PART THREE
Lucca
Test on Monday, check homework on Wednesday, Friday, the start of the Treasure Hunt, free time, read, read, and read some more, try to forget the present, try to pretend your daughter is not lost and confused, running, running, possibly hurt, and, and…
Lucca shakes her head.
School was supposed to distract her but it's so hard just…waiting.
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The Chairwoman had been informed of the whole situation, not by Lucca, but by Diana, Lucca's mother, who had returned unexpectedly from Galar a week after Liko's supposed death.
Lucca didn't know much about that meeting but her mother had disappeared to parts unknown. Geeta scheduled a meeting with Lucca months later, informing her that her mother had already filled in the details, that the Chairwoman knew all about the situation with Liko, her mysterious pendant, the Explorers…and him .
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"Treasure hunters…it was always an adventure," Diana told her daughter years ago, a smile in her face, recalling moments of her wild youth, growing up in Galar, a fateful encounter with love, traveling, traveling, a free world to explore, not a care in the horizon, finding treasures and wonder in the most unexpected of places…until the adventure came to an end, love was lost, promises were broken, and Diana was left all alone to raise a child all on her lonesome.
Diana never talked about Lucca's father on a good day, and Lucca had stopped asking about him a long time ago.
They didn't think that he would come back to hurt Liko; it's all about greed, a stupid dream, a legend about a hero that might as well have never been real at all…
….but it doesn't matter.
Friede told her about Rayquaza and Arboliva…and the pendant's reaction to their presence, the strange Pokemon hidden in the pendant…but Lucca stopped caring, stopped thinking about it all because nothing mattered with Liko gone.
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Lucca is busy looking for a book, not meaning to overhear the conversation between her colleague Tyme and the strange woman; the stranger had arrived at the front desk, asking about someone that might be able to help her find a missing child…but no, no, she wasn't missing in the sense the child had vanished, no, it was a difficult situation, yes?
Tyme had been called as she was the acting deputy director. Director Clavell was busy with some issues outside of the academy that required his attention.
"I see…and how long has she been…?"
"Ah, she's confused…you understand, yes? No memories of this land."
Lucca blinks.
No memories of this land?
No, no, Lucca was thinking too much about that. Perhaps the stranger was a foreigner, not familiar with the common tongue, probably meant to say she didn't know Paldea that well and had gone out exploring and got lost.
"Calls herself Juliana. Sweet child, very kind. Important that I find her, you understand? To put the pieces together and go back home."
"Alright…" Tyme replied, unsure of what more to say. "Now, what did you say the child looked like? I might be able to help you, help spread the word around to the teachers and the students out for the Treasure Hunt."
"Oh, she doesn't know. It's…a very complicated situation, yes?"
"I'm sorry?"
Lucca couldn't help but turn and stare.