Hoo boy. Been a while since I updated this. Well...not really happy with this chapter, personally, but I'll see what everyone else thinks. Happy reading!
Chapter 3
Despite the fact that she too had had enough of dealing with dragons for the rest of the day, Giselle had to admit that at least the one they’d managed to run into didn’t seem to be much of an aggressive one. Of course, her tone and expression did indicated a smidgen of annoyance, but the Karrablast the school nurses had introduced to her as “Darius” didn’t seem to be on edge over the Goomy’s presence...in fact, the vibe he was giving off could easily be interpreted as disappointment rather than aggression.
“Oh I’m sorry, Adelaine,” Darius replied sarcastically as the nudibranch turned to face him, crooked mouth set in a sneer as the Bug-type continued. “I didn’t realize you owned the hallway. I’ll be sure to check next time I hear that the Slug Queen is roaming through the Academy and be sure to plan accordingly!”
“I don’t need your sass, Two-Bits. And for the last time, I’m not a ‘slug’. Get that through that brainless shell of yours before I blow it in through your earholes with a Dragonbreath.” Adelaine’s eyes shifted over to Giselle, her black-dot eyes staring from beneath a thin sheen of scum on her purplish, blotched skin. Giselle really had no reason to feel so alarmed...there had been plenty of this girl’s kind wandering Lumiose. In fact, this was probably one of the most familiar Pokemon the Spritzee had come in contact with after her move; in Kalos, Goomy were of particular abundance, especially the ones living with their parent’s sponsor families around the swamplands, near where her mother had used to live in Laverre. She’d played with them in the summertime, even, coming home to her grandmother’s house covered in mud and smelling of the damp, much to her grandmother’s shock and mother’s amusement. So...why was she so intimidated? Why couldn’t she force herself to say anything, not even in defense of the kind Bug-type who had so selflessly offered to help her?
“...Who’re you?” Adelaine asked simply, nodding her whole body as she looked the pink Fairy type up and down...she couldn’t help it, given that her entire frame was nothing more than a large amorphous blob with antennae. Well, at least that took away the necessity for Giselle to speak first...and that was fine by her. “Darius’s new air freshener? Apparently ‘Eau de Dweebezoid’ didn’t suit him anymore.”
Darius whirled around to look at Giselle, who, in order to hide her fear from a moment before from showing outwardly, merely shrugged her wings before working up the nerve to speak.
“I’m new,” she replied curtly. “And Darius is helping me get to class...after some of your kind decided to welcome me to Johto by Headbutting me up and down zhe hallways.”
“The Charlemagne twins caught her,” Darius explained. “And thought it’d be cool to pick a fight because she’s a Fairy. Bunch of dumb jocks, they are.”
“Hey now, don’t go hating on your own species!” Adelaine giggled, prompting such an evil look from the Karrablast that the Giselle was certain that he might start a fight with her himself. Adelaine must have noticed it too, because she then proved her intelligence by not pushing Darius any further, instead turning so that she walked (or slithered rather) alongside the two as they continued their walk to whatever classroom Darius had said home room was in.
"So tell me, Addy," Darius spoke up after he'd had some time to simmer down from his near outburst moments before. "What are you doing out of your home room? I'm sure you heard the second bell like we all did. Giselle and I have the excuse of being in the nurse's office, but you don't look sick or hurt to me...unless you're going to tell me now that some of those sickly purple spots aren't normal anymore."
"Ms. Reacher isn't here," the Goomy replied flatly. "And the sub hasn't showed up either. I figured while they're running around trying to figure out what's going on I'd step out I that stuffy old hole and get some fresh air...and then I found you two.”
“And apparently bothering me is more fun than minding your own business,” Darius groaned, prompting another giggle from the dragon as he turned to Giselle. “See what you’ve gotten yourself into? This is what I have to deal with on a daily basis in school. A slug with a big, fat mouth.”
“I said I’m not a slug!”
“Sure you’re not.”
“Alright, alright...I get it!” Giselle interrupted, spreading her wings out in frustration and causing both Darius and Adelaine to turn to her. “Mon dieu, just kiss and make up already!” Giselle cried in exasperation, causing the Goomy and the Karrablast to turn to each other simultaneously, their faces wrinkled in disgust at the mere thought of doing such a thing. “I thought you were showing me zhe way to class, Darius...what happened to zhat?”
“Well, see...that’s the thing,” he replied, wringing his hands together as he spoke. “I had to look at your schedule to know where I was taking you...and...well, you had Ms. Reacher for homeroom too.”
“You did?” Adelaine butted in, her expression turning to one of genuine sympathy. “In that case...that really sucks, Giselle. Ms. Reacher couldn’t be more boring if she tried, and this is coming from a female who likes the subject she teaches. And her sponsored Pokemon is a big fat snitch too.”
