TEEN: - Ongoing Grand Slam: A Pokémon Violet Novel

[MimikyuQueen007]

Content Warnings: Occasional Swearing, loss of parent

-Author's Note-

Well, here we are. Despite the bugs, relatively easy gameplay, and all that, the storylines of Scarlet/Violet are awesome. It was between this story and a Legends Arceus one, and I decided on this one purely for the storyline. I'll get around to the Legends Arceus one eventually, though….

Regardless, I hope y'all enjoy this story. If this is the first one of my stories you've seen, then go check out my other story/ stories (depending on when you read this).

Now, let the games begin.

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Chapter One: Welcome To Paldea

Uva Academy Admission Form

Name: Moira Finn Gouveia

Gender: Female

Age: 16

Region of Origin: Galar

Past Extracurriculars: South Galar Youth Baseball (first base), Basketball (power forward), Flag (Unovan)Football (wide receiver), Track (long distance runner)

Grade Equivalency: 13+ since sixth grade

Languages Spoken: English, Tundran, West Paldean

Entrance Essay:

My name is Moira Finn Gouveia. Moira for my Galarian-Tundran side (seventy-five percent), Finn for my great grandfather, Gouveia for my Paldean (Western; primarily Cascarrafa area, mind). I want you to see beyond my odd mashup of a name and my academic records and see my sports record. If I'm to get a scholarship, I'd like it to be for sports. Let's face it, I'm not going to get anywhere with my academic career. It's not what I want for my life. But I may have a potential in sports, and I'd appreciate it if you focused on that. Please take this into consideration. Sincerely,

Moira Finn Gouveia

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Dear Ms. Gouveia,

After much consideration, we've decided to offer you a baseball scholarship to Uva Academy. We are offering you the varsity starting first base spot, provided that you are prepared to play on an all-male team. You will be the first female member of the team, as well as the first female to be offered a baseball scholarship. You will be on the female team for all other gender-separated sports that you choose to partake in. Congratulations on your acceptance to our fine academy. Highest regards,

Director Clavell, Uva Academy

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Two Months Later…

I'm not one for pictures. Not taking them, not having them taken of me, none of it. But sometimes, looking through old photo albums gets to me. Seeing my dad the way I want to remember him? Nothing can beat that except being on the diamond on a summer day, winning the game, and going out for pizza and ice cream after.

"Moira, get in the shower already! Director Clavell will be here in an hour and a half!"

"Okay, Mum. I will," I mumble, sliding the photo album under my bed. I sigh as I stand up, grab my new uniform, and head to the shower. The water here is always hot, not like back home. Galarian winters are no joke. Damn it, I really miss home. Gym Challenge season just started, and I was hoping to get to see the champion battle… ever since Leon was beaten by Abby McConnell last year, I've wanted to see her battle again, but that's not going to happen now. The only good thing about moving here? The fact that I get to play baseball. Oh, yeah, and the fact that I get my first Pokémon today. But it's been three years since I aged out of high-level both-gender competition baseball, and summer leagues and the occasional substitution isn't the same.

I slip on my new uniform and check the full-length mirror. Light gray polo, purple shorts… comfortable, slightly androgynous, not bad. Little baggy, shorts a little bit shorter than I'd like… I guess I can't complain. I slick my shortish, wavy orange hair back in a messy side part with my bangs curling to one side of my forehead, just how it has been for years.

Hmm… I'm going no makeup. My naturally dark eyelashes (thank you, West Paldean genes) eliminate the need for mascara, if I use foundation it'll cover my cool freckles, and there's no way I'm wearing lipstick. Let's see… what ball cap goes best with this… black probably matches better, but Angels was my dad's and if you're not wearing an Angels cap, you might accidentally befriend a Dodgers fan, which will end horribly and violently. Yeah, I'm going Angels. Last minute, I grab the free Uva Academy sweater that you get upon acceptance and tie it loosely around my waist.

Hmmmm… what socks… I have some white calf-high ones with two purple stripes on the top, those'll go well with the uniform. At last, I get to my Converse collection, my pride and joy. Tartan, camo, black with the sparkly strip on the back and the zippers on the side, black and electric blue… the list goes on. I think I'll go with black zippers today. I'll save the loud ones for later in the year.

"Moira, let me see what you're wearing before the director gets here!" Mum calls from downstairs.

"I'll let you see it, but the hat stays."

"Moira, what hat are you wearing?"

"You'll see." I bound down the stairs with a smirk on my face. Mum sighs as I walk into the room, rolling her eyes.

"Would it kill you to wear the standard uniform hat?"

"Yes, it would. I could befriend a Dodger's fan without knowing it."

"And how would that lead to death?"

"You're right, I'd win the fight."

"Well, at least give me a hug before you set off on your adventure," she sighs, grabbing me against my will. "I'll never get used to you being so much taller than me."

"It's only four inches, and if it helps, you have scoliosis and it could have been only two," I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. Just then, the front door opens, and as one often does when one's front door opens without warning, I jump a good six, seven inches vertically, two or three inches back, and just so happen to bang my head on the top cabinet.

"Do forgive the intrusion," a somewhat deep voice thunders. Once my vision comes back to me, I glance at the intruder. An older man, maybe my height, maybe a little shorter, with white hair, wearing a purple suit, and most importantly, prone to causing head injuries in tall, athletic teenage girls by breaking into their houses. "You are… Miss Moira, yes? I'm the director of Uva Academy. You may call me Mr. Clavell. I've something else for you. Please meet me outside."

"Yes sir," I stammer, my head throbbing. The man walks out of the front door, his hands clasped behind his back, as my mum hands me a small bag.

"Here, Moir. Take this peanut butter sandwich so you don't starve yourself," she smiles, patting me on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Mum. I really appreciate it," I grin, taking the bag from her. "I ought to head out there, now."

"Good luck, Moir."

"Luck? I operate on skill. But I appreciate the effort." I head out to the front yard, where the director's standing with unnervingly perfect posture. He reaches into the pockets of his suit and pulls out three pokéballs.

"There you are, Miss Moira. Come out, now, dear Pokémon." He opens the three pokéballs, releasing three adorable little dudes. "We have the Grass Cat Pokémon, Sprigatito." He gestures to a small green Pokémon with cat-adjacent features. It lets out a small yelp as a greeting, and I pat it on the head. "The Fire Croc Pokémon, Fuecoco." A red little guy with yellow hair-looking spikes on the top of his head. He makes a weird noise that sounds like a mix of a gurgle and a middle aged man biting into a tomato. "And Quaxly, the Duckling Pokémon." Whoa. I like this one. Cute little guy with big hair. He quacks out a greeting, and I crouch down to get a closer look. I like it. "I do wish I could see which one you choose, but I must be off to my next home visit… I'll be at the house just over there. Take your time with your decision, then meet me over there. Now if you'll excuse me. Until we next meet."

I blink a few times in his direction as he walks off, hands still clasped behind his back. If all people in Paldea are like… that, I'm getting a one-way ticket to Unova and going pro (Unovan football, that is).

"Alright, little dudes, I have my eye set on one of you already, but let's see what you got," I smirk, leading them down my driveway. Sprigatito runs forward, Fuecoco waddles after, and Quaxly stays closer to me. "Hey, little guy. You're a Water type, my favorite. I'm probably, no, definitely, picking you. What'd you say to that?"

"Quax!"

