The Commander's group has gone over their ideas for the battle facilities. So what will come next? Why, we have to get to scouting out the places to build, and get started on construction of course! There's a lot of technical stuff left to do, we can't call it quits just yet! Let's see where things go from here, and what else we can learn about the upcoming Battle Frontier project.
The Semi-Final Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 3 has begun! There are only a few days left before the finals and we've only gotten a few votes so far, so make sure to get those votes in as soon as possible! We've only got three votes so far! These are our semi-finalists! Make sure to get those votes in, and choose which of these girls you think should make it to the finals! You can only vote for 3, so make sure to pick your favorites!
Semi-Finalists: Ayame, Chloe, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Marion, Sango, Vic
KedharS: Mason's actually a pretty funny guy when he gets the chance to talk.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1022
"So we've talked about what everyone wants to do, and I think we've mostly planned out where everything's going to go, right?" Anabel said, tapping their finger against their chin. "Madison, your idea would be fine to do close to the Battle Tower, right?"
Maddi blinked. "What, you mean one of those inner areas? Yeah, I'm totally fine with that. Works for me."
"Knowing Mason, you probably don't care one way or the other, huh?" Ross said, glancing over at Mason.
Mason adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Inner area or outskirts, it makes no difference. The brilliance of my idea will shine regardless."
Nobody said anything for a while, staring blankly at him.
"…Okay, so we'll leave it up to Cynthia to decide," Alden said, turning back to the model. "If her idea is something that would fit better with the wide-open space on the outskirts of the Battle Frontier, we'll leave that to her. If it's better for the inside, then she and Mason can fight it out."
Tommy laughed. "Mason fighting against that first-year? Now that'll be something worth watching, I'd say."
Ross tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard that Cynthia likes cosplay, Maddi, is that right? Or just a rumor?"
Maddi sighed. She didn't like being considered as the "Cynthia expert" around here. "I mean… I guess so?"
"Great!" Tommy laughed. "Then we can have her fight Mason wearing a maid outfit! He's liable to throw the whole match!"
Everyone had a good laugh at that, but not Maddi or Chloe. Chloe glanced over at Mason, who showed no reaction to Tommy's statement whatsoever. She wondered what he was thinking about, being the butt of the joke like that.
She honestly felt a little bad about him. But on the other hand, his obsession with maid outfits was a little… well…
Alden cleared his throat to sober everyone up. "In the end, though, we can't really move forward unless we consult with Cynthia, huh?"
"Good point," Anabel sighed. "I guess we'll get started on the other facilities in the meantime."
"Wait, what?!" Chloe sputtered in disbelief. Her concern for Mason was forgotten, now that the discussion was shifting back to the actual construction. "We… do we actually have the money for stuff like that?!"
The Battle Tower was practically a ruin. And the structures outside were even worse, having been worn down from the wrath of time. It would cost a considerable amount of money and effort to restore those facilities, not to mention the other parts of the Battle Frontier. She couldn't even imagine how construction on that dome would go.
Anabel just laughed it off.
"Well, we can still get started. We'll have to talk to Scott, though."
"Don't underestimate the construction crews available in the Orre Region," Rui added. Realgam Tower itself was built practically overnight, they do good work."
"Yup, that's right," Scott nodded. He flashed a smile. "We'll handle everything! As for the rest of you, I say take your time and scope out the area! The territory is fenced off; anything inside the fence, that's going to be Battle Frontier!"
Chloe was less than thrilled about that. "I'll, uh… stay here, check out the model," she mumbled. She didn't want to think about how much her heart would sink if she went around and took a closer look at the state of Realgam Tower, and speculated on how much work it would take to restore the damn thing. That would just bring headaches.
Plus, there wasn't a dome in place yet. Scott was basically asking them to go wander around in the desert. No thanks.
She wasn't the only objector. Maddi and Mason, predictably, wanted to stay inside and out of the way of the sandstorms. But Anabel and Alden were hyped to go see the Battle Tower. And that meant Vic was coming with them.
"I'm gonna go see where the Battle Tent's going to be!" Tommy declared.
"I'll scout out ideas for the Battle Safari, myself," Keya agreed. The two boys headed out.
"Stay within the fenced area!" Rui called after them. She was supposed to be their chaperone and keep the group together, but right now it didn't seem like that much of a need. There were a lot of trusted adults around, heck, everyone here was technically under Alden's payroll, right?
Kids these days are really something else, huh? Rui thought, exasperated. At the same time, though, she was forced to acknowledge that when she was their age, she and Wes were already dismantling criminal organizations.
So maybe teens could be a little more responsible than old folks gave them credit for.
"I think I'll stay in here and work on the model," Ross decided after a pause. "I'd like to get things looking a little more solid. I've got some ideas of my own about how I want the Battle Roulette to look like."
Rui decided she'd stay back as well; that way, if anyone needed help, they'd just need to come back to the tent.
So everyone went their separate ways. Keya and Tommy went off on their own, while Alden headed to the Battle Tower with Anabel and Vic beside him.
It wasn't that long of a walk, but it was longer than Alden had anticipated.
