After the whole mess with Sango and her feelings for Blake, everyone needs to take a break and consider what they're doing. Spring break is coming to a close, leaving everyone alone with their thoughts, and looking forward to returning to the Pokemon Academy! With this chapter, we'll take a quick peek into how everyone's doing, wrapping up the spring break arc!

KedharS: And he's become more and more aware of them.

DarklightArk: Thank you for your submission, but as you said, I'm not accepting new characters right now.

Guest: Oh yes, there's a lot of difficult stuff between the three of them now, but hopefully they'll resolve the issues.

Hyphenman: Yes. Definitely a mess.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1072

Elaina stepped out onto the balcony and looked out over the garden. She clutched her flute tightly in her hand.

Today was the last day she would be here. They were heading back to the Pokemon Academy tonight, and were holding a big feast thrown by Cynthia's grandparents to celebrate the time they'd all spent together.

A sigh escaped her lips. What would become of her, she wondered? Here, she'd been able to interact with the others, and almost make friends with them. But that was here. When she got back to the academy, it would be back to her birdcage. She had no intention of strolling about campus as casually as she walked around the inn. She could do that here because nobody knew who she was. But if she went back to the Pokemon Academy, that would all change.

There, she was a freak. A monster. And she would bring that onto them. The other students would grow to hate and resent them for being around her, and eventually they would shun her as well. She'd seen it before.

It was a nice dream, she thought as she brought the flute to her lips. But in the end, it was still just a dream. A fantasy.

Elaina fought back the tears in her eyes and began to play. The wind swirled around her in a mournful melody.

While she occupied herself with her music, the other girls were preparing for the day. Unlike Cynthia and Sango who had woken up early for one reason or another, an exhausted Kitty and Julia were just managing to pull themselves out of their futons.

"Yaaawn… morning Julia…" Kitty yawned, turning to her friend. Julia had already gotten up and was brushing her hair. Kitty was amazed, she still looked pretty even when she was just getting ready for the morning.

"Oh, Kitty!" Julia flashed a smile. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I slept okay." She blushed. "I was, um… thinking about the water park in my dreams, so…"

She didn't let on the nature of her pleasant dream. She didn't want Julia looking at her like she was some kind of Cynthia. But it had involved Julia, swimsuits, and going on water slides that involved pressing much closer together than any rides they'd actually gone on.

"Kitty?"

Kitty snapped out of her fantasizing. For a moment she'd been back on that water slide. "Oh, um… sorry, still kinda out of it," she laughed.

"That's fine," Julia grinned. "So what do you want to do today?"

"Hmm?"

"Today's the last day we really have to spend our spring break," Julia explained. "We already went to the water park, and you caught a new pokemon. We have the rest of the day clear. So is there anything else you want to do?"

Kitty blinked, surprised. "Oh, um… hey, what about what you want to do?" Julia had spent spring break either listening to Cynthia's suggestions or doing things that Kitty had wanted to do. She'd only complained a few times, but she had even been willing to go on water slides that she didn't like, for Kitty's sake.

Kitty wanted to be a good friend. She wanted to do something that Julia would like, something SHE could have fun with. The only question was what something like that would be. She wasn't quite sure, since Julia didn't talk much about her hobbies.

Julia herself seemed surprised that Kitty had posed the question. She stared at her friend in confusion for a moment.

"Well… I'm not really sure," Julia admitted.

"Well, if I wasn't here, what would you be doing?" Kitty tried again. "What do you have fun doing? Because that's what I want to do. You're always doing my thing, I think… I think it's okay for you to be a little selfish every once in a while." She glanced down at the floor and stared tentatively back up at her friend.

Julia blinked. "Well… I suppose if it's up to me, I would be training my pokemon I guess," she replied. "Been a while since I had a good battle, you know? Roden's really itching to fight, and I still need to get some experience for Percy so he'll evolve."

"I can do that!" Kitty brightened. "I haven't had a chance to use Trixie in a battle, maybe we could train together!"

