"Alright. Now that we have all the supplies we could ever need…" Kitty glanced over towards her Emboar, who was already enjoying himself by eating some berries straight out of her bag. "If FEFNIR doesn't eat all of our supplies…"

Fefnir paused and glanced over his shoulder, his cheeks puffed out from his mouth being full.

The other four Pokemon glared at him sarcastically, while Kitty put away her Rotom phone, looking around the area. "Now we find the East gate of Mesagoza and head for Levincia. Then Zapapico." She huffed and SNATCHED her bag away from her Emboar. Once we finally get to Zapapico, it's a walk to Tagtree Forest…"

She frowned as she zipped up her bag, a far off look in her eyes. "...the sooner I get answers…the sooner this can all just…end."

"...excuse me?"

Kitty paused and looked over, seeing the quiet girl she had met just the day before. "O-Oh! Hi Penny!" She picked up her Sprigatito and turned to face the girl. "Sorry about yesterday…that other girl kinda…frazzled me."

Penny shook her head slightly. "No…no that's alright. I've heard Nemona has deterred a lot of other students…I don't blame you." She looked to the side for a moment, looking like she was debating with herself. She finally slowly approached the girl and her Pokemon.
"Um…I don't mean to pry…but…did I overhear you talking with a younger student yesterday?" The girl asked quietly. "You were talking about…a Team Star member…"

Kitty blinked at Penny's question, looking confused. "...Team Star?...O-Oh! You…you mean Atticus?"

Penny now looked like she had all her attention on Kitty…
…so this girl DID know Atticus…
"...are…you a Team Star member?" she asked, glancing very slightly at the girl's attire. Penny was pretty sure she already knew the answer, since this girl was from Alola and not a student of Uva…

…but if this girl wasn't a member…it was possible that…she could help her…

"Oh…I…" Kitty glanced to the side for a moment, reflecting over Atticus' last letter to her.

I am apart of a union that will stand against these miscreants and stand firm against their folly. Team Star is what we call ourselves, and we are about to take a stand against all those who take pleasure in bringing other students down with their evil words and actions.

"No…no I'm not…" Kitty looked back towards Penny, rubbing her Sprigatito's head gently. "...They sound interesting though."

"...Interesting?" Penny looked confused by this girl's answer. It made sense for her not to understand Team Star's origins or the stench they had to the academy due to the…incident. But…'interesting'?

"Sounds like you guys want to be APART of Team Star!"

Both Kitty and Penny looked over to the right as two students approached them with wide grins on their faces. They wore simple white and purple outfits with white helmets on their heads…
…with star shaped glasses.

Kitty glanced towards Penny for a moment…before she glanced towards her team. It looked like all four of her veteran Pokemon were looking at the new arrivals like they were the strangest people they had ever seen.
Even though Alola had TEAM. SKULL. back home…

…maybe it was because of their bias towards Guz-...

Kitty looked back towards the new arrivals, watching them approaching her and Penny.

"You both are new students to Uva right?" one of the team star member asked, grinning. "Why not join Team Star and be apart of the best group in Paldea?"

"Oh…I'm not a student here." Kitty put a hand up sheepishly. "I'm from Alola…I'm just here to find a friend and try to clear something up."

"All the way from Alola huh?" the second member asked, putting his hands on his hips. "I'm sure the bosses wouldn't be adverse to having an abroad member!"

Kitty looked spooked and hesitated. "...that's…" She wasn't quite sure how to approach that one. Really all she wanted was to find Atticus, smooth things over, and get back to Alola. She wasn't on AS much borrowed time as she was when she first came to Paldea…but she only had two or three months before the next Island Challenge.

The last thing she wanted to do was displease Tapu Koko by not being at her post when she was expected. She was pretty darn sure she already displeased him by coming here on a mission not approved by Kahuna Hala…

"Don't you get it? If you either of you join Team Star, you can shine as bright as anybody!" The first Star member pipped up, a wide grin on her face.

Kitty was silent for a moment, glancing towards Penny. The girl was looking away and was extremely silent. For some reason it looked like she had a lot on her mind…
After another brief moment of silence, Kitty glanced towards her Pokemon. It didn't look like they seemed too terribly impressed, but knowing them, they would go with whatever their trainer decided to do.

Really…this could prove useful…but…at the same time…

"Seriously, what's with you two?" The second team star member asked, looking slightly irritated that they had not received an answer from either of these two girls yet. "Don't you guys want to burn bright with awesome friends like us?"

Kitty was silent, thinking about her friends back at Alola. She honestly barely talked to them and she GREW UP with them. They had their own lives and dreams…she on the other hand had been determined to put her brother in his place.

