Helo!
I decided to play Persona 4 (vanilla cuz my pc can't emulate PS3 or Vita games) in its entirety before continuing to write my fanfics, which took like two and a half weeks.
…And after that I lost a lot of motivation to write, as always.
Chapter Date: 07/12/24
Chapter 2: Welcome to the Scarlet Academy!
-Pokémon-
South Province (Area One)
Paldea Region
Poco Path
Now Playing:
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - South Province (Walking)
18th of November, 2022
Both Akira and Juliana get back down from the lighthouse, meeting up with Nemona.
"What took you so long? You do know we still need to hurry to the academy, right?" Nemona asks the two of them.
"We were just having a little chat up there." Juliana answers, before deciding to correct herself after a bit. "...Actually, we were just gonna start heading down here due to the lack of a conversation."
"Oh, alright." Nemona tilts her head to the side, curious about what had gotten them like this, but they still have to move. "Well, follow me." She says, going down the path to Los Platos.
"...Wait." But Akira interrupts, getting their attention. "...As you could guess… I'm… not very used to just going around barefoot in public, so…" He trails off. "...To clarify, I'm gonna be very uncomfortable."
"Well, you don't need to follow us to the academy, so maybe you could go back to my house or Nemona's to look for some shoes you can use." Juliana proposes.
"...O-Okay." He's not really sure of the idea, but it's better than his only other option.
"In that case, then we'll be seeing you later." Nemona says, continuing to head to Lost Platos with Juliana following behind. "Bye, Akira!" They both wave goodbye at him, and he of course waves back.
Akira looks over to where he's supposed to be heading as Juliana and Nemona seem to be bugged by a little kid who wants to battle. "..." He stays silent as he ponders about something. "...You know what, fuck it." He pulls out his only Pokéball from his pocket and opens it.
"Agias!" Koraidon cries out happily as he's let out of his Poké Ball. His eyes light up when the teen approaches him and pats him on the head, purring at the touch.
Akira smiles at Koraidon's reaction, lowering his arm. "...I know I'm probably exaggerating by letting you out right now, but I'd just rather be safe." He shrugs.
Koraidon agrees with a smile, happy that his new trainer feels at least a bit safe around him.
"We should probably start heading to Juliana's house now." Akira says, looking back in the direction of Cabo Poco. "Or… we could just…" His gaze drifts off to the way there, seemingly looking for something. "...Never mind, that can wait." He shakes the thought off, following the path with Koraidon going over to his side.
Cabo Poco
Juliana's Home - Front Yard
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Cabo Poco (Outdoors)
Once they reached Cabo Poco, the first thing Akira did was stop, looking around the place he had actually been to in-game. ("...This is feels... pretty weird...") He comments.
"...?" Koraidon tilts his head curiously, wondering what's even going on in his head.
He noticed the Pokémon staring at him, which snapped him out of his thoughts. "...I-I have a feeling I'll feel less awkward if I go to Juliana's house instead." He mutters, deciding to go to his right.
In front of the door to the house, he hesitated to knock on it due to being nervous, but he eventually did.
After a bit, the door creaks open and Juliana's mom comes out, surprised by who she finds at her doorstep. "Oh, hello? What do you need?" She asks with a smile.
"...Uh, I-I'm a friend of Juliana's… a-and I kind of need some shoes right now." He stammers nervously, pointing down at his feet. "I-I kind of know that this is pretty sudden, but still…"
Juliana's mom nods after looking down at where he was pointing. "Though I doubt that you have the same shoe size as my daughter, I understand." She then leaves the door open to go upstairs.
He simply waits in front of the door, awkwardly taking a look at the house in general.
"Gia?" Koraidon makes a curious sound while waiting behind him.
This gets his attention, and he turns around to look at his Pokémon. "...Yeah, this is kinda embarrassing." He admits with a sigh.
After a bit, Juliana's mom brings a pair of black shoes. "Here, try these first." She says, putting them on the floor in front of Akira.
He looks down at the shoes he's supposed to put on, doubting they'll fit, but he does it anyway. He stands straight up, taking some back and forth steps with them. "Oh wow, they actually do fit… it does feel a little tight, but I can get used to it." He looks back up at her. "...Are you sure I can have these?"
"It's an old pair from a couple of years ago, it was too big for Juliana, and it fit me much less, so we just kind of forgot about them. I don't mind if you do." She reassures him with a smile. "Oh, and let me get some socks as well." She goes back upstairs, bringing a pair of black socks this time. "It's in the same situation as the shoes."
