We get more interpersonal drama in this chapter! Will we make any inroads in the relationships with our characters? Will they manage to convey their feelings?

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: I think most of the characters have shown up at this point. There is one more character planned to join Blake's harem at this time. No idea about the future. The reason for Mt. Chimney will be evident. The Galar trip is restricted to students in Professor Reinhart's classes.

Hellraiserphoenix: Hopefully Aidan and Caelia will get more focus. Blake's scars and his insecurity will get covered more as the story goes.

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: It never hurts to ask.

JoshGamerV: His father was a drinker. And one night he went off crazier than usual.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 143

Blake inhaled, and knocked on the door.

"Caelia? Are you in there?" He asked. He waited for a few moments.

"Yes." The response from the other side of the door was terse. She pointedly left the door closed as well. Blake rolled his eyes. So much for the niceties.

"Can I talk to you?" Blake asked.

"Aren't we?"

"No, I meant… face to face." Blake let out a sigh. There was a long pause of notable silence. Then, in a voice that was softer, and yet loud, like a close whisper, she asked a short, terse "why?" It was like she'd come up to the door, the two separated by a single wall of wood.

"I wanted to speak with you," Blake said. "About the field trip."

"…" Caelia did not reply with words. Instead, the door slowly swung open, and Caelia stepped backwards, implicitly inviting him entry into the girls' room. Blake entered, turning his attention to Caelia. Caelia stood motionless in the doorway, allowing the door to close behind her.

"You can sit down if you like," Blake suggested, moving to sit down on one of the beds.

"No need."

"Weird, you guys only have two beds, but there's three of you, right?"

"I will be sleeping in the foldout bed in the couch," Caelia answered, gesturing toward the couch.

"…That seems pretty uncomfortable," Blake commented.

"I don't mind…" Caelia muttered. "Even sleeping on the floor would be fine…"

The floor? What was wrong with this girl? Blake shook his head. "Come on, don't joke around like that!"

"I wasn't," Caelia softly replied. She never took her eye off of him. The emptiness in the pool of blue was plain to see. She was totally, 100% serious. Blake gulped. The terseness of her tone wasn't helping, either. It was… unnerving, to say the least. Blake was used to dealing with anti-social people. Elly had been easy to talk with, once he'd gotten her out of her shell. And with Elaina, her emotions were practically rolling off of her, there was always something to grasp onto and work with, develop a dialogue. But with Caelia… it was the opposite. She was like a closely guarded vault. Impossible to understand, every word and action designed to distance herself from others, to build up another wall.

Talking with her like this, it almost made Blake want to laugh. This must be what it was like when someone other than him tried talking to his sister. Like trying to sweet-talk a glacier. Needless to say, you could run your tongue raw, and the glacier would still be standing there, completely unaware of the fact that you were doing anything at all.

Since Caelia was quite clearly not going to broach any discussion topics, it fell to Blake to actually move the conversation forward. He just wished there was something he could latch onto, some sort of common ground he could reach so they could build a relationship. He could see the emptiness in her eye, he knew there was no "joy" she felt from her isolation, there had to be something more. Some reason why she didn't want to communicate with him, or with anyone. And he had a sinking suspicion of what that might be. He hadn't gotten a good look, and even now he couldn't really see, but just as Elaina hid herself behind her mask, Caelia was wearing a mask of her own. And what lay beneath it… that was something he could never ask. Never even insinuate. He would talk to her as she was, try to find some way to get her to open up. If any way existed, that was. But he knew that he couldn't just leave her like this. Even if she didn't show on the surface… he could see the suffering in her eye. It was the dull, empty light of someone who was completely devoid of hope.

"Hey, uh, why didn't you go swimming with the others?" Blake asked. "Were you serious about not knowing how to swim?"

"I don't," Caelia said, shaking her head.

"Well, Sango and Aidan are both rangers, they know how to swim really well," Blake said. "And Ayame is also really athletic. If you asked one of them to help, then-"

"I can't swim."

"Well I know, that's why you get one of them to teach you how to swim."

"It wouldn't work," she said, shaking her head slightly. "I've tried before. I can't. It's… complicated."

"You didn't happen to eat any strange fruit when you were a child, did you?" Blake asked. She stared at him silently.

"…Guess you don't get the joke, then," he sighed, shaking his head.

"My… never mind." Caelia cut herself off, falling silent. She looked down at herself for moment, shaking her head. "Some things come easier than others. Even if I could… no point really."

It was more talking than she'd done in the entire time he'd gotten to know her. Had he found something to gain some ground on? He narrowed his eyes, adjusting his posture so he was more open and receptive towards her. If this had any effect on her openness, it didn't show. She still gave off a guarded air. He tried his hand anyway.

"Do you… want to talk with it? It might help. I can imagine there aren't a lot of people to talk with."

