Missing feet had never bothered Agatha as much as it did today. With her prosthetics turned into trash, she couldn't walk anywhere. She had been glued to her bed all day trying to think of something to do. She read books and played games on her phone, then read more books. She took three naps in-between.
It had only just hit noon. She called in a favor with Mawile John, and he wouldn't finish fixing her prosthetic feet until six or seven in the afternoon. The only close bright spot was Claire's cooking. Spicy, succulent smells wafted up to her room.
Mightyena Claire came in from the rampway minutes after. She set down a plate on the bed with her. Onion rings and nicely charred crab cakes sprawled on top.
For some reason, everyone but Agatha remembered the mission differently. It had creeped her out at first, but she had to accept it for what it was. She remembered battling a dragon on a mountain all the way across the ocean, but they only recalled venturing into the Old World and finding nothing. She didn't directly ask, but Agatha understood that they thought she broke her prosthetics after falling off of a short cliff.
To confirm it was real, Agatha needed to check one detail.
"Eat up," Claire said quietly. "You look a little thin."
"Thanks," she said. "By the way… Do you know that Slowking? From the Wayfarers. Chad Longfellow?"
Claire couldn't hide her reddening face. Dozens of memories shone through her red eyes.
"Y-yes," Claire answered. "What about him?"
"Did you used to date him or something?" she asked.
"Uhm… Not, especially," she said slowly. "I'll tell you some other time. Eat up, okay?"
"Okay."
Claire reacted exactly like Agatha predicted she would if what happened was real. She wanted to tell Luke and talk to him in person, but he hadn't even been answering any text messages. With nothing much to be done about it, she didn't waste any more time thinking about it.
After an onion ring crunched her mouth, her phone vibrated under her pillow. Audino Agatha grabbed it and scrolled to a new text message.
"Hey, you okay? Didn't see you at school today." - Simone
"Fine. Feet broke" - Agatha
It felt a lot more comforting now that at least one person at school knew about her prosthetics now.
"Sorry to hear. Want me to come over to hang out? Must be boring." - Simone
"Sure." - Agatha
"Cool. Be there in fifteen." - Simone
For ten minutes, Agatha tore up her plate and begged for seconds. Claire seemed happy to provide.
In the middle of her cooking, a knock came on the door. Agatha focuses so hard on the food, she forgot to tell her she invited someone over. She couldn't walk down to the first floor to tell her, either. She heard the door creak open.
"Hi," Claire greeted in a soft voice.
"Hey." Simone's voice echoed. "Agatha invited me over to hang out. Heard her, uh, feet broke."
"Oh. Oh, come in. Sorry, I was just cooking."
"No worries. Just means it smells great in here."
"Care to have some?" asked Claire. "I have plenty."
"I don't want to take advantage…"
"Oh, it's alright. Go on up."
"Thanks."
Simone's footsteps came up the rampway. Agatha pulled her covers further over her body. She sat up against her pillow.
Pikachu Simone stepped into the room slowly, probably checking to see if she was awake. Agatha met his crystal, orange stare. His brown leather jacket waved behind him as he moved. Sunlight highlighted his fur.
"Hey," Simone said with a nervous smile. "How were you today?"
"Bored," she said.
"Yeah. Me too. Every class was just so dull today. It really was unbearable. Literally fell asleep."
"Any notes I need?"
"No… not that I remember," Simone walked towards the edge of her bed, "there were some presentations tomorrow, but you're exempt since you weren't there today."
"Oh… Well, I've got that going for me at least."
"True. I gotta say, good timing. But I'm curious, though, what broke them?" he asked curiously. "I mean, they endured boosters being put into them."
"Probably wear and tear," she waved off. "Did anyone else notice me not being there?"
"Oh, of course. Everyone did. You, uh, stick out a lot since you do your own thing and stuff. And for some reason, they were all asking me where you were."
Simone swung around as footsteps came up the rampway. He jogged forward and accepted a plate from Mightyena Claire so she could walk easier on three legs.
"Thanks," Claire said.
"No, thank you," he replied. "I was really thrashed around in gym today. Your food always makes me feel great after."
"What do you mean?" Agatha asked, curious.
Simone turned around as Claire set down the white plate on Agatha's bedside.
"Well, they all battled me with some sort of 'special training'," said Simone. "They said they want to use me more often."
"So they fought you the entire time?" she asked. "In front of everyone?"
Simone rubbed the back of his head and smiled. Claire turned to the doorway.
"Assholes…"
"Language," Claire said.
Agatha groaned. Claire continued down the rampway and left the door open behind her.
"I'm just worn out is all," Simone waved off.
