OK everyone, there are going to be a lot of new people introduced in this chapter, so if it gets confusing, just let me know in a review.
Xxxxxx
Alain stepped off the helicopter and watched fly away. He had been dropped off in the Hoenn region, about ten miles north of Mawville City, outside a large square shaped building marked with a symbol of a keystone. No, large didn't do it justice; it could have competed with Mawville itself. This was the site of the first ever Mega Evolution Acadamy.
The flier he had received three months prior had explained it all. This place had been built by the Devon Corporation, with the intent of teaching young trainers who could mega evolve how to do it better, honing their skills in a way they couldn't do alone. The place was intended to be a full-time school, but this was only a seminar, created to try out the whole idea on anyone who wanted to take a shot at it.
The whole thing had been organized by Hoenn's Champion, Steven, and was being run by him and the Elite Four. There was to be everything that a trainer could ask to learn about.
This was why Lysander had sent him. To learn. To get stronger.
Alain turned away from the receding chopper and toward the building. Time to get this training started.
The front double door to the building was open wide, and just inside was a sign directing all trainers the the courtyard in the middle of the building. He followed the directions, and exiting the building on the opposite side, entered the courtyard. It was large, completely surrounded by building, and had trees planted at the corners. There were also, he noticed, white lines on the ground, probably for a battle field. He noticed something else too. The place was thriving with activity. There were at least twenty other trainers here, all of them broken up in their own groups, talking and laughing, and just making a lot of general noise. A man with a black blazer and yellow pants was making his way through the trainer's, stopping to speak with them now and then, while a lady with a blue gown, stood off to the side, just watching. And there was a blone girl making her way over to him.
"Hi, you're here for the Mega Evolution Seminar, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"Great, then I need you to sign this for me please," and she held out a clipboard to him. "Just put your name, age, regionality, and the Pokemon you'll be using during the seminar."
Alain took the clipboard and began to write down his information. "Regionally?" he asked absentmindedly.
The girl sighed, and he looked up. "Don't worry, your not the only one who didn't get it. I thought someone might, but maybe not. I just meant the region you come from."
Alain stopped writing and looked at her more closely. She was tall for a girl, lacking his height by only an inch or two. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a Ponyta tail, with some shorter strands sticking out in front of her ears. She wore a red-pink collared shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to three-quarter length, with a lime green shirt pulled over it and a dark green vest that covered her upper chest. Her pants were a few shades darker the the green shirt, and had large pockets on the sides, which seemed to be full of something.
"By the way, I'm Zara."
He broke off from his train of thought as she extended a fingerless-gloved hand out to him. Unsure of what she wanted, he handed her back the clipboard. She took it back and looked it over.
"Alain? Is that how you say your name?"
He nodded.
"Well it's good to have you here, Alain. I hope you and your Charizard have a good time and do well. Now," she said turning back to the busy courtyard, "have I gotten everyone?" She began to count heads, pointing at each with her pen. When she finished, she tapped the pen on the side of her head, turned back to Alain, and frowned at her clipboard. "So I haven't missed one, their just not here. Where could they-hey, look out!"
Two seconds later someone bowled into Alain from behind, causing him to stumble forward. "Hello, hey, I'm here!" the person announced. Look over his shoulder, he saw a teenage girl in a black dress with gold trim and pink tights standing posed dramatically.
"You could watch where your going," he growled.
"So this is the Mega Evolution Acadamy? It's huge! Nothing like what I expected," she chattered on without acknowledging that Alain had spoken.
Yes, it is. You're here for the Mega Evolution Seminar?" Zara asked.
"Yeah, of course. Why else would someone come here?"
"I need you to sign in," Zara said, handing her the clipboard and pen. The girl took the clipboard, hastily scrribled her information, and handed it back. Zara looked it over then said, "Your just in time, Brittney, they were just about to start. I'm Zara, by the way."
"Yeah, charmed, so, we just wait out here?"
"That's right."
