Sam trudged through the snow that seemed to rise up his calves with each step he took. With the blizzard becoming too thick to see more than a couple of yards out in front of him, he checked his Holo Caster again. From what he could read through the flurry, he appeared to only be a few hundred feet from Snowpoint City’s border, but his destination was further west.
Sam continued on and followed the trees that he began to see up ahead, picking up his pace so as to put himself under the branches and between the trunks that kept the wintery storm from raging in. Once inside the small forested sanctuary, Sam felt comfortable enough to vigorously brush the clumps of snow that clung to his coat, pants, scarf and hat. Plopping his large backpack down, most of the snow that stuck to it bounced off in small, soft shards that broke around it as they hit the ground.
After stomping his booted feet down on the mostly dry ground of the little bit of snow that was left, he ventured onward, leaving his bag safely behind. As the opposite edge of the forest quickly approached, he could barely hear the sounds of skates running along ice just up ahead. Sam smiled behind the warm protection of his scarf.
He found him.
Stepping back into the blizzard, Sam cautiously inched ahead, unsure where the ground ended and a potential shallow patch of ice on the shore began. Strangely enough, as he got closer and closer to Lake Acuity, the snowstorm began to quickly subside, providing a clear, unobstructed view of the water and the small island cavern that was in its center.
He also watched as young man only a few years younger than him twirled gracefully in the air before the blade of his skate touched down back onto the ice. Also observing him as he skated back on one leg to maintain his balance was a large, blue, bell-shaped Pokémon with flat red rings for eyes who monitored him closer to the lake’s center. As he put his other skate down on the surface and gained speed for another axel jump, he noticed Sam standing near the shore, the jolt and gasp his body made no doubt visible and audible to his stalker.
The young man slid to a stop before pointing out at Sam. “Divvy, Zen Headbutt!”
His Pokémon tilted the top of its body toward Sam and shot out like a rocket, a magenta cone forming around it.
Sam grunted in surprise himself as he tossed a Poké Ball out to land between him and the attacking Pokémon. “Aegislash, King’s Shield!”
With a blast of white energy bursting from the ball, Sam’s shield and sword Pokémon formed out from it and maintained the defensive stance it was already in. With a flex outward, Aegislash met the Pokémon’s attack as it ended up crashing into a blue-barrier of Aegislash’s creation. It limply fell into the snow and rolled around before floating back upright, shaking the cold powder caked on itself off.
“Divvy!” the man skated over to the shore before sliding to another stop and jogging back up onto solid ground.
As the man checked on his Pokémon for any injuries, Sam returned Aegislash back into its ball. “Relax, man! I’m not here to hurt you or your Bronzong. I also didn’t mean to startle you or interrupt your… practice, or…?”
“Yeah, practice,” the man grumbled. “Sorry, I don’t like being interrupted while I’m practicing, and I assumed you wanted to bother me for a battle.”
“No, I…” It suddenly dawned on Sam how muffled his scarf made him sound. “Sorry, let me start over.”
Pulling his hat off his head, Sam revealed a head of sand-blonde hair with a faded buzz surrounding the longer, messier top. Upon tugging the scarf covering his mouth down, his fully-visible face was one that the young man recognized almost immediately.
“Oh, you’re–” He couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed now. “You’re Sam Brier!”
“And you must be Mikael Wallström.” Sam reached his hand out, and Mikael firmly shook it. “And I’m guessing this Bronzong of yours is Divvy?”
“Mmhm! I just keep him around to keep the wild Pokémon away, so anyway, uh… what are you even doing up here?”
Sam shrugged, a little off put by the attention he was receiving. “I mean, if you’re not quite done with practice, I can come back a little later–”
“No, it’s alright, I can cut it short today!” Mikael already began to untie his skates. “So, what’s up?”
“Well then… if you actually don’t mind gathering your stuff, this is something that I’d also like to discuss with your… aunt, I believe it was?”
“My aunt?” Suddenly, Mikael’s motions as he donned a black-and-bright-blue jacket became slower and filled with suspicion. “What’s she got to do with this?”
“She didn’t tell you?” Sam pulled his hat back on over his head. “She’s actually the whole reason I’m up here.”
“And that reason is…?”
Sam softly chuckled; his tenacity was already very apparent. “Come on; show me to your house and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Once Mikael finished tying his last boot, he zipped his duffel bag up and hoisted it up so the long strap could rest comfortably on his shoulder. “Okay then.”
