"You are not taking Language."
Julius blinked twice at Nemona's forcefulness. Looking up from his elective selection form, he raised an eyebrow at the girl who was currently sitting on his bed. Despite the fact she was playing with Pawmi, holding one of its paws in each of her hands and lifting them up and down like Pawmi was a grade schooler (something that Pawmi clearly was enjoying), the fact a girl was on his bed was also forcing him to internally fight his hormones. He decided to look back at his electives form to distract himself.
"I took it last year out of curiosity. You really don't need it."
The Academy's course selection was an interesting ordeal to say the least. As Uva Academy accepted a wide range of ages, there were "core" courses depending on the age to cover basic skills and a curriculum that would be found in a more normal school and then electives which were focused around Pokemon. Everything from breeding to becoming a professional trainer to participating in contests that he remembered were all the rage in Hoenn, as well as general electives that had tangential relation to Pokemon such as Pokemon mythology.
"Uh, right."
"You did put a battling elective, right?"
Her tone was so full of expectation that even though he had already done so (or more accurately, Nemona had found it on his form and marked it out for him), he couldn't help but double-check.
"Do we need a class on battling, though? Feels like something to do in your free time."
"The more chances to battle, the better, right? Besides, the teacher, Miss Dendra, who's in charge of battling electives used to be a Gym Leader, so there's no better place to get help than from a pro."
"...checks out."
The world was a lot wider than he thought of, though. There were even classes for fitness with your Pokemon and apparently there were trainers who practiced martial arts with their Pokemon, too. Considering Pawmi's natural instincts, it was tempting as a pick. Doubly so since due to his age, he didn't have to worry so much about core curriculum classes due to his advanced curriculum in Kanto, which let him test out of a majority of his otherwise required classes. If he didn't fill the slots with electives, he would have a surprising amount of free time.
Selecting some fitness classes to get a good spread of exercise as well as a martial arts elective, a camping and survival elective, and a cooking class even if he felt comfortable enough in a kitchen, he found Nemona hopping off the bed, Pawmi in her arms.
"What's up?"
"You looked like you were done. So, let's turn those forms in! We should be able to explore a little bit outside the city and maybe catch a new Pokemon! Plus, after playing with Pawmi for a while I kind of want one on my team, too. They're really strong when they evolve, but I already had Tauros back then so I never picked one up."
While part of him was curious about what Pawmi would become considering how Nemona equated its future self to that raging black bull as he returned Pawmi to her ball, he also felt it would be opening up a can of worms that he didn't want to touch right now.
But, he did agree on potentially expanding his team, since if he was committing to the battling elective and Nemona had her eye on him, he couldn't afford to slack off. Doubly so considering how on the way to school, just outside of Mesagoza, Nemona had shown him a technique called Terastallize which changed the type of a Pokemon in a battle. It had allowed her to completely negate his natural type advantage as Sprigatito suddenly became a Dark type. Even with the two on one, Nemona had the upper hand in commanding effectively, allowing her to match Pawmi's aggression and secure a victory, if seemingly close. With a new element of strategy in play, even if he was exhausted, his mind occasionally wandered to the topic of a new team, like solving an odd puzzle he was given. He didn't know when he would get bored of said puzzle and put it down, but for now, he would work on it.
Still, after that battle, she had decided to also "handle that" for him in regards to Terastallizing, but didn't reveal what that meant.
As expected of the student council president and the only Champion-rank trainer, whatever that means. If Nemona's the only one, then what gives? Julius thought as he shrugged. Why is she even bothering with me this far, though? This goes far beyond just being neighbors. It's not like we're long lost childhood friends.
"Sure. Hopefully we don't end up just beating out every wild Pokemon we come across."
"Hey, it's an art. You just need to practice."
"Ha, fine. Let's get going, then."
"...hey, Julius?"
His hand, reaching out for the doorknob, froze at how Nemona's voice suddenly took on a more subdued tone. "Nemona?"
"I'm not… being a bother, am I? And you're not… that upset about losing?"
"Well, if I had to be honest I'd very much like to go for a nap as those were some extremely long stairs. But no," He said, turning around and looking at her. "You're not being a bother. And losing's just part of it, right? Can't win 'em all. Besides, you've been doing this for longer and are more skilled than me. It's only natural I lose, yeah? No rookie fighter is going to get a knockout punch on a veteran boxer, you know?"
Nemona hung her head before nodding and looking back up at him with a more subdued smile. "...yeah."
"Anyways, let's get going. It'll get dark otherwise and I go to bed pretty early."
The days ticked by after that, with Julius adding a Nymble and a Wooper to his team. On the other hand, he noticed Nemona was much pickier about her captures, but he assumed that she had an eye for stronger types that she knew could withstand her expectations. Still, she hadn't had any luck when it came to finding another Pawmi.
Her student council duties also kept her busy as despite her battle-hungry nature, they hadn't had a chance to battle again. Then again, he had just arrived early to the dorms, so school hadn't started proper. Plus, she probably had some other friends that could sate her in the meantime.
Soon enough, it was two days before classes would begin. Julius was browsing the restaurants in Mesagoza as while it was only an extended bike ride away from home, he usually didn't go unless he had a targeted reason. So, since he foresaw being in the city for a while, he could at least peruse the local eats and find places he passed up in the interest of time. While he didn't want to wear the uniform while walking around, it seemed to be the social etiquette as many others already were, so to not stand out, he went in it.
Despite his fit lifestyle, he did have the occasional craving for sweets, and so he was snacking on an ice cream cone from a local stall when he passed by the stairs leading back up to the Academy.
"Look—we've got a quota we're supposed to fill for new members, so just sign up already!"
His eyes naturally found themselves drifting to the scene playing out. A girl with incredibly pale skin that looked like it would burn with just five minutes under Paldea's sun was being harassed by a boy and girl that were wearing their Uva Academy uniforms in the sloppiest way possible. The girl in the pair had modified her skirt to be well shorter than length requirements and the boy had rolled up his slacks. Both of them wore their ties so loosely it might have not been worn at all.
Not to mention, what is with those tacky star-goggles over their helmets…? Do those even work if you're riding a Cyclizar at top speed?
The girl who they were harassing was dressed somewhat inappropriate for the weather, with a baggy dark gray hoodie with matching gray shorts that went under a translucent skirt. Her light gray stockings must have been clinging due to the humidity, though the fact she wore boots probably didn't help. The most distinguishing features to her though, was her blue and red hair, circular glasses that looked like they belonged on a librarian, and last but certainly not least, the fluffy Eevee bag on her back.
