"Before I Turn this Tassel," written by Freedom Fighter Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of the characters associated with the show. All names and likenesses are copyrighted by Nintendo, 4Kids Entertainment, and anyone else who had a hand in creating the show. ====== Chapter Two - Arrogance Hits an All-Time High (10.14.02) Giselle and Angela were among the Tech students dining in the north campus cafeteria for breakfast that morning. Those trainers who had seen Giselle's battle about 15 minutes ago were sitting either at the same table or nearby. Most of them, impressed with Giselle's battle skills, were asking her for pointers. But a selected few, male trainers were satisfied with just admiring her as she ate. And, in typical Giselle fashion, she listened to all of the praises and questions openly, not really responding to them. She just sits there, slicing another piece off of her strawberry waffle before delicately putting it into her mouth. "Giselle, mind if I ask you a question?" a young girl sitting next to Giselle asked. After grabbing her napking and dabbing it against her lips to make sure there weren't any crumbs there, Giselle responds. "If you must." "How do you know so much about Pokémon? Are you the granddaughter of a Pokémon researcher?" "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the only way to know so much is to study up on the facts. That's the key to succeeding as a trainer." "Wow! I'm only a beginner, but I want to be just like you." "I wouldn't if I were you." "Huh?" "There aren't many people like myself who are blessed with both beauty and brains. And if you don't have them when you're born, there's no use trying to get them. You're only fooling yourself." Giselle then gets up out of her seat. She slides her backpack on, grabs her video camera with one hand and her tray with the other. She then walks towards the trash disposal. "Excuse me Miss Giselle, but what do you mean by that?" Giselle didn't reply. Instead, she just kept walking. Angela shakes her head before clearing things up with the young girl. "What Giselle means is that it's hard to be just like her. She has to go through a lot to maintain that look of hers. And she's constantly studying to keep up with everything one needs to know about Pokémon. It's a lot of work and not many people are able to handle it. She was just warning you, for your own protection." Angela grabs her stuff and then heads off after Giselle, leaving the young girl as she is joined by a few boys her age. "Carolyn, what did she say?" one of the boys asked. Carolyn shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Don't know. Some gibberish about she doesn't think anybody can be like her." ====== "Why do you do that to people like her?" Angela was asking Giselle that very question as they exited the commons and headed out of the building. "People who set their standards too high before their skills are adequate enough are destined to fail." "But she's just a beginner." "So were those guys I beat twenty minutes ago, Angela." "They deserved it. That girl back there didn't." "I'm just looking out for her. If we're to show that females can be good at training Pokémon as males are, then we have to shield those who are weak until they are strong enough to defend themselves." "Couldn't you have at least encouraged her?" "Angela, there's no girl like me. No one as beautiful or as intelligent. No offense." "None taken." Giselle and Angela walk through the doors leading out into the north quad. "Why get her hopes up if someone will eventually shoot them down? It saves her the embarrassment later on." "You know, that self-conceited side of you always rears its ugly head right after a battle. I thought you said you had that under control." "I do. You didn't see me beat those two clowns up, did you?" "That's because you're being careful not to be expelled before graduation." "I have self-control! More than you think!" "Gee Giselle, chill out! I'm just looking out for you." "I can take care of myself, okay?" Angela sighs. "Look, I've got to get to my 'Advanced Training with Your Pokémon' class. You wanna meet later to help with my video project?" "I'll be available after two. Hopefully by then that footage from this morning's battle will be ready for viewing?" "I'll try my best, Giselle." The two young women split ways upon entering the central part of campus. ====== Fast forward to half an hour later, as Giselle is sitting in a lecture hall filled with about 60 expert level trainers. The professor, who looked like Professor Oak with the exception of his long white mustache, was teaching the students about the rarity of steel-type Pokémon. "You can count all of the known steel-types in the world on one hand. There are only five currently recognized by the Pokémon League." The professor then starts counting off the names on his fingers. "Magnemite, Magneton, Scizor, Skarmory, and Steelix. Your final lesson this year will involve learning everything there is to know about these five Pokémon, including the most likely places to catch one, what attacks they are capable of, and their strengths and weaknesses." "Wait a minute!" a male student in his early 20s exclaimed, raising his hand. "Since when were Magnemite and Magneton steel-types? Aren't they electric-types?" "They still are electric-types. But now it's been discovered that they also possess the qualities of steel-types." Another male student, this one in his late teens, raises his hand. "But does that mean that we have to approach battles with Magnemite and Magneton differently?" "Not really. If you have a Pokémon that could beat them before, you shouldn't have much trouble. But do expect a new attack or two that they might not have been capable of before." Giselle was taking notes, as any studious trainer would in class. Some of the trainers who were sitting around her were looking lost over the new topic already. "Are these guys even trying to pass or what?" Giselle thought. "Professor Laramie just said Magnemite and Magneton are electric-steel hybrids, and they already look confused!" Suddenly, Giselle felt someone poking her in the back with an eraser. "Hey, you." "I have a name you know," Giselle shot back as she turned around. "Miss Gravelpot, do you have something to add?" Professor Laramie asked. The whole class looked at Giselle, expecting an answer of some sort. "No, professor," she replied, turning back around. "I'm afraid that steel-types are one of the few I don't know much about." "Then I would suggest paying attention, instead of talking to boys." "But I wasn't..." "Miss Gravelpot," the professor warned, tapping his foot impatiently. "Sorry, professor." Giselle slinked down slightly in her seat as the professor resumed his lecture. "I'm sorry about that," the guy behind her whispered. But she decided not to respond. No