TM2 - First Day of School; Of Grapes and Oranges

[Requiem of Whyspers]

SubonicXP

[Uva House - Battle Studies]
"Well then, it's good to meet all of you, Team Snagem! I'm glad to have you as students!" Ms. Dendra smiled. "Now then it's time to get down to business. I figured since we have such talented trainers with us today we'll do more hands on learning and have a battle! I feel like my students could benefit from seeing Team Snagem go toe to toe! We were previously studying Pokemon battles in Unova so let's have a triple battle!" The teacher declared. "Let's see...how about we do youngsters versus adults. Tristen, Aden and Absinithe you three will face your fellow teammates in battle, that is Crystal, Odd, and Reno. Ulla and Deo, would you two commentate for us? Ulla you speak for the youngsters and Deo the adults." She said, handing the two each a wireless microphone which linked to the speakers erected from poles at the corner of the battlefield.

Once the field was cleared and the rest of the students and Snagems seated in the bleacher, Ulla and Deo given a spot at the top, Dendra would activate the safety precautions as a shimmer of energy appeared around the field in the shape of a cube, just for a brief moment before the energy went invisible. If any move tried to go out of bonds the Protect-like energy would stop it. "Okay then if our trios are ready please release your Pokemon and the youngsters may make the first move! You each may use just one Pokemon each. Kids versus adults! Let's do it!" The teacher declared from the sidelines, acting as referee.

Odd watched and listened as the others gave their introductions, a small smirk gracing his face as Sub verbally ~/~posted his way through his own. When Dendra announced they’d have a triple battle exhibition featuring the Snagems, he paused for a second. He was included in the “Adults” team and for a moment he wondered what she was on. Then he remembered how long he’d been part of the team. “Oh, yeah… I am in my 20’s now aren’t I?” He asked himself.

Stepping out onto the field along with Reno and Crystal, he’d be the second to send out his Pokémon. I didn’t expect to do any battling today so I only have one Ghost-type one me atm. You’ll have to settle for my corporeal B-team, so to speak.” He announced as he tossed out a Pokeball, releasing his Hypno into the arena. “Glissando, we play support for now and read our opponents strategy first. Let Reno and his Shellgon take the lead.” He instructed. He knew Glissando had far less battle experience than his Ghost-types and his older Non-Ghost Pokemon but he was good at reading people and Pokémon. The Hypno nodded, closed his eyes for a brief moment and began to patiently swing his pendulum as he attempted to predict what was to come.

Absinthe’s attack was predictably rash for Odd but while he was sure Reno had something up his sleeve, he called for action. “Use Low Sweep!” He called out, watching as Glissando infused his pendulum with fighting energy and lashed out, sweeping it at a few inches above the ground in a whip-like arc in an attempt to trip up not only Palladia but all of their land-locked opponents.

~~~

Lykas smirked as Raifort’s brain had a short circuit over the team’s assortment of Legendary Pokémon but he was quickly humbled at being informed they were already going on a field trip of sorts and tha they would be having an essay to write on the topic afterward. Once the class was fully divided and escorted to the pickup point, he would find himself boarding a flying taxi manned by a flock of obnoxiously colorful and equally loud Chatot knockoffs with feathered pompadours.”ugh… I thought Replay could be annoying before I saw these things. This must be Hell for me being annoying as a kid…”

“Hello, Lykas.”

“Do I know you?” Lykas asked, noticing the colorful hybrid boarding the taxi just behind him.

“Probably not but I know you. You’re a student of Master Varuna. One of his favorites, it seems.” She replied, brushing her copper-colored hair out of her face and revealing the small white horn on her forehead. Between that and the tri-colored fins pouring out of her sleeves and the back of her shirt, the Jellicent hybrid deducted she was a Seakng hybrid, strangely enough.

“And how might you know that?”

“A friend of mine has been training with him as well. He’s a Channeler Varuna basically ignores because of you.” The other hybrid accused rather pointedly.

“Has he considered Varuna ignores him because he’s a bad student.” Lykas replied. It was fairly obvious from his tone this wasn’t a question.

“How dare you!” The woman snapped. “You clearly don’t even know him!”

“Clearly not or I’d have some idea what you’re on about.” Lykas remarked absently, looking out the window of the flying taxi at this point. He noticed the rolling fields of East Paldea interspersed between a huge quarry, deep canyons, small bits of forested areas here and there and a small town that, upon closer inspection with his SNAG’s camera zoom, had a collection of art pieces scattered art und a huge garden. “Huh… I bet Wren’s gonna find an excuse to check that place out…”

“Are you really going to sit there and ignore me?!”

“I’m gonna try. I don’t even know you, after all.” Lykas snapped back, sighing as if it should have been obvious.

“Oh… right… I probably should have introduced myself at some point. “ The other hybrid muttered quietly. “I’m Mara Querin.”

“Hang on… I know that name…You’re a queen, aren’t you!?” Lykas snapped to attention. “ You won RuMosa’s Drag Race four years ago. What are you doing going to school here?”

“A fan, Huh?” Mara smirked. “I’m bettering myself as a designer by studying Pokemon more closely to draw inspiration from nature. This doesn’t change how you’ve affected my friend’s life, though.”

“Honestly, I don’t give a crap about your friend or how my existence has affected him. He’s not my problem and his problems are his own fault when it comes to Varuna. The guy’s a lying b*****d anyway, so your friend should really consider looking for a new teacher.” Lykas replied with a shrug, returning to looking out the window.

“I dunno why but it’s really hard to hate you.” Mara grumbled.

“Don’t hate me because I’m right, then. Hate me because I’m gorgeous.” Lykas remarked, the sunlight reflecting off his face making his point as his seawater-hued skin sparkled, making him appear somewhat like the mythical Adonis for a moment.

~~~

Clare climbed into a taxi as the others were doing the same, noticing as they took a seat, that anothe hybrid had entered behind them. They had white skin with a thick collar of fluff, a pair of fluffy antennae sprouting up from their eyebrows and a gorgeous sheer cape over their back. “Never seen a Frosmoth hybrid before?” He asked politely, smiling gently at them.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to stare!” Clare practically yelped in apology, pulling their hat down to cover their face as they blushed in embarrassment.

“No need for that. I’m used to getting looks.” The hybrid replied with the same gentle smile. “I’m going to guess you are, too. Those hands of yours are so unique, I can’t imagine people don’t notice.”

Clare nodded as they pulled their hat back up. “It felt bad until I started working as a model. Now, I see them as an asset rather than something that makes me a freak.”

“I can see you being a model. You’re a lovely young person and with those looks, I imagine you do quite well.” The hybrid praised kindly. The trip was rather short, the area their group was going to only just outside the town.

“I’m sorry but I didn’t catch your name.” Clare apologized as the taxi came down.

“My apologies! I am Santiago Álvaro Alba Lopez-Garcia.” The hybrid nodded ntroduced themselfe, standing and offering a polite bow. “It’s lovely to have met you miss…?

“Clare. Clare Asmia Kristel. There were a lot of us that just joined today, weren’t there? I can’t say I blame you for not rememering.” Clare responded, almost apologetically.

“I was also late to class and missed the introductions.” Santiago replied with a laugh. Clare giggled in response as the taxi landed and the pair prepared to exit.  

[DragonFang099]

Brian noticed that Raifort seemed distracted by the fact that Aile had captured Regirock, though he didn't say anything. Anyone would be shocked by the fact that the Snagems had so many legendaries, or had seen or encountered so many. Hearing that the class was going to be doing field work had him wondering just what they would be doing, but before he could ask, Raifort was explaining what would be expected of them. Ah, so an essay would be required. Hmm, better take notes, then. As the class filed out of the building, he chose one of the closer taxis, taking a place next to the railing and waiting for whomever decided to ride in his chosen taxi to board. He didn't have to wait long, a young woman with golden-brown hair and light blue eyes joining him in the taxi after a few minutes.

"Hi," she said, giving a friendly smile that Brian returned. "I'm Rachel." "I'm Brian," he said, and she nodded. "You said your family runs a breeding/daycare center just outside Littleroot Town, right?" Rachel asked. "I think my grandmother got my Lycanroc as an egg from there a few years ago. At least, she told me she got him from a daycare just outside Littleroot Town." "Ah, I remember that," Brian said, nodding. "Yer Lycanroc is actually the offspring of my parents' Lycanroc pair. If ye don't mind me asking, which form did he evolve into?" "He chose the midday form," Rachel answered, not seeming to mind him asking questions.

The two fell into silence as the taxis lifted off, though as they flew closer to the crater, Brian wondered what was down there. Could there be Pokemon that nobody had seen before living in the area? Could anything even survive there? What legendary Pokemon resided here in Paldea? These were all questions he hoped to answer during his time here. Rachel noticed him looking out toward the crater, but she didn't say anything, having her own questions about the site. When the taxi landed, Brian let Rachel disembark first, following close behind her and wondering just what kinds of things the guide was going to be telling them.  

[Darksol88]

[Uva House - Battle Studies]


"O-oh, you have..." While Dendra was right that Cera wasn't a stranger to fame- a ship that's long since sailed for most of the team let alone a Mew- it was still a feeling that never stopped feeling weird despite the frequency. Let alone the news, though if the tradeoff was going back to fliers, wanted posters from the Kalosian monarchy and news about the rogue legendary, she'd take the fame. She'd get back a little composure at the compliment and joke, tail flicking to her side. "Anyways, ha, thanks... I guess it's still training, but they fight with me, not for me. Though I suppose that'd be most trainers too..." Realizing her attempts to clarify that she was different was showing just how similar it was for a Pokemon as it was for a person, she'd go quiet for the moment. That is, apart from giving Sub a brief look like she saw through him, but if anything, she was more shocked it took this long for him to adopt another persona.

"Aha, no pressure," Aden remarked, putting the badge case away and thinking back to the cup. He wondered just how he'd fare against Dendra in a battle if she'd had a chance to participate; it didn't take a hybrid's senses to tell him the talent her passion almost certainly lent towards. "If anything, I'm sure there's still a lot for me to learn. Don't worry, I don't think you'll find any of us intend to disappoint- er. Triples?" While he knew about Unova and Kalos humoring a couple more battling formats, maybe Hoenn sometimes too, they weren't something that caught on much anywhere else. Up to now, he hadn't had a lot of chances for triple battles, but he had enough of a grasp to have a feel for how to go about positioning when he saw Absinthe's Machamp and Tristen's Castform, noting the former's apprehension. "Right... Tristen, Abby, stick to the flanks. Think I have someone in mind to weather attacks. Wooloo!"

As Cera moved herself and Smoliv to the bleachers, Aden would send his Wooloo out and see that she had something in her mouth.

"Uh... wait, those're- who said you could get into the candy stash!?" A bleat was heard as Wooloo turned, three small Exp Candies sticking out of her mouth before she quickly proceeded to bite down and crunch on them. "...you done?" He asked after a moment, eyes narrowed for a moment and watching her roll forward to take her spot on the battlefield. "Sorry about that... alright, let's focus on our defenses! Cotton Guard!"

Rather than go for an attack, he'd have Wooloo let her fleece puff out for a moment, bolstering her Defense and readying herself for the opposing team.


[Naranja House - History]

"I am," Amaranth answered, not having much of a reason to hide it when she'd already gone and flaunted the artifacts on her. "Though, I'm not completely sure I'm from Orre so much as just... er." Nervously looking around, she'd get the feeling there wasn't a need to go on about the details.

"May have to see if those books are still around, thinking on it," Sol remarked, musing about the whole thing. He couldn't say he remembered much of the finer details after this long. "Anyways, I'm not against answering any questions I'm able to. Being more familiar with the current happenings around the region than I am, it'd be a good chance to get back up to speed too."

Out of the two, Amaranth's curiosity was piqued more at the idea of field study, swept up more with the other students' excitement. Seeing it as a good opportunity for a crash course in the region's history, she was more than happy to deal with a loud taxi for a bit. The student that joined her on the taxi, a Furret hybrid, seemed intent on drowning out the squawking in her own way, clearly watching something on her phone.

"Hm?" Amaranth looked over for a moment out of curiosity, seeing what looked to be a livestream. Barely recognizing the person on the screen from Aria's SNAG back on the ship the other day, she thought about asking about what- rather, who- she was watching. But with the earphones she noticed too, she kept quiet and tried to glean whatever context she could without audio, too nervous to speak up. The trip was fine otherwise, but admittedly uneventful with the lack of talking.

That'd change fast after both of them disembarked, well within the bamboo forest that marked the part of the North Province they were in and seeing the elderly man before everyone in full armor and everything. "Um- hello?" She asked, the smile only serving to making her more unnerved, fearing the only thing he might guide is a katana through them.

---

For Sol, he was piqued, if only from recognizing the area in question. At least, he was pretty sure of it, but felt it might be good to confirm after he saw the area again proper. More subdued with his reaction, he'd still get into one of the taxis all the same, soon followed by one of the younger students. Though she was a shade younger than the usual norm outside of Paldea, her quick move to sit down gave the hint she was relatively new to the academy let alone being a trainer. He'd give a wave to her in a bid to ease her anxiousness, but for the moment, she'd give little more than a wave back, clearly intimidated by the Ho-oh hybrid sitting next to her and wishing for space.

He was fine giving it, of course, taking in the sights as the canyons of the part of South Province they were headed to, turning when he heard a Pokeball open and an exciteable Fuecoco came out to greet the both of them, then practically jump into their trainer's lap the moment an apple slice was extended towards them. In the Pokemon's excitement, though, the slice would clumsily fall out of their hands, bouncing and landing in front of Sol, who'd lean down to pick it up.

"Wanting this, right?" He finally spoke up, holding it out for the Pokemon to grab. "Here you go."

Arms stretched out as they made a little cheer, the Fuecoco went to grab the slice, only to suddenly sneeze out an Ember for the troubles. Immediately, the kid jumped out of her seat to pick up the Pokemon, looking up like she'd just caused some grave mistake.

"S-sorry, he wants to play lots and-"

Laughing and cutting her off, Sol would put the now burnt apple slice down and pat Fuecoco's head. "Don't worry about it. They're not the first Fire-type to give someone a fiery sneeze. I almost picked a Fuecoco myself around your age, too. Thought of giving them a nickname?"

"Um..." A moment passed, and she shook her head. "Nuh uh."

"That's quite alright. What about you, then, what's your name?"

"...Agueda," she nervously replied after a moment, not daring to move.

"Qué bonito te llamas, your parents have a good way with them. Please," patting the empty part of the seat, he'd give a small nod. "These things can move around a lot. You can call me Sol if you'd like, to re-introduce myself."

"U-um, 'kay." She'd sit back down with Fuecoco next to her, and not a second too soon as the taxi did, in fact, jostle from the Squawkabilly's collective movements. Still nervous, she didn't say much else for a bit, Sol still wanting to give some ease to both her and her Pokemon.

"Hm. How'd you like to hear about the time I thought I was fighting a blue Toedscruel when I traveled out of Paldea?"

Granted, the chances Agueda even knew what that was, let alone a "blue" one, was unlikely. But it was just weird enough to get her attention. "A what?"

