Why, why, why wherever she went, it was still cold? Shione grumbled under her breath as she stuck her hands in her pockets, thinking about how cruel the world must be to make today of all days have such a low temperature. She vaguely wondered how she was still walking if it was really that cold.

A loud ruckus from another house a few ways down the street alerted her to the fact that somebody was awake at this time. Wait, that's not even possible, is it? She had been careful to wake up just after the sun had risen over the horizon, so-

She checked the time in her cellphone. Eight o' six. Never mind.

Intrigued by the noise, Shione wandered to the direction of the sound, hoping against all laws of Arceus that someone wasn't throwing a party at eight o' six. Her prayers went unanswered when she saw the house, and recognized it as one of the rich people's mansions… er, was it a mansion? Or just a normal house? It was hard to differentiate the two, since the house looked utterly humongous in her eyes.

Peeking in one of the windows (Anko's disapproving chirp went unnoticed); Shione felt that if her life was an anime, she would have sweatdropped. There was indeed a party going on in the mansion-house, and the center of attention seemed to be a slightly short brunette who looked like he was street-dancing (another chirp did not seem to reach Shione's ears). There was another brunette, this one a female, who seemed to be yelling something about 'too many parties lately' and 'bugs are gonna bite you in school' and something along the lines of 'YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE'.

That successfully pulled Shione out of her staring, and she hurriedly left for the airport. Hopefully, the scholarship should be ticket-like enough for the stingy people in there…

"Ooh, cute girl alert! Hey there, where ya goin'?"

The bluenette blinked in surprise. She supposed it was just another guy hitting on another girl somewhere behind her, and-

"Hello? I'm talking to ya."

Apparently not. She felt a presence next to her, and she turned around to a giant… no… a tall person with messy black hair. She would have mistaken him for an adult if it wasn't for the mischievous grin he wore on his face. On his shoulder, an Aipom sat while nibbling on a banana.

His grin widened… as if that was even possible at this point, Shione thought. "Ah, so you're not deaf after all. So, where are you goin', cutie?"

Shione felt the heat envelop her entire face. She couldn't remember the last time someone talked to her like that, so why now? Her eyes scanned the area for an escape route, but then she noticed a similar pouch in his right hand. Money… she felt like drooling. "I'm going to a boarding school," came her simplest response in the history of ever.

"Oh? So am I! You willing to bet we're going to the same school? I'll be praying on the airplane for that." He winked. Shione couldn't possibly think that her face would get any hotter than it already was.

"Attention, the plane going to the Sinnoh region will be setting off in fifteen minutes. I repeat, the plane going to the Sinnoh region will be setting off in fifteen minutes. Please head off to your designated plane in preparation."

Thank Arceus. The speaker saved her life. Adjusting her bag, Shione bowed slightly to the black-haired ma-… guy. "Um, that's my plane. I guess I'll be going now…" her voice quieted down near the end.

The feeling of somebody patting her head numbed her entire thought process. "I guess we will be going to the same school, huh? I didn't get your name, by the way. Mine's Carlos Balestida. Nice to meet you!"

They were going to the same school? … They were going to the same school? Shione barely managed to hold back her violent coughing, and choked out a response. "S-Shione Sakura. N… Nice to meet you too."

'If this m- guy is going to the same school as me, then there are definitely stranger people in here! What about that party guy, too? Hm… so maybe that mailman can be trusted? Nah… not until I see him with my own eyes, then I'll believe the mailman!'

Anko chirped in surprise, alerting Shione to the small Torchic at her feet. Wait, she wasn't even at her trainer's feet anymore, the Aipom had scrambled up to sit on Anko's back, holding on to the crest on her head. The bluenette instantly knew this was a sign of things to come…

"Ah, cake… one of the best things in the world… good thing I brought some with me."

Shione's eyes fluttered open in barely concealed excitement. Anko seemed to be the same; her eyes sparkled at the mention of cake from the person beside them as she muttered her appreciation for the sugar-filled food. The bluenette inconspicuously peered to the side, her mouth watering at the sight of the chocolate-and-whipped-cream-filled cake.

She shifted just a tiny bit, ignoring the painful crick in her neck as she gazed lovingly at the sweet. The girl holding it noticed her stare and chuckled a bit. "What, you want some?" she asked.

A goddess! She's a goddess! The Empress Ho-oh herself, she was willing to bet!

"If… If you don't mind… just a tiny, tiny bit…" Shione swallowed the urge to eat every single last piece of the heavenly food. She had been willing to eat one ever since she saw one of the wedding cakes displayed on a food store somewhere nearby, and now, she had a chance! Albeit, it was only a bit, but still. She had been visited by a goddess!

With a careful hand, Shione slowly picked up a small piece of the cake, making absolutely sure she did not even so much as brush her fingertips on any other area of the rest of the cake. The instant the bluenette knew it would be okay, she split the cake into two uneven slices and handed the bigger one to the eager Anko, gobbling up her piece.

The girl, who had long black hair fitting of a goddess, watched the Torchic eagerly swallow the cake slice. "You share your food with your Pokemon, huh…" she muttered, then smiled lightly. A memory drifted in, but she hastily pushed it away once Shione thanked her (quite generously, I should add).

"… A-Ah, what's your name? I'd like to know the title of the goddess who likes cake, after all. I'm Shione Sakura, it's nice to meet you."

