The bright blue light emitting from Grimer was blinding. Rayna had to shield her eyes, and only once the light faded was she able to see the large Muk in place of her Grimer. Lacey was just as surprised.

“You…evolved.” Muk looked back at his trainer with confidence. That was all she needed to see. “Then let's wrap this up with Gunk Shot! Take it down!”

Muk spit a large glob of purple sludge, which landed right on Granbull. That attack was enough to knock it out. Lacey returned her pokemon. Rayna was left standing there, stunned. She actually won. She beat Lacey. Granted, it was a one-on-one battle, but it was the first time she'd defeated Lacey. Muk rushed over and engulfed the girl in a big hug, snapping her out of her thoughts and out of her battle state.

“You did such a great job!” she said, hugging the delighted pokemon. “And you even evolved! I'm so proud of you!”

When she did pull away and return the dual type, she found her skin sticky from the slime. It was a good thing she and Lacey were in swimsuits. The Coastal Biome was sunny and warm, perfect weather after classes had concluded. Rayna's black bikini was the complete opposite of Lacey's frilly pink one. After using the healing station, the girls grabbed their things and walked the path toward the main section of beach.

“You've gotten so much better at battling, Rayna!” Lacey complimented. “Compared to your first day, you've not only gotten stronger, but you've gotten better about not sacrificing everything to avoid a loss!”

Rayna gave a timid giggle. “Thanks. I owe a lot of it to Drayton's training.”

“Yeah, I heard about his little training regimen. Good on him to actually do something productive with his time. Finally, he's doing something right!”

Upon reaching the beach, there were a few classmates present that were having a picnic. Who could blame them when the weather was so nice. Rayna took the opportunity to wade into the shallows and wash Muk’s sticky residue from her skin. Lacey ended up joining and playfully splashing her. The girls might have spent a little too much time in the water acting like kindergartners, but at least it helped Rayna relax. She'd gotten quite comfortable around Lacey lately. The fairy type user was definitely one of her best friends there at Blueberry. They ultimately ended up laying out on a couple of beach chairs, letting the sun dry and warm them up. Everything was tranquil, at least until a pair of boys discovered their whereabouts.

Drayton had been searching for his girlfriend after planning a little something for her. And Crispin, he was just tagging along because he didn't have anything else to do at the moment. He might've secretly been hoping to run into Lacey when he found that his fellow Elite Four member was heading to the Coastal Biome. Drayton wore a genuine smile when he saw Rayna looking so cute and totally chill. Crispin, however, was heating up as if he'd just eaten the spiciest sandwich in the world.

“Hello, ladies,” Drayton greeted. “Hope we're not interrupting your beach day.”

Rayna and Lacey both snapped their eyes open and sat up, turning their heads to look at the duo. “Oh…no, you're not,” Rayna replied.

Lacey sighed with the slightest hint of annoyance. “Though I didn't think we'd see you out here.” Her gaze landed on the redhead. “Don't tell me Drayton dragged you out here, Crispin.”

The boy swiftly shook his head, unable to tear his eyes away from the pink-haired girl. “No. Bored. Beach. Swimsuit. Cute.” His words were a jumbled mess while his head was screaming for him to properly compliment Lacey.

Drayton laughed. “I think what he means to say is, you're looking cute.”

Lacey raised a brow, a little unsure. “Well, thank you, I suppose. But honestly, Crispin, can't you say it yourself instead of babbling like that?”

Another laugh left Drayton, then his eyes landed on Rayna. “Seriously though, Ray Ray, you really are pretty in that.”

“Thank you…” she said while shyly looking away.

“Wanted to see if you'd like to join me for lunch. But if you're hanging with Lacey, I totally understand.”

Crispin, finally getting ahold of himself, looked at the taller boy, dumbfounded. “What? But you went and chased everyone out of the clubroom and everything.”

Drayton crossed his arms, his hair drooping a little. “Way to ruin the surprise.”

Rayna was wide eyed at that. “You…reserved the clubroom? For us?”

He nodded. “Yup! I wanted us to have a nice, private lunch for a change. The cafeteria doesn't really scream ‘romance’.”

Lacey suddenly gasped and covered her mouth, putting the pieces together. “Hold on… Are you guys…? Are you…?”

With a grin full of pride, Drayton plopped down beside Rayna and slung an arm around her shoulders. “We're a thing, yeah. And isn't my Ray Ray just the greatest, prettiest girl you've ever seen?”

Rayna was a blushing mess, all while Lacey jumped out of her seat. “Why didn't you tell me, Rayna?! That's so cuuute!” Said girl covered her face with her hands. Lacey shot Drayton a stern look. “But now I mean it more than ever. You'd better treat Rayna right or else!”

Drayton held his hands up defensively and feigned his offense. “C'mooon, why are you always acting like I'm the worst person in the school?”

“Because of your track record.” The girl frowned at him and put her hands on her hips. “Can you blame me? You've been in the same year three times, you're lazy, you're irresponsible, and I haven't forgotten how mean you were to Kieran.”

