Deep within her prison near the base of Area Zero, Paige struggled against the chains that kept her bound to the bed. She'd been a prisoner of Natalya and her goons for several days at this point, her Pokemon and tools deprived from her and her mission to stop Natalya's ambitions put on hold while she was incapable of helping stop the depraved maniac who had betrayed them all. Now, all she had was an uncomfortable bed to rest on, a poorly lit lab room and two pairs of manacles, one for her ankles that chained her to the bed and the other that bound her wrists to the same spot. She had little mobility, as her captors liked it.

She saw no one but a lone guard who brought her a very small portion of food to eat every single day. He said nothing to her and would lock the cell door behind him after shoving the tray of barely edible slop onto her lap. She didn't know why Natalya was keeping her alive, but suspected it might have something to do with Cole. Natalya was certainly going to go after her friend and capture him as well. Once she had them both, heaven only knew what her schemes would cook up next.

After another fruitless attempt to pull herself free from her bonds, Paige slumped against the bed and accepted her helplessness for the time being. She was desperate to hear something, anything even, regarding Cole. But no one knew what Natalya was up to. Even the guards that kept her a prisoner down there didn't seem to know. She was up on the surface somewhere, but she couldn't fathom where, or if Cole or Professor Sexton were in danger.

I need to get out of here and get to Cole before she does, she thought to herself. But her restraints were not giving up so easily. Natalya knew of her versatility. She'd had the guards frisk her of anything and everything upon capturing her, taking away anything that might have helped her stop Natalya or escape. She didn't even have a bobby pin in her hair to pick the locks on her chains with. She was as good as trapped, unable to prevent any bad things from happening to her friends.

The only thought keeping her from giving up was the thought of Cole sharing her fate. She could not endure that. Not after all they had done together. Escaping from their vile foster mother, living on their own on the slum streets of Paldea, being taken in by Professor Turo and Sada and looking out for each other through thick and thin. Cole was her best friend in the whole world. In a lot of ways, Cole was her entire world. Besides the Pokémon she had and her oaths of loyalty to Turo and Sada, the only parents they may ever know, he was basically all she cared about in life. If anything happened to him...

It was why she begged Turo and Sada to keep him on despite his injuries in battle with those freakish Pokémon that kept appearing in Area Zero. They had been worried for his health and wellbeing, even going as far as to consider letting Professor Sexton take him someplace safer and away from such a danger. But Paige had been beside Cole her entire life. She could not be without him. Even now, being in the same region, but hundreds if not thousands of miles apart, she felt alone. She wanted to find Cole. To be with him. Just to even know if he was okay would be enough. Not knowing was killing her inside.

The doors to her prison opened and a big, burly man entered to likely ridicule her. The blinding light from outside kept her from properly identifying who this new person was. "Can I help you?" she growled.

"Keep being an exemplary prisoner, Paige" the man snickered. "I'm sure that Mistress Natalya will reward you for being a good little girl soon enough."

"I don't want any reward she'd be handing out."

"Not even if it's Cole's life?!"

Paige froze. "Cole?"

"Mistress Natalya is returning to Arcana as we speak. In fact, I daresay she may even be here now for all I know. I'll be in contact with her soon enough. And to make sure our plan continues to go off without a hitch, she's entrusted me with keeping you and any other prisoners well looked after until she decides what to do with you."

"Other prisoners? I'm the only one down here!"

"And yet you're not the only one that may be a problem for us. To complete our plans, we need a few more hostages. Cole may very well be one of them. So if you want your little friend brought down here in one piece, I suggest you keep being a good little girl and keep your trap shut. Brick's the name and I'm your new Warden."

"What does Natalya want with other hostages?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis" Brick growled. "If I think you need to know, you'll know." He walked over to a dark corner of the room and picked up a few chairs that had been on the ground for what Paige could only tell was years. He then placed them near Paige's bed. "Not enough chairs for the amount of hostages we need to take, but I'll borrow some from another lab, I guess." He picked up a hand radio from his belt. "Agent Lena! Report!"

"Yes sir?" a woman's voice called from the other side.

"Do you and your sister have all the necessary supplies?"

"Affirmative. Cages, chains, ropes, tape, all the equipment you told us to bring. So when do we get a move on?"

"Mistress Natalya needs time to prepare for the next move" Brick replied. "You and that twin of yours are to report to Area Zero once you've got the necessary supplies. Use the routes we discussed to avoid being seen. Once we get the green light from the Mistress, you're set to go out and bring in our prisoners."

"You can count on us" Lena spoke coldly on the other line. "We'll be there before nightfall."

"Good" Brick concluded before cutting the line.

Paige once more resumed struggling against her chains. "What is kidnapping going to accomplish?"

"What did I say about it being a need-to-know basis, Princess? Do you need your head bashed in or will Cole's head be enough." When he saw the frightened look on her face, Brick laughed a wicked guffaw. "There. That's the frightened little girl Natalya told me you were. Just keep being a good little girl and I don't have to make you watch your boyfriend die."

"He's not my boyfriend" Paige insisted.

Brick scoffed at this. "Sure. Whatever you say." He then strode for the door and slammed it shut behind him. The ker-chunk noise all but affirmed he'd locked her back inside.

