Light, something that Zander hadn't seen for what seemed like hours, save for the beam of his headlamp, spilled in from the outside as Zander stepped out of the cave. He had taken the opportunity to pick up one of the fossils that Nora was using for practice. It wasn't as if they were hers anyway, so he figured it didn't matter. Midna Town was a small, peaceful town like Telnor Town, surrounded by lush foliage with ponds scattered throughout. From what Zander could tell, Midna Town was a mining community as evidenced by the mine carts that he spotted upon exiting the cave. Mew faded from view as Zander ventured into town, opting to remain hidden while accompanying the youth at the request of his benefactor.

It didn't take him long to find the Trainer School as it was the largest building in the entire town. As he took one more look over the town, he spotted a massive statue of Jaern smack dab in the center of town. It was carved out of what appeared to be pure gold. Shaking his head with a sigh, Zander headed for the school, unsure of why he was bothering with accepting Nora's request. He wasn't versed in the ways of the trainer, and yet, for some reason... two of his companions gravitated to him with the greatest of ease.

It was as if Charmander and Treecko had chosen him instead of the other way around. Regardless, of his lack of battling proficiency, he at least had an apparent knack for bonding quickly with what he had, something that could serve him well in the end. Still, he would need more than that in order to combat the threats that existed in the form of the cults that terrorized Torren. As much as he'd rather not get involved with them, if what Nora said was true, he really didn't have much of a choice as long as he was one of the "chosen ones."

As he opened the wooden door to the facility, he felt a sudden sharp pain shoot through his body, causing him to hiss and grit his teeth and grip the handle tighter. His heart was pounding in his ears and his vision was blurring slightly. And then, as quickly as it had come, the feeling left. Gasping for breath, Zander straightened up and shook his head vigorously, ridding himself of the sudden dizzy spell it left him with.

What the hell was that!? Zander thought, placing a hand over his racing heart to ensure that it was calming down. Sighing in relief, he took a deep breath and opened the door. It's probably nothing... I'm just still shook up after being in the presence of cultists. Yeah... that's it...

Convincing himself that it was just a momentary panicked thought that had brought about that feeling, he stepped inside the school and closed the door behind him, all the while oblivious of the eerie violet glow filtering out of his right sleeve. Before him was what he had expected. A one room school with a vast amount of chairs and desks to account for the students that attended. While the town itself wasn't much to speak of, the school was another story. The inside had its own battlefield, something that Zander was not expecting to see in such a small town. Then again, how else were up and coming trainers supposed to learn if not by example?

Standing in the center of the arena was a woman with auburn locks that were tied up into a bun. Black-rimmed spectacles covered her vibrant green eyes. She had on a white button-up blouse with a black business skirt. She wore black heels to match. In her hands was a notebook that she was using to scribble down the names of the current students that were present. Standing in the midst of them was Nora, as expected, and to Zander's surprise, Damian.

The teacher standing in the middle of the battlefield looked up as Zander entered, arched a brow and then looked down at her roster. Taking note that she had yet to find an eighth contender. Conveniently, her issue was solved upon Zander's arrival, should he decide to participate that is. Clearing her throat, she made her way towards Zander and stopped in front of him, adjusting her glasses before addressing him.

"Hello young man, welcome to the Midna Town Trainer School. I'm the head instructor, Eloise, and you are?" she asked curiously.

"I'm-"

"Hey Zander, you made it!" Damian called out from the back, earning the attention of the brunette who looked his way to acknowledge the blond.

"Zander, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Eloise said, regaining the youth's attention so she could explain what was transpiring.

However, before she could, Nora made her way to him and stopped in front of him, flashing him a smile.

"Good, you came. I had a feeling you would," Nora stated, placing a hand on her hip as she sized him up.

Earlier she wasn't able to see him that well in the cave due to the poor lighting. Now that she got a better look at him, he did have a formidable appearance. He was easy on the eyes albeit his hair looked a bit unkempt.

"Nora? you know this young man?" Eloise inquired, taking in her star student's observation of Zander before writing down his name on the roster just in case he decided to enter.

"Not exactly. We met in the mines a little while ago. I told him about what we're doing and invited him here. I can't really say anything else about him, but from what I can see..." she paused, giving Zander a serious look before continuing, "he seems like a serious trainer..." she finished with a wink before turning around and sauntering off to join her classmates.

"Well, someone who Nora deems a challenge is most certainly welcome to join us. What say you, Zander?" Eloise inquired.

Zander shifted his attention to the other students who were in the school. Social situations weren't exactly his strong suit, and with the added stress of what he'd experienced prior to coming here still looming over him, he was hard-pressed to agree. However, he knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't gain any experience with battling and by extension, not get any stronger. Deciding to bury the stressful thoughts, he looked back up at Eloise and nodded, confirming that he would indeed partake in this event.

