"Today, we'll start putting our lessons so far to the test!"

Alysa looked back from her daydream amid the Savanna Biome's scenery, at her battle studies class' instructor: Mr. Phel. Past his glasses, he surveyed the students. Many of them looked on in uncertainty at his statement.

"Each of you will be battling someone else in the class. I want to see just who in our little group has substantial skills as a trainer, or who needs some extra help. Don't worry, wins or losses themselves won't have any impact on your grade. I'm more concerned about conduct."

Some students were whispering amongst each other, a lack of energy hanging in the atmosphere, but Alysa on the other hand was feeling a little good about this. While the idea of their battles being judged was intimidating, in the end, things wouldn't be so bad if winning or losing didn't matter.

"Battles will be in our academy's usual doubles format, though only two pokemon may be used on either side. Standard knockout rules apply; victory will be claimed when all opposing pokemon are unable to battle. To keep things fair, I will be assigning the matchups."

The instructor held his chin, in deep thought. The class waited with baited breath.

"For our first match...Patricia." The head of a brunette girl shot up.

"You will be facing off against..." He ceased looking around, fixing his gaze directly on her. She felt her heartrate skyrocket.

"Alysa. You two, get into position over at the battle court, please."


Informal battles were more her speed, like the inconsequential sort you'd have out on a route between one or two other trainers. However, such battles weren't really a thing at Blueberry Academy. Even the average student had more refined battling knowledge.

Here, pokemon battling and everything that went into it was viewed as more of an actual sport to be analyzed than something purely fun to mess around with. Alysa could remember the Galar region having the same kind of perspective. Having fun was important, but the competitive nature was amplified. Though it didn't in this case, typically winning or losing did actually matter for class grades.

For that reason, Alysa approached this assigned match seriously. Training is training, whether in class or outside of it. She sent out her Salamence and Clefairy, as Patricia selected her Scyther and Krookodile to use.

She had one specific, and extremely simple, strategy in mind to end the battle quick that a lot of people tended to not expect. Even if they did, it was normally difficult for them to combat it in a proficient way; especially if their current pokemon on the field weren't suited for it. After Alysa ordered her Salamence to use Dragon Dance, and her Clefairy to use Follow Me and redirect Scyther's Aerial Ace and Krookodile's Stone Edge, her opponent caught on. Yet, there wasn't much she could do.

Patricia's answer was to target down her Clefairy, but not only were the attacks not enough to knockout her tough little fairy, it just allowed her Salamence to get another Dragon Dance off. A fast Temper Flare to Scyther and Dragon Claw to Krookodile later, both of Patricia's pokemon were down for the count.

"Setup, utilizing strong support to enable a fierce offense..." Phel jotted down notes upon his clipboard's paper. He nodded at Alysa.

"A classic and effective plan. Well done."

Remaining silent, Alysa recalled her pokemon. Patricia did the same, but out of the corner of her eye, Alysa caught the girl's scathing glare.

"More like a cheap plan. Takes no skill to rely on Follow Me..."

The sentence "but you still lost to it" rested on the girl's tongue, but she held it. There was no need to provoke a fight, nor did she truly want to. It was satisfying enough to see their teacher glance at Patricia in a disproving fashion. Once her pokemon were finished in the healing machine, Alysa went to take a free seat on one the benches in the rest area, ignoring Patricia's unpleasant occasional leers as she chatted with a friend.

The class felt like it went on for longer than it normally did, but Mr. Phel dismissed them soon enough. Eager to leave, Alysa threw her backpack on and exited the area. She didn't go too far from the area until she heard fast footsteps approaching.

"That battle was LIT!"

The shout made her squeak in surprise and jump, seeing a familiar face standing feet away. Crispin's grin was wide, intensity only rivaled by the gleam of the dome's projected light reflecting off of his metallic fry pan.

"Watching your Salamence one-shot those pokemon got me fired up! Especially when your Clefairy tanked those attacks! You do seem like a pretty skilled trainer, Alysa!"

"Thanks?" At first, she was confused to encounter Crispin out here and the fact that he saw her battle in class, but her memory kicked into gear. The Savanna Biome was more or less his zone as a part of his position in the E4, plus the rest area was only some yards away from the Terarium's purple entrance way.

"It wasn't...that big of a deal..."

"Pssh, sure it was! Don't discredit yourself." Crispin's grin didn't waver, but she still doubted whether he was being sincere or just flattering her. Then again, what ulterior motive could he have for complimenting her?

She could barely see a thing behind those bright, burning eyes, but what she could make out felt genuine.

