Blake gets started on really finding a way to help Sarah as best as he can, with a little help from some surprising places.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Don't worry, there're plenty of girls to go around.

Hellraiserphoenix: An interesting pair indeed. But will it be enough to get through to Sarah, I wonder?

Tambry96bj: Yup, hopefully things will go well with her!

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 105

Blake ducked under another burst of flames, running from Sarah again.

"Sarah!" He shouted over his shoulder. "I know… that right now… you're angry… but still, I-"

Erik grabbed him by the collar and pulled him out of the way, flames just barely missing him.

"That was too close," he hissed. "I'm happy you're trying to really connect with your Salamence, but stop being an idiot about it!"

Blake nodded.

"Blake!" Ayame's voice caught Blake's ears, and Sarah's ears too. She whirled her head around and roared, barreling toward the new voice.

"Ayame!" Blake shouted, jumping up and charging after Sarah.

"Agh, you idiot!" Erik muttered, running after Blake.

"Saaaa!" Sarah roared, flapping her wings, but suddenly, she was surrounded in a sweet-smelling haze, distorting her sight. She looked through the pink fog, unable to find her prey.

"Thanks, Anya." A soft voice said through the fog.

"Whew, that was close!" Blake heard Ayame, and broke through the fog to run into her.

"Hey! I'm back!" Ayame whispered. "And I've brought a couple of secret weapons!"

Blake glanced past her, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Hello there!" A blonde girl with pink highlights and clothes said, smiling.

"We're happy to be here today!" A tanned girl in blue with wild black hair and red eyes declared.

"I'm Lila Seelie, the lovely maiden who dreams of fairy tales!" The pink girl bubbled, winking and holding two fingers open in front of her eye.

"And I'm Darla Drake, the cool beauty with the heart of a dragon!" The blue girl wistfully stated, holding one hand over her chest and the other toward the sky.

The two maintained their poses for a few seconds, and Ayame elbowed Blake in the side.

"Applaud," she hissed. Blake gave the two some golf claps, and in return they gave him a few bows.

"Are you sure these two can help?" Blake asked.

"How rude!" Lila huffed. "You doubt are skills? May I remind you whose Gardevoir it was that just used misty terrain to calm your Salamence?"

"There's no one better suited than the two of us," Darla bragged. "I know more about dragons than you ever could."

Ayame smiled eagerly.

Blake nodded warily, willing to accept their help.

"Now then, about the bill," Darla said, holding her hand up. "We don't give private performances for cheap, you know! That'll be 1,000,000 Poke Points for our help!"

"Darla!" Lila said, glancing at her partner. "That's rude!"

She turned and glanced sympathetically to Blake.

"Sorry, she really isn't a morning person. She's pretty blunt and rude, but don't take it personally."

"No, it's fine," Blake said.

"That's good," Lila smiled. "Now then, 1,000,000 Poke Points please."

"Yeah, uh, your tone might be a little nicer but the rude part didn't change."

"The fee is non-negotiable," Lila's smile looked sweet, but behind her closed eyes, her pure aura was stained with human greed.

"You two seemed a lot nicer before."

"Well, it's, like, totally different when we're being paid!" Darla put on her best impression of Lila's innocent smile, rolling her eyes. "Our 'off' time doesn't come cheaply."

"Geez, I had no idea that idols were such petty bitches," Ayame smirked. Darla and Lila twitched, their smiles freezing to their faces.

"Shut up!" Darla exclaimed.

"You don't get it!" Lila cried.

"Oh, yeah, it's so easy, all you gotta do is run all day and everyone loves you," Darla griped, shaking her head. "A dumb jock like you has no idea what it's like to have to go through every day in this school as a celebrity!"

"We don't have any personal lives, we can't go on dates, I can't even pick my nose!" Lila wailed. "All because of that stupid Dakota and her stupid cameras!"

…Ah… yeah… that would do it. Blake suddenly understood exactly where all this anger and frustration was about.

"That's 1,000,000 Poke Points for our pain and suffering! It's a fucking load to have to go out and be perfect little angels!" Darla exclaimed, glaring at Blake with eyes that cried tears of blood. "Don't you get that when we aren't working, we can actually be fucking human beings you fucking degenerate?!"

