Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.

Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai

Chapter Eighty-five: Blackthorn battles, part two

Dawn and Kenny, following along behind Lance and Clair, soon reached Blackthorn City Academy, a prestigious Pokémon trainer school located in Blackthorn City. Upon entering the grounds, Lance said, "Everyone follow me. I know there the faculty lounge is. We'll meet the principal, the board member, and miss Akeno there."

"What about the homeroom teachers that you mentioned?" Kenny asked.

"The principal told me over the phone that, upon our group getting here," Lance began to explain, "He'll have the two homeroom teachers lead their respective homeroom classes to the stadium on academy grounds to wait there. The tour will only see us led by the principal, the board member, and miss Akeno."

Dawn nodded once silently, not too entirely sure about Akeno. A legacy hire at Blackthorn City Academy given that her grandfather founded the school, Akeno taught a Political Science class, probably to help educate about the various goings on between the different regions. Akeno was also, reported by Lance, to be a suck up to important persons, such as Dawn herself due to how she's the Sinnoh champion.

Akeno is also rather unpleasant; she reportedly bullied a special needs girl who's a student in one of the two homeroom classes who will be meeting at the academy's stadium, and Akeno had a girl in the other homeroom class who will be there expelled when she stood up to Akeno for how she was treating said special needs girl. And Akeno supposedly got away with all of this because of how she is covered by the legacy of her grandfather.

Soon enough, the group made their way over to the front office of the school. Upon entering the front office's lobby, a secretary who saw the group enter immediately jolted to attention. "L-Lance!" the secretary stammered, "Y-Y-You're Lance! The ch-ch-champion!"

Lance held a hand up to calm the secretary down. "My party and I are here to see the principal. He's expecting us."

The secretary nodded in understanding before turning around to go over to a door. Opening the door and heading inside, the secretary could be heard saying something to who Dawn and Kenny assumed was the principal. A few seconds later, the principal came out of his office; a grown man who to the surprise of the reborn trainers was barley taller than either of them. He was fair skinned, had platinum blonde scruffy hair, and wore a black dress vest under a white long sleeved dress shirt, black dress pants, and surprisingly a pair of tan work boots. He also wore a red tie.

"Hello, I'm Principal Yasuhiro," the now identified Yasuhiro greeted the group, "Of course, I say this for the benefit of the two young children who I assume are Dawn Berlitz and Kenny Harris. Lance and his cousin Clair already know who I am."

"I see you already have our names," Dawn remarked, "But Lance did call you ahead of time. It makes sense that he gave you our names then."

Yasuhiro nodded in confirmation. "Anyway, we ought to collect miss Akeno and Mr. Kenta before we begin the tour. I hope you don't mind waiting a bit."

Shrugging, Kenny replied, "No prob, Principal Y."

Yasuhiro chuckled a bit in sincere good humor at Kenny's casual attitude. "Just like some of the students in Suwabe's and Matsuda's respective homeroom classes. Oh, they'll be the classes who will watch your battles against Clair, which reminds me that I need to make the announcement to have them all meet in the stadium." The group waited for Yasuhiro to make the announcement, and after he was finished he turned to look at the group.

"That announcement was made over the school intercom, so everyone on campus heard it," said the principal of Blackthorn City Academy, "Kenta and Akeno will have heard it and know to meet up here to join the tour group." Sure enough, within a minute, both Kenta and Akeno showed up. Akeno was a lovely looking mature woman; she wore stylish red framed glasses, a lovely dress blouse, a tight black work skirt that reached her knees, stockings, and shiny black women's dress shoes. She had long black hair and flawless skin.

Kenta, however, was notably older than the other adults, easily at least as old as Pryce if not a few years older. He had shaggy yellow blonde hair, fair skin, and he was skinny to the point of being gaunt. He was dressed in a full business suit of pale light brown, reminding Dawn of the color of hot cocoa, and he had shiny black men's dress shoes. Surprisingly, his tie he wore was yellow with a funny pattern of cartoon characters.

"Ah, so our guests have finally shown up," Akeno said, "I was beginning to think that they had no interest in coming to see the school my grandfather had founded long ago." It was clear to Dawn and Kenny that Akeno thought very highly of herself.

"There's quite a bit to cover on the tour," Kenta said, "We best start soon."

"All too true, Kenta," Yasuhiro replied. The principal took the lead in the tour and, with everyone else following him, led everyone out of the front office and off to look around the prestigious Pokémon trainer school.

The tour of Blackthorn City Academy was off to a smooth start right off the bat. "So how good is this school?" Kenny asked, "Where does it rank as a Pokémon Trainer school compared to others out there?"

