Tommy would have been content so sleep the night away had someone not begun to pound on his and Justin's dorm room door. Sprawled out on the pullout couch in their room, he poked his head up and was about to ask why Justin hadn't gone to check on the door, only to realize his roommate had already gone off to his early morning classes. He yawned, stretched himself out and groaned as the knocking ceaselessly went on.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" he grumbled, still half-asleep. He crawled off his bed, pushed himself to his feet and walked over to door. He glanced over at Penny's side of the dorm, which was closed tightly with a soft light shining from below. Expecting she fell asleep gaming the night prior, he decided to let her sleep and deal with their intruder on his own. He opened the door and was surprised to find Nemona there waiting for him. He quickly tried to make himself look good as Nemona eagerly greeted him.

"Buenos dias, Tommy" she giggled.

Tommy coughed nervously. "Oh yeah. Morning. Lovely set of-uh-things are-uh...never mind. What time is it?"

"Six in the morning."

Tommy let out a yawn. "Nemona, our first class isn't for another three hours. Why are you waking me up?"

"Ordinarily, I'd let you sleep" she explained. "Trainers need their sleep, after all. But I couldn't today. You see, Director Clavell and La Primera have asked me to gather a welcoming party for the new students coming to school today. You guys came a day early, but we have a few new students coming from a few regions. Kalos and Orre if I'm not mistaken. The Academy still has issues with all the trouble making Team Star is getting up to, so I don't have many people to lean on. All I've got is you, Morgan and their roommate Cole to help out."

Tommy, still too tired to fully comprehend what she was saying, only nodded slowly. "Sure. Whatever. I'll help."

His crush folded her hands excitedly. "Buena! Very good!"

"What time do we have to meet them?"

"They'll be arriving in about 20 minutes" she responded giddily. "Better hurry and get dressed!" Without another word, Nemona sprinted down the hall and out of sight.

Tommy rolled his eyes and began to stretch his body out before going back inside to throw together his school uniform. He unfurled the curtains to see what the weather looked like outside, spying how bright and warm the sun was, prompting him to put on his Spring Uniform. Not taking any time to check out his appearance beyond simply giving a passing glance at the mirror in his and Justin's bathroom, he made to run out towards the doorway.

He spied a very dim light coming from Penny's side of their Deluxe Dorm and was tempted to wish her a good morning, but decided against it, knowing he had an obligation to Nemona. He raced out the door and down the still sleepy halls of Uva Academy, doing his best not to wake anyone up with his running. He hoped to find Nemona somewhere in the entrance hall, but instead only found Morgan and another young man standing there. While the boy turned around to greet him, Tommy noticed Morgan was doing all in her power to not make eye contact with him, as if nervous to even be around him.

"Morning" Tommy spoke up as he came to a skidding halt.

"You must be Tommy Queensbury" the boy chimed politely. "I'm Cole."

"Nice to meet ya. Did you sleep well, Morgan?" Morgan, who had seemingly not heard his question, looked nervously from Cole to the situation that was likely to unfold in front of them. He then rolled his eyes. I don't think I'll ever understand girls. At least girls like Morgan. He returned his attention to the boy he'd just met. "So Cole, are you new to the school too? I don't remember Nemona saying anything about you."

The boy nodded. "Yep. I'm thankful La Primera has given me the opportunity to attend a school like this. Never thought I'd be able to."

Tommy gave him a thumbs up. "Cool. And we're all going to be in the same classes, right?"

"I guess so."

"Me too!" Morgan suddenly chirped into their conversation.

This caused both boys to jump. "What?!" Cole cried out.

Morgan, her face beet red, quickly turned away. "Uh, never mind. I was just-never mind."

"Is she alright?" Cole asked Tommy. "Is she not a morning person or something?"

Tommy chuckled. "You can say that. She's also kinda sick." He folded his arms with a defiant smirk on his face. "Shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it Morgan?"

"Bite me!"

Cole seemed eager to comment further, but the conversation ended when Nemona sprinted up to the group from seemingly nowhere. Tommy stood at attention as if he were being lectured by his father or some other authority figure despite them being the same general rank as students at Uva Academy. Cole stood more calmly and wore a faint smile on his face. Tommy noticed Morgan blushing at the sight of Cole's smile, but said nothing. He promised he wouldn't cause any trouble and he intended on keeping that promise. Whether trouble found him along the way was still up in the air.

"Okay, everyone" Nemona exclaimed. "We have a few new students coming from other regions coming today. One from Sinnoh, one from Kalos and one from Orre. They all should be here soon enough."

"Shouldn't a welcoming party to Paldea feature mostly people from Paldea?" Morgan inquired. "It feels odd that Tommy and I are here."

"And where's Addy?" Tommy added. "Not that I care or anything, I just-"

"Addy had a bit of a headache" his fellow Arcanan explained. "She's sleeping it off, but hopes to be ready for the first day."

"Hope she's okay" Cole said nervously. This seemed to slightly irritate Morgan, but she said no more.

Nemona shuffled her feet nervously. "Yeah, well, thanks to those Team Star guys, so few students find it safe to go out of their dorm rooms. You guys were the only ones I could get on short notice. I was going to ask Professor Turo's son, but he seems to be uninterested as well." She shrugged. "Oh well, there loss, right? We get to say hello to the new students as a team!" She spun around and let out a scream of excitement as the Squawkabilly Cabs pulled up with the new students. "Hopefully we have some great future battlers among the group!"

Cole folded his arms. "I wonder what students from other regions could be like."

"Let's see before we judge" Morgan insisted.

