Title and summary are likely to change. Writing this story based off of an idea I had in 2013, and the working title from the time is no longer relevant, but I'm struggling to come up with a new one.

Hello Pokemon fandom! :D This is my first time writing a story here, even though Pokemon is more or less what initially got me into FF, back in like, 2012. The fics centered around these characters were the first I fell in love with, and I've always wanted to write one! Of course I'm getting to it about ten years late, but hey, at least I'm doing it XD I don't necessarily have the time to write it, so that being said, I'm going to keep chapters fairly short and try to keep this to about 10 chapters. Let me know what you think!

Dawn Berlitz readjusted the matching gold clips she wore on either side of her dark blue hair brimming with excitement. She touched up her makeup, prodding an errant eyebrow back into place and fixing a microscopic lipstick smudge, trying to kill as much time as possible. There were less than thirty minutes standing between her and boarding the plane, but she'd already been waiting over an hour after getting through security, and it had been a long one. Her patience only stretched so far.

For once in her life, she was genuinely enthusiastic for school to start for reasons beyond her usual extracurricular of choice- cheerleading- and social life. Technically, she didn't even have a social life yet. Dawn still wasn't entirely sure they even had a cheerleading squad where she was going, but it didn't matter. She'd find her way just as well.

After receiving a crushing rejection letter for admittance her sophomore year, she'd pulled herself together to get her grades up to par and create a killer application, one that had finally landed her the spot she'd been dreaming of just in time for her junior year. Everything was coming together. She'd get to spend her better high school years in an upscale academic environment, one that was sure to award her stellar opportunities in the future.

Of course, she wasn't looking that far ahead just yet. High school was meant to be enjoyed, after all.

The Academy hadn't been around long, really since the time she'd started middle school roughly six years ago, but it had quickly developed a reputation as a highly desirable institution both for its intellectual and social aspects. Alumni were guaranteed to do well once they were set into the real world.

Personally, Dawn thought the name was a little tacky and snooty, not to mention pretentious, but she couldn't say too much; she was about to become one of its newest students. Attending had been a goal of hers for years. She'd miss her friends back home, but her boarding school adventure was just beginning.

Twenty minutes later when her boarding number was called, Dawn confidently got up from her seat between two shrieking children and one exhausted mother, grabbing her two carry-ons. Packing light wasn't easy, but for this, she'd been willing to try.

Dawn yawned. She'd slept through most of the plane ride, then through part of the bus trip to the school, too.

Now though, she couldn't have slept if she wanted to. Less than five minutes separated her and her new home. Excitement shone in her blue eyes, and it was all she could do to keep herself from bouncing in her seat.

Her nerves had started to sneak in a bit, but she was determined not to let them get to her. It was natural to be nervous. This was really happening!

The coach bus only had about twenty students on it. Dawn assumed most students had come in already on other flights or had been able to come by car. A girl with peach-colored curly hair eyed her with interest.

The bus turned down a side road, and a gigantic form came into view, rising up in the distance. Dawn took in a sharp breath.

The campus was comprised of a singular enormous building that housed every aspect of the school: the dorms, classrooms, offices, and more. The school was supposed to emulate the look of mansions built hundreds of years ago, but Dawn was pretty sure it had only been constructed within the last fifty. Whoever initially owned it must have had money, though. Like, creator of the first mass-marketed pokeball money.

Regardless, it was a proud, square façade with intricate designs and vines crawling up the sides. The walkway leading up to it was lined with immaculately kept, perfectly manicured trees that all seemed to be carbon copies of each other. Vast columns lined the doorway.

Dawn stepped off the bus and grabbed her luggage as the staff rushed to unload everything. How she'd managed to fit her entire life into just a few bags, she'd never know.

As she drew closer, Dawn got a better view of the building. It was gorgeous, there was no other word for it. So many balconies jutted out from the walls. Grand windows allowed light to enter from all sides. She couldn't believe this was where she would be living for the next nine months.

Two elaborately carved gargoyles stared down at her from high above the entrance as she hoisted her rolling luggage up the stairs, unsettling. She could've done without their oddly lifelike stone eyes glaring down in ominous introduction.

