Now, time for the fallout after the battle with Alcea.
Aeromenca: Why can't she be that great of a woman?
Daozang: It's a staple on grass types to help against steel and bug types, as well as ice types.
Martyn: Nope, sorry.
ShadeZyro: Well, she is pretty cool, of course she has a lot of fans.
IfTimeWasStill: Thank you.
Duskzilla: Really? Grass types have hidden power fire all the time.
xEverlastingDarknessx: Yeah, but Venusaur should have hidden power fire.
DeviouslyNormal: You can have as many moves as you want, as long as your pokemon could potentially learn them (with reason, anyway)
Phantom-Jester: I already have an idea of when I'm going to introduce Eli again, don't worry.
Regiinator: I have a few ideas, but nothing set in stone.
Sonofthetrigod: Well, maybe she is into Blake…
Mightymareep98: Awesome review as always!
Darkmoonrise312: She's referred to as a "queen" by her peers, but it doesn't mean anything important. I hope.
Infamouskal420: Thanks!
Darkhammer: I already did, I'll bring him back in later.
Interwingular: Sorry, not accepting OCs right now.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 13
"You know, Blake, for a freshman, that was a pretty good battle," Cynthia said as she, Blake, and Julia entered Professor Kashita's class.
"Yeah, I know, I just wished I could have won."
"You can't win 'em all, that's why we're here. Soon enough, we'll all be strong enough to defeat her!"
"Yeah, maybe…"
"Geez, Blake, you are such a buzzkill!" Cynthia said, frowning.
The three sat down just as the professor walked in, making an announcement.
"Okay, class, we'll all be going outside to the fields."
The class, confused, filed out behind the professor to the large open quad outside of the building.
"Alright, today we're going to be pairing up to have pokemon battles," Professor Kashita declared. "Find a classmate and pair up with them. There's nothing better than cold hard experience. They can be single pokemon each, three on three, six on six, whatever you want, but single battles only."
"Hey, Blake, wanna-"
"Blake."
Julia interrupted Cynthia, staring at Blake.
"Fight me."
"…Wha?"
"This mopey attitude since last night is annoying me. Fight me."
"…Um… okay."
"Great, now I have to go find someone…" Cynthia said, frowning. She walked off to go talk to the other students, leaving Blake and Julia.
"Three each, sound good? Or would you rather one on one, as you did with her? Because if you want to try that Scizor of yours again, my Roden will burn him to ash."
"Three on three is fine."
"Alright then."
Julia walked a few meters away from Blake and turned around, releasing her Poochyena.
"Tara, let's go." Blake said, releasing Tara from her pokeball.
"Not Scizor?" Julia asked.
"Weiss needs his rest," Blake explained.
"Just don't use it as an excuse if you lose."
As if to answer, Blake ordered Tara to use her razor leaf, Tara swinging her tail and firing a blast of leaves at the Poochyena.
Wolfie jumped out of the way, and charged at Tara, tackling her. Tara skidded back and held her arms up, releasing her vines towards the dark pokemon.
Wolfie howled, releasing a shockwave of dark energy from around her, knocking the vines away and slamming into Tara, knocking her onto the ground.
Tara stood up, panting. She flipped her tail, launching a tornado of wind and leaves at Wolfie.
"Wolfie, dodge."
Wolfie jumped to the side with surprising speed, charging at Tara. Tara focused her energy, her tail glowing silver-white, swinging it at Wolfie.
Wolfie narrowed her eyes and jumped over Tara's tail by inches, biting her on the shoulder. Tara used her vines to knock Wolfie off of her, Wolfie running back over to wear Julia was.
"Her iron tail defeated Wolfie last time," Julia said. "So I've been teaching her how to avoid it. That's what you do when you lose. You learn about why you lost, and use it to get better."
"Yeah, I get it."
"No, you don't, that's why I'm telling you," Julia said, frowning. "You've got to work with your pokemon more to get around their weaknesses. Just because your pokemon are increasing in level doesn't actually mean that they're getting any stronger. There are countless trainers with high leveled pokemon, but the ones who become successful are the ones who can adapt to their pokemon and make strategies based around them. Your pokemon isn't the only one fighting, you're fighting too. You can't just sit back and let them do all the work."
"So you're some big strategist, huh?"
"Not a bit."
Blake looked at her, confused.
"I don't really strategize in battle," Julia said. "I let my pokemon rely on their instincts. But I also know exactly when to interfere, and tell them how to fight."
"I see," Blake said, frowning.
"Think you have enough trust in your pokemon to rely on them?"
"Definitely," Blake said, smiling.
"Good," Julia said, cracking a smile. "Okay, Wolfie, ready to go?"
Wolfie barked, charging at Tara.
"Okay, Tara, think you can handle it?"
Tara nodded, swinging her vine at Wolfie. Wolfie jumped over the vines, releasing a shockwave of dark energy at Tara. Tara swung her tail, hitting the ground, flipping herself into the air. In midair, she launched a tornado of leaves at Wolfie, knocking her off of her feet.
