Ange's pulled off some excellent tricks! With her reveal that she was once transported back to the Hisui Region, her special Zoroark and her obsession with the past now makes perfect sense! And not only that, but her skill as a trainer is certainly explained by this as well. After all, she probably went through a lot in that harsh world. Will Alden be able to defeat someone who was specially chosen by Arceus? Or will her philosophy emerge triumphant?

ZenoZen: Ange's convictions really make a lot of sense with the context that she once lived in Hisui.

KedharS: Technically, she's from Sinnoh. She was transported back to Hisui by Arceus in order to save the past. She's the protagonist of Pokemon Legends: Arceus.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1127

"It's going to be alright," Vic assured herself. The Commander was too strong to lose. If he lost here, that meant Ange was as strong as her father, and she refused to accept the idea that was possible. No, Alden was going to win. She was certain of it.

So why was she shaking right now?

Alden had recalled Jaune to his pokeball, and was busy thinking of who the next pokemon he should use was. Most of his pokemon were pretty weakened. He could use Corin again, but he was afraid of overtaxing her. He would still need to rely on her for later, that's what his "Sense" was telling him right now.

He had to choose someone else.

"Tracey!" He decided, sending out his Cinderace. Of all his pokemon she was in the best condition, nearly in perfect shape. If anyone had a chance of beating that Persian, it was her.

"We can't use agility, Tracey," he warned his pokemon, still cautious of her using snatch. "We'll have to rely on flame charge to boost our speed!"

"Cinderace!" Tracey nodded, charging at Mami. Flames burst up around her legs as she ran towards the feline pokemon.

Mami was fast, and had relied on her speed to get the job done, even through the paralysis. But Tracey was even faster than her under ordinary circumstances. Alden's plan here was to drive her back to her pokeball by overwhelming her with Tracey's speed.

He wasn't that confident in the plan, though.

"Cinder!" Tracey dashed around Mami, skidding behind her and swinging her leg in a kick at Mami's hind legs.

"Mami, now!" Ange shouted. Her harmonia burned and Mami reared up, lifting her legs and jumping over Tracey's strike.

"She can still move that fast in her current state?" Anabel asked in amazement. That was one fast Persian.

"It's Ange's harmonia," Vic judged. "And that's not a good thing."

"Yeah…" Rui mumbled. Vic was still untrained, so she didn't know just how right her assessment was. Ange's harmonia was new, a gift from Samarra, and she didn't know how to fully use it right now. So she was pushing it to its limits trying to overcome the difference in their pokemon's abilities. And that would have devastating effects on her body.

Ange ignored the blood trickling from her nose and focused on the fight. She didn't care about the pain throbbing in her skull, Samarra wouldn't let her. But even if she was free, she might not have cared. Samarra and Ange were on the same page here, both having their own reasons to want to use whatever was necessary to defeat the Commander.

Ange had lived her life making sacrifices to ensure her survival. Her body was a small price to pay for her to keep fighting. That was a deal she'd make any day of the weak!

So with a scream she concentrated her powers and directed them to Mami, focusing on making her Persian the strongest pokemon she could.

The effects were instantaneous. It was like Mami doubled in speed, practically disappearing as she ran towards Tracey. She reappeared, claw raised, and slashed the Cinderace from behind with a powerful aerial ace.

"Cind-!" Tracey cried in pain, stumbling forward. She dashed away, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the other pokemon as possible.

"You can't… run…" Ange panted, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She refused to let the Commander win, or any of his pokemon get away. In her mind she was back in the fields of Hisui fighting for her survival. That was all that mattered. Victory meant life. And losing…

I won't lose!

"Mami!" Ange spat out, ignoring the fatigue that struck her. She was with Mami now, focusing her energy to increase her pokemon's strength. Mami raised her claw and slashed at Tracey, trying to finish the injured Cinderace off.

"Tracey!" Alden shouted. "Double kick!"

"Cinderace!" Tracey swung her foot and caught Mami in the side of the head, knocking her away. Mami skidded across the ground and Ange felt her head twist in pain. Tracey hopped to her feet, panting, wary about capitalizing on her sudden advantage.

