Pokémon Academy Chapter 4: Abduction

[Sutoratosu]

Mareek and Ms. Sisto(Male Dormitory, Room 213-Living Room)

"Gone..." Mareek snarled to himself. He sat across from his mother on the couches besides the small coffee table. Java's ball sat clamped in one hand, fingers bone white as the boy continued to go over everything that had happened. A Pokegear colored Darker than Black sat on the table in front of him, The number for the Fighting Dojo already pulled up on the list of contacts on the screen. He didn't hit the dial button though... not yet. He just stared at Nemo's capsule, sitting right there beside it. He didn't want to just dish out the cubone's fate, even if he was a killer now, without at least having some sort of final confrontation. But at the same time, he had no idea how Nemo would act... and he honestly really didn't want to see anymore death today; Mars wouldn't be merciful if anything was attempted, and Nemo wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell against the dark type.

"Maari..." his mother sighed across from him, reaching out and placing a hand on his. Mareek recoiled a bit, earning another sigh. "You can't keep blaming yourself for this, honestly... you can't. You had no control over what happened at the end, you couldn't have possibly known what would've happened."

The boy scoffed, eye's bitter as he looked into hers "Professor Redwood told me the same basic thing. told me things happen on the battlefield we can't anticipate, that we can't control. Well how the hell is that true right now, huh? I trained Nemo, I taught him what he used, what he knew, taught him to get up off the ground and try again, and I sat there time and time again as he constantly got his ass handed to him by stronger foes... so how the hell could I not have known he would eventually snap like he did? I was his master, he was my student, and I should've been able to see it in him a mile away..."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about, Maari," Alexandra again tried to reach out, only to stop. She could already tell the boy was completely closed off as he pushed himself further away. It had been a... long time since she'd seen him act like this. But she wasn't going to go down the same route she had the first time... not anymore. The boy wasn't his brother, He wasn't Galen. Not at all. And Alexandra had no idea why it had taken her so long to remember that simple fact. "You're being too hard on yourself-"

"No I'm not!" Mareek fired back pointedly, jumping up from his place. She was just saying the same thing, over and over again... it was like she wasn't even hearing him. "I'm taking responsibility for something that, regardless of what you or redwood or anyone thinks, was my damn fault! it's what you freaking taught me after all, isn't it?" Something forced him back down into the couch. He could feel Mars' iron tight grip digging into one of his shoulders, holding him in place.

"Let me go, damn it!" He demanded, struggling under the Sentinal's hold. Every movement he made, he could feel him clamp down a bit harder... "Get off...damn... you..." The pain eventually became too much. Left without a real choice he calmed himself, glaring up at the steel type and grinding his teeth all the while though. The anger he was expecting to in turn be met with wasn't there though... only pity. The one and only thing in the Bisharp's eyes. Pure and utter pity. And of anything, pity was the last thing he wanted right now.

"It's my damn fault..." He muttered, turning his gaze away and back towards the capsule in his hand. "I could've stopped it before it began, I could've saved him. But I didn't. And nothing can change that now..."

"...I can see your father was right." Alexandra began. Mareek lifted his head, baffled by what she meant. "Even seven years beyond the grave, he's still right. I was too hard on you... I treated you like someone you weren't, pushed you too hard, too far into the wrong direction. Of course he was right..." She started reaching into her bag... though for what, the boy had no idea. "He was always right...was always the better parent, even when he wasn't even there..."

[Commander]

"Bah, I'm not in the mood for a sob scene or lamenting these things. If they die, they die. There's nothing you can do to bring them back so there's not point in thinking about it." Henry was getting tired of all the silent and lament going around. "It's probably obvious, but I was a trainer before joining the coordinator program here. Death is just one of those ugly truths you have to learn to accept along the path." The boy then decided he had enough leaving the other boys to keep discussing. All he wanted to do is train right now. The silence was much needed after all the drama that had unfolded.

[TurboAura]

Robert was mentally blown back by what he was hearing. 'A Pokemon just... Died after a battle? No, not just that, it was killed be a team member... Just, why? How could things... Gone so wrong? Even death by going to far in a battle is just horrible... But no, they're saying it wasn't even a battle that caused it. It was a team mate killing... One of it's own...'

The only thing that brought him out of the pure shocked mindset was Jacob's mention of 'appreciating the members that they still have'. That one cord struck him hard. What if it ever happened to him? Who said it couldn't? It wasn't like that dark thought hadn't come to mind before. Heck, when he had already tried to 'shield' Kiai years ago with very little thought of what would happen when he did...

He caringly pet Nikki as the thoughts went through his head, who was disturbed by the situation aswell, a somber expression on her usually cheerful face. Eventually, he just had to say something, anything. "I... Just can't understand what must've went through Nemo's head. I mean... to think that anything could cause a fellow team member to just snap... I don't even think I'd want to know."

Edited May 24, 2015 by TurboAura

[Ojama Yellow]

Marius fell silent. Not only because he didn't want to reply to the rude boy, Henry, who was (oh joy!) his future roommate, but also after hearing the news of the death of the Porygon2. He bended his knees, and got on eye level with his Psyduck, Marina. "Please...do not ever do the same. Do not leave me like that," he muttered to the yellow duck, soft enough for none of the other people to hear.

