Awesome, the review system seems to be back up, so I can see them again! In this chapter, we take things a little easy. A nice breather after all the drama for the last few chapters.

JoshGamerV: Whoa is right.

Hellraiserphoenix: It's certainly a good conflict.

TREBOR.E: Well, she'll hopefully tell her eventually.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Not stressed at all. And yes, Ayame really is a good girl. Whether or not she's the best match for Blake remains to be seen.

Nothing2020: It really is a conflict. Both of them like Blake, and both of them are good for him in their own ways.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 167

"Thanks for this," Ayame said, handing Claire her phone.

"Oh, yeah, no problem," Claire said, taking her phone back. "Don't worry about it. How did it go?"

"I think I got through to her," Ayame said, smiling. "She overthinks things a lot, though. Kind of strange considering how she's normally rushing into things, you know?"

"She's an odd one," Claire agreed. "With all that energy and positivity, and she still gets a little caught up in herself."

"Yeah," Ayame murmured. "Hey, Claire…"

"Mm?"

"The boy that Sango likes… it's Blake, isn't it?"

"Uh, wha… oh, um…" Claire was caught off guard by Ayame's probing question, and her flustered reaction to it was all the answer Ayame needed.

"So it is…" Ayame quietly confirmed. Claire winced, and then lowered her head in resignation, nodding.

"So you knew?" Claire asked. "The whole time?"

"When I'm with Blake, if I'm not thinking of anything, my eyes happen to fall on him without even noticing it. I'm always paying attention to him. And because I'm always looking his way, I noticed the way that other people look at him, too." Ayame chuckled. "I may be a beginner in love, but my eyes aren't blind. Even I can see the way her face lights up whenever she talks with him. That girl… she's just so honest. There isn't a deceitful bone in her body."

Claire smiled, and nodded.

"She really is. Even if she thinks she's lying or hiding something, she gives everything away. That's what makes it such a blast to tease her."

Claire let out an almost cruel chuckle, and although Ayame agreed with her, she didn't share in the joke.

Once Claire settled down, her serious expression returned.

"If you know who Sango likes… then why were you giving her that advice?"

"…Because she's my friend," Ayame said. "And she was going through a dilemma."

Ayame smiled, and leaned back in bed.

"I like Blake a lot… but I also like the people who he likes. I don't know Sango that well, we don't really talk, but to me… I still consider her a friend. That's why I'm going to support her in pursuing her love."

"Even if it's the same guy that you like?" Claire asked. Ayame nodded.

"Right now… if she doesn't want to tell me the truth, that's fine," Ayame said. "I know how scared she must be, especially after I asked her to support me. It seems like I've put her in quite a predicament without realizing it. So until she builds up the courage to reveal how she feels, then I'll stay by her and support her any way I can."

She glanced up at Claire and smirked.

"…But don't go thinking that I'm just going to back down and let her have him, either. I ain't giving up without a fight, not ever. So she's going to do her best, and so am I."

"…That's quite a strange way of thinking," Claire commented. "Most people wouldn't be so understanding of another girl who likes the same guy."

"Well, as I'm sure you know, I'm no ordinary girl," Ayame replied. "Blake's a kind person. It isn't surprising that a couple of people would be interested in him. What I'd like… is an open competition where Sango and I are both trying to sway him towards us, while at the same time, hoping the other can do our best. If we both put in the best effort we can, then whoever wins, there won't be any hard feelings between us."

Ayame smiled again, her eyes shining.

"But like I said, I'm not going to lose." She looked down, and placed her hand over her chest. "After all… I don't have much time left at this school. So I'm going to move ahead without any regrets."

"Why not tell Sango, then?" Claire asked. "It would be a load off of her shoulders if she knew you knew. That way, she wouldn't be tormented with this idea that she's lying to you about who she likes."

Ayame shook her head.

"This is something she needs to do in order to grow. Until she builds up the courage to come clean about it herself, I'm going to sit back."

"Even though you told Sango to be honest?" Claire asked. "That sounds kind of backwards, if you ask me."

Ayame shook her head.

"No, it's different," she replied. "This isn't like learning a secret about someone. Sango needs to find her courage to be honest herself. Besides, if she can't be honest with me, then there's no way she could ever tell Blake how she feels about him."

"I suppose that's so," Claire agreed.

"So I want to be encouraging towards her. With me backing her, she'll hopefully be a little more upfront with things."

Claire reached over and patted Ayame on the head.

"You're a good person," Claire said, smiling.

"Hey, don't pat me!" Ayame said. "I'm older than you!"

"Ehehe!" Claire smirked, sticking her tongue out and removing her hand.

Ayame smiled.

So Sango learned something about Blake… I'm curious, but it's not any of my business until Blake chooses to tell me. In the meantime, I'll be looking forward to our coffee date. I'm thinking that she could be getting the strength to tell me the truth then.

