*Nathan's POV*

"Any luck yet?" Sylvia asks me. I frown. The cold night air does nothing to help my mood. And, to make matters worse, my watch reads, "9:40," meaning that we don't have much more time to waste before curfew begins. I have a feeling that whoever enforces the curfew policies here isn't much nicer than Mr. Richards.

Perhaps the alleged stickler actually is Mr. Richards... The thought doesn't make the idea of meeting him late at night any better.

"You're sure that your Mark is around here, somewhere?" I ask. I need to make sure that we know where he is, if he really is as criminal as Sylvia had reported that he was.

"He... He's got to be here! He jumped out the dorm window- I can't imagine he could have gone very far after that!" she replies.

She's has a point. That's a two-story drop. And from where he would have to have landed to escape, there's no way he got out of there unscathed, that's for sure!

I glance at the large indent in the mud and grass, figuring that this is the spot where Mark landed when he escaped the room. Oddly, none of his footprints are present anywhere near the site.

It's like he just disappeared... Wait a minute!

Sylvia seems to understand the situation at the same time that I do.

"My Gengar... I can feel its shadows at work around us. Mark is here, but he's hidden. How do I know? Notice how there is no breeze at all right now. Now, stick out your arm," she instructs me, like she's done this a million times.

Shrugging, I extend my right arm upwards, and, amazingly, I can feel the chill of cool night draft buffeting my skin. The gust is easily more than twenty degrees colder than the surrounding air, and I recoil sharply. Oddly, as soon as my arm is no longer pointing up, the feeling goes away. I look to Sylvia to explain what just happened.

"You see?" she asks, her red hair rustling in this imaginary wind.

"It's here- somewhere. Come on, follow me. I know of a way that we can lure it out. To the library!" she says, bolting through the grass towards the building.
"Wait! Don't you think it will get away if we leave it?..." I start to say, until a sharp "Kekekek!" cuts me off, and I quickly take off after Sylvia. I don't even dare to look back- the night's been unnerving enough for me, already.

Since Sylvia had started running before me, it takes me a while to find her, but I eventually catch up to her. She's already in position for whatever it is she's trying to find.

"Come on inside- it should be around here somewhere," Sylvia tells me, waiting at the library's door and holding it open for me. I thank her and walk inside, unsure of what to expect.

Much to my relief, the inside of the library is roughly the same as when I had been there before. The white paint, the wooden shelves, the cushions, the tables, and even the self-operating computers are all looking perfectly normal, or as normal as this library makes me think they are. Even the book that Sylvia's Gengar had hit me with is still on the floor.

Wait a minute... On the floor? Something about that book being there rubs me the wrong way... I begin to think, and, then, as if by magic, I understand why I care so much about that book's location.

"Sylvia, someone's been here," I quickly say, turning to her. She seems shocked, but she whispers, just to test the possibility of my being correct,

"How do you know? The only Ghosts that I feel here are the same presences that I felt when we were here last time. How do you know that someone...?"

"The book," I cut her off before she can say anything else.

"When your Gengar hit me with that book..." I point to the now-closed writing on the floor,

"I distinctly remember it being open on the table. And now, the book's both closed and on the floor... Sylvia?" I gaze over at her, wondering why she had suddenly gone deathly quiet, more-so than normal. That same glazed expression comes over her, and her eyes turn blue again. This time, I know what it means.

She senses something- maybe Gengar?

"Sylvia, is something the matter...?" I begin to ask, when she, without warning, falls to her knees, wraps both hands around the book, and screams,

"No! Don't tell me you did that! I thought you... No..." She begins to cry, folding her head into her hands.

"Sylvia?" I try to ask her, but she simply pushes me away. I can feel energy sparking off of her when she touches me, so I back up a few feet, giving her a safe distance to wrestle with whatever it is that she's contending with.

After a few seconds of crying, Sylvia turns to me, her eyes seemingly boring into mine. She can only get out a few words before she collapses.

"Nathan, Mark is dead. My Gengar killed him! Took him to the shadows!" she bursts out, closing her eyes and quickly slipping into unconsciousness from the shock.

"Sylvia? Hey, wake up!" I rush over to her and catch her head before it can hit the library's tiled floor.

