For this chapter, we'll be looking at another group of people keeping safe in shelter after the storm. What will this group get up to, I wonder? Should be interesting, I hope.

There are still issues with fanfiction, so I don't know if this chapter is being read, either. As said before, if you can read this chapter, please review so I know.

Rosealine gold: Don't worry, we'll get back to Maddi soon.

KedharS: No.

Thunder Fire: I don't know, they both know a decent amount I'd say.

Zera of the Damned: The story started near the end of August, and we're in the beginning of December.

Hellraiserphoenix: It would certainly be annoying, Cynthia's good at that.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 360

"Man, it's really rough out there," Will said, staring out the window at the snowstorm raging outside. "I can't believe it hit this fast."

"We should have left when we had the chance," Nick sighed. "Now, who knows how long we're going to be stuck here?"

Nick and Will were among the few patients in the infirmary. Unlike Kitty, who had been admitted into a private room to be seen and treated for several hours, Nick and Will had only gone in for a slight checkup earlier that morning. They were supposed to leave earlier, when Julia and Reiner stopped off, but thanks to a certain unfortunate turn of events, they had found themselves stuck here hours later, thanks to a revisit.

Will was scowling, particularly upset. It was mainly Nick's fault that things had gone this way. Nick had been the one who, after fighting their matches for the day and eating dinner, Nick had asked Will if they could go with Julia to check in on Kitty and let her know that they were fine. Callie had wanted to tag along, of course, and now the four of them were stuck there.

"Sorry guys," Julia apologized, lowering her head in remorse. She and Nikita were also in Kitty's room, not doing a lot, Nikita typing away on her computer, working on her paper. Callie had gone to get drinks. Julia was the one who was looking particularly restless, however, shooting glances at the window and back to the bed. "If it wasn't for my suggestion to come here and check in on Kitty, then we wouldn't be stuck here… and it's all a waste, anyway."

Nick sighed, glancing at Kitty's bed. Per doctor's instruction, she had been placed on drowsiness-inducing painkillers that had put her peacefully to sleep, which meant that any attempt to visit with her had been pointless. Of course, everyone understood why that was the case, once Nikita had explained to them that Kitty had apparently not gotten any sleep in days, staying up all night speaking with her pokemon or studying. The poor girl was clearly in need of a nice, long rest. And frankly, Julia was grateful that she looked so peaceful while doing it. Seeing her sleeping so sweetly made her feel a little less worried than she had been all day.

"It's not your fault," Nick insisted. "I was the one who wanted to come make sure Kitty was okay, anyway, and let her know how we were doing."

"I was here already," Nikita happily chirped. "Besides, it's not like I would be doing anything else back at my room, anyway. I've got too much stuff to write right now, plus we have that final for our Pokemon Capture class coming up next week."

"Unless that gets snowed out," Nick reminded her. "It is a practical final, after all, which means that we'll be working in the field. So if they can't hold it due to the weather-"

"Then it's gonna be another paper test like the midterm," Nikita interrupted him, "which means you'd better start cracking the books."

Nick gulped. That didn't sound good.

"Hey, Nikita," Julia murmured, turning to look at Kitty again, as she so often did tonight.

"Yeah?" Nikita blinked, looking up from her laptop.

"Kitty, is she…" Julia shook her head, trying to find a way to ask the question she wanted to ask. "While you guys are together, and, you know, fighting, is she… is she taking care of herself? I haven't been able to spend time with her lately, so… I mean, you've been spending the most time with her so I think you would probably know, but if you don't, that's okay too, I mean, I'm just saying, well…"

Julia shook her head again, still at a loss for words.

"Do you mean is she acting the way she did today?" Nikita asked. "Kind of… I don't want to say 'losing it' but getting really, really intense about the match?"

"Yeah," Julia said. "I mean, she has this power… and I know it's painful to use. But she won't listen to me when I tell her not to use it, so I guess I'm just wondering… is it okay for her to be using that harmonia of hers, in your experience? She isn't, like, killing herself with it slowly or anything, right? And I mean, I know you might not know, since she's-"

"Julia," Nikita interrupted, cutting Julia off before she started rambling and stumbling over her words again.

