Chapter 76

As we explore the area, Minami and Lillie suddenly come into view. They are engrossed in observing a group of Deerlings nearby. I can't help but be surprised. "Minami? Lillie? What are you doing here?"

Lillie responds with a friendly smile, "Hey, guys. We're here for some Pokémon research."

Minami chimes in, her eyes filled with excitement, "She's absolutely right. Since we can technically participate in distant learning from our respective schools, we decided to conduct some research right here at the Terrarium for the Aether Foundation. I heard that you are here as exchange students. Congratulations."

"Thanks, guys," Serena says with a grateful nod. "So, how is your research progressing?"

Lillie gestures towards the surroundings, her voice filled with enthusiasm, "As you can see, the four biomes here represent the four seasons. In this Savannah Biome, it's currently the Spring season, which is why you can find Spring-form Deerlings here."

Drandon eagerly adds, "That's fascinating. We're actually about to head to the Coastal Biome for class. Would you like to join us?"

Minami smiles warmly, "Sure, even though we technically aren't students here, the teachers and students from this school have been incredibly welcoming and friendly."

As we continue moving through the area, I can't help but comment, "You know... this place looks just like the Kanto Safari Zone... I still can't believe that was closed."

Serena nods in agreement, her expression thoughtful. "I know what you mean. They have Doduo, Dodrio, Venonat, Venomoth, Scyther, Scizor, Chansey, Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Tauros. The only ones I think are missing are the Nido-family, Kangaskhan, and Pinsir."

Our journey leads us to the Coastal Biome, where we are taken aback by the sight of some Alolan Forms. Lucine gasps in surprise, "Alolan Exeggutors are here as well?"

Lillie nods, her knowledge on display. "Yeah, it seems there are many Alolan Forms. Although the exceptions are Raticate, Raichu, Persian, and Marowak."

Alice chuckles, impressed by Lillie's research. "You've certainly done your homework."

When we finally arrive at the outdoor classroom, we are met by Lacey, who asks in a hushed tone, "Oh, guys! Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

I whisper back, mindful of the ongoing class, "whisper It's fine..."

"whisper whisper I'm so glad to hear it!" Lacey responds with a relieved smile.

The teacher announces, "Alola, everybody! Shall we get started? Looks like we have some new faces joining us today! I'm sure you're all enjoying the tropical climate we've recreated here at the Coastal Biome. But remember - it's primarily for the many Pokémon adapted to this weather! One such species has grown exceptionally large here compared to other regions, thanks to all the light exposure. Certain Pokémon species can have completely different appearances depending on the region! We refer to this variation as a regional form."

He proceeds to give us our assignment, "And that brings us to today's task. I'd like each of you to catch one of these Pokémon - specifically, an Alolan Form Pokémon! Once you have one, come back and find me."

Lacey adds, "Many of our classes here at Blueberry Academy are practical ones like this. So, off you go! Don't overthink it, and just do your best for this first class."

I sweatdrop slightly as I mutter, "Actually, we already have a collection of 600 Pokémon with us. I don't think there's a need for us to capture any more..."

With that, I gently scoop up Snowy and make my way toward the teacher. His surprise is evident as he catches sight of me holding the Alolan Ninetales. Meanwhile, Serena, Drandon, and Lucine proudly release their own Alolan Forms. Serena summons Alolan Muk, provided by Lillie, while the Wataru siblings proudly display their Alolan Exeggutor.

"So battling isn't your only talent—you've got a knack for catching Pokémon too!" Lacey remarks with enthusiasm. "It's easy to see how high-level the students must be at Narauva Academy."

Alice chimes in, "Well, it's just them who are exceptionally talented. Ash, Serena, Lillie, and I share Pokémon because, as he mentioned, we already have a collection of 600 Pokémon."

The teacher calls everyone to gather around, announcing, "We're all out of time for today, so that'll have to be it for this class session. If you didn't manage to catch a Pokémon in time, that'll be your homework to complete before our next session! Class dismissed!"

Afterward, some students eagerly approach me, curious to converse with a nine-region Champion, while others patiently wait for their turn.

Insey inquires, "So, what did you think of your first Blueberry class?"

