Uh-oh! Last chapter, our students were caught sneaking into somewhere they absolutely weren't supposed to be! But if they hadn't, they might not have ever found out that there are, apparently, some wild pokemon in Agate Village after all! But why was it such a big secret? Why did Rui and Wes feel the need to keep it from their daughter? What else will we discover in Relic Cave, and is Rui hiding anything else from Vic? I guess we'll have to find out!

KedharS: I don't know. I guess we're going to have to find out. I'm sure that she must have a good reason for it, though.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 937

Vic hadn't meant to get so oppositional with her mother the way she'd just done. But she couldn't help herself.

Ever since she was a little girl, her mother had always told her about how unlikely it was to ever find wild pokemon in the Orre Region, and that there would probably never be any again. But as young as Vic was back then, even as her mother said those words Vic could hear that they weren't truly honest. She'd never known why until now.

Her mother had always encouraged her. Telling Vic that even if the chances were low, even if Vic could never find what she hoped to, that she, personally, still wanted to believe that there was a chance that they could all be wrong. She'd never tried to convince Vic not to believe in the possibility of pokemon in the wild.

When she got older, and realized the truth, and properly understood that it wasn't just an oddity that pokemon weren't found in the wilds of the Orre Region, but that it was a result of the damage that had been done to the ecosystem, Vic had believed that her mother was just being nice and trying to shield her from the truth.

She'd loved her mother for not crushing her dreams like that.

But now it had all turned to ash before her very eyes.

Her mother and father had been the only people allowed into this cavern. And from the look on Rui's face, there was no way she hadn't known. There was no way that her harmonia had just "failed" to sense the presence of pokemon here.

Rui had known. Her mother had always known. And she'd lied to Vic anyway. Made her believe that she'd just imagined what she'd felt. Made her think that there was a "possibility" of wild pokemon in the Orre Region, when really, they had been here all along.

Vic could only tremble with rage at the thought. It was like everything she'd ever believed had been a lie.

All she could do was look at her mother's guilty expression and try not to lose it. Her hands curled into fists and she began to shake.

Endure it. Endure it! She was screaming to herself. Right now, she wanted to hit her mother. Her own mother! The woman who had lovingly raised her and cherished her, who had always been nothing but kind and understanding even as she grew rougher and more difficult.

Vic knew how wrong these feelings were, but the betrayal was overwhelming her. She wanted her mom to say that it wasn't true so badly. Even if it was a lie that neither one of them would believe, she just needed to hear those words from her and then it would all be okay.

But Rui only looked at her sadly.

From her side of things, this was even harder. She hadn't wanted to hurt her daughter like this. But she had. Whatever Vic had to say to her, she deserved it, and then some. So she would take whatever was coming her way. That was her duty as a mother. She only hoped that her sweet little girl was still in there somewhere, and would find it in her heart to forgive her.

I'm sorry, Victoria. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. She fought back the tears that were struggling for freedom. She couldn't cry. Not now. Not here. It wouldn't be fair. If she cried now, then her daughter's rage would vanish. She would immediately try to comfort her, and then everything would be over.

Rui didn't deserve an escape like that. She didn't want to run away from what she'd done and take the easy way out. Tears now would just be another excuse.

The others could feel the tension in the room. But nobody knew what to say. This was a family issue, and a serious one, at that.

Then Vic took the first step forward.

Rui stiffened. This was what she deserved. It wasn't what she'd wanted to happen, but it was where they'd ended up.

When she had brought the kids here, she'd done it because she hoped that the soothing nostalgia of Agate Village would help calm her daughter's rough nerves and get her to feel a little better. But that hadn't been what had happened. Instead, Vic had learned the truth, and slipped even further into darkness and pain.

And it had been by Rui's own hand this time.

"H-Hey, Victoria, I don't think this is such a good-" Callie tried to stop her, but not even she could go against the look in Vic's eyes. She swallowed and stepped back.

Vic stood across from her mother. Rui was surprised. Her daughter was taller than her now. When had that happened? She was almost as tall as her father…

She really has grown up, hasn't she? Rui thought, feeling a tinge of irony to only notice that now. Perhaps she'd been treating her daughter as too much of a child all these years.

Then Vic hugged her.

It was so sudden that nobody knew how to respond for a second. Rui was the most surprised of all. Her daughter wasn't the kind of girl to hug. Especially not in front of others. All she could do was stand there in shock, not even able to return the hug at first.

"I'm sorry," Vic cried, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

Crying. Vic never cried. Again, Rui wasn't sure what to do.

All she knew was that her little girl was trembling like a leaf, and she was right there in Rui's arms. So she did what any mother would do in this situation, and hugged her back. She gently patted her daughter, rubbing her hand in circles across her back the way she used to do when Vic was a baby and she was trying to rock her to sleep.

"I'm sorry too," she apologized.

As Vic held her mother tightly, she wasn't even thinking about Alden. Or Keya. Or Alcea and Callie, or anybody else. She wasn't even sure why she was doing this. She still felt bitterness and regret towards her mother. But seeing the pain in her eyes had made all of that… just not seem so important anymore, for some reason.

