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The Blueberry Academy school counselor office was a small but inviting space. A big poster on the wall read “How Am I Feeling Today?” with adorable chibi style Pokemon hand-drawn beneath: a cheering Togepi below Happy, a weepy Sobble below Sad, and a stomping Primeape below Mad were just a few of them. There was also a plush couch with plenty of couch pillows, a desk, a basket of pokeball-themed stress balls, and a selection of colorful pens and paper for both writing exercises and students who preferred to write over talk. Tucked in the corner behind the desk was a framed postgraduate counseling degree surrounded by pictures of rolling rice patty fields and apple orchards.
Blueberry Academy hadn’t even had a school counselor until this year. Apparently no one had recognized there was such a strong need for one. But with so many students of all ages and different regions coming to attend, it seemed pretty obvious in hindsight.
Right now, a student with dark blue hair in BB League Club attire fidgeted on the couch as he waited. He turned the Ultra Ball in his hands over a couple times as he sat there.
“Oh! You got here before me.” The student jolted a bit, apparently so deep in his head he barely heard the steps of someone else entering the office.
Counselor Kieran was wearing teacher garb, though he didn't teach any classes himself. His hair was only partially tied back, with a few stray wisps of his long black and purple hair drifting in front of his kind yellow eyes. He held his usual steaming mug of tea that smelled of apples and cinnamon, and set it down on his desk as he took a seat.
“Well, I’m happy to meet with you again, Declan,” Kieran said, offering the boy a warm smile. “Do you have a particular topic you want to focus on today, or would you prefer if I lead the conversation?”
“I’ve got a topic,” Declan said quickly, tucking away his Ultra Ball.
“Okay. I’m all ears.”
Declan took a breath. “It’s about the League Club. It’s still a lot of fun, just as much fun as it was last time we talked.” He paused and didn’t say anything further.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying your time in the club,” Kieran told him earnestly. “I really enjoyed it at your age, too. And I’m glad that you made good friends in it. That’s as important as studying, you know.”
Declan nodded. “Yeah. I know it’s great, and I don’t wanna complain because I feel really lucky to have all that.” He paused again, clenching his fists in his lap. “Um, so yeah. The club is important to me. I like all the members. Well, I actually don’t know the Champion because she keeps to herself, but everyone else is really nice. And…um…” The words seem to dry up in his mouth. He swallowed and sighed. “S-sorry. It's kinda hard to get into.”
Kieran’s gaze softened. He reached towards his own belt of pokeballs and picked one out. “Do you want to pet Furret while we talk?” He always offered that to kids who needed a bit of external reassurance. Getting Furret certified as a support Pokemon was one of his top priorities out of grad school.
Declan nodded quickly. Furret emerged from the ball and puttered up to the couch, curling up by the student's feet as he reached down to pet it.
As Declan stroked the soft fur, the words came a little easier. “So, the club. I’m doing really well in it. My friends actually keep bugging me about registering to take on the Elite Four.”
“You must be a great battler," Kieran said.
Declan shrugged. “I guess.” He wrapped strands of Furret’s fur around his fingers.
“Do you not like battling?”
“No, no!” Declan quickly shook his head. “I love it! It’s super fun! But, uh…I don’t think I love it the way my friends in the club do.”
“What do you mean?”
“They all decided they want to dedicate themselves to battling after we graduate. They wanna be in the ace trainer class. I thought I wanted to be too when I started here, so I’ve been training as one, but…I dunno. It doesn’t feel right.”
“I see.” Kieran was glad this was something the boy was reflecting on. It was so easy to get swept up in whatever your friends chose to do. “Is there anything you really like doing outside of battles?”
“Oh yeah, but it’s kinda silly.”
“If you love it, it’s not silly,” Kieran assured. “But you don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready to.”
“No, I can tell you.” He smoothed a hand over Furret’s long body and took a breath. "Um, so this isn't super interesting, but I really like camping? Like being out in the woods, survivalist stuff, that kind of thing. There’s tons of chances to do that in a Terrarium and it’s really fun! My mom’s a ranger so she taught me a lot about it growing up.” He hesitated, as if waiting to be swayed off what he said, but Kieran just smiled.
"Camping? Gosh, I'm no good at that sort of thing myself. But I do love a picnic from time to time."
"Oh yeah, picnics are great too!" Declan sat up a bit straighter. "Eating out in nature with your partner Pokemon, that's the best! My ace is a Darmanitan, and sure he’s great in battle, but he makes even better toasted marshmallows. I’d love to lead a camping troop when I'm older and teach others all about it!" He collected himself. "But...camping has nothing to do with becoming a strong trainer. It's just camping. Can I really just…be a camper as my trainer class? And that's it?"
“Of course you can,” Kieran told him. “You don’t have to make battling your complete identity just because you attend a school like this. There are tons of trainer classes out there outside of battle-dedicated ones. And they can change as you grow! You know Professor Juniper?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“She used to be a backpacker before she switched to the professor title.”
Declan paused mid-pet in surprise. “Wow, really?”
“Yep! So if you feel like being a camper resonates with you more than being an ace trainer, you can absolutely go for that. And you know? It takes real strength to follow your heart’s desire. I’m proud of you for realizing this about yourself!”
Declan looked briefly relieved before biting his lip. “And what about my friends? I don’t want to let them down…”
Kieran nodded as he took a sip from his mug of tea. “I understand why that would worry you. But Declan, know that you never let anyone who cares about you down by being your true self. You may have to see if you have other common ground if battling is their main passion, but if they like you for you and not just who you are as a battler, they won’t judge you.”
Declan smiled a little. “Yeah…I mean, the thought of getting them off my case about rank climbing feels really nice.”
