Chapter 1

"OK, class. Time to take your seats." The students scrambled into their seats and looked up at their teacher. Ms. April walked up the to the front of the room. She brushed some of her long hair aside and looked at the students.
"As you know, we are to have a new student from Fiore joining our class today," she said.
Immediately, chatter arose from the class.
"Is it a guy? Or a girl?"
"Are they cool? Or cute? Or like a celebrity?"
"Aren't we supposed to know these things? Seems kinda like it was sprung up on us-"
Ms. April silenced them with a raise of her hand.
"OK, that's enough. Keith? What's with the grin?" she asked a red-haired student. Keith quickly sat up in his chair.
"Nothing. Ms. April," he said.
"Good. Now then. Come on in!" she called to the door.
There was a moment of silence. Then the door slid open, and the new student walked in. It was a girl. She wore the standard Ranger School uniform for girls. Her hair was up in two short, spiky pigtails. She wore a cool, collected expression as she walked up the aisle. She turned and faced the class.
"Tell the class a little about yourself," Ms. April encouraged.
Kate calmly scanned the classroom.
"Well, I'm Kate. I'm sixteen and my birthday is January 1st. Don't ask me what my favorite Pokémon is, because I can't choose. I've wanted to be a Ranger ever since I saw one put out a fire near my home."
"Very interesting," said Ms. April. She turned to the class. "I hear that Kate got a very good mark on her entrance exam. Now, you can have a seat next to Keith."
Kate walked over and plopped herself into the chair. She felt a gaze burning into her. She turned and fixed her sharp blue eyes on Keith. He was staring at her. Someone could've written "processing data" on his forehead and it wouldn't have been any more obvious. The other students started giggling.
"Keith's got it bad!" a girl with blonde hair whispered.
Kate glared at Keith, who was still staring at her.
"Do you have an issue or something?" she asked him.
Keith seemed to snap out of it. "Me? No." He resumed his staring. Annoyed, Kate nudged him with her foot. Keith jumped.
"Ow!" he said loudly. Ms. April turned around.
"What is it Keith?" she asked sternly. Keith looked at her.
"Um, nothing Ms. April. Just a cramp," he said.
Ms. April turned back around. Keith whirled and faced Kate, who was sitting calmly in her seat as if nothing happened. "What the crap was that for?!" he whispered furiously. She turned her gaze at him.
"You were staring at me. It was distracting. If you don't want to be nudged, then don't stare."
"It wasn't a nudge! You nailed me in the shin!" Keith hissed. Kate ignored him.
"OK! Today is a free-study period. Just make sure you're back in here by the bell," Ms. April announced. He turned to the blonde-haired girl.
"Rhythmi, you can show Kate around," she said. Rhythmi nodded.
"I'll be in the Staff Room if you need me." Then, Ms. April left the room.
The class crowed around Kate. Rhythmi walked up to Kate, her hair bouncing.
"So, what DID you get on your entrance exam?" she asked.
"I got-" Kate was cut off by Keith, who had walked up behind her.
"Are we talking about her entrance exam? I passed it in a minute and a half. How long did it take you to capture that Pikachu? An hour?" he jeered. Kate gave him a are-you-serious look.
"Ten seconds," she said. Everyone gasped in amazement. Keith looked aghast.
"You're lying, you!" he sputtered.
"Says the guy who can't even remember my one syllable name," Kate sniffed. She sauntered out of the room, with Rhythmi at her heels. Keith stared after her, along with half the class.
"Whoa, Keith. You just got BUILT," a boy whispered.

Outside, Kate was amazed at the spaciousness of the School. She wasted no time making a beeline to the library. Inside were tons of books on Rangers.
"Oh!" Rhythmi pointed to a boy in the back. His hair was cut like a mushroom.
"That's Isaac. He is a stone-cold genius. He spends most of his time here reading."
Kate swiveled around and strode out of the library. After seeing just about every other room in existence, she headed outside.
"Hey! You should go and learn how to do a-"
"Target Clear?" Kate interrupted Rhythmi. She pointed her School Styler towards a wooden crate lying about five feet away. A Bidoof she had captured earlier charged into it and smashed it into tiny pieces, before scampering off.
Rhythmi looked thoroughly impressed. Suddenly, without warning, a voice rang out.
"Oh dear! Oh dear oh dear!"
"That's Janice!" Rhythmi said in alarm. She and Kate dashed over to the caretaker.
"What happened?" Rhythmi demanded.
"All the Bidoof are running around like crazy!" Janice said. "Help calm them down, please!"
"On it!" Kate declared.
"Hey what's this all about? Escaped Bidoof?" a voice rang out. Kate and Rhythmi turned to see Keith hurrying up to them. He then turned to Kate.
"Hey, what's-your-name. How about we have a race to see who can catch the most Bidoof?"
"Keith! Can't you make an effort to at least remember our new classmate's name?" Rhythmi said furiously.
"Butt out, Rhythmi. So how abo-" Keith cut off. Kate had jumped onto his shoulders and used them as a launching pad. She pushed herself into the air and aimed her Capture Disc at four Bidoof. With a sweep of her Styler, she captured all of them. Kate then turned a somersault and landed on the ground. Keith and Rhythmi gaped. Kate looked directly at Keith.
"I personally don't have time to play such a dumb game, as these Bidoof are on the loose, but I am not one to turn down a challenge!"
For a few seconds, she and Keith held gazes while Rhythmi looked on. The tension was broken by a two Bidoof running past. Kate and Keith looked at each other quickly, then took off sprinting in different directions, chasing the remaining Bidoof.

Kate and keith eventually caught the four remaining Bidoof and brought them to Janice. Kate had capture six Bidoof. Keith had captured two.
"Looks like I won," Kate said evenly. Keith didn't meet her eye. Kate wondered, Did I offend him?
Keith suddenly looked up. "Looks like I have a rival!" he declared. Kate was taken aback, but she didn't show it. She smiled to herself. A rival? Maybe this could work…
The school bell clanged.
"Oh nuts! We better hurry or we'll be late to class!" Rhythmi called. Kate turned towards her new friend and headed into the building. She had a feeling she was going to like it here.