"That battle was a lot of fun, but I think your new partners are going to want a go at fighting as well," Nemona said. "I'm going to have to come up with some new strategies for when we battle next time!"
"I'll be looking forward to it," Ashton replied with a grin. She looked over to where her new partner Quaxly was, the little duck having watched the battle intently. "Hey Dylan, why don't we see what our new Pokémon can do?"
"Only if these two get to battle as well," Dylan said, pointing to Arashi and Astrid. "They're newer to being Pokémon Trainers than us, so how about we pair up and show them he ropes?"
"That sounds like a great idea!" Nemona exclaimed.
"I call dibs on blue-hair," Ashton said, pointing to Arashi.
"Looks like you'll be having your first battle with Rio at your side, Pyre!" Arashi exclaimed, running to stand next to Ashton.
"And we'll be fighting with Dylan, Mimi," Astrid said. She knew the basics of Pokémon battles, but having never owned a Pokémon of her own this would be her first "official" battle as a Trainer. "Oh, uh… Dylan, what did your name your Pokémon?"
Dylan looked at Sprigatito and smiled. "Her name will be Esmerelda, since she shines like an emerald."
"Okay then, if both sides are ready…" Nemona said, holding up her hand. "This is Kage and Dylan vs. Arashi and Ashton! First side to a knock out both opponents wins!"
"So, uh… how does a battle work?" Arashi asked.
"You used to be a Pokémon, right?" Ashton asked, getting a nod from her teammate. "Well then, just call out what move you want your partner to use, and they'll do it."
"Oh, okay then! Pyre, use Tackle!" The Fuecoco gave a cheer as it ran at Esmerelda, the Sprigatito meeting the attack with a Scratch of her own.
"G-Good job, Arashi!" Astrid called. "Mimi, use, uh… Thunder Shock?" The Pawmi rubbed its cheeks before firing out a weak bolt of electricity, Rio jumping in surprise as he got shocked.
"Heh, good idea to go for the type advantage first. Proves you're not a total noob, at least," Ashton smirked. "But it's not going to be enough to beat me! Rio, give 'em a Growl!" The Quaxly made a cute noise, but it was enough to lower the attack of its opponents. "Okay, now Pound your opponent into submission."
Astrid gave a yelp as Mimi took the attack head-on, but Esmerelda came to her rescue by firing a Leafage at the Quaxly. The Grass Cat Pokémon whipped her tail at the duck, making it back off so Mimi could recover.
"Wow, you and Esmerelda are really in-sync, Dylan," Nemona complimented.
"I have a way of quickly bonding with my Pokémon. My trusted partner and I have ways to strengthen our bonds with any Pokémon we call friend," Dylan said.
"Oh, I wonder what Pokémon Dylan has as his partner…?" Arashi wondered as he commanded Pyre to use Ember on Esmerelda.
"They're a powerful duo, I'll say that much," Ashton said.
The rest of battle was relatively uneventful, as once Esmerelda and Mimi took out Rio, Pyre didn't stand much of a chance on his own, even if he had the type advantage over one of the opponents. "And that's match! Dylan and Ashton win!" Nemona called.
"Eh, it was just an exhibition match. The real battle will come later," Ashton shrugged, holding out Rio's ball and recalling him into it.
"W-Woah! What was that!?" Arashi gasped.
"It's a Poké Ball, Arashi. That's how Trainers carry their Pokémon around," Astrid called. "Just hold up the ball you were given and press the button. That'll recall your Pokémon into the ball."
Arashi did as he was told and looked in surprise as a red beam immitted from the ball, sucking up Pyre into it. "And… Pyre will be okay, right?" he asked.
"Yes, yes he will," Dylan nodded.
"I can't wait to see what kinds of Trainers you all become," Nemona said with a smile.
"You five seem to be becoming fast friends, though you've only just met," Clavell called, walking down to the beach.
"Director Clavell!" Nemona called.
"I just finished speaking with our other new students. They'll be arriving at the academy tomorrow," Clavell explained. "Miss Nemona, can I count on you to take your new schoolmates under your wing? I'm sure they can learn a great deal from a Champion-ranked Trainer, such as yourself."
"It's not like we need a babysitter… I'm pretty sure Dylan and I are older than her…" Ashton said under her breath.
"You bet, sir!" Nemona nodded.
"Oh, that reminds me! Do you all have the Pokédex App already?" Clavell asked.
"…What a Pokédex?" Arashi asked.
"Arashi and I don't have phones, sir," Astrid said.
"You don't have a phone!?" Nemona gasped. "Well then, we'll just have to hook you two up with one once we get to the school. You can't be a proper Pokémon Trainer if you don't have a Pokédex."
"Just to clarify for you two, a Pokédex keeps track of the Pokémon you encounter on your journey," Dylan explained to Arashi and Astrid. "You'll get more information if you catch a Pokémon, and most places have a specific "Regional Dex" so Trainers have an easier time keeping track of which Pokémon live where."
"It's really handy when you're trying to "Catch 'Em All" as they say. If you're into that kinda thing," Ashton shrugged. "Dylan and I will just update our apps to this region's version."
"Our homeroom teacher, Mr. Jacq, actually made the Paldea Dex himself!" Nemona said with a smile.
"Now then, Miss Nemona, I do still have a few matters to discuss with your parents. Could I depend on you to see our new students to the academy? You would be doing me quite the favor," Clavell asked.
"Of course! Leave it to me!" Nemona replied. "Oh, if you don't have a Pokédex, you probably need to learn how to catch Pokémon, right?"
"Nah, that's easy," Ashton shook her head. She looked to Arashi and Astrid and explained, "Basically whenever you battle a Wild Pokémon- that's a Pokémon not owned by a Trainer- you can throw and empty Poké Ball at it to try and catch it to add it to your team. Of course, most Pokémon won't just stay in the ball right away, so normally you have to battle them first before you can catch them."
"Or befriend them in some way so that they'll willingly enter a ball," Dylan added.
"Hm…" Arashi hummed, brow furrowed in thought.
"We can focus on actually learning how to catch Pokémon later," Astrid said.
"Okay then! I'll let you roam around Poco Path to the north and meet you at the lighthouse just over there," Nemona said, pointing to the structure in the distance. "Well, don't keep me wating. Rapido!"
As she ran off, Dylan shook her head. "I swear, she's just like you, Ashton. But less…"
"Bloodthirsty?" Ashton said with a grin.
"I was going to say manic," Dylan sighed.
[***]
The quartet made their way down Poco Path, encountering smaller Pokémon like Lechonk, Fletchling, Hoppip, and Tarountula. It was ultimately uneventful until…
"Guh-GYAOHHH!"
A rather unfamiliar and loud cry assaulted everyone's ears at around that time, making them pause and give a jolt of surprise. Astrid's eyes shot wide, and she began frantically glancing in every direction while Arashi tensed up as though he were about either make a move or run, the two of them edging closer to each other. Dylan likewise looked around for the source, one hand grabbing a Poké Ball on his belt, and Ashton broke into a mischievous grin without a care in the world. Nemona looked concerned, but only marginally so- something loud like that surely could've been a bad sign, but she seemed more curious than anything.
"Go-ohhh…" another vocalization came, more like a groan but still noticeably loud.
"Well, that didn't sound like Raijin, at least," Arashi remarked, soft enough to where only Astrid could hear.
"Yeah, but I'd really feel a lot better if I could see him," Astrid said under her breath in turn. She had absolutely no worries that the Xurkitree could handle himself alone- he'd fared perfectly fine by himself on their world while effectively stalking them from the shadows in unfamiliar terrain, after all. He had to be nearby, but even so, not having him immediately present just did not feel right.
"I've never heard that kind of cry before!" Nemona exclaimed. "Could be some kind of strong Pokémon or something!"
"That sounded big," Ashton noted with a glint in her eye.
"It sounded like it was in distress," Dylan noted, concern entering his countenance.
"I say we find whatever made that cry!" Nemona declared, looking at them all in turn. "C'mon, guys! Let's take a look around! Just be careful- there's a kinda unsafe cave not far from here, so watch your step and don't fall!"
Before anyone could say a word, off she was running, and the four left shared a glance.
"That wasn't your Xurkitree friend, was it?" Ashton inquired of the other duo.
