And Chapter 07 is up. Sorry for the whole mess with the previous chapter, honestly, I didn't realize a part of it was missing when I uploaded it. It should be up now though. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I DO NOT own Pokémon or RWBY and Never will.

The area outside the small base camp was filled with a specific air around it, both Jaune and Akari faced against one another, both having slightly differing expressions on their faces. While Akari seemed more determined, eager to begin, Jaune stood matching her, not quite sure how this would really go. Despite that however, he had decided to stand to the occasion, accepting her challenge as the remaining group watched on from a slight distance further up the hillside.

Jaune would be the first to admit, he wasn't sure how well this would go for him. He recalled Laventon's words of wisdom, a brief explanation on how Pokémon battles tended to go. He went over Cyndaquil's moves and an even briefer summary on what they did.

'Quick Attack, and Ember' Jaune recalled, reaching into his satchel and pulling out Cyndaquil's Poké Ball, 'A simple fast-paced attack, and a small surge of fire.' Akari seemed excited, mirroring his action with a Poké Ball containing her own Pokémon while her smile told it all.

"So, you ready to begin?" she asked, her tones filled with as much excitement as her appearance portrayed her to be. Jaune had to nod, this was certainly going to be a bit different than his time leading his team into a fight, or against the Grimm, but hopefully, just close enough to pull through.

"Remember!" Laventon's voice came from above the pathway of Aspiration Hill, "You shouldn't need to focus on winning or losing this battle. This is just to help both of you become better at battling. Just give it your all and it will turn out splendid!" Beside him were both Wanda and Dorian, both of which curious to see how this went.

'This should be interesting, if nothing else' Dorian thought to himself, looking at Akari first. 'Akari has a good head on her shoulders, she seems well enough of a battler if she had managed to catch a Shinx for the Survey Corps, that alone is quite the feat' he praised the younger Pokémon user before turning his attention to Jaune. 'And then we have Jaune, someone who managed to catch two Pokémon and earn the opportunity to join the Survey Corps, but never had a battle in his life.' Anything else he could think regarding the blond knight was interrupted by his junior's question.

"So... Akari has as Oshawot, and Jaune has a Cyndaquil?" Wanda asked with some curiosity. Beside her was Juniper, Chingling and Dorian's Buizel, each one watching closely, wondering just how well things would go. While Chingling and Buizel, both having had their share of battles looked on in curiosity, Juniper looked on in concern. "I mean, wouldn't that mean Jaune would have a disadvantage?" she questioned the professor, who simply nodded.

"True enough" he agreed as he recalled the Pokémon he had on him, the same Pokémon, two of which were going to be used to battle with. "Both Cyndaquil and Oshawot are still rather new at battling. However, there is more to battling than just a Pokémon typing. Both experience of Pokémon and human partner are just as important to keep in mind."

"Indeed" Dorian agreed, "Let us see what they're both capable of" he asked before turning to Wanda. "Wanda, pay close attention to this battle" the older member of the Security Corps said. "While you can hold your own with your Chingling, there is no harm in learning by watching others" the man said, having learned some of his own skills by watching the commander and his captain spar on occasion. Wanda nodded her head, watching with not only excitement but genuine interest.

Then without a word of warning, both Jaune and Akari threw out their Pokémon for battle, two small creatures appearing in a flash of light as the two Poké Balls returned to their respective owners. Now facing off against the other, the two Pokémon stood on opposite sides of their make-shift battlefield.

"Cynda...?" the fire type Pokémon called out confused at first, her head looking around before she saw her opponent, a friend of hers that looked at her with the similar sense of early curiosity. It only to a second however before both Pokémon realized what was happening. "Cyndaquil!" she called out, this time falling onto both arms and legs, her head lowered in a fighting stance, ready to fight as her back erupted in flames, the cackling flames, much like a campfire, complimented her fire typing as she now looked more akin to some sort of porcupine of fire.

Jaune however looked at her for a second, taking in the flames in minor shock. He supposed that would make sense. At least more sense than more than over half the stuff in the Ever After by any means. Brushing those thoughts aside, he returned his gaze towards his opponent, Akari having her own Pokémon out.

"Oshawot!" called out Akari's own Pokémon, the small blue otter like Pokémon cried out and eager to battle much like his Cyndaquil was. With a grin, it grabbed the small shell on its stomach, holding it with determination as, just like with Cyndaquil, it was more than ready to begin. Akari looked at the two Pokémon with interest, eventually she was the one who made the first move.

