(OKAY, I'VE BEEN OUT OF THIS PARTICULAR GAME FOR A WHILE, BUT I'M BACK (sort of…)! THINGS WILL BE MORE IRREGULAR THAN THEY USED TO BE, BUT I DON'T PLAN ON LEAVING YOU FOREVER! Still, fans of my old Pokemon fics, welcome back! New fans, WELCOME PERIOD! I hope you enjoy this fic, as it's about time I put up chapter one, even though I've been hitting some bumps. Here you go, I think you'll like it!)
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The Dog Days of Pokemon Tech
Chapter One: Slow Start
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"There you have it," Mr. North explained, pointing at the double helix model on the desk in front of him. "DNA—the code of life. This ever-duplicating strand of amino acids makes up every living organism there is. The mere combinations of thymine, guanine, cytosine, and adenine constantly mixing and merging throughout the generations are responsible for Darwinian evolution!"
Nearly the entire class stared at him and scratched their heads. Mr. North was a shorter-than-average man in casual clothes, his glasses almost always placed above his curly brown hair. He was the biology teacher, and he was always excited about his job, although nobody quite understood why.
"Come on," he said, his smile never fading. "I know that you're at this school to prepare you for the Pokemon world, but you still need to know this stuff as a fallback to function in real life. I mean, come on, 90% of all Pokemon trainers drop out in their first year, and they need to make a living, don't they?"
Steven, a tall boy in the fourth row with grey hair that contradicted his young age, raised his hand.
"It's not that, Mr. North," he stated. "Really, we understand that this is important. It's just that…well, this is a high school-level class, and you're teaching to a room full of ten-year-olds."
"We've been telling you all year, sir," said Riley, a dark-haired boy dressed entirely in indigo. "We just aren't ready for this curriculum."
"Nonsense!" Mr. North replied cheerfully. "You're here at Pokemon Tech because you're advanced!"
At that moment, as if to prove him wrong, the classroom door opened and a student walked in. Not just any student, though—this was Vienna Silton, the pampered daughter of the owner of the Gorgeous chain of resorts, and one of the few things in the world that could wipe the smile off of Mr. North's face. Physically, she was very attractive—a tall, bleach-blonde girl with just the right amount of makeup to bring it out, and pink top-of-the-line designer clothes straight from Paris with matching handbag and shoes. Her attitude, however, betrayed all of that—she was a lazy, snobbish brat with the IQ of a stuffed sausage.
"Yeah, sorry I'm late," she said, not sounding as if she cared at all.
"Another 'important meeting', Vienna?" Mr. North said with a frown.
"Yeah," Vienna answered. "My mani-pedi ran lo…I mean, my cousin's sick," she finished, suddenly realizing to whom she was talking.
"Sick, eh?" Mr. North commented. "How terrible. What disease is it?"
Vienna attempted to think for a minute before answering.
"Uh…the one where I have to visit every week for her to get better," she smirked. "Oh, and there's a new student outside the door," she added, handing Mr. North a note. "The principal asked me to bring him here."
"And you left him in the hallway?!" Riley exclaimed.
"I think he can open the door by himself," Vienna sneered as she walked to her desk and sat down. "I mean, I know it's hard the first time, but I think he can do it."
Mr. North rushed over to the door and thrust it open, then eagerly ushered the new student in. It was a boy—a short one dressed in casual clothing, with highly unusual hair—it was blue.
"I'm terribly sorry about that," the teacher apologized. "Please forgive us…Russell," he said, reading the name off the note. "Please, have a seat anywhere you like. I was just starting my lecture on DNA."
The boy nodded and paused to look at the double helix for a moment when suddenly it shifted, turning into a purple blob with a face like a smiley emoticon, giving the boy a fright and sending many members of the class into gales of laughter.
"Ditto, ditto!" the blob said cheerfully.
