After the defeat of the Children of the Oracles, everyone needs a chance to calm down and lick their wounds. But what about Alcea? After everything she's gone through, certainly she needs some time to calm down and think, right? It's good Alden is there for her, he might be able to help her with a nice long talk!

The Elimination Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 3 has started! Make sure to get those votes in, we've only got a couple of people who have voted so far! Please, make sure to get those votes in! You can vote for up to 5 girls, so make sure your favorites have a chance to shine!

Nominated: Ange, Ayame, Caelia, Chloe, Cynthia, Donoma, Elaina, Kate, Maddi, Marion, Misato, Ryoko, Sango, Satsuki, Sylvia, Vic

KedharS: Yeah, this is definitely a very tense situation, that's for sure. Hopefully everyone will be okay though.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Who knows just how naïve to romance the Commander really is? Perhaps he can see more than you'd think.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 967

When Alcea finally had the strength to stand up again, Alden helped her to the Pokemon Center. Ryoko had slipped away at some point when no one was looking, which left the two of them alone, with Shaymin.

Shaymin followed cautiously after the two humans, not sure if she should get closer. Alcea assured her that she would be fine; at the moment, Shaymin should concern herself with guarding the Gracidea flower, which she had left resting in the grass.

"Shaymin!" Shaymin agreed with a nod, curling up beside it and waiting patiently for Alcea to return. She just hoped that it wouldn't be another ten years before she saw her friend again.

Alcea honestly wished that she could have asked her to come with them, actually. Just leaving the pokemon's presence made her feel weaker, like the strength was leaking out of her the further away she got. But it was fine. For Shaymin, the Gracidea was more important.

Besides, it left her alone with Alden for the first time she could remember. She was very interested in speaking with him.

If only they had something to talk about.

What was she supposed to say at a time like this? "Will you help me fight against the Phantom and whatever he plans to do with the Pokemon Academy?" Somehow, that didn't seem like the best opener after what they'd gone through.

Surprisingly, it was Alden who decided to talk first.

"That was an amazing battle, Alcea! I knew I was right, your 'Sense' is really something!" Alden complimented her.

Alcea smiled politely, pretending like she wasn't practically dangling off the boy's shoulder as he helped her walk. "Thank you, I appreciate your words very much, is it? But alas, I'm afraid I had a truly dreadful showing. Losing two of my pokemon, so easily…"

"No, not at all," Alden said, shaking his head. "You were really impressive. Honestly. And yeah, that Gwen girl, she was strong, too, but come on! You saw how well your Tsareena and Venusaur did, and I know firsthand how powerful those two are."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's too bad you're a member of the Eight Leaders, if you weren't, I might even consider asking you to join my organization as one of the inner circle! You might be the first girl Vic doesn't throw a fit over, imagine that!"

As he laughed, Alcea looked at him in shock. Did he really have no clue at all why Vic was so defensive about letting girls into their ranks?

A small smile touched her lips. The shy little Victoria was still at the forefront of her mind, so maybe that's why she saw the other girl's jealousy as something cute and sweet. She looked at Vic in a whole new light, now.

But Alcea still had her own interests to consider.

"When you say you want me to join your organization, you're talking about the Battle Frontier, is it?" Alcea asked coolly.

Alden was so surprised he nearly dropped her. "Wait, you know about that?"

She raised her eyebrow. "Oui. You lot aren't exactly subtle."

Alden thought back on all the casual conversations that Tommy and the others, as well as himself, had shared about their so-called "secret plan". He laughed sheepishly. "I guess, yeah! Sometimes I just let things slip out without even knowing it!"

Alcea sighed. "It's a wonder that you've even been able to keep it secret this long," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Well, it was bound to come out anyway," Alden shrugged. "After all, we're going to be spending this trip scouting locations, so it's not like we could keep it secret."

"That would be interesting," Alcea raised her eyebrow. "So where were you thinking?"

He winked. "Sorry Allie, but that's a secret!"