I think it's all up to me right now... An entire "university" I've got to uncover, all on my own.

I glance at my watch, and it throws me into a slight panic, until I remember that I have to get Sylvia to safety.

9:55... I need to get back to the dorms! But... I can't just leave Sylvia passed out like this... If only Maxwell were here to help me with this...

Grunting, I slowly scoop the unconscious Sylvia into my arms and pull the library door open with my foot. However, as soon as I step outside, my jaw practically hits the floor.

There, standing right in front of me, is Mr. Geo Vannhi.

I feel like screaming at the man- my gut tells me that he's the source of all of this "coincidence," but my instincts tell me otherwise.

If I reveal that I'm onto him this early, I'll never find out the truth. Best to wait it out and see what he wants...

"Ahh, there you are," he says warmly,

"Maxwell was just looking for you. It's getting late, and he didn't want you to miss the curfew of 10:00. I told him that I'd go look for you, but I didn't think I'd find you here, of all places. Studying so hard on the first day? What a scholar! Most of the other students here, unfortunately, don't seem to possess the desire to learn as much as you do. Alas, you should hurry along now. You don't want to be caught outside after curfew- Mr. Richards isn't particularly nice with stragglers!"

And, just like that, he disappears into the darkness outside. Not a word about the crumpled Sylvia in my arms. Only a comment about the "university's" curfew time.

Why did he seem unfazed to see me holding a girl in my arms? I mull over an entire slew of possibilities in my head on the slow journey back to the dorms.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By the time I reach the doors to my dorm, my watch reads, "10:05." I know that I'm lucky to not have been spotted by Mr. Richards. I figure that he's just as tenacious out of the classroom as he is inside it, when it comes to reprimanding students who disobey his rules.

I set Sylvia down just long enough to knock on door #201 and wait for Maxwell to answer. Knowing him, he's still awake, doing something related to athletics.

I wait a few minutes for a response.

...

...

...

None comes, and I begin to worry.

Did Sylvia's Gengar get to Maxwell, too?... No, he wouldn't have concerned himself with a Pokemon like that- he doesn't particularly believe in Ghosts. To be frank, I'm not inclined to them, either, but I've seen clear-cut evidence of a Ghost Pokemon killing a human being. I just hope Maxwell hasn't done anything stupid while I was tailing Mark with Sylvia...

I knock again. It feels colder than the first time, but not like any chill that I've ever experienced. I guess you could call it "anxiety."

...

...

...

Still no response.

"Maxwell..." I whisper, wondering why he isn't opening the door for me. Finally, I just give up and open the door, myself. I was always good at lockpicking, and this door is no exception.

Inside, the room is the exact same as I had left it. All, except one thing, which caught my attention. That one thing catches my attention, instantly: there, passed out on the bed, is Maxwell Graves, sleeping like a log.

This isn't normal... Maxwell's never asleep by 10!

Alarm bells ring in my head, louder than they ever have before, but I don't want to wake Maxwell and ask what happened to drain him this much. Instead, I just scrawl a small note out of my notebook and lay it on the dresser, detailing the night for Maxwell and explaining the reason for Sylvia's presence in the room.

I carry Sylvia over to my bed and set her down, making sure she won't fall off in the process. I make a mental note to check on her one more time before she wakes up before settling down on the floor to the night. The last thing I see before I nod off is a small purple ball slip from Maxwell's hand and hit the floor, but I pay it no heed as I close my eyes and go to sleep...

In the morning, I wake up to see that the entire room looks like a cyclone went through it last night. Both my and Maxwell's belongings are strewn all over the place, and the purple Pokeball I had seen last night is gone.

Maxwell must have taken it sometime, probably when he left, because he's not even here to mess with me when I wake up. This isn't normal for him...

Instinctively, I call out Sylvia's name, and she wakes, with a start, next to me.

"... Huh?! Is something the matter?! Wait..." she mumbles, staring at her surroundings with a hazy look in her eyes,

"Wait, why am I here?"

I can tell she's on the verge of a panic attack, so I do my best to calm her down.

"It's OK. Last night, you passed out in the library, so I brought you back here..."