Julia cracked a smile. "Sure," she nodded. "Works for me."

The two finished getting changed and headed out to find a place to train their pokemon. Kitty was smiling. Julia seemed to be enjoying herself.

Hopefully, today will be fun for her, Kitty vowed. She wanted this to be a memorable trip for Julia, and not just because she'd been forced to go to a water park.

While Kitty and Julia were heading out to train, someone else was getting some training in as well, but not in the traditional sense.

Nick hadn't done a lot over break. Part of that was because he'd wanted to spend time with Callie, but he couldn't. His other friends were okay, of course, but without his girlfriend, it just wasn't as much fun as it could have been. Though he was privately grateful that Blake and Reiner didn't bring their girlfriends with them, either. He'd have been incredibly jealous about that.

For now, though, he was jealous about something else entirely.

Aidan's body was in very good shape. He had the sort of muscles that Nick had always envied. Nick might have been in decent shape, and he trained his martial arts, but there was something about powerful muscles that he couldn't help but covet.

So since Callie wasn't here to help with his physical training, he sought the next best thing. For the last few days, he'd been waking up with Aidan, committing himself to the prospective Pokemon Ranger's physical routine. It was grueling, too. But he still gave it the best he could.

"How are you feeling?" Aidan asked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Running's quite something in this heat, make sure you stay hydrated."

He tossed a water bottle over to Nick, who had collapsed in the grass. Nick ravenously drained the water, letting out a sigh. He'd been trying to keep up with Aidan on his run, and it was hard. But he felt alive.

"So why are you trying so hard, anyway?" Aidan asked curiously, sitting dow next to Nick as they took a break. "You're in great shape, are you trying to bulk up for some reason?"

Nick could barely get out two words. "My… girlfriend," he panted. "She's really strong… the toughest girl I know. And I guess… I want to be tough enough for her…"

He knew it was dumb. Callie didn't care abut that. But he had a vision of fighting at her side and sparring with her, without her having to take it easy on him. Some extra bulk wuld absolutely help with that.

Aidan didn't push him further, and just nodded. "Well for me, I sculpted this body of mine because I'm planning to become a Pokemon Ranger," he explained. "And ranger need to be prepared for anything. So I figured that if I had a good body, I'd be able to handle whatever the wild pokemon threw at me. Rescuing people, carrying them to safety, a bulky physique is good for a ranger, especially when my Partner Pokemon isn't physically powerful."

"That… makes sense…" Nick nodded, sitting up. "Still, what about Sango? It seems to me like-"

"Hey, you guys," Sango called from up the trail. She was jogging in place. "Are you two coming or not? We've got another two kilometers to go!"

"…Like she's even more fit than the both of us combined," Nick finished dryly.

Aidan just shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I'd suggest not bothering comparing ourselves to her," he suggested. "She's got way too much energy for that. We'd just end up feeling insecure."

Nick nodded. He could absolutely agree to that.

"…That's enough rest," he said with a sigh, standing up in spite of the fact that his legs felt like jelly. He began jogging after the other two, pushing through the pain in the hopes of getting stronger, for Callie's sake.

Nick wasn't the only one thinking about his girlfriend. Reiner was, too. While most of the time he could be kind of a jerk, when he was with Nikita he showed a hidden tenderness.

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked. He'd taken advantage of the fact that everybody else was out to facetime his girlfriend and check in with her. He'd left her alone over spring break due to the fact that he didn't want to bother her while she was working on her paper, but he assumed that she was finished by now, considering break would be over at the end of the weekend.

The exhausted look on Nikita's face was answer enough. She scowled at him.

"So you went to a water park, huh?" Nikita asked, her voice sharp and thorny. Reiner realized that this wasn't a good line of thinking to be on, and quickly tried to pivot.

