Author's Notes (9)
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First chapter of March.
Now let's dive into the chapter!
Chapter 53's gonna be where I retcon some of my previous words since some criticisms I've received in the reviews actually makes sense in hindsight.
For example, Ash already knows Vaniville, meaning he could already find where Serena is, like what a review said (Thx btw). So I'll be changing that in this chapter.
How? Guess you're gonna have to find out. And big thank you to that one review for pointing that out, really made me realize something incredibly simple but overlooked.
Chapter 53 is also gonna introduce the main driving force that is forcing Ash to travel to different regions instead of just heading straight for Kalos, making this the biggest plot-driven chapter by far. So look forward to that. Though it may be plot heavy, I've made sure to lighten it up since the previous 2 drafts were waaaayyy too serious.
If anyone's wondering how Caliburn looks like, go search for the Fate franchise's Caliburn. Because I'm using Fate elements in this story, do expect to see some more iconic weapons in the future since Ash here is a parallel to resident sword boi, Shirou.
Now for some questions:
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Rainbow Rocket in Fated?
Yes. To refresh, its an event where different versions of the big bads join together and fight against the USUM protagonist. And now that you guys kinda got the vibe Fated is going with, imagine the huge clusterfuck that's going down in the future.
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Sada & Turo
Oh, they'll be in Fated alright. As if the bosses with sick battle themes are getting away from this story. Shit's too cool NOT to include them.
Also, Paradox Suicune and Virizion look sick, especially the latter. Did you see those leaf blades coming outta its body?! I'm gonna have a field day when the DLC story comes out.
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Small Question for you guys:
What kind of school uniforms would you guys like to see the characters in? Simple? Dripped out? A reference would be nice since my own taste in fashion is really shit.
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With all that outta the way, enjoy!
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Chapter 53: You Reap What You Sow
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Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region
Sycamore entered the classroom and gave a nod towards the two Kanto natives as he prepared to explain the new school curriculum. Apparently, there had been an interesting development regarding budding Trainers and education modules.
"Alright, everyone. Before you kids start hounding our new arrivals, I'm going to inform you of the new curriculum."
'...This has to be the worst day of my life,' Gary shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he could feel the chilling eyes of a certain honey blonde stabbing into him with pure animosity.
The orange-haired boy knew full well why the girl had a bone to pick with him and could not blame her for that. After all, he did almost kick Ash into a coma, although unintentionally. He did feel guilty for doing that and getting away with it scot-free, so Serena's wrath towards him was rather welcoming to him since he felt it was deserving.
Blue, however, was utterly terrified at the honey blonde's aloof and thorny demeanour since it was night and day compared to what Ash had described her. The chestnut-haired girl shuddered a little each time the honey blonde's attention shifted to her.
'As if she's shy and cute, Red! She's scary!' Blue internally cursed the raven-haired boy for scamming her expectations.
"First off, there has been a change of laws in the Worldwide Pokémon Association," Sycamore explained.
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Worldwide Pokémon Association
The governing body that handled legislation regarding Pokémon and Trainers. It was comprised of every regional Pokémon Association into one main body, although regional affairs were overseen by their own respective headquarters and need not the approval of the others. They were responsible for drawing up and often enforcing laws regarding Pokémon, and general competition between Pokémon Trainers. They are the creators of the different types of battling, such as the Triple Battle. Some of the laws created by the Association include the famous rule which states a Trainer can only carry six Pokémon with them at a time, although it may vary for some Trainers with special circumstances. In addition, they provide Great Balls for all Gym Leaders to use as well as their salaries.
______
"With the unanimous approval of all regional Associations as well as Samuel Oak, all Trainers are allowed to start their journeys at the age of 11."
The announcement drove the classroom into excited uproars as they did not have to wait for 4 more years to receive their Pokémon.
Gary, Blue and Serena were 11 years of age, turning 12 next year although the new law did not apply to the first two since they already began a year earlier thanks to Oak.
"Alllrrriggggghhhhtttt!" Calem cheered as he had been waiting for this moment his whole life.
The boys went wild as their journey was about to begin soon while Shauna hummed but excited all the same. Serena was curious as to how they would be able to pick their Pokémon among the class, but she digressed.
"For this, you have your Pallet Town classmates to thank for," the Professor spun the spotlight to the two Kanto children with a grin.
"Due to their remarkable performances as Trainers as well as assisting the Johto Champion against the newly-discovered manmade Legendary, Mewtwo, the chairmen all decided that you children could handle yourselves, though supervision is still needed."
"If anyone wants to be a Trainer, they will receive a provisional Trainer license. That means you have all the privileges of a Pokémon Trainer but must be accompanied with a real Trainer with an official license."
Blue hummed to herself as she recalled the aftermath of the whole Mewtwo incident. After taking accounts of the children's experience, Oak added Mewtwo's PokéDex entry into the encyclopaedia for future reference while the authorities warned the entire world about the new Legendary and urged everyone to not engage into battle against him.
'Well, at least no one's gonna mess with Mewtwo in the future,' Gary sighed to himself, still recalling the traumatic experience.
Though Mewtwo's animosity towards humans had weakened, the orange-haired boy was convinced that the bipedal feline would still show no mercy to any Trainers that dared cross his path. At best, he would begrudgingly ignore them. Although, a certain raven-haired boy would most likely be welcomed by the artificial Pokémon if he ever visited wherever he was. That, Gary was confident in.
"Because of this, we'll be having a completely revised timetables with new modules," Sycamore continued as Alain handed out the list of the new subjects to everyone.
[=]
-Pokémon Care (Basics)
-Pokémon Training (Basics)
-Pokémon Contest (Basics)
-Pokémon Battling (Basics)
-Pokémon Studies (Basics)
-Performances (Basics)
-Pokémon Catching
[=]
The excited clamours grew louder as the students' new year was shaping up to be a very illustrious one. The next thing they wondered was their first Pokémon and how they were going to get them. Luckily, Sycamore continued with that in mind.
"Now, about your starters... You would have to catch them yourselves with a Trainer's supervision or be provided by your own family. However, if anyone would like a Kalos starter as their first, there will be a test for that privilege."
A few students were not interested in obtaining a starter since they already had their Pokémon with them. Most notably were the new students who seemed uninterested. All four of them sneaked a quick glance at each other, nodding towards each other as a sign of respect, especially to Alain from the Kanto natives since seniority was very important to them.
