One Chance
Chapter One
A Legend Returns
Almost 999 years later, it was a sun-shining day in Boliva Town, in the continent of Sero. It was a happy day for every sixth grader that attended Boliva Middle School. Well, everyone except the daughter of Professor Deliah Maple, Claire Maple. When the original professor of the town retired, his apprentice, Professor Maple, was put in charge. It was happy for her, but humiliating for Claire.
But just to make things worse, she was the only one in the whole town who didn't have their own pokemon yet. "Talk about ironic," Claire mumbled on her way to school.
"Hey, wait up, Tree!" called a voice. Claire rolled her eyes. It was Sandra, Claire's best friend. Sandra had nicknamed Claire 'Tree' in the fourth grade, hence Claire's last name. The nickname really bugged her, but Claire couldn't be rude to Sandra, because Sandra was Claire's only friend.
"Come on, Tree!" Sandra called. Claire had started walking faster so that Sandra couldn't catch up. "Tree!" she yelled after Claire. Claire started running, and then it was a high-speed chase to school.
Sandra caught up to Claire just before they entered the schoolyard. "I win!" Sandra said triumphantly.
"Yeah, I guess so," Claire mumbled. "Today's exams, right?" Sandra nodded. Claire smiled. "For every sixth grader that attends Boliva Middle School that doesn't have a pokemon, those people can take an exam and figure out what pokemon's good for them. If they take the Obtaining Exam, they can earn the pokemon they are born to have." Sandra rolled her eyes.
"That is the fourth time you've said that all this week, Tree. Will you please stop repeating your mother?" Claire blushed as the two entered their classroom. The bell rang and children came into the classroom and filled into their seats. Claire and Sandra took two seats in the front. The teacher, Ms. Lorie, stepped up to the head of the classroom.
"Good morning, class," Ms. Lorie said.
"Good morning, Ms. Lorie," the class chanted back with boredom.
"As you all may know," Ms. Lorie began, "your testing starts today. At the end of this week, Boliva Middle School hopes all of you eleven and twelve-year-olds to start your journey of pokemon training. But, there is a slight error. The first test on how much you know about pokemon history has a question about something that happened 999 years ago. Since you have not learned it yet, today we will learn about the Great Pokemon War, and this class, Pokemon History, will not start their testing until tomorrow."
The class groaned, but Claire happily took out her Pokemon History Book. "Ah," Ms. Lorie said. "See here, Ms. Maple has already taken out her book. I wish the rest of you would do the same." There was a short moment of book bags opening, students mumbling, and book hitting the surface of the desks.
"Are we ready?" the teacher asked. "Yes? Okay, then let's start. Class, please turn to page ninety-four. Liam, please read the top paragraph for us." A boy in the way back sighed and opened his book to the page.
"In the very beginning of pokemon time," Liam started without any enjoyment in his tone. "Pokemon and humans lived together happily. Unfortunately, in the year 2000, a new pokemon was born. This pokemon was the most powerful creature to ever walk the face of the planet. No one could stop this monster. This monster's name was Raichu." Claire's hand shot up.
"Yes, Claire?" Ms. Lorie called on Claire.
"Ms. Lorie, I do believe there is a typo in the book," Claire said. The rest of the class groaned. Whenever Claire had found a mistake in the book, Ms. Lorie would say "Yes, that's right, there is a mistake," and call on one of the students to go all away around the school, up to the principle's office and tell him about the mistake. Then that student and the principle would have to go all the way back down, down to the extra book room. Then the principle and that student would have to search through millions of book until they found a copy of the Pokemon History Book. Then that student would have to search for the page and let the principle see. The principle would agree and then the student would go back to the classroom, only to find that the class was over.
"Claire," Ms. Lorie said. Half the class covered their ears. The other half slid down to the ground. "Claire, there is no typo in the book." The class gasped. Claire was wrong!
"B-but, Ms. Lorie…" Claire stuttered. "Raichu was only discovered ten years ago, Ms. Lorie. That has to be a typo."
