With Justin's day having wrapped up early and insisting he would spend some time making videos about his first day in Paldea, Lizzie decided she would use the rest of her day to bond with Miraidon. But besides the fact that he was as gluttonous ad he was adorable, she knew so little about what kind of Pokémon he could be, thus prompting her to begin to find out any fact she could about it. With no idea where to start, she elected to seek out Amanda in Uva Academy's extensive library, where she'd been since they all arrived in Paldea a day earlier. It didn't take long to find the massive pile of Paldean books Amanda had stacked for herself on the second floor.

Arcana's future Pokémon Professor hardly noticed her, heavily engrossed in one of the many books in her collection. Once she'd read a passage, she'd jot down notes into her notebook about everything and anything she could comprehend, at an almost superhuman speed. This made it clear that while Julia was just as intellectual as she was beautiful, Amanda might have the edge in terms of the speed with which she could retain basically anything. While Julia would probably be more popular due to being the wife of the former Champion and the Queen of the whole region, Amanda might supersede her mentor as a Professor one day in the near future.

Lizzie sat down beside Amanda and patiently waited for her to acknowledge her. But as the moments passed, it became clear to her that the young acolyte was so immersed in her studies that she had no idea Lizzie was even there.

"Ahem" Lizzie cleared her throat.

Amanda paid her no heed, continuing to jot down notes in her book.

"Amanda?"

Again, Amanda remained focused on her studies, scribbling notes down at speeds Lizzie could not comprehend.

"Amanda?!" she snapped.

Amanda's head finally cocked up in her direction. "Oh, Lizzie. Hi. When did you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago" Lizzie said, unsure just how hyperbolic she was being.

Amanda looked down, admittedly embarrassed. "Sorry. I've just been so excited since we got here. There are dozens of new Pokémon to see. And this whole Terastalizing Pokémon idea is so intriguing. How does a Pokémon's type change? How can one turn a Pokémon like a Lapras for instance into a Dragon type? There is so much to learn and who knows how long we'll be here." She sighed as she put down her most recent book, an old and battered violet-colored book to properly address her friend. "But I guess I've missed out on a bit."

"Fortunately" Lizzie replied, "you have Morgan to look after, and she seems to be taking a shining to the school. It's Tommy we'd all have to worry about."

Amanda smiled. "I guess I should check in on her."

"She's currently in a Language Class, at least according to Billy."

This prompted Amanda to look down in even more shame. "I've neglected him, too, haven't I?"

Lizzie shrugged. "You know I'm not the best when it comes to that. But I think Billy's gonna be a bit too busy today. He got roped into some kind of demonstration with that Geeta woman." She recalled Billy mentioning something to her as they met up just after Tommy's Lunch period. About how he'd been strong armed by someone called "La Primera" into helping with a battle demonstration for the kids. Beyond that, little else mattered to her.

Amanda appeared puzzled for a moment. "Geeta?" She then thought for a moment before realizing who Lizzie was referring to. "Oh, you mean that La Primera. Director Clavell mentioned her to me. And the kids talk about her all the time. I'm sure I'll get to meet her soon enough." She then picked up her book and tried to read some more from it. "Ugh, this copy of the book feels like its gonna fall apart any second. I wish I'd gotten the other one before that kid scooped it up."

Upon further reflection, Lizzie noticed it was a similar looking book to the one Arven had showed her passages from, but his was in much better quality than the one Amanda was left with. "What book is that?"

"It's called The Violet Book. A brilliant scientist named Heath once led an expedition into the mysterious crater in the heart of Paldea. It's a living, breathing document about the history of Paldea, but unfortunately, a lot of the pages seem to be missing from this copy of the book. It's making it hard to jot down all the notes I want to when it jumps randomly from various passages." She quickly wrote a few notes on one of the pages she was looking at before sighing. "Figured. Another bit of damage."

"I imagine the boy who has it will return the book soon" Lizzie assured her. "Besides, I may need your help with something."

Amanda closed the book and glanced up at her. "Me?"

"You are one of the smartest people I know. And I know you're eager to see some actual Paldean Pokémon. Which is why I want to see what you think of a Pokémon I've gotten to know." She glanced around, seeing few in the vicinity who might object to her calling out Miraidon. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she opened up the Poke Ball that Arven had given her and released Miraidon, who let out a confused but happy howl. She was almost bowled over by an extremely excited Amanda who looked Miraidon over.

"OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH OMIGOSH OMIGOSH!" That was all Amanda could seemingly speak at the moment, as she circled the metallic dragon Pokémon like a Mandibuzz would a broken carcass in the desert. She put her hand on its skin, which made Miraidon bark curiously. Her hand wound its way all the way down until nearing its hind legs before she took it off. "This isn't just some kind of local Pokémon. This guy could change literally everything we know about Pokémon. A metallic Dragon Pokémon?!" She glanced down at its legs. "And its legs can transform into wheels as if it were a bicycle?! Is this a cousin of that Cycling Pokémon everyone rides around Mesagoza in?!"

Lizzie shrugged. "No idea."

"What's its name?"

"Miraidon. But don't bother looking it up on the Pokédex. I tried and it doesn't have a page."

Amanda grinned. "You really should get the download of the Paldean Pokédex then. The Director gave me a link to the app. So this one should be easy to identify in no time flat." She opened up her Poké Gear and booted up the app. The app spent several seconds studying Miraidon before coming up with a curious response for the young aspiring Pokémon Professor. "Huh?! Data not found?!"

"Even Paldea doesn't know what Miraidon is?" Lizzie remarked, somewhat astonished. "Then how did Arven know-"

Amanda lowered her Poke Gear and returned her attention to Miraidon. "On initial visual representation, I can deduce that it is a Steel/Dragon Pokémon, similar to Duraladon from the Galar Region or the powerful Guardian of Time, Dialga, in Sinnoh. Then again, its also possible that this metallic plating simply hides a shell of greater power. Electricity perhaps? But I guess I won't know what kind of battling prowess I have until it shows it to us in a battle." She glanced around for a potential opponent but found only them in the area. "I'm not an expert battler, so I guess we'll have to wait until-"

"But that's what I've been trying to talk to you about." Lizzie pointed to her new Pokémon. "He's weak. Like, super lethargic and fatigued. When I fed him a sandwich, he seemed to perk up a bit, but is still drained. I don't know if it was malnourished, though I doubt his previous trainer was capable of doing that. It appeared as if it were a falling star last night and I can only imagine it might have some untapped power it can't or won't show."

Amanda studied its body closely. "Well, I can tell he's not malnourished. Its metallic layers would be fading in color if that were true, as happens with a Duraladon or any other metallic Steel Pokémon. Perhaps it exhausted a great deal of its own power while in flight." Amanda then let her eyes widen even brighter. "Hold on! This guy can fly?!" She looked around for any source of what could perhaps make if fly, going to its feet, which appeared to have futuristic rocket thrusters near the heels of all four paws. "Hovering capabilities? On top of being a bicycle?! Omigosh, this is an amazing discovery. If only Julia could see this."

"How would I get its power back?!" Lizzie begged, hoping Amanda would be less intrigued and more focused.

Amanda gave Miraidon a routine inspection. "Hmm. Difficult to say. It appears to be healthy, but it would also seem completely incapable of reaching its powers as of this moment. I doubt ordinary Medicines like Protein or Calcium would help. Have you tried taking him to a Pokémon Center?"

Lizzie shook her head. "No, but like you said, it doesn't appear to be sick or in pain. It's almost like it's just incapable of doing what it might be able to do."

"Then I'm at a loss for words. I mean, there are Pokémon Specialized Doctors in every region I know, but I wouldn't even begin to imagine where it might be or if they even could unlock this Pokémon's true potential." Amanda pet Miraidon on his neck, prompting him to growl with delight as if he needed to feel some kind of love. "But you are a special little guy all the same, Miraidon. Maybe there is something we're missing, here."

Lizzie thought for a moment, until Arven's words echoed in her mind. Well, anyway, Herba Mystica is an herb with intriguing power behind it. It's the most concentrated amount of a certain kind of taste and unlock the potential of any and all who eat one if it's properly put into a meal. Even humans can become stronger because of it, but it's mostly meant for Pokémon consumption. Is this why Arven was keen to get her to help him figure out the mysteries behind the Herba Mystica? To cure Miraidon of its current power loss? But then why would he be so willing to allow her to look after him in the first place? None of this was adding up and would continue to not add up until she got to speak to Arven again, but figured he would be unavailable until this next time they were set to head off on adventure. The Herba Mystica was her only chance now, especially if Amanda was as confused as she was as to why Miraidon had no power.

"A friend of mine may be able to help" Lizzie admitted. "He is the same one who has the main copy of the Violet Book."

Amanda gasped. "Can you get him to loan me that book?! I promise I'll return it to him if it's useful to him. I just don't want any incomplete notes."

Lizzie nodded. "I don't see why not. It's not like we'll be setting out immediately for where we have to go."

