The quarter-finals begin! The first match of the day will be Alcea vs. the Phantom! What will the lead-up into the battle be like? We begin the match in anticipation! Also, 2666 reviews. Nice.

KedharS: Carrie really tries hard, I'm glad she could get a win, even if it's just a return to baseline.

Thunder Fire: Indeed, a very interesting character in my opinion.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Glad you could finally catch up! As for your suggestion of Kate x Ian… I'm not sure, I never really considered it before. Interesting thought, though, I'll tell you that much. As for Ian himself, his role in the story is still up for debate.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 536

"Milady, are you ready for this afternoon?" Kate asked. She was waiting on Alcea in the Gardening Clubroom as Alcea calmly sipped her tea in preparation for the match that night. While Kate was fidgeting nervously, knowing how difficult the next match would be, against Richard Valon, the Phantom of all people…

Alcea seemed totally at ease, as though she had nothing to be worried about. And while one would think that her seeming so composed would make Kate feel a little less anxious about everything, the ever-paranoid Kate Nomia was exactly the opposite. She was just getting MORE nervous FOR her highness, and didn't understand how Alcea could be so…

So composed!

"Oui, I am prepared for the battle to come," Alcea assured her. Her tone was soothing, and her words were stated with the confidence of someone who believed what she was saying, which did a little to make Kate feel better.

In fact, Kate was nearly swooning, her highness was just so amazing, being able to hold such a dignified, regal air when facing such a dangerous trainer like the Phantom, and his powerful Shadow Pokemon, it made Kate feel a little more reassured that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be such a big deal after all. Maybe her highness could do it!

"Sorry, milady, I'm just worried for you," Kate admitted. "Seeing what the Phantom's team was capable of, aren't you the least bit worried for your pokemon?"

Alcea rose from her seat, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ear, giving Kate a reassuring smile, shaking her head.

"It is concerning, I can't deny that," Alcea admitted. "However, the Phantom is an opponent that I must still face. What I've seen… the way he treats his pokemon… I cannot stand it. It burns me right down to my soul, is it? But I will be serene… and face my opponent on the field of battle."

Alcea turned and beckoned for Kate to follow as she walked out of the clubroom.

"I cannot allow my concerns to overcome me. As a trainer, I shall fight him to the best of my ability," Alcea replied as she stepped into the hall. "And that is all that I need to think about that, does that make you feel better?"

"Yes, milady!" Kate said, nodding her head quickly and rushing after Alcea, ready to cheer on her highness with all her strength. As the two left the room and headed down the hall, they ran into Blake and Ayame, of all people.

"Oh!" Alcea said, raising her eyebrow. "Blake Harker and Ayame Toujou."

"Hey, Alcea," Blake said, waving to the older girl. He turned to Kate. "Hey, Kate."

"…Geh." Kate gulped, her face turning a little pale. She shrunk a little and stepped back, trying to hide behind Alcea. It was still a little awkward being around the two of them.

"I'm surprised to see you, Blake," Alcea said. "Do you not have your own match to prepare for today? If you have come to me seeking advice on your battle with Dokukage, I regretfully must inform you that out of professional courtesy I will hold my tongue. I'm sure you understand, is it?"

"Oh!" Blake's eyes widened. "Oh, no, that's not why I came to see you!"

"Oh? Something else, is it?" Alcea asked, turning to him fully, staring curiously at him. "What can I help you with? Did you like that pot I gave you?"

"Oh! Yeah, I gave it to, um…" Blake glanced at Ayame, who blushed and averted her eyes. She was usually confident, but around Alcea she was just a little embarrassed. Alcea was rather beautiful and intimidating.

But the smile she turned Ayame's way was warm and comforting, and made Ayame's chest flutter a little in spite of herself.

"I'm glad," she said. "It looks like you figured out what to use those seeds for, after all."

"Listen, Alcea, the thing I wanted to talk to you about was your match against the Phantom," Blake said, his face taking on a serious look.

