Hello again, I hope some of you have sent he movie Fury. It's actually quite good, aside from making it seem like american soldiers don't die unless they've taken out hundreds of enemy soldiers with them, which is true, in a way. But I enjoyed it enormously, they did the best they could with it and even made the ending believable, there was no other way it would've happened if the German did what he did (Trying not give away spoilers) Anyway, I hope you all had a good week and here is chapter 4.

Guest: Thanks, I'm happy you enjoyed it. Well that depends, do you want Advanceshipping in it?

mark: Well, I'll chalk another vote up for Cynthia. I never watched the show, so I wouldn't know. But they're the same age and I'm told they have a lot in common so, whatever.

JD199: Really? I wonder why so many people hate Drew? Oh shit, man, I didn't want to get you in trouble or anything. Sorry. I thought Clemont was best suited for the role. He seemed like a perfect match

La Belle Coeur: Thanks? I'll be sure to add your vote

Guest: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble

karsten557: Yeah, the Pokemon will come in later, some good, some bad, some with red cheeks and a yellow tail that has the ability to harness lightening, maybe. Well thanks, I appreciate it, but the writing style is pretty common, I'm just using it because it's easier on the brain for the reader.

Anon: A Riolu, eh? I can make it happen if you'd like

BestUsernameEver: It is a good book. but I'm not copying (ish), nor did I take credit. The disclaimer is at the beginning, but check it out below too. And I'm juts using the setup, you know, the school, the characters, and then I'm taking down a different path

Silver Reflexes: Chalk another one up for Cynthia. As for that, it wasn't so much suspense as it was adding to the mystery that I've made Cynthia. Throughout the story I'm going to keep her as a level headed snarky girl who's got a bite to match her bark. Also, the shipping has yet to be determined.

Alright, apparently I didn't make this obvious in the first chapter so I'll repeat myself.

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE IDEA AT THE BEGINNING. AFTERWARDS YES, THOSE ARE MINE, BUT THE SETUP IS NOT. I like the setting so I'm using it. Hopefully that will take care of any future problems. Also, after this chapter (for the most part) it starts to divert from The Paladin Prophecy

Chapter 4: You Push Me, I Crush You

"The greatest strength you can have is relationships"

-Unknown


Clemont darted ahead of Ash into the hallway and through the side door. "We'll take the stairs" Clemont said "The elevators date from the early days of the Truman administration. They'd finish third in a race with a glacier and a deceased postal worker" he bounded down the stairs, brimming with energy he hardly seemed able to contain.

"How badly are you injured?" he asked

"Not enough to cause for worry"

"And you arrived this morning. Where did you fly from?"

"Lumiose"

"Are those the only clothes you brought with you?" Clemont asked

"More or less"

Clemont stopped on a landing and assessed him "You're going to die of hypothermia almost immediately"

You'd be surprised. "So I've been told"

"How much money do you have?"

"What's below abject poverty?"

"Tell me you don't already have a crush on May"

"Uh, no. I don't"

Clemont shook his head in disappointed and continued down "Good God, man, we have our work cut out for us". Clemont pushed through the heavy ground floor door and set the same brisk pace outside towards campus. the temperature had warmed considerably, form crippling to just below disfiguring. Ash remained warm though, being a human superheater had its perks

"Why would you assume I have a crush on May?"

"Please, Ash. Destiny clearly intends, by virtue of domestic proximity, some sort of friendship for us, but you simply must acknowledge the danger of the situation"

"And what might that be?"

"Why, the astonishing and nearly supernatural attractiveness of not just our two extraordinary roommates, but the school's entire female population"

"You mean, they're all like May?"

"No, that's just it" Clemont said, gesturing expansively "They're all as different as snowflakes. Beautiful, interesting girls, each capable, in her own delicious way, of driving you to madness. Any red-blooded male would swim shark infested waters with a Bantu spear through his leg to change places with us. But if you don't control yourself, your nervous system will detonate like a string of firecrackers. A bomb-sniffing-dog couldn't have saved you"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen, but chronological age is a most unreliable method of evaluation"

"Okay, if it'll make you happy then I guess May is a flat-out slammin' babe who'll rule the world using mind control through attractiveness. That better?"

"Yes! We've established you're not a robot" Clemont said, slapping him on the back, laughing heartily, and led them to one of the larger buildings. A substantial sign read "Student Union". It did nothing to prepare Ash for what awaited on the other side.