"Last night..." she cuts me off, and the haze fades from her face,

"Mark... Gengar... I... Never mind..." Sylvia adopts a more serious tone.

"We have a new day ahead of us. The past is behind us, and I won't look back. I can't look back now. Whatever happened to him is none of my concern right now. I've made up my mind- from now on, I'm helping you, Nathan. Come on, let's get going!"

Her short monologue is more than enough to remind me of my mission, and I nod in agreement. My watch hurries my pace while I pack up what I need for General Ed.

Perhaps another visit to "Major Bob's" class will be just what we need to wrap up this entire puzzle! The idea echoes through each of my steps as the two of us walk down the stairs and around a few hallways towards the classroom.

"So, about Mark..." I try to bring it up as slowly as I can, but the question can't be helped but asked.

"Yes, it's exactly like what you think. He was my boyfriend," she replies, without another word.

"No, not about him. About his uniform."

She looks up, alarmed.

"What? Why would that matter?" she asks, clearly not understanding what I'm getting at.

"That 'R'... I can't help but feel that that 'R' is the final piece in this enigma. If only we knew what that red letter actually stands for..." I try to think out loud, and she catches on quickly.

"I know! I'll ask him, myself," Sylvia cheers up, and we finish our short trek through the labyrinth of this school.

There it is... I stare at the door, unsure if what lies beyond is really what I want to see.

"Ummm... Nathan?" Sylvia stares at me, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Hm? Oh, right." I laugh nervously. I had been too lost in thought to actually enter the room.

Shrugging, I grab the knob to enter, but the door suddenly swings open from inside, sending me face-to-face, once again, with Mr. Richards. But, this time, there's something different about him, like he's seen something that no one should ever see. Like he's...

Hiding something! I knew it!

"Quite close to missing the beginning of class..." my teacher muses. I grimace. I had forgotten to check my watch to keep track of time. Luckily, it hadn't been my downfall- the digital display reads, "9:29."

"Come, sit down, the both of you," he barks, starkly motioning to the empty clump of desks. Mark's seat is vacant, confirming the events of last night, and I wonder if Sylvia is still thinking about him as she takes her seat. I slowly sit down, myself, even though I can't help but feel like something's wrong here.Then, I realize the problem:

Where's Maxwell? Shouldn't he be here by now?

A small beeping sound from my watch signals the time progressing to 9:30. I quickly stifle the noise before Mr. Richards hears it, but he's already focused on something else- I can already guess what that "something" is.

Maxwell- he's not here yet. Why is...

The classroom door sharply swinging open interrupts my train of thought, and, in the doorway, is Maxwell Graves, a huge smile on his face.

"Sorry, I'm..." he bursts out, sweating, but Mr. Richards is already fuming.

"You're late!" he snaps at Maxwell,

"Fifteen seconds late, to be exact!"

Then, Mr. Richards's voice drastically changes tone, as if he's talking to an old colleague. The rapid, un-forewarned adjustment, towards Maxwell and only Maxwell, makes me wonder if his abrupt leaving, early in the morning, is what caused the reversal.

"Come, take a seat," Mr. Richards directs him, concealing a snide grin the entire time, to Mark's empty desk, conveniently placing him between me and Sylvia.

Sylvia is equally as horrified as I am, as her descriptions of his temper don't match this escapade with Maxwell in the slightest. Both of us know that something's wrong, but neither of us can do anything about it.

"Now, class, it's about time I get something out of the way. As you all know, Nathan and Maxwell joined our institution yesterday, and, to celebrate that occasion, I held off the examination that was scheduled for that day. Now, I trust that you were all paying strict attention that day, because I reviewed much of the material that day. Today, we will continue my curriculum as planned- meaning that our exam is today. On top of that, I believe that it is only fair if Nathan and Maxwell must take your examination with you..."

My eyes grow wide, wondering what he could possibly be doing, and I try to look over at Sylvia for any advice, but Maxwell blocks any and all forms of communication to her with his body.

"Don't cheat..." he whispers, fiddling with the purple ball I had seen earlier.

