🌟Inspection Day - Wait, I know you🌟

In the beginning, everything was quiet as Lia slept peacefully. Suddenly, she feels a gentle breeze blowing across her person. The sound of trees and grass wrestling with it was heard. As Lia opened her eyes, she was lightly blinded by sun rays.

"W-what?"

Getting up, she finds herself under a tree, wearing a light sundress.

"What? Where am I?" Looking around, the area she was in was mostly grassy with a few trees in specific posts. And a few feet in front of her was a cliff, "Maybe I can figure out where I am from the view."

Lia stood up and walked over, ensuring safety from the ledge. What she saw took her breath away.

was a desert-like landscape with grass and trees covering most of it. Mountains were seen in the distance; the sky was so clear and blue Lia almost mistook it for the oceans back home.

"Beautiful,"

Suddenly, she heard a grunted growl behind her. Looking back, the tree she was under now had a large brown creature that Lia learned was called a lion.

(Ignore the Tsum.)

It had a somewhat tan body with a long brown mane and some red highlights in some strands. But the long diagonal scar that crossed its left eye stood out to her the most.

Lia didn't know what possessed her but approached the large predator. As she did, the beast heard her coming. They immediately turned to her and snarled, baring their teeth at her. When they did that, Lia saw their aura. It was all black and coiling around them like a mist over a lake. But in this sense, it was not a good thing. Lia could feel the lion's pain and burden from where she stood. It was like they were living in a shadow and couldn't escape. Lia raised her hands, showing them that she meant no harm.

"It's alright, I'm not here to hurt you." She slowly approached.

The lion slowly stopped snarling but didn't let its guard down when she was at arm's length. However, they didn't sense any hostility from her. Nor did she sound like it. When their deep green eyes met her purplish blue, they suddenly felt a sense of peace. They felt comfortable with her presence when she reached over to their ear. They soon reveled in the massaging motion her hand was doing. It felt so gentle and smooth that they leaned into her touch, asking for more.

Lia laughed a bit, "See? I'm not going to hurt you."

As she scooted closer to do the same to the other ear, the lion took this as a chance to place their head on her lap. "Hehe, hey! I'm not a pillow."

The lion grunted a huff as if saying, 'You are now, to her, making her laugh even more. This little stunt had caused the lion's aura to lighten up a bit. But it still unpleasantly hung over them. Lia decided on the next course of action. The scenery she and the lion were in reminded her of a song her mother once written and sang to her when she was little.

As Lia hummed the melody, the lion looked at her in awe and bewilderment. It's almost like they know the tune; hearing this song made them feel more at peace than ever. Lia couldn't help but feel proud; not only did she make peace with the lion, but she also cleaned their aura quite significantly. 'I don't know why, but I feel comfortable with them.'

All was good as the two stayed in each other's company; at least, it did for that moment. Within seconds, the scenery changed into that dark, dreary forest in Lia's previous nightmare. Lia and the lion stood on guard as the whole place reeked with a dark aura.

"What the!? What's going on?!" 'Why did we suddenly come here?!' While Lia was trying to figure out the situation, the lion started to growl as they took a defensive stance before her.

"What's wrong?" looking over to what they were defending her from, Lia's blood ran cold. In the distance was the dreaded cloaked figure that tried to attack her before.