Paige frantically fought against the strong metal restraints. "I...ergh...I won't let you...hurt...him!"

{}

After what felt like an eternity of sleeping away the intense migraine she had suffered through most of the morning, Addison woke up on a cot in Nurse Miriam's office. She was still in a daze, groggy and fatigued from combatting the illness she'd been enduring. But her perceptions were slowly coming back to her. She recalled collapsing in her History Class, prompting Professor Sexton to have Cole take her to the Nurse. She was told to lie down and after that Fateen woman came in to soothe a crying Jovi...her mind went blank.

She took a deep breath and began to empty her mind of all her muddled and confused thoughts, the words of her mentor in Countess Rosemary echoing through her head. "I need to clear my mind. I need to focus on the point of it, not allow outside distractions to bother me." She didn't know or care if anyone heard her attempting to meditate, she simply wanted to reconnect telepathically to Galatea. She'd even take her little Hatenna connecting with her again, if it were possible. But she needed someone she could depend on to explain what had happened to her.

Well, it's about time you woke up.

Addison blinked. "Galatea?"

You had me worried. I couldn't reach you at all. It was as if something was blocking our connection.

She frowned at her Pokémon's warning. "I was afraid of that. It had to have been that metallic sound that was ringing around this morning."

Oh, so I wasn't the only one who heard that.

"You heard it too?"

It was one of the most agonizing feelings I've felt in my life. Even to the scale of Mewtwo's tormenting of us on Mirage Island. My kind use telepathy to communicate. Lack of a connection to it can lead to disastrous consequences for us. Let us hope that ringing was just a one-time thing.

"I'm sure it was" Addison replied. "But it's good to know we can still talk."

I sense an unusual telepathic force in your vicinity. Remain vigilant. We will communicate again before the night comes.

Addison opened her eyes and finally took stock of her surroundings. Nurse Miriam's office, which had once been filled with students in pain, now housed slumbering students. But many of the ones that had been there this morning had left. Perhaps all they needed was a bit of sleep after all. The next time she saw Fateen, she figured she should thank the prophetess for helping her rest her head. Beyond that, she glanced over towards where Miriam's desk was and she seemed to be in deep discussion with someone. But Addison's head was still throbbing from the migraine and the two were out of her peripheral vision, thus preventing Addison from knowing what they were talking about.

Fortunately, the conversing didn't last long and both Miriam and her guest came over to check on her. To Addison's surprise and delight, the guest was her personal chaperone and fellow "Half Heart". Bridgette. Miriam happily stood over her while Bridgette stood nervously in the background.

"Well, Addison" Miriam spoke up happily, "you had us worried there this morning. That much of a nosebleed for anyone would put them out for a while. But with a bit of medication and great thanks to that Fateen woman, you should be able to make a full recovery and hopefully be back in class tomorrow." She gently patted Addison's head, reminding her of how her Aunt Caitlin had used to treat her when she was a little girl. "I'm glad to see you're finally awake of your own power, sweetie."

"You had me worried, I'll admit" Bridgette chirped in.

"You were worried about me?" Addison inquired.

"Of course" the surfer insisted. "I turn my back on my duties for a bit and find out you passed out in class. Well no more. I'll be keeping a close eye on you from this point on."

"I don't think that's necessary, Bridgette" Miriam pointed out. "I think Addison will be fine. And fortunately, this was mostly an orientation day of sorts, so Addison won't have much homework to catch up on. Though if I were you, sweetie, I would go to Professor Sexton and inform him that you're okay. He contacted my office earlier to ask how you were doing. He seemed concerned."

Addison smiled. "I will."

Miriam happily resumed her work at her desk as Addison slowly tried to push herself out of bed. "What got you so distracted anyway, Bridgette?"

"Personal stuff" she replied briskly. "Don't need to get you worried about that."

She held out her hands to help Addison up, but the young maiden insisted on trying to push herself up. Addison slowly made it to her feet, but felt a bit of a headrush and nearly fell, had Bridgette not caught her. "Thanks, Bridge."

Bridgette smiled. "Of course, Addy. You've been asleep for most of the day and I doubt you've eaten much. I think we should get you some food before we do anything else."

Addison politely shook her head. "No. I need to see Professor Sexton and let him know I'm okay. I'll worry about food after that."

Bridgette seemed eager to argue, but paused and shook her head. "You are your father's daughter, after all." She helped Addison stand on her own. "Well, can I at least make sure you can walk the grounds of the Academy on your own?"

Addison nodded at this. "Of course." She quickly turned over to Nurse Miriam and bowed to her in thanks. "Thank you, Nurse Miriam."

Miriam beamed. "Aw, it was my pleasure, Addison. I love taking care of you kids."

Bridgette gingerly helped Addison cross her way past a few additional sleeping kids before they made it to the door. Once they were out of the office, the two began a slightly quicker walk through the halls. All of the classes had ceased for the day and the kids were either outside in Mesagoza hanging out with friends, catching Pokémon or beginning their studies in the library, making the hallways relatively empty. Only a few kids seemed to be frequenting the halls, allowing the two a chance to catch up on each other's lives.

"You know my Dad well?" Addison asked Bridgette.

