Pokemon Fan Fiction / Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction ❯ Pokémon: Sora's Journey ❯ The School of Hard Knocks ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Episode 9: The School of Hard Knocks

A week passed when Sora, Kairi, and Pikachu met AJ and visited his unofficial Pokémon Gym and by then Sora decided to take a short cut, which may have gotten them lost.

"Some idea for a shortcut, Sora," Kairi moaned.

"Well it seems like a good idea," Sora defended.

"Pika," Pikachu groaned.

Sora, Kairi, and Pikachu wondered into a forest with thick mist; I mean pea soup thick. But along the way, they bump into a lanky looking boy that appears to be a few years older than the two of them. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a blue short sleeve shirt and jeans.

"Oh hi there," the young man greeted. "I didn't expect to run into anyone in this forest. My name is Harold by the way."

"Um hi," Sora greeted. "My name's Sora and this is Kairi."

"Good to meet you, Harold," Kairi said.

"Nice to meet you too," Harold said shaking their hands. "Just, by chance where you heading?"

"We're on our way to Vermilion City," Sora answered. "I'm going there to win my third Gym Badge."

"Oh you have two?!" Harold exclaimed. "Well I'm on my way to Cerulean City to visit my uncle who lives there, but in all of the excitement of getting there, I kinda gotten lost." Sora and Kairi did an anime-style fall while Pikachu facepalmed.

"Pikachu," Pikachu groaned.

"It's kinda embarrassing," Harold said when he chuckled nervously.

"I bet he even gets lost on his way to the bathroom," Sora whispered to Kairi.

"You shouldn't say such a thing to him," Kairi whispered back. "It's not his fault he dosen't seem to use common sense."

"Excuse me," Harold whispered. "But why are we whispering?" Sora and Kairi screamed causing Harold to scream along with them. "What happened?! What happened?! What happened?!"

Sora and Kairi didn't really know how to make the best of the situation. But just as Harold wouldn't be lost anymore than he already was he joined them just until they get back onto the trail he needs to head towards Cerulean City.

After about an hour or two, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Harold ventured deeper into the woods they knew for certain they were really lost.

"This is just great!" Sora groaned. "Me and my shortcut!"

"Well it's not like it's going to get any worse," Harold said.

"How?" Sora asked in a sarcastic tone.

"It could be raining out here," Harold answered.

"But I don't think that it's going to rain today," Kairi said. "I hope not."

But instead rain, all four stomachs started to growl. They put their hands on their bellies in embarrassment.

"Pika Pika," said hungrily.

"I'm hungry too, Pikachu," Sora said.

"Well I guess we could stop somewhere for lunch! I could fix us up with some hot coffee and some herbal tea," Harold beamed. "You two are too young for coffee, but you two will love the tea." Harold pulls out his Pokémon tea set. "And I have some Mount Moon spring water to make the tea and coffee extra special," said pulling out bottled warer. "And of course, some French crepes on ze side," Harold spoke in a French accent.

Kairi's face lit up like a kid's face on Christmas at the French crepes.

"Oh I love French things!" Kairi beamed. "It just sounds so romantic!"

Sora began going into fantasy mode once again. It was he and Kairi wearing matching French attire just strolling down the streets of Gay Parie. They even danced the French Tango in front of an adoring audience. Sora and Kairi stares into each other's eyes ever so lovingly. Enjoying the sights that Paris had to offer. At night, they sat at a table enjoying a romantic dinner. Sora and Kairi moving in for a kiss. Back to reality, Sora smiles as he's lost in his daydream. His face has a tinge of pink.

"Oui, oui," Sora said under his breath.

"Uh oh," Harold said. Sora and Kairi didn't like how that came out. "We're gonna need some firewood to make the tea, coffee, and crepes."

Sora, Kairi, and Pikachu just hung their heads knowing they have to wonder around the woods some more just to gather firewood. The group does exactly that.

"Why do I have a feeling that we're gonna end up getting even more lost than we already are?" Sora asked feeling melancholy.

"Don't feel bad, Sora," Kairi said assuring to him. "I'm sure we'll be okay. And besides; I have you and Pikachu with me."

Sora started to blush when she started to hold his hand but he started to feel much better.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.

"What is it?" Sora asked his partner.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said pointing to what looks like a fire.

