We continue the fight between Alcea and Olivia, but in this chapter there's very little of the actual battle. Rather, this chapter shows us a deeper look in Olivia's psyche and what she's dealing with, as well as the insecurities that she's been harboring inside all this time. What will the Empress reveal about herself to her greatest foe? And how will Alcea respond back?

The Semi-Final Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 3 has begun! These are our semi-finalists! Make sure to get those votes in, and choose which of these girls you think should make it to the finals! So far, only three people have voted, we need more votes for the finals! You can only vote for 3, so make sure to pick your favorites!

Semi-Finalists: Ayame, Chloe, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Marion, Sango, Vic

KedharS: So do I. Olivia's clearly in really bad shape, and she needs someone to get through to her. In her present state, this must be pretty rough. And hard on Alcea too, no doubt.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1010

"This isn't very good, is it?" Giselle asked worriedly. "With that electric terrain… that means that Pikachu's Electric type attacks are strengthened, now… and Alcea's Grass type attacks aren't as powerful…"

"That is true," Raizer agreed. "But remember, Grass type pokemon are resistant to Electric type attacks, which is a powerful advantage. And not only that, this isn't the first time that Alcea's fought against electric terrain, either."

Everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean by that?" Ian asked, confused.

"When Zera and I fought against Alcea in our challenge to become one of the Eight Leaders, we knew all about Alcea's habit of using sleep powder to incapacitate her opponents," Raizer reminded them. "And since Zera's my only pokemon, I can't risk them falling asleep, so I opened with electric terrain to seize control of the fight. This was before she taught her pokemon to use grassy terrain, by the way, so she didn't have a counter prepared."

"Oh, really?" Ian said, his eyes widening as he looked back at the battle. "So Alcea's been in this situation before, then."

"Wow, so she's got, like, an advantage, then!" Lukas cheered. "That's awesome! She can totally take her down!"

"That's right," Raizer nodded, a wild grin spreading across his face. "And she was able to beat us! That's the sign of real strength right there. That girl is on the same level as my brother, no question about that. She's not the strongest female trainer in the Pokemon Academy for nothing, you know, better than Victoria Carver, or any of the other female seniors in the Battle Course. Alcea's not someone to trifle with!"

He glanced at Olivia. "For sure, the Empress has been doing a lot better than I ever would have expected from someone in her position. But unless she's as strong as my brother, I don't think she's going to be winning this fight."

Donoma snorted.

Raizer glared at her. "What? You have something to say?" He snapped.

"Hmm? Oh, no, sorry!" Donoma quickly backtracked, remembering she was supposed to be on her best behavior if she wanted any chance at getting into Ian's pants. "It's just… I know the Empress pretty well, and she's not a strong fighter. Coming from someone like me who fights in pokemon battles even while being in the Appeals Course, I know what I'm talking about. Whatever that… thing that's possessing her did to make her fight against Alcea… it's probably the reason why her fighting strength increased so dramatically. That's just my guess, anyway. So I think… she probably has something else up her sleeve as well."

Donoma knew that last part for certain. No one else had commented, so maybe they hadn't noticed, but she was perceptive enough to not have missed it. The question was whether or not Alcea had thought of it herself.

"Well? What do you think? Rather lovely, isn't it?" Olivia sighed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "The crackling of electricity, the low hum of tension, it's a rather thrilling stage for the two of us. Sorry to have to burn up all your weeds, but they were getting in the way. Oh, and now you can't use that grassy glide of yours, either."

She smirked.

"If you like, you can try laying down your terrain once again, but then… I'll have to stop you. Shall we test which pokemon is faster now?"

"Attempting to set grassy terrain in this situation is futile, is it?" Alcea sighed. "Were I to try, you would take the initiative to launch a bolt from the blue, oui? Better to remain on our toes, correct, Anastacia?" She asked, turning to her Tsareena.

"Tsar," Anastacia nodded.

