Back to School, Chapter 25

I set out early the next day, having rested surprisingly well after the events on the beach. Route 30 connected to Route 31, and then to Violet City, so I went with my bike for the trip this time. Curious to see just how Hoppip would do in battle, I released him from his Pokeball, and let him ride in the basket of my bike with Vulpix. The first time I took off, Hoppip went flying out of the basket into the air, and I had to chase him halfway across Cherrygrove in the opposite direction. The Pokedex wasn't kidding when it said they were extremely lightweight Pokemon.

On my second attempt to cycle out of Cherrygrove, I made sure to have Vulpix hold Hoppip down. Route 30 was much like Route 29 before it, that being overgrown grass and hard-to-follow roads. Along the way, I saw a few young trainers practicing their battling ability. Rattata versus Pidgey; Caterpie versus Spearow in a poor match up. I guessed most of these trainers were newbies from Cherrygrove, so I didn't engage any of them for fights myself. I was a bit out of their league, as you could imagine. That thought alone made me feel all fuzzy inside.

The next sight to behold on the road was a small cottage in the middle of the road. There was a sign next to it, with faded letters all over it. I pulled up close to the sign, wiping away some of the dirt stuck to it.

'Mr Pokemon's House' it read, with the arrow pointing to the right fork of the road. I wasn't sure if he'd be back home already, so I didn't head down that road. First of all, though, I let myself into the house next to sign. The door itself had a sign that welcomed visitors, so I saw no need to knock first.

"Visitors! A young upstart Pokemon trainer, I take it?" The man living in the house seemed eager to greet a total stranger. Guess strange people populate the entire world.

"Not exactly," I corrected him. "But I am new to the region."

"Kanto, I take it?" I nodded. "Then I'm sure you're not familiar with these?"

The man showed me a round, green fruit. At least, it looked like a piece of fruit, but was just too round and perfect. I walked closer, and took it in my hands. The skin was hard as a rock, but it still smelled like a piece of edible fruit. Vulpix tried to reach for it, while Hoppip just floated on top of my head to get a closer look at it.

"What is it?"

"An apricorn. It's a special type of fruit native to the Johto region alone."

"Can you eat it?" I asked, taking another whiff of the round object. It smelled even tastier this time.

"Well, the juices inside can be anything from sweet to spicy, but the skin is so hard, even the strongest Pokemon fangs probably wouldn't pierce it. That's why they have two particular uses to us." I took a seat across from the man at his table. I had a feeling something of a long-winded explanation awaited me.

"What are they?"

"One, you extract the juice, and drink it or create Pokeblocks out of it. They're a special kind of Pokemon food. The other option, is to fashion the hard skin into a special type of Pokeball!"

"Really? You can make Pokeballs out of this?" I looked at the apricorn in my hands, wondering just how that was achieved.

"Actually, before the standard aluminum Pokeball was invented, trainers learned to make Pokeballs out of apricorns! They were a great source of income for the Johto cities. Nowadays, trainers just prefer to buy the standard Pokeball, despite the benefits of using apricorns."

"Well, I'd like to learn how to make a Pokeball! Can you teach me, sir?" If I could make my own, I'd never have to worry about running out when on the road. I'd seen apricorn trees along the way to Cherrygrove City and on this route, too. Which meant that they grew all over the Johto region; an endless supply!

"Afraid not. I don't know how to, myself. However, I do know someone who does! He lives in Azalea Town, down south. Goes by the name of Kurt."

"Kurt in Azalea Town, right? Then I guess I know where I'll be headed next!"

I thanked the kind man for the apricorn and information, and he was even nice enough to let me have a rarer, white apricorn as well. I packed away both fruits and left the man's house, now also stocking a couple sweet berries as a final parting gift. For a total stranger, he sure was quite generous!

Once I was outside, however, my small bit of joy was cut short with a few choice words.

"Hey! You! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" I turned to the voice, spotting a kid around my age. Once challenged, I had no choice but to answer, though it wouldn't end well for the kid.

"Listen, I don't want to battle," I said, reaching for my Kanto trainer card. "I may be a little too much for you."