Maybe she could have polished up her introduction a bit more (she was talking to a goddess! What was wrong with her?!) but that had been said and done. She just hoped that the goddess would be forgiving as well as generous.

The goddess- er, girl laughed. The laugh of a goddess! Shione was graced with such a gift? "The name's Reinforce Yukimura, but call me Rein. Also…"

Here it comes! The divine punishment befitting a cake goddess…!

"I'M A GODDESS NOW! YEAH! Now, this is what I call royalty, hell yes."

Shione let out a sigh of relief. Saved by her forgiving nature. The bluenette couldn't ask for more.

The sweet taste of cake still lingered in Shione's mouth even when both her and Rein exited the plane. Apparently, the boarding school sent every student back to their home region after the school year ends, and Shione found out about this due to the fact that Rein also attended the same school. To think, being in the same school with a flirt and a goddess? Now she was absolutely sure the coldness from this morning had been a simple illusion.

"Alright, finally, that plane was stuffy as hell. Shitty authorities being shitty as usual. Z- Mightyena, come on out!" Rein exclaimed, throwing a Pokeball in the air. In a zip of red energy, a black furry dog standing on four legs appeared in front of the duo. It howled excitedly at its freedom and stretched, before sniffing Shione cautiously.

"Don't worry, Mightyena, this girl's just my new prophet, about to spread the word about the great cake goddess, Rein!" she paused. "Maybe."

The black dog tilted its head slightly, but regarded Shione with less hostility. Anko remained somewhat wary, though, and eyed the Mightyena with an Ember ready in her throat.

"Hey there, ladies~! Gee, that mailman wasn't lying when he said there'd be a lot of cute girls in here…"

"Oh, it's him," Shione murmured, turning around to look at the man… oh come on! He's still a bit shorter than an actual adult, stop thinking of him as one!… the boy with his Aipom. A boy with brown hair was next to him as well ('ah, the party guy!') and he had a Quilava trotting beside him.

Rein waved lazily. "Yo, flirt. Who's the little guy next to you?" she asked quite bluntly, but the brunette's smile did not falter.

"It's Chris. Christopher Kane," he responded with such a genuine air of friendliness around him Anko's embers died in her throat.

Shione pondered on how to say things for a while. "You were that guy partying in the huge mansion-house?" she asked casually, in a way that resembled Rein's bluntness. Anko kicked her trainer's leg, and promptly tried to balance herself unsteadily.

Chris nodded. "Yep, that was me. … I think? I don't know anyone else who threw a party in hearing range." He chuckled a bit. The Quilava sighed, and Anko stared at the Fire Stone necklace around his neck jealously. Mightyena rolled his eyes at Anko's obvious envy.

"You throw parties in early morning? Sheesh, that mailman was right on the spot about rich people… I wonder if they can give me food…" Rein stared off into the distance, thinking about all sorts of wonderful sweets she could get her hands off. Seconds later, her mouth started watering at the thought of a certain brand of ice cream.

"W-Well then…" Shione glanced at the goddess drooling in the distance. "I'm Shione Sakura, and the goddess over there is Reinforce Yukimura-sama. Pleased to meet you." she bowed slightly, making sure she bowed lower than when she was with Carlos. Her head then perked up, realizing something Rein had said. "… What, did everyone talk to a mailman one way or another in here? What's up with the mailmen today?"

Chris tilted his head to the side. "Mailman? That reminds me, I passed by a mailman on my way here, and I told him I was going to the same school as all of you. He told me something that I'll be able to meet tons of famous people… or something like that." He scrunched his face up. "It was really weird."

"Famous people!" Carlos was instantly beside Rein, drooling for whatever reason. "I wonder if those famous people are women…" There's his reason.

Shione 'hmm'ed. "The mailman I talked to said something sorta the same… strange people, he said…" A thought entered her head, and she joined the drooling duo at the side, her eyes sparkling. "Does this school specialize in enrolling people long gone? Or maybe some hot guys! Ahh…"

Both the brunette and his Quilava sweatdropped at the trio's actions. "Uh… guys? We're gonna be sorta, kinda, maybe late…"

"H-Hello? E-Er… did I hear something about mailmen in here?"

"Hm?" Chris turned around to meet a black-haired boy with glasses around his height. Next to him stood a Grovyle and in his arms was a sleeping Growlithe. "Oh, hello there! Yes, Shione here was just talking about mailmen, is something wrong?"

The boy shifted uneasily, as if he couldn't find the words to respond to that. "Ah… um… er…"

The Grovyle groaned, smacking its face with its claw.

"I-I mean!" the boy straightened up. "I mean… t-that, are you all going to the school? That academy named… named, um, what was it? The League Academy? Something like that."

Chris clapped his hands in recognition. "Ah, you mean the Legendary League Academy? Yeah, we're all going there. You too?"

The boy seemed more relaxed now. "Y-Yeah. I'm Jacob Hale, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Christopher Kane," he replied, smiling. "Those guys over there are Shione, Carlos, and Rein. The pleasure's ours."

Ooh, I promised I'd get this chapter up quickly, but Star Trek interrupted me _

Carlos belongs to Arm-Flailing-Carlos/Carlos-sama/another name he may or may not use in the future, Rein belongs to Silverdragon98, Jacob belongs to StormRider2.0, and Chris belongs to XtremeBlaze.

Hope I portrayed the characters nicely enough!

Reisu, 5/25/13