With that out of the way, class began.
...
The students crowded around the Kanto natives as homeroom ended, leaving a flustered Blue and a sheepish Gary at the mercy of the clamouring students.
"You were so cool in the Grand League, Blue!" one girl fawned delightfully over the chestnut-haired girl.
"Your Arcanine was sick, dude!" a boy fanboyed over an uncomfortable Gary.
The two were stuck in an endless cycle of bombarding praises and were praying to escape out of this hell of embarrassment ASAP.
Then, an unlikely person joined the Kanto natives as she took a seat next to their desks. The princess of Azoth gave a courteous smile to the two as she reintroduced herself regally.
"Please to be your acquaintances, Oak and Leaf. I'm Kimia Azoth."
"Ah... Ah... P-p-p-pleasure's ours!" Blue spluttered around her words, turning her into a blubbering mess before her companion came to the girl's rescue.
"Pleased to meet you. You can call us Gary and Blue. We really don't mind," Gary bowed slightly at the princess, faring much better than the short-circuited Blue.
Kantonians typically referred to others by their surnames, only ever using their first among friends. However, Gary and Blue did not mind since they understood the different customs of other regions.
'We sure are getting acquainted with royalty a lot these days...' the chestnut-haired girl deadpanned after remembering Ash's gifted sword from Queen Ilene.
The orange-haired boy took a sideway glance at the honey blonde boring holes at the two with sharp eyes, eliciting a sigh from him.
"Breaktime's about an hour. Please excuse us, Lady Kimia," Gary bowed again.
"Kimia is fine. We're colleagues, after all," she waved with a gentle smile.
As Gary and Blue left the class, the former signalled to Serena to follow, pointing upwards to tell them their destination. Getting the message, Serena followed suit.
...
Creak.
The air above was fresh, though Gary and Blue would have preferred the Pallet Town's breeze. Blue perked up as she saw the honey blonde joining them in the rooftop.
Calem and the others stepped away for a moment as the three were silently gazing at each other without any movement. The tension ran high as they were left wondering what was about to go down.
"You must be Blue," Serena smiled serenely at the Kanto girl before frowning at the orange-haired boy behind Blue.
"And... Gary, was it?"
The sudden icy tone from the honey blonde had everyone on edge except Gary, who put up his arms in defeat. She had a bone to pick with him after the Semi-Finals fiasco.
"Woah there, I'm a changed man. You have your boyfriend to thank for that."
"I'll be the judge of that. A man doesn't try to kill his friend just because of some disagreements."
"Wait, wait! Green was going through some thin-" Blue tried to defend before getting cut off.
"I may not know of what turned him that way and I'm pretty sure it's something I can sympathize with, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he was out of control. Defending his actions that harmed the dearest person in my life leaves a horrid taste in my mouth, Blue. I hope you realize that."
The honey blonde's words were sharp and cold, like a honed blade fresh from a trip to the whetstone. Blue seized up in silence as she could not deny that accusation while Gary was dumbfounded at the girl before him.
She was completely different from what Gary and Blue had imagined. Their initial impression from what Ash had given them was a kind and gentle sweetheart, albeit a little shy. But that all crumbled down at the appearance of the aloof and strong-willed girl who was unafraid to speak her mind while carrying a charismatic air despite her harsh but resolute words.
'Looks like the punishment I've been waiting for is here,' the orange-haired boy mused as the guilt that weighed him down could finally be paid.
"You're right... I was stupid back then, but I'm serious that I've changed. However, I also know you're not convinced," Gary reached a hand towards the honey blonde.
"All I ask is that you give me a chance to prove it."
Serena scrutinized the orange-haired boy with an even gaze before sighing to herself and accepting the handshake. A part of Gary was glad she was willing to give him a chance as well as given the opportunity to atone for his wrongdoings.
"...One condition."
Gary tilted his head in confusion.
"Lemme sock you once. You don't mind, do you?" the honey blonde requested with a radiant smile while showing a fist ready to be unleashed, not caring about her crude language despite her persona in school.
"...Please be gentle."
On that day, Gary Oak's heart was etched with true fear towards the honey blonde demoness in angel's clothing.
'What the hell, Red?! She's goddamn terrifying!'
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"Achoo!" a sneeze reverberated across the wide-open ocean in the night sky.
'Someone's talking behind my back,' Ash pondered with conviction, immediately ruling out a cold.
For the past few days, Ash was stuck on the sickeningly slow ship headed to the Orange Islands due to them dropping anchor frequently due to the captain's seasickness. He had already battled every Trainer on the deck, most of which recognized him as the Finalist for the Grand League.
He also came to find out that after his showing in the Grand League, the Pikachu species' popularity had skyrocketed exponentially, becoming the #1 in Popular Pokémon of the Week since that day and was expected to continue for a long time. It did not help that Pikachu's face was very marketable, much to everyone's surprise.
'Ahhhh... So that's where all the PokéCoins were coming from,' Ash realized as he was wondering why his income had gotten ridiculously high, even after factoring in his winnings from the Grand League.
Apparently, Oak had redirected a lot of marketing enterprises to Ash's account so that they could gift the boy a small cut of the miraculous profits with no strings attached as thanks for helping them realize Pikachu's popularity.
Ash wanted to return the money back but Oak insisted he kept it for the future, which the boy reluctantly relented. The raven-haired boy was not a big spender and rather incredibly good with saving since as an orphan, he had to learn how to survive by himself, not wanting to impose on the Oaks.
"Man, I could probably buy an apartment unit with this much and still have some leftover..." Ash calculated in his head, but ultimately would rather use the money to buy ingredients to cook for his Pokémon.
Nobody was getting in the way of his hobby, not even God. He would die before that happened. Or a second time, in his case but the boy preferred not to dwell on that.
Glancing to the side, he snorted at the sight of his ketchup-loving partner wearing his cap while busily draining up his favourite bottle of red with a gleeful expression. The adorable electric mouse had adopted a fondness for his Trainer's cap and would wear it at every chance it got, capturing the hearts of spectators due to how cute Pikachu looked, especially lasses. Downside was that Ash had to wash the cap more frequently for Pikachu to wear, but he did not mind.
