Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Stories

Darkness and Dragons Ch. 1

Rayna stood at the entrance of Blueberry Academy, staring at the building with light green eyes full of uncertainty. Her black hair, which was down with mini pigtails on the sides, flowed in the sea breeze. Passersby could tell she wasn't a student judging by her apparel. A white, turtleneck crop top and a light blue skater skirt along with a light pink jacket. White knee-high socks covered her legs with light blue sneakers on her feet. Despite the soft colors of her clothes, she had a chain link necklace, and her little crossbody bag was a black heart with a chain link strap. Her black painted nails clutched her notebook to her chest.

“I…I don't know about this,” she muttered.

The Morpeko on her shoulder smiled wide. “Mor peko ko.”

Rayna looked at her partner. “Well, at least one of us is thrilled to be here.”

“Well hello there!” The sudden voice made the girl jump, turning her attention to the man approaching her. There was a pink-haired girl around her age with him as well. “You must be the new transfer we've been expecting. Miss… What was your name again?”

“Rayna, sir. We met back at Uva Academy.” Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid of speaking too loudly.

Cyrano grinned. “Ah, that's right! I knew I'd seen your face before. Grimsley’s girl, correct?” She nodded in response. “Welcome to my school! There's much to see and do, but don't worry, I've already gone and gotten you registered in our system.”

“Only because I reminded you,” the pink-haired girl spoke up. “Honestly, nearly forgetting about a new student is just not right!” She held her arms up in an x shape and frowned at him. Her attention shifted back to the new girl, the corners of her lips turning up. “Anyway, hi! I'm Lacey! I'm one of the Elite Four here! Nice to meet you! Your Morpeko there is super cute!”

Rayna blinked at her, glancing at her partner. “Um, thanks?” She managed a slight smile. “I'm Rayna.”

“I know,” Lacey replied. “I saw your file. Not on purpose, of course, but I often have to pick up the slack with Director Cyrano’s duties. So, your dad’s an ex-Elite Four member back in Unova. My daddy's one of the Gym Leaders over there too.”

“Oh? That's cool.” Rayna tried her best to sound interested, though her father wasn't her favorite topic.

“And judging by your progress over at Uva, you'll be starting as a second-year, just like me.” Lacey tapped her chin in thought. “But I'm a little surprised. Your file said your Battle Studies is your lowest grade.”

Rayna hugged her notebook tighter, her eyes darting down to her feet. “That's…true. I'm not the best at battling.”

“That's part of why Rayna was transferred here,” Cyrano explained to Lacey. “To train and improve her skills. And who knows, perhaps Double Battles will be more suited to her tastes. How about you two give it a go? A little practice battle to evaluate just what she needs to work on.”

“I…don't think that's a good idea,” Rayna interrupted.

The director gave a hearty laugh. “No need to be shy. Just think of it as a fun introduction to what my school has to offer.”

Lacey sighed. “I'm sorry, there's really no negotiating with Director Cyrano once he has an idea in his head. Although I have to admit, I'm a little excited to be the first to battle you here! It'll give us a chance to get to know each other a little better! And afterwards, I promise to give you a grand tour of all our facilities and the Terarium below us.”

“Alright,” Rayna replied, giving in. “Let's get this over with.”

Cyrano led them over to the central court where the pair took their places. Upon scanning the area, Rayna noticed quite a few curious onlookers in the stands. Fellow students that were eager to watch the match. One such person happened to be a young man sitting alone with white hair and a single purple highlight. He paused briefly with a chip in front of his open mouth, his gold eyes showing interest. Scarfing down the snack, he pushed aside the bag of remaining chips to lean forward and rest his arms on the table in front of him.