Tommy simply watched curiously as the first Squawkabilly Cab opened up, revealing a young woman whom Tommy recognized almost immediately. It was Felice, the younger sister of Kalos Queen Serena, whom his sister Holly was currently competing against. Felice was a girl roughly Tommy's height with strawberry blonde hair who wore a bright pink bow atop her head. Though he suspected they too were trying to keep their Pokémon Training experiences limited, he decided to pretend they were only meeting Felice for the first time. Morgan echoed these sentiments and simply politely waved to the girl who had been a visitor to Arcana during the last several months of the Pokémon Master Cup.

And from right behind Felice came Serena's boyfriend and the current Kalos Pokémon League Champion, Calem. Tommy was surprised that he was not in Kalos supporting Serena's bid to remain the Contest Queen, wondering if this meant that Jeremy didn't have to accompany his sister and Jasmine to Kalos and simply chose to.

"Hello everyone" Calem called. "The name's Calem. I'm the Kalos Region's Champion. But for now, I'm just watching over little Felice here." He put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Go on, say hello to everyone."

Felice smiled politely and bowed. "Hello. My name is Felice. It's an honor to meet you."

"Likewise" Nemona cheerfully responded. "Welcome to Paldea." Her attention then turned immediately to peppering Calem with questions about his training prowess and a potential battle between the two of them.

This prompted Morgan to continue the welcoming proceedings without Nemona. "I look forward to attending classes with you, Felice."

Felice, despite showing warmth to the group, seemed like she was locked to Calem's leg and thus the Kalos Region's top trainer excused himself from Nemona's endless barrage of questions, collected Felice's belongings and went with her to find the Dorm Room she would be staying in. Nemona seemed a bit saddened that Calem had next to no interest in battling her, but Tommy elected to cheer her up.

"I'm sure he's just focused on protecting Felice" he assured her. "Give him time. He'll come around."

Nemona smiled. "Thanks, Tommy. That helps." She glanced up at the second cab. "Here comes the second one. From Sinnoh, I suspect." Another girl, this one around Morgan and Addison's age, stepped out of the cab. She had blueish-green colored hair, a slender build and looked like she may have a bit of a chip on her shoulder. In her arms, was nestled a content and happy Shinx, who mewed playfully at the others.

"So this is Paldea, eh?" she asked with little grace.

"Welcome" Nemona responded. "I'm Nemona, President of-"

"The name's Angie" the girl replied briskly. "Not gonna lie, Miss President, I'm only here because my parents wanted me to either do this or go on a long camping trip with them to search for ancient Hisuian Ruins. I won't cause any trouble."

"Trust me" Cole assured her, "none of us are here to cause trouble, Angie. I'm Cole."

"Charmed" Angie grumbled, "now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get this stuff inside." Angie pulled out a duffle bag of her clothing and supplies, propped up the Shinx in her arms and prepared to follow Calem and Felice into the Academy.

Morgan looked around in confusion. "Uh, Angie. You don't have a chaperone with you?"

Angie shrugged. "They never gave me one."

Nemona sighed. "Director Clavell isn't going to like that. I thought it was a rule they wanted for us to-"

"It's not like it matters" Angie insisted. "I'm only here to spend a few months away from the family ranch in Solaceon Town." The Shinx seemed excited in her arms and let out a Discharge of electrical energy, zapping Angie until she pet the Pokémon to calm her down. "Yeesh, now you're zapping me?" She then hurried inside and away from the awkward small talk that might ensue.

"Sheesh, first a super shy girl and now a rude one?" Morgan snidely remarked.

"I get the feeling you lot are going to be the only normal ones we get here" Nemona added.

"We're about as normal as normal can be" Tommy insisted, though in the back of his head he envisioned all he had gone through back home. And not for the first time, did he feel a bit of phantom pain where the scar on his eye was. His hand reflexively reached up to touch it, but Morgan gently lowered his hand so as to not attract attention to their situation. Tommy looked up to her and nodded sadly.

"It won't be forever" she assured him. "Just be patient for a bit and-"

Tommy was expecting Morgan to continue but realize why she had stopped. A shadow had fallen upon them from the appearance of the final student and their chaperone. Tommy looked to see a tall woman in purple and black robes with pink hair and a thick pair of glasses covering her eyes. Though she wore a welcoming and polite smile, Tommy couldn't help but be intimidated by her and especially by the crystalized ball in her hands that she gently stroked as if it were a divine object. Tommy took a step backwards and bumped into Cole, who seemed equally perturbed by the woman. He glanced up at Morgan, who also seemed to have "off" vibes on her.

At her side stood another young woman, but unlike Angie and Felice, who seemed to have personalities, this one seemed almost lifeless. She had long, flowing blue hair and a pair of Pokémon at her sides, a Plusle and a Minun, but they seemed just as "strange" as their trainer did. Her eyes looked glossy, as if she were either asleep or sick in the head.

"Do forgive poor little Jovi here" the girl's chaperone explained. "I'm afraid I had to place her in a bit of a trance. The poor thing is terrified of flying in an airplane."

"A trance?" Cole nervously asked.

"Naturally. I am not only Pyrite Town's most famous prophetess, but I am possess a divine connection into the minds of not only myself and my Pokémon, but all who seek my counsel." She held out her arms wide as if welcoming them into her little flock. "My name is Fateen. And I am the chaperone chosen for Jovi here. I thank you all for welcoming me into your realm."

Though Morgan, Tommy and Cole all shared the same nervous energy upon meeting this woman, Nemona seemed to chalk it all up to being awkward and delivered her rehearsed welcoming speech. "Welcome to Paldea, Jovi and Fateen! I am Nemona, Class President of Uva Academy! And this is our welcoming committee. Cole, Morgan and Tommy! We wish you both, BIENVENIDAS!"

"I don't know which I'm more put off by" Morgan admitted to Tommy, "the psychic woman or Nemona completely ignoring her."

"How are you put off if you've been working so closely with Addy and that old lady?!"

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Show some respect for Countess Rosemary, Tommy, or I will smack you into the water fountain!"

