What consequences will Blake and Kate receive, now that everything is settled down? There will certainly be repercussions, I promise.

Pokemon Academy Best Girl Elimination Round is in the final leg. Some girls are probably out of the running, but nothing's set in stone just yet! Vote for your 5 favorites, the poll is in my profile, right at the top. Time's running out, make sure you get your votes in!

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

KedharS: Maybe he doesn't want to chill with Kate, though.

DJ Dib Dab: Well, you know, it's a little too busted if you get to just keep doing stuff like that with no limits.

Aquahaze675: There's always something, I'll tell you that much.

ConfusedCradily: I don't think Kate will be that distrusting of Alcea. Unlike Val, Alcea is a real friend… right?

Badoobadoop: Yes.

Thunder Fire: It should be right at the top of my bio. Are you using the phone version? Maybe it doesn't show up there.

Retsuna: Well we'll get it at some point, for sure.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: It may have been worth it in the short-term, but in the long-term, there could be some serious problems that our cast will have to face.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 261

Blake and Kate stared at each other. Things were cooling down, and now they were left with each other… and everything that had happened that night.

"…So you… you know…" Kate murmured, climbing over the waist-high fence and looking Blake in the eye. Her face… Blake could see the pain there. She'd had something so private, so personal, dragged out of her so cruelly.

Blake didn't have anything to say. It had all been too much. Standing up for Kate, fighting against Valerie, and then that revelation… to think that she… she was here, in Galar? His heart was pounding in his chest. Kate was the last thing on his mind right now, even if she was right before his eyes.

Blake wasn't saying anything. Why wasn't he saying anything? Kate bit her lip. What Val had said before… about that… whoever, whatever… she'd heard the name Anja Karzat, and saw that Blake's face went deathly pale. Should she really be… was it really the time to worry about how she felt? She was hurt, but Blake… Blake looked like he was in real, actual distress.

Just as she was about to say never mind, and try to put what Val had told him about her feelings behind them, Blake finally answered her.

"Yeah… I know."

It wasn't right. Even if Kate wasn't what he was thinking about, to blow her off like this… she was here. Now. He could pretend like nothing had happened. They could both go back to how they were before, with Kate harboring her crush on him "in secret" and him not addressing it. Nothing had to change because of Val's cruel words.

But that would just make him the piece of trash she'd accused him of being. Kate had been through so much pain tonight, most of it brought on by Val… but some of it brought on by himself. He couldn't pretend like he was innocent in all this. Val had said it best. The cruelest way to torture someone was to give them hope, even just the smallest hope, to latch onto, and then take it away. And he had done that. In his reluctance to confront her growing feelings for him, he had given her the hope that maybe, someday, the two of them would become a couple. Val had cruelly dragged that secret out in the open, and on top of that revealed the fact that he knew how she felt all along. Kate's heart was laid bare in front of him… and he would have to crush it with his own hands. He could comfort himself afterwards. Tell her that it was because he didn't want to cause her more pain down the road, by continuing to lead her on. And he would believe that. He would have to.

But it wouldn't make the pain he had to inflict on her now any better. Blake didn't like hurting people. He wished he could just make everyone happy… but he couldn't. So he had to tell Kate how he felt.

"You… know, well, yeah, I mean, of course you know, but-"

"For about a month," Blake confessed. "Since October."

Kate blinked. Her mouth dropped open. Val had said that, but… she didn't even know how she'd felt about Blake back then, and yet he…

"I'm sorry," Blake apologized, shaking his head. "I… I should have told you before, I just… I… Like how Val said, I really did just lead you on. I didn't want to tell you that I knew how you felt, or approach the subject, I just sort of… let things fester until it came out in the worst way possible."

"I didn't know until recently myself," Kate admitted. "But honestly… in the end…"

Kate's eyes began to tear up. She knew what he was saying without him even saying it.

