The designer of the Terarium: Director Cyrano.
Hearing that name, Lucas subconsciously sat up a little straighter. If he had to name one of his ambitions for the farm's future, creating an artificial environment like the Terarium—where Pokémon of many species could live—was definitely on the list.
He'd planned that if he got the chance to go to Blueberry Academy, he would make sure to talk with Director Cyrano, hopefully build a good relationship, and, when he had the ability in the future, invite him to help design such a place.
He didn't expect Director Cyrano would personally come to Naranja Academy to pick them up.
Before Lucas and Nemona could greet Cyrano, Cyrano—walking over with Clavell—suddenly stopped. He looked blankly around the area, pondered for a while, then asked in confusion, "Huh? Little Clavell, what are we doing here? And who are these?"
Lucas & Nemona's group of four: "???"
Clavell pressed a hand to his forehead helplessly. "You're here to pick people up. Our academy has one teacher and four students going to Blueberry Academy for a visit and exchange."
"And also, Director Cyrano, that form of address in front of students is a bit too, well… you know."
Cyrano's face lit with sudden understanding. "Oh! Right, I think there was something like that. Thanks to you, Little Clavell!"
"By the way, what are their names?"
With a weary expression, Clavell introduced them one by one: "Head of Battle Studies, Lucas; students Nemona, Arven, Penny, and Eri. They're all the pride of Naranja Academy."
Penny tightened her ever-present Eevee backpack and whispered to the others, "Isn't this Blueberry Academy Director Cyrano a bit… forgetful?"
Arven nodded in agreement. "Hard to imagine he designed something as epoch-making as the Terarium."
Lucas's face, meanwhile, showed the shattering of an ideal. He'd imagined the person who built the Terarium would be a brilliant, wise master designer; reality turned out very different.
This forgetful guy—enough to make him suspect mild dementia—designed the Terarium?
Fortunately, with Clavell's efforts, Director Cyrano barely remembered the five people's names and faces—though no one knew how long that memory would last.
Clavell led the six of them to the highest point of Naranja Academy. There was even a helipad there—Lucas had never noticed before.
Seeing the helicopter on the pad, Lucas had to marvel at Geeta's generosity. They were getting a private ride to the airport.
He poked Clavell and whispered, "Director, can I have Dragonite land on the helipad in the future? The school's stairs are really too many."
Worried that Dragonite's downdraft might affect people or buildings in Mesagoza, Lucas rarely had it land in the city. He practically ran from the outskirts to the academy every day—exhausting.
Clavell looked at him with mild surprise, then nodded. "That's fine."
At Clavell's signal, the six boarded the helicopter, which would take them straight to the Glaseado Airport, then they'd transfer to a direct flight to Unova.
As if afraid Cyrano's forgetfulness would cause trouble, Clavell held Lucas's hand and went over the procedures several times, also reminding the pilot, and only then—with a worried look—stepped away.
As the rotor spun up and air blasted out from the helicopter, Clavell guarded his hairstyle and raised his voice: "Teacher Lucas, I'll leave it to you!"
Lucas naturally understood the double meaning and smiled knowingly. "Leave it to me!"
Although this might be a bit of a backstab to their sister school and the visiting Director Cyrano…
This trip—victory is a must!
Clavell's concern was not misplaced. Before boarding, Cyrano nearly caused them to miss the flight due to his forgetfulness. Thankfully, Clavell knew him well and had repeatedly taught Lucas how to handle various mishaps caused by Cyrano.
At last, they boarded the direct flight to Unova without incident.
In first class, Lucas held the soft, sweet-smelling Alcremie, while Comfey dozed above his head. He poked his head out to check on his students and to make sure Cyrano wasn't wandering.
Geeta was generous—her arrangements were usually first class, at worst business. First class gave everyone their own seat and privacy, and they could let out small Pokémon like Alcremie and Comfey.
Arven was probably asleep, cuddled with Mabosstiff and Skwovet. Penny had likely called out all her Eevee-lutions. Nemona was probably hugging with her partners. From Eri's closed-off seat came faint sounds of boxing.
Lucas turned to the beautiful night sky outside. Paldea to Unova spanned half the globe; they'd be on the plane a long time. Better to sleep and conserve energy.
In a Unova where truth and ideals intersect, he was excited to see who and what he might meet—and what stories might be written.
…
June 2nd, Friday, evening, Nimbasa City.