"Oh, okay…" He then proceeds to take off the shoes, only to put them back on with the socks. "Thank you very much." He says as he stands up again.
"Oh, no. There's no need to thank me." She shakes her head. "I'm always open to helping any friends of my daughter's…. But do tell, how long have you been friends for? I don't quite remember seeing you around."
"We met just now, after this guy here saved my life." He gestures towards Koraidon, who cries out as if saying hello. "She's on her way to the academy with her other friend, Nemona."
"Oh, I see!" She nods, her smile growing. "My Juliana already has new friends even before getting into the academy for the first time, I'm glad." She then looks at the Pokémon beside him. "And this Pokémon saved your life, you say?"
"Mhm, he swept in and caught me when I was falling from uh… pretty high up, and we ended up down at the shore below the lighthouse nearby." He explains, deciding to not give out all that much regarding where he even fell from in the first place.
"That must have felt terrible… you poor soul…" She frowns slightly at hearing his explanation, feeling bad for him.
"...Yeah, it really did." Akira's brow furrows at the memory. "But that's already passed, now I owe him my life." He brushes it off, petting Koraidon on the head.
"I'm glad you're safe and sound, at least…"
"...I think I should be heading back now… even though they should probably already be at the academy by now." He says, waving at her as he hurriedly walks away, with Koraidon following him.
"Please come back again sometime!" She waves back.
Poco Path
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - South Province (Walking)
Akira turns his gaze back to Koraidon. "Well, time to head to Mesagoza now."
"Agias!" Koraidon responds, excited to spend more time with the teen.
"It's been only like half an hour or so, but you always manage to make me smile, you know that?" He says, a warm smile growing on his face.
"Gias!" Koraidon looks even happier now as his Trainer compliments him.
He suddenly feels the urge to do very silly stuff with Koraidon, but he puts that thought aside and gestures for the Pokémon to follow. "Let's go."
Akira looks around the path as he walks, watching the Pokémon do Pokémon things. "...I'd really like to catch at least one of these guys. But y'know, no Pokéballs." He sighs, seeming pretty disappointed and also annoyed as he narrows his eyes. "What a bummer."
He then looks at Koraidon in silence for a bit before continuing. "...And you aren't exactly fit for fighting right now, are you?"
"Gias." Koraidon answers with a simple purr, staring back at him.
Akira chuckles. "...Wow, you're pretty straightforward if that was a no."
After passing by the lighthouse, a small kid that was passing by notices them, and he runs towards them. "Woah, that's a cool Pokémon!" He shouts in excitement. "Can I battle it?"
Akira was a bit surprised by the appearance of a random kid by a path that instantly wanted to battle him… sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? ("...Oh, yeah. These guys.") His surprise turns into slight unamusement as he makes the connection, yet doesn't show it on his expression. "Sorry, but he's not in the best shape for battling, and I don't have any other Pokémon."
"...Is that a no?" The kid asks, looking confused.
"I-" He's surprised by the kid's lack of knowledge… but he's just a kid, anyway. "Yeah, that's a no."
"Aw…" The kid's confusion turns into disappointment at hearing this. "...But you're gonna battle me later, right?"
"...Probably not?" Akira answers with a shrug. "...I'll be going now." He then walks off, ending this little chat in a pretty awkward note.
The kid just watches him leave in silence, completely and utterly confused.
Los Platos
Only some seconds later, they arrive at the other nearest town… which definitely isn't much, to say the least.
But something else catches Akira's eye. "What's this gas station looking thing…?" He asks himself as he walks over to a structure that does kind of fit his description of it.
"...?" His Pokémon follows, curious as to what his trainer is confused about.
("Wait a minute, is this a Pokémon Center?") He figures out what it is when he sees the two employees… and also the one machine there.
"Excuse me… uh… is this a Pokémon Center?" He asks who he believes to be the Pokémon Nurse.
The nurse bows with a smile. "Yes, this is one of the many Pokémon Centers across Paldea, happy to be of service! I'm here to keep everyone's Pokémon healthy." She begins to explain, then gesturing towards the man at her side. "Here to my left is the Poké Mart! You can buy things like Poké Balls and Potions."
"Hello!" He waves. "We accept payments both in cash and in LP, League Points that is. One LP is worth one Pokédollar."
("League Points…? Okay, sure…") Akira just shrugs it off, deciding to worry about it later.
The nurse then points to the machine beside her. "And this to my right is the Technical Machine Machine, TM Machine for short!"
