Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise

Chapter One – *****es Named Blastoise

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I stared up at the ceiling not giving a damn about dinner. Dinner was just one of those meals where you would eat it then it would leave you later on if they managed to stick laxatives in the buildings most uncontrollable girl. Trust me, being in that position, you had a lot of experience and learned to function on one or two really small quick snacks stolen from the corner store.

Somebody in my position had to be experienced.

Nobody hated my only pokemon, one of the only two things I cared about in the whole wide world. My Vulpix, Fury, was downstairs in the cafeteria eating. She wouldn't be drugged or spiked or have laxatives in her food, neither would Ashley, the other thing I cared about.

Ashley Lien is my best friend in this whole wide world, along with Fury. Ashley and I have grown up together in this hellhole, and have stuck it through. Ashley is just so sweet that she wouldn’t lie or hurt a Caterpie. She is tall, has long straight black hair, and brown eyes, and is really nice. Nobody could get mad with her, including me.

Ashley’s only pokemon is an Eevee named Sugar, who is a playful creature, and gets along with Fury pretty good.

Barging into the room, my four legged, reddish furball bounded onto my bed and grinned. I leant over and patted Fury, who grinned and gave a cry of "Vulpix."

"Hey Sal, is fish and chips okay? That’s all they had left." Ashley, sweet and caring as usual came in with a plastic plate of chips and a piece of fish, followed by Sugar who bounced over to Fury and began to play a game of ‘chase-me’.

I’m Sal. Actually, my full name is Sally-Anne McGregor, but everybody knows that I won’t stand being called Sally-Anne. It’s either Sal or nothing, and if it’s anything else then they really regret it. Even the head of the orphanage, which refers to everybody else as master something or Miss somebody, calls me Sal. Once when he called me Miss McGregor, I got Fury to burn his desk.

I’m 13 years old and uncontrollable. Ashley is the same age as me. My looks, I’m kind of the shortest 13-year-old in the orphanage, with ripped jeans and T-shirts lining my wardrobe. My ears are pierced; I have one hole in one earlobe and two in the other and three different studs in each. My hair is short and cropped and an amber color, mostly held back with my black and red bandanna. I wear a silver ball chain, and that’s one of the only things I own.

The other things I own are a pokeball for Fury, whom I found in an alleyway fighting a loosing battle, and a dagger. I don’t really recall getting my hands on this fine piece of art but I wear it everyday in my pocket. It’s a work of art, the handle is engraved with a design of some ancient dragon type that looks as if its about to kill and the point is as sharp as a needle. I keep it with me for protection and for threatening people who harass me too much with.

"Thanks," I thanked bluntly, taking the plate from Ashley and digging into my food. Ashley sat on her bed, and gazed around the small room.

The room in the orphanage was only big enough to fit two, but in most of the rooms five or six boys and girls slept. The rooms were dark with concrete walls reminding us of a jail cell. The windows were barred to prevent not only people coming in but also pokemon and people getting out and away. Nobody could keep me from getting out though. The ceiling was dirty with cobwebs and cracks and graffiti from the previous people that had stayed in the room before. I had put most stuff up there though, from writing ‘**** Quagsire Heights Child Jail’ to ‘Vessie is a ****’.

In the corner a rotten old, dirty basin and glass stood, with two toothbrushes hanging off an old rack inside the mirror cupboard. Our beds weren’t very good, just cheap beds you could pick up for 50¢ at a $2 shop. To the left of the door, an old, dirty white sign read in red letters ‘No Pokemon in the rooms whatsoever.’ That had been scribbled all over with nasty signs as well, and nobody bothered to obey it, unless the head of Quagsire Heights Orphanage, Mr King (whom I either called Stony on a good day or worse things on bad days) was giving room checks.

But Stony was smart enough to let me keep Vulpix and Sugar in my room.

"Have you heard the news?" Ashley broke the chilling silence with her sweet voice.

I shook my head and shrugged, mouth full of fish.

