Fermata High School - Serena:

This hadn't been the first time I'd teleported to school with a classmate. The psychic types of Fermata were notorious for skiping out on their daily walk, and I wasn't one to turn down a free ride after a club meet or sleepover. Otherwise, my mother was a capable psychic. The ninetales often warped me to class herself on test weeks, hoping I might take a hint and study. Sky's approach; however, was considerably more... creative. It was hard to tell if the grass snake was familiar with the term "danger", but the coccophany of sensations that followed was far from reassuring.

Groggily, my ears turned. Groans rippled out in the distance. Close, but muffled. It was dark. Too hard to tell. "Sky?" I mumbled as I felt around with a paw. Something loose and wooden clattered atop my muzzle in response as paper crinkled beneath my chin. Then came the box, along with next month's lesson plans. Fresh paper smell mingled with the earthen scent of aging wood as I scrambled to my paws, suppressing the urge to shout for fear of flames.

Hurriedly, I poked at my cardboard prison with my muzzle. Hind legs crouched, tails coiled, I dug my claws into the splintered closet wood and sprung forth, catching the edge of the box with my nose and lifting upwards. The container lifted just enough for me to scuttle free on my belly, until the light of the hallway cut through the darkness, flickering amidst a crowd of clattering paws.

"Sky? Ya there?" I coiled a tail around the door handle and tugged, only sweeping the room for my snivy companion once the space was lit. "Come on, quick! We'll be late!"

Vines rippled forth from a nearby mop bucket as the snake appeared. Unharmed, but drenched. For his sake, he'd better hope it was recently filled. "Enjoy your soak?" I suppressed the urge to laugh as the grass type hobbled his way into the light, green scales shimmering under the light of the hallway lamps. "Grab a towel, 'kay? I don't think you'll be welcome if you're slipping around all over the place."

"Hilarious," Sky replied, unamused. What little moisture still clung to his body began to move, rising up his belly, sliding along his arm and collecting in his palm. "As if I need a towel." His expression softened, a clear water bubble clutched tightly in his hand. "Cool, huh?"

"Any water type could do that." I flipped around, catching the grass type's muzzle with a tail or two. He was such a dork, in the most endearing way. "For a grass type though... Maybe." I cast a playful grin over my shoulder and beckoned for him to follow. "You can show me some tricks later. Hopefully with cleaner water." With a spring in my step, I propped the door open with a door stop and skipped out into the hall.

Despite the positivity of the exchange, it was hard not to notice the stares. Not a soul in the hallway missed Sky, nor me for the matter, and it wasn't because of the closet. It seemed that you couldn't even walk with Sky without someone giving you odd looks. On any ordinary day, they didn't even look at him, but when he was with me? Just what did they stand to gain from treating him this way?

"Serena?" I frowned, feeling Sky tap my shoulder. The blue-eyed snivy had a concerned look about his snout, yet a quick smile was all it took to cheer him up.

"I'm fine." I grinned, flicking my tails to and fro just to spite the onlooking crowd. "You got us here just in time! More importantly, you got the location right too. The closet you chose was just out of sight. I don't think the teachers noticed!" I snickered. Something about cutting it so close had lit a fire in my heart, if only a temporary one. If anyone else tried to hold me up on my way to class again, it'd mean more trouble for them than me! "How'd you know about it?"

"Just a hunch." He glanced at a nearby classroom. "It's pretty out of the way. Cluttered, but large. It's a mess in there, but I wouldn't be surprised if the teachers use it as a break room." He chuckled. "So! Who do we have first?"

"Shoot! Good question." I pressed a paw to my cheek and balanced on three legs as I glanced around for clues. Surely we were cutting it close! I'd been through this building long enough to know where everything was, but the teachers? I hadn't given the schedule a good enough look to know which was first.

Sky dug through his bag and pulled out an actual schedule. "Let's see... Mrs. Jade?" He frowned. "Never had her before."

