Strange Dream

It was a hot summer night as Jane Solvem from Kuro Town lay in her bed awake, eagerly awaiting the morning to come. When that time came, she would have finally turned 18 and would be able to start her long awaited Mathemon journey. Although uncomfortable from the heat, Jane went to sleep to make sure she would be ready for tomorrow's journey, a new beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ha Ha! You'll never beat me Jane Solvem! I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I'm going to be the next Pokemon master!"

"Wait? What? Where am I? Have I already embarked on my journey to become a Mathemon master? But... What are these Pokemon you speak of? And who are you?!" Jane looked at her surroundings, only to become more confused. She was in a place she didn't recognize, to be more exact, a forest. The strange boy stood in front of her with a strange ball in his hand pointing it out towards her. A strange mouse-like animal, yellow in color with red cheeks, stood beside the boy, it appeared to be laughing at her.

"Go! Blastoise!" Yelled the boy who called himself Ash. "Use Hydro Pump!" At that moment, a huge stream of water came out from the strange creature at high pressures and aimed towards Jane.

"What?! Why are you attacking me? I didn't do anythi--"

Embarrassing Encounter

"Wake up Jane!"

Jane felt a slight sting on her left cheek as she opened her eyes slightly to see her mother frantically trying to wake her up.

"Thank goodness! You were having quite a nightmare! I tried everything to wake you up but you wouldn't open your eyes. I'm sorry I had to resort to slapping you.." She gave Jane a truly apologetic look.

Jane wiped her eyes and looked her mother in the face, "Mom! What a terrible nightmare I had! There was a boy named Ash Ketchum and...and he had some type of creatures with him and he even attacked me with them!"

"Creatures? You sure they weren't Mathemon?"

"No! He called them...Pokemon! Yeah! Pokemon! They were truly frightening... I'm so glad you woke me up from that nightmare.."

"Ah, its no problem dear. But enough of that! Hurry off to Professor Derivate's place or you'll be late! You don't want all the Mathemon to be taken do you?"

Jane looked at the time, a feeling of panic overcoming her causing her to forget the nightmare she had just gone through. She let out a cry of frustration, "I've got to hurry! Get out mom! I have to get changed first!"

"Ha Ha.. Okay, make sure you grab a piece of toast as you leave, okay? I wouldn't want you to collapse as soon as you got out of the house from starvation!" Jane's mother said as she left the room.

Jane quickly assembled her belongings and ran out the door not caring who or what was in her way. All that mattered to her was getting to the centre and getting her very first Mathemon. She sped through the streets and was welcomed with the site of an already large crowd of trainers who were just as anxious as her to get their Mathemons. "There's nothing worse than angering a bunch of desperate Mathemon trainers," Jane said to herself. She did not want any confrontations but screw it she wanted her damn Mathemon. So she pushed and elbowed her way to the front of the crowd.

For every nudge and elbow she gave, ten flung right back at her. "What is with this crowd?" She wondered. Jane reached out between the inkling of space between two random spectators and squished herself through and tripped on another set of feet. After this usually came a string of pain, but weirdly someone broke her fall.

A girl in a flashy, gimmicky outfit pinned her forearm to the cement. Moving made it burn. The initials 'JD' were imprinted on the front of her hat. Jane assumed this was Jenny, Bigshot Jenny. Jenny finally got up and sneered. "Well, well. You must be that little Solvem girl from downtown. Janey, is it?"

Jane felt her face burn red and her brow began to furrow. "It's just JANE."

"Well, Jane, too bad you couldn't catch the rare sighting of what will soon be the greatest Mathemon in the world. I would show you but I just finished shining it's Mathecube, it would be a shame to take it out again." She nasally snickers. Everything she says seems to be a sneer as she gazes infantly into her fingernails. If she looked hard enough, she probably could see her own reflection.

"For the last time, my name is JANE!!! and I'm not here to see you, I'm here to get my own Mathemon!"

Jenny crossed her arms and scrunched her face. "Good luck with that, there's barely any left!"

"There weren't many to begin with! I'm not illiterate. That's why I came--" She hesitated. Out of all this frustration, she had forgotten that she was late! No more Mathemon? Is it true??!?!

"Be careful not to trip on the stairs." Jenny smirked.

"What stairs? There's no stairs!"

"Oh, my mistake. Just don't trip on your own feet running your way up. You'll probably run into disappointment anyway."

Jane ignored her, but her face slowly realized the shock. But she tried not to reveal it in front of so many of the town's faces. She slowly began to walk faster into the building.

A New Beginning

Jane got farther and farther away from the crowd where Jenny stood in the middle basking in her glory. Her heart was racing by the time she got into the lab that belonged to Professor Derivate. The lab was as high tech as it came, just like she imagined it. There were machines and everything concerning Mathemon all over the room.

"Well hello there Jane," Professor Derivate yelled out coming out of one of the rooms. Jane jumped at the sound of his voice. "If you're here for a Mathemon then I'm sorry but you're too late I gave them all away."

A lump formed in Jane's throat. She gulped trying to make it go away but it wasn't working. The tears were already starting to sting her eyes after she heard that there weren't any more Mathemon. Just like that her dream had been shattered into a million pieces. Jane mentally slapped herself for being so tardy.

Professor Derivate felt pity for the young girl in front of him. "There's no need to cry. I wasn't planning on giving this Mathemon to anyone...but I think you can handle it." Jane's face immediately brightened as she wiped the tears off her face. The professor walked to one of his drawers and pulled out a Mathecube. Jane felt a surge of energy and adrenaline go through her body as she held on to the cube. This was it, her first Mathemon. She opened it and out came....DERIVEE.

"Vee! Vee! Derivee! Deriv!!"

"Wow! A real Derivee!" Jane took the Derivee and hugged it tightly in her arms. "But I heard that these are super rare around this area! Everyone in Kuro Town knows that! But...why didn't you give this to Jenny instead?"

"Although she is my grand daughter, I don't believe that she is capable of handling Derivee yet. You see, with Derivee, it is possible to become the Mathemon master of them all."

"The Mathemon master of them all? Golly! That's been my dream ever since I was little! Thanks Professor! I'll make sure to make use of Derivee's skills and become my life long dream, a Mathemon master!!" Jane exclaimed, her eyes glittering with determination. Her dream seemed closer than ever thanks to the Derivee that was now in her arms. It looked up at her, a look of curiosity on its face as it took a glimpse of its new master, its new friend.

"Oh! Before I forget," the Professor said, as if he were struck by lightning, "Take these," he took out some Mathecubes and a strange device from his coat pockets and handed them to Jane. "You will need these on your journey to becoming a Mathemon master. It would be silly to go without any Mathecubes to catch some Mathemon with, and if you're wondering about that device here, that is called a Mathedex."

"Mathedex? What's that for?" Jane asked curiously as she stared at the foreign device.

"Oh, its just a handy tool that you'll need to help you identify the various Mathemon that you encounter. You see, it stores the information of the Mathemon you encounter onto its database and that will prove helpful for me too in my studies as I have yet to encounter every single Mathemon."

Jane put down Derivee, a look of disappointment on its face, and took the items from Professor Derivate. "Oh my, thanks Professor! You've provided me with so much help already, I'm sure I can really become a Mathemon master now!"

"Deriv! Deriv!"

"Ha Ha! You're excited too, Derivee?" Jane put the items in her bag and picked up Derivee, bringing it in front of her face, "Well, enough chat! I think its time for us to set out on our long awaited journey, don't you think?" She smiled gleefully at the Mathemon. "Okay, Professor! We're out! Thanks for everything!" She said, beginning to run off outside wihle waving back to the Professor.