Cole looked at Jovi in concern. "Is she going to be alright?"

"But of course, young man" Fateen insisted. "For as you'll see..." She waved her hand over the crystal ball in her hands. It flashed for a moment and it seemed to trigger Jovi back to life. Her Pokémon also sprung to life at this and began to chirp playfully.

Jovi stretched out her nimble body and let out a soft yawn before glancing around at her surroundings. "Did I sleep all the way from Orre, Fateen?"

"You did, my dear. As did your Pokémon."

She scooped up the Pokémon and smiled at the group. "Hi everyone. The name's Jovi. My brother saved the Orre Region a long time ago." She proceeded to wave to or shake hands with the welcoming party, as if the entire time she'd been comatose was nothing more than a dream.

"You mean Wes?" Tommy asked, before Morgan stomped on his foot, reminding him quite harshly of their need to keep their knowledge secretive.

Jovi shook her head. "Nope. Not him. My brother is-"

"Ahem" Fateen interjected. "My dear. We really ought to get to your dormitory room before classes commence, yes?" She gently patted Jovi, who raced forward with her playful team of Electric Pokémon tagging alongside her.

Fateen nodded courteously to the welcoming party and walked slowly after her. Tommy glanced up at her, but she seemed only interested in Cole, as she stared at him before closing her eyes and continuing after her charge. The crystal ball in her hands flashed for a moment before she put the ball into her long violet robes. Tommy cocked his head in confusion at the cavalcade of new arrivals from other regions.

"We really are the normal people here" he said in surprise.

"In our own twisted way" Cole added.

"So that woman has similar power to what Addison has?" Morgan wondered aloud. "I didn't think anyone else besides her or the Countess had that."

"Power? What do you mean Addy has power?"

Tommy shot a look at Morgan before jumping to the defense. "Uh, it's just a saying we have back in Arcana. She has power. you know?" When Cole seemed to buy what he was saying, he leaned back at Morgan. "What happened to keeping it between us, genius?!" he whispered grumpily.

Morgan smiled with a tinge of embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Well," Nemona remarked, "I think we've got enough time to go get some breakfast in town before our first classes. Anyone in?"

Tommy, knowing this as a chance he could get closer to Nemona, leaped at the chance she'd given him. "How about we go together?"

Nemona smiled. "Glad to see someone's interested. Morgan? Cole? Would you care to join us?"

Cole shook his head. "No thanks. I've got to check on some things back in my Dorm Room. But I'll meet you guys in class." He turned to leave, but Morgan leaped in front of him. "Uh, Morgan?"

"You don't want to spend time with us?" she asked him, almost offended that Cole would even consider going off on his own.

"I wish I could, but I need to talk to Arven before-"

"I think Arven can wait a little bit" she begged. "Besides, as roommates, we should really get an opportunity to get to know each other more." Tommy glanced downward and noticed Morgan's hand twitching at her side, as if she was eager to reach over and take hold of Cole's.

Cole frowned. "You don't understand. He may be the only one who can help me." He made to gently brush her aside, but Morgan finally found that inner courage she'd apparently been lacking and grabbed his arm. He was yanked backwards as Morgan looked over to Nemona and smiled. He seemed eager to insist his position but did not seemingly have the inner strength to pull away from Morgan's grip.

"We'll all join you" she told the Class President. "I'll even have Addy join us before class starts. Friends like us should hang out more often, right?"

Tommy shrugged. "I'm game. Maybe I can ask Justin or Penny if-"

"I think the STEM Classes are all started already" Nemona informed her friend. "The super smart classes all start up a bit earlier and end a bit earlier."

"Oh."

"Maybe she can join us another time" Morgan assured him. "Until then, we should get down to grab a bite to eat and wait for Addy to come along." She pulled Cole to her side and let out a playful giggle. "Lead the way, Nemona!"

Nemona nodded. "Sure thing. Follow me, guys."

Tommy watched as their guide raced forward towards one of the restaurants, only for Morgan to continue to lead Cole down the pathway after her. "Morgan, uh, you know I can walk by myself, right?" He seemed eager for Morgan to release him, but Tommy could tell that not only did Cole not have enough conviction in his voice to stop her, but Morgan's crush on Cole would also not allow her to comply with his request.

"Cole, wouldn't you like to escort me, though? It's very gentlemanly to, you know." She pulled him even closer to her, with one arm wrapping around his and her hand squeezing his playfully.

"I mean, I guess I can, but you should-"

"Good luck, Cole" Tommy smirked. "Once Morgan gets her claws in someone, she never lets go." He took off ahead to avoid any back talk from Morgan and see if he could have a shot at wooing his own crush with far less cringe than Morgan had.

{}

With things in Arcana calming for the long term (at least they hoped so), Julia found herself able to rehabilitate on her own pace, as well as slowly reengaging with her scientific studies, which she had been neglecting since returning to Arcana following the passing of Lady Bonnie. So many people had needed her intellect, her courage and her passion, which had cost her some of her own time. But she would gladly have traded that time again if necessary, as she had not only strengthened her emotional bonds with people but had also helped save the world from the forces of darkness. Now, with those forces repelled for good, it may be time for her to continue her own pursuits.

And so, while her beloved twins Sora and Celina napped in their cribs beside her and Michael's own bed, she had her laptop on her to begin yet another research paper of her own. While she had initially wanted to study all she could about Paldea, with that region still blocking itself off from the outside world, she had little choice but to begin research on other potential legends and Pokémon of other regions. There was a small mountainous region known as Kitakami, which lied to the east of the Unova Region that might merit further research. Then, there was the vast Crown Tundra n Galar that her old friend Sonia had been doing her own research in since before the Master Cup had taken place. Perhaps, as with all legends of Pokémon and the vast world around them, there could be parts of the world yet undiscovered. Regions and realms no one from their world had yet explored. This enticed her far more than anyone else's discoveries might have. She had to assume Amanda, in her intellectual pursuits in Paldea, would discover all that was possible to find. Why couldn't she make her own discoveries?