The surfer smiled. "Our generation was the one everyone thought was going to change everything. Me, your father, Tori, Jon, Greg, Malcolm and a few others. We were supposed to be the ones who did all of the things that fixed up and made the world keep going after James Kingston died. We all attended school under Professor Pines and began our journeys, each of us with different goals and desires. But we eventually faded into the background once Giselle proved how unbeatable she was. We'd have to wait until your mother's generation came up. Her, Michael, Julia, Chris, Madeline, Olivia and others. But in the meantime, while you know I was closer to Malcolm, your father was one of my best friends growing up."

"Dad doesn't like to talk about the time before Mom much" Addison recalled.

"Well back then, your father had a lot less on his shoulders" the surfer explained. "He was free to do as he wanted and go as he pleased. He was a surfing buddy of mine back in the day. He wanted to do everything a kid possibly could, including battle in the Pokémon League as much as possible. Of course, like so many of us, we never made it past Giselle and her band of thugs."

"But why would Dad not want me to know about that?"

Bridgette shrugged. "Those years before Michael came back were hard on a lot of us, your parents included. Dee wasn't the first girl to catch your father's eye and I think he's ashamed of that. He used to have the biggest crush on Tori Kingston. There were rumors that Lady Bonnie had been trying to pair them up since your father was born, but those plans never went through."

"Mom told me. She was supposed to marry Michael."

"And your mother was over the moon about Michael, like so many other girls were. And yet even that would cause problems for him. Your father had a lot on his plate for a guy of sixteen years old. Lost out on his crush, a tyrant took over our region and he'd ended up getting a girl two years younger than him pregnant. But while the more gung-ho and carefree Warren stopped existing around that time, he became the same upstanding and impressive man he still is to this day. You and your mother changed so much about him and I think he's even better than he was back then." She thought for a moment as they continued their progression throughout Uva Academy's halls. "Your father was kind of afraid when Michael came back, you know."

"Why?"

"He was afraid that if it came down to a contest between himself and the new hero of Arcana in your mother's eyes, he would lose. He confided in me after Michael had beaten Giselle that he was horrified of losing you and her. I insisted Michael wasn't that kind of guy and he had nothing to worry about. And after a day or two, he came back and affirmed as much. Michael and Dee had their tearful reunion and evidently, all Michael needed to see was how taken care of you and your mother were and he knew Warren was the man for the job. That reaffirmed to your father that he and Michael had been and would always be friends."

Addison smiled. "Michael's done a lot for me growing up. He's like a second Dad to me."

"Which is why I always knew your father had nothing to worry about. He's never been that kind of guy. And on top of all of that, he was and is to this day still madly in love with Julia. He'll always have room in his heart for others. Friends like your parents, Lizzie and Mark, his family, you, me and so many others. But the only person I've ever known that he puts above them all his Julia." She let out a light laugh. "She's always been the only person who can awaken the Michael we knew so many years ago."

"Do you think they'll always be friends?"

The surfing beauty nodded. "Knowing your father and Michael as well as I do, I could not fathom a thing that would stop them. When Michael returned to Arcana, he originally only had Julia, Mark and Lizzie at his side. Malcolm and I were on our way, but we knew we were probably only going to be reinforcements. Your father was the first Arcanan who fought beside him. He was even there before Chris and Cam were. Your father was even one of the first people he wanted in part of his Elite Four. I think it was Malcolm, myself, your father and Mark. But Malcolm and I insisted on being Gym Leaders instead and your father didn't want to miss out on any time with you growing up, so he too declined. That's why Lizzie, Chris and Cam took over for us. But that didn't change a thing between them." Her smile faded. "And unlike Malcolm and I, we never left him." She paused their procession and Addison could tell she was getting emotional.

"Bridgette? You okay?"

Bridgette put her arm around Addison. "I'll be okay. But do you know why I told you all of this? Addy, I know you want to find Ryan. And I am all in on helping you get to him if it is indeed possible. But in chasing after your dream, you shouldn't sacrifice your friendships. Your father and I have been friends for ages, same with your father and Michael. I don't want you to lose out on friendships, even some you may make here, in your pursuit of finding this White Island place. Friends here, your friends back home, Elmont and Vivian Queensbury's daughter, Morgan or Tommy, none of them."

"Of course. I could never forget them."

"And who knows? Friendships might help you along the way in other ways."

"What do you mean?"

"It may benefit you to ask someone from Paldea about what you hope to accomplish."

Addison frowned. "Nemona already said White Island is like a myth to people here. The only other local I've gotten to know a bit is my dorm mate Cole."

"Then maybe you should ask him?"

The young maiden thought for a moment. "Well, it could only help." Addison patted Bridgette's hand and took it off her shoulder. "I think I'll be okay from this point on. But thanks for looking out for me."

Bridgette grinned. "Of course. Us Half Hearts look out for each other."

Addison giggled. "Should I tell you to keep the same advice then?"

"What do you mean, Addy?"

"I mean, you came back to mend things with Michael and Chris, right?"

"Uh huh."

"And Michael said he would like you to mentor Justin into being a cultured gentleman, right?"

Bridgette looked away, Addison sensing color flying into the surfer's face. "I don't get where you're going with this."

