Time for the follow-up with Sarah! What will she have in store for Blake and Sango?

So, any last-minute suggestions?

Currently Nominated: Sango, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Dakota, Ayame, Marion, Kitty, Serefina, Madison

Rosealine gold: She'll get to battle next time, so that's gonna be a plus.

Pokemonking0924: In fairness to GX, Blair was only gone for like a year. It'll probably be a little longer before we see Holly again.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 237

"Sarah!" Blake called out, his voice echoing across the valley. His throat felt raw, and he coughed, Sango patting him on the back.

"Should I call instead?" Sango asked. Blake shook his head. She figured that he was probably right. Sarah most certainly wouldn't come when she called, and if she did, well…

Sango probably wouldn't like what she would bring with her, she seemed to only be slightly calm when she was interacting with Blake. With Sango and anyone else, she seemed to be as violent as any other dragon.

"Saaaaaaaall!" Sarah's roar rang out from the sky above, Blake and Sango raising their heads. A large gust of wind nearly knocked them off their feet as Sarah soared overhead, another roar erupting from deep within her guts. She beat her wings, circling around to get a better vantage point from which to land. She dropped down, hovering above the ground for a few moments, her wings flapping hard, before she touched down on the rocky floor of the valley a few feet away.

Blake and Sango rose to their feet, and Blake stepped up closer towards the dragon.

"Hey, Sarah," Blake coughed, Sarah staring at him intently. Her eyes narrowed and she turned her head to face him fully, meeting his gaze for a few seconds. Then, she closed her eyes, tilting her head up, and raised a claw up in front of her mouth, letting loose a bellowing yawn. Setting her claw back down on the ground her body rumbled, sinking back down. Nestling down and wrapping her wings around her body, she began to nap.

Blake continued to walk closer to her, still cautious. Although the dragon pokemon's breathing was even, one wrong thing might set her off. She was a lot more composed than she had been months before, but she was still a very temperamental pokemon with the sheer power capable of tearing through people and pokemon alike.

Soon enough, Blake was standing beside her. He raised his hand, taking as good of a breath as he could, and placed his hand on her scaly side. Beneath his hand, he could feel the rough texture, rolling against his palm in unison with her breathing. There was such a heat radiating off of her, it was very soothing. Her even breathing was relaxing as well. Sarah turned her head, repositioning her body slightly so now it was facing him.

"Hey, Sarah, how are you doing?" Blake asked quietly, not needing an answer, or even to know if she was listening. He was content just seeing that she was doing well, and sleeping peacefully in front of him, apparently without a care in the world. This was something that he felt very touched by. It was a rather small gesture, all things considered. But Sarah trusted him enough to take a nap in front of him, and to Blake that meant quite a bit.

"So what do you think?" Sango asked quietly, coming closer, but still remaining cautious of the large dragon pokemon. "Are you glad to see her again?"

"Always am," Blake said, nodding. "Even though she doesn't fully trust me, and even though she can be dangerous… she's still a pokemon that means a lot to me. So I want to help her as best as I can."

Blake smiled sadly, staring down at the peaceful Salamence. Like this, it was like the rampages she'd gone through in the past were just a dream.

"She's been through a lot. I just want her to find some amount of peace," Blake explained. "So she won't have to feel so hurt anymore."

Blake looked at the faded scars tracing her scaled hide, very similar to the ones on his body. They'd both been through a few painful experiences. That's why he never blamed her for her violent rampages. He just wanted to help her.

Sango stared at him, her heart aching in her chest. Blake looked both happy and sad, and it made her feel conflicted. He was finally free from his family obligations. He didn't have to marry Alcea anymore, he got to stay at school with all his friends. So… why did his smiles still look so sad?

Sango swallowed. When she'd heard what had happened only a few days ago, hearing about the fire, that night had been spent in a fugue. She'd tried to keep it together. And now she was clear-headed about things. She wanted Blake to be happy. She didn't know if she was capable of doing that. But she did know that she wanted to be there for him, however she could.

And that's why she needed to tell him how she felt.

