Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 42: The School of Hard Knocks (Part 1)
The next morning, Route 11,
Lincoln and friends had an early morning, wanting to get in some training, "Alright Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Lincoln instructed.
"Got it!" Pikachu replied, as he rocketed at a wild Spearow, knocking it back a few feet.
"Nice! Now then, time for a Pokeball!" Lincoln said, tossing a Pokeball at the weakened Spearow, sucking it inside. The Pokeball rocked once, twice, three times, before clicking, "Alright, this one will be for Wonder Trade for sure."
"Catching Pokemon for Wonder Trading?" Misty asked.
"Yep. So far, I've managed to catch two that I plan to use," Lincoln replied.
"Nice. So, what kind of Pokemon do you think you'll get?" Misty asked.
"Well, I've only been a trainer for a very short amount time, so I don't know too many Pokemon," Lincoln replied with a shrug.
"Well, what Types do you want to try and get?" Misty asked. Lincoln put his hand to his chin.
"Hmm, I think I want to try and catch at least 2 of each type, so maybe Electric, Ground, Fire, Ice, Rock, Ghost, or Fighting Types," Lincoln replied. Mist nodded approvingly.
"I can understand that. Having more than one Pokemon of a single type is always a good thing."
"Quite right. Still, I can't help but wonder what kinds of Pokemon there are out in the world," Lincoln said.
"Probably thousands we've never seen before," Misty replied. Realizing they were alone, Misty bulked up her courage, "So, Lincoln… I know you've got Joy, Jenny, and recently Nana as potential girlfriends, but do you plan on adding any more to your little harem?" she asked in a slight teasing tone, masking her true intentions.
"Eh?! Well, that certainly came out of nowhere! Well, Nana and I have only hung out for a very short amount of time, and that was only when I was training with Pikachu, Inferna and the others up at Cerulean Cape," Lincoln replied.
"Yes, but you also took Joy and Jenny out on a date, and even invited them to the Cape alongside us," Misty reminded.
"Yeah, I took them on ONE date. It's still too early to know if I have similar feelings for them as well," Lincoln replied. Misty looked down to her lap, clenching her hands.
"But, if you were looking for more girls for your harem, what would you want in a woman?" Misty asked.
"Well, I'd say someone who's supportive and there to offer comfort is a definite characteristic I like. Don't get me wrong, I also would like a girl who's very attractive, shallow as that sounds, but the most important quality has to be the supportive part," Lincoln replied.
"I… I see," Misty once again began to build up her courage, and was about to say something, when…
"Hey you guys!" Misty growled internally as Brock, Leaf and Raigo regrouped with them, "We were wondering where you two had wandered off to. So, how's the training coming along, Lincoln?" Raigo asked.
"Fairly well. We've almost got the form for Double Team down. Just a bit more speed training, and we might be able to get it right. Fortunately, I've got Kirlia here acting as Pikachu's coach," Lincoln replied, patting Kirlia and the head, who blushed and beamed happily.
"Anything to make you happy, Lincoln," Kirlia shyly replied.
"Thank you, Kirlia. By the way, I think I might have some nicknames for you and the others," Lincoln said, as he released the rest of his Pokemon, which consisted of Beedrill, Poliwag, his Kantonian Meowth, and Golbat.
"So, you came up with nicknames just for us?" Beedrill asked.
"Yep. And I'm sure the five of you are bound to like them," Lincoln replied.
"Oh boy! What'll my nickname be?" Poliwag asked.
"Well, Poliwag, much like with Andrea, I've decided to nickname you based on one of your moves, namely Hypnosis," Lincoln replied.
"Based on Hypnosis? Sounds interesting," Poliwag commented.
"Indeed. I've decided on your name being 'Mesmer', who was the name of a famous hypnotist," Lincoln replied.
"Ooh, I like that!" Mesmer replied.
"What about me? Do I have a name based on a famous individual?" Beedrill asked.
"Eh, sort of. Your nickname is actually a play on the name of a group of people from Nordic mythology, in this case, Berserker. Ergo, I'm giving you the name 'Buzzerker'," Lincoln replied.
"Ah, now there's a name with a ring to it," Buzzerker replied.
"I thought you'd might like it. Next up will be you, Kirlia," Lincoln said. Kirlia blushed brightly.
"O-ok," she replied.
"Based on your shiny coloring, I think the name 'Lapis' suits you," Lincoln replied.
"'Lapis'? I do like that name and all, but is there some kind of origin to it?" Kirlia asked.
"Well, I do know of a blue gemstone called 'lapis lazuli', and since you're species' Shiny coloring is blue, I figured it'd be appropriate," Lincoln replied.
"Hmm, I actually quite like that name," Lapis replied.
"Excellent. And now for Golbat and Meowth," Lincoln commented.
"Alright! What've ya got for me?" Golbat asked.
"Just so you know, giving me a name of my own doesn't mean that I'll respect you as a trainer," Meowth stated coldly. Lincoln winced.
'Ok, seems like she's still sore about getting caught,' Lincoln thought, before regaining his composure, "Alright, first up will be Golbat. It wasn't too hard for me to choose a nickname for you. I'm going to call you Bruce."
"'Bruce'? I like that name, but is there a story behind it?" Golbat asked.
"Yes. See, back home, there's a comic book hero by the name of 'Batman', and his alter ego goes by the name 'Bruce Wayne'," Lincoln replied.
"Ah, I see the big picture now," Bruce replied.
"Glad you like it. Now, as for Meowth, your nickname comes from the same comic series as Bruce's name. I'll call you 'Selena'," Lincoln said.
"'Selena'? Alright, I'll bite; What's the story?" Meowth asked.
"Well, there's an antihero that often crosses paths with Batman by the name of 'Cat Woman', who's alter ego is 'Selena Kyle'. And, much like you were before I caught you, she's a cat burglar, but will help fight crime if it benefits her," Lincoln replied.
