Lapras Valley High

[PancaKe]

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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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Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise

Chapter Two – Undeserved
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To put a long story short, Ashley was really upset as we walked to the train station through the cold early morning. It was pitch black, the only light were street lights about to burn out as they flickered dimly. We walked, Sugar, Fury, Ashley and me. Only four other people were going to Lapras Valley High.

Two were this 17-year-old couple that would be graduating in a year or so, and the other was the girls cousin, so they all walked in a group, leaving me with Ashley. Not that that was a bad thing mind you, I was just hoping that Ashley wouldn’t have to walk through the streets of a really bad town at 4 AM. Things could happen.

“Hello girls, would you like me to escort you anywhere?” a man asked appearing out of an alleyway.

“We’re right you old hag, we can handle ourselves,” I replied shortly. I was too depressed to pick a fight.

“Come on,” the guy insisted.

I whipped out my dagger and pointed it at his throat. “How’s no sound to you?” I snarled. He backed off, leaving us to continue walking.

“I’m going to miss the forceful you,” Ashley said once we were walking again. “I won’t have anybody to protect me now.”

“Sugar is real tough,” I pointed to the furball, who grinned. “He’s been trained by the best.” This time it was Fury’s turn to grin and look proud.

By the time it was 4 AM we had reached the station and one of the older girls going to Lapras Valley High called me as the train pulled up. Ashley looked at me, I looked at Ashley and hugged her for the first and last time in my life. I then slipped off the chain I was wearing and shoved it into her hand before leaving.

Fury nuzzled up beside Sugar, saying her own goodbye before running after me and jumping through the closing doors into the train. We were going to sit down but seeing the seats were either taken, or ripped to shreds with syringe needles sticking half way through them, we ended up standing by the door, holding onto the steel pole.

I don’t remember much of the trip except that I sat down half way through it on the cold dirty floor, and fell asleep three-quarters of the way. It was a long grueling trip, with people stopping to get in to the train wreck and trying to find a place to sit. Just before I fell asleep we happened to enter some of the ritzy towns, such as Aspite or Tyranville. Smart looking boys and girls wearing clean clothes and carrying brown leather suitcases stepped into the train and were wrinkling their nose in disgust, horrified at the normal state for a Quagsire Heights carriage.

One girl, about 13, stepped into the train. She was wearing a large pink bow in her mousy brown hair, which was tied in two pigtails, Nurse Joy style. The rest of her hair was braided and looked stupid in my opinion. Oh that’s right, nobody cares about MY opinion. How silly of me to forget. Her eyes, caramel brown, darted around the train, from the three other Quagsire Heights Orphanage people, to the ripped and torn seats, to the syringes, to the graffiti on the wall, to the gum stuck on the pole, to all the other sophisticated and not-so-nice-looking kids like me, and frowned.

“I thought this was the train to Lapras Valley High, best school in Cascade West,” she said, her face screwed up as if somebody had just puked all over her short skirt and leather shoes and she was trying not to scream.

“Well what do you think ****wit?” I snapped. How dare she judge a carriage by its looks.

Even if it was messy it got us there didn’t it?

“Who… I mean… What are you?” the girl asked in disgust.

“I’m a person, what do I look like? On the other hand you are quite unidentifiable,” I retorted, too tired to get up and get fierce.

“Ooh big words,” the girl taunted. “I’m so scared.” A few of the ritzy kids from Zharman Lake laughed at her ridiculous comeback.

I growled, and stood up. She was still looking at me with those piercing brown eyes, as if she was so much better than the rest of the world. A true snob. I took a step forward and glared at her. “What the hell is your damn problem?” I demanded.

“I don’t really have a problem here,” the girl answered, acting innocent as a Beedrill that just stung a Butterfree. “I’m not the one aggravated here.”

“Don’t use it yet Sal,” I whispered to myself. Why waste my precious blade on a Zharmaner.

The Zharman Lake girl happened to hear. “So, your name is Sal,” she said, spitting out the word Sal as if it were a bad word. If Fury hadn’t been asleep I would have had this girl down on the floor looking like a piece of toast from the kitchens. Black and crisp with no like left. She smirked at me. “What a name. SAL. I’m sure everybody would love that.” She raised her voice. “Guess what everybody! SAL here is afraid to use the special secret weapon. What is it? A sewer Rattata? Or a picture of herself?”

