Let's go back home

As they moved along the stream, Ayan couldn't help but feel the thrill of the hunt—whether for a great shot or a new discovery, there was something exciting about the unpredictability of it all. In the game world, it was different. Here he needed to be alert and make sure he was safe while the one in the game world, it was a different matter. 

Minutes later, a loud rustling near a nearby bush caught their attention. Neil was the first to react, raising a hand to signal Ayan and Elicia to stop. The rustling was followed by the sound of a sharp chirp. They crept forward slowly, taking care to stay quiet.

Then, they saw it—a Heracross was standing on its hind legs, its horns pointed upward and ready to charge. Ayan quickly raised his camera, snapping several shots in quick succession. The bug-type's distinctive blue coloration and the greenish tinge of its horns made for a striking picture.

"That's another rare one," Neil said, eyes wide with admiration. "We're on fire today."

"Don't jinx it," Ayan replied with a grin. "We still need a few more."

After a few more moments of observing the Heracross, they decided to move on, not wanting to disturb the Pokémon any more than necessary. They had their pictures, and that was what mattered. But it seemed like the words of Neil really did jinx it. 

At the end they couldn't find a rare Pokémon and out of frustration at the end, Ayan had to take a picture of Bidwoof and call it a day. Ayan really stared daggers at Neil for ruining the good luck that they had been going on. Neil could only apologize through his actions as he provided the snacks. 

That put some water on the fire that Ayan was feeling. Actually Ayan didn't have any reason to be angry. He was a bit frustrated that he wouldn't get to have his adventure in the game world and thus the frustration came out in other ways. 

"Your mom still makes the best Pukhlein." Ayan couldn't help but and even Elicia had to accept that even she hadn't tasted such great rice cake in a long time. Though she was also a bit frustrated of not seeing a good Pokémon, she wasn't that worried. 

If push came to shove, they would just take pictures of common Pokémon like Catterpie and other common bug types. They had enough fire power to get close to these Pokémon. When they arrived back at the clearing, they could hear the sounds of other students milling around, likely finishing up their own assignments. Ayan noticed a few students looking at the pictures they'd taken, trying to gauge how well they were doing compared to others.

It didn't bother Ayan at all. 

The next morning dawned soft and grey, the sun hidden behind a gauze of clouds that promised to clear later. The dormitory had been quiet through the night—save for the occasional murmur of conversation or the distant hoot of a Noctowl—but the duo had slept well, too exhausted from their day of hiking and excitement to care about anything else. Of course being a woman, Elicia was in a separate room. 

Ayan awoke before the others. He sat up in his bed, stretched, and quietly opened his notebook to go over the photos from yesterday. Heracross had turned out great—sharp, crisp, with the background blur lending a subtle cinematic flair. Bidwoof… less so. But at least it wasn't blinking.

Neil groaned awake minutes later, hair looking like it had been through a thunderstorm. "Coffee," he muttered before even acknowledging Ayan.

"No coffee," Ayan replied, tossing a bottle of mineral water his way. "But you can redeem yourself by not jinxing us again."

Neil grumbled something unintelligible, but drank anyway.

Elicia appeared shortly after, looking far too composed for someone who'd camped out in bunk beds. Her Budew was already nestled in her arms, eyes closed and humming faintly, almost like a tiny, green heater.

After a quick breakfast—courtesy of Elicia's snack stash today—they set off again. They had quite the heavy dinner yesterday night. The students wanted to have some fun the previous night but by the end, everyone was too tired to even bother. Physical exhaustion could be looked over, but students also had to be alert at all times and though there were rangers taking care of their safety, 

Their plan today was to go deeper into the forest, circling around the far end of the lake where fewer students ventured. According to a few old reports on the school's digital database, there were occasional sightings of rarer Pokémon there, likely due to the lesser foot traffic and denser vegetation.

The terrain was steeper this time, with tangled roots and narrow ridges, but that only made the search more thrilling.

And it paid off almost immediately.

A burst of motion caught Ayan's eye, and he held out an arm instinctively, stopping Neil and Elicia mid-step. Perched low on a tree branch was a Wormadam—its leafy cloak rustling slightly in the breeze. Ayan lifted the camera slowly, careful not to startle it, and managed three solid shots before it fluttered away deeper into the woods.

"Nice," Elicia murmured. "Grass Cloak variant too. I haven't seen one outside textbooks."

Minutes later, Neil spotted a Swadloon inching through the brush, its folded leaves twitching as it sensed their presence. This time, Elicia snapped the shot with surprising deftness, catching it in a half-turn, its expression oddly serene.

They continued on, stumbling upon a small colony of Durants that clacked menacingly at them from the mouth of their underground nest. Ayan didn't want to get too close—he knew better than to test bug-types with territorial instincts—but they still managed a few good zoomed-in shots.

Then came a Pinsir, half-buried in the mud as it camouflaged itself near the roots of a rotting tree. Neil almost stepped on it.

"Dude!" Ayan hissed, pulling him back. "You were about to become a plaything for the beetle!"