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Kazooie

(IC / PG-16) Pokemon Starlight

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╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅──╮

Naranja Academy, Mesagoza – 9:30 AM

STEM Homeroom

The front of the classroom was empty as the students trickled in, leaving them to get settled in alone. A few students gossiped among themselves, while others just continued getting their sleep by taking little naps, until Tyme walked into the room a few minutes later, "I'm sorry, everyone. Director Clavell was speaking to me about the announcement today."

A few students perked up at the mention, "That's why we were given a late start right?"

Tyme nodded her head, before holding a hand up towards the class, "I'll mention it briefly, but then we're going to get to the lesson. The director wanted us teachers to meet to discuss the announcement today, so we weren't able to start at our usual time. Lucky for you, that meant you got a bit of extra sleep for the day!"

She smiled as she took her place at the front of the class, nodding to the students as she did, "That's all I'm going to say though. If you want to know what the announcement is, you'll just have to wait until noon." With a knowing smile, Tyme gave the class a nod, before directing everyone back to their studies for the rest of the class session...

DING DONG DONG DING

 
General Studies Homeroom

"I know today is a very late day and we don't have much time to cover anything substantial..." Jacq ran his fingers through his hair for a moment as he considered the options for the day, "With the end of our classroom time coming up, I really thought we would be able to cover a bit more than we did..."

One student near the front of the class raised her hand, waiting for Jacq to notice her, and when he did, "Well... Can you tell us anything about the school event? You taught us about picnics and how to spot if our Pokemon are showing signs of illness, a lot of stuff we don't use in class, are those going to be useful for it?"

Jacq smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest, "You could say that. The Director is going to go over it in more detail, but as usual... We'll be allowing you all to go on your own studies. Some of you may stay here, but I know many of you will choose to head out into Paldea to explore and forge your own path... I just hope some of what I've taught you will help. Let's review instead of covering anything new."

Time passed from there, leaving the students at the mercy of Jacq's review. There was more than enough information for him to keep the class occupied for thirty minutes... Then an hour, then finally, hitting the 11:30 mark.

DING DONG DONG DING

 
Humanities Homeroom

"Bonjour, my students! The past few months have gone by in a flash, I know. I wish we had more time to chat."

The professor at the front of the classroom held a hand behind his head, a small laugh escaping him as he shook his head gently, "But nein, I'm afraid that isn't the case. You all have a wonderful experience ahead of you today... You'll be joining the school's très important annual event!"

"The Treasure Hunt!"

A small murmuring started as he held out his hands, "Now, now, I'm not at liberty to say too much. Some of our higher grade students knows. The Director loves to give the opening speech and all. I just cannot contain my own podniecenie!"

Salvatore blinked at some of the blank faces staring at him from the front row, before laughing again, "Oh, yes. That would be excitement! With that, we can begin our lesson today... Excitement!"

Salvatore led the students into a brief discussion, one that was entirely based on his need to get his excitement out, until...



DING DONG DONG DING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Each class was left to their own devices until that bell ring snapped everyone to attention. There was a moment of silence, quiet contemplation, until a voice spoke through the speakers.

"Attention students and teachers, this is Director Clavell. At this time, I would like you to lead your students, one class at a time, to the courtyard for our special announcement. We'll begin with the General Studies..."

Jacq motioned for his students to stand up, herding them out of the classroom towards the courtyard. Tyme's classroom wasn't far behind, and then last was Salvatore's homeroom entering the grounds. In the center of the track was a small stage constructed for the event, where Director Clavell stood above the rest of the school. He kept his arms folded behind his back as the crowd filtered into the courtyard, teachers moving up to the stage as he spoke up.

“Everyone, if I may…" When no one stopped speaking to listen to him, Clavell pulled the microphone a bit closer to him, "Please, listen!"

A little sigh escaped the director as he pushed his glasses up his face, the students were a bit rowdier than usual, the crowd chattering among themselves as he tried to get their attention. On one side of the stage, Jacq and Tyme both gave Director Clavell a little smirk, while Hassel and Saguaro tried to keep the other two from heckling the Director.

On the other end, a black haired woman stepped forward, raising a gloved hand into the air as she cried out, “Hey! You all quiet down, the Director is trying to speak!”

Her voice echoed through the courtyard as the students finally began to quiet down, the Director giving her a thankful nod, “Wonderful. Now, this will come to no surprise to most of you, as it has become a long running tradition in our school, but the theme of this year’s group studies is once again: ‘A Treasure Hunt’.”

Clavell raised his hand in the air as a few students began to murmur among themselves, “I know, many students wonder if having the same theme could grow tiresome, but I believe the answer to that is no. It is important for each of you to find your own way through our world, and here at Naranja Academy, that means figuring out what brings you joy in this life.”