Sam stood still so as to let Mikael and Divvy lead the way. As he began following him, Sam couldn’t help but notice his waist did not have a single Poké Ball attached to it.
“Your Bronzong doesn’t have a Poké Ball?” Sam asked, clearly hoping to start a conversation to make the journey back to Snowpoint a little bearable.
“Mm-mm,” Mikael replied with a shake of his head. “Never. He just likes to stick around.”
“I see. What kind of name is Divvy anyway?”
As the snow began to pick back up upon leaving the lake area, Sam slipped his scarf back over his nose and mouth before entering the white with Mikael and Divvy not far ahead.
A knock on the front door interrupted an older woman as she stirred an iron pot of stew that hung over a bed of coals inside the fireplace. After placing the lid back on, she strode across the cozy living room to the door and opened up to see Sam and Mikael standing side-by-side with Divvy floating behind them. Sam already had his hat and scarf folded in his grasp, allowing the woman to see his uncovered face.
The woman beamed as she threw the door open wide and let it pull her aside to make room for Mikael and their guest. “Mr. Brier, it’s so good to see you at last! And I see you’ve already met Mikael?”
Sam stepped in as he searched for a place to hang his sopping clothes. “Found him right where you said I would. I…”
“Oh, let me get those!” Once Mikael was inside, the woman let the door go and swept in to take Sam’s hat and scarf. “I’ll take your coat too.”
“Thank you, Ingrid.”
“Wait,” Mikael softly snapped, “you know him? Like, personally?”
“We spoke on the phone,” Sam grunted as he dropped his bag on a large rug and lugged his heavy coat off his shoulders, revealing his zipped-up gold hoodie, “but yeah, we’ve discussed already.”
“Discussed what? I mean, we’re all here now, so can you please tell me what’s going on and why you’re here?”
“Yeah, just give me one extra moment.” Sam unzipped his bag and pushed through a pile of folded clean clothes until he pulled out a laptop. “Here we go. Please, sit down.”
After motioning to a couch sitting in front of a low, small table, Sam put the laptop onto the table, opened it up, and logged himself in before stepping aside to let Mikael down in front of it. Once Ingrid had hung Sam’s coat, scarf and hat on the rack along the wall next to the door, she joined her nephew on the couch.
“Just press play whenever you’re ready,” Sam instructed.
Mikael hesitated for a few moments before he reached over to the keyboard and pressed the space key. Divvy rose up behind the couch, wanting to watch itself. After a few moments of awkward black silence, the screen faded to reveal the alicorn Twilight Sparkle sitting at her large wooden desk with a tall window behind her. Mikael’s breath caught in his throat, but Twilight began to speak before he could.
“Greetings, Mikael!” she chirped. “Of course, I assume this is who I’m addressing in this vid… I mean, anyways… I hope you’re doing well. If this video has made its way to you, then I’d love to first to inform you that you have been accepted as one of the first humans to attend my School of Friendship in the land of Equestria.”
“Aunt Ingrid?” Mikael turned to look at her, but she simply clutched his hand, prompting him to continue watching the video as Twilight continued talking.
“I don’t know how much Sam has already told you, unless he’s somehow not the one who delivered this message, but allow me to explain.” Twilight faded away as a slideshow began, starting with a picture depicting a large purple building nestled in a large hill, a waterfall running underneath it into a pond below. “Last year, I decided to open a School of Friendship to all the creatures of Equestria and beyond.”
The image changed to a class photo featuring a majority-pony alumni, though it also appeared to include an orange dragon, a pink hippogriff, a light-blue changeling, a blue griffon, and a brown yak. It then transitioned to Sam in a classroom, watching as a young green stallion engaged in a Pokémon battle with the pink hippogriff, her small cream-colored monkey Pokémon with a blue head fighting against the pony’s small green turtle Pokémon with two leaves growing from its head.
“During the first school year,” Twilight explained, “I asked Sam to serve as our Pokémon teacher so as to help teach Equestria all that his world has to offer in the wake of our unification following the defeat of Necrozma and Team Prism.” Another picture appeared, this time showing the orange dragon’s Pokémon that appeared as a deep-blue shark-like dragon playing with the blue griffon’s dark-brown lion cub Pokémon as both of their trainers laughed. “I believe Sam did a wonderful job introducing my kind to his world, and I believe that his efforts are a crucial next step in further integrating our worlds together. Which is why I’m speaking to you today, Mikael.”