"Go? Go where? You're going off on an adventure?"

"He asked for my help and I plan on helping him, especially if it may help Miraidon."

"What about Justin?!"

"Justin is more than capable of looking after himself for a while. Besides, it's not like the Syndicate is running around here. He'll have you three looking out for him if he runs into any trouble if I'm unavailable." Though it was a bitter pill to swallow, lumping Bridgette in as one of the people to have look after Justin, Miraidon would need her now. Paldea seemed at peace. At least for now. So let Bridgette and Justin become friend...lier. As long as it didn't go further than that. Once Miraidon was taken care of, all her attention could go on making sure she didn't lose another friend to the wiles of Bridgette Duon as she had most of her other guy friends.

Amanda sighed. "Okay. Just be careful out there. This is still a strange world to us. And I don't think any of us have a wide enough leash to let Michael down any more than we might already have."

"Michael has more to worry about back home than he does here" Lizzie assured the young Professor. "That's why the four of us came to watch over the students. It's also why I won't be telling Michael about you neglecting Morgan since we got here so long no one makes him think we're both shirking our duties." She winked, hoping Amanda got the message.

The Professor did not need to be told twice. "Deal. Go have fun. And again, ask Arven if I can borrow that book for a bit." She then resumed looking over her books and left Lizzie and Miraidon to their own devices.

Lizzie looked over to her new Pokémon. "Any ideas?"

Miraidon cocked his head curiously before letting out a low growl.

"Huh, I can't understand what you're saying." Lizzie had taken for granted to this point the gift she was blessed by Arceus the Creator with to be able to understand Pokémon. She'd always felt more comfortable with Pokémon than people, with the exceptions of Mark and Michael, but now she had frequent conversations with many of her Pokémon, even if many of them were far too excitable for their own good like Jazz. But apparently, the gift did not translate down to Miraidon as of the moment. She could not understand his groans or growls, but hoped it would change once he got more of his power back.

Undaunted, she crouched down and gently stroked his neck. "Don't you worry. Once Arven and I find these Herba things he wants to find, we might be able to unlock your inner power again. I'll look after you until then.

Miraidon lowered his head and seemed to let out a soft purr.

{}

After being chastised and dressed down so ruthlessly by Lizzie the previous evening, Bridgette could not find anything but misery enveloping her. She had known her abrupt departure caused problems for people in Arcana, but to have it so laid out before her had crushed her. Lizzie did not hold back in her tirade and only made the surfer reflect on all the mistakes she'd made. Not only in allowing her desires to marry Malcolm destroy their relationship, but by running off after resigning and allowing the pressure of their league positions to crush her friends and family. The pain in putting down Mark was minimal, as she had been spurning his intense infatuation for years, but to have let down Michael, Chris and Cameron was something she could not live with.

Unable to sleep her pain away, Bridgette had asked for the location of the nearest surfing area and went out into the waters near the city of Levincia to clear her head. She felt bad for once again shirking her responsibilities to tend to her own mental health, but knew she was in no shape to look after Addison or educate Justin in the art of being a court gentleman in her state. Once her body touched the warm water, she was able to exhale what felt like a century's worth of stress. And once she dove into the water and felt a rush of coolness slap her face, she finally felt as if she could breathe once more.

I didn't mean to cause so much pain, she said to herself. She loved them all. More than words could possibly express. Michael and Chris were the only family she had left in the world. They'd all been practically raised by Chris's mother and bonded all their lives. Now, with their family torn apart by the ceaseless forces of evil, it was just the three of them. She even, despite the clear levels of anger and mistrust between them, still cared a lot for Mark and Lizzie. And now that she had returned to their lives, she was determined to show it in all ways she could.

Taking up the role of Godmother for the precious little James after Cameron's death was a start, but she still clearly had work cut out for her in garnering the same connections she'd once had with others. Michael and Julia may be over the moon about her return, but she still needed to reinforce the strong bonds with the others.

Once she had waded around a small island for long enough, she climbed out of the sea and walked up to her bag and beach chair, sitting down and taking a deep breath. "I think I know who to start with." Though she and Michael had a special bond, he was not the one she shared blood with. Chris and she, the last two misfits in the Duon Family that had sprouted such proper beings like Jane and her brother Jack, were true family after all. She pulled out her Poké Gear and dialed out to Chris, who was likely currently enjoying his honeymoon with the lovely Contest Queen Piper. She expected to have to leave a message for her cousin but felt a warmth in her heart when he answered and immediately opened a Video Chat.

