Kate smiled, putting down her pen after signing the long letter she had just finished writing. She wouldn't be writing home every day, of course, but she supposed her first experience at the School was an event worthwhile enough to be documented.
"Hey, Kate, whatcha doing?"
The pig-tailed girl raised her head, smiling at Rhythmi, just arrived in front of her.
"Writing home. My little sister made me promise to report anything special that happens on my stay here, and I hadn't the heart to tell her no."
Rhyth clapped, her eyes twinkling with joy…or was it something else? Kate could have sworn there was more in that expression, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly that 'more' was.
"Oooh…you have a younger sister? I'm an only daughter, so I don't really know how it feels."
She stopped, scratching her head.
"Damn, I should write home too. My parents always complain I never write back…Oh, well, maybe tomorrow."
There was a second of silence before the girl spoke again.
"Say…how about we get out for a while?"
Oh, right. What she had saw earlier was sneakiness. Kate shrugged, before jumping out from her bed and quietly following Rhythmi out of the girl's dormitory. Her eyes took a few instants to adjust in the almost non-existent light of the…living room? Lounge? Mh, she liked lounge. Anyway, once her eyes had adjusted, she managed to discern the two shapes, maybe three, that revealed themselves to be students once her and Rhyth had come closer. Kate recognized Keith, a brown-haired girl from the other class of their year and a boy from their class, though his name eluded her.
"Sorry for the wait. We're ready!"
Rhyth had come closer to the group, and had whispered with a tone barely audible.
"Took you long enough!"
Yup, 100% Keith, no doubt about it. Rhyth scoffed, before signalling Kate to come closer.
"So, let's get started with the most sacred ceremony of the School's Acolytes…"
"I still think it's a stupid name."
Keith, again.
"Shush! Nobody asked you." was the hushed reply, obviously coming from Rhythmi. "As I was saying…the most sacred ceremony, the test of courage to welcome Kate!"
All the other students raised their right fists, whispering some sort of battle cry. Uh…test of courage? What? Kate really didn't like the sound of that…nah, she was just being paranoid. Surely Rhythmi wouldn't put her in danger, it was probably just a test like 'Steal a potted plant from the corridor without getting caught' and not, say, 'walk the walk of fire and death'. Keith, perhaps sensing her discomfort (or maybe she was putting too much faith in his empathic abilities?) quickly inserted himself in the conversation.
"Don't worry, it's just a test to see if you're brave. I did that before, too…it's not difficult."
Good, at least the 'pit of despair and hellfire' option had been tossed away. Also, Keith seemed more…supportive? Perhaps she had seriously misjudged him from their previous…
"But…you know, you do have that easily scared look to you. No offence."
…Nevermind, and 'no offence' my ass.
Rhyth coughed, effectively breaking that awkward situation.
"Aehm…Rules are simple. We have hidden our four Stylers in some of the School's rooms, and your test consists in retrieving them! The rooms are our classroom, the other classroom of our year, the library and the staffroom. When you're done, put them in front of the door to the basement room and then return here. It's not difficult or anything, but…"
Kate could have sworn to have heard a point of amusement in that last 'but'…and her impression was confirmed when the blonde girl spoke again.
"…it's not really safe to go alone, so we have a special rule: the last one who received the initiation accompanies the new girl! Or boy."
Silence.
"That's…"
"Yes, Keith. That's you. Good luuuck!"
Kate couldn't really see the others' expression, bus she could sure felt her own. Oh no.
"Wait, Rhyth, I think I can do it alo…"
"Nonsense! A rule is a rule. Now go, the night won't last forever!"
Great. Kate sighed, before signalling Keith to follow her down the stair of the dormitory floor. Her only hope now was to complete the test as soon as she could, and she fully intended to do so.

"Soooo…I guess that…WAAAAAH! There's…something there!"
The shriek almost made Kate jump out of her skin…but then she recognized the shape moving in the moonlit corridor.
"Really, Keith? It's just a Bidoof."
She quietly scoffed, as Keith started to fumble with his words in a desperate attempt to made her forget the embarrassing scene he had just made.
"Uhm…I…thought that…"
…Except that she wasn't going to let him walk away scot free, especially after that 'you look like you are easily scared' comment.
"Did you say that you passed your courage test, didn't you?"
Keith raised his hands, clearly trying to find an excuse quickly.
"Come on! I…just didn't expect it! Let's…just go and find the Stylers, shall we?"
She supposed she had had her revenge…there was no need to further embarrass him, for now. Kate nodded, before pointing to a door on their left.
"Let's start with the library, then move to the other rooms."
Keith cleared his throat.
"Uhm…that's the staffroom. The library is on the other side."
Oh.
"Then…the staffroom, I guess."