"No need…" Caelia muttered, turning away from him. "Doesn't matter."

Blake sighed. So much for opening up to him. She wasn't shying away from him yet… not really, anyway… but she still seemed less receptive, more withdrawn… and yet at the same time, she wasn't explicitly rejecting his advances. Whether that was out of fear, politeness, or simple apathy, he couldn't hazard a guess. But he was more than aware of when he was wearing out his welcome, and decided to cut his losses.

"Well I guess I'll be going, then," Blake said awkwardly. She blinked her eye, staring at him.

"Not talking about the trip?" She asked. Blake's eyes widened in surprise. A question? That was a place to start. Inquisitiveness was always a good sign, it meant there was a way to get closer with her. Questions built connections, an intimacy that could be leveraged into getting her to open up about herself, and hopefully help bring her out of her shell so she could get to that level with the other members of her group. Maybe even make a friend.

"Did you want to?" Blake asked. Get her interested. Test her willingness to communicate. If it was a question out of politeness, she might say no. But if she was interested, then…

…

Well, she wasn't saying anything. How was Blake supposed to respond to that?

"Are you looking forward to the hike?" Blake asked. A blink. That wasn't really an answer.

"I don't care about hiking." Well, that was an answer, but it didn't really say anything. Blake glanced at her clothes.

"Hoenn's a tropical region, are you sure you should wear such bulky clothing? Long sleeves aren't the best in a volcano, you know."

"Heat… doesn't affect me," she responded, carefully, cautiously, as though she were considering her words before speaking. "And you?"

"Me?" Blake asked, confused.

"Long sleeves," she said, gesturing at him. Blake shivered, crossing his arms defensively, as if that would make the scars beneath his shirt disappear somehow. If his obvious discomfort at her questioning affected her in any way, it certainly didn't show on the parts of her face he could see.

"It's… a long story."

Caelia nodded, her eye gleaming with… understanding? Blake smiled a little. Perhaps there was something there to build off of… but did he dare try? Where would he even begin? What did she understand, if anything? It was clearly not something her could press on… yet. This would be something that he might have to approach after the field trip. It could take weeks, months even, before she'd be comfortable with opening up around him. But that was fine. If there was something he had at the moment, it was time.

"So is there anything you are looking forward to?" Blake asked. Hm. Apparently not. "What about… expecting?"

Caelia paused for a moment.

"Mt. Chimney has fire types," she replied.

Blake nodded. "That's right, you use fire type pokemon, don't you?" Caelia nodded.

"So you're looking to capture new pokemon then?" Another nod.

"…Vulpix," she replied. "I want to catch a Vulpix."

"Really?" Blake asked, his eyes widening in surprise. It wasn't that he was shocked at her wanting to capture a Vulpix, more that he was shocked that she would bother telling him.

"They're cute," Caelia stated. "I want one."

Blake nodded. That made sense. She wasn't continuing the conversation further, and things broke down into silence again. It just wasn't feeling right. Once again, she was pushing him back, and he began to feel pressured. He tried again.

"Anything else?" Blake asked. She shook her head. "Well… do you want to talk about how cute Vulpix are?"

"There's no need," Caelia said, shaking her head. Blake frowned. For a brief instant, he'd managed to get through to her. But right now… it was like she'd just slipped right back into her shell, and he was being forced back onto the outside. If he kept pushing at this point… it would only hurt his relationship with her. If he didn't have something real, tangible to latch onto and form a connection off of, a major interaction to build a strong bridge between the two of them, then he'd have to build it up gradually, with dozens of small conversations. One brick at a time. Blake sighed, and stood up off of the bed.

"It was nice talking to you," Blake said, smiling at Caelia. She didn't smile back. "If… you need anything… you can come talk to me, okay?"

"I don't need anything," Caelia said, her voice a hollow echo in his ear as he stepped past her and returned to his room. Her tone didn't even sound sad. It was a resigned statement, from someone who was completely numb to the world.

Blake entered his room, and flopped down on the bed. Caelia was so much different from Elaina. Unlike Elaina who struggling as hard as she could… Caelia came off like she was completely empty inside. He sighed again. This was far from the first time he'd tried to get a girl rejecting the outside world to open up and come out into the real world to interact with others. With his sister, there was an inroad for him already. But Caelia was a stranger to him.

This field trip was supposed to be fun and relaxing. And yet Blake was certainly not having as much fun as he would like to be having, and he most definitely was not feeling relaxed in any measure of the word.

Sango was leaning back in the water of the indoor pool of the cruise ship, her elbows up against the lip of the pool. She stared up at the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, lost in thought about the trip, when a wave of water washed over her body.

"Ublea… wuaa!" Sango spat, wiping her face. "What the hell!?"

"Hehe!" Ayame, a few feet away, swiped her hand through the water again, sending another wave at Sango. "That's what you get for letting your guard down!"