"You know," he said, "if we're going to be building this place from the ground up, maybe we should install some more of those moving paths, you know? Or maybe a monorail, something to carry guests from the main entrance to the central plaza."
"You mean the Battle Salon, right?" Anabel corrected him. The two shared a laugh, and Vic swallowed her vomit.
"What about renting bicycles?" Anabel suggested. "After all, part of the Battle Frontier is exploring the different locales. There are already underground paths to take the guests to four of the facilities, going to all the different facilities by more automated walkways might get pretty boring, don't you think? But if we let them rent bikes at the entrance, they can travel around more efficiently."
Vic wanted to scream. That was a really good idea. Stupid Anabel kept coming up with good ideas, and looking good in the Commander's eyes! It had been like this practically the whole trip, much to her chagrin. Anabel and Alden were just on the same wavelength. After they had come to Agate Village and met him again, the two had been joined at the hip.
She was starting to feel very much like a third wheel.
"Vic, what do you think?"
Startled, Vic snapped back to the conversation and realized that Alden was talking to her.
"H-Huh? Think about what?" She asked, kicking herself internally for not paying attention.
"We were talking about restoring the power to the Battle Tower," Anabel said. "I thought that should be the first thing we do for this project. After all, the Battle Tower is the symbol of the Battle Frontier, right? It only makes sense that lighting it up again would be how we start construction, don't you agree?"
Anabel was staring at her with those big purple eyes of their, and Vic could sense nothing but positive vibes coming off them with her harmonia.
That made it even worse. They were so darn sincere she couldn't stand it.
"Whatever," she said, sounding a lot more snappish than she'd wanted. "I think it's fine. After all, the Commander's facility should be the one that gets the most focus, don't you think?"
"Yes, exactly, you get it!" Anabel said, their eyes shining brightly. They reached out and grabbed Vic's hands. "Perfect!"
"Wh-Whatever, it's not a big deal," she muttered, pulling free from Anabel's grasp. "Anyway, you're right. This place looks… pretty impressive."
They'd finally arrived at the Battle Tower. It was amazing, a massive structure that dwarfed them considerably. Vic's mother had stated many times when she was little that the Realgam Tower was definitely the largest building she'd ever seen, and staring up at it now Vic finally realized how right she really was. It was like staring at the finger of a mighty deity jammed down into the sand; the tip was so high up she couldn't even see it. The structure stretched into the distance.
"It's what, a hundred floors?" Alden said, glancing to Vic for confirmation. "That's what we'll do. According to Wes and Rui, there's a stadium on the roof of the tower, complete with bleachers for the audience and everything. So that's why, for my idea, you battle. You battle, battle, battle, all to reach the top of the tower. And the prize for reaching the top… another battle. Against yours truly. Amazing, don't you think?"
Vic was surprised to hear the Commander talk about prizes. "Wait, but sir, don't you value battles for the sake of the fight? Why the focus on winning and losing?"
It just didn't seem like him.
Alden glanced apologetically over at her. He smiled sheepishly. "Well… to be honest, it's not perfect," he admitted. "If it was up to me, I'd like to fight everyone, you know? Challenge all the trainers! But unfortunately, that's just not practical. It's not about fighting me, it's about fighting everyone, including each other."
Vic nodded sadly. That did make sense, as hard as it felt for her. "Well… I guess you're right…"
"This way, people can enjoy fighting each other. And the strongest among them will be able to fight me. And yes, we will be offering battle points as a prize. But like the other facilities, those battle points will serve one reason, and one reason alone: to facilitate the growth of your pokemon, and reach new heights as a trainer, isn't that right?"
He looked hopefully at her, to see if she approved. And she had to admit that there was merit in his suggestion. Knowing the Orre Region, it would be impossible to totally erase the idea of battling for a reward. But with what Alden suggested… fighting in order to achieve measurable rewards that could be funded into more battles…
It would erase a lot of the toxic mentality that had seized her home. And maybe, just maybe, it would get rid of the anthem "weakness is a sin" that had plagued the people.
"I think you're right," Vic nodded.
"Definitely!" Anabel agreed, nodding vigorously. "I can't wait to see it! Fighting just the best of the best, the most engaging and thrilling battles ever… aww, I'm so jealous! Why can't I lead the Battle Tower, huh?!"
"Sorry," Alden laughed, staring back up at the tower. "But the top of that peak is mine, and mine alone. As for the rest of you… you all have your own ideas, right? Things that make your facilities purely yours, and I can't wait to see them!"
Vic felt her face growing hot.
"Y-Yes, sir, exactly," she nodded, smiling slightly. He understood. He really did understand where she was coming from, didn't he?
"Yep, and the Battle Salon is just perfect for that!" Anabel chirped, flashing him a thumbs' up filled with excitement.
Immediately Vic's mood soured. She was excited for the Battle Frontier, and she was happy to share this moment with her beloved Commander… but much to her chagrin, Anabel kept being here just ruining it all.