(I will admit I wasn’t looking at my best. I had a smudge on my cheek from when I tripped over before I left the orphanage. My hair was a short mess, and the bandanna I was wearing wasn’t my best. The shoes I was wearing were kind of half torn, and my shirt was a tad on the ‘non-sophisticated’ side.)

“That does it,” I growled. Instant reflexes. My arm whipped around to my back pocket and my hand snatched the dagger out of it. I held it up, prepared to strike if I had to. But that was the extreme, the dagger was mostly for show.

To get this Zharman Lake priss pissed.

“You going to hassle me?” I asked threateningly. She looked at the dagger, its freshly sharpened blade gleaming in the early 7 AM sun, the handle carved out with mystical designs, my deadly emerald eyes and my tough attitude.

Then she laughed.

She just burst out laughing right in my face. “You wouldn’t dare,” she giggled.

The last straw had been placed. My hand lunged, blade first, and tore the sleeve of her jumper. She gasped and jumped back, as a bit of blood began to slowly slide through the small opening a graze of my dagger had caused. She glared at me, holding her arm as if it would fall off.

“I’m sure you’re happy,” she snarled.

One of her Zharmaner friends ran up to her and began to help her with the small cut. “I hope your happy, look what you did to my arm you dirty Rattata,” she glared. I glared back. “Now look what happened. You made Kayla bleed. How dare you.”

“You want to bleed too obviously,” I replied quietly yet dangerously. People were looking at me, but I didn’t really care. That ‘Kayla’ girl, she deserved that. Most people from Zharman Lake were snobs. And that wasn’t my problem.

I settled myself down again and tried to get some sleep.

When I awoke the train was just pulling into Lapras Valley High station. Fury was awake as well, and I stood up. That Kayla girl was no where to be seen though, which was good because I was hoping she wouldn’t be causing any more trouble.

“Are you Sal?” some boy asked, walking up to me as I entered the platform.

“So what if I am,” I asked evenly. Fury watched, ready to attack if she had too.

“I just wanted to say that that was cool what you did to Missy back there,” the boy complimented.

I frowned. “Right. Her name is Kayla isn’t it?”

“Yeah, Kayla Myssina, but people who don’t like her call her Missy,” that guy replied. “By the way, hi. I’m Blaron Haystacker.”

“Nice to know you have a name,” I snorted. “Now please move, I’d like to get moving. Maybe I want to get away from this Hell Hole.”

“Wait,” Blaron protested, calling me as I shoved past him roughly. I whipped around and glared. He seemed to sort of blush, a bit afraid. “Can I walk with you?” he asked.

“I don’t really give a damn who walks with me,” I answered shortly, turning around. That Blaron guy ran up beside me and started walking with me.

He had short flaming red hair, really short and probably was soft to touch too, like an Eevee’s fur, but I wasn’t about to touch it. His eyes were light blue, like the sky, and he seemed to be a nice guy, but then again, so did the devil at first. He seemed shy and full of questions, the type that gets annoying fast, but if I ignored it I would be okay.

“So where are you from?” Blaron finally asked.

“What do you care?” I snapped back coldly.

“Sorry, it was just a question,” Blaron apologized.

“Like you mean it,” I snorted.

“What?”

“Like you really mean you’re sorry. That’s what everybody says ‘I’m sorry’ the two words that are said the most with the least meaning,” I exploded. “It’s becoming as pointless as ‘How do you do.’ Nobody cares for the answer.”

“Look, I’m sorry I asked a question that would make you so touchy, honest,” Blaron apologized.

I snorted.

“Are you from Quagsire Heights?” Blaron guessed.

“So what if I am?” I cried. “Just because I’m tough, and don’t want to be friends with everybody, because I have ripped clothes, messy hair, a tough attitude and really rough like I’m on drugs, doesn’t mean anything.”

“I see,” Blaron agreed nervously, not seeing the point at all.