'Well, at least it hides Pikachu's scar,' Ash mused as he absentmindedly rubbed his own scar from his battle against Gary before opening his bag and coughed.
Seeing no one was around at this time of night, he proceeded.
"Ahem, er... Key Items: Sword," he commanded before a longsword covered in stone materialized inside the bag, courtesy of the Item Storage System.
'Ever since that fight, Caliburn's form has been stuck like this...'
Gone was the short sword of rust, and in its place was Caliburn but encased in stone. With no other choice, Ash had to keep it in the Storage System due to it not fitting in his normal Bag compartments anymore.
'When they call it the Sword in the Stone, I didn't think it was literal...' Ash sweatdropped.
A nagging part of his brain was wondering why it was not the more famous Excalibur, but he had enough of thinking for the night as he returned the Sword back and took out another object.
"Keep: Sword. Key Items: Silver Locket."
His treasured locket materialized from the digital Storage System, and the boy began cleaning it with a clean cloth, not wanting the silverness to rust. Ash had his locket broken twice before, once during his scuffle with Gary and the other when he got buried in rubble. The raven-haired boy had enough of his keepsake of Serena getting destroyed and opted to keep it safe in his Bag's Storage System rather than wear it. Seeing its track record of damages, Ash was not taking any chances.
"It's gonna be a long night..." Ash said to himself as he found Pikachu snoring away after his ketchup feast.
Sleep was something that had become quite foreign to the raven-haired boy as he had to put in effort to fall asleep. The most useful technique he had was thinking about the honey blonde. Silently, he was contemplating visiting Giovanni to blow off some steam due to his restlessness since it was technically the man's fault.
Staring into the shining stars in the calming sheet of black, he picked up Pikachu and turned in for the night.
...
"Pikapi..." the electric mouse cooed in the bed.
"Sleep, partner," Ash coaxed as he cradled a blanket-covered Pikachu, lulling him to sleep.
'Heh... Never fails,' he chuckled inwardly as he recalled doing this to Serena back when they were younger.
"I wonder where those two are now," Ash wondered as he placed his partner on his room's bed while covering him with its comfortable white blanket.
Without disturbing his sleeping partner, he began drifting himself to sleep with the aid of the image of his favourite straw hat girl.
'Yellow... I wonder if those two bumped into her wherever they are...'
'...'
'...'
'...Nah. There's no way that'll happen.'
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Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region. (Canteen)
"...Are you okay, dude?" Calem asked with worry.
"Yeah. It's the least I deserve," Gary answered with a bruised cheek that had been bandaged expertly by himself.
"Self-awareness is a start," Serena nonchalantly said as she gracefully ate her meal.
Serena's group was now larger as Gary and Blue joined them, causing quite a stir among the students. Rumours of the Queen punching the grandson of Oak spread like wildfire, but was unceremoniously killed when the honey blonde turned towards the gossipers with an aloof stare. Though in truth, she was just honestly wondering what the others were saying, completely oblivious to her expression.
"Serena, you're doing it again," Shauna reminded her friend since this was not the first time and in fact, the whole origin of her persona of her initial title.
"Ice Queen... Fits her like a glove," Blue remarked.
Then, the chestnut-haired girl noticed a difference in their meals.
While Gary and Blue ate the Kanto sets, which they were thankful were available, the others such as Calem and Shauna had the Kalosian dishes. This would be normal if not for the honey blonde who had ordered the same set as the Kanto natives, which made Blue curious.
"Hey, Sere-chan. Do you like Kanto food a lot? What's the story there?" Blue bluntly asked.
"Oi, Bluey. That's rude," Gary scolded instantly.
"No, no. I can smell a story here. C'mon, I'll trade it for embarrassing stories about Red," Blue did her signature 'perfect shot' pose at the honey blonde while adding that last deal trade with confidence.
But Serena did not mind the question nor the '-chan' added to her name since it was a term of endearment. But she was super interested at that last bit.
"I don't mind. Well, how do I put this..." the honey blonde gave a warm smile that contradicted the cold exterior previously.
"After returning home to Kalos since that summer camp, I experienced some... withdrawal from Red," she explained while her ears blushed at the memories in camp.
"Believe it or not, he can cook well despite having no experience when I met him. Red only started when he heard my stomach growled when we would sleep in his room."
The honey blonde remembered that one stormy night when roaring thunder frightened the little girl to no end with a young Ash rescuing her as he covered the girl with a blanket while cradling her in his arms, lulling her to sleep and relax. Since then, they would stay together as they turned for the night during summer camp.
"Oh yeah, I had some of his stew when me and him were at Saffron Hospital," Blue recalled, not noticing how the honey blonde twitched at the mention of hospital.
"It was the most delicious outdoor food I've ever had. I think that guy got even better when we came home to Pallet..." the chestnut-haired girl gasped as she realized that Ash was a top tier chef this whole time.
Gary and Blue had never needed to cook during their journey since they would stay in Pokémon Centres and eat there, never needing to camp outside unlike Ash. Unbeknownst to the children, his cooking skill was something he learnt for survival and cultivated into a favourite hobby of his.
"Yeah... It was delicious," Serena agreed with a longing smile, causing Blue to chide herself at reopening old wounds.
"Ever since I returned back to Kalos, I've been eating Kanto food more often..."
Her words of yearning and gentle expression captivated the Pallet duo.
"Since that made me feel close to the boy I love."
The two could not believe someone could say a sentence so sickeningly sweet with a straight face, and yet here she was, flawlessly saying it without a shred of embarrassment.
"Does that answer your question, Blue?" Serena asked to which Blue nodded without a word.
"Now, as payment, tell me more about Red's embarrassing stories."
Gary and Blue immediately lit up with shining eyes resembling stars. Their two thoughts synchronized into one same sentence.
'MY TIME HAS COME!'
...
'Why do I feel like something terrible is about to happen?' Ash shuddered in his bed.
......
Vaniville Town, Kalos Region
After school, Serena invited the two Kanto natives to her house, where they introduced themselves to her mother.
"So you must be Ash's childhood friends," Grace smiled at the two.
"Nice to meet you, ma'am. I'm Gary Oak."
"Blue Leaf here. I hope we're not intruding."
"Nonsense. You kids have fun in the living room while I get some of my daughter's baked cookies," Grace waved before she left for the kitchen.