She skipped up the last few gilded steps into the building. As expected, the entrance was nothing short of spectacular.

Two massive stairways acted as bookends for the huge room, their railings painted a beautiful gold color that looked far too real as they glittered in the light. A master's mural had been painted on the ceiling. Hanging down from the center was a giant banner welcoming students. The room was overrun with people. Dawn pushed her way over to the check-in table for juniors.

After a short wait, she had all her papers, tucking them into her purse. She kept the map out, figuring it would come in handy. Dawn had opted out of the introductory tour. It was designed for first years, primarily sophomores, since that was the youngest age of accepted students. The Academy catered to upper-level high school students exclusively. As nice as the tour sounded, Dawn was counting on having her new roommates be the ones to show her around. They could tell her where all the cool hangouts were, and give her the scoop that an official tour certainly wouldn't.

Granted, that was based on the assumption whoever her roommates were liked her, but Dawn wasn't worried. It was rare she found a person she didn't get along with. Her cheerful and upbeat personality would've likely landed her the captain position for cheerleading this year if she'd stayed at her old school. Her room was a quad, since lower occupancy rooms were reserved for seniors, and she had no doubt at least one of the three would like her enough to help her get adjusted.

Except, two halls and a flight up, she was suddenly wondering if she should've swallowed her pride and taken the tour. The oversized building, shockingly, wasn't nearly as easy to navigate as she'd thought, and the map in her welcome packet wasn't particularly helpful when she didn't know where she was.

Dawn groaned. Her luggage was starting to feel really heavy now as she rolled it behind her.

Skimming the map, she made a conscious decision to turn left. It couldn't be that much farther, and if she was reading it right, her dorm was located on the left half of the building. It just made sense.

She found herself peering down another hall, this one narrow and lined with a railing. She was back in the main room, more or less, just above it all looking down from the second floor. Below, students continued to swarm the entrance, as busy as it had been earlier.

This definitely couldn't be the right way, now that she had something to go off of on the map, but going back wasn't going to get her anywhere either. Dawn decided to keep going. Maybe somewhere up ahead she'd get a better idea of which direction she should be going.

As she took another step, her foot caught on something and she lost her balance. Dawn shrieked. Her luggage slipped from her hand, and her other hand grasped for the rail.

She had too much momentum, even as she gripped the rail. Her hand broke free. As she overlooked the scene below in horror with an odd sense of the world around her slowing, her torso surpassed the rail, and her feet flew upward. She cried out again. No one could hear her. No one was even looking up. Down there, it was far too loud to hear anything. Falling headfirst, she desperately tried to grab for the rail again, to save herself.

A terrified part of her began to brace for the inevitable plunge as she tightly shut her eyes-

It didn't come. Strong arms wrapped around her stomach, yanking her back. She kept her eyes firmly shut until she felt the floor solid beneath her feet again. Whoever it was pulled her over to the wall. Her heart raced.

They let go of her. Dawn struggled to keep herself from collapsing as her whole body shook.

"Thank you so much." She took a long, shuddering breath. Dawn found the courage to open her eyes.

Her savior turned out to be a boy her age, undoubtedly a junior or senior. There was just a hint of superiority that emanated from his presence that made it unlikely this was his first year.

He had purple hair, and dark onyx eyes that seemed endless. He wore a scowl on his face, not bothering to hide his displeasure. Not quite the knight in shining armor she would've chosen, but she'd take it, considering the alternative.

"Troublesome girl."

Normally, she'd have been affronted, but Dawn found herself involuntarily shrinking back. He didn't say anything further, studying her. A moment later, he began walking away.

"Wait!" Dawn managed to get the words out before he turned the corner. Her hands were still shaking.

The boy paused.

"Can you tell me how to get to the girls' dorms?" Her words were meek. She felt weirdly hot and defeated. She didn't doubt her face was bright red from embarrassment. There was exactly anyone else around to witness her humiliation, though.