"What an enthusiastic girl... I'm sure Derivee is in good hands with her."

Farewell

Upon her exit, Jane found her mother and her friends waiting outside for her. Their faces had a hint of sadness upon them, although they tried to smile for Jane who was about to set out and live her dream. "C'mon you guys! Don't cry or else I'll start to cry," Jane sobbed running into the embrace of her mother. Derivee jumped off of Jane's shoulder and whimpered while rubbing its head against her leg. "Aw, thanks Derivee," Jane separated from her mother's embrace and wiped the tears from her eyes, "I'm okay now, see?" She smiled at the little Derivee. It appeared to smile back.

"I can't believe this day has finally come. Jane, are you sure this is really what you want?" Jane's mother said, breaking their embrace temoprarily to show her genuine concern for her daughter.

"Of course, mom! I've been waiting for this day ever since I was little! Mathemon are such fun and exciting creatures, I've just got to be part of their world and that's why I'm going to become a Mathemon master!" She said, her eyes burning with determination. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine! Once I'm a true Mathemon master, I'll come back to Kuro Town for sure."

Her mother smiled and embraced Jane again. She let go, "Well, I, and everyone else here will be waiting for your return. Make sure to take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yeah, Jane! Don't get hurt or anything, alright?! Remember we're always here for you!" Said one of Jane's friends within the crowd. Tears started to well in Jane's eyes again as she realized that this truly is the only place she could call home. She was finally ready to set out on her journey. Jane gave a nod to all her friends and mother then finally set out on her journey.

The First Battle

Taking her first step out of Kuro Town exhilirated Jane to no end. She was finally here, at the start of a new beginning.

Jane looked at Derivee, "Well, don't let me down now partner! We're in this together!"

"Veee~~!"

Jane giggled and continued to walk out into the forest outside of the town. Here she would be able to find more Mathemon. She readied one of her Mathecubes to prepare for any Mathemon that might appear all of a sudden. As she quietly walked by the never ending scenery of green and tall trees, she heard a rustling in the bushes somewhere. Jane went alert and adjusted herself accordingly. She looked around, trying to pinpoint where the rustling had come from. All of sudden, Derivee started growling at a bush just ahead of Jane. "What's wrong Derivee? Is that where the rustling was coming from?"

"Derivee...Veeee..." Derivee continued to stay on edge and growl at the bush. Jane began to quietly sneak up to the bush, her heart beating fast from the excitement, "I'm going to catch my first Mathemon," she thought. As she got closer to the bush, all of a sudden a Mathemon jumped out at her. "EEK!" She cried out. The Mathemon got off of her, Derivee quickly running to her side, growling at the wild Mathemon. "What on earth is that?"


A WILD GRALINTE HAS APPEARED!

The Quest To Become A Mathemon Master!

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Plan of Attack

"OH....MY....GOD," Jane said as her voiced echoed loudly causing birds to fly away in the forest. She danced happily in the forest like a fool as she held the Mathecube with the Gralinte inside. This was the very first time she'd caught a Mathemon. Jane would never forget the events that had just occured. Gralinte sure was a tough one but she managed. "I'll take good care of you Gralinte...only if you serve me well," Jane whispered to the cube. "Let's go Derivee."

As Jane continued her long walk through the wilderness, she spotted someone sitting underneath a tree, he looked injured. Worried, Jane ran up to the injured man and was surprised at how beat up he was. "My! What on earth happened to you?" Jane asked, reaching for the first aid kit in her bag.

"There was a...Mathemon 20 miles..down the road from here...I tried to capture it but it was too strong for me. My Mathemon didn't even ..stand a chance." He grunted in pain. Jane finished treating his wounds and got up.

"Where are you going? You can't..possibly be thinking of...fighting that Mathemon can you?"

"Yes I am! If I'm to become a Mathemon master, I'll have to learn to get through these types of obstacles! Nothing will get in my way!" Jane told the stranger, a carefree grin plastered right across her face. "You stay here, okay? We'll be back to help you out! It would be rude of us to just leave an injured person alone in the forest by themselves."

"No...wait. You don't stand a chance.." The stranger said weakly as he fainted from exhaustion.

"Alright Derivee, let's get back at that Mathemon for this guy alright? We shouldn't try to fight it head on though, let's try to ambush it!" Jane remembered the piece of info that the stranger had told her, the fact that the Mathemon was 20 miles down the road. She took out her map and pinpointed her current position. Right now, she was 4 miles away from the nearest point on the road. "Hmm..this might be a bit tough. You can only go about 10 mph along the road and only 5 mph through the forest, right Derivee? I guess I should calculate what the least amount of time would be for us to get there..."

The Plan to Ambush the Wild Mathemon

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Onwards!

"There it is," Jane whispered as she and Derivee silently creeped through the forest, trying to avoid making any loud noises so that they would be able to successfully ambush the Mathemon. Beads of sweat dripped down Jane's forehead as they inched ever closer, stopping to hide behind a bush before they began their attack. Afterall, they didn't want to abruptly come out into the open field and then frighten the Mathemon away. After what seemed like an eternity, Jane turned to Derivee and gave a quick nod, signaling that she was ready to go. Derivee looked at Jane and prepared itself for the battle that was to come. It was time to move forward and get that Mathemon.

Following Derivee's lead, Jane came out of the bushes and approached the wild Mathemon. Almost instantly, the Mathemon jumped in the direction towards Jane and Derivee, anticipating another battle as it went into its aggressive stance. "Alright Derivee! This is it! There's no turning back until we capture that Mathemon!"

A WILD DERATEE HAS APPEARED!

[slides will be fixed soon -_-;]

Wild Deratee (2)(1)

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Basking in the Brilliant Light of Victory

Jane dropped down to her knees, a look of complete satisfaction upon her face as she gazed at the Mathecube within her hand. This marked her second captured Mathemon; the excitement of catching yet another one kept her spirits up. She looked up through the tops of the trees at the clear blue sky. "We did it Derivee, we're one step closer to our dream..." she said while she continued to look at the brilliant blue sky, her eyes again burning with determination.

A sudden nudge on her leg alerted her and brought her back to the present situation. Derivee whimpered towards the direction of the stranger that Jane had helped. Jane slapped her forehead for nearly forgetting, how could she have forgotten about the injured man? She had even promised that she'd come back for him! Staring at the Mathecube with the newly captured Deratee in it for the last time, she then hooked it onto her belt and ran back towards the injured stranger.

The Blossoming of a New Friendship..and More?!

Together with Derivee, Jane continued to run as fast as she possibly could back to where she had left the injured man. They continued back down the road until they saw him still collapsed under the tree where they had left him. Jane slowed her pace as she approached him. Getting a closer look at the man's face, she was able to see that he was barely that much older than herself. Though unconscious, his face appeared to be that of restful sleep. Her heart raced as she watched him.

"Vee...?" Derivee cocked its head at Jane with a look of utter confusion on its face.

The sudden noise causing the man to awake, being greeted with Jane's blushing face inches away from his own. Jane continued to stare, her face becoming more red as the seconds passed. "I...I'm sorry!" She said with complete embarrassment as she hurriedly got up to give the man some room, only to trip backwards onto her bum. The man laughed at her, seeming to ignore the fact that she had been staring at his face with complete awe a few seconds ago. Jane's face became even more red with embarrassment and finally managed to get up. "Ha..ha! I said I'd come back didn't I?!" She tried to say with complete confidence but ended up saying it with complete nervousness in her voice.

"Are you okay," the man asked as attempted to get up, a look of pain across his face.

