“... And so, Palafinman stepped through the rubble, searching for any hints of the culprit of this terrible crime, when all of a sudden, he heard a sound from a shadowy corner. Despite his powerful sonar detection abilities, he had caught neither hide nor hair of this newcomer. Decked out in a high-tech bodysuit, Crobatwoman revealed herself to the other hero. ‘You won’t find any sign of the Scovillain-faced gang here. I recommend you do us all a favor and stay out of my city, alien.’

  Palafinman narrowed his eyes. Clearly, ‘The Detective’ did her work to know about the unique strand of Deoxy DNA that empowered him. But he wouldn’t be deterred, not when there was justice to deliver and people in need of saving.

  ‘Sparks fly and tension rises! Can the two heroes work together? And where will Spinarakman’s path collide with theirs? Find out next time!’”

  I finished reading my next piece out loud, looking over the document. Okay, so some lines like ‘hide nor hair’ might not fit, but overall, I think my version of ‘World’s Finest/Trinity’ is coming along well! I had gotten back into my writing since coming to Blueberry Academy, and the extensive app gave me a great place to post my stories (I cross-posted, obviously, but I got some of the most likes and engagement from other students here, which always filled me with joy). I’m so excited I can hardly wait to post this! But really, I should wait a bit; having a backlog is good for my writing process. A couple of times I’ve made changes later on that were very well-received by the comments, and I wouldn’t have thought of them if I didn’t have that backlog a few weeks ahead of where I’m at now.

  It wasn’t just superhero fics I wrote; I was also looking at adapting Star Wars, which was taking a bit more work to adapt than my hero stuff. There, ‘The Empire’ was this big Pokemon-hating organization that would enslave and abuse Pokemon. This conveniently served to limit how many Pokemon were in the main cast/how much they could do to raise tension and to make the Light and Dark Side of Aura, wielded by the main characters, matter. Some of the main characters, anyways. Han has his partner Bewear and a blaster, and that’s about all he needs.

  Writing those stories was fun, just as writing practice, and as a way to ‘fix’ certain things I didn’t like from the original authors. Even their own ‘fixes.’ Han is definitely going to shoot first here!

  My eyes caught on another tab on my laptop, and I switched over, realizing I should probably get back to that email I was composing. I chat with my friends and family regularly, but I find a weekly email helps keep them up to date on what’s going on in my life. And boy is there a lot of it! Despite being off the Champion grind, I feel busier than ever.

  ***

  “Hey Mom, hey Dad. Hope you guys are doing well at home. I know Nims and Cy are a bit rowdy, but it sounds like Cash & Kin are helping them acclimate to the house. That video you showed me of Happy’s Hyper Beam was super impressive; keep at it!

  I’ve been having fun at Blueberry Academy. There’s a lot to learn, but I’m doing my best despite any difficulties…”

  ***

  “Settle down, class,” Mr. Jolt called out, causing the rest of the students to quiet down, a few of them rushing to their assigned seats from where they had been chatting with their friends. I had been sitting quietly, my pencil and notebook already out.

  The teacher wore a tweed jacket and tan slacks. The thin rimmed glasses only seemed to draw attention to his receding hairline, not that he showed any signs of caring. “We’ve done a brief overview of the scattered fragments of prehistory, and with that foundation we’ll be covering the history of the League system today.”

  Despite being named after the electrifying Eeveelution, Mr. Jolt had a droning quality to his voice, which made many of the young teenagers instantly check out from his lectures. A shame, because he really seems to know his stuff.

  “Now, can anyone tell me when this system began?” He asked the class, and two hands shot up. Unfortunately, mine was a bit slower, so he called on Carmine to answer.

  “It began 67 years ago in the Kanto and Johto regions as an alternative to the Great War.”

  “Very good. That’s correct; the League System was originally developed as an alternative to the conflict that had ravaged those regions and spread out to several others. It rapidly grew beyond that to encompass greater regional governance as time went on, though.”

  He started writing on the chalkboard, circling three different groups. ‘Gyms,’ ‘League,’ and ‘Elites.’ “These three groups make up the foundation of the modern League system, with some variances. The Gyms handle local matters, the League covers general governance and bureaucracy, and the Elites - including the Champion - can act to address immediate pressing concerns for local matters or those that affect the entire region. Of course-”

  “What about regions like Alola?” One boy blurted out, and Mr. Jolt frowned at him.

  “Mr. Harsprout, please wait until you’re called upon or when I open the floor up to questions.” The boy looked appropriately chagrined and nodded. The teacher decided to answer the question anyway. “Alola has its Kahunas and Trial Captains to handle local matters, though the role between that and Elite is blurred for them, much like it is in Galar. These are covered under general regional variances.”

  “As the League system was adopted by other regions, an international body was established, separate from the Elite or Gym elements and designed to ensure similar standards were held between all of these new regional Leagues. It also helped to organize trade, diplomatic relations, and of course, international tournaments.” I’d argue that the latter led to the former elements, but generally speaking, that’s true.

  He continued. “Now, can anyone tell me why this system spread so rapidly to the other regions?” I raised my hand up fast enough that time, wasting barely a moment to shoot Carmine a shit-eating grin before answering.

  “In the wake of the Great War, regions were eager to seek a more peaceful method of resolution. Certain elements, like the Gym system, aligned readily with many pre-existing conditions that existed within most regions already. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were also already closely connected with much trade and communication established between them. The League was adopted by all of them, and then they were able to use their combined might to push it upon other regions, in spite of the hesitance some regions had due to the cultural damage brought by the League.”

  That earned me a frown. “I don’t see how you could come to that conclusion, at least in regard to cultural damage. The International League has also never made any threats or forced any region to accept it in any way.” Oh sure, no overt threats, but there’s soft power. Even just four regions banding together sends a message, to say nothing of trade incentives or other issues they can use to push that agenda. “Why do you think that?”

  “Because it’s true? Maybe nothing overt was done, but the League bloc had considerable pressure they used to pursue their agenda. The League made several overtures at Alola and was only accepted when one of their own, Professor Kukui, decided to pursue it, and even then with several caveats put in place to integrate their cultural traditions into the challenge. Traditions, which it has been noted to have eroded in other regions regardless of any promises it makes towards accepting them.”

