Yes, we are going to cover some of the classes. We're also going to make up classes that aren't in the games.
On another note, when we say "pudding" we are referring to the American pudding, the gooey stuff. Not British pudding, the baked stuff.
After climbing a nightmarish amount of stairs, the younger two discovered that they were in all the same classes. Juliana was obviously looking forward to seeing Mr. Hassel, Florian's precocious crush on Ms. Raifort became more obvious the more he talked about her, and by the time classes started days later, both were prepared to mock each other mercilessly. It was almost as though they'd been friends for years, and not just days.
So, when they walked together to their first biology class, they immediately sat down next to each other.
"Good morning, students," the teacher began, getting a few responses but mostly silence. He laughed it off. "Yes, I agree, morning classes aren't fun. That's why, instead of discussing human biology today, we'll open it up with Pokémon biology instead."
A girl raised her hand. "Like what Diana Freeman in Alola does?"
The teacher's smile faded. "Miss Diana should stick to her Champion position and not call herself a professor." The contempt in his voice for a teenager was surprisingly horrifying.
"But she proved by breeding her Kantonian Marowak that -"
"It was an urban legend that all female Marowak died after breeding, originating in Cubone crying and a certain incident in Kanto years ago. I know what she proved."
"Is that why Cubone has no Pokedex entry in your app, Mr. Jacq?" a boy asked.
"That's because Cubone is not found in Paldea," Jacq corrected him.
"So if someone brought a Cubone over from another region, would you put it in the data even though it's an urban legend? You know, out of spite?"
"Possibly," Jacq admitted. "I can be a very petty man if necessary. But probably not. We're not here to discuss an urban legend disproven in one particular case, we're here to discuss Pokémon biology. Now, some Pokémon evolve through friendship. How many of you new trainers know how to help your friendship with Pokémon grow?"
Juliana raised her hand nervously. "Feed them?"
"Excellent suggestion, Miss Juliana. Anyone else?" Seeing no new trainers willing to add to the discussion, Jacq sighed in disappointment and continued. "The answer is simple. Walking with them. Walk with your Pokémon, and you'll be surprised at how quickly you can fill up a Pokedex." His smile grew. "Speaking of the Pokedex, how are you finding your Pokedex app?"
"I love it," Juliana answered, forgetting for a moment that she was in class. "But how can I fill up my Pokedex of even just the cutest ones if I'm only allowed to have six?"
"We can take care of them here at the school," Jacq reassured her. "But I'm glad to hear you're using your Pokedex, even if you don't plan to fill it completely. Now, back to the lesson..."
When the bell rang, Florian walked Juliana to their math class. The teacher there was one that they hadn't talked about much - Florian didn't mind math, but Juliana couldn't care less about it. When Ms. Tyme asked if the class enjoyed math, they were two of seven people who answered. Tyme did not make them calculate the percentage of people who answered, only laughed it off.
"Thank you for your honest answers," she said, "so I'll try to keep that in mind and relate most of my lessons to necessary things for Pokémon training. I'm sure all of you like Pokémon." This time, more people answered, and unlike the mixed responses of the first question, it was all positive. "Good. Then let's start class by doing something relatively simple - calculating damages done by type matchups. Miss Juliana?"
Juliana looked up from her doodling. "Ms. Tyme?" she said, repeating the tone.
"If the move Water Gun hits a Fire-type Pokémon, what becomes of the move's damage?"
"It's doubled." She knew from taking a Quaxly and a Fletchling up against a Terastallized Pawmi that super-effective hits hurt a lot more. "Why?"
"Just checking to see if you were paying attention."
Juliana smiled back. She could grow to like math class, or at least tolerate it, if Ms. Tyme kept Pokémon as the subject. Or shopping. Juliana liked shopping, too. Especially new paints and pencils, and fidget toys, and cute Pokémon dolls, and pillows, and dolls that doubled as pillows...
She wondered if she'd unpacked all her Squishmallows, or if they were still in a box. She wondered if she could take them to school, since her dorm room was so plain. She wondered what Florian and Nemona's dorm rooms looked like.
And before she knew it, the bell rang.
What they did with gym class, disguising it as a battle studies class, was pretty smart.
Florian brought out Lloyd, and they found Arven and Nemona there as well. Nemona had a fully-evolved Pawmi by her side, a creature she called Pawmot, but Arven was surprisingly lacking any Pokémon at all.
"I must have left the ball behind," he said when Juliana asked, and she dropped the subject, choosing Webby as her class partner that day.
