The last 3 days were largely uneventful, which she was thankful for. At this point, her schedule was starting to feel normal, and she found all of her classwork so far to not be that bad. Some assignments, especially the ones regarding catching or studying pokemon, were naturally her favorites. She had just got out of her last morning class, and chose to unwind in the cafeteria with a nice meal for lunch.

She planted herself at an empty table, preferring the space to herself over occupying someone else's. Next to her, Alysa's Clefairy eagerly nibbled at a cookie, finishing it off in seconds with an elated cry. Laughing, she grabbed another one out of the bag to give to her.

"You really like these, huh Lulu?"

'Faaaairy!' The little pokemon cheered, and promptly started devouring it. Alysa grabbed another slice of her pizza, taking a hearty bite. This school really was better than probably most in the world, if the food was this tasty.

"Excuse me?" Someone had approached out of the corner of her eye, voice of a higher-pitch. Alysa paused, craning her head upwards with her half-eaten pizza slice still in her hand. A pink-haired girl with yellow jeweled barrettes was gaping at her, brown eyes sparkling.

"Is that your Clefairy?"

She shuffled the mash of food in her mouth around before swallowing.

"Yeah...?"

"Eeee!" The girl did a little hop for joy, pink coat of a soft material bouncing alongside with her. "This is my first time seeing one in person for so long! It's so cuuute!"

Lulu was initially taken aback, but the girl's obvious adoration had her standing on the chair and energetically bouncing. All Alysa could do was look on, befuddled that someone would come up to her just to gush over one of her pokemon. She didn't hate that of course, but the unpredictable nature of it forced her to draw a blank. As more and more students in the cafeteria started staring at them though, whispering to one another, her appetite bolted and left stirring nausea in its wake.

"Ah- sorry. I shouldn't be so uncollected."

The other girl likely had a similar realization. She took it upon herself to sit down on the other side of Lulu, holding one of her little hands in a playful manner.

"What's your name? I'm Lacey."

"...Alysa." She committed Lacey's name and appearance to memory, but still didn't really know what to say. Normally she doesn't like it when people got touchy with her team, but Lulu's enthusiasm was keeping those ill feelings at bay.

"Hm?" Lacey took her eyes off of the Clefairy, fixating on her face. She averted her gaze, using her cooling platter of food as an excuse.

"I think I've heard of you! Are you a new student by chance? Ms. Briar is your homeroom teacher?"

"Yes. How did you...?" Now, Alysa made eye contact, brow furrowing.

"Carmine mentioned you to me. Amarys too. They're both in your homeroom class."

Carmine? Amarys? Those names didn't seem familiar, until Alysa racked her brain long enough to recall. During the attendance check, those particular girls she had noticed in class raised their hands at the call of them.

"Oh." So, that explained it. She didn't know why either would bother remembering her existence, but maybe she being new was a good enough point of interest.

"Are you...friends with them?" Alysa asked, only for the sake of attempting a conversation starter.

"Yes. We're all in the same club." Lacey's eyes widened, like she had just remembered something.

"Are you in a club by chance, Alysa? The academy life is often more enjoyable, especially for first year students, when you have extracurricular activities a part of your schedule."

She had prior knowledge of Blueberry Academy's clubs, but aside from one, none of them piqued her interest enough for she to think too hard about them. Even the one that was a little interesting didn't seem like something compatible for her.

"No..."

"Well, do you know what the League Club is?" Lacey resumed playing with Lulu, but didn't ditch the topic.

Oh, how convenient. Exactly the one she was thinking about.

"Yeah, I've heard of it...didn't look too much into it though."

"That's fine. It revolves around pokemon battling, where members can climb our ranking system called the BB League to hit the highest levels. The trainer at the very top is known as the champion and president of the club, while the four ranking trainers below them are the Elite Four."

She smiled. "I'm one of the Elite Four, actually. Amarys is as well."

The understanding of why Lacey and subsequently she were the biggest eye-grabbers in the cafeteria right now came like a bolt of lighting out of the blue. The other girl was surely popular, like a kind of celebrity among their peers. She would not have guessed it based on Amarys' outward bearing, but she must have the same kind of status as well. Air racing out of her lungs, Alysa let her pizza slice fall down onto her plate, any urge to continue eating now completely gone.

"We're always looking for new members, so...would you like to join us?"

There the question was. The League Club sounded like genuine fun on paper, but her insecurities as always possessed the loudest voice in her head. She could battle, she's battled dozens of times against trainers in the realm of the mundane and of more notable sorts like Gym Leaders, but a club? Being a part of one would for sure mean socializing; something she doesn't have nearly as much confidence in, especially when it comes to people who have bigger reputations. Memories of past years in school persisted in her mind's well, of the people who were subject to bullying because the popular kids didn't like them.

There's also the possibility that her skills as a trainer weren't in fact all that, and she'd end up only embarrassing herself – the cherry to top off the nightmare.

"Um..." The voice was telling her to just refuse the offer and stop thinking so hard about it, keep herself safe and off in her own corner far away from spotlights others deserved more, but for some unexplainable reason...'no' and any variation of it would not leave her tongue. No matter how hard she tried to force it out.