"̸͓̲̯̼̿͑̆̎̍͆̌͝͝ͅC̷͙͎̟̿̅̅̏̀̔̇̾͝ͅã̵͎͉u̷͓͛̾̅l̴̨̨̪̹̯̼͇̑̿̀͒̽͌́̔̚̕d̵̙̟̜̠͓̬͆r̷̞̹̩̮̄̒̀̄̑͑̚ö̸͈̟͇͔͖̲͓́̅̈̑͜ņ̸̧̹̣̬̳̗̤̣̐̓̉̒͒.̸͙̻̈͐̊̾́͝ ̵͖̞̗̪͈͓̦͒̈́̃͛̿̈͑͆̉.̴̧̡̫̟͎̫̫̠́̏̎́ ̵͙̟̣͙̃̏́̃.̸̩͎̿͛͌̀̑̀̄̉͝ ̷͖̤̮̙̻͎̎͗͘̕r̶̥̻͔̘̟̰͈̟̘͓̀̒̏̓̓͘͠e̸̳̝̤̫̩̋̋̓̆̂̕͜͝͝t̷̺̑̿̈u̷̱̫͎̬̎̌͆ͅr̵̺͂͛̔́̋͘n̸͖͍͓̈́̓̉̈.̵̡̧̨͖͎̬̹̞̥̑͑͠ ̵̥̑͂̀́͌̔͘͜.̶̛̻͚͈̩̂̅ ̸̧͙̲̂̏͝.̴̧̮̙͔̠̟̦̙̂ ̵̧̡̝̯̞̦̟̻̮́̋̋̾͂̐́̋t̶̛͚͇̉̍̐̓͗̕o̵̧̠̖̜͙̖͓̘͔͋̃͜ ̷̢͍̯̗̯̯͒̄.̶̤̽̈́ ̴̡̗̮̠̙̙̭́͐͌͜.̵̬͙̠̈́̃̌͐̈́ ̷̛̯̝̎̊͊̔͘͠.̸̬͝ ̶̘͍̟̰̹̣̑́̆̕͝M̷̡̢̘̠̞̠̩̗̙̆̋̊̑͜e̶̮̱͎̦̥͐͑̌̓͂̍͋͗̐.̸̨͎̍̎̏̔̍̓͘͝͝"̸̘̩̗̬̠̹̜͙̦́̒̑͒

Lia could barely make out what they were saying. But the way their tone sounded, it was like they were speaking while ill and grinding rocks together—a tone one would make when they're dying.

"Listen, I know you're trying to protect me, but we need to get out of here now!"

But the lion didn't budge, as if they weren't going to let some hostel, malevolent stranger scare them. However, Lia knew that if they stayed, "Look, I don't want you dragged into this! Please, don't try to be the hero here when you don't know what's going on."

The lion was reluctant at first, but they knew she was right. However, that moment of hesitation was the figure needed. Within the blink of an eye, they were suddenly surrounded by ghostly, horrific skeletons with no way out.

"̴̧̝̺̪̗̫͉͕͛W̴̛̺̏̎̇̔̒̀͂ì̷̬̯͖͍̺̼̮͚l̷̛͕̭̯̟̻͈̭̿̓͘l̶̻̲̟͈͒̐͑̓̋́͊̈́.̴̛͚͎͈̾̽̉̇̕̚̚͝ ̶͇̲̹͓͈̫̙̯̖͙̈́̑͒̎͝.̸̼̣̱͆̿͛͊̄̿͜ ̷̠̍͛͂̚͠.̵̢̭̟̺̬̗̱͋͌ ̴̧̛̩̗̣̹̤̰͖̏̏̅͆.̸̛̝̘̮̞̜̻̱͂̿̚ ̶̮̑͗̂̅̋̃͝T̸̲̭̯̈́̌͆̐̊͒ą̴̫̞̯̈́̀̾̑̊̾͋̚ḱ̵̭̎̆̂e̷̞̰̰̝͚̠͌́̕ͅ ̵̧̘͈͓̗̜̯̣͛́́̂̅͠ͅ.̸̡̡͔̮͇̗̤̗̮̅͘̕ ̵̨̦͇͓̲͔̭̰́͜ͅ.̸̪̿͒̓͑̒̑́̓̓͜ ̶̠͐͆͛͐͊̽ͅ.̷͖͇̲̯͎̹̻͚̓̂͋̽́͘͜͠͠ ̶̫͖̗̼̙̞͉̀̽̅̌͑̊̕͘͝͝.̵̛̙͔͕͇͊͑͐̂̍̊͆̌̈́ ̴̢͖̥͓̐͑̈́͗̆̂̇̏̉̎M̶͓̳̪͓͌̓͜i̸̦̭̣͚͓̲͍̝̟̓́̂̎̌́ņ̴͍͉̜̝͒̌̓̒̍̓͆̉e̸̛̞̦͚̜̫̫̫̲̖͗̿͋ͅ.̶̤̣͈̙̉͑̑̇͠"̷̤̦̫̱̆́͋̕͝͠

But then, before the figure could do anything else. Lia's bracelet and the lion's aura suddenly flashed, and everything went white.

________________________________________________________________________________

". . . lia. . .Lia!"

" *gasp!* " "Pika!?" Lia bolted up, surprising Maddie, Zoey, and Pikachu from her bed.

'That, that dream. It felt so real.' Lia panted, trying to calm her heart down. She's heard of suspicions before, but nothing like this. That was the second time she ended up in that forest. Just who and what was that figure? Just what did they want from her that they would corner her?