"I swear," she hissed, "if I'm there and I see something going on, I'm gonna' make them eat dirt."
"Hey, relax," he said with a firm voice. "They're just kids. None of them are actually serious about battling. I mean, after they graduate. Most of them won't even have power for the rest of their lives."
"You and your random depression…"
Simone smiled and sat down by the edge of her bed. He leaned his head back against the mattress.
"Sorry," he said. "I guess I have a bad habit of making it all about me. What do you wanna do?"
"I don't know, do we have any homework?"
"Mr. Rivers actually did assign us presentations for history, but you don't have one since you weren't there today."
"Well now I kind of feel lucky."
Simonce chuckled.
"What are you doing yours on?" Agatha asked.
"I want to do it on something cool, so nothing we've done in class. I was hoping to go to the library with you, but…"
"Yeah. I don't even have a clue where to start without the library. And he's an old dude, so he'll spaz out if you use the internet."
Simone lip smacked. "Yup."
"So, what'll you do?"
"I might be passive aggressive. Point out how many flaws our book has on the war between Verity and Valor."
"Flaws like what?"
"Political ones," Simone explained. "About the royal families, some battles… Our book dumbs everything down. Should never have even been printed."
"Why don't I help you out? I don't have anything else to do."
He smiled. "Sure."
Agatha could have guessed already, but Simone turned out to be a bigger history nerd than she first thought. He didn't have the book on him, but he could practically recite and summarize it word for word. Once they finished eating, his talking went on nonstop. With everything going on, Agatha could listen attentively.
Pikachu Simone reclined back against the edge of her bed. Audino Agatha lied on her stomach with her pillow under her chin.
"So," Simone began, "they say the war between Valor and Verity started when a skirmish broke out and spread to multiple villages, but that's not entirely true. It started when the Acuitans took Sacred Treasure Courtain, and both Valor and Verity thought it was each other. The skirmishes didn't relate that much at all. Amadeus Acuity did it to try and distract them, then strike while the iron was hot."
"Alright, so what happened?" Agatha asked. "Acuity never attacked."
"Robin Hood happened," he answered. "Acuitans barely made it, but the surviving royal family member wasn't big on war, so nothing happened. He just focused on revenge."
"But if the Acuitans had Courtain, how did Robin Hood manage to do that much damage?"
"He had the Sacred Treasure Pinaka from Pataliputra. People aren't sure how, though. Acuity says they don't know where Courtain is after that, which does check out. Still, they didn't start opening up until they participated in the rite just in this generation, with their own little experiment on not even telling the prince Gawain who he was."
"So, you want to present about Courtain?" asked Agatha.
"Yeah," said Simone. "I mean, the Sacred Treasure on our continent went missing, and has been for a while. A weapon that can change global politics with sheer power, and history's the only way to find it. Even the shallowest of our classmates will at least listen."
"So what's the conclusion, then? You have a guess where it is?"
"No one does. Probably in some hidden cave, or maybe it fell into the ocean, I guess. It's weird since Pinaka disappeared, too. It's actually pretty scary stuff."
"It'd be hard for our classmates to feel that fear when Sacred Treasures are practically never used. And there aren't any videos. Still, it's the history behind the most powerful weapons in the world."
"What were you hoping to find about it in Alondra's library?"
"She's got some of the oldest books in Verity. I wanted to see if I could find more details on its physical description since I want to make a wood model kind of thing. Was thinking of trying to pay that Mawile we met the other day, see if he had stuff to work with wood."
"I, uh, technically work for him now. Could call and ask."
Simone paused and turned around. Agatha blinked.
"How did that happen?" he asked.
"I dunno'," she said. "Sorta just did. Sounds really overboard for a presentation, though. And he's already fixing my feet for me."
"Oh, he is? Yeah, shouldn't pressure him any more, then. Guess a drawing off the internet will do. So, how are you feeling?"
"Stressed. Tired. Missing feet. The usual."
"I figured you were. Kinda' got bags under your eyes. Couldn't get any sleep last night?"
"That obvious?"
Agatha watched as Simone pulled out his phone and a pair of earbuds and untangled some wires for them. He handed the earbuds to her and tapped the phone screen as she nestled them in the spirals of her ear strands.
"I had lots of stress issues growing up," Simone said. "So, I learned how to really unwind. Different things work for different species. For me, I play with batteries. For you, I compiled a list of soothing noises and sounds."
"I don't think it'll work out," she argued. "I mean, I'll try?"
"Just focus on listening."
"Alright. I guess."
"Agatha?"
Agatha's eyes clicked open. Her blankets covered her front as she lay on her back. Mightyena Claire stared down at her.
"You've been asleep since yesterday? How are you feeling?"
