Twin Colors

by tremor3258

Generally getting cheat memories is supposed to be a *bonus*. OCs, Paldea, post-game.

22. Teaching Taxonomy

Twin Colors

By tremor3258

Chapter 22

Teaching Taxonomy

---

Mei awoke to see blue sky through her window. The sun was out again after the last few days' clouds. Light sparkled against Terpsi's leaves as she snoozed in her loam. She gave the sky a glare on general principle. She had fallen asleep so quickly she had forgotten to close the curtains, and it was dark enough when she fell asleep again it hadn't registered. The light bouncing off the frame had woken her up ten minutes before her alarm. She felt a lot better than yesterday, though.

She turned, carefully, to get out of bed. Pome was asleep on one of her legs and she didn't have to wake him yet. Her care was ruined when she yelped as she rolled her face into her hovering phone with a smack. Pome snapped awake, jaw clicking, and Terpsi cheeped in alarm from the windowsill.

She was startled rather than hurt, and she sat up in bed as her phone bobbed anxiously. She rubbed her nose and asked, "Did I miss a call?" In response, the Rotom brought up the messaging app. Two threads were flagged.

The larger one was in her classmates' group chat. Rose had started a thread late last night and it looked like people had been posting through the night.

"I couldn't sleep for a bitm and I thought over what Clavell said, and talked with Alamy," it began. Mei sighed but continued reading, "and he was right we should have at least stayed to be double-checked. If anyone has recurring headaches, or feels they're forgetting something, please go to the nurse. It was selfish to leave for our own wants since we were involved. Whatever was left from inside Aliquis put the two of us under a curse. I should have been more mature instead of just wanting to get away and try to leave it to the teachers. Didn't deserve to relax yet."

There was a bit more with Alamy chiming in back and forth for a description of the 'ruin curse' the two had gone through. Mei hadn't seen some of the details from Mela and Jacq last evening. She really needed to read more Paldean folklore, apparently, but she hadn't gotten any homework done yesterday either.

There was also the two describing a mental battle, and that was eerily familiar to Mei from her own dreams. She pinched herself to make sure she was awake now, but all it got her was a sore arm.

Terpsi cheeped from her pot. "What do you mean 'of course we were there'?" Mei asked. Terpsi clarified. "Great, I managed to get through a conversation without yelling at my sister and all I needed to do was be asleep," Mei lamented.

"It's thanks to your support that we had the strength to break free. We didn't do enough to help back, and we'll try to be better trainers than that," was the last part of the initial post.

"Flighty again," Mei said. Pome gave her a look at that. "I know she needed to get that necklace fixed. I don't want her breaking her neck on her stairs if she's listening to every voice that comes calling. If you are going to play Champion, you need to handle clean-up." She held a hand up before Pome could sleep again.

"I know I'm in no position to judge but I fell right asleep. They were up. I'm not falling over myself lamenting wanting to have a life, for everyone to see and pity," Mei said, "I love those old Kalos traditions, but the Knight showed how much those are worth. Flare superiority and hypocrisy. Beg for apologies after taking and taking," Mei commented.

Or you never thought your sister was going to be good at this. If she fixes what's wrong with her first you're a loser, and you know it. Time and Space forefend you accept her worth getting support, came some thoughts from deep inside that Mei wanted to call treacherous. But they weren't the parts a dragon distilled in insisting they were the champion she was following, so who was the traitor?

Terpsi and Pome's objections hit the same spots. At least Mei could give credit to the old her, she was still fighting, even if the flashes of anger kept burning through it.

She wasn't at least fully angry now. "Too much Flare superiority in me from the Knight too," she said ruefully, and her partners made happy noises at a bit of self-reflection. She glanced at her hand. The waves of emotion felt much calmer this morning, even when thinking of the bug zapper.

"You think the curse was making me worse?" Mei asked Terpsi. The little Bounsweet rustled in a shrug. "Let's hope so then."

Mei skimmed the rest of the thread. Of course, the non-battlers were throwing themselves in to assure the two girls that taking some self-care was fine instead of the whole load of the Academy. Mei found herself agreeing with Clavell. These problems could fester.

Mei realized there was another commentator and scrolled up. Kieran had agreed too, oddly enough. Mei wondered what he had run into that had stressed him badly enough to have to leave.

"Oh good, Victor covered the checkup routines, so I don't have to go and write all that out," Mei said aloud. Sometimes it was simpler with multiple partners to throw information out that way.

Mei scrolled back down. "Ooh, Kieran wants to give us more training. Yes, please. Covering raids after those two debacles. I wish I could tutor like that. He just sees the problem right away and how to fix it," Mei muttered.

She did start contributing there. "Happy for more tutoring. Let me know if there is something to make it up to you," she wrote. Graciousness was important. "I was asleep hard most of the time but got called clean as well. As much as the teachers have pushed us around, I get why you wanted them to do something." Mei pulled her fingers back before send.

"Don't mention the ghost, don't mention the ghost. You promised not to give her flack about the ghost," Mei repeated to herself as a mantra.

As the urge left, she typed, "It sucks, but we've gotten a lot done, and I wish we didn't have to. Battlers need to watch out for people, even if we have bad role models." Mei looked it over again and pressed send.

The Rotom in the phone beeped at her and vibrated. "Right, two message chains," she said. Catching up on the first one had taken something like ten minutes. Realizing that, she tapped her alarm series off before the first of them could go off.

Mei pulled over to the second urgent notification and muttered some words her mother didn't think she knew. Hannah had sent a request to talk, before nine last night but Mei had already been asleep. That was early enough Rose should've been up, but there was nothing about her. Two missed call notifications from her mother's number as well, but no message.

"Rose didn't send me a text I'm missing about this?" Mei asked. The Rotom phone shook and wobbled back and forth in a no. "Mother," Mei hissed, then patted her hair. "How do I look?" she asked her partners. The two shook their heads. "That may be for the best," Mei acknowledged, "Especially if we're going in blind. Looking frazzled may help the money situation." Mei had done well so far, luck and skill, but she could throw a shopping list in her head that would drain it dry with a second's thought.

Terpsi looked at her doubtfully on that one. "I have to try to keep pushing on it," Mei said, "At least I'm feeling awake this morning and have my facilities." Terpsi cheeped a follow-up question. "She's not just a bank card. Of course I love my mother!" Mei said, but a follow-up burst out of her, "When she's there, of course. She always had to work and work, but it means I'm good at not stressing her out." Mei tried to run her hands through her hair anyway despite her earlier words, but the tangles didn't let her get very far. Messy would have to do.

"This could be anything from the League showing up at the house to Blossom finally having seedlings," Mei said, "So let's get it over with." She checked her mouth to make sure she was smiling and pressed the call button.

---

It took three rings to pick up. "Hi Mom!" Mei said brightly to Hannah when the screen finally cleared. She looked significantly more ready for the day than Mei was.

Hannah opened her mouth then closed it. "Did you just wake up?" Hannah asked dubiously, "When are you setting your alarm?"

"I don't have classes until ten," Mei said, "Plenty of time to get ready. I went hard the first day and it wore me out. I missed your messages. What's up? Was Rose able to help you?"

"Is it Pome? It's fantastic you bonded outside your natural talents, but it must be a drain," Hannah criticized. Mei merely shrugged. Better trainers than her mother had been criticizing her on this.

"This isn't a Rose issue, of course, she's fine," Hannah said. How would you know? Mei thought. The frown must have shown on her face because Hannah laughed, "I know you're doing your best to be good, don't worry. You forgot to call me after the Chairwoman talked to you yesterday? I had been waiting for that. Then an email came, as your sponsor, that a 'spiritual contamination' had occurred on campus, and you had consented to a health check. What did you do Mei?" her mother demanded.

"What did I do? They forced a challenge intentionally," Mei burst out and then winced. Terpsi just looked at Pome and sighed in the background. The little Croc Pokemon shrugged back. Their trainer was taking good care of them but they weren't blind to her faults.

"What," Hannah said quietly. Mei expected the neighbors had looked over to the walls, wondering where an aura of menace had come from. Mei's thoughts raced as she considered if any edits were required but decided against it.

"Some sort of spiritual energy on campus, not a Pokemon, was dragging everyone down Mom. Since they were influenced, I'm supposed to live and let live and wait for something else. But I'm also not supposed to see them in any classes," Mei said and rolled her eyes. No acting required there.

She knew there was some sort of punishment. The gaggle of bullying pet trainers seemed to think Raifrot was terrifying, but Mei mainly thought Raifort was dangerously unwise. Saguaro was supposed to just be a chef, but he had gotten clever with a cleansing technique instead of throwing a class at a cursed object.

"I'm going to write about that," Hannah said, still quiet. Mei nodded. Their temper had come from their mother.

"Please do. The check was in the dorms, when they had their acts together," Mei said, "Psychic check for a curse."

Hannah nodded in understanding. "Not that many good ghost trainers around. Psychic is a good backup for finding emotional damage," she said, "We usually used psychic essence as the core of reinforcing runes. More trainers work better with psychic than ghost even if takes a lot more essence."

"We?" Mei asked. Hannah shook her head.

"Forget that," Hannah directed, "I can tell you when humans leave an area completely, it's an intense experience. Spiritual weak spots tend to breed psychic and ghost trainers and attract the Pokemon. Even people who want the look usually need a touch of natural inclination. Paldea is reportedly littered with abandoned settlements. Something probably leaked onto an archeologist and ended up at the school." Mei didn't bother giving what she knew of the Misdeavus's background, she had a sudden other concern.

"You're talking about the spiritual elements, so what about fairy?" Mei asked.

"Most love boundaries, but they like livelier areas. It's why half of them are associated to cooking," Hannah said, "I don't know if you remember, you were so little, but people would usually spot a few Ralts a year at Solaceon. All the ranches right up the tower suited their inclinations."

Spiritual fault lines. How much time did you spend among the Unown when you were carrying us, mother? Mei wondered. Mei's theory on the twins being dual typed had just gotten some more evidence.

"Why the sudden interest in fairy? Dragon protection?" Hannah asked, suddenly serious.

Mei hadn't seen that one coming as a follow-up. Pome, out of camera view, made little 'hurry up' gestures as she tried to rally. "I think the dragons have said their piece," Mei said at last, "It was more a question on the elements. We had a couple encounters with the type this weekend, and… I think Rose and I may have a touch in those directions? You saw Pome," Mei said, and adjusted the phone down long enough for Pome to whistle greetings and wave. "But eventually there's Skeledrige? There's something building that feels comfortable under the fire," Mei finished.

"I don't know them really. Are they psychic?" Hannah asked.

"That's Kalos's reserved species. Skeledirge picks up a ghost type at their final evolution. I've seen a couple other ghosts here, the normal living kind, besides the spirit. They reacted to me. I can't talk like I can with grass, and they don't fit like Terpsi does, but they have a… fit of their own. Mei paused as Terpsi burbled cheerfully on how incredible she was.

Hannah looked past Mei for several seconds, staring. Mei and Rose had, until her promotion last year, limited time blocks as their mother spent most of the time in the field on sales calls. They had become experts in Hannahology to maximize the time with her. What brought happiness, what brought stress, and how to move one to the other.

Mei could say with authority her mother wasn't surprised, this was panic. Something she hadn't wanted to think about and pray wouldn't come had, and now she was caught out. The last time Mei saw it was when their mother's attempts to get solstice off had fallen through two years ago. She had insisted she could make it work until the last minute.

The dead air was starting to stretch on. "It was something of a surprise. I haven't ever interacted with ghosts. I mean, grass is so simple for me," Mei said.

"Yes! Yes, very easy!" Hannah said, startled into movement. Pome stared at Mei and Mei tugged the collar of her pajamas as Terpsi sniggered. Apparently, Hannah needed a bit of a push to get out of being locked up herself. That wasn't a future Mei wanted.

"It's best really to try and use those natural talents straight through. When you're established, you can go back and diversify," Hannah urged.

"But I'm not 'straight through'. It's all branches on my channeling," Mei said, "But I'll keep it in mind." Terpsi burbled a nasty comment, and Mei mentally told her to hush. Her mother could still pick up tone. Widening the purse strings was more important than investigating what was going on in their bond training. Even after Rose's revelation, she was still all scrambled and not nearly as efficient as Mei at delivering power, and Mei was usually giving too much herself.

"You don't want to make waves," Hannah warned again, "But tell me about this Chairwoman meeting. You didn't call right afterward, and the League didn't show up here, so I assume it went fine."

Mei winced and said, "It was right before homeroom, Mom. No time." There was a knock on the door before she could finish.

Mei and the phone both rotated to look at the door. Mei briefly panicked that it was the League, but a brief probe cleared it. Even without line of sight, she knew that mess of a trainer. That caused more panic and Pome whistled urgently. Rose being a follow-up from death wasn't something their mother needed to know, and Mei couldn't text with Hannah already watching without it being suspicious.

"Mei, when you're decent, I've brought breakfast!" came Rose's firm voice. Mei frowned, not just because her sister had left her out of time. Rose didn't sound happy for someone offering a gift. "It sounded like you didn't have time to prep anything last night, so I made plenty. I figured we could just get the lectures out of your system before class," Rose continued. Terpsi laughed, not kindly at Mei.

"What is she talking about?" Hannah asked.

There was another knock and then silence for a few seconds. "I don't hear the shower, you must be in the bathroom," Rose said, "Sorry, I didn't think you would wake up before your alarm, so I wasn't ready earlier. You did get checked and weren't just trying to keep people happy, did you?" Mei left the Rotom phone spinning in the air as she started to rush to the door.

"Waking up before your alarm doesn't sound to me like something a dea – oh hi!" Rose said, her puzzled look turning more reassured. Her lips twitched up in an attempted smile. She was in school uniform, but her skin was ruddy, and her hair wrapped in a towel, so she must have just showered. Azucena stared up challengingly at Mei from the floor.

Mei sagged in relief. Rose had brought the meal in her rice cooker's pot and the potholders (Grow Sures branded) covered most of the damage. Mei signed with her free hand their sign, taken right from the Ranger manual, for danger.

Rose looked around in concern. There was a pulse, and Mei could hear the whisper of a thousand leaves stirring in a gentle wind for a moment. Rose then shook her head, unclear where the problem was. "I forgot to close my windows and got up early. The school sent someone out and I got checked. I had to make a quick call this morning, too," Mei said, and took a step to the side so Rose could see her floating phone.

Rose's eyes went pale, and she swallowed hard. Mei could see tendons in her arms stand out as she clutched the pot harder. "Hi Mom," Rose rasped. Rose glanced down at her hands and then at Mei pleadingly. Mei shook her head subtly. Rose's grip relaxed, but the color continued to drain from her face. Azucena chittered in worry.

"Taking care of your sister's trouble, Rose?" Hannah asked. Rose nodded and rushed past the phone's field of vision to the kitchenette. The phone started to turn to follow the motion, and Mei gestured to herself. The Rotom in the phone buzzed agreement and focused back on Mei.