She didn't have a choice, though. Clenching her jaw she formed a fireball in front of her foot, pulling back her leg to send the pyro ball flying towards her opponent. The flames flew through the air, burning towards Mami.

"Mami!" Ange shouted. "Power gem!"

"Persian!" Mami opened her mouth and the ruby on her forehead flashed. Another ruby appeared in front of her and she flung it forward, blocking the pyro ball with it. The pyro ball was much larger and more powerful than the power gem, however, and pushed right past it. At the same time, however, the gem was strong enough to break the surface tension of the pyro ball, making it impossible for the flames to keep their shape. They spread out into a wave of fire that washed over Mami, injuring her, but not as badly as if Tracey had actually hit her attack directly.

And that meant Tracey was in for a rough time.

"Now Mami!" Ange shouted. Her Persian ran towards Tracey, her body glowing golden. She let out a roar and prepared a powerful façade, but Tracey wasn't about to let the attack hit. She charged forward and leapt into the air, preparing her double kick.

Due to Tracey's speed, she was able to evade the façade attack. Tracey dodged to the side, bringing her first kick up into Mami's stomach. Ange coughed and doubled over in pain, clutching her gut, as Tracey prepared the second, aimed right at Mami's face.

Before the second blow could collide, Mami disappeared. Alden knew right away what was coming, and Tracey did as well. But neither trainer nor pokemon could react fast enough. Mami moved like the paralysis wasn't even there. Disappearing, she reappeared over Tracey's head, and extended her claws, slashing down into Tracey with a powerful aerial ace.

Due to Tracey's Fighting type from her Libero ability, she succumbed to the second blow, falling to her knees.

"Cinder… ace…" Tracey winced, losing consciousness.

"Tracey…" Alden was stunned. He didn't know what to think. Of all his pokemon, Tracey had been in the best shape. She was his fastest pokemon, and should have been able to easily outrun the Persian. But she didn't. She'd lost, and brutally. Shaking his head, he recalled her to her pokeball. "Thank you… you did your best."

"'Did your best', hmm?" Ange said, raising her eyebrow. That earned her a glare from Alden.

"Do you have something to say?" He asked.

"Oh, no, nothing," Ange said, shaking her head. "I just think it's pitiable, to use some comforting words like that. 'you did your best'. Doing your best? How does that even matter? The only thing that matters is winning and losing, doing your best doesn't factor into it. A pokemon can do its best and still find itself devoured, that's the world of the wild area. If you're strong, you live. If you're weak, you die. You can't console your pokemon with 'you did your best' when they've been vanquished. Your Cinderace lost, and that weakness is a sin!"

"Just shut up," Alden spat back, clutching Tracey's pokeball. "You don't know anything about us! You keep talking about how things were in the wilds of Hisui or whatever, but that's not the world you live in now! You don't have to keep talking about survival and strength! Here, pokemon and trainers can fight to enjoy themselves, and not have to worry that losing means death!"

"It's you who doesn't understand," Ange replied, shaking her head in disgust. "Acting like this is something that matters. This world… it's weak and sick, full of humans destroying everything. You want me to think about this world? Well, why don't you ask your pokemon, then? Do they really enjoy fighting, for fighting's sake? Or is it because of you?"

Alden was taken aback. "H-Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Before now, I didn't have harmonia," Ange said mournfully. "I couldn't hear the words of my beloved pokemon. But I still knew their hearts. I knew what they were after, what made them happiest. And I knew that they hated fighting. But they fought regardless. For MY sake. To keep ME alive. Because that's how loyal and generous pokemon are."

The faintest of smiles touched her lips. "They're truly generous creatures, willing to sacrifice so much for our sake. And how do we treat them? Like tools. It disgusts me. And your pokemon are no different, Commander. They would do anything for their beloved trainer. So tell me, do they really fight because they like to do it? Or is it because it's what YOU like to do, and they know that fighting will make you happy?"

Ange's words tore apart everything that Alden always believed in. He stared at Tracey's pokeball. He'd always believed that his pokemon enjoyed the battles that they fought together because his pokemon loved fighting as much as he did.

But what if he was wrong? What if it was only him? What if his pokemon were just fighting to make HIM feel better? It was like an affront to the Battle Frontier's founding principles, and he didn't know how to react.