"For starters, we're bar none the best in Johto," Yasuhiro began, "And that's not simply putting on airs, we're officially ranked as the top trainer school in Johto."

"Only one elite trainer school that, last I heard, is located in the Galar region, can be considered equal to Blackthorn City Academy," Akeno said, "And given how strict that school is in accepting students, it's going to go out of business." Akeno let out a smugly amused hum of a laugh. "That will leave Blackthorn City Academy undisputed as top in the world."

"How do students get accepted here?" Dawn asked.

"Normally, they have to register to take the entrance exam," Yasuhiro began to explain, "Those who take the entrance exam have to pay for it, although we don't offer refunds to those who fail. Sounds unreasonable I know, but the entrance exam fee is necessary to Blackthorn City Academy being able to generate income."

"Alternatively, students from wealthy families can get in via their parents donating to Blackthorn City Academy," Akeno said, "Hence why you'll see a fair number of legacy children attending school here." Turning to look at Kenta, Akeno said, "As a matter of fact Kenta, isn't that how you got in back when you were my grandfather's personal student?"

"I actually got in due to a mix of passing the entrance exam and having a letter of recommendation helping to clear the path for me," Kenta clarified, "I didn't want to buy my way in."

"Letter of recommendation?" Clair said, "What's that?"

Turning to address his cousin, Lance explained, "It's when someone writes a letter to the Blackthorn City Academy scholarship committee where they recommend a potential student that should be considered for enrollment. If accepted, the committee will look into granting a scholarship to the recommended student after talking to their parents."

Something in Dawn's memories clicked. "...Back when Kenny and I first arrived in Johto," Dawn began, getting everyone's attention, "Professor Elm had told us about how he had written a letter of recommendation to the Blackthorn City Academy scholarship committee for Ideku Badorigo."

Lance, Clair, Yasuhiro, Kenta, and Akeno all looked surprised by what Dawn said, although for different reasons. "Really?" Lance said, "Professor Elm did that?" With a look of consideration on his face, Lance said, "...Yeah, that makes sense. And Ideku showed lots of promise. He's both skilled as a trainer already and a smart young man."

"I actually remember who Ideku is," Kenta said, "I saw the Johto League Conference where he came in first place. That astounding accomplishment, combined with a letter of recommendation from Johto's own resident Pokémon professor, should have basically given Young Ideku a free pass to be automatically accepted as a student here, granted a full scholarship and everything." With a look of consideration on his own face, Kenta said, "The only question is why Young Ideku wasn't-"

"His parents explained that they didn't feel that Ideku was fit to be a student here," Akeno spoke up, getting everyone's attention, "When they came in to meet about Ideku potentially coming here as a student. They did, however, express that their other son Katsuku would be a model student, and he does have a similarly as impressive record, so after I had taken care of arranging things, Katsuku was accepted as a student."

Dawn and Kenny both felt more pissed at the Badorigo parents than ever, and slightly more pissed at Akeno herself. But they had to keep their cool. "Did..." Dawn began, "...Did Ideku and Katsuku's parents say why specifically they didn't feel Ideku was fit for Blackthorn City Academy?"

"I got the gist from them that Ideku is a special needs kid," Akeno replied, "And that was their reason for not feeling confident in Ideku going here. Personally, I say we dodged a bullet on that one. I still can't believe that Professor Elm had seriously written a letter of recommendation for that re-"

"Akeno!" Kenta snapped, cutting the legacy hire off, "That is not appropriate talk when referring to someone!"

"And didn't you get into an altercation with Suwabe and Matsuda recently because of your less than ideal treatment towards Matsuda's special needs student Amanda?" Yasuhiro asked, arching a wry eyebrow at Akeno, "You still have to properly apologize for that, by the way."

Dawn and Kenny both looked surprised. "Ideku is special needs?" Dawn asked, "Huh, that never came up in the times Kenny and I saw him."

Shrugging, Akeno said, "It's what I got from the Badorigo parents."

"Anywho, we ought to just head straight to the stadium," Yasuhiro said as he looked at the time via a clock on the wall in the hallway they were in, "It would be in bad form to keep Suwabe, Matsuda, and their respective students waiting." Wanting a change of atmosphere, Dawn and Kenny both agreed and went with the others straight to the stadium located on Blackthorn City Academy grounds.

The stadium located on Blackthorn City Academy grounds was a large indoor stadium that, from what Dawn felt, was League Conference quality. There were bleachers all around the stadium pit, and a group of students were all gathered in one spot in the bleachers. Dawn saw two adults get up from where the students sat and moved to head down to greet the arriving group.