"N..no! You don't have to get up! I'm fine! See?" Jane said as she pushed the embarassing encounter to the back of her mind. "You're still injured so don't force yourself to get up, okay? Here," Jane crouched down again with her back facing the man and offered the him her shoulder. "I'll help you get to the nearest town so we can get a doctor to treat your wounds."

"I'd like to think that I can walk by myself..but obviously I can't in my situation. I'm sorry if I'm being a burden to you....uh.."

"Jane! My name is Jane Solvem." She grinned, giving off a peaceful radiance. "What's your's?"

"Ah..my name is Devon Ohnyne." He said as he supported himself onto Jane's shoulder.

"Devon...Ohnyne.....That's a nice name," Jane thought to herself as she carried Devon's weight on her shoulder and stood up. She turned her head to say something to Devon and then realized how close they were yet again. Jane blushed and quickly turned her head away and began to walk down the road towards the next town.

Noticing how uncomfortable Jane suddenly appeared to be, Devon asked, "Is there something wrong? I'm not too heavy am I?" He laughed, a boyish smile upon his devilishly handsome face, causing Jane to blush even more. Unable to respond, she just shook her head to show that nothing was wrong and continued to walk while feeling like a complete idiot.

A Heated Predicament

After having a peaceful walk with Devon supported on her shoulder, they finally arrived at the next town, Yohgert Nom Nom. The town was just a bit bigger than Kuro Town, but had a similar atmosphere, causing Jane to feel just a little bit nostalgic. She quickly snapped out of her daze and remembered that she had to find a doctor to treat Devon's wounds before anything else. "I wonder where there doctor is...?" Jane wondered aloud, taking a look around the town.

"Wait a second Jane. Its over there by the Mathecentre to our right!"

Jane took a look to her right and definitely saw the Mathecentre. She then drew her attention to the small building beside it, a sign hung on it which read, Dr. Evia Tar's Clinic. "Dr. Evia Tar ..huh.." Jane thought to herself.

"We should first drop off my Mathemom at the Mathecentre since they were pretty beat up from the previous battle. Speaking of that Mathemon..did you get it?" Reminded of her recent victory, a triumphant smile appeared on Jane's face. She touched the Mathecube on her belt and nodded in response to his question. Devon's face was in shock, "Whoa, I didn't think you'd actually beat it to be honest!" He laughed in response to his own statement.

"What did you say?! That's not something to say to your savior!" Jane puffed her cheeks at him, clearly dissatisfied with the teasing.

"Aha! Anyways, let's head to the Mathecentre first."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dropping off Devon's Mathemon, they ventured to the clinic to get Devon treatment. Luckily since the waiting area was nearly empty, it was easier for Devon to get medical attention. The nurse guided them to the treatment room and as battered and wounded as Devon was, he was helped onto a bed to await treatment by the doctor. Jane took a seat beside the bed and took a look around the room. It was nice and cozy, the window was opened slightly to let in a gentle summer breeze. The bedside table had a flower vase on it, although it was empty.

"Well..I guess you don't have to stay here with me anymore. You've done enough, thanks.." Devon said, his face was showed a slight sign of sadness. The look on his face made Jane sad that they had to part ways. She didn't want to leave quite yet and besides, now was a good time to take a quick break from her journey. After all, she had already caught two Mathemon, which was quite an achievement.

"Um..I think I'll stay here for a bit longer. Its a good chance to take a break since I haven't taken one since I left Kuro Town." Her eyes dropped to the floor, trying not to show her sadness of parting. She quickly got up and got out of the room before Devon could say anything. Catching sight of the nurse, Jane asked if there was any drinks she could offer to Devon and for herself.

"Why of course, we can have tea prepared for you." The nurse answered in a friendly manner.

"Oh, is it okay if I prepare the tea myself? I need something to keep me occupied while he's in there waiting for the doctor."

"Sure, right this way." Replied the nurse as she guided Jane to the kitchen near the back of clinic. It certainly wasn't anything that special due to the size of the clinic itself, but it had its own charm, making it feel like home.

Jane found herself a teapot and filled it with water to boil. After having it boil, she looked around for the tea bags and found some green tea in one of the cupboards. She dropped a tea bag into the boiling water and let it sit for a few seconds as she grabbed some cups to pour the tea in. After pouring the tea, she realized that the tea was too hot to give to Devon. "This isn't good...I heard that drinking very hot tea increases the risk of getting throat cancer.." She thought to herself.

"Deriv! Deriv!" Cried the little Derivee, obviously aware of the predicament that Jane was facing at the moment. A worried look upon its face, as it cared for Devon as much as Jane did.

"It'll be okay Derivee. If you're here with me then we can get through this. I know it! First we'll have to find out the exact temperature of the tea is right now so we can calculate when the best time to give it to him will be." She pondered for a second as to how to measure the exact temperature. After giving a quick look around the room she spotted a thermometer and dropped it into the hot tea. It measured at 190°F, which was indeed too hot to serve at the moment. "Uhh..let's try waiting for 10 minutes then.."

Ten Minutes Later

"Okay! Let's measure it now Derivee!" Jane said excitedly to her little companion as she dropped the thermometer in for the second time to measure. This time it read 167°F, which was still too hot to serve. "Dammit, this is still too hot. What are we going to do?"

"Vee..Deriv..!" Cried the Derivee as it brought some pencil and paper in its mouth towards Jane. Quite a smart one it was. Jane had almost forgotten that she was supposed to calculate the best time to give the tea to Devon! Thinking even further, Jane remembered that the best temperature to serve tea was at 151°F. Not too hot, not too cold. She took the pencil and paper from Derivee's mouth and started calculating the time she would have to wait to have the best damn tea Devon would ever have.

Devons Hot Tea

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Living Towards a Hopeful Tomorrow

"Alright, Derivee! I think we've waited about eighteen minutes already. Let's go serve this tea before it cools down any further!" Jane cheerfully said, as she put the tea on a tray and carried it away towards Devon's room. She hoped that she hadn't kept him waiting for too long, after all, she had just abruptly left the room for nearly twenty minutes! "I wonder if anyone checked on Devon yet..." She thought as she made her way to the treatment room where he was being kept.

The short walk from the kitchen to the room left Jane with little time to think about her journey to become a Mathemon master. She thought to herself that after serving the tea, she would continue her journey. In front of the treatment room door, she stood there and took a deep breath. Finally, she brought her hand up to knock lightly on the door, only to be interrupted as a short, mid-aged woman with short grayish hair came out from the room. She wore glasses, and under her white coat she wore a black vest over a white shirt. The name tag on her coat read, Dr. Evia Tar.

"Ah! You must be the girl that helped this young man here! He's told me all about you! It would've been really dangerous if he had been left in that forest with all the wild Mathemon around!" The doctor said cheerfully, taking off her glasses.

"I just did what any normal person would've done!" Jane said bashfully.

"No need to be shy now. Well, you can go in now. I've just finished my check up on him. He's fine now thanks to my trusty Mathemon here." She pointed towards a small Mathemon that was hiding behind her. It was a cute scene, as it looked to be shy of strangers.

"That is a Healix. It is a Biology and Chemistry type Mathemon and its specializes in healing humans." The Mathedex said in its monotonous robotic voice. It had been a while since Jane heard it talk so she was quite surprised at its sudden outburst.

"Healix, huh..." Jane said as she took a look at the frightened Mathemon behind Dr. Evia Tar's back. Derivee also stared at it curiously, trying to approach the Mathemon without scaring it away, only to fail, causing Healix to run away into the waiting room. Saddened by this, Derivee let out a small whimper.

"Hehe..Well I'll let you give that tea to Devon now. Excuse me." The doctor said politely and then went after the frightened Healix, with Derivee deciding to come along too.

