EPISODE 8 – 2.B.A MASTER OF POKEMON KNOWLEDGE! (PART 2)
INTRO: Team Heroes have made it to Powderstone School where one of the Pokémon Federation' Seminars will take place. They had arrived early in order to help Josh attend his virtual school using one of the library's study rooms and also register for their seminar in time. Team Champions had also made it to the school for the seminar, but Kassie needed to get her niece Heidy to her virtual school as well so she, Belen, and Heidy proceeded to go to the library quick and comeback in time for the session. Francis and Johnny bumped into Marcus and Kalel on their way to registration; Francis challenged Marcus to a Pokémon battle before the seminar to determine who is the strongest yet but it was cut short due to the time and the school's bells…
- School Bell Ringing - / - Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! –
"YIKES! It's 9 A.M. already, guys! We need to GO!" shouted Kalel.
"9 A.M.?! AAAHHH‼ We're going to be late‼" Everyone panicked and left the gymnasium in a rush.
-Panting- "It will be all of your fault if we don't make it in time, Francis!" remarked Marcus while running towards room 101.
"Oh yeah? I didn't force you to have a battle with me, Mr. perfect!" shouted Francis gasping for air while rushing to the seminar, "You just had to make it longer than usual by being such a hardhead and not letting your guard down! Seriously, my Markitty is way stronger than your Pokémon!"
"IT IS NOT!" yelled Marcus defensively, "We were about to obliterate you two with our strategy and moves! You must be delirious to think you could've have beaten my Perro-oh!" -Chuckle-
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" said Johnny and Kalel collectively.
"HUH?" Francis and Marcus stared back and got quiet.
-Running- "You both have your strengths and weaknesses so please just stop this bickering!" complained Johnny.
"I agree! Next time we will finish the battle and come with a conclusion as to who's better than who, but we need to get going, guys!" stated Kalel, while trying to be nice to both his brother and Francis.
"YEAH! YEAH! Whatevs…" said Marcus and Francis.
They all made it to room 101 where Kassie, Belen, and someone familiar were waiting by the door.
"THERE YOU ARE‼" shouted Kassie and Belen furiously, "WHERE WERE YOU GUYS?‼"
"Sorry…we're very sorry…" said the boys very apologetic.
"Boys will be boys! I guess nothing has changed since I saw you last, Francis and Johnny…"
"LOURDES! YOU'RE HERE!" said Francis and Johnny.
"COUSIN!" shouted Francis delighted to see her thirty something cousin; they hugged. His cousin was as tall as him with a pear body type, beautiful hazel eyes, shiny long wavy light brown hair held by a floral scarf bandana. Lourdes was wearing a fitted 2-piece ankle length red pant suit, a white blouse, pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, a diamond wedding ring, a red AirWatch on her left wrist, and white pumps; she was carrying in her arms a white leather executive zippered padfolio portfolio with a Pokémon Federation PokePAD.
"UH? Who is this…" wondered Marcus and Kalel.
-Telepathically- "She is Francis' cousin! And she is also the Pokémon Federation's secretary!"
"WHAT? WHO SAID THAT?!" all the boys freaked out; they began to scan their surrounding areas when they finally noticed a Pokémon hiding behind Lourdes; "That Pokémon spoke! In our minds!"
"Of course! Let me introduce you to my Pokémon partner, guys; say hello to Aetheris!" Lourdes turned around, got behind her Pokémon, and gave it a little push, "Don't be shy! I don't know why you're timid when you already know their auras! They're all DIVINE!"
"I just needed to be one hundred percent sure they possess no threat to us. That is all." replied Aetheris to Lourdes telepathically; then it proceeded to wave hello to the boys.
"Impressive! You are an Aetheris then!" admired Kalel; he wondered how it is able to levitate and also speak telepathically; "I suppose you are a Psychic-type Pokémon?"
"You are correct human." said Aetheris.
"WOW! We can all hear it talk in our minds!" Kalel was very amused; they all were.
"Groovy! I wanna see what kind of Pokémon it is. Let's see…" Johnny took out his smartphone, PokeDEX App ON, and pointed the camera towards Aetheris.
[POKEDEX:
- NO DATA - - - NO DATA -]
"WHAT?!" Team Heroes and Team Champions got confused and extremely concerned; "What's wrong with the PokeDEX?"
"Oops! Forgot to mention, my Pokémon partner and its kind have been recently discovered by the Pokémon Ranger Union, about three months ago, so I don't think its data has been added and updated to the PokeDEX yet…my oldest was actually there during the discovery and befriended this Aetheris you see here, but as soon as WE both met, we became instant BFF's! Aetheris has been by my side since then! SO DIVINE!" revealed Lourdes.
"That's AWESOME! How you two met!" Francis and his team were fascinated. Marcus and his team were too, analyzing the Pokémon in depth with his stare.
"That's one of the reasons I need to go to the Pokémon Lab, talk to Professor Pine, and introduce her to Aetheris…the thing is, I have been swamped with work lately, especially now that the Federation has created a new type of league…oh yeah, the team league where teams are competing against each other for the opportunities of a lifetime that the Federation will offer to the winners of this new league!" expressed Lourdes eloquently.
-Whispering- "I just remember that my cousin likes to talk…" recalled Francis and told the group.
-Whispering- "We hear you…your cousin is very vocal…" the Peace looked back at Lourdes, locked eyes with her, and continued to listen to her, {"Oh-no…what did we do that…"}
"Lourdes, dear…We don't have time to chat. The professor is waiting with the attendance list and also waiting for all of us..." said Aetheris after noticing everyone's aggravation.
