Episode 3: The Pokemon School
Somewhere in the Old King Archipelago, a Charizard soared over the open sea until it came to a stop above a beach. It was the middle of the night, and no human or Pokemon noticed as the Charizard thumped onto the shore. The rider climbed off the dragon's back, holding the suitcase she stole hours ago. The duralumin coat was thick, and the case was secured with an electronic padlock that required a special security card.
The robber walked across the beach to a cluster of rocks as tall as her waist. She reached into a gap between the stones and pulled out another suitcase, thicker than the one she had stolen. Inside the second case was an electric drill and a computer the size of a textbook. With these tools, she went through the process of drilling a hole through the padlock and hacking it. In three minutes, she flipped open the stolen suitcase.
Inside was a single Poke Ball, black on one half and silver on the other. It was a special Poke Ball with built-in sensors so that only certain hands could open it. The robber grasped the sphere with one gloved hand, and it expanded to twice the size of a normal Poke Ball. She pressed the button, and the double-layered ball clasped open, releasing a beam of white light that morphed into a small, dark Pokemon. Without even glancing at the robber, the creature immediately zoomed up into the air, then glanced back and saw that the woman was not giving chase. The Pokemon hovered and turned to face her.
"You," the Pokemon spoke in a scratchy, high-pitched voice. "Why did you free me?"
The robber's expression was hidden behind her mask. "I thought it might be better this way."
The half moon shone down on the Pokemon as its yellow eyes glared down at the human. "Are you aware that you have just betrayed your kind?"
The robber answered without emotion, "I don't care about my kind as much as I care about my planet."
There was a moment of silence, except for the crash of the waves against the beach. "Whatever happens, the blame is yours to carry. " With that, the Pokemon turned again and flew away, disappearing into the night sky within seconds.
The woman stood silently, her Charizard waiting behind her.
"It's only a matter of time now. Before the waves of change come."
"He's undergoing therapy for the next few hours. The broken nerves should heal in a few years, but until then, he'll have trouble controlling his bulb. It'll be better if he doesn't fight."
"I see..." Professor Filbert's face was somber on the videophone monitor.
It was the morning after the burglary. As soon as Shane and Rachel arrived in Bravetide City, one of the crew members guided them to the Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy examined Bulbasaur. Shane had just told Filbert the diagnosis. The thief's Plasmordo had left a gash in the stem connecting Bulbasaur's bulb to his body, paralyzing some of his nerves. Fortunately, it can still provide nutrients, but he wouldn't be able to use any grass-type moves, not even Vine Whip. Shane thought that was like a person having a broken arm, but the injury could have been worse. If the girl with the Arcanine had not stopped Plasmordo on time... Shane tried not to think of what might have happened.
He found out the girl's name was Allison, and the ship's crew had treated her and the old sailor who was electrified. They were in the Bravetide City Hospital now, but they were in stable condition when Shane last saw them.
Filbert spoke, "I know this must be hard on you, but I want you to continue your journey."
"I will," Shane replied firmly. "As long as Bulbasaur doesn't fight, he'll be fine. I'll take good care of him."
"That's great," Filbert said, "But I'm just as worried about you."
"Don't be," Shane said, smiling for the professor. "I'm not going to quit because of this one incident."
"Good." The professor smiled back. "You're a strong, responsible person, Shane. I take it Rachel doesn't want to quit, either?"
"Of course not."
"I see." Filbert nodded. "I'm sorry you had to experience such a sad event on the first day of your journey, but there are wonderful things waiting for you and Rachel. I know you can weather whatever hardship comes your way."
"Thanks, professor," Shane replied.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure you visit Professor Sassafras. I already contacted her, and I'm sure she's anxiously waiting for you."
"I will." After he bid Filbert goodbye, Shane walked across the Pokemon Center lobby to Rachel, who was studying a bulletin board. Squirtle was lying belly-down on her shoulder, a position that he had apparently grown used to. Rachel took her eyes off the billboard and turned to Shane. "What did Professor say?"
"Just the usual. How he believes in us and there are wonderful things waiting for us."
