Darla has managed to defeat Reed! What does this mean for the results of her test? Is she finally free of the Draconids' control over her? Can she and Lila live the lives they want to live now, without the fear of the Draconid hanging over their heads? Let's find out!

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Darla won using the skills that she forged for herself, and not the power of her birthright. Truly a powerful moment, that's for sure!

KedharS: I'm really proud of her. She's come a long way, and hopefully can finally live free of the Draconid people!

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 793

Darla felt the strength leave her body. She fell to her knees in the damp sand, staring in disbelief out at the ocean as the sky cleared.

She'd won. Melody had defeated Tamiya. She'd won the battle.

Darla was so shocked by what had happened, she didn't even think to recall Melody to her pokeball. She was too lost in the haze of having defeated Reed.

Ever since they were little girls, Reed and her Kingdra were an impossible pair of opponents. She never could have imagined beating her. She loved her cousin dearly, but she still felt insignificant next to her due to her skill.

That had all changed. She'd managed to win.

The skies had cleared, but rain still fell from Darla's eyes.

A warm hand on her back brought her forward. She glanced up to see Lila smiling at her, and that brought the smile back to her face.

Then a shadow crossed above her and her blood went cold. She immediately looked up. The chill had returned.

Reed loomed overhead, staring down at her silently. She wore a smile on her face, but it was an inscrutable one.

"Recall your Altaria," she said, her voice cold and empty. Darla shivered and swallowed, nodding her head. In spite of her victory, she still felt intimidated by her cousin. Learned vulnerability couldn't be unlearned with one win.

Darla stood up shakily and lifted her pokeball, recalling Melody to her pokeball. She clutched it tightly to her chest and kissed it gently with trembling lips. Thank you, Melody. Thank you for all your hard work. I couldn't have done it without you.

Then she raised her head and looked back at Reed again. Searching for something, anything, to let her know what was going on and why she was acting like this. Even with Reed having lost the battle, she smiled more than this, didn't she?

And… And Darla had passed her test! Reed had challenged her to a fight and she had won, if Reed was going to attack her, then…

"You've won the battle," Reed calmly stated, her words like ice to Darla's ears. "Congratulations, Zinnia. Now, we can go over the results of your test."

Darla froze again.

What?

The results?

But she had won. The battle was supposed to be the test, wasn't it? So why was Reed still talking about the test?!

"My… my results?" She asked meekly, her voice barely a whisper.

It was Lila who came to her aid.

"Darla just beat you!" She screeched. "Those are the 'results' of your test!"

"Yeah, that's right! You can't just pull a technicality out of your ass!" Ayame growled, stomping through the sand towards the blonde. Her body may have been a mass of aches and pains from the battle but there was no way she was going to let this woman screw over Darla after everything the other girl had been through!

"You may have misunderstood me," Reed said. "The battle wasn't the test. It was a tool I used to determine whether or not you would pass the test. Anyone can win a pokemon battle, it's no good test of anything."

So that was it. That was the loophole. Reed was going to drag her home either way. Everything Darla had done had been for nothing. She fell to her knees again and hung her head in resignation, digging her fingers into the sand.

Reed's smile was as bright as the sun. "So with that in mind, you passed! With flying colors, I might add!"

Darla stared numbly at the ground as those words sank in.

"Wait, what?!" She gasped, her head shooting up in confusion. She looked at Reed, but all she could see was the girl's sunny smile.

"The test was never about whether you could defeat me," Reed explained. "All I was testing you on was whether or not you were mature enough to make use of the powers of the Lorekeeper in a responsible manner. And you showed me you were."

Darla shook her head in confusion. She had no idea what that meant.

"That's just stupid!" Lila exclaimed. "Darla is the most mature and responsible person I know, you don't need to test her on something like that!"

Reed looked at Lila for the first time. "Oh, really? Then why did she summon Rayquaza to win a school event?"

Darla's eyes darted to the sand and Lila gulped.