"Say, you should come with me to the clubroom! Cooked up a big dish earlier to share with everyone." Crispin pointed a thumb at the red bag marked with a white fire symbol hanging by his hip, strap draped over his shoulder.

"But, I'm not a part of the club." Her brow furrowed. Crispin shook his head.

"That doesn't matter! A nice meal for a solid win like that is deserved."

He laughed, and walked forward. She could only blink stupidly, staring as he passed. Crispin continued to walk, but stopped to turn.

"C'mon! Before the food gets even colder."

A noise of puzzlement quietly warbled in her throat, before falling silent. Her legs started up their own gait, following the Fire-type specialist. She didn't fully get him, but she found it virtually impossible to turn down free food.


Crispin had begun small talk between them during their walk, about pokemon to her relief. He was curious on what her favorite Fire-type was, and she was bouncing in between two particular ones when they approached the doors to the clubroom. Crispin was in front, triggering the double doors to slide upon at his approach, and they each went inside.

It was vacant, save for three people. Lacey and Amarys were to be expected, but Alysa was a little surprised to see someone new. They had their back initially turned, but faced them once Lacey acknowledged her arrival. She didn't recognize the boy, and his sour expression of furrowed brows and a stark frown didn't give off any good vibes.

"Uh...hi, Kieran."

Crispin's outgoing cheerfulness from before was strangely absent. He even looked rather meek. The other boy seemed to ignore Crispin as he stared down Alysa, who was becoming more and more uncomfortable as seconds passed.

"Who's this?" He asked, tilting his head up. Like he was staring down his nose at her. It reminded her of certain dreadful trainers she'd come across back home.

"H-Her name's Alysa. She's thinking about joining the club." Eagerness warmed his voice again. Crispin nodded her way, a grin playing at his lips.

"She won a cool battle in her class earlier-"

"So what?" Kieran's sharp tone cut in, iciness freezing whatever else Crispin was going to say. "Beating a plain student here isn't anything special."

Kieran shook his head, glaring at the other boy. "And shouldn't you be training your own team, over wasting time watching other battles? You're already the lowest ranked Elite Four member. Keep goofing off and you're getting replaced."

Crispin's expression twisted into hurt, and Alysa felt an unexpected flare of anger.

"Kieran! You know better than to talk to a fellow clubmate like that!" Lacey's fists balled, before she crossed her arms in an 'X' shape. "It's not right!"

"Shut up, Lacey." Kieran made no attempt to face her. She flinched at his blunt order, but her defiance still shined.

"I mean it, Crispin. I don't want weaklings in MY club, Elite Four or not."

With that, he took his leave. He brushed against Alysa and Crispin like they were merely insects to brush aside, though the redhead boy caught a more forceful shove. He disappeared behind the doors.

"...Who was that guy?" Alysa broke the silence, frustration clear to see. It was worsened by Crispin's despondent look down at the floor. She barely knew him, but he didn't deserve to be treated like that.

"Our champion and president, Kieran." Lacey gazed at the doors he went through with disappointment. Near her, Amarys had taken to not meeting anyone's gaze, a sort of melancholy on her visage.

"He's...he used to not be like this." Lacey picked up on Alysa's irritation, brown eyebrows raised and knit together.

"Kieran was a very friendly, sweet boy. We've all known him for a long time. But ever since he came back from a school trip in his homeland during summer break, it's like he's a different person. Hostile and callous, prioritizing strength above everything else it means to be a trainer..."

"...He is less kind to us all. However, he directs the worst of his ire towards Crispin and Drayton." Amarys looked back towards them, straightening her glasses. Her own unhappiness was tangible, in the depths of her monotone.

"I believe his change of heart intensified after he was victorious in the championship battle against Drayton. He was our previous champion."

This piqued her interest. Drayton is that strong? Or well...was that strong...

As if on cue, the doors to the clubroom then opened, and in came strolling the white-haired boy in question. He had his usual carefree bearing, but it dropped.

"What's with the long faces?" He looked between them all.

"Kieran was just here..." Lacey's lips were pursed.

"Ah. So," Drayton addressed Alysa, voice neutral. "-you met our mighty champion, then."

She caught onto the sarcasm attached to the word 'mighty', but didn't question it considering the context. She nodded.

"Yeah." He chuckled, but it lacked humor. "He's not great."

"Drayton!" Lacey's hands went to her hips. "Bad-mouthing Kieran doesn't make you look any better."

To that, the teen just casually shrugged, causing her to give a "hmph!" of disproval. Alysa's curiosity was growing stronger. It was obvious the League Club had history she was entirely ignorant of, and the antagonistic dynamic between the club's strongest trainers was seeming like a big part of it. Kieran viewing Crispin as being weak was one thing, but was his hostility towards Drayton just purely vitriolic?

