The Empress's group and Andrea's group are approaching Agate Village! But not everything is well. There appears to be someone following after them in the shadows, tracking their movements. What could this mysterious figure want? Who could they be? How does Marion know them? All these questions and more will be answered this chapter!

The Elimination Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 3 is coming to a close! There's only about a week left, so make sure to get those votes in! We've only got a couple of people who have voted so far, so try to vote if you can, if you want your girl to be the third year champion, and if you want this contest to happen for a fourth time! 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: Yes. I wonder who it could be…

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: It's pretty clearly someone she knows. The question is, is that a good thing, or a bad thing? I suppose we'll have to see.

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Yep, finally someone who remembers who Andre is. He also knows Chloe for good measure.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 986

Marion woke up bright and early with an itchy feeling in her chest. It was time to go fishing!

…Except she couldn't. Hiromi wouldn't let her.

She sighed. Of course, she knew why Hiromi didn't want her to sneak off to go fishing. But come on, there was a stream so close! She could just feel the water nearby, even if there weren't any pokemon in it.

But she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. So she had to swallow her urges and not give into the water's seductive allure. She wasn't going to go and fish, she absolutely wasn't going to-

"Marion, what do you think you're doing?"

Hiromi was standing outside of her tent with her arms crossed, and a disapproving look on her face. Marion winced.

Caught red-handed.

"Just… getting some early morning fishing in…"

"I already said no. Come on, we're heading out to Agate Village soon, once we pack up and eat breakfast. With any luck, we'll be there by tomorrow afternoon. We don't have time to waste on you wandering off, okay?" Hiromi was trying to be gentle, but Marion could tell from the firmness in her voice that there was no room for negotiation.

She sighed again and trudged out of the tent so they could start packing up the campsite.

Lila groaned when she saw breakfast. Canned eggs? Powdered eggs? She didn't know which one was worse. They both tasted awful, but the Ranger Course students ate them up without even thinking about it.

"Come on, Lila, I've had worse," Darla said, trying to encourage her friend.

Lila scowled. She'd had worse too. One of the problems with growing up in a hole in the wall apartment in Rustboro City. Some days she was lucky to even get breakfast at all!

But she couldn't just go out and say that. Lila Seelie had an image to maintain, and Lila Seelie wasn't the kind of girl who ate half-cooked food out of a can.

"Well, I haven't had worse," Olivia scoffed. Even with her own complicated living situation, she was at least properly fed decent meals by her parents. This was far below the standards of someone at her level! Alcea would have understood.

Of course, nobody really cared about Olivia's objections. Erik just glared at her and said she was welcome to eat whatever she liked, and that shut everyone right up. After all, they were relying on the generosity of Andrea and her group sharing their rations, as Hiromi reminded them. Complaining about it only made them seem ungrateful.

"Okay, everyone, let's pack it up," Andrea called out as they took down the campsite. Soon enough, they were ready to get back on the trail again. As they headed towards the edge of the clearing, Marion froze.

Wait, that's…

A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of Andrea's feet and she leapt back, immediately put on guard.

"What's going on?!" She demanded, instinctively reaching for her Capture Styler before remembering that she wasn't on duty at the moment. She shot a glare back at the students, shouting "everybody! Get back, now!"

Everyone did so. But not Marion. She had rare look of shock as she took a tentative step forward. Then, to everyone's surprise, her straw hat floated up off of her head.

"My hat!" Marion gasped as it shot away from her, pulled by some unseen force. She was about to chase after it before Andrea grabbed her by the arm.

The hat flew through the air before landing in the hand of a tall, slender figure walking into the clearing. They unhooked the fishing line from it, spinning the straw hat in their hand.

Everyone had to pause to do a double-take at what they were seeing. The person who'd stolen Marion's hat was an adult, but beyond that it was hard to tell anything else about them because they were wearing a domino mask that covered their eyes. They had long blonde hair tied up into a ponytail, which bounced as they slid Marion's hat over their own head. They wore a bright yellow tunic over a pair of jeans, and in their other hand they carried a fishing rod.