"So…you're from Fiore, right?"
"Yeah."
"I have a brother in Fiore. He works as a Mechanic in Wintown."
"Mh."
"I've also got a sister, but she works here at Altru Inc."
"Mh."
"Do you have siblings?"
"Keith."
The red-haired boy stopped talking, finally looking in her direction.
"Uhm…Yes?"
Kate stopped her run around the table, pointing to the yellow rodent with a Styler in its little hands, currently busy evading her attempts to capture it.
"I'm trying to catch this Pichu."
Keith laughed, scratching the nape of his head.
"Oh…ahaha, I know, right? It's just…"
It's just that you're scared shitless and you are desperately trying to converse so you can get distracted. Kate sighed, before shaking her head and giving chase again. The little devil was giving her more trouble than she would have expected, and kept getting away once she was near enough to launch the disk. She gritted her teeth, instantly deciding that she had had enough of that chase. Using a nearby chair as a step, she quickly jumped on the Principal's desk, traversing it with a few strides and finally jumping down in the opposite direction, just in front of the Pichu. Before the Pokémon could start running away from her again she launched the Capture disk, which she immediately guided in a loop around the little creature. Kate let her frustration fade away, concentrating instead in the circular movement of the spinning device, and a few seconds later the Styler quietly beeped. Capture complete. Uh…she supposed the afternoon training will all those Bidoof had served her well.
"Good! C'mere, little Pichu." she whispered, walking towards the, now calm, animal. She kneeled down, extending an hand to finally take the Styler from the little creature, then patting it with the other hand once she had it.
"Good boy! Now go." she said, getting up. The Pichu didn't need to be told twice: it darted away, probably returning to its nest.
"Good! Three to go."
She realized that she had almost forgotten about Keith's presence…oh, well, it was a good sign that she was able to concentrate so much on a capture, no?
"Yes. Let's go to the library now."

"Brr…this place sure is scary at night. It's like…something is lurking in there."
Kate resisted, once again, the temptation to scoff, concentrating instead on the obstacle ahead. She didn't really know how Rhythmi and her friends had managed to stuff the room with crates even taller than she was (well, she was quite short, to be honest, but still!), but damn, that was impressive. Her and Keith had to backtrack after entering in the room for the first time and capture the Bidoof in the corridor…well, they could have simply moved the crate, but using a Pokémon to remove the obstacle was easier and quicker (and besides, she needed to train that technique).
"Come on, it's perfectly safe. Bidoof, crush that crate!" she whispered, pointing the nearest one. The little animal moved with no hesitation, launching itself against the obstacle. Being the crate empty it simply fell on itself, leaving some sad planks behind. Good, now that the chokepoint between the shelves had been cleared she could search further in the library. She signalled the Bidoof to go free, before moving towards the back of the room.
"I really hope you didn't hid it on the top of some shelf, because climbing on them is not exactly something I'd like to do in a room this dark."
"No, no! It's not…"
As Keith was finishing his answer, Kate spotted the Styler, and she decided to cut short the phrase.
"Oh, it's on a table of the study area. Good."
Keith looked at her with a puzzled expression (at least, she thought it was puzzled. It's not like she could be sure, in all that darkness).
"Wow…how did you see that so quickly? It would have taken ages to me, if I hadn't know where to search."
He seemed…sincere. Kate instantly felt bad for treating him like dirt before…sure, he was a show-off and…Kate, you're insulting him again. Right. Well, he had his flaws, but he probably wasn't doing it with the express purpose of belittling her. Even Rhythmi had said that he was better than he could seem…maybe she should have given him another chance. And maybe not chewing him out at every word he said.
"I…just concentrate on what I'm doing, and shut away anything else."
The girl grabbed the Styler, before attaching it to her belt along with the one she had already recovered.
"Oh. You do that also when you're trying to capture a Pokémon?"
"Yup."
Keith, scratched his head, before following her towards the exit.
"No wonder you are so quick even if you have no experience. I always hear anyone complaining that their emotions get in the way, the first times, but if you are able to not think about them…"
She shrugged, carefully walking again across the broken crate.
"Well, no, I'm not able to completely forget them. But I've found out I'm able to put them aside, even if it's difficult. I guess I need to work on it."
Oh, there was the exit. Kate turned the doorknob exiting in the dimly lit corridor.
"I think one Ranger that came the last year for an Outdoor class said something like that…he said…uh…Ah, right. 'I just think about why I wanted to be a Ranger in the first place: protecting nature, Pokémon and people. Nothing else matters'. It was inspiring."
It really was: short, but effective. She smiled, starting to walk towards their next objective. It was quite surprising how quickly her attitude towards Keith had changed during that conversation…heh, Rhyth was a genius, when people were concerned: she probably knew something like this was going to happen. Oh, well, she would thank her later, now she had work to do.