Lucine shares her thoughts, "It's actually quite enjoyable, to be honest. And the fact that we can capture Pokémon during class is simply amazing."

Suddenly, Lacey gasps, "Oh! I was supposed to make an appearance at the clubroom! My apologies, but this will have to be the end of our little tour. Let me leave you with one more tip! Here at Blueberry, we have lots of extracurricular tasks called Blueberry Quests, or BBQs for short!"

Serena raises an eyebrow, questioning the name, "BBQ? That's a peculiar name... are you sure it won't be mistaken for Barbecue?"

Lacey reassures her, "Don't worry. These are like missions that the school assigns to students in the Terarium. You might be tasked with having your Pokémon participate in Auto Battles or capturing specific Pokémon. You never know what the next BBQ might entail or where you'll need to go to carry it out. But if you complete the assignments, you'll earn Blueberry Points, also known as BP! BP is a form of school currency you can use in the cafeteria or at the school store, and it might even come in handy for club activities in the future. So, do BBQs and earn yourself some BP!"

Alice adds, "I already have plenty of BPs, although I sometimes use them for purchasing items."

Lacey concludes, "And that's it from me! Apologies for the sudden departure, but I really must be off now. Enjoy your time at Blueberry Academy!" With that, Lacey leaves, and we then receive a call from Carmine.

Carmine's voice crackles through Ash's phone. "Hey, this is Ash's phone, right? It's me! Carmine! I heard the news! You got picked for Blueberry Academy's exchange program, right?" Carmine's excitement is evident in his tone.

"Yeah, Serena's with me as well. Although Golly and Luke didn't make it," I reply. "But how did you find out?"

Carmine chuckles, "Hah! One of my teachers told me. Never thought we'd be fellow students at BB Academy! Anyway, you should totally come show your face. It's been too long already! Now, let me think... Where could we meet up? Oh! Have you been to the Terarium? There's a space called the Central Plaza right in the center of the dome! I'll meet you there! Don't keep me waiting if you know what's good for you!"

Alice offers, "Central Plaza? I can show you the way."

Following Alice, we arrive at the Central Plaza. Before we can find Carmine, we notice a scientist named Synclaire. She asks for our assistance in an experiment, but the experiment's nature slightly horrifies us. It involves temporarily possessing our minds inside our own Pokémon. It feels peculiar to be in the shoes of my own Pikachu as our minds connect. Although, I remember I don't need the machine for this with Greninja. After completing the testing, Synclaire simply hands us the device.

Minami expresses her concerns, "This is such a dangerous machine... the idea of becoming your own Pokémon with just a device is unsettling."

"I might as well give this to Dad and maybe Uncle Colress to see if they can research it," I say as I place the device in my bag.

As we find Carmine, she appears to be engrossed in a conversation with another girl. Daniel informs us, "It's Amarys... she's also one of the Elite Four members in the BB League."

Amarys notices our presence and comments, "Ah, you have visitors, Carmine."

Carmine turns towards us with a delighted grin, "Long time no see, Ash and Serena! I bet you missed me, huh?"

I nod with a smile, "Yeah, it's been a while."

Carmine chuckles, "Hehe... Honesty is the best policy, eh?" She then spots Ogerpon and playfully addresses him, "Oh hey, Ogerpon! Aww, you must've really missed me, huh?" Ogerpon responds with enthusiastic jumping and a beaming smile.

Amarys checks her watch and says, "Time for me to go. Nice seeing you, Carmine. So long."

She departs, and Carmine waves her goodbye, saying, "Ah—OK, see you around!"

Turning her attention back to us, Carmine reflects, "That's one of my classmates. She's quite an interesting character! Speaking of classmates... It feels kinda weird seeing you here at my school. And look at you! You haven't changed at all since we last met!"

Serena playfully adds, "Really? How about you?"

Carmine grins, "Well, I've been helping Ms. Briar with her research, and we've traveled to all sorts of different regions. It's made my Pokémon a lot stronger than they were the last time we battled! Ehehe, you wanna see? Oh, you totally wanna see. Well, we have a battle court right here, so... Get into position! Okay, are you ready for a Double Battle? You won't know what hit you!"

I inquire, "So are you battling me or Serena?"