Finally alone, Jane went into the room and was surprised by what she saw. Devon looked as if he hadn't been injured at all! She stared with amazement, as she thought how amazing Healix was. "Wow..." She thought aloud.

Devon took notice of her and smiled. "Is that for me?" He said, still continuing to smile. Jane nodded, feeling her face turn slightly red. Avoiding eye contact, she walked up to the bed and placed the tray with the tea onto the bedside table beside the empty flower vase.

"Thanks for everything you've done for me Jane. It's not every day I meet a girl that can beat such a strong Mathemon."

Jane thought it was impossible to blush any further but her face said otherwise. She was honored to have been told this by him, but not wanting to sound arrogant she said, "You weakened it enough for Derivee and I to catch so it wasn't that big of a deal," Jane said with a big smile on her face. "You look so much better now...uhh not that you looked ugly before...no I mean never mind," Jane rambled.

"Yeah that Healix worked wonders for me. It hasn't even been that long since I was treated but I think I'm feeling good enough to leave," he said with a hint of sadness. They left the hospital together with the mood being quite somber. "So Jane, where are you off to?"

"I'm on my way to Sixtopia to face the gym leader there," Jane said, trying to hide her sadness as well.

After picking up Devon's Mathemon together at the Mathecentre, the two stopped at an intersection on the road. One road led to Sixtopia and the other to Devon's destination. Devon felt quite sad that he was already parting with Jane so shortly after they had just met. They had already formed a special bond between themselves in such a short amount of time and he was curious to know more about Jane but the timing just wasn't right for the two of them.

"Well I guess I'm going this way...," Jane said as she pointed towards the opposite direction of Devon's destination.

"Good luck at Sixtopia, even though you don't need it. I know you'll do just fine."

Jane and Devon had already started to walk in their opposite ways till Devon looked back at the shrinking image of Jane. He didn't know what got over him but he was overcome by a strange feeling. Without thinking he followed the urge to run after her.

Jane heard loud footsteps running up behind her. "Jane, wait!" She turned around to see Devon standing behind her, out of breath. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well again," Jane asked worriedly. Out of nowhere he took out a calculator from his pocket and held it out to her. "This is for you...I didn't want you to forget me."

Jane was taken aback by his actions but felt touched that he would do such a thing. "Thanks Devon, I'll never forget you..." In an attempt to hide the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes, Jane looked down at the dirt road beneath her. She held the calculator in her hand and dug through her pocket with the other to grab her special handkerchief. It had been given to her from her father when she was still little, a few years before he passed away. Still looking down, she stuck out her trembling hand and gave the handkerchief to Devon. "T-Take this...Its my treasure.."

Devon took his hands and wrapped them around the trembling hand Jane had outstretched towards him. Startled, Jane brought her attention upwards and was surprised by Devon's next move. By the time her eyes met his, his arms were around her, holding her tightly. "We'll see each other again, I know it. When that time comes, I'll give this back to you..." He whispered into her ear.

This time the tears wouldn't stop. Jane let them flow without holding back. She tightened her grip around Devon and got a grip on her emotions. "Yes..." She sniffled, "We'll meet each other for sure. When that time comes, I'll be a Mathemon master!" She broke free of his embrace and stared up into his eyes with complete determination. No further words were needed. The two nodded at each other and both went their separate ways, expecting to be reunited in the near future.

Frightening Reunion

It had only been about an hour since her bittersweet parting with Devon, yet the sun had already started to set. The evening twilight brought upon the forest gave Jane a sense of calmness. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she left the village till she was bathed in the evening glory. Her tears from the parting had dried and turned to determination. She was up and ready to achieve her life long dream. After all, she had been dreaming about becoming a Mathemon master since she was just a little girl. It was as if she was born for this.

Surprisingly, though they had been walking for about an hour through the forest, they had not run into any wild Mathemon. "Strange..." Thought Jane, although Derivee seemed to not take notice, instead, taking the time to enjoy the peaceful evening walk with its master. As they continued their silent walk towards Sixtopia, Jane started to feel as if she was being watched. There was a strange hostility in the air, it was as if the whole forest was being fearful of something.

"Derivee..." Whimpered the Mathemon, finally becoming aware of the surroundings.

Still feeling the strangeness of being watched, Jane thought she caught sight of something in the bushes to the side. Shaking off the feeling of nostalgia of her first Mathemon encounter, Jane gathered her courage and took a look into the bushes. She was shocked by what she saw. It was a severely injured Mathemon. "What the...who did this to you?" Jane asked the injured Mathemon. She then realized that the fear she felt in the forest was from all the injured Mathemon. No wonder she hadn't come into contact with one wild Mathemon. Someone had beaten them all! A chill ran down her spine as she thought who could possibly be this strong.

After treating the injured Mathemon's wounds, she continued to walk along the road. It wouldn't be long before she reached Sixtopia, plus she had a feeling she'd come into contact with the trainer who beat all those Mathemon. Her body shook with excitement, yet at the same time she felt a hint of fear. She wondered what kind of person this trainer could be to be able to do something so terrible. Continuing along the road, Jane thought she heard someone further down the path.

It was getting darker as they furrowed deeper beneath the bushes. Swish!! SWISH! They struck the bushes out of the way and they struck back. After several minutes of the same routine, the stinging became bearable. "Derivee, whatever you do...try your hardest to be quiet, okay?"

Derivee gave a quick shudder and an anxious nod and they continued towards the source of the shouting...There she was. There they were. "Revoloo, don't you DARE give up on me now!! We've spent hours going through this forest and we've SUCCESSFULLY beaten all those Mathemon DOWN!!! You can't stop now!"

Revoloo knew what was coming as it quivered in fear. Revoloo was struck by none other than Jenny. She was about to move in for another, but Jane barged in and startled Jenny flailing out of the bush. "Don't lay another FINGER on that Mathemon!!"

Jenny glared at the quivering Revoloo and turned to snarl at Jane. "Or what?!! Janey-poo? What will you do?! Call your mama?"

"The Mathemon in this forest are suffering because of you, and so are your own! Why can't you just let things be? They've caused you no harm!! The only reason why they're fighting against you is because you're attacking them! If you don't stop this, I'm just going to have to defeat you!"

She snickered once more. "Really now, you and what army?"

Jane didn't respond and Jenny took that as a sign of submission. "Well, if you aren't going to say anything, I guess you didn't mean it. Now if you'll excuse me, I don't need to waste anymore time with a phony coward. I have better things to do with my time."

She started to walk away...until something put her into an abrupt halt. The night went silent and only a single gust of wind was heard. Suddenly, Mathemon began to surround Jenny from all directions. Not fully recovered, they limped closer together and held each other up, and stood to fend for themselves. Jenny was left with nothing to do but stay and fight.

Jenny vs. Jane

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"You've won this battle...for now. But I assure you, this won't happen again-- LET'S GO REVOLOO! We don't want to stick around with these losers. It's probably contagious."

They found a gap between the mob of Mathemon and sprinted towards the skinny paved road that led to Sixtopia. Seconds later, no one in their direction was visible-- only darkness.

"Mathemon? I realize a lot of you are really hurt. I'm sorry that you were all disturbed from living in peace and I apologize for the way she behaved. Not all humans behave that way. If you just give us a chance, I'm sure we will never betray you again."

Mathemon loosened the hold and made a path for them to walk through, proceeding to Sixtopia.

