The Bet.

Alex came and went as he paced heatedly in front of the school gate. He clenched his teeth for the nth time at the thought of how lame he must have looked when he left the class after being dismissed. I've been humiliated, made a spectacle of! In front of the whole class! In front of Mary! He boiled as he remembered.

"Alex!" The call broke him out of the replay he was having "here he comes!" He followed the direction his confident and friend, Bob, was pointing and found Arthur leaving the building. Their eyes met and narrowed. A score needed to be settled.

They weren't going to use their fists, nor Pokémon like proper rivals do – They didn't have any– Arthur and Alex were about to get themselves into one of the verbal jousts they've been having for the past three years now. No blood would be spilled but the confrontation would remain just as brutal.

Arthur and Alex's rivalry was complicated, even strange. In fact, you couldn't even call it that as Alex didn't see him as an equal. How could he be rivals with the dead-last? They were not enemies either, but they did have a conflict.

Moving out of the city with his mother tired by all the hustles and bustles, Alex who was at the time eight years old was naturally displeased. One, his father couldn't come with them as someone had to take care of the business. Second, he lost his friends overnight and third, his mother's hometown was painfully boring. There were no arcades to play in, no Pokémon parks, nothing!

His only solace was all the attention he got from his classmates at the local elementary school he now attended. They were curious about the city he lived in and marveled at the stories and places he told them. With his good looks and wealthy family, he rapidly became the center of their dynamic. There was even a cute girl that, in his humble opinion, was under his charm.

It was inevitable that the attention seeker he was would jump on the opportunity to become the class hero by confronting and defeating the big bad villain, the "crazy" who talks to ghosts and terrorizes his new friends. It was, of course, Arthur.

Who does he think he is? The others are afraid of him, but not me! It is my duty to stop him! That is how all started. The confrontation was… anticlimactic. Arthur was aloof. He couldn't be provoked, couldn't be bothered and even made apologies to the class when Alex ordered him to. This befuddled the hero wannabe; Arthur hadn't been a good villain.

He should have left it like that but the whispers of some only make him harsher in his provocations and deeds. No! I'm not being mean, it's him! He is playing innocent just to make me look bad! I'll reveal his true colors! Alex's views were definitively warped but there were some truths to them. Arthur could have ended this masquerade but let himself be bullied –It was as mean as a child could be.– He did so because it amused him to see the little shit fall from grace and it gave him other reasons to don't attend the boring classes: Mr. Teacher, I really want to be here but it's hard to stay focused when my classmates are persecuting me.

Alex should have really left it like that. Eventually his actions got exposed, and he ended up alone in the center of this little scandal, alone with Bob. Those others, just as guilty as he was, were quick to point the finger at him when the teachers inquired. That day, he had lost it all: his popularity, friends and Mary's affection.

He naturally blamed it on Arthur. He was far from finished with him, but unfortunately for Alex, Arthur decided the same day that he was no longer amused and gave him a good tongue lashing, mocking him openly in front of the whole class. Eight years old him was not ready for that kind of thrashing…

Since then, the two have waged a verbal war, and now on the school square, another battle would have broken out if not for a shout from a third party. "Arthur! One moment please." It was Mary.

Alex was surprised. He knew that Arthur, for some reason, didn't like her, and he could tell that she knew it too, but even then, she never stopped trying to reconcile him with the class. He is such an idiot. He doesn't know how lucky he is to have her attention, he thought as he noticed that Mary was accompanied.

On her right was Peter – the brightest student the school has ever had– many would say. Peter was a nice, quiet and mild boy. Like Alex, he is not from the town. His father, a Pokemon researcher, moved their family there, believing that the quietness of the place and its fresh air would help him make breakthroughs in his "revolutionary project," which will earn him the highly sought-after title of Pokemon Professor.

On Mary's left was Mark, a twelve-year-old silver-haired boy with gray eyes. Alongside the other two, Mark was one of the top scorers of the class. He was the diligent, overly serious kind of student and known to be hard on himself, not very surprising with his father acting as the head of the local rangers and civil security. Mark was the firstborn of an OG military man and had expectations to meet.

The three of them, Peter, Mark and Mary – Prettiest girl of the school, smart, responsible, liked by everyone who isn't called Arthur, and daughter to the town's Mayor – were already the golden trio, and now, they were the ones possessing the highest chances to get the Regional Starters promised to the top three of the school

Having come close enough without announcing his presence, concealing himself behind other classmates who were as curious as him, Alex listened to their conversation.

