The battle is over! Alden did his best, but in the end, he wasn't strong enough to defeat Wes and his Tyranitar, and now he's lost the match. But what about Vic? What about her test? What will happen now that the Commander has lost? Will she be able to enter Relic Cave, or will the secrets of her past remain forever a mystery?

So far, we've got some great girls running in the Nomination Round! Any others we want so far? We've got a little over a week left! If there are any other girls you think should be added, make sure to add them in the reviews! Let's see who the third Best Girl will be!

Currently Nominated: Ange, Ayame, Caelia, Cynthia, Elaina, Marion, Misato, Sango, Satsuki, Sylvia, Vic

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Strong as he is, he's still a teenager fighting against a veteran with master-level skill. I'm surprised he did as well as he did.

KedharS: Yeah, I think Alden went a long way in terms of impressing him.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 950

Alden fell on his butt, completely exhausted. And yet, at the same time, he never felt more energized. He and his pokemon had given it their all, he had absolutely nothing to regret. Well, almost nothing, anyway. It would have been nice for Corin and Giraud to fight a one on one match, but you couldn't have everything.

He returned Finn to his pokeball and stood up, surprised that his legs were still so shaky. He wiped the sweat off his brow and approached Wes with a grin.

"That was an amazing match!" He said. "I've never had a fight that got my 'Sense' burning so passionately!"

Maddi rolled her eyes. He said that every time, it seemed.

"I found it quite enlightening as well," Wes said with a nod, recalling Giraud. "You have quite a lot of skill. I look forward to having an opportunity to fight you again."

Alden needed to go to the Pokemon Center to heal up his pokemon, but first he needed to go pay his respects to Vic. After all, she had been the one to set up such a great match between the two of them, it only seemed right.

"Hey, Vic, that was a really excellent- huh?" He turned towards where the others were standing, only to see that Vic wasn't as enthused about the match as he was.

In fact, she was wearing an expression that he hadn't seen on her face for a long time.

That was the point that everyone stopped watching the battlefield, and finally realized what was going on with her.

Vic was kneeling in the grass, her face ashy and pained. There were tears in her eyes, even though she was trying desperately not to cry.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Keya asked, walking over to her.

"Come on, are you really THAT bummed out that the Commander lost?" Tommy snorted, insensitive as always. "It's not like the guy can win EVERY match."

Nobody else said anything. It was clear that whatever she was going through, it was about a lot more than just a win or a loss.

Alden got more serious. "Vic? Seriously, what's the matter?"

Vic took a long sniff and wiped her eyes, then rose to her feet. She was shaking. "It… It's nothing, Commander, don't worry. I suppose I was just moved by-"

"Victoria!" Rui snapped, glaring at her daughter. The fire in her voice made Vic flinch. She turned to look at her mother, ashamed.

"M-Mom, I just…"

"I suppose I should explain what's going on," Wes said, walking up behind Alden. Everyone turned to look at him. The expression on his face was as serious as it had been in the battle, if not even more so. The atmosphere in the peaceful town had been warped.

"…What is it, then?" Alden asked, narrowing his eyes. The good mood he'd been in from the battle was quickly starting to fade, and in its place was concern. He was a pretty affable guy most of the time, but one of his comrades was crying now, and he needed to know why.

Wes took a deep breath, and exhaled. "This battle… was about more than just testing your limits as a trainer, Alden."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Alden demanded. He hated battles with ulterior motives.

"The reason I challenged you to a fight was to test Victoria," Wes explained. "She requested permission to enter Relic Cave, and learn the truth about what happened the last time she was there. But that permission cannot be given so easily. One must earn that permission, through a test. And this battle was hers."

"So what, she just fails?!" Callie exclaimed. "That's not fair! Alden didn't even know there was any test or anything, you can't do that!"

"Would that have made any difference?" Alcea asked calmly.

Callie turned to look at her, confused and betrayed. "Wh-What? I mean, of course it would, why wouldn't you think that?"

