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epicspheal · 1 year

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Vee-Vee Power! A Penny Analysis

Just a heads up I'll probably be revisiting this analysis once we get the Scarlet/Violet DLC because likely there will be more insights to Penny's character.

Alright so Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has probably introduced the most beloved friend group series that the franchise by the fandom standards in Penny, Arven, and Nemona. Both Arven and Nemona have had analysis on them but there's not that much going around for Penny who is my personal favorite of the three.

Let's start with Penny's name. Or names I should say since she ends up going by two different monikers. There's her given name Penny and her pseudonym Cassiopeia when she was the mysterious shadow head for Team Star. Penny comes from Peony and she's funnily the third character in the franchise to have her name based on this flower. Peonies symbolize many things such as shame, bashfulness, honor, and bravery. All of these apply to Penny to at some point during her story. One of the first things we realize about her is that she's quite bashful and quiet as a person. She even mentions at one point that's she's not used to speaking so much and that her throat hurts. While Team Star is huge source of pride for her, it also brings a bit of her shame as she feels that the group has gotten out of control and she feels bad that her friends may get expelled. She's also rather honorable in trying to take the fall for her friends once the initial fallout with the confrontation of the bullies takes place. And she's even willing to admit to hacking the LP system (which in and of itself isn't honorable but owning up to it is). And she demonstrates an immense amount of bravery in taking the fall for her friends, learning to come out of her shell and face the player to dissolve Team Star and then going down into Area Zero.

But then she has another name she goes by…Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia is the name of a major constellation named after a prominent figure in Greek Mythology. Cassiopeia was a nymph who boasted too much about her and her daughter's beauty which invoked the wrath of Poseidon who threatened to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia (accounts vary as to whether he vowed to flood it or use the monster Cetus to destroy it). Cassiopeia, realizing that she messed up, consults the oracle who tells her she needs to sacrifice her daughter. Andromeda was chained to a rock but ultimately saved by Perseus. The gods, still not satisfied decide to put Cassiopeia into the heavens as the constellation as further punishment (and the names of 5 major stars that make up the constellation Cassiopeia are the same names of the Team Star bases)

Now what does ANY of that have to do with our resident Eeveelution enthusiast? Well if you strip both the Cassiopeia Myth and Penny's story down to the bare essentials, they're both about women who have to sacrifice something they love in order to save a greater population of people and end up getting punished harsher. Penny attempts to disband (therefore sacrifice) Team Star in order to protect all of the other Team star members (both admins and grunts). And out of all of those involved she had to be sent away to Galar, and then had some extra community service for her hacking of the league.

Alright now let's get down to her team makeup. She's notable in being the only single trainer in the canon to use all Eeveelutions (the Kimono sisters of Johto and the Eevee trainers of Alola are a collection of trainers who use one Eeveelution a piece but not a whole set). This certainly shows that she really likes the Eevee Line, but there's more to it. The eeveelution family is at this point synonymous to the idea of having multiple paths ahead of you (as we've seen in the anime with Chloe). So that implies Penny has a lot of paths still open for her and that's she changing. Indeed she does a change quite a bit through the story, albeit subtly.

One thing that stood out to me was that three out of her six Pokemon actually correspond to three of the types of the Team Star bases: fire, dark, and fairy. What's more when you look at who runs those bases (Mela, Giacomo and Ortega) you realize that Penny actually calls those three by nicknames (Mellie, Momo, and Ortie) suggesting potential closeness to those three in particular.

It's also notable that her first and last Pokemon, Umbreon and Sylveon evolve by friendship (at night) and high affection (with a fairy type move). It shows that's she's a very caring trainer and most likely a night owl who also likes cute things (which is very confirmed with an entire team off eeveelutions who all happen to know Baby-Doll eyes and Quick attack). She also clearly values friendship which explains how 1/3 of her team is comprised of Pokemon who happen to evolve by actually liking their trainer.

