~ Just Can't Catch a Break, seriously ~

Lia got up and stretched as the sun shone through the window. She sighed as she looked around where she was. 'And here I was hoping it was all a dream to begin with.' Suddenly, she heard Grim and Maddie scream, both for different reasons. 'Something tells me this is going to be a looooong day,'

Soon, everyone went down to the kitchen to have breakfast. Lia let out all of her other Pokémon outside in the back so that they'd have more room. Meloetta helped Maddie set the table, whereas Matt talked to the Ghosts, learning more about the world. And Hoopa, he disappeared to Arceus knows where. As Lia started breakfast for everyone, she couldn't help but think about her dream. It seemed just as vivid as the one she had about the dark mirror.

Lia snapped out of it when Mr. Crowley and Madame Eva walked in. "Good morning, everyone! I trust that you all slept well?"

"We did thank you,"

"Speak for yourself. The minute I got on the bed, the mattress fell right through the bed frame! Exactly how much of a ramshackle did you leave this place? Not to mention, the ghosts came back and woke us up!"

"We're still getting used to settings here. And with the place as rundown as it is, one can't help but be a little unnerved."

"It's alright, sweetie; it's understandable that you all are a bit anxious after what happened yesterday."

"Quite right, my dear, the world can be cruel sometimes. But one must bear with it and press on!"

Maddie whispered to Lia, "That guy's a real weirdo."

"Kid, he's just getting started," Persian told her.

"Anyways, Dire. Didn't you have something to say to Lia and Grim?"

"Ah, yes! *ahem* your assignment for today is to clean the school campus. That said, the school grounds are much bigger than it seems. And with your magic being sealed and all, it will be a tremendous task to fulfill. So, I'll have you two focus on the area surrounding the gates and the library."

"That doesn't sound so bad. I'll select a few of my Pokémon to help, and it'll be done with no problem."

"Also, Miss Lia. I expect that you keep a very close eye on Grim. So that he won't prevent another incident, hence yesterday."

"I understand, sir; I'll do my best to keep him in check. So will my Pokémon."

"Speaking of, sweetie, it might be best to try using your Pokémon as little as possible. Other than us, no one knows about you or your companions being of another world. And the last thing we want is to create a panic or have others with ill intentions come after you all."

"I'll be sure to keep their activity to a minimum,"

"Excellent. Don't fail, and we look forward to seeing your efforts." Crowley smiled, and with that, he and Madame Eva left.

"I didn't come here to clean! I came here to learn magic, become the greatest, and cast spells like BANG! POW! FWAM!" Grim gestured, casting spells and doing some action. Lia couldn't help but find it cute. Pikachu, however, muttered something under his breath that soon set off Grim.

They attacked and started to tumble around the floor. Everyone in the room sighed at their antics. 'And I thought Maddie and Matt were immature when they fight.' Lia walked up to them and pulled them apart. They kept trying to fight each other while they were in her hands.

"Alright, enough! Both of you, now is not the time for you to be acting like children throwing a tantrum." the two ceased their little dispute with a 'Humph! and Lia sighed again for the umpteenth time.

"How about this, Grim? Once we're done cleaning up the area, we'll go down to the library to look up spells and things for you to try. How's that sound?"

Grim really wanted to avoid being stuck with janitorial duty while being in the school of his dreams. But with the way things are now, he didn't have a choice since he didn't want to make it into a routine of getting kicked out every time.

"Fine, but your buddies have to be helping too!"

"I know, and they will. I need to choose the right group,"

"Who are you going to take with you, Lia?" Matt asked.

"Well, Magerna or Indeedee clearly can't; they'll look after you two. And Tyrantrum is out, for obvious reasons; um, no offense, buddy." She apologized to the Despot Pokémon, but he grunted, saying none had been taken.

"And everyone else has to stay, not only to protect this place but also to fix it."

"But you'd still want a group with you to help and keep you safe; I know Lucario is definitely one of them," Persian stated.

