Hi, my name is Rachel Berry and from the moment I was old enough to receive my first starter Pokémon, I knew that I work hard to become the best Trainer in Johto. Fast forward seven years, to my second year in Trainer School and I realized that my dream would be a little harder to achieve than I originally thought. I watched on T.V. as Trainers such as Santana Lopez from Hoenn and Quinn Fabray from Kalos defeated their champions and entered the Hall of Fame, to forever be immortalized.
So I figured if I wanted to be the best then I needed to go to school with the some things are easier said than done. Welcome to the Kalos Academy and to my story.
Episode 1: Genesis
"Diantha, I don't get why we have to do all of these things to prepare," Quinn Fabray complained, staring listlessly out of the car window at the scenery rolling by. Her Glaceon sat snuggled in her lap, content with snoozing the whole car ride away.
"Quinn, you're one of the few people to become a Hall of Fame Trainer, and as such you must treat your fans well. They've propelled you to stardom and now it's time to give back," the Champion replied smoothly. "You're going back to the Academy to finish your schooling there, but in between your classes there are people who expect you to fulfill your end of the bargain."
Quinn rolled her eyes. She did not sign up for all of this. Granted, she didn't think she would ever make it through the entire Kalos gym circuit, much less challenge and defeat the Elite Four. She liked the fame at first, enjoying the long lines of fans that shouted her praises and asked for autographs.
"Are you thinking about it again?" Diantha asked softly, turning to face Quinn. "I know it's only been a couple of months since it happened, but don't you think he'd want you to go through with it? After all, you couldn't have done any of this without him."
She had been on top of the world. But the higher the pedestal, the harder the fall, Quinn figured. Less than a month after her victory over Diantha, she had her world torn apart. Dante, Quinn thought. Her faithful Charizard, the Pokémon that she'd been partnered with for years had suddenly and unexpectedly fallen ill.
He was sick for a very long time, and even the best of healers couldn't find what was wrong with him. Quinn remembered being at dinner with some of her friends when she received the phone call. The next day, she was standing in Lavender Town in the Kanto region, laying a boquet of flowers near a silver plaque.
Of course the entire region mourned with her. They saw it as the tragic tale of a champion Pokémon cut down in his prime, but for Quinn, who had raised him from a tiny Charmander, it was far more personal and heart-wrenching.
The car rolled to a stop at a fancy wrought-iron gate, and within seconds the car was surrounded by young men and women screaming their heads off and waving little signs shaped like Quinn's face. It took the gate guard and his three Mightyena to stave off the crowd long enough for the car to scoot through .
"Quinn? Quinn!" Diantha shook the blonde's shoulder and disrupted her reverie. Glaceon whined and pawed at her Trainer. "We're here."
"Oh, sorry. I guess I should get going. I still have the same room, yeah?" Quinn avoided the Champion's gaze as she gathered up her things and opened the back door. She didn't want Diantha to see the lone tear that rolled down her face.
Recalling Glaceon back into her Pokéball, Quinn snapped the ball onto her belt and walked the familiar route back to her dorm room. She climbed up the flight of stairs in front of Dorm 1 and was about to reach the top she suddenly collided with something small and sturdy. She was bounced back down the stairs, where she rolled to a stop, her muscles groaning in protest. "Ow, what the fuck?"
XXX
From the moment Rachel Berry saw Diantha crown a new Kalos Champion, she knew she had to meet the blonde Trainer. She even caught herself an Eevee, which she hoped would soon evolve into a Glaceon, like Quinn's. There was only one problem.
Rachel lived in Johto, a long distance from the far-off Kalos region. Transportation between the two was expensive to say the least, and a three day journey to boot. Rarely were planes chartered to travel that distance, as they had to make stopovers in Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova before reaching Kalos. In fact, there were only two reasons to charter a plane to Kalos.
One was to obtain a region passport and officially move there, a process wich could take years to come to fruition, and Rachel simply didn't have the time. The second was far more manageable, if harder to obatain in her case. If Rachel wanted to meet Quinn Fabray in Kalos, she had to travel with a student visa.
Rachel currently attended one of the Johto Region's best Trainer schools, and maintained high enough grades to be considered for a transfer program. She had dutifully filled out the paperwork and registered her team with the appropriate organizations and just last week had received her letter of approval from the school in Kalos.
Granted, she may have embellished her transcripts just a little bit. (Her Typhlosion hadn't beaten that many opponents) Nevertheless, the Kalos Academy for Gifted Trainers was happy to accept her as a transfer student.
Now three days later, she was walking up the road, pink rolling suitcase in one hand and town map in the other. She turned right at the next intersection and was immediately blocked by a growing crowd of fans. What is going on here? She wondered, stowing away her map and tightening her grip on her belongings. Rachel was shoved forward as the crowd grew larger and began chanting. "Quinn! Quinn! QUINN! QUINN!"
