Ch.22: Integration into the Academy! The Magic of Fun!

With his official, yet temporary acceptance into the Grandmaster's Magic Academy, Wes spent almost every waking hour fine-tuning and repurposing his old spells, as well as develop new ones along the way. His newfound popular skyrocketed once the entire academy realized he was the tournament winner at Gelid Peak. It felt like high school all over again, but better.

Even though he had his own room now, he often spent his free time with Krystal and Cosette, especially since he shares a few classes with one or both of them. He and Krsytal would chat away for hours while Cosette listened in the background, chirping in whenever her name was brought up.

There was an odd silence between Wes and Cosette. Though they've patched things up after their fight, it was still too awkward to call each other friends. Or at least, that was Cosette's perspective. She had enough trouble dealing with Krystal's exuberant energy, now she had to deal with two of them. Wes seemed to move on in strides, but Cosette couldn't help lingering on the less-than-kind things she said. It made for a bothersome bit of distraction from her studies.

She lingered around in her own head even as she and Wes left their magical transmutation class. Wes didn't notice, more interested playing with the black putty in his paw. He focused magic through his paw and caused the putty to rise and stiffen into an obelisk shape.

"Hey, I'm getting the hang of this," Wes commented. Not two seconds after, the putty melted back into a gloopy mess. "Ah nuts. I'm having trouble solidifying matter. Never did a whole lot of transmutation before, at least outside my own magic."

"Uh huh," Cosette mindlessly replied.

"Eh, doesn't matter too much. I want to focus on some of the other spells I've learned. That reminds me, you think you can help me out with some Spatial modifiers? I want to try something with my Magi Effingo spell later. I figured your expertise would benefit me."

"Uh huh."

"How about we find Krystal and see if she wants to do any sparring? I could use the practice with my new spells."

"Uh huh."

Wes squinted at the Cinccino, now noticing she was absent from the conversation. "Cosette? Cooooosette?" He pinched her ear and gave it a sharp tug.

"Yow!" Cosette batted his paw away and glared. "What?!"

"You good, Coco? You seemed lost in thought there."

Cosette huffed and looked away. "Don't concern yourself over me. I'm just…making a mental checklist of my plans for later. And don't call me Coco."

"Does that include the pizza party tonight?"

"The what now?"

Wes smirked. "I stopped by this morning and told Krystal we should have a little pizza party. No classes tomorrow, so I say we gorge and have some fun. Weren't you listening?"

Cosette sighed. "Mental checklist. And I might have to take a raincheck."

"Aww, come on. It won't be nearly as fun without you."

"I have no time for frivolous activity. My mind is strictly on improving myself into one of the most skilled magic users in Mysto. Wasting even a second cuts into my full potential."

Wes frowned. "Surely, you can spare an hour to hang out. What's the point of doing anything if it's all work and no fun? Sounds to me you're in need of a stress reliever."

Cosette scoffed. "I'm not stressed. I am perfectly capable of taking a break when needed. After all, running myself ragged in insufficient. That is why I require my full hours of sleep, uninterrupted," she added with a growl.

Wes covered his sheepish grin. "You still mad I came barreling into your dorm last week?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"But I was really excited to show you and Krystal that spell I was working on. I couldn't hold it in."

"Obviously," Cosette grumbled with an eye roll.

Wes huffed and nudged her in the shoulder. "Come on, what did I tell you about this being college and junk? You're free to do whatever you want and have some fun for a change. You don't need to bury yourself into your work twenty-four seven."

"As I said countless times, I am fine. I know what I'm doing and what needs to be done. My magical studies come first. I have to be perfect, flawless, calculated—"

"That sounds like a bit much, don't you think?" Wes asked.

"I conduct myself the way I want to, you conduct yourself the way you want to."

"But is that how you really think? After all, you seem to really like the cir—" Cosette pinched his lips shut and gave him the stink eye.

"Whatever you're thinking, and whatever you think you saw, isn't true. I am no clown. I am a prim, proper young woman studying the pinnacle of magic." Wes mumbled through his pinched lips. "Oh, don't give me that!" She removed her hand and wiped it across her robe.

"Hey, you two!" They turned and spotted Krystal waving them down. "Hurry up. I want to reserve spots at the training grounds. I've got some new moves to try out."

Wes grinned and raced over to her. "Right behind you, sister! Hurry up, Coco! We're burning daylight!"

Cosette rolled her eyes and followed at a brisk run. She felt something jostling out of her sleeve and stopped for a moment. Reaching in, she pulled out an envelope addressed to her. The flap was ripped open, but folded shut to keep the letter inside. Before class, she swung by the post office for mail and found the letter alongside a package. She had the packaged compressed and stashed away in her fur scarf, but kept the letter tucked away in her sleeve.

She skimmed the front of the envelope and frowned. She only read the first few lines of the letter, but she felt uneasy reading the rest. Something about it made her heart pound with an anxious beat, or her shoulders sag from the weights pulling down on her. That feeling whenever you get a paper back and it's covered in red ink comments? That. That was what it felt like when she opened the envelope.

