Here's the final chapter of the Ayame x Blake relationship drama! After this chapter, everything will reach the new status quo, now that we've gotten the reactions in. Hope you enjoy it! The next arc starts soon! Remember to vote!

We've got a decent amount of votes in the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Semi-Finals! We're reaching the end, so get in your votes! The frontrunners right now may surprise you, there's a dark horse in the top 3! Make sure to get those votes in, so we can see who makes it to the final round! All the girls are trying their best, let's see who will pull out the win!

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

Aquahaze675: Not now, just next year. Should be fun, heh.

Mercury – Mercuraneous: Claire and Dakota are both dragon energy, they get along pretty great since they both are mischievous and enjoy messing with people.

Tambry96bj: Yeah, Blake's tragic backstory is nothing in comparison, tbh.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 292

Ayame and Claire were sitting on a small cliff overlooking the sea, about five feet away from each other, their fishing poles cast out over the water.

They sat in silence, staring out at the horizon.

"How did we get here, exactly?" Ayame demanded.

"I don't know, it was that stupid tan girl's idea!" Claire grumbled.

"Well, I remember it being your fucking fault," Ayame snarled. "Since you were hanging all over Blake and starting a ruckus, if not for you, Marion wouldn't have shown up to begin with!"

"Still blaming me for the whole breakfast thing? Have some self-responsibility," Claire snorted.

The two girls glared at each other.

The day before, as breakfast was winding down, Dakota bid Claire goodbye and Claire waved at her, tears in her eyes, promising to send Dakota all the childhood pictures of Blake she had stored up when she got back home.

Blake was less than amused.

"You know, your school really has some nice people," Claire smiled.

"Claire, it would really mean a lot if you didn't keep needling at my relationship like this," Blake replied. "I really like Ayame, and the way you're treating her…"

"Hey!" Claire put her hands on her hips, staring indignantly at Blake. "What do you mean? I'm not trying to get in the way! I'm just making sure that she's good girlfriend material!"

"She's the person who I want to be with, isn't that good enough?" Blake asked, clutching Ayame's hand in his own, staring hopefully at Claire.

Claire baulked, more than slightly intimidated. But she wasn't about to give in to something like this! This was a matter of principle! She wasn't about to let her dearest friend start dating a girl that might end up hurting him in the end.

"That's…" Claire shot a look at Ayame, whose deviant gaze put her on edge even more. It wasn't like she disliked Ayame. She actually thought that the girl was a very sweet person, and a very good fit for Blake. And of course, she was happy that the tall girl had made him so happy right now, she would always be grateful for that.

But as much as she liked her, that wasn't the same as trust. She wanted to trust the girl, she really did. But…

"But I need to be sure," Claire insisted. "Until she proves her feelings to me, I'm not gonna be okay with this!"

"Well, you don't need to be okay with it," Blake replied. Claire took a step back, stunned. Even Ayame was surprised, she hadn't expected that reaction.

"Wh-what?" Claire asked, her mouth flapping open and closed with shock, her confusion uttered in a voice that was barely a whisper.

"Ayame is my girlfriend. If you don't want to accept her, then… um…" Blake let the threat hang in the air, because honestly he didn't really want to say it. While he treated her like an annoyance and in truth she was pretty annoying, he didn't want to lose his oldest friend. He hoped she would just give in, and be nice to Ayame. Personal conflicts like this… it wasn't something he was used to. He felt really bad, like he stood be standing up for his girlfriend better, and while he took Ayame's side over Claire's, he still wanted them all to go along.

In the meantime, Claire wasn't feeling so cheery right now, either. She didn't want to actually oppose his relationship, she would love to be happy for the two of them. But she just wasn't certain about Ayame. She was willing to try, though, to see the two of them be happy together. But at the same time, she still felt a little antsy. She was about to call his bluff, when someone popped up and completely blindsided the three, presenting a new topic point.

"Hey, if you guys are feeling tense and all, why not join the Fishing Contest tomorrow?" Marion chirped, popping up beside Claire out of nowhere and handing her a flyer.

