It was not yet six in the morning when Wang Luo was woken up by his alarm clock, which he had set last night; today was his first day of school in the Pokémon department, and he couldn't be late.
Meanwhile, Slowpoke was still in a deep sleep, and when the alarm rang, it just turned over and covered its head, a true little lazybones.
Wang Luo smiled, ignored it, quickly changed his clothes, and then began to wash up.
Anyway, Slowpoke didn't need to wear clothes or wash up; he would just recall it into its Poké Ball when he left, letting it sleep in there.
After washing his face and brushing his teeth, Slowpoke was still not awake. He took out the Poké Ball and recalled Slowpoke, then went downstairs to eat breakfast, and bid farewell to his parents. Of course, he couldn't forget Slowpoke's food for today, or the little guy would throw a tantrum.
After leaving the house, Wang Luo headed straight for the bus stop. After two months, he was about to experience the maddening morning rush hour again.
Arriving at the Elf Comprehensive Building at the school, Wang Luo quickly found his class, Elf Class One.
He learned from his conversation with Zhang Yao yesterday that he was assigned to Elf Class Three, so it seemed that class assignments did consider some academic performance factors.
Entering the classroom, Wang Luo found that most of his classmates had already arrived, discussing yesterday's combat test in small groups. Some of them he knew, but most were unfamiliar classmates.
Among them, two were most noticeable: one was a burly young man sitting on a desk, somewhat handsome with hair like steel needles.
The reason he noticed him was because next to him stood a blue Pokémon resembling a crocodile—it was Totodile, a Water-type Starter Pokemon. It seemed like another rich second-generation.
"My Totodile is naturally strong. That Mankey yesterday dared to fight my Totodile head-on and was sent flying by one of my Totodile's claws. And Totodile's serrated teeth have been specially honed with special resources since birth; no one can withstand its Bite."
"Wani Wani!"
Totodile also heard its Trainer's praise and began to jump around, showing off.
And the surrounding classmates naturally showered compliments on Totodile, saying how cute it looked and how well it was raised. The young man clearly enjoyed it, looking as if he was saying, "If you have something good to say, say more."
The other was a beautiful girl with a cold expression. She had long hair draped over her shoulders and wore a long dress, but Wang Luo would not be fooled by her appearance.
This was Li Surong, a celebrity at Bincheng No. 1 High School and the daughter of the Gym Leader of Binhe City Gym. Like her father, she was skilled in raising Ground-type and Steel-type Pokémon.
During the combat test in the waiting area yesterday, he had seen her from afar. Her initial Pokémon was an exceptionally well-trained Drilbur.
What was astonishing was that Li Surong's Drilbur had already learned Metal Claw at this stage, showing its outstanding talent.
Don't let this campus girl's current quiet demeanor fool you; she's quite violent in battle. Her Drilbur's sharp claws left opponents unable to lift their heads.
Ding-a-ling...
As soon as Wang Luo sat back down, the class bell rang, and everyone quickly returned to their seats.
Just then, the teacher entered the classroom.
It was a gentle-faced female teacher, about thirty years old, with a faint smile on her face.
When the teacher entered the classroom, all the students looked at her in unison. It must be said that although this female teacher was not particularly stunning, her demeanor truly made people feel comfortable.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Luo Haitang, and I am your homeroom teacher and practical combat teacher. For the next year, I will be teaching you about Pokémon training and battle-related knowledge."
"I just joined our school this year, so please take good care of me."
As soon as she finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted in the classroom. After all, with such a gentle teacher, future classes wouldn't be too difficult.
Luo Haitang waited for the applause to subside before saying, "Last night, I looked at the placement test scores of our Elf Class One students. I have to say, our class truly gathers many Superior students. Our class alone accounts for three of the top ten in the grade."
As soon as she finished speaking, whispers broke out in the classroom.
Everyone was guessing who the other two formidable individuals were, as they believed Li Surong was definitely one of them.
"Wang Luo, Li Surong, Jiang Kai, please raise your hands so everyone can get to know you."
Wang Luo gave a wry smile and raised his right hand. He had originally wanted to keep a low profile, but he didn't expect to make such a big splash on the first day.
The students who had been whispering all looked in unison at these three. If nothing unexpected happened, these three would be the key university candidates from Bincheng No. 1 High School.
"Among these three students, Wang Luo was the first place in this placement test, Li Surong was second place, and Jiang Kai was seventh place. Which student is Wang Luo?"
Hearing this, Wang Luo could only reluctantly raise his hand higher.
The surrounding students were buzzing with discussion. The top student in the grade was not the campus goddess Li Surong, but a boy who usually kept a low profile.
"What's even more amazing is that Wang Luo's initial Pokémon is a Slowpoke. I've watched his combat video, and both his training of Slowpoke and his on-the-spot command are exceptional. Everyone should learn from him in the future."
Wang Luo's heart sank when he heard this. Teacher, are you praising me or making enemies for me?
They were all at an age where their blood ran hot, and no one would yield to anyone else. Wang Luo instantly felt the surrounding gazes turn unfriendly.
Among them, Li Surong and Jiang Kai's gazes were the most intense. Jiang Kai was the burly young man with Totodile, and his gaze contained not only unfriendliness but also a hint of defiance.
Luo Haitang watched the students' subtle movements from the podium, a hint of slyness flashing in her eyes. Being good-tempered didn't mean the teacher had no tricks up her sleeve; just a few words had ignited the students' fighting spirit.
"However, the teacher still wants to remind you that while Wang Luo's Slowpoke is indeed very strong, it doesn't mean that Pokémon like Slowpoke and Psyduck are easy to raise. So, when you choose Pokémon in the future, don't blindly follow. Choosing what's suitable for you is what's important."
"Otherwise..."
Luo Haitang narrowed her eyes and scanned the students below the podium, as if she could Detect their thoughts.
"You'll have to bear the consequences yourselves."
Hearing this, many students who had been plotting quietly dismissed a certain idea.
They had indeed harbored the thought of choosing Slowpoke or Psyduck as their second Pokémon, after all, they possessed the noble Psychic attribute, and if Wang Luo could raise such a strong Slowpoke, why couldn't they?
But after hearing the teacher's words, they had to seriously reconsider. Once training failed, it would not only waste time but also incur additional resources for another Pokémon.
As for abandonment?
The Hua Country Pokémon Law clearly stipulates that Pokémon must not be abandoned at will, and violators will have their Trainer qualifications revoked.
Therefore, once a Pokémon is chosen, one must be responsible for it to the end. It's fine if the family is wealthy, but for a commoner Trainer, it would undoubtedly slow down their growth.
Seeing that everyone had put away their little schemes, Teacher Luo's face returned to its previous smile:
"Alright, no more idle talk. Let's begin the first lesson of the Pokémon department."