"Cosette, hurry up!" her roommate called out to her, bringing her back to reality.

Cosette shook her head and tucked the envelope away. "I'm coming, don't rush me." She hurried after the pair, deciding to tuck the unease weighing on her to the back of her mind.

"Since you will be staying here, perhaps you can lend the students some wisdom."

Ever since Wes got accepted into the academy, Alex hasn't had much to do outside of roaming the campus for the fiftieth time. Cielo decided to make use of Alex's free time and appointed him as a guest professor for one of the magic-focused tracks. He figured Alex's experience on the road would be beneficial to the students.

Alex had his reservations with the offer, especially since he wasn't actually a teacher. He even wondered if his teaching degree as "Jonathan Geno" was real or not. How did the Shadow King even get a forged copy of a teaching degree, or did he somehow complete an entire training course to acquire it? Questions for another time, but the point was that Alex wasn't enthused with returning to his false life.

So, why did he agree to help out? Cielo made an offer he couldn't refuse—this or lending a hand with paperwork. It didn't take long for Alex to sway towards the teaching position.

He wandered the campus as students exited the buildings, reading over the schedule given to him. "Okay, Stillwave Building for the Magic Application Course. Substituting for professor due to an immediate leave of absence. Huh." He glared pensively at the sheet. "Cielo never explained why the professor had to leave so suddenly, especially now of all times. Eh, could be sick days." He stashed the sheet into his bag, then scanned the buildings once more.

His eyes landed on the Stillwave Building, which was built near the training grounds for recreational use. Alex inhaled, adjusted his tie, and marched toward the building with an air of professionalism. He nodded at any students that greeted him, bringing back old memories of his time in Quartz Plain.

Perhaps a part of him did miss teaching. Faked or not, the experience was real. With a clear mind and volition, he might finally see for himself what it felt like to be a professor. It eased the uncertainty in him just a little.

He entered the building and skimmed the doors for Room 233. It'll be fine, he told himself. I'm sure I can scrounge up what little I know as Jonathan Geno. Sure, I had no idea what I was doing, but I was doing it regardless. It's like riding a bike. You do it, stop doing it, do it again without realizing. Wait, I never rode a bike. Okay, bad example.

Before he could get sucked into his internal monologue, he spotted Room 233 through his peripherals. He took a deep breath, mindlessly playing with his tie, and pushed through the doors. I got this.

"Good morning, students!" Alex announced as he approached his desk. He stood before almost thirty students seated in the lecture-styled room, sitting above him in rows so they could all see him. Alex set his books down and adjusted his tie. "Due to your professor's leave of absence, I will be covering for your Magic Application Course. I am Professor Gen…I mean, Professor Ghostwind. Please be patient with me, as I am a bit rusty with my teaching. Let us prepare for a fulfilling afternoon of education and bonding."

From his memories as Geno, his classes adored him. Charming personality, enthusiasm towards teaching, and generally likeable. He was often recommended for his history classes. And yet, to Alex's confusion, he was met with dead air. He looked up at the students and saw they hardly flinched from his arrival, all either bored or giving him funny looks.

Ooookay, not what I expected, but I'll roll with it. Alex picked up a book and turned to the chalkboard. "I suppose we'll pick up where your professor left off. Applications toward using water magic in an arid environment? Ah, an interesting topic. Please open your textbooks to—"

"Hey, prof!" Alex stopped and glanced over his shoulder, spotting the Galarian Meowth that called him out. He grinned lazily and asked, "You don't have magic, do you?"

Alex turned and snapped the book shut. "No, I don't suppose I do."

"What's a magicless guy like you doing here, teaching us about magic?"

Alex raised his brow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Come on, you really think you can teach us anything about magic? How can some weakling like you know?" His classmates murmured in agreement.

Alex crinkled his brow. Ah yes, I forgot. This academy attracts the attention of some…entitled students. Garret told me plenty of that. He sighed and reopened the textbook. "I'd refrain from your slander, young man. I may not have magic, but you will find I'm the strongest being in this room."

Meowth's grin stretched. "Doubtful. Care to prove it?"

"I'm your professor at this moment. I'm not stooping to the level of an entitled brat." Perhaps not his best choice of phrasing, but Alex wasn't one to hold his tongue when miffed. "Now then, if we can continue, turn to page 86." He picked up his chalk and wrote on the board. "Water magic specialists obviously have a disadvantage fighting in predominantly hot environments. Conjuring water under these conditions can significantly reduce the size and power of a magician's ammunition. For example—"

Right as he started writing the next line, he recoiled from a horrible screeching sound coming off it. He dropped his book and staggered back, pounding the ringing out of his ear canal. He gasped at the large scrape across the board, then looked over his shoulder as the students broke out into laughter.

