The cafeteria noise swirled around Isabelle like an untamed tide—snippets of conversation, laughter, and clattering trays blending into a chaotic symphony. She was just finishing her sandwich when a shadow fell across her table. Isabelle looked up, startled, to find the girl from homeroom—Amélie Lévesque—standing there, tray in hand, her hazel eyes warm and inviting.
“Mind if I join you?” Amélie asked, her voice easy and confident, like they were old friends instead of near strangers.
How do people do that? Isabelle thought, the question a quiet mix of admiration and disbelief. Just walk up to someone and… talk?
“Uh, sure,” Isabelle said aloud, her voice barely loud enough to be heard over the cafeteria din.
Amélie grinned, sliding into the seat across from her. “Thanks. The rest of the place is like a Tauros stampede, and I’m not in the mood to wrestle someone for a seat.” She unwrapped her sandwich and glanced at Isabelle’s lunchbox. “From home?”
“Yeah,” Isabelle replied, reflexively fiddling with the corner of her napkin. “My dad packed it.”
“Nice. Honestly, I’m jealous. The food here isn’t bad, but it’s no home-cooked meal.” Amélie took a bite of her sandwich, chewing thoughtfully before continuing. “So, how’s your first day going? Adjusting to Lumora yet?”
“It’s… a lot,” Isabelle admitted after a moment, choosing her words carefully. “Big. Loud. Different from Verdantia.”
Amélie nodded knowingly. “I get that. When my family moved here, it felt like jumping into the middle of a battle without knowing what moves I had.”
That earned a small, involuntary smile from Isabelle.
“Where did you move from?”
“Coral Bay. It’s a smaller coastal city, way less flashy than Lumora,” Amélie said, her voice light but carrying a thread of nostalgia. “I remember my first week here—it was a disaster. I got lost trying to find the Glow Dome, and somehow ended up in the Neon District. Let me tell you, wandering into a VR arcade and getting dragged into a multiplayer battle? Not part of the plan. I had no idea what I was doing, and this little kid—like, eight years old—completely destroyed me with a Porygon2.”
Isabelle chuckled despite herself. “That… actually sounds kind of fun.”
“Now it is,” Amélie said, laughing. “Back then, I thought I’d never live it down. But hey, I made it out alive. And I found this amazing café near the boutique my family runs.”
“Your family owns a boutique?” Isabelle asked, her curiosity sparking despite her usual hesitance.
“Yeah, in the Neon District. We make handmade Pokémon accessories—ribbons, custom PokéBall cases, stuff like that. My mom’s the real artist, but I help with designs sometimes.” Amélie’s face lit up as she spoke, her pride in her family evident. “It’s kind of our thing. If you ever need something fancy for your Azurill, let me know. I can hook you up.”
“Thanks,” Isabelle said, surprised by the genuine warmth in Amélie’s offer.
Amélie leaned back slightly, her hazel eyes studying Isabelle with casual curiosity. “So, Verdantia. What’s it like there?”
Isabelle hesitated, her instinctive guardedness flaring. “Quiet. Small. Everyone knows everyone.” She paused, glancing around the bustling cafeteria. “This is… the opposite of that.”
Amélie nodded, her smile softening. “Yeah, Lumora can be overwhelming. But you’ll get used to it. And if you ever feel like you’re drowning, just find a quiet spot—like this one.”
Isabelle managed a small smile. “Thanks.”
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Amélie took another bite of her sandwich, gesturing casually to Isabelle’s wrist. “So, what do you think of the VireBand so far? Pretty sleek, huh?”
Isabelle glanced down at the band wrapped snugly around her wrist. Its interface had gone idle, displaying the simple time screen against a soft lavender glow. “It’s… cool, I guess. Still figuring it out. There’s so much stuff on here, and half of it’s locked until you register with the League.”
“Yeah, that’s the catch,” Amélie said with a knowing grin, holding up her own wrist to show off her Grass-Type theme. “I got mine as a gift from my parents. They weren’t exactly thrilled when I told them I wanted to go on a journey, so this was kind of their way of saying, ‘Prove you’re serious first.’ Coming here to study is step one in earning their approval—and my starter.” Her eyes sparkled with determination as she spoke.
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“Wow,” Isabelle said softly, surprised by Amélie’s openness. “That’s… ambitious.”
Amélie shrugged, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Well, I’ve got a whole plan. Show them I can handle myself here, learn everything I can, and when the time comes, I’ll be ready to start my adventure. What about you? How’d you get yours?” She nodded toward Isabelle’s VireBand. “It looks pretty recent—not the latest model, but definitely loaded.”
Isabelle hesitated, her fingers brushing the device absentmindedly. “It was a gift… from my dad. He works at VireTech.”
