[Celeste Bonnaire]

Celeste powered down her laptop after disconnecting it from the projector. Damien was busy trying to keep the remaining Pokéblocks out of Elaine and Noelle's reaches, while Yvain slithered out of his spot in the far corner to turn off the projector as well. Alaire had fluttered over after finishing his performance, and was smoothing down his ruffled feathers briskly. All in all, Celeste was rather happy at the outcome of her first class. Even though it was more introductory than anything, just knowing that there were students who were interested in Pokémon contests was enough to fill her with a determination she hadn't experienced in so long. Every single one of them could become world-renown coordinators in their own rights if they so wished. It was just her job to guide them along the way.

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+1 to Swablu hatch count

[Rex Summers]

{ooc: *kicks self to get back into writing*
going to write stuff from the class too since I didn't get to reply before class ended lol}

Once Rex had recited, he felt that one time was enough for the class - might as well give chances to others or something. The rest of the period the boy had been half listening to her lecture, already knowing these things as he had heard of them before and had seen his mother put it into practice. Perhaps there had been a time where he tried it too, but that was before his mother had decided to force him into the whole ordeal.

When the teacher had asked a question and nobody answered immediately, Rex wondered if he needed to step up to it once more, but it seemed that wasn't needed after all. Good, he had thought, at least he didn't have to go through the effort of that. Surprisingly, class soon ended after that, to which Rex wondered how time managed to fly so fast. Maybe it was because he was a bit sleepy? Those feelings disappeared though when Ms. Bonnaire said that she was going to let one of her Pokemon perform - Rex's eyes had widened and his chin leaving his propped arm.

Altaria...one of the most famous species used for Pokemon Contests, well-known for their cute and fluffy appearance, but at the same time having the ability to be graceful and beautiful on stage. Many renowned coordinators would own one, but this was the first time he saw a shiny Altaria perform right in front of him. Dragon Dance and Dragon Claw...a common combination for the Dragon type, but it nevertheless enthralled him - and that Rock Smash in the end! Man, as much he hated to admit it, even if he didn't want to pursue Coordination, he still couldn't help himself be amazed whenever he watched one perform.

It just...after the performance, Rex felt bitter about the whole thing. At the end of class, he just aimed to get a red Pokéblock, planning to feed it to perhaps Beat as a treat. Examining it for a second, he let out a small sigh before slipping it into his pocket. He had wanted to leave the class immediately, but being in the presence of so many shiny Pokemon was just pulling him back.

"Ms. Bonnaire..?" his voice was a little soft, as if shy to ask, "How long did it take for you to gather these Pokemon? Shinies are a rarity, after all...certain to catch the eyes of the audience at first glance."

[Deleted]

She’d been so captivated by the Pokemon’s dance that she’d pretty much entirely missed anything said at the end of class. That had been a really impressive move, and she wondered how the teacher had come up with it. It made her want to experiment with what her own Pokemon could do, though she was sure what she came up with wouldn’t come close to matching anything the teacher could do. Her team was amazing, but they were all so new to…well…everything. Even Moonstone and Hematite had a long way to go before they could be considered anything close to fully trained. Maybe once everyone had fully evolved and she taught them all whatever moves she ended up deciding on, she could work on combinations and whatever else. Or…maybe she’d keep her main team strictly for battles and create a new team to try her hand at coordination. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do – everything about contests still confused her.

Toni went to collect a Pokeblock, picking something at random and ending up with a green one. She carefully placed it in her bag for now, hoping to save it until she knew who to use it on. That would probably be Moonstone, but she didn’t want to commit to anything without some studying first. Perhaps she should look into berry types and all their uses, as well. So far, she’d been picking at random, but she knew that wasn’t the best way to go. Now that she had something to do with her finds, she’d need to figure out the best types.

That would be later, though. Right now, she wanted to stick around for a little longer, maybe see if any of her fellow students would ask the right questions to help clear up the cloud of confusion that invaded her mind when she tried to think about contest strategy. She might not need to do this – she was sure to understand after a few more classes – but it was going to bug her if she didn’t hang around to see what others asked. She could ask her questions herself, of course, if she could summon the courage. Summoning the courage would be no easy feat, sadly, and she wasn’t sure if she had it in her today.

[Celeste Bonnaire]

Celeste glanced up from her desk when she heard footsteps approaching her. As she looked up, she was greeted by the student who had answered her first question about Pokéblocks. Rex, she confirmed his name mentally, while offering him a faint smile and patiently listening to his question before answering.

"Honestly," she said, sitting up straight in her seat; perfect posture was something she had gotten used to thanks to years of performing. "It took me quite a while. I left the house when I was twelve to go build up a team and educate myself about performing. And, for a good portion of my teenage years, I spent my time searching for most of my Pokémon. Yvain," she tilted her head at the Milotic in the center of the room, "was the hardest to catch. Alaire, on the other hand," she scratched her Altaria under his chin when he nudged her, "was the easiest, having been a gift from my parents."

Pausing momentarily, Celeste offered an acknowledging nod to a lavender-haired girl hovering in the back. Although the girl looked too timid to approach them right then, Celeste wanted her to know that the option was always open.

"Rex, was it?" Looking back at the boy, Celeste ventured to ask, "You seemed to know at least a bit about the basics of contests. Have you ever participated in one? Or, perhaps, do your parents have any performing background?"

Although she didn't expect anything in particular, Celeste felt as though she should know Rex from somewhere. He looked familiar in a I've-passed-you once-on-the-streets kind of way, and she was just a little bit curious about her hunch.

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Rex Summers Since Rex's mom is rather well-known among competitors in Hoenn, I was wondering if Celeste (who's also from that region) would have at least heard of her. If you'd prefer that Celeste hasn't, feel free to let me know!

+1 Swablu hatch count