"Nice try, but I know the rules! You have to battle me when I challenge you! So come on!"

The kid released his first Pokemon, a Rattata. I had my card in my hands, but put it right back in the bag. A nice way of handicapping myself would be to use Hoppip, and it was a great way to see him in action. I picked up the feathery-light Pokemon off my head and placed it on the ground.

"Rattata, Tail Whip!"

"Hoppip, Tackle!"

I took out my Pokedex to double check Hoppip's abilities. There wasn't much he could do yet, but I'd have to make due. Rattata turned around and started wagging its tail at Hoppip, confusing him slightly. Still, Hoppip lurched forward, pushing the Rattata back a little, while sending himself floating high up into the air. His weight was really going to be a problem in battle, I realized.

"Rattata, Quick Attack!"

I didn't order anything this time, seeing as how Hoppip was just floating around in the air. Rattata jumped into the air to attack him, but Hoppip was just too high up for the small rat. I found it quite funny, and giggled a bit at the sight. The kid took it the wrong way, and called back his Rattata.

"You're giving up?"

"Not a chance! I won't lose to a girl! Go, Zubat!"

Now the playing field was even, more or less. I still didn't know how to fight back, though. Hoppip just couldn't seem to hit hard enough to ever win any battle.

"Zubat, Tackle!"

The small bat flew towards Hoppip at top speed, pushing him out of the air and down onto the ground. He bounced off the ground and right into my arms, a bit tired, but for the most part fine. His Pokemon weren't hitting very hard, themselves.

"Hoppip, Synthesis."

The two leaves on the small pink critter shot upward, glowing brightly as it healed what little damage it had received. Thus far, this entire battle had been pretty much a waste of time. I raised my hand.

"Can we call it a draw? I don't want to hurt your Pokemon."

"If you want to quit, that's fine by me. You'll still be the loser."

It wasn't that I wanted to admit defeat, or even fork over a small sum of cash to the kid. After all, I had plenty to spare. It was his attitude that was starting to get on my bad side. I put Hoppip back in the basket, and ordered Vulpix out onto the field.

"Vulpix, Ember."

She jumped into the air, swinging her tail towards Zubat. The hail of flames covered the small bat completely, sending it crashing to the ground, burned pretty badly. The kid couldn't believe his eyes.

"See? I'll let you go without paying up, just hurry your Pokemon to the center, before he gets any worse."

"No way! I still have one more!" He called back Zubat, and sent Rattata out again. I sighed, not believing how thick this kid was.

"Come on, kid, you know it's over." I pleaded with him.

"Rattata, Quick Attack!"

"Vulpix, same." I sighed.

Both Pokemon vanished for a moment, until Rattata was the first to reappear, flying backwards towards the kid's feet. Vulpix reappeared a moment later. The kid bent over, cradling his Pokemon in his arms. I told Vulpix to stay by the bike, and walked over to him. I reached into my bag and pulled out a potion.

"Here," I said, handing him the medicine. "Use it so he can make it back to the center with enough energy to guard you from the wild critters."

"Why are you being so nice? I lost, so here." The kid handed me his wallet, not caring how much I took. Out of curiosity, I looked inside, seeing barely enough to buy a potion for himself. I closed the wallet and handed it back to him.

"Pokemon battles aren't just about winning," I said, spraying the potion on his Rattata. "You have to take care of your Pokemon. If the battle is looking bad, don't feel bad about giving up before they're hurt anymore."

"Easy to say when you're the winner," he spat out. My patience was wearing thin, but I took a deep breath.

"It's never easy to give up," I said, remembering some of my own losses. "But sometimes its better than losing completely. If winning is more important to you than your Pokemon, maybe you shouldn't be a Pokemon trainer."

"Just leave me alone, cheater."

The kid got up and ran off back towards Cherrygrove City. It was rather annoying how ungrateful he was, but at the same time I didn't hold it against him. His battle against me was probably his first loss. And if he had managed to win even once before, this probably shot his confidence dead on. I sighed, and walked back to my bike. Vulpix was already in the basket, holding onto Hoppip. I scratched her behind the ears, and petted Hoppip. If only every trainer could treat their Pokemon like I did.

