We move on from spring break and the trip to the Hoenn Region to return to the Orre Region! There are a lot of things we need catching up on, but seeing as the main story revolves around the Commander and his group, I'd say we go over to Alden to see what he's doing! How has he been spending his time over break, I wonder?
KedharS: Unfortunately yes. They're great friends and obviously they care about each other, but in the present situation, things are definitely getting complicated and awkward between them all.
Guest: There are quite a few things we could pick up on in the story. Several story beats are getting advanced.
Hyphenman: Well, welcome back to tension, this is going to be a tense arc, as I'm sure you're well-aware.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1073
Leaving behind the Hoenn Region, we return 10 days into the past, to the Orre Region, where the Commander had just finished his phone call with Cynthia. He and Maddi left the Pokemon Center with Rui accompanying them. Chloe hung back, feeling a little uncomfortable, when they were accosted in the street by a surprising duo.
"Well, if it isn't the Commander," Gerard greeted them. He was wearing a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes. More surprising was the fact that Gabrielle was standing next to him, which, given their relationship, made for an unusual duo.
Alden didn't seem bothered by the Eighth Leader though. "Oh, Gerard. What are you doing here?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. "Where's the rest of your group?" He didn't know who else was in Gerard's group, but he wasn't that concerned, either.
Gerard smirked. "They're… busy," he said cryptically. "In the meantime, I came here to find you."
"Oh, really?" Alden asked, brightening. "And what reason would you have to come look for me on your break, I wonder?"
He was just being coy. He knew as well as Gerard did that there was no reason that he would be looking for Alden besides…
"A battle," Gerard said, holding up his pokeball.
Rui frowned. "Excuse me!" She said, walking up to the student. "We're in a bit of a hurry. We need to catch up to the rest of our group, we don't have time for a pokemon battle right now. Besides, shouldn't you be looking for your group?"
Gerard slid his eyes towards Rui and she flinched, taking a step back.
"Hey, it's fine," Alden said, stepping forward. He could sense that something was off. "You know me. If you're in the mood for a battle, then I'm always on board."
Gerard's smile widened and his glasses began shining. "Excellent…" he purred.
At that moment, a throb of pain shot through Maddi's eye.
"Ah…!" She gasped, clutching her skull. The painful headaches were back. She struggled through her pain and stared at Gerard. There was something… wrong with him. Gabrielle, too. She didn't know what was going on, but she suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"Commander… I don't think this is a good idea," she said cautiously.
"R-Right!" Chloe gasped.
"I agree," Rui nodded. "We don't have time for this!"
But Alden ignored their warnings. Even though he sensed something amiss, he wasn't the kind of man who would back down to a pokemon challenge.
"It's fine," he said, reaching to his belt for a pokeball of his own. "Let's go, Gerard. I'm sure there's somewhere we can battle around here."
The three girls accompanying him looked at each other, wary.
"Do you feel anything else off about this?" Maddi whispered as they followed Alden through Phenac City.
"You're right," Rui agreed. "I don't know why those two kids would want to fight now, of all times. Where's their group?"
Maddi raised her eyebrow. That wasn't what she was talking about at all. She was concerned because there was something about the two of them that just felt off. But maybe she was being overly cautious. If Rui didn't sense anything wrong, then maybe there wasn't.
Chloe, on the other hand, felt uneasy about, well, everything.
Soon enough, Gerard managed to track down a fighting arena in the middle of Phenac Square, and turned to Alden.
"So, Commander, are you sure about this?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. "You're your last chance to back out."
"I don't back down from a challenge," Alden replied. "Let's do this."
"Gerard." Gabrielle's rebuke was sharp and her glare was critical. Gerard glanced back at her.
"What is it?" He asked, sighing.
"I understand that you're concerned you're your own pride. But remember, this isn't about you," she said. "We don't have the luxury of letting him go."
Alden raised his eyebrow. "…Let me go? What does THAT mean?"
