Part Two With a sigh, I resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t catch any sleep. Groaning, I climbed up and out of bed, careful not to wake anyone. I tiptoed across the room, finally reaching the door. My hand twisted the chilly, metal knob, which squeaked a little bit, a noise that could only awaken the most sensitive of people – Lance. He sat up in bed, shooting me an annoyed glance, "My lord, it’s like sleeping in a prison," he groaned as he fell back onto his pillow. Smiling a little, I shrugged and made my way to the door. The white- tiled hallway was now a mellow blue, reflecting the hue of the morning sky. I sighed heavily, my mind crowded with thoughts of my mother, Diego, all the people I left behind . . . so that I could escape here. With no particular destination, I started wandering silently among the halls. I meandered throughout the seemingly abandoned Academy for some time, my heart beating a little faster with each passing minute. With an impatient sigh, I gazed hopefully up at a clock. There were still another solid two hours before breakfast. With an exasperated sigh, I slid down to the floor. "Alex La Tambridge!" a voice interrupted the silence. I flinched a little, having been used to noiselessness. I looked up, my face quickly reddening, to see Kaeli, the girl we’d met the day before. Next to her was a girl with light brown hair, pulled up into a spunky ponytail. She wore a pair of pajama pants and a wife beater with a pokéball logo on its front. I recognized her immediately, and hastily pulled myself off the floor. "Hey, Kaeli, who’s your friend?" I said, scratching the back of my neck. The girl blew a bubble with her gum, then laughed, "Oh, shut up, Alex. You know exactly who I am." "Uh . . . yeah. Hey, Skye," I flinched. Kaeli looked utterly confused, "How do you two know each other?" "Well, uh . . ." I began. "Alex and I were both in ballet class about two years ago – his mom "made him try it.". Anyway, he was really quite good – he and I were the lead in the Nutcracker. The night of the performance –" "We both did a good job," I begged her, frowning. She was laughing in between breaths, "Yeah, so great, in fact, that he told me I was his sugar plum fairy! Can you believe that? SUGAR PLUM FAIRY? I could not stop laughing." I felt my face redden as she recited the humiliating story. Kaeli slugged Skye in the shoulder, "That’s horrible, Skye . . how could you laugh at something that heartfelt?" Skye shrugged, still laughing a little, "I didn’t mean to laugh – it was just so out-of-nowhere." I slid back down to the floor, embarrassed, "Yeah, I quit ballet after that." Kaeli winked at me, "Well I would have been honored to be your Sugar Plum Fairy." In spite of myself, I smiled. Skye spoke up, "So why do you call him Alex the Tan Bridge?" Like a ton of bricks, a startling realization hit me. This girl knew me, exactly who I was – the very situation we’d been hoping to avoid. What if she said something? Would I have to leave? "I’m saying Alex La Tambridge. When we first met, he kind of fumbled his last name." Skye shot me a mysterious glance, "He fumbled it all right." * ~ * ~ * "Bacon or sausage?" an old woman sneered at me, looking wholly annoyed. "Uh . . . can’t I have both?" I joked with a hint of a smile. She scowled, "Bacon OR sausage?" I gave up. "Bacon." I continued my way down the line, my breakfast resting on a plastic tray. My eyes skimmed the bags and bowls of assorted pokémon foods. This was my last time not getting one. The very thought brought a smile to my face. I carried my tray out to the vast array of tables, seeing far more than I had yesterday. I discovered why, however, when I noticed the signs that broadcast "Third-Year Students" and "Second-Year Students." The "veteran" students lived in separate buildings, I had learned – the ones that stood behind the school at diagonals. They’d probably come to watch us get our pokémon. I shrugged and started digging in to some biscuits and gravy. After only a few bites, a tray hit the table next to mine. I looked up, seeing a very driven-looking Skye. "Okay, Alex," she spoke, sitting down, "tell me just what is going on here?" I sighed, setting down my fork, and carefully uttered the entire story – the Pokémon Shop visit, the Hyper Force murder, and my arrival here. " . . and so my, uh, witness protector, decided on the Academy, and so here I am." Skye stared at me, mystified, "Wait a second. You saw a murder? And so they