AN: Yes, this is another explicit m/m story. No, you do not have to read this if you don't like it. Yes, they are Pokemorphs (human-like versions). No, I do not own Pokemon. On with the story.

"Matthew Schatz."

The alakazam-morph stood in front of the class taking role. He looked up as he read the most recent addition to his list to see the hand of a young buizel sticking up in the air. He adjusted his glasses and continued down the paper while the orange-furred appendage disappeared behind the rest of the students.

Matt lowered his hand and returned to playing with his necklace, a mystic water that his dad had given him before he had died. Matt's father had been a member of the Coast Guard, but a terrible boat accident cost him his life. Within a year, his mother moved them to the other side of the country to escape the memories of their old home. She took up a job that paid well but took up most of her time. Now Matt was lost and alone, forced to try and start again by himself.

The rest of class was as uneventful as the role call. It was the first day, so all the teachers would be going over rules and telling the students what they needed for the class. When the bell rang, Matt gathered his stuff and shuffled off to his next class. He had Battle Training in the gym and went to change clothes in the locker room. As he traded his jeans and t-shirt for mesh shorts and a tank, he removed his necklace and debated what to do with it. He didn't want it to get damaged during a battle, but he didn't want to leave it out in the open with his clothes (he didn't have a locker assigned yet). He decided to ask the coach, but suddenly a hand grabbed the precious stone from his grasp.

"Nice rock!" sneered a gengar. "Bet you could get a lot of money for it!"

Matt wanted to beat the crap out of the ghost, but he was flanked by a machoke and a golem and Matt knew he couldn't take them all. Instead, he calmed down and tried to reason with them.

"Please give it back, my dad gave that to me."

The three just laughed.

"Aw, daddy gave him a pwesent!" the gengar mocked him. "Look, kid, I'll forgive you for being new here and not knowing the rules. We run this school, so we take what we want. Got it?"

"Is that so, Eugene?" came a voice behind the gang. "If I recall correctly, I run this school."

It was a meowth, leaning against the wall in a leather jacket and jeans flipping a coin in the air. He caught the coin and shoved it in his pocket before pointing to the blushing gengar, obviously Eugene.

"You wannabes think you're tough by picking on the new kid? Well why don't you take on a bigger challenge? I told you before that if I caught you trying to act tough again, I'd put you in your place. Care to fight me?"

All three immediately clammed up.

"Uh...hi, Ace...wh-why would you think we're picking on him?"

"Give him the necklace."

"Yeah...sure thing, Ace. See? No problem here! C'mon guys," Eugene said and the trio left.

Matt held the necklace close and put it back around his neck. He then turned to face his savior.

"Thanks a lot. This necklace is all I have left of my dad. Who were those jerks?"

"No problem," Ace told him. "They call themselves the 'Rough and Tough' gang, but they're just a bunch of posers. I can bench more than that machoke and the golem has a soft-shell condition. The only one who's actually strong is the gengar. He calls himself 'Shade', but he clams up the second you say his real name. Don't worry about them too much, you probably could have taken them on your own. By the way, my name's Aiden King, but everyone calls me Ace. They're a bunch of chickens: they won't fight me because my Dad's a senator. Not that I couldn't take them all at once. What's your name?"

Mat introduced himself while Ace took off his jacket to reveal a white muscle shirt and changed out of his jeans into breather shorts.

"Nice to meet you, Matt. Now let's get out there before the coach comes to get us."