"Ay! You two! We're headin' off to that house over there! Don't get too far away!" I command as I begin down the road. The hot Paldean air is suffocating, and the hotter it gets, the more I miss home. We lived in Galar, but I'm also part Tundran. Taught myself the language when I was twelve. I'd tear this region to shreds with my bare hands to get some of that Tundra snow.

Once I get across the street, I see the director talking to a girl about my age with tan skin and dark hair with green stripes in the front. She's about my height, which I find impressive. Sweet holy dirt, that house is monolithic. And that yard… this girl must be loaded. Once she notices me, she gives me a friendly smile.

"Are you these three's trainer?"

Before I can respond, Clavell cuts in. "Not quite. Miss Moira has yet to make her decision."

"Actually, sir, I-"

"Moira? Is she that kid?"

"Yes, she is. First female student to get a baseball scholarship."

"Al-right! Hey, new kid! The name's Nemona. Nice shoes!"

"Thanks. I have a collection, actually," I chime, always happy to talk about my shoe collection. It's not like I'm one of those girls with a thousand pairs of shoes all for a different occasion. I collect Converse hightops. There's a difference.

"Where's that accent from?" She asks enthusiastically. "It's cool!"

"It's a blend of Tundran and South Galarian," I answer, a smirk breaking out on my face. "Oi, Director, I'm ready to make my decision."

"Ah, yes. And what would that choice be?"

"Quaxly." The director hands me his pokéball, and I'm overcome with a feeling of meaning. Like this is my goal in life. The little guy walks closer to me and stands on my foot. "Huh. What'm I supposed to name you, little dude? Um… how 'bout…" My Arceus, what'm I going to name him? I stand there for awhile, looking into his cute little eyes, when it comes to me. "Luca."

"Quax!"

"Niicceeee! Director Clavell, could I choose one of these Pokémon too?" Nemona asks, bouncing on her heels.

"Well… you never got a starter Pokémon…"

"Not back in the day, no! I was raising other Pokémon at the time. But now I want to raise a new Pokémon alongside Moira and Luca!"

"Well… I guess you could…" the director concedes with an exhausted sigh. Bet he's used to Nemona's hyper stuff. I'm not.

"Well, since Moira chose Quaxly, I'll take Fuecoco! Welcome to the team! Let's call you… Blaze!" The Fuecoco waddles over to Nemona, and she bends down to pat his little head. "Moira! Now we have to battle! I'll be down at the beach waiting for you!" She sprints off down a path behind her house before I can agree, so I use my track skills to keep up with her.

"You wanna battle? Let's battle. Go, Luca!"

"Let's have us a fruitful battle! Go, Blaze!"

"Luca, Water Gun!" It drains a little over half of Blaze's health, but Nemona's smile never falters.

"Smart move- you know your type matchups. Blaze, Tackle!"

"Luca, one more Water Gun! Finish 'em off!" I command, my accent coming out stronger than before. Blaze faints, but Nemona just flashes me a grin.

"I want to try out another strategy- just one more battle!"

"Miss Nemona," Director Clavell thunders. "Miss Moira and Luca are surely weary from that battle."

"Aw, sorry!" Nemona apologizes, darting across the clean battle court. "Just got caught up in the excitement…"

"Nemona, as you are a champion-ranked trainer, can I trust you to take your new schoolmate under your wing?" Clavell asks, lowering his glasses on his nose.

"Of course. Oh, Moira, you have a smartphone, right? Lemme see it for a sec." My phone, a standard rotom model in a blue case, flies out of my bag to where Nemona can see it. "Here. Downloaded the Pokédex for ya. It'll register all the Pokémon you catch! It's a must-have for trainers! Our homeroom teacher, Mr. Jacq, actually made it himself!"

"Back in my day," Clavell interrupts, "we used ordinary paper and handwritten notes to compile our Pokédexes."

"Oof! Sounds like a lot of work!" Nemona adds as I roll my eyes discreetly. "It'd be so hard to complete it!"

"Darn right it would be," I muse. The thought of that much writing by hand makes me shudder.

"Nemona, could you see Miss Moira to the academy? It would be a great favor to me."

"I've got it, Director! Don't worry, we'll be fine!" Clavell picks up the lone Sprigatito and walks off down the path. Once he's gone, Nemona asks,"Want me to show you how to catch a wild Pokémon? And also, who's your favorite trainer ever?"

"Please, and Abby McConnell. I wish I could see her battle in person again…" I let out a small sigh at the thought of watching my hero battle again. Last year at the Champion Cup Final Match, I actually met her, through somewhat embarrassing circumstances, but nonetheless, she's awesome.

"Oh, sweet! My favorite of all time… probably Paldea's own top champion, Geeta," Nemona explains as she leads me up a small hill. "This here is Poco Path! There's tons of wild Pokémon out here. Look, there's a Lechonk! Why don't you battle it and try to catch it?"

"On it," I reply, sending Luca out against the small pig-looking thing. I use Pound a couple times, then throw a pokéball. It works, but I'm not sure I even want a Lechonk.

"You should battle some of these Pokémon, then meet me at that lighthouse over there!" Nemona points to a lighthouse near the water. It looks like someone lived in it at one point, with a small abandoned house attached to the bottom.

"Alright. See you there, I guess." The second she darts off, I pull out my phone and transfer the Lechonk to my boxes. I want stronger Pokémon, ones that I feel connected to. And that's just not Lechonk. Once that's taken care of, I jog down to the lighthouse.

"Hey, Moira! You doin' oka-"

"Gyuh- GOAAAAA!"

"What in the bloody distortion realm was that!?" I shout, gripping the brim of my hat.

"I think it was a Pokémon cry! Maybe a real strong one or something… could you try to find where it came from?"

"Sure, I'll look," I stutter, slightly terrified. I wander over to a cliff, and on the beach below…

If I may paraphrase my earlier question: WHAT IN THE BLOODY DISTORTION REALM IS THAT!?

There's a metallic purplish creature lying on the beach, almost like it's dead, being cornered by two Houndour. The little bastards yip in his face, and the huge thing lets out another devastating cry.

"Agia- YAHHHHH!"

"Yip! Yip! Yip!" Good riddance to those things. Once they're completely gone, I scale down the cliff to check on the creature.

"Hey.. you okay, big guy?" I crouch next to the beast, careful not to startle him. He looks too weak to move… maybe the sandwich Mum packed for me will help? "Here, take this. It's good, I promise."

"Gia?"

"C'mon, take it, it'll make you feel better…"

He takes the sandwich from my hand. "Gomp…. Agias!" Oh, thank Arceus, he perked up. He stands up, looks me in the eye, then walks over to a cave. "Ah- GIIIAAAS!" There's a flash of blinding light, and I hear the sound of… shifting metal? By the time the light clears, the creature is now bipedal and suspended from the ground with futuristic jets. He turns to me with a look in his eye that says, "You coming or not?" The thing floats into the cave, and in curiosity and stupidity, I follow. He leads me through the cave, which has glowing green crystals on the walls.

"Oyeee! Moira!" I turn around to see Nemona, perched on a rock above the cave. "You're not hurt, right?"

"All good!" I shout up to her, and her expression relaxes.

"Oh, good. I was worried.. never mind that! We've got to focus on getting you back up here! Hey, what's that Pokémon in front of you? It looks SUPER strong!"

"Not exactly sure, but I don't think he'll hurt me!" The beast leads me deeper, and eventually, we come to a rock, blocking the path. He slashes the rock, and it crumbles immediately. Whoa… this thing is STRONG. We get a little farther, until a group of Houndour come rushing at us. The creature lets out another cry, sending the little twerps packing. And when there's another rock… well, you get the point.