Meanwhile, Sango, having recovered from her brief bout of self-doubt, was still feeling a little down, but still managed to wear a smile as she walked down the path leading up to the West Farm.

Keep a big smile! Sango told herself. A big part of being a pokemon ranger was to reassure people that everything was fine, and the best way to do that was to wear a big smile at all times and speak in a positive tone. She left her personal problems behind her, and walked up to the front door.

"Ranger!" Sango turned her head to see young Lucy West running up to her through the fields. She ran up to the fence next to the house, staring up at Sango with big, round eyes gleaming excitedly. The fence in the backyard of the farm was broken, so all the Wooloos had been herded up into the front, and there was clearly not much room. Lucy had to wiggle her way through a maze of fluffy wool and "baahs".

"Hey there, Lucy," Sango smiled.

"Ranger, what are you doing here?" Lucy asked. "Are you here to see grandpa?"

"No, I'm here to fix the fence," Sango said, holding up a box of tools she'd grabbed on the way out of the ranger base. "The one the Crawdaunt broke. Just one of the major tasks they entrust to a pokemon ranger in order to help the citizens of this town!"

Lucy nodded, her eyes shining.

"HEY!" A voice shouted from inside the house, the door swinging open. "Get outta here! We already tol' ya'll bloodsuckers! Long as I'm still breathin', ya ain't getting yer hands on a single one o' our Wooloos!"

The sound of a gun cocking caused Sango to nearly throw herself off the porch. She was staring down the barrels of a double shotgun, held by a bald, elderly man dressed in overalls and a flannel shirt. Doing what one would normally do when face to face with a loaded gun, Sango held her hands up.

"Wait, grandpa! She's not a bad guy!" Lucy protested. "She's my friend, a pokemon ranger!"

"Eh… pokemon ranger, is it?" The man asked, his eyes scanning over her suspiciously. "Ain'tcha a little young fer somethin' like that?"

"I'm still a probationary, I mean," Sango said, flustered.

"…Whatever," he sighed, dropping the double-barreled shotgun. "Ya look too young ta be a pokemon ranger, but ah s'ppose it makes ya too young ta be with those other guys too. If ya don' have any business 'ere, then clear off!"

"Grandpa, don't be rude!" Lucy huffed. "The ranger said she was going to help us fix the fence! Weren't you complaining about how you couldn't do it, thanks to your arthritis?"

The surly old farmer muttered something, and nodded.

"Fine. C'mon in little ranger."

"Hey, Lucy," Sango turned to the little girl. "While I'm helping your grandpa, do you mind keeping an eye on my partner, Silver?"

"Cast!" Silver chirped, floating down to be eye to joyful eye with the small girl.

"Can I really?" Lucy asked excitedly, overjoyed when she saw Sango not in the affirmative.

Sango waved goodbye to Lucy and walked into the house, leaving the small girl to go play with her Wooloos and Silver.

Sango walked through the farmhouse, a little surprised at how rundown it was. Then again, she didn't go into many farmhouses, so maybe dilapidation was the norm? The house was more just a single room, with a kitchen, some frayed armchairs, and an old black and white TV. There was a hallway leading down the left, presumably to the bedrooms, but other than that it was rather sparse.

"Ya can get ta the main part o' the farm goin' through the back door," the old man said, jutting a thumb toward the wooden door in the back of the house. "There's a pile o' lumber by the woodshed, ya can take what ya need ta fix the blasted thing."

Sango nodded her head. The old man was still staring at her, his expression showing a mixture of shame and nervousness.

"…Sorry 'bout before," he muttered, scratching his shining bald head. "Pointin' that blasted gun at ya."

The old farmer set the gun down on a gun rack on one of the walls, Sango noticing the tremors in his hands.

"If it makes ya feel better, ah wouldn'ta done it," he told her, slowly walking over and sinking down into one of the old chairs. "More like ah can't."

"Lucy mentioned something about arthritis," Sango said, glancing at the man's hands.

"That she did, that she did…" the farmer murmured, staring off into the distance. "Can't hold a hammer'n nails, can't even pull a trigger."

He sighed.

"Ah was jus' tryin' ta protect this farm from thieves."

Sango frowned.

"What thieves?" She asked, frowning.

"It's nothin'," he said, shaking his head. "Just… recently a buncha shady folks 'ave been pokin' around this place. They started out polite enough, just askin' if we'd be willin' ta sell them our Wooloos. Offered a decent enough price, but ah told 'em no deal. They've been comin' over more'n more the last few days, more forceful. Ah've hadda run 'em off a few times."

"If it's that bad, why not just sell?" Sango asked, even though it wasn't really her place. She just felt bad that Lucy and her grandpa were being pressured like this.

"Sell?" The man sharply glared at her. "Didn'tcha read that sign back at the gate? What'd it say, missy?"

"West Farm?" Sango asked, confused.

