About eight years ago, Schnee Manor
Weiss in the living room of her family estate, standing across from her father. Her father was giving Weiss her nightly examination.
"Final question Weiss," said Schnee. "What is the formula for catching a Pokémon in the wild?"
Weiss took a deep breath. She had studied that blasted formula for hours, trying to come up with all sorts of mental reminders to remember how it went.
"The capture formula goes as follows," said Weiss. "X over Y times Z. X equals three times the maximum health of the Pokémon minus two times the current health of the Pokémon; multiply all that times the calculated catch rate of the Pokémon times the special ball modifier. Y equals three times maximum health. Z equals a number based on the status effect of the Pokémon, which is two for being frozen or asleep, one point five for being paralyzed, poisoned, or burned, and one for nothing."
Her father looked down on the book containing the formula, going over it to make sure Weiss got every detail right. Weiss was starting to shake, fearing she got the question wrong. Her father closed the book and looked up at Weiss.
"Very good Weiss," said Schnee. "I see you've been studying very hard."
Weiss let out a huge sigh of relief. "Of course, father."
"Tomorrow we will go over effort values. Continues your studies in your room."
"Yes, father."
Weiss took her leave back to her room, changed into her pajamas, then pulled out the study material for tomorrow's lesson. It was a daily routine Weiss had been doing for a few years. Rather than have her or Winter join a school, Schnee had his daughters homeschooled. Schnee claimed it was for safety reasons, but the real reason was he felt the best teacher his daughters can learn from was himself. After all, he was currently the undefeated champion of the nearby Vale region - since Atlas was not big enough to have its own league - and he was the President of the world famous Schnee Corporation, the company behind many revolutionary Pokémon products. Winter was more interested in business than raising Pokémon, while Weiss was the complete opposite. She loved battling with Pokémon and wanted to be a champion like her father, so Schnee was especially tough on her. He wanted to make sure that Weiss would be the one to carry the Vale championship when he eventually retired.
Weiss was going through the chapters, highlighting the important parts she would need to go over tomorrow, when she heard a knock on her door. Weiss stood up and went to open her door; her sister was there holding a big textbook.
"What is it, Winter?" asked Weiss.
"Father wanted me to deliver this book to you," said Winter, handing Weiss the textbook. "If I were you, I'd turn to page 214."
"Understood," said Weiss. Weiss took the book to her desk and immediately turned to page 214. Hidden inside the textbook was the latest issue of Pokémon Battles Illustrated, a magazine Weiss loved to read in secret, as her father was very strict about Weiss' reading material. Winter would always find a way to sneak issues in for Weiss.
This issue was especially important to Weiss as this month they were doing a long feature on a trainer named Pyrrha Nikos. Weiss remembered when she caught a glimpse of Pyrrha battling on TV, and since then Weiss has been wanting to learn more. Pyrrha was about one year older than Weiss, but she had already accomplished so much at a young age. When Weiss read of all the things Pyrrha accomplished, it filled her with the determination to become a great trainer.
Weiss read that feature several times over until she started to feel her eyelids become heavy, and suddenly fell asleep on top of the magazine.
"Rise and shine, Weiss."
"Huh?" said Weiss, suddenly waking up. She sat up and realized she had fallen asleep that night on her books. She turned around and saw her father standing behind her, not looking pleased.
"You were late to breakfast this morning," said Schnee.
"I'm sorry father. I stayed up late going over all of my notes."
"Is that so? Then why did I see you sleeping on top of this?"
Schnee held up the magazine Weiss was reading last night. Weiss felt a chill go down her spine upon being busted.
"I can explain father! I heard they were doing an article on a prodigy trainer and I was thinking that perhaps I can learn to be a great trainer by reading the article!"
Schnee flipped to the feature on Pyrrha and skimmed through the information about her. She was a pretty good trainer for her age, but nothing that impressed Schnee very much.
"You look up to this Pyrrha Nikos?" asked Schnee.
"Yes!" said Weiss. "She's strong and talented and I'm almost as old as she is! She's so cool, father!"
"I have heard she is quite the prodigy in Mistral. However..."
Schnee rolled up the magazine and placed it in his jacket pocket.
"We are Schnees. We do NOT look up to other trainers; they look up to us. When you get your official trainer license, I expect you to surpass Pyrrha. I will not accept any less."
"Yes father."
"Now, get dressed and come down for breakfast, then we will review yesterday's lesson."