"Someone else is out here?" Kairi asked in surprise.

"I didn't think that there was anyone else would be out here," Harold was just as surprised.

As they got closer, they saw that it was a group of boys, and one of them was running on a treadmill while the others were holding candles. What got the group is that they were wearing uniforms that was designed for a school fit for kids from rich families.

"That's very good," the boy with the card said. "Now what's the name is this one?"

He held up a card with a Pidgey. The boy on the treamill couldn't see the card well, so he had to guess.

"Is it a Zubat?" The boy on the treadmill asked.

"Listen, just because it's foggy out here dosen't mean your brain has to be in a fog," the boy with green hair said harshly.

The boy had to guess again, so he got one good look at the card.

"It's a Pidgey!" the treadmill boy guessed again.

"That's really good," the boy with the cards said.

"Now what attacks can Pidgey use?" the green-haired boy asked. "And what level can Pidgey can learn it?"

"Pidgey starts up with Tackle. Sand-Attack at level 5. Gust at level 9," he answered.

"Those are too easy," the boy holding the card said. "Now what level can Pidgey evolve at? And what does it evolve into?"

"Um," the boy on the treadmill paused trying to remember.

"You better come with the answers now," the green-haired boy said. "Or you're gonna have to run faster."

He tried to remember what he knew about Pidgey's evolution when he slipped and fell off the treadmill.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I forgot."

All the boys sighed as the one whom held the cards approached.

"You forgot," he repeated. "And you call yourself a Pokémon Text Student? Well, we don't want to study with the likes of you."

"I'm sorry," the treadmill boy said.

Seeing enough, Sora was about to run when Harold did that for him.

"You leave that kid alone!" Harold yelled running towards them.

Sora and Kairi were stunned by this. Could it be that they had Harold all wrong? Could a newfound respect be found for someone without a hint of common sense?

Sora and Kairi got their answer when he tripped by stepping on his untied shoelaces.

"I should have figured it was too good to be true," Sora sighed. Kairi and Pikachu nodded in agreement. "Well anyway, what's going on here?"

"There's nothing going on here," the card-holding boy said. "Mind your own business; this a private training session."

"This school has no room for losers who don't know the common basics such as Pidgey's evolved stage. We have to maintain standards," the green-haired boy said.

Harold got back up like nothing happened.

"I don't know about this school of yours," Harold said. "But I gotta say that your standards are pretty low."

"That's telling them, Harold," Sora said.

"Yeah!" Kairi agreed. "You shouldn't be bullying and looking down on someone just because of a few mistakes!"

Sora just glared at the five boys, but none of them was intimidated. Kairi just looked them sternly while Harold just gave the exact same look as her.

"Do you want to fight us?" the card holder asked. "Sorry but fighting is for cavemen. This isn't the stone age you know."

"And if picked a fight with insects like you three, we would just make Pokémon Tech look really bad," the boy with the long hair spoke.

Insects? Sora didn't care if they called him that, but if they insulted Kairi right in front of him, that's where he draws the line in the sand.

"We'll see you back the Tech, Joe," the green-haired boy said.

"Okay," Joe responded.

The five boys started to walk away from the group.

"Hey! You come back here and-" Sora called to them. Kairi grabbed his arm.

"Let it go, Sora," Kairi reasoned. "They're not worth it."

Sora nodded knowing she was right.

"You're right, Kairi," Sora said calming down. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome," Kairi said.

"Just who are they, anyway?" Sora asked.

"Judging by those uniforms," Harold started they're students of Pokémon Tech. It's a boarding school for Pokémon trainers. I think that's short for 'Pokémon Technical, if I remember right."

"Just how do you know that?" Sora asked.

Unknown to the group Pikachu got curious of the treadmill, but accidentally started the treadmill. Harold was reading the flier of the school explaining to Sora and Kairi about the school on they can be Pokémon trainers without having to go on a difficult badge collecting journey. Also it reads that students can enter the Pokémon League after graduation. And that the fees and insinuations are set on the highest standards.

"That just sounds way too easy," Sora said crossing his arms. "And also for a bunch of snobby snot-nosed rich brats." Sora looks over to Joe. "Anyway what's your name, though?"

"My name is Joe," the boy introduced himself.