Twilight and her office came back on. “During my time in Equestria, I saw that your world, like mine, is fully capable of strong friendships, and as the headmaster of this school, it is my duty to help pony and creature-kind alike to experience the power and magic of friendship. But, if we are to truly unite my world and yours as one, I believe that we should begin to allow our human neighbors to experience Equestrian friendship the same way Sam has helped Equestrians experience friendships with Pokémon. Now, please don’t take this the wrong way, Mikael, but I believe that you are a perfect candidate to learn the friendships our world has to offer.”
“But…” Mikael stammered, “I–”
“You may or may not have heard the announcement earlier this year regarding my request for human students for the upcoming school year, but your aunt Ingrid took the initiative and applied you for enrollment on your behalf. After reading her letter and learning more of your story, I couldn’t think of someone more worthy of being taught under my roof.”
“What is…” Mikael was soon at a loss for words.
“Please let me reiterate that your admission into the School of Friendship does not mean that you are ‘bad’ at friendship or that your aunt feels that you are. She, like me, believes that you have the potential to be a great friend and ally to my fellow Equestrians and that you can help bring our worlds closer together.” Mikael’s mouth was hanging partly open by this point. “If this message has been brought to you in as timely a manner as I would hope it has, it should be late May or early June on your world. I believe that should give you plenty of notice to allow you prepare yourself for the start of the fall semester in the next couple of months or decline my offer if you feel like the School of Friendship isn’t for you.
“And please don’t feel pressured into accepting because you feel that you’ll throw our next school year off balance if you decline; we have plenty of other candidates that we can reach out to next if you’re not up to it. Just know that you should feel honored that of the thousands of candidates that have applied to be one of our first human students, you rose to the top. And my apologies if that puts added pressure on you to make you feel like you need to accept, but know that I, along with my friends and fellow teachers, would feel equally honored to have someone like you under our roof as one of our pupils.”
Mikael sat motionless as if his soul had departed his body.
“I understand that this may be a lot to take in, so I’ll give you as much time as you need to respond, but I’d like to be clear that if I don’t hear from you within the next week or so, I will have to inform the next candidate to give them as much time to prepare as well. In either case, I’d love to hear from you soon. Thank you so much for listening to me, Mikael, and congratulations.”
The video faded to black, and Sam felt comfortable enough to close the laptop shut. The small click of the screen coming down seemed to wake Mikael from his trance, causing him to jolt awake.
Sam stoically stored the laptop back into his bag before he began to carry it over to where his winter outerwear was being hung. “I can understand how much of a shock this has to be, especially given the situation. I just want you to know that your Aunt meant no harm nor disrespect to you for doing this.”
“Aunt Ingrid…” Mikael and Divvy slowly turned to her. “How much did you…”
“I only told as much as I knew,” she defended. “I only know as much as you told me. I know that you came back from Nimbasa City a much different person than when you left, but I…” Ingrid took a deep breath through her nose, trying to keep her eyes and nose from running. “Look, can we talk a bit more about this over dinner? I made your favorite!”
Mikael also took a deep inhale, though he focused more on the aromas filling the room than the emotions building up inside. Savory, umami, with clear scents of beef, mushroom, and red wine.
Bourguignon.
As mixed as his feelings were, he couldn’t help but let nostalgic joy bubble to the top as a small smile grew on his face.
Sam cut a piece of the tender beef with his fork before spearing it, letting gravity and the weight of the half that failed to hang on pull itself off, allowing him to eat the bite that he had. Sam hummed as he chewed, admiring the tenderness just as much as he loved the full-bodied flavor.
“The bourguignon is delicious, Ingrid,” he commented.
Ingrid nodded. “Thank you very much, Sam. Mikael has always loved it.” She then turned to Mikael. “You always used to beg your mother to come visit me just so I could make you my bourguignon. I always wondered whether you loved me or my bourguignon more–”
“Aunt Ingrid, please!” Mikael didn’t pick his head up. “I just want to enjoy this.”
Ingrid let out another sigh, sensing tension rise up in him. “Mikael, please listen. I know life has been much harder since your mom died, and I miss my sister just as much. I just… I just miss you, Mikael. I miss how happy you were around her; when she was around.”
“And you think that–”
“And I know that sending you to this school won’t change that she’s gone, and I would never expect whatever friends you could make there to ever replace her. Hell, from the way you talked about your friends from Nimbasa City, I hoped with all my heart that they would help bring that part of you back. But then you came back and… the only times I ever get to see you anymore are when you leave and come back from practicing or when we have dinner.”
Mikael and Sam were both silent, letting themselves absorb her words as she spilled them out.
