Authors Note: I just want to say thank you to anyone who reviewed, it really means a lot. I will try to keep writing until this is finished. I also decided to write a slightly longer chapter this time. Oh, and I'll add a plot twist or addition from time to time, so don't be surprised if it strays a little (or a lot) from the game. By the way, italicized sentences are pokémon speech. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. :)
Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I don't own pokémon, the game's storyline, the characters, or whatever else I forgot. Thank you.
Chapter 4: Outdoor Class, Crawford, and Budew's voice!
"Okay class," Miss April began, "Does anyone know what day it is today?"
"Outdoor Class!" the entire class screamed and jumped out of their seats. Apparently Outdoor Class was a big deal around here. It was all the other kids had been talking about for weeks. I had noticed that Mr. Kincaid's class was far less excited than ours, and I think that's because our class is more motivated. Except for Isaac that is.
"Oh come on!" Keith began, "We wouldn't forget about Outdoor Class would we? We've only been looking forward to this I don't know… forever!"
"Yep, that's right Miss April! At the very least we know Keith won't! He told me he thought up 38 questions to ask the ranger!" Rythmi snickered. They had already been told a multitude of times that it was one question each, no exceptions.
"Well, how enthusiastic! Okay class, let's go outside. We'll gather in Ascension Square."
"Yahoo! I've waited so long for outdoor class!" Keith said, jumping out of his seat and running out of the room. I could hear his footsteps from a mile away, that's how much of a rush he was in.
"Did he really just say yahoo? He's way too excited about this. Well, see you there Kate. You know how to get there right?" Rythmi waited until I nodded before going. Now I was all alone in the room. It was kind of creepy to be alone, especially with the memory of a few weeks ago. I still wonder why there are pokémon here in the nighttime and not the day. I guess I can't know everything though.
After pondering that for a few moments, I left the room. I decided to see how the kids in Mr. Kincaid's class were doing. Some of them were my friends, so I liked to talk to them when I got the chance. Not even Mr. Kincaid was in the room. I left to go to the library, waving hello to the bidoof in the hallway.
When I finally got to the library, I stopped at the rancid smell of hairspray. It had to be Mr. Kincaid, who else wore that much hairspray? He turned towards me.
"I would've expected you to be at Outdoor Class. Whatever, students are free to participate or not in Outdoor Class. There are much more important things. Such as obeying rules. Running in the hallways, sneaking into the basement… such breaches of rules aren't to be tolerated." Mr. Kincaid wore a stern look on his face as he said that. He was obviously trying to make a point about something. I had no clue what. He had been like this since the Test of Courage though, so I guess I had to have done something wrong that night.
I couldn't remember much though. Nothing other than hearing a gastly calling for help, and then waking up in the dorm with Rythmi looking worried. She wouldn't tell me much though. Neither would Keith, for that matter. It was obvious they felt they'd done something wrong though. Whatever, it didn't matter much anyways.
I walked over to a boy with teal spiky hair. He was looking sad about something. I tapped on his shoulder, and waved a hello. He didn't respond, obviously lost deep in thought. I tapped harder. He finally looked at me with a stunned look on his face.
"You must be Kate! I'm Ponte, it's a pleasure to meet you. Hey Isaac, come over here a sec' I need your help translating for Kate."
Isaac walked over with a grin on his face. "So you finally met the conflicted marshmallow boy, Kate." I looked at him quizzically. Why would he call Ponte something like that?
"Hi, I'm Katlyne Amber. I come from Ringtown in Fiore, but I'm originally from Unova." I signed as Isaac translated. I always felt badly when people translated for me, as if I was a burden. I knew Rythmi and Keith didn't mind, but I felt badly with everyone else.
"Unova, huh. Then Ringtown. Oh! Have you met my brother Lunick? I wanted to become a ranger to be like him. Although now I'm not so sure, it's a lot of effort and a lot to live up to." Ponte said with exasperation. "And Outdoor Class! What should I do? I don't know if I really, from the bottom of my heart, want to be a ranger anymore." I looked at him sadly. It had to be difficult to have a brother like that to live up to. Even though it was Solana who'd saved Fiore in the past, Lunick is her partner, and he played a very important role in all that too. I couldn't really understand how he felt. My brother left when I was seven, and I've been on my own since then until that fire. I shivered thinking about Cyndi. I still felt horrible about that.
"Oh, it's Outdoor Class today? Sorry, but I'm not attending. I need to look up something here." Isaac said. He looked kind of sad. I suspected that Mr. Kincaid was having Isaac do something for him when Isaac really wanted to go to Outdoor Class.