Gabrielle sad nothing, and Gerard just laughed.
"Don't worry," he said, shaking his head. "But now that it's come to this… you're right, Gabrielle, we need to focus on making friends." He turned to Alden… then looked past her, at Rui.
"Excuse me, miss Rui, can I ask you something?"
Rui was taken aback. She'd never met this boy before, and yet he was speaking to her with such familiarity.
"Wh-What is it?" She asked. "How the heck do you know my name, anyway?"
"Not important," Gerard shook his head. "I'm wondering, do you know where your husband, Wes, is? We've been looking for him, too."
Rui glared. "Okay, no, that does it! Not just me, but my husband, too? What the hell do you know about my family?"
Gerard blinked, not having anticipated that question. "Your daughter Victoria told me, of course," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Rui was taken aback again. "You know my daughter? Are you two friends?"
"Not even close," Alden said, shaking his head. His mind was off the upcoming fight, and now he was concerned about what Gerard was saying. "What are you talking about, Gerard? Vic can't stand you. She wouldn't tell you a damn thing."
Gerard smirked. "That was the case, but not anymore," he said, laughing. "We're the best of friends now. But unfortunately, she didn't know where her dad was, either. Said he left not long before you guys did."
"Gerard," Gabrielle snapped, narrowing her eyes. Gerard sighed, shrugging.
Rui didn't know what was going on. There hadn't been cell service at the tower, so how did he know all that?
Alden was concerned himself. "What are you even saying?" He demanded. "Gerard, stop being so cryptic and just answer a question!"
Gerard's smirk widened. "If you want to know what I'm talking about," he said, lifting up his pokeball, "then you'll have to find out in our battle."
"Commander, don't!" Chloe wailed. "There's something seriously weird with all this!"
"She's right," Maddi agreed. "This isn't normal. Those two… there's something off about them. I can't explain it, but… urk!" She clutched her eye again and Rui gasped, rushing over to see what was the matter.
"Are you okay?" She asked. "I thought Wes helped you…"
"I'm fine," Madd spat. "Alden… this is strange. You can't…"
"I'm not backing down from a battle," Alden replied. "I already agreed to your challenge, Gerard, so stop stalling!"
He flung his pokeball out into the air, and Eifa emerged. But this was a double battle, and one pokemon just wouldn't cut it, so he released Jaune as well.
Gerard smirked. "Starting with your Magic Bounce Espeon, what a surprise." He held up his two pokeballs and released the pokemon dwelling inside them.
"Kabutops!" Gerard's Kabutos snarled, raising his claws.
"Rhyperior!" His Rhyperior came out as well, both Rock type pokemon preparing to battle.
Maddi frowned as she watched the fight begin. There was something ominous about Gerard's pokemon. She glanced at Rui to see if the other woman had picked up anything with her harmonia, but Rui's troubled expression could have just been anxiety.
Either way, if something bothered her, she didn't say it.
"Burei!" Gerard shouted. "Start with aqua jet!"
"Kabutops!" Burei lowered his head and raised his claws, cloaking his body in a veil of water. He shot towards Eifa at high speed, swinging his blades like swords. Eifa wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack, taking some serious hits from the pokemon's wicked strikes.
"Eifa, use reflect," Alden ordered immediately. Eifa nodded and leapt back, shrugging off the damage. Her ruby flashed and her eyes glowed red. A red barrier appeared around her body, protecting Alden's side of the field from physical attacks.
"Yes!" Rui cheered, making a fist. With that, the Commander's pokemon would be safe!
But Gerard didn't seem fazed.
"You think I didn't expect that?" He snorted. "You rely on the same tactics as always, Commander! Burei, use rain dance!"
"Kabutops!" Burei raised his blades and summoned massive rainclouds. The dark clouds unleashed a deluge down upon the oasis town, drowning the field in a powerful storm, much to Alden and the rest's surprise.
