Alright! The reviews are back! And just in time for the climax of this arc! Alcea, Vic, and Rui are headed to Relic Cave in order to heal Shaymin once and for all! But will they have the strength to do it? And while they're at it… what else is happening in Agate Village?

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: Val and Gwen kinda sus.

JoshGamerV: The Relic Stone is the large stone pillar in the center of the clearing, and is tied to Celebi. It is unrelated to the Grass Oracle, which is simply there due to being a place closely associated with nature and plantlife.

Jjjdunk1: Who knows?

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Seeing all your theorizing and you putting the pieces together is quite enjoyable.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 956

Alcea's heart pounded in her chest as she followed the others into Relic Cave. She had just been here yesterday, but that wasn't the reason this place felt so familiar. She remembered back when she was a child, running through the tunnel with Victoria… Vic, now, and how much bigger the cavern had seemed back then. It was so vivid in her mind.

But now, here she was, going back the way she'd come. She closed her eyes and pictured that clearing. Would it still look the same as it did all those years ago? What about Shaymin? Would she be okay? Would she remember her?

Alcea hoped she would.

They passed the chamber that Rui had stopped them at before, and continued further into the tunnel. Each step made her heart clench. Almost there… they were almost there. She clutched the flower pot closer to her chest, squeezing it until her fingers turned white. She wasn't even sure why she'd brought it, but something in her told her that it was important to have the flower with her.

A brief passing thought crossed her mind that maybe Sylvia had done something to it. The flower had been hers, after all, and it had grown absurdly quickly in the time since Alcea had given her those seeds. Was that why she felt such an immense compulsion to see it bloom? …No, no, that was ridiculous, what, had she filled the incubator with an addictive gas or something? No, Alcea was just curious about the strange flower, that was all.

Then, before her eyes, she saw it grow a few fractions of an inch again. She shook her head in disbelief, and sighed. It must be the effect of Shaymin's powers on Agate Village, that was the only thing she could think of.

She took her mind off the flower and raised her head to see a turn in the tunnel. As they turned the corner, the bright light of the afternoon smacked her in the face, and she felt her heart skip another beat.

They were almost there.

Alcea stepped out into the sun, and it took her breath away. It was beautiful. Exactly like she remembered it from her childhood, just as vivid and bright as… well, as it had been less than an hour ago when her memories had been returned to her.

It was really a cradle of life. Trees standing tall with a rainbow of berries hanging from their branches, their leaves causing the shadows from the bright sun to dance across the grass. The air was filled with the sweet scent of nature blooming in all its glory, and at the center of it all was a platform made of flattened rock, a ring with a single stone pillar at its center, with a statue standing over it like its ancient protector.

And there was Shaymin.

The small pokemon was nestled in the bushes at the base of the Relic Stone, and the minute Alcea saw her she broke into a run, dashing past Ryoko to get to her friend's side.

"Shay… min?" Shaymin glanced up weakly from where she lay, and when she saw Alcea her eyes widened in disbelief. She brightened up, ever so slightly, and tried to smile, but it was a shaky smile and even Alcea could see that she was just trying to be strong.

She wasn't in horrible condition, Alcea was relieved to see that at least. Not nearly as bad as when she was younger. Shaymin just looked tired, that was all. Very, very tired, as if she hadn't just been sleeping peacefully.

It broke Alcea's heart to see it, and made even the joy of setting eyes on her old friend feel hollow, as happy as she was to see her.

"Hey there, Shaymin," Alcea said softly. "Do you remember me?"

"Shaymin!" Shaymin nodded, brightening even more. Relief seized Alcea's entire body and she fell to her knees, reaching down to pick up the small grass pokemon and hold her lovingly the way she used to do before.

It was different now. She was so much smaller than before. Of course, Alcea knew that was because she had grown bigger, but it still felt that way. She was so caught up in caring for Shaymin that she missed the fact that the others had come to join her.

