Learning about what happened to Alcea must have been devastating for Olivia. What will she do with this information? How did falling for Alcea and losing her turn Olivia into the person she is today? We continue exploring her past, and the pain that she's dealt with. Hopefully she will be able to find some measure of happiness in the present when she overcomes the pain that she's been burdened with and find a way to make amends.

KedharS: I guess we'll have to see. It should be quite a reaction though, that's for sure. Maybe a happy one? Or maybe not…

NewReader: Yes, it will. But I'm glad you've taken the time to make your way through it, if you've actually managed to get this far.

Thunder Fire: Not exactly. It's a little more complicated than that.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 772

Without Alcea, it was like the color was gone from Olivia's world.

It was hard to imagine that a few short months ago, she'd never known that redheaded girl, and had lived a perfectly difficult, challenging life filled with disappointment and loneliness, and had been content.

Before Alcea had entered her life, Olivia hadn't realized how much color there was in the world, she had no idea she could smile so brightly and feel so treasured.

And now, she wished that she'd never learned such things. Because Alcea… she had been so wonderful, and now she was gone.

She was dead. Olivia's best friend was dead. She had barely gotten to know her, and now she never would. She was all alone again.

It was a horrid thing to think, but part of Olivia felt that if Alcea was just going to come into her life and make her happy, and then disappear forever, it would have been better if she had never appeared before Olivia in the first place.

Olivia could have gone on being blandly miserable with nothing to look forward to, continually disappointing her father and never succeeding at pokemon battles, and she would have been fine with that.

That life would have been awful, but it would be better than this.

For weeks, Olivia cried into her pillow, thinking of Alcea and missing her best friend. The girl who had lifted her up and showed her that she could be more than some maid's daughter, who treated her with respect and care, was gone. And there was nothing that would fill the hole in Olivia's heart she had left.

Before her father had delivered the news, she had loved the fact that her bedroom window overlooked the estate's gorgeous rose garden. She could turn and look upon the lovely flowers and dream of that night whenever she wished.

Now, she couldn't get up in the morning without that monument to her loss staring her in the face, reminding her that her one night with Alcea was a miracle that was never to be repeated, that she would never dance with her again.

It was like that wherever she went.

Alcea… her memories of Alcea had colored so much of her life these past months that even just walking down the halls of the mansion she was reminded of her warm feelings of hope, waiting patiently for the sweet girl.

After a few months of this, Olivia locked herself away in her room with her Gible, and refused to leave for any reason.

The most painful memories, of course, were those in her bedroom. But as long as she didn't have to face the rest of the world, she could live with them, and keep her despair bottled up in her own private world, a place where she didn't have to confront the pain of a life without Alcea that waited beyond that door.

During Olivia's prolonged breakdown, Aaron Evergreen was faced with problems of his own. His daughter was suffering, but he couldn't do anything to comfort her; he couldn't even console her without drawing attention to his own issues. So all he could do was go on with his life and hope that she could pull herself out of this.

It made him feel sick to his stomach. His own daughter, and he couldn't do anything for her. He had felt powerless in regards to Runa and Olivia many, many times throughout his life, and this was as bad as any of them. That was why he decided that right now, if Olivia wanted something, he would do whatever he could in his power to grant her request.

There were limits, of course, he couldn't legitimize her as his heir or anything as drastic as that. But if it was something he could do, then he wanted to. He wanted to help her however he could, to make up for all the failures of his past with her. And he promised himself that this time, he was going to make sure he did it right.

It was another month before he had the opportunity to make good on that promise.

It was such a surprise, he hadn't been sure what to make of it. Just yesterday, Olivia had confined herself to her room as she always did, refusing to come out and see anyone, having her meals delivered to her.

But today, she had come to his office with her head held high, wearing one of her nicest dresses, and burning resolve in her eyes.

"Hello, Lord Evergreen," Olivia said, lowering her head respectfully. "I've come to speak with you."

That was obvious, of course, but it needed saying. Stunned, Aaron wasn't sure what to make of her statement at first, but he eventually composed himself enough to nod, and beckon her to his desk so she could have a seat.

Olivia took it, not saying a word. She just stared at him. Aaron had to admit, he was a little put-off by the look in his daughter's eye. It was just so… different from the way she always looked, like this time she was resolved to accomplish something.

It unnerved him, to say the least.

"How can I help you?" He asked cautiously.

Placed on the spot, Olivia took a deep breath, and delivered the line she'd spent the past few days polishing in the mirror.

"I would like to request you sponsoring me studying abroad in the Sinnoh Region," she stated, proud of how strong her voice sounded.

Olivia took no small pleasure in the look of shock that crossed her father's face. But as amusing it was to catch him off-guard like this, it wasn't necessarily a good thing. His dissatisfaction with her decision was a hurdle she expected to be difficult to clear. She doubted he would want her to go to the Sinnoh Region, given her poor showing as a pokemon trainer in Galar. Especially not with his personal sponsorship, she might embarrass him, which was a problem.

