She had spent all last week preparing for today, and she still felt as if she wasn't ready. She'd had to make due regardless.

Alysa went over her appearance in her dorm's mirror once, twice, then thrice over. It was just past 7am, and anxiety demanded she ensure everything was as perfect as it could possibly be. However, it also prevented her appetite from emerging. She set out bowls and plates of food for her pokemon, like she always did in the mornings before leaving for homeroom, but she didn't exactly join them in getting a proper meal.

A measly granola bar and carton of chocolate milk were her choices. Her Rapidash, always the most perceptive of her miniature family, gave her an incredulous look from her icy blue eyes at that – directing a silent question of she not eating anything better.

"I'll eat something more hearty for lunch. I promise." She stroked the equine fairy's multicolored mane, smiling in an attempt to calm Thea's doubt, though it didn't reach her eyes. The pokemon only snorted, and resumed finishing her portion of pokefood. Thea noticing her unease did give the girl a kind of wakeup call, and she tried to quiet her own nerves. She couldn't go out onto the battle court today, no doubt in front of over a dozen or so people, looking like she'll keel over.

As she was throwing away the bar's wrapper and empty carton, the academy's intercom system came to life for a brief message.

"Attention, all students and faculty. The League Club's ladder tournament will begin in 30 minutes. If you are interested in spectating, please make way to the school's entrance area now. As a reminder: bleacher seats are first come, first served."

There was a flare of urgency, but Alysa stuffed it down. She herself was participating in the event, so she didn't have to necessary bustle there straight away. Still, she didn't want to be late. Alysa checked her bag, plus the snacks and two water bottles she stuffed inside for her during the downtime in between matches. This tournament's time slot was reserved for the entire day, but however short or long matches went determined the true duration.

That in of itself is what fed most of her anxiety. She wanted her matches to go fast, but not in the sense of she being utterly crushed by her opponent. Winning would be preferred, she didn't enter this thing just to mess around and not take it seriously.

As a result, she thought extensively on ways to improve her chances of consistently winning. As she sat and watched the rest of her team finish their meals, Alysa's eyes went to her Hydreigon in particular. The dragon was holding his bowl up with the mouths of his two head-hands, eagerly licking it clean.

During her battles between the more aggressive wild pokemon within the Terarium, she had an epiphany when Rei combatted a Hitmonlee in the Canyon Biome that must've been having a bad day. Fighting-type attacks hurt him a lot naturally, Fairy-type ones even more so...Rei's dual Dark/Dragon typing left him with a lot of weaknesses in fact. Her mind had gone onto one of a thousand trains of thought about the classic type chart, and when she soon spotted the glittering shine of a nearby Tera Raid den, a lightbulb went off.

In the academy's cafeteria, one of the lunch ladies knew how to prepare a special meal that could change a pokemon's Tera Type. Upon Alysa's inquiry for details when she went in, the woman explained that she learned the secret recipe from a relative in the Paldea region. Whatever the case, one offering of specific Tera Shards and the resulting meal given to her Hydreigon later, and Alysa felt like she may have struck gold. Today would hopefully prove if her decision was the right one.

She made sure Rei's Expert Belt was tied securely to one of his arms, but not too tightly, in a little bow before he was recalled. After doing more item checks, the rest of her team followed. Trying to steel herself up, she grabbed her bag and turned off the room's lights, locking the door behind her as she left.

There were a lot of people in the hallways, all of them being students. To her inner horror and excitement, they all seemed to be heading for the staircases going to the school's upper levels. No doubt, to head outside onto the ocean's surface. Alysa somewhat blended into the crowd, keeping her head down and walking along with the current. She wasn't expecting anyone to take much notice, which is why when someone tapped her shoulder, she jumped.

"Hi! You're that newest League Club member, right?" A girl who didn't look familiar smiled at her, walking in tandem. "Are you gonna be in the tournament?"

"Uh...yes." An answer to the latter question that came off more like a terse statement, which she noticed just as it left her lips. Luckily, the girl didn't seem to be offended.

"Nice! I hope you do well! An upset would be really cool to see."

She grinned, and quicken her pace to catch up to some other students ahead of her. Alysa was left feeling puzzled, but recognition dawned on her.