"W-Well," Lila muttered, averting her eyes as well, "that was… there were some special circumstances, so…"

"The duty of the Lorekeeper is to serve as the Draconid's connection to the dragon deity Rayquaza," Reed calmly explained. "You are the only person in the world who can call Rayquaza to your side, Zinnia. With that power comes an immense responsibility not just to Rayquaza and the Draconid, but to the people of the world. Do you understand?"

Darla looked up at her and nodded softly, she was starting to get the idea.

"Our people wanted to bring you back to the village either way, but I wasn't convinced. I said I would go bring you back, but I was the one who came up with the idea of the test. Because I knew how much your freedom mattered to you. But as much as I respected your desire to remain free, I couldn't be confident that you wouldn't abuse that power of yours in the outside world," Reed said softly, kneeling at Darla's side and looking her in the eye.

"So that's why you tested me?" Darla asked.

Reed nodded. "I needed to make sure you were capable of doing your duty as the Lorekeeper, even if you weren't here with us. And to do that, I devised a test. I would challenge you, give you access to as many pokemon as you liked. Make you think that if you lost the battle, you would fail the test, and I would force you back home. That desperation was what I needed for the test to work. To push you to the edge, while my pokemon defeated yours one by one, until you had only one option left in order to win."

"Summoning Rayquaza," Darla muttered. That's what this had been about, that had always been what this was about, summoning Rayquaza. That was why Reed had pressured her so hard, in order to get her to do it. She had suspected that near the end, but she had no idea that had been part of Reed's little test.

"…Of course, I wanted to see Rayquaza with my own two eyes as well," Reed admitted with a sheepish smile. "So it's not like I was entirely neutral. So much for that, though."

"Then what was the test for?" Ayame asked. "Is that why Darla passed? Because she didn't summon Rayquaza?"

"Precisely," Reed nodded. "Whether you won or lost the battle never mattered. The only thing I was testing you on was whether or not, when your back was to the wall and it seemed like you didn't have any options left, would you rely on your pokemon and follow through until the end, without abusing your power as the Lorekeeper? Or would you give in and summon Rayquaza to save you, and prove once and for all that you didn't the responsibility necessary to remain here on your own? That was what I tested you on."

She beamed at Darla with pride. "And you and your friend proved to me just how capable you were. You showed me that even when pushed to the brink, you would rely on your friends and your pokemon, and not use Rayquaza's power, even if it meant you might lose. You passed the test, Zinnia, congratulations. It was just as I hoped."

Okay, maybe that was a lie, there was a not-so-small part of Reed that had been hoping to see Rayquaza for herself, but she wasn't going to argue with this happy ending.

Reed rose to her feet and extended a hand to Darla. Darla took it and allowed the woman to help her to her feet. Darla stood tall and proud, basking in the triumph of having passed Reed's test. It helped that she was finally starting to get feeling in her legs again after the stress of that battle had worn her out completely.

"Alright, way to go!" Ayame cheered, clapping for Darla. Lila wanted to throw her arms around her friend and hug her tightly, but she resisted for the sake of decorum.

"So what happens now?" Darla asked quietly.

"…Well, I suppose now I have a bit of explaining to do, don't I?" Reed laughed, scratching her head sheepishly. "You see, the folks back at Meteor Falls aren't interested in things like tests and responsibility, they're pretty adamant about wanting you back."

"They can't!" Lila asserted, stepping in front of Darla and holding her hands out defensively. It was quite a sight to see, such a frail twig of a girl standing up in defiance, protecting someone who was more than capable of protecting herself.

Darla appreciated the gesture all the same.

"Don't worry, I know," Reed laughed. "And I won't let them. I'll come up with some story I suppose, say that I tracked you down here, but when I looked around it seemed you had already departed before I even arrived. They'll probably believe that…"

"Thank you, Reed, that means a lot to me," Darla said, sighing with relief. She would be able to sleep now, knowing that her family's pressure wouldn't find her here.

"Anything for you," Reed grinned. "Zinnia, my dear cousin, I'm so proud of how much you've grown!" She exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

"Th-Thanks, Reed," Darla said, pulling free of her cousin and taking a few steps back. She brushed the sand off of her dress and stood a little taller. "But… well… I'm not Zinnia anymore. Zinnia is dead, I'm Darla Drake now."