“We can talk again if you run into any trouble, but based on how you’ve described them in the past, I think they’ll understand. Besides, there’s always room to have passions outside of battling even if you’re great at it. Back when I was in the League Club, we had an Elite Four member who loved cooking just as much as battles!”
Declan’s smile grew as he nodded. “You’re right. Thanks, counselor. I’ll keep that in mind.” All the tension he’d had in his posture at the start of the session was gone. He gave Furret a final pat and then stood up. “Talking about this really helped.”
Kieran smiled as he called Furret back. “Of course. That’s my job.”
Declan was one of Kieran’s easiest kids. With a little support, he was always thoughtful and receptive to talking about his feelings. Kieran was proud of his maturity, and happy he was able to help him make steps towards what he really cared about.
Some of his other kids, however, weren’t so easy.
———
It was very common for Kieran to provide counseling to students who were shy, introverted, and anxious, just like he was. He had a natural way with them, and was able to get them to open up easily and help them navigate their troubles.
But Harris and Henri were none of those things.
All that had in common with Kieran was being from abroad. One from Galar and the other from Kalos, the two first-year students were practically mirrors of each other: they both had enough charisma and confidence for a room of politicians, they both had their regional Fire type starter as their ace, and they both were very popular with their peers. Each had their own group of student fans that followed them around and sat with them at lunch, asking questions about their home regions and fawning over their strong Pokemon.
So perhaps it wasn't surprising that they had one of the fiercest rivalries Kieran had ever seen.
If you saw a Delphox and a Cinderace in the hall staring each other down as their trainers talked, you knew the endless game of fox VS rabbit was on. The boys competed in everything. Battles. Club activities. BBQs. Even sandwich stacking was something they felt the need to beat the other at. Galar and Kalos had a history of being at odds, but these kids took it to a very personal level. And it provided plenty of entertainment, as the students that followed them around loved picking sides and watched them duke it out.
Unsurprisingly, all of this had started to distract from their academic studies. It seemed perfect paper grades were too nerdy to warrant a spot in their competition, and took a backseat to nearly everything else. Not that the boys were bothered—it’s not like either of them had scheduled a counseling session of their own volition. But all first-year students met with the school counselor as part of their quarter check-in, and that was the perfect opportunity for Kieran to gently broach the subject.
Harris was up first, a Galarian boy who opted for the tracksuit over the usual school outfit and sleek narrow sunglasses perched atop his bleach streaked hair. He was from Wyndon, but Kieran wouldn't be surprised if he'd spent time in Spikemuth as the rebellious preteen stage kicked in. Likewise, he was entirely checked out for most of the session, casting more than a few stray glances at his Rotom phone.
“Now, regarding your social life here at the academy. I understand you've got a rival?" Kieran asked with a bit of a smile, knowing this question would be a lot more interesting to him than the generic counselor questionnaire.
"Oh, yeah! He sucks!" Harris sat up in an instant, phone forgotten.
“Can you tell me more about him?”
“Henri’s from my Class 1-4. He's such a Kiloude City kid. Who even wears wheeled shoes outside of Kalos? Apparently Henri! Everyone thinks he's so cool, skating around the halls like he bloody owns the place, throwing in Kalos words when he talks to impress the Unova kids, and handing out Lumiose Galettes. He knows what he's doing, people love being fed, it's a cheap popularity hack. And I hate that smug throwing style of his. He always goes on about how his parents are some rich big whigs from the Battle Maison. Well, my parents are League Staffers at Macro Cosmos! Leon himself taught me his throwing style and gave me battle tips before I came here! I bet he's jealous of me. That's why he's always challenging me to things." Harris jabbed his thumb at the little stomping Primeape on the feelings poster. "That. He makes me that."
“So I can see,” Kieran said, still smiling a little. The boy hadn’t answered any question with a fraction of that passion before. “Are you two friends, as well?”
Harris gawked. "Friends?! With that total wan-er, with that guy?! Absolutely not!"
"Hmm. Well, in that case, maybe you should take a little break from your rivalry? Especially if it's starting to distract you from your studies."
"Oh. Uh...maybe.” He shrugged. “But first I’d wanna get a really good win over on him. The kind that completely wipes that stupid grin off his face. That’s my biggest goal right now.”
Kieran knew it could take more than one session to change habits or get through to a kid. And this was meant to be a general check-in, anyways. Outside of academics, he was doing alright, so he cooled the boy's temper by returning to general questions.
Henri's session went similarly. Unlike Harris, Henri was wearing the most formal school outfit, his chestnut hair was meticulously styled, and he had swapped out the usual school tie for a very frilly ascot. Kieran didn’t think that was a dress code violation, but it certainly skated the line. While the boy engaged with the questions a bit more than his rival did, he also had a distinct air of superiority; certainly the fault of his wealthy parents rather than anything the boy did wrong. But parental habits being passed to their kids was far beyond the scope of a general check-in.
"What can you tell me about your relationship with Harris?” Kieran asked. “I understand you two rent out the school entrance battle court almost daily.”
Henri's eyes took on the briefest excited shine at the name before smoothing over into smugness. "Ha, Harris. He's been my rival since orientation." He ran a hand through his excessively gelled hair. "Kids think he's cool because he has that Galarian bluntness and says whatever he wants. But he just lacks tact. Same goes for his battling style. All power, no patience. He keeps thinking I'm going to sit back and let him set up for a sweep turn one. Désolé, meet my stall set.”
"Are either of you planning to try for the BB League?" Kieran asked. It was pretty strange that they hadn’t yet. He could only imagine how frequent a Champion match would be if the two were constantly fighting over the crown.
