"Hey, do you have a partner?"
Ava Prescott looked up from her current work to look at the guy who had asked if she had a partner.
Unlike the Trainer and Performance courses, the Breeder course operated a bit differently. Unlike both of those courses, students that were enrolled in the Breeder Course had to fill out a questionnaire prior to the school year starting.
The purpose of this was so that they would be assigned to different Pokemon that needed care throughout the semester and how well those Pokemon were under their care would determine their final exam score.
And of course, you were meant to do this with a partner but when Ava was assigned to her first Pokemon, she couldn't find her partner leading to her to work on treating the Pokemon in front of her: a Vulpix that had trouble walking due to rock bits being stuck in it's paws.
She had just gotten the last one out when she had been approached by this stranger.
So she turned to look at him and said "No I don't, though I suppose you were the partner I was suppose to have?"
"Yep! My name is Chris, nice to meet you." The strange boy said with a small smile on his face.
Ava sighed, well he showed up at least, so she couldn't get snippy with him now.
"Ava. Now mind sanitizing yourself so we can work on the next Pokemon?" She asked him.
Chris did just that as he partner Pokemon: Ivysaur came out to help them with a happy smile on her face.
Ava cursed. She had been so wrapped up in her work that she hadn't thought to release any of her own Pokemon to help out. Remedying this, she sent out Garp, her Rillaboom to help her out.
With both Garp and Ivysaur out to help them, Ava and Chris sent saw their next Pokemon they needed to help: A Tinkatink who hammer was dented and chipped while she had deep gashes on her body, like she had gotten into a terrible fight.
Knowing Tinkatink's species, that was probably the case.
"Ok I can work on Tinkatink's gashes, you repair her hammer." Ava instructed him.
"Ok I can handle that, but be careful, Tinkatink is a famously temperamental Pokemon." Chris advised her back.
Ava nodded knowing what he meant. Tinkatink and her following evolutions were infamously chaotic Pokemon that were also a bit prideful, so they wouldn't accept help easily.
Ava soon got a taste of that as she continuously tried to apply potion to Tinkatink so she could heal her wounds, but Tinkatink true to their temperament kept moving around so that she wouldn't receive the potion she needed to heal.
It seemed like she would get the chance to heal this Tinkatink, when suddenly Chris went over to the Tinkatink, gently picked her up and whispered so sweet words to her so that she was more willing to let Ava apply the potion to her now.
Ava looked somewhat impressed with Chris as they went to work on the next Pokemon that needed their help.
Meanwhile in a office in the Breeder Course Building, Professor Alberda was talking to Gary with a frown on her face.
She had often been criticized in years past for her teaching style, where she was mostly hands off with her students allowing to treat the Pokemon who needed help mostly be themselves with a few occasional lectures in the past.
But she had always believed that this was the best way for her students to learn. Through actually hands-on experience instead of a boring lecture and note taking.
But it seemed the criticism she received had finally caught up with her as she was talking with Gary.
"Headmaster Oak, I am sure this is wholly unnecessary… yes I understand he is one of the world's foremost expert on Pokemon care… I understand my teaching style may be a bit unorthodox but I assure you it works… I understand he is a old friend yours but… I understand."
So Professor Alberda hung up as she slumped down in her chair while her Dewott came out and looked at her.
"Sorry Dewott but it looks like I am going to have to deal with him again." Professor Alberda said to her partner Pokemon who made a hissing sound.
She petted him and reluctantly made her way to where the rest of her students were given that time was about to run out.
Meanwhile, back in the main classroom Ava and Chris were relaxing as they and every other student were done for the day.
"Hey there is something I want to ask you about." Ava said to her partner.
Chris drank some water before he and Ivysaur looked at Ava weirdly.
"That thing you did with Tinkatink, where you got her to calm down when I couldn't. What… was that?" Ava asked him.
Chris looked at Ivysaur before taking and deep breath to respond.
"To be honest… I am just as surprised as you. Every since I was a kid, I have had that calming effect on Pokemon. Maybe it is because when I was a kid I spent a lot of time in nature and around Pokemon but I still never quite understood it myself." Chris said to her as his Ivysaur nodded as if to corroborate his story.
Ava sighed and accepted. She didn't want to push things to far with her partner so soon after all.
Soon Professor Alberda came out and complimented them all on their work with the Pokemon they had to help.
"Being a Pokemon Breeder is all about understanding a Pokemon's needs and fulfilling those needs to the best ability you can, all to showcase the bond that existed between humans and Pokemon." Professor Alberda said to them.
All the students nodded, understanding her words as Ava and Chris noticed a change in her temperament.
"Now with that being said, I would like to announce a surprise that many of you were not expecting so soon."
All of the students looked around and wondered what the professor was about to say.
"It seems that the headmaster has called in a old friend of his to give a surprise lecture for this class next week. He is a world-renowned doctor for Pokemon and I am sure you can all learn a lot from his lecture I hope." Professor Alberda said with a tough smile on her face.
As all the students cheered this development and realishing the chance to learn from a world-renowned breeder. Ava and Chris looked at each other wondering who this breeder was and why their professor looked so worried about him.
It certaintly created a level of fear and dread inside them as their first class ended for the day.
