Part 2: Hush, the Ranger of Silence
I'd been waiting to become a ranger like my sisters had the year before so badly, but I was finally able to apply for the Ranger School of Almia right after my 13th birthday, where I saw that, among the ones in my class, I was also going to be joined by two other characters that I didn't know. One claimed that she was the daughter of Larry, the one from the intro missions of the first ranger games with his Tailow, and the other happened to be a ghost girl. One that... honestly made me surprised, because I didn't know that ghosts could exist in this world unless they were Pokemon.
Her name was Pico and she was going to be in Ms April's class alongside the best of the main characters... while Larry's daughter, who was named Kiki was going to Mr Kincaid's class, me being worried if she were to be taught the correct things or if she'd get drafted into Dim Sun.
Regardless, when it was my first day of school, I had to do as everyone did and proceed to try to capture a Pikachu, which I did so flawlessly, using my mind for the Styler rather than my hands. And afterwards, the trainer then did the whole 'rule the world' creepy story before I stopped him.
"Nice try, sir, but I can tell that you're bluffing. Your thoughts don't line up with the words," I said with my mind, which he was surprised at.
"Ah... I see you do have more powers than just looking like a Celebi. Don't tell others about the things you see in my head, got it?" he asked, me smirking as he was actually friends with Kincaid, but he was not at all interested in his plans, should he succeed in them.
"If the manure does hit the fan, it'd be wise to pick the right side. I'll keep quiet about it, but if anything does happen, I expect you to report the truth. Got it, Trey?" I asked, him nodding.
"Yeah, I gotcha," he said as he then pushed a button for the successful capture and I was then finally escorted out by Ms April to class, me being the last of the bunch and for everyone in my class having not met me because... well... I was about five minutes late for orientation and Pico was first in the line. Ms April went into the class first and told me to wait for the go-ahead, mainly due to my uniqueness.
"Sorry for the delay, students. But there was a late riser who had to take her exam and I had to pick her up. Her appearance is a bit more... unusual than the rest of you, so do not, I repeat, do NOT make fun of her one bit. She'll make you pay, trust me," Ms April said. "You can come in now, Jennifer," she said, me then going into the classroom and simply hovering in with my mind, which the class looked at me in surprise and looking at me with looks of awe, rather than ridicule. But of the group, I did see that Keith was the only one that thought I looked funny, which I looked at him with a smile.
"I can read your thoughts, Keith. Best not think of anything involving my looks, because I can embarrass you greatly if I want," I smiled at him, which the showboat of the class immediately looked nervous after.
"So, would you like to introduce yourself?" April smiled.
"I am Jennifer Woods... but you may call me Hush. The only way you'll get me to open my eyes and mouth is if you get me REALLY mad or surprised, so I'd suggest not doing that. I only want to help," I smiled at them, again, all in thought. I should say now that, unless I specify that I'm speaking with my mouth or opening my eyes, know that I ALWAYS see the world and speak to others with my mind. Being a psychic was so awesome, it honestly scared me to think of what it'd be like if a Gardevoir or Gothitelle were next to a teenage boy. The things they could see, eh?
"Go ahead and take your seat... the only one available is between Pico and Keith, it seems," Ms April smiled as I then sat in the seat in question, me smirking as I simply placed my butt into it and got out my notepad and pen with my mind as April spoke. "Now that introductions are over, we can begin learning."
Ms April's first lesson of the day was teaching all about how a Pokemon Ranger was not the only job that could be pursued at the Ranger School. People could be operators, mechanics, and even scientists for the sole purpose of assisting the effort of peace... but it was after roughly halfway into her class that we got a knock on the door, which surprised the teacher.
"Oh? Who is that? Why would they be interrupting class?" she asked as she then looked outside the door, as well as me... and when I saw the face, I was shocked, though not enough to open my mouth. My eyes, though? They went wide at who I was seeing, because I didn't know if my mind was to be trusted! My mind saw... well, a demon! A ton of dark red aura coming from the body and a demonic look to her! But when looking at her with my eyes? I saw why my mind associated her with demons. It was because the girl in question happened to be Leah Cain!
I knew from Beth's visit that there were other characters from video games that were brought to this world, with each having one hero and one villain, but I didn't get told about Leah being brought here! So, if she were here... who knew if a dangerous OTHER monster was here, too?! April simply opened the door and Leah spoke.
"Sorry for interrupting. I'm the one who was hired as an assistant teacher?" she asked, which April gawked at.
"Oh, yeah, I remember now!... You're very late," she smirked.
"Sorry, I had quite the nightmare last night... I slept in accidentally because I barely got to sleep," Leah admitted as she then went into the classroom, her definitely being dressed as if she were a teacher, with her being in a very formal dress and her hair having grown out to be in a ponytail rather than a short bob.
"Ahem, sorry for the interruption, class. This is my assistant teacher, who is hoping to learn enough to be a secondary helper at the Ranger Union and helping out none other than Professor Hastings. Her name is Leah Cain, but you don't need to be formal with her. She's here to learn, much like the rest of you... wait... Hush, why are your eyes open?" April asked, me then responding by closing them as I then said something with my mind.
"S-Sorry... I thought I saw something... off... almost like there were an unnatural power in Leah... it's died down now, though," I said, which Leah looked at me with a smile.
"I was told you could see things like that... don't tell anyone, okay?" she smirked.
"Tell us what? Is there something we're not being told?" Rhythmi asked, her sounding almost like she could be mistaken for Misty from season 1 of Pokemon, which was definitely quite an odd voice. So I simply spoke a lie. A very bold one, in fact.