"I don't claim to know the Commander well, but over the last few days we've spent together, and getting to battle him for myself, I believe I have a fair grasp of his nature, is it?" Alcea said, turning toward the Commander. "Whether he knew he was being tested for Victoria's sake or not, I do not believe it would have mattered. He would have fought his hardest regardless, is it?"

Alden couldn't answer, but he knew that she was correct. It's not like knowing that would have changed anything. He'd given the fight his all, and accepted the outcome. The only problem was that the outcome now hurt someone he cared about. It was like a slap in the face, an affront to everything he believed. He wanted to be a trainer that didn't care about victory or loss, but even so, his loss had still meant something in the end, anyway.

"Vic… why didn't you say anything?" He asked, staring at her. "Why didn't you tell me? I know that it might not have changed anything, but still, you should have told me! That there was something this important on the line!"

"It's not her fault," Rui said, coming to her daughter's defense. "We told her that she couldn't say anything, because that would defeat the purpose of the test."

"No, mom, that's… that's not it."

Rui turned to look at Vic, surprised to see that her daughter was smiling. There were tears in her eyes, but there was still a smile on her face.

"I… even if you hadn't told me… I still couldn't have told him the truth anyway. I'd never do something like that," she said.

Vic turned to the Commander, trying her best to look strong. "I couldn't do that, you idiot," she whispered. "After all… if you'd known about the trial before now… then you wouldn't have been able to enjoy the battle nearly as much, right? You're the kind of guy… who doesn't want a battle with stakes. Who doesn't want the pressure of having to win. You want to fight for the love of fighting, and if I had told you… then you never would have been able to enjoy the fight with my father. It wouldn't have been for the joy of the fight, it would have been for my sake. And you were looking forward to fighting him so much… I couldn't just take that away from you and make it all about myself."

Alden was honestly kind of touched. "Vic…"

He wasn't the only one. Everyone was taken aback by that answer. For most of the people there, Vic was the kind of girl who was all edges and rough surfaces. She had no tenderness, no softness about her, she was completely stern and interested only in propping the Commander up. So to see such a considerate side to her really came as a shock.

Two people weren't surprised, though. Wes and Rui. They glanced at each other and shared a small smile. That was the Vic they remembered, after all. Their kind and considerate daughter who really cared about other people deep down, even if she had a hard time showing it.

"It's okay, Victoria," Rui assured her daughter, reaching out and caressing her trembling shoulder. "You didn't fail."

"Wh-What?" Vic gasped in shock, turning to her mom. That wasn't… but she…

"But I lost the match," Alden said.

"That was never the point," Wes replied, shaking his head. "Indeed, the battle was part of the test. But from the start, I never considered the condition for passing being whether or not you could win the match. What would that tell me about my daughter's worthiness? And besides, it wouldn't have been fair, to force that expectation upon a mere student."

"You say that, but you almost lost to a 'mere student'," Rui snidely chided her husband, smirking.

Wes scowled. "…Well, perhaps I could do with some more training in my retirement… Regardless! The purpose of that match wasn't to see if you could beat me or not. It was to see if Victoria could continue to hold her faith in you until the very end. If she could believe with her faith that you would be able to win, and keep her head up high after you lost, then that would be enough to tell me that she had matured. Reassuring us both that she was capable of learning about what lies within Relic Cave. Does that make sense?"

"…Okay but what if I'd won?" Alden asked.

Wes coughed, and averted his eyes. A sheepish look crossed his face, a rather odd expression for someone like him to possess.

"…Well, I can frankly say that neither one of us ever considered that possibility," he mumbled under his breath.

Alden burst out laughing. It was clear where Vic's clumsy side had come from.

"So wait, then… does that mean that I…?" Vic asked, her eyes shining with hope as she looked between her parents.

Wes nodded. Rui gave her daughter a beaming smile.

"Yes," Wes confirmed. "In my role as Guardian of Relic Cave, I officially confirm that you have earned the right to enter the cavern and see what lies within."

It was like a massive weight had been lifted from Vic, and she fell to her knees again, relief washing over her.

"I… I did it…" she sighed, clutching the grass. "I passed…"

"Wooo!" Callie cheered. "Yeah! That's what I want to hear! Way to go, Victoria! You did it, you got in! Nice!"