He proceeded to get back up. He stared blankly and emotionless at the rest of the group, not wishing to speak. Even though he didn't know the boy or the Porygon2, losing a Pokémon must always be horrible, to say in the least. Losing a friend just like that... Marius couldn't even imagine how that could feel. He didn't want to be able to either.

[Azeria]

James gave out a chuckle before looking down at his pokeballs...Liona and Leviathan..he wouldnt want them or any of his pokemon to die ever really but sometimes...sometimes its like fate just strings you along,even if you make it with your hands. "I've just gained some more respect for you Jacob"James said looking over to Henry. "While yes,Death is something you will definetly encounter in life both human and pokemon,leaving your respects for the deceased is the least you can do...."

[Sutoratosu]

Mareek said nothing as his mother finally pulled whatever she had been searching for out of the canvas travel vessel. Alexandra met the bout of silence with one of her own as she slid the pearly white envelop across the glass surface of the table. A ball, red and white and covered in layers and layers of neglect and dust rolled soon after it, threatening to go right over the lip of the table before Mareek caught it in his free hand.

"...what is this?" He placed the old capsule down beside the letter... which now that he looked at it seemed to be just as old and forgotten. The mouth was sealed with a crimson smudge of wax, some strange insignia he didn't recognize, that of a lightning bolt falling from a tall cloud emblazoned in the depression. It was faint, but underneath it he could almost make out the words "Les Orages"... and he could also notice the fact that the seal was already broken.

"It's the real reason I needed to come see you." Alexandra said. Mars removed his mit from the boy's shoulder and walked back to the other side of the couch as Mareek picked up the envelope, looking at his mother all the while. A bit of mistrust still stormed behind his dark pupils. "Go on, read it. It's seven years too late, but better it's better you see it now rather than never... especially now."

Mareek said nothing. Just opened the envelope and pulled out the trifolded, ink stained pieces of paper, tossing the thing to the glass. He finally broke off the stare and turned his eyes down to the intricate handwriting...pure black ink, written in cursive script, all of flowing together like the currents of a stream...

[Commander]

Henry stopped for a moment hearing James say something to him. He didn't turn around, but still decided to respond. "I see all of you fail to understand what has happened to Mareek. Pokemon are nothing more than servants trained to obey their masters, but people tend to use the word trainer to make it sound friendlier. Whenever something happens to the servant, like death, it is the master who blames himself for what had happened. The events keep haunting him again and again trying to think of what he could've done to stop it. That is not the end of it." Henry stood there looking at the door while speaking. Whether his words were really what was on Mareek's mind, he did not know. He never experienced death of someone close, but in a way it felt like it.

"The pain can be too much and the master may not wish to relive it. Some just keep doing what they have and pray it doesn't happen to begin. Others seeing as it is their own fault...shackle themselves in fear of the monster that they are. What will Mareek become after this? I don't not know, but he will be different than he was for better or worse." Henry silenced for a moment once more. "Hmm, I've wasted a good five minutes of training trying to explain these things to you. I don't even know why I bother because it doesn't make a difference anyways. Adios."

This time, the boy really did walk away from the group. He reached the door finally opening it and reaching the grasses outside. There was something he needed to do now that Zuko rejoined the group once more. He didn't want to waste any time with the drama going on in this school. There was another reason too. A better reason to get away. Henry felt that something bad was unfolding and Java was likely only the beginning. He didn't want to be anywhere nearby if something were to happen like the Donphan Stampede.

[Felicity]

Claude

Naturally Henrys words sparked Claude out of his blank state of mind. He said nothing during the boys explanation, making one comment as he got to his feet, watching Henry leave. "And there goes someone who will suffer for their narrow view of life." Claude took out Douxs pokeball and released the puffball, then hugging him close. The Cottonee didn't make any fuss, accepting his trainers affection

Kage

"I'm sorry Kage, don't force yourself to remember the details" Redwood said in response to the obvious difficulty his student was having. "Just make sure you're all right." Redwood really was worried now. The two students closest to the event were hurting, badly. It might be ideal to have them go to their families, if they were around...

[Sutoratosu]

{{The Letter's contents}}

Mareek...

I pray that this letter never has to make it into your hands. I pray that you never have to read these words. But I've seen how things have played out already. I know that my prayers will go unanswered. I know no one is listening. I know no one has ever been listening. And I know they never will.

If you're reading this now, it means that I'm gone, Maari. It means they finally caught up to me.

Son, I know I haven't been around very much, that we didn't get to spend a lot of time together... Your brother got to know his father...perhaps a bit too well, but he got to know him. But you were denied the actual chance, and I'm sorry for that. What I want you to understand though is this; I didn't do this because I didn't love you- the exact opposite infact. You and your big brother are my sons, my children... and to protect both of you and your mother, I will do anything necessary... even if that means limiting the amount of time I'm around you three.

Maari... You are probably too young to fully understand this right now, but there's a lesson I've always needed to teach you. There are some people in this world, not necessarily a lot, but some, who are absolute scum. There are some people in this world, who take what they want, when they want it, regardless of what it is, what it's worth, and who they have to trample and kill in their warpath to get it. There are people who don't care how many others will suffer from their actions, or how far reaching the consequences of them will be for future generations. They want money, power, glory, etc... whatever they're after, it's all the same thing at the end of the day. They act more like monsters than they do people. I pray you won't have to ever meet these people, have to deal with their kind... but I know that's a futile wish in and of itself. They're everywhere, they just need the right types of triggers for them to decide to rear their ugly heads.