-Checking her AirWatch- "GOSH! The time!" expressed Lourdes, "We have to get started!"
"Of course! The seminar already started, right?" said Francis.
"Of course not! See, our cousin was very generous and kind to wait for all of US! I had to explained to her that my team had registered, but two members were missing...and then Belen's team want to attend this seminar except that the rest of her team was also missing!" reproached Kassie to the boys.
"YEAH! Lourdes asked Aetheris to keep the professor busy with a fake conference call from the Pokémon Federation using its Psychic powers until all of you appear!" remarked Belen in a disapproving tone.
"You did that for us, Lourdes? Aetheris?" asked Francis softly; the other boys looked at them humbly.
"It's not a big deal!" said Lourdes and Aetheris in conjunction, "When Kassie and Belen came back from the library, they asked me if you, Francis, had signed the team for the seminar, which I said no because I haven't' seen you at all, so they got super worried as both their teams were absent. I thought to myself what a wonderful thing for my young cousins to participate in the most amazing and adventurous league there is in order to become Pokémon masters…so why not help them get started just this once until all of them get their minds together and take it very seriously…" explained and smiled Lourdes.
-Blushing- "We're very sorry…" apologized both teams.
"It's fine! You all are still young and learning! BUT you better make sure you're on time from now on so you don't miss out on big opportunities of a lifetime!" reprimanded Lourdes.
"The professor is approaching, Lourdes!" said Aetheris.
-Opening the door- "Lourdes! Aetheris! My conference call has ended. You can let the students and trainers in so we can begin with the seminar, please!" said the professor.
"Understood professor!"
[Powderstone Town/Powderstone School/Room 101/Tuesday 9:30 A.M.]
"OKAY, TIME TO BE ALL PROFESSIONAL!" said Lourdes and then activated the PokePAD from her portfolio. "I am the Pokémon Federation's Executive Assistant, Lourdes d' Brians! Nice to meet you all!"
"YOU ARE?!" Team Heroes and Team Champions were appalled.
"I am in charge of keeping the Team League participating teams' records and oversee their trajectories while they make it to the championships! It's wonderful but demanding; I honestly love my job!" explained Lourdes.
Francis and Kassie were still impressed by Lourdes; "Agreed! It's a neat gig, cousin!"
"My job also comprises of going to each seminar, take attendance, assist the professors with the seminars, which I had to learn them all by the way, provide the official exams, grade them, and finally reward the teams with their diplomas virtually! I'm busy all the time!" -Forced Giggle- "If it wasn't for my Pokémon partner that helps me very much, I would be working 24/7!" expressed Lourdes.
"That's DOPE! You are amazing, cousin!" cheered Francis.
"True! You are incredible, Lourdes!" The Mezza commented.
"BACK TO BUSINESS!" said Lourdes, "Let me scan your PokeDEX, guys, so I can register all of you for this seminar! Let's hurry!"
"RIGHT!" Team Heroes got their phones out and activated their PokeDEX APP.
"Good!" Lourdes scanned Team Heroes' PokeDEX and collected their data; "DONE! You are registered and enrolled!"
"YEY! WE ARE IN!" Team Heroes were happy with themselves.
"We already enrolled, Mrs. Brians. We were just late thanks to Francis!" expressed Marcus.
-Looking around- "I guess only two teams will be attending the seminar today…oh well!" said Lourdes, "C'mon, let's get inside! The professor must be eager to get started since we are already behind schedule!"
Lourdes, Team Heroes, and Team Champions entered the room. Team Champions rushed to the front student desks and sat next to each other, while Team Heroes sat behind them. Six students from the school joined the seminar as any student from the school is allowed to attend the seminars to learn and take notes on Pokémon Mastery.
"WELCOME EVERYONE!" said a middle-aged woman standing in front of the classroom along with her Pokémon partner; they had been waiting for all the trainers and students interested in the seminar to show up so she can finally start her class, "My name is Professor Dara Brians; I am a biology teacher at this prestigious school, but I am also an expert on Pokémon biology. I have been assigned to teach the very first seminar prepared by the Pokémon Federation for the teams participating in this year's Team League and I am very honored to do so!" smiled Pr. Brians.
Everyone on the classroom applauded and cheered.
"Could the participating teams stand up and introduce themselves, please?" asked Pr. Brians.
"EH?!" everyone got startled and shy, except Marcus...
Marcus stood up confidently and proudly said, "HELLO! My name is Marcus Peace and I am the leader of TEAM CHAMPIONS!"
"Ugh! What a showoff!" murmured Francis to his peers.
"HI! I am Kassie King and I am part of Team Champions!" -Wink-
"Hello everyone! My name is Kalel Peace and I also belong to Team Champions!"
"Nice to meet you, Team Champions!" said Pr. Brians, "I hope to see and hear excellent things from you in the future!"
"YOU WILL, PROF…" affirmed Marcus, but…
"You will also hear and see very excellent things from us, Professor!" interrupted Francis.
"UH? And who might you be, young man?"
"I am Francis King! I am the leader of Team Heroes! The League's champions, for sure!"
"Ah! You really possess confidence and passion! I can see it in your eyes!" commented the Professor.
"Pft! As if! He hasn't achieved anything even with that confidence and passion!" murmured Marcus to his peers.
"So, Mr. King, who are the rest of your team?" asked the professor.
"That would be us!" said Belen and Johnny; they stood up in front of the class, "I am Belen Mezza and I am part of Team Heroes."
"I am also part of Team Heroes, professor, and my name is Johnny Mezza!"