~o~

The first thing one noticed about Violet City was the tall tower in the center. A tall building wasn't anything special on its own, but the real draw was the large statue on top of it. It looked like it was made of some kind of metal, probably bronze, and it was shaped like the head of a Bellsprout. I knew some Pokemon from Kanto weren't only seen there, but I never expected people here to pay such tribute to Bellsprout, of all Pokemon. Personally, I never really much cared for them. Though the gym was on my checklist while in Violet City, I decided to put it on hold. After my customary visit to the Pokemon Center, my next stop was that tower in the middle of the lake.

The style of the building itself reminded me of Fuchsia City, that strange foreign design, unlike most other cities. Inside the tower, there was a large pillar in the center of the floor, shaking and swaying back and forth. I didn't move from where I was standing at first, afraid that the entire building would collapse at any moment.

"No need to fear, child. The Sprout Tower is stable." An older man dressed in robes approached me. There was a design on the bottom part of the robe, a Bellsprout, of course.

"Why is that pillar shaking?"

"It is a support pillar. It keeps the entire tower standing, and protects it from earthquakes. It shakes because of the intense Pokemon battles that are taking place on the higher floors."

"Pokemon battles? You allow fighting in here?" The man nodded.

"Here at the Sprout Tower, we believe in fostering a unique spiritual connection between man and Pokemon. The greatest way to achieve this, is through battle. Placing your life in the hands of your Pokemon teammates, and theirs are in your ability to lead them. Have you come to have your bond tested by Elder Li?"

"Not exactly, but since I'm here, might as well, right?" I gave the monk a smile.

"Do not take the Elder lightly. His connection to his Pokemon is strong, and they have overcome many challenges in the past. Ascend those stairs, and you'll meet him soon enough."

I climbed up the stairs to the next floor, finding a number of other monks silently meditating. Around them were Bellsprout, as far as the eye could see. They were really keen on the Pokemon here, though I did see a Rattata scurry around here and there. Can't seem to keep those pests out, I see. Beyond the third floor, I arrived at the fourth, where I could hear the sounds of a fierce fight. I ran across the floor to the other side of the pillar, catching the last part of the battle.

"Totodile, Bite!"

A trainer with deep, dark red hair ordered his Pokemon to attack the Bellsprout in front of them. The small critter looked pretty mean, despite sounding a bit like a funny little duck. I watched as it took a powerful bite out of the Bellsprout, swinging it around in its mouth before spitting it out. The Bellsprout was out cold. The older monk recalled the Pokemon, and the red haired trainer did the same.

"Your Pokemon trusts you well," said the elder man, bowing his head in defeat. "However, you do not return this trust. You seek to use him only to further your own ends."

"Like I need to hear the opinions of a weak old man. Not even having the type advantage did anything to help you win." The trainer sounded a lot like the kid I had met on Route 30.

"How dare you! Have some respect for Elder Li!" That was a voice I recognized, a voice I hadn't heard in a long time. I walked forward a bit more, and saw Rebecca's familiar face and hat standing nearby.

"It is alright, child, there is no need for you to defend me. I have said all I wanted to, so you may leave."

The trainer huffed at the two, and turned around to leave. He glared at me as he passed, even stopping for a moment to eye Vulpix on the ground. She growled at him, not liking his attitude towards Elder Li, either. He didn't bother to say anything, and just stormed out. Once he was gone, I walked ahead.

"Rebecca! How've you been?"

"Star? Is that really you?" She said, blinking rapidly.

"Yeah! It's been so long! Not since we met near Vermillion City."

"Listen, about that day," Rebecca said, looking away slightly. "I'm sorry. I was angry at the time, and I kinda went off against you."

"It's okay," I said, hardly remembering the incident. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm from here," she said, aiming her hand towards the monk. "Elder Li raised me since I was almost five. I'm actually from Ecruteak City, but my parents died when I was little, so Elder Li promised to look after me. We moved here a while back."

"Have you come to test the bonds of your Pokemon, child?" The older man finally stepped forward.

