“Welcome to Blueberry Academy!” Elodie smiled brightly, gesturing toward the building in front of her. Candy stood beside her, and Honey, her Applin, was in Candy's paws. “This incredible school is located in the seas of Unova. Though still relatively new, the technology used to create this place is of the highest quality. What we're looking at right now is only the entrance into the academy. The main facilities are all located below our feet, underneath the water. And get this, they have an entire nature park down there with wild pokemon and everything! But we'll get to that a little later. First, a little bit of insight from Director Cyrano himself!”

Cyrano straightened his tie and moved out from behind her phone to stand between her and Candy. “A pleasure to have you here, Miss…uh…”

“Elodie.”

The man smiled wide. “Miss Elodie, that's it.” Still out of view, Lacey facepalmed, embarrassed that he'd forgotten the name of the popular streamer he wanted to invite for publicity. “What do you want to know about Blueberry?”

Elodie glanced at the chat, seeing what were the most popular questions. “Well, for starters, what's life like here for the students?”

“Every one of our students is given a dorm room of their own. Our lunch ladies serve up delicious and hearty meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And our school store offers all kinds of things from school supplies to poke balls to snacks and drinks. As for our curriculum, we focus on pokemon battling. Double battles, to be more precise. Everyone here is encouraged to train and battle, and to explore the Terarium below. Needless to say, a lot of the class work is hands-on.”

“Sounds like there's plenty to do! I almost wish I went here myself!” Honey gave a happy cry in response, causing the girl to giggle. “An entire curriculum focused on battling. If you wanna become a strong trainer, this is the school for you!” Elodie watched the chat again, finding another interesting question. “And it's been said that your students are capable of Terastalizing their pokemon, which is something only Paldean residents have been capable of until now.”

Cyrano nodded. “Ah, yes. The Terastal phenomenon. One of our teachers, Ms. Briar, conducted a lot of research into it. Using soil from Paldea and water from Kitakami's Crystal Pool, she constructed a glass orb that hangs from the ceiling of the Terarium. It spreads Terastal energy throughout the academy, enabling students with Tera Orbs, and even certain wild pokemon of the Terarium, to Terastalize.”

Candy swayed from side to side excitedly while Elodie said, “Fascinating! To hear of such a unique phenomenon being utilized in an entirely different region - all that research paid off! I can hardly wait to see it. One final question, sir. I've heard talk of the BB League. Is this at all like the regional leagues comprised of an Elite Four and a Champion?”

Cyrano laughed. “Pretty much, though it's unofficial. Our students organized a BB League Club with a ranking system not unlike those seen in most regions. The ones who battle and rise to the top are the Elite Four and Champion. And if anyone should join the league and battle their way to the top, then they will take the position. Our students love the competition, and it's motivated many to train harder!”

“Wow! I'd love to meet these students!” She grinned at the camera. “Imagine how strong they must be!” She met Lacey's gaze briefly, and the pink-haired girl gave a slight nod. “Speaking of, I just so happen to have a member of the Elite Four right here.”

With a tip of his hat, Cyrano made his exit, allowing Lacey to step in. “Hi, everyone!” she greeted with a cheerful smile and wave. “I'm Lacey! Rank three of the BB League and member of the Elite Four!” Her smile widened upon seeing the chat going crazy. “I'd be happy to show you all around our wonderful school…” She leaned forward with a wink. “And we may just find some of my fellow members along the way.”

Elodie giggled. “We'd all love a guided tour! Thank you!” She turned her attention back to the screen. “We'll take a small lunch break, then we'll start a new stream focused on an inside look at the Terarium! Don't go anywhere!”

“Lopun!”

“App app!”

The stream ended, allowing the two girls and the pokemon to take a moment to breathe. “Nice going, Lacey,” Elodie said. “You're a natural in front of the camera.”

“Thanks. By the way, I didn't get a chance to say it earlier, but…” She looked between the pair of pokemon. “Candy and Honey are sooo cuuute!” Honey poked her head out of her apple with glee while Candy flicked one of her ears back like an absolute diva. “I especially love Candy's unique pink coloring!”

“She is one of a kind.”

