Chapter Forty-Two: Case Study Model—The Coal Turtle

“What’s up with this woman?” Zhu Suihan felt rather baffled. “Helping to awaken superpowers—does that mean this group has some weird secret technique for bestowing abilities?”

“Wuu…” Lapras shook her head, equally clueless about what Natu could be thinking.

“Bestowing powers… never mind. Abilities gained that way seem to be weakened.” In Carlos, there was apparently a successor with a special ability, one passed down through bloodline. But to be honest, Zhu Suihan wasn’t sure if what was inherited was the ability itself or just a forging technique—what came to mind was the Millennium Arm, a damaged Vessel of Retribution, and afterwards, the muscle-bound version of Hoopa.

With time, sealed things breaking free was an old story by now, and inevitably, there’d be one or two who either ignored the seal or deliberately broke it. “The world is vast, but nothing is more important than the exam,” Zhu Suihan declared, squeezing toothpaste for Lapras. The Pokémon filled her mouth with a Water Gun to brush, then another to rinse away the foam.

Zhu Suihan was genuinely envious. “That’s so convenient.”

“Wuu!” Of course it is!

“Alright, no juice after brushing your teeth. At most, you can have some water.” Zhu Suihan pressed Lapras’s head down. “Rest early tonight—we’ll get up early and eat at the dining hall tomorrow.”

The next morning, Zhu Suihan opened the door and locked eyes with a Poochyena holding a letter in its mouth.

“Woof?” Why are you up so early?!

“For me? Thanks.”

“Woof!” The large Mightyena with a heavy pack barked, and Poochyena hurried off, joining its companions as they dashed toward the other dorms.

“There’s even a job like this?” Zhu Suihan shook his head. Upon opening the letter, he realized it was his exam notice, scheduled for the afternoon. “Nice, just check the map to find the right building. Thoughtful scheduling.”

Although Zhu Suihan knew it was probably just a regular class for some group. Still, having it in the afternoon meant he didn’t have to rush around in the morning.

Just outside the dorms, Zhu Suihan saw a whole line of Nurse Joys jogging around the lake. What could he say? This was surely a scene that would get Brock thoroughly excited. Sweat and steady steps outlined perfect muscle definition; holding down unruly patients would be no trouble at all. Of course, it depended on the patient—if a Snorlax fell ill, aside from tempting it with food, there weren’t many options. It’s not like every Pokémon Center could staff a monster like Bruno.

“Wuu?” Trainer, do you want to join?

Lapras’s eyes sparkled mischievously. If you go run with them, I’ll swim across the lake and wait for you by the dining hall.

Zhu Suihan chuckled. “No, today you’ll be doing weight training.”

Simple enough—the “weight” was himself.

A thin mist still hung over the lake in the morning. Zhu Suihan resisted the urge to fish on the spot. First, he had no rod. Second, he didn’t know if fishing was even allowed here.

“Wuu?” Lapras’s call drew Zhu Suihan’s attention back. In the distance, through the mist, another similar figure looked over, its gaze clear.

Another Lapras?

“Interesting.” The other Pokémon made no strange moves—just glanced over. Zhu Suihan didn’t get any wild ideas that it was charmed by his own Lapras. If that were the case, he’d have to use Sticky Ball Toss himself. His Lapras was still a child!

Inside the dining hall, the Machamp in an apron Zhu Suihan had met before was probably off duty. The kitchen staff had rotated, and now a Froslass served as the Pokémon chef.

Which raised a question: did anyone really want cold drinks this early in the morning?

The answer was yes.

Zhu Suihan ordered a berry slushie for Lapras, topped with a generous swirl of Pecha syrup and chocolate sauce. Why could Lapras eat it? Because Ice and Water types were allowed to be capricious.

The gentle Froslass personally brought the slushie over, looking as if she’d spoon-feed Lapras herself. But Lapras had the super straw Zhu Suihan had made for her, now upgraded to version 2.0—at least it didn’t look so rough and homemade anymore.

“Looks like it could double as a blowgun.”

My Lapras, summoned in attack mode, equipped with the ‘Trainer’s Handcrafted Straw.’ Whether it’s Water Gun or Aqua Pulse, blowing through this would rival the firepower of a heavy weapon—and no worries about the barrel overheating.

The Nurse Joys, fresh from their morning run, also came in for breakfast, along with a few other outsiders like Zhu Suihan. Unfortunately, they’d tacitly agreed, at least when it came to watching him: a white-haired stranger who could pay with a student card, looking about their age.