Vic was honestly a little surprised at so much positivity from a girl she barely knew, but that was just the kind of person that Callie was.

And it honestly made her smile.

"Yikes, look!" Tommy said, pointing at her in shock. "Vic's smiling!"

"Gyaah! It's so weird!" Ross exclaimed, playing along with him.

Alden burst out laughing. He couldn't deny that seeing Vic wear any smile that wasn't a savage grin or a smirk was an oddity.

To be honest, for once Vic didn't really care about any of that. For once, she wasn't trying to put on a tough face or seem like the queen of the mountain. She was just truly relieved and happy that she had managed to pass.

Honestly, she was happy.

"Well then, let's get going!" Keya cheered. "Time to go see that wild pokemon!"

"Oh, yeah, that's right!" Callie gasped. "In all the excitement today it totally slipped my mind that there's a wild pokemon in there! I wonder what kind?!"

At the mention of a wild pokemon, Maddi's eye began to throb with pain. Scowling, she reached up to rub it.

Wes cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I believe there's been a misunderstanding here," he said sharply, his slightly-affable personality evaporating. "Indeed, Victoria has earned the right to enter Relic Cave. But that right extends only to her. No offense, but you all are still outsiders to this village, and I can't permit you to enter our sacred grounds."

"What?! Oh, come on, that's no fair!" Keya wailed. "I want to see the wild pokemon!"

Callie sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if those are the rules, then there's nothing we can do about it," she said, as though she hadn't just willfully ignored that rule the other day. "But Victoria, you gotta take a lot of pictures to show us, okay?"

"No flash photography inside Relic Cave," Wes said dryly, like they were going on a tour. That elicited more groans.

"Well, that's a bummer," Tommy groaned, stretching and heading back to the house. "And here I was, getting all worked up over nothing."

"It is what it is," Ross shrugged, following after him. "You know that following the rules is essential, especially when it comes to things like this."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," he muttered back.

While watching the two of them walk off, Alden turned back to Vic. "I'm happy for you, Vic, really, I am. Congratulations on passing." He sighed in relief. "And I'm glad that me losing didn't mean you failed the test, I don't know what I would have done if that was the case."

Vic was honestly touched. Alden was nice to everyone, but his kindness was always so… well, superficial wasn't quite the right word. He was very genuine in his feelings. But it always gave the impression that his niceness was extended to everyone, without special consideration to any one individual or deeper concern for them, even her.

But right now was different, he was honestly seeing her. Looking her straight in the eye and telling her how happy he was for her. It was serious and it was real, and it was so rare that she thought she had to be dreaming. It didn't feel believable that a day could be going this perfectly for her, not after how much stress she'd gone through in that match.

"…On another note, it's too bad I won't be able to join you in exploring Relic Cave!" Alden laughed. "Anyway, I need to head over to the Pokemon Center and heal up my pokemon! Have a good look inside for me, hope it's worth it!"

And like that the touching moment was over. Alden jogged towards the Pokemon Center, leaving behind a stunned Vic who hadn't even had the chance to thank him for his kind words.

Vic's jaw dropped. She glanced up to see Rui placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her daughter a look of resignation suitable for a woman who'd been in exactly this position before herself, more times than she can count.

"…You get used to it," Rui said, the closest thing to expressing sympathy for her daughter's plight that she could muster.

While Rui comforted Vic, Wes took the opportunity to approach the others. Mason had already escaped off to somewhere with no people and Chloe was still in the grass, stunned from the match, but the rest were curious about what he had to say.

"Thank you for your support of my daughter," he said quietly. "It really means a lot to her that you guys were on her side."

It was Maddi of all people who spoke up first.

"Yeah, whatever. No big deal."

Keya and Callie burst out laughing at that, while Alcea glanced away, a little embarrassed. Then something caught her eye.

"Wait, what?" She whispered, walking forward. No, it couldn't be. Her eyes had to be lying to her. And yet they weren't.