"Hey, uh… you dropped this," Vic said, holding up Alcea's flower.

Alcea blushed a little, embarrassed. She'd been so desperate to get to Shaymin's side that the flower she'd so lovingly tended to for over a week had been left forgotten. She took it from Vic and set it down next to the bushes, before turning her attention to Shaymin again.

"Well… she seems happier, at least," Rui murmured, watching the two girls greet Shaymin. She could feel the pokemon's thoughts, they were in a much brighter, more positive state than they'd been the last time she had come to see her before today.

"It is because she has been reunited with her friends," Ryoko said. Her voice was warm and happy, but the look on her face was still cold as ice. "Would you not feel the same, if you were with the people that you cared about?"

Rui glanced at the girl. She had a face and figure that looked even younger than her daughter, and yet Rui couldn't even begin to guess how old she really was. Ryoko… what had she gone through, for all these years? Sometimes, she sounded so wise and intelligent, but there were glimpses, here and there, cracks in her heart revealing a deep pit of sorrow. If only Rui could read her the same way she could a pokemon… but no, now wasn't the time for idle thoughts like that. It was a curiosity to her, but not the problem they'd come to solve.

"So what now?" Vic asked, straightening up and turning to Ryoko. She glanced over the girl's shoulder at the Celebi fluttering behind her. "Do you use your time powers or something to rewind the clock for her? Or do we just hold hands again? What are we supposed to do here, to make sure that Shaymin gets better?"

Alcea glanced up to Ryoko, just as curious.

Ryoko… was not the most helpful at the moment.

"I do not know," she admitted. "As I told you previously, I have no knowledge of events of which I am an active participant. Just because I know that what we do WILL work, that does not mean I know what specifically that will entail."

"You sure gambled a lot on this unknown future of yours, huh?" Vic scowled, not at all having forgiven Ryoko for what she'd done to her memories.

Ryoko simply shrugged her shoulders. "The future is set, that is all. It is my duty to ensure that events occur as they must, no more, no less."

Alcea could tell that Vic was starting to get upset about this, and due to her harmonia it was starting to have an effect on Shaymin, agitating the poor pokemon. So she quickly stepped in to put a stop to the dispute before it got out of hand.

"Last time, we healed Shaymin because we were holding hands," Alcea reminded her, tugging on Vic's sleeve. "Maybe we should try to do the same thing again, and see if that makes a difference, is it? It could be what we need."

Vic nodded, though she still wasn't happy. She crouched down next to Alcea, and the redhead set Shaymin down in the bushes.

"Wait, I'll come help," Rui said, rushing over and crouching on the other side of Alcea, the three girls staring down at the tiny pokemon.

"Last time, I had this, as well," Alcea said, reaching into her shirt. She unbuttoned it and took her pendant out from her cleavage. The size of the stone (and how well it was hidden within Alcea's chest, specifically) made Vic and Rui momentarily jealous of the other girl's assets. The green stone was glowing with a soft light, and soon, Alcea was, as well.

Alcea, Rui, and Vic all placed a hand on Shaymin's back. While Alcea's other hand squeezed the Oracle tightly, Vic and Rui each put their other hand on one of her shoulders. Both harmonia users closed their eyes, and focused on making a connection with Shaymin, trying to use their powers to restore the tiny pokemon's strength.

Ryoko watched this from a distance, trouble brewing in her chest. It is uncommon, she thought, for two humans to form a harmonic connection with a single pokemon simultaneously. Could the reason Rui and Victoria are able to do so be because of their bond as parent and child? It is true that the connection between mother and child is a powerful one, and with the help of the natural ability of the Oracle to stimulate Grass type pokemon, it should hopefully be enough…

But even as she thought that, she couldn't help but feel that it just wouldn't be enough. Could it really be that simple?

Rui and Vic kept their harmonia going as much as they could, but it was a strain. They broke the connection at roughly the same time, taking their hands from Shaymin's back and pausing to catch their breath. Alcea pulled back as well, and all three women took a look to see if the pokemon was doing better.

