Chapter Text
Her earliest memory was of a Pokémon battle.
Sitting on her father’s lap in the bleachers of a massive colosseum, packed with thousands of cheering fans, she had stared transfixed at the arena below. The trainers moved in perfect rhythm with their partners, their commands sharp and precise, while each attack lit up the battlefield in dazzling displays of power. The charged atmosphere, the clash of wills, the spectacle of it all. Every part of it fascinated her.
When the trainers finally called out their last Pokémon, the crowd erupted in rapturous cheers, and in that moment, she came to a decision. She would become a Pokémon trainer. She would catch Pokémon of her own and forge them into the greatest team her home had ever seen.
“Houndoom! Use Flamethrower!” One trainer roared.
“Roserade!” Her mother’s voice rang out, brimming with confidence. A dazzling smile lit her face as she thrust her hand forward, her white cape billowing dramatically behind her. “Use Dazzling Gleam!”
The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, and a shining light consumed the stadium, so brilliant that the audience shielded their eyes. When the light faded and the smoke cleared, the referee’s voice rang out:
“Houndoom is unable to battle! The winner is Champion Summer Rose!”
The stadium erupted into thunderous cheers as Summer and her Roserade basked in victory.
Ruby Rose’s smile shone as brightly as the battlefield itself, stars glittering in her eyes while she watched her mother wave to the roaring crowd.
She would be the best. Like no one ever was.
10 years later…
*Ring*
The bell above the door jingled once as another customer entered the Pokémart. The shopkeeper sighed as he stood up from his chair, rubbing his eyes to rid himself of any semblance of tiredness.
‘Another one? Why are there so many people coming in tonight? First that girl, and now this.’ He complained to himself in his head. Regardless of his annoyance, he plastered on a smile and turned to greet the new shoppers.
“Welcome! How can I… help…” The shopkeeper trailed off nervously as he took in his new guests. Four of them looked like run-of-the-mill thugs, not out of place in a biker gang—leather jackets and all—but the lead man certainly stood out like a sore thumb. A pristine white coat, black dress pants, and a black bowler hat atop fiery orange hair stood in stark contrast to his rougher companions.
The well-dressed man smiled warmly, but the dangerous glint in his eyes erased any comfort his expression might have offered. “Good evening, my good man. My… acquaintances and I were looking to do a little shopping in your fine establishment. Don’t bother ringing us up, though.”
The shopkeeper flinched back, raising his hands as he stuttered fearfully. “Please, j-just t-take the P-Pokédollars and leave.”
“Relax, we aren’t here for that.” The man said soothingly, though the effect was anything but soothing.
Turning to the goons behind him, each holding a large black briefcase, the man’s smile vanished, his voice sharpening with authority. “Alright. Grab potions, X items, medicines, anything useful in a battle. And Pokéballs, plenty of them. I want these briefcases stuffed, you hear me?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, boss.” One of the goons grunted as they each walked to separate aisles.
As one of them swept potions into his briefcase with zero care for neatness, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. A short kid stood with her back to him, browsing Pokéballs on display. From this angle, most of her was hidden beneath an oversized red cloak, but he was able to see that she had short black hair that slowly faded into red tips. Sitting on the shelf beside her was a Budew.
The girl chatted cheerfully with her Pokémon, oblivious to his presence. “I don’t know, I mean, the more Pokéballs the better, right? If I buy ten, we get a free Premier Ball, which makes eleven.”
“Budew.” The little plant replied simply.
“I know I don’t catch a lot of Pokémon, you’re literally my only one, but better safe than sorry, right?”
The goon scoffed. That tiny weed was her only Pokémon? This was gonna be too easy.
“Budew.”
“Yeah, that TM we bought you was expensive, but we still have some money left! Besides, the Premier Ball looks cool!”
Budew moved to respond, but suddenly froze as its eyes locked on the thug across the aisle. Its tiny body shook as it tried to get its trainer’s attention, raising its voice and, due to its lack of arms, using its whole body to gesture frantically. “Bud! Budew!”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Burn Heals are more important right now, especially if we fight Cardin again.” The girl crouched down to take the item off another shelf, still oblivious to the danger.
The thug rolled his eyes and cleared his throat loudly. The girl spun around, startled. With the cloak no longer hiding her, he saw the rest of her outfit: a black t-shirt with a red symbol of a Pokéball, a pair of red shorts over black tights, and matching boots.
“All right, kid. Hand over your money. Now.” He smirked, releasing Poochyena from its Pokéball.
The girl gasped at the snarling Pokémon, and then her face lit up. “Aw, he’s so cute!” She pulled out a Rotom phone and pointed it at the creature.
“Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon.” the phone droned. “At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite out of anything that moves. This Pokémon chases prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back.”
“Oh, neat,” the girl murmured before blinking up at him. “Uh, sorry, what did you say?”
The thug and his Poochyena exchanged a look of disbelief, before snapping his attention back to the girl. “I said, hand over your money, now!” He snarled.
The girl tilted her head, confused. “Wait. Are you… robbing me?”
“Yes!”
Her eyes widened. “Ooohhh! Got it! Alright Budew, perfect time to test out your new move!” She plopped the tiny plant down between her and the Poochyena.
The Rotom beeped again. “Budew, the Bud Pokémon. The pollen this Pokémon releases contains poison. If this Pokémon is raised on clean water, the poison’s toxicity is increased.”
“Oops, forgot I still had you on.” The girl chuckled, stuffing the phone away. She pointed dramatically at the thug. “Alright! Let’s do this!”
Ruby was having a pretty good day, all things considered.
It was the last day of school before summer break, she was passing all her classes, and she’d just saved up enough money to buy Budew a new TM. She’d been planning to head home after one more purchase… but now some random thug was trying to mug her.
That was just fine. It meant she could finally test Budew’s new move. However, before she could do that, she needed to wait for the right moment.
“Budew, use Absorb!” The small plant obeyed, the bud on top of her body opening, emitting a green glow that drained Poochyena’s energy.
The thug sneered. “Nice try, brat! Poochyena, Bite!”