"...so this is how they operate now, huh…"
Julius saw her mumbling something, but couldn't hear it. He glanced around, seeing other students acting as if they hadn't seen anything, trying to just go about their business as usual. Others were clearly averting their eyes, doing their best to pretend things weren't happening as they were.
He felt the girl's eyes slowly move to him. Compared to everyone else, he was the only one looking directly at the situation.
I guess this ice cream was pretty mediocre, all things considered. Guess I should be glad it was only a hundred fifty Poke.
He dropped the half-finished cone in the trashcan, taking a step towards the trio.
"I-I'd rather not…" The girl audibly said, though Julius felt it was a little forced as he came into hearing range. Somehow, he felt like he was being manipulated into taking her side, but frankly with the display of the two helmeted students, he didn't need that much convincing.
"Oi." He called out, stepping in front of the Eevee-bag carrying girl.
The single sound got the attention of the boy-girl pair, with the boy springing into action.
"Huh? You want in on this, too? If you're here to sign up, we'll get to you next! We've nearly got this one in the bag!"
The girl of the pair threw her hands up in the air as some kind of cheering motion. "We're Team Star! We burn so bright, it hurts to look at us! But you knew that,right?"
"It hurts to look at you, but not for the reason you think. Take a good look in a mirror sometime."
Julius exerted as much effort as he could to not turn around as he heard a violent mixture of an aborted wheeze, suppressed snicker, and surprised cough come from the girl behind him.
"Geh…! Why you ignorant little…! I'm finally a member of Team Star, and I still get no respect!? I gotta work my way up in the ranks…"
"You can start by respecting something called sensible fashion choices. Maybe try people's boundaries, next."
"Hey, we can't let that insult slide!" The boy declared. "The pride of our team is on the line, so we have no choice but to battle, yeah?"
"That's true! You keep watch on that four-eyes over there!" The girl of the pair then turned towards him, taking an aggressive stance with her hands on her hips. "I'll make sure this fresh-faced nobody ends up seeing stars!"
"Hey."
Julius turned his head slightly, looking at the girl behind him.
"You have somewhere to be, right? Not like these morons can hold you here."
Despite her meek appearance, her eyes were cold like steel as she narrowed her eyes and looked ahead at the pair who identified themselves as Team Star. "...no. I don't… leave messes behind."
The helmeted girl backed up, giving enough space for a battle. Rather than immediately throw out her Pokemon, she—
I'm sorry, am I hallucinating? That looks like she made a contest entrance like in the televised ones from Hoenn. Julius thought as the girl made an honest to goodness star outline appear in front of her as she used both of her hands to draw out the halves of a single star.
Though, with the perhaps not so intentional training Nemona had put him through with the battle in front of Mesagoza as well as the previous week spent hunting for his team with her, the girl's single Shroodle was taken out with one Ember from Fuecoco.
The girl blinked twice, not realizing the battle had been over as soon as it started. "W-wha…!? How did I lose that fast…!? Why is a nobody like you so good at battling, that's just not right…"
I guess I owe Nemona a cookie. Actually, she'd probably just ask for a battle.
"No way, he beat you!? Crap, do I have to battle him now since I'm your superior!?"
"Hey, just what do you think you're all doing!? There's dedicated spots for battling and you're all blocking the way!"
Oh, the cavalry's here, Julius thought to himself as he heard a familiar voice cut through the air. Looking over, he found Nemona sliding down the railings of the steep stairs to the Academy's entrance before smoothly dismounting, an uncharacteristically serious and annoyed look on her face.
"Ugh, it's the student council president…!"
"We should get outta here—" The boy started.
"We're not done here." Julius flatly said, rooting him in place with the cold delivery. "Hey, Nemona."
"...wait, Julius? What are you doing!?"
"Uh, I was…"
She suddenly closed the distance, her face a few mere inches away from his as she leaned forward to look into his eyes.
"I know we haven't gotten the chance to have a battle in a while, but you shouldn't go breaking the rules like this!"
"That isn't what happened." He said, lightly putting a hand on her shoulder and pushing her to make some space between them while gesturing with his head. "These Team Star punks were trying to pressure this girl into joining them. They're the ones who challenged me."
Nemona leaned over, seeing the girl behind Julius before nodding. "Hmm, is that so?"
"Ask them."
After taking a look at the two Julius gestured to, her eyes narrowed. "You two certainly follow the Team Star dress code. Is what he's saying correct?"
"Uh…"
The duo withered under Nemona's gaze, unable to muster even a token denial.
"You've got a lot of nerve trying to pressure people to join right here. After all, Team Star kept me plenty busy with having to stop your antics all last year."
She crossed her arms before smiling.
"Well Julius, as the student council president, stopping this type of nonsense would normally be my job, but… this is a great chance to try it out."
Taking something out from her belt pouch, Nemona handed Julius something that looked closer to a crystal ball with a shining light in the center.
"It's a Tera Orb! It'll let you Terastallize your Pokemon in a battle and moves of their Tera type are enhanced! If Fuecoco's has Fire as their Tera type, their Fire moves will be a lot stronger. Oh, but you can only use it about once a battle, it needs some time to recharge."
"...are you sure I can have this?"
"Normally you've gotta take special classes to be able to get one of these Tera Orbs, but I put in a good word for you! You owe me a battle, Julius! We couldn't because I had to do so much paperwork for you!"
"I was wondering when you were going to ask." He said with his usual sardonic tone.
Nemona, who seemed used to this kind of behavior from him now, just chuckled as she took a few steps back. "Now, time to give it a try! You're a fast learner, aren't you?"
"W-wait, hold on! You want this kid to practice smacking us around with his Tera Pokemon!?"
"...you wanna fight me instead?"
Julius frowned as he heard Nemona make the threat. While it was clear she was some part serious, he could see a flash of pain on her face. It was evident to him she didn't like the idea of using this as a threat, adding another piece of the puzzle to just what her deal was to his mental collection. But on the other hand, he found it strangely touching that she'd go so far for him? He was glad that he was of the realistic sort and was certainly not prone to the usual thoughts of boys his age, otherwise he might get the wrong idea about what she thought of him.
"N-never mind! Let's battle, new kid!"
And so the fight commenced, with Fuecoco taking to the field once again. Grasping the Tera Orb in his hand, Julius gave it a squeeze like it was a Pokeball, but quickly found himself suddenly strongly gripping it and reaching upward as the Tera Orb shook violently, almost like it was alive and trying to break free from his grasp. After a few seconds, its shaking became more like a pleasant vibration and the light in the middle formed into a more hexagonal, crystalline shape like the one he saw when fighting Nemona.