"Well, well" he responded happily, a look of serendipity on his face to go with an almost flawless tan on his face from all of the rich Alolan Sunlight he was seeing daily. "I figured you'd be up to your neck in sea water the next time I saw you, Bridge."

"Just got out, honestly" she replied. "Figured I'd give the newlywed Leader of the Elite Four a call to see if married life is doing him good."

Chris laughed. "I would have laughed at the idea of marrying a few years back. But my Queen has made me happier than I've been in a good long time."

"Is Piper with you?"

"Nope. She's getting a facial at the Hotel Spa and I'm watching the waves on the beach just outside. The only downside is she's petrified of not fitting her favorite outfits the more pregnant she gets." He sighed. "The glories of being a guy. Or in your case, not having to worry about that."

Bridgette chuckled. "Yeah, child rearing isn't high on my priority list."

"She did ask about you, though" her cousin commented. "Wants you to know she may lean towards Bridgette for a middle name."

"Aw, I'm flattered."

"She's insistent on naming our daughter Ana Maria, not knowing we could very easily have a son we'd be naming Alexander Michael Kingston." Chris sighed as he made himself more comfortable in his chair. "Paldea isn't keeping you too busy, is it?"

"No. Having someone like Addison to look after is simple enough. It gave me some free time this morning." She could not hide her pain a moment longer and frowned. "I asked if Piper was there because I need to talk to you about something. Something important." Ordinarily, she would have expected Chris to give her a joke or a laid back approach of a response, but when she noticed him continue to focus on her intently, she felt herself overcome with emotion. "You really did sprout into a kind of man Jane would be proud to have parented, Chris."

"Mom would have been proud of me if I was a rock salesman" he teased. "But to hear that from someone who was so close to her means a lot, Bridge. What's up?"

Bridgette did her best not to overwhelm herself. "I guess I should start by talking about last night. You see, Lizzie-"

Chris interjected. "So, the little spitfire finally roasted you?"

She blinked. "You knew she would?"

"Bridge, sweetie, she spent two years taking Malcolm to task over resigning from the league. You were smart enough to disappear wherever you went to escape her wrath. Malcolm stayed behind and endured."

"She said things got a little intense after we resigned" Bridgette recalled. "About how all the pressure Michael took on, how fast Cammie had to grow up, how you were becoming a womanizer and-." She looked up at Chris, who now also wore a look of pain on his face. "She was telling the truth, wasn't she?"

Chris gritted his teeth. "I mean...kinda..."

"Chris, I can take it if it was" she assured her cousin. "Please. Be honest with me."

Chris took a deep breath as he sorted through his words. "Malcolm leaving stung, but we all knew why. He always wanted to be an astronaut and Michael didn't want to stand in the way of his dream. He trained Billy up and had him ready to take the position and he was set to finish up his education. But for the life of me, none of us knew why you left. You resigned without a word and just...left. It made us all wonder things. Like, what you hadn't told us or if something went on between you. Or if we'd done something."

Bridgette found tears coming to her eyes. "Chris, honey, of course not. You three never did anything. It was all stuff between Malcolm and me. We both wanted different things and it was taxing us to pretend to be happy." She had only imagined her and her boyfriend's breakup had impacted just them, but it killed her inside to see how much damage it had caused to others.

"It didn't help that you left it all behind" her cousin continued. "It hit us all in different ways. Mark was a basket case, but he'd always been like that with you."

"He's apparently obsessed with girls who are drawn to the ocean" she acknowledged.

"I didn't really pay attention to Liz" he admitted, "but I could imagine her being peeved a bit about it all. For the rest of us though, it felt like we got slugged by a truck."

"I am so sorry Chris" she apologized profusely.

"I won't lie and say I was completely distraught, but I did kinda lean heavily into being a guy who sleeps around. The Heartthrob of the Elite Four hid a lot of what he went through with alcohol and gorgeous women. But in the end, I guess I'd be more thankful you left, as me leaning so heavily into this ultimately got me to look at things more clearly after it all crashed down. So I should be thankful for it, I guess." He lowered his head. "Mike and Cam on the other hand didn't handle it well at all, but you'd never know it with how they acted in person."

"Cammie too?" Bridgette shuddered.

Chris took in a second deep breath. "Cam...Cameron was someone who...I think she always cared a lot about Shannon, but that's all Shannon was to her. 'Shannon'. No matter how close we all got, no matter how much Dad tried to make us all one perfectly large family, Cameron only saw her as Dad's wife. You were more of a mother to her after Mom died than Shannon was."

Bridgette held her hand close to her heart. "I had no idea."