"Nice to meet you, Team Heroes! With a leader like yours, I am certain I will see and hear excellent things from you!" expressed the professor, "Let's give these two teams a round of applause, everyone!" -Applauding-
The students, Lourdes, and the Pokémon followed suit. -Applauding-
"ALRIGHTY! NEXT! Mrs. Lourdes, deliver the Pokémon Federation Seminar Textbooks to the participating teams, please…" said the professor, "Those books are yours to keep! They contain all the lessons taught at each of the seminars and needed to graduate from Pokémon school. All of these lessons must be learned by you teams in order to be able to participate in the Team League. After all, the Pokémon Federation wants bright, ambitious, and well-prepared Pokémon masters, not just average Pokémon trainers!"
"These books are amazing!" remarked Kalel and Belen.
"There's so much information in here…very interesting…" commented Marcus.
"Those books also serve as notebooks/journals in which you can take and keep notes, teams..." explained the professor.
"Thank goodness! I forgot to bring a notebook with me!" said Francis relieved.
"Me too! I also don't have a pen, do you, Francis?" asked Johnny shamelessly.
"I…I don't think I do…" said Francis while searching his backpack.
"HERE, you two!" said Belen and handed pens to Francis and Johnny, "Be glad that I picked these up at the library beforehand!"
"Thanks Belen!"
"ALRIGHTY! If you guys are done looking at the textbooks, let's begin the seminar!" conducted the professor, "So, if you open your textbooks, pages two and three ask about your information and there is an index and introductory paragraph…let's skip those as you can take a look and fill those pages in your own time. Turn to pages four and five! Lesson One of the Pokémon Federation Scholarly Program: POKEMON KNOWLEDGE!" guided Pr. Brians.
"Wow…Pokémon Knowledge…" the teams were reading along and following the professor's guidance while the students listened and took notes.
"First of all, who can tell me what are Pokémon?" asked the professor.
"UH? What are Pokémon?" everyone was confused, except Marcus; he raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Marcus! Tell the class, please!" said Pr. Brians.
-Standing Up- "Pokémon are extremely special and unique creatures which inhabit our world and other worlds since the foundation of mankind. Pokémon can be wild, domestic, or both. As of today, there are more than 800 species of Pokémon in the universe with many still undiscovered by humans. They can be companions, assistants, or/and battle partners who can either be used for good or for evil. Each Pokémon is different possessing individual abilities and traits which help them survive and evolve; these abilities and traits also help trainers like US identify them apart from others of their own kind or class. Thanks!" explained Marcus proudly and then sat down.
{"Of course, I knew that…"} thought Francis.
"That was excellent! Thank you, Mr. Marcus!" said the professor.
"I did not know all that! Pokémon are groovy, for sure!" expressed Johnny.
"Indeed, they are!" said Belen.
"Eh? You didn't know, Johnny?" asked Francis.
-Eavesdropping- "Uh huh, I am not surprised…coming from Francis' team…clueless as always!" said Marcus arrogantly and then chuckled.
"What'd you say?" replied Johnny offended.
"That's not nice!" remarked Belen.
"QUIET, EVERYONE!" yelled the professor, "We are here to learn, so pay attention!"
"YES, MA'AM!" everyone got quiet.
"Alrighty…now, who can tell me how can a trainer catch a Pokémon?" asked the professor, "I see Mr. Kalel, you have raised your hand so please tell us…"
"A trainer can catch a Pokémon after it has battled and weakened the Pokémon," said Kalel.
"Good job! And how is a trainer able to catch a Pokémon, Kalel?"
"Using a pokeball!"
"Correct! A trainer is only capable of catching a Pokémon using a pokeball!" explained the professor, "Later on as you continue learning and traveling, you are going to discover that there is not only one type of pokeball but twenty-seven types of pokeball which have unique uses, special effects, and capabilities…"
"That's amazing! 27 Pokeballs!" everyone was intrigued and some were taking notes.
"Now, who can tell me how many Pokémon are trainers allowed to keep with them at all times?"
"I know the answer, professor!" exclaimed Kassie while raising her hand.
"Sure! How many, Mrs. Kassie?"
"A trainer is allowed to have six Pokémon at all times!" answered Kassie.
"Indeed! Only six, but how many Pokémon are trainers allowed to catch?" asked the professor, "how about Mr. Johnny answers this one, please…"
"UH? ME?!" Johnny got jittery; he doesn't like being put on the spot.
"Yes, Mr. Johnny, you…"
"YES, professor…how many are trainers allowed to catch…um…I think a hundred or so?" said Johnny nervously.
"100? Bahahaha!" laughed Marcus and some students did too. Johnny got embarrassed.
"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH, EVERYONE!" yelled the professor, "we are all here to learn and not to judge! He is not wrong but not quite right either…thanks, Mr. Johnny. You can take a seat."
"Yes, professor…" Johnny sat down bashfully.
"There's no limit as for how many Pokémon a trainer can catch," explained the professor "But a trainer has to take into account as to where these Pokémon can be stored or left at so they can live appropriately and happily! A trainer's dream, of course, is to be able to catch one of each Pokémon species there are in the whole universe, but the task itself requires time, hard work, and enthusiasm! Is anybody here ambitious enough to catch them all?"
-Standing Up- "I AM!" shouted Marcus.
Everyone looked at Marcus; some were impressed and some were annoyed, like Francis…
"After my team and I become the Team League champions, I will become the first trainer in Pokémon history to catch them all! I will catch all Pokémon; that's one of my goals!" expressed Marcus heartfully and proudly.
"WRONG!" yelled Francis.
"HUH?" Everyone was intrigued.
-Standing Up- "I will become the first trainer in the universe to catch them all!" claimed Francis passionately and looked sharply at Marcus.