Now onto Penny in the story. We first meet her, ironically being harassed by her own grunts with them none the wiser that the girl they were pushing to join Team Star was their enigmatic leader. This is a major scene as it establishes Penny as a shy girl who struggles to stand up for herself. But also this proves to be a major catalyst for her wanting to disband Team Star. After all, Team Star was meant to protect kids from bullies, but now they were acting like the very people they despised. Now granted as we know in flashbacks from later on in the game there was already heat on Team Star from the school admin so the idea of trying to save her friends by disbanding the team was already on her mind. But feeling the effects of Team Star firsthand (seeing how at least the grunt level, they had lost their way) and seeing the player defeat them gives her the idea of how to dissolve the team.

We learn later that Team Star had created a code that prevented anyone from ordering each other around. Which makes a lot a sense given that Giacomo (the one who helped to create the code) had experienced the negative affects of having the power to order others around. But also it reflects the reality of how in grade school, certain cliques tend to have one person order others around which can be a perfect breeding ground for bullying to start. Since Team Star was founded on the concept of anti-bullying it makes sense that the members would try to avoid any situation where bullying could take place. The fact that Penny respects this code and seeks to use that to get Team Star to disband rather than just outright ordering them or some other method of forcing them shows how much they mean to her and how honorable she is deep down

"Team Star is a group of troublemakers formed by some academy students a while back… They cause headaches for the school and try to bring other students down to their level. And I refuse to sit idly by and let them get away with it!"

This is an interesting line when you look back the Starfall Street Story-line because it initially makes you think that the rumors are right about Team Star, especially after you see them harassing Penny earlier. That they are a bunch of bullies. Perhaps at that moment Penny was feeling a bit (rightfully) upset at how her group had changed since she was gone for those eighteen months. Or perhaps she was really just trying to play up the rumor side in order to get the player to agree. Either way when you see how she talks about Team Star later on it's actually a bit jarring to think about this line early on in the game where she seems to hold the same opinions of Team Star that the rest of the student body and administration do.

One thing to note when we're introduced to Penny as Cassiopeia we noticed a slight change in her dialogue. She sounds far more confident, she's able to talk for longer times than she does when we meet her as the supply rep. It makes sense as a lot of people who are quiet in real life tend to be better able to communicate behind the screen (or in Penny's case, hack your Rotom Phone).

Also, both Cassiopeia's first entrance and "supply rep" Penny both mention hacking upon introducing themselves which is nice foreshadowing to the fact that they are indeed the same person.

When you meet Penny as the supply rep for the first time she thanks you for helping her out back at the stairs to which you can reply that you remember or that you don't. And she says a really sad line if you mention that you don't

"That figures. I never leave an impression on people…"

That really broke my heart. It's unfortunately a common feeling for people who have been bullied. Yeah they're targets they're often made to feel invisible when they are not being made fun of.

As we meet up with Clive we start to see Penny's suspicion of this "student" that wants to join. I know there are people who don't care for Penny and cite that she is a little mean, her early treatment of Clive being one example people point out. To be honest, I personally do not see this as her being mean. Rather's she being rightly cautious about who she let's on. Yes, she wants to bring down Team Star, but she still cares for them and she knows how much of the school dislikes them. She couldn't ascertain if Clive had been one of the bullies' friends who just wanted to seek revenge. This is different from the player who doesn't have the same long term knowledge of them team therefore a little bit more trustworthy. And over time she does truly begin to trust Clive and apologizes for the early wariness

As we go through Operation Starfall, we get some really nice insight into Penny's character both as herself and as Cassiopeia. As we approach each base we get really detailed info on the boss from Cassiopeia which at first with just the knowledge of her hacking skills you could assume this just her getting information from social media. That is until you beat the boss and she sounds like she's mourning their defeat to which she always mentions she's caught up in her thoughts. This shows that there's far more to this story than meets the eye which should be raising your suspicion of Cassiopeia. Indeed Clive even asks the player how much you trust them.