Olivia shrugged. "Fine by me, then. But all you did was make it a little sunnier out. Why not give it a go with one of those attacks of yours? I'm quite in the mood for a brilliant kick, if you don't mind. I bet Belle could outrun it. Or maybe seed bomb? Whatever you like, my dear Alcea, it's a pleasure just seeing you fight, after all!"

Alcea raised her eyebrow. She wasn't amused.

"So you think me a fool, is it?" She asked.

Olivia blinked innocently. "Hmm? Whatever do you mean?"

"I know what you're planning," Alcea said, narrowing her eyes. "After all, Rayne was still afflicted with Wandering Spirit when he fainted. Or, more specifically, when your Pikachu struck him with quick attack and then thunder. And with how Wandering Spirit works, that would mean that right now, that Pikachu of yours is afflicted with it. So to that end… it would appear your goal is to bait me into an attack, so that Anastacia loses her Queenly Majesty in place of Wandering Spirit, allowing you to use quick attack once more, is it?"

"Oh! That's right!" Giselle gasped.

"Dang, I totally forgot about that!" Lukas exclaimed.

Olivia burst out laughing. "Ah, Alcea! You're quite good, you know that? Yes, quite good indeed… and you're perfectly correct! My Belle DOES have Wandering Spirit at this very moment! But… whatever will you do? You still must attack either way. Unless your goal is to win this fight without attacking at all, of course."

Alcea gave her a thin smile. "But of course not. I just thought that it was important we be honest with each other, don't you?"

"…Oh?" Olivia asked, her eye twitching.

"I had Anastacia use a special move, when you were setting down that electric terrain," Alcea calmly answered. "You were so caught up in getting the better of me you didn't even notice, is it?" She pointed at Belle, and Olivia gasped. Her pokemon's flawless beauty had been blemished. A single seed was buried in her forehead, and had sprouted.

"That's worry seed," she explained. "When it's taken root, the infested pokemon has their ability suppressed and replaced with Insomnia. Not that it would make any difference right now, as the electric terrain prevents sleep regardless."

She smiled. "But with this, you won't take Anastacia's ability from her."

"You…." Olivia growled, clenching her fist. "What sort of move is that? You'd really think to do something like that, why?! Just to spite me?"

"You want to talk to me about spite, is it?" Alcea smirked. "It was merely preparation. You've always been jealous of my title, after all. It makes sense that you would be petty enough to try and snatch even Anastacia's title of queen away from her. You're that sort of woman, is it?"

"You don't know anything!" Olivia snarled. "You, your title, 'Queen of Roses'? 'Queen of Queens'?! Why?! Because of your family's wealth? Your status?! Me, I had to build up the title of 'Empress' for four years, do you understand that?! Four! YEARS! Not by relying on my father's money, no, this empire I built with my own two hands, relying on my beauty and charms, my hard work!"

Samarra had tapped into the depths of Olivia's heart, and now her emotions were overrunning her better judgment. These were words she never would have spoken, insecurities that, under normal circumstances, would never have seen the light of day. But right now, she didn't have the presence of mind to concern herself with her image.

Just as Alcea wished, she was finally being perfectly honest.

"I am a Pokemon Coordinator! I've done photoshoots for magazines, starred in commercials, I've even appeared in movie roles! But none of that matters, none of it! Because all people care about are pokemon battles! That's all this world is! Generation after generation, people are only concerned with which pokemon are strongest, who can defeat who! Do you think people care about celebrities like Lisia? Wallace, from the Hoenn Region, was once a famous Coordinator! But no one ever talks about that, no, it's always about his career as a Gym Leader, and his ascent to becoming the Champion! Because in the end, the only thing people care about is pokemon battles!"

Alcea was stunned. She had attempted her statement as a taunt; she had no way of knowing that she'd triggered one of Olivia's greatest issues.

"You're all the same… ALL of you! When was the last time people cared about contests? They don't care about them in Unova or Kalos! Or in Alola, Galar, even Paldea! Not even Kanto or Johto care! And it's not just contests! The Pokeathlon, Pokemon Showcases, none of these things matter to the public at large! It's just forgotten!" Olivia shouted. "But I care! I'm still here! Pokemon Contests are everything to me, and that's something a battler like you could never understand!"