"Let's do it…!" He grit out, managing to pull the Tera Orb back down to chest level.
Throwing the Tera Orb at Fuecoco, it burst into light and let out a wave of power before bouncing back into his hand. Just like Sprigatito, Fuecoco was encased in a beautiful crystal structure before emerging from it, adorned with a crown signifying its Tera type and Fuecoco itself taking on a more crystal-like look. Its crown, made of a crystal that looked like a flame, shimmered as Fuecoco charged the fireball in its mouth, causing it to become larger than usual before it burst out to the Team Star member's Yungoos.
Compared to Shroodle simply going down, the blast from Ember sent Yungoos skidding along the ground as it lost its footing, going into a roll and landing at its Trainer's feet. Its trainer sheepishly returned it and didn't send out anything else, instead just slumping over at how easily he had been defeated.
"Whoa, nice one, Julius! You pulled it off no problem!" Nemona shouted, running over to Julius.
"W-well, I'll just be on my merry way, then, yeah?" The boy said. "Hasta la vistaaaar—"
Nemona crossed her arms, turning towards the duo. "Don't you move! I was lax on you guys last year, but if you're going to be pressuring students like this before the school year even begins, I've got no choice but to take you to the teacher's office and make sure you're disciplined accordingly. Julius, I'll handle this one. You already did my work, so can you make sure that the girl they were harassing is okay?"
Julius nodded, turning back towards the red and blue haired girl as Nemona advanced on the two Team Star members. "You alright?"
"Yeah, I uh… I just… Well, thanks. I'm not… very good at battling."
"Glad I could help."
While he felt the girl was feigning weakness before, she sounded a little more genuine this time around. He supposed he couldn't judge her, it wasn't like he was exactly a very talkative person either.
"You've got somewhere to be, right?"
"Yeah… see you around." She walked away, taking a few steps up the stairs. "Your name…"
"Julius."
"...right."
She shuffled away after that, leaving Julius to wonder why she didn't give him her name, but decided that maybe she was still processing what had happened. Leaving it be, he turned back and helped Nemona escort the two to the teacher's office.
"Something wrong?" Julius asked as they left the office, Nemona having given a deep sigh.
Nemona put her hands behind her head as they walked along. "They'll probably just get a slap on the wrist, all things considered. Apparently even the teachers don't know what to do with 'em, from what I hear. But punishing students is outside the realm of my responsibility, so this is the best I can do. Last year I just encouraged them to come back to class and stop with their business, but it seems that isn't working."
"Oh. So that's Team Star?"
"Yeah. They've been raising trouble like that for a while. It's actually getting wild, though. I don't know if the rumors are true, but supposedly they've taken over large parts of Paldea, setting up their own little communes out there and everything." She crossed her arms as she shook her head. "Director Clavell's given them an ultimatum to cease their activities or he will be forced to expel them. With how big Uva Academy is, having that show up on your record is pretty brutal, especially if you're still a kid…"
"Geez. And the Paldean League's just fine with it?"
Nemona shrugged. "You can probably ask Director Clavell about it. I don't know too much since my Student Council activities and battling keep me pretty busy and this seems like something the adults are supposed to handle."
"True enough."
"Still! Look at you, Julius!" Nemona said, elbowing him in the ribs. "Already becoming a big hero around campus!"
"I just couldn't leave it alone. Besides, she saw me looking at them, so it's not like it was easy to walk away."
"Heh. Though, I don't think I've seen that girl around. Maybe she's enrolling this year, like you? It's close to the start of the year, but I've heard some people get here the day class starts, too. That Eevee bag was really cute, though!"
Julius shrugged back, not really having an opinion on if it was cute or not.
"Anyways, you must be pretty tired after dealing with all that, especially with all the stuff we had to fill out in the teacher's office. But don't forget you still owe me a battle!"
"I won't forget. And I doubt you'll let me."
"You got that right! Go get some rest, you did part of my job for me, after all."
"Master Julius, this is Clavell. Do you have a moment?"
After getting up from his bed where he had just been idly staring at the ceiling, Julius opened the door, inviting Clavell inside. "Is this about the incident earlier?"
"Oh, very quick on the draw, I see." He said as Julius closed the door behind him. "I do apologize that you had to deal with Team Star so early."
"I think the apology is better directed at the girl they were trying to pressure earlier."
"Indeed. There might be something wrong with the computers, as we're having difficulty locating what room she's actually in. Strangely enough, her records are indicating she's in your room."
"Oh… that's weird."
Clavell adjusted his glasses as he inspected Julius' room. "Quite. But I mostly came to check that you were okay. Of course, it is a fine thing to try and help a fellow student, Master Julius, but do keep yourself in mind. Exercising restraint is important, especially as you find your place here in the Academy."
Julius raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no offense, Mister Clavell, that sounds almost like a threat."
"Oh, I mean no such thing, Master Julius. As it is right now, I believe you are only acquainted with Miss Nemona. Should you begin picking fights with Team Star without support, I believe you may find yourself targeted by their leaders without people to rely on, is all."
"Huh… alright, makes sense. I don't plan to go out and fight them, but if I stumble on a situation like I did before, I don't think I could walk away."
"Mhm. Well, is there anything you'd like to ask about them in particular? I imagine it was a bizarre scene to witness."
"Ah… well, I mean, sometimes clubs at school in Kanto were pretty aggressive in recruiting." Julius said with a shrug. "I just want to know more about Team Star. I heard there's rumors they've taken over parts of Paldea? What's going on?"
Clavell let out a small sigh. "Unfortunately, there isn't much I can tell you. Team Star's goals are ever elusive. They have a wide reach, but their inner circle is very insulated and doesn't let a lot of the newcomers know much. It is true they've claimed areas of Paldea for their own, though."
"Then, why hasn't the League done anything?"
"That would be my fault, I suppose, at least in part. The League has asked me to handle the situation rather than them, so I suspect a resourcing issue on their part. Considering some of the recent shakeups regarding Elite Four positions and Gym Leaders, it's not surprising. I've issued an ultimatum to them regarding returning to class or facing expulsion which has scared a few of them into returning but… I do not want to unilaterally take action, if possible."
"What do you mean, Mister Clavell?"