"Raijin doesn't yell like that," Arashi answered. "We'd know pretty easy if it was him!"
"And I'm gonna go find him," Astrid noted quickly, taking hold of Arashi's hand. "A-ah, we do not need to deal with this…" Off she bolted too, Arashi trailing along with her.
Their surroundings weren't as densely covered in greenery as the terrain on their home world, but there were still places for a Xurkitree to slip out of view and hide- bushes and trees next to the rocky walls, corners of the cliffs, patches of thick overgrowth where Bug-types would probably nestle. It was just a matter of finding which one, but they didn't have to look for more than a minute before their Beast friend took note of their presence and peeked out from behind a tree next to one of the cliffs. Astrid breathed a heavy sigh of relief, immediately rushing over, and Arashi followed suit, rushing even faster.
"Hey," Raijin said simply, reaching out and placing a hand on either of their shoulders.
"There you are," Astrid said, clutching his hand back.
"Did you hear that?" Arashi inquired. "That loud cry?"
"Yes," the Xurkitree affirmed. "You two aren't familiar with that kind of sound, are you? It's nothing I recognize."
"We don't know either," Astrid replied. "We were all going to look for it- Ashton and Nemona just wanna see what the heck it was, and Dylan thinks it sounded distressed. If it is something huge and upset, the three of them better be able to step up, because heaven knows me and Arashi aren't in any shape to do much."
A somewhat awkward look graced Arashi's face and he mused, "Something tells me Mimi and Pyre wouldn't be the best bet, aha…!"
Nonetheless, the two Poke Balls of the small creatures in question wriggled a bit, Astrid reaching out to give Mimi's a small pat and Arashi grabbing Pyre's to coo to it slightly.
Raijin studied them for just a moment, then shifted his gaze to Astrid and said, "Tell it to me straight, Astrid. If we were out venturing in our world, I would stick close, and if there was an overpowering wild one, I wouldn't hesitate to jump in front of you both and let loose if need be… but something tells me that's not a good idea here."
Arashi perked up too, likewise looking to the one in the oversized green hoodie, and Astrid deflated a bit, letting out a sigh. The Xurkitree tapped his fingers together pensively.
"L-look, on my world, the only humans allowed to keep the company of Ultra Beasts had to get special permission that they don't just give out to anyone," Astrid noted. "It was a huge deal. D-Dylan and Ashton seem okay, like maybe they're those kinds of special people… I d-don't want to stay separated, but I-I'm worried about what would happen if anyone else saw us…"
Raijin studied her for a second, then nodded. "You know the human world better than we do. I'll follow you from a distance- nothing I haven't done before. I'll keep Gemini safe for now and if anything goes south, if that loud cry means trouble… don't worry, you're not alone."
The two humans nodded before setting off again, their friend lurking just out of sight. "I've gotta get him a ball too… somehow," Astrid noted, glancing around the grassy fields. "Then we won't have a problem."
"You mean like the ones we're keeping Mimi and Pyre in?" Arashi inquired, shooting her a glance and shoving a stray branch from a shrub out of the way. "Is that like… really okay to do, though?"
"If a Pokémon wants to, they can break out any time," Astrid noted, quickly glancing backwards. "What's handy about Poké Balls is that it provides a portable place to rest, or in situations like this, an easy place to hide. You weren't around for it, but when Lunala and Necrozma's fusion broke and Lunala crash-landed on our world, we had to go rescue her from the bottom of a dungeon that was nothing but wet sand, the kind of territory Raijin does not get along with. It probably would've made his life a lot easier if we could've just… stowed him away until the end. Or like what Nemona and Ashton did- the rowdy ones had a battle and got it out of their system, now they're exhausted, and they can rest easy in their balls."
Her friend took it in, nodding. "That makes sense!"
"I won't lie, there is the potential for misuse," Astrid said, trekking up one green incline. "A lot like how I could hypothetically shove you in the dirt and hold you down with your arms behind your back, you can use a ball in a similar manner… but I think you can guess, those types of things don't happen frequently."
"That makes sense too," Arashi replied, close behind her. He chuckled a bit, saying, "You wouldn't shove me in the dirt, would you?"
"I've thought about it a few times," Astrid replied simply with a slight grin, getting a playful shove in return.
Elsewhere around the edge of the cliffs, though, Dylan and Ashton were looking over the beaches down below for any sign of a large, loud creature, the former treading carefully and the latter dashing around with reckless abandon.
"She said to be careful, you know!" Dylan called as she peered straight over the edge of one with her feet right up to the incline.
"Oh, buzz off!" Ashton brushed him off. "I trekked a snowy mountain and fought Orochi on top of it, you know! I'm not afraid of grass and beaches!"
Dylan sighed. "We're in a completely different world and you are already trying to get yourself killed again," he said under his breath. "Arceus help us…"
Still, there was no large or loud creature to be found, it seemed. Astrid and Arashi were combing the grass, Dylan and Ashton combed the cliff sides, Nemona was off being Nemona, and though they looked down plenty of steep inclines and on the beach below, there was no telling what had made that sound… at least, for a little while.
Ashton darted off to a part of one rocky edge where it appeared the fence trying to keep anyone unaware from falling off of it had been damaged, for the wires between the wooden pegs was broken at one junction and several pegs ripped out of the ground with the wire strewn about between them. Over the edge she peered, getting down on her hands and knees for a good look, and her eyes shot wide.
"Hey!" she hollered, looking to her friend. "Get over here! I found something!"
Dylan darted over, getting down next to her and looking over the edge likewise. "That's not a Pokémon we've ever seen…" he noted, likewise perking up in surprise.
It was a very secluded part of the beach, only a tiny sandy inlet with steep rock faces surrounding it that fed into the small mouth of a cave- likely the terrain Nemona had been warning them about. However, on that sand wasn't just one large creature, but two, both draconic and laid out like they'd either washed up or fallen out of the sky. he first was primarily red with a large throat sac, ornate tail, and a folded plume on its head, and the second was clearly inorganic from the metallic sheen on its primarily purple body, mechanical joints, and antenna-like spikes on its face around its eyes. A few tiny Houndours crouched down and snapped at them, apparently not wanting to get too close but nonetheless trying to tell the dragons off regardless.
"They don't look so good," Dylan noted, eyeing them.
"Pfft, they look big and scary- that's 'good' in my book," Ashton brushed him off.
"You know what I meant," Dylan replied, giving her a side-eye.
"And you know what I meant!" the blonde woman yet again brushed him off. She picked herself up and turned around, cupping her hands around her mouth as she yelled, "HEY! GUYS! We found 'em!"
Apparently, Ashton's loud cry was enough to rouse one of them awake, for the metallic purple one started to stir and lifted its head off the ground. "Ah-giiiYAAAHHH!"
It was a different voice than the first- it was noticeably more artificial-sounding, with a metallic buzz to it that nonetheless pounded their eardrums all the same. The Houndours yelped and turned tail to run, but the red dragon was roused awake by the metallic one's cry and started to stir too. The sound of hurried footsteps graced the senses of the ones peering down, and turning around revealed Astrid and Arashi darting over, the former still seeming somewhat cautious and the latter with a grin.
"What'd you find?!" Arashi inquired, likewise getting close to the edge to peer down.
"C-careful," Astrid said, getting close but not as close as her friend.
Arashi turned to the other two, excitedly inquisitive. "Do you guys know what those are? They look like they could pass for legendaries!"
"No idea, and I wanna catch one," Ashton replied, still grinning. "You think they'll recognize me as worthy?"
"Please tell me you're not planning to get into a fistfight with dragons again," Dylan said flatly.
The one in question just couldn't be bothered. "Well, I wasn't planning on it, but if it happens, I'm not protesting."
"L-let's not," Astrid said quickly, looking back down at the dragons.
"Seriously, let's not," Dylan concurred, looking back down too. "We need to find a path to get down there, and the opening to that cave has to be somewhere."
"You two are the best equipped to handle them at the moment, right?" Arashi inquired, looking to Dylan and Ashton. "I'm not sure what a 'Champion Rank' means, but you two seem like you know what you're doing and have strong Pokémon to back you up."