brought you here?" She stood up, looking slightly hysterical. I pulled her back down, "Quiet, Skye! It’s not exactly a public announcement!" Her breathing was quick and nervous, "So what if they find you here? Are we all in danger?" "They won’t find me here. Trust me. Now calm down," I groaned, nervously watching the people swarming around. Skye nodded and took a deep breath. Kaeli set her tray down, which was, to my surprise, loaded with food. "What, Alex?" she asked sensitively. "Uh, nothing," I said, returning to my biscuits and gravy. "I eat when I’m excited!" she glared at me, then laughed. "No, Toby caught up with me and asked me to get his food, too . . . he slept in a lit . . . uh, Skye, what’s wrong?" Skye smiled sheepishly, "Uh . . . asthma." "Oh, I’m sorry. My aunt has asthma too . . . horrible spells at times . ." My mind trailed off and refocused on the clock . . . only ten minutes! Toby arrived in five, dressed in another Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. His hair was still messy from the salt of the bay. I laughed a little as he sat down. "Only five minutes to eat? Are you people human?" With a sigh, he began eating the food left on Kaeli’s tray. * ~ * ~ * "Dude, I think I’m gonna throw up," Toby said nervously as we made our way toward one of the battlefields. "Are you serious? This is the day I’ve waited for . . . forever," I said, smiling as I saw the battlefield shimmer in the morning sunlight. Toby nodded, "I know. Me too. Like I said, I’m gonna throw up." The feet of the twenty eager students soon met the warm concrete battlefield, all of us focused intently on the table of twenty pokéballs. Our excited chatter was soon broken up by an announcement. "Everyone, please take a seat," a female voice rose above the crowd. We all turned to see a woman holding a microphone, standing on a podium behind the table. She looked youthful and had wavy blonde hair. Toby and I reached the boys’ side of the table first, seating ourselves in the first two blue seats on the right of the table. Kaeli and Skye, I noticed, were on the first two red ones on the other side. Soon, we were all seated, and the woman spoke again. "Hello, students, I am Miss Dennis, and I’ll be in charge of your class throughout the entire duration of your three years here. Today, as I’m sure you know, you’ll be receiving your first pokémon." An excited clamor rose above her voice, and she smiled. "Yes, yes, it’s very exciting, and I’m sure you want to get them as soon as possible. So if you listen carefully, I’ll go through the rules as fast as I can, and we’ll move on." "First of all," she began, "You are to have one pokémon and one pokémon only until your second year. There is no catching, hatching, buying or receiving gifts of pokémon. Upon your second year, you will be given a test, and we will give you a pokémon that we think will challenge you. Your third year it is required you catch your own pokémon." My heart sped up even faster . . . so much was in store for these three years. "You will have five classes, and the teachers of those classes will decide for themselves if they will allow you to have your pokémon outside their pokéballs during class. Pokémon are allowed in the hallways, and in your rooms." She cleared her throat, "And finally, battling. We encourage pokémon battling, as it is great experience for you. However, NO battling during the school day, with the exception of Battling Techniques class. After dinner, you can all head for the battlefields, and battle until your hearts are content." My grin widened – BATTLES! "All right, let’s get onto the ceremony. Ladies first, wouldn’t you say, boys?" Lance groaned and refocused his attention on the machine he’d been carrying. "First up," Miss Dennis smiled, "is Dannika Ulrich. Dannika received a perfect score on her application exam." A rather cute girl with a big smile made her way to the table, and gladly took an entirely red pokéball. She softly dropped it to the ground, unleashing a blue spider. "Surskit!" I yelped excitedly. "Next, we have Tomomi Shimizu, whose exam was the second-best of the girls," beamed Miss Dennis. An Oriental girl stood and trembled with excitement as she pried the pokéball open. A short, shy pokémon I recognized as Ralts soon stood next to her. "Ashlyn Landon," Miss Dennis called. A girl wearing a backwards-cap jogged up to the table, unleashed a Spinarak, and happily headed back. Miss Dennis continued for what seemed like forever, but