I met people like these, very, very long ago. I was friends with people like these. I survived thanks to people like these. I was stuck and had nowhere to go, no guarantee of tomorrow. I was poor, broke, hungry and alone in a place where I could just vanish and no one would be any wiser of it. And so I looked for a way out of it. And I found it... I found it. They were bigger than me, older than me, stronger than me... they called themselves "Les Orages". They were thugs, in every sense of the word. They were criminals in the making who could've killed me without a single issue. And that's precisely what I needed from them. Protection, Intimidation, Muscle and Leverage. I needed a bunch of bullies. And they needed me as well...

Because I was smarter than any of them, hell, probably all of them put together. They couldn't even figure out how to keep rival street dwellers out of their turf before I came along and suggested to them that they up the ante in the game and steal partners to use, just like the other gangs had done already. They looked at me, some small, scrawny kid with a mess of red hair who looked like he hadn't eaten in...ever. And they laughed at me at first, but when I told them how easy it could be to get capsules from negligent passerby's, they all hailed me like I was some genius.

But it wasn't genius, Mareek. I may have had plenty of that to go around, but that... that was just common sense, a basic observation. I had watched them get their asses royally handed to them before hand, and I just pointed out the obvious when it was done. None of them had bothered to stop and think why their fists and their pipes weren't enough.

One way or another though, after that, I had what I had been looking for. I had my muscle, my bunch of little bullies to keep others away. I had my bunch of big scum bags in the making.

I just wished I had actually realized they were scum earlier. I spent a long while with them, years and years... I didn't even bother keeping count of them. And as time went by and I proved that I was more and more valuable to them... things started to change. At first we had just used our muscle to get whatever we needed to live, food, water... they didn't bother questioning, they just did as I advised and we all got along well enough... both with each other and our situations. We even managed to snag ourselves a stable place to lay our heads every night.

But there were some among them who wanted to do more than just survive. There were some who questioned why they were listening to the boy who was physically weaker than any of them. They started wanting more. They started ignoring me, pushing me aside. They took what they wanted, jewelry, cash, drugs, pokemon... and eventually my little squad of delinquents had evolved from a rag tag "Family" of filthy, starving kids who just wanted to be able to eat for another day, into a complete street gang driven by greed. I don't know how I didn't see the warning signs... I don't know why I wasn't able to stop it. These kids had been my friends, my protetors... my brothers.

And then in the blink of an eye, they suddenly... just weren't. They were the very thing I had sought them out for protection against in the first place. But they were all like that from the beginning, they just didn't have the necessary brain power to act on it and organize... until I came along and opened my damn mouth, that is.

They say that Monkeys learn fast, mareek. They learn too damn fast.

I tried to stop them. Tried to regain the same control I once had been able to lever. But they had realized that they honestly didn't need me anymore. I was nothing anymore, just dead weight. They had figured out that if they watched me and memorized everything I said and told them too, things got easier and they could do it on their own. I might as well have been talking to a brick wall.

But no, wait. It gets even better. That was the moment they all turned on me. That was the moment they decided they were going to finally gang up on the red headed piss-ant who had outlived his usefulness. That was the moment when they decided... they were going to gang up on the boy who had taught them how to even use their pokemon...

I don't know how long it took my Empoleon to tear through them. All I know is that they wouldn't go down, no matter how hard they got hit. When it was done there were only two left standing...

I honestly should've done it sooner, Maari. That much is clear to me. I should've broken them down before they could rise, should've let my partner do the talking. But either way, I was just...done with it. And so I turned around, and I walked away from it all. I left and washed my hands of it all.

But I was too nice. I didn't kill them. They had scars, they had breaks and fractures... but they weren't dead. and injuries heal. They didn't let it go. They never let it go. Because I taught them not to... I have only myself to blame.

That was thirty years ago, Maari. I created a pack of monsters, and they've grown since then. They're still small, still just minuscule and smart enough to fly under anyone's radars thanks to these maniacs who have been running around in the past few years... people like the "Rockets" or "Galactic" or what have you. But they're just as dangerous mareek. They're dangerous because of what I showed them. They're like ants.

And that's precisely why I haven't been around very much, Mareek. I was afraid that if they found me, you all would go down as well. They have no honor, no souls. I stayed away because above all else... a good man protects his family, and I was going to do everything I could to keep you out of harms way; even if it means lying to you... just like I had to do your brother. He came close to finding what was going on, and I had no choice but to lead him away from it.

in hindsight... I wish I had handled it differently. I wish I hadn't ended up driving him out, hadn't had to lie to him and take away everything for him... but it was better to have him alive and a runaway than dead because he wanted to play the big damn hero and poke his nose into this. That's the other thing Mareek, I don't want you to ever blame yourself for your brother leaving. It was me who he was always mad at, not you... but I see you two sometimes, when he comes to visit you. I think you already know who it was he really hated. My only regret to him is that I destroyed our relationship in doing what I had hoped would be right for him and the family.

Nothing that has happened... you do not deserve the blame for any of it. Neither does your mother. Or Galen. Just myself. and it should only be myself whose put at risk because of that. they may be able to get me, but there's no way in hell I'll let them get you three. If I have to put down rabid dogs in order to do that, then so be it... I will, and Artemis will be more than happy to help.

