Trainer's School; it was something of an in-between proper education and a place to learn common sense and be prepared for the world- or in other words, proper education.

This was where kids were taught about why Caterpies were around Butterfries and what's the difference between a Miltank and a Tauros, all in the name of preparing them for their Pokemon journey and ensuring that they don't do anything stupid.

But it wasn't all just sex ed that's being taught here; there were also subjects like Type Advantages and Disadvantages, or maybe the Survival Subject, Math is there too, so that the students know when to or not to purchase things and how to calculate and then there are things like Pokemon species and habitats and arguably the most popular subject of all; Battling.

Virah looked up at the trainer school, it had blocky walls painted in a rich peach and stood at a proud height of 3 stories tall. Although it looked like a gigantic rectangle from where she was, the whole thing was actually constructed in an L-shape and there's another horizontal wing on the other side. At the center of the L was a field surrounded by a metal fence, also L-shaped.

Together, they formed a proper square with two parts, with the first one- the school proper, - being that of concrete rooms and wooden furniture and the second part- the field, - being that of open skies and earthen ground.

And it was on the field where a lot of school kids congregate during lunch because who would have thought that young school kids liked to battle?

Even Virah was interested in it, but so far, she's only stayed on the sidelines but that's going to change today, because she now has a Pokemon of her own and she was proudly showcasing it for the rest of her schoolmates to see.

Hence why a Pokeball is bouncing up and down her hip.

And as expected, the tiny red and white sphere grabbed the attention of her classmates, with some staring at it in curiosity and others, like some guy she didn't know the name of- and wouldn't ever bother to, there's only 3 months left for her to “socialize” and Virah didn't think it was worth it, - coming up to her and asking her what her starter was.

Virah cupped her Pokeball, “it's a Weedle,”

The boy's face went green at her answer,”ewwwwwww, you like bugs?!”

His voice was already squeaky but that last word in particular had been said in an extra pitch altogether. Virah nodded confidently, uncaring about the look of disgust and condescension shot her way, they'll see just how amazing Nitro was soon enough.

The boy walked away and didn't waste time to start whispering words to his friends.

Virah watched it happen, well aware that one of them- most likely the snobby looking kid on the center with an expensive looking tux of all things, this was the same kid whose Pokemon she tutored, - would come up to her during lunch for a battle and she'd let them, knowing full well that the Pidgey their friend was so proud of wasn't as good as they thought it was.

Nothing else of importance happened after that, save for more kids noticing the Pokeball on her hip, and she got to her classroom without anything major happening to her and so, her first day as an actual trainer in Trainer's School started.

And most of it went by in a blur, even with Virah's rather slow and observant way of doing things, the morning period still passed her by and that's including the drawl that called itself recess.

When Lunch came about, Virah grabbed her bag and headed out for the school's battlegrounds/P.E. field.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

The metal fence surrounding the entire thing could be seen even from the exit or entrance doors of the field, and it was also here where the actual shape of the building could be properly seen, with it being two diagonal rectangles connected by a break in the middle.

Everywhere, sounds came from Pokemon who were getting ready to fight and those who were already fighting. Her fellow trainers were doing their fair bit of yelling too, with a few of them being loud enough that Virah felt bad for the people surrounding the owner of that particular voice.

She made her way across the field, eyeing all the battlegrounds all the while.

They were spread all over the place; tiny squares marked with white paint to indicate where trainers should battle, a few of them had upturned soil and a handful had the telltale signs of elemental effects, from puddles of water, mud, to even scorched earth from fire and lightning.

Virah found a seat, a bench near the fence, and far from anyone willing to challenge her.

Silently, she opened her bag and took out the onigiri she had bought on the way to school earlier this morning, she bit down and casually observed the battlers in front of her.

A few stood out and she took note of them, one guy with a Magnemite practically tore everything in his way- mostly because his starter couldn't be damaged and he avoided those that could.

Like the guy with the Machop, a young martial artist who got his Pokemon to throw hands with anything and everything, and he won almost all the battles he fought.

Virah noted that these people were good battlers in their own right; ones who knew how to avoid deadly battles, and the other was just an overall competent fighter- if not reckless. But that's just the standard for muscle headed martial artists really.

She finished her meal and drank the last of her juice, she threw them away, grabbed her bag, and made her way towards the groups of trainers at the center of the field to find someone to battle.

Only to quickly stop when someone called out to her, “hey, Virah right?”

She faced the speaker and quickly nodded to hide her shock when she realized just who it was, “Whitney?”

“You've heard of me huh?” The girl playfully said as she pushed the right side of her pink hair- cut in a bob cut much like Virah's, - to the back of her ear and met Virah's purple gaze with her pink, “I've heard you're a move tutor,”

“Yeah, I am?” Virah was confused, why would Whitney, future Goldenrod Gym Leader, of all people ask her something like this? Doesn't her family have move tutors of their own? And why approach her now of all times?

“Okay, that's great,” Whitney beamed, “can you teach my Meowth something that can hurt a Steel Type?”

“...” Virah thought it through and nodded, “yeah, does Feint Attack work?”

Whitney frowned before crossing her arms, emphasizing her already growing chest, which did not make Virah feel self conscious at all.

“I thought Steel resisted Dark?” She asked.

“That was 2 months ago,” Virah shook her head, “some professor discovered that wasn't the case, and was only just a placebo effect,” a mass one, she forgot to add and didn't feel the need to, “it's neutral,”

“Is it now?..” Whitney murmured, “okay, fine, I trust you-” she grabbed one of the three Pokeballs from her hip and popped it, a beam of red light washed over Virah's vision and a Meowth came into existence right next to Whitney's leg, “can you teach him?”

“Mrowww~" The Meowth in question responded with a saccharine yet smug tone that's oh so iconic for their evolution line. And for some reason, Virah felt that it fit Whitney to a tee.

“I can but, uh, it'll take a while?” She said with a tilt of her head, “move tutoring isn't exactly instant, you know?”

“I know,” Whitney nodded and stepped forward, “so, what do you usually like?”

And just like that, the girl decided that they were now friends. Virah thought this kind of connection through and concluded that the risks of her being mistaken as a leech far outweighed the benefit she could get from actually leeching off of this girl.

“Pokemon breeding, move theory, and diets, I guess- oh, I'm also learning how to become a proper trainer and battle properly,” Virah answered quickly.

Whitney started replying excitedly, and she started with criticism, “Hm… the breeding thing is weird, and you liking moves makes sense since you're a tutor, diets… yeah, that also makes sense, you work for a breeding center right?”

Whitney's eyes bore into Virah and the girl rubbed her arm in discomfort, “something like that,”

“I'm pretty sure you do- anyways, you like all of that because you're a breeder which- eeck,” Whitney shuddered, “I don’t see why you can even look at that-” Whitney shuddered as though imagining something unseen and from her expression, Virah thought that it was better that way, “- but okay, at least you know how to teach moves because of it BUT-”

Virah didn't need to wait in silence for long as Whitney picked back up on her rapid way of talking after a deep breath.

“- you learning how to battle means that you're going to be a trainer right?” Virah nodded at Whitney's guess, “huhu~ guessed it in one,” Whitney held her head high, “okay, so, since that's the case doesn't that mean that we should be sparring partners?”

Virah… slowly nodded, “maybe,”

“Not maybe- yes.”

Virah nodded, much faster this time, “okay- fine,”

“Great!” Whitney snapped her fingers, “so, what's your starter?”

“A Weedle.”

Whitney sputtered, “a Weedle?”