Living up to its name, the Bite Pokémon lunged forward, sinking its fangs into Budew. It shook the little Pokémon violently before tossing her aside. Budew landed in front of Ruby, pain on her face, but remaining determined.
After a moment of struggle, Budew staggered upright on her… feet, legs, stubs, whatever she had, and glared back fiercely.
“Alright Budew, use Growth!” Ruby ordered. A green aura shimmered briefly around the plant, boosting its power.
The thug sneered cockily. “Pfft, won’t help you! Poochyena, Bite again!”
The Poochyena leapt forward and bit down-but yelped and released the small plant as it was suddenly wreathed in a purple glow.
“What the-?!” the thug exclaimed.
Ruby grinned. There was the moment she was waiting for. “Poison Point. Perfect. Alright, Budew, use Venoshock!”
With a sly smile mirroring Ruby’s, Budew blasted Poochyena with poisonous purple liquid. The boosted power from Growth, combined with Venoshocks increased power on a poisoned Pokémon, meant that the move hit even harder than it originally would have. The Bite Pokémon let out a whimper as it collapsed, eyes swirling in defeat.
“Yes! I knew that TM was worth it!” Ruby cheered.
The thug stared at his downed Pokémon in shock, before anger over took him, turning him red-faced with rage. “Agh! You little brat!” He yelled as he charged, raising his fists with intent to strike her.
Ruby flinched, throwing her hands up to shield herself as she yelped out a desperate order, “Ah! Budew, Stun Spore!”
She heard the Pokémon follow through with the command… followed by the sound of a heavy thud. Peeking out from between her fingers, she saw the thug twitching on the floor, paralyzed.
“Oof,” she winced, stepping over to him to look down at him. “Sorry, but you kinda deserved that.”
Noticing a wallet that had fallen from his pocket, Ruby crouched, peeking inside at the stack of Pokédollars. “Uh, yeah, I have reason to believe this wasn’t originally yours.” She said as she reached into his wallet as he watched in helpless rage, tucking the money away without hesitation.
After she put her own wallet away, a new voice rang out from around the corner. “Hey! What’s going on over… here.” Ruby turned to see the source of the voice, a man wearing a white coat and bowler hat.
After staring at each other awkwardly for a few moments, Ruby decided to break the silence. “Um, hi? She said awkwardly.
The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Of course. This is what I get for hiring cheap help. You three! Deal with the kid.” He ordered, quickly turning and walking to the other end of the store. Three more thugs stepped into Ruby’s sight, each carrying a briefcase, before dropped them to comply with their bosses orders.
Ruby’s eyes widened as Budew trilled nervously. The three other thugs stepped forward, each unclipping a Pokéball from their belts. “Uh, wait! Hold on!” Ruby said in a panic, holding up her hands defensively once more.
However, before any of them could act, a crisp, commanding voice rang out from across the store.
“Alakazam, use Psychic!”
With a wave of psychic energy, the three thugs were yanked off their feet and hurled into a shelf, crashing down in a heap among fallen boxes and broken bottles.
Ruby spun toward the source of the voice, jaw dropping in shock as she saw a familiar face.
A woman with blonde hair tied back into a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face, as well as wearing a white long-sleeved blouse and a black pencil skirt, had stepped into the Pokémart. In front of her was a yellow and brown Pokémon with a large moustache, and holding two spoons in its hands.
Professor Goodwitch, Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy, right hand of Headmaster Ozpin, and Psychic type master of the Vale Elite Four, had arrived.
“Professor Goodwitch?!” She shouted, stunned at seeing the teacher there in the Pokémart. As Ruby stared in surprise, her Rotom phone popped out of her pocket and scanned the Pokémon.
“Alakazam, the Psi Pokémon. This Pokémon’s brain continuously grows, infinitely multiplying brain cells until it dies. Its IQ is said to be 5,000,” The Rotom explained. “While it has strong psychic abilities and high intelligence, an Alakazam’s muscles are very weak. It uses psychic power to move its body around.”
“Didn’t I shut you off?!” Ruby hissed as she stuffed the Rotom back into her pocket.
“Oh great… an Elite Four member.” The bowler hat guy groaned, scooping up two of the dropped briefcases and sprinting out the door of the Pokémart. Professor Goodwitch whirled around and dashed after him, her Alakazam following behind her.
“Alakazam, use Psychic again!” She commanded, prompting her Pokémon to unleash another wave of psychic force. Before it could connect, the man dropped a suitcase, reached inside his coat, and quickly opened a Pokéball of his own. A large black and white bird appeared, its feathers stylized to resemble a hat atop its head. The Psi Pokémon’s attack hit the large bird, with no effect.
Ruby, watching in awe from the doorway, felt her Rotom phone fly out of her pocket once again.
“Honchkrow, the Big Boss Pokémon. Becoming active at night, this Pokémon is known to swarm with numerous Murkrow in tow. It makes its Murkrow cronies bring it food, and idles its time away grooming itself in its nest. It is merciless by nature. It is said that it never forgives the mistakes of its Murkrow followers.” The Rotom recited.
Ruby frowned, displeased with the information. “What a bully.”
The man smirked, striking a confident pose as he directed his Honchkrow. “Use Foul Play!”
As the Pokémon swooped in for the attack, Glynda narrowed her eyes. “A Dark type? That doesn’t faze me.” She quickly recalled Alakazam, before throwing out another ball. This ball, white and black with yellow stripes on its top half, marking it as an Ultra ball, burst open, releasing a large, grey, four legged Pokémon. As the attack from the Honchkrow landed, the new Pokémon barely flinched despite the super effective damage, and instead locked its striking red eyes onto the bird, glaring it down with unwavering ferocity.
Ruby’s Rotom beeped once more. “Metagross, the Iron Leg Pokémon. This Pokémon has four brains that are joined by a complex neural network. As a result of integration, this Pokémon is smarter than a supercomputer. It firmly pins its prey using its four claws and massive body. Then the teeth in the mouth on its stomach chew the prey to bits.”
Ruby winced. “Ouch. That’s gotta hurt.”
