Early the next morning, Albus had just finished washing up when he heard a knock on the door.
When he opened it, he saw the female teacher who had brought him to the dormitory the previous day. Her name was Elvina, and she seemed to be only eighteen years old, full of youthful energy.
Albus invited her into the living room. Elvina glanced at Will Young, who was still sleeping, and asked, "Is that little guy your Pokémon?"
Albus smiled and nodded. "Yes."
Elvina took a closer look and said curiously, "I've never seen a Pokémon like this before, but since you have one, that makes things easier."
She hadn't come just to chat. She placed a few books on the table and explained, "Many of our school's teachers were once traveling trainers with no prior teaching experience. So before they start teaching, we introduce them to key aspects of the job."
Trainers didn't travel forever. After retiring, many took up different professions based on their interests.
Albus already knew this.
Elvina pushed the books toward him. He noticed one was titled "How to Become a Popular and Effective Teacher."
"These books are for you," she said. "Now, let me introduce you to the main courses at our school."
"Thank you," Albus said.
Elvina smiled. "Besides basic literacy and math, we have four main Pokémon-related subjects."
"The first is Pokémon Attribute Studies. This course teaches students about type matchups and battle strategies."
"The second is Pokémon Moves. Students learn about different moves Pokémon can use and their effects. This class includes demonstrations—teachers use their Pokémon to showcase moves, making it easier for students to understand."
Albus understood. She meant he could let Will Young display its moves in class.
He involuntarily imagined Will Young using Root Wave in front of students.
...That would be chaotic. He couldn't even picture the uproar it would cause.
Fortunately, his ability to modify moves was useful. He would need to tweak those four moves soon.
"The third subject is Pokémon Ecology," Elvina continued. "This course introduces students to Pokémon habitats and their behaviors in the wild."
"And the fourth is Pokémon Abilities. Students learn about Pokémon abilities and their effects."
"Which course am I responsible for?" Albus asked. Any of the other three subjects sounded better than Ecology.
But Elvina had other plans. "Our school still lacks an Ecology teacher," she said.
Albus: "..."
"So, after the school committee's approval, we've decided to assign you to this subject for the second grade. What do you think?" she asked eagerly.
Albus hesitated. "I might not know enough about Pokémon Ecology."
The games didn't cover ecology in-depth, and the anime's version was more of an artistic interpretation than actual research.
"It's fine. Even other Ecology teachers don't know everything," Elvina reassured him. "There are still many unknowns in the Pokémon world. That's why we provide teaching materials—you can follow those."
Hearing this, Albus felt relieved. "That helps."
After explaining everything, Elvina got up to leave. Albus walked her to the door.
Before leaving, she turned and said, "There's a forest behind the school—the Orange Forest—which is home to many wild Pokémon. They're friendly toward humans, just don't venture too deep."
Having just left the Amazon Forest, Albus wasn't eager to step into another one. But he appreciated her advice. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
Elvina left.
Now alone, Albus checked the time.
8:37 AM.
Will Young was still asleep. Albus glanced at it before returning to the living room, flipping through the books Elvina had given him. He began preparing his lessons, drawing on both the textbooks and his past experiences as a student.
8:50 AM.
Will Young opened its eyes, flapped its wings, and flew out the open window.
By then, Albus was fully absorbed in the textbooks compiled by the Hoenn Alliance.
He discovered interesting facts about Pokémon Ecology that he hadn't known before.
For instance, a Caterpie's growth cycle was only about a month.
Because they were easy to catch and grew quickly, the Pokémon League recommended them as a good choice for beginner trainers.
Another example: Alexander (King Yen) would leave its nest on dark and stormy nights, soaring through thunderstorms.
Scholars theorized that this was how Alexander trained itself.
Albus found these tidbits fascinating—until a live Magikarp was suddenly thrown in front of him.
"Gah!" Will Young pressed the Magikarp with its beak, stopping it from struggling.
Albus: "..."
He sighed and rescued the unfortunate Magikarp from Will Young's grasp.
"It's all bones—you can't eat it," Albus said, poking the Magikarp.
He recalled that in the anime, Magikarp were considered inedible due to their tough scales and bony structure.
In the Orange Islands arc, when Team Rocket and Ash's group were stranded at sea, they had considered eating a Magikarp.
But Meowth couldn't bite through its scales. In frustration, James kicked it into the sea—only for it to evolve into a Gyarados and retaliate.
"Gah?" Will Young tilted its head in confusion.
"Forget it." Seeing its puzzled expression, Albus sighed. He picked up Will Young and placed it on his shoulder. Then, he put the Magikarp in a half-filled bucket and carried it outside to release it.
He remembered Elvina's mention of demonstrating Pokémon moves in class.
With that in mind, he used his Move Modifier to check Will Young's available moves.
But as soon as he accessed the list, a message popped up:
[Move is locked and cannot be modified.]
Albus froze.
What? He couldn't change it?
He decided to check another Pokémon.
His gaze shifted to the Magikarp in the bucket.
[Species: Magikarp ♂]
Type: Water
Ability: Swift Swim
Base Stats: 200 (HP: 20, Attack: 10, Defense: 55, Sp. Atk: 15, Sp. Def: 20, Speed: 80)
Known Moves: Splash
Current Emotion: Mild Anger, Strong Fear
Physical Condition: Slightly Dehydrated
Friendliness: -50 (It hates you and your Pokémon.)
Albus: "..."
Unlike Will Young, the Magikarp's move list showed that its moves could be modified.
So why was Will Young's locked?