But at least not all of it was bad~. Lia couldn't help but blush as she recalled her moment of peace with that lion. She hadn't felt that peaceful ever since her mother passed away. And when she looked into their eyes, she felt as though something just connected within her. 'Who was that creature? Why do I feel like I've seen them before?'

"Pikachu?" (Lia?)

"Lia? Are you okay? You're all red."

Lia remembered Maddie was still in the room at that moment, "Huh?! O-oh, it's nothing. Anyway, what are you doing in my room?"

"Theo wanted me to tell you that breakfast is ready. And. . . there's a bit of change of plans."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we got a call from cousin Sonia. Saying that Leon wants to do the inspection sooner rather than later."

Lia and Pikachu sweat-dropped, "That doesn't surprise me. Leon has always been paranoid when it comes to my well-being." Then something clicked, "Wait, you said Sonia called. How could she do that when we're in a different world?"

"Pika, Pikachu. Pika Pi, ka." (Lia couldn't even get a signal when she tried last time)

"Oh yeah! This surprised Matt and me, too, but when you asked Rotom Dex and Hoopa to get some more Rotoms, the ones on our phones and yours suddenly got a power boost or something. Letting them make calls and stuff back home! Isn't that cool?!"

"Just our Rotoms? Did the Rotoms I gave to the dorm leaders,"

"Nope, just ours. From what Rotom Dex and Hoopa said. Arceus and the others felt bad for not letting us tell our families we were 'okay the first time. So they gave our Rotoms a bit of a boost so that we can make calls again."

Lia couldn't help but sigh. 'Thank Arceus. Seriously. If we didn't get any way to contact homes sooner. Leon would no doubt make frequent visits here.' but then she sweat-dropped again. 'Though, he'd probably make visits, regardless. Just not as much.'

"Alright, did Sonia say when they were coming?"

". . . . . About an hour from now."

.

.

.

.

"WHAT???!!!! PIKA!!!???"

Lia looked over to her clock; it was nine-fifteen. Meaning they had a quarter of an hour left till the inspection!

"WHY DIDN'T YOU GUYS WAKE ME UP SOONER??!!" Lia bolted out of her bed, covering the child and Pokémon with the blankets.

"We did try, but you were sawing logs."

"Heh, heh, heh. ~" Zoey laughed.

"PIKACHU!!" (THAT'S NOT FUNNY!)

"STILL!!" Lia grabbed her phone as soon as she was dressed.

* Beep. . . Beep. . . Hello, ~ Crowley here. *

"Mr. Crowley! We have a serious problem!"

________________________________________________________________________________

No sooner than after, Lia made the call. She, Theo, the headmaster, and vice mistress were standing in front of the Ramshackle, waiting with anticipation.

"Goodness Gracious! I've heard of 'Protective siblings before, but your brother is a whole other level, Miss Lia!"

"Believe me, sir, you don't know the half of it."

Madame Eva sighed, "I'm just relieved that we were able to get everything and everyone ready at the last minute."

"Despite some people's complaints, that is." Theo sweat-dropped, thinking about a few 'certain dorm leaders and their students.

"Well, we'll give the tour to your brother and guests. You two will continue with class after the greeting."

"Then we'll meet at the Hall of Mirrors after, correct?"

"That is correct, Miss Lia. And fret not, we'll handle everything while you're in class."

"Just try not to be too enthusiastic, Mr. Crowley. Leon and Sonia may be alright with bright attitudes. However, Professor Magnolia is very particular about presentations. With her being the former head researcher in Galar, ensuring you have everything in order is what she'll look into the most."

"Everything will be fine, Lia. Trust us, everything is under control."

Just then, Hoopa's ring appeared in front of them. As expected, Leon came out first, then stepped to the side and helped someone else come out. Accepting the hand Leon offered, an elderly woman stepped out.

She was about half the height of Leon with light pinkish orange hair held in a purple headband. She wore a yellow dress with a lab coat, an amethyst necklace, and a cane with a Corvisquire figurehead. Sonia came out shortly after.

"Welcome, honored guests. I'm Dire Crowley, Headmaster of Night Raven Collage. And this is my lovely wife, counselor, and Vice headmistress, Evangelina."

"How do you do." Madame Eva bowed.

"Thank you, I'm Leon Dande. This is my friend Sonia Magnolia and her grandmother, Liliain Magnolia." Leon bowed back.