"When you left" Chris recalled, "she basically just went in lock step with what Michael did. And since he enveloped himself in work, so did she. I think it's kinda why Michael ultimately chose to have her be the one who succeeded him instead of me. I would never hold a grudge, though. The old me would have made a terrible Champion. But she basically shadowed him constantly. And it took its toll on all of us, especially after we began the hunt for the Syndicate again."

"Why did you guys go on the hunt for them?"

Chris remained stone faced. "Because of Michael. I...I don't think I'm too hyperbolic in saying that a part of him will always be in love with you."

Bridgette nodded. "I'd imagine as well. We've always been so close." Michael had always had feelings for her, but she figured they were mostly in terms of admiration and respect. To her knowledge, he never once fought with Malcolm over her. The two had so much respect for one another that she could never imagine the two going to blows, especially over her. Plus, his eyes were almost always fixated on Julia.

"Not enough to sway him from Julia" her cousin added, "but enough that you leaving crushed him. And since Malcolm basically helped do so much to fix Arcana after Giselle got beaten, having the both of you leave did a number on him. He was working endlessly. He slept less, he ate less. The only times he wasn't training, or patrolling or doing something to do with his title was when he spent that time at the Ranch with Julia and his Pokémon. In those days, I don't remember hanging out with him once for a six month period. Then, one night, Julia called me in a panic because of a breakdown he'd had. Me and Cam were there in moments and the three of us had to coax him out of the Fury. He told us he wouldn't sleep because he was having night terrors of what Cassius and Elezar had put him through. After we insisted he take a few days off to cool down, he came back and told us that we were going to hunt down every last member of the Syndicate. And we went on the hunt for almost a whole year. Almost all of our time was spent tracking down everyone we knew that had affiliation with them. That day we caught Cassius was the day we all hoped would be the one the old Michael would return." His head sank into despair. "But he never did. He would have worked himself into the grave if Ryan hadn't stepped up when he did."

Bridgette nodded. "I've heard a lot about Ryan. Mainly from Addison and Matthew. But since you worked with him, was he that good?"

"Michael looked after Uncle Robert's sons like they were his own" Chris recalled. "While we all agree Matthew was the one most like Michael, it was Ryan that Michael always wanted to be. A good kid. Always willing to help others, even at his own expense. Someone with no cares in the world but to have the best time imaginable with his friends. Even when all of the world's pressure bearing down on him, Ryan always had that dumb smile on his face." Bridgette could tell Chris was emotional about his younger cousin. "I will never forgive myself for what that kid went through without me being there for him."

"Then I guess you and I have more in common than shared ancestry. I won't forgive myself for what you all went through."

"Eh, I like to think the three of us ended up okay in the end. Not all there mentally or emotionally, but pretty decent people all things considered."

"But I still wasn't there when you all needed me to be" she lamented. "Once I saw Michael and Julia in Kalos, I should have-"

"There would always be the chance we lost you on top of Cam" her cousin countered. "I think we'd have all lost our minds if you both were gone. Not a day goes by where I don't wish Cam was here with us, but she's not. It's why I want to make sure, now that you're back, we can try to regain some kind of normality, however long ago the last time we had it may be."

Bridgette nodded, trying to dry her eyes with a towel. "Ye-yeah. I'd like that."

"That's all I could ask of you. Michael would probably never ask anything of you, but I'm sure he would like you to do whatever he asked you to do there in Paldea. Watch over Addy, mainly." He frowned. "I know what she wants to do. And trust me, nothing would please me more than to bring my cousin into a back breaking hug when they return. But in the event she should fail, just keep her chin up, Bridge. All mankind owes everything to that girl for what she went through. And if anyone deserves a Happily Ever After, its Addison."

"I will. And I'll be mentoring Justin to the best of my ability as well."

"Just do that for us and I think we'll be even" Chris smiled. "Well, its almost time to pick up Piper from her appointment. She wants to try some Alolan Fire Dancing classes with me tonight. Let's see how that turns out."

"I'll leave you to it, Chris. Love you."

"Back at ya, Cuz." With that, Chris ended the call.

Bridgette lowered her Poké Gear and reclined on her chair, feeling as if the pressure that crushed her chest was finally being lifted. Even now, despite how much they both endured, Chris and Michael loved her and idolized her just as much as they did when they were boys. And once this special mission in Paldea was concluded, she would show them just how much she meant to the both of them.

"But first" she told herself, rising to her feet and allowing the sands to tickle her toes, "we've got to see how Addy is doing."