"Since… Wait, what? Is it tomorrow?"
"Well, yes?" she answered uncertainly. "You slept in your room all of yesterday and through the night it looks like. Do you feel well enough to go to school?"
Agatha raised her neck and stretched. Energy coursed through her veins. The cool, morning air set it alight.
"Yeah," she said. "What time is it?"
"It's still early. I have breakfast."
As Claire turned away, Agatha raised her head. She wanted to ask directly.
"Do you remember fighting Rayquaza? On that mountain?"
Claire turned around. "Fighting-"
Claire grimaced and groaned. She held her head and swayed on her feet.
"Oh, sorry dear," she said. "What did you say?"
"Uh, nothing…"
"Okay. Come down when you're ready."
Claire stepped out and down the rampway. Before reaching for the shiny metal at the edge of her bed, Agatha reached under her pillow for her phone to check her messages.
"Hey, you fell asleep in like, two seconds. I finished the presentation and went home to sleep, too. See you at school." - Simone
"Built like an amateur. I went ahead and made those boosters stable. Not sure why you'd need to have them on your prosthetics, but make sure you go to a professional like me the next time you want something. I made them smoother, too." - John
"Hi Agatha, I have a warning. If you don't remember what happened on the mountain, don't click and reveal the rest of the text. It could give you a bad headache." - White Star
Agatha had a feeling she knew. She clicked on the black block next to it and revealed the rest of the text.
"No one remembers what happened, and when I mention it, they get headaches and forget I even asked. I need you to ask Alondra and see if she remembers or can help. Let me know if anything new or weird happens, Thanks."
Agatha shivered.
"Okay." - Agatha
Agatha kept it from bothering her too much by weighing the odds of anything bad happening. Whoever was the cause of all this could be trying to help, especially since Scions were supposed to be some great secret. She didn't usually rely on hopeful thinking, but she had to focus on going to school.
The sun heated up Audino Agatha's black leather jacket. She kept her hands in her pockets to keep them as warm as possible. Her backpack bounced up and down, irritating her back.
Unlike most days, people were already entering the front of the school. Agatha didn't arrive early, so she had to deal with maneuvering through a crowd of students. As she threw open the glass doors, cracking voices pounded against her ears. She held the strands of her ears as she walked to dull the noise.
The hallways became busy enough to where two lines formed going in either direction. In front of Agatha, Lillipup Shenise and Elektrike Janette walked side by side. Neither of them seemed to hang out with Simone very much anymore. She wanted to ask him about it, but no time ever felt right.
When they reached the classroom, the front door was locked. As Agatha glanced down the line forming on top of the wall, she guessed Mr. Rivers hadn't gotten there yet.
"What do you think is taking so long?" asked Growlithe Alisha from the front of the line.
"I think there was a lot of traffic in the city this morning," answered Shenise. "There was this carriage accident that blocked a road."
"Were there any injuries?"
Agatha glanced back towards Simone's voice. He stood right behind her, wearing the same brown leather jacket. His backpack overflowed with loose papers.
"Uh, why would I know?" Shenise bit.
"I dunno'," he said. "I'd feel bad if Mr. Rivers was injured."
"Oh, thanks for the concern, Simone."
Flygon Mr. Rivers floated through the center of the hallway. His face lifted with a smile and shining eyes.
"I wouldn't want to miss the trial this morning."
Agatha wondered what he meant by "trial". She must've missed something else being absent.
Mr. Rivers unlocked the door and flew in first. She followed the students as they entered.
White light cascaded out of the classroom. The floor shone like white diamonds. Two large, marble pillars walled in the rising sun and a bright blue sky. Clean cut white steps led up to a raised altar. A pure, golden throne on top seated a pokemon Agatha knew and didn't know. On Mother's right side, Reshiram's wing covered over the stairs and draped onto the floor. Its blue eyes cast a long reaching shadow over the front row of ornate seats.
"Oop, hey. You good?"
Simone had bumped into Agatha from behind when she suddenly stopped walking. She took a second before breathing in.
"Uh, yeah. I'm… good."
"Let's get good seats. It'll be starting soon."
As Agatha stepped forward, the sound of her foot hitting stone reverberated. She wanted to pass this off as a fast, weird hallucination, but the scenery didn't change. The other students took seats on ornate, velvet cushions with jewels hanging from golden threads. As everyone gravitated towards specific ones, Agatha felt a push towards the back. The seats were spread out and formed an empty walkway in the middle. Mr. Rivers sat in the front row.
A Buneary walked through the isle. Agatha could recognize Luke's hazel eyes, dimmed by stress and shaken by fear.
