Time to hear more about what Ryoko has to say on the topic of Shadow Pokemon! And what's Sylvia's involvement in all this? What's Blake going to do with all this information? It's certainly going to be an interesting course of events, that's for sure.

KedharS: Man really is a monster.

Rosealine gold: Sadly it might take a while before we get to the bottom of what's going on with Maddi. But there will certainly be entertainment in the meantime!

Aquahaze675: Sort of, at least. As much rescuing as she can, anyway.

Guest: Sylvia's always stealing the show, that's for sure.

JoshGamerV: Good. I hope that the payoff will be worth it.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 511

"There is a way to purify Shadow Pokemon of the corruption that has warped their minds," Ryoko stated.

"Really?" Blake asked, his eyes widening. Relief washed over him and he relaxed. So it wasn't impossible after all. "How? How do I help them, Ryoko?"

"I'm also interested in this," Sylvia murmured, leaning in intently to listen for what Ryoko was going to explain about Shadow Pokemon.

Blake glanced cautiously at Sylvia and then turned back to Ryoko. If the idea that someone who was working with the Phantom and his Shadow Pokemon was listening to her explain how to beat them was a problem for the time traveler, it wasn't showing on her face.

"It is not an easy task," Ryoko said, shaking her head. "You must open the door of the Shadow Pokemon's heart."

Blake blinked.

"Uh… okay, so, how do I do that?" He asked. Sylvia was clearly suppressing a snicker, much to his annoyance.

"Tell me, Blake, when you were trying to help your Salamence, did it feel like she was getting closer to you?" Ryoko asked. "Did you feel like you were forming a connection with her?"

"Sarah? Yeah, I did," Blake said, nodding. "It… it was really hard, getting through to her, trying to bond with her, but… I managed to do it."

"That is how one gets through to a Shadow Pokemon," Ryoko said. "How you can open the door to their heart. Indeed, Shadow Pokemon are dangerous, and many act as though they have no emotion other than rage. But that does not mean it is impossible. They are, in the end, still pokemon. No matter how damaged, no matter how closed off they are from trusting others, it is not the case that any pokemon is impossible to reach with love and care."

"So that's it, huh?" Sylvia said, rolling her eyes. "The power of friendship?"

"You think that's a simple thing?" Blake scowled, glaring at Sylvia. "What the hell do you know? Tell me something, Sylvia, how many pokemon has the Phantom transformed into Shadow Pokemon, huh? Because I'm gonna bet it's not just a few."

"Dozens, why?" Sylvia asked. Blake scowled, his suspicions confirmed. Ryoko wasn't really offering him a solution at all.

"I can only imagine it would take an insane amount of time to get through to a Shadow Pokemon. Hours upon hours of dedicated care," Blake explained, for what reason he still wasn't sure. It wasn't like his words would mean anything to the girl. Maybe he was just trying to let out his frustration at the situation by dumping it on her. "For dozens of pokemon? Do you have any idea how difficult and time-consuming that would be? Not to mention how hard it must be to get ahold of the pokemon in the first place, considering that they belong to the Phantom!"

Sylvia turned to Ryoko.

"He has a point," she said, as though this horrible situation was entirely no big deal to her. Her nonchalance at the situation made Blake want to scream even more, this damn girl. But he wouldn't let her tip him over the edge.

"It is not enough to open the door in the heart of a pokemon, either," Ryoko said, the disappointment in her voice clear. "Do not forget. It is not only the pain and abuse inflicted that transforms a pokemon into a Shadow Pokemon. There is also the process itself, afflicting them with malevolence and dark power, that must also be purged if such creatures are to truly return to the form they are meant to have. And that is not something that can be done with just kindness.

Blake's heart sank in his chest. OF COURSE it wasn't going to be that simple. Of course it wasn't. Then what else could it be?

"There is a shrine," Ryoko replied. "A holy place, where Shadow Pokemon can be taken to purify them. In the time of Cipher, a great many Shadow Pokemon were purified at this place. One must perform a purification ceremony before the Relic Stone, to unlock the final door in the hearts of a Shadow Pokemon. Only then will the Shadow Pokemon be fully restored."