“Pfft, of course not. It costs so much BP to perform silly little trials for a silly little title. Ah, no offense, counselor. I know you were Champion when you attended here. But in my region, the Chatelaines are much stronger than the champions.” Henri smirked. “Though I would like to beat Harris badly enough that he gets rid of his bangs."
“Ah…I see.” Kieran’s history wasn’t exactly a secret to anyone curious enough to dig around. And not like he could edit the yearbook, but he learned the following year that particular hairstyle didn’t suit him for a variety of reasons.
“But yeah, the League Club can do their thing, but it’s not for me, and because I don’t care, Harris doesn’t, either.”
“If you’re not competing for the champion title, what do you compete over?” Kieran wondered.
“BP, obviously. Quest bets are way more fun than the standard school-issued BBQs and pay way more.”
“Quest bets? What are those?” Kieran knew they competed constantly, but didn’t realize BP was involved.
Henri seemed surprised he didn’t know. “Some of the upperclassmen came up with them. They’re like personal BBQs that you can challenge someone to with higher stakes. If you take the bet and succeed, you get the BP. If you don’t, you must pay up the same amount. Last time I bet Harris 3000 BP to catch a shiny in two hours, and even with a charm, he utterly failed. Meanwhile I’ve aced every bet he’s given me lately. I’m rich in and out of this school.” He puffed his chest proudly.
“Huh. Okay.” There hadn’t been anything like that when Kieran was a student at the academy, and it sounded a lot more cutthroat than the friendly and collaborative nature of normal BBQs. “And would you ever consider taking a break from your rivalry to focus on your academic studies?”
Henri shrugged. “Not like my parents care about my grades. I’m just here for the prestige. Well, added prestige. My family name is already quite reputable.”
Kieran accepted that and pivoted back to the general questions, but something was nagging him. It all sounded harmless enough, like typical rival behavior, but he did worry a little . His old obsession with beating his one-sided rival had driven him to very unhealthy habits, and there was a risk of that here.
So long as it didn't get out of hand, though, it wasn't requiring immediate attention. He could circle back during the next check-in and make sure their studies hadn’t dropped below what was necessary to stay in school.
But unfortunately, things did get out of hand long before he had a chance to meet with them again.
The day it happened, Kieran had just wrapped up his final session with a student. He was still in his office as evening approached, preparing to lock up, when a sudden pounding on the office door jolted him.
"C-come in!" Kieran called, a bit of his childhood stammer returning from the surprise of it. The door flew open to not a student but a Pokemon. A Cinderace specifically, curls of smoke around its feet to indicate just how fast it had sprinted here.
It gave a panicked cry and hopped back to the hall, gesturing for him to follow it. Kieran immediately got up and headed straight for the doorway. He wasn’t 100% sure, but he had an idea of who its trainer was, and that made him very worried.
Even moving as fast as he could, it was hard to keep pace with the Pokemon’s inhumane speed, but it slowed down at times just enough to stay in sight. When they reached the Terrarium entrance he spotted Harris, eyes squeezed closed in mid-sync with his starter. He opened them and dropped the synchronization as they approached.
“T-thanks, Dodger, come back!” He recalled the Cinderace and looked at Kieran with wild panic in his eyes. “C-counselor! Henri's in trouble!”
Kieran’s heart sank as his fears were confirmed. “What happened?!"
Harris stumbled over his words as they rushed out at once. “I, I-I bet Henri 5000 BP to do a 6 star Tera raid in the polar biome by himself. But it all went wrong! The Kingdra broke out from the den and, and H-Henri got trapped! M-my Pokemon are the same level as his so I didn't think I could do anything, and e-everyone watching was way weaker than us, and I didn’t know what to do so I rushed back here and sent Dodger ahead to get you as fast as possible! Please, y-you gotta help him!”
Kieran’s heat sank. It was a lot to take in and it was all bad. 6 star raids were a risk for a new first-year, and it was an unspoken rule that you never took on raids solo.
There wasn't enough time to flag down a Skarmory taxi, so Kieran called out his Yanmega as Harris called out his Dragapault and they flew off towards the polar biome as fast as they could.
The raid location was a huge expanse of icy water far from any rest stops, and in the center, a massive Flying-type terrastralized Kingdra was churning up the water into a violent stormy whirlpool. It took Kieran a moment to spot Henri because the group of spectating young students on the snowy shore were both standing at a safe distance and completely frozen in horror at the sight. But then Henri burst out from beneath the swirling water and cried out for help, followed by his Delphox, looking battered and drenched as it tried desperately to pull its trainer to safety before they both vanished back under the current.
It was a terrifying sight for anyone, much less Kieran, a person who used to be scared of his own shadow.
But Kieran wasn’t scared. He couldn’t be, when every muscle in his body aligned with every cell in his brain in the pure pursuit of saving Henri. He wasn't about to hesitate like he once did against Terapagos. Every second counted and this student was relying on him.
As he jumped off Yanmega, he deftly grabbed two pokeballs in each hand and hurled them into the battle while yelling, “Keep everyone back Harris, I can handle this!”
Politoed, Dragonite, Hydrapple, and Poliwrath stood at attention as he started rapidly calling out orders. His Yanmega joined the first three in attacking the Kingdra, while Poliwrath dove into the water and made a beeline for Henri and Delphox. Kieran kept glancing at the spot he’d last seen Henri as he battled, ready to dive in himself if it was necessary.
Fortunately Kieran's Pokémon were all level 100 and battle-ready. Hydrapple in particular clearly understood their trainer's feelings as they landed a full power Fickle Beam on first use. With their combined all-out attacks his team were able to quickly overwhelm the power of the Kingdra. It shrunk back to a normal size and vanished under the surf as the hazardous environment cleared. As the water went still, Poliwrath emerged carrying Henri and Delphox over either arm and swam to the snowy shore.
