2 Ch in 1
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The applause finally died down only after Sato stepped up onto the stage and faced the crowd.
Looking at the rows of eyes glowing with curiosity below the platform, Sato couldn't help feeling a bit nervous; would what he had prepared be enough to earn the respect of these students?
But no matter what, he was already standing at the podium. No way he could show weakness in front of a bunch of kids…
Not to mention… those "highly knowledgeable, ridiculously brilliant" professors in the back.
"Hello everyone! I'm Sato, from Shadownight Town in Johto. It's a great honor to have been invited to Celadon University to study and grow together with all of you-"
"FU*K YEAH!"
Whoever shouted that out really meant it. The moment Sato "finished" his brief self-introduction, someone started clapping, and then the whole room burst into another round of long, thunderous applause.
As the clapping went on, Sato could clearly see the two rows of professors in the back sitting upright with expressionless faces, creating a stark contrast with the excited students all around them.
Only after the second wave of applause ended did Sato continue at a steady pace: "Thank you for the applause, but if you guys clap after everything I say, I'm afraid no one will have the energy to attend the next class. It's just too exhausting…"
It was a mild and slightly awkward joke, but the students still responded with hearty laughter, realizing it was time to settle down and get serious.
Seeing this, Sato gave a slight nod and then turned to the blackboard, where he wrote two large characters:
[Battle]
Sato turned back and continued in a loud, clear voice: "As a [Traveling-type] Trainer, when it comes to academics, I definitely can't compare with the professors sitting in the back. In fact, even many of you here could probably school me with technical terms alone.
The only area where I might have a bit of an edge is practical experience…
So today's class will mainly focus on discussion and sharing. And the topic of discussion is: battles!"
Everyone loves a little flattery, and Sato's humble introduction was well received by both the professors and students.
And the fact that Sato didn't open a textbook and force-feed information, but instead chose a discussion format, clearly matched the students' expectations.
"So, the first question we'll discuss today is: [In a Pokémon battle, what is the Trainer's role?]
Who'd like to be the first to answer?"
Swish~ Swish~ Swish…
The moment Sato finished speaking, many students raised their hands without hesitation, all of them with the same "Pick me! Pick me!" expression.
Sato pointed to the quickest responder and said, "You, go ahead."
The girl looked around, then reacted like she'd just won the lottery and stood up, clearly excited.
"I think…"
It was clear that when she raised her hand, she hadn't thought it through. Now that Sato had called on her, she took a moment to seriously consider her answer.
"I think… the Trainer's role in battle is to act as the Pokémon's second pair of eyes. In situations where the Pokémon can't see clearly or react in time, the Trainer gives precise commands to help them win."
As expected from a Celadon University elite student. Not the slightest stage fright despite being watched by over two hundred people, and she was able to clearly express her thoughts in a short amount of time.
"So, you believe that in a battle, the Pokémon leads while the Trainer supports?" Sato summarized concisely.
"Yes, exactly!" the girl nodded obediently, with no intention of arguing.
"Thank you. Anyone else with a different opinion?"
Swish~ Swish~ Swish…
Now that they'd had a bit more time to think, even more hands went up this time. To keep things fair, Sato called on a male student next.
"I think the Trainer should be the one leading the Pokémon to victory, especially in multi-Pokémon battles like 3v3 or 6v6. Choosing the order of appearance and setting up tactics are all the Trainer's responsibilities. A lot of underdog victories happen because the Trainer was skilled enough to turn the tide!"
Thanks to the extra time, this second student's answer had more substance and earned many nods of approval from classmates.
"Mm, good point. Any other opinions?" Sato didn't compare the two responses and just continued asking.
The number of hands for the third round was noticeably fewer, but still substantial. Sato called on another female student.
"Teacher, I have a different opinion! As they say, one overwhelming force beats a hundred strategies. If the Pokémon's power is strong enough, no amount of tactics will help; it's just delaying the inevitable!" The short-haired girl spoke with fierce confidence, instantly winning loud applause from many of the other girls.