He snorted, then gave her a list of directions. "It's not that hard." With a dismissive wave, he walked out of sight.

Once he was gone and she had a moment to process everything, adrenaline kicked in belatedly and she felt her blood boil. Who did he think he was, talking to her like that? Sure, he had probably saved her life right there, but he was so rude. How hard was it to be nice?

Dawn stalked down the hall after him, carefully clinging close to the wall and watching her every step. Thankfully, he appeared to be long gone. She followed his confusing directions that only could've made sense to someone who already knew the school, her irritation her new motivation.

Five minutes later she was hopelessly lost again, this time surrounded by what appeared to be empty classrooms.

"Great," Dawn commented dryly. When she'd imagined her first day, it had always gone much more smoothly in her head. She regretted not taking the stupid tour.

"Are you okay?"

Dawn spun around. She hadn't realized she hadn't been alone in the hall, or that someone had heard her.

The girl had brown hair wrapped in a red bandana. She seemed friendly enough. Then again, it wasn't like anyone could top the jerk from earlier, short of actually being responsible for pushing her over a balcony.

"I'm new here. And totally lost," Dawn admitted. She dug through her welcome folder to show the girl her dorm assignment.

The girl's pretty sapphire eyes lit up. "Oh! You're in the same dorm as me. C'mon, I'll show you where to go!"

Delighted, Dawn chased after her, glad something was going her way. Dawn followed the girl to a hidden stairwell through what she'd incorrectly assumed was another classroom. She never would've found that on her own.

Pleased, Dawn kept pace behind her new companion up several more flights of stairs, to the fifth and final floor. It was too bad there wasn't an elevator close by she could've taken. Unfortunately, those beautiful sweeping stairs from earlier had only led up one floor before splitting off in a myriad of directions. It was no wonder she'd gotten so lost.

Things couldn't have worked out better, she realized. She was finally going to see her new home for the year and she'd met one of her roommates, who seemed pretty likeable so far.

The stairs led almost directly to their dorm, room 507. The other girl swiped her key card and Dawn heard the door unlock with an audible click.

Two girls were already in there, sitting on the floor. One had fiery orange hair tied off in a spiky side ponytail with sea green eyes. The other had long chocolate brown hair. She also had green eyes, but hers were more of a bright forest shade. Like the girl who had brought her, both seemed nice at first glance.

The brown-haired girl jumped to her feet. "You must be Dawn. I'm Leaf." Her smile was warm.

The other girl hopped up with a burst of energy. Definitely the athletic type. "And I'm Misty Waterflower." She extended her hand.

Dawn shook it. "Dawn Berlitz. Waterflower? Have I heard of you somewhere before?"

Misty's smile remained, but it seemed forced. "My sisters, probably. They're the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean."

"And I'm May." The girl with the bandana put in, oblivious to the sudden awkwardness, but providing a welcome distraction from questions Dawn didn't want to ask. "I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself back there." Misty and Leaf stifled giggles.

Dawn got the feeling she was missing something. "Were you all here last year?"

"Nope!" May said cheerfully. "This is my first day, too! My plane just got in really early so I've had some time to look around."

"Leaf and I were roommates last year," Misty explained. "We were with some other… not so great girls."

"Misty, don't make them biased before they've even met them," Leaf chided.

"What? It's true. It's not like you're a fan of them either."

Leaf blushed. "Fair. Our roommates… Well, let's just say you'll meet them soon enough. Besides, we should figure out who gets which bed."

Sorting out the room didn't take too long. There were two closets, and two dressers. The girls divvied them based on the closest beds. Dawn's bed was nearest to the door, which was fine by her. She'd be able to head to the bathroom to get ready early without disturbing anyone. As Dawn unpacked, she felt her nerves melt away. All three girls were really easy to talk to.

May's eyes sparkled. "I'm starving. How much longer until dinner?"

Misty checked the time. "Actually, the dining hall should be open now if we head over."

With Leaf and Misty at the helm, Dawn finally had a chance to absorb her surroundings. Getting around on her own was going to be much easier next time.