Things really come to ahead by the fourth base the player defeats where we learn this

"…As you know, Team Star was formed by a group of students who were being bullied at school. Shortly after forming the team, these students—none other than the squad bosses themselves—confronted their bullies head on. The outcome was a resounding victory for Team Star… Though you could hardly call it a contest. The bullies didn't even put up a fight. They all bolted from battle the first chance they got. Scared spitless of Team Star, the bullies then dropped out of school, one after another… And Team Star ended up the villains of the story. …But that's neither here nor there. Forget I mentioned it."

This quote not only sheds light on what really happened with Team Star (which was being confirmed anyways by the bosses that have been defeated) but it's also meant to bring into question why is Cassiopeia so determined to bring them down knowing that Team Star weren't the ones in the wrong.

Meanwhile as we continue to meet Penny as the supply rep we notice that Koraidon/Miraidon continues to pop out of it's ball to greet her with an affectionate lick. Something we don't see the dragon do with either Arven or Nemona. Given the suspicion that should be surrounding her by the time we get to the big reveal it makes sense why we see this take place. To let us know that deep down Penny is still a good person based on the dragon showing instant affection to her. That and perhaps the dragon sees itself in Penny as we learn in the Area Zero content that Koraidon/Miraidon itself are also struggling to stand up much like Penny is struggling to stand up to be her authentic self.

When we get to the final reveal in the schoolyard we're treated to this quote

""Heh. This must be quite a shock for you. The big boss… Cassiopeia… They were both me all along. When I saw you make quick work of those Team Star lackeys outside school that time, the idea for Operation Starfall suddenly came to me. My skills let me get hold of as much LP as I want, so I decided to use that to tempt you to helping me out. After the operation started, I kept an eye on you as a member of the "supply unit"… And I had you battle the bosses on my behalf. All for the goal of defeating me and putting an end to Team Star once and for all. But still…there's a part of me that wants Team Star to live on! I can't just roll over and let you win without putting up a fight! This is the final showdown. Are you ready?"

This is another point where people bring up Penny being a bad person because she was manipulative in her own goal. And yes to be fair she was underhanded but it's understandable given her backstory as to why she goes for more indirect confrontation methods. Like this is someone who doesn't like the spotlight and has struggled with confrontation. Plus she's really torn about this whole plot because the Team Star admins are her friends. She even says she doesn't really want to disband them. But she feels she has to in order to save her friends

After all, we see in the flashback once the Operation Star was a success that she tried to get them to disband to avoid further punishment. To which the others decided not to. At that point we see that she ends up taking the blame onto herself to protect her friends. This is why I don't necessarily get why people call her selfish. That's pretty unselfish to take on the blame and be willing to be sent of for a whole 18 months.

"I'm the big boss of Team Star. The name's Cassiopeia—No…Penny!"

This is another major quote that I think is underrated. You can see that she's now fighting between the two identities she holds. Cassiopeia, the enigmatic leader of Team Star and Penny her true self she's not been able to show authentically

"Time to Terastallize! Shine bright like the starry sky and become who you really want to be!"

Again this further supports the idea that after Operation Starfall, she's really wanting to be her most authentic self

The reunion (and truly first meeting) between her and the Team Star Admin is really touching to see. Her finally meeting them face to face, and them forgiving her after what she did. They realized that despite the underhanded method, she was really just trying to look out for them.

After the final showdown we see Penny own up to more of her crimes. Which she didn't have to do, but it shows that deep down she's an honorable person whose done some questionable things. And again this directly contrasts the idea that she's selfish as she could've just not owned up to hacking the LP system. Some people dislike the fact that she seems to get off easy but to be fair she already had been sent away for 18 months previously. And as much as Operation Starfall street was a lesson for Penny, it was also a lesson for Clive/Clavell who was about to straight up expel everyone involve with him learning to be more observant before taking drastic measures.