"O-Olivia, that's not…" Alcea was about to say that wasn't true, but her voice caught in her throat. After all, when was the last time she had cared about Pokemon Contests? She couldn't rightly state that she ever had, if she was being honest. Like Olivia had said, it wasn't something that she'd ever paid any mind towards, even though so many people cared about it.

"Your fame and popularity… it's because you're a powerful trainer, you realize that?" Olivia growled. "I'm prettier than you! I'm more social than you! You're just a rose growing in your own private garden, but I go out and meet people! I talk to them, I make connections, but you don't! And still, everyone loves you, all because you just happen to be the strongest girl in school!"

Tears began welling up in her eyes. "It's not like… it's not like I didn't want that too, you know?" She whimpered. "I wanted to be a strong trainer too, did you ever know that? Even though I hate battling! Even though it sickens me! Because I couldn't be you! My rich daddy didn't give me anything I wanted just for being his perfect girl! I didn't get hundreds of adoring fans cheering my name as I rocketed through the pro leagues like you did! Why? Why is it just fighting?! Why can't people love me for who I am?!"

Marion winced, shielding her eyes. Whatever was going on with Olivia, the harmonia emanating from her was going out of control. It was like a maelstrom, latching onto her negative emotions like a match to tinder, using her pain as kindling to burn.

"I'm beautiful! I'm successful! I'm popular! But I'm not a fighter! I can't win pokemon battles! I'm the most beloved contest star this school's ever seen, so why won't daddy even call to tell me happy birthday!?"

"This is real bad," Donoma winced. She couldn't sense any of the horrifying things that Marion could, but she could practically feel the anger radiating out of her. Any chance of calming Olivia down was pretty much gone, if it had ever existed to begin with.

Alcea didn't know how to respond. She wanted to cry for her opponent, because even without harmonia she could feel the pain the other girl was in.

"It's true… pokemon battles are far more successful and beloved," Alcea admitted. "But that doesn't mean that Pokemon Contests are something undeserving of celebration! Certainly, it could be said that my fame is due to my talent as a trainer, but it is also the result of the hard work I've put into cultivating my own abilities, something you know all too well."

"So what?!" Olivia spat. "That doesn't matter! So you work hard, that doesn't change the differences between us!"

"No, it doesn't," Alcea agreed, shaking her head. "Oui, trainers are regarded in high esteem. But at least… in my eyes, you've never been someone who I thought lesser than me for being a Pokemon Coordinator!"

Olivia blinked. She honestly hadn't expected anything like that.

"I know how hard you work," Alcea continued, noting the lilt in Olivia's rage. "Training your pokemon and yourself, always pushing to be the best. Of all your features, it is by far the most charming and brilliant! Like you, I, too, try to push myself to be the very best I can! The opinions of others don't matter, because I… I can see how hard you've tried to get to where you are right now!"

These weren't false words meant to sway her opponent, nor were they platitudes to calm her anger. These were Alcea's true thoughts from the bottom of her heart, and she hoped that somehow that would be conveyed to Olivia.

It was working. Olivia couldn't hear a trace of deceit from what Alcea said.

She doesn't look down on me… so all this time… she really has been acknowledging my capabilities? But that's…

In spite of Olivia's proclamations, many people over the years had given her acclaim for her skills as a Coordinator. It was only due to the warped way she was raised and the toxic culture of Galar that had caused her to develop such a massive chip on her shoulder. But hearing the words she most wanted to hear from the person whose approval mattered the most to her had a profound impact on Olivia's heart. Before today, Alcea's outburst would have been like a seduction, causing Olivia to reevaluate the other girl completely.

But for Samarra that simply wouldn't do. After all, Alcea needed to become their friend. There would be time for praise and acclaim after they became friends.

