The classroom buzzed with the subdued murmurs of students, the kind that filled the air before an important lecture. In the center of the academy's wide, stone-walled lecture hall stood an aged yet commanding figure—Professor Mael, one of the oldest surviving members of the original trainer academy system. His presence silenced the room. His back was slightly hunched from years spent in wilds and ruins, but his eyes—piercing, sharp, and weathered—missed nothing.
"Today," he began, voice gravelly yet clear, "we explore the nature of power itself. Not just what you train, but what you inherit." He tapped the chalkboard behind him, summoning a glowing diagram of towering, fearsome silhouettes—images of Dragonite, Tyranitar, Salamence, and others of their kind.
"These are pseudo-legendaries," he said. "And above them, even more rare—true legendaries. Pseudo-legendaries are Pokémon with the potential to rival the gods, if trained right. All of them boast a total base stat of 600, and are defined by their strength, endurance, and adaptability. But they take longer to mature, evolve late, and demand commitment and cunning."
He waved his hand again, and new figures replaced the old—massive forms of Regigigas, Kyogre, and Zapdos. "Legendaries are a different class entirely—embodiments of natural forces, ancient myths given flesh. These Pokémon are rarely seen, almost never caught, and some say they choose their trainers, not the other way around."
Then he turned serious, the glow of the diagram dimming as he faced the class. "But even legends mean nothing if you don't understand this: your Pokémon's potential is shaped by its genetic foundation. That's where IVs and EVs come in."
He continued. "IVs, or Individual Values, are like a Pokémon's inherited blueprint. They determine the natural limits of a Pokémon's stats—things like speed, attack, and defense. They cannot be changed. You're born with them. EVs, or Effort Values, however, represent training. These you can influence—through battles, vitamins, special items, or even training regimens. But EVs have limits. You can't just pour endless strength into every stat. You must specialize."
He paused, then paced slowly across the floor, gaze sweeping the room. "Now. What did I tell you on your first day in outdoor survival?"
The class answered together. "That there is no such thing as absolute in the wilds!"
Professor Mael nodded. "Exactly. In this world, nothing is set in stone. Including the belief that IVs and EVs are untouchable. While it's true you can't change IVs easily, and EVs are capped—there are… exceptions. Treasures beyond the cities. Rare herbs, primal minerals, and symbiotic relics hidden in the old places—the ancient ruins, deep jungles, forgotten temples. Natural sources of power that can break limits. These items, forged by time or the world itself, often come with no side effects."
"However," he warned, his voice deepening, "there are also synthetic alternatives—manmade serums and grafts designed to mimic these effects. These are unstable. They come with a price. Some reduce lifespan, others twist the soul of the Pokémon. And some… are irreversible. A choice made in desperation that forever changes what your Pokémon is."
He spent the next hour detailing these things—natural stat enhancers, lost alchemical recipes, fusion stones, even tales of trainers who traded memories for raw strength. The class sat in stunned silence as the world outside their safe halls unfurled in front of them—a world full of risk and reward.
Then, without warning, the light dimmed once more. Professor Mael's tone turned grave. "Now we speak of corrupted Pokémon. The ones who have changed beyond nature's intention."
He conjured an image of a malformed Garchomp, its body cracked with glowing veins, eyes feral and wild. "These are known as Corrupted Mons. Born from exposure to unnatural energy sources, prolonged life in Death Zones, or ancient curses—these Pokémon are primal, unstable, and dangerous. Their instincts are warped. Their powers heightened. But they are no longer truly 'catchable'. A Pokéball will not hold them unless specific, often costly, conditions are met."
He paced slowly. "Different corrupted Pokémon require different methods. Some must be weakened through rituals or surrounded by containment fields. Others must have the corruption 'burned out' through battle, or even by forcing them to relive core memories. A corrupted Pokémon is not just an enemy—it's a puzzle, and the price of failure is often death."
"Their abilities are inconsistent. One might have regenerative properties, another might unleash attacks at random that ignore all resistances. And worst of all? Some of them still remember who they were before."
The images faded. Silence lingered. Then came the final lesson.
"And now," he said quietly, "I will speak of the beasts that even the corrupted fear. The Primals."
The room darkened further. Mael's eyes hardened, and his voice grew colder. "Primals are not Pokémon. Not in the way we understand them. They are creatures of a bygone age, born not from evolution or breeding, but from the primal energy of the world itself—untamed, raw, and violent. They live in the deepest jungles, the darkest caves, the hollow hearts of mountains."
He continued. "A Pokémon has powers—moves, abilities, typings. A corrupted mon has those, twisted and expanded. But a Primal? A Primal lives and breathes ferocity. They have no moves in the conventional sense. They fight through instinct. Through overwhelming strength and speed. Through elemental forces that defy logic. A Primal doesn't 'battle.' It slaughters."
He let the weight of those words sink in. "Primal energy is unlike anything else. It doesn't obey the same laws as aura or psychic power. It is older. Wilder. It's the same force that shaped volcanoes, stirred the oceans, carved the first Death Zones. Pokémon cannot survive prolonged exposure to it. Most humans go mad just from sensing it."
"Encounters with Primals are rare—but increasing. Some speculate that they're waking up, that the balance of the wilds is shifting. If you meet one… run. Unless you are absolutely certain you can win, you run."
One student dared ask: "What if we do kill one, Professor?"
Mael's face darkened. "Then, perhaps, you will find a Primal Core. A condensed essence of the beast's power. If used correctly, it can drastically enhance a trainer or Pokémon's stats . And only at great risk. The energy may not be compatible. The body may not survive. And in rare cases... it might change you."
He closed his eyes for a moment. "Death Zones are crawling with them. Whole territories where no light pierces the sky, and time moves strangely. That is their domain. The farther you go from civilization, the more likely you are to cross into their hunting grounds."
The lecture ended in silence. No applause. No idle chatter. Just the lingering dread that perhaps, one day, each of them might stare into a Primal's eyes—and not live to tell the tale.