AN:so I went back and fixed some grammar mistakes and added a wee bit here and there to give the story a bit more life. That's all I wanted to write here. Anyways-end of AN
After the three of us had eaten our fill, Nate rushed back up the stairs. "Didn't he just wake up?" I asked. Daisy nodded. "He's just getting ready for trainer school, he'll be back down in a couple minutes," she said. So humans are taught to be trainers at a young age? Well, that was no longer my concern, the day I am under another trainer's command is the day I die. "So he's going to be gone for most of the day?" his mother nodded. "He'll be back in the afternoon, until then I can take you to the park again, or we simply stay at home. Once Nate comes home however, he'll likely want to head to the park anyways," Daisy explained.
"Mind telling me what children do in these trainer schools?" I asked, hoping to get a better explanation as to what this was all about. "Well… they learn about type advantages right off the bat, once each student has a good grip on that, they start battling to gain a sense of what it's like. I remember having to learn a bit about abilities and items, but that is basically it."
I simply nodded as the information made its way to my ears, it didn't seem too bad, apart from the battling part.
Nate came rushing down stairs without his pajamas, now replaced with some black shorts and a black t-shirt, the shirt had a large Pokeball logo over the front of it. "Nate, did you pack your textbook and folders?" Daisy asked. "Yeah mom," the child groaned. Despite his protest, the woman still probed around her child to make sure everything was in order. A huge smile came to the little boy's face when he stopped beside me. "Hey mom, we'll be battling today," he said happily.
Without second thought, I took a step back, hoping this child didn't say what I think he would. "They are starting today?" Daisy asked. The boy jumped up and down in excitement, he pointed a finger at me. "And I was hoping if I could bring her for it today," he asked. The amount of hope in his voice would've made me sweat bullets if I could. Nate's mother nodded, before stepping in between the two of us. "We'll see if Ninetales wants to or not, remember that she's still a wild Pokemon, and might not want to listen to your orders," Daisy said.
She quickly knelt down in front of me and placed a hand on one of my shoulders. "Nate, can you wait by the door, me and Ninetales are going to talk for a second. The boy obliged with his mother's request, and started getting his shoes on. Daisy chuckled. "I can tell that you were excited about wanting to battle again," the woman said in a sarcastic tone. "I do have one request for you. Can you give battling with Nate a chance?" she asked. She stared into my eyes, awaiting my choice.
Daisy read my face, taking note of my reluctance. "How about we meet a medium, I'll wait outside of the school, and you do one battle. If you don't enjoy it, I'll take you to the park." Her voice was very coaxing. The look on her face made me want to at least do it for her, but what happens if I lose my temper? "If I do not like it, can we head to the park?" Daisy nodded. "Of course we can, but you'll give it one shot?"
It took a second for me to think of the decision. Would anything change if I were to say no? Would I be thrown out into the wild again if I disagree? The fire in my eyes burnt harder as I stared at Daisy, she was patiently waiting for my answer. "I will give it a shot," I said with a small smile. Curse this woman, managing to convince me to battle for her son, and got me to open up to her last night. All because of the look she was giving me.
"Alright Nate, she agreed," Daisy announced. Her child jumped up and down at the announcement. The humans led me out the door, taking a turn opposite from the park we had gone to. Cars dashed past us, carrying children that looked about the same age as Nate. they were likely heading to the same place, to the trainer school.
The mix of gas and salt didn't sit well as a smell. Why did I constantly smell salt? I doubt we were near an ocean, or I'd at least hear it faintly, but I didn't. It was probably all the restaurants in the area, using plenty of salt in whatever food was to be served. The mass of voices let me know we were getting closer to our destination.
As we approached the school, most of the adults and almost every single child's eyes locked onto me. The looks they were giving me weren't very comforting, they must've been keeping note of my unkempt fur, or even just how skinny I was for a "trained" Pokemon. "Nate! I didn't think you had a Ninetales ready for today!" I stopped when I saw a human, who looked a decade younger than Daisy did, walking up to us. "Mhm! She's all mine!" Nate placed a hand on my head and petted me.