I grumbled to myself the whole way. Once we arrived, to get into the school we had to pass through these turnstiles after checking in. There wasn’t a really long que, those people who already had school cards were allowed through a quick ‘slot’ place.

“Name?” a person asked bored.

“Sal.”

“Sorry we have no listing of ‘Sal’.”

“That’s because my real name is Sally-Anne McGregor.”

“Oh, here you are Sally-Anne, your school card. It has your name, a photo, and your dorm written on it. You stay in the same dorm all the years you come here. You may now go.”

As soon as I got into the school grounds, I scratched off the rest of my name, leaving Sal.


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Name: SAL//////////////

D.O.B: 14th November

Tower: Flaria

Dorm: 6-F

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Lapras Valley High seemed to have four towers, one at each end of the school. Flaria, Joltaria, Aquaria and Solaria. I was in Flaria, which was pretty close. Those in Joltaria and Aquaria had a long way to walk. I didn’t know how they assigned the towers, but I didn’t care.

“Come on Fury, let’s go.”

“Vul.”

We headed over to the tower, which was taller than I had thought. It took practically forever to walk up those stairs but finally I stood outside my dorm. The brassy letters nailed into the door shone dimly, bearing the name of the room, 6-F. I kicked the door and it swung open.

The room was a pleasant place, quite different to the rooms of Quagsire Heights. It shone brightly thanks to the late morning sun, lighting up the room. Its walls were a light orange color, with a border of flames just below the ceiling. The window was large and open, letting a gentle breeze blow through, creating the red curtains to wave about in the wind. The large wardrobe was painted a blend between orange and red, and the rest of the room seemed to be red and orange. Not too bright though, just enough to resemble the flames of a fire.

It was welcoming, but I didn’t feel welcome here.

What was I doing in such a merry place like this? Somebody whom nobody cared about, who was hated for her tough attitude shouldn’t be living in such a place. It was the wrong place for me.

“Excuse me please,” a voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned around, and Kayla gasped.

“You’re in THIS room? In THIS tower. Of all the rooms you’re in THIS room,” I stated.

Vulpix had already claimed a bed for us, and was currently sleeping on the doona. The light fluffy cream doona with rows and rows of fire pokemon and flames that only people well off and good should have. She gave a soft snore, letting me know I was on my own again.

“Great, I’m stuck with an ax murderer,” Kayla groaned, dumping her stuff on her bed and packing her possessions in the tables beside our beds.

I stared at them. “What’re these for?” I asked, kicking mine.

Kayla just looked at me. “A bedside table, duh,” she replied. “For putting stuff into so you can reach it in the night and just for storage space.”

What was the point in that? I looked around the room.

Such luxury.

I didn’t deserve this.

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Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise

Chapter Three – True Beauty
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This was not good. I was alone, in a big school, with the only thing I could rely on, Fury, deciding to fall asleep. My dorm which was like a luxury sweet from Zephyr, a really expensive place (I saw a crumpled up piece of paper advertising it once on the streets.), was being shared with one other girl, Kayla Myssina from Zharman Island, who was a rich snob and hated me for attempting to stab her am on the train. Ashley, my only human friend, the only person I trusted and confided in and actually didn’t go ballistic at, was being sent away to some school in Kanto, about as far away from our part of the world as possible.

I sat down, feeling the doona go puff under me. The doona felt nice, something new and interesting. I had never ever felt a doona before, neither had I seen any rooms with bright colors such as this one. This was all new to me.

I glanced at the window, and gasped. There were windows without bars around. I can recall many times I stared out of the dirty window in my room at the orphanage, watching the rain drizzle down, adding extra gloom to the already dreary climate. Here it wasn’t gloomy, far from it. The window was open, giving light and a brilliant view of the school meadow and endless waves of lush green mountains. I had never seen such a sight; it was all new to me.

“What is your problem?” Kayla asked. I realized she had been watching me glance all over the room and gasp at objects that were probably common to somebody with as much wealth as her.

“All so new…” I whispered, under a trance. I went over to a door on the side of the room that read in shiny brass letters; Bathroom. Opening it, I gaped at the clean palace.