("...What, did you expect me to say something about that?") Akira thinks, looking at nowhere in particular. ("...I swear to god, if that actually broke some kind of fourth wall of sorts…") He sighs.
…It seems it's one of his things to just think he's in some kind of fictional media of sorts (which he obviously is)… not like he'd mind it… for the most part.
…Anyways, she continues to explain. "It's your ticket to making TMs, which you can use to teach moves to your Pokémon. You'll need to pay in LP and supply the machine with materials that Pokémon drop."
("Wait, Pokémon drop stuff now?") He seems a bit confused about this. "...Thanks for the explanation, I didn't expect it to look like this…" He says, still surprised about the change.
"Well, this variation of Pokémon Centers is a Paldean original and exclusive so far, they're all over the region." The Pokémart salesman replies. "Even in the wild areas."
"Oh… makes sense why I haven't heard of these until now... But I should be heading to Mesagoza now, so bye." Akira waves goodbye to the employees and goes back to the path.
("Pokémon Centers even in the wild areas, huh? …I mean, if the game's open-world, then I guess this makes sense.") He thinks as he takes a right after thinking about it for a second. ("And if I'm not wrong, Mesagoza should be this way judging by what I saw back at the lighthouse.")
Mesagoza Entrance
"...Wow, that's a big door." Akira says as he stares up at the oddly big entrance that Mesagoza has right in front of him, a bit intimidated by the size. ("...Not just castle-ish walls and stuff, but also a big-ass door? H-How does this thing even open?") He asks himself in extreme confusion as his mind tries to figure out how that would even work.
"...Gia?" Koraidon also looks up at the door, confused but not as much as the next guy.
He slowly approaches the door, reaching out for it nervously. "D-Do I just… open it?" He hesitates to put a hand on it, but he gives it a quick little push…
And to his delight, it actually moves… even if it was just a tiny bit.
"Agias!" The Pokémon cries out, happy for his trainer.
("Thank god…") Akira sighs in relief, looking back at Koraidon. "...I think I'll have to put you back in your Pokéball, Koraidon." He says, surprising him. "I might want to avoid getting everyone's attention with a Pokémon they have never seen before for now…"
Koraidon purrs in reluctant understanding, approaching the teen and giving him a short nuzzle on the chest.
He smiles at this, pulling out the Poké Ball with a sigh. "Well, in you go now." He says as it sucks Koraidon in.
Music fades out.
Akira was about to head straight into Mesagoza right after, but he suddenly stopped to look down at the Pokéball.
"..." He stares down at it for a bit too long in silence. ("...N-No, I shouldn't ever do that! What the fuck am I even thinking?") He frowns, standing still for another second before heading into the city.
Mesagoza
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Naranja/Uva Academy
Akira closed the big door behind him, turning around to admire the view he had of the city up close. ("...Wow, this is pretty big.") Akira thought as he walked over to the actual Mesaoza. ("...At least when compared to the average Pokémon city.")
He reaches the end of the bridge onto the base of the oddly long stairs leading up to Naranja Academy. ("Nice colors here and all, but… That's a really big staircase.") Somehow, unlike the door, he didn't feel intimidated from the staircase at all, even proceeding to go up without saying (or thinking) another word about it.
Naranja Academy Front Yard
After not that long, Akira finally finds himself in front of the Naranja Academy he's been hearing about so much.
("...It's indeed orange.") Is all he really thinks about before simply speed walking his way in… he really just wants to get back to Juliana and Nemona as fast as possible. ("...Oh, and of course, another huge door for absolutely no reason.")
Naranja Academy
1F Entrance Hall
Akira steps inside, being greeted by… what appears to be a mix of a lobby and a library.
("Oh, uh… is this the library or what…?") He looks around, seeming a bit confused by the design choice.
He then hears a familiar voice. "Oh, hey."
Akira looks over to the stairs, and sees Juliana walking them down to him. "Hey, wasn't expecting to see you so soon." He replies, a bit surprised by this.
"I just figured you'd be arriving by now." She answers, looking down at the shoes he's wearing. "Huh… I don't think I remember seeing those ones before."
"Your mom said it was one from a couple of years ago and you both just forgot about it until now." He explains, but quickly changes the topic. "Anyways, where's Nemona?"
"A student in my class said she's at the Staff Room, so we should head there next." Juliana points behind herself to the stairs with her thumb.
"Huh… wonder why."
"Let's go now." Juliana walks back up the stairs, with Akira following.