We meet Penny again in Area Zero and this is where a lot of people kind of find her interactions with Nemona and Arven to be mean-spirited. Now true she is snarky here but you can see it as a way of keeping her guard up which is something many people who have been bullied may do. Not to mention both Nemona and Arven come off strong with Nemona being a little too extroverted and not reading the room and Arven actually starts in on her first by calling her pipsqueak which would actually send her onto the defensive. I think people forget that there are three socially awkward kids meeting for the first time going into an incredibly dangerous and off-limits area. That wasn't going to be just a smooth nice interaction and again Nemona and Arven had some not-so-great moments down there as well.

To her credit Penny actually does apologize to Arven (and Arven does the same) and she has a bit more situation awareness of what was going on with Koraidon/Miraidon when they meet their very aggressive counterpart. She even actually tries to give Arven some words of sympathy once we know the true fate of the professor.

People also give her flak for her calling her father annoying for checking in on her and giving her an embarassing nickname (Pen-Pen). Yes she doesn't have it nearly as bad as Nemona or Arven, but she is a teenager. Most teenagers tend to find their parents annoying. So it's a very realistic remark from her even if she doesn't familial problems on the scale of others.

In the post-game we see her checking up on the former Team Star admins as they work to reintegrate themselves back into academy which acts as one final bit of growth for Penny. She's concerned given the reputation of Team Star and the fact that the admins are like her rather awkward. However her worries a little misplaced as despite their awkwardness, the admins are able to make a name for themselves outside of Team Star. She recognizes this herself and she ultimately stops tailing her friends knowing they'll be alright

Penny isn't perfect, but she's trying her best to change for the better. The narrative acknowledges this and that's why I really appreciate her as a character.

#penny pokemon #cassiopeia pokemon #pokemon scarlet and violet #character analysis

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 3 months

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Hiiiiiii

If it’s not too much trouble, could you do a platonic team star x team star member!reader who became a dragon type specialist squad leader and joined because they got bullied for being a fan of other famous dragon type users like Lance and Raihan?

(Sorry if this is too specific)

Oh no worries, I like specific so it's all good!

..........

"I'm gonna be just like them one day.." Sighing dreamily, you sat down at the cafeteria table, watching a video on your rotomphone while chowing down breakfast.

It was footage of a fierce Pokémon battle in Galar--a showdown between two of your idols, who were among the most famous dragon trainers of all time: Lance and Raihan.

Of course, you looked up to many other dragon type users in Paldea, but these two in particular kickstarted your dreams of becoming one yourself, inspired by their interviews and fierce determination.

You also hoped to meet them and have a battle, although that was a little too farfetched for you right now..

Yet you didn't let that discourage you from forming your own dragon team, using your studies at Uva/Naranja Academy to teach them all the best moves and remember type matchups.

Tatsugiri was your main partner, and when combined with your Dondozo..it was an absolute powerhouse in double-battles--albeit this academy usually focused on the traditional single battles.

You were also currently raising a Drakalok, Cyclizar, Arctibax, and Sliggoo, and you cherished all of them dearly. Tatsugiri was a bit of an attention hog at times, though, and always wanted to stay out of its ball and on your shoulder.

You didn't mind it, of course. Whether you're heading to class or to a tournament where dragon trainers were going to participate, you always went together.

Life was perfect.

Except for-

"Still prattling on about being the next famous dragon gym leader, huh?"

-one of your bullies already ruining your day before it could even begin.

For some reason..a few kids at the academy really had it out for you simply because you admired famous dragon trainers. You didn't think there was anything wrong with looking up to your idols. But apparently they thought you were being too "obnoxious" about it and sought to make your life utterly miserable.

It only got worse when you spoke up about it to a teacher, as that bully got off with nothing but a slap on the wrist--that being to train their Pokémon as "punishment".

By sheer convenience, they had ice and fairy types. And that teacher only gave them the chance to make their team stronger and further intimidate you...to the point where you're afraid to go outside, fearing they'll drag you into a battle.

You've kept silent since, hoping to avoid them at all costs and try to keep your grades up. But unfortunately, Arceus wasn't smiling upon you today...and quite frankly, you were tired.