"What do you want delegate?" Started Arthur aloof, as he always was.

"She has a name" It was Mark who replied. "Stop calling her that." His voice was calm but there was clearly an edge to it.

"What if I do, Mark?" Arthur returned boldly "And where is the issue? She's our dear delegate, is she not?"

Mark frowned but before he could respond Mary gently took his hand in hers, "It's okay Mark, we're not here to antagonize Arthur." Many were green with envy.

"And why did you approach me… delegate?" Mark's frown deepened.

"Actually," said Peter "Mary suggested that we create a study group in preparation for the exam, and she would like for you to join us, and I hope you will." He flashed one of his benign smiles, melting a little of the tense atmosphere.

"Me?" Arthur asked confused, "I'm not exactly the person you want in a study group. Why do you want me to join?"

Mary answered, "This exam is much more complicated than the previous ones and I thought you might need some help. We must pass it to get our starters."

"So, you think I'm going to fail the exam?"

"No! It's not that, it's just—"

"That you feel sorry for me and want to give me a chance? How considerate of you delegate." She was speechless.

Alex couldn't stand to see pretty Mary in trouble. That idiot! Whatever Mary's answer, he'd keep finding a way to make her feel guilty! He was about to make his appearance, but Mark was one step ahead.

"Don't worry about him Mary, he doesn't know how to recognize his difficulties. If Arthur

wants to fail, that's his business. You don't owe him anything."

"Huh? It sounds like you're very sure I'm going to fail Mark."

"I would be surprised if you don't." his expression was cold. "You rarely come to class, you don't care about the lessons and you disrespect the teachers.... Basically, people like you are lazy, messy, they do whatever they want and don't care about the order in place. You justify yourself by saying you had troubles, but we all know that is just an excuse."

Things were getting heated; the growing crowd could feel it. Mary tried to stop her childhood friend, but the words were already said.

"I didn't know you had such a low opinion of me, Mark. But that's to be expected from a model student. Since you're so sure I'm going to fail, why not make a bet?"

"A bet on your success? Sorry but I'm not interested. Who knows, Lady Luck might take pity on you."

Ouch! Things were already hot. The audience finally saw the indifference gone on Arthur's face replaced by something they couldn't read. However, it was clear that the smile which followed was all but loving.

Arthur continued the exchange. "No, that's not the bet I had in mind. I want to bet on our rankings on the exam. I'm betting that my rank will be higher than yours."

"You? With those barely passing grades you got over the years, you think you can rank higher than me? Is the success of your presentation getting to your head?"

The smile widened, "So, I guess you'll accept?"

There was silence. Everyone was thinking about it, because no sane person makes

a losing bet. They were trying to figure out the "trick" by analyzing Arthur's words, but no matter how hard they turned them over, none couldn't imagine Arthur winning this.

Mark was of the same thought, "If you're counting on cheating, you'll be very disappointed. I'm in on the bet. What's at stake?"

"Simple, I just want an apology following your words. On the day the Starter Ceremony, you will apologize to me... in front of the entire audience, on your knees!" Exclamations of surprise aroused around them and turned into shock and excitement as Mark accepted the terms, "since we are talking about apologies if you lose you will have to similarly apologize not only to Mary but to all the teachers you were disrespectful to with your behavior."

Arthur held his hand, "Fair enough, if that's the case, do we have our bet?"

"Mark!" Mary tried to stop him. She tightly gripped his right hand, "That's enough! Let's get back to preparing our revisions. We now know that Arthur is not interested in our proposal. Let's leave it at that." Unfortunately, her words had little effect with all the excitement of the crowd. Peter also tried to dissuade him, but Mark was a proud person. It was impossible for him to back down. They eventually settled the wager.

The scene was coming to an end and Alex still hadn't make his appearance, He had to move so he did. He slipped through the mob and make his presence known. "Interesting bet you have here." The onlookers became even more excited (Yeah, they were kids). The 'Rivalry' he had with Arthur was well known.

"You finally found the opportunity to get yourself included" Arthur mocked, "you must be happy."

Alex ignored his jab, but it was harder to ignore the snickers… Nevertheless, he quickly recovered. "What do you say, Arthur? How about we make a bet too?"

"Sure, why not. What do you have to bet?"

"Unlike Mark, I don't need apologies. If I win... You'll have to be my servant all through the vacation!"

"You're not happy with Bob anymore?" Another jab, another hit. Laughter erupted around them, reddening Alex "B-Bob is not a servant, he is my friend!"