Lacey was quick to get a hold of herself and take out her phone. “Oh, right. Let me message my friends and let them know to hang out in their respective plazas. That way you can for sure meet them.”

Elodie looked surprised. “Wait, you guys will really do that for us?”

“Of course! The director wants good publicity for the school, so my fellow Elite Four members gotta do their part. I'll just warn them ahead of time about being streamed. Don't wanna catch them completely off guard.”

Elodie waited patiently with joy and enthusiasm in her expression. Even though these big streams were meant to show off the academy, she was more than excited to tour the place. It had been a few months since the Festival of Masks, and she'd initially planned on going back to Kitakami to see Kieran now that they'd both had time to calm down and think about things. He'd been on her mind a lot. But when the offer came from the director of Blueberry Academy, to show the school to the world, Elodie couldn't refuse. After all, Kieran and Carmine were students, so she'd likely find the boy there.

“Okay, let's head down to the Terarium!” Lacey said.

So, Elodie streamed her first steps into the massive nature park. It was quite the sight, and her viewer count even went up. Seemed there were plenty of people eager to see Blueberry Academy. Their first meeting in the Savanna Biome was with Crispin. He was a bright, excitable boy with a frying pan in hand at all times. He had a picnic table set up, and, as per Elodie's request, made some mildly spicy sandwiches for her and her pokemon. Their next destination was the Canyon Biome where they met with Amarys, who was in the middle of a battle. She was cool and calculated, which won her the battle. She was different, to say the least, but Elodie didn't mind. A relaxing walk through the Coastal Biome gave them a little break, then it was on to the Polar Biome where they met Drayton. He was a chill, laid-back type of guy, but he was friendly. He was, much to Lacey's annoyance, lounging around Polar Plaza until they showed up, leading to casual chats regarding the school and his place in the Elite Four.

“And that about wraps up our tour of the Terarium!” Elodie said, deciding it best not to drag out the stream any longer. “It has been an absolute pleasure to see this incredible school!” Her pokemon both nodded in agreement. “And a big thank you to all the Elite Four members for making us feel welcome! Lacey, Drayton.” She moved between the two of them so they were on screen with her. “Candy, Honey and I have had a blast, and so have the viewers. We appreciate the time you shared with us.”

“You're very welcome,” Lacey replied. “Always happy to show others what makes our school so great.”

Drayton nodded, his hands behind his head. “Yeah, don't mention it. It's been fun.”

Elodie set her gaze on the screen. “And so, if any of you out there are interested in becoming great pokemon battlers, come enroll at Blueberry Academy. You won't regret it. Until next time, everyone!”

Candy scooted in closer to wave and let Honey see the screen. “Pun punny!”

Honey poked her head out. “Applin lin!”

Drayton and Lacey copied Elodie, smiling and waving until her Rotom phone ended the stream. Almost immediately, the taller boy slumped forward. “I don't know how you do this streaming stuff all the time. It's exhausting!”

Lacey frowned at him. “Everything that requires effort is exhausting to you.”

Unbeknownst to them, a certain Champion was spying on them. Kieran had also been notified of the popular streamer’s arrival, but unlike the others, he wasn't interested in being viewed by millions. No, he had other plans. He'd worked tirelessly to get where he was now, and he planned to show Elodie that he wasn't the same quiet kid that everyone walked all over. He was fortunate that Carmine was too busy with Florian to have heard about Elodie’s visit, for he didn't want her getting in the way. Despite being tucked away on the nearby hills around the plaza, the snow piled around him didn't bother him one bit, not while he had a goal in mind. Making his way down and around to approach the plaza, Kieran could now hear their conversations the closer he got.

“Well, hey, you're welcome to stream my battles if you want,” Drayton offered. “I don't mind an audience.”

Lacey nodded. “Same here. If you ever want an epic battle between Elite Four members, let us know! Honestly though, it'd be even better content if you got to see our Champion in action.”

“It's okay,” Elodie replied, returning her pokemon. “Seeing all of you was enough. I'm sure the Champion’s got more important things to do anyway.”

