Things with Ayame and Olivia have gotten kind of tense, and Ayame's realized maybe she's gone too far. Perhaps it's time to take a break from the search for Blake and focus on something a little more lighthearted, like the match between the Commander and Anabel! A nice, friendly competition is the perfect thing to take our minds off of the situation! Remember to review!

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: It's definitely not going to be easy for them to get back, if they're even able to do so in the first place.

Aquahaze675: That's one way to think about it, yes.

KedharS: I felt that might be a bit too on the nose.

Rowlets and Oshawotts: Don't worry, we're taking a break from that part to focus on the battle between the Commander and Anabel, so you've got your finger right on the pulse of where the story pacing is headed.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 603

"…Hey, Cynthia, are you alright?"

It wasn't like Maddi to ask questions like that, inquiring about how other people were feeling. She was the kind of girl who usually stuck to her own devices and minded her own business, even when it came to people she considered friends.

But not even she could avoid checking on Cynthia when she saw the state that her friend was in. Normally, Cynthia was vibrant, excited, and full of life. Even late at night like it was now. And especially considering the circumstances. Cynthia was a huge fan of the Commander and loved watching pokemon battles, and a few days prior she had been incredibly drawn into Anabel's fight against Vic, and was hyped up for this match as well.

So in theory she should be bubbling with energy, overflowing with excitement for the match between the Commander and Anabel that was about to begin in front of them.

But one glance at Cynthia was enough to tell that her thoughts were somewhere else completely. She was fidgeting in her seat, sure, but not out of her usual exuberance; it was more like she was concerned with something. And the way she kept checking her phone, like she was waiting for something, like there was somewhere else she had to be…

But what was most telling of all was that look in her eye. Where normally Cynthia's face was bright, right now it was shadowed with worry and anxiety. It was such an un-Cynthia expression that anyone would be able to tell something was the matter, even someone like Maddi who didn't really know Cynthia all that well.

So even though Maddi would have preferred to mind her own business, she understood that whatever it was that could take away Cynthia's excitement and draw her away from the match that she had been so hyped up for the night before had to be something serious.

Cynthia flinched, as though surprised to hear the question, which confirmed Maddi's suspicions that something was wrong. She really did seem to be a thousand miles away right now. It was quite a transition, seeing Cynthia's face go from pale wide-eyed shock to twisting into a facsimile of a smile, one that may have worked with another person but would never work with Cynthia.

Maddi had seen Cynthia's real smiles.

Cynthia was one big, walking smile. Because she so easily wore her emotions on her sleeve, telling when she was faking it was as easy as looking at her face.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine!"

Liar.

Maddi knew that Cynthia's assertion that she was okay was an outright lie, and even the tone of voice she said it with was shaky at best. But Maddi wasn't the kind of person who would press the issue; considering how much she derided Cynthia for prying into her own personal affairs, being pushy herself just felt hypocritical.

But at the same time, she was still worried for Cynthia, so she checked again, just to make sure. "Really?" She asked, hoping that Cynthia would take the hint that she was fooling no one and open up to her about whatever it was that was wrong. That would be one less thing for Maddi to be stressed out about, anyway.

Cynthia not being Cynthia like this just felt wrong.

"Yep! Absolutely!" Cynthia said, giving Maddi a thumbs up, her smile straightening itself out to be a little more cheery and genuine.

Better, but still an obvious lie.

At the same time, though, that was the limit of how far Maddi could press the issue without overstepping her own personal boundaries of what would be considered "rude". So she decided to drop it, and let Cynthia work it out on her own. If Cynthia didn't want to share what was going on, then Maddi certainly wasn't about to force her.

"…Okay then," she replied, nodding. "If you need anything, let me know."

Yeah, that was perfect. Let Cynthia know that she was there to help if she needed it, without being too pushy or prying into anything that was none of her business. It wouldn't stop her from being annoyed by her inability to help, but it would keep her from feeling like she didn't have any respect for her friend's personal boundaries like some Cynthia.

While Maddi was trying hard to seem respectful of Cynthia's position, Cynthia herself was still wracked with concern over the Blake issue.

Adding onto that, she was starting to feel guilty. Really guilty. Everyone was working their hardest to find Blake, and here she was, kicking back and watching a pokemon battle. There were more important things that she should be focusing on, was she really ignoring those just to see a battle? Even if it was promising to be an amazing one?