"Rain?" Chloe sputtered, shielding her face from the downpour. "But Alden has his Vikavolt out! With the rain, the power of moves like thunder will be maximized!"
"He won't use it," Maddi said matter-of-factly, shaking her head. "He wouldn't dare."
"What? Why not?" Rui asked. She wasn't a trainer, so she wasn't as well-informed about move types and advantages as her husband. But even she knew a Water type pokemon when she saw one, and the power of Electricity against Water types couldn't be dismissed.
"It's because of that Rhyperior," Chloe realized, and Maddi nodded in confirmation.
"Typing is important," she admitted, knowing better than anyone. "But Rhyperior's ability is almost-certainly Lightning Rod. That's why Gerard sent him out against the Commander, who relied on his Vikavolt. As long as that Rhyperior is here, the Commander can't use Electric type moves so easily. Not a bad play."
"I didn't expect him to have such a good opener for a double battle," Rui said, impressed. "Is that a specialty of his or something?"
Maddi narrowed her eyes. No. No, it wasn't. As far as she knew, Gerard had never been in a double battle before, yet he'd started as strongly as…
…Well, as Vic.
Gerard just smirked. "I've picked up a thing or two since our last fight," he boasted. "But go on. Use your Electric type moves, and see what they do for you. In the meantime, Burei, use brick break and smash through that barrier!"
With his boost from Swift Swim, Burei's speed couldn't be matched in the rain. He shot forward with his blades raised, slashing at Eifa. Eifa relied on her own agility to try and stay on guard, but she was quickly losing ground. Soon, Burei would smash right through the barrier.
"Jaune, use u-turn!" Alden ordered quickly. Jaune's wings buzzed and he darted forward, leaping between Eifa and Burei. He opened his jaws and bit down hard on Burei's blade just as the pokemon smashed through thebarrier, knocking both pokemon backwards. Jaune returned to his pokeball as Burei returned to his fighting stance.
"That was cute," Gerard scoffed. "But cute doesn't cut it!"
"But maybe this will," Alden said. "You want a water battle, then fine, we can do that too! Go, Finn!" He shouted, throwing out his next pokeball.
"Swampert!" The mighty pokemon roared, beating hi chest with pride. He lumbered towards Burei, and the ground began to shake.
"That's earthquake!" Maddi gasped.
"A double battle classic," Chloe smiled.
"Espeon!" Eifa began to glow red and she used her psychic powers to lift herself off the ground, and out of the range of Finn's tremors.
"You think an earthquake will stop us?" Gerard asked, rolling his eyes. "That's all folks like you think of. Use earthquake to defeat the Rock type pokemon. Well, I'm sorry to say, but it won't be that simple! Go, Burei!"
"Kabutops!" Burei shot forward, claws raised. He leapt into the air, jumping above the tremors, and turned his claws towards the hovering Espeon, ready to strike.
"Eifa!" Alden shouted, and Eifa turned towards him, her jewel flashing in the rain. She fired a beam of psychic energy right at the Kabutops, but it bounced off a blue barrier of light.
"So you avoided the damage to earthquake with protect, hmm?" Alden mused, nodding in approval. "I suppose that would be what you would want to do. But it won't be as simple as-"
"Now, Temblor!" Gerard shouted, cutting off his opponent with his first orders to his Rhyperior. "Use counter!"
Alden hadn't seen that one coming. Temblor charged forward, ignoring the shaking ground. He built up energy from withstanding the earthquake, and slammed into the bulky Swampert with a full-force tackle, sending the large pokemon falling to the ground. The Rhyperior threw up his arms and roared, stomping ferociously on the ground as the shaking stopped.
Burei landed on the ground beside the Rhyperior and scraped his claws together, advancing on the wounded Swampert. But Finn was able to quickly recover, blocking the swings with his arm. Burei's sharp claws dug into his flesh and he roared in pain, but still withstood the attack. He rose to his feet and pushed forward, knocking Burei over.