…really, Kitty didn't consider herself apart of their friend group, even though they talked plenty of times…

…to be apart of a friend group in Paldea…and have a long distance relationship friendship…

…it would be too easy to be shadowed once again…

"...Not really." finally came Penny's answer. When Kitty glanced over towards the red and blue haired girl, she was refusing to make eye contact with these other students…
…it was like she didn't want to be apart of a group either.

"Look." one of the star members seemed to get irritated with the two girls and their prolonged silence. "We've got a quota we're supposed to fill with new members. So just sign up already!"

Penny kept looking down. "...um…I'd rather not…"

Kitty took a step back at the tone change from the star members. Joining had SOUNDED tempting…but now there was a bite to their offer…
…it felt off honestly…

"Quota?" Kitty echoed, looking confused. "...who puts a quota on friends?"

"What?" came the reply from the star members.

Penny glanced towards Kitty very slightly.

"...Well I mean…" Kitty took a step up, motioning towards her pokemon. "Honestly from what I'm hearing, your team is centered around friendship…but you're putting a quota on how many new friends you're making?" She paused and continued. "...what about the friends you currently have? Wouldn't the quality of your friendship be more important than having a mass number?"

"Hey do you guys need a hand?"

At the sound of a new voice entering the conversation, the group looked over seeing a young girl around the age of 15 slowly walking over, glancing from Penny and Kitty, towards the Team Star members, and then back again.

"Are these guys harassing you two?" the girl asked.

"Oh- Oh no," Kitty put up a hand. "They just want us to join their group. It's flattering really."

"You want in on this too?" one of the star members asked the new arrival. "If you want to sing up, we'll get you next. We've nearly got these two in the bag!"
"We're Team Star kid! We burn so bright it hurts to look at us!" the other star member preened. "But you knew that right?"

The new girl glanced at Penny and Kitty, but looked back towards the star members. "Actually…I've never heard of you guys." she replied truthfully.

"UGH! Another ignorant little nobody!" One of the star members grumbled. "Here I'm finally apart of Team Star and I STILL get no respect? I gotta work my way up the ranks…"

"What did you say?" Kitty looked stunned at the Star member's words. "Did you just…call this girl a 'nobody'?"
That can't be right…Atticus said…Team Star was AGAINST bullying…

"Of course! Anyone who turns their nose on the honor of Team Star is in for it!" one of the members shot back.
"We've got no choice then. Looks like we'll have to battle to show them." the other member muttered.
"Right! You keep an eye on four eyes and Pokemon center over there!" The first member turned towards the new arrival. "I'm going to make sure this fresh faced nobody is left seeing stars!"

"Wait WHAT?!" Kitty took a step up. "That's not-"
"Hold on." The new girl glanced at Kitty and smiled. "I'm willing to battle her."

"...but…"

The girl gave her a thumbs up and looked back towards the two team star members. Kitty watched the girl take out a Sprigatito, while the team star member took out a Paldean Pokemon that she hadn't seen-

…wait.

Kitty tilted her head and studied the girl's Sprigatito…and then proceeded to look towards her own Sprigatito in her arms.

It looked like Lilly had a lighter shade of green than the other Sprigatito…maybe she wasn't feeding the kitten properly. Shaking off her musings, she watched the Pokemon battle start, but found herself glancing towards Penny.

"Hey…you were asking me earlier if I was a member of Team Star…" Kitty muttered softly towards Penny, earning her attention. "I…had been under the impression…that Team Star was against bullying…and yet…"

Kitty glanced back towards the battle, where Sprigatito had easily won against team Star's pokemon. "...and yet…I find myself confused…"

"...that's how it started truthfully." Penny finally answered quietly. "Team Star isn't…BAD…but…they've forgotten what they used to stand for…"

"Urgg! How'd a little nobody like you get so good at battling?!" the team star member who had been battling asked.

The other girl shook her head slightly. "Honestly?...I only started battling today…"

"Pero Bueno! What do you think you're doing?!"

All in the group turned to watch yet ANOTHER arrival to the little pow-wow going on- only for Kitty to wince sharply and duck behind Fefnir. The Emboar blinked and gave his trainer a spooked look, before looking back towards the new arrival.

Harpuia already recognized this girl. Nemona…the battle hungry irritance of yesterday. Greeaaat, now they'd have to SNEAK past this girl if they wanted to get out of Mesagoza WITHOUT taking a trip to a Pokemon Center.

Luckily it looked like Nemona was more interested in the new kid than Kitty's lot. "I can't believe you, Juliana! You don't have to go find randos to battle! You'll have all the battles you'll ever need, with ME!"