"It's not… I just…" Alden shook his head numbly, not sure what to say.

"Think about it," Ange urged. She had almost gotten through to him. He had to understand that what he was doing with wrong, and she would make sure of it. "How much have your pokemon gone through to get you here? You battled Anabel. And then Victoria. You fought them both, healing your pokemon in between. And now here we are, battling again. How much have you put them through, in these last hours? And why? Because it's what YOU wanted. So much senseless fighting… is this really what your pokemon enjoy?"

Mami walked over to Ange and she petted her. "My Mami, what she wants more than anything is to collect riches. She doesn't want to fight. But she will. And that's fine. But soon, there won't be any need for fighting, and Mami can just do as she pleases."

"Persian," Mami purred cheerfully.

It was strange, hearing Ange talk. In one breath she described how much she hated fighting and violence between pokemon, and in the next she was ranting about survival of the fittest and how "weakness is a sin."

And yet Alden couldn't find an inconsistency in her words. He didn't doubt himself, he knew who he was. But his pokemon…

"That's ridiculous!" Vic exclaimed, startling everyone. Alden turned to her, not sure what she was talking about. Vic was pissed off.

"I can't believe this," she snarled. "Here you are, talking about how pokemon don't like fighting, that they're forced to, by instinct, or by trainers. So what? Are you saying that the world of the past was wrong, then, because pokemon had to fight to survive?"

"The past is the past," Ange said simply. "Even today, pokemon do what is necessary to survive. But that is different from needless suffering for the benefit of the pokemon."

"And who are you to say there's no benefit?" Vic demanded. "Maybe the Commander's pokemon really DO love to fight! Think about it! Can you really be sure? It's not like you stopped and asked them, did you?"

Ange's eye twitched. "…Shut up!" She shouted. "I'm right! Trainers shouldn't take advantage of the natural instincts of pokemon to make them battle for entertainment! It's sick and wrong, and I'll have no part of it!"

"Maybe your pokemon don't like it," Vic shrugged. "But then, maybe ours do. I can already name one that does. Isn't that right, Alden?"

Alden blinked. It wasn't often Vic called him by his name. He looked to her for clarification, and realized who she meant.

"…Yeah," he nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Vic. I almost forgot."

Alden put Tracey's pokeball away and switched it for another pokemon that he knew loved to battle as much as he did.

"Espeon!" Eifa cried, emerging from her pokeball.

"Eifa was my Eevee," Vic said proudly. "Hatched from an egg I got from my dad. But from the day I hatched her, I could see it. She loved fighting. She always wanted to battle, even before she was strong enough to do it. Even before she became the Commander's pokemon! So shut your mouth about how she's only fighting to make him happy, she loves it! Don't you?"

"Espeon!" Eifa cried, nodding in agreement.

It helped that Vic had spent so much time watching the battle-obsessed Commander fight. With Eifa there, right in her ball. She'd grown to become someone who loved battling.

And she was ready to fight herself!

"Let's go, Eifa!" Alden said. "Use psybeam!"

"Espeon!" Eifa's gem flashed and she fired a beam of psychic energy at the Persian. Mami jumped out of the way, evading the attack.

"We've done this dance before," Ange said. "And it didn't help you then, either! Your Espeon will go down! Mami, use slash!"

"Persian!" Mami charged at Eifa, raising her claw. Under normal circumstances, Alden would have ordered Eifa to use reflect. But he knew there was a chance that Mami could snatch the reflect, and that wasn't happening.

Instead, he had another idea. "Eifa!" He ordered. "Use psychic!"

"Espeon!" Eifa's eyes flashed and a red aura spread over her body. The same red aura wrapped around Mami and she was lifted up into the air, where she struggled helplessly, trying to break free.

"Nicely done, Eifa!" Alden smiled. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Espeon!" Eifa replied cheerfully. She was beaming as brilliantly as the sun, even injured as she was. The two of them knew just how much the other liked battling.

Alden wanted Eifa to restore her health with morning sun, but he didn't dare risk it. After all, if she tried, then the Persian might steal it with snatch. And that would be bad. Mami was starting to weaken after all the abuse she'd been put through, and didn't have much left to go.