That battle had been rough and brutal. Pokemon exchanged dangerous attacks that put each other at risk, and that Tyranitar, in the end, had practically torn the entire field apart.

And yet, just looking at it now, one could hardly tell that a battle had even taken place. Oh, certainly, there were still boulders strewn about from the stone edges, but rather than having smashed the place up, they rest peacefully, grass and flowers growing around them as if they had always been there. And even where the earth power had torn up the sod, now Alcea couldn't even see the seams of the dirt. It was like everything had fallen back into place, and the field was fresh as could be.

How was that possible?

"The battlefield, the grass, it…"

"I noticed that too," Maddi murmured, narrowing her eyes. "When that Typhlosion was using its Fire type attacks… or the Commander's Cinderace… the grass didn't even catch fire. What are you thinking, then?"

She glanced at Alcea, but Alcea just shook her head in disbelief. She had no idea how such a thing could be possible. The only explanation was that it had something to do with the unnatural energy that she'd been feeling ever since she set foot in Agate Village.

Alcea turned to ask Wes and Rui, but they were gone. And Vic was gone as well. They'd already set off for Relic Cave, leaving Alcea and the others alone with their questions.

Alcea turned and looked back at the field. Just what could have happened here?

While Alcea was concerned with her own thoughts about Agate Village, Vic's thoughts were occupied with concerns of the past and present. She'd always been curious about Relic Cave, even before she learned that there were parts of her memory that we hidden from her.

And now she was about to see it for real.

With confidence that she'd not had since childhood she stepped over the chain across the entrance, and headed into the cave's glowing green depths with her mother and father behind her.

Every step she took, her heart beat a little harder, and the ethereal voice calling out to her heart grew a little louder. She reached the cavern they'd stopped at the day before and picked up the pace, turning and walking down the tunnel.

The bright green crystals glowed even brighter the further inside the cave she went. And then, finally, she arrived at something shocking.

She didn't know what to expect about the inside of Relic Cave. Perhaps a chamber deep in the center of the mountain? Or maybe a hidden spring? What she came across was neither of those things, but another turn. Light was shining from the left, but she couldn't see where it was coming from just yet. A few more steps and she'd be able to, but her feet stopped.

What she felt instead was a rush of air. Not from behind her, in front of her. Relic Cave was no cave at all, it was a tunnel. What awaited her at the other end, she couldn't hazard a guess. But before she got the chance, the echo of footsteps caught her ear.

It was Ryoko. She had come from the other side of the tunnel, as if she was waiting. Which, of course, she had been, Vic realized. She must have known all along that Vic would pass her test.

Her warm smile said as much.

"So in the end you passed," Ryoko murmured. "I am very pleased, Victoria, not to mention that I am very happy for you."

"…Thanks," Vic said icily, not exactly in the best mood. Yes, she was exhilarated because she had passed, but she was still a little miffed at Ryoko for making her go through all this to begin with.

"I understand that you may be upset with me, but please, I assure you that the only reason I had your parents test you in this manner was because I knew that you would pass. It was essential for you to grow, and trust in others, before you could see what awaited you in Relic Cave," Ryoko assured her, though it wasn't very reassuring.

"…It's fine. I know…" Vic glanced back at her parents, seeing the hopeful looks on their faces. "…I know they were just doing what they thought was best. And that's the same with you."

She turned back to Ryoko and narrowed her eyes into a glare. "But don't think that means I'm willing to forgive you so easily. I'm still upset that you erased my memories."

"I had to erase your memories," Ryoko said solemnly. "And believe me, I took no pleasure in it. But when you see what awaits you at the end of the tunnel, and understand the secret that your parents have been trying to protect, and when I restore your memories to you, you will understand why I had to do what I did."

Vic hardened her heart. "We'll see," she muttered.

Ryoko gave her a diplomatic smile and stepped aside. "Please proceed."

Vic turned the corner and shielded her eyes from the sunlight, exiting the tunnel and stepping out into the clearing.

What she saw surprised her.

What is it? What is the secret of Relic Cave? What have Wes and Rui been trying so hard to protect? Find out next chapter!