Trails of Tera Steel (Kiseki-inspired Pokemon Academy Quest)

"Mariana!"

It's over. First match of the day?! You're fucked.
Your face pales, something that's definitely noticed by Erika and Ostia.

"Versus…"
"Nemona!"

The girl in question squeals in glee. She turns to you from where she was standing and waves enthusiastically. Nemona is the one who's really into battling if you recall correctly.

"Oh right, before I forget…" Leaf riffles through her bag and pulls out a piece of paper. "I have to announce your new Class President! Would you believe me if I told you guys there was nearly a four way tie?" A little, she just kinda threw a vote onto your class. You wouldn't be surprised if people just voted for their friends or the classmates they actually knew a little.

"Your Class President is…" Heck, your vote was kind of a throwaway. You just voted for—
"Mariana!" Yourself. …what?

You stand there shocked as both Erika and Ostia congratulate you while the rest of the class politely claps. What. Why? How?

Leaf approaches and wraps an arm around. "Congrats kid! You're gonna be my minion for the foreseeable future! You're also gonna represent Class VII whenever big school stuff happens. No biggie."

A pit opens up in your stomach. You feel like you're gonna be sick.

"You alright, kid?" Leaf asks, seemingly noticing your distress. "If you aren't up for it, I can give the spot to someone else." Your teacher says with a serious face.

Yes please. "N-no it's fine. Just nervous, t-that's all. W-wouldn't wanna disappoint people." Her expression tells you that she doesn't buy that for one second. And from how Erika and Ostia are staring at you, neither do they.

As you try to reassure your two friends who were apparently the ones who voted for you, for some reason, Leaf lets you go and starts to walk towards the arena.

"Gotta get this kid a backbone…" Leaf mutters something under her breath. You weren't able to catch it.

"Seriously, are you okay, Mariana? We can probably—" You interrupt her by reminding her of your deal with her. After the Tournament, that was the agreement. It's the first time you've seen Erika look genuinely angry. You turn away, also trying to avoid Ostia's concerned looks at the two of you.

"Alright! With that done, will our first competitors please head to their respective places on the arena! As we begin our First Class VII Competition! Woooo…" Leaf trailed as she noticed none of the class joined her, with only Wiggly and Missy shouting alongside her.

"You kids are mean!" The grown woman pouts. "Mariana! Nemona! You have five minutes to prepare for battle."

Right. Okay. No biggie. This is just a battle. You can do this.

Lying to your friends. Disappointing your family. Becoming Class President. Push that all out of your mind. Nothing exists other than you, your opponent and your respective Pokemon. Right, your Pokemon.

You release Roland from their Pokeball. You already briefed them earlier this morning but a last minute checkup won't hurt. He looks eager to fight. You smile a little, their enthusiasm infectious.

"This is it, little guy. Our first battle. Are you ready?" A question you're asking not just to them but to yourself as well. Roland looks you square in the eye, as if asking you the same question. It kinda doesn't matter if you're ready or not.

"This is this and that is that, Roland. We're gonna have our first battle. My own hangups don't matter." Roland suddenly headbutts you. Before you could pull back, their two little arms grab your face and hold you in place. There the two of you were, forehead to forehead, Roland trying to tell you something. It's calming, in a way. "...Thanks."

"Are you ready, Mariana?" Shouts Leaf from looks to be a judges stand, an Academy Kadabra next to her, identifiable by the red armband the Pokemon was wearing. The barriers used for the Battle Arenas shined as they were activated. Your opponent, Nemona, was already at the stand waiting for you, a Chimchar clinging onto her shoulder.

"Ready as I'll ever be." You make your way to the stand across the arena from Nemona.

Leaf sends one last indecipherable look at you before the match starts.

"It's a 1v1, you have ten minutes to knock out your opponents' Pokemon. No killing, of course. Other than that: remember to have fun!" Why do you feel she's referring to you specifically while she's saying that?

"Buenas! Name's Nemona! We don't talk much in class, but I hope we could be great Friends! This here is Sunny," she shouts from across the arena as she sends Sunny, her Chimchar, onto the field.

"Likewise." You halfheartedly shout back in response as you send Roland in.

"Three…" Chimchar gives an excited grin at Roland, eager for battle.

"Two…" Roland, despite his focused glare, was unable to help himself and returned their opponents' grin with one of their own.

"One." Nemona looks at you with unfettered glee and excitement in her eyes.

"Begin!" Leaf shouts at the top of her lungs.

"Fake Out!" In the span of an eyeblink, Chimchar vanishes from where they're standing. Suddenly appearing arms primed for an attack right on top of Roland.

"Go intangible now!" Roland turns incorporeal in the nick of time, Sunny's Fake Out and the Normal Type Energy within it passing through them harmlessly.

Sunny then quickly turns around from where'd they'd landed to face Roland. "Knock Off!" Your eyes widen in panic.

"Quick Attack out of there!" Roland speeds away from the Chimchar's attack, further up into the air. The latter's entire right arm is covered in Dark TE, if that hits…

"Up into the air, Sunny! Like we practiced!" Quickly throwing their arms down, small jets of flame appeared in both of their closed fists. As the ground beneath Sunny scorched to cinders, they began to rise up into the air chasing after Dreepy, smoke trailing after them. Not Good.
"Keep evading them with Quick Attack! Use sharp turns!" Roland obliges and blurs as they head ninety-degrees downwards, narrowly avoiding the Chimchar blasting through where they just were.