"Oof! Good luck, then!" A familiar fennekin pushed her way out of the crowd and out to a nearby classroom. She had a darker coat than most of her species. Bright yellows became muted, honey-yellow tufts, while anything red was darker and more shiny, like the bejeweled texture of a red carpet. The same red adorned the tips of her paws, as if she'd stepped into a shallow bucket of paint and let it dry.

"Hah! Beat ya to it this time, Serena!" The fire type grinned. Ruby-red eyes beamed like gemstones as the vixen twirled about in the doorway. Her neck fur, which had been styled much the same as an eevee's scruff, fluffed out even further as she spun about, and her cheeks spread wide with glistening freckles as she beaconed us forth. "Better hurry before you're late!" She teased.

"Oh!" She paused, as if Sky's appearance had just dawned on her. "So ya made friends with Dream huh? That's great! Nice to see that I'm rubbing off on you!" She whirled on Sky with a pose and a hum and reached out a paw to greet him. "Nice to meet ya Dream! I'm Ruby!"

Sky seemed just as surprised as I was, but he shook her outstretched paw without hesitation. "A friend of yours, Serena?" The snivy chuckled. "It's Sky. Dream's just a nickname."

"Sky..." The cherry-eyed fennekin nodded as she retreated further into the classroom. "I love it! Am I in the club, now? How many 'mons know your real name, huh?" She shook her head. "Wait, no. Don't tell me. I'd rather think I was the fiiirst~"

"Sky, meet the leader of the drama club." I giggled. "Trust me, she's great, but don't expect her not to drag you along to showings. You're locked in now!" I threw a jab at the snake's side and followed after Ruby. "Hope you're prepared. It only goes downhill from here." I snuck in, earning a light jab to the side from the fire fox. Ruby had always been a nice and kind hearted fennekin. She was friends with almost everyone, leave aside jerks like Burn and his entourage, but she could be a bit of a pawful at times. Even the simplest of explanations took a few times to get through to her once she got going, but she was smart when she needed to be, and more accepting than most were willing to be.

"What do you mean it goes downhill? Stick with me and you'll be partying every day!" The cheery fennekin snickered. "Now shush! I'm trying to help ya out, here. If Ms. Jade thinks you weren't here all along, you'd be done for!" She grinned once more. "Now come on! You can have the seat next to me, Sky!" Before he could protest, Ruby led the snivy off toward the desks, leaving me to pick up the pace.

Thankfully, she chose a few desks close to the front. Reserved by hers truly. Oh? Did I forget to mention that boys tended to fawn over her? Not that they had a chance with her. The fire fox was nice enough that she might accept a date from anyone who asked, but dissapointment would surely follow. The girl only had eyes for females, but that didn't stop her from reaping the benefits of the attention she recieved. If Ruby asked to reserve a seat, or even commandeer one for the matter, it was hers. No questions asked. She didn't even have to be rude about it. It was a great bonus to being her friend. I wasn't completely sure if she knew what she was doing, but then again, she was nice enough that it didn't matter. The girl could convince even the most hard headed of 'mons to get along if she wanted to.

"Thanks for the save." I nuzzled the fennekin and took my seat across from her. Sky was at the opposite end of the three-desk isle from me, but having the kind-hearted fennekin next to him was more than reassuring. Before I could thank her for taking the attention of the class away from Sky, our teacher, an elegant-looking espeon with hopeful, emerald colored eyes, entered the room and stepped up to her podium.

"Alright class." The espeon clapped her wispy, jade-furred paws to silence the chatter up front as a draft kicked up near the doorway. The whimsy of her teal-colored paws soon faded to an elegant shade of lavender, the border between the two colors wavering about in a ghostly manner as she turned to face the door. Subsequently, the darkened gemstone embedded in her forehead began to glow a brilliant shade of green, followed by the absence of said draft as the door swung shut of its own volition. "Quiet now." She smiled a mother's smile, her teal-tipped ears and tails flicking lightly in amusement. "You'll have time to discuss the details of your summer as soon as we're done with our introductory lesson. We have a limited amount of time today, so that won't be long." She flicked her tail lightly, her muzzle aloft with amusement as she scanned the back rows. Much of the remaining chatter belonged to those who'd forfeited seats to Ruby and the occasional back-of-the-class troublemaker, but one seat curiously remained unclaimed.

