Here's another chapter, this time things are getting a little more direct!
KedharS: A lot of deception, alright.
Hellraiserphoenix: The only thing you need to know about Emilia is that she is an objectively worse choice than Rem.
Tambry96bj: Yup, it's a wonder what Gabrielle is getting out of this.
Pokemonking0924: There is no Emilia, it was a bit. And Gerard's probably got some tricks up his sleeve.
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Interesting.
Duskzilla: Tune in next time.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 101
"I gotta say, I'm surprised that you of all people would vote for Elaina." Callie and Raizer were walking out of the center office, discussing the events of the meeting they had just left.
Callie frowned.
"My personal feelings aren't important. If what Gerard said is true… then we need her strength. Even I can see that. We can only hope… that that girl eventually learns to control her power."
"I mean, I don't see what the big deal is," Raizer sighed. "As long as she's strong, right?"
"This is why you're an idiot," Callie huffed, storming off. She glanced up at the sky. Nick and I… both need to get stronger. I hope you get here soon, Senpai.
"Oh, well," Raizer yawned, walking off. "I hate sitting still for meetings like that… it's the worst part of being one of the Eight Leaders… gotta work off some steam by scaring up a fight, I guess."
"Julia… you don't have to bring me too and from the cafeteria, you know," Kitty said, looking away from her friend as the two walked back from getting lunch. "We can just meet up there, you know…"
"That won't do," Julia insisted, clenching her fist. "We don't know if that ghost girl will come after you again. And what if your migraines act up again? Until things calm down around here, I'm gonna be acting as your shadow!"
You're more injured than I am… Kitty thought, glancing at the sling over Julia's arm. Still… it's okay to enjoy this for a little bit, right?
"Hey, you girls!"
Kitty and Julia turned to see two students walking up to them. They both wore red armbands.
One of them was a blonde tall, with dark tanned skin and angry dark eyes, his expression twisted into an intimidating glare. The other one was much more calm and passive-looking, with a placid smile and narrow, blue eyes. He had long red hair and pale skin.
"What do you want?" Julia demanded.
"You two are freshmen, right? And you live in Charmander House?" The tanned one demanded, pointing at the dorm building they'd been headed into.
"And if we are?" Julia asked.
"We're looking for a student who lives there. Her name's Katherine Kuroso. Know her?"
Kitty blanched and took a step back.
"Sure I know her," Julia said, stepping forward and putting herself between Kitty and the two upperclassmen. "You're talking to her. I'm Kitty Kuroso!"
"Huh?" the aggressive student's angry expression broke for the first time, taking on a look of confusion. "You don't look like a 'Kitty' to me, from what I'd heard she was supposed to be a lot cuter."
Julia eye twitched in irritation.
"Now, Tommy, that's quite rude of you," the smiling student chastised him, speaking for the first time. His voice was soft, but authoritative. "We should treat our juniors with more delicacy."
"Ross, you and Keya are just soooo civilized," the angry student, Tommy, groaned. "We didn't come here for talking, remember?"
"…Fair enough," Ross shrugged, staking a step back and taking a seat on a stump.
"If you're not here to talk, then what do you want?" Julia demanded.
"Simple enough," Tommy laughed, reaching to his belt and removing a pokeball from it. "I'm here to battle you!"
He threw the pokeball into the air, and a Hitmonchan emerged from it.
"No, thanks," Julia turned him down sharply. "I'm not interested. I have better things to do."
"Yeah, I'd heard that you're the reluctant sort who doesn't like battling," Tommy sighed. "Doesn't make a lot of sense why the Commander is so interested in you! Still… I'm not exactly taking 'no' for an answer! Rush!"
"Mon!" The Hitmonchan, Rush, shouted, charging at Julia. Julia glanced behind her just in time to jump out of the way of the pokemon's punch, pushing Kitty aside.
"Aahh!" Julia winced as pain shot through her arm when she landed on it. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Attacking a girl while she's not even sending out any pokemon?!"
"I don't care about that," Tommy growled. "All I'm interested in is battling! If you don't fight back, then it'll get boring! So send out your pokemon if you don't want to get hurt!"
"He's always like this," Ross sighed, giving up on settling things amicably.
"You're quite the scumbag of an upperclassman!" Julia snarled. "If that's how it's gonna be, then I've got no choice! Roden! Go!"
Julia's Houndoom emerged with a howl, a blast of flames erupting from his mouth. Rush stepped to the side at the last moment, dodging the flames by a hair's breadth.
"Using a dark type against a fighting type? That's pretty foolish of you, freshie!" Tommy chortled.
"Typing isn't everything," Julia replied. "Roden! Use flamethrower!"
Roden fired another blast of flames at Rush. Once again, the fighting type maintained his position with his fists raised until the last moment, before dodging the flames with a sidestep.
That's twice now, it's not just a coincidence. For all his bluster he's actually not bad, Julia frowned. "Roden, we're going to change tactics. Focus less on power, stay quick on your feet!"
"Hound!" Roden barked, nodding.
"Oh, come on now, that's just boring!" Tommy shouted. "This is already over! I've seen the firepower you've got, and it's nothing special! End it in a quick straight, Rush!"