Taking the First Steps

Sixtopia, the city in which the gym leader, Pat Wa, resided. He was revered for his mastery of many various forms of math, although he was most skilled in the art of Calculus, the deadliest kind. Many who've challenged Pat Wa failed, living with the fearful memories of the battle with him. There were even some who quit being a trainer after challenging him. But it is said that the few who have won against him ended up becoming true Mathemon masters. The thought of it all excited Jane, yet at the same time she felt a bit of fear. Beating Pat Wa was only the first step towards becoming a Mathemon master and she was completely ready to take that first step.

The first few steps Jane took into Sixtopia were exhilarating as she first caught sight of the gym in all of its glory atop a hill in the distance. It was an amazing view even though she was still quite far from reaching it. The six pillars at the front of the gym were amazing to look at, although Jane would have to get closer to get a better view of the gym. Her heart fluttered at the thought of finally challenging Pat Wa to a Mathemon battle. But before charging in blindly at the front steps of the gym, Jane would need to prepare herself first. She took a quick look around to see if she could find the Mathecentre and the shop.

"Are you lost, lady?" A small voice asked from behind, startling Jane for a moment.

"Lady...?" Jane muttered displeasingly as she quickly turned around to see a small and fragile looking girl holding a cup of taro flavored bubble tea in one hand.

"Uh, yeah, would you happen to know where the Mathecentre and shop is? I want to make sure I'm ready before I go face the gym leader here," she said as she looked at the small girl, thinking to herself that she'd buy some bubble tea herself after she had defeated Pat Wa.

The girl took a sip from the cup and stared at Jane with curious eyes before saying, "I can show you the way, lady. Follow me." she said, her auburn hair doing a quick swish as she turned quickly, signaling Jane to follow.

"Lady? Do I really look that old?" Thought Jane as she quickly followed the girl.

"Here it is," the girl said as she pointed towards the building in front of her, "You should rest your Mathemon here first kay, lady?" She took another sip from the cup of purple goodness and then pointed towards another nearby building, "There's the shop!"

Jane stared towards the buildings the girl was pointing at. She was surprised at how big they were compared to the last town she had been to with Devon. This place truly showed the difference between a city where a gym leader resided and a small town within the forest. "Thanks a lot... um.."

"Betsy."

"Betsy huh...Thanks Betsy!" Jane said, giving her trademark smile. "Well, I'm going to get ready now, thanks again." Jane said as she began to make her move into the Mathecentre. She was quickly stopped as she reached the doors only to be poked in the back.

"Wait..." Betsy's small voice said from behind, not removing her finger from her back.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Here, lady..," The girl said as she outstretched her hand, handing over the bubble tea to Jane. "Good luck," she added.

Though a simple childish gesture, Jane was touched by the girl's actions. She gave another smile and replied, "Thanks, I'll do my best!" Jane took the bubble tea from the girl's hand and waved farewell to the girl, entering the Mathecentre to prepare her Mathemon for the challenging battle that awaited them.

Final Preparations

The previous thoughts that Jane had of the overly large Mathecentre was nothing compared to when she saw the inside of the building itself. Compared to the last town she had been in, the facilities here were much better, along with the much larger staff. Taking a large gulp, Jane walked up to the counter to check in her Mathemon. "Derivee...Gralinte....Deratee...Rest up, I'm counting on you guys to help me defeat Pat Wa..." She thought as she handed over the Mathecubes. "I'll be back in ten minutes," Jane told the nurse, who strangely resembled the one at the previous Mathecentre she had been at.

Feeling slightly lonely without her Mathemon, Jane went over to the shop across from the Mathecentre. After all, it would be a disaster if she wasn't stocked up on all the necessary items. "Better safe than sorry," Jane thought as she approached the automatic glass doors to the shop.

Taking her first step into the shop was equally amazing as the Mathecentre's. They had much more in stock and to choose from. Various brands of Mathecubes and Diagrams could be seen lined up against one wall. There were even some aisles dedicated to different calculators, though they looked high class and expensive! "This is amazing, I wish the people at Kuro Town could've been here with me to see this...or even...," She stopped as she thought of Devon. It hadn't been that long since they parted and her thinking of him made her feel too clingy. Shaking off the thought, she continued to look through the various gadgets and such and bought the things she needed.

"Awriiight! I'm ready to do this! Time to get Derivee and Gralinte back!" Jane thought as she came out of the shop. First adjusting her purple knapsack on her shoulders, Jane then made her way across the street towards the Mathecentre, her sneakers making a tip tap noise as they hit the cement road beneath her, which strangely appeared to have some sixes engraved into it every now and then.

"WAAAAAAAAHH!! I JUST WANT TO DIE!!" Cried someone from the distance, although the crying eerily appeared to be getting closer to Jane. Though she didn't take notice, as she was looking down with a hand in thought against her chin, her head in the clouds thinking about her upcoming battle with Pat Wa.

"Ah! Watch out over there!" Someone cried out as the crying stranger ran straight into Jane, knocking her right over, her right elbow bruised from the heavy fall onto the cement.

"Ow...OWW!!" Yelled Jane, "Watch where you're going!!" She continued as she grasped her scraped elbow in pain while looking at the strange boy in front of her, his nose was dripping with snot as tears welled down his face. A pathetic sight.

"Oh my gooood!! I'm so s-s-s-sorryyyy!! WAAHH!!" He cried as he dropped to his knees in front of her, bringing his hands to his face to wipe the never ending flow of tears and snot.

Seeing the boy in such a state made Jane feel guilty for even yelling at him. He was obviously very disheveled at the moment, she only added to his grief. After grabbing a large band-aid from her first aid kit and placing it over her bruise, she got up and helped the crying boy up on his feet. "Ahh...I'm sorry for yelling at you! So stop crying, okay?" She told him in a poor attempt to calm the boy down.

"N-N-N-Noo..it was my fault for b-b-bumping into y-you! *hic*"

"What have I gotten myself into now...," Jane thought as she stared at the crying boy. She took a look at her wrist watch to check the time, it read 7:34 PM. Time had really flown quickly and it finally dawned upon Jane that it wouldn't be such a good idea to go challenge Pat Wa at such a late hour. Still looking at the helpless boy in front of her, Jane decided that it would be a good idea to try and calm him down, afterall, she would feel terrible to just leave him in the state he was. "Alright...what happened? If something happened you can tell me!"

"Well...I-I...went to challenge the gym l-l-leader but he *sniff* ...It was horrible! I never want to challenge someone so scary ever again!" He said, appearing to have calmed down a bit.

The response caught Jane off guard for a moment. She blinked confusingly at the boy in front of her and thought, "How could he have challenged Pat Wa? He doesn't even look like he's reached the age to become a trainer!" Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked the boy straight in the eye, "How old are you again..?"

"Nineteen..."

"Whoaaa~! No way! You only look like you're fifteen! I refuse to believe that you're a year older than me!!" Jane said in complete utter shock, though she regained her cool after realizing how rude that may've sounded. To her surprise though, the boy managed a weak smile through his glistening, tear filled face. "C-Cute..," Jane thought in embarrassment.

"Its okay, I get that a lot," He smiled again, tears still flowing down his face a bit, "I..I shouldn't have become a Mathemon trainer afterall. Challenging Pat Wa made me realize that..."

"What?! What are you saying? Becoming a trainer was one of the best things to have happened in my life! There's no way that facing one person will make you feel that way after losing!"

"That's what I thought too before I battled him... The rumors surrounding him are all true! He really is scary..." Tears began to well up in his eyes again, "Whatever you do...don't challenge him! Just stop now before you get hurt!"

His words, though heartfelt, made Jane angry. She couldn't comprehend what he was going through, nor could she understand how someone would be so traumatized from one Mathemon battle that they would feel like they'd have to quit being a trainer. She'd been dreaming about becoming a Mathemon master since she was young There was no way that one battle would be so bad that she'd quit! "No matter what you say, I'm not going to give up! This has been my dream since I was a little girl. There's no way I'm going to lose!"

