Chapter 5
Thursday, December 7th
'Great, I'll see you tomorrow at four o'clock in the afternoon.' Samson stated as an invitation for her to attend a job interview.
Giselle and Cubone admired the wooden archway that acted as the entrance to the property of the Pokemon School. The buildings within the compound were a beautiful teal blue and palm trees decorated the grounds, though, upon closer inspection, Giselle saw that there were several Exeggutor mixed in.
As they approached the main building on the campus, Giselle gulped and gave a sigh. She spent half the night trying to prepare for this interview, and the other half tossing and turning her bed, to the point where Cubone took a pillow and opted to sleep on the floor. Giselle went on one job interview back in Kanto, and it was hardly an interview. It was a small part-time job as a receptionist for an eye doctor who was desperate for help and she happened to be in the right place at the right time.
But this interview was different. It wasn't a throwaway job. This was in a field she knew like the back of her hand, and it was an opportunity not only to help others improve but further examine how she and Cubone could do the same. She didn't want to miss this up. This could be the only opportunity like this that she would receive in Alola.
A sharply dressed woman stepped out of the entrance of the main building; her eyes fixated on the watch on her wrist. When he raised her eyes, she caught sight of Giselle and waved to her.
"Alola! You must be Giselle, correct?" She asked and Giselle answered with a nod. "Excellent, I'm Asuka, the assistant principal. Samson told me that you would be visiting after the school day was over."
Asuka wore a cheerful smile as she motioned for them to follow her.
"We call this part of the school the atrium," Asuka explained as she led them into the main building. "This is where most of the staff meet and you'll find the library farther in the back. Samson's office is also located here."
To pass the time until they arrived at Samson's office, Asuka explained the layout of the campus and its features. Soon enough, they arrived at a door with the title of 'headmaster' posted on it. Asuka knocked twice and they were invited to enter. Asuka opened the door came face to face with a tiny airborne Pokemon, her wings flapping so quickly that it produced a whir in the air.
"Hello there Ribombee, I haven't seen you all day," Asuka remarked as she raised a hand for Ribombee to land on. However, Ribombee quickly took notice of the unfamiliar faces in Giselle and Cubone and approached them. As Ribombee came close to Giselle's face, she was able to take a closer look at this adorable Pokemon who gave her a salute as a greeting. Ribombee then descended to Cubone and landed on the snout of his skull, and his eyes became crossed as he tried to look at her.
"Ah, Giselle, you're right on time," Samson remarked from his desk with a wave. Giselle gave the man a nod before her eyes were drawn to the teenage girl that was seated across from Samson. She had a large sketchpad on her lap, though she set down her pencil to observe Giselle and Cubone. "I'm sorry Mina, it looks like our time is up for today. I have an important meeting with this young woman right now."
"No problem, professor," She answered as she quickly closed up her sketchbook. Giselle raised her brow as saw that this girl's clothing and hair was decorated with blotches of paint. "I'll see you tomorrow! Come on Ribombee, let's get going!"
"Bee!" Ribombee exclaimed as she gave Cubone a wave before she took flight and set herself down onto Mina's shoulder. Asuka left with Mina, and Giselle was invited to close the door and have a seat.
"Thank you for coming today, especially on short notice," Samson remarked as Giselle got settled in the leather chair. It squeaked at the slightest movement, so she tensed her muscles as a reminder to keep still.
"It's no problem," She answered. "Thank you for this opportunity."
"And this is your partner, Cubone, correct?" He inquired as Giselle reached down to pick him up and placed him on her lap. He raised his bone proudly with a nod to the principal. "Excellent. I'm sure you must be wondering why I'm looking for a new battle instructor when the school year has been underway for about three months. My previous instructor taught her for over sixty years, so he was up there in age. There were some unexpected health concerns he ran into recently, and he decided it would be best to retire for the sake of his family."
"I see," Giselle noted with a nod.
"All that aside, I was originally going to ask Hala to fill the position this year and I would find a full-time replacement next summer," Samson went on. "But low and behold, when I reached out to Hala, he recommended your name to me. That's why I asked Ilima to battle you, and I was thrilled with what I saw."
