I was trying to avoid this, but here's the chapter of Lincoln's trip to Kitakami. Well, first a bit of a lead in, before we get to the tale, so this will be a two parter.
Reviews:
Njistar: I actually meant to do something different, but then I realized with how I wrote Lincoln and planned to write Kieran, it wasn't going to happen. Also, Kieran is very much an introvert, emo or not, so big group of strangers means quiet Kieran.
Mr. Haziq: Well Clay has, but for completely different reasons…Hehehe. But real talk, I hadn't really thought of including them. Well, aside from Alder because he could never remember when he had to come, all of the leaders and Elite Four have either came to Blueberry Academy or it was a field trip. It's just not important for this story, so maybe if I ever make a spin off or extra chapters.
digifan303: Nope. I was debating on who to include, but then I realized that it really doesn't matter. I'm not following the main series timeline at all really. Though most people would be happy with who I picked.
God of Challenge: The other sentai references are really for fun and to edge out the Elite Four's Teams since it makes sense for them to have more than 6 Pokemon (except Drayton since he's lazy). On the other hand, if you like Power Rangers, you probably would like Super Sentai. It depends on what you want, but it may be worth it to take a preferred Ranger Season and then jump over to the corresponding Sentai. Or find a theme you like (cars, dinosaurs, ninja, etc.) and try that. Or Zenkaiger. Zenkaiger is a fun introduction, but it's an anniversary season so I caution starting there.
zdforrest: I'm stopping this now because while I was humoring it in the past few chapters, I should state that there is no real hostility at this point and time. Confusion and shock, absolutely. Anger, there's a little bit but it's overwhelmed by the wonder of Pokemon. As to the not communicating, that was a combination of the family dismissing Lincoln's interests and getting busy with their own lives. Lori especially is in college, so it's a big difference.
Now, first we start on the picnic, and then we get to the field trip. Story time…
Lincoln's Life Changing Field Trip Part 1 - Let's Begin
"Apologies for the long walk. Presenting Coastal Biome's biggest beach and a BBQ at BBA!" Lincoln announced as he held out his hands in an extravagant manner. Beside him, Lacey was walking with Zocks at her side and his brothers on his shoulders. He had led them to a sprawling, white sand beach with a crystal clear ocean lapping at the shores. A few Pokemon were leisurely walking down the beach's shores or just floating in the simulated ocean. There were a few beach towels and umbrellas scattering the beach that were occupied by students, some adults, and even Pokemon.
However, the most eye-catching stand was the massive picnic table set up on the Terrarium's climate cubes. On it were several large bowls sealed with lids and a stack of plates. At the end of it was an outdoor kitchen with Crispin and surprisingly, Drayton working the two grills and griddle. A tantalizing smell was drifting from the grill and several Pokemon and trainers were approaching with drooling faces. They would have made it if not for Carmine and Amarys shooing them off with their Pokemon. Carmine had out her Mightyena and Chesnaught, while Amarys had Metagross and Empoleon helping. Further down the beach, a bunch of students and Pokemon were relaxing in a group led by Meloetta who was singing her heart out.
Lana started to sniff the air. "Smells good!" She exclaimed with drool escaping her mouth.
"It should be. Crispin has been looking forward to cooking this for weeks," Lincoln said. "The only person who was looking forward to this more than him was Lacey."
Lacey was not paying attention. She was too busy looking at the grill. "I want some Barbeque…some barbeque, and when I want it, nothing else will do," she sang to herself. Lincoln poked her in the cheek, breaking her from her entrancement. She looked around. "Is the barbeque ready?" Lincoln had an amused look, causing her to slump over. "I got barbeque brains again."
"It's one of your two weaknesses: Barbeque and cute Pokemon," Lincoln commented with a grin. Lacey childishly stuck her tongue out at Lincoln, only increasing his smile. A large growl filled the area, and everyone turned to look at Albert.
"Sorry. I'm a little hungry!" Albert announced, slightly embarrassed. He held his stomach as he said that. It seemed to be a signal, as all the stomachs of the Louds and Lacey rumbled. "Guess we all are hungry," the eldest male laughed. "Let's go see if the food is ready!" With a pep in his step, Albert started to walk into the table.