They were both dressed similarly, wearing white dress shirts, black dress pants held up with dark leather belts, shiny black dress shoes, and they both wore neck ties. The first man of the pair, slightly shorter with a leaner build, had fair skin, long dark hair he wore down, and some very mild stubble. His neck tie was pale blue and had had a Meowth-face pattern. The second man man of the pair, slightly taller with a fairly buff build, had fair skin, short grayish hair, a clean shaven face, and his yellow tie had a Granbull-face pattern.

"The one with the long dark hair is Suwabe," Yasuhiro said, "And the one with the short grayish hair is Matsuda."

The now identified Suwabe let out a sigh. "We could have introduced ourselves, sir."

"Mmm, you sound a little tense, Su-kun," Akeno said, clearly being flirtatious towards the long haired man, "Maybe I can help you rel-"

"Considering how you got one of my students expelled," Suwabe immediately interrupted, his tone and glare at Akeno unamused, "And solely because she confronted you on your behavior towards Matsuda's student Amanda, you'll only make me more tense. I suggest you simply give me space."

"So you're the teacher with an expelled student," Kenny remarked.

Suwabe let out a sigh, nodded once in confirmation. "A girl named Ayane, yes. She was a kind, compassionate student with no tolerance for others being mistreated. That would probably explain why she was so quick to leap to Amanda's defense when Akeno mocked and embarrassed her in front of a shared class between me and Matsuda's students."

Akeno scowled in annoyance. "She was actively defying a teacher. Behavior like that shouldn't be tolerated here at Blackthorn City Academy."

"It would have been in better form for you," Suwabe began, "If you had a problem with one of my students, to let me know about it so I could handle it." Suwabe's brow furrowed ever so slightly. "But it's irrational to cry over spilled milk. Anyway." Turning to look the special guests, Suwabe said, "I believe that now is the time for the live demonstration of what an official challenge to a Pokémon gym leader is like?"

Lance nodded in agreement. "Yes." Turning to look at Clair and the reborn trainers, Lance said, "We're going to have Clair and Dawn's battle first. Is that alright?"

Clair hummed in amusement. "So I'm getting the more rigorous exercise right off the bat. Are you sure this isn't some form of revenge for how I would regularly steal your favorite flavored tortilla chip when we were little kids, cous?"

"Those spicy sweet chili tortilla chips were my favorite and how dare you regularly steal them from me when we we kids," Lance said casually without raising his voice or sounding upset, "And Auntie was right to ground you when you pulled that stunt off immediately after I got out of the hospital following having my tonsils removed. But that all has nothing to do with why you're going to face off against Dawn first."

"I think that it has to do with how my main man here is the Champion of Sinnoh," Kenny explained, "And that Lance wants to try to wow the students." Lance nodded in agreement.

Clair accepted that answer before heading on over to her spot on the battlefield, with Dawn going on in to her spot. After both ladies were in place, Yasuhiro led the rest of the group down there to along where the students sat up at. "Students, we're about to begin the live demonstration of what an official challenge to a Pokémon gym leader is like!" Yasuhiro called up.

"The best demonstration that can be given is an actual official challenge to a Pokémon gym leader," Suwabe called up, "Meaning that the guest who will be battling Clair is actually trying to earn the Rising Badge from her. Be respectful regardless of how the battle turns out!"

"Sir!" one male student called out, a boy who looked like a serious intelligent student that constantly got good grades, "Where's the referee for the battle? The usual one is out sick!"

Stepping forward, Lance called out, "I'll be refereeing this battle, students of Blackthorn City Academy!" The students all murmured amongst themselves when Lance had made his presence known. "That all being said, you all better take notes on this upcoming battle!" Aside from Lance himself, the group down there went up to go sit with the crowd of students. Lance then took his place as referee before he began to officiate the battle.

"This official challenge to the Blackthorn City gym will be between the gym leader, Clair, and the challenger, Dawn Berlitz of Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh! Both trainers may use up to three Pokémon each! The last trainer with any Pokémon left able to battle will be declared the winner! Also, only the challenger my substitute Pokémon out at any time! Now then..." Throwing both of his hands up into the air, Lance called out, "BEGIN!"

"Gyarados, I choose you!" Clair called out, first sending out her Gyarados.