They were looking in the last place remaining, their classroom, after a pretty uneventful search in Mr. Kincaid's…unless you count as 'eventful' being chased by a pair of angry Zubat and a few sleepy Bidoof. Kate was now trying, with the light provided by her Styler's display, to see in the gaps of the crates scattered in the room, searching for the one containing their objective. She could just have smashed every crate available, true, but that would have meant going back and forth from the other classroom to catch enough Bidoof to do so, and she clearly wasn't too keen on the idea…which was good, because they had purposefully chosen the farthest one from the entrance of the class and he really wished that test to end soon.
"So…why dark makes you this nervous?"
Keith jumped, not expecting the sudden question.
"Me? Nervous? Nonsense!"
Which was, truth to be told, a lie. It's not like he was scared of the dark…come on, only little children are! But…well, dark did make him nervous. He knew there was nothing dangerous lurking around, and the 'someone must go with you' rule had been made with something as mundane as 'accidentally stepping on a Bidoof and spraining your ankle' in mind…but still, the almost complete obscurity strung the wrong chords in him. He slowly shook his head, trying to not let his thoughts going in directions he didn't want to, instead focusing on Kate…currently kneeled in front of the right crate, position that required additional effort for him to not stare at her butt.
"If you say so. Oh, look, that's the Styler."
Good, at least she hadn't pursued the subject. He hadn't talked about…his issue with anyone there, and he sure wasn't going to do so with a person he barely knew. Sure, Kate was interesting and he supposed they could become friend, but really, he wasn't going to open his heart and mind to a person just because she looked 'interesting'. Kate finally got up, signalling one of the Bidoof she had caught earlier in the other classroom (it had been really adamant in not letting them go peacefully, so she had to calm it) to come closer.
"Crush the crate, please."
The creature looked at her for one instant, before turning towards the crate and smashing with one hit. Target cleared. Once its purpose had been fulfilled Kate released it, after thanking the furry creature with a brief pat on its head. She looked at it trot away for an instant, before starting to search between the remains of the broken crate.
"Found it!"
Keith nodded, pointing towards the door.
"That's all of them! Let's take them down to the basement."
Thank goodness they were almost done! Sure, the most dangerous part was actually the basement, since they weren't technically allowed down there, but really, how high the chances were that there still was someone there?