"IN YOUR DREAMS, NERD!" yelled Marcus enraged that Francis cut him off and was trying to steal his spotlight, "you haven't even caught a Pokémon yet! You are all talk, no show!"
"WHAT'D YOU SAY, PUNK?!" Francis was getting angry.
"ALRIGHT-ALRIGHT‼" shouted the professor and intervened, "ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU! SIT DOWN AND LET ME CONTINUE THE SEMINAR WITHOUT INTERRUPTIONS LIKE THESE! PLEASE!"
-Ashamed- "Yes…professor…sorry…" Marcus and Francis sat down.
"Alrighty…let's continue, shall we?" declared the professor, "SO, who can tell me what other fundamental tool is needed, besides a pokeball, to catch Pokémon? Umm, how about you Mrs. Belen?"
"ME? OKAY…" replied Belen, "Besides a pokeball, I think…I think a PokeDEX is a tool needed to catch and understand Pokémon, professor..."
"Good job, Mrs. Belen!" continued the professor, "The PokeDEX is a digital catalog that contains all the information about every Pokémon in the universe but is limited to the information found in its database; that means if one of you come across a newly discovered Pokémon before its data has been added to the PokeDEX, then you won't be able to get any info from the PokeDEX at all. The PokeDEX does help trainers, students, researchers, and many other people understand and learn much about Pokémon whose data is in the PokeDEX' database. Are you all following, me?"
"Yes, professor!" replied everyone while paying attention.
"Now, the person in charge of the PokeDEX, its software, and its database…who could that be? Anyone?" asked the professor.
"It's Professor Pine, isn't it?!" thought Francis out loud.
"Did you say Professor Pine, Mr. Francis?" asked the professor.
"UH?!" Francis realized he had spoken out loud, "Um…yes professor…I believe Professor Pine, who is the Pokémon Professor of Fhranisa, is in charge of the PokeDEX and its databases…"
"Indeed! Every region in the world is led by a Pokémon Professor, whose functions and expertise vary region from region, but it is responsible for the PokeDEX and every aspect that follows with it!" explained Pr. Brians.
"Amazing!" Everyone was receptive and eager to learn more, "This is a great seminar so far…"
"Since we are talking about the PokeDEX, let me show you one…" continued the professor and then reached in her lab coat's right pocket and retrieved the latest PokeDEX, "Here it is! This is a PokeDEX!"
All the students stood up and got close to the front of the classroom in order to take a look, study, and appreciate the PokeDEX…
"Nowadays, only Pokémon specialists, like myself, get an actual PokeDEX device to use it in our area of expertise or for any Pokémon research instead of going thru our smartphones every single time we need it. This compact and reliable PokeDEX can be attached to any magnetic surfaces and detect any Pokémon or Pokémon activity in a 5-mile radius" explained the professor, "So, Pokémon trainers like some of you have the PokeDEX APP, created by the Pokémon Federation and Pr. Pine, which is also reliable, fast, and convenient in this time and age where most people possess a smartphone…" the professor paused, looked at the class, and signaled to them to get their smartphones.
Everyone was listening to the professor, who is actually knowledgeable and easy to understand; only the Pokémon Teams took out their smartphones…
"Alrighty, for those who didn't know, the only way to activate the PokeDEX APP once you have registered as a trainer, is to enter a special twelve number code. Most trainers get this code when they go and get their Pokémon starter from the Pokémon Professor, Pr. Pine, and become Pokémon trainers, or in this case, Pokémon teams...does everyone follow?"
"YES, PROFESSOR!"
"Excellent! Now, let's all use it…" directed the professor and then grabbed her Pokémon's attention, "please friend, stand in front of the class so we can all use the PokeDEX on you, my dear…"
Pr. Brians' Pokémon understood and complied, "FLO! FLO! SUNFLORSSS!"
"ALRIGHTY, Pokémon Teams! Go into your PokeDEX APP and use it on this Pokémon, please!"
"YES, PROFESSOR!" The teams activated their PokeDEX APP and pointed their phone's cameras to the professor's Pokémon companion.
[POKEDEX:
027. Sunflores – The Sunflower Duo Pokémon. [FAIRY – PSYCHIC]
"Sunflores is the evolved form of Girasun. Sunflores may look like two flowers attached to each other thus giving the impression that they may be a Grass type Pokémon, but due to their two brains and levitating abilities, they are actually a Fairy and Psychic type. Sunflores love flower fields and meadows where they make their permanent home; they rarely leave their birthing places as these possess the best conditions for them and their evolutions to thrive. Most people don't notice these Pokémon as they blend well with their flowering surroundings. It is known that Sunflores are only active during the day; when night arrives, they all close their petals and buds and go into sleep mode."
POSSIBLE ATTACKS: Dazzling Gleam/Psybeam/Solar Beam/Misty Terrain]
"WOW! A Fairy-Psychic type Pokémon!" The teams were fascinated by Sunflores, Pr. Brians' Pokémon.
"ALRIGHTY! Thank you, my friend! You can come back now by my side so we can continue with the lesson!" said the professor.
"SUN! SUN! FLOOORESSS!" smiled Sunflores and levitated towards its trainer.
"OKAY, before we proceed to the reading part of this seminar, I want to talk about Pokémon starters…" said the professor.
Everyone got quiet and listened…
"SO, who can tell me what are the types of Fhranisa's three Pokémon starters?" asked Pr. Brians, "Bonus points if you can tell me their names!" The professor surveyed the room for volunteers; she spotted the raised hand of one of her students, "Yes, Mrs. Elina?"
"That's easy! They are Grass type, Fire type, and Water type Pokémon!" answered the student cheerfully.