Glynda pointed forward, directing the Iron Leg Pokémon. “Metagross! Use Stone Edge!” The Pokémon drove its front two legs into the street below it. For a split second, nothing happened, before the ground underneath Honchkrow erupted, sending jagged, pointed slabs of rock up into the bird's underbelly. The Pokémon was launched back toward its trainer, landing in a sprawled form on the floor, eyes swirled in unconsciousness.
“Dammit!” The criminal shouted as he called the Pokémon back into its ball.
Before he could reach for another, Glynda pointed toward him and gave Metagross an order. “Psychic Fangs! And don’t let him go!” Metagross lunged for the criminal, causing him to flinch back… only for Metagross’s fangs to latch onto something else, just shy of their intended target.
A Zoroark suddenly appeared out of thin air in the spot in front of Metagross, completely unaffected by the Psychic attack. Alongside the Illusion Fox Pokémon appeared a girl with pink and brown hair and matching eyes. She wore a white button up blouse with interior pink lining over a black corset, black pants and gloves, and white boots.
“…” The pink and brown girl stuck her tongue out at Glynda, drawing an irritated growl from the stern woman.
“Excellent timing as always Neo. Ms. Goodwitch, Red, it’s been a lot of fun, but I’m afraid this is where we part ways.” The criminal tipped his hat to the two, before Neo snapped her fingers, followed by the two outlaws and Zoroark all vanishing in a blur.
Glynda’s scowl deepened as she scanned the perimeter, but the scum had wisely made themselves scarce. Glynda turned around, deciding it would be best to restrain the unconscious thugs for the police… only to find herself suddenly face to face with a very star struck Ruby Rose.
“Oh my gosh! Professor, that was amazing! You were all like, ‘Hyah!’, and Metagross was all, ‘Mraah!’, and that Honchkrow went down in a single hit! That’s an Elite Four member four ya!” Ruby cheered, bouncing on her feet and striking dramatic poses to accompany her side effects.
Ruby’s smile slowly faded, however, as she realized that Glynda Goodwitch was glaring down at her over the rim of her glasses, her stony gaze quickly smothering the previously excited energy flowing from the young girl.
“Um, excuse me?” Glynda and Ruby turned to the entrance of the Pokémart, where the Shopkeeper was watching them. “I don’t mean to intrude, but… who’s going to pay for the damages?”
The next morning…
“I hope you understand that your actions last night will not be taken lightly young lady.” Glynda scolded Ruby, as the young girl shrank down into her chair in embarrassment.
“They started it!” Ruby protested, before shrinking further under the professor's sharp glare.
“I am not referring to your decision to fight the thugs, in fact I think you were in the right to defend yourself.” Professor Goodwitch’s voice briefly softened before snapping back into its usual sternness. “What I’m referring to is you putting yourself in that position in the first place by being away from school property after hours. It is a flagrant violation of school rules.”
Ruby winced at her Professor’s accurate assertion. The academy she attended, Beacon Academy, was more lenient than the others of its caliber, but still enforced rules in place to keep its students safe. Chief among them being that, while students are allowed to visit Vale after classes, all students were to be on school property by sunset. That way they could avoid any potential incidents, such as being attacked by wild Pokémon at night while on the path from Vale to Beacon.
Ruby quickly scrambled to defend herself. “Well, I was trying to buy a new TM for Budew, but I couldn’t find a place that sold the one I was looking for so I lost track of time, and then I stopped at the Pokémart to buy some stuff and… well…” she sputtered out as Glynda’s glare remained unyielding.
“Now, now, Glynda. I think Miss Rose has heard quite enough about school rules.” A gentle voice chimed in. Both Ruby and Glynda turned to the entrance of Glynda’s office, where a middle aged man stood. He wore glasses, his silver hair was slightly messy, and his black suit was set neatly over a dark green vest and shirt.
“I don’t believe this is what she needs on her last day of the school year. She ought to be out celebrating with her friends and family. After my closing speech and final dismissal, of course.” Professor Ozpin said, smiling warmly as he walked up to the desk.
Ruby’s face lit up, sitting up straighter in excitement. “Thanks, Professor Ozpin!”
The kind Headmaster smiled back. “There’s no need to thank me, Miss Rose. Ordinarily I would allow Glynda to carry out her punishment, but I suspect the scare of being attacked is consequence enough. Besides, it’s the last day of school,” Ozpin looked over his glasses at Ruby, sternness creeping its way into his gaze. “Of course, I expect that you won’t have a repeat of such a distressing situation. I’d prefer my students stay out of trouble.”
Ruby shrank back down into her chair, shame creeping in as she looked into Ozpin’s eyes. “Y-Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.”
Ozpin’s smile widened as he moved to leave the room. “Very well. Enjoy your day, Miss Rose.”
Glynda sighed, exasperated, and fixed Ruby with a stern look. “I suppose there’s nothing more to add. You’re dismissed.”
Ruby nodded, before hurrying out of the room, eager to put as much room between the angry teacher and herself as possible. After a few minutes of running through Beacon’s halls, getting scolded by a few other teachers along the way, she slowed her pace to a walk, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. She relaxed her shoulders, the tension rolling out of them as she listened to the sound of distant chatter from other students filled the hall. It would have been almost peaceful for Ruby, something desperately needed right now… were someone not about to ruin that sense of peace.
“Well, well, well. Look who got in trouble.” The smug drawl made Ruby’s stomach sink.
Ruby sighed, turning to her left to see a familiar bully. “What do you want Cardin? I don’t need this right now.”
Cardin Winchester, dressed in a grey sweater and black pants, leaned against a wall, arms crossed, a smirk plastered on his face. “Word is you got caught sneaking off campus last night. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch Little Red squirm.”
Ruby frowned, giving him an angry look. “Like you’ve never snuck off before?” She questioned, attempting to point out his hypocrisy.
Cardin made a show out of pretending to check his nails. “The difference is, I’m smart enough to not get caught. Unlike a certain someone.”
Ruby crossed her arms, continuing to glare at him. “Or maybe you're just boring enough that no one cares where you go.”