Oh how she wished she could call her Typhlosion out and get rid of all the fanboys and girls. She stood on her tiptoes to glean just the slightest glance of a black van being stopped at the gate. Her heart suddenly beat faster, and she just knew that Quinn Fabray was in that van. Rachel had to restrain herself from turning into a crazed fan, lest people catch on to her true plan.
The one thing her new school had adamantly declared upon her acceptance: No bothering their celebrity students. Quinn Fabray wasn't the only celebrity attending their school. Santana Lopez, a Hall of Famer from Kanto, Artie Abrams, an elite Pokémon Breeder and Brittany Pierce, a champion coordinator from Hoenn also attended school there. So that meant absolutely no cameras other than the ones on cell phones, no ambushing them for autographs or advice, and definitely no battles with them unless sanctioned by staff.
Rachel was driven back as the crowd suddenly dispersed, no doubt thanks to the three snarling Mightyena herding people away from the van. She watched as it crawled through a tiny opening in the front gate before the wrought-iron gate shut behind it.
"Hey, you! What are you doing here?" Officer Jenny asked, pointing at Rachel and waiting for an explanation. Her Pokémon flanked her and growled.
"Uh, hi. My n-name is Rachel Berry and I just transferred here." She reached into her backpack for the transcripts and letters she had received just in case she was questioned further.
Officer Jenny scoffed, "Yeah, right. Do you know how many boys and girls say that in order to get inside these gates?"
"No, really, I have my papers and everything!" She handed over the documents and waited patiently as Officer Jenny carefully pored over every single page, no doubt checking for even the slighest error or discrepency.
Rachel heard a sigh and was handed her papers back, before being waved through the gate with nothing more than a relucant, "Go on then. You don't want to be late for morning classes. The office is located in the largest building, they'll want to see you before you start."
Rachel's face dissolved into a huge grin, as she thanked Officer Jenny and bounced through the gate. I'm in!
The farther she walked, the more she was impressed. Johto's campus was a decent size, but was absolutely nothing compared to the Kalos Academy. It must've been three times the size of her old school, and from what she could see, it was filled with the latest state-of-the-art battling equipment and coordinating arenas.
A row of six grass-and-dirt stadiums were on her left, and she saw a few early risers out with their Pokémon, putting them through their paces and engaging in practice battles. On the other side of the main road she was on stood an outdoor arena that was not doubt home to practice contests. She saw a beautiful shiny Rapidash let loose with a dazzling Flame Charge attack, the red flames mixing with the silver of the Pokémon's natural mane.
Both areas led to a sprawling modern building that bustled with activity, even though it was only eight in the morning. She stopped in front of the glass double doors leading inside and took a deep breath.
"All right, Rachel Berry, you have gotten this far. Johto is a long way from here, and as of this moment you are in the big leagues. You better not screw this up." Rachel enjoyed giving herself pep talks, as it calmed her nerves whether she was standing in front of a large crowd before a major batle or preparing to give a speech to her fathers about the dangers of improperly grown Oran Berries.
Steeling herself, she rested her left hand on the doorknob before sighing and pushing the door open. Rachel whistled in surprise as she walked in on a magnificent scene. People and Pokémon of all shapes and sizes were busy attending to their morning tasks, and she had to stop and just experience everything. The diva walked to the center of the ground floor, where a directory had been placed for easy locating. She typed in the office number on the touch-screen and was told to head up to the third floor via the elevator, where Admissions and Transfers was located.
Rachel gathered her things and strolled over to the elevators, and was shuttled up to the third floor, where she needed to put the finishing touches on her enrollment. The third floor was even busier than the first, though she figured it was because this floor housed all of the Student Life offices as well as the Admissions people. Spotting a sign labled Admissions and Transfers, she knocked politely on the door, which was answered by a Gardevoir.
"May I help you?" a voice resounded in her mind. She took a step back before remembering that most Psychic Pokémon could communicate via telepathy, and smiled at the Pokémon.
"Yes, I think you can. I'm Rachel Berry and I'm the new transfer student." Rachel started to pull out her papers again, but the Gardevoir shook her head and ushered her inside with a small smile of her own.
"We've been expecting you, Rachel Berry. Professor Sycamore would like to meet with you before you rush off to classes. His office is just inside to your right."
The diva thanked the Gardevoir and made a beeline for Professor Sycamore's office. She paused and took a moment to spruce up her hair and get in the right mindset before approaching the professor.
He sat at his desk, too busy typing notes on his computer to notice her arrival. Rachel cleared her throat and he jumped up in surprise, his glasses nearly slipping off his nose. "Ah, Ms. Berry, I presume."
Rachel nodded and gave him her registration papers and transcript, which he took with a smile, gesturing for her to take a seat in one of the comfortable-looking chairs facing his desk. Setting her belongings on the ground next to her, she sat waiting for him to finish reading her documents, hands folded neatly in her lap.
