Chapter III: Shuu Appears! Haruka's Strike One!
A/N: Some Japanese names remain constant even in the Americanized series. But they will still be translated accordingly.
The students enrolled in the coordinator class were asked to bring only one Pokemon to school—their best Pokemon for that matter. Haruka (May) was in luck: she just received her first Pokemon from Professor Odamaki (Professor Birch) in Mishiro Town (Littleroot Town) before the first day of school. Achamo (Torchic) may not be her best Pokemon but anything's better than nothing. A few days later, the coordinator students gathered inside the school auditorium which was also an official battlefield and a contest stage. Kanata was also enrolled in the same coordinator class as Haruka; with her precious Banebu (Spoink) as her Pokemon of choice. Their instructor is a beautiful woman with blue-green hair, matching eyes, and a kind tone.
"Good morning, everybody; welcome to the Pokemon coordinator class. I will be your instructor for the entire school year: Hasegawa Ayame (Dr. Abby). I will be teaching the basics of Pokemon contests and coordinating skills for this semester. Let's all have a wonderful semester, everybody."
"Wow; she seems very nice and kind, kamo." Haruka whispered to her friend.
"No kidding." Kanata replied softly. "Most of the coordinator class consists of boys; just like our regular class."
"Are these guys only after the beautiful and kind instructors? They're so hopeless, kamo."
"Tell me about it. It makes me want to throw up."
Their whispery conversation was heard by a green-haired boy right next to Haruka. He had a habit of flipping his hair once in a while.
"Ladies, please do not compare me to the other boys of this class. I'm just here because Pokemon coordinating happens to be my forte."
"And who might you be, Mr. Hotshot?" Kanata folded her arms and asked the boy sternly.
"If you must know my name, it's Shuu (Drew Hayden)." The boy replied calmly. "Kobayakawa Shuu."
"Okay, Shuu…why don't you shoo away?" Kanata almost laughed out loud.
"Kanata, stop that." Haruka had to stop her friend from doing anything rash and unprecedented. "You're just going to get us in trouble, kamo."
Because of the unprecedented turn of events, their instructor suddenly called their attention…but in a way that her annoyance wasn't made superficial to the class.
"Would you three kindly step forward and show the class what Pokemon coordinating is all about?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Shuu flipped his hair. "I'll put up an awe-inspiring performance with my Rozelia (Roselia)."
"W-Wait a minute, t-this is too sudden!" Haruka panicked. "Geez, this is your fault Kanata. Thanks a lot!"
"If Mr. Hotshot only minded his business, we wouldn't be in this sort of mess." Kanata replied.
"I'll give you a flat zero if you say no. Oh, it rhymes! Maybe I should start writing a senryu or two." The teacher smiled.
"Later, ladies…" Shuu waved goodbye to the girls as he walked up on stage.
"S-Shuu, wait up! Please help me, kamo." Haruka followed; still in a panic.
"Haruka, don't ask help from stuck-ups like him!" Kanata pulled her friend away from Shuu as hard as she could. "You'll only get yourself in loads of trouble."
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An embarrassing hour later after the Pokemon coordinator class, the girls went back to the classroom for their next period. They looked like somebody that had sucked the life out of them as they came out of the school auditorium. Whatever happened inside for a full hour, considering the look on their faces, was somewhat horrible…at least for the two of them.
"Why wouldn't you keep your mouth shut for once?" Haruka asked sternly.
"How about you try being bragged at?" Kanata replied.
"Thanks to you I got my first zero in my first year in high school, kamo."
"Oh, now you're blaming me for that? That's just wrong, Haruka. Besides, it's not my fault that Achamo decided to roast its trainer."
"Sometimes you make me so angry I want to cry out loud, kamo!"
"Really…? Then be my guest."
A quarrel was about to erupt inside the campus grounds when all of a sudden Satoshi entered not really to mediate the fight but to say hi.
"Hey Haruka…"
"WHAT…?" The brunette girl faced Satoshi wearing an exasperated face.
"Whoa, chill." Satoshi said. "I only want to say hi, that's all."
"Oh, sorry Satoshi…" Haruka calmed down eventually. "It's just that…you…uh, have the habit of popping out of nowhere kamo."
"Does it startle you? Do you want me to give you a sign before appearing? Maybe an air horn would help."
"N-No, I didn't mean that. Besides, it's not really a bad thing or a big deal. Ha, ha, ha, ha…an air horn…"
She began thinking about the air horn thing. Perhaps it could really help her as an early warning device. But being called by an air horn especially during class hours and at home would be shocking and annoying at the same time. During class: an air horn; during lunchtime: an air horn; while doing her homework: an air horn; when picking up a call: an air horn; and not to mention while sleeping; an air horn. Upon thinking that being called by an air horn several times a day was painfully excruciating and shockingly surprising, she never thought about that option anymore.
At least a good thing came out from all of this. Haruka had completely forgotten her misery back at the Pokemon coordinator class—just by seeing and talking with Satoshi. She watched him adjust his bull cap as he entered the auditorium for his Pokemon field of choice: Pokemon battles. The usual face-reddening was only a part of what she felt after talking with her crush.