"Ditto, what have I told you about scaring students?" Mr. North reprimanded before turning back to Russell. "You'll have to forgive my Ditto for that," he said. "It really doesn't mean any harm. It just loves surprising students like that. Please, find a seat, and Ditto, DNA form again."
The blob consented and once again took on the form of a double helix as Russell found a seat next to Steven and Mr. North resumed his lecture.
"So," Steven whispered. "Where are you from?"
"Olivine City," Russell replied nervously. "I really didn't think I'd miss it so much until now."
"Don't worry about it," Riley assured him, turning around to join the conversation. "You get used to this place really fast. I'm sure you'll fit right in. What are your connections?"
"Connections?" Russell repeated, cocking his head to one side.
"Everybody in Pokemon Tech is here for a reason," Steven explained. "For example, I'm the son of the CEO of Devon Corp., and Riley here was recommended by Byron, the Oreburg gym leader. How'd you get in?"
Russell blushed, then said, "I'm, uh, here on a scholarship. My grades were really high back home, and I was interested in being a Pokemon trainer, so my parents signed me up for this place when I asked." It was clear that he was holding something back, though.
Riley and Steven stared at him, but didn't pursue the matter further as they continued talking to their new classmate. They learned a lot about him, like that, like them, he was aspiring to be a Pokemon master, and that he had had experience battling before.
Finally the bell rang and Mr. North ended his lecture and excused the class.
"So," Russell asked as he walked into the hall with Steven and Riley. "Where to now?"
"Nowhere in particular," Steven told him. "That was our last class today. We're pretty much free 'til dinner."
"Well, where do we go until then?" Russell asked.
"You can chill out in your room," Riley suggested. "Which one is it? We'll show you where it is."
Russell pulled out his information card and read his room number aloud.
"Room 14B."
Riley and Steven broke out in smiles.
"I knew it!" Steven smirked.
"Looks like you're roomin' with us!" Riley laughed. "I should've figured after our old roommate left."
"Why'd he leave?" Russell asked.
"Some people decide early on that they don't want to be trainers for a living," Steven explained sadly before cheering up again. "So, what do you want to do, roomie? We can take you over to the dorm, or we can give you a full tour. The choice is yours."
Russell thought for a minute, then quickly said "Tour, please."
"Excellent choice," Riley told him. "Follow us."
The two boys led Russell through the hallways, weaving and turning around corners and the occasional student, finally stopping in a large room full of comfortable chairs and couches. Students of all types were sitting around, playing games, reading books, or just talking.
"Hey, is that who I think it is?" Steven said, suddenly zipping over to a girl with waist-length brown hair and a grey top and shirt reading in a large armchair.
Riley sighed and followed him, Russell close behind.
"Hey, Roxanne," Steven greeted, trying to act casual. "Funny seeing you here."
Roxanne closed her book and rolled her eyes. "Steven, this is my usual study spot," she replied, smiling.
While Steven blushed, Riley intercepted. "Roxanne," he said. "I want you to meet our new roommate, Russell. Russell, meet our friend Roxanne, one of Pokemon Tech's top students."
Now it was Roxanne's turn to blush. "Oh, I'm not that good," she commented.
"Don't sell yourself short!" Steven yelled, catching several peoples' attention. "You're a frontrunner for valedictorian! You could be Elite Four Champion someday!"
Roxanne chuckled a little. "You could very well be Champion yourself someday, Steven," she said, before turning over to Russell. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Russell. If you ever need help with your classwork, just ask me."
"Thanks," Russell said with a smile. "I'll be sure to do that."
"Well," Riley said to his blue-haired companion. "Might as well introduce you to someone else. Roxanne," he queried. "Do you know where your roommate is?"
"Which one?" Roxanne asked, picking up her book.
"The one we'd actually want Russell here to meet on his first day," Riley told her, more than a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Roxanne smirked a little, then said "I think she's in the garden, as per usual."
"Thanks!" Riley said, before grabbing Russell and the enamored Steven by the wrists and leading them down another hallway.