The Student Union was the size of a shopping mall. A grocery store took up the southwestern corner. He saw a laundry and dry cleaners next door to a bank, a massive sporting goods store, and a store offering every art or academic supply imaginable. The school bookstore seemed to go on forever. It opened into a busy food court offering eight different cuisines, none of which looked fast, cheap, or unhealthy. Across form that was a duplex movie theater that was still in general release. Clemont explained that the other theater ran only classics front he "Golden Age" of movies, before Star Wars, as part of a film studies course. The marquee read "Hitchcock's "Rear Window"". Next door was the six lane bowling alley and soda fountain that he'd seen on the school's promotional materials.

Ash followed Clemont into a clothing store as big as a football field, with a row of every item you could imagine in variations of schools colors. Ash felt intensely aware he only had a hundred dollars left in his wallet.

"Start your engines" Clemont said, handing Ash a wheeled shopping cart "I'll be right back". He hurried off, while Ash went to the winter wear section. he didn't see any price tags, but the piece he wanted most, a heavy grey sweatshirt with a navy blue "CIL"embroiled on the chest- had cost half of what he had to his name. Reluctantly, he tossed it into the cart. He was trying to decide whether to spend the rest on a pair of khakis or a soccer jersey when Clemont returned.

"This was waiting for you at the counter" Clemont said "You didn't tell me you were a full scholarship, man. That's an entirely different kind of race"

Clemont handed him a thick plastic credit card. it was blank, with the same deep blackness he'd seen in Drasna's expanding tablet. Clemont ran his finger along its outer edge, activating a sensor. The schools fret appeared, flaring in the center. Below that was a sixteen-digit code number and the name "Ketchum"

Ash turned it over. A standard magnetized credit card strip ran along the back. His parents had explained who these strips worked, how banks and companies used them to store confidential information they'd gathered about you. He wondered how much information was already embedded in there.

"Do they take cash?" Ash asked

"Cash? For heaven's sake, man,you don't need cash anymore. You have the Card now. You can use it everywhere"

"What's the limit on it?"

"If there is a limit, it will now be your job to find it" Clemont said

Living expenses, books and supplies, all included. Once again, Ms. Drasna delivered what she'd promised. "Let's so it" Ash said. He dropped the pants and the jersey into the cart. He's never shopped anywhere without the pressure of a budget. The prospect made him somewhat excited, but cautious even more so. And despite Clemont's encouraging to break the bank, he still felt like he would be taking advantage of the opportunity. Clemont kept tossing things into the cart and Ash kept putting them back.

Rule #81: NEVER TAKE MORE THEN YOU NEED

Three pairs of pants, five navy and gray shirts, a week's worth of socks and boxers, a pair of heavy soled winter boots, a set of thin winter gloves, and two sets of long underwear. The only luxury he allowed himself was a navy blue and gray North Face Denali Hoodie, but he easily convinced himself he needed it for survival. A friendly cashier rang it up, asked for his card, and passed it over a scanner that made the card glow. Ash didn't have to sign anything, he never saw a total, and no process appeared on the receipt she gave him.

"How long have you been here?" Ash asked

"My second year. As a freshman, I was roughly the size of a slice of an apple" Clemont laughed again, infectiously. Ash found it hard not to laugh along with him, especially when he made jones at his own expense.

They were were seated in the food court, over teriyaki rice bowls and sunomono salads made to order, fresh and flavorful, and all paid by Ash. A full stomach did wonders for his mood though, despite being used for his seemingly infinite amount of money.

"So what's with the big noise about cellphones and laptops?" Ash asked

Clemont's brow knit together and his look darkened "So you met James"

"Yes"

Clemont leaned forward "At first I assumed it was a rule they imposed to show their in charge and it would be more honored in the breach than the observance. that proved not to be the case. They take this very seriously indeed"

"But why? For what reason?"

"They don't want our faces buried in phones or hands stuck up the internet all the time. They really do want us to talk to each other"

"Texting is a form of talking, and usually a lot more efficient" Ash said

"I wouldn't argue Ash, but I don't make the rules. And honestly, after a while you'll find face-to-face communicate works entirely to your personal benefit. It forces you outside of your comfort zone, refines social skills, in a good way. Believe it or not, I used to be quite the introvert"

"You're making that up". It took a lot of self control to not put sarcasm into his voice

"It's true, I swear to you! And now look at me, a regular chatterbox. I'm completely out of my shell" Clemont took a small rectangular black box from the folder May had given him and pushed it across the table "Clip that onto your belt. It's a pager, if anyone tries to reach you on the internal phone system, this beeps. Pick up any phone on campus and the operator instantly connects the call"

"So I'll have to deal with the texting thing, but what about email?" Ash asked

"You'll get an email address with your tablet. It's connected to the main servers for the schools internal network"

"Wait, you mean it only works on campus? What about internet access?"

