In light of recent disheartening and depressing revelations and events, I'm going to confirm it here. I am not going to end my story with no romantic resolution. I'm not going to pull some "1/5" alternate romantic endings crap. If romance is integral to my story, I will give it the proper respect and development it deserves, not create a bunch of interchangeable "routes" that are all equally invalid. Maybe Sango wins Blake's affections, maybe she loses. Maybe she dates him for a while and they break up. But I have no intention of doing something insulting like invalidating the romantic build-up by saying "lol, multiple routes." I have more respect for my characters, my story, and my readers than that. Sorry, I'm just feeling really rough after reading a certain manga series' ending, or lack-thereof.

Pokemonking0924: This is a tough situation. I wonder how it will be resolved.

Hellraiserphoenix: Good ideas, to be sure. Maybe some of that will happen.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Well, there's a little more going on than it might appear…

KedharS: Interesting.

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Yup, that's what's so refreshing about Sango.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 116

While walking through the forest, Petal glanced at the monitor she was carrying, much to her surprise. A blue dot was moving away from three green dots.

"So they managed to tame the Salamence that lives there, huh? That was one of the strongest Obstacle Pokemon on the test. The idea that one ranger prospect could tame it sounds impossible. I wonder how…"

She noted the green dots on the screen. "Oh! I see, so there were three of them working together. That makes sense."

Petal smiled cheerfully, the nicest expression she'd made so far since there were no examinees to see. "It's nice to see that even under conditions like this, there are still prospective rangers who will work together for the greater good."

"What are you doing?!" Sango demanded.

"You don't need to shout," the man said, his stern looks turning into a frown. "I so despise noisy women."

"Well I don't like ungrateful piece of shit men who take girls hostage," Sango spat.

"No need to worry about her," he said, shaking his head, though he brought the knife closer to her throat. "I'm just trying to smooth along our negotiations."

"What negotiations?" Sango asked. "This is a test! Why would you-"

"Drop your bags, the both of you," he said, calmly. "And anything else you're carrying. The uniforms, too. Down to the jumpsuits."

"You… you're robbing us?" Sango exclaimed. "Why?! We tried to help you!"

"I know," he nodded. "Quite gracious of you. You can always count on a pokemon ranger to come rescue someone in need. That's why I drove that Salamence right to his breaking point."

"That… this was a trap?" Marion exclaimed.

"Yes, thank you for falling for it so easily. At first I was hoping that the Salamence would simply weaken you gravely, but it appears that you had a little more talent than I anticipated. So I had to take… other measures. Luckily, this little lady was carrying a quite handy tool for this purpose."

He tossed the knife to the ground.

"Of course, this is really just for emphasis. My Dokuro is threat enough."

"Cruel…" The Tentacruel rasped, raising her tentacles menacingly.

Sango glared at the man, but complied anyway. She removed the green uniform that all the test takers were wearing, the shorts and the shirt, leaving only the black underclothes. She dropped her pack and stepped away.

"The stylers, too, of course. The both of you."

"But…"

"Now," he insisted, tightening his grip on Marion's arm and twisting until she screamed.

"I think you should listen…" Marion cried, dropping her own styler onto the ground.

Sango nodded, and reluctantly placed her styler in the grass, looking regretfully after it.

"Thank you, both of you," he said, letting go of Marion and kicking her forwards. "Now, you, green hair. And the hat, too. Everything."

Marion took off her uniform as well, and stepped back to join Sango.

"And the fishing pole," he said, frowning.

"You can't!" Marion wailed. "I-I need it!"

"I wasn't asking," he insisted, the Tentacruel looming closer to Marion.

Marion's eyes began to tear up, but she reluctantly loosened her grip, the fishing rod dropping from her fingers and landing in the grass.

The man gathered up their belongings as the Tentacruel watched the girls with a menacing glare.

"Thank you both," he said, giving them a smile devoid of warmth. "Feel lucky. If you're as smart and talented as you seem, you'll be able to survive out here without your supplies. Just try not to run into any dangerous pokemon again. If you can…"

"You're garbage," Sango growled. "You'll never become a pokemon ranger pulling shit like this."

The man smirked, turning away from them.

"It isn't my ambition to become a pokemon ranger at all. Now, Dokuro?"

The Tentacruel lunged forward and struck Marion in the side of the stomach with a venomous strike, Marion clutching her side and falling to her knees, coughing.

