Giacomo was the last to leave the classroom. He was lost in his thoughts all through the lesson. Adalynn had been taking up every available space in his mind lately. The night she disappeared had left him devastated, and it was hard to get back on his feet at first. His friends had been there, though, and they helped him move forward. But that was about a year and a half ago. Team Star was now back in school after nearly being expelled for operating the Star Bases and skipping classes. They were slowly readjusting to school life, along with their big boss and founder who they now knew as Penny. Life had gone on. But Adalynn was never forgotten. Penny kept in touch with her, and if Team Star could wait for their leader to return to them, then they could wait for their Dragon Princess as well.

"You're gonna fail the big test if you keep spacing out like that, Momo." Giacomo looked over at the bespectacled girl walking with him.

"Sorry, Big Boss…I mean, Penny." He forced a smile. "Bein' back at the academy's just…bringin' up some old memories."

Penny wore a knowing smile. "I figured as much." She grabbed his sleeve to stop him. "I have some news that might cheer you up, but you have to come with me. The others will meet us there."

He raised a brow. "Uh, okay."

With Penny leading the way, Giacomo found himself with the others just south of Mesagoza. They were in Area One and were waiting around a little pond where a few Wooper were swimming. Penny was keeping an eye on the skies, but the others just seemed confused.

"What's this about B.B.?" Eri finally asked after spending several minutes in silence.

"Yeah, I have to get back to my base for more training," Ortega complained.

"Just you wait, Ortie," Penny told them. "It'll be worth your time." Shielding her eyes from the sun, she scanned the sky again, spotting what she was looking for. "And there she is."

The others followed her gaze, seeing a Hydreigon flying their way. But it wasn't alone. Someone was on its back. A girl with long pigtails dressed like a Noivern. Giacomo completely froze, and the others gasped in surprise. Hydreigon slowed and descended until he stopped in front of them. Adalynn hopped off his back, looking apologetic as she returned him to his ball.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! I took a quick detour to see my parents and…" The girl trailed off upon realizing the wide-eyed stares she received. "H-hi, guys. Did you miss me?"

"Addie!" Eri rushed over and engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. "You're really here! We knew you'd come back!"

Mela and Ortega had to calm Eri and make her release the poor girl so she could breathe. "Still as strong as ever," Adalynn muttered, beaming once the pain of Eri's hug faded. "I can't tell you how good it is to be back. Penny's kept me up to date on what's happened with Team Star. I feel kinda bad for missing out on everything."

"Where have you been this whole time?!" Mela yelled. "You just up and left! And Penny refused to explain anything to us!"

Adalynn held her hands up defensively. "I know! I'm sorry! I can explain everything, I swear!"

Atticus cleared his throat, earning everyone's attention. "I believe there's someone who deserves more than just a mere explanation, Lady Adalynn." He nodded toward the dark type user at the back of the group.

Giacomo couldn't move or even speak. It felt like a dream to see her there, as if she'd never left in the first place. She locked eyes with him, and her expression changed to one of worry. He looked so stunned that she couldn't tell if he was angry or sad or hurt.

"Momo…" He slowly approached her, his legs moving on their own. "I-I should've said something… I should've answered your calls… I-"

Once he was right in front of her, he pulled her into a hug to silence her. His arms wound firmly yet gently around her frame. His shoulders shook with silent cries of joy.

"I missed you…" he whispered.

Adalynn almost immediately wrapped her arms around him in return, closing her eyes to simply enjoy the moment and keep herself from crying like a baby. "I missed you, too." When she released him, she had to lightly push against his chest to get him to let her go. It was as if he were afraid she'd leave again. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long. But I couldn't come back even after Penny filled me in on what happened with those bullies."

"Why not?" he asked. "Why couldn't you at least tell me what was going on?"

"I wanted to, believe me. But I didn't wanna drag the whole team into trouble because of me, or worse, get in your way when I wasn't strong enough to keep up. And also…he needed me more than you guys."

She stepped back, grabbing a specific Poke Ball from her waist. With a click of the button, a large beast appeared beside her with massive wings. Penny was the only one that didn't flinch back upon seeing it, instead, her mouth hung open briefly.

"You weren't kidding," she softly uttered. "It really is just like the ones in Area Zero."

Roaring Moon snarled at them, and before he could take a single step toward them, Adalynn moved in front of him. "Moon, no. They're friends." She pressed her palm against his snout, pushing back slightly to make him stop. She gave her friends an apologetic smile. "Sorry, he's wary of people."

