Chapter 75

As Insey, Bryce, Daniel, Alice, Drandon, Lucine, Serena, and I gather at the school's entrance, a man catches our attention. Alice gasps, "It's Director Cyrano!"

"Wait, Director Cyrano?" Insey gasps, leaving us a bit bewildered. The director remarks, "Hmmm? Who do we have here...? If it isn't my four exchange students?"

I inquire, "So this is the director of Blueberry Academy you guys were headed to?"

"Yeah, I believe today's the day we return there," Alice sighs.

The director notices our puzzled expressions and adds, "I KNOW I've seen your faces somewhere before! ...Who were you again?"

After introducing ourselves, the director chuckles, "Oh, right, you're Ash, Serena, Drandon, and Lucine! Yes, yes, I remember you! Well then, now that you're here, let's get going!"

"Wait! Just a moment, Director Cyrano!" To our surprise, Director Clavell rushes over to us.

"Oh, hello there, Velly! You're as lively as always. Didn't realize you were here!" Cyrano greets.

"Of course, I'm here! As the director of this academy, where else would I be? And please address me more formally while students are present," Director Clavell sighs, "More importantly, what are you doing out here? I thought we had agreed to meet in my office!"

"Did we? Must've slipped my mind! Anyway, what does it matter? These are the students, right?" Cyrano asks.

"Well, yes... they are, but..." Director Clavell notices our confused faces and explains, "Ah, I do apologize. You must be terribly confused. This is Director Cyrano of Blueberry Academy. As I mentioned before, he's interested in accepting you four as exchange students."

"Oh right, you did mention that Drandon, Lucine, Serena, and I are chosen to be exchange students in Blueberry Academy in Unova," I remember.

"Yep! That's me—Director Cyrano. Er...did I not mention that?" Director Cyrano asks.

"One look at our young friends here makes me suspect you indeed failed to clarify that point. Speaking of which... Why did you request Master Ash, Master Serena, Master Drandon, and Master Lucine, specifically, to take part in your exchange program?" Director Clavell questions.

"Excellent question, Velly! It's very simple. You see, the reason is... ...Uh, hm. Why DID I put in that request?" Cyrano seems a bit forgetful, then gasps, "Oh, that's right! The school trip to Kitakami! Ash and Serena met some of my students there, didn't they? Yes, yes, one of them was named Carmine, I believe! She's the one who recommended you two!"

"Carmine? For real?" Serena gasps.

"As for Drandon and Lucine here... it is the decision of the League Club President, I think he personally knows you two," Cyrano adds.

"The president? Since Alice is now here, I guess they changed the president..." Insey says.

"Wait, Alice was the president?" I ask, and Alice responds, "Well, the former president. I mean, because everyone wanted to see me battle, so I just battled, and then somehow became the president. But now that I'm here, I guess they replaced me, which is a good thing. The president's role is actually tiring."

"So the new president after Alice personally knows me and Lucine," Drandon remarks.

Director Cyrano smiles warmly at us. "Now that I've gotten to meet you for myself...yeah, I've got a good feeling about you."

"Oho! I'm glad to hear that, Director Cyrano," Director Clavell responds, a twinkle in his eye.

"I'd just love for you to visit my school! You would be a breath of fresh air, so to speak!" Cyrano says to us, his enthusiasm evident.

"Well, if anything can be said about Director Cyrano, it's that he has a keen eye for talent. I would be thrilled if you went to Blueberry Academy and got to know the students there... But only if you're willing to, of course. Think of it as a chance to further expand upon your Treasure Hunt!" Clavell turns to Cyrano, a sense of trust in his voice, "You WILL watch over him, won't you?"

"Oh, of course! I'd never let anything happen to one of your students!" Cyrano laughs, his confidence reassuring.

"I hope this experience leads you to even more you can treasure. Best of luck to you!" Clavell bids farewell to us warmly. Director Cyrano then leads the eight of us to the Unova Region, a place I had not expected to return to. The excitement and uncertainty of this new adventure loom large in our minds.

We hear rumors about Blueberry Academy being built on the ocean, but when our plane touches down at the school's entrance, we are left in awe at the sight of the magnificent underwater campus. Director Cyrano seems pleased with our reactions as he welcomes us.

"Welcome to my grand Blueberry Academy! This is actually just the entrance—the school itself is mostly underwater! Isn't that amazing?" Cyrano exclaims with evident pride.

Lucine can't help but gasp in amazement. "Wow... this is so cool..."

Cyrano continues, "Oh—and did you notice? Look at how blue the place is! I can't tell you how long I spent picking the perfect blueberry color! Let's see... What else? Uh...perhaps you have something you'd like to ask me?"

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I raise a question, "I have a question: Why is the rest of the school underwater in the first place?"