"If I might ask, Mr. Oak," Giselle began.
"Please, call me Samson," He interjected and she gave a nod.
"Samson, what exactly impressed you? That was hardly a good showing from us in that battle," Giselle pointed and Samson chuckled.
"I'm not interested in a battle instructor that finds success through one method in a battle," He remarked. "What I'm searching for is someone who understands the nuance of a Pokemon battle, someone that is capable of making adjustments, changing their strategies, and above all else, trying new ideas."
Cubone could feel Giselle tremble a bit before Samson continued.
"I understand that Alola is different to most of the other regions, in that, people here live and interact with Pokemon freely. Because of this, Pokemon have become a central pillar of our culture, which is why our school system sets the goal of helping children to establish bonds with Pokemon before adulthood," Samson explained with a smile on his face. "This gives our students an opportunity to examine what kind of life they would like to live, and help them find a Pokemon partner to accompany them on that journey."
Giselle bit down on her lower lip, fighting off the envy that filled her. If only she was raised in Alola…she could've been around Pokemon from early childhood, and attended a school where she could've learned all about Pokemon.
"Of course, not everyone becomes a trainer. In fact, I'd say only about ten percent of our students even consider becoming a trainer and take the necessary courses while attending school," Samson went on. "However, those who do pursue the path of a trainer could play a significant role in upholding Alolan traditions by becoming future Trial Captains and potentially Island Kahunas. But in the end, it's up to the student to decide what is best for themselves. Our school is designed to give them a foundation to build upon once they graduate," Samson paused and examined Giselle's expression. "Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"
"It really does," Giselle answered and Cubone gave a nod of agreement.
"I'm glad to hear it," Samson remarked. "Now let's discuss some of the details about the position. I understand you don't have a teaching degree, correct?"
Giselle shook her head.
"That's alright in this case because as far as I know, there aren't any schools that specialize in training someone to teach about Pokemon," Samson said with a snort. "Rather, the development of your Cubone is what I used as a basis for your teaching qualities. Cubone," Samson looked to the Pokemon in question. "Would you describe Giselle as a good teacher?"
Cubone looked up at her for a moment, but he didn't even need to think about his answer. He beamed at Samson and gave him a large nod.
"Cu-Cubone!" He declared and Samson grinned.
"I'm happy that you agree with me," Samson replied before he returned his gaze to Giselle. "Since your Cubone thinks so highly of you, I'm sure you'll meet and exceed my expectations."
"And that would include?"
"Well as the name implies, you would be helping your students develop their battling skills and Pokemon," Samson elaborated. "Not to worry though, the former instructor left behind the curriculum that he designed, so you're free to look it over and make any needed change. I can give it to you before you leave today."
Giselle furrowed her brow. "Why would you give it to me? Are you saying that…you're giving me the job already?"
"Well, of course!"
"But I thought this was an interview," Giselle pointed out, however, Samson waved her off before she could say anymore.
"Giselle, you're not here to earn the position," Samson stated. "Based on what I've heard and seen, you've already done that in my eyes. But more than that, you bring something new to the table, something I believe will help with the advancement of Alola's culture when to Pokemon."
"What do you mean?"
"Alola has its own distinct style of Pokemon battles when compared to other island or mainland regions," Samson explained as he looked up at the ceiling. "From youth, we are taught to develop a bond with our Pokemon to reach a point where both of you can make a decision during a battle and the other can follow accordingly. While this has its strengths, once a trainer reaches a point where they can do this in Alola, they've often peaked. It's why I said that I was searching for a trainer that understands the nuance of a Pokemon battle. Mainland trainers are often described here as only battling with their mind as opposed to their Pokemon. However, that style of battle has its strengths that the trainers of Alola either ignore or are completely unaware of."
"And you want me to introduce this concept to the kids at school," Giselle concluded.
Samson confirmed with a nod. "Pokemon have intertwined themselves with different cultures all over the world, which has led to the creation of different battling styles and processes," Samson then made a gesture to Giselle and Cubone. "As someone that has been exposed to some other styles, I want you to expose the students to this so that they can then develop a style that they can call their own. That is why I consider you to be the perfect candidate for this teaching position. So…do you accept?"
