Now that everyone's made it to Agate Village, it's time to get exploring! But more importantly than that, we need to check in on the two groups- what will happen when the Commander's group and the Empress's group finally meet? Will they be able to have a peaceful reunion, or will some bad things happen? What's the state of Agate Village after the Children of the Oracles attacked as well?
The Elimination Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 3 is coming to a close! There's only a few days left, so make sure to get those votes in! We've only got a couple of people who have voted so far, so try to vote if you can, if you want your girl to be the third year champion, and if you want this contest to happen for a fourth time! You can vote for up to 5 girls, so make sure your favorites have a chance to shine!
Nominated: Ange, Ayame, Caelia, Chloe, Cynthia, Donoma, Elaina, Kate, Maddi, Marion, Misato, Ryoko, Sango, Satsuki, Sylvia, Vic
KedharS: Lila's had a pretty complicated past, that's for sure. She's doing the best that she can to make the most of her present, though, and doesn't like thinking about those days.
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Not to spoil anything, but if you've played the Delta Episode of ORAS there might be a hint or two about the outcome of the Darla-Lila relationship. But I'm not going to spoil anything.
Hyphenman: Yes, Gwen is definitely a very complex character. I'm glad a lot of people are picking up on that fact.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 990
When Olivia stepped out of the Pokemon Center, she imagined that everyone's heads would be turning. Why wouldn't they be? After all, she looked better than ever with her long, luxurious blonde hair and fancy dress.
She wasn't incorrect. A lot of villagers were turning to look at her as she walked with the rest of her group through town.
It just wasn't quite for the reason that she was expecting.
Who's that lady? What's she doing here?
Those clothes are strange for a place like this, right?
Ugh, how flashy. Kids these days…
These were the sorts of thoughts that were going through the minds of the elderly population of Agate Village. Seeing a flashy, beautiful model strutting her stuff in a peaceful place like this that embraced the beauty of nature just felt unusual, as unusual as seeing a bright flowering tree in the center of a ruined slum city.
Olivia didn't really care though, even if she could guess at the reason for all the attention. Attention was attention, and they weren't the people who she was looking to capture the gaze of anyway.
While the Empress was focused on showing off, Andrea was looking for a place that they could settle down to camp out again, with the help of Hiromi. Both women were on the same page that, at the very least, they needed a location where the beauty of nature and tranquil feeling would overcome the aversion that most of Hiromi's group had to spending time outside.
They didn't need to concern themselves too much, though. Due to the size of the village, it barely took half an hour to walk from one end of town to the other. The Pokemon Center wasn't that far away, so it wasn't like there would be any problems in that regard, they would have access to plenty of utilities should the need arise.
And most importantly, their biggest obstacle, Lila, was actually having the time of her life.
"Aaaah, now this is what I'm talking about!" Lila swooned. She was practically skipping through flower fields like some sort of shampoo commercial, completely high on the vibes of the village. "THIS is what nature should be like. All tranquil and peaceful, nothing pesky or muddy or dirty, just flowers and grass and the sweet scent of spring… aaaaaaah…"
Lila took a deep breath, feeling Agate's calming aura wash over her. Darla walked beside her with a smile, relieved to see her friend was taking so well to this place.
"It's really a beautiful town," Yellow agreed, a nostalgic gleam in her eye. "It reminds me so much of my hometown, Viridian City."
"Viridian City?" Hiromi asked, surprised. "You're from Kanto?"
"Yes," Yellow nodded, turning to her fellow mother. "I grew up right next to the Viridian Forest. Back when I was a little girl, the city was very much like this, with everyone living in harmony with nature and pokemon."
A sad look crossed her face.
"Of course, as the years passed and Kanto got more urban things did change," she murmured. "The more popular the Pokemon League became, the more people began to pass through town, as we were on the main road to the Indigo Plateau. And that lead to changes, of course, and more hotels being built, more land being claimed… wild pokemon were driven from their habitats…"
Hiromi winced. The bitterness in the woman's voice was clear. But she quickly brightened up, her smile returning.