The bathrooms at Quagsire Heights were worse than the alleyways. What were white tiles bore black and green mold, and dust covered the top of the shower doors, which were filthy. The mirrors were barley useable, and the taps dripped constantly. The basin was filthy, as if a big wet muddy Arcanine had shaken off right in front of it, and the floor was covered with mud and stuff. The toilet… well I won’t even GO there. Trust me, it was better going in a bottle than using it.

But this was breathtaking. It shone, freshly cleaned, the peachy tiles gleamed. The basin was pure white, and the taps didn’t drip. I inspected the shower, clean as a whistle from Zephyr. And there was even a towel rack, with two fresh warm peach towels that read ‘Lapras Valley High’ at the corner of each one. I touched one carefully, trying not to get it dirty.

I was in heaven.

“What are you doing?” Kayla demanded, watching me touch the towel.

“Where I come from, we don’t even get curtains, doona’s, bedside tables or fluffy orange towels,” I snapped. “So get lost.”

“I heard a lot about Quagsire Heights,” Kayla said. “It must have been rougher than I thought.”

“What you think about Quagsire Heights is nothing. You’ve gotta go there to experience the pain,” I replied, pushing past her into the main room and starting to unpack.

“What was it like?” Kayla questioned quietly. “I want to know what it was like for you.”

“Why?” I didn’t even look at her, just sorted my jeans, T-shirts, bandannas, and pokeball into a few piles and putting them in the bedside table leaving the cupboard for my socks. I was wearing the only pair of shoes I had.

“I want to know what it was like, so I know how lucky I really am.”

“Let me put it this way,” I began. “It was for the tough skinned only. People found out you had a weakness and they pounced on you, tore you to shreds, hurt you, caused you to be a bloody pulp by picking on that one weakness. It is a Houndoom eat Houndoom world. You’re not careful and you’re a goner.”

“Is that all?” Kayla blinked.

“No, don’t be a stupid ****wit. It gets worse. You could walk along the streets and have people try to assault you, people try and get drugs of you, and people try to sell cigarettes to you. You weren’t able to walk very far by yourself, just wasn’t safe. The streets were lined with garbage, you couldn’t walk without treading in at least one piece of garbage, and empty used syringes were part of the garbage.”


“Worse than I thought,” Kayla commented.

“Well duh, you try going there,” I glared, enraged. She thought that stupid Zharman Island was much better than Quagsire Heights.

“I did,” Kayla replied softly.

“Bull****, a person like you, from oh so good Zharman Island would never go to Quagsire Heights,” I scoffed.

“I did,” Kayla repeated. “Me and my mother. We went there, when I was only 3. She was killed. I went to Zharman Island to live with my grandmother.”

“Well that’s why you have to be tough, now if you’ll excuse me I have some eating to do.” I exited the room, leaving Fury behind, who was still asleep. I guess early mornings aren’t so good for pokemon.

I walked downstairs, and started to look around. There were lots of classrooms; it was a school after all. There was also a large hall, with basketball hoops at each end, and a stage to one side. Speakers were on the walls, as if discos were to be held there.

I eventually found the cafeteria, and ran to grab some food. Shoveling it into my mouth, I realized how poor off Quagsire Heights really was and felt sorry for Ashley, who had to spend another week there.

“Mind if I sit here?” a female voice asked, placing her tray on the table. I had a feeling that no matter what I said she would sit down, so I grunted in response. “Hi, I’m Nayia Waterflower, who are you?”

“Sal,” I replied, still shoving all food into my mouth.

“Where did you come from?” Nayia questioned, daintily picking at her rice. “I’m from Cascade South. I won a scholarship here. Mum was really proud, and she wished Dad could have seen it.”

“Whoopee,” I sarcastically cheered.

“What’s the matter?” Nayia asked, concerned.

“I don’t feel like talking,” I snapped. Snapping must have been a habit of mine, if I got a dollar for every time I snapped today I could be a millionaire and buy a whole army of Houndoom to attack Lady Blastoise.

“Why not?” Nayia pressured.

That was the final straw. I had many final straws. I stood up and slammed my hands on the desk. “Because I’m here, my best friend is going over to Kanto in a week, and nobody in the whole world even gives a damn because they’re too nosy and want to use me!”