The rest of the short trip continued with a little regaling- in so much as a rather embarrassing mistake could be- but it did seem to put the two at a bit more ease as the taxi eventually came to a stop within the canyons. Before they'd get out, though, Sol would wince as he plucked a feather from one of his wings to hand over. "Here, for listening to my story. They say anyone holding one will find good fortune and happiness. A bit of luck for the start of your journeys."

Lighting up at how the feather's colors seemed to keep changing as she spun it in her hand, she'd give a huge smile in thanks as she hurried over to the guide for today's studies. Sol would join a moment later, seeing the woman that likely tried to dig something up while waiting.  

[Reno Vantas]

[Uva House]

Having been the one to lead off on releasing a Pokemon for the match, Reno was busying himself with looking at what exactly everyone had brought out and giving himself quick mental notes on what that would mean for this little exhibition slash training exercise. Castform from Tristen was a good pick for a versatile cover, especially since all it would take was one of his allies altering the weather to get it out of potential elimination situations. It might not have the most punch, but that was easily accounted for. Absinthe had, unsurprisingly, immediately gone with her biggest gun in her Machamp. It wasn't the most complex or flexible pick like the Castform but that was like saying a brick of C4 wasn't complex or flexible, it wasn't the goal of the thing. And rounding out the trio was Aden, who appeared to have gone with a....Wooloo? He didn't remember seeing Aden with a Wooloo before but, in Reno's defense, he forgot and missed a lot of things. But he had been expecting a Psychic type Pokemon from Aden. Although expecting a Psychic type could've also been said about himself. Either way, could be a defensive wall assuming the Cotton Guard was something to go off of.

'Isn't Wooloo a basic Pokemon? Guess this will be interesting to see how Aden can do Pokemon-wise after we saw him in a direct fight.'

"Ah!" Reno yelped, jumping slightly at the sudden appearance of a familiar voice in his mind. 'Rome! Little warning next time! Nearly gave me a heart attack.'

'What, am I supposed to just sit and wait for you to break enough I need to run the show? Hell no.' Reno's alter voiced, the mental presence pressing itself against Reno's mind to try and see what was happening better.

'Okay, I get it. You have as much right to instigating conversation as I do. So what do you want?'

'Oh, right. I want another chance at that whole having my own body thing. Last time was cut off a little suddenly with the whole stuffing Crystal's mind into the construct. Get to see the world with my own eyes without it feeling like I grabbed something off of you. Experience things like the wind on my face, the sun on my skin, and seeing things like that little gray tumbleweed. Oh. Wait.'

'Wait what?' Reno thought, finally focusing on the world again as he saw the tumbleweed Rome had mentioned. And it was Spike, bouncing and rolling along the ground after having been chopped across the battlefield by Palladia. "Ah. Welp. Gotta focus." Reno sheepishly said, mostly to himself but somewhat to the rest of his team.

'I'll come back later. Didn't realize you were in the middle of a fight like this.' Rome offered in consolation, retreating back into Reno's subconscious.

Taking a huffy breath as he attempted to get himself focused on the fight again, he at least saw that Odd's Hypno was taking advantage of the Machamp's single minded bull charge to knock its legs out from underneath it. Now there was something to use. "Spike, Zen Headbutt. Lets make sure to topple that goliath before it can do any more damage." He commanded his Shelgon, watching with a smile as the ball of a Pokemon began to glow pink. Charging before taking a strong leap, the Shelgon aimed to slam squarely into the Machamp's head and chest. If it took the Low Sweep, it would hopefully topple it right over and add to the damage of everything else hitting it. But if not, there was still a 3 foot ball of dragon in its face to block whatever else might come behind the psionic headbutt.

[Naranja House]

It would take a moment before Leslie managed to secure herself in one of the taxis along with a few other amenable students. Turns out that packing a backpack of random metal scraps and tools into a small confined space that was liable to jostle around a lot didn't make her the most popular addition to any of the first rides. But she eventually collected enough students in her cab for it to finally take off for their destination, all of them nervously watching as the small hybrid alternated between slapping pieces of metal together and giving a few small swings with the hammer to test the weight. But eventually she found herself staring at her construct and knowing that it was missing something. A lot of something actually. But she couldn't figure out what it was currently. The hammer looked like it was close enough to together to work but, in her head, it would be less than useless. It would be a shame, a travesty, to use it without this missing piece. Whatever that missing piece was. Maybe she needed to ask one of the other locals to figure this one out because she was absolutely unfamiliar with Tinkatink and what they did with the hammer stuff.

-----

In a taxi heading to a completely different destination, Beau would be busying himself looking over the landscape they were flying over. This was one of the potential directions to leave Mesagoza and if he managed to spot Leslie out here, at least that would make his job easier. But all he could see was a wide expanse of badlands, hoodoos, sparse brush, and mesas with a few Pokemon scattered across the dry landscape. At least he was getting a view of quite the landscape from the air here. Could practically smell it too through the cabin. Such a strangely floral, almost sweet smell to the air for this place.

Wait, why did a dry and arid badlands smell like a flower garden?

Looking around the cab for the taxi, Beau would finally take notice of the other passenger who had jumped in with him. It was a woman in a blue sundress, a few stray flowers tucked behind her ears and into her blonde hair. And sitting beside her was a Roserade, carefully plucking through the bouquets that constituted its hands to keep them looking good. Perking up as she noticed Beau's attention on her, the woman spoke, "Oh, hi there. Beau, right? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yeah, just....what's that smell?"

Giving a small giggle at the attention, the woman spoke up again. "Oh, sorry if I'm bothering you. My Roserade tends to prefer things be florally scented so she will always try and make sure to do that when she has a chance."

Beau would nod before extending a hand to shake the woman's. "So what's your name?" Beau asked, a sudden shake in the cabin forcing Beau to try and steady himself and inadvertently let out a puff of Powder. "I'm so sorry! Didn't mena for that to happen!" Beau panicked, doing his best to dispel the small cloud before it got the woman sneezing or anything sparked it to light.

Another giggle met his ears. "My name is Chris. And I'm guessing you're a Vivillon hybrid? So your powder..."

"Is a volatile explosive, yes."

"No!" Chris cut off Beau, looking straight into the bugman's eyes. She would take a moment to compose herself before continuing. "I was going to say that its a potent fertilizer given the nitrogen content. I'd be amazed if you hadn't taken a chance on gardening with how easily you'd be able to tweak fertilization components with your ready source of it and your senses to help gauge the ratios better than a normal person could."

Beau would quirk an eyebrow at the statement. "Do you really think I'd get that much from gardening?"

"Of course." Chris immediately fired back. "There is nothing better than getting your seeds and other materials together, carefully cultivating and tending to everything in order to guarantee your desired results, and then boom!" As she continued on with her explanation, Chris' gaze grew more distant and wistful before her own loud shout of boom snapped her attention back into the cab. Giving a sheepish look, she continued, "Sorry, I tend to get caught up with my plant life. But yeah, then boom, everything grows to full size and blooms spectacularly. And if you do it well enough, its something so spectacular that no one will ever forget it."

Now, that language for spectacular, unforgettable blooms was getting right up Beau's alley. And if he was already so well suited to it, then why shouldn't he take a crack at some gardening? "well, I guess I know at least one thing this school will hopefully teach me. Thanks for giving something new like this to try, Chris."

"No problem, Beau. And I know you can't possibly bomb it as bad as I did with my first plants." Chris said, giving a slightly impish smile as she looked towards the Vivillon hybrid.

"Hey, I'm the one with the explosives, I get to make the bomb puns."

