Here's what we've been waiting for. One of the most impactful moments of Blake and Gwen's history, where so much tragedy occurs, and things all go wrong for the happy family. Such a tragedy. If only they could have reached a happier future somehow.

We've got a decent amount of votes in the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Semi-Finals! The current lead runners in the polls may surprise you! The shakeup really makes me realize how a girl may be in many people's top 5, but not necessarily in their top 3. So I'm certainly feeling more than a little surprised Looks like the girl I'm pulling for isn't going to win, but that's fine. They're all wonderful girls! There have still only been a few votes, I'm sure there are more of you that want to vote! If you want your best girls to make it to the final round and beyond, then make sure to get your votes in! You have 3 votes, make them count!

Semi-Finalists: Cynthia, Ayame, Sango, Kate, Marion, Alcea

Aquahaze675: Tragedy and time can change people, sadly.

Plutodragon: Glad to see you starting out on this, and I'm glad to use Silver, he adds a nice flair to the series.

PikachuKetchup12: He was learning to read Kalosian, he knew how to speak it. He was learning to read and speak English as well.

Thunder Fire: Sadly, people change when they go through trauma and don't have a support structure to deal with it.

Pokemonking0924: They were a moderately happy family once upon a time. And now everything is different.

Tambry96bj: It is sad. It just shows how much she's lost from who she originally was. And considering how much she was already lacking, it makes what she has left seem so small.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 282

It had been two years since Blake had been adopted by the Harker family. And today he was preparing for his birthday party. Well, it wasn't exactly his birthday party, rather, it was the birthday he shared with his little sister. A few years back, Cynthia had raised up the notion about when they should celebrate his birthday, since technically no one knew when he was born, even his age was a matter of educated guessing, rather than a verified fact. When that happened, Guinevere volunteered to share her birthday with his, so that the two of them could celebrate their birthdays together every year. It was something that made him happy; even though their family wasn't always appreciating them, they were able to celebrate their birthdays with each other.

Today was a different matter than the previous year, though. It was his tenth birthday, and his sister's ninth. Normally, he would have the option to go out on a pokemon journey today. But he and Rogen weren't ready for something like that. Today, Cynthia had suggested something… pedestrian to celebrate their birthday.

A picnic.

Cynthia wanted the whole family to go together on a picnic at the majestic waterfalls of Couriway Town, for a nice family celebration. Richard Harker was going to come, much to Blake's surprise, as was his brother, Kanone. Blake wasn't used to his brother paying much attention to him, or the man who had adopted him.

They had taken the family jet to Couriway, and were all set to begin the "picnic". It wasn't really in the spirit of things when their family get together was done by jet flight as opposed to, say, going out into a nearby park and having a nice lunch.

It didn't help, either, that Kanone and Richard were not actually in Couriway yet. Richard had gone to go pick Kanone up at the airport, since the man had decided to fly normally as opposed to flying in on their own plane. So while he was going to pick up the last member of the family, Cynthia, Blake, and Gwen were walking to one of the official viewing platforms. Blake was a little nervous, and Gwen didn't really care one way or another about going on a picnic. She was just happy to get to be with her beloved older brother.

Cynthia was the only one actually getting in the spirit of things. She carried a big basket in the crook of one arm, and a large blanket rolled up under the other.

"It's been so long since I went on a picnic!" She gushed, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. "Not since my days traveling through Sinnoh! Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

"Blake."

Blake turned to Gwen. She didn't address him on her own initiative very often. She walked up to him, and held an unwrapped box up to him.

"Uh..." Blake looked at her in confusion. "What is this?"

"Birthday present," Gwen explained, pushing it into his hands.

"Gwen, why are you giving this to me now?"

Gwen tilted her head to the side.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Gwen, it isn't time for presents yet," Blake explained to her.

Gwen looked at him with more confusion.

"Open it," she continued, undeterred.

"It's fine, Blake!" Cynthia called back to him. She was busy unrolling the carpet and spreading it out over the grass. They were on an outlook, raised out over a large basin, torrents of water falling down before them. With the magnificent forest to their back, the sun reflecting off the walls of water were beautiful, casting rainbows in dancing arcs overhead.

Blake took the box from Gwen. He reached into his pocket, and from it he took out a small necklace with a silver sun on it.