Giselle took a moment to compose herself with a deep breath. Six months ago, she never would've imagined herself accepting a position to teach children about Pokemon, but here she was. There was no turning away from this.
"I accept!" Giselle declared and grinned proudly.
"Wonderful, I can't tell you how Happ-iny I am!" He exclaimed and Giselle burst into another fit of laughter.
Friday, December 8th
"Come to the school at ten o'clock tomorrow morning, I want to introduce you to your students!"
Giselle returned to the Pokemon School the following morning and Asuka, the assistant principal was waiting for her and Cubone at the entrance. They exchanged the usual greeting and Asuka invited Giselle to follow her onto the campus.
"I've got to say, I didn't think we would find someone to fill this vacancy so quickly," Asuka noted. "But everyone here is glad that you're helping us out. The rest of the staff is eager to meet you, though, we'll save that for later. Samson requested that I show you the facilities today since you'll likely be using them starting next week."
Asuka led them around the entire campus today and Giselle was delighted, to say the least. The school had everyone, from a small lake on the property that acted as a pool for the students, to a soccer field that doubled as a battlefield for the trainers. As they walked, Asuka shared some of the details that Samson didn't get to cover during the interview. The Pokemon School accepted students starting at age ten, and most students graduated at seventeen/eighteen, although there were a few cases where they graduated earlier.
Another detail that eased Giselle's mind was that she would only be teaching one class a day. Since only a small portion of the student body took the battling course, her class was held for all ages to attend at the same time during a neutral point in the day so that these students didn't miss their academic classes. From eleven o'clock until one, she would have total freedom to do as she pleased with them, although she would have to coordinate with the gym teacher for use of the field.
Otherwise, if she wasn't teaching her own class, she would be acting as a teacher's assistant to help her get familiar with the other students. Soon enough, they arrived at the final point of the tour, Giselle's classroom. It was located at the top of the atrium with a balcony for them to observe the rest of the campus. She could hardly believe that such a high-profile classroom was being given to her.
As they waited for Giselle's class to arrive, Giselle took the opportunity to ask Asuka about herself. To Giselle's surprise, Asuka revealed that she was a former trainer. Giselle wasn't expecting that since Asuka was so well dressed and poised, but Giselle was willing to bet that she battled the same way. Or it could be the complete opposite…there was only one way to find out.
As eleven o'clock drew close, her students began to arrive. The first being the only one that she was familiar with, Ilima and his Smeargle.
"Alola, it's good to see you again," He said kindly. "Ah, should I call you Ms. Giselle or…what do you prefer?"
Giselle raised her brow, realizing that she never even thought about how her students should address her. Thankfully, it only took her a moment to make a decision on the matter.
"There's no need for formalities with me, I'm only twenty-four," She replied. "Call me Giselle."
Ilima nodded and took one of the seats at the front of the classroom. Soon after, Samson Oak and a group of students arrived. At the sight of them, Giselle felt her heart leap into her throat. She took a few breaths to calm herself, but that was to no avail. But there was someone who was prepared to help.
Cubone stood beside her, and he poked the side of her leg to get her attention. She kneeled down and he extended the end of his club to her. It took her a moment to realize that he wanted her to hold it, and once she had a grasp on the item, he shook it up and down with her.
"Cu-bone!" He announced. "We'll do this together!"
He gave her a thumbs-up as an assurance of his support, and Giselle had no choice but to smile at her partner. That was all she needed to hear.
As her class got settled in their seats, Giselle counted up the students and saw that there were a total of eleven present. However, Samson stood at the entrance to the room, searching for one more person.
"Ah, there she is," He noted, and a few moments later, another familiar face entered the room. It was the same girl that Giselle met in Samson's office before her interview. Mina and her Ribombee.
"Sorry I'm late," She apologized as she entered the room. "I lost track of time while I was sketching one of the Toucannon."
"Mina, you have a new instructor today, so don't let this become a habit," Samson warned her.