"Limited. No Wi-Fi or networks out here. you can sign on using ports in the libraries, for specific research, but outside websites are severely restricted"

Ash's anger rose, but he kept it hidden "We can't even get the Net from our own rooms?"

"No surfing, no social networking (he actually preferred that one), no console or online games"

"TV?"

"There's one in the student union, but I've never seen anyone watching it"

Finally Ash let his mask break a little, allowing a frown to form on his face "But these are basic principles of free speech. The right to access useless information and mindless mediocre entertainment-"

"The Center's a private institution; they can set any rules they like"

"This isn't a Communist State. They can't just shut down the pipeline and cut us off form the rest of the world-"

"The point is there's hardly time for such things, Ash. They work us like sled dogs, and in case you never noticed, sled dogs love the harness! You'll see. Don't underestimate the joy of being challenged or losing yourself in work. I'm talking one hundred percent immersion: classes, labs, homework, and field assignments. Add that to all the social activities: sports leagues, clubs, concerts, dances-"

"Yeah, I'll got all that advertising bullshit from the packet, but dances?"

Clemont lowered his voice so no one would overhear "As part of Fall Hayride festivities last month, I even attended a square dance"

"I don't believe you"

"It was insanely fun! Call me crazy. The girls, man, the girls" Clemont jumped up and demonstrated his square dance

Ash's mind drifted to Drew Larousse, or rather, what could give him means to lay his hands on a woman in such a harsh manner. He needed background on that situation.

When they finished eating, Clemont led him to the soda fountain by the bowling alley for a chocolate milkshake, which was hand crafted by a server wearing a white peaked cap, like the soda jerk in the Norman Rockwell print. Frost formed on the silver goblet as Ash poured his shake into a tall fountain glass. He ate slowly, knowing that the faster you ate a milkshake, the more the flavor faded. Pop music issue from a jukebox, the kind that didn't make your ears bleed, but there was a muted swell of crashing pins next door.

"Why a bowling alley?"

Clemont mimed throwing a bowling ball "Apparently the headmaster read a study that tied the decline of happiness in Hoenn to the disappearance of organized bowling teams"

"And you're on the team?" Ash stated, more than asked

"Yes, you'll love it. You even get a shirt, with your name on the pocket. Although for aesthetic purposes, I insisted that mine read "Tony"". So far, everything about the Center looked and felt fine tuned to perfection, as dreamlike as a movie set. Wherever Ash turned, he saw nothing but content and happy faces, exactly as advertised.

He didn't like it, he didn't like it one bit

"Ever wake up and feel like you're dreaming?"

"Ash" Clemont said, suddenly serious "My mother cam to Kalos form Hoenn at the age of nine. Her impoverished parents worked as domestics in a casino and eventually bought a dry cleaners. My father's from an old aristocratic Sinnoh family that lost everything but their luggage in the Great Pokemon War. He grew up in Lumiose, a penniless immigrant. Worked his way through Lumiose University and eventually bought his own auto-body garage. My mother attended community college at night to train as a pharmacist. She landed a job in Lumiose where they met and fell in love leading to me, their only child.

"As a result of this unusual heritage, of which I am immensely proud of, I am odd by any reckoning. I stand barely five feet tall, and if you think I'm puny now, you should have seen me at six. It won't surprise you to leaner that I was bullied in school, unmercifully, form my first day of kindergarden all the way through junior high, by every redneck Neanderthal who ever laid their eyes on me. Girls found me to be. throughout these years, invisible to the naked eye. I knew, secretly, that I was smarter than all of these bastards and survived on my wits alone, with no way of knowing that I had anything worthwhile to offer any other living creature, that I was someone who could have friends and meets girls and experience something resembling a present or future. Until the day that i arrived at the Center"

Clemont held his gaze, openhearted and sincere. Ash felt ashamed of any impulse he'd had to doubt him

"If this is a dream, I'm begging you, don't ever let them wake me up"


When they left the soda fountain, Clemont excused himself to go to class. Ash made a quick grocery run for staples like peanuts, apples, pears, crackers, and milk. He saw no junk food on the selves and tons of healthy foods; his mom would have approved, his dad would've groaned. He put on his new North Face hoodie for the walk back to Altross Hall.