Awesome, she just won one back for the girls!
"Let's stay focused. The topic of our discussion is: what is the Trainer's role in battle? If the Pokémon is strong enough, what role do we Trainers even play? Am I right, everyone?"
Another male student stood up to strike back, and the blunt truth in his words made the guys in the room burst into laughter.
Seeing that the class was about to turn into a debate between "boys and girls", Sato immediately stopped calling on students and turned to Erika, who had been listening with great interest.
"Since this is a discussion, we can't have only the students talking. Let's also hear from Advisor Erika."
"Ah, me?" Erika froze, clearly caught off guard by the sudden invitation. But as the students began clapping again, she instinctively stood up.
"mI think what everyone's said makes sense, but in my view, Pokémon battles should still be Pokémon-led, with Trainers supporting.
Otherwise, why are we called Pokémon Trainers and not Pokémon Combatants?"
With just one simple rhetorical question, Erika made many students fall into deep thought.
'Yeah… why are we called Trainers and not Combatants?'
But in a battle, does that really mean Trainers are only support? Some students still felt a bit uncertain.
Even the professors in the back couldn't help but begin whispering among themselves. This seemingly simple question, when examined closely, actually opened up a lot to ponder.
After finishing, Erika quickly sat down, her face flushed as she looked at Sato, thinking, 'Oppa gave me a chance to shine, didn't he~?'
After all… she hadn't even raised her hand (*╰╯`)
Sato let the class reflect for about five seconds, then clapped his hands to refocus everyone's attention.
"Actually, all of you made good points. Whether it's the Trainer leading or the Pokémon leading, at the end of the day, it's all about not losing the battle.
And in real battles, both situations frequently appear, with the same Trainer and the same Pokémon."
As Sato continued speaking, the students and professors all grew quiet and attentive, eager to hear the deeper insight of an Ace level Champion.
"How can such different situations happen with the same pair? It all comes down to the stage that you and your Pokémon are in, and what level of strength both you and your opponent possess.
If the gap in overall strength is huge, then it'll be just like that female student said earlier, all the tactics in the world can't beat a single overwhelming blow.
In that case, the Trainer doesn't even need to speak. No commands. Your Pokémon can win entirely on its own. But if both sides are closely matched, with only small level differences, then the Trainer's battle tactics become critically important.
And don't forget, the strength of a Pokémon doesn't come only from experience gained in battles, but also from the cumulative training done day after day. You can't expect your Pokémon to break their limits or burn their potential in every single fight.
Consistent daily training is what allows your Pokémon to beat opponents easily in each match, crushing tactics with sheer power.
But growth takes time. And experience must be built up.
When both you and your Pokémon aren't strong enough yet, it's up to the Trainer to keep learning, gaining more knowledge to help your Pokémon win and turning every victory into shared experience.
Then, at the critical moment… that shared experience leads to a breakthrough."
Sato's explanation wasn't overly complex, but it clearly laid out the essence of battles: if you're strong, brute force it; if you're weak, hang in there. And if you can't win, keep training.
The past few days holed up in his room, Sato wasn't just "cultivating immortality" all day. After all, Celadon University had a ton of online courses, it would be a waste not to check them out.
But as he watched more, Sato gradually realized something was off. The university's courses were incredibly in-depth and technical, with well-organized and advanced knowledge. Every time he finished one, he had a moment of sudden clarity.
For example: [An Analysis of Type Matchups] [The Physical Conversion of Poison-Type Energy] [One Hundred Elite Four Tactical Approaches] [Gym System Breakdown: Kanto Region]...
These courses mostly answered the question of "what is it?" but rarely touched on "how to do it," "how to train," or "how to win."
That's why Sato chose "Battle" as the theme of his very first public lecture.
To tell these "prodigies" sitting here: The essence of combat is that simple and direct.