2F Staff Room
The both of them find the staff room after asking for directions, and they do find Nemona there, but it looks like she's already talking with someone else… who definitely has a unique hairstyle.
"Very well, Champion Nemona. I trust you to handle this in my stead." Is what they hear the other person say.
"Sure thing! You can count on me. In fact, I bet this is gonna be fun!" Nemona responds excitedly.
"She's always excited for something, isn't she?" Akira says as they decide to approach, Juliana responding with an "Mhm."
"I'm glad to hear it. Good day then." The woman Nemona was talking to turned around, about to head outside when she noticed both teenagers, who caught her eye, especially the former. "Oh, pardon me." She walked out as soon as she realized she was staring at them for a second too long.
"...Have you seen her before?" Akira asks Juliana, a bit curious about her.
"I think I saw her somewhere before…" She scours for anything related to that woman in her memories, preferably a name, but she gets interrupted.
"Piqued your interest, huh?" Nemona says behind them, getting their attention. "That lady is… well, they call her La Primera!"
"...For?" He doesn't seem very convinced.
"And what's her name?" Juliana follows.
"She's Geeta." Nemona answers. "She's strong, she can do pretty much anything, she's got cool practically coming out of her ears…" She rambles on in admiration. "She's basically everything I wanna be, or that any Pokémon Trainer would wanna be, really!"
"I mean… she's got a cool desi- I mean, outfit, but…" Akira mutters under his breath, sighing. "What do I even expect…"
"To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting you two to be here." She continues, right before remembering something. "Oh! Which reminds me! Remember in homeroom when I asked you what your dream is, Juliana?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Juliana asks.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Nemona's Theme
"Well, since your heart's already set on becoming a really strong Trainer… I've got an idea for you! You should try to become Champion Rank like me!" Nemona proposes, sounding excited about the idea. "And you should too, Akira!"
"I uh… I'm not so sure about that..." He doubts, not sounding very confident.
"Give him a little break, will you…?" Juliana mutters high enough for Nemona to barely hear, yet understand. "But as for me… I'd say the same."
"Aww, but talent like yours deserves to be used! Hear me out…" Nemona continues, with the other two looking at each other and shrugging. "The Trainers who reach Champion Rank are the ones who raise their Pokémon really strong. They're pro-tier battlers. Their moves keep crowds absolutely on the edge of their seats! You have to prove yourself to the Pokémon League to officially get the title of Champion. And to do that, you have to do more than just take classes here. You've got to take on eight Pokémon Gyms and win so you can collect their Badge! Once you've done all that, all that's left is a special test—the Champion Assessment. And once you pass that, then at long last you'll be a Champion!" She explains without pause, pretty surprising for them.
("Champion Assessment?") Akira tilts his head to the side, wondering what that would be.
"...I think we alr-" Juliana gets quickly interrupted, as the other girl wasn't listening.
"It's every Pokémon Trainer's dream! The coolest title anyone could ever hope to get! Not to brag or anything!" Nemona tries to correct herself, but it doesn't do much. "I reached Champion Rank during our last Treasure Hunt, you know!"
"Treasure Hunt?" The other two ask in unison.
"Oh, the Treasure Hunt is a special independent study thing we've got here. Should happen soon! Our last one started not long after the beginning of this school year! It's great! You get to leave school to go have an adventure and learn however you want!"
("No school is always a good thing in my book.") Akira thinks, not feeling like saying that out loud. ("...For more reasons than one.") His expression softens a bit.
"Sounds pretty interesting." Juliana admits.
"I guess you could say my journey to becoming a Champion was the treasure I found...maybe? I dunno yet if that's the answer I'm looking for..." Nemona seems lost in thought for a second as she crosses her arms, but she ignores that for the moment. "Anyway, I've got a feeling I'd be able to get even stronger if we were all working at it… Lemme go ahead and save the Gyms' locations in your map app in case you decide to go for it!"
"I think I'll get to doing that eventually, so sure." She accepts, their Rotom Phones doing the job before going back into their pockets.
The Pokémon Gym locations have been added to your map app!
Victory Road unlocked!
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Naranja/Uva Academy
"I gotta go now!" Nemona says as she then walks off. "Give it some thought!"
An awkward silence falls upon the two once she leaves, only broken by a sigh from Juliana. "...I say we go check around the school."
"Fine by me." He shrugs.
2F Cafeteria
After a while of wandering the halls, they arrive at the Cafeteria, and see someone familiar.
"Oh, Arven?"