"Eh, I honestly don't care what you call me, I still refuse to respect you as a trainer, at least, not for free," Selena replied.
'Looks like she's going to be pretty hard to deal with,' Lincoln thought, before getting up on his feet, "Well, in any case, we should get back to training. Are there any other places we can explore around here?" Lincoln asked.
"Well, we could always explore the Diglett Tunnel. It connects all the way back to Pewter City and Viridian City, on a route just outside of the Viridian Forest," Leaf suggested.
"Is that right?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah. Plus, if we keep a steady pace, it should take more than two and a half, maybe three hours," Leaf replied.
"Well, I'm game. Plus, I would like to try and catch a Diglett," Lincoln replied.
"Well, we're in luck… the entrance is right over there," Brock replied, pointing to a nearby cave entrance.
"Well, lets go do some exploring," Lincoln said, as they ventured towards the cave, when…
"Hey, you guys!" they saw Rito, Lala, Haruna, Yui, Saruyama, and Nana coming towards them, "What are you all up to?" Rito asked.
"We're getting ready to explore the Diglett Tunnel," Lincoln replied, pointing towards the Cave.
"Alright. So, are Diglett some more Pokemon?" Lala asked.
"Yeah. They're classified as 'Mole Pokemon', and they're Ground Types as well," Leaf replied, showing a picture of a Diglett on her Pokedex.
"How cute," Haruna commented.
"Anyhow, the Tunnel leads out to just outside of Pewter City, on the other side of Kanto. And it only takes little under three hours to get from end to end," Brock added.
"Ok. Would it be alright if we tagged along? I'd kind of like to see more of Kanto, and I bet the others would as well," Rito requested.
"Sure, just be sure to stick close to us. Wild Pokemon tend to attack at random," Brock replied, as they piled into the tunnel.
Meanwhile, at the Loud House, nighttime,
After getting the TV set up with the satellite box, the Louds were finally able to watch TV again, which, of course, led to some disputes about what to watch first. Fortunately, there was one program they could all agree on, and that was "The Dream Boat," "I hope Garret chooses Penny!" Lola gushed.
"Nah, my money's on him choosing Harriet," Luna replied.
"I want him and Abby to be together!" Leni gushed, albeit with more of her usual bubbliness than normal. It didn't go unnoticed by Luna, Lucy, or Lisa, who knew what was going on her mind.
Earlier that day,
"…And that should do it," Lisa commented, as she and Rita got done hooking up the new satellite box to the new TV set.
"Ok Luna, give it a try," Rita instructed.
"Sure thing," Luna replied, pressing the button on the new remote, which turned on the TV, which was on the local news station, "Alright, so we got local broadcasting. Which station should I try for Kanto?" Lisa took it upon herself to look at the new box's instructions.
"Hmm, try input 3," she advised. Luna did so, and lo and behold, a broadcast of what appeared to be some sort of stage performance with Pokemon was displayed.
"Well, that works," Luna commented.
"So, we can watch Lincoln in action?" Lucy asked, suddenly appearing, causing her mother and sisters to jump.
"Yes, for the most part. After all, we can't guarantee that he'll be on every time," Lisa replied.
"True. But we can at least watch some of the programs like this one if we want something different than our normal shows," Rita replied, as she saw the show on the TV, "I wonder what this could be?"
"Based on the sign above the stage, it's… some sort of contest?" Lisa replied, as a butterfly like Pokemon with a long proboscis and mosaic like wings was using what appeared to be some kind of silver wind, before a bright flash caused the wind to shine in an abundance of beautiful colors.
"Oh wow, that was really beautiful!" Luna commented.
"And an excellent performance by Beautifly, with a combination of Silver Wind and Flash! Let's see how the judges liked that performance!" the announcer said, as a panel of three judges gave their scores, each scoring 9 points, "Wow, a score of 27! That'll be tough to beat!"
"Guess I was right," Lisa commented.
"Must be something else besides battling," Rita guessed.
"Well, the TV is set up, so, Mother Unit, could I see you in my room, along with Leni?" Lisa requested.
"Of course, sweetie," Rita replied. With that, Lisa ventured up to her bedroom, leaving Rita to go and find Leni. It didn't take too long to find her, as she saw her second eldest daughter coming in through the back door, "Ah, Leni, there you are. Are you busy right now?"
"Not at the moment? Just wandering around," Leni replied.
"Well, Lisa wants to meet her in her room to talk about something," Rita replied.
"Oh, that's right!" Leni exclaimed, sounding like she remembered something. Both of them then ascended the staircase, eventually arriving at Lisa's bedroom.
"Ok, we're here Lisa. So, what would you like to talk about?" Rita asked.
"Well, as you know, I had the parents of each of Lincoln's peers over to talk to Professor Oak in regards to sending them to one of the Pokemon Regions to be trainers like Lincoln. However, they only agreed to do so because both Bobby and his cousin, Carlota, are chaperoning them. However, even with two of them, divided evenly between them, they'd be chaperoning groups of at least six different children. That's where Leni comes in," Lisa explained. Rita was very surprised, turning to her second daughter.
"Leni, you're wanting to go to Kanto?" Rita asked.
"Yep. Not only would I get to see Lincoln again, but I would also like to see some of the sights Kanto or any of the other regions have to offer," Leni replied. Rita took a moment to mull this over. On one hand, she'd be sending another of her children off to the other side of the world, but on the other hand, Lincoln would at least have someone from the family there, even if they aren't travelling together.
"Well, you are quite responsible, Leni. A little scatterbrained, sorry to say something so rude, but you are responsible. I suppose there's no harm it. Of course, we'll have to let the others know, as well as Pop-Pop," Rita replied.
"Oh, thank you, Mom!" Leni exclaimed.
"And now, for the next part of why I called you in here," Lisa said, as she opened a drawer, pulling out a jar of what looked to be gummies, "Leni, I'll need to ask you to hand these out to the others while you're heading to Kanto."