Huffing, you switched off your phone and scowled up at the bully. "Still following me around campus, huh?" You mocked, with Tatsugiri hopping on the table and mimicking your expression. "That's kinda creepy if you ask me."

"Well those stupid fangs of yours are creeping everyone out." They sneered, pointing out your sharp teeth. "Halloween is over, y'know."

"I've already told you..these are canines, and they are real."

"Yeah? More like real freaky."

"Look, just leave me alone before you anger Tatsugiri." You warned, watching as their gaze shifted to your ace, falling silent for a moment or two...

Before erupting into laughter. "Oh wow, I'm soooooo scared of your stupid sushi roll! What ever will I do??" They shook their head. "If you want my advice, dump this thing and get yourself a real dragon. Like a Charizard or-"

"You don't get to decide WHO I can have as a partner!!!" Your hands slammed onto the table as you stood up, fists clenched with anger. Even though you could see people's heads turning in your peripheral vision, you didn't care. "Tatsugiri may not look it, but it's more powerful than you'll ever know! You don't know our bond, so just back off already!!"

"Oooooh, I didn't know you knew Outrage..better not hit yourself in confusion." They snickered.

"...why are you like this?" With slumped shoulders, you frowned at them. "Why do you keep tormenting me day after day?! I've done nothing to you. Is it a crime to admire my heroes? To wanna be like them?"

"No, but you'd be an embarrassment to every future dragon tamer. I mean who'd wanna see a pathetic thing like that in the Elite Four? Or on a Champion's team? Raihan and Lance would laugh in your face and crush you if they saw-"

"STOP IT!!" You finally snapped, hitting the table again before taking out one of your pokeballs. "Do you want a battle?! Is that what you want?!! Then you'll get it-!!"

"[Y/n], what is the meaning of this?"

Hearing the voice of the director made all the color drain from your face. The bully just smirked as you slowly turned to Harrington, seeing him looking at you with a frown.

"This is the second disturbance you've caused in this same area. You know battles aren't permitted inside the academy."

It's only then did you realize everybody in the cafeteria was staring..and you shrunk back in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, Director. I didn't mean to shout. They were just-"

But when you tried to point out the bully, they were gone.

How convenient.

"From how it looks..you were intimidating them. And you should also know we have a zero tolerance policy for such behavior."

"But I wasn't..they-!" You tried in vain to defend yourself, yet the look on Harrington's face told you he didn't wanna hear any of it.

"We can discuss this further in my office. Return your Tatsugiri to its pokeball and follow me, if you will."

"....yes, sir." Defeated, you gathered your things and put Tatsugiri back into the pokeball (much to its dismay), before commencing the long walk of shame to the director's office.

Maybe he will believe you.

.......

"He didn't believe me either. What's the point of "standing up for myself" if I'm just gonna get in trouble?! What's the point if they're always gonna get away with it while I face suspension?!"

"Suu.."

"I know I kinda let myself go back there, but...th-they kept pushing me and pushing me! Why couldn't he understand that? Why doesn't anyone here understand-?!"

"Tasu!"

Calming yourself down a little, you looked to Tatsugiri, who sat on your bed and looked up at you with sad eyes, wishing you weren't being so harsh on yourself.

"....well, I know you understand me, buddy." You quietly sighed and sat down, bringing it into your hands as it nuzzled your cheek. Immediately your shoulders relaxed. "I'm sorry. Thank you. I'm just...it's been frustrating. But I swear I'll never replace you for any other dragon. Not even for a shiny Charizard."

"Yip-yip?!" It cried out.

"Believe me! I won't." You chuckled, although you stopped as you thought over this morning's events...

And suddenly you felt sick to your stomach.

Just thinking about going to your afternoon class today made you feel ill, wondering who was going to harass you two next...and if you'll be able to do anything about it without getting into trouble with the director.

Now that you've gotten your second strike, you had to be careful not to lash out like that again.

