Tik Tok, Tik Tok… Tap, Tap…

There was silence in the classroom, no talking could be heard, only the sound of tapping cellphones and paws, and the clock above the blackboard. Claire looked at it, it was 10:30 a.m., basically after the break. She would occasionally glance around the classroom for a little, her sister sending messages on the phone along with her friends, Cerbera, the Houndour, tapping his foot, Amy trying to make the plants beside the wall of the classroom grow with her power, although not being successful. But the thing that got most of her attention after she glanced a few times, was Taro looking at her for a second before pretending to look away. Did she go too far with that kiss? I mean, she doesn’t LIKE, like him, she just kissed him as a gratitude… and a bit of teasing as well. Did Taro take that seriously? She didn’t want to toy with his feelings, she needed to fix it fast.

She looked at Taro. “Hey-“ Until she got interrupted by Cerbera, looking a bit impatient.

“I can’t wait for him any freaking longer!” He said while snorting flames from his snout. Amy turned to him.

“But it’s been like… two minutes since we came back to class.” The Shaymin said while raising her paw.

“But all of this lack of noise is been pissing me off! Come on, we need more noise, we need more fun!”

“And what do you suggest?” Taro butted in by asking. Still trying to figure out what the fire hound wanted.

The Houndour grins as he moves in front of the teacher’s desk. “Simple! Let’s all measure our power levels! The kid with the worst attack, will get called wimpy mon for the rest of the month!” After the announcement, the hedgehog raised a paw.

“And what happens with one of the highest power?” Cerbera glared at Amy and waved her off.

“Bah, you don’t count in this, you’re the mythical in this class!” The Shaymin looked at the hound with an angry look.

“Hey, I might be mythical, but I’m not even a fighter! I barely can do any attacking moves!” She shot back at him, and from the depths of the class, a regal kind of laugh was heard, and they all looked at the white Vulpix.

‘Elsa…' Claire thought, not even looking back to know who was laughing like that. Instead, she just buried her head on the desk.

“It is obvious who’s the strongest here, you cannot even compare to me without being all mentally demoted to even lower peasants!” She stated while her friends all nodded in agreement.

“Indeed Elsa, the fools have nothing on you!” The Glameow said.

“Besides that, we all know who the prettiest girl from class is!” The Purrloin next to her added. As Elsa nodded sassily until Amy tilted her head in confusion.

“But isn’t ice known as one of the weakest types of all?” She asked putting a paw on her chin. Taro giggled along with Cerbera. That made Elsa growl in anger as she shot an ice shard directly at the hedgehog, hitting her in her grassy needles. Amy moaned in pain as part of her nose froze. Claire raised her head and saw the scene, she immediately turned to Elsa and shouted with flames coming on the side of her maw. She was angry.

“Elsaaaa!!!” She was about to fire a fireball at her before Taro stepped in her way, with his spikes popping out of his fur.

“Hey wait!” He shouted desperately, as Claire dissipated the fireball. “Please don’t get into each other’s throats like that!” Claire growled and looked at her sister behind him, huffing as she passed a paw on her fur.

“But she-“

“Even so, it’s not worth it. What is worth doing right now is that.” He pointed at Amy, tearing up while gritting her teeth because of the pain. Claire looked at her for a moment and sighed, nodding back to Taro she went up to the Shaymin, followed up by the Togedemaru himself. Amy looked at them both, Claire was the first to speak first.

“Hey um… sorry about my sister. She’s just… a bit of a spoiled brat.” She said while rubbing the back of her head as she sat on the ground.

“It’s okay… although that ice hurt as shit, I’m alright. My needles are just a bit frozen, but I’ll live.” She let out a chuckle, wincing as the ice burned through a bit of her skin.

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“Here, let me just…” She put her muzzle close to the ice and shot a small controlled flame, melting the ice in the process. It was completely gone, although it left a small mark.

“Thank you.” The Shaymin smiled at Claire. She and Taro did the same as the fox replied.

“Anytime!” Suddenly, Amy’s head flower glowed, and the potted plants that were on the wall completely bloomed into beautiful flowers. The three Pokémon stared at it confused before an invisible lightbulb appeared above Claire’s head. “Oh yeah, I read about that!”

Taro looked at her confused. “Read about what…?”

“Don’t you know? Shaymin is the gratitude Pokémon. When Amy thanked me for melting the ice, her powers activated, letting the flowers bloom!”

“Oh really? I didn’t know that…” The Shaymin looked at Claire, a bit disappointed at herself for not knowing about her own species.

