"Welcome, graduates!" Headmaster Aspen smiled as he spoke into the microphone, and the class erupted in cheers and applause, the sound echoing up into the bleachers of the training arena.
"I know you have all been studying, training, and working hard for the last 8 years in preparation for this day. And even though I know you are all well versed in the elements of each noble team, and the sacrifices and demands that lay before you, what kind of Headmaster would I be if I didn't bore you one final time?" he smiled as the crowd laughed. He cleared his throat, and looked down at the speech in his hand, adjusting his glasses on his nose.
"This Academy was founded nearly a century ago, in the shadow of Mount Ternion, with the intention of grooming the very best trainers and instructors. Like the terrain, the Academy would test even the best trainers. It would pit them against new challenges, the likes of which could never be anticipated. However, soon after its inception, the founding members quickly realized that the path to success is not always the same for every person. Much like the three-sided mountain, the Academy needed different routes to reach the peak. For some, their bravery and strength would carry them to the top,"
A large group of students whooped and whistled. Headmaster Aspen nodded and waved.
"Others would find perfection through careful study and application of knowledge." More boisterous cheers.
"And still others would discover their path simply by relying on what they felt in their heart to be right," the cheers for this statement came from a much smaller group, but no less enthusiastic.
"But none of these qualities can exist without the other. When you are uncertain and don't know what to do, you must be valiant. When you feel overpowered and mystified, you must be confident in your training. And when all else fails, you must persevere, and trust in your instincts. And so arises the fourth and final path. One that provides balance between all others. The path of Harmony. This path is very different, as it does not seek victory or glory through battle. Rather, this path is dedicated to others. To helping those who need guidance. The path that will lead you to becoming a Professor. Or possibly… a Headmaster?" he smiled gleefully, before continuing with renewed gusto. "You must choose now, my faithful students…" Headmaster Aspen paused as the murmur of excitement grew among the crowd.
"Valor! Mystic! Instinct! Harmony!" he yelled, and the cheers were deafening. "These are the four pillars of our great house! The time has come to draw your line in the sand! And so it is my honor, my privilege, to introduce you to your Summa Cum Laude, Blanche, Magna Cum Laude, Candela, and Cum Laude, Spark!" The professor motioned to his left, where the three young adults climbed the stairs to the stage and beamed down at the rest of their class. Candela shook the Headmaster's hand, before Blanche followed suit with a hug. Spark smiled wide and offered a high five, which the Headmaster laughingly accepted. The three turned and waved to their class, then glanced at each other. Candela smiled at Blanche, taking her best friend's hand. She felt a wave of pride, as she stood beside her two best friends of the last eight years. She squeezed Blanche's hand, as her memories were pulled back to the first time she met Blanche, when they were only 12 years old…
Candela walked along with her large group of friends, joking and laughing. The boys teased the girls, and the girls made idle threats of battle. Candela smiled, and glanced over the lawn, where her eyes fell on a little girl sitting with a boy. The girl had silver hair, and her clothes hung off her fragile frame. She sat surrounded by a pile of books, an Eevee sleeping on her lap, and a Dratini draped over her shoulders. The girl giggled, as the Dratini spit tiny jets of water at the blonde boy sitting next to her. The boy laughed, as his Jolteon kept jumping in the air, trying to catch the streams before they hit its master. The boy gradually became drenched with water, and went to poke his Jolteon on the nose. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Spark," the girl said, leaning cautiously away from the Jolteon. "Water conducts…" but her words were cut off as the boy booped his Jolteon on the nose, causing a loud Zap! as tiny yellow bolts crawled up the boy's arm, before stopping at his hair, which was now marvelously tousled with electricity. The girl laughed heartily, and pulled Jolteon over to her. She started scratching its back, and slowly sparks began circling her fingertips. Her long silver hair began to rise, until it was standing on end, as if she had rubbed a balloon all over it. They both laughed as Jolteon yipped with happiness.
Candela felt a wave of jealousy. She had never just sat with her Pokemon and played. She had always assumed it was a waste of time when she could be training them and making them stronger. And yet… the pure joy on those kids faces, shared equally by the Dratini and Jolteon…
Her attention was yanked away by one of the boys in her group, named Jay. He draped his arm around her shoulders, and chuckled condescendingly. "Check out these nerds!" he said, loudly, and the blonde boy looked up, his smile fading quickly. The silver haired girl obviously heard what Jay had said, but turned her gaze to a book, burying herself in it and pretending not to notice. Candela smiled at Jay, but it was not genuine. She felt bad for the kids, but she couldn't let Jay know that. This group had finally accepted her as a member of their clique. She didn't want to be alone…
"Still babying that Eevee, eh Bland?" Jay chided, approaching the silver haired girl, who huddled the Eevee in her lap closer to her. The Pokemon blinked away the sleep from its eyes and looked up nervously at Jay. "Even Lightsocket here has a Jolteon!" Jay said, motioning to the blonde boy, who instantly piped in.