"…Please do not call me that," Alcea coldly rebuffed him. She knew the Commander had a penchant for nicknames, but that was not a pleasant one.

"Still, you might want to consider joining," Alden pressed, still interested in recruiting Alcea into their ranks. "We can always use another strong trainer. Hey, you could even call your facility the 'Battle Garden' or something!"

Alcea laughed. "Please, so I really seem like such an inelegant person, is it?" She asked, even as she begrudgingly admitted to herself that it was a fitting name. "…Regardless. I'm afraid that our interests aren't aligned on this matter, is it?"

"Ah, what a pity," Alden sighed. "Well, I tried."

"Oui, there is a certain charm about your idea, if my thoughts are correct," Alcea admitted. "A facility for trainers to enjoy battles without the constant pressure to win that the Pokemon League imposes, a place where battles can be appreciated for the spirit of competition, is it?"

Alden proudly smiled. "Yep, that's exactly correct! But I'm guessing you're aiming for the league, isn't that right? Probably something along the lines of challenging the gym circuit, maybe, or competing in qualifying tournaments? I mean, you've already done that, though, right? You were in the youth leagues in Kalos if I remember, even though you didn't challenge any gyms."

"Oui, just the league tournaments," Alcea nodded. "But no, that's not what I'm aiming for, not anymore."

Alden raised his eyebrow. "Oh? Not anymore? What happened?"

A faint blush crossed Alcea's cheeks. "Well, there… there was someone who I wished to challenge, is it?" She murmured. "I wanted him to acknowledge my strength… as well as… other things… so I considered challenging the Pokemon League, and one day fighting against him, but… oh, why am I telling you all of this?!" She gasped, a wave of embarrassment rolling over her. She must have been incredibly exhausted to spend all this time talking with the Commander about her personal issues!

With a good-natured laugh, Alden just shrugged it off. "No, don't worry, I totally get it," he smiled. "Hey, I mean, things change. So maybe I've still got a shot, then, if you're not aiming for challenging the Pokemon League?"

"I would hate to break your heart, but not even close," Alcea laughed. "No, my goals may have changed, but… hmm. I was in fact thinking of opening my own gym one day, is it?"

"Wow, really? Your own gym, huh? That's really something!" Alden said, amazed. While he wasn't a big fan of the league circuit himself, he had a great deal of respect for the gym leaders who were on it, considering how talented they were.

"Oui, it was always an option I was considering," Alcea admitted. "After all, the classes offered at the Pokemon Academy to enter the ranks of the gym leaders are ones commonly taken by those seeking to challenge the Pokemon League as well."

"Plus you've got your position as a member of the Eight Leaders, too," Alden noted. "That should definitely help you with recommendations."

"Is that why your brother joined?" Alcea suddenly asked.

"Who, Raizer?" Alden raised his eyebrow. "Oh, nah, you know how that guy is. The reason he joined the Eight Leaders, well… pretty sure that was because he wanted to fight a bunch of people and become stronger, and you guys are pretty much the best trainers around."

"…Yes, that sounds accurate, is it," Alcea noted dryly. Raizer wasn't exactly the planning type. He definitely would have challenged them just because he could.

"I'm still surprised that you beat him, though," Alden said. "…Oh, not because I think you're weaker than he is or anything, it's just, well, you know how him and his Zeraora are, that must have been a really challenging battle."

"Oui," Alcea agreed with a laugh. "Were it not for leech seed, I doubt I would have been able to score a successful victory. That pokemon is quite fearsome, he nearly defeated my entire team, is it?"

"Yeah, but Shaymin's pretty tough, too," Alden said. "Seeing the two of you fight together… man, that was really something."

Alcea could already sense the direction this conversation was headed. "Not a chance," she coldly stated, shooting him a glare.

"What?" Alden asked.

"You were about to ask if Shaymin and I would battle against your team once they've healed, isn't that right?" Alcea narrowed her eyes and Alden glanced away, smiling in spite of himself.