"Bee!" Ribombee exclaimed as she flew over to Giselle and landed on her shoulder, pleased to see her again. Mina leaned over and her eyes widened at the sight of Giselle.
"You're the new instructor?" Mina asked and Asuka sighed.
"Well, it looks like the Meowth's out of the bag," Samson noted and Giselle snorted, though she did her best to suppress it.
"Yes, Mina, now take a seat," Asuka stated. "As the professor said, you have a new battle instructor," Asuka continued with a gesture for Giselle and Cubone to come to the front of the room. "This is Giselle and Cubone. They came from Vermilion City in the Kanto region."
"Wow!" There were exclamations from all of the kids and which was closely followed by a parade of questions about Kanto and the lifestyle there. Giselle was allowed to answer a few questions before Samson reigned in the class.
"While I would also Luv-disv to hear more about the Kanto region," Samson's announcement was cut short as Giselle broke her composure and let out a laugh. While Samson grinned proudly at the success of his pun, everyone else deadpanned. Once Giselle settled down, Samson continued, "We have quite a few things to cover today, so let's not get too distracted."
Asuka nodded to Giselle and an invitation to give her a formal introduction.
"Alola," Giselle began with a small bow in front of the class. "I've only been here for almost six months, and Alola has taught me so much about Pokemon. I spent years preparing with Cubone to become a professional trainer back in Kanto, but it's a lot harder than you would think. So, I came to Alola to learn more about Pokemon…and I ended up learning a few things about myself in the process. Admittedly, I'm walking into this job blind, so I don't know much, but ultimately, I want to help each and every one of you to learn everything you can about Pokemon, and then use that to determine how you want to live the rest of her life."
"We're happy to have you, Giselle," Samson remarked before he looked to the students. "Right kids. How about we give Giselle a proper welcome?"
The students rose to their feet along with their Pokemon and everyone beamed at Giselle and Cubone.
"Alola, Giselle and Cubone!"
96 Years since the Great Crisis
Her first year at the Pokemon School was easily the most fun Giselle had since coming to Alola. Teaching children and teenagers was a challenge in itself, but joining the staff of the Pokemon School opened the way for her and Cubone to make many new and interesting friendships. Not only that, but it led to her meeting the parents of her students, and the more relationships she established in Hau'oli City, the more popular she became.
It was hard to handle at first. She was so accustomed to the solitude that she possessed in Vermilion City, that it was strange to go out grocery shopping and run into several people that were familiar with her. That aside, Giselle accepted it as part of her new lifestyle. She was actively playing a part in their community and she would embrace everything that came with that.
The curriculum that was left back by the former battle instructor turned out to be a godsend. From it, Giselle was able to create a basis for all her future lessons plans, and per Samson's request, she made sure to carefully discuss the style of battle used in Kanto with her class. Not all of her students were as enthused about her lessons as she was and there were several hiccups during her lessons, especially during her first few weeks. But she had help! Cubone was always there, and a mixture of Samson and Asuka would be present during her lessons to provide any help if she needed it. As she settled into her job, Giselle began to pay closer attention to which of her students were the most receptive to her lessons, and she gladly gave them additional help as needed.
The first of this group was Ilima, the 'teacher's pet.' Giselle might have loathed that type of student while she was in high school, but now that she was on the receiving end, she really did appreciate Ilima. His maturity helped to keep the class in order and cover up for Giselle's inexperience. He was a promising trainer, level-headed and consistent. He was the steady one among his peers who was never affected by the curveballs that Giselle mixed into her lessons and practice battles. In some respects, Ilima reminded Giselle of herself. He did his best to prepare, and while he might not have been as gifted as the other standout students, he continued to work hard.
Next was Olivia, the most charismatic of all her students. According to Samson, Olivia was the protégé of the Akala Island Kahuna, Kalama. While Giselle wasn't very familiar with the role of an Island Kahuna, she knew that Kahuna Hala was an impressive trainer, and she expected as much from Olivia. Needless to say, Olivia was fantastic for her age. She and her partner, Lycanroc, were worthy opponents. Their only weakness, if you could call it that, was a lack of battle experience. Apparently, Olivia began to pursue the path of a Pokemon trainer only a year ago when she was chosen to become the next Kahuna of Akala Island. Giselle could hardly believe that she was such a skilled trainer with only a year of experience under her belt.