"Yeah!" Kate nodded, coming up from behind Alcea. "Milady, see, Blake has the right idea to be concerned, personally, I think-"

"What is it that concerns you?" Alcea asked.

Blake's face darkened.

"Those Shadow Pokemon… they're just… they're dangerous. So please be careful, okay?" He pleaded with her. He didn't know if he should tell her everything that Sylvia and Ryoko had told him, considering how dicey the situation was. And even though he trusted Alcea, he wasn't sure what she would do with the information. And he certainly knew better than to tell her about the flute. There was too much at stake right now.

So it felt sort of dumb, but really all he could do was tell her to be careful. Which, now that he said it, sounded really stupid and unhelpful.

"I thank you for your concerns," Alcea said, bowing her head respectfully. "I assure you, I am going into this battle fully knowledgeable of the dangers present. I will endeavor to be careful, don't worry. I fight any battle without underestimating opponents, certainly in a situation like this, is it?"

Blake nodded, there wasn't really anything else he could say.

"Good, I'm glad," Alcea said. "And good luck in your match, as well. Dokukage is a powerful opponent, I should hope you will give it your all." She smiled. "Though, I don't think that you of all people need to be reminded of that."

"I'm going to do my best," Blake agreed, nodding his head.

Alcea extended her hand towards him. He gave it a shake, and the two exchanged a look for a brief moment.

"If things turn out well, then we shall meet in the next round," Alcea reminded him, narrowing her eyes as her ruby lips curled up in a challenging smile. "A rematch would be quite interesting I believe. It would be something to look forward to, don't you agree?"

Blake's heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened in surprise. When he finally felt his heart beating again, it was pounding with excitement. Whether that excitement was brought on because he was looking forward to the match, or because he was afraid of it, he couldn't be quite sure, so he decided he was looking forward to it.

"I'll see you in the semi-finals, then," he told her. Alcea nodded to him.

"Oui, I shall see you then." Then she turned to Ayame, much to the surprise of the taller girl. "Ayame, if I may say, your battle against Gerard Alkwest yesterday…"

"O-Oh!" Ayame gasped, a little surprised she was being addressed. "Yeah? What about it?"

"It was quite magnificent," Alcea said, giving her a smile that Ayame wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about. "Even though you could not win, an excellent showing, is it? You certainly tried your hardest and pushed him. As someone whose thoughts of Gerard are so…" she paused for a moment to consider a polite way of saying "hate-filled" and finally settled on: "passionate, it makes me wish that you could have won. But no matter. Well done, all the same."

"Thank you," Ayame said, smiling back at the other girl even though the queen's smile made her own seem kind of frumpy and plain.

Alcea walked past them and headed outside, Kate quickly rushing after her before stopping and turning back to Blake, a little red in the face.

"Uhum, um…" Kate still couldn't look him in the eye, so she settled for studying the side of the wall instead. "G-Good luck, too. From me. I hope you do good or whatever, I guess."

Blake couldn't help himself, he just had to do it.

"Thanks, Kate!" He smiled, his voice filled with a mix of genuine pleasure and as much hammy gratitude as he could cram into it, "you're so nice! That really means a lot to me!"

Kate turned bright red and let out a guttural sound of shame and embarrassment that was a bizarre mixture of a stutter and a growl, before she turned and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction after Alcea.

"…She really is fun to tease," Blake had to admit. He knew he probably shouldn't be poking fun at her, especially considering their relationship and how he had broken her heart due to his callousness, but since they were at a weird place right now, even though it was a really shitty thing to do, it still felt that it was a way he could communicate with her that she would respond to. It wasn't that bad, right? He was just saying something nice, even though he knew that she would respond in a less than positive way to it. That wasn't so bad, right?

"You're kind of an ass sometimes," Ayame said, frowning.

