Chapter 2 – Training

Viridian City, Year 9

Now that I got Eevee, I started changing my training plans. I focused on everything there is to know about the species and on getting to know Eevee on a deeper level.

In this life, Pokémon were not made of data, each was unique with their own characteristics. Just like people, natures were far more complex. Sizes varied on genetics, the environment they were raised in, what they ate, and much more.

I knew that Eevees, like most Pokémon, were omnivores. They could eat what humans eat as shown in Pokémon Scarlet/Violet. Eevees that grew in the wild though, preferred fruits and edible plants. My Eevee seemed to like whatever I gave him. He was not picky. I was wondering if it was because of the way he was treated by his pack. Did they feed him their leftovers and scraps? I asked but he would not answer.

I was still studying Pokémon nutrition at school, so I did not have much knowledge on how to properly feed Eevee. This is where the Pokémon centre was a lifesaver. The staff there was very helpful. After a full checkup, we experimented on various Pokémon foods available at convenience stores and supermarkets. After getting the results, they tailored a meal plan for my Eevee.

I also asked them for exercises that an Eevee his age could do, and was given lots of information. My friend could start battling but the nurse recommended strengthening his body first. Regular exercise would promote bone and muscle growth that will help more in the long run. Since I was in no hurry, I decided to follow that suggestion.

We started with jogging. I would run twice a day right next to Eevee. It helped strengthen our bond as well.

Time went by very fast when you're this busy, and the day I had to go back school had arrived.

Prior to that, I had to fill out a few forms to inform them of my new Pokémon, attached with a doctor's report with a summary of my Eevee's health, including physical characteristics. The health professionals affiliated to the school were required to have this information.

Back at school, my new Pokémon became the centre of attention. Not only for being a different colour but also because despite being the best in my grade, I did not have my own Pokémon until now. The others, even the bottom of the class had at least one. You did not need to have your own Pokémon since you could borrow the school's when needed for assignments.

A few asked me if I was interested in trading Eevee. His shiny status and his overall cuteness made him quite popular. I politely refused and made it clear that I would never trade him. One even asked me if I would be interested in selling him.

Selling Pokémon was a delicate topic. It was highly illegal unless you had a license, which is very hard to obtain. License holders were generally experienced and well-connected breeders. However, in some cases, such as here, wealthy individuals would make those Pokémon sales under the table. The one who made me that offer was the typical rich girl. I told her calmly that I would pretend I did not hear anything and that it would be best if we never speak to each other again. She was not an idiot; I'd give her that. She immediately understood my meaning, and left with a smile, showing no reaction to my refusal whatsoever. I made a point to remember her name and face. I may decide to deal with her one day.

That aside, I was often challenged to a battle. So far, I have never been in one. The only battles I've been in were during classes, but those did not count. Any victory or defeat was premeditated to teach students about types, moves, and effects.

I told my would-be opponents that the Pokémon nurse advised me not to battle with Eevee until he was ready and that I had every intention to follow those instructions. However, I also stated that I would accept any challenge in about a year. That would be enough time for Eevee to grow. Many grumbled at my words, some even told me I was just afraid to lose. I ignored them.

One of the reasons I was friendless was due to my unusual behaviour. I was like the staff, the adults. They felt uncomfortable to be around me. No matter what they said or did, I did not react the same way their peers would, and their childish instincts told them it was best to avoid me. I wasn't hurt by this attitude since I did not want to be around them either.

"Funny. One moment, they want a piece of you, cos of your Pokémon. The next they remembered how they've been treating you since last year, and quickly resumed old habits" said a voice behind me.

I turned to find a tall, skinny, lumpy boy with disheveled dark green hair and comical spiral glasses.

"Hey Tim" I greeted my only friend.

Tim, short for Timothy, was same age as me. He was at the bottom of the class and no one liked him because he was unsociable and rarely interacted with anyone but me.

"Congrats on the new guy. Or girl. Or whatever" he said as he sat down uninterested in Eevee. The later stared at him with an expression that said who is that?

I laughed.

"Eevee, this is Tim. He's my classmate. Tim, meet Eevee, my partner."

"Veeee" Eevee cried softly.

"Mm" Tim drawled, taking a book out of his bag, and starting to read without glancing at us.