"I'm curious about those lectures, but I really need to hear about the Chairwoman, Mei," Hannah said. It was clear she was running out of patience.

"Most of what she said was about hoping to see people at the Paldean League eventually," Mei said, "What she did was bring out a fully evolved Pokemon to intimidate. It was just Victor and I and our homeroom teacher. She was flaring up her channeling too, making herself bigger."

"Ew," Hannah said eloquently.

"I can say with confidence she's the genuine article for Champion power. She didn't need to, but wanted to make sure anyway. So Victor and I agree: ew. Then she went out of the way to ask if Leon was cleared for the Darkest Day." Rose made a strained angry noise, but Mei doubted Hannah heard it over her own shout. Her sister was bracing against the counter and shaking.

"How dare she?" Hannah fumed, "He held that monster off for all Hammerlocke! No one knew the heroes were coming and he still did it!"

"The class was outside. Rose and a few other classmates waded in against her ego to protest that. She changed tactics then," Mei said. She motioned again to her phone to stay on her. Rose was quivering.

"Wait, Rose led-" Hannah began.

"It turns out," Mei said quickly, "That I gave a little 'student on the street' interview Saturday. Victor too, I suppose. Geeta seemed worried one of the most promising trainers this year. And Victor," she paused. Her mother obligingly chuckled at the mild joke, "disliked her personally since we come from sensible regions with separation of powers."

Mei pointed out of view of the camera at her own Triad necklace on her bedtable. Rose shook her head, still shaking. There had been another major event Saturday, but Rose didn't want to bring it up yet. Mei couldn't blame her. Terpsi muttered under her breath and Pome frowned disprovingly, though, at another confrontation pushed back. Azucena hopped to the edge of the counter and started chiding both on behalf of her trainer.

Mei wondered briefly why her sister got Pokemon more in tune with her. It could have gone the other way, she supposed, but that was an ugly thought.

"You would think a Champion would be above caring about some starting trainers," Hannah criticized, drawing Mei's attention back.

"It's worse: she's on the Academy board. From what it sounds with how gyms are arranged, and the matches are arranged, it's all based on proximity to Mesagoza. The League seems to think the Academy is Paldea," Mei summarized.

"She sounds like a powerful opposition," Hannah said, "She doesn't actually think you're an enemy, I hope."

"She mainly seemed embarrassed at having a human reaction," Mei said. Hannah laughed, louder than the forced one earlier. "She invited Victor and I to see them start dismantling the battle court Thursday. Someone messed up an upgrade and the student council president blew a hole right through Mesagoza's best court."

"So, this Geeta didn't think anything was wrong with you?" Hannah pressed. Nemona being amazing apparently didn't factor to their mother.

"I don't think so, but she seems very good at showing people what she wants," Mei said, "But she didn't talk about recent history, or Kalos to me. If she wanted to crush me, I don't think anyone could stop her. I think she wanted what she said: Paldea doesn't have enough native serious trainers and hopes our class helps raise the bar."

Hannah sighed, "I know trainer psychology doesn't help but try and keep a low profile?" she encouraged, "Follow your sister's example." Mei looked at Rose dubiously, and Pome just pointed at Rose and laughed and Azucena huffed.

"She brought breakfast so the example to follow now is to eat while it's warm," Mei said, taking back the lead.

"I have terrible habit of calling at mealtimes. Last time I saw Rose's cooking, I was drooling so hard I could barely talk. Looking forward to winter break and having you both take on the cooking," Hannah said and waved. Mei did as well as the connection broke. Terpsi sat up in her pot and Mei borrowed from her to leap the counter to her sister.

Rose was panting raggedly. She was sagged against the counter to stay upright. She tried reaching up for her necklace but started to collapse, putting both arms back to the counter. Azucena glared angrily at Mei's phone and chittered. The Rotom buzzed back defensively. It was literally just the messenger here.

"She didn't see anything. Breath. We're done," Mei encouraged, "Maybe further from the pot, that steam can't help. It smells great. Thank you. Come and sit down." Mei had to keep borrowing to ignore physics to keep Rose upright as they walked, her sister seemed to have no strength. Mei got her in a chair and went to fetch water.

Rose stared at the cup, still breathing hard, but didn't make a move to drink it. Her hand was to her necklace, other one held up to weight. Holding her focus seemed to be helping slow her breathing down. Terpsi hopped out of her pot to eye the glass and Mei glared at her Bounsweet, pointing to her water dish.

"How were you going to drink it without hands?" Mei asked. Terpsi grunted something noncommittal as she sulked to her bowl to rehydrate. Mei's attention went back to Rose. "Take your time, but drink something. She didn't see," Mei said.

"If I had been feeling kind enough to plate the food," Rose began and started gasping again. Mei rubbed her back and craned to check her eyes. They were sparkling. Rose was open and probably getting all the bad possibilities.

"It didn't happen," Mei said firmly, "And if you had plated I could have grabbed it and closed the door and made up… something. She wouldn't have seen." Mei sat down across as Rose's breathing slowed. Rose closed her eyes and finally drank the water. When she opened them, they were merely shimmering. Azucena leapt from the counter to the table, and Rose started rubbing her Petilil's head.

Mei was briefly distracted, for something without legs, that was a good distance. What was Rose doing in the morning? She put it as something to think about, not that a Petilil's kick was ever going to amount to much.

"I don't think I've ever seen you panic like that, Rose," Mei said quietly.

"I've never had a reason too," Rose said darkly.

"Ever," Mei repeated, "You're sure it's all gone?" At Rose's nod, Mei held up her hands. "Salvatore was clean, so it wasn't something from Sunday that made you open, probably. I am trying not to criticize on the ghost." Terpsi looked up from her bowl to say something along the lines of 'for now'. Both sisters ignored her for the moment.

"Do you remember everything from the Knight?" Rose suddenly asked, "I don't mean all the emotions of being told you were a good killer by Lysandre. Just events."

Mei was flummoxed enough by the swerve to respond instantly, "I think so. I haven't checked for every single day. I have to recall things. I don't have time to do that for my own life."

"I was going to mention this earlier, but everything happened. For when I was out Sunday and let me finish," Rose said hastily. Mei took deep breaths and nodded. Focus on the good feelings to get through the flames, she reminded herself. Mela had told her it would help. There was still a rising urge to swat down Rose for her Sunday suicidal idiocy, but Mei managed to ride it out. It really was easier than yesterday, which hopefully meant some of her own idiocy was enhanced when she was influenced.

"I tried to think at one point of what Mom said to that Rose at the end. I was mad because she got in my life," Rose said. Mei nodded understanding. "It was blank. I couldn't think of anything at all about it."

"The Knight was younger when that Mom died. She might not have seen it," Mei said.

"What was the Knight told then?" Rose asked after thinking for a moment.

"Um, sure. It would be, um," Mei paused in her stuttering, "Okay, I remember stuff when she knew but… why wouldn't we?"

"I haven't had a lot of time to think on it but I have two ideas," Rose said, "One is; well, it was Mom. And she died. Even with her ign-," Rose stopped, "Even with. Maybe it was so much emotion the dragons took it entirely when they weakened the memories enough that we could survive."

"I'm going to like the second option less," Mei predicted. She stood up to get some plates. They did have to eat before class, and Rose was calmer.

"Hannah Desrosiers was, or is, a Warden of the Solaceon Ruins," Rose said, "There may be information that literally can't be passed to a third party. We know we're not the exact same people those were, just similar lives; our souls aren't interfering with each other when channeling. So even we count as different people. There are things at the edges of reality that need those protections."

Mei's pulling down plates slowed to a stop. "Mom's been weird about training our bonds and telling us things we should have been watching for. When I told her a little how stuff felt… fitting on different types?" Mei finished with a prompt. Rose nodded, though her lips were thin at the summary. Azucena on the table though winked and conjured a minor Charm on her own power, and Rose smiled despite herself.

"She said to stop and focus on what worked before instead of what feels best, which is… no advice a trainer should have ever," Mei said, nodding to her partners, "And remember that face she made before solstice two years ago?"

"That big sales trip that she kept insisting she wouldn't have to go to? So suddenly we needed to get a week's worth of stuff in the house when she was gone at the last minute?" Rose recalled. Mei nodded.

"I think she's scared of something if we get good at what our nature and being a battler demands," Mei said, "Though I can't think of what, since the dragons showed up after. Also, she said something that made me think Solaceon has a touch in us having extra preferences." Mei listed it off briefly and Rose nodded.

"There's lots of reasons trainers pick types," Rose said, "Though it makes sense why it would be lurking, then. I can't think what about us would make Mom worry if we could protect ourselves. We know how good Gabriel could get even with Flare backing. But the dragons give her more reasons to try and stop us, and I can't go back to Hammerlocke, Mei. I can't," Rose spoke faster and faster as she held her hands up for display for emphasis. Her breath coming in short gasps again, Mei rushed back from plating to rub Rose's back until it passed.

"All she focuses on is you," Rose said when she was calmer, "No one in Galar would take a chance on a sponsorship if I'm ejected from the Academy. My likely job would be a store clerk and it would take years to scrape up the training for someone to take a chance on me on the Circuit. I don't want to waste what I have, Mei. Having friends and the Academy is helping me, and you too."

"Yeah, I know about the people you like," Mei said darkly, but she didn't press it when Rose glared. "I can't think Mom gave up on you. I don't want to believe it. She mainly seems completely convinced I'm going to do something stupid."

"It's clear I'm the sideshow," Rose said, and she practically spat the word. Mei stared at her, surprised. There was more anger there than this week, but Mei couldn't disagree, even if she wanted to. Even if she was frittering away time, Rose seemed much happier here than Hammerlocke. Trying to think, Mei went back to getting food ready.

Maybe she just couldn't bloom in the city of dragons. Mei maybe kept her in a box, but their mother had tried to at least even out activities. Here she was able to be led by the nose past any discussion on Rose, even on things she should be concerned about. If Hannah was paying attention to how Rose was doing, Mei knew she couldn't have hid Rose being knocked unconscious.

"You shouldn't ever call yourself one, and you shouldn't be," Mei said, "I'd rather you knuckle down a little more in how you train. Or a lot, but this place is better for you. Trainers are supposed to help each other between matches, but we're really getting it at the Academy."

"I don't know why you're so focused on me upping power," Rose said, "It's not fixing your big problem."

Pome whistled in alarm as Mei's grip on the ladle went briefly white knuckled. She rode it out and Terpsi made an appreciative burble. Rose cocked her head at that, and Mei grimaced. No grass Pokemon could have a private conversation with their trainer with either of them around.

"The flares are exhausting, I need more to feed it," Mei said, "It keeps happening. It feels better today."

"You seem more even," Rose said, "So far."

"So far," Mei agreed, "There's a bunch of things I should improve but until I can feed the fires in full, they keep burning through. There's a stillness that should help, I can feel when I'm at max, and I need to keep chasing that. You're still spitting energy all over, meanwhile."

Azucena and Rose looked at each other. "I need more consistency before I can worry about if I'm delivering in full," Rose said, "And precision on timing."

"I can tell you're working. I'm sorry I don't agree with what you and the Kal-Alamy," Mei corrected as Rose's eyes started to darken, and Rose smiled encouragingly for Mei to continue, "Are working on in full. I know you're working hard, I just worry if you're getting results with effort."

"I didn't do badly Sunday morning," Rose reminded Mei, "You really can't think we'll do the same with the same face."

"No," Mei fibbed, "I do want you to do well, though."

"You really do seem calmer this morning," Rose said hopefully and trying to change the subject. Mei decided to bite.

"If I am tinged with ghost naturally, I suppose a spirit would hit me harder, or make me burn harder to fight it off," Mei said. She glanced at herself in the mirror, messy hair and all. "Mela's advice is helping, right?" she asked Pome. He gave a distracted thumbs up. Those big nostrils were clearing getting the meal.

"I don't think they're ready to talk psychology before eating," Rose said. Azcuena chirped hungry agreement.

"I know I'm never the easiest person to share space with, especially if you like quiet," Mei said. Rose nodded right away, but Mei kept the flames away. "I know you're trying, and I really do appreciate it when I'm calm. Someday I hope to be able to hit all this rationally and make it up to you."

"I can't be a good trainer if I give up right away," Rose said, "That Rose is staying behind, it won't get better then. Not everything has worked out yet, but we're still working." Rose glanced at her hand, but then nodded firmly, looking forward. Azucena flexed and chirped agreement, then chirped again insistently.

"I'm coming," Mei promised as she started to bring plates over. "We'll talk about fashion or the Circuit and have a nice meal. You can stop me if I start getting angry. None of this with the dragons or my choices are your fault, all right?"

Rose dropped Ivy's ball as he popped out, puffing onto the table in a mini-Trailblaze and both looked expectant.

"Yes, we won't have the talk until you all are served first," Mei assured him, giggling. Terpsi and Pome joined in the cheer.

---

Mei managed to hold to her promise to stay civil, enough so that Rose came back after finishing her own first prep to plow through Mei's hair. Rose was beginning to suspect Mei's pillow was cursed. After five minutes' work, they finally had to let Pome and Ivy go at it with their claws to make progress. It was painful but broke it up enough that Mei at least looked more like a kelp farm than a Tangela.

Rose doubted it was something at school with Mei's longer hair at fault. It was a good argument for Mei's theory on her being ghost-touched. Rose had seen a few ghost trainers and most never managed tidy.

Rose couldn't spend too much energy worrying about Mei's hairstyle. She had her own hair to finish putting up, and had just enough time to check the commission boards online before heading down to class. Anything with no badges' rating was either long-term or wasn't going to bring in much money, but she knew that from Galar. She was keeping an eye out for something she could do, though. Getting a good reputation early would help down the road.

Azucena held up a barrette for Rose and asked her a question. "I don't know if Mom will raise our stipend or not. She may forget mine if she raises Mei's, too," Rose answered as she slipped it in.

Getting the Ranger's memories hadn't helped. Mei had always had an easier time with people and crowds, but now Rose had a new jealousy – a timeline where it had been just her and her mother. It was very hard now to feel like she had been shunted to the side her whole life and only just realized it.

If Mei was in better shape emotionally, she would probably realize, but Rose didn't have anyone to talk to on it. Alamy and her could appreciate each other's pain, but Alamy felt just as trapped being a commodity for her parents. Victor seemed to see his parents as a commodity, trying to lay his own path. Zania and Trigo had full parent households and no reference points, and Poppy's life situation no one sane could envy. She didn't have anyone else to consider.

"I don't know why she isn't paying any attention to me," Rose said as Ivy asked in passing, chasing a bouncing foam ball around on the floor to keep him busy without getting literally into Rose's hair. "At this point, I'm worried if she remembers, she'll cut us off, and I don't like the options then," Rose admitted.

Hammerlocke wasn't a place for her, she was sure now that she had started to bloom. She was good for a beginning trainer, but that was the divine gift more than her, and even that experience was more useful for battle than developing her and her partners. The Ranger had been more like Mei in her channeling, and their mother was all about a powerful burst that Rose couldn't replicate.

