Malfoy looked smugly at Charles, clearly still remembering their encounter in Diagon Alley. In his mind, this young professor was far too unreliable—how could someone barely older than himself possibly be qualified to teach at Hogwarts? He couldn't understand why his father and mother had specifically told him to respect this man.
"Mr. Malfoy probably doesn't want to mention the fact that he ran into a gigantic Venusaur during the summer," Charles said mildly, glancing at him but showing no sign of anger. Instead, he gestured for Malfoy to take his seat.
"I know many of you are probably wondering whether these so-called Pokémon truly exist. So, to begin our very first lesson, I intend to show you the truth with your own eyes—the real Pokémon!"
Before the class of dozens of wide-eyed students, Charles withdrew four red-and-white spheres from his belt and tossed them into the air.
In an instant, four bursts of scarlet lightning flared across the classroom. Massive shapes emerged—some spreading great wings as they soared, others leaping among the desks, or even gliding along the ceiling.
Every student froze, their faces a mixture of awe and terror.
"Hey! I've seen that one before—the Pidgeot! I flew on its back over the summer!" Harry said excitedly, turning to his friends.
Ron, however, could only gape at the enormous crimson lion striding proudly across the floor.
The Pyroar's majestic steps echoed through the classroom, its mane blazing like the sun as it surveyed its new domain like a true king. Then, with a low roar, it unleashed a stream of scorching fire toward the ceiling, making the young witches and wizards both fascinated and frightened.
Meanwhile, a massive purple serpent had coiled itself near the Slytherin students. Its cold, piercing eyes sent shivers down their spines, forcing them to retreat several steps for fear those gleaming fangs might suddenly strike.
"Does anyone recognize them?"
Charles asked with a friendly smile.
The classroom fell utterly silent. A few students looked as though they wanted to answer, but the fear of drawing the attention of those mighty creatures kept them trembling in their seats.
At last, a Hufflepuff student raised a hand—their House's corresponding Pokémon looked far smaller and less menacing than the others.
"The big bird is Pidgeot, and the purple snake is Ekans. I don't know the other two, Professor."
"Close. Hufflepuff earns one point. Anyone else?"
Hermione, after a moment's hesitation, raised her hand bravely. "That's not Ekans, Professor—it's Arbok, the Cobra Pokémon. It's a Poison-type, and it's the evolved form of Ekans. That process is called 'Evolution,' which is a phenomenon unique to Pokémon."
"Excellent. Gryffindor earns one more point." Charles nodded approvingly.
He then called the four Pokémon back to his side, and at once the class exhaled collectively in relief. The tension melted into excited chatter.
"That lion was so cool, wasn't it?"
"I actually touched that big snake!" Malfoy bragged loudly—though in truth, he couldn't have reached Arbok's tail even if he jumped.
The four Pokémon stood proudly beside Charles. The largest by far was Arbok, an imposing creature over three and a half meters long, its body as thick as a grown man's thigh. Its underbelly flared open like an oval pair of wings, displaying the terrifying pattern that resembled a monstrous pair of eyes.
Many of the girls couldn't help but tremble at the sight.
But for the Slytherins, nothing could have been more magnificent than such a powerful serpent—it was practically the living emblem of their House.
"As you all know, Hogwarts has four Houses, each symbolized by an animal: Gryffindor's lion, Slytherin's serpent, Ravenclaw's eagle, and Hufflepuff's badger," Charles explained, gesturing to the Pokémon that corresponded perfectly to those emblems.
"Among the one hundred forty-six Pokémon we'll study this year, Pidgeot and Arbok are included. When their lessons come, I'll go into greater detail—but for now, let's talk briefly about these two."
He returned Pidgeot and Arbok to their Poké Balls, then reached out to stroke Pyroar and the other remaining Pokémon.
"Pyroar, the Royal Pokémon. As you can guess, its primary type is Fire, with a secondary Normal type."
Every student was listening intently now, afraid to miss even a single word about these extraordinary creatures. None of them noticed that, at some point, an elderly wizard with a long silver beard had quietly appeared at the back of the classroom—Albus Dumbledore himself.
Charles, however, had noticed, but he chose not to acknowledge it.
"Among the many species of Pokémon, Pyroar is one of the few that show clear gender differences. Male and female Pyroar have distinct manes, and males tend to be much larger and more muscular."
With a wave of his hand, an image appeared on the blackboard—an animated sketch of a female Pyroar.
"Pyroar can breathe flames of extraordinary intensity—the temperature can reach up to six thousand degrees Celsius."
He let Pyroar demonstrate its power, and the students gasped in amazement. It felt less like a classroom and more like a dazzling circus performance.
"Would anyone like to come forward and pet Pyroar?" Charles asked, sweeping his gaze across the room with an encouraging smile.
Several students hesitated, tempted yet terrified. The moment their eyes met Pyroar's fierce, majestic gaze, their courage melted away. Malfoy, who had bragged about touching Arbok earlier, kept his head down and said nothing.
"No volunteers?" Charles asked again. "Don't worry—it won't harm you, as long as you don't show hostility."
After a pause, Harry raised his hand.
"Professor, I'd like to try," he said nervously, swallowing hard.
Perhaps because of his previous experience riding on Pidgeot's back, Harry's fear of Pokémon was less than most.
"Very good. Gryffindor earns three points for your bravery," Charles said warmly. He soothed Pyroar with one hand while guiding Harry forward.
"Pyroar is a proud, kingly Pokémon. It doesn't like its dignity being challenged. So when you approach, don't act aggressive—just stay calm. If it senses no threat, it won't attack."
Under Charles's steady voice, Harry stepped closer, and with great care, ran his hand through Pyroar's fiery mane.
When he returned to his seat, glowing with excitement, Charles recalled Pyroar to its Poké Ball. Now, only one Pokémon remained.
"This is Ursaring, the Hibernator Pokémon. It's a Normal-type that's incredibly fast when charging in a straight line. Even when facing opponents stronger than itself, it never backs down—remarkably tenacious, rather like our Hufflepuff wizards, wouldn't you agree?"
"Anyone else like to try petting this one?"
Perhaps because Ursaring didn't appear quite as intimidating as Pyroar, several students volunteered eagerly.
Soon, the bell rang to mark the end of class. Charles hadn't assigned any homework—not because the subject required none, but because he knew his students weren't yet ready for it.
And so ended the very first Pokémon Studies lesson at Hogwarts.
(End of Chapter)