"My My, she looks a bit messy for a Ninetales. Are you sure you didn't bring an Arcanine?" the human asked. "Don't be rude to her, Mrs. Murtin!" Nate frowned at the teacher's comment. I kept myself from growling, despite how messy I was, I did take pride in how I looked. Any Ninetales would given the reputation we've gained over the thousands of years they've been around. A shiny, well kept coat, with strong fire power, was like a symbol of what a proper Ninetales should be like. If I had learnt how to groom myself, I wouldn't be nearly as messy as this teacher said I was.
"Well, I guess she'll have to be facing a second stage evolution Pokemon, since she is fully evolved…"
Daisy stepped forward. "Hold on, Mrs. Murtin, but I would like to watch my son's first battle. Since Ninetales doesn't seem the most fond of battling, I'd also like to see how she likes it." Mrs. Murtin nodded. "Very well, wait until attendance is taken, and we'll get started."
My mind wanted to wander away as the teacher called the names of various students, the few minutes it took to make sure everyone was here felt like it took an hour. At least I got to sit by Daisy while we waited. "Good morning, students," said an old man standing in the middle of the room. "As many of you know, today you will start learning how to battle like real trainers! We hope this experience will bring you to the top of the Pokemon league one day. Just remember, Pokemon battles aren't just winning or losing, it's about you and your partner having fun! Some of you have brought your own Pokemon, some of you might have brought your pets, some of you might not even have a Pokemon. Don't worry if you do have one. We'll provide you one of the school's Pokemon. Remember, these Pokemon aren't just tools for battling, they're your partners, and when you're out on the road, they're your family. This experience will also hopefully teach you a thing or two about strategy. So without further ado, let's get started with the first set of battles!"
Another teacher I hadn't seen yet handed the old man a piece of paper. "First up is Nate Deutsher! And his Ninetales. His opponent will be Anthony Witz!" Students cheered, every single one of them looked excited. My heart on the other hand was ready to stop beating at a moment's notice. "Goodluck Nate," Daisy said. The woman got close to my ear. "Just remember, if you aren't enjoying battling, you can opt out of battling for the rest of the day."
As I sat beside Nate, I started surveying the crowd, students and parents lined up the bleachers, some had Pokemon that were likely family pets. Perhaps a stronger bond meant a better team? That's what trainers seemed to say all the time, even if that seemed like a bunch of nonsense. The boy across the field stood, holding a specially marked Pokeball. Maybe it was the school's Pokemon, or even it was simply a special Pokeball. "Let your Pokemon out you two," the same old man said. He was likely the principal. Anthony threw the Pokeball, and out came a Heracross, it looked pretty tough, but I knew I had an advantage. "Okay Ninetales, let's go!" I calmly walked forward, this will be just like old times.
Well, excluding the part where I was pre-evolved and ended up as a beaten pulp on the ground.
My eyes locked onto my opponent, who didn't seem nearly as focused as I was. It was looking here and there, mostly at the crowd. In my mind, silence took over as I got ready to make a move once the magic word was spoken. "Begin!"
"Alright Heracross, use Rock Smash!" immediately, Heracross rushed forward, its left hand was glowing white with energy. "Ninetales, dodge it and use Ember!" Ember? Did Nate think I was a baby? I didn't even remember Ember, so I might as well use the next best thing. I rolled out of the way of Heracross's strike, barely avoiding the beetle. It was pretty fast, but I think I could handle it. Before I even got up, I shot out Flamethrower immediately, which caught Heracross in the blast.
The battle was already over. The flames of my attack died down, Heracross was sprawled out on the ground, its eyes were closed, but it was still breathing. The crowd started cheering, everyone was shouting their praise for Nate's battling skills. Barely any of the words said were directed at me. This really was just like old times.
Nate seemed a bit in shock, given how I seemingly was outmatched by a bully barely a couple feet taller than him, he likely wasn't expecting me to be tough in the slightest. In all honesty, I didn't see myself as a very strong Ninetales, I just got lucky with match ups when I do win, which is how this battle was over so quickly. The shock was gone from the child's face, as he immediately ran to hug me. Heracross was being lifted up by our opponent, who had a mix of worry and happiness on his face. Perhaps there was some fun to be had with battling… it wasn't for me though.
We were sent back to the bleachers, Daisy seemed just as shocked as Nate was over my performance. After I sat down next to the woman, she opened her mouth. "Well Ninetales, did you enjoy battling more than you thought?"
I shook my head. "No."