New chapter! Now that the Sylvia arc is over, time to go back to see how some of our main characters are doing! …Or so I would say, but before we go back to the Pokemon Academy properly, we have one last mini-arc to get through, focusing on Sango and her duties under Petal. But this chapter has nothing to do with that.
KedharS: It's quite sad indeed.
MaMcMu: I'm keeping up the good work as best as I can, thanks for your support.
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: :'(
Hellraiserphoenix: Akira and Dakota getting together was what it was all about. The series is basically over now, we're in the epilogue. Nah.
JoshGamerV: I think the far greater surprise is Akira and Dakota being together.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 163
Ayame yawned and stretched her arms. It had been a few days since she was admitted to the hospital, and she was still on the mend. Unfortunately, she would not be able to run for a considerable period of time, which was something that made her feel like her heart had been punctured, and not her lung.
But there was something that brought ease to her heart, and made her days brighter than the doldrums of being confined to her bed would suggest. Even though her private room was nice, and her every need was accommodated… what she enjoyed the most, however, was the special guest who attended to her.
"Hey, Ayame," Blake knocked on the door, stepping into the room. A large cardboard box was in his hands.
"Blake!" Ayame said, smiling. "Good morning!"
"The stuff you requested from home arrived," Blake said, holding up the box. Ayame's eyes shined eagerly.
"I've already got my computer and stuff that I need for my online classes, but this will make things feel like home," Ayame said, taking the box from Blake's hands and setting it down on the table beside her bed. "Can you open it?"
"Sure thing," Blake said, unpeeling the tape off of the box. He lifted the flaps and tilted it toward Ayame, her face brightening. She reached inside and grabbed the Wooloo plushy nestled in atop some books and manga, and nuzzled it close to her cheek.
"I can't believe I forgot to bring him on the trip!" Ayame gushed, squeezing the small plushy tightly.
Blake stared at her with a cocky smirk on his face.
"So you kept it after all."
"Eh…" Ayame flinched, glancing warily up at him, embarrassed.
"He-he's cute, that's all," she scoffed, setting the stuffed animal down on her pillow. "It's certainly not anything special! If you think I'm treasuring it because you gave it to me, you're completely wrong!"
Blake looked down, and picked up a slip of paper nestled in the box between two books.
"'Aya, don't worry. You'll be fine! You might feel a little uncomfortable in a foreign region, so I sent you your precious Blaiwooluu help you feel better! Hugs and kisses, Olivia'," Blake read, Ayame's refusing to meet his gaze, her eyes aimed straight at her lap.
"…Blaiwooluu?" Blake smirked. "You named him after me?"
"Not a word," Ayame hissed, glaring at him. "Not. A. Word."
"You are adorable," Blake laughed. "I'm glad I get to see your angry face before I have to go."
Ayame's eyes widened in surprise, and she tilted her head quizzically towards him.
"Blake, what do you mean? Are you telling me that you're leaving?" Ayame asked, shocked.
"…Well, yeah, what did you expect? I still have classes to get to, I can't stay here forever!" Blake laughed, playing it off as a joke. "Unlike you seniors, most of my coursework kind of needs me in person. So I'm going on a flight back to the academy tonight."
Ayame blinked. Duh. Of course not. He would need to get back to school, obviously. She let out a sigh. First Sango had left the day before, and now Blake was leaving, too.
"And here I was, hoping we'd stick together for the next few weeks in a little love nest…" Ayame huffed, lifting up her stuffed Wooloo and looking it in the eyes. Blake laughed.
"You know, when you said you were trying to seduce me, you really are putting a good effort into it."
"I'm not coming across as too clingy, am I?" Ayame asked, setting her Wooloo down and glancing up at him. Her expression carried a tone of worry in it, much to Blake's surprise.
"No, no, not at all," Blake said, shaking his head and sitting down in the chair beside her bed. "I'm actually quite flattered. Normally, the girls who flirt with me don't have as pure intentions as you do."
"Oh, really?" Ayame said, flashing him a winning smile and raising her hands up to rest her chin, batting her eyelashes. "If you only knew just how impure my intentions really are."
"Well, now you've got me pretty interested," Blake laughed. "I'd like to hear more, in explicit detail."
