Chapter Text
Somewhere on Route 6 in the Unova region, a Pokemon Trainer was traveling with her Empoleon by her side. Yuu looked up at the sky, seeing that it was starting to be dyed a beautiful orange. A flock of Pidove flew through the sky, no doubt heading back to their nests for the day.
“Hmm…the sun’s going to set soon. We should start setting up our camp, Empoleon.”
The brunette trainer turned to her trusted Pokemon partner with a smile. The Emperor Pokemon smiled back and let out an affirmative, “Empol!” . The two headed to a nearby clearing to use as their campsite for the night. Once everything was all set and dinner was cooked, Yuu took out five pokeballs and threw them into the air.
“Guys, it’s dinner time!”
Out came a Staraptor, Kirlia, Sylveon, Lampent, and an Alolan Vulpix. They all let out a cheerful cry once they set their eyes on their dinner. Yuu watched them eat enthusiastically while she ate her own dinner, smiling as Empoleon wiped away some crumbs from Vulpix’s face. After dinner, some of her Pokemon went off to play a bit before bed while the others helped her clean up.
“We should be in Nimbasa City tomorrow,” Yuu muttered as she dried the dishes. “I can’t wait to surprise big brother Kenji tomorrow. I can’t believe he landed a job at the Battle Subway! I’ve always wanted to give the Battle Subway challenge a try. We might even reach the Subway Masters if we’re strong enough!”
The Pokemon helping her– Empoleon, Kirlia, and Sylveon– all let out determined cries. They knew that the Subway Masters were powerful trainers and they were ready to overcome the challenge that they would bring them. With all the chores done, both trainer and Pokemon settled down for the night.
“And after the Battle Subway, we’ve gotta go to the famous ferris wheel and then after that…”
Yuu snuggled into her sleeping bag, her thoughts drifting away as sleep overtook her.
–
Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor…
My proud, beautiful flower of evil.
You truly are the fairest one of all.
O, magic mirror, thy wisdom I entreat…
Reveal unto me the visage I seek…
You, whose image the Dark Mirror did beckon forth…
If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.
…
As flame reduces even the stars to ash,
As ice seals away even time itself,
As great trees swallow even the sky…
Fear not the power of darkness.
Now – demonstrate your power.
To me. To them. To yourself.
The hour grows long, and time is scarce.
Keep steady your grip, no matter what may come…
–
“Mmn…Empoleon…use Hydro Pump…ow. H-Huh…?”
Yuu rolled over in her sleep, bumping her forehead into something hard, causing her to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to shake off her sleepiness.
“Huh? It wasn’t this dark when I went to sleep…w-wait, there aren’t any stars! It’s pitch black in here! W-What’s going on?!”
Her sleepiness was fully forgotten as she found herself in a place as black as a cave. Yuu threw out her hands and felt walls on all sides of her. Panic started to rise as she realized she was trapped in what seemed to be some sort of box.
“A-A box?! I was just on Route 6! Did I get kidnapped in my sleep? What about my Pokemon?!”
In the midst of her panic, Yuu checked her person and was relieved to feel her bag on her. Checking its contents, she felt six pokeballs inside and she let out a sigh of relief knowing that her friends were with her. Knowing that she wasn’t alone helped calm her down and she began to assess her current situation.
“It’s too tight to let out any of my Pokemon…what should I do?”
As soon as she finished asking that question, a noise came from outside the box. Yuu stilled and put her hands over her mouth, heart pounding wildly as a voice came through from outside.
“I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me…urggh! This lid weighs a ton!”
“W-What should I do?!” Yuu thought frantically.
“Try this on for size! Mya-ha!”
Yuu let out a scream as the box was suddenly set on fire and the lid was blown off. Light filled the once dark box and she shielded her eyes from it. As soon as her eyes adjusted, she put her hands down only to be met with a strange sight.
“Now to grab the goods–what?! You ain’t supposed to be awake!”
What seemed to be a shiny Litten stood in front of the box, now known to be a coffin, she was trapped in.
“A-A talking shiny Litten?!” Yuu cried.
“Who’re you calling a shiny Litten?! Whatever that is!” the supposed not shiny Litten hissed. “I’m Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire!”
“Grim…? Is that your species name?” she asked.
“Haah? What are you talking about? Tch. Whatever.” the now named Grim smirked at her. “Human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!”
“Uniform?”
Yuu looked down at herself to see that she was wearing a rather fancy black and purple robe and not the pajamas she had put on before bed.
“Hurry up, human! Unless you wanna get barbecued!”
The not shiny Litten let out what looked like to be Ember in her direction, which she dodged clumsily as she stumbled over her feet.