"I see you come to us with a very impressive record from Johto, Rachel? Indeed, your grades are phenomenal, and your Pokémon seem like seasoned veterans at their craft. But I must ask, why choose to transfer here for the remainder of your schooling?"
She took a minute to think of her answer before saying sincerely, "While I love my home region very much, Professor, the Kalos Region seemed like the perfect place to get an education that's focused on things other than battling or coordinating or breeding. I wanted a balance between my career as a Trainer and my responsibilities as a young adult about to venture into a world that's not entirely dependant on the number of badges you own."
Sycamore nodded and flipped to the next page in her registration. "A well-thought out answer, Rachel, and one that I think perfectly sums up what the Kalos Academy for Gifted Trainers is all about. Rest assured that not everything at this school is Pokémon, though most of it is. Students are required to take normal classes in addition to those in their chosen field of study, along with two electives per semester."
Whew, that seems like a lot of work, she thought for a split second before dismissing the errant thought. She had been through a rigorous program before in Johto, and this one seemed no different, albeit less focused on battling. Rachel waited with bated breath while Sycamore made a few marks on her registration and opened his desk drawer to pull out a stamp. He marked the last page of the registration and pushed it back over to her, handing her a pen.
"Just sign here confirming your intention to register here, and your agreement to our rules and regulations." Rachel grinned and signed her name, adding a star to the end of 'Berry'. Pity her sheet of gold star stickers was buried amongst her clothes. "Well, Rachel Berry, welcome to the Kalos Region! Gardevoir here will direct you to Student Affairs, where you'll get your locker assignment, dorm assignment and class schedule. We'll give you until lunch to find everything and get settled in your room."
"Thank you, Professor Sycamore," Rachel bowed slightly and followed the Gardevoir out. She was directed to go down the hall, and take the next right, where Student Affairs was located.
This section of the floor looked a lot less stiff and formal then the rest of the building, covered in announcement boards, Trainer Tips and Pokémon stat sheets. She made her way to the front desk there and was greeted by a bubbly blonde, who was rolling back and forth across her office space on the wheeled chair. Rachel's eyes widened. The girl looked awfully familiar…
"Hi, you must be Rachel. I'm Brittany Pierce, the Student Director of Student Affairs…or something like that!" The champion coordinator offered her hand, which Rachel took happily. Brittany turned her gaze back to the computer and typed a few things into the system before handing Rachel a small binder. "I'm supposed to give you this. It's a copy of all of the dorm rules and regulations, just to make sure you understand. Your locker number, default combination and schedule are already in one of the front pockets."
Rachel took the binder and flipped it open, taking a moment to memorize her locker combination. Having an eidetic memory came in handy sometimes. Brittany dug into her jean pocket and dug out a small gold key, which she used to unlock one of the file cabinets next to her desk. "This is your I.D. card, make sure you have it with you at all times, otherwise you won't be able to buy lunch or attend any events. Trust me, I've lost mine so many times that I was told to just keep it around my neck."
"I'll keep it safe," Rachel assured her, inserting the I.D. into her pink faux leather wallet. "Is there anything else? I kind of wanna explore a bit before lunch starts."
"Just one more thing." Using her feet to propel her chair across the room, Brittany unlocked a drawer to her right. "Your room assignment and key. Might wanna dump your things off in your room before heading to class."
"Oh, thanks, I completely forgot about that." She glanced at the inscription that had been lasered into her dorm key and noticed that she would be living in Dorm 1. "I guess I'll see you around soon, then. It was nice to meet you Brittany."
"You too, Rach!" Brittany waved to her as she turned around to leave. She seems really nice, Rachel thought. She was a champion coordinator after all. Pocketing her key and consulting her Town Map again, which had been updated to show a map of the Academy grounds, she took the elevator back down to the ground floor, and walking outside. Her next destination was Dorm 1.
According to her map, there were three different dorms at the Academy. All three were co-ed, though separated by floor so as to discourage fraternization. Dorm 1 seemed to be the primary dorm for those Trainers interested in competitive battling. 2 belonged to the Coordinators, and though Rachel couldn't see much through the tinted glass, it seemed to be very vibrant and full of creative energy. The last dorm was home to the breeders, and those focused on either the breeder track or the healer track.
She was so focused on gleaning every last detail her map had to give her that she only had a split second to react before a figure crashed into her, sending her falling forwards and the other unfortunate soul backwards down the stairs. "That hurt…"
Turning around to apologize to whoever had collided with her, Rachel's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Lying sprawled at the bottom of the stairs and looking positively murderous was a beautiful blonde Trainer. "Quinn Fabray," Rachel whispered in awe.
"Ow, what the fuck?"
