Chapter Text
Shouta was… drained. Dragged himself out of bed, eat if he felt like his stomach wouldn’t turn inside out with knots and twists, go to Pokémon classes that he slept through, and repeat. Go to classes where Shouta knew the content better than the actual teachers. Walk through the endless hallways. “Hey did you hear? The new academy director-” Learn nothing, go to sleep, get passing grades so he could stay- “Getting rid of them once and for all! No way they’ll hear about it-” Shouta cared for his Pokemon, but some days he couldn’t give them everything they deserved. “ Expelled, all of them!”
Hell, Shouta had no idea what to do with his life. His grades would pass him out of the school, but other than his Pokemon, he had no connections with anyone. “Announcement in the schoolyard-” No job ideas, no career paths… Shouta didn’t want to be one of the ‘Missing’ members of the generation, those who wander the world challenging the obstacles given to them and wanting to ‘grow stronger’ for no reason other than they also didn’t know what to do.
“Will all students and faculty please report to the Schoolyard promptly!” The loudspeakers overhead blared with the voice of the academy director.
Shouta got up with the rest of his classmates and joined the crushing horde of people in the hallways.
So many people, and not a single one of them knew what was going on. Today would have no relevant impact on their lives. For most of them, today was just like every other 24 hours they’d experience.
This day was not one of those days for Shouta. Today meant the beginning of the rest of his life.
The director stood on an elevated podium in front of the assembled students and teachers. The mouse-dog-bear was standing on top of the lectern instead of behind, probably so he could actually see the students. Nezu smiled and began his speech.
“Excellent. It seems everyone is here! Well, it is time for me to explain your independent study assignment! As usual, the theme will be a ‘Treasure Hunt”! I ask each of you to set out and travel the world in search of your own treasure. You have all learned much within the fine walls of our academy… But now it is time to turn your eyes upon the wider world and deepen your understanding. Explore Paldea’s abundant nature, soak in its rich culture… discover the Pokemon that live here… oh, and get to know the people too!’
“Where will you travel? Who will you meet? And what will you achieve? Of course, your Pokemon partners will be there to help you. You will journey as friends, learn new things together, share each other's thoughts and feelings, and find something you will always treasure! I look forward to welcoming you all back after your independent study, when you return to us as fine young Trainers! However, before I release you all, there is something else I have to announce. But first, take time to discuss with your peers what you will do!”
Great. Ah yes, because of Shouta’s abundance of friends, he is standing in the corner by himself for no reason whatsoever. Definitely not because he dislikes most of his classmates and refuses to even consider talking to a teacher instead. So Shouta decided that the most logical course of action would be to stare at the principal. He had no intention of going on the stupid ‘Treasure Hunt’, that was for people who actually had something they wanted to do. Shouta would either end up staring at the trees around his house if he went home, or take even more advanced classes than he was already in. It didn’t really matter either way but-
“And now, onto the second point of today's announcements. The truant delinquent gang of this school, Team Star, is hereby ordered to disband effectively immediately.”
“As you are all likely aware, for the past few years there has been a gang of rebel students calling themselves ‘Team Star’. Our administration has decided that this gang has been running around like delinquents for far too long, and an ultimatum has been decided. By the end of this year’s upcoming Treasure Hunt, any of these students that have not separated from ‘Team Star’ and reported themselves to our administration will be placed on an academic probation effective immediately. If they are one of the leaders of this gang, then their prospective consequences are far more serious-they will be expelled in charges of truancy, numerous dress code violations, excessive absences, and defiance of authority.
That is all for today! Now go students, remember to register your leave of absence with administration, and show the world what Treasure you will acquire, and let the Treasure Hunt begin!”
Shouta’s heart stopped. Expelled. Being expelled from just any school is bad, but to get expelled from the best Pokemon Academy in the region ? That would follow them everywhere . They wouldn’t be able to get gym badges, so they won’t be able to catch stronger Pokemon. They won’t be able to show their ID to leave the region, The Pokemon League and the government will permanently blacklist them from getting employed at their institutions on principle, so being a gym leader is out of the question, and even if they could manage to find a stable career, business would refuse to serve them and kick them out.
And all because of some stupid, damning black mark on their record.
And none of them knew.
None of them knew because he walked away from them a year and a half ago. He left them- left the team and now they were going to pay for what he couldn’t fix.