Well, I can't talk about things without doing my own studies, she told herself as she logged into her laptop. I'll start by combing through any unexplainable discoveries out there.

She entered the old scientific database she'd been a part of since apprenticing underneath her Abuela, Professor Maria Pines as well as Professor Rowan in Sinnoh. A few simple keystrokes would get her into what might be her first intellectual pursuit since giving birth to her son James. The first studies were of little concern to her. Dynamaxing, Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions had been a staple of their world for at least a decade or so. Then there were the rumored reasonings behind various regional forms of Pokémon, such as why a Meowth from Galar and a Meowth from Alola were so different yet came from the same evolutionary branch. This didn't intrigue her much either, as Professor Kikui had long since delved into the topic ages prior.

What did pique her interest was the sudden outburst of ancient Pokémon that had seemingly vanished throughout time. Lately, Pokémon from Sinnoh's most ancient past had begun to resurface as if they hadn't gone missing for centuries. Back when the region was known by locals as Hisui, Pokémon roamed far and wide, terrifying many people into small villages, until a group of brave Pokémon Trainers set out to learn all they could. One trainer in particular was said to have even met Arceus themself, though Julia doubted the merit of it all. And yet, she could not deny with her own eyes some of the things popping up. An evolution of Stantler, a very peculiar looking Arcanine and a Pokémon that was said to be causing problems with the lunar cycles, which upon initial glances seemed to resemble the Ursaring family.

She had expected Cynthia to jump back into her own research upon leaving after the Master Cup ended, but Cynthia instead told her and Michael as they parted ways that she would spend the next several months "finding herself". When she inquired further, her old friend and the godmother of her precious daughter Celina simply smiled sadly and hugged her, promising to return when she's sure of herself again. She had wished the King and Queen their best and left with Dawn and Lucas back to Sinnoh. Knowing how vulnerable she had been since Cameron gave up her life to save Cynthia's, Julia only prayed her friend found the inner peace they all were trying to.

"Hang on a sec" Julia told herself as she stopped, with her mouse highlighting the article about the strange looking Ursaring looking Pokémon. "Lunar cycles? Could this Pokémon be linked to the Crimson Moon?" She clicked upon the article and found it missing a great deal of information with regards to this Pokémon. Even the picture, which someone had taken most recently near some dark forest in Kitakami, was blurry and didn't have full clarity. "Ursaluna, eh? Well, we might benefit in getting into contact with this Perrin girl to see if she has any more information about this Bloodmoon Beast." She paused as her mouse hung over the contact information for the girl in the article. "Then again, maybe I don't want to know if this has any connection to the Fury." She had nearly lost her husband to the power of the Crimson Moon, after all. And with the next scheduled one taking place in about a decade, she was in no rush to relive that nightmare again.

"On the other hand, it could warrant further research" she said aloud. "Let's at least send an inquiry to this photographer to see if we may send someone out to Kitakami with her." Once she had composed an eloquent and polite email to dispatch, Julia sent it out and prepared to read the article in more detail. Before she could, however, she received an unexpected video call request from Galar. She clicked on the feed and, to her surprise, Sonia and Leon were both there standing in front of Sonia's web camera.

"Well, well" Sonia replied teasingly. "Did we catch the Queen in bed?"

"Hope it's not a bad time, Queen Julia" Leon added respectfully.

Julia shook her head contently. "No. I've been bedridden for a while since the twins were born, so I'm taking things easy. Actually doing some research on some Hisuian Pokémon as we speak. How have you two been holding up?"

"Hanging in there, I guess" Leon replied with a laugh. "Not easy knowing I ran into a second trainer I can't defeat. But make sure Annette knows I'll be coming back for my title of World's Strongest Trainer soon enough. When we host the next Master Cup in Wyndon, she'll see how strong I am with my own homefield advantage."

"I'm sure Annette will look forward to it, Leon. But for now, with all the chaos in the world taken care of, I think we should all take things easy for a bit."

"For once, I think I could use a break" Galar's Champion admitted.

"I've been saying you should for years" Sonia lamented. "But you never wanted to listen to me." She looked up to Julia via the camera. "But at least he'll listen now. They've got him working some cushy new League President job. With the Galar Pokémon League taking a break for a while, he gets to enjoy the glories of paperwork and research. I've even got his little brother out doing field work for me on the Isle of Armor."

"Glad to know some people know how to handle things at a slower pace" Julia joked. "Especially Lee and his brother."

"But that's not the only thing that's going on here" Leon grinned, nudging Sonia playfully. "Go on. Show her."

Julia cocked her head in confusion. "Show me what?"

Sonia sighed. "Just because your brother found out, now you want me to tell the entire world?!"

"If you don't, Hop will" Leon warned her. "Besides, of all the people we could tell first, Julia and Michael will probably be the best."

Sonia rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing I've learned to put up with you." She lifted up her hand towards the camera. Julia was quick to notice the ring upon her previously openly "focused on her studies" friend's finger. That ring was certainly not one a friend would give another friend. At least, platonic ones. This made Julia realize that Sonia and Leon had been about as stealthy as possible in their secret relationship up to this point.

Her eyes went wide, but instead of anger or shock at this revelation, she was delighted. "Oh my gosh! Congratulations!"

Sonia shrugged. "I can honestly say I wasn't expecting it. Truly. He kinda caught me off guard with that declaration and proposal. So, I guess you can say I'll be Galar's Queen myself. Hehehe."

"I'm so happy for you two" Julia gushed. "Leon, what made you do this?"