"Well, aren't you a gentleman? I'm sorry for the inconvenience; Lia and Theo need to go to class right now. But, during the school tour, you'll see them along the way, including the children."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"And once classes are done, we'll be meeting in the Hall of Mirrors so we can proceed to the dorms," Crowley added.

"That sounds good to me." Sonia smiled, and her grandmother nodded in agreement.

"Looks like we're all in an agreement. Will lunchtime be involved?"

Lia deadpan, "Leon, did you forget to have breakfast before coming here?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, no problem, once wouldn't hurt, right?"

Leon laughed as Lia sweatdropped at his nonchalant response.

Madame Eva leaned to her husband, "You know, he reminds me of two certain students."

"I see it too, my darling."

Lia went over the the Magnolias, "Please keep an eye on him,"

"Don't worry, dear. We'll make sure he stays in line. Now off to class with you."

Lia smiled, then walked over to Leon and whispered, "And you don't start trouble! If you get lost, even for a moment,"

"Don't worry, Lia! Besides, I'm the adult here. Give me some faith, yeah?" Leon laughed as he messed her hair

Lia raised a brow... yeah there's no way she can trust him. 'This coming from the person who doesn't have that much faith in me,'

Crowley immediately turned back to the group as she and Theo walked off. "Well then! Let us start, shall we? We'll start our turn with Main Street, where the founders of our esteemed school stand."

"This should be interesting." Professor Magnolia stated.

"Couldn't agree with you more, grandma."

________________________________________________________________________________

Lia still couldn't help but feel nervous in the potions lab, so much so that she was absentmindedly stirring her and Grim's cauldron. Making the said monster and her Pokémon worry.

"Um, Lia? You okay?" Grim asked, snapping her back to reality.

" 'Sigh' I'd like to lie... but I don't think it'd be a believable one,"

"Is it because your weird brother is here?" Grim mumbled as he read the book, wondering which object was which.

"That and the fact that I have this strange feeling that something bad will happen." she mumbled back, "Whatever Leon thinks, things are not a good idea for me to do; he is not the easiest to deal with."

"That's putting it lightly. He's been that way since you were kids," Persian said, giving her a bottle.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm still ticked off at what happened when I was eight."

"Wait, what happened?" Grim asked as he sniffed an herb weirdly.

"Well, back when I did a small job in a cafe. One customer came in while yelling about something; parentally, he ran into some wild Pokémon who could use supersonic and couldn't hear. I went to help him, but when Leon came in later. He misread the whole situation and thought the guy was yelling at me. Next thing I know, who's going on a whole rant and scolding the old guy."

"Geez, so he jumps to conclusions that fast when it comes to you?"

"Anyone who he's close to. It took my aunt a while to settle everything. Now that I think about it, that's pretty much when Leon started to get scared of her."

"Pika," 'who wouldn't?'

"And it doesn't end there. He's so protective; one kid gave her some flowers as a thank you, but he assumed it was a confession." Persian added.

She sighed while her head banged on the table. Some people flinched at the noise.

"Wait, you have an aunt?" Ace asked who was listening to the conversation.

"That's what you paid attention to?" Lia sighed again as she stood back up, "Yes, my Aunt Rain is my mom's eldest and only sibling. She now runs the cafe where my mom used to work. And it's recently become popular in Galar."

"She also has a cute little girl who just turned seven." Persian purred.

Then Deuce turned to them as he stirred his and Ace's cauldron. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Prilla, and mind you, she may be young, but she acts like she's already a young adult." Lia smiled at the thought, "You'll never meet any other child as responsible as her."

"You almost make it sound like she raises your aunt more than your aunt raises her."

"Well, considering what she and my aunt have been going through these past few years. Ace, it's to be expected."

"What do you mean?"

Before Lia could answer him, Professor Crewel came over. "I hope you 'puppies are paying attention to your assignment."

"Oh, we are a professor! We're just about to add the last few ingredients."

As she said that, Lia sprinkled in a pinch of the ingredients, and in a few seconds, the mixture in their cauldron stilled, turning completely clear while letting out a puff of white smoke. Pikachu stared in awe while Professor Crewel looked satisfied.

"Well done, 'Puppy, you've created a well-blended potion that," he looks over their chosen potion recipe. "Purifies contaminated bodies of water? What an interesting choice."