"Thank the heroes and the dragons for Alamy having her breakthrough. If we weren't helping each other find ourselves in the morning, I wouldn't be able to do much," Rose confessed as Azucena held up another barrette. The little Petilil shook her head in protest after Rose taking it, having more confidence in those potential unknowns than Rose felt.

Ivy paused in mauling his ball to look over and meow another question. "No, Kieran and Nemona have been a big help, and Poppy's been great for confirming evaluation, but they're all Elite grade. They have their own careers to worry about than trying to develop mine. I'm grateful for it, but we can't count on it," Rose said. Half of it was spoken with a barrette in her mouth, but the grass Pokemon got it anyway.

She paused and looked in the mirror at her hands as they came into view. Azucena grimaced and chittered. "It really was too close. I have no idea what my mother will do if she sees it, but I think it is starting to fade," Rose said, flexing her hand, "By the Treasure Hunt I may be fine."

What had Rose done wrong with her mother? She had no idea. It hurt every time she had time to stop and think, another reason to keep busy. And Mei hadn't been a good winner since the first match. That hurt too, on top of Mei's other problems.

Azucena and Ivy exchanged a worried glance as Rose finished clipping up her hair, going for the flower spray look again. Ivy meowed insistently, that they should be moving, regardless of whatever the time is.

"I know, moping doesn't help anyone," Rose said, "In any case, we have to get stronger. And keep our grades up. Mom has said at least a year, so we absolutely need one badge this year. If we can keep our heads down and do a full course, then three or four would let us get plenty of decent paying jobs in Galar afterwards, and maybe sponsorship. I'm a battler thanks to you two, so one should be easy this year. We have everything to work on and homework is going to get harder. Are you two still okay with that?"

Azucena patted her arm good-naturedly before flexing. This was a paradise compared to her old life, even without getting stronger. Ivy just chuffed. Whatever a certain sandbagging Quaxly thought, this was what he was born for.

"I wouldn't give you guys up for anything, but I would love being water aligned for five minutes to get that duck to talk," Rose said, "It's eating Alamy up, but maybe we can still get him encouraged. The match against Victor may do him good and we may have a chance for more afterward if we feel up to it." Ivy and Azucena nodded.

"Mom's scared of us doing something but we don't know what so we'll keep going. Ivy, see if you can get anywhere on Bite today while you're balled up in class. Raifort likes ghosts and Jacq apparently has a strong psychic Pokemon. There may be a feel of opposition that will give you something to practice against," Rose directed. The little Sprigatito nodded, dark energy briefly encircling his jaws. It wasn't continuous like Rose would like or a very deep energy, but a ghost or psychic would know it was nibbled.

"Remember, you want it all the way to the gums," Rose reminded him and then recalled him. She bent down and Azucena hopped on her shoulder. Rose checked them in the mirror and smiled. The uniform was still a color disaster, but she just had to ignore it. Purple flowers apparently wove through her hair like a crown. She had a set of cheap purple and blue butterfly bracelets that had been cheap in Galar. Opal took Ballonlea pink seriously over her own color choices, and they'd been dumped on the market after not selling at Ballonlea stadium.

Rose pursed her lips to check that was holding. She needed to ask Zania for local makeup still. Whatever the chemist used was durable and she did some contouring Rose wouldn't mind copying to distinguish her from her sister. The two Poke balls were the most important part.

Azucena cheeped, then mimed looking at her wrist. "Time for another school day," Rose agreed, "Charm came in fast compared to Ivy's dark stuff. See what you can do to improve energy flow. I want Sleep Powder so you can power yourself up without getting hurt, but we have a lot of work to do to get there. Getting Mega Drain smoother won't hurt." Azucena nodded.

Her phone beeped with a message, and she read it off quickly as she headed to the door. Zania had just asked for a quick detour on the way. "It's still good to plan even if we never get very far with them," Rose responded defensively to Azucena's snide comment. Not even out the door and their itinerary had already changed.

---

It was easy to forget after everything they hadn't been at the Academy for a week, and Mei was still having trouble finding her way. She had tried to work on her hair with Pome after Rose left and had gone late enough that she entered the biology lab wing at a sprint, Pome in her arms rather than him try to keep up with his waddle. She did almost look like someone she recognized. She was regretting winning that coin toss. He croaked at her. He wanted more 'hair' after his evolution.

Biology was a core class for the first term. Everyone in the general track was in an intro course. From Teff, Mei knew two homerooms were stuck together in their instance. Teff was nothing as a trainer, and Mei had no scope for how he was as a footballer, but he had a bright future as a private investigator or gossip columnist.

All the bullies from yesterday weren't first semester, so she could start the day with no worries there. Her run slowed as she took the last corner, she had made up most of the time she lost. There was a crowd outside the door. She spotted Teff and Victor in it already. Victor tapped Teff's shoulder and pointed her way, sensing his approach. As much as he talked, he had better, in her opinion.

"That's her," Teff said loudly enough to cut through. The chatter died down as people turned to look at her, and Mei rocked back on her heels to a stop. Had she angered Teff in some way? He was a dangerous enemy to her reputation.

"I thought she would be taller," someone muttered from the crowd. Mei fumed and then blinked in surprise as she got it in a chokehold. She was doing better than yesterday. Pome whistled encouragingly.

"It's the heart not the body," Teff said wisely, probably cribbing from something, "But our little classmate took the lead on breaking that spell yesterday."

Mei could feel the weight of some of those stares were backed by probes, and she knelt down to let Pome on the floor, just in case. No one was trying to start a battle, unlike yesterday, but the combined weight was making those instincts jangle.

The pressure lessened before she would have had to cut class for a match. Released, Mei said, "I was in the right place at the right time with a good attitude." She knew what to do, giving it some humility. "And the Tera Orb holders did most of the work. All I did was jostle the spirit a little."

"She's being too modest. She broke free first from its spell," Victor interjected. Pome whistled in alarm and little bells were going off in Mei's head. Victor was smiling, no grinning, and had just complimented her.

"Jacq's Girafarig screwed up and I'm stuck in a dream, aren't I?" Mei asked aloud. Victor smirked and she relaxed. That was normal.

"Oh, if you're worried, we can go down a level and have Bronzy check," Poppy offered from behind Mei. She turned around, and the little Elite trainer waved at her.

"Are you seeing them all too?" Mei asked. Poppy was clean if anyone was.

"Recognizing great work is a hallmark of a good trainer. I don't have to like the person," Victor said, sounding irritated, "You pulled off something that had, from what I hear, over half the student body completely paralyzed. I wanted to make sure Teff let people know. That sort of inspiring behavior should be a standard every trainer should know about to try to meet." Mei's jaw hung open as she worked it out, but it was far too late to avoid his plan.

"Can we get scheduled then? If you're taking matches?" someone called from the crowd. Several people moved forward with phones raised. Victor smirked again.

That Kalosian parasite, Mei thought, he's using me to feel out the students' tactics and partners before he faces them! Victor's smirk widened into a grin again, reading her thoughts off her face.

Pome whistled, and Mei rubbed her eyes. When she put her hands down, she had a smile in place. "I'm not used to Victor helping, but let's get some scheduled. There are always the city courts too."

She wasn't going to win all of these, she knew from the probes, but goodwill had some value. Compared to the windfall for dealing with the spirit and the bets yesterday, a few forfeits at this level wouldn't make a big dent.

Matches stirred a memory. They hadn't been talking shop at breakfast, but there had been a line in the group chat. "Victor, you have a city match tonight, don't you? Two young trainers in a row you're going to be taking, even though they only got the question less than a week ago? With your experience?" she asked loudly. That started some muttering.

"There was one line from Alamy," Victor hissed. Mei tapped her temple.

"I know how to moderate, so it won't be as one sided as you're implying," Victor said. He looked Mei up and down curious, as she discussed times.

Pome pointed it out to her, and she looked over. "It's easier to hold on today," she said. Pome did a little taunting dance and clacked his jaws. As Mei expected, Victor gave a genuine smile at that. No Pokemon battler ever couldn't at least emotionally appreciate a challenge.

"Come on, line up for this, I have to do it one at a time," Mei said, still loudly, "Let's just ignore the Kiloude child-beater for the moment." Mei felt a touch of a file on her, and glanced back at Poppy again.

"You aren't burning like you were. What did you do?" Poppy asked. Her Fuey looked at Pome skeptically.

"Maybe it was keeping the light on in the dark? I don't have it fully," Mei said absently. She ignored Pome's solemn nodding and continued after scheduling another match. "Maybe we are fully rid of that thing hurting poor Aliquis." Humility, she reminded herself again.

"No thanks to the teachers," Teff interrupted, hanging back.

Mei paused in her scheduling. "I am," she said tautly, "very interested in why those experts let my sister leave the field."

Teff and Victor looked at each other. "And the lightbulb too, of course," Mei allowed.

"You know her better than they do and didn't spot it," Victor said, "I know you were your own mess but until they had help, they didn't notice it. I'm not giving the teachers any credit for their performance, but this was insidious."

"I was barely standing once the adrenaline stopped," Mei said absently as she tapped in another court reservation for later in the week. "Where is Rose anyway? I thought she left before me." Mei realized her sister wasn't there instead of being quiet.

"There's still some time before class starts," someone pointed out.

"We're locked out still?" someone asked. Teff went to rattle the handle, then nodded.

"Are we locked out, or did they decide this class needs to be over some ancient spirit gate too? Poppy, when are you battling Nemona?" Zania asked, coming down the corridor. Alamy and Rose were alongside and looked oddly tense. Mei frowned, there was something different from Rose earlier besides having her barrettes in. After a moment they passed a window and Mei realized it was all three.

They were glittering slightly. Zania somehow had it highlighting her features. Alamy and Rose's makeup wasn't intended for extra reflectivity, and it made their features look darker and heavyset. Azucena, Resistor, and Fue-cutie were walking alongside, and Mei noticed the battler partners had their eyes half-closed in concentration.

When they got a bit closer, Mei caught a whiff of it. Meditative channeling exercises while walking? With all the trainers moving through the halls? Good luck seeing anything improve there. Maybe Mei shouldn't have kept her promise, with Rose wasting her effort again.

A hush settled on the crowd as the three approached. Mei realized they were channeling enough to give off a sense of energy around them. Even the pet owners were probably feeling it. Between the makeup botch, their stained hands, and slight challenge they were giving off, the two had to seem foreboding.

Poppy of course could shrug off a bit of energy from beginners. "Tonight with Nemona! How are you all sparkly? Is it fun?" she asked.

"I whipped it up when I had trouble sleeping," Zania said, "Little bit of silver salt suspension for purification and some other salts used for protection. I'm no priestess but I tried to think at them hard when I was stirring." She held out an atomizer.

"It's non-toxic unless you drank a few gallons, and it washes off just fine. Want a spritz?" Zania asked. Poppy nodded and closed her eyes in anticipation as Zania gave her a few sprays. Poppy walked to the light and spun around, looking at her hands entranced.

"Huh, silver and salts for anti-ghost?" Mei asked. Zania nodded proudly. "An artificial Nacli," Mei mused.

"Not nearly as effective," Victor snapped, and then paused, evidently surprised at himself.

"Very true," Zania agreed before Mei had a chance to speak. That one was almost too easy against the rockhead, though. "But a little extra protection wouldn't hurt, and it's not on the Pokemon so no harm in matches. We aren't really having to go to an abyssal gate for class, though, right? There's no way this would stop an actual ghost Pokemon."

"The lights are on, but the doors are locked," Teff reported. Zania muttered something under her breath. Phones flitted around, anticipating the next question, but no messaging from Jacq with a reschedule.

"We've had three different battlers probe the room and got nothing back," Victor reported.

"I don't think Paldea has an evil gate," Poppy mused, "Does a Tera crystal den count? You shouldn't send people to those without a Tera Orb. And it's more like a closet than a gate."

"I could see Jacq locking himself in a closet," Mei said. That got some laughs. There was more muttering if someone should go find Clavell.

She looked over at her sister to see if she had input, what with getting chewed out yesterday. But Rose and Alamy were leaning against a wall, staring into space. Mei rubbed her eyes briefly, checking her vision. Yes, Resistor and Azucena were doing squats.

"Rose!' Mei shouted.

"What? I'm here," Rose said tersely, stopping leaning against the wall. Azucena blinked and shook herself. She looked around for a moment and shrugged. Alamy focused on Mei briefly then went back to staring in space. Resistor didn't pause in his exercise.

"What do you think is going on with class?" Mei prompted, patience wearing.

"That we're starting class late," Rose suggested, "He didn't seem organized." She took a couple steps closer and added quietly, "I don't know if he's a good trainer, either, if that's what you're asking."

"He did the scan on me," Mei said, also quiet. She thought of adding more but hesitated. Rose seemed worked up already. Adding that a teacher's partner might know about getting memories added might add to her stress to where a more competent teacher like Miriam asked the wrong questions.

"Not poor on training," Rose said, "Everyone seems skilled there. But he didn't disagree with Raifort and we were left on a curse exposed." Pome hissed at that.

"Are you not mad he missed you were in trouble?" Mei asked, "You should be." Azucena and Rose scoffed.

"I'm not you," Rose said cooly, then looked apologetic as she continued in a normal tone "Sorry, but Alamy and I couldn't articulate to ourselves what was wrong. All he knew was what we were doing, and he doesn't seem good at understanding tone anyway. Miriam apologized for her part in missing it from us. If anyone should have just known, it seems that is Raifort's responsibility."

"The teachers have proven we cannot rely on them solely for defense," Alamy said absently. She and her Pikachu's minds were evidently elsewhere. Mei wished the rest of them would follow instead of interrupting.

"If you're looking for self-reliance, playing at power practice in a hall surrounded by trainers isn't how you fix it," Mei criticized.

"To move while keeping channeling smooth seemed a good skill for when we're in the wilderness," Rose said, "We can't always expect to be on a court."

"I've got six battles scheduled now for the next few days," Mei bragged to not retort, and leaned into Rose's personal space. "Now who's making progress?"

Azucena burbled a warning and pushed forward to move Mei back, only to have Pome lay a paw on her forehead and stop her in place. Roes's expression briefly tightened, then she closed her eyes and sighed, motioning Azucena back. The Petilil glared as she stepped backwards, pointing fronds at Pome.

Resistor buzzed briefly as Alamy stopped trying her little thought exercisees. "And we are back to this already," she said critically, "You said she was doing better."

"She is," Rose said, sounding resigned, "I'm sorry." Alamy tapped her fingers on the wall then sighed as well. Azucena clapped her paws together, then looked resigned as Azucena chittered some sort of apology.

"Then later?" Alamy asked. Rose nodded. Alamy gave Mei a dismissive glance and leaned back against the wall, and Rose shifted back to lean as well.

What's that all about? Mei wondered. Rose's expression, which the glitter wasn't helping, seemed she wasn't interested in continuing the conversation. Mei and Pome exchanged a glance and shrugged at meeting eyes.