The sky was awash with afterglow, giving this leisurely city a unique mood. Neon lights that glittered at night had already lit up early. Word was that a dazzling model's runway show was about to begin. The entire city seemed shrouded in a glorious electric radiance.
Nemona and the others looked curiously around Nimbasa. Eri sighed, "Compared to the kaleidoscopic Levincia, Nimbasa feels like a city of brilliant electric light."
Lucas released Serperior from its ball and smiled. "In a sense, this is your homeland."
Serperior looked around. Compared to Levincia, Nimbasa didn't feel that different, though the climate was markedly changed.
It withdrew its gaze and began to worry about Applin and Tropius—were they doing well now?
They hadn't waited long outside the airport when their pickup arrived, slightly out of breath.
It was a very cute girl. She had smooth, natural, shoulder-length pink hair. The slightly curled tips added a playful touch, giving a first impression of energy and cuteness.
She wore a light pink jacket over a white shirt and blue-and-white track pants, paired with spotless white sneakers. Even in a school uniform, she wore it with a sense of style.
Hands on her knees, catching her breath, she then shot Cyrano a reproachful look, seeking an explanation.
"Why are you at Exit 8? I was waiting ages at Exit 1."
She'd waited quite a while at the agreed Exit 1. The plane had already landed, but no one came. Knowing Director Cyrano wasn't exactly reliable, she tried searching other exits.
To her surprise, she found them at Exit 8—the farthest from Exit 1, near the amusement park.
Cyrano looked puzzled. "Weren't we meeting at Exit 8?"
Meanwhile, Nemona and Eri went up with concern to pat her back. "Are you okay?"
The girl shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm getting used to the Director's airheadedness. I just feel a running sprint doesn't look very cute on me…"
She lifted her head with a sweet smile and introduced herself. "Hello, everyone, I'm Lacey, a student at Blueberry Academy. I'll be leading our honored guests from Naranja Academy to Blueberry. Please take care of me."
Everyone quickly introduced themselves, and Lacey led them out of Nimbasa Airport.
On the way, Nemona asked curiously, "Lacey, how are we getting to Blueberry Academy?"
Guiding while also making sure Cyrano didn't wander off, Lacey thought for a moment. "Mm, Exit 1 is too far now. Let's cut through the Nimbasa Amusement Park here near Exit 8, then grab a taxi to the port and take a boat straight to Blueberry Academy."
Lucas, silent until then, asked, "Do we need tickets for this amusement park?"
Lacey's gaze first fell on the Serperior beside him. She felt this Serperior was… strong. Then she looked at Lucas—remembering he was a teacher—so her voice naturally carried respect. "Nimbasa Amusement Park is a municipal park. You only need tickets for the rides—like the Ferris wheel. Entry itself is free."
Lucas nodded thoughtfully. In the lively chatter of the students, they entered the night-bustling Nimbasa Amusement Park.
The most eye-catching structure was the enormous Ferris wheel—so tall it seemed to pierce the sky.
As they passed, Serperior suddenly imitated Penny's Sylveon, extending a Vine Whip to coil around Lucas's wrist. The usual hauteur faded; its gaze at the Ferris wheel was a little wistful.
"When we're done at Blueberry Academy, let's ride it if we get the chance."
Knowing exactly what Serperior was thinking, Lucas smiled and looked up at the rotating Ferris wheel. Suddenly, for a brief moment, his eyes met a pair of pure, clear eyes inside one of the moving cabins.
The owner of those eyes sat quietly. The cabin was low—he must have just boarded.
Lucas's eyesight was good enough to roughly make out the face.
He had long, teal-green hair, a low-key black-and-white baseball cap, and strikingly handsome features.
His height was likely excellent—even sitting, half his body appeared in the window frame. A strangely designed planetary pendant on his pure white turtleneck swayed gently with the wheel's motion.
The features clicked in Lucas's memory. His pupils contracted slightly.
The king of Team Plasma: N.
His full name—Natural Harmonia Gropius.
Lucas was surprised he still remembered N's full name. Before he could react further, Arven, noticing Lucas lingering, walked back and pushed him forward.
While pushing, Arven grumbled, "Seriously, how old are you and you still want to ride the Ferris wheel? Fine, fine. We'll ride it on the way back!"
Serperior's slithering paused, and it shot Arven a killing-cold glare.
Ahead, Penny turned and exposed Arven's real thought. "Who are you kidding? You want to ride too—and with someone else. For example, Teacher Lucas!"
