Chapter 11: School of Bones

Inside the studio's room, KW is seen sitting in his chair with his arms crossed on top of the desk, as well as his head on top of his arms. His expression showed that he was down right bored.

KW: ...*Sighs*...

Not even noticing, Dark walks into the room with a cup of coffee in his hands as he takes a seat next to him.

Dark: Hey KW.

KW: Hey...

Dark: What's up?

KW: Nothing...

Dark: ...Okay, something tells me that you got into a fight or something.

KW: It's not that...

Dark: Then what is it?

KW: *Picks up his head slightly as he closes his eyes* I'M BOOORED!

Dark: ...Seriously? That's your problem..boredom?

KW: I know, right?! There's nothing for me to do at this point!

Dark: ...Okay, since you're, and I quote, "obviously" not gonna do it, I'll start us off.

KW: I don't care...*Sighs*

Dark: *Sighs in annoyance* Geez o' crimony...Well viewers, I hope you all enjoy this next part of the chapter that we have provided for you. I know things are running a bit slow lately, but that's because of real life issues to deal with. But enough of that! Hopefully you all have a wonderful day/night and please continue to give us reviews, favs or follows. And also, I would like to give thanks to those who have reviewed this so far. We really appreciate your thoughts. Disclaimer, call it like you know it!

Disclaimer: KW does not own Pokemon, but if he did, he would perhaps change a majority of the recent seasons so far. However, he does own his OC characters. Also, this chapter was inspired by the Pokemon anime episode "The School of Hard Knocks!".

Two days ago, excitement was in the air. On the day Kidan, Cealy and Sora had arrived to Cerulean City, a few events had taken place. First, both Cealy and Sora had already made plans to do stuff in Cerulean, in turn, Kidan felt annoyed by, considering that they hadn't even told him about it. So splitting up, Sora went to Cerulean City marketplace for supplies as Cealy went to Cerulean Cape to meet up with her cousin, Misty Waterflower, the Cerulean City Gym Leader. As for Kidan, he decided to visit the gym to learn about who they would be facing against, only to challenge the gym before them. Finding out that the Sensational Sisters, Lily, Violet and Daisy, who were all gym leaders, didn't have any Pokemon to use, they intended on giving him the badge without a battle.

But before he could accept it, only because there was no other option, Cealy and Misty intervene at the last minute. As Misty finds out that Kidan, the boy who Cealy had a crush on for years, and after some introductions and off-based flirting took place, Cealy became enraged and challenged Misty first for the badge. As the battle started, Misty chose Staryu to start with while Cealy chose to use Spree, her Venomoth she was given to by Kidan, to get off strong. But sadly, Spree was unable to beat Staryu and fainted in the end. On the second round, Cealy chose her starter, Bulb, her Bulbasaur, to finish off Staryu, giving her the second round win. But when the last round started, Misty had chosen her Starmie, the evolution of Staryu, as Bulb was no match against it after learning that Starmie was able to heal itself with it's Natural Cur ability, making it immune to Bulb's PosionPowder. When Cealy felt like she failed and had given up all hope, Kidan shouted out some encoruagement to her. Gaining back her confidence and determinaton, Bulb was able to defeat Starmie after precise timing and strategizing. In the end, Cealy was declared the winner and received the Cascade Badge.

On the next day, it was Kidan's turn to face Misty, and boy was it tough. Kidan knew that Char was no match against any of Misty's Pokemon, so he chose to use Slice, his Scyther, and his newly caught Poli, his Poliwag. Using Poli first against Staryu, it ended in a draw after both Pokemon knocked each other out with Rapid Spin and DoubleSlap. The real challenge really began as Slice was up against Misty's Starmie, which Slice had a big hunch that he was the one to face it. Even though both sides were evenly matched, the battle ended after Scyther used a combo of Pursuit and Cut attack, earning the win and the badge. And, for an added bonus, Misty gave him a hug for his accomplishment, in turn, Cealy, once again, became jealous as Sora just snickered, earning a hard hit from Cealy in the back of the head.

On the third day, the last match was against Sora and Misty, which Sora had already planned on who to use. He started off using Eevee, which he was willing to train her for the gyms. But just like Kidan, both Eevee and Staryu both fainted after using Swift and Water Gun. But what suprised everyone was Sora's next Pokemon. When Starmie was called to the field, Sora called out his secret weapon, Nidorina, the evolved form of Nidoran (F). Not expecting what would happen, Nidorina was able to take the win after using countless attacks of Poison Stings and Scratch attacks, causing Starmie to keep healing itself everytime. In the end, he was given the Cascade Badge as well, meaning that they had each finally received their second badges.