"Moira, look out! Something's coming! Behind you!" I turn around to see a Houndoom… holy Wooloo, level FORTY!? It uses Crunch on Luca, but the beast… he lunges forward, letting out another cry, and attacks the Houndoom. Unfortunately, it brought backup. When it howls, a swarm of Houndour come barking at me. Three of them surround me. I'm about to go into full-blown panic when the beast lets out another cry, then picks me up (well, slings me over one of his front legs).

"Heeeeey! Up here! Quick!" Nemona commands. The beast flys through the air, and I grip his front leg like it's a pop fly to first. He sets me down next to Nemona, who sighs with relief. The creature turns toward the lighthouse and hovers out of the cave. There's another flash of light, and he flops down on the ground like he was before I gave him the sandwich.

"Buddy? What's wrong?"

"Maybe it used up all its power?" Nemona muses. "What is this Pokémon, anyway?"

"Not a clue. C'mon, bud, you've got this…"

The beast perks up, back to standing instead of lying there. "Giaos…"

"Oh man, oh man, oh man! The more I look at it, the more mysterious it seems!" Nemona exclaims. "If you ever become its trainer, you've got to let me battle against it! Let's exchange numbers, in case we ever get separated again!"

I flip out my phone, and it interacts with Nemona's. Huh, she has a black case. Good to know.

"Let's get to the lighthouse! It's a good spot to relax," she suggests.

"I'm down."

We race to the lighthouse, with me in the lead and her close behind. She doesn't strike me as the athlete type, but I'm pretty sure that she's just very enthusiastic about showing me the lighthouse.

"Why, that little…" a deeper voice mutters. "What're you doing out here?" A guy, maybe a little older than me, somewhat taller than me runs out to the beast. "I'm not talking to you two. You can shove off."

"Jerk… you really, and I mean REALLY, don't want to get in a fight with me," I grumble, raising my fist a few inches from his sharp, defined jawline. "Unless you're just a bloody idiot."

"Wait, I know you," Nemona interrupts before I can punch him, "Aren't you Arven? You're in the humanities track, right? And aren't you the son of that researcher- Professor Turo?"

"Doesn't matter who my dad is!" The boy grumbles. "The real issue is what this Pokémon is doing out here!" I glance over the boy's features. Long, messy ash blond hair with dark strands scattered throughout the mess, light teal eyes (presumably both)… he'd be cute if he wasn't such a jerk.

"I found it at the bottom of a cliff, ya see…"

"We heard this strange cry, and we tried to investigate it, and Moira found it… the Pokémon saved her, but it wore itself out in the process. It was all tired- but you should've seen it before! It was SO strong!"

"Well, yeah. As it should be. But it can't fight while it's like this. The form Miraidon takes in battle… that's its true form."

"Miraidon? That's what it's called? How'd you know that?" Nemona interrogates.

"Agiagias!"

"You can't go in the lab, it's locked." The boy turns to me, his teal eyes (well, eye, the other one's covered by his hair) taking me in. "I've never seen you before. But the uniform.. I guess you go to the academy too."

"Yeah. Came from Galar," I reply, proud of my homeland.

"Miraidon isn't the sort of Pokémon any trainer can command. It's special."

"Special? What's that mean?" Nemona inquires.

"You think you're up to ordering Miraidon around? How 'bout I test your worthiness?"

"If you're talkin' battle- you're in for it."

"Alright then. Let's see what you got." He sends out a Skwovet, mumbling something about bad memories.

"Luca, show 'em what you're made of! Water Gun!"

"Skwovet, Bite!"

"Luca, I repeat, Water Gun!"

"Don't you know any other moves? Skwovet, Tackle!"

"Luca, we're proving a point. Use Water Gun again, why don't you?" A smirk spreads across my lips as Skwovet faints.

The boy, apparently named Arven, rakes his hand through his thick hair. "Seems you know a thing or two about battle. Well, if you want Miraidon, I guess you'll need this." He hands me a pokéball, then runs off before I can get a word out.

"What a weirdo…" Nemona mutters. Miraidon sprints over to me, and I send it back to its pokéball. "That Arven… he definitely knows more than he's letting on! Next time, I'm battling him! I'll wring some answers out of him! Oh, yeah- we gotta climb the lighthouse! I can't wait for you to see the view!"

"Al-right! I'm no stranger to lighthouses! Love 'em, actually!" The memory of seeing the Hulbury lighthouse with my dad floods my mind as I scale the ladder. But once I reach the top, I'm focused on the view.

"Look, Moira! That's Mesagoza! And that building with the Pokéball on it- that's our school!" Nemona explains. I take in the view of the walled city, each tower drawing me in. All around it, there's sprawling fields, stretching in every direction…

Wow.

"New second-favorite lighthouse," I mumble, staring at the skyline.

"It's going to be great having you in the same class, Moira!"

"I'm looking forward to it. Not all the schoolwork, but.. the rest of it. Especially baseball. It's been so long since I've been on a team, really played."

"Did your parents play?"

"My dad, yeah," I mumble, my smile falling. Nemona notices my discomfort and changes the subject.

"Isn't it awesome, being able to see everything?"

"The whole region, all at once."

"And everything's out there waiting! Consider this me officially telling you: welcome to Paldea! But as you can see, it's quite the hike from here to the school… let's start with getting to Los Platos. It's right down there! Vamos! C'mon!"

"Sheesh, don't take off without me! And I only speak West Paldean, not the bloody rest!" I scramble down the ladder and head off to catch Pokémon. First thing I run into is a Paldean Wooper. I've heard that you can get these real strong, so I catch her. "For a name… Julien. I don't know why, but who needs a rhyme or a reason?"

The next Pokémon I see causes me to blink several times. Holy Wooloo, a Ralts! Those are so rare… I gotta catch it! Luca uses Pound twice, then I throw the pokéball.

Click!

"Thank you, Arceus! Holy Wooloo, it's a male! I'm gonna name you… huh, 'Julien' sounds kind of like 'Juliet', but less feminine… how about 'Romera'? Make it a theme?" The pokéball rattles in response, and I jog the rest of the way to Los Platos.

 

[MimikyuQueen007]

Chapter Two: This BLOODY Staircase

"Oyeeee! Moira! C'mon!" Nemona calls as she darts through Los Platos. "We gotta get to Mesagoza!"

"I'm comin'!" I shout back, tearing through the tiny town. My hair blows in the wind as I dart up up the hill to Mesagoza, battling every trainer I can find. My team is worn ragged by the time I reach the towering walls of Mesagoza.

"Oyeee! Moira! You battle any trainers on the hill? Bet your team's getting stronger!"Nemona greets, jogging up behind me. "Why don't you show me what you've learned… in a battle!"

"You're on. Luca, show 'em what you're made of!"

"Go, Blaze!" Huh.. that little guy really is pretty cute. Too bad I'll have to beat him.

"Luc, Water Gun!" That takes out most of Blaze's health, but not quite enough that he faints.

"Blaze, Ember!" It doesn't do much damage- fifth of Luca's health, if that much.

"Luca, 'nother Water Gun!" Blaze faints, and I grin in victory. Oh, Luca wants to learn Wing Attack… yeah, swap that for Work Up, and… we're good to go!

"Go, Pawmi!" Oh? An Electric Type? Well, it looks like I have a plan…

"How 'bout… Julien!"