"Oshawot" she called, her Pokémon perking up at the orders of his trainer. "Start this off with Tackle" she commanded, the otter Pokémon nodding and rushing towards Cyndaquil to deliver the first-blood attack. Cyndaquil however say it coming, leaping to the side as Oshawot barely missed his mark. Jaune however was quick to do the same, side-stepping from the attack and turning his gaze back towards his fellow battler, a look of annoyance and the question of him wanting to ask if she meant to hit HIM came to mind. However, unlike how she held herself with confidence and eager to battle, she seemed a little shocked as well.

"Hey, are we having the Pokémon battle, or battling them ourselves?!" Jaune shouted towards her with an annoyed tone. Akari however recomposed herself, to a degree anyways.

"No... I, s-sorry!" she cried out in slight horror as Oshawot seemed to fearfully do the same, quickly making its way to his trainer while Jaune gave her a deadpanned expression. With the others, they seemed to share a similar reaction. Professor Laventon sighed, clearly debating whether or not this was the proper area for a battle or not. It also reminded him the difference between battles with both wild Pokémon and battles with fellow Pokémon users, one you could go all out on, the other had you be more observant, Dorian gave Akari a similar deadpanned expression, understanding this was probably still her first battle with another human, hoping she wouldn't make that mistake again, or rather have her Pokémon not forget about friendly fire in the midst of battle. Wanda stared owlishly, recalling her senior's words of warning.

"And this is why I tell you to be aware of your surroundings" Dorian remarked at his junior, Wanda nodding her head silently, a simple memory reminding her that Pokémon, wild Pokémon especially, will not only just battle her Pokémon, but her as well. Juniper however gave a frown, seeing her partner nearly hit in a battle between the Pokémon. She questioned if Jaune should actually join the fray himself, or maybe she would have to intervene to keep him out of harms way. Jaune however, seemed ready to retaliate.

"Alright then, Quick Attack" he said while not really sure just what the move was supposed to do. Granted it was called Quick Attack, emphasis on the word "Quick," he expected it to be a fast enough move. Oshawot however turned to quickly face the fire Pokémon, only to be quickly slammed into by the porcupine. With the blow hitting it's mark, Jaune smiled, while Akari frowned slightly.

"Oshawot!" she called out once again. "Use your Tackle, and be more careful this time!" she ordered, trying not to accidently hit someone else by accident. Her Pokémon gave a growling response and caught itself to prevent it from rolling down the hill. Locking eye with his actual opponent, it rushed at it, this time managing to hit his own mark, causing Cyndaquil to stumble.

"Cyndaquil, counter it with another Quick Attack" he called out with hope for taking control of the battle again. Cyndaquil shook off her daze and began to take her aim, rushing at the water type Pokémon. Oshawot smiled however, narrowly avoiding the attack. Cyndaquil tried to turn around, unable to do so however, instead stumbling further down the hill. Oshawot followed as it smiled, eager to continue.

"Alright, use Tackle once again!" Akari called out, now running and standing side-by-side with Jaune, both of which who moved to see the battle continue from above the nearby ledge, probably a better idea to stay out of the crossfire. The audience making their way closer to join them. As Oshawot ran at Cyndaquil once again, Cyndaquil leaped away, evading the attack. Jaune trying to come up with another idea. "Keep using Tackle, Oshawot!"

"Hide behind the tree!" Jaune called out, earning a look from Akari, who was confused at the blond-haired knight's orders. Cyndaquil evaded the attack a second time, running behind the tree once again evading the rushing water type who, instead of striking her, instead stuck the tree she hid behind. Jaune noticed something fall from the tree, small brown fruits of some sort. His eyes narrowed slightly as Cyndaquil ran around from the other side of the tree. "Now, use Ember on the brown fruits!" he called out, a sudden idea came to mind as he took a gamble that could catch his opponents both off guard.

"H-huh?" Akari cried out, questioning as to why Jaune would do such a thing, was he having a battle or goofing around? This confusion seemed to reflect more towards the others as the audience looked at him with similar uncertainty. Juniper however, had a feeling she knew what he was planning. Despite how little time they spent together, she didn't take her human as someone who didn't have some sort of plan. Acting out without a plan, mostly just winging it without some method to the madness, for reasons she couldn't really know herself, didn't seem like Jaune to her.

Cyndaquil nodded, doing what she was asked of, taking in a breath of air and spitting out the embers of flame at the fruit, that were soon engulfed by the fire that not only seemed to feed off the fruits like firewood, but also managed to surround the just as confused water type Pokémon. Jaune eyed the battlefield, as did the others until realization came to the others, Akari seeing what was happening in the battle.

"W-wait, a cage of fire?!" she called out as Jaune had a small grin. His plan seemed to work, the burning apricorns that surrounded Oshawot made it harder for it to evade, and at such a close distance...