"Yes, well. I read that some lakes and rivers in certain areas of Twisted Wonderland were heavily polluted. So we'd come up with a solution that fixes that. After all, we're not the only ones relying on clean water."

"Seriously, I mean, what if we monsters need a drink? I ain't drinking water that tastes like mud!" Persian and Deuce gave Grim a deadpan expression.

"We've seen you eat black rocks whole, yet you complain about water tasting like mud?"

"I'm with you there, Persian."

________________________________________________________________________________

Back with the inspection group, it's been going well without a hitch. As Mr. Crowley said, they all started at Main Street. Sonia and Miss. Magnolia thought the stories of the Great Seven were intriguing; however, Leon thought most of them were really sketchy, but he kept that to himself. The library, on the other hand, was very fascinating. It took a while to lead the two Magnolias out. When Madame Eva introduced them to the YenSid statue, they were surprised that Lia was related to such a person.

At the Coliseum, it took everything he had to resist the urge to challenge someone (specifically Lia) to a battle. The observatory tower was interesting, as was Sam's shop. . . . In a way, the three avoided asking what 'taxidermy meant as Mr. Sam introduced himself. The rest of the tour went well; the observatory tower seemed fascinating, the stables looked well-maintained, and the sports field looked fun. Leon liked the school's windmill; it reminded him of home. He was curious how such a 'mountain of a man like Mr. Clyde could live in it.

The Magnolias loved seeing the Botanical Gardens. Leon stated that the teachers would have difficulty getting Lia out of the pharmaceutical building. So far, the rest of the campus has been exemplary. Regarding the classes, there were some concerns, at least with Leon. He wondered if Lia could catch up with the curriculum as she'd just recently lived in Twisted Wonderland. Thankfully, Madame Eva assured him she was handling her education just fine.

The couple started by showing the general and elective classes the three were familiar with. Although, Leon almost dosed off when they listened to a bit of Professor Trien's history lecture. One elbow to the gut, courtesy of Sonia, was all it took to snap him out of it. The gym class looked fine, and Sonia loved the fact there was an actual flying class.

"Oh wow! It's like straight out of a fairy tale!"

"Very interesting? Do you use flying brooms for anything in particular?" Professor Magnolia asked.

Coach Vergas proudly straightened up, "You bet we do! We have a specific sport we call Magift!"

"Magift?"

"Short for 'Magic Shift. It's a game that consists of two teams of seven that try to score a goal with a disk controlled and thrown by magic. Some players will be on the ground while the rest are on brooms in the air. The team with the most scores by the end of the game wins. But it's more challenging than it sounds. There's a lot of coordination and strategy."

"Sounds similar to a certain game we have back home," Leon said, thinking of the game with a checkered ball.

"Has Lia's class got to flying yet?" Sonia asked.

"Not yet; I first get the students into shape before being 'air-born."

"I think getting Lia up there will be a bit difficult." Leon sighed.

"Hmm? Why do you say that?"

"Because Lia doesn't trust anything other than Pokémon while in the air. We tried paragliding this once; she was so scared that she immediately called her Crovinknight to get her down."

Sonia sweatdropped, "Yeah, she prefers Pokémon over anything else when it comes to flying. Don't even get us started on how we got her to get used to airplanes."

The group stared at the assortment of herbs and ingredients in the potions lab. Leon has no doubts that Lia would be the top student for this class. However, he wonders why the teacher would wear such a thick, extravagant coat in a science lab. When Madame Eva pointed out he was a fashionista and designer. That cleared things up, 'Still, wouldn't a coat like that cause problems? And why does he look familiar?'

When they got to Miss Mac's class, Leon had to hold back an excited Sonia as she wanted to 'pet the magical bear familiar. Who happened to be napping with the twins. According to Miss Mac, they were running left and right to help her and the students, and they ended up tuckering themselves out halfway through the lesson. She and one student in particular couldn't help but take pictures of the scene.

"Mathe had always ae soft spot for kids."

Professor Magnilia and Leon still had a bit of concern. But Sonia didn't mind at all as she thought it was adorable. Later on, when Leon learned that Mac and Clyde are siblings and that she's the eldest, he is quite surprised. He felt intimidated by her when he saw her flick a pen at one of the students. It barely missed his head and ended up embedding itself in one of the potted plants.

Finally, when they got to the last class of the tour, Xavior was in the middle of a lesson. The group quietly snuck past the door and settled themselves to the side of the room. Xavior noticed them but kept going, acting like they never came in. Everyone saw how he would throw quick but stern glares at Crowly occasionally as he almost interrupted him a few times. Not that they blamed him, though.

