~~Hello, readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I don't own anything from Pokemon or Assassination Classroom.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
It was now late afternoon at Kunugigaoka Academy.
Unfortunately, I was forced to go back home to Aspertia City with my academic assistant Julie tagging along.
Julie led me back to the station where we boarded a train almost immediately.
She sat beside me in a middle seat.
I felt myself being trapped in her threatening, negative aura.
Neither of us said a word during the ride.
A half hour later, the train arrived in Aspertia City.
As soon as it came to a complete stop, I exited the train followed by Julie and led her straight to my house.
The booming sound of Trooper's bark could be heard from inside as Julie and I approached the front porch.
I couldn't help but giggle at that.
Kara opened the front door and stood in the entrance.
"Hello, you two," she greeted.
"Good afternoon, Mother," I responded politely.
Trooper pushed passed Kara and excitedly rushed toward me while wagging his tail.
"Darn it, Trooper," Kara mumbled.
I ruffled Trooper's fur as he sat down by my side.
"Julie, I'm surprised to see you here so suddenly. What's going on?" inquired Kara.
"We need to have a serious talk," answered Julie firmly.
I glared at Julie and thought, "There she goes again."
"Please come in," Kara urge.
Julie and I stepped inside with Trooper following behind us.
Trooper and I sat down on one couch while Kara and Julie sat on the other.
I wrapped my arms tightly around the dog.
Trooper laid his head on my shoulder.
"Julie, what would you like to talk about?" asked Kara.
"I saw a male student in Sioku's class throw a knife at her messed up teacher while they were taking a test. Sioku jumped up from her seat and healed that ugly mutant using cell activation. That whole class knows about her power now," Julie explained.
Kara's jaw dropped as she gasped in shock.
"Sioku Marie, did you seriously expose your magic power to a group of total strangers? What in the world were you thinking?" she shouted furiously.
"Mother, you're making a big deal out of this. Korosensei and my classmates are not strangers at all. I can trust them," I protested.
"No, Sioku, I have every right to be concerned! You've just put yourself in a lot of danger! Those no good assassins in that class don't deserve your kindness!" Kara yelled back.
"Sioku, you shouldn't be trusting those kids. They could turn their backs on you at any moment," Julie added.
I bowed my head in utter defeat.
Tears of sadness rolled down my cheeks.
A brief period of silence passed between us.
"My friends are not assassins. They deserve to be happy just like anyone else," I said boldly.
Kara glared down at me with a look of fury in her eyes.
"Sioku, I don't want to hear another word out of you right now. Go to your room and take the dog with you," she replied sternly.
Without a word, I gently nudged Trooper who woke up and shook off.
He then hopped down onto the floor.
I stood up, then led him up the stairs.
Trooper and I settled into my bedroom with the door wide open.
Hearing the sound of Trooper's quiet panting made me feel less lonely.
I kept the door wide open so I could listen to my mom's conversation with Julie.
~In the Living Room~
Kara and Julie sat facing each other on opposite couches.
Umbreon lay asleep on the floor near Kara's feet.
"Julie, I've been researching a few different schools that Sioku could transfer to starting next week," said Kara.
She then raised the lid of her laptop computer and powered it up.
As soon as the main screen had loaded, Kara clicked on a website and scrolled through a list of links.
Each link that she pulled up was connected to a school review page.
Julie looked at the screen with a pleased expression.
"Any of those schools would be suited for your daughter. I would be happy as long as Sioku gets pulled out of that messed up class. Sioku isn't getting any appropriate education from that mutant," she replied.
Kara hovered her cursor over a specific link.
"I found a school in Opelucid City that's located near the gym. I could enroll Sioku there to save you a lot of traveling time in the morning," she suggested.
"I like that idea," Julie responded.
"Sioku will still be able to ride the train to school and back every day," Kara added.
"I'm sorry for pushing you like this, Kara, but we should begin the new enrollment process as soon as possible. Sioku deserves a better educational experience," Julie said calmly.
