A/N: I'll make this brief. Sorry about taking so long on an update, and you're going to have to wait even longer for one this time. Be patient! This time, I will be writing most, if not ALL of the rewrite before releasing it. This first chapter is to show what I have so far, and to let you all know that character submissions are open until I say they can no longer be submitted because damn, people, submit some characters because I only have about ten! I will be choosing characters I like only, instead of trying to cram everyone in. Finally, before I begin, I'd like to point out that the new character form can be found on my profile page. Enjoy.
High School Daze is written by Cyndan (aka Waterinthedark) with help of many good friends.
Disclaimer: Pokemon is property of Nintendo, Gamefreak, and Creatures Inc. Characters and entities included herein are property of Cyndan or of their respective owners. High School Daze is a work of fiction, and any likeness to real events or people is coincidence.
Chapter 1: Preperations
"A new school? Are you kidding me?! I just moved into a new school the first semester, so why are we moving AGAIN?! And to Veral? I've never heard of that place, let alone know what it's like!"
"Joss, you'll love Veral! The kids are kind and generous-"
"For the most part," a rather tall and lanky Furret cut in.
"-and the school system is...well, I'll let you see for yourself! Once you go there, you'll never want to leave!" finished the argumentative Typhlosion. She was burly, and not a single Pokemon could deny her being chubby at that. Not fat, but as a dating site would call it, "pleasantly plump".
The teenaged Quilava standing in front of her with crossed arms stared straight up at her. Being tall and skinny, it was obvious he picked up his bodily traits from his father. However, his tenacity was definitely inherited from his maternal side. Pushing the glasses that drooped down back up his nose and guarded his oddly-colored azure eyes, Joss wheeled around, pacing away. "Like distortion I will! When I go to college, they're gonna look at my list of schools, see eight of them and realize that I never had a steady education!
"And then they'll see 'Veral' High School and think to themselves, 'now what in the name of Giratina IS this place? I've never heard of it, have you?' 'Nope!' 'If we don't know what this school teaches we can't let him in our college!'" All of his mock speech was imitated by mimicking a babbling mouth with either paw. He turned around once more, leaning against the living room wall.
The Furret standing in the sidelines bit his lip, proffering his paw. "J-Joss, now, you're overreacting! They'd never do something l-like that. T-Trust us, the college board know more than you give them credit f-for!" Once Harold finished speaking, he backed up a bit, not wanting to argue any further.
Joss glared at him, his blue eyes piercing into him. "I'll believe that when I see it."
His mother in turn began to smoke, and the smell of burning cloth filled the room. "Joss, look here. I said look at me! You will stop complaining, and you will go to this school. We are moving and there are no other schools in the area. Do you understand? You have to go, and there isn't any way to get around that. Now stop complaining and pack up your things! Our bastard of a tenant said that we have to be out of here by six this afternoon." She turned around, beckoning her husband as she padded into the other room. If one listened carefully, they could hear the soft "rent-evading, my cunt..." she said afterward.
O.o.o.O.o.o.O
Joss sighed heavily as he kicked a heap of clothing lying on his floor against the wall. It wasn't really the fact that it was a new school they were going to that bothered him, nor was it that he had never heard of Veral; rather, it was simply because it was a few days into the holidays, in the middle of everyone's holiday break. His first semester in what would be his old school was now finished, with finals already taken. Truth be told, there wasn't much keeping him back save for his girlfriend and various friends. Going to a different school at this point would turn his life around, and quite possibly ruin the classes he had planned for the following semester and the years to come.
To be honest, he HAD heard of Veral: it was a small community in a lush area between Johto and Orre that wasn't often talked about. Part of it was that there wasn't anything interesting there. The other part was that everyone who lived there refused to talk about what went on, especially concerning education. Only a select few Pokemon outside of Veral new, the majority of which had lived there at some point.
The worst part of this all was that he would have to break up with his current girlfriend, not because he suspected her of cheating, but because he didn't have a cell phone or anything to call her, and she had no access to an email. Being together would remain on trust alone, which was at an all time low for Joss.