Kieran recalled his other Pokemon and rushed over to check him over. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when he saw the boy had no injuries from the jagged rocks or ice. And Delphox had fainted, but was otherwise okay. Kieran found the only active ball on Henri’s belt of Luxury Balls and recalled it for him.
“You did really great, Poliwrath.” Kieran was a pretty gangly adult, but he still managed to take the kid into his own arms as Poliwrath returned to its ball.
Henri was still for a few more seconds before he gasped loudly. He started coughing up droplets of water and shivering from the chill.
“Shh, it’s all over now, I've gotcha,” Kieran whispered, gently rubbing his back to ease the coughing and bring some warmth back to him.
The students watching were a mix of deeply relieved and incredibly impressed at watching their unassuming counselor solo a raid. Harris pushed past them and sprinted over, his eyes still panicked. "Counselor! H-Henri! Is he...?"
"He's not hurt," Kieran assured. "Just inhaled some water. But I'm gonna take him to the nurse just to be sure. Everyone else, please return to your classes.”
The students all dispersed but Harris hesitated. He peered down at Henri, who was finally catching his breath.
"I..." The words stuck in his throat. His usual confidence was gone and he looked sick with guilt.
"Stop by my office in a bit," Kieran added, his tone soft rather than demanding. Harris just swallowed thickly and nodded.
Once they were safely in the Skarmory taxi, Kieran focused his attention on Henri. While he wasn't injured, he was soaked through and badly shaken, occasionally coughing into Kieran's shoulder. Kieran remembered when he had a near-death experience in Area Zero around this age and how upsetting that had been for him, so his heart ached to think how Henri must be feeling the same.
“You’re safe,” Kieran whispered softly. "I know that was really scary and you don't feel very good right now. But you’re gonna be okay. We’re gonna get to the nurse’s office soon and get you into dry clothes with something warm to drink. Just take some nice deep breaths for now, one at a time."
"Étincelle…m-my, my partner…s-she dove after me when I fell in…i-is she...?" Henri spoke in a voice quieter than Kieran’s shyest volume, and it broke his heart to hear.
“Don’t worry, she's safe. Right here, see?" Kieran showed him the Luxury Ball.
Henri took it in a shaking hand and clutched it very close to his chest. "Thank goodness..." he muttered, voice breaking. “She’s weak to Water, but when she saw I fell in, she still…s-she still…” It ended in a sob. Kieran hugged him a little tighter.
Part of this job was seeing past whatever surface attitude a kid had. And in their first meeting, Henri acted superior and self-assured. But right now, his gelled hair was soaked through and messy, his voice was impossibly small, and his eyes were full of tears. He wasn't a rich boy or a popular student or a smug rival; he was just a badly frightened kid in need of comfort and support, and Kieran was going to give him that.
The nurse confirmed he was fine outside of a little water in his lungs that could be cleared with some final coughs. Now they were back in Kieran's office. Henri was sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and cradling Kieran’s favorite mug as he sipped the apple-cinnamon tea his counselor prepared for him. He’d changed into dry clothes, but his hair was still damp, and his demeanor completely subdued.
"Are you feeling a bit better now?" Kieran asked gently. Henri nodded slowly, then looked up at Kieran.
“Merci. Thank you, counselor. You…you saved me…”
“Of course. I wasn’t gonna let anything bad happen to you, Henri.” Kieran fiercely meant that. Henri’s eyes softened into vulnerable and deep appreciation for a few moments, and he nodded once before he dropped his gaze.
“I….shouldn't have done that. I shouldn’t have taken the bet.”
“That was not a good idea at all," Kieran agreed.
“Étincelle knew. Sometimes she can see glimpses of possible futures. And when I took the bet, she was acting all panicked. But I still thought I could do it. I put myself, her, and the rest of my team in danger. If you hadn’t come for us, I…I don’t…” He shook his head and took another sip of tea.
“It’s okay. We don’t need to talk about that. The most important thing to me is that you're alright now.” His adjusted his tone to be firm but still soft. “The second most important thing is making sure you don't get into further situations like that as best you can. This was completely avoidable. I’m sure you agree that no amount of BP was worth going through that experience.”
“I know.” Henri groaned. “And now I owe Harris almost every point I have.”
Kieran made a mental note to make sure those points weren’t taken by Harris, but he could deal with that later. Besides, judging by the Galarian boy’s reaction, he had a feeling he may not actually have to.
“You should never enter a raid den on your own. Especially in the biomes. The Terrarium is amazing, but it can be very dangerous if students don't follow rules. And trust me, I understand what it's like to feel competitive. But you can't neglect your health and safety for it. It will only lead to trouble."
Henri nodded. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Kieran called.
The door opened and Harris stepped in, startling when he saw Henri.
“O-oh.” He stepped back into the doorway. “I-I’ll come by later.”
It was easy to imagine how things would play out from here without Kieran to mediate. They very likely wouldn't talk to each other again. They both said themselves they weren’t friends, and it could be too awkward of a situation for kids to know how to navigate on their own. But Kieran was determined to set them on a communicative path.
“No, come take a seat. It’s important that you’re both here.”
Harris tensed, but wasn’t about to go against his counselor’s wishes. He awkwardly shuffled over to the couch and took a seat on the far end of the couch from Henri, refusing to look at him.