"Ayame!" Sango shouted, her cheeks flushed. She turned around so her back was to the water, crossing her arms over the rim of the pool, cradling her chin on the edge.

"Ehehe," Ayame giggled, swimming up beside her and mimicking her pose, tilting her head to the side and smiling at Sango. Sango glanced back at her. "This is fun, right? Too bad Blake didn't want to come."

"And Caelia," Sango agreed. "And Will, too. It would have been fun with all of us."

"It's a pity they didn't want to hang out," Ayame sighed. "I'm not good with girls like Caelia… it always makes me uncomfortable to be around people who don't want me around. It would be easier if she was confrontational, I feel… but not wanting to interact at all… passive rejection… it's hard. And since she's not going to open up to me, it's up to you first years."

Sango nodded.

"I know," she sighed.

"Sometimes, I feel like I wasted my first years at this school," Ayame said, turning to stare at the wall, her voice distant and sad. "I threw myself into my running… and I didn't have the social life that now I wish that I had."

Sango glanced sadly at her.

"Olivia was always inviting me to parties, trying to get me to socialize, to make friends, to experience a joyful school-life… and I kept pushing her away, staying within my own shell. And now, looking back… I wish I had taken her up on it. There's so much I still want to do… so many things I didn't get a chance to experience in high school… and I don't know if the time I have left will be enough…"

Ayame glanced back at Sango, her face wistful.

"I don't want that girl to look back one day and regret having wasted all of her time."

Sango nodded, understanding exactly what she was talking about. Ayame huffed in frustration, glaring at the ground.

"It took Olivia years, and all it took Blake was a single date to get me to open up. It's honestly annoying. And a little scary."

Sango laughed, nodding her head. "Blake's really got a good eye for helping people who are struggling, that's for sure."

"Hey, um… about Caelia…" Ayame was trying to find the right words to say. "Do you think you could maybe take her out of the room for a little while tonight? You know, show her around and have fun with her? Just sort of try to get her out, you know?"

"I guess…" Sango narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "…Why?"

"Well, uh…" Ayame tilted her fingers together, her face turning red. "I was gonna… invite Blake to our room tonight, and I was hoping you'd…"

Sango's heart sunk.

"Please, don't have sex in our room…"

"What?! No, no, absolutely not!" Ayame exclaimed, sinking down lower until her mouth was in the water. She bubbled out a few bubbles in embarrassment, before resurfacing. "Just, you know…"

Sango frowned. She didn't want to just directly say no, so she hoped that Caelia would decide to stay in, and-

No… that's a horrible thought…

"What about you?" Ayame asked. "Any progress with that boy you like?"

"Who, me?" Sango asked, blushing. "Er… no, nope. Not yet."

"That's no good!" Ayame said, shaking her head. "I'm spending my time on this field trip on getting close to Blake! You saw the look on his face when he saw me in my swimsuit! Just push a little more, and he won't be able to resist! And you're telling me that you won't even ask the guy you like out on a date?"

"It's complicated," Sango sighed. That was the truth, at least.

"What about that guy Aidan?" Ayame asked. "He definitely seems into you. Oh, wait? He's your friend, right? Is it him? Is he the guy?"

"He's not the guy," Sango laughed, shaking her head. She swatted Ayame on the arm. "And what do you mean 'into me'? Aidan's just a friend, there's no way he thinks about me like that at all!"

"Uh, yeah, he totally does," Ayame snorted, shaking her head. "Even I can see it. Maybe you're just too dense to see when a guy is so totally into you."

"No, I'm not dense," Sango said. "Why do you think he likes me, anyway?"

"Because he's been looking at you out of the corner of his eye ever since we came to the pool," Ayame replied, pointing her thumb behind her. Sango whirled around to see Aidan on the other side of the pool, staring at the two of them. He blinked and hastily turned his head away from them, obviously embarrassed at getting caught checking them out.

"It's not me he's looking at with that hot gaze, you know," Ayame laughed, elbowing Sango in the side. "He's so checking you out!"

"Maybe, but… I mean, why?" Sango asked, glancing down at herself, her cheeks turning hot.

"Because you're cute, girl!" Ayame said. "Even if he isn't the guy, he's still into you, you know! You guys clearly get along good, and he's cute. Why not go talk to him? Ask him to hang out sometime!"

"Even if he is cute, I'm still not interested," Sango sighed. "I guess I'm still holding out for someone."

"Aw, that's sweet," Ayame laughed. "Well, in that case, you need to be more proactive, girl! If you just sit there hoping, then nothing will change! You need to be more active in love! That's why I'm chasing after Blake, tempting him with all I've got!"

Sango nodded. She glanced back at the pool, staring into the depths of the water as she contemplated what she should do.

So much drama and emotions coming out! How will this trip go with our characters?