remained incredibly exciting. One girl got a Poliwag, another got a Numel, and I even noticed a female Nidoran and a Spoink. Suddenly, she called Kaeli, who bit her lip as she stood up. She paced her way toward the table, and nervously grabbed the pokéball. Taking a deep breath, she hurled it to the ground, and an adorable Teddiursa soon materialized on the concrete battlefield. She smiled, laughing little bit, then picked it up and giggled back to her seat. "Then the notorious Claire Escott-Anderson," Miss Dennis smiled. I glanced over at Lance, who remained completely uninterested, much more occupied by the piece of beeping machinery in his hands. I rolled my eyes and gazed back at Lance’s sister, Claire. The girl, looking almost as arrogant as Lance, accepted the a red-cased pokéball and, as if she knew what was inside, released an Eevee. The playful furry pokémon bounced into Claire’s arms. Claire rolled her eyes and set Eevee down on the ground. Miss Dennis seemed a little irritated, "F . . . finally, last but not least, is Skye Tamaria!" Skye jumped up excitedly, as only Skye would, and strutted over to the table, wearing a smile a mile wide. She thanked Miss Dennis upon taking the last red pokéball, then spun it into the air, releasing the pokémon mid-air. A Skitty playfully somersaulted in the air, then landed softly in Skye’s arms. She kissed it on its head as it batted playfully at her earring. Miss Dennis grinned, "Well, I guess that’s everybody, so head back to your dorms!" A loud protest from a few naďve boys brought a smile to Miss Dennis’s face, "Ah yes . . . the BOYS! Well, we’d better get you guys your pokémon, huh?" "Yes ma’am!" Toby yelled. I think he had anticipated a loud yell from everyone, but, instead, his voice stood alone, echoing. Miss Dennis turned to him, cocking an eyebrow, and laughter came from the second-year and third-year students. "Well then, let’s get on with this! I guess first up would be Joel Anderson, who passed the test without missing a question!" I smiled and clapped softly. Joel appeared from the other side of Lance, looking a little shy. With one hand in his pocket and an uneasy smile on his face, he accepted a blue pokéball. He released a Taillow, which whirled in the air, perching onto Joel’s shoulder. "Sweetness," Toby smiled. "Next," she continued, "is Alex Tambridge." The world seemed to stop. This was it! This was the moment I’d paced in the hallway all morning for, the moment I’d dreamt of for my entire life. I stood, my legs suddenly wobbly with utter glee. I stepped carefully toward the table, breathing deeply as I did so, and extended my hand. Miss Dennis winked and placed a pokéball in my palm. "You’ve got a good one, Alex." I felt my grin widen, and whirled on the ground, tossing the pokéball downward, as I’d practiced in the mirror at home so many times. The moment seemed to freeze itself, like I was in a dream where I’d never see what I was waiting for. Suddenly, I saw a brown ball of fur leap with joy into my chest, knocking me back. "Wee!" Eevee exclaimed. It was the Eevee from Mr. Tamina’s Pet Shop! I hugged the pokémon, probably squeezing a little too heartily. Her paws wrapped around as much of me as they could. I looked up, suddenly aware of the crowd, and caught Miss Dennis looking a bit teary. About eight of the girls stood watching us, each saying the same thing: "aw . . ." I jumped up, my pokémon bundled in my arms, and walked back to my seat, sitting next to a smiling Toby. "Man, have you seen that thing before?" "Next up is Vernon Stoop," Miss Dennis sniffled. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, as the weird boy that bunked next to me stood up and straightened his tie. I petted my vibrant pokémon, which brimmed with energy. As I ran my hand across her fur, however, I found a spot without fur. I looked down, seeing a spot on her chest that had been scarred from when she’d protected me from the Hyper Force thug. I kissed her atop the head, realizing just how glad I was to see her. My eyes trailed back up to Vernon, who happily walked by with a Drowzee. Now, at the table stood Lance, arrogant as ever, smirking with yet another Eevee. With his, mine, and Claire’s, there were three already! He returned it to its pokéball and headed back to his seat. I shrugged. "And now," Miss Dennis spoke again, "Tobias Rodriguez!" The sick look on Toby’s face faded as he hopped up and strutted across the pavement. "Yes, ma’am!" a boy from the