With this chapter, we explore what happened to Vic, or Victoria, as a child. What did she encounter when Ryoko took her to Relic Cave? What secret was so important that it forced Ryoko to erase her memories to keep her from revealing the truth? This chapter will take a look at Victoria's past, and give a lot of insight into all these strange feelings our characters have been sensing about Agate Village's atmosphere.

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, Donoma, Elaina, Maddi, Marion, Misato, Sango, Satsuki, Sylvia, Vic

KedharS: It's a little more complicated than that, as you'll see.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 952

Vic found herself in a strange position. She was seeing the world through her own eyes, from back when she was a child, but she wasn't able to do anything about it. It was like sitting back and watching a movie told entirely from a single camera's perspective, only the movie was about her life, and the camera was from the height she used to be when she was a child.

She watched herself travel deeper and deeper into the cave, staring at Ryoko. The girl was taller than her now, and she could still feel the confusion and awe that her younger self had felt when she stared up at the strange woman, who was finally letting her into a place that her parents had always told her was forbidden.

"Are you sure it's okay to be in here?" Vic felt her lips ask. "Mom and dad say that it's not okay for other people to enter…"

"It is alright," Ryoko said, turning back and giving her a sweet smile. "After all, I am the one who told them that in the first place."

"…Oh! Okay then!" Victoria chirped. Meanwhile, her future self Vic was burning with shame, shocked by how naïve her younger self used to be. For all she knew, Ryoko was lying through her teeth about being allowed inside, but she trusted her anyway. It was a consequence of growing up in a place as peaceful as Agate Village, young Victoria just had no guile whatsoever.

"You said you needed my help, right?" Victoria asked.

"That is correct. But it is not I who is in need of your help, it is the one who lives here, the protector of this place," Ryoko said mysteriously. "She is the pokemon whose voice it is you have been hearing in your heart."

Victoria gasped. "How did you know?!" She asked in disbelief. The voice had been calling out to her louder and louder, but because she hadn't heard it with her ears she thought that it was just one of those weird psychic things.

Ryoko laughed. "Do not worry your head about that," she murmured. "Now… here we are."

She led Victoria out of Relic Cave, and into the large clearing. Victoria was amazed at the sight before her eyes. A beautiful grove of trees, filled with tasty-looking berries, and so much green in sight! And not to mention, that tall and cool statue with the shiny green stone in the mouth, and other stone pillar in the center of the platform, and the girl with red hair, and-

And the girl with red hair?!

That was right. There was a girl, a little older than Victoria, sitting before the Relic Stone. To Victoria's horror, she looked like she was in very bad shape. Her dress looked like it had once been very nice, far more fancy than a village girl like her had ever seen, but now it was completely ruined. Soaked through and crumpled, stained with sand and grass, faded from sun exposure, not to mention ripped and torn in more places than could be counted. You name it, and those clothes had gone through it.

The girl herself wasn't in much better shape. Her skin showed signs of intense exposure to the sun, looking tanned and leathery while also showing redness of a sunburn in many places. And her hair was stringy and dirty, like she hadn't brushed it in months. Where once it had flown luxuriously down her back, now it was a frizzy, grimy mess. And the worst part was her leg. It was swollen badly, like it had been broken and then poorly set by an amateur. It must have hurt terribly.

But none of that was what Victoria noticed. All she could see was the girl's face, and those brilliant green eyes, brighter than anything else in the clearing. They were nestled into a face that was still beautiful in spite of the roughness it had endured.

Victoria was confused. Who was this strange girl? What was she doing here? There shouldn't be anyone allowed in this clearing, nobody could come into Relic Cave without permission from her parents, could this child have snuck in somewhere?

"Who… Who are you?" Victoria asked, approaching the redhead cautiously. It was then that she noticed that the girl was holding something green in her arms, a pokemon. It was the pokemon that had been calling out to her! She looked very weak, and had a pained expression on her face, like she was sick or something. Her body was covered in green fur, but it looked washed out and faded, like grass that was about to die. "And… is that a pokemon?"

