Time to continue things with the others, not just Nikita and Reiner! Although, they'll certainly be in for an experience of their own, don't you worry!

Pokemon Academy Best Girl Elimination Round is still going strong! Keep those votes coming, a few girls are pulling ahead, but things aren't done just yet! We've still got a good chance of girls getting into the final 5! The poll is on my profile, so go cast your votes there!

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

ConfusedCradily: That wasn't really in character for him, though. That was him going through a rough time. Reiner is normally a serious person, but with a laid-back attitude.

KedharS: Who can say?

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Well, maybe

Badoobadoop: It's a real restaurant in the games.

DJ Dib Dab: Nikita has her own desires as well.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 254

"Did you guys see that? That movie was great!" Lana was bursting with excitement as the four exited the movie theater. Lana had suggested going to a Galarian movie theater, and check out one of their films. Her eyes were shining with excitement, while the others were slightly less enthusiastic.

We came to Galar just to watch a movie? Blake asked himself, not exactly having the most fun right now.

Forget the movie, I want to eat, Sango thought, having much preferred going to get lunch, instead.

I didn't understand anything going on, why did we have to see some arthouse foreign film like The Shape of Water Types? Kate grumbled.

So while Lana was going into a long-winded diatribe on the finer points of cinematography, the rest of the group wasn't really enjoying it to the same level.

"I'm hungry," Sango moaned, rubbing her stomach. She glanced at her Castform. "Silver wants to eat too, right?"

"Cast," Silver agreed.

"Didn't you eat, like, a monster breakfast?" Kate said, stunned.

"That was breakfast, this is lunch, those are, like, two separate meals," Sango said, looking at Kate like she was an idiot. Kate rolled her eyes.

The group headed to go get food. Kate and Blake didn't want to eat at the Italian place they went to the day before, since they were already planning to go eat there that night.

"Well, what about steak?" Sango suggested. "There's a steak place down the road in that direction, want to check it out?"

The others looked at each other and shrugged. Steaks sure sounded nice. They headed down the brick walkway, passing by souvenir shops and clothing boutiques, including the one Blake and Kate had went to. But Sango was hungry, and she wasn't going to let anything distract-

"Ooh, ice cream!" Sango made a beeline straight for an ice cream cart, Silver following after her. Blake sighed, shrugging in resignation. Sango always had a ton of energy, that was what made her so much fun. But it seemed like she was having trouble keeping focus a lot of the time, as well. She had already forgotten all about steak.

Sango walked back, holding two cones of ice cream in her hands, three scoops each, one of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. She was licking at one, while holding the other up to Silver's small mouth to feed him.

"Okay, to the restaurant!" Sango said between licks.

"You're eating now, though," Kate said.

"Ice cream doesn't count, this is a snack."

Kate sputtered at her logic, shaking her head. This girl was just loony. She looked at Blake for clarification, and he just sighed, shaking his head. It was just something you had to get used to, no way around it.

As Sango finished off her ice cream, they headed towards the restaurant, only to see Reiner and Nikita walking out, hand in hand.

Blake glanced down, before looking up at the two with a smile on his face.

"Well it looks like things are going well?"

Reiner nodded.

"We talked, and…" Reiner's voice trailed off as he glanced at Nikita.

"W-well…" Nikita glanced away from him, embarrassed. "We're just getting started… as a couple. And we still have our struggles to work through…"

"So we're going to keep working on them," Reiner said. "Together."

"I'm glad," Sango smiled, biting the last chunks of her cone into crumbs and swallowing, wiping her mouth with the napkin. "So did you guys eat here? Is the food good?"

"It's really good," Reiner said, nodding.

"Portions are a little big though," Nikita said, placing her hand on her stomach, feeling a little bloated. She hadn't even finished her steak.

"Excellent!" Sango said, drooling already.

"Well, we were going to go inside and get lunch, but it looks like you guys have already eaten, so I guess…" Lana glanced between the two of them. She stroked her chin.

"So do you mind waiting for us?"

Reiner and Nikita looked at each other, and shrugged.

"Honestly, I wanted to go check out that pawnshop over there," Reiner said, pointing at a store filled with a variety of goods. "Might be able to find something interesting, you know?"