Amélie’s eyebrows shot up. “No way! Your dad works at VireTech? That’s, like, the hub for everything. You must be rolling in PokéDollars.”
“Far from it,” Isabelle said quickly, laughing a little at the absurdity. “He’s just an analyst there. Crunches numbers, does financial stuff. The VireBand was his way of… encouraging me, I guess. A push to get out there, even if I’m not, you know, ready for anything big.”
Amélie nodded thoughtfully. “I get it. That’s still pretty awesome, though. You’ve got access to cutting-edge tech. I mean, look at this thing.” She tapped her own VireBand, the screen lighting up. “Mine’s got AR integration, too, but I barely know how to use half the features.”
“Same,” Isabelle admitted, swiping to bring her own interface back to life. The Magikarp icon flopped cheerfully on her profile screen, a ridiculous reminder of her earlier customization choices.
Amélie laughed when she saw it. “Oh my Arceus, is that your icon? A Magikarp?”
“Hey,” Isabelle said, mock-defensive, “it’s symbolic. If a flopping fish can become a Gyarados, then maybe there’s hope for me.”
Amélie grinned. “Okay, fair. You’ve got me there.”
They both began scrolling through their bands, exploring the functions available to them. Isabelle swiped through the familiar sections: Trainer Profile, Goals Tracker, and Explore. She tapped on the Explore tab, the map of Lumora City flickering to life.
“Check this out,” she said, turning the screen toward Amélie. “The map’s got all these points of interest. League HQ, Glow Dome, Pokémon Centers…”
Amélie leaned closer, examining the icons. “That’s so cool. And you can’t access everything yet, right? No Trainer ID?”
“Not until I register at the League HQ,” Isabelle confirmed, tapping on one of the grayed-out icons. The pop-up message read, “Restricted—Trainer ID Required.”
“Same here,” Amélie said, mirroring Isabelle’s action. “But hey, once we do register, we’ll have full access. Battle analytics, Pokémon training tools… It’s gonna be amazing.”
“Battle analytics?” Isabelle asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh, yeah,” Amélie said enthusiastically. “The VireBand can track your battles, analyze your Pokémon’s performance, and even suggest strategies. Like, if you’ve got a Grass-Type going up against a Fire-Type, it’ll recommend moves or switches based on the situation. Of course, all of that’s locked until you register.” She sighed wistfully. “One more reason to get out there and prove myself.”
Isabelle nodded, though the thought of battling on that level made her stomach twist. Baby steps, Izzy. You’re not taking on a League Champion anytime soon.
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Around them, the cafeteria’s noise hummed like a living thing. Students moved from table to table, carrying trays or clustered in tight groups. Snippets of conversation floated through the air like fleeting messages on the wind.
At a nearby table, a boy held up his VireBand, displaying a clip of a battle replay. “Look at this! BraixenVivi totally crushed that challenger in under five minutes.”
“Of course she did,” his friend said, laughing. “She’s got that strategy down to a science. Did you see how her Braixen blazed that poor Sunflora?”
Amélie’s ears perked up, and she turned to Isabelle with a grin. “Wait. Did I just hear BraixenVivi? You watch her streams too?”
Isabelle blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah. Sometimes. Azzy and I watched a ton of her streams back in Verdantia.”
“No way!” Amélie said, her excitement bubbling over. “I’m obsessed with her. She’s so good at explaining her strategies, and her Pokémon are adorable. Did you see the charity stream she did last month? That battle against the Alakazam was wild.”
Isabelle nodded, feeling a small spark of connection. “Yeah. I couldn’t believe how her Braixen countered that Focus Blast. It was like she predicted the whole thing.”
“She’s a total genius,” Amélie agreed, her smile wide. “Okay, Isabelle. We officially have to hang out now. After school, you’re coming with me. There’s so much I want to show you in the city—shops, cafés, cool spots you’d never find on your own.”
Isabelle hesitated, her anxiety flaring at the thought of navigating Lumora’s bustling streets. “I don’t know…”
“Come on,” Amélie said, her tone light but insistent. “You said you’re still figuring out the city, right? Consider me your tour guide. Trust me, it’ll be fun.”
Isabelle glanced at her VireBand, the glowing map reminding her of how little she’d explored so far. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. “Okay,” she said finally. “But don’t blame me if I get us lost.”
“Deal,” Amélie said, laughing. “But spoiler alert—I don’t get lost.”
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and the two girls stood to gather their things. As they joined the stream of students heading back to class, Isabelle couldn’t help but feel a small, cautious sense of hope. Maybe, just maybe, Lumora City wouldn’t be so overwhelming after all.