Making her way past the mass amount of students heading to their classes, Fennekin, better known as Haru, arrived at the lake. The afternoon sun was its brightest at that time of day, and she should be at school. However, she knew that Ms. Leavanny wouldn't have a problem if she snuck into class, if only the young Pokemon didn't have the habit of chatting noisily with her best friend, Ralts.

  Haru ignored the high probability of getting chewed out later, and brought her face close to the water. It was Friday, and later on that day would be the Pokemon Academy's battle assessments! Haru herself would be having a types disadvantage match, since she'd be going up against a Squirtle in battle. For Squirtle, though, his record will say that he had the advantage in the fight, so in the end order was still established.

  "For good luck!" Haru touched the cold water with her nose before quickly withdrawing it with a shiver. I'll do my very best!

 After that, she happily trotted away in the direction of her class, which was seated on a small hill. Ms. Leavanny was busy reciting the school's rules when Haru slipped into her seat in the back of the class next to Ralts, until Haru began talking loudly. "Up here."

  Haru noticed her classmate, as well as rival, Floette, giggle as she was forced to sit next to their homeroom teacher. The pretty looking Fairy-Type was always giving her dirty looks, and laughing at Haru was something she specialized in.

  "Ding! Ding!" Shortly afterwards, Miss Chimecho's bell rang, and it was lunchtime. Since it was a Friday, students would eat in their classrooms like usual but would be free to go home after to prepare for the assessments.

  Haru looked up expectedly at her teacher. Ms. Leavanny gave her a stern look before dismissing the eager Fennekin.

  Haru padded up to Ralts excitedly, while Floette glared at her from the front of the class. Haru ignored her, her mind completely set on the tonight's assessments. "I can't wait!"

  "Do your best!" Ralts cheered for her friend."I'll be watching!"

  "So will I, little sister." Fennekin nearly jumped out of her fur to see her older sister bending over to speak to her. 

  "Braixen!" Braixen's sudden arrival made Haru feel ashamed. Showing up late to school, then talking to Ralts instead of paying attention... She was the complete opposite of her sister Homura, best known as Braixen.

  "No showboating this time!" Braixen warned. "After all-"

  "I know, I know!" Haru blushed. Was her own sister trying to put her on blast in front of the whole class? A Fennekin losing to a Ledyba is unlikely, but because Haru was trying to dance and show off during the battle, she lost. To a Bug-Type.

  "Delphox and I are expecting much of you." Their mother Delphox was one of the six leaders of the Fire-Type division, was a Pokemon Haru ought to be proud to be related to. Braixen was fairly popular as a diligent Fire-Type, and was rumored to walk in her mother's footsteps. Haru, on the other paw, was the school's problem child, and most of her classmates probably didn't take her seriously. 

  "Are you listening?" Braixen's expression was full of concern for her younger sister."You have to be devoted to this."

  "Of course I have devotion!"

  Braixen gave her a doubtful look. Haru had a history of experimenting with tons of different hobbies, but the problem was that she neglected to take them as serious as they were; lifestyles. Before it was Coordinating, in which Pokemon battle with elegance and skill. Now it was Performing, where a performing troupe would make their way to the top, and would perform for all six continents.

  "I can do it!"

  "Can you?"Haru decided to ignore Floette, who always seemed to have it out for her. Whether it was because they didn't get along or the fact that Floette was also interested in performing, Haru didn't care. She'd show everyone what she was made of.

  The first rule of the Pokemon Academy is basically no fighting. To clarify, it's okay to battle in assessments and with your friends, but an actual full-on brawl fueled by dispute or anger is unacceptable. Every student must be safe, and sometimes there are Pokemon that are brutal in any battle, and those ones are usually blacklisted from battling altogether.

  Haru had nearly broken this rule, and certainly broke the several other rules. One of them she tried to break nearly every day was the rule stating," No student is allowed to take any unprescribed vitamins such as Carbos, Protein, etc."These vitamins were given to Pokemon lacking in certain fields for their Type or Level. If they were weak in attack, they'd need Protein. However, Haru was a perfectly normal Fennekin, and always tried to devise a scheme to steal some vitamins to get stronger, but always to no avail.

  "Greetings, young Haru."

  Haru looked up to see the tall and elegant Gardevoir, who is also the mother of Ralts.

  "Gardevoir!" Haru had a habit of saying her name like children do to their own parents, but Gardevoir didn't mind. Haru could stare at her all day, Gardevoir, one of the leaders of the Psychic-Type division, but according to Ralts, it was possible for her to have known a human.

