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[Thursday, over one month after their return from Paldea.]

It was a quiet day, not much going on inside the hidden headquarters of Team Snagem. That was however until Sub received a message from a certain individual back in Paldea. It was from Clavell, the director of Uva-Naranja Academy. It was their final confirmation that Clavell is giving the Indigo Alliance sanctioned approval of Team Snagem and thus, finally, earning Team Snagem the official sanction of the entire alliance, that is giving them permission to operate in all alliance regions without limitations. They were free, finally free, no more extra hoops to jump through just to keep the team on the straight and narrow. While Sub never saw why he should grovel before the world governments there were those in the team that thought they should go straight and keep the sanctioning so he went along with it, begrudgingly, though now that they had it the Snagem leader was positively ecstatic. No more Mudbray kissing for this man!

Before he jumped to his feet in celebration he decided to read the last of the email and took note of something else, a gift. As thanks for all Team Snagem did for the academy concerning the 'incident', that is Team Star and the strange fungus, Clavell has invited them to join an academy delegation on a trip to the region of Kitakami to partake in the Festival of Masks celebration over the weekend. In his email was all the information for plane tickets and accommodations even, all paid for.

[Thursday, around lunch time.]

"And that's what we're being offered, a two day stay in Kitakami as part of the Uva-Naranja Academy's cultural exchange with the region, to partake in the Festival of Masks. To put it into Clavell's words the vacation we never got, even if for just two days." Sub explained to the Snagems he gathered in the main area of HQ, a couple hours after he got the email, just to confirm the information and let people become active for the day. "In fact, Kitakami isn't that far from here." He pointed out, then looking to his teammates to see their reactions. "So...anyone want to check out Kitakami and the Festival of Masks? If you do the bus leaves from Cerulean City this evening...yes, a bus, and it's a ten hour drive by bus. But...it's free...?" He chuckled nervously.

(OOC: Kitakami is known as a backwoods region connected to the 'Japan' regions of the Pokemon world, those being Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. That said it is still remote to them and while the people of these regions are aware of Kitakami even they see little reason to visit the place, people from Kitakami essentially 'hicks'. Furthermore as we roleplay in the region I want to make clear that no one in-universe knows the truth about Ogrepon or the Loyal Three. So no having your characters sympathizing with what is known to the universe as essentially an evil ogre that murdered three innocent Pokemon in cold blood. And even then because of Kitakami's remoteness I can't see any of our characters being aware of this extremely local folklore.)

Lykas and Odd both shook their heads at Sub's explanation. "As much as we'd like to go, I'm pretty sure Libelle won't handle a bus ride like that very well. She's too young, still." Lykas replied.

"I agree, actually. Besides, she kinda came to us right in the middle of everything going on in Paldea... I think we should stay here and spend some time letting her get used to her new life around HQ." Odd remarked, nodding in agreement with Lykas. "Besides, if anything happens, you can easily have Claydol pick one of us up to help out if you need us."