A chase ensues. Roland would dodge and weave away, using Quick Attack to maneuver in the air or change directions. Whenever Sunny would catch up, Roland would Quick Attack straight down then again towards the direction the Chimchar came from. Like this, Sunny would have no choice but to double back and give chase.

You contemplate your options. Roland could continue to play keep away to rapidly spew Infestations at the Chimchar and slow them down—a slow attrition. They'll tire much faster, though, and Roland isn't used to multitasking. Or you could have Roland attack Sunny head on, maybe Shadow Sneak? You'll need shadows for that. Is that viable?

You take a quick look at the field. The upper half of the arena is starting to fill with smoke from Sunny's flames, marking a trail of where the chase has been. Occasionally disturbed by holes from whenever one of the two passes through.

You search for Roland specifically, squinting your eyes to look at them. It's subtle but they're slowly tiring. They've never pushed themselves this far. They've used Quick Attack more times in just thirty seconds than they did before in their entire life. This isn't sustainable. And it's your fault, as usual—you clench your fist hard enough, pushing your nails into your palm until it hurts, really hurts. Focus. Roland is gonna drop from the sky before Sunny does.

But why? Whatever Sunny is doing should be even more tiring, and they've kept it up consistently since the chase began. Wait…

Roland Quick Attacks straight ahead to dodge Sunny so as to put distance between them. The latter closes it in five seconds and forces Roland to rapidly maneuver again. This results in them Quick Attack-ing hard left then sixty degrees straight up. Sunny still closes it in five seconds despite the additional distance and complex movement. Another maneuver, more distance, then it's closed. Four Seconds. Flame Charge.

It's been a modified Flame Charge the entire time! Slowly building up speed, momentum and power since Sunny took off! If that hits Roland now, it's over. And they're slowly catching up. But unlike with Knock Off, there's a chance it won't instantly take Roland out.

No choice, then.

Time to commit.

You take a deep breath. Turning on your ARCUS, you prepare to activate your Tera Orb, finger hovering over it in anticipation. If you're gonna lose in a single move, might as well make it count. But the moment has to be just right. Would Roland be able to do it? Would you be able to do it?

No other option than to trust in your Pokemon.

The ARCUS glows.

Link Activates

---

You've never been hunted before. It's a new experience. The wind grows hot slightly south of your tail, to the right. You ignore your exhaustion and prepare to dash away when new orders finally arrive from yourself? This is new. Get low, just above the ground, let yourself get hit?! Then prepare to Shadow Sneak as "you" call it. Fine. You trust "yourself."

One Dash, Two Dash and Three Dash. Away from the ape, just above the field, you extend an appendage to feel the grass just below you. You have angled your movements so that the ape can catch up as soon as possible and hit you from above. While still maintaining the facade of evasion. As was instructed to you by "yourself."

Then it happens. The grass burns and the air grows hot, hot enough to hurt through your scales. Like a star falling from the sky, the ape crashes into you. The heat and impact is painful, nearly unbearable. You could almost pass out from a single hit alone, which is humiliating.

But you refuse. You push yourself beyond your limits. Straining against the barrier of your inadequacy. You refuse to let "yourself" down.

The charge sends you flying straight to the ground. The crash is strong enough to leave a crater, and for you to bounce on impact. But you're somehow still awake. You dive into the nearest shadow and you use the dust and debris kicked up by your landing for cover.

A surge of energy rushes through you as "you" activate the Tera Orb. Sinking into the darkness, crossing the veil into a realm you have no name for. A realm that all Ghosts Know deep down. Here, you lie in wait.

Back upon the battlefield, the crater left in your wake lies empty. As the dust clears; surprise, worry and understanding flash through the faces of the audience in equal measure. You see this through "your" eyes. Your opponent's eyes flash in realization and she orders the ape to get to higher ground. But it is too late.

The ape has landed on the ground and thinks their attack has defeated you.

An error.

Like a specter of purple and crystalline sheen, you emerge from their own shadow and slam your tail right onto their face. You feel the ape's nose break, and it's satisfying.

A near perfect strike. If it was any other Pokemon amongst your peers, it would've surely felled them. Even that impudent automaton would've fallen, no matter how stronger they were than you.

But the ape—no, Sunny the Chimchar is not merely a peer. They are better.

It becomes clear when they don't tumble through the ground. Sunny's feet—a second set of hands for their species—grip onto the ground. They braced themself in the heartbeat before you struck them. So they were pushed back instead, their feet mere grooves onto the field.

You attempt to flee, to put some distance between you and your attacker, but Sunny is faster. They catch you by the end of your tail with both of their hands—and you can't slip away, no, because they covered their hands in Dark Type Energy.

It's over.

Sunny pulls you back to lift you over their head before they slam you straight into the dirt—

---

Link Deactivates

You blink.

It's over.

Looking down onto the field, you see Roland unconscious from that final attack. Knock Off. Sunny's hands were wreathed in Dark TE to keep Roland from slipping away.

You survey the damage caused by your battle. Burned grass where Chimchar had been throughout the fight, dissipating smoke of the aerial chase, and the crater caused by your failed gambit to tank the Flame Charge and deal a blow in return.

You failed. You lost.