Dawn's suspicions, plus Ideku's warning, was paying off thus far. Tossing up a pokéball, Dawn called out, "Alright, Rapparatta! Let's get goin'!" Dawn's first Pokémon was her named Porygon-Z, which was wearing a Silk Scarf held item. The students were all generally surprised to see that Dawn's first Pokémon was a Porygon-Z of all things, but only took notes on the matter. They all were wanting to see how this went.

Pointing forward, Clair said, "Gyarados, use Bite!"

"Rapparatta, use Thunderbolt!" Dawn called out, eliciting a surprised look out of Clair.

Gyarados rushed at Rapparatta with its maw opened up wide, right as Rapparatta conjured and cast its Thunderbolt attack at Gyarados, striking it and making it cry out in pain as it seized up a bit before falling over with a heavy slam onto the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process. After all of the dust had settled, everyone saw that Clair's Gyarados had been defeated already.

Holding up a hand, Lance called out, "Gyarados is unable to battle! The winner is Porygon-Z!"

As Clair recalled her defeated Gyarados, the students in the audience were already amazed. "Woah, that girl's weird Pokémon knocked out Clair's Gyarados in one hit," one girl said, a girl with orange hair in a ponytail.

"Well it used Thunderbolt," said another girl with her hair in a ponytail but she had black hair, "And Gyarados is a dual water flying type. Logically Thunderbolt would deal massive damage."

Down on the battlefield, Clair smirked a bit in amusement, despite the situation she found herself in. "...Trainers of your level really are amazing," Clair said, "But don't think I'll go down without putting up a fight! Dragonaire, I choose you!" Clair's second Pokémon, Dragonaire, came out into battle. After that, Clair immediately called out, "Dragonaire, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Rapparatta, use Ice Beam!" Dawn ordered, eliciting another surprised look out of Clair.

Both Dragonaire and Porygon-Z took brief moments to conjure and fire off their attacks. But the latter was faster, and fired off an Ice Beam right at Dragonaire, striking it and making it cry out before it fell back and hit the ground of the battlefield, clearly knocked out. "Dragonaire is unable to battle!" Lance called out, "The winner is Porygon-Z!"

The students that were watching the battle were starting to get more impressed with what all that they were seeing. Dawn, when she took a quick glance at the audience out of the corners of her eyes, noticed one girl with long honey brown hair in a bobcut look panicked by the noise before she immediately putting on a pair of headphones, then looked more relaxed. It was a slight bit, but a noticeable bit nonetheless.

The reborn trainer, as she returned her focus to the battle, believed that girl she saw put the headphones on is that special needs girl that she and Kenny heard about. But she'll ask about it later, after the battle. Speaking of, Clair said, "You're one of the strongest challengers to my gym that I have ever faced. The only other person I know of who could give me as tough of a beating as what you're giving me right now is my cousin Lance."

Dawn smirked a bit in amusement. "Well Rapparatta and I try." The named Porygon-Z cried out in agreement with its trainer, happy Dawn was giving it a fair share of the credit.

"And you make sure your Pokémon receive a fair share of the praise," Clair said, "You're more like my cousin than I had thought at first. That being said, I better go all out if I want to do at least some damage! Kingdra, I choose you!" Clair sent out her third and final Pokémon in the gym battle, that being her Kingdra. Pointing forward, Clair said, "Kingdra, use Bubble Beam!"

"Rapparatta, use Tri Attack!" Dawn called out.

The two Pokémon conjured and cast their respective attacks at one another, but Rapparatta's Tri Attack blasted through Kingdra's Bubble Beam before going on to slam hard right into Kingdra itself, striking with such a slamming force that Kingdra was thrown back until it slammed into a wall behind Clair. Rapparatta using Tri Attack, boosted by STAB, Adaptability, Silk Scarf, and its own very notable special attack stat, will hit hard, even on some Pokémon who resist normal type attacks.

But Kingdra didn't have a resistance to normal type attacks; as such, when the dust settled, everyone saw it that Clair's Kingdra was not only knocked out, but also partly stuck in the wall as well. Holding up a hand, Lance announced, "Kingdra is unable to battle! The winner is Porygon-Z! Victory of this battle goes to the challenger, Dawn Berlitz!"

The students all cheered wildly as they saw Dawn's sound victory against Clair. As for the lady herself, Clair despite her loss didn't begrudge Dawn in the least. "Yeah, you got me good," Clair said as she approached Dawn and Rapparatta, "If a Porygon-Z of all things is able to do so much, then it actually amazes me that they and those of their evolutionary family aren't more commonly used by trainers. You just might be on to something with your Pokémon."