The girl didn't even need to give her name. Because adult Vic recognized her immediately. She just couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was much younger, and looked very different, but her identity was clear even all these years ago.

"Je m'appelle Alcea Vermeil, moi nom est Alcea Vermeil," the girl answered, and Victoria had no idea what she was saying.

"Sorry, I don't… what?" She asked, confused.

Alcea cleared her throat and tried again in English.

"My name is Alcea Vermeil," she replied. "Are you… also stranded here?"

Victoria blinked. "Stranded? What?"

"Forgive me, I didn't know there were any other people on this island," Alcea apologized. She rose to her feet and approached the other girl. Victoria winced seeing her walk, she had a clear limp. "I… finally got well enough to walk, see, and I wanted to explore… and then I found myself here…"

Victoria shook her head, this girl was talking crazy! "We're not on an island," she said, shaking her head. "This is Agate Village!"

Alcea gasped. "A village?! You mean… there are other people here? Adults?!"

"Ye-Yeah," Victoria said, surprised by how eager the girl was. "My mom and dad are back home, so…"

Alcea sighed with relief. "That's wonderful," she murmured. "Please, I have a pokemon here that's very badly injured, but I had no idea there were people here. Can you please help me? Is there a Pokemon Center in this village? We need to take her…"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah! And we can get my mom, too, she's really good at taking care of pokemon! Once, my dad's Umbreon pushed me out of the way when a cupboard fell and he broke his leg, and then my mom touched him and boom! He was totally fine!"

Alcea gasped. "That's amazing, is it?!"

"I know, it definitely is!" Victoria nodded. "Oh, I'm Victoria, by the way! Nice to meet you, Alcea!"

Alcea beamed back at her. "It's nice to meet you, too," she agreed. "It's been so long since I've seen another person. But enough about that. Let's go!"

Both girls turned to the cave entrance, but Ryoko was standing in front of it.

"Who's that?" Alcea asked worriedly. She didn't like the look in the woman's eyes.

"That's Ryoko," Victoria said. "Don't worry, she's really nice!"

But Ryoko didn't look very nice.

"Forgive me, but it is forbidden to take that pokemon from this place," she said quietly. "It is vital that Shaymin remain here, so that she can continue to nurture the land."

"Shaymin? That's her name?" Alcea asked, glancing down at the whimpering pokemon. She raised her head, her eyes burning with resolve. "No, but you don't understand! She's really weak, and she needs a nurse or a doctor! Please!"

"Yeah, that's why you brought me here, right?!" Victoria exclaimed. "Because you wanted me to help her, so come on!"

"When I asked you to help that pokemon, I did not mean that I wished for you to take her from this sanctuary," Ryoko explained. "Victoria, you are capable of helping that pokemon all on your own, if you wish."

Victoria blinked.

"M-Me?"

Ryoko nodded.

"Indeed. Just as your mother was able to heal the Umbreon of your father, you too have inherited the ability to heal others with a touch."

Victoria shook her head. "No I don't!" She stubbornly protested. "I don't know anything like that, not at all!"

"You have not awakened to your abilities, but you are beginning to," Ryoko replied. "All you need is to awaken that power within yourself."

Victoria glanced down at her shoes. She didn't feel at all like she could do something like that, she was just a kid.

"…What do we have to do, then?" Alcea asked, seriously. She had just met this little pokemon, and she loved it already.

Ryoko turned and pointed to the large statue in the center of the clearing.

"There is a stone there. The Oracle of Grass. Take it."

Alcea didn't even hesitate.

Victoria found herself holding Shaymin before she even knew what was happening, feeling a connection to the small pokemon already even if she couldn't quite explain it. At the same time, Alcea was already running over to the statue as fast as her gimp leg would let her, struggling to reach the stone inside of its mouth.

But she was only 10 years old, so she couldn't reach it even on her tiptoes.

"W-Wait, let me help!" Victoria said, running over to Alcea. She gently set Shaymin down in the bushes, and joined Alcea. "How about, um… climb up on my shoulders! That might work!" She suggested, kneeling down. She knew that there was no way Alcea could support her weight on the leg, it looked really bad.