"I wanted to do a rewatch of Ouran High and just veg out today, but Ayame told us to come!" Lila moaned. "And if we say no, the boss would totally sell gossip about us to Dakota! It's not fair!"

"…" Ayame stared down at the two of them, her face unmoved by their tears.

"Still not caring. Are you gonna help Blake or not?"

"Aya, don't be so cruel!" Lila exclaimed.

"Why are you going this far?" Darla demanded. "Wait… is this the guy you were going on that date with?"

"Eh?" Ayame paused, unsure of how to answer. Darla and Lila's eyes widened in surprise.

"So… Blake really is the guy, then?" Darla gasped.

"Wow, that… that's…" Lila struggled to find the words.

"Lila, you distract her, I'm calling campo," Darla ordered, reaching into the bag at her waist for her cellphone to call the campus security.

"Roger!" Lila saluted, running toward Ayame with her arms held out like she was on a scrimmage line trying to keep the taller girl at bay while Darla reported Ayame's crimes.

"We didn't do anything!" Ayame exclaimed in outrage, shaking her head frantically. "He and I are just friends!"

"With benefits," Blake clarified.

"Stop it with that stuff!" Ayame growled, lightly kicking him in the shins.

"We're just joking," the two said at once. "Just a little teasing~"

"Eh?"

"Come on, like a guy like Blake could be forward like that," Lila laughed.

"If he actually made a move, Aya would just run away in embarrassment," Darla laughed.

Ayame glared at the two idols, a growl building up in her throat. Before she could shout them down, though, an interruption drew all of their attention away from the idea of her dating her underclassman.

"Blake!" Erik exclaimed, bursting through the pink fog, coughing. "What the hell are you doing over here?! Your Salamence isn't going to be distracted by this for long-"

He paused when he saw the three girls, and his face hardened.

"What are you doing here?" Erik demanded.

"Who, me?" Darla asked, narrowing her eyes and giving a venomous frown. "These are my training grounds too, you know."

The two glared at each other, Lila glancing back and for warily.

"Come on, Darla, it's not worth it, let's just go," Lila said, grabbing Darla by the arm. Darla broke her grip and a smirk crossed her face, strolling up to Erik, her face smiling but her eyes still teaming with anger.

"Lila, we're waving our fee," Darla said, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"R-really?"

"Why?" Blake asked, grateful but suspicious.

"My pride won't let me rest seeing you get help from this half-assed little kid," Darla explained. "I need to demonstrate just what a real heir to the Draconid bloodline can do, not someone who hasn't even inherited our connection to the dragon type."

"You're calling me 'kid' but we're still the same age, you know that? That's the problem with you purebloods, you're so arrogant that you look down on the rest of us," Erik growled, repelling Darla's glare with a glare of his own.

"Wait, what?" Blake asked, surprised. He glanced to Ayame for confirmation, but the girl just shrugged, clearly not knowing any more than he did.

"Allow me to explain," Lila interrupted, surprising both of them. She pointed to Erik first. "See, his father was a member of the Draconid clan, a race in the Hoenn Region who worshipped the dragon type. And Darla is a descendent from the same people. But where Erik's dad had to leave as a penalty for marrying a woman from outside the clan, Darla's a pureblood descendent of the highest lineage."

"Then all this hostility right now is because that guy is only a half-breed?" Ayame asked, more than a little disappointed at what she was seeing. "I didn't expect someone like Darla to be so… bigoted."

"Well, that might be part of it, but the real reason is probably because Darla's mom was engaged to be married to Erik's dad, and then he threw aside the arrangement to go marry a foreigner. Her mom then had to marry another guy from the clan that she didn't even like, so Darla's been raised since she was a baby to be hostile towards Erik in particular."

She coughed.

"By the way, I am also from the Hoenn Region, Darla and I went to school together."

Blake was going to comment on the oddity of a girl from a noble bloodline of an ancient race of people going to a public school, but wisely decided against it, instead just giving her an "is that so?" nod.

"Why don't you come by the village every once in a while for a visit, mister 'can't talk to dragons'?" Darla smirked. "I'm sure we can find a place for you somewhere."