"Yes father."
After Schnee left Weiss' room, he took out the magazine and looked over the article on Pyrrha. He had seen her battles on TV, and now rumors were abound that she was coming to Vale to compete against the Elite Four, and if she were somehow able to beat them, would earn a shot at Schnee's title.
"As if I would ever lose my title to a child," thought Schnee, throwing the magazine in the garbage.
#
Present day
Pyrrha was back in her apartment, changing into her Pokémon Ranger uniform. A couple of days ago, Yang had contacted Pyrrha and Coco about finding the White Fang on Patch Island, and Coco immediately flew out there to hunt the White Fang. With Pyrrha busy with her gym leader obligations, she couldn't fly out to Patch Island to help out, so she made sure to call Coco regularly to keep herself updated on the situation.
"Have you found anything on Patch Island?" asked Pyrrha.
"Just a bunch of grunts who stayed behind to fight us off and most of their leftover equipment," said Coco. "I have a bad feeling we let the top brass slip through our fingers again."
"Any trace of Subject M?"
"Not a single one, but..."
"You think the White Fang may have found them?"
"It's a possibility. Thankfully the boss says he's got a contingency plan in place. Our best bet now seems to be on Schnee Co. completing whatever Project Master is supposed to be."
"If things are getting that serious, I'll drop my gym leader duties for now."
"No need to do that. I'll focus on finding Subject M; just be ready to take the call in the near future."
"Understood. Good luck, Coco."
Meanwhile, Weiss arrived outside of Pyrrha's apartment building, anxiously waiting for her chance to finally talk to Pyrrha alone. Any time Weiss had met Pyrrha, it was always in the presence of other fans, or during the dozens of meetings the rangers had with Schnee Co. discussing matters with the White Fang. Pyrrha was going to be making an appearance on a talk show later tonight; Weiss' plan was to accompany Pyrrha and offer her assistance.
"Finally, a chance to talk to Pyrrha personally without any more interference!" thought Weiss. "Today is going to be the best day of my life!"
As soon as she stepped through the doors of the building, the best day of her life was going to be the worst. Waiting in the lobby was Jaune, yet Ruby was nowhere to be seen.
"NO! What's that stupid blonde loser doing here? He couldn't possibly be here for Pyrrha, could he? I need to get rid of him before Pyrrha arrives!"
"What do you think you're doing here?" asked Weiss as she approached Jaune. "Shouldn't you be wherever Ruby is?"
"Me?" said Jaune. "Pyrrha invited me to come along with her. Why are you here anyway?"
"I'm here to talk to Pyrrha about important matters. Matters I wish not to speak of in your presence, so kindly get lost."
"Why should I get lost? I'm the one Pyrrha invited!"
"Listen you little failure of a gym leader! You've gotten more alone time with Pyrrha Nikos than you deserve! So get your scrawny blonde butt out of here before-"
"Is something wrong?" asked Pyrrha. Seeing Pyrrha suddenly arrive and not wanting to jeopardize her chances of making a good impression, Weiss instantly switched moods and regained her composure.
"Hello Miss Nikos!" said Weiss. "Just dealing with an overzealous fanboy!"
"You mean Jaune? But I invited him!"
"Is that so? Why Jaune, how come you didn't tell me you were personally invited?"
"But I did-" said Jaune before being cut off by Weiss.
"Anyway Miss Nikos, to show you my appreciation for all you've done for Schnee Co., I would like to offer you my personal assistance during my stay in this city. If there's anything you need, I will use every resource at my family's disposal to make it happen!"
"Oh," said Pyrrha, overwhelmed by Weiss' generosity. "Well, I appreciate your gratitude, but I'm not sure there's much I'm going to need. Besides, I don't want you to trouble yourself just to-"
"It's no trouble at all! After all, our family motto is A Schnee Is Always Grateful!"
"That's not the way I remember it," muttered Jaune under his breath.
"If you insist," said Pyrrha. "It wouldn't hurt to have a second assistant on hand."
The three of them left the apartment and headed for the studio where Pyrrha's TV appearance would take place. Weiss insisted on calling for a limo, but Pyrrha always preferred on walking to where she needed to go rather than take car service. Things weren't going the way Weiss wanted it, but at least she still got to be in Pyrrha's company.
"How come you're in your ranger uniform?" asked Jaune. "Heading off on a ranger mission?"
"Not yet," said Pyrrha, "but I like to be ready just in case."