A Pikachu with a heart-shaped notch on her tail stood beside the stranger, her cheeks sparking with electricity.

Andrea narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?!" She demanded.

The masked figure smirked. "I am the one who guards these forests!" They boomed with a theatrical voice. "Those who seek passage must conquer my trial! Ahahaha!"

"I don't know who you think you are, but there's no way I'm going to let you lay a hand on these students," Hiromi growled.

"Oh, really? And you think you can stop me, do you?" The masked figure snorted. "I'll have you know that I cannot be beaten!"

"You wanna bet?" Allen smirked, reaching for a pokeball. "Let's see that Pikachu go up against my Flygon!"

He sent out Enkidu, his Flygon flapping his wings and flying towards his foe.

"I want in on this!" Raizer cheered, reaching for his pokeball. "Come on, Zera! Let's show this masked marauder what we're made of!"

"Don't even think about it," Mirar snapped, glaring at him.

"What?! Why not?!" Raizer demanded.

"Because that pokemon of yours will torch this whole forest and we both know it, that's why!" Erik growled.

"But we won't," Allen assured him. "Just watch our skills."

"So you've chosen battle, is that it?" Their anonymous attacker said, holding up a pokeball. "Kitty, go! Use sleep powder!"

"Butterfree!" A Butterfree emerged from the pokeball and flapped his wings, sending a cloud of green powder billowing towards Enkidu. As soon as the cloud engulfed the Flygon he crashed to the ground, fast asleep.

"No!" Allen shouted.

"Mwahaha! Thanks to Kitty's sleep powder, that Flygon of yours will be slumbering… forever!" The masked marauder cackled.

"That's what you think," Andrea scowled. "Chime, use your uproar!"

"Chime! Chime!" Chime chimed, chiming her chime. A loud echoing noise broke out over the clearing, so loud that Enkidu was forced awake. The groggy Flygon stood back up, glaring angrily at the bug pokemon.

"Alas! I've miscalculated!" The figure in yellow gasped. "But no matter! Prepare to-"

"MOM!" Marion shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. "Cut it out already! You're embarrassing me! And give me my hat back!"

The masked figure wilted slightly, startled. Everyone else was dumbfounded.

They quickly recovered their composure, coughing. "Ahem. I do not know who is this 'mom' you speak of! I am Amarillo del Bosque Verde, the masked figure of the shadows! And should you not heed my warning then-"

"MOM!"

"Amarillo" sighed, recalling Kitty to his pokeball. Walking over to a wary Enkidu, they held out their hand, which began to glow with a soft yellow light. Enkidu's scrapes from crashing to the ground faded, much to everyone's surprise.

Then the masked figure turned to the others, and smiled, removing their mask to reveal a set of beautiful brown eyes. With her face uncovered it was clear that she was a woman, albeit a very androgynous one.

"Sorry for all of that," she apologized. "I got a little bit carried away… but when I saw my daughter, I couldn't help myself!" She giggled sheepishly, like the whole thing had just been one game. Nobody else was laughing. With the exception of Marion they were all incredibly confused.

"So you really are Marion's mother?" Hiromi asked suspiciously.

"Yep!" The woman winked, adjusting the brim of her hat. "My name is Yellow!"

"…That's not a name, that's a color," Donoma mumbled.

"It's… an alias!" Yellow said, narrowing her eyes. "My real name? It's a secret. Because it's cooler that way."

She spread out her hand in front of her face and pointed her other hand forward, cocking her legs open in an exaggerated pose.

Marion buried her face in her hands and groaned.

Olivia was about as unamused as you could get. "…Really?"

Yellow sighed, straightening up. "Man, you kids are so uptight. It was just a little bit of fun, that's all. I just wanted to play a game with my Mari!"

She skipped over to Marion and pulled her into a hug, nuzzling her cheek.