Her mom was her mom. There had to be a reason she'd his this from her, there just had to be. And if she didn't want to tell her right now, well… that was okay, too. But she was going to learn the truth. Because she needed to know.

"Why?" Vic whispered, pulling back so she could look her mother in the eye. She saw that they were both crying, now. "Why didn't you ever tell me? Why did you keep this hidden for so long?" She pleaded.

Rui had no answer she could give. There was nothing she could say that would make this right. And anything she did say would just sound like an excuse.

But it was the words of someone else that ultimately gave Vic the answer she was so desperate to hear from her mother.

"Because that is what I told her to do."

Everyone turned in shock towards the owner of this new voice.

It was a little girl. She stood back in the far part of the tunnel, right at the lip of a turn that led even further inside. Standing there, bathed in green light, it was a mystery where she had come from.

Vic squinted, trying to get a better look at her. In the light she seemed younger than her, but no, looking closer… there was another story there.

The girl was young, but there was a wisdom in her golden eyes. Her hair was unnatural; a shade of lavender that traveled down past her shoulders and was accentuated by a red bow in the back. She wore old clothes, a large red dress over a white blouse with long sleeves, and red flats that looked nearly a hundred years old.

But it was her smile that was the most intriguing thing about her. It was kind and motherly, the sort of smile one would wear when speaking to one's own child. She'd seen that look on Rui many times, and it had warmed her heart. Right now, Vic was feeling those emotions again, as if this woman was, in fact, her mother, even though she knew that she wasn't. There was something about that smile, this girl, that was so familiar, she just couldn't place it.

"You!" Callie blurted out in shock, startling everyone.

"What?" Alcea gasped, turning to Callie.

Rui's response was even more shocking. She pulled away from her daughter and turned to Callie in disbelief. "You know her?"

"You were there! You helped Kitty!" Callie sputtered. "During the Winter Tag Team Tournament!"

Vic gasped in recognition. "That's right! You're the girl! The one with Celebi!"

Alden, Keya, and Alcea all gasped as well. That day had been so hectic, and the appearance of Celebi so startling, that no one had remembered the girl who had summoned the pokemon in the first place, no one except Callie.

"Yes," Ryoko said, nodding. "That was me. And it is as you say. Celebi is a dear friend of mine."

"Ryoko, I just… I didn't mean for this to…" Rui was falling over herself trying to explain what was going on. "I-I know I said this wouldn't happen again, but-"

Ryoko shook her head, cutting her off. "Do not be alarmed," she assured Rui in her gentlest voice. "This was always meant to happen. I cannot be upset at the pace of time reaching that which was meant to be."

Rui sighed in relief, even though she wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

Vic wasn't sure what had just happened either.

"Mom, you… do you know her or something?" She asked.

Rui winced, another shadow of guilt passing over her face. "Victoria, that's… I mean…"

"Your mother and I have made the acquaintance of each other long before you were ever born," Ryoko assured her, smiling gently and placing her hand over Vic's. "It is nothing that you need to be concerned with."

Vic shook her head. "Wait, no, that doesn't make any sense. You… you're younger than I am, so how is that…"

Her voice trailed off as Ryoko tightened her grip on her hand, and memories long-forgotten surged into Vic's head.

At eight years old, there was nothing that Vic wanted more than to be a pokemon trainer. Just like her hero, her daddy. She wanted to fight bad guys and save the world just like he did!

…But she didn't have a pokemon. And unlike other kids in other regions, she couldn't catch one herself, either.

"Mom!" She whined. "I want a pokemon! I want one, I want one!"

Rui sighed. "Sweetie, you're eight years old, you're too young to have a pokemon. I'll tell you what, when you get a little older, then your father and I will buy you a pokemon for your tenth birthday, alright?"

"But I want one now!" Vic whined, stomping her feet like the stubborn child she was. "I want to catch one myself!"

"Victoria, that's…" Rui held her tongue. She didn't want to ruin her daughter's dream by telling her that she could never catch a wild pokemon.

"I hate you mom!" Victoria screamed, running out of the house in tears.

"Victoria!" Rui got up and ran after her, but her daughter was nowhere to be seen. "Victoria!"

Vic had hid from her mom. She huddled beneath a large root just outside their house, somewhere her mother would never be able to spot her. It was a bad thing to do, and she knew it. But she hoped that if her mom worried enough about her, then she would do anything to make it up to her when she came back home, like giving her a pokemon.

But she knew that wasn't what she wanted.

She wanted to catch a pokemon. All the books and shows said that's what being a real trainer was about. Catching the best pokemon you could find.

Vic had been looking for pokemon since she could walk. But she couldn't find any.

"Are there really not any here?" She asked herself, feeling the tears start to well up.

Then she felt something.

As a child, Vic couldn't describe what it was she was feeling. It wasn't quite a voice, and yet it was at the same time. All she knew was that it felt like something was calling out to her, somehow, and she wanted to go see what it was.