Carmine proposes with enthusiasm, "How about both? Since we're doing Double Battles, each of you can use three Pokémon."

With the agreement set, we prepare for a full battle against Carmine, eager to witness her growth and test our skills.

Carmine starts the battle with her Mightyena and Toucannon, so I choose Kleavor, while Serena opts for Paldean Tauros Combat Breed. Carmine grins and exclaims, "I'll give you a special treat since you came all this way! Get ready to eat Terarium dirt!"

Mightyena begins with a Howl to boost its attack stat, while Toucannon uses Flame Charge, targeting Kleavor and increasing its speed. I have Kleavor retaliate with Stone Axe, landing a hit on Toucannon and simultaneously setting up Stealth Rocks.

Carmine protests, "Hey, stop that! Why don't you use some not-very-effective moves sometimes?!"

I respond, "Like this? Tauros, Thrash!" Tauros strikes Mightyena, but Mightyena quickly counters with Yawn, causing Tauros to become drowsy. Kleavor attempts a Slash attack, but Toucannon heats up its beak and burns Kleavor before hitting it with Beak Blast. Nonetheless, Toucannon eventually succumbs to Rock Slide, causing a flinch on Mightyena. Unfortunately, Tauros falls asleep due to Yawn, which poses a challenge for Serena.

Carmine introduces Morpeko as her third Pokémon, paralyzing Kleavor with Thunder Wave. Meanwhile, Mightyena lands a Super Fang on Tauros. Morpeko uses Aura Wheel to defeat Tauros. In response, Serena chooses Clodsire as her second Pokémon. Despite Kleavor's paralysis, it manages to eliminate Mightyena with X-Scissor. Carmine's fourth Pokémon, Ninetales, steps in and defeats my Kleavor using Flamethrower. I switch to my Garchomp, and we both employ Earthquake, but Ninetales thwarts my Garchomp's move with Disable. Morpeko, in the meantime, takes a Seed Bomb hit from Clodsire before getting eliminated by Garchomp's Draco Meteor. This forces Carmine to send out her fifth Pokémon: Scrafty.

Clodsire poisons Ninetales with Sludge Wave, but Ninetales counters with Extrasensory, knocking out Clodsire. In response, Serena calls upon her final Pokémon: Charla the Charizard, which unleashes Dragon Claw to defeat Ninetales. However, Scrafty retaliates with Ice Punch, forcing my Garchomp out of the battle. I opt for my Greninja as my last Pokémon, while Carmine sends out Sinistcha.

Carmine declares, "That's it—I'm ready to go all out! Heh heh... Time for me to Tera it up!" To our surprise, she terastalizes her Pokémon, something she didn't do in Kitakami. After a nod of understanding, I decide to have Greninja terastalize as well, as it would be at a disadvantage against Grass Types if it didn't terastalize into Dark Type. Carmine's Matcha Gotcha deals considerable damage to my now Dark-Type Greninja. However, Greninja counters with Water Shuriken, landing a hit on Scrafty before Charizard finishes it off with Air Slash. As for Sinistcha, Greninja defeats it with Ice Beam.

Carmine grumbles, "That did NOT go the way I had planned..."

"Nice job, you two," Alice praises.

Drandon adds, "Great battle you had there."

Carmine sighs in exasperation, "Agh! I got so much stronger once I could Terastallize my Pokémon, but you just had to go and get even stronger, didn't you?! You still don't hold back in battles, huh? Another thing that hasn't changed a bit... Hey, by the way... have you, uh, run into Kiki yet?" Carmine's expression grows solemn.

I raise an eyebrow, concerned. "Kieran? I haven't seen him since we came here. Has something happened to him?"

Carmine's mood seems to darken, and she mutters, "Oh, never mind... If you haven't seen him yet, it's fine."

"Are you kidding me?! What, was this assignment too hard for you too?" But before we can delve further into the conversation, a loud voice interrupts us, and Carmine gasps, "Wait, that's—"

We quickly follow Carmine to find a boy with vibrant purple hair engaged in a heated argument with another student. Carmine explains, "I knew it! That's Kieran. Phew, he almost saw us..."

Serena is taken aback, "That's Kieran? What happened to his hair?"