Leon spotted Lia sitting in one of the rows from the corner of his eye. He wanted to wave at her but refrained as Xavior started a new topic.

"Now then, who can tell me the key factors of magic?"

"Transformation, Mind, Time, Telekinesis, Creation, and Elements." Azul, listed as the chalk, magically wrote it down on the board.

"Thank you, Mr. Ashengrotto. Most of you may think that magic consists of the four elements we've used regularly: Fire, water, flora, and cosmic. However, those are just the elements you learn firsthand. There is more to magic than that; those four depend on the 'Key Factors. In a way, Magic is a mage's sense of science, and the 'Key Factors make up that science. Transformation: the ability to make one thing into something else entirely. Telekinesis: or, in simpler terms, motion; the ability to control the movement or flow of anyone or thing. Creation: The ability to make something. Mind: Pretty self-explanatory, doing things with your Mind in general."

"Guess that leaves you out, Juice."

"You're one to talk, Ace. And for the last time, it's Deuce!"

"Guy's, so not the time or place." However, it was too late; Xavior already heard them.

"I say it leaves both of you out if you can't keep your voices to yourselves during a lesson."

Some students, including Sonia and Leon, laughed a bit as the two dropped their heads in embarrassment.

"Anyway, Time: like 'Mind, it's also self-explanatory as it's the ability to control time. However, 'Time is not something to be taken lightly. It is one of the most complex magic factors out of the six. In certain situations, it can be as taboo as 'Life and Death magic."

Lia felt a massive shiver went down her spine when he said that. Back in the Pokémon world, messing with the balance of 'Life and Death is a severe offense. Sure, they could bring ancient Pokémon to life from fossilized remains. But that's about it; no one has gone any further than that. To mess with someone's life to the point of death or to attempt to bring someone back from death, a multitude of cons can come out of either.

"Now then, last but not least, Elements. Not I'm not talking about the primary four; I'm talking about the elements from the periodic table. This is where basic science comes in handy because controlling those elements is not something for the faint of heart. To do something with the elements is no different than chemistry. You have to be precise about what you want to do with the elements. Otherwise, it'll blow up in your face, literally."

"Ever had that happen to you?" Persian asked.

"No, but I've seen it happen to Vargas. I'm still surprised that he still has his head of hair today." everyone chuckled.

Sonia sighed and laughed. "Oh yeah, he's most definitely Lia's uncle."

"I've been wondering where she got her snarky, sarcastic side. I mean, Aunt Kait was sarcastic, and her father was sometimes snarky. But, neither were nowhere near that level."

"Must be a 'family thing on her father's side." Professor Magnolia guessed.

The Crowley couple sweatdropped, 'Oh, if only you knew.'

________________________________________________________________________________

It was finally lunchtime, and the cafeteria was bustling. As a sign of hospitality, Crowley had arranged a reserved table closest to the windows. He thought the group would like a view of the school grounds. While eating, Leon couldn't help but sigh in relief after he learned that the ghost chefs were given the heads-up on Lia's allergies. That was one of his biggest concerns, and he couldn't forget the day they learned of her tea allergy for the first time.

Lia's mother took her there for the first time during one of Opel's monthly Tea parties. For a moment, Lia was hesitant to have a cup. But she didn't want to be rude as it was her first Tea Party. It only took one sip of tea for her to react; after coming back from the hospital, she was given strict orders never to have any brewed tea.

Thankfully, her mother found a loophole for her to enjoy Tea Parties again. She should be safe if she stuck with her prescribed herbal teas. But then, a couple of months later, they learned she couldn't have overly spicy foods, or else she'd have bad heartburn.

"Hey, check out that table over there."

Leon rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore the coming chatter. It was nothing new to him, but being a champion and all, he's used to being the center of attention. But still, even he would like some time to himself. 'If they are going to talk secretly, they need to try to be a little quieter.'

"Is that the 'brother we've been hearing about?"

"Exactly how is he related to Miss Lia? I'm not seeing any resemblance at all from him."

"Adopted, maybe?"

"Who? Him or Miss Lia?"

"I'm betting, Miss Lia. After all, her old man's been missing for seventeen years."

"What about her mom? Come to think of it, I'm not seeing anyone else in their group who does look like her."