"…So you really are Marion's mother?" Hiromi repeated, finding it impossible to believe. As for the people who knew Marion fairly well, though, the family resemblance wasn't hard to tell.

"Of course!" Yellow giggled. "Where do you think she got her wonderful personality from? My sweet Mari's a little ball of sunshine, yes she is!"

"Pika!" Yellow's Pikachu agreed with a nod.

"So why are you here?" Andrea asked. "And why did you attack us?"

"That was just a goof!" Yellow chirped. "Come on, haven't you ever wanted to play the melodramatic villain figure at least once? I saw an opportunity and I just couldn't resist!"

She made a triumphant pose, her wicked smirk returning. "I am… Amarillo del Bosque Verde, mwahaha!"

"…Okay, she makes a good point," Donoma admitted.

Olivia nodded. "I can definitely understand the inclination," she agreed.

"Why is it that you two can only ever agree on stuff like this?" Ayame dryly remarked. Both girls glared at her.

"Okay fine, so you were just playing around. That still doesn't make it okay to attack us like that!" Andrea scowled.

Yellow frowned. "Come on, it's not like anyone got hurt after all, though? We were just playing, right Enkidu?"

"Flygon," Enkidu nodded, smiling.

Allen was taken aback. "Wait… how do you know his name?" He demanded. He was pretty sure he hadn't mentioned it.

Yellow blinked in confusion. "Because I asked him? Back when I was healing him, I asked what his name was, and he told me."

"Harmonia," Olivia groaned. "I should have known."

"Well, it makes sense," Ayame admitted. "She is Marion's mother after all."

Hiromi was confused. "Harmonia? What's that?"

Yellow smiled warmly, removing her hat and plopping it back on Marion's head. "It's a special gift, right Mari?"

Marion blushed a little and nodded, smiling.

"Simply put, it allows me to sense the hearts of pokemon," Yellow explained. "Like with Enkidu, or with Chime over there. And of course my Chuchu, too," she added, picking up her Pikachu and hugging her tightly.

"No way," Andrea said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I've heard rumors of people being able to talk to pokemon before, but this…"

"It's the truth, sis," Andre said. "You know as well as I do that some people are a little more… gifted than others, isn't that right?"

Andrea gasped. "Wait a minute, so then you're telling me that Kanone…"

"Kanone?" Ayame narrowed her eyes.

"You don't mean Kanone Harker, do you?" Olivia asked.

Andrea turned to the two girls, surprised. "Why yes, I do. He's a friend of mine. He was always telling me that he knew a little bit more about pokemon's feelings than most people, but I never really took him seriously. Do you two know him or something?"

"They know his brother Blake," Andre explained. "Or to be more accurate, Ayame over there is dating him."

Ayame blushed a little, before returning to seriousness. "Wow, it really is a small world, huh? To think that I'd run into a friend of Kanone Harker's in the Orre Region."

"And you're saying he has this harmonia thing too?" Andrea sighed. "So I guess that means his sister must have it… no wonder those guys were so desperate to find her…"

"Good eye," Olivia said, surprised. "You figured out it's hereditary?"

Andrea nodded, pointing to Yellow and Marion. "Mother and daughter both have it, so it's a fair enough guess. And Blake's adopted so I guess he's clear? Damn, this is all so confusing. I'm glad I focus on just being a ranger instead of having those weird psychic powers."

"Really?" Andre said, surprised. "I think it would be pretty helpful in this line of work, being able to hear the hearts of pokemon."

"It's a wonderful power," Yellow confirmed, smiling warmly. "To be able to hear when a pokemon is in pain, and help them, it's truly a wonderful gift."

"So that's what that light was earlier?" Olivia asked. "Your harmonia?"

Yellow nodded. Her hand began to glow yellow again. "My harmonia allows me to hear the voices of pokemon. I can feel their emotions, read their minds, and even see their memories. Plus, it allows me to heal their wounds. And it even works with people as well."