"But even then, progress is a natural part of life, isn't that right?" Yellow asked. "It's not like Viridian Forest was destroyed. And it's not like that land isn't being used to serve a noble purpose, either. It would be one thing to destroy our planet over something meaningless, but even I can't truly complain if they take land that was being used by pokemon, and use it to suit humans instead. It's just another part of living in harmony."
"I don't think that sounds really harmonious though," Ayame said quietly. "I mean, with that logic, then wouldn't you just keep making concessions? More and more land will be encroached on, and pokemon will be driven from their homes, all in the name of 'great human need' right?"
Yellow's sad look returned. "That is… a possibility," she admitted. "But that's why conservationist groups like the Aether Foundation exist. In order to help maintain some of that balance, and prevent the total destruction of the environment."
She turned to Marion, jostling her daughter's hat a little.
"Mom!" Marion gasped, pulling away from her, her face red with embarrassment. "Stop!"
"I'm sorry, Mari, I'm just so proud of you," Yellow giggled. She turned to Hiromi. "Has my daughter ever told you what she wants to do when she grows up?"
"She wants to be a Pokemon Conservationist, right?" Hiromi asked, turning to Marion.
Marion's face lit up. "Yep! Absolutely! But that's not all! My dream… I want to make a fully-functional sea pokemon paradise!"
"Sea pokemon…"
"…Paradise?"
Ayame and Hiromi looked at each other, confused.
"A special resort hotel," Marion explained. "Located in the center of the ocean. But not just a hotel! It will serve as a conservation spot, an artificial habitat for pokemon of the ocean as well! Similar to the Aether Foundation's artificial island!"
Hiromi could picture it. "So what, you'd have multiple habitats for different sea-faring pokemon, is that it? That sounds nice. Endangered species would have their own sectioned off areas to live as they pleased."
"Yes, exactly!" Marion nodded. "But not just them. We'd take in fish pokemon of all kinds and place them in their own habitats. Think of it like a living pokedex; every fish pokemon there ever was, living together in perfect peace and harmony!"
She swooned a little at the thought of it, visions of friendly fishies already dancing before her sparkling blue eyes.
Ayame still wasn't convinced. "Okay, but why does it need to be a resort?" She asked, confused. "That just sounds like the Aether Foundation island on a larger scale, and for a very specific type of pokemon, right?"
"Because it's not just about the pokemon," Marion explained. "Certainly, it's important to preserve the health and environments of the pokemon, and make sure they're taken care of. That's the whole point, after all. But there's another benefit, too."
"What's that?" Ayame asked.
Marion's face broke out into a big grin. "Why, opening the doors for people to enjoy interacting with all the lovely fishies, of course!" She exclaimed.
Yellow just chuckled, nodding along with her daughter's ambitions.
"You see," Marion continued, "by opening up a resort, it will allow people to have all the benefits of a locale such as the Safari Zone. You get to have fine dining on fish cuisine, while living in a paradise above the sea. And if you're in the mood, you can go down below the water into a large aquarium complex, and watch the fish pokemon swim around in their natural habitats. And best of all…"
Ayame could already tell where she was going to go with this.
"You get to FISH!" Marion exclaimed, her voice echoing across the peaceful village. "Think about it! Renting a fishing pole, and getting to fish up for any number of different fishy friends in various permitted areas! It's a surefire method for getting people to bond with the ocean wildlife while understanding the benefits of preserving it! A perfect vacation destination! And all the proceeds will go to continuing the resort's maintenance, so everyone will have the opportunity to enjoy all the delightful fishing they want for as long as they like! See all the benefits?"
Ayame was pretty sure the only person who would really get excited for a place like that would be Marion herself. But she didn't want to crush the poor girl's dream, so she just nodded in polite agreement.
Hiromi was a little more optimistic. She could tell that Marion was dedicated to this (anyone with a brain could see how much she liked fishing, given her compulsion to do so even when she knew there was nothing to catch) and she was very well-informed on all the things necessary for a Pokemon Conservationist, as well. It wouldn't be easy, but it was certainly not impossible.