She was being talked about, in the school. For what other reason would someone she didn't know approach her out of the blue, to ask about something she hasn't openly shared with most? She wasn't sure what the think about that.

One other thing the girl spoke of did continue to elude her. An 'upset'? What did that mean in this context? The terminology was a headscratcher, but as she reached the passage's exit going outside, it was forgotten.

Alysa's heart almost stopped. The bleachers were jampacked.

There were even students standing or sitting on the floor next to them. A ruckus from dozens of people talking disturbed the normally peaceful atmosphere she liked to soak in at times in the evening, turning the area into a place that just worsened the chills running through her skin.

"Hey! Alysa! Over here!" One familiar voice that was even louder and calling her name made her head snap in its direction. And, she genuinely started to feel sick.

Crispin, along with everyone else in the Elite Four, were seated at one of the lower rows of the left bleachers set. The redhead was animatedly waving her over using his frying pan. Her legs moved on her own, carrying her closer. Around them, students were glancing at them and her, speaking in hushed tones as she advanced.

She met Drayton's stare, he giving that laidback smile he always did while he leaned back with his hands behind his head, but it just made her feel worse.

"A-Are...you all going to be watching...?!"

"Of course! It's a part of our duties as the club's top trainers." Lacey nodded, sitting daintily. Her refined posture compared to Drayton's lackadaisical pose was comical, but nervousness drowned any urge to laugh.

"Plus, we all love seeing what talent currently exists among our ranks."

"Right..." Made perfect sense, she just wish it didn't! Taking a further look at the group netted a realization. There was a certain someone not with them.

"Then, where's Kieran?"

"Who cares?" Drayton's rhetorical question was punctuated by a yawn. A sharp exhale was done by her, but Alysa's half-hearted snicker at his audacity was covered by Lacey's expressed displeasure.

"Drayton...!" She frowned, though of course the Dragon expert paid her no mind. Shaking her head, Lacey spoke an actual answer.

"He wasn't interested in attending, and we can't force him to come along, so I suppose he'll have to catch up after the fact."

The club's own president showing no support for the going-ons in it...not a good look. From the level of hype in the air, hardly anyone must have cared though.

"You just focus on your battles, 'Lys. Don't pay us any mind." Drayton's chuckle managed to cool her searing nerves, if only a little. But, what did he call her? Was that a nickname for her? 'Lys'? Her fingers sunk into the fabric of her bag's strap.

"Should it help you concentrate, you are more than welcome to pretend we do not exist." Frank as ever, Amarys picked up on her lack of composure. Then again, she was sure it was far too obvious to miss.

"What Amarys said."

How Alysa especially envied Drayton's relaxed nature. She did notice his smile taking on a different light then, as he continued to look into her eyes. In the moment, it set in with startling weight that HE would be observing how she battled. Out of everyone, Alysa found that Drayton's attention was perhaps the most nerve-wracking.

She always feared looking bad in front of others, but looking bad in front of him? After the breathtaking performance he had just yesterday on this very court? Oh, she would rather die. As Alysa turned away towards the sound of a microphone transmitted through speakers crackled, she trembled subtly.

"Good morning, and welcome all to our club's single-elimination ladder tourney! It's wonderful to see this turnout, after the long hiatus we had." An auburn haired woman in a blue suit decorated with the academy's emblem spoke, stepping into the center of the arena.

"Let's get right to it! To quickly lay down the ground rules: all battles will be held in our academy's standard Doubles format, though only four pokemon may be used per trainer. The same four must be used throughout the entire tournament and trainers participating have since submitted their selections to our staff. Any team substitutions discovered will result in instant disqualification. Matches are a best of one, and victory is claimed when all opposing pokemon are unable to battle."

She clapped. "Ranking points follow the guidelines established by our BB League system, and will be distributed in full after the tournament has ended. Now, the seeding!"

On the three display monitors positioned around the area, a graphic displaying the tourney's backet came up. Photos of the people battling, the same ones used for their trainer cards, were placed at ends of the branches. Alysa located her own, seeing she was matched against a redhaired boy she didn't know, and squinted. Why were they one of the pairs at the very top...?