Figuring out where to go next, Misty suggested to head to Vermillion City to face against a man named Lt. Surge, who specializes with Electric-type Pokemon. After exhanging farewells, and with Misty giving Cealy some advise and tips, they left Cerulean City amd made their way to Vermillion City to earn their third badge.

Now, our heroes continue their journey to Vermillion as they make their way through the woods in a big pitch blinding fog.

"You had to get us lost, didn't you, Sora?" Cealy asked him annoyed.

"Hey!" Sora retorted. "I was following what the map said! I didn't know it was gonna get us lost!"

"Sora, if you were following what the map said, we wouldn't be lost in the first place!" Kidan yelled him.

"Well, think of this as payback for going to face the gym without me," Sora stated. He stiil felt a bit annoyed that they had gone to the gym and faced Misty without him. So he guessed that they were even now, considering that he did indeed get them lost. But he wouldn't admit that to them.

"Well, I suggest we take a little break. This fog doesn't look like it gonna leave anytime soon," Kidan suggested, looking around him and seeing nothing but fog. "If we keep going, we'll definitely be lost for sure.

"I like that idea. My legs are killing me anyways," Cealy agreed, feeling her legs getting sore and ache from walking for several hours.

"Well let's set up camp here then. I'll start cooking us some food, but I'll need one of you guys to get some firewood to get it started," Sora suggested to them both.

"I'll go and look for some with Slice. It'll be easier since he can use Cut attack on any large branches," Kidan offered as he pulls out his Pokeball and releases Slice from inside. "Come on, Slice, let's get some wood."

Nodding, Slice follows Kidan form behidn as they made their way throught he fog into the woods.

"Do you think he'll get lost, Sora?" Cealy asked him a bit concerned.

"Nah, I think he'll be fine. Considering that he had Slice, I'm sure he'll be okay," Sora assured her as he focused his attention to making their lunch.

Though, even if Sora was right, she couldn't help but feel worried that he'll get himself lost in the fog. She can remember that he had gotten lost in the woods like this one a few times when they were little kids. And, from all those times, it was always covered in thick fog. The worse thing was that she was always the one to get them both lost at that time, which was up to Kidan to protect her and help her out of the woods. But now, hoping for the best, she walks over to Sora to give him a hand.

"Hmm...see any firewood yet, Slice?"

'No...nothing,' Slice sighed in disappointment.

"Man. You would think that it would easy to find some loose wood when your inside the woods," Kidan half-joked.

'No kidding,' he agreed. As they began to lose hope in finding anything, Slice spots a bright light up ahead from inside the fog. 'Hey, Kidan! Check that out!'

"Hm?" Kidan looks closely to what Slice was talking about. As he spots the light, his hopes begins to rise. "Hey, its some type of light source! I wonder if it's a fire?"

Hoping he was right, Kidan and Slice both nodded at each other as they started to approach the light source as it got brighter and brighter from each step they took.

"Alright, what's the name of this one?" a green haired boy asked as he shows a picture of a Pokemon to a blonde haired boy, who was running on a tredmill, exhausted.

"Is it a Zubat?" the blonde haired boy on the tredmill asked them.

"Just because its foggy out here, doesn't mean you're brain doesn't have to be a log," the blue haired boy picked on him.

Taking a moment to think, the blonde haired boy responds, "it's a Pidgy!"

"Nice guess, you just got lucky," a boy with orange hair replied.

"Okay, now tell us it's special attack is," the green haired boy asked him.

"Uh...P-Pidgey's attack is Gust, at level five, Sand-Attack at level twelve-" the blonde haired boy started to reply.

"Everybody knows that. Now, can't you just tell us which level Pidgey evolves, and what is the name of Pidgey's next stage?" The orange haired boy asked him smirking.

"Umm..."

"Better come up with the answers quick, or you'll have to run faster," the green haired boy told him.

"Uhh..."

The blonde haired boy couldn't think straight. The tredmill he was running on was causing him to be exhausted. He could see that all the other five boys, two who had brown-reddish hair and long black hair, staring at him, waiting him to answer the two questions that he was given. But, before he knew it, he tripped and fell to the ground hard.

"I-I'm sorry...I forgot," the blonde haired boy sighed in defeat, in turn, the others just sighed.

"You forgot. Huh...and you call yourself a Pokemon tech student? We don't want to study with someone like you," the brown-reddish haired boy told him.

"I'm sorry," the blonde haired boy bowed his head in shame.

"HEY!" Leave that kid alone!" Kidan shouted as he ran up to them with Slice following close behind. "What's going on here?"

"There's nothing going on here," the brown-reddish haired boy said to him. "Mind your own business. This is a private training section."

"There's no room in our Pokemon school for losers who don't even know Pidgey's next evolve stage. We have to maintain standards," the green haired boy continued.