"What…is it?" Ortega asked.

"A Roaring Moon, at least that's what we can assume. He resembles the beast of that name in the Scarlet Book." She sighed, thinking back on it. "You see, I met Moon a few years ago, before I ever enrolled in the academy. An unknown creature from the depths of the Great Crater. He was wounded, afraid, and untrusting of everyone. I think I was the first human to ever get close to him. But even though he accepted me, I could never quite control him. Seeing his raw power in action was what made me want to be a dragon type trainer."

"That's…really cool," Giacomo breathed out. "But what does this have to do with you leavin'?"

Adalynn hugged her arms. "Because that night, after we'd prepared for Operation Star, I did some late night training in the schoolyard. Some of those bullies came and picked a fight, and even after I'd worked so hard, my dragons couldn't beat them." She moved an arm under Moon's head to scratch his neck. "That's when Moon took it upon himself to act of his own accord. He was only protecting me, but he gave those bullies a good scare. In the fight, his Flamethrower caught a tree on fire." She shook her head. "I knew I'd be in big trouble, and I was afraid of what they might do to Moon. I was scared they'd take him away from me. So, I decided to leave. I went into the crater with Moon. It's his home, after all. I trained hard to be able to control him, and I strengthened the rest of my team as well. The few times I came back, I avoided the school and Team Star's bases. It pained me to stay away - to lose contact with all of you, but I couldn't risk you guys trying to follow me."

Atticus gave a nod. "Ah, so that explains why the villainous wretches cowered before our might. They had already tasted a fiery defeat, courtesy of Roaring Moon."

"I'm so sorry!" Adalynn cried. "Penny told me what happened. Those bullies dropped out and you guys were blamed. Team Star took the fall because of me. All because I couldn't control my own pokemon."

"It's not your fault," Mela argued. "Those punks got what they deserved for picking on you. Moon avenged you and your team. That's the way I see it."

"Besides, things turned out okay in the end," Eri added. "Team Star is back in school, all together again. And our bases are now the official Star Training Centers for any students who need battle practice."

Adalynn gave them a flabbergasted look. "You mean, you guys aren't mad at me?"

Giacomo moved toward her, ignoring Moon's piercing gaze on him. "No, of course not. We're thrilled to have you back, Addie. Things weren't quite the same without ya. And now, Team Star is whole again!"

Adalynn smiled wide and practically jumped on Giacomo to hug him. Eri joined in, nearly lifting them both off the ground with her strength. One by one, the others joined in the group hug. Penny stood by, watching them with a smile of her own.

"Does this mean you'll come back to school with us?" she questioned.

After her friends let go of her, Adalynn returned Moon to his ball before responding, "School? I don't know. Won't it be just like before?"

With a hopeful grin, Giacomo laughed lightly. "Nah, you've got nothin' to worry about! The old director and school staff quit after the incident. The new director is super forgiving, and the teachers are all understanding. And get this, there hasn't been a single bully! Everyone's been friendly and kind. I promise, you'll fit right in. It's exactly the way you'd hoped it would be when you first enrolled."

Adalynn seemed hesitant, and Ortega smirked slightly. "I've heard the art teacher is an elite four member who specializes in dragon types as well. Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from him."

The girl gasped. "Seriously? An elite four dragon trainer teaching art?" She scanned each of their faces, and what she saw was genuine contentment with their school life. She knew she could trust their judgment. "Well…alright. I guess I'm going back to school."

Her friends took her back to Naranja where Adalynn paused to gaze up at the impressive building. She tried her best to erase the bad memories to let this be a fresh start. Fortunately, upon meeting with Director Clavell, she was placed back in her dorm and classes. Like Penny, she had been marked as "on leave of absence" in the files. She'd never been expelled or dropped out. After a quick bit of paperwork and an explanation about the incident in question, Clavell welcomed her back to school and even allowed her to keep Roaring Moon on school grounds. Since it was already late and they'd had quite a day, Giacomo met back up with her and walked her back to her old dorm room. He may have secretly asked the others to make themselves scarce so he could talk privately with her.

Adalynn unlocked her door and went inside, smiling to herself. "It's just the way I left it." Her décor hadn't changed, and her clothes and school supplies were still there waiting for her, though with a layer of dust coating them. "It feels so weird to be back. But it's a good kind of weird."