Sensing her hesitation, Lacey's countenance turned more solemn. She ceased holding hands with Lulu, who spun to face her trainer with slight concern.

"You don't have to give me an answer right now if you don't want to. But, I would love to show you our clubroom at least. Just so you know where it is, if need be."

"...Ok. Sure."

She didn't see the harm in that.


"Here we are!"

Lacey pushed one of the doors leading into the spacious room open, with Lulu hot on her heels. Alysa trailed behind, feeling a degree of caution that was more irrational than anything. The room looked...ordinary, and not at all like she was expecting for the so-called base of the League Club. Save for the small amount of decoration, computer desk, couch, and the treadmills towards the back, it looked like just about any room one would see in the academy.

There was a large center table, with chairs positioned here and there around it. What had Alysa instantly freezing in her tracks was a lone person currently seated at it, arms crossed on the surface and head lowered onto them. His white hair and clothing were unmistakable. Their arrival having produced a lot of noise, gold appeared behind blinking eyelids. When seeing him, she could hear Lacey tsk.

"Skipping class again, hm?" Her foot tapped against the floor. The boy was at first silent as he gazed up at her blankly, drowsiness clouding him, before he yawned.

"Hey Lacey." He sat up straight, popping his back and stretching his arms. His casual greeting worsened her irritation.

"You're unbelievable." She shook her head. "Never mind that though. I brought along a guest today."

Now, he looked Alysa's way. He blinked, then that airheaded smile from before returned.

"I've seen you before. You're that girl from the Polar Biome."

"Oh? You've already met?" Lacey too turned. There was something about the boy that made it exceptionally difficult to meet his gaze. She couldn't put a finger on it, nor did she care enough to really want to. Habits reigning supreme, her eyes rapidly darted to and from him. Her Clefairy at least was more receptive, and skipped towards the table.

"That speeds things up a little. Alysa, this is Drayton." Lacey waved a hand at the boy, who's head had tilted a slight angle as he observed the newcomer. He performed a little playful wave.

"He's another member of the Elite Four, specializing in Dragon-types."

This admittedly got her to look at him again, though her stomach turned. Another Elite Four member? This guy? Their weird encounter from before was making her feel more nauseous now, but she did catch the other detail about him.

"Dragon-types...?"

"Mhm. You like them?" His carefree conduct didn't waver.

"...Yeah." The little topic change was grounding. "Dragons...and fairies..."

Alysa muttered, fidgeting with her hands. She heard Lacey gasp.

"That's right, I never told you what I specialize in." She looked more excited for reasons that became evident in the next second.

"Fairy-types! I love them too. I have to say, this is my first time meeting someone who loves both them and dragons. Usually it's one or the other, in a strange but funny polarizing way."

Oh, Alysa could tell a story they would probably get a kick out of, but it was too awkward to bring up now unsolicited.

Lulu moved around the table, and Drayton's head craned her way. For a split second, Alysa worried about how he'd react, but she was pleasantly surprised by his chuckle of amusement. He leaned down to pick the fairy up and place her on the table. She hopped on one foot to the other, tiny wings fluttering.

'Fai fii!'

"Adorable...!" Lacey cooed. "Alysa, is this little one the only fairy you have?"

"No." On that note, she had an idea. She reached down to the pokeballs on her belt.

"I can show you both my team, if that's ok...?"

"Of course!" Lacey was quick to give permission. Drayton showed no signs of refusal either. Arms crossed on the table, he keenly looked on.

Activating the other pokeballs, their release buttons were pressed and all of her pokemon materialized around the table. They all looked around in confusion, seconds before noticing her and the other people in the room.

Her Mimikyu hopped up and down, scampering to her legs.

Her Salamence's wings twitched, and shared a inquisitive stare with her Hydreigon, before both dragons watched her.

Her Altaria stretched his wings, looking between Lacey and Drayton.

Lastly, her Galarian Rapidish appeared disinterested with her immediate surroundings, choosing to observe quietly.

"Oh...my...goodness!" Lacey was ecstatic. She bounced in place, grinning at her Mimikyu, then directed her focus onto her aloof Rapidash.

"So many cute fairies! I've never seen a Galarian Rapidash in person!"

"You have a Hydreigon, and a Salamence too?" Drayton whistled lowly, eyebrow quirking. "Color me surprised."

Heat played at her cheeks.

"I've had them for a long while." Alysa gestured for the dragons to come closer, and they happily did so. Rei's small two heads harmlessly bit her clothing as his primary head nuzzled her. Sally snorted, resting the side of her head against her open palm.

"A lot of people think they're inherently mean, but they're both sweeter than they look."

For the first time since waking up that day, Alysa took on an expression of tranquility. Her pokemon had a knack for soothing her effortlessly, no matter where she was or what she was doing. The girl didn't see it, but the shine in Drayton's eyes shifted. His smile took on a different vibe.

"That's so cool! I've heard of how ferocious each of their species can be, but the two of them do seem mild-mannered." Lacey, pleased by what she was witnessing, spun to address the cottony dragon feet away.