Back inside, the door to the provost marshall's office was open. Ash noticed a camera on the wall above the door. Inside the room, he caught a glimpse of James speaking intently to Drew Larousse.

Somehow he knew: They're talking about me

They saw him as he passed. Drew's eyes filled with anger. Ash started up the stairs and heard James's door slam. He reached his floor and used his key card to enter the pod. As he carried his bags into the kitchen, he felt someone else watching him. He turned.

Stretched out on one of the sofas, a book open in front of her. Beautiful blonde hair flowed down to just above her waist with some hiding a part of her face like a curtain. Porcelain skin and arched brows and shaped her dazzling grey eyes, the kind he'd only seen in storm clouds. There appeared to be nothgin conventional about her. Words that came immediately to Ash's mind: Commanding, Intoxicating, Beautiful, Trouble.

She was dressed in black from head to toe: a tight skirt, leggings, a long jacket with a popped collar. She didn't move, secretly amused, still as regal as a Persian, and never took those unnerving eyes off him.

"You must be Cynthia" Ash said finally

One eyebrow rose slightly "Must I?"

Ash felt like she was trying to toy with him "Yes 'must be'. Sticking with my original call"

"Well then..."

"Ash"

"Well then. Advantage, Ash" Cynthia said

Something tells me I won't have it for long. He snapped off a two finger salute, then, on purpose, tripped over his own feet and sent his bags flying. Cynthia rolled her eyes and shifted back to her book. Dismissed

He started to put his groceries away the second he entered his room. May and Cynthia under the same roof? Was this a blessing or a curse? So far, Clemont wasn't exaggerating about the girls at the Center. Something sitting on his desk caught his eye, his new "computing device". He examined it from every angle; it was nothing like a traditional laptop, more like a slightly thicker iPad. It was solid and metallic, with a soft matte black finish that looked like velvet. less than an inch thick, it weighed about a pound and half and had no visible ports or drives. On the back, in the lower right-hand corner was a sixteen digit code followed by "AKetchum". The same information the the back of his school card.

Searching for a way to start it, Ash found a indentation on the right side. He pressed it. Motors whirred, legs unfolded in back and raised the entire unit to an ideal viewing angle. The thing expanded in size by a third, the way Drasna's had, and powered on with a musical chord. The whole face sizzled to life, a screen, and in the middle words appeared: INSERT CARD

Ash inserted his card into a slot that had appeared along one side of the machine. It read the metallic strip then ejected his card. Words appeared on the screen: AUTHENTICATION, PLEASE. A pulsating poultice of a left hand appeared on the screen, fingers spread, just like it had on Drasna's. As he touched the screen, the outline locked to his hand. Subtle currents flowed beneath his skin, then with a flash of light the outline faded. A majestic major chord filled the room. the display dissolved to a greeting screen that featured the Center's crest floating on a shimmering dark blue field. Moments later, a row of conventional interface icons faded in along the bottom screen.

Words appeared: WOULD YOU LIKE OT BEGIN THE TUTORIAL NOW? (RECOMMENDED) YES/NO

Ash tapped NO. A mailbox icon appeared. He double-tapped the ice, and the screen opened to a graphically familiar inbox. There was one message inside: To AKetchum. From Lance. He double-tapped the message. A video file opened of Headmaster Lance, at the desk in his office, looking straight into the camera. The image quality was so good he appeared to be on the other side of a window.

"Greetings, Ash. I hope you're bouncing back from that hit on the head. Sorry I couldn't wait around, but the docs assured me you'd be okay. And I apologize for taking you in there in the first place. That one's on me. Hope you're getting settled. Let's catch up tomorrow. If there's anything we can do to make your first few days easier, all you have to do is ask. Have a good night". The mailbox came back up. Instead of using his finger as the cursor, Ash tried another way to interact with it. "Close mailbox" he said

The mailbox collapsed into the icon at the bottom of the screen. "Open hard drive"

A file cabinet open in the screen's center. A drawer opened into a list of folders and files from the hard drive he transferred the old one. He verified that the data he transferred landed safely.

A muffled buzzing sounded somewhere in the room. He traced it to the bed, under that mattress. His Xtransciever

"Power off" Ash said

His tablet shut down. Although he couldn't see one, Ash worried that there might be a video camera built into its frame. There was no way of knowing who had remote access to its feed, James, for instance. Ash dropped his hoodie over the screen for good measure.