"It's all right, Julie, I don't feel any pressure at all. You saved my daughter's life before anything harmful could happen to her," Kara replied sincerely.
She started to fill out a transfer application while Julie watched silently.
~Back in My Room~
I sat on the edge of my bed, listening intently to every word of my mom and Julie's conversation.
Trooper lay asleep on the floor beside my dresser.
Hearing my mom and Julie talk about moving me to another school made me fume inside.
I had the urge to sprint downstairs and give them a piece of my mind.
"Mother, Julie, you two are making a huge mistake. I won't let you separate me from my best friends," I growled internally.
Their conversation soon went quiet, catching me by surprise.
"What are they up to?" I whispered.
I decided to leave my room and descended the staircase.
My mom and Julie were still sitting in the living room.
I started to walk through the kitchen with my Pokéballs when Kara noticed me.
"Sioku, what are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm about to let my Pokémon outside," I answered casually.
Before Kara could say anything else, Trooper bolted down the stairs while wagging his tail.
I couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Let's go outside, Trooper," I called to the dog.
Trooper ran toward me while panting.
I hugged him tight and petted his head affectionately.
"Good dog, Trooper," I praised.
Trooper followed me as I walked toward the back door.
I led the hyper dog outside before letting my Pokémon out of their Pokéballs.
Lilipup snapped at Trooper as he playfully nudged it with his nose.
"Knock it off, Lilipup," I scolded before closing the glass door.
I then turned around and made my way into the living room.
"Sioku, please come and sit down with me. Julie and I have something to discuss with you," said Kara.
Without a word, I sat down on the couch next to my mom.
I saw Mom's laptop open on the coffee table, setting off panic alarms in my head all at once.
The air around all three of us grew thick as fog.
I immediately had a feeling that I was about to receive some bad news.
"Sioku, Julie and I have been talking, and we are concerned about your education. I've submitted a transfer application form for you online. You'll be enrolled at Opelucid Academy next week if it goes through," Kara explained.
My heart dropped to the floor at that.
I sat frozen in place, too stunned to process the disturbing news.
Tears lined the corners of my eyes.
I forced down a lump of emotion that had been growing rapidly in my throat.
"Hold on, Mother, why did you do that without talking to me first? Don't I deserve to express my feelings too?" I responded sadly.
"Don't get upset, Sioku, I did this for your own safety. Also, your healing power will no longer be exposed to a group of total strangers. That was very reckless of you, little lady," Kara said firmly.
"Mother! You think I was being reckless? I just healed Korosensei when he got badly hurt! He needed my help!" I hollered back.
"Sioku, that is no excuse! Team Plasma is after your healing power as we speak! How do you know that those assassins aren't allied with them?" Kara continued roughly.
"I don't care, you're letting Julie influence your decision by letting her spread lies about my friends. She's manipulating you again," I shot back.
Kara grabbed my shoulders and squeezed them tightly.
"That is enough, young lady! I don't want to hear you make another negative comment about Julie! Do you hear me?" she shouted.
I remained silent and turned my head away.
Kara grabbed a lock of my hair and yanked it.
I winced internally at the stinging pain.
Instead of trying to intervene, Julie watched the scene obliviously.
She had no intention of deescalating the argument which didn't surprise me at all.
I wasn't expecting Julie to help anyway.
She only would've made the situation worse.
"Sioku Marie! I asked you a question! Answer me!" Kara screamed.
Umbreon woke up in response to Kara's screaming and exited the room.
"Yes, ma'am," I said quietly.
Kara let go of my hair and looked at Julie.
"Julie, I am so sorry for my daughter's disgraceful behavior. Sioku is in a rebellious phase right now," she said remorsefully.
"I'm used to it," Julie replied.
The fact that my mom apologized to Julie instead of me wasn't new, so I didn't care to react.
I just let it slide like everything else.
Kara looked up at a clock on the wall.
"Pardon me, Julie, but Sioku and I need to start preparing supper. We can talk more another time," she said.