Giacomo laughed. "I bet. Gotta get used to havin' your own little space again."

"That won't be hard if you're still down the hall from me."

"I am. Come by and visit any time. Mi casa es su casa. Plus, I've been makin' all kinds of epic beats, so maybe I'll treat ya to some."

Adalynn nodded excitedly. "I'd love that. I missed your tunes so much while I was away."

A brief silence fell over them, and Giacomo found his fingers fiddling with the envelope in his jacket pocket. He'd discreetly retrieved it from his room earlier while Adalynn was in the director's office, and he may have added on to it to fit his current plan. You've waited a year and a half to give her this, now do it. You worked so hard to get this right. This is your big chance, so don't let it pass you by. His internal pep talk encouraged him to go for it.

"Hey, Addie?" His eyes shifted away from her and his cheeks turned a light pink. "There's actually something I wanna give you." He slid the plain envelope from his pocket and held it out to her. "Here. This is for you."

"A letter?"

The girl accepted it with a slightly puzzled expression. She started to peel it open out of curiosity only for Giacomo's face to light up.

"Gah! Don't open it yet!"

Adalynn looked up at him with a raised brow. "How am I supposed to see what's inside, then?" She had a slightly teasing smirk on her lips, almost as if she was onto him.

"You can, just not…right this instant." He sighed, pulling his cap down to try and hide his red face. "Look, I've gotta rest up for tomorrow. I won't be in class on account of training some classmates at my base…well, Star Training Center now. Just, um, make sure you read what's in there before bed, okay?" He pointed to the paper in her hands.

"Okay, I will. Goodnight, Momo."

"Night, Addie."

Giacomo hurried to leave her room, exhaling deeply as soon as he was on the other side of her door. He pumped his fist at the tiny victory, heading back to his room with a cheerful stride. Even though he was extremely anxious, it was also a huge weight off his shoulders to have given her the letter. He could only hope things would turn out well tomorrow.

Adalynn stared at the envelope for several long moments before setting it on her desk. She let out her partner, Noivern, who had just enough space to stretch out in the small room. "Can you believe we're back in school? It was so long ago since we were here."

"Vern. Noivern."

"Be a good girl while I get a quick shower."

Despite her words, Noivern thoroughly explored the room, as if familiarizing herself with everything all over again. She also happened to find the envelope on the desk, sniffing it to find Giacomo's scent on it. She remembered his scent, for he was one of the few friendly humans that helped her and her trainer in the past. Once Adalynn came out of the bathroom in her pajamas, Noivern gently picked up the envelope in her mouth, bringing it straight to the girl.

"Noivern," Adalynn giggled. "Were you curious about it, too? C'mon, I'll open it up."

Taking the letter from the dragon, she went and got comfortable on her bed. She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the folded paper from inside. Unfolding it, she got to reading it.

Dear, Addie.

Let me just start by saying that, the night you left us was the night I realized just how much you meant to me. You were my first real friend, and you stuck by me through the toughest times. That's why I took it upon myself to stand up for you when you needed me. I thought I could protect you, and that's why my heart ached when I found out you ran away. Not only would I not get to see your smile every day, but it felt like I'd failed you.

But I'm stronger now. I've had lots of new experiences. I know you have, too. And now that you're back home, I want you to know that…I like you. I've had a crush on you ever since we became friends, and my feelings for you grew each and every day. You're beautiful, you're compassionate, and despite what you may think, you endured, and that makes you strong. You give me the urge to make music for you - to do whatever it takes to see you smile and hear you laugh. I can only hope that maybe, just maybe, you feel this way, too.

If you like me the way I like you, then meet me tomorrow at Barato's around 6:00 pm.

Adalynn was wide-eyed when she finished reading. She was blushing a lot, she could feel it. Noivern stared at her expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

"Noi?"

"Giacomo…gave me a love letter… H-he likes me…" She broke out in a huge smile, hugging the precious letter. "I had no idea he felt that way! I thought for sure I was the crazy one for liking him! But it turns out the feeling's mutual!"

"Noivern noi!" Noivern nuzzled her, sharing her excitement.

The girl threw her arms around her pokemon. "And he wants to meet me tomorrow at a restaurant! It's definitely a date!" A little squeal rose from within her. "I can hardly wait! I'm so glad to be back!"

Her excitement made it difficult to sleep that night, but she managed knowing she had classes to get back to. It helped that she wanted to be well-rested for her dinner date with Giacomo.