"You're very precious too, Altaria."

The dragon hummed, and stepped closer to receive the head strokes that Lacey was all too happy to give. With a double take, the girl halted her movement.

"What's this around your neck? A jewel?" Lacey studied Tari's necklace. "It's very pretty."

"It's his Altarianite."

"What's that?" Lacey's head tilted. This got Drayton re-engaged, as he leaned forward.

"Heh, I thought that's what it was! Haven't seen a Mega Stone in years, so I wasn't too sure."

"Mega Stone? Like, Mega Evolution?!" Lacey straighten up, startled.

"You can use that Alysa?"

Being put under an even brighter spotlight had her feeling very meek. A half-hearted chuckle slipped out, she scratching a cheek.

"Yeah...I have a Key Stone, so I can. I don't mega evolve Tari that often though."

"That's amazing!" Lacey's excitement was bouncing off the walls. "I know I told you to not worry about an answer for now, but you joining the League Club would be truly something! To have someone with access to Mega Evolution a part of our ranks, so exciting...!"

She figures as such, since to her understanding, Mega Evolution didn't make many appearances outside of Kalos and Hoenn. It'd draw a lot of eyes to the club for sure. But, that's also the exact reason why Alysa felt more deterred from signing up. Ignoring how it'd attract attention she doesn't find appealing, events years ago made her wary to use Mega Evolution willy-nilly in present times. It could be more trouble than it's worth.

Thankfully, Lacey didn't continue pressing, so Alysa dropped the subject. After petting Tari more, the fairy specialist then went to Alysa's Mimikyu, who after a moment of deliberation, choose to advance towards her. Mims let out a happy cry as Lacey pet the false head of his Pikachu costume. Seeing people interact so well with her team frankly did lift Alysa's spirits.

...She barely considered it previously, but maybe she could actually make some human friends here, in this academy after all...

Involuntarily, her eyes dragged over to the perpetually-smiling Drayton. She found that he had been staring at her, and didn't cease once he had been caught in the act. If anything he wordlessly doubled down, unflinching gold meeting pink. Shivers rippled down her spine, and she moved to press her face into her Hydreigon's neck, he affectionately ruffling more of her curly hair in response, but she could tell the boy was still looking.

She could detect a vague sense of respect coming from Drayton and mentally inquired if their shared affinity with dragons was the source. Her body temperature was once again starting to climb however, the longer it felt like he was ignoring everyone else in the room – all but her.

Relief came in the form of the double doors opening, and two students walking in – one Alysa hadn't seen before. He was a redhead boy wearing a chef's coat over his uniform and toting a frying pan. The other was the stoic girl from her homeroom class.

"Hey, what's goin' on here?!" The redhead had no concept of an inside voice it sounded, as he about shouted in shock at the sight of all her pokemon.

"We have a guest today! This is Alysa, and her team. She's a new student in the academy, and a potential recruit for our club." Lacey clapped her hands, smiling.

"Alysa, this is Crispin. He's the other Elite Four member. And, you already know of Amarys." She gestured to them respectively. Amber eyes flashed in glee as Crispin pumped his fists.

"Nice to meet you! I'm the League Club's scorchin' Fire Pokemon expert!" He twirled his pan, smile morphing into a cheeky smirk. "I'm an up-and-coming chef too!"

Amarys pushed her glasses up. "It is a pleasure to speak to you properly, Alysa. I am the Steel-type Pokemon specialist of the League Club."

The girl nodded, tone far more emotionless in comparison to Crispin's that it threw Alysa off. Her turquoise eyes swept through her pokemon, an analytical glint in them.

"Based upon your party, I surmise that you are fond of Dragon-type Pokemon and Fairy-type Pokemon. An intriguing union."

"Uh...that's right..." A figurative sweat drop fell down her cheek. Glancing at all of the Elite Four, Alysa formed the conclusion that they were all a very colorful cast of characters. Though, she couldn't ignore the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach – nausea temporarily forgotten.

Meeting all of them was refreshing. She hasn't had worthwhile conversations with other people around her age in...well, she couldn't remember how long. Part of her genuinely wanted to stay and talk with them more. Yet, the notification that pinged from her phone shot that idea down as fast it went airborne.

"S-Sorry, it's almost time for my next class. I should get going..."

"Aw." Lacey frowned. "A shame, but it can't be helped. We'd love to have you visit again soon!"

"Yeah! New faces around here are always welcomed, especially if they have their eyes on the club." Crispin echoed her hospitality, which served as fuel to strengthen her inner yearning.

"I'll...keep that in mind."

Not wanting to dawdle, Alysa wasted little time in recalling all of her pokemon and attaching their pokeballs to her belt. Crispin, Amarys, and Lacey converged to discuss some matter. Her gaze crossed with Drayton's, who had moved to rest his head on the table once more, though he was still avidly looking on, giving her a bigger smile. As she left the clubroom, a hand tightly gripping one of the straps of her backpack, she again mulled over joining.

Having fun and making new friends would be great, but before all that, being proactive and branching out was required. On her way through the circular hallways, Alysa tried to discover the elusive answer on if she was strong enough to take the risk.