"We've handled our fair share of tough battles and crazy people," Dylan affirmed, giving him a glance.
"That's putting it lightly," Ashton remarked with a snicker.
Whatever Arashi was thinking, that seemed to affirm his ideas… and the other three were giving shouts of surprise as he extended his arms and shoved Dylan and Ashton both off the cliff. Astrid instinctively reached out, but quickly stopped herself- maybe in her Decidueye body, she could've grabbed them in midair and carried them just fine, but she certainly couldn't do that as a human.
"What the-!" Ashton hollered.
"Augh!" Dylan shouted.
Thud!
Maybe they had the soft sand to pad their fall, but that certainly didn't make it pleasant. Fairly quickly, Dylan and Ashton were in a heap at the bottom of the cliff, Dylan's glasses a few feet away and Ashton with a face full of sand. The two dragons didn't pay them much mind, not too better off themselves.
"Arashi!" Astrid exclaimed, looking at him in exasperation. "What's wrong with you?!"
"What?" Arashi said with a shrug. "Is it really that bad? You fell off a cliff too when Raijin and I first met you and you were fine!"
"You can't just shove someone off a cliff!" Astrid fussed, throwing her arms out to the side and shaking her head.
"But they landed on sand! It's not like I pushed them onto solid rock or a spike pit!"
"That's not the point! They could still get hurt!"
Arashi simply looked down and called to them, "Are you guys hurt?"
Astrid wordlessly let out a breath and haplessly looked to the sky as if some divine intervention would come to their rescue, but the ones below were stirring more so than the dragons - Dylan retrieved his glasses and Ashton spit out a mouthful of sand, both of them brushing themselves off. Clearly nothing was broken from the way they moved around, but even so, a few groans of discomfort came as they picked themselves up.
"All good," Dylan called up, rolling his eyes.
"I can jump off a cliff myself, I don't need you to push me," Ashton likewise called up flatly.
"It was a motivational push!" Arashi hollered back down. "You can jump next time!"
They couldn't tell if she was saying anything, but Astrid dropped onto her knees and buried her face in her hands, and her friend seemed none the wiser. Dylan and Ashton, though, turned their attention to the dragons, darting over and kneeling down next to them. Maybe they were big and impressive looking, but they certainly seemed weak, for their eyes were shut and they weren't moving.
"Okay, I just have to test something," Ashton said, retrieving a Poké Ball.
"As much as I want to roll my eyes, I wanna see if it works," Dylan said, watching her.
She tapped the ball to the red one's head and… nothing. It didn't even attempt to make a capture.
"H-huh?" she said uncertainly.
"Let me try one," Dylan suggested, pulling one out himself and tapping it to the purple one's head. Nothing. He tried again, just to be sure- nothing.
"Well, we tried," Ashton remarked, shoving the ball back in her bag. "Where did that Xurkitree run off to?" she wondered, glancing around. "One of 'em looks like a robot- you think he could zap the purple one back into moving? Or zap the red one awake?"
"Or a better idea- let's use medicine like normal folk," Dylan replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out two diamond-shaped yellow pills.
He handed one Revive to Ashton, who easily snatched it, before he gently eased the purple one's mouth open and set the pill on its tongue- surprisingly it had a tongue, seeing as its jaws appeared to literally be a metal hinge. Ashton, on the other hand, pried the red one's much pointier jaws open and, without a shred of hesitation, reached her arm inside and put it straight into its throat.
Dylan couldn't help but to get wide eyes, piping up, "Hey, Ashton, don't let it-!"
Immediately the red one was springing to life, its eyes shooting open and Ashton pulling her arm out right before the pointy set of jaws snapped shut with gusto. Had she been just a moment later, the red creature probably would've bitten her hand off, intentionally or not.
"There we go," the blonde woman said nonchalantly, grinning as the red one started to stir some more.
Dylan didn't even bother saying anything- she undoubtedly knew what a risky maneuver shoving her arm down a dragon's throat was, she just didn't care. The one he'd given the Revive to also started stirring, the pixelated display of its eyes fluttering open after a moment and its gaze looking up. Before long, both dragons were on their feet again and studying the two humans for a moment, then looking over to each other with tilted heads and inquisitive eyes.
"AgiYAAAH!" the red one roared, leaning in slightly.
"Agias!" the purple one exclaimed, not as loud but much more direct-sounding.
"Agiiiiii!"
"Agi-yah!"
It seemed like they were exchanging words, but what sort of words, Ashton and Dylan couldn't tell. Maybe it was a spirited introduction, maybe it was an argument, maybe it was friendly banter- the humans had no idea.
"These two look kinda similar," Dylan noted, studying them as they vocalized.
"Red one has more teeth," Ashton replied simply.
Nonetheless, the dragons turned away from each other and looked back to their company on the beach. With a spirited cry, the red one pounced on Ashton, knocking her flat in the sand again and peering down at her playfully, those extra teeth not far away from her face. She didn't care, looking right back with a big grin.
"Heeeeey!" she cried playfully, trying to push back against its front feet with varying degrees of success. You wanna wrestle?! Let's go!" She cleared her throat and then let out a cry somewhat befitting of a monster, "AgiYAAAH!"
"Agiaaaaaas!" the red one cried back, letting her up.
The purple one simply studied Dylan for a moment, tilting its head to the side before giving a friendly cry and coming closer. He reached one hand out towards its head, and the metallic creature seemed to think about it for a moment before putting its head against his hand as if giving silent permission to be petted. Dylan started to smile too, giving a few pats to its head before the creature turned and started to stride right past him. The two dragons shared a glance, followed by a nod, and started for the cave with leisurely steps.
Up above, Astrid and Arashi were watching the whole thing, the former with a hesitant face but unable to turn away while the latter seemed genuinely captivated by the whole thing.
"Did you see that?!" Arashi exclaimed. "She just rammed her arm down a dragon's throat! And what the heck was it that Dylan pulled out? Those weren't Reviver Seeds but they sure did seem to work like they do!"
"Oh, I saw it, alright," Astrid replied haplessly. "And honestly, Reviver Seeds are probably more useful than what Dylan just pulled out if I'm being honest. It's a Revive- it'll wake a Pokémon back up if they're unconscious, but it won't fully restore their vitality."
Arashi chuckled. "That seems like a waste," he remarked, then taking note of the goings-on, "They're going into the cave! You think we should try to find an outlet?"
"We should," Astrid affirmed. "They-"
"Oyeeeee!" came a cry from another spirited voice, quickly determined to be Nemona when the two on top of the cliff turned around. "What happened? Where are Ashton and Dylan?"
"Take a look!" Arashi replied, looking back downwards.
There was certainly plenty to look at, as both dragons came to a halt suddenly and became engulfed in light- pale blue for the purple one, pastel orange for the red one. They both leaped into the air, and for a moment, it seemed like they would evolve for the way their appearances started to change. The red one's plume fanned out and its throat sac puffed out, making it look much larger, while the purple one had what looked like lightning bolts shoot out around its eyes and from the end of its tail with the underside of its throat glowing and flames spurting out of apparent rocket thrusters on its hind limbs. The red one stood tall and proud as it touched the ground again, and the purple one levitated over the sand, its thrusters not quite being able to propel it into the sky like they otherwise might. The two humans on the beach, as well as the three above, couldn't help but to be slightly taken aback, not quite sure what to make of the occurrence, but off into the cave the dragons went, the red one lumbering with heavy steps and slightly outstretched forelimbs that looked almost protective while the purple one gave a small glance back as if to beckon them onwards too before floating in the same direction.
"Let's follow them," Dylan said, starting off too. "If they're still weak, they might need our help if a pack of Houndours show up."
"Oh, I'm right behind ya," Ashton replied easily, getting a grin herself. "But something tells me they think we're the weaklings."
Into the cave they went, the dragons leading the way. The terrain was nothing like that of the outside- it was noticeably darker on account of only small gaps in the rock for sunlight to peek through overhead, but that made what looked like glowing green moss on quite a few of the rocks pop out more. The brisk sea air was easily felt, maybe even a bit more humid on account of the sun not being as present to evaporate any moisture, and their footsteps echoed slightly. There was no swath of Zubats one might otherwise expect in a cave, simply the occasional Yungoos wandering around or a Diglett peeking up from the ground, but sounds from further up made it sound like there were indeed more Houndours lurking that they just couldn't see.