"…Don't worry, you're still my favorite girl to tease," Blake assured her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He was just a little bit of an ass, Kate just brought out the worst of his impulses sometimes, but he was genuinely happy that she had wished him good luck.

"Are you still worried about your match?" Ayame asked as the two of them headed down the hall. Last night, Blake had been really concerned, and while he had cut class that morning, much to her frustration, she wasn't sure if he really was prepared for the battle.

"I think Alcea had the right idea," Blake admitted, smiling at her. "I'll just give it my best. My pokemon and I are as trained as we're going to be."

And yeah, Dokukage is a powerful opponent, but…

"Honestly…" he continued, his voice turning serious, "I think… I think I'm a little more worried about Alcea's match."

Ayame nodded. That made a lot of sense.

Meanwhile, Eon Stadium itself was buzzing with excitement. Alcea Vermeil was one of the strongest female trainers on campus, maybe even the strongest, and she had a lot of fans, of course, not even just the girls in the Gardening Club. So of course they were cheering her on in excitement.

But in spite of the excitement, there was also an air of tension hovering over the stadium. Because Alcea was fighting against the Phantom, Richard Valon. And he had his own supporters as well, and even though Alcea's current supporters made up the majority of the female half of the student body, there was still not as much cheering as there should have been when she stepped out onto the battlefield, the picture of grace and elegance.

Because the fear of Shadow Pokemon that had begun to seep into the student body had grown into an oppressive cloud in the atmosphere of the stadium.

Speaking of Shadow Pokemon, there were a few people watching the match that probably should not have been. Well, one person, to be specific, and that was Kitty. She sat defiantly in her seat, arms crossed in front of her chest, trying to stop herself from shaking. She wanted to look tough, after all, and she couldn't do that while trembling like a leaf!

"Kitty, are you sure-"

"Julia," Kitty said, turning to her friend and cutting her off, "I'm going to be fine. Trust me."

Julia sighed. They hadn't been able to get in contact with Marion the night before, and left with no other options, Julia had found herself putting her foot down and telling Kitty that she couldn't go. Kitty had narrowed her eyes and told Julia that she would have to make her, and Julia didn't really want to get into another weeks-long feud over the issue. "If you say so," she had finally told Kitty, and the overjoyed hug she had received for it, while nice, didn't seem like worthwhile compensation when considering what Kitty might have to go through now that they were here.

Kitty and Julia were sitting with the usual crowd of people, Reiner, Nikita, Callie, Nick, Cynthia, Sango, and even Kate. And, to the surprise of the rest of them, Ayame and Blake, who had followed not far behind the poison girl.

"I still don't get what you're doing here," Cynthia said, raising her eyebrow and looking over to Blake. "Don't you have a waiting room you should be… well, waiting in?"

Blake shook his head.

"If I'm in the waiting room, I'll just be getting nervous and antsy," he explained. "Right here, sitting with you guys, it makes me feel pretty relaxed. So yeah, I'm prepared, as best as I can be."

Blake turned his attention to the battlefield, where Alcea and the Phantom were facing each other in silence. The match hadn't begun, but things were already feeling intense.

"Besides," he added, his tone going from friendly to serious, "this seems like something that I should be seeing with my own eyes."

"O-Oh!"

A tiny gasp came from the aisle, nearly unheard by the murmurs of the crowd, except Blake, who turned and looked over the two vacant seats to see a familiar sight.

Two familiar sights, actually.

"Oh! Heyahoo! Blake! And Ayame! Nice to see you guys!" The other girl standing in the aisle was Andy, whose face was bright. She waved at him and smiled. "Blake, I missed you in class!"

"Andy? Oh, hey," Blake said, his eyes sliding past her and landing on the girl who had gasped, the black-haired girl he had met the night before, his number one fan. Murasaki… something? He felt like a bit of a shit that he couldn't remember her name. "And…"

"B-Blake…" Kanou stuttered, shrinking a little. "H-Hi, I didn't expect to run into you here… d-do you remember me? I'm Murasaki… Kanou. You can just call me Kanou…"

"Oh, you were at my birthday!" Cynthia chirped, waving at the tomboyish Andy. "I don't know who you are, though."

