Alex waited until it was 3 am. Everyone would be sleeping or attempting to sleep. That meant he could sneak downstairs to train. He knew what he was doing was stupid, but he had to do it. No one else was going to stop The Righteous. He would have to do it. Sure, Dexter was out there somewhere, but no one from The Institute was going to do anything. This meant Alex Knight had to step up and do it. No one else would do it so he had to. Alex Knight had been an asshole his whole life so he had to do something good. Something that meant that he could redeem himself. Redeem himself to the people he had hurt like bunny, Ava, and most important Kat. Alex had to do this so he was going to train his Pokémon at this time. They had to get stronger in order to take down these terrorists. If anything happened to Alex, he wanted Kat and Bunny to take care of his mons. Of course he wasn't planning on anything happening, but if it did.
Alex released all his Pokémon onto the little makeshift field far away from the dorms. All his Pokémon were practicing and fighting against one another. Even Alpha got involved in the training. Alex watched on and he was pleased. Yes, his Pokémon were strong, but he hoped that one in particular could get stronger. Alex wanted Alpha to become the strongest she possible could. She was a missing link in his team. The steel rock type would give unique coverage to Alex's team. So he needed her to get stronger. Luckily for Alex, he watched as the little rockruff went after Morrissey, it was hilarious to see and it brought a smile to his face. He would get training and pushing his Pokémon. He had grown kinder to his Pokémon and hadn't pushed them like this since he had wanted to beat Ava. He wanted them to get stronger and better, he needed them to in order to beat The Righteous. Alex was so intent on training his Pokémon, he hadn't noticed that Gale, Kat's Swellow, had been perched in a tree and had been watching everything going on. She would then take off when Alex went back to his dorm.
Kat paced around her room as Ava sat on her bed. Both girls were worried. They had seen that look on Alex's face before. They knew that Alex was planning on doing something very stupid. He was going to go this alone. It scared both of them, which was why Kat had Gale following Alex. Kat wanted her suspicions confirmed about what he was doing. "Please don't be a dumbass, Alex for once. Please don't tell me you're not doing what I think you are going to do.", Kat's brown eyes peered at the window waiting for Gale to return. Ava too was worried and sat with a concerned look on her face. It took a lot to get Avaline Bloodsworth worried and everything that had been revealed tonight had done just that. She was worried about everything especially with Nikki. She wanted the little girl she looked at as a younger sister to be ok. Everything was rough and now Alex was going on a suicide mission. She actually cared about him especially since he had gotten back to the Alex she knew.
Gale flew into Kat's room and perched. "Swellow Swell!", Gale reported. Kat started to shake and her eyes filled with tears. She looked at Ava who had turned pale, "he's training his Pokémon. He's going to go there, Ava. He's going to fucking get himself killed. He's going to try and take out the Righteous by himself. He's gonna die Ava, they will kill him! He's only 19, he can't handle them or a legendary. " Kat crumbled into Ava's arms. Both girls cried from the stress of everything. Kat was a total mess and so was Ava. They both didn't want to see him get killed and they were both worried about Nikki and JJ. "I have to go with him, Ava. I have to. I'm stronger than him. I can help him. Don't tell me no, I am gong and you can't talk me out of it. I'm going to save that dumbass.", Kat was firm. Ava knew better to argue with the girl when she was like this especially since she was so deeply in love with Alex. "Fine, but I'm coming too. Stupid Alex. I can't risk you getting killed too. I'll bring Bunny along so Nikki will tag along too, it'll be a field trip.", Kat hugged Ava tightly. They would do this together.
No one had spelt the night before. JJ and Nikki were the worst off as they had spent the whole night crying. Nikki was especially devastated by everything she had learned. She had spent the whole night weeping and having panic attacks. JJ had comforted her, but they both knew that the only way Nikki would feel better was if she could talk to JJ's uncle. Davis Walkmen had been hiding information especially from JJ. JJ has cried to Nikki about how hurt she felt. That her uncle would do this. It broke her heart. Davis had been manipulating JJ this whole time" he didn't care about her, this was just a sick game. JJ hated her uncle now. Hated that he was apart of whatever cover was going on. She needed to confront him about everything they knew. For the first time, JJ felt like she had the whole story now about what he was hiding. Now she, a Kat, and Nikki needed to confront him about what they knew and what he lied about.