"Like I said, Master Julius, I don't know enough about Team Star. Before taking action, I want to know more about them—what drives them, why they decided to go this far. Regardless of their actions, a majority of their members are students of Uva Academy and I feel responsible for them. If possible, I would like to guide them back to the right path before they do something even more drastic. Or if they are being misguided, to intervene before they are manipulated further."
"Oh… I see. Huh, you're a pretty good guy, Mister Clavell."
"Ha, thank you, Master Julius. But it's nothing more than the duty required of my position. Was there anything else I could address?"
"There was the matter of this guy?"
Clavell turned to face Julius as he dug around in his backpack before letting something out of a Pokeball. His eyes widened at Miraidon, who obediently sat down while looking expectedly as Julius. The boy sighed before reaching into his backpack again and taking out an opened box of cookies from the Cortondo Bakery, shaking two cookies into his hand before lobbing them into the air, Miraidon snatching them out of midair.
"Uh, this guy used to be with Arven, but he kind of shoved him onto me."
Clavell frowned before letting out a soft sigh. "I see. What's its name?"
"Arven called it Miraidon."
"Hmm." Clavell inspected Miraidon from afar. "It seems fairly domicile. Has it expressed any aggression?"
"I wouldn't call it aggression, but he did bail me out from a swarm of Houndours. Didn't fight them directly, but he did pull me out."
"Interesting…" Clavell adjusted his glasses. "It seems to like you, so please continue to take care of Miraidon. However, if it does begin to express sudden aggression, do let me know."
Julius turned his gaze over at Miraidon, who lowered its head. Even with its LED-like eyes supposedly being lifeless, the dimmed brightness gave the feeling of sadness. "Right. I don't think you have to worry about that, but I'll keep it in mind. Can I at least have him out and about? He really likes to come out when we have food."
At the mere mention of the word "food", Miraidon's head perked up.
"No, not right now. Dinner isn't for a few hours and you already had two cookies just now."
Somehow, the futuristic-motorcycle-looking Pokemon managed to pout or at least Julius thought it did, as it slumped over.
Clavell let out a short huff. "I suppose there's no harm in it for now."
"Alright, thanks. Outside of that, I don't think I have anything else on my mind."
Clavell nodded. "I see. If there is truly nothing else, I shall take my leave. I do remember that at your age, I too, did not enjoy the idea of adults being in my room and overstaying their welcome."
Julius suppressed a huff as Clavell opened the door to his room to exit. "Oh, uh… it's unrelated, but do you ride a motorcycle?"
Clavell chuckled. "I shall leave that to your imagination, Master Julius."
With that, the door closed. An idle thought crossed Julius' mind about how Clavell referred to Miraidon as an "it" despite how he had called Miraidon "he", making him wonder if there was something he wasn't aware about. But for now, it didn't change how he was going to treat Miraidon, and so he decided he would remain alert, but not worry about it.
The days continued to tick by after that, fortunately without much incident. On the first day of class, it began with an entrance ceremony that Julius struggled not to sleep through. Nemona gave a small speech that fired up a lot of the new students, but he couldn't help but feel like there was a noticeable divide in the enthusiasm displayed. At the very least he hadn't fallen asleep, sparing him from the humiliation of having to be nudged awake, and so went with the rest of the student body to homeroom.
"No way!"
In all honesty, I should have seen this coming. Julius thought to himself as Nemona basically leapt up from her desk by the window in the back corner. But I thought she would have claimed a seat up front and center?
"Uh, I didn't get my classrooms mixed up, did I?" Julius asked as Nemona basically bounced in her steps on her way to him. "Maybe I got off on the wrong floor?"
"Nope!" Nemona said, a bright smile on her face as she put a hand on her hip. "Homeroom mixes together both returning and new students, so you're in the right spot!
Julius noted that several students were already whispering about him. With the amount of others keeping to themselves, he assumed they were returning students as they already had their own cliques formed. As his narrowed eyes drifted over to them, he suddenly found Nemona hopping to place herself between them and him, filling his sight with only her.
"Come on, you have to claim your seat!"
"Right. I uh, I guess I'll be in your care for a little while longer, Nemona."
He ended up taking a seat in the back next to Nemona. He was planning to take a seat in the back anyways considering how he was older and taller than a majority of his homeroom classmates.
No adults, though. They're probably in a separate homeroom? I know I'd feel awkward if I was a fully grown adult and everyone else in homeroom was like, fourteen. Actually, if you're an adult at Uva Academy do you even need to come to homeroom? Julius idly thought as they were dismissed for their classes.
He and Nemona ended up not sharing a majority of their classes outside of a required personal finance class for those who were seventeen to nineteen years old. Despite that, he noticed some anomalies regarding Nemona. Surely, she was elected by the student body—something he confirmed by asking some other students about "the current student council president" and questioning if it was something you battled for.
Since that was the case, though, he thought she should be more popular or at the very least, ingrained with the student body. But as classes ticked on and the two passed each other in the hallways, he noted she always seemed so oddly alone. Back in Kanto, the student council president was always in high demand, being both a bridge that connected the teachers and faculty of the school to the students and also just being generally well-known by the student body due to the high publicity of the position.
So the fact people seemed to ignore her in the halls and that she never was breaking away from a conversation when she greeted him just seemed outright strange. Maybe it was a Paldean thing, he thought.
He eventually discarded that theory at lunchtime, as she had been outright alone at her table. It wasn't as if she was sitting in the corner all alone; no, she had been near one of the center tables. With it being about halfway through the day, he knew most of the new students probably already formed cliques with each other so somehow Nemona had managed not to join up with any of them.
But Nemona seemed easy enough to get along with, plus if they knew she was a returning student let alone the student council president, wouldn't that have been nice to pull her into a friend group if you were completely new to the school? Then at graduation, Nemona would go off into the wider world and her juniors would cry over her departure just like the books some of his classmates always talked about in Kanto. Or maybe they were too intimidated to reach out to her?
If I didn't know any better, I'd be tempted to say someone's trying to purposely isolate Nemona.
Sure, her battle frenzy was a little weird to him, but it's not like it was that off-putting. And with battling classes being in the afternoon, she shouldn't have had a chance to weird anyone out yet.
He tried not to let his curiosity show as Nemona spotted him and waved him over during lunch. Even so, he could feel several eyes on him. A lot of people certainly were taking interest in what his relation to Nemona was. However, he wasn't sure if it was actively malicious; no one had told him to stay away from Nemona. Not that he would even if it was said to his face, anyways. But he couldn't help but wonder what was driving this wedge between her and others.