They passed through the grand entrance on the first floor, which was nearly empty compared to before. The check-in tables were practically deserted, other than the staff manning them. One brief walk down an adjoining corridor and Dawn found herself in the most luxe cafeteria she'd ever seen. Crown molding and elegant golden trim lined every inch.

Despite all that, the tables and seats were still the stereotypical round generic cafeteria ones she'd come to expect at her old school and from every teen movie ever. She'd been anticipating long, elaborate ones that always seemed to be in pictures of old castles. It was kind of nice. Even in such an extravagant setting, it was nice to have reminders that this was a school and not a fancy event with high expectations placed on them, someone watching every move they made. They didn't have to be perfect, even if the setting was.

The girls slid into an empty table by the windows, giving them a view of the lush gardens outside. Seconds after putting her bag down, claiming her spot, May was already rushing toward the food line. The others chased after her.

Three girls appeared in the entrance to the hall. It suddenly felt as if time had slowed.

"Who are they?" Dawn asked, mostly speaking to herself as she took her place in line next to May.

"Oh," Misty grimaced, following her gaze. "Those would be the Queens."

"The Queens?" May echoed.

Dawn watched as the three girls effortlessly glided into the room. She wasn't the only one. The entire room, which moments ago had been quite alive, seemed rapt with attention.

The shortest girl had shoulder-length red hair that flipped out at the ends. The girl next to her had brown hair that had been styled to split down the middle. And carried an air of confidence as she walked. The last girl was familiar to Dawn: the girl that had given her the once over on the bus, the girl with the peach hair in tight coils. From the way the other two girls flanked her, trailing a few feet behind, she was undoubtedly the leader.

They sat down at a table in the center of it all that had somehow been left unoccupied until now, and life in the careteria seemed to resume. Hushed whispers turned to loud chatter, and the lunch line bgan moving again.

"What just happened?" Dawn breathed.

"Those three are juniors, like us," Leaf explained.

"And it's disgusting how the whole school worships them," Misty added. "It's like they're royalty and they have everyone under their spell."

"Well, almost everyone. Other than us, there's a few guys who seem to be immune to their charm," Leaf corrected. She explained, "Brianna is the girl with the red hair, and the one next to her is Melody. Ursula's their leader. It's best to stay out of their way. If you do, they probably won't notice you."

"They don't notice anyone but themselves. They're too self-absorbed," Misty scoffed. "Ursula is Queen of the Sky, Brianna is Queen of the Earth, and Melody is Queen of the Sea. At least, by their twisted logic that's how it is." Misty looked like she'd swallowed a lemon.

"They really think that highly of themselves?" Dawn asked, eyebrow raised. She'd met her fair share of girls with overinflated senses of self-worth, but this topped all of them.

"Well, when everyone treats you like a goddess it's not that hard to get a big head," Misty said dismissively.

Dawn considered mentioning her encounter, if it could be called that, with Ursula on the bus, but decided against it. Nothing had really happened. Ursula's once-over was probably standard procedure, checking out the new girl. Misty and Leaf knew way more than she did, and as far as Dawn could tell they didn't have any reason to keep anything from her. Following them seemed best.

Just then, the cafeteria quieted a second time, though this time the volume only dropped marginally in comparison. Four boys were entering the room.

Four cute boys, Dawn thought excitedly after looking over the first three. Thankfully, there was way more to the Academy than just academics, just as she'd hoped. Then she realized she recognized the fourth.

It was the jerk from the hallway! Reflexively, Dawn glared. He walked a few steps behind the others, close enough to be associated with them, yet presenting as if he were above their antics.

The first had green hair, and a rose held between his fingers. Definitely a heartthrob, she didn't need to be up close to determine that. The second, with spiky brown hair, had a cocky smile as he ignored the third raven-haired boy trying to get his attention. Dawn was able to make out the dark color under his bright red hat even from a distance.

"And those would be the only people immune to the effects of the Queens on campus, other than us," Leaf announced, clarifying the earlier statement. Her expression was hard to read.

"The Kings?" May guessed.