Leon grinned. "After I lost to Annette, I had to do some thinking about my life. Trust me, for a battle first and ask questions later guy, that wasn't easy. I'd always wanted to be invincible. The best trainer the world had ever seen. Your husband was always the wall I couldn't beat, but to find another trainer so gifted, I had to ask if this was all I truly wanted in life. Before we set off back to Galar, though, I had a chat with another champion Annette beat in Christopher. I'd asked him how he got over his own failures and he told me it was because of what he had waiting for him at home most days. I didn't know what he meant until I remembered how he married your cousin, Piper. Made me realize the best treasure might not always be the throne you sit on, but the people that helped you get that far." He put his arm around Sonia, prompting her face to go as red as her long crimson hair. "The rest of it was easy from there."

"Why didn't you say anything, Sonia?" Julia asked her friend.

Sonia looked over to Leon and then back at her friend. "You don't know what it's like to be in a relationship with someone who's as flakey as Leon. He can say he wanted something, but then would flip at the drop of a hat to something else. Leon may be a brave, handsome and strong hero, but he isn't the romantic you plucked up, Jules. I didn't think we'd last long enough for this day to come. Guess you could say I was off by a bit on this one."

"Way off" Leon chuckled.

"So when were you guys thinking of marrying?" Arcana's Queen inquired.

"Sonia wants a winter wedding. Which confuses me, because she always hated cold weather."

"It doesn't mean that I don't find with winter weather beautiful" his fiancé replied. "The crystalized icicles on the trees, the rich light glistening from the heavens, it's so romantic. Of course, I don't mean we should marry at the Crown Tundra or something. Probably a nice wedding in Circhester. On one of the ice slopes or something."

"A winter wedding sounds fun" Julia added. "Once you send out invitations, you can count on Michael and I being there." She glanced towards the door. As if he had been waiting outside, Michael walked into the room, albeit slowly and more methodically than he used to, as he made to grab a few belongings from his wardrobe before he began his rehab with Jenna for the day. "Mikey! Come on over! I've got Leon and Sonia on the line."

Michael glanced over in surprise. "Oh, hey guys. Long time."

"Mike" Leon laughed, "I was there a week ago."

"It's not my fault you and Julia didn't keep in touch" Sonia replied jokingly.

"Believe it or not" Michael replied as he slowly made his way over to his wife's side, "we've had a lot going on here in Arcana, Sonia. Wish it were otherwise, but who gets to choose where they go in life." He slowly made his way to sit beside his wife on the bed. Julia made room for her husband and allowed them both to hold the laptop as both couples now had the opportunity to discuss things. "By the way, nice rock on the finger."

"We're having a winter wedding in Circhester" Leon told him. "We'd love it if you guys came. And bring those little ones with you if they can travel. I'd love for them to see Galar."

Julia looked at the cribs containing her twins, who were napping away their troubles. "I don't think Sora and Celina will be ready for that, but I think our other three will." She then returned her attention to her friends. "James, Arya and Michael will all be happy to see a new region, Arya especially."

"We'll have to keep her away from the Wild Area though" Michael laughed. "Arya will want to pet every Pokémon she sees there. And I'm not the young guy I used to be to catch her everything she'd want." He winced in pain as he tried to get comfortable on the bed, prompting Julia to lean up and kiss him on the cheek.

"It'll just be nice so everyone can let loose for a while" Leon admitted. "I used to want battles every five minutes. But I'm starting to get used to peace. Is it as sign of aging?"

"Could be."

Sonia smiled. "There's also another reason why I want the winter wedding. Long ago, Leon and I met someone who changed our lives forever. In the Crown Tundra, when we were young, he helped both of us grow and mature into the people we are today." She closed her eyes and twirled her hair around in deep thought. "If I ever see him again, I want to thank him. For all he did for us. Setting us up on our paths and all that." She then grinned and rose from her seat to Leon's surprise. "So my objective is to go out into the world and find him, wherever he's hiding and get him to come to our wedding!" She then pecked Leon on the cheek and rushed out the door.

"Uh, Sonia!" Leon cried out.

Julia sighed. "When she's got something on her mind, she sticks to it like glue. Good luck hearing from her for a while, Leon." She paused when she realized both Leon and Michael had strange smiles on their faces. "Did I miss something?"

Michael chuckled. "You weren't kidding when you said she had no idea, Leon."

"To be fair, it's not like Skye is a particularly common name anywhere" Leon replied in kind.

Julia blinked. "Hang on a sec. Skye? Michael, were you-"

Michael nodded. "When I was in exile, I went to Galar in search of a mirror that could let me see my destiny. I wanted to find a cure for what Cassius and Elezar did to me. But instead, I found two kids who were fascinated with me and wouldn't leave me alone, no matter how much I warned them how dangerous my path was." He gestured towards Leon. "I knew him and Sonia long before you did, honey. They knew me as Skye, because knowing I was a Kingston only seemed to cause me trouble until we met again in Agate Village."

"How did Sonia never find out?" Julia asked in astonishment.

Leon shrugged. "Beats me. I guess she held Skye in such high regard she couldn't imagine he'd be someone she knew. I only figured it out because I studied his battles. With Cynthia, with Steven, I watched him and knew it was the same guy I knew back in my younger days. See? Sonia's not the only smart one in our relationship." He glanced over towards where Sonia had run off to. "Well, I'd better get her and admit to it before she goes ham looking for a guy she'd never find in a hundred years." He waved to the two. "Take care. We'll be in touch when we've got the date." He then ended the call.

Julia smiled up at her husband. "You've touched so many people, Michael. In more ways than I think you'll ever know."

"I helped others when I couldn't help myself" he replied sadly.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I wish I'd have been there with you."