Yellow put it best.
"I know you guys might think it's just a pipe dream, but my Mari will make it happen," she confidently declared. "Because there's no one out there who loves fish pokemon more than her. And that's how I know she'll give it her all, and create a resort that everyone will absolutely love."
"It's definitely that kind of charisma that got us to join up with her," Andre laughed. Jessie nodded along with him and even Erik had to agree. That's when Ayame was reminded of the fact that Marion wasn't just a fun girl with a deep love of fishing. She was also one of the Daevas, just like Olivia, and her charm and drive had seduced a lot of people to her side, almost as many as Olivia's actual seduction had accomplished.
That being said, she was still not sure that Marion would actually be able to pull it off.
And Olivia explained it best.
"I know you think that it's something exciting," she admitted, trying to sound as nice as possible even when her tone of voice was bitchy. "And it's clearly something you're passionate about. But passion isn't enough, you know that, right?"
Marion blinked, taken aback. Olivia didn't often talk to her directly. "Oh? What do you mean by that?" She asked curiously.
"Well, think about the logic behind something like that," Olivia explained. "I've stayed at my fair share of fancy resorts. More than anyone else here, has."
Of course, leave it to the Empress to once again declare that she was superior to everybody else. Some things never changed.
"And because of that," she continued, "I know that it requires quite a lot of funding to support. And where exactly do you think you'll get the money to support that? From volunteers and donations? That won't be nearly enough. And I assure you, there's nobody who'll invest in a project like that, not if you're planning on using the money solely on the pokemon."
Marion looked a little shaken. "Wh-What do you mean? The Aether Foundation-"
"The Aether Foundation is a charity organization that, yes, supports itself primarily through donations," Olivia interrupted her. "But it's not also trying to bill itself as a resort paradise. It takes far less money to fund their activities proportional to the influence they spread. As for you, I'm sorry, but you just don't have that same level. It is what it is."
She shrugged her shoulders. She did feel a little bad for crushing Marion's dreams like that, but she figured that it was for the best. After all, her goals were ludicrous, and from where Olivia was standing, completely unattainable. It was much better if she developed some decent common sense, instead of insisting on something as ridiculous as this.
"Boss," Ayame said gently, "don't you think you're being a little too harsh?"
Olivia scowled.
"Mari…" Yellow said quietly, glancing at her daughter. Marion looked troubled by Olivia's words, and the complex expression on her face was inscrutable.
Then she immediately brightened, returning back to normal.
"That's okay!" She chirped. "I'm sure everything will be alright!"
With confidence shining as brightly as the sun, Marion made her declaration, and Olivia could only shake her head in disbelief.
Again, she was reminded why she loathed Marion Rivers. Because the girl was an absolute fool. And here she was, trying to help.
"…Whatever you say," she muttered, shaking her head. She didn't want anything more to do with that craziness.
She turned back towards the path, only to realize that everyone had come to a stop.
"What's up with that?" Andrea asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion.
Apparently, their group wasn't the only one with the idea to go camping. It looked like someone had set up a campsite right out in front of another person's house. There was a large battlefield made of grass stretched out in front of the property, and interestingly, it was littered with boulders.
Even more interesting were the random patches of flowers that were growing all over the place with no rhyme or reason. Andrea didn't quite get what was going on here, but she certainly felt an overwhelming abundance of calm, like it was no big deal.
"It's nice here," Lila breathed. This seemed like the most energizing and bright part of Agate Village they'd been to.
"Oh, I know!" Yellow said. "This must be where the village protector lives!"
"The village protector?" Hiromi asked, raising her eyebrow.
"That's right," she nodded. "A very nice man named Wes! He used to be a pokemon trainer, you see, so it makes sense there'd be a battlefield right outside his house! And besides that…"
She took a deep breath, feeling an interesting sensation run through her as her harmonia attuned to the environment.
Her eyes opened.
"That's interesting…"
Marion blinked, confused. "What's up, mom?"
