Hello, I have the sudden urge to write a Pokémon fan fiction for no apparent reason. I am not the best of writers but I ask for you to please comment and give some pros/cons, though don't be too critical. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!
"As you all know, the final exam for the year is on Friday," Mr. Jackson, a teacher of the Battle Academy, informed them. "The top three of the class will be given their very own Pokémon to start their journey, but It won't be such an easy task. There shall both be a written part of the test, and a practical segment. You must pass both to even be considered for a chance at your own Pokémon. Study hard! You are dismissed, see you tomorrow."
The class all rose from their seats and hurried to the door, buzzing with conversations about the exams and other such things of the sort. Kriss gathered up her notes that she jotted down from the previous lesson and stashed them neatly in her backpack. She seemed calm, but inside she was screaming and raging with nerves. This was her second attempt at getting her own Pokemon, and she just had to get one this time. If not for her, for her parents whom were paying quite well for such a school.
"Miss Aswell?" Mr. Jackson smiled as she looked up into his face. "Are you ready for the event this Friday?"
"I guess so," Kriss said reluctantly, feeling the awkwardness of being singled out by a teacher. "More prepared then last year, I suppose."
"Excellent, I wish you well!" He turned and walked out of the classroom, Kriss followed him after a second. She was grateful of her teacher's encouragement, but was it more out of pity that he did it? She aced every single written exam put in front of her, but practical…well, even she admitted she sucked at them. She blamed her parents partly for that.
Mr. and Mrs. Aswell were businesspeople, selling non-Pokémon medical supplies to different towns and facilities throughout Hoenn and parts of far-away Sinnoh. They weren't strong believers in Pokémon and the journeys, but they loved their daughter and wanted her to be happy. So they enrolled Kriss in the Battle Academy and, to Kriss' chagrin, she wasn't doing what they expected of her: to get a Pokémon.
"I'll show them," Kriss muttered to herself as she walked the short walk to her house in Oldale Town, a boring but peaceful place that lay between Littleroot Town and Petalburg City. "I'll show them all, I will get a Pokémon!"
Friday came quickly, time spent reading up on different move sets and tactics in battle. Her eyes were a blur as she watched Pokémon battles that were stocked in the Battle Academy's library. Most of them were a couple of years old, but Kriss was sure that the battle styles couldn't be much of a difference in just a few years. Brushing her long brunette hair from her face, she continued with dreary anticipation and hope.
Mr. Jackson, dressing fancifully for the event and looking positively cheerful, greeted them all with, "Welcome! Welcome! I know you are all nervous and excited, ready to begin! You be split up into two groups, one will take the practical exam and the other shall take the written exam." He gave them numbers (one or two) and Kriss, luckily, was picked number one which was going to take the written exam first.
Glancing down at the sheet, she read:
1) How many times does Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon, evolve and into what?
2) What item would evolve Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, into Raichu?
3) What type(s) would be best in fighting a psychic-type Pokémon ?
Kriss smiled, her nerves ebbing away to be replaced with minor satisfaction as she knew each of the answers to the first three questions. Glancing down the list, it grew. With renewing determination, she started down the list and answering each with her flowing script.
An hour later, Mr. Jackson came back into the room to collect the papers and replace them with blank ones for the next class. After doing so, he lead the Group One students into the Gym. This wasn't the typical sort of gym, but was instead sectored into three Pokémon battle fields. One was a meadow, another a large pool, and the last what resembled a field of rocks. Kriss was partnered with a short boy with blond hair, looking as nervous as she did. They nodded to each other and Mr. Jackson held out a box for them.
Kriss peeked over to see the normal sight of red pokéballs being held in the box, and she knew that she was to pick one at random. Please, she prayed to anyone who would listen, let it be a good one. She grabbed it and, by Mr. Jackson's instructions, walked over to the pool field. The boy, whose name was Liam, walked to the opposite side of the field.
"You all may begin your battles!" Mr. Jackson instructed, and six hands threw out six pokéballs onto their fields. A round spherical Pokémon with a white tail and a swirl on its body. Kriss recognized it immediately, it was a Poliwag from Kanto. Perfect, she almost exclaimed aloud. This would give her a certain edge with the pool field, and by Liam's face he knew it. He had thrown out a Taillow, a small bird-type Pokémon.
Kriss knew that this could be a bit of a challenge, Taillow was quick as most bird-types were. But they couldn't swim.
"Under the water, Poliwag!" It nodded and jumped off a small platform, one of few that dotted the field. Kriss smiled and tried to remember some of Poliwag's moves, but none specifically ever came to her mind. Except one that was obvious. "Bubble, then hide again!"