"CORRECT! And what are their names? HUH?!" paused the professor and noticed Team Heroes' pokeballs glow; the Pokémon came out.
"MAR! MEOW! MAR! MEOW‼" greeted Markitty, Francis' Pokémon.
"CHICKLEAF! CHICK! CHICK! CHICK‼" greeted Chickleaf, Belen's Pokémon.
"RODE! RODEMART! RODE! RODEMART‼" greeted Rodemart, Johnny's Pokémon.
"MY, OH MY!" said the professor surprised and joyful.
"DIVINE! VERY DIVINE!" said Lourdes after witnessing Team Heroes' Pokémon.
Everyone in the classroom was happy and amazed to see the three starters, except for Marcus…
"They got lucky because they just became Pokémon trainers!" shouted and gloated Marcus, "I, in the other hand, have had a starter and have caught Pokémon with my own hands already!"
"SO, Team Heroes have the three Pokémon starters given by Pr. Pine to new Pokémon trainers, everyone! And they are the Grass type Chickleaf, the Fire type Rodemart, and the Water type Markitty!" said the professor while analyzing the three starters; Chickleaf, Rodemart, and Markitty were smiling and greeting everyone around them as if they were stars of a show.
"Alrighty! So, Grass, Fire, and Water are the first types of Pokémon a rookie trainer might have contact with for the very first time..." explained Pr. Brians, "Now, let's take a ten-minute break before we proceed to the reading section of the seminar…this is a good time to go use the restrooms, stretch and walk around for a couple of minutes, or socialize with your peers and their Pokémon!" Pr. Brians sat down at her desk which is next to Lourdes' and they began talking to each other.
Ten minutes later…
"Alright, everyone! Get back to your seats so we can resume the seminar…" directed Pr. Brians and grabbed a textbook from her desk, "We will now begin the reading section of this seminar; please teams, grab your textbooks and turn to page six…for those who don't have the Team League Textbook, or TLT, you can follow by looking at the board; the reading material will be projected once we start…"
Lourdes finished setting up the projector and turned it on; she moved back to her desk and displayed the reading material using her laptop and the reading material became available for the students joining the seminar to read along.
"Let's begin! Title says, "POKEMON AND THEIR TYPES" Could you please read that, Mrs. Belen?" asked the professor while staring at Belen.
"YES, PROFESSOR!" Belen stood up and began reading, "Pokémon and their Types: Pokémon are mystifying and incredible creatures that inhabit various locations around our beautiful world and universe. These locations may be grass fields, forests and jungles, seas and rivers, caves and mines, and in some cases towns. Pokémon that inhabit towns are mostly domesticated Pokémon or Pokémon belonging to Pokémon trainers who live in those towns. According to their surroundings and nature, the Pokémon found in these locations are then classified by types: Grass Pokémon live in grass, Water Pokémon live in the water, Fire Pokémon live in or around volcanoes or caves, and so on…"
"That's enough, Mrs. Belen! Thank you!" said the professor, "Could you please continue, Mr. Johnny?"
"ME?! o.k., profe…" Johnny nervously stood up and began reading, "Pokémon types are extremely important when it comes to Pokémon battles. Knowing the Pokémon types and also their battle, special, and healing moves are fundamental in order to succeed and win a battle, especially when facing a challenger or many opponents. For example: Chickleaf is a Grass type Pokémon that uses grass type moves. Assuming that Razor Leaf, a grass type attack, scores a normal hit, it will deal great damage to Markitty, which is a Water type Pokémon; the same attack will deal double the damage to a Rotagilla, which is a Water and Ground type Pokémon. Critical Hits would earn the trainer an additional times two bonuses, meaning that the attack was doubled and its damage was multiplied. Knowing Pokémon types and their moves' types is the greatest weapon in a Pokémon trainer's arsenal…"
"Good job, Mr. Johnny! NOW, does anyone have any questions so far?" wondered the professor.
Everyone was quiet and looked around at each other waiting to see if any questions arise. No one asked anything; the professor continued.
"Could you continue reading that paragraph, Mr. Francis?"
"SURE!" Francis stood up and gladly continue the reading, "If you, as a trainer, use the right attacks to exploit a Pokémon's weaknesses, even your opponent's highest-level Pokémon won't last more than a few turns. Much of it is common sense: Fire melts Ice, for example, while Water douses Fire; Grass absorbs Water, while Poison harms Grass. Other type relations are more complicated so refer to this book or your PokeDEX often in order to learn more about Pokémon types, moves, and stats."
"Thank you, Mr. Francis!" expressed the professor, "All of the teams and some students will have the opportunity to learn more about Pokémon battles on the next seminar or lesson two of the Pokémon Federation Scholarly Program: Pokémon Battles, which is given by Professor Peace!"
"MY COUSIN-IN-LAW, EVERYONE!" yelled Marcus, who was proud of his relative being a professor. Everyone looked impressed, except Francis who looked annoyed.
"Yes, Mr. Marcus! Your cousin-in-law is very talented when it comes to Pokémon battles!" commented Pr. Brians, "Since you took the floor Mr. Marcus, why don't you read the next chapter: POKEMON TRAINER'S PATH?"