Yellow laughed. "Oh, nothing, just a bit of a surprise, that's all. I felt something I didn't think would be possible here. Come on, guys, let's go!"
Andrea was less certain. She glanced at her Chimecho, but Chime was fluttering peacefully in the wind. With a shrug, she decided that whoever was there, they might be friendly.
As they got closer to the campsite, it quickly became apparent that the people who were staying there were fellow students from the Pokemon Academy. Olivia picked up the pace. They got closer and closer, and everyone realized what she already knew.
It was the Commander's group.
"Oh, hey!" Alden said, looking up from his pokemon with a smile. "It's you guys!"
Olivia stopped in place, her expression souring. She'd been hoping to run into Alcea first, not… that moron.
"Oh! It's Rui's group!" Hiromi smiled a little, even as she tensed. She could feel Olivia's bad attitude from here.
"Hey!" Raizer brightened, running over to his brother. "Dude, what's up? Getting some pokemon training in?"
He bumped knuckles with his older brother, who returned his smile with one of his own.
"You know it," Alden nodded. "They just recovered from a wicked battle, and we're getting back in the swing of things."
Raizer narrowed his eyes, a spark of excitement burning in them. "Now that you say it though…" He reached towards the pokeball on his waist, but surprisingly, Alden shook his head.
"Sorry, can't," he apologized. Raizer was a little taken aback.
"Wow. It must have been some battle if you're not up for one right now," he said, amazed. "Trainers here really that strong? Or was it those terrorists?"
"Oh, you guys heard about that?" Alden asked, surprised. "No, it wasn't them. Actually… my whole team was taken out of commission before they even got here."
A series of gasps rose up through the rest of the students. Raizer was the most shocked of all.
"…Seriously? All of your pokemon?" He asked in amazement.
Alden nodded. "We were completely defeated."
Olivia couldn't believe what she was hearing. As the Phantom Cup had proven, the Commander was the strongest pokemon trainer at the Pokemon Academy. For him to have lost a pokemon battle was… well, to a lot of people, it was unthinkable!
"Who was it?" Ian asked, getting pretty interested himself.
"Vic's dad," Alden answered. "His team was amazing, we fought him as best we could, but in the end, we just weren't strong enough."
He didn't seem bothered at all by his loss, though. Quite the contrary, in fact, a big beaming smile spread across his face, and his eyes were blazing.
The Commander clenched his fist. "When I think about the 'Sense' of that guy… I'm shaking! Wes really is a powerful trainer!"
"Wes?" Yellow perked up at the mention of that name, skipping over to the Commander. "You mean the village protector?"
"That's him," Alden nodded. "And you are…?"
Yellow smiled, taking a triumphant pose. "My name… is Amarillo del Bosque Verde! Protector of all that is good and righteous, defender of pokemon and nature itself!"
Alden just nodded along with her. "Oh! You must be Marion's mother!"
"Uwaaah?!" Yellow gasped. "H-How did you know?!"
He laughed. "You guys have the same exact 'Sense' you know that? You remind me so much of her it's crazy."
"Ahem, well, I won't deny that," Yellow cleared her throat, beaming a little with pride. "But anyway! Is Wes here? I need to speak to him about something very important."
"My husband's gone, actually." Yellow turned to see Rui come out of her house, a serious expression on her face. "Sorry to disappoint you, but he had to go off this morning to take care of some business, I don't know when he'll be back."
Yellow sighed, and shrugged. "Oh, well, it is what it is. But that's okay! I'm here because I've agreed to what he asked the Aether Foundation for! So just point me in the direction of the injured pokemon, and I'll get to working!" She cracked her knuckles, sparks of golden light flashing in her fingers.
A sheepish look crossed Rui's face.
"Yeah, um… about that…"
Finally, the two groups are reunited! But we still haven't seen the most important reunion of all! What will be Olivia's reaction when she finally meets up with Alcea after all that Alcea's been through! And how will Alcea respond? Hopefully it'll go okay, and the two won't cause too many problems.