The Journey Continues

Star Power

Gloria felt her fate was sealed as soon as she stepped out of Mesagoza International Airport. It was blisteringly hot for the woman who had never set foot outside of cold, wet, miserable Galar. "Now, I may be wrong, but my best guess for where we can find a terastal band is the university! That's where we should head first, do you think so Gloria? ...Gloria?" Serena, on the other hand, was fine. She had spent the last year travelling around to all sorts of different climates following her year in sunny beachside Hoenn. Noticing the problem, she pulled out the water bottle from the side of her bag. "Gosh, drink up! You really can't handle the heat huh?"

Gloria took the water in relief, chugging some and making haste for the nearest shade. "How do people live 'ere?"

Serena shrugged, "I guess some people like it cozy." She turned to Gloria, who was a solid 8 feet away at this point. "If you want, we can take the metro."

The metro, of course... So then why come out here in the first place? "Yer've dragged me into the Sun for no bloomin' reason then."

"Of course it was for a reason, it was to bask in the sunshine!" She laughed sheepishly, "I just didn't know you would be that adversed to it."

"I'm from Galar, the most Sun I ever see is when the sky's only a very light grey!" Gloria cried back.

The two ladies eventually found their way back to the metro station, where they caught some light rail over to the academy, skipping under the sunny streets of Mesagoza. Serena could've gone for the walk, enjoying the local culture a bit, but she figured she could do that some other day. After all, they had bigger priorities.

As they climbed out of the metro station, they emerged onto the main plaza in the city centre, just at the bottom of the many steps heading up to the academy. Shops of all kinds surrounded the circular open space, from fashion outlets to fast food chains, Gloria could swear she even saw a Fnac among everything.

"Isn't this place lovely?" Serena asked her companion in delight. "And see, it's not even that hot!" They were in the shade of the Eastern wall of the plaza, right next to a tapa bar. The central area, which people were avoiding, was still quite hot.

Gloria looked back at the stairs they were about to climb (in the sun), and how they extended for a few hundred flights up to the academy's entrance. "I dunno, this school looks pretty ableist."

Serena took another look at them. "I mean, you have to assume they have some way for people to get up besides these stairs."

"If so, can we take it?"

She shook her head, "Nope! Come on, enjoy the outdoors a bit!" Gloria was dragged by the hand to scale the massive hill on which the university was for some reason built.

They were nearly, finally at the top when they heard a voice from towards their right, slightly behind them, coming from one of many terraces they'd passed by on their way up. "You're gonna join Team Star or you'll regret it, nerd!"

"Um... I'd rather not..."

Serena instantly took notice. "Hey, that's uncalled for!" She shouted, confronting the attackers. They were two guys in star-themed outfits, including star-themed bike helmets, which she, for all her fashion knowledge, thought looked ridiculous. The poor girl they were hounding was clearly not someone usually prepared for situations like this, quickly hiding behind Serena and Gloria as they each sized up a member. "Just who are you, anyway?"

"We're Team Star, and you're either with us or against us!" They made an attempt at being threatening.

"Depends on what yer have to offer." Gloria did a much better job.