"Yes, actually, since I'm here. Will it be a battle like you had with that other trainer?"

"A battle is only necessary to determine just how close a bond you have with your Pokemon. However, I can see clear as day that your Pokemon, particularly your Vulpix, has an unbreakable bond with you."

"Well," I said, picking her up in my arms, "we've been together for more than a year now. She's my very best friend."

"And it shows. There won't be a need for a battle here, today. Always remember to treat your Pokemon with love and respect, and the bonds between you will never be broken."

"Thank you, Elder Li. I promise to do that."

The monk walked off to another end of the floor, getting on his knees to continue his meditations. Rebecca dragged me to the other end of the floor, so we wouldn't disturb him.

"I had a feeling he'd say that about you," she said petting Vulpix on the head.

"Is that why you have a Weepinbell? You started with a Bellsprout from here?"

"Yeah, though he's not a Weepinbell anymore. He evolved a couple weeks ago, right when I needed his help to beat a tough opponent. So, what are you doing here in Johto?"

"Well, after I got all my badges from Kanto, I decided not to go to Indigo Plateau. Professor Oak from Pallet Town asked me to accompany him to New Bark Town, and from there, I was convinced to take the gym challenge here, too."

"Why bother if you don't want to enter Indigo Plateau?" Rebecca asked.

"That's what I said, but then I figured it helped me keep moving. If I know there's another badge to collect, I keep traveling, and don't stay in one place for long. Plus, it helps me learn more about battling."

"Well, that's one way to look at it, I guess." Rebecca said. She pulled out her trainer card from her pocket, showing it to me. There were a few badges on there from Kanto, and one I didn't recognize.

"I never finished the challenge myself," she said, putting the card back in her pocket, "just didn't have it in me anymore. So, I came back home."

"Well, nothing wrong with that if you really didn't want to do it anymore. What can you tell me about the gym leader here?"

"Actually, there's a new leader now. The old one left on a journey, and his son took over the gym. When I challenged the old leader, the specialty was flying Pokemon, so at least that should give you some idea what to expect. You going there now?"

"Nah, maybe tomorrow. It was a long ride here from Cherrygrove City, and I'm a bit tired. Plus, there's no rush." Not to mention I wanted to go sightseeing, something I'd end up not getting a chance to do.

"Well, I'll meet you there. You wouldn't mind if I were your cheerleader against him?"

"I'd like that," I said with a smile. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

~o~

Back outside, it was still sunny and quite pleasant. I could've taken on the gym leader already, but before I could go back on my choice, I noticed a group of kids playing around with their Pokemon by the lake. Curious, I walked over to them, poking through to see a pair of critters that resembled Pikachu.

"What are they?" I asked, which caused all the kids there to look at me like I was crazy.

"They're Pichus! Baby Pikachus! Aren't they just adorable?" One of the little girls in the group picked up one of the yellow rodents, hugging him like a teddy bear. Just as I was about to take out my Pokedex to scan it, a voice cried out to the entire group. We all looked over to the source, it being a police officer.

"Oh, no! They found out! Run!"

A few of the kids scattered about, running away from the police officer. Since I had nothing to run away from, I just stayed there, along with the little girl hugging the Pichu, and another boy that didn't run with the others. The police officer reached us, and took a moment to catch his breath.

"It's a good thing you three didn't run. When I catch those other three, they'll be punished twice as much for running!"

"We're sorry, officer," said the boy, lowering his head. "We just wanted to play with the Pokemon."

"Then you should've waited until class was over. Come along now, all of you."

"Um, actually, I'm not with them," I said, digging through my bad for my trainer card.

"Sure you're not, kid. Come on, I don't have time to waste playing with you kids, I have three little delinquents to catch."

Without giving me a chance to prove myself, the officer pushed me along with the other two kids. He must've been overworked, seeing as how the other two children were dressed in school uniforms and I surely wasn't. Of course, hanging around other school kids, looking the way I did, wasn't the smarted idea, either.