"Not wrong there. Alright then: Zeraora, Blastoise, Noivern, Absol, and Solrock. You guys will be with me if things go south. Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Espeon, Leafeon, Dragonite, and Lilligant. You guys will help us with the cleaning." the Pokémon nodded.

"Alright then, let's hurry up and get ready."

Lia wore the spare clothes in her bag.

However, she wished Hoopa was around so she could put on something more appropriate. 'I wonder where he went off to?' Either way, she had to make do with what she had.

"Lia, what happened to your Togipi egg?" Maddie asked.

"Well, given what has been happening so far, I had Hoopa send it to Nessa."

"Probably for the best," Persian nodded, "I mean, given our situation, I doubt any of us will have enough time to take care of a baby."

"Okay, but I really wanna see a Pokémon egg hatch."

Lia chuckled, "You'll get your chance someday."

Later, when the group left the dorm. Grim attacked Lia with a bunch of questions regarding the Pokémon. She tried to explain the best she could, but later, he concluded the biology of Pokémon was weird. When she told him she had no clue what tuna was, he almost tripped over his feet. It was then that moment that it was going to be quite the 'learning experience for them both when it came to each other's worlds.

Soon, the group made it to their first spot to start cleaning the campus—Main Street, a pathway that holds statues of the school's most influential figures. However, Lia forgot to ask what was so special about them. All she caught wind of was that they were called The Great Seven. The title sounded familiar to her but for a totally different reason. Grim, on the other hand, was already impressed.

"Whoa, huh, so this is 'Main Street. It looks amazing! I wasn't able to see much of it yesterday, so what's the deal with all these statues anyway? All their faces look pretty scary to me."

"Pikachu, Pi," (For once, I agree.)

"Well, they certainly have these for a reason. I can tell you that much." Persian replied.

Lia nodded. "I'm sure they're all very important idols to the school. So, we should respect them as the school does."

"I don't know, Lia; like I said, they look scary. Take this lady for example," Grim points to a statue of a woman in a very fancy dress, wearing a crown and a 'heart fan in her hand. She looked proud and poise. "She looks like she has some major anger issues. And I mean big time."

"Pika, Pika." (And that smile says otherwise too)

"Grim, Pikachu, not nice."

"Are you telling me neither of you knows the Queen of Hearts?" said a voice approaching them.

The group turned around and found a boy about Lia's age wearing a school uniform. He had auburn ginger hair that spiked out a bit, soft crimson eyes, and a red heart painted on his left eye.

Lia answered him with an apologetic bow, "Oh, hello, I'm sorry, but we're pretty new around here, so we don't know much about her or any of these statues," she didn't notice the boy was blushing at her.

"So, who is this Queen of Hearts?" Grim asked. "Was she that famous or something?"

Ace explained, "She was the high queen of a curious land in a maze-like garden of roses long, long ago. She was a very strict noblewoman who praised order and rules above all. She had a very low tolerance for roses being off-color or her game-card soldiers stepping out of line. She pretty much ruled over her kingdom of madness with an iron fist. No one among her subjects would even dare try to defy her. And the reason why is because the punishment for disobedience or breaking any of her rules was an immediate decapitation!" the boy explained excitedly.

Lia and her Pokémon looked at him in shock. Deep down, they hoped he was joking, but his smile clearly said 'no. Even Grim was frightened by this information. "What!? That's seriously messed up!"

"Come on, guys. Who would be obedient to a queen that's too nice all the time? They'd walk all over her like that."

"That's not right. It's true a leader needs to be strong," Lia argued. "But that kind of thinking is tyranny. Making rules about everything, even the smallest things, people would fear her than love her. I'm more surprised that the whole kingdom didn't rebel against her."

"Well, that's your opinion. Either way, she was highly looked up to."

"Anyway, that aside. Exactly who are you?" Persian asked the boy.

"Oh right, the name's Ace Trappola. As of today, I'm a first-year student, so nice to meet you."

"I'm Grim! I'll be a prodigy here and soon become the greatest mage there is! And this is my hench-" Grim didn't finish when he saw the death glares from the two Pokémon.

