School Challenges

Despite Red's confusing memories going back to the school seemed to be a fast way to have direct contact with a professor level pokemon expert from this world. Since she was friendly to Red and something of a rebel I had high hopes for a mutually beneficial relationship. I announced to Dahlia that I intended to resume my studies at the school.

In the morning I set out and I realized that I did not know the way, even as I searched Red's memories. I realized I would have to fake it.
I spotted a young girl with dark brown skin walking along the wide, clean unpaved path. I made a visual inventory of her items and decided that these could very well be the accoutrements of the trainer school.

“Hey there, are you on your way to school as well?” I called over, hoping I would not sound too abrupt.

“Red... are -you- going to the school at -your- age?”

“Why yes... yes, I am.” I realized from the context that Red must now be older than the other students by several years.

The girl seemed to wait for me to do something, but I couldn’t imagine what so I sort of turned away.

“Aren't you going to pick me up, like always?” She finally said.

“Oh? Well, you are a student, you will be a trainer soon, I assumed you do not want people coming along and scooping you up at random.” I smiled and the subtle compliments seemed to appease her.

“How is your Mom doing?” She asked as we paced over the path.

I blinked in confusion. "How come you know my Mom?"

The dark skinned girls jaw dropped. "How come I... ? RED!" she said in astonishment. And then she put her hands on her hips, in a very fair imitation of Professor Juniper.

"Red, your Mom ... she watches me when my Mommy goes away! Don't you even remember that?"

I shook my head. "I thought we were friends at school."

"We were! But I have lived in the next house down from yours for a lot longer than that!"

I frowned, digesting that bit of information. "So ... so your Mommy has dark skin like you?"

The girl made that odd sound that was a combination of laughter and a cough. "Of course she does!"

"Is she married?" I was now hopelessly interested in my neighbors.

"No, Red!" Rubbing the bridge of her nose between dark slender fingers, She said, "You have always been so nice to me because I don't have a father, just like you, why don't you remember?"

"I guess I do, I just have a lot to think about this morning. I am planning for my future." I said, but I now had to face the fact that my access to Red's memory wasn't 100 percent reliable. Then I took a deep breath and let it out unsteadily. "The school is a long way from here?"

"No, Red," the girl told me, as gently as she could now treating me like a helpless baby. "Are you nervous because you are too old for the trainer school and... and you will be embarrassed?"

The sun-filled sky was getting serious now as the creamy-oranges and gray gave way to blues and white.

"No," Peter said flatly. "I'm not and I won't be."

"Why naught?" she whined curiously.

I shoved my hand into one of my packs and extracted the hand-held computer I had constructed from various pieces of tech that the original Red had collected as a hobby. "I am a secret hero. Like ... in the Legends of mankind. And I am helping the people of this world, before the bad guys, like the Overseers, can stop me." I held up the computer as I talked my fingers flying across its optimized interface as it outputted images and sounds as aides to what I am saying

She listened carefully and looked my homemade device. "You like those old heroes of Legend?"

I bobbed my head as I replaced my hand-held computer snugly in its pack.

"And you think you can be like that? Why?" she continued.

"Because I am special. Too special to live under the Overseer's or have an 'accident.'"

"I see," she said, very seriously. "That's an interesting destiny you've got in mind."
I nodded and, satisfied that the conversation was over, went back to what I was doing ... namely, short term planning regarding my return to school and professor Juniper. The corner flap of the young girls pack was pushed out and a set of eight jeweled eyes spied out at me.

"I see you have a stowaway," I commented after a time. "Heck of a spider-form too. They're good luck, you know."

"They are?" That idea pleased her.

"Oh yes. They protect people. That's what they are, protectors. They're helpful. And in this world, we need all the help they can get. Right?"

"Right," Chartreuse agreed. I had finally accessed a memory, her name was Chartreuse

I could have outpaced her, but then she was the one who knew the way. Besides, I have better manners than others and am thoughtful towards my friends.
The school was stately and very vertical its architecture was alien to me and as this worlds population was small the building stood alone on a hill. There were no other buildings in sight as seemed to be aesthetic of this world. There were other children moving towards it and more inside. My suspicions were correct these kids must be a few years younger than me, people my age were on their pokemon quests already or engaged in various apprenticeships. No one my age was well... unemployed. No one else was a failure.

"Hiya, Red," said a silky-smooth familiar voice.

I felt a quick thrill as Professor Juniper stepped towards me in the cool welcoming air of the auditorium. Immediately I noted that her knees and above were revealed, as if she'd dressed up a bit for me in a tight new skirt. Well, I could always ask her about that later.

"Hey, Red," said one of the boys who seemed to know me.

Then I 'remembered': Red had borrowed some currency from this boy once and he had intended to return the money, but circumstance had intervened and the original Red was too immature to follow up. After I chatted with the long-legged Juniper (and tried to disguise my reaction as she held my hand) I activated my 'gear-watch'. It was one of the devices I had kept online, I had to, it was connected to Red's currency account... not that this world had a bank that was physically accessible. I tapped the watch a few times and returned the boys currency along with interest and a brief note thanking him for the loan.

Then we found seats as the lovely Professor Juniper took to the floor.