"What are they?" Leni asked.
"They're a type of gummy candy I developed with a formula to help a person retain knowledge. After all, you'll be needing to take the Trainer Qualification Exam Lincoln did before you can get your License," Lisa explained, turning to Rita, "And before you start on the whole 'what have we talked about experimenting on others?' speech, I have fully tested the formula. There aren't any harmful side effects."
"Ok, but don't we need to study or something?" Leni asked.
"That's where these come in," Lisa said, looking at a fair stack of papers, "These are study guides that the Professor had sent over for you and the others to study while in flight."
"That'll certainly cut down on time. Well, you have my blessings, so now we just have run it by the others," Rita said, turning to head out, just as Luna was seen tripping from outside the doorway, "Luna? Were you eavesdropping on us?"
"Kind of. I started listening in on when Leni said why she wanted to go to Kanto besides helping chaperone Lincoln's friends," Luna replied.
"I see. Well, we can always make room for one more, if you so choose, Luna," Lisa said.
"Thanks for the offer, but I have to take a pass. International travelling sounds totally rockin' and all, but I'm getting ready to ask Sam out," Luna replied.
"I see. Well, I just thought we'd extend the invitation to you," Lisa commented.
"And I truly appreciate the thought," Luna replied.
Later, at the Dinner Table,
"WHAT?! YOU'RE GOING TO KANTO TOO?!" Lynn Sr. exclaimed, as Rita had just informed the rest of the family that Leni was going to help chaperone Lincoln's friends.
"Yep. I want to be there for him in case he needs his family while in Kanto," Leni replied.
"Not to mention, it would do her a lot of good, being able to see more of the world," Rita added.
"Hmph, good riddance to a rotten traitor," Lynn said under her breath.
"What was that, Junior?" Rita asked, sounding extremely irritated already.
"Nothing," Lynn replied bitterly.
"But we're you're family, Leni, not Lincoln! You don't need to go and check on that rotten little troublemaker!" Lori exclaimed, her face stained with tears.
"Lori, what makes you think you can just disown Lincoln on our behalf like that?" Rita asked, sounding aghast as her eldest daughter's behavior.
"I don't have to explain myself to anyone in this room, just like I don't have to hear a word about that twerp! I've lost my appetite," Lori said, getting up from her seat, and proceeding to the staircase.
"Lori, you can talk to us about anything that's troubling you!" Lynn Sr. called out.
"No, I can't! None of you will EVER understand what I'm going through!" Lori snapped, causing her father to flinch, as she stormed into her room, slamming the door shut.
"So, you're really going to go through with this, Leni?" Lola asked.
"I am. Not just to be there for Lincoln, but also to help with chaperoning his friends and to see more of the world," Leni replied.
"Well, if you happen to receive a Pokedex from Professor Oak or his colleagues, be sure you and the others send the data you collect over. We'd all love to see what you've seen," Lisa replied.
"I'll have to get Lincoln to show us how to do that," Leni replied.
"And I'm sure you'll do great out there," Rita replied, as they continued their dinner.
Realtime, Lori and Leni's Room,
Lori was curled up on her bed, shaking with sobs from her breakup with Bobby, "Damn that Lincoln! How dare he make Bobby break up with me! He should know that THIS is how our family operates!" she hissed hatefully.
"Boy, you sure love blaming your brother for your own stupid mistakes," Lori sat up from her bed, to see a doppelganger of herself, with a much darker shade in attire.
"What the..?! Who or what are you?" Lori asked.
"I'm the part of your mind that you're foolishly choosing to deny. The part of your mind that knows that Bobby is right, and that you are a selfish, vain narcissist who cares more about a relationship with some guy than you do your own family," the other Lori replied.
"Oh, so just because I want Bobby to be a part of my life automatically makes ME the bad guy?!" Lori spat.
"No, what makes you the bad guy is how you're trying to prioritize your relationship with him over your own family, and the fact that you're trying to push two kids who have no romantic feelings together doesn't exactly help your case," the other Lori stated.
"But Lincoln and Ronnie Anne are meant to be together!" Lori argued.
"And what gives you the right to decide that yourself, hmm?"
"Because Ronnie Anne was picking on him. If a girl picks on a boy, then that means she likes him!" Lori replied.
"Hmm, so you're saying that if Lincoln were to pick on Ronnie Anne or any other girl, then that means he likes her?" Lori shook her head.
"No, if a boy like Lincoln picks on a girl, then it's abuse. It only counts as having romantic feelings if the girl is the one picking on the boy."
"Wow, that has got to be the most sexist thing I have ever heard," the other Lori said in a mock surprised tone.
"Oh for the love of… Girls can't be sexist! Men have always been the dominant gender since who knows how long!"
"And ever since Lincoln was born the only boy in a family of all girls, you've been driving it home that this is supposed to be a women-controlled household, when you, your sisters and your brother should be living together on equal grounds!" the other Lori stated.
"Would you get lost already? I'm sick of hearing about that little twerp," Lori demanded, rolling over in her bed, not wanting to even look at her doppelganger.
"Sorry blondie, but I'm sticking with you like cheese on macaroni," the other Lori said, just as they both heard the doorknob rattling. The door opened, and Leni walked inside.
"You missed a great episode of the Dream Boat, Lori. Garret ended up choosing Harriet, even thought Abby should've been with him in my opinion," Leni said, only to notice the betrayal fueled glare her older sister was shooting her way, "Uh, Lori?"
"Why, Leni?" Lori asked.
"Well, Abby had a lot to…"
"I'm not talking about the Dream Boat! I want to know why you're abandoning all of us to go to Kanto to check up on that little troublemaker, Lincoln!" Lori snapped. Leni flinched from the sudden outburst.
"It isn't just to check on our brother, Lori. I'm also helping out with chaperoning his friends," Leni calmly replied.
"Leni, you literally have no obligation to do that! You should be mad at Lincoln like the rest of us are!" Lori yelled.