Battling classes were simple enough, run by Dendra. His Battling Studies teacher, dressed in a black workout sweater despite the Paldean heat, had several assistants under her, all wearing jerseys with yellow outlines. For new students, their jerseys were outlined in red and returning students in blue, as to prevent mix-ups as the Battling Studies class was really just a big hodgepodge of all types of students during the period.
The Battling Studies field itself was impressive, hosting four sets of six battle pitches like the one he had faced Nemona at on the beach, with each set separated by some walkways, allowing for four class sections to be run at once. For each six battle pitches, they were split half and half for newer students and advanced students.
But while she was on a pitch very far away, Julius noticed it. Just like the rest of the day, Nemona was clearly being left alone. For the entire class period, whenever he looked, she was never battling.
He had tried to get closer to investigate, but Dendra had caught him walking away from the half of the field dedicated for the newer students and stopped him.
"It's great to push yourself, new kid, but don't be too hasty!" She had said, so he played it off as wanting to just observe the more advanced students.
The second day of classes, he had Battling Studies again. Even with the alternating A-B schedule where he had some classes on A-Days and others on B-Days, Battling Studies were double-blocked so he had it every day. During Battling Studies, with everyone more relaxed on the second day with friendships solidifying, students were crossing lines and pitches as their battles began to last a little longer. Dendra and her assistant students seemed to have a good eye on which students had compatible styles, so occasionally advanced students would be asked to watch a battle between newer students to give pointers or newer students would be asked to watch a battle between advanced students to learn something. Additionally, in order to get a more holistic experience, class sections would shuffle around, so he wouldn't always be fighting students from his class section of newbies.
They're pretty good at their jobs. Julius thought, but noticed Nemona was still by herself.
On the third day of class, he noticed that their sections were sharing a set of six fields. He did a quick mental count as he wrapped up a battle with Wooper. Thirty blue jerseys, so there was no reason Nemona shouldn't have a partner. After shaking hands with his opponent, he moved to a pitch closer to Nemona's to eavesdrop.
"I-I wouldn't be a challenge for you! You're way too strong, Nemona…"
"I, um… I have a new team, so—"
"S-someone else would be a better match!"
He could feel Nemona's gaze on his back as he sent out Pawmi to fight his opponent's Azurill.
Perhaps it had been the small amount of coaching he got from Nemona on their way to Mesagoza, but he hadn't lost a battle in class yet. Already he was cementing himself as a leader in his class, something his opponent, a young woman who was likely in her early twenties, seemed to be aware of.
"Don't worry, Azurill, we'll try and pull off a victory here… maybe!"
"Let's do this, Pawmi."
"Miii!"
The battle itself hadn't taken very long, as Pawmi had learned Nuzzle recently, making its opponents easy targets when it connected. Pawmi hadn't even taken a single hit and was still raring to go after the battle, much like a child who had finished a cookie and wanted one more.
"Nice work." He said after the battle, shaking the young woman's hand. She smiled back and said something about if he had some time later to give her some tips as he was really strong in the beginners section, something he played off, saying he'd have to think about if he was doing anything special.
He then took a glance over his shoulder, finding Nemona still alone on her side of the pitch, just staring at the center of her field. He found his fist subconsciously clenching, memories flooding through his mind.
Nemona was driven, that much was clear. But that drive itself was a fickle thing. He knew that personally. And like hell he was just going to let things continue on like this.
…what would mom say if she knew I just walked away, anyways? Plus… I guess I do owe Nemona a battle.
Taking a breath, he confirmed that Nemona was still there and raised his voice as he spun on his heel.
"Nemona!"
Her head snapped up and she looked over her shoulder as he crossed the space between the advanced and beginner classes. Dendra, who had originally stopped him before, froze up for some reason. Her assistants all glanced at each other before looking towards Dendra herself for guidance, but without anything immediately happening, Julius knew he had free reign.
"Seems like you've got an odd number of classmates today. Someone skip? Well, either way. Want a battle? I think I remember owing you one."
All eyes and ears were suddenly on him, with battles being forgotten. On the pitch next to them, an advanced student forgot to command his Rhyperior to dodge, with it eating a Gyarados' Hydro Pump and subsequently fainting.
Nemona's face changed from shock to absolute elation as a smile grew wider and wider on her face, hiding a tinge of melancholy behind it.
"...you're on, Julius!"
Julius continued to walk over to the advanced side of the field unopposed, passing Nemona on his way to his side of the pitch. "Say, Nemona. A lot of our previous battles have been one to one and that's been the focus of the beginner classes so far, but why not use our whole team?"
This was pushing it, he knew, but seeing as how he wasn't being stopped, he might as well push his luck as hard as he could.
"Huh…? Sure!"
At least it seemed to make Nemona happy, as her eyes suddenly blazed with excitement. The two took their positions just like on the beach, locked eyes and nodded.
"Let's go, Sprigatito!"
"Get ready, Fuecoco."
It was obvious that many of the experienced students were pretending not to be paying attention. As for the newer students, their excitement was proudly evident as the ones not currently in a battle were rushing over to watch.
"You've gotten a lot stronger, huh? I can tell just by how Fuecoco's standing."
"Got no choice if I'm going to catch up, yeah?"
Nemona let out a small smile, closing her eyes. Mhm. This is par for course for Julius, huh?
He was grumpy, sure. But he was good-natured, too. A little bit of showboating and dramatic lines in front of some students that he could pretend to have never said later wasn't a huge lift for him.
"Then, I'm going all out. Sprigatito, Mud Slap!"
In an instant, Sprigatito had generated some wet dirt in its paws and launched a glob of it into Fuecoco's eyes. Judging by Julius' expression, he hadn't been expecting her to have coverage against a Fire type on her Grass type Pokemon. Not exactly a rookie mistake, but since he was a beginner student, Dendra probably wouldn't have covered it yet.
"Shake it off, Fuecoco! Turn left—hold and… fire, to your right!"
Even while blinded, Fuecoco could still follow commands. managing to nick Sprigatito with an Ember that dealt plenty of damage even if it wasn't a clean hit.
"Fuecoco's a lot faster, too!"
"Thanks, but sheesh. I wasn't expecting that!"
Fuecoco had been trained as a counter fighter, sure, due to its slower movements, but this put a whole new element up for consideration. But as Nemona looked across at Julius, his eyes were narrowed like he was thinking hard on it.
Maybe he's already thinking of a way past it…? No, let's not get ahead of myself.