Wolfie rose onto her feet, shaking her head, and barked at Tara. She charged at Tara as the grass pokemon landed on the ground. Tara fired another leaf tornado at Wolfie, who quickly jumped out of the way, not losing speed a bit.
"Tara, glare!" Blake ordered. Tara narrowed her eyes, glaring at Wolfie, Wolfie's fur raising up as she froze in fear.
"Wolfie!" Julia shouted to her paralyzed pokemon. Tara ran towards Wolfie, raising her tail, hitting her head on with an iron tail attack. Wolfie was launched into the air, and hit the ground hard, unconscious.
"Return," Julia said, returning Wolfie to her pokeball. "Blaze, go."
Julia tossed out a pokeball, which her Growlithe emerged from. The orange dog pokemon growled at Tara, who glared back.
"Blaze, leer." Blaze growled at Tara, glaring fiercely at her. He then charged at the grass pokemon, and opened his mouth, firing a blast of embers.
The ember attack hit Tara head on, injuring her. Tara stood up and fired a razor leaf attack at Blaze, but the Growlithe used another ember attack to burn the leaves to ash before they could hit.
"Flame wheel!" Julia ordered. Blaze coated his body with a veil of fire, tackling Tara in the chest, knocking her backwards. Tara skidded to a stop at Blake's feet, unconscious.
"Return," Blake said, returning Tara to her pokeball. "Okay, Cory, go."
Cory emerged next, clapping his pincers excitedly. Immediately, he fire a bubblebeam at the dog pokemon, but Blaze was quick enough to avoid it, firing an ember attack off.
The embers struck Cory but did little damage. Cory fired another bubblebeam, this time a little faster, hitting Blaze head on and exploding, Blaze yelping in pain.
"Flame wheel!" Blaze's body began to burn with flames again and he charged at Cory, who chuckled. Cory aimed both pincers at the fire type and fired a double bubblebeam straight at him. However, Blaze was faster than Cory expected. Blaze leapt off the ground, just before the attacks would hit, and began spinning towards Cory. Blaze struck Cory in the face, knocking him onto his back.
Blaze landed on the ground as Cory floundered, and prepared another flame wheel.
"Cory, use crabhammer to get up!" Blake ordered.
Cory focused energy into his claw, slamming it on the ground to flip himself away from the incoming attack and back on his feet. Blaze turned to charge him, but Cory caught him upside the head with the crabhammer attack, knocking him into the air.
"You used that maneuver against Akira," Julia said as Blaze stood up.
"Worked this time, too," Blake said, grinning.
"Blaze, use flamethrower," Julia ordered. Blaze opened his mouth and fired a beam of flames at the water type, Cory jumping out of the way and charging at Blaze.
"Flame wheel!" Julia shouted. Blaze coated his body in flames, charging at Cory.
"Aqua jet," Blake ordered. Cory ran towards the fire pokemon, his body covered in water. The two pokemon collided head on, knocking each other backwards. Cory cried out from being burned by the fire attack, and Blaze collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Julia returned Blaze to his pokeball.
"Now then, Roden, go." Julia tossed out another pokeball, which her Houndoom emerged from, snarling at Cory.
Cory glared at Roden, wincing, and fired a bubblebeam at the fire type.
"Roden," Julia said, narrowing her eyes. Roden opened his mouth, long stream of flames shooting out. The flames burned through the bubbles, hitting Cory head on, Cory crying out in pain. He jumped from the flames, charging at Roden, blue energy glowing in his claw.
Cory swung a crabhammer at Roden, hitting him in the muzzle, knocking him backwards. Roden crashed against the ground and rose up, glaring fiercely at Cory.
"Hound!" Houndoom howled, flames swirling around his body. He released the inferno attack, powerful flames knocking Cory backwards. Cory hit the ground and bounced onto his back, unconscious.
"Return," Blake said, returning Cory to his pokeball. "Okay, Rogen, let's go."
Rogen emerged from his pokeball, and immediately fired a blast of shining stones at Houndoom, badly cutting the dog pokemon.
"Roden, flamethrower."
"Rogen, iron defense!"
Roden opened his mouth and fired a blast of flames at Rogen, whose body began glowing silver while his defenses increased.
"That won't be much help, Roden's flames rely on his special attack," Julia informed Blake.
"Rogen, use magnitude!" Rogen slammed his claws into the ground and released a series of tremors, knocking Roden off of his feet. Rogen lumbered towards the fire pokemon, who quickly jumped back, firing another blast of flames.
"We'll have to turn up the heat, then," Julia said, smirking. "Roden, use sunny day."
Roden's body glowed orange, light shooting up into the sky and intensifying the sunlight. Roden fired another flamethrower attack, this one much more powerful than the one before. The flames hid Rogen head on, this time managing to push the rock type back with their force and do a little more damage.
"Sunny day, huh?" Blake asked, frowning.