"Marion!" Sango cried, running to her side as the man left them behind, his Tentacruel following after him.

"It's okay," Marion panted. "Luckily these ranger uniforms are really something… they even kept out the poison, heh. Just… bruised, is all."

"I'm sorry, he… if it wasn't for me running off like an idiot, we wouldn't have…" Sango's face fell. "You were right… I really am not suited to be a ranger…"

"No, no," Marion laughed, sitting up, rising to her feet. "You… were perfect. A real ranger… no doubt a real ranger would have done the same. You're a good person, Sango. I'm sure… you'll make a great ranger."

Sango blushed in embarrassment, glancing down. "N-no, I…"

"But, first thing's first," Marion frowned. "We're getting you to pass that test."

"But without our stylers…"

"We're getting them back," Marion growled. "Our stylers, our bags, and most importantly… my fishing pole. That guy is going to regret ever laying his hands on her!"

"What? How?" Sango asked. "You're injured! There's no way we can catch up with him on foot, and we'll lose him for sure!"

"We don't need to catch him," Marion said, narrowing her eyes. "Not if we know where he's going."

"Huh?" Sango asked, confused.

"That guy… he had a Tentacruel with him," Marion said. "Did you see its sheen? It was vibrant and shiny."

"So?" Sango asked.

"If a Tentacruel remains out of the water for more than 4 hours, its body begins to dry out. Its external skin dulls, and the jewels on its head lose their luster. But that Tentacruel was bright and healthy. It would never be if it was out of the water this long. That means that he must have been staying in an area with a decent enough sized source of water. But not a lake or pond. Something that connects to the ocean. A large river of some sort. Within 4 hours from here."

She sniffed the air, her eyes flashing. "There aren't many sources of water around here that will work. Give me some time… I'll track it down."

Marion closed her eyes and sat on the ground, crossing her legs. She began to meditate.

After a long period of silence, Marion raised her fingers to her mouth and whistled, a piercing sound that shook the trees and startled Sango.

"There," Marion said, pointing in the direction he'd left in. "About three miles from here."

"How… how do you know?" Sango gasped. "That… that's amazing."

"All water speaks," Marion smiled. "You just need to listen. Shall we go?"

Sango nodded, following after her.

Meanwhile, sitting beside a deep rushing river flowing through an isolated brush of trees, the grey haired man was digging through the girls' bags and turning through their clothes as he sat underneath a large tree, his Tentacruel, Dokuro, lounging in the water.

"Pity," he sighed. "It seems they haven't come across it. I wish Shaw hadn't sent me on this dead-end mission. Three days to find a rock on an island this small? Unfortunately, this is the only time people are allowed to enter this place… but to have to disguise myself as a ranger candidate of all things, and force myself to cram for that test… what a pain in the ass…"

He tossed Sango's empty bag aside, and stood up.

"I guess I'd better start hunting some more of those kids…"

"That's all very interesting."

An icy-cold blade pressed up against the man's throat.

"Oh… an icicle for a knife? How resourceful of you," he said, smiling. "I'm revising my opinion more and more."

"Silver can come in handy in a pinch," Sango said, stepping out from behind the tree, circling around him as she held him at the tip of her icicle.

"We're taking our stuff back," Marion said, she and Silver coming out of the woods. "And then, we have some questions."

"Certainly, certainly," he said, smiling. "But first. If you're going to threaten someone… you should at least put some intent to kill into your moves."

He pushed forward, grabbing Sango by the arm, and slamming her into the ground.

"I can see it in your eyes… you still don't have the resolve to go through with a threat like that, little missy. Which means that icicle of yours is no more deadly than a cold splash."

"Rrr…" Sango growled, kicking up. Marion pushed forward and kicked at the guy, the man stumbling back. Marion helped Sango to her feet, and the two girls glared at the man, who leaned back and smirked.

"I gave you two the opportunity to leave easily. But now, Dokuro, let's show them what happen when you mess around in things that are none of your business."

"Tentacruel!" Dokuro roared, placing her tentacles on the shore and lifting herself out of the water. She moved menacingly towards the two girls.

"Unfortunately for you two, I don't think that Castform of yours will be quite strong enough to stand up to a pokemon of Dokuro's level."