Lia just sighed as she addressed Ace. "I'm Lia; these two are my partners, Pikachu and Persian."

"Pikachu!" (Hello!)

"Nice to meet you, kid."

"Is 'Lia like a nickname for something?" Ace asked.

"Yes, but I don't really like using my full name. For personal reasons, but other than that, I only use it when necessary."

"Alright, I guess that's understandable."

"So, Ace. What's the deal with that Lion with the scar on its eye? Were they a famous ruler, too?"

'Lion?' Lia and Pokémon wondered. Grim pointed at the statue resembling a 'Luxray or a Pyroar.

"Oh yeah! They were!"

"Would you mind telling us?" Lia asked.

"That Lion was the King of the beasts who ruled over the Savanna. However, he wasn't born into the throne that he wanted. He earned it through hard work and elaborate schemes to get it. When he became King, his first decree was to make the hyenas no longer pariahs in the land and have them live among the rest of his subjects as equals."

In contrast to Lia's skepticism, Grim was amazed. "Wow! He sounds like he was a great king! Not everyone can get through social status like that. Now, Ace, can you tell us about the lady with the octopus legs?"

Lia and the other two sweat dropped. 'We seriously need to learn about the creatures and species that live in this world.'

"Oh, her? She's the Sea Witch that lived in the underwater grotto in the ocean. She dedicated her life to helping any and all Merfolk who were troubled. If willing to pay their due, she'd grant them any request they asked of her. From changing their looks to finding their love, anything! She was so good that there was no wish she couldn't grant. Even if the prices folks paid back then were a tad steep, she still granted them. So, of course, she'd need something in return for it."

'That actually sounds downright shady.'

"Awesome! So if I asked to be a mage right then and there, it'll happen in no time?! Nice! Whoa, who's the dude with the weird hat?"

"That is the Sorcerer of the Sands. At first, he worked as an advisor to a total dunce sultan,"

"Pika?" (What's a Sultan?) "It's a kind of king, now shhh." Lia whispered as Ace went on.

"He was a really smart man and was truly capable. He exposed a swindler who pretended to be a prince in order to trick the princess. Then he came across a magic lamp and became the greatest Sorcerer ever! Then eventually became the sultan himself with his power!"

"Wow, guess it takes a true mage to become a good judge of character, huh?"

'It sounds like the whole thing was a ruse to me. Like he was the real fake.'

"So, who's that heck of a beauty over there?" Grim then pointed to a statue of another woman who looked like a queen.

"Ah, that's the Beautiful Queen; it's said she was known to be the fairest in all the land. As a matter of fact, she had a magic mirror, similar to the dark mirror, that she'd check in to see how she ranked every twenty-four, seven. If ever her position was threatened, even the slightest. She'd do everything in her power to keep her rank the way it was. You can't even begin to comprehend the amount of dedication it took to keep a pristine record like that. Also, it's been said that she was a master of making poisons, too!"

"Vain much?" Persian raised a brow.

"Um, she's pretty and all, but I'm good," Grim shivered. "Too scary for my liking."

"Really? But you have to admit, she was quite dedicated. After all, she worked hard to get where she was." Ace continued. He then turned to Lia, "I bet she'd be jealous of you; you're pretty enough to compete with her."

"Me? Compete with her? That's nice, but you're definitely exaggerating. I'm not that pretty. Not to mention, she's a noble, and nobles are naturally more beautiful. I'm just a girl trying to be the best herbalist."

"Really? What about all the love letters you received last year?" Persian mentioned.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Pika, pi? Pika." (What about the guys at the entrance ceremony? They were staring.)

​​​​​​"I'm pretty sure they weren't,"

"They were, I saw," Grim added. Then he went back to the statues, " Anyway, I guess I can understand her reasons to fight for what she believed in. Okay, who's the guy with the flaming head? He looks really creepy!"

"Pika!" (Dido!) Pikachu hid behind Lia's shoulder.