Well, if Rose was going to let the Kalosian drag her into trivialities, Mei couldn't protect her from all of them. She turned and spun back to the main group, ignoring Zania's look as she went by. The Mesagozan was spraying down more classmates. Mei figured she'd have a brand name by the end of the week, at this rate.

"Is anyone good at locks?" Mei asked loudly, "Maybe he wrote something on the board."

"I knew I should have kept that Klefki," someone muttered at the back.

"Why didn't you?" Teff turned around to ask.

"Even when in training, it loved pranks and no way coach was going to put me on the first team if something kept tying everyone's shoelaces together," came the reply.

"It's probably electronically keyed," Victor said rapping on the door for emphasis.

Trigo and Kieran came sliding around the corner moments later. Trigo's Fuecoco slid around, claws squeaking on the tile, behind them. After they came to a stop, Kieran's Meowscarada appeared in a puff of smoke, looking smug. His whiskers drooped when he looked at Azucena. Presumably he still was trying to show up Rose's other partner.

"Are we here in time?" Trigo asked, panting.

"Someone's Orthworm popped out of a Poke ball in an elevator, set off the weight alarms," Kieran said smoothly, in much better shape.

"Is everyone all right?" Rose asked from the side, and Mei sighed as several people jumped. "That's a lot of partner in a confined space."

"What was the trainer thinking?" Mei said, more directly to the problem's source as people turned to look at her. "Were they threatening someone?"

"What was the trainer thinking?" Mei said, more directly on the problem. "Or was he or she threatening someone?"

Kieran and Trigo shrugged. "No idea," Kieran said, "We just heard about it from a couple people working on the elevator when we gave up and took the stairs to the ground floor."

"It sounds like people are safe or you would have run into the nurse," Victor said decisively.

"I'm surprised you didn't just fly down," Zania commented. Kieran opened and closed his mouth a few times then ran his hands through his hair. His Meowscarada outright purred at him until Kieran shot him a look.

"I did say I only made real progress recently," Kieran mumbled. His hands trmbled briefly but he got it under control and smiled.

"Everyone's always got more to learn," Trigo said cheerfully. That got an odd side-eye from Zania and his own partner Tren beside him.

"That is why you're at school, yes? Or are you delivering something. I have a class soon if they show up," came a male voice from the side. The crowd turned, and a wave went through it as people jumped back in surprise, the battlers significantly so. Jacq looked in confusion at the chaos from the silently opened door.

Mei found herself flattened against a wall, with Pome braced before her and flames building in his mouth. Well, her reflexes were working. How did the teachers keep doing that? She peeled herself off the wall and motioned to Pome.

"No, I've been here. Getting ready for class. There's a lot of you for a package. Study Pokemon are kept further down on the first floor if you're delivering food," Jacq said.

"We are your class," came an irritated call from the cross-hallway - Alamy. She and Rose and their active partners were peeking around the corner. Mei hadn't even noticed they were gone.

"Oh, then why weren't you inside? It's almost time for class to begin," Jacq asked reasonably.

"The door was locked?" Minx, one of the others in their homeroom offered as Victor stammered incredulously.

Jacq tried the handle. Sure enough, it didn't move. "Ah, silly me," Jacq said, "I must have turned it to stay locked when I came to the classroom to set up. Well, come in. You should have knocked or something." Jacq headed into the classroom without waiting for a response.

There were several strangled reactions, or several reactions considering strangling Jacq. Mei wasn't sure.

Victor hung back and tapped Mei's arm. "Hey, if you can make it through class without exploding, I'll buy you lunch."

"No bet," Mei said glumly, as her sister was watching her with trepidation too. She had gone off on Rose again, hadn't she?

---

Alamy nodded thanks to Resistor as the Pikachu returned with her pumps – she had kicked them off after her dash to the corner had heated them. The bottoms were rubbed down, and still warm from Alamy's lithobraking, but intact.

The little Pikachu sat down and fanned herself, sweating. When Jacq appeared, suddenly, powerfully, the two had moved for cover. Resistor had to dig deep to provide. Azucena's own fronds drooped, but not as much. Ivy, even in his ball, had helped share the load.

"No one showed this to you two before this week. You did great," Rose encouraged. She knelt next to Alamy who was flapping her pumps in the air to finish cooling them. "Lumiose has some tough shoe brands," she observed. Alamy shrugged and then stored them in her bag to get a pair of flats.

"I think changing into them for the school day was a mistake, as I am now. Was he at full battle sync for a moment there? It was a crushing power," Alamy asked. Rose nodded.

"Everyone felt it," she answered. Azucena shivered and Resistor huffed.

"I am sorry," she apologized to her Pikachu, "I need more practice. And I do not land as gracefully as Rose yet." Given the powers they had been exposed to Sunday, and the continued reports of Terastalized Pokemon attacking, one of the things Rose was covering was stealth and movement, some her mother's, other she merely claimed were her mother's.

"Resistor did fantastic shouldering that load to tell the laws of motion off, and she was generous. You did in one hop what I took three steps to do," Rose said. Resistor preened but stopped immediately when Alamy handed her a water bottle.

"Did Bandwidth do anything?" Rose asked quietly. Alamy looked at her other Poke ball and sighed.

"A trickle. He was present," Alamy said, "I do not think he hates me, Rose, but he does not contribute. What can I do?"

"Ivy's mad at him for how he's slacking. He's offended in a study Pokemon behaving like this. These are the first I've ever seen specialist training Pokemon up close with new trainers," Rose said.

"I am unsure if I should ask Professor Jacq," Alamy said, "He was suddenly there after he was not, completely. It seems another instance of what Zania said, a posturing attack. I would testify before the League there was no presence in that room before."

"You've seen what they do normally. Or what Victor does, but that's more like a wall around your channeling. Nemona said it was uncomfortable. It's like Geeta's bullying trick in reverse," Rose said, "I'm still not sure what theory Jacq and the other teachers are using to sneak around. I think I've spotted something though." She paused, ready to reveal the puzzle, but Alamy spoke first.

"Dendra called her Pokemon out after she was spotted. Jacq did not have one this morning but did yesterday when we spotted him in the field," Alamy said triumphantly. She giggled at Rose's expression at being preempted.

"I forget how smart everyone is here," Rose acknowledged, "Saguaro surprised me on the first day with his Hatterene, but I was concentrating, and it was just after a match with plenty of people around. He may have been discreet after the match."

"Oh good, you are not irritated," Alamy said, "I meant for fun, not superiority."

"Did someone – of course someone did," Rose answered her own question and Alamy nodded, "I was surprised, but my sister and I used to tease. Have I been bad this week?" Rose asked.

"You are tense this morning, understandably. We go into the classroom of a man who may have abetted exposing us to a spirit of chaos," Alamy said, nearly spitting out the last few words, before taking a deep breath, and the mask settling back in place. "You seem tense," she said again.

"I had a call with my mother. It nearly went poorly," Rose said, and clutched her necklace. "You've been a great student. I get why Miriam said it was a pleasure. Making connections can end up winning a lot of matches. People don't always follow my chain of thought, though."

"You do sometimes get to skip ahead," Alamy said without rancor, "I am… intellectually sorry to keep prodding, but there is something satisfying in having give and take. I am not, well, very used to it. But you are not your sister. You have anger, but you do not enter conversations to win." Rose winced.

"I've never had many people to be brittle with, and don't want to start. Mei's problem started before Aliquis came on campus. It may be connected, it may have made it wrong, but she's still the cause. Her control is getting better, but she still wants me in her wake."

"I agree with our reasoning still on holding off the fight for your sister's sake long-term, but everything else with the teachers is not helping. I am trying, but she is not making it easy," Alamy warned.

"I hope I don't have to win a battle for her to listen, but I understand. I really hate this," Rose said.

"To be a little brittle," Alamy said slowly, "Do you think losing that battle is affecting how you want to talk to her?"

"It doesn't help, she keeps bringing it up," Rose growled, "Or us getting hit by a Shadow Ball and ignoring it was the right thing to do." Azucena huffed and cheeped but shrugged.

"It would have better if we could have withstood it," Rose said, "That's why we train though." Azucena nodded and flexed, and Rose took her hand away from her necklace.

"If I could trust Bandwidth a bit better, I would challenge her," Alamy said, "I do not mind we may lose against Victor, but I know if I challenge Mei, it is not for the thrill of the fight, it has to be to win, or she will be worse." Resistor gave her teammate's Poke ball her own dirty look.

"I really hope he goes all out. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do when pushed," Rose said. Resistor paused her drinking to buzz in determination. Alamy clenched her fists as well.

"There are plenty of trainers with ego. I mean, I am from Galar," Rose said. Alamy giggled. "But she didn't used to be this bad."

"Nothing wrong with having some poise and posture," Alamy said, "But Mei and Victor are a bit boorish how they tear into each other. A win today is simply a win today. Tomorrow may bring new moves, or worst luck. Not the way they carry themselves. He seems fine with us, looking forward to it and wants to give pointers."

"I know rivals a wide spectrum, but they took a dislike to each other like a bad movie," Rose agreed, "I'm happy that some people like to spar with me. It's so much a better way to learn fine control for my partnerships." Azucena curtsied and Alamy and Resistor bowed in acknowledgement.

"I wish we could just go out there the rest of the day," Alamy said, "But the bell will ring shortly." She patted Resistor and held out her Poke ball. "I wish you could be there in body too instead of resting," she said wistfully.

"Today, I absolutely would want everyone with me," Rose said.

"You think if we can find a curriculum online, and show up for tests, he will notice?" Alamy proposed, but she shook her head and headed to the classroom. Rose followed.

"He probably has an agenda someone wrote out for him that includes taking attendance," Rose said glumly.

"Well, we should be able to get near the back, being nearly the last in," Alamy said hopefully.

---

Everyone, everyone had been eager for the back of the classroom, seats being grabbed as fast as people came in. No one wanted to get close where Jacq was working on a tablet. Pushing as much as she could and be nearly polite, Mei found a seat a third of the way to the front.

She looked around. Trigo waved next to Kieran from the very back row. Zania was a row behind her. Poppy was off to the side, kicking her feet in the air as she looked at her phone. Victor was setting his stuff up close enough to be in her peripheral vision. This wasn't a seating arrangement Mei liked. Pome rattled at her, but she patted the ball. She wasn't going to throw a fit.

She looked forward at Jacq. He stood at a podium by a small lab table. The electronic blackboard behind him was covered with notices, chapter headers, things to fill space for the most part. He seemed unconcerned at the class went in. He was either a patsy or a collaborator. Rose was already stressed about it, Mei was sure seeing him would make it worse. It was for Mei.

As a future Champion, she should do something, she rapidly convinced herself. Mei hadn't seen Rose have a panic attack before. A little catharsis as much as everyone (you mainly a thought rose in Mei's head she squashed down) had been knocking Rose around metaphorically would help. She thought quickly to put a barebones plan together.

She looked around and spotted Zania a row back, who was spraying down another student. When she saw Mei approaching, she briefly looked like she ate a lemon but covered it with a smile quickly enough. "Would you like a spray?" Zania asked.

"Thank you, but I'm not worried," Mei said, "I would like your mind on something, though." Zania raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Jacq made that mess of a Pokedex app," Mei reminded her, "And then we had to clean up the ghost, not him, and Rose got in trouble for getting cursed, because we have to be perfect, apparently." Mei's Poke balls rattled in sympathetic anger, and she found her voice getting louder. She stopped and took a breath, looking behind her.

Victor was turned around at this point, blatantly listening in. Jacq fortunately hadn't looked up yet. "What can we do?" Zania hissed, "He's not even on suspension after that."

"Point out any of us can do this job better," Mei said.

"What, you're going to do the lecture?" Victor interrupted.

"Well, I'd prefer Rose. She knows the wilds, and I'm sure she read parts of the textbook yesterday. But she got slapped down hard by Clavell, right? She seems to be hurting," Mei said, "So she won't step forward. But you've seen what happens if you put a wrong in front of her."

"You want me to help set it up she has to correct something?" Zania said. She smacked her lips a few times. "Sure, people were looking at her weird earlier, too. Be good to get her to show off," Zania agreed.

"You mind sitting forward so Rose can see you? I know I seem to get set off, and they're still not in the classroom. They'll be front row at this point," Mei predicted. Victor coughed, surprised, but said nothing. Zania looked up at the seat, Jacq, and back to Mei. She sighed and nodded.

Mei turned and bent down to get her stuff and managed to hold the smile in until then. She was in the back, Rose would get something to get some anger out on that Alamy was far too city to know anything about, and she had earned some points with Zania. Victory on all counts.

Rose and the Kalosian brat came into the classroom a bit later and looked around, then walked up front with resigned expressions. Alamy glanced over, saw Mei was far back and smiled, whispering something. The two's postures relaxed a little from expecting the hangman. Quivering little thing, leeching confidence off her sister.

Terpsi rattled in warning and Mei nodded. Plenty of time to get angry later. Terpsi rattled harder. Oh, you know what I mean, she thought at Terpsi. Her seatmate, Mei didn't know the name or care, gave her an odd look as the rattling stopped.

"Your partners don't bother with having opinions?" Mei snarked. The boy swallowed and looked forward. Mei decided to dial it back a bit.

"Not much of a personality for a teacher, is there?" she commented aloud. The room barely had anything on top of the painted walls, with dull black laminated lab tables laid out like Miriam's classroom. All there was for decoration was some model of an island near the front. It was a hostel next to a family room compared to Miriam's room.

Maybe there were multiple biology teachers at the higher levels of education? Mei didn't know. It would explain why it was so destitute. Maybe health had some lessons in here; human biology was covered there. Mei was thankful she had a few years before the more intriguing lessons there became applicable again.

Mei tapped her phone to record the lecture. Somehow having evidence seemed a good idea. Her Rotom beeped excitedly. It had been in a good mood these last few days.

"Hello, I'm Jacq, and I'll be your Pokemon biology teacher," Jacq said, "We'll be learning about the quirks of your beloved partners, and I hope it will help you love them more! I know many of you are taking advantage of the region's traditions on walking partners to spend more time with them," Jacq grew warm and animated as he spoke. Given how diffident he had been before, the class went into a respectful silence out of shock.

He spent a few minutes going over the class – there would be a few labs each study term. The focus seemed to be on learning the tools for future semesters and important skills for the Hunt like checking water for contamination.

"Part of your grade and evaluation for biology in the Naranja curriculum also comes from your travels. Reenacting the ancient tradition of the journey means going into the wild. Tracking encounters and captures helps monitor the health of Paldea's ecosystem. It also helps refine the Pokedex app, and is a big help in my research," Jacq said.

Victor raised his hand. Jacq spotted it and pointed without talking. Mei frowned. She probably should have brought him in for the plan directly. He was good at annoying people.

"It was my understanding that the seat of Pokemon Professor was still empty after the passing of Professor Sada. How do you have trainer record access?" Victor asked, sounding entirely too reasonable. Alamy and Rose shifted around to look, looking worried.