Mother rose to her feet. A deep instinct guided Agatha to stand up. As Simone stood up next to her, she looked at the walkway.
"As Pharaohs, we must be held to a higher standard," Mother explained. "All of the evidence presented in this case has been overwhelming. There's nothing else to be found, other than guilt."
"No…"
Luke's high, mumbling voice rose up through the silence. The dim atmosphere broke through into Agatha's chest as she watched.
"No," he said. "You know that's not true. Why are you lying!?"
Reshiram's eyes stayed unblinking. Luke's filled with rage.
"You can't be serious," he breathed. "You can't be serious! How would I have even-"
"Luke," said Mother, "we must uphold order."
"That's big talk for someone whose time limit's up."
As a sassy, pepped up voice entered the room, hushed murmurs broke out. Mother gazed down the path, behind Luke.
A Riolu strutted up to Luke's side. With his arms crossed behind his back and a frown on his tired face, he almost tricked Agatha into thinking he was in his twenties. He was a teenager, not much older than her.
"Some of the unknown have already gone red-eyed," Riolu said. "Before this 'trial' finishes, you should be gone. The Madness is already here."
"I'm afraid that's not possible," Mother replied. "If I were to pass on before, he could become the Peacekeeper. That cannot be allowed to happen when his sentence is death."
"I know my little brother better than anyone. I see through what you're trying to do. Everyone in this room can. The difference is that we're not going to let you."
"Simone, I'm going to-"
Agatha's brain glitched out. She shook her head violently.
When she came to, the classroom was the same; back to the dull posters, a normal, grosser floor, and Deerling Belle presenting something Agatha didn't care about.
"Hey, Simone. I'm going to go with the history of Valor's cities being built. You?"
On the other side of Pikachu Simone, Slurpuff Zel looked to him for an answer. He stared down as he thought, then answered, "Sacred Treasure stuff."
"Boring."
"It's the most powerful weapon on this continent?"
"No one can pick it up anyways. It's not like it matters."
"Uhhh… It's the most powerful weapon on this continent?"
"Belle, sorry, you're out of time."
Flygon Mr. Rivers' eyes drooped as Deerling Belle stuck her chin up. She walked back to her seat and sat down with a huff.
One by one, the other presentations followed. Agatha tried to settle back down.
Even during Simone's presentation, she kept replaying her hallucination in her head. It had never affected how she perceived her classmates to be acting before. If it happened again, she might not be lucky and look normal if she plays along. She needed an excuse ahead of time.
Umbreon Walter's presentation came last. He seemed more into himself than usual; swaying from side to side as he sauntered up to the front of the classroom. He smiled as he turned around.
"I didn't make anything," he said. "Not worth enough of my grade for me to care. Just wish I was absent yesterday."
Snide giggles and murmurs broke out. Agatha focused her glare down as Walter walked back towards his seat.
"Don't be such a brat, Walter," Mr. Rivers snarked. "Expect more than just a zero for that."
Walter sneered, "Pet owners…"
Flygon Mr. Rivers floated in front of the chalkboard with his arms folded. "Lots of careers require presentations as the culmination of months or even years of effort. It's important to do your own work justice by presenting it well. That was more the point of it. That said, the extra credit for best presentation goes to Simone."
Pikachu Simone raised his paw up in Audino Agatha's direction. She smacked her hand against it without thinking.
"Nice," said Simone. He turned away from Agatha. "See Zel?"
"You're just good at presenting," Slurpuff Zel said. "The topic was still boring."
"Yes, I'll have to second that," Mr. Rivers added, smiling and giggling at her quip. "But no matter how boring the topic is, if you have enthusiasm and let it through, people will listen." He turned to his desk. "Now, where were we with language arts…"
"Hey," Persian Romania raised her smooth voice. "No offense, but is that why language arts is so boring?"
"Well…" Mr. Rivers replied, "yes. It's pretty pointless. Unless one of you writes in your free time. I know Thomas likes poetry."
Agatha glanced at Sandshrew Thomas, sitting near the wall today. He nodded to himself.
Midnight Lycanroc Roy raised his claw up. "Ayo, does fanfic count?" he asked.
"Heavens, no," Mr. Rivers answered. "Oh, but before I forget, we have a transfer student, or, well, a shadow, coming in next class. Try to make a good impression. Could one of you go get an extra cushion from the storeroom?"
Lucario Elijah stood up from his cushion. "I got it," he said.
"Great, thank you."
As language arts class crawled by, Agatha started to understand why Mr. Rivers didn't care about anyone listening to him for it. So far, he only ever complained about noise during certain sections they covered in history class. He only tried when he thought it was important. It made her even more comfortable zoning out.