"I think you should use any time you aren't with me on fulfilling your duty and being with Justin." Without another word, Addison could only watch as Bridgette raced down another hallway, either to get away from the conversation or to fulfill her side of their deal and continue mentoring Justin. She smiled and shook her head happily before returning to her own plans. "Bridgette does have a point, after all. I do need friends to lean upon." She glanced down a hall that would lead down to where Professor Sexton's classroom was. "Let's hope Cole and I can be good friends."

{}

It didn't take long after Geeta's demonstration of Terastalizing her Pokémon and unintentionally pummeling Billy in the process for Tommy to get his first and arguably most important chance to spend some quality time with Nemona. In fact, once the students had all cleared from the schoolyard, the Class President immediately approached him and asked if he still wanted to catch Pokémon with her outside of Mesagoza. The boy, hardly able to contain his budding crush, excitedly agreed and the two headed out.

While walking through the streets of Mesagoza and down to the hilly area where they had first met, Nemona gushed ceaselessly over Geeta's talents as a Pokémon Trainer. Of how so many in Paldea adored and worshipped the ground she walked on. And how, despite not looking that much older than Billy, if she was at all, had a Pokémon Training resume that extended down to her toddler years.

"Here in Paldea" Nemona explained, "the first thing you get as a baby is a training Poké Ball. But I think Geeta started with a real one. Thats why she became so good so quickly." She folded her arms as the two finally crossed out into the grassy area outside of the mighty city they dwelled within. "One day, maybe I can be the ultimate champion of Paldea."

"I've noticed that you and she are Champions" Tommy pointed out. "How does that work?"

Nemona's eyes flashed with delight. "Well amigo, in order to become a Champion, one must pass the Champion's Assessment. Collect all eight Gym Badges, defeat the Elite Four and La Primera in battle and you become a Champion Ranked Trainer. So few trainers are able to even collect the eight badges, though. It's not an easy task, given how spread out over Paldea the Gyms are, not to mention how tough the challenges can be. Not everyone has the same kind of drive as I do." She spun around and looked with pleasure down at her friend. "Something tells me I won't have to be on my own for too long, though. I don't know why, but when I look at you, I feel like you're going to be a rival I can battle with endlessly."

Tommy nodded. "I'd sure like that, Nemona." In the back of his head, he wondered just how good Nemona and Geeta could actually be as trainers. Arcana was said to breed the most powerful trainers in the world, dating back to when James Kingston and Balthazar Aced were running the show. Geeta had flattened Billy, one of Arcana's best Gym Leaders, like a pancake. But Billy wasn't as good a trainer as Giselle or Annette and definitely not up to the challenge of beating either the King or Chris. Could Geeta and Nemona possibly beat the greatest trainers that his region had to offer? He could just imagine him bringing Nemona home to Arcana and her immediately wanting to challenge the King to a battle. Michael may not be as vigorous as he once was, but few trainers had it in them to defeat someone of his ilk.

Of course, this then brought Tommy back to his own career as a Pokémon Trainer. Though abridged and less adventurous than compared to the others he'd traveled with, he had competed in the Master Cup and would have made it into the finals had he been able to get himself one more win in the Preliminary Round. But alas, it was not his time. Maybe Paldea would help him become a master trainer that could beat Annette and one day be Champion.

It doesn't exactly help that I have to pretend I'm a newbie, he said to himself. But a condition for them to be granted scholarships to Uva Academy was for them to be novice Pokémon Trainers. And anyone learning that he, Addison, Justin and Morgan all had at least a bit of training experience could lead to them being expelled from the school and region altogether. And given how much was riding for Addison in finding Ryan, they needed all the breaks they could get. So, at least for now, he was willing to pretend to be a beginner. Maybe after a bit, he could add some of his own Pokemon to his team, which as of this moment only consisted of an Applin and a Fuecoco. He imagined his Donphan and Leafeon would cut through these Gyms like they were butter. But for now, his little guys would have to do.

Nemona eyed him curiously before giggling to herself. "Are you starting to get used to being in a new region?"

Tommy shrugged. "I mean, I guess so. Why do you ask?"

She mimicked his shrug. "Just observing, that's all." The two stopped as the walkway down approached, prompting Nemona to call out two of her own Pokémon. One was a Goomy, a small round, slug-like Dragon Pokémon who almost always had a goofy smile perpetually on his face. The other was a Rockruff, which reminded him of the rambunctious one Addison had hatched and now kept her mother company as she expected the next Tenton to be born soon. Tommy soon joined in, allowing his Fuecoco and Applin out of their Poké Balls. While the Applin simply hopped about in the grass, admiring all the sights of the emerald terrain, his Fuecoco went about looking for any delicious looking berries to gobble up.

"My sister said its important for Pokémon to be able to have fun once in a while" Tommy recalled, though in truth it was Addison who had said this. He knew had to keep up the charade of them both being rookies for a while and couldn't out Addison immediately.

"It is" Nemona responded. "I spend so much time training my heaviest hitters, that I don't take enough time to let them all go off and have fun. Which is why I'm raising my own little guys while you all are." She stretched out her body as she watched their Pokémon play. "Its not easy being the best and most powerful Pokémon Trainer that Uva Academy has seen in ages. Which is why I'm hopeful one of you guys has what it takes to compete with me." She grinned down at Tommy. "A part of me thinks you'll be that guy."