"Here, Gwen," Blake held it out to her. Gwen looked at it in confusion, not sure what to do with it. Blake sighed and walked around behind Gwen, unhooking the clasp on the necklace and affixing it around Gwen's neck. She didn't seem to care much about it, but the small smile on her face told him she was happy. She was still holding her box out to him. Blake took it, and removed the lid. He blinked. There was a small music player, and a set of headphones. He looked up at Gwen.

"Gwen, you got me a music player?" Blake asked, surprised. Gwen nodded her head.

"Mother told me that a present for a boy is singing him songs," Gwen explained. "She said that I should record these for you."

Blake looked at her, his eyes widening. Gwen had sung a bunch of songs, and recorded them for him. It was something touching, and now he felt a little bad that he'd only gotten her a necklace. Even if she liked it, this was something a lot more meaningful. It-

A crashing sound came from the forest behind them. Gwen didn't pay it any mind, but Blake whirled his head to look towards it, stunned. There was rumbling coming from within the forest, the sound of trees falling down onto the ground, much to Blake's confusion. From within the forest, coming from the direction of the sound, a flash of red could be seen.

A red figure swiftly emerged from the forests depths. It was a pokemon, one that Blake had never seen before. Blake's eyes widened. The pokemon was tall and slender, standing upright, its body a deep crimson. It had long, sharp pincers where its hands should be, wrapped up around its body, cradling something else that was covered in red. The pokemon's large wings were beating frantically as it flew out of the forest, and it was panting. Blake could see that the pokemon wasn't in very good shape. It looked injured, its red body beaten and bruised.

Blake had just enough time to get a good look at this pokemon when a loud roar echoed through the valley, a figure crashing out of the forest behind the pokemon. A massive, hulking dragon pokemon with blue scales, and mighty red wings that carried its body forward. The pokemon let out another roar, slamming its claw into the red pokemon's body, knocking it forward like a Meowth batting away a ball of yarn.

The red pokemon held its arms closer to its chest as it hit the ground, coming to a stop before Blake and Gwen. Both children were stunned at what they were looking at. Blake could see, in the pokemon's arms, was another pokemon, drenched in red. It was small, and traces of white could be seen. But right now, the small, trembling pokemon was covered in deep wounds that were bleeding profusely, its white clothes drenched in blood.

"Scizor…" The red pokemon gasped, shakily rising to its feet. This Scizor… it was protecting this other pokemon, from the rampage of that angry, ferocious dragon.

"Saaaaaaaaa!" The dragon howled, opening its large jaws. A burst of flames erupted, aiming right for the children and the Scizor. The red pokemon leapt forward, pushing the two children out of the way, but took the full brunt of the flames in his back.

"Gwen!" Blake stepped in front of his sister and held his arms out defensively, but he wasn't fooling anyone. This pokemon in front of him… what could he do? He and Rogen had never been in a fight before, not a real one, anyway. And if a strong-looking pokemon like this red one couldn't beat it, what were they supposed to do?

"Sci… Scizor…" The red pokemon was sprawled on the ground, shaking, clearly unable to go on for very much longer. He looked up at Blake, his golden eyes dull and weak, but shining with determination. He held his claws up to Blake, presenting him the injured pokemon. The Scizor seemed to be begging them to, at the very least, protect this injured pokemon if they could.

But of course, they couldn't.

Blake lifted the bleeding pokemon and held it close. Its small body was so cold, and it was barely breathing. The beat of its heart was so faint, it was like it wasn't even there. Blake could feel the life slipping out of its small form.

"I don't understand," Gwen muttered, shaking her head. Blake glanced at her. Her eyes were dull and empty, locked in a glassy, distant stare that she would get whenever she was shutting down into one of her numb, empty moments. Clearly in shock, she was repeating "I don't understand, I don't understand, I don't understand."

Over and over.

The angry dragon advanced on them, letting out another roar. Blake trembled. He held the small pokemon close to his chest. What was he going to do? He couldn't do anything. He couldn't protect his sweet sister, or the unconscious pokemon in front of him, or the dying pokemon in his arms. He couldn't even protect himself.

