Tales of the Braven Region: Generation V
Academy Saga
Chapter 4: The First Exam; Test of Courage!
As expected, the dean's office looked much neater than the rest of the Academy. The floors and walls all made out of some fancy dark wood, Chad Ian had to fight the urge to stomp across the entire office. This room didn't even look like it was part of the school. When he looked around the walls, he saw various doctrines and degrees, pictures of the dean with fairly famous Trainers and politicians, and a picture with a young boy he thought looked familiar. The young boy had long black hair and a careless grin on his face as he faced the camera.
"I believe you've met my nephew already," The dean said when he saw Chad staring at the photograph. "And if you would please take off your sunglasses…" Chad stared at the dean for a minute or so in silence, making no move to take them off.
"These are my glasses," He blatantly lied. "They just have a very dark shade to them, but I need them to see." The dean shook his head for a second in disbelief, but pushed it aside. Not a lot of trainers volunteered for this position, and with the test in less than three days away, he needed everyone he could get.
Dr. Cain was a man in his mid-forties; slick black hair kept looking young with no signs of graying. He seemed to have knowledgeable eyes, but something was confusing Chad. Though he could walk perfectly fine, he always seemed to carry a cane around. Did he consider it a scepter of power of some sorts?
"Anyways, you said you had some urgent matters you needed to explain?" Dr. Cain said, trying to speed things up. Chad stared at him for a few seconds. It was hard to know what the boy was thinking.
"If I'm to accept this position, then I want to lay down some conditions," Chad finally demanded. "It doesn't concern pay, though I certainly think I'm being ripped off in that area."
"I'm listening…"
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"You've gotta be shitting me!" Vinny practically yelled out as both he and Ronald just entered his house.
"I'm serious," Ronald responded. "Sit down in that odd-looking chair. We're going to begin our quizzing session." He jerked his head to a metal chair nailed to the floor with several electrodes attached to it.
"How exactly did you get hold of an electric chair in the first place?"
"My friend's second cousin's friend's uncle's cousin gave it to me. Don't worry about it too much. They're just minor shocks, anyway. Now sit your ass down and stop wasting time!"
"Sadistic bastard…"
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The man went by the name of Manley Davidson. Though it was not his real name, he had no use for one. On the surface, he appeared as nothing more than the owner of a rising business company, but deeper inside, he was a man of much more power than wealth could ever bring. Through intimidation, violence, and respect he led a deeper underground organization. Soon enough, it seemed he would control both the legitimate side of business, and the illegal side. Yet even with all of this power, he was but a small part in a greater plot. Though this could be explained in greater detail, all of it became irrelevant when he watched the news in his office that night. The news story was about the recent dangers that involved five men breaking into a Pokemon Academy only to be restrained by local students, and then a wild Pinsir invading the school grounds the next day. As soon as the broadcast was over, Manley Davidson knew he needed to make several calls.
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"This mouse Pokemon often lives in desert or mountainous regions with little precipitation, and curls into a yellow ball when threatened." Ronald seemed to be reading from a textbook with little interest, holding his finger over a glowing red button.
"Yellow mouse Pokemon… Pikachu!" Vinny said, wanting scratch his head, but he didn't want to interfere with the electrodes attacked to his forehead.
"Wrong…" Ronald answered, pressing down on the red button. Vinny felt a burning jolt of electricity surge through his body, and after going into a convulsion, screamed out in pain. He glared angrily at the white-haired kid sitting across from him.
"You still haven't told me where you got a freaking electric chair from!" He yelled out. "And I'd also like to know why you have one in the first place!" He felt another surge of electricity once again, and Ronald realized he accidentally pressed down on the button.
"Whoops…" He muttered. "Anyways, next question; this Bug type Pokemon has two large pincers on top of its body, and is known to be highly territorial…" Vinny's head nearly clicked.
"Pinsir!" He practically yelled out. "That one was easy, considering the late events!" Just then, he felt another shock.
"Huh? You got that one right? Sorry, just pressing out of habit…"
"That hurts, you bastard! And is all this really necessary?"
"Who knows?" Ronald replied rhetorically. Actually, no, it's probably not…"
"I hate you so much right now…"
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And for Friday and Saturday this process repeated itself. Though Vinny showed very little improvement, the electricity was going to fry his brain so much that he wouldn't be able to use it for the test if he kept it up. Thus, Ronald decided to let Sunday be a day rest. Vinny figured he would take this day to visit everyone. According to Ronald, Kelsey lived closest so he figured he'd head over there first.