So not only would people have to treat these Shadow Pokemon with love and tenderness, but they would also have to do some sort of ceremony? It was unbelievable. Truly unbelievable.

"It was not always the case that such a ritual was required," Ryoko said. "Once upon a time, a human scientist worked on the process of purifying Shadow Pokemon through the means of technology, to artificially open the door to the heart of a pokemon. And though his methods were successful… no longer does any trace of them remain. Beyond that, I can say no more."

"Well, that's a bummer," Sylvia stretched, kricking her neck, sounding like someone had told her that her trip to the beach was going to get rained out. "Guess you've got your work cut out for you now, don't you, Blake?"

Blake sighed and hung his head.

"So tell me. This shrine… where is it?" He asked. "And this purification ceremony, how do I do it? Can you tell me, Ryoko?"

A thin smile curled up Ryoko's lips and she looked warmly at Blake. She reached over and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Of course that is what you would wish. Because you are a kind boy, my dear Blake. But you need not concern yourself with ceremonies or the Relic Stone. Such actions are not necessary." Her smile grew brighter. "Because I am here."

"What… huh?" Blake asked, not sure what she meant by that.

"The purification ceremony at the Relic Stone serves the purpose of summoning Celebi. Through the power of Celebi, the damage and corruption in the hearts and bodies of Shadow Pokemon can be reversed, making it as though they were never turned into Shadow Pokemon at all," Ryoko explained. "One does not even need to open the door to the heart of a pokemon at all. A Shadow Pokemon can be instantly purified."

"Seriously?!" Blake asked, his face lighting up. He stood a little straighter, the good news she had given him reinvigorating him with newfound energy. "So… so it is possible to get through to Shadow Pokemon? With… with your power?"

"That is correct," Ryoko said, nodding her head and smiling. "I, who am bound with Celebi, can channel the power of Celebi to purify any pokemon at all."

Blake was so high on the joy at what she was saying that he didn't have the time to consider the real weight of it. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, Sylvia was there to bring him crashing back down to reality with a simple question.

"Excuse me," Sylvia said, raising her hand, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement as she licked her lips eagerly. "Can I clarify something with you, Ryoko?"

Ryoko glanced at Sylvia.

"What is it that you wish to know?" She asked.

Sylvia's smirk widened.

"So if you can do such a task with no trouble at all, why would you bother telling us the other methods of purifying Shadow Pokemon?" Sylvia asked, her voice filled with innocence but her cold smile anything but. "Making it sound like there was no other option, getting him all worked up like that, that doesn't sound very nice of you, Ryoko. What's up?"

Ryoko said nothing, frowning sadly at Sylvia. She nodded her head glumly, before turning her gaze back upon Blake.

"She is correct," Ryoko admitted. "Even though I have the power to purify any Shadow Pokemon… there is still a reason that I did not tell you this immediately."

"What is it?" Blake asked. Ryoko looked saddened by something, clearly this was a big deal for her. He didn't want to make her feel put on the defensive, so Blake tried hard to make it so he didn't sound angry. But Ryoko's expression didn't change.

"I did not tell you because I wanted you to be aware of the weight of what Shadow Pokemon are," Ryoko said. "Shadow Pokemon, their very existence is a blight on the world, their pain is not just their own. Every Shadow Pokemon must be purified, without fail. The thought of even one pokemon continuing with that corruption… no. But it is not an easy task. I am not a convenient tool for saving Shadow Pokemon, no matter how skilled I am at doing it. I am bound by my own restrictions, Blake. And so with that in mind… I must tell you that it is not possible for me to lend you the help you so dearly wish me to."

"What? What do you mean?" Blake asked. The archaic way that Ryoko spoke made it hard to understand what she was saying sometimes, and Blake hoped that this was one of those times. Because if she meant what he thought she did…

"She's saying that there's nothing she can do to help," Sylvia told him. "She's letting you know that she has the power to help you, but she can't, or won't, do it."

Blake looked to Ryoko in shock. The guilt on her face was evident, but he had to ask anyway. He just couldn't stand the thought that Sylvia might be right.

"Is… is that what you meant, Ryoko?" He asked, hoping it wasn't so.