"Quick Attack, it can't escape now!" Jaune called out, Cyndaquil falling into position. To Jaune, there where two real thoughts to this. Either he stuck the Pokémon, dealing another hit while the flames around it kept it from evading the attack, or it did evade, and the fire would provide a sense of protection. As she prepared to lunge, Oshawot tried to move, only to brush against the flames of the burning apricorns that fell from the tree currently blocking it's escape. It was trapped, and before it could think of a way out without running into the fire, it was struck not only by the fire Pokémon that slammed into it, but was also from the tree, which did little to soften the blow like the dirt had done before.

"That... was rather clevor" Dorian muttered, seeing how Jaune had turned the tides completely. 'Not only does this help trap Oshawot by keeping it in one spot...' he thought as he turned to Akari, disbelief, uncertainty, her mind no doubt trying to think of a way out without burning her Pokémon was shown to the older Pokémon user. '...This also threw Akari for a loop' he realized. In all honesty, the flames would do little to actually hurt the water Pokémon, but the flames and sudden position must've spooked her to foget that. And the fact that the more times the tree was struck, the more apricorn fell and fueled the flames around it, replacing the now burned-up and charred remains of the previous ones to reignite the flames added sudden stress to the situation. 'Is... is he playing mind games with her?' Dorian had to ask in realization. This tactic was not normal for typical people who fought alongside Pokémon.

Jaune was not just a traveler who had Pokémon battle for him, he was someone who could take advantage of his surroundings. If this was another type other than water, another type that was weak to the flames around it, then such a tactic might have worked.

"Oshawot" she called out, this time changing tactics and deciding to end the battle. "Aqua Jet!" she called out as Jaune was the one to stall this time. Oshawot nodded, gathering its power and suddenly surrounding itself in a veil of water. This time, now protected from the flames, he grabbed onto Cyndaquil and pushed her into the ground, not only extinguishing the burning fruits around it but delivering a strong blow as well. Jaune realized what had happened, only calling out the Pokémon's name.

"Cyndaquil!" he called out before leaping down to get closer, this time joining his Pokémon, checking if she was alright. Akari did the same to Oshawot, the battle moving more towards the river. As they both inspected their Pokémon, Akari was relieved, Oshawot didn't seem like it was burned, or very injured. Jaune however looked more concerned at Cyndaquil's condition.

In a bit of contrast to the water type of Akari's, Cyndaquil slowly made her way back to her feet, wincing slightly as she did as the damage she had taken from the attack was plain to see. Her flames, while not completely extinguished, was much weaker than before, showing clear fatigue from the fighting. Wincing slightly, she gave a weak cry, as she tried to reassure her human partner that she was still willing to continue if he was. Jaune's frown seemed to grown, realizing that despite how well they might have wanted to battle, she wasn't going to take another blow like that.

"Rowlet, Rei's Pokémon, is a grass type Pokémon. Meaning that against a fire type like Cyndaquil, it would be at a disadvantage. Meanwhile my Oshawot, a water type Pokémon, wouldn't fair too well against it. But against your Cyndaquil, we'd be a pretty tough challenge. "

'So this is what she meant about those type advantages' Jaune thought, recalling the girl's advice and words. Looking at his Pokémon with better understanding, he was instantly prepared to heal her with his semblance, making Akari's eyes narrow in confusion. She had already took her by surprise once, she wasn't going to fall for that again. However, before any of them could do anything, a new voice called out, pausing both of their actions and getting their attention. Dorian, having seen enough, and impressed at what he saw, deciding to intervene with a grin on his face.

"That's enough, the battle has been decided" he said, making his way down to the four of them while Professor Laventon and Wanda remained, both curious and confused regarding the battle as a whole. Though Laventon did agree as to why Dorian did what he did, his eyes turning to the tree Jaune used to help him, the remaining embers of flame being extinguished by Buizel's water, no longer under threat of accidently burning down the area around them. "Both of you did well, but should this continued, I think we all know the outcome, do we not?" he asked, Jaune looking down slightly and nodding with some small amount of frustration.

"Yeah" he had to agree, realizing that Oshawot could've used a water move from the beginning, and he wasn't the only one either. Wanda was confused, wondering why Akari had delayed the battle at all. It was Laventon himself, who noticed her confusion, and gave his two cents.

"You seem perplexed, Wanda?" he asked as she nodded.

"Yes, I mean... she had a water move like Aqua Jet? Why didn't she use it before?" the younger member of the Security Corps asked, clearly coming up with no reason as to why Akari had delayed it. It was a laugh from Laventon that snapped her out of her thoughts as he confirmed what he believed confounded her.

"Simple really, it's because she wanted to test Jaune fairly" he said, a simple reason as he said it was, making Wanda frown. "Afterall, she wanted to see how well Jaune was in battle, and I doubt she could've done much if she knocked out little Cyndaquil before the battle started" he said with a good natured smile. That smiled slowly turned into one of contemplation, seeing the tree and recalling how Jaune battled. 'Still, a rather interesting tactic used there. Trapping Oshawot with burning apricorns, blocking it off. Not many people would willingly use a type of move weak against the opposing Pokémon' he thought.

