The Team Star Bosses Assemble!

Ortie, you finally made it to Pasio! That means...

All the Team Star bosses have assembled!

Yeah, it's great! Feels like we're back on home turf!

Heh! Yeah, nothing to fear now that I'M here!

I hear you've been trying to set up a school on this island. I can help!

Wow. Wasn't expecting you to be all fired up about it.

But yeah, we'd love to have you!

I've got a gig you could help with!

Pasio Academy is opening soon!

Please enroll!

THIS is what you wanted me to help with?

What's the point of this, anyway?

We need to spread the word about the academy, even if just a little!

C'mon, Penny! Ortega! Turn up the volume, would ya?

I-I can't go any louder than this...

Hmph! FINE!

P-PLEASE ENROLL!!!

C'mon, Giacomo! Don't you have anything I'd be better suited for than yelling?

Ortega's been bugging me about it NONSTOP, so I brought him here to ask.

Is there anything else we can help with?

Let me see...

Hey. I've been wondering since we got here... Who's THIS guy, anyway?

What did you just call me? "This guy"?!

This is Master Lear. He's been supporting our efforts to establish the academy.

He's also a member of a certain royal family and the one responsible for creating, and now managing, this island, Pasio.

So...basically, he's a rich prince.

Is that so?

So he's just relying on his parents and their money. Am I supposed to be impressed?

What?! How DARE you keep insulting me...

N-no, wait! Ortie didn't mean to be rude!

Yeah! In fact, Ortega's family is super rich, too!

And everyone used to look down on him 'cause he'd always try to use his parents' influence to solve things...

Thus, when we formed Team Star, we wrote "Thou shall not rely on your parents and their money" into our code.

Since joining Team Star, I've been doing things myself.

So I'm different from someone who's still relying on their family's wealth, OK?!

Hmph! I consider being born into royalty one of my many strengths!

Ugh, you're so self-satisfied. You're the worst!

Ahem! Perhaps we should return to the topic at hand?

Y-yes, sir!

Currently, the challenge we face in establishing our academy...

is that we're experiencing a bit of a teacher shortage.

Teachers, huh...

Speaking of teachers... Didn't we once ask Juliana to be our tutor?

Oh, yeah! She was surprisingly good at it, too.

... ... ...

(Sounds like they all wanna nominate Juliana as a teacher.)

(I can't keep letting her outshine ME!)

Um, Director Clavell!

I actually wouldn't mind teaching!

Huh?! What?!

Say what? What's gotten into you, Ortega?

'Tis a bolt from the blue.

Come on, what's wrong with me thinking I could teach?

Anything Juliana can do, I can too!

As long as it involves Fairy-type Pokémon or machines...

NOBODY can beat me!

I'll show them! I can teach too!

(OK, who's the weakest around here...)

(That guy'll do!)

Hey, you!

Shall I do you the honor of showing you how a REAL battle looks?

Excuse me?

See? Now you know how strong I am!

And as I said, as your teacher, I'd take care of you. So just admit you wanna learn from me already!

Me, learn from the likes of you? What a joke.

I'm the most elite of elite. If anything, I'm the one who should be teaching YOU!

WHAT?! You're so rude! It's not cute AT ALL!

Well... I admit, you seem to have seen your fair share of battles.

But you're in severe need of more pink.

HUH?! Pink?! What do you mean?

If you don't understand...

Then maybe you would if that quiz-happy old lady put YOU through intense training with Fairy-type Pokémon every morning.

Don't be judging ME! YOU'RE the one spouting stuff that makes ZERO sense!

And what's with the smug look?! You're seriously THE WORST!

In any case, I was initially optimistic about a school on Pasio...

But if they're asking someone like YOU to teach, their standards must be low.

How DARE you make fun of us! What would YOU know?!

You haven't seen how hard everyone's worked!

Hmph. Say what you will, but talk is cheap.

If what I say offends you, then let your skills speak for themselves.

Hmph! That's EXACTLY what I plan to do!

UGH!!! What was up with that guy?! He's, like... THE. ABSOLUTE. WORST!

So, there are others interested in the job?

Hm? Wait, that voice...

Yes, including Maxie from Team Magma, whom I've met before, among others.

Quite a few people are willing to teach at the academy.

Then the problem's solved, isn't it?

Not necessarily. Being willing to teach doesn't necessarily qualify someone for the job.

I see...

In a pinch, I'm also prepared to hire externally. Don't worry about the cost.

I'd appreciate that very much.

WHAT?!

Master Ortega?

You're just gonna ignore someone who's worked hard for this and solve all your problems with MONEY?!

