"The life of a trainer is both noble and dangerous."
Larx tuned out the random unimportant NPC teacher character. The only one worth a damn was a female teacher named Nadeshiko Benibara, and only because she looked like she'd kill a man with chalk if he talked during her class. The rest? Useless exposition dumpers with the personality of dry toast and the faces to match.
This wasn't new info anyway. Larx had read about it all online, dug into forums, dissected livestream rants from upperclassmen, and even hacked into a few official Academy memos back when she was bored and angry (so... Often).
It goes like this:
The Pokémon University was split into two departments: the Trainer major and the Breeder major.
Trainer majors were the real players—the ones who threw hands via their Pokémon and got headlines doing it. Think blood, glory, endorsement deals, and the occasional life-or-death field test.
Trainers are assigned different missions and professions based on their skill set and aptitudes. The University subsidiary of the Pokemon League will provide protection until they graduate with their bachelor's and three badges. Even so, the death rate of freshman is high at 60%. Once you hit the pro circuit and become a Pro Trainer, the death rate goes even higher.
. Breeder majors? They were basically Pokémon veterinarians with anxiety and lab coats. Necessary, but not exactly Larx's vibe. She wasn't here to coddle some Skitty with allergies.
The first semester was a shared pool of classes—basic care, battle theory, Poképsychology, legal shit, blah blah blah. After that came the placement test. That's when the university sorted everyone into their real majors, based on raw performance. No favoritism, no family name crap. Just you, your stats, and whether or not you sucked.
Simple. Brutal. Fair. Larx liked that.
Well—fair until the egg lottery.
Because yeah, these sadistic bastards started you off with Pokémon eggs—a random-ass selection from the League's "approved starter pool." Everyone got their egg in the right away. Hatch it, train it for a month, then enter a performance battle evaluation that'd determine your major, ranking, and whether people whispered behind your back or bowed in fear.
Larx planned on making sure hers did the latter.
She wasn't aiming to pass. She was aiming to dominate.
--Pokemon: Master of Dragons--
"Alright students," droned Professor Kane, who looked like he hadn't felt joy since Gen I. "I will now take you to the Pokémon University's Ranch, where you'll choose your starter Pokémon Egg."
That shut the room up real fast. Even the silent types perked up—especially Bonnie, who cracked her knuckles like she was about to fistfight a Flareon.
"You will have one hour in the ranch," Kane continued, unbothered. Probably rehearsed this crap fifty times.
"After that, regardless of whether you've secured a starter egg or not, you must leave the Pokémon Ranch. Failure to do so will result in a 100,000 dollar fine and banned from Pokémon University immediate expulsion."
Half the class bulked at this.
Expulsion. Not detention. Not a warning. Just yeet—out of the university and probably blacklisted by the League. Larx could appreciate the brutality.
However, it's also highly cringeworthy due to its Chinese ways.
"Any questions?"
Silence. Of course there weren't. Anyone who'd done five seconds of research knew how Pokémon U rolled.
The Pokémon Ranch was one of those mandatory rituals across all major universities. Each Pokémon University ran a ranch packed with creatures bred or donated by alumni, faculty, or overachieving psychopaths who wanted to see their legacy continue in chaos and glory.
But you didn't just waltz in and snatch a Salamence egg. Like in real life, the best eggs are mostly likely guarded by the parents, and if you don't impress, you can't take jack shit.
High-level Pokémon had pride. They came from bloodlines trained by professionals, champions, and dragon-tamers with kill counts. Their kids had standards.
Mutual recognition. Respect. And some soul link crap Larx didn't fully believe in but wasn't dumb enough to ignore.
"Line up by student number," the NPC-teacher said (what was his name again), tapping his holo-watch. "Let's move."
Larx fell in somewhere in the middle of the line, behind a tall girl with bright red contacts and ahead of some idiot humming the PokéRap. She resisted the urge to throat-punch him. Barely.
They marched across campus until the path opened up into a dome-shaped greenhouse complex, bigger than most sports stadiums and glowing faintly with UV lights.
Outside the gates, a few smug upperclassmen in matching jackets handed out Poké Balls to each freshman.
Larx took hers with a raised eyebrow. Real deal. Weighty. Cold metal. Humming with potential violence. First time she'd held one without getting arrested.
A Poké Ball can only be legally owned by, licensed Trainers, just like certain firearms in the USA. Owning one without the paper work? That was a felony—and not the cute slap-on-the-wrist kind. Real time. Real consequences. Sometimes even an execution, depending on the region.
Larx grinned as the gates creaked open.
"Let's see which of you little bastards thinks you're good enough to roll with a Dragon Lord."
--Pokemon: Master of Dragons--
"Time starts now. You've got one hour in the ranch. Don't be stupid."That was the last thing the half-bald instructor spat before the iron gates creaked open like a horror movie set. Larx rolled her eyes. The moment those doors swung wide, a dozen wannabe Trainers bolted in like they were auditioning for a track team instead of trying to impress potential monsters.
The inside of the ranch felt like some kind of fake nature dome—too green, too pretty. Grass was suspiciously clean. A few Pidgeotto screamed overhead, probably bored. Monkey Pokémon flung their poop-flavored ambition from tree to tree. Larx ignored it all. She wasn't here for fluff or beauty contests. She was here to find something mean. Something nasty. Something that liked to bite first and ask questions never.
She drifted past the main trail, avoiding the swarms heading toward all the obvious targets—Charmanders, Eevees, that one prissy-ass Vulpix that had a fan club on the campus forum. Larx didn't need popularity. She needed something overlooked. Something forgotten. That's when she saw it: a small nesting zone cordoned off with thick rope and an electric warning sign slapped across it like a joke. "CAUTION: VENOMOUS—HANDLE AT YOUR OWN RISK." Her grin cracked open.