"My name is Sora," he introduced himself.

"I'm Kairi," Kairi introduced herself as well.

"And I'm Harold," Harold finished.

"Now that we got the introductions out of the way," Sora started. "Where's this school?"

"It's right over there," Joe said pointing to where he's looking.

"Today's special class, fog battle technique is now complete! Tomorrow's lesson will be snow competition secrets!" A computer voice spoke.

Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Harold were just surprised that they were just in front of the school the whole time. Joe sighs after the announcement.

"It looks like they're going to make a snowman out of me again," Joe groaned.

"Do they always treat you like that?" Sora asked.

"My friends were trying to help," Joe explained.

"You call them friends?!" Sora asked surprised by this answer.

"With friends like them, who needs enemies?" Kairi commented on the matter.

"But they help learn that Pidgey evolves into Pidgeotto at level 18 and then into Pidgeot at level 36. Pidgeot can fly at speed at over 1200 meters in speed at mach two!" Joe said.

"Then why did you have a hard time answering that when you already knew all the answer?" Sora asked Joe.

"Sometimes I make believe that I don't know all the answers and if I do, they make the questions so much harder," Joe explained. "But I have to stay in the school because my mother and father worked hard and saved money so that they could send me to school here."

"It must've been hard for them," Kairi commented.

"Yes," Joe nodded. He looks towards another student sitting under a tree reading a book wearing thick glasses, but he seems older than Joe. "You see that one student over there?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. "What about him?"

"He's an upperclassman," Joe told him. "The classes are here are so hard, some of them are held back for many years. And they're too ashamed to go home without a diploma. That guy is in the beginner's class along with me."

"You're a beginner?" Sora asked.

"Beginners are someone who qualifies the same way as someone with two badges," Joe said. Sora hung his head while Kairi pats his back. "The intermediate classes has the qualifications as someone with four badges. And the advanced students has the same as six. And when you graduate, you can enter the Pokémon League without having to collect the badges. But because that he's older than the rest of the class, they don't bother to help him like they do me."

"Do any of the the teachers say about that?" Kairi asked. "And if they did, why don't they do something about it?"

"They don't even know about it," Joe said. "And if they do, they pretend that they don't know about it."

"Well, that's a violation of students rights that should be put a stop to!" Sora exclaimed. "Who's the student that's in charge of the system and see to it that it stops!"

Joe reached in his vest and took out a photo.

"Here's a picture," Joe said holding it up.

Sora, Kairi, and Harold looks at the picture and it turns out that it's a girl with long dark brown hair. Harold was instantly smittened with her causing him to blush.

"What a beauty," Harold said. "She can violate my rights anyday."

Sora had to admit she's very beautiful, but he just turned away from the picture.

"Kairi's even prettier than she is," Sora said under his breath. "Way more prettier."

Kairi just looked at the picture and she instantly disliked this girl. Who does she think she is, anyway? Going around making the lives of the underclassmen to be treated like second-class citizens.

"If she's making your life so miserable, then why do you carry her picture with you?" Kairi asked.

"Well, I hate the way she treats us underclassmen, but I love her good looks," Joe said blushing putting the picture.

Kairi just shook her head in disbelief. She just felt sorry for Joe; the poor guy. Kairi just imagined this girl is the type that would sleep with every other guy as time went on, and breaking Joe's heart.

Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, Harold and Joe enters the school building looking for this girl. Kairi had the utmost intention to give her a piece of her mind.

Team Rocket had just arrived and they saw the school with utter disdain; and that's because it brought back bad memories for them. They had the lowest test score that the school ever had seen.

Joe leads the group into the training room, and there are vitutlral training devices present in the room.

"Giselle always comes in here and practices here all by herself," Joe said. "And even if you beat her in a battle, it won't even matter to her. Here in the Tech, it's your skills as a trainer that counts more than winning that one battle."

"Is that it?" Sora tilted his head. "I won two badges because I fought hard for them."

"But Giselle is the top beginner here," Joe said. "And that's even better than winning three badges. And I'm the bottom of the class and I'm even stronger than someone with two badges."

"Wait a minute!" Harold called up. "I'm a Pokémon trainer and I didn't need to go to some exclusive school to learn to catch and train Pokémon! And like the Gym Leader at Cerulean City, I use Water types!"