He swept his arm across his cluttered desk, causing crumpled papers and drawing utensils to go flying against the wall. The situation was bleak. Sitting down in the office chair (the only one in the burrow, actually), he spun around a few times, thinking to himself. It appeared as though he would be leaving his friends behind for good. But come to think of it, could he really call them friends? Those he hung out with outside of school rarely included him in much, and those in school looked his way once in a blue moon. Friends, my ass,he thought.
Maybe this would actually be a good thing. They would be meeting new Pokemon, seeing a new place, and some even said that in Veral the temperatures remained within the 60's and 70's, being in a valley pinned between desert and mountains. There was no snow either, even in winter, so that was a large plus. For a fire-type, he could sure get quite cold.
He smiled, reaching for one of the many empty boxes in his room. From underneath a box labeled "The Orange," a Chatot flew onto his bed. "Venus in Cancer! Venus in Cancer!" he repeated. The Quilava chuckled and began to pack. "Oh, shut up!"
O.o.o.O.o.o.O
Everything was packed into the van within several hours. Although it was already seven, their tenant didn't mind. After all, Slowbro are often just as tardy as their predecessors. Most of the furniture they had to leave behind, as some of it couldn't fit in the van they could afford or had come with the burrow when they rented it out.
Joss made to open the door to get inside, but his father stopped him. "I'm sorry, Joss, but there are only two seats up here. You're g-gonna have to sit in the back with the stuff, I'm af—afraid."
Harold's son shrugged it off. "I don't mind. After all, if it means getting out of this dump, I'd do it five times over." Throwing up the hatch in the rear just enough to slip inside, he did just that, leaving behind his befuddled father.
"That was...a fast change of heart."
Once in the back, Joss made himself comfortable amongst the furniture and boxes. There wasn't much room, but there was about a foot of clear space near the ceiling, and the surface of their couch was clear. With laptop in paw, the Quilava sprawled out across it. With this sort of privacy, not to mention the types of pictures and videos he had saved onto his hard drive, it was no surprise he was completely content with his position.
The three-hour ride was smooth, and by the time Joss had finished doing what males do best, he was exhausted, fast asleep with his laptop precariously laying across his chest. The move would've taken much longer had they taken a Tropius, but fortunately they had this piece of human technology to speed things along.
Joss was awoken by the hatch of their moving fan slamming against the roof. "Get your pants on and get out here!" his mother barked, and the flustered Quilava redressed and made his way out of his cramped quarters, stretching his arms as he looked around.
A warm breeze gently played across his fur, ruffling it comfortably. Compared to their wintry home back in Azalea Forest, this place was much more spring-like, with flowers blooming and grass covering the ground. Trees remained fully leaved, swaying gently in the same breeze that brushed against Joss. A smile crossed his lips. This place was quite the paradise, and if it remained this way even in the summer, it would be absolutely perfect.
He was almost giddy with happiness as he helped his parents unload the truck, doing most of the heavily lifting as his father prepared the den and got things ready inside. There were enough furnishings to fill up the dining area, living room, his parents' bedroom, and the guest room easily. However, it wasn't until they reached the final things, which belonged to Joss, that he realized something was odd.
"Mum...where's...my room?"
"Well, Joss, how should I explain...?" she began, placing a paw against her chin, contemplating for a moment before playfully glaring at her son. "You're going to be living at the school. Dormitories. We've arranged it ahead of time, and you'll be rooming with a Zorua. Forget the name of him, but it was along the lines of Nick or something. Either way, you'll only be using the guest room as a room during holidays and vacations."
Joss stood with his mouth agape. "D—Dorm rooms?! S-Since when do they have those?!" he questioned, flabbergasted.
His mother snirked. "This school has had them for years. Don't unpack your things, because we're dropping you off in an hour."
Joss' father stepped in nervously, having opted to stay out of the conversation for the most part. "Now look, Joss. I know it'll be t-tough, but you'll get through it. You're smart, and you said you're good with geography! It should be easy l-learning a new area, shouldn't it?" His son nodded slowly in response, biting his lip. "We've hired a Pelliper to take you there. Your mother has to stay here, though, and get everything ready. You understand, right?"
The Quilava sighed, nodding as he pushed his glasses back into place. "Yeah...I do."