There was no way she was going to enjoy it, feeling as guilty as she was, though. Absolutely no way at all. Sure, she would talk with the Commander afterwards about happened with Blake and get him to help, but the more she told herself that the more it began to feel like a convenient excuse so that she could just watch the battle and not have to help.

No, no, don't be stupid, she chastised herself. You are helping! You're going to get the Commander's help, you don't have to feel guilty! What would you even do if you stayed back in the room anyway? It's not like you'd be able to find anything.

Cynthia wasn't used to situations like this. She just wanted everybody to be happy and having fun. Something this serious was out of her range of expertise.

…And so I ran. I didn't want to confront the reality that I can't do anything about Blake's disappearance, so I ran away from my problem and tried to distract myself with this pokemon battle. God, what a worthless friend I am.

And yet, she couldn't let any of that show on her face. Maddi was already being unnaturally concerned for her, which meant she could tell that something was really wrong. And Cynthia didn't want anyone else looking at her with the same scornful eyes that she was aiming towards herself. Maddi would probably look down at her for running away like this. So she'd pretend everything was okay, like there wasn't a problem, at least until she could turn her lie into the truth and ask the Commander for his help. That would make her feel less like a piece of crap, right?

Yeah. Right.

"Hey there, why the long face?"

Cynthia flinched in surprise, realizing she was being addressed.

"O-Oh!" She gasped, raising her head to see the lilac-colored eyes of Anabel staring at her with a sparkle as the tall trainer ambled towards her, leaning over the railing of the bleachers to look Cynthia right in the eye. "S-Sorry, I was… nothing, just… thinking." Cynthia fumbled for an explanation, but she found herself unable to argue with the gorgeous person standing in front of her. So instead of coming up with an excuse she fell silent.

"I see…" Anabel mused, studying Cynthia carefully. A small, coy smile crossed their face and they gave Cynthia a wink, turning away. "Well, I wish I could help. In the meantime, why don't you watch my fight with your leader? It should be a nice way to pass the time, at least!"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Cynthia said, her voice not very certain. She watched the older trainer strut towards the battlefield, and couldn't even find it in herself to admire their androgynous figure squeezed into those tight pants.

Cynthia sighed. She really hadn't been feeling like herself lately.

"So, you finished with what you wanted to do?" Alden asked, his eyes shining eagerly as Anabel took their place across from him on the battlefield.

"Just wanted to go check in with that little friend of yours," Anabel said, the sweetness in their voice laced with a sternness that clued everyone into the fact that the niceties were ending here. Now, Anabel the trainer was home. "I admire your boldness, Commander. I expected to have to wait a few days for your pokemon to recover after the fierceness of that battle, before our match could happen. You sure a day was a long enough rest? I want you to satisfy me, after all."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Vic demanded, jumping up from her seat, her face red with fury. "Didn't you see the Commander's majestic performance just last night?! How he so brilliantly defeated those Shadow Pokemon, without flinching even once at the dangers ahead of him?!"

She was practically swooning, but neither trainer even turned her way. They were both totally focused on each other.

"The Commander will be more than enough for someone like you!" Vic finished, snorting indignantly and crossing her arms in front of her chest, plopping back down onto the bench in a huff. "Don't go thinking you're all that!"

"She's quite fond of you," Anabel chuckled. "I'm rather envious."

"Vic's a nice girl," Alden lied through his teeth. "But enough about her for now. Let's ignore all of them. You thought I could wait a few days? That my team and I would need to rest?"

Alden's eyes shined.

"My Sense could feel it from the moment we met," he continued. "My pokemon and I were aching for a match with a trainer of your caliber. You think I need a rest, after that match last night? For us, battles are how we relax! Pushing ourselves to our limits, day after day, burying ourselves in the never-ending thrill of real combat, we don't need a break. Not when there's a battle ahead of us! That's what's driving us forward, and that's why my Sense is so excited right now!"

He looked at Anabel with a wide-eyed grin, that Anabel returned.

"It's the same for you, isn't that right?" He asked.

Anabel's smile grew wider and they nodded, reaching to their belt for a pokeball.

"Indeed," they nodded. "We've been on the edge, just waiting for it. The exhilaration of a real fight! I'm not waiting a second longer, Commander! Satisfy my pokemon and I with that 'Sense' of yours! Come out, Margie!"

Surprised by their brazenness, everyone gasped as Anabel already threw an ultra ball into the air, starting the battle before anyone had a chance to respond.