He wondered how Jaune managed to come up with such an idea to begin with, it was clear that, for his first battle, Jaune held his own when he was on an even playing field. Making his own way down, he noticed Cyndaquil and Oshawot seem happy the battle was over, Jaune smiling at Cyndaquil as Akari did the same for Oshawot. Juniper making her own way down to visit her partner and fellow Pokémon.

"You did well" Akari praised her Pokémon, the small otter giving a cry of thanks for his human's praise. Her head turned to at Jaune as he made sure Cyndaquil was alright, a smile on his face as he was reassured, she was alright after their spar. "You two did rather well also" she said, sounding happy at the battle. Jaune might have seemed disappointed, but he nodded.

"Thanks... but we never had a chance, did we?" he asked with a slight chuckle as Akari frowned a little. Still, he seemed to smile at Cyndaquil, turning back towards Cyndaquil and giving her a head pat. "You did great, but I should've known about the type disadvantage" he said, and in all honesty he should've. She even mentioned it earlier when they discussed about Pokémon battles on the way to the camp Afterall. Apologizing to the Pokémon, who seemed to be a little saddened as well, It was Dorian's voice who interrupted that, however.

"You have nothing to apologize for" he said simply, causing Jaune to turn to him, taking his hand of Cyndaquil and placing his full attention to the senior Security Corps member. "While you were at a disadvantage, these things will happen again. There is nothing wrong with losing. You seemed to hold yourself well enough, and will continue to grow in time" he said. Laventon smiled, pulling something from his pocket as he approached.

"Quite right. You said that this was your first battle, and held yourselves well enough. That tactic of yours, I have to admit was something I doubt anyone expected." he said as Jaune seemed a bit taken back. Akari had to agree, not thinking such a thing would be used against her. Jaune's words about how he led some of his friends came to mind, it was clear he was more than what he seemed, which only added more questions to the knight's identity. "While the battle might have been interrupted, you all did well" he said as he held out a small bottle of some sort and gave it to Jaune. "This is a potion, a medicine that will heal and pep up your Pokémon in no time at all" he explained "and I have one for you and Oshawot as well" he said, turning his gaze to Akari as she smiled, taking it for herself.

Seeing the medicine in his hand, given to him by the professor, Jaune observed it slightly, before noticing Juniper making her way down. Turning back to Cyndaquil, he pulled the tab, causing the medicine to be distributed in a soft spray-like substance. The longer he held it, the more that seemed to be released. Slowly moving it around his Pokémon body, he looked her over as she seemed more energetic than ever. "There" he said, having used the entirety of the bottle.

"Cynda" the Pokémon called out, happy to be back to full health. Her eyes turned towards the silver fox, curiously striking some kind of conversation with her. As both of Jaune's Pokémon seemed to talk, he turned to Akari, who was busy healing her own Pokémon, Oshawot outside his Poké Ball once more. As she finished, Jaune gave her a smile, extending a hand to his fellow trainer, who seemed to take it with a smile of her own.

"Good match" he said, Akari nodding her head as well while Laventon nodded his head.

"Indeed and in the future I can see you both getting much stronger alongside your Pokémon. Traveling together, forming bonds and growing to understand each other. That is a trait all members of the Survey Corps must have" the professor said, Jaune recalling a similar lecture from Professor Ozpin regarding what it's like to be a huntsman. "But this is just the beginning, and now that you had a taste of a Pokémon battle, I think it's time we begin your actual test."

"...Oh yeah, I need to catch those four Pokémon..." Jaune said, Akari grinning and seemingly getting excited.

"Don't worry, I'll be there to help you out, just follow my advice and you'll be good to go" she said, Jaune smiling at the assistance.

"That sounds fun, would it be alright if I tagged along?" Wanda asked, curiously as Dorian gave her a fake cough.

"Instead of getting involved in someone else's test, why not gather some more supplies from the forest there" he said, pointing to the nearby forest. "We'll be here for a few more days, and I'm still not sure if you have what it takes to be a member of the Security Corps" he said bluntly, Wanda flinching slightly as she nodded.

"Yes sir" she said as she turned to face both Jaune and Akari. "Well, I guess I got my orders, I'll see you around, alright" she said as she made her way down the trail. "Good luck on your test, Jaune" she said as she and Chingling made her way down the hill, looking back at where her senior pointed for confirmation.

"...Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Akari asked Dorian, the red-wearing man shaking his head with a frown.