"Oyeeee! Ashton! Dylan!"
The dragons stopped and glanced around, but the two humans looked upwards to see the exuberant girl standing in one of the gaps in the rock further up, close to the surface they'd fallen from. Astrid and Arashi were close by too, the former keeping her distance from the edge but the latter dangling his feet off without a care.
"There you two are!" Nemona called, crouching down slightly. "Arashi says you're not hurt and you've got some strong-looking friends leading the way!"
"We're fine," Dylan called back up.
"Just focus on getting out of there, alright? If you can get close, we'll try to pull you out!"
"Bold of you to assume I need help," Ashton remarked.
"Huh?" Nemona called, not quite catching her words.
"Ashton appreciates it!" Dylan hollered back, shutting his friend up.
The two of them trailed the dragons, the red one sticking to the front with its imposing posture and the purple one staying a bit closer to the humans. It seemed the red one wasn't shy about its strength and wanted to show off a little for its company, while the purple one was more analytical and keen to observe their surroundings as they ventured. There was an incline in the rocks upwards, but it seemed a boulder blocked the way… at least, until the red one lit into it with its forelimbs and smashed it to pieces with just a few hits.
"That was amazing!" Nemona exclaimed above. "Those Pokémon must be super powerful! Maybe even as strong as mine! Maybe stronger!"
Into another part of the cavern they went, where a Houndoom was perched on top of one rocky shelf and watched them down below. Some yipping and yapping could be heard further up, to which Dylan and Ashton both shared a glance and grabbed the balls of their starters just to be safe. The dragons didn't seem to mind so much, but as the lot of them turned a curve, a dozen or so Houndours came running down the corridor at them, growling and yapping at the dragons.
"Agias!"
"Agiyaaah!"
Two snarls from the draconic creatures sent them running away.
"Hey, heads up!" Nemona called down. "Some pretty rough and rowdy Houndour live in this cave! I'm glad you two have your bodyguards, but watch your back! They're strong!"
"Don't worry about us!" Ashton called back.
Up another incline they went, the walls narrowing in slightly and a boulder blocking their path for just a few moments until it was demolished, this time the purple one giving a quick lurch and shredding it with its claws.
"That one just pulverized that rock!" Nemona exclaimed. "How powerful are they?! I wonder what that move was! I wanna see them up close!"
Astrid and Arashi didn't want to say it with someone else around, but they both couldn't help but to think of their first venture together- getting stuck in a cave by a rampaging Rhyperior's Rock Blast, only for those boulders blocking the exit to get smashed by a wickedly strong Scrafty that Arashi idolized.
"I wanna take the red one home," Ashton chuckled to herself. "If Orochi wasn't exhausted, I'm sure they'd get along great.~"
"I like that purple one," Dylan noted. "It knows it's strong, but it's being smart about it."
"H-hey!" came an uncharacteristically loud shout from Astrid. "Behind you!"
The two humans in the cave turned around, and sure enough, she was right- a Houndoom came trotting towards them, eyeing them like it would eye a piece of meat. It stopped on being noticed, and let out an ominous howl as if to tell them off for entering its territory.
"Well, hello to you too," Ashton remarked.
Fairly quickly, the balls in their hands burst open and out jumped a certain Quaxly and Sprigatito.
"Oh, you wanna go, don't you, Rio?" Ashton said with a chuckle.
"Esmerelda, be careful," Dylan said to his grassy feline.
The Sprigatito went for a Scratch, while the Quaxly spit a Water Gun, but a Flamethrower from their foe made Rio's Water Gun turn to steam instantly and Esmerelda hissed while jumping aside to avoid it. The purple dragon took note, glancing between its red counterpart and the Houndoom, then quickly lurched between the smaller Pokémon and their foe while letting out another roar. At the same time, though, even more Houndours came bolting down the corridors, yipping and snapping, and the red dragon likewise hollered in an attempt to make them back off.
"Wow, they really do not like outside company," Ashton remarked, looking about at all the fiery canines surrounding them.
"This is not good," Dylan noted, doing the same. "Esmerelda and Rio aren't gonna win any battles like this, and something tells me these big guys aren't up for fighting…"
The Houndoom roared again, which only seemed to work up the fiery little ones, and the dragons looked reluctant as the Houndours started to close in some more. Maybe they were bigger, but they sure didn't seem up to fighting off the pack. The two of them shared a glance, and right as Ashton and Dylan recalled their starters, the purple one gave a burst from its thrusters and snatched Dylan up, while the red one darted out to grab Ashton.
"Ah-!" Dylan exclaimed.
"What-!" Ashton cried.
"Hey! Up here!" came Nemona's voice- right above them this time. "Quick!"
Immediately, the red one was leaping and the purple one was firing its thrusters, both of them leaving the Houndours behind on the cave floor. Thankfully the rocks made good footholds for the red one to jump off of and a sufficient place for the purple one to momentarily recharge, and quickly, they were back on the surface and being deposited on the ground by the dragons. Nemona gave a whoop of glee and Arashi pumped his fists in the air likewise, while Astrid simply smiled in relief.
"Sheesh!" Ashton exclaimed, eyeing their draconic company. "You guys really came in clutch!"
"Thank you for your help," Dylan likewise acknowledged.
Nemona clapped her hands as she approached the two. "Way to go! For a second, I thought you were both goners!"
The red and purple Pokémon ignored the conversation, eyes locked on the nearby lighthouse as they exited the cave. The two were then engulfed by light once more as they returned to the state the group found them in on the beach. "Woah, what happened!?" Dylan exclaimed, going to the purple one's side.
"Maybe they used up all their power?" Nemona guessed.
"Then there's no way these are Legendaries. I don't think a Pokémon that powerful could get tired so fast," Ashton shook her head.
"What are these Pokémon anyway? They kinda look like a Cyclizar, but I've never seen one quite like these before…" Nemona wondered. None of the group knew what a Cyclizar was but remained quiet. "And Now they look so different from a minute ago. You think they're okay?"
"It's hard to say…" Dylan hummed.
"You can't tell either, huh?" Ashton said, putting a hand on the red one.
"All that aside, I'm seriously glad to have you both back up here in one piece!" Nemona said.
"Yeah, Arashi, we got lucky there," Astrid added, giving her friend a dirty look.
"W-Well, you guys looked totally in sync with these bugs guys when you were facing down that Houndoom!" Arashi said.
"We didn't even have to give orders. It's like they already knew what to do without a Trainer," Dylan admitted.
Nemona gasped. "I guess it's not like you're these Pokémons' Trainers yet, huh…" The red and purple Pokémon then stood back up, returning to their quadrupedal stances. "Oh good! Looks like they perked up a little! Do you think these fellas were the ones making those mysterious cries we heard before?"
"Giaos…" the purple Pokémon said, the red one giving its own cry.
"The more I look at these guys, they cooler that seem!" Arashi said in awe, his eyes beaming with excitement.
"I feel the same way!" Nemona grinned. "If you two become their Trainers, I gotta have a battle against them! Let's exchange numbers so we can get in touch if we somehow get separated again!" She pulled out her phone and Dylan and Ashton did the same, quickly exchanging numbers.
"I'll give you her number once you guys get phones of your own," Dylan said to Arashi and Astrid.
"I think after all that we should take a breather. Let's just get to the lighthouse- that'll be a good spot to relax," Nemona suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Dylan nodded, putting an hand on the purple one's side as the group made their way to the lighthouse.
As the group approached the lighthouse, Astrid noticed that someone was standing just outside the doorway to the building. He was taller than all of them and wearing a school uniform, though his consisted of hiking boots, purple pants, a white long-sleeved shirt with a purple tie and yellow vest, along with a large yellow camping back on his back. He turned around to show his blonde hair that covered his right eye, his other teal eye narrowing as he saw the purple and red Pokémon.
"Who you little… What are you doing out here!?" he exclaimed, running up to the group.
"Hey! Don't yell at them like that!" Dylan shouted, putting himself between the young man and the purple one.
The newcomer just rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking to you people. You can shove off."
"How rude!" Arashi gasped.