"That means everyone. There'll be time for making friends once the lecture is over." Her words seemed to flow across the room like melodies, calming the chatter and centering all attention on the podium. That in combination with her cozy, bedroom-like classroom decor kept the class on task, but it was no wonder why she had a reputation for dozing classmates. "I am Miss Jade and I will be your geography teacher for the year." The espeon moved to address a pull-down map, only to be interrupted by the opening of the door. A riolu, their fur matted partially from sweat, rushed through the doorway and tripped over his own paws, sending him crashing into a trash can near Miss. Jade's desk. I looked to my side to see Ruby laughing, or rather, the whole class was, but her laughing was noticeably more sentimental.

"I'm good!" The riolu cheered, lifting his paw into the air while still face down near the trash can. Miss Jade padded over to him with a humorous smile on her muzzle, though I'm sure it wasn't because of his tardiness.

"So glad you could join us today Ryan." She curled her twin tails down and around Ryan's waist and lifted him gently to his paws. "I know I shouldn't have to tell you this, but try not to run in the halls." She shook her head, simultaneously cleaning up the riolu's mess with her psychic. "There's a seat open for you, but I do hope you won't make a habit out of being late."

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" Ryan snickered. "Sorry. I overslept." He glanced down guiltily at the slightly dented trash can. "I uhh... Sorry about that."

Miss Jade eyed him plainly. "Ryan dear, every teacher's heard of you. Now please..." She gestured to the open desk with her tail. "Take your seat. And quickly! We don't have much time today." The espeon nudged him along and returned to her podium, leaving Ryan to hobble over to the only remaining seat.

"Will do Miss J!" The honey-eyed riolu adjusted the cottony scarf he draped loosely around his waist as he padded along, pausing briefly to glance at Sky before taking a seat just behind him. "Make a new friend, Ruby?" He tapped the scarlet-tailed fox on the shoulder and leaned back in his chair. "He new? Never seen him before."

Ruby shook her head, signaling to the riolu to keep it down. "Serena brought him over." She whispered. "Ask him his name yourself if you wanna know." She flicked her tail teasingly and shifted her attention back to our teacher. "Oh, but later. You were already late!"

Ryan nodded along and followed suit. At the very least, my friends were on board with Sky. Now if only we could make it through class without another incident. "Before we get started, I'd like to announce that club sign ups begin today." A marker lifted into the air from Miss Jade's podium and levitated over to a nearby dry-erase board, marking it with all the relevant information needed for club registration. "Don't wait until they close!" She warned. "Most clubs are lenient, but I wouldn't sit on it for more than a few weeks."

Suspended from the ceiling in the space between her podium and the far wall was a small loop attached to a string. The tranquil espeon threaded her tail into the hook and pulled, bringing down a highly detailed map of the world. "Just as a kind gesture for your first day, no books will be required for this lesson and I won't give any homework." She smiled, allowing each of the students to cheer for the god news. "Instead we'll focus on a famous landmark in Veralos, our sister continent to the northeast." She gestured to a large continent near the center of the map, most of which was covered in depictions of dense vegetation.

"As a continent, Veralos can be divided into two seperate states, or duchies. There's Plethora." She slapped her tail to the left of the continent in question, then to the right. "Then, there's Hollow. The two are united under the rule of a single monarch, Queen Celosia." The feline took a seat and slid a paw along the map's surface. All the while, a pleasant zipping sound emenated from its rough, tactile surface.