"Hitmonchan!" Rush shouted, lowering his head and raising his fists, charging forward. He hit Roden in the face with a swift mach punch, causing him to flinch, and followed it with a barrage of punches aimed at the dog pokemon's body. Roden flew backwards with a whimper, badly battered from the combo attack.
"Roden!" Julia cried.
"That's really all you got?" Rush laughed. "That's just pathetic. I can't believe the Commander was interested in you."
"Hound…" Roden groaned, trying to rise to his feet.
"Okay, Rush, just finish that thing off," Tommy sighed. "This has been a complete waste of time."
"W-wait!" Kitty cried, running in front of Julia and Roden. "S-stop picking on her!"
"Huh?" Tommy gasped in surprise, Rush stopping in his tracks. "You're in the way, shrimp!"
"Stop it!" Kitty said, shaking her head. "I… I'm the real Kitty Kuroso! So stop picking on Julia! I-If you don't stop… then… then I'll be your opponent instead!"
"What are you doing?" Julia asked, running over and grabbing Kitty by the shoulder. She turned to Tommy and shook her head. "Our fight isn't over yet, so just leave her out of this!"
"Agh, what the heck?!" Tommy cried, scratching his head. "There's two of them now?! Then which one is the real one?! Oh, well, figuring this out is way too much of a pain. This Katherine's supposed to be really strong, right, Ross?"
Ross nodded.
"Well, Rush, I guess we'll just have to attack both of them, and whichever one manages to fight you off is the strongest, yeah? Go!"
"Hitmonchan!" Rush shouted, charging at Kitty and Julia. As injured as he was, Roden still managed to jump to his feet and run in front of the two of them before Rush swung his fist.
Rush's fist never connected though.
"Whoa, now, I'm a fan of fights as much as the next guy, but come on. A senior picking on a couple of first years? Even you're better than that, Tommy."
Raizer had jumped between the Hitmonchan and the two girls, blocking his punch with one hand. His expression was hard and angry.
"It's not like this was my idea," Tommy shrugged, Rush stepping back. Raizer lowered his hand, still glaring. "I'm here under orders."
"Fine then," Raizer said, cracking his knuckles. "If that's how you want, then I guess I'll take their place."
"What?!" Tommy exclaimed.
"Huh?" Kitty gasped.
"Why would you do that?" Julia demanded, suspicious of this strange man's sudden interference. She quickly returned Roden to his pokeball before he could get further injuries from this struggle.
"No need to worry," Raizer said, smiling. "I'm… about a hundred times stronger than you girls, after all."
"Don't act so tough just because you happen to be the Commander's little brother!" Tommy snarled.
"That's enough, Tommy," Ross rose from his seat, his expression turning serious. "If he's getting involved with this, it seems like I'll have to step in."
"Fine by me, I was itching for a good fight anyway!" Raizer crowed. "You girls stand back, it's time to really get my motor running!"
Suddenly, a massive box of light appeared around Raizer, Tommy, and his Hitmonchan, separating them off from everyone else.
"Thank you, Knox," Ross said, smiling, returning his Smeargle to its pokeball. "The current rules of this battle prohibit either one of you from breaking out of that box until this fight is resolved. Now, you can go as wild as you like without having to worry about dragging anyone else into this."
"Sounds good!" Tommy said, smiling. "Go, Rush!"
"Not even waiting for me to send out a mon, huh?" Raizer smiled, dodging the pokemon's attack and kicking him in the back, sending it stumbling behind him. He reached onto his belt and removed the sole pokeball hanging there, a bright gold orb. "Now, Zera! Let's take him down!"
Raizer threw the golden pokeball into the air, and from a crash of lightning a yellow-furred pokemon emerged. It stood on two legs, and held their fists up, electricity crackling in their paws. A long, golden trail of hair emerged from the back of its head, and the pokemon growled, their feline face burning with anger.
"Ora!" The pokemon growled, charging forward.
"What pokemon is that?!" Kitty gasped.
"I've never seen it before," Julia said, shaking her head.
"It's the mythical pokemon Zeraora," Ross said. Julia turned to him.
"Mythical… pokemon?" She asked.
"Is that like a legendary?" Kitty gasped. "I would never have imagined…"
"Zera, let's start it off with a wild charge," Raizer ordered.
"Ora!" Zera growled, clapping their claws together, a current of electricity passing across their fur. Zera shot forward like a golden streak of lightning, charging at the Hitmonchan.
"Rush, prepare a counter and dodge," Tommy ordered.
"Chan!" Hitmonchan said, nodding, raising his fists. As Zera drew closer and closer, he focused on the approaching golden pokemon, and threw a punch at the last second.
Zera skidded around Rush, having seen the forward punch coming a mile away. They circled around the fighting pokemon and struck him in the back, knocking him over.
"Rush!"
"Always a straightforward attack!" Raizer said, running toward the pokemon as he picked himself up. "A real fight's got more than just attacking, you gotta use a little of this!"
He pointed at his head, smirking, and raised his fist.
"He says that, but he's still a fairly solid idiot," Ross smiled.