I observe, "Yeah, I remember he had black hair instead of purple... And what is he doing?"

Carmine shushes us urgently, "Shhh! Keep your voices down!" She gestures for us to eavesdrop on Kieran's conversation with the other student to learn more about what he's up to.

"I told you to train five Pokémon for battles," Kieran demands sternly.

The student, appearing nervous, stammers, "S-sorry... Things have been really hectic at home this month..."

Kieran's tone remains unyielding, "Oh, got it. So that means you're just okay with being this weak forever? Is that what I'm hearing?"

The student attempts to respond, but Kieran interrupts him abruptly, "Well, since you're so busy, I'll go ahead and do you a favor. I'll write your resignation from the club for you. I don't need people in my club who don't take it seriously."

As Kieran walks away, the student pleads while chasing after him, "W-wait, Kieran! I'm sorry! Give me another chance!"

Carmine shakes her head and explains, "...Not what you were expecting, right? Kiki looks different, acts different... He hasn't been the same since we got back from the school trip."

As we process the scene, a boy approaches us, catching us off guard. Drandon and Lucine gasp and exclaim, "Drayton!"

Carmine's expression shifts to dismay, and she mutters, "Urk."

Drayton greets us with a friendly smile, "If it isn't Carmine! And... Carmine's new mystery friends! Drandon, Lucine! How are you?"

Lucine expresses her surprise, "Drayton... I thought you were back at Opelucid School with your grandfather..."

Drayton explains, "Well, he enrolled me here. I might've heard of you two, though... Are you those new kids with the wild backstory?"

Carmine can't help but grumble, "What a lovely surprise! Just the annoying bozo I didn't want to run into."

"C'mon, now. At least introduce me!" Drayton sighs, prompting Carmine to begrudgingly introduce him.

"This is Drayton... and he's the worst. He's the strongest Trainer at Blueberry Academy. Well, he WAS, at least," Carmine states with a hint of annoyance.

Drayton responds with a touch of sarcasm, "Beautiful intro. Thanks."

Alice takes the opportunity to bridge the gap, saying, "Drayton, nice to see you again. This is Ash and Serena; they're here on a foreign exchange program. Lillie and Minami are not exchange students but got permission for fieldwork here."

Carmine starts to say something more about our friendship, but Drayton interjects, "What about Kieran? You friends with the guy?"

"We are friends, though..." We frown as we recall our Kitakami trip, where we were forced to keep secrets from Kieran.

Drayton suggests, "Ohoho, I see. That's great! All right, Ash and Serena, how about I show you our clubroom?"

Carmine questions, "Huh? Why do you need to do that?"

Drayton explains, "You haven't joined any of the clubs we've got here, right? Take it from me—you'll have a way better time here if you join one. We'd love to have such interesting new members! In fact, we'd better call dibs now. Come with me."

He starts to leave, prompting Carmine to grumble, "Hey! Hold on! Gah! See? I told you he was the worst! Look at him, just assuming we'll go along with whatever! I'm going with you."

Drandon chimes in, "That's how he is, very different from his grandfather, right, Ash? Though he's good friends with Iris, that's for sure."

I express my surprise, "Iris? It's been a while since I last saw her. But what do you mean grandfather?"

Lucine clarifies, "He's Drayden's grandson."

This revelation leaves us slightly taken aback, and Alice adds, "Yeah, I was surprised at first when I learned the news as well."

Inside the League Club Room, Drayton proudly announces, "Aaand here we are."

The club room appears quite ordinary, featuring treadmills, a computer, tables, and chairs. Alice remarks, "This place hasn't changed a bit since the last time I was here..."

Carmine expresses some unease, questioning, "Hey, are you sure this is a good idea? You know, 'cause..."

Drayton dismisses her concerns with confidence, " 'Cause of Kieran? Nah, don't worry. He won't show up here anytime soon."

Carmine still seems a bit apprehensive but nods in agreement, muttering, "If you say so..."

Drayton proceeds to provide an overview of the League Club, saying, "Anyway, this is the base of operations for the League Club! On behalf of the whole club, we're glad you're here!"

Serena expresses her curiosity, "I've heard Alice talk about this club before. Can you tell us more about it?"