Reed blinked. "Okay!" She chirped. "Darla, my dear cousin, I'm so proud of how much you've grown!" That was followed by a second tight hug.

This time, Darla let herself sink into Reed's grip. That felt so much better, feeling this acknowledgment, knowing she was free, it was like all of the stress she'd been building up, years and years worth, was all being drained away by Reed's hug.

There was just one last thing she needed to take care of. And she would need privacy for it. Another secret, one that she'd been hiding from Ayame, and to an extent, Lila, and wasn't comfortable talking about in front of them.

"Reed, actually…" she whispered into her cousin's ear, "I was wondering if it was possible we could talk in private? There's something important that we need to discuss, and I could really use your help with something."

"Of course Darla, anything I can do to make up for this whole mess, I'd be happy to help. I know how stressful this must have been after all," Reed said, nodding obediently and separating from Darla. Darla was relieved that her cousin was on her side. It was a lot better than having her as an enemy, that was for sure.

But now, onto business.

Darla turned to Lila and Ayame and swallowed. "H-Hey, I have to talk to Reed about something important, just… just some family stuff. Would it be cool if we met up a little later? You know, back at the dorm?"

Ayame nodded. "Yeah, that would be-"

"Absolutely not!" Lila interrupted, stomping over and wrapping her arms around Darla's, hugging her arm tightly. "I'm not going anywhere until this mess has been settled! Until Reed is off the island, I'm not letting you out of my sight, got it?!" She snapped.

Darla felt more than a little happy at that statement, she had to admit. But it still wouldn't do, this was business she didn't want Lila involved in.

Meanwhile, Reed just looked amused. She stared at Lila with a smirk until Lila felt the pressure start to kick in.

"N-No, no offense or anything," Lila said, clearing her throat, "it's not like I don't trust you or anything… If-If Darla trusts you, then obviously I do, it's just, well…"

She looked anxiously at Darla, but Darla didn't have anything to say. She just offered an awkward shrug in response.

"Don't worry, you're worried about her," Reed laughed. "I know, I feel the same way."

"Well, I need to go, so you girls have fun with that," Ayame said, pulling her waterlogged phone out of the pocket of her jeans. It was a minor miracle it hadn't gotten lost in the ocean, or bashed to pieces in the sand. "Someone has to clear all this up with the boss, and my phone might be waterproof but I'm not going to push my luck. Good luck you guys."

With that, Ayame turned and headed up the beach towards the path back to the main campus, leaving the three of them alone.

Lila wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, which was a problem.

"Lila, how about this?" Darla sighed, rubbing her temples. "Can you just give us some privacy and like… go over there?" She pleaded, pointing to a spot a decent ways off the beach, where she'd be out of earshot. "You can watch us the whole time! Make sure that nothing happens, while we have our conversation, sound good?"

Darla loved how protective Lila was, but in situations like this it was really a pain in the ass. She hoped the other girl would go for it.

Lila sighed in disappointment. It was clear she wasn't thrilled about leaving Darla and Reed alone under ANY circumstances, but when it was a direct request from her partner she didn't feel comfortable just saying no. So with a nod of resignation she turned and trudged down the beach, leaving the two Draconid girls to talk.

"So what is it?" Reed asked. "What can I help you with?"

Darla sighed. "The reason why I was so reluctant about coming to see you, Reed, and I wanted to know who it was that told you about my whereabouts, is because… well, someone here knows that I'm from the Draconid."

In a second Reed's smile turned from playful to serious.

"What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "Someone knows your secret? Who? A teacher? Another student?"

"It's… another student. Someone with a grudge against me because… well, because I'm working with… well, it's complicated, I can't really explain it perfectly!" Darla sighed.

That was an understatement. Darla's relationship with the Phantom was a whole lot more than complicated, but Reed didn't need to know all the details.

"See… back when I summoned Rayquaza, it was because this guy… he threatened me. He blackmailed me into doing it by threatening to tell my family that I was here, knowing… knowing that they'd send someone to bring me back. If I didn't summon Rayquaza for him."

