A/N: Hello everyone, I just wanted to take the time to write this message and thank all the members of the military for their service, and to also show my respect for the men and women in uniform who sadly, didn't make it home. I hope you all have a peaceful Memorial Day.
A/N: I don't own Pokemon! I hope you guys enjoy the filler chapter!
Chapter 12 : Getting Closer
Once the door closed after Kellyn passed the threshold, Kincaid couldn't help but seethe with rage as Wendy and Kellyn walked further down the hallway.
Wendy breathed a huge sigh of relief as they reached the first floor after the two were silent the entire way.
"Phew…am I glad we're out of that office…my heart was racing so fast that I thought you and Mr. Kincaid would hear it! I was so nervous!" Wendy said as Kellyn looked surprised.
"You were nervous? You played the whole thing really cool though, I never saw anyone handle someone that scary so well." Kellyn said as Wendy blushed ever so slightly.
"Well…thank you, it wasn't easy. I was just scared how Kincaid acted…but I knew I had to be brave." Wendy said.
"I'm glad you were…I was only a few seconds away from panicking until you spoke up. I was so afraid…thank you Wendy…I really appreciate you." Kellyn said.
"It's not a problem, I wouldn't blame you for being afraid, the whole situation was nerve-wracking. There could've been a chance that Kincaid would have expelled us from Ranger School and fire Mr. Caplan. If I really did bring attention to the TV and radio stations, then it'd be a double edged sword, as our complaints could very well not be considered because of how revered the Ranger School is, but if it was…then it'd just paint the Ranger School as a whole in a negative light. I'm just glad I could help everyone out, especially you." Wendy said as Kellyn blushed a noticeable red.
"I can't even imagine what it'd be like if we were kicked out of the Ranger School. My mother would be so heartbroken…" Kellyn said as the duo reached the area that housed the dorms.
"I can understand why, I could tell she really loves you." Wendy said.
"Hahah, she does, I'm glad to have a mother like her. I really appreciate everything she's done for me." Kellyn said as Wendy smiled.
"It's good you both have a love for one another. By the way, is it okay if I see you tomorrow?" Wendy asked.
"Huh? Of course it is, why do you ask?" Kellyn asked.
"I just wouldn't want you to think I'm not respectful of your personal space or anything like that." Wendy said.
"Don't feel that way Wendy, you're not clingy or obsessive at all! Like I said before, I really appreciate your company!" Kellyn said.
"Thank you, I'll be getting some rest now, today was certainly an interesting day! Good night Kellyn!" Wendy said.
"Yeah, it definitely was something else! Good night Wendy, see you tomorrow!" Kellyn said as the two headed into their dorm rooms.
Kellyn slipped off his shoes and didn't take long to change into his sleepwear, putting his uniform into the washer. Afterwards, he brushed his teeth and climbed into bed, thinking about how the latter part of the day was so stressful.
'Man…I can't stop thinking about how today was. It was certainly a surprise when Mr. Caplan told us Kincaid was going to speak with us. It was even more worrisome not knowing when he would do it…but it was also a good thing that Wendy was with me. I'd probably be so terrified that I wouldn't say much in my defense. Still…I really appreciate Wendy being there, especially with how insidious Kincaid looked.' Kellyn thought as he quickly drifted to sleep.
Meanwhile, Wendy was already tucked inside her bed, donned in her sleeping attire as she also thought of the entirety of the day.
'Today was something else…Kincaid always gave a creepy, yet uptight vibe, but the way he acted today was like nothing I've ever seen. But still…even though I was scared, I knew I had to stand up for myself, and for Kellyn. I'm glad I could be there for him. Now that I'm thinking of Kellyn…he mentioned how sad his mother would be if he was kicked out of the Ranger School…I can't lie…I'm always a bit envious of those who have loving parents. Kellyn's really lucky to have a mother…plus he talks really highly of her. I want to ask him why he's never mentioned his father but, it doesn't matter how much of a crush I have on him, I don't want to overstep any boundaries. Kellyn appreciates my company, which makes me feel good, but the last thing I want to do is ask him something he'd feel uncomfortable with.' Wendy thought as she let out a soft sigh.
'I wouldn't be able to sleep if I keep thinking this much…I gotta try heading to bed, otherwise I'll just be awake the whole night.' Wendy thought as she eventually managed to fall asleep.
In the morning, Kellyn woke up and took his uniform out of the washer, tossing it in the dryer and putting it on. In the meantime, Kellyn got ready as usual, and finished around twenty minutes later, with his uniform having already finished drying.
Kellyn quickly put on his uniform and slipped on his socks and shoes before heading out the door. To his pleasant surprise, Wendy just came out from her dorm room as well, with a big smile on her face as she saw Kellyn.
"Good morning Kellyn, nice to see you!" Wendy said as Kellyn gave a smile back.
"Good morning Wendy, good to see you too! I was glad to get a relaxing sleep last night, what about you? Did you sleep well?" Kellyn asked.
