After seeing what the Phantom is planning, and how Misato wants to start a long-distance relationship with Will, we're returning to some more serious topics here at the Pokemon Academy. What will the Commander be doing?

Hellraiserphoenix: There's definitely a lot of drama to come, you're not wrong.

KedharS: Can Mechadolls feel love?

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: I think we will find out, yes.

The Harmonium: Or perhaps something approximating them.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 808

While the Empress and the Phantom were concerned about the upcoming war of the Daevas that seemed to be an all-but certainty, one of the Daevas wasn't concerned about the struggle for power at all.

…Okay, two of them weren't concerned about the power struggle, but Marion was busy fishing so she didn't really count.

The Commander, Alden, didn't view the Orre Region as a location for another power struggle. His concerns were a lot more tangible; while he understood the necessity of cementing his position as the strongest trainer at the Pokemon Academy in order to use that reputation to bolster his future ambitions, the Orre Region was going to fulfill his ambitions in a different way.

Alden didn't call a meeting together to discuss what business they would be undertaking in the Orre Region. Or even what the plans he had as a group was. He was still busy going over the information on the Orre Region that Scott had provided him with.

A knock on the door called him to look up from his computer. It was strange. He had made it very clear that he wasn't going to take any visitors while he was working on his proposal, but someone was here anyway. It wasn't often that he gave such direct orders, and even more uncommon for his subordinates not to follow them. If anyone did, then it was all but certain they would meet with a harsh rebuke from Vic for their insubordination.

Intrigued, he decided to see who it was. "Come in," he called.

To his surprise, it wasn't just anyone who had disobeyed orders and come to see him; Vic herself was the one who walked into the room. As usual, she wasn't smiling. Her face was locked into a tight grimace, the girl's standard expression. He beckoned her over to sit, but she preferred to stand at attention.

Alden considered asking her to leave; he had a lot of work to do, after all but. Whatever she was doing here, it was probably something urgent. She wouldn't have disobeyed orders over just anything, after all.

He sighed. "Come on, Vic. You don't need to be so serious. Take a seat! Relax! Then you can tell me what you need."

While Alden appreciated Vic's loyalty and respected her skill as a trainer, at times like these he couldn't help but wish she could cut loose a little more. That was one of the minor reasons he had invited a girl like Cynthia into his ranks, besides his friendship with her sister and the more obvious reason, her incredible talent as a trainer.

With girls like Maddi and Vic around, someone like Cynthia was a nice breath of fresh air. Sort of like Tommy, if Tommy wasn't such a prick sometimes.

Vic eventually took her seat, but she didn't seem very relaxed. The glare in her eyes was as sharp as ever, her face not softening in the slightest. Alden took the assumption that this was because a girl like her who so rarely disobeyed orders was now disobeying a direct one.

"So Vic, what did you want to ask me?" Alden asked, unusually serious for once. He couldn't help himself, this was an important job he was doing, and he couldn't afford to take it easy. "I thought I told you I was going to be reviewing our sites in the Orre Region for the next two days, and didn't want any interruptions before the big trip?"

It was a surprise to see her here. Of all his subordinates, Vic was the one who had the highest respect for his role as a member of the Daevas and his position as their leader. Acting like he was an actual military officer and the others were men under his platoon, she was quick to follow orders and bark out chastisements to those who didn't.

For someone as obedient as Vic to directly disregard his orders and come here to speak to him was unthinkable. So this had to be something important.

"Forgive me for disobeying your orders, sir," Vic said, lowering her head in apology. The hardness disappeared from her face so fast that for a second Alden wondered if she was going to cry. But Vic wasn't the type to cry, and indeed she quickly regained her composure, her impenetrable stern face returning.

"It's okay," Alden assured her with a wave of his hand. He didn't want to act like this wasn't a big deal, but when it came to Vic, who adored him so much, he had to be careful not to completely crush her by seeming disappointed. "It's forgotten. I assume that you wouldn't come to me unless this was something important, is that right?"