Rule #27: JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE PARANOID DOESN'T MEAN THAT SORRY IS BETTER THEN SAFE

Ash pulled out his Xtransceiver and took it into the bathroom. He closed and locked the door, then turned on the faucet before he answered. "Hey, Brock"

"Hey, Ash" Brock said "I'm parked outside your house right now"

"I think your old man might be right. What's going down here is kind of freaky. three black cars are parked out front. Identical makes and models, like undercover vehicles. Cops were here earlier, too. Local cruisers"

"How long have you been there?"

"About and hour"

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"Nah, man, this is way more fun" Brock said "Plus I got this little telescope my wife bought me from Brookstone, puts you right up in somebody's face. I'm watching these guys form the sedans go in and out"

"Describe them" Ash said

"Black caps and jackets. Look like FBI except there's no logo on the caps or jackets. They're loading suitcases into the cars. Boxes, too. All taped up, the kind you use for moving"

"How many Black Caps?"

"Six. Two in each car," Brock said "And whoever these guys in the chapeaus are, they're in charge of whatever's going on: They were the ones giving orders"

"Have you seen anybody else?"

"There's a woman who came out a few times. Black hair, tallish, looks like she could be your mom"

"Couldn't be, she's up here with us"

"There's also one other guy, black hair blue eyes, tough looking. I saw him once through the window, he looked like he was arguing with one of the suits. I have a few pictures,but I didn't think I should send them until we had talked"

So Dad is still there, but is he himself?

"I got an email for you to use" Ash gave him the new email given to him by the school.

"Alright, I'm going to stay on this, they look like they're getting ready to leave" Brock said before hanging up. Ash leaned against the the wall and took a deep breath, running a hand through his wild hair.

He turned off the faucet and walked out of his room coming face-to-face with a tough looking kid with loose purple hair. He wore a crested blue school blazer and stood an inch or two shorter than Ash but radiated athleticism and ability. His dark, coal-black eyes bore into Ash's blue and brown ones.

"You the new kid?" he asked in a low tone, almost like a growl

"Yeah. You Paul?"

He nodded "You're the one that messed with James, right?"

I nodded

He gave me a hard look, scanning me over like a copy machine. He nodded once before saying "I guess you're alright", as if deciding what kind of topping he wants on his ice cream.

I glanced over at Cynthia who sat at the hearth dressed in a short athletic skirt, black cleats, high blue socks, and twirled a field hokey stick in her hands while looking curiously at us. "Let me tell you how it works in our pod, our high and mighty savior Cynthia is in charge of everything. That's about it"

I glanced at Cynthia with a raised eyebrow "Word of advice: Don't mess with Cynthia. She has this tendency to stare into your soul". Alarm bells rang in Ash's head, no ones soul held more secrets than his.

Cynthia sent her hockey stick at Paul's heels in a fast swing. He raised his foot and stepped the head, preventing any movement before sending a smirk at Cynthia who was struggling to wrench it from under his foot. "Oh, did I say that? No, what I meant to say is that she's as harmless as a cheerleader with a Hello Kitty addiction" he said, stepping off her hockey stick.

Cynthia scowled at him and turned to Ash "Have you read the Code of Conduct yet?" she said, gesturing to a copy that lay on a shelf at the end of the couch

"No"

"Read it, or James will be on you like a Tyranitar"

Paul sank onto the sofa and rubbed his chin "She's probably right. I never did, but that's just because I wanted to piss off James" he said, closing his eyes

Cynthia rolled her eyes and started for the door, twirling her stick. She turned back to Ash to say emphatically "Read it. Did you get your tablet yet?"

I nodded again. "Good, if you're missing anything just tell me" she said before leaving the pod

"I'm going to finish unpacking" Ash said. Without opening his eyes, Paul flung the nearby copy of the Code across the room like a frisbee. It flew through the screen and right into the fireplace, where it began to smolder and burn. Paul crossed his arms with a satisfied smirk on his face before settling in for a nap.

Ash locked his bedroom door and lifted the sweatshirt off the tablet. the mailbox icon was blinking and had a question below it: WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD "Brock" TO YOUR OUTSIDE MAILING LIST?

