Not long after—
Clavell and Briar confirmed the exchange rules.
Blueberry Academy fielded seven students, ranked by age and year:
Elios, Amarys, Carmine, Lacey, Drayton, Crispin, and Kieran.
Naranja Academy's team:
Eri, Joy Shizuka, Nemona, Arven, Penny, Aliquis, and Paul.
All had been carefully guided by Lucas himself over the past year.
After saying goodbye to Geeta, Lucas first caught Alder's eye across the plaza—Alder giving him a challenging "Want a match?" look.
But the match-up wasn't between the two of them; just as Lucas raised Nemona and the others, Alder had become Blueberry Academy's battle club advisor three months ago, directly mentoring students like Drayton.
Nemona's crew had grown—but so had Drayton's.
Victory was anyone's game.
This time, the format wasn't Blueberry's standard doubles or multi-battles, but seven rounds of single-elimination, each trainer allowed three Pokémon—pure 3 vs. 3 singles, one-on-one.
With seven matches, the chance of a tie was slim. It would test each student's individual skill.
As time ticked by, all preparations completed, it was time for the infamous "trash talk" phase.
Across the wide Sun Plaza, the two teams of seven faced off, giving Lucas the feeling of watching a team battle from another fantasy series.
Beside him, now clad in a white coat, Miriam whispered, "Hallmaster, aren't you nervous at all? Usually, you'd be the most tense, right?"
Lucas raised a brow. "I've done all I could. Now it's up to them—why panic?"
He had faith in Nemona's marathon regime and figured even the less gifted Aliquis and Paul could surprise everyone if they fought the right opponents.
Everything would come down to luck—the match order would be decided by draw, no room for manipulation.
Refocusing, Lucas let the crowd's excitement wash over him as Clavell and Briar drew lots from among the spectators.
Before long, a five-year-old girl reached into the lottery box and drew the first pair.
Holding up the slips, Clavell and Briar announced:
"Naranja Academy vs. Blueberry Academy Friendly Exchange—Match 1:
Shizuka vs. Carmine!"
Gasps came from all around, especially the local Mesagoza citizens, spontaneously forming a cheering section for Shizuka.
She'd built a strong reputation as one of the city's Nurse Joys. And for a Joy to swap the clinic for the battlefield was legendary—reporters frantically scribbling notes.
Students from Blueberry Academy stared in surprise; only now did they realize that if you tied Shizuka's long pink hair, she'd look exactly like their familiar Nurse Joy image!
Crispin—the youngest, about Kieran's age—murmured, "Amazing… battling against a Nurse Joy…"
Worried, Kieran gently tugged Carmine's sleeve, but before he could say a word, Carmine ruffled his hair.
Smiling, Carmine reassured him, "Don't worry, Kieran. I'll give it my all."
A promise between siblings—neither would go easy, even for their admired teacher Lucas.
Amarys, Carmine's best friend and classmate, pushed her glasses up and quietly warned, "We know nothing about their lineup—stay calm."
Carmine replied earnestly, "Of course, I'll keep it in mind."
Compared to this comfortable friendship, the Naranja Academy students were in mild chaos.
Penny struggled to keep Shizuka—nearly collapsing from the pressure—upright. Shizuka could only murmur, "First to go up... First to go up..."
She'd never dreamed, the infamous "dead last" in the class, she'd be the opener!
As a former Nurse Joy, she'd stayed calmly focused in medical emergencies—yet now, nerves nearly overwhelmed her.
And her opponent was that intimidating, tall girl!
While Penny and the others fussed, Paul, expressionless, simply pressed the button on the Chansey's Pokéball in Shizuka's pocket.
Flash
Chansey appeared in their midst.
"Chansey…"
Seeing her trainer in trouble, Chansey gently shook her head, then gave Shizuka a series of soft Wake-Up Slaps.
After Chansey's intervention, Shizuka finally regained composure.
Face red with embarrassment, she whispered, "I'm calm now…"
She'd always admired Lucas's commanding presence, directing Chansey with flair—and thought she could do the same. Turns out, her first official match nearly ended in disaster.
Eri supported her, offering comfort, "Don't worry—everyone gets nervous their first time. Just do your best."