"Find it familiar?" Julia asked.
Rogen moved out of the flames and charged at Roden, who disappeared. Roden reappeared behind Rogen, hitting him in the back with a faint attack. However, the physical move did almost no damage, Roden leaping back.
"We'll have to win with pure firepower, Roden. Use another flamethrower." Roden opened his mouth, a blast of flames shooting out once more at the rock type. Rogen braced for impact, trying to endure the attacks with his tough body, but his weaker special defense was causing him to lose health in spite of his rock resistance.
"Rogen, use rock tomb underneath you!" Blake ordered. Rogen looked back at him, confused, and then nodded. He dug his claws into the ground, stones shooting out from underneath him and pushing him up out of the flames, above Roden.
Roden raised his head to hit Rogen again, Rogen holding his claws together and forming a massive rock that he fired into the center of the flames. The barrage of rock blasts pushed through the flames, hitting Roden head on, Roden crying out in pain as he was buried under a tomb of rocks. Rogen plummeted towards him, focusing energy around his body.
"Heavy slam!" Blake ordered. Rogen's body began glowing with silver energy, hitting the stone tomb head on, shattering it as he hit Roden. The dog pokemon whimpered in pain Rogen moved off of him, Roden losing consciousness.
"Return…" Julia said, returning Roden to his pokeball. "I see."
"Way to go, Rogen," Blake said, returning Rogen to his pokeball. "There, I won."
"Are you feeling better now?" Julia asked, smiling slightly.
"A lot, yeah."
"Good."
"Hey, wait a second, you didn't just let me win to make me feel better, did you?"
"Please, do I look like such a nice person?"
"…Good point."
"I wonder how Cynthia is doing…" Julia looked around for Cynthia, catching sight of her bright red hair. She and Blake headed over to check on her.
"Mach punch, Tristan!" Cynthia ordered. Her Breloom charged at a Lapras, hitting it right in the stomach. The force of the punch was powerful enough to send Lapras airborne, the water pokemon hitting the ground and losing consciousness.
"Return," Will said, returning the Lapras to its pokeball. "Pixie, go."
Will tossed out a pokeball, which a Togetic emerged from. The white pokemon flapped its tiny wings, flying into the air.
"Tristan, use spore!" Cynthia ordered. Tristan launched a wave of green spores at the Togetic, who smiled. A barrier of energy formed around Pixie, the spores disintegrating on contact.
"A safeguard, huh?" Cynthia said, frowning. "Then, we'll go for physical power, Tristan!"
Tristan nodded, opening his mouth and firing a blast of seeds at the flying pokemon.
Pixie smiled, flying out of Tristan's range.
"Aerial ace," Will ordered. Pixie shot towards Tristan like a bullet, Tristan raising his fist to counter. However, at the last moment Pixie disappeared from sight completely.
Tristan looked around frantically, Pixie appearing behind him. She hit Tristan in the back at full force, knocking Tristan forwards, Tristan crashing to the ground in pain, unconscious.
"Darn it!" Cynthia huffed. "Return, Tristan!"
Cynthia returned Tristan to his pokeball, frustrated. "I guess that's my loss."
"It was a fine battle," Will said, smirking. "I just happened to be a little better."
"Well, I'll get you next time, just you watch!"
"So, Cynthia, do you ever actually win?" Blake asked.
"Oh, shut up, Blake!" Cynthia said, frowning. "How did your battle go, anyway?"
"He beat me," Julia sighed. "But I'll just have to get stronger and defeat him next time."
"That's the spirit," Cynthia said, nodding. "I'll beat him too."
"Oh, so you're a friend of hers?" Will asked, walking up to Blake.
"Yeah, why?" Blake asked.
"Are you strong?" Will asked.
"I guess so, why?"
"Well, if you're strong, what do you think about having a battle?" Will asked.
"Right now? My party isn't healed yet."
"Maybe not right now. Some other time will be fine."
"Well, club week is starting, so that might not be the best time," Cynthia said, frowning.
"Club week?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, basically, all the clubs are putting up flyers and information around campus as sort of advertisement," Cynthia explained. "This Thursday and Friday we'll be excused from classes to go check out all the different clubs to see which ones to join."
"Whoa, two days without classes?"
"Well, clubs are important at the school. It's a way for students to earn points, as well as providing different methods of training pokemon. The two days off are to help the students find the perfect fit, since freshmen can only join one club."
"Hm…" Blake pondered.
"So what club are you going to be joining?" Julia asked.
"…No idea," Cnthia admitted sheepishly. "Maybe if there's like a battle club or something, I might join that."
"…I think that would be a little crowded," Blake said. "So I'm not sure if you should try that."
"Well, we can go on Thursday and get a brochure to check out all the clubs on campus. Maybe we'll find one that will be interesting."
"Sounds good," Julia said, nodding. "What about…"
"What about what?" Sango asked, appearing beside her.
"…Never mind."
I wonder what clubs the characters will join…