Blue turned to the honey blonde in amazement.
"You bake?"
"Yep. My cooking's a little average but I'm confident in my desserts."
Gary and Blue noticed that Serena's demeanour had shifted after returning home. The air around her was welcoming and much closer to that of Ash's description.
"I have peers and juniors that look up to me in archery. As their captain, I have to stay dignified to set an example," the honey blonde answered as if she had read their minds.
"Sere-chan, you do archery as well? Wow..." the chestnut-haired girl widened her eyes at the specimen before her, much to Serena's embarrassment.
"I'll have you know that my daughter has never missed a shot in her entire career," the woman returned with plates of cookies for the children along with some glasses of milk.
Gary stared at the cookies with reluctance, peeking at the honey blonde that had her attention focused on the ecstatic Blue.
"There's no poison inside if that's what you're wondering. I'm not that despicable," Serena smirked without even sparing an eye at Gary.
"I'll take you up on that offer," the orange-haired boy chuckled nervously.
Crunch.
"What the...?! It's good!" Gary munched on his cookie with surprised delight.
"Mhm..." Serena hummed before tasting her cookies with an unreadable expression.
"Might need to cut down on the sugar..." she muttered to herself.
Meanwhile, Blue was staring in wonder of the honey blonde, who was mentally taking down notes to improve her cookies for future reference.
"Archery, baking... Is there anything you can't do, Sere-chan?" the chestnut-haired girl asked the honey blonde that could seemingly do anything.
"A lot of things. I've still got a lot to improve upon," Serena sighed to herself, not satisfied with her current self.
"Eh... Why're you going so far to improve yourself... Ah."
At the sound of Blue's realization, the honey blonde let out a small laugh.
"Red's aiming to become a Pokémon Master, right?" she started with a fond smile.
"He has that to keep him going but I still don't have a goal of my own yet. So for now, I'm going to learn and experience everything the school has to offer until I find one. And until our reunion, I'll have become a charming woman that'll sweep him of his feet."
The two whistled at the determined aspiration Serena gave.
"No wonder Red's been unlucky since that summer camp. He's already used up an entire lifetime's worth meeting you," the chestnut-haired girl chuckled.
"Yeah, imagine someone being so unlucky that he even died for a while..." Gary's voice trailed off into the pin drop silence.
"...He did what?"
Grace was shocked at Gary's slip-up but became even more concerned at her daughter's unforgiving blue eyes as the icy cold wrath within her began revving up as each second trickled by.
"You're on your own, buddy," Blue turned away in condolences as she moved behind Serena as a witness.
'The one time I speak up during a girl talk and I slip up! Did Red's luck pass onto me or something?!' the orange-haired boy seized up in terror at the cold expression of the incoming honey blonde.
"Oi, carrot head. Explain."
"...Yes, ma'am."
And he explained away.
...
Serena rubbed her temples with an aggravated sigh as she processed the whole Mewtwo incident. Although all's well ended well, she could not help but worry for the raven-haired boy's foolhardy nature to rush headlong into danger if it meant helping others. It was a trait she loved and hated at the same time.
"Really... I sometimes wish that he'd care a little more about himself," she muttered sadly.
The honey blonde knew how Ash's self-preservation was nearly non-existent as well as the little known fact that he had very low self-esteem for himself, something only Serena was aware of.
Although he would hype himself up, Ash always credited his Pokémon and never himself for his victories, as if he felt undeserving of it. That rang true even during the Grand League.
The honey blonde now added an extra 'Whip that boy into shape by teaching him to value himself' to her mental to-do list for their reunion.
"I'm starting to think even the Queen persona is real..." a badgered Gary groaned out tiredly.
"If all of that is true, isn't Ash in trouble now since there's no one to keep him in check?" Grace paled at the thought.
"Nah... The Orange Islands has no known baddies like Team Rocket, plus its main attraction is the Orange League that Red's taking part in. Logically speaking, there should be no way for him to..." Gary stopped mid-sentence as he pondered even longer at the probability of Ash getting himself into trouble.
"Green, that's not helping!" Blue shook the boy's collar in a panic as she was starting to see said probability rising higher each second.
"What's more... Did he really call his sword Caliburn?" Serena asked curiously.
"Yeah! You should've seen him fighting Mewtwo!" Blue exclaimed.
"Getting into a fistfight with a Legendary, dying then reviving and finally, clashing weapons with the same Legendary that killed him," the honey blonde could feel a migraine coiling around her skull.
"What's more, he can use AURA like those storybook heroes you used to read about," Grace remarked before smiling at her daughter.
"You really picked a very troublesome boy to love, my daughter."
"Tell me about it. I'm trying to think of something as punishment for that dummy. He needs to know how mad I am."
At this, Gary perked up as he recalled his grandfather instructing Ash to do something for him as well as something about a meeting due today.
"Ah... I think I may have an idea," the boy plotted his revenge against the rival that passed his luck to him.
S.S Anne, 50km to Valencia Island
Ash woke up with beads of sweat running down his face.
"Why do I feel like something scary's about to happen?" he shivered before opting to take a cold shower to cool off.
...
"Ah, Ash. Welcome, my boy," the captain greeted with a smile.
"How are you feeling? I've made you some soup for the seasickness," the raven-haired boy nodded with Pikachu squeaking his greetings.
When Ash grew curious about the ship's extended journey to the Orange Islands, he went to see the captain, only to find the man vomiting into a trash can. Because of his need to help other due to his past, the boy meticulously made soup for the old man and rubbed his back if needed.
"Thank you, Ash. It's not often a boy your age would go out of their way to take care of an old man," the captain happily slurped the soup with delight.
"...It's never wrong to help others," Ash repeated the words Amber told him.
He was starting to like it as his go-to motive for helping people.
"Oh, right. You'd be happy to know we're about to arrive at the Orange Islands soon. It's all thanks to you, Ash."
"Thanks to your soup, this old man can take on the sea with ease."
The raven-haired boy lit up at the news that the Orange Islands was nearby. He was beginning to get tired of the same monotonous sights of nothing but the blue sheet of water around him. Thanking the old captain, the raven-haired boy rushed out to the deck with a grin.
'Finally...'
The raven-haired boy reached the deck and caught sight of an island, exciting him as he prepared to take the next step in his adventures.