Next to the stage, Dendra nodded her head, her arms crossing in front of her as she smiled. There was a brief whisper on the other side, Jacq had leaned in to speak to Tyme, earning him a little glare from Hassel. Still though, Clavell’s speech wasn’t finished, but a large part of the crowd was starting to get antsy as it continued, especially the younger children. “The Paldea region is a wonderful place for you to discover yourselves, and to soak in the expansive history we have… From the rich landscape, to our own Gym Challenge and Champion Assessment. And this year, we have one extra attraction for you, our eager students. In conjunction with the Pokemon Activities Committee, Pokemon Contests will be hosted across the region. Anyone who collects five contest ribbons will have the honor of participating on Paldea’s first Grand Festival to become the Top Coordinator of the region."

"Of course... I will have to wrap this up shortly, so you can all begin your planning... We have organized the groups for your travels. If you are unsure of who your group contains, find a teacher or refer to the board we have put up in the main hall. Please, stick together for safety if you choose to travel across the region. For now, I will end on these important words. Never stop striving for anything but the best for yourself, students. If you lack direction, look to those around you for help. Your teachers will do whatever we can for you, as well as your friends, and of course... Your Pokemon. Never forget that."

The crowd was about ready to disperse, but Clavell held a single hand up into the air, "Before you leave, we have two guest speakers. One, you all will likely know well. The other is associated with the Pokemon Activities Committee. Please, welcome Top Champion Geeta and Mr. Raoul Contesta to the stage."

As Clavell finished, a figure approached the stage from either side. On the left, a tall woman with dark hair approached the stage, her arms folded behind her back as she looked out to the crowd of students. Most of them seemed to recognize her, varying degrees of excitement bubbling as the crowd spoke to each other...

On the other side, an older man with greying hair, clad in a bright red suit climbed atop the stage as Clavell stepped down. He took the mic first, a wide grin on his face, "Hello, Naranja Academy! As your director introduced me, I am Raoul Contesta, and I'll be one of the three judges of each contest here in the Paldea region. My schedule is sure to be busy with how much I'll have to do!" That grin on his face broke out into a laugh as he clapped his hands together, "This is a momentous occasion, not just for you all, but for me. It isn't every day the Activities Committee is able to expand contests to a new region, so I look forward to seeing what any of you who chooses to participate can show me... I'll turn it over to your champion now, but I'm ready to be dazzled by you upcoming stars!"

Mr. Contesta stepped back, allowing Geeta to take the mic from him. She folded a hand over her chest, "I believe you all have been waiting patiently, so I will keep this short. I see in front of me limitless potential in you students. As Top Champion, it has been my priority to see the light of Paldea shine brightly into the future. This is why, in conjunction with the Pokemon Activities Committee, I worked to bring Contests to Paldea. That said..." She paused, her hand dropping back to her side, "I greatly looking forward to seeing who wishes to challenge the Champion Assessment. The Gym Leaders across the region have been working overtime to be sure to make this the most interesting Gym Challenge yet, and I cannot wait to see the shining results. For now, however... Go, students. Your journeys begin here."

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅──╯

Edited by Kazooie

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"Yeesh, the director sure is longwinded," Helena mused as she exited the courtyard, en route to the main hall, "And that's after Salvatore's 'class'. This academy is so much more than I bargained for. But it's been fun being somewhere so different, don't you think, Jackie?" A small Pumkaboo that was cradled in her arms let out a small coo as if in agreement, earning a grin from her trainer. "I wonder how the Treasure Hunt's going to impact my work, though... I mean yeah, we have contests to look forward to, but that doesn't mean I wanna put the other projects on the backburner. Decisions, decisions..."

Upon arriving at the crowded main hall, Helena stopped and pondered for a moment. She could see her name and group number from where she was, but she couldn't get to the board with all the other students... After considering her options, she cleared her throat. "Up up, Jackie." As the little ghost-type flew up and out of Helena's arms, Jackie tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner. The humanities student quickly pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen, quickly scrawling a message on it. A moment later, she had fetched another pokeball, letting her second pokemon out. As the Klefki popped out, it look about furtively, jingling wildly.

"No, Lockpick, no mischief. Not yet, at least. For now, I need you to take this," She held the paper up, "And pin it to that board over there. Think you can handle it?"

Helena had to stifle a laugh as the Klefki before her almost looked offended, puffing up cheeks it did not have. It snatched the slip of paper and flew above the students clamoring for the board, only to descend just enough to attach it to the board, before heading back. When it did, Helena could swear she heard an audible puff, the pokemon looking up and closing its eyes as if to puff out its chest.

"I knew you could do it, good job! I'll make sure to give you something fun to do later." Lockpick jingled happily before being put back in its ball. Turning towards the door Helena hummed, "Hopefully they'll all see that~"

As the Pumpkaboo flew after her, the note remained pinned to the board written with a brightly colored header:

Quote

Members of Group 13

I'm heading to the ladder behind the western PokeCenter. Couldn't seek you all out with how bustling the school was, figured this was our next best shot!

[A small doodle sat at the bottom of a grinning girl holding her fingers up in a V.]

-----

After arriving at the meeting spot she had set up, Helena removed her backpack and set it down on the ground. She then turned around and slide against the wall until she was sitting with her knees bunched in front of her. Rummaging through the bag on her right, she produced a heavy binder and a pencil, tapping the eraser to her lips.