Drayton waved from his place at the griddle. He was shifting around some strips of meat as well as some vegetables on the griddle. "It's about time you got here," he snarked as he took off some of the cooked meat. Lincoln approached Drayton and started to check on the food. "Now, you can get Carmine off my back so I'm not in charge of cooking. I'm exhausted." Lincoln quickly grabbed a plate and blocked a Pokeball thrown at Drayton's head. Carmine had her arm outstretched.
"Carmine, if you want to have your lover's spat with Drayton, save it until after we have eaten," Lincoln called out. Carmine's face exploded red, while Drayton had a lazy smirk on it.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Carmine screamed. She stomped away and started walking faster when she spotted a group of Pokemon trying to sneak towards the table. She had a vicious smile and was cracking her knuckles.
"Why do you continue to torment her?" Lucy asked. Lincoln paused at that question, but he was distracted when Drayton shoved the tongs into his hands.
"It's a bit of a game between the two of us. If she ever stops responding, I win and she knows it," Drayton explained.
"Shouldn't it be, the other way around?" Lucy asked. Drayton ignored her and started to stretch his arms before taking a seat.
"How much longer until the BBQ is ready?" Lacey asked impatiently. She was sitting at the table with a fork and knife in her hands, an empty plate in between them, and a napkin tied around her neck. Zocks was mirroring her posture with Ricky and Cuttanner sitting on either side of his plate. Meloetta floated onto the table and took a seat by Lacey.
Crispin waved her off. "Everything should be ready in about 10 minutes." He received an excited nod from Lacey.
"Hey bro, I've been meaning to ask, but is it okay for Pokemon to eat barbeque?" Luna asked pointing at Pixie. Lincoln nodded from the griddle, piling the last of the meat on it.
"It's perfectly okay. Most Pokemon are either herbivores or omnivores. There are a few Pokemon that only eat meat, and some that literally digest metal, but most can eat human food with little issues. Then it comes down to personal tastes of Pokemon," Lincoln explained. "Of course, most Pokemon only need to eat once or twice a day unless they are particularly active. We've all fed our Pokemon this morning, so we don't have to worry about feeding them until later." He leveled a look at Zocks, Ricky, and Cutanner. "Or you also have Pokemon like Zocks who will take any opportunity to eat." The pirate just stuck his tongue out
Crispin joined in, placing a plate of several ribs onto the table. "When it comes to that, types can affect what they like, though they aren't always the case. For example, my Pokemon are all fire types, and most of them like spicy foods or oily foods which help them regulate their natural flames." He explained it as he got to work shutting off the first grill and cleaning what he could around it.
"Steel types are much the same," Amarys said, taking a seat near Lacey. She had to physically hold down Lacey's hands, preventing her from taking some of the ribs. "Steel-types will often have iron supplements or eat iron-rich foods like Spinach, Broccoli or Dark Chocolate. This helps them keep the metal in their bodies healthy and strong."
"Fascinating. I wonder how the presence of dual types affects a Pokemon's dietary needs," Lisa wondered to herself, looking at her new tablet. Amarys got up and placed a hand on Lisa's shoulder.
"You can look at that later. Lunch is almost ready, so I suggest you all take a seat," Amarys said plainly. This seemed to get everyone moving and taking a seats in order from oldest to youngest. There were empty seats for Lincoln, Crispin, Carmine, and one more next to Albert. There was some small chatter from the Louds as paper plates and silverware were passed around. Lincoln and Crispin joined after placing their plates of food onto the table. A massive slab of brisket and a bowl of some form of fried meat, clear noodles, and vegetables.
"Yo Carmine, food's ready!" Drayton called out.
"I'm coming!" Carmine's voice called out. She came up to the table with a much more relaxed air with Director Cyrano in a 1920's men's swimsuit? and his normal hat. Carmine took the empty seat next to Amarys.
"Director Cyrano!" Lincoln and his friends greeted the man in a shocked but happy tone.
"Greetings students. Apologies for interrupting this family get together," the man greeted them with a wide grin and a tipped hat.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing down in the Coastal Biome? We aren't too far into the semester," Amarys asked politely.