Tim was more than just a typical nerd. He was smart but had no interest in people, school, or almost every Pokémon other than the ones he liked. As a result, his grades suffered, yet, no one dared to bully him. After all he was wealthy, like among the one percent. His family was one of the wealthiest in Kanto, although he did not have a good relationship with them. If you asked him about them, he would either ignore you or tell you that he did not know. His family also seemed uninterested in him. They would just pay for his tuition and leave him be.

We became friends simply because we both disliked small talk. We did not mind being together in the same room as long as we kept interactions to a minimum. We would usually focus on our own thing and only offered advice when asked. It was an uncommon relationship but it worked.

"Eeveee" Eevee said while looking all around us.

"Haha, yeah, that's my school. Just follow my lead and we'd be out of here before you know it" I replied.

"Vee" he answered back with a firm nod.

Several months have passed since I started my second year at Pokémon Tech. Eevee and I have been training a lot. We mainly focused on strengthening his body and improve his flexibility and agility. After a few weeks, Eevee was now able to swiftly jump in different directions. On my end, I would wield a bamboo sword to try to hit him in different forms of strikes. He was tasked to dodge them. Training together like this had strengthened our bond.

It wasn't just training of course, we would also sleep, eat, wash, and play together. I had theorised that, like the games demonstrated, spending personal time with your Pokémon was the way to develop a rapprochement. It just happened faster than expected. I pleasantly realised that our interactions had already felt comfortable. I could trust him to listen to my commands, and he could trust me to know what I was doing. I had thought it would have taken longer due to Eevee's history but I guess, like in the anime, Pokémon could easily befriend their trainers.

I had also begun extensive research on Eevee. I wanted to find out everything there was to know about the species. Imagine my disappointment to find that current knowledge of Eevee was limited. I then learned that every single Pokémon had to be studied extensively, and there are many controversies on how these studies were conducted. Pokémon research in general was time-consuming and expensive; money was necessary to acquire the Pokémon, research would require several samples, which means feeding and caring for them, and so on. In the end a single person would need a lot of time and money to study a single Pokémon. Findings would also be complicated. One needed to consider where the Pokémon was born and raised, what they ate, and so much more. Pokémon were also intelligent enough to understand people, and that intelligence results in unprecedented behaviour. I had to accept that Pokémon were not animals. Closest comparison with my former world be mythical creatures. In addition, when they evolved, Pokémon's biology would change, as well as their habits and behaviours. They became entirely different creatures. That is why a Pokémon researcher could spend a lifetime studying a single species and still could not learned everything there is to know.

Following that, I started to treat Eevee like I would treat a human child (despite being biologically one myself). Aside from his physiology, which I endeavour to learn for medical purposes, I experimented on various things to see what he personally liked. Despite not being picky, he still tended to gravitate towards certain foods.

My biggest surprise was to find out that what he liked to eat the most, based on the quantity, and the fact that the moment he smelled it, he would rush towards it, it was…

"Cheese?" I said to him incredulously while he was happily eating mozzarella. "How can you like cheese? I expected some kind of strange-tasting berry, not cheese. There is no cheese in the wild." Eevee ignored me, his expression ecstatic, his cheeks blushing. He was in love with cheese. This reminded me of how Ash's Pikachu loved ketchup. After he finished, he cried for more but I put my foot down and told him that eating the same thing over and over was bad for him. He spent the rest of the day sulking. At least, I felt we got even closer, if he was now comfortable enough to behave like that with me.

"Kenta" Tim called for me. I looked away from my childish Pokémon and turned toward the boy eating next to me. We were currently in the cafeteria. "Are you looking forward to tomorrow?"

"Why? What's tomorrow?" I asked.

"Professor Oak is coming for a lecture. The whole school will attend. They are preparing the multipurpose hall as we speak" he explained. Tim looked uncharacteristically excited.

"I see. Do you know what he will talk about?"

"From what I've heard; the secrets for becoming a Pokémon master."

"Secrets, huh?" I pondered.

"Yep, he will tell us what he learned during his trainer days."

It was unlikely that the man would reveal things we did not know already. There was no reason for him to do something special for us, let alone to a school for a bunch of wealthy elites. I knew of his preference for field work. He was the kind of guy who liked adventurers. He was someone who would gladly endanger himself for a Pokémon's safety and wellbeing. A far cry from kids who would cry over a skinned knee.

Still, Professor Oak was the authority on Pokémon in the Kanto region, possibly the whole world. I wondered if I could have a conversation with him. Maybe he'll remind me of something I'd forgotten or even tell me something I did not know.

"You know what, Tim. I'm actually looking forward to it."