The hairy Meowth waggled his fingers and waved down at him. "Hope you don't run off like our last professor, prof."

Alex looked down at his piece of chalk and saw it had changed into some kind of gray rock, possibly granite. He evened his glare and looked straight up at the laughing students. It dawned on him why this was the only class Cielo assigned him to oversee. Question now was why?

Is this your idea of a sick joke, old man?

"Alright, I'm all set!" Krystal shouted as she finished her leg stretches. She, Wes, and Cosette changed into purple tracksuits which had the academy crest on the left side of the chest.

Wes finished rifling through his bag and ran over to the battlefield with a notebook in his teeth. He spat it onto the ground and flipped through the pages. "I took some notes on the new spells I've been working on. Still haven't gotten a handle of most of them, but I'm making progress."

Cosette played with her revolver's barrel and said, "What spells did you learn?"

"Well, I like to mix things up. You've got Compression magic down, and Krystal's pretty handy with explosives—"

"Ey!" Krystal cheered.

"—but I prefer mixing my magic. You could call me a jack-of-all-trades. I'm good at everything, but not a master at any one thing."

Cosette scoffed. "If I hadn't experience it for myself, I'd say you're a crackpot."

"Eh, don't worry, everyone calls me that." Wes stopped on a page and grinned. "Ah, here's the spell. I may need a moment to warm up, though."

Krystal stepped forward and rubbed her wings together. "Well, if it's alright with you, I want to try out some new bombs of mine. You'll find I've doubled my explosive arsenal to encompass all matter of kabooms and kaboom-related devastation."

"Ooh, exciting!" Wes picked up his notebook and shuffled over to Cosette's side.

Cosette rolled a compressed marble between her fingers. "Try not to blow someone up by accident…again."

Krystal laughed. "Oh, that won't happen! There's no one here but us!"

"I know. Don't blow me up."

Krystal skipped to the center of the field and clapped her wings together. "Stand back, comrades! You're about to witness true explosive power." She held her wings close together and channeled a current of magic within the space. A blue, crackling ball of energy shaped between her wings.

Wes and Cosette shuffled further away from the Delibird as she raised the spell over her head. Arcs of magic shot of and burned lines in the ground. Krystal bared her teeth as the energy shot through her body, causing her legs to tremble. Her wings tensed and curled over the bomb, forcing the excess magic to compress. It kept fighting against her, shooting off stray bolts pressurized by the compression.

Wes nearly got shot with one, but Cosette caught and compressed the bolt into her hand. Wes sighed. "Thanks, Coco."

"Stop calling me that."

Krystal finally compressed the energy down and shaped it into a smooth, spherical shape. She bounced it in her wing, then raised it for them to see. "Check it! Explosive magic with applications of Storm and Spatial. Disruptor Bomb!" She chucked the bomb at a wooden dummy.

The bomb burst against the dummy, releasing an energy wave that ripped the training equipment into burning fragments. Wes and Cosette ducked as some smoking debris flew over their heads.

"Woo!" They looked up and saw Krystal dancing in place. "How's that for some magic?"

Cosette rested her chin in her hand. "What? A glorified electric bomb? That's what you've been hyping us up for?"

Krystal folded her wings behind her back and teetered on her heels with a giddy smile. "Well, I can use the actual thing of my friends. The Disruptor Bomb interferes with electrical signals in the body. I learned about it from some medical magic books I found in the library, but I've got no time to learn that stuff. The Disruptor Bomb does the same thing, but for a briefer window of time and at a wider range."

"Cool!" Wes exclaimed. "You've been working hard."

Krystal waved it off and laughed. "Maybe, but I'm still learning to contain it. My knees keep locking up whenever I activate it. Still, better progress than that other bomb I've been working on. Cosette's been helping me with it, actually."

"Ooh, what?"

"A compression bomb! A wide range blast that pulls everything in like a black hole before releasing a ton of energy equal to the mass collected. Potentially, it could tear down a kingdom."

Cosette approached her, shaking her head. "I regret giving into your demands."

Krystal grinned. "You know you love me."

"Hush." Cosette flicked the marble in her hand and released the stray bolt into the burnt dummy. "Besides, I prefer the art of sleight of hand and deception in a fight. None of that flashy, grab-your-attention nonsense."

"So, not a clown, but a performer!" Wes exclaimed.

Cosette glared. "Are you still on that?" Wes only snickered in response. She groaned and pushed Krystal aside. "Well, if we insist on showing off, I might as well show what I've been working on."

Krystal joined by Wes' side and got behind the safety barrier. "I didn't even know there were so many different ways you could compress something."

"It's a matter of mixing the right spells," Cosette replied as she loaded her revolver. "Which reminds me…Ravenfield!"

Wes perked up. "Present!"

"I need you to fire that beam spell of yours at me. Your Mystic Beam."

"Are you sure?"

"Just do it."

Wes just shrugged and stepped out from the barrier. "Okay, if you insist." He inhaled and gathered a spiraling mass of magic in front of his face. "How powerful do you want this?"