"…Oh, come on, can you blame me?" Alden groaned. "You and Shaymin are SO strong! Seeing the two of you go at it, with that shiny green stone?! That's the kind of foe I'm dying to face! Heck, if I'd had my pokemon, fighting either one of those two girls would have been… hmm."

Alden thought about it for a second, and then shook his head. "No, on second thought, I don't think so. Never mind."

Now Alcea was interested. "What?" She asked. "What were you about to say?"

"Well, I was thinking that I might want to fight against those two, but… the more I think about it, the more I doubt I'd enjoy it," he admitted with a shrug. "After all, that Val girl… as strong as her pokemon were… I couldn't feel any 'Sense' from her."

Alcea had no idea what that meant. "And Guinevere?"

"The blonde girl? Well, she's…" Alden couldn't quite put into words what his apprehension was about facing that girl. "I mean, she's certainly a powerful trainer, nobody could say otherwise. But when I looked at her and watched her fight, it was just… well, you know how the people in Orre Region aren't really all that into battling?"

Alcea raised her eyebrow. "The Orre Region has quite a significant amount of pokemon battles in fact, their colosseums-"

"No, that's not what I mean," Alden quickly cut her off, shaking his head. "I mean they don't enjoy battling. They don't fight because they like it, they fight because they need to win, they need to make money. Battling is a means to an end for them."

Alcea still didn't really get his point. "I understand what you mean, but don't you think you're being too critical? Battling is a means to an end for a lot of people."

"Yeah, sure, but for that girl… I mean, you saw that desperation, you saw how much pain she was in. For her, battling was like… it was like she was going to die if she didn't win. And I'm not just talking about the harmonia, either, no, that felt like something totally different," he explained. "The 'Sense' I was getting from her, it was like… it was like losing was death. Someone like that… I don't see any point in battling someone like that. Her heart was just too closed off."

Alcea looked at the solemn expression on his face with more than a little surprise. She honestly hadn't expected the Commander to be such an insightful person, given how he usually composed himself around others.

All that wisdom and understanding, and he still can't tell how Victoria feels about him? What's up with that? She wondered.

"It's like that other girl. Back at school. I think her name is Elaina?" Alden murmured, his voice distant. Alcea winced. She knew Elaina Bishop.

"What about her?" She asked quietly.

"She's a talented trainer. But even as strong as she is… I don't want to fight against her, either. Because her 'Sense'… it's like that Gwen girl. Nothing I say or do would have any effect on either one of them, so I can't really see the point," Alden sighed.

Alcea sighed. "Well, that is certainly a valid thought, is it? But even so… it seems that someone else has managed to get through to her."

Alden raised his eyebrow. "You mean Blake Harker, right?"

"Oui," Alcea nodded.

"Your 'fiancé' right?" He smirked.

Alcea turned as red as her hair.

"Absolutely not!" She sputtered. "Blake and I, we never had any such arrangement! That was something forced onto us by our parents!"

"So it WAS true!" Alden laughed. "Wow, and here I thought that Val girl was just lying!"

Her jaw dropped. He didn't know?! How did he not know?! Curses! She shouldn't have said anything, then!

"That blonde girl was his sister, right? No wonder she snapped like that! She probably thought you were taking her brother away!" She couldn't believe he could laugh about something so serious. After everything they'd gone through today, particularly involving Gwen, could he really be so cavalier about it all? And yet, he didn't seem at all bothered.

"I bet there's a story there," Alden mused. There certainly was, but Alcea didn't know it. And it wouldn't have been her business to share, if she did. But Alden didn't seem that concerned. "Still, I suppose that's family stuff. Not something we need to worry about. Although, I guess you're technically family, right?" He asked, smirking at her.

She scowled. "I'll have you know, we are no longer engaged!" She snapped. "That was an arrangement that our parents made, and neither one of us wished for it! The moment we had a chance we put a stop to it! So your insinuation that I would have feelings of any sort for Blake Harker is simply absurd! Besides, right now I like-"

She gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth to shut herself up, realizing what she'd nearly let slip. Her face bright red, she glanced at Alden, and the look on his face made her aghast.