“I figured, if I barely get to see you anyway… I’d at least help you find someplace where you could make friends and be happier again.”
“I’m happy enough,” Mikael breathed out. “Like Twilight said, it’s not like I’m ‘bad’ at friendship, right?”
“No,” Sam jumped in, “but she also did say that she saw a lot of potential in you. I can also tell that you have a strong bond with your Bron… Divvy over there. So yes, clearly you’re still perfectly capable of making and keeping friends, but having taught the students that I have already, I really think you’d really benefit from having some of them in your life.”
“Sam, thank you.” Ingrid put her hand on Sam’s arm to stop him from talking, and with a pressing of his lips, the gesture was perfectly understood. “Mikael, I understand that ultimately, this is your decision to make, and if you really feel like you don’t need to attend this school, I’ll accept that. All I ask is that you take the night to think about it. This is a big step in your life that you’re having to take all at once, so please just consider it… for me…” Ingrid nodded, struggling to keep from invoking her. “Just… do it for me. Don’t do it for Sam, or Twilight, or anyone else at that school. Do it for Aunt Ingrid.”
Mikael sat in silence, staring down at the wisps of steam billowing out from his bowl and getting weaker and thinner by the second. With a deep, deciding breath, and a scoop of beef and broth, he managed to nod before speaking.
“Yeah, I’ll think about it.” He shoveled his spoon in his mouth, his word on the matter finalized.
Ingrid nodded in acceptance before returning her attention to Sam. “Sam, you wouldn’t by chance have somewhere else to stay while you’re here, do you?”
Sam wiped his mouth as he stared at the second half of his meal that he had left to finish. “As a matter of fact, yes, I found a cozy motel downtown; you’ve already catered to me enough today, Ingrid. Dinner was delicious, and I don’t think I could impose on your hospitality any more than I already have.”
“Hmm… I suppose it’s too late to cancel your reservations now, isn’t it? No matter. Were you only staying the evening and returning home in the morning?”
“Mmhm. I figured Mikael should have time to come up with a decision before I left, but in either case, I don’t really have a ‘home’ per se during the summer. I like to take my free time between semesters exploring the Pokémon world, so if I wanted to stay in Snowport, I could, but–”
“Then, perhaps if you do stay, maybe you wouldn’t mind staying the remaining nights here?”
“That’s very kind of you, Ingrid, but I really only planned on staying the one night. Plus, I don’t want to pressure Mikael into making a decision with my being here.” After a moment of silence, Sam placed his napkin from his lap onto the table and stood up from his chair. “My apologies, Ingrid. Dinner was very good, but I simply can’t eat another bite. And now that Mikael’s caught up on everything, there’s really no other reason for me to be here, so I’ll be off shortly.”
“Hold on! Mikael, can you please go into the kitchen and get–” She stopped her request as Divvy floated into the kitchen, heading right where Mikael’s line of sight was aimed straight at.
With a telekinetic tug of the drawer, Divvy pulled out a plastic tub and lid that it carried over into Ingrid’s grasp. Sam couldn’t help but let out an audible gasp that brought Mikael and Divvy’s attention back to him.
Sam quietly cleared his throat. “Sorry, the way you and Divvy work together reminds me a lot of me and Aegislash when he was still a Honedge.”
With a snap closed of the container, Sam looked to Ingrid, who pushed the container filled with his leftovers into his hands. “And don’t worry about returning it; I have too many of them to know what to do with.”
Sam nodded as he walked over to where his clothes and bag were. “Thanks so much again.”
As Sam carefully put his leftovers into his bag, Ingrid and Mikael both got up from the table. As Ingrid walked to the door in preparation to see him out, Mikael headed toward the stairs, Divvy close behind him.
“Mikael?” Ingrid’s soft call stopped him just before he could disappear behind the first-floor ceiling. “Aren’t you going to say good night?”
“I just want to go to my room,” he breathed out. “…but I will think about it.” He and Sam then shared a respectful nod as Sam hoisted his bag onto his back. “Good night, Sam.”
“Hope to hear back soon, Mikael.” With that, Sam placed his scarf over his mouth and nose, allowing Ingrid to open the door for him and let him outside.
Once she could see that Sam was on the road, she closed the door and returned to the kitchen to gather the plates and silverware to be washed. Mikael was tempted to continue his climb upstairs, but couldn’t help but be compelled to look back downstairs. Peering past Divvy, who stayed dutifully behind him, the living room was mostly empty and quiet save for the running faucet and clatter of dishes being left to dry in the rack.