"Okay, I don't have any idea what school it is your in, but if this is how you treat others, then I have to say that the standards you all maintain are very low," Kidan stated with his eyes narrowed at them. "This isn't how you should treat others like this, even if you're helping him study!"

"That's right Kidan, you tell them!" a teenage girl's voice exclaimed.

Turning around in suprise, he finds Cealy glaring at the other boys. "Cealy?"

"You need to stop bullying that kid or you'll have to answer to us! Right, Kidan?" Cealy sternly asked.

"That's right! If you're gonna bully this kid, then you'll have to go up against me first!" Kidan exclaimed.

"We don't fight," the brown-reddish haired boy cooly replied.

"Fighting is for cave men," the green haired boy continued. "This isn't the stone age, you know."

"And if we waisted our time having a fight with a little insect like you, it'll make Pokemon tech school look really bad," the long black haired boy finished.

The green haired boy approached both Kidan and the blonde haired kid as both Kidan and Slice got into their fighting stances. "We'll see you back at the tech school, Joe."

"Okay," Joe simply replied.

"Come on guys, let's get out of here and leave this washed-up kid and his bug behind," the brown-reddish haired boy stated as they all laughed, walking away into the fog.

"Who do those guys think they are, anyway?" Kidan growled angrily.

"So their the infamous tech students, huh?" Sora appeared from the fog and approached next to the others.

"Tech students? Never heard of them," Kidan replied confused.

"I believe tech is short for Pokemon Technical School for Pokemon trainers, like us," Cealy pointed out. "I think I have that somewhere..."

Digging into her pockets, she finally finds what she was looking for, pulling it out of her pocket. "Ah! Here it is!"

"There's a Pokemon school in the middle of nowhere?" Kidan deadpanned. "That's seems highly unlikely."

"Mind if I take a look, Cealy?" Sora asked.

Nodding, she hands the piece of paper to Sora as he starts reading it out loud to them. "Let's see...it says; 'Pokemon Technical Institute, a boarding school for serious Pokemon trainer preperation. All students are guranteed to enter the Pokemon League upon graduation. Pokemon Technical is the educational facility for acceptional students who want to become trainers in a very short time, without having to travel for difficult badges on their journeys.' Huh, so that's that story."

"In my opinion, getting into the Pokemon League without facing gym leaders for badges seems too easy. It doesn't show that you've trained your Pokemon to what they are and not having the time to bond with them," Kidan replied, disliking the school already as it is.

"Wait, there's more!" Sora said reading more from the paper article. "'Student entry fees and intuition are key to the highest standards sent by the Pokemon Technical Institute board.'"

"You know what that means, don't you?" Cealy asked Kidan. "It means that it's entirely a private school for only millionaire kids can go into."

That part really made Kidan angry. Sure, he doesn't like the idea that kids can get into the league without having to battle against the gym leaders, but just being for kids who are millionaires? He wouldn't stand for it. "Oh, that makes me mad! A school only for millionaire kids can only get into? What does that leave for those who aren't even rich? That they're weak and not worthy to try? I don't like that at all! Where is this school anyhow?!"

"It's right over there," Joe pointed over towards the fog as it begins to fade away. The fog fades away as the area is shown to reveal the Pokemon Technical Institute School, a large brick building that was abotu three stories high, with other building attached to it on the left side. On the right, there was a large pool area along with a tennis court beside it.

'Today's special class, Fog Battle Technic, has now ended. Tomorrow's lesson will be the Snow Competition's Secrets," a announcement was heard out loud through the school speakers.

"Oh well," Joe sighed in disappointment. "I guess tomorrow will be where they make me into a snow man again."

"Do they really treat like that all the time?" Kidan asked with annoyance in his tone.

"My friends are just trying to help me," Joe explained to him.

"Those guys are you're friends?! Are you joking right now?!" Kidan exclaimed in disbelief. "Friends don't make you go on a tredmill and make you start answering every quesiton they have, nor do they make you into a snow man for fun! And they're definitely not you're friends if they think your a failure! That's not what friends should act like!"

"But they help me learn that Pidgey evolves into Pidgeotto at level eighteen, and learns Whilrwind at level twenty one and Wing Attack at thirty one," Joe explained. "Then, as it's level rises, it learn various tricks. When it evolves into Pidgeot, it can fly at twelve-hundred miles per hour!"

"Then I don't get it," Kidan said as he crossed his arms. "If you knew the answers about Pidgey, why didn't you just answer them before?"

"Sometimes I make mistakes, believing that I don't know all the answers. Because if I do, they make the questions that much harder," Joe explained to them again. "But I have to stay here in Pokemon Tech. My mother and father worked hard and saved money so they can pay me to be sent to school here. Do you see that guy over there?"