"She's um… my number one fan," Blake said, blushing a little in embarrassment. Cynthia's expression soured.

"Oh, mister bigshot thinks he's all that just because he has a fan," she pouted. "I have fans too, you know!"

Blake rolled his eyes.

"She's a friend of mine!" Andy smiled. "Do you mind if we join you guys?"

Blake glanced at Ayame, who shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't thrilled, but she was still cool with it. Andy was okay, and Kanou was nothing to worry about.

"Th-thank you," Kanou said, sitting down next to Blake and sinking into her seat, peering nervously at him from behind her large glasses before quickly turning her attention to the battlefield.

"Aww! No fair, Kanou!" Andy pouted, sitting down next to the dark-haired girl. "I wanted to sit next to Blake!"

Ayame's eye twitched.

Kanou ignored her, and glanced up shyly at Blake.

"Um, and you're fighting soon, right?" Kanou asked.

"Yeah," Blake said, nodding. "I'm going to do my best."

"I'll be cheering for you," Kanou smiled a little. Cynthia rolled her eyes, feeling like she was going to be throwing up.

And not one of them saw Murasaki Kanou for who she was. None of them suspected for even a moment.

"Hush! Stop talking!" Kate snapped from where she sat between Julia and Sango, hushing everyone as she pointed at the battlefield. "I think the match is going to start soon!"

The reason for Kate's assumption was that a third person was now walking up onto the battlefield, to the surprise of everyone, particularly Dakota and Akira, who were sitting in the announcer's box by themselves.

Akira and Dakota were both feeling a little uncomfortable about the situation that they were in. After Lila had left them the night before, leaving them in Sylvia's… hands, they had been worrying that they would have to host the event themselves, in case she never returned.

But there she was, walking up to them. While her makeup was impeccable, beneath it she had bags under her eyes from a night of no sleeping that no one could see.

"Lila!" Dakota gasped in surprised. "You made it!"

"Is Darla okay?" Akira asked.

Lila gave them both a smile and took her seat, addressing the microphone.

"Sorry for the delays, everyone!" Lila addressed the crowd. "There were some personal issues that I shouldn't have let interfere! Sorry, that's a whoopsie-doodle on me! Heh! But don't worry! I came baring good news!"

Some murmurs broke out across the crowd.

"Darla Drake will be a-ok!" Lila reported, her smile wide. "I know a lot of you must be concerned after her sudden collapse last night, but don't worry! She woke up just a little while ago, just as mean and snarky as ever! And you know what the first thing she said to me was? 'Lila, what are you doing here? Get to work!' Can you believe that?! So mean, right?"

Lila was trying to sound exasperated, but she couldn't keep the joy out of her voice.

"Now, then!" She declared. "We're beginning the first round of the quarter-finals of the Phantom Cup! Alcea Vermeil vs. Richard Valon! And since we've entered the semi-finals, that can only mean one thing! Time for our patented battlefield arena system!"

The stadium began to shake, the dirt-covered ground parting down the center of the battlefield between Alcea and Valon as a large stadium rose up to replace it. A large field covered in a beautiful bed of flowers. The perfect arena for Alcea to fight on.

"Grass Stage 2!" Lila announced. "Flower Garden Field!"

Alcea nodded, closing her eyes and inhaling the sweet aroma of the flowers. She reached to her belt and removed a pokeball, enjoying the brief reprieve from the battle that was about to come.

"Oui," Alcea said, opening her eyes and throwing her pokeball into the air. "Let us begin."

So the first round of the semi-finals begins! Alcea vs. the Phantom! Will Alcea be able to win? Or will the Phantom's Shadow Pokemon destroy her and her team? These matches are certainly going to be exciting, I promise you that!