Hello! Welcome to chapter 12 of Pocket Monsters: Shattered Souls! As usual, thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think of the story so far. Expect chapter 13 to be posted around the same time next month. Thank you all again and have a Happy New Year!


CHAPTER 12

The calm night enveloped Cerulean after the major events of the day prior. Television news channels all had been flooded with reports on Mendy's family and their secret. However, Mendy no longer cared as she finally rid herself of that part of her life for good.

Ayden and the others retired to the Pokémon Center after celebrating their victory at the ramen stand. Ayden slept on the far right bed of the room with Piik sound asleep next to his head. He tightly gripped the blankets and clenched his teeth as he tossed his head back and forth. The visions of his dream caused him to breathe heavily and perspire.

The car hit the guard rail and toppled over the edge toward the water below. It somersaulted several times before hitting the surface. The moment the car made contact Ayden's eyes opened and he sat up with a jolt.

He shook as he tightened his grip on the blanket and desperately drew in breath. He looked around and relaxed when he saw the others hadn't woken up. Ayden turned his attention to Piik who softly slept on his pillow curled up in a ball. He smiled and stroked her head before heading toward the restroom. Piik stirred and awoke in time to see Ayden turn on the light.

He washed his face and stared at his reflection while remembering what Heida said at Mendy's mansion. Her cries toward Schröder rang through his mind. He lifted his shirt off and gazed at the intricate pattern branded on his back. He couldn't think of why exactly Team Chaos decided to target him, but he knew it had to do with the branding.

"What do they want from me? What exactly is it they're after? And why do they keep calling me 'the Carrier'?" Piik walked into the room rubbing her eye, and Ayden lowered his shirt before she took notice of the branding. "Hey, Piik. I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She shook her head and climbed up his leg onto his shoulder. "Hey, since we're both up, wanna get some training it? There's a new move I'd like to teach you." Piik smiled and nuzzled up against his head. Ayden nodded. "All right then. Let's go."


The afternoon sun shined brightly overhead as Ayden and the rest of his group set out onto Route 9. With the events of Cerulean City finally behind them, Ayden set his sights on Vermilion City and the Thunder badge. Ayden took the lead with Piik riding on his shoulder as the group made their way through a forest.

Directly behind him, Mendy and Nami walked side by side, each wearing large smiles. Nami looked over at Mendy and her smile widened. She almost lost her best friend and couldn't have been happier to have her back as well as put that dark chapter in her life behind them.

Bringing up the rear, Jin walked while scanning his GPS on his wrist. He adjusted his glasses and read the timeframe for when they would arrive in Vermilion City. With that, he closed the GPS and dropped his backpack onto the ground.

"Okay, guys! Let's take a break!"

The rest of the group turned and looked at Jin with his hands on his hips. Mendy blinked in confusion and looked around.

"Really? We're taking a break here? Right now?"

Jin nodded.

"Yep. We've had it pretty rough these last few days. So, I wanted us to sit down together as a group and have lunch. I've got all we need for it right here."

Mendy smiled.

"That's so sweet of you, Jin. Thanks!"

Nami held her stomach and grinned.

"Now that you mention it, I could go for a little something. We haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I was so excited about finally leaving Cerulean I didn't even think too much about it."

Jin smiled widely.

"Don't mention it. Please think of it as my way of saying 'thank you'. If it weren't for you guys, I'd still be in Pewter City stealing stones for Team Chaos. This is the farthest I've ever traveled outside Pewter and it's all thanks to you guys. So, just sit tight and let me get everything set up."

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a variety of materials from pots and pans to foldable chairs and a table complete with plates and silverware. Nami eyed the backpack and poked at it with intense curiosity.

"How the hell did he store all this stuff?"

Jin suddenly popped up carrying a spatula and a frying pan.

"So, I was thinking of whipping up some rice, shrimp tempura, and brew us up some tea. What do you guys think?" Both Mendy and Nami responded joyously, expressing their excitement over the upcoming meal. Jin smiled at their approval. "Great, there's just one little thing though. I need a fire. Ayden, can you go out and get some firewood for me, man?"

Ayden nodded.

"Sure, no problem."

Mendy looked at him just as he turned to leave.

"Hey, Jin, I'll go and help him pick some up for you."

Jin looked up just in time before she took off.

"Actually, Mendy, I need you and Nami to do something else for me."

Mendy dropped her shoulders and walked back over to Jin.

"Okay, what can we help you with?"


Ayden walked briskly through the woods, scanning the area for any firewood Jin could use. Since Jin wanted to thank them by cooking lunch, he had to make sure everything went perfectly for him.

Piik jumped off Ayden's shoulder and pointed toward a clearing that had several pieces of dried wood.

"Good job, Piik. I'm sure Jin will be happy with these."

Piik smiled and helped Ayden pick up the sticks. As they started, a voice broke through the woods immediately drawing their attention. They walked toward its direction and came across a young boy surrounded by three taller boys. All wore identical black school uniforms with a red tie and blue badge on the left side of their chest. The shorter boy jumped up and down as he tried to retrieve his badge.

"Please, give it back! I can't enter the school without it!"

The taller boy pushed him down and the others laughed.

"Shut up already. You can't even answer the easiest questions from the lowest level. You call yourself a Pokémon Tech student? We don't need trash like you. Get lost."

They turned to leave and the smaller boy got up and charged at them.

"Give me back my badge!"

One of the three turned and punched him in the stomach. He rolled onto his side crying in pain while the three laughed.

As they surrounded the boy, a bolt of electricity flew by their heads, forcing them to stop. They looked over to see Ayden walking toward them. The boy on the ground looked up at Ayden and his eyes widened. One of the three boys clicked his tongue.

"Who're you?"

Ayden placed his hands in his pockets.

"Just a trainer walking by. Noticed you seem to be having fun with your classmate. Care to give him back his badge?"

The leader of the three threw up the badge and caught it.

"What're you talking about? We won it fair and square. If he couldn't answer any of the questions we gave him, then he'd have to leave. That was the condition. He played and lost. We're doing the school a favor by eliminating low-life trash like him."

Ayden looked at the boy who shook his head defiantly.

"No! They forced me into that! They said I couldn't leave unless I participated!"

Ayden looked back at the boys.