"Yeah, all I'm seeing are two other women who're undoubtedly related to the kids."

"What tipped you off? The hair?"

"Pretty much."

Leon couldn't help but feel a bit saddened. In a sense, his family did adopt Lia after her mother passed away. And from the sounds of it, she hasn't told anyone about it. Not that he blamed her, of course; it was a topic no one in Galar could bring up in civil conversations. Not even he could bring himself to talk about it.

"Hey, you know something? Doesn't that guy give you the same vibes as the dorm leader from Diasomnia?

'Diasomnia?'

"Now that you've mentioned it, yeah. I heard that when he was checking out the P.E. class. He was giving some of the guys talking about Miss Lia the meanest glare you could ever imagine. The few that didn't see it felt a massive chill down their spines."

"I was there! I even saw that myself. It was so scary; it looked like he was about to do something to them."

"Great, just what we needed, someone like Malleus Draconia to look down on us."

'Malleus? Where have I heard that name before?'

"Hey guys,"

The three turned to see Lia and some of her friends. "What do you think of the school so far?"

"Well, aside from the whole 'boys school thing. It looks amazing!" Sonia beamed. Professor Magnolia nodded.

"The children seem to be having fun as well."

"You guys should have seen the look on Lia's face when we saw those two handing out books to the rest of the students," Ace smirked.

"Exactly how was I supposed to know they became teacher assistants, Ace?"

"Yeah, kid. That masked face blockhead didn't even bother to give us a heads up."

"My goodness, sounds like you have quite a lively principal."

The student group and the Pokémon sweat-dropped at the elder's statement.

"Right, 'lively."

"That's one way of putting it."

Just as Leon was about to ask what the boys meant, Lia quickly interjected.

"So, you three will head to the Hall of Mirrors after lunch, right?"

"Not quite, dear. Our last stop is the 'Mirror Chamber; I believe it was called. Anything you could tell us about it?"

"All I know is that it's where the first years are sorted to their dorms."

"There's more to the Mirror Chamber than that, Lia."

Everyone turned to see Theo, "You see, the Dark Mirror is one of the oldest relics in Twisted Wonderland. Its magic doesn't just look into us to sort us into dorms. It can also teleport us anywhere in the world, as long as you are specific about your destination."

"It can also answer any question you have," Deuce interjected. "After all, it's the same magic mirror the 'Beautiful Queen used, right?"

"The very same, which is why only permitted personnel are allowed to enter the chamber. Aside from the opening ceremony every year, no one is allowed to use it unless they're under the Head master's supervision or have his or Madame Eva's permission."

"Goodness, This mirror sounds as important as the relics back home," Professor said.

"What are those things like?" Grim asked.

"Long story short, ninety percent of them are connected to some of the most powerful Pokemon in existence back in our world."

"Um, when you say 'They're connected. Does that mean those relics have the same power as -"

"The Pokemon they're based on? Yep." Sonia answered Deuce.

"Dang, you'd have to be stupid to mess with those, huh?"

"Oh, believe us, kid. There have been plenty of people that were that stupid."

"Persian's not wrong. As peaceful as our world may sound at the moment. Some are 'power-mad and will do anything to attain that kind of control."

"Like Chairman Rose, for example," Lia muttered.

"Who?" The boys and Grim wondered.

"No one you guys need to worry about. Anyway, the Mirror Chamber is all that's left for your tour?"

"Indeed, then we meet with you and your cousin in the 'Hall of Mirrors, as you've mentioned."

"Will Maddie and Matt be coming with us?" Sonia asked.

"I don't see why not; I can only assume that they haven't seen the school's dorms either."

"Other than Heartsalabyul, no, they haven't. And Ramshakle doesn't count as we live there." Theo confirmed.

Deuce scratched his head, "We haven't seen the other dorms either. So we can't tell you anything. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You guys are just starting the school year, right? So, it's not like you know everything about the school when you've just arrived. Though I have to ask, are the dorms based on those statues outside the school?"

"They are," Theo answered Sonia as he explained about the dorms and their properties. The group, specifically Sonia and Leon, were being watched by mischievous yet playful red eyes.

"Keh, heh, heh,~ To think, those two were just little 'ankle biters the last time I saw them."

"Hmm? Something amusing, Master Lilia?"

"Somewhat, Sebek. Anyway, that aside. Have all the preparations been arranged in Diasomnia?"

"They have, father. I hope it'll all be appropriate to our guests once they arrive."

