Nina had never been a fan of being around others. If she could skitter back to her frosty cave up north, she would have done so without hesitation.

Unfortunately, she had to attend her classes at Dendemille Town's small community college.

Thankfully, the rural town had a population of fewer than 200 residents. It was a place defined by its reliance on wind power and agriculture rather than urban hustle and bustle. The college itself specialized in agricultural arts, ensuring that anyone who attended could contribute to local farming efforts.

However, none of that helped Nina's predicament. As a Bergmite, her rounded white body and stubby legs were mostly concealed beneath the slightly transparent blue ice encasing her upper half. Only her sharp yellow eyes, now flickering between irritation and unease, stood out as she found herself stuck in yet another unbearable group project.

At the moment, she was seated in the school's modest library, attempting—against her better judgment—to complete the dreaded assignment with her so-called classmates. She didn't even want to be here. Hell, she never wanted to do this project at all. Failing sounded like a far better option than suffering through this disaster. And if someone else were willing to pick up the slack? Even better.

Unfortunately, no such 'leader' had emerged within her group.

One of her classmates, a Huntail, was far too preoccupied with taking long drags from a glass bong he had smuggled in from his apartment. He was already stoned beyond belief, his coiled body draped lazily over the chair, mouth slack as he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

Sitting beside him was an Electivire, who was far more interested in making out with the tiny Floette nestled in his arms. Given their absurd size difference, Nina wasn't even sure how this was physically possible, yet here she was, witnessing it firsthand.

With an exhausted roll of her eyes, she muttered under her breath, "You know, you two could get a room faster if you actually did your part of the assignment."

Neither of them even acknowledged her. The two were so wrapped up in each other—moaning and grunting in ways that made Nina shudder—that she was surprised they were still able to breathe.

Disgusted, she turned her gaze to the Huntail, who seemed lost in a fog of smoke. Narrowing her eyes, she deadpanned, "You could at least write your name. You're just smoking in a library at this point."

A series of raspy coughs rattled from the Water-type's throat before he lazily turned to face her, his expression glazed over. For a moment, Nina tensed. Did he actually hear her?

"Uh, hey…" Huntail slurred, blinking slowly. "Do you, like… know how to talk?"

Caught off guard by suddenly becoming the center of attention, the Ice-type shrank back slightly, her voice coming out in a stammer. "I-I d-do…"

But just as quickly as he had focused on her, Huntail lost interest and went right back to his bong.

Nina groaned, resisting the urge to slam her head against the table.

At this point, she could try persuading them—at least the Huntail—to contribute something. But was it even worth it? The thought of trying to reason with them made her stomach twist. The anxiety alone was enough to make her reconsider. And, honestly? Looking at this train wreck of a group, she was better off accepting the failing grade.

Taking a deep breath, she silently gathered her belongings, packed up her things, and walked out.

Her classmates didn't seem to notice her departure, nor did she care if they did. She had already wasted an hour of her life sitting there, accomplishing absolutely nothing.

Now, at least, she could go home in peace.

It was easy to fade into the crowd.

Nina kept her head down as she moved through the small groups of students scattered across campus—some heading to class, others leaving for the day, and plenty lingering around to chat with friends. She walked in a near-robotic rhythm, following the familiar sidewalk that led toward the school's exit.

Despite her best efforts to stay unnoticed, she instinctively recoiled whenever someone passed too close. A hand waved too near, a careless foot nearly grazed her, or—worst of all—someone almost stepping on her. Again.

It was as if the universe itself had a vendetta against her.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, a massive foot nearly came crashing down on her. With a startled squeal, she skidded backward just in time to avoid being flattened.

"Oh crap!"

A deep voice rumbled above her. She looked up—of course, it was the same Tyranitar who had nearly stomped on her last month. He flinched as he realized his mistake, looking genuinely guilty.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there!"

Nina trembled slightly, exhaling an icy breath against the pavement to steady herself. "I-It's fine…" she muttered, already walking away before he could spew another round of clumsy apologies.

Behind her, the Tyranitar awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and turned to leave—only to immediately slip on the thin layer of ice she had left behind. With a comical yelp, he crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Nina stopped for a moment, then chuckled quietly under her breath. In another life, she might've done that kind of thing more often—tripping up those who deserved to be knocked down a peg. She had mellowed out over time, but some days? Some days called for a little payback.

This was the second time that guy had nearly crushed her. At this point, she wasn't convinced it was an accident.

She didn't trust anyone.

"Hey, look, it's taking applications!"

The excited voice snapped Nina from her thoughts. She turned her head to see a small crowd forming around the campus bulletin board. A few students were gathered, pointing at a row of freshly pinned yellow pamphlets.

She scoffed, already turning away—until something caught her eye.

A single pamphlet, nearly identical to the ones posted on the board, had fluttered to the ground near her feet.

Glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention, she swiftly snatched it up and skittered into the cover of a nearby bush. Settling in the shadows, she unfolded the paper and read its contents.

Her shoulders slumped. Just another game show advertisement.

But then—

"One million…" she whispered, eyes narrowing as she scanned the details again.

One. Million. Dollars.

That was a lot of money. A life-changing amount of money. And she needed it.

But… there would be other people.

She frowned, gripping the edges of the pamphlet.

People meant noise. Crowds. Cameras. Constant attention. It would be miserable.

But then again—

Money.

She needed money.

Her stubby hands tightened around the paper.

Maybe… just maybe… It was worth considering.

Name: Nina Cole

Species: Bergmite

Age: 18

Sexuality: Bisexual

Hometown: Frost Cavern, Kalos

Created By: Plumfadoodle

Totally Real World Tour Contestants

1. Aquamarine the Floatzel

2. Dez the Mabosstiff

3. Finn the Togekiss

4. Frank the Pinsir

5. Jeff the Galarian Darmanitan

6. Kacey the Roserade

7. Levi the Meowstic

8. Lianne the Frosmoth

9. Loki the Yungoos

10. Molly the Gligar

11. Nina the Bergmite

12. O'Reilly the Lairon