"You're doing better than I thought! I'll have to pull out my ace in the hole!" Nemona grasps a little orb-thing, and her Pawmi gets some sort of… jeweled crown? "Terastallization's always a good way to get the upper hand! Pawmi, Thunderbolt!"

"May I remind you that electric doesn't effect her? Julien, Mud Shot!" And would you look at that, Pawmi's speed falls. "One more Mud Shot, Julien!"

Pawmi faints, and the crystals shatter everywhere. "Look at you, taking on a Terastallized opponent and winning! You can't Terastallize your Pokémon yet, huh? Don't worry, I'll handle that. I'm going to take a quick breather, but you should go right ahead!"

I bound up the hill to Mesagoza and take in the sight of the city. The fountains, the shops, the pattens on the streets… I've never seen so many people at once, except for at the Champion Cup.

"I'm back! Finally made it, huh? This is Mesagoza, the biggest city in Paldea!"

"This is bigger than Hammerlocke- no, Wyndon!"

"There's a bunch of shops, and a bunch of good food… what'd you want to see first?"

"The food, obviously," I deadpan. Since I gave my sandwich to Miraidon, I haven't eaten all day, and I'm bloody HUNGRY.

"Never pegged you for a big eater!" To be fair, I wouldn't peg myself for a big eater either, but I'm mostly lean muscle. And bones. I have quite a lot of bones. "Also, I wanna be sure that you'll be able to Terastallize your Pokémon too, Moira! I'll take care of everything! You just spend some time looking around the city a bit- there's so much to do! Once you're done, we can meet up again in front of the school!"

"Sounds good. I'll see you there," I reply, waving as she bounds up the stairs. The first thing I do is go to a nearby cafe, where I get fried potatoes with Scovillian sauce… it's so good. Heat plus fried potatoes is an amazing mix. I need this available to me for the rest of my life. I hit up the shoe store next to see if they've got any Converse in my size. Aw, only lowtops. I guess I better get up to school. I start up the long climb of stairs, only to be interrupted shortly after.

"Don't you get it? If you join Team Star, you can shine as bright as anybody!" A girl in a modified version of the uniform shouts at a shorter girl in a loose hoodie and tights. Hoodie girl's hair is short, and dyed a mix of red and pale blue. It's pretty cool.

"Seriously, what's your problem? Don't you want to burn bright with awesome friends like us?" A guy, also in a modified uniform, grumbles.

"…Not really," cool haircut girl whispers. She has an accent- Galarian. I guess I'm not the only one, even though mine is more Tundran.

"Really, we got a quota to fill for new members."

"Um… I'd rather not…"

"Yo! Weird uniform dudes! What's your problem?!" I shout, raising my fists.

"You wanna sign up too? Hold on a second."

"We're Team Star- we burn so bright it hurts to look at us!"

"Lay off 'er, will you? I'm not afraid to fight you!"

"I'll battle her, you keep watch on that little four-eyes over there."

"On it."

"I was talking about the other kind of fight, but okay. Go, Luca!"

"Go, Shroodle! Use Leer!" Leer.. really? Of all the moves to lead with.

"Luc, Water Gun!" Ugh… that didnotdo as much damage as I was hoping.

"Shroodle, Tackle!" That didn't do much damage either, fortunately enough.

"Wing Attack, Luca!" THERE we go. That one hit pretty hard.

"Shroodle, Leer!" Again. Twice in one bloody battle. Fan-bloody-tastic.

"Lucs. Pound." The Shroodle faints, and I smirk in the face of the Team Star lackey.

"Why's a nobody like you got to be so good at battling, anyway? It's just not right…"

"Pero bueno! What do you think you're doing?" A familiar voice demands. Nemona walks down the stairs and stares the grunts right in the eye.

"Ugh, it's the student council dweeb.."

"She's gonna report us if we don't book it.."

"Team Star… you two were trying to pressure people into joining again, weren't you?"

"Well… we weren't NOT doing that.."

"Normally, as student council president, this would be my job to stop, but it's a perfect chance for you to try out my super-rare gift to you, Moira!" She hands me an orb like hers, and I take it with a determined smirk on my face. "Now you can Terastallize your Pokémon, too!"

"Alright, Team Star or whatever… get ready for a tsunami, because we're not backing down! Go, Luca!"

The grunt does a thing where he makes a star with his hands, then gets to the battle. "Go, Yungoos!"

"Alright, Luca, let's try this out. Terastallize!" I lift my Tera orb, then throw it to Luca like I saw Nemona do before, and he gets his own jewel crown. "Water Gun!" It does a lot of damage, but not enough to make the Yungoos faint. Unfortunate…

"Yungoos, Leer!" Oh, for Arceus sake, this is beginning to infuriate me.

"Lucs, Pound!" The Yungoos faints, and the grunt slumps over in defeat.

"Nice, Moira! You pulled off Terastallizing no problem!" Nemona cheers from the sidelines.

"W-well… I'll be on my way, then, yeah? Hasta la vistaaaarrrrr!"

"Me, too! Hasta la vistar!"

"So, yeah- Team Star is just some students that like to kick up trouble," Nemona explains, letting out a frustrated huff. This must happen a lot.

"Um… 'scuse me!" A Galarian voice interrupts. "I, uh… well just, thanks. So, yeah… see you around." The girl sprints up the academy stairs before I can manage a reply.

"Aww, Moira, already becoming a big hero on campus? I don't think I've seen that girl… maybe she's a new transfer, like you.. That Eevee bag, though! Love that fluff!" Nemona exclaims. "Seems the trouble's died down, so we better book it to school! Get ready to climb the worst staircase in the world!" She darts up to the academy, leaving me standing at the foot of these monstrous stairs.

It takes me far too long to climb the bloody things, and when I reach the top, it feels like I just got back from a ridiculously long track run. My legs are probably going to fall off, or maybe explode. I'm still catching my breath as I push open the doors of the academy. Holy Wooloo, there's so many books… I love it. Look at them all… it's amazing.

"Here we are, Moira! Welcome to Uva Academy!" Nemona says, a huge smile on her face. "This is the entrance hall. You can sign up for all kinds of classes at the entrance desk, and those halls lead to all the different parts of the school."

"Sweet holy dirt," I whisper, taking in the scenery.

"Miss Moira. Miss Nemona." Director Clavell walks over to us, his hands still clasped behind his back. "How did you find your first school commute?"

"Other than the stairs, it was great," I deadpan, wondering if the director will ever show some human emotion.

"And we saw some of those Team Star kids in town," Nemona adds.

Clavell looks taken aback. "You did?! Where?!"

"On the stairs. They were after a girl with an Eevee backpack," I answer, wondering what he's going to do about it.

"Are they still out there?"

"Nah, Moira flexed on 'em and ran 'em off," Nemona explains.

"Not really what I did, but they did run off."

"A girl with an Eevee backpack, you say… I suppose that might have been Miss Penny." So there's a name- I'll remember that. "You two should get to class now."

"We're in class 1-A, Moira! C'mon, I'll show you the way!" Nemona leads me down one of the halls to the classroom, where she almost immediately takes a seat, leaving me staring blankly into the crowd from the hall. The teacher, a guy with messy black-and-white hair- and I mean he dyed it like that-greets the class, and I'm still staring blankly.

"We have some exiting news this morning," he announces. "We have a new student joining our homeroom today!" There's whispers in the crowd, and I take that as my cue to walk closer to the front of the room. "Could I trouble you for a few words to introduce yourself?"

