A sudden, booming noise jolted Juliana from her peaceful sleep, shaking the quiet of the early morning. She groaned softly, rolling over in an attempt to cling to the remnants of her dreams. Just as her eyes began to flutter shut again, a flash of red caught her attention, the neatly folded Tiempa Academy uniforms on her desk. The memories of the night before flooded back, and in an instant, her tiredness evaporated. Excitement surged through her as she climbed down the bunk bed's ladder, grabbed one of the scarlet-colored uniforms, and disappeared into the closet to change out of her cozy rouge pajamas and into one of the crisp new uniforms.

She tried on each of the uniforms one by one. The first one was the Winter Uniform, a grey blazer over a blue vest and a long-sleeved white shirt, paired with long scarlet-orange pants. The fabric felt heavy, the layers too warm for the lingering summer heat, and the overall look was a bit too formal for her taste. Next, she tried the Autumn Uniform. While she this one more than the previous, the combination of shorts with a long-sleeved shirt felt... wrong. It was neither here nor there, too chilly for cold weather and too covered for warm weather. With a shrug, she moved on.

The Spring Uniform was next. Its long-sleeved shirt, high-waisted scarlet-orange pants, and suspenders gave off a polished, put-together look. But as she studied herself in the mirror, she frowned. This felt formal, just like the Winter Uniform, potentially even more so, almost like she was dressing for some fancy school event like a dance, rather than a school day. Definitely not her style.

That left only one option. She slipped into the Summer Uniform, pulling on the crisp white polo shirt, the school's emblem embroidered on the left shoulder. Then came the scarlet-orange shorts, accented with light orange stripes. Finally, she put on the high white socks with an orange stripe near the top and adjusted the uniform's scarlet-orange tie until it sat just right.

"Perfecta!" she declared, admiring her reflection in the mirror for what felt like minutes. A satisfied smile crept across her face, thankfully, the uniform looked kind of stylish rather than tacky, at least in her opinion.

With that settled, she turned her attention to her hair. Gathering her brown locks with practiced ease, she styled them into her signature side braid on the right, the strands weaving neatly together. Her familiar cowlick sat just off-center in her fringe, refusing to be tamed as always. With a final touch, she secured the end of her braid with a small red-and-white hair clip. Simple, cute, and just right.

After a final glance in the mirror, Juliana slipped on her black running shoes and stepped out of the closet. As she made her way toward the stairs, she cast a quick look at the bunk bed, Florian was still fast asleep, undisturbed by the earlier noise.

As she descended to the first floor, the comforting aroma of breakfast filled the air, guiding her toward the kitchen. Mamá stood by the stove, humming softly as she worked, the gentle sizzle of food accompanying her tune. "¡Buenos días, Juliana!" she greeted upon hearing Juliana's footsteps, her voice warm and cheerful as she continued cooking. "Morning," Juliana replied, stretching slightly, the excitement of the day ahead settling in.

Mamá set down the breakfast she was working on and turned to face her uniform-clad daughter, her eyes lighting up with delight. "Oh! You're already dressed and everything!" she said, warmth in her voice as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel before walking over. Without hesitation, she pulled Juliana into a big, affectionate hug.

Juliana smiled and hugged her back, feeling the familiar comfort of her mother's embrace. After a moment, she loosened her hold and stepped back slightly. "Well, yeah! I'm really excited for today!" she said, her energy bubbling over.

Mamá's smile grew wider as she reminisced about her own past. "I remember feeling the exact same way on my first day at Tiempa Academy," she said with a wistful chuckle. Then, shaking her head to bring herself back to the present, she asked, "Is your hermano up yet?"

Juliana glanced toward the stairs, then shook her head. "Nope. Still fast asleep," she said with a small smirk. Mamá let out a soft chuckle, unsurprised. "Figures. Florian always did like to take his time waking up." She turned back to the stove, giving the eggs a gentle stir. "Well, breakfast will be ready soon. Go wake him up, mija. We don't want him rushing at the last minute."

