High School Union, Chapter 28

EmeraldDragon1; Hey everybody! Sorry about this, but the rest of the gang can't talk to you right now, they're too excited about the trip! Admittedly, I'm excited about it too, and I wish badly I could be there. Should I break the fourth wall? Nah, I can't afford to fix it. Giratina will probably have my head for that joke, but I've been taking hiding lessons from Mew. And all he asked in return is that he writes whatever he wants. Of course, I'm not putting any of that up here. Anyway, you're probably tired hearing from me, so why don't we get to it?

Fun Times; It's Only The Beginning

The alarm clock rang out, and Giratina practically leapt out of bed in her excitement. She had slept, but more off and on. It didn't matter, though. Her excitement easily compensated for whatever time she missed.

She walked through her house, aiming for the bathroom. She was going to take a good shower, and then double and triple check her baggage to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. She closed the door and locked it, because she was paranoid like that, and began to undress. After she removed her shirt, she caught sight of the scars on her stomach, and she paused in her task. She stared, unable to believe, even after almost a month, that it had really happened. But there they were.

The rounded one that marked where the bullet had passed through her softer abdomen, angled somewhat like the bullet's path had been. Then there was the long, thin one, a reminder that the doctors had saved her by removing a ruptured organ, as well as the bullet. She shivered at the thought of a foreign object, one with deadly properties, being inside of her.

She pushed these thoughts away, then stepped into the shower. She let the warm/hot water flow over her body, relaxing her. She had kept her shampoo out from her packing, as well as conditioner and her toothbrush. She had them ready to go, they just weren't packed yet.

After finishing, she stepped out and carefully made sure the gold band from Shaymin remained on the counter, then set about drying herself off, being careful around her stomach, and dressing for the day. After she finished, she placed the band around her wrist and was careful to make sure it wouldn't slip off. She wanted to polish it before she left, and that would be perfect for killing time since Arceus wouldn't show up with the other three passengers until about six forty-five or seven.

She made it into the living room and set the gold band carefully on a table next to her couch, then started packing the toiletries away. She thought for a second, then grabbed her CD and packed it away too, just in case.

After making extensively sure she had everything, Giratina took out a polishing rag and set about working on the neck band. She worked methodically, trying to compensate for the time she had neglected it. It had actually been several weeks, which mortified her. She always made sure to keep this special present in its finest condition, no matter the circumstance.

By about six-thirty, she had finished, and the band was shining brightly, even in sparse light, pleasing Giratina. She checked around the house one more time to make sure everything was in place, killing another ten minutes, then grabbed her baggage, her wallet, and her phone. She plucked her keys off the hook next to the door and exited the apartment. She methodically closed and locked it, then turned and waited on her front step for Arceus to arrive.

Within ten minutes, he did, his car pulling up on the side of the road and idling. Giratina ran forward and quickly stepped into the passenger seat, which was reserved for her. She smiled as she saw that the rest of the car's group was here as well, and she said

"Morning Uxie, Mespirit, Azelf. How's it going?"

Mespirit wriggled in place and said

"Oh, I can't wait to get there! I can't believe this is really happening!"

Arceus laughed and began driving away, telling her

"Well, believe it. But first we need to meet up with the rest of the gang, which I've told them to meet up at the restaurant just before the highway. We're going to get some breakfast before we head out."

The rest of them nodded, Giratina not having made anything for sake of time. She looked forward to some hot food for the journey, and couldn't wait to see all her friends again.

After some twenty-odd minutes, they reached the local food joint that sat conveniently next to the highway, which was the route they would be taking on their way to the mountains. Arceus had this almost planned to a T. Not so much the timing, but he accounted for traffic scenarios and plausible hazards. That was part of the reason he had gotten the walkie-talkies, so that in the event they became separated, he could direct them where they needed to go.

The rest of the gang was waiting for them outside of their cars, enjoying/shivering in the brisk, early morning air. Giratina and Arceus stepped out at the same time, and Azelf stepped out after Uxie, Mespirit getting out on her own side. They walked over to them, and Giratina's heart swelled at the sight of those she chose to stay with.

Dialga, tapping his foot impatiently, Latias and Latios wrapped up yet again against Dialga's car, Mew playing his video games, Mespirit trying to get his attention, and Uxie off to the side with Azelf, putting an arm around her shoulder. Shaymin and Celebi stood close by each other, holding hands as usual, and finally Palkia was leaning against a light pole behind her, her head bent down, obviously tired.