"Okay, then. I'll play you. If I win, then you give him his badge back. If you win, then I'll give you my two League badges."

Ayden held up his badges for them to see. The three dropped their jaws as they gazed at authentic Pokémon League badges. The leader of the pack smiled. He had tall spiky red hair and red eyes.

"You've got yourself a deal. Here's the game. You see these watches on our wrists? These are Tech Braces, mini computers used for quizzing ourselves on every subject taught in the academy. These were developed by the top pokémon professors from around the world, including Professor Oak. We can even use them to 'battle' one another. We just select this feature. It brings us to the main screen. Here we can choose who we want to fight, set the difficulty level between ten and one with one being the highest. The Tech Brace will then display a question and we use the keypad to answer. The first one to answer ten correctly wins."

Ayden nodded.

"All right, got it. Hey, let me borrow yours for a bit."

The boy stared at him with tear-filled eyes and shook his head. He had short light-brown hair and dark green eyes.

"No, I can't let you risk your hard-earned badges for me! This was my mistake! You don't have to fix it!"

Ayden placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, it'll be okay. I promise I'll get your badge back for you. Just put a little trust in me."

The boy sniffed back tears as he reluctantly handed Ayden his Tech Brace. Ayden slipped it on and went to the main screen. The leader of the pack scoffed.

"Since this is your first time with this, I'll give you a little handicap. We'll set it to-,"

"One." The boys looked up at Ayden, who had already set his Tech Brace's difficulty. "We'll play on the highest level. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

The leader looked at his lackeys and then at his Tech Brace. He hesitated as his hand hovered over his wrist. He had to be crazy. No one at the academy played on level one, a level rumored to be too difficult even for the school's professors. He shook his head. He couldn't waver. He had scores in the top twenty percentage of the school. He couldn't let some outsider make him look foolish. It had to be a bluff. Plus, the Tech Braces are set for multiple choice. If he didn't know, he just had to guess. Simple as that.

"All right! Fine! Level one it is! Bring it!" The screens flashed, depicting the leader as Player A and Ayden as Player B. The first question popped up and the leader felt his heart sank. The question wasn't multiple choice. Instead, it was an equation asking them to use quantum physics to calculate Deoxys' movement through space. Next to the question was a timer counting down from fifteen seconds. "What's going on? What's with this question? Where're the choices? There have always been multiple choices for these quizzes! And what's with the timer?"

His screen soon flashed red as a buzzer chimed. He looked up and saw Ayden had punched in the correct answer as his screen flashed green. He looked back at his screen and saw the score of 0-1. The leader looked up and Ayden looked back at him.


Mendy and Nami finished bringing the materials Jin asked for. After setting the items down, Nami wiped her brow.

"Here you go, Jin. Anything else you need?"

Jin shook his head.

"Nope, you guys were a big help. Thanks. By the way, have either of you seen Ayden?"

Mendy looked around.

"You mean, he hasn't come back yet?"

Jin shook his head.

"Nope, I figured he may have run into you guys, but I haven't seen him since he left to pick up the firewood."

Nami placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, that's typical. We ask him for one little thing and he uses it as an opportunity to ditch us! Unbelievable!"

Jin looked at her skeptically.

"I don't think that's what he's up to. Do you think something might've happened to him? I know he was only gone for a short while, but with all we've encountered so far, I wouldn't doubt anything."

Mendy's mind raced back to when Ayden yelled at her father and then shifted to a thought of her father ordering a manhunt on him for what he did. Even though she knew nothing like that happened, she still couldn't shake off the feeling.

"I'll go look for him!"

She took off into the forest, quickly followed by Nami.

"I'm coming too! I'm gonna give him an earful once I find him!"

Jin sat alone with his pans and pots. He stuffed everything back into his backpack and took off after them.

"Eh, what the heck? I'll go too! Wait up, you guys!"


The leader stood sweating profusely as he looked at the 0-9 lead Ayden had. He stared at Ayden and his anger rose. How could this kid get all the questions right, even on the hardest level?

The computer snapped him out of his train of thought with the final question. This time, the question asked them to use the Uncertainty Principle to calculate the trajectory of a Fire Blast launched at an opponent from three different positions.

The leader's mind raced, but didn't know the answer. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't let this guy beat him. Before he could do anything, his computer flashed red. The score came up 0-10 in Ayden's favor.

With that, Ayden took off the brace and handed it back to the kid. The leader of the trio fell to his knees.

"I… I lost? But how? How could you possibly know all those answers? Just who are you?"

Ayden stood over him and placed his hands in his pockets.

"My name is Ayden. I'm the one who gave the professors the idea for the Tech Brace. However, I never imagined it would be used to try and force others out of the school. Now, as per the conditions of our deal, hand over the badge."

The eyes of the leader widened as did the rest of the trio. They heard stories about him, but didn't think they were true. They couldn't believe it. The one and only Ayden stood in front of them. They dropped the badge and took off back toward the school.

"Everyone! Hurry! You won't believe this! Ayden's here! The legendary student's back!"

Ayden picked up the badge and handed it back to the kid.

"Here you go. Hopefully those guys won't mess with you anymore."

The kid took Ayden's hand and stared at him admiringly.

"I… I can't believe the new generation genius actually saved me! This is so cool! And you used my Tech Brace! I can't believe it! Mr. Ayden, my name is Joe. I'm a beginner student here. If it's at all possible, can I have your autograph please?"

Ayden stared at him in confusion, then looked up when he heard Mendy's voice off in the distance. She called out to him and Nami and Jin came running in behind her.

"Ayden! Hey, what's going on? What're you doing all the way out here?" Before Ayden could speak, a flock of teachers stormed into the field and surrounded Ayden, pushing Joe out forcefully. Mendy ran up to him and helped him back on his feet. "Hey, you okay?"

Joe nodded and looked up to see Ayden being escorted away by the large group toward the massive multi-story, blue-roofed school. Joe dropped his shoulders in disappointment.

"Ah man, just when I was about to get his autograph." He dusted himself off and turned to the Mendy and the others. "Thanks for helping me up. My name's Joe. I'm a student here at Pokémon Tech."

Nami tilted her head.

"Pokémon Tech? Never heard of it."

Jin adjusted his glasses.

"I have. Pokémon Tech is short for Pokémon Technical Institute, an academy where people can enter the Pokémon League upon graduation without having to go on a badge-collecting journey."