Juliana let out a playful sigh but nodded. "Alright, alright. I'll get him up," she said before turning and heading back upstairs. Her footsteps were light as she entered their room and approached the bunk bed. She looked over her still-sleeping twin, a mischievous grin forming on her face as she nudged his shoulder. "Flori, wake up! Come on, y'know you want to!" she coaxed, drawing out her words in a teasing tone.

He stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent before shifting away from her. "Five more minutes..." he muttered, his voice thick with sleep as he turned to face the wall. Unfortunately for Florian, she was more than prepared for this exact scenario, since this was a common occurrence on Mondays during the School Year. With a dramatic sigh, she crossed her arms and said, "Fine. You leave me with no other opción."

Before he could process the warning, Juliana grabbed hold of him and, with little effort, dragged him out of bed. Florian yelped as he hit the floor, his blanket still wrapped around him, almost like a cocoon. "Julie..." he groaned, cracking his eyes open. "You don't have to do that every time..."

"Maybe, maybe not," She said with a grin, hands on her hips. "But hey, it worked, didn't it?" Without waiting for a response, she grabbed his wrist and tugged him up. "Come on, remember yesterday?"

Florian let out a sleepy "Yeah," before his eyes suddenly widened. "Wait... it wasn't a dream?!"

She smirked. "Nope! Now, Mamá's making breakfast, so you'd probably wanna get ready, unless you wanna start our first day starving!" Florian blinked a few times, still trying to process the fact that yesterday had truly happened and it wasn't just some dream. Then, a surge of excitement flooded through him, snapping him fully awake. "Right! First day at the prestigious Tiempa Academy!" He scrambled to his feet, tripping over his blanket in the process.

Juliana chuckled, shaking her head. "Okay, maybe dial it back a bit, but I like the enthusiasm!" she teased. "Now hurry up and get ready, Slaking. I'll be downstairs!"

Once she left, Florian stretched with a big yawn, rubbing his eyes to chase away the last traces of sleep. His gaze drifted to the neatly folded Tiempa Academy uniforms on his desk. The violet color of the male uniforms was a stark contrast to the scarlet of the female uniforms, and his excitement grew as he slipped into the closet to change out of his comfy cerulean pajamas and into the official uniform.

As her brother put on his uniform, Juliana made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, immediately greeted by the warm aroma of freshly cooked eggs and toasted bread. Mamá had just finished preparing breakfast, setting down two plates on the table. The sight made Juliana's stomach growl.

"Looks delicious, Mamá!" she said eagerly, already sliding into her seat.

Mamá chuckled as she poured juice into two glasses. "I figured you two could use a little extra energy today, since it's your first day at Tiempa Academy." A proud smile spread across her face, the words alone filled her with warmth.

Juliana was already digging into her eggs when she grinned. "Well, you figured right!"

She paused mid-bite at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Glancing back, she saw Florian making his way down, now dressed in his Summer Uniform. It was nearly identical to hers, but with a few key differences; his shirt was a light gray instead of white, his violet shorts lacked the striped pattern hers had, and his matching violet tie was still slightly askew as he fumbled with it on his way to the table.

Once his tie was finally adjusted to his liking, Florian slid into the seat beside Juliana, suppressing a small yawn. "Morning," he mumbled sleepily.

Mamá smiled as she placed his glass of juice down. "Buenos días, mijo. Just in time."

"Thanks, Mamá," he said softly, his eyes drifting to the plate of food waiting for him. The sight alone was enough to make his stomach growl. Wasting no time, he picked up his fork and started eating, while Juliana, already nearly finished with her eggs, took a sip of her juice, clearly savoring the moment.

Mamá smiled at the sight before turning to prepare her own breakfast. Just as she reached for a plate, a thought suddenly struck her. "Oh, right!" She quickly turned back to the twins, tapping the table lightly to get their attention. "After you two went to bed, the school sent me a P-Mail. They said something very important for your first day is supposed to arrive this morning."

"Something very important?" Juliana echoed, intrigued. "Like our Student IDs?"

