The arc continues, and we start getting into the real plot! What awaits Blake and Ayame on their picnic at Mt. Silver? Remember to review!
KedharS: Whose conversation?
Aquahaze675: Extra meaty, too.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 414
The afternoon sun was high in the sky as Ayame and Blake walked through the snow-capped forest surrounding the base of Mt. Silver.
"Wow, you were so lucky growing up in a place like this," Blake said, more than a little envy in his voice as he looked across the pristine landscape. "My dad's estate had a few trees, but wow, it's like the whole mountain is your backyard."
"Kinda," Ayame said, nodding. "It's so fucking awesome, right? I fucking love this forest, there's no place like home."
She wrapped her hand around Blake's, Blake looking up into her eyes. He opened his mouth to ask her something, but she already anticipated what he was going to ask, and pointed her free hand out down the snow-covered path weaving its way between the trees.
"There's a clearing a ways up there, and that's where we're going to eat lunch," Ayame explained. She blushed. "It's a really important place to me, so I'm glad I get to show it to you."
They kept walking through the tight forest, before finally arriving at the large clearing that Ayame had indicated. A tight clump of trees surrounded the sloped snow, with a few large bushes framing the edges. The bushes were so high they nearly reached the trees themselves, much to Blake's amazement. With Mt. Silver just ahead, the relative sizes of the things in the environment were hard for him to gauge.
"So we're eating here?" Blake asked, walking further into the center of the clearing. He could see the path winding up past it, inclined up towards Mt. Silver proper.
"Not exactly," Ayame said, shaking her head. "Come on!"
Ayame jogged up the slope of the hill, stopping in front of one of the large bushes towering over her. Blake followed her, confused about what she was doing.
"It's still here! I fucking knew it!" Ayame cheered, turning back to Blake and gesturing to him to come over and check out the bush. Blake still didn't know what was going on.
"…It's a bush," Blake said.
"It's not just any fucking bush," Ayame snapped. She reached down and pulled some branches aside, revealing a small opening in the side of the large bush. Blake's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting that, of all things.
"Is that a… gap?"
"It's my secret base," Ayame explained, kneeling down and crawling into the bush. Her voice was muffled as she called back to him, "well, technically it's my sister's and my secret base, but as you might have guessed, she doesn't use it very much…"
Blake wasted no time in kneeling down after her, enjoying the view of her ass as she crawled ahead of him. She rose up out of his sight and a few moments later her reached a small chamber where he could stand. He nearly crashed into Ayame, much to his embarrassment.
"This is… cozy," he said, looking around at the small room they were in.
"It was bigger in my memory," Ayame admitted, laughing sheepishly. The room was small. Like, really small. Ayame's ribbon was getting caught on the roof, there was barely enough room to stand. And when they sat, there was enough room for the both of them, but again, just barely. It was a small chamber roughly six feet in diameter, just enough for the two of them to sit and share a small meal together. The ground was covered in packed dirt, but there were a few branches and other debris spread across it, making for a slightly dirty seat, but neither cared.
"This was your secret base?" Blake asked.
"When I was little," Ayame said. "I used to come out here with my sister to play. We had my- err, our Golem use secret power to make it."
"I didn't know you could make secret bases in Johto," Blake said. "I thought they were something that only existed in the Hoenn Region."
"Pfft, that's fucking dumb," Ayame laughed. "Secret bases should be everywhere! Any region whatsoever!"
"I would agree with that," Blake agreed.
Taking off her backpack, Ayame crouched down and spread her blanket across the dirt floor. She shifted to a seated position, patting the blanket beside her.
"Come on, let's get started! I'm starved, and I can't wait to blow you away!"
Blake sat down beside her and set down the picnic basket, reaching to open it. But Ayame slapped her hand down on the lid and shook her head, pulling it over to her. She glared at Blake and shook her head, wagging her finger from side to side and smirking. "Not just yet, Blake. Be patient."
Blake wasn't feeling patient, he was feeling hungry. But he didn't want to be rude or ungrateful, so instead he asked "I thought you wanted to have a picnic? Aren't picnics generally supposed to be outside, so you can observe nature?"