  “That is a matter up for debate,” he responded dryly. A debate for which all the evidence has been that it really does smother such traditions and values. The League is great for getting people together, turning battling into a sport, and the like, but there’s no doubt that there’s a certain level of homogeneity from the standards and structures they impose!

  I didn’t get into it with the teacher as this was hardly the time or place. He continued on, speaking of the benefits of the system. “With the rise of a stable system of governance in place, business and innovation flourished to levels never before seen. New organizations have grown in place working in tandem with the League, like the International Police, the Rangers, and various other international companies and non-profits.”

  The lecture continued, and I diligently took notes. The topics here are advanced, but he doesn’t go too fast, so I can still keep up with pen and paper, even if my wrist gets a bit sore and I need to roll it out. Hmm, it still might be better to get a laptop and type out my notes though, like I had to do back in college. In my old life.

  I shook off the sharp pang of melancholy to focus on his closing words before the final bell. He told us what our assignment for the week would be, stating, “Please submit a paper on the effects of the League on modern society by the end of the week. There are a broad range of topics here, so I expect at least a thousand words on the subject.”

  The bell rang and he dismissed us, Carmine immediately gravitating towards me. “Bet I beat you this time,” she said smugly.

  “Oho? You’re challenging me? What are the stakes? Mmm, steaks…”

  “Gods, you’re a glutton,” she accused me and I looked away. Not my fault my family spoiled me with such good food. “Fine though, the loser treats the other to one of the fancier meals in the cafeteria,” she decided, and I nodded.

  “Sounds good. I’m going to write about how the increased trade and communication between the regions was the real factor to boost innovation and technological development, which would have likely happened in a post-war environment in any case, League structure or no.”

  “Mine will be on how traditional clans and tribes have been pushed out of modern society by the League,” Carmine said with a fire in her yellow eyes. We might compete a ton, but we both take issue with Mr. Jolt’s more ‘conservative’ views on the League.

  ***

  “He’s hardly the only teacher we have, and several others are far more open to other opinions. Mrs. Hardy teaches almost exclusively out in the Terarium and it’s great - you’d love all the wild Pokemon dancing around, Leah! The Bellossom were actually kinda distracting in the Coastal Biome…”

  ***

  That was hardly a problem within the Polar Biome, however. I was shivering alongside the other students as Mrs. Hardy energetically led us through a discussion on the sociology of Pokemon. Okay, Bellossom’s aren’t there to distract us, but the Seels are looking soooo cute!

  I tried to turn my attention back to the class, but it was difficult and a problem that Lacey shared with me, the two of us staring out at the white Pokemon waddling up on the ice to look curiously at us before diving back into the water below. Kieran, to my left, had greater ease ignoring them, but that was possibly more due to being distracted by how cold it was.

  We were all gathered in a circle underneath a sturdy pavilion, placed atop a bunch of Ditto Blocks. There was a covered top, which kept some of the elements out, but the open air on the sides blew in snowflakes and chilling winds. Despite it all, the bombastic Mrs. Hardy looked not bothered a bit.

  She was admittedly dressed for the weather with a purple faux fur coat and thick matching pants, but even in our winter uniforms, I could feel the chill. Feels like the different uniforms are really just for the Biome climates, since the rest of the school’s environment is kept at one level year-round. I focused as she began speaking. “Each Pokemon will have their own individual quirks and personalities. However, as groups, we’ve noticed that different kinds of Pokemon will have different kinds of behavior.”

  “Like how dog Pokemon can be very protective and friendly towards people?” One of the students in the circle asked, and Mrs. Hardy smiled.

  “Exactly! It’s not a definite trait shared completely among them, however. Hondours might be very loyal to their Trainers, but that’s only once they’ve accepted you as part of their ‘pack.’ Until then, they’ll work as a group to ferociously hunt down any who get too near to their territory,” Hardy pointed out happily, sending a shiver down each of our backs, one which had nothing to do with the weather.

  “The different breeds of Pokemon each have their own unique sociological traits. Today, we’re going to discover a bit more about them within the Terarium! The Pokemon here are all generally friendly, but please try to not bother them too much when making your observations. Oh, and do try to stay in sight, at least until class is done,” she added before letting us loose.

  I’ll definitely be sticking around after this is done - I haven’t gotten close to scaling the mountains yet, and there’s an entrance to Chargestone Caverns right beside the pavilion! Ah, so much to see.

  “Have you decided which Pokemon you want to look for? I’m going for the Seels!” Lacey declared.

  “I saw a Beartic running on all fours over that way when we came in,” Kieran excitedly pointed over around the bend of the river, by some larger shelves of ice jutting off the surface. “Do you think he’s friendly?”

  “Only one way to find out - just be careful,” I warned him. “I’m gonna check out the Minccinos. They tend to group up a lot more than some of the Pokemon here, so hopefully I’ll be able to find out a bit about their group dynamics.”

  “And I’ll record it all, bzzt!” Miles declared proudly, floating beside me. We don’t need to do that; Mrs. Hardy would even accept it if we came back and said we found nothing. But I know she’ll be the most impressed and give out the best marks to those who have the most insights to share with the group, and video clips serve as a good visual tool.

  Following a group of five, I saw how they played, cuddling, conversing, and sparring with each other. The sparring was fairly light, though I noticed one of the Minccinos get talked down to a bit after ‘losing,’ their tail being fairly easily beaten aside by the other Normal Types’ tails, due to being slightly less bulky than their fellows.

  None of them drove the other Minccino off, but the weaker one did drift away from the group for a moment while the others fawned over the winner. On a whim, I decided to follow the weaker one, as it spotted something and ran off. I was worried when he reached the cave entrance, but he didn’t travel far within before grabbing a very shiny rock.

  Then, he suddenly began to glow, and I realized it wasn’t just any shiny rock but a Shiny Stone. In a burst of light, the small grey Pokemon had evolved into a Cinccino, now with a far fluffier white tail and many more long locks of white fur wrapped around them. Those must keep them even warmer in such a frigid environment; very handy.