"If I can catch up" he grumbled, as his Fuecoco picked up a berry almost twice his size before falling flat on his back in an attempt to consume the whole thing.

"I think you will. It just takes some dedication and some practice. And with me helping you out, I'm sure you'll become a good trainer in no time."

Tommy glanced over to his Fuecoco, who was now seemingly in a tug of war battle with a Skwovet over the berry he had failed to consume. Fuecoco seemed to have the upper hand initially, but the Skwovet seemed intent on playing dirty and spun around, slapping his Pokémon in the face with his bushy tail before stealing the berry and running towards a nearby tree.

"No you don't!" Tommy growled. He was about to take off after the Skwovet, but Nemona stopped him.

"This is a learning experience for your Fuecoco" she told him. "Let him be the one to make the move."

"But how-"

"Trust me" she assured him, grinning down at him. "Have I steered you wrong before?"

Tommy did all in his power to hide his flushing cheeks from her. "No, I guess not."

"In the meantime, let's see if we can find you Pokémon Numero Tres for your team" she went on. She whistled for her Rockruff to come to her side. As her trusted canine Pokémon did as instructed, she grinned. "Maybe I'll find someone useful too."

Sensing he was the only Pokémon Tommy had to defend him, his Applin hopped over to his trainer. Tommy scooped up his Pokémon up into his hand and put the tiny little Dragon Pokémon on his shoulder, with it letting out an innocent sounding growl. Tommy chuckled at this and made to catch up to Nemona, who was beginning her own descent down the hillside. "Hold up! Wait for me."

Nemona skidded to a stop. "Oh yeah. How could I forget?" She smiled back and gestured for him to follow her. "Lets go, amigo!" Once Tommy had finally made it to her side, she paused for a moment before looking back towards her friend. "Do you still need to...you know..."

"Know what?"

She brushed her cheek with her hand and laughed. "Do you still want to...abide by your customs?"

Tommy was about to cock his head in complete confusion, until he recalled how he had been the day prior. When they had first met and shook hands, only for Tommy to be so paralyzed by Nemona's aura and beauty that he simply could not let go of her hand for the life of him. He took a moment to think over his next move carefully. He tried to recall how Jeremy had acted around Holly when they first began their dating. Jeremy was always upfront and polite and hardly showed his true intentions to his sister, which probably only rattled her more. Conversely, Holly was the one who wore her emotions on her sleeve. Whether it was when she crushed hard on Ryan or when she was with Jeremy, she never wasted a moment not being an open book to someone she cared for.

Jeremy or Holly? Who do I follow?

"Tommy?" Nemona called out.

He blinked before making his decision. We'll start with Holly. If that doesn't work, the Jeremy plan can come later. He took a deep breath and decided to be vulnerable. "Sure. I mean, it is the right thing to do, right?"

His crush laughed. "How should I know? It's your custom." This prompted Tommy to openly flush, but thankfully Nemona didn't notice. "But its all the same to me, Tommy. Come on, I want to show you something anyway." She held out her hand for Tommy to take. Without a shred of doubt in sight, Tommy took hold of Nemona's hand and allowed her to lead him down the pathway and into the nearby grass. The two stopped only twice, once for Nemona's Rockruff to sniff some flowers in bloom before realizing they were Flabebe's resting. The second time they stopped was by a large stone wall that guarded what appeared to be a massive moat below Mesagoza.

"I bet that moat's got lots of Water Pokémon down there" he insisted.

Nemona nodded. "It does, but this isn't exactly what I wanted to show you." She looked down on the boy and smiled. "But before I do, I want to say how great its been that I've gotten to know you. And I hope we get to know each other more and more as the days go by."

Tommy smiled, not caring if his cheeks showed any color. "Me too."

"There's a special place nearby that's close to me" she explained. "I go there when I need to do some thinking or rest after a long day of training." She nodded. "But I think I can show at least one person my special place. It may be a bit rough to get to, but so long as you stick close to me, you should be okay." She clasped Tommy's hand in hers. "Do you trust me?"

Tommy affirmed with a nod. "Of course."

Before he could get a response, Nemona took a step back and suddenly dashed forward, leaping over the stone wall and pulling Tommy over with her. Tommy was stunned at this, afraid they were about to plummet into the moat below. But as he closed his eyes and braced for a long fall, he felt more land beneath his feet, even as both his and Nemona's legs gave out and the two fell to the ground beside one another. Upon landing on the earthy ground, they lost grip of one another for a moment. Nemona let out a bellyful of laughter, prompting Tommy to do the same, though internally he heaved a sigh of relief after fearing Nemona meant to kill him.

"I never did that with a person before" she laughed. "And definitely not while I was holding hands with them."

"I never did that period" Tommy replied as he dusted his pants off on the ground. "This isn't the spot, is it?"

She shook her head. "Nope. But this is the only way to get there." With an unexpected amount of grace, Nemona leaped to her feet and quickly dusted herself off. "The walls don't allow for someone to walk over. It's why I feel its more secluded. I haven't seen anyone else go there besides me. And now you." She turned to her friend and pulled him to his feet, assisting Tommy in dusting himself after their fall. "The rest of the walk is easy. No more leaps of faith."