"The garden isn't that far away," he elaborated. "And it's a great place for relaxation—oh, no," he groaned, trailing off.
Right in front of the door leading outside were two very angry boys—one a slightly muscular one in a blue vest and jeans with a blue bandana over his black hair, and the other a skinny one in red sweatpants and a red hooded sweatshirt that almost covered his pinkish-red hair. They weren't mad at the new arrivals, though. In fact, they probably hadn't even noticed them. The two were deep in a heated argument.
"Land!" the boy in red shouted.
"Sea!" the blue boy screamed.
"Land!"
"Sea!"
"Guys, can we get through?" Steven asked.
"NOT NOW!" the boys shouted at him, then quickly resumed their argument.
"Land Pokemon are the best!" the red boy insisted.
"As if!" scoffed the boy in blue. "Pokemon of the sea are obviously superior!"
"Have you seen a Hippowdon's Earthquake attack?" the red boy yelled.
"Ever witnessed a Gyarados' Hydro Pump?" the blue boy retorted.
"You just can't admit that I'm right, can you?" the red boy screamed.
"Of course I can't!" the blue boy exclaimed. "Because you're not!"
"Seriously, guys," Riley said, frustrated. "We—."
"GET LOST!" the two boys shouted before getting back to their fight.
"Maybe I can help," said a female voice from outside. In a few seconds, an attractive young girl ran in. She was short, with short, straight, jet-black hair caught in a red headband, and had some of the largest, most expressive eyes that Russell had ever seen. She appeared to be wearing a mint-green kimono and sandals.
At the girl's feet was a round, blue Pokemon with an orange flower bud on its head, and it had a big gob of what looked like saliva running down from its mouth.
"Uh-oh," Steven whispered in Russell's ear. "Hold your nose, buddy!"
"Why?" Russell asked.
"Trust us," Riley told him as he and Steven pinched their noses. "You wanna do it now!"
Russell shrugged and heeded the unusual warning, and was soon very glad that he had. An instant after he got a gulp of fresh air, the Pokemon let loose a brown cloud of unimaginable stink. It was like a garlic landfill in a sulfur pit! It had to be the single most disgusting scent ever smelled!
The two arguing boys, too busy to take notice of their surroundings, suddenly caught a whiff of the stink and bolted out of the hall at top speed.
"Nice work, Gloom," the girl said. "Now use Sweet Scent."
"Gloom, gloom," the Pokemon replied, releasing from its bud a pink cloud with a delightful scent, restoring breathable air.
"Thanks, Erika," Steven said as Russell gasped for oxygen. Clearly this was business as usual for him and Riley.
"Yeah," Riley agreed. "We can always count on you."
"It was nothing, really," Erika smirked before turning to Russell. "Who's this?"
"I'm Russell," the boy choked, extending a hand. Erika smiled warmly and shook it.
"I'm Erika," she told him. "It's nice to meet you. I take it you're Steven and Riley's new roommate?"
"Uh…yeah," the new boy smirked. "So, who were those guys?" he asked, gesturing down the hall.
"Archie and Maxie," Riley spat. Obviously the two were not popular.
"They're both talented trainers," Steven explained. "It's just that they can never seem to agree on much, and they always end up in a big fight, and sometimes drag innocent people into the crossfire."
"Yes, but enough about them," Erika sighed. "They're gone now. Please, won't you join me in the garden?"
Russell blushed and nodded furiously, then followed her out the door with Steven and Riley close behind.
Erika led the three boys over a ways to a large patch beside the building. It was an absolute Eden, with tall, colorful flowers everywhere, all of them bursting with beautiful scents. The beauty was almost too much to take!
To add to that, dozens of bug Pokemon were congregating around the garden, filling their noses and bellies to the limit.
"You like it?" Erika asked modestly. "I planted a lot of them myself."
"It's beautiful," Russell said, causing her to blush.
For a couple of minutes, nobody said anything, until Russell finally broke the silence.