A few people gasped in surprise.

"That's amazing!" Lila was in awe of that power. The talking with pokmon part, that was normal for harmonia, she knew that much. But being able to heal pokemon when they were injured, that was something special.

"Why can't you do that?" Ian asked, turning to Marion.

"Everyone's harmonia is special," Yellow explained. "My abilities are different from my daughter's. Just like how they came naturally for me, but for Mari…"

She made a complicated face. Marion walked over to her mother and laid a gentle hand on her arm, smiling.

"It's okay, mom. I don't blame you for what happened. I never have," she assured her.

Yellow smiled a little, her eyes starting to tear up. Everyone else was just confused about what "what happened" meant, but they assumed it was a private matter.

Marion handled the rest of the explanation. "Yeah, my mom's abilities are pretty amazing. As for me, I have an affinity for Water types, particularly fish pokemon. My harmonia works best with them, even though I can use it on any pokemon really. No healing powers, though, unfortunately."

"Still, it's pretty cool," Lila said. "I wish I could talk to my pokemon…"

"…You do know you'd have to deal with migraines and nosebleeds all the time, right?" Darla reminded her.

"Gack. Eh… maybe not," Lila said sheepishly, scratching her head. "Nah, I think I'm fine just the way I am!"

"Mom, you still haven't explained why you're here," Marion said, frowning. "I thought you were at the Aether Foundation? Don't tell me you came all the way here looking for me?"

Erik, Jessie, and Andre were stunned.

"You work at the Aether Foundation?!" All three of them exclaimed, startling Yellow a little.

"Y-Yes? I'm on leave at the moment, though," she said, feeling a little awkward about the sudden interest they were showing.

"The Aether Foundation? What's that?" Lila asked, confused.

Yellow smiled. "The Aether Foundation is an organization based in the Alola Region founded on the goal of healing pokemon. We shelter pokemon to keep them safe, particularly those who have been impacted by damage to the environment."

"I've worked together with some of their field operatives before," Andrea said, nodding in agreement. "They've got some great vision. For people aiming to be Pokemon Conservationists, the Aether Foundation is one of the best organizations to work for."

"I really enjoy helping sick and injured pokemon, you see," Yellow explained. "Ever since I was a little girl, I always hated to see pokemon get hurt. Even in battles. That's why I try as hard as I can not to hurt them, and even if I have to, I can still use my powers to make sure everything is all right. I love my work there, since it allows me to use my powers to help the people and pokemon who need it most."

"So you're on leave? Why?" Marion asked. She was still concerned about her mother's presence here. After all, to the others, Yellow might just appear to be a slightly eccentric woman, but she knew about her mom's status in the Aether Foundation. Due to her abilities, she was practically the president's right-hand woman. She wasn't the sort of person who could just take some time out to visit her daughter out of nowhere."

"…Okay, you got me," Yellow admitted. "I'm not actually on leave."

She looked around suspiciously, as if there were spies everywhere, and then leaned in close.

"Actually," she whispered conspiratorially, "I'm here on a secret mission. Very hush-hush, on a need to know basis only."

"Why?" Andrea asked. "There aren't any pokemon in the Orre Region in the first place. What's the Aether Foundation want with somewhere like this?"

Yellow smiled. "Oh? Are you so sure about that?"

The giggle in her words gave Andrea pause. All of a sudden, no, she wasn't so sure after all.

"Wait, so you're here to heal a pokemon?" Marion asked, stunned.

"The Aether Foundation got a request a few days ago from Agate Village," Yellow explained. "The village's protector, Wes, actually came to the Aether Resort in person, can you believe that? He asked for my help specifically. Help with what, you might be asking? Well…"

She narrowed her eyes and spread her hand across her face. "…It's a secret. Because it's cooler that way."

We've finally met Marion's mother! Yellow seems to be a rather fun person, it's clear where Marion gets some of her kookiness from. I wonder what's going to happen when they get to Agate Village? Remember to vote!