Dawn came, and we were still no closer to figuring a solution out than before.

"It's no use…" I told Jessee. "We're just going to have to risk it. Maybe if we pump ourselves so full of coffee we can't see straight maybe we might have a chance…" I offered, grasping at straws to be helpful.

"Well, it's an idea, I guess…" Jessee sighed exasperatedly. She was tired. So was I for that matter. This was not going to be good for the test today.

I nudged Pikachu awake from where he had passed out again on my lap from all the singing. "Pikachu. I need you to give both Jessee and me a nice shock. Just enough to get our blood pumping."

Pikachu nodded and jumped off my lap, charging up for a second before letting it all off with a strong "CHUUUU!"

It seemed to do the trick. There was no danger of falling asleep now. Too bad I couldn't bring Pikachu with us to the Pokemon Center to help shock us awake if we started to drift off.

Jessee shook it off and straightened her hair. "Well, that did something. Too bad the effect won't last till after the test…"

"We'll just have to out last the pokemon in the center…that's all." I offered. I stood up. I'm going to go to the dining hall and see if I can swipe their coffee pot. We've still got an hour or so before we need to meet the rest of the class, plenty of time to make the strongest pot of coffee I can…"

We both chugged down one, then two pots of the bitter drink, not adding anything to make it taste any better. After the second pot, I felt instant regret. I don't even really like coffee but not adding anything to it was even worse. My mouth felt dry and my tongue felt sandpapery against my hard pallet. The back of my throat was scorched and starting to burn. A shudder ran through me. Never again. Never, never again.

Jessee tried to hide a shutter too, but she just clenched her fist. "There. Now if that doesn't keep us awake, nothing will!"

Chansey, who had followed us to the dining hall, rubbed her head a little nervously. "Chansey chansey…?"

I looked out the window at the sun rising. "We should get to class… we don't want to be late…"

Jessee nodded slowly. "Yeah…ok."

Jessee and I made the long walk with the rest of the chansey to the Pokemon Center, though it felt to me more like a death march. Jessee exuded confidence, but I knew there was a small part of her that was just as afraid we would fail as I was.

Jessee and I were sat by a gurney containing an oddish that by the look of it had a bit of leaf blight. I tried to focus myself on things that I knew to take my mind off what I was sure would be my impending doom.

The headmaster stood at the front of the room with the nurse joy of the center. "Now then," She said, "You will be required to sing these pokemon to sleep. The test will end when either all the pokemon are asleep or one full minute passes." She and Nurse Joy each slipped a pair of earmuffs on over their heads. "Begin now."

Oh sure, they could wear earplugs…

I didn't have any time to really mull over this unfairness as the rest of the chansey began singing. I had to close my eyes and focus all my energy as I sang the notes that Chansey had taught us in perfect pitch. I had to listen closely to my own voice and try to tune all the chansey out. Just tune them all out, focus on my own voice and just stay awake. And breathe…

Thirty more seconds…!

Inhale.

Almost there…!

Exhale.

Just focus on the tune…

Inhale.

Stay awake!

Exhale.

I wonder how Jessee is doing…?

Inhale.

Ten more seconds….!

Exhale.

Don't fall asleep…!

Inhale.

Almost Done!

The Teacher and Nurse Joy pulled off their earmuffs. "Congratulations, class. You all made it through the course. You are now Pokemon Nurses."

The whole class whooped with joy. Jessee flew across the table to hug me. Chansey too bounced over and was hopping up and down on her dainty pointed feet cheering "Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!" Jessee was laughing and crying all at the same time as she hugged and swung around me. I couldn't believe it. We did it?! We passed?!

Now I was crying too as I hugged Jessee back. We did it! Against all odds we were now Pokemon Nurses! Our lives were about to change!

"MISS JESSICA!"

I jolted up in my seat. The headmaster and Nurse Joy were both staring at me. In fact, so was the entire room. I turned my eyes to glance over at Jessee who was now sitting up as well and rubbing her eyes.

What happened…? We were just celebrating! We'd passed the final test. We were nurses now! What was going on?!

Unless….

"One does not become a Pokemon Nurse by sleeping on the job, Misses Jessica."

I was stunned. Too stunned to speak. It had all been a dream. The whole celebration. I had fallen asleep after all—and so had Jessee. I glanced over at her again. She looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock and die. I didn't blame her, I wanted to do the same thing.

"Y-yes ma'am…I'm sorry…." She managed to squeak out.

One test…One test and we lost everything. All our dreams…all our hopes…gone, like a puff of smoke.

The teacher turned and walked away without looking back. "Class dismissed. Chansey, I will see you all at the ceremony tomorrow. Jessica, please meet me in my office tonight if you feel you want to go through this course all over again."

I was unable to form words. Chansey was standing next to Jessee now, who had stood up with the rest of the chansey and looked like she was at the point of tears. I felt bad, like it was somehow my fault that all this happened. Like I hadn't done enough to get us through. maybe if I had smuggled some earplugs in, no one would have noticed. Heck, we'd have been no better off if they had…!

I pulled myself back and walked slowly over to Jessee and Chansey. "Come on, Jessee. Let's get back up to our room, we can figure everything out there." Jessee didn't reply to me, only nodded weakly and methodically. We waited for all the other chansey to file out of the room before we followed at a distance behind.

When Jessee, Chansey and I got back to our dorm, Jessee fell to her knees and slammed her fists against the ground. "It's not fair!" She screamed, startling Pikachu out of sleep. "What does she expect from us, it's not our fault we're not chansey!"

Chansey patted her back gently. "Chansey chan—"

"Don't touch me! I don't need your sympathy!" Jessee snapped.

"Jessica Nora!" I scolded. "Don't snap at her! It's not her fault, the cards were purposefully stacked against us. I'm sure if she were to have her way, we both would have passed." Chansey nodded, tears in her eyes.

Jessee softened. "I'm sorry, Chansey…I didn't mean to yell…Not at you…"

I picked Pikachu up, who was confused and worried about all the commotion that was going on. "Well, what do you want to do, Jessee…? We could try to take the course again, spend all that time trying to gain an immunity to Sing?"

Jessee shook her head. "Why bother. It's clear the teacher just doesn't want us here. Besides, we don't have any money left. We used the last of it just trying to get into this stupid school."

I nodded solemnly as tears began to roll down Jessee's face. "What's the point in fooling myself…I will never become a pokemon nurse…" Chansey wrapped her stubby little arms around her as Jessee started to cry.