Joe nodded.

"Yeah, that's right. But the thing about this school is that the classes are extremely hard." He turned and pointed to a student sitting underneath a tree reading a book. "You see that guy over there? He's in the beginner class like me, but he's so much older than everyone else. That's how tough the curriculum is. Some students are held back for many years. They're too ashamed to go home without a diploma."

Nami placed her hands on her hips.

"Wait, hold up. You're saying that bearded guy over there is in the same class as you?"

Joe nodded again.

"Yep. A beginner has the same qualifications as someone with two badges. The intermediates have the same as someone with four and the advanced students are equal to six. Once you graduate, you can enter the Pokémon League without having to collect any badges."

Jin adjusted his glasses.

"If he's been here for a long time, wouldn't it be easier to just go on a journey and get the badges the old fashioned way?"

Joe shook his head.

"The academy here provides us all with pokémon to use. They take care of them, making sure they're healthy, fed, and all the other stuff. All we have to do is focus on studying. So, instead of traveling around the region, we can have all we need done in one institution.

Mendy crossed her arms.

"Okay, but it still doesn't explain why Ayden was just kidnapped."

Joe turned to her.

"Wait, you're friends with the new generation genius?"

The three blinked in confusion.

"New generation genius?"

Joe beamed.

"Yeah, he's a legend at this school! The kid with silver hair, who entered the school at the age of five, completely destroyed the entrance exams and quickly rose up the ranks to the advanced classes within his first month and graduated in just one year. They say he never got a single question wrong on anything. Even the teachers tried to stump him with fake questions, but he saw right through them, even going as far as correcting them on a several occasions. They tried measuring his I.Q. once, but the machine broke before the analysis was finished. There's a rumor that one of the doctors saw four hundred before the machine broke."

Mendy, Nami, and Jin chimed in unison.

"Four hundred?"

Joe nodded. Nami crossed her arms and smirked.

"Oh come on! Now I know you're making this up! There's no way anyone can be that smart!"

Joe stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Well, no one knows his true I.Q. number, but it is true he's a genius. Here, let me show you something." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a magazine. "I always keep this with me as a source of inspiration. This is the Celadon Times. In it, there's an article featuring one of Ayden's term papers. Here, take a look."

Nami snatched the magazine from Joe and scanned through the contents. A five year old getting a term paper published in one of the most highly reputable magazines in the region? There had to be something wrong. She searched until she found the article. After a moment, she stood frozen. She blankly stared at the page and found she couldn't get passed the first sentence. Some words used she had never seen before or could even pronounce. She scanned the rest of the article and found most of it had words she didn't understand.

Mendy placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Nami? You okay?"

Nami shook her head.

"I… I… don't understand any of this. How is this possible? How can a five year old write this?"

Jin looked over her shoulder and glanced at the article.

"Wow, this is some complex stuff. I guess Ayden really is a genius."

Joe nodded as they gave the magazine back.

"You bet he is and he's a real celebrity here. He's so cool and awesome. I wanna be just like him. I'm not surprised everyone took him away like they did."

Mendy ran up to him.

"Well, where are they taking him and what are they planning on doing with him?"

Joe smiled.

"Oh, they probably want him to lecture a class or something." His eyes widened. "Ah man! If that's the case, I wanna see it too!"

He took off after the crowd with Mendy and the others following after him.


The three boys ran through the hallways of the school and up several flights of stairs until they reached the fifth floor and barged through the door at the end of the hallway. Inside, a young girl with silky waist-length brown hair stood in front of the window with her arms crossed. The boys immediately fell to their knees and bowed.

"Mistress Giselle, he's come back! Ayden's returned to the school! He's inside as we speak!"

Giselle pushed some of her hair behind her shoulder and continued to stare out the window.

"Is that right? Well then, I think we should welcome back our former classmate, shouldn't we?"


The crowd of teachers led Ayden and Piik to the Principal's office. As soon as he was inside, they closed the door. One of the teachers, a thin woman with curly blonde hair stepped forward in her blue heels with matching skirt and blouse.

"Professor Marrow, we've brought Ayden back."

Professor Marrow, a skinny banana-nosed man with swirl glasses and a landscape of baldness separating two bushes of gray hair, turned around in his seat. He wore a lab coat and gray pants with black suspenders.

"My, my, my, welcome back, Mr. Ayden! I can't tell you how excited we all are that you've graced us with your presence. And what do we have here? A blue-cheeked Pikachu? My, that is quite a rare find, Mr. Ayden. You always were an exceptional student."

Ayden placed his hands inside the pockets of his jacket.

"What do you want, professor?"

Marrow adjusted his glasses and smiled.

"Mr. Ayden, there's no doubt that within the history of this institution, you have excelled and exceeded beyond any type of reasoning. You've aced all your exams and graduated after just one year. You even spear-headed the development of the Tech Brace. A model student for the history books and a shining example for what this school can produce. That's why we would like your assistance. With you, we can show the world exactly what it lacks and needs." He turned and faced his window. Outside, he saw several students talking to each other, studying, or eating their lunches. "We are the leading institution for learning. We have all the materials anyone ever needs to become successful. Yet, people would rather travel and mindlessly look around for pokémon, and learn about them the long and slow way. They have no idea that we have all the knowledge they seek right here." He turned back around to Ayden. "Mr. Ayden, with your help, we can show the world that traveling around collecting badges is no longer needed. They simply need to attend this academy to receive all the knowledge they need."

"I refuse."

Marrow adjusted his glasses again.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ayden, could you repeat that?"

Ayden gave him a stern glare.

"Despite what you may think, this school will not equip its students with all they need to be a great pokémon trainer. There's more to pokémon than simply reading up on them in the library and being quizzed on them. You have to interact with them, understand them… learn from them." He patted Piik on her head and she smiled gleefully. "That's why I decided not to participate in the Pokémon League after I graduated. I wouldn't have passed the first round. Your curriculum may be one of the most highly rated ones in the region, but it lacks something critical to give its students. I think we're done here."

With that, Ayden headed for the door and left the room. The teachers turned to Marrow with worry.

"Don't worry, my dear colleagues, we'll make him see our way. He'll come around soon enough. You just watch."


Joe led Mendy and the others down the hallways of the school all the while giving them a tour of each classroom.