A small red and black cat Pokémon sitting by Cardin’s feet let out a sharp snicker. As its trainer shot it with a glare, Ruby’s Rotom flew out of her pocket, scanning it with a cheerful beep.
“Litten, the Fire Cat Pokémon. It spends even the smallest amount of downtime grooming its fur with its tongue. Loose fur gathers in its stomach and serves as fuel for fiery moves. If you try too hard to get close to it, it won’t open up to you. Even if you do grow close, giving it too much affection is still a no-no.”
“Oh come on! We’ve seen that one before!” Ruby groaned, stuffing the Rotom back in her pocket.
“Little Red has a little bite to her today.” Cardin said as he turned his attention back to Ruby. “But I think you underestimate just how popular I am. I personally think that the best battler in the Pokémon battle club would be a bit of a celebrity around here. Of course, you suck at battling, so what would you know?”
Ruby scowled. “The only reason you’re the “best” is because you bullied half the club into quitting.” Ruby crossed her arms. “Not to mention Yang isn’t here anymore to shut you up. And don’t even get me started on all the rumors about cheating.”
Cardin’s smirk dropped, genuine rage appearing on his face. “I do not cheat!” He growled, before taking a breath to recompose himself. “Not in Pokémon battles, anyway. If you’re gonna beat someone, you do it fair and square.” He leaned in, his voice turning condescending once again. “Besides, I don’t need to cheat to beat you. You and that little vegetable of yours are gonna be stuck at the bottom of the barrel forever.”
He brushed past her with his Litten padding after him, before he stopped and leaned in until his mouth was next to her ear. “You're never gonna be like your mom. Never.”
Ruby froze as her breath caught in her throat. The words hit deeper than any of the previous taunts. She stared at the floor, silent, as he started walking away.
As he reached the nearby corner, he stopped and looked back with a cocky grin. “She’d better be ready to retire soon though. She’s not gonna be Champion for much longer.”
Ruby’s head raised in shock as she turned to face him. “Wait, what?” She questioned, uncertain if she had heard him right.
Cardin chuckled lightly before elaborating. “I’m gonna take on the gym challenge and become the new Champion. I’ll assemble the best team of Pokémon, and crush your mom alongside everyone else who stands in my way.”
Ruby, forcing an expression of doubt onto her face, crossed her arms. “Really Cardin? I doubt you’d make it past the Elite Four.”
“Like you’d even make it past the first gym.” Cardin scoffed. “The Vytal region gym challenge is designed to be a difficult challenge, especially here in Vale. It’s the perfect way for me to grow stronger.”
“And better at cheating.”
“I do not cheat!” Cardin snapped, before taking another deep breath. “Once I’m Champion, you’re all gonna learn to respect me. Eat my dust, twerp.” He turned around, giving a dismissive wave as he walked away.
Ruby glared at his back until he disappeared from view. Slumping her shoulders, she turned around and walked away. Her Pokéball opened, and Budew appeared on her shoulder, nuzzling her slightly. Ruby gave the little plant a halfhearted smile, before continuing to walk. She needed to talk to someone, and there was only one person left at this school who she felt she could reliably talk to about this.
“Weeeeiiiissss! I need your help!” Ruby whined as she sat across from her friend, slamming her face down on the table.
“Be quiet, you dolt! This is a library!” Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Mining Company, admonished, not looking up from the textbook she was reading. The white haired girl was in her usual white skirt and white jacket with a red interior. Curled up on her lap was a tiny fox Pokémon with fur as white as freshly fallen snow, the same color as their owners clothing.
Ruby’s Rotom flew out of her pocket and scanned the small Pokémon. “Vulpix, the Fox Pokémon. Alolan form. In hot weather, this Pokémon makes ice shards with its six tails and sprays them around to cool itself off. They live together in a skulk, helping one another. Before eating their prey, they freeze it solid with their –58 degree Fahrenheit breath.”
Ruby groaned, grabbing the Rotom. “Stop scanning random Pokémon already!”
Weiss raised an eyebrow, looking up from her textbook as Ruby stuffed the phone back in her pocket. “Has that been happening a lot lately?”
“Yes, but that’s not what I need help with.” Ruby turned to her S.B.B.T.T.R. (Super-Besty-Better-Than-The-Resty) and gave her a pleading look. “I need to know what to do next.”
Weiss sighed, looking back down to her book. “I heard you got caught sneaking out last night, I can’t help you.” She deadpanned.
“Nononono! That’s not what I meant!” Ruby said hurriedly. “I mean, I’m not in trouble for that anyways. Ozpin let me off the hook since it’s the last day of school.”
Weiss looked up to Ruby, shock plastered on her face, before sighing while shaking her head. “Of course he did. You’d think that the Headmaster of a school would understand the importance of proper punishments.”
Ruby shrugged. “Vale’s never been as uptight as Atlas. Isn’t that why you came here instead of Atlas academy?”
The Vytal region, divided into 4 kingdoms, each had their own academy for Pokémon trainers. Vacuo had Shade academy, Mistral had Haven academy, Vale had Beacon academy, and Atlas had… Atlas academy. Clearly someone got lazy while naming that last one.
Weiss was native to Atlas, but had opted instead to study at Beacon in Vale. When Ruby had asked why, Weiss’ response had been, “Atlas was a bit too… stifling for me. Here at Beacon I can focus without… certain stresses hanging over me.”
Present Weiss rolled her eyes. “Yes, but I expected at least some form of punishment. Honestly, Professor Ozpin can be too forgiving for his own good.”
“Well I like him. He’s nice.” Ruby defended her Headmaster, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.
Weiss sighed again, before deciding to refocus the conversation. “Whatever. We’re off topic, what did you need my help with?”
Ruby slumped in her chair, anxiety quickly creeping into her body. “Cardin is taking on the gym challenge after school ends.”
Weiss blinked in confusion. “And we should care why?”
Ruby sat up, panic overtaking her. “Because what if he manages to beat my mom?!” She shrieked.
“Shhhh!” Weiss shushed her, glancing around the library, although there were no students nearby, since it was literally the last day of school. Even the librarian was weirdly absent, making the two girls the only ones in the room.