"Well, I designed the app," Jacq said proudly.

"Did you backdoor it?" Arthur, from their class, asked. He looked alarmed. Mei remembered he was from Paldea, somewhere in the west provinces. Rose and her parasitical follower turned back to the front for the reaction. He still looked disappointingly calm.

"No, I was given access as Professor Sada's research focus didn't leave her time to concentrate on species tabulation. After I developed the app, she passed those responsibilities to me," Jacq said. His face scrunched in thought and he frowned before he continued, "I hadn't considered potentially having permissions revoked when a new Professor is appointed."

"They can stop you?" Arthur pressed. Jacq thought for a moment and shrugged.

"Legally and ethically for certain. I could perhaps bypass the restrictions with my knowledge of the app's database. I hadn't considered it," Jacq admitted. Victor thumped his head against the table.

"That explains a lot on the app," Zania muttered in front of Mei.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that clearly. Did you have a user critique?" Jacq asked politely. Zania took a deep breath. Her body language didn't seem pleasant. Her fingers were at her sides like claws.

"'A' is the wrong word. If you already know what you're looking for, it's fine. But looking up a species from a camera shot takes a lot of tabbing back and forth. You can't sort well to check single elements. You can't get population estimates for a region even as heat maps if you want more than one species. My friend," Zania paused briefly to look at Rose, "told me that can get you in over your head. There's not a good way to search if you only have a description and it's slow."

"The 'locations found' information doesn't have any timestamps. Pokemon aren't static, herds and flocks move around. Something could be present in a species that moved on," Victor said.

"Oh, I ran into that! I was looking for a Capsakid and the Pokedex assured me where they were in Asado. No one even wanted a match all day. Twelve hours later I as at the Pokemon Center and I learned the watering hole they used dried up," a kid Mei didn't recognize added. Jacq was nodding rapidly and typing.

Mei looked over at Rose, who ducked her head down to stare at her tablet. It looked like the city's commission site for short jobs. She really didn't have the proper edge for this profession still. You couldn't just float around, especially if someone helped mess you up. The dragons had given her a gift, and it was time to use it.

"Does the app provide any direct security? Like capture rates for a species in an area? Or does the League have to pull that out? I can't find it on the app, and it's a serious issue. My sister and I debated this when we got it installed," Mei asked, with her hand up, not waiting to ask. Rose's head snapped up, suspicious, before looking at her sidekick in worry.

"It of course links to the trainer card registered, to relay information in both directions. I don't know how they do it in Kanto, but we rely on the Poke ball for most of the capture information to the League, which then is anonymized as part of the general database," Jacq said, on safer ground.

"Galar," Mei said tautly.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm not in anyway from Kanto. I'm a Galar resident," Mei said tersely, heating up.

"That certainly shows how good record keeping is in Paldea," Kieran said, looking irritated, "And before you ask, I'm not from Kanto either."

"Why is there a poaching problem if every Poke ball records the capture?" Zania interrupted at a near yell. Rose and Alamy turned around, and Mei could feel a warning trace of energy from then as the closest seated leaned away. They were ready for trouble.

Mei could feel the heat of Zania's expression without looking around. The little chemistry glamour model was certainly full of fire today.

"Isn't that what the cages you see in the movies are? I suppose that makes it difficult to make a sale if you can never use a Poke ball for it," Jacq said.

"Oh, so it's not open to abuse at all, then," Victor said, "Seems more secure than I thought.

"Wait," Poppy said confused, but they were interrupted by Rose thumping her head against the desk. Mei winced at the noise, then cringed as Rose hit it harder. That had been loud enough that Rose had to be cheating on physics a bit. Hopefully she didn't crack it. Alamy put a hand on Rose's shoulder, but her sister sensibly flinched at the touch. Mei 's worry for Rose went to irritation when she didn't finish shaking the Kalosian off.

"Professor, that's a very naïve view of commercial poaching," Rose said, sounding nauseous, "Cages are only there to restrain a Pokemon until it's emotionally abused enough even its tormentors are an escape, since the honesty of an emotional connection to a poor being being sold at random is impossible. Everyone uses Poke balls, even if it's a psychotic parody of how it's intended. I wish films were more honest, it makes it easier for them to move around than it should." Rose finished, sounding very old.

"Oh, Professor! You should have Rose talk about this! She knows a lot about poaching!" Poppy said eagerly. Mei folded her hands and grinned behind them at the unexpected assist.

---

Every eye was on her. Rose could feel it without looking around, and she kept her head on the table. What was Mei doing? This was exactly the sort of attention they were supposed to avoid, showing this kind of experience. She couldn't keep the loathing out of her voice. The Ranger had seen things, and fought hard to help stop it.

This class had over a dozen battlers in it, rising stars all the way to Champions. Letting them know the wrong things to look for was more important than her, now that the misinformation had arisen.

There was a vibration through the table. Alamy was tapping the table with her free hand. All that charged up movement and nowhere to go with it. Alamy knew this was uncomfortable without knowing all the details, and Rose appreciated the sympathy.

Alamy's other hand on her shoulder helped bring her back to herself. The Ranger's aversion to touch was burning, but that helped her isolate and cordon it off. She wished she could explain it to Alamy. She knew something was wrong, but the longer it could go without reaching Geeta, the better.

It took a few seconds to feel herself enough for Rose to lift her head. Jacq motioned for her to continue. Rose tried to throw her voice to project and squeaked instead. There were giggles around her as her ears burned, but she tried again. "There's the trainer going too deep into breeding areas, but most poachers are larger operations," she said, "Collecting species not usually interested in partnership that rarely show themselves near routes and are valuable to humans because of it. They go for breeding groups or keep a group cordoned to exhaust it, and move in. Then usually it's a chain of buyers until the person at the end has no idea their new partner has no desire to be there until they open the Poke ball."

She swallowed, she was speaking too fast, speeding up during her speech. Why couldn't she be off route right now, with just her partners and friends and not worried about slipping away? Rose knew some of this, of course, it was a potential risk running into criminals. But the Ranger had a lot more of the full misery and she was pushing.

Jacq asked, "But if a partner is transferred to another ball, for aesthetic reasons or what have you, the record goes with it. How could they make it to legal territory with any manufactured ball? I'm assuming some sort of specialty ball for poaching." He wasn't asking with the triumph of making a debate point that looked like a flaw in her description, and that helped shock Rose to herself. The biology teacher had flaws, but he genuinely seemed to be trying to fill the gaps in his knowledge. It was inquisitiveness not irritation.

He was handling someone else making a point better than Rose had, and her ears burned again.

"Paldean balls are like Galar balls, aren't they? With external reference for navigation?" Rose asked, overenunciating to talk slower. Jacq winced – too loud now, Rose - and nodded.

"It allows catching zones to be updated without having to reprogram every Poke ball," Jacq explained, looking out to the class.

"The satnav data runs into the main chip then to the latch and guidance booster. If you pop the cover off and run a wire between the pins, it thinks it has a positive signal. Everyone needs to be able to get Poke balls, so the regular one is cheap. You can crack the shell if you're not careful though. And if no location is registered, then a new ball uses the current location, like bespoke balls," Rose said.

"That seems finicky with the extra wire instead of pulling out the net – no, the capture net boosters are on another circuit on the chip, you couldn't bypass," Jacq corrected himself, "But you need a Pokemon Center to do a transfer without it being a release. The staff would put a stop to it if the ball was damaged or do additional checks."

"Tell me you aren't that naïve," Mei interrupted, voice dripping with scorn. It was probably Rose's stress that she was hearing Kalosian crowd out Mei's normal accent in Paldaen. If the Ranger had seen things, the Knight had perpetrated.

"I'm not saying exactly what pins or how to try and cover it up," Rose's voice cracked again, as she spoke louder as her sister drew attention. Come back Mei, please, she internally prayed. "The risks of it burning out before a throw are higher, so experienced organizations will do it on site, not just some trainer going where they aren't in hopes the ultimate partner fixes their luck."

"This is such a vile thing," she continued, "Getting partners desperate for affection so they'll grab out to those hurting them. If they recover, they usually stage breakouts." Forcing that sort of relationship, or tricking someone into thinking it's mutual down the line had acid in her throat. There was a rattle through the classroom. The teams being carried were not happy.

"I've seen some breakouts in Lumiose, which is not the right term perhaps. Liberation is a weighted term. Escape?" Alamy offered. Her own face was dark, apparently having made some connections.

"I hadn't considered factors beyond the trainer's relationship. Or preexisting conditions," Jacq said. He ignored the laughter from the class; muted but derisive. Maybe it simply had not registered. Rose wasn't sure.

"The more people know, the more it can be stopped," Rose said, voice dropping, "Cracks around the latch or gaps in the cover is a good sign. If the Center runs the scans, they're often caught."

"If," Mei interrupted caustically, "We haven't seen nurses breaking privacy rules for a favor or anything ourselves, Rose."

"Fascinating," Jacq said, "I know this is extemporaneous. Would you mind giving a lecture to classes? I do recall someone mentioning poaching up. This is an important safety consideration, especially as we enter a heightened trading period when many areas are at increased risk from Terastalized Pokemon."

"They still haven't fixed that?" Poppy interjected, "Is it the poaching?" Kieran yelped, drawing attention.

"Sorry, just if trainers are doing our jobs that badly overall that the general Pokemon population is massing," Kieran said, and shuddered.

"The root cause for the Tera energy spike, and the behavioral change, seem to have different origins," Jacq said, "Stay safe, but on the Hunt the data you find could be vital." There were several groans at that and a few mutterings of 'bait'.

"But would you mind?" Jacq said, wrenching his mind back to the task.

Rose felt a pain in her hand and found she was squeezing her necklace. "I don't know if it's related. I don't really know anything on Tera, but it is important. If you think I could be useful to help, I would be honored."

"Oh certainly. Lecturing isn't my favorite part of the job so I'm happy to have some help covering," Jacq said cheerfully.

Rose started to shout in outrage but managed to keep it down to another squeak.

---

Mei was breathing heavily, but staying focused on where the electric leech was keeping herself attached to her sister. She had felt the snows for a moment of the Knight, the thought of Pokemon being isolated into submission, or exhausted, and then handed to some useless Flare parasites as a gift of power they hadn't earned.

She hadn't been expecting to feel it so strongly. And meanwhile Rose was being disappointingly civil. She had lashed out at the desk sure, but she had been factual and informative instead of ripping Jacq apart. A great day for maturity but not what Mei had been hoping for at all.

Though Rose giving a lecture they could turn into dinner theater, most likely. Her quivering petal of a sister in front of all those strangers would be a disaster. Her volume when speaking had been all over the place and been talking mainly at the blackboard. Mei doubted half the people had heard everything.

Bad enough for Rose to have a miserable time, from how Jacq was offering on the details, Rose was going to have enough extra credit she could likely skip either the midterm or final at her discretion. And a half-dozen biology courses with students all across the Academy might think of Rose as an expert. Was that how Rose kept from lashing out? Her intuition had seen the benefit coming?

Mei blinked and swallowed. Everyone's Poke balls were still rattling slightly, but Terpsi was adding additional harsh language. She was right, this whole chain of thought was unworthy of her or her sister. Rose didn't seem to be having a great time. Her body language was stiff and she kept tapping her necklace, even as Jacq got back on track for the rest of the lecture.

This had backfired. Mei half-listened to the next ten minutes of lecture as she put a better-thought story together in case Rose was angry at her. It was just basic stuff on Poke balls, anyway. If it was as far as Jacq went, no wonder he needed a ten-year-old to lecture.

She about had her dialog planned out to where she entreated Rose to think of the children when the lecture switched to lab safety protocols. That she wasn't foolish enough to ignore, even when she had an audio record. After that was basic Poke behavior; biology would be bringing in several guest Pokemon to examine. Watching Jacq try and mime petting was worth the tuition alone to Mei.

He was doing a good job with the script, keeping it away from a monotone, but his body language was stiff, mainly nodding. She could understand the lecture not being his favorite part. Mei wouldn't mind being up there, but it would be draining after a day.

Mei glanced around. The class wasn't being won over. Kieran looked worried. Poppy was holding her eyelids open but there were a lot of words being thrown around.

Mei was herself being lulled. Her mind wandered to where she was mentally constructing a region's society that was advanced enough to send people to another region to study but hadn't covered basic Poke-etiquette. This lecture seemed the sort to have its roots in some previous misadventure.

She was still debating if the oppressed masses were going to have electricity when the bell rang, finally ending the long class. Jolted out of her constructed world, she shut off her phone's recording function and checked the auto-transcript. She had enough in her head she felt comfortable skimming it would have her covered.

She had her lunch hour before health started, and her first scheduled battle. She started gathering her stuff immediately. Rose hadn't jumped up to come after her and she didn't want to give her reminders.

"Read chapters 2 and the first excerpt on the website. The assignment is posted there," Jacq said.

Zania rushed out of the room, already gathered her stuff. Mei suspected group chat was about to get interesting. She wanted to check the lunchroom special and get to the reserved court before losing herself in that, though. She wouldn't actually eat right before an expected match, and certainly not feed her partners.

"Professor?" came her sister's quiet voice from the front of the room, "I wanted to apologize." Mei looked up from fumbling with her bag to see Rose and the Kalosian standing near the podium, both looking uncomfortable. They had both been fidgeting most of the class, so that wasn't a surprise. Their stuff wasn't picked up yet, so apparently this was going to be a long one. Mei halted her packing to listen in.

Was Rose going to beg off the lecture in a more private setting? Was the Kalosian looking to pick up the crumbs for credit? She seemed to enjoy research for when she talked into the void.

"Apologize for what, Rose?" Jacq asked, surprised.

"You handled being corrected far better than I had. I had a bad impression of your character from yesterday and wanted to apologize for jumping to a conclusion," Rose said.

"We have had an issue with that," the sparkplug broke in to interrupt.

"Why did you have a bad impression?" Jacq asked, sounding genuinely surprised. Rose was silent for a bit, but Mei could see her shifting her weight as she thought.

Finally, her twin squared her shoulders. "My battle tactics class got used as bait yesterday," Rose said tautly, "You were involved in research and I thought you might be responsible, and I had a negative impression, but you don't seem to have malice at all."

"Maybe he should," Mei muttered under her beath.

"Oh, yes, your class was caught in the curse locus," Jacq said, "We were expecting only an amplification of the existing negative effects. The manifestation and its effects on motivation caught me and Ms. Raifort by surprise. Clavell did say to tell you, if you asked, to say I'm impressed with the strength of character your class showed, and you two personally for breaking the spell."

Rose and Alamy looked at each other and Alamy bit. "Did he tell you to say he told you to say?" Alamy said hesitantly.

"Oh dear," Jacq remarked after a moment's thought, "Still, I did think the risk was controlled. I want you all to have good journeys and find lots of Pokemon, but I hate the idea of someone getting hurt."