"W-well, usually, but…" Ayame sidled up to Blake's side, her cheeks flushing. "Don't you think, a secret base like this… the two of us hidden away from the rest of the world, with no one here. Isn't that romantic, don't you think? It's just you and me here…"
Blake remembered what Megumi had mentioned to him. He wondered if Ayame really did want… "that" from him, and that was why he had been invited to this secret hidden bush on an isolated mountain. It couldn't be, right?
Blake wished that he knew, but he also knew that the two of them wouldn't be ready for a step like this, even if he was.
"I see, so is that the reason we're here?" He grinned. "Aren't we doing things a little out of order? I haven't even paid for the lunch and I'm already inside of your bush."
"…Way to ruin the mood, you fucking jerk," Ayame huffed, scooting away.
"Sorry," Blake apologized. "I just thought… well, Megumi said…"
"Megumi said what?" Aya asked. Blake looked down sheepishly.
"She said that you might be using the picnic as an excuse to get me alone so that… we could, well… you know. Have sex."
Ayame blinked. Her face turned bright red.
"That's-! Are you-?! It's fucking freezing outside, I wouldn't-!" She calmed herself down, shaking the perverted thoughts out of her head and refocusing herself. She took a few deep breaths. "Blake, like I said… we aren't there yet. Before, when I made a move on you, that was me being desperate. But I still don't know whether or not we're ready for this. So… I mean, if you want to, then maybe we could, but… it-it's not that I don't want to, Blake! S-So…"
"Aya, the reason I joked about it was because I was trying to kill the mood," Blake admitted. "I'm a little worried about, well, you know… I'm also not sure whether or not we're ready. So if that was what you wanted to do, well… I'm not ready either. But… if you really want to, well…"
The two looked at each other, their faces flushed. There was a pounding in Blake's ears, and it wasn't his heartbeat. As he leaned in closer to Ayame, he realized that it was hers. Their hearts were beating in tandem, both as excited as the other.
Am I… am I really ready for this? Ayame asked herself, swallowing her urge to throw up. I know that I want it, with him… the two of us, we could… She blushed. She could see the desire in Blake's eyes, no doubt reflecting her own.
Blake stared back at Ayame, and he had to resist the urge to push her down. Aya… there she was right in front of him. He wanted to hold her tightly and never let go. The two of them sharing their connection in a way he wanted so badly…
The two pulled away from each other, knowing that something might happen if they stayed with the atmosphere they had just created.
"Let… let's eat!" Ayame said, averting her eyes, afraid that she'd start dry heaving if she looked into his. "I-I made this picnic, now's the perfect time!"
"That-that sounds like a good idea!" Blake agreed, nodding his head. Anything to cool down the heat running through him. "Let's do it!"
Ayame placed the basket in between them, flipping the lid open. She took a small bowl out of the top, and showed it to Blake.
"First, the potato salad!" Ayame cheered.
"Not the sandwiches?" Blake asked, surprised.
"We're building to it," Ayame smiled, giving him a coy wink. She took out a thermos next, and poured something warm into a cup and handed it to him. "With some hot chocolate, as well."
Blake took a sip.
"Is that peppermint?" Blake asked.
"My mom made the cocoa out of chocolate mint," Ayame explained. "What do you think?"
"Delicious," Blake smiled, wiping his lips. He unwrapped the bowl in front of him, taking a spoon from Ayame, scooping some out onto the paper plate she handed him. It was the gooey kind, he preferred that over the drier type of potato salad. Blake took his first bite, his eyes widening at the sharp flavor shooting through his mouth.
"This one's delicious too, huh?" Ayame grinned, scooping some onto her plate. "Yeah, we put paprika in the mayonnaise. Oh! But don't tell anyone! It's a family secret!"
Blake and Ayame finished off the potato salad, and Blake could already feel the weight it was pushing down into his stomach. He was probably going to put on ten pounds after this, but he couldn't help himself, it was way too delicious. And Ayame's face looked so bright as he ate it, he simply had to finish every last bite of the meal.