The mighty dragon towered over the two children, raising its claw, and swinging it down at them. But the claw never struck. The red pokemon jumped to its feet, holding his pincers up over his head, stopping the attack from getting anywhere near the two children. He held the dragon's claw up as best he could, but he was too weak to do much. With a swing of its tail, the dragon knocked the Scizor away, the red pokemon tumbling through the grass, wincing in pain. The dragon lumbered back around and kept advancing, when another roar distracted it.

"Get away from them!"

Strong arms wrapped around Blake and Gwen, pulling them back. A flash of dark blue shot past. Another large, scaled pokemon lumbered forward, raising a slender claw. A long fin erupted from its arm, slicing at the other dragon.

"Garchomp!" The new dragon roared. She lowered her head and charged forward, the large fin on her back sticking up. She slammed the fin into the other dragon's shoulder, pushing it backwards.

"M-Mother!" Blake gasped, looking up at Cynthia. She was holding onto her children tightly, even as Gwen struggled in her grip. Her eyes flashed with determination, and she glare at the wild Salamence with a look of pure fury. She was nothing like the woman Blake had known; this was his foster mother, a warrior and pokemon master.

"Let-let go!" Gwen shook free, breaking away from Cynthia.

"Gwen!" Cynthia cried, her attention shifting away from the battle and towards her daughter for a moment, enough time for the feral dragon to take advantage. Cynthia's Garchomp had paused at the distraction as well, and the Salamence drove her claw up into the dragon's chest with a powerful dragon claw attack.

"Urgh!" Cynthia coughed, clutching her chest as she fell to her knees, coughing. It had been too long since she'd used her harmonia in a real battle; as strong as she was, her skills were far too rusty to put up a real fight.

"Galuna!" Cynthia coughed, her eyes flashing. Her Garchomp let out another roar, rising to her feet as well, draconic energy crackling around her body. She charged forward, driving her fins down in a flurry of dragon claws, cutting deep red gashes into the Salamence's scaled hide.

"SALAMENCE!" The Salamence roared in pain, spitting dragon fire out of her mouth. Violet flames and electricity crackled around the Salamence's body, and she drove her claw into Galuna's leg, knocking the pokemon down into one knee. With a swat of her tail, she knocked the less bulky pokemon down to the ground.

Blood trickled from Cynthia's nose as she held her leg, panting. She raised her arm up in front of Blake, her eyes desperate.

The Salamence stepped over Galuna, raising her claw up and pressing it down over the other dragon's throat, holding her on the ground as she raised her other claw, draconic energy coursing through it. She prepared to bring down the claw in a mighty slash to finish the pokemon off.

"Galuna!" Cynthia cried, her harmonia flaring up in desperation, trying to get her pokemon to force herself free with sheer power.

"STOP IIIIIIIIIIT!"

Gwen's desperate voice echoed through the valley. Cynthia's head shot around and her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Don't bully momma!" Gwen sobbed. Tears were falling from her eyes. Her body was glowing with a blue light, and her eyes were shining with light as well.

A blue light suffused the hulking dragon, much to its shock. She found her body frozen, unable to move. She could not bring her claw down, she couldn't step back, she couldn't even make her tail twitch or her wings flap.

"Gui… Guinevere…" Cynthia gasped, shocked at her daughter's appearance. "No, it's… it's too soon… how…? This power is… it's too strong for a child…"

"Stop it!" Gwen shouted, the dragon flying backwards. The Salamence hit the ground hard. Her body trembled with fear. What… what was that?

She had never felt so violated. Her body had been used without her control. She could feel the girl… she had probed around in her mind…

The Salamence rose to her feet and roared, thrashing around violently. Her body was still glowing. She could feel herself growing stronger, but she couldn't control herself. No! Stop it!

The Salamence thrashed around, swinging her tail and claws, beating her wings, spitting fire, anything to shake out this power that was trying to assert control over him.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Gwen wailed, blood leaking from her nose as her head throbbed with pain.

The blue light around the human and the pokemon faded, and Gwen passed out. Her harmonia had overwhelmed her, and she fell to her knees.

"Gwen!" Cynthia cried.

"Salamence!" The Salamence roared in anger, shaking herself free of the haze. That girl! She lumbered towards her, snarling. She spat fire in her fury. That girl had DONE something, and she needed to eliminate her before she had her body's autonomy taken from her again. She could smell it. That girl, that woman… they stank of an unnatural power that terrified the dragon, and as long as they were around, she would never feel safe again.

"You won't touch her!" Cynthia shouted, her hair standing on end. Galuna roared, power surging through her, and she leapt to her feet, lunging at the Salamence, her claw raised. She hit the Salamence in the side of her neck with a dragon claw, but the attack did not hamper her in the slightest. The Salamence hit Galuna in the stomach with an even more powerful dragon claw, Cynthia gagging in pain alongside her Garchomp. The Salamence followed it with another swipe of her claw, this one drawing red gashes across the Garchomp's face.

Cynthia was seeing red, and her head was throbbing. She regretted having expended her harmonia like this. If she had kept up with her training, then she would be in better shape, but now…

She gave all she had. She needed to keep her children safe. She ignored the throbbing in her head, she forced her eyes to stay open, she put the blood trickling from her nose out of her mind. She was devoting everything to being Galuna, to defeating the Salamence, to protecting her beloved, precious children.

Dragon flames engulfed Galuna's body, and Cynthia felt the burns as well, crying in pain. Blake didn't know what was going on.

"Mother, what's wrong? Gwen?!" Blake shook his head, white with terror. He didn't know what was going on, he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"Blake…" Cynthia whispered. "You need to… take Gwen… and run… I'll… take care of this… just… go, please…"

"No, I won't leave you, I-"

"Do it!" Cynthia spat, blood leaking from her nose and mouth. Her eyes were frantic and desperate. She wanted at least her children to get out okay, even as her body was torn apart by the pokemon's attacks. She wasn't… she couldn't…

"Sammy!"

A flash of blue appeared in the corner of Blake's eye, and he whirled his head to see a large blue pokemon knock the Salamence away from Galuna, standing in front of the dragon. The blue pokemon stood on her hind legs, holding two large tan shells in her paws, sharpened like swords.

"Salamence!" The dragon growled, picking herself back up. She seethed with hatred at the newcomer, it let off the same stench as the girls and that Garchomp. A young man stood behind the new pokemon, reeking of that power. Now there were three of them.

"Kanone…" Cynthia murmured. She was glad to see him, but was still unable to keep the worry from her eyes. Her son had appeared. She felt consciousness slipping from her, as Galuna fell to the ground. A small smile crossed her lips as the darkness swallowed her. They would be alright now. Everything would be alright…

"Cynthia!" Richard cried, running towards her. "Guinevere!"

"Sammy, stop her," Kanone ordered. Sammy nodded her head, the Samurott running forward and cutting into the Salamence with her blades. The bulky Salamence was a powerful, strong pokemon, able to even defeat Cynthia's well-reputed Garchomp in terms of raw power, as out-of-practice as she may have been. But brute force wasn't enough to overcome the much more skilled Samurott, who was able to dance circles around the thrashing dragon, carving into her with her shell blades.

"Salamence!" The Salamence thrashed about desperately, catching Sammy in the cheek with her tail. Knocking the smaller pokemon away, the Salamence engulfed her with a blast of dragon fire, which Sammy quickly dispersed with a more powerful burst of water. Sammy charged forward and drove the point of one of her blades in the Salamence's shoulder, the pokemon crying in pain as blood spurted out of the wound. But it still wasn't going down.

This isn't a pokemon we can defeat easily, Kanone recognized. We need to get them to a hospital, we can't afford to play around here.

Kanone unhooked an empty ball from his belt, and hurled it at the Salamence while her attention was focused on his partner. The dragon didn't even see it coming, Sammy throwing her off balance with another swing, this time hitting the Salamence in the leg and knocking her onto her back. As she hit the ground, the pokeball struck her in the belly, opening up and sucking the pokemon inside. It fell into the grass, shaking around, the pokemon trying desperately to break free. But eventually, the ball managed to settle down.

Kanone fell to his knees and sighed, his eyes flashing. His harmonia dispersed. He was a little exhausted, but he could still stand. As for the others…

Kanone looked over his shoulder to see Cynthia and Guinevere lying on the ground, unconscious. There was an injured pokemon sprawled out on the grass, and Blake held another in his arms, soaking his clothes in blood. Kanone shook his head. What in the hell had happened here?

Sadly, as we know, they won't be okay. An unfortunate family outing with a tragic end.