"Urgh…" Ange felt like she was immobilized herself. She struggled to move, even though she wasn't held by psychic, because her mind was just that linked with that of her pokemon. She knew why Mami was taking so much damage. She had copied all the stat gains from Corin, but that didn't mean just her attack boost. It also applied to the defenses she'd lost from the close combat, most significantly the special defense. With a reduced special defense, Mami was in a very risky position, especially against the Espeon.

But so what? Mami was strong. She wouldn't lose to an Espeon. Ange wouldn't allow it!

"Mami!" She shouted, focusing her harmonia. She directed as much power as she could to her partner pokemon. "Break free! Now! And attack!"

Mami did as she was asked. Through sheer force of will she broke out of the psychic hold, charging at Eifa. The Espeon was startled by the maneuver, and as off-guard as she was caught, there wasn't much she could do to respond.

Mami's claws struck true, slashing into Eifa's fur. Eifa let out a cry of pain and collapsed to the ground, nearly losing consciousness.

"Eifa!" Alden cried. "You have to get up!"

She didn't need to be told that. Injured, she crawled to her feet, trying to catch her breath. She glared at the Persian, as if she was daring her to attack.

Mami growled, and moved to attack. But she couldn't. She was frozen in place, refusing to move. The paralysis had finally gotten to her, which gave Eifa an avenue to attack.

But the Espeon didn't take it. Maybe she was too tired from all the damage she'd taken, but she didn't attack, even as her ruby glowed. Which meant that when Mami shook off the paralysis, Eifa was a sitting Psyduck.

"Finish her!" Ange roared, relieved she was finally able to move. Mami charged forward with her claws raised and slashed into Eifa, knocking her unconscious.

Anabel and Vic were stunned. Rui was horrified.

Three pokemon. The Persian had finished off three of Alden's pokemon back to back. And yes, she may have almost fainted, but she still looked fearsome.

"PERSIAN!" Mam roared again, standing triumphantly over her vanquished foe.

All Alden could do was recall Eifa to her pokeball.

"And that's three," Ange said calmly. "I've now taken the lead. Your pokemon fought hard, but the fatigue from all your past battles is starting to get to them. Do you understand now?" She asked. "You thought they liked to battle. But they've been forcing themselves to get this far, and now they don't have the strength to go on. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It just means that you failed to realize how horrible you are."

"Shut… shut up!" Alden shouted. "Finn! Go!"

"Swampert!" Finn roared, emerging from his pokeball. He was in even worse shape than Eifa had been, unfortunately.

Ange sighed. "No matter what happens, you refuse to accept that you're wrong. Fine then. Mami! Finish him with façade!"

"Persian!" Mami snarled, dashing towards Finn. She began to glow gold. But before she could attack with façade, she smashed into a blue barrier.

"Nice protect, Finn," Alden congratulated his Swampert. "Just rest up."

"Swampert…" Finn sighed, catching his breath. Even being out of the fight this long hadn't done much to help him rest.

"This won't keep us out forever!" Ange snarled. "You're done! Your Swampert is finished, just like the rest of your pokemon!"

Alden shook his head. "No. Your Persian is the one that's done."

Ange blinked, taken aback. "What? We're just getting started!"

But Alden just smiled sadly. Then Ange felt it. The psychic damage assaulting her senses. She cried in pain and collapsed to the ground as Mami fell before her, stricken by the same psionic power.

"You like time, isn't that right?" Alden asked softly. "Because Eifa wanted to send your Persian a message from the past. Using her future sight, she attacked you, right before you finished her off. When she paused before, remember?"

"H-How… you didn't order her!" Ange cried out through the pain.

"Because I know how much Eifa likes to fight," Alden said simply. "That's all."

Ange screamed as she felt her Persian lose consciousness. How frustrating.

Alden managed to defeat Ange's Persian! But look at the cost. He lost nearly all of his pokemon! The only ones he has left are his Lucario and his Swampert, who is really badly injured. That's not good. Hopefully he'll be able to come out of this the victor, and overcome Ange's strategies. But she still has her Slaking and Zoroark left. They aren't exactly easy. Will he be able to do it?