"Now, what do I need to flesh out next..."

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"Pssst. Hey, buddy. Calm down, we gotta sit tight a second."

Gligar hopped over to Scully's opposite shoulder, fidgeting as he steadied himself with one claw back behind the boy's head to support him, looking around nervously at the great crush of students that surrounded them. Used to wide-open sky, Gligar wasn't used to crowds, and he was getting anxious in the thick of one. Despite his assurances to the Pokemon, Scully wasn't too far off him, the Pokemon constantly having to shift its weight to stop himself from falling off Scully's shoulder as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, sporadically half-turned, and generally made a fidgeting mess of himself. 

They couldn't help it, either of them. Fortunate for Scully that he sat toward the back of Jacq's class, otherwise the teacher might have noticed that he was blatantly not paying attention. The days ahead were completely suffusing his thoughts, and now he was about to set out on the Treasure Hunt. He had constructed a half a million elaborate scenarios in his head, hypothetical adventures that he, Gligar, and the Charcadet inside a Poke Ball in his pocket would soon undertake. He was excited, but also dreadfully nervous. 

Clavell finally passed the buck to the Top Champion and a contest rep, and Scully swallowed as Geeta took the stage. She seemed so effortlessly graceful, her strength and title almost visible.

"I wish I were like that," he muttered, low enough that only Gligar heard it. The Pokemon tapped on the back of his shoulder with his tail, and when Scully turned his head a big, encouraging grin was awaiting him. He managed to return a determined one of his own. "And we'll both get there, right buddy?"

"Gli gli!"

- - - - - -

"Gliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Ah jeez, Gligar, wait up!" Scully rushed down the stairs, chasing after Gligar as a strong gust blew the gliding Pokemon along, Gligar caught in the wind to blow along uncontrollably. 

Scully and Gligar had approached the bulleting board, which Gligar had set to spinning briefly when he hopped on top of it in a big to try and find Scully's name himself so his Trainer didn't have to force his way through to it. They were now on the way to the meeting spot for Group 13, and Scully let out a frustrated shout as Gligar was blown around a corner and he heard a crashing noise.

"Gligar! Are you okay?" He whipped around the corner, skidding to a halt as he saw an older girl sat beside a ladder, holding a binder and just now turning to look and see a very pained-looking Gligar crumpled against the wall next to her. He could have only just missed her.

"Buddy! Oh man, you gotta watch out for those strong winds." Scully darted forward, snatching up Gligar and holding him in his arms as they both looked to Helena. "Sorry if he almost hit you there," Scully apologized profusely, embarassed. "He um..." 

It was only then he truly took in the ladder next to Helena and realized where he was. His face reddened immediately, face turning down as his volume plummeted, Gligar looking up with confusion. "I ummm... You're Group 13? I'm.... I'm Scully..." He internally despaired at the circumstances of their meeting. At the very least he'd only embarassed himself in front of ONE member of Group 13.

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9:30 AM, Naranja STEM homeroom

As was the case more often than not, Wendy had arrived to the homeroom early. Her days started early, after all, and she was often in the room before most others. As was generally the case, Wendy used this spare time before class to study. Lately, her attention had been on the geography of Paldea. If she was going to live in the region, it only made sense to not just live here, but to also understand where she truly was, right? Though, admittedly, she had yet to venture outside of Mesagoza. She'd have to do that inevitably, since she did still have a job to do here and all, but she imagined the school staff wouldn't take kindly to one of their students just up and taking off into the wild to research a weather phenomenon the people of Paldea were altogether completely unbothered by.

"I'm sorry, everyone. Director Clavell was speaking to me about the announcement today."

Ah yes, the announcement. Wendy had heard gossip about it lately, though she wasn't paying much attention to it, so she wasn't privvy to the details. After a bit of discussion on the matter, it was time for classes to start proper, and they would continue for the next two and a half hours, until noon. At which time...

"Attention students and teachers, this is Director Clavell. At this time, I would like you to lead your students, one class at a time, to the courtyard for our special announcement. We'll begin with the General Studies..."

As the students assembled to hear Director Clavell deliver this important announcement, it took some persuading to get the crowds to simmer down so he could be properly heard. And once he started speaking, Wendy made sure to give the good Director her undivided attention. A treasure hunt. At first she wasn't particularly interested - going off in search of chests of gold never really sounded like her thing - but as he clarified that this treasure could be anything and was more likely than not a highly personalized "treasure" more in the metaphorical sense, the hunt suddenly seemed much more appealing. After all, Wendy was already here to seek out the greatest treasure of them all. Knowledge.

"Of course... I will have to wrap this up shortly, so you can all begin your planning... We have organized the groups for your travels. If you are unsure of who your group contains, find a teacher or refer to the board we have put up in the main hall. Please, stick together for safety if you choose to travel across the region. For now, I will end on these important words. Never stop striving for anything but the best for yourself, students. If you lack direction, look to those around you for help. Your teachers will do whatever we can for you, as well as your friends, and of course... Your Pokémon. Never forget that."