Her feelings… they wouldn't be a burden on him anymore. Ayame's weren't. And he didn't have to worry about any engagement complications anymore. Blake was free, with no attachments or obligations. He had turned down Ayame. And while her heart went out to the older girl, she wasn't going to step back and quietly give up on her feelings for her sake.

Sango swallowed. But even knowing that…

She knew full well what her chances were. Blake didn't feel that way about her. This was a confession that was going to end in a failure. But even so… there was still that smallest chance that it could happen. A chance that Sango clung to.

Besides, confessing right now, it had nothing to do with him reciprocating her feelings.

She wanted to confess to him because she couldn't bear the weight of keeping her feelings a secret from him. She wanted to be there for him in whatever way he wanted her to. Sango had been through tough times recently. First in her test, and then again on her practicum, on the ship. Both times had been incredibly difficult, and she had received comforting words to move forward by people who cared about her. Marion and Ryoko had helped Sango grow, and feel better about her own weaknesses and insecurities. They were totally honest and open with her, and that had been what had helped her find her way. She wanted to be that for him. Someone who could help him when he was feeling lost or uncertain.

But she couldn't do that when she was lying to him. She couldn't go to him with a mask of friendship and pretend that they were just friends, not when deep down she wanted something more. It made her comforting feel like a lie.

It would be so much easier if she could just stop feeling this way!

Sometimes, Sango hated the way she felt. While being around Blake, or even just seeing him, always put a smile on her face and made her chest feel floaty, she still wasn't sure why she felt this way, even though it had been months since she'd realized her feelings. There wasn't really a reason. Or there were a bunch of reasons. The way he smiled, how nice he was to everyone, including her…

She just wanted to make him feel as happy as he made her feel, and that was the most she could explain about it.

In the end, there was really nothing she could do about how she felt. She wanted to be with him, she wanted to make him smile. And hopefully… hearing how she felt about him, that there was someone else who loved him and cared for him, would make him feel better.

Sango exhaled, her heart pounding in her chest. She took another step closer. This was the time. They were all alone out here, and Blake was clearly in a pensive mood. This wasn't like when they were hanging out with the others and joking around. The atmosphere around them was serious, and Sango could feel it. Now… now was the time. She didn't know when the next time she'd get a chance this good was.

Her feet were bringing her towards Blake before she knew it, no longer concerned with the Salamence beside him. She swallowed.

"Blake…" Sango croaked, clearing her throat slightly. She said again, a little more confidently, "Blake, I… I was wanted to…"

Sango's voice caught Blake's ear this time, and he turned to her.

"Yeah?" Blake asked. God, when he looked at her with those bright eyes of his… Sango felt her heart doing flip-flops in her chest. Her throat suddenly felt dry.

"I… I was…"

"What are you two doing here?"

Sango's heart stopped spinning, and instead decided to leap right into her throat, causing her to jump nearly a mile into the air, quickly putting distance between her and Blake. She whirled around, her face hot with embarrassment to confront the interloper.

"Sarge?!" Sango gasped. Erik was standing behind them, a look of concern on his stern face. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"That's what I asked," Erik reminded her. He glanced at Sarah's sleeping form, and at her trainer right beside her.

"I wanted to see Sarah," Blake replied. "I've been going through some serious stuff, and I wanted to let her know that she's still precious to me."

Sango glared at Erik. It wasn't HIS fault that he had come in on them just when she was about to confess. But she was still feeling pretty resentful about it.

Couldn't you have waited for another half-hour or so?! Did you really have to come here now, of all times? Sango mentally demanded, annoyed at the universe for screwing up her attempted confession. It had been the perfect time!

Erik walked past her, stroking the stubble on his chin. He stepped up beside Blake, his large frame towering over the younger student as he looked closely at Sarah, his red eyes appraising her pensive form. He turned to Blake, placing a tanned hand on his shoulder.

"It's quite an interesting fact that you came here today, Blake."

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

"I was actually considering this Salamence of yours recently," Erik explained, turning back to look at her. "I've been looking after her for a few months now, and considering her growth."