Looking over to who Joe was pointing to and talking about, they see a young man underneath a shaded tree reading a book with big swirled glasses. he was wearing the same school uniforms like all the other students, but without a jacket.

"That guy is in the upper class tech. The classes are so hard here, some students are held back for many years. Everybody is too ashamed to go home without a diploma. That guy, he's in the beginners class with me."

"So you're a beginner?" Kidan asked him.

"Beginners have the same qualifications and some with two badges. The medium classes have the qualifications of four, and advanced students have the same as six. If you graduate, you can enter the Pokemon League without travelling around to collect the badges. That guy's a beginner, but he's so much older than everybody in the class. The kids don't bother to help him like they do to help me."

"What do the teachers say about that kind of help?" Cealy asked Joe curiously.

"They don't even know about it," Joe replied. "If they do, they can attend to not care."

"Well I think this is crazy! The teachers should be stopping this kind of nonsense, otherwise, someone is gonna get hurt eventually!" Kidan exclaimed with fustration. "I wanna meet the student in charge of this system, and I'll be the one to see that this whole thing stops!"

Digging through his suit jacket, Joe shows them a picture of the student in charge. "Here's the picture."

"What the?! It's a...girl?" Cealy asked suprised as she examiend the picture closely.

"T-that's the student in ch-charge?" Kidan said but couldn't hold back a blush.

"She can violate my rights anytime," Sora drooled.

"Now wait! If she's the one who making you're life miserable, how come you carry a picture of her in you're pocket?!" Cealy fumed.

"I hate the way she treats us, but I like the way she looks," Joe admitted simply.

"I don't know if I can even do it now..." Kidan said, feeling just a bit guilty about the things he said about the student girl. That part didn't go unnotice by Cealy.

"Well while you guys just stand here, I'm gonna tell her straight out myself!" Cealy shouted in anger, leaving the three in shock as she stomps up to the school with her temper rising.

"C-Ceal, wait!" Kidan shouted.

With no other option, the three boys follow after Cealy before she could do some serious damage to anyone inside. But unbeknownst to them, a pair of duos from inside the woods watch them enter the building as their lips formed into devious grins.

Inside the Pokemon Technical Institute School, Kidan, Cealy and Sora all wait inside an elevator with Joe as they reach the thrid floor of the building. The room was filled with game-like machines, all lined up in single files each. They presumed that this was the place to "train" Pokemon through simulations.

"She always practices in here by herself. Even if you beat her in a fight, it won't matter to her," Joe explained to them as they all walked through the room, passing by the machines. "At the tech, it's you're skill as a Pokemon trainer that counts more than winning than any one gym battle."

"That's what I was hoping," Kidan said to him as he pulled out his badge cased that carried his two gym badges. "Because I got two gym badges from the Pewter City gym and the Cerulean City gym."

Joe shrugs, "But Giselle was the top beginner here at the tech. That's better than even having three badges. Even though I'm at the bottom of my class, I'm still more powerful than someone with two badges."

Annoyed and fustrated with his comment, Cealy shoves Kidan out of the way. "Hold on a minute! I've learn how to be a Pokemon trainer in Cerulean City gym with my cousin Misty! Are you saying that you can beat me?!"

"Ah, the Cerulean City gym," Joe replies as he takes a seat in fornt of one of the machines. "The Water Pokemon gym leader, Misty Waterflower."

"How did you know?" Cealy asked.

"I always beat that gym on the simulator. See?" Joe shows them as he defeats the simulator's Starmie with a Pokemon that had a yellow body with two large leaves on each side and a mouth on the bottom.

"What is this?!" Cealy exclaimed in anger. "A simulation is one thing, but this is real life!" She then pulls out her own Pokeball and gets into a fighting stance. "Let's have a real battle, right here and now!"

Unfazed, Joe pulls out his own Pokeball. "You'll be sorry."

As a pair of duos climbed up a tree with binoculars, they could see an arena inside the building as Joe and Cealy were getting ready to battle.

"Cealy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Kidan asked her.

"Nobody gets away of ruining my cousin's reputation of being a gym leader! This is for revenge, and I'm gonna defend their titles!" Cealy exclaimed with determination and anger in her eyes. She pulls out her Pokeball and tosses it into the air. "Come on out, Spree!"

The Pokeball opens up in the air as it produces the purple moth-like Pokemon, Spree, as she floats off the arena's ground with determination in her eyes like Cealy's.

"Too bad you're Bug-type Pokemon has no chance against my plant, Poison-type Pokemon! Weepinbell, let's go!" Joe called out as he tossed his Pokeball to the field.