"Seriously, though," Vinny turned to Ronald as they were walking. "Where and why did you get the electric chair?"
"I bought it online, because I accidentally bid on the wrong object. I was originally intending to purchase an electric cattle-prod, but I guess something went wrong."
"Maybe your head, for starters…" Vinny muttered quietly. If Ronald heard it, he didn't seem to care. Ronald seemed to be looking towards something, and Vinny heard a jingle and saw a little girl with a pink helmet and bicycle head right towards them.
"Vinny! Little Whitey!" Kelly cried out speeding up and skidding her bike to a stop right before Vinny.
"What did she just call me…?!" Ronald said, starting to shake with anger. Vinny put his hand out to tell him to cool down.
"Well hello you little squirt!" Vinny said with a surprisingly gently tone. He patted her helmet a couple of times. "Is your sis home right now? I figured I'd pay her a visit!" Kelly shook her head, looked around for a bit, and seemed to point in another direction.
"Kelsey went to her friend's house. It's a couple blocks down, but you'll see the house 'cause it's a big white house!"
A big white house… Gee, could you be any more specific? Vinny thought to himself, but instead answered with a smile.
"Well, we're going to get going, then!" He exclaimed. He stepped back and waved before turning around and walking in the general direction she pointed.
"Did she just call me 'little whitey'…!?" Ronald hissed, turning around to go with Vinny. "Someday I'll make her pay for that…"
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"Hey, it's already one in the afternoon... GET UP!!!" Holding a pan full of ice water, Derek promptly poured it on top of his father.
"GYAAAAH!" He suddenly screamed. Needless to say, he was awake. "That's c-c-cold!"
"Don't you have a job to do today?" Derek asked, somewhat irritated at his father's lack of responsibility. Honestly, it was supposed to be the other way around! Jonathan blinked a couple of times while looking at his son.
"I… do?" He asked. Then something lit up in his eyes. "That's right! I'm supposed to be a mentor a kid for school today!" Derek slapped his forehead.
"You're mentoring? Who's the unlucky brat?" He replied sarcastically. He just couldn't see his father teaching anyone anything. He looked at his father, only to see serious eyes glaring back.
"You." Derek shivered at the thought of his father teaching him about being a trainer, but was also shocked on how this goofy man was suddenly serious. "I want to know this, though. Why do you want to become a Pokemon Trainer? Is it for yourself, or are you doing this for others?" Derek had to stop and think about this question. It wasn't really something he thought about often.
"Probably… both," He answered carefully. "I'm probably doing this to help my friends, but… it kind of feels natural… you know?" He wasn't sure how to put it. "I guess I just don't see myself working in a cubicle or sitting in office all day long!" He looked back at his father, and his eyes lightened up a bit. After Jonathan gave a hearty laugh, he came over and patted his son on the back.
"Gah! Hey! That hurts! Quit it! Cut it out!"
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"Big… white… house…" Vinny gasped, through the front gates.
"Mansion, more like it," Ronald answered, probably as surprised as Vinny was. The two looked at the monstrosity before them, a giant building that seemed to make them seem like ants.
"So, how many people you think work there?" Vinny asked, having to turn his head to look at the entire building.
"Not too sure…" Ronald replied. "Maybe ten butlers, fifteen maids, ten cooks, and fifty people pretending to work?"
"Wouldn't doubt it…" Vinny replied. The two heard a beeping sound, and a voice suddenly emerged out of a speaker on the black metal gate.
"Excuse me, but you two young gentleman please explain your business. Remember, if you're salesman, we do have snipers on the roof." The speaker produced a snobby British accent.
"Talk about a friendly greeting…" Vinny muttered, walking right in front of the speaker. "Um… we're friends of…" He suddenly felt a tap on the shoulder. He looked back towards Ronald. He pointed towards a button on the speaker.
"You've got to press down the button to speak," He said, almost impatiently.
"Well excuse me for not knowing how to speak to a mansion," He snapped. He pressed down on the button so hard his thumb became white. "We're friends of Allison and Kelsey, and in their study group for tomorrow's big test. We figured we'd just check up on them and see how they're doing…" He let go of the button.