And it's no one's fault but your own. Roland went above and beyond despite it being their first battle. Whatever that was that let you glimpse into their mind mid-fight, even letting you give commands near instantly and nonverbally. Whether it was because you failed in preparing for your first battle or a mistake in the fight itself. It's still your fault.

You recall Roland as Leaf announces the fight is over. The Academy Kadabra using their psychic abilities to repair most of the damage dealt to the field. You take a look at Roland's pokeball as you make your way back to the stands where the rest of the class and Leaf's two Pokemon await with healing items.

Pride and shame war in your heart. You're proud of how well Roland fought for their first battle and ashamed at how you've failed them as a trainer. You can talk to them once they're healed and wake up.

As you approach the stands, your loss still ringing in your mind, you're confronted by Erika and Ostia with serious looks on their faces.

"We're talking now. I convinced Leaf to have the other members of Class VII have their fights first." Erika says, staring straight at you. Her stares are usually pretty cute but there's something unnerving about this one.

"...Sure. Lemme just heal up—" Ostia grabs Roland's Pokeball before you could react.

"I can bring Roland to get healed, Mary! You talk with Miss Erika, okay?" Ostia scuttles off with Erika blocking your way, preventing you from following after them. W-were they coordinating this?

A combination of exhaustion and shock prevents you from resisting too much as Erika drags you to the nearest restroom. She snarls at a random student who was inside to leave, which the student hurriedly does so. It's just the two of you now, so she puts her weight on the door to prevent people from coming in.

"What has been up with you lately, you've been like this since Leaf announced this tournament." You hate the genuine worry and care in her eyes.

"…It's…" It's kind of shocking just how minor your issue really is, how pathetic could you be. Oh wow, you're terrified of embarrassing yourself.

Grow up.

You're cracking at the first sign of setback? You really don't deserve to be here or be a trainer—

You idly register that you've been slapped.

Erika looks at you with worry, anger and shock, all in one. Even she's surprised she slapped you.

"What was that for?" It does sting, even if it's brought you back to attention.

"…You were talking out loud." Erika growls.

Oh.

"Look, I…the only person that can judge what you're going through is you. Both the kid and I will never think less of you just because you lost a battle. And we both voted for you to be Class President because we think you're… a really nice and caring person. You're hard working even if—" Erika bites her tongue to stop herself from finishing that sentence. "Anyways, if someone says you don't belong here, point them to me, I'll tell them to k—nevermind." You snort at that last part, guessing what they were about to say.

"...Thanks." You're still doubtful you're gonna be good at being Class president but you're thankful for their support. Hopefully, their faith isn't misplaced.

"Good. We have to hurry back soon. Also I think the kid also wants to say something to you but I won the—nevermind, let's go." With that, you and Erika finally leave the women's restroom to go back to the Battle Arena with the rest of your Class. You're met halfway by Ostia, who runs up to hug you.

"Are you feeling better, Miss Mary! Erika won the rock paper scissors so they're the one who got to talk to you!" You give a look towards the girl in question who looks away, embarrassed. "You're really great and nice and even Argy likes you and they don't like anyone, they'll never say that, though."

"It is what it is, I think I'll be fine." You hope so. "And thank you. What'd I miss?"

You let Ostia regale you with how the two fights that happened while you were gone transpired. The first one was how Atticus' Spinarak, named Hattori which Ostia was very specific about, managed to beat Jacinto's Swablu. Apparently the former used poisoned String Shots to cut off Swablu's aerial access. Used Dark-Tera Type to resist flying type attacks. Once Swablu got fully stuck in Hattori's web, it was over.

The second fight was between Argy and Manuel's Horsea, nicknamed Gawain. Ostia spent most of the story gushing about how cute Gawain was that they entirely forgot to tell you how the fight went beyond a simple "Oh, I won." But from how they described them, that Horsea does sound very cute.

There was another fight that was currently going on between Theodora's Fennekin, Sharon, and Elise's Honedge, Rin. Ostia left early on to check up on you.

You come back to catch the tail end of their fight. Decent portions of the field were on fire and it was pretty obvious that Elise was losing. Weirdly enough, they seemed to be posing strangely, moving their arms around as if they were actually wielding their Honedge like a blade.

They also weren't shouting orders despite their Honedge still being able to move, react and attack. Were they in that same state you were in during your own battle? Shit that reminds you, you need to check-in on Roland. You split off from Erika and Ostia who were making their way back to the stands.

You make your way to where Missy and Wiggly were spraying Jacinto and Atticus' Pokemon with Potions. You peek over to the cooler filled with Potions and whistle. They were mostly Super Potions with the occasional Hyper. Just how loaded is Leaf? You doubt she could afford that with a teacher's salary.

You feel a Pokeball being pushed against you, and look over to see Wiggly handing you Roland's Pokeball. You take it and thank Leaf's Pokemon for their help. Missy ignores you, while Wiggly does that cute little jiggy they liked doing.

You go to a stand where no-one's seated and release Roland. "Hey, little guy." He nuzzles your hand as you pet him. This feels nice. Time to break the news. "As you can probably guess, we lost. I'm sorry that I failed—"

You're smacked in the face by Roland's tail, who's making an indignant crooning noise at you blaming yourself. You press on nonetheless. "It is my fault." This time you catch their tail, having expected it. "You were magnificent, Roland, the loss lies with me." Roland struggles against your grip, clearly disagreeing with you. "I'm not finished."