And then—
The rest of the lineup was drawn, as chosen by random spectators:
Second match: Paul vs. Kieran
Third match: Nemona vs. Drayton
Fourth match: Penny vs. Lacey
Fifth match: Arven vs. Crispin
Sixth match: Eri vs. Amarys
Seventh match: Aliquis vs. Elios
A very interesting lineup, as Lucas observed. While most onlookers didn't notice, the fourteen students recognized just what that meant.
With a resolved air, Drayton declared to Nemona, "This time—I'll win!"
Though Drayton loved stirring the pot, as a Dragon-type ace he held his pride and had never forgotten his loss to Nemona and Arven, using it to push himself to new heights.
Under Alder and Drayden's training, he'd become stronger than ever.
Nemona, just as fired up, replied, "I'll go all out too!"
Drayton teased, "Don't cry when you lose~"
Meanwhile, Kieran, enduring Paul's piercing glare, steeled himself—"P-please go easy on me."
Paul, oblivious to his own intimidating stare, merely nodded. "Mm."
"...Brother."
Aliquis swallowed.
As if sensing his brother's nerves, Elios smiled, wrapping an arm around him. "Remember what I taught you? Stay calm before a match—don't get nervous. You've really grown, Aliquis. To be representing Naranja Academy—we'll both give it our all and have no regrets."
"See there—Grandpa is watching us."
Aliquis glanced over—sure enough, Grandpa Elimos was there.
"Grandpa..."
All at once, Aliquis calmed. From the corner of his eye, he saw his brother's relaxed confidence, just as Paul had predicted—this was his chance.
With renewed determination, the matches began.
Clavell and Briar served as hosts and referees, officially opening the Academy Exchange Battle.
As the crowd roared, Shizuka and Carmine took their places at the sides of the Duel Arena.
Clavell called out, "Once you hear the whistle, trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
The moment he finished, Briar blew her whistle.
At the sharp sound, Shizuka and Carmine both threw their Pokéballs.
"Go! Mightyena!"
"It's your time, Venusaur!"
Two Pokémon appeared in beams of light.
One, with gray fur, resembling a Mightyena, fierce and menacing.
The other—noble, blue-green skin, evolved from the widely recommended Kanto starter Bulbasaur: Venusaur, a massive reptilian Pokémon crowned with a giant tree-like bloom.
Mightyena, native to Hoenn, and Venusaur—the iconic Kanto starter—were both rare sights in Paldea, causing a stir among the crowd. Jacq, a teacher at Naranja Academy, calmed the audience with a quick explanation.
In just over a month, Shizuka's Bulbasaur had completed both evolutions—thanks to her own training methods, Nemona's brutal regime, and Bulbasaur being already on the brink as an unchosen lab Pokémon.
No matter what, it was a battle between a Dark-type and a Grass/Poison-type—neither side held a clear attribute advantage.
Lucas focused his full attention.
Carmine, an all-out attacker, gave the command the instant Mightyena landed: "Charge in—use Fire Fang!"
Blueberry Academy raised all starters, so Carmine knew Venusaur well. Despite Venusaur's good reflexes, its bulk made speed its weakness, and Mightyena held the mobility advantage.
"Rarr!"
Mightyena lowered its head, fiery fangs bared, crouched low, and then shot off for Venusaur, fangs blazing—an ideal, high-damage choice.
But Shizuka defied expectations, her shaky voice called out,
"Use Ingrain!"
Verdant, glowing roots sprouted from Venusaur's bloom and burrowed into the earth, channeling energy back to heal it.
A Grass-type move: Ingrain, trading mobility for a constant stream of health!
No sooner had Venusaur rooted itself than Mightyena's burning fangs sank into its flesh.
Boom!
With a blast of fire, Venusaur roared in pain—Fire Fang was devastating.
As the smoke cleared, Mightyena still had Venusaur's foreleg clenched in its jaws, inflicting terrible wounds.
To the spectators, it seemed Venusaur was prey to Mightyena—some parents even shielded their children's eyes.
Yet for Shizuka, her mind was clearer than ever, Lucas's advice echoing in her memory.
Taking a deep breath, she shouted, "Venusaur—Toxic!"