"Hopefully nothing happens. We all need a break from the crazy we run into and the last attempt turned into a giant mess." Lykas remarked with a laugh. "But Odd's right. Just call if you need either of us. It'll be easier to leave her with someone to watch her if we're here, anyway. Oh and if he didn't tell you, Wren's away visiting his parents so he won't be joining at the moment, either."

~~~At the Bus Station~~~

Clare wouldn't be seen until the other Snagems arrived at he Cerulean City bus station, sitting on one of the benches with a duffel bag at their feet and a small purple Pokemon bouncing happily around it. "Spoink! Spoi-oink!" It cried cheerfully as M&M ran opposite directions around it, clearly entertaining the small Pokemon.

They would wave in greeting to the other Snagems as they arrived, a long ballroom-style glove on their one good hand and a long sleeve carefully tied at the forearm on their other one. Hadn't it been broken off at the middle of their bicep when the titan Klawf damaged them? "Hello, everyone! I was so happy to hear the rest of you had been invited to come!" They smiled happily upon seeing the remainder of the team arriving, standing up so they'd be more visible as the gathering Snagems grew in number.

Lykas and Odd were still in the main room when Keiko and Terashi began talking, with little changing besides Mykel walking into the room and handing Libelle to Lykas.

"She just woke up. I think she's wet." He informed the hybrid, looking like he hated having to touch the infant at the moment.

"You'll have to get used to cleaning her up, sometime. You know you're our go-to nanny for now, right?" Lykas laughed at the Gardevoir's reaction.

"Gross. Why me?" Mykel demanded, crossing his arms indignantly.

"Because you can tell what she needs better than anyone with your abilities." Lykas replied, gving the Psychic-type a playful tap on the forehead.

It was at that point that Keiko asked if they minded watching Yuna. Before he could even respond, Odd had begun to speak. "As long as you don't mind a blind man watching your baby, I don't see a problem with it. We'll be keeping a close watch on Libelle anyway. No hard letting her make friends with the only other person her age around here for a couple of days. Just leave any special notes for her with Lykas and he'll make sure I know about it so I can help." the Gost Channeler replied, givin Keiko a smirk of his own. Her comments sounded all too familiar. It was so easy for couples around here to forget to take time for themselves with all the work the team had to do.

"Thank you!" Keiko cheered, wrapping Odd in a hug he literally couldn't see coming - though she tried to be gentle about it. "The only thing you need to keep in mind is shaving her hip fluff whenever you change her diaper. If you don't keep up with that, then her diapers will stop fitting her real quick. Other than that, she's usually really well-behaved," Keiko explained.

But that didn't sit right with me. "During the day, anyway. She has pretty bad night terrors, so she's more than likely going to wake you up at least once every night. It's only fair to warn out about that," I told them. Keiko wanted me not to mention that - I could feel it. But I wasn't going to keep something that major and, yes, potentially deal-breaking from them. They were our friends, and since they were going out of their way to help us out, they deserved to know.

Monique weighed the offer to take a trip for a moment, but she knew her mind was already made up.

Uva-Naranja had made good use of its Snagem asset since she'd returned. After all, the entire point of her continuing to attend, aside from the whole "needing to still get used to having your life uprooted 49 years into the past which might as well be the good future" bit, was as an intangible asset. It turned out Monique was an excellent example, for reasons that were obvious yet incomprehensible, of something called a "nontraditional learner" in education parlance. In addition to attending with reasonable grades, she had been writing testimonials and appearing in all sorts of admissions literature.

The testimonials were somewhat humorous to Monique in the way they took her very-unusual childhood and made it fit this reality and time period. "As a student who came from a poor family growing up and had to work two jobs to make ends meet, I am glad to see an institution recognize my hard work like Uva-Naranja and make it all pay off." All of that was true, but there were a lot of details being left out for everyone's sake.

It certainly was a departure from being in the annual Chicks of Snagem calendar, but that was also the point.

When the offer to travel, even to rural Kitakami way in the north, came up, it was thus obvious that Monique attending was good for everyone. She got to see more of the world that by her time was gone; the academy got one of their spokespeople out in front of an audience it was apparently trying to reach for reasons that only administration could divine; and she got to support her fellow Snagems, who aside from her sisters (and possibly others) were her only actual family.

A 10-hour bus ride was going to be annoying, but what was 10 hours when she'd already flown the eight-hour Saffron–Hau‘oli route? At least she probably only needed to do it once or twice. She packed fairly light with enough clothes to wear if no Illusion was needed, plus a solid Pokémon team, just in case things went awry. If this place turned out like Hisui did, after all, she might need to have people staring at cursed fire for a while.

Grinning excitedly, a newcomer to Snagem vacations, Tsuki looked at the back and forth of Keiko, Ter, Odd, and Lykas. It still felt like a punch to the head when he thought about how the people who he shared a team with were now parents themselves. He probably looked a moment too long but he hoped his shades hid that, his thoughts briefly going back to his own parents. His Pokemon, intuitive on her own to her trainer’s emotional state, pat him on the head to snap him back to reality.

Right.

But something that Odd said did resonate with Tsuki. There were other members who looked like his own age too- and he had barely spent any time with them at all. Hell, he spent most of his time in Snagem before annoying the adults. Maybe he ought to try making friends with people who wouldn’t see him as just a kid. He remembered that girl Abby- but she didn’t seem to be anywhere nearby. Even that Tristen kid he had heard so much about from the other students didn’t seem to be around, but Freth’s comment about him also going gave Tsuki trying to make friends with him something to look forward to.

“Do… your vacations always go sideways? We’re just going on to see a festival right, what’s the worst that could happen?” Tsuki asked Freth. “Sounds like a fun, if kinda tame time.”