The sound of bodies hitting the ground could be heard, as it was revealed that both Harpuia and Kitty had fallen over from the sheer irony of the statement from Nemona.

Both Nemona and the girl known as 'Juliana' looked over…but they only saw the Primarina, Emboar and Alolan Sandslash that WERN'T taking shelter behind the large Emboar. Nemona tilted her head…

"Well that's not what happened." 'Juliana' motioned towards the Team Star members. "These two were-"

"Wait so THEY picked a fight with YOU?!" Nemona glanced over towards the two Star members and looked them over. "I get it…you two have Team Star written all over you. Pressuring people to sign up, huh?"

"Uh…no…nothing like that"

"That explains it. Normally I deal with Team Star's nonsense, but you know what? This is the PERFECT time for you to try out the ultra rare gift I got you, Juliana!"

"...It looks like Nemona's busy with that other girl…" Kitty peeked out from behind Fefnir and quickly took out her Pokeballs. "Quick. Get in. Let's try to sneak past before she tries to battle us." She aimed her Pokeballs towards most of her Pokemon except for Harpuia and Lilly, returning them to the obscurity of their balls.

"Let's get out of here, Sage." Kitty snuggly cradled Lilly against herself and started sneaking for the other side of the area.

"Wait what? You want this kid to practice whaling on us with her Tera Pokemon?"

Kitty paused her walk and glanced over at the conversation still being had. Tera Pokemon? …Atticus had mentioned something like that in his letters…similar to mega evolution right? That…SHOULD mean that only select trainers had them…

…wait…

"Got a problem?" Nemona asked the Team Star member with a challenging look in her eyes. "Wanna battle me instead?"

"I-"

"Hold on." Kitty turned and scowled. "Hold on! Are you saying that your friend has a transformation ability…and these two don't?"

"Huh?" Nemona paused and studied Kitty…before she looked extremely excited. "Oh! Champion Katrina! I was hoping to see you again and introduce you to my new friend Juliana!"

"Don't change the subject!" Kitty pointed towards the team star members. "Are you about to have your friend battle with a power up?" she paused and glanced towards the Star members. "Do you guys have this power up ability?"

"Uh-" One of the members put a hand on his head. "N-...no…you…gotta take a class to get a Tera Orb…"

Kitty scowled at the revelation and looked back towards Nemona. "...sounds like an unfair advantage if you ask me."

"Wait." Nemona looked spooked. "Are you sticking up for team Star?"
Kitty paused at the accusation…and frowned. She wasn't ABOUT to have this battle hungry idiot manipulate her. "...maybe I am."

The group got quiet and all eyes were trained on the confrontation. One of the Team Star members took out his Rotom Phone and started recording the transaction.

"Then you're going to battle Juliana?" Nemona put a hand on her hip. "With your status as Champion? Doesn't that seem like an unfair advantage?"

"When did I EVER-" Kitty now looked spooked. "I NEVER said-"

"Hey! Wait! Isn't that a Sprigatito?!" Nemona suddenly pointed at the grass cat in Kitty's arms. "And a SHINY one at that! If you really want to battle Juliana, use your Sprigatito!"

"I- Wh- You-" Kitty pointed at Nemona. "Stop putting words into my-"

"Juliana! Looks like Champion Kitty is siding with Team Star!" Nemona grinned. "Now SHE'S the Champion of Alola, so she's got a skill advantage, but you've got your Tera Orb!"

Juliana winced and looked towards Kitty. "...Nemona..I don't think she's-"

"Perfect! Let's start the battle!" Nemona put her hands in the air.

Kitty gritted her teeth…she was really…REALLY starting to hate this 'Nemona' girl…
She glanced towards Lilly and frowned. "...hey…are you ok with battling?"

"...nya…" Lilly shrunk down but looked over towards the rival Sprigatito, who was watching the scene play out curiously.

"I know I just barely used those TMs on you." Kitty softly petted her Sprigatito's head. "...but I think you can pull this off."

Lilly was quiet for a moment…but she looked up at her trainer and nodded. She was ready to start being apart of Kitty's team…maybe even evolve…and earn that Grininja's attention.

Kitty nodded and gently set Lilly on the ground, allowing the Pokemon to quickly take her place on the 'battlefield'. Kitty took her place in front of the Team Star members and glanced towards Juliana.

…she felt sorry for this girl if Nemona was going to make her a punching bag for her own entertainment..

Nemona put her hands in the air and grinned. "Battle! START!"