"Ordinarily, you'd need one of these badges to get around the school, but just stick with me and you can go just about anywhere."

Mendy hastened her pace until she caught up with Joe.

"Hey, so it's not like we don't appreciate the grand tour and all, but where exactly is Ayden?"

Joe stopped and turned to her.

"That's the thing. This school's so big he could literally be anywhere. There'd be no point in searching blindly. So, might as well go through one classroom at a time until we get somewhere." He swiped his badge and led them into another classroom. Inside, rows of computers on desks filled the room. "Here is one of the analytical sides to the school. It's here we can challenge ourselves with battles from all types of trainers." He took a seat and logged in on one of the computers. "Check it out. For example, I can upload my Weepinbell's stats to the system and have it battle anyone like a water-type trainer. The system lets me know which moves are the best and how I can go about defeating them."

They leaned over his shoulder and watched as he pushed a button and the virtual Weebinbell took down the computer's Staryu with one hit. Nami slammed her hand on the desk.

"What? That's complete bull! It's one thing to play a game, but if you think you can win a real battle just from a simulation, then you're out of your mind!"

Joe shrugged.

"What can I tell you? The system's always right. Water-types lose to grass-types. It's just the way things are. I mean, I'm certainly no Ayden, but I can definitely beat someone using a water-type."

Nami's anger flared.

"Then let's battle! If you're so sure of yourself, then this should be a piece of cake for you!"

Joe stood up.

"You'll be sorry."


Ayden walked down the hallways with Piik riding on his shoulder. Somehow he couldn't believe it had already been seven years since he graduated. After that, every journalist and news agency wanted an interview with the "new generation genius". He didn't care for all the attention, he just had to get to the League as fast as he could. However, after graduating, he quickly learned just how inadequate the school prepared him for it.

"Well, what do you think, Piik? This is my old school. Not too bad, huh? I'm almost amazed at how much has changed." Piik scratched her head and sighed. Ayden lightly smiled. "Yeah, I get where you're coming from. It's really not all it's cracked up to be."

The two walked down the hallways as Ayden told Piik of his time at the school. Along the way, they passed a classroom that caught Ayden's eye. Inside, a tall teacher with long light-blue hair and circular-frame glasses tried to settle her class down with little success. He remembered her. He had her for a short while when he first enrolled as a beginner. She had just started teaching at the academy and she had always been nice, even if she had some tendencies for being clumsy. She waved her hands around trying to get her students to calm down.

"Please, everyone! I know you're disappointed, but please, let's try to remain calm here! I'm sure everything will work out as soon as we calm down!"

The students continued their disapproval much to the teacher's chagrin. One of the students, a spiky-haired male, stood up.

"Come on, professor! That lazy excuse for a pokémon isn't going to do anything! You've been at it for several days now!"

The professor pushed up her large circular glasses and sighed.

"Yes, it's true, but I'm certain he'll want to work with us today, right Charmander?" The red lizard-like pokémon with a flame burning on the tip of his tail, lifted his head from his sleeping position and looked up at the professor. She smiled and extended a hand to it. Charmander looked at her hand, yawned, and then went back to sleep. The professor stomped her foot. "Oh come on, Charmander! Give me a break, will you? Please?"

"I see you're still having trouble getting pokémon to listen to you, Professor Clover."

Clover turned to see Ayden standing in the doorway. The moment she saw him, she burst into tears.

"I don't believe it! Ayden, is that you?" She ran up and gave him a hug. "I can't believe it's you! It's been so long! Look at how big you've gotten! Just look at you!"

Ayden lightly smiled.

"It has been a while, professor. How've you been?"

She grinned nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Well, things could be better. I'm still having trouble with this Charmander. But enough about that, where are my manners? Everyone, this is a very special guest, he was one of my students here eight years ago. Please welcome Ayden from Viridian City!"

All her students jumped up at the mention of his name. They couldn't believe the new generation genius stood in front of them. All the girls squealed when they gazed up at him and the boys stared with admiration. Clover waved them down.

"Okay, okay, that's quite enough. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Ayden, would you like to help me with this lecture today?"

Ayden gave a nod.

"Of course."

The students rejoiced as all the girls quickly raised their hands, asking multiple questions at once.

"Is it true you only graduated after one year?"

"What did you do after you graduated?"

"Do you tutor?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

The questions continued until the kid with spikey hair got out of his seat and walked up to Ayden. He came up to Ayden's shoulder and stared at him before clicking his tongue.

"What's so great about this guy anyway? So what if you graduated after one year? Big deal!"

One of the girls jumped up. She had long blonde hair and green eyes.

"Would you get over yourself, Jake? You're just jealous! Mr. Ayden's way cooler and smarter than you are!"

All the other students agreed, causing Jake's face to turn red with embarrassment.

"Just shut up, Helen! I can do anything this guy can and better!"

Clover clapped her hands.

"Okay, Jake, that's enough. Return to your seat." Jake looked at Clover then at Ayden. He clicked his tongue again and returned to his seat. Clover cleared her throat. "Now, back to business. Ayden, we're studying about fire types today and we have a very special friend in Charmander to help us out." Charmander slightly opened an eye then closed it. Clover dropped her shoulders. "Unfortunately, Charmander doesn't really feel like being a little helper today. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas on this, would you? I've tried everything in all the textbooks I could find, but nothing seems to be working at all. I'm at my wits end."

Ayden walked over to Charmander and watched it sleep. Clover's eyes widened as he moved his hand over to Charmander's head.

"Please be careful, Ayden! He may look lazy, but he'll attack if you're not careful."

Ayden reached over and stroked Charmander's head. Charmander's body relaxed and a smile spread across his face. In that moment, Ayden closed his eyes and could sense all of Charmander's inner feelings. Charmander's memories flashed through Ayden's mind like a slideshow, with each image giving Ayden more insight into Charmander's past.

"I see. You've had it pretty rough, huh? Your old trainer thought you weren't motivated enough and released you, didn't he? But I can tell you're a tough fighter, you just want someone who understands your own pace."

Charmander opened his eyes and looked up at Ayden. To think there would be someone who could finally understand the way he felt. Battles and training were all well and good, but it didn't mean he had to be gung-ho about it all the time. What's wrong with taking things slow and enjoying what's around you?