“First of all, I know you both feel bad about what happened. Harris, I was just telling Henri why it’s extremely important you don’t make bets like this.” Kieran gave him the same speech, then added, “But you aren’t in trouble. In fact, I don’t need to ask any further questions about what happened right now. So we can put this situation out of our minds for a moment.” As he hoped, the boys visibly relaxed at hearing that. “Instead, I actually want to know more about your rivalry. Starting with you, Harris.”
Harris stared blankly, confused. “Oh. Um, what about it?”
Kieran smiled. “I wanna know what about Henri makes him feel like a worthy rival to you.”
“O-oh.” Harris wasn’t at all shy, so it was strange to see him suddenly reticent. “Well, uh…he’s strong, I guess. I wouldn’t want a rival who wasn’t as strong as me.”
“What makes him strong?”
“Uh, he’s got powerful Pokémon.”
“Is that all?”
“Well, no. They’re powerful, but also he knows how to use them. He’s not all talk.”
“There are lots of trainers who fit that description in Blueberry.”
“Sure, but they aren’t the only other foreign student who happens to also be in my class and uses the same type of starter as me.”
Kieran titled his head. “So he’s worthy to you because he reminds you of yourself?”
“No, he’s way different than me! And…ugh.” Harris shook head and changed the subject. “He’s strong, sure, but he’s far from the toughest trainer around. His full team isn’t even optimized to be competitive. Like, his Chandelure and Whimsicott are built well, but his ace is a Delphox—already far from the strongest fire starter— with absolutely rubbish IVs.”
“Says the guy with a Blaze Cinderace,” Henri cut in, a bit of his old attitude returning. “You have to waste your item slot on an Ability Patch to get Libero.”
“Is there a reason you two use those as your aces?” Kieran asked, a little surprised himself. “As you said, they aren’t competitive, and you’re able to catch and breed starters here in the Terrarium.”
Harris shrugged. “Obviously I’d go for the hidden ability now, but I’ve had Dodger since I was a kid. League Staff kids all get starter eggs when we’re super young. I didn’t even know about hidden abilities back then. So I’d have to use a whole new Cinderace if I wanted that.”
“It’s the same with Étincelle,” Henri added. “My parents both have a Delphox and gave me the first egg they ever got as my pet before I knew how to use pokeballs. If I caught another starter, it wouldn't really be my 'starter'.”
“Oh, I see!” Kieran couldn’t help but smile. It was really sweet to hear that from kids who were so focused on competing with each other. Even he had fallen victim to replacing childhood Pokemon with stronger ones when he was young and on his rival-beating obsession. The fact they never dipped to that level made Kieran very proud of them.
“That makes you two unique, you know,” he told them. “Many students here would just replace their childhood Pokémon with stronger ones.”
“I’d never to do that to Étincelle,” Henri said very seriously.
“Yeah, same with Dodger!” Harris agreed.
Kieran nodded, still smiling warmly. “Then that’s an important value you both share. And something else you can respect in one another. I certainly respect it! And I think your starters do, too. If your Pokemon really love you, they’ll endure knockout hits and get crits frequently.” That was something Kieran had learned after many lost battles to his first friend. He’d come to understand it was one of the biggest advantages they had over him. But judging by how these two talked about their aces, he had a feeling the boys had seen this special power in action already.
“Yeah…I guess so.” Harris stared at the ground, although he wasn’t leaning as far as he could from Henri anymore.
“Thanks, Harris. That’s all for now. We’ll have another group session like this where Henri answers the question. Right now, we need to give him a bit more time to recover.”
“Ah. Right.” Harris’s face fell. Henri frowned.
“Don’t look so down. You won the bet and have tons of my BP to use. Make sure to spend it on something worthwhile, I don’t want it going to waste.”
Harris quickly shook his head. “No way. You don’t owe me anything. You almost got seriously hurt because of my bet. I’m not gonna take your BP after that. All of this was my fault. So, uh…sorry.”
Henri gently waved his hand. "No, no. You don't get to steal the whole blame spotlight. I messed up, too. I shouldn't have agreed to do something this stupid.”
"Sure, but I was the one who came up with it."
“Please. I would have come up with it if you hadn't." Henri smiled a little bit as he spoke. Harris looked over at him and managed to return the smile.
“That’s true. You would have.”
"Oui. It's why we're great rivals." He looked over to Kieran. "Besides, if anyone deserves my BP, it's you, counselor. You completed the quest bet."
“Ooh, yeah, that was ace!" Harris agreed. "I had no idea your team was that broken!"
“O-oh. Well, all that mattered to me was that you were safe, Henri," Kieran said earnestly, feeling a bit bashful from the students' sudden admiration.
"I didn't know you were bringing all that skill, but when Henri was in trouble, I felt like you were the person to go to first,” Harris told him. "And I was right!"
“I’m really glad you came to me.” Kieran was surprised but very touched to have been his first choice. He was honestly impressed Harris even remembered him after only one session.
Harris's enthusiasm cooled. “We won't ever do something like that again, though. I love a challenge, but that...that was awful. I don't want to get hurt, and I don't-" He seem to catch himself about to say something a bit too vulnerable and pivoted. "I know Henri doesn't want to get hurt, either."
“I’m glad to hear that. A rival can be a wonderfully motivating person to have in your life. But it's only healthy if you're mutually inspire each other, respect one another, and push each other in safe ways. If you two can remember that, I think your rivalry can take you both very far."
The boys nodded.
"And who knows? You clearly have lots in common. Maybe in time, you'll find you make great friends, too!” Kieran chuckled lightly at the simultaneous grossed-out faces they pulled, though they didn’t deny it.