"Oh! That guy? He's the ruler of the underworld! He single-handedly rules over a kingdom jammed packed with out-of-control spirits and does his best to keep them in check. Now, that takes competence! Sure, he looks like a frightening guy, but he was a big-time straight shooter who worked twenty-four-seven tirelessly. He's always working through a tough job he never really asked for. He's even managed to command a Cerberus, a Hydra, and the great Titians into battle for him to conquer the land of gods!"

"Whoa! Now, that is definitely something! And to think with all that power he had and not let it get to his head. Huh,"

"It actually sounds like it did," Lia muttered under her breath.

"Alright, last one. The lady with the horns."

'Why do I feel like I've seen someone with that kind of appearance before?'

Ace answered, "That is the Thorn Fairy who lived and ruled over the mystical mountain. Not only was she known for her nobility and elegance, but she was also a great master of magic and cures! Even outranks the standards of these seven! She was able to use magic on such a massive scale that she was able to command powerful storms and summon great vines of thorns to cover an entire kingdom. The works! And to top it all, she was even capable of transforming herself into a massive dragon!"

"Okay, I'll admit. That is impressive...but wouldn't all that power make her feared and misunderstood?" Lia questioned. Though it seemed nobody heard her.

Then, something else caught her eye; it was another statue, but it wasn't standing with the others. It was actually near the entrance of the library. Walking over to get a closer look, Lia's eyes widened. She saw that man before, in her dream.

The elderly man she saw in her dream! However, instead of looking like he was casting a spell with both of his hands, he held a big book in one hand while the other was out in front of him as if he was reciting something. Lia looked over to the template on the base and read it out loud.

"Yen Sid. The Great Sorcerer. Wielder of the great magics of space, time, and light. Though not among the Great Seven, Yen Sid outdoes them all with his vast wisdom and powers. Managing to unlock the secrets of magic that no magic user can dare to achieve. As the symbol of great knowledge, his statue stands before NRC's grand library."

"Okay, now this is the kind of man that earns my respect." Persian stared at the figure, impressed.

Pikachu nodded in awe. "Pika, Pi." (I'll say.)

But Lia ignored them, just staring at the statue. Somehow, for some strange reason, she felt like she'd seen him before. But how? And from where and why? 'Yesterday, people have been saying that I'm related to this man. But how can I when I've never even used magic? What else has my dad been keeping from me? If he's possibly here, where could he be?'

Ace then changed the subject, "On another note, I can't believe you guys are still here after that crazy stunt you pulled at the orientation ceremony! The girl who gets accidentally summoned by the Dark Mirror with really weird familiars and can't use magic cause it's sealed and a monster who wasn't even summoned at all in the first place! Oh, man! It took everything I had not just to burst out laughing during the whole thing!"

"Hey! That was uncalled for! You don't have to be a jerk about it!" Grim growled.

"Neither of you was admitted, but in the end, you were hired to be the school's janitors! Just how lame can you guys get?!"

Grim was now shaking in fury. "W-What did you call me, you punk?!"

"And to top it off, not one of you knew anything about the Great Seven. Before you guys even consider joining this school, try retaking pre-school! Aha! Ha, ha, ha!"

"Why you. . . . . "

"For once, Pyro-head, I agree with you." Persian said, looking like he was about to pounce Ace with 'Fury swipes.

"Pika," Pikachu growled as sparks flew from his cheeks.

"Okay, you guys, let's just settle down before-"

"And the biggest laugh of them all is the thought that you're possibly related to the Great Sorcerer! I mean, really, a girl entering a prestigious school without access to her magic? I'd feel embarrassed and ashamed, dragging the 'Magus name like that."

Lia went silent. Her hair hid her eyes as her hands went into fists. This definitely didn't go unnoticed by her Pokémon and Grim.

"Ah, well, I had my laugh. Honestly, I came over here to tease you a bit. And heck, am I glad I did! Anyway, it's been fun, but unlike you guys, I have to get to class since I'm an actual student. So I'll have you get back to cleaning up the trash; see ya!"

But before Ace could leave, Lia grabbed him by the shirt and tie. "Listen here, you cocky, two-face jerk. I like a joke as much as the next, but I will not take any mockery over my family! And just for the record, I am more than capable than you assume. And I'll have you know that this girl will put you in your place if you ever take me as a quip."