"Darn straight! This is West Farm, run by me, Farmer West himself! I sell off those kids, an' ah might as well just go did a grave an' hop in!"

Sango nodded sympathetically. Farmer West sighed, shaking his head. "Forget it, ya just get ta work. Ah need ta take a nap."

With that, the old farmer leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Whether he was actually going to sleep or just pretending so he could put an end to the conversation Sango didn't know, but she knew that any conversation was done. She stepped around the chair and walked to the back door, heading out into the roving hills that made up the Wooloo farm. Without any Wooloo, it was rather tranquil and peaceful, the green grass glistening in the morning sun. Sango closed her eyes and inhaled, the crisp scent of nature flooding her senses. Maybe rural farm life wasn't so bad.

She walked to the woodshed and began digging through the piles of discarded debris until she found two long planks of wood that looked good enough to serve as replacements for the ones Crawdaunt had smashed. She knelt down and picked it up, lifting with her legs. The wood was heavier than she'd expected. She wasn't sure if she could carry both of them, so it looked like she'd have to make a return trip.

It was a ten minute walk before she arrived at the remains of the fence portion that Crawdaunt destroyed. She knelt down to take an appraisal of the damage. Indeed, both of the connecting planks were damaged beyond repair. She'd have to pry them off. Luckily for her, both of the thick wooden posts on either end were intact. That would be a considerable salvation for her workload, since she wouldn't have to replace the post as well as the planks. Sango set her toolbox down on the grass and opened it up, withdrawing a hammer and some nails. She walked around to where a large chunk of broken wood was nailed into place by two thick nails, and dug the claw of her hammer between the post and the plank. Putting a bit of force into it, she pried the wood free. She moved to the next piece of wood, and repeated the process. A few more instances of this, and the fence posts were nice and clean, free of any debris.

Sango drove a pair of nails down into one side of the wooden plank, then two more on the other. She lifted it up, and held it into alignment on the post, kneeling so that she was staring directly at the head of the nail. She lifted her hammer and began nailing the wood board into place. Soon enough, she'd finished the first of two boards. She hopped over the fence and walked back to the woodshed, her arms full of debris. She leaving the remains of the previous fence with the rest of the scraps, she returned to her task with another wooden board, and got to work on finishing up the fence. The sun was much higher in the sky when the repairs were finally done, Sango stretching. She was feeling a lot more energized than she had that morning, and with that energy came a feeling of hunger. It was then that Sango remembered how sparse her breakfast that morning had been.

She got rid of the last chunks of wood, and headed back to the house. She rapped on the back door, and opened it. It wasn't locked. She figured that Farmer West wouldn't have the dexterity to lock the house up, after all. As she entered the house, she noted that the farmer was still quietly dozing on the chair. She carefully stepped around him so as not to wake him up, and headed out the front door, closing it quietly behind her.

"Hey, Lucy!" Sango called.

"Ranger!" Lucy ran up to her, Silver following behind her. "Are you done already?"

"Yup," Sango said, nodding. "The fence is all patched up! Good as new!"

"Oh…" Lucy had seemed so happy, but now she looked a little sad. "So then you're going?"

Sango paused. The girl looked hopefully up at her. Clearly the little girl wanted to spend a little more time playing with Silver, and maybe even with Sango, as well. It wasn't like she was really doing anything, right? So she might as well play with the little girl, if only for a few hours. It didn't seem like she really had any friends here on the farm.

"Well, I don't have to go back right away," Sango said, smiling. "I can stay and play for a little while."

"Really?" Lucy said, her eyes shining brilliantly. She ran over to the gate and opened it, letting Sango into the corral. "Thanks, ranger!"

"It's not 'ranger'," Sango laughed, shaking her head. "You can just call me Sango."

"Okay, Sango!" Lucy beamed, nodding her head eagerly. She slipped her small hand into Sango's, and the two waded through the herd of Wooloos towards the back gate, to let the small, round pokemon free to wander the wider expanse in the back of the house.

It was still early in the evening, but Ayame had already drifted off into a deep sleep. It was important for her to get a lot of rest in order to mend herself, so she had shooed Claire out a few hours ago and was now snoring blissfully away, dreaming of a date with Blake, a double date alongside Olivia and whatever pretty girl she'd tempted into her grasp. She giggled and smiled. It was quite a nice dream. She turned slightly, hugging her stuffed Wooloo to her cheek. It was just so comfortable!

But Ayame's restful sleep meant she was not awake to see what was going on around her. So she did not notice the door to her room slowly creep open, bathing the room in a dull light, or a shadowy figure slip silently towards her.

The girl stared down silently at Ayame, her narrowed eye watching the girl snore away peacefully. Once again, Ayame was blissfully unaware of her environment, not noticing the girl hovering menacingly over her.

And, of course, she did not notice the knife that the girl held in the three fingers of her right hand, the sharp blade glistening in the low light.

Oh no! Ayame!