"I did, thank you! I managed to finally get to sleep too, thankfully I wasn't tossing and turning!" Wendy said as Kellyn chuckled.
The two quickly headed into the cafeteria and got some breakfast, which consisted of some skim Miltank milk and pancakes with berries and syrup. After finishing up, Kellyn and Wendy headed to their first class. Going inside, they saw that some of their classmates were already there, namely, Luana and Keith.
Kellyn waved to both of them, and Luana excitedly waved back while Keith gave a slight nod, with a serious look on his face. Wendy gave Luana a pat on the shoulder as she sat down, while Kellyn gave her a smile.
"Hi guys, good morning! How're you guys doing today?" Luana said as Wendy gave a sigh of relief.
"Much better considering what we went through yesterday…I hope we don't have to deal with Kincaid again." Wendy whispered as Mrs. April entered the classroom.
"I know…but if we do then we'll try our best to not be too intimidated." Luana said as the other two nodded in agreement.
'Oh yeah? We'll just see about that. Kincaid was furious that Pokémon are now in the Ranger School. But if we take them back to Pueltown, people would get suspicious, and the five people Kincaid questioned would definitely know it's him. Maybe we'll mention our plan to Kincaid.' Keith thought as Mrs. April began the lesson.
It wasn't long before time seemed to fly by as class was finished and students began to file out of the classroom. Keith left the classroom, and Kellyn, Wendy and Luana left shortly afterwards to head to their second class.
"Man, that lesson today was something else, I learned a lot more about the importance of keeping my Styler safe." Luana said.
"Yeah, you'll especially need to be even more careful with these, since they're not as durable as the one that certified Pokémon Rangers carry. Still, they're pretty strong too!" Wendy said.
"It's a good thing that the ones we have are waterproof. Imagine if your Styler isn't waterproof but you need to dive in a body of water…if you go in too quickly without taking the Styler off and it gets damaged, then I would think it'd be expensive for the Ranger School to fix." Kellyn said.
"Oh man…that really would be a disaster. You're right, it really is a good thing our Stylers are waterproof!" Wendy said as the trio reached their second class.
Inside the classroom was a few students, and a few minutes after Kellyn, Luana and Wendy sat down, more students arrived. The professor looked around at his class with a jubilant grin on his face.
"Alright everyone, great to see you all! I'm sure as you've all seen, we now have Pokémon on our campus again!" The professor said as the class clapped and cheered.
"So professor, what does that mean for us?" A student asked.
"I'll tell you! That means you can now practice your Field Moves with a few Pokémon and obstacles! After all, hands on learning is vital to be a Pokémon Ranger! Let's get started, but remember that the Pokémon will need to be rotated, as there aren't too many available!" The professor said as a Growlithe, Gastly, Drifloon and a Pikachu walked in front of the professor.
The professor placed down some tree stumps and a few rocks. The students went in groups of four, with Kellyn, Wendy and Luana being around the middle of the line.
Eventually it got to Kellyn's turn, and like the students prior to him, he stood where no one around him could get hit by a move. Kellyn started to make loops around the Drifloon first, and the balloon Pokémon shot a fast Shadow Ball at him, which the student Ranger managed to dodge. The Pokémon used Shadow Ball quickly, and Kellyn raised his Styler quickly, a protective shield enveloped around Kellyn, though the move dealt five points of damage out of the fifteen strength points.
'Be careful Kellyn…I know you can do it!' Wendy thought as Kellyn lowered his defensive stance.
The young man continued making loops around the Pokémon, and it shot out three purple orbs in quick succession, which Kellyn barely managed to dodge by getting on the floor. After a few more loops were made, the Drifloon was captured. Kellyn then had the Pokémon test out its Field Move, Airlift.
The Drifloon went over to Kellyn and wrapped its stringy arms around Kellyn, with the student Ranger asking the Pokémon to carry him five feet. Once the Pokémon finished doing so, Kellyn was gently lowered and he cleared the temporarily captured Pokémon from his Friend Pokémon list.
Kellyn then captured the Growlithe and the Pikachu after a somewhat tough battle, with the Growlithe using Flame Wheel and charging at Kellyn, while Pikachu zipped around and fired off a few thunderbolts. Most of the class, including Wendy and Luana, clapped from his swift capture, especially as Kellyn was still new to the Ranger School compared to some of them.
"He's really something, huh Wendy?" Luana asked as she gently elbowed Wendy.
"Yeah…Kellyn's really amazing…" Wendy said as her friend giggled, while Kellyn had Growlithe use burn on the tree stumps, incinerating it.
After that, Kellyn had Pikachu recharge his Styler, bringing it back to full health as he went off to the side, waiting for Luana and Wendy to finish.
After a little while, Wendy and Luana finished with trying out the Field Moves they didn't do yet and headed over to Kellyn. Afterwards, the rest of the class finished up and it wasn't long before class was dismissed.
"Okay guys, that was some great work! I'll see you all tomorrow!" The professor said as the students filed out of the room, along with Kellyn, Wendy and Luana.