"My name is Spark!" he snapped, pulling his Jolteon to his side. "And his name is Spaz!" Spark said, beaming proudly down at his Jolteon, which barked in response. Jay looked back at all his friends, laughing loudly. "Spaz?!" he joked, and the blonde boy's shoulders sank dejectedly. "Well you know what they say? Like Pokemon, Like Trainer!" Jay said, and the group laughed, some slapping their thighs and pointing at the boy.
"Ignore them, Spark, they're just bullies," the silver haired girl said, flipping a page in her book. Jay straightened, then reached down, grabbing the girl's Eevee by the scruff of its neck and yanking it away from her. Candela almost punched him, but found herself frozen with fear. This is wrong…
The silver haired girl jumped up, calling her Dratini back to its Pokeball and diverting her attention to Jay.
"Give me my Eevee!" she yelled.
"Why don't you evolve it already?!"
"Because I want to train it to be the best Eevee possible before evolving it, that will yield a stronger Pokemon. Now give it back!"
"That's dumb. A more evolved Pokemon will be stronger, why waste your time on its unevolved form?"
The girl sighed and crossed her arms. "I don't have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand anyway. I know what I'm talking about. My Eevee can beat any one of your Pokemon. Don't believe me? I'll prove it." The girl said, and a resounding "ohhhhh" erupted from the group behind Jay. Candela couldn't help but smile. This kid had gall.
Jay blinked. His mouth hung open, before he handed the Eevee back to he girl. "You're gonna regret this, Blanche," he said, before pulling a Pokeball from his pocket.
"Weepinbell! Go!" he said, tossing his Pokeball and revealing the mid-level Pokemon. Blanche stepped back into a fighting stance, as her Eevee jumped from her grasp and hunched on the ground, ready for battle. Candela backed away, to give them room to battle, and glanced around for a Professor. Free Battle was forbidden. Of course, no Professors were around…
"Weepinbell, body slam!" Jay instructed, and the Pokemon, which was much larger than Eevee, threw its body forward.
"Eevee! Maneuver around it!" Blanche yelled, and the Eevee lithely avoided Jay's Weepinbell. It landed behind the grass type, as Blanche barked more orders. "Eevee, use scratch!"
Eevee furiously scratched at Weepinbell's back with its claws, and the Weepinbell howled in pain. Jay scoffed in disbelief, as Candela watched, fascinated. That Eevee was certainly well trained.
"A little scratch won't hurt it," Jay said confidently, though he watched the battle carefully. "Weepinbell, use your vine whip!"
Vines emerged from Weepinbell, and it struck Eevee, pushing it away. "Good Weepinbell, now use wrap!" Weepinbell's vines wrapped around Eevee, lifting it up off the ground and tightening its grip. Eevee squealed in discomfort, and Blanche winced. "Eevee, use bite! Bite those vines!" she yelled, and Eevee began gnawing on the vines, but to no avail. Her teeth were too small to leave any damage. Weepinbell continued to tighten its grip, until Eevee's tail began whipping back and forth as it cried.
"That's enough!" Blanche yelled. "I give up!" Jay laughed, but didn't give his Weepinbell a command. He just let it continue constricting Eevee. Blanche's face changed to one of concern as she realized what was happening. "Jay, stop! I said I give up! Make Weepinbell stop! You're hurting my Eevee!" she begged, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Jay laughed in return. Candela finally found her voice.
"That's enough Jay!" she yelled, and everyone, including Blanche and her friend, turned toward her in shock. "Eevee's had enough. Her trainer surrenders. This is cruel," Candela said, and Jay stared at her, before scoffing and waving her off.
"Well maybe she shouldn't have picked a fight with a Valor,"
"You're not a Valor yet, Jay. You won't be until graduation day when you select a team. And what you're doing isn't in the spirit of Team Valor. We are the strong, which means we stand up for the weak, not push them down farther. Now I'm not gonna ask you again. Release. The Eevee." Candela forced as much malice into those last words as she could, so he knew it wasn't a threat, it was a promise.
"I knew you couldn't roll with us, Candela. You're just another nerd," Jay said, and Candela whipped a Pokeball from her pocket.
"Fine. You leave me no choice. Flareon! I choose you!" she yelled, and her enormous Flareon emerged, already growling. Jay stepped back in a moment of fear.
"Flareon! Ember attack, but don't hit Eevee!" Flareon's mouth glowed as it swirled a fireball between its teeth, before spitting the flames right between Weepinbell's eyes. Weepinbell fell, instantly knocked out. The vines loosened around Eevee as Jay called Weepinbell back to its Pokeball.
