Augur: A Pokémon Insurgence Novel

Chapter Six

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-"