"A good ranger is always prepared," said Weiss. "That's why Pyrrha is the best of the Magnificent Three."
"Well technically, all three of us are in the same rank."
"So what exactly makes you different from the rest of the rangers?" asked Jaune.
"It means she's better at her job than the rest!" said Weiss.
"There's more to it than that," said Pyrrha. "As one of the highest ranked rangers, the others and I are tasked harder missions such as widespread environmental dangers or rescue operations. When it comes to stopping the White Fang, our boss usually calls on one or more of us to handle the situation. I may be of higher rank, but all of the rangers do their part in keeping the world safe for humans and Pokémon."
"You must have a lot of admirers for all the work you do," said Jaune. "You ever come across those kind of fans who always try to hang around you like they're completely obsessed with you and won't leave you alone unless you force them to?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" remarked Weiss. Pyrrha shot Weiss a befuddled look, causing Weiss to suddenly change her tone.
"Erm, what I meant was, Pyrrha would never be so rude to her fans like that, right?"
"I do get the occasional fanboy and fangirl hovering around me," said Pyrrha, "but I don't mind fans coming up to me as long as they're polite. Many of them are kids who just like to say thanks for what I've inspired them to do."
"Pyrrha is a hero to many people," added Weiss, "both children and adults alike."
"That must give you a really good feeling," said Jaune, "knowing someone out there views you as their hero. I don't think anyone's ever going to view me as one."
"Well Jaune, if you really want to be someone's hero, then perhaps you should think about being a Pokémon Ranger."
"There's no way I can be a ranger. Rangers are strong, cool, and courageous. I'm none of those things."
"You don't need to be strong and cool to be a ranger. As long as you're willing to save lives no matter the risk, I'm sure you can be a ranger."
"I doubt a guy like me has what it takes to save a life. I can't even go into a cave without freaking out. I think I'd just be a liability."
"Well, should you ever decide to change your mind, I'll put in a good word for you with my boss."
"As I was saying," said Weiss, "a lot of people look up to Pyrrha as their hero. After all, Pokémon Battles Illustrated ranked her the #1 Most Influential Trainer three years in a row!"
Weiss continued to talk about all the great accomplishments Pyrrha achieved in her life as they headed to the studio.
#
About eight years ago, Pokémon League
"Lisa Lavender here, reporting live from Pokémon League Headquarters where they are about to begin the press conference for the upcoming championship defense. This is going to be a historical moment for the Vale Pokémon League. The reigning champion Schnee will be defending his title against Pyrrha Nikos, the youngest trainer to ever defeat the Elite Four and compete for the Vale Regional Championship. Pyrrha has made a name for herself with her victories in her home region of Mistral, and now looks to add one more accomplishment at her young age by overthrowing Schnee. We now go live to the press conference."
Taking the podium was Glynda Goodwitch, the leader of the Elite Four and the President of the Pokémon League Officials. Sitting on Goodwitch's right was the champion Schnee with his championship title placed in front of him, along with his family and bodyguards sitting beside him. Sitting on Goodwitch's left was Pyrrha Nikos, along with her family and assistants. As Goodwitch took the podium and explained the upcoming match, Weiss was trying to lean over and get a look at Pyrrha. Weiss was really excited to see Pyrrha in person, and was hoping to get her autograph after the conference was over.
"And now a few words from our challenger, Pyrrha Nikos," said Goodwitch. The audience applauded as Pyrrha took the podium; Weiss was clapping loudly with them, causing Schnee to turn to his daughter. Weiss instantly stopped and folded her hands the moment she looked at her father's eyes.
"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch," said Pyrrha. "To be honest, I don't have much to say. I'm very excited and honored to be competing for this opportunity, and I would like to wish Mister Schnee good luck. May the best trainer win."
Pyrrha sat down to another round of applause as Goodwitch retook the podium.
"And now, a few words from our champion, Schnee."
Some parts of the audience clapped for Schnee; his reputation did not make him as well liked as Pyrrha. Not that he cared what others ever thought about him.
"Thank you, Miss Goodwitch," said Schnee. "It has been a while since I've had to defend this championship. I was beginning to think that Vale had run out of decent trainers, and considering my opponent comes from the Mistral region, that certainly seems to be the case."
Weiss and Winter could hear some parts of the audience moan at Schnee's remark.