{}

Upon waking up earlier in the morning, Billy was not surprised to see a care package left for him in his Hotel Room by Geeta. Well, the card said it was from the Pokémon League Committee which oversaw much of what went on in Paldea. But Billy knew that despite having reminded "La Primera" of his relationship with Amanda throughout the evening constantly, she had truly taken a shining to him. The package had everything he could have asked for in it. Wines, assorted meats and cheeses, rare Poké Balls and various recommendations for places to see and things to do while in Paldea. He was surprised to find even a few notes for finding some local Paldean Pokémon, which he believed was put there out of respect for Amanda, who was likely no doubt still immersed in the Uva Academy Library gaining as much knowledge as her mind could fathom.

It also didn't surprise him that he received a catered for breakfast at the Hotel Restaurant, again courtesy of the Paldean Pokémon League Committee. He only sampled some of the food, telling the waiter he often went on jogs in the morning to wake up instead of gorging on more food than could ever be needed for one man to have. He then went off on his jog, trying to memorize all he could about Mesagoza to the best of his ability before checking in on Tommy to ensure the boy wasn't causing any trouble. He doubted the precocious boy could possibly cause enough chaos to warrant his intervention only a day in, but he couldn't be too careful. Michael and Elmont had entrusted him to look after the boy. And he didn't want to let either down.

It was in the middle of his jog, however, that he was stopped by one of the members of the Paldean Elite Four: a green-haired and nonchalant woman by the name of Rika. She handed him a letter, handwritten by Geeta herself, requesting his presence at a special exercise she wanted to show to the students on their first day of school for the semester.

She is persistent, I'll give her that, he had told himself.

He then returned to his Hotel Room, quickly threw together an outfit and made his way for Uva Academy. He spotted Tommy in the Cafeteria wrapping up his Lunch Period with some other students and briefly checked up on his charge. Tommy was adamant he hadn't done anything and the Class President Nemona even vouched for him, insisting the two would be going to catch some Pokémon outside of Mesagoza in the evening after the demonstration by La Primera. Billy thanked the two for looking out for one another and then went to seek out Geeta in the Schoolyard.

He didn't have to go too far, as once he opened the door, it seemed both she and Ms. Dendra, the Battle Studies teacher, were waiting for his arrival.

"Osu!" Dendra exclaimed. "He did come after all."

"But of course he did" Geeta remarked eloquently. "William is more than just a striking gentleman. He is also a Master Pokémon Trainer."

Billy flushed. "You don't have to say that, you know."

"Anyone who can beat La Primera deserves that title" Dendra insisted. She looked over excitedly to Geeta. "I'll go corral those kids to come out to see La Primera and the Iron Titan duke it out!" She then sprinted off towards the main building, leaving Billy and Geeta alone to converse until their demonstration began.

"I want to thank you for assisting me today, William" Geeta said to him softly.

"If La Primera asks something of me, I feel compelled to respond" he answered kindly.

She giggled at this. "I must say I am quite thankful to you. And I promise not to go too hard on you in this battle."

Billy blinked. "Battle? I thought we were doing a demonstration."

"I plan on showing off one of the most precious discoveries in all of Paldea to our students today" she explained. "And to you as well. Perhaps if you continue to serve the Paldea region well as one of our esteemed guests, you will have the opportunity as well." She stepped by his side, her eyes glistening. "I hope you enjoyed the gift basket I sent to you. I also sent some paperwork that I imagine will intrigue the aspiring Professor you're entangled with."

"I...actually haven't seen her since we landed yesterday" Billy admitted.

"Professors tend to be quite obsessive with regards to their research. I recall Professors Turo and Sada have a son who attends this school. He isn't often in contact with them due to the nature of their research. It is a shame when one cannot be with whom they love due to their careers. But I imagine Miss Fouritz will be eager to spend time with you, William. You just need to give her some time." She then gave him a wry grin. "Otherwise, I imagine some fair maiden might come and be swept off their feet by your charm."

Billy let out a sigh. Come on, Amanda. Don't leave me hanging here.

Bit by bit, the students made their way to the schoolyard to witness Geeta and Billy's demonstration. Tommy noticed Tommy and Nemona as among the first to walk out to see them, followed by Morgan practically dragging a boy along behind her. He had to guess that Tommy wasn't the only one who found someone to crush on upon arriving in Paldea. The boy didn't seem too remarkable, but every glance his way made Billy think of something...familiar. As if he had seen the boy somewhere before. But he chalked it up as coincidence.