Mikael breathed through his mouth, the weight of Sam and Ingrid’s words starting to weigh on him. With a sniffle, he began to feel tears welling up behind his eyes that he knew he couldn’t let his aunt see or hear. With another hard inhale through his nose, he patted Divvy on the side to keep him still.
“Stay right here, Divvy,” he whispered, “I’ll be back in a sec.”
Passing by his Pokémon, Mikael bounded down the stairs before nearly jumping into his boots that he left by the door. He left them untied as he threw the front door open, Ingrid turning around just as her nephew’s foot slipped out behind and out into the cold.
“Mikael!” she cried out. “Mikael, where are you–”
Mikael ignored the open-air echoes that were left of Ingrid’s voice and turned down the street, immediately sighting Sam as he continued his trek to his motel. Mikael hoped his frantic running toward him would get Sam’s attention, but he seemed not to hear him.
“Sam!” He visibly slowed his gait, prompting Mikael to slow down as well, getting close enough to speak at a normal volume. “Sam…”
Sam turned back to see Mikael panting as he looked up into his eyes. “Mikael?”
“I…” With his mild exhaustion and the sting of the cold making his declaration even harder to announce, Mikael finally spat it out. “I’ve made my decision. I’ll go. I accept the invitation.”
Sam relaxed himself and grinned as he faced his entire front as a show of respect to his future student. “Are you sure? You still have the whole night–”
“Yes! Yeah, I’m doing this, I’m in! Now please let me go inside before I catch a cold.”
Sam pulled his Holo Caster from his pocket and read the time that was projected out the top. “It’s about 6 o’clock now. I have to imagine Twilight’s still up. You think you’d like to tell her yourself?”
Mikael was left silent, clearly unaware that he would be capable of that.
“That’s wonderful to hear, Mikael,” Twilight spoke from the other side of the laptop’s video call. “I promise that you won’t regret doing this.”
Behind him in the living room, Sam and Ingrid stood out of Twilight’s sight, though looking down on him proudly. Divvy stayed far enough back so as not to be a distraction, but was still easily visible on Twilight’s end.
“Yeah,” Mikael deadpanned in reply, “that’s what I’ve been told…”
Twilight giggled. “I know a student that’s also quite sarcastic. I think you two may hit it off.”
“Neat. So, is there anything I need to do or get before I leave?”
“The vast majority of your school supplies, as well as your room and board will be provided to you. You’re more than welcome to bring your own, but the most important things will obviously be whatever clothes you need and whatever personal effects and belongings you feel you need to take with you.”
“So…” Mikael made an exaggerated shrug; perhaps this wouldn’t be so terrible. “That’s it?”
“That’s it! I’ll send you more information in the coming months, but other than that, we’re done here! I’ll be sure to get you enrolled right in and you’ll be all set!”
“Great. I guess I’ll look forward to meeting you in pers– pony? Is that how we’re supposed to…?”
Twilight laughed again, but a little harder. “I also look forward to seeing you in person, Mikael. Thanks so much for reaching out to me, and welcome to the School of Friendship. Take care, Mikael. Goodbye.”
“Bye.” Mikael waved a single time before disconnecting the call. “So… in person… okay…”
Ingrid’s arms draped around Mikael as she kissed him on the top of the head. “I’m so very proud of you, Mikael. I know this will be great for you.”
“I…” Mikael leaned into one arm. “I think so too.”
Sam inched his way over to the laptop, trying not to intrude on the tender moment while also wanting to leave them alone. “Well, I guess that’s that then.”
Sam closed the laptop and put it back into his bag, surprising Ingrid. “Wait, that’s it? You’re leaving right away?”
“I mean, yeah. Mikael’s officially a student of the School of Friendship, so my business is done. Like Twilight said, we’ll give you more information in the coming weeks, but when it’s time to come take you, I’ll be the one picking you up. Sound good?”
“Y… yeah.” Mikael was a bit unsure about it, but since he was going to be his teacher… “Sounds good.”
“Great.” With his coat, scarf, and hat back on, Sam swung his bag onto his back. “Then I’ll see you in a couple of months. Take care, guys!”
“Thank you so much again, Sam!” Ingrid bid.
Sam daintily saluted her before walking out the door, closing it behind him. With him gone, Mikael stood up to face his aunt before hugging her tight, an embrace that she was more than enthusiastic about returning. Divvy nearly tackled the two down wrapping its handle arms around both of them, neither its trainer or his aunt unable to hold back their laughter over it.