XXX
Quinn levered herself into an upright position and scrambled around to collect her clothes, which had fallen out of her rolling suitcase during the tumble. "Man, that hurt."
"I am so, so sorry," a light female voice apologized, dashing down the stairs two at a time to assist the blonde. "I didn't think anyone was behind me."
Quinn finally turned around to face the other girl and had to stifle a snort. The girl she had run into was quite diminutive, at least a head shorter than the blonde, and was dressed in a garish pink animal sweater and back skinny jeans.
"You do realize there's a uniform here, right?" she couldn't stop herself from asking the brunette. "Which means that has to go?"
The tiny brunette shrugged off the veiled insult and shot Quinn a dazzling smile. "I've just transferred here and was just exploring the place. My name's Rachel Berry."
Rachel held out her hand to help Quinn up and she took it warily. "Quinn Fabray. Look, just a friendly piece of advice to you, Berry. This school takes its rules and regulations seriously. I'd suggest you get out of that clown costume and into your uniform before you get in trouble."
She placed a pair of sneakers in her suitcase and snapped the clasps shut before brushing past the brunette and walking back up the stairs and into Dorm 1. Fumbling with her keys, she found the correct ones and pushed open the door to her room.
Quinn allowed herself to breathe as she took in the familiar sight of her room. All of the dorms here were exquisite in design and very spacious. Though each room was designed for two students, Quinn had used her status as a Hall of Famer to procure one just for herself. She claimed the bottom area for herself, leaving the upper loft untouched. A tight spiral staircase led up to the platform where a roommate was to stay, complete with second set of drawers and a bedside table.
To the left of her bed was a compact machine that was permanently hooked up to a power source. That little machine was what the Kalos Academy was famous for. With a student body nearing 500, each room was equipped with a pair of overnight healing machines. Students were to take their teams of Pokémon and place them in the machine, which would completely heal their Pokémon over the course of the night.
Turning on the machine, Quinn deposited her team into the machine to give them a bit of a power nap. Tears came unbidden to her eyes as she closed the machine, and looked at the five Pokéballs through the glass.
Classes didn't start till after lunch for her, so she stowed her suitcase under her bed, and collapsed on the soft matress, sighing heavily. She set her alarm for an hour and drifted off to sleep, already exhausted.
XXX
Oh my god, I ran into Quinn Fabray! Rachel tried not to panic as the blonde brushed past her and into Dorm 1. Most people would never get to meet the blonde trainer, let alone talk to her, and Rachel felt honored.
Well, mostly honored. Quinn Fabray did shoot her what sounded a lot like an insult, but even as the words fell out of her mouth, Rachel could tell that Quinn wasn't all that serious. She glanced at her watch and gasped. It was already almost noon! She still had to rush to her locker to change clothes and dash over to the dining hall to grab lunch before afternoon classes started.
Rachel got directions to the locker rooms from a pair of breeders walking to lunch and ran there as fast as she could. Upon opening her locker, she discovered that the uniform she was required to wear didn't look all that bad. Rachel pulled off her sweater and stuffed it in her locker, putting on a white button-up shirt and black blazer. The diva looked around to make sure no one was watching and took off her jeans to replace it with a short skirt, also in black. Wrapped around the hanger that everything came on was a red tie with a black pin, a sticky note stuck to the end.
This is your tie, and it represents the major track you have chosen. Red ties belong to the competitive battlers here, Blue to the coordinators and Green to the breeders. Within each dorm, there are floors, represented by the pin that is attached to the tie. The first floor of each dorm has a black pin, the second purple, and the third white. Throughout the academic year there are a variety of events that pit dorm against dorm or floor against floor in a show of friendly competition. I have no doubt that after a few days here, you will learn from the other students about these competitions.
All the best,
Professor Sycamore
Rachel put on her tie and smoothed it out, straightening all the creases in the brand-new material. Taking a look at herself in the mirror, she smiled. Not bad for a uniform. It showed off her legs in all the right places, and still had enough class to satisfy her.
By the time she had finished getting dressed, lunch had passed and classes were starting in twenty minutes. Rachel slammed her locker door shut and grabbed her backpack, hoping that she wouldn't be late to her very first class at the Academy.
Now where am I supposed to go? I need classrom 104…oh, here it is. Luckily she still had about fifteen minutes to spare before the teacher got there, so she walked in and was immediately struck with a whiteboard marker.
"Nice shot, Karofsky," a burly guy whooped, giving a high-five to the teenage boy next to him. "I'd give that twenty points. Ten for a headshot and ten because she's the new transfer student."
Rachel rubbed her forehead, and shot a withering glare at the boy, who ignored it completely. "Hey, don't worry about them, dude. David Karofsky and the rest of his Bully Brigade are just a bunch of assholes with twenty brain cells between them," a mohawked boy said.
