Chatper 26- Back to School

"It's great to see you out and about," said Ollie. Ollie had been hanging out in the base to help Elaine with her work. They're practically attached at the hip.

I turned from the report I was writing and smiled, "Yeah, I figured that I should get back to work once my injuries were healed."

"Well, while you were out, Lucario did a great number of tasks for us. You sure were giving us a scare when Barlow carried you into the base. I'm glad that are back," said Elaine.

I gave a soft laugh. It's been a month and a half since I passed out after that mission. I seriously need to toughen up. It turned out that I fractured a few ribs and broke my shoulder. I'm lucky that I didn't get a concussion too. I had to be on bed rest for a week and simply work on the farm until the doctor said I could return to being a Ranger.

"I'm lucky they let me work on the farm. I didn't get out of shape," I joked.

The two snickered at my remark. Ollie brushed his arm against Elaine's and a soft gasp escaped Elaine's mouth. She jumped to the side and blushed. Ollie had the slightest blush on his face while he averted his eyes from the scene.

"Is there something going on between you two?" I questioned.

They snapped their heads and shouted, "No!"

I raised my hands in defense and backed away. Ollie and Elaine immediately walked away from each other in the most awkward fashion.

"Hey, Buddy," said Crawford.

"Hey, Crawford," I responded.

"Barlow went to Boyle Island because all the pokémon on the island disappeared," he explained.

"Now that's quite strange. Boyle Island is obviously an island, so how would they disappear?" I questioned.

"I'm sure he will solve it. I'm Barlow for the day. Understand? Today's the Ranger School's Outdoor Class. You were requested to teach."

"Seriously?"

"You forget how impressive you are, Kellyn. You've created quite a name for yourself. Now, head over to the school. A mechanic from Boyle Island is coming to fix"

I nodded and Lucario and I headed to the place that I just left six months ago. It was an overcast day with a slight breeze. I glanced at my trusted partner. He has matured into a remarkable pokémon.

"Lucario, are you excited to return to the place where we first met," I asked him.

Yes, I was such a feisty one back then. I honestly haven't changed. I'm just taller and I look different.

"Being feisty can be good. It makes one braver," I told him.

We arrived at the gates to see Janice, the caretaker. "Hello, Kellyn. Do you remember your old caretaker? Probably not…"

"Of course, I do. How could I forget you, Janice?" I reassured her.

"Still polite as ever," Janice whisper while leading us to the Outdoor Class.

No students were there yet. Mr. Lamont was standing patiently by the dock. He turned and said,"Kellyn! It's great to see you. I've heard great things about you already."

I didn't know how to respond. I often simply say 'thank you'. That man makes me nervous for some reason. It's probably because of my failure to give a good first impression. Before the conversation could continue, students started filing in. I heard all sorts of commotion. They were talking about my appearance!? Is that all they care about?!

Once everyone was there, Ms. April stood in front of me and spoke, "Quiet please, everyone! This is Kellyn, a graduate of our Ranger school, who is our one-day teacher."

I stepped forward and smiled. I did my Ranger pose and they all gasped in awe. I coughed and then said, "Hello, everyone. I'm Kellyn and this is my partner Lucario."

"WOAH! SO COOL!" shouted the class.

I heard girls saying 'He's so cute' and guys saying 'Wow I want to be him' or 'Look at his Lucario'. I started to blush a tad. I'm really not used to this.

"Time for the Question and Answer," said Ms. April with an evil glint in her eye. I gulped and smiled nervously.

"Let the questioning begin!" shouted the other teacher. He must have replaced Mr. Kincaid. I heard that Kincaid was fired.

One boy raised his and asked, "Did you get good grades in school?"

I cracked a smile and said, "Yes, I did."

"He actually was Valedictorian," added Ms. April. That comment caused a commotion.

"Is your job busy?" asked a girl.

"Yeah, it can be busy. Luckily, I do get to have some downtime."

"It must be because of all the strange incidents…" the girl whispered.

"Have you ever seen I real Gigaremo?" asked one guy.

"I was actually the first one to discover one. I destroyed many Gigaremo units so far. They are super heavy and smell bad," I responded.

"Wicked. You really are a cool guy, Kellyn."

One girl took a step closer to me and giggled to her friends. She looked up from the ground and stared me down. "Are you in love with someone?" she asked.

My face started to burn and I jumped back. "P-Pardon?"

Her evil smile grew larger. "You heard me," she said with a sickeningly sweet voice.

All eyes were on me. What do I say? The only person that I had a deep connection with was Rhythmi. I wouldn't say I loved her, though. Her cute smile flashed in my mind. That soft giggle like an angel filled my ears. I was lost in yellow eyes that could be so kind and so sharp.

"Y-Yes," I said without even thinking about what to say.

Silence was all that could be heard. Several students had their jaws dropped. I glanced over to Ms. April who had a knowing smile. I blushed deeper once I realized the magnitude of that one response. It all made sense. It explains the aching feeling when I think of her. It explains the relief I felt when Kate said she would write about me to Rhythmi.

"Oh, maybe even a former classmate?" she asked. You are spot on. "Oh, look at that fierce blushing! You're so cute, Kellyn."

I awkwardly coughed to control myself. "N-Next?" I asked in a squeaky voice.

"Have you captured more than one hundred pokémon?"

"I don't know. I believe so, but I'm not positive about that."

One small girl, who was standing next to the sickeningly sweet girl asked, "Is something bad taking place in the Almia region now?"

I don't want to scare them and I don't want to lie…

"I'm not going to lie. Something is going on but don't be worried. The Union will protect you guy at all costs. It's my personal goal to keep everyone safe," I responded.