Cyrano appears momentarily stumped by the question, struggling for an answer. But before he can reply, a girl approaches us, taking the initiative to provide an explanation.

"It's because the school building is attached to an undersea plant that develops natural resources," the girl explains. Alice is quick to recognize her and gasps, "Lacey! Long time no see!"

Lacey greets Alice and her friends warmly, "Welcome back! Alice, Insey, Bryce, Daniel!"

Cyrano seems relieved that Lacey has stepped in to clarify, and he chuckles as he commends her, "Yes! Right! Exactly! Took the words right out of my mouth. Always on point, aren't you, Lacey?"

Lacey modestly replies, "Oh, no, it's nothing..." Then, her attention shifts to the four of us. "Do we have guests today?"

"We do! Ash, Serena, Drandon, and Lucine are here as part of the exchange program. Make them feel welcome, eh?" Director Cyrano introduces us.

Lacey gasps again, clearly surprised. "Hold on—these are the exchange students from the Paldea region? I suppose I didn't introduce myself, did I? I'm Lacey—one of the second-year students here! You must be very special, you know. It's rare for Director Cyrano to remember the names of new students."

Cyrano interjects with a playful tone, "Hah! Just call me out, why don't you! Actually, I've got an idea! Why don't YOU explain how things work around here, Lacey?"

"You...you want ME to do it?!" Lacey gasps in astonishment.

"Well, yeah. You know this tour-guide stuff isn't my strong suit!"

Lacey hesitates but continues, "Well, that's certainly true... But still, I imagine there must be someone more suitable than me, like Alice and Insey here, Bryce and Daniel are also capable as well." She notices our faces and gasps, "Oh! Please, don't take it like— It's not that I don't want to show you around or anything! Director Cyrano just has this bad habit of pushing his duties onto me, you see. And it's just not right!"

Cyrano plays along, saying, "Really letting me have it today, aren't you?"

Alice steps in, "If you don't want to do it, we can do it by ourselves."

Lacey seems to consider her options and then firmly decides, "That said... this might be my chance to get to know the new students everyone's talking about before anyone else can... That decides it! I will take on this task!"

"Excellent!" Cyrano adds enthusiastically.

"Now then, let's head straight down this bridge and to the entrance! On you go!" Lacey directs us, taking the lead as we begin our tour of the unique Blueberry Academy.

As we continue to walk, Lacey turns to me with a hint of excitement, "By the way, you really are Ash Ketchum? The one who managed to defeat the Unova Champion Iris a few years ago? The one who has won every Champion except for the Sevestar Region?"

I chuckle modestly, "Well, I guess that's me. But I really don't like that much attention, to be honest. I just want to become a Pokémon Master."

Insey joins the conversation, sharing her own experiences, "A lot of people in Blueberry Academy treat you as their role model. When I entered the school two years ago, I was bombarded with attention because I am the sister of the famous Ash Ketchum. It's a good thing that Alice transferred here not long after so that she can understand my situation, which is not that pleasant."

As we arrive at the battlefield, Lacey continues, "This is the entrance to Blueberry Academy. Our school places a great deal of emphasis on the art of Pokémon battling. We hold official matches on this central court right here at the entrance, and any student can freely utilize this court if it's not otherwise in use. I think it's safe to say that you'll be battling more here than in any other school!"

Cyrano chimes in, agreeing with enthusiasm, "Exactly! Couldn't have said it better myself!"

"Director Cyrano... I think perhaps it's fine if you just leave the tour to me. Still... it's really relaxing here, with the sea breeze blowing over you. Even when no one is battling, you often see students lazing about in the stands. Oh, oh, oh! And there's one other quality of our school that you'll likely find very surprising! Wild Pokémon sometimes Terastallize here!" Lacey adds.

Serena, intrigued, asks, "Oh?"

"Oh. I suppose that's not anything special to someone from Paldea, is it?" Lacey asks.

Cyrano, eager to explain, adds, "The Terastal phenomenon was first discovered in the Paldea region, after all. But we've taken things a step further than you and your Tera Orbs. We've developed some neat tech ourselves—something that lets us control the Terastal phenomenon on our own turf! I bet that piques your interest, doesn't it?"

Lucine responds, "I guess so?"

Lacey suggests, "Um, sir, I think it will be easier to understand how all that works after we go to the lower level. If you could put a little pin in that thought?"

Cyrano acknowledges her foresight, saying, "Always thinking ahead—that's our Lacey! Oh! You know what? I think it'd be great if the two of you had a battle!"

Lacey gasps in surprise, "Wha-?! Right now?! Against Ash Ketchum?"

Cyrano persists, "Why not? I'd like to see what Ash here is capable of. And our Lacey is a member of the Elite Four in the League Club we have going here. To say nothing of the influence of her father—one of the Unova region's famed Gym Leaders!"

