56-The Power Of A Nerd

Roxanne gazed at Sieg's handsome face, her mesmerizing eyes filled with admiration and a strange, indescribable emotion.

All of this was noticed by Lucius, who stood in a corner, his heart overwhelmed by jealousy and discontent. The resentment he felt toward Sieg grew deeper and darker.

Especially when he saw the expression on his goddess-like teacher's face, gentle and warm, aimed directly at Sieg, his jealousy nearly drove him mad. Even his normally stiff expression twisted with rage.

From the very beginning, Lucius had looked down on Sieg. And after being publicly scolded by him during class, he'd become the laughingstock of the academy.

Although most of the students refrained from mocking him to his face due to his powerful family background, behind his back, nearly everyone ridiculed him.

When the rumors became wildly exaggerated, he was so humiliated he couldn't even bring himself to attend classes.

To him, losing face was more unbearable than death.

If not for the fact that this was one of Teacher Roxanne's public classes, he would've been hiding in his dorm just like usual.

"A few days ago, my family even reached out about this matter, and my dad scolded me like never before..."

Despite being part of a prestigious family, Lucius was merely a collateral relative, and he had never been favored. His already meager monthly resource quota was cut by more than half because of this mess.

Now, even his pocket money wasn't enough to cover daily expenses, and he had to beg his parents for more.

And all of it, all of it was because of that one guy.

Sieg!

The more Lucius thought about it, the more furious he became. His clenched teeth and distorted face made him look downright grotesque. Then, he shouted something he would soon deeply regret.

"Sieg, if you're so confident, how about a simulated battle with me?"

Instantly, everyone's attention shifted to Lucius.

Most of the students immediately thought of the feud between the two, as rumors traveled fast and were always more exciting than the truth.

Sieg was momentarily surprised, then looked toward the student he had already marked in his mind.

He hadn't even started plotting revenge yet, and the guy had come crawling to him.

"A simulated battle? Sure, no problem. But may I ask if Teacher Roxanne could lend us the school's simulation helmets?"

Sieg turned and called out to Roxanne clearly and confidently.

Simulated battles were essentially advanced virtual projection training. As long as a trainer wore the helmet, the device would generate vivid holograms of their chosen Pokémon.

Although these simulated Pokémon couldn't respond with the same flexibility as real ones, they could still execute basic moves without issue.

This kind of high-end tech was virtually unheard of outside the academy, but it had already been quietly introduced into League-run training institutions.

Sieg stared at Lucius with a cold, piercing gaze, so intense that it made him instinctively flinch.

He took a half-step back and swallowed nervously, clearly uneasy. In his heart, regret had already taken root.

No matter how this turned out, he would face punishment once he returned to his family.

After all, he had just offended a rising star of the breeding world. Worse, Sieg was someone the family had been actively trying to win over. Regret bloomed like wildfire in his chest.

But he had no way out now.

If he backed down, how could he show his face in school again? The other students would mock him relentlessly.

After Roxanne agreed, several staff members brought out the sealed simulation helmets. Sieg calmly put it on.

A wave of dizziness hit him as the system activated. Suddenly, he felt a pair of elegant arms support him, along with a faint, refreshing fragrance at his nose.

"It's Roxanne!"

Sieg immediately realized who was holding him up.

Already inside the simulation and unable to see the outside world, Sieg didn't realize how much of a stir this caused.

The usually reserved and dignified Roxanne had actually helped a young man up in public.

Countless students' hearts shattered into pieces.

Roxanne's face flushed pink, and under the many prying eyes and whispers around her, her cheeks burned like fire.

She carefully helped Sieg sit on the grass before quickly retreating back into the crowd.

As the battle began, two holographic Pokémon formed out of blue light appeared before everyone.

The simulation's detail was incredible, so realistic it felt as if real Pokémon had materialized.

Many first-year students who had never seen such tech before looked wide-eyed with excitement, while older students rolled their eyes in annoyance.