"Very well. Please let me confirm this." After about five minutes of standing around and waiting, they heard a buzz, and the gates began to open.
"You have been granted permission to enter," The voice came back on. "I will meet you at the front gate, but please refrain from improper conduct and acts of delinquency."
As the two walked forward, Vinny looked towards Ronald in confusion. Ronald replied by shaking his head angrily and walking forward.
"He means, don't act like an asshole," He answered. The two kept on walking through the scenic yard, and eventually saw a man in a white dress shirt, black vest, and black dress pants. He had slicked back black hair, and a thin mustache.
"Greetings, young sirs, I will lead you to the young master and her guests. They're currently studying right now, so if you would please be so kind as to not disturb the young master's focus. I'm afraid she has enough trouble… concentrating as it is,"
"Yeah, well, I know a great teacher that might be able to help her out with that problem," Vinny replied sarcastically, nudging Ronald as they walked through hallways of various pieces of art, polished dark brown wooden walls. "She'd be in for a shocking experience…"
"Once again you prove to be unfunny," Ronald said, batting Vinny's arm away. "How much longer is this stroll gonna take us? And who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Frank, but you may call me Wetherbee," he answered. "And to answer your next question, yes, my accent is fake. But you have to at least fake one to be hired as a butler in these parts."
"Oddly enough, I didn't think of that question…" Vinny whispered to Ronald.
"Touchy subject, maybe?" He replied. Wetherbee stopped at a door that would have been completely camouflaged if it weren't for the brass doorknob sticking out. After Wetherbee gently knocked, Vinny quickly opened up the door and walked in.
"Yo!" He said, greeted in casually, much to Wetherbee's dismay. The difference between the hallway and Alli's room made Vinny's eyes cramp for a second. The large room had faded pink walls, posters of various pop culture-related trends, the largest bedpost Vinny has ever seen, nearly filled with pillows. Vinny looked for the others, and saw Kelsey off in a corner sulking, Alli trying to console her, and also Thomas standing over her bed holding a piece of string while a slightly fattened up Meowth tried to reach up and grab it. He seemed completely oblivious to the dilemma going on in the corner. He looked over at Vinny, waved, and the Meowth took advantage by jumping up and grabbing the string out from Thomas's grip.
"Hi…" Kelsey grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Why is she so grumpy?"
"Um…" Alli tried to begin. "Kelsey suggested that I invite everyone here to do some last minute studying, but Derek said he couldn't make it, I couldn't get a hold of you two, and even though Thomas came over…"
"He's too busy playing with that stupid cat!" Kelsey finished, pointing angrily at Thomas. He simply gave a gentle smile in return. "This is why I hate carefree people…"
"Actually, I just came over because I wanted to see the insides of this place!" Thomas admitted. "Studying's just not my kind of thing, so I kind of figured I'd just wing the exam!" Vinny nodded knowingly, wanting to have done the same exact thing.
"And watch him get the highest grade in the class…" Ronald said, finally stepping into the room. "Well, actually, he'd get the second highest…" Wetherbee gave a slight bow, and closed the door.
"Um… Thank you…" Alli tried to say before it closed. Realizing the failure, she let out a sigh.
"If you want to thank a servant of some sort, try raising his pay," Ronald stated.
"Mom and dad don't really come to the Kanto region often, so it's normally just me Mr. Frank here…" Seeing the confusion amongst the boys' faces, she decided to explain. "Oh, my father is the head of a Pokemon Production Company in the Sinnoh Region, and my mother is currently the Region Representative of Sinnoh. We used to live in Sinnoh, but the Academy here is supposedly the safest in the World, so…"
"They haven't exactly been watching the news lately, have they?" Ronald replied smugly. "Robbers, wild Pokemon attacks?" Then something seemed to bother him. "What I want to know is why the spoiled daughter of a politician and businessman would want to adventure out into the wild, traveling from place to place despite the dangers of the wild," The question threw her off guard, and she seemed to think hard about it.
"It's not polite to pry about in people's business like that!" Kelsey remarked, and Ronald shrugged.
"And I want to know why the daughter of two of the Johto Region's top researchers wants to do the same,"
"Like I'd tell you…" Kelsey replied. Thomas seemed to laugh at this.