"I may not have any sort of obligation, but I don't really need one. I just like helping out whenever it's needed," Leni replied.
"But what about us?! We need you here! I already had to go through something awful today, and now you're leaving me too?!" Lori exclaimed.
"Lori, would you just come out and tell us what's wrong? We can at least try to help out," Leni replied.
"NO! None of you can or will ever understand what it's like for me to go through what happened today!" Lori yelled. She then got up, and forced Leni out of their shared bedroom, "Consider yourself banished from this room!" she said, slamming the door on her younger sister.
"Leni, what's all the noise up here?" Rita asked, as she got to the top of the staircase.
"Lori kicked me out of our room, saying I was banished from it," Leni replied, getting up from the floor.
"Oh for the love of… dealing with Junior's behavior problem is bad enough on it's own, but now we have Lori to deal with?" Rita questioned, rubbing her head, feeling a migraine coming on.
"And it doesn't help that I wasn't done packing my things," Leni added, only for the door to open, and her suitcase being tossed out, before the door slammed shut, "Well, that was very rude. But, at least I got my suitcase," she said, retrieving her suitcase.
"Well, since your father is still sleeping on the couch until he can do something about that smell, you can bunk with me tonight," Rita offered.
"Thanks Mom, I appreciate that," Leni replied, as the descended the staircase.
Meanwhile, back with Lincoln and friends,
The group soon emerged from the other side of the Diglett Tunnel, leading them out into a bright, open field, just outside of the Viridian Forest, "Ok, so we're back on this side of Kanto. Now, what can we on this side of the route?" Lincoln asked. Brock then checked the town map.
"Well, there's not much to see, but we can still head south to Viridian City. Following this particular path will have us there in maybe, oh, half an hour, give or take," Brock replied, pointing down a certain path.
"Well, it has been a while since we've been there. Why not go and take a look around again?" Raigo suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Lincoln replied, as they began walking down the path.
"So, what kind of a place is Viridian City?" Rito asked.
"Definitely a big city. It was the first city I went to on my first day as a trainer," Lincoln replied.
"It's also where he met me and Raigo," Misty added.
"I see," Rito commented.
"By the way Lincoln, were you able to catch one of those Diglett things?" Saruyama asked.
"Yeah. The one I caught got transported to Professor Oak's Lab. Although, she had only agreed to getting caught just for the sake of being Wonder Traded," Lincoln replied.
"What's 'Wonder Trading'?" Nana asked.
"It's where you trade Pokemon with another trainer from around the world completely at random," Raigo replied.
"It's how I was able to get some Pokemon like Lapis and Goomy," Lincoln replied.
"It's a lot more popular than one realizes, since it gives trainers a chance to train a foreign Pokemon," Brock added. Just then, a thick fog began rolling in.
"Oh boy, think we should go back?" Lincoln asked, not wanting to get lost in the fog.
"It would be a good idea," Kotegawa replied.
"Nana, lets fly up and try to lead the others back to the tunnel," Lala suggested, as a pair of large, devil like wings sprouted from their backs.
"Whoa, are those actual wings?!" Leaf exclaimed.
"They're special anti-gravity wings Lala invented. They help her and her sisters fly," Haruna replied.
"Whoa, that's so cool! You'd have to be some kind of super genius to make something with anti-gravity tech," Raigo commented.
"But of course! Lala is one of the brightest minds the galaxy has ever seen!" Nana boasted confidently.
"My, that's certainly quite the praise you have for your sister," Leaf commented, as both Lala and Nana flew up and out of the fog.
"Ok, I think I see the entrance to the tunnel that way," Nana commented.
"That's good to hear. I'll descend and lead the others through," Lala replied, before noticing a peculiar building in the fog. From where she and Nana could see, the fog seemed to be coming from said building, "What could that be?"
"I don't know. Maybe we should check it out. If any travelers are coming through this way, this fog could end up causing trouble," Nana suggested.
"Good thinking. I'll let the others know," Lala replied, as she descended into the fog.
"Lala, were you able to find the Tunnel?" Rito asked.
"I was, but we found something else," Lala replied.
"What did you find?" Kotegawa asked.
"It was some sort of building over that way," Lala replied, pointing in the direction of the building. It was then something came to Leaf's mind.
"Oh no, not that place!" she groaned, facepalming.
"Is something wrong, Leaf?" Lincoln asked.
"I know what this fog really is. It's all a part of a snobbish school's strategy to lure in unsuspecting trainers," Leaf groaned.
"By any chance, are you talking about Pokemon Tech?" Brock asked.
"Unfortunately, I am," Leaf replied dejectedly.
"What's Pokemon Tech?" Lincoln asked.
"It's the Pokemon Technical Institute. It's one of the highest ranking, if not, the highest ranked private school in the Kanto Region that educate trainers. Those who manage to graduate are guaranteed a spot in the Pokemon League tournament without needing to go around collecting badges. But the exams are WAY difficult," Leaf replied.
"Sounds like you've had experience with that school," Misty commented.
"Yeah, I used to go there. I was one of the top ranked students the Institute had ever seen, but with how badly they treat the lower ranked students, I decided to drop out and go to public school instead," Leaf replied.
"Are they really that bad?" Haruna asked.
"Well, the lower ranked students aren't all that bad. It's the upper ranked ones that are trouble. They like to use their place in the school as an excuse to bully the lower ranked students," Leaf replied.
"That's terrible! Don't the teachers do anything about it?" Lincoln asked. Leaf only laughed.
"Yeah right. They either don't notice it or pretend not to. If anything, some teachers even encourage it to help get the low rankers to do better," Leaf replied.
"Isn't there like, I don't know, a school board or something that crack down on that kind of favoritism?" Raigo asked.
"There is, but whenever they do come by for inspections, the school always makes sure to cover all traces of mistreatment," Leaf replied.
"Well, why didn't you try to expose them?" Kotegawa asked.
