Chapter 2 - Once upon a time...The End

Once upon a time...The End. This is what Fred turned in to his Writing Instructor the next day.            

“Fred! What do you call this?”           

“I call it creativity.”           

“DETENTION!!!”           

“Dude, I live here! Every day is like detention!” 

***            

Perhaps if I explained this crazy school, the story would make more sense.            

High up in the mountains, behind the Indigo Plateau, there is a training school led by Lance. It was for....Dragon Masters. In training, of course. A little five year old could not just go around calling himself that prestigious title.            

The school taught everything, from math to survival skills. Needless to say, Fred was not exactly qualified to excel at any of these. He was only allowed in because he was related to Lance. 

***            

Fred sat in the Detention Hall, eyeing everyone else suspiciously. All the students there could kill him a thousand ways. With only one hand.           

The teacher droned on and on about “Do not do evil” and “Pay attention”. And also, “Are you listening, Fred?”           

“Fascinating,” Fred said automatically.           

Teacher Dude sighed.            

“I would give you another week’s worth of detention, but I’m afraid you’ve already accumulated enough for your entire life.”           

“Fascinating.” 

***            

It was time for history class.           

The teacher was droning on about some great dragon war.           

“A long time ago, there was a great big Salamence rampaging around Kanto. It was many years later that a hero finally stepped forth with his magic sword and defeated it. Can anyone tell me what the hero’s name was? Fred?”           

“Fascinating.”           

“Yes, I know. But what was his name?”           

“Uh...Bubba?”           

“No, Fred. You of all people should know his name. It was Frederick.”           

“Hey, that sounds like my name! Only with ‘erick’ added to it.”           

“Frederick is your full name. The one society will call you when you grow up to be respectable.”           

“What are you implying?”           

The teacher sighed, wishing that she’d chosen an easier profession.           

***            

“There once was a great Salamence rampaging around Kanto. The livestock dwindled in number each day because of this Pokemon. The crops were burned down. The people lived in constant fear, their homes destroyed by this creature.           

“A young man from a land far, far away arrived at the small village of Pallet. He was half dead by this time, so a girl took him in to her home and nursed him back to health. When he awoke, she told him of the Dragon Pokemon.            

“‘Do not worry, young lass,’ he said. ‘I will take care of this beast, to pay you back for your kindness.’           

“So off he went, vowing to slay this dragon, making sure that it would never harm anyone ever again.”           

This is what Giovanni read from the ancient text laid out in front of him. He cackled evilly. And then he choked.            

“Help...” he gagged.            

One of his minions came and did the Heimlich Maneuver.            

“Sir, you have got to stop eating and cackling at the same time.”           

“I know,” he sighed, and then reverted back to “evil mode”.           

“Get back to work!” he roared. “Stop standing there and go!”           

Everyone sighed.  

***            

Fred sat on the edge of his bed in the dormitory, swinging his legs back and forth. Unfortunately, Fred was not looking where he was swinging, and so connected his foot with someone’s shin.           

“What the—” started Josiah, rubbing his leg.           

Then he noticed Fred.            

“When I get my hands on you...” he growled.            

There was no need to finish the sentence with words, so Josiah moved his finger across his throat. Universal language for, “When I get my hands on you, I’m going to pound you until you look better than the school lunch.”           

Fred gulped and decided that now would be a good time to sleep.           

But before he could reach the safety of his blankets, Josiah grabbed him by the collar and hissed a message into his ear.           

“Tomorrow at dawn. We duel to the death. Meet west of the garden.”           

It was all very melodramatic. You’d think someone was filming a movie or something. 

***            

It was dawn. Fred was running as fast as he could with his sword.            

And, of course, instead of heading west towards the rose garden like he should have been, he was running south away from Josiah. He lugged his suitcase behind him, dust flying through the air.            

He was not sorry to leave the training school. He was just sorry that he had no food, no money, and no plan.            

Things are about to get interesting for Fred.  

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment