This arc is drawing to a close! How will things work out? Will Blake and Caelia arrive on time to save everyone? What will happen with Ayame? And Caelia? We'll just have to find out! Review!
Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Just a little bit more complicated than that, though.
Hellraiserphoenix: Yup, Caelia definitely feels something alright. And with new sensations comes new understanding.
JoshGamerV: "Hmm" indeed.
GreyGomez: Thank you for your kind words, I'm doing my best!
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 151
Blake winced as Caelia's Charizard carried them to the entrance of the tunnel, which was blocked off by a large iron gate. She landed on the stone floor, staring at the gateway angrily.
"We can't get out…" Caelia murmured. "Kara…"
"CHARIZARD!" Kara roared, flames bursting out of her mouth. The iron grew hot, and the dragon stomped towards it, swinging her tail. She struck the iron gate and forced the burning metal barricade open with a loud clang. She flew forward and landed on the ground, standing in the sunlight, letting out another loud roar that caught the attention of everyone fighting on the plateau.
"Hey, that's-!" Reiner gasped, staring at Blake and Caelia.
"What's going on?" Caelia asked, blinking. The pounding in her chest had died down, much to her shame. It was like nothing more than a ghost, a memory. Had it even happened? Blake looked around the flat of land, seeing that Reiner and Will were battling against three people.
"It's a fight," Blake said, frowning.
"Well, this is new," Rast said, glancing back at her.
"Another one?" Alk growled, leering at Caelia.
The two white-haired kids then felt something, their eyes widening. Their attention immediately shifted completely towards Caelia, or more specifically, the stone in her hands.
"Rast, that's-"
"The Oracle, I know," Rast said, smirking. "We should thank that little lady for finding it for us!"
"Caelia, that stone…" Blake glanced at the smooth red-orange stone in her hands. "I think they're after it."
"Should I give it to them?" Caelia asked.
"No, you shouldn't," Blake said, shaking his head.
"I see. Then set us down, Kara. Time to fight."
"Char!" Kara said, nodding, setting the two injured humans gently down on the ground, storming towards the melee ahead of her.
"Change of plans," Rast said, returning his frozen Feraligatr to its pokeball, and reaching to his belt. "Alk! Ignore those kids, time to get the Oracle!"
"Dread! Go!" Rast sent out another pokemon, a large quadrupedal turtle pokemon with a thick brown shell and a large golden ridge on its face, resembling a horn. The Drednaw growled at the Charizard, and fired a blast of water at Kara, countering the flames she'd fired out from her mouth. Alk similarly ignored the small Falinks, her Camerupt turning around to bray at Kara angrily, stomping on the ground and creating more tremors.
As the two refocused their attention on Caelia, the stone in her hands began glowing a bright red light.
"Oh?" Caelia glanced down at the stone. "Curious…"
A similar crimson aura began burning around Kara, strength surging through the lizard pokemon's body. She let out a roar and sent a blast of massive flames at the trainers, Rast's Drednaw jumping in front of Alk and trying to counter the flames with another wave of water, but unable to stymie the attack very successfully. The flames engulfed the water pokemon, badly burning him.
"Dread, stay tough!" Rast shouted, his harmonia flaring up as he strengthened Dread's resilience with the force of his connection.
Dread endured the hit as well as he could, and remained tough, but the difference in his power was clear to see.
"…Damn, so that's the power of the Oracle, huh?" Rast winced, feeling the burns aching over his skin. "Not even harmonia is able to withstand its power, huh? Things aren't really looking good for us."
"Rast, we can't let her get away!" Alk growled, the volcano shaking in tune with her growing frustration at the situation.
"Alk, I think you might want to take a look at how things are going," Rast replied, shaking his head.
"But big brother!"
"That girl's quite the fire type trainer. Even if we might have the type advantage, she's in her natural environment. And she has the Oracle. Rather… you could say the minute she got her hands on that Oracle, our mission already ended. I think it's time for us to make a retreat, if you ask me."
Alk bit her lip in frustration, glaring at the seated girl angrily.