But your still reading this. Which means I haven't exactly been so successful on that front. I bet you're probably feeling lost now, your father gone, your brother gone... everything happening and nothing making sense. I bet you might think that you should just give up. But you should never give up, my son. It is during times of adversity and hardship that we must fight the hardest. It is during the bad times that you have to look inside and draw on strength to keep moving forward... because regardless of what some people think, mareek...

There is no night in this world that can last forever. The light of dawn always comes eventually... but only if we are strong enough to move towards it and not let ourselves lay down and die in the dark. You may or may not understand this right now... but I have something for you that will.

It is something that people think is weak beyond all measure. IT is something that people cast aside as mediocre and pathetic. "The weakest pokemon in all the known world" some call it. But yet it is the most resillient fish the world has ever seen. IT can survive in any stream, any river, any lake or ocean, no matter how filthy the water, how horrible the pollution. It is a creature that never gives up, regardless of what comes it's way... a creature that has such a power inside of it, that it can become something a thousand times greater... all if one is merely willing to join it on it's journey, to stand by it's side and never give up...

Only someone who understands true strength and perseverance can bring this pokemon into it's own right... and actually control it. I am gone, Mareek. You must understand that. Someday, though I hate to have to tell you this, your mother will likely be gone as well. I have no idea what will become of your brother... but he is idealistic... good hearted. Stubborn, but good hearted. I'm sure he will find the way eventually.

But you, Mareek. You must become strong, stronger than I was. Because someday, you truly will be on your own, you will have to be able to fight your own battles, you will have to be able to survive. Because I have no doubt they will come after you three now that I'm gone, and there will be no one in this world who is either willing or caring enough to protect you once I and your mother and Galen are gone.

You must learn to become your own advocate. You have to stand on your own two feet and let no one knock you down. If someone comes after you, you must be willing to destroy them if you must.

You will either sink and drown... or you will learn to swim.

But I have confidence in you. You're my child, my boy. You are stronger than you know

In these parting words I hope will guide you.

Your Father...

Alphonse Sisto

Alphose De Les Oreges

Nothing. That was all Mareek could say once he put down the old scrap of paper on the table. Complete and absolute nothing. Here it was, all in black and white... literally everything he had ever wondered, everything no one had ever been able to tell him... all from the pen of a single man. Literally, painfully literally, the very thing he could've used back when the man had actually died. And only now was he even seeing it. "Dad... then that voice I heard out there...Don't give up, don't give in..."

"Why?" He asked suddenly. Alexandra seemed to have been expecting the question.

"I didn't hold this from you on purpose, Maari..." She said sincerely, shaking her head as she let out a sigh. "The man hid this along with a lot of other things, like that pokeball there, in a lock box under the floor boards... and never said a single thing about it to me. I don't know why, but... he just..."

"To protect you..." Mareek whispered. "He didn't tell you for the same reason he told whatever lie he told Galen that made him leave and isolated himself from me..."

"Are you ready to actually calm down and listen to me now?"

Mareek thought about it for a moment. This was probably exactly what his father had been talking about. This is precisely what he had been warning mareek about; Life... he was trying to tell him that it was all one big series of dusks and dawns. Both in the skies and in people's hearts. There was nothing anyone could do about it to change that. Nothing at all... But people weren't supposed to just be helpless to the cycle. Not at all. "There is no night in this world that can last forever..." He nodded, looking into her eyes. He could feel something he hadn't in a while begin to surge through him again. "I... I am."

"Then send out Nemo."

Annnnnd... there it went. just as soon as the spark had been reignited, the flame had died and smoldered into nothing. "N-nemo?" Mareek shoke his head, placing a hand over the capsule as if trying to shield it... much to his own surprise. "After that?"

"Yes, after that." Alexandra's eyes hardened... Mareek felt something different run through him. Something all too familiar. "Do it. There shouldn't be any issue right now- the moment has passed and Mars is standing right here."

"But... if you're wrong, and mars has to-"

"Look, damn it!" She suddenly lunched forward, slamming her hands on the glass surface as her eyes burned into Mareek's, so close he instinctively forced himself backwards into the cushions. Just as he knew would happen... the change to hard to miss. Alexandra seemed to calm herself though, pulling away as she took a steadying breath. "If you don't do this..." She managed, voice tense as she took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Then you'll be running from this forever... you'll be stuck in this one night for the rest of your life because you're running away from the dawn instead of towards it. And your father's words would've been absolutely wasted on you." She lowered her hand, still trying to steady as she turned her gaze back to him, cold dark blue pupils just like his own. "What did I try to teach you, Mareek? Ever since it happened? Every. Single. Day."

There was silence again. Then Mareek looked up at her. "You don't run from your problems."

And off came Nemo's ball, torn from his belt, sent into the air in a burst of white...

[Chevaleresse]

"Whatever. I'll be fine." Kage brushed off the attempt to comfort him rudely. Without waiting for Redwood to reply, he stood up and moved back toward the nurse. He took Lucas's ball from her and clipped it to his belt, rather than releasing him as he normally would. "I need air," he declared. Walking as quickly as he could manage without breaking into a run, he left the medical center as quickly as possible. He didn't have any destination in mind; he simply needed to move.