He stared down at his Pokeball in disbelief, before turning his gaze on Candela angrily. "Fine! Blanche wasn't even a worthy foe! But you? This should be fun. Graveller, Go!" he yelled, and his massive rock type emerged, flexing its arms in front of Flareon. Flareon pawed at the ground, ready to fight.
"Now Eevee isn't in danger, Flareon doesn't have to hold back," Candela said, winking at Blanche. Blanche seemed entirely shocked that someone was standing up for her.
"Flareon, Fire Blast!" Candela yelled, and Flareon released an explosion of flames from her mouth. Normally fire type attacks would not be effective against rock, but Flareon's attack was so powerful that Graveller started to glow and smolder from the heat. Jay's mouth hung open.
"Graveller! Dig!" he yelled, and his Graveller pounded its fists into the ground, burying its body beneath the earth. Flareon became upset that she could no longer attack, and started spitting little embers toward the ground at every noise beneath her feet. She eventually stopped, looking up at Candela for guidance. Candela hesitated for an instant, and in that moment, Graveller emerged from the ground, right beneath Flareon, and tossed the fire type high into the air.
"Graveller! Finish it off!"
Graveller jumped up and grabbed Flareon by the foot, spinning it several times before tossing it hard to the ground. Flareon yelped as she hit the earth, and didn't move to get up.
"Flareon, No!" Candela whined, and went to help her Pokemon up.
"After this, you'll never pick a fight with me again!" Jay snapped. "Graveller! Earthquake!"
"Jay! No!" Candela cried. In her current state, Flareon couldn't withstand an attack like Earthquake. It could kill her.
A bright white light flashed to Candela's right, blinding everyone nearby and distracting Graveller. Candela peered through the light, which had started to glow blue. It flashed quickly, then fizzled, revealing Blanche, a water stone clutched in her hand. Standing before her was her newly evolved Vaporeon, crouched in attack position.
Blanche's voice was eerily calm. "Candela, protect your Flareon. This is gonna get messy," Candela did as she was told, just before Blanche gave her orders. "Vaporeon. Surf attack,"
Candela's jaw dropped. A newly evolved Pokemon couldn't possibly know Surf. That attack had to be trained…
Sure enough, Vaporeon's feet lifted from the ground as a tidal wave of water carried her forward. The wall of water hit Graveller just as Vaporeon used her momentum to shoulder-check Graveller. The rock type fell at Jay's feet, unconscious. Vaporeon landed on top of its lifeless body, baring its teeth and snarling at Jay. Jay fell onto his butt and screamed a high-pitched scream. Blanche strutted forward, and offered a hand to Candela. She accepted, and cradled her Flareon to her chest. Both girls turned toward Jay, who was still cowering from Vaporeon.
"Care to continue this battle or have you had enough?" Blanche asked, Candela by her side. Jay stuttered, then crawled to his feet. He backed away, his hands raised.
"No… no. Enough. I give up," he said, calling Graveller back and running away in shame.
Candela and Blanche watched him run off, before Candela turned to Blanche, her voice somber.
"You… you evolved your Eevee… to help me…" Candela said, unbelieving.
"Eevee was ready a long time ago. She even told me what she wanted. But I was too scared. I didn't have the courage to evolve her. Not until I saw how brave you were to stand up to Jay, and how much your Flareon was willing to fight for you. A brave trainer produces brave Pokemon," she said, lightly stroking Flareon's cheek. Candela looked down at her Pokemon lovingly. "Yes, she is brave…" she said, kissing Flareon on the forehead before calling her back to her Pokeball to heal.
"How did you know your Vaporeon would know Surf attack?" Candela asked, and Blanche shrugged.
"I didn't. It was just a theory I was developing based on my study of Eevee. I thought that if I trained Eevee up as high as she could go, and taught her every attack possible for an Eevee to learn, instead of skipping steps and evolving too soon, maybe the resulting Vaporeon would already be strong at its base level,"
"Wow," Candela said, kneeling down and admiring the beautiful Vaporeon. Spark walked up behind Blanche, and threw an arm over her shoulders. "I'm proud of you, B," he said, and she hugged him in return. "Thanks, Spark," she said. Candela stood, and awkwardly stuffed her hands in her pockets.
"So hey… listen. If it's cool… could I, maybe, hang out with you guys?" Candela asked, and Blanche and Spark exchanged a look.
Blanche cautiously answered. "You… you don't wanna hang out with the other Valors?"
"Of course I do. Just not those Valors," she said, motioning to the clique that had now shunned Jay. "They're lame," she said with a smile. Blanche and Spark smiled.
Spark pulled Candela into a noogie and rustled her hair until it was a frizzy mess of brown. "Hey!" she protested.
"It's too late now, you asked for it. You're stuck with us, kid!" he said. She pushed him away and playfully punched his arm.
She liked the sound of that.