"No problem. I'm Moira. Came from Galar- well, I lived in the Crown Tundra for awhile. In case you were wondering, I am the baseball scholarship girl, and if you're on the team, I promise to do the best I can to help us win the championships!"

A handful of guys in the back of the room cheer at that, and one calls, "Nice hat!"

"Anyone want to ask our new friend a question?"

"Me! What's your favorite thing about Pokémon?" A lanky younger boy, around ten or eleven, asks.

"I like battling the most, probably. I live for the adrenaline."

"Really? I'm totally the same!" I grin at the boy's excitement. I guess Galarian transfer students are a big deal here.

"I have a question!" Nemona calls, getting out of her chair. "You went through the trouble of enrolling here- what's your dream?"

"I want to be a strong trainer," I answer. "And baseball. Baseball was a deciding factor."

"You will be! We're going to get so strong battling together!" Nemona cheers.

"Hey, you have to share! We need her if we want to win!" One of the baseball boys yells. "Have you seen her play? They showed us a video, and man, she's good."

"Thanks, man."

"Well, thank you for telling us a bit about yourself, Moira. I'm Mr. Jacq. I teach biology here at the academy, and I'm also your homeroom teacher. That's your seat. Second row from the front."

"Aw, no fair," another one of the baseball guys whines. "She's tall and people won't be able to see over her, can't she sit in the back with us?"

"Not this time, Luke. Get to know your teammate on your own time. Alright now, you ragamuffins. Be nice and friendly to your new classmate!" He leaves the room and lets us do whatever the bloody hell we want, and the baseball guys take advantage of that.

"Yo, new girl!" The one that complimented my hat shouts. "C'mere!" This one has dark hair and green eyes. I guess he's kind of cute, but not as cute as… I am not allowing my brain to finish that sentence.

"Unofficial welcome to the team!" Um.. Luke, I think yells, slugging me in the shoulder. Taller, a little more muscular, blond, blue eyes. Pretty much the stereotypical pretty boy. "You'll meet the rest of the team some other time. I'm Luke, green eyes is Josiah, and that short one is Anthony."

"I'm five nine! That's average!" Anthony thunders with a surprisingly deep voice. Brown hair, hazel eyes, sort of scrawny… with a weirdly deep voice. It's unnerving.

"And I'm taller than you. Males that are my height or shorter are my definition of short," I deadpan, and the other guys burst into laughter. "I better get going now. Nice to meet you guys."

"We'll see you on the field, new girl."

I head out of the classroom and check my phone. It's got an app that lets me see where in the school my recognized numbers are. Well, Nemona's in the staff room, and… the guy that I refuse to name is hanging around in the cafeteria. My first reaction is to head to the staff room. When I get there, I see Nemona talking to a tall, thin woman with dark hair.

"Pardon me," she says politely as she walks by me. Huh, about my height. Instant respect.

"Oh, Moira! Hey!" Nemona greets, somewhat surprised by my presence.

"Who was that? She looked awesome!"

"She sure is! That lady is… well, they call her La Primera! She's the top champion of Paldea- and basically everything I want to be! Also, you know how in homeroom I asked you what your dream is? Since your heart's already set on becoming a really strong trainer… I've got an idea for you!"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"You should try to reach Champion Rank like me!" She exclaims, excitement in her eyes.

"Of course I'm gonna! I'm not some idiot!" I exclaim back. "And I'm already familiar with the Paldea Pokémon League rules, so you don't have to go explaining."

"Well, it's every Pokémon trainer's dream! The coolest title anyone could ever hope for! Not to brag or anything!" She rants, her intensity slightly overwhelming. "I reached Champion Rank during our last Treasure Hunt, you know. Oh, the Treasure Hunt is an independent study thing we do. Should start soon, too! It's great! You get to leave school and adventure and learn however you want!"

"I hate actual school, so that sounds awesome!" I shout, getting just as excited as Nemona. After all, if there's no schoolwork, no one will find out my secret…

"Lemme go ahead and save the Gym's locations in your phone," she offers, summoning my phone out of my pocket. She takes her phone out and pins down the locations for me, and it finally feels like my adventure is beginning… my goal being to make it to Victory Road! I'm lost in my thoughts as Nemona waves and jogs out of the room. Well, I might as well go see what the guy who shan't be named is doing. I head to the cafeteria, which is packed with students, all eating far more food than they probably should. I spot he that shall not be named in the back, standing by all the food.

"Oh, hey! So we meet again!" He greets like he wasn't a total jerk earlier. "You remember me, right?"

"A'course I do," I reply. Because I have an eidetic memory and couldn't stop thinking about those eyes… "From the lighthouse."

"Yeah, exactly! That's my little know-it-all buddy! Got a mind like a steel trap, eh?"

"For one, you're what, two,maybethree inches taller than me? Maybe? And thank you for noticing, I don't forget things often."

"Don't have to tell me your name. Moira, right? Whole school's talking about you. Galarian girl with a baseball scholarship. You must be pretty good."

"That's the generally accepted idea, yes," I reply sarcastically.

"I normally wouldn't even come to class, but I came all the way here today just to talk to you. Thing is… you've got to help me out so I can make my dream a reality!" He declares, his eyes (his one visible eye, that is) lighting up.

"Whoa, what's this dream, first?" I ask, trying to be cautious even though I'm intrigued.

"Caught your interest, huh? You wanna hear all about my dream, right?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Well, this might come as a surprise, but I'm all about that picnic life: the great outdoors, the perfectly prepared sandwiches, all of it," he explains.

"Why yes, that does come as a surprise. Out with it."

"Not half bad at cooking either, I can tell you."

"HURRY UP AND TELL ME YOUR BLOODY DREAM!"

"Okay, okay. Right now I'm researching recipes that'll help Pokémon feel better. Health food, see. I found this book the other day, and it had a section about these Herba Mystica things… they're supposed to make any Pokémon heal up as soon as they eat them! Based on what I read, there's five types of 'em. These herbs seem like the real deal. Only found here in Paldea- and rare to boot!"

"Oh, thank Arceus, you're hurrying up. Tell me what you want from me. Although herbs with healing powers sounds a bit suspicious…definitelydoesn't sound suspicious similar to w-"

"The book says that they're all guarded by Titan Pokémon, meaning that it's gonna be pretty tough to try and grab a few sprigs. I want to get those herbs myself, but.. I'm not really good at battles. No friends with strong Pokémon to help me out, either…" He turns away from me as he says the last part, then turns back with more enthusiasm than I've seen him have before. "But you! You've got to help me out- you'd be perfect!"

"Yeah, sure-"

"Nope! Wait! I don't need an answer yet! I'll just register the places where the Titans are supposed to be in your map app for you." He pulls out his phone, and I hold in a laugh when I see his case- Floette. Kinda cute, I guess. The lairs pop up on my map, and I save the locations. "Think about it a bit, and we can get into the details later. Give the idea some serious thought! Please!" And before I can say anything, he runs off.

Well, this changes everything. Maybe he's not actually a jerk, and was just having a hard time earlier?

And damnit, he's actually really cute. Like, would consider dating cute, and I've never dated before. When I'm almost out of the cafeteria, my phone rings.

"This is Moira, correct?" A mechanical voice asks. "I hacked your smartphone so I could talk to you. Hope you don't mind."

"Who the distortion realm are you?!" I ask back, growing increasingly alarmed.

"My name's Cassiopeia. But never mind that- I want to talk about you. I hear you have serious potential as a trainer. If that's accurate, there's something I'd like to ask you. Tell me, Moira… you know about Team Star, right?"