"I'm sorry," Blake said, shaking his head. "I can't… I can't lead you on. Not anymore."

"I know," Kate said, nodding. "I know. I know that you don't… about me, you…"

"I'm glad I got to know you better over the last few days," Blake said. "You're practically a different person from the girl you were when I first met you. But that… that isn't love. Even though I consider you a friend… I can't like you the way you like me."

Kate wiped her eyes, and forced a smile to her face. It felt wrong sitting there, but she kept it up as much as she could.

"I know that… of course…" Kate sobbed. She was trembling, and felt like a gust of wind would push her over. It was all too much. Everything that Val had said and done… it almost made this heartbreak bearable. Almost. Her legs gave out and she burst into tears, falling forward. Blake caught her before she hit the ground and she cried into his chest, the weight of everything that had gone on that day too much to carry.

Blake didn't say a word. He didn't have a right to comfort her. Not after he was the one to break her heart. But he still had to tell her…

"We need to get inside," Blake murmured. "You should lie down. It's been a long day, and it's not over yet. We're leaving in a couple hours, remember?"

Kate sniffled, and nodded. Blake was right. Plus, they needed to leave before someone called the police and they got arrested for what was essentially vandalizing the plaza.

"What about your pokemon?" Kate whispered. "Don't they…"

"They should be fine after a night's rest… hopefully," Blake said. He didn't think any of their injuries were critical enough to require hospitalization.

"That's good…" Kate nodded. She separated from him, and the two crossed the plaza, heading back to the hotel. Being held in his embrace was nice… but she knew how he felt. He didn't want that cute little lie. Blake had told her how he felt, and that had been the best she could hope for. He didn't want them to go any further than this. He had told her that so she wouldn't get the wrong idea, because he cared about her and wanted her to be happy.

Kate stopped, and turned back to face Blake.

"You aren't the same," she assured him.

Blake blinked.

"I'm-"

"Val… she was trying to hurt me. Because she enjoyed it. She tore me down, gave me hope… my school life was all just one big lie. Meticulously planned to cause me as much pain and despair as possible from her betrayal." Kate held her hand over her chest. It still stung. Memories of her time with Val kept flooding her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to shove them out. All of it… they were all lies. There had been no friendship there. She closed her eyes, and fought off the urge to break into tears again.

"But you…" Kate opened her eyes and looked at him. "You didn't want to. You… yeah, it hurts. It stings. But I think maybe… I might be able to get past it. I'll… I'll get over this, I'm sure."

Those were lies. Kate wasn't sure. But she knew that the pain that Blake had inflicted on her… it hurt far less than what Val and her machinations had done. And the reason for that? Her heart was telling that right now, from the pain she could see in his face. It had hurt him to do this to her. For Val… she had enjoyed it. She took pleasure in Kate's suffering.

That's why she knew Blake wasn't the terrible person Val had tried to convince him he was.

"You aren't a bad person, Blake," Kate reassured him. "Even if you hurt me… you didn't try to hurt me. I can't blame you for not falling in love with someone like me. You aren't a bad person for your feelings. So it's fine."

She gave him a sad smile, the best one she could, and turned on her heel, walking back to the hotel. She wouldn't cry anymore. Not until she was back to her room, anyway. Checkout was a few hours away. She needed to shower, so… she'd cry there.

Kate's words had soothed Blake's worry. But it wasn't close to enough. There was something deeper that was eating away at him. Even when he followed Kate, hers wasn't the back he was picturing. He had heard Kate without even knowing it. But her heart wasn't the one he really torn to shreds.

Ayame's smile flashed before his eyes. She… she had done everything she could for him, and remained at his side as a friend and confidant. And yet, he had… he had selfishly dragged her along, fooling her into thinking she had a chance. Olivia had called him out on it, and only now, seeing the damage that Val had caused to Kate, by giving her so much hope and then ripping it away so cruelly, did he see how right she had really been. What he had done to Ayame… it was as bad as what he had done to Kate.