"Oracle…" Caelia glanced down at the glowing stone in her hand. "Is she talking about this, I wonder?"
"That stone…" Blake murmured, frowning. He looked across the field at the others. "So that means, these guys-"
Blake's thinking was cut short as his attention was consumed by something else entirely.
"Ayame!" Blake shouted, his eyes widening. Ignoring his injuries, he ran past Caelia and Kara to where Ayame was sprawled out. He knelt down beside her, and got a closer look at her injuries. His face went chalk-white. "Ayame! Ayame!"
Blake put his hand in front of her mouth.
She's breathing irregularly… and these marks… she has internal bleeding… this isn't good!
"We, we need a doctor, or… I don't know, something-!"
"B-Blake…" Ayame's voice was soft, and he barely heard it. Her eyes stirred, and she looked up at him weakly.
"Ayame! Don't move, don't even speak!" Blake said. "You've got internal bleeding, you don't want to make your wounds worse!"
"My… wounds…" Ayame muttered, staring blearily at Blake. "Those… scars… what are they…?"
Blake looked down and realized he wasn't wearing his shirt, meaning that Ayame was seeing his scars for the first time. But he didn't have time to think about the.
"Don't worry about that now," Blake said, shaking his head. "Just worry about yourself, you idiot!"
"You're… okay… though? I'm glad… I was… so worried about you… but it looks like you're okay… and Caelia… I'm so… happy… did Sango and Aidan get away too? Are they… and Troops, what's-"
"Ayame, please, stop, just…"
"You're crying…" Ayame murmured, reaching a trembling hand up to Blake's face, brushing the tears out of his eyes. "I'm sorry… that I made you… so worried… Can't you smile for me…? Please…"
"Damn it! Ayame you idiot!" Blake cried.
"I wanted to see your face… again… so now I'm…"
"AYAME!"
What's going on? Caelia wondered, staring at Blake. She narrowed her eye. This… my chest, it's… like the flames… this burning… stop it!
"Stop it! Stop it!" Caelia shouted, dropping the stone and clenching both of her hands to her chest. "STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT! STOP HURTING, STOP STOP!"
Rast and Alk looked at each other in confusion.
"CHARIZARD!" Kara roared, whirling around to where her trainer had collapsed. Ignoring the enemy trainers and their pokemon, she knelt beside her trainer, who was experiencing pain for the first time in so long.
"Well now, that's odd," Rast murmured, but neither one of them took the opportunity to attack any further.
THRUM!
A sharp tune punctuated by the crackle of electricity silenced everything else that was going on. All heads turned to see a young woman stroll down the slope and walk onto the plateau, a Pichu carrying an electric guitar at her side. Sango and Aidan followed behind her, hopeful expressions on their faces.
"Well, looks like we've got a party going on here," Petal said, taking a note of the situation.
"A pokemon ranger…" Rast frowned, recalling his Drednaw. "It looks like we took just a little too much time."
"Ayame!" Sango shouted, running to Ayame's side. "Blake!"
"Sango… so you did it…" Ayame laughed, but it turned into a painful cough. "Damn… way to go…"
"She's got internal bleeding," Blake explained. "I think her ribs are busted. Maybe a punctured lung… this isn't good, she needs to get to a hospital, as fast as pssible!"
"She took a hit trying to protect me…" Sango wailed. "It's all my fault! If I had gotten away quicker, or if I'd been stronger, then…"
"Sango, it's fine!" Aidan said, pulling her away. "There's already an emergency evacuation helicopter coming, remember? The pokemon ranger radioed them!"
"It's not fine!" Sango snapped. "If anything happens, then…!"
"Shut it," Ayame rasped. "I ain't… I don't need you taking any blame… it's my duty… to look after you kids…"
"Now then…" Petal murmured, drawing her sword. "Shall we get in on this, Ritsu?"
"Pi!" Her Pichu nodded, strumming her guitar.
"I don't suppose we can settle things amicably?" Rast asked, smiling. "Maybe let us all go, no harm, no foul? We've already finished what we came here for, there's no longer any need to stay. You can just let us go, you know?"