"Y-yeah?" Julia asked, glancing back at Nikita, her expression a little shaky. She wasn't sure what answer she wanted to hear.

"Kitty is usually fine," Nikita assured her, giving Julia a soft, sympathetic expression. "I don't think it's ever been this bad before. There was one time, I think, where she almost lost control, but that was really early on in the tournament, against Sango. I don't think that she's ever really lost her grip this way before."

"Really?" Julia asked, her face brightening with relief. "Pheew… that's good…"

"That being said, it's not like things are going good, either," Nikita added, causing Julia to tense up again. "After all, that power of hers… I can't explain it, really. But it seems like she's taking damage from battling with her pokemon? It's like she's slowly being worn down herself with each fight she enters. It would honestly be very fascinating if it wasn't so scary, and if it wasn't happening to someone that I knew."

"Fascinating?" Julia scowled.

"Absolutely," Nikita said. "Think about it. What we know about pokemon and their growth seems to be getting totally overturned by this strange power called 'harmonia'! There's no logical basis for how it works, no source of energy that allows the pokemon to be strengthened by just their bond with their trainers, and yet, it happens! And it happens right in front of us, for everyone to see! You don't find that fascinating?"

Julia crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled, raising her eyebrow indignantly. Nikita took the hint and lowered her head. Obviously Julia wasn't as interested as she was.

"I sort of get it," Will piped up, turning back from the window.

"Oh?" Nikita perked up.

"Yeah, I'm a little curious about this power myself," Will admitted. "I mean, I've heard the rumors, and I know all about Elaina Bishop and that guy Oscar Silph, but to think that little Katherine Kuroso was capable of using it, too? It's honestly really intriguing. I wonder if it would be possible for me to get it, huh? Just for a little bit, I'd like to try seeing what my pokemon are thinking and feeling just once. And if it makes them a little stronger, well that's just a bonus."

"This isn't a game," Julia hissed, Will flinching at the wicked look in her eye.

"I-I agree with Julia," Nikita admitted. "I mean, I am fascinated by harmonia, but at the same time, it's really, really scary. I don't think I want it for myself… and I'm really worried about Kitty having it, too. I mean, after our battles, she seems really drained and even kind of hurt, you know? And sure after a little bit she's back to normal, but from what I hear that isn't always the case. She seemed to be handling everything just fine until now, but with the way she's currently looking, I just… I don't know if this is a good thing, you know?"

"…Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that," Will agreed. "I guess it isn't worth it if you end up hurting yourself like this, or end up like Elaina and put other people in the infirmary. Even if you are strong, something like that…"

"Exactly," Julia scowled. "It's just not worth it!"

Will nodded in agreement, but part of him still wondered what it would be like to use that power of hers. Even though he understood that it was dangerous, there was something alluring about it. That being said…

I wouldn't want to end up like that, he privately admitted to himself, looking at the sleeping Kitty with a glance of sympathy.

A knock on the door drew the four of them out of their state of quiet contemplation as they waited for the snow to clear.

"That's probably Callie with the drinks," Nick guessed, walking across the room to the door. He turned the doorknob and opened the door, blinking in surprise. It wasn't Callie, it was someone else entirely, someone he wasn't expecting.

"You!" Julia hissed.

Misato Daisan stood in the doorway, looking into the room with an empty blankness on her face. She wasn't looking at them, but rather past them. By Nick's guess, she was staring right at Will. What a surprise, Misato only cared about Will.

Will himself was surprised though. He looked at Misato, confused.

"Misato? What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came here to speak to you," Misato replied.

"No, I mean, how did you get here?" He clarified. "You didn't stay in the hospital after we came here, did you?"

"Negative," Misato said. "I left after you and Nick checked out. Then I went to speak with Sylvia. After I spoke with her, she told me that I might want to speak with you. I determined that to be the correct decision. Then I was made aware that you returned to the infirmary. Then I came here to speak with you."

Will blinked.

"…Okay, so what you're saying is that when you heard I was here, you came to find me?" He clarified again.

"Affirmative."

"…You realize there's a blizzard outside, right?" Will said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Affirmative."