"Enough to push me."

Wes grinned. "Not very specific, but okay."

Cosette holstered her revolver, then held her palms out. White aura appeared around her hands as she moved them in a circular motion. She inhaled, then spread her stance across the dirt. "Ready."

"Here it comes! Mystic Beam!" Wes whipped his head forward and fired.

Cosette focused as the beam drew nearer. She took a deep breath and, once she felt the heat of the beam fall in range, she twisted her arms and caught the beam in a white vortex between her hands. The front of the beam twisted into a drill-like shape being sucked into the vortex. The force didn't dissipate, pushing Cosette backward. It took considerable strength in her heels to keep her footing.

She wrestled with the beam as it snaked against her control. She felt the build up of energy between her hands, gradually increasing the strain rippling through her aura. She wanted to push herself to see how much she could take in, but she was reaching the maximum limit of how much she could compress at once.

"Okay, that's enough!" she yelled.

Wes cut off the beam, giving Cosette much needed reprieve. The beam stopped pushing into her, allowing her to absorb the last bit of it before closing her hands around the vortex. In an instantaneous flash, she transformed the vortex into a compressed marble that harmlessly bounced off the ground.

Cosette wiped her brow and fell onto her rear, panting from the overexertion. "First time I did that with a real attack."

"Whoa!" Krystal exclaimed, stepping forward. "You absorbed that whole beam?"

"Compressed, technically, but yes." Cosette picked herself up and dusted her tracksuit sleeves. "The state of matter of something greatly increases the time it takes me to compress something. In the case of this, magical energy would be pretty tricky, especially if being fired at me. So, that spell you saw acts as a defensive attack to compress any and all attacks thrown at me into a single compressed state." She sighed and patted her cheeks. "Downside, it takes a lot out of me right now."

"Still, that was impressive," Wes commented. "You really know your stuff."

Cosette waved his praise off. "Nothing too special." She picked up the compressed marble and stashed it in her fur scarf. "That's the kind of thing you learn here: pushing the limits of your magic to see how to apply spells in battle or any other situation. I'm just naturally gifted at learning."

"Man, I wish I had some of that ambition," Wes mumbled. He shook his head and grinned. "You must've been working your whole life to get this strong."

Cosette frowned and turned her gaze down to her feet. "Yeah. You're on point…"

Wes rubbed his paws together. "Welp, I've got some spells to show off. Watch and be amazed!" He marched to the center of the field.

Krystal approached Cosette and tugged on her sleeve. "You good, Cosette? You look gloomier than usual."

Cosette sighed and brushed her wing off. "I'm fine, just have some things on my mind."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"No. None of your business."

Krystal frowned. "Harsh."

"Alright ladies!" They turned and saw Wes stretching in the center. "I have to warn you, I haven't actually tested this spell yet, so this'll be my first test run."

The girls glanced at each other and knew what the other way thinking. Hide. Right now.

Cielo, alone in his office, paced in front of a mirror while stirring honey into his team. He paused for a moment to let out a harsh, throaty cough that nearly made him fall to his knees. He grabbed the edge of his desk and took a moment to catch his breath.

"I promised to see this through to the end," he grumbled as he pounded his chest. "If only I was ten years younger." He leaned back on his desk and sipped his tea, feeling the mixed honey clear his pipes and warm his chest. "Much better."

He sensed a disturbance from his mirror. Glancing through his peripherals, he saw the surface rippling with activity followed by a faint, humming green glow. He straightened up and approached the mirror, tapping it twice to let the image come through. A Gothitelle came through, and she appeared to be out in the middle of a foggy forest.

Cielo sipped his tea. "Cicely."

She nodded. "Hello to you, too, Master Cielo."

"Busy, I take it?"

"More or less. I'm in the Aqua Zone right now. Trying to control the infestation of the shadows' minions. A breed of shadow and Pokémon formed into one grotesque monster. Quite a horrific sight."

"You don't seem terribly amused."

"Perhaps I've grown apathetic to the situation, or perhaps I'm suppressing the fear of death to focus on the mission." She turned the hand mirror she was using and aimed it at a group of petrified shadow Pokémon, all incased in navy blue crystal. "Hopefully, they lose the will to fight by the time my spell ends."

"I'd be careful. Using that spell is taxing on the spirit."

Cicely smiled dryly. "I've only used it for large groups, do not fret. Still, with the added assistance of those witches, finding willing subjects won't be difficult for them. How tragic they practice the noble art of recycling on the dead. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these monsters were already corpses."

Cielo glared. "The Tribe of Shadows is stepping up their game. They use the regular shadows to search and cause fear, then they use their monsters to act as the attacking force. Killing the Shadow King would put an end to this nightmare, but—"

"He is still alive."

"Morgan Tenebris' final act only stalled the Shadow King's rise to power. We don't know the current state of his spirit, but Tenebris bought us time. Who knows what happened in these last several months? My vision of the prophecy still foretells his rise. How is the question."