"I figured," Rachel eyed the two boys who were now having a belching contest. She scowled and took the empty seat next to the handsome mohawked boy. "I'm Rachel. Rachel Berry."
"Noah Puckerman, but everybody calls me Puck if they know what's good for them." Puck winked at her and flexed his arms, showing off well-built muscles.
"Nice to meet you, Noah," Rachel giggled, daring him to respond. Puck merely looked menacingly at her for a split second before sighing and running a hand through his hair.
"Fine, but only you can call me that." Puck returned her smile and looked at her tie. "Also a battler, huh? I am too, but I lost my tie and can't get a new one until next week."
Rachel fingered absently at her tie, "I thought everyone had to wear theirs at all times?" The last thing she wanted to do was stick out like a sore thumb on her first day. For once, she was content with being the new student no one really talked to.
Puck nodded but added in a conspiratorial whisper, "Yeah, but when you're the son of a famous Trainer, not many people care what you do. My dad is Bruno, one of the Elite Four over in Kanto. He sent me over here to finish my schooling and take his place one day."
The diva was awestruck. It was only her first day here and she had already met a Hall of Famer, a Champion Coordinator and the son of an Elite Four member! "That sounds fun," she said.
"If you dig sitting around a lot waiting for challengers to appear," Puck said. "Truth be told it's not really my thing, but I still have a few years before deciding. Might as well live them up while I have them."
"Come on Puckerman," David Karofsky called across the room. "How would your father take the news if he heard you didn't want to be an Elite Four member like himself?"
"You better not tell him, shit-for-brains!" Puck shouted back, and made to walk over to the bully to show him just how good he was when he felt a warm hand on his arm. Rachel shook her head, and Puck calmed down.
"Aw, the fierce Puckerman already has a girl to keep him in line," Karofsky sneered and his goonies laughed. "Which reminds me, short stack, have you completed the Academy Initiation challenge yet?"
Puck's eyes widened and he lunged at the other boy, who jerked back just in time to avoid being hit. "Don't you dare think of asking her to do what I know you're about to ask!"
"What is it Karofsky?" Rachel replied coolly, standing up and walking over to the him. She was not about to let her newfound friend risk detention for starting a fight. "I'll do it."
The other boy sneered, "Every new person has to break into the kennels by the security office and grab one of the Mightyena's tennis balls. Bring the ball back here and then we'll see what you're made of. You have ten minutes."
Rachel nodded and turned away from Karofsky, giving a thumbs-up to Puck, who looked deeply concerned and walking out the door. The security office was only a hundred feet from the building she was currently in, so she ran outside to complete the dare. Nine minutes.
She stood outside the door to the security offices, weighing the pros and cons of what she was about to do. Mightyena were terribly territorial on a good day, which is why they made such good guard Pokémon. In fact, a large Beware of Guard Pokémon sign hung where even the stupidest person in the world could see the warning. Seven minutes.
Inhaling deeply, Rachel took a step back and then ran full-tilt towards the locked gate, vaulting over the fencing. She landed on the other side with a thump, and swore under her breath. The fence was higher than she had thought. Six minutes.
A low growl made Rachel's hair stand on end, as the biggest Mightyena she had ever seen woke up, and started padding towards her. She closed her eyes and prepared to be attacked. Five minutes.
But the large wolf Pokémon didn't attack her. Instead, it merely wagged its tail and gave a happy bark. The Mightyena gently licked Rachel's cheek and pushed its huge furry head under her chin, begging for attention. Four minutes.
"What? Why aren't you…? Never mind. Listen Mightyena, I have a favor to ask of you. If I can borrow one of your toys for the day, I promise I'll come back tonight to play with you. Please? I need to prove myself here and this was the only way." Three minutes.
The Mightyena whined, then turned tail to walk back into its kennel, returning seconds later with a ragged saliva-covered tennis ball. Rachel let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding and thanked her new friend before climbing back up the fence and coming back the way she had come. Two minutes.
She raced up to her classroom, tennis ball in hand, and burst through the door just as time ran out. Everyone's eyes turned to her as she triumphantly held out the toy so everyone could see. "Next time try something a little harder," she called to Karofsky, throwing the spit-soaked ball at the boy and hitting him right in the face.
Puck looked seriously impressed, as he bowed his head in recognition of her deed. "I think you and I are going to get along very well, Rachel."
XXX
"So here's how things basically work around here," Puck said, carrying Rachel's luggage for her as they made their way back to the dorms after class. "Each dorm is home to the students who are studying a major track. Red are the Battlers, Blue are the Coordinators, and Green are the Breeders."
"I figured as much," Rachel replied, "You know I can carry my own bags." But Puck waved her off with a smile.