"We're probably gonna lose a lot more time than we're gonna win. And… I can live with that. It is what it is. But you deserve better, so I'm gonna become the trainer that deserves a performance like that, that you deserve. I'm gonna become like—"

"HEY! Mariana, right? That was a really fun fight!" Nemona says while walking up to you.

"..yeah.." You respond, not expecting them to just walk up to you. Roland turns from glaring at you to glaring at Sunny clinging on to Nemona.

"Your Dreepy fought really really well! I'm sure if you were better—" You grow still. " -you'd have cinched it!" If you were better? Well, you're not and that's what matters. The worst part is she seems genuine about it.

"Any tips you could give?" Face it, Nemona is probably the best Trainer in the whole class. If anyone could help you get better it'd be her.

"Endurance for one, your Dreepy got tired way too quickly. If they still had some gas left in the tank after that really awesome Shadow Sneak they did, you'd have— well not won, but at least slip away. Speed Training is another, Dreepy seems not as fast as I thought they'd be, that prolly means they're pretty young, cuz of Sunny was able to keep up and gain speed without tiring too much. You could prolly solve those too by having Roland always use Quick Attack to get around. It's how I got Sunny used to sort of flying around! Them having Flying Tera Type really helps, though, Sunny loves the feeling of the wind and zipping around in the air. I have this idea of like using fire from their feet instead when they evolve into Monferno, which I feel is really really close. Monferno are much more versatile in how they fight and Sunny is really struggling with ranged moves, it's not their fault, though, and I did teach them ways to get around that. There's this really cool idea though from watching videos of Dawn Bertliz's early fights with her own Monferno and they're super inspiring…"

She just keeps going and going, a veritable array of Pokemon and Battling knowledge. Nearly as good as Erika with Pokemon biology and way better than her in training and battling ideas. Better than you. Those were criticisms you had about what went wrong in the fight, she actually has an easily made solution to cover up those shortcomings and then just spat them out like they were nothing. It's overwhelming.

You were never going to win that fight. Not without a miracle.

Thankfully, you're both interrupted by shouting from the arena. It seems their battle is finally coming to a close huh.

"Let's finish this, Sharon!" Theodora orders her Fennekin who unleashes a bout of flame all around them hitting both the real and fake Honedge's around them. Finally knocking the latter out and ending the fight.

From what Nemona tells you, Elise had been on the backfoot for most of the fight. Constantly on the defensive due to being peppered with Fire Spins and Embers, unable to approach to deal proper damage to their opponent. And whenever they did try to close in, they were punished for it.

Gee, sounds familiar. Calm yourself, Mariana, she's not doing it on purpose.

Nemona smoothly transitions over to analyze the fight and what both Pokemon did, what went wrong and why it took so long. Theodora fought too cautiously and Elise too recklessly. The former held back too much, sometimes wasting on moves and traps when a more straightforward attack would've been better. They also weren't punishing Honedge enough whenever they closed in, hesitating too much causing them to get away. Meanwhile the latter was attacking way too much and too recklessly, Nemona wasn't sure why they were doing that.

"Nemona and Ostia, you're up!" Leaf announced after Theodora and a despondent looking Elise left the arena, interrupting her theorizing and analysis. Nemona seems giddy.

"Ohh, I'm excited! That Beldum looks really strong! I wonder if Ostia is a child prodigy like Iris or Red…" Huh, that's right, Ostia is around the age Red busted through the Indigo League. Nemona's already rushed off to the arena before you could say anything, though.

You decide to go back to where the rest of the class were seated to watch Ostia's fight next to Erika. "Hey." You say to her. She says hey back in return. Yeah, this is awkward.

On opposite ends of the arena stood Ostia and Nemona. The former had a serious look on their face and the latter has that same excited smile she's had all day.

"Let's have an amazing battle!" Nemona shouted over from where she was standing. Releasing Sunny onto the field. Ostia responded by sending Argy out, the glint in their eye seeming almost eager for violence.

"You made Miss Mary sad! I'll never forgive you!" What. Ostia, no. Literally every single one of your classmates turned to look at you with the exception of the combatants. Erika started snickering next to you. You growl at her in response.

"Begin!" If you could see Leaf right now, you'd be certain she'd have a shiteating grin on her.

"Bulldoze!" Ostia shouts simultaneously activating the Tera Orb on their ARCUS. Argy is quickly covered in a light brown crystalline sheen. Huh, Argy has a Ground Tera Type.

Wait, Bulldoze!? That'd have to be a TM move; you're pretty sure the Beldum line can't learn that naturally. Argy slammed themselves right onto the field and the ground surrounding Sunny shook violently, sending up dirt and rocks everywhere. Nemona ordered Sunny to fly out of the Bulldoze's area of effect with the same modified Flame Charge she used against you.

Beldum flew off into the air, yet somehow continued to Bulldoze the field. They're going to fight Sunny while maintaining the Bulldoze? That has to be exhausting. As Argy's Take Down collided with Sunny's Flame Charge, a brutal aerial melee ensued. The Beldum tried to Slam their opponent back into the ground, but the Chimchar dodged and weaved—they seemed to strain more than they did against Roland, using point-blank Embers as best as it could.