Piik jumped from Ayden's shoulder and struck up a conversation with Charmander. Charmander nodded and replied back. He then stood up and yawned.

"Now, Charmander, do you think you can demonstrate a proper flamethrower for these guys?"

Charmander yawned and nodded again. He took a step back and launched an attack toward the ceiling. The entire class clapped and marveled at the multi-colored flames as they danced around like fireworks. Clover teared up and removed her glasses.

"The new generation genius has done it again! Ayden, I don't know how you do it, but you are an absolute savant with pokémon. I wish we could hire you to teach here full time."

The student's all agreed, but Ayden shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I have to get back on my journey to compete in the League. I still need six more badges."

One of the students raised their hand.

"Wait, you graduated from here though, right? I thought you could already enter the League with that alone."

Ayden turned to the inquisitive student.

"It's true the League will allow you to enter with the credentials you gain from this school. However, there's something far more important you need in order to actually succeed in the League… experience. It's safe to assume you all haven't had many interactions with pokémon since you've started here, huh?" The class gave a nod. "That alone puts you at a huge disadvantage with the other trainers in the League. They've all had time to interact and learn from their pokémon and understand them on a much deeper level. That understanding and trust can't be found in any textbook you read. It has to be experienced firsthand outside. Growing and battling alongside your pokémon so that you're both stronger. That's the key."

Clover applauded.

"Well said, Ayden. With that in mind, I have a request. Would you mind taking care of this Charmander? I know it'll do much better in your capable hands than being cooped up here at this school."

Ayden shifted his attention from Clover to Charmander.

"Well, what do you say, Charmander? Would you like to come with me? Our team is in need of a strong fire-type." Charmander turned to Piik you nodded and urged him to join. Charmander shrugged and gave Ayden a nod. Ayden smiled and took out a pokéball. "All right. Charmander, welcome to the group."

He tapped Charmander on the head and Charmander disappeared in a flash of red light. Ayden held the pokéball in his hands as it wobbled until it finally clicked. Clover and the rest of the class applauded and yelled their congratulations to him. Clover placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I know you'll take great care of Charmander. Good luck with the rest of your journey, Ayden. I'll be rooting for you. When you finally make it to the League, take it all the way!"

Ayden nodded.

"I will. Thank you."

Jake sank into his seat and fiddled with his fingers.

"I guess… that was pretty cool."


Giselle briskly walked down the hallway toward the Principal's office. When she arrived, the door was ajar. She knocked once and entered the brightly lit room. She saw Professor Marrow sitting in his chair gazing out his window. She closed the door behind her and crossed her arms.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Marrow?"

Marrow turned around and smiled at her.

"Ah, Miss Giselle, my ace student. So glad you could come on such short notice."

Giselle smiled.

"Of course, professor. Anything for the sake of the school."

Marrow nodded.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that. Now, down to business, Miss Giselle. I'm sure you're well aware that Mr. Ayden has finally returned to our school."

Giselle's smile widened.

"Why yes, I have. Some friends of mine have actually told me about it. Have you spoken to him yet, professor?"

"I have. I've asked for his assistance in showing the world that this school is all anybody needs if they desire to be a pokémon trainer. However, he refuses to accept that fact and continues to believe that traveling around and wasting one's time collecting badges is essential for pokémon training. I have failed to convince him, but you just might be able to. I want you to bring Mr. Ayden to our side by any means necessary. I've heard he's brought some friends along. Perhaps you could give them a lecture as well."

Giselle bowed.

"Of course, professor. I'd be more than happy to help and prove to Ayden that he's finally wrong. I'll do whatever it takes to make certain he's back with us."

Marrow nodded.

"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear from you, Miss Giselle. Now, go and make sure you succeed. You're our school's top student and you're in the advanced classes. If anyone can bring him over to our side, it's you."

Giselle nodded.

"I will not fail you, professor." With that, she gave another bow and left the room. When she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it and a malicious smile spread across her face. "Just you wait, Ayden. I'll get back at you for everything you did to me."


Joe led Nami and the others to a room where a battle arena awaited them. Nami walked to one side of the arena while Joe walked to the other. When both had taken their positions, Joe took out a pokéball and then stared at Nami.

"You know, it's not too late to back out now! I can understand how you feel about facing someone with the strength of two badges!"

Nami pulled out a pokéball and grinned.

"Oh? Sounds like you're chickening out to me! Let's just do this! I'll show you how flawed your method of training is! Go, Staryu!"

She tossed her pokéball and Staryu emerged. It landed perfectly on the battlefield waiting for its opponent.

Joe smiled.

"And I'll show you that everything follows logic! Go, Weepinbell!" The pokéball burst open and Weepinbell emerged. The yellow bell-shaped plant stared at Staryu with an expression of disinterest and exhaustion. "Weepinbell, let's end this with one move! Use Razor Leaf!"

Nami smiled.

"Too slow! Staryu, use Water Gun!" Staryu jumped into the air and launched a strong stream of water at Weepinbell. Joe stood petrified as the plant pokémon took full force of the attack and flew out of the arena into the back wall, knocking it unconscious. Nami's smile widened. "Well, what does your logic have to say about that?"

Joe fell to his knees.

"But, how? This doesn't make any sense. Weepinbell had the advantage. How did it lose?"

The door opened and everyone turned their attention toward the young lady who entered. Her hair billowed perfectly with each step she took. Her skin glistened and shined flawlessly in the afternoon sunlight. She donned her school's uniform of a blue vest and miniskirt with a white puffy-sleeved undershirt, white knee-high socks and black Mary Janes. Behind her, several male students obediently and closely followed her into the room.

Joe turned around and his eyes widened immediately.

"Giselle!"

She glared at him and whipped a bit of her hair back behind her shoulder.

"Uh, excuse you, but its 'Mistress Giselle' to you, Joe. Being a lowly beginner, you don't have the right to address me in such a manner."

Joe stood at attention and bowed.

"Yes, forgive me, Mistress Giselle!"

Giselle giggled.

"That's better. Now, onto other matters. Joe, you let an outsider defeat you. Do you understand why? Your Weepinbell may have had the type advantage, but her Staryu was at a much higher level. You should've at least known that much. Talk about an embarrassment."

As she and the other students laughed at him, Nami stepped forward.