Dawn nodded in thanks and acknowledgement, then saw it as Clair took out and handed over to her a Rising Badge. With that badge in hand, Dawn had officially earned all eight Johto gym badges, a feat that Dawn was sure Kenny will pull off later. Clair looked up at where Kenny was and called up to him that her Pokémon needed time to rest and recuperate before she could take his challenge, but that they ought to be ready by six in the late afternoon.

With the first battle taken care of, the teachers had all the students move on over to a lecture hall, where Dawn and Kenny will give a lecture about their experience as trainers. Kenny then asked why he and Dawn didn't know about this until just now, to which Yasuhiro apologized and said that he had meant to inform them ahead of time but it had slipped his mind completely. Dawn and Kenny decided to just put up with it and go along to the lecture hall.

The students of the class all sat in the seats in front of the chalkboard, with Dawn, Kenny, Lance, Clair, and the present Blackthorn City Academy staff. "Students," Yasuhiro began, "This lecture is where Dawn and Kenny will talk about their experiences as trainers who have gone all over the Kanto and now Johto regions, as well as their home region of Sinnoh. You all may ask questions, but please be respectful."

Right away, a sea of hands shot up, so Dawn called on the girl with the black ponytail, as she heard said girl call out her name. "Your name having been given as Dawn Berlitz during your battle with Clair," the black ponytail girl began, "Combined with Principal Yasuhiro saying that your home region is Sinnoh, has me wondering. Are you the same Dawn Berlitz who just recently became champion of Sinnoh after defeating the prior Sinnoh champion Cynthia?"

Dawn nodded once in confirmation. "Yes. I am that very same Dawn Berlitz."

Another hand went up, this being from the girl with the orange ponytail. "Why did you challenge Clair to a gym battle if you're already a League Champion?" the orange ponytail girl asked after she had been called on.

"My man man here and I are actually on something of a gym challenge tour across the other regions," Kenny explained to the two classes while gesturing to himself and Dawn, "It's partly to help advertise Dawn to the other regions as Sinnoh's newest champion."

The sea of hands went up again, and Kenny called on one boy who got his attention, a fair skinned boy with ashy blonde, medium long scruffy hair and piercing red eyes. "Yeah, I got a question for Champion Dawn," the boy said, sounding like one of those kinds who thought themselves above others. Dawn, her attention caught by the older boy's (all of the students are first year high school age, and Dawn and Kenny are both biologically eleven) tone, turned to look at him.

"...Yes," Dawn began, "What is it?"

"That Pokémon that you had used in the battle you won against Clair a few moments ago," the boy began, "The hell sort of monster is it?"

"You could have phrased that question in a more respectful manner," Suwabe scolded the boy.

Gesturing to Dawn, the boy went on, "That thing she used not only knocked out all of the Pokémon that Clair used with one attack each, but it didn't take a lick of damage itself in the process! If that doesn't scream monster, I don't know what does! Even my brother who had beaten Clair on his first try didn't win as easily as that!"

Looking at the boy who was demanding answers on Dawn's named Porygon-Z, Clair said, "...Huh, I thought I recognized you, young man. You're Katsuku Badorigo." Dawn and Kenny's attention was piqued by Clair identifying the boy in question as Katsuku Badorigo, the older brother of the roaming trainer Ideku Badorigo. Even more so when the boy confirmed to Clair that she got his name right. The reborn trainers were interested in finding a member of Ideku's family who had made his life hell, and the got the older brother who apparently turned out isn't as bad as the parents right there.

They wanted to get answers. And they were looking to get them right now.

END, CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE

Author's notes;

This chapter sees the tour of Blackthorn City Academy, where Dawn and Kenny get to know some of the staff and other notable persons. They also go to the stadium located on school grounds so that Dawn can have her official challenge to Clair there as the teachers wanted a live demonstration of a battle that was a challenge to a gym leader. Dawn ended up winning, and thus an audience saw it as she received her eighth and final Johto gym badge.

After that was a lecture, and after some questions Dawn and Kenny finally find Katsuku, the older brother of Ideku. They are wanting to know more about Ideku's family life, and they'll get the deets that they want, even if they have to ask to speak with Katsuku privately later which will most likely be the case as I want to avoid drama in a classroom scene.

Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Leni (female Lucario), Argent (male Arcanine; Hisuian; alpha), Rapparatta (Porygon-Z), Cyrus (male Staraptor), Tsukune (Palkia)

Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Android 21 (female Sneasel; shiny), Godzilla (male Pupitar), Shallot (male Glaceon), Roshi (male Torterra), Juan (male Pikachu; Libre), Black (Giratina)