Welcome everybody to Chapter 3! I introduced a few characters in this chapter. Don't feel discouraged at the small amount of "screen time" for your OC if you're unhappy about this. More likely than not, I will be updating daily or every other day so each character will have their time to shine! Promise. Anyways, I'm getting close to the cutoff, so there should only be a few more accepted OC's in this early part of the story! Review and let me know any feedback/criticism you have! Enjoy.

OC's introduced so far.

Miles

Jace

Cherry

Selina

John

Darius

Felix

Penny (PT)

Hunter

Ch. 3

Italicized - Thoughts

"Oscar, check the time for me?" John asked politely, his hands buttoning up his white collared shirt. In just a second, a mental map of the clock on his bedsides showed, revealing the time to be 7:45 AM. Perfect, I have fifteen minutes to get to my first class.

John's roommate Darius had left earlier, wanting to get breakfast before making his way to Battle Strategies 101. John respectfully declined to go with him, not feeling particularly hungry in the mornings. With his trusty Pokemon beside him, John grabbed his bookbag, roomkey, and swiftly left with Oscar trailing next to him.

Walking through campus grounds, John easily saw the crowds of people and individuals passing by and around him. The 15 year old easily navigated through the traffic, enjoying the sounds of a few bird Pokemon above him.

After a few minutes, John entered one of the classroom buildings, thankful that his classroom wasn't located on the second or third floor. Stopping at room 118, with the help of Mr. Mime, the teenager grinned while entering the classroom. Despite being about five minutes, there were very few seats open. The classroom was a long narrow room, with the Professor off to the side as he set up what looked to be an advanced screen at the front of the class. Stretching across the classroom were two long desks on each line, with each desk fitting three chairs.

With Oscar's help, John was able to visualize the back of the classroom, spotting Darius in the back row. Unfortunately, both seats at his desk were taken, ruling out the possibility of the two friends sitting together.

Quickly making his decision, John and Oscar made their way to one of the front desks. "Excuse me, but is it alright if I sit with you two?" John asked, his cloudy eyes meeting two teenage boys who looked to be the same age as the freshman.

The student in the middle was a short and skinny teen, most likely standing at around 5'4, with auburn hair that had some small streaks of brown and red. Just as unusual as his hair was a small tattoo, looking to be scales that climbed up the boy's upper forearm on his left arm. The teenager nodded, before quickly answering John.

"Of course, I'm Hunter by the way." Hunter stretched out his hand, with John smiling in return and shaking his outstretched hand.

"Thanks, I'm John."

Once seated, John turned his attention to the boy on the opposite side of Hunter. The other boy stood at the same height as Hunter, with spiky short blonde hair and green eyes to compliment. He had a lean and skinny frame, with slightly tan skin. The unnamed teenager got up slightly in order to offer his hand just like Hunter had.

"Hey, I'm Felix! Nice to meet you. Is that your Pokemon?" Felix questioned, slightly confused at the Pokemon being outside his pokeball. It was prohibited to have your Pokemon out during class, with the exception of the teacher's permission.

"Yeah, this is Mr. Mime but his nickname is Oscar! I'm blind, so this guy helps me out a lot with navigating my way around here." John explained quickly, with the two teenagers making the same "Ahh" noise in understanding.

"Cool, what course are you in? Felix and I are both in the Battle Course." Hunter said, flashing his red arm band as if to emphasize his statement.

"Same, almost everyone I've met is in the Battle Course." John flashed his as well, glancing around the classroom and seeing almost everyone wearing the same color. There were a few exceptions, however, with some wearing blue armbands signifying the Appeal Course. It made sense, considering coordinators and many performers were required to be at least slightly skilled in the battling aspect of their careers.

Before the conversation could continue, a loud bell emitted from the classroom speaker at the front. Some people jumped in fright, while others immediately straightened up at the signal that class was beginning.