Alcea got on top of Victoria, and working together the two girls were able to reach the stone in the statue's mouth. But it was wedged in their pretty tight.

"C'mon Alcea, pull it out already!" Victoria whined, her knees starting to knock. "You're really heavy!"

"Oui, I… it-it's stuck, I just-"

With a "plink" the stone came free, and all that force was now pulling against nothing.

With a pair of gasps the two girls tumbled down into a heap, laughing their heads off.

"I-I got it!" Alcea said, holding the stone of triumphantly.

"Nice, let me see!" Victoria said, reaching for the stone. It was calling out to her somehow, she felt like she just had to hold it.

When she grabbed it, the light that emanated from it was so bright it filled the entire clearing, forcing both girls to shut their eyes.

It was like all sorts of new possibilities had sprung up in Victoria's mind. Suddenly she could hear Shaymin's voice louder than ever, and could feel just how much pain the poor thing was in. And then, in a second the light died down, because Alcea pulled the stone free from her hand.

"That… was too bright," she muttered, holding it at bay. "Let me hold it, okay?" She glanced down at the green stone, finding herself lost in its depths. She couldn't explain what she was feeling right now, but it just felt like the stone belonged with her somehow.

"It does," Ryoko said, startling the two girls. They turned to look at her, not having expected her to sneak up on them like that.

"What do you mean?" Alcea asked cautiously.

"It does belong to you," Ryoko explained. "In a manner of speaking. The Oracle is meant for one who treasures the type it emblazons. As one who loves the Grass type like no one else, that Oracle is perfect for you. And you will need its power, Alcea Vermeil."

"But I thought you wanted me to heal Shaymin!" Victoria said, a little jealous that Ryoko was paying attention to the new girl.

"The power of both of you is required," Ryoko explained. "Victoria, with your harmonia you can heal that sweet Shaymin, and Alcea, with the power of the Oracle in your hands, you will be able to increase her strength so she will never fall into this state again. But only together."

Alcea and Victoria glanced at each other, and nodded.

"So what do we do?" Victoria asked.

Ryoko knelt down and picked Shaymin up out of the bushes, setting her down on the Relic Stone. "Each of you, place a hand on her back," she answered.

Both girls did as they were told.

In spite of how serious Shaymin's condition looked, Victoria couldn't help but laugh. "It's all tickly!" She giggled. "It feels just like grass!"

"Oui, the same feeling as grass, is it?" Alcea agreed with a smile. Then, both girls began to glow a brilliant green.

When the light faded, Shaymin rose to her feet, looking reinvigorated. Her fur was no longer faded and muddled, but now as vibrant as the clearing, as was the light in her eyes. She looked from Alcea to Victoria, and beamed.

"Shaymin!" She chirped.

Ryoko smiled. "You have both done well," she said. "Together, you had the power to heal Shaymin the way even your mother could not. That is why I brought both of you here." She glanced at Alcea. "Although some of you made a far longer journey than others."

Alcea gasped, and her smile slid off of her face. "The shipwreck… did you… was that?!"

Victoria was confused. Shipwreck? They were in the middle of the forest on the side of a mountain, what was this girl talking about.

Ryoko shook her head. "That is not what I meant. That shipwreck that stranded you on that island… it was not my doing. That was simply your destiny…"

"…Oh…" Alcea glanced down, saddened for a moment, but the she quickly brightened. "But that's okay! Because you have a village, right?"

She turned to Victoria hopefully.

"Now that Shaymin's feeling better, we can go see your parents, right?" Alcea asked. "And then we can tell them what happened! See, I'm not supposed to be here, but… but I got into an accident at sea, and then… I was washed up on the beach. But I met a bunch of wild pokemon and they took care of me, and so did my Bulbasaur! But…"

She glanced down, and tears began to well up in her eyes. "I… I wanna go home…"

Victoria was stunned. She thought, for a moment, that the girl was going to cry. But she didn't. She looked really strong and brave, just like Victoria's mom and dad.