Even after their next group session, the two rivals never outright admitted anything had changed between them. But a few weeks later, when Kieran was in the cafeteria, he saw they weren’t sitting with their usual group of fans. Instead there were sitting side by side, talking and looking at each other’s Rotom phones, sharing a mound of fries. When they got to the last fry, they started a game of Rockruff-Pansage-Scyther for it, but two steps in Henri just snagged and ate it. Harris nearly pushed him over as his rival laughed.
And to Kieran’s delight, they stayed sitting with each other long after the plate was empty.
———
It was around the start of the year's last quarter when the BB league’s sitting Champion scheduled a counseling session. Kieran was so surprised, he had to confirm it was the same girl.
Ariane was an older student and already had a year of school under her belt when Kieran started working here, so he hadn’t met her during the first-year check-ins. And she had been Champion for nearly the full year. She had a stoic disposition, but it wasn’t like Amarys, who was more punctual and formal. By contrast, Ariane seemed distant. She never hung out with the rest of the club and seemed focused on both her battles and her studies. Most unusual was that while she was certainly a skilled battler, practically no one tried to unseat her. Champion matches had almost never happened since she took the title. Kieran hoped it was a mystery that would be solved in this upcoming session, because he had been wondering about it himself.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ariane,” Kieran told her at the start of the session.
“Likewise.” Ariane didn’t sink into the soft couch. She sat up like she was about to stand again any moment, long teal hair down and draped over her shoulders.
“I always start by asking if you would like to discuss anything in particular, or if you would prefer me to ask you questions.”
"I don't want to talk,” Ariane said. Kieran nodded in gentle understanding.
"That's completely alright." He gestured to the paper and pens. "If you want to choose whichever pen you like and write instead-"
"No, that's not what I mean," she said, a bit more forcefully. It almost reminded him of Carmine. “I didn’t schedule this meeting to discuss anything.”
“Oh.” Kieran hadn’t expected that. “Then what can I help you with?”
“Can you battle me?"
Kieran blinked. "Battle you?"
"Yeah. I want to battle you for our session. You were the Champion of Blueberry Academy when you went here. But you're still really skilled. You saved that Kalosian first-year and solo’d a 6 star raid to do it. Everyone talked about that for like a week, you know. You don't expect a school counselor to be packing competitive level 100's. When I heard that, I knew I wanted to schedule this session. So, Champion to Champion…I really want to battle.”
Kieran had never battled any of his kids before, though teachers and students did battle on occasion. It wasn’t an unusual request, and he did enjoy battles just as much as an adult as he did when he was a kid.
So after a moment of thought, he nodded. "Sure, Ariane. We can battle."
He hadn’t been expecting to battle today, but as they took their positions on the court, his usual rush excitement that came with battling welled up in his chest. He’d watched her match for the initial title, so he had some idea of what she used. First, she had a very unusual ace: a Pokemon called Melmetal. She came to school with it, so no one knew where she got it. She also had a Houndoom, Crobat, and Alolan Ninetales. He wasn’t sure about the others because she won the championship match without even having to use them.
“All ready?” Kieran asked her from across the court. Ariane just nodded and held out her pair of pokeballs.
Most of what she brought were kept in standard ordinary pokeballs, save for one. When it was time for Melmetal to come out, Kieran saw the ball was unusual: it was black with a symbol too faint to make out from afar. It didn’t look like any kind of ball he’d seen before.
Regardless, the match was very close. Her Pokemon were high level 80’s, and even with a full team of 100s Kieran found he had to strategize and pivot quite a bit. Her remaining Pokemon, Ditto and Vileplume, put up a very good fight. They even got down to one-on-one. But the higher levels won out, as her Melmetal fell to an Earth Power from Hydrapple, clinching the victory for Kieran.
Ariane called back her fainted final pokemon and didn’t say anything. Kieran watched her expression carefully. If she seemed upset about the loss, he was ready to flip into counselor mode.
But surprisingly, her shoulders dropped and she sighed. She seemed…relieved?
"What a battle!" Kieran exclaimed with a big smile. "You sure are strong, Ariane!”
"I wasn't expecting a Tidy Up Furret," Ariane told him as they met in the center of the court. "I wasn't expecting Furret at all."
"I like to get creative with my sets sometimes, especially when using Pokemon that aren’t normally competitive,” Kieran explained brightly. The joy of battling was something he would never outgrow. “Tidy Up is one of the most fun! Annoying to be on the other side of for sure, but so satisfying to watch him sweep away those hazards and substitutes like they’re nothin’.”
Ariane tilted her head. "You battled way different when you were a student here."
Kieran nodded. "I know. I was still figuring out a lot back then. You might find your battle style changes as you grow, too."
"Maybe." She glanced down at the battle court ground.
"Did you have fun?" he asked her. She nodded surprisingly fast.
"I did!” It was the most emotion he’d heard in her voice up to this point. “I really did. Thank you for battling me. I haven’t got to battle in a long time, and…it really helped me clear my head.”
“Yeah, you’ve barely gotten any challengers, huh? Maybe because you’re so good at this. Blueberry’s own Champion Nemona!” Kieran tried to cheer her up further, but Ariane just shrugged.
“Not really. That would be better.”
He waited for her to elaborate on that, and when she didn’t, he said, “Alright, well, we’ve still got some time left in this session. Do you feel like talking will help, or was that enough?”
Ariane glanced back at the school building and then at him. She took a breath, decision made.
“I think I’m ready to talk.”
Back at the office, she didn’t look like she was about to spring off the couch anymore, but she didn’t fully look settled, either. Kieran recognized the way she pulled at a few loose strands of her hair as a nervous habit.
“I dunno how much teachers and staff know about my family’s history,” she started. “Director Cyrano knows, but doesn’t care and probably forgot already. Same can’t be said for other students. Rumors spread really quick and my Melmetal’s ball is a dead giveaway.”