"From what I hear, you lot are a bunch of terrorists," Petal said, frowning. "What Sango over there told me… you're associated with that guy who attacked the Nature Preserve."
"Preya? Yeah, I guess you could say that," Rast sighed, realizing that further discussion was pointless. He held up Dread's pokeball again, preparing to release it. "Hey, Rui. We need you over here, too."
"Oh, okay, fine," Rui huffed, turning away from Reiner. She walked over to Rast, Val stomping over to join the fray against Petal.
"You kids, fall back, this is grown up time." Petal snapped, flicking her sword. Reiner and Will glanced at each other, it seemed their presence here was unneeded. The two students recalled their pokemon, stepping out of her way.
"We didn't come here to fight," Rast sighed, shaking his head, "but it looks like we've got to knock you out before any of your ranger colleagues get here."
"Your buddy interfered with the dreams of prospective rangers and tried to attack innocent students," Petal snarled. "Causing such trouble… such pain to humans and pokemon alike… and for what nefarious purpose, I can't even begin to guess. Sorry, no, I'm not going to just 'let you go' like nothing has happened. Way too much has happened already. Not only have you attacked these kids, but until I figure out what you're here for, we need to have some words."
She narrowed her eyes, a cold smirk crossing her face as she pointed her blade at the white-haired trainer.
"Besides… I've been looking forward to getting even."
Petal lunged forward, swinging her sword at Rast as he sent out his Drednaw a second time, leaping back. Petal readjusted her swing, lunging over the low water pokemon as Ritsu fired a bolt of electricity at it.
As Petal sliced at Rast, fury in her eyes, her sword was suddenly parried.
"What?" Petal glared at the pokemon that had blocked her attack. It was a white humanoid pokemon with green arms, and its elbows ended in blades. It had a curved blue crest on his head, and piercing red eyes. His face and torso were covered in old scars, and a curved scar went down his left eye.
"A newcomer, eh?"
"Well, it looks like our ride's here," Rast said, recalling his Drednaw.
"Gal," the Gallade nodded, slicing his arm at Petal. Petal jumped back, dodging the attack.
"Sorry cutie," Rui winked, calling back her Avalugg. "But we'll have to settle things some other time."
Rui skipped back, standing next to Alk and her Camerupt, alongside Rast. The Gallade leapt back, his body shining.
"Damn it, he's using teleport!" Petal shouted, swinging her sword at the shimmering pokemon helplessly, but the Gallade had already disappeared along with the other trainers.
Petal muttered a string of expletives and sheathed her sword, storming over to the injured student.
"They got away," she cursed, kneeling down next to Ayame. "But thankfully, no one else is injured."
"Ayame, she…" Blake looked away from Ayame for the first time to get a look at Petal, but the pigtailed ranger ignored him, placing her hand on Ayame's forehead.
"Not good…" Petal said, shaking her head, placing a light hand on Ayame's ribs as well. "But it looks like we got here just in time."
The sound of a helicopter could be heard overhead, maneuvering around the mountain to find a good place to land on the plateau. Reiner and Will cleared out of the way, leaving just enough space for the evac helicopter to land. Two rangers got out of the helicopter with a stretcher, running over to the group of students gathered around Ayame, the crowd stepping aside to allow them to work.
"We need to get her to the nearest medical facility," Petal informed them. "As fast as possible!" The two rangers gently lifted Ayame onto the stretcher and headed toward the helicopter, Blake following after them.
"I'm coming too," Blake said, staring adamantly at them. "And there's another girl, over there, with a broken leg. She needs treatment as well."
"Good idea," one of the rangers agreed, turning to the rest of the students. "Everyone in need of medical attention, please, come with us." Another helicopter appeared on the horizon, moving towards the plateau, hovering overhead before touching down a slight distance away from the first.
"Everyone else, you'll come with me," Petal declared. "Sorry to cut your little vacation short, but due to the recent underground activity in this area, my colleagues are helping to evacuate this mountain."
Sango and Aidan glanced at each other, nodding. They joined Will and Reiner in the walk toward the other helicopter, glancing at Caelia and her Charizard, who had not moved from where they were sitting.