Kitty wasted no time and pulled something out of her bag, tossing it towards her Sprigatito without a word. Lilly paused and an orange aura started glowing around her, indicating one of her stats had just been raised.

Juliana noticed this change and looked confused. All of the trainers she had encountered so far had never done anything like this before. She let off a breath and pointed towards Lilly. "Sprigatito! Leafage!"

"Nya!" Juliana's Sprigatito went running for Lilly, letting off a wave of leaves into the air that went shooting for Lilly. Lilly took the hit…but it looked like it had barely affected her.

"...it would appear we would be on equal footing…if I hadn't used a X Defense on my Pokemon." Kitty let off a small sigh. "But my fight's not with you, Juliana…so I'll try to make this brief."
Kitty pointed towards the opposing Sprigatito. "Lilly! Use Swift!"

"Nya!" Lilly allowed a torrent of star-shaped projectiles form around her, before they went shooting for the rival Sprigatito.

Sprigatito yelped and was knocked back a little, but quickly jumped back onto its feet, looking like it was preparing itself for more.

Juliana looked spooked. Kitty's Sprigatito was slightly lower leveled than her own…but Lilly was already proving to be the advantage over her own Sprigatito. Nemona was right, Kitty had skill on her side.

Taking out her Tera Orb, Juliana powered it up and caused an aura of crystals to form around her Pokemon. A veil concealed her Sprigatito..before it emerged, sparkling like precious stones, with an image of flowers over its head visible to the world.

Kitty looked stunned. Atticus wasn't kidding when he had called the act of Terastallization 'similar to Mega Evolution'. It was beautiful…

"Sprigatito! Try Leafage again!" Juliana pointed towards Lilly.

Kitty paused at the order. This girl wasn't changing up her moves?...right…she was a new trainer wasn't she?

"Nya!" Sprigatito arched its back up and the form of flowers seemed to power it up….before a green aura surrounded Sprigatito. Once again, the Pokemon let loose a barrage of leaves that went sailing for Lilly.

Hitting her square in the face and causing her to slide backwards. Lilly managed to get up…and held her paw up, indicating the kitten Pokemon had actually been hurt during that one.

Frowning, Kitty reached into her pocket and rummaged around.

"NICE going Juliana!" Nemona cheered. "You'll be beating your first Champion in no time!" Nemona looked over towards Kitty and grinned. "You know, Kitty, it's not too late to back out from being associated with Team Star."

"...what makes you think I care about your opinion?" Kitty asked, taking a small clear crystal from her pocket. She rose her left arm, revealing a strange bracelet on her wrist with a wicked 'Z' etched onto it. Kitty placed the clear crystal against the bracelet, and it started glowing.

"Wait what's that?" Nemona looked stunned. "Is that a Mega Evolution bracelet?"

"Not quite." Kitty twisted the crystal on her wrist and a holographic 'Z' made its presence known. "...Juliana. This is not personal…to YOU at least." She narrowed her eyes and posed her arms in a specific way, before Kitty's arms made a 'Z'.

Suddenly Kitty was glowing, which moved over and engulfed Lilly. The sudden boost in power struck the Sprigatito and her little kitten mouth dropped in awe. She could FEEL herself powering up from her trainer!

"Lilly! Breakneck Blitz!" Kitty pointed towards the rival Sprigatito on the battlefield. Lilly's kitten eyes started glowing, and without really thinking, Lilly started charging at a blinding speed towards the rival Sprigatito.

Using her full force, Lilly SLAMMED her entire bodyweight against the rival Pokemon, knocking it clean out of the battlefield. The other Sprigatito groaned and landed on its side the glow from its terastalization suddenly breaking until the Sprigatito wasn't glowing anymore.

Lilly backflipped and landed on her paws, looking stunned.

She…she had WON!

"Sprigatito!" Juliana turned and rushed over towards the fainted Pokemon. "Are you ok?"

Kitty was silent for a moment, watching the trainer checking on her Pokemon. As soon as Kitty was certain that the rival Pokemon was going to be ok, she made her way to Lilly and picked the kitten up, kissing her head.

"You were amazing" Kitty smiled gently at Lilly. Lilly looked up at her trainer, her eyes sparkling in glee. "Nya!"

Kitty rubbed her nose against Lilly's and cuddled the kitten to her chest. She turned and faced Nemona, who looked stunned at the transaction. Kitty's expression darkened and she frowned sternly at the battle-hungry girl…

…before she turned and started walking away without another word.

As she left, the two Star Member kept recording…

"Quick! Send that to the bosses!" The male star member quickly said. "If she can battle THAT good, she'd make a killer Team Star member!"