"I'm thankful for that" Tommy teased.

Nemona was about to say something, when she noticed something behind Tommy. She smiled. "You see? Have faith in your Pokémon and they'll prove themselves."

Tommy turned to see his Fuecoco and Nemona's Goomy returning from their own little berry hunt, having collected a large amount of Oran and Sitrus berries from some inexplicable place. While the Goomy playfully bounced the berries on his sticky head, the Fuecoco carried them as if they would be his last meal, cradling them as if they were the most precious things in the world. Both Pokémon sat down in a clear area of the field of grass and began to dine on their berries, with Nemona's Dragon Pokémon devouring them raw and Tommy's roasting them with an Ember attack before swallowing them whole. Nemona's Rockruff soon joined in and the trio began to have their own feast of berries.

"You were right" Tommy exclaimed. "He found the berries all on his own."

"I do know a thing or two about Pokémon" Nemona teased. "Now come on. The spot isn't far from here." Without hesitation, Nemona reached down for Tommy's hand and pulled him along after her, oblivious to Tommy's growing nerves about interacting with her. The narrow walkway required the two to inch ever so carefully along the pathway, their heels the only thing keeping them from sliding down the hill and into the water.

As they walked and Tommy used his free hand to cling to the wall, he thought he could hear a waterfall nearby. His thoughts soon became reality as they rounded a short bend and from a small ledge that overlooked a craggy area to the east of Mesagoza. Across the moat, Tommy could see Wild Pokémon at play. Shinx cubs chasing Rookidees who were letting out loud chirps, Makuhitas crushing boulders with their bare hands and several other Pokémon who had to be native to Paldea enjoying themselves. He continued to admire them until Nemona gave him a playful tug on his hand.

"Come on" she said gently. "We're almost there."

"You make this walk every day?" Tommy inquired, doing his best not to lose his footing.

"Only every few days. Usually when I've got things to think about." She tapped her head jokingly. "Unless its battling, I don't need the extra time normally."

"I don't think I'd be able to" he admitted, recalling the treacherous Lonely Road back in Arcana that had almost put him and his friends in danger while en route to Iron Mountain's Gym.

"The first time you do it is a little scary" his friend agreed. "But the more often you do it, the easier it gets." She turned to him as he continued to gingerly follow her along the still narrow path. "Imagine how I felt going here alone for the first time."

Tommy, thinking his foot was about to slip, grabbed hold of the rock face and shook his head. "I'd rather not." He squeezed his eyes shut, but opened them quickly when Nemona plucked his other hand off the rock and held it. His eyes found hers and he saw finally looked to Nemona in the same way he had Addison before they arrived her. It seemed she sparkled in the evening sunlight and he didn't do a thing to hide the color on his face, if he even knew it was there.

"It's alright" Nemona said. "I've got you. One more step."

Tommy did as she instructed and took the last step, landing right in front of his new crush. The two stood there for a long moment, simply looking at each other. Tommy, doing all he could to muster the courage, gently held her hands and was about to lean up and kiss her. But Nemona's more hyperactive side kicked in and she simply tugged him along until the two stood at the edge of the cliff and overlooked the waterfall. She let go of one of his hands, leading Tommy over to her side where the two stood and admired one of Paldea's natural wonders.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Nemona inquired.

"You sure are" Tommy said dreamily.

"Hmm?"

Tommy blinked. "Uh, I mean, it sure is!"

Nemona looked out into the water. "You know something, Tommy? I meant what I said before. I'm glad I got to meet you. And I think you and I are going to get along fine." She made to sit down, taking Tommy down with her. "I haven't had many people who put up with me for as long as you have. You may be doing it because it's polite and I may be doing it because its polite, but there's got to be something more to it, you know?"

Tommy nodded, feeling his goofy smile coming upon his face. "I know it is for me."

"I think this was meant to be" she went on. "As if fate brought you and me together for one reason...to rival one another."

Tommy was confused. "Rivals?"

She got excited again. "Of course. That's got to be it. You and me taking on the Gym Circuit together. Beating every leader from Katy to Grusha. Then beating down the likes of Rika and Mr. Hassel before finally beating La Primera. Then, nothing will be holding us back from being the best rivals Paldea has ever seen. Who knows? Maybe even the whole world." She turned to face Tommy. "I know I'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Tommy pondered her words. So Nemona wasn't flirting with him? She was just being polite? No, it couldn't be. How could she be? They'd been together since he'd arrived in Paldea, with only a few sparing moments keeping them apart. She had to be wrong. Something else was connecting them. He knew it and eventually she'd know it. He had been so close to leaning up and pecking her cheek...

"Tommy? You okay in there?"

Tommy remained lost in his thoughts. Though a part of him did want to rival Nemona, another part of him was beginning to suspect that she might only want him as a punching bag to rival instead of as a friend. Let alone a boyfriend. And then, as if coming like a bolt from the blue, he recalled the deal he'd been in the works with for Cassiopeia. Once he found his inner voice again, he looked to Nemona.