“Ouch…” Drayton rubbed the back of his neck. “Guess you got me there.”

Rayna was quick to intervene, “But despite all that, Drayton's been a huge help since I got here. It's only because of him that I've improved so much in battle and become less…well…shy around all of you. I really owe him a lot.” She met his gaze briefly and they both smiled.

Crispin had a big, bright grin. “Well, if you guys ever want me to set you up a nice picnic date with the spiciest sandwiches in the world, you know who to call!”

“Oh, get real, Crispin,” Lacey said. “What kind of date would that be? First of all, you'd be a third wheel. Secondly, what part of having your mouth on fire is romantic?”

“But people love my spicy sandwiches.”

Rayna cleared her throat to interrupt their squabble. “Um, anyway, I hate to bail on Lacey when we were having a nice time.”

The fairy user shook her head with a smile. “No, no, go ahead! I don't mind at all! Honestly, seeing how cute you two are, I'd rather you enjoy your lunch date.”

“Well, if you're sure…” Rayna slipped her hand into Drayton's, standing with him and grabbing her bag. “Thanks, Lacey. I promise, next time, we'll finish our beach day.”

Out of habit, Crispin started to tag along with the pair, at least until Lacey yanked his arm back. Upon leaving the sand of the beach, Drayton called out Dragonite to fly them back to the entrance. Before they took the lift up to the dorms, Drayton removed his jacket and placed it around Rayna's shoulders, surprising her.

“What's this for?” she asked.

“To cover you up until you can change. I don't mind showing you off to the whole school, but when you're looking this hot?” The boy shook his head. “I don't want other guys seeing you like that. Call me possessive or whatever, but that's just the way I feel about it.”

Rayna smiled bashfully, his comment making her blush a little. “That's…sweet, actually.”

She zipped up the jacket. Since he was a bit on the taller side, his jacket was just long enough to cover her bottom. After a quick ride up to the dorms, the boy walked her to her room, allowing her to change back into her uniform. They then went to the cafeteria where Drayton ordered them an Academy Shake. It was such a tall glass of various ice cream and fruit toppings that Rayna had never been able to finish one on her own despite how delicious it was. With the cold treat in hand, they went straight to the clubroom, which was completely empty thanks to Drayton. Rayna took a seat beside her boyfriend at the table.

“Honestly, after being in the Coastal Biome all morning, this does look extra tasty right now,” the girl admitted, eyeing the shake.

“Then let's dig in before the ice cream all melts.”

They each had a spoon and a straw, taking big bites off the top. Drayton rested an arm along the back of the girl's chair, getting comfortable. Rayna plucked a blueberry from the ice cream and tossed it into her mouth. When she noticed an expectant look from Drayton, she picked another and held it up to his mouth. With a slight blush, she watched him carefully take the berry between his teeth, avoiding her fingers and biting into it.

“Does this count as taming the mighty dragon that is the Drayster?” Rayna jokingly asked.

That earned a laugh from the boy. “Sure, why not? Give me snacks and I'll be an obedient dragon whenever you want!”

Rayna laughed lightly as well. “Not even a real challenge there.”

After eating most of the top layers of the shake, they started using the straws to slurp up the more melted bits toward the bottom of the glass. It was then that Drayton asked, “So, how's your day been so far? Classes still giving you trouble?”

“No trouble really. I'm getting quite used to the tasks and battles. Oh, but during a battle with Lacey, Grimer evolved into Muk. That was exciting. All in all, it's been a pretty good day.”

“That's great! And congrats on the evolution! It was about time Grimer leveled up. He was a resilient little guy.”

“And now my day's even better…because I get to spend some of it with you.” Rayna lowered her gaze to the table, a little embarrassed to admit that.

“Aww, you're a real sweetheart when you wanna be,” Drayton teased. “And you're just so darn cute too!” She turned her head away at his flattery, causing him to chuckle. “C'mon, Ray Ray, don't hide your pretty face! I want a kiiisss!”

Rayna was quick to meet his gaze with a slightly annoyed look. “Okay, stop whining already.”

Drayton took that chance to lean in and kiss her. Their lips were a bit cold from the shake, and there were various flavors lingering on them as well. Once they parted, Drayton licked his lips.

“Mmm, you taste like mint chocolate chip.”

Rayna blushed and lightly shoved his arm. “Don't say that! It sounds…messed up…”

That made the boy chuckle and wiggle his brows suggestively. It was then that Rayna's phone started ringing. Flying out of her bag to show who it was, Rayna panicked.

“Oh, shoot.” She suddenly shoved Drayton, hard. He flew out of his seat and landed on the floor where he sat in utter shock. Rayna answered the call, giving a small smile and a wave. “Hi, Dad. I…didn't expect to hear from you…so suddenly.”

Grimsley was beaming on the screen. “Good to see you, princess! I just wanted to catch up and hear how you're doing. Is the training going well? Classes giving you trouble? Classmates being nice?”

“Y-yes, everything's fine. I've…gotten better…at battling…and stuff.”