Turning back to her B.F.B.O.B.O.A.L.O.O.F. (Best-Friend-But-Only-Because-Of-A-Lack-Of-Other-Friends) Weiss gave her a focused look. “Ruby, your mother has been the Champion of Vale since before you were born. She’s taken on dozens of challengers for her title and eventually they all give up. She’s won so many times at the Vytal tournament that she didn’t participate for 3 years until the other Kingdoms each acquired a new Champion. She’s one of the strongest trainers Vytal has ever seen. I highly doubt Cardin Winchester could take her title from her.” As she finished listing off her reasons, she leaned back in her chair and lightly pet Vulpix, who leaned into her trainer's touch. “Besides, I’m going to be the one to take the title of Champion.”
Ruby looked at Weiss in shock. “Wait, you what?”
Weiss pressed a dainty hand to her chest as she smiled confidently. “I’m also going to be taking on the gym challenge this summer, and I’m going complete it with a team of Ice types like cute wittle Vulpix here!” Her voice took on a higher pitch as she tickled her Pokémon, drawing a few adorable giggles from the small fox.
Ruby’s jaw dropped in shock. “B-but, you just went on a whole speech about how she’s the best!”
Weiss huffed haughtily. “Yes, but once I’ve applied the training knowledge I’ve acquired here at Beacon to a full team, I’m certain I’ll be strong enough to defeat her.”
“B-but, why wouldn't you go for Atlas? It’s your home after all! Wouldn’t you want to be Champion there?” Ruby sputtered.
Weiss sighed once more, shaking her head in a negative. “No, I wouldn’t. Not only would I have to get through the Atlesian Elite Four, which includes my sister Winter, who specializes in Ice types like me, but General Ironwood is a formidable Champion, and his team is quite effective against Ice types. Besides, there’s…” she trailed her off, quickly banishing whatever she was about to say to the back of her mind before continuing. “The climate of Vacuo is far too hot for me, and the new Mistralian Champion looks to be a formidable opponent, much like Champion Rose, but my Ice type speciality would still leave me vulnerable to many of her Pokémon, especially her Ace. Simply put, I feel that here in Vale is the place where my abilities would be best put to use.”
Before Ruby could reply, Weiss’ Rotom phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, an unsettled frown briefly creeping onto her face before she buried it and looked back up to Ruby. “I have to take this. Ozpin's dismissal speech is in less than an hour, so I’ll see you there.”
The heiress called Vulpix back to her Pokéball and stomped out of the library, placing the textbook on a shelf as she left. Pausing briefly, she turned back to Ruby. “If you want to know what to do next, I’d say keep studying and learning here at Beacon. While you have talent, you’re lacking the…” she paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. “‘Skill’ to be an effective trainer. Besides, you shouldn’t worry about your mom’s title. Champions come and go all the time. She can’t be Champion forever.”
Ruby sulked in her chair, still in shock, before getting up and leaving, shaken to her core. She didn’t get any of the reassurance or advice she’d wanted from that conversation at all. Instead, Ruby’s anxieties only grew further.
‘Cardin’s coming for mom’s title… and now Weiss is too.’ She thought to herself glumly. ‘Oh man… what am I gonna do?’
The sharp sound of microphone feedback tore Ruby from her thoughts. She stood alone amongst the sea of students in the auditorium, doing her best to blend into the walls which is difficult when you were wearing a giant cloak that is on the direct opposite end of the color spectrum from the stones dull grey color. Despite Weiss’s promise to meet her there, the Heiress had not shown up their usual spot, leaving Ruby with only her mind for company, which wasn’t the most happy place right now.
The droning noise of chatter from the other students died out as Professor Ozpin stepped onto the auditoriums stage.
“Ahem… I’ll keep this brief.” Professor Ozpin spoke softly into the microphone, his voice echoing through the silent auditorium. The students gave him their undivided attention, intent on hearing the parting words their Headmaster would give to them.
“You all came here in pursuit of knowledge. The knowledge to grow as a Pokémon trainer, to form a stronger bond with your Pokémon, to more effectively care for them.” The Professor paused for a moment, looking over the crowd of students before continuing. “However, this knowledge will only carry you so far. Each of you makes the choice to come here every single day. After each break you make the choice to return once more. Eventually, one day, you will make the choice to not return at all. Whether that day be tomorrow, or years from now, that day is inevitable. If you choose not to return to the academy in order to pursue your desired path-whether it be as Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, Pokémon rangers, first responders, or any other number of possibilities-you will face hardship, roadblocks, and adversity. The world we inhabit is unforgiving, and cares nothing for the lives of those who inhabit it.”
Professor Ozpin stopped for a moment, sipping from his mug as a few students muttered amongst each other, before turning his attention back to them. “Which is why, above your knowledge, above your skills, above everything, you must trust. Trust the people you care about to support you through even the harshest of trials, trust the Pokémon by your side to work with you to achieve your goals, and, most importantly, trust yourself, that no matter what happens, you keep moving forward.”
Professor Ozpin stopped briefly to sip from his mug once more, before smiling softly at the crowd. “…Now get out of here.”
With that final statement, Ozpin turned away from the mic and walked away, Glynda following close behind him, rolling her eyes in exasperation at the Headmaster's flippancy. The droning sound of chatter filled the room once more as students filed out of the room, each in a hurry to finally return home.
Ruby, bag slung over her shoulders, followed the herd, only half paying attention to where she was going. Her mind was elsewhere.
‘Cardin’s taking on the gym challenge, and so is Weiss. They’re both gunning for mom’s title, and they’re… outgrowing me. Yang left school last year, and she’s already such a strong trainer. Dad’s a respected Gym Leader, Qrow’s always out on adventures, and my mom’s the Champion.’ Ruby thought to herself glumly. ‘Everyone is so much better than me… and next year I’m gonna be all alone. What should I do? Yang would probably know.’ A sad smile crossed her face. ‘I just wish she wasn’t so busy all the time. Then I could actually ask her.’