  The Minccino pack definitely thought so too, rushing around them and staring at their former fellow with awe. The girl who had bested him before was suddenly acting somewhat nervous and fawning over him quite a bit. He gave her a response that I could only approximate as an ‘I’ll think about it’ type of thing before striding away, and she followed quickly after.

  Wow, this is incredible! So glad we got video of this; I can’t wait to share it with the others.

  ***

  “... I think the classes you’d most be interested in Amethio, would be the battle classes. With your Armarouge and Dragapult (tell her congrats on the evolution by the way! I forgot to last time we met because of you know-) you’d do well here.

  The other students are pretty good too, though; some of them would surprise you! This one guy acts like a bit of a clown, but he’s got an impressive Finizen, though our teacher hates how much he slacks off…”

  ***

  “Pay attention, Judai!” Doctor Velian Crowler snapped, glaring at the teen, who laughed and scratched the back of his bushy brown hair. Judai wore a vibrant red jacket over his uniform and had bright brown eyes. The teacher had his yellow hair cropped to a bob in the sides but tied into a long ponytail in the back. Crowler was hardly ever seen without his large blue overcoat, complete with golden epaulets and pink frills around the sleeves and collar. He had a metal device strapped over his chest to hold his Pokeballs and items, looking a bit fancier than the usual belt-and-bag look Trainers often went for. The purple lipstick he wore completed a very striking appearance.

  “Sorry, teach,” he said, sounding entirely unapologetic. In under a minute, he was back to chatting with Sally, talking about a game they had stayed up all night playing. Judai isn’t a bad kid, and I know he gets along well with Chum and Sally, but he’s got a serious undiagnosed case of ADHD, rarely able to focus in class. Which is a shame, because this kind of class is right in his element.

  We were out in the Canyon Biome, attending one of Blueberry’s ‘battle’ classes. The Academy prided itself on having top-tier battlers - that any student who graduated would be the equivalent of at least any 4-badge journey trainer. Usually I would consider that a boast, but if anything, I feel like Cyrano is downplaying just how skilled the students can get. Even the first years are pretty good, and I’d say some of the best are equal to full eight-badge Trainers. Admittedly, my experience was slightly limited, given how I avoided the League Club, where supposedly the best battlers were, but I thought it was pretty accurate.

  The lecture was taking place in the Elite Arena, which one of the higher-ups in the League Club ran, though I hadn’t seen much of her. She was an older kid and not involved in this class, but I heard through the Tangelavine that Crowler favored them (and that the feeling was mutual, the League Club using his mock battles to affect some of the points of their standing). It also just makes sense for a battle class to take place here and make use of the facilities, but it was still a class so Crowler tries to lecture us before setting up any battles. Emphasis on ‘tries.’

  “What did I just say!?” Crowler shrieked at Judai again.

  “Uhh, something about Type match ups?” The boy offered.

  “No, you dolt! It was about Abilities! And it’s Doctor. I didn’t earn my PhD in battling for nothing!” Velian Crowler was very particular about that title. A PhD was still very nice, but not the very height of educational achievements. That would be Pokemon Professor, which would be pretty nice to obtain personally.

  I felt the tirade was a little unwarranted, given our teacher had been talking about Abilities that nullified or weakened other Types, like Heatproof or Sap Sipper. Also, Crowler can be a bit blustery. At least he doesn’t drone on as much as Mr. Stein. He was also quite willing to debate vigorously and wouldn’t just shut down a kid… if he felt they were engaged in the topic at hand.

  A malicious gleam entered his eyes. “Well then, if you think you don’t need to listen, Judai Yuki, why don’t we put your ‘knowledge,’” he said, actually making air quotes. “Against another student. Oh, I know, Princeton!” He said, acting as if his decision to pick the highest League Club member out of our class was a spontaneous decision.

  The boy in question smirked darkly as he strode forward proudly. Chazz Princeton shook his head at Judai, his spikey black hair waving slightly in the wind. “It’d be my pleasure to put this Slowbro slacker in his place, sir.”

  One girl who I knew was building up a whole team of Slowbros (and Slowkings and Slowpokes, Galarian and Kantoan varieties alike) gave a cry of “Hey!” But she was drowned out by Crowler excitedly clapping and getting us to take our places in the bleachers around the arena.

  “To give the others a chance to shine, this will be a simple 2 vs. 2 battle,” Crowler explained. “No switches will be allowed, no Enhancement effects, oh, but Battle items are okay.” He added the last part as if it were an aside, the sly look in his eyes clearly not masking who he thought this favored.

  As the Trainers took their places and sent out their Pokemon, this was confirmed, with Judai and his Finizen and Hawlucha settling in place in front of him, neither of them seeming to carry any items on them. Meanwhile on the other side, Chazz’s Houndoom had a Life Orb hanging around a necklace the devil-dog Pokemon was wearing, and his Magneton was fitted with a black and white lightning-themed Assault Vest. I let out a whistle, my mind calculating just how much those items must have cost, including the custom designs.

  Judai didn’t look deterred at all, though; if anything, he was eager. “Alright Chazz, time to get your game on!” Why does that sound familiar?

  “Bring it on, I’ll toss these Pokemon out with the trash. Heh, maybe then they’ll be matching with your friend’s.” Sally whimpered from the sidelines, picking up on the insult aimed at both her and her friend.

  “If the Trainers are ready, we will begin in three, two, one… begin!” Crowler announced, and the two boys leapt into action.

  “Let’s go with a Flying Press on Houndoom, Dark Law! And I’ll chain an Aqua Jet to it!” Judai kicked the fight off, Finizen slamming forward and into Houndoom’s side before anyone could react. Chazz didn’t let that slow him down, though.

  “Hit him back with a Crunch!” The black-haired boy said, while motioning for Magneton to float in from the side. The dog-like Pokemon clamped down hard with his jaws, shaking Finizen by the tail, the Water Type giving a Screech of pain. This didn’t continue for too long however, as Hawlucha came down with a flying elbow that knocked the Fire Type down and her partner free from his grip.

  Of course, then came Magneton. “You’ve fallen right for my trap! Discharge!” Magneton’s magnet ends whirled rapidly, unleashing a blast of electricity over the other three Pokemon. Hawlucha and Finizen gave out harsh cries from it, and even Houndoom cringed in pain.

