Chapter 3 – Homeroom Teacher, Mr. Kyle Lin
Jason leaned over and said, "If you came any later, morning reading would've been over."
Chloe Carter puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "It's not like I want to be late, but I just can't get up in the morning!"
She quickly tore a huge bite from her bread, cheeks bulging as she chewed.
Jason opened his history textbook. 374 years ago, the sky shattered like the end of the world. Countless Pokémon descended from above, and the entire planet underwent an earth-shaking transformation.
Within ten years, the world's landmass had expanded nearly tenfold. Pokémon rained down from the skies during the Great Change, hatching almost instantly once they touched the ground.
Back then, the ruling empire already on the brink of collapse should have followed the course of history and perished. But the Great Change rewrote that fate entirely.
Every nation fell into chaos at first, but order gradually returned. And then, an organization called the Pokémon League appeared.
They possessed incredibly powerful Pokémon and technology. Many nations, greedy for either the Pokémon or the tech, launched wars against the League.
The outcome shocked everyone they lost. Completely. Utterly. Without even the strength to fight back.
But instead of conquering territory, the League simply chose a massive island as their headquarters and demanded every nation join as members of the organization.
From that point onward, all major world events had to be voted on in League meetings.
In short the Pokémon League was basically a different kind of United Nations.
This one event had completely changed the course of history, yet textbooks only gave it a small section, glossing over many details. The internet wasn't any better. It was like large chunks of the truth had been hidden away.
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Of course, most people never noticed anything strange. Only someone like Jason someone who had lived in another timeline could feel something was off.
He suspected the people in the Pokémon League weren't even from this world. Maybe… they came from the Pokémon world.
Why? Because so much of today's technology Poké Balls, Potions, Pokédexes, Pokéblock-making, space-compression tech was exactly like in the anime. There was no way humanity on "Blue Star" could have developed all that in just three hundred years.
Still, for a student about to enter his second year of high school, such speculation was a bit premature. His immediate concern was choosing his specialization.
Now that Pokémon were part of reality, high school sophomores could choose not just Liberal Arts or Sciences, but also a Pokémon Studies track.
Anyone aspiring to become a Pokémon Trainer would enter Pokémon Studies in Year 2. There were no grade requirements you just had to want to.
After the Great Change, humanity fought many wars… but once peace returned, the Trainer profession exploded in popularity.
It was inevitable when Pokémon had first arrived, the planet's surface area had expanded tenfold, yet human productivity hadn't caught up. Most of the new land forests, highlands, oceans, deserts, basins was occupied by Pokémon far stronger than humans.
Back then, humans only had muskets and cannons. They were no match for Pokémon.
It was only decades later that the changes in the world began to push the limits of human physical potential. And without the League teaching nations how to capture Pokémon, humanity's territory would be even smaller today.
After over three centuries of effort, human territory was steadily expanding faster than ever in the past decade thanks to the growing number of Trainers.
Jason was lost in thought when something caught his attention.
From Chloe's desk drawer, a fluffy brown head slowly peeked out.
It was an Eevee full brown coat, thick collar of fur around its neck, pointed ears, and big, gleaming eyes.
"Vee~"
Chloe's eyes widened. "Eevee, what are you doing out? Get back in before the teacher sees! I'll get scolded again!"
"Vee~"
Eevee shook its head stubbornly. No way was it going back into that stuffy drawer. With one jump, it landed right into Jason's arms.
He began stroking its head, finding its fur even softer than Pachirisu's.
Eevee let out a pleased chirp and refused to leave. Clearly, it liked Jason a lot.
Chloe pouted. "That furball only ever runs to you. I think it's forgotten who its real owner is."
When she finished eating, she asked, "Hey, you really decided to go for Pokémon Studies?"
Jason didn't hesitate. "Of course. With my grades, getting into a top university is way too hard. Might as well try the Trainer route."
"And seriously who'd pass up the chance to become a Trainer?"
Chloe nodded firmly. "Exactly. My family's on board too. We might even be in the same class next semester."
Jason glanced at her with a sigh. Both her parents worked in education her dad was the academic director at the top high school in Rowens City, and her mom was a former Trainer who now taught Pokémon Studies to seniors at No. 8 High.
And yet, with parents like that, Chloe's grades in regular subjects were… "average," to put it kindly. Clearly, she wasn't cut out for the academic exam track and had little choice but to test her talent in Pokémon Studies.
She continued, "By the way, the homeroom teacher's going to talk about specializations this morning. I'm going to ask how to raise a starter Pokémon."
"Our homeroom teacher used to be a Trainer, you know. No idea why he switched to teaching literature."
Jason raised a brow. "Wait, really? I never would've guessed. Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover."
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The morning passed quickly for first-years in exam season. Between test drills and paper reviews, lunchtime arrived before they knew it.
The final class of the morning was literature with their homeroom teacher. A tall, lanky man about 6'0", wearing black-rimmed glasses walked in.
This was Kyle Lin, Class 1-3's homeroom teacher and literature instructor.
Instead of starting the lesson, Mr. Lin scanned the room, taking in every student's expression before speaking.
"Today, we're not doing tests or reviewing papers. We're going to talk about specializations for next semester."
"I'm sure you've all considered whether you'll take Liberal Arts, Sciences, or Pokémon Studies. Your parents have probably discussed it with you too—choose based on what subjects you're strong or weak in."
"If you're unsure, you can talk to me after class."
"And since finals are next week, you should make your decision soon. This afternoon, I'll hand out the specialization forms so think carefully."
The class grew noticeably more serious.
Mr. Lin adjusted his glasses, satisfied. "Alright, I won't waste time explaining Arts and Sciences you've heard enough already."
"I want to focus on Pokémon Studies. If you're considering it, listen closely."
At that, a dozen students including Jason sat up straight, ears pricked. Jason had asked around before, but most of what he'd heard about Pokémon Studies was vague.
Mr. Lin continued, "After the Year 1 finals, students entering Pokémon Studies can begin preparing their starter Pokémon."
"Most get theirs from their parents or buy from a breeding center. Another option is to pay the school $1,000 to enter our breeding grounds and catch one."