"However, whether my opponents are from Vale, Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, or some far off island away from civilization, they all have one thing in common: They lose to me. Miss Nikos, I respect what you have been able to accomplish at your age. Many trainers don't even go as far as to defeat the Elite Four. With that said however, I will crush you like the many who have tried to defeat me in both Pokémon competition and business competition. There is a reason the name 'Schnee' is synonymous with success: Because A Schnee Never Loses! Thank you."
This time only a handful of people, including Weiss and Winter, clapped for Schnee. Goodwitch stood back up for the closing words.
"As per custom," said Goodwitch, "the champion and challenger will now stand up and shake hands. The two of you will have twenty-four hours starting now to make your preparations before the official battle."
Schnee and Pyrrha stood up and took the center stage to shake hands as the press took photos. Once the conference was over, Pyrrha was going to have a meet and greet with a group of young fans. Weiss wanted to follow Pyrrha but was grabbed by the hand by her father.
"Come with me, Weiss," said Schnee.
"What for?" asked Weiss.
"I want to show you what it's like to be interviewed. If you are to be the next Vale Regional Champion, you'll have to know how to handle such things."
"But father, I really want to meet-"
"This isn't a request! Understood?"
"...yes, father."
Weiss' father began to ramble on how Weiss should conduct herself during an interview and what questions to avoid, then took her to his interview with the various press outlets asking him all sorts of questions about his upcoming battle and what his company was up to. By the time the interviews would be over, it would already be too late for Weiss to finally meet Pyrrha in person.
With the conference over, the Schnee girls were staying at the hotel while their father attended some business meetings. When the girls entered their room, Weiss got on her bed and started crying into her pillow.
"What's wrong, Weiss?" asked Winter.
"My one chance to finally meet Pyrrha and father wouldn't let me!" said Weiss.
"Well Weiss, as father told you, you need to realize that the Schnees are the best trainers around the world. You can't be looking up to people below us."
"But Pyrrha is so cool! Father is just being a jerk!"
"Weiss, you need to stop crying and get over it, otherwise you're going to get yourself in trouble."
"I don't care!"
"Here, maybe this will cheer you up."
Weiss stopped crying for a moment to see what Winter was talking about. Winter took out a card and handed it to Weiss. Weiss looked at the card and was shocked: It was a first edition trading card of Pyrrha Nikos to commemorate her accomplishment as Vale's youngest Elite Four victor. Even more shocking was the writing over Pyrrha's portrait: "To Weiss: Pyrrha Nikos."
"How did you get this?" asked Weiss.
"Being a Schnee does have its perks," said Winter. "It also helps that father is too busy with his interviews to notice what I'm doing. Just make sure to keep it between ourselves, okay?"
"I will!" said Weiss, giving Winter a big hug. "Thank you Winter!"
As soon as Weiss had the chance, she had that card laminated and kept it with her, even to this day.
#
Present day
Pyrrha and her new assistants arrived at the studio, where there was a line of fans around the block hoping to get tickets to see her. As soon as Pyrrha appeared near the crowd, everyone was cheering and asking for autographs. Pyrrha gladly went up to the fans and signed as many autographs as she could.
While Pyrrha was chatting with the fans, a group of paparazzi quickly showed up and snapped several photos of Pyrrha. Pyrrha didn't seem to mind them, but as soon as Weiss saw them, her blood began to boil. She remembered several times how the "leeches" as Weiss called them always hounded her family and employees about what the Schnee family and their company was up to, usually about the baseless rumors and accusations surrounding them. Weiss figured Pyrrha hated them as well, but was simply too polite and gentle to ever tell them to get lost.
"Pyrrha! Pyrrha!" shouted one of the razzis. "Quick photo over here?"
"Excuse me," said Jaune, "but can't you see Pyrrha is busy with her fans?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm one of her assistants."
"You don't look like one of her usual assistants. Who are you really?"
"I'm just a friend of Pyrrha's."
"What kind of friend? Are you Pyrrha Nikos' boyfriend?"
"What? NO! Not at all!"
Jaune started to blush at such a question being asked. Weiss sighed; she knew the moment you showed weakness in front of them, they would tear you apart like vultures.
"Look at how flustered he is! He's got to be her boyfriend!"
"What's going on?" asked Pyrrha.
"Pyrrha, these people think I'm your boyfriend!" said Jaune. "How do I make them stop?"
"He's just my assistant for today!" said Pyrrha. "Nothing more!"
"Then tell us how you met!" said one of the razzis.