After language arts class finished, they went back to history. Flygon Mr. Rivers left the room to bring the shadow student.
"Not a lot of other kids live around here," said Simone. He turned to Agatha. "You think they're from the city or just moved?"
"I dunno," she said, "just ask them when they come in."
"But isn't imagining things fun?"
"I dunno."
Mr. Rivers opened the door and walked back into the room. Agatha's curiosity exploded and pushed her eyes up. She stared behind his back.
A Bayleef with soft, fluffy fur followed behind him. Her eyes stared dead ahead until he stood in front of the chalkboard next to Mr. Rivers. Her gaze turned on the classroom.
"My name's Jenna," said Bayleef. "Just moved here recently. If today goes well, I'll probably be back tomorrow, too. There aren't a lot of schools around."
Jenna's eyes stopped on Umbreon Walter for a moment. She shook it off quickly, but Agatha managed to notice. She had nothing to go off of to guess why she stared at him, so she didn't bother guessing.
"Alright, nice to meet you, Jenna," Mr. Rivers said. "There's an empty seat by the Lillipup, Shenise over there."
"Thanks."
Mr. Rivers started to read through the book as Jenna walked towards Shenise and sat down, in front of Agatha by three seats and on the left.
Simone glanced at Agatha and shrugged, smiling. Considering Jenna already was talking to Shenise, Agatha didn't like her already.
Torkoal Mr. West came in after history and taught math and science. Agatha endured it with the promise of lunch, study hall, and gym after. She tried not to look at the clock as best she could, but ended up counting down the last minutes.
When it ended, everyone stood up and broke out into chatter. Mr. West looked around from the chalkboard, probably not realizing class ended until he glanced up at the clock.
Pikachu Simone stretched his arms up high as he stood up. He let them fall when he looked at Audino Agatha.
"I ordered from Claire's today," he said. "She should be bringing a truck load to the front of the school. I'll go bring it, and you get us a table."
"Really?" asked Agatha. "Uh, thanks. Seriously."
"No prob. Half of it was for me, too, y'know."
Agatha followed Simone out, almost. As Simone turned and walked towards the front of the school, Agatha turned back around to Torkoal Mr. West. He stood still with his head bent down and an extra dry expression.
"Hey," said Agatha, "everything okay? Mr. West?"
Mr. West took a moment to look up at her. "Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just… disheartened."
"By what?"
"Well, I suppose, I just wanted to make more of a difference in the lives of my students. I can tell everyone's bored, but I don't really know what to do."
"I mean, I'm sure there's something."
"I just don't know…"
Agatha shifted her weight and wondered what to do. His classes had been pretty painful. If there was a way, she wanted to find it, too.
"Come eat with us," she offered. "Me and Simone. Let's figure something out."
Mr. West smiled. It looked weird on his face. "Alright, sure. I haven't had lunch in the cafeteria for a while."
"Sounds good."
Agatha waited for Torkoal to fix his piles of papers on the desk for a minute, then walked out into the hallway with him.
Mr. West even walked quietly. Agatha had to keep glancing to make sure she didn't go too fast for him.
She could imagine why he didn't go to the cafeteria that much. The constant noise from all of the students in the high school being in the same, closed off room forced Agatha to hold the strands of her ears; especially today. She doubted anyone else could pick up on it, but it was louder than usual.
Audino Agatha brought him to her usual table by the wall under the thin windows. The sun angled down and hit right on the table. She had to take a second to adjust to the crappy, itchy cushions they had. Mr. West sat down across from her. He didn't seem to notice the sun striking his face.
"So, what did you do before teaching here?" Agatha asked. "I know Mr. Rivers used to compete in arenas."
"I used to be a gym leader, actually," he said. "Fought Gerald. Sat him down plenty of times."
"Uh, 'sat him down'?"
"Oh, right. How do you kids say it… Is it 'wrecked him'?" he asked. "Er, something we used to say when we beat people badly."
"So, let me get this straight," said Agatha, growing a small smile. "You were part of the world tournament gatekeepers and you beat up Mr. Rivers repeatedly?"
"Yes, that'd be right."
"Did he ever make it past you?"
"Took him a few years. That's how we became friends. You'd be surprised at the connections in the school faculty. Some of them belong in books. Actually…" Mr. West bent his head down, "I'm fairly certain some of them are in books."
"Any at the library?" Agatha asked.
"I think so."
A large, brown paper bag appeared in front of Agatha's face. Pikachu Simone sat down next to Torkoal Mr. West wearing a passive smile.
"You have lunch?" Simone asked Mr. West. "You can borrow some of mine."
"You ordered from Claire's?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Well, alright," he chuckled. "Just a little. Thank you, Simone."