"That's a really nice Gloom you've got," he told Erika.
"Oh, thanks," Erika said. "It saved me from a Grimer a year ago, and we've been best friends ever since."
"Erika's one of the few students here with an evolved Pokemon," Steven informed.
"Oh, please," Erika replied, her face going red again. "Just give them some time. I'm sure plenty of the Pokemon here will evolve in a matter of weeks."
"Hey, Russell," Riley asked. "What kind of Pokemon have you got?"
"Well, I, um, uh…," Russell stammered. "I…don't have one. Not yet, anyway." He added quickly.
Steven and Riley gasped, and Erika's mouth hung open.
"You don't have a Pokemon?!" Steven repeated.
Russell shook his head.
"Great," Riley said sarcastically. "That means the classes will be that much harder for you."
"What do you mean?" Russell asked.
"Trainers are often allowed to use their Pokemon for classes," Erika elaborated. "Without one, you'll be at a disadvantage."
Russell stared at the ground and shook his head more. "You mean every other student here has their own Pokemon already?" he asked.
"Nobody said that!" Steven said with a laugh. "There's one other, at least."
"You should meet him right away," Riley said. "I think he's in the library right now."
"I'll go, too," Erika announced, recalling her Gloom into its Pokeball. "I'm pretty sure that you-know-who is prowling around there."
"Good idea," Riley commented as everybody got to their feet. "There's safety in numbers."
"Follow us," Steven said, taking Russell by the shoulder and pulling him indoors.
Once again, Russell was guided through several twisting hallways, occasionally taking a sharp turn or allowing another student going the other way to pass him, before finally reaching the library.
The library itself was a very large one as far as school libraries go. It was the size of a large gymnasium, and stacked with thousands of books on every subject, not just on Pokemon but on everything.
"So, where is this guy you wanted me to meet?" Russell asked, looking at all the students reading in couches and recliners.
"Over there, as usual," Riley replied, pointing to a row of desks with green videophones. Sitting alone at the end of the row was a boy.
This boy was a short one, at least a head shorter than Steven, and definitely one who'd stand out in a crowd. For one thing, he was wearing an immaculately tailored double-breasted blue jacket and pants, and for another, his hair, though stylish and well-groomed, was black with spots of white.
The boy sat very quietly and placed a Pokeball into the transport system and sent it to whomever he was talking to and shook his head.
"Oh, come now, Jose," said the man on the screen, who looked just like the boy except older and with a wire-thin black moustache. "Wallace did a lot of searching to find that Gible. You could at least humor us by battling with it a few more times."
The boy opened his mouth to speak, but the man cut him off.
"Yes, of course," the man sighed. "'It's just not the one', right? Honestly, Jose, you can't be so picky! Most trainers aren't near lucky enough to have this kind of selection, you know."
Once again, Jose tried to interject, but the man spoke before he could.
"Yes, I know that you want to find the perfect Pokemon for your personality, but the sad truth is that it doesn't exist! Not yet, anyway. Those kinds of relationships are built over time! They don't just happen! Think about that. We'll talk more next week."
With that, the screen went blank and Jose hung up.
"Still no luck, Jose?" Steven asked.
Jose shook his head.
"Eh, don't worry," Riley reassured him. "You'll find that Pokemon sooner or later. Oh, hey, I want you to meet someone."
"Hello," Russell said, stepping forward and waving. Jose shook his hand, but said nothing. "Kind of shy," he whispered to Steven.
"Nah," Steven whispered back. "He pretty much never talks."
"Well, Jose," Riley said. "This is your new bunkmate, Russell, so you may want to get used to him."
"Uh, guys," Erika suddenly hissed. "Trouble at 3 o'clock!"
All four boys turned to their right and frowned. Coming at them were two girls. One of them was Vienna, fashionable and dim as ever, but the other…well, she just looked…scary. She was shorter than Vienna, and dressed in a simple black tank top and black jeans. Her skin, though—she was clearly albino. Her pale, pale skin looked even whiter against her black clothes, and her eyes, though pink, were casting a terrifying glare.