Cyrano made a motion towards the table and after confirmation, he took a seat on the empty chair. "This is something new. My doctor recommended that I try to get more exercise so when I have the chance, I've been trying to swim around here," he explained with a large smile.
Beside him, Albert let out a laugh. "I can definitely relate. These old bones need to be moved every once and a while. A good swim is perfect for it." Albert said. He held out his hand to Cyrano. "I'm Albert, Lincoln's Pop-Pop. It's a pleasure to be at this fine school."
"Well, that's mighty kind of you to say." Cyrano happily took the hand and shook it. "I've put a lot of effort into making this school the best place to help prepare my students for life outside the academy. I've taken more than my fair share of risks, but one I don't regret is letting your grandson join here. He and his friends have helped push our students beyond what I could ever hope for." Albert's smile grew wider and wider as the director said those words while Lincoln and his friends looked a little bashful at that.
"Meowsca! Rada!" Zocks suddenly cut in, slamming a fist into the table. Ricky and Cutanner copied him.
"Easy, Zocks," Lacey scolded her Pokemon.
"I shouldn't keep you any longer," Cyrano said. "Though it was short, I'm glad to have met my student's family." He went to get out of the chair.
"Why don't you stay and eat with us?" Albert asked suddenly.
Cyrano turned to Albert. "Eh?" escaped from his mouth.
"I don't see why you shouldn't join. What are your thoughts, Lincoln?" Albert asked his grandson. Lincoln looked at his friends who shrugged.
"Why not? We have more than enough food. Everyone, dig in!" Lincoln announced. It became a flurry of activity as everyone started to grab food. The closed containers were revealed to have salad and fruit inside of it.
"Delicious!" Lily squealed, taking a bite of some of the barbeque stir fry. Pixie was right next to her, eating some of the salads and fruits happily. There were several sounds of agreement as the other people at the table started to chow down.
"It is always a delight to have your cooking. You are quite the skilled chef, Crispin," Director Cyrano thanked happily, politely eating a rib.
Crispin scratched his cheek with a slight blush. "Thank you, Director, but I couldn't do it without everyone's help." A comfortable atmosphere formed around the people as they happily ate their meals. Eventually, everyone was rubbing full stomachs with content smiles. Notably, during the meal, Director Cyrano had to leave to get back to work.
"That was good," Luan moaned out with a bulging stomach. "I doughnut think I could eat another bite even if you lettuce us." Groans were followed by her statement, though whether it was from the puns or the full stomachs.
"This was too good," Lynn groaned. She looked longingly at the beach. "I want to go swimming, but I'm too full." There were groans of agreement from most of the Loud Family. Lincoln and his friends had eaten less, so they were relatively fine.
"You all did eat a lot," Lincoln commented, leaning onto the table. "We don't even have any leftovers."
"Please, stop talking about food," Lola demanded.
"Alright. What should we do then? I was going to let you all swim for a bit, but…" Lincoln asked.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh. How did you meet Oni Sister?" Lily piped up. She was standing on her chair with a slightly messy face.
"Oni Sister? Who's that?" Lana asked. Several curious looks were thrown her way.
Lincoln pulled out a green and white Pokeball with four red marks and a gold circle in between them. "Oni Sister is one of my strongest Pokemon. Lily met her when we had our little talk," he explained. He chuckled when he saw the expectant look on his family's face. It grew louder as he saw Lily hold her hand out.
He got up from the table and took a few steps into the beach. Lily seemed to understand and jumped off her seat with Pixie and Meloetta following. He offered the Pokeball to Lily. "Do you want to do the honors?" He vaguely noticed his family and friends following the youngest's lead.
Lily looked at it with wide eyes. "Can I?" She asked. Lincoln nodded and handed her the ball. She held it in both hands and tossed it into the air. "Come out, Oni Sister!" A bright flash came out as a figure of just under 4 feet materialized. It had two long, black legs with two toes on each foot accented by a little sprout. Around its body was a green, multicolored cloak. On its face was an intricate mask that looked quite fearsome with six leaf-like protrusions surrounding a jagged mouth and a crown of leaves on top.
