"Huff... huff... I can't go on..."
On the vast field, under Lucas' lead, seventeen students and their Pokémon sweated it out on the track.
Eri, tall and imposing among her peers, led the pack, her long black hair waving in the wind.
She left the others far behind. After a large gap, students like Arven, Giacomo, and Aliquis followed steadily.
Ortega was much quieter today—he didn't provoke anyone or resist Lucas. With a stern face, he ran at a steady pace, his two lackeys watching in confusion.
At the very back, someone was struggling, barely keeping up.
Matching Eri's pace, Lucas temporarily handed over the lead to her, slowed down, and waited for Nemona to catch up. "Need a break? You don't have to push so hard."
Nemona panted heavily, feeling her lungs were about to give out. As an admirer, she didn't want to show weakness in front of Lucas, so she forced a smile. "I'm okay. Don't be fooled by me—I can finish the whole run."
Her partner, Pawni, ran beside her, calling out confidently, believing in Nemona's extraordinary stamina.
While running, Arven would occasionally glance back at Nemona with a strange expression. "Is she really that bad at sports?"
Arven had thought Nemona, in her athletic outfit, might not beat the athletic Eri but should at least keep pace with herself.
She didn't expect Nemona to lag behind even Ortega, the pampered rich boy.
"Nemona, you can do it!"
Eri smiled and waved, cheering Nemona on as she neared the finish. The other students who had finished waited for her at the end.
At first, Ortega's lackeys had mocked Nemona's lack of athleticism, but seeing her stubbornly complete ten laps, even they felt some respect—no way they could do it.
Nemona barely felt conscious as she finally stepped over the finish line, her tense body relaxing, and she nearly collapsed.
Eri, well-versed in post-exercise states, stepped forward without hesitation—faster even than Lucas—and caught Nemona before she could fall.
Though Eri was only fourteen or fifteen, her voice was gentle as she patted Nemona's head. "You really worked hard."
Kukui, following Lucas's signal, quickly brought over a bottle of warm water.
"Water."
Eri took the cup from Kukui and gently fed the exhausted Nemona. Despite being taller and stronger than most boys, she was still as gentle and caring as any ordinary girl.
"Thank you, Eri," Lucas said, seeing this side of her. He could understand why, in the future, Eri would command so much respect in Team Star—even the sharp-tongued Ortega listened to her.
After rehydrating, Nemona took a while to recover, but Lucas could tell she still hadn't fully regained her stamina.
It seemed Nemona's athletic abilities were naturally weak—no amount of training could change that much.
While Nemona rested, Lucas led the students through other ways to train physically with their Pokémon. Soon, it was almost time for class to end.
He clapped his hands to draw their attention. "Doesn't today's lesson feel more like PE than battle studies?"
No one answered, but Lucas saw that most agreed.
"As I said earlier, trainers often explore the wild alone. Besides your partners, your own two legs are your most reliable asset."
He paused, then continued, "For example, if you encounter a particularly powerful wild Pokémon, and even your Pokémon can't repel it, what should you do?"
"Eri, you answer."
Sitting cross-legged on the field, Eri pointed at herself. After Lucas nodded, she stood up, full of spirit: "With the bond between me and my Primeape, we'll unleash a passionate combo attack and drive it off!"
Primeape nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Wrong." Lucas gently tapped Eri's head, released Swampert, and smiled, "Eri, do you think your combo move with Primeape can even budge my Swampert?"
"I accept the challenge!"
Seeing the muscled Swampert, Eri's eyes blazed. She and Primeape advanced in sync, both hands forming karate chops, striking at Swampert.
"Double Brick Break!"
Ortega, the closest, felt a gust of wind as the tall girl and the not-so-elegant Primeape charged. Frowning, he muttered, "What a brute..."
Despite Eri and Primeape's confident double attack, Swampert merely lifted its arms and effortlessly caught their karate chops, not even budging.
Eri braced herself and tried to pull her hand free with all her strength, but Swampert's burly arms didn't move at all. Primeape grew anxious, kicking and biting.
Lucas patted Swampert's shoulder, and both Eri and Primeape staggered back several steps before steadying themselves, eyes wide with shock.
They realized Swampert's strength was simply on another level.
The other students were stunned too. Eri's brute strength was famous at the academy, but she and Primeape couldn't even move Swampert.
Lucas calmly returned Swampert. "Now you understand—wild Pokémon are living creatures. They can move too. Who can guarantee the wild is always safe?"
"As I said in the first class, I won't teach you theory you can learn from books. Everything I teach comes from my real experiences as a trainer."
"Even though we're not in the era when Pokémon were called magical beasts, there are still plenty of wild Pokémon with fierce instincts. Pokémon are fearsome creatures. If you encounter one far above your level, don't hesitate—run for your life!"
"Only by surviving can you have a future."
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