"I'd rather not live my life solely tied down to my roots," Erik explained. "I'd much rather research my people and adhere to our customs in my own way. Surely you can understand what that's like?"

His even glare turned upwards into a condescending smirk as he looked over Darla.

"After all, it's hardly traditional for the future high priestess to be going around slumming it as a pop idol."

"You-!" Darla growled, her face enflamed. She quickly regained her composure and her veneer of professionality returned, giving him a fake smile.

"Sorry, but Darla Drake's smile isn't something that can be contained in a village~ I'm the people's idol after all, not just the dragons'." She explained. She pushed past him and reached into her purse, withdrawing a pokeball.

"You can just sit back, Erik, and let a real Draconid show you a performance of a lifetime," Darla chortled. Sarah let out another roar and the fog dispersed, the large dragon flapping her wings and flying toward the students.

"Take the stage, Melody!" Darla threw the pokeball into the air, and a blue dragon-bird with wings like clouds emerged, a melodious tone echoing from her beaked mouth.

"Yay! Melody, you look gorgeous!" Lila cheered.

"Altaria!" Melody glanced at her and nodded happily.

"Salaa!" Sarah roared, swinging a claw at the Altaria. But Melody skillfully turned out of the way, leaving behind a cloud of cotton to confused Sarah's eyes as she circled around her.

"Now, Blake, let me show you the first step to getting close to a dragon's heart!" Darla said. "Melody! Use sing! But lower the power, we don't want to just put her to sleep!"

"Altaria!" Melody nodded, opening her mouth, an alluring and relaxing song echoing from deep within her throat. Just hearing the peaceful notes seemed to lull Blake to a more even tone, and he began to wonder why he was even trying to struggle in the first place? He let out a yawn. Maybe it was better to just leave things up to her, right? Then he could catch up on his sleep…

"Blake," Ayame lightly slapped him on the cheek, drawing him out of his stupor. "Come on, now, stay awake. You didn't want Darla to just come here and fight your battle for you, right? Didn't you say that you wanted to reach out and get to know your Salamence better for yourself?"

Blake nodded to Ayame gratefully, and stepped forward.

"She's a little calmer now," Darla said. "But from what I can see, her heart is still closed. She's going to be hard to reach out to." Indeed, while Sarah still looked as angry and destructive as ever, she was no longer destroying everything in sight. Instead, she had drifted down to rest on the ground, enraged and yet placated for now.

She turned to Blake.

"What is her name?"

"Sarah," Blake said. Darla nodded, and turned to the Salamence.

"Sarah… how are you?" She asked, taking a step forward.

"Salamence," Sarah growled, her lips curling into a snarl as she spat a burst of flames at Darla and Blake, the two jumping to the side.

"I thought you were good at this," Erik shouted. "Seems like even with all your skills you still can't compete with a Pokemon Ranger at connecting to enraged pokemon!"

Darla ignored him, turning to Blake.

"She's responding to her name," Darla said. "That's a very good sign. It seems that she's acknowledged it, which means she doesn't reject her position altogether. She's not feral."

"Then what's the issue?"

Darla glanced back at Sarah, a sad look on her face. She walked past Blake and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She wants you to see her, you idiot," Darla muttered, shaking her head. "Melody! We're going!"

Darla's Altaria flew over to her as she headed toward the valley entrance.

"W-wait! Darla, I'm coming too!" Lila said, running after her partner.

Ayame turned to Blake, watching worriedly as he stepped toward the angered but still unaggressive Salamence. He stripped off his brother's jacket and approached her, hands up to show that he didn't mean any harm to the large and potentially volatile pokemon.

"Hey, Sarah… I know… we haven't always gotten off on the right foot…" Blake said softly, reaching out to her. "I know you've been through a lot of rough times… especially due to harmonia. I'm sorry I tried to put you into that state again. I… I thought that if I could put you back in that mindset… then maybe I could reach you somehow. But that was wrong of me. I promise, I won't do it anymore. I'll work harder… and try to understand you. I'll treat you like the kind of partner I should have from the beginning…"

He paused at this.

