Oak Academy
Chapter 3, Forest Scenery
"What fitting scenery!" cried Wren, spinning in circles like a ballet dancer with a cyclone of green leaves entrapping her.
Alexis found this scene quite intriguing. Wren was hardly one with nature, much less a peaceful person, so the entire scene seemed much like a hallucination. Viola went as far as to chuckle at it, starting a chain reaction of laughter between the two as Wren continued to spin. Wren's theatrics continued to hold their attention: her thrashing blonde hair, blazing brown eyes, and flailing limbs. Viola's chuckles dissipated with a sigh.
"It is not so unfitting when you think about it. It makes her look as wild as she really is. Maybe she is not one with nature, but she is as wild as the wind." She thought aloud.
"So true." Alexis admitted, but she was unable to defeat the laughter.
Finally, Wren paid attention to her audience, "What is up with you two?"
"Nothing!" the two chorused, bursting into laughter as soon as they were done.
Wren huffed at this as she approached them, shoving her hands into her pockets. When she got close her stance turned offensive and the laughter finally stopped. Things were finally starting to get serious. They had chosen a nearby forest as the stage to host their illegal battle. It was close enough to the academy to slip to and fro easily and no one should be here. It was a physically demanding choice, however, since the tall, iron fence surrounding the academy had to be scaled to reach it. Not that it was a problem for the three girls, even in their slightly heavy school uniforms. The last reason this stage was chosen was the simplest: it was beautiful. Like Wren had said, it was fitting scenery for three ambitious students' debuts as trainers.
"Alexis, I will take you on first!" yelled Wren, getting quite pumped.
"Sure, I do not mind taking on Viola after I mop the floor with you." Responded Alexis, pulling out her Pokéball, "Pyro and I will be victorious!"
Viola quickly moved out of the way of the two and stood at an invisible sideline as the referee. In all actuality, she was excited by the two's energy more than anything. Unlike them, she had battled before in her life, but she had not seen her two best friends battle before. She expected something beyond interesting in the least, because these two would do anything to win.
"Not even in your dreams!" continued Wren, tossing the red and white ball that released her Crystal with a cry.
Alexis followed suit, sending out her Pyro with a battle cry of her own.
"Let's make this a fair match," instructed Viola, "First Pokémon that faints loses, and attacking a trainer or leaving the battle results in immediate disqualification. Begin!"
Both trainers' energies burst at the final instruction and cried out commands.
"Use ember, Pyro!"
"Take it down with a confusion attack, Crystal!"
The creatures responded with the upmost energy and obedience. So much so, it would be a little shocking to a common trainer, but all of them were at this academy for a reason. Pyro was the faster of the two. The little red creature lunged at Crystal, opening up her mouth slightly and releasing a small fireball before trying to dart away, similar to a hit and run. This attack smacked right into Crystal, who cried in response as she launched her psychic attack. All of the sudden Pyro was levitating and writhing under the pressure of the attack. The suffering was over as soon as it began and Pyro fell to the ground with a loud thud.
"Pyro! Are you okay?" asked Alexis anxiously.
Pyro responded in actions as she rose to her four feet. However, everyone could tell something was off. The little creature swayed on its limbs with a soft cry.
"She is confused." Whispered Alexis, quickly trying to formulate a strategy.
Alexis was not the only one to notice this since Wren commanded another assault, "Let's finish this off, Crystal."
"Quickly, Pyro, roar!" screamed Alexis.
Pyro's swaying stopped in an instant as she dug her paws into the ground and leveraged a massive cry that echoed throughout the forest. The attack was completely successful as Crystal stood, frozen in fear. The roar attack was supposed to send a Pokémon running in fear; however, Crystal's loyalty to her trainer caused her to hold her ground. The realization of what had happened paralyzed Wren just as much as it did Crystal.
"It cannot be!" growled Wren, trying to regain movement.
"Now, Pyro, ember!" commanded Alexis, watching with pride as the move was pulled off flawlessly and Crystal fell to the ground having lost all her strength.