Kieran didn’t know anything private about the families of the kids unless it was relevant or necessary for their safety. Ariane was an only child as far as he could tell, but that was all.
She took it off her belt and set it on his desk. Now that Kieran could get a better look, he saw it pitch black, a large red “R” painted on the top. Although the organization was long before his time, Kieran recognized the symbol immediately.
“My grandpa was a criminal,” Ariane explained. “Not the big boss or anything, but right up there. He did really terrible things in Kanto and Johto. But he got toppled, and went into hiding for years. I guess somewhere in there he started a family. And when I was little, he gave me my first Pokémon in that Rocket Ball, saying it was super special and rare.”
Ariane paused as she stared at the ball and winced a little. “It’s one of my favorite Pokemon to use but wish I could change it to a different kind of ball.” She shook her head. “Obviously the team is long gone now and my grandpa isn’t wanted anymore, but the legacy’s still there. Back at my school in Kanto, I could never catch a break. Kids of the team tend to be troublemakers and take after their parents, so that hasn’t helped. I really hoped things would be different here, since Unova has no history with the team, but kids are just as wary of me. I guess at some point someone started a rumor that I’d steal the Pokémon of whoever I lost to. No one’s wanted to battle me since then. Our battle just now is the first time I’ve got the chance to battle outside of class in weeks.” She stared at her lap. “I really should have known nothing would change.”
Kieran was quiet for a lot longer than he normally was in a session. He wasn’t sure what to expect that made the girl so reserved, but it definitely wasn’t something like this.
“It’s okay if you have nothing to say,” Ariane added, taking away the ball with care and putting it back on her belt. “Or no advice to offer. It’s not like I can change myself to make this better. I tried being friendly to people at my Kanto school but that just made them more suspicious. I tried to stay more in my own lane here, but I got the same result. I even joined the League Club and climbed the ranks to Champion, thinking that could be a way to get people to battle me without trying to be friends or anything. But it still didn’t work. I don’t know what else to do, outside of…dropping out, I guess. Maybe looking into a more individualized course of study or something.”
“I…I’m so sorry, Ariane,” Kieran told her quietly. “That’s really not fair at all.” He deeply felt for her. Kieran already felt like a shunned outsider when he was young. She had an even stronger reason to feel that way than he did; he couldn’t imagine having the weight of such negative family history to carry around.
But his past wasn’t a burden anymore. In fact, it was one of his greatest strengths. He had learned so much from his experiences, and he could use that to support others.
“Ariane, if you don’t mind me talking for a bit, can I tell you a little about when I was your age?”
“Uh, yeah. Sure.”
Kieran was about to start talking and paused. “Oh, and do you want Furret to come out again? Not to battle or anything, just to hang out with you. Sometimes kids like having a buddy during these sessions.”
To his pleasant surprise, she nodded. Furret emerged from his ball and curled up by her feet as his trainer started talking.
Kieran didn’t get too into the details, but gave her an overview of what he was like and what happened to him during that faithful meeting with his first friend and the events that followed.
“Damn, all that and you still didn’t win?” Ariane asked.
“Nope,” Kieran said. “I got utterly crushed. And you know what ultimately snapped me out of my frenzy?”
“What?”
“I almost died.”
Ariane’s eyes widened a little. “You…almost died?”
“Yep. See, when I lost that Champion battle, I had nowhere to go, and no one to turn to as it felt like everything I worked for came crashing down. Instead, I got swept up in a very dangerous mission leaving that night. I shouldn’t have gone in that state, but I was so desperate, I wasn’t going to let the chance for a change pass me up. None of the adults stopped me, and it almost cost me my life.”
Ariane just stared at him, stunned and silent.
“All this to say, Ariane: I took this career path because I never wanted kids to feel the way I did. I wanted to give this school the person I needed the most when I was a student. If I had just had someone to talk to before I met my first friend, when I was still all shy and isolated…I know things would have gone a lot better for me.” He gave her a soft smile. “I know I can’t fix this entirely for you, but I really don’t want you to keep feeling alone. So, first of all, I want you to know my office is always open to you. Whenever you need, however often you need, we can talk about how you’re feeling, okay? If you still want to drop out that's okay, but...I'll be here, if you decide to stay.”
Ariane blinked and then nodded slowly. “Y-yeah, okay. Thank you.”
“And second of all, I want you to know you’re not defined by who your parents or grandparents are. We just started working together, but I believe you’re strong. And I don’t just mean as a battler. Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a question.”
“Sure…”
“What do you think strength is?"
Ariane didn't answer immediately. She pet Furret in quiet thought. “…Grandpa always told me strength was having the best tools of everyone in the room," Ariane started. "Er, he meant Pokémon. He said he was that person for a while, and then one day, he was beat by a trainer with better Pokémon than him, and that was that. That's what he believes."
"Do you believe that, too?" Kieran asked.
"Well, I'm pretty sure in his perfect world I grow up to become the new leader of a revived Team Rocket. So I don’t want to go along with anything he says.” Ariane furrowed her brow slightly. “But even without that…I don’t think strength has anything to do with how strong your Pokemon are."
"You got it," Kieran said proudly. "That was fast!"
While she didn’t smile, the corner of Ariane’s lip did twitch a moment. “Battling boosts my brainpower."
