Journey Through Kanto | ✅

Chapter 9: A Very... Interesting School

On their way to Vermilion City, Zia and her Pokemon stop to rest in a misty forest to wait till it gets clearer. "I can't see a thing around here." She grumbles as she sets up some food for herself and her companions. "Yes, it is rather difficult to see through all this mist and fog." Sky agrees as she and the others begin eating their food.

"I'll go collect some fire wood then." Zia sighs as she stands up and begins walking into the forest. "Wait for me, I want to go with you!" Athena shouts. Zia has now been able to understand all of her Pokemon, as she will with any future ones she catches. "Ok then, let's go." Zia replies with a smile as she and her Vulpix search for wood.

They had just gotten a bit deeper into the forest when they heard voices. Curious, they walked closer. "What Pokemon is this?" She heard one ask. As she began to see them, she saw a boy on a treadmill with more boys surrounding him holding candles, looking creepily like a cult. The kid on the treadmill answered that it was a Zubat and the boy holding the cards said he was wrong.

The running boy looked closer and said, 'Pidgey', and the ones surrounding him kept asking him questions about the bird Pokemon. He got flustered and couldn't answer one of them and the treadmill got faster. He fell off and the others were picking on him. Having enough of it, Zia stepped in.

"Hey! Leave the kid alone, you jerks!" She said to them. They turned around and scoffed at her. "What are you going to do about it, huh? We are out of your league as members of Pokemon Tech." One asked smugly. Zia glared at them.

"Athena, use roar." She called. Athena nodded and proceeded to roar at the boys, effectively scaring them off. Chuckling while muttering 'scaredy cats', Zia walked closer to the boy. She crouched in from of him and asked if he was ok. "Yeah, I'm fine, they were just helping me study." Then she heard the running of paws and flapping of wings. Turning, she saw her Pokemon. They stopped as they saw the unfamiliar boy. "Are you alright?" The Luxio asked her, though the boy only heared, 'Lux?'.

"It's fine Sky, I was helping him." She assured. The Luxio nodded and trotted closer. The boy looked at her Pokemon and his jaw dropped. "What are those Pokemon?" He questioned as he looked at Sky and Emmy. "They are from different regions. Sky, the Luxio here, is from the Sinnoh region while Emmy, the Snivy, is from Unova." Zia explained as she helped the boy up.

Suddenly, an announcement was made from somewhere saying studying time was over. "Well, do you want to see the school? By the way, my name is Joe." Joe said as he smiled at Zia. "Sure, why not? And I'm Zia." She replied as she followed Joe through the fog. Eventually, it cleared out to show a big building.

They walked into the grounds and looked around. "A lot of the students here never graduate, this school is that difficult." Joe explains. He points to a person sitting on a mound under a tree. "He is in the beginner class with me, he's been here for years, but people like him are to ashamed to go home without graduating, so they stay." He says as he looks at the older man sympathetically.

"This place seems a little... Wasteful. To basically spend your whole life here? To afraid to go home? That doesn't seem right at all." Zia said with a frown. Suddenly, Joe pulls out a picture and shows Zia.

"Her name is Giselle, she is top of the school at the moment, and those guys you saw earlier are like her bodyguards." He says as he puts the picture back. Zia nods and asks Joe for a tour. "Sure, follow me."

They come into a room filled with simulation screens. Joe mentions Giselle spends a lot of time in here by herself. He walks up to one of the simulators and turns it on, using the Cerulean Gym as an example. "I'm at the bottom of my class, but I'm still at a higher level than someone with two badges." He says ignorantly. "How do you figure?" Zia asks curiously as she has noticed no one is doing Pokemon battles.

"Easy, I always beat the Cerulean Gym on the simulator with my Weepinbell." He says as he beats the Starmie on the screen with one hit. "Have you ever had an actual battle, though?" She asks incredulously. He shakes his head no and Zia sighs.

