Here's another chapter, where the Sango and Marion go to have fun on Lucy's farm!

As for the Best Girl nominations, seems like these six are pretty locked in, but we can always have more!

Currently Nominated: Sango, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Dakota, Ayame

Seamitar X: Makes sense, they're all pretty good.

Hellraiserphoenix: Good choices. But "best girl" doesn't need to be about who ends up with Blake, you know.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 177

"So what's up?" Marion asked. She and Sango had made it to Turffield along with Petal. Marion had spent a little bit of time filling out the paperwork that Petal had given to her, and was all set to get out into the wilds and get some real fishing done. "There's really a river here we can fish in?!"

Sango nodded her head.

"There it is!" Marion cheered, running over the hills towards the long, wide river stretching by the farms. "Fishing!"

Marion stopped by the bank of the river as Sango and Silver approached her. She inhaled, and then her expression soured.

"I'm going home…" Marion muttered, turning around. Her expression was clearly a look of disappointment and disgust.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked.

"There's no fish in this river!" Marion exclaimed, falling to her knees. She held her arm in front of her eyes as she cried, pounding the ground with her other hand. "Curse you, god! How could such cruelty exist in this world?!"

Sango snickered, but dang, Marion looked really upset over it. She rose to her feet, her face completely empty.

"Well, time to go die…" Marion murmured.

"Oi!"

"What point is there to go on without fishing?!"

"Come on, Marion, stop being so difficult!" Sango said, grabbing Marion by the shoulder and keeping her from watching off into the river to drown herself.

"I don't wanna live in a world without fishing!"

"You can still fish other places, you know! Just not now!"

"But I wanna fish nooow!" Marion whined, flailing around on the ground in disappointment. "You said no fishing this morning, and then no fishing on the train, and then no fishing because of having to fill out the paperwork, and now no fishing because of the river?! When am I gonna fish?!"

"Marion…" Sango pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "Look, girl, how about this? Come with me to Lucy's farm today-"

"Are there fish there?!"

"No! Listen to me, if you spend the day playing with Lucy and me, then… when we get back to campus… I'll spend the day fishing with you, okay?"

"…" Marion stared at Sango with her mouth open, her eyes shining brightly. "For… for real?"

"Yup."

"The whole day?"

"…Yes."

"YIPPEE!" Marion cheered, bouncing up and hugging Sango. "I'm going to come up with the perfect day plan! I'll show you all the good fishing spots! OOooh, I can't wait! Sango, it's going to be a blast! You'll see!"

"…Yay," Sango said, smiling. She liked Marion. She even liked spending time with Marion. But too much Marion was too much, and as much as she loved the girl she wasn't exactly looking forward to spending the whole day with her. But what the heck, it might even be fun.

"Okay, let's head off to Lucy's farm!" Sango cheered, taking Marion by the hand and leading the way. "I'm serious, Marion, even if she doesn't fish, there's a lot of fun we can still have! I think you'll really like Lucy and her grandpa a lot! And not only that, she has a lot of Wooloos, and even a really cute Yamper! It's gonna be a blast!"

Marion smiled, and nodded. What the heck, maybe it would be fun, even if there wasn't any fishing to be had. So she'd give it her best, even if she was getting the shakes from withdrawal.

Sango and Marion walked down the wide dirt road heading to the farm, enjoying the afternoon sun beating down on them. They were getting closer to the farm, when Sango noticed something strange. There were several large trucks, like moving vans, parked out in front of the gate. Sango frowned.

"Hey, what's with those big trucks?" Marion wondered as they passed by the three trucks and walked onto the premises.

"I don't know," Sango said, frowning. Nothing seemed that wrong, although she didn't see any Wooloos in the front fields of the farm. But for some reason… there was a tension in the air that made her grow antsy.

"I think… I think something's wrong," Sango whispered, grabbing Marion by the wrist.

"What do you mean?" Marion asked, confused.

"I don't know," Sango said, shaking her head, glancing over her shoulder at the truck idling in the road. "I can't explain it. But it's like…"

Her frown deepened and her eyes narrowed.

"Let's go," Sango said. "We're going around the back."

Just as they decided what to do, the frantic yapping of a Yamper could be heard in the distance, from behind the house. Sango and Marion looked at each other and nodded, breaking into a run.

Sango and Marion pushed through the side gate and ran out into the wild hills in the back of the farm.

The sight before their eyes made the situation clear.