Sora and Kairi's eyes got wide at the fact Harold is a trainer.

"Harold is a trainer?!" Sora and Kairi both exclaimed at once.

"Water Types, huh?" Joe said. He turns on a simulator and uses a hologram of a Pokémon looking like a yellow flytrap going against Starmie. The Grass Type beats the Starmie at an instant. "I always beat them in the simulator."

"Let's see how you can handle it in real life," Harold said reading his Pokéball.

"You'll be sorry," Joe said feeling confident.

Just outside, Team Rocket climbs a tree up to where Sora and his friends are. Jessie and James took out the binoculars they had and looked in with each eye.

"A little warning, Joe; I'm good," Harold warned. Harold throws his Pokéball. "Alright Starmie! Come on out!" The Pokéball opens to let Starmie out.

"Too bad that Starmie won't beat my Grass Types," Joe said. "Go Weepinbell!" Joe throws his Pokéball and it lets out the same Pokémon from the simulation.

"Let's see if Weepinbell can stand up to this," Harold said. "Starmie! Ice Beam!"

Starmie fires an icicle beam right at Weepinbell. With one hit, Weepinbell was frozen solid. Joe was flabbergasted by this result. Weepinbell was just taken out with one hit.

"But Weepinbell had the upperhand!" Joe gasped. "How could Weepinbell lose to a Water Type Pokémon just like that?"

"That's because that Starmie used Ice Beam," a female voice said from behind. "You should have known Water Types can use Ice Type moves. Trainers teaches Water Type Pokémon Ice Type moves to counter Grass Type Pokémon. That is what every trainer should consider. Also his Starmie is more experienced in battle than Weepinbell. You're an embarrassment to the whole school."

"But Giselle..." Joe paused feeling embarrassed.

Harold's face turned red again.

"She's even prettier in real life than in a picture," Harold said infatuated. Hearts formed in his eyes.

"So this is the self-appointed queen bee," Kairi snarled in her thoughts. Sora just looked at her, seeing her so angry. Sora only saw her like that back at AJ's Gym.

"Uh oh," Sora said in his thoughts. "Here we go again."

"I'm the top beginner in the most exclusive school in the world: Pokémon Tech. It's sad that others aren't blessed with my beauty, my talent, my humble attitude. People call me a star, but I'm just Giselle!" Giselle introduced.

"That girl' definitely full of herself," Sora said in his thoughts. "I mean it's true she's pretty. But Kairi's way prettier than she is. And she's even nicer. Sweeter than candy. But Giselle is just a narcissist. That is what Kairi is not."

Back outside.

"She's even more conceded than we are," Jessie said.

"But she's real cute, isn't she?" James asked intrigued.

"She's not as cute as Meowth!" Meowth said.

"YOU'RE IN THE WAY!" Jessie and James yelled throwing Meowth into the sky.

"MEEEEEEOOOOOWWWWWWTTTTTHHHHH!"

Back inside the school building, Sora just looked behind him. Sora wondered what was that all about. Sora just shrugged.

"Must be hearing things," Sora said in his thoughts.

Giselle walked up to Joe.

"I want to continue to be the best they could be," Giselle said. "To teach each other and to respect each other to ensure the Pokémon of tomorrow," Giselle continued. Her smile turns into a cold stern. "But you're a weakling!"

"Uh," Joe was stunned by that.

"You better get stronger fast before your fellow classmates will turn their backs on you for good!" Giselle turns and walks away from him without giving a second thought. Joe just stood there. He just felt his heart shatter like glass.

Sora and Kairi were just plain appalled what they just witnessed. Kairi wanted to break her nose in front of her peers for what she just said. Sora stared at Joe just stunned and heartbroken. Harold on the other hand had heard enough. He was attracted to her beauty, but she just shattered the image Harold had of her.

"Just hold it right there!" Harold shouted. "What kind of friend would just turn their backs on them like that?! Just because you're the top student of the beginner's class dosen't mean you have to look down on others! People would say that I'm a scatterbrain and I easily get lost, but I never let that stop me! I keep trying. And I even help people who needs help. And if I was a teacher here I would definitely do something about it and not care what consequences that came with it! Everybody else has already given up on me, my Pokémon didn't! And those two and their Pikachu didn't! And most importantly, I haven't given up on myself!"