Tucked under a patch of dry, sun-warmed rocks, a clutch of eggs sat half-buried. Most had those weird splotchy patterns you see on Bug-types or Rock-types. But one? One was a dusty violet, a faint shimmer running across its scales like oil on water. Larx crouched low, letting the shadows swallow her as she watched it.
It twitched.
Oh yeah. That one was alive.
She didn't reach for it right away. She waited, eyes locked, like a predator circling another. If it was anything like its parents, it'd smell weakness, fear, or desperation. Larx had none of that. Just hard eyes, a half-dead soul, and the reckless confidence of someone who's already lost everything once.
Finally, she moved. Hands slow, breath steady. As her fingers brushed the shell, she felt it: warmth, steady and heavy with venom. A pulse—tiny, but real. This little bastard wasn't even born yet and it was already vibrating with latent hate.
"Yeah," she murmured. "You'll do."
The system pinged in her brain like a smug little gremlin.
[Ekans (Egg) has accepted you as its future Trainer.]
[Dragon Lord System: Approval granted. Snake with scale potential detected.][
Lineage: Serpentblood – Dragon-Adjacent Classification confirmed.][
New Passive: Serpent Kinship (Beginner)– Grants increased Pokémon bonding rate, allows user to understand sperent Pokémon intent more easily, improves training efficiency by 5%.]
She exhaled, cradling the egg like a stolen treasure. One of the senior students nearby blinked at her with a confused, half-pitying expression.
"You… picked a snake egg?" they asked.
Larx stared them down. "Yeah. Problem?"
They backed off like someone just farted up a toxic gas cloud.
Not bothering to see them leave Larx inpected the egg.
Not bothering to watch the parade of freshmen sob their way out with their fluffballs and discount starters, Larx flopped down under a tree like she owned the place. She set the violet-scaled egg in her lap, resting her hands on it like it was a coiled bomb. Because it basically was.
A flicker ran through her vision—text burned across her retina, clear as day.
[Pokémon: Ekans]
Gender: Female
Type: Poison
Ability:Intimidate
Moves: Leer, Wrap, Poison Fang (Egg Move), Disable (Egg Move), Spite (Egg Move), Poison Tail (Egg Move), Sucker Punch (Egg Move)
Potential: ★★★★☆
PL-0: Dormant
Tier 0: Unawakened
Badass Ranking: 0
[Congratulations on picking your first Pokémon. Granting Newbie Pack.]
"Zero badass, huh?" Larx muttered, smirking at the egg. "I'm looking at a hand grenade with scales and attitude. That's minimum a three."
Then came the good stuff—System dropping loot like it owed her backpay.
[Congratulations on picking your first Pokémon. Granting Newbie Pack.][You have received: 1x S-rank Poison Poké Ball, 1x S-rank Egg Case, 1x S-Ekans Egg Solution, 1x Dragon Lord Emblem (Starter Rank)]
Larx's grin sharpened.
[Note: Due to your selection of a Non-Standard Dragon-Type Equivalent, you have unlocked the 'Venom Line' Synergy Tree. Additional rewards available upon hatching.]
Hell. Yes.
The S-rank Poké Ball gleamed dark violet in her hand like a trophy looted from a criminal syndicate's vault. The Egg Case clicked open, hissing softly, a perfect fit for her venomous spawn-to-be. She gently lowered the egg in. The moment the case sealed, the internal hum kicked in—regulating temperature, toxicity levels, and suppressing hatchling tantrums.
"I don't know if you're gonna slither or bite first," she whispered to the egg, "but you and me? We're gonna set this damn school on fire."
She slung the case over her shoulder, pulled the hood of her academy jacket low, and turned to leave the ranch.
One hour left on the clock. Didn't matter. She was already done.
--Pokemon: Master of Dragons--
[POKÉMON SPECIES FILE: KANTO EKANS]
Classification:Serpentes toxicus kantoensis
Common Name: Ekans
Type: Poison
Egg Group: Field | Dragon
Overview:
Ekans is a predatory serpent Pokémon native to the Kanto region's grasslands, foothills, and rural outskirts. It slithers silently in tall grass or underbrush, using its low body temperature and flexible spine to remain undetected by both prey and predators.
The species is notable for its unique jaw structure, which allows it to unhinge and swallow prey whole, including small Pokémon like Pidgey and Rattata but mostly feed on volucrine eggs. While not particularly fast, its ability to wrap, constrict, and envenomate gives it a disproportionate edge in the wild food chain. It prefers to hunt at dawn and dusk, taking advantage of poor light and sleepy prey.
Behavior:
Kanto Ekans are solitary and territorial. They do not tolerate others of their kind in their hunting grounds unless mating, and even then, the encounter often ends with one participant scarred—or digested. While generally quiet and watchful, they exhibit sudden, decisive aggression when provoked or hungry. Trainers often misread their stillness as obedience. It's not. It's patience. And judgment.
Though not intelligent in the traditional sense, Ekans are highly instinctive and learn patterns quickly. They've been observed avoiding specific Trainer types based on scent alone. Some researchers believe this links to their ability to detect the chemical signature of fear or arrogance.
Trainer Notes:
Ekans is not for beginners, despite what the Pokédex says. Its loyalty must be earned, not assumed. It does not suffer fools, nor does it appreciate being called "cute." Proper handling requires protective gear, caution, and a willingness to bleed a little—figuratively and literally.
Its venom can cause intense muscle cramping and hallucinations in humans, though most Ekans in captivity hold back from fatal strikes unless severely threatened.
If you're brave—or crazy—enough to raise one, the rewards are undeniable: a stealthy, vicious ally with a mean streak and loyalty that runs as deep as its bite marks.