“Really?” the Spritzee raised a brow. “I’m not quite sure what you mean.”
“Her name is Mensa,” Adelaine continued, slithering forward and thus prompting the two other Pokemon to follow her as she continued. “And she’s a Beheeyem. If you’ve never heard of those kinds of Pokemon...just think of some weird, brownish, big-headed alien-thing who has nothing better to do than sit at the back of the room performing cursory brain scans on everyone. And if she catches you doing anything other than paying attention to what’s going on...she’s got a code that she flashes at Ms. Reacher, and then you’ll get nagged at until she’s absolutely sure your ears will fall right off. It’s a lose-lose situation, and not one any sane Pokemon can withstand for the two straight hours that homeroom lasts.”
“Well...she certainly sounds like a charmer,” Giselle replied weakly, touching her wing tips together out of nervousness. “But you said she wasn’t in today?”
“Yeah, and that’s a first if that’s the case,” Darius replied. “Because Reacher and Mensa haven’t ever missed a day of school...not just this year, but probably not even within the time they’ve been employed here. So...I guess we’re home free, at least until the next bell rings.”
“You’re not suggesting we skimp out, are you?”
“Well...I am.” Adelaine shrugged. “You don’t have to stick around with Two-Bits the Dweeb-Beetle. He’s got another class he’s got to go to.”
“Yeah, my homeroom isn’t the same as yours,” Darius said, ignoring Adelaine’s remark again. “But then again, the nurses did tell me t-”
“Let me take care of her,” Adelaine interrupted, slithering closer to Giselle. “Come on, Darius. You know it’d probably be the better choice anyway...what with girls having cooties and all. Besides, you know me. I’m not going to go beat her up or anything.”
That gave Darius some pause, and despite what Darius had done to save her from those two Bagon he’d called the Charlemagne Twins...Giselle could see that it probably would be for the better if she went with a Pokemon who had the same class as she did. On the other hand...Giselle didn’t quite like how Adelaine just kept lobbing casual insults at Darius, even if it seemed he wasn’t letting them bother him much. The Goomy wasn’t really making a good impression on her, and so of course she’d be a bit hesitant to go with her. Then again...she didn’t want Darius to feel obligated to do anything he didn’t really want to do in the first place.
“...Alright,” Darius nodded his approval. “Alright...I guess she can go with you. Just...make sure no one else beats up on her, please? That’s a heck of a way to be introduced to Johto.”
“Scout’s honor, Two-Bits. I won’t hurt a feather on the Fairy’s head,” Adelaine smirked, beckoning Giselle over as the Karrablast turned on his heel, heading down the opposite way as Giselle flapped closer, perching on Adelaine’s head as the nudibranch continued down the hallway. “Don’t worry...you’re with one of the toughest girls at the Academy now. No one’s gonna mess with you...and now that you’re here, what do you say we go have some fun for the next two hours?”
Giselle only nodded a weak reply, regret for her decision already niggling at the back of her mind. What a day this was turning out to be.
***
“So, judging from your accent, I’d say you’re a Kalosian, is that right?”
Fifteen minutes had passed since Darius had handed Giselle off to Adelaine the Goomy...and despite her brash nature that she’d exhibited in front of the Bug-Type, Giselle found “Addy” (as she’d insisted to be called) a rather pleasant individual to be around. Once Darius was out of the picture, the Spritzee still found the Dragon-type to be a bit on the sassy side...but now there was an endearing quality to her that balanced out that part of the nudibranch’s personality. Adelaine was actually quite friendly, and had allowed Giselle to remain perched on her head for the duration of their trip down the rest of the corridor, all of which, from what Giselle could see, contained a human instructor and masses of Pokemon students. Adelaine had explained that the Goldenrod Academy was a huge complex, and this part of the campus was where young Pokemon were housed, completely away from human influence for the time being. “You don’t get to meet the humans until you hit the end of your secondary years,” Adelaine had explained. “So right now, they’re keeping us away from them so that we don’t interfere with any of the ‘important stuff’ that they’re being taught. Granted, I don’t see why it’d be that much of an issue...but if the League says it should be so, then it’s so.”
Well...at least it was better than not meeting them at all, as it had been in Kalos. Giselle had heard her mother tell many horror stories of her friends who had been assigned to terrible sponsors, and who had lives they had never imagined living as a result. Old, racist habits humans had learned from their parents died hard, and many of them, without proper exposition to what Pokemon were like, had no idea how to properly maintain the bond the sponsor and the sponsored were supposed to share. Therefore, bad matches were common and Kalos; it was one of the main reasons why there was so much turmoil there nowadays. Giselle could only be grateful that her mother and her sponsor had traveled here with their performing group just before things had gotten really nasty.
