A brief interlude in the story, before we get to the next fights of the tournament. What will our upcoming battlers be thinking about while they await their matches?

Tambry96bj: I hope it will be good.

KedharS: Hopefully the second half will live up to it.

Hellraiserphoenix: Yes, all the battles will hopefully be good. I hope that they live up to expectations that have been set!

Aquahaze675: Yep, that's what I thought, too. It's not a type that gets a lot of love, but he really made them stand out.

Thunder Fire: Filler can be great. It just isn't as plot relevant as some of the other battles were.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 515

Darla didn't go to any of her classes on the day she would be fighting in the tournament. She didn't have it in her. She made her pilgrimage to the Dragon Valley, intent on focusing her mind for the battle to come.

She had been trying to meditate, but that was proving to be impossible. She simply could not clear her mind of the painful thoughts swirling through her head.

She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to fight. And she certainly didn't want to… do what the Phantom had instructed of her.

But she didn't have a choice.

Her mind thought back to her conversation with Richard Valon a few days prior, when he had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, what would be expected of her.

"You can't!" Darla had said, terror sending a tremor through her body. "I… I won't! I won't do it! Never! Never again!"

"You can do it," the Phantom had said, his voice calm, like he cared not for Darla's objections. Ruining her life, forcing her to do something so horrendous… it was nothing to him. It made Darla want to wretch, that sight in his green eyes. "You WILL do it. Or this all ends now."

"You… you wouldn't…" Darla could feel the same terror even now. "You can't!"

"I want to see a spectacle… and that power of yours is certain to make this an amazing show," Valon stated. "So you'll do it. Unless, of course, you would like me to reveal your little secret."

That had been it. He knew, through what means Darla could not even hazard a guess, but he knew what she had been trying to hide. Her right arm burned at the memory, but most terrifying of all was what he had said next.

"If you aren't willing to use that power… to really make your match against Raizer Volt something to be excited about… then you're of no use to me," he'd explained. "And if you won't be of any use to me, then I'll remove you from the board."

"You think I'm scared of you?" Darla had asked. How foolish she had been, to be so confident. Of course the Phantom wasn't the kind of person to come to someone unless he was certain he had a winning card to play.

"Me? No, no, of course not," he had laughed, shaking his head. The sound of his laugh still sent a shiver down Darla's spine. "But there is someone I know you are afraid of. Someone you've been running from ever since you were a little girl."

Even now, Darla still didn't know what his intention was. Why would he want her to use that power? What would he gain from it? It didn't make any sense to her. But it hadn't been some empty threat. The Phantom didn't make empty threats or bluffs. She didn't know how he knew, she didn't know where he had learned the information. Even though he knew that she was a Draconid, even if he knew about her abilities… she had never once violated that sacred pact. She had told no one the location of her village. Not the Empress, not even Lila, and certainly not the Phantom. It was a secret that she was honor-bound to take to her grave, even if she wanted nothing to do with them ever again.

And yet he had seemed so sure… so absolute in his assertion that, should Darla refuse his demands, he would contact her people, and her father would send an emissary to… "retrieve" her, so she could be properly reintegrated into the village.

Darla would NOT allow that to happen. If her village was going to come looking for her, then she would have to leave. And that would mean leaving Lila.

And that was something Darla could never do.

She didn't have it in her to bring Lila with her, ripping her away from everything that mattered to her, and she also couldn't live without her. Lila was the brightest ray of light that brought joy to Darla's otherwise pained existence. And she wouldn't give her up, not for anything. Which meant that she couldn't ever allow her village and the Draconid to find her location. So if the Phantom was planning to reveal that…

Darla would do as he asked. She didn't have a choice. No matter how much it sickened her.

"Thank you," the Phantom had told her, and it made her shiver. "I always like it when people are willing to comply with my requests. It makes everything so much easier, don't you agree? When people know their place."

Darla's place was by Lila's side. And she would do anything to ensure that she would remain there, no matter how much pain and anguish it might cause her, no matter how much she would have to sacrifice of herself.