"Watch out," Erika told Russell. "It's my roommate, Persephone."
"She's trouble," Riley added. "She may be from the Jenny family, but she doesn't care much about the law—she pulled some stunt back home that got her shipped over to stay right here."
"I'd avoid her if I were you," Steven advised. "With a rich dope sidekick like Vienna, she pretty much runs the place."
Russell gulped and hid behind his companions.
"Better to just face her," Erika said, trying to pull him back out.
"Yeah," Steven said as his new roommate was yanked out in front. "If she finds you hiding from her, she'll never leave you alone!"
"No, you don't under—hi, Persephone," Russell said, taking notice of the girl directly in front of him.
Jose, Erika, Riley, and Steven stared at each other and raised their eyebrows. Something was weird about Russell's greeting. It was nervous, sure, but also…there wasn't a word for it. It just sounded like he'd greeted her before.
"Oh. My. God!" Persephone snarled, glaring at Russell. "No way! As if being trapped here isn't enough, now they send my baby brother to keep an eye on me!"
"BABY BROTHER?!" Russell's companions exclaimed.
"Twin brother!" Russell corrected, then went back to being nervous. "And I'm not here for you, Persephone! I'm here to train and become a Pokemon master!"
"Oh, how convenient!" Persephone snapped. "Mom sends you all the way here instead of just booting you out the door on a regular journey!"
"I couldn't!" Russell argued. "Thanks to your little stunt, I can barely show my face in Johto due to association, and Mom won't trust me with a Pokemon of my own! But hey, at least I can go home if I want!"
That last part seemed to have struck a nerve. Persephone growled at him, causing everyone (even Vienna) to cringe. "Big mistake, you little narc!" she said, pulling out a Pokeball. "Go, Charon!"
Persephone threw the Pokeball and a Pokemon resembling a big, black, ragged crow with a crooked yellow beak appeared. "Murkrow!" it cawed, making Russell back away in fear.
"So now you resort to using your Pokemon for intimidation?" Riley sneered. "Well, four can play at that game! Go, Riolu!" he shouted, tossing a Pokeball of his own.
"Aron, you too!" Steven said, tossing another.
"Gloom, help us out!" Erika commanded, mimicking their moves.
With three more bursts of light, three more Pokemon appeared. One was Erika's Gloom, of course, but the other two were unfamiliar to Russell. Steven's was a small quadruped with a very big head and steel plating all over its body, and Riley's looked like a blue, anthropomorphic puppy.
For a second, Persephone actually looked worried, but that quickly changed.
"Oh, sure," she said. "You're brave when it's three against one!"
"You never play by the rules!" Riley snapped.
"Quite the contrary," Persephone lectured. "I haven't broken a single rule since my arrival. Any Neanderthal can break a rule. It takes a higher life form like me to find my way around them. Besides, you weaklings only have a chance when you clump together. I could beat any one of you at any time!"
"Yeah," Vienna agreed. "She'll make lunchmeat out of you!"
"Mincemeat," Persephone corrected.
"Mincemeat!" Vienna repeated.
"Is that a challenge?" Riley growled.
"You know it!" the albino snapped. "Now, which of you wants to get pounded today?"
Steven and Riley both glared, but it was Jose who stepped forward, pointing to himself.
"Oh, he wants to, Pers!" Vienna grinned, pointing to Jose with a long, pink nail.
"I have eyes, Vienna," Persephone said impatiently. "Well," she said, turning to Jose. "I guess I'll have to set an example for my baby bro by plowing you down! I'll see you in the gym in ten minutes. Be there or be dead."
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Ten uneventful minutes later…
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"Glad to see you showed up," Persephone jeered as Jose entered, with Erika, Riley, Steven, and Russell behind him for support. "I don't like it when my opponents chicken out."
Jose frowned, but said nothing.