Rachel smiled. "He always knows how to cheer someone up, doesn't he?"
"Yeah. What are you looking at?"
Rachel turned back to the bulletin board. "Look at this! It's some kind of electronic request board. Whenever people need help, they upload a message and it shows up here. They even give out rewards and money for helping! Isn't that cool?"
Shane gazed at the bulletin board and saw that it was actually a large monitor displaying a list of messages from various people. As he was watching, a new message appeared at the top, pushing the rest of the list down. "Wow, I never thought of something like this. It must be useful in a big city, but we can take a closer look later. For now, let's go visit Professor Sassafras."
"Sure. It's too bad Bulbasaur has to stay here. I want to check on Allison, too. I haven't even thanked her yet."
"Oh, right. We'll stop by the hospital afterwards. But first, we better head to the Pokemon School. Professor Sassafras will have a lot to show us before we start traveling across the country."
"Okay!"
"Squirtle!" Rachel and Squirtle both agreed, excited at the thought of exploring Alfos. After the disaster on the ferry, Shane himself had almost forgotten that he was in a different country.
"I wonder what kind of person Professor Sassafras is," Rachel said.
Just as she said that, Shane turned to the front entrance of the Pokemon Center and made eye contact with a woman in front of the automatic doors. She was dressed in a navy trenchcoat and had silver, bobbed hair, but the part that stood out was the black eye patch covering her right eye. For a moment, she stared directly at Shane, and he gazed back, slightly uncomfortable being scrutinized by a complete stranger.
Then the woman smiled and casually strolled toward him. Rachel noticed the woman as well and looked at her curiously. "Uh, can I help you?" Shane asked.
"By any chance, are you Shane and Rachel?"
Shane answered, "Yes, and you are...?"
The woman placed a hand on her chest and greeted gracefully, "My name is Albida Sassafras. But you can just call me Miss S. That's what my students call me."
"So you're the professor!" Rachel spoke.
"It's nice to meet you," Shane greeted as his nervousness disappeared. "We didn't expect you to actually come out here and meet us."
"Well, I planned to pick you up as soon as your ferry landed, but I was just a few minutes late, and I heard you were here. In any case, I consider it my responsibility to see off any new trainer starting in Bravetide City, even those who aren't my students. Now, let's go to school."
#
Rachel had hardly looked around Bravetide City when she hurried off the ferry to the Pokemon Center. It was much bigger than Glassport Town, with streets made of cement instead of cobblestone lined with stores and restaurants. It was late in the morning, and the streets were crowded. Ships and sailboats were lined up along the pier, and towering above them was an old-fashioned lighthouse. There were low hills on the outskirts of the city, and resting on one of them was a large, red building that was the Bravetide Pokemon School.
Sassafras led Rachel and Shane through the city, occasionally receiving greetings from shop owners or passers-by. "By the way, Rachel, I assume you chose that Squirtle to be your first Pokemon?"
"That's right!" Rachel replied.
"Squirtle!" her partner chirped for emphasis.
"You certainly look good together," Sassafras complimented. "What about your Pokemon, Shane?"
Shane faltered. "My partner, Bulbasaur, is in the Pokemon Center right now. We kind of had an accident on the ferry, but he'll be okay."
"Is that so?" Sassafras frowned, but she didn't ask further.
The parade of stores soon ended, and they took a path uphill until they stood before the school.
"It looks amazing up close!" Rachel exclaimed.
"How many students do you have?" Shane asked.
"Exactly forty-one, including six children who commute each day from Citrust Town. Most of them are ten years old or younger."
"Wow!" Rachel exclaimed. "I think that's more than twice the number of kids in the elementary school back home!"
"Did you go to school in your hometown, Rachel?" Sassafras asked.
"I used to, for a few years. Then I was homeschooled by my dad."
"I see," Sassafras replied. "Many children were homeschooled back in my days."
Sassafras led them inside. The children must have been taking class inside, as there was no one in the courtyard. The building was more modest than it looked outside. In the hallway, Rachel looked through a long window into one classroom, where many small kids were chatting energetically and scribbling on posters with crayons.