"Actually, I wanted to go take a look at the pokemon shelter," Nikita said, checking the map she'd brought out of the hotel. "Do you mind?"

Reiner shrugged, and nodded.

"Okay, enjoy your food. Where do you guys want to meet up?" Reiner asked.

"How about the plaza?" Kate suggested. "Or no, that's kind of far…"

"Why not here?" Blake suggested. "We can get a seat by the window, and when you guys are done, you can come on over."

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe we'd spend the rest of the day there?" Nikita asked, glancing at Reiner. She leaned up and whispered something in his ear. Reiner nodded his head.

"Well, then I guess we'll meet back at the hotel, then, after all," Kate said.

"Sounds good," Nikita agreed, nodding, a smile on her face. She glanced at Reiner, and Reiner nodded in agreement. The two waved goodbye to their friends as they headed into the restaurant, the couple walking down the street.

Blake and the girls entered the restaurant and were shown to their table (the one Reiner and Nikita had been sitting at) and continued the discussion about Sango's eating habits. The massive steak she ordered only reinforced what they already knew to be true.

"Now then, Lana, I want to make something clear," Blake said, frowning. "I'm not some playboy. Sango, Kate and I don't have any sort of inappropriate relationship."

Lana rolled her eyes and nodded her head, "agreeing" with him but it was clear to everyone at the table that she didn't buy it for a second.

Blake scowled. He didn't want to do it because it felt kind of scummy, but he needed some backup. He took out his phone and set it on speakerphone, dialing someone up from his contacts' list.

"Hello?" Olivia asked. Blake blinked.

"Wait, you're awake?" Blake hadn't wanted to do this because it should have been very late in the evening back at the Pokemon Academy. Evidently, Olivia was still awake, though.

"Oh, please," Olivia scoffed. "The girls and I are having a chick flick movie marathon. A certain sweetheart needed some soothing, after the way you've so callously treated her these last few-"

"Hey!" Ayame's voice echoed in the background.

Lana smirked victoriously, crossing her arms in front of her chest and leaning back in her seat. Blake winced.

"What do you want, Blake?" Olivia demanded.

"Look, I know you've probably got it in for me-"

"Oh? Why would you think that?" Olivia's voice was sweet as honey.

"By the way, you're on speakerphone," Blake informed her.

"Oh, good! That way all your friends can hear all about how you broke my best friend's heart."

"Boss, Blake and I are fine, why do you-"

"Hush now," Olivia shushed her on the other line.

Oh yeah. She was mad.

"Between you and me," Olivia whispered into the phone, "I'm actually glad. Now that she's had her heart ripped to shreds by such a cruel and heartless boy, I think I've got a shot. I've been putting in four years now, thanks for taking me the rest of the way, buddy."

Blake rolled his eyes, not quite sure if she was serious or not.

"Listen, Olivia, apparently there are a bunch of rumors going around campus about how I'm some kind of playboy scumbag?"

"I've been aware of them, yes, what's your point?"

"Well, you know that's not me, right? I'm not that kind of guy?"

Olivia paused.

"…Do I know something like that? I mean you certainly aren't getting into my warm and comfies, but as for other girls-"

"Olivia!"

"Oh, please, learn to take a joke you virgin," Olivia scoffed. "Anyway, what, you want me to clear your good name?"

"Yeah, there's this girl, Lana Canley, who seems to have the wrong idea about things."

"Lana? Canley?" Olivia paused. "I know about her. She hangs around classes for the Appeals Courses a lot, but she's a senior in the Battle Course. What's she doing there?"

"I don't know," Blake shrugged. "But she's accusing me of all sorts of stuff, and I just wanted you to set the record straight with her."

"…Well, I suppose I could… but this seems like a fitting punishment for what you did to my sweet little Aya… hey!"

Scuffling could be heard on the other end of the phone, much to the confusion of the people at the table.

"Oi."

A familiar husky voice rang out on the other line.

"Ayame?" Sango asked.

"Yo, Sango, that you? What's going on?" Ayame asked.

"Well, Blake's kind of… the subject of some rumors? And we were wondering if you could clear things up here," Sango explained.

"What, that whole fucking playboy bunk?" Ayame cackled. "Please. If only, right? I fucking wish Blake had the fucking decisiveness to pull something like that. Nah, he's too fucking caring to treat girls that way."