Drayton grins, "Heh heh. Glad you asked! We Blueberry Academy students have our own Pokémon battle ranking system: the BB League. Here in the League Club, we battle each other to train up and climb the ranks. We win, we lose, and we have a good ol' rowdy time. That's our humble club in a nutshell!"

Daniel interjects with a hint of amusement, "You're not wrong, but seriously? Is that how you explain it to new people?"

"Yup. Though I guess we're having less of a good ol' rowdy time than usual lately," Drayton sighs.

Carmine chimes in, "I'm a member of the club too, though I don't show up to the clubroom very often. Just so you know, the top four Pokémon Trainers in the BB League are called the BB League Elite Four. And this annoying toothpaste-haired bozo is one of them. So is that girl you saw with me at the Terarium earlier."

Drayton adds, "Alice used to be the BB League Champion before she resigned for the exchange program to Narauva Academy, while Bryce, Daniel, and Insey prefer other clubs as well."

Carmine retorts, "I've just been too busy with extracurricular stuff! Haven't had time for League matches. If we're talking actual skill, I'm WAY above any of the Elite Four!"

Bryce agrees, "Well, that is one thing I can agree with Carmine," receiving nods of agreement from the others.

Drayton grins and asks, "Heh heh. That's no lie. Whatcha think? Fun club, huh?"

I respond positively, saying, "Yeah, it sounds fun."

Drayton enthusiastically adds, "Oooh, I can feel the enthusiasm! That's what I'm talkin' about! Anyway, think that takes care of it. You're in—on a trial basis!"

Serena questions, "What do you mean 'trial basis'?"

"You heard me! As far as the Drayster's concerned, we're clubmates now! Trial-basis clubmates! So now you can use this clubroom freely and do whatever you want with the stuff here. Check out the computer over there, too. It's super helpful."

Drayton guides us to the League Club computer and continues, "It lets you use your BP to support kids in other clubs. They'll return the favor in different ways. Here—give it a shot, and you'll see what I mean. Try sending that to Mitch in the baseball club. He can help you out with your throwing form."

With some BP provided by Alice, I decide to spend 150 BP on Mitch. After completing the transaction, Mitch promptly responds, "Thanks for the support, Ash! Wish we could do it in person, but let's try pitching some ideas for new ways to throw! See, I was thinking I could hold my hand like... this. Get me? Then I swing my leg, and... hyah!"

He demonstrates some throwing poses and continues, "Yeah! You know what? I think that'll work! Talking through this with you really helped!"

We conclude the call, and Drayton compliments, "Oh, whoa—you did it. Not bad for your first time. That'll teach me to doubt your skills! Here, I've got a really nice present for you—from one charming catch to another!"

Drayton hands us a Catching Charm, but I inform him that I already have one from the Isle of Armor. He chuckles and adds, "You can have this too. Put it on, and you'll look just like the Drayster!"

He also presents us with the League Club Uniform, but I hesitate to wear it, finding it too simple. Drayton says, "Anyway, feel free to customize it any way you want! Like I said, we're trial-basis clubmates now. And that's not all! For a limited time, you can have as many of these snacks as you want!"

Alice sighs, "Those snacks are all yours, Drayton—snacks you leave around opened and half-finished. I wouldn't go near any of them. Who knows how long they've been sitting around."

Drayton then announces his plan to visit the cafeteria, suggesting, "All that explaining left me starving. If you want to officially join us, maybe we can have a cafeteria meeting to discuss the details!"

This statement catches us off guard, and Carmine growls in frustration, "Aaagh! That bozo! Seriously, what is his problem? And a cafeteria date? What does he even mean by that?!"

Lillie offers some reassurance, saying, "I don't think he means that kind of 'date,' right?"

Carmine suggests a change of scenery, proposing, "Sorry. Being in here puts me on edge. Let's go somewhere else. Someplace people won't bother us... I know! Let's go to your room."

We suddenly realize that we haven't visited our dorm rooms yet. With guidance from Alice and Bryce, we all head to the dorms together.

Here is a new chapter, and we finally get to meet Drayton and then the League Club part. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be meeting Kieran and the rest of the Elite Four.

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