"That's okay, Kara, my daughter is waiting at home for me. I'll see you later," Julie replied with a kind smile.
She then stood up and headed toward the door.
Umbreon watched Julie as she walked out.
I was relieved to know that Julie had finally left our house.
A brief moment of silence passed by.
Kara looked from her laptop to me.
"If you've dropped your childish attitude, Sioku, I would like you to help me make supper," she said sternly.
I only nodded in response.
Kara stood up and walked into the kitchen.
I followed right behind her.
Trooper and all of my Pokémon surrounded the back door as I approached it.
"Come in, everyone," I urged while sliding the glass door open.
Trooper impatiently pushed passed my Pokémon and ran inside.
My Pokémon playfully circled around him.
I giggled when his tail tapped against my leg.
"You're so funny, Trooper," I commented.
Lilipup started to growl menacingly at Trooper.
"Knock it off," I ordered sternly.
I calmly led Trooper and my Pokémon through the kitchen.
"Sioku, I would like you to feed your Pokémon first. I've already fed all of mine a few minutes ago," said Kara.
"Yes, ma'am," I replied while walking toward a cupboard.
I filled up a bowl with Pokémon food and placed it near the automatic waterer.
All five of my Pokémon excitedly gathered around it.
Trooper walked tiredly through the living room, then laid down by the couch.
The sound of his yawn made me laugh.
~Small Time Skip~
I had just finished helping my mom make dinner for us.
All of our Pokémon rested together in the living room.
Kara and I sat down at the dining table across from each other.
Our meal was mostly silent until Kara decided to start a conversation with me.
"Sioku, are you going to Castelia City tomorrow after school?" she asked.
"Yes, Mother, I still need to earn my third Unova gym badge. My Pokémon and I have been training hard for this," I answered slightly annoyed.
"I expect you to do your best," Kara said firmly.
"Mother, I am always putting my best effort into everything I do. Why don't you trust me?" I replied with a frown.
"You've made me proud so far, Sioku, but now I'm starting to worry about you. I don't trust those assassins who you call your friends. They've influenced you to let your guard down and fool around," Kara countered.
My eyes widened with shock at that.
"You're wrong, Mother, my friends actually support and care about me. They would never be the cause of me losing a battle," I said with an enraged glare.
"I never should've enrolled you in that school. That class is not right for you," Kara replied.
"Why? Am I not allowed to be happy?" I asked.
"Sioku, transferring to another school shouldn't effect your happiness. I'm sure you'll find new friends to replace your old ones," Kara answered plainly.
My face heated up with fury as I jumped up from my seat.
"Mother! You're talking about my friends like they're objects! Do you have no shame?" I shouted in her direction.
Kara reached her arms across the table and grabbed my face tightly with both hands.
"Don't you dare shout at me, little lady! I thought you learned your lesson from our last incident!" she yelled back.
I ignored my mom's painful grip and continued glaring at her.
Thinking about Korosensei, Nagisa, and Karma gave me the courage that I needed in order to keep fighting.
"Sioku Marie, you better wipe that glare off your face right now. I will not allow you to keep acting stubborn like this," Kara demanded sharply.
A brief period of silence passed between us.
"No, Mother, I will continue to fight for my rights despite your authority. I deserve the right to start making my own decisions. Your aggressive actions won't make me back down," I responded boldly.
Kara wasn't going to let me have the last word though.
She removed one hand, then slapped the left side of my face with full force.
A larger, red handprint quickly formed on my cheek.
I felt my cheek start to throb and sting but refused to show any weakness or intimidation.
"Sioku Marie, I'll find a way to get through to you even if it kills me! Your rebellion has gone on long enough!" Kara screamed in my ear.
"Good luck, Mother," I mumbled.
Kara slammed me backward into my chair.
"What was that?" she screamed.
I groaned internally as my back smakked against the hard wood.
A sharp pain coursed through my upper body.
The pain still barely fazed me as I pulled myself up into a sitting position.
I gazed up at my mom who was now standing up and leaning over me from the left.