He watched Cicely scan the forest before saying, "Speaking of, I got a message recently from Medusa. Flint Ravenfield and Gwyn Belladonna have arrived at the Oasis Zone, accompanied by two others."

"Do you plan on returning to greet them soon?"

"Hard to say. I want to be extra sure the Aqua Zone is secured for another wave of attacks. Things are getting out of hand out here, you know. The Storm and Fire Zones are a mess, there are bandits running amuck, and I don't even want to talk about the rioting going down in the towns. A part of me just wants to give the kids the keys."

Cielo sighed. "Believe me, I know, but we need to be sure they're ready. I'm in the midst of preparing Wes Ravenfield for his test, and Seth will be awaiting the arrival of Ella Cipher. The whereabouts of Everfall are unknown, though I have been hearing rumors about a particular storm mage running rampant in the Storm Zone."

"Sapienti? What makes you so sure?"

"Leroy, obviously. He told me he's been watching Sapienti during his isolation, but not much else." Cielo pinched between his eyes. "At this point, with the acquired keys missing, we should use to time to nurture their strengths."

"Medusa said she wants to try something with Belladonna." Cicely paused for a moment, pondering something. "Master, about the idol…"

"Yes?"

"No pureblooded mortal can wield that power without it driving them mad, or even killing them, right?"

"That's how the stories go."

"What do you suppose would happen if a half-god were to use it?"

Cielo set his mug down and stroked his chin, intrigued by her observation. "Hmm, a half-god, you say? Well—" He stopped as the mirror rippled again. "Seems we're getting another call." He tapped the surface, connecting a Zoroark through. "Seth, you're looking well."

The fox seemed to be laying on top of some rocks, with the mirror laying against something near him. Cielo and Cicely could hear horrific screeching in the background, followed soon by lacerations and screams. Seth paid it no mind as he drummed his fingers on a flat, black construct with buttons and symbols scattered over the surface.

He turned to the mirror and grinned. "Hey-o, Master Cielo. And Cicely, lovely to see you, too."

Cicely huffed. "What is it, Seth?"

"My curious mind felt a disturbance, as if someone were having an intellectual conversation without me. I just had to join in."

"Not creepy at all," Cicely muttered.

Cielo sighed. "It is nothing, Seth. Has Ms. Cipher arrived to perform her test yet?"

"Not yet. Just been me out here with the occasional monster. Two, maybe six dozen every other day. Hard to say, I lost track. Kind of boring, actually." Seth rolled onto his side and yawned. "I have gotten into contact with Randolph and Calder recently. They're holding their own just fine, though they've been saying things are getting hectic. I don't think the region can handle another three months of this. Society is crumbling as we speak."

"Have you acquired any information we can use?" Cielo asked.

"Hmm, information?" Seth picked his ear with his pinky claw, then blew on it. "I did manage to wrestle something out of a monster, though it was mostly garbled nonsense."

"Well, out with it," Cicely said.

Seth glared. "There's a chance the Shadow King is awake."

Cielo scrunched his wrinkly face into a glare. "Are you certain?"

"I said a chance, right? I could only get so much out of a rambling blob of goo. However, if he is awake, he's not at full strength. That seal Morgan used to contain him did a whole lot more than seal him away temporarily. I researched everything I could about it. Even if the Shadow King broke free, and assuming he's now possessing Morgan's corpse, a huge chunk of his magic and power is still being contained. Morgan had to perform the seal in a haste, so it wasn't perfect, but it's massive handicap. Based off what little data I have, if all the ten mages were to gang up on him, we'd have an 87% chance of victory."

"Hmm." Cielo stroked his chin. "That's assuming he's still weak."

"Of course, with his vast resources and anything I can't account for, it's not a reliable number." Seth sat up. "The Idol of Origin, if wielded by one of the kids, would be a guaranteed victory. Wiping out the Shadow King should dispel all the shadows. Right now, it's just a scavenger hunt until the last team makes it to the finish line."

Cicely huffed. "Perhaps I should shorten my journey and head back to the Oasis Zone. Ravenfield and Belladonna need to be there by the time everyone else arrives."

Cielo shook his head. "No, continue with your estimated route. The shadows are primarily running amuck because they need to find the missing keys. It's been months. The Warrior of Darkness is avoiding them."

"Anything you want me to do?" Seth asked.

"See if you can extrapolate more information from the monsters. We need as much info on the Shadow King as we can get."

"Heh, I'll see what I can—" Seth and Cicely gasped as Cielo hunched over and coughed into his fist. Drips of blood sprayed onto his hand. "Yikes."

Cicely frowned. "Master Cielo, you should get some rest."

"Bah. I am fine." He straightened up. "I'll keel over when I'm good and ready."

Cicely sighed. "If you say so. I should continue on route."