As soon as the last stragglers joined the group, Dialga and Palkia straightened up. Arceus looked around at all of them, then he asked

"Everybody got what they need for this trip?"

Everyone collectively nodded, then Dialga added

"Latias took up a lot of space in my trunk, though. She packed something big and heavy, but she won't tell me what it is."

Latias winked at him and said

"It's a surprise. I think we'll all enjoy it when the time comes."

"Come on, it's my car, I should know what I'm lugging around" Dialga told her, but she shook her head and said

"Nope, not doin' it. You'll just have to wait like everybody else."

"Hey, are we getting some food or what? I had to wake up too early, and I need something!" Mew shouted out. Arceus smiled at the conversation, as well as the outburst, and he said

"Indeed we are. However, I can't spot everybody, so I hope at least some of you brought your own money."

Giratina, Palkia, Dialga, and the twins nodded. Celebi was spotting Shaymin, and Uxie had already eaten. Mew, however, was left penniless. Arceus simply said

"Just don't go on a splurge, alright?"

Mew nodded, then put his video games away. They all stepped inside, and the person at the register seemed apprehensive at the immediate early morning crowd. Some of them laughed at his expression, and Giratina stepped up first.

"Hi, can I get a breakfast/sausage muffin and medium coffee, regular milk, no cream?"

The guy nodded, then put in the order. He asked

"For here or to go?"

Giratina looked at Arceus, and he thought for a moment. He turned to Dialga and asked

"You mind if we make these to go?"

Dialga winced and said

"I'll probably have to clean up after Mew. Then again, I'd be doing that no matter what. Sure, let's make this to go; we'll get there sooner."

Giratina smirked and asked

"You sure that won't mess up your schedule, Stopwatch?"

Everybody laughed at her use of the nickname. Giratina claimed that he was a broken stopwatch, always going back to restart and timing everything again. Dialga flushed and said

"I told you not to call me that!"

Giratina kept smirking and said

"What do you gonna do about it, Stopwatch?"

She turned back to the perplexed register worker and said

"To go, please."

He simply nodded and hit a couple more buttons. Then he said

"Three fifty-eight, please."

Giratina handed over a five, then received her change and stepped aside to wait for her order while the others made theirs.

Palkia ordered a large coffee and a full breakfast meal, including pancakes, eggs, and sausage. It all came in a Styrofoam box, except for the coffee, of course. Dialga pretty much ordered the same, but a smaller coffee, saying it got him too hyped up if he drank too much.

Celebi and Shaymin decided to share a breakfast meal, and the twins each ordered sausages. They asked for juice, though, not coffee, not having a taste for the stuff. Mew tried to order everything on the menu, but Arceus placed a hand on his shoulder, and Mew revised his order to just a breakfast meal and orange juice.

Latias and Latios were too busy… enjoying each other's company by the door to order. Besides, they said they weren't hungry. When Arceus stepped up, he just said

"Large coffee, black."

Everyone looked at him for a second, then shrugged and began picking up their orders. They exited the restaurant and headed for their rides, Arceus telling them to turn the radios on when they got in. Giratina slipped in and grabbed the radio, turning it on and waiting for the channel to kick in. Once it did with a large crackling of static, she heard Palkia's voice saying

"Hello? Anyone there?"

Giratina pressed the button and responded

"Yeah, we're good on this end. The other team set up yet?"

After more static, Dialga replied

"All good here. Ready to roll?"

Arceus gently took the radio from Giratina and pressed the button, saying

"Good to go. By the way, you need to say 'over' whenever you finish your sentence. Over."

There was static and Palkia shouted

"Are you serious?! What nimrod came up with that anyway?!"

Uxie chuckled and motioned for the radio. Arceus handed it over and he pressed the button, saying

"No one's really sure who coined it, but it's actually short for 'over to you', signifying you have finished speaking and are waiting for a reply. To signify the end of the conversation totally, the term 'out' is used. Neither 'over' nor 'out' are used in aviation, which is a common misconception. I can't quite remember what they are used for, but I believe they are used sometimes by the police force."

Palkia growled over the radio and said

"Stupid bookworm."

The group in Arceus' car laughed, then Arceus took the radio back and said

"Everyone hear me? Over."