"Even if you've got a Type advantage, you can't get complacent. Especially since Fuecoco's slower, you might end up getting hit with a move that covers its elemental weaknesses and be unable to hit back."
"So, it's like if I taught him to use an Electric type move to counter Water?"
"Yep, you learn fast! But don't think I'll take it easy now—Sprigatito, Mud Slap again!"
"Try and dodge it, Fuecoco!"
However, despite his best efforts, after eating another slap of mud that caused Ember to miss more spectacularly this time, Fuecoco was wide open and went down to a finishing tackle.
Nemona watched Julius look at his belt, likely processing his team, before nodding and sending out his next. "Let's go, Wooper!"
"Mutually assured destruction, huh?"
"I still find it kind of weird that Wooper's weak to his own type. Well, for something that isn't Ghost type."
"Yep, it catches people off guard sometimes. But…!"
However, he didn't have a chance to press with its elemental advantage as Nemona Terastallized Sprigatito, the familiar crown representing Dark type adorning it.
"Heh, you don't let up. Wooper, Poison Tail!"
"Sprigatito, Mud Slap again!"
With Wooper not as bulky as Fuecoco, the single Mud Slap looked to deal more damage as it recklessly charged through it to deliver the blow. But the Poison Tail had done its work, despite the fact it was no longer super-effective, with Sprigatito looking dazed after it retreated from the exchange of blows.
Nemona gave Sprigatito a look-over, quickly determining what had happened. "Already using Status Conditions, aren't you? You really do learn fast!"
"It pays to be quick on the draw. Let's go again, Wooper."
However, Sprigatito was still faster than it, and even while weakened with the poison Wooper inflicted on it, it was just a tackle away from downing Wooper.
"Foe's weak. Knock 'em out, Nymble!"
Compared to the previous two, the tiny bug sprung left and right, easily dodging a slowed down Mud Slap. And despite its size, it hit hard, with a surprisingly powerful Double Kick audibly planting itself right on Sprigatito's face and downing it.
"Geez, that cat is fast." Julius grumbled. "I thought Nymble was faster, but I guess you learn something new every day. At least I don't have to worry about a shutout anymore."
"Not bad, Julius. Let's see how you handle being on the backfoot, though!"
"Like I haven't been there the whole time."
While he seemed to be complaining, he sounded fairly nonchalant, maybe even a little jovial, about it. It was like he was enjoying the fact she never let up as she sent out Rockruff. While the brown dog clearly outsized the tiny bug, Nymble didn't even seem twitchy, instead calmly standing in the middle of the arena, watching for the first sign of movement.
Though on the contrary, Julius didn't conceal how he seemed legitimately annoyed that Rockruff was faster than Nymble.
It might be getting ahead of myself, but… I know he'll train them to be faster next time around.
Nemona shook off those thoughts as she commanded Rockruff to use Rock Throw, with Julius calling for another Double Kick. Nymble was naturally evasive, managing to dart between the launched rocks Rockruff created, but Rockruff was just as fast if not slightly faster than Nymble, allowing it to angle against the strikes to prevent a direct impact.
Her heart raced as she realized defeat was a real possibility. If she couldn't land a clean hit on Nymble, it might really be over.
"Rockruff, Sand Attack!"
The dust and sand moved far faster than Rock Throw, which Nymble seemed to be anticipating with its rhythm—and so, it ended up taking the attack head on. With Nymble temporarily blinded, its Double Kick missed completely.
"Now, Rock Throw!"
The rocks that once missed now found their mark as Nymble's momentum kept it moving in a more predictable pattern due to whiffing on the kick. Its defenses weren't even comparable to Wooper or Fuecoco's, with a single hit taking it out.
"Up to you, Pawmi."
"Miiii!"
With his back to the wall, it was only natural that Julius Terastallized Pawmi, who was now adorned with a lightbulb shaped crystal crown on its head.
It was anyone's match to take.
"Pawmi, Nuzzle!"
"Rockruff, Mud Slap!"
The two were evenly matched in speed, with Pawmi charging through the hail of mud to try and slam into Rockruff. With both attacks connecting, both Pokemon retreated to a safer distance as they circled one another. Rockruff was clearly slowed, though, as occasionally sparks of electricity would run across its body.
"Thundershock!"
"Mud Slap!"
Pawmi moved first, but with the mud still left in her eyes from the previous exchange, there wasn't a clean hit. Neither side was sure who had dealt more damage in the exchange, but it was clear that without any better options to each side, it was a simple race and a matter of whether or not the paralysis on Rockruff would hold.
The crowd held its breath, wincing as Pawmi launched a Thundershock that was a clear miss, taking another Mud Slap in return. But before Rockruff could finish the job, it was held back by its paralysis, giving Pawmi just enough time to wipe the mud from her eyes and fire off a Thundershock in retaliation. However, the gap was becoming more readily apparent.
Rockruff was simply tougher in nature, taking far less damage per hit. Even with Terastallizing improving Pawmi's attacks, without a decisive blow from a super-effective move, Pawmi would lose the damage race. Plus, it seemed like Nemona's team was naturally tougher; perhaps it had been because Julius spread his training out across four while Nemona had focused on just two. In any case…
"Rockruff, go for Rock Throw!"
With the toll of an extended battle taking its toll on her, Pawmi was unable to dodge. Its naturally lower toughness meant the attack hit hard, and as she fainted and fell to the ground, the lightbulb crown atop her head disappeared.
"And that's all she wrote, huh?" Julius said, returning Pawmi. "Good effort, Pawmi. I'm out of Pokemon, so it looks like your win. You're seriously amazing."
He walked onto the pitch, a hand extended. Nemona returned Rockruff, meeting him in the middle. She put on a bit of a forced smile as Julius shook her hand.
She had a good idea about the kind of person he was. Grumpy and sour, sure, but also kind, even if he wouldn't admit it. He probably saw what was going on and decided to do something about it, much like the girl that Team Star had been harassing. It sort of touched her that he'd actually go out of his way to call out to her rather than just silently come over considering how they didn't know each other very well. But with how things would go, she couldn't expect anything further.
That, and she could see it on his face. The bitterness at having victory snatched away at the last moment, especially with such a big audience. That was sure to put a damper on things. And there was no doubt in her mind that he had heard the rumors by now, too. In fact, now that the advanced students had their eyes on him, they'd probably privately tell him that he couldn't expect to win because "Nemona is just too strong" and that he was better off spending his time training with someone else. He'd leave just like everyone else. But at the very least, she was expecting it this time around.