Come now. Even if she does acknowledge your skill as a Coordinator, is that really enough for you? You want more than that, after all. You want her to acknowledge everything about you… adore you, cherish you, love you, you want to be everything to her. And that's why you need to win. Once you become friends, then we can all be happy together, isn't that right?

"That's right…" Olivia whispered, tightening her resolve. "I can't be fooled… not even by the truth. The real truth… is that Alcea and I are meant to be friends. She'll acknowledge everything about me, and I'll make her!"

She rose her head and wiped the blood from her nose, shouting a command to Belle. "Use your thunderbolt!"

"Pikachu!" Belle's body crackled with electricity, and she released it in a powerful bolt of lightning at Anastacia.

"Anastacia!" Alcea cried as the lightning zapped her pokemon. She grimaced. It didn't work… she'd been hoping that whatever Olivia was going through, hearing the truth from her would be enough to snap her out of it. But it was clear that her opponent was deeply ingrained in whatever it was that was controlling her, and Alcea needed to find another way to break through.

But was there even one? Olivia seemed completely seduced by whatever malevolent force was guiding her decisions. And at the moment, the only thing Alcea could think to do was keep battling.

Maybe she's really lost… but even if that's the case… Alcea fought back the urge to cry. Even if that's the case, I still can't afford to lose!

If there was no way to free Olivia from this Samarra's fiendish spell, then all the more reason Alcea needed to defeat her. If she fell… if she was taken over by whatever had twisted her rival so… that would be horrific. She could end up using her pokemon to sow destruction, and that would not be allowed.

"Anastacia!" She shouted. "Use teeter dance!"

Marion gasped. "No, Alcea, that won't work!"

Alcea snapped to look at Marion, confused. "What?"

In spite of Marion's objections, Anastacia began to sway. The erratic movements of her body were confusing and odd, catching up any who watched it.

But that wasn't the case for Belle.

"You thought you could confuse us, by using that teeter dance? I thought you'd know better!" Olivia scoffed, her eyes flashing. "Belle can't be confused, not while we're united like this!"

Alcea had seen confusion be used against harmonia users to both impactful and worthless ends. Against someone like Kanone, the pokemon could be easily shaken from the confusion due to his control over his mental faculties, whereas with trainers like Elaina, who were more controlled by their powers than their powers controlled them, would find themselves just as confused as their pokemon when an attack was used.

Alcea had been counting on the fact that, because Olivia seemed to have completely lost control, that she would fall more into the latter state than the former and be swept up with her Pikachu in the confusion.

But that wasn't the case. Certainly if Olivia were a normal harmonia user, she might find herself in a similar position to Elaina. But Olivia's harmonia was a byproduct of her friendship with Samarra, and just as Samarra kept her from falling under the effects of sleep, so too was she able to easily snap both trainer and pokemon out of confusion.

The move had no effect, but Anastacia was still dancing. And Alcea's carelessness had just opened up the perfect opportunity for Belle to strike.

And Olivia had the perfect method of doing so.

"Belle!" She shouted. "Use icicle crash!"

Alcea was taken aback. Icicle crash?! She must have been hearing things. Or perhaps the teeter dance really had confused Olivia after all! Pikachu weren't capable of learning icicle crash, to use a move like that would be-

Her mental objections were crushed as her eyes revealed the truth. Belle raised her hands and began gathering cold air, shaping the water vapor into massive icicles.

"No way!" Lukas exclaimed. "That's not possible!"

"Pikachu can't learn moves like that!" Ian exclaimed.

But this Pikachu clearly could. And all the objections in the world wouldn't stop those icicles from soaring through the air and crashing down on the dancing Tsareena, burying Anastacia beneath a mountain of ice and snow.

"Anastacia!" Alcea cried.

Oh wow, Olivia wasn't kidding when she said she had some special moves up her sleeve. Of course, while normal Pikachu can't learn moves like that, a certain Cosplay Pikachu absolutely can. Excellent play on Olivia's part, now if she can just keep her cool long enough to avoid being swept away by her emotions, that would be perfect.