-------

Getting off of her taxi, Leslie would only listen for a moment to their presenter, some strange man in some goofy looking armor lecturing at them about how bamboo was so rare here. She completely ignored him after she heard the word Pawniard. She had no idea why but the second she heard that name, a strange compulsion came over her and she immediately began a march through the bamboo forest. This was what she was missing, she could feel it. That or these continuing inklings and thoughts were a mild bit of insanity from her slight brush with chronic disease. But sometimes you just had to follow the potential undiagnosed mental illness where it led. And currently, it was leading Leslie down the path to start gathering the chipped blades and other pieces of metal she was finding scattered across the ground near the thicker portions of the bamboo.

But soon enough, the supply of metal scraps began to dry up. At least there was a final larger chunk she could spy a little further up. Marching her way over to the piece, Leslie would grab onto it and pull.....pull up a Pawniard to her eye level by the blade on its head, to be exact. "Give up the blade and no one gets hurt." Leslie threatened the small Steel type, staring down the defiant looking Pokemon for a moment before she felt a sharp chop to the back of her head that sent her rolling across the ground. Cursing and turning her head, she would see a Bisharp standing in front of a group of Pawniard that included the one she had plucked off the ground.

Sneering at the Pokemon opposing her, Leslie would crack her neck before grabbing her hammer off the ground next to her. "So you want to start something? I'll break this over your head and rebuild it using your own body if you wanna start this." Leslie growled out, opening one of her Pokeballs alongside her threats. Looking at the dopey orange tortoise beside her, Leslie would give a small sigh before gesturing at her Torkoal. "Lava Plume. Blas them apart while I get in there."

Giving a slow nod, Mikey would turn to face towards the small group of Steel types before a massive gout of lava and heat burst from the Torkoal's back, aiming to slather the Pawniard and Bisharp with the deadly liquid. While a few of the Pawniards were unable to escape due to the ones towards the edge being able to only move so fast, the Bisharp was able to more easily move around taking a direct hit from the Lava Plume. What it did not help was when a four foot tall girl carrying around one hundred pounds of random metal haphazardly bolted and welded together leaped to meet the evading Bisharp. Slamming home a strong swing that should rattle the thing's brains, Leslie would be feel excited and defeated as the silvery glow of Steel energy lit up the Bisharp's head and it pushed back against her swing with a Iron Head.

And that Iron Head wasn't something that could be easily brushed off, the blade on the Steel type's head beginning to cut through the metal of Leslie's ramshackle hammer. Oh if she got out of this one, her hammer was going to become even closer to unstoppable from all the parts she had collected. Channeling her excitement into herself, a familiar pink glow would begin to shine across her body and even her hammer. Not that Fairy energy was any help to stopping a Steel attack cutting through it but it was nice to know her hammer was that integrated to her even in its current barely usable state. Taking the initiative, she would throw a few punches and kicks towards the Bisharp to try and get it to back off of cutting through her hammer. Which proved successful, the painful and repetitive blows from the Tinkatink hybrid forcing the Bisharp to respond to that rather than continue its efforts to break Leslie's one weapon. The response was a rapid and well timed kick square into Leslie's chest, the Sucker Punch coming out of nowhere and sending her and the hammer flying backwards.

Michelangelo hadn't been simply sitting still while his trainer charged off to confront the Bisharp, having a few Pawniard come his way to avenge their fallen comrades. So he was currently falling under a flurry of clawing attacks, the Metal Claws cutting into the Torkoal's body as he tried to counter them with a few gouts of Flamethrower to avoid something that might inadvertently affect his trainer's own fight. While it didn't get the Pawniards to stop, what did was the flying body and hammer of Leslie crashing through the fight, scattering the Pawniard except for one lone survivor who had the awareness to avoid Leslie's collision.

Getting herself back onto her feet and readjusting her grip on her hammer, Leslie would look at the slowly regrouping Pawniards and the approaching Bisharp. They needed something to tilt things in their favor because the numbers weren't there and Mikey wasn't fast enough to utilize his type advantage to the degree that would overcome the numbers. What could they do?

And as she kept her eyes switching between the Bisharp and the Pawniard, Leslie began to notice that the Pawniard were also looking between her and the Bisharp. Except it was for something else....direction? The Bisharp was their leader? That gave her something to work off of. All she needed was to keep Bisharp off balance for a bit and hopefully her Torkoal would be able to finish off the thing rather than being an opening distraction. "Mikey. I'm going to get the big guy's attention. Take cover from the Pawniard and when I say go, you blow the Bisharp to kingdom come. Ready? Break." Leslie told the Fire type, rushing off immediately before getting any acknowledging gestures from the thing.

Immediately leaping back into the Bisharp's face, she would attempt another Play Rough empowered crack to the Dark type's face. And it was quickly matched by one of the Bisharp's arm blades, connecting with a Slash to push against the swing, Bouncing off from the clash, Leslie would be quickly harried by the Bisharp charging forward to follow up with a flurry of additional Slash attacks. Doing her best to keep her hammer between the slashes and her body, Leslie could feel herself losing ground with each blow. And losing hammer it seemed, as the sound of metal falling and the sight of sheared bolts firing into the distance after each Slash greeted Leslie's senses.

Eventually, the clash would come to a head when a final clash slammed into the hammer and the head of the entire hammer sheared off instead of a few simple bolts. Taking the remaining energy of the blow straight to her forehead, Leslie would fall back even further and collapse to the ground as she did her best to focus back onto the Bisharp through the blurriness. Looiking up to the now three Bisharp she could see dancing around, Leslie could see the Pokemon lining itself up for a final, punishing Guillotine designed to put her to rest more permanently. Taking in the view for a second as she saw the Bisharp lining up for this final blow, Leslie offered up only one response, "Eruption!"

From directly behind her, in the direction Leslie had been letting herself be forced back towards, Mikey would perk up from the flurry of blows the gathered Pawniard were using in an effort to waylay the tortoise. And he would quickly begin to build up fire, the cracks and nicks in his shell from the repeated attacks by the Pawniard beginning to glow with the flaming red energy that was rapidly reaching its boiling point. One of the Pawniard, the one who had been aware enough to dodge Leslie bowling through them, would quickly take this energy build up as the sign to retreat even as his brethren assumed it would be another easily evaded Flamethrower. As the energy build up reached its peak, the Pawniard still attacking the Torkoal would find themselves wishing they had been paying more attention as all of the ports on the Torkoal's shell erupted with plumes of pain-fueled lava. While the plumes that landed closer would be enough to send the Pawniard scattering, the majority of the lava was focused into a torrent that slammed square into the Bisharp's chest, the blades that lined its torso dulling and warping underneath the intense heat but the Steel type somehow managing to find the force of will to remain standing.

Snarling at the still mobile Bisharp, Leslie would grab the removed head from her first hammer and smash it into the Dark type's head like it was a rock she was aiming to smash through it with. a loud crack would erupt as the cut up chunk of metal shattered from the heavy impact, the weaknesses introduced from the repeated cuts showing themselves fully. And a moment later, the sound of shattering metal would be matched with a dull thud as the Bisharp toppled over from the concussion and multiple burn injuries that had just been inflicted upon it in the span of a few moments. Huffing in exertion as she finally let herself relax a little, she would march over to the now toppled Bisharp before breaking off one of the chest blades that Mikey's Eruption had warped. While it wasn't going to hold an edge without a lot of work, it was still good quality metal and she was going to use it to make the face of her hammer. Use it as both a trophy and weapon.

Looking back over the battlefield, Leslie could see a few smoldering fires and scorched bamboo alongside the scattered and knocked out bodies of the Pawniard gang this Bisharp had been leading. Except for one, who seemed to be standing away from everything, just....watching. Eventually looking up from its battlefield observations, the small Steel type would give a salute towards Leslie before marching over to stand near her. Seeing Leslie and Mikey's blank expressions, the Pawniard would quickly gesture towards the still-opened Pokeball that Leslie's Torkoal had come out of. Giving the gesture a few moments to settle in Leslie's mind, the Pawniard would sigh as he heard Leslie say, "Do you want Mikey's Pokeball? Why? You guys lost."