Turning towards the classroom, Professor Stevens turned to the class and straightened his tie. Professor Stevens looked to be in his thirties, with combed brown hair and facial hair which was recently shaven. He wore the usual attire of an Academy Professor, consisting of a collared white shirt with a tie, along with dress pants and black dress shoes.

"Good morning everybody. My name is Professor Stevens. I'm sure you know a bit about the curriculum for this class. For those that have no idea, it's pretty self explanatory." The older male stated, walking across the front of the classroom as he spoke.

"In this class, students will be presented with all kinds of different scenarios when battling. These scenarios can range from deciding whether to counter with an attack move or doge, all the way to much more complicated aspects of Pokemon battles. This class will be challenging to many. It can also be extremely easy for some. However, I cannot stress this enough. There are no definitively right or wrong answers in this class." Professor Stevens confessed, his smile radiating across the classroom.

Darius raised an eyebrow at the Professor's friendliness and calm demeanor, confused at the rumors he had heard. Huh, I could've sworn that people said he was the most strict teacher ever. Well, I'm not complaining.

John had the same thoughts as he sat straight, listening to the Professor intently.

"Everybody has their own battling style and approach. Despite the same moves and tactics being used commonly, there are no right answers. It all depends on what the trainer deems most suitable, due to their preferences and Pokemon's skills. Not everyone's pokemon are the same. They all excel in different facets." Professor Moore stopped pacing, clicking on the virtual screen to display a Pokemon battle field, which most likely was a simulation of sorts.

"Now, each of you will be given the same scenario on the screen. It is up to you to decide your approach to the battle. Let's begin."

Miles grabbed the door handle, his backpack strung on one shoulder as he pulled the door and walked inside the brightly lit room. Professor Moore's room looked very identical to Professor Steven's, with long desks that could fit three people. The classroom was also fit with a wide screen at the front of the class.

The Kanto native began his trek to the back off the classroom, plopping down into the middle of a desk with two empty seats at the back. Miles rubbed his eyes tiredly, before ruffling his messy black hair slightly out of habit. There were still a few more minutes left to spare before class started so the teenager put his head against the desk to rest his eyes and hopefully not fall asleep on the first day of class.

Screw Jace, I definitely didn't sleep enough last night…

While calling Jace every curse word and insult imaginable in his head, Miles failed to notice a somewhat familiar brunette standing in front of him.

"Hi, do you mind if I sit next to you?" Selina asked, fiddling with her hands and mischievously smiling at the taller male. Miles lifted his head, his eyes widening slightly at seeing the same girl from yesterday. Luckily, Miles quickly hid his surprise before answering.

"Yeah of course. You probably saved me from falling asleep."

Selina laughed, sitting on the chair to his right. The brunette brushed away a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear, the majority of her hair being brushed behind her head neatly. Miles couldn't help but stare once again as Selina looked around the classroom before returning her gaze to him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't you the guy staring at me last night at one of the lounges?" Selina teased Miles, who was faking his own confusion.

"What? I don't think you could call that staring." Miles shrugged it off, while Selina narrowed her eyes and smiled widely.

"Ok, maybe you're right. Sorry about that." The black haired teen apologized, cracking his knuckles in the process. It really was a bad habit that was probably going to give him joint pain in the future.

Selina shook her head at his apology, believing it to be unnecessary over something that really shouldn't be apologized for. "Don't be. I'm more disappointed you didn't go over to introduce yourself."

Miles raised an eyebrow, feeling more confident due to Selina's forwardness.

"Trust me, I would have if I didn't have my friend there ready to ruin any chance I had at talking to a pretty girl." He remarked, showing his teeth in a wide smile. Selina looked at the ground for the first time, blushing slightly at his simple compliment.

"I'm Miles by the way."

"Selina, nice to meet you Miles."

Before the two could continue, the class bell rang loudly. Professor Moore, who appeared to be in his late fifties, was completely bald with a white beard. The older man was quite intimidating, despite not even speaking a word. It was most likely due to his tall stature and age over the students. Professor Moore cleared his throat loudly, before speaking.