“Fantastic! I knew you'd do great once I got you transferred to Blueberry Academy! After all, you need to hone your skills to perfection if you're going to be a member of the Elite Four like yours truly.”

Drayton had taken to sitting criss crossed on the floor, listening to their conversation. Upon hearing that last part, he noticed the subtle hint of disappointment in his girlfriend's eyes. He knew the truth. Rayna had no interest in being part of the Elite Four. He waved to get her attention, and when she looked over at him, he pointed to the phone and mouthed the words “tell him”. Rayna responded with a slight shake of her head.

“Something the matter, princess?”

Rayna feigned a smile back at the screen. “Oh, no. Nothing.”

With a roll of his eyes, the dragon user picked himself up, slid his chair closer into frame, and plopped down in it. With a big grin, he wrapped an arm around Rayna’s shoulders.

“Hey, ex-Elite Four member Grimsley! What an absolute pleasure to meet you!”

Grimsley's expression hardened in an instant. “And who might this be?”

“No one!” the girl swiftly answered. “He's no one impor-”

“I'm Drayton, one of this academy’s own Elite Four. You probably know of my grandpa, Drayden. He's Opelucid’s retired Gym Leader. And to top off that awesome introduction, I happen to be Rayna's boyfriend.”

Rayna slapped a hand over her reddening face, meanwhile Drayton just smiled despite the obvious rage on the man's face.

“Excuse me?!” Grimsley shouted, fury taking over him as he got way closer to the screen than necessary. “I don't care who your family is! You have no right to be in the same vicinity as my darling princess! And you certainly have no right to call yourself her boyfriend! My girl deserves the best, and that certainly isn't you!” He revealed a single gold coin between his fingers, all while keeping the most threatening glare on the boy. “I'm going to flip a coin to determine your fate. Tell me, boy, heads or tails?”

Drayton tapped his chin in thought. “Tails.”

Grimsley flipped the coin and watched it land on the top of his hand. He clicked his tongue and scowled. “Luck is on your side, it seems. Looks like I won't be coming out there to throttle you. But if I so much as hear a single complaint from Rayna, I will end you.”

“That won't be necessary, Dad. I promise.” Rayna finally stepped in now that Grimsley had cooled down a tiny bit. “Drayton's really sweet. It's only because of his help that my battle skills are improving.”

The man raised a brow skeptically. “Really?”

Rayna nodded. “Yeah.”

“I see.”

There was a brief silence until Drayton cleared his throat, earning their attention. “There is one thing I'd like to add, if you don't mind. Not to butt into any family drama, but you really shouldn't push Rayna so hard, Mr. Grimsley.”

Grimsley immediately frowned again. “Would you like to run that by me again?”

“Listen, Rayna doesn't wanna be in the Elite Four. You're just pushing your own aspirations onto her. That's why she's struggled so much. You thought she could be great at battling, but did you ever stop and ask what she wanted?”

For the first time, Grimsley was actually rendered speechless. His gaze landed on his daughter, and he finally asked, “Is this true, Rayna? Why didn't you ever tell me?”

Rayna looked down to avoid any judgment in his eyes. “It’s true…I-I didn't want to…disappoint you… I actually…would like to be an author.” Her expression brightened and she finally looked up at him again. “I love writing. I'm even working on a story right now.”

“Oh, Rayna, I wish you'd told me this much sooner,” Grimsley said, looking a bit ashamed. “I only pushed you because I thought you wanted this as much as me.”

“I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth instead of hiding it.”

“I'm sorry too. I should've asked you what you wanted to do instead of assuming. You don't have to follow in my footsteps. I want you to follow your dreams, Rayna. I just foolishly thought we shared the same dream.” The man sent a glare at Drayton. “Though I do hope you reconsider the…riff raff beside you.”

Drayton only smiled, not letting it offend him. “Not gonna happen. I really like Rayna.” He leaned closer to press his cheek against hers, embarrassing her yet again.

“Th…Thanks, Dad. I promise to work hard to achieve my dreams.” She lightly pushed her boyfriend off her. “As for Drayton, he's not going anywhere anytime soon. He means a lot to me.”

Grimsley nodded, a smile gracing his lips. “I guess I should trust your judgment, princess. And I would like to hear about this book you're writing. I promise to buy a dozen copies as soon as you get it published.”

“That won't be…necessary,” Rayna replied. “But I appreciate it.”

“And I'd also like to hear more about…Drayton there. If I'm to accept your relationship, then I'd like to at least get to know him.”

Drayton laughed lightly. “No problem, Mr. Grimsley! I'll tell you all about the awesome Drayster here!”

Rayna playfully rolled her eyes, but enjoyed listening to them talk. She couldn't stop her gaze from lingering on the wonderful boy beside her. It was all thanks to him that such a heavy burden had been lifted from her. She got better at battling and controlling her impulse to take risks to avoid a loss. She improved in her writing because he would point out flaws or mistakes with each chapter he read. And she successfully opened up to her dad and gained his understanding and approval for the path she wanted to take. Drayton had truly made a huge difference in both her school life and her future.