Her death glare pierced through my soul like a sharp blade.
"No matter how much you hurt me, Mother, I won't give up on my best friends. They have changed my social life in the best way. Nothing you do or say to me can alter my feelings," I growled.
Without a word, Kara dragged me out of the chair by my ponytail.
I resisted the urge to wince as I felt my hair being tugged.
Luckily, I was able to catch my balance easily by holding onto the edge of the table.
Trooper heard all the noise and rushed into the kitchen.
He stood protectively by my side.
"Don't worry about me, Trooper," I said while petting the dog's head.
"Leave the dog alone! I'm not done talking to you yet!" Kara hollered.
She still kept a firm grip on my hair.
"What else do we need to talk about?" I asked calmly.
"Your punishment, Sioku, you are forbidden to see those so-called friends of yours as soon as your transfer to the new school has been successfully completed. There will be major consequences if Julie or I catch you hanging out with them," Kara answered roughly.
I stood in one spot and stared at the floor.
"Do I make myself clear?" Kara inquired.
"Yes, ma'am," I answered quietly.
Kara let go of my hair and added harshly, "Do your chores and then get out of my sight. I don't want to see you again until tomorrow morning."
I picked up my empty dishes and slowly carried them over to the sink.
Kara set her dishes in the sink before exiting the room.
Trooper sat down next to the fridge and watched me as I rinsed off the dirty dishes.
"I'll be okay, Trooper," I assured.
The dog yawned in response.
I loaded our dishes into the dish washer and powered it up.
Then I wiped down the counters and table before leaving the kitchen.
Lastly, I made my way into the living room to locate all five of my Pokémon.
Kara was watching Tv on the couch when I walked in.
They were playing with my mom's Pokémon behind one of the couches.
I pulled out my Pokéballs and commanded, "Everyone, return."
One by one, my Pokémon let themselves get pulled inside their Pokeballs.
I exited the living room as fast as I could in order to prevent another fight between my mom and me.
Trooper hurried after me as I rushed toward the front door.
I quickly put the dog in his harness and clipped a leash onto him.
Trooper shook off with excitement.
"Let's go, Trooper," I urged while opening the door.
Trooper wagged his tail as he walked out.
After closing the door quietly, I led Trooper straight to the Route 19 gatehouse.
The night sky had been lit up by millions of sparkling stars.
Trooper and I proceeded to enter the grassy fields of Route 19.
I held up two Pokéballs and called out, "Lilipup, Purrloin, I choose you!"
Both Pokémon emerged from their Pokeballs and started to run around in the grass.
Trooper laid down on the floor behind me.
"It's time to have a training battle before our match tomorrow," I said to my Pokemon.
My Pokémon jumped up with joy in response.
"Let's begin this battle by using tackle, Lilipup," I commanded.
Lilipup charged forward before tackling Purrloin to the ground.
"Fight back by using scratch, Purloin," I instructed.
Purrloin rose from the floor before scratching Lilipup with its sharpened claws.
"Lilipup, use bite. Then follow it up with take down," I said confidently.
Lilipup lunged forward and bit Purrloin's tail before it wrestled the kitten to the floor.
"Use fury swipes, Purrloin," I added.
Purrloin repeadedly clawed at Lilipup using its front paws.
"Use bite one more time, Lilipup," I ordered.
Lilipup lowered its head and bit Purrloin again.
Purrloin lay still on the ground.
I returned the defeated Purrloin to its Pokéball.
"Thank you for being Lilipup's opponent, Purrloin. Take a good rest," I said smoothly.
Then I ruffled Lilipup's fur gently.
"Nice work, Lilipup, you fought really well," I praised.
Lilipup wagged its tail proudly in return.
Much to my surprise, Lilipup's entire body was enveloped by a bright light.
"Wo, Lilipup is... evolving. I wish my friends could see this," I said to myself.
I watched in awe as my puppy Pokémon grew bigger and became a Herdier.
The bright light dissipated as soon as Lilipup's evolution was complete.