"The Quagsire Heights Council is going to shut down the orphanage, which means that we’re going to be either moving in with people who want us or sent away to various boarding schools with spots," Ashley informed me.

I shrugged again. "So? That doesn’t affect us. As long as we’re together I’m happy, well not happy, not aggressive to be precise."

"Actually it does," Ashley continued. "We have to see Mr King about where we go, whether we go to a home or to boarding school. And he asked to see you."

I gulped down the rest of my food and chucked the plate out the open window between the bars down below into the filthy litter lined alleyway below. Quagsire Heights wasn’t the cleanest place, it was mostly filled with homeless people, drug junkies, or people who couldn’t afford to live anywhere else. The streets had a horrid gray feel to them and you couldn’t see the sky, it was covered with smoke from nearby factories. Wild pokemon around here, Rattata, Meowth, Vulpix, Raticate, Persian, and Murkrow and Zubat at night were very fierce, and well adapted to the tough life of living in a rough area.

Nobody cared if one more plate was added to the pile.

I got off my bed and sighed. "Come on Fury, I’m going to need your fire power. This damn Mareep ****in head isn’t going to do anything to us this time."

Fury hopped up and followed me out the room; Ashley left watching, as Sugar bounced up to her side. "Don’t be too rough," she called as I headed down the stairs, which were about as old as the cafeteria lady, Mrs Hammin, who was about 210 with false teeth and a nasty attitude towards me.

Lifting my foot, the sole of my sneaker smashed through the rotting wood of the door that read ‘Head’s Office’, as the door flew open, and came off one of its hinges. I walked into the room followed by a glaring fire fox.

"What do you want now?" I demanded, placing my hands on the desk and leering at Mr King menacingly. Fury jumped up onto the desk and snarled.

"Sal, how nice to see you," Mr King greeted nervously, shuffling a few papers, a bit afraid.

"Get to the point," I told him, turning around and sitting down. "I don’t want any more of my time wasted."

"Well, regarding what Miss Lien…"

"Miss Lien has a name."

"What … Ashley … told you earlier on. You have two choices on where to go once this orphanage is shut down. One, you could go to a fine, state of the art boarding school over in Cascade City West called Lapras Valley High. Or you could go with this kind lady that has offered to take you," Mr King gave me my options quickly.

"What lady," I eyed Stoney, enjoying his nervousness.

"Um, you can come in now, Lucidia," Mr King called. Through another one of his doors entered the devil.

She was a tall business woman with short flaming red hair, icy blue eyes that could pierce the happiness of a Chancey, a disgusting smirk that could beat the evil grin of a Gengar (yes I know my pokemon) and she was wearing a black business suit. The blouse, the black blazer and the skirt and high heels.

She was my mortal enemy.

About a year ago now, one summer we were sent to different homes for a trial adoption with that person. I was sent to this lady’s house, and she treated me like you would treat a Weedle eating out the middle of your house. Like dirt under her feet, she walked all over me, creating a slave for herself. Fury had tried to defend me, but in this evil woman’s mansion she happened to have an Olympic size pool, and was able to make Fury swim laps all day and night.

I turned, and for once was silent, as I gritted my teeth and glared at the evil sight in front of me. She smiled sweetly, a smile that clearly said ‘I’m the boss now, You’re not going anywhere’.

"Well if it isn’t darling Sally-Anne," the woman gloated, practically draping herself over me to make me enraged.

"What do you want, Blastoise?" I snapped. Lady Blastoise as she was known, was a high-level businesswoman, I just wasn’t too sure how. But I knew that even though her hair was red, her soul was pure black, darker than the black holes in the middle of the universe.

"Why I’ve come to give you a home," she grinned, a dark glint in her eye.

"If you even think of taking me to your house then your mistaken," I snarled, and spat on the floor. Fury got up and growled, ready to attack if I gave the command.

"Well I didn’t want you to go to some horrid boarding school, you could come live with me," Lady Blastoise offered. "We had so much fun last time did we not?"