Darla stepped down off the rock and took off her belt as she did, unclipping her pokeballs. She sent out her five beloved dragon pokemon.

There was Melody, of course, her beloved Altaria, flapping her wings gently as she smiled down at her trainer. And beneath her was her Goodra, Puff, the slimy purple dragon giving her a big dopey grin as she walked towards her, holding out her arms in asking for a hug. Darla sadly had to decline, much to the cute pokemon's disappointment, but she couldn't afford to get her clothes all sticky. It was getting later, and she wouldn't have time to clean them before the tournament.

She turned away from Puff to look at Rex, her Tyrantrum. The large, ancient dragon/rock dinosaur pokemon towered over her, smiling down at her with a wide, toothy grin. He leaned down, his hot breath warm and sticky against her face, and he nuzzled his muzzle against her cheek, Darla giggling as she patted him on the side of his scaled head.

As Rex pulled up from Darla, Midnight, her Noivern, landed in the snow beside her and rubbed her head up against Darla's arm, cooing affectionately. Darla patted Midnight on the head as well, and turned to look at her first and final pokemon, Crescent, her beloved Salamence that she had raised from his little egg. Crescent was like a sweet Growlithe, nothing like the aggressive and temperamental stereotype that Dragon Type pokemon were known to be. None of her pokemon were, they were all just darlings. And she didn't want to see them get hurt fighting against a pokemon like Raizer's Zeraora. She didn't want them to be hurt at all.

The pain in her arm was forgotten in the love of her pokemon. The mark of the dragon embedded in her arm was insistent, but she wasn't about to listen to it.

There would, unfortunately enough, be time enough for that later. No matter how much she wished that it wouldn't end up happening, there was no avoiding the fight tonight.

And the worst part of all this was that she couldn't confide in her beloved Lila, she couldn't bring her into this. She would keep Lila safe from all this, because Lila was the kind of sweet girl who would blame herself for Darla's struggles.

This was Darla's fight, and she wouldn't drag Lila into it.

Across campus, there was someone else who was thinking about the future battles that would be coming that afternoon. And surprisingly, it wasn't someone who was actually going to be fighting, she wasn't involved in the tournament at all, in fact.

Elaina Bishop stared out her bedroom window at the snow-covered ground beneath her, and began worrying about what this afternoon would bring. It wasn't unusual for her to have nothing to do, that was just one of many sad facts of her life. It was why she had managed to clear so many otome games in her spare time.

But right now, she didn't feel like relaxing. She could feel the tension in the air. Even if she wasn't present at the battles… the feeling on the wind last night had made her restless. But she didn't switch on the television and watch the tournament, that would have probably induced her into a fit nausea. The last time she had seen one of those Shadow Pokemon…

Gerard had informed her last night that she had made the proper decision. There had been two trainers with full teams of Shadow Pokemon, and she knew that seeing them would have been miserable. But still…

As much as she hated the feeling that came with battling, she couldn't help herself. There was a stirring in her gut that made her anxious, knowing that there was something so important going on and that she had no part in it.

She had started to wonder what it was she really wanted. She wanted to cure herself of this accursed ability. But no matter how hard she had tried over the break, she couldn't recapture that feeling that she'd had when she was at Blake's side. It was like… Blake had been able to save her from herself, because he accepted her, he cared for her, and that had given her the strength she needed to keep those urges under control.

But when she was alone, when she was trying to control it with just the strength of her own will, when she stood at Gerard's side… it was like she was falling through the darkness. The harmonia was swallowing her whole, and it made her hate herself even more.

She still remembered Blake's last words to her.

"I didn't run!"

Blake had told her that he wouldn't abandon her. She had doubted him, tried to push him away, believing that he would betray her just like everyone else.

But no, he had shown her. He had taken everything she had, and still refused to give up on her. It had touched her, pierced her right through the heart that she had thought was empty, devoid of emotion, and made her believe that, yes, he would stick with her, no matter what she did. It was a kindness that she had never felt, and she feared she would become addicted to it if she continued to stay in it. A drug that gave her more of a rush than even harmonia.