"Yeah, I read you, over." That was Dialga. Palkia audibly scoffed and said

"I hear you, but I'm not answering like that. I think I'll just hand this over to Shaymin. She's a stickler for rules anyway."

There was a brief pause, followed by more static and Shaymin asking

"Arceus, do you read me? And what does that even mean? Over."

Arceus chuckled and handed it back to Uxie, who said

"It refers back to WWII, when the radio system was created and refined. It worked by determining two main components; radio signal strength, and radio clarity. Both work on a scale to five, one being the poorest quality, five being the best. Signal strength comes first, and since it's excellent right now, it ranks five. I can understand you perfectly as well, which merits a five. This is called the '5-by-5 system', so when you say you read someone loud and clear, it refers to optimal signal strength and clarity. Over."

There was a brief pause, then Palkia said

"Geez, that was long-winded."

Then Mew's loud voice interrupted over the radio and shouted

"Hey Uxie, I've got a question for you! How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

Everyone in Arceus' car groaned, except Uxie, who smirked and replied

"I imagine a woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Does that answer your question?"

There was brief silence, followed by Dialga saying

"Wow, Uxie, you managed to shut him up. I think he's trying to work out your answer. Over."

There was uproarious laughter in the car, and when it settled, Arceus grinned and took the radio back, saying

"Okay, gang, let's lock and load! I want everyone to just follow me. If you get separated, let me know and I'll try to find the closest spot to pull over and direct you. As long as you stick close, though, we shouldn't have that problem. Everyone copy? Over."

The other two parties confirmed, and Arceus started his car, followed by the roaring of two starting engines. Arceus backed out and drove slowly to the entrance to the highway. He grabbed the radio and said

"I'm going to try and wait for a large opening so we don't have to wait for everyone to fall in. Over."

There was more static and Palkia responded

"Hope there isn't much traffic."

There was a bit more static, and Shaymin finished with

"Over."

Arceus rolled his eyes, then swept the area. He waited for a minute, then saw it. There was suddenly a large lack of cars, and he quickly pulled onto the highway, shortly followed by a dark blue car, then a hot pink car. He settled into the far left lane, the unofficial fast lane. Despite this, he kept to the speed limit and asked Giratina

"Is everyone behind us?"

Giratina looked over her right shoulder, then reported

"I can see Dialga's car, but if Palkia's behind him, I can't see her. Hold on."

She picked up the radio and clicked the button, asking

"Hey Shay, are you guys right behind Dialga? Over."

After a brief pause and static, Shaymin replied

"Affirmative" with a small giggle. Giratina heard Palkia sigh exasperatedly, then Shaymin said

"Sorry. So, is everything going to plan? Over."

Arceus took the radio and said

"So far. Let me know if anything develops. Over."

Shaymin answered shortly back

"Alright, I copy. Over and out."

Then Dialga said

"You got it. Let us know if anything happens we should know about. Over and out."

Arceus set the radio down and took a drink of his coffee. He set that back too and replaced his hand on the steering wheel. Then Giratina turned to Uxie and Azelf and asked

"So, you still treating her right, Bookworm?"

Giratina had some sort of nickname for all of her friends, and she encouraged them to use nicknames. Dialga, however, hated the nickname she had "bestowed" upon him. Most everyone had already been calling Uxie "Bookworm" since he read books a lot. He nodded and said

"Of course. Ever since we hooked up I've been trying to compensate for my earlier actions. Somehow she's managed to forgive me, but her father still has her doubts about me."

Giratina rolled her eyes and said

"Probably for good reason. After all, you've been shooting her down for the past, what, four years?"

"Five" he corrected glumly, hanging his head. Giratina felt a measure of sympathy and she said to him

"Well, as long as you treat her right, we'll have no reason to alienate you."

His head jerked up and he said

"Wait, that threat's still up?!"

Arceus chuckled and said

"No, not quite. If, however, you begin to repeat your previous actions, you will be."

Uxie shook his head and asked

"Why would I want to do that? I have a girlfriend now, in case you haven't noticed, and she has loved me for the past five years. I know it's genuine since it lasted that long."

Giratina shook her head in though, and she said

"And to think you used to spout stuff about love being a fairy tale. You've come a long way in a short time, Bookworm."

Uxie smirked and said

"Some of us might say the same for you, Frankie."