"Seeding has naturally been determined by rankings. We have an exciting match to start off the tournament! Michael of Rank #42 will be going up against our newest recruit in the League Club, Rank #53: Alysa!"

The monitors zoomed in on their portion of the bracket. So, that was why they were at the top. A hand flew to Alysa's mouth, both out of shock and as an instinctive reaction to the twisting of her gut. Pink eyes were as wide and panicked.

Being in the very first match. Yes, of course she would be. Just her luck.

"To the trainers mentioned, please step onto the court!"

Behind her, Crispin had a much more positive reaction. "Burn bright, Alysa! Snatch that victory!"

"You can do it!" Lacey joined him in cheering her on, pressing her hands together.

She didn't dare to turn around to look at Drayton, or anyone else. She dropped her backpack against the foot of the bleachers and stepped forward, trying her hardest to appear as calm and neutral as she could. On her belt holster, four pokeballs were ready to go.

On the other side, Michael had taken his position. Unlike her, he seemed to have all of his marbles together, surely having more experience with battling in this setting. If anything, he appeared intensely focused on winning and moving onto the next round. She bit the inside of her mouth.

"Send out your lead pokemon of choice!"

Gritting his teeth, Michael tossed two pokeballs. An Araquanid and Zebstrika appeared before him, from the bursts of light. Alysa removed two specific pokeballs from her belt, and tossed them with a slightly rigid arm motion.

From the projected blue beams of energy, her Mimikyu and Clefairy landed onto her side of the court. Mims only looked around before facing her, while Lulu bounced on her tiny feet excitedly. On the monitors, the UI displaying their photos updated to show four grey circles underneath them, with two each getting filled in with their leads.

"A coin flip will determine which side gets the first moves!"

Next to the woman, a student flipped a coin and slapped it against their palm before showing it to her.

"Tails it is! Michael goes first, on my mark!"

Her assistant scrambled off of the court. Her words summoned a heavy silence over the crowd, and in it, Alysa could hear her heart in her ears. Anticipation was clear to see in her opponent, his composure was shed for a tense expression. Hers no doubt matched its own. Understanding that they were about to battle, Mims keenly watched his opponents, while Lulu exuded confidence, flexing her tiny arms.

All the while, a mantra repeated itself in Alysa's head.

'Don't mess this up don't mess this up don't mess this up-'

"Let the battle begin!"

"Araquanid use Liquidation, and Zebstrika, Thunderbolt! Target the Mimikyu!" Michael shouted whilst gesturing with his arm. The pokemon lept into action, and Alysa immediately recognized his intentions. She wasn't going to let it happen right off the bat.

"Lulu, Follow Me! Mims, Swords Dance!" She shouted just loud enough for her pokemon to hear. The Clefairy did a spin before pointing one of her three-fingered hands upwards in a pointing motion, the extended claw glowing with a bright yellow energy. The incoming Thunderbolt veered off of its intended path by an unseen force, colliding with Lulu in a violent shower of sparks. The same result occurred with Araquanid's body, it being jerked and its attack of an appendaged covered in water striking Lulu right afterwards.

She was flung backwards, managing to right herself and flailing her arms to regain her balance, before coming to a rest. She gleefully waggled her arms, little damaged shown on her pink frame. Nearby, Mims's wisp arms slithered from underneath his cloak while he did a little dance, generating red sparks.

"What a fantastic display of moves! Michael's first attempt to break Mimikyu's Disguise was foiled by Follow Me, and Mimikyu has an attack power increase on top of that!"

"Follow Me...? Tch!" Michael sneered in irritation. "In that case, Zebstrika! Use Discharge! Araquanid, Protect!"

Alysa bit her lip. A wise decision to use a spread move, but this particular one could cause a lot of problems if one – or worse, both – of her pokemon get paralyzed. After the burst of electricity, Alysa looked to see her fairies recoiling, but they shook it off. Mims' head crumbled into a heap against his body. She exhaled in relief, but things weren't over yet.

"Mims, Shadow Claw on Araquanid! Lulu, Helping Hand!"

The Clefairy performed a more elaborate twirling dance, ending with she pointing at Mims, who was encased in a blue glow as he scampered towards the Water/Bug-type.