"IT WILL BE A PLEASURE, PROFESSOR!" Marcus stood up, inhaled deeply, and then began reading eloquently, "POKEMON TRAINER'S PATH: Your career as a Pokémon trainer begins when you choose your very first Pokémon. The Pokémon you select will be the foundation of your Pokémon team which will constantly grow and change as you catch and collect more Pokémon. The starter is the only Pokémon that will be given to you ever, unless someone like a relative or a close friend gift you a Pokémon. You, as a Pokémon trainer, must earn all other Pokémon by capturing them in the wild, trading them with friends, or hatching them from carefully bred Pokémon eggs! The more Pokémon you gather, the more options you will have when assembling your Pokémon team consisting of your six favorite or strongest Pokémon. Having a really powerful and diverse Pokémon team will help you achieve many goals and aspirations, such as: protecting the world and your loved ones, challenging the Pokémon Federation or the Champion, becoming close to the Pokemon and habitats, or growing as a trainer and as an individual by battling your friends and their Pokémon teams!"
"Excellent work, Mr. Marcus!" said the professor, "Now let's all turn to the next page and read the last part of the seminar. We are on page nine now, and it's about "COMPLETING THE POKEDEX", so…would Mrs. Kassie read this part of the lesson, please?"
"YES, PROFESSOR!" Kassie stood up elegantly, and after taking a deep breath, she read, "Completing the PokeDEX: Every time you encounter a Pokémon, whether familiar or alien, its information will be identified and saved in a digital catalogue known as the PokeDEX. One of a trainer's job is to discover every Pokémon out there in the universe and try to catch it. As a skilled trainer with a roster of powerful Pokémon, you have the duty to use that power to protect your homeland, the living beings in it, and become a Pokémon Master…"
"That's enough, Mrs. Kassie, thank you…" interrupted the professor, and then she said, "How about you, Mr. Kalel, wrap this up for us today?"
"YES, PROFESSOR!" said Kalel and followed the professor's instructions, he read, "One of the ultimate goals of a trainer is to become the Pokémon League Champion; in order to accomplish so, you will need to train extremely hard and routinely, prove your skills by earning all the eight badges from all the Fhranisa Pokémon Gyms, and lastly defeat your stronger adversaries in the process. If you want to be part of the Pokémon Federation's Elite Teams, you will also have to earn all of the seven diplomas from the Pokémon Federation Scholarly Program Seminars and have recorded the data of at least 150 Pokémon in your PokeDEX to prove your observation skills. Only then, you will have earned the right to compete in the Team League and challenge Fhranisa's top Pokémon Masters and Leaders: The Pokémon Federation's Directors and also the Pokémon University's Deans" finished Kalel reading.
"Excellent job, Mr. Kalel! Thanks for reading that for us." Expressed the professor with a smile on her face.
- School Bell Ringing - / - Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! –
"MY, OH MY!" exclaimed Pr. Brians, "Second and third periods are over for the school and for us, the Pokémon Knowledge Seminar, everyone! We are done!"
Everyone looked around, looked fulfilled, and then gathered their things…
"Alrighty! Pokémon Teams, you have one hour recess and then you have to come back to this room to take the ten questions exam required by the Pokémon Federation…" explained the professor, "And remember that you have to get at least a B and above in order to continue and be able to attend the second seminar or lesson two of the Pokémon Federation Scholarly Program! So, you better review your notes, study, and help each other as a team get the best results!" concluded Pr. Brians, walked to her desk, and sat for a moment by Lourdes' side to go through the lesson's curriculum in order to regulate the exam's questions and the grading.
[Powderstone Town/Powderstone School/Room 101/Tuesday 11 A.M.]
"Now what, mates?" wondered Johnny as he gathered his textbook and things.
"I'm not sure…" replied Francis excited to have learned so much yet confused about how to process all the information.
"This seminar has been very educational, don't you think?" commented Belen as she was looking thru her notes and trying to learn the material well…
"LET'S GO TO THE CAFETERIA TEAM!" shouted Marcus to his team, "We will go through our notes, debate, exchange ideas, and eat a quick lunch. Sounds like a plan?"
The rest of Team Champions nodded and agreed, "The seminar gave us good topics to debate about, didn't it?" expressed Kassie all ready to go.
"I took a lot of notes that will benefit our study session, big brother!" declared Kalel.
"Do you have a plan, nerd?!" asked Marcus boastfully; he was familiar with Francis' school antics.
"OF COURSE, I DO!" Francis raised his head high, "BUT we really don't need a plan because we are always ready and we are also smarter than you‼"
"AS IF!" Marcus doubted Francis' insight, "BUT since you are SOOO certain of yourselves…" teased Marcus, "I suppose you really don't need to study, do you?"
"UH? Well…I…" Francis paused and thought for a moment.
"YOU just said that you guys are smarter than US, didn't you?"
"I…I…YES, I DID! SO WHAT?" Francis was getting irritated.
"PROVE IT!" dared Marcus.
"EH? How?" wondered Francis, but he wasn't going to let Marcus have it.
"Leave your textbooks and your notes here in the classroom all of recess!" proposed Marcus, "Just go to the cafeteria and enjoy lunch…"
Francis was doubting himself, but he wouldn't back down, "Go to the cafeteria, umm?"
"YEAH, NERD!" continued Marcus, "We will be there all of recess doing our own thing…I just want to make sure you keep your word, Francis. What'd you say? Are you smarter than ME?"
"I AM smarter than you, Marcus! I will prove it!" stated Francis confidently.
"AH! Well…I guess we will see who eventually passes and who doesn't" claimed Marcus, "The exams' grades will decide who really is smarter than who, dork!" -Chuckle-
"I GUESS WE WILL SEE!" replied Francis resolved.
"LET'S GO TEAM!" continued Marcus, "We have stuff to do and I honestly don't have more time or energy for Francis! He already made me tardy for this seminar, so I won't give him the opportunity to sabotage my study time as well!" Marcus left the room; Kalel followed suit.