"Thank you," Blake sighed, relieved at Ayame coming to his rescue.

"Feh," Lana scoffed. "Like I believe one of your conquests over my own eyes."

"Conquest?!" Ayame growled. "Why you fucking-!"

"I saw plain as day, Kate and Blake heading into Sango's room to spend the night. So maybe he didn't make a move on you, but it's certainly no rumor."

Sango flinched.

Ayame stood in silence for a long time, letting that sink in. The silence was so awkward that the tension was making Blake feel like he'd done something wrong, even though nothing had happened, and even if it had, he didn't owe Ayame any explanation.

"…Is that right."

Ayame's voice was quieter than expected.

"Ayame, seriously, nothing happened, don't worry about it," Blake said, shaking his head. "I literally just spent the night. We didn't do anything."

"Well, yeah, of course you fucking didn't," Ayame scoffed. Blake could see her eyes rolling in his mind, in the most Ayame way possible.

"Exactly, thank you," Blake said. "I have no interest in something like that! Besides, Sango and Kate don't even think about me that way, so there's no way we would ever do anything like that, even if I wanted to."

"…Is that right," Ayame said. "Sango, thoughts?"

"Hm?" Sango said.

"Blake's saying some interesting stuff, that all sound right to you?"

"Uh, yeah, of course," Sango laughed. "Blake, Kate, and I, we're all just friends, none of us have any feelings for each other."

"Well, okay then," Ayame said, holding her tongue to resist cursing the girl out over the phone. "Anyway, listen, Lana or whoever, Blake's a decent guy, really. So don't go making him out to be some sort of… just don't!"

"Ugh, fine, whatever," Lana said, rolling her eyes.

"Boss, you tell her too," Ayame demanded.

"Blake's a decent guy," Olivia admitted, but the reluctance in her voice was telling. "At least he's the kind of guy nice enough to not leave a girl on the hook when she has feelings for him."

"Damn fucking right," Ayame agreed.

"But apparently he's still the sort of trash who won't date an absolutely perfect girl who just wants love and compassion-"

More struggling, and a high shriek "Aya, you know never touch the hair!" The phone hung up a few seconds later.

"There, you believe it now?" Blake asked, looking up at Lana.

Lana scowled indignantly at him.

"…Trip's not over," she replied. "We'll see."

That was about as good as it was going to get, he guessed.

In the meantime, Nikita and Reiner arrived at a pokemon shelter. It was a large building on the outskirts of town, and due to Circhester's cold climate, it didn't have outdoor pens or areas for pokemon to run around. Just a big, blocky building. It was a place where pokemon were being looked after, mainly abandoned pokemon unable to adapt to the wild, and rescues that were having injuries treated.

"So you two are students?" The attendant at the front desk asked. "And what brings you both here?"

The woman was older, and very pretty. She gave off an air of tranquility and motherly kindness due to the apron she wore over her white shirt and jeans. She had alabaster skin and silky white hair tied into a side plait over her shoulder. There was a warm smile on her face that suited the twinkle in her crimson eyes, which peered out at the two of them from behind wire-rimmed glasses.

"Well, I read a brochure, that said… people could come here and… play with the pokemon?" Nikita asked.

The attendant's red eyes widened, and she nodded.

"Yes, absolutely! We love when people come by to visit with the pokemon in our care," the woman explained. She stepped out from around the counter and took a key ring off of her belt. She went over to a door on the wall and unlocked it, gesturing for the two to follow after her. As they walked down the hall, the attendant explained the idea behind

"You see, the pokemon we look after here are very… damaged. They don't often get along well with other pokemon, and a lot of them show hostility towards people. We're very wary of releasing them out into the wild areas in their current condition. They could end up causing trouble for local rangers, and then they might end up back here. We work hard to not only care for sick and injured pokemon and help them recover, but also help them recover from their pain and distrust of people."

The woman sighed, shaking her head.

"I do what I can for them, but pokemon like these, who have been hurt by people, it's important for them to learn that not all humans are bad. If they can't regain that trust, then I fear that they might never be able to be around people again. And to think of such a thing…"

Tears began to well up in the woman's large eyes as she stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall. Seeing the sad look on her face, Reiner realized who this woman reminded him of. She was almost like a grown-up Kitty.