"Move out the way, Araquanid!"

It chittered aggressively and attempted to jump out of Mims' path, but the fairy was too fast for it. Needle sharp edges of Mims' wispy fingers lashed out and slashed against it, forcing out a screech of pain as it collapsed. Seconds passed, and it didn't stand up.

"The greatly empowered Shadow Claw was enough to bring Araquanid down in one hit! Not a good start for Michael!"

He recalled the spider pokemon, and put its pokeball away. He grabbed another, and Alysa noticed his arm shaking as he did so. His next choice was sent out. With a loud cry, Braviary flapped its large wings, talons bared and ready.

"Both of you, focus on the Clefairy! Braviary, Aerial Ace! Zebstrika, Flame Charge!"

Seeing an opportunity, she quickly seized it.

"Mims, Shadow Sneak on Zebstrika!"

A black mass shot out from underneath the fairy's cloak, and in the midst of its own attack, all Zebstrika could do was whinny in shock as it rose from the flooring and attacked it harshly. The Electric-type was sent flying and landed with a thud. Its eyes darted to and fro in a dazed manner. Braviary continued its Aerial Ace, knocking Lulu down and rolling on the court. She was only still for a second before she rose to her feet, more visibly fatigued but her face was still brimming with determination. Behind her, Alysa could hear the crowd react in disbelief.

"Lulu, use Life Dew."

She waggled her arms as glowing droplets of water manifested from her body, splashing against Mim. They flashed green, and each perked up more – the Clefairy especially so.

Michael gaped.

"What the...!"

"Zebstrika is down! Another one hit KO onto Michael's team, coming from Alysa's Mimikyu! It and Alysa's Clefairy are proving to be quite the strong little fairies! Michael is now on his last two pokemon, while Alysa has not lost a single one!"

"WOOO! WAY TO GO!"

She didn't have to look at Crispin to see his wide grin. This was going surprisingly well. Doubting herself was one thing, but was she a fool to unintentionally doubt her pokemon at the same time? Alysa watched Mims and Lulu appear to share some words with one another, both standing firm. A smile finally etched itself onto her face.

"No way..." Michael shook his head, and tossed the pokeball of his final team member into the air.

"Rhyperior!" The bulky Ground/Rock type raised its bulbous arms. "Rock Wrecker on the Clefairy! Braviary, Aerial Ace on Mimikyu!"

"Dodge it, Lulu!"

The fairy twirled to the side, as the massive rock attack whizzed by and struck the ground in a miss. Braviary's attack was unavoidable, connecting with its target. With a squeak, Mims was flung backwards, though a soft white glow surrounded him as he did so.

"Mims?" Alysa's breath hitched, but her concern was quelled when he rose up, giggling as he turned just to give her a thumbs up.

"Even without Follow Me, Alysa's Clefairy still protects its partner with its Friend Guard ability! What a darling support pokemon!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" Michael grimaced, going pale. Her confidence suddenly surged, as she surveyed the current status of the field. Mims and Lulu were still going strong, and she still had her other two in the back. She knew better than to assume, but things were looking solidly in her favor.

"Mims, Play Rough on Braviary! Lulu, Moonblast Rhyperior!"

Avidly, the Mimikyu leaped upwards and pulled the avian pokemon's head and neck into its cloak. Its screeches were muffled as a flurry of attacks were dealt and feathers were scattered as the two crashed down to the ground. Lulu put her hands together and created an orb of light resembling the moon, and launched it. Even if it wasn't recharging its energy, Rhyperior likely would've been too slow to avoid the hit. Smoke billowed through the arena.

When it cleared, Mims had went back to her side of the court, leaving the bird pokemon lying unconscious surrounded by feathers. While visibly damaged, Rhyperior was still standing.

"That's yet another KO for Alysa's Mimikyu! It's all up to Michael's Rhyperior!"

There had been reactions towards certain things, but in general, the crowd hadn't been applauding her performance much. Not until now. Behind and around her, she could start to hear people cheer. It didn't affect her one way or another, but she could see it had an effect on her opponent. Compared to his earlier poise, he looked like he regretted every life decision he's made now.