They were interrupted, however, as a loud cry from outside pierced their walls. "Pelliper for Alanuerdos!"
The Furret placed a paw on his son's shoulder, looking him in the eye and nodding. "Alright, let's go."
The duo left their burrow, climbing into the fading sunlight. Although it was only just evening, the sky still darkened early; after all, it was winter all the same, whether or not the temperature agreed. The Furret helped his son board the Pelliper's back, strapping himself into the first saddle that it wore. Nodding to him, his father followed him up, doing the same as he tapped their transportation's neck twice. With a few powerful wing beats, it took off, beginning to soar through the air above the trees.
Below them, Joss and his father looked on in admiring awe upon the landscape. Viridian trees flew by below them, still fully-clothed in their leaves. They didn't fly all too high, and merely skimmed the treetops, but it was still enough to see the geography of the landscape, and Joss noted every path and landmark he possibly could mentally.
Clouds seemed to fly by above them and the wind ruffled their fur in a nice way, nice and cool but not overly so, and Joss smiled, leaning back into his father.
The rest of their flight lasted the whole of ten minutes, and soon their Pelliper gently landed at the base of a towering tree, standing proudly above the rest of the forest below it. It was one of the first things they had noticed upon mounting the Pelliper and taking off, although it was only one of about six of this type of tree.
Looking at each other, Joss and his father made their way to the opening in the base of the tree, where many students who no doubt were returning for their second semester were filing into. Following the crowd, they passed through the opening, finding themselves at an intersection.
Facing them were the entrances to three rooms: "POOL", "LOCKERS", and "PHYS ED". To either direction the hallway continued on, but one direction remained off limits, with a sign pointing everyone in the other direction. Following the crowd, the duo moved on. The hallway curved to the right, and they could only guess that it followed the curvature of the tree trunk. As they passed room by room, Joss jotted down each room he saw on his mental notepad, knowing all too well that in second semester he'd be the only new student and that few, if any, students would be willing to help him out.
At last Joss and his Furret father reached their destination, which seemed to be an office. One by one, students and their parents checked in, slowly lessening the line leading up to the door. From what he could tell, Joss figured that either the hallway wasn't near the bark and that there was extra room, or each room was crafted out of hollowed out roots. Either way, this school was pretty large, especially when you coupled it with the half-spiral staircases on the inside wall of the hall.
As students left the line one by one, Joss impatiently tapped his foot on the ground. It was things like this that made him wish that when a lot of Pokemon had to go to one place, they'd make more than one line to check in at. It was like waiting in line at a popular vendor.
It must have been a good thirty minutes before Joss' father had the chance to check him in, although in reality it was only ten. The Quilava didn't bother listening to a single word that was exchanged between the secretary in his father, although it may have been better had he done so.
Joss' father tapped his shoulder, getting his attention. "Come on. I'll sh-show you to your dorm." He followed him towards the stairs, which in reality was more of a ramp. Each ramp was above the next, and their slants allowed enough head room for passerby. Underneath the first stair case there had been a door, and judging by the label the locker room went all the way through with some sort of separation dividing it; after all, this sign was pink, and the other, blue.
The next floor appeared to be for class rooms as well, but this time it was obvious that the hallway was much narrower, allowing classrooms in the outer edge. Joss was led up the next ramp. On this floor it seemed as though all the rooms were dorms, with a final floor leading upwards before the branches left no more trunk room. Another floor had to be traversed, and it was only on the fourth and final floor that Joss could see his dorm. Room 412, first dorm to the left. The hallway on this floor was very narrow, and only two Pokemon could walk side by side.
His father handed him a key, and the Quilava looked up at him. "Are you coming in with me?"
The Furret shook his head. "I apologize, but I can't. The staff explicitly said that dormitories are students-only. B-Besides...your mother is probably wondering what's taking me so long. I'll send your stuff by Tropius tomorrow, alright?" At a nod from his son, as well as a brief hug, the two parted, saying their goodbyes until they saw each other in the next vacation.
Joss turned around, and sighed. Placing the key into the lock, he gave it a sharp twist, and upon hearing the click, he swung the door open and stepped in.
He had little time to react as a black blur lunged towards him.