Chapter 2: Transferred Student
"Oh hey, it's YOU!"
Bill shouted as if he has already met Jan before.
"Silence,"
Mark commanded sternly, his cold gaze sweeping across the room, instantly quieting everyone.
"Your seat is at the back, next to your apparent best friend Bill over there."
Mark directed Jan to his seat.
"Wow, I didn't know Mr-War-Veteran-Who-Doesn't-Age has a sense of humor."
Bill snarked.
"I will see you at practice later, Mr-Former-Track-Star-Who-Is-Always-Late."
Mark replied while taking out his watch, showing that Bill indeed arrived at his seat at precisely 9:01, 1 minute later than the schedule class start time.
"I hate you, Gengar…"
Bill mumbled sadly, glancing at his shadow, seemingly cast by the sunlight from the windows. As he spoke, a Gengar slowly emerged from his shadow, returning to Mark's side.
"Anyways, thanks for the ride earlier, man!"
Bill grinned as he saw Jan sitting down next to him, revealing that it was Jan who helped him to class "on time".
"My name is Bill Swiftwind. I hope we get along, Jan!"
"Likewise."
Jan nodded.
As you all are aware, starting today, everyone will receive a new Pokémon. Attribute tests will be conducted for each of you in the next period. Following that, we'll have a self-study period for you to familiarize yourselves with your new Pokémon. Since most of you should now have 2-3 Pokémon, it's crucial that they all get along. The last period will be free time, allowing you to explore new clubs for the year—except for those who have yet to obtain their flying license because you'll need it for next week's mock flying contest."
Mark delivered the final announcement while his gaze lingered pointedly on Bill.
"No way, hold up, does everyone in here have their PRL except for me?"
PRL, or Pokémon Riding License, functions as the modern-day equivalent of a driving license, permitting individuals to legally fly or ride their Pokémon. Acquiring this license involves both a written exam and a practical test, totaling around two hours. The PCOs uphold an intricately detailed registry of license holders, facilitating the identification of individuals illegally riding Pokémon in public.
"Considering you were an actual track & field star, it's amusing how you manage to be late to absolutely E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G, huh?"
Eliza remarked, her smirk widening as the entire class observed Bill in an awkward silence.
"Former…track star."
Bill replied irritably to Eliza, who appeared to sadden momentarily upon hearing him correcting her before turning back to Mark.
"Alright, that wraps up my announcement, you guys get ready for the attribute tests next period."
Mark stated as he exited the class.
"Are you related to Dr-Siyah ?"
"Is it true that you transferred from District 1? Isn't that where all the top talents of the world are at?"
"Why did you move here?"
As soon as Mark left the room, everyone shifted their focus to Jan, who had been rather silent throughout the entire class thus far.
"Dr-Siyah is my father"
Jan answered softly.
"I moved here by myself due to personal reasons, haha"
It was a rather vague answer, as if intentionally avoiding revealing too much about himself.
"Wow, I didn't realize Dr-Siyah was already married."
The crowd expressed surprise but accepted Jan's answer anyway.
"Damn, my guy is already so popular on his first day~"
Bill gasped.
"Jealous?"
Eliza teased with a smirk.
"Pleasure to meet you; I'm Eliza Harveston. My family owns an exceptionally good AND affordable ramen shop; you should give it a try!"
Eliza turned to Jan after the crowd's interest dwindled, playfully making a money sign gesture with her fingers.
"You and Bill sure are intriguing. I hope we get along."
Jan smiled as he addressed both Eliza and Bill.
"DING DONG"
The ringing bell marked the conclusion of the 1st period. At the academy, each period spans an hour, and students attend four periods each day, separated by a midday lunch break. Following this, students typically dedicate the majority of their time to either studying, training or participating in club activities until the evening. Beside homeroom, every student has a personalized schedule tailored to them and their Pokémon. Despite this, individual performances contribute to their homeroom class's overall total, leading to regular updates of monthly rankings between classes to ensure accountability. Alongside this, the Academy frequently organizes competitions between classes across various subjects, motivating both classes to push each other for further improvement.
"Attention to all 9th year students, please gather in the Blue Assembly Hall."
A gentle yet firm voice echoed through the announcement system. For every 9th-year student, this marked their inaugural entrance into the Blue Assembly Hall, a space reserved exclusively for students in the 9th to 12th grades. The 1st-4th years congregated in the Green Hall, while the 5th-8th years convened in the Red Hall. The academy's dormitory, situated in the Northeast corner toward the forest where wild Pokémon capturing sessions would eventually take place, was exclusively designated for 10th-12th-year students. Only students in these later years are permitted to stay in the dorm, as activities requiring overnight stays are introduced exclusively during the last three years of their academy journey.
"We will now conduct the attribute tests. This should be the 3rd one for all of you. For the most parts, your results shouldn't have changed significantly since the last assessment. We hope that any changes you might have will be positive for both you and your Pokémon. Everyone, please put the attribute stone provided in your hand."
The "Attribute Stone" is a government-invented item designed to assess an individual's compatibility with a specific Pokémon type. Typically, most people exhibit a predominant compatibility with just one type, and it's relatively rare for individuals to have dual compatibility. In most cases, having compatibility with three types is considered an anomaly.
"Ah crap"
Jan muttered as he swiftly concealed the stone momentarily, only to reveal a flame-infused stone. The stone emitted a comforting warmth, suggesting that the owner possessed a gentle and kind-hearted personality.
"I definitely saw that. That stone contained all the types for a second there. No way!"
An astonished individual thought to themselves while observing Jan from a distance.