"Sorry to say, but in my present condition I won't be able to participate," Ayame smiled. "In the meantime… you'll have to use your imagination."
"Speaking of your condition, how are you doing?" Blake asked. "Are your injuries-"
"I'm fine," Ayame reassured him. "I'll be back on the track before you know it!"
Blake stared at her quietly, Ayame looking down.
"Well… it's not bad, but… I'll need to stop doing any athletics for a while, at least until I'm in better shape. I won't need physical therapy, but still…"
Ayame let out a sigh.
"Not being able to run is a real bitch. Plus, my pokemon need a bunch of exercise, but I can't keep up with them like this, and I don't know if there are any coaches to help them here, and-"
Blake placed a comforting hand over hers, squeezing it reassuringly. Ayame fell silent, and smiled. Just his presence was comforting enough.
"It could be worse," Ayame laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "If this happened a little later, I'd be forced to sit out my own birthday! But I'll be in tip-top shape by then!"
"Oh? Birthday?" Blake said, intrigued. "Your birthday is coming up?"
"Not for more than a month," Ayame clarified. She narrowed her eyes and raised the pitch of her voice into a teasing lilt. "Why? Are you curious about when my birthday is, Blake?"
"Maybe," Blake said, picking up her Wooloo and holding it up to her. "Maybe I'm just wondering if you'd like me to win another stuffed toy for you?"
"…It's December 19th," Ayame said. "Right before break starts. Olivia was going to have a big party to celebrate, but…"
Ayame beamed up at him and bit her lip.
"If you're really thinking of getting me a birthday present, a nice and romantic candlelit dinner would be a lovely start."
"I don't know, Ayame, that sounds like the kind of thing you should be doing with your boyfriend," Blake replied. Ayame's expression turned sour and she stuck her tongue out. Blake smirked back at her.
"Maybe by then I'll have one," she challenged him.
"Any prospects?" He replied. Ayame's eyes flicked up and down his body, and she smiled.
"I can think of somebody."
"So, your birthday is in December," Blake said, getting back on topic. Ayame let out a huff of frustration at having her flirting once again be routed. "That's right around Christmas."
"Yup," Ayame said, reaching into the box for one of her books. It was a book on horoscopes and the zodiac. "And not only that, see? Written write here. I'm a Gogoat!"
"Wow, I wouldn't have expected you to buy stuff like that," Blake said. "I kind of thought you were the cool sort of girl who didn't pay that much attention to stuff like horoscopes or birthdays. I'm a little surprised."
"Well, there's a lot you don't know about me, Blake, and there's a lot left for you to find out."
She suddenly had a thought rush through her head, and a smile crossed over her face. She began flipping through the book eagerly, looking up at Blake.
"Blake! When's your birthday?" She asked. "You already know mine, but I want to give you a present for yours. Also, want to see how compatible we are?"
"Blake?"
Worry crept its way into Ayame's voice as she saw the shadow cross over Blake's face. Something about him… he looked sad, and in pain. She reached hand out to touch his shoulder.
"Blake, are you okay?" Ayame asked. "What's wrong?"
"I… don't know," Blake quietly told her. "I'm an orphan. I don't know when my real birthday is."
Ayame immediately tossed her horoscope book back into the box and reached out to Blake, linking hands with him.
"I'm so sorry…" Ayame said quietly, her eyes tearing up. "I didn't mean to-"
"No, no, it's fine," Blake said, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it." But Ayame could still see the sadness in his eyes. She'd stepped on a landmine, and she knew it. Why was she always doing this? Saying such insensitive things?
"It's clearly not fine," Ayame softly replied. "I'm sorry… I didn't think, I just…"
"I just wanted to learn more about you…"
"Don't worry," Blake said, giving her a smile that tried to be reassuring, but failed to conceal the pain in his eyes from her worried gaze. "It's just… sad memories about birthdays. Don't feel bad."
Ayame gave a nod in reply, still feeling a little guilty but not wanting to burden Blake with her worries. Instead, she settled for sitting next to him in silence. Ayame held his hand while Blake stared out the window.
"When my little sister heard that I didn't have a birthday, she decided to share hers with me," Blake spoke after a moment. "November 11th. That way, we could always celebrate it together, and I'd always have someone who would remember my birthday."