"You and everyone who didn't stand with me." He leaned down and kissed her head. "Wish I could stay in this bed with you all day, but I've got rehab with Jenna, a meeting with Annie and some court goon and I promised Arya she'd get a story before bed." He slowly began to move away, but paused when he noticed another Video Chat request coming into his wife's computer. "Huh?"

Julia raised her eyebrow. "Who's this? I don't know anyone from this part of Unova."

Michael's eyes studied the location closely. "Hmmm. Lentimas Town."

"Isn't that that old mountainous town?" Julia wondered. "Why would I be getting a call from there?"

"Don't answer it" Michael warned her. "I think I know who it is. And it's better off if we ignore her for the time being."

"Who would it be?" Julia clicked on the accept. Michael frowned bitterly as the video picture came in clearly. Julia paused when an old, shrunken and bitter woman appeared on the video feed. She had blackish, gray hair, a scrunched in face and wore as cross a look as she'd ever seen any woman have in her life. She wore a handwoven dress and appeared to be from one of the many indigenous peoples who hailed from that most secluded part of the Unovan Region.

"It's about time someone from Arcana answered me!" the woman shrilly snapped.

"Maybe it's because no one from here wants to hear from you" Michael growled.

Julia gasped. "What's going on, Michael?"

"You always were an impetuous little brat, Michael. But now, you'll have to treat me with dignity and respect!" Despite clearly being a shrunken old woman, Julia was surprised with how commanding she spoke towards her husband. "I am the Matriarch now, Michael. And it's time you and your sister returned home to discuss how much that strumpet mother of yours corrupted you. We have to cleanse your souls of the impureness of Arcana."

Michael shook his head and flared his nostrils. "You're the matriarch of what? Five people? Two of which haven't set foot in Lentimas Town in almost twenty years?"

Her face furrowed in more frustration. "You will show the Matriarch of the Skye Family some respect."

"Skye?" Julia gasped, glancing worriedly at her husband.

"In case you haven't noticed, Bleu, Victoria and I aren't Skye. We're Kingstons. Always have been since birth. Dad even accepted it."

"It's unnatural and you know it" Bleu Skye hissed. "I had hoped your father or Leonard could convince you two to return, but it's become increasingly clear that those two were just as corrupted by Arcana as you are." She folded herself up as she stared at the other screen with contempt. "Speaking of which, you have to answer to for what befell your poor cousin. My brother was a lost cause, but Leonard could have been useful to us. And yet you let him go into exile and perish, along with his son and wife."

"He never married his son's mother" Julia corrected the bitter hag.

"They were married in the eyes of the spirits" Bleu snapped back. Then she stared coldly at Julia. "Is that girl even Unovan, Michael? Don't tell me you've tainted the bloodline like my brother did!"

Julia was taken aback by the harshness this woman she'd never met spoke to her with. But Michael took her hand in his to reassure her, his eyes never leaving the screen. "Didn't seem to have an issue with the bloodline being poisoned when Leonard did it."

"You could have married a good girl from our clan" she grumbled. "Or at least that Giselle girl. Anything would beat-"

"The only reason my father left Unova was because our clan is dying, Bleu" Michael responded angrily. "The world is changing, adapting. Moving on without us. My father saw that. That's why he left and came here. You keep clinging to a past you know isn't going to come back anytime soon. It's why there aren't enough of our family out there anymore. Keeping a pure bloodline has only caused the line to shrivel up. Now, who's left? You, Skyla, Molly and Willow? It's time to change, Bleu. Adapt or die!"

Bleu folded her arms and seemed about to explode. "You and your sister are a part of our clan, Michael. Even children you had with that woman beside you are a part of our clan. Leonard's son was a part of our clan, as was he. But you saw fit to light our clan ablaze by sending them to their doom and allowing your father to die in battle. You and Victoria will return to Lentimas Town and answer for yourselves and your actions. The Clan will have its due. Do not make me demand again, Michael!"

Michael shook his head and reached for the laptop. "Sorry, can't hear you!" He then shut the laptop down and placed it on his wife's lap. As their son began to fuss in his crib, Michael rose to attend to their sickly baby boy Sora, leaving Julia in complete shock as to what had just happened. When he saw Julia frozen, he sighed. "I did warn you not to open it."

"Bleu Skye?" she asked.

"My father's sister" he explained to his wife as he brought Sora over to Julia so he could nurse. "And, with my father and his brother dead, the Matriarch of the Skye Clan." He shook his head as he slowly made it out of their bed. "The Skye Family is basically going to end with this generation. Leonard and his son would have been the only ones who can take up the name and with them gone, only females carry the name now. My cousins Skyla and Molly and Bleu's own daughter Willow are all that's left."

"Is that why she's contacting us?"

"Tori and I have her blocked on everything" he continued. "She was a miserable old witch to the both of us whenever we saw her. My only guess is she wants us to return and take up our family name for once. Which is funny, considering Skyla was the only one who was willing to help me when I was in exile. None of the others even batted an eyelash when I was desperate." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. I have no interest in returning to Unova under any circumstances. I am a Kingston. Always have been and always will be. Same with my children." He slowly made his way around towards where Celina slept and stood over his daughter for a moment. "My children will grow up with the kind of love that old bitty never could give anyone."

"Honey..." Julia responded sadly.

Michael looked at her and gave her a smile. "Don't you worry, honey. I don't let it get me down. You take care of your research. I'll make sure Jenna and I make some real progress with my rehab." He blew his wife a kiss. "Take care. I'll be back for dinner." He then made his way for the door and exited.

Julia glanced down at her son, who was nestled in her arm and eager for some milk. She nodded. "Alright, my baby boy. Lunchtime." As she prepared herself for her son's feeding, her thoughts lingered on how angry Bleu's comments had made her beloved husband. Why can't you ever get a chance to smile for a full day, Michael? I never want you to feel like this again. We need our family to stand together for once.

