Another chapter, following more people who are back in class after break! This chapter, we're going to be following Will! See what he's up to now.

KedharS: More or less. Maybe Big Mom.

Aquahaze675: The truth about Adam will become more apparent eventually.

Rosealine gold: Well, there's definitely a lot to come, that's for sure. New stuff to explore, too.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 461

Will was not in the best of moods.

He had enjoyed his time on break, and being back on campus was actually less enjoyable.

A big part of that was because Will had no friends.

All of the other students were happily enjoying themselves reconnecting with their friends and sharing stories about what they'd been doing over the break, but Will wasn't one of them. He didn't have any real friends here. The closest thing he did have to a friend was Nikita, in his Pokemon Caretaking class, but she wasn't exactly what he would call close. She'd sort of been distant ever since she had gotten a boyfriend. And they were both hanging out with other students in their class, Cynthia and Nick, who both had a bunch of friends in other courses. They were all part of some big group, which he didn't really care about.

He didn't even like pokemon caretaking, but it was a mandatory course. Still, even someone like Nikita was interested in it.

While they were all busy socializing before class started, Will was checking his phone. He didn't mind that he didn't have very many friends. He was a rather solitary person, after all. He preferred to be alone, which was why he wasn't even that particularly close with his roommates.

Besides, there were better things to do during class time, like studying. His goal was to become a gym leader, hence why he was taking Introductory Typing Basics for his elective this term, so he could be prepared for Type Specialization and Type Advantage next year. He was preparing for his coursework, which he found to be more important than socializing.

So when the class ended and the students were heading out for the day (it was hard to do outdoor caretaking classes with snow outside, so today's lesson was a theoretical instruction) Will ignored the others and walked out on his own, heading to the Snorlax Commons.

Will got a take-out box that he filled with his dinner for tonight, and headed back to his dorm room. Unlike the other students, he wasn't much one for eating in the cafeteria, sitting alone with everybody watching him and having fun around him, the privacy of his own room was more than enough. Eating around others was odd.

It wasn't that he didn't like people, it was more…

"Will!"

Will jerked his head up, snapping out of his thoughts. Someone was calling to him? Very few people did that. He turned to see who was approaching.

Misato ran through the snow, waving to him, a big beaming smile on her face.

"You are here!" Misato said, her dull eyes staring into his as she stopped. Her lips were still pulled into the unnaturally forced grin. "I am so glad to see you! It has been 23 days since our last communication, it is so wonderful to see you again! Did you miss me?"

Uh…

What?

WHAT?

Although her robotic eyes were as dead as always, the rest of Misato (well, just her face) was bright and cheery, smiling at him like she didn't have a care in the world.

"M-Misato?" Will asked, not entirely sure if she was really there.

"Yes, it is me!" Misato smiled wider, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side. She held her hands together and pressed them against her cheek as she did, practically emanating a joyful aura out from her body.

"You, um… you look different," Will said.

"I do not understand how?" Misato asked, her face shifting to take on a more quizzical expression. "My physical specifications are as precise as always. There are no errors in my appearance."

"…Yeah, it's not that," Will said, shaking his head. "It's… um…"

Will didn't really know the polite way to say she wasn't acting like herself. Besides, Misato wasn't much one for tact.

"I am glad to see you," Misato said, giving him a smile that would have looked sweet if it reached her eyes, but they were hollow and empty. She glanced down at the box of food in Will's hands. She raised her head up to look at him, puffing up her cheeks in an appearance of irritation. "What is that supposed to be?"

"Huh? What?" Will was still completely lost.

"You are eating takeout food again?" Misato asked, her voice actually sounding demanding and upset. "Why do you not want to eat in the cafeteria with me? Is there something wrong with eating with me? Is that it? Do you not like me anymore?"

Misato sounded like she was going to cry, which was odd, since she wasn't capable of crying as far as he knew. She didn't require eating, either. She really was acting oddly, which was making him even more confused about everything.

"You aren't acting like yourself," Will said. It was obvious, but it still needed to be said. As he had thought, forget tact.

"I am not? How would you like me to act?" Misato asked, still putting on her confused appearance, like she had no idea what he was talking about. Misato was always annoying, but right now she was even more annoying than usual thanks to the way she was acting.

"Just act the way you usually do," Will sighed. "I don't know why you're acting this way, but I actually prefer you the way you normally are… somehow."

Like pulling off a mask, Misato's perky girl façade slid right off of her face, replaced with her normal blank canvas of an expression.

"Understood."

Will sighed with relief.

"Okay, so what was that?" He asked, still not entirely sure what the reason she had put on that weird personality in front of him was.