"What about Caelia?" Sango called back to Petal.
Petal frowned and turned to the girl, walking over and kneeling beside her. She got a look at Caelia's poorly bandaged leg, seeing enough to know that medical attention was a definite necessity.
"Come with me," Petal said, holding her hand out. "We'll get you to a hospital to get that leg checked out."
"Char…" Kara glanced at Caelia, who shook her head.
"No need…" Caelia said, smiling a strange, distorted smile. "My leg… doesn't hurt at all. Doesn't hurt, doesn't hurt… this pain, different… heart, it hurts, but can't… need to feel… more… my heartbeat… need, need it… more… Kara take me…"
"Oi, you can't just-"
Caelia reached down and picked up the crimson stone, Kara letting out a roar of objection. She flapped her wings and nearly blew Petal over, taking to the sky.
"Hey! Come back here!" Petal exclaimed, but Kara and Caelia had already flown far from where they could hear her objections.
"Yes… my leg, my body… it doesn't hurt at all…" Caelia murmured, shaking her head. "No, my heartbeat… such feeling, need more… This feeling in my chest… it's been so long, so long, so long! Never, never felt… feel! So good! My heart… Yes, yes, more… I want… more of this, this feeling…"
Her body was trembling, and it wasn't because of the force of the wind.
"Blake… Harker… he was right… there was something that I found…" Caelia smiled, her eye twitching. She held her hands up to her face. She still couldn't feel it. But the feeling in her chest… the feeling of her heart beating-! That was real. It was there. She was alive! For the first time in years, Caelia felt really, truly, alive! This feeling… it was indescribable, like waking from a long dream, to a new, brighter world. It was a feeling she could never do without again.
"But if you still don't see any point in going on, or anything worth living for, then fine. I don't care about your selfish whims, you can do whatever the hell you want."
"Yes… that's right… I don't care about anything... just this... so I'll do… whatever I want… what I want, what I want, what I want… feel it, feel more… my heartbeat, more, faster, feel it… need… need to feel more…" She muttered over and over, a cracked smile spreading across her face as her hands shook. "Need it again… that feeling… Blake… need Blake Harker… only Blake… Blake Harker, my heart, need to feel it again, need more…"
She closed her eye and pictured Blake in her mind, the pounding in her heart consuming her entire world. She saw Blake run to Ayame, saw him kneeling beside Ayame, crying over Ayame! The beating in her heart increased, and with it came an urge to rip it out to make the pain stop.
"Need more… I need… to do what I want… I want more of the feeling… my heartbeat, need it more… only Blake… only Blake, only Blake… Blake… do what I want… I'll… yes, that's right… following my selfish whims is fine… not empty, not empty… find something… find Blake… make Blake mine… only Blake, together with him… find more of this feeling… only this, forever…"
Blake said I can do whatever I want… I can follow my own selfishness… that's right… I don't matter… nothing matters… everyone… pointless, my body… empty, worthless, only Blake… gives me meaning… in that case… I'll just take him… Blake will give me more of this feeling… yes… just Blake… nothing else, Blake… only one who understands me, only one who looks at me… only one who loves me… that's it… this is it, this feeling… Blake's love!
"If Blake didn't love me, then he wouldn't have helped me… Blake is the only one who loves me, that's why he understands me, that's why he accepts this empty body… that's why my heart is beating for him, Kara! Blake brought me back, gave me all of this… a gift of his love that made me feel again… He loves me, and this feeling in my chest, to feel it again, I need to love him… Blake and I together… no one else, no need to concern for others… Blake Harker, only Blake Harker…"
Blake is the only one who can give me this feeling… the only one who made my body feel like this… need to feel, must feel! More, more… only Blake… need Blake… need to make Blake mine…
Fingers that felt nothing clenched against a face that could not notice their presence as she hysterically muttered Blake's name over and over again, relishing in the feeling brought on by her heart pounding in her chest.
Caelia has finally found a purpose for her existence! She's discovered what it means to be in love. I guess. Probably.