"Mismagius," the pokemon within the pokeball murmured, emerging with a specral aura weaving around her. The Mismagius floated above the battlefield, staring down at the Commander and daring him to send out his first pokemon.

"Taking the lead already, huh?" Alden grinned, glancing at Anabel and nodding approvingly. "That's what I like to see!"

"I'm the kind of person who can be a little impatient when what I want is right in front of me," Anabel explained, licking their lips, their eyes flashing a cool lilac with their harmonia. "What about you, not too timid are you?"

"Not a bit," Alden grinned. "But she is! Come out, Eifa!"

"Espeon!" Eifa emerged from her pokeball, her eyes flashing red as she glared at the Mismagius.

"He's using a Psychic type against a Ghost type?" Cynthia asked, in spite of herself. She quickly shook her head, if she got too invested in this battle, then that would mean all those accusations she'd aimed at herself were accurate! She wasn't here to have fun, she was here to get help!

Maddi blinked, realizing that might be a way in to opening Cynthia up. She was abysmal at social interaction, and in truth, Cynthia was often the one to get her to open up instead. But it was worth a shot.

"I agree," she nodded. "Even if the Commander's pokemon fought against the Phantom's team of Ghost types, leading with Espeon is still…"

"Of course he'd use Eifa as his lead," Vic snorted, giving the two girls a look. "Her Magic Bounce makes her the perfect choice to feel out what that Mismagius has planned."

"Yeah, plus the dual screens," Cynthia acknowledge, giggling sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I just wasn't thinking…"

"Hello there, Eifa!" Anabel greeted the Espeon standing across from them. "I've been looking forward to meeting you! But first thing's first! Margie, use imprison!"

"Mismagius!" Margie rasped, the ruby necklace around her throat glowing red. A red aura with a black tint began glowing around her body, and strange magic words began writing themselves over her body. Copies of the strange symbols rose up from the etchings and floated around her, billowing out around the aura. The arcane writing stretched towards Eifa and began to wrap around her, carving itself in the Psychic type's fur.

"A status move?" Alden gasped, not seeing the move deal any damage to his pokemon. "But those don't work on Eifa!"

"This one does!" Anabel grinned. "Now your Espeon's sealed!" The words etched themselves into Eifa's fur, glowing the same shade as the writing etched over Margie.

Alden wasn't sure what the move the Mismagius just used did, but it was clear that thanks to Anabel's harmonia, she was a lot faster than Eifa. He also knew that Mismagius was a special attacking pokemon, which meant his first move was obvious.

"Eifa, use light screen!" Alden ordered, preparing Eifa's defenses.

"Es-! …Espeon?" Eifa looked around, confused. She tried focusing her power, but she couldn't. Her ruby wouldn't light up, and she couldn't concentrate her psychic energy to create a light screen. She could feel herself trying to use the move, but nothing was happening. "Espeon?!"

"What's wrong, Eifa?" Alden called out to her.

"Sorry, sorry," Anabel giggled. "Now, Margie!"

"Mismagius!" Margie created an orb of ghostly energy in front of the ruby on her chest, red energy mixing together with the shadows for an eerie contrast. She fired it at Eifa, who just barely managed to dodge out of the way.

"Counter with your own shadow ball!" Alden ordered. If defense wouldn't work, then they'd switch to attack.

"Espeon!" Eifa opened her mouth and tried to fire another shadow ball, but like before, she couldn't seem to use her move!

That was enough for Alden to figure out what was going on, but the audience was still a little confused. Cynthia in particular had no idea what the heck was happening.

"What's going on?!" She demanded, her prior reluctance to get involved in the match already forgotten. "Why aren't any of Eifa's moves working?!"

"It's quite a good move, don't you agree?" Anabel smiled at Alden. "Even though not many know what it even is. Imprison. Any move that my Margie knows, none of your pokemon will be able to use it. Those moves are cut off from you entirely. Now, permit me a demonstration… Margie!"

"Mismagius!" As if to prove a point, the ruby on Margie's chest began shining bright, and a crimson barrier slowly grew out of it, stretching until it engulfed the Mismagius completely, protecting her from harm.

"So, your Mismagius knows light screen too, huh?" Alden said.

"While I can't say for certain what moves that Espeon of yours might know, I'd wager there are a good number of them that Margie knows herself," Anabel said sweetly. "That's what makes her the perfect lead against you, Commander! Now, Margie, use shadow ball again!"

"Mismagius!" Margie prepared another shadow ball that she fired at Eifa, but Alden was quick on his feet.