"Whoa! What the hell? Yeah the kid may be a little on the weak side, but there's no need to say all that! Just who you are anyway?"

Giselle smiled.

"I'm the top student in the advanced-level courses at the most exclusive academy in the Kanto region, Pokémon Tech. People have praised me for my good looks, talents, book smarts, and humble attitude and have even treated me like a star. But when it's all said and done, at the end of the day, I'm just Giselle."

Nami held her stomach.

"Oh God, I think I'm gonna barf. I shouldn't have asked."

Giselle walked up to Joe and stood over him. He looked up at her stern eyes as her body cast a foreboding shadow over him.

"I would like to continue the reputation of this school, Joe, by having our fellow classmates be the very best. Knowledge, intuition, skills, all are given to us by the school's very generous staff. They work hard so that we can know everything about pokémon. However, you are a weakling! You've been given the best classes this school has to offer and yet you cannot even transfer what you've learned into your battles! I won't stand to see a student of this school lose to an outsider, especially when they had a type advantage! Return your badge to the administration! I want you out of the school by the end of the day!"

With that she turned around and walked away, leaving Joe frozen in shock. Nami clenched her fists. She couldn't take it anymore. This girl's attitude did nothing short of tick her off.

"Hey! Hold it!" Giselle stopped, but didn't turn around. "Just who the hell do you think you are telling him to leave just because he lost a match? If you're such a great school, then why don't you try and help him if he's having trouble?"

Giselle smiled.

"I wouldn't expect someone like you to know. We do things differently here. Knowledge and pokémon battles are top priority at this institute. We pride ourselves knowing we can take on anyone and anything with the knowledge we gain from this school and always come out on top."

Nami furrowed her brow.

"Is that so? Then why don't you prove it?"

Giselle's smile widened.

"I thought you'd never ask. Against your water pokémon, I'll choose this. Marowak, go!"

She pulled a pokéball out from the inside of her vest and threw it. Marowak appeared in a blinding flash of light. The dark brown bipedal pokémon stood firm with its hands tightly gripping a large bone. Its head was encased in a skull and it had red eyes.

Nami grinned.

"I may acknowledge your Marowak is at a high level, but so is my Staryu! And when it comes to speed, it won't be outclassed by a ground type!"

Giselle shrugged.

"We'll see. Let's get this started. Marowak, go!"

At her command, Marowak dashed toward Staryu. Nami flinched at how fast it moved.

"Staryu, end this with Water Gun!"

Staryu jumped into the air as Marowak took a swipe at it with its bone. As it hovered over the ground type, it launched its attack.

Giselle smiled and flipped her hair back.

"Marowak! Bonemerang!"

Marowak took hold of its bone and threw it at Staryu. The bone zipped through the water attack and struck Staryu in its jewel. The impact knocked Staryu through the window and into the pool outside.

Nami stood frozen at what she just witnessed. Marowak's speed and power completely shattered her expectations. How could a ground type move faster than her Staryu? It didn't make any sense.

"What the…? But how did she…?"

Mendy ran up to her.

"Nami! Hey, you okay? Say something!"

Nami snapped out of her train of thought and ran out of the room. Mendy and Jin followed leaving Giselle and the others laughing.


Ayden bowed as he left the classroom and waved goodbye to Professor Clover. He smiled as he walked down the hallway. A new member had joined his team and he couldn't ask for anything better.

"Well, Piik, I suppose we should try and find the others, huh?" Piik nodded and they walked by the windows when Ayden noticed a huge crowd by the pool. He looked closer and saw Nami holding her Staryu in her arms. He then saw Pokémon Tech students surround her as well as Mendy and Jin. "Come on, Piik, let's go. I have a bad feeling about this."


Nami sat holding Staryu in her arms with tears forming in her eyes. The jewel on Staryu had shattered and it had gone limp in her arms.

"Staryu! Come on, Staryu! It's gonna be okay! We'll get you to a Center and get you patched up, okay? Just hang in there!"
Giselle walked up and Nami looked up to see the most condescending smirk she'd ever seen.

"What was that you were saying about your Staryu never being outclassed by a ground type? This school has taught us all that type doesn't mean a thing as long as the level of the pokémon is high enough. If you still don't believe me, we can go again. We're by the pool this time, so your pokémon will have even more of an advantage."

Nami clenched her fists and her teeth.

"And I bet you're gonna use another pokémon that's weak against water types?"

Giselle flipped her hair back.

"Like I said, type doesn't matter as long as the pokémon is at an advanced level. It also depends on the trainer. A good pokémon will be able to handle any situation as long as the trainer knows what they're doing and has the knowledge to teach them. Our battle just now proved you didn't possess the knowledge to handle my Marowak. Now then, shall we go again, or perhaps I'll give your two friends a lecture as well." Mendy and Jin glared at her. They both knew out of the three of them, Nami had the most experience battling. If she got taken out, then they didn't have a chance. Giselle smiled at their hesitation. "Well, if none of you want to battle, then I hereby deem this lecture finished. Feel honored you were given a lecture by the top student in the advance-level courses. Now then, all of you admit Pokémon Tech is the only way a trainer can thrive!"

"It appears not much has changed since I left."

Everyone turned to see Ayden walk up to them with Piik riding his shoulders.

Mendy and Jin beamed.

"Ayden!"

Nami grumbled. She didn't want him to see her like this, but if it meant getting little Miss Prep School's butt kicked, then she'd let it slide this time.

Everyone on Giselle's side stood paralyzed as Ayden made his way toward her. Giselle smiled and flipped her hair back.

"Well, well, well, look who's decided to show up. It's the new generation genius. It's been a while, Ayden."

Nami looked up at him.

"Wait, you know her?"

Ayden looked at Nami's Staryu then back at Giselle.

"Seems like you did a number to her pokémon. Care to explain?"

Giselle shrugged.

"I simply gave this intellectually challenged girl a little lesson. Nothing more. She's exactly what this world has become, ignorant. But, thankfully, this school is here to give knowledge to those who truly need it. That's why we're all anyone ever needs in order to become great pokémon trainers."

Ayden shook his head.

"Here we go again. Do you honestly think this school will equip everyone with everything they need? There's more to pokémon than simply studying their types and move sets for battles. There's a much deeper lesson that can only be learned by interacting with them. You can't learn it with textbooks alone."