((It's up to anyone if they want to run into him.))

[Felicity]

Redwood

The teacher sighed as he watched the young man go. He didn't try to stop him, it was natural one needed some time on their own after such an event, though he would need to catch up again to take an official statement as to what happened with the two trainers. Moving on, Redwood asked the Nurse for her diagnosis of the Porygon. Today was going to be even longer than Redwood first thought...

[DarkLight]

{Danielle and Slade}

"Alright, break time~"

A Murkrow and a Larvesta were eager for the rest and began to wander around the grassy field outside of the medical center. The remaining Pokemon, a Mawile, watched the females leave silently. He shook his head before going back to his own sparring session, punching the air to pump himself up for the upcoming match.

Danielle rolled her eyes inwardly, amused by her newcomer's enthusiasm. She walked over to the Steel type, which prompted the said Pokemon to stop his punches. "Zared, your training won't be put to good use if you tire yourself before the match. Relax, stretch yourself out, and prep yourself mentally. I'll even give you your Metal Coat if it helps you calm down." The Mawile considered the suggestion before he waved it off and walked a little ways away from Danielle and Slade. He did, however, began performing what seems to be some preliminary exercises with his mandible.

With that taken care of, Danielle glanced over at Slade, shrugging a little before rejoining him. "Everything alright with you, darling? Jacob's team was a force to be reckoned with, huh?"

{The Flyers and Kage}

Avis, the Murkrow, and Corona, the Larvesta, had decided to play a game of tag as their method of "fun." They both zoomed around in the sky, not even realizing that they had flown close to the medical ward that Kage came out of. As such, Avis crashed into the distraught teen, letting out a groan as she landed on her feathery behind. The firebug could then be heard clearly as she extinguished her flames; Corona then chirped ecstatically once she noticed that Kage and Lucas were here, innocently overlooking Kage's negativity and Luca's new transformation.

[Chevaleresse]

Kage had a moment of panic. He hurriedly rummaged through his pockets and produced a potion concentrate before realizing that he likely didn't have the physical strength to actually injure a Pokemon. Putting away the medicine, he instead withdrew a Pokeblock to give to the Murkrow. "Sorry, I didn't know you were there." He thought for a moment. "Avis, right? And if you're Avis then your fiery friend must be Corona." Still holding the first candy out, he retrieved a second with his free hand for the Larvesta.

[Commander]

The coordinator kept making his way out to the field where he noticed Danielle nearby. Great. Just when I thought I could finally get away from everybody. He ignored her continuing to his training spot. When he arrived, he turned to look at his Pokemon. "Alright, I was about to prepare Paradox to see what she can do, but now that Zuko's back, I'll do a quick match to see what he's got. Techie you're going to be..." Henry looked over at the Rotom who seemed quite uninterested in this training session. He knew he couldn't get that Rotom to obey him, so he stopped in fear of him running off again. "How about you just stay there and not get into trouble? Burrows, you'll be Zuko's partner. It's been a while, but you should still know what to do. Rosie and Gypsy, you'll be on my side. There are some new tricks I need to teach." The boy then pulled out his Pokedex for a second. "Good. It seems you remembered Poisonpowder like I asked yesterday. Everyone, get into position."

Henry stood at one side of the field. He picked this spot specifically based on the tree and rock locations. It wasn't perfect, but he was able to make an outline of the borders like on an official field. The said Pokemon then got ready picking a certain side to stand on. Paradox did her usual thing and sat near the border to watch the battle. Zuko looked over at Rosie. The two hadn't faced each other in a long time. The only faced each other once when they first met where he was destroyed by that Skitty. Things were a bit different as he was much stronger than before. Burrows felt a similar way against Gypsy. No matter how hard he tried, Gypsy always managed to beat him.

The coordinator stood there a moment ready to analyze every movement. That's the one use of teaching Pokemon to fight without orders, you can study without thinking about what attacks to shout out next. Everyone but Burrows already had the capability so he did have to give commands to the Drilbur. Funny how even my own Pokemon have a bit of rivalry with each other. I, on the other hand, don't have any rivals. Just enemies. "Begin!" The four Pokemon heard the words ready to clash.

[DarkLight]

{Kage}

Corona chirped a confirmation before she picked up the pokeblock with her two front legs. Little squeaks of joy and glee echoed around them as she chewed on the sweet treat. She should suggest Danielle to make some of these for them whenever they get the chance relax again.

Avis was more curious about Kage's strange behavior than the offered snack. It was rare for Kage to lose himself so easily, especially since he has Lucas as his guide. Nevertheless, Avis picked up the offered food daintily from his outstretched hand and placed it by her yellow feet. Apology accepted; the snack will come later. The dark type then turned to the Kirlia to translate her question to the blind human. Is something wrong? It's not like him to be all fidgety and aloof.

[Aurorix]

{Slade and Danielle}

"Yea I'm fine." Slade said with a smile, "I just made a couple of bad choices but next time we'll win for sure!" He spoke with enthusiasm. "Though Jacob is crafty. he'll try to lure you into a trap as many chances as he gets. Just make sure you don't fall for them and you should be fine, just give it all you got!" Slade told Danielle while doing a fist pump in the air. He was a little sad he lost, but he knew it was his fault. But he wasn't going to mope about it, rather learn from it and keep pushing on.