There was a look in Lia's eyes that made Ace swallow hard. He had never been so intimidated before, much less by a girl. The minute she released him, he fell to the ground.

"Pikachu, show him what happens when one disrespects us."

"Pika. ~" (With Pleasure. ~) Pikachu turned to Ace with a dark smirk as electricity sparked from his cheeks.

Without hesitating, Pikachu jumped off Lia's shoulder and used 'Thunder Bolt. "Let that be a lesson to you; come on, Persian, Grim. We're done here." Lia turned to leave. However, Grim wanted more.

"No way! I'm not letting this punk go after insulting me like that!" Without warning, he fired a fireball at Ace.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"Grim! Stop!"

"You may be done with him, but no one makes me, The Great Grim, a joke and gets away with it! I'm gonna make soot out of him!"

"*Tisk* For a short furball like you, you've got some nerve to try to fight me. I'm going to shave you like an outdated toy puddle!"

"Pika, pi. Pika?" (Can I shock him again?)

"I think you'll fry his brain if you do," Persian huffed.

"Never mind that we need to stop this before it gets worse."

Ace waved his pen and created gusts of wind, diverting the fireballs away. "How do you like this for good measure!" he smirked.

"Grrrr!" Grim fired again but kept missing. "Gah, no fair using magic winds to blow my fire off!"

"Persian, use Water Pulse to put out the fires, and Pikachu, use your 'Iron Tail to keep any misfires away!"

"Right!" "Pika!" (On it!)

As Lia and her Pokémon did their best to control the situation, the whole thing caught the attention of passing students.

"What's going on over there? Is that a fight?"

"Sweet! Let's check it out!"

'Just what kind of world was I sent to?!' Lia asked herself, noticing some of the students had strange ears; she then realized that the students were getting too close for comfort to the fight.

"All of you! Get away! It isn't safe!" but they weren't listening to her.

Suddenly, a stray fireball was hurtling toward a group, dashing over to them with her bow staff connected and in her hand. She slid in front of them and raised her staff; using her aura, she swung at the fireball and made it dissipate from the aura wave. The students she protected stared at her in awe; she didn't use magic, yet she did something just as amazing.

"All of you, get out of here! Now!" she yelled at them; the glare in her eyes sent shivers down the other student's spines, making them vigorously nod at her and run away.

Then Lia turned to Ace and Grim, "Both of you, stop this, now!"

"Not until I put this sucker in his place!"

"Ha! I think it's the other way around, Hairball! The one who's going to be 'put in place is you! You can't even hit me with your lame fireballs!"

"I'll show you lame! Take this!" Grim launched another fireball, but it was bigger than the others. Ace just shrugged it off.

"That's it? I need a little wind, and, oh crap, that's not the course I wanted it to take!"

The moment Ace diverted the fireball, it went off course and went straight for one of the statues. Without thinking, Lia used her speed and jumped in front of the Queen of Hearts statue, taking the brunt of the fireball's impact.

Ace and Grim stopped their brawl and looked over to where Lia was hit. As soon as the smoke cleared, their jaws dropped. Standing before the statue, in a defensive stance, was Lia still in one piece with little to no injuries other than some ash marks here and there on her.

"Whoa! H-how is she still in one piece!?"

"There's not even a burn or scratch on her!"

"But, but how!? She can't use magic!"

Persian and Pikachu sighed in great relief. 'Thank Arceus that she knew aura manipulation.'

Lia took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Lowering her arms, she faced the two. "Are you two done now?"

"Pika, Pi?" (Lia, you okay?)

"I'm fine, Pikachu, don't worry. I've faced worse, remember?"

"Still, though," Persian walked up to her, "Give us a bit of warning when you pull stunts like that! I almost thought you weren't going to make it!"

"Thanks for having so much faith in me," Lia sweat dropped

"What in the Great Seven's name is going on here?!" Shrieked the voice of Madame Eva as she and Mr. Crowley walked up to the scene. "All of you! Case this at once!" Crowley rebuked.