"It's okay!" Victoria grabbed Alcea's hands, and the redhead looked her in the eye. "Alcea, I'll tell my mom and dad, and I'll tell them that you got lost! My dad is a really amazing pokemon trainer who can do anything! So he'll help you get back home!"

Alcea blinked. "R-Really? You mean it?"

"Of course!" Victoria grinned. "We're friends, aren't we?"

That brought a shy smile to the redhead's face. "A-Are we? Friends, I mean?"

Now it was Victoria's chance to be shy. The truth was, she'd never made a friend before, so she didn't know how. She was the only child in Agate Village, everyone else was adults. "Well… I mean… I want to be your friend… I-I don't really have any…"

She felt ashamed of saying that. This cool older girl was very pretty, and spoke so well, she even spoke other languages. Surely she had hundreds of friends back wherever it was she came from. Maybe Victoria was being too presumptuous, asking to be her friend.

Alcea blushed, and glanced down. "Well… I… I don't have many friends myself, is it?"

Victoria's jaw dropped. "Really?! No way!"

"B-But I did make one!" Alcea protested. "She's pretty and blonde! I don't know her name, but she's really nice! I met her at a really fancy party! So now, um… now I have two friends!"

"Wow! Two friends!? I only have one!" Victoria marveled. She wondered who this blonde girl was, maybe Alcea would introduce them someday?

"Shaymin!" Shaymin chirped from the pedestal. Both girls laughed.

"You're my friend, too," Alcea smiled, picking up and cuddling the grass-covered pokemon against her cheek.

Victoria smiled. She was so happy to make a new friend.

But first thing first, she had to take Alcea back to Agate Village!

"Okay, let's go!" Victoria said. "We need to go see my mom and dad, and let them know you're here! My mom's always telling me not to get lost, and if you've really been lost for so long then your parents need to know!"

Alcea nodded in agreement. Victoria took her by the hand and led her to the entrance to Relic Cave a second time, but once more Ryoko stepped in the way.

"Are you sure that is what you wish to do?" She asked quietly.

Victoria blinked in confusion.

"Huh? Of course, we need to take Alcea back to her parents!"

"I understand that, of course," Ryoko nodded, a sad expression crossing her face. "After all, to be separated from ones' own child is indeed a painful thing. However, you must understand what you will be losing if you leave this place?"

"Whattya mean?" Victoria asked suspiciously.

Ryoko gestured past the two girls towards the Relic Stone, where Shaymin was staring curiously at the two of them.

"Remember, this place is forbidden from entry to any but the protectors," Ryoko reminded her. "I only brought the two of you here because it was an emergency. But should you leave… it will be no simple matter to return."

Victoria gasped. But then…

"So I… won't get to see Shaymin again, is it?" Alcea asked, looking down sadly. She'd already fallen for the cute little Grass type pokemon.

Ryoko shook her head.

"Come on, that's no fair!" Victoria pouted. "I wanted to come back and play with her tomorrow! I don't have any pokemon of my own to play with!"

"I am sorry, but those are the rules," Ryoko said. "Once I allow you to leave this cave, it would be a great many years before you would ever have the chance to enter it a second time."

Alcea frowned. "But… what if we stay, then?" She asked quietly.

Ryoko raised her eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Alcea! You can't, you just said!" Victoria protested. "You want to go home!"

"I know, I know!" Alcea said, looking like she was about to cry again, before her strong face came back. "I want to go home, but… it's not like I need to go right now… I could… can't we just stay? For a little bit? And play with Shaymin some more?"

Her eyes were pleading with Victoria.

"Once I go home… I don't know when I'll see you again… I don't know if I'll see Shaymin again… and also… my friends on the island, I'm not ready to leave them behind, either…" She held up a pokeball, the first Victoria had seen that didn't belong to her father.

"Just for a few hours would be fine, right?" Victoria wasn't sure if she was asking that of her, or Ryoko, or if the question was meant for herself.

"Of course it's fine!" Victoria declared. "We can stay and play as long as you like!"

Alcea's smile was brighter than any flower in the clearing.

And so we learn the truth about what Victoria encountered that day in Relic Cave. It wasn't just Shaymin. It was Alcea. Her very first friend.