Emerging from the Pokeball was the same Pokemon that was seen on the simulator machine, just not computerized or digital. Pulling out his PokeDex, Kidan starts scanning the Pokemon for it's details.

"Let's see...so Weepinbell is the Flycatcher-like Pokemon. The leafy parts seem to act as cutters for slashing foes. It also spits a fluid that dissolves everything in it's path, and it can use PoisonPowder to immobilize the enemy and finish it off with a spray of Acid," Kidan read from the PokeDex. "Man, that's one nasty Pokemon for sure."

"I'll teach him about Pokemon! Spree, use Gust attack!" Cealy ordered her Spree.

Complying, Spree starts to flap her wings quickly and strong as a gust of wind blew out, flying towards the defenceless Weepinbell, who didn't seem to move at all. As the attack hit, Weepinbell was sent flying backwards, hitting the ground hard which caused it to faint.

"What?! But Weepinbell is strong against Bug Pokemon?" Joe replied in disbelief.

"That's true, but there's one thing you didn't know," a young girl's voice replied ot him.

Turning around, the group saw a young girl with long black hair and brown eyes standing behind Joe. She was wearing a white and light blue aqua shirt with a red bow, along with a dark blue skirt with black shoes. that girl was none other than Giselle, the student in charge of the tech.

"You're opponent's from the Cerulean City gym, her Pokemon have much more experience at battling," Giselle told Joe. "You should have known that. You're an embarrassment to the whole school."

"But Giselle..." Joe started to say.

"That's Giselle?" Kidan whispered to Sora, making sure that he was right.

"She looks like a pretty movie star to me," Sora daydreamed at her, ignoring Kidan's question, in turn, he slapped his forehead in annoyance.

'He likes stars, does he? I'll be glad to show him some stars afterwards!' Cealy thought to herself glaring right at Sora in annoyance.

"I'm the top student at the beginners class at the most exclusive prep school in the world of Pokemon tech. Some say that no one else is blessed with my beauty, my talent and my humble attitude. People call me a star but..." Giselle started to say as she made a pose to them. "I'm just Giselle!"

Outside the building and still on top of the tree, Team Rocket agents, Darek and Chelse, look at Giselle as if she was annoying.

"I think she's a little more conceated than we are," Chelse determined.

"Yes...but she is awfully cute though, isn't she?" Darek replied with sparkles in his eyes, in turn, Chelse just looks at him with annoyance and narrowed eyes.

"I want to continue to help my classmates to be the very best they can be," Giselle said to Joe. "To teach each other, to respect each other and to ensure the Pokemon of tomorrow. But you're a weakling!"

Joe looked suprised at her action, which didn't go unnoticed by Kidan who was just glaring at her.

"You better get stronger fast. Before you know it, you're fellow students will turn backs on you, for good," Giselle sternly told him in a cold matter which left Joe really shocked and down as she turned her back to him and started walking away.

Seeing that action brought fire into Kidan's eyes. He had never met someone who was cold to their friends, much so if it were Pokemon. He had only a few friends in his life, and he always treated them with the most whole-hearted kindness from his heart. He would never treat them like Giselle was treating Joe. He knew that this was wrong.

But before he could even say a word, Cealy spoke out first. "Not so fast! A true friend wouldn't walk away from someone who needs their help! You may look beautiful, but you remind me of an old say of beauty is from the inside, not outside."

"Jealousy isn't pretty either, is it?" Giselle retorted back with a smirk.

"Kidan, we should do something!" Sora whispered to him, looking a bit afraid of what the outcome could be.

"Let me give you some wise words; you never try to get into a fight with Cealy involved, otherwise you're caught in the act," Kidan whispered back.

"But-" Sora started to reply back.

"We need to trust Cealy on this one, Sora," Kidan said to him. "It may not look like it, but Cealy is stronger than you realize, besides battling."

"Against you're Bug Pokemon, I'll choose...Graveller, go!" Giselle threw the Pokeball.

The Pokeball opens as the light produces a medium sized boulder with four rock arms. That Pokemon was known as Graveller. As it emerged, Kidan points his PokeDex to it as he starst to scan the Pokemon once again.

"Okay...Graveller is the Rock-type Pokemon, and the evolution of Geodude. With a free and uncaring nature, it doesn't mind if pieces break off while it rolls down mountains. By rolling down slopes to move, it rolls over any obstacle without slowing down or changing its direction," Kidan read from the PokeDex's information database. "That sounds a bit scary."

"Now Graveller, go!" Giselle ordered the Pokemon

Grinning, Graveller quickly jumps into the air, leaving Spree and Cealy in shock. 'That's a fast Pokemon!' Spree exclaimed.