But what else were you supposed to do?

Let them continue to bully you around and make your poor partner feel absolutely worthless? How was that fair to either of you?

At this point, you've ran out of adults in this academy to talk to...besides the nurse, of course, although she seemed more adept at healing Pokémon than counseling students.

Even if she was willing to listen, you doubt anything would change.

Nobody here took your side or could possibly understand what you were going through-

"Roto-to-to~"

Your rotomphone started ringing, displaying an unknown caller ID. Normally you'd ignore it, although Tatsugiri had a better idea and decided to slap the screen with its fin, answering it.

"Tatsu!" You grumbled, pulling it away from your phone before addressing the stranger, feeling embarrassed. "Sorry! My Pokémon-"

"Greetings, am I speaking to [y/n]?"

".....uh...yeah?" Your eyebrows furrowed with confusion, not expecting to hear a distorted voice on the other end of the line. "And who am I speaking to exactly?"

"My name is Cassiopeia. Leader of Team Star."

"Team Star?" You blinked, remembering all of the rumors you've heard about this organization. They were a small group of kids who got bad grades, skipped school often...and sometimes harassed others into joining them or pulled pranks on teachers.

Why would their leader contact you?

Or better yet...how did they even get ahold of your number?

"Correct. We've been watching you for some time, and we see your pain. It must feel awful...being pushed around and intimidated all because you admire some famous trainers. And when you finally have the courage to defend yourself and your Pokémon...suddenly you're the bad guy? It's so unfair."

"How do you.....l-look, um..Cassiopeia. I got a lot going on right now." You mumbled, hoping to end this conversation quickly. "I'm facing suspension if I cause one more scene, so I don't think I should be talking to delinquents like-"

"That is a lie. Team Star isn't a group of delinquents. We're so much more than that." They interrupted you, sounding a bit annoyed. "The truth is that WE are the victims. We who were shamed and excluded for the crime of being ourselves. The system has failed us, [y/n], and we formed this group as a way to stand up and stand out."

"...ah, I see." Now you were growing a bit more understanding and sympathetic towards them. You always had a feeling that your classmates overexaggerated how "evil" this team really was, making comparisons to Team Rocket and organizations that were legitimately evil and criminal.

But obviously, you never put your two cents in. You were already getting bullied enough just for saying Lance and Raihan are cool dragon trainers you wished to meet.

You were already getting bullied enough just for admiring some famous dragon trainers.

"So...obviously you're trying to sell me something." You huffed, kicking your feet up on the desk. "You want me to join your team as one of your goons-?"

"Oh no. I actually have something much better in mind." Cassiopeia cut in once more. "We've seen how you battle with dragon types. Very impressive, I must say. You never back down from a challenge. You're fierce, protective..and you demonstrate incredible leadership."

That felt flattering to hear, considering all the times you've gotten criticized for your battling techniques during Ms. Dendra's class.

Recently, she actually made you apologize to your classmate, whose Pokémon was actively bullying yours and provoked it into using a powerful move that knocked it out in one hit.

Why was that such a problem?

Because you weren't supposed to be battling, but the bully kept pushing you into one--and of course, Ms. Dendra didn't see that part.

Only the part where you broke the "No-OHKO" rule she had written into her lesson plan for that day.

Now you were struggling to get your grades back up in battle strategies, which was hard since you gained a reputation as being "too aggressive"..when in reality you were just so afraid and fed up that no one would listen to you.

So hearing this complete stranger give you praise felt genuinely good.

"Oh! Ah...thank you." You decided to bite the bullet. "So what's your offer?"

"We believe you're a good fit to be a squad leader. We have one more slot available. Interested?"

Your heart immediately jumped at the opportunity, although part of you was still holding back.....wondering if it was worth getting mixed-up with people like Cassiopeia and Team Star's revered leaders.

This could very well throw away your entire future and your goals of becoming the next dragon type gym leader. You could be expelled for sure, or even blacklisted from partaking in tournaments.