"Geographically speaking, the continent largely consists of one biome. Dense woodland coats roughly seventy to eighty percent of the continent's landmass, with much of its settlements restricted to dedicated plots of land within forest clearings as appointed by the royal government." She tapped her forked tail against her podium to rouse any students who'd been tempted by her tranquil tone. "This is partly due to the strict protections local governments have placed over the wellbeing of the trees. Aside from the many pokemon who make them into homes, there are some who hold trees in particularly high regard. As such, any trees present within these designated clearings, artificial or otherwise, are hollowed out for use as facilities! Including today's topic, the Auburn Tree."

She flicked her tails against a part of the map stained with brilliant orange depictions of trees. "The Auburn Tree is an important national landmark and tourist attraction located within Auburn Town, a bustling settlement known for its abundance of historical insight and profitable trade." She whirled around to face the class, her forelegs outstretched. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid simple explanations won't do it justice." She grinned, folding her forelegs across her chest with confidence. "In terms of size, let's see..." She paused. "I'm afraid nothing in or around this town will do. It's monstrously huge. Some might compare it to a mountain, or one of Kraktos' many modern skyscrapers!" She chuckled.

"In any case, much of the town's commercial district is situated at the very top of this massive, eternal-autumn structure, and within its hollow trunk lies the makings of the local museum!" She tugged on the rope, allowing the map to fly back up into its enclosure. "Auburn specifically, I'd like to point out, is directly responsible for a significant portion of the information you'll find in your textbooks. Keep that in mind for later in the year. It might just come in handy for a future report." The espeon left her podium and returned to her desk. "That being said, we're out of time. As much as I'd like to expand upon the variety of landmarks Veralos has to offer, there are other classes to attend to. If you have any questions, feel free to speak with me at my desk. If not, you're dismissed!"

Ryan was the first out. The riolu spared a moment to apologize to our teacher for the damaged trash can before slipping through the open doorway and around the corner. Ruby soon followed, dragging Sky and I along with her. "Late again, huh?" She nudged Ryan as we exited into the hall. "Come on. Don't tell me I'm gonna have to take extra notes this year as well."

The riolu pulled his scarf up around his neck and shrugged. "Won't happen this time. Promise." He smiled sincerely before focusing his attention on Sky. "Now I remember you! You're the kid whose book filled with flowers that one time. Dream, right?" He chuckled. "Look, I don't know how you did it, but awesome prank! Not even the science teacher could explain it."

"Prank?" Sky tilted his head in confusion. "Right, yeah. Definitely!" He feigned a laugh. "Anyway, my name's Sky. You can call me Dream if you want, but it's just a nickname." He shrugged. "So you're Ryan, then?"

Ryan took the opportunity to grab and shake Sky's hand. The force of it nearly toppled the poor snivy. "Don't wear it out, eh?" He glanced my way. "So! One more to the friend group, then? That's enough for an exploration team, ya know?"

"Yeah, if you live somewhere like Veralos." I sighed. "Good luck doing that around here."

Ruby frowned. "Come on, Serena. Let the guy dream!" She snickered. "So! What's your next class, huh? Did we get a lucky streak? Come on! Tell me your mom hooked us up this year! We've gotta stay together!" The fennekin grinned. "How about it?"

I shrunk back. "Well uh... I asked, but. I never really checked if she did." I dug around in my bag for my schedule. "Let's compare, shall we?"

The rest of school went by with a rush, and before I knew it, it was the middle of last period and we were in history taught by a gardevoir named Mrs. Laurene. As it turned out, my mom pulled through and got us into the same classes! Curiously, the same went for Sky. To my knowledge, he hadn't been a part of that conversation, so the fact that the superpowered snivy had followed us to each of our classes was either a crazy coincidence, or my mother had something to explain. Nonetheless, we were in the middle of discussing the history of another country, and of course Sky was listening to the whole thing intently. It was about a country somewhere in the world called the Twin Fangs.