Drayton slung an arm around her shoulders. “You're too sweet, Elodie. You should be tougher on our Champion. Believe me, he needs it.” He turned his head, noticing said person’s approach. “Speaking of Champion, here he is now. Yo, Champ! What brings you all the way out here?”

Elodie gasped upon locking eyes with the boy. “Kieran…?”

He'd changed. His uniform was different and he let his jacket hang loose off his shoulders. Most of his hair was tied back out of his face. But the biggest change was his eyes. Those golden orbs that were once so gentle and kind now held an overwhelming hunger for power.

“Oh, so you know each other?” Drayton said, looking between the two. “How nice of you to come out and see another pal of yours! I thought that Florian kid would've kept you, but here you are!”

“Shut it, Drayton.” Kieran's icy, stern tone was jarring. Elodie had never heard him speak that way. “And hands off, Elodie. She's not your girlfriend.”

Drayton retracted his arm and held his hands up defensively. “Sheesh, I was just trying to be nice.”

Kieran moved closer, his gaze never leaving Elodie. “Listen up. I challenge you, Elodie, to a battle. One-on-one.” The girl gasped. “There's a battle court in Chargestone Cavern that's usually free. And no streamin’, I don't want an audience.”

“B-But you know I don't battle that often!”

“Yet you still used to beat me every time.” His hardened expression didn't change even once. “I put everything into studying and making my pokemon stronger… I crushed the Elite Four and became Champion… All that hard work… All of it was just so I could beat Florian…and you.”

Elodie was hesitant, but she could tell there was no way out of it. He needed this. “All right then. I accept your challenge.”

Kieran grinned in an almost crazed way. “Good. I'm not a weak little kid anymore. And you'll know it when I show you how the best of the best battle. Now, c'mon.” Lacey was about to voice her concerns, but the boy was quick to shoot her a glare. “And the rest of you stay out of this.”

Elodie followed quietly, the cold of the snow leaving her once they made it inside the beautiful cave. She'd briefly been there during her tour, and the electrically charged stones were still a magnificent sight. But there was no time to dwell on them, not when Kieran's behavior had her so worried.

“Um, Kieran?” she spoke, her voice soft and wary. “What's…going on with you? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

He stopped abruptly, turning to face her with an almost unreadable expression, though the slight downward turn of the corners of his lips made it clear he wasn't happy. “You really have to ask that? I thought you of all people would understand.”

“I can't understand if you don't talk to me. Why are you acting this way? This isn't the Kieran I know.”

“The old me is gone,” he told her. “You left him back in Kitakami.” That harsh remark made Elodie's eyes widen. “He wasn't strong enough to catch the ogre. He wasn't strong enough to win. He wasn't strong enough to make you stay.” That crazed grin appeared on his face again. “But now, I am strong enough. I'll prove it.”

He gestured toward the battle court ahead of them. Elodie wanted to speak up, tell him he was wrong. But what if he was right? She did leave when he so desperately wanted her to stay. And she'd heard from Carmine that Florian had caught Ogerpon, which must've really crushed the fragile dream Kieran had of befriending the ogre. Instead of trying to reason with him, she took her place on the court. Winning that battle just might clear up whatever was going on in his head.

“No holding back, you hear me?” Kieran said, calling out his Hydrapple.

Elodie only nodded, calling out Candy. She then fished something from her bag. After sliding on her bracelet, she fastened Candy's bow around the base of one of her ears. Kieran actually looked thrilled. As soon as they were ready to begin, Kieran used his Tera Orb to Terastalize Hydrapple. The pokemon's body sparkled like a gemstone, and the crown atop his head was that of a fist. Elodie then touched the dazzling stone on her bracelet, causing it to glow. The matching stone on Candy's bow responded, and her body glowed as if she were evolving. She Mega Evolved into Mega Lopunny.

“This is going to be exciting,” Kieran said. “Earth Power, Hydrapple!”

Hydrapple hit the ground with his tails. Cracks spread from under him, traveling swiftly toward Candy.

“Dodge, Candy!” The agile pokemon ran and avoided the eruption that would've hit her. “Use Bounce!”

Candy hopped high into the air, coming down at Hydrapple.

“Catch her!”