"Of course I know about the bloody assholes," I grumble, my hands curling into fists.

"I appreciate you being up-front here. They're a group of troublemakers formed by some academy students a while back.. they cause headaches for the students and try to bring others down to their level… And I refuse to sit idly by and let them get away with it! So I've come up with a plan to bring them down and force them to disband for good. I call it… Operation Starfall!"

"Nice name, clever wordplay."

"Thank you. You see, I'll need allies to carry out this operation, and I'd like you to be one of them."

"I will."

"No need to reply right this second. We can discuss the details some other time. I'll leave you to it. Bye."

"Um, bye?"

"Ah, Miss Moira."

"Director Clavell."

"Please do try to keep your voice down while making calls within the school, would you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Don't want others hearing your personal business… there's so many things to worry about in this day and age," he sighs. "On you go then, young lady."

I let out a small huff and walk back to the entrance hall. But it's not ten seconds before I get there that I'm stopped in my tracks. There's a series of chimes, and then a message over the loudspeaker.

"Calling Miss Moira to the director's office."

Oh, Arceus. I got in trouble. Mum's not going to be happy about that. I enter the large room, where Director Clavell is sitting behind a Brobdingnagian(huge) desk. "Thank you for coming, Miss Moira. How's your time at the academy been so far?"

"Good, thank you," I tremble, wiping my hands on my shorts.

"That is most wonderful to hear. You may be wondering why we could not have conversed earlier in the cafeteria. It seems that a friend of mine has a rather serious matter they would like to discuss with you." I glance around the room, expecting to see someone, but it's empty. "I'm afraid they aren't actually here in this room with us. One moment, please." He leads me over to a large TV, where the image of a man, middle-aged with a weird haircut and a white lab coat, flickers onto the screen.

"Hello, Moira. It is nice to meet you. My name is Professor Turo. I carry out research within the Great Crater of Paldea- at a site known as Area Zero."

"The professor happens to be a graduate of our fine academy," Clavell interrupts as I try to figure out what's going on.

"Well. Allow me to get straight to the point. Moira, you're the student that travels with the unusual Pokémon Miraidon, is that correct?"

"Y-yes, sir, it is."

"Thank you. I appreciate your honesty in confirming the facts. You see, I wish to ask you for your assistance."

"Assistance?"

"Agia?" Miraidon pops out of its pokéball to face the screen.

"Good to see that you are well," the professor says to it.

"Gias!"

"Miraidon was once in my care, you see. I am no longer able to look after Miraidon myself. This is what I would ask of you: Will you continue looking after it on my behalf?"

"Of course, sir."

"I appreciate your agreement. Miraidon has been greatly weakened and is currently incapable of battle. It can, however, take on a form specifically for mobility. It will take some time to get it back to its full state. I will provide you with my contact information. If you would please get out your phone?"

"I will, sir." My phone hovers in front of the TV, and I receive the professor's number.

"I will be in regular contact going forward to keep tabs on your status. Until then." The TV flickers off, and Miraidon walks over to me.

"Agigia! Gias!"

"Could this Pokémon have its origins within Area Zero….?" Clavell muses. "Turo… don't tell me you actually did it… Well, the professor is asking quite the favor of you. Remember that the academy is always here to support you."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." As I turn to leave, Nemona barges in.

"Hellooo! 'Scuse me! Oh, you're still here, Moira! How'd you land in that much trouble already? Nah, kidding. I know it wasn't like that. Mr. Jacq wanted me to show you your dorm room. Your very own private room, Moira! Let's go check it out!"

"Let's do this!"

We go sprinting out of the Director's office like maniacs to my dorm. "Ta-ta-tachán! From today on, this is your room, Moira!"

I glance around the room. It looks straight out of the seventies, with avocado green appliances and a harvest gold bed. Other than that, it's normal and plain, and I can't wait to cover it with sports posters and Converse. "Whoa. This is nice."

"Maybe check out your new bed? Looks nice and comfy. You must be pretty worn out. I'll see you tomorrow, when you're all rested up. Take care!" She calls as she darts out of the room. I pull my pajamas out of my bag and change before heading to bed. Mum's getting all my stuff delivered tomorrow, so I brought just what I need.

This harvest gold seventies bed is bloody comfortable. I fall asleep almost instantly. When I wake up the next morning, I get ready, head to my classes, and do all that normal school stuff, plus spend some time with my team. They do baseball year round here, but we've still got a bit more practice before the first game. The week goes by quickly, but when I wake up on Friday, there's something different.

 

[MimikyuQueen007]

Chapter Three: Olive Fields
The loudspeaker chimes, and then the director's voice breaks through. "Attention, all students. Today marks the beginning of an important new assignment. Please assemble in the schoolyard, where I will explain in more detail."

I hop in the shower (thank Arceus all the dorms have private bathrooms) and slip on my uniform. I'm brushing out my hair when Nemona comes barging in.

"It's TIIMMEE! I've been waiting forever for this! Ooh, I've always wanted to see what you do with your hair."

"I brush it, put in some gel, put on my hat, and call it a day," I explain, smoothing down the side.

"That's it? No makeup?" She asks like I'm insane.

"Yeah…?"

"Moira, you're around hot baseball boys all the time and you don't try to look good," she states matter-of-factly. "Unless you're not into guys… girls are pretty too!"

"No, I'm into guys. I just don't like any of the guys on the team."

"Do you like any guys?"

"Maybe? I'm not exactly sure. I'll report back once I make up my mind." Actually, I made up my mind a while ago, and I decided that Arven's a maybe until I can know him better. Highest anyone's ever gotten. "Now, which shoes?"

"Huhhh…" Nemona muses as she looks over my collection. "Electric blue and black."

"Excellent suggestion," I reply as I slide them over my socks. Nemona taps her fingers impatiently as I tie the laces. "Okay, I'm done. Let's go." She grabs my arm and drags me out to the schoolyard, where there's a huge crowd gathered. Clavell is standing on a stage in the center, and everyone's eyes are fixed on him.

"Excellent. Everyone's here. Well, I'm here to announce this year's independent study! As usual, the theme will be 'A Treasure Hunt'! I ask each of you to go out and explore in search of your own treasure. You've learned much within the walls of the academy… but now it's time to turn your eyes upon the world and deepen your understanding. Explore Paldea, get to know the Pokémon.. and the people too. You'll go on journeys together, learn new things together… and return to us as fine young trainers! Let the Treasure Hunt begin! Onward!" The crowd breaks into a cheer, louder than the cheers in a stadium back home. Students rush out to the entrance, and I eventually find myself there, too. "Take care, everyone! And remember-the Great Crater of Paldea is exceedingly dangerous! Entering is strictly forbidden by school policy!" Clavell adds as a footnote, but most of the students are too far away to hear.

"C'mon, Moira! Let's go!" Nemona urges, dragging me off to the stairs. "The Treasure Hunt- it's finally starting!"

"What're we gonna do first? I mean, I'm up for rock climbing, competitive arm wrestling, trying new food… and battling, of course," I ramble. "Just tell me what to do!"

"The Treasure Hunt is a huge part of the Uva Academy school year. It's meant to get us to make our own adventures and experiences Paldea's got to offer! I'd recommend taking pictures of everything you do! You can really do whatever you want! Although, I'd suggest you head to one of the gyms first…"

"Tch! How's that for a student council president! Giving your own friends the insider advantage?" Arven thunders, appearing out of nowhere.