"Earthquake!" He commanded his Rhyperior, who aimed a punch glowing with orange energy into the ground. A massive wage of a similar color spread through the earth around it in a radius, Mims and Lulu impacted and launched to the ground.

It wasn't enough. Both got up quickly, and she ordered what would she knew were the last attacks of the battle.

"Lulu, Moonblast! Mims, Shadow Claw!"

Mimikyu leapt forwards, traveling alongside the ball of fae energy. He eagerly sunk his claws into the Rhyperior's hide as Moonblast connected.

In the next instant, the hulking Drill Pokemon was knocked out. Michael recalled it with a disappointed look, and the audience erupted into applause.

"It's over! Alysa defeated Michael with all four of her team remaining! What an impressive performance from the club's newest member, and what an immediate climb up the ladder!"

"Good job you two." She crouched to address her two small fairies, smiling as she pet their heads and heard their happy cries. She held out their pokeballs and recalled them.

"To keep the tempo going, we're getting the next match going right away! Here are your trainers..."

Alysa glanced back at the Elite Four as she walked off of the court. Everyone looked, Crispin especially so, but her attention all went to the silver-haired boy of the group. Delight sparkled in a sea of gold, that she had to rip herself away from in order to not get lost in it.


The day wasn't over, but she felt drained.

The current lunch break was a welcomed change, however much it made her want to fall asleep even more. Tantalizing odors and voices around in the cafeteria at least helped to keep her mind from succumbing to the soothing numbness playing at its edges, but it put her headspace into a weird state of the in between: being not fully alert but not being disorientated either.

Crispin and Lacey were talking at length about something, while Amarys and Drayton ate their lunches and listened – the latter occasionally chiming in. She was sitting in relative silence and eating little amounts of her sandwich at a time, warm over how the others chose to contribute and buy lunch for her.

Rather, Drayton had the largest contribution via forking over most of the BP spent. He was sitting next to her, chowing down on a slice of cheesy pizza. There was an assortment of small bags holding candy or chips sitting around him, and she couldn't help but wonder how he didn't weigh more from his love of high calories.

She snorted quietly to herself in amusement, while Drayton threw in quips amid the table's current discussion. The only one aside from her keeping quiet was Amarys, but the girl was more interested in calmly enjoying her meal, paying no mind to the antics of her friends.

Alysa's eyelids drooped on their own accord and her awareness slipped away just long enough for her head to begin falling, until a strong nudge from Drayton's shoulder stirred her back into wakefulness.

"Careful there." There was a small amount of concern present in his voice, matching the tone of Lacey.

"Is something wrong Alysa?"

"No. Just tired." And embarrassed, now that she almost faceplanted in her meal. Her fatigue was persistent, driving her to rest her heavy head on a propped up arm.

"Has all of the battling worn you down?"

"Yeah. Didn't sleep so well last night either."

The fear of today prevented an overactive mind from settling down enough for lengthy slumber to claim her. She was really paying for it now, during this lull.

"Well, if you win your next two matches as easily as your last ones, the tourney will be over in no time!" Crispin attempted to bestow some of his energy onto her with a cheery grin, and it worked enough to have her continue to eat at least. After a while, everyone outside of Alysa and Drayton finished eating, just as Lacey's phone pinged.

Looking at it, her eyes widened. "There's a matter our supervisors want our input on, regarding rank points. Preferably before the tournament continues soon."

Aware such a matter didn't involve her, Alysa almost completely tuned Lacey out, concentrating on not falling asleep. After they cleaned up their dishes, Amarys stated they should be punctual and attend to it immediately, but Drayton had his eyes resting on Alysa before he responded.

"You guys can go. Doesn't sound as if you need me for that."

"Who's to say? As an Elite Four member yourself, you have responsibilities to fulfill you know." Lacey tsked, folding her arms.

"Sure I do." His tone was blatantly dismissive, flaring the pink-haired girl's irritation, but his next words halted whatever scolding she was about to unleash.

"I'd rather stay and keep Alysa company."

"Oh?" Lacey paused, watching as the girl in question had her eyes flickering shut, then back open in an ending cycle. Catching on to the implications of his wish, she shared a look with Crispin and Amarys, then nodded.

"Alright then."