The crowd was about ready to disperse, but Clavell held a single hand up into the air, "Before you leave, we have two guest speakers. One, you all will likely know well. The other is associated with the Pokemon Activities Committee. Please, welcome Top Champion Geeta and Mr. Raoul Contesta to the stage."

Raoul Contesta was first. By the sound of it, he'd be overseeing contests in Paldea, a new addition to the region. Wendy had some familiarity with them from her time in Hoenn, so she liked to think she'd be at something of an advantage if she were to pursue them recreationally. On the more battle-focused side of things, Top Champion Geeta claimed that the region's gym leaders were working to make this year's gym challenge the best yet. The concept still felt a bit foreign to her. The way she was used to gyms, people would just walk in, battle trainers, then square off with the gym leader to get the badge. Trying this out was also an option, to be certain.

But those were all ultimately side goals. She didn't forget what really brought her here. Research on behalf of the Weather Institute. Not that she imagined the rest of her group would be interested in that.

Of course, first she'd have to find her group. The board was already swarmed by other students by the time she had arrived, and she had trouble getting up close to find her group or the names of her teammates. The first thing she noticed, however, was a posted note, seemingly from a student. Urging members of Group 13 to meet up behind the western Pokémon Center. And, as luck would have it, once she was able to catch a glimpse of her name, it seemed that was the very group she belonged to as well! Truly, luck was on her side today! While Wendy would have hated to keep her team waiting, there was one detour she had to make first. A return to her dorm. An adventure across the Paldea region was set to begin, and if she was leaving the academy, she wanted to make sure she was ready to go.

She had to make sure her bag was properly packed. Most of it was just potions for her pokemon and books for herself, and a spare poke ball or two. Nothing special, really. She had to make sure the place was effectively shut down before she left too; lights out, other electronics turned off, and ensuring anything that could be charged was fully charged. And of course, there was the matter of Wendy herself. She'd come here with a purpose, but also with an understanding of what she was signing up for. This was a job that could and very likely would involve getting wet, assigned to a person whose body really didn't like getting wet. While a conspicuous towel existed among the various items in her bag, more important were the conspicuous items on her body. A blue raincoat and matching boots adorned Wendy's body by the time she left her dorm, and stepped out into the rest of the academy campus, and Mesagoza in general. She wasn't going to pretend like it didn't grab a few looks here and there, but this was also not the first time Wendy had done this; in the time since getting to Paldea, if she left Naranja's campus for any period of time, and even if she expected to be on campus but outdoors for particularly long periods of time, it was never without this getup. Just in case.

Eventually, she did make her way to the ladder mentioned in the note, to find two others had already arrived. A boy, and a girl, neither of whom she recognized. "Hello," she simply greeted. "I'm Wendy, Group 13 like the pair of you."

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General Studies Homeroom
Naranja Academy, Mesagoza – 9:30 AM

BGM

"I know today is a very late day and we don't have much time to cover anything substantial...With the end of our classroom time coming up, I really thought we would be able to cover a bit more than we did..."

Aruto glanced in the direction of Jacq, moving his chair back on all fours and shifting his head forward, his pencil rolling off the bridge of his nose as he did so. It was unusual that Jacq would be late for class like that, but it was never unheard of...especially if the director was involved...which, surprisingly...he was.

"You could say that. The Director is going to go over it in more detail, but as usual... We'll be allowing you all to go on your own studies. Some of you may stay here, but I know many of you will choose to head out into Paldea to explore and forge your own path... I just hope some of what I've taught you will help. Let's review instead of covering anything new."

Hearing this, a wide smirk began to creep along the young man's face, his leg bouncing up and down in excitement. He was pumped to hear even this news, and was even watching the clock the entire time. Of course, one of the students would've actually nudged him to try and pay attention and take notes, but even then...he couldn't help it. Then, at 11:30...the bell rung out. It was time for that big announcement and Aruto was 100% ready for it!


"Before you leave, we have two guest speakers. One, you all will likely know well. The other is associated with the Pokemon Activities Committee. Please, welcome Top Champion Geeta and Mr. Raoul Contesta to the stage."
"This is a momentous occasion, not just for you all, but for me. It isn't every day the Activities Committee is able to expand contests to a new region, so I look forward to seeing what any of you who chooses to participate can show me... I'll turn it over to your champion now, but I'm ready to be dazzled by you upcoming stars!"
"I greatly looking forward to seeing who wishes to challenge the Champion Assessment. The Gym Leaders across the region have been working overtime to be sure to make this the most interesting Gym Challenge yet, and I cannot wait to see the shining results. For now, however... Go, students. Your journeys begin here."

Aruto saw them both...Raoul Contesta and Champion Geeta...those two there...those were his goal. With a quick turn of his heel, the young man made a combee-line straight for his dorm room, grabbing his stuff (after he quickly packed things into a backpack) and immediately grabbed one of his PokéBalls, tossing it up into the air. Out of it emerged his partner Pokémon, Hongo the Nymble, who ended up hopping right onto the shoulder of the young man.