Ruby was once again torn from her thoughts as she was suddenly stopped in her tracks by walking straight into another student's backpack. “OhmygoshI’msorry!” Ruby blurted out, before realizing the student had hardly noticed her. Looking around, Ruby saw that most of the students had formed a circle around… something. Unfortunately, the curse of “being really short” prevented her from seeing over the other students shoulders.
Feeling her curiosity growing, Ruby opted to shove her way through the crowd to get a peak at the literal center of attention, muttering apologies as she moved through the walls of students. Around her, the students muttered amongst each other:
“I can’t believe she’s actually here.”
“Wow, she’s got really great hair.”
“Holy crap she looks so cool! That jacket is really something!”
“Hmph. Guess her arrogant ass finally decided she wasn’t too cool to hang around this place.”
“You’re just saying that because she turned you down when you asked her out.”
“I TOLD YOU THAT IN CONFIDENCE YOU LITTLE-“
Ruby hummed to herself as she pushed to the front of the crowd, dodging the two students who were now grappling with each other. As she put together the descriptions of the person who was presumably at the center of the group, she began to feel as though this person sounded rather familiar. ‘Y’know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say they’re talking about-‘
Suddenly, Ruby heard a confident, and incredibly familiar voice. “Why don’t you all take a picture? It’ll last longer.”
Ruby froze as the voice reached her ears. Taking a moment to process that, yes, that was who she just heard, she pushed through the last layer of students.
There, in the center of the courtyard, lay a Charizard, quietly resting on the stone road in front of the academy. On its back lay its trainer, a woman with wild yet beautiful blonde hair, a pair of orange sunglasses sitting over her eyes, a yellow jacket with orange flame patterns along its lower half over a yellow tank top, alongside a pair of black jeans and brown combat boots. It was…
“Yang?!” Ruby exclaimed.
Her older sister immediately sat up, tearing her eyes away from her Rotom phone as her sister called her name, lifting her glasses allowing Ruby to see their violet shade. Her smile glowing like the sun, Yang hopped off her Charizard's back, causing it to stir awake, and walked up to Ruby, wrapping her in a big Bewear hug.
“There you are! I was wondering when you would get out here!” Yang gleefully exclaimed, as she made it her sole mission to crush Ruby’s spine and rib cage into dust.
“Y-Yang! Need… air!” Ruby strained as her lungs were squeezed like a lemon.
Yang chuckled, quickly setting her sister down as Ruby took grateful gasps of air. As Ruby recovered, another voice cut into the sisterly reunion.
“Of course you're the one causing all this ruckus.” The sisters turned to the owner of the familiar haughty voice, who was currently pushing herself past the front of the student group: Weiss Schnee. “You can’t help but cause chaos wherever you go, can you Xiao Long?”
Yang gave her a cocky smile. “Hey, you’re just mad I’m still turning heads wherever I go. Not that I can blame them, I mean, look at me. Just look at me!” She gestured down to herself, as though proudly displaying a work of art.
Weiss turned her nose up at the blonde girl's eccentrics. “Please, as if I care about what a bunch of plebeians think about anyone’s attractiveness.”
Yang’s smile widened, if that was even possible. “Sure, ice queen.”
Weiss stamped her foot, anger causing her cheeks to flush red. “Don’t call me that!”
Yang turned around, walking back toward Charizard. “Whatever snow angel! Good to see you again, but I’ve gotta get my sister home. Rubes, you coming?”
Ruby jogged after her sister as Weiss was left a sputtering angry mess, but not before giving her bestie a wave goodbye, which was barely acknowledged by the Heiress as she focused on the ridiculous nickname.
Charizard let out a big yawn as Ruby approached, prompting her to walk up and pat the side of his head. “Hi Charizard! Good to see-“
Ruby was cut off as her Rotom phone flew out of her pocket and scanned the large reptile. “Charizard, the Flame Pokémon. This Pokémon flies around the sky in search of powerful opponents. It breathes fire of such great heat that it melts anything. However, it never turns its fiery breath on any opponent weaker than itself. If it becomes furious, the flame at the tip of its tail flares up in a whitish-blue color.”
“… is that normal?” Yang asked, pointing to the Rotom as she hopped on Charizard's back.
Ruby sighed, slightly embarrassed. “Recently? Yeah. It won’t stop scanning random Pokémon and reading their dex entries. I don’t know why.”
Yang chuckled as Ruby mounted Charizard behind her, before smirking and securing herself on the Pokémon’s back. “Alright Charizard! Use Fly!”
The Flame Pokémon roared to the sky before flapping its wings, shooting up into the air, leaving a cloud of dust and multiple students covering their eyes and holding onto their hats in its wake. Only Weiss remained unmoved, simply watching with her arms crossed as the sisters ascended into the sky.
“Ah! Yang! Slow down!” Ruby’s voice screeched in the distance as she held onto her big sister for dear life.
Despite herself, Weiss let a small smile overtake her features. ‘You know, I almost missed her.’
“Woohoo! Out with a YANG!”
The smile died an ugly death. ‘And now I remember why I didn’t.’
Thankfully, Ruby quickly adjusted to the high speeds at which Charizard soared through the clouds. If she had the courage to look down, she would have seen the sprawling city of Vale’s capital, including the Pokémon League Headquarters and the stadium were they held local tournaments and Championship matches, quickly being left behind as they soared over the ocean toward the island of Patch, where their home awaited.
Unfortunately, she did not have the courage to look down, so her sister's hair would have to do.
Spitting a few golden locks out of her face, Ruby adjusted herself to look over her sister's shoulder in an admittedly vain attempt to ask her to slow down, only to see Yang typing away at her phone. Curiosity overtaking her, Ruby opted to try and read whatever was going on on the screen. The other options for her eyes were either a long drop down or her sister’s hair. Not very compelling choices.
Ruby recognized the messaging app as the one Yang was currently using. Wondering if it was mom, dad, or Uncle Qrow, she did her best to read the texts, only to instead see a name she didn’t recognize.
Blakey: Alright. We’re still on for tomorrow, right?
Me: Yep!
Blakey: Okay. I’ll meet you there. Try not to be late, okay? I only have a limited amount of hours away from the gym. I want to make the most out of the time we have, and I don’t have as much off time as you have.