"I'll see about that information, chief," Seth said half-jokingly. He frowned and added, "Seriously, don't push yourself. You'll want to be here when we reclaim our region."

Cielo wiped his mouth and laughed. "Yes, I suppose so. Contact me once you've found something, or if you've intercepted Team Ravenfield." He waved his hand over the mirror, ending the call.

Cielo stumbled into an armchair and took a moment to catch his breath. Perhaps it's time I look into someone succeeding me as the headmaster. He smirked to himself. Everything I do is to nurture the next generation. The successors of our futures. How can I die without seeing them take that next step?

"Despite the arid temperatures of the Desert Zone, sources of water can be traced deep beneath the sand," Alex explained, writing on the board with a new piece of chalk. "This water originates from the Swamp Zone, where underground streams connect deep below the surface. Even today, we're still finding untapped springs waiting to be discovered. Water mages can make use of these streams through a process of divination, allowing them to—"

Alex's lecture was cut off by a loud, deliberately obnoxious snore. Alex closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and glanced over his shoulder. He singled out the Galarian Meowth as the culprit, though nearby classmates snickered and feigned sleep as well. Admittedly, it was the least annoying part of the class period.

Through the hour, Alex dealt with a number of their pranks. One student casted a minor ice spell to send literal chills up his spine and cause him to chatter through his lecture. Another one had the brilliant idea to rearrange the letters written out on the chalkboard. What was once an explanation on the Desert Zone's symbiosis with the Swamp Zone became a list titled 'Professors Who Actually Know What They're Talking About'. It seemed a Professor Wiggleton was the preferred choice. And how could Alex forget his textbook being transmuted into lead? It took a lot of convincing to undo that.

The students certainly had talent, but focused in the wrong direction.

"By all means, continue to waste time in class," Alex announced. "It's only your education that's at risk."

The Meowth opened one eye and grinned. "Maybe instead of lecturing us, you should give us a demonstration. Oh…wait, never mind, you can't." He threw his head back and laughed, joined by most of classmates. Alex did point out a few that rolled their eyes and stayed out of their mirthful joke.

Alex sighed. "How have any of you not been expelled from the academy if this is how you treat your professors?"

"Probably because they're worth listening to," Meowth retorted. "They're actually teaching us magic. We've been here for weeks now, and haven't learned a single spell. It's just stupid, basic information any preschooler could spout. Gee, water mages have trouble in hot climates? No shit, they do."

Alex shook his head. "Perhaps if you'd pay attention, I could go into more detail than what this textbook could offer."

"Yeah, like I'm taking advice from some magicless nobody."

Alex closed the textbook and set it aside for a moment. He pinched between his eyes and said, "I'm not here to prove who knows best, but let me be frank. You brats have nothing on the experience I've accumulated over my lifetime, and that is nothing compared to what my fiancé could do. Surely, you're all aware there are Pokémon without magic that can perform extraordinary feats, yes?"

Meowth rolled his hand dismissively. "Well sure, that's all very impressive for a normal Pokémon, but…no matter how strong they get, it's not compared to what a fully trained magician can do. What's some fancy martial art going to do against an unbreakable barrier? What's some fancy footwork compared to supernatural speed? Oh, you can break boulders with your fists? Very cute. I can rearrange their molecular structure with a snap of my fingers."

Alex glared. "The point of this class is to teach you the pros and cons of applying magic into any event. That goes double for confrontations." He leaned on his desk, fingers curling into the wood. "Regardless of your vast potential, there are some struggles not even a powerful magician can prepare for."

"And how many magicians have you defeated that you would consider powerful?"

He almost let his mouth run, but he bit on the inside of his cheek to refrain from speaking. Perhaps as Geno, he was more composed in dealing with difficult students. As Alex, as a freeborn fighter, he never knew restraint. Why was he letting himself sink to some entitled brat's level? What did he have to prove? Alex knew how strong he was.

But a powerful magician he faced and defeated? He fought plenty of magic users, no question, but someone that had a deep mastery of the art? He didn't find many of those out in the open. No bandit he faced ever dedicated their time to mastering it, only knowing a few powerful and resourceful spells for easy victories.

Then he looks back at his old team and ponders the question further. Of the original Team Ravenfield, there was Ava, Morgan, and Garret who knew magic. Has he ever legitimately beaten them in a fight? Sure, they've had plenty of sparring matches where he had the upper hand, but were those actual fights? In fact, the only legitimate fight he had was with Garret…

…The day he left the team and set himself on course to bring back the Shadow King.

The fight felt like a blur to Alex. Attacks were thrown, spells were casted. He tried his hardest to overpower Garret and did get some impressive hits in, but Garret came out on top in the end. Even in their rematch when he was possessed and amped up, Garret still overcame the odds, even if it costed his life.

Alex closed his eyes and growled. Why am I getting worked up over this? I know how strong I am. Garret valued me for my strength. The fact we were so closely matched proves I'm not weak. He dug his fingers into the desk. And yet, in strength of character, was I…?