"Shaymin…" She muttered weakly, casting a downward gaze so as not to disturb her friends, who were trying their best.

"Damn it!" Vic cursed, feeling completely powerless. "It was so easy last time! Why isn't it working now?! She felt way worse before!"

"It's just been like this, for years now," Rui said, a look of sorrow crossing her face. "I've been trying and trying to tend to her, whenever she got exhausted. But no matter how hard I tried, she would always revert back to this state, and never be completely healed."

She felt even worse than her daughter. Since Ryoko had brought Shaymin to this village, it had been the duty of her family to tend to her, to keep her safe and healthy to prevent the corruption of the land from seizing the Orre Region completely. But it looked like if she would continue to weaken like this, that future was inevitable.

Failing to heal Shaymin felt like she was condemning her home to death, as well, and that recognition made her sick to her stomach.

Alcea was the only one there who didn't lose faith.

"…Then we simply try again, is it?" She said calmly, even though she was a tempest of worry and emotion deep within. "I am not about to let Shaymin suffer, not when I finally got to see her again, is it?"

Vic was stunned by Alcea's resolve. She'd always been a tough and strong girl. Even when they were kids, all the signs were there, as she tried to be tough for her little sister's sake. Back when Vic didn't like her much, even then she had a begrudging respect for the redhead's force of will.

And she was right this time. There was no way Vic was going to back down, not when they were this close. Not when they were the only thing keeping Shaymin alive.

"She's right, mom," Vic said, nodding in agreement. She turned to look at her mother. "We need to do everything we can. And if it doesn't work the first time, then we need to keep going. And going. And going! Until she's better!"

Rui swallowed, stunned by the fire she saw burning in her daughter's eyes. It had only been a few days ago that she had nearly lost control of her harmonia and put another girl in the hospital, all over a volleyball match. And now she had the courage and maturity of a girl twice her age, willing to do whatever it took to save a pokemon's life.

Rui had never been more proud of her daughter than she was right now.

"You're right," she said, nodding in agreement. "We'll do whatever we can to help her."

Alcea nodded as well. "Together, then, is it?" She said, returning her hand to where she'd left it, as Rui and Vic each placed their hand over hers. They concentrated their powers again, Rui and Vic with their harmonia, and Alcea with the power of the Oracle, and focused on helping Shaymin as best as they could.

Shaymin began to glow with a green light so bright that nearly the entire clearing was illuminated. All three were forced to shut their eyes, focusing only on helping her. Hopefully this would be enough. Hopefully Shaymin would be cured.

Again, Ryoko watched them. She was impressed by their resolve, particularly that of Alcea. While this had been the family duty of Rui and Vic, and both women were able to feel for themselves just how much pain Shaymin was in, Alcea was different. She didn't have any special powers that allowed her to communicate with pokemon, all she had was a firm grasp of right and wrong, and a belief that helping an injured pokemon like this was right.

She truly loves the Grass type… no it is not just that, Ryoko corrected herself, shaking her head. She truly loves all pokemon, and that is what gives her so much strength. The type of strength to keep trying, to never give up, so long as a pokemon can be saved.

Alcea had been stranded on that island for three years, which had been where her love of the Grass type had been fostered. But it was clear that to the redhead, all pokemon were special and in need of proper love and care.

No wonder it had to be you, Ryoko thought, smiling. She was certain now. Alcea was indeed the key to saving Shaymin. She wasn't sure if this would be the method to do it, but if Shaymin would be saved (and Ryoko knew she would be) there was no doubt in her mind that it would be by Alcea's hand. Anyone who took one look at the warmth in her eyes when she smiled at the Grass type would come to the same conclusion.

The light faded once more, and all three were certain that this time, Shaymin would be okay. She was healed, she had to be. Vic and Rui in particular were so drained that they weren't sure if they could even keep standing, and even Alcea, who should have been getting invigorated by the power of the Oracle, could feel her strength starting to flag.