"Aright then, I've got you marked down for the second match of the day. First up will be Nora and Tamara. The rest of you may stand on the sidelines and observe until the next match," Eloise explained, gesturing for the others to have a seat on the bleachers. 

Nora and Tamara, a young brunette with two red bows in her hair. Tamara stared Nora down with a determined expression. She'd always fallen short during their battles, and she could never seem to gain the upper hand no matter how many times she tried. Eloise looked between the two before raising her hand. 

"Trainers ready?" she asked, earning a unified "ready" from both sides. "As defending champion, Nora earns the first move. You may begin!" 

"Vibrava, you're on!" Nora called out, releasing the Vibration Pokemon from his sphere. 

The Ground/Dragon hovered in place, his large emerald hues observing the playing field in anticipation of an opponent. 

"Okay Whirlipede, let's do this!" Tamara shouted, unleashing the curlipede into the fray. 

Zander leaned forward as he watched the battle begin. From the very start, Nora took complete control of the battlefield. Within moments, Vibrava had Whirlipede trapped in a vortex of sand, unable to escape. To add insult to injury, Vibrava doused Whirlipede with a powerful Dragon Breath, leaving it paralyzed. An orange glow illuminated his rhombus-shaped wings, and from those wings was released an intense blast of wind and heat, scorching Whirlipede and ending the round. The rest of Tamara's team didn't fare any better as one by one they were taken down by Vibrava. 

"Wow... she's something else isn't she?" Damian said to Zander as he watched Nora and Tamara shake hands and walk off the battlefield. 

"She knows what she's doing, that's for certain," Zander replied, his eyes zeroing in on Nora's as she looked their way. 

"Damian and Toby, the two of you are next," Eloise called out. 

"That's me! wish me luck, Zander!" Damian said over his shoulder as he scurried down the bleachers and onto the arena floor. 

Zander took note that Damian had another ball on his belt that was separated from the other four. From that, Zander could infer that he'd taken the time to capture another teammate. He supposed he might find out soon enough what it was. Moments later, Zander got a good look at the teammate he'd selected. It was a small crustacean with sharp pincers and a primarily red body with a yellow underbelly. A Corphish. His opposition was a Drilbur, giving Corphish a major advantage. The battle raged on for a few minutes and as Zander had predicted, Corphish won with a combination of Bubble Beam and Aqua Jet. The next battle wasn't as smooth sailing as Toby had a Buizel in store which was able to fend off Corphish far better than Drilbur could. With his superior speed, Buizel proved formidable and while it seemed as though it would wear Corphish down, the battle ended in a draw as both collided with Aqua Jet, resulting in Damian being the victor by default. 

 "Yes! I did it!" Damain exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air with excitement. 

Toby sighed as he shook Damian's hand and exited the arena to take a seat on the bleachers while Zander and Kyle were called up to battle. Zander hadn't the faintest idea as to what he ought to use first. Being the new kid on the block, he was second to make his choice. Toby casually selected a ball from his belt and hurled it onto the field, releasing a Tyrogue into battle. Uncertainty flickered in Zander's eyes as he saw the Fighting-type emerge. Reaching for his first choice, he confidently gripped Charmander's ball and released him. 

"Charmander, let's go!"  

Expecting to see a familiar orange lizard with a flaming tail, Kyle was caught completely off guard when the bone dragon materialized into view. A haunting purple glow emitted from Charmander's eyes as he stared out at Tyrogue who staggered back in surprise. 

"What the heck is that!?" Kyle exclaimed, pointing at the Delta Charmander, a wide eyed look on his face. 

"Well I'll be... is that a Delta Pokémon?" Eloise inquired as she looked over at Zander with an arched brow. 

"It is. Is that okay? I'm not breaking any rules am I?" Zander asked, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face as he made eye contact with the teacher. 

"Oh not at all! I've actually been hoping to see one up close like this. It's not often one of these are seen, let alone owned by anyone," Eloise laughed. 

"You'd be surprised," Zander muttered quietly, his gaze shifting over to Damian who gave him a knowing grin. 

"I see... so it's a Delta huh? judging by its looks it's a Ghost-type," Kyle concluded as he mumbled to himself. "That's fine, we know how to deal with those don't we? Tyrogue use Foresight!" 

Shit! Zander thought, a grimace forming as Tyrogue's eyes lit up with an ethereal glow, rendering Charmander's Ghost typing ineffective for the duration of the battle. Before he knew it, Tyrogue was in his face, delivering a powerful Mach Punch that sent the bone dragon skidding back, digging his claws into the ground to keep from toppling over. 

So that's his game huh? fast attacks that make it hard for me to get a hit in. That's fine, we can play that game too... Zander mused, a smirk dawning his features as he issued his next command. "Shadow Sneak!" 

"Bullet Punch!" Kyle retaliated. 