Alex snapped out of his thoughts as his hands sunk into the table. With all his weight leaning on the desk, he tumbled forward and fell into the melted pile of goo that was once wood. He lifted himself and wiped his face while his students bellowed with laughter. He cleared his eyes and glared at the Meowth, who was tracing a magic circle with his finger.

"Oh sorry, did I interrupt something?" he asked, not even hiding his mockery.

Would it be wrong to punch a child? Alex sighed and picked himself up. He wiped the goop off his suit and said, "Seeing as how we have five minutes left, perhaps we'll call it quits for today. Be sure to review the material for next class and—" He frowned as the students got up and poured out of the class without so much as a goodbye. "Right." He rolled his eyes and bent down to pick up his belongings.

"Uh, Professor Ghostwind?" He looked up to three students standing in front of his melted desk. A Ledian, a Swoobat, and a Gogoat. The Swoobat was perched atop the Gogoat's head. The Ledian cleared his throat and said, "We're sorry if we did anything to offend you."

They were the students Alex picked out that didn't join in the class' torment. He shook his head and picked up his textbook. "You three did nothing wrong." He huffed and shook off the wooden slime from the cover. "Does this sort of thing happen all the time?"

"Our last professor kind of had enough and took some vacation time off," Swoobat admitted. "Here, let me take care of that." She flapped her wings at the desk, sprinkling powdered magic over it. In seconds, the desk reformed into its old shape, collecting up all the gunk from Alex's belongings.

He smiled and stood up. "Well, thank you for that. Transmutation magic?"

She blushed and covered her face. "Y-Yeah. I'm still learning the basics. I'm not as good as Glenn."

"Glenn?"

"That loudmouthed Meowth," the Gogoat answered.

"A name to a face. I may need to have a word with the headmaster. He obviously stuck me here for a reason." Alex put his stuff away and slung his bag over his shoulder. "This is my only class of the day, so I'll be off."

"Oh, in that case!" Ledian stepped in front of Alex and pressed his hands together pleadingly. "I could use some advice."

"Advice?"

"I'm actually practicing water magic. Do you have any tips on how I could improve?"

Alex sighed and scratched behind his head. "I don't know what I could offer. I don't have magic," he added with a clear mocking tone.

Ledian laughed. "I don't want to be responsible for another professor running off."

"Neither do we," Swoobat and Gogoat joined in.

"If anything, maybe you can tell me where I need improvement. Please?"

Alex blinked at the ladybug, taken aback, but smiled. "Heh. How can I refuse a student's request? Tell you what, meet me at the training grounds around six and I'll see what I can do."

Ledian grinned. "Oh, thank you, Professor!"

"Can we come, too?" Gogoat asked. Swoobat covered her face and nodded in agreement.

Alex nodded. "Sure. The more, the merrier. You three get going now. Don't want to run late to your next class or anything."

"Thank you, Professor!" They hurried out the door.

Alex shuffled out of the classroom, scratching behind his head with an amused grin hanging from his face. "The joy of learning. Never gets old. All of them have it, but it's misguided." He glared ahead, but wore a confident smile. "I guess I'll have to kick it up a notch."

After any training session, it was expected that the battlefield would get torn up from some newly learned spells or tests of power between students. In many cases, it was the result of misguided target practice, which Krystal and Cosette learned the hard way after narrowly avoiding Wes' attempts to aim his newest spell.

Lines were cut into the battlefield and traveled all the way to equipment shacks, which were bisected down the middle. Several training dummies either had their heads lobbed off or their middles sliced in two. An awning by the rest area collapsed over the benches after a support pole was cut off. Even the cage that surrounded their rented space had links severed and diced into pieces, leaving a noticeable flap hanging off the gate.

Krystal and Cosette finally looked up from behind the protective barrier, ironically the one thing Wes hadn't accidentally hit. They watched the Umbreon as he sat on the ground and presumably pondered his missteps.

Cosette voiced her concerns with, "He's going to get someone killed, I know it."

"Well, he hasn't yet," Krystal said with a weak smile.

"I should've expected he would turn to more complicated spells. Why couldn't he work on something with a bit more emphasis on technique rather than a death blade?"

"Hey!" Wes yelled upon hearing her comment. "I got this, don't worry! Just a minor setback."

"You call this a minor setback?" Cosette asked, gesturing to the destroyed battlefield.

Wes waved her off, then stood up. "Don't worry, I got it this time."

Cosette gingerly pushed Krystal's head down, then herself. "I should've written a will when I had the chance."

Wes took a deep breath, then held his paws out vertically parallel to each other. Sparks of magic traveled down his forelegs and surged between the pads of his paws. Once a stronger current traveled between them, he moved his paws in circulars motions as if he was kneading the air.

A vortex of magic gathered with the motions, shaping into a flat, spinning disc with the edges fraying like worn curtains. Sparkles of white moved with the magic like shooting stars. The disc, as it steadily grew in size, resembled a mini galaxy forged by Wes' paws.