"They look like they're drawing stuff," she said.
Sassafras explained, "Drawing helps you observe and visualize. Along with Pokemon studies, I also have teachers who teach math and language arts to round off the students' education."
"That sounds brilliant," Shane remarked.
"Thank you," Sassafras said, content. "This school is my pride and joy."
The professor guided them up a staircase and finally took them into her office. A large, wooden desk rested by the window while bookshelves filled with documents lined the walls.
"This is where you do your research?" Rachel asked.
Sassafras replied, "Well, this is where I contact people and do my paperwork. My actual research usually happens outside."
Shane asked, "Is there a certain field that you specialize in?"
Sassafras smiled furtively. "I specialize in Pokemon combat and training. I know plenty of techniques that trainers use to make their Pokemon extra powerful and strategies that can completely overthrow traditional rules of Pokemon battles."
"Really? Like what?" Rachel asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Let's see..." Sassafras sat on a couch and invited Shane and Rachel to sit across from her. "You know that there are different types of Pokemon, and certain types are weak against certain types of attacks, right?"
"Of course," Rachel said. "That's one of the basics of Pokemon battles. Even preschoolers know that."
"Yes," Sassafras mused. "But there are some trainers who have raised their Pokemon so they overcome their type weaknesses. For example, do you know what water-type Pokemon are weak against?"
"Sure, electric- and grass-type moves," Rachel answered.
"Right. However, it's possible to raise a water Pokemon so they are resistant to electric or grass moves."
"Really?" Rachel asked. "How is that possible?"
Sassafras frowned. "There is no easy way to do it. It takes a lot of discipline and perseverance. One method you could use is to desensitize your Pokemon against electricity by regularly performing shock treatment on it."
Shane cut in, "You mean deliberately shocking it?"
Rachel spoke up, "Why would you do that? That sounds like torture!"
"It may seem that way, but there's a difference between simply hurting your Pokemon and pushing its body against its limits so it can expand them. That difference is willpower."
"Willpower?" Shane repeated.
"Right. The willpower of the trainer and the willpower of the Pokemon. When they are aligned, both the trainer and the Pokemon will grow more powerful than they ever can alone."
"Powerful enough to overcome type weaknesses?" Rachel asked.
Sassafras's eyes twinkled. "That, and more."
"How can Squirtle and I build willpower?" Rachel said, suddenly excited.
"That's a good question. For one thing, willpower is not something you can exercise like your muscles. Willpower comes from your hopes, wishes, and beliefs. Tell me, what do you want to accomplish on your journey?"
"That's easy. I want to be the champion of the Alfos League."
"Is there anything else?"
Rachel thought aloud, "Um, I want to explore a lot, have a lot of adventures, and protect Shane."
Shane flinched just slightly at the mention of him.
"Mm-hmm." Sassafras smiled. "Now, how would you feel if you saw Shane in danger?"
"I won't allow it!" Rachel snapped, rising from her seat. "I'm going to be stronger so I won't let anyone hurt him!"
"Squirtle!" her partner chirped in agreement.
Sassafras narrowed her visible eye in amusement. "Good. I can sense your determination. What you are feeling now is a form of willpower. Remember these feelings, as they will be your compass and your fuel."
"I will!" Rachel asserted.
"That may be easy for you to say now, but as you experience the discipline and hardships of a Pokemon journey, your willpower will be tested again and again. You might feel lost, lose confidence, and want to give up hope, but if you keep the will to go on, you'll be stronger in the end."
As Sassafras finished her sermon, an electronic chime echoed from the ceiling.
"That was the lunch bell. Rachel, go ahead to the cafeteria. I want to talk with Shane for a while. Feel free to look around, and introduce yourself to some students. The cooks will give you lunch for free."
"Oh, okay," Rachel said, slightly disappointed at how suddenly she cut off the conversation. "I'll see you later, then." She nodded at Shane before she stood up and walked out of the room.
After she closed the door behind her, Squirtle said curiously, "Squirtle-squirt?"