Despite Olivia's outstanding ability, she was a distant second to Giselle's best student, Kahili. This girl was frightening at times! She and her partner, Trumbeak, gave Giselle and Cubone a run for their money daily, not simply because of the type advantage of her Trumbeak, but because Kahili was constantly improving. If there was anyone that Samson wanted to expose to the mainland style of battle, it was Kahili. She seemed to have a basis for it in her mind already, but Giselle was glad to give her a proper introduction to the complexities of Pokemon battles that were popularized on the mainland. As a result, Kahili showed some staggering progress during the school year, quickly adapting everything that Giselle taught her during class. Her rate of progress reminded Giselle of Ash. Despite the touch of envy that she experienced at times, Giselle felt a sense of pride as she witnessed the growth of one of her students.
Then there was Mina and her Ribombee, the oddball pair. Mina was an average trainer at best, and Ribombee wasn't much of a battler considering her small stature. That aside, the pair had their own unique trait, something that Giselle never paid much attention to until she observed them closely. They really and truly understood each other, and they used this to establish connections with other people and Pokemon. Mina wasn't any sort of linguist, but she had something special that helped her to communicate with Ribombee and other Pokemon. According to Samson, Sofu discovered her in the Seafolk Village of Poni Island and encouraged her to attend the Pokemon School to further develop her special trait.
The last of her standouts was a fourteen-year-old girl, named Acerola. Her petite form tricked Giselle in the same fashion that Hapu's did, although Acerola didn't seem to mind. She and her Mimikyu were also oddballs, though perhaps strange was a more fitting description. Acerola would often tease the class with tales of the ghost Pokemon she encountered on Ula'ula Island, and admittedly, Giselle found her skin crawling throughout most of those tales. Acerola's background with Pokemon implied that she was a ghost type specialist, even though she 'claimed' to be anything but. Giselle had no experience when it came to ghost type Pokemon, and she'd never met a ghost type specialist either. She struggled to offer Acerola any guidance early on, but that only drove Giselle to dig into the archives of the PokeHub for any information on ghost type Pokemon. Her research of ghost types was often unsettling, but as she learned about them, Giselle grew more impressed with their abilities. If Acerola learned how to bring out the best of a ghost type Pokemon, she could be a truly fearsome trainer.
The Pokemon School also led to her first encounter with Kukui, a twenty-one-year-old researcher that worked part-time at the school. He was a prodigy when it came to Pokemon battles, in the same vein as Kahili, though he had a few additional years of experience which really showed. Her battles against him were often lop-sided defeats, but despite his expertise as a trainer, Kukui was more concerned with his research of Pokemon moves. They often had fascinating discussions, and Kukui proved to be a valuable resource in helping Cubone to improve. Although, Kukui told awful puns in the same manner as Samson, but his were based on Pokemon moves.
The lesson from Vast Poni Canyon about having an open mind continued to show its value the more she worked at the Pokemon School. She was exposed to all sorts of different and new ideas from her students and coworkers which she used to refine herself. While her progress might not have been as remarkable as her student's, Giselle was certain that these subtle improvements would show their worth in the long run.
Friday, June 1st
Giselle sat on the edge of her desk at the front of the classroom, Cubone situated right next to her as she spoke to her class.
"Just a quick reminder guys, your final exams will start on Monday the eleventh," Giselle stated. "I'm going to post the schedule next week, so start preparing for your battles now."
Their final exam was nothing more than a one-on-one battle against Giselle that would be recorded for Giselle to review afterward. As she reviewed the footage of each battle, she would grade their performance, practical skills, and decision-making during the battle.
"Don't be scared, your grade is based on performance," She reminded them. "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose against me and Cubone."
"Ah, I can't wait!" Olivia exclaimed as she gave the class a v for victory. Then she looked to her partner Pokemon and continued, "We'll do our best, right Lycanroc?"