"Professor Raifort does not seem to share your concerns," Alamy said bitterly.

"I trust Director Clavell in making Raifort a teacher," Jacq said, "I know many students have reported concerns, but her forays into the spiritual to understand history better have greater risks than other disciplines of study. I am sure Clavell keeps her within ethical standards."

"Would you have a Pokemon devour the Tera Crystal yesterday?" Rose asked.

"Oh no. It's not good for their teeth, or Swalot's digestion," Jacq explained, "But also I would never conduct a test like that without medical equipment to extract the object rapidly."

Rose nodded, as if somehow satisfied with that. Mei made a mental note to never lend Jacq money, a true sucker. Though thinking of money, she had to get to her match. She picked up her bag to finish as the two started asking about the Kalosian's disaster of a duck.

"I'll see what behavior notes from the creche are available. Number 23 never stood out to the caretakers, I never recall his being cited especially. He did pass, of course, or would not be given to a student," Jacq promised. Mei shook her head again and navigated the benches to leave. Sooner or later either Rose or Alamy would have to face Alamy was just a bad trainer. She hoped it would be Rose and soon.

As she left the classroom, she heard a couple of girls talking in the corridor just beside the door. A pair of Rookidees hopped alongside, happy for the exercise. "Those two got cursed twice and are up walking around?"

"I don't know what they're made of, but I wouldn't want to get close in case that luck rubs off. You think one of them was the one who got eaten?" the other said as Mei waited in the doorframe. The two spotted her, shook their heads, and moved on, the little Tiny Bird Pokemon hopping along afterwards.

Mei frowned and let Terpsi roll out of her ball to join her fully for the walk to the lunchroom. Rose may have been trying to help Jacq's reputation with that apology. But calling attention to all the hits she had taken was crippling Rose's.

---

"I am not surprised at this point by our recall, but I am surprised so much of this is on League sites," Alamy said later. There was a cooler tinge after the clouds and rain of the last few days. They were chatting now that lunch was about finished for them, though the partners were continuing. A few other students had the same idea, but the groups had enough space to happily ignore each other to enjoy the ambience.

Having extra experience helped with knowing which sections of the website were important, but it was near enough to just being the Rose she saw in the mirror. "Silph Co, too," Rose replied, scooping more rice out for Azucena. The Petilil was steadily chomping through her meal, determined she wouldn't skip any due to health class coming up.

Their phones were also keeping them appraised of chat threads. Trigo and Zania were having a debate about if Jacq would be in trouble. Other people were chiming in occasionally. Or, if they were Victor, egging on the main participants for his own amusement. Rose reached up and tapped her phone to spin it, taking a shot of the Great Crater. It was a clear day, and the foliage would be changing soon.

Rose had spent some time organizing links during class, for Alamy to verify they were appropriate sources. She had much more experience in formal research. "I appreciate you helping on this," Rose said again. She held out a macha jelly packet as a token downpayment.

"The lecture was mainly chapter one as predicted. We have had time," Alamy said. She did take the macha though to squeeze out for Bandwidth. He flapped appreciatively. Whatever his issue with Alamy, it didn't extend to taking food. Alamy had prepped her lunch similarly to Rose's, rice was easy but had gone with a salad over grilling vegetables. The two were about finished, with Rose having a few more packs of jelly for her own dessert. Azucena and Bandwidth were eating at a more measured pace.

"A copy of you recording your speech gives me two more weeks to form an adequate portrait of the creators of that incredibly catchy commercial," Alamy continued once she had finished serving, "Zania was not wrong how it gets stuck in your head." Alamy's hand started to tap a rhythm, and she placed her other hand on it and gave an awkward grin

"I need the practice," Rose said with a sigh, "If this was not so vital I would have begged off after class, but it is."

"Have you thought any reason you were set up for that?" Alamy asked.

"Zania's smart and well-spoken, if she just wanted to chew out Jacq, the Pokedex provides plenty of reasons. If she wanted me to talk about poaching, there were less stressful ways to do it. I thought she knew me better," Rose said. She sighed again and looked.

"I will help how I can," Alamy said, "Practice will help to ignore the crowd. I have seen breakouts. That a researcher doing broad species counts would not be working to combat it is surprising."

"It's been too easy to see the worst of people with this… societal inertia," Rose said, "Jacq seems to prefer a subordinate position. The fault may lie with Tera research becoming the focus instead of him taking on more responsibility?"

"I do not think we should excuse him too much. There always seem to be reasons to stop," Alamy said, and glanced at Bandwidth again. "I am not giving up, by the way, to make us friends," she said firmly. Bandwidth waved a wing idly, still working on the jelly.

"I know Stephan said it wasn't his gift, but maybe he can come up with something when you meet, or knows someone," Rose said, "You have one picked out?"

Alamy nodded and then hesitated. "I prefer to show you at some point, rather than tell, though it may be against Victor today even with a new move, depending on what he does." Rose nodded agreement.

"He's stronger than either of us," Rose said easily, "If you need to show a new card, I have no anger towards it being him and not me. At least right now. Soon, I hope, I could be filled with righteous wrath." Alamy giggled.

"Will this practice cause you too much trouble with training? If this is the starting point for assignments, homework may be hefty before the Hunt," Alamy said.

"I want to do well everywhere. If I must pick one to give up, it will be the lecture. Do you think Jacq would turn down the lights? They would be easier to ignore. There's enough training there I would still notice, of course," Rose fretted.

Alamy motioned to her purple eyes, "My eyes are much darker than yours, at base under your gifts they are light green? You are still wearing sunglasses here in the shade. You are light sensitive?" Alamy asked.

Rose nodded back. "A little. I like sunny days, but more under the trees."

"I worry your eye would be drawn somewhat to the upper lights. You do seem somewhat drawn to stimuli. And if you cannot hold eye contact, it hurts the appeal, I have been told in classes. And this speech is important. I am sure the majority of Pokemon sold in Paldea in the next few weeks will involve the Academy," Alamy said.

"Drawn to stimuli. That's a nice way to phrase it," Rose remarked, "Mei always calls me," Rose paused, "Anyway it's a nice way to phrase it." Alamy huffed.

"How you do not simply scream at times, I admire your fortitude. Would there was somewhere away from everyone wishing to put people in a box," Alamy said. Rose winced.

Azucena put down the last of her food and walked over and hugged Alamy, giving Rose a look. "Even Alamy and I push each other a bit, Azucena," Rose said, "It's simpler with partners." Rose glanced at Bandwidth, who was determinedly eating and didn't meet her gaze. "Usually," she amended.

"The lightning runs wild," Alamy explained kindly, "Or I am sure I would be as controlling as my parents. I have learned to push rather than ask permission too much as it is."

"I do understand," Rose said, "I stack myself against you, Mei, my mother, our other classmates." Alamy shook her head.

"And I understand why you cannot stop, be it a rampaging ghost or a classroom of eyes," Alamy said, "I am glad I met you on that roof, early and tired enough we could see ourselves in each other. The anger, but we could see we try."

"It did make it a lot easier to stay open once we were vulnerable. I would like to think we would find ourselves to be friends anyway," Rose said.

"So quickly?" Alamy countered. Rose hung her head.

"Spend months in the corners not looking at anyone, knowing we were idiots but worried about the risk," Rose predicted when she brought her head up, and giggled. Alamy joined in, and Azucena just sighed. Humans made it too complicated. She went back to finish her lunch.

"Meeting new people is a drain, even nice ones, lucky as I am there," Alamy said, "Having one I knew to start helped."

"I have many skills such as being there," Rose joked, and then frowned. "All the classes will be a drain without interacting. I may be very cranky."

Azucena patted Rose now, and Rose scooped her for a quick hug. "Finish your lunch! Ivy needs to eat. You were both working hard packed up," she ordered. Azucena set back to it.

"Just tell everyone, and they will understand," Alamy said.

"You have the investigation you want to do," Rose said, "And now I'm taking your time with this thing giving me extra credit. Am I doing okay on space for you? We spend a lot of time together, and I've, uh, had lectures before."

Alamy paused and then laughed instead of giggled, shaking her head. "I actually felt jealous you had people to cling to," Alamy explained, "Too many people were in my life for lifestyle over content, in class for the marks. There were no shared interests."

"Your parents were delighted in your 'friends'?" Rose asked, making quote marks with her fingers. Alamy made a face in response.

"Resistor was such a miracle," Alamy answered, "And I do not feel suffocated. I have her and Bandwidth for myself, first most. I enjoy the challenge you keep offering to improve." Alamy looked at Bandwidth expectantly but he didn't rise to the bait. She sighed and said instead, "Resistor bolts her food, but she does need time to eat."

"These last two mornings were fun. I hoped I would enjoy training, and it's been better having someone to push myself against," Rose said cheerfully, or nearly babbled, "I always liked when Pokemon stopped to chat, and they usually are very pleased to get stronger. Being away from everyone but your partners felt it wouldn't be lonely." Azucena cheeped and Rose brushed her 'bib' off. She sat the little Petilil on her lap to clean up the dishes for Ivy.

She hadn't even finished calling Azucena back to her Poke ball before Ivy popped out. He looked around ravenously and pouched to the plate when he saw it with another puff of Trailblaze. "Hey, you're not Terpsichore," Rose chided. He didn't look up, but he slowed down enough to retain table manners.

"It was very different with Nemona than you. Besides the obvious, and the better combinations, and how holding back frustrated her," Alamy remarked, "There is a directness to each of her moves. We slip around each other more to start. Softer, before the light sow for me, and the final steps for you."

"I think by the time you get a partner, you've seen enough battles you see what you want it to look like," Rose predicted, then sighed. "Now I feel bad for Victor."

"I think he could be very clever with rock," Alamy countered, "The weaknesses can be anticipated, and he gets pleasure at annoying people. Kalos did not get good representation this year. I feared what Resistor and I wanted he has been told what he wants is weak and tries to build away from it."

"That Nacli is very attached to him. He should give it a proper name," Rose said firmly.

"He absolutely will not," Alamy said. Both sighed. The two then shifted around, seeing an adult student suddenly breaking the agreed-on distance between the groups. A Luxio padded alongside. "The two of you battled Nemona?" he asked.

"We sparred," Rose said, after a glance at Alamy. She nodded back subtly to let her take the lead, as she got food out for Resistor. By proximity, the question had been directed at the grass trainer.

The student's mouth dropped open. His Luxio shuddered and backed up, tail rising in the air. Ivy stopped eating to look at the bigger feline in surprise, then chuffed dismissively to go back to devouring his lunch.

"Did she do that to your hands? Can you hold Poke balls still? Your poor partners too!" he continued, sounding anxious.

"No, that was that thing that attacked poor Aliquis and his Misdreavus," Rose replied. She flexed her fingers to show she had mobility. Bandwidth quacked in confirmation, patting where his feathers were still discolored.

"The thing that came to campus because he wanted to beat Nemona," the older man persisted.

Alamy held her hands up to peer at them, and the man flinched. "I think Barnaby was correct, these are already getting better," she said to Rose conversationally.

"What did she do to everyone?" Rose asked. The student stared down at the roof for a bit, long enough Alamy switched Resistor out to eat. True to Alamy's words, she really did bolt her food, with gusto.

"Just be careful," he said eventually instead of answering. He wandered back over to his group. The two girls looked at their partners, and each other. Resistor squeaked a question through cheek pouches full of food.

"No, we have never had an adequate answer," Alamy replied. Resistor swallowed, groaned, then went back to eating.

Their phones, seeing them free, waggled for attention. The two quickly read the new text. Can we talk? – Zania.

"I wonder what," Rose said.

"We got distracted talking from reading chat when we finished eating," Alamy noted. The two scrolled up, it seemed general. Mei was having her match, of course, and talking that up.

"Well, we have to head down to class. These two are eating fast enough we should have time to meet in the library before the next bell," Rose said. She cocked her head to look at what was left of Resistor's lunch. "She does everything quickly, doesn't she?"

Alamy nodded fondly. Half the pile of shelled nuts Alamy had opened for the Mouse Pokemon's dessert were already gone.

---

"So just a one-on-one?" Mei asked, doing her best to act casual as she tossed a Poke ball in the air. She didn't know the trainer, but he seemed to be in her range. Teff was on the side of the field, with Arthur and Minx also watching in interest. Trainers and the small group of onlookers had phones up to record the match.

"We don't have a lot of time if we want lunch," the other trainer said reasonably, "I know it's not a great test of each other, but I really want to see the Ghostslayer in action." Mei shrugged and stepped into the trainer box as her answer but grinned broadly at getting a nickname. She expected the pick to determine how this went, but training was training, and the stakes were minimal.

"Should someone shout begin? Let me shout begin!" Teff called from the sidelines. Her opponent stepped into the box and looked at her briefly before nodding. Mei was sizing him up as well. Pome was certainly in the gossip for launching Victor's Nacli. Terpsi would be more of a surprise, most grass types were long-range attackers.

"Right! Battle start! Or however it goes," Teff ended up trailing off into a mumble, but the two were already tossing after 'right'. Mei's reaction speed was better and Terpsi resolved first. She squeaked defiantly and started to gather leaves around her.

Instead of her opponent's light splashing against the ground, the flare resolved in midair. A spray of water reached out of it to smack into Terpsi as most of the Razor Leaf passed under the other Pokemon. Terpsi came out glistening, but mainly uninjured. The little Bounsweet loved being watered, even one aggressive enough to knock her around.

The light finished fading, and their opponent was visible as he squawked. A Wingull, which wasn't ideal, but the Seagull Pokemon was a good pick against either partner and she felt a surge of respect.

Wingull continued squawking and Mei realized too late he was already building. The lines at the edge of the school court shimmered, cutting the noise down as it developed into a Supersonic. Terpsi winced, both caught off guard, and Mei brought a hand to her temple, as she felt a rush of vertigo. She felt like she was floating and sinking simultaneously as she tried to keep her bonds focused with her partner.

Confusion. She felt a flare of anger, but at herself. She should have been ready to expect it and handle it. Now she found the Knight's frozen hell of a bond was different from the sap now surging and withering along her links to Terpsi. She fed power best she could as she rapidly tried to learn to compensate. Terpsi did mange to spin into motion and Mei felt a surge of relief as the move completed into a Rapid Spin.

The little plant left trails of dust as she surged into motion. Yesterday's gauntlet had some payoffs, she could see the trails of light were visibly brighter, if only a bit.

Mei then groaned out loud as the forward progress of the spin slowed, dust kicking up. You have to keep building up the momentum for the jump, Mei warned, but her Bounsweet shrugged the advice off. Terpsi was still nervous with being in the air with moves after the Grass Knot incident. Spray hit her again as the Wingull came around for a pass. Mei did manage to help her hold the spin, adjusting slightly so the hit helped speed her up physically, rather than risking breaking the move on a counter.

The delay cost her as Mei expected. The Wingull had time to flap up after the pass, and catching the flier as he rose reduced the hit to a love tap instead of hitting him on approach. The Wingull lifted a bit more, then suddenly twisted his wings to flip over as he turned, his beak glowing white. The glow spread to his wings, and suddenly flew behind the Wingull as he spead up.

