Chapter 129: Class in Session, Analyzing the Duel

"Then, I would like to ask: which Pokémon do Dragon-types have an advantage against, and which types have an advantage over the Dragon-type?"

"The student in the sixth row, please stand up and answer."

Cheng Cheng called on someone else to answer the question.

"Teacher, Dragon-type and Ice-type moves are super effective against Dragon-types. Meanwhile, moves of the Grass, Water, Fire, and Electric types are not very effective against Dragon-types."

"That is correct. This student answered very well. To raise a Pokémon, you must be very clear about which types it is strong against and which types it is weak to."

Although Fairy-type Pokémon hold an absolute advantage over Dragon-types, Cheng Cheng did not mention this to them. It was too early to discuss such things; he would wait until everyone had a better grasp of the basics.

"Now, I won't cover any other topics. I will leave the rest of the time for you to ask questions, and I will explain them to you."

As soon as Cheng Cheng finished speaking, several hands went up.

"You there, please go ahead and ask your question."

"Teacher, I want to know, are Dragon-type Pokémon truly the strongest?"

"Dragon-type Pokémon are indeed known as the strongest type due to their innate advantages, which is why they are called the strongest. However, even though they hold that title, not every Dragon-type is powerful. At the same time, there are incredibly powerful Pokémon among other types as well."

"Moreover, a Pokémon's strength is also tied to its growth. Some seemingly weak Pokémon, through unremitting effort, grow into very powerful ones."

"In truth, we cannot definitively say which Pokémon is the strongest. We have yet to fully understand Pokémon, and there are still many that have not been discovered. For example, the Psychic-types with their miraculous powers, the mysterious Ghost-types, and the recently discovered Fairy-types. These all have many unknowns that are worth exploring. Therefore, we cannot say for certain which type is the strongest."

Cheng Cheng knew he had said enough, so he stopped there. He waited a few minutes to let them digest the information.

"Alright, who else has a question?"

"Teacher, could you tell us about Pokémon of other types? We have mostly learned about Dragon-types, and we would like to know about others."

"Very well. Since you want to learn about other types, I will try to cover them over the next few days."

"Now, for our next topic, I will teach you about a certain Pokémon. Which one would you like to hear about?"

"Teacher, we want to know about Fairy-type Pokémon!"

"Yes, teacher, please tell us about Fairy-types!"

"All right, I will teach you about Fairy-type Pokémon."

Cheng Cheng did not expect them to specifically request Fairy-types. In reality, he was hesitant to discuss them because there were many things he could not yet disclose, even to children.

"Fairy-type Pokémon were only discovered recently, so we don't know much about them yet. Their discovery was quite different from others. Most of the Fairy-types we see now are already familiar to us. For example, Cottonee and Whimsicott from the Unova region, or Gardevoir from the Hoenn region. These were originally considered single-type Pokémon, but we have since discovered that they possess characteristics of the Fairy-type."

"Currently, research into Fairy-types is still in its infancy, and I don't know much myself. To help you understand them better, I will let you experience one firsthand."

"Come out, Gardevoir!"

Cheng Cheng released his Gardevoir.

"Gardevoir is a Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon. Now, I will let you experience a Fairy-type move."

"Gardevoir, use Charm."

"Gardevoir?"

Gardevoir stared at Cheng Cheng.

"Gardevoir, use Charm!"

"Gardevoir, Gardevoir!"

Gardevoir turned its head away, ignoring Cheng Cheng.

Looking at Gardevoir, Cheng Cheng suddenly realized his mistake. He had forgotten that this Gardevoir was a male; it was certainly not easy to make a boy act coquettishly.

"In that case, Gardevoir, use Fairy Wind instead."

Although a Gardevoir usually requires Mega Evolution to fully utilize Fairy-type moves, a Pokémon with both Psychic and Fairy typings could still manage a bit of Fairy Wind in its normal state.

The goal was just to give the students a demonstration, so there was no need for a powerful move.

Gradually, a Fairy Wind spread throughout the classroom, and everyone felt its presence.