Jane's words of determination left the boy speechless. The girl in front of him was clearly crazy, he thought to himself. But her will to fight was truly touching. Wiping the tears away from his face, he stared into Jane's eyes and said, "You know...looking at you really does make me feel pathetic. I can't believe I gave up on being a trainer that easily."

"Why did you become a trainer in the first place anyways?" Jane asked curiously, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"Promise not to laugh..?" He asked Jane sheepishly, avoiding eye contact.

"I promise!"

"Well, I was planning on opening up my own Mathemon daycare but to do that, I'd have to be able to understand them really well. That's why I thought going on a journey as a trainer would help me understand them..."

"Hmmm...that's nothing to laugh at all! That actually sounds really cool! If I hadn't decided on becoming a Mathemon master in the first place, I would probably think that taking care of Mathemon all the time would've been fun!"

"..You think? I always used to get laughed at for wanting to open up my own daycare...," He continued, his face now dried of his tears as he continued to open up to Jane. Clearly he hadn't really had someone to talk to about his life and future aspects without being ridiculed.

"Yeah, I really do think so. But I don't think you should quit being a trainer just because you lost against Pat Wa. After all, losing or winning a battle doesn't mean anything when you're just trying to understand each other! In fact, I think the battle helped strengthen your bond with your Mathemon. When you think you're going through hard times, just remember the harsh times you had when you fought Pat Wa." Jane told the boy with a smile on her face. Her words clearly having an effect on him. She was glad that she would at least be able to help him fulfill his dreams, after all, she knew the feeling of wanting to make that one dream come true.

Tears again to well up in the boy's eyes, but this time they weren't that of sadness but of gratefulness. "I'm really glad I bumped into you. I can't believe I was going to give up on my dream that easily! I'm not going to let this loss let me down! You watch, I'm going to make the best Mathemon daycare that anyone will ever see!" He wiped the welling tears from his face, revealing a face burning with determination. For the first time since she first bumped into him a few minutes ago, Jane actually thought that he looked his age.

"Well, I'm glad that I was able to help! I've gotta go and pick up my Mathemon now. Tomorrow is going to be the day I defeat Pat Wa and get one step closer to my dream!" Jane said, now joining the boy in his time of determination.

He giggled, "Good luck, if its someone like you, then I'm sure you can beat him."

"Ahah, thanks. I feel even more sure that I can beat him now! Well, glad to have helped! Bye!" Jane said in complete glee as she ran towards the Mathecentre. She realized that that she had forgotten to exchange names with the boy, but shook it off and just settled with the fact that she was able to help someone who was stuck in the dumps.

Without any more distractions, Jane quickly picked up her Mathemon and decided to call it a day. The sky had quickly changed from a beautiful evening orange into a peaceful, starry filled darkness. As she made her way around to find the inn, her Mathecube containing Derivee fell, releasing the freshly rejuvenated Mathemon.

"Derivee!! Vee!"

"Whoa! Derivee!" Jane cried out in surprise at the sudden appearance of Derivee. She picked up the fallen Mathecube from where it came from and patted Derivee on the head as she got up. "You're going to give me your best tomorrow, right?"

"Vee!" Derivee cried out with delight, appearing to be excited for the challenging battle that tomorrow had.

"Okay! Let's go rest up at the inn first. We need to be completely rested and prepared for tomorrow after all!" Jane told her little friend who nodded back at her as if to agree with what she had to say. Tomorrow was the day, her first gym battle, and with the fearsome gym leader, Pat Wa. Nothing was going to stop her now. Together with Derivee at her side, the two nonchalantly walked around the city for a bit longer and then went to rest at the inn, awaiting the new challenges that the morning would bring upon them.

Climbing Towards the Awaited Battle

The day had finally come. This was one of the moments Jane had been waiting for since the day she decided to become a Mathemon master. She felt the rush of adrenaline through her system as she got up from the bed of the inn she was staying at, only to see that Derivee was already ready to go as it stood beside the door. Jane smiled and got herself ready for the challenging battle that was to come. "Alright! Let's do this!" She exclaimed aloud as she and Derivee left the inn.

It was a good thing that they had explored the city the night before as they would've probably gotten lost on their way there. If that had happened, they would probably have been wandering around till the afternoon or later, meaning they'd have to stay overnight again. They continued to make their way through the city streets, stopping to take a look at the various vendors now and then. The merchandise that was sold in the city was certainly something else compared to Kuro Town and Yohgert Nom Nom. There was a big difference in quality and price.

"Ah...," Jane muttered as she saw something she liked. It was an oddly, yet cute shaped charm.

"I see you've got good taste young lady! That there is a lucky rabbit's foot! Not a real one though because that's CRUEL! Ahah!" The street vendor told Jane cheerfully, clearly proud of his wares.

"Rabbit? What's that? I've never heard of that before. Is that some rare Mathemon or something?"

"That's a trade secret! All you have to know is that its cheap! ONLY 19 MATHEPESOS!"

"Wow! 19?! That's a steal! I'll take it....whatever it was again!" Jane told the vendor excitedly.

"Alright! Thanks young lady, let me wrap this up for you!" He said as he began to wrap up the rabbit's foot in a cute purple wrapping, dropping it into a small baggy afterwards. Jane handed over the money and took her newly purchased merchandise, giving the vendor a quick thank you nod as she left and made her way to the gym with Derivee.

Surprisingly, the time it took for them to reach the gym wasn't as long as Jane had expected. They had only been walking for about thirty minutes, including the short stop at the vendor, and they were already at the steps going up towards the hill top gym. Again, it was probably thanks to the late night exploration they did. Jane was glad that it didn't take too much time but the hardest part was just about to begin. She stared up the long stairway of destiny and hope, finally getting a small feeling of butterflies in her stomach. "Let's think positive!" Jane told herself, quickly shaking off her nervousness.

"Deriv?" Her small companion muttered out, confused at Jane's sudden strange behavior.

"Okay! My first obstacle are these stairs! Let's go~!" Jane yelled out, then taking her first step onto the first level of stairs. It felt like she was about to climb the stairway to heaven at this point. Now that they were closer to the actual gym itself, Jane was able to see the intricate architecture that went into the gym itself. It was like a giant Greek sanctuary at the top with the six pillars at the front and such. The roof of the building was dome shaped and had a giant "6" propped on top of it. "Whoever designed this place, along with the city, surely must love the number six." Jane thought as she continued to climb the stairs.

As they continued to make their way up the stairs, it finally dawned upon Jane that their were many others who were climbing up with them. She had been too deep in thought about her battle that she had not taken notice of the others who were also going to challenge the fearsome Pat Wa. The rumors about many people going in and out of his gym at a time were true. Taking a look up the stairs, Jane also saw that there were a bunch of people coming down, a look of utter defeat on their faces. No one who was coming down had a look of victory on their face, all of them resembling something close to the boy she had met the day before.

"Hey, did you hear? I heard that there are only one or two trainers per week who win against Pat Wa! Can you believe it? Look at how many of us there are here!" Jane heard someone say from close behind. It was certainly outrageous to even consider the rumor to be factual, but at this point, it wasn't hard to believe. She looked up again to see the crowd of defeat and despair, feeling a bit of her determination wavering at the sight of it all.

"Derivee! Deriv! Deriv!" Cried the Derivee, trying to console its master.

"Hehe..Thanks Derivee. I can't believe I almost let the rumors and that crowd let me down. There's no way I'm going to lose after coming this far!"