"Fishing Contest?" Claire asked, surprised. Ayame rolled her eyes. Marion was still trying to push this along, huh?

"What's that got to do with anything?" Blake asked, confused. Marion rolled her eyes.

"Everything, silly!" She chuckle, slapping him on the back. "Fishing is a great way to relax! You're out in nature, with the whole world around you, reeling in a big one on the line! Two people, fishing side by side, bonding together… isn't it perfect?"

"Wait, you want us to join the fishing contest, in order to… what? Become friends?" Ayame scowled, glancing at Claire disdainfully.

Claire sighed as well, clearly not on board with this idea any more than Ayame was. She wasn't built for fishing.

"You… you don't like it?" Marion asked, her eyes getting wet.

"I think it's a great idea!" Blake said, agreeing with Marion. "You two can use the fishing contest to become close!"

"Exactly!" Marion said, raising both hands and giving Blake a double high-five. "You got it just perfectly perfect! Nothing gets people together like fishing!"

"Err…"

"Uh…"

Claire and Ayame looked at each other. For once, they were in perfect lockstep agreement, neither one wanting to spend the following day fishing. But with Blake looking at the two of them so hopefully, it was really difficult to say that to him. His eyes were practically shining with excitement, and it was pretty damn clear that he was all on board with his girlfriend and his childhood friend bonding together on a nice fishing trip.

It was really, really hard to say no.

The two sighed, and nodded their heads.

"Okay…"

And so here they were, two girls who did not want to be there, and certainly did not want to be around each other, sitting on the uprooted bank, fishing rods in hand, with a large bucket filled with Green Balls. (Special balls used in classes and campus events, that could catch a pokemon without forming a connection to them, and allow them to be harmlessly released later.)

The two fished in silence, occasionally reeling in a pokemon and catching it. Neither one really cared all that much for the contest, though. They were here because they had to be, not for the prizes or out of any love for the sport. And in truth, they weren't even really trying to accomplish the stated goal in the first place. This contest was supposed to be about them getting closer, and they weren't even talking.

It was Claire who finally broke the silence. Not out of any desire to really connect with Ayame or build a relationship with her, but because the notion of silence was so antithetical to her way of life. So she spoke up first.

"I know I've thanked you for bringing Blake's smile back, but… I want to thank you again," Claire mumbled, glancing at Ayame.

"You don't need to thank me for something like that," Ayame curtly replied. "Just seeing him happy is thanks enough."

A small smile crossed Claire's face, and she nodded in agreement.

Ayame was the one who spoke up next.

"I know that you're flirting with him to dig at me, but… I would like you to stop," Ayame said. "You might think that the only kind of girl worthy of Blake is someone who can be secure in her relationship with him, but… even though I know that Blake likes me and would never cheat on me… seeing another girl fawn over him stings."

"Yeah, well, get used to it," Claire snapped. "Blake has been receiving unwanted attention from girls since I've known him, his sister is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure you've seen stuff like that yourself, haven't you?"

Ayame knew about Sango's feelings for Blake, and had heard about Caelia, as well.

"For a long time, the wrong kind of girl kept sniffing around him," Claire explained, the bitterness in her voice alluding to particularly unpleasant experiences in the past. "Girls who just went after him because he was rather weak-willed and they wanted his money. I hated girls like that. Because Blake couldn't stand up for them himself and see them for who they were, I had to step in and chase them all off. It was practically my job. For a long, long time…"

"But I'm not like those girls!" Ayame exclaimed. "I love him! I do! I don't care about his money! I love him for who he is, because of how kind he is, to help someone just to make them feel better, how he treats everyone like their opinion is important, and-"

"I know all that," Claire interrupted her, shaking her head. "I know that, of course. This isn't… this isn't about me doubting your intentions. I believe that you truly love Blake and want what's best for him. But… can you be certain that you're what's best for him?"

Claire turned away from the water to stare Ayame in the eye, startling the taller girl. Claire's eyes were red and wet.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Ayame. I know the kind of person you are. In the hospital, remember our talk? About Sango, and her feelings?"

Ayame nodded.