"What makes you think I haven't tried? I reported them countless times, but the headmistress of the academy is a highly influential individual. She's not above lying, saying any bad rumors against the school are just 'jealous wannabes trying to slander the school.' Either way, no one has ever exposed them, and no one probably ever will," Leaf replied.
"Well, in any case, we need to go and try to shut down this fog. It could cause all kinds of trouble for any travelers coming through this way," Lincoln suggested.
"As much as I'd rather not go anywhere near that place again, you're right," Leaf replied, as Lala, being led by Nana, led the group through the fog. They eventually saw a large group of people gathered around the front gates to the school. From within the fog, they saw a smaller group of students surrounding two others, who were running on treadmills blindfolded.
"C'mon slackers, it's an easy question," one of them said in a harsh tone.
"Can't you guys at least give us time to rest? We've been running so long, my lungs feel like they're gonna burst!" one of the students on the treadmills pleaded.
"No Rusty! Don't give them any satisfaction!" the other, smaller student on the treadmills warned. With a sadistic smirk on her face, a mousey looking girl approached both treadmills.
"Sorry boys, you know the rules. Unless you get a right answer, you keep running. And neither of what you said was the right answer, so you know what that means," she said, reaching for the controls on both treadmills.
"No wait, please!" Rusty exclaimed, only for the speed of the treadmills to increase suddenly, causing both boys to trip and fall.
"Talk about pathetic. You four, get them back on the treadmills before they catch their breath! And tie their hands behind their backs as punishment for failing to stay on the treadmill," a burly teen boy ordered. He had an orange buzz cut.
"Sure thing, Cardin," one of the other, burly boys said, as they got out some rope and tied both boys hands behind their backs and got them back on the treadmills.
"Now, I'll ask again; What level does Pidgeotto evolve into Pidgeot?" the mousey girl asked.
"It's a question so simple, even students as low ranked as you can't hope to screw it up," Cardin spat.
"Uh… let me think… I think it was level 38 that Pidgeotto evolves into Pidgeot," the smaller boy said.
"Hmmph, so you got that one right at least. Let's try something a little tougher," Cardin said. Back at the entrance, Lincoln and friends were appalled by what they were witnessing.
"This is horrible! How can they treat those two so badly?" Misty asked.
"It's one of the many reasons I dropped out. I couldn't stand to see the lower ranked students suffer, but there wasn't anything I could do to make learning for them easier," Leaf replied.
"Can't say I blame you," Lincoln replied, as Pikachu's cheeks were sparking.
"Hey Lincoln, how about letting me zap those guys? Maybe it'll learn them something," Pikachu asked.
"Hold your fire Pikachu. We shouldn't go rushing in, guns blazing," Lincoln replied.
"Wrong answer! How about you, slacker?" Cardin asked the taller boy.
"A… a Leaf Stone! Gloom, Weepinbell, Exeggcute and Eevee can all evolve using a Leaf Stone!" Rusty exclaimed.
"Good, and what Pokemon do they evolve into?" the mousey girl asked.
"Uh, well lets see…" Rusty said, trying to remember the answer to the question.
"Three… two… one… times up! You know what to do, Leanne," Cardin said. Leanne nodded, and upped the speed on the treadmills, causing both boys to fall with a painful thud.
"Hey, that's not fair! He should've had more time to answer the question!" Nana exclaimed.
"Alright Pikachu, NOW we can rush in, guns blazing," Lincoln replied. Pikachu smiled vindictively, as he wasted no time in firing Thundershock at the treadmills, causing them to explode.
"Alright, who went and ruined our fun?! Come forth!" Cardin yelled, as the machines causing the fog were turned off, and the fog began dissipating.
"That would be my Pikachu's doing!" Lincoln said, as he stepped out from hiding.
"C'mon Saruyama, lets go help those guys out!" Rito suggested.
"Right!" Saruyama replied, as he followed his friend to help the two students.
"Thanks… for the… assist," the shorter of the two boys wheezed.
"No worries. Now, lets get you out of here," Rito replied, as he and Saruyama got the two boys away from the group.
"Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before?" one of the other students questioned, looking at Lincoln.
"The name's Lincoln Loud. I come from Royal Woods, Michigan," Lincoln replied.
"Oh yeah! Now I remember! You're that gaijin that's been the talk of the Kanto Region!" the student exclaimed, sounding disgusted.
"Like we need anymore of you Americans here stinking up the place! Why can't you just stay in your own country where you belong or go to Unova?" another student questioned.
"And who the hell are you? I know I've seen you around the school before, but I can't seem to remember," Leanne asked Leaf.
"I'm Leaf Rose. I used to come to this school before I made the best decision of my life to drop out," Leaf replied.
"Oh, that's right! You were one of the two best students in the school! Pity that you gave it all up for substandard education at a public school," Leanne sneered.
"There's only so much of the mistreatment the lower ranked students received that I could bear to stomach," Leaf replied.
"Well, I honestly don't care who the two of you are, no one, and I mean NO ONE, gets to mess with Pokemon Tech students and gets away with it!" Cardin said, pulling out a Pokeball, as did the surrounding students.
"So, I assume you're issuing a battle challenge?" Lincoln asked.
"To both you and Leaf! Normally, we wouldn't think to issue a challenge against outsiders like the two of you, but since you took away our entertainment and for the sake of asserting our dominance as the best school in Kanto, we'll make an exception," Cardin stated.
"Well, in that case, I'm game. How about you, Leaf?" Lincoln asked.
"I'm right with you, Lincoln. So little man, who's going to be your battle partner?" Leaf asked condescendingly.
"That would be me, Leanne Yamato," Leanne replied, stepping forth.
"Alright. And what about the meathead? Does he have a name?" Lincoln asked.
"The name's Cardin Winchester. But you'll be calling me 'sir' after we defeat the two of you!" Cardin snarled.
"Alright. As for the rules, how about one Pokemon per trainer?" Lincoln suggested.