"Satoshi…" Haruka held her hands close to her heart; whispering the three words that could've changed her life if she said it to him. "I love you, kamo."
"Hello? Earth to Haruka…" Kanata waved her hand in front of her friend's infatuated look but to no avail.
"I think I've fallen for you, Satoshi." The brunette girl began talking to herself. "I wish you could hold me in your arms."
"Haruka, are you still with me? Hello? Haruka…?"
"I can see it now: me in a white wedding dress and you in a black tux. We'll walk down the aisle of love and vow everlasting love to—"
Kanata had enough of her fantasies. She played dirty as a last resort by stomping her infatuated friend's right foot with all the foot power she could muster in one strike.
"Owowowowowowowowow…!" Haruka began hopping around on her uninjured foot while easing the pain on her right one. "Kanata, what's the big idea?!"
"I hate to drag you away from your fantasy world but if we don't get going we'll be late for History class."
"Ouch…you hurt my pinky toe, kamo."
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Aside from lunchtime, nothing can be as relaxing for the students as dismissal. Unfortunately, the two girls wouldn't be able to walk together today because Kanata still had some stuff to do past dismissal time—and it involves bamboo swords. Haruka left school and went on home alone. Her pain-in-the-neck of a brother left several minutes ago just to catch up with his favorite show on TV. Inside the suburbs, she heard a familiar voice along with the voice of a Pikachu (Pikachu). The familiar voice seemed to be pleading to Pikachu.
"Come on Pikachu, just one Thunderbolt?" When Haruka decided to take a quick sneak peek, she saw Satoshi bowing down before what it seems to be his very first Pokemon.
"Pika…" Pikachu turned its head away from the pleading trainer. Obviously, it said no.
"Can't we work something out? Like a deal…?"
"Piiiika…"
"Please, Pikachu? I chose you for a reason (although I wouldn't call it a reason since you're the only Pokemon left)."
Pikachu had enough of Satoshi's constant bickering. The trainer got his wish with a Thunderbolt aimed right at him but he easily dodged it and went elsewhere…say where Haruka was standing right now. Both of them heard a shaky cry of being shocked. The brunette girl fell flat on the ground, smoking hot and all gritty.
"H-Haruka…!" Satoshi came to her aid. Pikachu looked at its once pleading trainer who is now pleading for a sign of life from somebody. Unfortunately, even the sweet voice of her love didn't even get through her head. "Come on, Haruka! Wake up!"
It was only at this point in time that Pikachu felt guilty of what it had done. So it decided to help its trainer by offering a solution on waking the princess up. Pikachu got on top of her with its limbs far apart from one another. The trainer somehow got the message…but it was ugly. Heck, Satoshi wasn't sure if Pikachu was even trying to help.
"EH? You want me to climb on top of her?" He exclaimed. "But she might get the wrong idea when she wakes up."
"Pika-pika…! Pii-pikapi…!" Rough translation: No, you've got the wrong idea! Pikachu was telling him to try waking her up.
"Well…if you say so…here goes." He put his fate on his first Pokemon and did what Pikachu seemed to tell him to do: get on top of Haruka. As soon as it was done, the brunette princess slowly opened her eyes only to see the trainer's face first. Of course, she was glad to see him; not to mention being the first thing her eyes saw. But something was wrong with the picture—definitely wrong.
"Satoshi…" Her face immediately turned as red as her bandana. "I didn't think you were…that kind of person."
"H-Haruka…" He was about to bail out but Haruka quickly grabbed his arms and placed his entire body into complete submission. Suddenly, it turned into a love scene…on the pavement.
"Tell me, Satoshi…does it feel warm, kamo? Does it feel soft, kamo?"
"Haruka, I'm really glad that you're okay. But please let go of me."
"No, I don't want to waste this chance."
"What chance?"
"The chance of love…"
Guess what happens when Kanata got a first-hand look at the live short entitled "Love on the Pavement". It was a thriller.
TO BE CONTINUED
Kamo! Trivial Trivia! #1 (SPOILER ALERT): Ayame or Dr. Abby in the Americanized series is a Pokemon doctor who specializes in massaging pressure points to completely revitalize a Pokemon out of stress or injuries inflicted in battles. Just to refresh your memory: she's the one that restored the lost voice of Haruka's Eneko (Skitty) by applying pressure at sensitive pressure points around the Pokemon. She is a Grand Festival winner and owns an Enekoro (Delcatty); #336 - Delcatty Got Your Tongue (US)/Eneko & Enekoro: Enter the Legendary Pokemon Coordinator! (JP)
Kamo! Trivial Trivia! #2: Ever wondered how Haruka got her English name which is May? The Japanese name "Haruka" (which means "far away" and similar to the name "Kanata") was narrowed down to the word "haru" which means "spring". In the northern hemisphere particularly the United States, the spring season covers the months of March, April, May, and early June. After giving it some thought (and possibly a few cheeseburgers later), the month of May was chosen as Haruka's English name. Ah spring…so sweet and tender.
Kamo! Trivial Trivia! #6: The third scene here is almost similar to Chapter 3 of "An Infatuated May: The Ridiculous Kind of Love". What are the chances of this being a coincidence?