"Hey, Crispin?" He called all of their attention to the young cook, who had remained uncharacteristically silent for the last few minutes. "You doing alright?"

"-Huh?" Amber eyes shoot up. "Y-Yeah. I was just...thinking, is all."

"Thinking? That's not like you." Drayton's smirk was teasing. Crispin's nostrils flared.

"Hey, I can think! I'm not that good at it but I still can!"

The taller boy laughed, ignoring another one of Lacey's reprimands. If Crispin was genuinely offended by the taller boy's quip, it didn't show at all, as his expression flipped a switch back into cheerfulness.

"But anyway, I brought food for everyone! I was going to ask if Kieran wanted some, but...oh well."

He took the bag off of his shoulder, placing on the table. "I invited Alysa to try some, too!"

"Oh?" The look Drayton gave was vaguely embarrassing for her. "Didn't know you two became such fast friends. I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Is...that what they were? Alysa drew a blank, while Crispin opened his carry bag. A metallic tin with a plastic cover fogged by steam was taken out and placed next to it, a smaller container holding plastic utensils and paper plates following. Last to be put on the table were six water bottles, and a small stack of napkins.

It was true that she found his insistence on bringing her here weird, but was it actually because he thought of her as a friend?

"This looks delicious, Crispin!" Lacey's hands clasped in delight at the sight of the honestly delectable dish, once he removed the cover. A tantalizing aroma wafted through the air. Alysa could make out pasta slathered in tomato sauce, with pieces of meat and veggies scattered throughout. It all was topped by a hearty cover of melted cheese.

"Heh, I'm glad! Wanted to go with something easier to prepare for today."

"I'm just hoping you didn't dump half a bottle of chili sauce into this." Drayton quirked a thin brow. "Again."

The cook pouted. "No! Just a FEW drops. I don't know if Alysa can handle a lot of spice, so I wanted to be careful."

"...Wait-" She blinked. "Did you make this with me in mind?"

"Yep! Just in case you were around and wanted to have a plate." He gave an open-mouth grin, pausing from his cutting the food up into squares of serving size. "And here you are!"

All she did was stare, bewildered. Drayton laughed, highly amused. He nudged her shoulder with his own.

"Welcome to the Crispin Friendship Association. If he likes you enough, which isn't a feat, he'll cook for you."

Drayton stepped towards the table. She involuntarily fidgeted with her hair, grabbing a clump and twirling the wavy ends of it. The cook phrased it as if it was happenstance she was here, like he didn't almost drag her along. Then again, she did have the option of outright refusing and walking away should she wanted to, which...she obviously didn't.

Alysa was removed from her train of thought, when a plate of the pasta dish with a plastic fork stabbed into it was presented to her. Lacey was before her, smiling. Breath hitching, she accepted it.

"Feeding other people makes him happy." Lacey spoke at a lower tone, waving a hand at Crispin behind her, who was cutting an amount out for Amarys. "Don't mind him."

Alysa looked down at her portion, feeling her heartbeat quicken. The others had gotten their shares and starting eating, complimenting Crispin – much to his pleasure. They fell into a general discussion involving the club, behaving so nonchalantly with one another, but the aura of companionship in the air was dense.

When was the last time she had been given a meal for free? Her parents didn't necessarily count, but even then they fed her out of necessity. Crispin didn't need to give her anything, or put in any consideration for her sake at all.

Her vision was steadily turning blurry, a clear warning she ought to get her emotions in check before she make a scene. Alysa rubbed her eyes with her free hand, all the while not noticing how a pair of gold eyes were watching her, in their owner's peripheral vision as he idly contributed to the topic at hand.

Alysa, forcing her ogling of the food to come to an end, took hold of her fork to shovel a small amount of cheesy pasta into her mouth. It was definitely spicy, the heat within the sauce pricked at her taste buds, but it plus the savory and salty flavors as a whole were balanced in harmony. The pasta, bits of meat, and veggies weren't overdone. Crispin for sure knew how to cook.

"How is it, Alysa?" He asked from the table. After she swallowed the mash, her resulting smile was genuine.

"It's really good."

"Great! Take a seat and eat with us!"

She happily did so, planting herself in the empty space next to Drayton. He was a little visibly elated by this, but he hid it behind another generous forkful of his meal. Alysa performed a similar action, content to enjoy her share with small bites as she listened to the elites chat amongst themselves.

Kieran not being a part of this was a shame, but with the way he presented himself earlier, she was frankly glad he chose to leave the clubroom.