"OK, good. Come on Baynette!" she called over her shoulder, and a heavily loaded marionette Pokemon stumbled into the courtyard, dropping things left and right. Brittney waltzed over to the group of female trainers talking to the lady in the blue gown, Baynette following as quickly as possible. It dropped a small bag by Alain's feet, and didn't notice, or at least didn't pick it up.
"I'll get that back to her. I've got to get this list to the Champion. See you." And with a friendly smile, Zara scooped up the bag and headed toward the back of the courtyard, leaving Alain alone.
He shrugged off the unusual welcome, and joined the group of trainers waiting for the seminar to begin. All of them, he noted, had suitcases with them. Wonder when we'll know where we sleep he thought. The trainers also seemed restless, especially the group of females of to the right, one of which was Brittney. Suddenly one of the group broke away and approached him. This one had black hair in a tight bun, red shirt and pants with black, zig-zag markings, and a choker around her neck.
"Hey there, hansome. I'm Jacklyn," she said with a flirrty smile on her face. Alain rolled his eyes inwardly.
Just then Steven Stone himself came out of one of the side doors, Zara trailing behind him. Loud whispers broke out among the trainers; and who wouldn't, Alain thought, this was Hoenn's champion, after all.
"Hello and welcome everyone, to the first ever Mega Evolution Seminar. Now I assume most of you know who I am, but for those that don't, I am Steven, the Champion of this region."
"Yeah, we know already, get on with it." Jacklyn muttered beside Alain. He turned and moved to the far side of the crowd.
"Now," Steven continued, "since it is rather late in the day, we won't do anything training related today. Supper will be served in the cafeteria when we finish here."
"Good, they are going to feed us."
Alain jumped slightly. He hadn't heard Jacklyn approach him. "Leave me alone."
"Why?" she teased, coming even closer. Alain moved away again, this time putting as many people as possible between them.
"But first Sidney and Pheobe will pass out you room keys, so you can put your belongings in your rooms. All rooms are on the third floor, and you don't need to go to the second floor. It's still under going renovation. That's all, I'll let you go now," and smiling Steven headed back the way he had come.
Almost everyone there flocked over to the man in yellow pants, obviously named Sidney, for their room keys. Alain decided to wait untill the crowd died down to ask for his key. Everyone was over with them except for a couple of boys, and Zara. And Jacklyn...who was headed right for him again.
She was only a few steps away, when she bummped into on of the boys who was standing around. She stumbled, and he nearly fell to the ground. "Watch where your going, will you please? I'm walking here," she snapped.
"Sorry, sorry, didn't see you there," he apologized hastily.
"Well then watch better," she said tersely.
"Really, Jacklyn?" a voice asked. It was Zara.
"Really what?" Jacklyn asked saucily.
"Can't you just leave people alone? It's only the first day!" Zara came over and planted herself between Jacklyn and the boy. Which also happened to between Jacklyn and Alain.
"Yes, it's you that can't seem to leave me alone."
"How do you figure that?"
"You really don't know?"
An audible sigh. "Never mind, just please go get your key."
"You don't tell me what to do. Your not worth even having a fight with. Your a fithy mess, and a fashion disaster."
"Well excuse me if being an assistant to Mr. Steven doesn't give me time to go shopping every day."
Alain raised his eyebrows in surprise at this. Zara was the Champion's assistant?
"That's beside the point." Jacklyn said hautily.
"No it's really not."
"Ugh, fine, I'm out of here," Jacklyn turned on her heel angrily and marched away, but not without casting a flirty glance Alain's way. He rolled his eyes inwardly again.
Zara turned to the boy who Jacklyn had stumbled over. "You OK, Wally?"
"I'm fine," he replied, "at least I am now. Thanks for the rescue."
"No problem, but you really need to start sticking up for yourself. I'm going to get some food, catch you-"
"Alain!"
It was Steven. He approached Alain with his usual confident stride, and a pleased look on his face. "Glad you could make it! I was worried you would be busy battling someone else," and he smiled at his words.