  "Make sure you talk to Ralts. She'll have a surprise for you."

  "Thanks!"

  Gardevoir smiled back before leaving to watch the assessments. Just then Haru felt s nudge. She looked over her shoulder to see her sister and their mother.

  "It's almost time for you to go, Haru," her mother said, obviously expecting good things. "I'm sure you can win if you do your best."

  "And if she doesn't try what she did the last time," Braixen added doubtfully.

  "I said I'll be fine!"

  "Haru Fennekin. Haru Fennekin." For Pokemon, the given name came first and their Pokemon name afterwards, as Fennekin weren't that rare.

  "Coming!" Haru said goodbye to her family before sprinting in the direction of the center stage, which for now served efficiently as a battlefield.

  On the opposite side was Squirtle, who snorted and chuckled once Haru came on stage. "Seriously?" He laughed, causing some other Pokemon, probably his friends to join in.

  "Quiet!"Once Charizard gave an order, everyone obeyed with silence and respect. I'll be like that one day, Haru silently added.

  " Begin!"The judges were watching, and so was Braixen, Delphox, probably Ralts, too. Haru couldn't mess this up. She just couldn't!

  "Ha!" From Squirtle's mouth came a sharp Water Gun, but Haru quickly dodged it.

  "You'll see why they call me Haru!" She cried, throwing her head back towards the night sky. She used Sunny Day, which for the time being would bring out the sunny sky and the harsh sunlight, which made Water-Type moves weaker and Fire-Type moves stronger.

  "Does it really matter?"Squirtle used the same move again, and this time Haru unleashed Flamethrower, and the moves stopped each other before either one could hit.

  " Scratch Attack!"Haru sprinted in Squirtle's direction as she readied her claws. She jumped and pounced on the blue Water-Type, but he seemed to have a plan.

  Squirtle began spinning fiercly, shaking Haru off of him, who then lost her footing from dizziness. One part of the cried gasped, but the other as well as the majority cheered for Squirtle.

  "Grr!" Haru jumped high into the air and attacked with Ember, and was glad to see the tiny flames land.

  "Take this!" She didn't stop there, quickly following up with a Flamethrower.

  "Ha!" To her surprise Squirtle swiftly avoided the attack with Aqua Jet, flying through the air enveloped by water.

  He then stopped mid air to attack her with Water Gun, which painfully hit despite Sunny Day being in effect. "Urgh!" Haru scratched at the floor with frustration. She wasn't winning this way! But even so....

  "Hiya!" She unleashed another blast of fire towards Squirtle, but since he was on his way to landing, the move hit nothing and faded into the air. Just then the sunlight stopped, and the only thing ulluminationg the stage were the moon and the streetlights.

  "Ha!" Squirtle used another Water Gun, strong enough this time to knock Haru right off her paws. She landed with heavy breathing. She couldn't battle for much longer, but she still managed to bring herself to her paws.

  "Had enough?"

  "No way!" Haru fiercely yelled back, sending out another Flamethrower.

  Without any effort, Squirtle covered himself with an invisible barrier, causing the Flamethrower to fade away.

  "Dang it!" Fennekin restlessly scratched at the floor. The battle's outcome may as well have already been decided, and it seemed that everyone standing in the audience was ready to see her fall over in defeat.

  "Bye bye." Squirtle ended the battle with Aqua Jet, too blindingly fast for Haru to avoid in time.

  She fell to the floor, her body too exhausted to carry out the plan her mind wanted so desperately. The judges wrote down what they saw, and Charizard waited a bit before declaring Squirtle the winner.

  The audience cheered for him while Haru lay on the stage floor in disappointment. After a minute or so she stood up once again to see Squirtle's friends praise him. She began walking over to congratulate him in his win, but Squirtle turned towards her and stuck out his tongue.

  "Why you-!!" Haru tackled him, growling and scratching and kicking at the impudent Pokemon.

  "Get off me, loser!"

  "I'm not a loser!!" The two Pokemon were locked in a fight, rolling over and hitting each other. 

  "Order!" Charizard yelled, then growled when they didn't listen.

  "Haru!" Braixen hopped up and ran towards the two, yanking her sister off of Squirtle. Haru growled at him as she was pulled off the stage to be lectured by the leaders and her family.

  -And that's just how I broke rule one of the Pokemon Academy.