"Strong Trainers..." he balled his fists tightly in excitement.
"Pikachu!"
The raven-haired boy recalled the overwhelming strength of the bipedal feline and how it took everything plus some more to even stand a chance against him.
"Yeah, partner. We're gonna get stronger..."
'Stronger than even Mewtwo!'
'The very best, like no one ever was!'
Valencia Island, Orange Islands
'Thank goodness there's a small dock. Otherwise, I'd have to get on a blimp to land here,' Ash mused as he waved goodbye to the old captain of the S.S Anne as the cruise sailed away.
There was a reason why the raven-haired boy started here first. Immediately, he turned to the lone building resembling a villa.
"Welp, time to carry out the Professor's errand," Ash stretched a little before ambling contently with Pikachu hopping around land for the first time in a long while.
Reaching the villa, a woman came out to greet the raven-haired boy with a lazy smile. She was an attractive lady wearing a lab coat with a dark blue swimsuit underneath.
"A boy with red eyes... Ah, you must be Ash Ketchum," the plum-haired woman said.
"Ah, yes. You must be Professor Ivy," Ash replied in a polite manner.
Professor Oak had instructed the boy to meet the rather young lady Professor to do an errand for him as well as receive registration in the Orange League from her.
"Fufu... It's not everyday I get a cute visitor on this lonely island. Come in."
Ash and Pikachu then followed the woman into her villa where many Pokémon ran freely behind the building, astonishing the two at the myriad of different Pokémon. To his National PokéDex, it was an all-you-can-scan buffet as he wasted no time expanding his encyclopaedia.
"Woah! Pikachu, look! That Vileplume has different patterns on its petals!" Ash exclaimed in excitement.
"Pika! Pikachu!"
"Fufu, you two are adorable. That's right, some Pokémon here have altered variations from their common species," Ivy explained as her triplet aides prepared some refreshments for the travellers.
"That's what my field of research is: Regional forms."
The raven-haired boy sparkled at the Professor's specialization as he mused at the fact that there were different types of Pokémon of the same kind.
"Are there Pokémon like that?" Ash asked.
"Yes. The most common places to look for are the Alola, Galar and Paldea Regions," she answered with a smile.
"Take for example, your Marowak that participated in the Grand League. Congratulations, by the way. It's a Ground Type but in its Alolan form, its Typing is Fire and Ghost."
Ash was amazed at the explanation the woman was giving, doubly more so since her enthusiasm when explaining made him more engaged. He was excited that there was still much to discover in the world and grew even more motivated to get stronger.
Ivy went on to give Ash and Pikachu a tour of the place while continuing her lecture of the differences between regional forms and alternate-coloured ones.
"Now I get it. Pokémon with different Typing from their normal species are regional forms while Pokémon with different appearances and sparkles are alternate-coloured, or Shiny like you call them. Man, it's easy to mix up the two," Ash mulled over Ivy's research, prompting a hearty laugh from the woman.
"You're special, kid. Most people other than the Professors would have gotten bored of this old lady's research," Ivy chortled while patting the boy's raven hair.
"What's more, you actually paid attention and understood it perfectly. Good job."
"Huh? Why would they? Regional forms and Shiny Pokémon are some really cool stuff," Ash tilted his head, confused as to why people would not find her research fascinating.
"Besides, why'd call yourself an 'old lady' anyways? Whichever morons told you that should get their eyes checked."
The raven-haired boy's honest words gave her a wide smile, clearly satisfied with his initial answer with added points at that last comment.
"Your flattery is appreciated, Ash," she thanked.
"I consider flattery lying, Professor. And I can't lie to save my life anyways," Ash sighed regretfully.
"Hmm~ That's actually a very attractive quality for women. You might grow up to be a sinful heartbreaker, y'know?"
"Haha... Let's not joke about that..." Ash felt a chill down his spine.
"And I already have someone I treasure in my life already."
"Oh? Tell me more in detail," Ivy nudged.
"Haaaah... It's gonna be a long day..." Ash sighed again.
...
...
...
"Well, aren't you quite the romancer, Ash?" Ivy gave her review on the raven-haired boy's promise to Serena.
"Hey, it made sense at the time. But I don't regret it one bit," Ash said with confidence as he materialized the silver locket from his Bag.
"I don't break promises and I never will. That's why I'm going to be a Pokémon Master."
"Well said, young man. This elder sister looks forward to your future," Ivy nodded in approval.
The two then noticed Pikachu squeaking that it was already afternoon.
"Wow, time flies when there's someone new to talk to," the plum-haired woman remarked.
Suddenly, the triplet aides came to find Professor Ivy and Ash.
"Oh, Charity, Faith, Hope. What's the matter?"
"Ah, Professor Ivy. The Professors on the line," one of them beckoned to the PC.
"Looks like it's time for your errand, Ash," Ivy smiled at the clueless boy.
"...Eh?"
.
Although it was a PC, Ash was astonished at the size of Ivy's screen as it looked like it came out of a spy film due to its size.
From the screen were different Professors from different regions all over the world. Ranging from Professor Oak of Kanto to even Professor Marigold of Galar. The raven-haired boy gulped at the sight of so many different influential people on screen.
Luckily, Ivy stepped in and perched her head on Ash's hair while her hands laid firmly on his shoulder. The plum-haired woman knew he was intimidated at the Professors, so she decided to make him comfortable as well as implying to the researchers on screen to be nice to Ash.
"...Thank you, Professor," the raven-haired boy thanked while holding Pikachu in his arms.
"Just call me Ivy-nee. And you're welcome."
With that, the meeting began.
"Oh, so this is the famous Red of Pallet Town," a bearded man jovially observed.
"Birch, your face is covering your whole screen," a mature woman sighed.
"Oh, sorry, Juniper. I got a little excited."
"This child will be the one?" an older man scoffed at the sight of the raven-haired boy, prompting a tick mark on the latter.
'What's with this old fart? He pisses me off for some reason,' Ash uncharacteristically mused with stronger annoyance and anger than he thought.
"Now, now, Mentor. You've seen what he's capable of, right?" Sycamore calmed the man named Rowan.
"In any case, ahem! Bonjour, Ash Ketchum. I've finally got the chance to meet you face-to-face."
"Ah... er... Bonjour?" the raven-haired boy greeted with the same greeting as the Professor.
