"Mr. Holbrook, please wait for a moment," said Professor Werner.

Liam froze halfway to the door of the Tactics classroom. With a resigned sigh, he waved to Mori and Vasilio and walked back to Professor Werner's desk, where the teacher was grading the quizzes he and his classmates had just turned in.

"This isn't about the quiz," said Werner, without looking up. "Please, sit down."

Liam pulled over a nearby chair and sat down across from Professor Werner, waiting for him to finish his work. He knew better than to express any impatience—Werner operated at his own methodical pace, and no student was going to set that pace for him. Finally, Werner set down his pencil and put away the quizzes in his grading tray.

"Mr. Choi has just informed me that due to his senior service project, he will be unable to commit to any further leadership responsibilities in Team Virtue for the rest of this semester. I've been expecting this for some time, and I understand his reasons. This means that, beginning this week, you have seniority within Team Virtue. Congratulations."

"Uh, thanks," said Liam. "What does… that mean?"

Werner gave a grim smile.

"It means I'll be expecting even more of you during the next quarter. I think it's time we turn our focus away from battling and back to the fundamental principles of the School of Virtue. You will assist me in instructing the younger initiates."

"Okay," said Liam.

He sensed that Werner still hadn't reached his point.

"I want you to read this," said Werner, setting a weathered copy of The Analects on the desk between them. "Study the sayings of Grandmaster Kong. Meditate on the ideals of the School of Virtue. Don't try to apply them to battle. Start with the essentials. On Thursday, I want you to be ready to explain The Analects' most important passages to the other initiates."

Liam gave a heavy sigh.

"Professor Werner, I have a test in PokeChem that day. I'm not gonna have time to—."

"Then read it tonight," said Werner in his gravelly voice. "Focus on the first ten chapters. It's not a long book."

"I'll try," said Liam, taking the book and putting it carefully into his canvas messenger bag.

"Do better than that," growled Werner.

"I see Jacob has you reading The Analects," said Professor Shrike.

"Yeah," said Liam. "I'm supposed to read the first ten chapters in the next two days. I don't know if that's gonna happen."

Professor Shrike smiled.

"You know, if you really want to understand The Analects, you need to read them in context," Shrike pointed out. "Not to give you more homework, but I've got a book on the Spring and Autumn Period on my shelf. Let me grab it for you."

Liam liked Professor Shrike. She was the youngest teacher in the high school, with black hair, high cheekbones, and an ironical arch to her right eyebrow. She wore bright red lipstick, and a different dress shirt and tie every today. Today, her tie was bright blue with a Manectric pattern.

"Here you go."

She set a thick book titled Social Crisis and Pokemon Philosophy in the Spring and Autumn Period on Liam's desk.

"That's… long," Liam observed.

"You don't have to read it cover to cover," Professor Shrike explained. "Most history books don't work like that. Check the table of contents or the index, and just read the parts that are helpful. Good luck."

"Thanks," said Liam.

He put the book in his bag on top of Werner's book. This was becoming quite the project.

"How long is it until break, anyways?" asked Liam as he flipped through The Analects.

Liam had caught the first bus back to New Court with Vasilio, Mori, and the others. He usually was in no hurry to get home, but with all the reading Werner and Shrike had piled onto him, he figured he needed an early start.

"Check the calendar in your student handbook," suggested Vasilio.

Mori, who had already wormed her way into an open seat, gave a snort.

"Yeah, like Liam carries around his student handbook," said Mori. "Fall break is—."

"Wait," interrupted Vasilio. "Liam has never seen Liz do the thing. Hey Liz, we need your expertise."

"Hmm?"

Liz had been standing near the back of the bus, chatting with some older students.

"Liam wants to know when our next break is."

"Aha," said Liz, her eyes lighting up. "Listen and learn, young Mr. Holbrook."

Liz pushed her way to the part of the bus where Vasilio and Liam were standing.

"This is the Year of the Tauros," Liz began. "So the New Year began on… January 26th. That means Mid-Autumn Festival falls…"

She counted on her fingers.

"...during National Holiday, aka fall break. Tough luck for all of us."

"So how does that answer my question?" said Liam.

"National Day holiday always starts on October 1st," Liz explained. "It's one of the only holidays that doesn't run on the lunar calendar. Mid-Autumn Festival usually comes before National holiday, but this year it's late. So National holiday's our next break."

Vasilio and Mori gave Liz a mock applause as she made an exaggerated curtsey.

"Liz is the only foreigner I've ever met that has a working lunar calendar in her head," said Vasilio. "She likes to show it off when she gets a chance."

"Okay, I get that," said Liam. "But, uh… when is October 1st?"

Mori rolled her eyes.

"Next Thursday, dork," she said, flicking Liam's unusually hard on the thigh. "And speaking of which… how's it going with the parental authorities, Vasi?"

Vasilio grimaced.

"I'll walk back with you today and work on your dad again. I think I'm close."

Mori laughed.

"Good luck," she said as she put her headphones on.

"You're lucky you can't read," said Liam as he stroked his Espeon's fur. "Because if you can, people never stop giving you new things to read, and then you never have free time again."

It was late, and Liam was lying on the bottom bunk of his bed, reading by his bed lamp. His Murkrow was dozing on his bookshelf. Sneasel was perched on the top bunk, its eyes following the distant lights of passing cars outside the darkened window. He had made it through the first five chapters of The Analects, with occasional references to the history book Professor Shrike had given him. It turned out to be an interested read, not least since Werner had left several decades worth of notes in the margins. But now, all the words were blurring together, and Liam found himself fantasizing about a long night's sleep.

His PokeGear buzzed.

Blue or green?

It was Orchid. Liam smiled to himself as he typed back his reply.

Green sounds good.

His PokeGear buzzed again.

Okay.

Liam chuckled. Orchid wasn't much more talkative by text than she was in person. Still, he was glad to be going to Winter Ball with her. Vasilio, Mori, Chelsea, and just about everyone else had been quizzing him about his feelings for Orchid ever since she had asked him to the Ball. He tried to be honest.

"Orchid's cute," he had told Mori. "And you'd like her if you got to know her."

"That sounds like you want my approval," Mori retorted.

Liam laughed.

"I'm not there yet. I'm not saying I never will be. I don't even know if she… I'm taking it as it comes."

Liam had been impressed by his own level-headedness. Mori was still suspicious. He couldn't blame her. His record with girls was against him.

His PokeGear buzzed again.

Goodnight.

Liam snapped The Analects shut and set the book on his shelf. He had read enough to know getting to bed on time would have been a virtue to Grandmaster Kong. Ancient Pokemon philosophy could wait until tomorrow. Liam picked up his PokeGear one more time.

Goodnight, Orchid.

He set his alarm, nudged Espeon to move over, and closed his eyes.