Nemona turns around in shock. "Ay! A-Arven?! Insider advantage? We're not cheating or anything! It's up to Moira if she goes or not!"

"Moira's gonna have her hands full searching out the Titan Pokémon with me. She doesn't have time to waste on chasing the champion rank. Me and her are gonna be too busy visiting the lairs of the Titans and nabbing the Herba Mystica!"

"En serio? Don't go filling her head with weird stories!"

"Will you two shut your bloody mouths for a second? I'm sure I can do both. There's actually a loop around the region- most gyms have a nearby lair and vice versa. So stop fightin' over me, huh?" I interrupt. And your grammar is atrocious, I add silently. Before either of them can get a word out, my phone rings.

"Hey, Moira. Cassiopeia here. It's about Operation Starfall. Remember what I told you before?"

"I don't forget."

"Good. Team Star is made up of five individual squads, each with their own base. I need you to go to each base-all five of 'em- and beat the squad boss there. Heads up- the bosses all specialize in a different type. Just remember the names of the crews, and you'll figure it out. I'll go ahead and add the base's locations to your phone for you."

"Thanks, man. I've got it covered."

"Good luck."

"Wait one second!" Nemona interrupts. "Who are you supposed to be!? Those punks are a serious hazard! Not Moira's problem!"

"That's right!" Arven adds. "Because she's got more important things to do, like searching out awesome ingredients with me!"

"I thought it was up to Moira to decide if she goes or not.. wasn't that what you said, Nemona? And Arven?"

"How do you know my-"

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you can pull of, Moira. Bye."

"What was all that about?" Arven asks, his eyebrows (both, I'd assume) furrowed.

"Moira.. I'm glad you're making plenty of friends, but try not to get into anything dangerous. Anyway! No more weird vibes! We've got an adventure to start! I'm gonna battle every single Pokémon trainer I meet!"

"A treasure…of our very own…" Arven mumbles, his eyes (probably both of them?) turned to the ground. "For me, that's got to be Ma- Er, my big dream of tracking down the Herba Mystica, that is! Once we get those herbs, I'll make you the absoluuuute best sandwich you've ever had in your life!"

"I'm looking forward to-"

"Agias!" Miraidon pops out of its pokéball before I can finish the sentence.

"Argh! What'd you come out for?"

"Oh my gosh! Did it just come out 'cause you said 'sandwich'?" Nemona laughs.

"Well, you're not getting one…" Arven scowls.

"Gias! Gias!"

"It seems like it wants to start moving," Nemona muses. "Is it telling you to get on, Moira?"

"Hey, buddy? You sure?"

"Agias!"

"Alright then, bud. Let's do this." I climb on to its back, and it brings out some sort of retractable wheels.

"An-giaaaah!"

"Whoa, it transformed! Now it REALLY looks like some kind of weird Cyclizar!"

Nemona shouts, glancing over my sweet new ride. "You can probably go anywhere now! Although, I'd suggest going to the gyms…."

"Nemona. I'll be able to do all of it. I'll probably do a gym first, because Cortondo is really low-leveled," I sigh, leaning over the handlebar things. "And Arven, don't take that the wrong way, I'm still going to help with the Titans. And Cassiopeia, if you've bugged anything and are currently listening to this conversation, same goes. No problem."

"Well, I'll be at a gym! See you later!" Nemona calls, jogging off to… somewhere, waving like a toddler.

"I better get going, too. See ya, little buddy,"Arven mumbles, walking in the exact opposite direction from Nemona.

"You're only two or three inches taller than me!" I shout after him. Huh… I'm not exactly sure how to operate Miraidon. It's not like there's a gas pedal.

"Buddy, um… start going?"

"Agias!" It takes off, and I grip the handle-controller-steering wheel to avoid falling off. Once I gain control, we head towards the West Gate, tearing through Mesagoza like the maniacs we are. My phone rings as we approach the giant doors to the West Province.

"Hey! It's me, Nemona! We should call each other to catch up on how things are going from now on! You'll be pretty close to Cortondo, starting from the West Gate."

"That… is in fact the plan," I deadpan, staring blankly at my phone. "I'm going to the bug-type gym." During my week at the academy, I did some research. Cortondo's famous for its olive fields and the Gym Leader, Katy. Bug type, usually the first gym battled. And she owns a bakery type thing, which I am very enthusiastic about.

"I'm sure you can beat her, Moira! Good luck-I'll call ya soon!" Nemona hangs up, and I head out the gates.

"Here we are! The wild! At last! Freedom!" I yell, my voice echoing through the plains. It's nearly dark out… I better hurry up if I want to get to Cortondo today. "Miraidon, metaphorical pedal to the floor! We've got a place to be!"

"Agigias!" It picks up the pace and we go charging off through the fields. I battle every random trainer that challenges me, and my team gets significantly stronger. Haven't found a new team member yet, though. None with a real connection.

After a while, the olive fields come into view, and with them, Cortondo. It's beautiful in its own way- and it feels so Paldean. Postcard views. Not at all like Galar. It smells… like an olive field, I guess. Miraidon tears through the fields, but we run into something. Or someone, if you will.

In other words, I tripped over a Smoliv.

"Whoa, I like this little one. Luca, Water Gun!"

The little dude uses Tackle.. she'll get stronger.

"Okay. We're going to catch this one." The pokéball flies from my fingertips, relaxed like when you throw the ball back to the pitcher. I hold my breath as the Smoliv rattles, and finally exhale as it clicks shut.

"Female… we have a theme going… alright, little Smoliv, you're now named Verona. The setting is just as important as the characters." I climb back on to Miraidon and we head into town. Olive fields… olive fields…. olive fields… CIVILIZATION! At last! As I make my way towards the hotel nearby, I get my first glimpse of Patisserie Soapberry. Sweet holy dirt, they have milk tarts. For those of you that have never heard of the wondrous thing known as milk tarts, it's quite simple: milk, eggs, butter, flour, sugar. Bake. Optional: cinnamon on top.

AND I WOULD TEAR THIS PLANET APART WITH MY BARE HANDS FOR THEM.

Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration. But they're really, really good. Ohhhhhhh yes there's cannolis. Odds are, most of you know what cannolis are. GOOD.

Back to the task at hand. I cruise toward the hotel, people staring at my ride. I give them all a smirk that says, 'Yeah,I'm riding a futuristic purple motorcycle Pokémon, what the bloody hell are you gonna do about it?'

Not much, turns out.

---

This hotel isn't terrible. The bed's not as comfortable as my one back in the dorms…

My phone rings. Huh… Mr. Jacq?

"Yo?"

"Hello, hello, Moira. This is Jacq."

"Yes, sir? What is it?"

If I'm in trouble, Mum's not going to be happy.

"Sorry to bother you while you're probably out searching for some nice treasure... you see, we have a school trip every year around this time. It's a special collaboration between our academy and another school. And would you believe it, Moira? Your name was one of the ones chosen to attend! You'll get to do study and experience the great outdoors off to the east—in the land of Kitakami! It's a long trip to get to this year's destination, so we can't send too many students this time. You really are a lucky one, getting selected as one of the participants! Come to the school's entrance hall when you're ready to hear all the details. Of course, you don't HAVE to take part. But this kind of chance isn't likely to come again, so you should really give it a shot if you're interested! Hope to see you soon!"

…

…What?

School trip? I just got here, and now I've been invited to a school trip. It's still two weeks away, based on the school schedule… maybe I'll go. Who knows, it might be great.

For now, I gotta get some sleep. Most of the time, if I think it's a good idea when I'm tired, it ain't a good idea.