Arven turns around at Akira saying his name, noticing them approach. "Oh, hey! So we meet again, huh?" He then pauses as he notices something's off. "...And how do you know my name, again?" He asks the other guy, raising an eyebrow.
Akira's eyes widened at his question. "Eh- uh- fuck- I-I just heard someone say it while we were passing by?" He panics "slightly," with his attempts of trying not to failing miserably.
"Wait, really?" Juliana looks surprised to hear this. "Can't believe you heard something like that with how loud the other students here are…",
"Mhm, sure." Arven says sarcastically, but he decides to not bug him about it for now. "Anyways, since you already know my name, what about yours?"
"...Akira." He answers, feeling pretty stupid from what he just said.
But when Juliana was about to speak- "No need to tell me yours, though." -Arven interrupts her, crossing his arms. "Juliana, right?"
"Uh, how'd you know?" She asks him.
"Like he "did." He gestures to Akira, still somewhat suspicious of him. "Whole school seems to be talking about you. The new kid who showed up with the president of the student council."
"...Huh, didn't expect I'd get that much attention, really." Juliana says, while Akira facially cringes at himself being mentioned.
"I normally wouldn't even bother showing up for class, but I came all the way to school today to talk with you—our new celebrity." He admits, right before his demeanor changes radically. "ou've gotta help me out so I can finally make my dream a reality!"
"...Eh?" Juliana raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Where'd this come from?"
"Well, this might come as a surprise, but fact is, I'm all about that picnic life. The great outdoors, the perfectly prepared sandwiches, all of it. Not half bad at cooking either, I can tell you." Arven says, seeming pretty proud.
"Yeah… pretty surprising, I agree."
He chuckles at Juliana's response. "Right now I'm researching new recipes that'll help Pokémon feel better. Real health food, see. I found this book the other day, and it had a section about these Herba Mystica things..."
("...Hierba Mistica?") Akira more or less repeats in his mind, somehow taking him a whole ten seconds to figure out what he thinks it's spelled as.
Arven clears his throat, ready to go on a long explanation. "Basically, they're some kind of special herbs that heal up any Pokémon as soon as it eats them! Now, there are a total of five different types of Herba Mystica, based on what I read. Just taking a little lick of them once they've been powdered will get your blood flowing, provide nutrients, prevent aging, it'll even boost the immune system! These herbs seem like they're the real deal. Only found here in Paldea, and rare to boot!" He then waits for Juliana's reaction, expecting a positive one.
"Oh…" Juliana's eyes widen at Arven's explanation, pretty impressed.
Arven searches for something in his backpack. "But this book says they're all guarded by Titan Pokémon, meaning that it's gonna be pretty tough to try to grab even a few sprigs. 'Cause, see Titans are…" He pauses, pulling out the book he was talking about and flipping through the pages. "Well, I think they've gotta be… things like this!"
Arven shows Juliana a specific two pages, one containing a drawing of a Pokémon that she's never seen before, yet somehow still feels familiar, while the other has text. It reads:
'Monsters of Area Zero'
'As we descended further into Area Zero, we began to catch glimpses of strange Pokémon—though we wondered if these huge, ferocious beasts were even Pokémon at all. One of our team suffered a brutal blow from such a beast and was mortally wounded, forcing us to retreat for a time.'
"...Yeah, I can definitely see how that's a problem." She says right before he flips to the next page, which instead of a drawing now contains a photo.
'A member of the survey team captured this photograph by chance. I notice a passing resemblance to the Pokémon known as Donphan, yet differences such as its sheer size and shape of its back set it apart—as do its great tusks.'
"Oh… no wonder I felt like I had seen it before…" She mutters, looking back up at Arven. "And you want me to…"
"Yup." He nods, putting the book back where it was. "I really want to get those herbs for myself, but I'm not very good at Pokémon battles… Don't have any friends with strong Pokémon to lend me a hand, either… And I'd never hear the end of it if I went crawling to that student council girl…" He sighs, shaking his head in disappointment. "But here you waltz up. You've got to help me out with this, you'd be perfect!" His demeanor changes again.
"Well, uh…" Juliana trails off as she thinks about it.
Wait! Nope! Don't need an answer yet." Arven interrupts. "I'll just register the places where it seems there might be Titans in your map app for you."
The Titans' lairs have been added to your map app!
Path of Legends unlocked!
"...Did you really just do that?" She asks right as her phone goes back into her pocket, looking very unamused at the guy who just put unsolicited information into her phone. "I didn't even answer."
"Well, if it came out it means you accepted the offer, didn't you?"