Will took another look at Misato. Now that he was taking a closer look at her, however, he could tell that she was a lot worse than usual. Her hair was stringy and sopping wet, swept by the wind, and her clothes were equally darkened from being soaked through. He could see tiny flakes of snow on the collar of her uniform and on various other parts of her outfit, her sleeves and shirt, and a little bit even in her hair. It was clear that Misato had just been hit by enough snow she looked like she had gotten in a battle with an Abomasnow.

"…Did you seriously walk through that blizzard?" Nikita asked, her mouth dropping open in shock. "That's crazy!"

"Yeah, no kidding," Julia said, scowling at her. "In those clothes? Your stomach is showing, what's wrong with you?"

Misato opened her mouth to speak.

"I am not permitted to disclose that information," she replied. Julia's eye twitched in response. Will sighed.

"She's… odd," Will explained, coming to her defense. "She's a little out there, that's all. I get it, trust me, I get it."

"Walking through a blizzard while under lockdown orders just to talk to a guy is more than just 'out there'," Julia snapped. "I would call that completely fricking insane."

"Okay, fair, but-"

"I think it's romantic!"

Will glanced past Misato to see Callie walk up, holding a bag filled with cans of soda and wearing a big grin on her face.

Will rolled his eyes.

"She came all the way here just to see you!" Callie cooed, slipping past Misato and elbowing Will in the side, teasing him some more. "I know that a blizzard would not be enough to keep me away from my beloved Nick! I would walk through a snowstorm twice as bad as this just to see him, I totally understand where she's coming from!"

Will rolled his eyes again.

"Anyway, I got us all some goodies," Callie said. "Since we're on apocalypse rations and I don't know how many other people are stuck in here, I thought it would be smart to preemptively open up the vending machines and raid them for supplies."

"Isn't that kind of screwing over everyone else?" Nick asked.

"We gotta look out for us, first!" Callie replied. She overturned the bag onto the only table in the room, dumping out a bunch of cans of soda, dozens of bags of chips, and a bunch of packaged cookies and other assorted candies.

"Well, I am hungry," Nikita admitted, shutting her laptop and getting up out of the chair she was sitting in, walking over to the table to begin digging in. "Will? What about you and Misato? You guys want to get some stuff?"

"Unnecessary. I do not require sustenance," Misato replied. Nikita gave her a strange look. Julia walked over to the table as well. Will glanced at Misato, and then turned back to the table and headed over as well, getting a cola.

"I could drink," Will admitted.

"Will."

Will glanced back at Misato, surprised. Her voice was still the same flat tone as before, but the way she had called out to him, it sounded like she was… impatient? No, that didn't make any sense, she was a robot. She didn't understand the concept of impatience. Will wasn't even sure if she measured the passage of time the same way people did, considering that she was basically a fully-functional clock thanks to her programming, so she often demonstrated.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"It is still necessary for the two of us to have a conversation," Misato reminded him. "I still have things to speak to you about. It is not possible for the two of us to have a conversation with observers. It is necessary for the two of us to speak in private. I shall wait for you in the hallway. That way it will be possible for the two of us to have a conversation."

"Oohuhu,'private', huh?" Callie cackled. "Sounds spicy, Will! Way to go!"

"Come on, Callie, it's not like they're gonna have sex in the hallway," Nick said.

"Affirmative. We shall not be engaging in sexual intercourse in the hallway," Misato confirmed.

Will's face turned bright red. Why did Misato have to be so irritating?

Callie burst out into another peal of laughter. Will stormed out into the hall just to get her to block out that annoying laugh of hers, following Misato.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Extrapolate. I lack fundamental details on what 'it' refers to. Without that information I am not able to properly identify what 'it' is in this context. Please provide additional details so that I can provide a more developed explanation."

Will resisted the urge to punch a wall. He took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"Misato," he tried again, "what is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

"I wished to speak with you about your wounds," Misato explained. "I believe the proper question to ask is 'are you okay?'"

Will blinked.

"Uh… what?"

"Are you okay?" Misato asked again.

"Why are you asking me that, huh?" Will asked.

"Unknown," Misato replied. "I spoke with Sylvia about the result of the battle. Then she asked me if you two were injured. I told her that you two sustained injuries. Then she asked me how that fact made me feel."

Will blinked, surprised.