I stood up, the chair falling over. It clattered to the stone floor loudly but I didn’t care. "For one thing I don’t really believe that making ME a slave and do all YOUR work is fun. And another thing, I would NEVER go back there because you TORTURED FURY SO BADLY SHE NEARLY DIED! I mean, how DARE YOU MAKE HER SWIM CONSTANT LAPS DAY AND NIGHT OF YOUR POOL!" I paused for a breath. "There will be NO WAY I AM GOING TO LIVE WITH YOU. SO THERE."

"Temper little one, with that type of rage you might burst a blood vessel," Lady Blastoise taunted.

I growled, fists clenched, breathing heavily trying to control the anger that was bottled up inside me. "I am not going to live with you. I would much rather go to that Lapras Valley High school than stay with you." With that I turned and left the room.

Fury snorted and followed me.

Reaching our room, I slammed the door so hard that the walls shook. "I don’t BELIEVE THIS!" I raged. "Lady Blastoise, she want’s to adopt me. Of course I said no. Who want’s to live as a slave and watch their pokemon be tortured?"

Ashley sighed. "Is Lady Blastoise still there?"

"I think so," I answered. "But I’m going to Lapras Valley High. Anything but Lady Blastoise."

"Oh," Ashley sighed again. She looked away, her straight black hair swaying in front of her face. I was a bit concerned, what was with the sudden dismay over Ashley.

"What’s wrong?" I asked, showing a bit of the concern hidden under the tough layer of skin.

"I’m being sent away, to another boarding school," Ashley admitted. She turned to me, her eyes welling with tears. "I couldn’t stand being away from you!" She sobbed into her hands. "I’m going away to Waterflower Grammar School over in Kanto. I know it’s a really long way away but that’s where Stony is sending me. I leave next week."

I stared at Ashley. I’m no good for comforting a crying person. That’s more of Vessie’s job, seeing Vessie was the biggest cry baby in this whole damn stinking building.

"Look… Ashley, you know I’m no good at comforting," I began awkwardly, "but this doesn’t sound good. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t even know when I’m leaving, we might have a whole week left that’s a lot better than two minutes."

"I suppose," Ashley agreed sniffing.

The door opened and in walked one of the fourteen-year-olds that was a flirt maniac.

I glared, my head snapping to the side. She gulped and stepped back.

"DON’T GO ANYWHERE!" I yelled at her. She stayed put as I marched over to her and poked her. "A door, is for knocking. You do not barge in like a stuck up snob. You are not queen around her; you don’t have the right to walk into what ever room you want. Do you understand?!"

"But…" she tried to protest.

I whipped my dagger out of my pocket and held it up. "Do you understand?" She nodded, scared. "Good," I leered. "Now what did you have to say?"

I put my dagger away as she spoke. "Mr King says that all people leaving for Lapras Valley High must leave tomorrow at 4 AM when the train comes, as that is the only train going to Cascade West, into Lapras Valley for a month."

I stomped hard on the girl’s foot, and growled at her. "Get out," I snarled. She ran out as fast as she could.

"My god…" Ashley whispered.

"This is not good," I grimaced.

*

"So, you would rather let that worthless pile of ****in **** go to waste at Lapras Valley High instead of hand her over for $1 000 000 in cash. That’s enough to keep the place running," Lady Blastoise hissed.

Mr King nervously backed away. "I respect Sal, even if she is a wild ***** most of the time. She cares for Fury and Miss Lien and I respect that. She also needs to learn to get along with others, and at Lapras Valley High she will be able to do just that."

"Have it your way then," Lady Blastoise sneered, packing up the suitcase that held the cash. "But I’m going to get that girl, and you won’t be able to stop me."

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Will Ashley and Sal figure out a way to stay together before 4 AM tomorrow morning? What is Lady Blastoise up to? What’s going to happen next? Well, you’ll have to read Chapter Two of Lapras Valley High to find out.