"Well, actually, I'm a little curious about this myself!" He remarked. "How about we all say why we want to adventure and our goals when we do?" He looked down at the white carpeted floor, petted the overweight Meowth, and looked back up with an oddly serious expression.
"My ancestor's built this Academy to make sure the best Trainers came out from the Kanto Region, and it's been sort of a family tradition to uphold," The fire in his eyes seemed to shock everyone in the room. There weren't many things that Thomas lost his smile about. "And since I'm no good at taking care of an old run-down school like my uncle, I'd show the results by showing the world that the best Trainer in the world came from Kanto." He jerked his thumb towards himself, and finished it off by returning his gentle smile. "Well, who's next?"
"I won't go into details…" Ronald glanced at Alli for a second. "But my father and grandfather were some of the best Trainers to come out of Snowpoint City in the Sinnoh Region. They have high expectations of me, but since I wanted to journey for my own reasons, I ditched them and enrolled here. As for goals…" He grunted for a second. "Nope. Not sure I have them…" The four sighed at the very end. No one seemed to speak up for several minutes, and the silence in between was only interrupted by the Meowth's yawning.
"I want to become a Pokemon Researcher, like my mother and father, but there's a different between reading about experiences and experiencing them firsthand." Kelsey finally stated. "As far as goals go, I already said I wanted to be a researcher." She felt that she said enough, not fully understanding why they were even talking about this. Shouldn't they be worrying more about becoming Trainers before they start assuming they'll already pass the exam!
"Umm… I guess I just want to go out and see the world, explore, and raise Pokemon, of course…" Alli gasped, as if it took a considerable amount of effort to even open her mouth. "I, uh… haven't really thought of want I want to accomplish… I just want to do my best…" Talking about herself wasn't something Alli was proficient in, so she was obviously uncomfortable; especially around three guys she barely even knew. Alli, Kelsey, Ronald, and Thomas all looked at Vinny. As if on cue, Vinny spoke with no hesitation.
"For the action, of course!" He replied with a smirk. The four simply continued staring. "Do I really seem like the type of guy that would hang around this boring place? I'll travel from place to place, living the excitement of ten people, and making the memories of twenty!"
Figured he'd say something like that… Ronald thought with a smirk.
I bet he was planning that entire speech from the start… Kelsey thought with a grim expression. I also bet he was planning to go last like that…
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I own only my original characters. Haha, you thought I forgot, didn't you… What!? You actually did!?
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Monday. This was finally the time that the entire class had waited three years for. Armed with only a pencil, the students took their seats in class, everyone too nervous to chatter.
That old man of mine… Some mentoring he did. All he really did was brag about the days when he was a Trainer… Derek sighed as he tried to get these thoughts out of his head. Fascinating as they were… I've got to get my head in the game! He stared at his pencil sitting in the center of his desk, and cracked his knuckles, a habit he learned from his father to ease the tension.
With only a hundred points on this test, it should only take me about thirty minutes or so… So I'll challenge myself and finish in twenty! Kelsey thought to herself. She felt that there was no way that she'd fail this test. Kelsey crossed he arms, tapping her finger impatiently.
Well, looks like today's the day! I wonder what kind of Pokemon I'll get as a starter. Perfectly calm, Thomas was already planning ahead. He leaned back in his seat, looking up at the ceiling while holding his pencil between his nose and upper lip.
This is the worst… I can't remember a single thing! Maybe I should have studied so hard after all… But I just can't study hard like Kelsey can! I've gotta be calm… I've gotta be calm… I've gotta be calm… THIS IS THE WORST!!! Not so calm, these thoughts swirled around under Alli's usual demeanor. Sitting up straight and hands resting on her desk, she wanted to pull out her hair instead.
It's time to find out whether Ronald's torture actually paid off for my studies, or if he's just a sick bastard… Vinny thought with a grin. He then dropped the grin as he thought of something. I should take this a little more seriously… Czar still hasn't woken up yet, but I'm gonna make sure that I pass this test!