Giselle shook her head.

"And this coming from the new generation genius? Pokémon Tech's pride and joy? I'm honestly disappointed in you, Ayden. You had it all; talent, intelligence, and yet you decided to do nothing with it. The Pokémon League was yours for the taking and you decided to reject the school's generosity and go off on some stupid journey?"
Ayden placed his hands in his pockets.

"I have no regrets about my decisions. There's nothing stupid with wanting to interact with Pokémon on a deeper relationship. You find out a lot of things about them you never would've known otherwise."

Nami rejoined Mendy and Jin while Mendy leaned into Jin's ear.

"What's going on? Ayden's a little defensive, don't you think?"

Jin nodded.

"Yeah, it's weird. But I think it'd be best if we all just stayed out of it. It's obvious those two have some kind of history."

Giselle placed her hands on her hips.

"To think our new generation genius would be so wrong, but I suppose that's what happens. I mean, just look at you. Your pokémon is riding on your shoulder instead of being in a pokéball. You of all people should know that pokémon stay in their pokéballs when they're not battling. That's common sense."

"Piik doesn't like to be confined to pokéballs. And I chose to respect that request."

Giselle tilted her head.

"Request? You mean that Pikachu actually spoke to you and said it didn't like to be in pokéballs? How funny. Pokémon do not speak in human tongue, Ayden. We the trainers are met with a job to train our pokémon to obey us and show them where they stand. Perhaps your Pikachu is training you instead?" Ayden stood silent while Piik charged her cheeks. He placed his hand on her head and calmed her down. "Tell me something, Ayden. How long has it been since you've started your little journey?"

"Two months."

Giselle sarcastically jumped back.

"What? You mean you've been traveling for two whole months and you still haven't trained your Pikachu to stay in the pokéball? That's quite laughable, Ayden. To think you, a graduate from Pokémon Tech, can't even train a little Pikachu to stay in a pokéball. Perhaps you weren't the great student we all thought you were. And I'll be more than happy to show everyone that you're not and make you pay for what you've done."

Mendy blinked in confusion.

"Wait, what's she talking about?"

Jin motioned her to be quiet.

"I think we're about to find out… plus this is starting to get really good. It's like a daytime drama."

Giselle clenched her fists.

"I was the top student in the beginner-level classes eight years ago. I had it all; money, talent, smarts, fans, even the teachers gave me special privileges. I was at the pinnacle of perfection. I was groomed for greatness. Then all of a sudden, you came out of nowhere and entered the academy on a scholarship. Since then, I couldn't keep up. You blew me out of the water in every subject. You destroyed my number one spot, and to top it all off, you refused to enter the League after you graduated. But, nonetheless, I can actually forgive all of that, but there's one thing I can never forgive you for."

She thought back to a day she and Ayden had a mock battle on the school grounds. Ayden's pokémon quickly defeated hers and she fell to her knees in defeat. It was then she realized, he and her could be the perfect couple. Together, they could rule the school. She already had every boy groveling at her feet. Making Ayden hers would be a simple task.

After classes had ended, Ayden packed up his backpack and looked up to see Giselle standing over him. She pointed her finger at him and placed her hand on her hips.

"Ayden! Come to battlefield B in fifteen minutes! I have something I want to say to you!"

With that, she turned and left along with her group of fans, each giving Ayden a death glare. Ayden made it outside and found Giselle standing in the middle of the battlefield surrounded by her fans as usual. When he met up with her, she laughed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, you made good time, Ayden. I'm glad you're punctual. Now onto business, I'm here to congratulate you. You have the honor of being my official boyfriend!"

Her news shocked the entire crowd and drove all the boys to tears. Ayden stared blankly at her and yawned.

"Sorry, but… who are you?" Giselle froze along with the rest of the crowd and Ayden sighed. "Look, I don't know what you're getting at, but I need to get going. The teachers decided to advance me to the intermediate-level classes starting tomorrow. I don't have time to play make-believe with you."

With that, Ayden walked off the battlefield and headed back to the dorms, leaving Giselle frozen in disbelief.

Giselle's thoughts ended and she clenched her teeth in frustration.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating that was for me? It was inconceivable! Me, the prettiest, smartest, richest, and most skilled girl at the school rejected! I vowed my vengeance towards you, but before I could, you graduated! Well, fate has provided me with another way to get my revenge, Ayden! I challenge you to a battle! You're always going on about how interacting with pokémon is the best way to become a trainer, I say you're wrong! And when I beat you, not only will you have to admit it, but you'll also have to quit your journey and be my personal servant and do everything I ask of you! Fight me, if you have so much faith in your ideals as you claim, then you shouldn't back out of this challenge!"

Mendy stepped forward.

"You're out of your mind! There's no way he'll agree to those terms! Come on, Ayden, let's go. There's no need for you to do this."

She grabbed his wrist, but he jerked out of her grip.

"Fine, you're on! But if I win, then you'll have to admit you and this entire school's way of learning is inadequate for participating in the Pokémon League. Piik, let's go."

Piik nodded and jumped onto the battlefield.

Giselle laughed and reached into her vest for another pokéball.

"I've been waiting for this day for quite some time, Ayden. Prepare yourself! Graveler, go!"

She threw her pokéball and a large jagged boulder with four arms appeared. Graveler looked down at Piik and smiled. This was going to be the easiest battle ever.

Mendy looked on in worry. Piik was powerful, but even she couldn't defeat a Graveler. Ayden didn't even use Piik when he fought Brock, so there's no way he could possibly win this.

Giselle flipped her hair back and grinned.

"Now, let's begin and I'll finally prove who is number one. Graveler, Tackle!"

Graveler jumped and rolled its way toward Piik.

"Piik, dodge it!"

Piik complied and moved out of Graveler's way.

"Graveler, Stone Edge!"

Graveler stopped rolling and concentrated its energy in creating multiple stones around itself. The stones hovered in a circle and then flew towards Piik.

"Piik, dodge with Agility and move into Quick Attack!"

Piik disappeared as the stones advanced toward her and reappeared on top of the stones, jumping onto each one. When she got in position, she upped her speed and slammed into it. Graveler took a step back from the blow, but brushed the attack off.

Giselle laughed.

"What did you think would happen? Normal attacks won't work against rock types. Graveler, Earthquake!"