A scowl crossed her face. "Of course, if I knew that summoning Rayquaza would have tipped you off anyway, then I never would have done it."

Reed nodded her head in understanding. "I see… you're right, that is a tricky situation to be in, Darla, do you know how he found out?"

Darla didn't have an answer she could give.

"Look, all I'm trying to say is that my relationship with this guy… it's complicated," Darla sighed. There was that word again. Complicated. Not exactly the best way to get someone on board with helping you, that was for sure.

Luckily, Reed didn't seem to mind.

"So I think I know what you want from me," Reed said. "You want me to take care of this guy for you, then?"

Darla blinked. "What?! No, no! Nothing like that!"

"Darla, the rules on this are very clear," Reed said. "If your identity has been compromised, if someone knows about our people and how to contact them, then they must be eliminated before they can pose a threat to our villages."

Darla swallowed. This whole thing was absolutely not going the direction she had intended it to. Sure, she loathed the Phantom and everything he stood for, and to say she resented her past being used to control her would be another incredible understatement, but that didn't mean she wanted Reed to kill him! That would raise even more problems!

Not to mention that he wasn't the only one here who knew about the Draconids… Darla may have fucked up big time thanks to her big fat mouth.

"Look, no violence, no threats, nothing like that!" Darla exclaimed. "I don't… I don't think he was being genuine with his threat, I don't know how he would even be able to get in contact with our village, honest!"

"You believed it enough to summon Rayquaza for him," Reed said.

"I know I did, but then I did some checking," Darla explained. "You see, there's… another guy here. Erik. A bastard." She couldn't even say his name without feeling the urge to spit in disgust. "I thought… he might have been involved, but I don't think he is now."

She sighed. "Look, it might be something, it might be nothing. I honestly don't know. But I need your help. If I'm wrong and he contacts my father… if he tells them I'm here, then this whole plan will blow up in our faces, right?"

Reed nodded. "That would be quite problematic, if they learned I'd lied about not being able to find you here."

"So far, he's kept his word about not using it against me since then," Darla said. "But the thing about blackmail, is you can't be sure. So I want to make sure that there's no way he can ever blackmail me again."

Her thoughts turned to Lila. I need to make sure that there's no way someone would ever think I could be controlled again. For Lila's piece of mind.

Reed gave it some thought. "So, if you're saying what I think you're saying, you want me to shut this guy up and keep him from threatening you, but at the same time you don't want me to kill him or do anything else violent, is that right?"

Well, when she put it like that, it sounded like a stupid idea. But yeah, that was basically it.

Darla nodded her head.

"Well, what about this? If anyone tries to contact the village, I'll keep an ear open. And if that guy tries to threaten you, or blackmail you, and actually makes good on his threat? I'll try and convince the chief that his information is bad, and he was talking about back when you were here. You know how the chief is, after all, he fully adheres to the whole 'no contact' thing, so he's probably not going to trust an outsider on just his word. If it's my word against that guy, then you can bet I'm the one he'll believe, don't worry."

Already that felt like another weight off of her chest. Reed had just defanged the Phantom's ability to control her. Darla sighed in relief.

Reed narrowed her eyes. "But you realize that for this plan to work, you'll have to keep your nose clean, Darla. No summoning Rayquaza again, you understand? Because if the chief feels that wavering in the dragon pulse, he'll know I lied to him. And then it means bad things for both of us, understand?"

It hurt her to tell Darla not to summon Rayquaza ever again, but it was the right thing to do.

"Don't worry," Darla assured her with a smile. "I already told you, remember?" She turned to look down the beach, where Lila was standing with her hands cupped around her eyes like binoculars trying to see what was going on.

She turned back to Reed. "As long as she's hear, I don't need Rayquaza for anything."

Reed grinned back and ruffled Darla's hair. "That's a good girl," she giggled, hugging her cousin again even tighter.

So Darla has officially passed her test, been acknowledged by Reed, and has moved onto a more positive future free of the Phantom's influence! But what will come next out of this? Where do we go from here? We'll have to find out!