"Yes. Open mail"

YOU MAY NOW SEND AND RECEIVE MAIL FORM THIS ADDRESS. The email from Brock opened. "As promised", three photographs downloaded on-screen, one after the other. Ash studied each as they came up. The first one showed three black cars parked out in front of the house. The second showed three men in black suits with a red "R" on the bicep loading boxes into the first car. The third showed Delia talking to one of them in front of the house. The man had taken his hat off, revealing spiky blonde hair.

A tone sounded form the computer. On-screen, a new message form Brock opened: They're on the move, I'm all over it.

There was knock on his door. "Close all files" Ash said. the tablet instantly returned to its greeting screen. Ash moved to the door. Little Clemont stood outside wearing his school blazer, poised and formal. "Ash, we've decided you're joining us for dinner" he said in a deep voice "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter"

As it turns out, the school had four other restaurants aside from the soda fountain. There was a dining room the required a coat and tie where you'd take your parents out to, a grillroom by the field house for team meals, and the cafeteria which, in itself, is self explanatory. Then there was the fourth restaurant, where his roommates had decided to take Ash for his first dinner, the Rathstalker.

It was situated in the basement of Royster Hall, the oldest building on campus. The inside was surprisingly warm and intimate cellar space, divided by brick arches, with fireplaces at either end. The room was filled with long tables and dark hardwood benches, brass lanterns hung precariously from the ceiling with fake flickering candles casting shadows along each table.

The only menus were rectangular billboards fastened to wall above the fireplaces. Written in chalk were a variety of odd cuisines that even Ash hadn't heard of, and he had twenty-six books dedicated solely to listing foods and their ingredients.

The others ordered for Ash, who kept his mouth shut and watched his new roommates interact. Clemont directed the conversation, keeping the tone light and carefree, Paul tossed in crude and rather vulgar jokes, often criticizing and downright insulting people Ash had yet to meet, May hung back but never missed and opportunity to fire shots back at Paul. The two seemed to have a war going on, one that Ash wanted no part of. That left Cynthia to be the adult of the group, herding all the others back to polite social ground when lines were crossed and borders were broken. And with Paul in the group, that line was often crossed.

Their food arrived, served by two bright, cheerful ladies in uniforms similar to that of a maid. Much to Ash's surprise, the meal was fantastic. Platters filled with steak, pork, and sausage with a gigantic bowl of mashed potatoes that perfectly complimented the meat. A small side of potato salad was placed next to Ash, looking just as appetizing as the rest of the meal. To wash it all down were pitchers of cold, fizzy apple cider accompanied by frosted mugs.

Clemont however, seemed to avoid the meat. "Clemont, how are yo not eating this? it's delicious" I asked.

"Actually I'm trying to go on a diet, I don't exert myself all that often" he said sheepishly

"Oh that's right, I forgot you had ovaries" Paul said with a smirk

They all laughed at Clemont's expense who spat out his cider, resulting in another chorus of laughter. Cynthia smacked Paul on the arm, but had a good natured smile on her face.

"May I propose a round of toasts" Clemont said, lifting his mug "To our new companion: May the winds of fortune guide you. My you sail a gentle sea. And may it always be the other guy who says 'This drinks on me'" he said, causing of another bout of laughter. Then, May lifted her glass and said "Ash, may you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold. And at the end of all your rainbows, may you find a pot of gold"

Paul remained seated and kicked his feet up on the table, but still raised his glass "Health and long life to you, stay happy and well fed... and may you be half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you dead" he said, sending Ash a tiny, tiny smile.

It was Cynthia's turn, but she didn't stand or raise her glass or even look at Ash. She rubbed her index finger along the rim of her mug until it sent out an eerie, piercing note through the room. With the note hanging in the air, she shifted her eyes to meet his, with an intensity every bit as piercing as the note. "Never forget to remember" Cynthia said, hr voice barely above a whisper "The things that make you glad. And always remember to forget... the things that make you sad"

The happy mood at the table crashed

"For goodness' sake woman. Do you have to turn every happy occasion into a horror movie? Warn him about the body under the floorboards while you're at it" Clemont said

The other laughed, but Cynthia remained serious, her eyes searching me for something, something I was not prepared to give up so easily.

"Hello, Suicide Prevention Hotline, please hold" Clemont mimicked. Paul shot him a look: Don't go there. Clemont looked ready to protest, then gothis point and slapped himself on the head. No one would meet Ash's eye anymore .

"Okay, what;s this all about?" Ash asked

"What's what about?" Clemont said

"Clemont you an awful liar. Whatever you all just remembered that killed the mood.

