Kurtis Vale looked out from the second-story window at all the new arrivals. Behind him, his Pokemon stood and looked down with him - well, except for Gengar, who had decided to take a nap on the floor.
"Well, this looks like a lively bunch," he told his teammates. That's what these four were to him: allies, comrades, teammates, and life-long partners. He smiled as the scenes of how the five of them had all come together quickly flashed through his mind. As the scenes ended, Kurtis turned to look at his team, drawing the curtain closed as he did so. Nidoking met his eyes, and that connection that goes beyond words was apparent. Weavile met his eyes, and Kurtis could easily see what was behind them: "When do I get to show off?" Gardevoir met his eyes, and the trust and devotion in them nearly made his heart melt, as they always did.

Gengar snored, which drew an exasperated sigh from the rest of them.

"Alright, team, this is our first year teaching at this academy. Actually, it's our first year teaching anywhere. That being said, I believe in all of you." He looked at Gengar. "Even you, lazy no-bones." Gengar snorted. "As we go into this year, I want each of you to remember two things. First, remember back to when [i]we[/i] were younger: the fear, the uncertainty, and also the excitement and the thrill of new adventure. These students are now brimming with those very emotions, and though they are by no means inexperienced, each of them has so much more potential. It now falls to us to unlock that potential in them, testing the bonds between trainer and Pokemon, and working tirelessly to ensure that each of them is equipped to follow their dreams, and ultimately, to achieve them." He leaned down close to Gengar. "THAT MEANS YOU TOO, LAZY NO-BONES!" he shouted, sending Gengar flailing to his feet in surprise. The other three Pokemon laughed, while Gengar "humph"ed and crossed his arms.

"Now that being said," he continued, as his face seemed to grow harder, "the second thing I want you to remember is this: the best way to test metal is to test it in fire. We are not here to babysit or tend to them. We are here to teach them the many tactics of battle, and there is no better way to learn from that than first-hand experience. So always remember, unless I specifically tell you otherwise..." Kurtis grinned. "Don't hold back." Nidoking nodded, Weavile flashed his claws, Gardevoir's eyes shone with an ominous light, and even Gengar showed his ever-sinister grin. Kurtis had a reputation for his serious demeanor and cool head, even in battle, but he was willing to allow himself a bit of sadistic pleasure every now and then; besides, he really did care about these new students. He simply planned to ensure that each of them knew that battles were serious business.

Kurtis chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, class may still be a few hours away, but it's time to start preparing." He turned to walk to his desk, when he suddenly added, "And no naps." He heard a "hmph" behind him and knew that Gengar had just been about to stretch out for another one. As he approached his desk, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He wasn't sure why, but he had always preferred the simplicity and straightforwardness of a cell phone to the new Pokegears and Holo Displays. Maybe it was the sense of privacy. Maybe he was just old-fashioned.

Punching in a few numbers, Kurtis sighed as he sank into his chair while the other line rang. Eventually, the other person answered.

"Vale here. I hope you're ready, Adams. There's quite a lot of students out there, you know."
Adams responded as Kurtis watched Gardevoir begin to move a broom and dustpan around telekinetically. Nidoking made sure all the seats were aligned, while Weavile quickly - very, [i]very[/i] quickly - placed the course syllabus on each table. Gengar floated around the room, hanging up posters and diagrams displaying both strategies and some pictures of famous battles. Kurtis began organizing his lecture notes as Adams finished what he was saying.

"I'll be fine. I'm actually looking forward to it. A teacher in a trainer's academy. What's not to look forward to?"
Kurtis stood and slowly made his way back to the window, dodging Weavile twice and side-stepping Gardevoir's broom.

"I'm aware of that. I'm a hard man, Adams, not a mad one. I would never do anything to intentionally harm a student or Pokemon."
As he opened the curtain again, Kurtis began to really look at the students arriving, as well as the various partner Pokemon that they had out and about with them. Many of them seemed quite excited about the upcoming year. Many more, it seemed, were looking ahead with rugged determination - Kurtis wondered how many of them would be able to maintain that look as the year rolled by. Several students in particular really sparked his interest.

"Just making sure. I'm preparing for class now, actually. ...Yes, 'this early'. I will not be found late, lacking, or unprepared on my very first day of teaching. Or any of them, for that matter," he added with a lighter tone. "...Very well. Best of luck with your first class. ...Okay. Goodbye." Kurtis clicked the End button and flipped the phone closed. Taking one last look out at all the students, Kurtis drew the curtain shut and headed back to his desk. His Pokemon were just about finished with the preparations, and he had plenty to do before his class began.

This, he knew, was going to be quite the year.