A short walk down the street, we arrived at a large building. The sign on the front read 'Earl's Pokemon Academy', most definitely a Pokemon related school. After forcing us through the door, the officer called for the instructor to pick us up, and left. Out came a rather chubby fellow, dressed in an ugly blue suit.

"Tsk tsk, you kids know better than to go skipping class like that! Off to your seats now, all of you." The other two went off without saying anything, but I didn't move from that spot.

"Actually, sir, I'm not-"

"Not dressed properly for class, I know," he finished for me, though it wasn't what I wanted to say. "Go on, there are spare uniforms in the next room. Get properly dressed, and we can resume the lesson."

Rather than try and convince him, despite having the proof in my bag, I just went with what he asked. Yeah, it was school, but since I didn't belong there, there was no harm in dressing the part and having a bit of fun. Besides, I had never been to a Pokemon Academy before, though I did have a dream that I went to one once. I believe it was called Sandstone in the dream.

In the next room, I saw a wardrobe against the wall, with a few uniforms of various sizes hanging inside. I closed the door behind me, and walked over to fetch one. After finding the right size, I slipped out of my dress and into the outfit, which consisted of a white blouse and dark blue skirt. Back in the classroom, I took a seat by the girl with the Pichu.

"Well, now that everyone, or mostly everyone, is back, we can continue the lesson. Now, who here can tell me which type is most effective against water Pokemon?"

A couple hands went up into the air, mine included. The instructor, whose name was Earl, as evidenced by the patch on his suit, called on one of the hands in the back of the class.

"Grass type, or electric." Said the boy he picked.

"Correct! Now, how about a dark type?" This time, no one raised their hands. That didn't stop Earl from picking a student at random.

"I don't know," he said quietly.

"Come on, class! The dark type! Not many of those around, but someone has to know!" Again, no one raised a hand. "Bug and fighting types! Say it with me, class!"

"Bug and fighting types," repeated the entire classroom. I didn't chip in, though.

"Good. Now, what about the steel type? This is another rare type, not seen much in our neighboring Kanto. Anyone?" And for the third time, no one raised a hand. This time, Earl pointed at me.

"Um," I stuttered, and looked down at Vulpix, who was sitting on the floor by me. "Fire?"

"Yes! Good work, um...?" Earl stopped for a moment, leaning in close to me. "Just who are you?"

"My name is Star." I answered with a giggle.

"You're not one of my students."

"I know, sir. But you didn't give me a chance to explain earlier." Earl backed away, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, my apologies, Star. I've been a bit wound up of late. You're free to go, if you'd like. I have no right to keep you here."

I stood up, gathering my bag and Vulpix at my feet. I realized I still had the uniform on, and pointed at it.

"Should I return this to the other room?"

"Won't be necessary, dear, consider it a souvenir for the trouble we caused."

I nodded, and made for the door. I noticed the look on some of the other students, most of them looking at me with envy. I knew the feeling of wanting to leave class in place of another student. Before I left completely, however, I turned to Earl to ask a few more questions.

"You said there weren't many steel or dark types in Kanto, why is that?"

"Well, steel and dark type Pokemon aren't indigenous to the area. It's no stretch that most residents of Kanto aren't familiar with the types at all, but they exist. Magnemite and Magneton are examples of steel types living in the region. Perhaps you'd like to take a seat, in case you're not familiar with the types and their characteristics?"

After all that, I ended up staying for the rest of the lecture. Earl had a point about the two types in Kanto, as the encyclopedia I used to carry with me didn't even list Magnemite or Magneton as anything but electric types. It suddenly made sense how Vulpix was able to defeat that Magnemite back in the power plant that one time! I learned about both these new types, and their strengths and weaknesses. After all, it was crucial to know these things for future fights.

It would be dark out by the time class was officially dismissed. The police officer that brought me in along with those other students was outside the building, distraught over being unable to catch the other three kids. Now officially tired, I made for the Pokemon Center, when I ran across Rebecca headed in the same direction.

"Star? Why are you wearing a school uniform?"

"Uh, long story, I'll share it later," I said, blushing a bit. I could only imagine how much more the outfit made me look like an everyday schoolgirl. Not that there was anything wrong with that!