"Haha! That wasn't that bad, Ash."
'Nah, I just copied your tone and pronunciation, man,' he sweatdropped.
Truly, a faker's specialty.
"Oh, there are some people here who would like to meet y-"
"Augustine, save it for after the meeting," Rowan strictly instructed.
"Ah... Of course, my bad."
Ash saw the man apologizing and telling the unknown people out of frame to wait till the meeting was over.
'Hmm? There are people who wanna see me? Wonder who?' Ash shrugged to himself.
"In any case, let's begin," Oak commenced the meeting.
With that began Ash's errand... which he was still clueless about.
.
"Ivy dear, can you get 'that' please?" Oak requested to which Ivy nodded.
The plum-haired woman went to a tightly secured safe and took out a sphere and gave it to Ash before returning to her original position on the raven hair.
Though many Professors had their brows raised at the young woman's rather affectionate reaction towards the young boy, Ash was obliviously marvelling the object in his hand.
It was a golden PokéBall made of sturdy Apricorn instead of the metallic ones and had silver inscriptions on it that read GS. Instantly, Ash's newfound ability to analyse the history of objects or people got to work in the form of glowing bloodred eyes.
'This is...' Ash analysed.
"That Ball right there is-"
"The GS Ball," Ash interrupted the explanation, silencing the Professors into a shocked state.
"It was created by a masked man belonging to the damn Rockets," the raven-haired boy continued while spitting out Team Rocket's name with fury.
"Made using the ingredients of an Apricorn shell as well as the feathers of the Legendary Pokémon Ho-oh and Lugia... Yeah, that's about it."
'Why did it activate now?' Ash sighed at his uncontrollable AURA.
"How...?" a scrawny Professor muttered in confusion.
Not only the man but everyone present was curious as to how the boy knew of such information, especially the Masked Man of Team Rocket, who disappeared years ago after losing the GS Ball.
But Ash merely shrugged in response, clearly not wanting to pursue this topic any further. Pikachu was worried at the glimmering red eyes, but was calmed instantly at his partner's skilfully intoxicating hands rubbing his chin.
"So, what's my errand, Professor Oak?"
"Ah right. Ahem! Ash, you are tasked to bring the GS Ball to Azalea Town of Johto. There, find the man known as Kurt, the Monster Ball Maker, so that he can examine the Ball," Oak instructed as a picture of the man in question appeared on screen for the boy to identify.
"However, take your time, my boy. I'm rooting for you in the Orange League," the elderly man assured with a grin.
"Yeah! We'll take the trophy!" Ash grinned back in response.
"Samuel, surely you're not bringing in your personal relations into this matter?" Rowan asked incredulously.
"The GS Ball is a serious matter. If done unproperly, it will fall into the wrong hands!"
'The geezer aside, he's got a point. Why me though?'
"And what makes you think my boy here is unqualified?" Ash's foster grandfather shot back.
The whole meeting grew silent as they wanted to know what made the raven-haired boy the most qualified to guard the GS Ball. Nearly everyone knew of Ash's achievements in the Grand League, but it was not enough to convince them since they were worried of it being stolen from him.
And to everyone's surprise, Sycamore laughed aloud, disrupting the silence.
"Hahaha! I know what you're getting at, Professor Oak!" the man nodded to himself.
"Augustine boy, please tell everyone since that bloody Oak's gob's getting on my nerves," Magnolia requested irritably.
"Alright. Our Ash Ketchum here is the one who defeated Team Rocket singlehandedly."
...
...
...
"WHAT?!" every Professor minus Oak and Sycamore exclaimed in shock.
Meanwhile, Ash was perplexed at that statement.
"Just to be clear, I didn't beat them alone. My friends Green, or Gary, as well as Blue helped take them down," he clarified properly while raising a brow in confusion at Sycamore's panicked state towards the unseen people with him.
"But it was you and your Pokémon that defeated Giovanni, isn't it?" Oak unhelpfully provided to Ash's chagrin.
Dropping the fact that the raven-haired boy was the one who beat Giovanni had every Professor trust in Ash's capabilities.
"If you all are still not convinced..." Oak proudly resumed.
'Nah... I think they're good, Profess-'
"Ash here was the one who defeated Mewtwo during the New Island incident."
'Et tu, Gramps?!'
And that was the last straw for the dam holding back the wave of uproars to break. The Professors went crazy at Oak, saying that such a powerful Legendary could not have been defeated by a mere child.
"Well, see for yourselves," Oak pulled up a footage of New Island, much to Ash's surprise.
Of all the Officer Jennys, it just had to be the one with a body cam.
Of all the body cams, it just had to be the one with the highest quality.
Sometimes, Ash wondered if he was cursed with bad luck as he groaned silently with his hand on his head while Pikachu was immersed in the footage. He really did not like being the centre of attention.
The researchers were dumbfounded as they processed what they were looking at while the Kalos Professor had turned off his volume to appease an unknown person from going berserk off-screen.
The high-quality footage showed the first part of the battle with Ash and Mewtwo trading blows with equal force as the two threw punches at each other for a few minutes longer than they thought it would last. And that was the milder part.
The second half was a completely different fight altogether. They watched with held breaths as Mewtwo clashed with Ash with their spoon and blade respectively. The dance of steel had everyone's eyes wide as saucers as Ash fought toe to toe with a Legendary and was keeping up before his weapon was disarmed. And when all hope seemed to be lost, the raven-haired boy one-upped their imaginations by projecting the same sword in his hand and unleashed its True Name.
{ SWORD OF SELECTION, GRANT ME STRENGTH! }
{ CLEAVE THE WICKED! }
{ CALIBURN! }
And with that, the footage corrupted in the end due to both Pikachus' electricity interference, though the entire thing could still be watched.
"Care to tell us what that was, child?" Rowan demanded.
"Haaahh... See, Professor? This is what I hope wouldn't happen..." Ash sighed in defeat, flustering Oak as he apologized for being too excited.
Ash felt AURA was still active, much to his disappointment since it meant he had to show it. Otherwise, it would be lying. It was like AURA activated at the most inconvenient time for the boy and he was nearly convinced it was doing it on purpose.
"AURA, on," he chanted as he began his Projection.