"Welcome to Battle Strategies 101. My name is Professor Moore and I will be your teacher this semester. During class, I expect you all to be attentive and talking should be at a minimum. It goes without saying that you're all here to advance in your academic careers, not flirt with one another." Professor Moore stated, making direct eye contact with Miles. No one else noticed the Professor's death stare towards Miles, besides Selina and Miles himself.

What the fuck is his problem, Miles thought, frustrated at already being on what he considered a rocky start with his Professor. I'm not allowed to talk to the person sitting next to me before class?

Professor Moore slowly tore his eyes away from Miles, glancing around each person as he explained what the course curriculum would contain. After speaking for about five minutes, the older male pulled up a question on the board.

You are faced in a battle with a powerful Dragonite. Disregarding the Pokemon you are using, what would be your strategy to take down this Pokemon.

"You, young man, at the front. Your first." Professor Moore ordered, hearing each student's answers one by one. While the first student hesitated and stumbled upon his words, he eventually gave up his answer, followed by each student in the front row.

Before it got to Miles, the most common answer that was given was to "Utilize moves that were advantageous towards Dragonite's weaknesses." Another common answer relied on using moves such as swords dance to raise a user Pokémon's attack/defense.

It was in the middle of the Professor going around that he saw Cherry sitting up front at the classroom, having just answered Professor Moore's question. Cherry waved in a friendly manner, recognizing both Selina and Miles. The two returned the gesture, before returning their attention to the older man. Both teenagers didn;t feel the mood to anger the clearly strict teacher.

When it got to Miles, Professor Moore stared at the boy seriously, clearly awaiting his response.

"How about you young man?"

"Personally Professor Moore, I would attempt to eliminate Dragonite's air advantage. Whether it would be with attack moves targeting his wings, or status change moves such as thunder wave. I believe it would significantly help due to Dragonite not having as much mobility as well as as many options when attacking." Miles replied, feeling fairly confident. While it wasn't the best answer, it was one that nobody had stated. The teenager was also fairly confident that there was no right answer. There could be better ones than others, but everyone was different.

"Hmm. What's your name?"

"Miles Miller, sir."

"Not a bad answer at all, Miles. Perhaps you're more than what you appear." Professor Moore finished, throwing in a little shot at the end. Miles sighed audibly, no doubt being annoyed at the older man's clear dislike towards him. At least he didn't say it was a shit answer, he supposed.

"Finally, what would your approach be?" The question was directed to a quiet female that sat by herself at the back of the classroom. Penny Tudor was a sixteen year old sophomore, with long black hair that reached the middle of her back. She looked to be slightly taller than the average female at about 5 '7, with an attractive face that revealed not much emotion though. She clearly looked to be the quiet type, displaying an unreadable expression by herself.

"I don't believe I can make a fair assessment without knowing the Pokemon I am using, sir."

Professor Moore seemed unfazed by the answer, quickly replying to the Sinnoh native. "The question clearly states to disregard the Pokemon you are using." Somehow, Penny replied even quicker, not wasting a second to capitalize.

"And I'm telling you that I cannot disregard such a vital piece of information. What makes a professional fight is the fighters game style. Whether it is their boxing, grappling, or submissions. That's why there is the saying that styles make fights." Penny referred to professional fighting, clearly attempting to make an argument using this piece of information.

"You can apply this same analogy to Pokemon battles. Each Pokemon has a different style and different skill set. I cannot in good conscience dictate a game plan and approach when I know absolutely no knowledge relating to my Pokemon. Sir." Penny finished, returning to her quiet and reserved state as she was visibly nervous at the Professor's silence. After a moment, the Professor smiled.

"Whats your name?"

"P-Penny. But I prefer to be called PT if that's alright, Professor Moore."