After the students had filled out, Dr. Walkmen had not expected to turn around from putting his papers away to see JJ, Nikki, and Kat still there. The professor was shoed to see the three still in the auditorium. "Ladies, if you have any questions regarding assignments, Catherine can help you. Now please, I have more important matters to attend to.", he was about to leave when he heard something that would rock his foundation. "Hidrarian, Cerbic, and Ptica.", those words came from his niece. JJ stared at him with a look he never thought he would see from her before: hate. It led like she had been crying all night. Something was very wrong here. Dr. Walkmen looked confused, he would try and play stupid with the girls. "What does that mean, Jessica? I do not understand what you are talking about. Now if you have to excuse me, I have more important matters to get to.", he knew exactly what those thins were and he was terrified how his niece would know those names. And now here she was talking to him about it.
"Another lie from a liar!", JJ was filled with rage. The tall girl started to huff as she walked towards his desk. Davis was stunned all he could do was stand there as Jessica approached. "We know that you have been hiding all of this. Look at Nikki. Look at the pain she's in. Look at what the lies have done to my best friend!", JJ sharply pointed at Nikki. The professor sheepishly looked at her. Nikki Allaire had always been a beam of joy. A bubbly girl that had befriended his niece and was the best friend of hers. Nikki has brought out the best in Jessica, but now she looked a ghost of herself. She was pale white, her eyes red. She had been crying. She had to have found out about her family and their history. How was the question. JJ continued to sneer at her uncle, "you told me that you would never lie to me. That you wouldn't hurt me. But you broke all your promises. You aren't my uncle that I knew.", that hurt.
Davis looked at JJ with pain in his eyes. Jessica, for whatever reason, was saying things to hurt Davis. Ever since that night in the hospital, their relationship had taken a turn for the worst. JJ didn't understand that everything Davis did was to protect her. She was the daughter he always wanted. She was beautiful, smart, and so very strong just like her mother. But now she hates him and it stung. He just looked at her and looked for any sign that she didn't hate him, but right now she was cold. Somehow she knew that he had been covering up some things related to Nikki and the university. Davis had been hiding this from JJ since she said she was coming here. Of course once he heard that Nikki Allaire was going to be her roommate, Davis knew this day would come. The day JJ found out that Nikki Allaire was the only one that could control the legendary Avantura trio. He just had not expected his niece to react so angrily towards him.
"Dr. Walkmen, can you please at least tell us what is going on? Everyone is worried. Nikki was mentally and physically destroyed last night when she found out. Please we just want an explain cause we are all concerned.", his assistant asked, even she was involved in this for some reason. Dr. Walkmen decided to rub his face out of frustration as he tried to figure out what and how these girls had figured out. He was going to play hardball for a second with the female students. "All I want to know is how all three of you found out about this because you guys should not have this information. Just tell me how you guys found out about this information.", he had a theory about how they got the information. Only a few people would have access to this information and Davis had made sure of that. They had to have snuck into the professor only area of the library. That was where Davis had hid the information. Kat narrowed her eyes, "from the library, but that's not important." She didn't want Alex to get into trouble.
Davis nodded that was confirmation that they had gotten the information from the right source. There was no truth from the females anymore. Still, if Davis told them all the truth then he could get into trouble. All his work would be undone. Franz Babic would fire him and worse. Davis would continue to stall until he could figure out what exactly his next move should be. He just couldn't tell them all the truth not even JJ. "Dr. Walkmen, please I just want to know more about my family. I have to, I have been lied to so much, from you, my parents, my godfather. Everyone has lied to me. I just want to know the truth about myself. Please, you're the only person that can help me. You're the only person that can give me some clarity. I'll give you whatever you want. Just please finally tell me the truth.", JJ's voice cracked and she tried to cry, but no tears came out. She had cried too much last night. Davis looked at the battered girl and his heart sank. "Fine, but now here let's go to my office.", Davis motioned them to follow.