"Uh, Marion, I think he's right," Sango said, looking nervously towards her. "What are we going to do? I was counting on him backing down with the icicle, I don't think-"

"Don't be such a worry-wuss, Sango!" Marion chuckled. "This guy's already donezo."

"Huh?!"

Marion smiled, her gaze sharpening.

"See, I love baiting others, but I hate being caught in a net myself," Marion said. "Unfortunately for you… you're already hooked into my trap without even knowing it."

"Tough words, but I saw you earlier. Your Mantine isn't even here. And even if it was, there's no way it can stand up against my Dokuro's venom."

"I know, right? Mana's totally not a combat sort," Marion chuckled. "Thing is though… she ain't the only one of my fishy friends who tagged along with me. See, fishies are a lonely sort, we like traveling in schools. So when they heard I was going to be in the area… they came along."

The water in the river began churning, as though stirred by something. Small, dark shapes darted through deep, wide water.

"And since this river connects out to the ocean, they could come help right away!" Marion bubbled, waving to the river. "All I needed to do was give 'em a call!"

The water was really raging now. And then, from within, a gigantic figure emerged, Sango absolutely taken aback by it. It was a massive fish the color of sapphires, with its body bumpy and misshapen as it lumbered forwards through the water, its uneven scales roiling like the water itself.

"Now, go for it, Solo!" Marion cheered.

"WASSHHAAA!" The mighty fish roared, diving up out of the riverbed and lunging toward the Tentacruel, slamming into her with the force of a tidal wave. Dokuro flew back and slammed into a tree, crying out in pain. The massive blue fish pokemon floated above the ground, water dancing around it, and pelted Dokuro with fiercer and fiercer blasts. In spite of her resistance, the pokemon was quickly being worn down.

"Crap!" The man shouted, gritting his teeth as he glanced up at the massive fish. "What kind of pokemon even is that?! I've never seen anything like it before!"

"Of course not!" Marion laughed. "These guys are super-tight, and strong like salmon! Now, Solo, double-edge!"

The massive fish slammed into Dokuro one final time, scoring a critical blow on the pokemon.

"Dokuro!" The man shouted.

"You should know better than to take your eyes off of your opponent," Marion reminded him, the man whirling back to face her. She held her newly reclaimed fishing pole in her hands.

"Sango, you got to show off against that Salamence, now it's time to show you my skills!" Marion swung grabbed the end of her line and twirled it in her hands, building up some decent momentum. She flung it forward, and the man dodged to the side. But that was perfectly fine with Marion.

"Dodge it if you want, but we've already got you, hook, line, and sinker!" She gripped her pole tightly and began to reel in the line, and suddenly the man felt a fierce tug backwards.

"What the hell?!" He exclaimed as he was dragged across the ground.

"Our ranger suits are quite durable, you know," Marion laughed. "So they won't rip so easily! I've caught me a big one, that's for sure."

Glancing behind him, the man saw what Marion meant. The way she'd angled her throw had caused the line to loop around the trunk of the thick tree and come back, hooking onto the back of his clothing. Then all it took was a few good tugs, and the feeling of bark began digging into his back.

"That's rough, ain't it?" Marion giggled. "Struggle if you want, but a Gyarados can't break that line, and neither can you. Sango!"

"Y-yes!" Sango gasped, taken aback by Marion's sudden proactiveness.

"I've got a spare reel in my bag, so it should be around here somewhere. Me and Solo will keep this guy right where he is."

The massive fish pokemon loomed overhead as Marion kept the man pinned tightly to the tree, unable to reach the hook that was pulling him in. A few minutes later, and Marion and Sango bound him tightly to the tree in the resilient fishing cord.

"Well, I must say, I didn't expect you to catch me," the man sighed, chuckling. "I guess this is it. Now I'm trapped, huh?"

"So what do we do with him?" Marion asked. "I mean, his Tentacruel's, like, supes unconscious, and tied up like that there's no way he's going to be going anywhere anytime soon."

"We'll turn him over to the proctor and the Ranger Association," Sango decided, digging through her bag and finding pencil and some paper. "But first, we're going to leave a note, so that they know what he did."

"Oh, good idea!" Marion nodded.

"But before that…" Sango said, walking up to the tied up man, "I have a few questions for you. Who are you?"

"Well, my name is Preya," the man answered her. "But I'm fairly certain that isn't what you want to know when you ask me who I am."