In the end, what matters is turning knowledge into power… and experience.
--
Inside the Dean's office.
At that moment, Dean Aki was watching the livestream of Sato's public lecture with great interest.
After Sato earnestly finished explaining his perspective, even Aki couldn't help but silently applaud him in her heart.
Although she was the dean, she hadn't risen through the academic route. Rather, after stepping down from her position as a League Investigator due to injury, Charles Goodshow had directly placed her here.
Because of that, many of the old-school professors in the Trainer Academy didn't truly accept her. They felt that while Sasaki Aki was undoubtedly strong, she wasn't suited to teach students.
And from an age standpoint, it felt like they were being bossed around by a little girl.
Do you understand the mechanics behind how Fire-type Pokémon release flames? Why can many Pokémon absorb flames through their skin?
Do you know why both Rock Slide and Power Gem are Rock-type moves, yet one is physical and the other is special?
Do you know why Safeguard can block all status effects like Poisoning, Paralysis, and Burn, but can't stop Abilities from activating?
If you don't know any of this, what makes you qualified to be dean of our Trainer Academy?
But they also had to admit… within the Trainer Academy, or even all of Celadon University, no one could actually beat Sasaki Aki in a real battle.
It was a classic clash between academics and combat-oriented Trainers. And for President Goodshow, whoever could produce more outstanding Trainers for the League deserved to be dean.
And the standard for a great Trainer… is strength!
That's also why Charles had repeatedly suggested having Sato come to Celadon University for further study.
Part of that included Aki's subtle cry for help. If the old academics wouldn't listen, then it was time to bring in outside reinforcements.
And Sato, this reinforcement, made Aki very satisfied. No empty theories, just how to become strong, and how to train for it. Because the fundamental goal of studying… is to become strong!
--
Back in the lecture hall, Sato's public class was still ongoing. Clearly, the depth of thought from just one question wasn't enough to fill the entire session.
So next, Sato raised several more core questions about battling.
[What's more effective at strengthening a Pokémon: training or real combat?]
[Do bonds between Pokémon and Trainers really exist? And if so, how do we use them?]
[How do you learn and apply the "Evasion" technique?]
[When to master basic moves versus learning stronger ones: how do you decide?]
[Should a Pokémon specialize in a few moves, or learn as many as possible?]
Every question Sato raised revolved around one thing: battle.
And while there were no definitive answers, the discussions that followed were deeply thought-provoking. Many students were still lost in reflection on one question before suddenly realizing they'd already missed the next one, and regretted it.
As the lecture progressed, Sato became even more comfortable and fluid. The classroom atmosphere grew even more lively than at the start.
In Sato's view, growth begins with self-reflection.
Only by truly understanding your own situation -and having the willingness to change- can you grow.
One question might not leave a deep impression. But what about several in a row?
The Trainer Academy didn't lack professional knowledge. But why, in recent years, had traveling Trainers risen so quickly… while academy-trained Trainers continued to decline?
Just look at the final four in the latest Ace Tournament. Not a single one was academy-trained, yet they defeated numerous veteran Trainers.
That shift was the exact reason Charles had assigned Aki to lead the Trainer Academy.
The two-hour public lecture gradually neared its end. By the time Sato finished sharing his thoughts on move specialization, the session had already slightly run over.
Seeing the excitement still glowing in the students' eyes, Sato felt that his first public lecture had gone pretty well.
"Alright everyone, time's about up. That concludes today's class-"
"TEACHER SATO, WHEN'S YOUR NEXT LECTURE!?"
Sato hadn't even finished when a student shouted from below. Then, a wave of voices followed in agreement.
Clearly, it was everyone's first time attending such a content-packed lecture, and they couldn't wait to book the next one.
Seeing this, Sato felt genuinely satisfied. He smiled and said, "There will definitely be a next time. Maybe in an even better venue."
.
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200 PS-CH