"If you say so. In that case, what can you offer me if you lose? I'm not interested in a servant."

"An IMO Tablet." Instantly, Arthur lazy gaze became focused. Alex knew he couldn't refuse my offer. The computer he had used for his presentation was an older model.

"You mean your tablet that you often bring to class? Are you allowed to give it to someone else?"

"Don't worry, I recently got a new version. That one is already gathering dust. However,

you'll have to bet your computer as well to keep it fair." He wasn't interested in his computer, Alex was going to give it to Bob once he won it.

"Okay, bet!" the enthusiasm behind Arthur's voice made him slightly uncomfortable. Slightly.

"Are you done? In that case, how do we make sure you won't chicken out?" This was a major concern raised by Mark. Maybe Arthur's plan was to bail out after his loss? They thought. He doesn't really care about his reputation.

Someone coughed, "If you allow me, I will witness this bet", Alex turned around and saw the newcomer. It was Mr. Hubert, their teacher from the previous year. The man was a gentleman in manner and look. He wore a classic costume under his black cloak matching with the Victorian rounded hat that covered his hair gray with old age. Over his tired eyes was gold a trimmed glass and in his left-hand a gold marked can. The man was classy and at the same time, an odd sight in this little school.

The students were stunned, not only by his presence but also his words. It was hard for them to visualize their proper and strict teacher dealing with kid's affair. Mary was the first to get out of her stupor. "Ser? It's just a silly bet you don't need to concern yourself with" She was a little panicked by the presence of a teacher.

"I don't mind, little Mary, I need to make sure young Arthur keeps his word."

"We are grateful to you, Ser" Mark continued.

He nodded, "No need to thank me. These bets are a great way to help you push your limits. Besides, I want to motivate you and the others by promising a prize for the top three in the school."

Everyone became quiet, curious about the prizes Ser. Hubert was about to offer. With everyone's attention, he revealed them "The first three will receive... Aura crystal!" The silence was broken. Shouts of shock, surprise and even joy arose. Alex, Arthur and the other three were no exception.

"Who can tell me what this is all about?" asked the gentleman.

Alex answered the question with the opportunity to show off a little, "An Aura crystal is a gemstone from the evolutionary stone family. Unlike other Stones, it does not directly evolve Pokemon that touch it. The main effect of these crystal is to awaken the dormant potential of the Pokemon.

"After evolution, the Pokemon will be much stronger than if it had not used it. Some will even be able to awaken hidden talents and in rarer cases, undergo a mutation. They may aid a Pokémon breaking through a block. The advantage of an Aura crystals is that they can be used by all Pokémon, however it is advised to use them sparsely for health reasons."

"Excellent answer Young Alexandre! This year we will receive three Regional Starters and I plan to offer the crystals to the holders of these Pokemon. I had also offered an energy crystal to your senior who received a Snivy a few years ago. These crystals are an investment for

Otambourg to finally have new professional trainers. Only by having many professionals can

this town become a city. So, work hard my dear students if you want a regional starter with a

crystal."

Ser. Hubert then said a few words of encouragement and left after confirming the

terms of the bet. The crowd also began to disperse, tired after all the announcements

and events that had taken place, but the class couldn't have been more motivated.

"I can't believe it." Said Arthur. "I would have a regional starter, an apology, a tablet and now an aura crystal all in the same day. I might die of joy when the time comes" He too left the square, hands in his pocket exuding confidence.

"Cut the act Arthur! I'm sure you didn't expect Mr. Hubert to witness our bet! You probably intended to ignore us once you lost. Get ready for the biggest humiliation of your life!"

"Let him dream Alex, these are the last moments of glory he has. He should enjoy it while he can. Peter, Mary let's go," Mark declared as he also headed for the gate.

Mary sighed,"...you guys are such idiots."

Peter shrugged, "At least now we know we have the possibility of having Aura crystals" He went after those two.

After a while, Bob and Alex were the only ones remaining. "Bob, let's go! We need to get ready. You must pass the test!" Bob was among the bottom of the class, just ahead of Arthur. If Alex hadn't helped him, he would have failed the previous year.

"Y-Yeah! You will definitely be in the top 3 and I will pass this exam!" Finally, they left the school.

With Peter, Mary and Mark preparing together, if I want to have a chance, I should ask my parents to get me a tutor. And even if I don't finish in the top 3, I can finally win this war with Arthur! Alex couldn't wait to get there.