Students around Shouta started cheering at their newfound freedom. They swarmed around the field, talking to each other, to the teachers, to their Pokemon, their friends. Shouta walked through the crowds in a daze, stumbling over to the exit staircase down into the school. Nobody would use the dark staircases except the emos and Shouta. He emerged from the stairwell and wandered around until Shouta felt a stubborn bop on his shoulder. He shook his head and turned around.
Shouta walked back to his dorm. He felt Mimukyu poke his back, trying to figure out if he was alright or if he had just decided to walk face-first into the nearest wall. Shouta continued walking as though there was not a highly concerned backpack/companion poking him.
The moment Shouta stepped into his dorm room, his Pokemon burst into the space, the force of it slamming the door behind him.
His Haunter floated forward, seemingly about to scoop him up so Shouta’s Pokemon could make sure he was alright. Shouta rolled his eyes and pushed past it, and began rummaging around in his things. “I’m… not okay, but I have something we need to do.”
“‘Zashi, Oboro, and Nemuri will all be expelled if they don’t disband Team Star,” He repeated to himself, only half talking to his Pokemon. “That ruins any and all credibility they have. It’ll ruin their lives irrevocably. If I get them to disband, then… then I’ll take the fall…” Shouta stood up again, and began pacing around his dorm. “We need to go find them, and if they don’t believe me…” Shouta’s voice trailed off. What would he do if they didn’t listen ? He went MIA for a year and a half, no contact, and they… probably thought he’d never want to come back. Or that he’d left the region for good.
As Shouta spiraled, his Pokemon watched him with concern, and when he stopped pacing and sat on his bed, Shuppet crawled into his lap. It did its best to keep Shouta’s anxiety from taking over. Shouta wasn’t the most mentally or emotionally stable-and after his falling out with his only friends, his mental health took a huge hit. Thankfully, as Ghost types they were specially equipped to help.
Usually, wild or caught Shuppet feed on ‘evil’ emotions, but Shouta’s unique emotional brand of self-deprecation, anxiety, and depression was close enough to ‘evil’ for Shuppet to help. As Shouta desperately clung to Shuppet, it used that connection to silently pull back the choking miasma of spiraling fear and anxiety pulling Shouta into a panic attack.
When Shuppet deemed Shouta ‘okay’, it made a satisfied ‘ Shup-Shuppet!’ , before hopping on top of Shouta’s head. Shouta took a deep breath, and exhaled shakily, patting the Shuppet on top of it’s head “Thanks, Shuppet.”
He stood up and grabbed Mimikyu, placing it onto his ‘backpack’. Shouta slung the straps over his scrawny shoulders, and looked around the room. He wasn’t exactly a materialistic person, and his room was barren compared to his classmates or former friends. Shouta had his precious sleeping bag, Ghost Pokemon food, his scarf, extra uniforms and other clothes and other basic living essentials. He had a Banette-themed basket for Pokemon Picnics, and a Zigzagoon Rotom phone case. And that was it.
He stuffed his sleeping bag into its compression bag, tossed the picnic basket on top of it, and his clothes and Ghost food on top of that. The pile teetered and wobbled dangerously, before Shouta gestured for his Pokemon to gather around it. He wasn’t quite sure how it worked, but if all of the Ghost energy in the room worked in synch, he could create a small ‘pocket space’ to store his larger stuff. Mimikyu demanded that it store the small things Shouta needed or owned, but it couldn’t physically eat some of his things. So dubiously explained pocket dimensions were his solution.
Shouta recalled all of his Pokemon, and placed the Pokeballs in his scarf. He didn’t like carrying them around visibly like some Trainers, and most people thought Mimikyu was a real backpack, not a little weirdo with a hoarding problem. Shouta wouldn’t trade Mimikyu for anything because he loved his little gremlin.
He took one last cursory glance around his room. Everything needed for the bare minimum of survival was packed. He knew who he was going to first. He… really needed to stop stalling in front of his door.
He took a deep breath, adjusting the straps of his ‘backpack’ for the millionth time. “Alright…It’s time to go.” He ran his fingers through his hair, and stared at the door. “Either I succeed and get them to disband and I’ll take the fall or…”
He shook his head, flattening his black hair back out of in front of his face.
“No. ‘Or’ nothing. I will succeed. I can’t let them ruin their lives without even knowing it!”
Shouta Aizawa was ready now. He reached for the door handle.. before stopping.
“Wait. Dammit. I need to go register first?”
Another pause.
“
Also, where the fuck am I going?”