Florian shook his head. "No, those were in the admissions package." He furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment before turning to Mamá. "You went to Tiempa when you were our age, right?"

Mamá nodded, a fond smile appearing on her face.

"Did you get something 'very important' on your first day?" he asked, hoping for a clue.

She hummed in thought as she returned to preparing her breakfast, sifting through old memories. Then, something clicked. "I think so... wait," she paused, her expression brightening as the memory fully resurfaced. "Yes! I did!"

Juliana leaned forward eagerly. "Well? What was it?"

Mamá chuckled, a playful glint in her eyes. "Now, why would I spoil the surprise?"

Juliana leaned back with an exaggerated sigh. "And now, the suspense of this 'very important' something is crushing me even more..."

As she spoke, a dramatic mental image formed in her mind, it depicted herself struggling to lift an enormous sphere labeled "Suspense", much like how Almighty Sinnoh held up Space-Time in the old Hisuian myths.

She was brought back to reality by the sound of the doorbell.

"That must be this 'very important' something," Mamá mused, setting down her utensils. She was just about to get up when Juliana suddenly scarfed down the rest of her breakfast at an almost impossible speed.

"I'll get it!" she declared, already dashing toward the door. Her excitement was obvious, not just in her voice but in the rapid, eager rhythm of her footsteps. She swung the door open and was met with a man she recognized, someone she had seen before in a Tiempa Academy ad she and Florian had watched a while ago.

He appeared to be in his mid-to-late fifties, but there was nothing frail about him. His neatly combed silver-white hair and well-groomed goatee gave him a distinguished look, complemented by a pair of sleek white glasses. He wore a black shirt beneath a striking viridian blazer, paired with crisp white trousers and matching shoes, completing his polished appearance, with a belt adorned with six white and red Premier Balls adding a distinctive touch to his attire.

"Miss Juliana Ohmori, I presume?" His voice was calm yet authoritative, carrying the weight of experience. He gave a polite nod before continuing, "I am the director of Tiempa Academy. You may call me Mr. Clavell." His sharp eyes studied her with a glimmer of amusement as if he could already sense the energy bubbling beneath her surprised expression. "If I'm not intruding, may I come in?"

Juliana blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Although she recognized him at first glance, she didn't realize he was the director. Before she could gather her thoughts to respond, Mamá spoke up warmly, "Why, of course!"

Meanwhile, Florian, who had been finishing his breakfast, immediately straightened his posture. If the director of his school was standing in their doorway, the last thing he wanted was to make a bad impression.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Clavell," Mamá said as Juliana backed up to give Clavell space to come in.

"I believe the pleasure is mine," Clavell replied smoothly as he entered. His tone remained composed, but there was a hint of formality in his words. "As the director, I am responsible for the entire academy, including any failures on its part..." He then lifted a finely crafted bag, colored a soft blue, and presented it to them. "With me are the enrollment documents that should have been delivered to you last night."

He handed the bag over to her, while Juliana, inwardly deflating, thought to herself, "Oh... That was the 'very important' something? Just some documents?" Her excitement fizzled for a moment, but she stayed quiet as Mamá spoke.

"Goodness, you really didn't have to go through the trouble," she said, glancing at the bag. "Since you've come all this way, can I at least offer you a cup of tea?"

Clavell gave a small, polite smile at the offer. "Ah, no need to trouble yourself..."

"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all," Mamá insisted with a warm smile before turning her attention to her daughter. "Hija, I have a few things to discuss with the director. Why don't you and Florian head back upstairs and finish getting ready? I noticed neither of you are wearing your hats or backpacks."

Juliana blinked before letting out a small laugh. "Oh, yeah!" She had completely forgotten, and so had Florian, which was surprising since he was usually better at remembering these things. "Thanks for the reminder, Mamá!" she said with a grin as Florian pushed back his chair and got up from the table.

As Juliana turned to leave, Mamá leaned down and whispered, "And remind him to put on his shoes."

Juliana stifled a chuckle and gave a quick nod before she turned towards the staircase and started to climb them, with Florian closely behind.