 

[Greninjaman]

Are you going to do the storylines one at a time?

 

[MimikyuQueen007]

Are you going to do the storylines one at a time?

No, I’m going to do it in the “correct order” (the order I have never actually gone in), because it feels more natural to go in an order going by the level of the Pokémon instead of completing one storyline then starting back over at lower level battles.

 

[MimikyuQueen007]

So what’d I miss?

Look. My mental health went downhill drastically, to the point where I’d be having panic attacks almost hourly. My motivation was completely drained. I had no desire to do anything.

So I wrote my way out.

Writing has improved my mental health significantly. I’ve also been trying to find other ways to heal. All my friends, my bf, and my family have been supportive and have tried their best to help me get out of the vortex.

I’m feeling a lot better, and I wrote a ton. I’m working on an actual book as well, and I think I’m going to be able to see it through this time.

I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long, but I’m back. Enjoy the show, mon amis.

Chapter Four: Milk Tarts and a Gym Battle
Ain't nothing like the smell of olive fields in the morning, amirite?

Well, today I'm taking on my first gym, so I have to look presentable. And I have to wear the uniform all the time to "represent the academy."

So I button the top of my polo, put gel in my hair, and make sure my hat's on straight.

Weather's.. not ideal today. It's bloody HOT. But it's not too far to the gym, and I've seen.. somewhat worse.

Once.

I head down to the gym, having no idea what to expect. I knowhowthe gyms work here, but they don't tell you how to get registered or whatever. I mean, in Galar, it's a preregistered, completely organized type of thing, but here, you can do whatever you want.

Anddd Nemona's in the lobby- which is half the size of a Galarian stadium. I guess these things aren't taken so seriously here. Oh, where were we?

Ah,yes. Nemona.

"Oh, hey! Moira!"

I give her a greeting nod. "Nemona."

"Came to see this Gym, huh? That can only mean one thing... You're out to earn some Gym Badges and take on the Pokémon League, aren't you?!"

Oh, bloody hell, that glint in her eyes is terrifying.

"Yeah, I am.. didn't I already tell you that?"

"Yesss! I knew it! I'm so glad I asked you to do it!"

Sheesh, she's hyper when it comes to battling.

"Before you can battle the Gym Leader, you've gotta pass a certain challenge set by them—their Gym Test. Every Gym's test is different. If you ask the lobby staff about it, they'll tell you what's up!"

I've seen some of Galar's gym missions- if they're anything like those, I'll probably be running and/or falling.

"Ahhh, I'm so glad you're aiming to be a Champion, too! This is the best news ever! Man, I'm so excited, I can barely stand still... Guess I'll just go battle every Trainer I run into!"

Andddd she's gone.

I walk up to the front desk. "I'm here for the gym challenge."

"Ah, yes, right this way…"

---

Okay, I was not anticipating this.

I have to push a giant olive thing that feels like a giant Unovan football through a maze with ramps and stuff.

I can handle it.

By the time the giant olive's in the goal, I'm sweating, not from exercise, but from heat. It's far hotter than I'd like it to be, but I also hate the cold… there's no right answer.

But the olive is in the goal, and now I'm going to the actual gym battle.

Never done one of those before- let's see how this plays out.

Patisserie Soapberry is built into a tree- an enormous one, for that matter. The battle court is at the top, and let me tell you, it's pretty damn awesome.

The woman I'd assume is Katy is at the center of the court, with a Vivillion eating something off a small plate. Cute little thing.

"Oh? What a lovely Trainer you are." She turns to me, a polite smile on her face. "Thank you very much for your skillful olive rolling. It was quite impressive. Oh? Did I forget to introduce myself? Forgive me. My name is Katy, and I am the owner here at Patisserie Soapberry. Oh? That's right, I'm not in my shop—I'm on duty as leader of the Cortondo Gym right now! Forgive me. Ahem. My name is Katy, and I am the Gym Leader here in Cortondo. My main line of work is crafting sweets as a pastry chef. Little sweets that bring happiness with just one bite, Bug-type Pokémon hiding in foliage... Both are small and yet very powerful. Don't let your guard down unless you would like to find yourself knocked off your feet!"

"And I'm Moira! Born and raised in Galar, and I've come to take Paldea by storm! Luca, show 'em what you're made of!" And my new comrade in battle lets out a cry, effectively gathering the attention of the crowd.

"Don't take my Bug-Type Pokémon lightly. You will be in for a world of pain if you do! Go, Nymble!"

"Luca, Aqua Jet!" It does a pretty bloody good amount of damage, with Nymble just narrowly avoiding fainting.

"Nymble, Struggle Bug!" That does NOT do a lot of damage. Very, very little damage. That's fortunate.

"Luca, knock 'em out with another Aqua Jet!" And thus faints the Nymble. That looks like a success.

"Go, Tarountula! Bug Bite!" That did more damage than I'd like…

"Luca, Water Gun!" Hah, sweet revenge- Tarountula faints.

"Oh? You're quite good, aren't you. How should I roll things out from here? Go, Teddiursa!"

If I am not mistaken, this is when we Terastallize.

"Luca, Terastallize!"

Sheesh, that doesn't have the same ring to it as "Dynamax!" does, but what can one do.

"Now, my little Pokémon! Time to break free from your cocoon and come into your own! Terastallize!"

Tera Crowns or whatever they are- weird things. Kind of looks like someone stuck a shaped ring pop on a Pokémon's head. Interesting. "Luca, Aqua Jet!" Huh. That did some pretty good damage. It'll only take one more hit- assuming Luca survives this next attack.

"Feast your eyes on my shining bug decoration! Though this one is not so sweet! Teddiursa, Fury Cutter!"

Lucanarrowlysurvives the hit.

But, quite frankly, I'm still going to win.

"Luca, let's win this. Aqua Jet!"

Teddiursa faints.

Bloody hell, I just won my first gym battle.

"All of my sweet little Pokémon dropped like flies!" Katy smiles- this time, not just politely. "Your strength rose during our battle like a nice bread in the oven. I feel that I may need to work on my own strength as well! Congratulations! You passed! As proof of your victory against me—the Gym Leader—allow me to present you with this Gym Badge." She hands me a small circular badge- not at all like the ones back home. "I hope you'll enjoy it alongside a heaping serving of some of my deluxe handmade treats!"

"I'm always up for desserts."

---

Long story short, I get cupcakes, a cannoli, and some milk tarts. I also get a picture with Katy- just in case the Academy people need more proof of my victory.

I head back to the hotel just before the sun sets, turn on the TV, and bite into a milk tart. Damn… these are bloody good.

me of my dad.. he loved these just as much as I do. I'm sure he still does…

Arceus, I miss him. He would be so proud of me winning my battle- he's always proud of me when I win anything.

I'd give so much just to have him tell me,"Good job, kiddo."

I want to hear him say it, just one more time.

---

Six Years Ago…

I bite into my ice cream the second Dad hands the money to the cashier. Peanut butter pie ice cream- a real delicacy.

"Good job, kiddo. You played well. And nice work on that double play."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Just tellin' the truth, kiddo. You've got what it takes to make it big someday- and I'll be cheering for you."

---

I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm not sure why, so I check my phone.

I open my messages to a thousand texts from Nemona, close the app before it can register as read, and accidentally press the map app.

Huh.. one of the Titan's Lairs is near here. The Open Sky Titan..

Sounds like I've got something to do tomorrow.

Or maybe today… it's two in the morning.