Hydrapple readied himself, and just when Candy's foot was above him, he snaked his long neck around and grabbed her leg in his mouth. Candy looked surprise, especially when four other heads popped out to hiss at her.

“Get out of there with Close Combat!”

A furious kick in the face forced Hydrapple to let go. As soon as Candy was free, the other heads snapped at her, but her speedy kicks knocked all of them away and made them dizzy.

“Now's your chance, Candy! Triple Axel, let's go!”

Candy landed in front of the dragon. Her feet glowed an icy blue, and she spun and kicked the large apple body. As soon as the attack landed, she spun and kicked a second time, then a third, each hit doing more damage than the last. Hydrapple’s Tera Type fortunately negated some of the damage that would've been a possible knock out for the grass dragon.

Kieran clenched his fists. “Use Gyro Ball!”

Hydrapple shrugged off the attack, all heads retracting into the apple. He spun, a metal coating covering him. Candy tried to back off and put distance between them, but Hydrapple caught up and collided into her. Candy landed on the ground, one of her legs taking the majority of the attack, which left her vulnerable.

“Now while she's down, Fickle Beam! Full power!”

All the heads popped out again, a purple glow emitting from their mouths.

“Candy, you have to move now!”

Candy tried to get up only to fall again from her injury. It was too late. The purple energy Hydrapple prepared converged into one powerful beam that hit Candy. She was knocked out, her Mega Form converting back to a normal Lopunny. With the battle decided, Hydrapple’s Tera Form also dispersed. Elodie stood there in shock for a moment before running to Candy's side.

“Candy!”

Candy opened her eyes wearily, smiling sadly. “Lop…pun…”

“You did great, Candy. Let's get you healed up.”

She took the ribbon off and returned Candy to her ball. Just a glance at Kieran and she saw him returning his pokemon with that crazed smile on his face.

“I did it…” he muttered. “I won.”

Unable to even look at him, Elodie went over to the healing station, getting Candy fixed up. She returned the ball and her Key Stone to her bag for safekeeping. She then heard the boy's approach, but still couldn't bear to turn around and face him.

“See? Told you I've gotten stronger. And next up is Florian. I can hardly wait to beat him once and for all!”

“Well congratulations.” Elodie's response came out a lot angrier than even she expected. “You got stronger by becoming a bully. Not something I'd brag about if I were you.”

For a moment, Kieran's expression showed shock, at least for a second before a frown appeared. “Oh? Funny how that strength has gotten me a lot farther than being everyone's doormat to walk all over. Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you!”

He snatched her wrist, forcing her to struggle in his grip. “Let go, you jerk!”

Despite her protest, Kieran yanked her closer. Elodie froze when his other arm went around her waist, keeping her from backing away. His piercing gaze held hers, and she actually trembled a little out of fear.

“Listen up, Elodie. I'm the Champion. I'm at the top. Which means I'm so strong that I can get whatever I want. And you…” His face leaned closer. “You're mine, no one else's. Got it?”

He didn't give her the chance to respond, for he immediately smashed his lips against hers. The kiss shocked the girl. It was rough and greedy, not at all what she would've expected from Kieran. Tears slipped from her eyes and she tried to push him away, but with one arm already around her, his other moved to the back of her head, holding her in place. His lips practically devoured hers, until he finally pulled away. As soon as she was free, Elodie backed away, afraid.

Kieran kept that neutral look despite having stolen her first kiss just like that. “Let that be a reminder that no matter where you go, you'll always be mine.”

He turned and walked away without showing even a shred of remorse. Elodie broke down, crying softly as she fell to her knees. “What's happened…to you…?” she softly uttered, her mind in a state of confusion, fear and sorrow. “I miss my Kiki… I want…my Kiki back…”

All she wanted to do at that moment was leave. She had to get far away from Kieran and Blueberry. Her heart felt like it was breaking. She couldn't stand to see the sweet boy she fell for turn into a power hungry bully.

Fortunately, it wouldn't last much longer. Kieran's reign as Champion would soon come to an end. And an enlightening trip to Paldea's Area Zero would help Kieran to learn and grow, becoming a better person than he ever was.