"How about we battle and I'll show you that simulators can't show your real skill as a trainer." He agrees and they go to a battle field. They pulled a random student with them to ref. "Alright, this is a one-on-one battle, the first Pokemon to faint loses. Begin!" Random student announces.

"Alright, Weepinbell, let's go!" Joe shouts as he releases the grass Pokemon.

Weepinbell: The Flycatcher Pokemon
When hungry, it swallows anything that moves. Its hapless prey is melted inside by strong acids.

"You're up Sky." Zia calls as her Luxio bounds onto the field. "An electric Pokemon? Their moves don't work well against grass types so we got this in the bag. Weepinbell, vine whip!" Joe calls as his Pokemon shoots out vines and tries to hit the Luxio. "Dodge." Zia calls simply. Sky easily side steps the vines as it was nothing. "My turn. Sky, spark." Sky gains an electrical charge and shoots it as the plant like Pokemon.

It faints immediately. "W-what?! How?! I don't understand, I beat the simulation for something like this countless times!" He exclaims and makes sure the Weepinbell is alright. "Personal experience in a battle is just as important as knowledge. If you don't have the training to put the knowledge you have to use, you'll fall short." Zia says as she pats Sky on the head.

"Just as she says Joe. You should've known this. You are an utter weakling and embarrassment to this school!" A girl who looks like Giselle walks in followed by her henchmen. "Of course I am merely stating the facts, if you don't hurry up and get strong quickly then none of the other students are going to help you." She continues on. Then goes on saying how sad it is how no one else is as beautiful and humble as her. Zia snorts and steps up.

"Excuse you, that is not something to say to anyone who is trying hard." She says. Giselle looks her over and smirks. "Oh, jealousy isn't very pretty on you now is it? I know, how about a battle against me? The top of the beginner class!" She shouts and picks up a pokeball. "Go Graveler!"

Graveler: The Rock Pokemon
Rolls down slopes to move. It rolls over and obstacle without slowing or changing its direction.

"Ok, I'll try a Pokemon I haven't battled with yet. Mayas, come on out." Zia announces as her Clefable comes out. "A Clefable? And you say it hasn't battled yet? This will be too easy." Giselle passes it off and Clefable suddenly gains a murderous aura. Giselle shivers and backs up. Zia chuckles and and silently thanks Mayas for taking her down a notch.

"Anyway, Graveler use rollout." Graveler curls into a ball and chases after Mayas. The Clefable jumps out of the way and lands gracefully. "Mayas, use disarming voice." Mayas produces a shrill voice as it reaches the Gravelers ears, effectively stopping it from rolling and taking some damage in the process. "Now use wake-up slap." Zia calls and Mayas jumps closer to the opponent Pokemon, slapping it extremely hard.

It flies across the room, fainting at the spot. Giselle is at a loss for words. Zia and her Pokemon silently snicker at her face of shock. Zia turns to leave when, off course, a certain trio comes bursting in. Sighing, Zia turns back around and glares at them. "To protect the wor-" "NO! No, you will NOT say that intro again. Just no!" Zia exasperates as she runs a hand down her face. Giselle looks closely at them and gasps. "I know you! You are Team Rocket, the ones to get the worst scores on the exam in history!" She says as she and her buddies get ready to battle.

"W-wait! All of you against just the two of us?!" They exclaim fearfully. "Well, bad guys don't play by the rules now do they?" Giselle asks rhetorically and everyone proceeds to throw pokeballs at them, which drives them off on its own. Sighing again in relief, Zia thanks Giselle and Joe, and them likewise, as she sets off towards the next gym.

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Hope you've enjoyed 💜💜💜💜💜

Pokemon:
Shinx~Luxio - Female (Sky)
Shiny Snivy - Female (Emmy)
Weedle~Kakuna~Beedrill - Male (Gunnar)
Pidgey~Pidgeotto - Male (Avery)
Vulpix - Female (Athena)
Clefable - Female (Mayas)