet and Mabosstiff throw up. Last night's special training was useless!"

Beside him, Ortega curled up in despair: "My bank card's frozen again."

His two lackeys exchanged glances, offering: "It's okay, boss. We'll share our bread and milk with you."

Behind a tree, a disheveled, tired-looking Giacomo watched them, hiding a trace of envy and longing in his eyes—though mostly just exhaustion.

A girl with red-and-blue hair, glasses, and an Eevee backpack paused at the field, watched the carefree group, lowered her head, and silently walked away.

—

Meanwhile, in the Academy Chairwoman's office, Lucas, Harrington, and the rarely-seen Geeta gathered.

"We don't have much tea here, will black tea do?" Geeta poured hot tea with a smile.

Harrington replied cheerfully: "No need to worry, Chairwoman."

Lucas made his indifference clear—he gulped down the hot tea in one go.

Geeta asked, "Were you that thirsty?"

Lucas refilled his cup and nodded: "Nearly lost my voice—first class of the term, got a bit carried away, gave advice to every student."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Geeta and Harrington exchanged a look, recalling the exhausted students on the field, their lips twitching.

Lucas downed another cup. He still had a lot to say and would need honey water to soothe his throat later.

Geeta crossed her hands and looked at Lucas: "About the matter you asked us to gather for, can you elaborate?"

Feeling much better, Lucas nodded and, in a measured tone, laid out the information and evidence he'd collected, with a bit of his own slant:

"Pokémon abandonment and bullying."

Geeta buried her face in her hands, her expression unreadable behind her hair.

Harrington's eyes widened in disbelief, but Lucas's evidence was solid. As a Champion-level trainer, he had no reason to lie.

Harrington suddenly remembered Ortega's odd behavior two months ago. He'd thought it was because Lucas froze his bank card, but in hindsight…

Geeta took a deep breath, raised her head, and locked eyes with Harrington, suddenly exuding the aura and dominance of Paldea's highest authority and strongest trainer.

"Harrington, starting tomorrow—no, starting now—investigate all bullying and Pokémon abandonment at the Academy."

"Whether technical, intelligence, or even force, all resources will be supplied by the Paldea League HQ. If any faculty are involved or complicit, they must also be identified and punished."

"In half a month, cleanse Naranja Academy of all filth. This should be a pure and sacred place for students to pursue their interests and grow."

"Anyone leeching off the Academy—I will not forgive."

Harrington's heart pounded. He realized two things:

First, Chairwoman Geeta was truly angry. Though she rarely visited, she dealt with any issue brought to her attention—she really cared about the Academy.

Second, change was coming. Naranja Academy was about to undergo a purge and reckoning.