The razzis continued to ask questions about Jaune and Pyrrha, and nothing the two of them said seem to ever satisfy the razzi. They weren't going to stop until they got the juicy info they were hoping for. Hearing the barrage of constant questions and accusations got under Weiss' skin until she couldn't stand by any longer. Weiss went over to one of the cameraman and grabbed him by his collar.
"LISTEN UP YOU BOTTOM FEEDER!" yelled Weiss. "Pyrrha has the right to hang out with anyone she wants without mudslingers like you questioning her relationship status! How about you talk about her excellent gym battle skills or her work as a Pokémon Ranger instead?"
"And just who are you to tell US what to do, little brat?" said one of the other photographers.
"Did you just mouth off to a Schnee? Wait until my father hears about this!"
Simply hearing that name was enough to send a shiver down everyone's spine. The one who mouthed off suddenly looked like he had stared into the eyes of death itself. Suddenly all of them were begging for Weiss to not use her family connections to make them wish they were never born.
"Now then," said Weiss, "who has a question for Miss Nikos?"
"Ahem," coughed one of the nervous razzi. "So, Pyrrha...I mean, Miss Nikos...had any good gym battles lately?"
"Why yes," said Pyrrha. "In fact, today I had one of my rare four on four battles."
Pyrrha answered a few more questions before having to go inside the studio. Once they were in the green room, Pyrrha and Jaune breathed a sigh of relief that they were finally away from the razzi.
"No wonder everyone hates them so much!" said Jaune.
"No one hates them more than me," said Weiss. "As a Schnee, my family is always being targeted by the press with their ridiculous accusations. They're always trying to badmouth us just because we're rich and successful. I'd hate to see someone like Miss Nikos suffer what I have to go through."
"Thanks for your help Weiss," said Pyrrha. "I really appreciate it."
"Anything for you, Miss Nikos."
"Please, you can just call me Pyrrha. Say Weiss, could you do one more favor for me?"
"Of course!"
"This room doesn't have any Fresh Water. Could you go across the street and get some please?"
"Hmph; you'd think this studio would be more accommodating. I'll be sure to inform your agents of this gross oversight."
Weiss immediately left the green room, pumping her fists in joy that she was now "in" with Pyrrha. With Weiss gone, Pyrrha was now alone with Jaune.
"Um, Pyrrha?" said Jaune. "I just checked the fridge and it's stocked full of water."
"I know," said Pyrrha. "I sent Weiss on a fake errand so we can talk."
"Uh...about what?" Jaune was starting to get flustered again about where this conversation was going.
"Anything!"
"Really? Anything?"
"Yeah! Like seen any good movies lately? Or tell me about more adventures you've had with Ruby!"
"Well Pyrrha...if you really do mean anything...can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Why did you really want me assisting you today? In fact, how come you were so overly nice to me at all? I mean not that I DON'T want you to be so nice, but I mean even Ruby isn't this..."
As Jaune was trying to find the right words to say, he noticed Pyrrha frowning, as if she was heartbroken to hear Jaune ask her. Jaune was back to being flustered yet again.
"Oh Arceus, I said something stupid, didn't I?"
"No Jaune, it's okay," said Pyrrha. "You probably won't believe this, but the truth is...I don't really have any casual friends."
"Wait, really? But you're like the greatest, nicest trainer in the world! How can someone like you have no friends?"
"I have friends, but all of them are either my co-workers in the rangers, my agents who overlook my business affairs, or people who work at the stadium. Aside from them, I don't really have anyone to talk to when I just want to relax and not answer questions about my job or personal life. That's why when I met you outside that comic book store and you didn't have a clue who I was, it felt like a breath of fresh air. I felt like I can talk to someone about what I enjoy or just hear funny stories."
Pyrrha suddenly smiled again. "I'm glad to have met you Jaune. So it disappoints me knowing that eventually Ruby will either challenge me and win or leave, which means you'll have to go too."
"You know, if you really want me to stick around, I can tell Ruby that I've found my calling being your personal assistant."
"But that wouldn't be fair to Ruby. Do you really see yourself being my assistant as your calling?"
"Not really, but...no, you're right. Ruby would see right through me. Well, whatever my calling turns out to be, I'll try to make as much time to come visit, okay?"
"I'd love that."
Pyrrha pulled out a pen and memo pad and wrote down her scroll number to give to Jaune.
"Here's my number. Keep in touch and let me know how things work out for you, okay?"