"The Nation of the Twin Fangs was once divided by a two sided war fought over artifacts known as plates. These plates were in fact the same ones that are said to belong to Arceus." Mrs. Laura began. "Now, it was initially the power contained within these plates that caused the two sides to form and wage war. What isn't known is how it ended, and exactly how long it lasted. Theories suggest that the nation's current rulers were responsible; however, the pair have yet to comment on the matter, and in the absence of any significant allies, all scholars can do is speculate. We may not know how such a war may have ended, but we do know that the plates have continued to be uncovered in various places around the world today." She concluded as the bell rang. "Alright class, further research into this topic won't be necessary for anything going forward, but I strongly encourage it. It will certainly come in handy." (Note: A reference to a personal favorite of mine. Story is linked in my bio if anyone is interested.)

The moment we were dismissed, Sky took to the hallways along with Ryan and Ruby. The poor guy looked conflicted, as if he'd been contemplating something all day. Ryan did his best to encourage the snivy of course but, well, I can't very well speak for his skill. Ruby on the other paw. She was more concerned with where we were going to eat after school. "Something up, Sky?" I frowned. "You look troubled."

"'Course he's troubled." Ryan cut in. "The guy's been in each of our classes, and you didn't meet him until today! Something's up." He glanced across the hall, scanning the opposing wall for the door to the principal's office. "Seriously, how'd your mom know you met up with Sky? It can't be a coincidence."

Sky shook his head. "That's not what I was going to ask, but good point." He tilted his head in confusion. "I didn't even think to compare our schedules when you mentioned the deal you made with your mom. I kinda just assumed I'd have to stick it out alone. " He shuddered. "That aside, I was going to ask if you wanted to visit my place." He paused. "A-all of you can come if you want!" He clarified. "It's just that my mom's never seen me with a friend. Or at least, not in a long time. Does it count when you're just a kit?"

"Sometimes." Ruby replied. "Serena and I've been tight since we were mere eggs! Kinda depends on who your parents know, I suppose." She shrugged, then glanced my way. "Well Serena? I'm down for an afterparty! It couldn't hurt to slip that in when you go to ask your mom about the schedule situation." She argued.

"I wasn't going to..." I huffed. "Fine. If it's not just about our schedules, we can go." I cast a glare at Ryan. "Just don't touch anything, ok? She's not my mom at work. I may be safe, but I can't save you from detention. You'll be on your own if you mess up another trash can."

The caramel-eyed riolu held his arms up in protest. "Look, I don't go around looking for trouble, ok?" He snickered, giving me a light nudge. "Believe me, if I wanted detention on the first day of school, you'd hear stories about it! More importantly, none of you would be involved. Can't have guilt by association in this group." He faked a pout. "I've got standards!"

I gave the riolu a gentle push. "Alright then. Prove it!" I grinned. "We'll do it right now, then get lunch. No prep time!" I snickered. "We'll only know if you're telling the truth if you can keep calm under pressure!"

"Agreed!" Ruby joined in. "Catch up quickly, Sky! We're going on ahead with this one!"

"Wait, but..." The riolu protested, only for Ruby to kick into second gear, leaving Sky to scramble to keep up as we pushed onward toward the principal's office.

Fermata High School - Principal's Office:

My mom's office was in the middle of the second floor and it was pretty hard to miss. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous about the whole situation. Usually, I approached these topics with my mother at home. Interrupting her work for something personal wasn't something I made a habit of doing. Not because it angered her or anything, but she was a very busy pokemon. I was even contemplating allowing the others to join me in the first place, but I knew Ryan would argue, and if my mom sensed an argument in the hallway, it'd all be over. Still... Well, I had to try! "So, uhh..." I whirled on the others with a hushed tone. "Maybe you guys should stay out here? I've never asked my mom this question before." I blinked. "Well, about anyone other than Ruby at least." I nodded along with the honey-pelted fennekin.

