"Kyle, you're still not gonna get a Pokémon?" Sam turned to the left, glancing at the class topper who was buried in a book at his desk.
Kyle sat up, sighing. "Didn't I already tell you?" He looked at Sam with that familiar annoyed face. He'd clearly heard this one too many times.
"Yeah, but like, don't you wanna travel, catch cool Pokémon, hit up gyms, maybe go for the Hoenn League? Y'know, win it all?" Sam's face lit up like he was talking about his own future.
Kyle just looked at him and muttered, "Idiot."
"Hey! I heard that!" Sam frowned, clearly offended.
"I know," Kyle replied with a nod, not even trying to hide the criticism.
Sam let out a sigh. He'd clearly heard that tone before and didn't feel like arguing again. Instead, he switched the subject. "Look, it's not just about the Pokémon. School's gonna give you starter supplies, like Pokéblocks. You won't have to worry about food at the start."
Kyle leaned back slightly, arms crossed. "Yeah, at the start. But what about after that?" His voice was sharper now. "Pokémon food isn't cheap, and it's not just food. You gotta groom them, heal them, keep their gear in shape. If you slack off, they get sick or injured. No one talks about that part."
"Yeah, but..." Sam started, trying to think of a comeback, but Kyle didn't give him the chance.
"What about you?" Kyle asked, shifting the conversation. "You planning to travel after this year?"
"Nah, not yet." Sam shook his head. "Mom said I can only start after I finish twelfth grade." He smiled. "But Dad's cool with it. In fact, last year he told me if I score well in tenth, I can get my first Pokémon."
Just saying it out loud made him grin. You could tell he was already lost in the thought of it.
Kyle's eyes flickered with a hint of jealousy. Getting a Pokémon... it wasn't that he didn't want one.
"Good for you," Kyle said, voice steady but a little distant. "So that means if you work hard this year, you'll get your partner soon, huh?"
"Yeah! In fact, I've already decided," Sam beamed, practically glowing now.
Just as he said that, a voice chimed in. It wasn't Kyle's, but someone else's.
"Oh yeah? Which one?"
It was Blake, another classmate, sitting right in front of Kyle. He'd been quiet the whole time, but apparently, this Pokémon talk finally pulled him in.
"Torchic," Sam answered proudly.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "Its final evolution's Blaziken, right? Fire and Fighting type. Not a bad choice."
He said it casually, but as the words left his mouth, something clicked in his mind. Wait. Was Sam's family paying for the NPPG?
The National Pokémon Partnership Grant.
It was a system where parents or guardians paid the League in advance so that when their kid reached the right age, they could choose one of the regional starters, fully covered. That included free registration for official battle events, Pokémon insurance, discounts at Pokémon Centres, and a bunch of other perks.
That would explain a lot, Kyle thought, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Hmm, I'm going for Mudkip," Blake said with a confident grin. "I'll train it hard and make sure it gets strong enough to beat my dad's Machamp someday."
Then he turned to Kyle. "But seriously, you're really not gonna get a Pokémon? You know the top scorer this year gets to pick one from Sun Breeding House, right?"
Kyle looked up.
"It's one of the biggest breeding house in the city." Blake leaned in a little. "And with your brain? C'mon, it's pretty obvious. You're the favourite to top this year. That could be your chance to get a good Pokémon for free."
There was a pause. Kyle's lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then he stopped.
"I..." He hesitated, then looked away. "No. I've decided."
"Well, it's your choice," Blake said with a shrug. He glanced at his watch. "Though, something's definitely up. Ms Gwen's never this late."
"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Mr Milson and Mr Jackson haven't shown up in their classroom either."
"All of them missing? That's not normal," Blake added, brows raised. He was just about to say something more when the classroom door suddenly swung open.
A tall woman with long brown hair walked in, her heels clicking softly on the floor. Instantly, the class shuffled into their seats like dominoes falling into place.
"Not bad," Ms Gwen said with a half-smile, scanning the quiet room. "Honestly, I thought you lot would've turned this place into a market by now."
"Ma'am, Mr Khan is in Section B today," one of the boys near the front called out.
"Ahh, that explains it," she said with a smirk. "No wonder no one's come complaining to me yet."
She walked over to the desk, dropped her folder with a thud, and looked around at the class.
"Anyway, since we're already running late, I'll skip the lecture today."
The class visibly relaxed. A few students even smiled, thinking they'd gotten lucky.
"So instead, I'm giving you all homework."
And just like that, the mood flipped.
"I want an essay, at least 400 words, on Water-type Pokémon."
"Nooooooo!" half the class groaned in unison.
Sam dropped his head on the desk dramatically. "I knew peace was just a lie."
Blake leaned back in his chair, muttering, "She played us like a fiddle..."
Laughter rippled through a few desks, but Kyle didn't join in. He just sighed softly and turned to look out the window.
A Swellow soared high across the sky, its wings slicing through the clouds with ease, like it didn't have a single care in the world.
Wish I could have a Pokémon...
**************
First pokemon?