"Is the coast clear?" Persephone shouted at the door.
"No teachers anywhere, boss!" Vienna's voice called back.
"Good," Persephone said. "Well, let's choose our Pokemon and get this over with. Go, Charon!"
Persephone threw her Pokeball and her Murkrow once again appeared in a flash of light.
"Good luck facing me down with a school Pokemon," Persephone jeered. "They're not nearly as strong as Charon!"
Jose remained silent and walked up to one of the three tables laden with Pokeballs by the wall next to the door and picked one of them up. He had no idea what was in it, of course, but he could adapt.
Jose tossed the Pokeball into the arena and another Pokemon appeared in a burst of light. It was about two feet tall, and pink, with a wide, vaguely catlike face. Its skinny arms ended with large pincers, and its short legs with clawed feet. There were blue pieces of webbed skin connecting its arms to its torso, and from its rear end protruded a segmented tail ending with a large stinger.
"Cool," Riley commented. "It's a Gligar!"
Jose pulled out his school-issued Pokedex (a small, handheld Pokemon database) and opened it to scan.
"Gligar," it said, displaying a picture of the Pokemon. "The Flyscorpio Pokemon. These Pokemon make their nests high in trees, and swoop down to catch unsuspecting prey. Its stinger houses a weak poison for this purpose."
"Perfect!" Steven exclaimed. "Jose's got one that's a natural hunter!"
Jose smiled as he pocketed the computer. True, that was a lucky break, but he knew that before he'd scanned it, anyway. The Pokedex offered much more than that. Much more, indeed. For example, it could also display all the attacks that the school Pokemon knew, and Jose had just memorized all of Gligar's.
"You think I'm gonna lose to that?!" Persephone sneered. "As if! Charon, start off with Peck!"
"Murkrow!" Charon cawed, flying at Gligar and jamming its beak into the Flyscorpio Pokemon's forehead.
"Counter with Poison Sting!" Jose suddenly said, taking Russell by surprise. He honestly hadn't been expecting Jose to speak. In fact, when he thought about it, he wasn't sure how he'd expected Jose to command his Pokemon.
"Gli?" Gligar said, bursting out in a smile. "Gligar!"
In an instant, Gligar's tail whipped around and struck Charon under its right wing, causing it to howl in pain.
"Now a Metal Claw!" Jose commanded.
Gligar nodded and struck Charon with a glowing pincer, knocking it backwards.
"Lucky shot," Persephone scoffed. "Charon, use Wing Attack!"
"Murkrow!" Charon cawed, flying over and bashing Gligar's head with its wing.
"Hit it with Cut!" Jose ordered.
"Gli, gligar!" Gligar responded, swiping a claw across Charon's face, stunning it.
"Now an Aqua Tail!" the well-dressed boy shouted.
"Aqua Tail?!" everyone else repeated. Nobody knew that Gligar could learn that move, but sure enough, Gligar's tail was surrounded by water as it slammed into Charon, once again knocking the Murkrow back.
"Wow," Riley commented. "This battle's pretty even."
"Be careful, Jose!" Russell warned. "My sister plays dirty!"
"WE KNOW!" Erika, Riley, and Steven shouted.
"So Gligar's great on land," Persephone commented. "Big deal. Let's see how it does against an airborne opponent! Charon," she ordered. "Take flight!"
Charon nodded and pumped its wings to propel itself ten feet into the air.
"Follow it, Gligar!" Jose said.
Gligar nodded and pushed off the floor and into the air. Unlike Charon, though, it didn't remain in one place. Instead, it continued to move forward, and quickly at that.
"Charon, use Peck!" Persephone laughed.
"Murkrow!" Charon said as it flew over and pecked Gligar in the back, sending it crashing back to the floor.
"What just happened?" Riley asked, confused.
"Persephone took advantage of an opponent's weakness," Erika clarified. "Even though Gligar is a Flying-type, it can't actually fly. It just jumps high and glides from place to place, and it's impossible to stay in one place while gliding. Not matter what it does, it's always moving in some direction. It's useful in a wooded area, but in a clear terrain like this, Charon has a big advantage!"