[Chevaleresse]

Lucas, who had been released partway outside the center, relayed the question to Kage. In response, Kage let out a deep sigh. "I did a bad thing. Or, I didn't do something and it ended up really bad." He sat down in the grass, feeling increasingly guilty. "Were you and your trainer watching my battle? I really don't want to say it out loud."

[Sutoratosu]

{Nemo, the disgraced swordsman}

Nemo could remember nothing of what had happened. Nothing at all. He had heard Mareek announce that they were forfeiting... he had gotten angry, that muche he knew with certainty... and he had gotten up. He had been angry at Java, that was what stuck the strongest in his mind- that sense of anger, that sense that he was about to fail what he had promised to do; that sense that there was a threat to be destroyed or watch it destroy others later on.

But he could not remember what he did about it. How he acted, what motions his body made... it was a big blank. The only thing his own sorry hide told him was that it was sore as hell- a clear indication he hadn't received jack squat in terms of healing... It wasn't like Mareek to forget about his team like that, never, unless...

"Mar-cu" He opened his eyes, surprised by the strange cry that had partially uttered forth from his lips. He cold feel the cold sensation of smooth glass on his back, the lights of the ceiling glaring down into his face. in his periphery was a tell-tell blur of white and red and black. "C...cube...?" He turned his head to mareek, weakly pushing himself to sit up. He got no response from the boy, just a look he had never seen on his master's face before... Nemo thought it might be anger, but... for some reason it seemed more sad than wrathful.

"Cubone?" Still nothing from Mareek. Nemo could feel the fear beginning to rise in his tiny gut. surely this meant something... something aweful. What...what had he done?

"The little monster I raised..." He finally heard under the boy's breath... it seemed as though Mareek thought he couldn't be heard though. Nemo griped his club closer, dreading whatever was about to happen... until he realized he didn't even have it.

"See, nothing to worry about..." Alexandra ignored the muttered comment about a 'little monster' taking a moment after the cubone was released to glance at the orphan's eyes, much to both his and her son's confusion. "just like I thought... he's one of them"

"One of what?" Mareek asked, still keeping his eyes on the ground type. "A kill-"

"Stop." Alexandra ordered. "Just stop talking altogether and listen. How long has nemo been with you?"

"A few months... 2 or so..."

"And you've obviously been training him quite a bit, haven't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Now tell me, my son... what is that Cubones evolve into?"

"Oh...oh god..."

Nemo noticed Mareek's eyes widen as he came to some realization...what it was, he had no idea. Evolution hadn't even crossed his mind once... hell, now that he thought about it, the only thing he even knew about his evolved form was that his Mother had obviously been one... and he could barely even remeber what she had looked like, let alone what kind of individual she has been. "So... you're saying...that that's the cause of all this...?"

"Well, he does seem to be rather strong as far as Cubones go, above the average... and he's been training under you for an extended period. Have you noticed any... changes in his behavior lately?"

Silence. He looked at Mareek, completely lost by whatever they were discussing. Why did it matter so much what he evolved into or how close or how far away from it he was? What did that have to do with whatever had occured? And...where was Java?

The sound of old springs breathing a sigh of releif brought his attention back to the world around him as he watched Mareek get up and head to the sink.. he seemed to glower out of the window, shaking his head and muttering something.

"Mareek?"

"More time..." was all he answered his mother with. "I thought I had more time to train him, more time to try to reign it in before it could start... I thought they weren't supposed to start getting brutal till afterwards. But god, am I a freaking idiot. The signs were right there all along, and I was too damn busy with other things to notice it. Maybe if I had..."

"He would still be gone, Mareek." Alexandra answered with a brutal honesty that made Nemo shudder for some reason he didn't know. "Nemo... there are some that start to change their behavior once they get close to evolution rather than have it occur afterwards. I've seen it before, years and years ago. You have no way of knowing until it simply starts to happen I'm afraid, and if you don't know the signs... you wouldn't spot it at all." Alexandra got up as well, heading to the sink and placing a hand on her son's shoulder, pulling him closer. "This is why I was saying you can't blame yourself for this, Maari. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen regardless, you couldn't have known about it until it just...did."

"Yes I could've... the signs were flaunted right in my damn face and I still didn't notice anything. He kept getting back up, kept trying over and over again... started charging into fights without any fear, started wanting to challenge opponents who were far stronger... then there's the kicker of how he damn near beat java over the head before the round even started, yeah, I'm not to blame here, mom. Course not, why would I be? I mean, Anyone would be that damn blind to that much foreshadowing, right?"

Nemo couldn't take this anymore. If he didn't get answers, he didn't know what the hell he was gonna do in the next few minutes. Luckily Mars was still there... "Cu-" before he could even ask, the sentinal simply shook his head, the expression on his face dark as he turned away from the little killer.

And nemo could feel that same bout of fear rising again...

[Jory]

{Professor Uno's Laboratory}

The black countertop had been polished so well it practically gleamed under the fluorescent lights. It ran in a ring around the relatively spacious room and began again in an island that spanned more than half the length of the lab. There were sinks on the far wall and on part of the island closest to the door. This solitary portal to the outside world was stationed in the middle of its own wall, the metal door nearly blending into the charcoal paint on the walls. There was an orderly clutter all around, with glass-doored cabinets revealing meticulous rows of all sorts of sciencey glassware.

