It had been a week since the Shadow Stripe had ended at the academy, and despite the many life-changing alterations that many of the students had been through, life simply goes on.
Hikaru sighed as he soon let out his Drilbur to break apart some rocks that had trapped some Ekans behind a cave-in.
Most of the Ranger Course freshman students had been able to pass their respective Shadow Stripes though for Hikaru he had nearly gotten expelled from the academy for not being able to complete it in time.
Hikaru soon brought out a tablet that he had been given. It contained the assignments that most of the freshman students had to do for their general coursework and they had to complete it all within a day to receive credit for that class.
As he ticked off the last assignment for the day, he heard a familiar chime on his phone. He soon recalled Drilbur and took out his phone.
It was the message from Professor Solana instructing all the freshman students to come to her 'classroom'.
Hikaru sighed as soon petted the Ekans and went back to Solana's classroom to hear the news.
Meanwhile with the Performance course students, it was a different story.
A majority of the new freshman course had been expelled to due them not being able to pass the Shadow Stripes and thus the class was greatly reduced as a result of the Shadow Stripe.
Something that greatly shocked Lyna when she came into class for the first time after the Shadow Stripe.
"Wow, I got to admit I wasn't expecting this." Ema said as she took her seat right beside Lyna.
"Yeah, even the Ranger Course lost less students than us. That is insane!" Lyna said as she brought out her notebook for today's class.
"Yeah I guess this class is tougher than I thought, though I guess thankfully you and I were able to pass." Ema said.
Lyna nodded as she remembered when she went to get her stripe tattooed on her arm and the cute guy she had met during the ceremony.
"Oh yeah, though I guess it wasn't all bad for you." Ema said in a teasing tone towards Lyna.
Lyna turned around blushing, and she looked away indignantly.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
Ema giggled before giving her friend a hug.
"Oh don't lie, I saw you talking with that cute guy during the ceremony. Not gonna lie, you two had perfect chemistry together!" Ema said excitedly.
"You crazy, I am here to study on how to be a performer. Not to fawn over guys I meet." Lyna said in futile though the visage of Kenan's cute face kept popping up in her face.
Ema snorted out a laugh as she clearly didn't believe her. Lyna rolled her eyes but out of the corner of them saw a girl in beautiful white dress talking with Professor Dawn before nodding her head and leaving the classroom.
"I wonder who she is?" Lyna thought as she saw the girl soon leave but not before looking at her and then leaving the classroom.
Lyna soon shook her head as Dawn soon started today's class getting her to focus on what was going on now.
Finally at the Trainer Course, it seems like they weren't hit as hard with the Shadow Stripe with only a third of them being expelled for completing it.
Though that wasn't their primary concern as members of the class were doing what they do best: having Pokemon Battles.
Tyson in particular as he was battling against a random student's Klang with his Tyrogue.
"All right Tyrogue use Mega Punch!" Tyson said to his Fighting type Pokemon.
The Scuffle Pokemon's hands soon glowed blue as he soon punched the pure Steel-type Pokemon for super effective damage as he was already knocked out.
"Klang is unable to battle so the winner is Tyson and his Tyrogue." Kenan said.
Soon Tyson and Tyrogue celebrated together as he soon congratulated the trainer and his Klang on a well fought battle.
Kenan smiled, it seems that every since the Shadow Stripe ended he and his friends had found a new wellspring of strength and confidence that had benefited them greatly.
Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Robyn battling with Winston, her Galarian Darumaka as she easily defeated her opponent.
Rex and Mack, his new Alolan Grimer were finished with another battle themselves having won as well.
Even Shion had gotten over her shyness as her Eldegoss known as Rose as finally had her first battle and won.
So far things were going great, as Kenan smiled as he looked to sky and knew that things could only could get better from here.
"You can't be serious."
"I am."
The headmaster office for the academy was a small one and thus could only fit three people max in at a time.
Yet it was enough for the conversation that was going on right now.
"I am telling you that it is too dangerous a place for a field trip right now!" Dahlia Alberda said to his boss.
Gary had his usual stoic face on him as he was talking to both Professor Alberda and Goh, the only two freshman professors not currently teaching a class right now.
"Look, this will a great experience for all the freshman students. Sonia has called me and told me that their have been no incidents in Circhester so it is safe to go there. My decision is final." Gary said with a commanding voice.
Professor Alberda soon sighed. When Gary used that tone, it meant that there was no hope of winning the argument now.
"Fine, but I am going to be in charge of security. That I won't budge on." Professor Alberda said defiantly as she left.
Goh soon sighed and he turned to Gary.
"You know she has a point, what if those troublemakers show up in Circhester during the trip?" Goh asked Gary who soon turned to the window.
"Don't worry Goh, I know that it will all work out in the end." Gary soon as he looked out the window.
Meanwhile in Hammerlocke, trouble was brewing.
A mysterious man was waiting at a café for his contact to come and see him. That is when he felt someone soon bump into him and whisper something in his ear.
"Chaos is tired, chaos is beaten down and yet…" The person said into his ear.
"And yet… chaos is never defeated." The mysterious man said back to his contact.
Satisfied with this answer, the contact gave this mysterious man a envelope before leaving.
The mysterious man soon looked at this envelope as he got up and soon made his way back to the apartment that he was using in Hammerlocke.
When he got inside, he removed his jacket before opening the envelope. Inside it was a small cassette tape, he soon placed it inside the recorder he had as the message began to play.
"Cassidy Elmer, in two weeks' time Professor Sonia Magnolia will present a lecture Dyanmax Pokemon and the history of the Galar Region in the city of Circhester. Your mission should you choose to accept it, is too retrieve Professor Sonia's notes on this subject and present them to our superiors. As with every mission, you have the option of selecting with members and grunts' you want for this mission. Though should any of you members and grunts be caught or killed during your mission then our organization will disavow any knowledge of their involvement with our organization. This recorder will self-destruct in five seconds."
Cassidy was in deep thought as the recorder destroyed itself before he brought out his phone and called someone.
"Hey it is me. Yeah, it is finally time to show the world who we are." He said in a sinister voice as he smirked quite cruelly before he hanged up and went to prepare for his important mission.