She stood up and went to go see. She forgot all about her mother, she needed to go see where that voice was coming from.

Following it, however, brought her to somewhere she knew she wasn't supposed to be.

It was scary. The cave looked really scary and bad. Vic swallowed, and began to shake. She knew that mother and father always told her to never come here. They told her it was the only place not to go. But that voice… it wasn't just any voice.

It was a voice calling for help.

Daddy would help someone who needed it, she reminded herself. Even if it was against the rules. Because he's an amazing pokemon trainer.

She'd been listening to stories of her cool rebel father ever since she was a little girl. The amazing pokemon trainer who had crushed Team Snaggem and Team Cipher. And Victoria was her father's daughter.

So she summoned up her courage and ducked down under the chain.

Then she saw the girl. The nice girl who smelled like flowers. She was older than Vic, and gave her a smile.

"Hello there, young lady. Are you lost, perchance?" The flower lady asked, her golden eyes sparkling. She had the prettiest purple hair Vic had ever seen.

Vic swallowed and shook her head. She didn't think she was going to get caught. But this girl… who was she? She knew everybody in Agate Village, and she'd never met anyone like this before.

"No, I'm… I heard someone calling for help. I thought… I thought it might be a pokemon…"

"Oh? But pokemon do not speak the same language as you or I. What makes you think that was the case?" The girl asked.

"It… I don't know, it just…" Vic couldn't explain it. She knew that she was in big trouble. Then she thought of a scary thought.

Relic Cave was only for her mom and dad. Other people weren't allowed inside. But this stranger was here. Was she a criminal? A thief?!

"Who are you?" Vic asked suspiciously. "This is only for mom and dad! You're not allowed to be here, so get lost! Or… Or…"

The girl giggled and raised her eyebrow. "Or…?"

"Or I'm gonna tell my daddy on you!" She yelled, stomping her foot. "And he's a really tough and cool pokemon trainer, and he's going to, um… he's gonna de-feet you!"

"Oh, my, he does sound scary," she laughed. "But you do not need to worry little one, your father is an old and dear friend of mine."

For an innocent eight year old Vic, that was answer enough to make her immediately brighten up. "Oh, okay then!" She chirped.

"Now, let us see what we can do about that friend of yours in need of help, shall we?" The girl asked, taking Vic's hand.

In the present, Vic shook her hand free, shocked.

"You… you were there! When I snuck into Relic Cave!" She gasped. "I remember now! You took me inside, and then… and then…"

She held her head. The memories were there, she could feel them. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see past that moment at the entrance. It was like there was a wall in her mind that was keeping her from looking further.

"Why can't I remember?" Vic demanded suspiciously.

"That is not a question I can answer," Ryoko said, her voice taking on a tinge of sadness. "But know that if you were meant to remember, then you would."

"You did something to me, didn't you?" Vic growled. All that anger she'd felt earlier towards her mother was now being redirected towards this woman in front of her. And unlike Rui, Vic had no qualms about smacking Ryoko across the face.

But Rui stepped in before Vic could get the chance.

"Victoria, please, that's enough!" Rui scolded her. "Listen, I know that you're confused and upset right now-"

"Upset?!" Vic spat in disbelief. Did she really just hear that from her mother?! "Upset?! You think I'm upset?!"

Rui swallowed, and continued to push through. Her daughter just didn't understand. "Listen, Victoria, there's a lot you aren't aware of right now, but this is important! Ryoko and Celebi, the two of them have done so much for Agate Village and all of the Orre Region! Yes, I know that your father and I lied to you, but it was for a good reason!"

"And sealing away my memories, was that for a good reason, too?" Vic demanded.

"Yes it was," Ryoko said, nodding.

Rui scowled, casting a dark look Ryoko's way. Then her expression turned sympathetic again and she looked back to her daughter.

"Victoria… I promise, I had no idea about anything like that," she said. "All I know from that day was that Ryoko brought you back to Wes and I, and said that she found you in Relic Cave. We scolded you because you had gone somewhere you weren't supposed to be, but I swear, we knew nothing about what had happened!"

She looked down shamefully.

"…At least… I didn't…" She mumbled.

"…What about dad?" Vic asked quietly.

Rui didn't answer.

"I said, what about dad?!" She demanded a little more forcefully. "Did he know about her playing around with my memories? Keeping this from me?!"

"I don't know!" Rui exclaimed. She was starting to cry again, even though she didn't want to manipulate her daughter like that. "I just don't know! Your father… he just…"

She wanted to say that he wouldn't have done something like that. But she couldn't. Because she knew Wes. She knew that as much as he loved her, as much as he loved the both of them, he was the kind of man who would make the hard decision if it was the right one.

The man who had ruthlessly crushed Cipher… if hurting his daughter and messing with her mind was for the sake of some greater good… she couldn't say for certain that he wouldn't have done it.

He was simply that kind of man.

Yikes. So it seems there's a lot more going on here than we thought at first. Apparently, Agate Village isn't the calm, peaceful place that we thought it was, huh?