Ayame smiled up at him.
"She sounds like a sweet girl."
"In her own way," Blake agreed. "She has trouble getting along with people, though."
"I like her already," Ayame laughed.
"I won't be able to celebrate it with her this year, though," Blake said, sadness crossing his face.
"Well, tell you what," Ayame said, leaning in close and patting him on the shoulder. "It's coming up soon, right? So if you can't celebrate your birthday with her, I'll be happy to take on that honor."
"Oh? Are you volunteering to be my new sister?" Blake asked, smirking.
"Oh. Wait. Ick. No thanks," Ayame said, pulling her hands back like she was touching something dirty. She shook her head. "But if there're any openings for the role of girlfriend, I'll be happy to submit my resume."
"Unfortunately we aren't offering any positions in that area at this time," Blake apologized. "So I must respectfully decline."
"Oh, boo," Ayame huffed.
"Hello there, Miss Toujou," a nurse interrupted their flirting, entering the room with a tray holding a glass of water and a single large bowl filled with thick red liquid and a smaller bowl of chocolate pudding. "I've brought you your lunch."
"O-oh, yes," Ayame said, turning to her. "Soup again…"
"According to the doctor, your stomach isn't ready for hard foods just yet," the nurse kindly replied. "Don't worry, it's tomato, just like you wanted."
"Thank you," Ayame mumbled, nodding her head. The nurse unfolded the small legs of the tray and set it down over Ayame's lap, the steam of the soup rising up into her face. She inhaled. It smelled pretty good.
"You also have a guest," the nurse replied. "A lovely young lady. Would you like me to send her in?"
"Sure, sure, whatever," Ayame said, turning to Blake. She opened her mouth wide.
"What?" Blake asked, confused.
"UUNng," Ayame kept her mouth open and pointed at it, then she pointed toward the spoon sticking out of the soup bowl, and then back at her mouth.
"I'm not feeding you," Blake said, rolling his eyes. Ayame shut her mouth, scowling.
"Feed me! I'm injured, here!" She pouted.
"Your hands are fine," Blake replied. "You can feed yourself, you know."
Ayame looked pleadingly up at him, giving him the best puppydog eyes she could with her host-caliber face.
"…Fine," Blake grumbled, Ayame pumping her fist in victory. She opened her mouth again, Blake scooping out a spoonful of soup and shoving it into her mouth. Ayame let out a yelp of pain, Blake withdrawing the spoon as she scrambled for the water.
"Ah bunned mah tonne!" Ayame stuttered, glaring at him. "You were supposed to blow on it!"
Blake smirked.
"Well, since you asked so nicely, I guess I can blow on it," he replied.
"That's what she said!"
Ayame and Blake whirled their heads to see a girl standing in the doorway, a playful smile on her face. The girl wore a baby blue turtleneck and a white miniskirt over her curvy figure, her slender legs covered in black leggings and brown boots. She had long, curly brown hair tied into pigtails, with a long bang down the right side of her face, held back with hairclips. Her green eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, and she leered at Blake and Ayame with eagerness on her face.
Blake's face went pale and he let out a sigh of annoyance.
"Well now, this is a cozy little setup," Claire flounced into the room. "Nice to see you again, Blake! And as for you… hello there. I'm Claire Suzuki! Nice to meet you."
Ayame blinked in surprise, glancing at Blake. He sighed, and shrugged his shoulders. She could see the look on his face was saying "oh fuck why".
"So, who's the hunk?" Claire asked, licking her lips. She sidled up to Blake, throwing herself into his lap.
"Ayame Toujou," Ayame said, staring at the flirtatious girl that reminded her of Olivia in a way that was all too ominous. Claire's eyes widened and she got off of Blake, leaning in close.
"Oh, yeah!" Claire said, nodding. "I remember you! Ribbons! You're the runner! The one with the great ass! So it looks like your date went well, eh?"
Ayame vaguely remembered a set of boobs hanging around Blake around the time when she had her first date with him, but she didn't think much of her at the time, or now. But seeing the way this girl seemed to be clinging to him…
I guess that's why my flirting strategy isn't really paying off, Ayame scowled up at Claire.