"Here's what they didn't tell you. There's a competition coming up a few days, and that's when things really get nasty here. Dorm 1, which is the one we live in, has Groudon as its mascot. We're experts at the Pokémon side of things here, including battling. The Coordinators, also known as Team Kyogre, take pride in their creative energy, and that gives them a real advantage in things that aren't strictly Pokémon related."
Rachel pulled out a notebook from her backpack and began writing down everything Puck said. "And third?"
Puck frowned, "Third are the breeders, Team Rayquaza. No one ever really expects much from them, but they're really clever and sneaky. Last year, they almost won the competition because they cheated. But we figured it out and got them disqualified."
"Sounds like they have a score to settle with you guys then," Rachel jotted that down in her notebook and Puck wondered if this was what the short brunette was like all the time.
"Damn straight," Puck puffed out his chest as the two of them approached Dorm 1. "Well, here we are. Need me to walk you to your room?"
Rachel shook her head, "No, but thank you Noah. I didn't think I'd make a friend here at the Academy so soon." Gathering her things, walked inside and found her room after asking around. She pushed open the door and gasped.
Someone had already moved their things in, but even so, the room was beautiful and so spacious. One of the desks in the study area was already filled with pencils, pens and other supplies, so Rachel dumped her things on the other desk. She took a moment to wander around her new room, and tried to get a feel for what her new roommate would be like. "She likes photography," she said out loud, peering at a large photo of a Charizard in flight.
Rachel spotted photos of a Zebstrika, a Glaceon and a beautiful picture of the Academy at sunset, and decided that she liked her roommate at first glance. She bustled into the bathroom that she would share with her roommate and placed her things on the shelf next to the other girl's. "Mmm, nice shampoo," she murmured, gazing at the row of beauty products. There was a fair bit of variety in her roommate's things, but Rachel noticed that she didn't overdo it with the makeup and hair products.
"I think we'll get along well," Rachel decided, climbing the spiral staircase to the second floor and unpacking the rest of her things.
XXX
Quinn was on her way back to her room that evening when her cell phone vibrated and she reluctantly answered it after looking at the caller I.D. Diantha.
"Hello?"
"Quinn, where are you? We were supposed to meet an hour ago about your photoshoot. Did you forget that it's happening tomorrow?"
Quinn winced; of course she remembered. How could she forget? "Yeah, I remember, time just got away from me, I guess."
She heard an irritated sigh coming from the Kalos Champion. "Well, you do have a full team ready for tomorrow, right?" Quinn didn't answer. After what happened to Dante, she just couldn't bring herself to replace her beloved team member. Her belt still only held five Pokémon after all this time. "Quinn? Quinn? Are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here. Look, I'll see you at the shoot tomorrow, Diantha." She pressed the 'end call' button before her mentor could respond and shoved the phone back in her pocker. However, Quinn only got a few minutes reprieve before her pocket began buzzing.
"What?" she snapped, instantly regretting it.
Russell Fabray scolded her on the other line and she quickly apologized, citing a long day as her excuse for her behavior. "I'll forgive this bad attitude of yours only because you've had a very long day. Quinnie, we need to talk about tomorrow."
"Oh, so now all of a sudden you care about me? It only took you what, seventeen years and a famous daughter to realize that you were a father?" Quinn spat, not caring anymore if people were watching her.
"Don't you dare speak to me in that tone, young lady," Russell said calmly. "I only called to tell you that I'm flying out tonight so I can be there at your shoot tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to finish making my travel arrangements. Don't disappoint me, Lucy Quinn Fabray." He abruptly hung up, leaving a stunned Quinn in his wake.
How dare he speak to me like that? Quinn thought, scanning her I.D. card in front of her dormitory. She waited until the little light flashed green before tugging open the door and making a beeline for her room. Her head hurt now, and she needed to think.
Jostling the door, she realized that it was locked. "Huh, I could've sworn that I left this unlocked when I went to dinner earlier." Brushing aside her thoughts, she unlocked the door with her key, and collided with someone for the second time today.
XXX
Rachel knew who had run into her a split second after she was sent falling to the floor. She was hoping to see Quinn again today, but she didn't think that out of all the students at the Academy, she would've gotten Quinn as a roommate. "Quinn? You're my roommate?"
The blonde Champion's eyes narrowed and her cheeks colored. "What the hell are you doing in my room, Berry?" she yelled.
"Your room? I live here too, you know," Rachel stomped her foot and looked Quinn right in the eyes.
"Not anymore," Quinn fumed, walking up to the loft and tossing Rachel's suitcase over the railing. It landed with a thump and was soon followed by a rain of clothes as the irate blonde tossed everything that wasn't hers over the side. "Get out. I don't have a roommate."
"But I—"
"Get OUT!" the blonde screamed, and scared for her safety, Rachel picked up her things and slowly backed out of the room, hearing the door slam shut behind her, the lock clicking into place. People were staring at her now, so with the remainder of her dignity, she turned on her heels and ran.