"See you around, guys!" Kassie smiled and approached her brother, "Don't let Marcus get to you, Francis…just study and do your best!" suggested Kassie.
"I know, K.K!" expressed Francis a bit frustrated and stressed, "But I won't let Marcus ridicule me time after time! We will see you at the cafeteria!"
"OKAY, Francis! I hope you know what you're doing!" said Kassie and left the room.
"Later, Kassie!" said the Mezza siblings.
…
"ARR! I don't like him! Marcus GETS ON MY NERVES‼" Francis got agitated by Marcus' attitude.
"CALM DOWN, bro!" said Johnny while patting Francis on the back.
"He's right, Francis! You need to calm down and focus on the important things here…like studying and passing the exam!" Belen begged of Francis to stay, study, and use their time wisely.
"What's the plan, mates? Are we really not going to study?" asked Johnny.
Francis gazed at his smartphone and the time, "I…I have to keep my words! We are smarter than Marcus and his team!"
"Yeah, but…" the Mezza siblings seemed insecure.
"It will be fine! I know you, Belen, will get a good grade and pass!" determined Francis, "While Johnny and I will do fine as long as we do our best! We will all get better grades than Team Champions! I am sure‼"
"If that's how you feel Francis…" the Mezza seemed pessimistic, but nothing was going to change their leader's mind, "We will follow your plan…"
"That's the spirit! Now, let's go to the cafeteria, enjoy a nice lunch, and relax before the exam!"
Francis left his textbook, notes, and school supplies behind as he said he would; his team followed suit. Then, they all went to the cafeteria where they spotted Marcus and his team sitting at a table together eating, studying, and taking notes. Marcus noticed Team Heroes and arrogantly waved at them with a smirk on his face. Kassie and Kalel waved hello as well, but continued studying. Johnny and Belen were a bit discouraged yet they wanted to support Francis one hundred percent. They all sat two tables away from Team Champions and began to eat lunch. Marcus never stopped observing Francis and his team while he was doing his own thing; Francis also never stopped looking at what Marcus was doing while pretending to have a great time…recess passed and it was time to go back and take the exam…
- School Bell Ringing - / - Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong! –
[Powderstone Town/Powderstone School/Room 101/Tuesday Noon]
"WELCOME BACK, class!" said Professor Brians, "Hope you all had a nice break and reviewed the material we learned at this seminar!"
Everyone was sitting at their respective desks, but only the teams were awaiting to take the exam.
"NOW, could you please hand the exams, Mrs. Lourdes?" asked the professor.
"YES, PROFESSOR!" Lourdes walked around the classroom handing the exams to the participating teams only, while the students who had joined the seminar were allowed to stay but needed to remain quiet during the exam.
"ALRIGHTY! You have thirty minutes to complete the exam…" explained the professor, "May I remind you all that you must get a B and above in this exam in order to be able to attend the second seminar; failure to do so, don't panic!"
Everyone paid attention and looked at the professor a bit nervously.
"If you fail the exam, you are allowed to retake it before night school starts!" continued the professor, "It will be held here at this same classroom at 6:00 P.M. sharp! Otherwise, you can retake it on Thursday either at noon or at six in the afternoon…if any of you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask either me or Mrs. Lourdes. We are here to help you after all!"
-Looking at her AirWatch- "You may start, teams!" said Lourdes, "You have thirty minutes to complete the exam starting now!"
Team Champions began filling their exams right away while Team Heroes took their time and seemed confused. The classroom got quiet, the students were reading some Pokémon books, the professor was checking stuff on her laptop while Lourdes surveyed and walked around the classroom making sure nobody cheats. Belen knew the stuff that was asked in the exam, while Francis and Johnny were having difficulty remembering the material…
"Number three…da-da-da-da-da…okay, I know the answer to this one as well…" murmured Belen while filling out the answer to a question in the exam.
"I am sure that's the answer!" murmured Francis to himself, "I already have answered half the exam so I'm sure I can handle the rest…"
"I am not sure what to write…I know this stuff but how do I explain it?" whispered Johnny while reading all the questions of the exam, "Let's read all the questions again and start with the easy ones…"
SEMINAR #1) POKEMON KNOWLEDGE!
Name:_
Date:_
Team:_
1) What are Pokémon? (Explain what are Pokémon in your own words in a paragraph up to five sentences, please)
2) How many Pokémon have been discovered in the universe? (Give an approximate number if the exact number is unknown to you)
3) What item is used to catch a Pokémon? And how many varieties exist out there?
4) As a trainer, how many Pokémon are you allowed to carry at all times? And how many Pokémon are you allowed to catch?
5) What is a PokeDEX?
6) Who is the person responsible of handing out the PokeDEX? (Bonus point: What is the name of that person in charge of the Fhranisa Region?)
7) What are the types of Fhranisa's Pokémon starters? (Bonus point: What are the names of those Pokémon starters?)
8) Give one example each of Pokémon types that are effective or super effective against: Grass, Fire, and Water.
9) Give one example each of Pokémon types that are not effective or cause no damage against: Electric, Ice, and Flying.
10) In your own words, what is an adequate Pokémon trainer's path?
Bonus question: What type(s) is the Pokémon Sunflores?
-Tick-tick! Tick-tick! Tick-tick!- / -Clock timer going off-
"ALRIGHTY, TEAMS!" shouted the professor, "STOP! Put your pens or pencils down, please!"
Both teams stopped writing and followed the professor's orders…
"Mrs. Lourdes, could you please collect the exams?" said Pr. Brians.
"Yes, ma'am!" replied Lourdes and then proceeded to collect the exams from both teams.
