[h3][color=lavender]Zaria Brightly[/color][/h3] [hr] [quote][color=deepskyblue]"I... don't know... Can you stop bullies from existing? I just got here, and people are already talking bad about me, and I didn't even do anything to them. I already got enough of this in my last school. I didn't want it here. Now it's going to happen again. I just want to be a Pokemon Breeder and raise a lot of Pokemon. Not endure the wrath of other kids...[/color] Rocky let out a few friendly barks, and Tim rubbed the dog Pokemon's head reassuringly. He took a breath, and his eyes went wide. [color=deepskyblue]"Oh... um... Oh gosh... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to unload all that on you..."[/color] [/quote] Zaria shook her head, feeling sympathetic. She had been bullied too, though perhaps not to the extent that Tim had been, she thought. She'd been made fun of a few times at her previous school in a few classes, sure. But for the most part she'd been more of someone who blended in the crowd, really. Cracking a joke here and there, being relatively friendly, but not standing out. She had spent most of her lunches alone, or perhaps in a group of 'friends' that didn't really know her. Whether their past was similar or not- they had gone through this incident together, the hurt was all too real, and she found herself understanding Tim. [color=lavender]"No, no, you're fine,"[/color] she interjected at his apology. [color=lavender]"It sucks, I get it. You shouldn't have to apologize. [i]We[/i] shouldn't have to."[/color] Maybe the jeering students would stop soon. It was getting hard to think and she was getting angrier. [color=lavender]"They're just a bunch of assholes."[/color] She wanted to stick up for herself more! Put them in their place! Why couldn't she? [color=lavender]"I wish I knew what to do..."[/color] She hissed between gritted teeth. Her thoughts were interrupted by a Combee buzzing around her. [color=lavender]"Wha-?"[/color] She was confused momentarily, until she realized the bug pokemon was trying to cheer her up. [color=lavender]"Oh, thank you..."[/color] It had been the other green-haired girl's pokemon. Her name was Antoinetta, wasn't it? Zaria looked over in her direction, just as Antoinetta made another declaration. [i][color=lavender]I wish... [/color][/i] She felt grateful for them sticking up, but a tinge of jealousy all the same. How could they be so strong? [i][color=lavender]Well, I could be too![/color][/i] But when she tried to open her mouth to chime in, no sound came out. Her tears had long stopped, but now she was just left with regret and feeling helpless. That boy from earlier had been right whe he had told her to ignore the others; it irritated her so that she had to admit it. [color=lavender][i]He was still kinda an ass, but I get where he was coming from now.[/i][/color] Another teacher burst onto the scene with their pokemon, a floral, spicy smell filling the air. Zaria stared- the pokemon was clearly rare, with a wreath of golden orange flower petals around their neck. They glimmered with a sparkle that she had only seen once before on a pink Butterfree. Then, did that mean this pokemon was-? [color=lavender][i]Wow, a shiny![/i][/color] She marveled at the pokemon, who made a beeline for Tim. [color=lavender]"Ah, well, thank you,"[/color] Zaria muttered sheepishly as the Meganium gave her a well-intentioned nudge after checking on Tim first. Somehow, she had calmed down so much quicker than she had expected to. No, it wasn't as if she had forgotten what had been going on, but her heart wasn't racing and she felt so oddly yet gloriously relaxed. [color=lavender][i]What is that?[/i][/color] Was it the grass pokemon with Tim? Even around her, the chaos began to quiet. It wasn't just her, everyone was feeling a little calmer, apparently. The feeling sort of swelled before ebbing away quietly. At least the noise had finally stopped. Zaria let out a sigh. So was it over...? Apparently not. [quote] [b][color=a52a36]“If they’re gonna talk about you, give ‘em somethin’ to talk about. She gets it.”[/color][/b] the girl said with a nod towards the green-haired one.[/quote] Zaria really didn't want to hear how she was [i]supposed[/i] to be acting, she wanted to get on with her day and just forget about this whole mess. [color=lavender][i]I'm over this whole thing and people telling me what to do,[/i][/color] she thought. So when Val made a show of her middle fingers to the crowd, Zaria couldn't help but roll her eyes. Couldn't they just move on? What was the point of instigating any more? But at Valerie's mention of hanging out again, she perked up. A motley group of friends just like in the movies and shows she had seen. [color=lavender]"Not the best start off to a friendship, but I'd be cool hanging later!" [i]Why not[/i]?[/color] What did she have to lose? Magnet beeped next to her, hovering close. Zaria patted his head before returning him to his ball. In the amphitheatre, other trainers were recalling their pokemon and people were taking their seats as the ceremony began. Squaring her shoulders and sitting up straight, Zaria vowed to absorb every word and syllable that left Principal Poplar's face. Yes, she would be alert and a perfect, model student. After around a minute or so, she assured herself that the first few minutes of Poplar's lecture weren't important. He was just talking about the future and how the school was honored. Zaria closed her eyes, because she could still listen with her ears of course! Her eyes didn't [i]need[/i] to be open. Suffice it to say, Zaria nodded off without a care soon enough. Being dark, with the exception of the stage being lit up as formal ceremonies went, it was also the perfect ticket to a nap. When the lecture was over and the general bustle began to sound as people prepared to leave, Zaria awoke with a jolt. Had she slept through that entire speech? How long had it been? Had anyone noticed? She shook her head, feeling groggy. [i][color=lavender]Class. Go to class. You have to get to your homeroom after this, remember? But... Wait...[/color][/i] She paused, thinking. She didn't know the way to homeroom, come to think of it, she didn't even know the room number! [i][color=lavender]HOW COULD I FORGET?[/color][/i] This was the worst of all days, truly. Arceus, she'd have to ask someone around her to help her get to class. How embarrassing was that? First tripping, then seeming like a coward, sleeping through the ceremony, and now forgetting her homeroom. Well she had to save face somehow. If she addressed the group, then perhaps she could work off what Valerie had said earlier, about them all getting together.[color=lavender]"Hey! Guys, does anyone want to walk to class together? Tim? Anotinetta? Er, Troy? It'd be kinda nice after everything that just happened,"[/color] Zaria let out a sheepish laugh. There was strength in numbers, but more importantly, one of these people had to know the way to class! And there was no way she was going to admit that she didn't know the way. [@Ryik][@LuckyBlackCat][@Crimson Flame] [hider= Notes] Magnemite (Magnet) / Ability: Magnet Pull/ Thundershock, Supersonic, Thunder Wave, Tackle PP: 5 [hider=Pokeballs][list][*] Pokeball x5 [/list][/hider] [hider=Berries][list][*] Oran Berry x5 [*] Cheri Berry x1 [*] Pecha Berry x1 [*] Rawst Berry x1 [*] Chesto Berry x1 [*] Aspear Berry x1 [*] Persim Berry x1 [*] Leppa Berry x1 [/list][/hider] [hider=TMs][list][*] Hidden Power [/list][/hider][/hider]