Professor Moore nodded, before replying to her. "Well PT, that was exactly the answer i was looking for. While there were some answers that were absolutely atrocious, and some that were decent, this was exactly what I wanted to hear. This was a trick question, and as far as I'm concerned, all of you besides this young lady right here failed."

Selina puckered her lips, frowning slightly when she saw Cherry appear downcast at not getting the answer correct. Meanwhile, Miles cursed softly for not saying the same answer. It should have been obvious, although the "disregard" in the prompt definitely made almost every student DISREGARD that fact.

"You all have a lot to work on. I'm assigned quite a bit of reading in preparation for tomorrow's class. Be prepared, as we will be battling with our registered Pokemon." Moore stated, with students looking much more visibly excited. The class bell rang not a moment later, all students quickly getting up to leave. Cherry met both Selina and Miles as they stood outside the classroom.

Although she appeared sad at first, Cherry visibly brightened up once she was reminded of the fact that she already knew two people in her class.

"Do you two know each other?" Cherry asked, being reminded of her conversation with Selina yesterday night. Maybe my suspicions were correct.

"Not really." Miles replied.

"Yep!" Selina beamed, hugging her textbook to her chest.

"Sooo, is he the cute guy from-" Cherry started, yelping as Selina pressed her hand against her roomates mouth.

"U-Uhhh I don't kn-know what you're talking about! Are you feeling okay Cherry! Here, let's go to the nurses office! Bye Miles!" Selina sputtered out, waving without looking back as she dragged the much shorter girl with her.

"Wait, she thinks I'm cute?" Miles asked himself, grinning widely. This didn't last long, as a random boy from his class told him while walking past him.

"Dude, Professor Moore looks at you like you killed his family."

"Fuck, forgot about that."

After praising students answers while also providing positive feedback and criticism, Professor Moore turned off the simulation. Turning to the students once again, he spoke.

"While it is extremely uncommon to do this on the same day, we will be having a trainer battle with two volunteers of my choosing." The classroom exploded in gasps and shouts of excitement; Professor Stevens laughing at their reaction before telling them to settle down. His reaction was a complete opposite of what the other teacher in Battle Strategies 101 would be.

"I would like to analyze your battling strategies and provide some feedback to both trainers. This could be greatly beneficial in improving your skill in this field."

Professor Stevens took the group outside, with everyone following close behind. Eventually the class of about twelve students were standing at a dirt battling field. While the floor was dirt, and it was most definitely not a Pokemon League stadium, the lines and ground were clearly cared for and maintained by campus staff.

"Okay, put your hands up if you have at least one registered Pokemon and would like to battle."

Literally everyone raised their hands, sweatdropping at the fact that they were all dying to battle. Professor Stevens scrunched his face in concentration, before choosing the two trainers participating in the battle.

"Alright, I would like for John and Darius to step onto the field." Almost every student audibly groaned, while John and Darius both grinned at being chosen. There was also some surprise that it just so happened they knew each other as roommates, making bragging rights a big deal for the winner of this battle.

Both teenagers took a pokeball out of their hands, staring the other down as Professor Stevens explained the rules.

"This will be a simple one on one battle. You cannot recall or use any items in this battle, under any circumstances. Are you both ready?" The Professor asked, both trainers nodding their heads in agreement.

"Begin!"

John grabbed the furthest pokeball on his right, throwing it out as a Haunter emerged from the ball. Darius released his own, maintaining a calm composure as a Cloyster emerged from the blinding light.

Oscar stood by John's side, immediately helping create a live mental video of the battlefield and what was occurring to his trainer. It was Darius who ordered the first move.

"Cloyster, use Ice Beam!" Darius ordered, wanting to establish his dominance early. Originally, the older teenager wanted to perhaps turn the battlefield into an ice field to his advantage. However, it was just his luck that John would use a levitating Pokemon.

"Use Protect, followed by Confuse Ray!" John countered. Haunter formed a transparent barrier, easily blocking the Ice Beam as it dissipating after a few seconds. Haunter quickly followed with a Confuse Ray, creating several rings that swiftly pursued Cloyster.

"Destroy it with Water Pulse." Darius demanded calmly, with Cloyster countering just as effectively. Have to watch out for that confuse ray. It could be a big problem if he catches me with it.

"Trick Room!" Haunter quickly set up a pink barrier around the battlefield, no doubt making the speed of his opponent much slower. While it would pay off, it also offered Darius a unique opportunity to capitalize.

"Quickly, use Ice Beam followed by Hydro Pump!" Darius shouted, wanting to make sure this moment was not wasted. Just as Haunter finished his attack, he was hit harshly by an Ice Beam. The Ice beam partially trapped the Ghost type, not allowing him to escape until Cloyster's Hydro Pump smacked into him dead center. Haunter wavered low in the air, clearly hurt badly from the two attacks hitting their mark.

"No Haunter! Are you alright?" John asked hopefully, with Haunter nodding his head in determination. I didn't expect Darius to react so quickly. He's quick on his feet. John was also at the disadvantage of having everything related to him by his Mr. Mime, Oscar. While the method was extremely effective, there was a small delay that could always hurt the teenager in battle. This was just another example of that.

"Get close and use Shadow Ball!" John shouted, with Haunter quickly moving to where the two Pokemon were only about ten feet apart. Knowing there was no way of getting out the way, Darius was forced to have to counter the attack with one of his own.

"Quickly, counter with Water Pulse." Cloyster obeyed his command, barely able to launch the attack in time. This created a small explosion, smoke covering the view.

"Now that you're close enough, Confuse Ray while he can't see!"

"Shoot, block it again Cloyster!" Darius panicked, ordering his Pokemon as he block his own eyes from the black smoke. His hopes proved to be futile, as Haunter emerged over the smoke and hit Cloyster dead center with Confuse Ray.

As the smoke cleared, Cloyster looked shaken and unbalanced, falling onto the ground several times.

"Follow up with a combination of Sucker Punch and Shadow Ball!"

Haunter alternated between the attacks, not letting up as he brutally wore down the Water/Ice type Pokemon.

"Snap out of it, Cloyster. You got this." Darius muttered, stressed at the events occurring. If he doesn't snap out of this quickly, I'm done for. Nothing I can order him to do until he regains control.

Cloyster was sent skidding across the ground, covered in marks and bruises from the most recent Sucker Punch.

"Finish this Haunter, use Thunder Punch!" John ordered the Ghost Type, who struggled with his own injuries for a moment before speeding off, his hand crackling in electricity. It was a second later that Darius noticed Cloyster's eyes regain focus. On top of this, it appeared that Trick Room finally wore off. With Haunter only a few seconds from reaching Cloyster, Darius knew this was most likely down to the last move.

"Point blank Hydro Pump!"

Just as Haunter connected with his Thunder Punch, Cloyster sent him flying back with the powerful current. A loud boom sounded off, with both Pokemon sliding back from the attack.

Haunter barely help himself above the floor, wavering significantly. Cloyster stood straight, before energy crackled throughout his body. The water type grunted in pain, before falling face first on the dirt.

"Cloyster is unable to battle. The winner is John and Haunter!" Professor Stevens shouted, impressed by the first battle he had seen to start the school year. Students clapped at the impressive showing while Darius and John shook hands, complimenting each other.

"Wow, you're a hell of a trainer, Darius."

"Likewise man, I was praying I'd get bragging rights early." Darius joked, both of them laughing lightheartedly. Professor Stevens interrupted the two, patting the smaller boys on the back.

"That was something else you guys. Great job. I'll be sending both of you my feedback through your school emails. Make sure to heal up your Pokemon right after class ends in just a few minutes."

Both trainers agreed, thanking Professor Stevens as the group walked back to the classroom.

Review and hope you all enjoyed!