With that, the three elites walked out of the cafeteria. Drayton blinked, frankly surprised that Lacey let it go that easily, but he was not about to complain. Alysa caught the cusp end of their conversation, and looked up.

"Huh...? What was that, about me...?"

"Just me turning down some Elite Four business. You look like you're about to pass out."

"Uhh...maybe." She certainly felt like that was an actual possibility. "But you still could've gone."

"Nah."

Drayton shifted closer to her, and the touch of his jacket's fabric against the bare skin of her shoulder helped shake some of the delirium away. As did the quickening of her heartbeat.

"You can take a nap if you want. I'll be your lookout."

"Wha?" There it was. That sincerity, making his eyes glow that much more softly. His suggestion was such a casual one on its surface, but she could fully hear and feel its caring undertones. She wasn't around him all that much though she did like the idea of that changing, but in all the times she's seen him interact with others, Drayton never spoke like this to any of them.

Was it just her? Only her? Surely not. She must be imagining it.

"You...You don't have to. I don't want to be a burden."

It would be unwise for her to stand on the battle court as exhausted as she currently was. Even a five or ten minute nap would be enough to restore her mind into a better working condition. She could slump over, put her head down and sleep on her lonesome. However, it's true that she would rather not be alone. Her desire to not let someone inconvenience themselves for her sake was stronger though.

"Who says you are?"

Drayton was the type to smile often, so carefree that she believed fire could rain from the sky and he'd be unbothered, but the curve of his lips here felt so sweet that she didn't know how to take it. Maybe her fatigue was warping her perception of reality, because there's no way he'd be looking at her in such a way. Like she was something worth wasting his time for. What reason did he have to?

"Besides, *I* want to. Lunch break's over in 20 minutes. You should catch some Zs, so you won't go into your next matches too sleepy to focus."

That had to have been it. He hasn't said much about her battling skills so far, probably waiting until after the tournament to speak on it, but he wants her to keep up her momentum until the end. Couldn't do that if she was struggling to hold her head up. A much more...simple reason than the can of Wurmple her brain wanted to entertain.

Though, part of her just couldn't look past how he was looking at her right now...! Alysa didn't know what to say, but she physically reacted with her spine straightening when Drayton started to...take his jacket off?

"Here. Use this as a pillow. Way more comfortable than just resting on the table."

He nudged the item into her chest, and the girl forced herself to not ogle at his exposed shoulders and arms, though what she did take in showed he was surprisingly well built. She held his jacket closer to her, and while its nylon exterior was smooth, a brush with her hand revealed just how soft its cotton interior was.

"...Thanks..." The urge to rest her head and get even a little shut-eye won out over her hesitance. Her cheek came to lay against the fabric, face becoming hidden in the miniature valleys and hills created by the jacket's folds. She inhaled and registered a particular, woodsy odor. It shockingly wasn't unpleasant.

A fleeting thought passed by. Alysa shifted so one of her eyes could look up and over towards Drayton. He had taken his phone out, which genuinely helped her feel better about this. It's good he was doing something other than just sitting there next to her, in her eyes still wasting his time.

"Drayton...?" Even in her hearing, her voice was quiet, easily flattened by the cafeteria's ambience. Still, he had heard her.

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you get this jacket?"

It was for sure a random question, but she was genuinely curious – maybe sleep deprivation playing a hand. Based on the vaguely tender vibe his face took on, he could tell her interest was pure.

"In the school's Track & Field Club, as a freebie. I used to be a member."

Track & Field was a sport that involved a lot of running and other athletic feats, as far as she knew. From what she could tell, Drayton's lean kind of build was surely fit for it, though that brought another question to mind.

"Do you still run a lot n' stuff?"

"On and off. Usually with my team, since it makes for some fun training." He chuckled. What an interesting fact...to think, there was an element in his nature that counteracted his supposed laziness. There was more to him than met the eye, but by this point, Alysa had that figured.

He even pointed such a thing out before, about herself.

'Looks can be deceiving. You've been proving that, you know.'

She still didn't know what he meant with that, but she could say the same about him.

"That's...nice..." Her voice trailed off, eyelids falling shut. Drayton's company alone hushed her thoughts, and lulled her to sleep.