"Sure."
Jaune pocketed the memo just as Weiss came in with a case of Fresh Waters.
"Here you are, Pyrrha!" said Weiss. "Six cold Fresh Waters! I made sure to buy the most recent ones as well!"
"Thank you, Weiss," said Pyrrha. The three of them each took a water and relaxed before Pyrrha's appearance.
#
About eight years ago, Pokémon League Stadium
The battle between Schnee and Pyrrha was a sight to behold. Schnee believed that Pyrrha would only be able to defeat two of his Pokémon, three if she was lucky. But Pyrrha proved to be a much stronger opponent than Schnee realized, as the both of them were now down to their final Pokémon each. Pyrrha had called out her trusted companion Arcanine, while Schnee called out his all-powerful Hydreigon. Weiss and Winter were watching from the Schnee's private box. Weiss sat down and appeared to cheer for her father, but was secretly hoping Pyrrha would win.
"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!" commanded Schnee.
Hydreigon formed three Dragon Pulses with his heads and fired them all at Arcanine. Arcanine jumped from side to side to avoid the blasts.
"Now Arcanine, Flare Blitz!" commanded Pyrrha. Arcanine charged into Hydreigon with everything she had, but Hydreigon acted like it barely felt a scratch.
"Hydreigon, Dragon Rush!" Hydreigon tackled into Arcanine and did major damage to Pyrrha's Pokémon.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Arcanine got right back up and rammed into Hydreigon at lightning fast speed. Arcanine was now going so fast it was nearly impossible to keep up with it.
"Hydreigon, Crunch that mutt!" Despite Arcanine's amazing speed, Hydreigon was somehow able to time its bite and nail Arcanine with Crunch, putting a holt to her attack. The two side heads Crunched on Arcanine as well, putting Arcanine in great pain.
"Arcanine, bite back with Fire Fang!" Arcanine opened her mouth and chomped on Hydreigon's middle neck. Hydreigon ignored the attack like it did nothing.
"Crunch harder, Hydreigon! Make that Arcanine submit!" Hydreigon tightened its Crunch on Arcanine, causing Arcanine to scream in anguish. Hearing Arcanine yell was painful for both Pyrrha and Weiss.
"C'mon Pyrrha, you can do it!" thought Weiss. "I know you can!"
"Finish her off, Hydreigon."
The main head of Hydreigon let go of its grip on Arcanine, only to launch a powerful Dragon Pulse at point blank range into Arcanine's face. Hydreigon then threw Arcanine back; Arcanine collapsed to the ground, no longer able to battle. The referee went over to double check on Arcanine, then gave the signal to end the match.
"Arcanine has fainted!" said the announcer. "The battle is over! Schnee is your winner!"
The audience erupted in a mixture of applause and moans, though the moans were audibly louder than the applause. Pyrrha ran over to make sure Arcanine was okay, and gave Arcanine a tight hug to reassure her.
"It's okay girl," said Pyrrha. "We came so close and I couldn't be happier. I'm so proud of you."
"A sad ending for Pyrrha," said the announcer, "but what a way to go! Never has anyone been able to knock out five of Schnee's Pokémon before! But in the end, Hydreigon proves to be too much for even Pyrrha's Arcanine!"
With his work accomplished, Schnee recalled his Pokémon and simply left. He never cared for sticking around after a battle was over; he saw no need to talk to interviewers or even share a few words with his defeated opponent.
"As usual," said Winter, "A Schnee Never Loses. Come Weiss, let's go see father."
"Okay," said Weiss. As they were escorted to where their father was waiting, Weiss was coming up with what to say to make it seem like she was happy that her father defeated Pyrrha.
Schnee was outside of the stadium, standing by his limo. He opened the door for his daughters to enter before himself, then instructed the driver to head back to the hotel.
"Congratulations on your victory, father," said Winter. "I knew you would come out on top. After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"
"Indeed," said Schnee.
Winter nudged Weiss with her elbow, signaling her to say something nice to their father.
"Oh, um..." Weiss was still having a hard time trying to come up with the rights words.
"What is it, Weiss?"
"I...I wanted to say..."
Schnee's scroll suddenly started ringing. Schnee held up one finger to silence Weiss and checked his scroll; he was receiving a call from Ironwood.
"Hello, James. ...WHAT? When was this?"
"Something wrong, father?" asked Winter.