"Claire, what are you doing here?" Blake asked quietly. "I thought you hated hospitals?"
Claire glanced back at him, and frowned.
"I didn't want to come," she admitted, nodding her head. "But when I heard that you were hospitalized, I decided to come by. But much to my surprise, it wasn't you in the hospital, you were just putting up a hot girl! I got all worked up for nothing. Tickets to Hoenn aren't cheap, you know! A little gratitude would be nice!"
"Wait, but how did you even hear about any of this?" Blake asked, confused. "How did you even know where to go?"
"Pft," Claire laughed. "That was easy! I've been tracking your credit car-"
Claire coughed, clearing her throat.
"…Women's intuition."
Ayame narrowed her eyes into a glare, Claire ignoring her.
"I'm surprised, though," Claire said, glancing at Ayame. "Last time I saw you two, she looked like she wanted to rip your throat out. But now…"
Claire glared back at Ayame.
"Blake? Do you mind letting us talk in private?"
Blake glanced at Ayame, then back at Claire.
"It's cool," Ayame said. Her tone was strict and icy, like Blake remembered her being back when she was so antagonistic to him.
"Uh, yeah, sure, no problem," Blake said, getting out of his seat and walking into the hallway, leaving the two girls alone.
"So… what's your deal?" Claire asked. "What, do you like Blake or something now? Is that it?"
"Absolutely," Ayame said, smiling. "Honestly… I think I'm in love with him."
"Well, isn't that cute," Claire smirked. "But-"
"Every time I see him, I feel like smiling," Ayame gushed, cutting her off. "You're his friend, right? Then you know stuff about him, right? I want to hear everything you know about him!"
"Uh…" Claire blinked. Sango had mentioned Ayame a few times, but this was… an experience. She was used to dealing with golddiggers and Kanone fangirls, but this woman seemed… bubbly. The passion in her eyes spoke volumes.
"Sadly, Blake isn't willing to go out with me yet," Ayame sighed. "But I'm not giving up yet. Plus, my friend Sango is helping me get closer to him, so-"
"Wait, wait, wait, Sango is what?" Claire asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Oh, you know Sango?" Ayame asked. "Yeah, she's a really good friend. When she heard that I got rejected, she said she felt bad for me, and that she would support me in my love, and then-"
"That idiot…" Claire muttered under her breath. When this talk was done, she was going to have a long and angry phone call to make about Sango playing nicey-nice with the enemy.
"Hm?" Ayame had been gushing over Blake, and hadn't caught what Claire had said.
"Nothing, nothing," Claire said, shaking her head. "Ayame… do you really love Blake?"
"I do," Ayame said, nodding. The look in her eyes carried an earnestness that reminded Claire of Sango.
Claire smiled.
"I was prepared to give you some big scare to drive you away from Blake if your emotions were insincere, but… it's actually kind of gross how into him you seem to be," Claire sighed. "Plus even though you're in a hospital bed, you look like you could rip me to pieces if I pissed you off, so I'm gonna pass. You aren't nearly as fun to tease as Sango is, I'd imagine."
"I see…" Ayame said, nodding. "You really care about Blake a lot."
"Yeah, whatever," Claire dodged the question. "Listen, Ayame, I may not be rooting for you, but if you can honestly make Blake happy, I'm not going to stand in your way. But I don't fully trust you, either, even if you have Sango's okay, god knows why. You're on probation as far as I'm concerned! So if I get the whiff that something fishy's going on…"
It was clearly a hollow threat, but the passion in her voice made her words still carry weight.
"Thank you for that," Ayame smiled back to her. "But right now, Blake doesn't seem to be that interest in me, I'm sorry to say. At least for now."
"Oh god, I know, right?" Claire rolled her eyes. "That guy just brushes off every attempt to flirt with him! It's so infuriating! Can you imagine how he just ignores two smokeshows like us?"
Ayame nodded sympathetically, the two girls chuckling.
"So you said you wanted to know more about Blake, right?" Claire cackled. "I've got all sorts of juicy stories about him…"
Ayame nodded, her eyes shining eagerly. Outside the room, Blake felt a shiver run down his spine. Something seriously wrong was going on in there, he just knew it.
You don't know the half of it, Blake.