"Is this going to be a part of our morning routine from now on...?" Jason asked, sliding a pair of pure white silk panties up Lillie's long and slender legs before adjusting them on her hips.
"Only for as long as you're willing to do so~" Lillie hummed sonorously, wrapping her arms around Jason and pressing her still-naked breasts to him as he stood up, towering over her.
"In other words, yes, it will be..." Jason affirmed, grabbing Lillie's waist and bending down to give her a chaste, fleeting kiss. They were getting ready a bit later than usual due to him spending the night with Maeve, so he only had forty-two minutes to dress her and style her hair if he wanted them to leave at their usual time.
"If you insist~" Lillie hummed, raising her arms and turning her back so Jason could affix her bra.
Fortunately for Jason, Ren had gotten good at dressing herself. As such, he was able to focus most of his attention on Lillie while the ever-reliable Lucario bottle-fed Runa her breakfast. The latter was transitioning to solid food, but she still always started the day with a nutritious and fatty bottle of Moo-Moo Milk...
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After completing their morning routine and jogging to school, Jason, Lillie, Ren, Runa, and Dex were pleasantly surprised to find they weren't among the first students to arrive. They were there two minutes earlier than they had been the previous day, with only four others present. Now, there were close to fifty students and their partner Pokémon in the cafeteria—happily chatting and eating in quickly formed friend groups.
"Jason! Lillie! Over here...!" shouted a familiar voice, drawing the gazes of Jason's group to the green-haired, green-eyed Mallow, beaming brightly and waving at them from their usual table.
Adopting smiles, Jason, Lillie, Ren, Runa, and Dex made their way over to the table, where Hau, Elio, Mallow, Lana, Selene, and Stella were seated with their respective partners.
"Alola~!"
"Alola."
"Alola~!"
"Alola..."
"Alola~"
"Good morning..."
Following everyone's customary greeting, Jason, Lillie, Ren, and Dex offered Alolas of their own before taking their functionally designated seats.
"Is there a reason everyone arrived so early today...?" Lille questioned, asking the question at the forefront of Jason's mind.
Shrugging her bare shoulders, Mallow speculated, "I think everyone's just excited after yesterday afternoon. In my case, I came earlier so we would be able to sit together."
"Same for me," Lana appended coolly.
"That's right! It's really nice when everyone gets to sit together~" Selene chimed, beaming.
"I know, right~?" Hau hummed whimsically.
"Mmmn..." Elio appended, offering a curt nod before continuing to use an anti-static, flame-resistant brush on his Litten, Magnus, causing its butt to rise slightly each time he brushed it.
'This is a good group of people...' Jason thought, passing his smiling gaze over everyone who had spoken before settling on Stella, who was silently feeding tiny cubes of Pokémon food to her Goomy.
"What do you want...?" Stella asked, noticing Jason's gaze and adopting a slight frown.
Shaking his head, Jason responded, "Nothing in particular. I just noticed that you were keeping to yourself. Is there something on your mind? We might be able to help you."
Opening her mouth, Stella's furrowed brows gave the impression that she was about to tell Jason to mind his own business. Instead, after noticing that everyone was staring at her, she seemed to internally reconfigure her response before shaking her head and revealing, "I'm just feeling a little restless. Yesterday's battles ended before Gooey and I had the chance to show what we're capable of."
"Oh? If that's the case, would you like to battle against Koko and me this afternoon? We're also feeling pretty restless after yesterday's action," Hau revealed, presenting a smile that ostensibly appeared blinding to Stella as she winced and avoided looking directly at him.
"Pika piii~!" Koko chimed, striking a gutsy pose that made it clear she was more than willing to battle.
"I guess I can start with you..." Stella muttered, her fair cheeks gaining a hint of ruddiness.
"Oh, right. Stella is aiming to be the top student in our year. To achieve that, I guess she needs to defeat all of the other promising students in a Pokémon battle~" Mallow supplied, drawing everyone's gazes away from the aspiring Dragon Type Specialist.
"Does that have anything to do with your goal for after you graduate from the Pokémon School? Mine and Elio's are to become Conservationists and to prevent Pokémon from falling into the hands of those who would abuse or misuse them~" Selene revealed with enthusiasm, causing a broad smile to blossom across Lillie's face as she proposed, "Then, should I pull some strings to have you and Elio enrolled in the Aether Foundation's internship program? We're always looking for young and talented Trainers to expand our numbers and protect as many Pokémon as possible."
"Nope! No way, no how...!" Selene responded, puffing up, shaking her head, and forming an X with her forearms. Her spirited refusal left Lillie at a loss for words, but the reason for it became clear when Elio interjected to explain, "The thing is, Selene and I have already decided the route we want to take to achieve our dreams. And the first part of that is taking on the Island Challenges and earning at least eight badges back in our home region of Kanto. After that—"
"Elio is going to become a licensed Pokémon Breeder and Doctor, while I go on to become a Pokémon Ranger~!" Selene shouted, crossing her arms and puffing her chest proudly.
'A Breeder and a Pokémon Ranger? I can definitely see it...' Jason mused to himself, comparing Elio's calm and caring personality to his twin sister's energetic and outgoing nature.