Brian, Amber, and Rachel had all gotten some down time in while they were at HQ. Rachel had taken to Snagem like a Psyduck to water, just as Brian had known she would. She and Amber got along really well, which surprised Brian. He hadn't expected the Froslass hybrid to be so friendly with the slightly younger girl, but Amber had explained that she'd realized that shutting everyone out because she was afraid to grow attached was no way to live. So the two had quickly become close friends, with Amber sharing a bit of her background with Rachel. Meanwhile, Brian had taken the downtime to spend some quality time with his team, including Grace. The little Ralts was getting closer to being purified, and he wanted to open her heart a bit more before he took her back to the Super Training Room.

When Sub approached and spoke about a getaway in a place called Kitakami, for an event called the Festival of Masks, Rachel immediately jumped at the chance. She was hoping that Brian and Amber would come, too, but both declined. Amber didn't feel like galivanting across a new area just yet, and while Brian would normally go, his egg had hatched, and he had a feisty Jangmo-o to deal with. That was on top of dealing with Aisha and her temper. "I'm afraid one or both of them will get into serious trouble if I don't keep an eye on them," he explained. "Aisha still doesn't trust me fully, and Daar is far to rambunctious to take on a trip, especially if I let him out of his ball."

Rachel could see where they were coming from, and she couldn't blame them for choosing to stay behind. That didn't stop her from going, however, and as she reached the bus stop, she saw someone else there, waving. "I don't think we've met yet," she said. "I'm Rachel, and this little guy is Rainer." She indicated the Eevee currently sitting at her feet. Despite being quite shy at first, he was almost always out of his ball these days, having gotten accustomed to being around so many people a couple of weeks before.

With everyone gathered at the Cerulean City bus stop they would no doubt wonder where Sub was, the Dark One strangely absent despite him saying he'd meet them all there before they left HQ. Eventually the bus would pull up, the characteristic Arcanine inspired logo of Windy Lines on the side of the bus greeting the gathered group. The door would open and from it came a Mr. Mime, an actual Mr. Mime and not a Mr. Mime hybrid. The Mr. Mime was wearing a hat with the same Windy Lines logo on it and greeted the Snagems at the bus stop with a smile and a wave. A Natu perched on its shoulder, the bird locking eyes with Monique instantly and casting a Miracle Eye on her so that she could receive the telepathic broadcast.

"Welcome passengers! My name is Mister Marcel and I'll be your driver this evening! Please have your physical tickets or your e-tickets ready before boarding! And for confirmation the bus will be heading for Kitakami with two rest stops between here and our destination. So if you are all ready please make a single file and orderly line, and thank you for choosing Windy Lines! We are Legendary for our Extreme Speed!" The Mr. Mime, Mister Marcel, said to them via telepathy and also hand signing exactly what he was saying in their minds, the Pokemon laughing at its last bit due to the puns. Wait, what!? A Pokemon drives the bus!? And it spoke very well with its telepathy, even Psychic Pokemon had to be well trained to articulate to that degree.

An old couple that was waiting at the bus stop with the Snagems, blending into the background no doubt thanks to how quiet they were, would approach the bus first and show the Mr. Mime their paper tickets, the mime scanning them with its handgun giving them the go ahead to enter the bus, the old man and woman acting like it was no big deal to have a Pokemon as their driver. They must have rode this bus before. The Mr. Mime would then wait for the Snagems to approach as well, scanning the QR codes that were their tickets on their SNAGs and giving them the go ahead to enter the bus and be seated.

One by one the Snagems would enter the bus and be seated, making themselves comfortable for the long ride ahead of them. With the last Snagem in, followed by a rather dirty looking male Linoone hybrid sporting a straw hat, the group would no doubt again wonder where Sub was. The Mr. Mime would materialize a stopwatch from...somewhere...and check the time, looking around and noticing no others nearby but still called out via telepathy, broadcasting like a radio tower. "Last call for Kitakami! All aboard that's coming aboard!" He declared. With sight of no one and hearing nothing he turned and began to ascend the steps into the bus.

"Wait! I'm coming, I'm coming!" Sub shouted as he ran at the bus, having not heard the telepathic broadcast thanks to his Psychic immunity. The man had a large backpack on his back stuffed to exploding, certainly not his normal one. As he ran up onto the bus the Mr. Mime would stop him at the top and hold his hand out, no doubt wanting his ticket. "Right, right...here you go!" Sub said as he showed the QR code on his SNAG's screen, got it scanned, and then the Mr. Mime stepped to the side and let him go find a seat which he would next to Freth. "Phew, I can't believe I almost missed it." He said with a laugh. What could have kept Sub so long?

Now content that everyone was aboard Mister Marcel would close the doors and began to speak to them via telepathy again, only Sub unable to 'hear' it. "Windy Lines would again like to thank you for choosing us to escort you to the village of Kitakami this evening! As you all are aware this is a bit of a long trip, taking roughly ten hours total. We should be arriving in Kitakami very early tomorrow morning. The line has two rest stops along the way so you may get out, stretch, and relieve yourselves if needed, each stop at least thirty minutes, longer if needed. You are welcome to sleep during the trip and if desired we offer complimentary sleep masks, simply ask my lady friend Miss Rouge for one or anything else you may need on the trip." Upon mentioning 'Miss Rouge' a Jynx would suddenly appear next to Tsuki, as if it had just materialized out of thin air, had it been here this whole time!? The Jynx would let out a happy cry as it adjusted its little vest and patted the cart it had in front of it, said cart loaded with snacks, drinks, the masks, small pillows, blankets, you name it.

"Now if everyone is seated and ready we shall kick off! Now leaving Cerulean City! Next stop rest area number nine!" It declared telepathically as it put the already running bus into drive and with a slight jump of the bus the vehicle began to move, slowly pulling away from the bus station and quickly picking up speed as they rode down the paved street heading east out of Cerulean City. Kitakami here we come!

(You may describe your character's experience of the first three hours of the trip, ending in them pulling up to the first rest stop, if you so choose.)