"Wait, I know you… Aren't you Arven?" Nemona recognized. "You're enrolled in the humanities track, right? Aren't you the son of the Pokémon researchers- Professor Sada and Professor Turo?"
Arven glared at Nemona. "It doesn't matter who my parents are! The real issue here is what in the world these Pokémon are doing out here! And what's with the form they're in!?"
"We found them down at the beach near the cliff," Dylan explained.
"See, we heard this strange cry, and we tried to investigate, but Dylan and Ashton fell off a cliff…" Nemona added.
"Yeah, they "fell off"," Astrid said with heavy sarcasm, giving Arashi another look.
"These guys got us out of there, but they were totally drained afterwards," Ashton said. "They got kinda… slumpy afterwards."
"But you shoulda seen them before! They looked totally different- they were unbelievably strong!" Arashi exclaimed.
"Well, yeah. As they should be. But they can't fight while they're like this," Arven replied. "The forms Miraidon and Koraidon take in battle… Those are their true forms."
"Miraidon and Koraidon…" Dylan hummed. He looked to the purple one and smiled. "So, you must be Miraidon, and your friend here is Koraidon." The two Pokémon gave cries of happiness as their names were said.
"Wait a minute, how do you know what these guys are?" Ashton questioned.
"Agiagias!" Miraidon called, looking towards the lighthouse door.
Arven shook his head. "You can't go in the lab. It's locked." He turned his attention back to the humans. "I don't remember ever seeing you around. But given that you're with Nemona… you go to the academy too, do you? Miraidon and Koraidon aren't the sort of Pokémon any old Trainer can hope to command. They're special."
"Special how?" Astrid asked. "What sort of Pokémon are they?"
Arven didn't reply, instead locking eyes with Dylan. "You think you're up for ordering Miraidon and Koraidon around? Then how 'bout I test your worthiness?"
Dylan pushed up his glasses. "Sure. Bring it on, Arven!"
"Heh! Well, look at you- quite the little go-getter!" Arven laughed. "I've been feeling all out of sorts, so I'm gonna use this battle to blast these doldrums away!" He slapped the sides of his face, giving a shout as he brought his arms to his sides before pulling out a Poké Ball, calling out a Skwovet to battle. "These memories are leaving a bad taste in my mouth- and I want it gone!"
"Geez… Issues, much?" Dylan muttered. Not wanting this battle to go on for too long, he grabbed a Moon Ball from his bag and called out his partner. "Aurora, end this quickly!"
With a shout a Lucario burst forth, surprising Arven. "W-Wait, I didn't know you had a-" But was too late as with one Aura Sphere, Skwovet was knocked out in an instant.
"Yeah… I probably should have told you that Dylan is a Champion-rank Trainer…" Nemona said, feeling some sympathy for her schoolmate.
"Why didn't you say that before!?" Arven exclaimed, slapping a hand to his face and sighing. "…Seems like you know a thing or two about battle, obviously."
Aurora nodded, before returning to her ball. "Was that Dylan's partner Pokémon?" Arashi asked.
"Yep. That's Aurora," Ashton nodded.
"She looked different from the Lucario we've seen before. She had those weird purple crystals on her, and she almost looked more like a Mega Lucario…" Astrid hummed.
"Oh, that thing they do up in Kalos?" Nemona said. "I've only ever heard of Mega Evolution, never seen it before… I so have to battle Aurora some time, then!"
"Aurora is a one-of-a-kind Lucario. I can tell you all about her later," Dylan chuckled.
"I guess I wasn't ever going to stand a chance using some Pokémon I'd only just caught, much less against a Champion-ranked Trainer…" Arven sighed. "But if you really think you can take Miraidon and Koraidon off my hands for me… you'll need these. It's the Poké Balls the brutes' been kept in." He handed over two regular Poké Balls, with Dylan giving the one for Miraidon to Ashton.
"Oh yeah, if they were caught in normal Poké Balls, there's no way they're Legendary," Ashton chuckled.
"So why do you have them?" Nemona questioned.
"…Anyway, these things are your problem now, not mine. Good luck," Arven said before sprinting off.
"What? Oye! Can you not hear me or something!?" Nemona exclaimed. "Fine, be that way! But you better actually show up for school!"
"What weirdo…" Astrid muttered, suspicious of what Arven was all about.
"Wow, he can run fast despite how large that bag is," Arashi said.
Ignoring how Arven was acting, Ashton held up her ball to Koraidon, the red Pokémon going into the ball. "There, now you can rest up and be awesome like you were before," she said.
"You can get some well-deserved rest as well, Miraidon," Dylan said, calling his new Pokémon into its ball as well. "That Arven guy definitely knows more than he's letting on, though…"
"Next time, he and I are battling! I'm gonna wring some answers outta him!" Nemona exclaimed. "Anyways, now we can actually rest up. Let's climb the lighthouse so you can see where the school is."
After showing the four the view from the top of the lighthouse, Nemona let them make to the academy by themselves, which wouldn't be too much trouble seeing as it rested in the middle of the region. They passed through the town of Los Platos first, encountering new Pokémon and a few Trainers along the way as well. Dylan and Ashton also explained to Arashi what Pokémon Centers were, being places that Trainers used to heal their Pokémon and also buy essential items like potions and Poké Balls. Soon the four of them were at the southern gate of Mesagoza, the city where Guayaba Academy was.
"Oyeeee! You guys!" came a familiar voice hollering behind them. The four of them turned around to see Nemona bounding up, a spring in her step as always. "Didja battle some Trainers on the hill? I bet your Pokémon are getting stronger!" she said with a grin.
"We don't stop getting stronger," Ashton replied with a smirk.
"We've been progressing," Dylan acknowledged.
"We're figuring things out, aha!" Arashi affirmed.
Astrid was silent, simply nodding without saying a word.
The exuberant girl grinned some more. "How about you guys show me what you've learned… in a battle?"
"Yes!" Ashton exclaimed, immediately reaching for her balls.
"Love the enthusiasm, but don't hog all the fun!" Nemona said with a chuckle, making Ashton narrow her eyes and Dylan get a hapless look. "I know you know what you're doing! How about someone else?"
"Kage, you go this time!" Arashi proposed, turning to his friend, who got slightly wide-eyed, before turning back to Nemona. "She's good! She's just shy about it!"
The one in the hoodie froze up slightly, dismay flashing in her eyes. "H-hold on, Arashi, I-!" However, the shy girl's ball burst open and out came Mimi, who gave a little tug at the edge of her jeans. The little Pawmi's eyes were more inquisitive than anything, and her gently wagging tail seemed nonchalantly playful.
"See, Mimi wants to go too!" Arashi laughed, crouching down and giving the little orange creature a nuzzle with his hand.
Astrid deflated, letting out a sigh. "A-alright."
Nemona practically bubbled with excitement, clapping her hands together. "All right! Nothing like having a friend around!"
She darted off to put some space between them, and the other three likewise stood out of the way. Mimi took her place in front of Astrid, studying Nemona and flicking her ears slightly before giving her cheeks a rub. The little orange creature might've been small, but she carried herself with confidence even if she was a little reserved. Nemona retrieved her own ball and gripped it for a second while bouncing in place before she threw it out.
"Let's have a fruitful battle, Astrid!" Out of the ball came a Marill, whose ears and tail wiggled a bit as a smile graced her face. The rotund blue one bounced a bit (much like her trainer), clearly wanting to get on with it too. "If you're good at this, I'm coming at you with two Pokemon this time!" Nemona called.
"A-ah…!" Astrid haplessly stammered. Nonetheless, she wasn't going to waste any time. "Quick Attack, Mimi!"
"Bubble Beam, Marill!" A barrage of bubbles came streaming out of Marill's mouth, but Mimi moved much too fast for them to hit her- the little orange one practically turned into a blur as she rushed Marill, the aquatic fairy giving a shout of surprise as she went sprawling out.
"Thunder Shock!" Astrid called.
"Rollout!" Nemona called likewise.
Another shout of protest came from Marill as Mimi became engulfed in sparks, giving her a jolt while they still tried to disentangle themselves. Still, Marill curled up like a ball (which wasn't hard on account of her rotund shape as it was) and set to rolling away, eliciting a surprised cry from Mimi as she did so. The little Pawmi wasn't quite sure what to do with her opponent zipping around, but Astrid wasn't too flustered.