  “You hurt your own Pokemon!” Judai pointed out, aghast. Chazz just shook his head derisively.

  “And? You do what it takes to win! Besides, Chthonian would have gotten more hurt taking your attacks anyways,” he waved off the complaints while his Houndoom perked up a bit at his name. “On that note, Chthonian, use Fire Blast!”

  Houndoom let out a massive burst of flames that scorched across the field, forcing Hawlucha and Finizen to scramble back. “How do you like that? With Life Orb, my Pokemon is even stronger than he would have been! More than enough to crush you and your ‘Mons.”

  “We’ll see about that!” Judai shot back defiantly. I caught him whispering under his breath, “I need to play this carefully though. He’s right in that one wrong Move and we’re finished.” Then, louder, he gave his next set of commands.

  “Dark Law, Bounce up high! Bubbleman, keep your distance, and keep Houndoom in between you and Magneton!” Dark Law, the unusually named Hawlucha, jumped up in the air, while Finizen carefully maneuvered himself around his foes, using Hydro Pump to both push back at Houndoom and using the recoil from the attacks to push himself away.

  Houndoom kept on trying to blast back with great gouts of fire, and while his attacks did evaporate the water, they couldn’t get through to Judai’s Pokemon. Then Hawlucha came flying down, landing a sharp kick into Chthonian before Bouncing away again before Magneton could land a Discharge into her.

  “Gah, enough of this! XYZ Assault Buster! Destroy them with a Zap Cannon! Don’t let up, Chthonian! Give that fish no escape!” Chazz was livid, pushing his Houndoom to attack and pin the Finizen, giving a clear shot for Magneton.

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  Realizing he was out of room and Hawlucha wouldn’t land in time, Judai called out, “Encore and jump on the Houndoom!” Bubbleman slapped his fins together enthusiastically as he flopped atop the dog. Chthonian snarled, but the bewilderment at the action made the Dark Type pause for just long enough that the Zap Cannon hit both of them.

  “I can’t believe my Pokemon would get taken out so quickly!” Chazz declared, seething as he returned his Houndoom to their Pokeball.

  On the other side of the arena, Judai was thanking his Finizen as he recalled them. “You did great, buddy; now it’s just time for Dark Law to do her job.” As if on cue, Hawlucha landed down, twisting to land a hard chop upon Magneton, which whirled wildly, trying to attack the wrestler Pokemon. Locked into Zap Cannon however, Chazz’s remaining Pokemon couldn’t line up a shot fast enough, their electric blasts going wide each time.

  “Looks like things are turning around for us!” Judai cheered. “Another Flying Press,” he called for, and I clicked my tongue.

  “What’s wrong?” Sally asked from my side. “Judai’s winning!”

  “For now, but Flying Press works like a Flying Type Move as well as a Fighting Type Move. Magnetons heavily resist those, even if they’re weak to Fighting. And Encore will only last so long.”

  Indeed, my prediction proved true, Magneton weathering the showy blows and making whirring sounds, blinking their three eyes as Encore lost its grip on them. “Go, Discharge!” Chazz shouted gleefully, and as the Hawlucha tried to land another blow, they fell right into an expanding field of lightning around the Steel Type.

  Somehow, Hawlucha pulled through, hanging on with sheer grit and determination, even against the powerful super-effective Move. Her body twinged, lingering electricity sparking off of her body. Chazz, who had looked worried a second before, laughed obnoxiously now.

  “I don’t know how your pathetic Pokemon withstood that attack, but it’s over now. Your Encore has ended, and she’s way too slow to dodge- huh?” He cut his own mocking off mid-sentence as we all beheld Hawlucha pulling a small, bright red berry out from between her feathers and popping it in her beak.

  The change was dramatic - in seconds, she had not only limbered up, shaking off the effects of Paralysis, but was also hopping around the arena, moving even faster than ever before.

  “Oh man, she must have picked one up when we were exploring around the Terarium before class,” Judai laughed before getting serious again. “Alright, Dark Law, time to show them the real power of a hero who wears a mask, Close Combat!”

  This time, with Unburden boosting Dark Law, Magneton couldn’t even get off a Discharge, with Hawlucha darting in and out, landing powerful blows against Magneton, and beating them unconscious.

  “The- the winner is Judai? Unbelievable! And after I showed you where to find that Magneton in the Chargestone Caverns too!” Crowler wailed, showing he had more than just bias in this match. That Magneton perfectly countered Judai’s team too… I just hope that Chazz won’t treat them poorly for the loss. The boy in question had slumped to his knees, looking more shocked at himself than anything.

  “Well, that was certainly a disappointing match,” Crowler said, shaking off his own despair and addressing the class in a more professional tone. He asked us, “Does anyone have any observations or suggestions for the Trainers?”

  Seeing no one else leaping to respond, I raised my hand and was promptly called on. “Yes, Miss Glitterati, do you have any advice for Judai?”

  “I mean, I have advice for both of them, sir.” His eye twitched a little, but otherwise he let it slide. So long as the address denotes a level of respect, Crowler seems okay with it, but I should remember he prefers ‘Doctor.’ “But I can start with Judai.” Turning to the boy, I gave my address.

  “So, you started off pretty strong, and you used Finizen’s strengths against Chazz's team to their fullest there,-”

  “I know, pretty great, right?” Judai interrupted me.

  “But!” I raised my voice slightly. “Your evasive tactics with Dark Law made Bubbleman the sole target and overwhelmed them. Thankfully Chazz played into that, but it could have been a lot worse than an even trade. Flying Press wasn’t a good Move against Chazz’s Magneton either, and your Pokemon knew Close Combat, and given her motions, I suspect Brick Break too. You should have used those from the start. Finally, you obviously had no idea about Dark Law’s Berry. That plus Unburden should be a staple in your strategies, not up to random chance!”

  Judai slunk lower with each criticism leveled his way. I decided to give him a break and turned on Chazz. “So, you lost. And you lost because you hyperfocused on offense.”

  “You need to hit them to win!” Chazz snapped back sullenly.