Oni Sister looked around. She waved at the Elites and Director Cyrano, and had a curious posture when she saw the Louds. It was when she saw Lincoln and Lily that her posture seemed to change. She skipped over to the two, handed her mask to Lincoln, and wrapped the much smaller girl into a big hug, practically swallowing Lily in her cloak. It revealed that she had an orange face, yellow eyes with star-shaped pupils, and two, cute fangs.
"Oni Sis, you're too warm," Lily's muffled voice cried out. She made only half-hearted movements towards getting out of the hug. Lincoln laughed at the interaction and patted the little Oni's head, getting a pleased look on her face.
"Everyone, I would like you to meet one of my partners, Oni Sister! I met her on my trip to Kitakami," Lincoln said. He took a seat in the sand, and before he could do anything, Oni Sister took a seat by Lincoln's feet with Lily still in her grip. "Take a seat. It's quite a tale."
Crispin jumped to his feet. "Give me a moment. I'll make some popcorn," Crispin said, running back to the kitchen. He started pulling out ports, kernels, and some oil and butter.
"Ignoring that," Lincoln said. He waited a few moments until everyone had taken a seat either on the cubes of the Terrarium or on the sand. "As an exchange student, I was guaranteed to join in the field trip, and Carmine was chosen to help guide everyone through Kitakami. There were other students that I wasn't very close with, but the biggest highlight was that Uva Academy was sending a handful of their students with us. We got there a few hours before the Uva students came by so Carmine and I used the opportunity to talk with her grandparents." Carmine gave a happy nod at that.
"Carmine's grandparents were nice enough to host me with Carmine during the two-ish weeks we were staying there. They even supplied me with a jinbei when I went to pick up my mask," Lincoln explained while showing his family a picture of him and Carmine dressed up in matching jinbei with Lincoln wearing his mask while Carmine had a blue mask as a hair accessory.
"Welcome home, Carmine," an elderly man greeted Carmine at a house on the outskirts of the village. "Who's this fellow with you? Did you bring home a friend?" He turned to a much shorter Lincoln.
Carmine had a smirk as she patted Lincoln's head. He gave a glare as he swatted the hand away. "This is Lincoln, one of the classmates that I was talking about," Carmine said. Lincoln gave a small wave towards him.
Her grandpa nodded. "So you are the one who commissioned the mask. I was quite impressed with the notes that you had made about the design. It is a pleasure to meet you, Lincoln. I'm Yukito," he introduced.
"I'm Lincoln. Thank you for letting me stay here and for making my mask for the upcoming festival," Lincoln greeted back.
"None of that. I'm just glad that Carmine is making some friends. She can be a bit aggressive at times," Yukito commented with a mischievous grin.
"Grandpa!" Carmine growled with pink cheeks, causing Lincoln to snicker.
"Just let an old man have his fun," he laughed. He looked at the sky. "But will this cause any issues with your trip?" Carmine waved him off.
"We have an hour or two until the other tour school shows up. Ms. Briar let us head here since we are staying here instead of the Community Center," Carmine explained dismissively. She looked around. "Where's grandma and Kieran?"
"I'm just preparing some snacks," an elderly woman said, carrying a plate of some sort of round pastries. "Kieran is out exploring the mountain again." She offered the plate to Lincoln who happily took one of the treats.
"Kiki," Carmine groaned out. Behind her, Lincoln was happily eating it.
"This is great!" He exclaimed. "What are these, ma'am?"
"None of that. You can call me Hideko," the grandmother reprimanded gently. "These are called mochi. Would you like another one?"
"Yes please," Lincoln said, taking another off the plate. He ate it happily. "What about Kieran has you so worked up?" He asked between bites. Carmine dragged a hand across her face in frustration.
"Kiki has a bit of an obsession with the ogre from the story that you've been obsessed with," Carmine explained. "He's just turned 10, but he missed the cut off to join Blueberry Academy. He will be 11 when he is able to join, but he's already gotten his first Pokemon, an Applin. Ever since then, he's been taking every opportunity to search the mountain for it. It's a little concerning."
"Kieran can take care of himself. He always makes sure to be home by dinner time," Yukito said unconcerned. "Now, do you want to see your mask? I haven't had a challenge like that for a while."