“Wah! V-Vulpix, use Powder Snow to try and freeze that Pokemon!”
Yuu grabbed Vulpix’s pokeball and threw it in the air, letting out the little white fox Pokemon inside. As soon as she was released, Vulpix followed her trainer’s order and let out a blast of snow, freezing the not-Litten’s body aside from his head.
“Funyaaa! I-I’m frozen!” the not shiny Litten cried.
Yuu picked up Vulpix and started running, frantically looking for a way out of wherever she was taken. She ran through a hallway and through what seemed to be a courtyard before finally ending up in what looked to be a library. Only this library had books floating around. She looked at them in confused panic.
“Hah, hah…w-where in the world am I?! Why are those books floating? Psychic? Ghost Pokemon?”
“Vuul!”
Yuu slumped against a bookshelf and slid down to the ground, hugging Vulpix and petting her head.
“Thank you, Vulpix. You helped me out there,” she said with a shaky smile. She didn’t have much time to rest and process her situation, however, as Grim’s voice grew close.
“Human! You’re gonna pay for freezing me!”
“Uwah!” Yuu jumped to her feet as Vulpix growled at the not shiny Litten. Just as the not shiny Litten was about to breath out fire, a whip shot out at him and wrapped around him.
“Me-YEOW! That hurt! What gives?!”
“Consider it tough love,” a new voice stated.
A masked man that dressed in clothes that reminded Yuu of a Corviknight approached them, a hand holding the whip that was wrapped across the not shiny Litten. He pulled on the whip and brought the small cat closer to him, holding him by the scruff of his neck.
“Ah, I’ve found you at last. Splendid,” he said, looking at Yuu. “I trust you’re one of this year’s new students? My, were you ever eager to make your debut.”
He eyed the small cat and Vulpix with a frown on his face.
“You’ve also brought two familiars with you, I see, and one of them is poorly behaved. This is a clear violation of the school’s rules.”
“Wh–huh…? School? Familiars?”
The Grim struggled in the stranger’s grip. “As if I’d serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!”
The man sighed. “Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won’t you?”
The whip wrapped around the Grim’s mouth. Yuu could only watch in concerned confusion amidst her panic. The man let out another sigh and Yuu could hear the exasperation in it.
“Dear me. Of all the students I’ve dealt with, you’re the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it,” he said. “Does the very notion of patience elude you?”
“Gate?”
There was so much going on that Yuu could only repeat his words. Vulpix nudged at her arms to try and calm her down, which helped a little.
“Well, no matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.”
The man started to usher her out of the library and to this “Mirror Chamber” he mentioned. Yuu tried to dig her feet in, but the man was persistent, obviously in a hurry to get back to the orientation.
“S-Sir, I think you’ve got the wrong person. I’m not a student of any school.”
“What are you talking about? You awakened in a room full of gates, did you not? All students arrive here on campus by passing through those gates. Although they’re usually patient enough to wait until I open them.”
He eyed her with disappointment and Yuu hurriedly tried to explain what happened.
“I didn’t open it, sir. It was blown off.”
“By your unruly familiar no doubt,” he replied, glaring at the cat in his grasp.
“He’s not–”
“If you insist on bringing them, please make sure your familiars are well behaved before bringing them to school! Now, let us make haste!”
“Wait, wait, please! Where am I?!”
The man turned to her in surprise. “Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness? The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories…” He brought a hand to his chin in thought. “Well, these things happen, I suppose. I will help you remember as we walk. Ah, truly I’m so generous! ”
“Does anyone who’s generous actually say that about themselves?” Yuu wondered as she felt a drop of sweat run down her head.
The man started his explanation as he led her back through the courtyard she had run through earlier.
“This is Night Raven College, an institution for students the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic. It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland.”
He put a hand on his chest proudly. “And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmaster.”
“Magic?!” Yuu asked, shocked.
Surely this man must be mistaken. Magic doesn’t exist in the world, no matter how much she thought it would be cool to wave a wand around. The only thing close to magic would be Pokemon, who were magical in and of themselves.
“Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college,” Crowley continued. “Those who are selected are summoned to the campus through those ‘gates’, which can appear anywhere. Surely you remember the black carriage coming for you?”
Black carriage? The only thing Yuu could remember was falling asleep to thoughts about what she was going to to when she reached Nimbasa City.
“Having the black carriage come for you is a time-honored tradition, you know? In any case, come now. We haven’t time to waste!”
Crowley took her hand and started hurrying her to the Mirror Chamber.
Night Raven College, magic, Twisted Wonderland…
Yuu looked down at Vulpix in her arms and the two shared the same confused looks on their faces.
What in Arceus’s name was going on?