"Fine with us. That's all we need to flatten you both," Leanne replied, as she and Cardin took their spots on the opposite side of the battlefield of Lincoln and Leaf.
"Alright, here's my Pokemon! Go, Fearow!" Cardin said, sending out a Fearow.
"And my Pokemon, Raticate!" Leanne said, sending out a chunky, beige colored rat Pokemon with a pair of large teeth.
"A rat?!" Kotegawa exclaimed in discomfort.
"Alright, time for our Pokemon! Lapis, you're up!" Lincoln said, tossing his Pokeball.
"Nidorina, I need you!" Leaf said, tossing a Moon Ball. Lapis emerged from her Pokeball, while a stout, teal colored quadruped with blue spots and spikes around it's body. Lincoln then took out his Pokedex to scan each new Pokemon, which the Pokemon Tech students were shocked to see.
"HE HAS A POKEDEX?!"
"HOW DID THAT GAIJIN GET A HOLD OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"
"NEVER MIND THAT, HOW DOES HE HAVE A SHINY POKEMON?!"
"Is having a Pokedex really that big a deal?" Lala asked.
"It appears so. A Pokedex is usually depicted as a symbol of power and skill since not a lot of trainers have one. They usually use a special phone app to get information on Pokemon, like what me and Misty have," Brock replied, pulling out his phone, showing the App.
"Raticate, the Mouse Pokemon, a Normal Type, and the evolved form of Rattata. It whittles down it's ever-growing teeth by gnawing on hard things. It can even bite through a cinderblock wall.
Nidorina, the Poison Pin Pokemon, a Poison Type, and the evolved form of Nidoran Female. When resting deep in it's burrow, the barbs on it's body retract. This is a clear sign that it is relaxed," Lincoln's Pokedex explained.
"Alright Gaijin, tell the truth; How did you con your way into getting a Pokedex?!" Cardin demanded.
"I never conned anyone. I simply took a trainer qualification test Professor Oak had given me and passed," Lincoln replied.
"I'm calling bull on that! Professor Oak is the leading expert in Pokemon! He has no time to waste on someone like you!" Cardin yelled.
"Call whatever you want, it doesn't change the fact that it's true. In fact," Leaf said, as she pulling out her own Pokedex.
"You've got to be kidding me! You have a Pokedex too?!" Leanne yelled.
"Yep! Got it the same day Lincoln got his," Leaf replied.
"Bah, whatever! Can we get this show on the road sometime this year?! We've got to remind people of our superiority as Kanto's best school!" Cardin yelled.
"Alright already! Sheesh, you were the one who started the whole thing about the Pokedex anyway," Lincoln grumbled.
"I'll start things off! Raticate, use Hyper Fang on Nidorina!" Leanne ordered. Raticate then began charging at Nidorina.
"I don't think so! Lapis, use Confusion to stop Raticate in it's tracks!" Lincoln instructed.
"Ok Lincoln!" Lapis replied, as he unleashed Confusion, stopping Raticate in it's tracks.
"Leaf?"
"I'm on it! Nidorina, use Double Kick!" Leaf instructed. Nidorina charged at Raticate, before giving the Mouse Pokemon two powerful kicks that sent it skidding back.
"Get it together Leanne! We can't afford to loose to some gaijin or that drop out!" Cardin yelled.
"Well, Mr. Manly-Man, if it's so easy, why don't take over?" Leanne asked condescendingly.
"Fine! I will! Fearow, use Aerial Ace!" Cardin ordered. Fearow then began to speed towards Lapis, striking the Emotion Pokemon dead on.
"Lapis, are you alright?" Lincoln asked.
"I'll be fine! But that one attack really hurt," Lapis replied.
"Now that you mention, the attack did look like it did more damage than it should've done," Lincoln commented.
"Like that? I gave my Fearow a Sharp Beak to hold, so all of it's Flying Type attacks are a little stronger than usual," Cardin bragged.
"A Sharp Beak?" Lincoln asked, looking at Fearow, and it was, in fact, holding a beak shaped object of some sort, "So, Hold Items can boost the power of certain types of attacks, huh?"
"Yeah, and there are all kinds of ones as well. Magnets for Electric Types, Metal Coats for Steel Types, Charcoal of Fire Types, and so on," Leaf replied.
"But now isn't the time to be focusing on that! Raticate, use Scary Face!" Leanne ordered. Raticate then puffed up it's fur and formed a menacing look on it's face that made Lapis cower a bit.
"S-Scary," she commented.
"Hey, don't worry about it. It's just some overgrow rat trying to look scary to be tough. We can still win against it and it's chicken friend there," Nidorina said, trying to pep up Lapis.
"I-If you say so," Lapis replied.
"Fearow, use Steel Wing on that Kirlia!" Cardin ordered. Fearow's wings turned metallic, as it swooped down at Lapis.
"Lapis, use Thunder Punch right when Fearow is on top of you!" Lincoln instructed.
"Right!" Lapis replied, as she began to charge her Thunder Punch. She was moving to throw the punch, only for Fearow to strike a split-second sooner. Lapis was still able to strike with Thunder Punch.
"Ack! Lapis, are you alright?!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Y-Yeah, but I'm not sure if I can handle another attack like that," Lapis replied.
"It's weird. Lapis is usually much faster when throwing Thunder Punch," Lincoln commented.
"It must be the effects of Scary Face," Leaf theorized, causing Lincoln to look at her quizzically, "Scary Face is a move that reduces your Pokemon's speed, which is why Lapis was just a little slower in using Thunder Punch."
"And with a move like Aerial Ace, Double Team won't help her out much. We need to somehow immobilize both of them so we can land the crushing blow," Lincoln said. It was then he noticed Fearow had sparks flying off of it, "Looks like Thunder Punch was able to paralyze Fearow."
"Which works out well for us. Let me do something to help further immobilizing both of them," Leaf replied.