  “There are strategies that don’t necessarily need that,” I commented, my mind thinking of those haunting notes that could spell any Pokemon’s doom. “But you’re generally correct in that. However, your tunnel vision on attacking cost you the match. You hit your own Houndoom with Discharge and let the Life Orb sap his life constantly attacking into Water Type attacks. Part of this is due to your Battle Item choices.”

  “Life Orb made you focus on Chthonian’s pure strength, but I know Houndooms can learn disruptive Moves like Taunt or set up with Nasty Plot. Magneton’s Assault Vest was a poor choice too. While quite flashy, it cut off any non-attacking Move, which is why you could never set up faster with Lock On and get guaranteed hits with Zap Cannon. It’s also just a worse item than Eviolite for a not fully evolved Pokemon.” And you’d need to replace the vest if/when they evolve anyways, but I don’t think the cost of an item deters a Princeton.

  “If I used Lock On, Judai could use Encore to lock XYZ Assault Buster into a worthless move,” Chazz argued back. I have no idea how this kid names his Pokemon such weird things. I was suddenly struck by the urge to see what people online said about my Pokemon’s names before pushing that thought deep down; I wasn’t sure any good could come from it.

  “Well, it’s good to see you’re learning from your defeat, but if you’ll remember, that’s what cost you the match anyways when you got locked into Zap Cannon. Besides, they have a partner. Houndoom should be supporting them, providing a Taunt if you see the Encore coming.” Chazz frowned but didn’t say anything, which I considered a win.

  The rest of the class was staring at me, kind of shocked, and I suddenly felt a bit awkward with how forceful I had come across. “Those are my thoughts, at least.”

  Doctor Crowler clapped his hands together, “Oh, excellent, very excellent! As expected of a Champion student! You should join the League Club; someone of your knowledge would do well there.” I mumbled something not really indicating any true desire to join that group as Crowler continued, organizing the class to run through more mock battles.

  I went through my battles, defeating the other Trainers with ease, so quickly that Crowler actually had me face on a few more students. The results were still the same - utter defeat of my opponents. It's kind of disappointing really, though I suppose I can't expect too much out of them. No other kids are really on my level, even if some like Chazz and Judai have potential. Maybe in a few years they could give me a good battle for real.

  After any fight, I gave my opponents some tips on how they might improve, something that had consequences. At the end of class though, rather than running off to explore the Terarium or back to the school, or even to chat with their own cliques, I found most of the other students surrounding me.

  “Do you think Dudunsparce and Slowbro would make for a good team?”

  Definitely a possibility. Very Trick Room based, though, but Slowbro can set that up. Before I could voice my thoughts, the next question came in.

  “What are the best battle strategies out there?”

  I could spend literal months talking non-stop about that topic, and I still would be here.

  “Hey, Nemona, can you help me with my Magmar? Her flames aren’t super hot, and I’m wondering what’s wrong.”

  How am I supposed to know that without even seeing them? Go talk to a Nurse Joy if you want medical advice anyways! Though I suspected it had to do with the environment Magmar was generally in; they needed to live in or near hot places. I’d seen Trainers online mention how they had to build fire pits and generally keep Magmar nice and warm outside of the Pokeball.

  On and on the questions went until I raised my voice. “Stop!” They quieted down, and I took a step back from the crowd. “How about we try to do this one at a time, and I’ll answer as best I can." It took a minute for them to get organized, but by the end of it all I had spent almost as much time again as I had in class. It was a little tiring, but I was glad to answer their questions, even if they were a bit basic or odd at times.

  After they were done, Sally, Chum, and Judai walked up to me. “You really handle this battle stuff like a pro,” Judai complimented me, and I gave him a smile.

  “I try. You aren’t too shabby yourself; your instincts, at least, are very good. Still, you’ll face an uphill battle here against the staff and Chazz or whoever gets sicced on you next,” I pointed out, but Judai just leaned back, elbows out, hands behind his head like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  “Bring ‘em on! I can take out anyone they send my way.” With that, he headed off, waving goodbye, and I marveled at the confidence bordering on arrogance.

  Dude really doesn’t let anything get him down or intimidate him, I thought, pausing for a moment. I should challenge him at some point, give Anya some good experience. Plus, his battle style is very reactionary and interesting.

  ***

  “...So yeah, classes are going pretty well overall, even if they come up with their own challenges. I hope things are going well in Uva, sis. You’ve told me about how bad the bullying can get there and how the harassment for you only really ended after you earned a bunch of badges on top of the status our family gave you. I’d like to say things are better here, but…”

  ***

  “Watch where you’re going, Stinky Sally.” A buff boy mocked, holding up his nose as my friend passed him in the hallway. A couple of his friends (all of them with League Club pins on their lapels, I noted) laughed alongside him. Part of me longed to confront the red-haired brat and his goons, but for the moment, I had more pressing matters.

  Rushing past them, I ran after my friend, the girl crying as she ran away. She turned the corner and ducked down on the maintenance hallways, and I followed. In short order I found the girl kneeling on the floor, pulled into a tight ball.

  “Go away!” She snarled as I approached, raising her head only to drop her anger as she saw who it was past her tear-filled eyes. “Oh! S-s-sorry, N-nemona. I just- I just…” She trailed off before hanging her head again, sobbing.

  Awkwardly, I reached out and patted her back. “There, there. It’ll be alright.” Shit! Who says something that bland? God, that was terrible- no, stop self-flagellating; just try and help her!

  She didn’t seem to notice my inner conflict, composing herself enough to say, “You shouldn’t be here. Not that I don’t appreciate it!” She quickly added. “Just- they’ll call you ‘stinky’ too.”

  “Let 'em. They're dumb losers; I don't care what they have to say." The petite girl gasped, looking shocked, as if I'd said something revolutionary. One look in her eyes told me she was thinking something along the lines of 'Wow, Nemona is cool! I wish I could be that cool.' "So don't worry about what they say. You aren’t stinky; he was just being a jerk.” Those in the League Club can be way too full of themselves.

  “But I have a Trubbish so-” Sally began before I cut her off.

  “No! Your Trubbish is fine, and there isn’t any of their Stench clinging to you now.” Trust me, I could tell if it was. “If you’re interested, I could help you train until Trubbish can master one of her other Abilities, which might let her control how strong she smells when she’s out and about - as well as give you more combat power - but that’s not the real problem.”