The three of them glanced down at Shaymin, and to their horror, they saw that the pokemon's condition hadn't changed.

Alcea glanced down sheepishly. She felt like such a fool, encouraging them to never give up. This wasn't some movie, this was reality, and in reality, you didn't succeed just by trying really, really hard. Who was it that said "insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results?" Well it didn't matter, because now she was the one saying it.

She was still handling it better than some people were, though.

"Damn it!" Vic cursed again, punching the stone ring so hard that her knuckles started bleeding. "Why?! Why isn't it working?! What else do we have to do?!"

"Shaymin? Shaymin!" Shaymin glanced up weakly and saw the blood running down Vic's hand, and leapt to her feet. She began to glow green, to Vic's horror.

"Wait, no, Shaymin, it's fine!" She said quickly. "Don't! I'm fine, really!"

"Shaymin?" The light around Shaymin faded and she glanced warily up at Vic, not at all convinced that the other girl was okay.

"I'm fine," Vic tried to reassure her, flashing a shaky smile. "I just, um… please, please don't heal me, alright? I appreciate it, but you need to conserve your strength."

"Maybe this is the best that we can do," Rui said darkly. Having been doing this the longest, she lacked the childish optimism of the two high schoolers. "Maybe she's too far gone to heal. Maybe you're onto something, Victoria. All the energy she's using to restore the land around us, maybe that's what's got her into this state."

Rui didn't like the sound of what she was suggesting, but it needed to be said.

"It could be that Shaymin weakening like this… is just a natural consequence of using her powers for this long," Rui muttered, glancing sadly at the small pokemon. "If she wasn't so nice… if she stopped using her power to heal the land, then maybe… well, maybe she'd be able to heal herself, then, don't you think?"

Nobody liked the sound of that, and certainly not Vic.

"What are you saying, mom!?" She demanded. "Are you saying that we should just have Shaymin stop doing what she's doing? Let the clearing, Agate Village, the rest of the Orre Region fall to ruin over this whole thing?"

"I agree," Alcea said, scowling. "I do not think that is a very intelligent plan, is it?"

"That's your father in you," Rui sighed. "Until the end, he's the type who always believes that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. You're doing it right now, don't you see that? You think that it's important for us to heal the Orre Region… and you're right, it IS important. But what's also important is Shaymin. Are you really willing to let her die, just to keep this land green for a little longer?"

Vic stared at her mother like the woman had just slapped her in the face. She shook her head in disbelief. "You… You can't be serious, mom! I wouldn't… of course I don't think that way!" She exclaimed.

"Then what?!" Rui demanded. "What are you trying to do here then, Victoria?!"

"I want to save them both!" She spat back. "Both the Orre Region, and Shaymin, too!"

Rui rolled her eyes. "I thought you weren't as naïve as that. You have to know that might not be a possibility!"

"Shaymin, Shaymin!" Shaymin said, looking back and forth between the mother and daughter. Their bickering was causing their harmonia to overflow, and it was starting to weaken her all over again from the stress.

"Calm down, both of you," Alcea said, scooping Shaymin up in her arms and rocking her gently, shooting the pair a disappointed look. "Can't you see your dispute is frightening the poor thing, is it?"

Both women glanced at Shaymin in contrition, their faces flushing with shame.

"That's not…" Rui mumbled.

Vic scratched her neck sheepishly. "I didn't…"

"We will try it again," Alcea said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "And again. And again, if we must. Even if it takes all day. All night. Until Shaymin is healed, we will continue to heal her, is that understood?"

Alcea was the youngest person in that clearing right now. But nobody there was able to refute her. She set Shaymin back down, and they began to heal her again.

The three of them are doing their best to take care of Shaymin, but it doesn't seem to be working! Will their powers be enough? Or will they need to hope for a miracle of some sort? What's going to happen to the poor pokemon?