A blaring sound came from Lincoln's phone as he was setting the guest room up. He quickly silenced it but slightly panicked when he saw the time. "Carmine, we have to go now!" He shouted to his friend. Carmine peeked her head out from her room.
"What are you talking about?" Carmine asked.
"I just got a text from Ms. Briar. She's bringing the Uva Students over to the Community Center now. She wants everyone there," Lincoln explained. Carmine groaned.
"I thought we have longer," she growled. She stomped over to Lincoln and grabbed his wrist. "Come on!"
"Hey, I can walk myself!" Lincoln protested as he was dragged down the road.
It wasn't long before they were standing next to three fellow students in front of the Community Center, watching their teacher guide a group of 5 students dressed in various Uva Academy uniforms as well as a purple haired man in a lab coat with hexagonal-framed glasses. Most were pretty unremarkable, but one stood out to Lincoln. It was a student who was in between his height and Carmine's height. He had long, blond hair and was wearing a yellow vest over his uniform. What stood out the most was the massive backpack that he was carrying with little effort.
"Students of Blueberry Academy, I would like you all to meet Mr. Jacq, the developer of the Pokedex app that is currently used by most Academies around the world," Briar excitedly explained, motioning to the man.
The man waved his hands in front of himself. "Please, it isn't truly anything special. I just adapted some of the technology already available to work with Rotom Phones," the embarrassed man said. He cleared his throat at the looks he saw. "Anyways, this is a chance for us all to get to know our fellow students better as well as explore the Kitakami region. And we are here just in time for the Festival of Masks, I believe it was called. Can any of you tell us about it?"
Carmine stepped forward. "I can tell you all about it. The Festival of Masks is an old Kitakami tradition that takes place over three days. As Lincoln had reminded me constantly, the little nerd," she paused to let Lincoln's indignant shout wash over her. "It is a festival we have every year to celebrate the Loyal Three and their role in driving away a vicious ogre who was attacking our village hundreds of years ago."
"That's it?" The stand-out student asked exasperatedly. "You should tell us more!"
Carmine got into her angry stance. "You'll hear about it later!" Lincoln reached up and placed a hand on her shoulder. She visibly calmed down, but she was still angry.
Briar cleared her throat. "Carmine is correct, though she probably could have explained a bit more. However, this is one of the activities for you all. Around Kitakami, there are three signboards that tell the story of the Loyal Three. After you have gotten settled, you have until tomorrow to pair up with someone from the other school and find the three signboards. You must take a picture as proof that you found it."
Jacq stepped forward. "Now, we know that it has been a long trip, so you will have some time to relax and get to know each other before you all pair up. According to Ms. Briar, the Community Center is kind enough to host us during the duration of our stay, so make certain that all of you thank them," he suggested with a proud smile. "Now, it is a little bit after lunch, so let's all find a nice place to eat and get to know each other." Murmurs of excitement followed that announcement.
Carmine seemed to jump in place at that suggestion. "Ooh, I know a restaurant that makes some great food!" She said. "It's this way!" Without even waiting to see if they were following her, she started power-walking in a random direction.
Briar had a bashful expression as she watched her student. "Well, that was Carmine, a native of Kitakami. We may want to follow her," Briar said. She started walking after her student and everyone else followed. Well, everyone but Lincoln and the blond boy. Lincoln had noticed that the boy was walking towards the outskirts of the village and quickly followed after him.
"Hey, wait up!" Lincoln called out, chasing after him. The boy turned back to Lincoln with a confused look. "Where are you going?" Lincoln asked him. The boy scoffed.
"I'm going to find a place to camp out. I don't feel like staying with everyone else," the boy grunted. "Now, why are you following me?" He demanded. Lincoln looked at the boy.
"I was curious about you. You looked like you were ready to travel, and I figured that I should partner with someone who is prepared," Lincoln said simply. "I'm Lincoln. Who are you?" The boy looked at Lincoln before a small smile formed on his face.
"Fair enough. I'm Arven," the boy, now revealed to be Arven, replied. "You wouldn't happen to know anyplace I could set up?"