Once it was at the right size, Wes held it over his head, using a single digit to keep the disc spinning. He stood on his hindlegs, wobbling briefly, and aimed for the single dummy that hadn't been lacerated by his earlier attempts. With his tongue sticking out, eyes narrowed on target, and foreleg reared back, he threw his weight forward and flung the disc.

"Rift Splitter!"

The spiraling disc sailed with the grace of a stone skimming the surface of the water. Currents of air ripped to pieces just to not impede the path of the flying saucer. No air resistance could slow it down, or even reach the spell. It sailed at its own leisure, intending to cut anything that got in its way. It seemed it would reach its mark.

Then, for the umpteenth time that afternoon, the spell boomeranged away from the dummy and arced over Wes' head, much to his confusion. He tilted his head and watched its new course with bated breath before it cut through the caged fence behind him. It sawed through every link before hitting the concrete and digging down halfway before dissipating.

Krystal and Cosette pulled themselves out of hiding to see the newfound damage. They looked to Wes, who stared at it unfazed. He exchanged glances with the girls, looking between them and the damage a few times.

After a moment of silence, he exclaimed, "One more time!"

"No!" Cosette stood up and marched over to him. "Ravenfield, for our sake and the sake of the staff who'll have to clean this all up later, no more! At all! Please!"

Wes frowned. "Aww, but I think I'm getting closer—"

"You really aren't!"

Krystal bolted to them and slapped her wing over Cosette's mouth. "What she means to say is that your aim could use a little improvement, that's all."

Cosette peeled her wing off. "That's what I was saying."

"Not really."

Wes laughed and waved their concerns off. "Relax, I get what you two mean. I admit, I still need to work on my aim. I've been so busy with some other spells that I might have skipped the lesson on spatial guiding. Man, I never realized how complicated Spatial magic was."

Cosette sighed. "Well, if I can offer any praise, you definitely have manifestation down. You have to remain consciously aware of the space your spell is taking up when you use it. You're not just dealing with the physical realm now. Spatial magic, the higher tiers, can affect even the alternate dimensions of Mysto. You wouldn't want to rip a permanent hole through that space by accident."

"Fair enough." Wes pulled out his notebook and scribbled some notes down. "Practice…aim, got it." He stashed it away, then looked around the battlefield, only now realizing the damage he caused. "Yeesh, maybe that is enough for today." He clapped his paws together. "Well, leaves me more time to plan that pizza party. Woo, woo!"

"Woo, woo!" Krystal cheered.

"You still have a class later," Cosette grumbled.

Wes frowned. "Ooh, right, forgot about that. Wait, do you have class?"

"No, I'm done for the day. I'll be heading back to the room and—"

"Great!" Wes shoved a card into her hands. "You can order the pizza for us! Ten boxes should do."

Cosette's eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

"Don't worry, you can use my card. Just order the pizzas and make sure they're there by the time Krystal and I get back."

"H-Hang on, I'm not ordering your—"

"Ah shoot, I better get moving." Wes dashed over to and scooped up his bag before racing out of the sparring field. "Bye Krissy! Bye Coco!"

"I did not agree to this!" Cosette yelled. "And stop calling me—and he's gone." She sighed and slapped her cheek. "He's so annoying."

Krystal chuckled as she went over and picked up their bags. "He's just still on a high from being here. This is pretty much his dream school."

"He does know the world outside this dimension is in turmoil, right?"

Krystal shrugged. "He does, but I think he's trying not to think about it too much. After all, what else should he be thinking about? Are his friends and family okay? Will Mysto fall? Will the shadows destroy everything he holds dear? He's going through the motions and trying to stay positive."

Cosette rolled her eyes. "A little too positive."

Krystal laughed and handed Cosette her bag. "Plus, this was a present from his father."

Cosette blinked, then lowered her gaze as a chill passed through her. "A gift, huh?"

"You do what you want. I'm not going to push you to loosen up like Wes has, but he would appreciate it if you joined in." Krystal hid her smirk. "Don't think I'm not aware of those looks you've been giving whenever we're talking. A part of you does want to join in."

Cosette's ears flopped over her face. "I…"

"I'll see you after class. Oh, and don't forget to order those pizzas for Wes." Krystal headed off, waving.

Cosette weakly waved back, then looked at Wes' student ID and his big, dopey, smiley picture. It seemed strange to run into someone so paradoxically talented, yet unbelievably dim that could incite a reaction from her. Funny since he reminded her so much of her…

She reached inside her bag and pulled out the envelope. She wanted to get rid of it, just to be done with the heartache, but she couldn't bring herself to tear it up. Keeping herself busy with work was the only thing she could do, no different to how Wes tried to stay positive. He had a family he cared about, and he was focusing his attention on getting stronger so he could protect them.

When it came to family, she envied Wes Ravenfield for having a stable, supporting home life.