"I would like to rival you" Tommy replied earnestly. "But there's someone I have to help first."

Nemona raised an eyebrow at this. "Who?"

"A friend of mine" Tommy replied, though he was unsure he was on such familiar terms with the person who had hijacked his Poké Gear so easily. "They've been trying to deal with Team Star for a while, but they can't do it by themselves. And I want to help them. So if you'd be okay with waiting a bit before I can-" He was confused when Nemona leaped to her feet and pulled him up beside her. "Huh? Nemona?"

Nemona smiled a bright and welcoming smile. "Team Star, eh? Well, if you're going to help this friend of yours, you're going to need to get tougher. And the only way to do that is through battling." She looked over towards the waterfall and sighed. "Maybe we should postpone all the serious talk for a bit and get you into fighting shape."

Tommy thought for a moment, but realized Nemona was truly trying to help him and nodded. "If it will help, I appreciate the help." Without warning, Nemona dragged him quickly back up the narrow path they'd just walked to get back to their feasting Pokémon. The two arrived in time to see several Skwovets surrounding them with anger in their eyes. An anger that Tommy could only assume came from the berry crop their Pokémon had stolen from them. Seeing their Pokémon in distress, Tommy narrowed his eyes and looked to the Applin on his shoulder. "We can start right here."

"You bet" Nemona exclaimed. "The two of us can take down anything, right?"

"Right."

Nemona took his hand in hers once more. "You still trust me?"

He nodded. "Of course."

This time, both Pokémon Trainers stepped in unison before running up and leaping over the wall and landing on the other side, their feet not giving way and initially scattering the attacking Skwovets. Both looked to one another and smiled, Tommy squeezing his crush's hand gently as both glanced down at their Pokémon to being the onslaught.

"Rockruff! Bite!"

"Fuecoco! Ember!"

{}

"It's true sir!" Cole worriedly informed Professor Sexton upon returning to his classroom after the first day of classes had completed. Cole had been a bundle of nerves ever since he had brought Addison to the Nurse's Office and that strange Fortune Teller woman put all of the kids to sleep. Not only was he weirded out by her apparent gift to lull people into a hypnotic slumber, but he also knew without a shred of doubt that he had heard Natalya's voice demanding to know where his part of the Tera Crystal Pendant he shared with Paige was. He had been determined to speak to his mentor and father figure before, but his class schedule and Morgan basically being latched onto his side made that impossible. Once he got a chance to escape from his overly friendly dormmate, he raced back to Professor Sexton's office to tell him what he had endured. "It was Natalya! I heard her voice!"

"I highly doubt that, Cole" Sexton responded, leaning back in his chair at the desk he was now borrowing from the absent Ms. Raifort. "It was likely your fears and insecurities regarding Natalya and her whereabouts playing a trick on your mind."

"But you didn't hear it like I did" he pleaded. "She knows I'm here. Which means she may know Paige is here too."

"She may very well have planned on you two following her, likely out of obligation to Turo and Sada. But she's not in a position to make a move on this Academy. Geeta is the most powerful trainer of her generation and she wouldn't dare make her move knowing I'm here. Natalya is only a threat to you if you allow her to become one. Act rashly and she'll be there to snare you in a trap. Which is why I don't want you leaving Mesagoza under any circumstances. Not to look for Paige, not to try and stop her. You are safest within these walls, Cole. And until such a time when these walls become unsafe, you need to stay protected." He folded his hands and sighed.

Cole slumped into classroom table, worry etched all over him. "Paige..."

"I know you're worried about her" Sexton went on. "I am as well. Natalya may not be able to get at you, but with Paige not here, its very likely she may be trying to hunt her down as we speak. She is an accomplished trainer, but she's a novice at mind games when compared to my former pupil."

"It just isn't fair. She's the one causing all of this, yet we have to be the ones who hide?!"

"Be patient, Cole. Be patient and wary."

"Wary?"

Sexton nodded gruffly. "Wary" he repeated. "I imagine being in a time you're unfamiliar with is quite a daunting task. People going around and living mundane lives when we're the only ones who know how dangerous things are about to become. It may lead you to want to gather your own little team of supporters. And with numbers, you may think you can defeat a wily minx like Natalya. But that's precisely what she's counting on. For you to make a mistake she can capitalize on."

"I don't want to make any mistakes" he insisted worriedly. "I just want to do what's right."

"I understand you're becoming quite friendly with your dormmates, Morgan and Addison. I hope you continue to develop those friendships. But know this: they are just another way for Natalya to get at you. And considering what poor Addison went through earlier this morning with what looked an aneurism, we wouldn't want to add onto her load by telling her what we're trying to do, correct?"

Cole gulped. "It needs to be a secret?"

"There are things called Laws of Nature, Cole" Sexton explained. "Changing history, bringing people back from the dead, creating life artificially, these are all some of the many things that nature has barred us from doing. And yet, we're all living and breathing examples of people who have defied nature. The four of us...no...the six of us have all done things that are likely to earn us no mercy when we stand before the Great Creator for his Judgment." He shook his head, as if contemplating all they had done in such a short amount of time. "These girls don't deserve to be roped into our mess. Nor do any other students."