"Lia! What in the name of magics has happened to you?!" Madame Eva ran up and checked Lia from head to toe, making sure she was alright.

"Well, Miss Eva, it's quite an interesting story."

" *Humph!* And you thought you two ruffians could get away from me?! Did I, or did I not warn you not to create any more incidents!? Not only that you've injured another, but you've also charred the statue of the Great Sorcerer, Yen Sid!" Crowley yelled.

"They what?!" Lia turned to the said statue. And sure enough, it was charred. Well, at least the top half of it, but that didn't make her feel any better.

"But how!? The fireball was aimed at the Queen of Hearts!" Persian stated.

"That, aside. It appears as though you want to be expelled!" Crowley scolded as he turned his attention back on Ace and Grim. Grim hid behind Ace as he began to plead with the masked man.

"N-No! Not that! Forgive me, please!"

"Pika, Pika." (Nice knowing you.) Pikachu smirked at Ace as he was in despair.

"And you, Miss Lia. Didn't I specifically tell you to keep Grim in check!"

"In my defense, sir, I was. As we were about to start doing the tasks you assigned us, this jerk came in, acting like a gentleman as he was telling us about the Great Seven. Then he decided to mock us and insult us to our faces to get a laugh out of it when really it provoked Grim to attack him out of anger suddenly. I tried to stop them, but then other students came in to watch and were almost charred themselves if my partners and I hadn't kept them out of a 'crossfire." Lia explained.

The students who were still around cringed when they were mentioned. Then, they turned tail and ran when Madame Eva glared at them.

"I was able to snap them out of their fighting when I took the hit of a fireball for the Queen of Hearts statue. However, I deeply apologize for not noticing the Sorcerer's statue getting caught in the mix. I promise you that it'll be the first thing to be cleaned after this, along with parts of the landscape that were damaged." Lia bowed her head to Mr. Crowley.

The said Head-mage was surprised with the girl; she was willing to take full responsibility for something that was not entirely in her control. He quickly collected himself and addressed her.

"Thank you for your explanation, Miss Lia. And I'm glad that you're alright. And your rationality is refreshing. However, I can't allow you to take the full blame for this." He then turned to Ace, who had his head down. "Now then, state your name and grade," he demanded.

"Ace Trappola, I'm a freshman."

"Mr. Trappola, what on earth made you think it was alright to make fun of others to the point of starting a fight?" Madame Eva lectured him.

"Did you forget that one of the rules of NRC is to not fight with magic on campus?" Ace flinched at her tone.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Well, apologizing to me won't fix what happened here. So, as punishment for your reckless and irresponsible behavior. You three will be washing a hundred and two windows after class introductions."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a minute! Grim and Trappola kid here are the ones who made this mess; why should Lia be punished too?!" Persian questioned.

"I understand that you think this is unfair, but as my husband stated, she was supposed to keep an eye on Grim. Her negligence is what got her punished. However, that will be the only punishment she will receive as she volunteered to clean the Sorcerer's statue and the damaged grounds."

The two Pokémon bowed in defeat as they knew the woman was right. "But these two, I won't be so lenient." Madam folded her arms at Ace and Grim.

"These two will not only help with the windows but also review the school guidebook until they have it memorized. And, will be writing a written apology letter to me, my husband, and Lia, as they're the ones who injured her."

Off to the side, Mr. Crowley was fawning over his wife like a fool. "Isn't she wonderful? ~"

Lia, Persian, and Pikachu sweat dropped. 'She does her job better than you do with yours, that's for sure.'

"*tisk* This is all your fault! This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't made fun of me or Lia."

"Seriously!? a Hundred and two windows and memorizing the huge guidebook?!"

"Would you like me to add more to that, young man?"

"N-no, ma'am."

"Very good; all of you will meet in the cafeteria once class orientations are done." Mr. Crowley said.

"Yes sir," Both Lia and Ace replied.

"Man, do I have rotten luck?" Grim groaned.