{}

Once he had somehow been able to wrangle himself free of Morgan's grasp for a brief moment after their breakfast, Cole made a mad dash back to Uva Academy in the hopes of finding Arven to speak to him about his parents, but primarily to uphold his promise to Paige. He felt bad for turning aside Morgan, who he could only assume was just super eager to be friends with him, but he needed to complete his task. Perhaps Arven had bumped into Paige during his time outside of the Academy? Or maybe he'd been in contact with Turo or Sada somehow. He wouldn't have any answers to these questions until he got Arven to sit still for a moment and hear him out.

But with what little time he had before the first class would begin all but used up, Cole had yet to find Turo and Sada's son anywhere on school grounds. None of the classrooms, not the cafeteria and not in their shared Deluxe Dorm Room. It was almost as if Arven was intentionally avoiding him, but how could he be if they hardly knew one another. Every time he'd try to strike up a conversation with him, Arven seemed as if he was distracted by something troubling to him. He couldn't begin to imagine what the son of two of the smartest people he knew may be troubled by, but whatever it was seemed serious enough to have him out and about almost completely since they'd even met on the beach beneath the Poco Lighthouse.

Now, his time was used up, and he would have to begin his class schedule. He gathered the supplies La Primera had so generously given him and made his way down towards their first period classroom, where the substitute teacher for Ms. Raifort was slated to being their first semester of school. Director Clavell had mentioned Raifort was a bit of an enigmatic person, so for all he knew, this substitute teacher may be the only one he ever knows. So it would be best to get on the good side of whoever this teacher was and arrive to class on time. The people he'd met since arriving here, apart from Arven, had been so kind and nice to him. The last thing he wanted to do was insult or annoy anyone.

As he made his way down the steps towards the hall their class was in, he was surprised to find Addison slowly making her way down the hall on her own, as students all bounced around excitedly about their first day. "Addy!"

She turned around, as if nursing a bit of a headache and gave him a polite nod. "Cole."

"How are you feeling?" he asked her. "Morgan said you weren't feeling good."

Addison nodded. "I'm fine. Just have had a bit of a headache since I woke up this morning."

"I hope it's nothing serious."

She smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about me, Cole. Once I have a free period, I'll be able to meditate in peace and clear my head. Hey, did you want to walk to class together? I'm still trying to get my bearings straight."

"Sure" Cole replied earnestly. "I'm thankful I found this hall the first try."

"History isn't exactly one of my stronger academic points" she admitted, "but I hope to catch on quickly with our teacher, whoever it ends up being." The two continued walking, almost ignoring all of the kids as they passed them in the halls. Cole could tell there was a lot on Addison's mind she either wasn't willing to or couldn't explain to him. But he knew better than to press the issue. He was simply content to have someone as friendly as her to be a Dorm Mate than anyone else. They were about halfway to where Ms. Raifort's classroom was, when Addison stopped their procession. "This may sound like a strange question to ask, Cole, but do you happen to know someone named Ryan?"

Cole was definitely caught off guard by the question. All his life, he'd known so few people by name. Paige, their old foster mother named Dolores, Turo, Sada, Natalya and Professor Sexton were all he had ever truly known before following the others into the Time Machine. And if Addison was talking about someone from this time, he knew he had definitely no idea who she may be speaking about. "Can't say that I do. Who is he?"

Addison sighed. "It's nothing. Ryan is someone I've been looking for. I was hoping you may have a lead for me."

Cole shrugged. "I'll be on the lookout, though. As long as you promise you'll be on the lookout for the person I've been looking for."

"Who is that?"

"Her name is Paige. She's a friend of mine. We got separated a long time ago and I'm hopeful she's somewhere around here."

"Paige" Addison repeated. "Got it." She playfully giggled. "We're going to get along just fine, Cole."

"I hope so. Speaking of which, Addy, do you know what's up with Morgan? She was being super clingy with me this morning."

His new friend sighed. "Morgan's just a very friendly girl, if you catch my drift. And she's very friendly with boys her age."

Cole gulped. "Oh boy."

"She may back off once she finds out about you and this Paige girl, though."

He quickly waved his hands. "Oh no no no no no! Paige and I are-well, we're kinda-not exactly, uh...it's-"

"It's complicated?"

He heaved a sigh of relief. "Something like that. I mean, she is my best friend and all, but-"

"Believe me, I get you" Addison replied as they continued walking towards class. "Well, if you need help navigating the monsoon of emotions that Morgan can be, I'll be happy to help. She can be a bit-"

"THERE YOU ARE!" a voice shrieked from down the hall. The two stopped and saw Morgan hurrying towards them, only barely managing to skid to a stop before barreling the two over. Once she had calmed herself, she looked to the two in surprise. "I thought we were going to walk to our classes together."

"I've only been up a few minutes" Addy admitted. "I'm thankful I was able to get out of bed with this headache I have."

"Sorry" Cole apologized. "I just don't want to give our teacher a bad impression."

Morgan giggled at Cole's politeness. "Well, just make sure we don't get separated later in the day. We do have all our classes together. Tommy and Nemona already should be in class, so we'd better not keep our teacher waiting."

The trio walked side by side, with Cole nervously glancing over towards Addison for reassurance that Morgan wouldn't pounce on him. She smiled and patted his arm before heading into the classroom first. Cole made to follow her, but Morgan grabbed his hand and pulled him back for a moment. "Huh? Morgan? Is everything okay?"

"Would it be okay if we talked about something?" she inquired, gently pulling him away from the entrance to the classroom. "I need to talk to you about Addy."

"What about her?"

Morgan took a deep breath. "There is literally a mountain of details to go into about it, so much of which I don't think you'd believe if I told you. But the short answer is that Addison and I have been through a lot in the last year or so. A lot of life changing events have unfolded for us and we're not exactly in a perfect situation. Which is why we're here in Paldea in the first place. She is looking for someone very important to her, heck, all of us from Arcana are. As much as I want us all to get along and become friends, finding this person needs to be her priority. Do you understand?"