On the counter opposite the door was a Master Ball suspended six inches above the workbench by a miniscule pair of robotic arms. A third arm poked and prodded at the inside of the Ball. Hunched over the experiment was a man wearing what appeared to be night vision goggles. He glanced periodically at a screen that was giving some sort of readout, nodding and muttering to himself as he ran his tests. We’re not quite there yet. Still, I should be able to finish by the time-

Suddenly a buzzer sounded loudly. Someone at the door. He put down his holo-tablet and removed his goggles, moving with a remarkable calmness. The man moved to a small mirror and fixed his short white hair. Despite his hair, he was actually quite young. At only thirty three years old, he was the youngest of his colleagues. He brushed a spot of soot off his prominent cheekbone, a result of an earlier experiment gone awry. He realized he was grinding his teeth and put a stop to it, halting his narrow jaw in its track.

Satisfied with his cleaned up appearance, he went to the door and pressed a small button on the outside of the doorframe. The large metal door slid open, revealing an older student. He seemed to be about seventeen or eighteen. He had an olive complexion and jet black hair. His gaze seemed to unravel whatever it was he was looking at, examining every aspect of it. He blinked as the door opened, finally realizing who was standing in front of him.

“Sorry, Professor Uno!” the student gushed. “I know I’m a few minutes early, but I wanted your thoughts on a project I want to do for an independent study!”

Uno smiled. Albert was a quick study, one of the smartest students he’d ever taught. “Not a problem, Mr. Nichols. Come in.”

The student entered the Professor’s lab. “The Winter Cup is awesome this year! There are some really good competitors. And the Opening was amaaaaaazing!” he said, his rapid-fire speech giving way to seemingly randomly elongated words. His eyes caught on the setup on the far counter, becoming wide as saucers. “Wow! A Master Ball!”

Uno nodded slowly. “Yes. Redwood was kind enough to request one for me from Silph. They only make them rarely, and they’re only permitted for research purposes. Trainers having them is quite an anomaly, despite the legends I’m sure you’ve heard.”

Albert grinned. “Well, what I had to say can wait. You need to make sure you eat, Professor. You’ve been in the lab all day.”

All Uno could do was chuckle. “You’re right, you’re right. Come with me. We’ll get some food and you can tell me all about that experiment.”

With that, the pair left the lab, heading toward the Winter Cup grounds. Behind them, the metal door slammed shut, the lock sliding into place with a foreboding clang.

-----------------------

THE NEXT DAY

-----------------------

{The Arena Marco, all students except Jacob and Kage}

A loud cheer could be heard coming from the Arena. The Academy's campus was abuzz with excitement as people began slowly moving toward the epicenter of the action. Suddenly, the loudspeakers crackled to life all across the Ymora Academy.

"Greetings on this lovely day, ladies and gentlemen! It is I, Marco, once again here to bring you the most exciting color commentary in the history of the Winter Cup! Today we have a veeeeeeeery exciting treat for you all! That's right, after a long wait and many arduous battles, we're finally here! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to be the first to present you with this year's Winter Cup Final!"

As Marco finished his statement, the Winter Cup itself rose from a hydraulic platform on the referee's stage in the Arena. The crowd erupted, many different names being cheered. However, two were the most prominent: Jacob and Kage. After hard-fought semi-final battles against their closest associates on campus, each of them had emerged victorious to battle on the world stage once more. But this time, the stakes were even higher.

"The match won't start for another twenty minutes, but let's get to know our contestants! The AV Club has been hard at work preparing their highlight reels, so let's reel'em out!"

The screen illuminated with the Winter Cup logo, a Poke Ball superimposed over a snowflake. A slow EDM beat could be heard building tempo through the speakers as a shockingly deep voice rang out.

"Our first contestant today is Kage!" The boy's picture appeared on the screen. He was in the middle of a battle and his determination showed across his face. Then the monitor began switching to clips of his Winter Cup battles. "This year we have a true underdog in the mix. Meet Kageharu Tsukihashi! A student in the Breeder Program, his triumph over many Trainers to get here has not gone unnoticed! With his quick thinking and telepathic link with his Ralts, Lucas, this youngster is a force to be reckoned with! Hailing from Mossdeep City in the Hoenn Region, he's a long way from home but only a short distance from the Winter Cup! Will he be able to make this next gigantic step???" The crowd roared its approval, with chants of Kage, Kage, Kage! raining down from the seats and heard all over campus.

After the cheering had died down, the screen returned to the Winter Cup logo. A slow drumbeat and bassline began to pick up as a rock and roll song began to play.

"Now, allow me to introduce our next contestant." Footage of Chalchi and Teo's first battle in the Winter Cup began to play on the screen, the double KO starting ripples of chatter among the audience. As the clips kept rolling through, whichever student had done the voiceovers continued. "Hailing from the Unova Region's Accumula Town, he's been touted as the favorite to win this tournament from the get-go. His matches have been edge-of-your seat exciting, and his bold strategies have unsurprisingly led him this far." The screen transitioned to a picture of Jacob with his finger out in front of him, his mouth open as he shouted an order. "Ladies and gentlemen, Jacob Robertson!" Screams of excitement and admiration poured forth from the audience.

"Kage, report to Waiting Room A! Jacob, Waiting Room B! Let's get this show on the road!"