Graveler stomped the ground and sent shockwaves around the field. Ayden grinned.

"You're right, they won't work, but I needed that move to connect in order to finish this. Piik, jump into the air!"

Piik nodded and jumped to avoid the shockwaves of Graveler's attack. Giselle shook her head.

"My Graveler and I have been together for almost an entire year! Compared to your mere two months of travels, I have both type and level advantage! Let's see if that Pikachu can dodge this! Graveler, Stone Edge!"

Graveler launched the stones again at Piik.

"Piik, let's test out your new move! Use Iron Tail!"

Piik nodded and concentrated her energy toward her lightning-shaped tail. Her tail then glowed and turned into metal. With her new metal tail, Piik batted away the incoming stones and made her way toward Graveler. When she was in range, she twisted her body to build up momentum and slammed Graveler on the head with everything she could muster. Graveler reeled from the blow and fell backward.

Mendy, Jin, Nami, Giselle and her group all stood in awe at what just happened. A Pikachu took down a Graveler. Piik ran up Ayden's leg and onto his shoulder.

"Great work, Piik. You were awesome as usual."

Piik smiled and blushed as she rejoiced in being praised and pulled off her new move perfectly. Mendy, Nami, and Jin ran up to the pair and offered their congratulations on the win. The other students were too stunned and confused on what to do. They didn't know if they should be cheering that they just witnessed the new generation genius pull off an impressive win, or consoling Giselle for losing.

Giselle fell to her knees and recalled Graveler.

"Graveler, return." When Graveler had returned to its ball, Giselle turned toward Ayden. "I guess you did it again. I see why you used Quick Attack before. You did it because you knew of Graveler's Sturdy ability, huh?" She clenched her teeth and tightened her grip on the pokéball. It happened again. Somehow, someway, he bested her, even though she worked so hard to get to this point. She trained every day, studied until she passed out, and yet it still wasn't enough. It was no different from when he was still at the academy. Nothing had changed. "Why?" Everyone turned to look at her as she shook with frustration. Tears fell as she tried to control herself. "Why? Why? Why can't I beat you? I know I'm smart enough! The pokémon I use are in top form! I know all their abilities and move sets! And yet, I still can't beat you! Why? Tell me!"

Ayden walked up to her and silence fell as he stood over her.

"It's like I've said before, to fully understand pokémon, you have to take the time and communicate with them on a personal level. Textbooks and classes may prepare you to know what move sets work best against which pokémon, but all that knowledge is useless if you and your pokémon aren't fighting as one."

Giselle gazed at him with transfixed eyes.

"Fight… as one?"

Ayden nodded.

"Exactly. That's when you'll be able to bring out the true power of your pokémon."

Giselle dropped her shoulders and stared at Graveler's pokéball. For all the times she'd battled with it, she never considered what it was thinking. The academy always took care of the pokémon she used and said she just needed to focus on studying.

She looked around and saw many of the other students seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. She grinned and finally stood up.

"Well, it would seem we all have a few things to think about. You always were the most insightful person I'd ever met, Ayden. I'm starting to see why you didn't immediately go into the League after graduating. It makes a lot more sense now."

Joe walked up to Ayden with a look of utmost admiration.

"Mr. Ayden! That was incredible! I can't believe I got to witness you in action! The way you stood calm was amazing! Please, can you tutor me?"

Ayden was taken aback as other students came up to him asking the same until Giselle dispelled the crowd.

"I think Ayden has already given us his answer. Like us, he still has a lot of growing to do, and like him, we need to follow his example. Isn't that right?" Ayden nodded and she smiled. She extended her hand to him to which he reciprocated. "Good luck on the rest of your journey, Ayden. I'll work harder to understand pokémon better, and maybe one day you and I can have another battle."

Ayden grinned.

"I look forward to that day."

As Giselle turned to leave, Nami jumped in and got in her face.

"Well before you fight him again, you and I have a score to settle! Don't go thinking I'll let this loss slide! Next time you and I meet, you better be ready for a beat down!"

Giselle smirked.

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but Ayden is the only one I'll allow to beat me. If we do battle again, I'm afraid the result will be the same."

Nami's eye twitched in irritation.

"We'll see about that."

Giselle squinted her eyes.

"We will indeed."

Jin smiled and started laughing.

"Looks like Nami found herself a rival, huh?"

Mendy giggled.

"It looks like it."

From the window in his office, Marrow stood with his face and hands pressed against the window.

"But… how? How could she lose? Her Graveler is at a very high-level and it had the type advantage! How?"

"It's because you underestimated him and overestimated your school's teaching abilities."

Marrow spun around and saw Clover standing in the doorway. She had her arms crossed and a smile spread across her face.

"Professor Clover, what do you mean? The curriculum of this institute is flawless. There is absolutely no error in the way our students are brought up!"

Clover shrugged.

"Perhaps, but maybe your students are missing something vital."

Marrow blinked in confusion.

"And just what might that be?"

Clover adjusted her glasses and walked toward the window. Marrow moved aside as she stood and looked out over the crowd of students.

"Understanding pokémon on a deeper level. It's what Ayden has been saying all this time. Perhaps now you can see it with your own eyes. That boy has a special power inside him. Not only can he change the hearts of pokémon, but people as well. I look forward to seeing what he does in the future."

Marrow gritted his teeth and stormed out of the room.

"Preposterous! My teachings are flawless!"

Clover giggled and looked back over Ayden.

"Take care of Charmander and yourself, Ayden. Keep up the good work. I know you'll do well in the League."


Ayden and the rest made their way out of the institute and back on the road toward Vermillion. Halfway down the road, Jin stopped.

"You know, I just thought of something."

Mendy stopped and turned to him.

"What's the matter, Jin?"

"We still didn't get to have our special lunch! And all that time spent getting ready for it too!"

Mendy and Nami's eyes widened as the realization hit them. They hadn't had a chance to eat since they left the Pokémon Center that morning. Nami held her stomach as the hunger caught up with her.

"Now that you mention it, thanks to all that's happened, I can't take another step. I'm so hungry!"

Jin snapped his fingers.

"No problem! We'll just turn that special thank you lunch into a supreme thank you dinner! It'll be fantastic! Just give me a bit to get things ready! Oh yeah, that's right. Hey, Ayden, can you go get some firewood?"