The Journey Continues

The Democratic Process

The first day of school generally tends to be one of the tougher ones for most new students, especially when it's in a brand new region, with very little people they actually know in their class, and most importantly, if they've never attended a single day of school since the age of 10, as is the case for Goh. You see, the world of Pokémon has this peculiarity where at that time of their lives, once children are finished with their primary education, they're then allowed to go off on their very own Pokémon adventure. Of course, that path in life isn't for everyone and many do continue onto middle school. Chloe, for instance, kept going all the way through high school, graduating at 18 before shifting her focus to working full-time for her father. Goh, on the other hand, is going into his first day at Naranja Academy with a vastly inferior degree of experience.

Walking into his first class of the day, Maths, he encountered a room full of teenagers around the same age as him, as well as some older fellows who were also getting around to completing their education. A lot of them had found conversation partners to chat with while Tyme, the class's teacher, set things up. A lot of the pupils were gathered around one person in particular, though, who Goh immediately recognised as Nemona.

She noticed him come in and waved, "Hey, Goh! Over here!" He cautiously made his way over, never having been one who vibes well with crowds. "We were just talking about the student association elections! We're planning our campaign."

"Student association elections? What's that about?" Goh asked.

Nemona smiled, explaining the whole concept: "Basically, each year a couple of parties run against each other to determine the direction the school should go in relation to the quality of life. Technically, anyone can belong to any party, but generally each course here tends to stick together since it's easier to organise. I'm the incumbent president, so of course I'm running again this year!"

"I see," Goh pondered. He looked up to Nemona, and saw what he could only describe as puppy-dog eyes.

"Now, while I may be the party president, the election run is a team effort, really... So, you won't mind helping us, right?"

Goh eyed her. "Do I actually have a choice here?"

"Of course you do!" Nemona insisted. "The foundations of democracy are built on the freedom of choice. You could even support another party if you really wanted to," she leaned in to whisper in his ear, "although in that case, I can't guarantee your social security in this class. General studies is quite a.. patriotic group of students." She pulled back, raising her voice again, "but of course, I don't recommend it. After all, we all know I'm going to win!"

This left Goh a bit conflicted. On one hand, his friend Nemona had just kindly requested his help, and on the other, he felt a bit intimidated. Nevertheless, he decided it would be for the best if he simply went along with it. It goes against what he'd usually do, not being the most social specimen in the world, but he trusted enough that Nemona would direct him well.

"Alright, class!" Professor Tyme's voice cut through the noise. "We're all ready to go, so please take your seats." Goh found a quiet table in the corner where he could sit without someone else taking up his personal space.

The empty space wouldn't last long, however, as she had made it only about 5 minutes into her introduction when the door opened once more, and a girl huffed in, dressed in a pink dress, a grey cardigan, and a green beret with a white pompom. "Sorry fo' the tardiness, ma'am. I'm still a bit jetlagged," she said.

Tyme looked at her in understanding. "It's no problem..." She glanced at her pupil list, recognising her from the photo, "Gloria. There's still a seat over there in the corner, by that young man with the red streak in his hair." Goh internally sulked, now having to sit next to someone. She sat down in the seat to his left, sighing as she pulled out a notebook and pen. The class continued from there, covering some pretty basic maths that Goh was very confident he already knew.