"She sure was interesting, wasn't she? I still don't understand all she said about willpower, but if we just work hard, we'll figure it out eventually. Are you willing to find out with me?"
Squirtle gave a confident "Squirtle!" and moved his stubby arms in something that looked a double fist pump.
Rachel giggled. "That's good."
She retraced her steps down the stairs just as a group of boys her age ran by. "Come on! They're going to start right now!"
"What's going to start?" Rachel wondered aloud. She didn't think the boys were running to eat lunch, but she was curious, and Sassafras gave her permission to explore. "Let's take a quick look, Squirtle."
She followed the boys down the hall and through a door leading outside. Behind the school, a small group of kids were gathered around a Pokemon battlefield.
Standing on one end of the arena was a boy with short brown hair, his eyebrows furrowed. Before him was a tiny Bonsly, its cute face scowling in determination. Rachel turned to look at the boy on the other side of the field. The boy had a completely different aura. He was the tallest student around, with blonde, spiky hair, his arms folded, and a confident smirk on his face. Rachel looked down at his partner, but she didn't recognize it. The Pokemon resembled a small pixie with an orange body, a round head, pointy ears, and rodent-like feet. A strip of dark metal was wrapped around its torso like a scarf, while its arms seemed to be made of flexible metal, ending in sharp claws. A metal, triangular slab rested on its head like a helmet. It stared forward with icy eyes.
Rachel pulled out her Pokedex and aimed it at the Pokemon.
Thermoil, the metal coil Pokemon. The coil around its body grows longer as the Pokemon ages. It can heat the metal on its body hot enough to leave severe burns.
"Thermoil, huh? It's a fire-type Pokemon, so it has an disadvantage against Bonsly, which is a rock-type."
"Come on! Start the match already!" the kids cried, anxious to watch the two Pokemon fight.
A boy with glasses stood on the edge of the battlefield and shouted, "This is a battle between trainers Spencer and Mike. Each trainer can use one Pokemon, and the winner is decided when one side's Pokemon is no longer able to battle."
"We know that already!" blurted a tiny girl carrying an even tinier Minun in her arms.
"Just start already!" barked a girl who must have been her twin, because she had the same face and was carrying a Plusle.
Their two mouse Pokemon chirped, "Mi-na-na!" "Plusle-Plus!"
"Okay!" the boy said as he raised one hand high up. "Let the match... begin!" As he said the last word, he chopped the air in a starting gesture.
"Bonsly, use Rock Throw!"
At its trainer's command, Bonsly tilted its body back and spawned three glowing orbs that transformed into uneven rocks the size of soccer balls. "Bonnns-ly!" With a battle cry, it swung its head forward, propelling the stones forward.
The blonde trainer spoke, "Dodge it, Thermoil!"
"Ther!" The orange elf quickly jumped to the side, easily avoiding all three rocks.
"Now use Headbutt!" the brown-haired trainer quipped.
"Bon!" Bonsly took a running start with its skinny legs, its body bobbing back and forth, then leaped forward with the branch-like horns on its head pointed at Thermoil.
The blonde trainer grinned. "Thermoil, use Iron Defense!"
Thermoil had just landed when Bonsly sprung toward him. Immediately, Thermoil crossed his arms over his small chest and tucked his head in, and his metal arms and helmet glowed faint white. Bonsly's head slammed into his arms with a clang! Thermoil stood his ground while Bonsly bounced backward and landed on its back.
The kids in the audience cheered. Rachel stared curiously and murmured, "Thermoil can use steel-type moves?"
"Get up, Bonsly!" the brown-haired boy pleaded. The Pokemon pulled itself onto its feet, and wobbled for a second.
"Now, use Metal Claw!" commanded the blonde trainer.
Thermoil's arms shone silver as he ran toward Bonsly. He closed in and was about to swing one claw when the other trainer called out, "Bonsly, use Copycat!"
"Bonsly!" Bonsly shut its eyes, and suddenly its body also shone with a silver sheen. Thermoil's claw struck the body, but bounced off harmlessly.
"Whoa! It copied Thermoil's Iron Defense!" one of the kids exclaimed.