Something has to give sooner or later and you're not sure what. The Bulldoze is getting weaker and Argy's movements are starting to slow. On the other hand, even Sunny is starting to flag a little, their fire burning just a little weaker. Chimchar still had a smile on its face, as if it was having the time of its life. An expression mirrored by their trainer. Is that what she looks like when she's actually challenged?

"Y̴o̵u̵ ̶b̵e̴t̴t̸e̵r̵ ̷t̸h̴a̴n̷k̷ ̸O̵s̷t̴i̴a̴.̸ ̸A̸n̷d̶ ̶a̷l̵s̷o̶ ̶m̴e̸.̶" You were starting to miss Argy's mechanical tone in your mind, headache aside.

Argy maneuvered themself just above Sunny and suddenly glowed pink—Zen Headbutt—then they slammed down on the Chimchar and rocketed them both straight down onto the waiting Bulldoze. Sunny tried to get Argy off them using Knock Off with only one arm, but it was to no avail. They both crashed into the earth and sent debris and detritus everywhere. The Bulldoze stopped.

As the dust settled, a wobbly looking Beldum emerged out of the impact crater. No Chimchar followed after them. Leaf's announcement confirmed it. Ostia recalled their Pokemon before they could collapse onto the ground.

Holy shit, Nemona lost. Ostia, What the Fuck—

A sentiment shared across the entire class as nearly all of your classmates made an uproar.

"Settle down, Duckletts, it's just a battle." Where did Leaf get a megaphone? "You two, get your Pokemon to Wiggly and Missy. Atticus and Erika, you're up next. Jeez, what a mess."

You get up to go check on Ostia, while Erika prepares for her own battle. As you approach you see the kid starting to fidget, are they nervous how you'd react?

"Did you watch me, Mary…have I avenged you, as Argy says?"

"You didn't have to do that, Ostia, I can fight my own battles. But it's the thought that counts, thanks." You ruffle their hair in the way they like, Ostia giggling in delight.
"That was an awesome fight! Ostia, right?" Nemona approached the two of you and you can already feel Ostia pout.

"You Beldum was amazing, you must be trying to achieve a solo evolution into Metang, aren't you? If you're honing their multitasking skills." If there was one way to get Ostia to warm up to you is by talking about Pokemon. Ostia finally relents and responds to Nemona letting themselves be dragged into a conversation about how they trained Ostia. Two people with an earnest love of Pokemon.

You let yourself also be drawn into the conversation between your friend and your…friend isn't fitting. You don't know her outside of battling just yet.

'Rival' works.

The rest of the tournament continued into the afternoon. Outside of your own fights, Nemona's fights and the fights of your friends you didn't pay much attention. Watching Nemona battle revealed just how far ahead she was of nearly everyone else outside of Ostia.

Nemona versus Jacinto. Sunny used Fake Out to close the distance, then used that same modified Flame Charge to chase Nimbus in the air and eventually tackle them right into the dirt. Fight lasted for 1 minute and 47 seconds.
Nemona versus Atticus. Hattori was terastallized into a Poison-Type to cover for their weaknesses but to no avail. Fight lasted for 4 minutes and 10 seconds.

Nemona versus Elise. Rin could outspeed Chimchar and used the fact that, as Nemona said, Sunny was kind of lacking in ranged options to put distance between them. They tried to use that opportunity to set up a Swords Dance but were stopped by Sunny revealing that they had Taunt. It was over soon after with Elise being unable to get Honedge back under control. Fight lasted for 3 minutes and 50 seconds.

Nemona versus Manuel. Despite the type advantage and Gawain's proficiency for ranged attacks, the moment Sunny closed in and got through their Aqua Ring it was over. The Chimchar was simply too fast for Horsea to keep up. Fight lasted for 4 minutes and 37 seconds.

Nemona versus Theodora was one of the few fights that ended in a timed-out draw, not a double KO. Both Pokemon were unable to effectively hurt one another. Each of their Fire Type moves, whether it was Fire Spin or Flame Charge, were hijacked by their opponent siphoning away the flames. By the time the clock reached 10 minutes, both Sharon and Sunny were still standing, although it was the former that looked worse for wear.

And finally, Nemona versus Erika, the former's last match of the day. Erika seems to have had a plan involving Stealth Rock and Power Gem that was seemingly working. The field was littered with rocks and crystals of all shapes and sizes, Cornelia had set up Stealth Rocks and used Power Gem to have them chase and converge on Sunny, they also left some rocks on the ground to serve as traps detonating them whenever Sunny flew overhead or got too close.

It was when Chimchar got caught for the third time that Erika's strategy got derailed. Sunny evolved mid-battle. With their fighting capabilities, Monferno was able to easily break out and shatter the remaining rocks. Cornelia got beaten down hard afterwards as Erika struggled to improvise.

That's something you noticed about how Erika fought. She uses pretty complex plans in battle that usually works out for her. She managed to eke out a draw from Ostia despite all the disadvantages she has by running the clock. But whenever something unexpected happens or something surprises her, she flounders; unable to adapt. Like her fight with Elise where Rin was simply too strong and too fast for Cornelia to keep up, cutting through the Carbink's defenses, that thing with the ARCUS activating again for Elise probably didn't help.

Meanwhile, Ostia used pure brute force combined with shocking versatility. Before Sunny evolved, you'd probably say that Argy was the strongest Pokemon in the class. The Beldum took down both Swablu and Horsea in just a single strike each, forcing their way through multiple Fire Spins and an active Ember to Zen Headbutt Fennekin in the mouth.