I comment, "Elite Four of the League Club... that's new. So your dad is a gym leader from Unova?"

Alice adds more context, "She's Clay's daughter," which surprises me since I remember my encounter with Clay during my Gym Battle in Unova.

Lacey is a little annoyed and remarks, "Oh, I wish you wouldn't go spreading personal information without asking first! It's just not right! I'm sorry, but...there's no negotiating with Director Cyrano once he gets an idea in his head. There's no way that he'll move on with the tour until we've given him his battle. Besides, I have to admit I'm a little excited myself at the chance to battle you! Here at Blueberry Academy, we tend to go for Double Battles. Let's give one a try to get to know each other a little better!"

The battle unfolds as a three-on-three Double Battle, and Lacey starts with Plusle and Minun, two Pokémon well-suited for this type of battle. I opt for my Krookodile and Corviknight to gain an advantage.

"I suppose I'm representing Blueberry Academy in this battle. I'll try not to disappoint!" Lacey declares as she commands Minun to use Helping Hand, boosting Plusle's power before it launches a Grass Knot. Meanwhile, I have Corviknight use Hone Claws to sharpen its focus before going for Power Trip, targeting Plusle. Krookodile takes a different approach, digging underground and then striking Minun with a surprise hit.

Lacey chuckles as she observes my strategy, "Oh, would you look at that! You go right after those type weaknesses with precision, don't you?"

"Yeah, but sometimes I'm more of a using disadvantages to turn the tide person," I reply.

Unexpectedly, Lacey commands Plusle and Minun to use Alluring Voice, aiming it at Corviknight instead of Krookodile due to its Dark typing. This choice confuses Corviknight, and then it goes for Discharge, attempting to bring down my Corviknight. However, I quickly respond by having Krookodile use Earthquake, causing both Plusle and Minun to faint simultaneously.

As the battle unfolds, a crowd of onlookers gathers around us, surprised and intrigued. They comment in hushed voices, "Hey! Lacey is battling someone!" "Who's her opponent? Is that the famous Ash Ketchum?" "No way! He has come to our school, and our Elite Four member is facing him?"

Lacey recalls Plusle and Minun, acknowledging that her Plus-Minus strategy didn't work as intended. She then sends out her final Pokémon, an Excadrill, which immediately unleashes High Horsepower, knocking my Krookodile out. In response, I switch to Zoroark and, with a combination of attacks involving Corviknight, we eventually defeat Excadrill.

"Well, you beat me soundly!" Lacey sighs. "Spectacular! You really are quite skilled. I wish I could have seen you Terastallize one of your Pokémon, though. I'd love to see how someone from Paldea does it!"

I chuckle, "Sorry about that, but I usually do that when I am in grave danger."

Lacey smiles warmly, "The students here at Blueberry Academy were only recently issued Tera Orbs, so I hope you'll be able to teach us more about them."

Director Cyrano adds his praise, "Well done to the both of you! You really battled it out Blueberry-style. Speaking of style... I forgot I had a uniform for you! You'll feel like you fit right in as soon as you're dressing the part!"

With the new uniforms in hand, Serena, Drandon, Lucine, and I make our way to the washroom to change outfits. As we step out, we hear the excited murmurs of other students who have caught wind of my presence as a Blueberry Academy student.

"Wow, Ash and Serena! They look so good on you!" Alice smiles approvingly.

"Now that's what I call fashion! Oh, and you can take this as well." Director Cyrano hands us the Indigo Style Card, marking our fourth card to access new outfit selections.

"Now that you look the part—and hopefully feel it too—why don't we head into the school? You can pick where you want to go from the gates over there. Come on! I can show you the pride of Blueberry Academy: our world-famous Terarium!" Lacey suggests as we all head towards the Terarium, eager to explore this renowned part of the academy.

As we arrive at the Terarium, we are left in awe at the sight of a place resembling the wild area of Galar, with numerous Pokémon freely roaming around. Alice takes a moment to explain, "This is it. The park beneath the sea that has gained renown around the world... Our very own Terarium! We may be underwater, but the projectors built into the walls and ceiling make it feel like we're actually outside, don't they? We've been able to create a comfortable environment for Pokémon through technology!"

Cyrano proudly adds, "I designed all this myself! And believe me—it wasn't cheap. We sure put a lot of effort into it!"

Daniel then provides more details about the Terarium's biomes, "Within this dome, there are four distinct biomes. Here we have the nice and toasty subtropical Savanna Biome. Then, off to your right, you can see the breezy, tropical Coastal Biome. Further out to your left, you'll see the craggy, crunchy, rugged Canyon Biome. Last but not least, way out in the distance, we have the arctic and snowy Polar Biome! Each biome's air temperature and humidity levels are regulated with the utmost care. That's why you can find completely different Pokémon species living in each area!"

Lacey then asks us, "Tell me, which biome tickles your fancy off the bat?"