"Perhaps, but you should know why that is. The Security Corps must be tough and take on difficult tasks. She seems to have some potential, and she has the heart that many others might not have, but she also tends to have her heads in the clouds half-the-time" he remarked but kept a smile. "Captain Zisu asked me to see how well she can hold herself, you understand" he explained, Jaune nodding.

"I guess being a member of the Security Corps is pretty hard, huh?" he asked as Dorian nodded.

"Indeed. We're trained by not only Captain Zisu but Commander Kamado as well. We're to be strong in not only body and mind but in spirit as well. That's why we have to spend a full ten days here, living off of the land as a trial of our own. While we have our base camps, we are to show promise living out in the wilderness, to strengthen ourselves and grow."

'...Well, at least you aren't launching them off cliffs or anything' Jaune thought, recalling his own initiation and somewhat comparing the two tests. Honestly, he probably would've preferred surviving in the Hisui Region with no hint of society than be launched into a forest of Grimm for around five or six hours. 'Plus, there's no Deathstalkers here either, so that's already a plus he thought, recalling his first ever Deathstalker he might have accidently, or stupidly stirred from its ancient slumber.

"Well then, you ready to go, Jaune?" Akari asked, the blond knight turning towards her, a smile on his face as she recalled Oshawot to his Poké Ball once again.

"Yeah, let's get started" he said, as Akari began to explain the trial once again. As she did, both Professor Laventon and Dorian made their way up the hill.

"Seems like we'll both be getting a couple new faces in our squads, eh?" Dorian asked as Laventon smiled.

"It most certainly seems that way" Laventon responded before turning back to the camp. As he did, Dorian spoke up once again.

"Laventon" he asked, his tones becoming a bit more curious than last time, becoming a whisper as well as he didn't wished to be overheard by the two youths behind them, focused on their own tests. "That boy, you said he was a traveler? Why did he decide to join the Survey Corps?" he said as Laventon said nothing for a second.

"The commander offered him a position, I think he saw some potential in our new friend here" he said with a smile on his face. "He already seems to have a knack for catching Pokémon, as well as a tactical head on his shoulders. He seems like good sorts to me."

"I see" was all Dorian said, not fully buying that their commander did this from the goodness of his heart. 'I wonder what else is going on' the other man thought, making his way back to camp with his mind pondering on the swordsman taking the test. The commander wouldn't consider an outsider to join the Galaxy Team, not unless he had a reason. Whatever that reason is, I hope it is one that pays off.

As the two of them returned to camp, Akari grinned as she stopped in front of a nearby wooden bridge, the river running under it flowing at a steady pace as she decided to give Jaune the official test. "Alright then, so first up is catching those four Pokémon. You can mostly find them around Aspiration Hill, the Horseshoe Plains and Florio Gardens, so it's not too far away" she said, while reaching in her satchel. Pulling out what seemed to be pictures, she handed them to the blond-haired knight. "You already saw a Buizel, but these are what the other Pokémon look like" she said.

Taking the pictures, Jaune studied them carefully, both Cyndaquil and Juniper trying to see them as well with little-to-no luck in that endeavor. The first one, a brown beaver with what appeared to be a slightly goofy-looking expression, one that radiated a sense of happiness or at the very least could lighten the mood at the sight of it. Brown in color, the name of the Pokémon, a Bidoof, placed at the bottom of the picture.

The second picture was that of a bird-like Pokémon, brown and white feathers that looked a lot like the ones he noticed in the pastures of the village, probably one of the easier ones to catch he quickly assumed before turning to the final picture. In that looked like some sort of cat. The name of it being "Shinx" so he assumed it was some sort of Linx kind of Pokémon. Turning back to Akari, he handed her back the pictures while ready to begin.

"So, I just need to catch them then... seems easy enough" he said more to himself than to the blue-haired girl, apparently feeling like he said that a little too much. "So, where exactly would I begin?" he asked as both he and Akari heard a cry from Juniper, both of their heads turning to face the silver fox to see a familiar Pokémon approaching her. 'Wait, really?' Jaune thought as he spotted a Pokémon he was sent to catch.

Floating in the nearby waters was a Bidoof, it's stubby legs splashing in the river as it noticed the group. Making it's way up to the land, it seemed interested in them. Juniper tilted her head, curiously looking at it as Cyndaquil joined her. Both Pokémon taking an interest in the beaver Pokémon while Akari smiled.

"Well, this is your chance" she said as Jaune nodded. "Bidoof are surprisingly social, you really just need to throw a Poké Ball at it and you're good to go" she explained as Jaune nodded, pulling out one of the several Poké Balls, the professor gave to him for the trial. Making his way towards the small beaver, both Cyndaquil and Juniper made way for him, the Bidoof now looking at him, it's eyes filled with curiosity.