Lincoln took a thinking pose. "I'm pretty new to Kitakami myself, but we can ask Carmine's grandparents if they know anyplace good," Lincoln suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Arven nodded. "Lead the way, Lincoln."
It was through a tough conversation with Hideko, and an annoying phone call from Carmine, that Lincoln and Arven were setting up a camp at the base of Apple Hill. Hideko had guided them to a small campsite for travelers with the promise that the two would show up to dinner. Lincoln was setting up the tent while Arven was double checking the firepit.
As Lincoln finished setting up the tent, he turned to Arven. "What made you want to stay out here?" Lincoln asked. He pulled out the tarp and started fastening it to the top. Arven paused by the pit.
"I didn't really feel like hearing the other students jabbering about my parents," Arven grunted.
"You're from Paldea, right? Are your parents anyone important?" Lincoln asked innocently. Arven had disbelief written over his face.
"I figured that they would have been covered by Blueberry Academy. They are well known around the world," Arven commented.
Lincoln had a thoughtful look on his face as he laid out a sleeping bag by the firepit. "I don't know much about the Pokemon Regions. I'm from the States, specifically Michigan. I've only learned that Pokemon existed a few months ago," Lincoln stated. He laid down and looked up at the cloudy sky. Beside him, Arven looked quite surprised. "It's been amazing. Everything is so new, and I can't believe I even get that chance. Normally, it is my sisters that get these opportunities. I missed them" He looked wistfully at the sky. "I miss them."
Arven copied the white haired boy. "I thought you would have been a native of the regions. Most people with non-standard hair are from them, just look at Jacq's or mine," he gestured to his dual-colored hair.
Lincoln laughed. "Carmine said the same thing when I asked about the strange hair. My family might have an ancestor from here. Or I am adopted despite my family's story of my birth story," Lincoln continued laughing at the raised eyebrow from Arven. "They claimed that I was born in a president's limousine which I find myself doubting after some time."
"Sounds like your family is quite interesting. How many sisters are you talking about? Three? Four?" Arven questioned.
"Try ten," Lincoln blandly stated. He had already pulled out a bulging wallet and revealed that the extra thickness was due to an extended fold-out that held ten pictures of different girls with Lincoln and a single picture of the whole family. "It gets chaotic."
Arven's face was filled with disbelief before he broke out in laughter. "I can only imagine how you all eat," he laughed.
Lincoln shook his head at the question. "Like I said, chaotic. The kiddie table itself is a fight to get food, and let's not even get into pizza nights." Arven's laughter increased in volume at that. An alarm came from Lincoln's phone. He pulled out his Rotom Phone and checked the time. "It's been a while, and Hideko wants us back in about two hours. What do you say to knocking out the signboard in Loyalty Hill before dinner?" Lincoln suggested, hopping to his feet.
Arven seemed to consider the idea before he gave a resolute nod. "Let's do it," Arven said.
"From there, we headed up Apple Hill towards Loyalty and started our assignment. It wasn't long before we had taken our picture and were heading towards Carmine's house. On our way back, we ran into Kieran," Lincoln said to an enraptured audience.
Chapter End
Some fun and good food before the meat of the story. Carmine is less hostile due to Lincoln's friendship and excitement towards Kitakami. Arven is Lincoln's partner instead of Kieran since Kieran isn't even a student yet. I should note that this is Arven before he heads down to Area Zero, so less angst if a little stand-offish. It also helps that he isn't fully rejecting his parents' research due to not having the experience yet. He is also the character that I think Lincoln would connect the most with out of the Paldean Trio.
Further, we get the start of the chapter with no battles this time. I wanted to put the bonding scene with Arven before I got the main story with Arven helping Lincoln deal with the Ogerpon storyline because Lincoln and Carmine aren't crazy strong yet and Arven has Mabosstiff. Also, the Lincoln Adopted tidbit is not a real plot point, but I find the whole Lincoln was born in the limo of the president to be ridiculous. Good story, but I don't think it really would have changed much if Lincoln was adopted, so I'm keeping it an open idea.
Just for fun, Lacey was singing one of my favorite songs by a fantastic singer. Highly recommend it if you can figure it out.