"Oh? Are you for real? You're aiming to become a Pokémon Ranger?" Hau asked, his black eyes glistening with intrigue. To many aspiring Trainers, Pokémon Rangers were basically superheroes. Very few had what it took to become one, and those who did were the heroes of the towns, villages, and cities they originated from.
"It's not something I'm aiming for—it's something I will become..." Selene asserted, slightly annoyed by the insinuation that she might fail to achieve her goal. Fortunately, Hau either picked up on this or overlooked it entirely as he pulled out a notepad and asked Selene to sign it, expressing that he had always wanted to get the autograph of a Pokémon Ranger. And while Selene wasn't one yet, he attested that he was certain she would become one in the future...
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With Kiawe and Sophocles arriving just before the bell that announced the start of classes, Jason and co made their way to their classroom for their second day of lessons. The morning classes were a continuation of the previous day's lessons, but things changed following lunch, where, instead of Professor Kukui teaching them how to use Pokémon Powers, they received a lesson from the resident Nurse Joy on the application of potions and basic first aid. After that, they received a lesson on Pokémon Connoisseurship, Performing, and other career paths that didn't directly involve battling.
While going on a journey and becoming a Trainer was a rite of passage in the Pokémon world, at least in the League-affiliated Regions, fewer than ten percent of people remained Trainers after their first Gym Challenge—successful or otherwise. The main point of the journey was to introduce them to the world abroad and to expose them to career opportunities that might not have crossed their minds growing up in towns and villages. Few had the mentality to pursue a career as a Trainer long-term, and, without a corporate sponsor, even fewer had the means to catch and care for the many Pokémon needed to compete in events like the WCS.
Its name aside, the primary purpose of the Pokémon School and other similar institutions was to prepare its students for integration into society. The moment a person became a Trainer, they were regarded as an adult, regardless of age or experience. They were entrusted to make decisions for themselves, and, if anything happened to them while on their journey, they were expected to be able to protect themselves and their Pokémon. This was a substantial burden for most, so alongside the knowledge they would need to survive as Trainers, Jason and his classmates were set to receive lessons on how to function as adults...
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Though their final lesson for the day was meant to help them wind down after a long and somewhat tedious day, the teacher in charge wasn't Mina but Professor Kukui, there to provide personal and professional feedback after collecting their essays during homeroom.
While waiting for his turn to speak with Professor Kukui in private, Jason sat on a loose circle with the rest of his class, using the cushions they had used the previous afternoon to avoid having to sit directly on the wooden floor. Everyone was taking turns talking about their dreams, so it was only a matter of time before the group's attention was turned to him.
"What about you, Jason? Other than marrying Lillie, what are your plans for the future...?" Mallow questioned, her eyes brightening at the mention of Jason and Lillie getting married.
"Nothing has been set in stone, but I'm considering being an artist while Lillie and I travel through various Regions..." Jason answered. "After that, it's highly likely that I'll become a Media Trainer and Promoter of sorts. I plan to help Trainers with respectable characters reach the audience they deserve..."
"I can totally see that. You have this really mature and serious aura about you..." Selene stated, gesticulating with her hands as if she were trying to compress her thoughts into a physical form.
"Jason is the best~" Ren chimed, beaming happily from her position atop Jason's lap. He had permitted her to sit cross-legged atop him, his arms loosely wrapped around her stomach, so she was in an especially chipper mood.
"He's definitely different from most Trainers and people I've met," Kiawe confirmed, a challenging smile adorning his face as he added, "But, as far as being the best is concerned, it depends. If we're discussing Pokémon battles, I'm pretty sure my partners and I could give the two of you a run for your money."
"Ren won't lose..." Ren asserted, her eyes narrowing and her jaw muscles pulling back, revealing her teeth. She didn't growl, but it was apparent to everyone that she didn't appreciate Kiawe's playful remark.
"Let's not get too excited..." Jason muttered softly, pressing his chin to the top of Ren's head and hugging her. That was more than sufficient to calm her down, allowing him to meet Kiawe's somewhat taken aback gaze and pose, "How about we battle this afternoon? Ren would benefit greatly from more experience battling Fire Types."
"Experience...?" Kiawe repeated, raising his right brow and tilting his head as he remarked, "That's a weird way to view a battle between friends and rivals. But, hey, if that's your method and it works for you, I'm not going to force you to change it."
Seeing Kiawe shrug and his Charizard, Bruce, awkwardly scratch its left cheek with a taloned nail, Jason felt compelled to consider if his approach to Pokémon battles was flawed. He was generally praised for his ability to immerse himself fully in his and Ren's battles, but he couldn't discount the possibility that he was in an echo chamber. After all, every Trainer he had battled up until that point, excluding Siebold and Jake, was in an intimate relationship with him...
Interrupting Jason's train of thought, Lillie, having just returned from her meeting with Professor Kukui, informed him it was his turn to speak with their bare-chested homeroom teacher. Thus, after Ren got up from his lap and helped him to his feet, he gave Kiawe an affirming nod and reassured the dark-skinned youth that he would be certain to give their battle his all before departing...
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