Cole nodded. "Of course. I'm not here to get in the way of anyone."

"I knew there was something I liked about you" Morgan exclaimed.

"As it happens, I'm looking for someone important to me as well" he added. "And, like you said, I don't think you'd ever believe me if I told you. So, I think we all can help each other by simply being friends and there for one another." He gave Morgan's hand a gentle squeeze. "Do you think we can do that?"

Morgan blushed and nearly swooned. "You had me at your first words." She then quickly let go of Cole and prepared to run inside. "Come on, I'll get us some seats."

Cole sighed. "Girls are complicated wherever and whenever, aren't they?" He gathered up some reserve of inner strength and made his way into the classroom. The first thing his eyes found was the man who was set to be their substitute teacher whilst Ms. Raifort was away on her errands. He froze in shock. The man was large, had a thick grayish beard that covered most of his face and he wore a distinct pair of sunglasses despite being inside. He had his back to Cole as he walked in, but Cole could tell who it was immediately. He was shocked, delighted, relieved and ecstatic at the thought of who would be mentoring him, even if he knew deep down that there was an ulterior motive for him being in Uva Academy.

"Settle down, class" the man called out. "Please, find yourselves a seat so that we can begin. My name is Professor-"

"Professor Sexton!" Cole cried out.

"Yes, I see some of you have heard of me" Sexton added. "I am a bit of a famous educator, you know." He turned to greet the student who had guessed his name, prompting his glasses to almost slide off of the bridge of his nose in shock. "What the-Cole?!"

"I can't believe it!" the boy anxiously yelled. "You're here!"

Professor Sexton, upon seeing the curious looks everyone was giving them, quickly spun around to the other students. "Well, everyone, please find yourselves a seat and we'll get around to our class introduction in a moment." He then ushered Cole outside of the room and back into the hallway. He took a moment to straighten out his glasses before properly addressing him. "Cole, I-this is-how is this even possible?! How are you even here?"

Cole flung himself at the Sexton's robes, hugging him. "I never thought I'd see someone from our time again!"

Sexton sighed. "Well, it's certainly a surprise to see you here, son." He patted Cole's back for a moment before pushing him apart. "How did you get here? The Machine was going haywire when Natalya-"

"Paige and I got sucked in" Cole explained, reaching into his pocket and showing off his half of their shared Tera Crystal. "We had these crystals on us, so I think she's somewhere in this time as well."

Sexton frowned. "Wait, you mean she's not in the school?"

The boy shook his head worriedly. "No. And I haven't seen her since I arrived here."

The Professor took a deep breath. "Going into the Time Machine was foolhardy, Cole. You two could have been obliterated, or worse. I thought Turo and Sada warned you against this. Now, Paige is missing somewhere in Paldea and heaven only knows where Natalya has slithered off to."

"You mean she's not here?"

Sexton shook his head. "I was tracking her upon arriving in this time, but she's been moving quickly since coming here. I lost her trail shortly after arriving in Paldea. She must have been concocting this scheme of hers for some time, so she's been next to impossible to pin down to a single location. I doubt she's even in Paldea at the moment." He frowned deeply. "I failed Turo and Sada in too many ways, first by letting her have access to the machine, then by allowing her to escape after harming them and now you and Paige were caught in this mess as well."

"Well, now that we're here" Cole tried to assure his mentor, "that means we can find Natalya and-"

"Out of the question" the Professor rebuked. "It's bad enough you've gone back in time with us, but I will not jeopardize your safety any further by letting you get involved in this, Cole. Uva Academy is the safest place for you to be at this moment." He took Cole a bit more out of earshot of any potential eavesdropping students. "This is a very dangerous time to be in, Cole. Do you recall the moment in time that Professor Sada informed you those vicious Pokémon from the Past and Future began showing up in droves? When mankind was forced almost entirely into living underground and out of sight of these vicious killing machines?!"

Cole nodded. "Ye-yeah."

"That time is forthcoming" he warned his pupil. "The disaster in The Great Crater that caused the mess of a time we live in is going to happen in the coming weeks, and I have a suspicion that Natalya is eager to be the one who sets these plans in motion." He put his hands on Cole's shoulders. "The only place where people could not be harmed was Uva Academy. The fabled "La Primera" as they call her was the only one strong enough to keep those vicious Pokémon at bay. So long as you are within these walls, you are safe."

Cole shuddered. "You mean, those Pokémon that-" Cole's fingers instinctively went up to the cut he had on the side of his head. Where a massive Pokémon that in the naked eye might have resembled a Donphan had nearly gored him and almost slain his friend Jory. Only Paige and Professor Sada's quick thinking had saved him.

"Those and more" Sexton continued. "Natalya, with her knowledge of future events, is dangerous. More dangerous than you can possibly imagine. Which is why I implore you to not leave Mesagoza under any circumstances, or at least until such a time that I've figured out what she's after. Because someone as dangerous as her can be expected to be up to more than one plot to cause calamity."

"But what about Paige?! We can't leave her out there all on her own."

"Cole, I promise you with every fiber of my being that I will use all resources I can get my hands on to find her. But we have to operate under the assumption that she's currently missing in action. Because I dread to think of what may have truly befallen her. Out there, alone, on her own." He looked to Cole and tried to reassure the boy. "For now, you need to keep your focus on your academics. We'll discuss things more clearly after your classes."

"You want me to come back to see you?"

Sexton nodded. "Son, as much as I'd rather you not have to go through this, there may be some things even I cannot do on my own." He offered a handshake to the boy. "Can I trust you to trust in me?"

Cole affirmed. "Of course, sir."