Raizer threw a punch, hitting the Hitmonchan in the face, knocking him back over.
"Rush!" Tommy exclaimed.
"He- he punched it!" Kitty gasped.
"Is-is that even allowed?" Julia wondered.
"Of course," Ross said. "Tommy's the one who set the conditions of this fight, after all. Both trainer and pokemon are involved. If a pokemon can target a trainer for a tactical advantage, then the trainer can throw himself into the fray, right?"
"Rush, use sky uppercut," Tommy ordered. Rush jumped up and swung his gloved fist toward Raizer in an uppercut, Raizer stepping back and dodging the attack.
"Zera, go! Plasma fists!" Tommy ordered. Zera charged, but not at the Hitmonchan. Instead, they whirled around and shot straight toward Tommy, fists raised.
"Crap!" Tommy gasped. "Rush!"
Rush whirled around and ran toward Zera, raising his fist, and swinging at the pokemon with a mach punch before they could attack his trainer.
"Ora!" Zera shouted, spinning on their heel and swinging a straight shot, the two pokemon's fist colliding in a blast of electricity. Rush stumbled backwards, stunned, and Zera pounced. They raised both of their fists, electricity running through them. Zera unleashed a barrage of plasma fist attacks, Rush shielding himself as best he could. But in the position he was in, he couldn't withstand the assault for long.
"Ora!" Zera roared again, grabbing Rush by the throat and leaping up, flinging him up and slamming him into the ground, before striking him in the stomach with a powerful electric strike, sending Rush flying into the barrier wall.
"Well, I think that settles things, don't you?" Raizer asked, cricking his neck. "Come on back, Zera. Nice work."
Zera returned to Raizer's side and he petted the pokemon's fur, recalling them to their special pokeball as the barrier faded away.
"Damn, you just had to interfere, huh?" Tommy asked, frowning. "Why are you getting in our way, huh?"
"Huh?" Raizer asked, narrowing his eyes. "Getting in your way? I don't remember ever doing anything like that. I just came here looking for a fight."
He sighed, shaking his head.
"Still, gotta say, that was a major disappointment." He turned to Ross, smirking.
"Now then, are you next?"
"No, no, it wouldn't be fitting," Ross smiled, shaking his head. "I'm a bad matchup with a guy like you. Let's just call it the end here, sound fair? We all lead with no hard feelings, eh?"
"What's up with that, Ross?!" Tommy exclaimed. "You can't be serious!"
"Now isn't the time to start picking fights with the Eight Leaders," Ross said, frowning. "Besides, we won't have anything to gain."
"But we don't even know which one of them is really the one we're looking for!" Tommy exclaimed.
"Of course we do," Ross said, smiling. "It's the little miss with the white hair, isn't that right?"
"Uh…" Kitty gasped.
"Next time, it would help if you knew the face of the person we're looking for," Ross criticized, turning and walking away from them.
"So you knew the whole time, you shady guy?!" Tommy exclaimed, storming after him. "Then why did you let me fight the other one instead?!"
"Well now, that's a big letdown," Raizer sighed. "Totally not suitable for stress relief. He turned to the two girls.
"Unless one of you are in the mood for a little scuffle?"
"Uh, no, that's okay," Julia said, Kitty vigorously shaking her head from side to side.
"Ah, what a pity then," Raizer sighed, walking off into the woods. "Wonder where we can find someone to really blow off some steam…"
"Freak…" Julia muttered, clenching her shoulder.
"Julia, is your arm okay?!" Kitty cried.
"Nah… think… I really fell on it wrong," she winced, shaking her head. "Guess I better go to the nurse's office…"
"I'm coming with you," Kitty said. Julia glanced at her, and shook her head.
"No. Go back to your room and lock the door. People are targeting you, don't you get it? You need to be more cautious!"
"…" Kitty trembled, her eyes watering.
"S-stop it!" Kitty exclaimed, stomping her heel into the grass.
"W-what?" Julia said, confused.
"Stop treating me like a little kid… please…" Kitty said, wiping the tears as they fell down her cheeks. "I… I don't need you to protect me all the time… especially if you're hurting yourself like just now… I'm a pokemon trainer too! I can fight too… so can't you at least… rely on me a little bit?"
"…Yeah, sure," Julia said, nodding. She draped her good arm over Kitty's shoulder as the shorter girl helped to guide her to the infirmary. "Besides… between this, and losing against Elaina… I'm beginning to realize just how weak I really am."
"Oh?"
"Damn…" Julia scowled, shaking her head. "This really sucks… I need… to speak with Alcea after this. I need to get stronger than I already am."
"…Me too," Kitty said, looking up at Julia, smiling. "We both… should try our best to get stronger, don't you think?"
"Yeah," Julia nodded. The two continued their walk back to the center of campus, so Julia could get her arm looked at again.
I don't get it… Kitty thought, looking at the ground. Why… why are people coming after me? What… what did I do? I… I need to find out, or else… I won't be able to stop people from getting hurt anymore…
It's okay, Kitty, you'll be fine, hopefully! And hopefully Julia will get stronger, too.