Sango could see the old Farmer West on the ground, sitting, his body scuffed up and bleeding from his head. That was the first thing that caught her eye. Thankfully it looked like he'd just been roughed up somewhat, and not that his frail, old body had taken any amount of serious damage. This came as a relief. The next thing that caught her attention was the yapping Yamper, barking angrily. Her eyes were drawn to the sound, and she took a real look at what was going on.

Men in black outfits with red "R"s on the front were holding large bags, and scooping the Wooloo up into them. A man with slick black hair in a suit was standing in front of a sobbing Lucy and the injured Farmer West, ignoring the yelping dog.

"Stob id!" Lucy wailed, pulling on the man's suit jacket. "Stob taging my daddy's Wooloos!"

The man gave an exasperated sigh, and pushed the girl off of him.

"Listen, Farmer Brown, I was trying to be reasonable about this," the man sighed. "I thought my first offer was more than fair. But see, you were just so stubborn about this. See, we need those Wooloos back at headquarters. Wooloo wool is essential for manufacturing a lot of popular brands, and the stuff is hard to come by in Kanto. We wanted things to be handled like honestly, but if we can't get things done through the proper channels, then Team Rocket has their own way of doing things."

He smiled like a businessman, and shrugged his shoulders in a "what are you gonna do?" sort of way.

"You can't!" Lucy cried, trying to stop him again. "Those Wooloo are mine! They're my family, please! Don'd tage um awaaaay!"

The man sighed, shaking his head. Farmer West, who had a much better understanding of the situation than she did, hung his head in sorrow.

"Lucy, please, jus'…"

"NOoo! Don't take my Wooloo!" Lucy wailed, hitting the man over and over as hard as she could. But she was just a little girl, and her punches had no effect.

"I understand raising a kid like this is difficult," the man sighed. "I have a daughter myself. That's why I know that you need to keep kids disciplined."

He pushed Lucy off of him again, and her Yamper, Rex, ran towards him, enraged, gnashing his teeth.

"Dumb mutt," the man growled, bringing the toe of his shoe up into the small pokemon's belly, kicking it back.

"Yamp…" Rex whimpered, falling to the ground.

"Sorry it had to go this way, I'm not a fan of violence," the slickly dressed man apologized. "I really wanted to arrange a proper accords with you. But we're running out of time, you see. I have a boat to catch in Hulbury, and I've reached the end of asking politely. You'll hand over those Wooloo, now."

Sango had had far more than enough. She had broken into a run, Silver's eyes flashing angrily as he flew beside her.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sango demanded. Everyone's eyes were on her, the probationary ranger having come out of nowhere, fully uniformed and recognized in an instant.

"Sango!" Lucy cried, her face brightening.

"Ah, the local pokemon rangers, huh?" The man sighed, shaking his head.

"That's right!" Sango growled, standing in front of Lucy, holding up her styler. Silver tried his best to appear menacing as well, somewhat difficult for a head-sized cloud. "Marion! Call for backup!"

"R-right!" Marion said, a little less up on the initiative than Sango, taking out the styler she'd received a few hours earlier and calling the Ranger HQ.

"Look, little miss ranger," the man sighed, shrugging his shoulders, "I don't suppose there's any way we can get you to drop this? Step aside?"

"How could you ask that?" Sango demanded. "I'm a pokemon ranger! I'm not going to stand by in the presence of evil!"

"Evil? Dear girl, this is simple business," the man explained. "Our negotiation tactics might be somewhat aggressive, but we're simply working out a deal here, don't you see?"

"I see an injured man and a crying girl," Sango snarled. "I've seen more than I need to! Silver! We're-"

BANG.

A loud crash drowned out Sango's orders, and her face went pale.

"That was a warning shot," the man said. The muzzle of a gun was pointed towards the sky. He lowered it so that it was aimed right at Sango. "I said that we want to handle things as politely as possible. But this deal is happening. So be a good little girl and step aside."

"I… I won't, I-"

"Little miss ranger, I've been in this business for a long time. You don't think I can't see how your hands are trembling? You think I'd just overlook the fear in your eyes? You're a pokemon ranger, and the greenest one I've ever seen, at that. Go back to stopping forest fires and stop rampaging wild pokemon. Your Castform looks quite angry, but this isn't some game where you can solve all your problems with passion and righteous indignation. You are very, very naïve to the power of violence and its role in the world. I'm quite curious, do you think that your ranger training will be able to stop a bullet?"

His finger squeezed on the trigger to emphasize his threat. Sango could see the coldness in his eyes. Was this… was she going to die? Here?