But this wasn't some whim of hers. This was something that she had determined for herself, after weeks and weeks of deliberation.

For Olivia, "home" had never felt like home. Evergreen Mansion wasn't her home, after all, it was the home of her father, where her mother was nothing more than a servant, and she was nothing more than a servant's daughter. Her school had been no better. Teaching classes on pokemon battles, classes that she would study her heart out for, in order to improve her skills.

But she had never gotten better. No matter how many hours she had devoted to studying, no matter how much practice she had gotten in with her Gible, she had been completely unable to improve her abilities as a pokemon trainer.

In another time, in another place, that would have been fine. There was more to life than pokemon battles, after all. But for Olivia, living in the Galar Region was synonymous with excellence in battling, and that would never be her.

What she needed was a change of place. A chance to get away and refocus herself, find a new path forward, and maybe even improve in a way that her father would accept. And something in her heart told her that what she would find would be in the Sinnoh Region.

Those were the reasons she gave to her father, telling him all about how she could certainly improve herself in a new environment, and that her current schooling wasn't helping her skills develop as they should be.

But the real answer, the one she kept to herself and refused to share with anyone, was the fact that she couldn't keep living in this place.

The mansion had never been home to her, but she'd tried to see it as home. But ever since she'd learned about Alcea's fate, Olivia realized the impossibility of that. This place would never be home. Everywhere she looked, she saw a memory of herself, waiting happily for Alcea to come. Even her bedroom, which had once been her sanctuary from her feelings of insecurity about her place in the mansion, was intolerable to her now. Haunted with memories of a lost love, staring at her like the rose garden from her window.

She couldn't stand it. She refused to spend another night in this mansion. But to get to where she needed to be, she would need her father's support. She needed him to give her permission to finish out her schooling in the Sinnoh Region, as far away from the specter of Alcea Vermeil that haunted her every moment in this house.

But it wasn't going to be easy. Her father would most certainly not want her to-

"If that's what you think will help you improve, then absolutely," Olivia's father determined, giving her a sharp nod.

Olivia's look of determination faltered for a moment, thrown off by the fact that her father was so ready to give her what she wanted. Was… was it really that easy? He was going to let her go to the Sinnoh Region, just like that?

"Your grades in class are fine, excepting your skill in pokemon battles," her father said, Olivia wavering slightly. "I think you're right, studying in the Sinnoh Region would be an excellent use of your time. I'll make the arrangements right away."

Shocked and unbelieving as she was, Olivia still knew better than to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. She nodded obediently and thanked him for his offer, rising from her seat to return to her room, excited to confide in her partner pokemon about what she had just heard.

It was a few hours later when it finally set in. For once, her head wasn't occupied with thoughts of Alcea Vermeil. She was actually going to Sinnoh!

"Can you believe it, Cynthia?" She asked, cradling her Gible in her arms. "Sinnoh! We're actually going to the Sinnoh Region!"

Aaron watched his daughter depart, trying to keep the relief off of his face. He wasn't quite sure what he felt about Olivia wanting to live in her mother's homeland, but he knew that this was something that he had to grant her. She deserved so much more than what he could do for her, this was the least he could offer.

He also knew that, in spite of her proclamations, she had no talent for pokemon battles, nor any intent to improve her skill. Those efforts would be wasted, and getting her out of this toxic environment where pokemon battles were seen as essential would be for the best.

He was aware that Olivia had tried so hard at her school, struggling to become a pokemon trainer, in order to appeal to him. It had been a wasted effort, because he had never cared about her abilities as a pokemon trainer. He just wanted her to be happy doing the things that made her happy, rather than what she thought would please him.

Unfortunately, he could never tell her that. Even in private, between the two of them, he still had his image to maintain. He couldn't openly discourage her from trying to be a trainer, he had to hope that she would find her own way, as painful and difficult as that might be.

Aaron had been broken a little himself, seeing the state that his daughter had been in, fearing the worst when she locked herself away in her room. But now that she had come out and he'd seen the look of resolve in his eyes, he knew that as difficult of a path as she had to face, she would be able to face it with her head held high.

Just like how Runa had withstood the pain of his family's pressure and raised their daughter with love and care, Olivia had inherited that strength. She was looking for her own path in life, going to her mother's home region. He knew there was another reason, though, beneath the one she'd mentioned on the surface.

Olivia's adoration for Cynthia Harker was well-known. Even though his daughter lacked the skills of a real pokemon trainer, she idolized the champion of the Sinnoh Region. Cynthia had been the reason Olivia had asked for a Gible, and of course she had named her Gible "Cynthia" as well. Between her mother's heritage and being the homeland of her idol, Aaron was sure that Olivia would be able to enjoy her time in Sinnoh in a way that she couldn't here.

She was going to try her best, and find her own way forward. That was the kind of girl she was, and it was what made Aaron so proud of her. He was absolutely certain that she would find a path that was perfect for her.

Something other than pokemon battles, something that really spoke to her.