"Heh, it does for me, too. I should battle before meeting with my students more often!” Kieran pushed a few stray bangs off his face and looked up as one of the most important lessons he’d ever learned came to mind. “But you’re right. Strength is so much more than winning Pokemon battles. It’s something you always feel inside yourself, regardless of a battle’s outcome. It’s a certainty in what you value. I used to think Ogerpon resembled strength because she could take on powerful opponents and win without anyone supporting her. But really, she did have support, in the bond she shared with her trainer. Even when he was gone, her strength and dearest treasure was that bond. I don't think she could have beat those evil Pokemon if she didn't value her trainer that way. When I first met Ogerpon, I didn't feel close with my Pokemon, not the way my friend was with theirs, and that's why she chose them over me. But she still taught me so much, and I'm really grateful to her for that." He sighed, then looked at his student again.
"Ariane, I know you feel cynical in your situation, but you still came to me for help. You wanted your situation to improve without just dropping out. Or worse, without forcing anyone to be your friend or becoming what they fear you are. That’s real strength you demonstrated. Way more than I had when I was your age.”
Ariane didn’t say anything, but she did quietly nod.
“I think this will all mean a lot more to you once this problem isn’t weighing so heavily on you. And I want to give you a starting point. I’m positive there are students here who won’t judge you for your family, even if you haven’t found them yet. I actually think the BB League might be a good start. You battled them to climb the ranks, right?”
“I did…”
“And did the members or Elite Four give you a hard time?”
“Not really, no. But I kinda assumed the ones who were quiet about it were still thinking it.”
“I think you should offer to train with them,” Kieran suggested. “Maybe not in a battle at first, but alongside them, like complete some BBQs together. See who’s willing to take you up on that. I might even be able to steer you in the right direction! One of the kids in the league who I’ve worked with is very kind and might be worth getting to know better. But regardless, I truly believe you’ll find people who care about you for who you are, not who your family is. True friends who will have tons of fun battles with you, go on adventures with you, and be by your side no matter what.”
“...Okay.” Another smile tugged at her lips but didn’t quite form. “I…would really like that.”
“That’s very doable, I promise. We can have another session next week if you’d like, but that’s your homework for today.”
She raised an eyebrow. “No one told me school counselors give homework.”
Kieran grinned. “They do now.”
“Right.” She didn’t sound annoyed, though. “Thank you, counselor. Really. I’ll let you know how it goes. I’d really love to get to battle again.” She peered down at Furret on her lap and tapped his nose, adding in a slightly higher-pitched but still stoic voice, “though you are very annoying to fight.” Furret just chirped happily and licked her cheek in response, and this time, she completely failed to suppress her smile.
Kieran wasn’t sure exactly how things would go, but she seemed so much more hopeful than at the start. And whatever happened, he would be there for her, just like he was for all of his kids.
—
Kieran met with lot of kids during his first year on the job, but four of them managed to surprise him in a way he could have never imagined.
It was only two weeks out from the end of the year. Kieran was a little confused when Ariane booked a second session in one week, despite saying it wasn’t for anything serious. But she did say it was important, and was oddly insistent about it.
Even more oddly, the lights in his office were on when he arrived for the session. He could have sworn he shut them off when he'd stepped out.
But when he opened the door, he was greeted with a chorus of student voices:
“SURPRISE!”
Declan, Henri, Harris, and Ariane were all standing in his office surrounded by decorations. A bright yellow banner hung across the room with "Thank You, Counselor Kieran!" written in sparkly purple letters. On his desk was a platter of candy apples next to a stack of colorful envelopes.
"Wha...Huh?" Kieran hadn't been rendered completely speechless in a very, very long time. But last time he lost his words, it had been cold and bleak. This time, there was a rising warmth beneath the shock and confusion.
“I made the candy apples myself!” Declan said proudly. "Took a few tries but the kitchen staff let me have at it until I got them perfect. Then the banner was all Ariane. The Art Club kids let her into the club room to make it."
"It was pretty easy to make.” Ariane shrugged. "Hanging it up was kinda a pain even with Pokémon help, though. Your office already has a lot of nice decorations and I didn't want to mess with them."
“Ariane was also the ringleader in setting all this up,” Delclan went on. “She told me about it and I thought it was an awesome idea. Initially it was just gonna be us, but these two first-years caught wind of it and demanded we include them.”
“And as much as he hates to admit it, the letters were this sentimental sap’s addition,” Henri remarked, nodding at Harris.
“What?! They were your idea, mate!” Harris lightly punched his rival’s shoulder as Henri laughed.
"We each wrote one,” Declan explained. "They're all our own versions of thanking you for how you helped us out this year. So you can always read about how grateful we are, even long after we graduate!"
Kieran stared. He took everything in once, and then again. He opened his mouth.
"Wowzers." The single word reflexively slipped from Kieran's lips. His students grinned as he stepped further into the office. "You all did this…for me...?"
"Yep!” Declan nodded.
"W-why...?" It was a silly question but Kieran couldn't get over how stunned he was.
"We just really wanted you to know how much we appreciate everything you've done for us!" he exclaimed, and the others nodded in agreement.
"O-oh..."
Kieran's eyes suddenly felt very damp, and he quickly wiped them.
He looked at everything again--the banner with his name, the homemade candy apples, the stack of letters, and the warm smiles of the students. It almost looked like a mini festival, but instead of celebrating myths or village traditions, it was a heartfelt demonstration of how Kieran was able to improve the lives of these kids. How he was able to help them. He didn’t have to change himself or try to be like anyone else. All he had to do was show up for them, exactly as himself, and that was enough.
"H-heh, I'm sorry…” Kieran sniffled and composed himself. "It means the whole world to me you did this. It just really took me by surprise, is all."
“We mean it,” Ariane told him. "We're really happy that you're our school counselor!"
"I..." Kieran paused to take a deep breath and find the right words, something to convey the immense joy that was filling his heart so full he felt it might burst.
As he found them, he smiled warmly at all of his kids, his eyes sparkling and bright.
“I am, too!"