stands yelled, recalling Toby’s previous "outburst." Toby turned a little red, but still seemed pretty casual about receiving his pokéball. With a huge grin, he hurled the ball straight up, jumping to the side as it crashed next to him, unleashing a green jet of energy. "Elect!" the pokémon howled, and sped around. "Sweetness!" Toby yelled, happily jumping. He excitedly headed back to his seat, his Electrike trotting beside him. "This is the mondo coolest pokémon EVER!" he smiled. Eevee licked my face, then hopped down to play with Electrike. The ceremony still held several surprises. One feeble boy, P.J., I think, got a Ledyba that scooped the boy up and flew him to his seat. A tough-looking kid got a Meditite, and the boy that had refused to come out of his tent last night gloomily accepted a Murkrow. The biggest laugh of the day, however, came for the boy that got a Whismur. The pokémon unleashed its loud cry, creating quite the uproar. "Fitting," Miss Dennis laughed as the boy sheepishly headed back, "that the ceremony end with a roar! Welcome to the academy, first-years!" * ~ * ~ * "It was so adorable, Alex. You two looked like best friends reunited or something," Kaeli cooed, recalling my reunion with Eevee. "Yeah . . . something like that," I grinned, winking at Eevee. She winked back, swiping her paw at my face. Kaeli stopped walking and turned around, "Luno!" she called for her pokey Teddiursa, which hobbled slowly behind. "Come on, buddy!" "Aw, Luno? That’s adorable!" Skye smiled, Skitty perched precariously on her shoulder. Toby cocked an eyebrow, "Well, mine’s quick and I love baseball, so his name’s Dodger." Skye laughed, "This is Nala," she gestured toward the pokémon. Tomomi, who has been listening from ahead, turned around, "I like your Eevee," she smiled, petting it. I thanked her, then caught sight of her bashful Ralts, nestling behind her trainer’s leg, "Your Ralts is cool, too." "Her name," Tomomi winked, "is Petal. She’s delicate, like a flower." I sighed, "I don’t even know what to call Eevee." "I was hoping you’d ask," Skye laughed, "how about Mahogany?" I grimaced, "Um, yeah, she’s not a piece of wood." Toby laughed as Skye seemed rather annoyed. Tomomi made a suggestion, "You should call her Hikari. The scar on her chest reminds me of the symbol Hikari." I looked up at Eevee, half-pleased with the idea, "How about it? Do you like Hikari?" "Wee!" Eevee called with delight, and bounded to the floor to catch a distant Electrike. "Dodger!" Toby called, suddenly realizing how far ahead his pokémon had gotten. * ~ * ~ * Hikari hopped onto the bed, grabbing a sock. I reached down, grabbing the sock and playing a quick game of tug-of-war. She won, of course, and took a victory lap around the room. I chuckled, grabbing the envelope – containing my schedule – off the shelf. "Come on, Hikari, they’re waiting outside!" I pushed the door open, meeting Skye, Kaeli and Toby. "Check your schedule, man," Toby smiled. I ripped the envelope open and grinned at the seemingly complex schedule. Period 1: Battling Techniques This is a class of pokémon battles, and it’s sure to be packed with fun for you and your pokémon. You’ll learn to battle here, through experience and the textbook, with Mr. Terence. (Note: 10 Students have this 1st period, 10 others have it 2nd period) Period 2: Pokémon/Trainer Relationships Learn how to have a healthy relationship with your pokémon, including in battle scenarios and contest scenarios with Mrs. Aries (Note: 10 Students have this 2nd period, 10 others have it 1st period) Period 3: Pokémon Breeding/Pokémon Organization Pokémon breeding will teach you the proper way to breed pokémon, learning how to create foods your pokémon will enjoy, and learning to carefully raise it to become strong and sharp. Your teacher will be Mr. Tribune. Pokémon Organization will take you through the process of pokémon contests, the making of pokémon blocks, and the special combinations of berries. You’ll have class contests! Your teacher is Miss Dennis. (Note: the 10 girls Pokémon Organization first semester, while the boys have it second) Period 4: Lunch ~ (all 20) Period 5: Pokemon Grooming Delve into the world of Pokémon Grooming with Miss Browne, an expert in grooming that has volunteered her services. Haircuts, massages, and hygiene are high points. (Note: 10 students have this 5th, 10 have this 6th) Period 6: Emergency Medical Pokemon A class that will teach you how to take care of an injured pokémon