"Hey there, little guy" Jaune said, crouching down to hold out his hand. Akari did say it was supposed to be social. Seeing the Pokémon approach, him now, sniffing his hand for a second before seemingly giving off a cry of happiness. Jaune smiled and instead of throwing the Poké Ball at the small Pokémon, simply tapped it gently with it. As the Bidoof paused for a second, Jaune was quick to let go of the capsule as the small beaver was captured inside. A second passed before the ball sprung up for a second, only to stop shaking immediately, a glow and slight spark indicating the Pokémon was captured.

One down, three to go. Picking up the Poké Ball, Jaune inspected it before releasing the Bidoof from its ball, the Pokémon in question returning into the field lands, somewhat confused but happy to see Juniper and Cyndaquil again. Looking at the three Pokémon conversing with one another once again, he turned to Akari, who crossed her arms. "Well, I did say Bidoof was easy to catch" she said, Jaune agreeing.

"Yeah" he said, a grin on his face. "Alright, what's next?" he asked, Akari beginning to move towards the nearby forests, heading to the Horseshoe Plains. Following her, Jaune couldn't help but feel much more confident in himself. This seemed easy.

Jaune said nothing as he looked around the area, hiding in the grass with Juniper right beside him, his gaze focused on the Pokémon in question, the tiny bird he chose just one in a trio, each one chirping happily away as he frowned. 'Alright, attempt number four' he thought, a Poké Ball in hand once again, having hidden in some nearby tall grass and a drive to get the last laugh. 'Oh yeah, this seems easy' he recalled sarcastically. 'Ugh, Akari was right. Starly are really quick to flee' he said, taking a step closer to better help him throw the small capsule better.

A single step resulted in a barely audible crack, a single twig, as soft as a snap as it was, resulted in the three bird Pokémon pause, turn in his direction and not even a second later, began to take off. Jaune sprung quickly, throwing a Poké Ball where the birds were planning on flying, perhaps trying to cut them off.

...On the one hand, he did managed to hit one of them, the Pokémon being dragged into the Poké Ball, the small capsule landing on the grass-covered dirt a second later. Jaune dared to hope, dared to hope that after three failed attempts of either having them fly away, missing the Poké Ball or what have you, he could finally catch-

"Starly!" the bird Pokémon called out, breaking from the Poké Ball and suddenly flying in some random direction. Jaune mentally cursing as he ran out from hiding, looking on in annoyance at another failure on his part. Behind him was Akari, who looked a little amused by his rotten luck. Despite the talk he talked, regarding how easy it would be, he seemed to be having some trouble. Then again, so did she and Rei when they were out here, she supposed.

"Ugh... we need a different idea" Jaune said, realizing that hiding in the grass and trying to sneak up on them wasn't working as well as he'd hope. He ran through different ideas in his head. He could go full force and try to startle them, run at them, run past them, and have Cyndaquil or Bidoof to try and battle it. Having already tried the normal way by sending Cyndaquil out before the bird Pokémon still managed to fly away.

Maybe a different strategy, Bidoof maybe? It could work, Bidoof was more than friendly enough, maybe he could do something to keep the Starly calm enough for him to sneak up and strike. Or maybe he could lay some sort of trap, but what kind? Looking at the nearby fields, near Aspiration Hill, Jaune came up with nothing. 'This is going to be harder than I thought' he realized, recalling to what Akari said about them. They were usually in numbers, easily frightened, quick to flee, and harder to catch than just hiding in some grass or behind a tree and throwing a Poké Ball.

"Star?" a Pokémon cries came out, Jaune and Juniper turning to see on in a nearby tree, apparently looking at him with a turned head, what looked like a partially eaten berry beside it by the branch. Jaune growled and threw a second Poké Ball at the bird. The wild Starly managed to evade the ball, flying away, almost mocking him by this point, the ball having instead struck the tree, breaking apart while also leaving an indent into the tree, knocking a few berries from the tree.

Okay, so maybe he might have thrown it a little harder than he realized, and subconsciously added a little bit of aura to it as well. Feeling a sudden headache coming on, he pinched the bridge of his nose, an agitated sigh escaping him. This was getting him nowhere.

"E-Eva, Eva!" Juniper suddenly called out, seemingly pointing towards the tree which caught his attention.

"Uh?" Jaune asked aloud, his eyes seeing what she seemed to point out. Looking nearby the tree, Jaune saw the scattered blue berries, one of which half eaten. Silently, Jaune made his way towards them, picking up the former meal of the bird Pokémon. "...Huh, guess these Starly like eating berries" Jaune said, inspecting the pecked and battered tree fruit. As he did, he could feel the gears of his mind begin to turn, a realization slowly coming to mind until seconds later, Jaune began to grin, an interesting idea came to mind.