Lycanroc gave a bark of agreement, eager for their battle next week. Olivia was the first to volunteer to battle, followed closely by Kahili and a hesitant Ilima. No one else came forward after those three, so Giselle resorted to a lottery to determine the order that the rest of her students would face her. Giselle drummed her fingers on her desk, a smile on her face as she thought about performing an in-depth review of each of her students. She couldn't wait to make the comparisons between their current abilities and how they battled when she first met them.
"Alright, I'll give you guys some free time to wrap up class today," Giselle said as she took a seat behind her desk. With clearance from Giselle to relax, the Pokemon of each of her students began to chase each other around the classroom while the kids spoke amongst themselves.
Soon enough, the bell above the school rang which was the signal for the students to transition to their final class for the day. Giselle waved to her students as they left, giving them one final reminder to prepare for their battles next week.
Once the kids were gone, Giselle and Cubone shared a nod before they went down to the courtyard of the campus. During the final class of the day, Giselle was tasked with acting as a monitor to perform a quick patrol of the grounds before the final bell rung. She only had forty-five minutes to give the campus a thorough check, but she and Cubone always managed to complete it and return to the front gate. As Komala rang the bell to end the school day, the students would typically exit in an orderly fashion. However, since today started the weekend, a stampede went rushing out the front gate.
Giselle barked at them to calm down, but ultimately, she told them to enjoy their weekend and left it at that. Summer vacation was right around the corner, so their excitement was to be expected. As the crowd thinned out, Asuka arrived to relieve Giselle at the front gate, allowing her to return to her room to pack up her belongings. As she made her way back to the classroom that rested at the top of the atrium, a Pikipek came swooping by to land before he landed on the railing beside them.
"Piki, piki," He chirped at them. As Giselle inspected this Pikipek, she saw a strap travel around his body, and when he turned around, she saw a small cylinder against his back. This was one of the school's messengers. There was a small flock of Pikipek and Trumbeak that resided on the campus, so to earn their keep and some free meals, they would deliver messages and small parcels to staff members as needed.
"Hey there, Pikipek, what do you have me?" Giselle asked as she lifted the lid of the cylinder. Inside was a small sheet of paper, a request from Samson to come to his office as soon as she could.
She folded the sheet of paper and tucked it into her pocket before she looked down to Pikipek. Giselle invited him to land on her shoulder as she continued to her classroom. Once there, she dug into her lunch bag for the half-eaten sandwich that she didn't finish at lunch. She took a piece of bread and tore it into small pieces as an offering to Pikipek who thrilled before he gobbled it up. Once he was satisfied, he took flight to return to his station back down at the main office, and Giselle made her way back down to the ground floor of the atrium.
Once she arrived at Samson's office, she knocked on the door and he called for her to enter.
"Alola!" He bellowed at the sight of her, making a gesture to the open seat in front of his desk. "I hope I'm not stealing you from something important."
"Not at all," Giselle answered. "I was just packing up, actually."
"Wonderful, I was hoping you had some time to talk with me," Samson said as Giselle got comfortable in her seat. "Since the school year is almost over, I wanted to hear some of your thoughts and experiences."
"Umm, I think the first thing I should say is thank you," Giselle began with a finger against the tip of her chin. "I think something I always lacked was perspective. Back in Kanto, I was very narrow-minded about how to train with Cubone. I thought if we practiced new moves and refined the moves he knew, that was the path to progress. Here in Alola is where became clear to me that this mindset only covered a minuscule part of training with a Pokemon. I don't know how long it would've taken me to understand that in Kanto, but after a year, I'm really happy that I came to this region."
Samson gave her a broad grin. "And the students are glad that you came here as well!"
"Speaking of the students, they also helped me to stop being so short-sighted. Since I consider myself an adult, I'm maybe too results-oriented," Giselle noted and Samson gave a nod. "I was caught up trying to find the extraordinary, whether it was perfection in battle or mastering a new move. But as I worked with the kids, I noticed that they find extraordinary things in something ordinary…they found joy in everything about Pokemon, and I realized that their mindset was the one I needed to gain. I needed to fall in love with Pokemon all over again."