"If you think it'll help, then go for it," Lincoln replied.
"And I will. Now Nidorina, use Attract on both of them!" Leaf instructed. Nidorina winked, summoning several heart shaped projectiles, which it flung at both Fearow and Raticate, "Here's hoping that they're both Male."
"What kind of a move is Attract?" Haruna asked.
"It's a move that makes your opponent fall in love with your Pokemon, making it almost impossible for them to fight back. Of course, it only works on Pokemon that's the opposite gender of the user. For example, it only works on Male Pokemon if a Female is using it, and it only works on Females if the user is Male," Brock explained.
"And since all Nidorina are Female, Leaf must be hoping that both Fearow and Raticate are Male," Raigo commented, as Attract began to affect both Raticate and Fearow.
"NO! Snap out of it Fearow! They're the enemies, not someone for you to fawn over!" Cardin yelled, only to be ignored by his swooning Fearow.
"That goes for you too, Raticate!" Leanne yelled. Like with Fearow, Raticate only ignored it's trainer's commands.
"Alright Lincoln, I cleared the way for us. Shall we finish this?" Lead asked.
"We shall. I take down Fearow and you got Raticate?" Lincoln asked.
"Sounds like a plan. Alright, Nidorina, use Double Kick on Raticate!" Leaf instructed. Nidorina charged at Raticate, proceeding to kick the Mouse Pokemon twice, sending it down to defeat.
"No, Raticate!" Leanne screamed.
"Lapis, use Disarming Voice on Fearow!" Lincoln instructed. Lapis then fired off Disarming Voice, damaging Fearow.
"Come on Fearow! Snap out of it and use Aerial Ace!" Cardin ordered. It seemed like Fearow was about to use Aerial Ace, only for the sparks on it's body to intensify, causing it to stop, "Damn it! I forgot about the paralysis!"
"And that's going to cost you big time! Lapis, use Thunder Punch and don't hold anything back!" Lincoln instructed. Once again, Lapis was able to land a solid Thunder Punch, which sent Fearow down and out, "And that's all she wrote!"
"No! How can this be?! We're some of Pokemon Tech's elite students!" Cardin exclaimed, as he and Leanne recalled their Pokemon. As they did, a bright light erupted from Lapis.
"Can it be time already?" Lincoln asked in amazement, as Lapis began to evolve. She became much taller, and donned what appeared to be a beautiful white dress, and her orang spikes relocated themselves onto her chest as a single spike.
"Whoa, it's so beautiful!" Kotegawa commented.
"Lapis, you've evolved into a Gardevoir!" Lincoln exclaimed happily.
"I know! It's amazing!" Lapis replied, doing a twirl before embracing her trainer.
"So that's a Gardevoir," Leaf commented, pointing her Pokedex at Lincoln's newly evolved Pokemon.
"Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokemon, a Psychic and Fairy Type, and the fully evolved form of Ralts. When protecting it's beloved trainer, it's psychic power peaks. It will expend all of it's psychic power to create a small black hole," Leaf's Pokedex explained. Just then, slow clapping was heard, as someone was approaching. It appeared to be a girl about the same age as Lincoln, wearing a similar uniform as the other students. She had large, flowing brown hair.
"My, my, this is quite the surprise coming not only from a gaijin, but also a drop out too? Seems to me like maybe the other upper ranked students are beginning to slip," the girl said.
"Not at all, Giselle! They just won by some fluke!" Cardin quickly replied.
"A win by a fluke is still a win for them, as well as a loss for you," the new girl, now known as Giselle, said, her tone immediately turning ice cold, "As my fellow upper ranked students, you should've been able to make quick work of these two."
"Who's this broad?" Lincoln asked.
"Giselle Seiyo. She's the top student of Pokemon Tech. And as you can see, she's got kind of an ego," Leaf replied.
"And as for you, Joe Rogers and Rusty Beige, I know we shouldn't expect much from the two lowest ranked students in the school, but come on! The questions you were asked are all basic knowledge," Giselle chastised both of the boys from the treadmills.
"Well, maybe if the study methods you convince the staff to implement actually HELPED cover it, then maybe we wouldn't have trouble remembering," Joe spat.
"Just like a lower ranked student, always making excuses," Giselle retorted, before casting a fierce glance to Lincoln, "That being said, you're Lincoln Loud, the American that Professor Oak chose, for some reason or another, to sponsor you, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Well, as the top student of Pokemon Tech, I would like to formally challenge you to a battle, here and now," Giselle said.
"A battle with me?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes. I don't know why Professor Oak would even think to sponsor someone like you, but I want to see first hand just what makes you so special. That is, IF you're anything special."
"Now hold on Giselle! I happen to be a Pokedex Holder too! So, I'm up to the challenge just as much as Lincoln is!" Leaf said, stepping forth.
"I'll keep that in mind, but the one I want to crush first is this gaijin," Giselle said coldly, only for the bell to start ringing, "Oh, drat! We'll have to postpone the match until after class," she said, as the other students walked back to school building, "We'll settle this at about… 12."
"Uh, sure, that'll do," Lincoln said warily, as Giselle walked off.
"Thanks again for sticking up for us, you guys," Rusty said.
"Hey, we couldn't just leave you both to suffer like that," Lincoln replied.
"Either way, we're grateful," Joe said.
"What was with that girl?" Nana asked.
"Giselle acts all high and mighty, just because she's the best student in the school. In fact, it's that kind of influence that allowed her to convince the faculty to implement all kinds of harsh training for students to go through, like the treadmills in the fog," Joe replied.
"I can't believe the faculty would allow something like that!" Kotegawa exclaimed.
"Well, they go along with it because they believe that it'll help give students an incentive to study harder and make everyone know that Pokemon Tech is the best school in Kanto," Joe replied.
"I'm going to have to have a words with the principal of this school!" Kotegawa declared.