"Ahem!" Mr. Richards continues,

"Also, I have one more, regretful announcement to make before we begin. Unfortunately, our good friend Mark Undeer will no longer be attending Pokemon Tech. He has... Taken his studies somewhere else, and he will be dearly missed by the entire staff team here."

He paused! It was barely more than a fraction of a second, but he stumbled when he talked about Mark! So he does know what happened last night. He must have some connection to him... Hmm. Wait a second- the "R!" That letter, this school, and Mark are all closely related, I just know it!

"Well, good luck to all of you. I trust that you will all do well," Mr. Richards says, bluntly, before sequentially passing a small stack of papers to all of us, smiling as he nears my desk.

"And good luck to you- especially," he says to me, dropping my test in front of me with as much force as he could without drawing attention. I pull out a pencil and prepare for the worst.

The first few questions on the test look like a picture-to-name exercise. Luckily, I recognize the first few- Gengar is the purple one with red eyes, Pidgeot is the bird Pokemon that Ms. Caytlen had, and...

Wait... what is that?! There's a red spot, like someone intentionally covered it up, slathered over the top of the rest of the pictures. I can't see what it's supposed to be, even if I did know what Pokemon would be behind it.

I sigh, wondering if this is what Mr. Richards had meant when he said,

"And good luck to you- especially."

Shrugging, I turn to the next sheet and, seeing the slew of answers on the back, I almost have a heart attack before I realize that the entire rest of this exam is multiple choice.

I have a chance... Even if I can guess my way through every question, I can at least try to reason through it, first.

"Which move would be the most effective on (picture)?"

...

Umm, what...

...

Oh, right, battling. Well, that Pokemon looks like a bat- a flying Pokemon...

I quickly scan the five choices in front of me and hide a smirk- I actually recognize one of the moves, Focus Blast.

Well, Sylvia had her Gengar use Focus Blast on something that flies, so it would make sense if Focus Blast would be good against another flying Pokemon, even if it's a bat. OK, next one... That's a Gengar's picture... What did Ms. Caytlen have her Pokemon use on Sylvia's Gengar... Urgh... Wait a minute- wasn't it Night Slash? Might as well pick that- it's the only move in the answerbank that I recognize...

Time seems to slow down, as the test becomes harder and harder. In my case, logic seems to be the only to get through the exam. Fifteen more educated guessing games later, I reach the next set of questions. This part asks about Pokemon's moves in general- their effects, and so on. I am only able to answer one of the questions- the one referring to Spore, which I know, from experience, puts anything near it to sleep.

Next section... How long is this test?!...

I turn another page, jotting down random answers to anything that I didn't really know. If I'm lucky, I can get a few points off guesses, but I always hated guessing without knowing. That feeling of not being sure of oneself just rubs me the wrong way.

Section IV: Write the correct evolution based on its previous' stage picture.

I falter,

How am I supposed to... What? What is this feeling? I try to direct my thoughts, as my pencil begins to shake, uncontrollably, in my hand.

I... Woah, hold on! I try, in vain, to restrain my hand as it moves towards the paper, and, before I know what's happening, it begins to write down answers by itself.

Is... Is something controlling what I write down?

Nervously, I glance over at Sylvia, wondering if she feels the force on me, as well. Luckily, Maxwell is bent over his test, so he doesn't block my line of sight this time. Sylvia smiles and mouths,
"A little luck from me."

This is technically cheating, isn't it? But, there really is no way for me to pass this without her help. I don't have a choice...

Finally, I just let Sylvia control my hand with whatever it is that she's doing, and all I can do is hope that her answers are right. However, if only to rest my own conscience, I glance at the new pictures, compared to the answers that Sylvia was controlling my hand to write down. I even saw my own Shroomish among the pictures.

It's "evolution" is Breloom, hmm? I wonder if mine will ever evolve like that... Anyway, at the heart of this, some of these pictures are very close to being identical- an extra set of arms here, a larger shell there... But, at the same time, it's like they turned into a completely different creature!

A few minutes later, I stand up and give my finished test to Mr. Richards, who, from his seat at his desk, eyes me suspiciously as I approach.

"You actually finished?" he reacts with shock, but tries to goad it into a faux congratulations,

"Not bad for someone with only a day of experience under their belt. Guess you actually might have a chance here..."