"No, Lysander decided it would be best for me to train here."
"Alright, well I'm glad he did." Steven glanced around, then continued. "Have you met anyone new yet?"
"Not really." No one worth mentioning...
"Well maybe I can help with that," and turning away he called out, "Hey, Zara!"
Zara's head shot up from where she was talking to the boy named Wally. She came running over as quickly as she could. "You called, Champion?"
"Now Zara, haven't I told you to call me Steven?"
"I do call you Steven, just not in public."
Steven smiled tiredly. "Well, I would like you to meet an acquaintance of mine. This is Alain. Alain, this is my assistant and pupil, Zara."
"We've already met, I signed him in."
"Zara, you signed everyone in."
Zara sighed and looked at the ground, then back up at Alain. "Hello, I'm Zara. I'm five foot ten, and I don't have any siblings, I live in Fourtree City, and have climbed two mountains. I like pizza, music, and battling with my Pokemon." Turning to Steven, she added, "Was that good enough?"
"Yes, except you left out climbing trees." Zara smiled and rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, I'll take my leave of you two, I had things to attend to for tomorrow. Again, glad you could make it Alain, and here is your room key."
Alain accepted the key, and nodded respectfully at Steven as he left. Then turning his attention to Zara, he studied her again in silence. Several minutes passed before she asked, "So you know the Champion?"
"Yes, we met a few months ago, and I challenged him to a battle."
"You did? Who won?"
"We never got to finish it. Someone I know interrupted us."
"Oh."
Another few moments of silence. Then Alain asked, "So your the Champion's assistant?"
"Yeah, have been for the past two years. He was actually the one who gave me my megastone and keystone." And she raised her left arm to show off the mega bracelet on her wrist.
It was the first time Alain had noticed her keystone. It was actually held in a ring very similar to his own, save it was white not black.
"Yeah, he gave it to be when I was still on my journey. I think we actually saw the Pokemon Latias and Latios not long before that."
A whistle sounded.
"Hey if we want to get anything to eat, we'd better move. That whistle means the meal is ending!" Zara cried, then made a dash for the door.
Alain followed, though not as quickly. He wasn't all that hungry, he'd eaten right before he'd left the Kalos region. He needed a minute to think. Zara was certainly a different person than he'd ever met before. Reminded him of Mairan.
He finally decided just to skip supper and go to his room. His key read twenty-five, but finding the room took longer than he intended. When he did find it, he went strait in shut the door firmly behind him, and threw his suitcase on the nearer bed of the two in the room. The room was simple, just two beds, a desk, a bathroom, and three lamps. Two beds; so he probably had a roommate. But who it was wasn't very important to him at the moment. He took a shower, hoping to clear his mind of the doubts he had about coming here and leaving Lysander behind.
When he finished, his roommate had arrived, and was unpacking. He was tall, around Alain's own height, with well combed, jet black hair, a football player's build, and crystal blue eyes. "Hey, you must be my roommate. I'm Gordon, five time champ of the P1 championship in the Kanto region. Oh, I've got pictures!"
"I'll take your word for it," Alain stopped him.
"Well, then I'm gonna take a shower." Gordon said lamely. He grabbed some clothes and went in the bathroom, leaving his suitcase open in his haste.
Alain closed the suitcase, partly thinking it was what Marian would do, partly because he didn't want to see what all it contained. Then he lay down on his bed and turned off the lamps that Gordon had apparently turned on.
He was almost asleep when the bathroom door opened. Gordon came out, there was some shuffling, and then quiet. Alain turned over to get more comfortable. Why did he need to come here at all? What was Lysander's goal? And why was he supposed to be on his guard? Was someone here a threat to him? These and hundreds of other questions swirled through his mind for some time, preventing sleep from taking him.
Finnaly he yawned and was just about to black out when there was a loud, zzzzzzz.
Great, his roommate snored.
