Chapter 14. Pokemon Academy

Deep in an underground facility in an undisclosed location a gathering of over a hundred prolific businessmen, politicians, top-level trainers, and certain criminals have come at the request of a very powerful man. A man by the name of Alaric Graves, the Grand Director of Team Dominion. A human-supremacist organization that seeks to enslave all Pokémon and replace the Pokémon League with a global technocratic empire where humans alone control the fate of the world.  He views Pokémon not as partners, but as living weapons and resources that should be completely subjugated for the betterment of humanity. Today, he has called upon the wealthy and powerful enemies of the Pokémon League to announce the official formation of Team Dominion, a revolutionary force dedicated to dismantling the League's outdated rule and ushering in a new era of human supremacy. Standing before a grand assembly of influential industrialists, corrupt politicians, and rogue scientists, Alaric Graves takes center stage, his cold, calculating gaze sweeping over the gathered elite. With a wave of his hand, a massive screen behind him flickers to life, displaying the Dominion Restraint Prototype—a sleek, metallic collar designed to override a Pokémon's free will and impose absolute obedience. "For too long, the League has shackled human progress, forcing us to rely on these creatures as equals rather than tools," he declares, his voice carrying the weight of conviction. "No more. The age of Pokémon trainers is over. The age of Dominion begins now." Murmurs ripple through the crowd—some of intrigue, others of apprehension. But Alaric is unshaken. He presses a button, and the screen shifts to live footage of a Legendary Pokémon bound in Dominion restraints. Mewtwo with glowing eyes devoid of emotion, its once-mighty will shattered. "With your support, we will reshape the world. The Pokémon League will crumble, and in its place, humanity will reign supreme. The weak will bow. The strong will rule. And Pokémon... will serve." The room erupts into applause, a sinister symphony of ambition and greed. Team Dominion has officially begun its march toward global conquest. ----- A few months later, Alex, dressed in simple jeans, a shirt, and a pullover hoodie, stood in front of a towering, modern structure with sleek glass windows, metallic accents, and grand archways. He was finally starting school. He had studied like his life depended on it and, with Jenny's help, managed to pass the Pokémon world's version of a General Education Development test. The test was merely to prove that he would be able to keep up in class despite four years of missed education. Its content was grade-school-level knowledge, which Alex easily passed. Unfortunately, he had to overwork himself with geography, history, and Pokémon biology, which was a completely new field of study for him. He did, however, score the highest in mathematics, which was ironic, as it had been his worst subject in high school. The school where he is about to have his first day of class is the Pokémon Academy in Saffron City. It is located in the heart of Saffron City, right next to the main headquarters of Silph Co. It is the second tallest building in the entire city and is best known for preparing trainers for office work, Gym Leadership, Gym staff positions, Pokémon Center management, Pokémon care, research, and various other professions. The Pokémon Academy is the primary source of workforce for the nearby Silph Co., as it is heavily funded by them to maintain the quality of their employees. The building boasts an impressive ten floors with reinforced walls and tall ceilings to support Elite-level Pokémon battles, ensuring that the building remains safe despite certain accidents. The facilities include the latest and greatest technology Silph Co. has to offer, including multi-terrain battle arenas, top-of-the-line medical equipment, resource identification machines, an extensive library, TM machines loaded with all known moves, a public marketplace for all students, classrooms that can house students and their Pokémon, and even a cafeteria that can cater to the specific species of Pokémon. Needless to say, it is an impressive school. Alex will be joining as a high school student, which is the lowest education level they offer. As for their highest offered education level, it is the Pokémon world's equivalent of college, preparing graduates for jobs in Pokémon care, battle, breeding, coordination, and research fields. His tuition per year is close to 50,000 Pokédollars, and as a four-year course, it will set Alex back 200,000 Pokédollars for his full ride. It is much more expensive than other alternatives, but the level of education is up to par, and students can even fight certified trainers in the battle arena. Food, board, and access to the comprehensive TM system are not included in the tuition, but at least the availability is there—not to mention the credential boost when he graduates. The availability of food, in particular, is already worth it, considering the cheaper prices offered to students in exchange for its higher quality. Plus, as a student, winning arena battles and passing classes grants students credits, which can be used to pay for access to TMs, top-quality food for students and their Pokémon, and the school store, which carries almost everything Silph Co. has its grubby little hands on—a significant portion of the market. All of this is available at cheaper prices than students can find outside. 