"...And that's why, when you're looking at a Steel-type, you don't just see a wall of metal. You see high physical defense but low speed, and a surprising vulnerability to special attacks. If you can't outmuscle them, you outsmart them by hitting where their armor is thinnest."
Julian finally stopped talking, his throat feeling like he'd been swallowing sandpaper. He grabbed his water bag and took a long, desperate gulp, the cool liquid finally putting out the fire in his chest.
"Spot on," Candice chimed in, leaning against a nearby training dummy. "What Julian just gave you isn't something you'll find in Chapter 4 of your textbooks. That's field data. You only get that by getting your boots dirty and actually facing those Pokémon in the ring. Take notes—this stuff saves lives in a blizzard."
The playground immediately turned into a buzz of excited chatter.
"So there's a whole different layer to this besides just 'Fire beats Ice'?" one student asked, scribbling furiously in a notebook.
"I wonder what his other Pokémon are like if his Growlithe is this fast," another whispered.
"I never realized Steel-types had such a specific blind spot. I need to rethink my strategy for the Canalave Gym..."
Candice stepped over to Julian, a playful smirk on her face. "You're a natural, Julian. Sure you don't want to hang up the traveling boots and sign a contract? We could use a 'Combat Theory' specialist like you."
Julian nearly choked on his water. "Not a chance. Talking that much almost took me out. I'm a traveler, not a lecturer. My lungs aren't built for full-time teaching."
"Fair enough," Candice laughed. "But since we're already here, how about a little live demonstration? My students are itching for a real battle, and some of them are actually pretty decent. Think you can handle a few rookies?"
Julian wiped his mouth, a spark of interest finally returning to his eyes. "Actually... yeah. I have a little one who just joined the team recently. This would be the perfect low-stakes environment for him to get some actual field experience."
"That's the spirit!" Candice clapped her hands, the sound echoing like a gunshot across the yard. The students went silent instantly.
"Alright, listen up! Julian has agreed to a three-round exhibition match! But here's the kicker: he's using a newly hatched team member. That means you actually have the power advantage here. No excuses!"
The excitement in the crowd reached a fever pitch. Julian stepped forward, scanning the sea of eager faces before pointing out his challengers.
"Zoey—the one with the quick reflexes from the quiz. Johanna—the girl with the Glameow. And you over there, with the Tangela. You're my three rounds. Let's see what the Academy has taught you."
"Yes! I'm first!" Zoey cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
"Senior is always so aggressive when it comes to battling," Johanna giggled, hugging her Glameow tighter.
The third student didn't say anything, just narrowed his eyes and began whispering instructions to his Tangela, clearly already deep in tactical thought.
"Zoey, you're up first. Center court!" Candice announced. "Standard one-on-one rules. The match is over when one Pokémon is unable to continue. Let's keep it clean and keep it 'ice-hot'!"
Zoey sprinted to the challenger's mark, her Snover trotting beside her. "We've been waiting for a real challenge, Snover! Let's show a traveling Pro what we can do!"
Julian walked to the opposite side, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt. He felt a bit of a thrill—it had been a while since he'd been the 'big boss' in a match. "Don't go too easy on us, Zoey. This is his first official outing. Go, Carbink!"
With a flash of white light, a small, grey, rock-like creature appeared. It was covered in soft blue tufts, with dazzling diamonds embedded in its body that caught the sunlight like tiny prisms.
"Mishi! Mishi-mishi! (Ooh, a playground! Can I play? Is it battle time?)" Carbink began to bob up and down happily, looking more like a floating plush toy than a combatant.
"What is that?!" "Is it a Rock-type? I've never seen it in the Sinnoh Dex!" "Julian said its name was Carbink... wait, is that from Kalos?"
"Exactly," Julian said, seeing the confused looks on the students' faces. "He's a long way from home. Carbink usually live in deep underground kingdoms in the Kalos region. As for his type and what he can do... well, consider this your real-time research project."
"A Kalos Pokémon? So cool!" Zoey's eyes were practically glowing. "But exotic or not, we're not backing down! Snover, let's start it off! Powder Snow, let's go!"
Snover inhaled and let out a soft, swirling gust of sparkling frost. It wasn't the roaring blizzard of a Gym Leader's Pokémon, but for a student's partner, the control was impressive.
Beginner level, definitely, Julian thought, his eyes tracking the snowflakes. Makes sense. If she had a high-level Snover at ten, the school wouldn't let her walk around without a license.
"Carbink, let's keep it steady. Use Rock Throw, but don't aim for Snover—aim for the ground in front of you!"
"Mishi!"
The diamonds on Carbink's head flickered with a pale blue light. Suddenly, several jagged stones materialized and slammed into the pavement right in front of him, forming a makeshift, jagged barricade just as the Powder Snow arrived. The frost hissed as it coated the stones, turning the wall pure white but failing to reach Carbink.
"What?!" Zoey gasped. "He used an attack move to build a shield?"
The students on the sidelines were losing it.
"Wait, is that allowed? You can use Rock Throw defensively?" "He didn't even use Protect! He just used physics!" "Carbink... definitely a Rock-type. But look at how fast he conjured those stones. That's some serious Special Attack potential for a little guy."