1. Ash's Story (Part 11: Paldea,Kitakami,Unova)

Chapter 40

In our Battle Studies Class at the court, Professor Dendra begins with a smile and a spirited, "Another day, another round of battle study! Osu! Let's get right to it!"

She commends our efforts on the midterm exams, saying, "You all gave everything you had on the midterm exams. Well done! We'll resume our regular classes today, so keep up that energy for the second half of the term! Have you all been sending out your Pokémo? If you do, your Pokémon will run off on their own. It's a super-useful tactic that lets your Pokémon pick up faraway items for you. And that's not all! If there's a wild Pokémon near where you sent your Pokémon, they'll start battling each other! We call those battles...Auto Battles! Just as the name implies, your Pokémon will act on its own during Auto Battles—meaning you won't have to give it any commands! And if your Pokémon wins, it'll get Exp. Points just like it would in a regular battle. If you make good use of these battles, they can be a really efficient way to train your party!"

I can't help but recall Korrina's use of a similar method until the incident with her Lucario. Professor Dendra adds a word of caution, "But you'll want to remember that Pokémon won't evolve or learn new moves right away if they level up from an Auto Battle. Also, if a Pokémon LOSES and Auto Battle, it'll come back with just a small amount of HP left. Make sure to heal it up right away!"

She acknowledges her lecture becoming one-sided and asks if there are any questions. Serena raises her hand and inquires, "Excuse me, but can we catch wild Pokémon during Auto Battles?"

Professor Dendra explains, "If you let your Pokémon battle on its own, it'll keep going until its opponent is defeated! If you want to catch a wild Pokémon, you'll need to battle by issuing commands instead! Even during Auto Battles, our Pokémon are out there battling for us—their Trainers! Keep an eye on them as much as possible, and if it looks like they're going to lose, be sure to have them retreat! Also, this goes without saying, but Pokémon with low HP are already worn out. They probably won't enjoy Auto Battles as much, so don't work them too hard, OK?"

She concludes her lecture with some advice, "In conclusion! Auto Battles only work if a Trainer and their Pokémon have a relationship of mutual trust! Be smart with how you use Auto Battles so you don't lose the trust of your Pokémon!"

Before we can engage in any practical exercises, the bell rings once more, causing Professor Dendra to express disappointment, "Aw, man! I was just about to suggest we do some hands-on practice to really drive the point home, but I guess we've run out of time, as usual... Class is over for now! Take care, you little rascals!"

In the afternoon, we head to the nurse's office with the intention of talking to Miriam, but to our surprise, Professor Dendra is also present. Inside, Miriam is vehemently protesting, exclaiming, "No way. No way! NO WAY!"

Undeterred, Professor Dendra encourages her, saying, "C'mon, Miriam! Just try it!" I can't help but interject, "Professor Dendra? What's going on?"

Both adults turn their attention to us, and Professor Dendra responds with a cheerful smile, "Oh! Great timing, new kids! Nurse Miriam here won't try the sandwich I made!"

It's clear that Miriam has reservations, and she asserts, "Well, DUH! I don't want to get a stomachache!"

Professor Dendra attempts to persuade her, insisting, "You won't! Probably!"

Miriam isn't convinced and recalls a past incident, saying, "Uh, I still remember that 'sandwich' you made me with meat filling and meat for bread. That one really messed me up bad."

Dendra tries to defend herself, explaining, "I hadn't trained in the art of sandwich making yet back then! I was young and thoughtless and—"

"'Young and thoughtless'? It was LAST MONTH!" Miriam retorts, clearly unimpressed by her excuse.