Giratina frowned and asked

"What's that name supposed to imply?"

Uxie shifted for comfort in his seat and he replied

"You said you could hit Frankie Valli's falsetto, right? So I thought the name would suit you, especially since it's unisex, though that particular pronunciation tends to lean to the female gender. Be that as it may, that is the nickname I have decided for you. What do you think?"

Giratina rolled it in her head for a second, then said

"Alright, it'll do. So, how do you guys think you did on your finals?"

Uxie immediately responded

"I'm sure I did well, and I've been tutoring Azelf the same way Arceus was tutoring you. Of course, she didn't really need my help in the first place. It was just an excuse to be with her."

Azelf smirked and kissed him. Uxie smiled himself and asked

"So, how 'bout you, Arceus? Surely you got the best scores in the school."

Arceus scoffed and said

"I doubt the best in the school. Maybe best in my individual classes, but certainly not in the school."

Uxie smirked and said

"Well, if you aren't holding the title, then I am. After all, who's smarter than the two of us? And on that note, which of the two of us is smarter?"

Arceus scoffed again and replied

"I hardly think that matters, especially at the moment. Besides" he added "I think my girlfriend would side with me."

Giratina giggled and Uxie shot back

"Well, I know my girlfriend would side with me."

Before a response could be made, the radio crackled and Mew said

"Okay Uxie, I've figured your smart-ass answer out now. Answer this, then, wise-guy; why is the sky blue?"

Giratina handed the radio back to Uxie who clicked the button and asked

"Are you really going to play with fire, Mew? Over."

The radio crackled and Mew said

"Can't do it, scaredy-cat?"

Uxie sadly shook his head, then pressed the button and told him

"The sun's light refracts through nitrogen particles, which make up nearly eighty percent of the atmosphere's composition. The principles of refraction state that any random object absorbs white light, i.e. the sun, and only reflect a specific color according to the corresponding element, compound, material, etc. The color code for nitrogen particles is a generic light blue, which results, in concentration, a sky blue. Call back when you want your ass handed to you again. Over and out."

Everyone present screamed in laughter, and Celebi's voice came over the radio, saying

"Damn, dude. Brutal. Over."

The laughter continued for about a minute, during which time Arceus congratulated him for putting Mew down. Uxie dipped his head in acknowledgement, then Giratina asked

"Okay Uxie, I've got a question for you."

He smirked and said

"Are you going to be like Mew? Because if you are, I want to broadcast this."

Giratina giggled for a second, then returned to seriousness.

"No, not quite. What I've been wondering is, how do you see anything when you always have your eyes closed?"

Uxie's smirk faltered, then he said

"Wow, first time I've heard that question. You can't tell, but I'm actually just squinting. I do this because most light hurts my eyes, and I do not look good in sunglasses. It helps take down the intensity of the light and sort of gives me a mysterious look, I think."

Giratina snorted and said

"More like strange."

The drive continued uneventfully for the next couple of hours, by which time most everyone's drinks had a chance to run their course, and a break was in order. Arceus pulled into a gas station and parked. He had filled the tank before this trip, and he didn't need a refill yet. Dialga had prepared ahead of time, as was his nature. Palkia, on the other hand, only ever filled the tank whenever it was necessary. It was pretty well at that point now, so while she filled her car, everyone took the "break" they required. Once she finished, she took her own reprieve, and they were soon back on the road, Arceus telling them it would only be another hour and a half altogether.

That passed quickly enough with the random conversations that passed between the ten of them. Arceus pulled onto a gravel driveway in front of a large condo, and as everybody stepped out, they admired it.

It was much like what Giratina had seen Arceus draw. It was about two stories tall, had a large front porch, a slanted roof with a chimney poking out of the front right. She could see steps leading toward the back, and she wondered what awaited them inside and in back. Arceus turned to her and said

"Help the others get the stuff out, okay? I need to start unlocking everything."

Giratina nodded and turned to her friends after grabbing her pack and slinging it on her back. She drifted to Dialga's car, where Mew and Latios were struggling with whatever Latias had brought. It was a couple of large, heavy black boxes, and while Giratina was lost on what they could be, she helped the two boys unload it. They set it aside, then began taking out the individual packs of those concerned.

