Breeder System: I Raise Mythical Pokemon

The holiday had just ended. After the usual "welcome back" speech from their homeroom teacher, the class was handed over to the subject teacher for two quick periods, and soon enough, it was time for the big break.

"Bro, come on, tell me—what's the secret? You two clearly know something I don't!" Jace pestered Auron as they headed downstairs, while Serena Elm trailed beside them, giggling like a goof.

"It's her dream, obviously. She wants to be an Ice-type Champion. And since Ice and Water are always closely related, but she couldn't get an Ice-type starter, she went for Water instead," Auron explained.

Serena thumped Jace on the back, putting on her most serious face to add, "Wrong! To be precise, I want to be the world's only female Ice-type Champion. I'm going to surpass my idol, Andrea Cross, and earn the title of the ultimate Ice Queen!"

Jace rolled his eyes. "You? Ice Queen? That's a reach. If I'm being generous, you're a lovable dork. If I'm not—well, I'll let you figure that out."

"Hey! Don't run!" Serena aimed two playful punches at Jace's back, but he was already sprinting away before she could land a third.

"Hey, wait up, you guys!" Auron laughed, picking up speed to catch up with them.

Serena was the youngest in her family, and the only girl among three older brothers—her grandfathers doted on her too. She'd been pampered since birth, but everything changed the day she saw Andrea Cross's fierce battle on TV. When her third brother joked, "Your voice is just like Andrea's—cold and clear," Serena's starstruck eyes practically doubled in size. From that day on, she was determined to follow in Andrea's footsteps and become the cool, untouchable goddess of her dreams.

The result? A girl raised with nothing but love and doting, shielded by her brothers, decided she would play the "cool beauty" role. To strangers, she could sometimes keep up the act. But in front of Auron and Jace? Not a chance. All anyone saw was the adorable, spoiled little sister.

"Hurry up, line up—the principal's coming!" Their homeroom teacher called them over to the field, lowering his voice as he herded the trio into formation.

"Now, since the holiday's just ended, let me say a few words…" the principal began from the stage, microphone in hand.

"Bet you he doesn't stop at 'a few words'," Jace muttered, tilting his head toward Auron.

"No way. Not risking it," Auron replied. Jace only made bets when he was sure to win, and nobody was falling for that today.

Sure enough, the principal's "few words" turned into a 20-minute monologue. Just as classes were about to resume, he finally got to the point:

"Students, after a meeting, we've decided this year's Academy Battle Tournament will take place next Friday. All seniors should be ready! The freshmen and sophomores will be watching your battles. That's all, dismissed."

As soon as he finished, the student body scattered like a flock of Pidgey freed from a cage.

"Auron, what am I going to do?" Serena rushed over, her face full of panic. "I totally forgot about the tournament, and my starter is Feebas! How am I supposed to fight with her?"

"Relax," Auron soothed. "After school, come with Jace and me to the battle center. We'll get a practice room and I'll show you how to battle. Do you know which moves your Feebas can use?"

Serena shook her head, still flustered. "No idea. Beauty only hatched two days ago. After I registered her, I just played with her the whole time. My brother said newborn Pokémon shouldn't train right away, so I didn't try."

"He's not wrong, but some light training is still good. We'll check things out after class."

"Okay!" Serena cheered up instantly, the excitement of having her own Pokémon still fresh. The past two days, she'd just been glued to Feebas—watching TV, snacking, and going out together. She hadn't thought about anything else.

Back in the classroom, right before class began, their homeroom teacher got everyone's attention.

"About the Academy Battle Tournament: I won't repeat myself. For the last two years, you were just spectators. This year, you're competitors. It's all one-on-one battles with your new starters—purely a warm-up for the college entrance exams. The point is, when the real test comes, you won't panic."

"The difference is, in the real exams you battle pro examiners, but this time you'll fight your classmates. Last thing: go out there and show everyone what Class One is made of—got it?"

"Got it!" the whole class replied in practiced unison.

"Alright, let's start class," he said, walking out.

Time dragged by, as it always does during class, until at last the final bell rang. School was out.

"Let's go! I can't wait to see what moves Beauty has," Serena called, practically bouncing over to Auron and Jace.

"Patience, patience," Auron chuckled.

On the way to the battle center, Auron asked Serena, "What kind of energy cubes does your Feebas eat?"

"Mostly nutritional ones, mixed with a few for boosting stamina and energy. Beauty's got a great appetite," Serena replied.

"Good! I'll give you a recipe later—it'll help your Feebas a lot. By the way, do you know how to make cubes?"

"Of course! You forgot I was top of our cube-making class?" Serena boasted, nose in the air.

"Alright, alright—don't get too cocky!" Auron teased.

Serena just grinned and scrunched her nose, while Jace grumbled to himself, "Why am I even here?"

The three arrived at the Love Pokémon Store's battle center and booked a private training room with a pool this time. Water-types could spend a little time on land, but there was no substitute for training in water.

"Send out Feebas and let's see what she can do," Auron suggested.

"Alright—come on out, Beauty!" Serena released Feebas into the pool. "Beauty, show us all your moves!"

Feebas leapt out of the water and spat a jet stream, hitting a target on the shore.

"Water Gun! Beauty, you're amazing!" Serena was so excited she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Jace and Auron exchanged a look. "It's just Water Gun…"

"Show them what else you can do, Beauty!" Serena pouted, determined to prove her Feebas's worth.

Feebas struck a proud pose, then charged up before surfacing and unleashed a bright green beam at the bullseye.

"No way, Auron! That's Dragon Breath, right?" Jace shook Auron by the shoulders, barely able to believe his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I see it. That's definitely Dragon Breath," Auron replied, feeling dizzy from all the shaking.

Serena was beside herself, practically vibrating with happiness. "You're incredible, Beauty! You even know Dragon Breath!"

"Alright, alright, don't get too excited," Auron laughed. "If Feebas's parent was a Dragon-type, it's not that rare to inherit Dragon Breath. Let's see what else she's got."

"Okay, Beauty, show us everything!" Serena called.

Feebas's eyes filled with confidence. First, she sent out a series of dark purple rings—Hypnosis. Before Jace and Auron could react, she shot a flash of purplish light—Confuse Ray! Finally, after a long swim to recover her strength, Feebas managed to fire a thin Ice Beam, then promptly floated belly-up, exhausted.

"Water Gun, Dragon Breath, Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, and Ice Beam… Honestly, just with those, Feebas could carry you through the tournament!" Serena cheered, jumping up and down by the poolside.

"She's even better than I hoped for! You're amazing, Beauty!"

"Don't celebrate too soon," Auron warned, bringing her back to earth. "Her moves are good, but she takes a long time to charge up, and her stamina isn't great. If you don't work on those, you won't get far in the tournament."

"Then let me stick with you! Will you teach me how to train?" Serena clasped her hands in front of her chest and gave Auron her very best puppy-dog eyes.

Auron made a face and scooted a little closer to Jace. "Fine, but stop with the voice. It's totally at odds with how you act."

Serena just stuck out her tongue. "Got it! So, after school every day, I'll train with you and Jace. If you come by on weekends, call me too, okay?"

"Deal."

"Let's get started, then. Have Feebas practice using all her moves, and call your family to make sure they get the right berries for the new cube recipe. The sooner Beauty starts eating them, the better."

"Yes sir, boss!" Serena gave him a silly salute, which only made Auron roll his eyes. He turned to Jace:

"As for you, same as before—except today, you're doubling the training load."

"Aye aye, captain!" Jace mimicked Serena's salute, earning only a long look of pure disdain from Auron.

(End of Chapter)

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