"How insightful," Samson remarked. "And I'm sure the children of Alola can teach you so much more…that is, if you're interested in continuing to be the battle instructor here."
Giselle looked down to Cubone for a moment and furrowed her brow. "Are you saying that I can teach again next year?"
"For as long as you like," Samson answered. "It can take years for what you're teaching to settle into our culture, but you had an excellent start since I know that Ilima, Kahili, and Olivia will pass on what you've taught them. So, would you like the full-time position as the battle instructor?"
Giselle looked down to Cubone who smiled back up at her. "We'd love to!"
"Aha! That's wonderful, everyone is going to be very happy," Samson said as he rose to his feet. He motioned to Giselle to follow him as he led her to the faculty lounge, and she had an inkling of suspicion as she entered the room and all the lights were off.
"Surprise!"
As the darkness of the room was stripped away, Giselle found the entire staff of the Pokemon School and their Pokemon packed together against the far wall of the room, standing beneath a banner that read 'Mahalo Nui!'
Giselle stepped further into the room, unable to suppress a smile as she studied her coworkers, her eyes meeting the likes of Kukui and his Torracat, Asuka and her partner Stoutland, and many others. The first they did was drag her into their group for Samson to take a picture with his polaroid camera, but not before he gave a small speech on Giselle's behalf.
"Now I hope the rest of you don't Exeggcute me for this," Samson began and the room deadpanned. Everyone except for Giselle. "But I would like a Chanse-y to speak…Giselle, it's been a Karra-blast to watch you work with our students, and you showed that you don't have a Wishiwashi spirit, but instead the determination of a Pyroar. This job was thrust upon you, but you didn't back down and now we are all so happy to have you as part of our team going forward," Samson went on and Giselle bit down on her lower lip, blinking back the moisture that threatened to escape from her eyes. "So, Giselle, on behalf of the staff and student body, we say to you, mahalo nui…or in other words, thank you very much!"
Despite the awful puns that filled his speech, no one could voice their complaints about Samson's heartfelt speech. At least, not until he took it a step too far.
"Are you all going to Go-lett me continue, because you know I can keep Gogoat-ing! Or maybe we should throw on some music and celebrate, some Roggenrola!" Samson did a little dance as he rattled off these lines, and the room gave a collective groan, except for Giselle who held her sides as she gave some restrained giggles.
"If only we could Disable his sense of humor," Kukui remarked with his hands raised.
"Can it get any worse?" Asuka muttered and Giselle threw her head back and burst into a fit of laughter. Samson beamed as he raised the camera in his hands to take picture of the staff.
The staff party lasted about an hour and a half before the group began to disperse. Giselle made it a point to thank each of her coworkers before she left, accepting more hugs and fist bumps than ever before, but she did so with a smile. She knew each of them fairly well since starting to work at the Pokemon School, but it was clear that she was going to get to know all of them a lot better going forward. Once she spoke to everyone, Giselle and Cubone made their way back up to the top of the atrium.
They walked in silence, allowing Giselle to look at the pair of pictures that Samson had given her when their small party began. In the first picture, she was standing among her co-workers, but she alone was laughing at the terrible jokes that Samson and Kukui told. Her cheeks were flushed, she held her stomach and tears were in the corner of her eyes as she laughed. Meanwhile, there were mixed reactions from everyone around Giselle, their leers directed at either Samson or Kukui. The second picture was much more composed as everyone smiled at the camera. Giselle would never admit it openly, but she loved the first picture far more than the second.
When she arrived at her classroom, Giselle stopped in the doorway and stared. She held onto the photos in her hands tightly and took a deep breath. Even though it was official, it was hard to believe that this classroom was now hers. She didn't do any sort of decorating since accepting the job, but that would change today. She approached the message board on the wall and removed one of the available push pins. Then she pinned up the second picture of her and the Pokemon School staff in the top right corner.