They had played with these simulations for so long, it had become dull. Most of their training sessions were done using this system.

"Sigh... is there any hope for the next generation of the League?"

Seeing how these kids had never experienced a proper battle, Roxanne couldn't help but feel concerned for the future.

Meanwhile, Sieg studied the virtual control panel floating in front of him, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

"Huh, I can even choose Pokémon? Garchomp? Dragonite? Salamence?"

"There are items and abilities to choose too? This is just like the Games from my past life!"

A smile slowly spread across Sieg's face. With memories of his previous life, he had countless battle strategies and lineups stored in his mind.

It was a shame most of them couldn't be executed in real-life battles... but now was the perfect chance to bring them to life.

Lucius had chosen a 3v3 free-for-all format. Each side would send out three Pokémon to battle simultaneously.

"How predictable, of course he chose overpowered Dragon-types," Sieg murmured, eyeing the blue-light figures of Dragonite, Garchomp, and Goodra.

All three were pseudo-legendaries from various regions.

Sieg's eyes flicked, and he chose a lineup that left everyone surprised.

Breloom, Drapion, and Durant.

Students watching from the sidelines were stunned. No pseudo-legends? Not even starter Pokémon?

Sieg smirked as he looked at the abilities of his Pokémon, satisfied with the synergy.

The battle began, and just as expected, the Dragon-types dominated early with their raw power. Sieg's side was pushed back quickly.

"Drapion, activate Toxic Orb!"

"Breloom, activate Toxic Orb!"

"Durant, use Entrainment!"

(Entrainment: A strange dance that forces the opponent to mimic your actions, copying your ability.)

As Sieg's commands landed, Drapion and Breloom were enveloped in purple mist, their bodies absorbing the toxin.

In the stunned silence, the ability Poison Heal activated.

All three Dragon-types suddenly had their abilities overwritten by Durant's hidden ability, Truant.

In an instant, the three mighty dragons became sluggish. Their once sharp eyes dulled, and their powerful bodies grew lazy and unwilling to move.

"Breloom, use Toxic on yourself and Drapion!"

Breloom launched repeated Toxic attacks at itself and Drapion, causing poison levels to skyrocket.

But with Poison Heal, all of it turned into rapid regeneration.

The three Dragons grew more and more sluggish, weighed down by their new ability. Meanwhile, Drapion and Breloom recovered swiftly from every wound.

Eventually, the three pseudo-legends collapsed, one by one. The students watching outside the simulation were utterly speechless.

Three ordinary Pokémon, through tactics alone, had taken down three pseudo-legendaries by grinding them into submission!

"I refuse to accept this, let's go again!"

Lucius yanked off his helmet, panting with rage, eyes burning with fury. His entire expression screamed defiance.

To him, Sieg's strategy was shameless, not a real battle. A true battle, in his mind, was a clash of power, direct and honorable.

Sieg tilted his head, amused. It was rare to meet someone so eager to be humiliated.

"Very well, I don't mind~"

Since the boy insisted, how could he not grant his wish?

What followed was a full hour of relentless battling. Sieg and Lucius fought match after match. And every single time, Lucius lost, brutally and thoroughly.

Sieg unleashed every ridiculous strat he knew from his past life.

Poison stall teams.

Flinch-lock Drapion with King's Rock and endless torment.

Minimize + Mud-Slap + Bright Powder for full evasion builds.

Stealth Rock + Spikes + Toxic Spikes combo traps.

Each battle was a masterclass that left the entire school in awe.

No one had imagined that Pokémon battles could be so varied.

From team compositions to item synergy...

From move combos to strategic deception...

And the subtle psychological warfare between trainers...

When the final battle ended, Sieg calmly removed his helmet and looked across the field.

Lucius sat there stunned, expression blank, his soul shattered.

"Pokémon battles aren't as simple as you think," Sieg said coldly.

"What you saw, was just the tip of the iceberg."