Chapter 25: (XXV) Back to School
Isaac stared up at the large schoolhouse. It was made of brick and there were dozens of framed windows with children of all ages in each of the classrooms.
Leading to the front entrance was a massive fountain with a Magikarp on top with its mouth as a spout, filling the fountain with water. The grass was a bright shade of green, with neatly trimmed round bushes and an impeccably maintained lawn.
He climbed the few stone stairs leading to the large double doors and entered the PokéSchool and looked around at the hallways. It took him back to his own education going through elementary school, middle school, junior high, and high school before going to college and starting his internship when he had his accident.
"Excuse me, may I help you?" A woman sitting behind a window to his left spoke up as she stood up and leaned out of her seat toward the glass.
Isaac turned his head and saw her and waved, "Hi, I'm Isaac, I was preparing to head out on a journey to Pewter City to challenge the Gym Leader there and a friend told me I should stop by here!" He said as he approached the window.
"Oh, are you trying to become a trainer?" She replied sitting back down and smiling up at him.
"Oh, no, I already have a Trainer Card, but I'm still new so I thought it might be worth it to check out your school." Isaac explained his situation.
"I see, well we wouldn't be able to place you in any of the classes, they take a few years to complete, but we do offer a week-long course to trainers who have recently received their Trainer Card. It's rather inexpensive but that's thanks to it being developed by the previous Champion! Even Lance of the Elite Four took this course when he first arrived from Johto!" She said gushing as she placed the form through the slot in the glass, "Here fill this out."
Isaac took the form and grabbed one of the nearby pens sitting in a container and filled it out, returning it to the woman, "Here, place this on your shirt, someone will be with you in a moment!" The woman stated as he pulled the sticker with his name on it off the tab and pressed it against his chest before looking around at the hallways.
Various graduating class pictures lined the hallways as well as famous people who had graduated. Isaac stared at each one with no clue who any of these trainers were until he saw Lance's photo next to his graduating class.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Firenze?" A younger woman appeared with a loosely tied bun with bangs that framed her slender face and no frame glasses on her small nose. Isaac turned around and she smiled at seeing his name tag, "Hello! I'm Ms. Jackson, but you can call me Becky since you're not exactly a child anymore!" She said, popping her wrist as he laughed.
She wore a tan sweater that stopped buttoning around halfway up her body and had a white button-down shirt with the first three not fastened revealing her collarbones and ample cleavage. Her black pencil skirt came just to the top of her knees and she wore high heels that accentuated her figure further as she turned around and began leading Isaac through a brief tour of the campus.
The first floor was reserved for the younger students and the second for the older students, and their teachers' offices as well as a large two-story cafeteria. Behind the school were small training fields and playgrounds for the students.
They had returned to the front next to the fountain at the end of the tour, "We look forward to having you with us! The next class will start at the beginning of next week, so you have a few days before you start!" She said as she beamed clasping her hands together.
"It was nice to meet you, Becky, I'll make sure to say hi on my first day." Isaac said and extended his hand toward her as she lightly took it.
"The pleasure was all mine Isaac, I look forward to seeing you on Monday!" She said with a smile and turned around, slowly strutting as she returned to the school.
Isaac smiled as he watched her leave before he made his way back to Hugh's Ranch. The sun had started to set as the afternoon skies gave way to the evening. It was nearly sunset when he returned and explained the situation to Hugh.
"So you'll be staying for a week?" Mallory asked, placing her hand on her husband's shoulder with a bright smile, "We have a guest room you can use."
"Thanks, but I wouldn't want to impose on you after everything you've done for me." Isaac said shaking his head.
"Nonsense! I'll take your incubator up to your room. You'll always have a place to stay here!" Hugh said with a boisterous laugh.
Isaac smiled weakly, "Thank you. I appreciate you and your family's generosity. Do you guys know of any place I can make some money? I need to make some by the end of next week to pay for the courses I'll be taking."
"What about Marcus?" Mallory said rubbing her belly and looking to her husband.
"Nah, he's been participating in those illegal gambling rings. It wouldn't do to get caught up with them." Hugh shook his head saying, "You might be able to find some work down at the Police Station, Officer Jenny is always posting odd jobs that don't pay enough to dispatch the Rangers."
Isaac nodded, "What's this about gambling rings?" He asked looking between the two curiously.
"Ah well, you know how the Association pays trainers?" Hugh asked sighing heavily as Isaac nodded, "Well, there are people who would rather fight in these underground matches, and other people bet on who will win. Yeah, you might win some money, but those Pokémon are often forced to fight to the death."
Mallory looked away with a despondent look as Hugh explained further, "They're unsanctioned so there are many injuries that occur and those monsters love to bid on the fangs, claws, and horns that are broken off during the match. It's barbaric!"
Isaac looked down at the ground, "I can't believe they're able to operate like that, why don't the police ever do anything?"
"It's not like they haven't tried, they'll be shut down and disappear for a few weeks and will pop right back up. No matter how many people are charged and locked away, more just keep coming." Hugh shook his head, "Promise me that you will stay far far away from these illegal matches!" He said sternly, extending his finger and wagging it at Isaac.
After a long silence, the young man finally sighed, "Fine, I won't go near them!" He said as he looked distantly outside the window at the moon brightly shining amongst dark clouds.
"Good! I finished the first batch of your Pokéfood. Go get washed up and Mallory with serve dinner for us and I'll grab the meal for your Pokémon." Hugh said.
After cleaning up, Isaac returned downstairs and went out onto a massive porch out the back of the kitchen where Mallory was serving Grandpa Hugh and her husband. He brought out all four of his Pokémon as Hugh stood up and grabbed their plates with each of their biscuits on them from off the railing and placed them in front of each of them as everyone sat down and ate a meal together.
Isaac had to hold back the tears as he ate in silence, listening and watching the Hugh family laugh and joke as they ate their meals that were filled with love. He could feel it in the air as he smiled happily around at everyone.
He didn't even mind when the ever-gluttonous Ava had finished her biscuit and had snuck her way over to Grandpa Hugh's chair and was being sly fed scraps under the table and simply rolled his eyes. Hanzō had taken his place above on the railing watching Artorious and Elisabeth running around and playing tag in the grass just beyond the deck.
'I'm sorry Hugh... If I want to grow stronger I'll need money and in order to do that I'm going to need a lot of cash quickly. If I'm here for a reason, I doubt I'll have time to do things through proper channels...' Isaac sighed as he stared up at the moon, 'I wish every night could be as peaceful as this...'
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