I grabbed my bowl and walked away, still eating. Nayia stared back at me and brushed a strand of strawberry blonde hair out of her sea blue eyes. She was obviously confused, and maybe a bit hurt. But she was the one invading, intruding in on my life so I had every right to be angry with her.

Didn’t I?

As soon as I finished the rice (which was the best food I’d had in years) I headed out to nowhere in particular, just to do something. There were so many people, all dressed differently, all with strange looks on their faces.

Smiles.

I hadn’t seen so many smiles on peoples faces at the same time since Ms Hammin went missing for two weeks. I couldn’t believe it, what was there to smile about? I mean, so what if you could actually see the sky and green grass…

I had never seen such green grass. Back in Quagsire Heights, the grass was normally covered in slime and muck and gray clouds of toxic gas covered the blueness of the sky.

“Pidgey!” a bird cooed, a caramel brown Pidgey. I was shocked at the brightness and the beauty of its feathers, as Pidgey in Quagsire Heights were either gray and white, or black and gray. It flapped down and landed on my shoulder, a note in its mouth. I snatched the note away from it and it flew off.

‘Sally-Anne McGregor – Please report to Principal Tyson immediately.’


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Lapras Valley High – Hell Blastoise

Chapter Four - Friend
___________________________________

The door was painted creamy white, with red edges and a sign that read ‘Principal’ in gold letters. Fury sat beside me, looking at the door too. I had woken her up before coming here, but I wasn’t too afraid. These guys didn’t know me, so I would just be fierce and get my way.

It had worked before.

“Come in,” called a voice from the other side of the door. It sounded feminine, and chirpy, like those toothpaste commercials I saw on the TV at the electronics store in Quagsire Heights. (That store wasn’t there anymore, somebody stole all the TV’s and burnt the place years ago.)

I kicked the door open, and it swung violently, reaching the end of its hinges hard with a loud thud. Principal Tyson was a female, with her mousy brown hair held back in a clip, her gold rimmed glasses framing gray blue eyes. She was busy reading a sheet of paper that I noticed had a photo of me in the corner.

I was scowling in that photo as usual.

“Ah, Sal, good morning,” Principal Tyson smiled at me, just as happy and fairy like as everybody else in this damn school. I marched into the room and sat down in one of the chairs, Fury sitting in the other.

“Mmph,” I snorted, scowling and looking around the room.

It wasn’t the biggest of all rooms, about the same size as my dorm in Quagsire Heights, with the same red trim around the ceiling edge, and the windowsill. Her desk was messy and overcrowded with what looked like a miniature TV screen, and a billion stacks of paper.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off the miniature TV screen. Since when did people put a TV on their work desk? Principal Tyson saw me staring at it and grinned. “Haven’t you ever seen a computer before?” she asked.

“Well, let me think, how about NO?” I shot back.

“Look Sal, I know you’ve had a hard time, but let me tell you this,” Principal Tyson began. “I came from Mount Karper.”

I nearly died. Aside from Quagsire Heights, Mount Karper had to be the worst area around. I think it is worse than Quagsire Heights, but with the knowledge I have, I’m not sure.

“Bull,” I scoffed.

“I’m serious,” Principal Tyson replied. Then she grinned. “Anyway now that that’s out the way, I’ve read here that your only friends are Fury” (she pointed to Fury) “and a girl named Ashley Lien. Is that right?” I nodded. “Well let me tell you something Sal, my life was similar to yours. Coming to such a welcoming school, and not knowing where I belong.”

“Is there a point to this?” I demanded, sighing.

“Yes there is,” Principal Tyson answered. “First things first, your one of the lucky new kids I’m going to allow to call me by my first name. Jackie. Secondly, I heard you nearly stabbed a girl on the train.”

“She insulted me!” I yelled. “She said that I was unidentifiable, she was insulting me and calling me names! Furthermore, she insulted Quagsire Heights! So WHAT if it’s a place where people are on drugs, alcohol and get raped every two seconds? It’s still my home..”

“Sal be quiet!” Jackie cried. “I just wanted to say, nice move. I’m being honest here. You should have stabbed that Zharman Islander!”

I blinked.

“What?”