"Today's the day, Hongo! We're going to finally start this journey of ours!" he said, making his way from his dorm room down the stairs as he made it towards the Entrance Hall. "You as pumped as I am?"

Hongo simply made a few buggy clicks and chatters, with a simple nod of his head.

"That's what I figured." Aruto smirked, walking out the doors...or at least he would've if he didn't notice something with brightly colored headers on the bulletin board. "Huh...? ...Group 13...western PokéCenter...ladder..." he muttered, before nodding and punching a fist into his open hand. "Awright! Looks like we got a meeting to attend, buddy! Let's kick this into high gear then!!" Without another word spoken, Aruto rushed out the Entrance Hall's doors, making his way straight towards the western side of Mezagoza.

...he did have a bit of an issue out the gate however, namely the tripping under his own feet and sort of falling the last flight of stairs, but the best starts for any aspiring "Hero of Justice" was obviously going to have a bit of injury. Aruto groaned, finally getting up from the fall as Hongo hopped back on his shoulder. "...ow...not the best start, but c'mon...let's get going! Hopefully we aren't late!"

Not breaking his stride whatsoever, Aruto made his way towards the western PokéCenter, skidding to a halt as he turned his head just in time to see a small group of three students gathering by a...ladder!! "Hey, I think that may be the crew, buddy!" he said, seeing Hongo nod a few times, making a few happy noises. Aruto smiled, finally approaching the three, with a wave. "H-Hey there...sorry if we're late! Aruto Takeshi and Hongo, at your service!"

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City folk were weird.

It was a thought that crossed Ryu's mind almost every day, and today was no exception. Today, the school was in a fervor, like there was a festival today. There was no festival today though. Instead, they were sending everyone out on a journey, out into the wild. That was unheard of back home, but hey, city folk. They were incomprehensible to him.

He spent the day listening to his teacher Jacq. The boy tried to keep up, but frankly, it was a lot to take in. Eventually though, the bell rang, sending the youth from a long boring lecture to... another long boring lecture. The director spoke of them heading out to the world like it was something to be proud of. Something to be praised. It just seemed too dangerous to Ryu, but he didn't have much to say to that.

Besides... somewhere out there, his precious partner was waiting for him. He had to find him... he just had to...

His grip on his sole pokeball tightened as the speech concluded.

Now he was free to meet up with the group, but before that, there was something very important he had to do, something he was sure everyone else was doing as well. He adjusted the giant bag on his back, the bag being nearly as tall as he was, and just as wide. Time for a shopping trip.

He went around the town square, looking at what every store had to offer. It was all shocking to him, everything around him. Back home, he could never imagine so many stores, all selling different things. Where he was from, there were small vendors, usually attached to a person's house. Here though, there were entire buildings dedicated to selling things. And not just one or two, but entire streets of them. The buildings themselves still felt very strange to him to. He was used to being surrounded by trees, but the buildings blocked those, as if mocking nature itself.

Even the food was strange to him. Pre-sliced bread? Back home in the village, the bread was always made fresh, and you had to slice it yourself. Peanut butter? Never heard of it until two seconds ago, when he bought it. He was sure other people in his group would know what to do with it. He kept buying random things until his bag was completely filled.

Despite how heavy the bag was, he walked forward with it like it weighed nothing. It was a familiar weight, one almost comforting to the boy. Now with all the food bought, it was time to meet his group. As he walked to the board, he passed by one thing that did remind him of home. A vendor was selling things from a small stall. That made him nostalgic.

Eventually, he found everyone else, the group gathered next to a ladder. He walked to them, raising a hand in greeting with a quiet nod. "How do you do, fellow students?" He asked awkwardly.

Well, at least his greeting was nice and 'hip', as people say.

Edited by Saikazo

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╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅──╮

Strange Ladder, Mesagoza – 2:00 PM

With the assembly at an end and students finding their groups, the day was still not even half over for many of them. Despite the fact that Clavell’s speech had dragged on a bit near the end, he still managed to get them out before the end of the normal day, which gave the students enough time to begin their planning.

The school was buzzing with activity, groups forming and taking over every corner of the school as they pondered their options and where they should go. Although most students already knew what they wanted to do, the group format meant they had to come to a consensus together…

Of course, that meant that students were funneling out of the school as well, meeting up at various different points around Mesagoza. The local cafes and restaurants knew this time of year well, the post ceremony lunch rush.

Of course, not everyone was interested in picking a place to meet that had decent food, if the small group gathering behind the Pokemon Center had anything to say about it. As they settled in to discuss their plans, another figure approach them. The boy seemed slightly older than the rest of them, his face covered by a medical mask. A ring of flowers draped around his neck swayed from side to side as he approached the gathered students, “...Group 13, right? Hopefully I got the right ladder, since I was going to be in this area anyway.”

Wendy turned to face the masked boy. "Correct. Are you another member of this group as well?" If so, that brought the group's size to six. A fine number, often preferred by top-of-the-line trainers if everything she heard was to be believed.

