"Setting aside the rarest exceptions, Pokémon types fall under eighteen distinct categories."
"Normal, Flying, Fire, Psychic, Water, Electric, and so on."
Su Bai stood on the podium, speaking with clarity and confidence.
"Each type has its own defining traits. In most cases, even at first glance, you can tell what you're dealing with."
"Just like Awakened humans have elemental affinities that clash or synergize, Pokémon also have type matchups—fixed relationships of strengths and weaknesses."
"When type advantages apply in a battle, attacks can deal double damage."
As he spoke, Rotom projected a detailed type matchup chart on the digital screen behind him.
All eighteen Pokémon types were shown clearly, alongside their interactions and weaknesses.
Su Bai smiled faintly.
"Gotta admit… Rotom is really handy."
Though he never imagined himself standing at the front of a lecture hall as a teacher, now that he was tasked with it, Su Bai took his role seriously.
"Death Beasts have elemental affinities too. And while some are bizarre, the vast majority still fall within this same framework."
"From this perspective, Death Beasts and Pokémon actually share some similarities."
"For example, Fire-type Death Beasts pose a serious threat to Pokémon like Grotle, who are Grass-type."
At that, Su Bai paused, turning to point at Wang Tao in the front row.
"I'm sure those of you who fought in the Death Beast siege experienced this firsthand. Especially you, Wang Tao—Grotle didn't exactly have it easy."
Grass-types, after all, have a lot of weaknesses.
Flying, Poison, Bug, Fire, and Ice—all deal double damage to Grass-types.
Wang Tao scratched his nose awkwardly and gave a reluctant nod.
During the siege, his Grotle had faced an overwhelming number of Death Beasts.
And many of them were natural counters.
If it hadn't been for the presence of multiple Pokémon, the excellent training Grotle had received, and the endless supply of healing items from Zhang Qun, their resident "rich dog," Grotle might not have held the front lines so effectively.
"Every Pokémon has its own development path," Su Bai continued.
"Take Li Xiaoyu's Eevee, for example. It has eight different evolution forms—each with its own training methodology."
"If you want to truly understand these creatures, theory alone isn't enough."
"You have to treat your Pokémon as family. Grow together with them."
"Because if your heart is truly with them, Pokémon will always respond in kind."
"Unlike Death Beasts, who are forcefully contracted, Pokémon are companions you can trust with your life."
Su Bai's throat was starting to dry out.
Diancie immediately passed him the cup of tea prepared on the desk.
Thunderous applause erupted from the students below.
Su Bai's long-time customers at the pet shop clapped the loudest—Liu Yunlan nearly leaped out of her seat.
Not to sound rude, but… that scene looked uncannily similar to her Monferno cheering during a fight.
For these first-generation Trainers, most of what they knew came in scattered bits and pieces from Pokédex entries.
Su Bai had just organized it all into a structured, coherent system.
Concepts that once felt hazy were finally clicking into place.
"Still can't wrap my head around it," someone muttered.
"We're all the same age, but Su Bai's so mature it's scary."
Pei Jingguo laughed as he clapped.
"Strictly speaking, the content isn't hard to understand. But the ability to explain it clearly, using real-life examples?"
"That's not something a first-time teacher can usually do."
Wang Tao, with a smug grin, added:
"Su Bai's always been like this since we were kids. My dad says he's got eight hundred backup plans in that brain of his."
"But he's never played mind games with friends."
"Still, I'm not too happy about him using my Grotle as an example!"
Grotle was his pride and joy.
Even though he now had a new companion—a chubby little Hippopotas—Grotle remained his favorite.
As the applause slowly died down, Wang Tao seized the moment.
"So what, if you're type-countered, you're just doomed to lose?" he asked indignantly.
"Should a Trainer just surrender the second they see a bad matchup?"
"And during the siege, Grotle was amazing, okay?!"
Su Bai turned to his best friend and chuckled.
That was actually… a great question.
"Wang Tao's right," Su Bai nodded. "Having a type disadvantage doesn't mean you're guaranteed to lose."
"In group battles, type synergy and teamwork are the keys to victory."
"We're not here to play fair with Death Beasts. Those monsters don't understand honor or restraint."
"Your Grotle was trained exceptionally well—its base stats were solid, and with support from the rest of the team, it shined."
"But in one-on-one battles, type disadvantages do make things harder."
"Still, it's not hopeless. That's where Terastallization comes in."
He continued, eyes gleaming with clarity.
"Using Tera Shards, you can eventually unlock Terastallization."
"This lets a Pokémon temporarily change its type, completely altering the matchup."
"It's a crucial tactical element in higher-level Trainer battles."
"Of course, Terastallization isn't available just yet. But as we all deepen our understanding, that day will come."
Su Bai didn't hold back.
And for good reason—keeping secrets didn't benefit him.
His Pokémon Home System wasn't just about unlocking the Pokédex anymore.
The progression was clear: selling Pokémon in the beginning had only been to raise funds for building a Pokémon Center.
Future upgrades would likely involve building more such facilities.
The system's ultimate goal?
To seamlessly integrate Pokémon into this world.
And that… was Su Bai's goal too.
Because once that happened—
The Death Beasts' reign would finally come to an end.
Su Bai paused, then looked toward his best friend with a sly grin.
"Pokémon studies have always been more about practice than theory."
"The old Principal didn't bring me on board just to teach slideshows."
"Type advantages are just textbook concepts. In reality, battles aren't turn-based games."
"Even with a type disadvantage… you still have a fighting chance."
"Since Wang Tao brought it up, why don't we give everyone a demonstration?"
"It's a bit cramped in here… so let's head to the training grounds."
"I'll take a Pokémon that's weak against Grotle and show you how a reverse-type battle plays out."
With that, Su Bai gave Wang Tao a meaningful look and walked out of the lecture hall.
The classroom exploded with cheers.
Learning theory was one thing—but seeing Su Bai battle?
That was a rare treat!
As students flooded out the door, Liu Yunlan gave Wang Tao a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
"That's what you get for running your mouth…"
The message was loud and clear—even without words.
Wang Tao looked miserable.
He just wanted to restore Grotle's honor a little.
How did it suddenly become a direct fight with Su Bai?
For someone who claimed to be a prodigy Trainer…
This wasn't going to be easy.