"So those are the infamous Tech students..." Brock said into the foggy distance. Ash didn't even notice when Brock appeared - but here he was - he probably came to protect Ash and Misty in case the fight would have broken out. He was holding some kind of bowl mixing inside of it with a spatula.

"Tech students?..." Ash wondered out loud.

"Pokemon Tech!" Misty said. "I think it's short for Pokemon Technical, a school for Pokemon Trainers. I know I had a flyer here somewhere..." Misty searched her pockets. "Yeah! Here it is!" She took out a crumpled flyer and straightened it out to show it to Ash.

(A Pokemon School in the middle of nowhere?...) Ash thought to himself. Brock tok the flyer to take a look at it.

"Let's see what it says here about this place!" Brock demonstrated the flyer. It showed a photo of a three-story mansion building built in a Baroque architecture style - apparently the school building.

"Pokemon Technical Institute...A boarding school for serious Pokemon training preparations...All students guarateed to enter Pokemon League upon graduation. Pokemon Technical is the educational facility for exceptional students who want to become Pokemon Trainers in a very short time. Without having to travel on difficult badge-collecting journeys!...Oh, so that's the story!" Brock concluded.

"Getting into the Pokemon League without badges is too easy!"Ash replied.

"Wait, there's more!" Brock said. "Student entrance fees and tuition are in keeping with the highest standards set by Pokemon Technical..."

"You know what that means, don't you?" Misty said to Ash. "It's one of those snobby private schools only millionaires' kids can go to."

"OHH! That really makes me mad! WHERE IS THIS PLACE ANYWAY!?" Ash shouted in a sudden display of anger.

During all of this time, Joe, the meek Pokemon Tech student who was being bullied, was quietly standing by. He said, "It's right over there!" and pointed with his finger into a direction.

After walking for a bit and after the fog cleared up a bit, our team could finally see the school building. It was just as nice as it was on the photo. It wasn't too big, but it was certainly built with style.

"TODAY'S SPECIAL CLASS, FOG BATTLE TECHNIQUES HAS BEEN ENDED!" a feminine voice announced over the radio system. And the fog quickly completely disappeared.

(This fog was all part of a training field facility?!) Ash thought.

"TOMORROW'S LESSON WILL BE SNOW COMPETITION SECRETS!" The same radio voice announced. Ash was shocked by the announcement.

"Ugh..." Joe, sighed. "Oh well...I guess tomorrow they'll make me into a snowman again..."

"Do they treat you like this all the time?" Ash asked in discontent.

"My...friends... are just trying to help me" Joe responded.

"You call them friends!?" Ash said.

"With friends like that, who needs enemies!" Brock concluded.

"But, but...They help me learn that Pidgey evolves into Pidgeotto at level 18, learns Whirlwind at level 21, wing attack at level 31...After evolving to Pidgeot, it can fly up to 200 metres at Mach 2."

Ash was impressed by Joe's knowledge.

"I don't get it. If you knew all about it, why didn't you just answer before?" Ash asked.

"Sometimes I make-believe that i don't know all the answers to their questions because if I answer correctly right away they make the questions that much harder. But I have to stay here at Pokemon Tech. My parents work hard so that I can get an education here. You see that guy over there? " Joe pointed to a boy sitting under a tree in the near distance."He's an upperclassman senpai. The classes are so hard here, some students are held back here for many years! Everybody's too ashamed to go home without getting a diploma" The senpai Joe was referring to seemed to be a nerdy otaku guy reading a book with swirly sweaty glasses. "That guy, he's in the beginner's class with me." Joe concluded.

"You're a beginner?" Ash asked.

"Beginners have the same qualification as someone with 2 badges." Joe explained. "Intermediates - as 4, and advanced - as 6. If you graduate, you can enter the Pokemon League with having to travel to collect badges."

(What a corrupt system. But the graduates are probably skillful trainers.) Ash thought.