He nodded his head for a moment, before rubbing at his neck, "Yeah, I am, but I also won't be traveling with you, if you all intend to travel. Name's Mahli. I was offered an internship, working with Pokemon Centers around the region. I figured I would stop by, give you all my Rotom Phone number, stay in touch... Jaqc would probably get on my case if I didn't at least pretend to be traveling with you."

"Wait, you're going to travel by yourself?" Ryu asked. Concern filled his question to the brim. "That's really dangerous, you know. We should stick together, lest you get caught unaware by a powerful Pokemon."

Mahli paused for a moment, when he spoke again, his voice was a bit softer, "I mean... That's fair enough, but always a concern anyway. I've stocked up on Poke Dolls to make a quick break if I need." He gave the bag hanging against his back a little pat, "I'm heading towards Levincia for my first assignment, I wouldn't wanna drag you all out of the way."

"Levincia?" Aruto muttered, rubbing his chin. "Isn't that the city where the Gym Leader Iono is from?"

 

"You got it." He shot Aruto a quick thumbs up, before his eyes glanced upwards towards the sky, "...Man, I hope I don't have to interact with her myself. Not a huge fan. Hopefully the nurses take care of that."

He coughed for a moment, before turning his attention back to the group, "I've heard some rumors though. You know how the Gym Leaders are all prepping for the challenge? I hear she's recruited help from those Team Star guys that run the Training Camps."

"Team Star?" Scully raised Gligar up to his shoulder; It felt like a more dignified position than hanging in his arms. "I've heard they're supposed to be really strong, right?"

Mahli's hand rose up as the colorful flowers shifted around his neck, lifting up over his head and floating into the air as the small, light green oval shaped main body revealed itself. The boy brought his hand up, scratching at the side of its cheek as he shrugged, "I dunno. I never checked out those training camps myself, I just heard about it while I was interning at the Center here. They're great places for gossip."

Scully thought for a second about this, then grinned. He had an idea. "I mean... that sounds kinda neat. Right?" He leaned back against the ladder, attempting to affect a laid-back, confident pose. "We haven't really figured out where we go first, right? And Levincia's as good a place as any. Besides," and here he clapped his hands together, "I'd love to get that badge off Iono, Team Star or not!"

"Well, looks like we've ended up with a little group of weirdos," Helena hummed as she continued to work on her pad, having only dodged the Gligar and nodded to the others as they showed up, "Myself included, of course! Helena's the name," She poked the Pumpkaboo atop her head, prompting a squeak from it, "And this cutie is Jackie. I don't see much of a problem with Mahli wandering off and doing his own thing, it'd just bring everyone down to force someone to go somewhere they didn't wanna go... But we may as well tag along to Levincia for the first stretch, ye?"

Mahli shrugged his shoulders a tiny bit, a little smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he did, the mask shifting upwards slightly, "I guess that's fine. I don't mind the extra company. Right, Aroma?" His fingers reaching up to brush the side of the Comfey's body gently, a small coo escaping the floating flower bunch as he did. "If you all want to head out today, I'm good to go whenever, I'll just swing back by the school and grab my traveling bag. The east gate is a good spot to head out from, there's all sorts of wild Pokemon you can catch out there too, so you can keep yourselves busy."

He turned himself around, giving the group a thumbs up as he turned away from them, "I'll catch you all outside the east gate later. I recommend being careful out there, the Pokemon get pretty strong if you wander too far from the gate!"


Outside Mesagoza, South Province Area Three - 4:30 PM

The individuals were given plenty of time to prepare on their own, Mahli apparently took his time on getting ready. Either he wasn't nearly as prepared to go as he made it sound like or he had been distracted by something. There were students roaming around on their own, preparing for their own journeys, or just enjoying the freedom to leave the city as they wished. There was a small group of students standing on a bridge of land connecting to the grassy plains of South Province Area Five. They charged back towards the arid Area Three with a brown amphibian held up into the air, cheering as they ran back into Mesagoza. The Wooper had a blank smile on its face, a small "woo" escaping it as they charged back into the city.

Wild Pokemon roamed across the dusty terrain, settling in together to avoid human contact where they could. Rocky and harsh to those trying to explore deeper in it, but calm enough for the beginning trainers to travel through it...

Mahli stepped through the gates of Mesagoza, rubbing at his neck for a moment as he took a small glance around, "I guess I should, uh... Damn, I shoulda gotten the numbers from those guys before I left, huh? Guess I'll be waiting over here at the gates..."

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅──╯

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"Mahliiiii!" Scully rushed over from the rock he had been sitting on, Gligar clinging onto the back of his jacket for dear life. The bat Pokemon had been stuck to him like glue since he had come out into the windy area, trying desperately not to get swept away. "Hey, there you are, I got out here 'bout thirty minutes ago. Haven't seen the other guys just yet; Maybe they were behind you? Do you think they went ahead a little?" He didn't mention how he hadn't ventured further into the province to find them due to being too scared to go by himself. The walls of Mesagoza suddenly seemed far less imposing than the great high cliffs that reached up around him. 