"You should value your own life a little more," the man told her, his voice sympathetic. "You're still a child. Don't be in such a hurry to die over a single farm."

Sango gulped. But she didn't make any moves forward. What would that even accomplish? She'd move, or have Silver attack… and in an instant she'd be gone. Her mind flashed to Ayame, on death's door at Mt. Chimney. Ayame, in the hospital, surviving by some miracle. And her mother, who hadn't been nearly as lucky. Tears began to well up in Sango's eyes. She… she didn't want to… not like this…

"Sango, don't…" Marion whispered. "Please…"

Silver looked back at Sango desperately. The small pokemon wasn't accustomed to fighting, and was terrified to move. Even pokemon knew what guns could do. If he did the wrong thing, made the wrong move… his partner would…

"I'm glad you understand," the man softly replied. Keeping one hand on the gun, aimed at Sango, he used his other and to reach out and set a briefcase down on the ground. The man opened it to reveal stacks of money contained inside.

"This is a fair price, understand? We aren't stealing these Wooloo. We're buying them. You get your money, we take our Wooloo and go. See, miss ranger? I'm a reasonable businessman, not some common thug."

Sango begged to differ, but her attention was focused solely on the gun. She hated the fear she was feeling at the moment. But no matter how much she wanted to move… it wouldn't mean a damn thing. She'd die, and then what? It would be a senseless end, and she'd get Silver involved, and Marion… what could she do?

Nothing.

That's what.

The Team Rocket grunts finished packing the Wooloo up into the sacks, and began heading out to the trucks.

"Wooloo…" Lucy was heartbroken, lying on the ground and crying as she watched her beloved pokemon get hauled away.

Team Rocket left the farm, and there was nothing left. Wide, empty fields, with no Wooloo to fill them. They had taken it all. Rex lay on the ground, trembling, and Lucy didn't even notice. She couldn't think of anything but crying.

Sango felt horrible. All her talk the day before about being a ranger… and what could she have done? She was too weak. She had shown up at the last moment to save the day… and she couldn't do anything.

"Ranger…" Sango was shaken out of her fugue by Farmer West's coughing voice. She glanced back at him, unable to look him in the eye. She couldn't do anything.

"Wooloo!" Lucy sobbed. "My Wooloo…"

"Sango…" Marion walked up to her friend, seeing the pain and self-loathing on Sango's face. "Are you…"

Sango shook away Marion's hand, turning away from her.

Marion didn't have to ask, it was stupid anyway. She could see just how pained Sango really was. But still… that old man, and the Yamper… they both needed some medical help.

Marion turned to the old man, and helped him to his feet.

"Come on, sir. Let me get you inside. I need to treat your injuries."

"Right…" Farmer West muttered, his eyes stained with tears as well. That poor girl… the daughter he'd raised to be strong, who never cried, even when her father passed away, and her mother had to check into the hospital… there she was out there, bawling her eyes out. He was supposed to take care of her… but he was too old and weak to do a damn thing.

Marion picked up the Yamper and cradled him in her hands, leading the old man into the farmhouse. She looked back at Sango and the small girl. Lucy was kneeling in the grass, tears streaming down her eyes, and although Sango wasn't crying, the ranger didn't look much better.

Petal showed up not long afterwards to get the full story.

"I see…" Petal said, nodding. She, Farmer West, Sango, and Marion were all sitting around the dinner table. Lucy was still outside, being watched over by Silver. Thankfully, Farmer West's injuries were minor, Marion's first-aid was good enough. They hadn't even needed to call a doctor.

"Team Rocket, huh?" Petal frowned. "They generally stay in Kanto… but I suppose that the lack of any real criminal element in Galar made them interested in spreading out their influence. Wooloo-made goods are a luxury in Kanto, Team Rocket must be attempting to corner the market by being the only direct supplier in the region."

"Those bastards…" Farmer West snarled, clenching his hands into fists as best as he could. "Why, if ah was a few years younger, ah coulda stood up to 'em an' pumped 'em fulla lead!"

"I'm glad you didn't," Petal said. "We wouldn't want a bloodbath on our hands."

"But even so… how could they do somethin' like this?" Farmer West was nearly in tears. "Makin' a little girl cry… those bastards…"

"I'll report this to authorities," Petal said. "But unfortunately there doesn't seem like there's a lot we can do."

"What?!" Sango exclaimed, rising to her feet. "Why not?!"