While he contemplated his thoughts, Akari watched on, looking at him with interest as she seemed to smile, already knowing where he was going. 'Guess he figured that out for himself' she thought, recalling how Rei managed to catch his own Starly, surprisingly a very obvious and effective tactic. She was going to give him a hint if he kept failing, but apparently, he seemed to figure it out.

Soon, she heard some chirping from around the area, this time seeing a few more Starly that seemed to return, despite Jaune still lingering in the field lands. Turning towards Jaune, she saw clearly his head looked at the returning flock, tossing aside the Oran Berry one of the other Starly dug into and grabbed a few more of the untouched ones from the ground. With a few in his arms, he began to slowly approach the nearby grass, Juniper watching from a distance and hiding in a second patch of grass nearby.

Jaune didn't pick a specific target, he kept his eyes on all three of the bird Pokémon, observing not only them but his surroundings. He didn't get much closer, instead judging the distance between him and the Starly. His eyes turned beyond the birds, and reaching for one of the berries, he threw it as quietly as he could, the grass ruffled slightly against his body as he did.

As he looked on, the berry flew into the open, landing beside the three Starly. Hearing the thud of the berry hitting the ground, Jaune was unsure if they would fly away. He froze for a second, expecting to act at any of their sudden movements, only to stare intently as they turned their heads and now eyed the berry laying before them. One of the Starly tilted its head, another walked away from it, deciding to fly off and leave the other two to themselves. The third one however, seemed more than a little curious. Hopping its way towards it, it pecked at it once, twice, seeing if anything happened. Jaune watched on silently, wondering if he should act sooner than later.

"Starly" the bird Pokémon chirped, deciding to enjoy its free meal while pecking at it without remorse or restraint. Jaune noticed small bits of the berry seemed to be bitten off as well, the Starly seemingly enjoying the blue berry Jaune offered it.

Huh, and here he thought that birds only ate worms and smaller animals, who knew they loved berries?

Now with it distracted, Jaune began his advance towards it, the noise of the grass moving alerting the other Starly that stood guard as its friend seemed to keep eating. Jaune watched, knowing he had a limited time to work. Now close enough, he dropped whatever berries he had on him and grabbed a Poké Ball. Hearing the commotion, the second Starly flew off, leaving the final one ignorant to the position it was currently in. Jaune decided to act, it was now or never as he threw the Poké Ball into the Starly's direction, the small ball hitting its mark, no doubt catching the Pokémon off guard.

Now in the ball, Jaune quickly ran over, a second Poké Ball in hand as he refused to let this one escape. If it broke free again, he would lob the second ball at it, and if it broke free from that one, then he would be in arm's length by then to grab it. Would that be a horrible idea? Yes, it would be an awful idea, but then again, this was the man who lied about his transcripts, cheated into a prestigious academy for huntsman and huntresses alike, helped steal a bullhead to get to Atlas after Cordovin prevented them to leave and then some. Stupid ideas were no stranger to him by this point, this would be just another one added to the list.

However, thankfully as it might have seemed, the ball did not break this time around, a faint light and firework-like spark arose from the small device as the Starly Jaune worked hard to catch remained in the ball, his second Pokémon now successfully captured. Walking over to pick up the Poké Ball, Jaune smiled, Juniper joining him as returned the now-occupied Poké Ball into his satchel and turned to the fox Pokémon.

'You know' he thought to himself, 'I really should've thought about this earlier' he realized, Juniper cocking her head to the side as she suddenly turned to see Akari approaching them.

"Good job" she said, a smile on her face. "So, still think this is really easy?" she suddenly asked while Jaune nodded but frowned slightly.

"It's... more complicated, I'll admit" he said, Akari still keeping her smile as he gave it some more thought. "Then again, I suppose I should've expected that" he said with some humor while Akari nodded.

"You're doing better than some of the others did when they first started out" she admitted while looking at the skies. "You also don't have too much experience catching Pokémon or even battling. It makes sense you would have some trouble in the beginning" she explained.

"I guess" he said, a smile now on his face, recalling some of the lessons he learned under Pyrrha's teachings as well as in Professor Goodwitch's class. 'Then again, it's not like it's too hard to do, once you understand the basics' he thought, recalling how things played out. So far so good by any account.

"Well, if anything, I'm sure you're passed the worst of it" Akari said, earning a confused look from Jaune, who turned to face her from right in front of the tree. "The next two Pokémon aren't nearly as easy to spook off. Though, they're probably a lot more aggressive than the Pokémon you encountered so far" she said.

"...Right, that Shinx Pokémon... and that Buizel" Jaune said. Akari nodded but developed a serious look on her face, one built with not only some understanding but experience as well.

