Three days passed in a flash.
Thanks to a light rain, the pasture grass had grown ankle-high, and Lucas thought that, in a little while, he could introduce more Pokémon once the pasture grew lush.
With Serperior and the Eldegoss taking care of the fields, and Swampert leading the Poliwag to water the crops, Lucas was confident in leaving daily chores to them.
In a few days, the five experimental plots would be ready for harvest. Once he confirmed the quality of the crops, he could plant on a larger scale and plan an orchard area.
But those were tasks for another day.
Today, Lucas had to leave his leisurely farm life and put on the outfit he'd bought at the clothing store just for this occasion.
Specifically: a black hoodie, an army green work jacket, work pants, and sneakers.
He'd considered buying a casual suit, but at just eighteen years old, he didn't want to look like an office worker so soon!
This outfit looked mature without being old-fashioned, and the dark colors made him seem more stable and reliable.
Standing before the old-fashioned mirror, Lucas checked his appearance, stomped to test his shoes, admired himself for a moment, and then left the bathroom, opening the door.
Outside, all the Pokémon were waiting like a royal guard before an emperor's selection.
Lucas looked around and picked out the Pokémon who would stay to watch the farm.
"Serperior, Eldegoss, and the Gossifleur twins will take care of the fields while I'm gone. Swampert and the Poliwag will help them."
The newcomers—Eldegoss, the Gossifleur twins, and Poliwag—were happy to accept. Swampert didn't mind; it planned to take a nap at its new Thunder Lake.
Serperior, however, was a bit annoyed. For days, Lucas had spent all his time with that annoying bird and Growlithe, while she was left to tend the fields.
"As for the ones coming with me to work: Dragonite, I'm counting on you for our daily commute."
"Drago!"
Dragonite snorted out two jets of steam, eager for the task.
"Next are Ceruledge and Growlithe. Today we're just doing onboarding paperwork, so we'll have free time for basic training."
Ceruledge stepped forward, its armored face showing little emotion.
But Growlithe jumped down from Moltres's back, wagging its tail, and bounced over to Lucas under the bird's worried gaze.
"The rest of you, keep the farm safe." Lucas clapped his hands, signaling that was it. Then he turned to Luxray, who stood quietly nearby, and smiled, "I'm counting on you to keep an eye on things at home."
Luxray nodded steadily. This mutual trust was just between him and Lucas—as his starter, it never sulked about being left at home.
After all, there was plenty of time ahead.
…
Mesagoza—the largest city in Paldea, home to the world-famous Naranja/Uva Academy.
After being invited by Geeta to become a battle teacher, Lucas researched the academy online.
That's when he found something unexpected.
In the games, the academy's name depends on the Scarlet/Violet version.
But here, the name and style change with the seasons:
Spring & Winter: Naranja Academy (orange-themed).
Summer & Fall: Uva Academy (grape-themed).
Lucas could only sigh—this world's logic was a bit strange.
Though in the games, Dragonite's 80 base speed was often mocked for being slower than Mega Garchomp (which actually loses speed when mega-evolving), in real life things were different. At least, Dragonite's flight speed was among the top for Pokémon.
From the farm outside Los Platos, it only took fifteen minutes to see Mesagoza's skyline.
Sitting on Dragonite's back with the curious Growlithe in his arms, Lucas smiled, "That's our destination—pretty big, huh?"
"Woof woof!"
Growlithe stuck out its tongue at the rushing wind, barking excitedly.
Once they were close enough, Lucas patted Dragonite and said, "Prepare to land. Be graceful—don't cause a scene!"
"Drago~"
Dragonite sighed, giving up on its idea of free-falling with Lucas and Growlithe, and instead flapped its small wings for a smooth landing.
They landed at the city's highest point, right in front of Naranja Academy's main gate.
Though classes started tomorrow, many students, with their parents and luggage, were already returning to the boarding school.
Dragonite's landing drew a lot of attention, making Lucas and Growlithe the center of everyone's gaze.
At the same time, a boy waiting at the gate noticed them.
Giacomo was wearing the academy's spring uniform, looking about fifteen or sixteen. He studied Lucas, matching him with an image in his mind.
When Lucas calmly recalled Dragonite into its Poké Ball under everyone's watchful eyes, Giacomo confirmed this was the person he'd been waiting for.
Giacomo straightened his uniform nervously, preparing for his first task as student council president, then stepped forward and greeted, "Hello, Teacher."
"Woof?"
Before Lucas could reply, the Growlithe at his feet barked first.
Giacomo: "????"
"You've only been born a few days, and you want to be someone's teacher?" Lucas flicked Growlithe's little head, then turned to Giacomo with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, this one just hatched and probably misunderstood you."
Giacomo was a bit stunned—this new teacher seemed easy to talk to.