Juliana groans, rolling her eyes. "...Whatever."
"Just let it stew a bit, and we can get more into the details later. And in the meantime… take this." He pulls out a small blue bag, offering it over to Juliana. "A little gift for listening, and all."
"...Okay." She reluctantly puts the bag into her backpack.
Arven then takes a deep breath, right before storming off the room. "Give the idea some serious thought! Please!" He shouts, getting the attention of everyone in the room.
After everyone else goes back to what they were doing, Juliana sighs and simply heads to the exit. "...Yeah, I still don't like him."
"Understandable, I guess." Akira follows.
"...Also, what were you staying all quiet for?"
"...So he didn't ask-"
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Cassiopeia's Theme
Juliana's Rotom Phone rings inside her pocket and comes straight out of it, interrupting him.
"...This is Juliana, correct?" A distorted voice asks through its speakers. "I hacked your smartphone so I could talk to you. Hope you don't mind."
Her eyes narrow at the voice, looking pretty ticked off. "Oh great, and after someone puts stuff into my phone's map app without my permission it gets hacked?! It's brand new, so I swear to Arceus, if you do anything-"
"My name's Cassiopeia." The voice interrupts again. "But never mind that, it's you I want to talk about. I hear you're a Trainer with serious potential."
"I don't even-" Juliana stops herself from saying anything else with a sigh, deciding to stay silent despite already being very fed up.
"...If that description is accurate, there's something I'd like to ask of you… Tell me, Juliana… you know about Team Star, right?"
"What does that have anything to do with this?"
"...Bu-" Akira was about to say something else, but he realized that that would not help his situation at all. He ends up deciding to stay quiet again to not get attention.
"I'll be taking that as a yes." But luckily for him, he wasn't heard. "Team Star is a group of troublemakers formed by some academy students a while back… They cause headaches for the school and try to bring other students down to their level, and I refuse to sit idly by and let them get away with it!"
("...Bit of a weird motive.") He thinks.
"So I've come up with a plan to bring down Team Star and force them to disband for good. I call it… Operation Starfall!"
"...Eh?" Juliana raises an eyebrow at the sudden naming.
"But I'll need allies to carry out this operation… and I'd like you to be one of them… but no need to reply right now. We can discuss the details some other time. 'Till then, I'll leave it to you. Bye." The call ends with that, the phone going back into its owner's pocket.
But not even after that do they get room to breathe, as Director Clavell enters the Cafeteria, noticing them.
"Ah, Master Juliana." Clavell then looks at Akira with a raised eyebrow. "And who is he?" He asks, seemingly inspecting Akira, including his… not exactly fitting attire. "Not a student, from what I can see."
"You don't have to remind me that I stick out like a sore thumb…" Akira frowns, feeling pretty naked from the remark.
"Just like Nemona, he's a friend I just met today… and let's just say he's wearing that for reasons I can't tell at the moment." Juliana answers, deciding not to mention anything else.
"I understand." Clavell nods. "Changing the topic, please do try to keep your voice down if you're making calls within the school, won't you?"
"...Yes, I'll be more careful." She still seems a bit agitated, maybe misunderstanding what she heard?
"You don't want anyone else overhearing any personal information, after all." He continues, clearing Juliana's doubts.
"O-Oh."
"Honestly… there are so many things we need to be careful about in this day and age… On you go then." He gestures to the door for them to leave
They both nod at what he says, before walking off.
After they're out, Clavell lowers his arm from waving goodbye, looking to the windows in thought. "Team Star, you say…?" He mutters under his breath.
1F Entrance Hall
"So you're leaving now, right?" Juliana asks as they stop right in front of the door to outside.
"Uh… I guess? I don't really have much to do either out there or here." Akira shrugs, not sure if he should be heading outside. "...Unless something happ-"
A jingle plays from the speakers on the walls, and a voice—Most likely Director Clavell's—interrupts him… again. "Calling Master Juliana to the director's office, please."
"...Called it." He sighs, fully aware that this is the second time now.
"H-Huh? What did I do…?" Juliana asks herself, taken aback by the announcement.
"Once again… Master Juliana to the director's office, please." The voice repeats, before signing off.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Naranja/Uva Academy (Your Room/Director's Office)
("I… still can't get used to the "Master" thing…") Akira thinks, quickly brushing it off… for the better. "We should hurry." He then heads over to the room's exit.
"...Yeah." She nods, following him.