"What about it?" Blake asked. He kept quiet about the fact that he had been hoping that Sarah could come back with him and Sango. As peaceful as the pokemon was, he wasn't sure if Erik would be exactly accepting of him taking her home with him.

"Pokemon… they grow to trust a trainer the more time they spend with them," Erik reminded him. "I took your Salamence under my care because she was too wild and violent to be around other people or pokemon. As long as you kept her in your possession, she wouldn't get better, she'd only get worse. Because of that, I needed to rehabilitate her."

"I know," Blake said, nodding, a sad expression on his face. "She's been through a lot. I don't think… I don't think I could have gotten through to her without you helping me."

"I've always had an affinity with dragon pokemon," Erik explained. "So I could see the pain that your Salamence was in, and give her a place where she could find some inner peace. But the real work… the real reason she was able to change, and is sleeping so peacefully like this… it's because you spent time with her."

Blake smiled, rubbing Sarah's side kindly.

"I'm glad I was able to help," he said.

"And there's a way you can still help," Erik stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Your Salamence is still violent. I won't deny that, most Salamence… no, most dragon type pokemon are naturally aggressive and violent. Previously, she was a lot more violent than usual, but I don't think that's the case any longer. The crucial problem right now is that you lack experience working with dragons."

Blake nodded in agreement, he couldn't deny that.

"But getting to know a pokemon isn't just about coming out here a few days of the week and interacting with them," Erik said. "Dragons need to grow together with their trainers."

"Grow together?"

"You've learned a lot about your Salamance… Sarah, that's her name?"

Blake nodded.

"How much does she know about you?"

Blake paused.

"…What do you mean?"

"The bond between trainer and pokemon goes both ways. You've gotten closer to Sarah, and she's opened up to you. But she hasn't spent time with you, you've been spending time with her."

Blake didn't really get the difference there.

"I think that it would be important to consider this as a starting point. And build your relationship as trainer and pokemon from here." Erik looked him in the eye, his gaze asking if Blake knew what he meant.

Blake nodded slowly.

"So what should I do?"

"As a member of the safety counsel and the one who took responsibility over your Salamence, I've reached a decision," Erik explained. "I looked after your Salamence to keep her under control. Right now, though she is still violent, I no longer believe that she will go on a rampage. And I believe that, if an incident does happen, then you will be able to get control over her."

He shook Blake's shoulder, grinning slightly, a strange crack to his normally stern expression.

"So I think it's for the best if you keep her with you, from now on."

Erik reached into his pocket and took out a pokeball. It was the same one Blake had given to him all those months ago, when he had left Sarah under his supervision. He held it out to Blake.

"Do you think you're ready to become Sarah's trainer again?" Erik asked, the look in his eye serious. His smile had vanished, and he was once again wearing his stern look.

Blake looked down at the pokeball, and swallowed, coughing. He turned to look at Sarah. At some point, without realizing, the large Salamence had awoken from her slumber, and had been listening intently. He looked into her sharp eyes.

If Sarah was opposed to returning under his control, nothing she did seemed to indicate it. It looked like she was looking to Blake to make the decision. Blake knew he had to be decisive here. Hesitating would only hurt her, and made her lose confidence in him as a trainer.

But still…

"Sarah," Blake finally said, his expression resolute. "Are you willing to come with me?"

Blake held out his hand, extending the pokeball to her.

Sarah stared back at him. She bowed her head, and pressed her nose against the pokeball. In a flash of red light, the massive dragon was sucked into the pokeball.

"I see," Erik said, nodding. "In the end, you two are willing to work together. That's very good."

"I have to believe in her," Blake explained, turning back to him. "If she's willing to believe in me. I might not have her fully tamed, but like you said, this is where we start."

Erik nodded in agreement.

"That's the right decision in my eyes," Erik agreed. "You keep her close, even if you never let her out of your pokeball. Pokeballs… they are tools that help convey a trainer's love to their pokemon."

Blake nodded.

