Chapter 5: The Future of Alola

Ilima pushed a few strands of hair out of his face while he waited for the bell to ring. After the Alola League had wrapped up, he found himself in a constant state of boredom. With nothing to strive towards for a whole year, fewer people have been taking the Island Challenge, instead taking to the various other Pokemon Tournaments the new Alola League Association begun sponsoring to keep interest alive. As such, he rarely had to occupy his time escorting trainers to Verdant Cavern and overseeing their progress. At most, he may have 1 or two a week hoping to get a head start, but even then that was a rarity.

So when the principal of the trainer school asked him if he was willing to teach an introduction to Pokemon Battling class, he was more than happy to oblige. At least this was a paying job, unlike being a trial captain. But right now he was utterly bored. Being the overachiever that he was, he had gotten there at the crack of dawn to prepare, preparing his lesson plan and even booking the battle courts to gauge their starting level. But all of that had taken less than a minute, and now he was beginning to rethink this whole idea.

Daringly, he glanced at the clock on the wall. 8:30, and class began at 9.

"I can already tell this is going to be the longest 30 minutes of my life."

Eevee, sensing his trainer's discomfort, nuzzled his hand, asking for pets. Ilima smiled, and gladly obliged.

"At least I have you, Eevee. What do you say to a malassada after school?"

"Vee!"

Ilima smiled, then closed his eyes for a quick nap, his mind thinking back to his latest adventure.

"I wonder how the two lovebirds are doing. Maybe I should call them after school..."

At last, the bell rang, and his class flooded in, all 9 or 10 year olds ready to take their island challenge in a year. Everyone knew who he was before he could say anything, and the started to gush over his accomplishments. Luckily, he was able to get them settled down without much issue.

"Thank you. Now, I see that introductions aren't necessary, so let's get down to business. This is an Introduction to Pokemon Battling, possibly the most crucial class of the entire curriculum. Over your time here, you've covered the basics of Pokemon training: what Pokemon are, different categories of moves, status ailments, etc. But now I'm going to teach you all how to apply that to battling. Now, I trust you all have a Pokemon?"

The class nodded, each one producing a Pokeball.

"Good. Now then, what do you say we have a little tournament?"

Ilima stood off to the side, watching as the youngsters battled to the best of their ability. Their choices were your usual fare: The Growlithes, the Ribombees, the Eevees, even a Zorua. Pokemon that would usually serve as a family pet that would be given to a new trainer that they had a bond with. Wise choices, as they were ones the kids were comfortable with and knew how to take care of.

As for how the kids fared, they did surprisingly well. For children who had never been in a real Pokemon battle before, they commanded their charges well and there were even a few close calls. One kid even used his Pichu's static ability to paralyze a Butterfree, then won with a Thundershock, winning him the tournament. After the kid got his congratulations, Ilima stepped forward to end the class.

"As you can see, there are many facets to a Pokemon battle beyond what moves you use. I see you all have more than a basic understanding of this, so I'll adjust my lessons accordingly. Class dismissed."

Excited, the class left for home, save one little girl who ventured forward.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ilima?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier?"

"Katie. I was wondering...can I pet your Eevee?"

Ilima smiled, nodding to give her permission. Katie cautiously approached, holding out her hand for Eevee to sniff. Eevee giggled, and ran right up to her, purring as she stroked his fur.

"He's so tame. I have an Eevee too, but I'm not that good at controlling her."

"Really? Why don't you let her out? Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them."

Timidly, Katie released her pet. The Eevee shook itself, before running off to play with Ilima's Eevee.

"She doesn't seem to be bad tempered."

"She's not, she's a real sweetheart. But she has lots of energy, and doesn't always want to follow my commands. That's why I didn't want to participate today."

Ilima nodded in understanding.

"I'm not surprised. Eevees are known for being very energetic, and can be quite hard to tame."

"How do you get yours to listen to you."

"I've found that a soft but firm approach is best. Let her know that you're in control, but don't push her too much. You want her to respect you, but not fear you. Go ahead, give it a go."

Katie nodded, stepping forward and in a louder voice said:

"Eevee! Come on, we need to go."

Her Eevee ignored her, continuing to chase his new playmate around the yard. Katie began to got frustrated, but calmed down and in a louder voice said.

"EEVEE. Its time to go."

This did get her attention, and the Eevee sadly said goodbye to her friend and trotted over. Katie smiled, and knelt down to pet her, lifting her spirits slightly.

"I'm sorry for yelling, but I don't want mom to worry. Tell you what, you can play with him again tomorrow. That is, of course, if that's okay with you Mr. Ilima?"

"Of course. You get home safe now, alright?"

"I will. Thanks, Mr. Ilima!"

Ilima smiled, waving until she was out of sight. He had a feeling that she would go far someday.

"Well then, we should get going ourselves. Come on Eevee, I'll race you home!"

"Eevee!"