Sora and Kairi just stood there just amazed at how Harold just stood up for Joe like that. Even Pikachu was stunned. Harold did have a mature side to him.

"Do you really believe any of what you just said?" Giselle asked playfully.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't!" Harold snapped at her. "Bring out any other Pokémon you've got! Starmie will cream it like corn!"

Giselle just smiled smugly when she grabbed a Pokéball.

"Well in that case, my Pokémon shall be," Giselle gracefully threw the Pokéball. "Graveler!" She threw the Pokéball to let out a Pokémon that was quite similar to Geodude but slightly larger, rockier, and had extra arms on its body and legs. Sora pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the new Pokémon in front of him.

Graveler, the Rock Pokémon

The evolved form of Geodude

Type: Rock/Ground

They descend from mountains by tumbling down steep slopes. They are so brutal, they smash aside obstructing trees and massive boulders with thunderous tackles.

"Starmie can beat Graveler," Sora said to Kairi.

"Sure can," Kairi nodded. "But don't overlook how strong that Graveler looks. Graveler looks more experienced."

"Graveler! Use your Double-edge!" Giselle ordered. Graveler charged at Starmie, so Starmie dodge out of the way in time.

"Starmie! Water Gun!" Starmie fired water gun, but Graveler rolled and bashed Starmie in the core. Starmie was sent towards the pool. "Aah! Starmie!" Harold ran outside to the pool to retrieve his injured Pokémon. He dove in the water, not caring if he caught a cold. He dragged his injured Starmie in his arms and ran off to be healed at the Pokémon Center!

Sora and Kairi were just shocked by what they saw. Giselle and her peers were about to leave when she finally got a good glimpse of Sora. She felt her heart flutter at the look of him. His gravity defying hair, his blue eyes, and that face and his crown necklace. She wondered if was descended from royalty. He looked so very handsome in her eyes.

"Just who is he?!" Giselle asked in her thoughts. "How is it that I had never noticed him before?! I must go up to him." Giselle walked her way into their way and stares directly into his face.

"Something I should help you with," Sora asked her feeling nervous.

"I'm sorry but I haven't noticed you until now," Giselle said her face blushing. "But might I ask who are you?"

"It's Sora Ketchum and I'm from Pallet Town," Sora answered.

Giselle kept looking into him lovingly. Joe just watched the scene feeling more heartbroken. Tears started to flow down his eyes.

"Of course she'd fall for a guy like Sora," Joe thought. "He's obviously more attractive and more confident than I could ever be."

Giselle's peers started to glare at Sora. They were obviously taken by her charms just as the rest. But Kairi had started to get even angrier at the sight. Sora was getting nervous to her staring. Cold sweat started to run down his head.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" Sora asked feeling uncomfortable.

"I'm wondering if you have yourself a lover," Giselle stated. Before he could answer she placed her finger at his lips. "Don't answer! Because you're going to be my lover!" She started to put her arms around him. "Tell me. Do find me irresistible?"

"Well, um..." Sora was really uncomfortable. "Looks like mom was right about me turning heads," Sora thought to himself. Giselle started to kiss repeatedly on his cheeks. Her lipstick left their marks on his face, except for his lips.

Kairi felt her blood boil. She could stand it no longer.

"That hussy!" Kairi snarled. Kairi went up to Sora and forcefully grabbed him by the arm pulling him. She just stared at her her very hatefully. "You keep your filthy hands to yourself!"

"And who do you think you are?" Giselle asked glaring at Kairi.

"Someone who can't stand the likes of you," Kairi shot at her.

"What's your relations with him?" Giselle demanded.

"He's my friend!" Kairi simply answered.

"So why do you care that I have eyes for him?" Giselle asked her.

"Friends are supposed to care," Kairi hissed. "And I won't let my friends end up in the arms of a gold digger like you!"

Sora definitely felt like a bug between a rock and a hard place in this situation. Sora wanted to put a stop to it, but he didn't know how. Sora didn't want to have a catfight on his hands so he had to speak up.

"If I could say something," Sora spoke up.

Giselle grabbed Sora's other arm while staring at Kairi. They started to pull him like a couple of kids fighting over a teddy bear. Kairi and Giselle threw a series of insults at each other.