No… it was even worse.

Ayame had confessed to him directly. She had offered her heart to him, so innocent and pure, and he had crushed it. And not cleanly, either. He had played with her, kept her on the hook, before finally smashing that hope for good in one of the cruelest ways possible. The pain she must be feeling… the suffering behind that coy smile… he wasn't sure how he could ever bring himself to see her again.

The apologies I gave her back then… how worthless they ended up being. Blake shook his head. But he couldn't run away. He needed to make amends somehow. His thoughts were clouded by his worry about what he would do in three days. But right now, the person he wanted to see right now was Ayame. He needed to apologize for everything he'd done, how he'd exploited her feelings and made her suffer.

"Kate," Blake called out. Kate paused at the door, turning back to look at him.

"…Yeah?" She asked quietly. She could see that there was discomfort on his face, like he had come to a difficult decision. It was the same look he'd worn when he rejected her mere minutes earlier. To still see him in pain…

"About what happened tonight… that thing with Val, and the ruins… please, don't… tell anyone?" Blake was worried. If Kate blabbed, and the authorities were called, then those Children of the Oracles, they wouldn't show up. It was a horrible thing to ask. He was aiding and abetting an act of terror, if he was being frank. The right thing to do was to contact the Pokemon Rangers, or the police, or even just the professor, and guard the ruins. Stop whatever their plans were before they started.

Could Blake really make that call? Could he put the ruins in jeopardy for his own selfish desire? Just because he wanted to…

Kate was having a similar dilemma. She knew what he was asking of her. And she knew that it was questionable. He was asking her to keep quiet about something that was larger than both of them. Could she really… could she do it? All for Blake? Because he asked? Because meeting this… whoever it was, meant that much to him?

Kate swallowed. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

But she was going to.

The two shared a look. They were agreeing to a conspiracy, to keep the truth hidden, putting people at risk. They both knew it was the wrong thing to do. And for their own reasons, they both agreed to do it anyway.

"Yeah…" she nodded. "I won't tell anyone."

Kate and Blake entered the hotel, and reunited with the other members of their group. Neither one of them said one word about what they had been up to earlier that night. And a few hours later, they all met in the lobby. Professor Reinhart had called a bus, which took them to the train station. As they stood in front of the train, waiting for the doors to open, Sango glanced at Blake with a worried look on her face.

"Kate…" Sango glanced at the girl, and then back at Blake.

"Wh-what?" Kate asked, glancing at Sango. Her eyes were red, like she'd been crying. Sango could see she was trying to keep a strong appearance. What… what happened to the two of them? They were only gone for a couple of hours. But right now, they seemed…

"Is… is Blake okay?" Sango asked. "Did… something happen?"

"Blake…" Kate faltered. She could see Sango was filled with honest concern for Blake. This was what a real friend looked like, not a fake friend like Valerie Chiester. She wanted to tell her what had happened, but…

"Yes?" Sango asked hopefully.

"Blake is… going through some stuff right now," Kate said quietly. "Can you… let him be for a little longer?"

Sango turned to see Blake's back. He seemed so frail and tired. She wanted to reach out to him, but… Kate was right. If he wanted to be left alone, then shouldn't she-

"Blake."

Blake turned to see Sango, her hand resting on his shoulder and a look of concern on her face. Silver was floating over her shoulder.

"Sango?"

"Are you okay?" What did I just do?!

"Yeah, I…" Blake shook his head. "No, not… not really."

"I see…" The look of worry on Sango's face made him feel pretty bad, but he wasn't going to lie and say everything was okay. There was enough lying going on today as it was. "Do you… want to talk about anything with me?"

Blake shook his head.

"It's… something I have to deal with myself," he replied. "Is that… okay?"

Sango smiled. She wanted to be there for him, and if that meant keeping her distance, then she would. She'd be there for him when he was ready to talk.