"Nothing is wrong. Winter, Weiss, put on some headphones. Father is on a very important phone call."
Winter and Weiss each pulled out a set of headphones to listen to their scroll while their father was on the phone. Weiss was relieved that she didn't have to say anything to him and turned her scroll's volume up so she didn't have to listen. Winter on the other hand kept hers quiet and tried to listen in on their father's conversation.
"I don't care how much they're asking for," muttered Schnee. "I am not giving a single lien to the White Fang. I need you to send somebody to take care of this situation and get my goods back at any cost! Even if you have to call that idiot Branwen!"
Winter shook her head. There was always something going on between their family's company and those group of terrorists called the White Fang. Winter didn't know why the White Fang were always going after their family; she assumed it was simply because of how rich the family and Schnee Corporation were worth. When Winter would take her position in the company, she vowed to do whatever it took to put an end to these radicals for good.
#
Present day
With the talk show now over, Pyrrha decided to take her assistants out to dinner. Weiss was insisting to take Pyrrha out to a five-star restaurant - even if it meant Jaune had to come - but Pyrrha wanted to treat them for helping out, so they went to one of her favorite cafes instead for a more casual dinner. Weiss was keeping mostly to herself while Jaune and Pyrrha were talking about comic books or something; she wasn't really paying attention since she had no interests in any of that stuff. Pyrrha noticed Weiss hadn't said much since they sat down.
"Something wrong, Weiss?" asked Pyrrha. "You haven't really said anything since we got here."
"I'm fine," said Weiss. "I'm just surprised you're into that kind of nerdy stuff. I'd always thought you'd be busy with more important matters."
"As busy as my job is, it's always best to have a hobby on the side. Do you have any hobbies?"
"Not really. I spend about all of my time focusing on becoming the next Pokémon Champion. When I'm not battling or training, I'm studying everything I can to make sure I always perform at the top of my game."
"Nothing wrong with that, but have you thought of anything else that might interest you?"
"Well, this is going to sound boring, but...I want to run my family's business in the future."
"That's not boring at all! Plan on making any huge shakeups?"
"Not really. I just want to continue the work my father has done for decades. My sister is already Vice President of the company, and she'll probably take charge of the main branch after my father, so I hope to head another branch until it's my turn to run everything."
"So you'll be a company president and the Pokémon Champion. That's quite the dream, Weiss! I wish you the best of luck."
Weiss had to turn away for a moment so they couldn't see her face almost blush from hearing Pyrrha Nikos compliment her.
"Well, it's about time I got going," said Pyrrha. "If you two aren't busy tomorrow, I'll be happy to have you assist me again."
"It would be my pleasure!" said Weiss.
"Same here!" said Jaune.
The three headed back to Pyrrha's apartment building where Pyrrha said her goodbyes and headed back to her apartment. Just as Jaune and Weiss were about to go their separate ways, Jaune needed to say something to Weiss.
"Hey, Weiss?" asked Jaune.
"What do you want?" asked Weiss, reverting back to her rude demeanor now that Pyrrha was gone.
"I don't like you or the way you talk to Ruby, but thanks for helping out with those annoying paparazzi. I know you did it for Pyrrha and not me, but I still appreciate you doing so."
"You're right. I only did for it Pyrrha. Pyrrha is a hero and doesn't deserve to have her name soiled by the likes of scumbags looking for a quick buck."
"See you tomorrow then, I guess."
Weiss brushed Jaune off and hurried back to her hotel. Along the way, her scroll was ringing. Weiss was surprised as she rarely got a phone call from anybody aside from Winter just to check up on her. To her surprise, this time it was her father who decided to call.
"Hello, father," greeted Weiss.
"Hello, Weiss," greeted Schnee. "How is your progress?"
"I currently have seven badges."
"Just seven? You do realize the deadline for the tournament registration is approaching soon?"
"Of course, father. I'll have my eighth badge in no time."
"See that you do. Remember: You're the one that must carry this championship in my absence to let the world know that A Schnee Never Loses."
"I assure you father; I will be the one to become champion."
And with that, Schnee hung up, straight to the point with no idle chit-chat. Hearing her father reminded Weiss of the years she spent under his tutelage. The constant studying, the daily tests, the simulation battles, and all the championship matches of his Weiss attended. While Weiss studied under her father, she always tried to keep track of what Pyrrha was up to. After losing to Schnee, Pyrrha went back to Mistral and hadn't come back to Vale since. Weiss assumed that Pyrrha was simply training and coming up with new strategies in order to defeat Schnee.