"No problem. So, what were you two talking about, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Oh, days before either of you were born. I fought Mr. Rivers a lot over the years. We were something like rivals back in the arena."
"Oh, crap… Do you have, like, videos?"
"They're all in black and white, unfortunately. Clear enough to see well, but-"
"You should show those in class. I know I'd wanna see."
Simone set down a plastic container in front of Agatha. She nodded to thank him and opened it while Mr. West spoke.
"Maybe… As much as I don't want to waste class time, no one really seems interested."
"Simone, why'd you do it?"
Agatha turned down the table where the voice called from. A Buneary sat on the edge of Agatha's side of the table with his feet hanging off. He stared down on the floor while a Riolu walked behind him with his hands behind his head.
"We had to," said Riolu. "We love you. You're our younger brother. If we can't protect you, then what is it all for?"
"Agatha?"
Agatha glanced back at Pikachu Simone. Concern boggled down his crystal, orange eyes.
"Not hungry?" he asked.
"Oh, no, sorry," she said. "Just thinking about something. I'm good."
Agatha kept her ears trained to her left to keep listening. She opened the box to find onion rings and a grilled cheese.
"How?" asked Buneary. "How can we fight?"
"Adrian will teach us. Soon. I know you feel powerless and scared right now. I do too. Once he trains us, we'll be able to do it ourselves. Just hold out a little longer."
The conversation stopped. Agatha glanced to her left and didn't see them anymore.
"Just at the start of class," said Simone. "People would be interested to see those videos. Maybe you can leave them with a little something. Something that could stay with them."
"I honestly don't know what I should say," Mr. West replied. "But, I think I'll do that. Now, pardon my asking, but you two aren't brother and sister, right?"
Agatha glanced at Simone in confusion. His eyebrows curled.
"Nope," he said. "Just friends. What makes you say that?"
"I don't know… You two make a lot of similar expressions sometimes. I guess you just notice unimportant details when you get older."
Mr. West chuckled. Simone's lip curled up as he shrugged.
"So, I'm out of the loop," Mr. West admitted. "What's all this with the students wearing leather lately? I mean, it's toned down a bit now, but I see lots of accessories. Where'd that trend come from?"
"Everyone thought it looked cool on Agatha and got jelly," Simone explained. "And when she ditched the fake glasses and big, white cloak, it just automatically made a trend."
Mr. West's eyebrows raised as he laughed. Agatha hid her face behind an onion ring she gnawed on.
"Well, I think I'd look good with a nice leather scarf," he snarked. "Or maybe it's supposed to be a young thing. Doesn't look like they asked your permission, Agatha."
"Yeah…" she groaned. "It's annoying."
"It's hilarious," Simone argued. "Haven't you seen Belle try to wear it?"
Agatha snorted and smiled. Mr. West lowered his head as he laughed.
Lunch continued to pass with Mr. West and Simone exchanging small comments. Their lowkey personalities seemed to meld together. Agatha watched their conversation like a show on TV. It had some amusing moments to enjoy as she ate.
As lunch ended, Mr. West exchanged a few thank you's with Simone and Agatha, then walked with them back in the hallway.
As the lines of pokemon filed into classrooms, Audino Agatha noticed Torkoal Mr. West continued past towards the front of the school. With nothing in that direction, he was probably continuing home. It would explain why he wasn't there for lunch most of the time. It also meant he joined her for lunch when he could've just gone home instead.
Eldegosss Ms. Wilman didn't say a word when study hall began. She sat down behind the desk and pulled out her phone like usual. The class ended up being more like a social hour.
Bayleef Jenna sat next to Umbreon Walter. Agatha sat on her cushion with crossed legs and watched them flirt out of boredom.
Jenna had nice fur. A twinge of jealousy stirred up in Agatha's throat. She could at least ask what conditioner she used for the fur she had that wasn't scarred.
"Hey, Jenna?" Agatha called out over the quiet talking voices. "What conditioner do you use?"
Bayleef Jenna's head turned around. The class grew the slightest bit quieter.
"Oh, sorry," she said. "I don't think it'll work on you."
Agatha considered just falling on her back right then and there. Her snarky smile and turn around bored her out of her mind. Ms. Wilman had an upcoming replacement.
"Hey Simone," said Agatha. "Do you think Ms. Wilam would let us go to the gym early?"
"I think there's another class in there now," Simone said, "but, there's plenty of room outside."
"Think she'll notice if we walk out?"
"Uh, no."
"Cool."
Agatha stood up. Reluctantly, Simone followed her on the side of the wall towards the door.
Thanks to Agatha's pink and black striped socks, she could walk normally without much sound at all. Ms. Wilman didn't even shift around when they walked out into the hallway. Simone glanced back into the room with a bright smile.