"Now, Mr. Clavell, you simply must join me for a cuppa. This way..." Mamá's voice carried warmly through the house.

"Well, how can I refuse such a kind offer?" Clavell mused, his tone polite yet amused as he followed her.

The twins listened as their footsteps grew quieter, fading into another room. With a small shrug, Juliana turned to her brother. "C'mon, let's get our stuff before Mamá finds something else we forgot."

He gave a small nod before they re-entered their room, both darting toward their respective desks. There, waiting neatly, were the last items they needed for school—their hats and backpacks.

Their hats were nearly identical, offering some light protection from the sun and weather, though their colors set them apart. Juliana's was white with blue accents, while Florian's was dark gray with white. The same went for their backpacks, Juliana's was sleek black, while Florian's was a warm light brown. Both bore the Tiempa Academy insignia, marking them as students of the prestigious school. Without hesitation, they slipped on their backpacks and firmly set their hats atop their heads.

Juliana was just about to head downstairs when she heard her brother's hesitant voice.

"How d-do I look?"

She turned back, taking a moment to properly look him over. A smile spread across her face before she casually threw an arm around his shoulders. "Honestly? You look good! Kind of adorkable, in a way."

Before he could react, she grinned and playfully booped his nose. "Boop!"

Florian blinked, then let out a small, shy smile, shaking his head. "Julie..."

"C'mon, let's go before we keep Mamá and Mr. Clavell waiting too long," She said, turning toward the door. But just as she took a step, something clicked in her mind. "Oh yeah! You might wanna put on some shoes."

Florian blinked, then glanced down at his sock-covered feet. Right... he'd completely forgotten... Again. With a small sigh, because, really, this was just typical at this point, he quickly slipped on his light brown running shoes and followed his sister downstairs.

As the twins descended the stairs, fragments of Mamá and Mr. Clavell's conversation reached their ears, the muffled words growing clearer with each step. Juliana reached the bottom first, with Florian right behind her. Stepping into the living room, they found the two adults seated on the couch, each holding a steaming cup of tea. Their conversation paused as they noticed the twins approaching, and they set their cups down on the coasters atop the table before standing up.

"Oh, just look at you two! All ready for your big first day!" Mamá beamed, clasping her hands together with pride. "I still find it hard to believe, but my son and daughter are about to attend the most prestigious school across three regions!" She gushed, before suddenly remembering that the very director of said school was standing beside her.

Mr. Clavell gave an approving nod. "Yes, the uniforms of our storied academy suit you both quite well indeed, Miss Juliana and Master Florian."

Just as he finished speaking, his expression shifted as if a thought had suddenly struck him. "Oh, gracious. How very careless of me," he murmured under his breath before addressing them once more. "I had entirely forgotten that I have something else for you both, something most important. However, your living room is hardly the place for it. Would you care to follow me outside?"

Before anyone could ask him anything further, Mr. Clavell had already turned on his heel and made his way to the front door, opening it and stepping outside without another word.

Juliana and Florian exchanged curious glances before Mamá chuckled. "I might have an idea of what this 'very important' something is... But let's follow the director out and see, shall we?"

The twins responded almost in perfect unison, their voices overlapping with amused eagerness. "Do you even need to ask?"

Florian was the first to step outside, with Juliana right behind him. As they joined Mr. Clavell on the front walkway, he gave them a small nod before reaching into his pocket.

"Right then," he said, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation. The twins watched him closely, their attention sharp, almost as if they had Keen Eye as their ability.

"Time to come out of your Poké Balls."

With a practiced motion, he tossed three red-and-white spheres into the air, each one bursting open with a brilliant flash of light.

"No way!" was the thought that went through their minds as their eyes widened in disbelief as three small creatures emerged from the fading flashes of light.

"We provide each student entering the academy a Pokémon of their own." Clavell explained. "I'll ask that you both choose which one of these three you'd like to have as your partner."