"You're working those type matchups! I can tell you wanna win!" Nemona called.
"It's common sense," Astrid said softly, then with more volume, "Wait for it, Mimi! Charge for now!"
The Pawmi calmed down, rubbing her cheeks with her hands to Charge up her electricity while her eyes still tried to follow her foe. Nonetheless, shortly thereafter, Marill turned to roll into her, and Mimi stared her down.
"Thunder Shock again, Mimi!" Astrid cried.
"Miiiii!" Mimi shouted as she let a bigger electric burst go.
Marill didn't get a chance to roll into her foe, for the shock made her break her rolled-up posture and stop fairly quickly, a cry of surprise escaping her while she sprawled out. The aquatic fairy was seeing stars, no doubt about it, and Nemona quickly recalled her while Mimi started to smile a bit. "Wow, you're doing better than I expected!" Nemona exclaimed. "You have nothing to be shy about!"
"S-stop," Astrid said flatly, albeit too soft to hear from afar.
Nonetheless, Nemona pulled out another ball and sent out the creature inside- another Pawmi, one that instantly set to rubbing his cheeks the moment he hit the ground. Mimi locked eyes with him- she was studying him intently, and he was issuing an unspoken challenge. Another Pawmi on the field wasn't going to be as clean of a win as with Marill, Astrid figured, but maybe this was just fine- no one knew how to push a Pawmi's buttons better than another Pawmi, after all.
"Battling you is a blast!" Nemona called. "I better pull out my ace in the hole!"
"It's not so much an ace in the hole if your opponent has the same thing, is it?" Ashton remarked from the sidelines.
"Well, on the world we come from, my mom is a Greninja too and I'd call her an ace in the hole if I ever made her mad enough to fight me," Arashi mused haplessly. "I'd run crying, aha…!"
"She's up to something," Dylan noted, watching Nemona. "Just watch her."
Sure enough, the exuberant lass seemed to reach for what looked like another Poké Ball, albeit one made of black and clear glass. Astrid watched too with a puzzled expression as energy seemed to swirl around it, the air sparkling for a moment as she held it out for a second before throwing it, and Mimi was likewise unsure, her ears wiggling slightly.
"Is that…?" the shy girl's voice trailed off. "N-no…"
It wasn't Mega evolution, it wasn't a Z-move, and it certainly wasn't Dynamax. Whatever it was, she had no clue, but Pawmi's body became cloaked with an odd shine that made him look like he was composed of crystalline material, and on his head was a 'hat' (clearly more akin to a projection) that resembled a lightbulb.
"Terastallizing is always a solid strategy!" Nemona noted, smiling with determination. "It gives moves of the Pokémon's Tera type more power!"
'Terastallizing,' 'Tera type'… Astrid didn't know for sure what they meant, but she could certainly take a guess. "If the ones I faced on the world I belong on announced their strategies like that, it would've saved me a lot of trouble of trying to figure them out," she mused softly to herself. She looked Nemona in the eyes and called back, "So you're saying Pawmi's Electric type moves hit harder now? Is that what it is?"
Nemona paused for a second, eyeing Astrid back too, and her associates certainly tuned in.
"If there's such a thing as a 'Tera type,' it must be a unique thing compared to a Pokémon's usual type… Pawmi just happens to have the same Tera type as his actual one, "Astrid noted. "If he effectively has two Electric-type attributes, his Electric-type attacks must hit approximately twice as hard. That's it, isn't it?"
The human across from her perked up, eyes going slightly wide. "You totally figured it out! And you've never even seen a Tera Orb before this, have you?!"
Her company on the sidelines perked up too. "That's something I haven't seen in action," Ashton remarked. "Arashi, your friend is smart."
"She is," Arashi concurred. "And we definitely don't have that where I'm from."
"Nemona just effectively nullified Mimi's resistance to Electric type moves," Dylan noted. "That's not a bad strategy at all."
Nemona certainly seemed to know that, for she called, "Pawmi, Thunder Shock!" with a grin still plastered on her face.
Astrid deduced such too, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Mimi, Quick Attack!"
It was definitely a powered-up attack, too- the air glittered around Pawmi just like it had when he'd Terastallized in the first place. However, he may have rubbed his cheeks and fired a bolt, but Mimi wasn't standing in place to take it, turning into a blur and rushing her opponent. Her attack hit just fine, but the other little creature gave a cry of dismay as he was knocked over, scattering little sparkles that dissipated into nothing as it happened.
"Thunder Shock again, Pawmi!"
"Scratch, Mimi! Don't sweat it!"
It wasn't a very effective hit on Mimi, but with Pawmi's added firepower, that didn't matter much- Mimi gave off a little grunt of discomfort as she took the bolt, but all the same she extended one paw and swiped Pawmi across the face, eliciting the same from him too. The crystalline-shrouded creature stumbled a bit, but Mimi shook it off fine.
"Quick Attack!" Nemona called.
"You too!"
At that, both little creatures turned to blurs, smashing into each other head-on. Pawmi gave a determined growl, one eye narrowed, while Mimi didn't make a sound and got a slight smirk to her tiny mouth. They stayed trying to knock the other over for just a few moments… but soon, Pawmi was giving out and falling in a slump, and though Mimi stumbled backwards a bit, she was calm and collected as she stood there. Nemona flung her arms out to the side slightly as if she'd just been smashed into, thoroughly taken aback at her defeat, but Astrid simply crouched down and held her arms out while Mimi traipsed right back to her and pounced into them.
"H-hey," Astrid said softly, clutching Mimi to her chest. "Y-you did good…~"
A little zap came from the tiny orange creature, undoubtedly a playful gesture on her part but one that made Astrid jump slightly, before she crawled onto Astrid's shoulder and into her hood. Astrid shifted around for a moment as she did so, not quite sure what Mimi was doing, but eased up once Mimi nestled down, seemingly using her hood as a place to rest. The shy lass certainly didn't mind- Mimi could feel her body heat, and the sensation of tiny feet and fluffy ears against her back and neck was surprisingly relaxing.
Nemona, though, recalled Pawmi and looked to Astrid haplessly, saying, "Man, I can't believe how fast you're improving!"
Off to the side, Arashi giggled, trying not to show it. "Nemona has no idea.~"
"A-ah…!" Astrid cried, freezing up slightly again, especially as Nemona darted over to her.
"Look at you, taking on a Terastallized opponent and winning, no problem!" the exuberant lass remarked, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder, which made the shy lass freeze up some more. "What are you shy about, huh~? You've got this down great!"
Astrid made a few unintelligible sounds before stammering out, looking down at the ground, "L-look, th-this is a little new to me, b-but… I kn-know a thing or two."
"She knows a lot a thing or three!" Arashi said playfully.
His friend glanced over. "P-part of it came from you!"
"Yeah, me pushing you! All the figuring stuff out and calling the shots? That's all you!"
Nemona perked right up, looking at Astrid with starry eyes. "You have more experience than you're letting on?! Astrid, don't lie!"
"I-I'm not lying!" Astrid blurted out, wearing a pleading look. "I've never had a Pokémon of my own before! I-I mean, I have a friend back in Johto that's studying to be a professor, a-and another friend that wants to take on the League, b-but…!" There was more to it than that, but saying 'I used to be a Decidueye in another world and fought against a brainwashed Ultra Beast invasion with a whole expedition team of other Pokémon' certainly wasn't a good call.
Nemona's eyes glittered even more and she opened her mouth to say some likely exuberant words, but thankfully, Ashton stepped in, much to Astrid's relief.
"Hey," Ashton piped up, striding closer and putting a hand on Nemona's shoulder with a sly look. "You better show us how to pull off that- what did you call it?- Terastallization," she said amiably but firmly. "That is something I don't wanna sleep on."
The realization struck Nemona and she glanced at all of them in turn, saying, "That's right! Don't worry! I'll get you all taken care of!" She turned and looked up at the large gates. "Now, Mesagoza's waiting just past this gate! At last, the city where our school is! There's a ton of hills and stuff in the city. So I'm gonna take a quick breather and then catch up with you soon."