The Tadpole Pokémon swam up and sent a small stream of bubbles flowing at Taillow. It would of hit but Liam was quicker with his command, "Dodge! Then use quick attack, Taillow."
Kriss bit her lip as the bird rushed to the left and flew at Poliwag with surprising speed, but the water-type had already vanished below the water. Chewing steadily, she thought quickly. She could use the same strategy but Liam could simply use quick attack again, and this time she might not get so lucky.
"Okay, Poliwag!" Kriss yelled, adrenaline rushing through her veins. "Jump up and tackle Taillow." Rushing through the water, it leapt up and struck Taillow with amazing speed and power. Liam and it both cried out, one in disappointment the other in distress. It tried to gain flight once again, but Poliwag brought Taillow back down into the water with him. It would never be able to survive in the depths, and Liam quickly returned the bird-type back into its pokéball. Poliwag resurfaced and jumped onto the platform, looking please with itself. Kriss laughed and scooped it up, hugging the moist body tightly to her chest.
"We did it! We did it!"
Liam shrugged and returned the pokéball back into the box Mr. Jackson was holding up to him, and walked out with a sight. Kriss withdrew Poliwag back into its own ball, and placed it along with the others. She couldn't believe she had won, this could definitely be the start of her journey. Mr. Jackson beamed at her as she did, and told her to go meet in the auditorium.
As she was walking she accidentally bumped into someone, and quickly turned to them with an apology on her lips. But she met the eyes of a hostile boy wearing a dark jacket. "Watch it, Aswell. You're probably going to spend another year here, another loser who couldn't handle a Pokémon."
"Adams," Kriss hissed at him. She wasn't the most well-loved out of every student at the Academy, but no one hated Jerry Adams more then any other student. He was mean and crude, caring on only being the best Pokémon trainer there was. "Shouldn't you be locked up in a facility or something? For stupid or deranged boys?"
Jerry's face turned into a smile, but it was cold. "They haven't caught me yet, and I doubt they ever will. Don't come finding me after they announce the top three, I don't want to see your tearful face." He turned and continued walking towards the auditorium. Kriss stood there furious for a moment, then went and followed him.
Mr. Jackson and the handful of other teachers that watched over the Academy stood before the gathered bundle of kids. On a pedestal next to them rested three pokéballs, each containing a Pokémon for the top three. Kriss desired nothing else but to grab one, and start her own journey, but she contained herself to just sit down and wait. Mr. Jackson took the step forward, a microphone up to his mouth.
"Another year has come to an end and three new trainers will be traveling across the world, making their own journey," Jackson stated. "But no more waiting, we should announce the top three. The one with the best overall score, in both practical and written, is…Jerry Adams!"
The teachers clapped excitedly and encouragingly, but none of the students did. He walked up and picked up one of the pokéballs, and gazed at it. There was almost a trace of happiness in his eyes, and Kriss wondered if he was truly the bad guy he was supposed to be.
Mr. Jackson continued, bringing the microphone back up to his mouth. "The second with a great practical fight lasting only a matter of few seconds is Whitney Silverstein."
A pretty girl with white-blonde hair came down from the stands, her bright smile evident on her face. Kriss knew who she was, actually, the whole school knew who she was. Whitney was the most popular girl at the Academy and was friends with everyone (except for Jerry, but he doesn't count for much in the terms of "friendship"). Kriss only talked to Whitney a couple of times, but she knew him to be a nice person. The girl took a pokéball from the pedestal and went to stand by Jerry, if somewhat reluctantly. Kriss' heart was beating painfully as she waited upon the verdict of the last trainer.
"And with a decent practical battle and an no-error written exam," Mr. Jackson started, then finished with, "is Kriss Aswell!"
A pitiful clapping started, but everyone else looked disappointed and sad. Kriss didn't even hear it over the roaring in her ears, the sound of triumph and just pure happiness. She rose from her chair and hurried up to the pedestal to grab the last pokéball. She didn't know what was inside of it but she could barely hold herself together.
"To those who did not get a pokémon, do not worry! You have a whole another year to get your own, and we hope to see you then. You are all dismissed." The rest of the students followed out, leaving just the teachers and the three new trainers. Jackson came over to them, "Congratulations, congratulations! You each have worked very hard for this, and you have been awarded. With a very Pokémon of your own, a special one native to this region only. You can now release them to see what you have obtained."
Kriss breathed in and out once, then pressed the button on the pokéball.
Chapter one is done, and I even put a little bit of a hanger there for you! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and will read again!