"The reason I couldn't before… was because I was scared. Because back when we met… I was so weak. I couldn't do anything to protect anyone… and my mother, she… …I know that I can't be as good as her or my brother. But please, even so… there's someone I need to protect. She's lost herself to harmonia completely, but I have to believe that it's not too late. That there's still some way for me to reach her. But I'm too weak to do that on my own. So please… I'm begging you Sarah… please let me help you heal. I can't bear to see any more people I care about hurting due to this stupid power."

Blake was only a few steps away from Sarah now. The large dragon looked deep into his eyes, as he searched hers for any trace of understanding, any sliver of hope he could latch onto and forge a connection with her over.

Sarah opened her mouth, crimson flames erupting from her maw and wrapping around Blake.

"Damn it, you fool!" Ayame slammed him into the ground just before the attack consumed him, having run to his side like her life was as dependent on it as his was.

"Midnight!" Erik shouted, his Noivern flying down to restrain the Salamence.

"Erik, stop!" Blake shouted. "This… we have to do this ourselves."

Blake reached to his belt, and took a pokeball off of it.

"Weiss!" Blake threw the pokeball into the air, Weiss emerging from it. The Scizor looked at Sarah, his eyes widening.

"Scizor…" Weiss said, his expression saddening.

"Yeah, I know," Blake nodded. "Weiss, I know it's tough to be around Sarah with everything that's happened. But still… you were there at the beginning, and if anyone can help me get through to her, it's you."

"Sci." Weiss nodded.

"Sarah… it's been a while since the three of us met, don't you remember? So please…"

"Salamence!" Sarah roared, firing a blast of flames at Weiss and Blake.

"Weiss, get Ayame to safety," Blake ordered, jumping out of the path of the fire attack.

"Scizor," Weiss nodded, grabbing Ayame by the waist and flying to the side.

"Lemme go, damn it," Ayame growled. "I can take care of myself, Blake!"

"Maybe, but if you got hurt because of this, I wouldn't forgive myself," Blake said. "And your Empress wouldn't forgive me, either."

"Hmph," Ayame muttered, crossing her arms and reluctantly submitting to the pokemon's princess carry.

Once he got her to a safe enough distance, he deposited her on the ground and returned to Blake's side. Blake and Weiss traded positions, Weiss going off to engage Sarah while Blake ran to Ayame.

"Thank you for all your help, really," Blake said, his expression serious. Ayame could tell that he was clearly implying it was time for her to go.

"What help?" Ayame muttered, turning away from him. "Looks like I've completely botched it as a senior… I thought Darla and Lila could do something, but it looks like I was wrong. I've just been making a mess… I wanted to repay you for everything you did for me, and I can't even do that right…"

"Come on, you saved me just now, right?" Blake smiled. "We're more than even. You've done more than enough. Please, you can go. If you stay here, you'll just get caught up in this mess."

"I can take care of myself, you know," she replied indignantly. "I don't need you protecting me. Don't get so full of yourself, freshman!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Blake laughed. "Of course, if you really want to do something for me, we can always go on another date."

"Funny boy," Ayame barked, giving him a mocking laugh in return. "Try to not get turned into dragon snacks, and maybe then we can talk about it."

"So you're saying there's a chance."

Ayame rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, walking toward the valley's trail out, before suddenly pausing.

"Be careful, you know. You're pretty clearly the kind of idiot who goes too far in trying to help other people, but if you're not careful you'll get hurt. And if you die… Olivia's going to be sad."

"Thanks," Blake said, nodding. "I'll keep that in mind."

"…I… I also want you to come back in one piece, you know. So maybe… for another date, or something like that. After you're done. Or whatever."

"Ha! I knew it!" Blake laughed, Ayame flipping him the bird as she walked away.

Confidence aside, by days' end, Blake was unable to truly make any real progress in getting through the barriers to Sarah's heart. He sat on the lip of the cliffside overlooking the floor of the valley, which in comparison with the light of his campfire was a looming and ravenous maw of darkness. Sarah was sleeping somewhere in those shadows, Blake knew. And he also knew that he wouldn't be returning to his room anytime soon. Even Erik had returned, begrudgingly, but Blake was going to stay in that valley until he could convince the stubborn dragon how sincere he was about helping her, even if he had to turn into a briquette to do it.

In the meantime, he was staring idly at his phone, looking over the concerned messages from Cynthia and the others.