The trek to Davis' office was silent and awkward. No one spoke. Everyone had thighs on their mind. For Davis, it was what he was supposed to tell the girls. Davis was walking a fine line between protecting his job and being honest to Nikki, Kat, and most importantly JJ. JJ wanted to know why her beloved uncle had lied. Time and time again he had lied to JJ. She wanted to know why. What had happened to Davis that had taken JJ in so many adventures. The Davis that actually cared about people and not just himself. Nikki of course wanted to know more about her family and what her godfather knew. Why he would lie to her about her true lineage. For Kat she just wanted to know how this information was related to The Righteous and why they were so hellbent on summoning these creatures again. Only Davis would know. He was the one who wrote the documents afterall so he had to know some thing about what was going on. They reached the professors office as he pulled the door open.
"Dragapault!", Davis' dragapault, Chihiro, had fried off two dreepy's at her trainer. This was the Pokémon paying Davis back for an earlier prank he had played on her. The two dreepys latched onto Davis' face as Chihiro laughed. The ghost/dragon type then noticed that they had visitors, but it was one in particular she was most happy to see. "Draga draga!", she floated to JJ and wiggled her tail at the seventeen year old. Chihiro had not seen JJ in so long, not since the start of the year. She knew how important JJ was to her trainer so she was so happy to see the girl, but something was wrong. JJ looked sad and not her usual happy self. In fact the dragon Pokémon observed that everyone in the room looked sad. This upset her greatly. Chihiro floated over and grabbed the two Dreepys off of Dr. Walkmen's face and put one of the dreepy on JJ's head and the other on Nikki's head, "Pault!", she seemed satisfied as she floated over to the area she always resided at in her trainer's office.
Of course no one was in the mood for cheering up. They wanted answers and Davis needed to give it to them. Of course the first thing he wanted to clear up involved his niece. He had to make her understand that he was still the man she thought he was. "When I first came to this place, I was in charge of the breeding program. How to raise Pokémon from eggs. Jessica, that is how I was able to give you that special egg of yours.", JJ looked at Nikki. He was talking about Junior hatching from that egg. The three students listened as he continued. "Two years ago, Dr. Babic approaches with with a special project. He wanted for me to research some myths around Avantura. He wanted to know if Hidrarian, Cerbic, and Ptica were real or just myths. So I researched and found out that they did exist, but had been hidden away by the family that owned them. They were too powerful to be brought back. Plus the only way for them to return was if an Allaire family member unlocked them. They were the only ones that could control them.", JJ squeezed Nikki's hand as the pink haired girl shook.
"But that was impossible, because the Allaire family was wiped from the history books. It was only in ancient writings where they are mentioned. So notice everyone's shock when you arrived.", Davis' eyes looked at Nikki who was still stunned. Kat and JJ still paid attention as JJ squeezed Nikki some more. "Franz Babic became obsessed with the idea of finding the Pokémon. That it would be a great discovery for Avantura and the Institute. That it would continue to put this university on the map again. Of course I told him it was impossible. That these creatures are tucked are so vague that it would make a Regi puzzle look easy.", the professor laughed at his own joke. No one else did as they wanted to know more about what had happened. "Plus, he needed to find an Allaire and the ancient battlefield these mons battled on. That is the only way to unlock the Pokémon even if you get the puzzle. It is impossible. Or so I thought.", that sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
"Before the welcoming ceremony, I made a horrific discovery. Luka Babic, built The Institute on the site of where the final battle between the legendary trio took place. We are literally sitting where the last fight happened. The great hall is where Hidarian fell. Obviously, Franz knew this. You see The Institute is a lie. It wasn't built just for learning. It was built to cover up the battlefield so no one could unlock these three Pokémon ever again. Franz saw this as a threat from me, to go to the press or publish my findings would destroy what he built, what his father built. That's why...", Davis choked up, his eyes were solely trained on JJ. She was the only person he cared about right now. Her hard exterior cracked a bit seeing him like this. "He threatened you Jessica. Said he could ruin your reputation before you even graduated. That worse came to worse he knew people that would put you back in the hospital. I could t risk that, that's why I bought you the ticket. I never wanted you to get hurt. But this man is crazy and will hurt you. So please JJ, listen to me. I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. So that's why I wanted you to leave.", JJ ran over to her uncle. She embraced him with a hug as they both cried.