“Why didn’t you know about that?” Taro asked Amy. She looked to the side in silence before speaking up.

“Well, you know I’m a transfer student, but you don’t know why I am one in the first place…”

Claire interrupted her. “Hey, no need to say anything if you don’t want to.” The Shaymin shook her head and let out a smile.

“Nah, it’s fine. You’re actually the first classmates I tell this.” She looked around to see if anyone other than Taro and Claire were close by. Fortunately, Cerbera and Elsa were arguing, she didn’t know what was it about, but it was sure that Elsa was winning. At least Cerbera had just an annoyed look on his face. Amy turned back to both of them, sighing. “Well I’ll be honest… one of the reasons I don’t know anything about being a Shaymin is because… my parents are different Pokémon.”

“Wait, that means…” He mused before being interrupted.

“Yes… I am basically adopted. I don’t know what happened to my true parents, but I didn't even get clues for who they truly are, so I’m kinda left in the dust at this point.” She frowned, looking down. “I didn’t even have time to research about my species, because at schools… the Pokémon there were always trying to use me, and just mentally torture me to do their bidding, just because I’m a mythical...” Again, tears fell from her face. “If I couldn’t be a good enough Shaymin for them… why still act like I’m some sort of fucking guardian angel to them…!? I’m basically just like them…!” She quietly shouted, but quickly the two other Pokémon closed in on her and did the best hug they could with their bodies.

“It’s okay Amy, it’s okay. Just know, whoever did that to you in the past, we’re not like them.” Claire coos towards Amy, and Taro backs her up immediately.

“If anyone’s gonna treat you like that again, just know that we’ll either shock or burn their asses!” He released Amy from the hug as he did a determined kind of pose. Claire also released the Shaymin and she nodded in agreement. The little hedgehog didn’t know what to say, so she teared up in a happy way.

“T-thank you guys! Thank you so much!” She sniffed as Claire replied with a smile.

“Anytime.” This feeling… Claire knew this feeling, the feeling of being there for each other, the feeling of interaction with others that are not from her kin. After one week and a half at her high school, she was making starting to make friends again. Why though? She thought she didn’t need anymore to become the best explorer that ever was, only a human. Maybe… when John came into her life, it felt like everything had changed. Was this it? Was this the cycle that her mom said would be different? Did she speak the truth? Honestly, Claire didn’t know, but she was willing to see what more this year would throw at her.

Suddenly, Cerbera passed besides her and walked to the front desk once again and turned to the class. “Ahem.” He got everyone’s attention. “Sorry for the…” He fake-coughed as he shot a glare toward Elsa. “Icey interruption…” He looked to the center of the classroom once again. “Anyways, let’s officially start the-…” He got interrupted as the door opened, revealing a Porygon-Z on the door of the class, moving it’s floating body parts with less energy than a normally active type of his species.

image [https://file.garden/ZeEYyRamDG12bOk5/CBAW_C08.png]

With a glitchy male voice, he announced, floating to the front of the class.

“Go-go-gooooOOOOd morning-ing-ing class!” Cerbera quickly ran to his seat while tripping on his desk. He got up on his hay quickly while smiling sheepishly at the teacher. The class replied with a “Good Morning Mr. Zeta!” The computer Pokémon suddenly got a disk from somewhere in his behind his body and ejected another disk from his chest area. He inserted the disk he pulled out while throwing the other disk in the trash can. He suddenly started speaking in a sports announcer voice. “Way better! That voice module was kinda broken in all the senses! [99% deal’s off from that old-timey.]” The last part he said with static in his eyes before turning back to normal. The students looked at each other and began to giggle a bit. “Anyways my dear students, as you probably noticed I uh… kinda got a bit late to class today.” He said while twirling his nubs around each other, it seemed a bit glitchy.

“Why’s that teacher?” Taro asked, tilting his head.

“Well my dear [Rats, we’re rats-] student, I was solving the final touches to [The adventure of a lifetime that might cost millions of live-] a project that I was planning to make with all of you tomorrow!” The class stayed silent and Amy was the first to break the silence.

“Is… is it dangerous?” She asked, a bit on edge about this project.

“Don’t worry, [Rolling around at the speed of sound~] this is gonna be an outside school activity that you’re gonna [Die of so much fun!] An experience that’ll not only strengthen your bonds but also enhance your combat experience.” At those words, Claire had a feeling of what that was.

“Is it…?” She was about to ask when the Porygon-Z answered for her, already knowing the question.

“That’s right!” He lifted a nub in the air while his head floated a bit off from their body, before coming back to it. “We’re gonna visit a Mystery Dungeon [™]!