I head back to my seat and bide my time until the bell rings. The inevitable harsh chime is like music to my ears- because it signals the end of that overwhelming class- and I am one of the first people to leave the room, closing the door as quickly as I can.

Sylvia meets me outside, a smile on her face.

"So, what did you think of that first test?" she asks, laughing nervously in the process. I nod and begin to walk down the hallway towards the next class. I remember passing the Psychology class on our journey to the library before, so I could easily find my way back.

"I feel like the odds were heavily stacked against me during that entire thing," I tell her while we walk,

"Even on the first page, I knew something was wrong. Past the first few pictures, the rest were covered in an unidentifiable red substance. But, now that I think about it again, I have a gut feeling that it was blood. Why I think that, I have no idea, but I really think that Mr. Richards blotted out part of my exam with blood."

"Do you think that..." she stops, mid-sentence, and a knot forms in my gut.

I think I can guess what she's about to say...

"Do you think that, if it was blood, it was Mark's?" she implores, her eyes wide.

"I can't say for certain," is my immediate response,

"But I think it's a safe bet to say that Mr. Richards knows about Mark's death. How or why he knows that, I have no idea... But, in any case, at least we'll be safe from him for the rest of the day. Come on, let's move on to Psychology. While I don't really know what to expect, it will probably prove more useful than cutting into Pokemon in that Biology class."

Sylvia takes a few moments to mull over what I had just said, but, in the end, she just decides to stay silent. Luckily, this is probably the right time to keep her opinion to herself because, just as we reach the door, Mr. Richards appears in the hallway behind us, clipboard in hand, and an angry, yet devious smile on his face.

"Well, well, well. I had a feeling that I'd find you both here," he says.

"Just thought I would come to congratulate you, Nathan. You actually passed that exam. Even though I think it was really just luck, you passed. Well, good luck in your next class- I'll be expecting the same prowess from you and Maxwell in the future, too. Also," he adds,

"Sylvia, your Biology class is farther down that way." He points in the direction of the room, as if she doesn't know where it is.

"You don't want to be late!" he says, letting out a hollow laugh and striding down the hallway back to his own room.

Sylvia looks over at me and smiles.

"Thanks," I tell her,

"You really saved me back there."

"Don't worry about it. You're the one who saved me from Mark, so I owe it to you. Although I still can't find my Gengar, I can feel its presence in this school, somewhere. But, at least for now, I'm content with staying with you. Besides, it's not like I have anywhere else to be..." She blushes.

"Anyway, let's go inside. While I don't have any idea who teaches this class, I feel a little more at-ease here, than I do in Mr. Richards' or Seitzer's rooms."

She has a point- there really does seem to be something about this place that abates my stress, just a little bit. While the outside of the room is still that same doctor's-office-white, just standing in front of the door feels a little more like home than the other rooms. I just can't put my finger on "why," though. Well, we might as well go meet this next teacher. Maybe he'll know something else about the workings of Mr. Vannhi...

I place my hand on the wooden door's knob and turn, fully expecting it to fly open into my face again. Instead, what I find on the inside astounds me.

Ummm... What? is my first reaction.

The walls are painted to look more like a forest than anything else, a warm welcome from the white that I'm so used to seeing. Beautifully illustrated flowers, trees, and other foliage line the walls, painted in such detail that the room feels like it could spring to life at any moment. And, there, in the middle of a group of Pokemon, is a man, sporting green hair and light red clothing that looks like it belongs on an athletic runner or camp counselor, rather than a teacher. His teal eyes seem full of pity, but, at the same time, teeming with life.

As soon as we enter, he sprints over to his desk, which holds a score of Pokeballs on top of it, and immediately, but dexterously, recalls every Pokemon that had been near him.

"Umm... Hi?" I don't really know how to react to this new teacher. I can't read his face- it's a puzzle unlike anything I've ever seen before.

This man definitely is more than meets the eye, but not like Mr. Vannhi, or the others... Something tells me that I need to get to know this person well. He's bound to be able to help us...

The man turns to us, a mixture of shock and relief grafted to his face.