"It appears that my family is not the only ones that have hybrid nature to us... Leah's one as well. The only difference is that she's a hybrid from a human/Pokemon union while me and my family were scientifically fused," I said.
"Wait... she's a genetic halfbreed?" April asked in surprise, which Leah sighed at.
"Yes, but I wanted that to be a secret," Leah said, catching onto the plan I had. "My father was a human, but my mother was a Mismagius... if I get very nervous, anxious, or angry, an unseeable aura envelops my body... it can be seen by Pokemon no matter what, but only psychic humans who see with their minds can see the aura just as well. It was red this time because I was nervous," Leah said with a sigh.
"I see... that's definitely something I did not expect," Ms April said. And then the bell dinged for class to be dismissed for recess. "Well, looks like we learned something extra, so I think that, once recess is done, I'll explain another part that's a bit extra-curricular, so long as you are okay with it, Leah," April asked.
"I'm fine with it, so long as I'm not thought of as different for my heritage... it's heavily frowned upon, from what I've heard," Leah said. But after we then left the class for recess, I looked at Leah with my mind.
"Miss Leah? Can we talk to each other in private, please?" I asked, her nodding.
"I expected as much. Yes, we can speak in private," she said, me then going with her to the area where Budew liked to hide as a flower bulb, me then speaking to her. "I need to know... how are you here? Beth never mentioned that you were here... and if you have that aura on you, does that mean that... you-know-what is here, too?"
"Yes, the Black Soulstone is here as well... I've been watching over it from afar, it having been moved to a very secret area and being protected by a bad group. It's currently inhabited by 4 of the 7 evils, in the form of Malthael, Azmodan, Belial, and Baal, with Malthael being the one in charge of the four of them, but constantly fighting them the whole time just as well," Leah said with a frown.
"But... are you freed from them? Because, last I saw you, Diablo completely overtook you, no thanks to that bitch of a mom you had," I said with a frown.
"Agreed on that much... when I was overtaken, my entire essence became tied to the Black Soulstone... after Malthael shattered and asborbed it, the remnants of the soulstone were warped to a different lab of Team Rocket alongside some others in my group in the form of Humba-Wumba, Quincess, and Pico, with the former two also having villains in the form of Gruntilda, who was burnt at the stake, and the Four Lordsouls, who are currently tied to cursed armor," Leah explained, me gawking at that. But... Quincess?
"Quincess is who, then?" I asked.
"Oh, you know her as the Fair Lady, that's right." Leah's statement made me nod at her, which I then proceeded to look around and saw that the Budew was listening intently to our conversation.
"Please don't speak a word of this to your Pokemon friends, please, Budew?" I smiled at her, which the Budew nodded at.
"Pwomise, too big to tell anyone," she said before then hiding her form. I then led myself and Leah back down to the courtyard, which is at the same time that Ms Janice accidentally angered the Bidoof, which all of them immediately started running all over!
"We gotta calm them all down! Let's go!" I thought aloud as I then started, but not before Keith came in.
"Hey, newbie! Whoever catches the most has to get a backrub from the loser!" he smirked.
"Well, now I gotta win, now, don't I?" I thought back as I then focused on the Bidoof and started to capture them 2 at a time, me managing to actually capture a total of 5 of them while Keith managed to get 4, which he gawked at after.
"Aw, man! I lost the bet," he pouted.
"No harm done. Just be gentle with the pixie wings," I smirked at him with a sly giggle.
"Thanks for helping out," Rhythmi smiled at us. "I accidentally tripped over the leader Bidoof when I left the building, and they ran off after. I take responsibility this time," Rhythmi sighed.
"Better to admit your faults so you can get better at them, that's what my big sister Beth taught me," I smirked at her.
"Good rule to have, I'll admit," Ms Janice smiled. "Okay, Bidoof darlings, let's have some special food today for lunch. Come along, now," she smirked as she led the Bidoof to a different place that they stayed at and proceeded to get fed not only their Pokemon food, but also some normal-type Poffins as well.
"I wish I could eat a Poffin, but they can be dangerous depending on how they're made," I admitted.
"Even though you're part Pokemon?" Keith asked.
"I may be part Pokemon, but I'm also a grass type. If I accidentally at a Poffin made for fire or poison types, I'd keel over and shrivel to nothing," I admitted to him.
"I see what you mean, then. Hard to tell what flavor a Poffin has just by appearance, after all. I tried to eat one that looked very puffy and cute, but it was for fighting types... it felt like I were eating licorice made of muscles. Very, VERY bad taste," Leah admitted.
"Agreed on that much. I hate to admit it, but I once had a water Poffin... it was super soggy and tasted like toothpaste," Keith said with a nervous laugh.
"Let's go into the classroom. It's almost time for recess to end, after all... and Keith?" I said, him looking at me with a small, worried smile. "The backrub will wait until after class. We'll eat our dinner outside the school and you'll give me the backrub by the Budew's hiding spot. And as I said, be careful with the wings. Delicate merchandise."
"Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system, I dug my own grave, I got it," he smirked.
"No worries, I never sweat, and I have very soft skin. It may feel good for both of us," I smirked.
"Um, are you hitting on him?" Rhythmi asked, which made me and Keith blush after.
"Maybe, maybe not, I'm not telling," I smirked. "Only me and Keith will know."
"You're no fun at all, bleh," Rhythmi joked.