"Now, Blake, are you prepared for this?" Ayame asked, setting the empty bowl aside and reaching deeper into the backpack, taking out two sandwiches cut into triangles, handing them both to Blake while taking out her own couple. She looked at him with a smirk, her eyes shining excitedly. "But I better warn you, Blake, this is no ordinary sandwich."
"That sounds exciting," Blake grinned. "'No ordinary sandwich' is quite a promise. But what's your warning?"
"Well, when you eat it, let's just say… you may never be able to leave me alone again, Blake. You'll fall so head over heels for me that you won't even be able to go a day without seeing me," Ayame grinned coolly. "So if you're willing to risk becoming completely enthralled to me, then go ahead and take that bite…"
Blake smiled.
"I thought you were saying it was going to be a warning, Aya," Blake laughed. "That sounds to me like a dream come true."
He leaned in and kissed her lips. She tasted of mayonnaise. He pulled back and smiled. "Between you and me, I'm already completely enthralled to you, Aya. So I don't think you've got anything to worry about."
Ayame blushed, smiling. She and Blake unwrapped their sandwiches. The aroma was already tantalizing, filling the small chamber. Blake could see that the sandwiches were packed full with shredded meat, slathered in barbecue, and was covered in lettuce that was dripping a reddish pink sauce. In spite of the potato salad he was currently digesting, he was already starting to feel hungry again. He licked his lips, and began to dig in.
Blake took his first bite, and found himself in an entirely different story. Somehow, he must have ended up in that Food Wars manga that Cynthia loved reading, because he felt like he was having an orgasm and his clothes had been flung off. Whatever the strange sauce was, it was blending together with the barbecue perfectly. He could taste the sting of pickles having seared into the lettuce, all the different flavors compelling him to have MORE!
Before he realized it, the first sandwich was reduced to nothing but crumbs.
"That… that was…" Blake gasped.
"I know," Ayame grinned proudly, finishing off her own sandwich. "Believe me, I know."
Blake wasn't paying attention to her though. He was already devouring the other sandwich, and by the time it was gone, he wanted another, but there was no more left.
"Here, silly," Ayame giggled, handing over her other sandwich to him. "I knew this would happen. It's fine. But this is the last one."
"You sure?" Blake asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Ayame said, curling her legs up and resting her cheek on her knees, smiling. "Just seeing you enjoy it is more than enough to fulfill me."
Blake blushed, and nodded, taking the sandwich from her. He savored every last bite.
"Aya, this sauce-"
"Not gonna tell," Ayame grinned.
"Another family recipe?" Blake asked.
"But this one you can't know," Ayame said, her tone insistent. She blushed and averted her eyes. "So… if you want to find out, well… Wh-what am I saying?!"
Blake laughed, patting her on the back.
"I'm serious, I didn't mean to say that!" Ayame wailed, her face turning crimson. She shook her head in embarrassment. "Blake!"
"Hey, did you hear that?"
A muffled voice from outside the secret base caused Blake and Ayame to fall silent in surprise.
"Did… did you hear that?" Ayame whispered.
"It sounded like someone's voice," Blake said, frowning. "Do you get a lot of foot traffic here?"
"At this time of year? No," Ayame snorted. "Only an idiot would try to climb Mt. Silver in the winter. She crawled forward to the edge of the chamber, pulling some of the leaves and branches apart to get a look at the people who were coming. "No, it's gotta be… something… else…"
"Huh? What's up?" Blake asked. He knelt down beside her and joined Ayame in peeking out of the bush and into the clearing.
Walking through the clearing and approaching them up the slope of the hill was a group of four people, three men and a woman, all dressed in black. That would not be uncommon in and of itself, but what they saw of the people…
Their clothes all had the letter "R" emblazoned on the chests, large and bright red on the black cloth, standing out against the snow-white surface.
"They're Team Rocket…" Ayame gasped, her face going chalk-white. "No way, what is Team Rocket doing here?"
"Team Rocket?" Blake asked, glancing at Ayame through the brush.