It's just how it always was. Though… it might hurt a little more than usual, since she had actually gotten to befriend him, even for just a bit. At least this time, they seemed to have some fun, just once.
"Same time, same pitch tomorrow? Battling Classes are double-blocked, right?"
The world around them froze once again. In the adjacent battle pitch, the Gyarados' trainer forgot to call out for his Pokemon to dodge, with Gyarados eating a full Thunder and going down.
Ah, I guess he's the thorough type, too.
It made sense, Nemona thought. All eyes might be on them for a while, so one more rematch couldn't hurt. Maybe he just wanted to even the score next time, as it had been pretty close.
"Sure thing, Julius." She managed to force out, having been caught a little off guard.
"Alright. Well, I have to dash for now." He turned around, waving without looking back at her. "Hey Miss Dendra! I have to heal my team, where do we go for that again?"
Nemona could only watch his back as he was swarmed by the other newer students, no doubt interested in how he held his own against an advanced student.
You really are too kind, Julius.
Which only surprised her even more the next day when, true to his word, Nemona saw Julius standing at the same pitch, arms crossed. She looked around for where his class was, finding them in another set of fields.
Did Miss Dendra actually let him do this? She thought as she began to approach, feet moving with trepidation. As she walked by, she could hear the whispers that were wondering how long it would be before "he'd learn how strong she was soon enough" and other assorted similar items. It cut deep into her heart, seeing her fellow advanced students still refuse to have a match with her even with her newly displayed brand new team, as if they had already given up against her. Like she was some sort of monster that radically empowered her Pokemon.
The battle went almost the same as the day before, aside from Julius opening up with Wooper to try and land Poisoned early and forcing her to commit to Terastallizing Sprigatito. It caught her temporarily off guard, but she still managed to pull a victory.
"Same time tomorrow?"
The rest of the week flew by. Every day, he'd be at the pitch. Every time, he lost, but every time, he'd say those three words. Admittedly, on Friday, she was on autopilot and said yes, thinking he meant Monday.
That Saturday, she ended up sprinting out to the field, completely disregarding whatever student council work she had left to do when she heard some students offhandedly mention "that weird boy" was waiting alone on a field as she was getting something from a vending machine.
"You're late" was all he had to say, in that usual sardonic tone of his.
There's a limit to how kind someone can be!
Then, on Wednesday, a week after their first battle—
Nemona blinked as Fuecoco suddenly landed a clean strike with Ember. That wouldn't have been strange, but the fact Fuecoco had attacked before Sprigatito had caught her off guard. She took a second glance at the field, finding a small claw on Fuecoco's left hand.
"...huh, it actually worked this time."
Before she knew it, genuine laughter was rising from her throat.
"Oi, what's got you in a laughing fit?"
"Is… is that a Quick Claw!?"
"Yeah? What's so funny about that?"
"They're… they're terrible, Julius!" Nemona said in between laughter. "They're unreliable and generally battles don't last long enough for them to activate more than once!"
"Oh." Somehow, that managed to earn a single chuckle from him. "I want those ten hours I spent doing errands for LP back. Still, it might not work all the time, but hey, it worked this time."
"Mhm! But you haven't won yet!"
"Let's not get complacent, Fuecoco."
On that day, Nemona had never felt so happy yet so frustrated as she watched Julius' Nymble dart between her Rockruff's thrown stones and land a clean Double Kick on it for the KO. Reflexively, her hand reached for another Pokeball, but she found it slipping through air.
Oh. Oh…!
"Same time tomorrow? You've got to even the score now, right?"
…Oh. He… he really gave everything for this fight.
Nemona's thoughts were racing so fast she could barely muster a response. Her feelings were going to overflow at this rate. He endured loss after loss, steadily learning, coming up with his own strategy to beat her—sure, it had been a little due to luck with how the Quick Claw gave him the win, but that was part of his strategy and a risk he took. A win was a win and he was clearly planning to have it be less up to chance. Then, on top of that, telling her she needed to win, like the past week of losses hadn't happened?
I… I have to go. I might say something that will completely put him off to this if I don't…! If I lose this, then I…!
"Nemona?"
"Y… you bet, Julius! I'm taking the crown back from you next time for sure!"
—
A week blasted by since that fateful battle. Julius had an uptick of popularity among the new students as word quickly spread about his victory over Nemona. By now, the population of newer students knew who she was, so the fact he had some favor with the student council president who was quite diligent in her student council duties and was also known as the only Champion-rank trainer in Paldea made him an icon and ideal to strive for. Certainly, it helped that he was a fit young man as many his age group found out during physical electives, though since Nemona didn't take any, the two never crossed paths there.
The same couldn't be said for the advanced students, who either shied away from him or seemed to regard him with a level of disdain.
A few other things had changed in the past week, too. Namely, Nemona basically kidnapping Julius whenever possible. Their homeroom classroom became a de facto "Nemona Tutelage Center" after classes were over as she and Julius used the whiteboards to come up with move combinations, held item strategies, and ways to combat hypothetical enemies such as "a very fast special attack focused Grass and Flying type".
While other students would stick around for perhaps an hour or two, it became frequent to see the two going until eight or nine at night.
"Ahem."
Julius and Nemona looked away from the whiteboard on a Friday evening, finding Clavell clearing his throat while standing in the doorway.
"Mister Clavell?" The duo asked together.
"The ah, main school building will be closing in about thirty minutes."
Julius blinked before checking his Rotomphone. "Oh, crap. It's already nine-thirty?"
"Whoops, sorry Mister Clavell. We'll be right on out."
"Also…" Clavell said as the two gathered their things. "...might I just say that, especially with you being our Student Council President, Nemona, that the two of you ought to consider the optics of a young man and young woman being alone together so late at night."
The two looked at each other before looking back at Clavell.
"Optics?" They chimed together.
Clavell let out a sigh as he pushed on the bridge of his glasses. "It seems I had nothing to be concerned about. I'll walk the two of you out."
The three made some small talk, with Clavell taking an interest in their school life so far. Though, he did let Julius off with a warning that Dendra had her hands more full than usual as her letting Julius battle Nemona everyday had set precedent and now other sections of Battling Studies had some newer students trying to battle advanced students. So, if she asked him to help out after class, to at least consider it paying back the favor.
"Uh, sorry…? And I will, yeah."
Nemona crossed her arms, thinking as they walked through the halls. "Hmmm. While in the spirit of fairness we usually split students up by returning and new students, why not have a big Academy tournament where we hide someone's experience until after a battle?"