With Chad Ian here… The thugs' appearance wasn't a coincidence. But to think that the wild Pokemon attack the very next day… No, I'm getting to be too paranoid. Sometimes these things just happen. Chad didn't have very much information to offer me, either. Was this just something thought up by those goons, or was this a coordinated assault? Either way, this isn't the very end. Before the exam ends, I need to find out a bit more. Ronald leaned his face on his hand, looking out the window. While it seemed he was just patiently waiting for the test, in actuality he really couldn't care less about the test. There was no possibility that he couldn't score a perfect hundred. Bastard's probably not telling me everything, either. Can he really be trusted? Ronald's eyes then shifted towards Levin walking into the room with a handful of papers. Following him were four young men, around the class's age, with perhaps a couple years on them.
The first was none other than Chad Ian. Actually turning his head to make sure the six knew he was looking at them.
"Everyone, these are the proctors for this year's exam," Levin explained. "Would you four please be so kind to introduce yourself-"
"Chad Ian," Chad interrupted. He placed his hands in his pockets, and through his general demeanor you could tell he had no desire to be here doing this. What's more, entirely clad in black and the only person with sunglasses on, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He hated attracting attention. The man next to Chad then stepped forward.
"My name is Van," He explained, flicking his long, blond hair that practically sparkled. "Van Fare." Dressed in a lavender dress shirt and pants, he also held a matching coat over his shoulder. His bright blue eyes scanned the students in the room, specifically the females. Not a bad batch this year, though some could definitely use some improvement… The girls in the room had a mutual feeling about him. He stepped back, and cringed as the person next to him practically yelled out his name.
"My name is Harry Williams!" He said, his face completely nervous. It seemed that Chad wasn't the only that hated attention. He had short, spike brown hair with a red headband covering his forehead. His eyes were a dull brown, and he wore blue jeans, a red t-shirt and a royal blue vest. "Very pleased to meet you!" This person seemed incredibly average. So average, in fact, that the entire class practically forgot his name when he was finished speaking.
Dressed in a gray hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants, the fourth raised his fist into the air. He had spiky black hair and hazel green eyes. "I like Fighting!" He yelled out. Van and Harry took a step away from the strange person. The person in gray looked at them as if they were weird, and something clicked in his head. "Oh! I like Fighting Pokemon! I like the Fighting type! In short, I like fighting Fighting Pokemon!" And oddly enough, he didn't give out his name…
"Um… yes…" Levid looked rather uncomfortable with this years cast of proctors. These guys were the best proctors the Dean could find? I'm thinking maybe he should get a psych evaluation. Along with these weirdos… "Well, I'm going to pass out your test now…"
"And don't forget to write your name down on the test!" Ironically, this was the one that forgot to give his name…
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Something's wrong here… Vinny thought to himself while tapping his pencil on his desk. The first ten questions have passed by, and I've been able to answer them all. Keep this up, and… He read the eleventh question. "The fastest Pidgeot recorded was able to break the sound barrier at full speed. Assuming the Pidgeot is using a standard Quick Attack; predict the approximate damage it would inflict if it fully connected with an enemy Haunter." Wait… He remembered when his virtual Machop used Mega Punch on Ronald's Froslass. Scribbling down the answer to the trick question, he had a slight smile on his face. I guess you really DO learn from your mistakes! Upon reading question twelve, however, his smile quickly faded. "Plusle and Minun are known for their effectiveness in Double Battles. Taking Loudred's individual characteristics in mind, name one way that an individual Loudred could disrupt Plusle and Minun's mutual power boost." And what was a Loudred again…?
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Flipping her test over, Kelsey placed her pencil on the back of her test. She looked at the clock in the room and grumbled. Twenty-three minutes to complete the test. Standing up, she walked to the front of the room to turn her test in. On her way, she checked up on how the others were doing. Vinny was scratching his head furiously, the eraser on his pencil nearly gone. Derek seemed to be taking the thing calmly, but it looked like he was only on the first few questions. Alli and Thomas were too far away to take a glance at, and when she looked towards Ronald… he wasn't there.
He finished that fast!? She thought as she turned her test into Levid's desk.
"Please proceed to room 209," Levid whispered. "Your proctor for the second and third part will give you instructions soon." She nodded, and exited the room. She took a left, and headed three doors down to her respective room. She opened the door, and immediately heard Ronald's voice. It seemed that he was quite upset about something. She decided to listen in what was going on instead of interrupting.
"Monday night you show up, as well as those thugs' attempted break-in. After they set off the overnight security system, they run away and plan to infiltrate the Academy the next day. On Tuesday you come to the Academy because you were offered this position, and conveniently stay on the rooftop for the day. By the time you take down one thug, the police arrive and you escape. Am I right so far?"