A smile spread across Aaron's lips. His daughter would be fine.

Sylvia hated the Sinnoh Region. Why the fuck had she even wanted to come here in the first place? It was just like Galar, except it was freezing.

She hadn't been a big fan of the schools in Sinnoh. There just… wasn't anything that she liked about it, really. She had hoped when she first arrived that she would find a new future here, find a place where she could belong, away from the haunting memories of Alcea Vermeil.

But unfortunately, wanting it didn't make it so. Instead, she found more of the same discrimination she had received from her classmates in Galar.

After all, she might have had the features of a Sinnohian thanks to her mother, but her hair and eyes were bizarre. A Sinnohian with blonde hair and blue eyes? Perish the thought! It just wasn't natural, and neither was she.

So here she was. Another place where she was regarded as "the weirdo".

So yeah, she was pretty much over Sinnoh at this point. The one good thing about it was that she wasn't reminded of Alcea Vermeil everywhere she went. But other than that, she lived a pretty boring, miserable life here, not much different from her life back home.

She left school pretty quickly after that realization. From there, she basically wandered like a drifter from place to place, staying at hotels on her father's credit card, feeling her life pass her by as she wasted away in a region that felt no more like home than her father's estate.

What am I doing?

Why did I even come here?

What am I looking for?

Those were the questions that plagued Olivia's mind, questions she tried desperately to stay ahead of, in fear of taking over her completely.

Isn't there anywhere I can be accepted just for being who I am? She asked herself, knowing that a question like that didn't have an easy answer, if it had any answer at all. She just wanted to live a life where she could be herself, where it didn't matter that she was the bastard child of a noble and a maid, a Galarian and a Sinnohian.

The question was, who was she? Who WAS Olivia Himeko? It was a question she had no idea the answer to, and in fact, a question she had come to the Sinnoh Region in part to answer, so it rather bothered her that in all this time, she couldn't find an answer.

All she'd been doing really was wandering around participating in battles that she almost never won, because that was what was expected of her.

And then one day, she found herself staying at a hostel in a small town known as a Celestic Town, nestled up high in the mountains. It was a rather spiritual place, and very slow and peaceful, the exact opposite environment that Olivia was used to, more accustomed to the city life.

She was staying with an elderly woman who was gushing about her granddaughter, and Olivia tried hard to be polite. She looked like she was over a hundred years old, but to Olivia's amazement, she was filled with energy and seemed to be one of the healthiest women Olivia had ever seen, much to her remarkable surprise.

The soup the lady prepared was rather lovely, too. She was eating a bowl while sitting at the kotatsu with her Gible, Cynthia devouring some soup of her own.

"So tell me, dearie, what is it you wish to accomplish in your travels? What brings you to these parts?" The elder asked, smiling warmly at Olivia. The innocent smile she wore made Olivia feel a little guilty about her own lies. She hadn't felt comfortable telling her that the reason she'd come was to escape from her past.

This was the kind of woman that made Olivia wish she knew her grandparents, at least those on her mother's side.

Her father's parents, well… that was a different, far more complicated matter, and one that she didn't want to confront right now.

"I guess… I'm just trying to find myself," Olivia finally admitted, taking another sip from the delicious soup. "I'm not… satisfied with who I am right now. And I want to change, I want to improve, but… I don't know what it is I'm looking for."

The old woman gave her an appraising look. Olivia felt a pressure coming off of her, like the woman could read Olivia's feelings.

Then, she smiled.

"I can tell by what your Gible tells me that you are a sweet girl," the woman chuckled. "That's why I let you stay with me free of charge. But I suggest you don't pressure yourself too much, dearie, young'uns like you have such a desire to rush ahead, but if you ask me, there's nothing to worry about. You have a long life ahead of you, and most importantly…"

She glanced at Cynthia and winked. "You certainly love pokemon quite a bit," the old lady laughed, petting the dragon pokemon.

Cynthia cooed back, and Olivia was just confused. The way that her Gible seemed to act, the way the woman spoke, it was like they could talk to each other somehow. But Olivia didn't understand how that was possible, so she just avoided the issue entirely.

"You know, you remind me a lot of my granddaughter," the woman mused. "She was always so eager and excited, trying to do everything, but eventually she learned to take it easy and not take everything on herself. I wonder where she is now, I wish she would visit… tell me, dearie, do you want to hear a story about my granddaughter, back when she lived here with me? I must say I've got hundred of them, yes…"

Olivia nodded politely, trying not to show how much she didn't care. She was only going to stay here for a little bit longer, and the least she could do in the meantime was humor this old woman about her granddaughter.

It wasn't like there was anything better to do than listen to this lady's stories. Celestic Town was the most boring place in the world. There was nothing exciting here, and no one who was anyone would show their face in a place like this.

Whoever this lady's granddaughter was, she had certainly made the right choice getting out of this town.

Olivia doesn't seem to be enjoying her new life in the Sinnoh Region. But what awaits her? We have one more chapter exploring her past, it should be interesting.