"Pokemon that won't bond with humans… people who mistreat and harm their pokemon… things like that hurt the most," the attendant murmured, her hand on the doorknob. She turned back to look at the two.

"Even if it's only for a day… do you think you could spend it with these children? They may not want to admit it, because they're scared, or angry… but I'm sure that they will love your company."

Nikita and Reiner looked at each other. They had already decided that they wanted to, after hearing the explanation. Nikita had been onboard from the beginning, and the woman's compassion had won Reiner over, as well. The two both nodded.

"Are you sure, though?" Nikita asked. "If… if they really have been traumatized, then wouldn't our presence cause them more pain?"

A solemn look crossed the woman's face, and she nodded slightly.

"That… is true," she admitted. "But even though it scares them, they still wish to connect. The wish of all things that live, is to form connections with others."

She smiled at Nikita.

"You're a kind girl, young miss. I wish all the pokemon here had trainers who showed as much concern for them as you do. But sadly, too often people find themselves unable to be as kind as they'd like. They hurt others due to misunderstandings, or out of self-preservation, or merely lashing out, and pushing the hurt inflicted on them onto someone else. And when they hurt the others around them, they don't realize that the ones they really hurt are themselves."

The woman paused to wipe her eyes, opening the door and letting the two inside. She followed behind them.

Reiner was pretty stunned. The building wasn't THAT large, but whoever built it had made excellent use of the space. The walls were painted with an artificial sky, and it really felt like being outside. This place must have been climate controlled somehow. Tall grass lined the outer walls, with more flattened and trimmed grass taking up most of the flooring. There were jungle gyms and climbing structures that scaled all the way to the ceiling, built over deep pits of sand. There was a gap in the wall that seemed to be like a little artificial cave made of carved stone surrounded by mud pits, and a large pond in the center that seemed to be making use of Circhester's underwater hot spring.

"It is a sad fact of our world, that so often we hurt others out of fear. The deepest fear that we feel… the fear that things are not safe… a fear that can only be abated by security. But even knowing that, our fear of being hurt leads us to drive away those who could connect with us, bring us the peace of mind that we so desperately need. Just like people, these young ones are the same, desperate for the connection, but too scared to accept it. So sad… time on this earth is so finite, but rather than treasure it, people and pokemon choose instead to lash out at others in pain, hatred, and anger, rather than reach out to others in love."

Something was strange about this woman. Reiner couldn't necessarily say what, but she certainly spoke from a place of knowledge. She didn't look that old, and yet she spoke with such weight, it was clear that she'd lived through some things he couldn't imagine. The white-haired woman stepped past him and turned to look at the two.

"Deep down, I know that there is no such thing as a pokemon that hates people. All pokemon, no matter how damaged, no matter how afraid, they yearn for that connection." The expression on her face was sad, as though she were speaking words that she herself did not quite believe to be true. Or perhaps, if she did believe in them, some other force was preventing her from accepting them completely. She smiled, but it was a solemn smile.

"For a time I believed that if we tried hard and trusted one another, then we could create peace in our world… but that became a pipe dream. So now, I just… do what I can, I suppose."

There was a rustling in the grass, and two black and white striped Zigzagoon peeked out.

"Hello, loves," the woman waved to the two pokemon and called out in a sing-song voice that made even Reiner and Nikita feel relaxed. The two pokemon scurried over to her, and she knelt down beside them. They looked at her warily, but still allowed her to pet their fur all the same. The woman glanced back up at the two, her eyes glistening with emotion.

"Take the time to play with the pokemon here as much as you like. Any length will be a blessing. These lovely children need all the care they can get."

She rose to her feet and said goodbye to the two Zigzagoon, who scurried back into the tall grass. She turned and walked out the door, giving the couple one last look, wearing a sad smile on her face.

Nikita and Reiner glanced at each other. When they came here, they both thought it would be simple, just play with the pokemon a little. But this woman… neither one of them had realized the weight of what they were doing. They both decided that they were going to do the best they could to help play with them, it was the very least they could do.

So Reiner and Nikita are going to spend some quality time looking after a bunch of abused pokemon. Hopefully, they'll be able to provide some degree of comfort for them, and maybe even warm some hearts. We can only hope.