"Pika," Pikachu watched feeling scared.

Sora was definitely getting pulled apart at this point. He felt his arms being stretched and it hurt. Sora felt like his arms were going to be torn off.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Sora shouted. Both Kairi and Giselle stopped pulling at him.

"What is it, beloved?" Giselle asked in a singing tone.

"What's up?" Kairi asked.

Sora sighed as he felt thankful that he stopped an imminent catfight.

"Okay I have one thing I'd like to say," Sora started to say. "Well two things; one: let go of my arms." Both girls let go of him and they look right him. "For starters, I want to say that I have to turn you down Giselle. I mean I think you're pretty, but you're just not for me. Sorry."

Giselle felt her heart shatter. Could this what rejection feels like? The boy she just fell in love with just turned her down. She wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet. She looks right Pikachu and she got an idea.

"I have to ask you, Sora, isn't it?" Giselle spoke up. Sora nodded. "Is that Pikachu yours?"

"Um yes," Sora answered.

"I was wondering if you would like to battle with me," Giselle said.

"A battle?" Sora asked.

"MHM," Giselle nodded. "A battle to see how you're skilled as a Pokémon trainer."

"Well if you wanna see what I can do, you just have to ask!" Sora said accepting the challenge.

"And if you lose," Giselle said. That confused Sora. "You will have to be my sweetheart and worship the ground I walk on."

Sora just blanched and Kairi's face got red with anger.

"That's not what I-" Sora's sentence was cut when Kairi walked up.

"Sora isn't going to just accept the challenge," Kairi said. "He's going to win!"

"Dosen't look like I'm gonna to get out of it even I wanted to," Sora said hanging his head regretting what he just got himself into. "If I knew there was going to be a catch, I wouldn't have agreed to it."

"We'll both use one Pokémon each," Giselle said grabbing another Pokéball. "And the Pokémon I choose is: Cubone!"

Giselle threw her Pokéball to reveal a brown Pokémon with dorsal spikes on its back and is wearing a skull and has a bone for its weapon. Sora pulled out his Pokédex and pointed at Cubone.

Cubone, the Lonely Pokémon

Type: Ground

Cubone pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the Pokémon wears are made by the tears it sheds.

"That's just depressing," Sora said putting his Pokédex away. "You ready Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded entering the battle.

Sora remembered that Electric Type moves are a no go since Cubone is a Ground Type. So he had to stick with Iron Tail and Pikachu's speed to win. Giselle felt confident that she was going to win this battle.

"Pikachu! Quick Attack!" Sora ordered. Pikachu ran right towards Cubone. Cubone just stood in place not moving an inch.

"Cubone! Headbutt!" Giselle ordered. Cubone jumped and slammed its head into the mouse Pokémon. Pikachu was sent back. "Now Bone Club!" Cubone whacked Pikachu on the side with its bone.

"Pikachu! Keep your head in the game!" Sora shouted. "Iron Tail! Let's go!" Pikachu got up and swung his tail only for Cubone to block the attack.

"Cubone! Bone Club again!" Cubone obeyed, knocked Pikachu's tail out of the way and conks Pikachu on the head. "Bonemerang!" Cubone threw the bone right at Pikachu again causing serious damage. "Oh I can just hear wedding bells ringing for us! After we get married we can go on a honeymoon to the Alola Region and buy a smummer home on one of the islands! And we would have so many children together! Oh my heart will be warm at the sight of them playing-"

Sora started to frown at the thought of being married to her. Kairi was getting infuriated by that.

"Sora! Take her down!" Kairi shouted.

"Right!" Sora said. Cubone threw its bone again hitting Pikachu landing on his back. "Stay focused, Pikachu! Use your head! Don't let Cubone beat you over something so basic!"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.

Cubone threw Bonemerang again. Only for Pikachu to dodge the attack. Pikachu leapt onto the Ground Type turning its skull mask around so it can't see. Pikachu swung at Cubone with Iron Tail and a series of Quick Attacks. Once Pikachu stops, Cubone turns the skull mask back to its proper place only to be hit by its own move. Cubone started to cry like a baby since it knew it lost to Pikachu.

Giselle took Cubone into her arms and soothed the crying Pokémon.