Isaac walked away, and I left to see the staff room. To be perfectly honest, I was just procrastinating. I was a little afraid of seeing a ranger other than that of my Ringtown friends. There was nobody there, so I decided to finally go to Ascension Square. I saw Rythmi and Keith waiting somewhat impatiently at the stairs.
"Hey Kate! Hurry up, the ranger's here already and Outdoor Class is about to start! We've been waiting like, I don't know… forever!"
We rushed down the stairs and immediately I saw a tall, gangly ranger with a huge explosion of an afro.
Yay! I can't believe I'm meeting you, Lady of The Moon! You really are as special as the legends say! Yay! I gulped. As usual, I was glad the others couldn't understand pokémon speech. Otherwise they might have realized who I really am. It's kind of a long story.
"Well budew, you've rather taken a liking to this girl, haven't you? Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I'm Crawford and this is my partner Budew. It's a pleasure to meet you."
He turned to everyone else. "Sorry about that! I'm Crawford. I'm a graduate of this ranger school, and now I work as a ranger in Vientown. This is my partner Budew, and my friend pokémon."
"Wow so cool!" half of the class said whilst the other half said, "Thanks for coming!"
"Hi Crawford, long time no see!" Miss April began, "But that giant explosion of an afro… I don't like seeing that much of a jumbled up overgrowth of anything! But that's enough of that! We're all here so let's begin! The Question and Answer Session of Terror has now officially begun!"
"Crawford, why did you decide to become a ranger?" One kid asked.
"Well, it's because I love pokémon. I wanted to become friends with them. To you know, bond with them. Besides, it's a cool job!"
"That's the same way I feel! I'm so glad I asked you!"
"I have a question!" One girl said waving her hands frantically. "What kinds of pokémon are difficult to capture?"
"Well, speaking only for myself… psychic and ghost group pokémon, yeah. They have this habit of going poof and disappearing during captures."
"Ghost pokémon do that?!"
"Me! I'm next! My name is Rythmi. There isn't anything I'd rather do than become an operator! You can tell if I will become one, right?"
"I'm only seeing you for the first time ever, so it's not like I know but… sure thing! No problemo! You'll become an operator alright!"
"Rythmi, aren't you confusing our ranger for a fortune teller? Anyways, how about me? Will I become a ranger?"
"Say, aren't you confusing me with a fortune teller too? But I can tell this about you: your strong will shines through loud and clear! I'm sure you'll make it. But that's only if you can avoid spinning your own wheels, so to speak."
"My turn! Have you ever made any mistakes?"
"Mistakes, you ask? That's all there was at the beginning. Like the time I dumped juice all over my styler. That was nasty. Or when I tried to capture a stuffed doll. And another time I put on my ranger uniform on top of pajamas… wait! Don't make me say these things!" We all laughed. I couldn't believe a real ranger made all these mistakes, it sounded like something I would do! Wait, oh. Wasn't I trying to become a real ranger?
"What makes you glad you became a ranger?"
"I'd have to say the big smiles we get to see after helping people or pokémon."
"I hope I get to see smiles like that soon!"
I suddenly felt a splitting headache. I wandered towards the water. That was where it was coming from. A pokémon- a pokémon was in trouble!
"Kate! Are you okay? Kate!" I heard Keith say as I fell face-down in the dirt. I couldn't even lift my hand to reply to him. As Keith lifted me up to carry me indoors, I heard Crawford receive a voicemail.
"Voicemail! Voicemail! Crawford do you hear me? It's me, Barlow. There's a mantine hurt of the eastern shore of School Island! The mantine apparently ran into a cargo ship. Luana's headed to the school by boat for you. Join up with her, and head out to the site immediately. We're going to need your help on this one!"
"Roger leader! I'm on it!"
I was just barely able to see Crawford jump on that boat before I blacked out…
(Kate's P.O.V, memory)
"Be careful Kate. Pokémon will sense who you are and call out to you for help. Learn to recognize it, not feel it."
"But daddy! Why do pokémon sometimes attack you when I'm with you?"
"They think we are holding you against your will. You are someone very special, Lady of The Moon's Light. Your destiny is to save a region very far from here. That region's name is…"
"Hey! Why are you here! Stop! Leave my family alone! Please! Leave my family alone..!" I begged the people.
(Kate's P.O.V, present)
I jolted awake, my face wet with tears. It was just a nightmare, nothing more. Stupid memories, the past is the past! I shouldn't care! But I did, and nobody could ever erase the sadness and pain in my past. And you know what people say about the past. History will always repeat itself…
Please review! I'm sorry if this chapter was really bad/confusing. I hope you like it anyways! And thank you so much for reading this much! It means more than anything!