  She wiped the tears from her red-rimmed eyes, looking confused. “It’s not?”

  “No! Bullies will find reasons to pick on you no matter what. You can’t just bend when they push you; you gotta push back! Though uh, if they actually start physically pushing you, you should get a teacher.” They are jerks, but escalating to physical violence is weird in this world and heavily against the rules in Blueberry. That, I suspected, was due to how physical violence could lead to Pokemon battles, and while the school was hardened against such things, it was still underwater, and a bit of damage in the hallways could be catastrophic.

  It wasn’t the first time I’d tried to step in. Just the other day I had seen Chumley have to deal with a demanding pink-haired girl cut in front of my friend in the cafeteria line and grab the last pudding. When he tried to point that out, she called him names and slurped the jelly up right in front of him with a deranged grin on her face before walking off to devour the rest of her food.

  When we tried to complain to the teachers however, they just said that they ‘had no proof Miss Linlin had done [what we said].’ They then went on to say it was too minor an issue to bring up ‘especially against a distinguished member of the League Club.’

  “I don’t know,” Sally responded after a moment, twiddling her fingers nervously. “Can I really be that strong?”

  “Of course you can!” When she just winced from my bold declaration, I realized I was on the wrong track. Squatting down in front of her, I looked the girl straight in the eye. “Think of it less about you being strong and more about the strength of your Pokemon. You believe in Trubbish, right?”

  “Uh-huh. Trubbish is awesome. She was so lonely when I found her, all the other Pokemon not wanting to play with her and the humans shooing her away. But I saw how she didn’t give up and kept on trying, every day. That’s why I picked her as my starter, because I want to be like her.”

  At that, the Pokeball on her belt cracked open and the Pokemon in question burst out, happily glomping onto her.

  “That’s-” I coughed a few times. Ahh, that’s rank! The Stench from this close got to me for a second, but pulling on my Aura to keep the air around me clear, I quickly recovered. “That’s lovely. A bond like that will make training much easier. Just keep on working together and you’ll be strong.”

  “That’s all it takes?”

  “Well, it’s the first step and most important foundation for a team. Admittedly, after that you’ll want to get her on an appropriate diet and get a solid training plan going to maximize her strength. Getting a partner that works well with both of you would help a lot too as this is a double battle based academy…”

  As I continued to speak, Trubbish pulled out a surprisingly clean notebook and handed it to her, Sally furiously taking notes. I’m not sure if she’ll have the drive or time to ever challenge one of the Elites of the League Club, but I’m sure she’ll give anyone teasing her something to think about, that’s for sure.

  ***

  “...It’s not exactly the greatest. Thankfully that just seems to be from the people at the top, and only picking on kids they feel are ‘weak.’ The training you two gave me made sure no one’s trying anything like that with me, though! They haven’t tried anything with my other friends either.

  You know, I realize, neither of you has ever met them properly. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to introduce you to them sometime, maybe during my next break. I could invite them over and we could go to the dojo or the Gym. What do you think?”

  ***

  “Hey.” I turned to the sound of the voice and saw Drayton lazily waving at me from where he was half-draped over the lunchroom table. None of my other friends had arrived from their classes yet, so I went over, eyeing the Dragon Type specialist with mild disdain.

  “You really gotta clean up after yourself,” I told him, pushing some of the wrappers and half-eaten food aside to make room for me. “And also, eat better. Like, what is all this junk food?”

  “Ugh, you sound like my mom- no, scratch that,” he added before I could get too offended. “She's a lot softer than you.”

  Staring steelily at him, I pointed out, “You’re the one who wants to be friends with us, hanging around our group. And that’s fine; you aren’t a bad kid or anything, but there are certain standards. Besides, eating healthier and taking better care of yourself can only help with your energy levels.”

  He lifted his head up to glare balefully at me. “Yeah, no doubt about it. Waaaaay more like Grandpa.”

  “Your grandfather Drayden, the former Dragon Type Gym Leader of Opelucid City? I’ll take that as a compliment,” I decided before digging into my lunch.

  As I ate, a thought struck me, so I asked, “How early did your class let out to get here so fast?” We have multiple cafeterias, but even so, the classes are staggered in their releases to prevent the staff from getting overwhelmed. That was why none of my other friends were here yet, though I figured they would be soon - the groupings tended to be gathered around class level.

  “Ehh, had a free block before this.” I frowned, my eyes narrowing, and I saw the tension rise in his back.

  “We’re first years; we don’t have free blocks.” That only comes once we get our electives and a bit more of an ability to modulate our schedules.

  “Urk, well, I-” He began before I pulled out my phone, scrolling down to Iris’ number and pointing it at him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” He called out, suddenly energetic and waving his hands. “Let’s not get hasty here.”

  At that moment, Lacey and Carmine entered, the former asking, “What’s going on here?”

  “I’m trying to get this slacker to actually go to his classes instead of skipping,” I told them, pulling back my phone.Honestly, I'm, kinda glad he didn’t call my bluff. Sure, I was given Iris’ number and all the other current Champion’s numbers as a part of winning the Gauntlet, but I haven’t actually contacted them or anything like that yet! Honestly, it would feel really intimidating to just try calling them out of the blue, so I’d probably only reach out in case of emergency or if I somehow heard of something going on in their regions.

  Now it was Lacey’s turn to add on to the outrage, screeching, “You skipped?! That’s just not right!”

  The young boy moaned in response. “It’s not my fault it’s so boring. What does it matter if I fell asleep there or here?”

  “Attendance marks, for one,” Carmine stated primly as she sat down beside us. “If you keep at it, I’ll surpass you in grades in an instant.”

  He grunted. “Not like you’re beating me in battles…”

  “What was that!?” Carmine shouted, raising a fist and shaking in rage. “I’ve been getting stronger and stronger since getting here!”

  It’s true, she’s been working hard. She also hasn’t beat Drayton yet, though. I hadn’t battled any of my friends since that duel against Kieran, recognizing that I was still a fair bit above them. They’re all growing though. Maybe at the end of term we could have a little battle royale between us…

  “What’s with that look on your face?” Carmine asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, with even Lacey backing away from me a little.