'I'm finally here. Months of effort and I've only made it to the entrance,' Alex thought ruefully as he entered the building. Walking into the school lobby, Alex was greeted by the sight of students milling about as they hurried to their morning classes. Following the crowd, Alex eventually found himself on the second floor of the building, which was essentially a combination of the cafeteria and the student-run market. "High quality Evolution Stones! Get them while they last!" "Top-grade Pokéblocks! Your Pokémon will thank you!" "Rare Pokémon eggs for sale! Hatch your perfect partner today!" "Discount on Pokémon parts! Your Pokemon will love them!" As he wandered around, Alex spotted some interesting items for sale by students—Evolution Stones, Pokémon parts, berries, rare minerals, Pokéblocks, Pokémon, and even Pokémon eggs. Pokémon are expensive because training them from the wild takes time, effort, and resources. However, Pokémon eggs are even more costly, as newly hatched Pokémon are weaker, significantly easier to train personally, and allow for a stronger bond when the trainer is the first person they see. This is the primary reason why a million Pokédollars isn't enough for a budding trainer. A Dratini, for example, costs a million Pokédollars, while a Dratini egg costs ten million. Now, how are trainers supposed to build a powerful team when they've spent all their money on just one wild Dratini? As Alex continued on his way, he finally spotted the cafeteria menu. The human food was okay—it had everything necessary for a balanced diet and it was cheap at 15 Pokedollars for the amount. The Pokémon food, however, was extravagant. Alex had a sneaking suspicion ever since he discovered that EVs could be obtained from eating Pokémon meat. Could it be that Pokémon could gain levels—essentially power—just by eating the right foods? The answer to that question was yes, they could. On the menu, the section specific to Rattata included Pokéblocks that promoted accelerated growth. This essentially meant that Pokémon could grow into their power faster by consuming this particular Pokéblock. As long as Alex fed his Rattata these Pokéblocks while maintaining their daily training, Rattata would eventually "level up" even without battles. Of course, battles were the best way to grow, but this discovery confirmed Alex's theory. 'Food is the best way to empower Pokémon,' Alex confirmed. Just battles and Pokémon meat weren't enough—trainers have to invest in high-end Pokéblocks with various effects to maximize their advantage, on top of battles and the right Pokémon meat. Browsing through the selection, Alex noted that Pokéblocks offered all kinds of effects—sharper and stronger teeth, better vision, enhanced hearing, glossier fur, poison resistance, and even an overall boost to status resistance from just a single serving. 'These weren't Pokéblocks available in the games,' Alex thought. Unfortunately, their price matched their impressive effects. A single serving cost upwards of 1,000 Pokédollars, and to see continuous improvements, one would need to take them daily. For a brief moment, Alex considered making Pokéblocks himself but immediately dismissed the thought. Creating Pokéblocks required a significant financial investment just to get started. A breeder's first Pokéblock recipe could cost millions in various resources such as berries, Pokémon parts, and rare minerals. Even if one succeeded, there was always the risk of encountering Pokéblocks with better effects being sold at a cheaper price. Pokéblock research and development was an industrial endeavor, not a personal one. There was no hidden master out there who could create the best Pokéblocks from a single glance at a Pokémon. It was a trial-and-error industry that consumed as much money as it made. So, Alex immediately dropped the idea and settled on simply paying for the hard work of others. Although he wouldn't dabble in inventing recipes, he could still make his own if he stumbled upon a cheap enough formula and personally crafted the Pokéblocks for his own use. 'Yes. This is a much better alternative,' Alex thought. However, this idea would have to be shelved for now, considering that such a convenient recipe wouldn't come cheap, nor would the ingredients be readily available. As previously stated, Pokéblocks were an entire industry, not just some hobby. With that in mind, Alex immediately gave up on buying anything, given the outrageous prices. He would need a stable, significant income before he could even consider feeding his Pokémon such luxurious options. 'Sigh. Let's just go to class,' Alex sighed as he made his way to his first class. ----- Support me on Patreon patreon/babywrath