Arven's face went crimson. "Mind your own business!"
Up above, as the Ferris wheel reached its peak, N gazed quietly over Nimbasa's nightscape. The night breeze lifted his hair. A faint smile curved his lips as he spoke in a gentle, magnetic voice, "That Serperior seems to like that person quite a bit."
They left the park, took a taxi to the port, then a boat to Blueberry Academy. By the end of the process, it was late at night.
Thankfully, Blueberry Academy had prepared lodging. After Lacey settled them into the dorms, she left with a yawn.
Lucas stood by the window. The night breeze was invigorating—especially refreshing now that the weather was turning hot.
He couldn't see the academy's full view in the darkness, but the outline was clear: a vast school-city floating on the sea, combining much of Unova's advanced tech and concepts.
But he wasn't in the mood to ponder that. He thought back to the glance near the Ferris wheel. Reviewing the details, it was highly likely that person was N.
He wondered whether this was the N from the games, the N from the anime, or some fusion of both.
His thoughts drifted. Sleepiness arrived. After washing up, he fell into the soft bed and, in Comfey's floral fragrance, slept deeply.
…
The next day.
Gathered by Lacey, they came to Blueberry Academy's main hall.
Lucas was fine—teachers came and went here. But Nemona and the others, in Naranja Academy uniforms, drew many looks. Penny's social anxiety flared and she hid in Eri's arms.
Lacey wore the same cute outfit as yesterday, making one wonder if she had several of the same set.
She led them through the gate and down a long descending corridor, smiling. "Because Director Cyrano got lost and fell into a pit on his way home last night, he's mostly fine, but he is an older gentleman. He'll be resting at home for a couple of days. So I'll be taking you around."
"Today's plan is to show you Blueberry Academy's pride and joy—the undersea courtyard: the Terarium."
As Lacey spoke, light spilled from the end of the corridor, and—much to Lucas's widening eyes—what opened up ahead was… a vast wilderness!
Nemona and the others couldn't help gasping.
Lacey said proudly, "We're in the ocean, but what looks like outside—the walls and the dome overhead showing the sky—that's all projection."
"Everything here is artificially created to suit different Pokémon habitats. The Terarium is divided into four zones."
"A subtropical grassland zone, a southern-coast zone, a canyon zone full of river valleys, and a snowy polar zone."
"Each zone's temperature, humidity, and other conditions are finely tuned. Pokémon from all over the world live here. Very romantic, right~?"
"Mhm!"
As Lacey introduced things, their expressions grew more excited. The Terarium was paradise for Pokémon—and for trainers.
Lucas carefully observed the nearest grassland zone. It wasn't just grass; there were rocky outcrops and marshland.
Farther out, the coast zone had beaches, forests, mountains, and lakes. The canyon zone had towering mountains laced with rivers. The polar zone had snowy peaks and frozen seas.
Many Blueberry students were scattered about inside. Lucas even saw a number of wild Pokémon that were rare in the outside world. The teaching resources here were truly abundant.
As expected of Unova.
"Oh, one more thing I must mention." As if remembering something, Lacey gathered their attention and mimicked Cyrano's tone. "Ahem… Today, our VIP guests from Naranja Academy may freely explore the Terarium."
"Oh, and the Pokémon here—you can try to catch any that you click with. Just register on your way out!"
"That's what Director Cyrano said~"
Nemona's eyes lit up. You could even capture Pokémon from this amazing dome!?
At this, Lucas—already marveling at Blueberry and Unova's wealth—cast his gaze toward the furthest polar zone.
There should be many Ice-types there, right?
Could he… recruit a few?
Lacey seemed to naturally include Lucas.
She smiled. "Any zones you want to visit?"
They began chattering and decided:
Arven: "I'll stick to the grassland zone."
Nemona: "I'm heading for the canyon zone."
Penny: "I don't want to go anywhere, but if I have to pick—coast zone."
Eri: "I also want to train in the canyon. The environment will temper body and soul. Maybe I'll meet a Pokémon that wants to train with me."
With the four students decided, all eyes went to Lucas. It was Lacey's first time really sizing him up. She'd heard from the Director that Lucas was a strong trainer, and she was curious what he'd choose.
No hesitation. Lucas had already decided. He answered seriously, "I'd like to check out the polar zone. If possible, I want to capture an Ice-type. That should be okay, right?"