But at the same time, you were so tired of living in fear and dealing with all of this alone.

Why should you have to? That's setting a terrible example for your Pokémon--they shouldn't have to see their trainer living like that. You had to be brave and stronger, but that was almost impossible if you were just going to suffer repercussions for trying.

Cassiopeia took your silence as hesitation. "I know this is a lot to think about. But trust me, [y/n]. Team Star can do more for you than the Academy ever did. You'll get to train without limits. Your name will be known by all, and nobody will mock you or Tatsugiri ever again. That is what you want, isn't it? To grow stronger together? To stand up against those who wronged you?"

Hearing them mention your partner made you look to the Mimicry Pokemon in your lap. Seeing the way they put their fin on your hand and gave you a small nod ultimately solidified your answer.

You weren't turning back now.

"We can discuss this tomorrow if you'd like-"

"No, I made up my mind. I'll take it. When do I start?"

..........

"Looking sharp as always, Revavroom."

With a sharp-toothed grin, you gently patted the head of your Starmobile--specifically the Revavroom attached to it, as it rumbled in happiness.

Then you hopped onto the vehicle, climbing up to the stage where you could survey the rest of your camp, observing your goons hanging out by the vending machines and driving around on their Cyclizars.

This was the Achird Squad base stationed at Casseroya Lake, and for about a year or so...you've also called it home.

The location was perfect for a mighty dragon leader such as yourself, allowing you to keep watch over the Tatsugiri and Dratini herds you'd see in the waters from time to time.

It was far better than the cramped dorms of the Academy. They would never have let your dragons roam free like Dragapult, Baxcalibur, and all the rest were doing right now..

Ever since joining Team Star, you never looked back and never regretted your decision. You became fast friends with the other bosses, with Atticus even designing some cool armor plates for your outfit that resembled a Kommo-o's scales.

Although things have been...rather weird as of late.

Especially since it was the anniversary of the incident.

Back at the Academy, you and all of the leaders came together with the ultimate to confront your bullies once and for all. It was meant to finally settle who was the strongest, and how you were sick of being pushed around.

Least to say..the tables have turned, and everyone knew your names.

The bullies ended up running scared, barely putting up a fight themselves before scrambling to heal and recall their Pokémon.

You felt pretty good about it, especially when you knocked out that jerk who made fun of your teeth and admiration for dragon trainers in one fell swoop.

But then you looked around and saw everyone's scared faces. Many were recording the battles, spreading them all over social media, or shielding their own Pokémon from potential harm--even though you never intended to hurt them whatsoever.

It turned into a huge scandal over who was in the right or wrong, although in the end your bullies played the victims, dropped out of school, and ended up being listened to the most.

They made you out to be monsters who just attacked them for no reason..and it almost got you all expelled.

However, Cassiopeia took the blame, and while you were pardoned, Harrington, the deputy director (who tried erasing all records of the scandal and bullying to "preserve" the Academy's image), and many teachers left, guilty that they didn't do more to prevent this.

It would have been a bittersweet victory for Team Star---had your leader not also vanished, their last message being a call for the organization to disband.

To this day, none of you understood why they'd do that...or why they think you'd ever wanna leave this team and go back to your studies.

How could you after the faculty messed up this badly?

How could you after they still sided with the bullies?

How could you after they tried to cover up what really happened?

In the end, you all promised to stick together, abiding by your codes and living out on the squad bases. You occasionally met up for discussions and battle plans, although you always held onto hope that if the team kept going long enough....Cassiopeia might come back.

You've tried contacting them through various means, yet none of your Rotoms could retrace their calls nor social media posts. Everything was gone.

As though they wanted you all to forget ever meeting them..

It never made sense to you, considering you could really use a leader back then.

But what's done is done, and you winded up assuming a de factor leader position, given your team was the strongest out of all of theirs. Of course, Ortega was less-than-pleased about holding a vote on it, but you won the majority and he eventually got over it.