Sky nodded, albeit hesitantly, before I turned around and entered the office. The room was of a decent size, certainly larger than the closet Sky and I had teleported to, but it fell short of Miss Jade's homely classroom. The office was cleanly organized, like a small library. Rows of book shelves and filing cabinets lined the walls, along with drawers chock full of papers. Various tools topped the drawers and desks such as letter stamps, staplers, ink wells and quills, perhaps the most notable of which was the school's brand new printing press.

My mother, an elegant ninetales with a cherry-blossom pelt, sat near the back of the room. Her desk faced the door, behind which stretched a large, yet shaded window that encompassed half of the far wall, providing ample lighting to the otherwise dim room. "Why hello Serena." The ninetales greeted me, still muzzle-deep in back-to-school paperwork. How was your first day?" My mother had a way of sensing my presence without sight. Whether it was my scent or some kind of behavioral thing, I had no clue, but I wasn't able to sneak anything past her growing up.

"Huh? Oh, it was great. I actually made a new friend." I grinned, my tails thumping against the office's policed floorboards against my will. What Ryan said about exploration teams had seemed like a distant dream. Only professionals from distant lands got to do that kind of thing, and even then. Those guys were adults! I wasn't even sure if school was a mandatory thing in other lands, but Sky made me feel as if doing stuff like that might be possible. "I ran into him on my way to class."

"New friend? Well that's good. I never thought I'd see you three add someone to your group." Ruby may have been friends with everyone, but 'our group' consisted of only Ruby, Ryan, and myself up until this morning. The fennekin was adamant about us all being friends, so if one of us didn't get along with a newcomer, it wasn't happening. We only added Ryan in the first place because he got along with everyone, and Ruby knew him from childhood.

"So did you just come to say hello, or is there something else you need?" She glanced up from her paperwork with a blank face. A sense of professionalism oozed from her expression and tone, even amidst her own daughter, but I could tell she was smiling inwardly. "Club registration forms have been laid out in the hall if you're looking for those, but since you're here, I assume it's about something that can't wait?" She paused and her expression softened. Perhaps my hesitance to answer had cued her in. "Go ahead. You don't need to wait for me to get home to ask me something important."

Taking advantage of the ninetales' moment of clarity, I nodded and approached her desk. "Would it be ok if I stayed the night at this new friend's house?" I asked carefully. "Ruby and Ryan would be joining too!" I followed, fearing she might get the wrong idea. Her ears perked up at the question, though her expression remained pleasantly calm.

"This new friend, you say? Not Ruby's place?" She paused thoughtfully. "Might I ask who this new friend is? I should at least know where you would be going before I make my decision." She measured my expression, as if evaluating any other student. Still, there was no harshness to her tone.

"It's Dream, Mom." I paused. It hadn't yet dawned on me that the snivy's nickname wouldn't be on the paperwork. "Sorry, I meant Sky. The snivy with the sky blue eyes. You know him, right?"

My mother seemed intrigued. "Autumn's young 'mon?" She seemed to ponder the request. "Well, Sky is certainly a well adjusted young lad, but he's always been so quiet." She sighed. "His grades rival your own, but I've heard many concerns about his lack of involvement with the other students." She lowered her head to the desk, resting it atop her paws as she mulled it over.

"He's really nice, you know!" I tacked on nervously. "Surely you trust me enough to be careful who I choose to be friends with. You'd trust Ryan."

The ninetales rose from her desk once more and shook her head. "That's because I know Ryan and his parents. I'm afraid this is a different situation." She closed her eyes in contemplation. "Then again, it's not as if Autumn and I are strangers. She's met with me to express concerns in the past, and she's a well respected community member." The cherry-blossom ninetales nodded. "Alright, how about this? My work's about done for the day. Why don't you and your friends go get something to eat? I'll go ahead and meet with Autumn and see what we can do, hmm?"

"Oh, umm, of course." I nodded. "Thank you!"

My mother simply closed her eyes with a light laugh. "You're welcome. Now you four go have fun before I change my mind. And don't forget to sign up for a club." I nodded, then quickly retreated back into the hallway with the others.