"You're awfully bold today," Simone commented quietly as he jogged to her side. "I mean, with how bored you are, I'd think you wouldn't want to risk detention."
"I just hate wasting time," Agatha said. "I mean, I'm not learning anything here. I already finished school. And it didn't count 'cause… Things happened."
"Oh," his voice quieted. "I didn't know you had already finished. But, I think there might be tests you can take to skip out on this if you want to."
"Yeah, there are."
"Oh. You're trying to socialize?"
"I dunno what I'm trying to do."
"Agatha, stop for a second."
Agatha stopped in front of some lockers and turned to Simone. She leaned back against the locker doors with her arms folded. Simone looked up at her face with steady eyes.
"Are you frustrated about the conditioner thing?" he asked.
"No."
Agatha's voice rose without her telling it to. She surprised herself.
"It's okay if you are," he continued. "Soft and shiny might be the wave now, but it didn't always used to be this way."
Simone leaned back against the lockers next to her. Agatha gazed down at his forehead.
"I know in Valor that scars used to be so revered, that Valorian royalty would purposefully scar themselves to look stronger."
"Good for them," Agatha quipped. "They got to change how they look to match the times. Lucky."
"Okay, listen. I have an idea to find out which conditioner she uses. I'll just bribe Belle or someone to ask her the same question and tell me."
"Why'd you say 'I'll just bribe someone' so casually?"
Simone pulled out his phone from his leather jacket. His screen was too small for Agatha to make out anything. He typed on it and put it back.
Moments later, Deerling Belle walked out and down in the hallway. She glanced between both of them suspiciously, waiting for Simone to speak first.
"Hey, Belle," Simone said.
"Let me guess… "You want to know what conditioner she uses?" Belle asked.
"Uh, yup."
"Buy me a lunch from Claire's next time you go, and it's a deal. Just a salad. Special discount since I kinda wanna know now, too."
"Deal," Simone smiled.
"Alright. Text Alisha and Shenise for me. I need some backup."
"You got it."
Belle turned around and walked back towards the classroom. Simone pulled out his phone again.
"You're actually pretty social yourself, aren't you?" Agatha asked.
"Everyone's pretty neutral towards me, so yeah. Tough spot to stay in."
"Sorry for dragging you out here. We should probably go back before Ms. Wilman notices."
"Ah, no worries. Even if she did, she won't bother."
Simone pushed off the lockers and started walking back towards the classroom. Agatha followed.
Back in the classroom, Deerling Belle sat back down in her seat. Simone nodded in her direction discretely as they walked along the wall back to their seats in the back. If Agatha had to guess, she texted him the info.
Once she sat down, Audino Agatha checked her phone. Pikachu Simone smiled in her direction as she saw she had a new text from him.
The text had a picture and a link online. She smiled and put it back into her jacket. Something in her chest settled down.
After study hall, the class went to the gym. Agatha sat on the bleachers again, but she paid more attention than usual watching Simone, and her new company.
Bayleef Jenna sat on the bleachers a ways away. Lillipup Shenise, Growlithe Alisha, and Persian Romania surrounded her. They chatted and laughed loudly enough to make Agatha clench the strands of her ears.
Umbreon Walter cleared out the center of the gym with long, low calls as he and Pikachu Simone prepared to train for varsity. Simone didn't seem to feel like battling, but he never turned anyone down. It annoyed Agatha to no end.
Shenise and Alisha whispered into Jenna's ear, eliciting giggles. Agatha grumbled to herself.
Walter let Simone attack first. He sent a small, flaky spark towards his body. Walter stood and took it without flinching.
"C'mon, Simone," Walter tilted his head. "Have you been practicing at all? It's been two weeks, dude."
"Yeah, didn't you see?" Simone asked. "That burst lasted longer."
"Simone, it doesn't matter if an attack that does nothing lasts longer. You're one to three this season. It's hard on me not being able to afford to make mistakes 'cause of you. And Elijah, too."
"Well, it's a little hard for me to get motivated right now. Just, thinking about, uh, y'know."
"What? What is it?"
Agatha didn't expect it; Simone lowered his head and bent down on his knees. He started to sob into his palms. He wiped his eyes and suppressed it. The giddy comments from the bleachers stopped
"Sorry," he continued. "I just can't. I can't focus."
Walter grit his teeth and glanced around. Flygon Mr. Rivers hovered overhead with his arms folded.
"Look, man," said Walter. "I'm not an expert. But, clearly, you need to take some time off and just chill. Okay, Simone?"
"Okay. Yeah. You're right."