"Yes, sir," Vic nodded, ever so slightly sighing in relief. "This is an important issue I wanted to address, and it's something that I believe deserves your undivided attention."

Alden nodded. "Alright then. What is it?"

"It's about the Orre Region, sir. And our trip there. You said that you were looking over the information you received from Scott, about acceptable places to begin construction of the Battle Frontier, is that right?" Vic asked.

"That's right, we have a limited amount of time to scout out locations so I wanted to narrow down the best spots before we left," Alden said.

"Then I believe what I'm going to tell you will be important," Vic said, sighing in relief again. "It's… about my father."

That caught Alden's attention. Although he didn't know Vic's father, he knew of him. He was a trainer of unmatched talent. Even though the Orre Region didn't have anything like a Pokemon League or the title of Champion (making it a perfect place to build the Battle Frontier, as there wouldn't be any competition for such a trainer facility), if there was someone who deserved the title of "Orre Region Champion" it was him. Thus, if Vic said she wanted to talk with him about her father, that was something he would take very seriously indeed.

"This is about your father, then?" Alden asked. "What about him?"

"He contacted me this morning," Vic said. "He just returned home, and received my mother's message about our upcoming trip. And he wants to meet with you, sir. For a…" she trailed off, and uncomfortable look of doubt crossing her face. This was another rarity; someone as self-assured as Vic seldom showed signs of doubt.

"…For a pokemon battle."

Alden couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Everything Vic knew, she learned from her father. To fight against him in a pokemon battle would be an excellent thing indeed! Even if this was all she had to tell him, that would certainly be information enough to warrant interrupting him. But he suspected that wasn't the end of it.

"I see, that's great! I can't wait to fight him!" Alden smiled. "Then we'll be making a stop off in Agate Village during our trip. Is that all?"

Vic should her head. "No, sir. He also wants to talk to you about the Battle Frontier… and about the Shadow Pokemon, as well."

Alden's smile faded. So that's what this was about. The Battle Frontier was one thing, he could talk about that all day. But her father wanted to talk with him about the Shadow Pokemon, too? That could only mean trouble.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, I'm not exactly the best person to talk to about Shadow Pokemon," Alden scowled. "Are you sure he wouldn't be more interested in talking to the Phantom about that?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Vic exclaimed, shaking her head. She turned scarlet and sat back down in her seat. "Please excuse my outburst, sir."

"Don't worry about it." If Alden had to forgive her for every lapse this would take all day. "Just tell me what you mean."

Vic took a deep breath and sighed. "As you might know, the Phantom wasn't the first person to develop these… Shadow Pokemon."

Alden nodded. "Yeah, you told us something about that, it was a project developed by some organization in the Orre Region, isn't that right?"

"Yes, sir, by Cipher," Vic confirmed. "They were turning pokemon into Shadow Pokemon and trying to use them to take over the region."

"And that's why your father wants to talk to me?"

"You might not be aware of this, sir, but my father was actually the one who dismantled the organization known as Cipher," Vic explained. "Of course, that was years before I was born. He never told me much about it, but he probably knows a lot more about Shadow Pokemon than either one of us, and about how to defeat them."

Now that was an intriguing thought. Alden had had some trouble defeating the Phantom's team, in no small part due to his utter loathing of the concept of Shadow Pokemon. "I assume you don't mean by just defeating them in battle."

"No. I believe you are more than capable of something as simple as that, sir," Vic said, beaming in pride at him. "As your match against the Phantom proved to the entire school."

That was something he could always count on Vic for, buttering him up. "If that's not what you mean, then what do you mean?"

Vic shook her head. "I-I don't know the specifics," she admitted. "But… back when Cipher was still around, there were countless Shadow Pokemon on the streets of the Orre Region. But now, as far as I know, there aren't any. And I don't… I don't think that they were put down, at least… I hope my father wouldn't be involved in something so horrid. So that means… there has to be a way to reverse the process, isn't that right?"