Before it could hit Spree, she dodges it's attack a sit slams right into the ground, causing the place to shake. But when Spree started to form up a Gust attack, Graveller once again leaps up, but this time backwards as it starts rolling directly at Spree, having no affect from her Gust attack whatsoever. Colliding with Spree, Graveller sends her out the window and right into the outside school's pool, causing a big splash form the impact.

In a state of shock, Cealy just stared out the broken window as she just watched the whole thing in disbelief and wide-eyed. "I can't...believe it..."

Outside next to the pool, Kidan, Cealy, Sora, Giselle, Joe and the other five boys all stand against each other as Cealy was attending to Spree, who was soaked and hurt badly.

"Now we're by the pool, you're Pokemon specialty," Giselle informed her. "You can use a different Pokemon if you want to."

Cealy glared at her like daggers. "Oh, and I'm sure you'll another Pokemon that will this time be weak against my own Pokemon!"

"Pokemon are only as strong as the trainer who raises them," Giselle replied. "The Pokemon that's weaker than but is still trained better can win. It depends on the trainer. I hope you're learning something from this, Joe."

"Uh..." Joe responded.

"A Pokemon's level of training is just as important than the Pokemon's type in a match," Giselle informed him. "A first class Pokemon trainer can calculate that."

"Now hold on one minute!" Kidan exclaimed to them. "There's more than to Pokemon training than just calculating levels!"

"Who are you?" Giselle asked.

"I'm Kidan Hikura from Pallet Town, and myself, along with Cealy and Sora, already acquired two badges from Pewter and Cerulean City gyms!"

"Heh...in other words, you're a beginner," she snickered. "And how long have you've been trying to become a Pokemon trainer?"

He was about to reply, but stopped himself. In truth, he would have been training to be a Pokemon trainer for nearly three years now...if it weren't for that horrifying day. That memory itself was the reason why he waited so long. Best not to say anything about it, he somewhat lied. "Well...about two weeks."

She sarcastically gasps. "Two whole weeks and you let your Scyther walk around freely?" Have you even been able to tame it yet?"

'Tame me?! Why I outta'-' Slice replied angrily as he was gonna do something, but Kidan signalled him to just wait a little longer. It seemed that Kidan was trying to form a plan.

"Maybe your Pokemon are training you," Giselle told him.

"I don't want to train Slice like you all do! Slice is my best friend and always will be, along with Char and Swirl!" Kidan exclaimed, trying to keep his temper down a notch.

"Is that all you have?"

"What so funny about that?" Kidan narrowed his eyes.

"That's funny cause mostly every Pokemon trainer has already six Pokemon in their team, and you and your friends got two badges with only three? He sure was lucky, wasn't he?" Giselle picked on him.

All three of them glared at Giselle as Kidan shouted at her. "You don't know anything about my Pokemon! They're as strong as they ever were! Their strengths alone carry the power of two!"

"I wonder, then...with only two weeks of Pokemon experience, you're Scyther should be at least be at level twenty five," she informed him. "But it's probably not there yet, is it?"

Slice just snarled at her, getting aggrevated from her speech.

"I suppose you didn't know much about Pokemon if your Scyther is you're first one."

"Slice is my second Pokemon I caught! Char is my starter and a very strong one at that!" Kidan said defending his Pokemon.

"That's even funnier then," Giselle laughed. "A Scyther and Charmander are hard to handle. It saids so in the Pokemon manual."

Kidan narrowed his eyes. Whatever plan he was trying to come up with quickly vanish as his temper was building. The way she was talking about him, his friends and his own Pokemon was getting to him really quick. He was determined to et her back for that.

"You really didn't now?" Giselle faked gasped again. "And you got two badges? How funny! A Charmander evolves into a Charmeleon at level sixteen and a Charizard at level thirty six. So if you don't make your Charmander evolve, they make a great pick, especially for little girls. What's that, you didn't know? And you still have two badges?" She then began to laugh at him which was making him more angry.

He now had enough of her stupid nonsense.

"Grr, shut up!" Kidan shouted at her.

'Leave us alone, you bully!' Slice shouted back with his Pokemon voice crying out.

"I challenge you to a battle! I'll prove to you that levels and weaknesses are nothing but shams!" Kidan shouted with determination and fire in his eyes.

"For your Scyther, this should be more than a match," Giselle smirked as she tossed her Pokeball into the air. "Cubone, go!"

Emerging from the Pokeball was a small skull helmet-like Pokemon that was twice as small as Slice. It had two horns sticking out from it's back and was carrying what seemed to be a bone stick. Scanning one last time, Kidan points the PokeDex at Cubone.

"So Cubone is the Lonely Pokemon. It wears the skull of its dead mother on its head. When it becomes lonesome, it is said to cry loudly. Also, since it carries its mother's skull, no one has any idea what its hidden face look like," Kidan read the information.