"Thanks, dear!" continued the professor, "OKAY, EVERYONE! Seminar one is over and done…you can all leave the classroom and the premises if you don't have any classes to attend for the day or any appointments with the staff…"
The students got up, waved farewell to the professor and Lourdes, and left the classroom; Team Heroes and Team Champions were waiting for further instructions…
"For the teams participating in the Team League…" explained Pr. Brians, "You will have your exam's score posted online! You can get your score and diploma thru your PokeDEX once Mrs. Lourdes and I finished grading all the exams!"
Both teams were paying attention and also looking at each other…
"If you get a B or better, your score will say "Knowledge Diploma Earned" and then your grade will be next to it…" disclosed the professor, "And for those who get lower than a B…well, your score will say "Unsatisfactory/Please Retake" and you already know the rest…"
Both teams were exchanging words while looking a bit anxious of their grades…
"Remember!" yelled the professor to get the teams' attention, "Even if one of your teammates gets a good grade and passes, it wouldn't matter; all of the team members must get a good grade in order to continue the scholarly program and get the rest of the diplomas!"
"Teams!" addressed Lourdes, "You will have your scores posted in one hour! It will give you time to decide what you wanna do if you happen to fail, but I really wish you all the best of luck…anyhow, a reminder: you can retake the exam today at 6 P.M sharp in this same classroom before night school begins OR you can comeback on Thursday and retake it either at noon or 6 P.M as well!"
"Okay…thanks!" Everyone was grateful for the amazing lesson, the amazing professor and assistant, and Sunflores and Aetheris; Team Champions gathered their things, said farewell to the professor and Lourdes, and began to make their way out…
...
"LET'S GO TEAM! WE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY TO THE TOP!" shouted Marcus proudly.
"UH?!" Francis approached Marcus, "Aren't you all going to wait to get your scores here at the school?!"
-Chuckle- "PLEASE! Do you know who I am? Who we are?" stated Marcus while looking back and forth to his teammates, "We are TEAM CHAMPIONS! And we will be the victorious team at the Pokémon League!"
"Okay…whatevs…" Francis rolled his eyes and waited for a better explanation.
"We all did our part, nerd! We know that all of us are going to get a better grade than a B!" bragged Marcus, "So we don't really need to stick around and waste our precious time, unlike y'all…"
"You're such a big talker!" Francis was getting irritated.
"Although, I would like to see your dumb face once you realized you've failed and also accept that WE are actually smarter than all of you!" Marcus chuckled and his team giggled a little bit.
"Common, Francis! Let's go!" intervened Johnny after hearing such nonsense.
"Yeah, Francis! Don't let Marcus belittle you just because he thinks he's a hotshot!" commented Belen.
"I really don't care what you think of me…" expressed Marcus, "Because I know who I am and what I want!"
"Please, Marcus…could you stop provoking my brother?" Kassie barged in, "He's a rookie trainer, alright! BUT, we should all play nice since we might end up needing each other in the future...so we should all treat each other with respect!"
"Kassie is right, big bro!" expressed Kalel, "Besides, Francis and his team are our friends! Who knows what the other teams are like! They might probably be better than all of us anyways!"
Everyone paused, looked at each other, and wondered about the other teams…
"FINEEEE!" said Marcus and grabbed his things, "Let's go! We have to make it to Entomo Town by sunset so we can all obtain our first gym team badge tomorrow! See you…dorks!" -Dashing away-
"Bye guys!" said Kalel, "Wait for me, big brother!"
"Don't listen to him, guys…" declared Kassie, "Deep down, I know he only wants you, Francis, to be your very best so he can actually accept you as his proper rival!"
"UH? He does?" wondered Francis.
"Of course, silly!" smiled Kassie, "He wouldn't be saying all of those things to you if he really really didn't care about you! Just think about that!" Kassie waved goodbye, "Anyways, I need to go get Heidy so we can all leave town together! See you around…Team Heroes!" Kassie left the classroom.
"See you…Kassie…" Team Heroes waved goodbye and watch Kassie and her team leave for good.
...
"Umm…HELLO?!"
"HUH?" Team Heroes looked around wondering who talked.
"GUYS!" said Josh and then he entered the classroom, "How are you guys doing?"
"Hey, lil Josh!"
"HI, YOSHI!"
"Josh…you made it here! I'm glad…" said Francis while thinking the things his sister said to him about Marcus…
"I'm really hungry, bro! Can we go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?!" asked Josh.
"Yeah, that's fine…we need to wait to get our scores, anyways…" explained Francis and then they all left for the cafeteria.
Team Heroes got to the cafeteria, grabbed some snacks and drinks, and waited around until they knew for certain that they all passed and acquired their first diploma. Time passed by and suddenly it was an hour later. They quickly accessed their smartphones, open the PokeDEX app, and began searching…
"WHAT? ‼" shouted Francis very loudly that all of the cafeteria patrons paused and stared at him.
"How'd you do, bro?" asked Johnny while looking disappointed at himself.
"I actually passed, you guys! I got an A!" declared Belen all happy, but then she thought, "BUT it doesn't matter at all if you two didn't pass! What are your scores, guys? Tell me!"
"It's looking bad from what I can tell…" commented Josh.
"I GOT A C minus! IT'S NOT COOL! I WANTED TO GET MY DIPLOMA RIGHT AWAY‼" Francis was frustrated and ashamed of himself.
"Well…" Johnny looked even more ashamed than Francis, "I got a D, mates…I am so sorry…"
"OH-NO…" Belen nodded her head in disillusion.
"Guess we have to retake the exam tonight, team! WHAT A DRAG!" concluded Francis and then pulled out his TLT and began studying. His team followed.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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