"Of course it is! Diasomnia offers nothing but the best of hospitality. They'd be fools not to appreciate it."

"Now, now, no need to get worked up, Sebek. We're just assuring our guest that our dorm means no harm to his precious sister. After all, she is the school's first-ever female student."

"I understand that, Master Lilia. What I don't understand is why we're making such a fuss for a human that's from another world. To us, he's no different than an outsider."

"That may be true. However, it's his position that he has from his world that makes it imperative that we make an excellent impression. You see, in the land he and Miss Lia are from, he technically has the same responsibility as Malleus has."

"So, that man is like a 'King?"

"Not quite, Silver. It's more toward a guardian, but for that young man, it isn't for the people alone. It's for the entire inhabitants of the region he's from. So the land, the creatures, the people, everything is under his protection."

"And with Miss Lia being his sister and all, he wants to ensure her safety not only from the school but from the enter student personnel as well."

"Precisely, and those two women with him are here for the same reason. But for the children and the unique creatures mainly."

"I still don't see why human children are involved in school affairs. They'll surely bring nothing but trouble."

"Oh, come now, Sebek. They're children; what could they possibly do that would be considered harmful to us?"

Oh, if only that Fae knew. . . . . . --'

________________________________________________________________________________

n the last class for Lia, Grim, and the boys, they were just about finishing up as they passed their creature essays to the twins and Pokémon. Lia was quite proud of her essay. She could not put it down when she started reading the book 'Creatures and Critters. It was the same with Matt; he had been curious about Twisted Wonderland since day one.

The boys and Grim, on the other hand. "Man, that was exhausting." Ace sighed.

"No joke, I was so worried I wouldn't be able to finish the assignment on time."

"It couldn't have been that hard? Both the creatures you two did were really fascinating. A bird that can live forever on a cycle and a beast that has pure silver eggs inside. I would love to see them for myself."

Deuce chuckled a bit, "True, but if I'm being honest, Lia. The Pokémon from your world sounds much more interesting."

"Humph! Can't be as interesting as me, the 'Great Grim!"

"Are you saying you want to be a familiar, Grim?~"

"Gah! That's not what I'm saying at all, Persian! That's not funny!"

"Say, Lia, does your brother have a specific tea preference? Riddle wants to make everything perfect for his arrival."

"Aaaaahhhh, and just when we thought he's loosened up on rules."

"Ace, he's trying his best, okay? Besides, there are some rules he can't ignore, as they've been a part of Heartsalabyul since its beginning. And to answer your question, Deuce, Leon doesn't really do tea that much. He's more of a juice or soda kind of guy. Occasionally, he drinks tea, but only at parties or formal events. He's okay with black or chamomile tea."

"Gotcha, and don't worry. Trey's making sure your herbal blend is served, too."

"Thanks, I just hope Leon doesn't complicate things before the 'Big inspection."

"Complicate, how?" Grim asks.

"Well, let me put it this way. As serious as Leon can be at times, he can be one heck of a 'kid, too."

"That guy? We're talking about the same guy who looked like he was about to blow back at the Unbirthday party, right?"

"Yep, the very same, kid. And believe me, you boys would rather have the 'kid Leon around than the 'serious Leon."

"Pika, pika. Pi, pi, pika. Pikachu." (Still, you have to admit, he has the worst sense of direction when he acts like a 'kid.)

Persian sweat-dropped, "That is true."

________________________________________________________________________________

Sure enough, that's precisely what happened. After showing the Dark Mirror, Leon separated himself from the group to use the men's room. However, when he was done, he completly forgot where the Mirror Chamber was.

After wandering practically everywhere, Leon somehow managed to wind up in the courtyard. Deciding to take a breather, he plopped himself on a bench. "Gah, good Arceus. Why is this place so huge?! Lia will be scolding my ears off if I don't show up at the Hall of Mirrors on time."

Just as Leon decided to look again, "Hmm, you haven't changed a bit. Then again, neither has Little Blossom."

'That voice, I know that voice.' Getting up and turning around, Leon was soon face to face with a tall man who looked no older than him. He bore a school uniform that had a neon green armband. But what made him stand out was the pair of horns that adorn the top of his head.

Leon stared at him momentarily, then let out a warm laugh. "Well, I'll be. Never in my dreams did I think I'd see you again."

"It has been some time. Little Champion?~" the 'man smiled in return.