"Mmmmaybe we could go ahead and try to find 'em? Maybe find some strong Pokemon out here, too! I'll be needing them to fight Iono when we get to Levincia!" He grinned hugely, feeling legitimately confident. "Not that I'm too worried." He reached up, patting at Gligar's head as the bat Pokemon finally found purchase on his shoulder to stand. I've heard Iono uses Electric-type Pokemon, he thought to himself. With a Ground type like Gligar, it'll be a piece of cake! I'll be off to a great start, with a badge from a Gym Leader who's trained with Team Star!

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"I'll catch you all outside the east gate later. I recommend being careful out there, the Pokemon get pretty strong if you wander too far from the gate!"

The group assembled and they had a heading: Levincia, home to the Electric Paldean Gym Leader, Iono. While Aruto was excited for it, he knew one thing...his team as current, was lacking. Sure, Hongo and Gapu were good for the most part, but Gapu was still Water Type...which would crumble at the sight of the Electric Types. And Hongo was a Bug Type, which meant he was sort of only going to do normal damage in the long run.

If I had a Water Type move or even a Ground Type move on either one...maybe things could be even better. Aruto crossed his arms slightly, exhaling slowly. But right now, he knew what he needed to do: South Province #3 was going to be his starting grounds...and he'd get a new Pokémon to assist with how things could possibly go with Iono's Gym. "Well, I'm gonna get a head start! Waiting here until he gets back is gonna really waste time!" he said, stretching slightly. "Me and Hongo are gonna start it! We'll still be there for you guys to meet up with! Let's go, partner!"

Hongo simply made a few clicks and seemed as hyped as his Trainer.

With that, the pair of them left, walking right out the Mesagoza doors and into South Province #3!


Aruto took in the scenery from this part of the South Province, the rocky terrain was definitely something he was expecting would give him a bit of trouble, but he wasn't deterred. If anything, perhaps this would give him something with Type Advantage due to the locale. Least that's what he was hoping for anyway. In actuality, he saw a few Pokémon, but they weren't initially what he needed...though he kept them in mind...but right now, he needed something...he just wasn't sure what he was looking for entirely.

That was, until Hongo hopped down to get Aruto's attention. The young man looked and saw that Hongo was directing him towards a Pokémon: a Skorupi. He gave the scorpion Pokémon a look, seeing it simply devouring a berry. He glanced at Hongo, crouching slowly. "You sure about this one, bud?" he muttered. Aruto was only met with a firm, determined look from his partner...that was it then. "Alright then...if that's what you think...then it's you and me, bud." He stood straight back up, cracking his knuckles a bit. "Let's kick this into high gear, Hongo!"

The Nymble nodded, rushing forward towards the Skorupi, who suddenly got defensive and dropped the rest of it's berry. Hongo simply delivered a surprise Tackle which did knock the Skorupi for a loop and stunned it in shock. The battle now had begun!

"Great job on the surprise Tackle, Hongo! Now, use Assurance!! Aim for the spot you used Tackle on!" Aruto commanded, watching Hongo nod and preparing to strike...only for the Skorupi to strike first with a Poison Sting. "Poison Sting? Oh man...that's not ideal..." he muttered, watching Hongo jump out the way of the attack, only having it's legs be grazed by some of it. Nevertheless, it's hit landed true, striking the spot that it hit with Tackle. It knocked the Skorupi back a bit, causing it to stumble some.

"Now or never...PokéBall!! Go!" Aruto threw the ball in the direction of the Skorupi...only for it to use it's tail and smack it back at Aruto's face. "OW! Okay...still needs a bit more..." he grumbled, picking the ball up. "Hongo, use Struggle Bug!" Hongo unleashed a small green bullet of energy from it's mouth as it struck the Skorupi, which got knocked back a bit more, this time on it's back. "There we go! Now, try this again...PokéBall, go!!!"

The ball was launched again, this time making contact with the Skorupi and into the ball it went... One shake... Two shakes... Three shakes... The ball stopped moving and the light no longer was flashing.

"AWRIGHT!" Aruto cheered, as he rushed over and picked the PokéBall up. "That's a Skorupi for us! Good eye Hongo...hopefully he'll make a fine addition to the team!" Hongo only hopped back onto his Trainer's shoulder. "C'mon...let's go back and meet up with the others." he said, turning around and rushing back towards the rendezvous point. "HEY! Sorry, was exploring a bit...got me a new Pokémon too!"

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"No worries, no worriessss," Helena hummed, walking up behind Scully and Mahli with Jackie balanced on her head. The Pumpkaboo chirped a greeting as Helena walked up next to the other two. She now carried an overstuffed hiking backpack, complete with a bedroll at the bottom, seemingly without any issue at all, "What's a few minutes on a long adventure like this? I'm sure the extra prep time is more valuable than the little bit of time lost, and it certainly looks like he was having fun!"

She motioned towards Aruto with a showman's flair. Jackie rolled down from her head and across her arm, letting out a meep as she ended up sitting on Helena's extended palm. "In the meantime, I'll introduce you to my partners. This is Jackie, she's a small one. And this..." She snapped her fingers, causing her Klefki to jingle as it popped out from behind Mahli, holding the belt that had previously been around his waist, "Lockpick! Give that back, right this instant! You can't prank our new friends this soon!"