Oh, no, what have I done? She asked herself, horrified.

The Commander was smiling from ear to ear.

"So wait, there is somebody you like, then?" He cackled.

"I have nothing to say on the topic," she icily replied, turning and staring ahead. How could she have been so careless?! She'd nearly admitted…

"Hey, come on, you can tell me, I don't care about stuff like that!" Alden assured her.

"Absolutely not."

God, she could just die of embarrassment right now!

To Alcea's relief, Alden had stopped pestering her about her feelings by the time they arrived at the Pokemon Center. Which was good, because such a jovial topic would have felt out of place with the tension hanging over the room.

"What's going on?" Alden asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why's everyone so…"

Now that the danger had passed and everyone was finally safe, the weight of what had just transpired was beginning to set in. Chloe was curled up into a ball on one of the couches, shaking, giving off an aura that rejected any approach. Mason was as closed-off as always so it was impossible to tell what he was feeling, but even his stoic façade had a crack of worry in it. As for Keya, the normally-cheerful boy looked, well, just as traumatized as any child, even if he was really their age. Such a haunted look didn't belong on a kid like that.

Even Tommy and Ross were affected. Tommy was upbeat and passionate, to the point of being abrasive, but right now he was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued, clearly affected by how useless he and his pokemon were. And Ross, so used to easily achieving victory, seemed just as shaken, with no trace of his casual air and laid-back smile.

But it was Vic's face that really made it all sink in. To Alcea's eyes, she looked like a scared little girl. She saw Victoria there, a child on the brink of tears. Even though, all those years ago, Alcea had left without having to confront the pain she must have inflicted on the girl by abandoning her, right now she was seeing what her sad face must have looked like back then.

Wes and Rui, the only adults, were handling things a little better. Having experienced their fair share of horrors themselves, they were at least more composed when it came to this sort of thing, but neither was very good at giving comfort.

It didn't help that Callie and Maddi were nowhere to be seen, either. Alcea feared the worst.

When Vic saw Alden and Alcea entered the Pokemon Center, a look of pain crossed her face momentarily before she brightened, and she rushed over to them.

"Alcea, are you okay?" She asked.

"Oui, I-I'm fine, is it?" Alcea nodded. "Just… just a little tired, that's all."

Vic helped her over to a chair and she sat down, sinking back into the cushions as she finally let her body start to relax.

But she couldn't relax, not with this atmosphere.

"How are they?" Alden asked, approaching Wes and Rui. "Is everyone okay? Callie and Maddi? Are they…"

He didn't want to say it because he was afraid of the answer, but everyone was thinking it.

Wes just shook his head. "They took the two of them into the urgent care room," he murmured. "We haven't heard anything."

"Which isn't a bad thing!" Rui quickly stated, trying to pick up the mood. "After all, that means they probably aren't in very bad shape, right? They're probably just resting, that's all!"

"Callie… she lost a lot of blood," Alcea shivered, still remembering the massive puddles that had stained the grass. "If… If she needs a transfusion, then I could…"

"That won't be necessary," Wes assured her.

"But with how isolated this place is, and… and it is a Pokemon Center, not a human hospital!" Alcea protested. "They might not have enough blood on file, or of the proper type, or… or…"

"Alcea, if there's an emergency, they'll tell us," Alden assured her. He was pretty much the only one who was still calm. Alcea was amazed he could be so unbothered by all of this. What sort of nerves must it take to remain so even in such a situation? She couldn't even begin to imagine, even though she tried so hard to be the stoic beauty herself.

"I-I suppose… you're correct, is it?" Alcea mumbled, sinking back. She raised her head and stared at the ceiling. She was so, so tired, but she couldn't bear to fall asleep. Not until she knew that they would be okay.

And yet, even as those thoughts rattled through her brain, she still found herself slipping off into dreamland all the same.

So, Alcea and Alden had a nice little chat, and now we're hoping that Callie and Maddi are going to be okay! Next chapter will bring the Agate Village arc to a close, and then we'll move on to somewhere else!