They also had a lot more TM moves than just the Bulldoze they used against Nemona and Theodora. Trailblaze against Horsea, Rock Tomb against Swablu and Spinarak and an admittedly pretty weak Icy Wind that they used against you. Ostia struggles if they aren't able to overpower their opponent or are put into a situation where sheer strength isn't enough. Their fights against Atticus and Erika both ended in draws due to time running out since Argy got stuck of all things.

Or when Ostia decides to throw. That could cause them to lose, too.

"I wasn't throwing! Honest!" Ostia said next to you as you watched the penultimate fight of the Tournament. A part of you knows that they didn't sabotage themself to let you win, but you can't shake the bitter feeling that they could. You don't deserve your friends.

You also need to shake the habit of thinking out loud.

"I do not struggle with improvisation. I simply didn't account for an evolution of all things, a mistake I will fix in the future. And I managed to adapt well enough when you pulled that Steel Tera-Type out of nowhere." Erika blithely remarked.

Right, Erika won her fight against you, you weren't able to follow up the surprise of the Steel Tera into actual damage against Cornelia. Roland was eventually worn down, his endurance issues painfully obvious.

Another fight lost because of you. You'll make up to him, you promise. Become the trainer he actually deserves. Become like…

You look over to Nemona who's talking Theodora's ear off, about battling and training most likely. Theodora has a notebook out, quickly writing everything Nemona said.

You need to become like Nemona. You have to either become like her or to surpass her. There is no other option. Ostia showed you that it's possible.

"And with that, Manuel wins! That's it for our Tournament!" Leaf interrupts your thoughts by announcing the results of that last battle between Manuel and Jacinto. The former looks smug at their victory while the latter seems utterly devastated, and you could see why. Jacinto didn't win a single battle today. Not even a single draw. And with how that last fight went. You check your mental clock.

Yikes, 2 minutes and 30 seconds. That's rough. You're gonna have to deal with that enmity between Jacinto and Manuel eventually. You'll have to, as Class President.

"Alright Duckletts, gather around!" Leaf said while escorting both Manuel and Jacinto to the stands. "First off, I want you all to thank Missy and Wiggly for helping with the Tournament and also for making you kids lunch. Then I want you to thank the nice Kadabra the Academy let me conscript for this. His name is Zeta."

Your class in a chorus thank the Pokemon Leaf mentioned. Zeta the Kadabra seems to preen at the gratitude.

"Second! We're gonna be doing this once a month, during the first Friday that isn't a Field Exercise week. It's a great way to keep you kids sharp! Once you get stronger, one of the hardest things to get as a trainer are actual challenges that push you to grow and get better! As a friend likes to say 'Iron sharpens Iron'." Leaf put on a sweetly saccharine voice as she said that quote.

Erika whispers to you that the quote came from Jasmine, an Indigo Gym Leader from Olivine City. So Leaf is from Kanto-Johto?

"Third! I'm your only class for the day so get some rest and bring your Pokemon to a Center. Potions can heal damage and injuries but it's still important to get your Pokemon checked by actual professionals. That is all, have a good Friday!" Wow does Leaf have some lungs on her.

"Except you, Mariana, I'm gonna explain what being my goon actually means." You sigh, feeling your back getting pat by Ostia. You say goodbye to the kid while Erika waits for you to finish your talk with Leaf.

"What is it, Ms. Midorikawa?" You deliberately use her last name to make her uncomfortable and from how she grimaces, you succeed.

"Alright. As Class President, you're gonna represent Class VII during official school business and that includes Class Exercises. You'll also be the one who's gonna be breaking any news or announcements to your class that I might send you. I'll also occasionally call on you to do some cho—tasks every month." She was about to say chores, wasn't she. "I'll pay you with League Points, don't worry." Your eyes widen. She's allowed to do that?

"Other than that, you'll be in charge with talking to the student council. And I think that's it. Enjoy your Friday and Weekend." You go to leave but are stopped by Leaf grabbing your arm. "And one more thing, if this whole Class President thing or just the Academy in general gets too much. Talk to your friends, alright?" You nod and she lets you go "Good. Now I have to see the damage you brats did to my wallet."

The day's exhaustion hits you as you and Erika head to the Pokemon Center to get your Pokemon healed up. The sun is gonna set in an hour or so, and you now just realize that you basically battled for nearly an entire day, hours on end. Leaf had massively exceeded the three hours Battle Studies was supposed to last for. No wonder you feel tired.

According to the Nurse Joys in the Center, your Pokemon are likely going to need an overnight stay at the center to get fully healed, which makes sense. You say goodnight to Roland, who's too tired to even exit their Pokeball and go back to the dorms for the night.

You sleep uncomfortably. It's the first night you haven't slept with Roland by your side.

It's your first weekend in Mesagoza and after picking up Roland, you decide to wander around the city for a place where you can buy casual clothes on the cheap. Roland is with you putting Nemona's suggestion to practice. So far Roland is consistently able to keep up the constant Quick Attacks for around 6 minutes before they get too tired to even float.

So here you are walking into the Mesagoza Northeast Calico Mall wearing your deel and with a resting Dreepy on your head. The occasional stare you're getting for wearing a deel is in stark contrast with how you're treated while wearing the school uniform.