---------------------------

MEANWHILE...

---------------------------

{Professor Uno's Laboratory}

As the robotic arms probed and prodded again at the Master Ball, Uno's eyes widened at the readout machine. "Finally..." he muttered. "So that's how they did it. Quite clever, really." He laughed to himself, not caring that no one else was in the lab. "And all those countermeasures to prevent reverse-engineering, too. But I've finally figured it out." He went over to a seemingly blank wall and pressed his hand to it. A band of green light scanned his palm before giving an extremely innocent chime.

"Handprint recognized: Authorization granted. Welcome back, Ein," it said. A small computer terminal slid out of a port in the wall. Uno's fingers were like lightning across the familiar surface as he documented his findings. After an arduous ten minutes of continuous typing, he cracked his knuckles and hit the most important keystroke of all: Control-S. A command console almost instantaneously appeared in the center of the screen. A Matrix-like cascade of characters fell like a waterfall down the screen. Some of them stopped at the bottom, beginning to form a sentence. Uno read it, nodded, then pushed the console back into the wall. "Goodbye, Ein," it said sadly.

"Why so sad?" Uno said, a sinister smile creeping over his face. "After all this hard work, it's nearly time."

[Chevaleresse]

Kage walked to the other waiting room at a brisk pace in a fairly sour mood. Surprised they didn't try to make some kind of big deal over the fact that I can't see. It felt strange to have all these people cheering his name, especially given what happened yesterday. I guess they don't know.

[Jory]

{Jacob}

The Trainer had been in Waiting Room B since long before the announcement. Truth be told, he was nervous. Really nervous. All his Pokemon were out, even Princess and Chalchi. Jacob was seated atop his Lapras, his Togetic perched on his shoulder and his Trapinch in his lap. I've got this, he thought to himself, although it seemed a hollow expression. "I'll be fine," he said out loud, hoping that actually sounding out the words would make them truer somehow. He continued his nervous self-assurances until finally, one teammate had enough.

Spitfyre let out a defiant cry and looked at his Trainer with disappointment. This was the Trainer he had put his faith in? One who would doubt himself when the stakes were the highest? He simply refused to believe it. He grabbed Jacob's leg and pulled him off the Lapras, dragging him over to the monitor. "Char," he said firmly, pointing at the live video footage.

Jacob noticed hte 'Mute' icon in the corner of the screen and reached up to the monitor, turning the volume on. He cringed as the TV's volume blared in his ear. He was confused for a moment before realizing that Marco had just announced his name and the crowd had roared its approval. He nodded, looking down at his Charmeleon. "You're right," he said quietly. It was a seemingly miraculous transformation, but Jacob's tone shifted noticeably. "These people are here rooting for me because they've seen what we can do and they believe we can win." He shook his head, looking disappointed. "I'm sorry I let you down just now. By thinking we were going to lose, I wasn't just doubting myself. I was doubting you and Teo and Chalchi, too. But the truth is that we're the strongest!" His eyes flashed and Spitfyre nodded in approval, a grin creeping across his face. "There's no way we'll lose!"

[Aurorix]

{Waiting Room B}

As Slade entered the room he was a bit disappointed in how Jacob was acting, doubting himself at the last moment. It was a good this that Spitfyre was there to bring him up but Slade thought he might be able to help a little as well for his friend by pitching in his own two cents. "Listen here Jacob," Slade said assertively as he walked over to the boy with Flare by his side. The fire dog gave a smug look as the two approached the boy and his pokemon. "I won't forgive you if you go and loose this!" He yelled pointing at Jacob with his right hand before taking the same hand and pointed to himself with his thumb. "Slade Kafkin doesn't loose to anyone other then the best! I lost to you so if you loose this it'll make both of us look bad." Slade then swiped his hand hand down across his body. "So don't go moping right before the end. Finish this not only for me, but for you and your pokemon!" Flare then let out a confirmed bark after Slade finished his little rant.

[Felicity]

Claude settled down into his seat in the stands, the young boy was munching on some standard horribly unhealthy stadium food that always seemed to taste fantastically disgusting. It served as a small indulgence to settle him down after yesterdays events. Claude never had gotten to find Mareek and that just made him feel guilty on top of sparking his worries about his pokemon.

"This can NOT become a habit" he said before biting into the greasy food with a fantastic vengeance.

[Jory]

{Jacob}

The competitor laughed lightly and smiled at Slade, glad to have his friend's company. "Thanks for the pep-talk, Slade. This is a huge battle. I just needed a little reality check," he said, sounding as though he was feeling much better. "I'm so excited that I'm almost speechless," he quipped.

[Azeria]

James had taken to sitting with his cousin near one of the food stands,His uncle and aunt had already left for Unova as His Uncle was needed for some urgent business there. Micheal however,had decided to stay and watch the finals,it was a matchup between 2 of the favourites to win the whole damn thing. His Reuniclus floated near him giggling at all the cheering the spectators were doing that James detested so much and clapped his large arms awkwardly in an attempt to imitate them.

"Seems like a pretty interesting matchup,Fan favourite against Underdog,that Jacob kid though,he's a tough one....are you even paying attention!?"Micheal suddenly cried out when he noticed that James was tuning him out and instead focusing on the screen while eating his piece of the pizza they had just bought.