Now you've been training your Pokémon more frequently, and only because there's something called "Operation: Starfall" going around--and apparently some Paldean trainer was going around tackling each base with the hope of claiming their badges.

One of the codes was that being defeated in battle meant surrendering it, and that means...

Someone was dead set on shutting down Team Star for good.

But you wouldn't let them. The other bosses were your friends, family..and you'll be damned if you lost them, too.

"Boss! The others are comin' in!" You heard one of the grunts shout, and you looked towards the horizon in surprise.

She wasn't kidding.

Ortega, Mela, Eri, Giacomo, and Atticus were at your base's entrance, waiting for you. Although you were eager to see them after being occupied with training for so long...it didn't concern you that all of them chose to show up at once.

But you refused to show any sort of alarm, huffing as you jumped off the stage, mounting your partner Cyclizar. "Let's ride!" You barked, allowing it to sprint towards the group at full speed.

Your cape fluttered in the wind as it leaped across a small stream, all while Tatsugiri--who was resting in a small basket attached to it--held on for dear life.

Upon arriving, the bosses stopped their chatter and turned as you slowed down, stepping off Cyclizar. You gave it a small pat on the head, assuring that it could rest, before looking at the group.

"So we meet again...what's with the sour faces?" Your eyebrows furrowed at their expressions. When nobody was immediately speaking up, you huffed. "Come on, out with it. You can't come all this way to my base just assume I can read your minds-"

"We come before thee bearing..a warning." Atticus muttered, bowing his head in shame. "The student you've spoken of hath proven to be quite the adversary."

"Is that so? Surely they haven't claimed all of your badges, have they?"

"........"

"Why is no one talking-?"

"Because we got our asses handed to us." Mela bluntly stated, clenching her fists. "We got absolutely smoked...and now you're the only one left."

Your eyes widened in shock and horror, although you didn't get the chance to respond as Ortega cut you off.

"Now before you freak out on us all..we did try our best. We did everything you and Cassiopeia taught us. But this kid....they're good. Almost too good. And this guy named Clive was helping them out the whole time, getting under our skin and everything...."

"Well I wouldn't say that." Eri looked at the fairy trainer, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned. "He wanted to know where we're coming from and why we're doing all of this."

"...and you just told him?"

You could see everyone tense up, and you just scowled, wondering why they would do this.

"What makes you all think he would care...or why anybody from that academy would care about us now?" Your eyebrows furrowed as Tatsugiri sat on your shoulder, mimicking your expression. "Nobody cared when they hurt us...nobody cared when we were literally begging for help. Look, I know keeping this group together was hard, but it's no excuse to-"

"Honestly...I'm kinda tired of this charade. At least someone's willin' to listen to us now.." Giacomo remarked, frowning a little bit. "But here's the lowdown, [y/n]: we got beaten into the dirt and followed our code, so now we're here to give ya a little heads up before this kid comes after you next. We're sorry. But we tried."

"And we still don't know who's really behind this sting operation.." Mela grumbled, shaking her head in worry. "Someone wants to shut us down for good, and it's definitely not either of those new students. They're just being used to carry out the dirty work."

"I might have a good idea on who it is...and I swear, they'll answer for this." You bared your teeth. "But I'll save my dragon rage for this trainer. Wherever they are, whatever they're doing...I hope they know I'm ready. Because I'm gonna defend Team Star...defend us....until my last breath."

"Su! Su!!" Tatsugiri trilled in agreement, nuzzling your cheek, to which you couldn't help but smile a little bit.

"Well whatever happens next, you have our full support, [y/n]." Eri smiled as she patted your shoulder. "Badge or no badge, we stand behind you."

Everyone else chimed in with agreements, smiles on all of their faces as well--although Atticus' wasn't immediately noticeable, you could see it in his eyes.

Knowing this group still cared about you and believed in your battling skills made all the tension leave your shoulders.

"Thank you, my friends. Hasta la vistar ~☆"

""""Hasta la vistar, and good luck, [y/n]!! ~☆""""

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