"They're pretty territorial, and some of them travel in packs" Akari warned. "You might get stuck fighting more than one at a time, and they aren't afraid to attack a human either" she said. Jaune nodding his head. "To be honest, I was nearly hit with a Shinx's Thunder Shock. It can be a different battle altogether and much more dangerous too."

'So be careful' he thought instantly, his blue eyes narrowing in clear understanding. Did he think they were as bad as something like the Grimm, probably not since he had seen how many and how horrific the soulless monsters could actually be. 'Between the Deathstalker, the Ursa, that giant Grimm dragon, the Nuckleeve, those Apathy Ruby and the others encountered and that... Hound Grimm' he said, really wishing that some of the Pokémon wasn't as disturbing as the Grimm he faced in the past.

And oh, how wrong would he probably be, knowing his luck he probably would find some Pokémon that could kill everyone without even trying, one that could eat his soul, or destroy a mountain or something. He wouldn't be too shocked if somehow, this was some kind of Pokémon fault he was in this situation to begin with. Hell knowing his bad luck, he probably had to fight at least five or so of them just to survive. He had to wonder if his bad luck was less Qrow's semblance, and just something he himself had at all times.

"Alright, so Shinx is next" he decided, thinking it through. 'If what she said was right, Shinx would be a good counter to a Buizel... but a hard battle nonetheless' he thought. Before he could say anything else, a sudden cry of fear echoed from the area around them, Akari and Jaune turning to face where it came from. Immediately, Jaune took off, placing a hand on Crocea Mor's hilt as Akari and Juniper followed.

It didn't take long for him to see what happened, it took him less time to turn and avoid being zapped by some sort of electrical yellow energy of some sort. Wanda turned, having avoided one of the electrical attacks, her Chingling weakly following behind her, having less luck in doing so. Still, Jaune immediately noticed what she was running from, three small cat-like Pokémon having chased her towards them.

"J-Jaune, Akari?!" she called; her tones filled with clear relief as she was thankful for some reinforcements. Her gaze quickly turned back to what seemed to be chasing her, quickly making her way back to her feet with a more confident expression on her face.

"Wanda?" Akari questioned, her eyes turning towards Shinx and paling. "Oh, great... this again" she muttered, somewhat sarcastically as she recalled her own test just a day or so ago, reaching for Oshawot's Poké Ball as she did. Wincing slightly as she realized her own type disadvantage from the last time she had to catch one. "Jaune, you take on one of them, me and Wanda will hold off the other two" she said. Jaune nodded, reaching for Cyndaquil's Poké Ball and throwing her out into battle. Oshawot soon joining his friend with Wanda's Chingling still willing to battle.

As the three Shinx looked at the two newcomers, they all howled and prepared to fight, the area around them electrifired as Jaune focused his eyes on his opponent. Unlike the Bidoof, it was not nearly as friendly, and unlike the Starly, nowhere near as frightened by his appearance. This was going to be a battle. And Jaune would make the first move. "Cyndaquil... use Ember!" he called out.

"Aqua Jet, Oshawot!" Akari called, following her technical pupil into battle.

"Chingling, use your Confusion" Wanda declared, willing to stand her ground with her new friends.

And without a needed word, the battle began.

Jaune's Pokemon:

000: Juniper/ Eevee: Party:

001: Cyndaquil: Party:

002: Bidoof: Party:

003: Starly: Party:

Well, I hope you liked it. Also, I'm going to put up a list of Jaune's caught Pokémon and where they currently are. The reason being while Jaune's team won't change too much from how I'm going to have it, he is still going to be catching Pokémon for his work. While my original idea was him having a total of 10 Pokémon on his team to more reflect the ancient hero and the Noble Pokémon, as well as give his own Pokémon some personality as the story continues, I'm not going to gloss over him having to catch well over 100 different types of Pokémon for his eventual Survey Corps work.

I am going to give some of the normal and easily forgettable NPCs of Legends Arceus some spotlight as well, hence why Dorian: the man you give the bigger Buizel to in-game, and Wanda: Who you have to find all-over Hisui when she's lost, are in the last two chapters. This is mostly due to me wanting to give the world of Legends Arceus a little more life, since as far as we know in the game, they hint at there being more Survey Corps members, but we only know Akari, Rei and Professor Laventon, under Cyllene, are the only ones we see or hear of. (Heck, we're the only one who gets nearly anything done in the game regarding an actual Poke Dex, which while I understand why, seems like it's less of an actual Corps and more of a solo endeavor.)

While I understand why that is the case, as well as Pokémon's use of reusing character models, like the Security Corps members, the villagers, etc. and etc. I want to at least make it a bit more like an actual village where people know one another. So safe to say, Jaune will be doing some of the missions written into the story, as well as making some new allies while doing so.

Anyways, like I said I hope you enjoyed and have a great day or night.