"You're so brave…"

"Is it true that Rangers can't go home very often?"

"It depends where you are stationed. I'm lucky to be stationed close to my home, so I can visit. I do know people who were stationed in Fiore, so they wouldn't be able to," I responded.

"Are you talking about the girl you love?" asked the sickeningly sweet girl.

"That is not important," I said over the laughter of the students.

One girl ran up to me and asked, "May I touch your awesome styler?"

"Sure."

She squealed and brushed it with her finger really fast.

One girl with a sly smile raised her hand and asked, "Do you sleep in pajamas at night or?"

Ms. April came running forward. "Oh no! We will have none of that! Any more questions? Okay, Question and Answer is over."

"Hehehe… I have a question," said a mysterious voice.

I whipped around to see a Team Dim Sun Grunt. Why is there a grunt at the Ranger School? This guy looked pissed for some reason. I couldn't recognize him for my life. I could practically see the steam coming from his ears.

"Dear Ranger, why'd you have to destroy the Gigaremo I was in charge of and get me demoted? Don't answer because I'm here for revenge," he spat out.

The students started to run around in fright. The teachers rounded up the students and forced them away from the scene. They all huddled near the dock.

"If you had a problem with me doing my job, you should have sent a complaint to the Ranger Union," I told him.

He didn't like my comment and whipped out a computer. "You have a smart mouth, you know that? You'll pay! You destroyed my Gigaremo so meet the Miniremo!" he shouted.

Two Carnivine flew in from nowhere. They looked like the Rampardos from Peril Cliffs. They looked different compared pokémon controlled by Gigaremos. They looked more violent and feral. You could tell that it was in pain.

"Capture On!" I shouted.

A Carnivine shot seeds at me, but Lucario blocked them with aura. I jumped to the side and finished one of the Carnivine.

The other Carnivine lunged at me with open jaws. I caught it last second and held it firm. Luckily, that Carnivine was captured and it fled.

I heard a small explosion and noticed that the Miniremo had been destroyed. I turned and glared at the grunt. He looked worried and upset. I stepped towards him and grabbed his shirt.

"I suggest that you leave," I seethed.

His eyes widened and he stumbled back. He grabbed his machine and ran off. The students were cheering and soon I was surrounded. They were thanking me and talking about how they want to be just like me.

"Thank you so much for everything today. You represent so much for our students. You left this tiny port of learning into the great wide sea that is the world. Our students look up to you as someone who stands for their hopes and dreams. I hope you'll return to our port even bigger from your worldly experiences," said Ms. April while hugging me.

"The students aren't likely to forget this day ever," said the other teacher.

Another student walked towards me. "I have one more question. Is it fun being a Ranger?"

I smiled warmly and said, "Of course. I can't imagine doing anything else."

"Thanks to you, our Outdoor class was both fun and thrilling. I'm sure that you can overcome any challenges you face. You've convinced of that," said Mr. Lamont.

"Thank you!" said the class. They all filed out except Mr. Lamont.

"I have one more question. Chairperson Erma of the Ranger Union. Is she in good health?" he asked.

"Yes she is," I answered.

"That's wonderful to hear. Farewell," said Mr. Lamont as he walked off.

Lucario and I headed back to the base. The whole time I thought of the feelings that I uncovered. It makes sense considering all of the questionable things I've done. Was it a spur of the moment thought? Love is a strong feeling. I don't want to jump into something I'm not ready to realize. We agreed on being friends. I probably won't see her again so what does it matter. You might see her again so don't give up.

"It was just a spur of the moment thought. I don't think that was real," I whispered.

Lucario nudged me in the back. Don't say that. You really are very infatuated with her. You think about her all the time. Don't be difficult.

"I'm not being difficult, I'm being practical."

Whatever, Loverboy.

Betsy

"Goodbye, Liza," I told my daughter.

"Bye, Momma," Liza said while walking out the door.

With Liza gone, I'm all alone. She comes to visit quite often. We usually drink tea and talk about what's new in her life. The worst part is when she leaves because I'm left to myself.

I often knit and I sometimes paint. Kellyn and his mother visit me sometimes. Usually, I simply sit and think.

I remember when my husband, Edgar, and I brought home Liza twenty-three years ago. It was the most joyful experience of my life. She had purple hair like me and blue eyes like her father. Liza was the kindest child. She always told the truth and played fair with the other kids.

When Liza was four, we introduced her to her little brother, Bryce. Bryce was the light of Edgar's life. Bryce was a splitting image of Edgar. Liza loved her little brother. They were the best of friends. For a while, it seemed like I would have the perfect family life.

When Liza had left for Ranger School at the age of sixteen and Bryce was twelve, my husband, Edgar, died in a boat accident. The body was found at the bottom of the ocean. I was devastated. Sadly, I didn't pay enough attention to my children. Luckily, Liza was away, so she was able to be surrounded by friends. Liza was able to move on, but Bryce and I could not. I sat around all day and moped. Bryce needed me and I wasn't there for him.

On the day of his fourteenth birthday, he left. He left without saying goodbye. I can't remember the last thing he said to me. Liza was so lonely. Her only brother left. My Bryce left me. It was my fault.

It's all my fault.

Hello

Sorry for not updating yesterday. I had a softball tournament and I was exhausted by the time I was done. We won, by the way.

This chapter seemed slightly low quality compared to the others. Sorry if it is. I was going to do a side story for Lanie, but I decided not to. Maybe I will in the future.

Don't forget to review!

Peace