"More of them..." he mutters,

"Why does that man need to put more and more innocent people through this? He knows that this is all only for him. What is he looking for... Hm? Oh, don't mind me- I'm just reminiscing. But, before I get ahead of myself, this is the Psychology room. As you've probably guessed, this place isn't your typical classroom. You did see all the Pokemon that I had, didn't you?" he finally asks.

I exchange a few nervous glances with Sylvia.

"Who is this guy?" I can't help but ask. She doesn't know, either, only replying with a short, near-unnoticeable shrug of her arms.

"Anyway, like I said, this place is not your typical classroom at Pokemon Tech. In fact, I would consider it a bastion from the rest of this corrupt institute. Yes, Nathan, you were right about this place- there's much more here than meets the eye." He reads the dumbfounded expression on my face very quickly- it's like he already knew I would react that way.

"Don't worry," he says,

"I'm not like the others- I'm not even like Mr. Geo Vannhi, or, should I say, Giovanni? In any case, I'm a part of a criminal organization known as Team Rocket, and I've been planning to sabotage it once I figured out the true purpose of the group. But, before my little plan begins to concern you, I want to tell you why I called you both here...

"But... How did you "call us here?" It's part of my schedule," I tell the man,

"And we don't even know your name. Don't think that I trust you, just yet."

The man smiles, hiding a satisfied grin.

"That's exactly what I thought you would say. A good sign, I'll say. Alas, if you must know, my name is Elijah, but I don't think it will be that way for long," Elijah states calmly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sylvia bursts out,

"It's not like you can change your name, just like that!"

"Calm yourself," he says, waving a hand to silence her.

"When I leave Team Rocket, I'm going to leave everything that I once knew- my income, my 'life," and my identity- to head back to my home, to start anew."

"Mr. Elijah, will we really be learning about Psychology today?" Sylvia asks.

She seems more impatient than usual- perhaps she still doesn't trust him after what happened with Mark. It's only natural for her to think that, though...

"Of course we are," he smiles,

"I just wanted to get through this short little introduction- class is only such a short ninety minutes, and we're already ten minutes in. Now, we can begin. First, let's talk about the potential for bonds between Pokemon and humans."

As he says this, he pulls a Pokeball from his belt and throws it to the ground. It quickly opens and releases the Pokemon inside with a burst of light.

Sylvia gasps when the light dissipates. I'm as shocked as she is, but I can't place any of the Pokemon's features. The bird-like creature's head is a radiant blue, crested by two ribbon-like white structures that seem to serve as ears. Its body is sleek and aerodynamic- I guess that the Pokemon is a fast flyer, or that type of frame would go to waste. Past the neck, the Pokemon is a uniform white, except for a large patch of blue on its chest, which surrounds a red pentagon- perhaps some sort of insignia. Finally, two slender blue wings flow from its back, giving the entire Pokemon the appearance of a jet plane. Its red eyes seem to gleam as it looks at me.

"It's... It's a..." The words are caught in the back of Sylvia's throat.

"Yes," Elijah smiles warmly,

"This is my Latios. He's quite the partner, and the perfect example for this exercise.

He's really calm, and it looks like Elijah's Pokemon trusts him considerably. Is this the bond that he's talking about? I wonder...

Instinctively, I pull out my own Pokeball from my backpack, and toss it to the ground. IT quickly opens, and my Shroomish reappears again. Immediately, I cringe, realizing what I had just done, until I see that my Pokemon simply turns to me and smiles.

... ... ... I wrestle with the idea of trying to introduce myself to a Pokemon, and this seems to please Elijah.

"You seem to have a natural affinity for Pokemon, Nathan. Good to know- maybe you could actually be the one to bring down..." he starts, but I interrupt him.

"Hold on a moment," I falter,

"How did you know my name before I even told you it?! Is there something else that I'm missing here? Are you hiding something?"

My gaze narrows, and my suspicions return.

What if he's still a part of this "Team Rocket?" What then?!

"Yes, and no," Elijah replies,

"Let me explain a little more about Team Rocket and the role Pokemon played in all of it- that way, I can show you why these bonds matter to me so dearly, as well as explaining how we can get rid of Team Rocket once and for all..."

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