"I said 'not a lot'," Petal replied. "I didn't say 'nothing'. We'll put in a request with the Kantonian Police Department, and they-"

"What? They'll what?" Sango demanded. "It's their fault in the first place that Team Rocket is going wild and running roughshod! Besides, we can stop them ourselves, right here, right now!"

"What do you mean?" Marion asked, confused.

"You heard it too, didn't you, Marion?" Sango asked. "That guy said they have a boat to catch. In Hulbury. Which means that those Wooloo are being taken out of this place tonight! Petal, we can report this to the port authority, and get them to stop and search all the boats! They've gotta have like a freighter or something that they're taking the Wooloo out on, so if we step in and stop them, then we can…"

"We can contact the harbors in Kanto about a potential pokemon smuggling operation," Petal agreed. "But that's where it ends. We aren't ordering any searches."

"Why not?!" Sango demanded, slamming her hand on the table. "You're not going to just let them get away!"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do," Petal replied, crossing her arms and giving Sango a cold look. Sango's mouth fell open, and she looked at Petal in shock.

Petal narrowed her eyes.

"Did you forget why we're in Galar to begin with?" Petal snarled. "We're trying to stop the Children of the Oracle. Right now, the harbor patrol has been keeping a low profile so as to spread a feeling of 'normalcy' so that our mysterious guest will actually show up. Do you know what's going to happen if Rui's contact gets word that a group of cops and rangers is going ship to ship and scrubbing everything down looking for criminal activity? Well, I'll tell you what. They're going to turn their boat around and leave, and then Rui is going to leave. All our hard work? Pointless. Everything we've done will have been for nothing."

Sango gulped. Petal was angrier than she'd ever seen her.

"What happened today was horrible, but even so, some Team Rocket grunts stealing a bunch of Wooloo? Does that really compare with stopping a major terrorist trying to enter Galar?" Petal asked. "We can't do anything. Not if we want this sting to go down successfully. We'll let the small fish go, so we can rope in the big fish."

"But…" Sango couldn't believe what she was hearing. While yes, it made sense to not cause any panic so as not to tip their hand, but even so… the thought that Lucy would have to suffer simply because the criminals who had taken her beloved pokemon weren't as big a priority…

"Those Wooloo… they're all she has!" Sango cried. "They're more important to her than family! But you're saying to forget about that, saying that she just has to give up on them because there's something more important? I can't… don't you see those tears?! How can you be so heartless?!"

"If the Children of the Oracles continue with their activities, how many more, huh?" Petal demanded. "How many more children will be crying by the end of this?! Children like your friend, Ayame! All I asked out of you was to be objective about things, but it seems like you're still just a child who can't understand that there's a greater good out there!"

"A greater good?" Sango snarled. "What greater good?! Are you telling me that the duty of a pokemon ranger is to sit back and let children suffer in the name of this greater good? How can it be 'good' if it's built on the tears and suffering of someone else?!"

"It's easy to get swept up by the tragedies in front of you, I know," Petal shouted back. "But you can't solve everything by yourself! It's important to pick your battles, and this is not a battle that can be fought right now! We need to prioritize the mission! No ranger in the world would jeopardize peace for the sake of a single crying child! If you can't see the big picture, then you have no right to wear that uniform! It's our duty to protect everyone! Which means we need to focus on the Children of the Oracles, and leave dealing with the smugglers and Team Rocket to someone else!"

"Who?!" Sango demanded. She clenched her hands into fists and grit her teeth. She was trying exceptionally hard not to cry as she glared at her superior. She could feel the truth in Petal's words, and knew that, in the end, she was correct. It was their duty to protect everyone. She couldn't risk putting their sting into jeopardy just for Lucy's sake. Protect everyone? No... she couldn't even protect this farm. She was just spewing big words in the air. As a ranger... she was a complete and total failure.

"Well?! Tell me! Who is this 'someone else', huh?!" Sango shouted. "Who is going to take care of them?! Who's going to get those Wooloo back?!"

Sango turned to the window, staring out at Lucy, sobbing by herself in the field, her beloved Wooloo all gone. It broke Sango's heart.

"Who is… who is going to stop that girl's tears?!"

Petal didn't say anything in response. There was nothing more she could say. She couldn't force the girl to see, or accept, the way that things were. No more words needed to be said.

"We're returning back to the base," Petal coldly said.

"…Fine," Sango muttered. "Silver!"

Sango called her Castform to her. She turned to Farmer West.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."

She didn't stop and listen to his response, storming out the door, her pain and anger at her own powerlessness driving her thoughts.

Sorry, Sango. But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Probably. The only question is whether or not she'll accept that.