When Ryoko shook her head Blake was hopeful for a moment, but her words quickly put that hope to rest.

"Once," Ryoko said, raising a single finger. "I can lend you my assistance just one time. No more. That is the restriction I am under, if you do not wish to go through the process of the Purification Ceremony. As an agent of time, I can do nothing further than that."

"…I see," Blake said.

Ryoko reached into her sleeve, and from within it she withdrew a single, thin rod carved of wood. Upon closer inspection, Blake could see holes and grooves carved into the knots and wedges of the jagged, rustic flute.

Sylvia's eyes widened in recognition.

"This," Ryoko said, holding the flute out to Blake, "is a Time Flute."

Blake held his hand out and she placed it in his hand. To his surprise, the flute was warm, throbbing with life. He could practically feel the energy coming out of it.

"My, my, that's quite a nice little object you've got there," Sylvia mused. She reached into her purse, and took out an identical flute. "Look, Blake. We match!"

Blake's eyes widened in surprise and turned back to Ryoko.

"That… you gave one to-? What… Ryoko, what is this?"

"The Time Flute plays the melody of time," Ryoko explained. "A song that calls Celebi. When you play the flute, Celebi will be called by the melody, no matter when it is heard, and she will come to your side. When she does, she will use the power of time to purify any Shadow Pokemon in the area, absolutely. No matter how corrupted they might be, she will save them."

"So it's like a cheat code, huh?" Sylvia smirked, running her fingers across it. "How nice."

"However," Ryoko added, staring deeply into Blake's eyes, "it will only work once. I have imparted energy into this flute to only provide you one summoning of Celebi. Should you play it a second time, or a third, Celebi will not appear. This is the most I am permitted to do for you, Blake."

"So… there are two flutes…" Blake murmured, turning it over in his fingers. It didn't seem like nearly enough.

"No," Ryoko said, shaking her head. She held up three fingers. "There is a third flute. I am not able to tell you where it is. But at this point in time it has not yet been used. Three chances. Given to three people. Three purifications. Beyond that, you must conduct a ceremony. That is the most I am able to give you. Do I make myself clear?"

"I still have a question," Sylvia said, tossing her flute back and forth between her hands. "Tell me, Ryoko, I'm dying to know. What was the intention in giving this to me, hmm?"

"I also want to know that," Blake said, turning to Sylvia. "Ryoko, I'm sorry, I appreciate everything you've told me, honestly, I do, I want to help the Shadow Pokemon however I can. But right now… I don't see why you've involved someone like her in something like this. She's working WITH the Phantom, Ryoko, and you just gave one of the three chances to her! She could take that flute right to the Phantom! Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because that is what I had to do," Ryoko said, glancing at Sylvia. "She will use it as she is meant to, whether that means playing it or not. That is all there is to the matter. Beyond that, I can say nothing more."

"…I see," Blake said, clutching the flute tightly in his fingers.

"That's why I brought you here, Blake," Sylvia purred, slipping her flute back in her purse. "It's not like Ryoko could talk to the both of us anywhere else. And even if she did explain it to you in private, well… you wouldn't be able to trust me. We need to work together on this, after all!"

"I don't trust you anyway!" Blake exclaimed. "Because you're… you!"

"…Fair enough, but still. I called you here for a reason, after all. I didn't have to. The reason why, though? Because otherwise you wouldn't know anything," Sylvia shrugged. "Ryoko is limited in what she can reveal, after all. But I'm here to fill in all the blanks."

Sylvia narrowed her eyes into a menacing stare and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"You should show me some gratitude and be kissing my shoes, Blake."

Blake glared at her in response.

"Why did you do it, then?" Blake demanded of her. "Because it sounds like this was all one big plan of yours, Sylvia. WHY? What's the point of telling me all this, if you and the Phantom are trying to use the Shadow Pokemon as weapons? And you better not be telling me that you're some sort of double agent, working against him. I won't believe that from a second."

"That's because you're not a fool," Sylvia snorted. "Of course that's not why I called you here, why I spoke to Ryoko and asked her to give you a more… proper explanation of what Shadow Pokemon really are."