"One more thing, though," Erik said, his somewhat soft expression hardening. He narrowed his eyes. Blake gulped.

"Y-yeah?"

"I want you to understand something. I am leaving your pokemon back in your supervision. But that doesn't mean you're free and clear."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"You don't have permission to use it in battle, even in school-sponsored events. You're still on probation as far as your Salamence is concerned," Erik explained to him. "Honestly, the school is cagey about you even letting pokemon like that wander around campus, particularly after the Aggron incident."

Blake scowled. That sucked. He was hoping that having Sarah along with the rest of his pokemon would help him bond with all of them together as a team. But he wasn't even allowed to let her out, really, especially not in battle.

But it was better than her staying up here forever. And he had to admit, he wasn't sure if Sarah would listen to him in battle, either, or go off on her own. He hadn't really used her in battle before, and her strength was immense. And if he found himself up against a harmonia user…

Erik might have thought that he'd be able to control her, but he wasn't so sure.

One step at a time, he told himself, looking down at the pokeball in his hand. We'll work together, one step at a time.

"Well, I came here to check up on your Salamence, to see how she was doing before I contacted you," Erik said, turning away from Blake. "But it looks like your being here was a fortuitous coincidence. Certainly saved me a lot of time. You kids take care of yourselves. Get out of here soon, that Salamence isn't the only dragon around these parts."

With that as a warning, he began heading off.

"Sarge!" Blake called after him, Erik glancing over his shoulder. "Thank you for helping me connect with Sarah better! It really means a lot that I was able to get to have a real relationship with her, as a trainer and pokemon! I wouldn't have been able to accomplish that without your guidance, thank you so much!"

Erik nodded, cracking a smile. He gave Blake a thumbs up, and headed off to continue with his campus safety duties.

"Blake…" Blake had forgotten that Sango was even there. He turned to face her.

"Yeah?" Blake asked. He couldn't keep the big smile off of his face. He was apprehensive about things, but he couldn't help but feel happy about what was happening right now. "Sango, did you see? Sarah and, I we're…"

Seeing the smile on Blake's face made Sango feel all warm and fluffy inside. She smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly. She didn't even feel bad about her ruined confession. For a moment, she considered trying again, now that they were alone. But she decided not to. She was fine letting Blake thrive in the comfort and happiness of getting to finally spend time with Sarah.

"Oh, that's right, Sango, before Erik interrupted us, you had something you wanted to say, right?" Blake remembered. "What was it?"

Sango had the chance to say how she felt. But this was their moment, and she didn't want to trample on it. She was just happy that he was happy. There would be time to tell him how she felt later.

"I wanted to ask how you felt," Sango lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie. "I mean, you're free now, right? You don't have to worry about marrying Alcea or anything like that. You can live life on your own terms now."

"Yeah, I am free," Blake said, nodding. "Well… there are still a lot of things that I need to do. But I'm doing them because I want to do them, not because someone else told me to. Oh, right, I forgot."

Blake looked up at her, a beaming smile on his face. Sango clenched her hands tightly, her heart skipping a beat.

"Thanks. If it wasn't for you guys helping me out and encouraging me the way you did, there's no way I would have been able to get the strength to stand up to my father. You guys are really amazing friends, you know."

Yeah. That was it. That smile was what made me fall, for sure. Sango would do whatever she could to keep him smiling like that.

"Of course we did," Sango smiled back. "You're an important friend of ours, Blake. We'd do anything to keep you around."

Her body told her to hug him, so she did. She stepped back, a giddy smile still smeared across her face.

"L-let's head back," Sango said, turning on her heel. "It's a long walk back."

It was indeed a long walk back, especially since they had to keep their pace in a way that didn't irritate Blake's throat and lungs too harshly. They walked back, both in a very good mood, but for very different reasons.

Today was so great, Sango smiled to herself, walking ahead of Blake so he couldn't see the blush on her face and the hands clasped over her chest. I'm so happy for you, Blake.

Next, we really start getting into this new arc! What's coming next? Astute readers should already know, going off the timeline we're in.