"Vee!"

It only took a few more minutes to reach the top of the hill. Jane, thanks to Derivee's support, was able to keep her inner flame burning so bright that she appeared to be letting out a brilliant aura of determination. Seeing the gym up front was better than seeing it from afar. The huge doors leading into the gym itself were intimidating enough to scare some trainers and their Mathemon away. There was a sudden silence from those who reached the top as they beheld the doors itself. Jane even heard some trainers behind her hyperventilating. There was even someone who started crying!

Jane took a look around her and saw that no one seemed to be taking the first step towards opening the giant gym doors. She was about to make her move and push them open herself, but was abruptly stopped as more trainers from inside came out, their faces were exactly that of defeat. Not even this batch appeared to have victors amongst them. After waiting for the crowd to make their exit, Jane finally went inside, leaving the remaining trainers outside with a feeling of reluctance.

As soon as she and Derivee got inside, they were greeted by a large eliptical shaped hallway that brought a feeling of peace as soon as Jane took her first few steps inside, it was almost sanctuary like. Jane thought that she heard someone talking into her ear but shook off the feeling as no one was even near her. She had left the other trainers outside, as they were too afraid to come in with her, leaving her alone with Derivee in the empty hallway. They walked together through the hallway, noticing that there were indeed other trainers within the hall. Jane hadn't been hearing things when she thought she heard someone whispering into her ear, realizing that the shape of the hallway must be responsible for her hearing the others whispers.

At the end of the hallway awaited a double doored entrance to what Jane believed to be the entrance to Pat Wa's lair. Although these doors were not quite as grand as the ones at the entrance, not to say that these doors weren't something to oggle at either. They were large marble doors, with engravings of a "6" on the center of each door. Jane took in a deep breath and took a look at Derivee, "Well, here we are. Let's give it our best, okay?"

"Vee!"

Taking one final deep breath of air to try and psyche up herself, Jane pushed open the doors. It was finally time to fight.

The Fearsome Pat Wa

What Jane saw as soon as she walked through those double doors was not what she expected. The room was filled with geometric shapes! Beneath her was a floor patterned with circles and ellipses on marble tiles. The walls on the other hand had a bunch of squares and rectangles engraved on them. It really was a sanctuary for everything math related.

Though the room itself was amazing, the current situation didn't allow Jane to take any breaks and stare at the scenery. She quickly turned her attention towards the end of the large room where she noticed someone eating yogurt from a large container while playing with a Matheboard. He clearly didn't notice Jane. Confused at the sight in front of her, Jane began to wonder whether the person she was seeing was really the fearsome Pat Wa she had heard about. Knowing that just thinking about it won't change anything, she and Derivee began to make their way towards the end of the hall.

"Hello...?" Jane directed at the person, her voice echoing off the walls of the room. The combination of the echo with her voice clearly got the attention the person. He stopped with what he was doing on the Matheboard and turned around to see Jane, huge yogurt container still in hand.

"Yes? What do you need?" He asked, seeming to not have a care in the world, which caught Jane off guard. Her initial thoughts of this man not being Pat Wa were reinforced with his reaction.

"Uh... I'm here to challenge the gym leader. Do you know where he is?"

"That would be me!"

Jane's jaw dropped as soon as he finished his statement. There was no way that this person in front of her was Pat Wa. All the rumors she had heard about him up till now didn't match with what she was seeing right in front of her. She had been expecting someone big and scary, with a frightening aura surrounding him. At the moment, she didn't see such a thing! Still wide eyed, she slapped herself to see if she wasn't imagining things. Nope, it was still the same person in front of her. "So..you're the gym leader, Pat Wa? I heard...different things about what type of person you would be." She began, still in disbelief. Derivee stood near her and yawned, clearly wanting to start a battle soon.

"I get that a lot. But yes, I'm the gym leader here. Welcome to Sixtopia," Pat Wa told her, taking a scoop from his yogurt and eating it.

Though the rumors didn't seem to match with the person she saw in front of her, Jane thought it didn't matter at all at this point. All that mattered was to challenge him and get one step closer to becoming a Mathemon master. She gathered all her courage and finally said with much determination, "I'm here to challenge you!"

"Vee!!" Derivee said to back up Jane.

In response to Jane's sudden spurt of courage, the gym leader, Pat Wa took one last bite of yogurt and then put it down on a nearby table. He then snapped and clicked his fingers together, creating a snapping clickity click sound. His actions were a bit odd and the aura around him seemed to change. Jane thought she saw him smirking with an evil radiance. Once he was done putting down his yogurt and snapping, he grabbed a meter stick on the side and pointed it towards Jane. "You're challenging me? Let's see if you can defeat me, unlike all the others!"

Gym Leader - Pat Wa

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Emerging from the Brink of Defeat!

A single bead of sweat dropped down Jane's face as she stood, paralyzed with a mix of emotions, in front of Pat Wa. Her heart was still racing as she stayed at a stand still, as if time had stopped at the exact moment she defeated Pat Wa's last Mathemon. The room had became eerily silent, both parties in complete shock at what had just occurred. It was a tough and long battle; a battle that Jane had persevered through the whole way and emerging victorious.

"..Congratulations." The gym leader, Pat Wa, finally said, breaking the silence. Tears began to well up in Jane's eyes. She had did it after all. Through her hard work and determination, along with the help of her trusty companions, she had finally defeated Pat Wa. She was one step, no five steps, closer to becoming a Mathemon master. She had made it over a great hurdle.

"T-Thanks..." Jane stuttered, not quite snapping out of her moment of victory.

Not immediately responding to Jane, Pat Wa made his way back to the table where he had placed his huge container of yogurt. The long battle must've made him hungry because as soon as he put down the meter stick he used to challenge Jane, he immediately grabbed the yogurt and downed the whole thing in a matter of minutes. Jane thought it was over, but out of nowhere, he took out another equally large yogurt container and started on that. Coming back with his new yogurt, he finally replied, "So what are you going to do now that you've defeated me? The few who have defeated me considered their victory to be the last of their Mathemon journeys. There are even some who pursue becoming a Mathemon master!"

Jane's eyes lit at Pat Wa's last statement. Mathemon master, the title that she wanted to take hold of for herself. She took a look at the now exhausted Derivee beside her, it nodding back at Jane as if to confirm Jane's thoughts. "I'm aiming to become a Mathemon master! Defeating you was just one major step towards that dream!" Jane said, her eyes beginning to burn with the flames of hope.

"Heh, I should've known. Well, good luck. You've proven yourself more than enough to me that you have what it takes to become one. The road ahead may be tough, but just remember what you went through here and all your past experiences. Keeping those in mind will definitely keep you in check towards becoming a Mathemon master!" Pat Wa told her, showing his respect for Jane.

Hearing such words from the Pat Wa was a great honor. All the rumors she had heard about Pat Wa were indeed over exaggerated nonsense. The man in front of her was a great Mathemon master himself, and she was was going to make sure to surpass his vast knowledge of math in the near future. She walked over to him and looked him in the eye and said with much gratefulness, "Thanks, it was an honor to have battled you. I'll never forget this." A single tear fell down her face as she took Pat Wa's hand and shook it.

"It was also my pleasure to have fought with you. It's refreshing to see a trainer who has such a close relationship with their Mathemon."

Jane wiped the tears from her face and regained her composure, "Well, I can't stay here any longer! I've still got my journey to become a Mathemon master to complete!"

"Deriv!" Derivee managed to weakly cry out in agreement.

Pat Wa stared at Jane, taking another spoonful from his yogurt then said, "Well, good luck again. I'll always be here for a rematch."