[***]
Mesagoza was a large city. Not as large as some of the places Dylan and Ashton had in their world, but certainly bigger than any of the settlements Arashi and Astrid had visited. The group could see many other people walking around in student uniforms just like Nemona and Arven wore, either in red or purple coloration.
"Why are there two different colors for the school uniforms?" Dylan asked. "Director Clavell was wearing both colors."
"Well, in the past the academy was actually two different schools on different sides of the region, supposedly," Nemona explained. "Then one day both sides put away their differences and co-founded both Guayaba Academy and Mesagoza. One school was scarlet and one was violet, so it was decided both would be our school colors. Students can choose what color they want their uniform to be."
"I'm more surprised that there are adults wearing student uniforms…" Astrid noted.
"Oh yeah, Guayaba Academy takes in all kinds of students, regardless of age. Don't worry, the dormitories are still separated by boys and girls," Nemona replied. "You guys can look around the city if you want."
"Nah, let's get the registration done with. Then we can explore," Ashton shook her head.
The group made their way through the city, climbing up the massive staircase that lead up to the academy. About halfway up, however, a commotion caught their attention as what seemed to be an altercation between three students was going down.
"Don't you get it!? If you join Team Star, you can shine as bright as anybody!" a student said. She was wearing a modified school uniform with a bike helmet and star-shaped sunglasses, with her male counterpart dressed the same way standing next to her. The student they were talking to didn't respond.
"Seriously, what's with you? Don't you wanna burn bright with awesome friends like us?" the male student questioned.
"…Not really," the third student said, her voice having a British ring to it. She was a small thing with two-tone blue and red hair and large circular glasses over gray eyes, her attire consisting of a gray Pokémon hoodie with large boots and patterned leggings, an Eevee backpack on her back.
"Look, we got a quota we're supposed to fill for new members, so just sign up already!" the female student insisted.
"Um… I'd rather not…" the girl replied.
"Hey, those… Team Star guys, was what they're called? Why are they being so pushy with that girl?" Arashi wondered.
"They remind me of some jerks we've had to battle in the past…" Ashton frowned.
"If they're trying to enforce their will over other people without their consent, they must be bad guys," Dylan nodded.
Arashi gasped. "They we have to help that girl!" He ran forward without thinking, skidding to a stop in front of the girl.
"Huh? You want in on this, too?" the female Team Star member questioned.
"If you're here to sign up, we'll get you next! We've nearly got this one in the bag!" the male Team Star member said.
"We're Team Star, kid We burn so bright, it hurts to look at us! But you knew that, right?" the female grunt said.
"Aha, I've never heard of you guys before in my life!" Arashi replied.
The female grunt stomped her foot. "ugh, another ignorant little nobody… Here I'm finally part of Team Star, and I still get no respect? I gotta work my way up the ranks…"
"Hey- we can't just let something like this slide!" the male grunt replied. "The honor of our team's on the line, so we've got no real choice but to battle, yeah?"
The female grunt nodded. "That's true! You keep watch on that little four-eyes over there! I'll make sure this fresh-faced nobody ends up seeing stars!" She did a weird star-shape motion with her hands before pulling out a ball, sending out a Shroodle.
"That move was super cool! But if you're bad guys, then I'll fight you off!" Arashi said, calling out Pyre for battle.
"I wouldn't call that pose "cool" myself…" Ashton muttered.
"Why do I suddenly feel like these guys are less "world-domination evil team" and more like high school delinquents…?" Dylan sighed.
"Use Ember, Pyre!" Arashi called, Fuecoco giving a sneeze as it blasted Shroodle with flames, the enemy Pokémon wincing as the flames lingered after the attack.
"N-No way! Did this kid just burn my Pokémon with Ember!?" the Star Grunt exclaimed. "Shroodle, use Leer!" The Pokémon sent a glare Pyre's way, but the Fuecoco seemed oblivious to his stats being lowered as he tackled Shroodle, knocking the Team Star member's Pokémon out.
"Aha! That'll teach you to try and force your ways onto people that clearly aren't interested!" Arashi exclaimed, striking a pose.
"…Is he… dabbing?" Ashton questioned.
"I swear, he learned all the wrong poses from that Buzzswole…" Astrid muttered.
"How am I the one seeing stars!? Ugh, how is a nobody like you so good at battling, anyway? That's just not right…" the grunt shook her head.
"No way, he beat you!?" the male grunt gasped. "Does this mean I gotta battle this kid now since I'm higher up Team Star's ranks!?"
"Not unless you want some punishment, dearie!" a feminine voice called, making everyone freeze up.
"No way…" Dylan said.
"Is that…?" Astrid said.
Coming down the stairs from the school was an adult woman with fiery red hair, a slightly pointed nose, and a mischievous grin on her face. Her body was ample in size, covered by a tight maroon skirt with a matching cardigan over a yellow shirt that had a generous v-neckline. Her black heels clicked on the steps as she adjusted her glasses, tapping a ruler in her free hand.
"Ugh, it's the new drama teacher!" the female grunt said.
"She's gonna report us if we don't book it!" the male grunt said.
"I must say, Arashi. I didn't expect you to go picking random students to battle, but at least you're being productive with your time by taking care of these ruffians," the teacher chuckled.
"…How do you know my name?" Arashi questioned.
"Oh, of course you don't recognize me," the teacher laughed. She did a spin before giving a wink to Arashi, holding out her ruler like it was a magic wand. "Just imagine me if I was a lot more "foxy" as the kids say."
"DELPHI!?" Dylan, Ashton, and Astrid exclaimed, before looking at each other. "Wait, you know her too!?"
"She ran a rescue team in our world!" Astrid explained.
"She was a star member of my Champion team in our world!" Dylan said.
"Oh, you guys know our drama teacher already?" Nemona questioned.
Dylan and Astrid shared a look. "Yeah she was a… valuable teacher on my journey to become Champion," Dylan lied.
"A-And she substituted ay my old school, a few times…" Astrid lied.
"These four are some of my most… productive students," Delphi chuckled. "I'm sure they'll make great friends for you to battle with, Nemona. But, as for you two…" She pointed her ruler at the Team Star grunts. "Were you two here to try and pressure more people into signing up for your team again?"
"Ah, h-hi…" the male grunt said, blushing as he looked at Delphi. "We weren't… not doing that."
His partner elbowed him. "Pull it together, man! Don't be seduced by the hot teacher!"
"As head of student council, stopping this type of nonsense would normally be my job…" Nemona noted. "But if Ms. Delphi is here, then these two will be dealt with, no problem!"
"W-Well… I'll be on my merry way, then yeah?" the male grunt said. "Hasta la vistaaar!"
"Me too! Hasta la vistar!" the female grunt said before the two ran off.
"Oh… I wanted to show them the power of Terastallizing…" Delphi sighed. "Oh well. If you didn't catch on already, Team Star is a group of students that like to kick up trouble. They hardly ever show up to class, and when they get together in groups, they're a real headache. I've heard that the other teacher don't know what to do with them, but I think they just need some discipline…"
Arashi and Astrid shuttered at the thought of what kind of "discipline" Delphi would put Team Star through if she got her hands on them. "It's good to know that you ended up in the same place as we did, Delphi," Dylan said.
"Yes, well, I might have landed a few weeks in the past from when you did, but I'm here in one piece!" Delphi giggled.
"Um… 'scuse me," the girl with glasses said, getting everyone attention. She looked to Arashi. "I… uh… I just… Well, thanks. So, yeah… See you around."
"You're welcome!" Arashi waved goodbye as the girl left.
"That's just like Arashi. Already becoming the big hero on campus," Delphi chuckled. "Nemona, I can take care of the new students from here and help them get settled in. How about you prepare Tera Orbs for them to use?"
"Oh yeah, I can do that, Ms. Delphi!" Nemona nodded. "Once you guys have Tera Orbs, you can use Terastallization in battle yourselves. They can only be used once per battle and have to be recharged at Pokémon Centers afterwards, but it adds a whole new dimension to battles!"
As Nemona ran off, Delphi smiled before turning to the group. "So, I assume that Raijin is somewhere around here as well?"
"Over here, Delphi," Raijin called, waving an arm over the side of the stairs.
"Yes, we'll have to see about getting you a ball for Astrid to carry you around safely in," Delphi hummed.