"You see? That was the Fairy-type move, Fairy Wind. If you want to learn more about Fairy-types, you can try looking for a Cottonee."

"Alright, that is all for this morning's lesson. Class dismissed."

After class, Cheng Cheng walked out of the classroom to the break area.

"Phew, that was exhausting."

Cheng Cheng had not expected the lesson to be so tiring. Although the students were cooperative and quiet, making things go smoothly, he still felt drained. He couldn't imagine how difficult it would be in a rowdier classroom.

"Cheng Cheng, your lesson was fantastic, much better than the ones I had before. When we studied, it was mostly just reciting from textbooks—very boring. If my previous classes had been this interesting, I wouldn't have dropped out."

"You dropped out?"

"Yes, I didn't enjoy the learning environment here, so I left after a few months."

"Muzi, it's your turn to teach this afternoon. Are you ready?"

"Of course. Your lesson was good, but I won't be any worse than you."

"Then I shall wait and see."

Cheng Cheng and Muzi stayed at the school for lunch. After the students finished their naps, the afternoon session began.

The morning was for theory, taught by Cheng Cheng. The afternoon was for battle training, handled by Muzi.

They arrived at the training ground. Muzi brought out her Vibrava, and Cheng Cheng brought out his Spoink.

"Alright, students, I will be conducting your battle training now. Cheng Cheng and I will demonstrate a battle for you. We will slow down the pace so you can clearly see our techniques."

"The Pokémon I am using is the Dragon and Ground-type, Vibrava. Its pre-evolution, Trapinch, is not a Dragon-type, but purely a Ground-type. Once it evolves into Vibrava, it gains the Dragon typing. Although Vibrava has 'bug' in its name, it is not a Bug-type. Its final evolution is Flygon, which is a wonderful Pokémon."

Muzi introduced her Pokémon, and Cheng Cheng followed suit.

"I am using Spoink, a Pokémon from the Hoenn region, which is quite rare in Unova. Spoink is a Psychic-type, and it evolves into Grumpig."

"Alright, let the battle begin."

"Vibrava, use Sonic Boom!"

Vibrava chirped, releasing several sonic blades toward Spoink. Both sides held back their power so the students could observe clearly.

"Spoink, dodge!"

Spoink used its spring-like tail to hop to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Vibrava, use Sand Tomb!"

Vibrava hovered near the ground, causing the terrain to vibrate. The ground began to turn to sand, forming a sinkhole.

Spoink used its springy tail to keep hopping, staying on the surface of the sand and avoiding being trapped.

"Sand Tomb is a Ground-type move that turns the area into sand, trapping the opponent. However, this move is ineffective against Pokémon that can float or fly. Additionally, some Pokémon can use special methods to resist it."

"Spoink, use Psychic!"

Spoink used Psychic to take control of Vibrava, slamming it directly into the Sand Tomb. Vibrava was momentarily stuck.

"Pay attention, everyone. Sometimes, we can turn an opponent's move to our advantage. It might produce an unexpected result."

Muzi hadn't expected this and began to take the battle seriously.

"Vibrava, use Bulldoze!"

Vibrava, while trapped in the sand, used Bulldoze. The entire ground heaved, and Vibrava quickly burst free from the Sand Tomb.

"When you are caught in a Sand Tomb, don't panic; look for a way to escape."

Cheng Cheng and Muzi found it quite draining to battle while explaining the tactics to the students.

"Vibrava, use Mud-Slap!"

"Spoink, use Psychic!"

Spoink used Psychic to block the mud.

"Vibrava, use Feint!"

Vibrava flew forward and landed a hit with Feint, knocking Spoink over.

Spoink scrambled back to its feet, and suddenly, its body began to glow. It was evolving.

"Look! It's evolving!"

"It really is!"

"Wow, an evolution!"

The students were thrilled. For some, it was their first time seeing a Pokémon evolve.

Cheng Cheng hadn't expected Spoink to evolve at that moment, but it was a great opportunity for the students to witness the process, and it really sparked their enthusiasm.