3F Director's Office
Both Juliana and Akira enter, and the first thing they see is Clavell's research equipment on some desks, oddly enough.
"Thank you for coming, Master Juliana." Director Clavell speaks from further in the room, where his desk actually is. "And I see you brought your friend with you."
He just awkwardly waves in response.
Clavell chuckles at this, looking back at Juliana. "Have you been enjoying your time here at Naranja Academy?"
"Yeah, it's pretty nice here." She nods.
Clavell smiles at Juliana's response. "That is most wonderful to hear."
"...Wait, couldn't we have just talked back at the Cafeteria?" She asks, a bit confused.
He gets up from his chair at her question, "This is a rather private matter… but I'll allow one other to know." He answers, referring to Akira as he walks to the corner of the room. "But let me assure you, there is a reason why I asked you to meet me here in my office. It seems that a friend of mine has a rather serious matter they would like to discuss with you."
"Wait, where?" Juliana turns around to look at the door, fully expecting someone to come out.
"Ah, no, I'm afraid they aren't actually here in this room with us. One moment, please. Just allow me to connect us…" Clavell turns to face the TV in the corner.
"A video call, or something?" Akira asks as he walks closer to the screen, with Juliana doing the same.
He was quickly answered when the screen turned on, displaying a woman in front of some whiteboards.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Professor Sada/Turo's Theme
"Hello, Juliana. It is nice to meet you." The woman waves at her, noticing who's beside her. "And who is your friend there, if I may ask?"
"Uh, I'm Akira." He introduces himself.
"Nice to meet you too, Akira." She nods with a smile. "My name is Professor Sada. I carry out Pokémon research within the Great Crater of Paldea, at a site known as Area Zero." A photo of an airborne view of the crater appears as soon as she finishes speaking.
"The professor is, in fact, a graduate of our fine academy, as well as a splendid researcher." Clavell adds.
"Well, allow me to get straight to the point…" "Juliana, student ID number 805C393… you are the student who travels with the unusual Pokémon Koraidon, is that correct?"
"Actually-" …And Akira gets interrupted once again.
Koraidon comes straight out of Akira's pocket as its name is mentioned, getting everyone's attention. "Agia?"
"Oh. How good to see that you are well. It has been quite a while since we last met." Professor Sada greets.
"Gias!" Koraidon puffs its chest in pride.
"But… I noticed that it came from Akira, and not you… did you give him its Pokéball?" She asks Juliana.
"Oh yeah, I did." Juliana nods. "I just thought it'd be better if he had it, since Koraidon's pretty attached to him already."
As proof of this, Koraidon nuzzles Akira's cheek with a purr.
"I… there you have it?" He sounds pretty confused now.
"Ah, okay." The Professor nods. "Koraidon was once in my care, you see. Its Poké Ball was also originally mine. I assume you received it from a young man called Arven."
"Yeah. Is he your…" She pauses, but she's interrupted before she could continue.
"I am no longer in any position to be able to manage that Pokémon myself. This is what I ask of you. Will you continue looking after Koraidon on my behalf?"
"...Yeah, sure." Juliana seems a bit caught off guard by her interruption, but it could be that she just didn't hear her.
"I do appreciate your agreement." Sada smiles. "Koraidon has been greatly weakened and is currently incapable of battle." She then begins to explain. "It can, however, take on a form specialized for mobility. In all likelihood, it will require some time to fully regain the capabilities it once had."
"Oof." She is starting to regret leaving the guy with a Pokémon that—despite apparently loyal—can't even fight.
"I will provide you with my contact information if you would please get your phone out." After Juliana complies, she continues. "I will be in regular contact going forward to keep tabs on your status. Until then." Sada walks away from the camera's point of view, and the screen fades to black.
Music fades.
"Agigia! Gias!" Koraidon cries out and approaches the screen when it turns off as if to say goodbye.
"Could this Pokémon have its origins within Area Zero…?" Clavell asks himself as he stares at Koraidon, shaking his head after. "Sada… don't tell me you actually did it…"
"...Okay, please get back in…" Akira mutters as he pulls out Koraidon's Poké Ball.
"Agias…" It sounds a bit upset at having to go back into its Pokéball, but doesn't protest.
"I know…"
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - Naranja/Uva Academy (Your Room/Director's Office)
After Koraidon gets into the Poké Ball, Clavell turns to them. "Well, it seems that the professor is asking quite the favor of you. But of course, the academy is always able to support you in any way that we are able."
"Thanks."
"We'll be leaving now." Juliana says, gesturing for Akira to follow.