"How did you become a teacher at the academy, Delphi?" Dylan asked.
"Well unlike these two…" she pointed at Arashi and Astrid. "I was still a Pokémon when I came through the portal, but I used my powers to make myself appear human. I knew I needed to keep Nebby and safe, and Guayaba Academy seemed like the best bet."
"So, you still have the other Cosmog from when we last met…" Astrid hummed. "Raijin is holding onto Gemini right now."
Delphi nodded. "Yes, my little Nebby is safe in my room. They actually evolved into a Cosmoem after the trip, and it's no doubt that using their powers at the same time as Gemini is what brought all of us to this world."
"Nebby evolved? That's awesome! Gemini evolved as well!" Arashi exclaimed.
"No, not awesome. All Cosmoem do is sleep, so we'll have to wait for one of them to evolve before we can even go back home," Astrid said.
"Well, at least we can use being students at the academy as an excuse to explore for way to wake Nebby and… Gemini was it? We'll find a way to get them to wake up and take us home to our respective worlds," Dylan said.
"Yes, that all sounds good. Now then, let me give you all the tour of the school," Delphi said, pointing her ruler forward. "Students, welcome to your new life at Guayaba Academy!"
"She's getting way too into this…" Ashton rolled her eyes.
Life at Guayaba academy flew by quickly. Ashton routinely got into scuffles in the schoolyard while Dylan minded his own business, Arashi tried sneaking out at night or cheered on scuffles in the schoolyard while Astrid kept to herself. Mr. Jacq and Ms. Raifort were certainly intrigued by a certain Ancient Guardian Lucario in Dylan's company that was clearly not a normal member of the species, and Orochi garnered quite a reputation as a fearsome beast for anyone brave (or stupid) enough to challenge Ashton to a battle. A schoolyard whisper occasionally went around about an Ultra Beast sighting on the campus, but this was brushed off as the same sort of nonsense as a Mew making its home under a truck in Vermilion Harbor… though only a tiny handful of the students (and a Delphox disguising herself as a human) knew that it was true. The Ultra Beast (a Xurkitree, in particular) was actually either in Astrid's room or carried in a ball in her bag along with a certain Cosmoem that still appeared to be in a heavy slumber, sticking close to his friends but never being seen for more than a second. Try as the bunch might to rouse them, Gemini and Nebby both were down and out for the foreseeable future, it seemed- there would likely be no returning home without them.
…But even so, though the prospect of going home was much more appealing, Paldea and Guayaba Academy itself were welcoming, at the very least. The days turned to weeks, weeks to months… until at last, one day, an announcement everyone was waiting for, knowingly or unknowingly, came across the intercom. "Attention, all students. Today marks the beginning of an important new assignment. Please assemble in the schoolyard, where I will explain in more detail."
And to the schoolyard everyone went, the student body abuzz with chatter- some wondering what this assignment could possibly be, some upperclassmen excited about the prospect and glad that the time for it had finally arrived. Director Clavell and the teachers were all gathered towards the front, Clavell himself on a smallish stage and peering out over everyone to make sure the masses had arrived. Dylan, Ashton, Astrid, and Arashi were of course bunched together, but over bounded Nemona too, her eyes practically sparkling like a Terastallized Pokémon.
"It's TIIIIIIIME!" the exuberant girl cried, balling up her fists and bouncing in place happily. "I've been waiting forever for this! You guys are gonna be soooo excited!"
"What're we doing, huh?!" Arashi exclaimed, his own eyes sparkling too.
"Wait and see!" Nemona playfully replied.
"Seriously?" Ashton remarked, shooting her a sarcastic look. "You're just gonna get our hopes up like that?"
Nemona only chuckled, turning to look to the director. "Excellent. It seems everyone is here," he said, still combing over the crowd. The students shut up, listening to his explanation and directions. "Well then, it's time that I explained your independent study assignment. As usual, the theme will be 'A Treasure Hunt'!"
Nemona's eyes sparkled even more, and she stifled a happy squeal while shifting around gleefully.
"Treasure?!" Arashi exclaimed, his grin spreading.
"I ask each of you to set out and travel the world in search of your own treasure," Clavell continued. "You have all learned much within the walls of our fine academy… But now it is time to turn your eyes upon the wider world and deepen your understanding. Explore Paldea's abundant nature, soak in its rich culture… discover the Pokémon that live here… and get to know the people, too."
Astrid cast a glance aside at Arashi, who met her gaze and wordlessly nodded. It sounded something akin to expeditioning… which they were certainly fine to do. Maybe somewhere across Paldea was a way back home, a way to wake Gemini back up and return to where they belonged.
"Where will you travel? Who will you meet? And what will you achieve? Of course, your Pokémon partners will be there to help you. You will journey together… learn new things together… share each other's thoughts and feelings… and find something you might always treasure!"
Dylan, however, carefully considered the words being said… and figured maybe, just maybe, finding something to treasure didn't have to involve trekking to the farthest reaches of the world. Orochi's ball, on the other hand, started to squirm a bit on Ashton's belt, and she reached down to give it a pat with a snicker. They definitely had the same idea- find the most worthy opponents and show their might.
"I look forward to welcoming you all back after your independent study… when you return to us as fine young trainers! Let the Treasure Hunt begin! Onward!" A cheer erupted from the ones gathered, which made him smile, but he nonetheless added,"Take care, everyone! And remember- the Great Crater of Paldea is exceedingly dangerous! Entering it is a violation of school rules!"
"I'll violate your rules all I wanna," Ashton said under her breath, getting a pointed look from Dylan.
Nemona, though, turned to the bunch and said, "What're you guys waiting for? C'mon!" before taking off down the steps.
The four she left shared a glance- Ashton was smirking, Arashi was beaming, Dylan had a smile, and Astrid hunched up a bit but wasn't standoffish.
Arashi giggled, taking a step in the same direction and glancing back while musing, "Well, I'm not gonna waste time! Shall we~?"
There were no protests. Off they went, the four of them considering their own paths, for surely, there were many to pick from.
Author's Note
Azakael: Okay, I just have to get it out of my system. Whilst writing the cave scene, I was watching playthroughs of both games to get the details right, and OH MY GOD I NEVER REALIZED IT UNTIL NOW, but that freaking cave's theme… t has a tune that is very, VERY similar to the cutscene at the end of the first stage of Balan Wonderworld. If you know, you know, but if you don't know, that game was a complete failure and has been mocked relentlessly by the internet ever since it came out. I got a heavily discounted copy of it because I wanted to see how bad it was firsthand, and oh god, it wasn't even worth the $12.99 I paid for it but I can't let it go because it's like some twisted relic of fail that I just have to preserve. Now that it has clicked, I can never see Inlet Grotto the same way again.
Completely unrelated to that, when writing Astrid vs. Nemona, I realized that Astrid didn't have a conventional starter like the other three, and Nemona's team changes depending on your starter, so I just had to pick what seemed like the easiest counterpart- Marill. Pawmi and Marill are both Pika clones, after all, but water is weak to electricity, which keeps the latest trend (that I detest, but that's beside the point) of your rival picking the starter weak to yours. I'm also just fond of Azumarill- I have one nicknamed DEATH that I throw into raids all the time.
TheDragonSaver: We wanted to get all of the introduction stuff out of the way first so we could get into the Paldea adventure, but obviously we left out of the full introductions to the "Path of Legends/Starfall Street/Victory Road." I needed time to let Delphi establish that she's a teacher at the school now, so we'll let Arven, Penny, and Nemona drag our main characters into their plots next time. I think the team will have different ways to get involved anyways lol.
It's interesting the little changes I had to make since this story combines Scarlet and Violet versions together, the biggest being that Arven has both parents named here. I know it's a big fan theory that Arven has both Sada and Toro as his parents with one walking out of his life depending on the version, but here he's going to have both parents around. That means he's going to have double the parental issues :D
On a funnier note, Delphi is always fun to write, and her being a school teacher is only going to add to the hilarity that will ensue. Other than that I believe we'll be getting Pokémon news soon since this'll be posted close to Pokémon Day (February 27 for those that don't know) so it won't be long before we know what the next game will be and/or if Azakael and I will be disappointed in it or not!