Misty laughed. "Hardly. But I guess you could call them that. They do get a lot of attention from girls. It doesn't matter though, because the Queens have dibs, and no one's going to try to cross them. Those guys are off-limits."

"Ursula has dibs on Paul, Melody has dibs on Ash, and Brianna has dibs on Drew. Gary's such a player that it doesn't matter none of them are interested in him. He has a new girl hanging off him every week." Leaf's tone held an odd hint of bitterness.

"Which one has the purple hair?" Dawn asked, curious.

"That's Paul," Misty informed her. "He kind of keeps to himself. The others are more outgoing."

Privately, Dawn wondered what the leader of the most popular clique in an elite school could possibly see in a guy like him. She didn't press the matter.

"Drew has green hair. He's almost always carrying a rose. The two arguing are leaf and Gary. Ash has the darker hair. Leaf has a thing for Gary," Misty added slyly.

Leaf turned bright red. "I so do not!" she said, a little too loudly. "Gary and I sat next to each other in history last year. He was actually really nice, then I realized he was just flirting, as usual, and he'd be bored with me soon. So that was the end. It's not like Misty's crush on Ash!"

"Hey!" It was Misty's turn to flush scarlet. "Melody is the one who thinks I like Ash. That's why she dislikes me so much. He and I are just friends."

Dawn and May giggled. This was getting good.

"Enough!" Leaf decided, cutting her squabble with Misty and deftly changing the subject. "Does everyone have their schedules on them? We should compare and-"

"Uh oh," Misty said abruptly. "Trouble."

Dawn followed her gaze across the dining hall. The Queens had gotten up, and were headed unmistakably in their direction, broad smiles pasted on their faces.

"I just really wanted one day with a peaceful meal," Misty sighed. "Is that too much to ask?"

"Girls," Ursula commented upon reaching the table. Her voice was flat, but there was just enough emotion injected in it to make her seem interested. "Welcome back. What a pleasure to see you again."

"Misty, I'm surprised to see you back this year. I thought the teachers were on the fence about your 'attitude.'" Brianna's tone was way too friendly for the words she spoke.

"I could say the same to you," Misty shot back.

"Now now, don't be so catty," Melody drawled. "We're all classmates here."

"Yes," Ursula said, the corners of her lips tugging up slightly. "And who might you two be?" She addressed Dawn and May.

Misty cut in. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"I'm just trying to welcome new students," Ursula said with a shrug. "Now please, your names."

"May."

"Dawn." The way Ursula continued to study her made her uncomfortable. She radiated some sort of aura, whether it was good or bad, and that energy was what had forced Dawn to answer, despite the fact that Misty quite clearly wanted her and May to ignore the Queens.

Leaf stood up, taking her tray with her. "We should probably get going. We're still unpacking and we've got a lot to do before tomorrow. I'm sure you understand. It was nice seeing you again." She smiled sweetly. Ursula gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement, though Dawn couldn't be sure it was genuine.

The other girls followed suit, leaving the Queens behind. Moments later, their bags were slung over their shoulders and they were back in the empty hallway.

"What was that?" Misty fumed. "We can't let them win!"

"I know," Leaf hissed. "But did you really want to start off the year with a fight? The faculty always takes their side. It's not worth it. Let's get out of here."

"Fine," Misty relented. "But I'm not taking anymore crap from them. We put up with too much last year."

Dawn followed the others back, wondering what she was in for. Obviously, whatever had taken place last year was intense, but she had no idea what to expect. There were too many details she simply wasn't privy to. Between boys and mean girls, things were already starting to get interesting at the Academy.

Back in the dining hall, the Queens had returned to their table in the center of activity.

"I can't believe them," Brianna fumed. "They are so dead."

"I wanted Misty gone last year," Melody said in frustration. "I can't believe she and Misty are back. Those new girls aren't any better. What were their names?"

"It doesn't matter. This year we'll crush them." Brianna pushed her hair behind her ear. "It's time to end their little resistance."

Ursula only looked amused. "Well, if that's the way it has to be." She crossed her arms across her chest, forming an X-shape. "So it is said, so it is done."