Walking itself closer to Leslie, the Pawniard would jab more directly at Leslie's bag, its blade poking directly into one of the empty Pokeballs that lay within. Realization dawning on her face, she would scramble to get out a Great Ball and give a light toss towards the Pawniard, the Pokemon accepting the capture by its new chosen leader with little fight. Picking up the Pokeball and returning her Torkoal to its ball, Leslie would give the battlefield one last look. On fire, singe marks across many stalks of bamboo, and unconscious Pokemon scattered across the ground like they had been some unfortunate pins in a bowling accident. Maybe now would be a good time to get out of here before she got (rightfully) blamed for this entire incident.  

[MoniqueBrie]

Monique, ChiChi, and the others patiently listened to the old man. It was clear he had Clamperls of wisdom, but they were not very well organized. However, Monique's ears perked up when she heard the theory that Channeling settlers from another world brought the bamboo to northeast Paldea. Wonder what world they came from?

Monique even was losing patience. His style rivaled the Aether Island wasteland in its dryness. Finally, the old man dismissed them for an hour of exploration in the grove.

Even though it was the middle of the day, the canyon in which the grove was set and the tall forest blotted out much of the sunlight. Monique had been in forests, but the shape of the bamboo made this one different from Santalune or Viridian, which she had visited as part of her duties for Snagem. ChiChi stayed somewhat close to Monique, the Zoroark wondering why.

"Is something up?" She tilted her head, her mane rocking from side to side.

"...I'm just not a fighter, so..." ChiChi mumbled. "I had to take battle classes when I was at UWI and I sucked."

"But you're a Fighting-type?"

"I mean, you don't come across like a Dark-type?"

"Not my fault that I got turned into a Zoroark."

"But yeah, I don't usually use Pokémon for fighting. I have a Bellossom, an Oricorio, and a Quaquaval, but I usually use those for class projects. If you're familiar with the Pokémon, you might sense a theme..."

"Kix!" Before Monique could comment, never having heard of two of those Pokémon, a bipedal Pokémon Monique had never seen walked up and started swinging at them. The Pokédex was providing no clues as to what it was. It had a dark body and insectoid features. And it seemed to have an urge for combat.

"This thing's got Dark-type chi, that's for sure!" Monique reached for a Poké Ball and found herself using Hao, that new Pokémon she had gotten at the market in Porto Marinada. She didn't even know its name yet, and here it was in battle.

The SNAG showed her only three move options, the fourth evidently unavailable. Sandstorm/Iron Tail/Earthquake/????? Monique wondered if it needed an update to read new moves, too.

She looked at the large blue worm. She went to have it use Iron Tail, but before it did so, the unknown combatant delivered a Sucker Punch, apparently guessing that a damaging attack was imminent. Monique looked back to find ChiChi having backed off, peering from behind a handful of stalks of bamboo. The Iron Tail did damage, but not a lot, which made sense given that this Pokémon was still a little young.

When the Pokémon moved first again and knocked out the blue worm, Monique started to fret. She had a good mix of Pokémon, but none of them had super effective moves on Dark-types. "ChiChi, you wanna try fighting? I'll be here supporting you..."

The Lucario hybrid looked back and came out a bit from her defensive position. Monique seemed to have some sense of what she was doing. And it wasn't the worst time to try and build up some fighting nerve. "...Sure thing." Reluctantly, she reached for her bag and pulled out a Poké Ball. It contained a blue Pokémon with orange feet and a large headdress of plumage. It, too, must have been native to Paldea, because the Pokédex yet again supplied no information.

"Uhh..." ChiChi hesitated, trying to remember the moves it knew. "Aqua Step!" The Pokémon walked up to the bug-like Dark-type and started dancing around it, lightly knocking it with its steps. It moved gracefully and surprisingly quickly, gaining a spring in its step toward the end.

Now the other Pokémon was on the back foot. It used Bug Bite, which at least told Monique that they were also fighting a Bug-type (why didn't I just bring out Kalama?), but there was little it could do against the speedy Water bird. Another Aqua Step was enough to knock it out.

"That's a good Pokémon... Can't say I'd seen it before. What's its name?"

"Quaquaval! It's a dancer, like me."

"Qua-cuh... Qua-qua-val. ...Well, my throat has to dance around that name."

"Ma'am?" Monique turned around to see the elderly man in the suit.

"What is it, sir?" He had left them alone to explore the grove. Why was he coming to us? Monique wondered.

"I wanted to let you know that..." He took a breath. "That shiny Orthworm is the first shiny Pokémon I have seen in 20 years."

"Wait what?" The words passed over Monique. "What are you talkin' about?"

"The Orthworm?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm new to Paldea. ...Oh is that the Pokémon I have?"

He nodded, the metal joints in the armor's headpiece creaking. "Normally they're red but yours is blue. Just thought you should know."

Monique dropped her jaw. "That's a Shiny Pokémon? I hadn't seen one in person before." How could she? Once she got to biology class, she'd probably learn about a genetic bottleneck—the very definition of the Dome. She had only heard of them, almost as if in folk tales.  

[Cecile Silverstone]

Uva House

Ulla was about to introduce her co-commentator, but at the very last second. Deo started to get stage fright and ran off. "Deo?" Before she could pursue further, she noticed that the students and the instructor weren't very impressed with Snagem. It's true, they've seen so many. So what made Snagem any different? She had to think of what to say fast. It was then, Abby and her Machamp were ready to start. "The triple battle begins now with the hot head of the group Abby and her Machamp Palladia!" Ulla shouted as she stood up in her seat. "Palladia opens the batle with a Dual Chop straight down on the Shiny Shelgon! Go big sis Abby!" She said as Ulla was getting pumped up herself as her eyes startled to sparkle.

"Looks like Hypno will take advantage of this moment and counter Machamp's attack with a Low Sweep! But instead of just aiming for one, he's aiming for the whole team!" Ulla said jumping up and down now. It's been so long since she's seen a good ol battle between team mates. " Luckily Aden's Wooloo used Cotton Guard, to soften the blow. As for Castform, the Low Sweep didn't effect it. As it's just floating." She looked around to see how the crowd is, they still weren't very convinced on the Snagems. Ulla had to think of something quick, that's when a Sunny Day emitted from Castform. Ulla was happy to feel the sun on her skin but her Mimikyu wasn't so amused with it as it hid in her shadow.

"Looks like things are getting heated with Casform using Sunny Day! The three trainers on the kids team haven't really worked together as much in any missions. While the three adults have known one another for quite sometime now. Will the kids team be able to bulldoze through years of knowledge?!" Ulla said as small sparkles started coming off her skin as her emotions were starting to show.  

[DragonFang099]

When the guide started speaking, Brian listened for about half the lecture, tuning out the droning voice after a few minutes. What caught his attention was hearing something about a legend that visitors from another world settled in Paldea and brought unique forms of Channeling with them. Hmm, now that was rather interesting, and something he would try to find out more about, if he got the chance. Hearing that they would be able to explore for an hour, he walked off once they were dismissed, wanting to see what kinds of Pokemon made their homes there.

Rachel decided to tag along with him, wanting to find out more about him. He didn't seem to mind the company, and while they were walking, a flash of blue caught his eye, and he turned to see a Lucario standing not too far from them, seemingly studying them. Brian, seeing this, wondered what the Fighting/Steel-type wanted, and after a moment, the Lucario settled into a stance he was well familiar with. One foot in front of the other, front paws raised in the same manner, eyes slightly narrowed with a determined look. Oh, yes, this Lucario wanted a battle. Brian grinned, then looked at Rachel.