way she was letting this guy get her in trouble, even if it wasn't intentional. She had more important things to focus on anyway as she resumed her notetaking. ====== Later that morning, a small group of about half a dozen trainers were out in front of the school. Giselle was among them, waiting for the professor to show up for the class. This was the class in which she was going to be the 'teacher's aide' for the week. "Good morning students," came a voice from afar. All of the students bowed as their professor appeared. He was a blue haired man in his 40s. He was wearing a navy blue short sleeve shirt and gray pants. There was a whistle hanging from a piece of string around his neck. In his right hand was a large binder filled with papers of some sort. And in his left was a clipboard. The professor wasn't alone though, as with him was a green haired man in his late 20s. He had a red headband wrapped around his forehead. He was wearing an unbuttoned pink short sleeve vest over a little green T-shirt and a pair of yellow jeans. To say the least, his bright clothes really stood out. "I am Mortimer Mariner. Most of you may remember me from your beginnner classes. I teach the physical fitness class for Pokémon. But today we're trying something different. You six are trying out a new class we are thinking of offering to the beginners in the fall. Hopefully you will all learn a few things this week that you can take with you when you graduate in a few weeks." Professor Mariner then pulls up the clipboard to his face and starts looking the students over. After all, at one time or another he did teach them in the past, so it was a matter of remembering which last names matched which faces. "Let's see, Richard, Nobosaku, Aaron, Jordan, J.B., and Giselle. Everyone's here." The professor then motions for Giselle to come to him. She starts to walk over, but the professor sticks his hand up in the air and stops her. "Just leave your stuff on the ground, Giselle." As she puts her stuff down, he turns to the others. "The rest of you may also put your stuff down." All of the students slide their backpacks and bookbags off, letting them fall to the ground. Giselle finishes and walks over beside the professor. "Giselle here will be the student aide for this class, so treat her nicely." None of the guys were surprised about that, but one or two of them weren't pleased with it. "You promise not to treat them too harshly?" "Don't worry, professor! I'll be nice." At that exact moment, Jordan, a blonde boy with freckles, nudges J.B., a plump brown haired boy, with his elbow before pulling out a little box out of his left pants pocket. "Pssst... watch this." The object was so small that no one except those two noticed Jordan drop it to the ground. He then kicks it towards Giselle, perfect enough that it stopped just a few feet in front of her. With the box that close, both Giselle and the professor now notice it on the ground. "It looks like the leftover casing of a TM..." Giselle leans forward to pick it up from the ground. Jordan and J.B. smile as they look in her direction, hoping to get a peek down her shirt. But before she could get low enough, the professor caught on and jumped in front of her to block their view. "Jordan Janikowski! J.B. Kanobitshu!" The two boys quickly straightened up. The professor glances angrily at them just as Giselle returns to her standing position. And with the small box in hand, no doubt. "Gentlemen, we are not here to have fun. This is important business! The future of Pokémon Technical rides on the school's ability to create new classes that will help trainers like yourselves perform better when thrust into the spotlight of the Pokémon League tournament!" He then sticks his hand out as Giselle gives him the small box. The professor then throws it at Jordan's head. It bounces off of it harmlessly. "May I remind all of you that although your performance in this class will not be counted towards your graduation requirements, I still have the power to recommend immediate dismissal from the school should acts of immaturity such as this one are ever repeated!" Mr. Mariner then glares right into the faces of Jordan and J.B. "I would have expected better from Tech's best and brightest. But if you've spent the past three, four, five, or how many ever years you've been here just trying to get a peek, then you're at the wrong school." "Ha!" Giselle exclaimed. "Serves you right!" "And I treat retaliation the same way," the professor stated, glancing over his shoulder at Giselle. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized, bowing her head. "Don't let it happen again." "We're sorry, sir," Jordan and J.B. apologized, bowing several times. "That goes for everyone here," the professor said, looking over the others. "From here on out, from eleven a.m. to one p.m. everyday this week, there will be nothing on your minds except anything that you'll learn in this class. Understand?" "Yes!" all six students respond in unison. "Excuse me, but I don't have all day. I do have a tournament to train for." Everyone turned to the guest trainer, who had been quiet the whole time. "My apologies for the behavior of these immature students, Mr. Mandy..." "Please. The only name I shall be referred to as is the Astounding Mandy!" "Who does this guy think he is?" Giselle thought as she glanced at Mandy. "He reminds me so much of someone I know." "My skills are unparalled among trainers from the Kanto region in the last 8 years. No one can match my track record when it comes to performing well in the Pokémon League tournament. You six will learn a lot from me!" "Now I remember," Giselle thought again, twitching an eyebrow or two. "He reminds me of me before I met Ash." "Mandy here..." "Ahem." "Sorry... the Astounding Mandy here will be assisting as well. As mentioned, he has tons of experience battling the best trainers in the world. He's coming off his first-ever Top 8 finish last year..." "And it was a fluke. I will be the League champion this year!" "I'm sure you will. Today, the Astounding Mandy will teach you everything you need to know about battling trainers who aren't Pokémon Technical graduates." "You will all be the best! Not as good as me, but the best you can be otherwise." "This know-it-all may have the battle experience to back up his claims," Giselle thought, "but he's still too arrogant for his own good." Giselle then smirks. "It's up to me to teach him how powerful a future Pokémon Tech grad can be." Preview of Chapter 3: "An Invitation to My World" - Will the Astounding Mandy be impressed by Giselle's skills? Or will he show her up? - Giselle takes care of some pre-graduation duties, such as deciding who to invite. - Not satisfied from their loss, Joshua and William try to get back at Giselle their own way. Returning with Chapter 3 on Monday. Until then!