"Espeon!" Eifa landed on the ground, her eyes flashing with red light. She grabbed Burei with her psychic powers, lifting the pokemon into the air and raising him up as the perfect target for her partner's wrath.
"Hammer arm," Alden ordered. Finn raised his arm to swing it at the struggling Kabutops, but Temblor was there to intercept.
"Megahorn!" Gerard shouted. Temblor leaned down and charged, turning his drill towards the opponent's pokemon. But it wasn't Finn he was charging at, defying everyone's expectations. Both trainer and pokemon decided to leave Burei to his fate. Instead, Temblor aimed his drill at the other pokemon, Eifa.
So it was up to Alden to protect Eifa. "Use ally switch," he ordred, and Eifa snapped away her psychic powers, turning to Temblor. She flashed red and disappeared, swapping places with Finn as the Swampert's fist dropped.
Temblor jabbed his horn right into Finn's chest, his drill spinning at top speed. Finn roared with pain and stumbled back, clutching his heart as blood spurted out of the wound. Temblor let out a roar and continued pressing the attack, slamming Finn down into the ground.
At the same time, Burei recovered from the damage from psychic and was preparing to strike. When Eifa switched to ally swap, she'd regrettably let Burei go, and now he was going to take advantage of his incredible speed and high attack to end things.
"Night slash," Gerard ordered. Fast as a bullet, Burei shot towards Eifa, claw raised. He swung his blade at the Espeon, his sword so sharp he nearly cut her in half. Th dark strike sent Eifa tumbling to the ground, and the Espeon rolled across the wet brick, slaming to a stop against a fountain.
She didn't stand back up.
"Eifa!" Alden cried.
"No!" Rui wailed, her heart breaking at seeing the Commander's Espeon in that state.
"Night slash is devastating," Maddi said solemnly.
"That was a powerful hit," Chloe winced, knowing just as well as Maddi how devastating a physical Dark type move could do to a fragile Psychic type pokemon like Eifa.
"Espe… on…" Eifa whimpered, closing her eyes as she lost consciousness. Alden solemnly recalled her to her pokeball.
"You did the best you could," he said gently. "Don't worry. We're just fine, handling the rest. Just take a rest for now."
"Such comforting words," Gerard sneered. "But you won't get the chance to live up to them. Everyone talks about how great a trainer you are, Commander, but it looks like you're not all that in the end, huh? What a pity."
Alden didn't bother replying. "Mimi, I'm counting on you," he said, sending out his Mimikyu into the battle next.
"Mimikyu!" Mimi chirped, her false head bobbing up and down as she scurried over to Finn's side. The injured Swampert stood and roared, summoning a massive tidal wave. With a stomp of his feet, he sent a torrent of muddy water towards Gerard's side of the field.
"Water moves, huh? I suppose that's a good strategy," Gerard scowled. "Temblor, use protect!"
"Rhyperior!" Knowing full well how much damage a Water type move could do to his Rhyperior, Gerard ordered him to use protect. At the same time, Burei wasn't nearly as vulnerable to Water type moves, so he withstood the attack and charged into the waves.
"Kabutops!" Swimming fast, Burei raised his blade and slashed at Finn, striking the Swampert right where he was weakest, in the chest above the previous wounds inflicted by Temblor. Finn roared out in pain, but he didn't fall.
Clenching his fist, the Swampert stood his ground, and swung a devastating punch that caught Burei in the jaw, knocking the ancient pokemon away.
"Sorry," Alden smirked. "But you're not the only one capable of ordering his pokemon to use counter!"
Gerard glared at the Commander, frustrated by his opponent's resilience.
Gerard vs. Alden! This is a pretty good fight to kick off the struggle in the Orre Region! But Alden's being surprisingly pressed by his opponent! Gerard seems to have learned a thing or two about the Commander's fighting capabilities since their last battle- will that knowledge be enough to grant him the edge in this fight?