"But it is not, Claire," Ms. Lorie said. "Now, that is also a raised hand, so you will read the next paragraph." Claire felt like she was going to cry. It can't be Raichu, Claire thought. She took a deep breath.
"One pokemon trainer was up to the challenge of defeating Raichu and ridding the world from it. But, the trainer, also known as the Pokemon Master, was defeated every time. And every time, one of the Master's pokemon would die." Claire sighed and took another deep breath.
"Good, Sandra, please continue." Sandra rolled her eyes and looked down at the book.
"One night, on New Year's Eve, the Master stepped up to the plate and cornered Raichu. With his level two-hundred Growlithe, the Master sent his pokemon out to battle. But, just as the clock struck midnight, the Growlithe died with her master, and Raichu had disappeared. No, it was not defeated, but it was captured in time, and that monster was never seen from again."
"Good reading, Ms. Katru," Ms. Lorie said. "Now, I want you all to take out your History Journals and write down a one page essay about what happened nine hundred-ninety-nine years ago." The class groaned, even Claire. They took out their journals and started writing. So much for the History Exam, Claire thought.
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The bell rang again and Claire's class ran for Mr. Iyala's classroom. Claire and Sandra at the back of the group, they made it just before their Pokemon Language teacher closed the door on the students. "Ah, I'm glad to see that this class has one-hundred percent this morning," Mr. Iyala mumbled to himself.
"Mr. Iyala," Liam called out. "Will we be taking our Language Test today?" Mr. Iyala ignored Liam.
"Okay class, we will be taking our Language Test today, so clear the desk and pencils out. We will start with the written exam." There was a knock on the door. Mr. Iyala opened it up and gasped. "M-Mr. K-K-K-Ketch"- The class strained their necks to see who was at the door.
The girl who was next to the door gasped and shrieked "It's Ash!" All the girls except Claire got up out of their seats and ran to the door. Claire slapped her forehead.
"Stupid brother…" Claire mumbled. Ash Ketchum made his way through the crowd of girls and grinned at Claire.
"Hey, baby sister. What's new?" Ash asked. Claire felt humiliated that the famous Ash Ketchum was her step-brother.
"The fact that you need to get out of the room, stupid idiot big brother," Claire mumbled under her breath.
"Oh, Claire, didn't you know your older brother was going to be helping us in the test today?" Mr. Iyala said. Claire gasped.
"Oh! Please, Dragonite King, crappit, no!" Claire yelled. "Please, Ash, I have enough trouble with the test!" Claire started ranting and carrying on. Ash stepped back in confusion.
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"Okay, pencils down. The written part is over." It was a half hour until class was over. "Okay class, we will start the second half. Claire Maple, step up to the platform." Mr. Iyala held a pokeball in his hand. Claire got up and walked to the platform. "Claire, you will have to communicate with this Growlithe in this pokeball. Ready, go!" The Growlithe was released from the pokeball and hopped in front of Claire.
A device was rolled out in front of Claire. "Er…Growlithe… Growl gro lithe lithe grow growl gro," Claire said, but to the class, they heard "What do you know about what happened 999 years ago?" The device translated Pokemon language into English, that way the teacher could grade the student.
"I know plenty," the Growlithe said. "What about it would you like to know?"
"Er, what was the name of the pokemon that killed the Master and his Growlithe?" Claire asked.
"Oh," the Growlithe said. "It's name? That is yet to be confirmed. But, from diaries and journals that people from that era wrote down, the pokemon's name was Raibu."
"Aha!" Claire called out. "I knew it! It wasn't Rai"-
"But," the Growlithe interrupted. "You may have a chance to find out what its name really was. Other Growlithes were talking about it's reappearance a few days ago in the Pokemon Center. That's all I know. But, if you can, there is one pokemon that knows all about this pokemon. Unfortunately, this pokemon died in Raibu's final battle. No one knows what happens to lost pokemon. Some say they go to Poke-Heaven, others say they continue their lives as a new creature. That I also do not know. Search for her. If she did continue her life as a new pokemon, search for her as Growlie."
"Time's up!" Mr. Iyala called out. "Nice work, Claire. Sandra, you're up next."