It was a very chilly night, and without a place to stay, Rachel didn't know what to do. The kennels, Rachel thought suddenly, as she blindly ran across campus, tears obscuring her vision Reaching the Mightyena kennels, Rachel tossed her belongings over the fence and climbed over, immediately getting assaulted by the Mightyena she had met earlier along with three of its friends.
She sniffled, and the wolf Pokémon cautiously took a step forward to lick the tears off of the diva's face. "I'm sorry Mightyena, but I didn't know where else to go. I brought your ball back like I promised."
The temperature dropped even further and Rachel shivered. Her friend yipped softly and tugged on her jacket with sharp teeth, leading her to its doghouse. "Where will you stay then?" she said.
Mightyena nudged her towards its house, and she climbed in. It was a lot smaller than her room, and covered in Pokémon fur, but it was still warmer inside then it was outside. The giant wolf Pokémon follwed her in and curled up next to her, wrapping its body around her own and heaving a sign. "Thank you, Mightyena," Rachel croaked, snuggling deeper into the Pokémon's fur.
She had almost fallen asleep when a sharp growl woke her up. Mightyena stirred and much to her dismay, got up to investigate a strange sound. Rachel recognized the sound of a lock being picked, and hoped that it wasn't Quinn. She breathed a sigh of relief however when she saw the intruder had jet-black hair, not blonde.
"Who's there?" she called, and the figure jumped in surprise, cursing in Spanish.
"Holy shit! Warn a girl next time, fuck!" a Latina girl knelt in front of the doghouse to peer inside. "Hey, aren't you the transfer student? Rachel something-or-other."
"Berry. R-r-rachel Berry. You're Santana Lopez, aren't you?" Rachel stammered, the cold sending a chill down her spine.
Santana nodded, her eyebrows knitting with concern. "Berry, it's freezing out here. Why aren't you in your room? Did you lose your I.D.?"
"No, Quinn Fabray kicked me out of our room," Rachel admitted, blowing into her cupped hands to try and keep them warm.
"Huh. So you're the person I heard Blondie screaming about earlier." Santana slipped off her own jacket and handed it to Rachel and coaxing her out of the doghouse. "Come on, let's get you inside before you get sick. I'll have a serious talk with Fabray and make sure you have a place to stay."
Rachel nodded and crawled out on her hands and knees, teeth chattering. Santana quickly wrapped an arm around the diva's waist to share some body heat with her, and picked up her things, leading her back towards Dorm 1.
XXX
"Forget it, there's no way in hell I'm sharing a room with the dwarf!" Quinn seethed, her hand going insinctively to her belt, wishing that she could call out her Glaceon and settle things with a battle. But her Pokémon were already in their overnight healer, and she didn't want to disturb them.
Rachel paled at the sight of the angry blonde and slowly backed away, clutching her bags. True, she may have idolized the Hall of Famer , but if this was what she was like in real life, she'd rather share a room with an angry Granbull. Santana Lopez kept a tight grip on the diva though, and stopped her from running away.
"Quinn, you have no right to kick out your roommate, especially when it's like fifteen degrees outside!" Santana responded angrily. "She could have gotten hypothermia out there!"
Quinn shot a dangerous glance at Rachel, who bowed her head, whispering, "I didn't tattletale, I swear."
"Deal with it, Q. You can't just go around kicking people out of their rooms for no reason," Santana shot back, grabbing one of Rachel's suitcases and tossing it up on the second floor of the dorm. It landed on the bed with a satisfying thump. "She stays. End of discussion."
Growling under her breath, Quinn gave Rachel a withering glance and retreated back to her bed. "You better not keep me up at night, Manhands."
Santana stayed in the room until Rachel had taken a hot shower and gotten into her pajamas, leaving only when the brunette assured her that she would be okay. The Latina left reluctantly, flipping Quinn off as she left.
Despite her growing distaste for the girl, Rachel couldn't help but smile as she climbed up the tight spiral staircase to the second bedroom. It was only her first day here, and she had already made a few friends. Granted, she had also made an enemy of Quinn Fabray, but she couldn't win them all. Placing her Pokéballs lovingly in their overnight holders, she unpacked her things as quietly as she could, still trying to warm up. That was a bracing first day, she thought, curling up into a ball with her stuffed Suicune. I can't imagine what tomorrow will bring!
XXX
"Are you okay, your lips look a little blue," Puck asked the next morning as he and Rachel walked to Battlefield 1 for their class.
"I'm fine, Noah," Rachel replied, assuring him that the slight blue tint to her lips was from the grape juice she had drunk this morning with breakfast. "I heard we were going to be tag battling today, do you want to be my partner?"
Puck nodded and produced his team with a flourish. "I've got a Haxorus, Beartic, Machamp, Luxray, Nidoking and Marowak. Who do you have?"