Attention, all units! The “monkey” has arrived at the Academy!

Zhu Suihan sighed. “It’s not like I’m the Academy’s Dong Zhuo.”

His abyssal appetite managed to outlast even the slowest eaters; eventually, everyone had to head to class. Students came and went, but the one constant was Lapras, beaming proudly at her trainer’s appetite.

“Let’s go. Giving myself a small break today—got to prep for the noon exam.” Zhu Suihan couldn’t stand all the burning, curious stares. Everyone was polite enough not to bother him, but the cumulative effect of all those “just one more look” glances gave him the distinct feeling he was being eyed by the masses.

Perhaps everyone just needed time to adjust to the new white-haired “monkey” at Joy Academy.

During his break, after playing with Lapras by the water, Zhu Suihan returned to his room, polished the Beiming Ball, and dove back into his mountain of study materials.

Reusable potions—more precisely, the research into potion bottles—was showing promise. As always, Water-type resources were needed for the “preservation” effect, and the outer layer required insulation to keep the bottle perpetually refrigerated. The material also had to be sustainable, so the preservation function could be recharged and reused.

“This could borrow from Dive Ball technology.” As everyone knew, for minor ailments, Pokémon didn’t even need to leave their Poké Balls—just place the ball on the healing device and press a button.

If potion bottles could be engineered the same way, and paired with a compatible machine, the development of reusable potion bottles would be complete.

If someone fell ill, just hold them down and pour a “flood of life” down their throat to keep them going.

By noon, Zhu Suihan set out half an hour early, Lapras in tow, and arrived at the classroom. In his mind, even this “ordinary classroom” was bigger than any lecture hall he’d been in before—after all, there was equipment to accommodate, and the more focused lectures might actually require less space.

By habit, he picked a lab bench in the back corner—a small space that felt safe and secure. “I wonder who the instructor will be.”

Another Nurse Joy. Or perhaps, after seeing so many Joys over the past two days, Zhu Suihan was starting to discern the subtle differences among their family features. He could tell them apart, but not with Brock’s uncanny ability to spot and remember each one.

“Today’s assessment will be impromptu. I hope you’ve all reviewed thoroughly,” Joy said with a smile. “Also, you’ve all noticed our new classmate—he’ll be taking the exam with you. I hope everyone does their best.”

Subtext: You wouldn’t want to be outdone by the transfer student, would you?

The white-haired “monkey” instantly felt a surge of competitive energy directed his way. Fortunately, when Nurse Joy clapped her hands, each student’s lab bench began to click and whir, and unique Pokémon models were delivered via the pipes below. The randomness was like each station was an automatic mahjong table, and the conveyor was the shuffling machine.

All too clever—choosing exam subjects now felt as random as a roulette wheel.

In front of Zhu Suihan sat a model of a long-necked, bald-headed, squint-eyed turtle, occasionally puffing smoke from its body. Zhu Suihan leaned in—yep, it smelled like air freshener. As expected of a model.

A native of Hoenn: Torkoal.

He glanced around—everyone’s models were different, so the odds of two people getting the same case were virtually nil. The Berserker Dean hadn’t lied. There were Pokémon from other regions, but only common ones.

The medical record—or more accurately, the exam question—appeared alongside the Torkoal model, placed on the bench.

[Determine the cause of Torkoal’s discomfort and treat it.]

“What a general question.” Rich in humanities flavor—the kind where you never know if you’ve hit all the key points. Grading would fluctuate as unpredictably as the stock market.

But that made sense. If a Pokémon and its trainer could precisely describe the problem, the solution would be straightforward—no need for a doctor. “Find the problem” was a generous way to put it; in reality, you’d have to decipher all sorts of bizarre metaphors.

Like, “It hurts like a backhoe digging,” or “It’s like someone poking my belly with two fingers.”

Enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.

Zhu Suihan went straight to work, feeling Torkoal’s shell, but found nothing unusual. “No special texture, so superficial trauma can be ruled out.” He turned the model to observe further, using a mirror to inspect Torkoal’s squinty eyes.

“Nothing wrong with the appearance. Limbs and bones look fine, too. Outwardly healthy, and no odd sounds. Interesting.”

Surely it wasn’t an ingrown nail.

He drummed his fingers on the bench; the air-freshener mist gave him a faintly villainous air, and a smile crept onto his face.

The clue had been there since the model arrived and kept presenting itself—the air freshener scent was pleasant, at least, and not overpowering.