"That was when I knew that you were someone who could make Blake happy. You were a good person who cared not only about Blake, but about another girl who clearly liked him. You treated them both with respect. And I respect you for it," Claire admitted.

She let out a long, weary sigh.

"I used to be in love with Blake, you know."

Ayame was taken aback. That was not something she had expected. She thought that Claire was clingy and possessive, sure, but romantic interest?

"Nervous?" Claire chuckled. The look on her face was sad, however. "Don't be. Blake and I… we don't have that sort of relationship. We never have."

Claire turned her head to look out over the water, her hair bouncing with her.

"I fell in love with him, but he never saw me as anything more than a friend. I made myself a promise back in those days… seeing how broken-up he was over losing his sister… I swore to myself that whatever small happiness he could get, I wouldn't let anyone take it from him. I beat back people that tried to hurt him or came towards him with selfish motives, because he was my boy and I couldn't bear to see another girl break his heart."

Claire set down her pole and rose to her feet, taking a few short steps over to Ayame's side and kneeling beside her, Ayame readjusting her body to face her in return.

"I knew that I would never be able to make him happy. Not in the way that he needed. I could be there as a friend, I could comfort him and protect him. But I wasn't someone who could get him to love me in the way that I loved him. It took a long time to get over that. A long, long time. And in the end, I never stopped loving him. The love that I felt for him… it changed and grew over the years, becoming something stronger. Something real, a love of Blake for the sake of him being Blake, something much different from my romantic feelings."

"And you think you love him more than me?" Ayame asked quietly. It seemed that the girl was questioning her ability to love Blake. But that ended up not being the case, much to Ayame's surprise, when she saw the girl shaking her head.

"I can't say that," Claire disagreed. "Maybe you do love him more than I do. If you do, then I would be happy. I don't know you enough to say. But I do know Blake. And I do know that he loves you. I can see it clear as day."

"I love him, too," Ayame said. "He's my… he's one of the most important people in my life. I want to make him happy. Do you believe that?"

"I already told you I do," Claire said, nodding her head. "But can you promise me that you'll never make him sad? Never make him cry?"

"Of course I can't," Ayame said, shaking her head. It was asinine to think that she could! "I can only promise to try my best! He's the most important person to me, of course I want to make him always smile, but I can't promise-"

"And that's what scares me!" Claire cried, the desperation in her voice startling Ayame, the girl flinching in surprise. "All his life, Blake has been hurt and alone! Even when I was with him, I couldn't make him smile, I couldn't make him happy! And I'm terrified that things will keep going that way, with me not able to do anything for him! Because you can't promise! You can't say for sure! So I'm scared! If all… if all he has ahead of him is more misery, because you've taken away his happiness a second time… then, then it would be better if you had never made him happy at all! But don't give him happiness if you can't promise that you won't take it away!"

Ayame grew bitter and pained hearing the girl's outbursts. Because she understood where she was coming from. Ayame had only known Blake for a few years. Claire had known him since they were kids. She had seen things Ayame had never seen, sides of him that she'd only gotten hints of so far. And she'd seen him in pain. Pain as bad as any Ayame had seen from him. It made sense for her to be desperate right now. To want what was best for Blake after all his hardships, to only want him to smile, it made sense, of course it did. It was what Ayame wanted too. She wanted to promise that she would never hurt him, never make him sad. But Ayame wasn't about to make a half-hearted promise that she couldn't ever keep. She was an honest person. She wanted what was best for him. And she couldn't honestly say she wouldn't hurt him.

So she didn't. Instead, she told Claire exactly what she felt.

"I don't want to hurt him, but I can't promise that I won't. If you can't trust me to not hurt him, I'm sorry to say that you're right. You can't trust me to never bring Blake hardship or pain. All you can trust from me is that I will treat him with the respect and love he deserves. I didn't go into this without thinking it through. I can't promise that I'll always love him. But I WANT to keep loving him. I want to know him like you do. I want to know everything about him, what he loves, what he's scared of, I want to know the important people in his life, and that includes you."