The second time around, Ash was way more comfortable with AURA Projection since swords were the perfect fit for him for some reason. No longer the inept AURA Wielder, the boy gladly projected a normal sword from his library of weapons.
'Woah, it actually worked!' he cheered internally.
Not only that, but this was also the first time he could sense his AURA reserves since that day and what he found shocked him.
Projecting Caliburn managed to quadruple his reserves thanks to Exceeding's conditioning, blasting him way past Riley's level. What's more, he only felt a quarter dip in his AURA levels even after manifesting the mundane sword in his hands. With that, Ash was certain projecting Caliburn again would have drained him dry.
'Thank goodness I was numb from Mew's memories, otherwise I would've felt the biggest backlash to date after projecting the Sword for the first time,' Ash inwardly let out a breath of relief after realizing how close he was to dying for a second time.
"Um, Ash. Can you explain...?" Ivy asked from above him.
"Ah, right. Ahem!" the raven-haired boy was brought back from his musing as he cleared his throat.
"This is AURA Projection; a skill only AURA-sensitive people can use. My... senior, I guess? Anyways, he was an AURA Guardian-in-training who came to my aid when I was comatose after the Semi-Finals."
Then, Ash materialized the Sword in the Stone from his Bag Storage and showed it to the baffled Professors.
"And this is the Sword that saved my life. In my comatose state as well as my... first death?" Ash wondered aloud, completely oblivious at the horrified looks the researchers were giving him as well as the continued appeasing of Sycamore towards the unknown berserker.
"Thanks to AURA, I was able to force Mewtwo back , the credit for defeating him goes to this little guy as well as his clone," Ash rubbed his partner's head after dismissing his sword into motes of blue light.
"Any questions?"
...
"Ash..." Ivy suddenly hugged the boy from the back, surprising him a little before noticing the sad expression on her face.
"Are you really alright?"
It was the question on the back of everyone's mind. Those who knew him could not possibly fathom how Ash was even still functioning properly. What's more, he spoke of his death so casually that it unnerved the Professors greatly. The reports of the New Island incident said that the boy lost a hand prior to his death and still continued protecting the Pokémon despite his injuries. This did not end even after his revival. From time and time again, he risked his own life to help others, even cheating Death in the process.
"Ah, yeah. Projecting normal swords isn't a big deal. I could probably make 4 more before I pass out," Ash completely missed the point of her question.
Ivy knew the boy could not lie so to hear his honest answer without realizing what she was implying was deeply saddening to the plum-haired woman.
"Why swords? I've read about the AURA Guardians, and they typically used [AURA Sphere] as their Projections," Sycamore asked curiously.
"Who knows? Swords are uniquely natural for me," Ash answered with a shrug.
"So? After Mr Kurt examines the ball, then what? Why'd you guys even want a guard for this?" the raven-haired boy decided to change the topic.
"Team Rocket's gone, right? Then there should be no problem."
"Well... You see, Ash... Team Rocket is not the only criminal organization," Oak answered hesitantly.
Ash widened his eyes in surprise at the shocking revelation. He did not think that there would be more, considering how massive Team Rocket's influence was. What's more, the raven-haired boy could tell there was something else worrying the Professors, seeing the grave looks on their faces.
"Ash, you're the Trainer who defeated Team Rocket. The main supplier of the evil organizations' Pokémon. Their Grunts' Pokémon were trafficked by Rocket and the strong ones are funnelled to the Admins," Juniper explained.
"So now that Team Rocket's gone..." Elm continued.
"Who do you think they'll set their eyes on?" Rowan finished.
Understanding washed over the boy as he got what they were trying to say.
"...Me," he narrowed his eyes.
"My dear boy..." Oak started.
"You are now the target of such evil organizations, endangering the GS Ball in exchange. However, there's also no denying that you are the most capable currently."
"Even after Kurt, you still have to travel to the other regions to have the GS Ball examined by the regional Professors. And knowing you, you're definitely going to challenge the Regional Leagues too, adding another onto your plate of obligations."
Oak took a deep breath and with a serious expression, he asked the boy the question that everything he said had lead up to:
"Knowing all of this, will you still go on this journey?"
The raven-haired boy pondered for a while as the gears in his head turned.
'The Professors are asking me for help. But why me though?' he wondered with a hand on his chin.
Everyone watched as the boy was deliberating seriously, actually glad that he was taking his time to absorb all of this information.
"...Ah! So that's why you guys asked for me," Ash finally said.
The Professors were confused as to what the boy was talking about before the latter began explaining his thought process.
"You can't ask a group of people to deliver it since there might be a leak and betrayal's a big problem. Meaning you need someone capable of protecting the Ball and trustworthy enough to do this, right? The Champions can't do it cuz' the evil organizations you guys mentioned will be suspicious and they're busy as well..."
"Y-yes, that's correct but my boy... we were wondering what your ans-"
"Oh, that?" Ash interrupted as he smiled to every Professor present.
"I've already made my decision the moment I promised you about the errand."
.
.
.
The researchers could not believe the child in front of them. The boy's mind was already set the moment he was asked to run the errand. Even after considering the possible dangers of such a task, he never wavered nor backed out. Not a trace of fear crossed his face as he digested the information of potential threats. Ash had already made up his mind a long time ago.
"Why are you doing this, Ash?" Rowan spoke first, attracting Ash's attention.
"There's no use in putting up a bravado and no one'll judge you for declining. Not even powerful Trainers would be up to the task so there is no shame in it."
"I'm not doing this because of arrogance, Professor Rowan."
The raven-haired boy raised his voice as his partner perched himself on his shoulder, ready to back his Trainer no matter what.
"True, I'm not the strongest Trainer you guys have. Nor the smartest."
"But even despite all of that, Professor Oak still asked this of me. The reason why I'm here is because he trusts me and the promise I made to him. That's why I'll do it. Because if I don't, I betray everyone's hopes."
"I never break my promises. To me, breaking one means betraying all of them. And there's one I absolutely can't betray."
The memories of that day flashed before his eyes. The start of a beautiful dream.
"And what is that, Ash Ketchum?" Rowan narrowed at the boy, gauging the determination of the Trainer before him.
...
"...A girl."
"A girl who changed my life forever."
"A girl who gave me a dream to strive for."
"A girl..."
"Who taught me to live instead of just being alive."
"And one day... I'll find her and... take her to the ocean."