That's why it came to a shock to Weiss when she read an issue of Pokémon Battles Illustrated where Pyrrha announced she was going to become a gym leader instead.
#
About four years ago
Weiss was in her room reading the article that shocked the professional scene. Pyrrha Nikos was moving to Vale to not only be a gym leader, but to join the infamous Pokémon Rangers.
"I've always wanted to help others in need and help trainers become professionals like myself," said Pyrrha. "That's why I've decided to move to Vale and become a Pokémon Ranger, as well as apply for an official Pokémon League Gym Leader position."
When asked if she was really comfortable with giving up her chances to become a regional champion and if she would later come to regret this decision, Pyrrha replied "I have no regrets. I may never hold a championship title, but I know my fans will always be supportive, and for that, I couldn't be happier."
"Weiss!" said Winter, knocking on Weiss' door. "Have you finished packing?"
"Just a few minutes!" said Weiss. Weiss was so entranced with her reading that she forgot about packing her belongings. Weiss quickly threw some of her essentials in a couple of suitcases and headed outside.
Today was the day she was leaving the Schnee Manor and heading to Beacon Academy to begin her studies to obtain her official Pokémon license. As the Schnee manor staff packed her luggage in the limo, Winter arrived to say her final goodbyes. Their father was attending some important meetings back at the company HQ.
"Good luck in Beacon," said Winter. "Be sure to keep yourself healthy physically as well as mentally."
"I will," said Weiss.
"Remember Weiss, it'll only be a few years before father decides it could be time to retire, and when that time comes, we expect you to become the next champion."
"I know, Winter. I'll be just fine!"
Winter smiled and gave her sister a hug.
"I know you will. I have no doubt you'll win that championship. After all, A Schnee Never Loses!"
Weiss smiled and hugged Winter back. "Of course."
Weiss entered the limo and waved goodbye to Winter as the limo headed to its destination. Now alone in the limo, Weiss took out her laminated Pyrrha Nikos trading card.
"I will become Vale's next champion! I will become the greatest trainer in the world! I will become the next Pyrrha Nikos!"
#
Present day
It was a long two days for everyone involved. Ruby was training non-stop against the Achievement Trainers, Weiss and Jaune were helping Pyrrha with her engagements, and the White Fang were making the final preparations before executing their big plan.
In New Vale City, Ironwood was in his office when he received the phone call he had been waiting for from his scientists in the lab below.
"Sir, we completed the tests on the new Poké Ball."
"The result being?" asked Ironwood.
"It passed all the tests. Project Master is officially complete."
"Excellent!"
Before Ironwood could praise his men, he was receiving a call on another line.
"Hello? ...Ah, Mister Schnee! Perfect timing! I was going to tell you...yes, it's complete! ...I see. Does that mean...okay, I understand! I'll get on it immediately!"
Ironwood switched back to his other call. "Gentlemen, I've just received word from Schnee that we are to transport Project Master to Beacon City immediately! Afterwards, I need everyone to evacuate this building ASAP!"
Less than five minutes later, an armored truck arrived at the Schnee Co. building. One of the Schnee Co. security guards came out of the building carrying a digitally locked briefcase.
"Ironwood says one of us has to sit in the back with the cargo," said the driver.
"Are you serious?" said the guard. "I'm not cramping myself back there just to watch some stupid ball!"
"Relax. I'll get the newbie to do it. Hey newbie! Get over here!"
Out of the passenger side came a young woman with short black hair and amber eyes.
"What is it, sir?" asked the woman.
"You get the honor of holding on to this in the back," said the guard. The guard handed the case over to the newbie and handcuffed her to the briefcase for added security. The newbie got in the back of the truck as the other two sat up front and took off to Beacon City.
"Just the way I planned!" thought Blake.
For the past several days, she had spied on Schnee Co. and knew exactly what they were planning with Project Master. Now firmly out of sight, Blake took out her scroll and used an app to hack into the new digital lock Ironwood thought would surely keep his cargo safe. With the lock broken, Blake opened up the briefcase and nearly gasped. There in the briefcase was the Poké Ball she had waited forever to finally obtain. It had a purple tint on top, two pink bulbs on the sides, and an "M" carved in silver on the front. Blake grabbed the ball to make sure it was truly the real thing.
"Finally," thought Blake. "I have what I need to capture Subject M!"