"It wasn't that much fun. So, you're finally done working with the professor, or-"

"Yes, I'm done," she snapped. Then her expression softened. "…Sorry. I didn't mean to you're your head off like that. I'm just so burned out after all the work…"

"You should have come," Reiner said. He smirked. "I would have liked to see you in a bathing suit, you know."

A coy smile crossed Nikita's face, the first time she'd smiled today. "Oh, really? You'd like to see me in a swimsuit, would you? Any particular sort?"

"Oh, you know," Reiner mused, a thoughtful lilt entering his voice. "A pretty one… bright and amber to match your eyes, and then really, really tight to show off the nice, sexy… brain of yours."

"…I suppose that could be arranged," Nikita agreed, her lips curling into a full-on grin as her face began to heat up. "And what will you be wearing, then?"

Reiner tapped his chin. "Well, if you're going to be wearing a swimsuit, then I-"

"Please stop," Will groaned. "I don't want that imagery in my head…"

Nikita screamed and fell out of her chair, scrambling away from her computer. She covered her chest instinctively. "Reiner! I thought we were alone!"

"What are you doing here?" Reiner sputtered, just as shocked that Will was here.

"I've been here reading the whole time," Will scowled. "You just came right in and ignored me."

"Reiner!" Nikita hissed, her face burning with embarrassment. She was going to give him such a smack when he returned.

"Not cool, dude," Reiner said, shaking his head in disgust. "Just because you're comfortable enough flirting with your robot girlfriend in front of people doesn't mean that we would-"

"Misato isn't my girlfriend!" Will exclaimed, his face flushing red. "She's… and she's not a robot, either, it's more complicated than that!"

"…Yeah I'll bet it is," Reiner said, raising his eyebrow. "Look, whatever you two get up to-"

"We don't 'get up' to anything!" Will snapped.

"Wait, so you've got every man's dream, an obedient robot girlfriend, and you're saying you haven't even done anything with her yet?" Reiner snorted. He nearly burst out laughing. "Dude, you really need to up your game."

Will glared at him. "It's none of your business," he snapped, grabbig his book and walking out of the room. Becoming conscious of the fact that it was a book Misato had recommended, he increased his pace.

Now alone, Reiner turned back to the screen. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I really thought we were alone. Now, where were we?"

But Nikita wasn't in the mood for more flirting.

"…'Every man's dream' you said, is that right?" She icily asked.

Reiner broke out into a cold sweat.

He wasn't the only one sweating though. Blake was, too, and it wasn't because the temperature in Hoenn was hotter than he was used to.

First the mess with Sango, and now this. What the hell is the matter with me? Why do girls keep coming after me like this? Blake was trapped in a situation that he had no idea how to escape.

He was in the hot spring right now. But not the boy's hot spring. The spring he was in was a private one, and currently, it was occupied.

Caelia was stark naked in front of him. And f that was something that bothered her, she didn't do a very good job of showing it. Blake took comfort in the fact that he was only doing his job. Grandma Rose had asked him to clean out the private bath. How was he supposed to know that Caelia would be using it now, of all times?!

"I seriously think you should go!" Blake said, covering his eyes. "I need to clean the baths right now, this isn't a good time to be taking one!"

"No bath tonight," Caelia murmured. "Need to get it now."

Her reasoning made sense, but Blake still felt uncomfortable. What would Ayame think, if she heard about this?

A painful stab pierced his chest. How would he know? He hadn't been able to get in contact with Ayame recently. He didn't know if it was because she was mad at him, or embarrassed, or just busy, or if all this was her just sticking to their agreement- trying to break their codependency on one another. Blake couldn't be sure.

Recognizing that Caelia wouldn't be leaving the bat any time soon, Blake sighed, and turned to face the wall so at least he wouldn't be spying on her. A he did, though, Caelia spoke up.

"So you… also repulsed?"

…Well, fuck.

He didn't want to destroy her confidence any more than it already was, she practically had nothing left. So with resignation her turned towards her, and nearly fell over.