"Gligar," Jose called. "Can you stand?"
"Gli…gar!" Gligar said, slowly getting to its feet.
"Good," Jose said. "Then build up power with Swords Dance!"
"Charon, use Snatch!" Persephone quickly replied.
At once, Gligar began turning its pincers and spinning around, and as it did, an aura of light surrounded it, then compressed itself into a tiny orb that floated up and to be absorbed into Charon's breast.
"Well, that's not good," Steven commented. "Normally a Swords Dance will give all physical attacks a boost, but thanks to that Snatch attack, Charon just stole that power-up for itself!"
"He's right, you know," Persephone said, once again sneering at Jose. "You'll never defeat Charon now."
"Come on, Jose!" Russell rooted. "You can still do it!"
"Oh, shove it, you little freak!" Persephone snapped.
"Hey!" Riley yelled. "Don't talk to my roommate like that!"
"I'll talk to my little brother any way I want," Persephone retorted. "And I'll battle any way I want, too. Now, Charon," she called. "Catch Gligar off-guard with Haze!"
Charon opened its beak and a thick black smoke poured out, obscuring the field from view.
"Now a Wing Attack!" the albino girl ordered.
"Murkrow!" Charon cawed, presumably swooping down for the attack.
"Defog, then Metal Claw!" Jose urged.
In a heartbeat, Gligar was beating its skin flaps and clearing away the smoke, and managed to swat Charon in the belly with a glowing pincer just in time, sending it back into the air.
"Follow it up, Gligar!" Jose commanded.
"Gligar?" Gligar queried, but heeded the command and jumped up, then began moving forward.
"What's Jose doing?" Russell hissed. "He knows that Gligar is totally vulnerable up there!"
"Don't worry about Jose," Steven assured. "He's smart."
"Yeah," Riley agreed. "He's one of the school's best strategists."
"Unfortunately, so is Persephone," Erika reminded.
"This is it, Charon!" Persephone cackled. "Finish it with one more Peck!"
"Murkrow!" Charon shrieked, zooming toward Gligar to deliver the last attack.
To everyone's surprise, Jose remained silent for a few seconds. Then, finally, when Charon was getting dangerously close, he suddenly yelled "Use Swift attack behind you!"
Gligar's response was immediate. It raised its two pincers behind its back and shot a barrage of glowing stars that struck its opponent at point-blank range, seriously injuring it and causing it to crash down to the floor.
"Finish it with Metal Claw!" Jose instructed.
"Gligar!" Gligar said, holding its now-glowing claws out as it swooped down to end the battle.
"Charon, use Shadow Ball, now!" Persephone yelled.
Charon nodded and opened its beak as an orb of dark energy formed within. Unfortunately, the orb was taking a while to grow to attack size, and it wasn't quite round, either. Charon obviously hadn't mastered this attack yet.
"Come on, come on," Persephone said impatiently, loudly tapping her foot against the floor three times. "I haven't got all day!"
Just as Gligar was about to strike, there was a loud banging on the door, followed by Vienna yelling "Guys, teacher!"
Jose and Persephone panicked and recalled their Pokemon just before the collision and glared at each other for a moment until Jose replaced the Pokeball and began to walk out.
"Nice job, Jose!" Steven complimented as they left.
"Yeah," Riley agreed. "You totally had her beat."
Persephone waited until they were all gone, then went out and talked to Vienna.
"What took you so long?" she hissed. "I came way too close to losing there!"
"It took me a minute to remember what your note meant," Vienna apologized, holding up her hands. She wasn't holding them up in apology, though, as many people do, but to display the messages written on them. One her left palm was "3 taps: yell "teacher" written in ballpoint pen. On the other hand was the word "right", so as to help her remember something else important.