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"Well, looks like we've ended up with a little group of weirdos."

To that, Wendy could agree. Thankfully, she was a much-needed dose of normalcy in this collection of strange and unusual characters.

"Myself included, of course! Helena's the name, and this cutie is Jackie. I don't see much of a problem with Mahli wandering off and doing his own thing, it'd just bring everyone down to force someone to go somewhere they didn't wanna go... But we may as well tag along to Levincia for the first stretch, ye?"

"Wendy," the white-haired girl reiterated, for those that hadn't been there when she first introduced herself. "I agree; if only as far as Levincia, we should at least stick together at the start of our adventure." And so the plan was made; meet back up outside the gates of Mesagoza, and from there, once the gang was all there, get this show on the road!


Outside Mesagoza, South Province Area Three - 4:30 PM

Wendy had initially resolved to be outside the gates at four o'clock, on the nose. However, met with some free time before the hour of choice, she'd gone to Naranja's library, to do a bit of research. Or try to, anyway. What was supposed to be "research" ended up turning into "struggling to find any material that could be found anywhere else". She'd been looking for any sort of documentation on Paldea's climate, as per the job that had sent her here in the first place, but the only mentions of weather that seemed unique to the region were listings of pokemon unique to Paldea who interacted with weather - a phenomenon far from unique to this region - and one not-very-academic-looking footnote that mentioned Paldea's rains were generally so short that there was no point bothering with umbrellas or anything of the sort in the first place, which did absolutely nothing to help Wendy in her search.

The only thing that was even remotely connected to her search was the knowledge that Pelipper was a pokemon that existed in this region, which was not only a fact that nobody had ever called into question, but also one that still provided no assistance. Pelipper was far from exclusive to Paldea, yet this was the only region that was... like this. So unless there was some sort of hyper-frequent mass migration of the creatures or some equally unlikely situation, "pokemon abilities" could be ruled out as to why the weather in Paldea could swerve so suddenly.

And then Wendy realized she was late, and that hitting the books was clearly getting nowhere anyway. She wasted no time putting everything back where she found it, ensuring she had her two poke balls with her, then hurrying to the gates of Mesagoza. Generally one to travel very light, Wendy had simply gotten a regular backpack, filling it up with supplies she'd imagined others might want. Not to mention there was that one boy, whose bag surely compensated for the rest of the team if they were light travelers like herself or if they simply neglected to prepare for a journey all around the Paldea Region.

Wendy approached the gates just in time to hear that Aruto boy call out to the rest of his team. It seemed he was just now catching up as well, but rather than from within the city, it seemed he'd already gotten a bit of a head start exploring beyond its safety.

"HEY! Sorry, was exploring a bit...got me a new Pokémon too!"

"No worries, no worriessss. What's a few minutes on a long adventure like this? I'm sure the extra prep time is more valuable than the little bit of time lost, and it certainly looks like he was having fun!"

Helena's opinion was met with a nod of agreement from Wendy. Followed by an introduction of her two partners. The Pumpkaboo was named Jackie, and the Klefki was named Lockpick. That was a thing trainers tended to do, now that she thought about it. Nicknaming pokemon and all. Wendy, for one, never saw a reason to. Even Mahli's pokemon had been dubbed Aroma. Fishing a pair of poke balls out of her raincoat pocket, Wendy casually pushed the buttons on the pair, releasing her own duo of pokemon that they might enjoy the fresh air.

"It's... impressively dry out here," Wendy commented. "In fact, I would even call it disturbingly dry, though that may be because I come from a moist and humid region. Hopefully everyone remembered to pack some water for the trip."

Still, a localized section of the region being this arid? Perhaps our vacationing employee back home simply visited at a bad time and this whole weather phenomenon I'm meant to investigate was being over-exaggerated as a result of a biased experience.

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"You caught a new Pokemon already?!?" Scully was agog as he stared at his companion. "Wow, that was so fast! Can I see it? Maybe we could even... have a little battle once we stop for the day, see how it performs?" Gligar enthusiastically waved a claw at this suggestion. "But! We can't lose daylight now, can we? Lets go, you guys!" Scully strode confidently ahead, trying his best to project leadership despite the fact he had no idea where he was going. 

Gligar tugged at his ear. "Gli Gli!" "What is it?" He asked, pausing to look back. He frowned, perplexed for a second, before he realized. "Oh, wait. We're short one, aren't we?" He quickly counted, only to see no sign of- "Where'd Ryu get to? Ah, guess we SHOULD wait for him... Which meeeeeans..." He whirled around, eyes wide with excitement as he eyed up Aruto. "Maybe we have time for a battle right now!" Gligar hopped up on top of Scully's head, waving his claws around excitedly. "C'mon Aruto, let's see what you've- Oh jeez!" Gligar had immediately fallen off his head, pulled along by the wind. Scully snatched at the bat Pokemon, only barely catching him by his tail before he could be sent tumbling along the canyon sides like a paper bag.

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