"It has nothing to do with you" May said

"Perfect, then there's no harm in telling me" Ash said

"Obviously we'd rather not talk about it" May seemed to contemplate for a moment before stating matter-of-factly "We had a roommate last year. He's dead"

Rule #11: DON'T JUST REACT TO A SITUATION THAT TAKES YOU BY SURPRISE. RESPOND.

"At school?" he asked

"No, while we were all away over the summer"

"What happened to him?"

"That's the thing..." Paul said "Nobody knows"

"Get the check, Paul. We're out of here" Cynthia said.

She certainly had a way of ending conversations.

The walk back to the pod was significantly more subdues than the trip over. Once in their pod, they all entered their rooms without a word. Ash, however, thad some investigating to do. He walked up to one of the numerous bookshelves and took out last year's school yearbook. He flipped the pages tip he came upon a section that showed promise.

Each page had a picture of the members of each pod with their names scrolled along the bottom in chronological order. He found his target.

Ray "Red" Satoshi stood all the way to the right, hands tucked into his pockets, smiling at the camera. He had a face much like Ash's, but he wore a hat and had determined red eyes that had a glint of intelligence in them.

Ash closed the book, suddenly very tired and wary of his room. He entered it and couldn't help but wonder: Did he leave anything behind?

He walked over to his desk and nudged it, dislodging it to the right. The hardwood floor beneath the legs was slightly darkened. In other words, it was the same desk Red had used. With that happy thought in the back of his head, Ash got ready for bed and entered the, now, not so inviting covers.


Ash woke to a blaring alarm resounding from his tablet and one hand clasped around his crucifix, allowing him to see the world of blue he was becoming familiar with. It sounded more like the warning to a mortar barrage than something to wake up to. None the less Ash got up from his bed and and tapped icon displaying, ending the alarm. A notification popped up on screen along with the time, temperature, and date with some text scrawled across: REMINDER- You have an appointment with Ms. Drasna at 9:00 a.m. at Saber Hall, the main administration building, room 241. Another icon appeared displaying: Would you like directions?

Ash muttered "off" in the rough, gravely voice he always had when he woke up before walking to the shower, shedding what little he had on before he reached the bathroom door. The shower was refreshing, as expected, and did much to wake him up. After stepping out, smelling freshly of whatever the hell Old Spice 'FIJI' smelled like he did a quick check on his back.

The scars were still very much prominent, but the blood clot had disappeared and the more gruesome parts had faded already. A startlingly large amount of progress for wound he received barley two days ago. Sighing, he stepped out of the bathroom after toweling down and got dressed

Clemont was in the common room when Ash stepped out, and offered to join him for breakfast. Ash wasn't too sire what to expect when he entered the cafeteria. It was massive, teeming with teenagers who seemed more alert and energetic than any kids Ash had ever seen at school in the morning. And Ash had seen a lot of different kids at a lot of different schools.

They fell into two lines around massive buffet tables that offered a staggeringly large amount of diversity. The roommates loaded up their plates and sat at a corner table. Ash thought himself as a big eater, but for the second meal in a row, he watched Clemont inhale his food faster than a starved Snorlax.

"Look at this" Ash said, looking around the cafeteria "It must've cost a small fortune to go here"

"I'm told it's a large fortune, but I wouldn't know. I'm here on full scholarship" Clemont said, his mouth half full with food.

"You too, how'd they find you?"

At a test I took in school during the eight grade. Ms. Drasna showed up tow months later, and here I am"

"Anything specific about you interest them?"

"No, but that's because haven't told them about my photographic memory" he said, hushing his voice towards the end

"I call bull"

"I kid you not. I remember everything that has ever happened to me, aside form the first two years of my life. The brain discards those so even if I tried I wouldn't be able to remember, no one would" Clemont said

"Why would you keep this to yourself? And why are you telling me?"

"I'm afraid that if word got out, other students would pester me to help them study. Or cheat. Or the school would start examining me. This would take way too much time away from my inventions. And as to why I'm telling you, well... I trust you. Perhaps I'm paranoid, but I'd just as soon keep it to myself. "

"I know the feeling" Ash muttered

"Why? What brought them to your door?"

"The same test" Ash hesitated "I got an... unusually high score"

"So we have that in common as well" Yeah, not quite

Ash paused, debating whether he should ask his question or not "What was Red good at?"