Taking those words as a final goodbye, Jane took her leave with Derivee by her side. She waved farewell as she turned her back towards her exit. The large double doors didn't seem as menacing as before, instead they brought peace to Jane's mind. She was ready to continue her journey at last.

Opening the doors revealed a large crowd of trainers who were waiting for their change to challenge Pat Wa. The room went completely silent as she stepped out. Trying to ignore the piercing stares from each side, Jane continued to make her leave.

"She won didn't she?" Someone whispered, the layout of the room allowing Jane to hear.

"There's no way!"

"Just look at her! That's not a face of defeat!" The person whispered back. It finally dawned upon Jane that she had a huge grin on her face. It wasn't a problem though, as Jane continued to ignore the whispers, finally leaving the gym.

It was finally time to head to the next destination. There were other gym leaders across the continent to challenge and Jane wasn't going to stop until she defeated every single one of them. Many new challenges awaited her, but she wasn't going to fight alone. Her Mathemon were by her side and she was bound to make new bonds with the various Mathemon she would encounter along her way. Jane felt her blood boil as she thought of what might happen on her journey and the new Mathemon she would encounter.

"Vee?" Derivee curiously looked at Jane who had an even bigger grin on her face.

Jane giggled back, "Its nothing, Derivee. I was just thinking about what's going to happen now! Enough of that though, we'll just have to see for ourselves. Let's go." She replied, as the duo walked side by side, saying their final farewells to Sixtopia as they entered the forest towards their next destination, not knowing the events that would happen in the future.

Joyce's Reflection

1)Why did you choose the concepts you did to create your problem set?

We chose the questions that we each seperately had strengths in understanding and solving. However, it was kind of hard yet entertaining at the same time trying to fit it all into a storyline.

2)How do these problems provide an overview of your best mathematical understanding of what you have learned so far?

Our questions consisted of related rates, integration by parts, Newton's law of cooling, solids of revolution, and optimization. These were some of the hardest concepts to learn out of this whole course but we chose to do them. Out of all the types of things we could've done we used these kinds of questions. That to me shows that we found them easy to do.

3)Did you learn anything from this assignment? Was it educationally valuable to you?

Of course it was educationally valuable to me. It provided me with another form of review for the AP Calculus exam. Questions like our version of the amusement park one were especially helpful for the exam since those types of questions repeatedly make an appearance in the exam every year. Having to conceptually think of the questions also helped to understand the different types of questions on a whole new level. Being able to explain the solutions and putting into words how you get the answer was quite difficult. That being said, I feel like the whole process of finding a great way to present your project is what I don't like about these types of projects.

All in all, I found this DEV a valuable experience. I aged by like 10 years from doing it but anything for math. But yeah the stress I'd get in university compared to this is probably x10 so it's a good taste of whats to come in the future. I just want to say IT'S FINALLY OVER. 10 more mins till midnight ding ding ding.

Jamie's Reflection.

1)Why did you choose the concepts you did to create your problem set?

I believe we came together and distributed questions from different units fairly, based on what each person could handle and based on our strengths. What I liked about this group is that we didn't SPLIT up and handle the questions ourselves, but rather go over them together and share our thoughts and brainstorm. I think this was the whole point of the project, because we sort of act as students and teachers at the same time. Whoever was familiar of the concept usually took charge and taught the group members who weren't as strong, but we also weren't afraid to look at our answers thoroughly and perhaps find different ways on how to answer a question.

I believe the fact that we were prepping for the AP exam also played a big factor on how we chose our questions. We most likely chose challenging questions of diverse topics in calculus and made questions that could possibly show up on an AP exam so that we could practice.

2) How do these problems provide an overview of your best mathematical understanding of what you have learned so far?

Our questions consisted of almost every possible essential unit in calculus. From related rates to integration by parts, Newton's law of cooling, solids of revolution, and optimization. These were some of the hardest concepts that the course provided, but we chose to do them. It's not abuot taking the easy way out. Practice makes perfect. How are we supposed to practice if we don't "face our fear". Because of this practice, I think it deepens our understanding for the topic and that we learned from each other on both how to do these problems elegantly and efficiently. With a lot of time invested, I believe we tried our hardest to fulfill that, and may not have mastered these types of questions completely but know enough about them to recognize their patterns.

3)Did you learn anything from this assignment? Was it educationally valuable to you?

This was our last ever DEV project and honestly I'm so happy it's finally over. We were given countless extensions and I'm quite disappointed in myself because I think I could've done way better.

I feel like the quality of my work isn't as high as I would like it to be but I suppose I'm just too hard on myself. I just feel like I could've done so MUCH more with it given the amount of time we had to finish it. Doing this DEV though forced made me force myself to explore the concepts of calculus to my breaking point.

Being in two groups was really stressful and caused a lot of problems for not only me but my other group members as well. Having to finish one DEV is hard enough let alone finishing two. The experience did teach me a thing or two that wasn't math related. I really did learn to work in cooperation with my group members and the value of responsibility. It was my sense of responsibility that made me not want to give up on all the work for my two DEV's. I didn't want to let my group members down.

Kristina's Reflection

Why did you choose the concepts you did to create your problem set?

The concepts we chose were actually quite easy to pick since we knew exactly what we had problems with throughout the course. There was always that ONE type of question in each unit that shouted DEV! Specifically speaking, related rates and optimization. Those were the first absolute must choices we had to have a problem for. I'm sure the other groups also chose these two types since we all seemed to have major problems with them.

As for the other questions we chose, they also followed the line of the must have DEV question. You see, we wanted to make sure that we were completely ready for the AP exam, so we decided to choose questions that were most likely going to be on there. Of course, one of them being the infamous amusement park question that Mr. K had forewarned us about. Another one being the revolving question which always seemed to be the first question in the long answer part of the exam, although it wasn't on this year's.

The last two questions we chose were more on the "filler" side though. Since the four I've stated were the main ones that we wanted to get our hands on. So, in the end, we chose a parts question and a Newton's Law of Cooling. Both being pretty fun on my end.

How do these problems provide an overview of your best mathematical understanding of what you have learned so far?

They provide an overview of my understanding because the questions themselves were based on the word problem type questions that popped up every now and then in class. Word problems have always proved to be quite tough for me since I take a really long time to absorb what is actually going in the question. There are also times when I misread the question due to my dislike for them and then screw up the whole process, which has indeed happened in class, leading to me hitting myself in the face (Although mostly mentally, hehe).

These problems also help to show how much I've learned through the year since I was pretty iffy with most of these stuff right at the beginning. Doing DEV questions on them actually proved to be a handy dandy review and I think it really helped on the exam as well. It was also nice to do some related rates since I remember on the test we had for that unit didn't have one even though I was so prepared for it.

Did you learn anything from this assignment? Was it educationally valuable to you?

If I didn't learn anything, then I shouldn't be taking AP Calculus at all. Not learning anything through DEV is an absolutely ridiculous notion since there are a ton of a stuff to do depending on what theme and such you've chosen. There's also the time management aspect and group work skills (unless you worked alone) to take note of. Doing this assignment has taught me a lot, especially in time management and group work. I do admit that we should've scheduled way differently for this assignment since we didn't seriously take into account the amount of time studying for the exams and doing career internship stuff, along with various projects and assignments from other classes. Everything just got jumbled up into one month and it was a disaster, which led to the two extensions we all got. Although I will admit that whenever I think of May, I'll always remember the hell we went through this year XD.

Aside from time management, the calculus in itself was valuable. Like I said before, it was very helpful for exam prep. The group aspect was also valuable and I learned that communication is key when doing these types of assignments. After all, its a disaster if you don't communicate with each other.