"Well, hurry up next time!" Persephone snapped. "We need to be in perfect sync if we're going to escape this prison, and I can't stand missed cues!"
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A couple of minutes later…
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"And this is your new room," Steven said, opening the door marked 14B after Erika had gone to her own room.
Russell walked in and looked around. Inside was a good-sized room, with two sets of bunk beds, two large chests of drawers, and two sturdy desks with a computer on each and a window above them. Two doors in the back presumably led to a bathroom and a closet, and next to one bed was a couple of familiar suitcases.
"Well, looks like they already delivered your luggage," Riley commented. "You can unpack tonight."
"Is that my bed they're next to?" Russell asked.
Jose shook his head, then pointed to himself, then to the top bunk.
"Oh," Russell realized. "I'm on top?"
Jose nodded.
"Works for me," Russell commented. "You know, I think I'm going to like it here at Pokemon Tech."
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(Okay, maybe "Slow Start" was a misnomer, BUT I'M THINKING OF NAMING CHAPTERS AFTER POKEMON ABILITIES, AND THAT WAS THE BEST I COULD COME UP WITH. Still, you liked the chapter, right? I BET I FOOLED YOU INTO THINKING JOSE WAS THE NEW STUDENT, DIDN'T I? Well, I'm full of surprises. And now, I want you to have a part in this story by submitting a student OC! SOUND LIKE FUN? HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:
Name: (SURNAMES ARE OPTIONAL, AS MANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FIC DON'T HAVE THEM)
Gender:
Appearance: (What clothes do they wear, what color is their hair, etc.)
Personality: (PLEASE put more thought into this than appearance! MAKE THEM INTERESTING! SOME QUIRK. ARE THEY AFRAID OF NEEDLES? Do they refuse to wear sandals? THESE ARE TERRIBLE IDEAS. I'M SURE YOU'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING MUCH BETTER. Keep it PG, though. REMEMBER, THEY'RE TEN!)
Pokemon: (Only one, first-stager only, and NO LEGENDARIES. Also, not a necessity, but IT'D BE GREAT IF THEIR POKEMON MATCHED THEIR PERSONALITY. THAT'S ALWAYS FUN, BUT PLEASE DON'T GIVE ME SOMEONE GRAPPLING WITH A DECISION THAT WILL PAVE THEIR ENTIRE LIFE WHO OWNS AN EEVEE! YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT, PEOPLE!)
Miscellaneous info: (Optional part. JUST IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ABOUT THEM, SUCH AS A SPECIAL BATTLE STYLE, OR ANYTHING, REALLY.)
Here's an example of what it should look like, using a one-time character that will come up later:
Name: Templeton
Gender: Male
Appearance: A very boring brown suit, brown bowler hat over neatly combed straight brown hair, piercing brown eyes, and highly polished brown shoes. HE ALSO CARRIES A GOLD POCKET WATCH THAT HE CHECKS EVERY FEW MINUTES.
Personality: Highly punctual and impatient. HE DESPISES BEING LEFT WAITING. He's also a big stickler for the rules, hating it when anyone gets off without punishment.
Pokemon: Hoothoot (which has a flawless internal clock)
Miscellaneous info: Templeton specializes in repeating attacks (Fury Attack, Bullet Seed, etc.), and constantly times them for regularity.
Good enough for you? I HOPE SO. YOU CAN SUBMIT AS MAY OCS AS YOU LIKE, BUT I CAN'T GUARANTEE THEY'LL BE USED. Still, I'll use as many as I can, and I hope I can use them well. THEY WON'T POP UP FOR A WHILE, THOUGH, AS I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS. Still, when they come, they'll keep coming like bullets from a machine gun, SO DON'T WORRY!
Well, I'm glad I'm back, and I HOPE YOU'RE GLAD FOR THE SAME REASON. ON ONE FINAL NOTE, if it's not too much to ask, could you slip an actual review in with the OC idea? I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DO THAT A LOT WITH THIS KIND OF FIC. Thanks!