"Are ye interested in a battle?" he asked. Rachel looked at the Lucario and shook her head. "That Lucario looks quite powerful, and I don't have any Pokemon on me right now that can handle it," she admitted, looking a little sheepish. Brian nodded, then turned his attention back to the wild Lucario. While he would normally use a Pokemon with a type advantage for a battle with a wild Pokemon, if he was able, he felt it would be more honorable to the Aura Pokemon to battle with one that was more neutral in terms of typing. Taking a Pokeball from his belt, he tossed it in the air, and it opened to reveal Lu. "Fancy a battle, Lu?" he asked. "That's our opponent."

The female Lucario turned to look at her opponent, only slightly surprised to see that it was another Lucario. This one, however, was male, which could work to her advantage if she played her cards correctly. From the way he was standing, her opponent was young, likely recently evolved, and looking to challenge anyone he could to see how he stacked up. Fighting a trainer-owned Pokemon might be just what he needed to test himself. Hmm, this should be fun. "Alright, let's start out with something easy," Brian said, and Lu gave a nod. "Start it off with Quick Attack into Force Palm." Lu shot forward, white light streaking behind her, and when she reached the male Lucario, thrust one paw forward, only to be met with a glowing green barrier.

Protect, huh? Brian thought, giving a slight smile. Smart move to start with, but it won't last forever. Hmm, let's see what he'll do. "Back off and let him attack," Brian said. Lu jumped back until she was standing in her former position, waiting to see what her opponent will do. The male Lucario didn't move for a moment, apparently sizing Lu up and wondering what would do the most damage, then disappearing in a flash of movement. Wondering what had happened, Brian looked for the male Lucario, spotting him to Lu's left and seeing what he was holding. "Dig!" came the command, and Lu disappeared underground just as the male Lucario reached her with his Extreme Speed/Bone Rush combo.

For a wild Pokemon to think up a combination move on their own like that made Brian wonder just how much this Lucario had been training on his own. Had he had a trainer before, or had he been wild the whole time? These were thoughts to think on another time, as Lu burst from the ground, only to hit air from the male Lucario leaning backward at the last second. Ah, he'd used Detect, then. Hmm, this was going to be a more difficult battle than he was expecting. Once she was in the open again, he watched as the male Lucario gave a series of growls and grunts, and when he opened his mouth to give another command, Lu gave him a look he'd only ever seen his mother's Lucario do. He knew that look; Lu's opponent had issued a challenge, and Lu had accepted. He would be a fool to intervene, especially between two Lucario. Giving a nod, he walked back to stand next to Rachel, who was confused.

"Why aren't you giving your Lucario commands anymore?" she asked. "Lu wants to fight on her own," he said, shrugging. "Isn't it the trainer's responsibility to give commands in battle?" "Occasionally, it's alright to let the Pokemon think for themselves, instead of just constantly giving commands," he explained. "By allowing Lu to battle on her own terms, it shows I trust her to make her own decisions, as well as strengthens our bond. Not only that, I'm fairly certain her opponent issued a challenge that she couldn't, or wouldn't, ignore."

Lu's opponent had, indeed, done just that. While all Brian and Rachel had heard were a series of grunts and growls, Lu understood what he was saying perfectly. Why do you follow the human's orders? the male had asked. Does he not trust you to think for yourself and make your own decisions? If you truly call yourself a Fighting-type, then show me you can battle without his direction. Lu understood what he was trying to do; he was goading her into a battle they could find worthy against another of their kind, and perhaps, he was looking for something more. Lu had to admit, this male was rather handsome, though the slight arrogance she could see in his stance was annoying. Very well, she said, turning to give Brian a look that told him to let her battle on her own. She wasn't surprised when her trainer, her partner, backed off with a nod, but a look at the male Lucario told her he hadn't been expecting this.

Interesting, he said. I did not think he would actually allow you to battle alone. Brian is different from most humans, Lu said, squaring off against the male again. He doesn't command us blindly; he does allow us to battle on our own terms if we ask, or he deems it necessary. The two Lucario traded light blows for a few moments, testing the waters, so to speak. The two didn't say anything else for several moments, merely focusing on the battle, but it didn't take long for them to realize they would get nowhere like this, so the male started off the battle again with a Bone Rush, which Lu skillfully dodged by stepping to one side and using Force Palm as the male overbalanced and stumbled. This caused a growl of pain from him; Lu had landed the first real hit, and he wasn't happy about it. In all the time he'd been battling here in the bamboo grove, none of the other Pokemon he'd battle had been able to land a hit on him until close to the end of the battle, and even then, their moves were weak compared to what he was looking for.

Growling with irritation, the male quickly turned and used Quick Attack, aiming to tackle Lu and try to use Circle Throw, but she was ready for him, blocking his attack with a dual Bone Rush of her own. This was surprising to him; he'd never thought to use an offensive move as a defensive one before, though he could see how well it would work when used properly. Taking a chance, he kicked out with a Low Sweep, aiming to lower Lu's speed, and although she managed to jump out of the way, Lu couldn't dodge the Quick Attack that hit her next. The attack left her slightly disoriented, which her opponent took advantage of, but he underestimated her speed. Lu was quick to recover, taking the first punch of Bullet Punch before she used Detect to duck away and come up with another Force Palm. While it wouldn't do all that much damage, being a weaker Fighting-type move, it served its purpose of throwing him off his rhythm, and Lu capitalized on her chance and used Aura Sphere, which she knew couldn't miss.

What she hadn't counted on was the male using Focus Blast to deflect her attack, then follow it up with an Aura Sphere of his own, prompting Lu to throw up a dual Bone Rush again to defend herself. The male followed up with an Earthquake, which Lu couldn't dodge in time, and the female Lucario took quite a bit of damage from the super-effective attack, or at least she would have had she not used Bulk Up at the last second. The attack's damage was lessened, but she still smarted from the pain of it. She could see the smirk on the male's muzzle as he watched her struggle to stay standing, and deciding she'd had enough of his arrogance, Lu dropped all pretense of testing his strength and went full out. She used Agility to raise her speed and Bulk Up to power herself up. Following that, she leaped into a Quick Attack, slamming into the male before he had a chance to react and sending him skidding backward. As he regained his balance, he looked up to see Lu standing over him, her face unreadable as she disappeared in a flash. He looked around for her, wondering where she'd gone, crying out in pain when she struck him in the back with an Aerial Ace.

The male Lucario couldn't fight back. Every time he tried to use an attack, Lu would either deflect his attacks or outright overpower him, leaving him panting from exertion after several minutes. When he saw the serious look in her eyes he knew he'd screwed up. His mother had once told him that his arrogance would be his downfall, and looking at the female in front of him now, he knew his mother had been right. Lu was a formidable opponent when she was focused, and the male Lucario found that he was glad it was her that would teach him the lesson he needed to learn. He was willing to take his punishment without complaint, and he looked up at her as she placed a paw on his chest and used Force Palm one more time, exerting just enough power to knock him out.

Brian and Rachel watched the battle with no small amount of interest. He knew Lu could handle her own, even against another Lucario, but it seemed this one either wasn't as strong as Lu, or... Ah, the smirk he spotted on the male Lucario's muzzle explained everything. "Why did Lu suddenly attack like crazy like that?" Rachel asked, as she and Brian approached Lu and the downed male. "Lu saw the same thing I did when the male used Earthquake," Brian explained, using a smelling salts he carried to revive the male Lucario. "This guy had an arrogant smirk on his face when he saw how much Lu was struggling to keep her balance, and that's what set her off. She just decided to give him a taste of his own medicine, so to speak." The male Lucario looked up at Brian as the trainer handed him an Oran berry, and the Fighting/Steel-type took it with a grateful nod, eating slowly to replenish his health and stamina.