"An interesting proposition."
Nemona pumped a fist. "I'll start writing the proposal, then!"
"Tomorrow, you mean. Sleep is important and health is wealth." Julius added.
"Indeed, Master Julius."
"Right." Nemona said with a nod, the three of them exiting the building.
"My dorm's the opposite way." Julius said, pointing which way he was going. "The usual time, Nemona?"
"Mhm! See you then!"
Nemona saw him off, waving until he was firmly out of sight. Clavell raised an eyebrow as her hand slowly fell to her side.
"Is something on your mind, Miss Nemona?"
"I…" Nemona swallowed as she looked at the school gates. "I'm worried, Mister Clavell."
"About Master Julius, I assume?"
Nemona nodded. "He's really nice, doing all of this. I was just so happy that he committed to battling me every single day for just a week. No one's ever done that for me, not even before I was Champion Rank. They would lose once, maybe twice, and then conclude I was too strong for them. Even with a brand new team, they thought somehow I'd manage to pull a victory out from underneath them. So… I never realize it until I'm back alone in my room, but I've been indulging in his kindness these past weeks. I just get caught up in the heat of the moment, that there's someone willing to... you know, but I'm worried I'm going to push it too far someday and not even see it coming."
"Miss Nemona."
"Mister Clavell?"
"It appears," Clavell said, taking a few steps as he gathered his thoughts. "that you are under the impression that Master Julius is doing this purely out of a sense of pity."
"Well…"
"Have you asked him?"
"No, but—"
"Then it is entirely possible that Master Julius is enjoying this, yes?"
"But this is Julius we're talking about. That's not…"
"Like him", were the unsaid words. It was at this moment Nemona realized she knew far less about Julius than she would have liked to when making this claim. Certainly, she understood the "grumpy but good-natured" part of him that she occasionally teased him about when he would take the time to help his other classmates and he was a little bit reckless like when he grabbed Pawmi out of the air or dropped off into the ocean. And she did know he was very routine-oriented and heavily invested in his personal fitness, but she didn't know him.
"Miss Nemona?"
"Er… how would I know, then? Even if I asked him, it's not like Julius has to tell me the truth. He might hate it for all I know and would just tell me he doesn't."
"That is always a possibility. Such is the nature of relationships, Miss Nemona. It is difficult to truly tell what a person is thinking. We must take risks, whether in friendship, in love, or in purely professional affairs. But it is not a risk we have to take blindly." Clavell brought his feet together, heels tapping together to create a loud click that demanded Nemona's attention in the otherwise silent evening. "The Treasure Hunt will officially open in two weeks. As I seem to remember, a certain someone who really enjoyed battling became the first person to conquer the League Challenge and become a Champion-rank trainer in Paldea during the Treasure Hunt. Perhaps, if Master Julius has actually taken a liking to battles, if he is informed about the League Challenge, he may pursue it of his own accord. You may find your answer then."
"I… thanks, Mister Clavell."
"I value the wellbeing of all of my students, Miss Nemona. It's simply my job."
"Heh. Um, good night then, Mister Clavell."
"Good night, Miss Nemona."
Nemona's steps were light, echoing softly under the moonlight as she sprinted away.
Meanwhile, Julius had just finished his evening routine, drying his hair with a hairdryer before lying down on his bed. He turned over, looking at the four Pokeballs that sat on his bedside table and Miraidon who was sleeping against the wall on the floor.
The hell am I doing…?
Calling out to Nemona had been one thing. He owed her, after all. Fighting her multiple times had been another. It kept her fired up and she seemed to be happier, as every time she rolled into Battling Studies, she was practically bouncing up and down. Even during homeroom, she seemed ready to rocket out of her chair like she couldn't wait for Battling Studies class.
Nemona suddenly having impromptu strategy sessions after class and the late nights meant his efforts had worked; he had managed to guard her drive and prevent her from burning out in frustration. Sure, he was a little deep in it now, but…
…it shouldn't be me.
A memory flashed through his mind.
"It's eleven at night, Julius!"
"I… I'm sorry, mom…"
"Hahaha, oh let him off easy, Helena. He's just really excited with the guitar we got him. But Julius, there's a time and place for everything, okay?"
His parents had admonished him, gently, of course, for trying to quietly practice the guitar well past his bedtime where he had woken the two of them up by mistake, having underestimated just how loud the guitar was.
This and that are different.
He tried to mentally assert that, but it was a losing battle.
After all, if they were really so different, then what the hell was he doing entertaining her by going this far? It wasn't like he couldn't say no. He had every right to cut sessions off early. He could set an alarm for two hours and make an excuse like he wanted to go work out again or that he had prior commitments with other students. It wasn't as if there weren't other students that did want to hang out with him. Nemona seemed fairly understanding of his priorities, too, when he would end their strategy sessions so he could go to sleep as he would be working out the next morning.
This went well beyond what he owed her. But if he admitted that much, then he'd have to admit…
It has to be different. He tried to tell himself as he forced his eyes closed.
Wahahaha, I thought last chapter was going to be the only beefy chapter, but I guess I proved myself wrong.
Forgive me for indulging a little bit with a "school life" chapter, but I felt it was important as a lead up to the Treasure Hunt. I can understand why they did it in game, but from a story perspective I wanted to properly set up why Julius would even bother with the various plotlines. So, you can probably guess that setting up Arven and Penny's stories is coming next chapter, though we had a little of it here.
That, and having a school life chapter let me actually show Nemona's isolation in school and the effect it had on her. As it should form a core part of her character, it really had to be expanded on. I had a lot of fun giving Nemona a lot of confidence, but also moments of weakness and how she's secretly walking on eggshells around Julius to avoid scaring him away like everyone else.
Clavell is also a lot of fun to write as he gets to be a Reasonable Authority Figure and properly encourage Nemona, with it also setting up the League Challenge. Penny's introduction was a little tricky, but I wanted to establish a sense of responsibility in her from the get-go. It's a little hard to keep up her more avoidant personality but also clearly keep her as someone who cleans up her messes, so I hope I was able to do it justice.
Next chapter will probably focus a little more on Arven and Penny, though with a sprinkle of Nemona, and probably also the kick-off of the Treasure Hunt proper. After that, chapters will probably be organized into the section they cover (i.e. Gym 1, Star 1, Titan 1, etc.) for both organizational ease (so if you'd like to ever go back and check a chapter, it's not hard to find them) and because it means I can be more narrow in scope per chapter and avoid these massive chonker chapters.