Me: Blake, c’mon, it’s me ;)
Blakey: I know. (Eye roll emoji) I’ve got a challenger. I need to go.
Me: Okay. Getting close to home anyway. See ya!
Yang briefly added a heart emoji to that last text, before hesitating over the send button, and swiftly deleting it from the message. Stuffing the Rotom phone back in her pocket, Yang finally noticed Ruby looking over her shoulder, a very impish grin across her face.
“Sooooo, who’s Blake?~” Ruby dragged out every syllable teasingly as Yang's face turned as red as her sister's cape.
“Wha-I-huh-hold-wait a-I-I can explain!” Yang sputtered, before narrowing her eyes angrily. “Wait, no, you explain why you were reading my texts!”
Ruby raised her hands defensively before quickly wrapping them back around her sister in order to not fall off their ride. “Hey, I was just gonna ask you to slow down, but then I saw you texting and got curious!” She smiled mischievously again. “Why didn’t you tell anyone you were dating?”
Yang’s blush intensified. “You don’t know that we’re-“
“Yang, I saw the heart.”
Charizard chuckled loudly, causing Yang to reach up and flick one of his horns in retaliation. “Traitor.” She groaned.
Turning her attention back to Ruby, Yang sighed. “Look, it's only been a few months, and Blake is very… shy and reserved. I just don’t want any of you to ruin another relationship for me.”
Ruby sputtered indignantly. “When have any of us ever ruined a relationship?”
Yang gave her a deadpan look. “Dad would always jump straight to the shovel talk, Qrow would always be at least half drunk, and you and mom would be trying to throw a celebration party. Honestly, that last one would be the most likely thing to scare them off this time.”
Ruby shrunk in embarrassment. “Okay, so maybe we did ruin a few of those.”
Yang rolled her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face. “Might’ve been for the best anyway…” she muttered to herself.
“What?” Ruby asked, not having heard her clearly.
“Oh, uh, hey look! There’s our house!” Yang very poorly changed the subject as Charizard came in for a landing. The girls quickly dismounted as the Pokémon touched down, before his trainer recalled him to his Pokéball. The sisters strode up the pathway, past their parents' garden, and finally opened the door.
Ruby let out a contented sigh as she took a deep breath in. “Ah. Home sweet home.”
“Yamp!” A high pitched bark rang out as a small Pokémon ran up to the girls, blissful happiness written all over its face.
Yang scooped the tiny creature up into her arms with a gleeful smile. “Hi there Zwei! Did you miss us? Hm? Did you miss us?”
Zwei was a small Yamper that Summer had brought home after she took a trip to the Galar region to compete in a tournament. Well, technically she brought home 9 of the things, but Taiyang had made her return 8 of them. Zwei was the lucky one who Summer had been allowed to keep, and since he didn’t possess a desire to battle at all despite his impressive prowess, he made the perfect pet for the family.
Ruby’s Rotom flew out of her pocket and scanned the Pokémon. “Yamper, the-“
“Shut up! Don’t ruin the moment!” Ruby forcefully stuffed the Rotom back into her pocket, though the muffled dex entry was still playing, even as she turned to give Zwei lots of love and affection.
Eventually, the girls decided to officially enter their house, shutting the door behind them and kicking off their boots. The little home was a lot more modest than most people would assume for a family containing a Champion and a Gym Leader. Instead of some grand mansion, the house instead wouldn’t be out of place with any middle class family. Simple shape, only a single story tall, not including the basement beneath their feet, reasonably sized to fit the exact number of people who lived there, and a guest room for any guests… or mostly Qrow. The most expensive thing on the property was a battle mat out in the backyard where the family engaged in Pokémon battles.
Ruby’s smile dropped. ‘Battles I always lose…’
Another voice drifted in from the living room, indistinguishable to the sisters' ears, but oddly familiar. The two entered the room to find… the news playing on the active TV.
“Oh. Dad must’ve left the TV on before he went to his gym.” Yang said, immediately setting down Zwei to search for the remote.
On screen, the familiar face of Lisa Lavender told the stories of that day's news. “In other news, a recent protest outside of a Schnee Mining Company facility, specifically protesting the company’s alleged abuse of unpaid and unsafe Pokémon and Faunus labor, was interrupted as members of Team Fang attacked the outpost, causing thousands in property damage, and injuring multiple workers. The once peaceful Pokémon and Faunus rights organization has now disrupted-“
The screen turned black as Yang shut the screen off with a sigh. “Well, that was depressing.”
Not having paid much attention to the screen, Ruby had pulled Budew’s Pokéball from her belt, and was turning it over in her hands. “Hey, Yang?”
The blonde looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow. “What’s up sis?”
Ruby hesitated, before finally asking. “Am I… a bad trainer?”
Yang’s eyes widened, before she sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to her while giving her sister a patient and sympathetic look. Ruby walked over and gently sat down on the spot.
“What did Cardin do this time?” Yang asked, placing a hand on her sister's leg comfortingly.
Ruby winced. “Well, it’s not something he did, not yet anyways, but…” she took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself. “He said he’s gonna take on the gym challenge this summer. And Weiss did too.”
Yang blinked, before giving Ruby a gentle smirk. “What, that’s it? Dozens of people go through that challenge every year, and for the rare one that completes it, they never make it past mom.”
Despite her sister's comforting words, Ruby’s mood didn’t change. “Well, yeah but… Cardin said that I'll never be like mom.”
Yang’s mood did change, scowling while clenching and unclenching her fists in anger. “Oooo, I’m gonna slug that smug little-“ Yang cut herself off, taking a deep breath. That wasn’t what her sister needed right now. Yang gave Ruby another soft look. “And this… bothered you? I mean, Cardin says mean stuff to everyone all the time. Also, he’s an idiot.”
Ruby chuckled slightly. “Yeah. I just…” Ruby frowned at once again. “It feels like everyone is leaving me behind. Cardin is finally leaving, which will definitely be good for Beacon and the Pokémon battle club.”
Yang scowled, clenching her fists once again. “I can’t believe what that jerk did to my club.”