As she looked at the picture, Giselle smiled warmly. As she thought about the start of her Pokemon journey in Lavender Town, she realized that she left home with Cubone. It was just the two of them. Since then, she'd made friendships and rivalries in Vermilion City, people that she furiously chased after as she and Cubone slowly improved. But it wasn't until she came to Alola that she realized what it was like to have people walking alongside her.
Cubone was there, and now she had Anela, her neighbors, her students, and her coworkers. It felt like she was floating all the time, such a wonderful feeling! She loved it!
She loved Alola!
'Mahalo nui…or in other words, thank you very much.'
Giselle collected her bag and threw it over her shoulder. As she approached the exit of her classroom, she looked back, taking a gander at the room. Then she looked out at the balcony that had a view of the campus straight down to the seas beyond the coast. It all glittered.
"Mahalo nui, Alola," Giselle said with a nod to Cubone. He smiled up at her, and then went on their way.
Venturing down to the ground floor of the atrium, Giselle passed by Samson's office and poked her head in to say goodbye to him and Asuka. Cubone led the way as they went outside and traveled toward the exit of the campus, and there was a pair of students waiting just outside the archway for them. Two of her students specifically, Ilima and Mina.
"Hey, guys, what are you doing here?" Giselle asked as she drew closer to them.
"Perfect, we thought you might have left before we got back here," Ilima noted.
"You have to come with us!" Mina exclaimed as she grabbed Giselle by the hand.
"Whoa, slow down, is something wrong?" Giselle inquired and Mina shook her head.
"I was heading down to the beach after school to get in a few battles, and Mina here offered to join me," Ilima explained with a gesture to Mina. "While we were there, a foreign trainer showed up and I battled him. He was really strong!"
"Like, really strong!" Mina added and Giselle snorted. "You have to come see this guy in action!"
"Well, color me intrigued," Giselle said before she looked to Cubone. "Are you up for a battle?"
There was a glint in Cubone's eyes as he raised his club proudly. "Cu-bone!"
"Alright then, lead the way!"
It took roughly twenty minutes to get down to the beaches of Hau'oli City from the Pokemon School. Since it was early in the evening, there was quite a crowd of trainers, and many of them gathered in one spot to observe a battle. Giselle was willing to bet that this must have been the trainer Ilima and Mina were talking about.
Joining the crowd, the trio gradually worked their way to the front of it where they could get a proper view of the battle as it concluded. A Chimchar bounced on his toes, moving pretty well on the sand as he danced around a Yungoos. The order for a Fury Swipes triggered Chimchar's next movement as he dashed in at his opponent.
Yungoos spun in the sand, kicking up a cloud of it in the path that Chimchar approached from, but the fire Pokemon used his quick feet to sidestep the attack close the distance. At close range, Yungoos countered with Take Down to discourage Chimchar's attacks, but such a large and telegraphed attack was easily avoided by Chimchar. His assault didn't stop until Yungoos finally conceded the battle and collapsed to the ground.
Chimchar's trainer roared and Giselle finally looked at him. He tore off the t-shirt he wore and swung it wildly above his head to celebrate Chimchar's latest victory. Despite his theatrics, Giselle found herself staring at his fiery-colored afro. There was only one person she knew with a head of hair like that.
"Flint?"
Mahalo Nui - Thank You Very Much
A/N
Phew, I think this was my favorite chapter so far! I've said this before and I will say it again, I think Alola was the best region they've made to date. The more I write this story in particular, the more I appreciate this region. While I don't want to open pandora's box because I know Sun&Moon (games/anime) wasn't very well received, I still think this region was the best design by far. It feels more life-like, though maybe that's because I've been trying to do some more research on Hawaii. There's also a consistent theme in the locations, whereas prior regions had a few standout locations but everything didn't really fit together. But like I said, I could be biased too since I've done some of my homework on Alola and I haven't come close to that level of research on the other regions outside of Ecruteak City lol. I'm pretty sure I'm just rambling at this point so I'll stop there. I'll probably be taking a break from this story, for now, to focus on Fallout's conclusion and ultimately start prepping My Wings for its debut.
Thank you (Mahalo!) for your support, all the best to you guys!