Huh, Deliberd Presents seem to be having a promo for Mesagoza Students. Hopefully, they don't doubt you're a student while not wearing your uniform.

They did.

You had to pull out your Trainer Card to prove it. You'll treasure the panicked looks on their faces for about a few days, at least. You even got a Free Technical Record for it. It's apparently like a TM but not reusable. This should come in handy.

Gained TR: Will-o-Wisp. Simple. Causes Burn if User's Effect Roll is at least 20 (Trainer SKLL included)

Do you wanna teach it to Roland or save it for later?
[] Teach It
[] Save it for Later.

After that little detour, you decide to head to the department store. To peruse their selection of casual wear. You're pretty tall so a lot of the options really don't fit you. That maxi skirt has a pretty cute floral design you like, you wonder what top it'll go well with—

"Nice duds, dude."

You turn to face where the voice was coming from. Before you was a short pretty girl wearing a black leather jacket over what seems to be the Mesagoza Uniform. She had red and yellow hair and what can charitably be described as a bowl cut.

"Uh, thanks? Are you a student from Mesagoza?"

"Yea, what's it to ya?" Okay, the tough girl personality combined with how she looks is really unbelievably cute.

"Nothing, I'm a student too. I'm Mariana from Class VII."

"Oh snap, you're one of Atticus' pals? Name's Mela, by the way." She knows Atticus?

"Eh, we're classmates, we haven't even hung out. How'd you know him?" After that, the two of you made small talk. Apparently, Mela was a first year like you. She's from Class V and met Atticus due to a mutual interest in clothing and fashion, specifically Pokemon fashion.

"You lookin' for new duds, girl?"

"Yea, I've been needing casual clothes since I'm not from around here." You carefully tiptoe around being Andosin. Yes, the fact that you are wearing Andosin clothing and she specifically approached you about said clothes does not escape you.

"That's a deel, innit. You Andosin?" Nevermind then.

"Yeah…" They're pretty fun to talk to, you sure hope that they don't…

"Huh, neat." Oh thank god.

You spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out with Mela, picking out clothes for both of you since she's looking for some herself. You introduce her to Roland and she gushes about how cute they are and you agree. Roland loves the attention even if he couldn't care for people pinching him.

Eventually, you decide on some casual clothes you think would fit you although even after splitting the price with Mela, it's still a bit pricey in your budget.

[] Buy them. The constant stares are getting to you. -2000 Pokedollars (Lowered from 4000 due to Mela Random Event Roll.)
[] Save your cash. You can deal, heh, with the stares from people.

After hanging out and exchanging numbers with Mela you decide to go back to the dorms for the day. You message your family back in the Highlands about how your week has been (leaving out some details, of course) and then message Ostia for the night, before going to sleep.

Day two of just wandering around Mesagoza, this time with a different goal in mind. You're looking for a Ranger Station. You're wearing your school uniform this time, you need to make a good first impression. Yesterday reminded you just how tight your budget actually is. You're eternally grateful for the free meals the school provides and for Wiggly cooking dinners for your class.

But you need a discretionary budget and doing odd jobs for Rangers was always your go-to back in the Highlands. Sure a lot of what you did could basically be described as chores, since without a Pokemon they really didn't have much for you. But with Roland by your side, your opportunities will widen and hopefully your wallet will follow soon after.
After asking around, you're eventually led to a part of Mesagoza that has seen better days. A lot of closed down storefronts and abandoned apartments and homes. Sure, people were still living in them, but if anyone asked you, you didn't see anyone. It's the least you could do.

Out of nowhere, Dreepy who was still resting atop your head after his Quick Attack exercise suddenly bolted into action and flew off. You chased after them, thankfully they were floating through the air normally so you could keep up with them at the least. You look ahead, they seemed to be heading towards some old abandoned Apartments.
"Hey! Where are you going! Wait up!" You try to get their attention but to no avail. Whatever it is Roland is after they're locked in. Shit, is that a chain link fence? With Roland showing no signs of stopping, you ready yourself to climb over the fence.

1d20+11 PROW Roll DC 20

You pull yourself up the fence, thankful that you decided to wear pants today and you manage to make it inside the property without a scratch. Yup, it's an abandoned apartment alright. Looks dilapidated. You see Roland go incorporeal and enter into one of the doors on the bottom floor.

Following after them you go inside and see:

[] An Alolan Rattata: Thin is insufficient. Gaunt is too little. On the verge of starvation probably works. A black Rattata was on the corner of the room curled up into itself. Above them was Roland yipping at them trying to keep them awake. On its ear was a tag you're all too familiar with from your life in the Andosin Highlands from malignants running poaching operations in your home. This Pokemon has been abducted and trafficked from abroad. Somehow it managed to escape but is on the verge of dying as a result. You can never forgive yourself if you left them there. You carefully pick them up, they're too weak to even resist and put them in a ball. The Ranger Station should be nearby and those are supposed to have healing stations. Hopefully you can make it.