Cole remembered what Paige had said, about him needing to get to Arven while she would be searching for someone called a "White Mage". If they couldn't even trust someone whom Natalya had taken interest in or the son of Turo and Sada, who else could they trust? "Paige told me about Turo and Sada's son. And something about a-"

"I'm sure Paige had it in her mind to become some sort of hero on behalf of Turo and Sada" Sexton replied briskly, interrupting Cole's suggestion. "Where has that gotten her? We have no idea where she is and have no way of contacting her. No, Cole. Turo and Sada's son, as far as we can be concerned, ought to be left in the dark to the best of our ability. The only people we can truly count on are each other and hopefully Paige should she turn up."

"Then why would you want me to be friends with Morgan and Addy if I can't tell them anything?"

Sexton rose to his feet and Cole expected to be harshly reprimanded, but his mentor simply knelt beside him and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Because I've always felt you deserve some kind of good childhood memories. To have friends, experience beyond just serving Turo and Sada or that nightmarish foster mother of yours." Though his heavy sunglasses hid his eyes, Cole could tell his mentor was doting on him. "I've always thought of you like a son, Cole. Seeing you and Paige go through all you've gone through, without a single memory of normal childhood, breaks this old man sometimes. It may not be wise to introduce these kids to the real struggle we're facing, but it might benefit you to simply have fun for once. Let loose. Enjoy life."

Cole smiled. "I try, sir. I really do."

"That's what I want you to focus the most on, Cole" the Professor spoke, rising to his feet. "Being a kid. You only get to experience it once. Leave the search for Natalya and Paige to me. You enjoy some time with your friends. You'll never know when you might need someone else besides me or Paige to lean on. And from my brief interactions with them so far, our Arcanan guests seem to be quite friendly and jovial. Give them a chance. It may help."

Cole was about to reply when he heard a knock on Sexton's classroom door. He turned to see Addison slowly entering the room, looking slightly paler than she did this morning, but standing of her own volition all the same. Though Cole was initially nervous about her having overheard what they were talking about, Sexton took it in stride.

"Hello, Professor" Addison said gently.

"Ah, Addison" Sexton called loudly. "We were just talking about you. I hope you're not still feeling any ill effects of what happened this morning."

"I'm feeling a bit groggy and woozy" she admitted, "but I think I can manage it. Especially with that metal ringing noise not bothering me anymore. I'm sorry if I scared anyone, sir."

"I'm glad you're okay, Addy" Cole added.

She turned to him and smiled softly. "Thanks, Cole."

"Director Clavell is launching an inquiry to what that noise you heard was this morning" Sexton assured his pupil. "I believe he will come to a satisfactory conclusion before long. In the meantime, Addison, perhaps you should consider going to get something to sustain your stomach. Wooziness if often a sign of lack of food in the system. And with all of that blood you lost, you could use some iron in your body."

Addison bowed politely. "Thank you, sir. I was just about to ask Cole if he'd like to get some dinner with me."

Cole blinked. "You were?"

"I think that's an excellent idea" Sexton agreed.

"You do?"

"In fact, you two ought to treat yourselves." Sexton reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of coupons he'd been given. "Mr. Saguaro, your Home Economics teacher, insisted I have these to expand on my taste palette when he saw my lunch this afternoon. I don't think I'll be able to use all of these, given that he's dropped hundreds here with me. These two are for discounted sandwiches at "Every Wich Way" and two discounted Ice Cream Cones at any of the stalls in the city."

"That's very kind of you, Professor" Addison chirped up thankfully. "I'm sure we'll have a great time."

Cole nodded, though he was eager to have more of a discussion with the Professor. "Ye-yeah. We will. Thank you sir."

"No trouble at all, Cole. A friend in need is a friend indeed, after all. And you two are going to be both table mates and dormmates for the foreseeable future, so I hope you both can get along like Mantines and Remoraids. Now go on, you crazy kids. Enjoy your evening and I'll see you both at 9:00 AM for class."

Cole looked from the Professor to Addison, who was surprisingly eager to spend some time with him. Not to the lengths Morgan had been all day, but still welcoming to him. Maybe she was just trying to thank him for helping her out before? He smiled up to Addison. "You ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yup."

The two then waved back at Professor Sexton before exiting their History Classroom. Once they were out of earshot, Cole noticed Addison looking directly at him. "Is everything okay?"

"I hope the Professor doesn't think you and I are going on a date or anything" she spoke up. "I just want to have dinner with a friend. Nothing more. And that's what you want, right?"

Cole blinked. "Why would I think this is a date? I didn't even think you thought of me as a friend until now."

Addison seemed surprised. "Of course I do. Cole, you helped get me to Nurse Miriam in time. And like the Professor said, you and I are going to be getting to know each other for a while. So I think we should, if not become really good friends, act at the very least friendly with one another." She stopped their procession through the halls. "I'm still looking for someone very important to me and I know you are too. Right?"

Cole gave her a thumbs up. "Of course. Can't forget about Paige and Ryan now, can we?"

Addison's smile grew brighter. "Glad you remembered him. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who does." She shook off any nerves she might have been dealing with and gestured for Cole to follow her. "But enough about that, Cole. Come on. There's sandwiches to be had!" Then the two took off down the halls of the Academy.