While Tyrogue was definitely fast, it was not ready for the speed that Charmander would soon display as he vanished from view and snaked along the ground as a shadow moving swifter than they eye could track. Within seconds, Charmander dove from the shadow and slashed Tyrogue across his back. Growling in pain, Tyrogue rounded on Charmander and delivered another Mach Punch that knocked Charmander back a few paces. 

"After it with another Mach Punch!" Kyle commanded. 

Zander bit his thumb and watched as Tyrogue and Charmander exchanged blows. While Charmander was arguably faster, Tyrogue held a bit more battle experience. Although his moves weren't very effective against Charmander, they still had enough force behind them to wear him down. It was only as Charmander was put on the ropes again that Zander dawned an idea. 

"Confuse Ray!" Zander ordered. 

As another strike was landed to Charmander's body, the bone dragon's eyes glowed an eerie violet hue, eliciting a similar reaction from the eyes of his opposition. Tyrogue, who had been in control for most of the fight, suddenly found himself unable to retain that control, resulting in him hammering himself with a flurry of Bullet Punches to the chest. 

"End it with Twister!" Zander commanded. 

Without hesitation, Charmander opened his ghostly maw and roared, generating a massive burst of wind that spiraled toward Tyrogue, sending him up into the air from the force of the attack. Tyrogue crashed into the ground unconscious. Charmander, although the victor, was feeling more drained than he appeared. And it didn't help that his next opponent revealed itself in the form of the Emanation Pokémon, Riolu. This was a problem. 

"Bullet Punch!" 

"Shadow Sneak!" 

This time, Riolu got the jump on Charmander, sending him slamming into the wall behind him. Riolu followed up with a Vacuum Wave that finished the match within seconds. Zander recalled Charmander and placed his companion on his belt. Reaching for Treecko's ball, he primed it and released the poisonous lizard. Riolu, upon seeing his opponent, took a step back and swallowed hard. He didn't know why, but something wasn't right with this Treecko. 

"Two Deltas!? that first one was hard enough, now there's another one?" Kyle grumbled, his eyes fixed on the purple gecko that stood in a battle ready stance. "Whatever... Riolu, use Bullet Punch!" 

Shaking off the feeling of intimidation he'd felt earlier, Riolu shot forth and hurled his fist towards Treecko, only to realize too late that he'd been lured in. 

"Poison Tail!" Zander riposted hastily. 

Narrowly evading the fist of his foe, Treecko whipped his tail around and nailed Riolu in the gut, winding the bipedal canine and poisoning him at the same time. Riolu staggered to his feet and stumbled a bit, gritting his teeth as the toxins took hold, jolting his body with indescribable pain. 

"Riolu, don't give up! Force Palm!" Kyle cried out. 

"Don't let him get too close! use Sludge!" Zander retaliated. 

As Riolu closed in with his aura infused palm, Treecko planted his feet and opened his jaws. A deformed blob of toxic sludge formed in his mouth which was spat in Riolu's face, blinding and further injuring the combative canine. Whipping around once more, Treecko delivered another punishing Poison Tail, ending the fight. 

"Wow... that was intense!" Eloise declared after having scribbled down notes while the battle went on. "I thought only one breed of Delta existed for Treecko's line. I guess I have more to learn as well."

Zander calmly returned Treecko and loosed a sigh of relief. He hadn't expected to win his first match and was convinced it was by sheer luck that he'd managed to weaken Riolu and poison him from the start. Had he been more careful in his selection from the start, he could have fared as well as Damian and only needed to use one of his teammates for the match. He supposed there was a bit of a gap in their experience when it came to the knowledge aspect of battling. Damian had also gone to school for the chance to be on his own and most likely went through battle simulations like most of the students here probably had.

And then there was Nora who seemed nigh untouchable. After watching her battle with Tamara, he was convinced that she was stronger than she had been letting on. Aside from the fact that he knew about Celebi being under her care, he could tell that while she was not an advocate for battling, she was definitely an expert. Should he defeat Damian, he knew there wouldn't be much he could do against someone of her experience. Especially when she was so composed and levelheaded during their matches. Zander shook off the nervous feeling he'd gotten by simply looking at the green-haired woman and took a deep breath. He'd won his first match, but that wasn't exactly something he'd consider worthy of celebration. 

These trainers were just the beginning. He had much more to learn and so little time to do so. He knew that at any moment, Persephone or any of the other cultists that had a clue about his whereabouts, would set their sights on him. He knew he wasn't strong enough to fight, at least not yet. But maybe, just maybe... if he kept at it, he could overcome the obstacles that were ahead of him. It was a long shot. But he didn't have any other choice. 

"Our next two contenders will be Nora and Daniella!" Eloise declared. 

The two contenders stepped onto the arena floor and prepped their first choice for battle. Predictably, Nora sent Vibrava out once more, leaving little to the imagination once again as to what else she had on that belt of hers. Her opponent, being one of the higher ranking students, responded by sending forth a Totodile. 

"Trainers ready!?" Eloise asked, raising her hand as she waited for their reply. 

"Begin!"