• You can catch an Alolan Rattata
• You will be aware that there is a significant trafficking and poaching operation in Mesagoza and later Western Paldea…
• Rattata is Late 1-Badge Level (1500/2000)
• Ability: Hustle (Damage Dice get a x1.25 modifier. Rolling 4 or lower in your Effect Roll will cause an attack to miss. Trainer SKLL is not considered for this ability).
• Tera Types: Dark, Normal, Electric
• Due to Rattata's current condition they will be unable to Battle or Train while physical healing is taking place. Will last for 2 Weeks.
• Hostile to humans but is grateful to you for saving them.
• Large Movepool Variety. Is eligible for Sealing Spell.
• Alolan Raticate needs a lot of food, and will be unable to perform at peak condition otherwise.
• Relatively simple evolution
• Wanna see a Pokemon that can cook?

[] A Shuppet: In the center of the room is Roland comforting a crying Shuppet to some degree of success.The apartment itself has long been ransacked and what remains has a layer of dust over it. Below the two Pokemon was a broken down crib. You don't dare to look inside. On the entrance of the apartment and going to the bathroom was a faded but distinct red stain. The Shuppet approaches you and licks your face. At least they're no longer crying. You leave the room with the two Pokemon, sparing one last glance at the interior. There's a mystery here.

• You can catch a Shuppet
• You will be aware of the organized criminal underground in Mesagoza and later Eastern Paldea…
• Shuppet is Early 0-Badge Level (0/1000)
• Ability: Frisk (Can detect items held by Pokemon and Humans)
• Tera Types: Ghost, Dark, Psychic
• A Crybaby. Might be an actual Infant. Abandonment Issues.
• Immortal. As a True Ghost, they are immune to permanently dying. Will absolutely outlive you.
• Evolution is story-locked. Evolution locked behind Bond 4.
• Access to a Mega Evolution

[] An Espurr: "C̸E̷A̵S̸E̸.̶ ̵D̶O̸ ̸N̵O̷T̸ ̴C̵O̴M̸E̷ ̶C̸L̶O̷S̶E̵R̷ ̴H̵U̶M̶A̵N̴.̵" A painful ringing in your ears stops you from entering the room. In the center of the room arguing with Roland was an Espurr. It was levitating in the air through sheer psychic might, with their species' characteristic blank expression. Just from the power emanating from their small frame, you're certain that if they wanted to, even with their obvious myriad injuries, they could kill you. "Y̴o̴u̸ ̸p̷r̶o̷m̶i̵s̴e̴d̷ ̸a̷i̶d̵,̵ ̶w̴y̴r̸m̷.̴ ̸T̶h̸i̷s̸ ̴i̶s̶ ̷n̶o̶t̸—" Whatever they were going to say was interrupted by them collapsing onto the floor. You ignore the pain and rush forward to catch them in your arms. The Espurr was shivering and shaking trying to clutch their head with their tiny hands. You put your hand on their head to feel the Pokemon's temperature. A fever. You need to get them to that Ranger Station asap. Meanwhile in your arms, Espurr was crying.

• You can catch a Female Espurr
• You will be aware of certain unethical experiments occurring in Mesagoza and later Southern Paldea…
• Espurr is Mid 3-Badge Level (3000/6000)
• Ability: Own Tempo (Cannot be confused)
• Tera Types: Psychic, Fairy, Dark
• Has Trait "Phantasmal Potential": Has access to both movesets of both Male and Female Meowstic once it evolves. Has access to moves the Espurr line should have no business learning. Has access to a singular ranged Advanced Move from every type. These moves cannot upgrade. These moves cannot be used for custom move creation.
• Extremely Hostile to Humans. Is slightly less hostile towards you.
• Is capable of Teleportation. Is capable of Telepathy. Can learn the Sealing Spell
• Evolution is story-locked. Evolution needs Bond 4
• Will refuse to fight outside of Story Major Battles. Will refuse to fight in Gym and Rival Major Battles. Restriction will go away at Bond 3
• ???

[] Nothing: It's just a regular empty room. The only thing of note is a half eaten Sitrus berry that Roland is trying to eat whole. That glutton, you just fed them. By the looks of the surroundings, Pokemon regularly inhabit this place. The little scratch marks that denote territory or travel. You force Roland to spit the berry back out, it's not his, and flick them in the nose for running off like that. You take one last look at the Apartments before you leave. This might be a good place to search if you want a Pokemon. It's in these gaps of Human Society that Pokemon are able to squeeze through and thrive in.

• Do none of the choices interest you? Do you want a different Pokemon? Are you just not ready to commit to a second Pokemon? This is the choice for you
• Unlocks a weekly option to return to a Pokemon Den for 1 AP. Which would let you reroll the Pokemon Den Encounter Table

Stat Gains stored from last update:
+200 SKLL XP
+200 CHRM XP
+330 KNOW XP
Stat Gains from this update:
+600 SKLL XP
+200 PROW XP
Dreepy: +600 POKE XP
Quick Attack and Shadow Sneak: +3 MXP
All other Moves: +1 MXP
KNOW rises to 6

Gain Trait "Chasing the Sun": The Pokemon Journey has long been compared to a hike up a mountain range that reaches to the very heavens. Many attempt it, most quit before they could glimpse the pinnacles of power. In the distance you see the Sun. Radiant and beautiful, near overwhelming in its glory. Her rise is steady, higher and higher into the heavens. And to the stars above. Can you catch it? Can you chase the sun? One Sided Rivalry with Nemona. You will judge your progress and growth by comparing yourself to her. Once she overtakes you, will you be able to keep up?

This vote will not be by Plan. Next update will be a weekly actions vote. There will be a club vote next update.

Thanks to Nemastraea for proofreading this update