Ryan was waiting for me with a raised paw. "Ay!" He celebrated. "Come on, then. High three!"

I rolled my eyes, but committed nonetheless. "We're not out of the woods yet. She still needs to meet with your mom, Sky."

Sky shrugged. "I'm sure it'll be fine. My mom's great with pokemon." He adjusted his climbing gloves and matching scarf and grinned. "So, lunch?"

Ruby jumped at the chance, pouncing me from the side and resting her forelegs upon my back. "Yeah, come on! Let's hit the town! We've got the time, so let's go!"

Fermata Town Square:

"So Serena." Sky spoke up as we left the pristine pavement of the school grounds and stepped out onto the rustic, red brick of the town's plaza. "How much do you know about this town?" He asked, confusion clear about his form.

I paused to contemplate the question. "Hmm... Well, I've been living just outside of it all my life, so I'd say fairly well. Why?"

The snivy grinned. "Nope!" He snapped his leafy fingers. "Not nearly enough." He glanced between Ruby, Ryan and I. "You three ever been to a flower shop before?"

Ryan frowned. "Don't get me wrong, my guy, but aren't we supposed to be looking for a place to eat?" He tilted his head, rubbing his arm in confusion.

Ruby nodded along. "I'm with Ryan. What's this about a flower shop?" Her ears twitched curiously. "I'm down for a bit of exploring, but we should at least find a bite when we can."

Sky raised his arms in defense. "We'll look for that too, but this is the best flower shop in town. The florist there, Bella, is one of the nicest pokemon in town. She might even be able to compete with Ruby." He chuckled. "You've gotta think with more than your stomach if you want to truly appreciate the place! Now come on. Shop's over there!"

The blue-eyed snivy pointed to a cozy building near the exit of the school grounds. A fragrant aroma greeted us as we approached, even overwhelming the scents of some of the food booths as we padded up to the door. Inside, a bellossom was busy at work organizing bundles of flowers in display cases at the far end of the building. A short, albeit expertly-crafted, rosewood desk stood between us and the bellossom as we approached. Pots of various flora hung down from the ceilings on chains wrapped with vines, and the whole building was lit, not by traditional lamps, but with bioluminescent moss and candles. It was a wonder I hadn't heard the place until now.

"Why hello, Dream!" The bellossom turned as we approached. "How's my favorite customer?" Bella asked, a brilliant smile forming on her evergreen face. "Oh, and your mom! How is she?"

"My mom and I are doing just fine." The snivy grinned. "Thanks, Bella." He rested his arm on the counter. "Anyway, these are my new friends! Serena, Ruby and Ryan." Dream introduced us one by one. The snivy's demeanor was strikingly different than it had been around Burn and at school. Was this his true nature?

"Hello Serena!" She shook my paw enthusiastically. "Ruby and Ryan as well." She nodded at each of us in kind. "It's so great to meet a friend of Dream's!" She hummed pleasantly. "In any case. What can I do ya for?"

"Dream?" I frowned. "I thought you said you went by Sky around pokemon you trust." I eyed Sky curiously.

Bella was quick on the draw; however, quite to Sky's relief. "Sky's mother and I go way back. Dream is the name that she used whenever she brought him to the store when he was little, so I simply got used to it." She shrugged. "In any case, Dream? Did you have a question for me?"

Sky was far more prepared than I'd realized. The snivy slid a small note to Bella. He slid it to her face-down, so there was no telling what the note said, but nonetheless Bella seemed surprised. She seemed to look at me suspiciously before heading back into a sort of back room and coming back with a gracidea flower. Dream pulled out some poké and put it on the counter as she handed the flower to him.

"Here we are!" She presented the flower in a small, protective box. Thank you for your business as always, Dream." She locked eyes with the snivy. "As usual, make sure you treat it with care. Flowers like this are resilient, but they aren't invincible!"

"Thanks Bella!" He thanked her back before turning to me. Curiously, Ruby had the biggest smile on her face. What had she put him up to?