Alden nodded thoughtfully. "You mean turning Shadow Pokemon back into ordinary pokemon." It was an interesting idea. "I see, if your father knows a method that would allow us to do that, that could be a way we could put a stop to whatever it is the Phantom is planning."

Vic felt waves of relief wash over her, like a massive weight had just been lifted from her shoulders. All morning she had been unsure about what to tell Alden, or if she should tell him anything at all. But now it looked like everything was going to be okay.

"Sir… I hate Shadow Pokemon as much as you do," Vic said. "More, even. For someone like me who can connect with pokemon the way that other people can't, Shadow Pokemon represent a corruption of everything important. I talked with Keya about this, and he and I are in perfect agreement. It isn't enough to just be better than the Phantom, we have to completely crush his ambition, and wipe out these Shadow Pokemon."

Alden was surprised. Vic was standing tall and staring at him with such ferocity in his eyes. It was a look he was used to seeing from her, but usually it was aimed at people who she thought had displeased him. This was the first time he had the privilege of being on the receiving end of such an intense look of resolution.

"Well, it seems you're really dedicated to this," Alden said.

"You said it yourself, Shadow Pokemon are a horrible distortion of pokemon, ruining the bond they share with trainers," Vic said. "Wouldn't it only be right for people like us, who treasure that bond in battle, to stand against it?"

"Vic, you're suggesting that we go directly into war with the Phantom, you understand that, right?" Alden clarified. Until now, he had been content with letting his strength and influence speak for itself. That was what the Commander stood for, a love of pokemon battles for the sake of pokemon battles, not to use that power and influence to rule over others.

Vic didn't let Alden's words discourage her. "Forgive me my impudence, sir," she apologized. "I know that what I'm asking goes directly against your stated intentions. But I believe that the importance of this cannot be understated. You may not wish to fight against the Phantom directly in order to cement your position, but the Phantom doesn't feel the same, as I'm sure you know. This is a battle that is inevitable, and we must fight to ensure that we're on the winning side."

Her speech finished, she punctuated her words with a fiery gleam in her eyes. Alden studied her. This was what she had really come here to say. She had dressed it up by talking about how her father wanted to battle him and about how she wanted to help him find a way to resist Shadow Pokemon, but that had been the truth.

Vic was asking him to wage a direct war against the Phantom and crush his organization decisively in a way that winning the Phantom Cup hadn't. And that included destroying the Shadow Pokemon once and for all.

It was definitely a bold proposition, especially when it directly contradicted his stated goals. The kind of boldness he admired Vic and her resolve for.

He wanted to smile, but he couldn't afford it at the moment. He needed to test her one final time, in order to see how resolved she really was.

"Vic… you were the one who gave me the name 'Commander'. You call me 'sir' and treat me like your superior officer, and always act like you mean it."

"Of course, sir," she nodded. "You deserve that much respect."

"Thank you, but you must be aware that what you're proposing is something that I might not be able to do," the Commander said. It wasn't the time for casualness, this was a discussion Vic was having with someone who was, functionally, her superior.

"I am aware of that, sir," Vic confirmed with a nod.

The Commander stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If I decided that what you were proposing was too dangerous and risky, and put the completion of the Battle Frontier ahead of your own personal desire to crush the Phantom's organization, tell me, what would you in response?" He asked.

Vic didn't seem to know how to answer that question. "Begging your pardon, sir, but I don't understand your meaning."

"You're my subordinate," the Commander calmly explained. "That means you are expected to follow orders. So if I give you the order that I want you to end things here, and continue working on the Battle Frontier, and leave the Phantom alone unless he makes a direct move against us, what would your response be to that?"

Vic was putting on a good show, her face was hard, but the Commander could see the doubt behind her eyes. She wouldn't want to follow that order if he gave it. He could see the sparks of defiance flaring up behind her eyes.