Alden knew that, as a special attacker, there was a very good chance that Eifa's moves would have a very significant overlap with the Mismagius, and he wasn't sure which ones were safe to use, and which were sealed. And he wasn't about to risk Eifa's health to test that out, either. But he knew one move that he was certain that Mismagius wouldn't know.

"Eifa!" Alden shouted. "Use quick attack to dodge!"

"Espeon!" Eifa nodded, lowering her head and dashing forward at high speed, moving out of the shadow ball's path. She couldn't attack the Ghost type with it, but it was certainly a useful move for avoiding her attacks.

"Clever!" Anabel cheered. "Way to go, Eifa! But how will you stop our next assault? Margie, use magical leaf!" Anabel focused their harmonia, boosting Margie's special attack considerably. This next one was gonna hurt!

"Mismagius!" Margie's eyes glowed red and the rubies on her necklace began shining, crimson-colored leaves made of magical energy floating up in the air around her. With force of will she sent the leaves swirling towards Eifa, threatening to slice her to pieces.

"Should have figured you'd try something like that!" Alden grinned. "Luckily, this is another move I bet that Mismagius of yours doesn't know! Eifa, baton pass!"

"Espeon!" Eifa leaped back to her pokeball, and was quickly replaced with the Commander's next pokemon. The leaves had frozen in the air, momentarily losing their target, before turning direction and flying towards the new pokemon.

"Lucario!" Corin wasn't fazed, however. She shrugged of the leaves as they struck her fur, not even strong enough to slice through her steel-hard body. Corin turned her attention on Margie and glared, growling at the Ghost type.

"Mismagius," Margie glared back, the crimson words etched over her body glowing again, now writing themselves across Corin's fur.

"Until you switch out that Mismagius, her moves are still sealed, right?" Alden grinned, his eyes glimmering with excitement. "Then consider this us upping the ante!"

"He's already sent out his Lucario!" Cynthia found herself cheering, her mood picking up in spite of herself.

"Another questionable matchup," Maddi murmured, but even she could agree that type disadvantages were less of a factor when the Commander sent out his Lucario.

"Sending out your best pokemon already, huh?" Anabel grinned. "I'd have thought you'd be wary of that, considering what happened to her in your last match! Glad to see you aren't cowering, Commander!"

"Corin's been itching for a skirmish," Alden replied, smiling back at them. "Last night wasn't nearly enough for her. So come on then, your Mismagius knows perish song too, right? We're ready to take that for a whirl if you'd like."

"And risk cutting the battle short?" Anabel chortled. "Nah, you're just the kind of reckless dude who'd let her fight to her last breath rather than switch her out! No, we'd never try something like that, this is the fight we've been waiting for! That would just be a disappointment! Margie, hit her with your mystical fire, instead!"

"Mismagius!" Margie's ruby flashed again, crimson flames glowing with an eerie shine appearing in the air around her, floating ominously in a spinning circle. With a twist of her body Margie sent the spinning fire Corin's way, both she and Alden smiling in response.

"Just as we were hoping!" Alden grinned. "That's what we're looking for, too! Corin, try your agility and see if you can dodge it!"

"Lucario!" Corin nodded, narrowing her eyes. She shot forward, her speed boosting up as she dodged the flames, quickly dashing out of the way.

"Looks like you need to work more on your Mismagius's agility," Alden called. "Considering Corin can use it but she can't."

"Clever boy," Anabel crooned. "Just what we were hoping for! But don't think you can just speed your way out of this, right Margie?"

The flames turned before the struck the ground and twisted towards Corin, Margie controlling them with her mind and shaping them into a long snake of fire that arced towards the Lucario, pursuing her wherever she ran.

"These flames are mystical fire, after all, it wouldn't be fair to treat them like a normal fire attack!" Anabel grinned.

"Maybe not," Alden admitted, nodding to Corin. She pulled to a stop and turned, her blue aura wrapping around her as she closed her eyes, holding her hands together at her side. "But they'll definitely get extinguished like a normal fire attack!"

Corin pulled her hands apart, sculpting an orb of water in the palm of her hands. She turned and flung her paws forward, releasing a shockwave of water at the incoming roil of flames, extinguishing them completely with the water pulse.

Anabel wasn't even disappointed. Their smile only grew wider as they gazed upon Corin, excited that the battle was just getting started.

A nice, fun little battle between the Commander and Anabel is just what we need to get our minds off of the situation with Blake! Hopefully it will cheer Cynthia up a little.