Once everybody had a hold of their stuff, Dialga and Latios holding one of the two heavy black boxes, Mew and Uxie the other, they traveled up the steps to the condo. The porch was bigger standing on it than looking up at it, since it was raised several feet off the ground, and Giratina aimed for the front door. Arceus appeared behind it and opened it up, gesturing for them to come inside after eyeing Latias' baggage. He directed them through the living room and told them to drop their packs here for now while he gave the tour. They all complied and allowed Arceus to take the lead.

He walked through the whole place, elaborating the living room, then showing them the kitchen, dining area, though he planned to use the porch, as well as some of the first floor bedrooms. Then he directed them upstairs and showed them the other bedrooms. All in all, it was a four bed, three bath house. Arceus had planned for them to split up, the boys taking two sets of bedrooms while the girls took the other two, for as he said

"I just don't trust Latias and Latios that much."

Everyone enjoyed a good laugh, even Latias and Latios, probably because they recognized the truth in what he said.

Then he exited the house and began to show them the back yard. I was mostly open space, and because it was winter, there wasn't much to brag about in the line of vegetation. However, he said

"You'll need to see it in the summer; we grow some amazing stuff out here."

Then he showed them the Jacuzzi and even a fire pit. They could see neighbors not very far from this house, but no one else was out right now. Probably because it was pretty cold right now. Somehow, Giratina also felt tired, and she addressed this fact to Arceus.

"Hey, Arceus?"

"Hmm?"

"For some reason I'm feeling pretty tired. But I've been moving around. Do you know what's going on?"

A couple of the others, namely Palkia and Mew, nodded in agreement with her assessment. Uxie chuckled and replied

"It's probably because you're moving that you feel like this. In short, your bodies haven't acclimated yet, which simply means your body isn't use to the lack of oxygen compared to our usual elevation. Give it a couple of days, and your body will naturally make appropriate changes to fix that."

A little confused, Giratina asked

"Can you explain that better? Also, what 'changes' are you talking about?"

Uxie drew a breath and began talking.

"Okay, as you get higher up into the atmosphere, the amount of oxygen in the air steadily decreases. It usually happens with so many particles of oxygen per liter of atmosphere, give or take every thousand feet in elevation. Where we're at right now, about five, six thousand feet above sea level, the amount of available oxygen in the surrounding air is different than what you are accustomed to back in our town of a far lower elevation. Make sense so far?"

Giratina shrugged, having partly understood it. Then she asked

"How does this affect me, though?"

"You see, with less oxygen in the air that you're accustomed to, it's harder for your lungs to get the proper amount of oxygen to sustain your body. That is what gives you that tired feeling; your muscles simply aren't getting what they need to function optimally. Fortunately, your body has developed methods to correct this dilemma."

Giratina was now becoming engrossed in his lecture, and it seemed that everyone was too.

"In response to the drop in oxygen levels, your body will create many more red blood cells to carry more available oxygen throughout your body, keeping it in running order. That's why many professional athletes train in the mountains; to reap the benefits of their body's natural inner workings. The best part, for them, anyway, is that even when returned to a normal elevation, the higher red blood cell count sticks around for a few days, meaning after a week up here, back home you'd be able to run harder for a longer period of time, up until your RBC count returns to normal."

For a moment, there was only stunned silence. Then Arceus said

"Yep, that pretty much covers it. Since everyone is feeling the effects of this, we should just take it easy today. I was checking the weather forecast for this week, and there should be snow tomorrow. But I guess only time will tell. For now, let's just head inside."

So the group took shelter in the long-awaited condo, and for the next several hours there was light conversation, interspersed with various card and board games, as well as some of them napping occasionally. Then the rooms were split by gender, the occupants of said rooms being determined by the gender group. Most of the girls, it seemed, wanted to occupy one room, in an approximation of a Sisterhood sleepover. Arceus didn't have a problem with this, so long as nothing was broken.

On the boy's side, however, there was a mess of chaos. Mew and Uxie were in an argument of sorts (which Uxie was clearly winning) while Latios dejectedly missed Latias' presence. Arceus and Dialga were running over all the stuff that could be done while they were around. In time, though, everyone settled down enough to fall asleep, one by one.

Longest chapter for this story I believe. Sorry for the time it took to make this, I don't get much time to myself anymore . Anyway, review and tell me what you think. (By the way, I've now got over a hundred reviews on one of my stories, yay me!)