But in the end, she was a good soldier. She lowered her head in resignation. "If those are your orders, sir, then I would follow them," she stated.

The Commander nodded. He had expected a response like that from her. As much as Vic wanted to fight against the Shadow Pokemon directly, she wasn't willing to directly oppose him in order to do it. It wasn't the answer he'd been hoping to hear from her, but-

"However."

She interrupted his thoughts, surprising him. She raised her head again, her stony glare burning with resolve.

"Oh?" The Commander asked, intrigued.

"I don't believe that you would give such an order," she declared. "Because the Commander that I respect and admire, the man I chose to follow, would not shy away from this confrontation. He would know as well as I do that initiating a battle with the Phantom would not be fighting for a means to an end, but rather, an inevitability. He would suspect, as I suspect, that the Phantom plans to use the journey to the Orre Region as a pretext to finalize his attempt to seize power over the student body, and thus an attack to sabotage him and thwart his plans would be a strategy to win an inevitable war, rather than needlessly start one. Sir."

It was a bold speech, and she gave it well. There it was, the boldness that brought a smile to Alden's face. He nodded in approval.

"Not bad, Vic, not bad," he mused.

Vic didn't respond. She stood at attention, waiting for his answer.

Alden sat back down in his seat, looking up into Vic's eyes. "What you're saying is true. I'm not a fool, in spite of what the Phantom might think of me. I know he's likely planning to use this trip in order to take out our group. So you aren't wrong, wiping him out first would be the most useful strategy in order to secure victory."

"Sir," Vic nodded, the faintest hint of a smile crossing her lips.

"But it isn't what we're going to do."

That caused her expression to darken.

"But sir-"

"Let me finish," Alden said, raising his finger. She shut up immediately. "Now, as I just said, that's not what I'm planning on doing. Because I don't think it would be beneficial in the long run to be the ones to engage a battle with the Phantom."

Vic raised her eyebrow in confusion. "But isn't making the first strike the most tactically intelligent decision, sir?"

"Usually yes," Alden nodded. "But there are times in battle where you need to scout our you opponent, see what you're dealing with, in order to make the best decision. And right now, we don't know nearly enough about the Phantom's plans, his connections to Cipher, or the Shadow Pokemon. So we WILL be going to the Orre Region to learn more about all of those things. And then, once we have more information, we can work from there. Now, is that a plan that you can get behind?"

Vic smiled in approval and nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir, I believe that would be an excellent way to start."

Alden smiled. "Excellent. I'm glad. Now, you're dismissed, and I expect that you won't interrupt me again, understood?"

"Yes, sir, thank you," Vic said, rising from her seat with a nod. She turned to leave before Alden stopped her again.

"Oh, Vic, one more thing," he called after her.

"Yes, sir?" She asked, turning back to him.

"I may be calling on you later in order to get your sense of the locations I'm planning to scout," Alden explained. Her knowledge of the Orre Region would prove invaluable for determining the location of the Battle Frontier. "So don't go too far, understood?"

Vic nodded sharply. "Yes, sir," she agreed.

He had one more thing to add. And he knew she wasn't going to like it. The thought of her reaction made him grin, but he hid it behind a serious look.

"And we'll be coordinating with Anabel when we get to the Orre Region. They agreed to work with us on this. So you two will be working closely together, understood?"

Alden relished in the fury that blazed across Vic's face. It was exactly the sort of reaction he had hoped to see.

Anabel wasn't just a great trainer, they were also a great motivating force for Vic. And if things went as predicted and they did end up getting into a direct confrontation with the Phantom, they would be a useful ace up Alden's sleeve.

But now, he had work to do.

So now we see how the Commander is preparing for the trip to the Orre Region. Everyone is making their preparations and decisions, but what's going to come of it? The Orre Region Trip is drawing closer and closer.