“Yes, I’m a Kalosian,” Giselle replied, snapping out of her reverie when Adelaine bucked upwards a bit, trying to shake the Spritzee’s head out of the clouds. “From Lumiose, to be exact. My parents are from Laverre, zhough.”
“Ah...figures. I’ve heard Laverre has a lot of Fairy types hanging around it...something about the town’s ancient history.” They approached a heavy set of wooden doors, though they didn’t appear to be locked. Adelaine simply shrugged right through them and suddenly they were in a much larger hallway, lined with lockers and seemingly devoid of any classrooms. “While I look like I should be from Kalos, I’m actually not. I was hatched in Blackthorn and moved here when my mom got promoted and transferred...she’s the Goldenrod City police chief now.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yep...she loves it, to be honest. And I’d like to have the same kind of job someday. But...it’s hard to be taken seriously when you’re...well…when you’re like me.”
There was a bit of a downturn in the Goomy’s voice, and as Giselle craned her head down to look at Adelaine in the face, a twinge of regret passed across the Dragon’s slimy features before her face brightened again, continuing on without skipping a beat towards another set of double doors at the end of the corridor that shone with yellow sunlight from the outside. “But anyway...that’s cool that you’ve come all the way from Kalos to be here. Though it’s probably going to be a bit of a culture shock for the next couple of days.”
“Zhat’s a bit of an understatement,” Giselle muttered, remembering still the sneering faces of the Bagon boys who’d been her welcome wagon. She shifted on her feet at the memory and once again, a long silence passed between the two girls, ending only when the double doors were reached, and Adelaine asked quietly for Giselle to push them open for her.
“But...hey. Darius is a heck of a guy to meet on your first day too,” Adelaine snickered, looking around at the vast courtyard the two of them had entered, judging her options before heading out in her chosen direction. “And I’m sorry if he made you feel awkward in any way. Two-Bits has had a phobia of girls ever since one of them kicked his butt in front of everyone during gym class...which up until that point had been his ‘sacred ground’.”
“He was fine around me,” Giselle replied coolly, looking around the courtyard herself as Adelaine continued. “But if he’s so scared of girls, why did he seem to be okay with you?”
“Because our parents know each other,” the nudibranch replied. “They met a while ago when his mom and dad moved here from Unova...and...we’ll say that circumstances led my mom to trust them shortly after.” Adelaine paused for a moment before continuing, as if trying to think of what to say next. “His dad’s a very good nurse, you know. And his sponsor is the best doctor in town. I think it disappoints his father somewhat that he’s not the same way.”
“Ah, I see,” Giselle replied, finally noting that the place they were headed to on the other side of the courtyard seemed to be very differently built than the building they had just left. “If you do not mind me asking...where is zhis zhat you’re taking me?”
“We’re gonna go spy on the human kids,” Adelaine chuckled, causing Giselle to stiffen up a bit in response. “Oh...don’t worry. I’ve done this plenty of times before, and I haven’t gotten in trouble yet. If it comes down to it, I’ll just make the excuse that we got lost...works every time. The human-assigned teachers here don’t keep tabs on the Pokemon kids, so they don’t remember it when I come traipsing through here...and it’s not like I do this a lot. Just when I get bored.”
“Are you sure about zhis?”
“Oh yeah...Two-Bits used to do this all the time with me when we were younger. Then he went into his ‘ew girls’ phase. Don’t worry, Giselle. Think of it as a ‘welcome to the Academy’ tour, sponsored by yours truly.”
“Zhat could get us both into trouble!”
“Like I said...nothing worse than a slap on the...well...wing for you. Not sure what it is for me.” They approached another set of doors, the Goomy motioning to Giselle to push them open for her again. “Now...c’mon. Don’t be a chicken. I promise I won’t get you into any trouble.”
All Giselle could do was sit there for the moment, her wing still anchored firmly by her side as she considered her options. One, she could fly away and pretend this never happened...but then she’d really be lost without the guidance of a student who had actually been here before. But on the other hand, she really didn’t want to start a reputation of being a troublemaker in this new region...not with the fact that she had no idea how punishment for Pokemon worked in Johto. Then again, Adelaine wasn’t scared, and her mother was apparently a police chief...perhaps it wasn’t as big a deal as she thought it was going to be…
“Come on, Giselle. Are we going to do this, or what?”
Might as well give it a shot. Hope there’s nothing I have to lose…
Squeezing her eyes shut tight, Giselle finally complied, reaching up to press on the push bar as the air-conditioned breeze of the human classrooms complex opened wide to greet them.