"And on Wednesday I'm repeating the same actions as the day before. You aren't going to accuse me of setting up that Pinsir attack and solving it just to win the trust of the students, are you?"
"I wouldn't put it below you, if that's what you're implying." Kelsey stepped at that time. Chad and Ronald were staring each other down, a flicker of utter hatred in Ronald's eyes. She could only guess that Chad had the same feelings for Ronald. They finally noticed her, and then they looked back at each other.
"You catch that baseball game last night?" Ronald finally asked. Chad nodded as if he understood.
"Yeah. Looks like my team lost again. It's a shame, too. I placed some money on them last night…"
"You really should stop taking such gambles, or you could end up in trouble…" If this was some sort of elaborate code they were now talking in, Kelsey sure couldn't understand it. But she understood that something was going on between them. But she had a feeling they wouldn't tell her even if she asked.
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The next person to walk into room 209 was surprisingly enough, Thomas. Walking in with a confident smile on his face he waved to Kelsey, Ronald, and Chad.
"Hey! Looks like the two of you breezed through it pretty quickly! I guessed for about half of the questions, but that test didn't seem as hard as it sounded!"
"Obviously," Kelsey and Ronald said in unison. The banter seemed to grate Chad's nerves.
"Oh? You're in charge of the rest of our exam?" He then asked. "What are the odds?" Chad merely shrugged.
"Small world," He answered quickly. Thomas gave a slight yawn, and sat down in a vacant seat in the empty classroom.
"Well, I wonder how long it's gonna take the others…"
"How much longer will the test take?" Ronald asked rhetorically.
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With only five minutes to spare, Vinny turned his test into Mr. Levid.
"Room 209," Levid simply stated. "Three doors down to your left. Try not to get lost."
"Go to hell," Vinny muttered under his breath as he walked out the door and towards the room. Opening the door, he found Thomas saying something and laughing a little afterward. Kelsey seemed a little put out by it, and both Ronald and Chad stayed silent. It seemed both of them were incapable of laughing.
"Well, nice to meet you, um… Ian, was it?" Chad seemed to give him a glance of anger, and Vinny decided to back off. This guy has less patience than Ronald…
"So how'd you do?" Thomas asked, "Personally, I thought that the test wasn't all that bad. Definitely not worth studying an entire week for!"
"Shut it…" Kelsey replied, trying to hold back an explosion of anger. It seemed that she somewhat agreed with Thomas, however.
"Easy for you to say…" Vinny replied, scratching the back of his head. "I was doing good the first few questions, but I blanked out for the rest…" It was then that they heard some shuffling down the hallways. The test was finished, and students were forced to leave. Among the group of eight or so students, Alli and Derek proceeded over towards room 209. Both looked fairly dissatisfied, though there reasons couldn't be anymore different.
"Well, looks like I wasn't able to quadruple-check my test after all," Derek confessed with a slight smile. "But overall, I felt that I did pretty well!"
"I still had three questions to go…" Alli admitted "But… I… uh… check my questions after I answer them, so I'm sure that everything will work itself out! Only three questions, right?" Derek and Alli noticed the proctor, simply staring at them like he was waiting for them to shut up. He looked over at Alli with faint recognition, but couldn't quite place where he saw her before.
This is horrible… He totally recognizes me being rude to him last week! And this guy definitely looks like the type to hold a grudge… But the fact that I can't see his eyes completely creeps me out…! Amidst these thoughts, Alli gave a gentle smile as greetings. Chad seemed to ignore it completely.
"Everyone's here, right?" He counted the group and nodded. "Be at the Viridian Park South entrance at noon tomorrow. I'm not giving you any of my food, so eat your lunch beforehand. Goodbye." He promptly walked past the group, and walked out of the room.
"That was… rather rude," Derek exclaimed, still staring at the door.
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"So what did you think you got on the test?" Vinny asked, walking on the sidewalk with his hands behind his head. His backpack was much heavier than usual, and walking that way was the most comfortable.
"A perfect score, of course," Kelsey replied. "What about you?"
"I wonder…" Vinny replied. "I did the best I could, but I actually have to admit that if it weren't for Ronald's drastic methods, I probably would have done much worse…" He shrugged the horrifying experience off. "So tomorrow's the day we get to see our Starter Pokemon, huh?"