"That's…" Claire's voice trailed off, since she wasn't sure what she actually wanted to say. While she certainly understood where Ayame was coming from, it didn't help her feel more confident. It wasn't what she wanted to hear from the girl, even while knowing that her desire was unreasonable. But before she could speak up, Ayame kept going.

"Everything I learn about Blake makes me see him in a new light. I see more about who he is as a person, and I fall deeper in love with him. Can I promise that it will last forever? That we'll never have hard times together? Of course I can't. But I want it to. I want to love him no matter what I see, I want to stay by his side and make him happy, to always be there to put a smile on his face. I can't make promises about the future. I can only promise you that I love him."

Claire felt bad seeing the dedication in Ayame's eyes.

"…That's really all I can hope for," she mumbled, hanging her head in shame. "I know… I know it isn't fair to expect you to be perfect, to never make him happy. I'm sorry, I just… I was selfish. Trying to force you into my perfect mold. If I knew what was perfect for Blake, well, I'd be the one dating him, no wouldn't I? No… this is you now."

She looked up at Ayame.

"Try not to hurt him as best as you can. That's all I can really ask, Ayame, please."

Ayame nodded her head and smiled.

"Of course, do you even have to ask?" Ayame laughed.

That night, the participants of the fishing contest had gathered in front of the aquarium for the winner's announcement. Blake had tagged along as well, in support for Ayame.

Jessie, another student in the Caretaking Course who worked with Marion, stood on a makeshift stage built up in front of the aquarium The slightly chubby girl held up an envelope with all the enthusiasm of a rock. Was there even a point to this showmanship? Everyone knew exactly who the winner was going to be.

"And the winner is… Marion Rivers, what a surprise."

"Yay! I won!" Marion cheered, skipping up onto the stage, flashing a victory sign. She'd won four years in a row, of course. But everyone was smiling at her and applauding her all the same. No one REALLY took this Fishing "Contest" seriously but her. The only prizes were fishing prizes, of course, and she was the only one who enjoyed those. They all saw it for what it was, a day to spend relaxing and fishing with nature. Not even Marion was "trying" to win. She never "tried" to fish, the fishing just happened.

No, to the school as a whole, this was just another relaxing day, where some students could fish for fun. And that was all Marion wanted out of it, too.

So while she stood onstage and made a speech about her love for fishing and how happy she was that she got to fish with so many great people today, everyone felt a little bit better about themselves. She didn't make it about her victory, she won every time she got someone to sign up. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and she made everyone a little bit happier to fish, even Claire and Ayame, who had only joined out of a begrudging wish to fulfill Blake's hopes for them. He'd wanted them to get along, and so they'd gone in not hoping to fish, or even really get along. It had just been to satisfy him, in the end.

But even if that had been the motivation, the day really had helped their relationship. Claire was more tolerating of Ayame's relationship with Blake, standing off to the side while he held Ayame's hand, nodding in tacit approval. And Ayame was relieved that she'd managed to connect with Claire. While the two were certainly not anything close to friends, there was an understanding there that hadn't been there before.

Ayame turned and looked at Blake, his face shining in the torch light (Marion had gone a little overboard with the decorations, as was her way) and she smiled.

Blake noticed that Ayame was looking at him, and he glanced up to meet her eyes.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Nothing, nothing," Ayame said, shaking her head. "I was just thinking that I really want to spend a lot of time with you. As much as I can."

Ayame squeezed his hand as the two looked into each other's eyes. Blake smiled back at her. He was glad that she was in a good mood. Whatever had happened that day, it had certainly helped her, and he was glad for that. Ayame being happy… that made Blake happy. Her just being there and smiling, that was enough for him.

Claire watched the two of them, a sad smile glowing in the dim light of the flames. Ayame had something with Blake that she never would. She'd gotten over those feelings long ago. But now, seeing him here, like this… it was a strange short of happy sadness, like seeing your favorite pokemon playing with another trainer.

I hope you can be happy, Blake. I just want to see that smile of yours.

So this is the last "filler" chapter dealing with Blake's relationships! We'll start the next arc in the next chapter!