Terpsi got herself braced as they worked on the next move, but the Quick Attack sent her tumbling petals over stems. The Wingull used the extra speed to boost up. It wasn't considered a strong move overall, but the move's nature was so streamlined it was easy to set up in sequence. Terpsi went flopping again before she could get back up from the follow-up.

He's got a good plan, too, Mei thought. He was using his partner's natural agility and his quickness gathering energy well. Terpsi was struggling to her feet, and Mei could feel the drain on her endurance even as the sap continued to run in fits.

Terpsi was just having trouble hitting the flier, even in the confined space of the court. Tonight is jumping practice, Mei thought and Terpsi sent back agreement. Mei wouldn't admit she was flummoxed, but she was ready to fall back on some more indirect strategies.

The one that had worked on Rose seemed doable. Mei fed power and Terpsi crouched down on defense, another hit sending her skidding backwards. They would need to face the Wingull head on, so timing this would be critical. Mei poured on the energy as Terpsi did her best to weather the blows.

As the metaphorical branches started to creak under the strain, Terpsi stood up to confront the next blow, leaving her bracing as she tried to make herself seem adorable. The Charm started… and snapped back, the move energy shattering into meaningless static as Terpsi and Mei's bond moved out of sync.

Terpsi yelped out loud and Mei grimaced, rubbing her temples as she felt Terpsi's share of the feedback. The energy stayed with the partner, but the confusion disruption left a metaphysical ache in the souls from being out of alignment.

Champions don't lose focus! Mei heard in a voice from enforced memories, They don't let a partner's distractions stop them from pushing them to a win, either! The first part, Mei agreed with, but she shook her head at the second. She wasn't going to try and cow Terpsi into being comfortable in the air.

Terpsi shrieked as the next hit went in. She took it on with great force, the Wingull striking deep. Mei tried to help her get to her feet, but cheekily, a spray of water hit her from a distance with one last Water Gun. Terpsi huffed under the water, shaking her leaves, and as the feeling of the stamina break hit, Mei got her back in her ball to rest before she could roll over on her side, unconscious and in indignity.

There was a weary feeling of gratefulness, Terpsi able to wake a little close to her trainer in the safety of the ball, and Mei held it to her lips. "I'm still proud of you. You were brave and you were strong. We'll get it next time," she promised. The ball twitched twice in her hands, smugly in Mei's mind, and she put it back on her belt. She wiped sudden sweat from her head despite the chill day, the exertion of the battle and the knock out.

She had practiced for this situation, knowing you can't win them all, but first both trainers looked at Teff.

"Oh, Mei is the loser of the match!" he said, shaken from watching the spectacle.

The two trainers crossed the field to meet at the center of the court.

"It's my loss," she said with deliberate cheer. Her voice still cracked a bit at the end.

"First time with confusion?" her opponent said sympathetically, "That first experience is rough. You'll do better next time, I'm sure." Mei bowed reflexively in thanks.

"First week," Mei said when she popped back up, and her opponent whistled.

"I see why you're the word in the halls, then. I don't know what the plan was there at the end, but if the bond had held, I'm sure this would be going the other way," he said cheerfully. Mei transferred her forfeit and watched him walk off, feeling another surge of respect. Not many battlers were gracious on a win or a loss that casually. She knew she wasn't.

"You got pummeled!" Teff said quietly when she walked over to them. Remember, gracious is the ideal, Mei thought to herself. She thought she kept it off her face but a twitch of the lips.

"That looked really bad, and it was so quick," Minx said.

"It did look pretty bad," Trigo said, "Are you okay?" Mei bowed long enough to make sure she was smiling when she came up.

"Thank you for the worry. It wasn't a good matchup for either Pome or Terpsi. If he had flying attacks I would really be in trouble," Mei said smoothly, but then grimaced. She could hear the voice again.

A Champion is never in trouble. Everything's riding on you for our bright future! This shouldn't even cause a hitch in your step. That deep voice was certainly no one the Knight or the Mei wanted to remember, but it was one of her. Of one of the Knight's first trainers. Not her. She still felt stiff though, like she wanted to be cold on some level.

She felt a heat in her side, Pome, reminding her she was here instead. There was ash after that fire, a brief exhaustion, the surge of emotion, but that was different. She needed to cling to that. She looked around though. Going through her loss here, not something like Victor who was stronger, she wasn't sure she could take it.

"I need to get lunch," Mei said suddenly. She walked faster and faster, and was in a jog by the time she reached the courtyard door.

"They weren't talking on the field like it was one-sided. It looked like it," Teff observed, "So is that just Mei when she has to show weakness or was she creamed?"

"Want to send the video to Victor? See if we're missing something?" Trigo offered. Teff nodded.

---

Zania indeed didn't want to fight the lunch crowd to an elevator to then climb stairs, so Rose and Alamy were now in the library. They found Zania in the biographies, tearing pieces off a sandwich to toss to a Gastly that had compressed itself into a shady gap in the stacks. Her Fidough was looking at the Gastly intently, in case it tried anything. His tail was wagging, though, so it couldn't be serious.

"This is a weird looking match," Rose observed as she approached. Zania motioned for her to talk more quietly.

"He was huddling under the info kiosk behind the main desk," Zania said in a stage whisper, "The sun had about wiped out the shadow there, and Fi-cutie sniffed him out. He was a little quivering thing, so I felt bad. Afte the last couple days I was worried someone would be rough with a stray ghost, so I let my shadow connect and he rode over here."

"Poor thing. Do not worry, it will be dark in a few hours and the library is not busy then. You can sneak out," Alamy said encouragingly. The Gastly looked at her blankly, though he was still busy chewing.

"You get used to talking back and forth with your own partners," Alamy said weakly. Rose patted her shoulder reassuringly. Alamy held out her Rotom phone instead, with the weather app on. It buzzed at the Gastly, and the little ghost nodded thanks to the Rotom interpreting.

"I haven't seen a Gastly on campus at all," Rose said, "It might be uncomfortable after everything." Zania winced instead of nodding, and Rose blinked a few times.

"Yes, uncomfortable, right," Zania said, then stopped to throw more sandwich to the Gastly. "Oh, sit down, sit down."

The two girls sat on the bench alongside Zania's, keeping some distance from the Gastly. It seemed content, but they had a tremendous reputation as pranksters and were living poison gas besides. Having one less than half a meter of their heads felt dangerous. Ivy kept crouched, and Resistor let sparks run down her tail. Fi-cutie seemed fine, but their partners were making sure to keep a warning.

"You two aren't super-mad at me, are you?" Zania said, "I mean, it seemed a good idea. Rose, you're pretty good at explaining these things when you get talking. And I thought you were angrier than you were letting on with the death curse, but then you went and apologized, and I feel terrible." Fi-cutie barked reassuringly, seemingly, on automatic, and Zania smiled, though she put a finger to her lips to remind him to keep it down.

Zania tossed more sandwich to the apparently insatiable ghost, and then continued, "I remember how you were in the city. And you tend to hang back a bit if something crazy isn't going on. I know you're getting extra credit, but are you okay?"

"I think it's for a good cause," Rose said firmly, but smiled at Zania and added, "Knowing you were trying to mean well helps."

"It looked really bad from the outside," Zania added miserably, "And the hands too. This thing's been bad for you."

"We would not beat it without your help," Alamy said, "And all the teachers had failures here. The spiritual is, after today, very clearly not Jacq's expertise."

"Or thinking through if he gets told to do something," Rose said. The two other girls looked at her, taken aback a little by the tone. "I might be somewhat mad," Rose allowed, "But he does know the course material. Those odd gaps need to be filled in, and apparently. I am here for that."

"What can I do?" Zania asked.

"Alamy said it. We couldn't beat it without everyone, and he helped scan Mei," Rose said, "We can hang out and do homework? And someone else to look at the draft would help." Classmates worried that she were being hurt could probably be upgraded to friends, and Rose wouldn't spend those causally.

"I feel more embarrassed at what I was doing than to be angry at someone else's behavior yesterday," Alamy said. Rose cringed in sympathy as Resistor patted her trainer on the leg.

"I'm angry by association. Or just in general that it popped up again, and I could feel it eating me," Zania said, "Then he brought up that stupid app, and I got reminded you could shut him up. You're not mad at me?"

"More surprised," Rose said, and felt lighter. It was the truth.

"It probably helps we were able to battle it before, and then during," Alamy suggested, "It puts a… marker on some event, win or lose. I am not sure I can explain it."

"You just flip past it don't you, onto the next match," Zania said in wonder. The two other girls looked at each other and shrugged.

"Anyway, I don't mind helping. Three heads are better than two for this, I bet," Zania said, "And maybe it will help me get better before I have history papers. Ugh. Raifort after everything. Jacq was bad enough. I want to shake him, and I can't beat him in a match."

Rose and Alamy very carefully said nothing, and Zania laughed.

"Even if my puppy and croc wanted the life, it'll still be a long time if I were a Nemona-level genius before I could face them, right?" Zania asked. Rose nodded assent.

Zania relaxed, seemingly going a bit limp. The Gastly stirred, nervous, and Ivy Trailblazed up to the bench with Zania, hissing in warning until the ghost withdrew.

"I don't think he meant trouble," Zania said, rousing herself. The Gastly nodded assent. Little guy was good at tone, apparently. Ivy gave Zania a superior look before walking the normal way back under Rose's bench.

"Well, then, dessert's still on tonight with the leche frita. Maybe bring some dinner fixings and we can potluck a little. I know I have to work on homework myself, but at least we can bounce problems off each other," Zania suggested.

"It is important someone give this talk, Zania, so I'm glad it came up for that. The less money going to those monsters, the better," Rose said grimly.

"Like I'm one to talk. Cycle, I just happily went and used you because I was annoyed and it seemed easier. I'm no better than them. Feed you and use you," Zania said in a low voice, "You two nearly died and deserve better." Her Fi-cutie whined.

"We got some closure you did not," Alamy reassured. Resistor buzzed encouragingly. Zania snorted halfway into a cry.

"I tried to justify it I was helping everyone, but just angry," Zania said, "And now I feel silly. You two manage to get through it, of course, and Poppy makes it not bother her so much, and there's me. But of course, I'll help. Mesagoza owes you, I think. We can even see who comes around. I emailed Miriam and I think we found a movie you battlers will enjoy, even!"

Alamy and Rose nodded, a bit stunned they had been seen through. Zania beamed. "Good, great even! We'll see each other later tonight. It's okay for you two to be mad, though. Especially when people are jerks. Especially especially when they say they're friends. Say hi to Miriam!" Zania said in a rush. She stood and finally started eating her sandwich herself. Fi-cutie barked and fell in beside. The Gastly waggled his tongue after her as a goodbye.

The two other girls looked at each other. "It's my fault," Rose announced after a moment, "I'm not very good at hiding."

"That was a very long day. I am sure I did not do as well as I thought," Alamy said, "Poaching you have been angry a few times. I need not know when or what, but you have seen a poaching cage?" Ivy's head snatched up from looking for crumbs on the floor. Resistor buzzed questioningly.

Rose thought on it for a little bit, and after consideration nodded. "It isn't very believable on the details, but yes," she said truthfully.

"I thought it was not just a movie or a news site. As terrible as those images are," Alamy said.

"What gave it away?" Rose asked curiously.

"Besides voice tone, your face draws up. You bare your teeth a little even. Like a smell or taste is associated, something visceral," Alamy explained. Rose rubbed her eyes. She would have to work on that. When she opened her eyes again, Alamy was looking at her anxiously.

"Thank you," she said, "I'll keep that in mind."

"You look very old sometimes," Alamy said, still looking anxious.

"Probably," Rose allowed. "I'm asking a lot to be a friend."

"If you wanted to lash out because you knew to hurt me, you have had opportunities," Alamy said angrily, "Instead you gave me a platform I could finally let Resistor shine from, and others besides. We could certainly break each other, if that was our intention. If that makes you feel better." Alamy's lips quirked in a smile.

"It actually does," Rose confessed after a little thought.

"We shine for eternal competition," Alamy mused, "At least now. I think I see why Zania was surprised. Victory, it is done, a new goal. A loss, there are things to improve. I prefer this with Resistor to my old self. But I envy your sister her ease." Rose thought for a terrifying second, Alamy thought she had befriended the wrong twin before reason asserted itself. Alamy had just finished talking about how they could break each other.

"I'm sorry I can't do more there yet. She has so much damage right now," Rose said frantically.

"No, I understand," Alamy said, "Everyone is working to help, sometimes subtly. And your sister is important to you."

"Her reaction to you is completely unreasonable," Rose said and Ivy added a growl.

"Yes," Alamy agreed, "But I do envy her – she can just do the right thing, without thought. Even to those who hurt her. Her bragging is earned. When this childish jealousy of ownership ends, she will be a great and good person. I wish it were easy. We needed a break, but we still should have stayed yesterday." Alamy had a wistful look in her eyes.

"It was selfish. Even saying that the thought of being back in Clavell's office after everything makes me shiver," Rose admitted, "But it is selfish."

"Heroes would worry about everyone, even terrible pet owners, given we were much fortified by our partners to keep moving," Alamy said, "And then the strength when we knew to confront it. Mei would have stayed for that trash. She may have yelled at them, but she would be there."

"She's better at dealing with people. And she can channel deeper to her partners," Rose admitted, then added quickly, "Right now." Something in the tone set the Gastly off, blowing a raspberry at her followed by a chuckle. Ivy crouched, tail lashing, and Rose could tell he was about to bat at the tongue. She quickly picked him up before he could paralyze himself.

"I will take that as a cue to begin going to class, even if we must face her. I hope your sister is healing, though one day is not much of a trend," Alamy said, "When she grows up and past it, she may make a formidable Champion."

---

Mei wasn't sulking over her loss. She had made this very clear to both Terpsi and Pome on the way to the cafeteria. Repeatedly, in case they didn't believe her. This was a mature opportunity to reflect on the battle and how to do better in the future.

No skewers for take-out today, which didn't help her mood either.

Miriam's classroom was empty during the lunch break. She had gambled on that, Miriam was outgoing and gregarious, of course she would head somewhere with a crowd to eat. She took advantage of the solitude to let both her partners out to eat. She handed most of the food over and watched them go to messy work as she slowly chewed on a sandwich. Despite the exertion, she didn't have much appetite, but her thoughts were racing.

She had never heard someone else's voice yelling at her in her head before. It hadn't leaked like this before. She wanted to be strong, and the Knight's knowledge had helped her push herself repeatedly. Was it too much reliance instead of Mei (which was a better name than Rose anyway) winning now?

Watching Terpsi spray crumbs like they were leaves during an attack helped some. The Knight never got to pick partners based on personality. They were welded and frozen together. The chill feeling of her strength had been stronger, but there was the other chill from Pome, something lingering in the emotional calm afterwards.