Caelia had gotten out of the bath while his back was turned, and silent as a Zubat she'd snuck up behind him, standing in the center of the room like she was on display.

Blake kept his gaze focused on her face. He stared at her empty blue eye, refusing to look anywhere else.

"I'm just embarrassed, seeing you naked," he assured her. "I don't think you're ugly, I promise."

"I am," Caelia said calmly.

Okay, he needed to change the subject, fast. "So, uh…"

Fuck. Caelia didn't exactly make small talk. What should he ask her?

"…How was break?" He asked lamely. "Did you have fun?"

He doubted she'd tell him much of anything. But the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. It was just for a moment, just brief enough to make him think it was maybe just a trick of the light. But her next words left nothing to the imagination.

"Had fun."

"This sucks," Cynthia grumbled, pulling herself up the ledge. She was climbing Jagged Pass.

"Zorua!" Ruka was following behind her with a confused expression. She didn't know what her trainer was doing, coming back here. And since Sango wasn't here to translate, she couldn't ask.

Cynthia led the little Zorua back to the decrepit mansion that she'd spent so much time living in. She took a look around, and let out a sigh.

"So this is it, huh?" She mumbled, turning to Ruka.

"Zor?" Ruka still didn't get it. Cynthia sighed again, and headed inside. She was searching the rooms; for what, Ruka wasn't sure. When she'd come back with Sango, she'd brought Marie's picture and diaries. There was nothing left in this house for her.

Cynthia entered the girl's room, and looked around. It smelled of mold and mildew, and rot was setting in on the walls.

But for Ruka, it was still home. She couldn't help but relax, being here. Like Marie's spirit still resided in this room somewhere.

Then, to Ruka's surprise, Cynthia stepped up to the full-length mirror and knelt in front of it, holding her hands together in prayer.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here," she apologized, glancing at Ruka out of the corner of her eye. Then she closed her eyes. "But I thought it was important that I said goodbye. And thanked her, one more time. For taking care of you. I think you should, too."

It was then that Ruka finally realized it. They would be leaving. She might never come back here.

Kneeling next to Cynthia, Ruka mimicked her posture, closing her eyes and thinking of her former trainer. Marie's kind smile and gentle touch. The way they'd go on walks in the garden, or share jokes in sign language.

She was going to be saying goodbye to all of that. She was Cynthia's pokemon now, not Marie.

"I know you're deaf," Cynthia apologized. It wasn't Ruka she was talking to, though. Even the Zorua could tell she was speaking to Marie's spirit.

"So maybe you can't understand my words. But I don't know sign language, and my handwriting isn't so good either. I don't know if you're still here, or if you can hear now that you're dead, but… don't worry about Ruka. I promise, I'm going to take care of her. She's my pokemon now. That means I've promised to love and cherish her for the rest of our lives. So… don't worry. You can rest now. Thank you for treating her so gently."

By the time Cynthia finished talking, Ruka had broken down into tears. She howled at the roof as she said her final goodbyes, and the ghost of Jagged Pass haunted the path one final time.

"I'm sorry, Ruka," Cynthia apologized as she walked out of the mansion. Ruka was in her arms, too exhausted from all her tears maintain her Illusion, let alone trying to climb down the trail herself. "I know that must have been hard for you. But I thought it was important that I said my goodbyes to her as well."

"Zor…" Ruka murmured. She glanced back at the mansion one last time, and spotted something out of the corner of her eye that made her eyes snap open. She leapt from Cynthia's arms and began crying, desperate for her trainer to hear.

Cynthia turned and looked back as well, and was stunned by what she saw. There, in the corner window of the room they'd been in, waving goodbye from above, was a black-haired girl with a gentle smile, and a body as clear as the window itself.

And with this chapter, the spring break arc as come to a close. What will be the ramifications of this arc? What will Blake do, now that he knows Sango likes him? How will this affect his friendship with Cynthia, and everyone else? Will the group dynamics remain stable? All of this will be figured out later. For now, it's time to return to Orre!