As Simone skulked away, Umbreon Walter took center stage. He walked around in a short circle and stopped.
"Alright," said Walter. "As captain of our school varsity team, tryouts are open. Anytime. And well, we need at least one more for the season to go on, so I'm hoping someone does."
It didn't seem to Agatha that there were many people in the school aiming to get on the varsity team, even though they were revered. Most of them looked allergic to battling.
"Hey, Agatha."
Agatha jolted a bit when Walter singled her out. Half of the room looked her way, and she didn't ask for it.
"Do you battle?" Walter asked.
She lied on the spot. "No," she said.
"Oh," Bayleef Jenna said loudly, garnering attention. "So, it's just fat, then?" she smirked.
Something snapped. Agatha's rage turned into energy flowing through her head. She turned her eyes and aimed Psychic right behind Jenna. She shoved her down off the bleachers and turned away fast so no one could see signs it was her. She pretended to turn to Jenna like everyone else when she fell.
"Oop, I'm good!" Jenna called in a high voice as she scrambled up. "Not used to bleachers…"
"Did you fracture something?" Agatha hissed under her breath. No one heard her.
"If I may make a suggestion," Flygon Mr. Rivers called down from above, "why don't you all have a little tryout session? You can each battle Elijah or Walter, see how it feels. See how they feel. I can even help myself, too. And for the record, I'll make this the grade for class participation this week, so don't expect a good grade if you don't at least try."
"Alright," said Walter. "I'll just take care of it myself. Everyone, just show me what your strongest attack is. That's all."
"Uh, hey," Growlithe Alisha called out. "What if we don't have, like, an attack? Or anything?"
Agatha looked around at their faces. Most of them seemed interested in hearing the answer to her question.. Umbreon Walter's face twisted in annoyance.
"Then just tackle or punch me," he growled. "Geez…"
Walter shook his head as he walked towards the center of the gym. Agatha hopped off and lined up with her classmates facing towards him. She looked back at Simone as he sat on the bleachers and sadly smiled in her direction.
Audino Agatha ended up being too far back in line to see until her classmates were halfway done. She took a few steps forward every ten seconds, and someone else went to the bleachers. Agatha started to plan when she saw Lillipup Shenise's turn.
Shenise charged at Walter and tried to headbutt his arm. Her face bounced off and she fell on her side. Walter scratched the side of her face as Shenise tried to smile at him and skipped back to the bleachers.
As Sandshrew Thomas stepped up, Agatha realized this could be her only chance to slap Walter across the face and get away with it. He probably gossiped about her to Jenna earlier. She suppressed a twisted smile as Thomas bounced off of his chest after rolling into him.
Just before Agatha's turn, Slurpuff Zel ran and tried to tackle him. He stumbled, but didn't move out of place. He nodded towards her as she walked off back to the bleachers.
Umbreon Walter rolled his eyes and frowned as Agatha walked up to him. She suppressed her smile with all the force she could muster, but her lip curled up as she took the last step closer to him.
Agatha grabbed him by the fur on his chest and lifted his feet off the ground. His eyes widened as she flashed her hand, glowing white with energy in front of his face. She punched him right in the gut.
Her smile broke out as she set him back down on his legs. His face twisted out of his pain; his voice silenced by getting the breath shoved right out of his lungs. She sauntered over an empty area on the bleachers and sat down. Strangely, no one seemed to react.
"Walter?" Mr. Rivers asked.
Walter pushed his lips together and nodded frantically.
Agatha sat and enjoyed her victory. After everyone finished, Umbreon Walter, Lucario Elijah, and Flygon Mr. Rivers huddled in the center of the gym and talked quietly. Agatha twirled the strand of her ear as she listened.
"So, you think Zel?" Elijah asked finally.
"Yeah," said Walter. "Safest bet."
"Oh yeah. What about Agatha?"
"No."
Walter cringed at the small boom in his voice. Agatha stared at him as he glanced in her direction.
"No, nah. Not good," Walter continued. "Let's just invite them in the order."
"Okay."
Walter nodded one last time and turned around to the bleachers. Flygon Mr. Rivers floated up in the air as Elijah and Walter walked forward.
"Zel, how about it?" asked Walter.
Slurpuff Zel smiled. "I'll do my best!"
Agatha clenched her ear strands as the bell rang. She pushed up to her feet and looked for Simone.
Pikachu Simone walked out towards the door with the rest of the crowd. Agatha chose to leave him be for the rest of the day. As she walked towards the door, she pulled out her phone and checked out the link he sent her earlier and smiled to herself. She'd ask Claire when she got home for it.
A Buneary and Riolu walked out of the doors as she turned her eyes up from her screen. She needed to figure that out.