Lu kept an eye on the male Lucario as Brian treated him; he'd put up a good fight, but in the end, she'd had the better stamina and defense. She had to admire his moxie in challenging her the way he did; not many wild Lucario would pick a fight with a human-trained one, unless they were looking to better their battling abilities or learn new techniques. If she had to guess, Lu would say it was the former, given that the male seemed to have a pretty good move pool from what she'd seen. Given a little training, he could be a powerful Pokemon, even more so if he decided to choose a trainer that could handle his power.  

[Atlantis_Darts]

SubonicXP

[Naranja House]

[North Province - Area Two, Bamboo Grove]

“Greetings, students of the honorable academy, I welcome you.” The old man in equally ancient armor said, giving the students a standing bow. “Today you will learn about the bamboo groves of area two. Surrounded by hills and mountains the groves are…one of the Ten Sights of Paldea are located here as well, Fury Falls, which is…and a fun fact, bamboo is not native to Paldea and it’s theorized its introduction brought with it an explosion in the Pawniard and evolved form populations to such a degree that…it’s rumored that visitors from another world settled here long ago and brought with them their unique form of Channeling which utilized bamboo and…” The old man immediately began to talk about the bamboo grove in his dry monotone voice, rambling on at times and assaulting them with a plethora of information. He was certainly knowledgeable but how much could you talk about a bamboo grove? A lot, it turns out.

Once the man was done he would let out a sigh as he realized some of the students weren’t listening, not surprising him in the least. “How about I let you guys wander the grove and observe it first hand. You all have an hour to explore. Report back here in an hour for a quiz on the grove. You’re dismissed.” The old man instructed them, giving them permission to explore and see all they could at this location.

(You may capture one wild Pokemon found here in this part of North Province - Area Two.)]

As the rest of the group dispersed, there was one unusual member of the North Province group who had been struck with a kind of amazement and that was, of course, Darts. Despite all the turmoil and all of the internal disagreement with himself the ancient armored man's love and clear care for the ancient tradition of bamboo growth and use shone through the Giratina hybrid's fugue. Eyes sparkling with admiration, the legendary hybrid approached their proctor, eager for more bamboo knowledge.

"Sensei... uh, teacher." Darts corrects himself, fumbling over his words slightly in his eagerness. "Tell me more about the bamboo in this forest. You've clearly curated this grove with you and your family's heart and soul paved into it. Tell me more about it, how long have you all been doing this?" The fact that this old man's eagerness shone through was part of the reason why he was asking, but the Dragon Clan often had disagreements with people in Blackthorn and Azalea over acquisition of wood and trees. They often sourced bamboo in from other areas, and maybe brokering some kind of contract would help get him out of one or two of Teacher's lectures. If nothing else it was prompting the unusually broody Snagem out of his shell temporarily.  

[Requiem of Whyspers]

Uva House
Odd watched Crystal release her Helioptile to the field, Aden send in a Wooloo, of all things and Tristen a Castform. Helioptile watched and waited, Wooloo puffed up it’s wool in preparation and Castform cast a false sun into the sky.

This could go several ways. It seemed Wooloo’s increased fluff and naturally low center of gravity had weathered Low Sweep with almost no effect and Castform had been missed entirely because, well, it was floating. That really only left Palladia and it was hard to say whether she’d been tripped up or not so far. The Machamp’s headlong charge and attack resulted in little more than Reno’s Shelgon being toppled. That was righted quickly enough and the Dragon-type retaliated almost immediately in an effort to make Glissando’s attack actually do something.

As soon as the Shellgon’s attack had been executed and the combined attacks’ result was known, Odd would call for the next move. The combination of Pokémon present meant he could be of more use on the back line as he’d predicted originally and he knew how. “Glissando, use e Reflect.” He directed calmly. The kids’ team had two Pokemon that relied on brute strength more than elemental power, psionic force or fairy trickery so for now, this was the best thing he felt he could offer. Shellgon had the choice of either and Helioptile he would need to see act first to know.

Glissando nodded to the new order and as his pendulum returned to his hand, it began to swing once more, radiating psychic power out to its sides as it reached the ends of its arc in either direction. After only a few swings, a reflective wall of psionic energy had formed between the Adults’ Pokemon and the Kids’.

Naranja House

Lykas stepped out into the grove of wild bamboo when his taxi landed, immediately proceeding to completely ignore the old man in the aged armor aside from a momentary thought that the guy seems to be almost as old as the armor he was wearing, which he felt said plenty about why he shouldn’t listen to him much. The old man’s monotonous droning was quickly drowned out by the sounds of countless bugs, the soft waves of wind-swept ponds and the various sounds of wildlife.

Looking around, the hybrid found there to be absolutely nothing of interest to him. “Isn’t this supposed to be a ‘history’ class?” He asked himself in a dull, bored voice, a hand resting on his forehead as he hung his head for a moment. “What exactly is there to learn from a big empty forest full of nothing but bamboo, bugs and fish?”

He wandered around aim,essay for a bit before happening upon Mara again. “Ugh, you again?”

“What’s wrong squishy boy?” Mara quipped at him. “Can’t figure out what you’re supposed to be learning? Color me surprised.”

“There’s nothing of historical value here.” Lykas retorted sharply, crossing his arms.

“Really?” Mara scoffed. “Did you know bamboo isn’t native to Paldea? I’m guessing not since you’re convinced there’s nothing of value to the class.” She snapped back at him. “It was originally brought over by Alolan settlers who, themselves, had brought it to Alola when their ancestors first came to Paldea around the time Sinnoh came to be called such a few hundred years ago.” She explained. “This entire grove stands as a testament to the tenacity of those settlers trying to make a place for themself in an unfamiliar and unfriendly land.”

“Sounds like someone wasn’t paying attention. I actively chose to ignore the old guy and I still heard the commentary that the bamboo came with ‘settlers from another world’.” He remarked. “I’m guessing that would refer to Ultra Space and people who came here from there at some point in the past.”

“What are you even talking about, ‘Ultra Space’? There’s no such thing.” Mara retorted, turning to glare at him.

“That’s where you’d be wrong. There are no less than two hybrids in Team Snagem who originally came from there and a third who’s traveled countless years through it.” Lykas remarked n response. “If I’m remembering correctly, my guess is that the Channelers old guy was talking about came from a world where an Ultra Beast called Kartana came from. Some of our group met one a while back and one of them said it’s body was almost like paper and it looked kind of like an origami samurai.” He explained. “I don’t know enough about any of it all to have any solid theories but I’m willing to bet the bamboo might be related to that if it’s true.”

Mara growled under her breath at Lykas at this point, spinning on her heel and storming off.