“I’m like you, know what you’re feeling. I was once you,” Jackie grinned. “I hate Zharman Islanders but as principal I can’t tell everybody that. Otherwise half the money we get would be gone. I always charge Zharman Islanders more.” Jackie grinned.

A strange feeling came over my face as my lips and mouth seemed to turn upwards slowly in the corners.

“There we are, a smile,” Jackie smiled. “Now get out of here!” she ordered jokingly.

Leaving her office with Fury, I looked back at her, trying to clean up her desk. I couldn’t believe it. There were principals that weren’t ****heads after all.

*

Lady Blastoise walked along the road, her pinstripe blue suit moving with her walking pace. She had a cold look on her face as she kept walking. Thoughts popped in and out of her evil mind as she stopped in the train station and looked at her watch.

“Perfect, the train is on time,” she said as she stepped off the platform into the train. The train puffed out of the station, and off to her destination.

*

The middle of the day had come quickly, and I was amazed at how many people were eating rice and meat for lunch. I wasn’t one bit hungry, but I suppose that was from my ability to last 24 hours on one meal.

I didn’t feel like going into the crowded cafeteria and walked outside, where the sun was surprisingly hot. I would have to get used to this weird weather. The grass was soft once I sat down on it, and began playing with it with my fingers. I had heard about grass. It was supposed to make you itchy and be a nuisance but this grass was so soft, just like a luxurious cushion.

“No Fury,” I stated simply. Fury, who had been eyeing the grass, squinting, trying to size it up, sighed and stopped. The last time we had seen grass that was actually green was… never come to think of it. We did once take a trip into town where there was this park, and Fury burnt it all. And that was exactly what was going through her mind now. Burn, fire, grass will go up in flames.

For some reason I didn’t want that to happen.

“Hey Sal,” a voice interrupted my thoughts of grass. Looking up, I saw the same blonde haired Nayia, followed by a small slimy dragon. I remember seeing pictures of Dratini in books a split second before Fury put those to fire too. It was a legendary pokemon I think, really rare. I eyed it.

“Nayia,” I replied as a sort of greeting.

“Sorry about earlier,” Nayia apologized. “I didn’t mean to make you feel pressured earlier. I was just a bit too curious.”

“There’s something you don’t hear everyday,” I snorted.

Nayia sat down beside me and stared out to the hills with me. Something about Jackie’s talk with me had changed me sort of. Jackie was willing to accept me and she didn’t even know me. Maybe that’s what I should do, start accepting people instead of being so defensive.

“Why did you start talking to me?” I suddenly blurted out. The question came as a surprise to me as well, but to tell the truth, I WAS curious why out of all people she had chosen me to talk to. Even against all the rumors that I had stabbed my roommate on the train.

Nayia shrugged. “I honestly don’t know,” she answered. “I guess that I was lonely and shy and didn’t really know who to talk to. Then I saw you by yourself and thought I could make a friend.”

I sighed. This would be hard, but I had to make other friends aside from Fury and Ashley. Besides, Fury seemed to be getting along with the Dratini pretty well. They seemed to be playing a game of tag or something, a game that Fury normally played with Sugar. I don’t know why, but it was almost nice seeing Fury getting along with Nayia’s pokemon.

“Nixie needs friends, I’m glad she’s getting along so well with your Vulpix,” Nayia commented, breaking the silence.

“Who’s Nixie?” I questioned.

“The Dratini. Nixie was my first ever pokemon, I found her egg by the river all alone so I took it home.”

“Oh.”

“What’s your Vulpix’s name?”

“Fury.”

“Nice name. How did you find her?”

“She was about to be attacked by pokemon in the alley behind the orphanage.”

“Oh.”

Silence fell over us again, as we watched Fury and Nixie playing, leaping in and out of the grass. It was strange, never in my life had I talked like that.

But it was nice.

Why would Nayia talk to me though? I mean, what about me was there to like. I was tough, didn’t take ****, and was a loud aggressive *****… how could Nayia stand up to me.

Maybe she was my friend.

“Nayia,” I started. “Are you my friend?” I was suddenly ashamed of myself. Here we have tough me, asking such a non tough pathetic question.

Even Nayia was taken back, but she smiled. “Yeah.”