The Knight didn't know what to make of it. She didn't really know what to make of emotions anyway, more so than Mei would tell Rose. Her sister was already worried about her – justifiably, even if it got results.

For the first moment, Mei had to consider what results those were and if she liked them. This path of power, forcing their souls to hold together, hadn't worked. It had mixed results. But where Pome had burned, this time, she could feel it move still. Spooky Pokemon were reacting to her, but it was more than that.

"Ash is a fertilizer, isn't it?" Mei asked aloud. Pome stared at her blankly, his mouth full of sandwich. "We know there's more to your fire, eventually. And even if I'm tired, I regrow right?" Mei asked, mainly talking to herself, "Rose is a scattershot of petals, but we got trained to just grow and go in with force, even if she's not fixing it right. What if I'm neglecting my roots?'

She would continue, but she felt a stirring behind her, of banked bubbling power, and turned. Miriam was coming into the classroom, a paper sack of sandwiches and a drooling Eelektross (which Mei could have gone her whole life without seeing) in the air behind her.

"Oh, silly me, the door doesn't auto-lock unless you set it again," Miriam said, "Are you all right, Mei?" Without waiting for an answer, Miriam lightly hopped the tables to pull a bench to sit across from Mei. She unwrapped a sandwich and passed it to Eelektross without looking. Growling like a particularly pleased electric motor, the EleFish Pokemon tore into her sandwich. Mei stared at Terpsi. Even watching that disaster of food going everywhere was better than watching an Eelektross using her mouth.

"I did lose a fight," Mei allowed. She looked down and realized she had a churro in her hands. She split it in two to set below her partners. "I'm not in trouble for feeding them like this?" she asked.

"You're not getting them in anyone's way. I think I can overlook it," Miriam said with a smile, "Though I'm sorry you can't have them out in class. It's too easy to focus on them, the school has found. And you're not trying to power them both up for battle, so it's perfectly safe."

"Well, they're the rest of us, why wouldn't we pay attention?" Mei said absently, breaking another churro into pieces that started to disappear.

"Exactly," Miriam agreed, "But most can't see it the same way we can." She shifted slightly farther from Terpsi's shrapnel and called out her Pincurchin as she finished. The handless Pokemon neatly started to bite chunks off the sandwich. Terpsi saw and squeaked angrily at the challenge.

"We're not a patient people, are we?" Mei asked in reply. Terpsi gave a giggling ring and then went back to attacking her dessert with fervor.

"It's nice you get along with your firsts so well," Miriam complimented.

"I brought paper towels for her," Mei assured Miriam. Her homeroom teacher nodded thanks.

"They both seem in a good mood, so you're doing recovery right," Miriam added.

"Terpsi's can't get into a fight, but she got enough rest while I was in line she can stay awake, and then the food is helping," Mei said.

"You did a good job on recall, then, that she didn't take permanent damage after the stamina break. Health would be a much easier class to teach if everything was as easy to walk off as matches," Miriam noted.

"I wasn't as wiped out as earlier, either," Mei confided, "But it was just one match. And it was on my alignment and didn't have to charcoal as badly. Everything feels stiffer than I want."

"Pome and you are still growing," Miriam said. Pome swallowed and whistled agreement, making tiny curls of his forearms.

"It's not expressing itself the same, but I think you have your sister's problem," Miriam said. Mei scoffed as Miriam took a moment to bring her Meganium out. "You're both having visualization problems with your bonds," Miriam clarified, "With energy moving outside where you want it too. You both approach it differently; Rose's drawing issues are a very rookie mistake. It's harder to spot at their strength, but you can see it in Zania and Trigo too."

"Azucena having Charm seems to be helping. She said she wasn't seeing the petals before," Mei said, "Do I have to teach Pome Curse then? Ghosts do weird things around me. It can't be ice locking stuff up, it absolutely can't."

"You're forcing stuff through channels. Really well for being under a week, especially with different elements, but letting it grow and branch a little would help," Miriam urged. She held up her hand, and Meganium nodded assent behind her. The light in the classroom was tinged purple for a minute, but then bubbles started to pop off it with the other seventeen colors of existence.

"How long did it take you to learn that?" Mei asked as she watched the light show. Even Terpsi stopped eating, entranced.

The brief display of channeling stopped, and Miriam flexed her fingers before replying. "When I was working at the Pokemon Center, seeing everyone come in. Poison can burn to strength instead of just burn, but it was interacting with everyone helped me see to flow the rest, and I was able to really get started. It's one of the hidden virtues of the Academy, as many Pokemon you can get exposed to in a friendly setting."

"I can do fire, but it's not quite right, is it? Since it rides on the outside, the power's flowing up the center on the other attacks," Mei commented.

"I'm not master enough to see all that on the inside," Miriam confessed, "But as much as you got rooted to grass early, using something inimical as fire is impressive. It's giving you problems, but even if you're being burned it's hard to catch it. Poppy's impressed." That made Mei sit up straighter at having the tiny Elite's eye. Miriam giggled as she switched around again, bringing out Hypno.

"Glalie will need to eat next," Miriam warned kindly.

"I wouldn't mean to insult you that he wouldn't listen to his partner," Mei said hastily, "I haven't, have I?"

"No, but it can be a bit stressful," Miriam said, and pointed at her Hypno, "When I found him and he wanted to partner, it still took a bit to make it work. I'm not a real generalist, working with him up close is easier to visualize than trying to project telekinesis. But the first couple weeks I was cranky." Hypno nodded rapidly until Miriam gave him a mock glare. Mei laughed.

She stood up to begin cleaning up as she talked. Terpsi hopped to the floor to clear the debris site. "I'd love to figure it out now. And at least start being more rational at being irritated with everything," Mei said.

"It's been a bad first week," Miriam said sadly, "But what is it on your sister that's irritating you?"

"I can't blame her for the channeling problems. She didn't get taught the techniques she needed," Mei said, "But I am anyway. And I know it's unreasonable, and Rose is putting up with it, but she still doesn't like it. And she shouldn't! But that makes me angrier. She may not like me anyway. I'm a bit more confrontational in my style."

"Or brutal," Miriam said without any rancor, "You put a lot of power in a hit when you're channeling, more than I saw in practice."

"Better than just being yet another aroma girl," Mei said, "All over the place and trying to set up with grace while ignoring your opponent. You knock them out to win, right? A trainer needs focus and she keeps going all over the place. She was trying to do channeling training while walking this morning. Walking! What are you going to get out of it? She's got an edge that could help her be one of the greats if she would use it instead of dithering over trying to haul someone up because there's a bit of resemblance in their channeling."

"I think they have other reasons to work togehter than just they have a similar natural style," Miriam said.

"Please, the electric rat had months of a headstart, and look where she is compared to Victor, who's holding back. She had one partner to focus her attention on and she couldn't build a relationship where the little electric rat opened herself up to her. She specialized without managing it! And Rose thinks that's a good sparring partner, punching down like that?" Mei ranted as she worked to scrub up around Terpsi.

"The blunt end of the spade is I can do more than Rose can, even with all the 'work' she'd putting in, and we had the exact same start. Rose just keeps making it easy to flare up. It's a little better today, but the fire's still there. I don't want to get rid of Pome, he keeps things lively, but the embers are there. There's something more I should be doing on it, but I can't think what but to get another partner to build up more tolerance," Mei continued.

"Bad idea," Miriam said flatly, "And just because your genes started from the same place doesn't mean you grow the same."

"My mind knows that. For both of those things," Mei said irritably, "But my heart says it's a race, and I'm going to win because she's making it easy." Terpsi squeaked agreement, spinning around with a brief flash of light and puffed herself up.

"I'm glad you do know you need to work on your impulses," Miriam said.

"What about Rose's?" Mei challenged, "Paldea doesn't like people to excel, and Rose tunes in to what's around her, doesn't she? She's happier here but is it stunting her? Is it all just growing up weeds? Is she getting bad advice beamed in from the local Pokemon?"

Miriam winced. "Rose and Alamy," Miriam said with emphasis, "Have been critical of some of Paldea's social expectations. You know her talents are different, so why is it still such a surprise?"

"Because," Mei started then stopped. Because the Ranger was aggressive when she fought. Leech seeds or sleep and then wearing you down. None of spending a bunch of time powering up to attack with confidence. "Because even if she talked about it before we started, she's treating herself as weak," Mei finished, "And that can become reality. You know that part, don't you?"

Miriam found herself nodding, then stopped, "There are better ways to influence someone," Miriam said instead. Mei nodded agreement, looking miserable. She wished she could.

"I'm going to bring him out, are you ready?" Miriam warned.

Mei sat back down and motioned Pome closer. She reached and asked for help as she fed some power, a light aura around her, but in infrared, as she set flames burning among the branches. "It doesn't grow back as quick as I like, but the branches are still there as ash, right? Do you think a ghost would help?" Mei asked instead.

Glalie came out and Mei felt the familiar and unwelcome spike from its proximity. It was simply wrong on a fundamental level to what she was. Her father had once tried to bridge the gap, and by the end of that day, he wasn't around anymore.

Glalie stared at her for a few moments, but when the sandwich came out, he went to happily eating instead of trying to intimidate.

"I haven't seen many ghosts around the last few days," Miriam said, "I worry a third would run you dry, especially how you wear yourself out. There's a few study Pokemon besides Raifort's-"

"No," Mei interrupted, "You think I'm taking too many risks?"

"Exactly, telling you to go to her would be not thinking," Miriam said, and frowned. "Nor was she," Miriam added.

"Aren't you supposed to be a united front?" Mei teased.

"I won't tell if you won't," Miriam countered, "Hmm, who else. It might just be students. Sagu has a Froslass around but I think she's taking it easy right now. Salvatore is injured but dabbles."

There was a clatter at the door. The five craned to look as Rose and Alamy suddenly burst in, the cat and rat before them and hackled. Mei blinked, and the heat around her puffed out as she lost concentration. The four were combat ready.

Rose yelped as she caught sight of the room, taking a few steps back. "Sorry," she said even as she had her hands before her. She looked embarrassed. Mei turned around, but the Glalie was only grinning, as toothily as a giant head can.

"We felt a spike down the hall and then it kept going," Alamy explained. The fur settled on their partners' body, the two little Pokemon looking embarrassed. Rose settled down and grabbed her necklace.

"I'm sorry, I was startled," Rose apologized to the Glalie, "I know you're not going to be a threat just because I'm here."

"Just a discussion," Miriam said, "I'm happy to continue it later if you want Mei."

"No, just my usual problem," Mei acknowledged, "Emotions bobbing up and down like an adolescent in the worst team dramas. I thought I had years left." Pome whistled in surprise. Why would even with the weird way humans did it, she not want to evolve?

"Possibly," Miriam said, slipping into teacher mode, "All sorts of things kick in on the hypothalamus when you bond. Even weakly. Er, pet level. How long varies between people." Miriam eyed Mei strongly for a moment, though not making eye contact of course. "Even twins it can vary." Mei didn't want to think about it. The schedule she knew about, she wasn't a twin, so it would probably be different. All the drugs there didn't help either.

Rose had leaned down during the conversation. "Oh, there's Terpsi. I thought I felt her," she said and waved. Terpsi burbled back.

Mei snapped her fingers, drawing back her sister's attention. Miriam spoke quickly, "I promise not to use you two as examples, on how environment and choices change people. Genes are only a bit of the story."

"Changing right from the start, doesn't it? Trying to figure out why there's apparently natural spookiness underneath. Possibly, it still feels likely," Mei decided to ask an actual expert.

"Of course, though type preferences versus natural alignment will be debated to the end of time," Miriam predicted, "You two could have seen something that got your eye and just moved towards it. And sometimes it changes. A lot of bug catchers switch as they get older."

"Maybe you wanted to get away?" Alamy suggested, "Ghosts are quite good at that."

"If you want to boil it down. That feels too simple," Mei said, grumpy the volt brat had entered the conversation.

"There's that gym trainer on our floor," Rose reminded Mei.

"I owe her a favor still," Mei said, "But maybe if she let me clean up after them. Shouldn't you be looking for trainers on the lunar side?"

"I have my own training before finding more partners," Rose said absently, "And this speech."

"I heard in the teachers' room you got volunteered," Miriam said, "Are you okay with it?"

"It's fine," Rose lied, with every living thing in the room looking at her dubiously, "It's apparently necessary. Crime's up, right?" Miriam nodded sadly. Mei turned around and rolled her eyes to herself. How selfless of her to go pad her reputation to everyone in a required course.

Miriam glanced briefly Mei's way before speaking again, "Do you have a plan?"

"I talked a little on how Jacq wanted it covered. Alamy and I looked into the sources I had, and they seemed credible. We did cover listing sources some at trainer's school. Zania and Alamy offered to help me practice," Rose said.

Mei felt her temples throb suddenly, and Pome whistled warily. Mei ignored it and turned around slowly.

"I'm glad you're getting something back," Mei said stiffly. Alamy shifted to the balls of her feet and Rose's hand went to her necklace. Ivy's fur rose back into the air.

"It's not… a transactional basis with training," Rose said, getting quieter.

"I know I'm busy. I have all those matches, and special training with Mela, and the thing about the court with Geeta. You could have asked. I would find the time," Mei said.

"You could have volunteered," Rose snapped back, before going back to quiet, "They both did."

"I'm glad you have some backup anyway," Mei said, ignoring Rose's comment and Resistor's hiss. "Since it seems more and more likely I have to beg off some hex maniac to study their Pokemon. Unless you found a ghost I could capture haunting the halls," Mei finished with a laugh.

"Mei, capture is really a bad idea until you've had more time to adjust," Miriam said. Mei didn't look at her teacher but nodded to acknowledge, as the electric chain on her sister had an odd reaction. She was glancing at Rose, looking worried. Rose looked over at Alamy and her own expression looked conflicted. Her knuckles whitened on the necklace

"You two didn't get attacked by another ghost did you? Or did Zacian pop by to hand over a TM?" Mei asked, dubious.

Rose took her hands away from her necklace and put them behind her back. "No, sorry. I don't think there are any ghosts around for you on campus. Sorry," she said coolly.

---

Kieran, to note again, has been very vague about how he ended up transferring and his mistakes in the DLC. I've got an idea how it went down but I need to write that side story.

You think Terpsi has an ego now wait until she can start strutting. It's probably notable even when worried on her sister, the partners take priority briefly. I think Terpsi's just enjoying getting attention being a mess until she has hands to eat with, to help push her trainer to go get her those hands.

The best laid plans of woman and Petilil….

I suspect Zania's thinking of the Ruin Shrines for abyssal gates in Paldea. They are more known as a curiosity than a tourist destination, so word hasn't really gotten around they opened.

Mei probably could have done better with a different strategy for Terpsi, but she tried to brute force it again.

Alamy and Rose have more regrets on that they were found out for being bored than fighting a ghost of a ghost in their heads. Battlers are weird.

I've met a few people whose tempers can get away from them, even if they know it and regret it.