I wonder… if there's anything more I can even do… even if I can get through to Sarah… will that really even make a difference? Will I be able to-

"The night is long, is it not?" A voice called softly from behind him. "But in my experience it is the longest nights in which we learn the simplest of truths."

Blake jumped to his feet and turned around to see a girl come up from within the shadows of the forest, her face illuminated by the flickering lights of the low flame.

"You're…" Blake's mouth fell open as he looked at the purple-haired girl. "Ryoko?"

"It has been some time, Blake," Ryoko gave him a knowing smile, walking up to him. Her eyes, lit by fire, seemed to gleam with recognition unlike their last meeting. "Or perhaps to you it has been little time at all?"

She chuckled at her little time travel joke, stepping past him and standing on the edge of the chasm, without fear. She moved down and hung her legs over the edge, kicking aimlessly like a child, a strange contradiction with her archaic style of speech.

Ryoko looked out over the shadows, beckoning Blake to sit beside her. Blake obliged, scooting down next to the strange girl, the scent of lavender and lilac drifting up to him through the cool night air.

"Where's Celebi?" Blake asked.

"Come now, Blake, that girl will never show herself so easily," Ryoko smiled. She reached into the collar of her shirt and withdrew her watch from where it hung, checking it. "But do not worry, she will be by very shortly, and then I will be going again. I only came here because I caught sight of you in a passing glance."

Blake didn't reply with anything but a nod that went unseen in the night.

"Even though I cannot help you… perhaps I could still hear what it is that has my dear Blake's precious face so twisted and distraught?"

"My Salamence… she isn't listening to me. No matter how I try to get through to her… to help her… it seems like it's all for nothing. Even when my friend tried to help me, it wasn't enough. It's just…"

"You are doubting your ability, is that so?" Ryoko said, shaking her head. "It is a pleasure to see that no matter when it is we meet, some things never change."

"You've seen my future, right?" Blake asked. "The last time I saw you, that was the first time you'd met me. But this you… it seems you know me quite better than she did."

"Indeed," Ryoko said, smiling warmly and nodding her head. Her eyes were glassy and distance with nostalgia, as though they were picturing a great many things. Scenes from her past, and his future. "A great many memories I have shared with you and my friends from this era."

She closed her watch and held it close to her chest, like her precious memories were trapped within it.

"So I don't suppose you can tell me what's going to happen?"

"Of course I will not," Ryoko huffed, shaking her head. "Such a selfish boy, wanting every last thing handed to him like a spoiled child! What kind of person would I be if I went and spoiled all the fun for you?"

"Forgive me, but this doesn't exactly seem like much fun," Blake replied.

"Of course it is not," Ryoko said. "But because the tough times are hard to get through, they make the precious times that much more precious. If you were to be spoiled of all the hardships, then how would you be able to treasure those times that are oh so joyous? I could never do that to my dearest Blake, now could I?"

She reached out and patted him on the cheek.

"Still, you must, above everything else, be confident in your own ability to succeed," Ryoko said, standing up. "That is all I can give you for advice. Believe in yourself. Believe in your ability to do the right thing, and your deep wish to help others no matter how difficult a challenge it may be. After all, is that not what your friend Elaina says she so deeply admires in you?"

Blake nodded, the words only sinking in a few seconds later.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Blake asked. "When you said Elaina just now, do you mean-?"

"Oh? I wonder, what could I ever mean by that?" Ryoko giggled, checking her watch as she stepped back from him. "I do not recall ever mentioning such a person! It would simply be unfair of me to reveal anything so crucial. You must forget you ever heard such a thing at once!"

Ryoko gave him a kind smile and a wink, an array of green light glowing around her.

"I am sure that your efforts will not be in vain," Ryoko said. "So make sure you do your best. I am your biggest supporter after all, my dear sweet Blake."

Ryoko gave him a parting smile as she leapt off into time again, leaving Blake with the smoldering embers of a campfire, a renewed sense of confidence, and the scent of lilac, lavender, and mint swirling in the air.

Blake seems to have gotten his second wind for reaching out to Sarah, thanks in no small part to a surprising guest! We can only hope that his hard work will be rewarded.