"Oh don't cry Cubone," Giselle said trying to calm ot down. "There, there." Giselle called Cubone back into its Pokéball. "I can't believe I lost. I thought you would use electric attacks against Cubone; but you didn't."

"Well it's because I kept my head in the game," Sora said. "Cubone did have the advantage and it did have a little more experience, but Pikachu still came through. Sometimes you have to think outside the box, even if the odds are against you." Kairi was glad Sora had won. That means that Sora wouldn't have to go through with that arrangement. But she knew Sora would never have gone along with it even if he had lost, but she'd be glad either way. "I hope you have learned that, Joe." Sora said looking at him.

"Sure did," Joe said. Joe felt inspired by his words. And now thanks to him he felt his confidence grow.

Kairi was proud of him. Kairi went up to him and hugged him from behind.

Giselle just looked at the two of them. She knew the fight for Sora's heart was a fight that she already lost before she started.

"I guess that you're better than I thought, Sora," Giselle admitted. "That battle taught me a lesson that I'm not going to forget. And once I demonstrate that, the others will surely follow my example." She looks at her peers and they understood. Even if she had lost, they still rooted for her.

Gray smoke came into the school all around the group. Sora, Kairi, and Pikachu knew that it could only be one thing.

"Oh no!" Sora groaned. "Not again."

"Allow us to reintroduce ourselves," Jessie and James said in unison.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

Meowth came crashing through the roof and finished the motto.

"Meowth! That's right!"

"And there you have it," Sora groaned.

"Yeah," Kairi deadpanned.

"Pika," Pikachu sighed.

Giselle recognized them very well.

"I heard of you," Giselle stated. "You got the worst grades on the entrance exams. How about your team against our team?" Giselle said drawing out another Pokéball.

Joe along with the five boys did the same. Team Rocket knew they were in serious trouble. The students threw a barrage of Pokéballs at Team Rocket causing them to run off.

"IT LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"

"And don't come back!" Sora called to them while Kairi stuck her tongue out.

At sunset Joe and Giselle were outside at the school pool.

"There are some things that you can't learn in school," Giselle said. "And that's a good lesson."

Joe looks at her.

"I'm going to head back home and start over from scratch," Joe announced. "Start my journey with my first Pokémon like Sora and Pikachu. It's because of him that I feel more confident. But I'm we'll meet again someday."

"I hope so," Giselle smiled. "And I'll try to be a worthy opponent when we do."

"But can I still keep your picture with me?" Joe asked blushing.

"Of course," Giselle said. "And I'll keep yours."

Joe was surprised by what she just said.

"You have mine?" Joe asked.

"Of course," Giselle answered. "I have pictures of all my friends. And I'll keep yours the closest."

Joe blushed smiling at her.

"Also I knew you had your eyes on me just as anyone else," Giselle said. Before Joe could speak Giselle kissed him right on the lips. When their lips departed Joe blushed a little redder. "I'm just sorry I didn't consider your feelings. I didn't want anyone seeing me getting soft on the matter. But when we meet again, I'll be even more considerate."

That made Joe feel better. He just had his very first kiss and he loved it.

Sora, Kairi and Pikachu just watched the two of them just smiling.

"That's so sweet," Kairi beamed.

"Yeah it is," Sora agreed.

"I was thinking about the day we met when you saved me," Kairi said. "I knew for a fact, I'd feel safe around you."

"Well I'm just glad we both got off on the right foot," Sora said.

"Just do you think about what would happen if we didn't?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know," Sora answered. "Maybe you having a bike and me stealing it and then get wrecked by Pikachu shocking it to a crisp, maybe?"

Sora and Kairi looked at each other for a moment before they bursted out laughing at the thought.

Over to Harold, he seems to have gotten lost again, but this time he fell into a river. He was washed through the rapids. His life began flashing before his eyes when a young woman with teal hair tied in a ponytail with a pink bow, wearing a pink shirt and red overalls grabbed his hand.

"Just hang on!" she said to him. She pulled him up. Harold was grateful to her. "Are you okay?"

"I wouldn't be if you haven't come along," Harold said panting.

Back to Sora, Kairi, and Pikachu they continued on with their journey for Sora's way into the Pokémon League. They said their goodbyes and hoped that they battled again. Sora, Kairi, and Pikachu took one last look at the school before they continued on.