"And? How did it make you feel?"

"Unknown. Knowledge does not result in any tactile sensation that can be identified by my sensors. When I told her this, she asked me what I thought about your injuries. Then she asked me if I wanted to know if you were okay or not. I told her that I did not know."

Misato stepped closer to Will, peering into his eyes. He looked back into hers. There was nothing there. The same glassy, empty look that she always had.

"When I considered the possibility that the injuries that you had sustained could be critical, it… affected my functions. I am not able to formulate terminology that properly describes the resulting stimulation to my processing system. It is an anomaly. I request your insight into this anomaly."

"Me?" Will asked, confused. "I don't understand. I'm not a computer programmer, I'm just some guy, what insight can I provide?"

"I have determined that you are the perfect candidate for my continued analysis of the human condition," Misato reminded him. "This anomaly in my function is not something that can be explained as a result of my programming. The only explanation is that I have sustained a malfunction in my software. This is impossible. I have performed an internal diagnostic and an external diagnostic with equipment that is not linked to my existing functions. An independent diagnostic has confirmed that all my systems are functioning normally."

"What does that mean, then?" Will was starting to get legitimately curious at what it was Misato was describing. There was something going on with her that she couldn't explain? That thought made him more than a little curious, that there was a part of her that wasn't 100% based on logic and reasoning like a computer, as improbably as that thought might be.

"Unknown. Such an anomaly is impossible. However, my system is able to isolate it quite clearly. Along with similar anomalies that exist for which no explanation can be discerned through the use of a diagnostic analysis. This fact leads me to develop a single hypothesis. Although the probability of such an occurrence is not statistically significant, the existence of no other explanation means that it is the only logical possibility."

"What possibility is that?" Will asked.

"All the resulting anomalies in my system can be tied to a single factor," Misato explained. "That factor is you. You are a factor in every anomaly in my decision-making process. I have not yet determined a reason for that. I came here to talk to you in order to inform you of that fact. I am currently operating under the hypothesis that my analysis of human behavior has led me to activate a subroutine that compels me to act in ways that a human would act in a given scenario based on my experience with human beings through my interaction with you and the literature that I have consumed. This subroutine must be operating independently of my central processing unit. I have not yet been able to determine a cause. Important: this is a hypothesis. If there is any insight that you as a human can provide to me it is necessary for you to disclose the information so that I may adjust my hypothesis accordingly."

Will opened his mouth to say something, and then a better idea occurred. He cracked open his can of cola and slowly took a sip, staring contemplatively at Misato, who looked at him with the same static look she always wore.

"No," he replied.

"Elaborate. Are you incapable of providing any insight or are you refusing to provide any insight?"

"Refusing."

"Negative. It is not permitted for you to refuse. It is necessary for you to provide any insight you have so that I will be able to adjust my hypothesis."

"Yeah, maybe, but I'm still saying no."

"Elaborate."

"On what? Why I'm saying no? Because I don't want to."

"Why would you not want to provide me with your insight?"

Will stared closely at her. She didn't… seem angry, or even all that irritated. She just looked at him the same as before. So much for that plan. He was trying to goad her, but it seemed that she wasn't goad-able.

Will sighed.

"Fine. If you want to know what I think, I think it's because you might be… becoming more human?"

"Elaborate."

"I don't know how to elaborate," Will said, shaking his head in frustration. "See, unlike you, I don't exactly know what it means to not be human, so I can't explain what it's like to become human. It's just… I guess it's just a feeling."

"Understood," Misato said. "Next topic. I request to drink from that cola."

Will blinked.

"I thought you don't 'require sustenance' as you put it?"

"Affirmative. I do not require consumption of food or beverage to maintain the functioning of my body. However, I am capable of consuming food and beverage if it is necessary."

"But didn't you say you don't want anything?"

"Affirmative. Previously I had no interest in consuming any food or beverage at this time. However, after you drank from the can it is necessary for me to do so as well."

"Why?" Will asked.

"Unknown." Misato paused. "I am not able to determine a reason for this reassessment of my decision at this time."

Will sighed. If regular Misato was annoying, Misato with "anomalies" was even more annoying.

So something is clearly going on with Misato! The question is, what will that mean for her going forward?