"Winner, Alexis and Pyro." Stated the referee, "Congratulations to all of you for a great match. Do not forget to let your Pokémon rest."
Wren recalled Crystal, murmuring words of encouragement only audible to her partner within the sphere. Alexis moved onto the field to pet Pyro, whom cried with delight.
"I cannot believe I lost." Snapped Wren, moving to where Viola stood, "It is your turn now."
"Do you want to let Pyro rest? I do not want you to say I had an unfair advantage." Viola inquired, moving to the challenger's spot with a Pokéball grasped firmly in her hand.
Alexis shook her head, moving back to where she had stood. A new fire burned in Alexis. She wanted to beat Viola, to set the tone for her school life. She absolutely had to beat her in the end anyway. Wren was Alexis's eternal equal, she felt, but she knew that Viola was different from that. Viola never could be someone's equal because in a battle there is only a winner and a loser, and Alexis had a sneaking suspicion that being on the winning side was Viola's sole intent. Little did she know how right she was.
"Then let's begin." Continued Viola, tossing the Pokéball that released Angel in a flash of light.
Once Angel was on the field all of Alexis's confidence was completely crushed. The level gap between the two Pokémon was beyond apparent, as well as Angel's trust in her trainer. Viola's advantage in this battle was her experience, especially since Angel had been her partner then, too.
"You can withdraw." Viola informed her.
This relit Alexis's fire, "Not a chance! Pyro, ember!"
Unlike in the previous battle, Pyro was not the faster Pokémon and as Angel acted on an unspoken command it became apparent. A ghastly purple ball of energy formed above Angel's head before she smashed it with her tail in Pyro's direction. Pyro was just shooting off an ember attack when the purple ball blast through the ember and into the fireball's sender. The move knocked Pyro to the ground immediately and the battle was over. Alexis quickly withdrew her Pokémon and praised it in its Pokéball.
"Congrats, Viola." Murmured Alexis, "I still wish I had won, though."
"Now you know how I feel." Burst Wren, staring down the losing trainer.
"Yep." Alexis laughed.
"It was a great match," Viola assured them, "They both were. Come back, Angel."
Angel was zapped back into her ball by the white light and the forest became incredibly quite. All three of them debuted as a trainer and experienced their first victories and losses. None of them felt particularly different, but they knew they were. This was the first step into their new lives and as much as it was exciting, it was unnerving.
"Holy crap," cried Wren in fury, "How long have we been out here?!"
"I do not know, who was keeping track of time?!" snapped Alexis.
"We will be late in—Now!" sniped Viola, looking up from her watch.
The three girls darted towards the academy at a break neck place, leaving their past battleground unattended. Sticks began to snap in the underbrush around the battlefield and a young man walked into the middle of the clearing. His brown hair had twigs in it, but his eyes burned with baby blue fire.
"I thought the first years just got their Pokémon, Asher." He asked, stretching his arms behind his head, "Those three did not act like first years, but they had to be or else I would recognize them."
Asher appeared shortly after. He, too, had twigs and leafs clinging to his school uniform and jet black hair. However, what drew attention to Asher were his eyes: an icy cerulean and the other a burning vermillion.
"They did, Jack. All I can say is there might be some talent in this batch." Asher grumbled tiredly.
"Especially that Eevee trainer." Jack thought aloud, "What was her name… Viola?"
"I cannot believe you remembered." Asher commented in astonishment, "Do not harass her, too, much, okay."
"Oh calm down. You sure are grouchy after a nap, but I guess I cannot really talk." Jack continued, "We are really late aren't we?"
"Without a doubt."
"It just is not worth it. Let's skip."
Asher did not complain about this idea, which was rarer than Jack actually coming up with an agreeable plan of action. The two collapsed in the underbrush, causing leaves to be picked up by the air and be tossed about. In moments the scenery of the forest faded into black as the two students slipped into slumber on the once battleground.
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