But when they were halfway to the door, a voice came out. "Hellooo! 'Scuse me!" The door opens, and in comes Nemona. "Oh! You two're still here!"
"Hey." They both greet.
"Oof. Getting called into the director's office on your first day? How'd you land in that much trouble already?" Nemona laughs. "Naw, kidding! I know it wasn't like that."
"...Eh." Juliana snorts, not finding it that funny.
"Mr. Jacq wanted me to show you the way to your room in the school dorms." Nemona continues as she walks out. "Your very own private room, Juliana! Let's go check it out!"
Akira looks at Juliana. "...I guess this is where we split, then?"
"Yup… I think I've had enough of this for today, so see ya!" She nods, following Nemona.
"Bye…" He waves, heading back to the entrance.
2F Juliana's Dorm Room
The door opens, and in come Juliana and Nemona.
"Ta-ta-tachán!" The latter presents the room excitedly. "From today on, this is your room, Juliana!"
"T-There's even a kitchen…?" The former asks in awe, staring at the lime green (oddly enough) kitchen in the corner, which albeit small in space does the job.
"Yeah, surprisingly." Nemona remarks, looking around. "Actually, it's as new to me as it is to you. Never been here before. Maybe check out your new bed? Looks comfy, and you must be worn out from all this stuff happening on your first day, huh?"
"...Yeah, to say the least."
"A quick rest on a bed is all you need to get yourself and your Pokémon healthy again!" Nemona turns to Juliana. "I'll see you tomorrow when you've rested up. Then we can battle even more! Take care!" She heads out.
"...I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna sleep for that long…" Juliana mutters to herself after the other leaves. "Oh well…"
Mesagoza
Naranja Academy Front Yard
Meanwhile, Akira has just gotten out of the school, and he just stares down at the stairway in silence. ("...Hoo boy, going down these is gonna be a pain in the ass with how my brain does things.") He looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath with closed eyes.
…And after that, he just stands there awkwardly. ("...Okay, so what do I do now? I'm completely broke, homeless and have no map to tell me where to go.") His brow furrows at the thought. ("...Well hey, this is Pokémon, at least… it can't be as bad as back there, right…?")
("...Hopefully not.") Akira shakes his head, starting to go down the stairs. ("...I-I'll just-") He stops, remembering something that makes him feel infinitely more stupid. "...Fuck! I don't have any Pokéballs!" He groans, before looking around to see if someone heard him. ("I-I should just learn to shut up…")
He continues down with a sigh. ("I guess I'll just beg someone to give me a Pokéball… If that somehow works… or just conveniently find one on the ground, I don't fucking know anymore…")
To be continued…
"This is Akira…"
"And this is Elena, Juliana's mother."
"Man, this sucks…" He grunts in irritation.
"You can always stay at my home when you need to."
"N-No…" He shakes his head. "Don't worry about that, I'll be fine…"
"Are you really sure about that?" She raises an eyebrow.
"...No, not at all." He sighs.
"If you're stuck, the offer's always there."
"Thanks…"
"Well then, the next chapter will be named: "Tutorial for Dummies." I wish you the best of luck!"
"I'll really need it… Also, what did you just say again?"
Do you want to save your data?
Yes
Creating a new save file...
Successfully saved.
-Pokémon-
Paldea Region
Cabo Poco
Akira, Koraidon, Juliana, Nemona, Arven
Pokémon Teams:
Akira: None so far...
Juliana: Sprigatito, Lechonk, Fletchling, Hoppip, Tarountula, Pawmi
Woo! This chapter is finally done!
Worst thing is, that I literally had an entire month doing nothing fic-related for no reason, as I wrote more than half of this in only a couple of days! I love procrastination!
So uhhh yeah, the next chapter's gonna be mostly Akira doing whatever during the three days the others spend at school (A.K.A. the timelapse part).
"W-Wait, three days?!" Akira asks in shock.
Yup, you're gonna have to figure out how to live three days with basically nothing, not my fault.
"Well… at least Koraidon's something right?"
Yes, yes he fucking is.
"...W-Why are you looking at me like that?"
…My bad.
But I can say for sure that both me and Akira are at-
"PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE!" He screams as he runs off.
"Gia!" Koraidon notices Akira storm off and runs after him, despite not knowing why they're running in the first place.
…I love him.
Extra Notes:
Yes, Elena is Juliana's mom's name in this fic… just because "she looks like an Elena."
…And that's it for the extra notes, because nothing else is coming to mind :D
Well, thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!