Rachel said nothing, but sent out three of her Pokémon. Puck's jaw dropped. Rachel had none of the Pokémon he expected her to have. Standing behind her and sending a rather menacing aura towards him were a Tyranitar, Typhlosion and Garchomp. "Damn, Berry, who knew you were such a badass," he whistled.
"I'm a good battler Puck, not a 'badass'," she reprimanded him, sending out the rest of her team. Her other Pokémon looked much friendlier. A gorgeous Sylveon hopped into Rachel's arms while a Togekiss flew up to sit on the Tyranitar's head. Rachel's last Pokémon was a tiny Growlithe, obviously the baby of the team. "I can battle with any of them except te Growlithe. I'm still training him."
"How's about I go with my Marowak for this battle and you go with T-Tar? Yours has the Sand Stream ability, right?" Rachel nodded and returned the rest of her team.
"Good idea, Puck, your Marowak is immune to Sandstorm damage and probably has Lightningrod, right?" It was the mohawked teenager's turn to nod, impressed once again by the knowledge of his new friend. "It's settled then."
Puck volunteered the two of them to go first, against a boy named Finn Hudson and a girl named Tina Cohen-Chang. "Tina likes scary Pokémon," Puck whispered as the teacher drew boundary lines on the battlefield and explained the rules. "Finn just has a grab bag of Pokémon, so I can't tell you much about them, but together they're a pretty dangerous pair."
"Go! Crobat!" Tina called, sending out a purple Pokémon with four wings and a permanent scowl on its face.
"Tyrantrum, you're up!" Finn followed his partner's lead. The giant dinosaur Pokémon growled loudly and waved its disproportionately small arms.
"It's now or never, Rach," Puck said, sending out his Marowak. He looked back at Rachel and she smiled.
"Let's do this, Tyranitar!"
XXX
"Quinn, you're late," Diantha snapped as her charge walked into the gymnasium, looking worn out and angry. "Do you have your team?" Santana, Brittany and Artie were already up there, having finished their portion of the promotional shoot. Russell Fabray sat in the bleachers watching his daughter intently.
Quinn didn't respond, and shuffled past her mentor, changing her expression to one of happy interest in a heartbeat. She flounced in front of the cameras next to Santana and gave the Latina a tight hug, smiling widely at the camera. The raven-haired girl was still angry at her, but in front of the cameras, and basically the entire region, they had to play up their relationship as best friends.
Everything was going well until the director called for everyone's Pokémon to come out and join in. Santana, Artie and Brittany called out their respective teams and showed them off to the cameras while Quinn stood off to the side, dreading what was about to come next. She couldn't go on, not without him.
"Quinn! It is your turn," the director said, beckoning her close with a wave of his hand. But instead of listening to him, Quinn gave Diantha an apologetic look and fled the room.
I can't face the whole world again, not without Dante by my side.
XXX
"We're doing it, Rachel, we're winning," Puck cheered as his Marowak cleanly dodged Crobat's Air Cutter. Their strategy was working very well so far. Tyranitar's Sand Stream activated and while Crobat was the only one hindered by the blowing sand, it gave their side a huge advantage.
On the other side of the field, Finn Hudson was getting more and more frustrated. Every time his Tyrantrum would try and take out the Marowak with an Ice Fang, Rachel's Tyranitar drove it back with a well-placed Brick Break. Puck and the new girl were working together with a tight synchronicity, stalling both him and Tina and slowly wearing their Pokémon out.
"Finn, don't you dare do what I think you're about to do," Tina warned her friend. They had been partners long enough to know that when Finn got mad, other people paid for it. "Hudson! Snap out of it!"
But Finn didn't listen. "Tyrantrum, finish them off with Thrash!"
Everything slowed down as the Tyrantrum looked once at its Trainer and nodded, it's eyes turning bright red and zeroing in on Rachel's Pokémon. Puck's eyes widened and he ordered his Marowak to rush to Tyranitar and use Protect. Bad things happened whenever Finn got upset.
Marowak was faster than the rampaging Pokémon and jumped in front of the attack, tossing the bone it carried on the field and holding out its hands to summon the protective shield. It sprang into existence just as the Tyrantrum hit, repelling the hit but throwing the enraged Pokémon to the left and towards Rachel and Puck.
Puck dived out of the way, dragging Rachel by the arm, but he was a split second too late. He managed to save Rachel from getting hit by a six-hundred pound dinosaur, but the Tyrantrum's tail came up at the end and smacked Rachel in the side, sending the diva flying backwards a dozen feet, where she lay motionless.
"Rachel!"
XXX
Well, that's it for now. I'm rather digging the idea for a boarding-school Glee/Pokémon AU, since I started rewatching high-school dramas and comedies. Episode 2 is already in the works, and don't fret, my Faberry friends, there will be some more scenes between the two next time. Til then- Drachesoul