  I wiped the trail of drool off my mouth. “Nothing,” I said unconvincingly before pivoting to another topic. “So! Where’s Kieran at?” I asked Carmine. “I was hoping to talk to him and you about a project I’m trying to get going.”

  “The one with Hisuian Goodras?” Drayton inquired, and I confirmed it. “Damn, that’ll be impressive if it works. Though what do you need their help for- hey, don’t get angry!” He said to Carmine. “Just, I come from a Dragon Tamer clan and all. Thought if you’d be asking anyone for help, it’d be me.”

  “That’s… fair. If you’re willing, I could actually use your help. The problem I’m facing is in getting the Goomys to be relocated to Blueberry Academy.” Funny how a near Legendary line of Dragons is hard to transfer in decent qualities between regions. “I’m going to have enough trouble with getting some from Paldea, even with me being a Champion, having Hassel as a tutor, and being on okay terms with the Dragon Tamer Clan.”

  “‘Okay terms’?” Drayton questioned, and I winced. Ugh, for all that this guy is a slacker, he’s really smart. Reminds me of Sans from Undertale, if less of a comedian. Though ‘brilliant but lazy’ is a pretty common trope, so he could fit onto a bunch of different characters.

  He snapped his finger in front of my face, and my hand shot up to grab it. “Oh, sorry!” I said as I let it go.

  “Youch,” he said, shaking his hand out, but his deadpan delivery made me confident I hadn’t actually hurt him. “Looks like we lost you for a second.”

  “Ehh, just ideas and stuff. Video games and comics I might want to write.”

  “I knew about the comics, but not the video games,” Lacey commented. “Do you do any coding?”

  “Haha, nope! But I’m sure I could figure it out, or get Miles to help me. The idea would be for a more story driven game than something technically spectacular, admittedly. Video games are an interesting media source that can give you multiple, yet self-contained, options to show how a story could unfold. Uhh, but that’s for later. You were asking about my relationship with the Dragon Tamer Clan, right?”

  Drayton nodded, and I scratched the back of my head. “Well… I stumbled across one of their camps once, ate with them, dueled one of their members, won, she called me a cheater, and I left before any real violence could break out?”

  Carmine face-palmed while Lacey looked shocked, her arms crossed in front of her. “How can that equal ‘okay’ relations with them?”

  “No, no, she’s right,” Drayton came to my defense. “Being invited to eat at their camp and then having a proper fight and leaving without something bad happening even after wounding one of theirs' pride? That’s honestly pretty decent in Dragon terms.”

  “Yeah!... But ‘pretty decent’ might not be enough to let me move over enough Goomys to Blueberry, even for a few years to run the experiments. Paldea has particularly strict rules against this because of the clan and I happen to know that the current leader is…” An asshole. Rigid. Manipulative. Cruel. “Overly conservative.”

  “Ouch,” Lacey winced, instantly understanding what I hadn’t said. She’s got a great sense of empathy, which doesn’t always translate to sympathy, in cases like Drayton’s. Yeah, I can see why she’s leaning towards Fairy Types with her latest catches.

  “So, I was hoping to get some from Kitakami,” I said, giving my best puppy dog eyes to Carmine. “Goomys are native there and if I had the help of two amazing, wonderful people who lived there…”

  “Urk!” Carmine grunted, sounding conflicted, before shaking her head. “Of course if you’re going to Kitakami we would be the ones to help you!... But realistically we should probably be focused on our studies. Kiki stayed behind today to ask the teacher about parts of the lecture he didn’t understand. While I might be getting the material down flawlessly,” she announced, puffing up briefly with pride. “I still need to spend time training if my team is to match yours.”

  “Well, if it’s for a good cause, I suppose I can accept it.” My longing gaze for battle at Carmine triggered a gagging sound from Drayton. Turning to him, I said, “So, how do you feel about taking a trip to Paldea and helping me with the Dragon Tamer clan there? Would mean some time off school.”

  Drayton perked up at that. “Well, like you say, for a good cause and all. I’ll start packing my bags-”

  “We won’t leave for at least a month,” I told him, but he was already zipping out of the cafeteria.

  “Why are you helping him skip more homework?” Lacey demanded, and I gave her a sly grin.

  “What makes you think I am? We’ll get all our assignments online, and I’ll be right by his side, able to force him to get it done.” The return smile she gave me back made me shudder. Times like these I can definitely see why she leans towards the Fairy Type.

  ***

  “So yeah, they’re rowdy bunch, but we’re having a ton of fun together, and learning tons too. And not just in the classroom!

  Friede, you’d be amazed at all the crazy stuff they’ve got here. Orla too - I know the Brave Olivine is incredible, but some of the work Colress and the others have done here boggles the mind. There’s so much about mechanics, biology, physics and more that I never knew that I’m discovering here!

  I know that Colress… doesn’t have the best reputation. And for good reasons. But that was almost over two decades ago, and he’s dedicated himself towards the betterment of Pokemon ever since - and arguably was even back then- but that’s an argument better saved for another time. Just, don’t worry so much about me; I’m doing well here, and everything is safe.

  Well, everything Colress has taught me at least…”

  ***

  I coughed, quickly raising a clean air filter/barrier around my face as I ran out of the laboratory, pressing the lockdown button on the outside. This was hardly one of the super secure labs, so there was a switch inside to free anyone if they needed releasing, but there wasn’t. Just a bunch of noxious gas from a failed experiment.

  The lab did still send a warning out, so within a few minutes, I saw Colress striding swiftly down the hallway to meet me. “Nemona, is everything alright? Are you okay?” He asked, looking me over.

  “Yeah. I’m- I’m fine, Colress. Sorry, didn’t mean to make you worry just-”

  “That’s alright. Come, we can observe any changes from the observation screens in my office.”

  “Uhh, okay. I don’t need to try and fix it? That lab might be unusable for a while,” I pointed out as I followed him, having to rush a little to keep up with his longer strides.

  “That’s fine. Those labs get sealed off fairly regularly in case of accidents like yours, so there are plenty to spare. We can’t let science be stopped by something like that! And risking you or anyone else being hurt to fix it faster would be terribly unethical.”