I wrapped my arms around Herdier and hugged it tight.
"Great job, Herdier, I'm so proud of you. I'll take you and Purrloin to the Pokémon center to get healed," I said happily.
Herdier wagged its tail against my side in return.
"Let's go, Trooper," I urged while tugging the leash.
Trooper stood up and shook off.
I returned Herdier to its Pokéball before making my way back through the gatehouse.
Trooper walked calmly beside me.
On my way to the Pokémon Center, I spotted a familiar blond haired girl standing near the building.
"Good evening, Bianca, how have you been?" I greeted as I strolled over to her.
"Hello, Sioku, I'm doing well. How is your Pokémon journey going?" Bianca responded.
"I already have two gym badges so far. Three of my Pokémon have evolved to their middle form," I answered proudly.
"Congratulations, Sioku, that's good to hear. I'm so happy for you. My assistant position is going well too," Bianca said with a smile.
"I'm going to try and earn my third gym badge in Castelia City tomorrow," I replied.
A brief period of silence passed between us.
Bianca pointed at my cheek and said, "There's a big handprint on your cheek. Did somebody hurt you?"
I paused abruptly and turned my head away.
Opening up to Bianca about my personal life didn't feel right because I hadn't spoke to her since we met.
"Yes, but you don't have to worry about me. I'll be all right," I assured.
"If you say so," Bianca said hesitantly.
"I'll be fine," I replied slightly annoyed.
Bianca turned toward the gatehouse and said, "I'm going to head home now. I'll talk to you later."
"Good night," I replied before walking away.
I entered the Pokémon center and approached the front desk.
Nurse Joy restored Herdier and Purrloin to full health.
I exited the building and strolled leisurely back to my house.
Right as I entered, Kara met me in the doorway.
"Sioku Marie, where were you?" she asked roughly.
I closed the door behind me and faced her.
"Mother, I was just training my Pokémon out on Route 19. My Lilipup evolved into a Herdier," I answered.
"That's good, but you know better than to leave the city at night. You could get kidnapped by Team Plasma out there," Kara continued sternly.
"Sorry, Mother," I replied before leading Trooper up the stairs.
Kara silently returned to the living room.
I led Trooper into my room and closed the door behind us.
Trooper laid down in the dog bed.
I let all of my Pokémon out of their Pokéballs, then set my bag on the desk.
Then I changed into my pajamas before climbing into my bed.
Herdier snuggled against my chest and fell asleep.
I wrapped my arms around Herdier and closed my eyes.
Complete silence filled the room as I lay still.
I drifted off to sleep after a few minutes.
Unfortunately, my dream was the complete opposite of peaceful.
~Dream~
I found myself back at school in the sixth grade.
The school day had just ended.
Many students ran crazily up and down the walkways.
I was walking toward the train station and minding my own business when my academic assistant Julie came running after me.
Julie's presence didn't even bother me since I had been lost in my own thoughts for a while.
I immediately came to a halt and turned around to look at her.
"What's up, mis Julie?" I asked casually.
"Sioku, you won't be taking your usual train home today. You and I are going to take a different train instead. I'm bringing you to my house in Opelucid City," the black haired woman answered.
Not only was I shocked about Julie's relaxed demeanor toward me, I was also surprised by the sudden change of events.
"Really? Why is that?" I continued calmly.
"Your mother just told me that she needs to go on a business trip. She'll be back in town on Sunday," she answered.
Deep down, I was very nervous about staying at Julie's house for the weekend.
I also wasn't happy about being in the same place as her spoiled daughter Mira.
"All right," I said reluctantly.
Julie and I waited near a platform at the train station.
As soon as a train arrived, Julie and I boarded it.
We then situated ourselves in one of the middle seats.
The train took off as soon as its doors closed.
Neither of us said a word to each other during the ride.
A half hour later, the train stopped at a platform in Opelucid City.
Julie led me off the train and into the city.
I followed Julie toward a brick house located next to the Pokémon center.