in an emergency with Nurse Joy. (Note: 10 students have this 6th and the other 10 have this 6th) Toby studied the list, "Well, I at least have Breeding with you!" Kaeli took my schedule and smiled, "We have Emergency Medicine and Grooming together." Skye didn’t even need to look at it, "Well, then, I have Battling, Relationships, Emergency Medicine and Grooming with you, Alex." The P.A. rang, "Attention, students. The cafeteria is open for dinner, but, seeing as today is a special day, you’re all permitted to spend the evening in Stemrod Town," the cheery voice of Miss Dennis rang out. "Let’s go eat at Double Dip’s," Skye’s eyes widened as she spoke, "it’s awesome! The waiters are all wearing roller blades and everything!" We headed down the hallway and exited the front doors, the sun just beginning to set. "Wee!" Hikari called and leapt from the steps to the soft grass, tumbling forward. Dodger sped ahead of her. Luno hobbled behind desperately with Nala walking beside him * ~ * ~ * "Welcome to Double Dip’s," a guy greeted us as he circled on his roller blades. "Four?" "You bet," Skye winked at him. "I’ll get you a nice one," Rick grinned, winking back. Kaeli laughed, "Yeah, Skye, flirt us a nice table!" Skye shrugged, "You do what you gotta do!" This place was cool, for sure. The jukebox played an upbeat pop song, Brittany Spearow, I think, and the waiters and waitresses all bladed across the smooth tile floor. Suddenly, my eyes met a familiar face – Joel! "Joel," I smiled, signaling for him. He walked over to us, his Taillow bird-walking behind him. "Hey, Alex. I didn’t know you guys would be here." "You can sit with us if you want," I offered, gesturing toward a nearby table. "Joel, come ON!" a familiar voice rang out, "We’ve got to order." Joel sighed a little bit, "Gotta get back to Lance. Thanks, though." He turned around and headed for the table Lance was sitting at. Lance’s Eevee, Pyro, was sitting on Lance’s lap, enthralled by the food. On the other side of the table were two girls, one being Lance’s sister Claire and the other I didn’t recognize. "Who’s that girl over there?" Toby asked, gazing in her direction. "Uh, Jenna Leia. She’s kinda stuck up," Kaeli noted. Toby smiled, "She’s cute. What pokémon did she get?" "A Nidoran, I think . . . a girl one," Skye smiled, "We could take her, right Nala?" Nala meowed in approval, then darted for the booth that "Rick" had gotten for us. We followed her, all smiles. * ~ * ~ * "Good night Alex!" Kaeli called as she headed down her hallway. I stared down the hallway, watching the two girls disappear. "Come on, Luno!" I heard Kaeli beg. I smiled and, with Hikari in my arms, made my way for our room. I pushed the door open, meeting the typical room of ten boys, filled with excitement over battles and new pokémon, except for one boy, Sheiko, we’d heard him called today. He’d crawled under his tent, his Murkrow following, and had fallen asleep. I made my way over to my bed and collapsed onto it, ready to finally get a good night’s sleep. Hikari circled on my pillow then lied down, also worn out. I could feel myself drifting, once again headed for the dream world. Running, running in the darkness, now with Hikari by my side. The Hyper Force voices yelled again, "No running, kid!" Then I could hear Miss Dennis. "I have an announcement to make. I regret to say the boy you knew as Alex Tambridge has been killed." Suddenly I felt a sharp jab in my ribs, and I jerked awake. "Oh no,’ I thought, "have I been thrashing?" My eyes met Lance’s arrogant gaze. "Uh what’s up, Lance?" Lance cocked an eyebrow, "Well, boy, it seems that, like myself, my Eevee, Pyro, is very ambitious and competitive. He hopes to battle another Eevee and, seeing as I can’t very well battle my sister’s, his eyes are set on your Eevee." "Okay, so I’ll battle you tomorrow," I agreed, shrugging. "No," Lance replied firmly, "my Eevee, also like myself, is not patient. We want to set the battle tonight on the battlefield." "Only one problem, Lance," I pointed out, "it’s against the rules." Lance smiled smugly, "Life’s no fun when you follow the rules, boy." "It’s Alex," I rolled my eyes. "I’m sorry, but no. We’re both tired anyway." "Ah, well," Lance shrugged, "If you coward out of it, we accept it as victory, eh Pyro?" The Eevee nodded, looking as smug as Lance. Its eyes gave a strangely arrogant stare toward Hikari. Hikari turned her gaze toward me, begging me to concede. "Well, fine, Lance. We’ll take you on."