  His words weren’t wrong, and I got the sense he even believed in them, but also like they were practiced. This was something he had to learn, and it took time for the message to sink in.

  “Please, tell me about what you were trying to do,” he said as we entered his office. His Magnezone floated over, offering us each water from metal mugs which they expertly manipulated and filled.

  “Thanks.” I took a sip before explaining. “I was trying to see if a diluted version of Radiance’s poison could be used as a disinfectant. Nothing too big,” I added, trying to make it clear that I hadn’t set out to cause the disaster I’d made. “But something went wrong, and the mixture I made turned the poison into a gas, which spread about.”

  This sucks. I got given permission to use one of the labs for my own research after class and even a simple experiment like this got messed up. Am I going to be allowed to still run the Hisuian experiment? Should I still be? I didn’t think there was a real risk to the Goomys I would gather for that experiment, but I hadn’t realized the dangers that could strike here either.

  Colress turned one of the split screens over to display the lab, though it was hard to make out any details inside the lab from the violet haze covering everything. “Hmm, yes, it appears that your formula didn’t exactly dilute it but instead oxidized it. Was the toxin corrosive in liquid form?”

  “Yeah, it was. Not enough to break through the glass beaker it was in before mixing, so I don’t think it’ll cause much damage to the lab as a gas.” It had been stinging when it first touched me, but hardly anything more than that, and the Antidote I took before Colress arrived cleared up any lingering nausea. “Does this lab have a decoupling feature?”

  “All the laboratories do, technically. The lab you had access to was a low-priority lab with very few restricted materials allowed within. As a more public, commonly used section, there are more restrictions in place to decouple a section here, not that it will be at all necessary here.” He pressed a few buttons on his computer, and I saw the haze begin to move. “We should be able to clear that up with the vents and filtration system in a few minutes.”

  It makes sense that they wouldn’t want to use that often. I imagine fitting new pieces back onto the ring could be a hassle. Still, it’s a great countermeasure if something turns out to be too dangerous within the school. I’d learned about the ‘decoupling’ procedure when Briar explained some of the lab protocols to me, mentioning it in regards to the highest clearance laboratories and experiments within the school.

  If there’s ever any risk of danger spreading to the rest of the facility they can just launch those sections away with the press of a button. I wonder if worries about that are why other students spend less time here? Though it might just be that the coursework is enough that my classmates are generally overloaded and don’t want to take on even more. There’s more students from the later years in this section, and I hear that a lot of students interested graduate and move straight on to becoming junior researchers here.

  “Right, umm. Thank you, and sorry again for all of that,” I said, and Colress looked at me curiously.

  “I’ve said before, but science is about discoveries, unintended and sought out! This is not a failure but a new step forward. Tell me what you think you can do with this information?”

  “Well… If this was only from a relatively small amount of liquid, then perhaps Radiance could try and make the same effect by altering the properties of the toxin they generate within their body? It’s not very damaging, especially for a Pokemon battle, but it does spread fast…This could be used as a large area attack! Or perhaps even as a kind of new Terrain!”

  Colress cracked a smile. “That is an excellent way to look at it! You don’t need to be reckless, but don’t let a perceived failure hold you back; there’s too much of the world to discover to think that way.”

  “True,” I nodded, internalizing the sentiment. “So, I won’t be barred from running my Hisuian experiment?”

  “No. You followed lab procedures correctly in sealing it off quickly and then waited for a more experienced researcher to come and assess the situation. For your project, I’ll be far more hands-on as well. Hmm, it looks like the lab is clear now, but if you’d like to tell me what formula you used, I might be able to help advise you on what went wrong and what you might try to achieve the disinfectant you were looking for in the future.”

  “Thanks!” I chirped, explaining what I had done. I was already feeling much brighter after that reassurance from my mentor.

  ***

  “So yeah, that’s what I’ve been up to. I know I’ve given you daily updates, but those don’t really cover everything, so I thought I’d give a bigger, weekly check-in too.

  On that note, are you okay? I got an automatic message from the Paldean League that your dad is back, but I haven’t heard anything from you since then. No worries if it’s all good, but you usually find the time to fire off a quick message even when your dad visited in the past.

  I’ll admit that I’d like his assistance in the Tera Sphere Project - only logistically of course, don’t want to take Turo away from you so soon! But no worries if you guys are busy bonding. Just let me know how you’re doing, alright, Arven?

  Alright, love you lots and I’ll keep in touch. See you during the break, or possibly sooner if my Hisuian Goodra project gets approved! Bye.”

  Discord. Thank you, and I hope you're having a great day.

  -'Dun' (Dudunsparce, Male, Normal Type, Starter, Master Ball)

  - Tera Type: Normal

  - Held Item: Expert Belt

  - Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace

  - Moves known:

  - 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type, Friend Ball)

  - Tera Type: Electric

  - Held Item: Life Orb

  - Ability: Levitate

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Nightwing' (Gliscor, Female, Flying/Ground Type, Lure Ball)

  - Tera Type: Water

  - Held Item: Toxic Orb

  - Ability: Hyper Cutter, Poison Heal

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Notch' (Diancie, Mega-Evolvable, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type, Dream Ball)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Light Clay

  - Ability: Clear Body

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Phantasm' (Hisuian Zoroark, Female, Normal/Ghost, Fast Ball)

  - Tera Type: Ghost

  - Held Item: Lax Incense

  - Ability: Illusion

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Athena' (Lucario, Mega-Evolveable, Female, Fighting/Steel, Moon Ball)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Clear Amulet

  - Ability: Steadfast

  - Moves Known:

  -'Bahamut' (Haxorus, Male, Shiny, Dragon, Level Ball)

  - Tera Type: Dragon

  - Held Item: Dragon Fang

  - Ability: Mold Breaker

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Radiance' (Iron Moth, Genderless, Fire/Poison, Beast Ball)

  - Tera Type: Poison

  - Held Item: Booster Energy

  - Ability: Quark Drive

  - Moves Known:

  -'Anya' (Gothorita, Female, Psychic, Love Ball)

  - Tera Type: Psychic

  - Held Item: None

  - Ability: Shadow Tag

  - Moves Known:

  *Custom Moves