Everyone sat there in stunned silence. Here was the information from the man who wrote the book on it. What they could conclude was that Franz Babic was insane. A man so obsessed that he was doing whatever it took to protect the university and to find the trail he just wanted glory. Nikki was beyond shaken. This was her godfather, the man she had come to love as a second father. He wouldn't do this, right? But then Nikki began to question everything, if he was so obsessed with the family would he have made up a lie about being her godfather? She had to know. "Dr. Walkmen, Franz Babic is my godfather. He has taken me in after I was kicked out by my parents. I am having a hard time believing what you are saying.", her voice was terrified. Filled with worry that she was being lied to now, Davis looked at Nikki as JJ went back to her seat. "He probably has some dirt on your parents or made a threat to them. That's why most of us are here because he's made a threat, bribes, or manipulated us to work for him. He needs you Nicole, that's why he took you in. You're an Allaire. He needs you to unlock the three legendary Pokémon.", Nikki ran to the nearest bathroom so she could vomit. JJ chases after her. This left a Kat alone with the professor and she just had one question.
"Is the Dark Forest where one of them is?", Kat was really smart. She knew how to put two and two together. Plus, she was worried about what Alex was going to walk into. Dr. Walkmen shifted in his seat. "I can't say for sure. But that is where I suspect Ptica to be. But, Catherine, please don't go there. The task would be physically and emotionally draining. You could get get Catherine. Do not go chasing these creatures. It's not safe. ", Dr. Walkmen pleaded with his assistant. It wasn't Kat who was going to go chasing after these creatures, but the man she loved. She knew Alex was going to be dumb enough to go chasing after these legendary mons. Yes, his intentions were good, but what he was getting into was really dumb. She was so worried. "Professor, why would he want to use Nikki, like why would he? What is the point of unleashing these mons?", JJ and Nikki had walked back in the room. Nikki was still shaken, but they had heard the question.
"I don't know why except to tell you that the Institute has fallen on hard times. We haven't produced a great champion since Leon. We haven't had a great discovery in years. So he is desperate. That is why he invested in trying to figure everything else related to the legendaries. He is so warped and twisted that he thinks this is the only way to bring the university back to prominence. That is his only concern. He does not care who he hurts on his way to do it.", Davis eyes focused on Nikki. For once though, the pink haired female did not cry or seem drained. She just seemed mad, "so he is going to use me for his sick game? That I am just a tool for him? So that I can just unlock these Pokémon?" Dr. Walkmen just nodded. It was the sad truth. This girl was just a pawn to Dr. Babic. "We all are just pawns to him Nicole. Everyone here is just being used by him. So you get used to it.", he seemed defeatist, but he didn't know what else to say.
His eyes fell on Nikki then JJ and Kat. "You need to protect her. Keep her safe. There is no telling what Franz is going to do to get to her. So all of you need to make sure to keep your guard up. Don't let her out of your sight. This is why I am glad you have decided to befriend Catherine and Jessica. They are both very strong and kind. Avaline is extremely strong too. You need to stick by them no matter what.", Nikki felt JJ and Kat put a hand on her. These were her true friends. People that she had come to love and admire. They would do anything for her including sacrificing themselves to protect her. She obviously wouldn't want them to. She had hurt too many people in her life. That was when Nikki realized what she had to do. She had leave. At was the only way she could protect them from getting hurt. They would hate her, but she had to do this. JJ thanked her uncle for telling them everything as they left. Now each knew what they had to do.
JJ had fallen asleep at 2:30 am. Nikki had gotten her drunk enough so JJ could pass out. They needed drinks after what they had just learned. Kat had joined them briefly before returning to tell Ava what they learned, this was part of Nikki's plan. Now none of her friends could stop her from going through with her plan. Nikki had packed a bag which she had hidden from JJ and grabbed it. She attached her Pokémon belt around he small waist and walked over to her best friend who was snoring. Nikki brushed the brunettes hair out of her face, "I have to go JJ. You'll hate me, but I can't risk you getting hurt again. Please forgive me. I love you. You're the best friend I ever had.", tears fell from Nikki's face as she quietly walked over to her door to open it. As she opened it, she was shocked at who she saw standing there. Kat and Ava were both in the doorway staring at Nikki. Both had a frown, "go back in your room Nikki. We are in this together. JJ thanks for texting us." Nikki turned around to see JJ had been faking being asleep and had a smile on her face. The girls closed the door on Nikki. She wasn't going anywhere.
Ooc: Hey guys just wanted to give you a heads up, but I am going on a vacation on Friday and I'll be back Monday so this is most likely the last chapter this week, but I'll have more next week.