Ash stood tall in front of everyone watching him.
"That's why promises are so important to me. If I lose her, I lose 'me'."
With that, no one could deny the boy anymore.
.
.
.
The Professors gave Ash the order in which he had to travel to complete the errand. There was no pattern in the sequence but the order in which the Professor called 'dibs' as Ash would put it.
'Now then, let's see...' he pulled up the sequence.
Johto - Hoenn - Sinnoh - Unova - Kalos - Alola - Galar.
'So, after the Orange League, I'll be visiting Johto... Maybe I'll see Lance or Miss Karen there when I join the Johto League.'
The raven-haired boy wandered his eyes to the remaining regional Professors that were on the sequence, greeting them formally and introducing himself again. Though, Sycamore said something about 'hanging in there' and 'prepare yourself', but that just made Ash more gung-ho about his mission.
'Why's Professor Sycamore sighing though? Ahhh... he must be sad that he's number 5 on the list.'
"Ash, is there anything you want as a reward for this errand?" Oak asked.
"Hmm... I don't want anything in return since this's something I decided to do myself... Oh!" the raven-haired boy pondered before a lightbulb lit up on his head.
"Then, can I get the Professors' endorsement for Regional League registration?"
There were many perks for the raven-haired boy that came with a regional Professor's endorsement. For example, Gym Leaders are obligated to use their Level 2 or 3 Pokémon teams against an endorsed Challenger, spiking the difficulty exponentially. Many would call this a masochist's wet dream, but Ash was not going to open that can of worms. He needed to get stronger to protect the GS Ball, no matter what.
It was a simple thing. Something the researchers would have agreed to even without asking, but they had a feeling the boy would not ask for anything else, so they accepted, guilty that they were technically taking advantage of the Kanto boy.
"Thank you for doing this, Ash. In addition with the Professor's recommendation for League registration, we're also giving you time," Kukui told the boy.
"Time? Time for what?"
"Completing this journey. You can take your time as much as you want since we're not in much hurry as you would expect. All we ask is that you keep the GS Ball safe."
The Professors collectively agreed that the raven-haired boy could take even years to complete the mission if he wished since they did not want to rush him. Plus, he would be participating in the Pokémon Leagues to come so they were doing their hardest to make sure Ash got all the time he needed. At the end of the day, he was still a child in their eyes and were obligated to aid him as much as possible.
"Now then, let's have you formally promise, Ash," Birch gestured to the boy as they recorded his pledge.
Ash was wondering why they even needed to record his promise, but he digressed as he stared at the camera with determined eyes.
"I, Ash Ketchum, swear to complete my errand and keep the GS Ball safe from the hands of evildoers... Even if it kills me."
He added the extra bit at the back so that even if the tiniest atom of himself wanted to give up, he would cut off any escape. Though, watching the Professors paled in horror was rather amusing for the raven-haired boy.
From behind him, Professor Ivy patted the boy's unruly raven hair gently.
"I'm rooting for you, Ash."
"...Thanks, Ivy-nee."
Finally, the meeting adjourned.
"Commence your business now, Augustine," Rowan said to his previous mentee.
"Ah... I don't think Ash is going to survive..." Sycamore sighed as he started praying for Ash out of nowhere, earning the curiosity of the researchers.
"It's finally over... Now I can get ready for the Orange League," Ash smiled while stretching his stationary muscles.
"Hey... Red..." a familiar voice uttered from the screen.
Ash perked up as he swiftly turned to Sycamore's PC and lit up at who was behind it.
"Green! Blue! It's been a few days, guys!" Ash grinned happily, oblivious that the two were clearly terrified beyond belief.
"Man, so you guys were in Kalos? Why didn't you guys tell m... Hmm?"
"Hey, what's the matter? You guys look pale for some reason... Stomach pain?" the raven-haired boy tilted his head in confusion before getting it returned by a still patting Ivy.
The boy wondered if his childhood friends ate something wrong, so he reminded himself to try his hands on Kalos cuisine in the future for their sakes.
"...Sorry, Red," Gary apologized out of the blue, unnerving Ash slightly.
"About what? And what's up with your face? A cat punched you or something?" Ash cheekily remarked at his plastered cheek.
"I accidentally slipped up and told her about Mewtwo..."
"What are talking about? Her? Blue was there, genius. Man, you must be losing your marbles if you forgot. Hahaha!" Ash continued, chuckling loudly in the process as he tried to laugh it off, though he was wondering why they were clasping their hands together at him.
'...Are they praying for something?'
Finally, as if to answer the reason for his friends' fearful expressions, a third person came into view.
"Seriously, it's not a big de-"
"Oh? No big deal?"
Ash's body was frozen solid upon hearing the familiar voice. Soft but now equipped with a chilling blade that threatened to shred his will.
"You got some nerve to call that 'no big deal'."
The raven-haired boy's voice died into a muted whimper as he recognized who the berserker out of Sycamore's frame was. His mind faded into oblivion as he realized how screwed he was. His internal filter turned off as all brain functions prepared for flight or fight mode. Ash broke into a cold sweat as he processed the features of his would-be executioner on screen.
...Oh fuck.
Honey blonde hair. Frigid blue eyes that could turn people into ice. And an expression so cold and dangerous, it triggered AURA to defend himself.
"What's more..."
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"Getting real cozy with such a beautiful lady, are we?"
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Ivy turned to the boy with an apologetic look as she made her escape while the other Professors began to understand the grave situation the boy was in.
"NOW THEN..."
Prelude of the Pilgrimage.
"WHAT'S THIS ABOUT YOU DYING?"
Chapter 53: You Reap What You Sow
I hate my goddamn luck!
_
__________________
Fated Lore Explanation: Pokémon Academy
Students attend the Academy for a total of seven years, starting from 10 years old to 16 years old.
Because Serena and the others are 11 years old, they are one of the Year 2 class, with Gary and Blue starting in that same Year.
Each Year batches are divided into 4 classes: A, B, C and D. Contrary to most people's belief, the order is NOT determined by academics.
Students generally join one or two clubs, although almost half of the school are in the 'go home' club. Serena's main club is the archery club, but she would attend other clubs part time to learn about their work.
With the addition of Pokémon studies in Year 2 and above, breaks will be extended (1.5 hours) and lessons will be longer (8 hours).