Julie and I climbed a flight of cemented stairs that led to her front porch.
The porch had been decorated with many flower pots that contained different types of plants.
"These plants are very pretty, mis Julie," I complemented.
"Thank you, Sioku," Julie replied with a kind smile.
Julie then opened the door and allowed me to enter her house first.
I cautiously stepped inside the house in fear of what to expect.
My heart rate started to increase as I proceeded into the living room.
I plopped down on the nearest couch and sighed heavily.
A news report was playing on the flat screen Tv.
"Sioku, the guest room is available for you to sleep in for the next two nights. Please go and put your backpack in there," said Julie.
"Yes, ma'am," I replied as I stood up.
I started to walk down the hallway as quickly as possible.
Before I could enter my temporary room, Mira sauntered over to me with an innocent grin on her face.
Seeing Mira smile like that made me cringe internally.
I shoved those bad thoughts to the back of my mind and smiled back.
"Hi, Mira, what brings you here?" I greeted.
"Hey, Sioku, I just want to hang out with you this weekend. We could have a couple of girls' nights," the black haired girl answered gleefully.
In that moment, my jaw dropped in total disbelief.
I just could not believe the friendly words that I was hearing out of that usually bratty girl.
"What in the world is going on here? Why did Mira stop calling me Sad Sioku all of a sudden?" I thought.
I brushed my awkward feelings aside and decided to play along with her little mind game.
"Okay, Mira, I'll hang out with you while I'm here. I need to drop off my backpack first," I said hesitantly.
"Come in my room when you're done," Mira replied before she skipped away.
I walked into the guest room with a heavy sigh.
"What did I just get myself into?" I thought fearfully.
After placing my backpack on the desk, I immediately hurried across the hall and into Mira's bedroom.
Mira and I spent the next few hours watching short videos and playing board games.
~Time Skip to After Dinner~
Mira and I had just settled down on a couch in her room.
She used a remote to turn on her Tv.
"Hey, Sioku, do you want to watch a movie?" she asked.
"Sure," I answered briefly.
I watched the screen with a mix of curiosity and anticipation in my expression.
Little did I know, my mood was about to take a turn for the worse.
This movie turned out to be a horror film.
In the movie, a person's Tv was being invaded by a malevolent spirit.
That demon had a monotonous, creepy male computer voice.
The demon would speak as it adjust the settings at random moments.
Chills crawled up my spine every time I heard it.
I attempted to suppress my fears by putting up a brave face and blocking out the voice.
However, that robotic voice was slowly beginning to sink into my mind.
Our movie had reached its climax when I started to have a panic attack from all of the built up anxiety.
A wave of dizziness crashed into me.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Sweat covered my body as I panted heavily.
I struggled to keep my breathing under control.
"Mira... I can't... stay in here any longer. I... need to go," I said breathlessly.
"Sioku, don't be a sissy. It's just a movie," Mira replied with a glare.
I glared back at her and continued roughly, "I should've known that you were up to something terrible."
"What are you talking about?" she asked dumbfounded.
"I am not allowed to watch horror movies yet!" I yelled furiously.
"You're such a baby, Sioku," she muttered.
I only shook my head at that.
With all my will power, I forced myself to stand up and bolted out of Mira's bedroom.
I closed the door of my room behind me and then climbed into bed.
The room was dark and silent.
My panic attack wasn't close to being finished.
That creepy, robotic voice from the movie played over and over in my head.
Thinking about Trooper didn't help in the slightest.
I curled into a ball on my side and trembled violently under the covers.
~End Dream~
I let out a frightened scream as I shook myself awake.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Sweat covered my body as I panted heavily.
I frantically looked around my dark room to make sure I was still safe.
"Korosensei, Nagisa, Karma, I wish you guys were here with me. I miss you so much," I said sadly.
I petted Herdier softly as I imagined my friends.
Hearing their soothing voices echoing in my head made me smile.
My heart rate and breathing slowly returned to normal as I started to calm down.
I closed my eyes and drifted back into the darkness.