"So Dream, who's the flower for?" I took a closer peak at the flower. I'd heard about them before. They were native to Meladi, but certainly not our region. They were a mountainous variety according to the botany teacher, and Fermata was as flat of a plain as you could get. That one flower must've cost a fortune!

"It's for you of course!" He grinned. "According to Ruby, Gracidea flowers are supposed to show gratitude. I wanted to thank you for helping me out this morning, so here!" He carefully lifted the flower from its container and offered it to me.

"For me...?" I managed. He and Ruby just laughed as I stared down the curious blossom. "Thanks, Sky! But uh..." I frowned. "Oh geez. What should I do with it?"

"Oh come on, girl! Don't be dense!" Ruby jumped to the rescue, accepting the flower from Sky and lifting it to my ear. "I'll bet it'd look great riiiiight... Here!" She stepped back, forming a small triangle with her forepaws and glancing through them toward my ear. "Yeah! I knew a flower like that would look great with your rosy fur." She grinned. "It was Sky's idea to get you a gift, of course. I just gave him the idea for a flower!" She declared, puffing out her chest proudly.

Bella laughed lightly over to our side. "Well that was certainly a cute display. You three remind me of when I was in school." She snickered. "Come on up to the counter and I'll get you a mirror!"

Fermata Town Outskirts:

"So you're Bella's favorite customer huh?" Ruby asked Sky as we hit the outskirts of town once more. He emit a small laugh, a shy smile creeping its way across his snout.

"Yeah. My mom sends me there all the time to pick up the flowers and plants that she orders for her garden," He explained proudly. "Anyway, I don't really want our parents fretting over us taking too long. How's about we take a shortcut?"

"Please?!" I practically begged. As much as I loathed another bout of teleportation, I was curious about what else the snivy could do.

"Shortcut?" Ryan frowned. "What do you mean? Didn't you say it was a straight shot to your house?"

"You'll see!" A tangible cloud suddenly appeared below our feet and began to rise, lifting us into the air before Ruby or Ryan could ask what was happening. The cloud took off, soaring high above the path and out over the forest surrounding the town. Ruby looked about ready to burst from excitement; however, Ryan just looked confused as we came to a stop far to the south, even further than where my house would've been.

"Wait, that book thing actually happened? It wasn't just a grass type move?" Ryan pressed a paw into the cloud's pillow-like surface, gripping it like a pillow. I couldn't blame him. The material was just like I'd imagined a cloud would feel when I was a kit! It squished and contorted under the weight of my paws, but otherwise? The platform was as solid as a rock. How could something so stable be this soft?

Ruby giggled in response. "How're you this surprised? The rumors surrounding Sky were terrible, but that doesn't mean there's nothing going on." She nudged the yellow-eyed riolu playfully. "Where are we anyway?" He just looked back at her and smiled, then stepped off the cloud and vanished into the mass of trees. The three of us followed suit, and soon we were standing before a massive, beautiful waterfall.

"Wow... Sky, what is this?" I asked him in awe. The sheer scale of the structure was larger than anything I'd ever seen. "I didn't know anything like this existed around here."

He turned to face me. "It's not that we don't have things like this." He dipped a hand into the pond at the base of the waterfall. "This waterfall is one of my favorite places to visit. Most just never have the time to look." He shrugged. "I figured, since we'll be graduating this year, why not entertain Ryan's explorer idea a little?" He raised a hand to quiet my concerns. "Later of course. I know we need to get home." He chuckled and padded back toward the cloud.

Ryan shot a fist into the air. "So we're on for the team?" He grinned. "Yes!"

"Not so fast." Ruby nudged him along toward the cloud. "We've still got to graduate, didn't you hear him? This doesn't mean you can slack off. If you fail, we'll leave ya behind!" The scarlet-tailed fennekin teased.

"Wha..." The riolu groaned. "Fine, fine! But I'm not shooting for anything big. Don't expect top of class."