One thing that did surprise him more than Amanda not being there yet again was the fact that he couldn't see Addison. He spied Bridgette coming out and speaking with Morgan and the other boy about something, only for Bridgette to rush back inside of the Academy. Had something happened to her? Of all the people on their trip for something bad to happen to, the least they could afford was Addison. Not only was she the primary reason they were even in Paldea, but she was about as much a daughter to Michael and Julia as she was to her actual parents in Warren and Deidre. With Deidre set to have a baby soon, the last thing she needed was more stress on her plate. Hopefully it would be nothing.

Once the schoolyard was filled with dozens of excited and curious students, Billy finally returned his attention to Geeta, who gestured for him to join her in the center of the battle floor. He begrudgingly made his way over towards La Primera.

"Let's do this" Billy replied softly.

Geeta giggled. "Very well. Let me lead." She took a few steps forward and hailed all of the students. "Hola, Mis Alumnas! Welcome to another wonderful semester here at Uva Academy!" She let the kids cheer for a moment before resuming. "As you all know, I am La Primera, chairwoman of the Pokémon League, Champion of the Paldean Region and shall one day assume my rightful place as Queen of Paldea. But above all, I am most concerned with the educational wellbeing of my lovely students here at the Academy. It's because of this, with permission from the Pokémon League and the assistance of one of our esteemed guests from Arcana, that I shall grant you all a demonstration of the wonders of Terastilization!"

"WOO HOO!"

"LET'S GO!"

"LA PRIMERA IS THE BEST!"

Geeta grinned. "I hope you all are entertained by this demonstration." She looked over towards Billy. "Come forward, famed Iron Titan of Arcana." Billy flushed with color upon being called out and sheepishly walked several places forward to her side. He was not surprised when she pulled him directly beside her and clutched at his arm. "Many of you saw the exhibition match William Kingston and I had yesterday, where he showed me the power of an Arcanan Pokémon Trainer. Now, it shall be my turn to show off some of Paldea's own skills." She squeezed his arm and giggled like a schoolgirl before letting Billy go and going to her side of the arena. Billy mirrored her and went to his own side.

"This shall be a one-on-one match" La Primera explained. "I shall be choosing my Avalugg. William?"

Billy was more confused now than before. Avalugg may be a sturdy Pokémon, but surely Geeta knew his Steel Type Pokémon would overwhelm her Ice Type Pokémon in an instant. Was she buttering him up? Or was there something else to this demonstration of hers? For now, he decided to play along. "I'll choose my Lucario!" He reached for the Poké Ball containing his Lucario and dispatched his Fighting/Steel type to fight before him. His Lucario took a ready stance as he awaited his opponent.

Geeta took time to pluck the Poké Ball her Pokémon was inside before dispatching the Avalugg, a massive hulking goliath of pure Ice. It stomped around a bit as if to try and intimidate Billy's Lucario. But his Pokémon did not take the bait and simply awaited the commencement of the battle.

"Avalugg! Iron Defense!"

"Lucario! Swords Dance!"

Both Pokémon took a moment to buff themselves up, with the Avalugg drastically increasing its defensive prowess while the Lucario strengthened his physical bulk. Billy knew this could not be all that Geeta had to show for him. There had to be something to her plan. He had to take his chance and go for the throat now. He gestured for his Lucario to rush in.

"Go! Use Iron Head!"

Geeta only smiled. "Good. Now is the time for the demonstration." She took out the orb she had shown off in her previous battle with Dendra the day earlier. With a simply touch, the Orb glistened with mysterious power, as did her Avalugg. As Lucario gathered his strength to lunge forward and slam his powerful head into the hulking mass of Ice, Billy soon began to notice something off about her Avalugg. It had gained a tremendous power buff to be sure, but why did it now suddenly have what appeared to be a crystal in the shape of half of a planet atop its head?

His Lucario remained undaunted and rushed forward to deliver what was sure to be a crippling blow. But to the amazement of everyone, the blow was only glancing. The Avalugg took a step backwards, but did not show signs of having been thwarted. In fact, it appeared to him that the Pokémon took the powerful Iron Head as if it had been a breeze. His Lucario leaped backwards, dazed and just as confused as his trainer was.

"I can see you are confused" Geeta giggled. "As I assume so many of you are. What I have done, is transformed my Avalugg via Terastilization! Not only will Terastilization give my Pokémon a tremendous power boost, but it can also change its typing, as I'm sure you all will learn soon enough from your classes here at the Academy. In this case, my Pokémon has become a Ground Type instead of its usual Ice. Which is why the Lucario's Iron Head did little to my Pokémon. But it works in both ways, as I shall now demonstrate!" She looked to her Avalugg. "Use Tera Blast!" The Avalugg opened its mouth and Billy saw within it a glowing energy force unlike any he had ever seen. Before he could tell his Lucario to retreat, the immeasurable pulse of energy struck his Lucario, who was blasted hard backwards and right into Billy himself. The two tumbled back several feet until landing hard on the ground, his Lucario completely KO'd by the singular blast.