"Everything" Clemont said. Easier than I thought. He excelled at everything, great grades, extremely nice, he was even designing a portable console game using equipment he kept hidden from James. But out of all that, he just had this way with Pokemon, like all of them seemed to be drawn to him, like he knew each one of them personally" Clemont said before glancing around, checking for anyone listening

He face fell though, when his eyes landed on one spot to the left. Ash followed his gaze till his eyes landed on May, sitting at another table on the other side of the room, sitting across form the arrogant kid he chased off the day before, Drew Larousse. May looked tense and extremely unhappy. Drew is pressuring her, but with what, and why?

"Ash" Clemont said, drawing his attention back to him "Call me an idiot but I have a good feeling about you. You're as solid as cobalt steel. I don't say this lightly to anyone, but I know I can trust you"

Ash raised an eyebrow. He appreciated the trust, but he was not used to people talking so openly with him. Especially not people he's known for hardly a day. he wanted to say "I trust you too", but before he could, a weird look crossed Clemont's face. Like a soldier following orders, he stood up quickly, picked up his tray, turned around, and ran straight into someone

James Lewis had walked up behind him without a sound. When Clemont hit him, his tray toppled and the remains of Clemont's breakfast scattered. A partially eaten waffle landed right on James's shoe, syrup oozing through the laces

"I'm so terribly sorry" Clemont said, turning ashen

"Yes, you are" James said calmly, without moving "Clean that up. Now"

"Of course, James, right away"

The room grew deathly quiet around them. Clemont fumbled with a fistful of napkins from the dispenser. James never took his eyes off Ash. Ash couldn't help but smile inwardly. You want a fight? I'll give you a war

"You don't have to do that Clemont" Ash said

"No, it's no trouble at all. My fault entirely"

Ash reached out and stayed Clemont's hand, his eyes never leaving James's "Don't"

"Please, Ash" Clemont whispered "It's better if I do"

Ash stood up as Clemont began to clean James's shoe. James looked at Ash and smiled pleasantly "You didn't leave him room to get up. That was your fault" Ash said

"Why don't you clean it up for him, then?" James said, his smile broadening

Kids all around turned to watch. Drew Larousse and a few bruisers drifted their way. Clemont looked up from James's shoe, silently pleading for him to not interfere. Ash picked up their table's maple syrup dispenser and stepped next to James. He lowered his voice and leaned in so only he could hear, and grabbed James's belt. "Question for you, James. Have yo ever sat through class with a pint of maple syrup down your pants.

The smile left James's face. Vivid red dots appeared on his cheeks

"No?" Ash asked "Want to try?"

Clemont paused over James's foot, unsure of what to do "Sell 'scary hall moniter' someplace else" Ash whispered "I'm not buying". James turned abruptly and staked away. The shoe with syrup squeaked with every step and made his odd splayed gait even more amusing. Drew Larousse and the other kids with him flocked around James.

"Mr. Lewis" Ash called out, and eerily calm expression on his face. James and his group turned to look at him "Test me, and you will fail"

"Is that a threat Mr. Ketchum?"

"No, if you try anything like that again, you'll be picking up your teeth with two broken arms. That was a threat, what I just made you, was a promise"

James's face turned red with anger and embarrassment as he stormed out of the cafeteria, posy in tow. "Put that down and follow me" Clemont said "Fast"

Ash followed him outside, where Clemont pulled Ash around the corner. They sprinted out of sight. Glancing back, they saw Drew Larousse and two others run out of the union looking for them.

Clemont pushed Ash against the side of the building, out of sight. "Sweet Arceus, amn, are you completley insane? You can't treat James like that"

"No, he can't treat you that way. I hate bullies, an next time he tries something like that, he'll be thinking twice before he does anything" Ash said "Why did you stand up so suddenly anyway?"

"I don't know" Clemont said, looking confused "I guess... I guess I thought it was time to go and... I don't know. Why?"

"Just curious"

"Well, my sincerest thanks for interceding. But next time, please, let's discuss these things in advance"

Ash smiled "No promises"

Alright, I'm a god awful author, I know I said the next one was going to be late, but even I couldn't predict the amount of time it would take. I won't make excuses, because there are none. I can only apologize and hope you will forgive me for the long ass wait. I don;t know when I'll update next, but hopefully it won't be as long as this one. Thanks for reading, I hoped you enjoyed, comments, questions, requests, and hate are always welcome. Feel free to PM me about may concerns you have and I'll do my best to answer. Also, someone top the balance on the shipping. It's split down the middle and every time the scale tilts one way, it gets balanced out immediately. Till next time

-novaking2832