Ruby gave a sympathetic hum before continuing. “But I feel like… I don’t know, he was always better at Pokémon battles than me, but the gap widening feels… I don’t know, frustrating? Weiss is leaving too, which means next year I won’t have my S.B.B.T.T.R. with me. Everyone is leaving me in the dust, and I don’t like it.”
The pair were silent for a moment, before Yang responded. “Then catch up.”
The simple response caught Ruby off guard, causing her to look up at her sister in confusion. Yang smiled gently, before standing up and striking a pose with her hands on her hips. “If you don’t want to be left behind, then don’t be! Pick yourself up, clean yourself off, and just move as fast as possible. Take every obstacle on with a smile on your face, and with the knowledge that if you try hard enough you can bulldoze any challenge the world throws at you.”
Ruby chuckled, her sister’s enthusiasm proving infectious. “You make it sound easy.”
Yang shrugged. “It’s probably not, but if you don’t try you’ll never know.” She shot Ruby a wink and pointed at her with finger guns. “You gotta keep moving forward, no matter what.”
Ruby smiled, mood considerably brightened by Yang’s speech. Yang, taking this as a win, slapped Ruby on the shoulder playfully. “Hey, I’m heading to Luminara Bay tomorrow. There’s a Water type gym there with a new Gym Leader. You could challenge it and get your first badge, even if you don’t plan on taking on the whole challenge yet. What do you say?”
Ruby looked down, deep in thought before Budew popped out of her Pokéball, giving her trainer an encouraging nudge. Ruby chuckled, before looking up to her sister. “Alright. I’ll try my best.”
Yang reached up and ruffled Ruby’s hair. “Your best is all anyone can ask of you sis.” Dropping her hand to her side, Yang started walking towards the kitchen. “C’mon, I’m gonna make some cookies. I’ll let you try the cookie dough.” She offered.
Ruby and Budew both looked at each other with happy smiles, before jumping up from the couch, and running over to Yang. “Yeah! Banzai!” She shouted, raising her arm up high.
“Banzai!” Yang mimicked her younger sibling.
“Budew/Yamper!” The Pokémon yelped. The sisters laughed as they went to make cookies.
“Dammit!” A young man yelled as he kicked a crate labeled ‘fragile’, putting a dent in the wood. The grunts surrounding him took another step backward as their commander damaged another supply crate.
Roman Torchwick rolled his eyes, unamused with the needless violence. “Y’know, if you keep doing that you’re going to have even less supplies than you do already.”
The young man turned towards Roman. Dressed in a black coat and dress pants, the most visually striking part about him was the white mask obscuring his eyes, as well as the horns sticking out of his red hair. “If you keep mouthing off human, I’m going to-“
“Adam, enough.” A stern female voice cut in. Adam stepped back from the crook, albeit hesitantly, and took his place back beside the desk at the center of the warehouse. On the desk sat a laptop, which displayed the image of a very angry Faunus woman with feline ears atop her head. “Explain to me one more time, Roman, how you managed to fail so spectacularly.”
Roman put his hand to his chest in mock offense. “Me?! Fail?! I think you’re forgetting, oh mighty Sienna Kahn, that I managed to get your little subordinate half of the supplies he asked for, even with an Elite Four member showing up and wrecking the party.”
Neo, lying lazily atop another nearby crate, held up a white board as her Espeon used its psychic powers to write her thoughts on it with a marker. “50% is still a failing grade.”
“Not helping, Neo.” Roman grumbled.
Adam’s scowl deepened as he stepped forward threateningly, though Roman didn’t even flinch. “You’ve failed to give us what you promised to deliver. If it were up to me, I’d have you crushed and your corpse tossed into a shallow grave.”
Sienna frowned at her subordinate. “We are not in the business of killing our associates, Adam. No matter how insufferable they may be.”
Roman rolled his eyes again. “You people are just a never ending well of positivity and good vibes.”
Sienna fixed her glare to him, but Roman once again barely reacted. “You will still be getting half of our agreed upon payment, but if this happens again you will not be paid at all. Do you understand?”
Roman waved dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. I may not have four ears, but I can hear you just fine.”
Sienna scowled, her glare hardening. “Get out. We’ll call you when we need you again.”
Roman did a dramatic bow as he prepared to make his exit. “Of course! Just be sure to call in advance! I can’t be away forever! ‘Remus Brunswick’ needs to get back to running his gym, after all!”
With one more dramatic flourish, the crook and his accomplice vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of their presence.
Taking a breath to compose herself, Sienna turned her attention to Adam. “You know, you still haven’t explained why you need all the supplies.”
Adam took a moment to answer, choosing his words carefully. “I have big plans that will help us gain a foothold in Vale, and push our goals further to success. Push Team Fang toward victory.”
Sienna narrowed her eyes, skepticism evident on her face. “Remember Adam, the goals of Team Fang are equality between humans and Faunus, as well as fair treatment guaranteed for Pokémon by law. Laws that are strictly enforced, and not lazily tossed to the side whenever the SMC finds them inconvenient. We fight for that exactly. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. Are we clear?”
Adam was once again silent for a moment before answering. “Crystal.”
Sienna sat back in her throne. “Good. Dismissed.” The screen cut to black, leaving Adam staring at his own reflection. After a moment, he flicked his wrist, calling his lieutenant forward.
“How’s the first test coming along? Are we on schedule?” Adam demanded his subordinate answer.
The lieutenant stood straight as a board. “The first test will officially begin tomorrow. The target, Luminara bay, is a relatively undefended settlement, and will be the perfect testing grounds.”
Adam nodded, before lowering his voice. “And as for my personal request?”
The lieutenant lowered his head in shame. “Ilia has not found her yet.”
Adam clenched his fist in anger, before taking a deep breath. “Fine. We continue as planned, no stopping.” He turned his attention to a map of the Vytal region hanging on a nearby wall. “Big changes are coming, and soon, the Faunus will be at the top. With Pokémon at our side, we’ll be unstoppable.”
A vicious smile crossed Adam’s face. “Finally, I’ll get what I deserve.”