Billy looked to his Lucario, who only let out a pained growl before rolling over on his side. He gently pushed his Pokémon off of him, only for Geeta to stand over him in shock. "Are you alright?"

Billy chuckled, though still in pain from the fall. "Ye-yeah. I've had worse falls before." He recalled how he had nearly been drowned on land by a Water Spout from a Waillord Clone that Mewtwo had dispatched to wipe out all life in Arcana, only to awaken to find himself in Amanda's arms after the battle. Though this was paltry in comparison to that, he still felt fairly winded after that blow Geeta's Pokémon had given him and remained on his backside. "But wow...that was a powerful blow."

She winked. "That is the power of Paldean Pokémon Trainers." She then reached for his hands and pulled him to his feet, helping him keep standing as his body recovered from the blow. Once she was sure he could stand, she guided him back to the center of the arena, to the applause of those who had stayed to watch. Billy could not help but admire Geeta's popularity with the people of Paldea and did little else but watch as she took charge of the situation.

"Any and all Pokémon have their own Tera Types" she explained to the students as the applause died down. "But it is up to the trainer to determine which Type his Pokémon becomes upon transforming. You are limited only to the scope of your own imagination. I defeated William by transforming my Avalugg into a Ground Type. Should you all succeed in earning Tera Orbs from your studies, you shall also be able to transform your Pokémon. So remember, esteemed students of Uva Academy: study hard and perform harder."

As the students cheered for them and slowly began to disperse, Billy looked towards the fiery "princess" of Paldea. "Well, Geeta, if that's all, I really should-"

"Hold on a moment" Geeta called, pulling him back to her side. "William, if it would not be too much of an ask, I was hoping we could have dinner again tonight. My treat."

Billy was flustered. "Oh gosh. Your Highness, I'm flattered, but really-I really can't. I have a-"

"He's busy for the night" a voice called out from behind the two. Both spun around and saw Amanda standing behind them, her eyes staring daggers at Geeta and her arms crossed to show how miffed she was.

Geeta smiled kindly towards Amanda. "Ah, so this is the famed soon to be Professor Amanda Fouritz?" Billy took the opportunity to slip his hand from Geeta's and make it to his girlfriend's side. This did not go unnoticed by Geeta, who chuckled at the situation. "I can see William is, how does the saying go, kept on a short leash by you. Commendable."

Billy could tell Amanda was absolutely livid. "You never know when someone may try to steal something that isn't theirs."

Geeta and Amanda remained locked in a war of the eyes for a moment before Geeta decided to concede this first battle. But even Billy wasn't dumb enough to realize this would only be the start of a conflict between the Princess of Paldea and his girlfriend. "I shall step aside. No need for hostilities to break between guest and host. But remember this lesson, Miss Fouritz. The heart cannot walk two separate paths. I would hope you can put aside your obsessions for the happiness of the man you cherish so much. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the short end of the game of love."

"I'll be keeping both eyes open" Amanda glared, her arm wrapping around Billy's.

"I shall hope so" Geeta replied icily, before returning to her flirtatious attitude with Billy. "William, perhaps we shall dine together another night." She then winked at him and turned to follow many of the other students out and back into the Academy.

"I turn my back on you for one second and some vile harpy tries to cozy herself up to you" Amanda hissed. She then spun Billy around until he faced her. "You weren't flirting with her, were you?"

"Of course not" he assured her. "I told her countless times about you and I dating."

Amanda nodded. "I know you wouldn't lie to me, Billy." She glared past her boyfriend at Geeta as she disappeared from view. "But I think little miss perfect over there should know better than to try and go after someone in a committed relationship."

"You don't want to start problems-"

"I WILL start problems if that harpy ever tries to come between us again!" she snapped. "I'm sure everyone back home won't be too upset if we got kicked out of Paldea over this!" She hugged Billy tightly and planted a kiss on his cheek. "We're going out to dinner tonight. I found a fancy restaurant we can go to here in Mesagoza, so we can keep our eyes on Tommy and Morgan and I can keep a lookout for that...that..." She took a deep breath to calm herself before grabbing his hand. "Come on. We've got to get dressed. Formal attire only."

Realizing this could be the chance he was hoping for to propose to Amanda, he finally smiled. "Of course milady."