He gestured to the first Pokémon on the left, a small feline covered in pale green fur, with darker green leaf-like markings around its pink eyes and nose, and a matching tuft of fur on its chest. "This is Sprigatito, the Grass Cat Pokémon." As if on cue, Sprigatito licked its paw before giving a gentle scratch, letting out a soft, soothing purr.

He then gestured to the second Pokémon in the center, a small, bipedal crocodilian with a round, red body and stubby hind legs. Its face and belly were a pale, pasty white, while square-shaped yellow scales dotted its stomach, back, and tail. Two bright yellow, flame-like tufts flickered atop its head. "This one is Fuecoco, the Fire Croc Pokémon." Much like with Spirgatito, Fuecoco let out a lazy yawn as if on cue, briefly revealing its three teeth.

Finally, he gestured to the third Pokémon on the right, a small, white-feathered avian with a yellow beak, blue eyes, and cyan webbed feet. A large, cyan, coif-like crest covered its head, featuring a feathery tuft in the front with a wavy white line. "And this is Quaxly, the Duckling Pokémon." Just then, Quaxly's crest fluffed out into a messy, unkempt state, prompting it to swiftly smooth it back into place with its wings before letting out a small, dignified quack.

Juliana watched with barely contained excitement, her smile was contagious, and her eyes were metaphorically sparkling. She glanced over at Florian, who was even more mesmerized. His eyes actually sparkled with wonder, and a soft "aww" had escaped his lips. All three were incredible in their own unique ways, but his eyes were focusing on one in particular.

"They're all very good company." Clavell remarked, his tone fond. "Why, they usually refuse to even leave my side. My wife insists she has some rather fierce competition."

The twins laughed at the amusing mental image Clavell's words conjured, but their laughter trailed off as the three small Pokémon turned their attention toward them. With wide, curious eyes, the trio approached, their tiny steps filled with eager fascination.

This unexpected shift surprised Clavell, who raised a brow. "What's this? It seems that they're more interested in you two than familiar old me."

Juliana's smile stretched even wider as she eagerly knelt down, her excitement bubbling over. "Hiii!" she cooed, reaching out to gently rub Sprigatito's head. The Grass Cat Pokémon let out a delighted purr, leaning into her touch with half-lidded eyes. Just as she was about to speak again, Quaxly waddled over, rubbing its feathery head affectionately against her arm. She giggled in response.

Meanwhile, Florian had crouched down to meet Fuecoco's gaze. With a soft chuckle, he reached out and carefully rubbed under its jaw. Fuecoco's eyes fluttered shut as it let out a pleased rumble, its mouth curling into a goofy, contented grin. Seeing the Pokémon's obvious joy, Florian's own smile grew, his earlier nerves melting away as he continued to gently scratch beneath its chin.

Clavell observed the budding bonds between the twins and the Pokémon with a satisfied nod. "I'm glad to see you're all becoming fast friends," he said, his voice warm with approval. However, a slight frown crossed his face as he glanced at the time. "I do wish I could stay to see which of them you choose, but I must be off to my next home visit." He turned slightly, looking toward the only other house in Cabo Poco. "I'll be just over there. Take your time with your decision, and when you've made up your minds, come find me." His gaze returned to them, his expression serious but encouraging. "Remember, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly will be your partners for a very long time. So, as I've already said, choose carefully."

As Clavell stepped away, the weight of the decision fully settled in, and Florian let out a nervous half-laugh. "O-Okay..." he murmured, suddenly feeling the pressure.

Fuecoco gave his hand an affectionate nuzzle before scurrying over to Juliana, chirping excitedly. At the same time, Sprigatito, who had been comfortably nestled in her arms, suddenly leaped down and trotted over to Florian, sniffing his hand curiously before letting out a soft meow. A smile tugged at Florian's lips as he gently scooped up the Grass Cat, feeling its soft fur against his skin.

Juliana, grinning, knelt down and gathered both Fuecoco and Quaxly into her arms, laughing as the Fire Croc wiggled happily while Quaxly quacked in mild protest at being jostled. "Well," she said, looking over at Florian with a spark of excitement in her eyes. "This just got a whole lot harder."