“I hope she never figures out I was talking out of my ~/~…” Lykas sighed, watching the Seaking hybrid stomping away.

~~~

Clare exited the flying taxi as it landed, holding their Capsakid in their hands as they did. Mirage didn’t seem to like staying in it’s ball just yet so holding it was the only thing that kept the little Pokémon calm for the time being. It also seemed to get bouts of hyperactivity, “zoomies”, someone had called them once. It was as the hybrid was looking around the canyons from the taxi’s landing point that one such bout occurred. Mirage leaped out of Clare’s arms and began to run happily around the rocky landscape. “Mirage, get back here!” They called out after the tiny Grass-type.

Mirage completely ignored its trainer, of course running around and looking at anything and everything that caught its attention. After a moment, the little Pokémon tripped and immediately began to tumble, though it quickly turned into a full-on spin as it unconsciously used Rollout. The Spicy Pepper Pokemon raced off away from Clare at this point, resulting in the hybrid falling to the ground, tears beginning to form at the corners of their eyes.

“Did you find it?” Santiago asked as he approached from behind Clare, a gentle question that gave the finally push that made the tears fall.

“No!” Clare cried out, wiping at their eyes. “And she’s just a baby. She could get hurt out here!”

“Dios mío…” Santiago muttered, shaking his head softly at Clare’s worry. “She will be perfectly fine. I’ll help you look for her.” He assured the young hybrid. The silky, sheer sheet that hung down the man’s back fanned out, revealing that what Clare had first thought to be a somewhat understated yet somehow simultaneously extravagant cape was actually a pair of moth wings.

“I’ll look from above. You keep a lookout for her on the ground and I’m sure we’ll find her.” Santiago assured, leaping into the air and giving a graceful flap of his wings. They fluttered n the wind strangely enough yet somehow managed to hold him aloft and he was off before Clare really even processed what had been said.

“Thank you…” they muttered quietly, wiping the tears from their eyes, pushing themself back up to their feet and dusting off the dirt that had collected on the hem of their dress. “Come on, Mirage! Tell me where you are!” They quietly voiced to themself more than anything, trying to get themself in the mindset of being on a manhunt. Beginning to jog slowly along the canyons, they kept watch for any signs of their littlest Pokémon. Ducking under dried out shrubs, sticking their head into small caves where it seemed safe and inspecting small crevices wherever they could be found, Clare spent most of the trip searching, worry mounting more and more as time went on.

“I think I found her!” Santiago’s voice rang out above them, drawing Clare of it of their pit of worry. “Por ahí, near the canyon wall. There’s a Capsakid.” He announced as he fluttered down to land near Clare.

“It looks like it’s with another Pokémon but I can’t tell if they’re fighting or not. Deberíamos darnos prisa.” The Frosmoth hybrid told them, pointing toward the north. He lead the way as Clare tried to keep pace. Rounding the bend in the path ahead, Clare found Mirage at last, the Capsakid standing between a pair of rather adorable mice that appeared to be holding hands. Their free hands were both moving quickly as if they were throwing punches and Miragewas doubled over, as if she were trying to protect herself. With every swing of the mouse Pokémon’s arms, Mirage released a puff of crimson pollen.

“Eso no es bueno…” Santiago muttered. “She’s using Rage Powder. That Tandemaus can’t help itself.” He told Clare. “If you don’t battle it, you may not be able to rescue your pequeñas pepita.”

“Mirage is barely two days old… she doesn’t know how to battle yet.” Clare replied quickly, searching for where they’d put the little pepper Pokémon’s ball.

“Battle with a different one, then.” Santiago urged.

“O-ok… um… Rasana!” Clare called out, releasing their Tyrunt. He’d not been seen in the field yet but he had shown he knew how to battle when he’d been caught so hopefully he could help out here. “Use Scale Shot on that mouse. Protect Mirage.”

Rasana appeared from his ball with a yawn and a stretch before jumping toward the Capsakid and flinging a scattershot of scales at Tandemaus. Only two of them hit, one to each half of the pair, but it succeeded in knocking them both back and giving Mirage some space. “Come here! We’re here to rescue you!” Clare loudly announced to the Grass-type. Mirage nodded and rushed toward the hybrid, tripping over he own feet and beginning to roll toward them halfway there.

“Careful!” Clare exclaimed, catching the tumbling Capsakid before she could get hurt or accidentally use an attack again.

Tandemaus’s two halves grit their teeth and jumped in opposite directions, both halves using Echoed Voice as they trapped Rasana between them, using the loud, almost paralyzing sound to cage the Dragon-type in place as they moved around him in perfect unison, making their way toward Clare in an effort to bring their focus back onto Mirage.

“You need to put her in her ball. Rage Powder makes the target focus on the user. Tandemaus will keep trying to attack her as long as it can see her.” Santiago informed Clare, watching calmly otherwise.

“Oh… um… I don’t think I have it… I must have forgotten it this morning.” Clare responded in a mild panic, unable to find the Ball among their others.

“¿Eres estúpido?” Santiago muttered. “How Can you forget your Pokémon’s ball?” He asked.

“Rasana! Use Poison Fang!” Clare directed as they tried to avoid the Tandemaus that was now actively attacking them. Rasana nodded and dashed forward, speed in erased due to the shed weight of his scales he’s used to attack earlier. Dashing in from behind, he’d open his maw and as poison energy gathered in his teeth, they would grow longer and sharper as his Strong Jaw activated. Crunching down on one half of Tandemaus, he thrashed the mouse around for a moment before spitting it out, slamming it into a canyon wall with purple-tinted wounds and strange purple bubbles oozing out of them. The other rodent rushed to the poisoned one’s side. Grabbing it’s hand, the healthy half glared not at Rasana but through him, at where it knew Mirage to be hiding in Clare’s arms.

With a puff of smoke and a small pop, the two mice vanished, replaced by a single Rhydon-like stuffed animal. Sort of? Clare. Couldn’t tell what exactly it was, a stuffed animal, a carven wood idol or something else, only that it vaguely resembled a Pokémon. The Tandemaus’s presence was still there, though and both hybrids looked around along with the pair of Pokémon.

“Maus!” The cry came from above and Clare looked up to see not just the two mice but now eight of them, only one seeming to be part of the original pair and the one leading the charge as it jumped down from the higher wall and lashed out at Clare. The remaining seven followed its example and the small mouse militia proceeded to assail the hybrid seven times with bites, scratches and tackles in their attempts to reach Mirage. They were able to keep the Capsakid safe from the onslaught somehow, but when the final attack came, it managed a weak hit on the spicy pepper Pokémon, who Leered at it in response.

“That was a Population Bomb! Are you ok?” Santiago asked, a hand on Clare’s shoulder for support as Mirage’s Leer seemed to work on Tandemaus, causing it to momentarily cower.

“Yes, I am! Thank you!” Clare replied, standing upright once again.

“Gracias a Dios…” Santiago muttered before offering more support. “I think you can finish this fight if you attack again now.” He told them once he was sure Clare didn’t just look safe but seemed to feel it as well.

“Right!” They grunted in acknowledgement. “Rasana! Use Crunch!” The a Tyrunt nodded, jumped forward to attack and was immediately met with another set of Dark-type fangs constructed of energy as Tandemaus’s Copycat worked perfectly to mimic the attack and throw it right back at them.

“Crunch again, Rasana, break through!” The Tyrunt nodded and immediately took a second bite out of the air as the dark jaws snapped shut. This time they found purchase on the unpoisoned mouse and the pair’s stamina seemed to hit zero in unison…”Are there two…”

“Two in one? Si. They are quantum entangled or something like that. The two bodies make up one Pokémon.” Santiago provided. “If you want to try catching the , now would be the time.” Rasana was looking around in confusion, trying to find the second mouse or a reason why neither had seemed to be attacking him directly.

“They are kind of cute… I think I will!” Clare replied, digging an Ultra Ball out of their bag and pitching it toward Tandemaus’s nearer, visible half. When it hit and the mouse converted into energy, they watched with intrigue as a second blob of scarlet light shot from nearby to join it and both lights were consumed by the spherical device. One… two… three small wobbles and a soft click signaled a successful capture but did nothing to make Clare less concerned for Mirage now that the battle was over. “You have to be more careful!” They urged the Pokémon as Rasana retrieved the ball and brought it back to them. “You had be worried half to death!”

“Cap capikid!” Mirage replied apologetically, hanging her head in shame.

Clare hugged her close after that. “I can’t stay mad at you for too long. You’re just being a baby, after all!” They told the little Pokemon before looking around at where there were for real.