I reply, "I guess we don't have a favorite Biome; I mean, every one of them seems to be cool."

"If you need to heal up your team while you're down here, feel free to use the self-serve healing machines we've installed around the Terarium. Now then, Director Cyrano... Can you explain to us why crystals form here, and how the wild Pokémon are able to Terastallize?" Bryce asks, bringing up an intriguing question about the Terarium's unique properties.

Cyrano takes the opportunity to explain, "I—huh? But don't you know already, that... Oooh, I get it! You want me to do the talking. In that case, let me show you—the reason is actually right above our heads!" We all look up and see something resembling a giant disco ball.

Cyrano continues, "That there is the Terarium Core, which presides over all that happens in the Terarium. It contains a fluid that we've jam-packed full of a special material from Paldea. It's constantly emitting Terastal energy—that's what allows Pokémon to Terastallize in the dome!"

Drandon expresses his amazement, saying, "Wow..."

Lacey adds, "Wonderful! Well said, sir! That's exactly right! Though...I still don't know what that 'special material' is, within the Terarium Core itself. It's never been shared publicly, has it?"

Cyrano playfully responds, "Ohoho, you want to know? Well, in fact, it's... It's..." He then forgets the answer and admits his memory lapse. "Now what was it? I've plumb forgotten. Briar put all of it together, so I'm not certain myself."

Lacey sighs, resigned to Cyrano's forgetful nature. Just then, we hear an announcement about the Practical Battle Class at the Coastal Biome. Lacey seizes the opportunity, saying, "Oh! It looks like you're just in time to see a class session too! This is too good of a chance to pass up. Won't you join us, you four? You can get your first taste of our school's classes."

I agree, saying, "Of course."

"Teehee! I do love to see that sort of passion for education! I'll go ahead and register the Terarium map to your Rotom Phone for you. It's fun to take a stroll through the Terarium on your own, and I think I'd be more of a hassle than anything if you had me holding your hand... So, yup, that settles it! Please find your way to the class site in the Coastal Biome on your own!" She chuckles as she gives us directions to the class.

"Well, doesn't seem like I'm needed here," Cyrano mentions, "But I've made sure that a dorm room has been all set up for you four, so don't forget to give it a visit later! Oh yes, and one other thing: Could you open your Pokédex app for me?"

We nod as we take out our Rotom Phones, and he provides us with a Blueberry Pokédex. To my surprise, I notice that I have 10 Pokémon missing, which seems unusual.

Cyrano encourages us, "Catch as many Pokémon here in the Terarium as you please—don't be afraid to go Sawsbuck-wild! It's your student life here at Blueberry Academy, so remember to live it up to the fullest!"

After he leaves, Lacey sighs, "And there he goes... Well, you can at least count on me to be around when you need me, so there's no call for concern! It's probably time we both head to class! I'll be waiting for you to join us in the Coastal Biome!"

With that, Lacey also departs, leaving the eight of us to make our way towards the Coastal Biome, eager to attend our first class at Blueberry Academy.

Here is a new chapter, and in this chapter, we are finally beginning with the Indigo Disk. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be the class and meeting an old friend.

Ash and Serena's Pokemon:

Charizard x2, Pikachu x2, Tauros (Paldean) x3, Lapras, Steelix (Crystal), Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Garchomp, Lucario, Krookodile, Zoroark, Greninja, Sylveon, Noivern, Lycanroc (Dusk), Mimikyu (Shiny), Corviknight, Indeedee x2, Kleavor, Ursaluna (Blood Moon), Sneasler, Meowscarada, Skeledirge, Quaquaval, Oinkologne x2 (Male/Female), Spidops, Lokix, Pawmot, Maushold x2 (Family of four/three), Dachsbun, Arboliva, Squawkabilly x4, Garganacl, Armarouge, Ceruledge, Bellibolt, Kilowattrel, Mabosstiff, Grafaiai, Brambleghast, Toedscruel, Klawf, Scovillain, Rabsca, Espathra, Tinkaton, Wugtrio, Bombirdier, Palafin, Revavroom, Cyclizar, Orthworm, Glimmora, Houndstone, Flamigo, Cetitan, Veluza, Dondozo, Tatsugiri X3, Annihilape, Clodsire, Farigiraf, Dudunsparce x2 (Two, Three segment), Kingambit, Great Tusk, Scream Tail, Brute Bonnet, Flutter Mane, Slither Wing, Sandy Shocks, Iron Treads, Iron Bundle, Iron Hands, Iron Jugulis, Iron Moth, Iron Thorns, Baxcalibur, Gholdengo, Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, Chi-Yu, Roaring Moon, Iron Valiant, Koraidon, Miraidon, Dipplin, Sinistcha, Okidogi, Munkidori, Fezandipiti, Ogerpon