"Okay. Take care of yourself first, then," Sango nodded.

The students filed onto the midnight train, and stored away their luggage. Each student got their own compartment to sleep in. It was rather cramped, in fact. It was rather similar to a capsule hotel. Each "room" was about the size of a single bed, with just enough room to sit up. They were stacked in two rows. This wouldn't be the most comfortable stay in the world.

"It's so quaint!" Nikita giggled, crawling into her compartment on the upper level. Reiner got into the one next to her.

"It's very convenient," Reiner agreed. "A nice use of space, I'd say."

"Sorry, Silver, this is going to be a hard fit," Sango said, climbing into the compartment above Blake's, Silver floating up next to hers. The mattress was nice enough, but a little bumpy. At least she'd have it to herself (well, with Silver, anyway) which was more than she could say about last night, at any rate. As nice as Kate had been to sleep with, she appreciated having her own bed.

"I feel cramped," Kate grumbled. "At least these come with doors for some privacy, I feel like I'm in a coffin."

Blake didn't mind it so much. Tonight… tonight was a night that he wanted to spend on his own. He had… a lot to think about the choices that he had made, and what he was going to do moving forward. And right now-

"Blake."

Blake turned to look at the doorway. Sango's head was hanging over the entrance to his compartment, her short hair standing on end. She had a stern look on her face, and was holding the door open.

"Yeah?" Blake asked.

"You sure you're good?"

"I'm fine," Blake reassured her. "Well, not fine, but…"

"…Okay then," Sango nodded. She remembered the nightmares she had seen him go through the night before. "Pleasant dreams, Blake."

"Thanks," Blake muttered to her, slumping back on the lumpy pillow provided. "Close the door."

"Roger."

Sango pulled her head up and closed the door, lounging back in her own capsule. She closed the door behind her and pulled the curtain shut behind it, yawning. She nestled down into her mattress, pulling the blanket over her and Silver. She was worried for Blake. She wanted to be there for him, and when he was ready, she would be.

Kate was going through a similar dilemma. She felt… wrong. She knew she shouldn't keep what Val had said quiet. But Blake… Blake had asked her to. She wanted to help him however she could. But this whole business… the Children of the Oracles, and this "Anja Karzat" whoever, whatever that was… this was way out of his depth, and they needed to go to the authorities. But at the same time… that look of desperation… could she really rob him of something he was looking for, something he had spent so much time trying to…

Kate shook her head. She had a shit ton of her own issues to deal with right now, she didn't have time bothering with Blake's. But if she didn't cling to Blake's issues, then she would have to confront her own. And that meant she would probably drown.

Sniffling, Kate pulled the curtain shut. She hoped the walls of the train compartment were soundproof, but she doubted they were. Even so, she couldn't hold back anymore. She burst out crying, sobbing into her pillow as the pain from all her hopes the night before filled her chest, her future falling apart before her very eyes.

As for Blake… Blake hadn't had time to contemplate. He was exhausted. Burned out. Completely drained of all energy, he was asleep before Sango had even closed him away. Left asleep… to dream.

Blake awoke in a white room. With six walls he stood with his back to one, facing out into the white abyss in front of him. Pure, pristine, the only breaks being the small black lines that made up the tiles on the walls, floor, and ceiling… and five black doors, one on each of the walls in front of him.

"Hello, Blake."

Blake walked forward, the blurry figure in front of him coming into clarity. The scent of lilac, lavender, and mint tickled his nose with a wave of nostalgia. He set his eyes on the small girl in front of him.

Ryoko smiled up at him, her lavender-colored hair blowing with a breeze that didn't exist. Her golden eyes looked so kindly, so loving, nothing like the coldness in Val's.

"Hello, Blake," Ryoko replied, closing the distance between the two of them and placing a gentle hand on his arm.

Blake is sleeping? I wonder what he'll uncover in dream land… Hopefully Ryoko will be able to get him on the right path!