"I doubt you'll be able to convince her. Headmistress Verdant is a very stubborn woman, and is very prideful of her standing as the principal of this school. She won't even consider making studying methods more reasonable. The only hope for lower ranked students is that if she retires and is replaced by someone who puts the well being of students before a school's reputation," Rusty replied.
"So, in the meantime, while you're waiting for your battle with Giselle, why don't we show you around?" Joe offered.
"Uh, that would be nice, but don't you guys have classes too?" Lincoln asked.
"Eh, no one really cares much about us any way. Besides, we're planning to follow Leaf's example and drop out," Rusty replied.
"Well, come on you guys! We've got plenty of time to kill!" Joe said, as he and Rusty led them towards the school.
Meanwhile, inside the halls of Pokemon Tech,
To say that Cardin was still fuming about his loss against both Lincoln and Leaf would be an understatement. He was angrily speed walking through the halls like a raging beast, "Damn it! Who do those two think they are, humiliating me like that?!" he seethed.
"Hey, Cardin, try to calm down. They just got lucky and won by a fluke. You'll get them next time," one of the students said, placing his hand on Cardin's shoulder, only for Cardin to swat it away.
"'Next time'?! There shouldn't be a 'next time'! We shouldn't have lost at all!" Cardin yelled.
"What is all this noise about?" a woman's voice caused Cardin and the others to freeze up. Looking towards the source of the voice, they saw a middle aged woman in business attire with her green hair done up in a bun, looking down at the group of students.
"H-Headmistress Verdant! I… uh… can explain," Cardin nervously replied.
"You had better have a good explanation," Verdant said in a domineering tone.
"W-well, you see, we were conducting the Treadmill in Fog exercises with those two low rankers, Rogers and Beige, when that white haired American came in and ruined it," Cardin explained.
"'White haired American'? Are you referring to Lincoln Loud, the very same Lincoln Loud who's been the talk of the Kanto Region?" Verdant asked.
"Y-Yes, that's right. And he was accompanied by a large group, including that drop out, Leaf Rose," Leanne replied. Verdant looked very surprised.
"So, one of Pokemon Tech's former best students is back again?" Verdant asked.
"Y-Yes. And we went and challenged them to a battle, but they somehow managed to win by some fluke!" Cardin replied.
"Hmm, so going to public school has somehow made Ms. Rose a better trainer, which is to say nothing of the prodigious talents that American has displayed so far. Even so, a win against the two of them should've been an easy one for the two of you, considering your standings as some of the best trainers in this academy," Verdant sneered disapprovingly.
"Giselle said the same thing before she herself challenge Lincoln to a battle after our classes," Leanne replied. Verdant now looked very intrigued.
"Well, this certainly would be a good way to help boost our school's reputation. Having our top student best some accidental prodigy," Verdant replied. Then, Leanne got an idea.
"Headmistress Verdant, if I may, I have a suggestion that you might be very much interested in," Leanne said. Verdant looked down at the mousey girl with a questioning scowl.
"The rest of you, get to your classes," Verdant ordered. Cardin and the other students wasted no time in leaving Leanne alone with Verdant, "Now then, what could you suggest that I would be interested in?"
"It's regarding the battle between Giselle and that gaijin," Leanne replied.
"What's your point?" Verdant asked, sounding like her patience was wearing very thin very quickly.
"Well, what would happen if that American manages to somehow beat Giselle?" Leanne asked. Verdant looked shocked by the question.
"Leanne, why would you suggest such a thing?" the Headmistress asked disapprovingly.
"Well, Giselle is at a level of skill above both myself and Cardin, but the two of us still lost to that gaijin by some fluke. If Giselle were to lose, then it would be a major blow to not only her reputation, but also the school's reputation," Leanne explained. Verdant was taken aback, but after taking a moment to think it over, she knew that Leanne was right. If Giselle somehow lost to Lincoln, the school's reputation would sink faster than a brick in water.
"What do you propose?" Verdant asked. Leanne smiled wickedly.
"If Giselle loses, then it would be in everyone's best interest to cut her OUT of the school completely. The same goes for those two slackers, Rogers and Beige," she explained.
"Well, I already have plans to expel those two deadweights, but why would you suggest Giselle? I thought the two of you were friends?" Verdant asked. Leanne only laughed.
"Me be friends with that uptight bitch?! Puh-lease! I can't stand her uppity attitude or I hate the fact that I have to act like a suck up to her. I want her out of this school and my life for good," Leanne explained. Verdant thought about it for a moment, before coming to a conclusion.
"Very well, I shall agree to your terms on one condition," Verdant said, causing Leanne to look at her curiously, "I will expel Miss Seiyo if she happens to lose to the American. However, if she happens to win, then the only one being expelled along side those two slackers will be you," in an instant, Leanne felt her heart drop into her stomach.
"M-me?!" Leanne asked.
"What you're asking of me to do to expel Miss Seiyo is a hefty price that I don't really want to pay, but what you said about this school's reputation is true. If that gaijin manages to defeat our top student, then we'll be the laughingstock of the Kanto Region. Therefore, I will only agree to your terms if you agree to MY conditions," Verdant stated.
"V-Very well, Headmistress," Leanne cowered.
"Good. Now, I think we can change up the class schedule a bit to have Miss Seiyo put the American in his place much sooner," Verdant said, as she walked away, leaving Leanne to collapse onto the floor.
"Oh boy, I did NOT think that through," she lamented, now hoping Lincoln would win his match against Giselle.
Team Updates:
Lincoln
Kirlia Gardevoir (now nicknamed Lapis)
Meowth (Kanto Form)(now nicknamed Selena)
Beedrill (Now nicknamed Buzzerker)
Poliwag (now nicknamed Mesmer)
Golbat (Now Nicknamed Bruce)
Spearow (Only for Wonder Trade)
? x3 (Only for Wonder Trade)
Brock:
? x 2 (Only for Wonder Trade)
Misty:
? x2 (Only for Wonder Trade)