They walked down the basement stairs slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. A faint sound resounded in the air, but Kate simply assumed it was the cry of some kind of Pokémon and promptly proceeded to ignore it. Keith, on the other hand…
"Did…you heard that? I…"
He immediately stopped, before moving a step or two further in the corridor.
"Wait. We didn't put obstacles down here…so what's that doing there?"
Kate moved forward too, seeing what the red-haired boy had meant: in front of them was standing a tall wooden fence, with a door in the middle to allow passage. With a quick thrust later she confirmed that the door was closed, perhaps with a lock on the other side or something.
"Strange…hey, I've got an idea. Let's cut an opening…I think that…"
Kate nodded, having already understood what Keith was implying. She activated her Styler, starting to carefully studying her surroundings.
"…Zubat can do that, yes. It's not too thick, it should work."
She was about to give up and going back to Mr. Kincaid's class to catch one when a shape darted in the air in front of her. Talk about luck…
"Capture on!"
She immediately led the ejected Disk around the Zubat before it could dart away, leaving behind a bright tail. It didn't took long before it was captured, despite its sound-based attacks being more difficult to see and predict than the usual dash or spark of electricity. Capture complete.
"Good boy. Zubat, cut a hole in that fence!"
The flying Pokémon didn't need to be told twice, and soon a portion of wood fell on the ground with a low thump, creating an hole big enough for them to pass through.
"Thank you, Zubat. Goodbye!"
Kate didn't lose time to squeeze through the opening, quickly followed by Keith. They walked in the dimly lit corridor in silence, only stopping in front of the last door in the corridor.
"Let's just put those down and go back, I can't take much more of…wait. Have you heard? I think I…"
He never managed to finish the phrase. With a shrill chorus of wails three Gastly appeared in front of them, making Keith literally jump back in shock, a small shriek repressed at the last second. Kate was about to tell him to stop being so dramatic and help her calming them, when she remembered that his Styler was still firmly fixed on her belt. Oh, well, she simply had to do that alone.
She launched the Disk, before leaping to the side to avoid a lick from a nearby Gastly that had suddenly appeared in front of her. She had just managed to close a loop around two of the creatures when she felt a cold sensation behind her. She jumped to the left, one split second before another Gastly, appeared from nowhere, could lick her. Okay, that situation required desperate measures. Carefully running around to avoid other sneak attacks she started spinning her Styler madly, in a gamble to avoid both being hit and letting the ghosts damage the Styler. Sweat started dripping from her forehead, but her actions were rewarded when she managed to capture three Pokémon in one loop, leaving only one standing. A few loops later and that Gastly had been also befriended and, after looking at them for a moment, disappeared along with his friends.
"Phew. It was just a Gastly!" Keith exclaimed, rather loudly.
Kate looked towards him with a frown on her face and was about to tell him to not shout, when she heard the door behind them being slammed open.
"WHO'S THERE?!"
Feeling her blood run cold she leaped forward, grabbing Keith's wrist and pulling him along in her run, darting away from the spot they had been standing. She really hoped she had been fast enough and that they hadn't been recognized.

Kincaid looked at the fleeing shapes, running away in the damn corridor because apparently being in a place they were forbidden to enter wasn't breaking enough rules for them. He scoffed, realizing that the fact that he hadn't been able to recognize the students sneaking in there just added insult to injury…wait, and what about the fence he had installed near the stairs? Damn brats and their…
"Is something the matter, sir?"
He sighed, turning back and closing the door behind him. The blonde boy inside the room, that had been previously busy examining the results of an earlier experiment, had raised his head, looking at him with worry.
"…No, it's nothing. Just a Zubat making a minor disturbance in the hallway."
"Oh."
He swore, that boy might have been a genius (and he had to admit, he was, no doubt about it), but he sure was gullible like a five years old child.
"So…what are the results? Was the experiment successful? Or was it a failure?"
The boy shrugged, passing an hand into his peculiar mushroom-shaped hair.
"It's impossible to say yet…the control systems aren't complete, but I think it's just a matter of adjustment now."
Kincaid gravely nodded, looking straight at the boy in front of him.
"Isaac. I'm counting on you to succeed. But, said that, it's also quite late. Let's call it a night on our research and continue tomorrow with a fresh mind."
Isaac nodded, the hint of a smile on his face.
"Right, I will return to my dorm. Goodnight, Mr. Kincaid."

"Uuugh. I don't know who decided to put Athletics class for the Rangers at the first hours of the day. It's insane!" Keith muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Kate slowly nodded, before trying in vain to repress a yawn. Damn courage test…she had been so overflowing with adrenaline that she hadn't managed to sleep for hours, instead shifting uncomfortably in her bed. At least Rhythmi had believed their story, because let's be frank, having to repeat everything (or being branded as a coward) would have really been the last straw.
"Ah, and at least you sleep in the dorms! I have to take the bus from Pueltown to the Academy every morning."
A guy next to them had just commented, and Kate was about to answer when the sound of a whistle resounded in the courtyard.
"Okay, Lawson and Carter! You're the first in the obstacle course."
Just great. Kate was starting to groan, when a brilliant idea formed in her mind.
"Last one arriving buys the other lunch this weekend!" she said, with a sly smile, before darting towards the track. Keith blinked twice, surprised, before a similar grin spread on his face.
"Ah! Prepare your wallet, Lawson! I'm not going to let you win!" he said, before running after her. Well, at least now they weren't feeling tired anymore, she supposed.