That's why she had pushed him away.

Blake. Why was she still thinking of him? She had resigned herself already. He hadn't been able to withstand her. He hadn't been able to stop her. His presence may have soothed her… but in the end, it didn't mean anything. If Blake remained by her side, then she would only end up hurting him in the end, and that's why she had made the choice to cut him out of her life entirely. Until the day when she could control this accursed power… until the day she could truly free herself from this pain, remove her mask and step out into the light…

Until that day came, Blake was nothing to her, just like everyone else.

That was what she forced herself to believe. But she didn't want to admit it, because it hurt. But she would have to feel that hurt, because the pain that would come from causing Blake even more pain would be unbearable.

So she hadn't left her room since the semester began. If she ran into him…

She was afraid of what she would do. What she would become if she saw him again.

A knock on the door was a welcome distraction from the thoughts of Blake that brought her an agonizing mixture of pleasure and pain. She turned and reached for the mask on her dresser, feeling the cool kiss of porcelain against her face.

"Come in," she said, turning to the door. She only ever had one guest, and indeed, it was Gerard, come to see her before heading out to the tournament.

"Elaina," Gerard greeted her. His face was hard. She walked over to him, staring up into his eyes, while hers were hidden behind a mask of white.

"Is there something the matter?" She asked, colder than she had intended. She was going through a hard time right now, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. There was still that tension in the air, only now it was less tangible than it had been the night before. No, the tension this time wasn't the feeling of a Shadow Pokemon…

It was the anxiety in Gerard's face.

"I'm fighting tonight," Gerard replied.

"You're worried?" Elaina asked, certain her face would be reflecting confusion if it wasn't hidden from sight. It was an odd thing, unusual. Gerard liked fighting, he liked winning, it was odd for him to feel worried about it.

"Worried? No, not a bit," Gerard said, shaking his head. "There's something to be concerned about, however."

Elaina wasn't sure what the difference was. But Gerard had helped her a great deal, she was indebted to him, and listening to his troubles for once and trying to help him would be the least she could do for the man who had saved her.

"I've just… become aware of my limitations," Gerard said. The tone of his voice wasn't worried. It had a dark edge to it, the made Elaina feel uneasy. She stepped aside and he walked into her room, sinking down into one of her chairs.

"What do you mean?" Elaina asked.

"Elaina… I know that you hate that power of yours, your harmonia…" Gerard murmured, staring up at her. "I know you wish that you could be rid of it, so you can be normal. But if I'm being honest… I've always admired that power. The strength of harmonia…"

Elaina shivered, clenching her arm. She didn't like when Gerard talked like this, when he praised that power of hers. She loathed it, because in her eyes… it didn't matter. Gerard liked to fight, he liked to win, and the glory and acclaim that came with victory.

Elaina was different. She didn't like to fight, she didn't want to fight. Every time she fought she hurt people, and she doubted that would matter to Gerard.

"I'm not a weak fighter," Gerard said, shaking his head. His eyes were glassy. He wasn't staring at her. His words weren't meant for her. They were hollow and distant, addressed to himself. "I'm strong, but… I need to get stronger… need to get stronger… those Shadow Pokemon… they aren't unbeatable, but… I should have believed in the Phantom when he said they were the perfect weapons. The way he defeated that girl… that was the kind of power I've always wanted…"

Elaina shivered. Gerard… was thinking of turning his pokemon into… those things? She didn't want to admit it, but it was possible. He was that kind of person, after all. She had no doubt about where she stood in his eyes, as a weapon to be used in battle. She glanced down. Gerard… he was holding a pokeball. Pink and shiny. He was turning it over in his hands, not paying attention to it at all, and yet his fingers where white as he clasped it, she knew how important it must be to him.

"I'm not weak," he repeated. "I'm strong… I need to be… the strongest… can't… I can't lose, not to anyone."