Bonsly's trainer continued, "Now follow up with Low Kick!"
"Incinerate!"
Bonsly leaned back and thrust one foot out, but Thermoil instantly stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the kick, then breathed a cloud of fire out of his mouth. Bonsly cried as the flames struck it in the face and its foot slipped, making it fall on its back again.
"No!" its trainer cried.
The blonde trainer smirked and thrust his fist forward as he commanded, "Now, Thermoil, Metal Claw again!"
Thermoil raised one glowing claw and swiped it across the side of Bonsly's head, sending it tumbling across the ground. When it finally rolled to a stop, Bonsly laid still and groaned, "Bonslyyy..."
"Bonsly is no longer able to battle!" The boy with the glasses raised one arm in the blonde trainer's direction. "The winner is Spencer!"
"Good job, Thermoil," the blonde trainer said, satisfied.
"Thermoil," his Pokemon replied coolly.
The kids in the audience crowded around them.
"That was awesome, Spencer!"
"You're definitely going to be the Pokemon League champion!"
The blonde trainer, Spencer, folded his arms smugly. "Of course I will. I'm already the strongest trainer in this school. It's only a matter of time before I'm the strongest trainer in Alfos."
Rachel walked into the crowd and said in a loud voice, "You're going to enter the Pokemon League, too?"
The children turned to look at her and started murmuring in hushed voices.
"I've never seen you before," Spencer said. "Are you a new student?"
"No, I'm just visiting here. My name's Rachel, and I'm from Glassport Town, in the Old King Archipelago. This is my partner, Squirtle-" Her Pokemon gave a quick "Squirtle!" as a greeting. "I just started my Pokemon journey."
"A Pokemon journey?!" several kids exclaimed.
"You're on a Pokemon journey?" Spencer echoed. "Across Alfos? How old are you?"
"I just turned ten," Rachel answered.
"Ten? That's the same age as me! Why are you travelling across the country so early? You can just train here at the academy until you're ready to take on the gyms. It would save a lot of pain and walking."
"What fun would that be, just staying in one place for a couple years, then taking a train to each of the gyms? I would be way better off exploring the country, experiencing as much as I can."
The girl with the Plusle asked, "Where did you go to school?"
"I was homeschooled for most of my life. I never went to a Pokemon school like this one, but I learned some stuff from Professor Filbert, and I spent a lot of nights camping."
The twin with the Minun spoke up, "Isn't it hard and sweaty, walking everywhere like that?"
"Mi-na-na!" her tiny mouse partner squeaked.
Rachel replied, "It's kind of sweaty sometimes, but it's fun! You can also learn a lot by camping outdoors and being surrounded by wild Pokemon."
"Wow, she sounds like a grown-up!" some of the kids exclaimed.
"Oh really?" Spencer said with a challenging grin. "What's the point of travelling when you have the best Pokemon expert right outside your front door?"
"You have a point there. You can learn a lot from a teacher like Miss S., but no matter how many years she spends teaching you, you can't really become a master unless you overcome all the discipline and hardships of going on an adventure."
"Ooh! She said discipline and hardships!" one of the kids remarked.
"Those are the words that Miss S. says that I don't really get!"
"She must be really good if she knows what those words mean!"
Spencer scoffed. "Hmph, you talk a lot about how going on a journey makes you stronger, but we have no idea how strong you really are. So how about you show us through a Pokemon battle?"
"Yeah! A battle between the traveller and Spencer!" the kids cheered.
Rachel hesitated and looked at Squirtle. She had spent years training, but she couldn't say the same for her Pokemon, who had lived on Filbert's ranch until yesterday. But Squirtle didn't seem to care as he pumped one fist and gave a confident, "Squirt-squirt!"
Rachel smiled and faced Spencer. "Of course! I've been itching for a fight the whole time I saw that last battle!"
Spencer flashed his smug grin again. "Good. This will be my first fight against someone from outside the school. I'll beat you and be one step closer to becoming the champion."
His Thermoil stared at Rachel and Squirtle, raising one claw to show he was ready. "Thermoil."