"They're a criminal-"
"I know who Team Rocket are," Blake said, shaking his head. "I meant that I was just as surprised as you that they're here."
Ayame grit her teeth, glaring at the people approaching with burning hatred. She attempted to lunge at them, potentially destroying her secret base in the process, but Blake caught her by the waist, keeping her in place.
"Aya, what are you planning?" He hissed.
"I don't know why they're here, but there's no way in hell I'm going to let them do anything to my home," Ayame growled. She shoved Blake aside and ducked down, crawling through the bushes, Blake rushing after her.
"Why the hell do we have to go climbing this damn mountain?" The grunt at the front of the group grumbled. "We're trying to find, what? Some frigging stone on this damn, icy mountain? What even fucking is the point? There are countless damn rocks here! It's Christmas Eve, why are we doing this shit to begin with? Don't we get a holiday?"
"Criminals don't get holidays," one of the grunts muttered.
"It's not that easy," another grunt, the woman, replied. "Didn't the boss tell you?"
"Yeah, that independent party hired Team Rocket to steal it, but that doesn't make this make any more sense," he grumbled. "Why'd they just send us?"
"A big party draws attention, and we're supposed to be doing this in secret," the female grunt replied. "You want to draw the rangers our way? The client said-"
"Yeah, yeah, the client said we were supposed to make sure that nobody found out about this at all," the first grunt grumbled. "Like anyone else is going to be on this god-forsaken mountain at this time of year anyway-"
"You bet your ass there is!" Ayame exclaimed, exiting her secret base, running towards them.
"Aya!" Blake exclaimed, chasing after her.
"What?!" The female grunt exclaimed. "What the hell?"
"Who are they?" The lead grunt asked, stunned.
Ayame pulled to a halt a few feet ahead of them, glaring down at the Team Rocket members from higher up on the hill. Blake caught up with her a few seconds later.
"What are you doing here?!" Ayame growled. "This is a sacred place, you fucking scum! Criminals like you have no business sticking your noses here!"
"Well, sounds like you aren't going to be of much help," the lead grunt said, taking a few steps closer to her. He was a swarthy man, a little bulkier than his compatriots, but still not as tall as Ayame, which made his approach less threatening. "Listen, missy, we aren't here to start any trouble. We're just looking for a little something."
"I don't care!" Ayame snarled.
"Look, the faster you help us, the faster we'll leave," the man suggested, holding his hands up, about a tennis ball's distance apart. "We're looking for a rock. Light blue, cold as ice, about this big. You seen it? You seem like you're familiar with these parts, so if you tell us where to look, we'll get out of your hair. Sounds fair, right? It's just a rock after all, not a big deal. We won't take a single pokemon, now that's a great deal!"
"Fair?" Ayame spat. "Don't make me laugh! You criminal scum, I'm not making any fucking deals with you fuckers! I don't care if you're looking for a rock, or some twigs, or a handful of snow! You aren't taking anything from this mountain!"
Ayame ripped a pokeball off of her waist, and threw it into the air. Her Golem landed in the snow, growling at them.
"I guess we're fighting then," Blake said, reaching for a pokeball of his own. He was particularly worried about what they were looking for on the mountain. A small stone… and they were hired to do it by… who, exactly? He had a sinking suspicion. There were only one group of stones he knew about that were this important. And he knew who was looking for them. And there was no way he was going to let this opportunity go.
Meanwhile, miles away, not knowing that any of this was going down, Hiromi was in town, looking to do some shopping for Christmas Dinner tomorrow night.
"Hmm, this is going to be great," Hiromi said, picking up a particularly scrumptious-looking bird. She pushed her shopping cart down the aisle towards the produce section, sparse as it may have been.
"Excuse me, miss?" A singsong voice called out. Hiromi paused and glanced over her shoulder.
"Yes? How can I help you?" She asked, staring at the young woman standing behind her.
The girl strolled up to her, twirling a finger through her curly black hair, her golden eyes shining as she studied Hiromi with a smile.
"I just wanted to ask you something, see, I'm new in town…"
The story is really taking off! What else will this arc have in store?