Putting his PokeDex away, he narrows his eyes at his opponents. "Slice is my best friend and he's different from any other Scyther out there that I ever seen or known! Slice, hit Cubone with Cut attack!"

Not a moment to lose, Slice complies as he quickly dashes towards Cubone, raising his blade arms into the air as he prepares to strike Cubone head on. Not even moving, Cubone raises his bone as he easily blocks Slice's Cut attack, suprising Slice completely.

"What?!" Kidan exclaimed in disbelief.

"Your Scyther won't be able to cut it," Giselle explained. "Cubone's bone is strong enough to deflect an attack simple as that move. Cubone, use your Leer attack on Scyther!"

Narrowing his eyes and giving off an icy-cold glare, the Leer starts to inflict Slice efficiently as he starst backing up from Cubone from it's intimidation.

"Don't let it get to you bud! Use your Leer attack right back at it!" Kidan commanded.

Nodding, Scyther copies the exact same thing as Cubone and glares directly at it, causing Cubone to flinch from Slice's move. Shaking it off, Cubone shoots another Leer right back as both Slice and Cubone walk up to each other, both using their Leers to intimidate the other.

"Cubone, Bone Club now!" Giselle ordered her Pokemon.

Haulting its Leer move, Cubone jumps up and slams Slice right in the head with its bone, forcefully, causing Slice to cry out in pain as he held his blades on top of his head.

"Slice, hang in there pal!" Kidan shouted.

"Now's not the time to be Leering down each other! This is about strength and level between two Pokemon trainers and their Pokemon!" Giselle informed him. "Cubone, it's time for the Bonemerang attack, now!"

Complying, Cubone forcefully swings his bone at Slice, who was still trying to hold back the pain it had on his head. Without another warning, the bone collides with Slice once more in the head, sending him flying backwards onto the ground, groaning in pain.

"Slice!" Kidan shouted running up to his Pokemon. The pain Slice was feeling made Kidan feel guilty and sadness for him. He hated any of his Pokemon getting hurt, even if it was a battle like this one. Feeling anger building up inside, he glares at Giselle angrily.

"That was a cheap trick!" Kidan exclaimed.

"It's an official legal rule in the Pokemon League, and it's one of Cubone's special attacks," Giselle told him.

"Grr..." Before Kidan could even reply to her comment, Slice struggles to get up onto his bug-like feet. "Slice?"

One again, Cubone, not even hesitating, throws his bone at Slice, wacking him in the head again as he was sent flying backwards and onto the ground, groaning in pain.

"No, Slice!" Kidan cried out in concern.

"Calling it a cheap trick simply proves your own ignorance," Giselle told him smirking.

Growling at her, he turns his attention back to Slice. "Hang in there Slice! If you're opponent is authorized to use moves like that, then fighting back is no different! Give Cubone your best shot, just like with our last gym battle! I know you can do it!"

Finally able to stand up, Slice gives his opponents a glare of determination, showing that he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Cubone, finish this off with Bonemerang, now!" Giselle ordered as Cubone, yet again, throws its bone at Slice.

"Slice, use Agility, let's go!" Kidan shouted out to him.

Not a momen to lose, Slice quickly dashes left to right at Cubone, dodging its bone without haste as he appears next to Cubone, shocking it in disbelief. Smirking, Slice raises his blade and quickly dashes by Cubone and turns its skull backwards, leaving Cubone unable to see.

"No, Cubone!" Giselle cried out.

"Great job! Now finish it off with the Pursuit-Cut attack!" Kidan exclaimed.

Once last time, Slice dashes at Cubone, hitting it with his Pursuit attack, following it up but using Cut, slashing Cubone's body swiftly. The last attack had then hit its skull, spinning it back around the right way. As it was finally able to see, it notice that Slice side stepped to the left as Cubone's bone made contact with it, causing it to fall backwards onto the ground.

"Cubone!" Giselle cried in concern as Cubone started to cry from getting hit.

"We did it! Good job Sl-iiiice!" Kidan cheered as Slice jumped on top of him in sheer excitement, causing them both to fall down laughing.

"I lost..." Giselle muttered sadly as she looked back to her Pokemon who was still sobbing. "Cubone, good try. Come on back, don't cry." She returned Cubone back to its Pokeball before smiling sadly at it. "You'll be okay now."

Frowning, she looked over to Kidan, Cealy and Sora who were just helping Kidan back up. "None of the textbooks ever mentioned a Scyther winning by anything other than facing another Scyther in battle."

"That was a one in a life time battle," Joe said still a bit shocked.

"Well, you could learn many things from him," Cealy replied, complimenting on Kidan's battling. "He's taught me alot for as long as I can remember."