"Then why?" Blake asked.

Sylvia's smirk widened and her eyes twinkled with excitement.

"Because a game isn't fun with such a lopsided disadvantage, that's why," Sylvia smirked. "The Phantom doesn't see things the way I do. Everything is a battle, a way to get the most successful results, with as few shortcomings as possible. Everything planned out right down to the box springs."

Sylvia faked a yawn.

"It really is so boring and predictable, don't you think?"

"…So you're… what? You're trying to sabotage him… so that you can get some filthy enjoyment out of the ensuing struggle?" Blake scowled.

"Well, I wouldn't call it sabotage," Sylvia said, shaking her head. She tapped her chin with her finger in contemplation. "No, think of it more like… I'm giving you all the stuff you need to put up a fight on your own. Meanwhile, I'll be doing my own thing."

Her eyes flashed with a playful glimmer as she turned and strolled over towards her Shuppet and her Dusknoir. She peered back at Blake, cracking a grin. Her pale face was cast in an eerie shade by ominous light in the trick room.

"That's what I always do, after all."

Ryoko placed a hand on Blake's arm, which had tensed without him realizing it. He had possibly been about to really hit Sylvia that time. But the gentle touch of Ryoko's fingers on his sleeve sent a calming tremor through his body, causing him to relax, his fist unclenching. He turned to Ryoko, staring down into her emotion-filled eyes.

"I understand why you are so against her, Blake, truly, I do," Ryoko said quietly, shooting a passing glance back in Sylvia's direction. "But remember, whatever the future dictates, it is still the choices made by people that shape it. If she had not made the choice to call me here, to speak with you, then that event would not have occurred. For whatever her reason, she is still the one who set this path in motion, to help me help you purify the Shadow Pokemon."

She smiled sadly.

"It is envious, my dear Blake. That you all can act as you will, while I… I can do no more than that which is commanded of me to do. Truly, you all have so much more freedom than I… even my own desires are not a factor I can consider."

Blake followed Ryoko's gaze over to Sylvia, who gave him a jaunty wave in response. Whatever the reality of the situation was, that didn't mean a damn thing to him. He wasn't about to "thank" Sylvia for arranging any of this.

"…Oh, I might as well," Ryoko suddenly said. She wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and hugged him tightly, pressing her head against his chest. Blake was surprised at the sudden action from her, and didn't know how to respond to it. It felt so… right, somehow. So warm and nurturing, like all of his anxieties were flowing a way. Part of him wished that the hug could last forever. Sadly, a few seconds later, Ryoko let him go, pulling back, wearing a smile on her face that stretched from ear to ear. Though she had left, her warmth still remained.

"…Yes. That was indeed quite lovely," she murmured, stepping away from him. She continued to smile at Blake. "Thank you. I feel reinvigorated, my dear Blake."

"Ryoko, what was-"

Before Blake could respond, though, the ground beneath Ryoko's feat lit up in an array of sparkling green light, and the scent of lilac, mint, and lavender filled the trick room.

"See you again, Blake," Ryoko called, disappearing in a flash of light.

"…And so, here we are," Sylvia said, snapping Blake out of the haze from Ryoko's hug. He turned and glowered at her from across the battlefield.

"Sylvia…"

"My, that face, you really do despise me, don't you?" Sylvia sighed. "Oh, well, nothing I can do about that."

Sylvia recalled her Dusknoir, much to Blake's confusion.

"Wait, what?" Blake looked at her like she was crazy. "Aren't we going to finish the fight?"

"Not interested," Sylvia yawned. "I accomplished what I set out to do. Our fight can come at a later time. You can have the day, Blake. Winning this match is of no concern to me. Consider it… a token of my apology for all the trouble I've caused, if that would make you happy. Or maybe it's me patronizing you. At the end of the day…"

She smirked.

"It's really just about the joy I'll get at depriving you of your climax. And that's a rush I find most thrilling, subverting your… expectations of our joint performance." And with that, Sylvia snapped her fingers, and the trick room shattered into innumerable shards of light.

And thus, the battle came to an end. Blake wins! But was it really that satisfying? I think we all know the answer to that one.