Elaina didn't ask him what he was going to do. She didn't want to know. She didn't know if she could bear to be around him, knowing… knowing that his pokemon were… like that.

"Are you fighting against Shadow Pokemon tonight?" Elaina asked instead.

"No, no, nothing like that," he murmured, shaking his head. "No, I'm fighting against Ayame Toujou, of all people."

Elaina winced. Ayame Toujou. That wasn't a name she wanted to hear right now. Elaina's feelings towards the girl were… complicated. She hated the fact that she couldn't be that girl. That she couldn't be the one to put a smile on Blake's face.

And she hated how Ayame tried to "help" her. Tried to pretend like she cared, like she was worried about her the same way that Blake was. She would certainly be like the others, she could feel the girl's loathing, how couldn't she be hated for everything she'd done to Blake?

"I have nothing to worry about from Ayame," Gerard assured her, rising from his seat. His face had hardened, like he'd resolved to do something, but nothing had changed as far as she could tell. It was worrying.

"Only… the matches to come," he murmured. He smiled at Elaina, and she wasn't certain what the smile was about. She only knew that it had completely failed to put her at ease. "Thank you, Elaina. This has been helpful. I appreciate it."

Elaina didn't know what he appreciated, but she didn't say anything. She simply watched him leave, feeling a growing unease in her gut.

Ayame was starting to feel uneasy about her own match. She wasn't a battler. She was a pokeathlete! She didn't have any business being in this tournament in the first place, let alone facing someone of Gerard's caliber. A member of the Eight Leaders, the Eighth Leader himself? He was someone that could easily be argued was one of the strongest trainers in the school.

"Aya, you're pacing," Olivia advised her. She was sitting on the common room couch of her dorm, watching Ayame pace around in front of her.

"What? Oh!" Ayame gasped. She realized she'd been walking a big circle in the carpet. "Sorry, boss, I was just… thinking."

"About the match tonight?" Olivia asked.

"Well, yeah," Ayame said. "I mean, I placed sixth in the battle royale, can you believe that? Sixth. I'm not even that good!"

"You're better than you believe," Olivia assured her, smiling. Ayame didn't exactly feel that was the case.

"Yeah, but good enough to fight against Gerard Alkwest, of all people," Ayame said. "Blake, see… he's rooting for me, too. He thinks I can win, but…"

"Be confident, Aya, it's really your cutest feature. That and your stubbornness," Olivia chuckled. "Oh, and the way you get all flustered when you're embarrassed? Wonderful."

Ayame shielded her face with her hands, knowing that she was bright red.

"Yeah, just like that," Olivia snickered, taking another sip of coffee.

Ayame sighed, dropping her hands.

"I've just got the jitters, is all," she said. "I need something to calm my nerves."

Olivia looked down at the coffee mug in her hands, swirling it around a little. She glanced up at Ayame and tilted it to her in an offering.

"I said 'calm' my nerves," Ayame said, rolling her eyes.

"It's decaf," Olivia said. "…Mostly."

Ayame was about to say something snarky when a knock on the front door caught their attention. Olivia glanced at it, and Ayame went over to open it, surprised at who she saw on the other side.

"Blake?" Ayame asked, her face brightening. Just as she had been wishing for something to calm her nerves, here he was. It was like a miracle, like she had called him with her wishes.

"It's almost time for the tournament to start," Blake explained, smiling up at her. "So I was wondering, you know, you might be getting a little worried about it, so… want to walk together? It could be relaxing, and I just wanted, well… to support you? If that was okay with you, of course!"

Ayame smiled warmly, leaning across the threshold and pulling him into a tight hug.

"Blake, did you know that you're the best thing to ever happen to me?" Ayame giggled, kissing him on the cheek.

Blake smiled. "Yes, I was aware."

Ayame let go of him and swatted him on the arm, "cheeky!" She laughed.

So the last four matches of the first round are starting! Folks everywhere are anxious, but what will the results be? These are going to be some matches to look forward to!