Kidan, who was blushing from her compliment and embarrassment, just chuckled rubbing his hand behind his head.

"It was a cool batle, wasn't it?" Joe asked.

On the other side of the pool behind the fence, Darek and Chelse had watched the entire battle, waiting to strike against them.

"You know, there's another way to win excpet by following the textbook, isn't there Darek?" Chelse snickered.

"Let's show them," Darek grinned.

"I can't believe I lost a match," Giselle moaned sadly before she saw a thick layer of smoke moving in their area. "Huh?"

"What the heck?!" Kidan exclaimed before the smoke engulfed them for a brief moment. 'Please tell me this isn't who I think it is...' Kidan thought to himself annoyed.

"Who are they?" Joe asked.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves to you, little brats," Chelse replied to him. "We are Agents Chelse and Darek, advanced special ops for the future empire of Team Rocket."

"I've heard of Team Rocket. You're the ones who got the worst grades on the entrance exams," Giselle said pulling out her Pokeball. "How about your team versus our team?"

As if on cue, the other boys that were with Giselle pull out their Pokeballs as they prepared to battle them.

"If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get!" Chelse replied getting her Pokeball out.

"There's no way you'll be us two! We're the top agents!" Darek exclaimed pulling his Pokeball out as well.

"Yeah, your the agents that are on the bottom! Slice, Use Agility and Quick Attack to send them packing!"

Nodding, Slice swiftly dashes left to right as he disappears in front of Darek and Chelse.

"Where did that insect go?!" Chelse exclaimed looking around in all directions

'Right in front of you, you morons!' Slice shouted as he tackled Darek and Chelse back to the fence, smashing into it as they fell to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" Darek shouted.

"Yeah? We'll see about that. Let's go boys!" Giselle said as she and the others started to throw their Pokeballs at them both, causing them to panic and cry out in pain as they both started to run away.

"We'll be back again! You'll see!" Team Rocket simultaniously shouted at them as they fled from the all in defeat.

Later in the evening, Giselle was seen sitting at the edge of the pool area staring at the sunset. "There's just some things you can't learn at school, and that's a good lesson."

"I'm going back home and start from scratch with my first Pokemon, just like Kidan and Cealy did," Joe said to her walking up next to her beside the pool. "Hey, Giselle, maybe we'll meet each other one day at the Pokemon League?"

"I hope so," Giselle agreed as they both looked back over to the sunset. "I'll try my hardest to be a worth opponent, if we do."

"Is it alright that I keep your picture with me?" Joe asked a bit nervous.

"Sure. I have pictures of my friends too," Giselle replied to him.

"Huh? Do you have my picture?" Joe asked in suprise.

"We're friends now, aren't we? I wish you good luck, Joe," Giselle said to him putting her hand out to him.

"You too, Giselle," Joe replied shaking her hand in return.

"Ah, there's nothing more peaceful than a friendly rivalry, eh Ceal?" Kidan smiled as he watched them both shake hands.

"Yeah, reminds me of us when we were kids," Cealy giggled as she could remember the days they were both kids.

"I have to say, you both did good today," Sora said to his two friends. "You helped show that it wasn't just skills, levels or knowing everything to Pokemon on how you train them. It also comes from the heart, to bond with them. And you also showed them the true meaning of friendship."

"Aww, shucks! I would've probably helped, anyways," Kidan chuckled.

"That's one thing about you Kidan; you never give up til' you've won," Cealy half-teased.

"You got that right," Kidan smirked giving her a thumbs up in approval.

"So, maybe we'll battle against each other again someday?" Giselle asked them as she and Joe walked up to the three of them.

"I sure hope so," Cealy agreed with her.

"Me too," Kidan grinned. "Cause the next time we face each other, I'll be stronger than I am now!"

"You won't be the only one. Cause when I face you guys again, you're going down," Giselle replied to them with determination. And from that, all five of them just laughed whole-heartedly.

Taking their leaves and bidding farwell to their new friends and the school, Kidan, Cealy and Sora continue their journey towards Vermillion City, as they all remember the many new things they experienced and learned from the tech school. And with wishful thinking, they all hope that they will all meet with each other again someday, perhaps at the Pokemon League. But...only time will tell!

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: Sorry about not posting many chapters as of late everyone. I've been doing quite alot as of late with personal life stuff. At the moment, I'm really trying to help renevate our new house that we're about to be moving into, and it has been taking us quite some time to finish. However, that does not mean that I am not working on my stories, just making that clear. So for those of you who have been very patient with the chapters, thank you so much and I do hope you continue to be just a bit more patient with me. I should be back on track soon. Can't really say when, but hopefully soon. Again, thank you all and have a wonderful day/night. See ya!