"What are you doing here?" Sango demanded. "At first, I thought you were just some opportunistic slimeball trying to get ahead in the exam by taking out your competitors. But now… after what we heard you say… I don't think you're even here for the exam at all. So what are you doing here? And who exactly is this 'Shaw' person? What are you looking for?"

"Well, you're right," the man named Preya admitted. "I don't have any interest in this little exam of yours. But as for the rest… sorry, but I'm not much in the mood for talking. Tell you what, why don't you let me go, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about what I'm doing here? Seems like a pretty good deal."

"Are you seriously trying to negotiate?" Marion laughed. "You do see my super-fishy here ready to blast you if you resist, don't you?"

"Not impressed," he said, giving the best disinterested shrug he could while being tied up. "Don't get me wrong, you ladies are quite talented. But that doesn't mean a whole lot if you can't back up your boasts. I don't think either one of you has what it takes to do what needs to be done. So it seems like right now, I'm the one holding the leverage."

"Oh, yeah?" Sango asked, pulling back her fist and hitting him in the jaw with all her might. "What do you think now?"

"Doesn't hurt," he said, licking at his cut lip. "It's decent enough for a gesture of strength, but that's all it is, posturing. I can see it in your eyes. You ladies are just schoolkids. Neither one of you has the stones to go through with your threats, which makes it all meaningless. So just give up the grandstanding, and untie me already. I'll tell you everything you need. I'll make it even better for you. Since pokemon rangers are so trustworthy, you don't even need to let me go first. I'm sure you two are women of your word. So? What do you say?"

His calm, superior smile made Sango want to punch him again.

"Sango, wait," Marion said, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Let's take a strategic retreat while we talk about our next moves."

"Take your time," Preya called after them.

"Okay, so, he's right. It was just a bluff," Marion admitted. "I… I don't know if I'll be able to kill or torture someone… especially not someone all tied up like that… I don't have it in me, sorry…"

Sango nodded. She was certain she'd never be able to do something like that.

"So what should we do?" She asked. Marion frowned.

"We've decided," Marion said, walking over to the man. "We'll be taking back our stuff, of course. And this, as well."

She held up his styler. He didn't even react, showing just how little he really did care about this test.

"Fair enough. Consider it a token of apology for my earlier actions. Now, we were discussing the terms of my release…"

Marion shook her head.

"I was wondering why you took our stylers," she said, "but now I'm pretty sure I get it. These stylers have a tracker imbedded in them. You were afraid that if you left us with our stylers, one of us would break one of them, signaling to the proctor to come find us, and then we'd blab about everything and she'd intervene. She's the one you're really afraid of, right? Whatever it is you're planning, you want to keep it under wraps. Otherwise, you wouldn't need to go through all the trouble of setting traps for the test takers, you would just attack them outright."

Marion dropped his styler onto the ground and crushed it to pieces with her foot. Sango placed her completed note on the ground, holding it down with a few rocks, and Marion kicked the pieces of the styler over it.

"Your Tentacruel is going to be unconscious for a long, long time. And with this, the proctor will certainly come to get you. And unlike the two of us, I'm fairly certain she has the skills and the resolve to get you to tell her what she needs to know."

"You don't know what you're doing," the man replied. He was a lot less calm now. "Just let me go, and-"

"We're here to take the test," Sango interrupted him. "While I can't say we're happy about it, it isn't our duty to interrogate you. We'll leave that to the Ranger Association. Whatever you have to say, there's no way we'll risk letting you go, not when you might try this same trick on someone else. So you can just stay tied up there and wait patiently.

"You can't do this!" He shouted, his veneer of civility falling away at last, his face filled with impotent rage. "Let me go!"

He struggled against the ropes, but they were as tight as Marion promised.

"We should go," Marion said, gesturing to her large fish friend. Sango followed after her, looking back reluctantly.

"Are you sure we should just leave him like that? What if he escapes?"

"We took all his stuff," Marion said. "And his partner pokemon is in no shape to keep going. We can't just sit and watch him for who knows how long. We need to pass this test. We've already lost a considerable amount of time doing this thing and that thing, the first day is almost over!"

Sango nodded. What Marion said made sense. But she felt uneasy. Like there was something going on that she couldn't begin to guess. That man confirmed that her suspicions were likely, but just what was going on she couldn't even begin to guess.

So, things are getting complicated for our heroes, but thankfully they managed to stop the bad guy!