No, of course not. That's not what we were...

SHUT UP! I don't wanna hear it!

If that's your plan, then now I HAVE to show you!

I can be a teacher, too! I'll MAKE you see!

Days later...

Ready?! Today's the day you call ME your teacher!

I have to make them acknowledge me! I HAVE to!

Oh? Well, aren't YOU looking desperate today.

As you wish. I'll take you on again.

What's wrong? Done already?

If that's all you've got, then...

Ugh! What the HECK!!!

Why?! Why is it so hard?

I've GOT to prove myself. I NEED to.

*sigh* I suspected you had your reasons.

I suppose I can hear you out at least. Well?

Oh, that's a no-brainer. It's just how the world works.

Wha, ?!

You'd be naive to think effort and passion are always recognized.

And what would you know? Acting all arrogant and...

*sigh*

It's annoying to have to bring this up to someone like you, but I'm feeling generous today.

I grew up in an orphanage.

Huh?

But then someone picked me, and provided me the opportunity to walk the path of a Pokémon Trainer. That's how my journey began.

I did my best to live up to that person's expectations, to thank them...

But unfortunately, I just couldn't give results.

Eventually, they lost interest in me.

But...I'm performing well now under someone else's tutelage.

Hmph.

So you're telling me to stop complaining 'cause I was born into privilege?

Wrong. With comprehension like that, you clearly have some struggles in school, don't you.

Wha, !

In my opinion, life's hardships aren't determined by the circumstances we're born into.

After all, one could have the most privileged upbringing yet still suffer.

Take Lear, for example. You mentioned him earlier.

Lear? What about him?

I hear that as a young heir to the throne, he was forced to undergo a rigorous education, and he suffered a great deal.

Even though Pasio is a booming success, he still hasn't been recognized as successor.

That really happened to him?

From what I gather...

His upbringing is why he supports Pasio Academy.

His own education was strict and painful, so now he's trying to create something different... something ideal.

So I can understand why he'd be particular.

Plus, making use of all available resources just makes sense.

Oh...

So? What are you going to do?

Don't tell me you're going to run away with your tail between your legs.

... ... ...

(I shouldn't have been so cocky.)

See, this is why people don't take you seriously. You say some stupid things, you know that?

... ... ...

Arrrrrgh!!!

I'm not giving up! Just you watch!

Goodness. What a pampered little handful...

OK, everyone! I need your help. Let's think this through together!

I wanna make sure everyone who wants to teach on Pasio gets the chance to! I don't want those feelings to go to waste!

Heh. Look at you, all fired up!

Of course! Let's brainstorm!

This one's gonna be tough, but with all of us here, we can figure something out!

Indeed. As they say, 'tis better to have two heads than one!

OK, then... W-we can do this!

Days later...

We discussed the problem you told us about. You know, the teacher shortage?

Tell 'em, Ortega!

Here's what we're thinking...

Couldn't we choose teachers based on what the students want or recommend?

Oh? How'd you come up with that?

Sometimes, students want a say in what they learn, AND who from, right?

There may be times you don't like the teacher you get...

... ... ...

So maybe at Pasio Academy, it'd be nice if the teachers weren't stuck being the teacher all the time.

Plus, teaching isn't one-sided.

Teachers can learn, and grow, from students, too!

I learned that from someone I was supposed to be teaching.

And seeing you in action brought it to mind too, Director.

To properly investigate Team Star, you went as far as disguising yourself, and made an effort to understand us. So...

Miss Penny...

After talking amongst ourselves, we all realized we want to try teaching, too!

We've been in charge of the STCs, so we know we can do it!

We've also all polished our strengths since arriving on Pasio. Perhaps 'tis another reason.

In short, can't we make a school that helps students AND teachers?

Please, think about it! Director Clavell! Lear!

Please give us, and everyone on Pasio, the chance to be teachers!

All of you...

You're shining so bright, even brighter than when you arrived here on Pasio.

Actually, it was never our intent to hire only perfect, experienced teachers.

Huh?

We were searching for individuals who could inspire curiosity and tenacity, who could teach students to find their very own treasure!

Those are the teachers we were looking for. Experience comes second.

Thus, I wholeheartedly agree with your plan!

What do you think, Master Lear?

Well, I can't say I'm a fan of Ortega's arrogance...

But I'll allow it! Let's do it!

We ran into a few challenges getting the academy up and running.

But at long last, this journey's end draws near!

Ain't it a little early to ease up on the heat?

We HAVE reached a milestone, though!

All right. Say it with me...

Hasta la vistar! ★