Anabel was ambivalent to Vic's irritation. Instead, they continued to hype up their own idea. "That's what I love about my idea! Being able to battle your fill! If the Battle Tower is about challenging yourself to climb to the very top and improve yourself, the Battle Salon is about the flexibility of battling all over the place, and nurturing your pokemon to perform at their best!"
They clapped their hand on Alden's shoulder. "Together, it's like we're the heart and soul of the Battle Frontier! We'll be filled with all the battles we can get! Doesn't that sound like a blast, Alden?!" Their grin was devoid of bad intentions.
But at this point it didn't matter.
Vic had put up with so much. This entire trip had been filled with stress. Even Agate Village, her home, wasn't as relaxing as she'd wished it could be due to the attack of the terrorists devastating the place. Yes, she'd met Alcea, and that had improved her mood immeasurably. She couldn't put into words how wonderful it felt to rebuild her friendship with the other girl, and with Shaymin as well. They were both such positive influences, but now…
Alcea was still in Agate Village. Shaymin was still in Agate Village.
Vic was here. Watching Anabel snake their way into the position that she deserved, being the Commander's right hand.
Vic wanted to scream. And she wanted to punch Anabel's teeth in. But she didn't do either. She also wanted to cry, but not even that came out.
Instead, she turned and walked away into the desert.
"Vic!" Alden was confused why she had left all of a sudden, and chased after her. Unfortunately, Anabel followed him, which made Vic feel even less interested in discussing.
"What?" She snapped. Why did she do that? She didn't mean to snap. She didn't WANT to snap. The Commander had done nothing wrong, getting angry at him like this… it just wasn't okay. She didn't want to do it. She shrank back and looked away.
"Hey, are you okay?" Alden asked, concern spreading over his face. "You've been kind of off ever since we left Agate Village."
"It's nothing," she muttered, shaking her head. "Just forget about it."
She didn't want to say anything about how she felt. Not to him. That would turn her concerns into his problem, and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Anabel approached her instead.
"Victoria… I can tell that there's something off," they said quietly. "If you don't want to tell him… would you like to talk to me about it?"
Vic stared at Anabel in disbelief. Did they really just ask that?
"If you want, I'll step aside," Alden said. "You two talk! Get to know each other better! It'll be great, don't you think?" He flashed her a winning smile and she couldn't find it in herself to go against him. She just sighed and glanced down at the sand.
"…Alright," she agreed solemnly.
Alden walked away and Vic turned to Anabel. They were still staring at her with concern.
"So… what's up?" Anabel asked.
Vic's scowl deepened. She crossed her arms over her chest. "What are your intentions with the Commander?" She demanded.
Anabel took a moment to think about that. They blinked in confusion. "Uh… I'm not quite sure what you mean," they admitted.
"D-Do you… do you have…" She couldn't get the words out. It was too embarrassing. "Do you like the Commander?" How could she ask that?! She'd die of humiliation! And what if the answer was yes? She didn't even want to THINK about that possibility.
Luckily, Anabel wasn't as dense as they appeared to be. They flashed a knowing smile filled with sympathy, and walked closer to Vic, to the point where they could have given her a hug if they'd wanted to.
"Do I have feelings for him, you mean?" They said the words that Vic was too scared to do. Vic swallowed and glanced away, shame blossoming across her face.
"It-It's not what you think," she clarified. "It's just… well, if you do like him, that could be a conflict of interest, don't you think? And also-"
"I don't like him like that." With one simple statement, most of Vic's concerns were blown away in seconds. She looked at Anabel in surprise.
"I- Wait, what?" She sputtered.
Anabel shrugged. "Romantic feelings, you meant, right? Well, don't worry. I don't like him that way. I don't really like anyone that way, I thought I already told you that? For me, what matters most is the battle, challenging one another as trainers. And yeah, I definitely care about him, but when it comes to romance? Nah. Not interested."
Vic knew that, of course. Deep down, she'd already arrived at that conclusion. And that was the reason that Anabel vocalizing that fact didn't do much to assuage her resentment.
After all, she wasn't just jealous of Anabel in a romantic sense; if that was all this was, it might not have even rose to become an issue worth addressing.
The crux of her jealousy for them was the fact that Anabel was still closer to the Commander than she was. Even though they'd only known each other for a couple of months and had only met each other a few times, there was a chemistry there that Vic just couldn't replicate.
She wished she could have that same rapport. She wished that her passion for battles would allow her to connect with the Commander like that.
But Anabel just had something about them that she couldn't replicate, no matter how much she wanted to. And that hurt her quite a lot.
After all, Anabel was able to befriend him instantly. She couldn't connect to him the same way.
So what if Anabel didn't have feelings for him? They still had a position in his heart that she could never replace, and that was enough to break her heart in two.
But if there was one thing she wouldn't lose to, it was her strength. She would do the best she could to claw back her position as the one closest to the Commander, and this intruder wouldn't be able to get between them.
Poor Vic. She's been trying so hard, but unfortunately, Anabel and Alden just have a rapport that she can't match. Hopefully she'll be able to get Alden to look her way, if not… I don't know what she'll end up doing, or what condition she'll end up in.