The teacher, Ms. Dendra, opened class by making them all do a lap around the track in the schoolyard, encouraging them to keep to the pace of their chosen Pokémon. Arven, Florian noticed, took advantage of leaving his partner's ball behind to sneak out of class.
Nemona noticed it too, from the look on her face. Her looking for Arven only made Florian ship it more.
Juliana was giggling like a child as she waddled the track behind Webby, oblivious to the ditcher.
Florian found Arven in the cafeteria, staring at the small selection of pudding as if this decision would change his life, before choosing one and grinning maniacally, muttering something to himself. Florian reached for a pudding, too, and started talking as if they were friends.
"Hey, Arven."
Arven blinked slowly, staring at the younger boy like he'd never seen him before. "Do I know you?"
"Don't you remember? I was with Nemona and Juliana when they found you at the lighthouse."
Arven thought back. "I remember two witches and a faceless orb," he said, and Florian groaned in exasperation.
"I'm the guy the school calls the Jackpot Joke."
"Who?"
"Florian Vasquez."
"I'm sorry." He didn't make it clear if he was apologizing for forgetting his existence or that his name was Florian. Florian decided to assume it was the former, since Arven hadn't named him.
"Look, Arven, I want to ask you a few questions. I know I'm not allowed to talk about your mom..."
"I'd rather not," Arven confirmed.
"...but what about your dad?"
Arven huffed. "Does the word 'deadbeat' mean anything to you?"
Florian, who was only intending to ask if Arven's dad was sick and that's why he'd ditched class, fell silent. "Oh. Well, um...my dad's a lawyer. Maybe we can sue yours."
"Don't bother. I couldn't care less about him."
"I thought you and the woman we're not allowed to talk about would want child support money."
"What is with you and my personal life?" Arven demanded. "My mom chose her work over me. My dad hasn't sent a postcard or called or asked for custody once. My nanny retired. I can survive on my own. Are you happy?"
"Not really." He followed Arven to the table, which Arven reluctantly accepted. "I just wanted to know why you ditched. I thought your dad was sick and you were taking care of him or something."
Arven looked away. "It's not my dad," he said, significantly less angry. "I'm just preparing for the Treasure Hunt."
"So am I, but I don't cut class to do it."
They quietly ate their pudding. It seemed to do wonders for Arven's mood. "I'm sorry I touched on a personal thing," Florian said as he scraped up the last of his.
Arven shrugged and gave a half-smile. "Hey, you thought I was taking care of a sick family member. I forgot you existed."
"Happens a lot around here," Florian said. "So what are you going to do for your Treasure Hunt, then?"
Arven looked him over, debating. Then, he pulled a book from his bag. It was old and battered, clearly well-loved. "The woman we're not allowed to talk about used to read this to me when I was little. She said it was the book that brought her and her ex together. Then she got too into researching it and..." he stopped, as if it was getting into personal territory again. "Anyway, I found it in her old lab and figured she wouldn't miss it. Now I'm interested in Titan Pokémon."
"Titan Pokémon?" Florian lowered his spoon. "What's that?"
"Supposed guardians of magical herbs - or at least rare ones. Apparently, they're delicious." Florian reached for the book, but Arven pulled it away. "That's mine. The school has its own copy of the Zero Book, go and read it yourself."
"I'm in a bit of trouble with the library," Florian admitted.
And that was what got Arven to actually laugh. "You're all right, kid," he decided. "I think we can handle any Titan that comes at us."
And he walked away before Florian could process - or object to - the use of 'we.' And before he could catch up to him, he had to answer his phone.
The rough voice was unfamiliar, and very clearly disguised. "Is this Juliana Fernandez, school ID 805C393?"
"Um, no," Florian answered, looking up his school ID to make sure Clavell hadn't forgotten his existence and given his number to Juliana. "My school ID is...803C593. I'm Florian."
"Vasquez?" The synthesizer couldn't hide the surprise in the voice. "The kid the school calls the Jackpot Joke?"
He sighed. "Yeah. That would be me."
"Good. You'll do just as well." And it seemed he'd be roped into another mission, after all. "My name is...Cassiopeia. I would like to recruit you, and your friend Juliana, to help me disband Team Star."
"It beats risking my life facing Titan Pokémon," said Florian.
"What?"
"Don't worry about it." He smiled, even though Cassiopeia couldn't see it. "I had an encounter with Team Star. I can't speak for Juliana, but I'm in."
TEAMS
Juliana: Webby (Quaxly, female) Lechonk (male) Hoppip (male) Tarountula (male) Fletchling (female)
Florian: Lloyd (Sprigatito, male) Ralts (female)