"Yeah," She replied. "And you get to keep it if you pass this exam… And you have to capture another Pokemon, too. I've never done that before, so I wonder what it's like," She looked at Vinny's bag. "By the way, why are you following me home? And what's with the bag? Don't think you're staying at my place just because it's close-"
"Relax!" Vinny said with his hands up. "I'm going to stay overnight at the Pokemon Center to see Czar, plus it's a lot closer to Viridian Park," He took a few steps back, getting ready to cross the street. After he crossed, he broke out into a run.
"If he's awake, I'll tell Czar that you said 'hi'!" He yelled out as he ran off. Kelsey resumed walking home, shaking her head.
"All you had to do was just ask…" She muttered under her breath. "Idiot…"
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"Good morning!" Vinny said cheerfully, despite the current conditions. Several nurses told him to quiet down, and he simply waved him off. Lying on a hospital bed was a Charmander with a cup much like the one he had to cover his flame.
Though he was still unconscious, Czar's recovery was going along relatively swell. Though it wasn't quite normal size yet, the flame on the tip of tail was only getting larger, and most of his minor injuries were already healed. There was still the injury in his gut concerning when the Pinsir thrust his horn right into Czar, but though there would be a scar, it wasn't life-threatening at all. The doctors told Vinny that he'd probably be unconscious until his tail flame was at normal size. Since it reflected his life force, Czar's body was pretty much shut down in order to restore the flame.
"Well, I'm gonna head out for the second part of my exam. Wish me luck!" Just as quickly as he entered, he exited the room.
"Char…" Czar replied after he left. No one knew if he actually responded to Vinny, or he was just talking in his sleep.
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"Well, who looks like the little panda today?" Ronald had to restrain himself not to punch Thomas. Ronald, Thomas, Alli, Kelsey, Vinny, and Derek were all waiting for Chad to arrive. Even though there was still ten minutes before he was late for the time he set himself, they were concerned for his lack of punctuality. Even so, it meant that Ronald had to endure the others for ten more minutes.
"Shut it!" He snapped back, closing his eyes to block off the others. It only revealed near black skin around the eyes. Thomas's depiction of "panda" was fairly accurate. "I didn't take any naps at all yesterday, so I'm a little tired! Sleep deprivation affects me a lot worse than you guys, so be quiet!"
"Oh, sorry!" Thomas said, stepping back to avoid confrontation. It was just then that he saw Chad walking towards them holding a small box. Beside him, his Eevee was trotting along happily. To the furry Normal type, it was just a walk in the park.
Halfway in between Pallet City and Viridian City, was Viridian Park, formerly known as Route 1. Since most people passing in between the two cities weren't Trainers, they cleared the area of all the tall grass and built a Pokemon and human-friendly park. The South entrance was the entrance nearest to Pallet City. Passing by everyone in the group, Chad set the small box on a bench, and Eevee jumped on top of it, as if guarding its contents.
"These are your Starter Pokemon," He explained. "I had them all in order to give to the correct person, but they got mixed up when I dropped it. So you're probably not going to get the right Pokemon you were supposed to. Doesn't matter, though." The six simply stared at him, confounded by his actions and little speech. Chad paid it no mind. "Anyways, I'm not supposed to say this, but there's a little announcement to make before I pass out these Pokemon. I took a look at your test scores, and it looks like two of you failed the first part of the exam."
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Preview:
Vinny: Hey, you're that "bastard from Chapter 3!
"Bastard": I have a name, you know. It's…
Vinny: What are you doing showing up in another Chapter? Aren't you an unimportant character?
"Bastard": I'm out to capture the Pokemon that ripped off that one Pinsir's horn…
Vinny: …!
"Bastard": Next time on Generation V…
Chad: Shut up, Bastard! You're not allowed in this section! Next time on Generation V: Crossed Paths
"Bastard: Miss it or…
Chad: I SAID SHUT UP!!!
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Author's Notes: And thus the fourth chapter is here. Well, you'll get to see everyone's Starter Pokemon in the next Chapter. Unfortunately, it could take me a couple of weeks to write it due to writer's block and life situations. Anyways, that's all for this section. Anywho, levels!
Chad's Eevee: Not yet, my friend. Not yet.
And that's all for this Chapter. Hope to seeya next time!