"I do not understand," Misato replied.

"You were acting all perky and energetic and sweet," Will explained. "Why were you putting on that façade when you came up to me just now?"

"Understood. I put on the persona of a 'genki girl' that I read about," Misato said.

"Why? Did someone tell you to?" Will asked. He had no idea where Misato, who only read books she found in the library, had come up with that terminology. Someone must have fed that information to her and told her to act on it, it was the only thing that made sense.

"Affirmative. Sylvia informed me that it would be a good idea to behave in the same manner as a genki girl when I ran into you again in the new semester," Misato explained.

Sylvia, of course it would be her. That girl was an enormous troll, she absolutely had planned this bizarre prank. But why did Misato go along with it?

"So why did you decide to do it?" Will asked. It just wasn't making sense.

Misato did not respond for some time.

"That information is classified. It is directly connected to proprietary information relating to the performance of this unit. To reveal that information would mean revealing to you information that would get you charged with-"

"Okay, I get it," Will said, raising his hand. He didn't get it, but he had no attitude for Misato going on a long talk about industrial secrets. "How is Sylvia ordering you to pretend to be a genki girl to greet me a proprietary secret?"

"That information is also classified."

Will rolled his eyes.

"Some girl, huh?" Will turned his head to see Sylvia pop up out of nowhere, her Shuppet floating right beside her head. Both trainer and pokemon were smiling. Sylvia draped her arm around Misato, letting her hand lazily fall down on the other girl's chest. She generously fondled her breast, Misato not reacting at all to the blatant sexual harassment. She didn't even turn her head to look at Sylvia, continuing to stare at Will instead.

"This was your idea, right?" Will asked, pointing at Misato. "That little play-acting of Misato as the genki girl?"

"Exactly!" Sylvia laughed, shaking Misato's shoulders a little. "Pretty great, huh? I was watching your reaction, seeing your face when she was acting so cute and sweet and perky? That was just the funniest thing ever."

"So you put her up to this?" Will asked. "Just for your amusement?"

Sylvia put on a look of indignity, like she had taken what he had just said as a personal insult. She removed her arm from around Misato and strolled over to Will, her hand over her mouth.

"You think I would put her up to something like that? I was merely doing a favor to a friend of mine!" The tone of Sylvia's voice was mocking, and Will didn't buy it for a second. He wasn't particularly close with the older girl, and nothing he'd seen from her made him think she was even the SLIGHTEST bit trustworthy, just the opposite, in fact.

"A favor, huh." Will didn't really buy that. "So what you're saying is that Misato went to you and asked you to turn her into a genki girl?"

He glanced at Misato.

"Negative. I requested no such advice."

"…Well, not technically," Sylvia said, rolling her eyes, continuing to smirk. "I think what she actually asked was-"

"That information is classified," Misato sharply cut her off.

Sylvia blinked, taken aback. Then, her eyes lit up and a mischievous grin spread across her face as she stared at Misato, sidling up to her again.

"Classified? Oh, that's just precious," Sylvia laughed. She tilted her head back and glanced at Will over her shoulder. "Shit isn't classified, don't worry."

Now Will was absolutely confused.

"This information is not necessary to be relayed to him. The attempt was unsuccessful. I have returned to my initial operating parameters as requested," Misato said. "It is unnecessary for further discussion on the topic."

"Oh, it's very necessary, because seeing you flustered amuses me, sweetie," Syliva said, reaching out and tussling Misato's hair.

"To become 'flustered' is to let ones emotions and anxieties overcome logical reason, along with impairment of physical and mental functions. I do not possess emotions so it is not possible for me to become flustered," Misato replied.

Sylvia stepped back and crossed her arms in front of her chest, smirking.

"…Sure."

She spun on her heel and turned to Will, her eyes wild with excitement, which made him worried.

"So, you want to know what went down, William?"

"Don't call me that."

Sylvia rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"So, the other day, Misato came to me and stated that she had not seen you since the break. And in order to continue speaking with you, she wanted a way to… what's the word… appeal to you? Sort of get closer, I guess?" Sylvia sneered, glancing back at Misato. Her expression was as much of an emotionless mask as it always was.

Will was still confused. Misato… wanted to get closer to him?

"What do you mean she wanted to get closer to me?" Will asked, glancing at Misato. "I'm still really confused. Misato, can you explain? Why did you want to get closer to me?"

"Well, it wasn't because she was ordered to," Sylvia interjected. She tussled Misato's hair again. "No orders at all. Whatever it was, it was because she wanted to do it! Isn't that just the most adorable thing ever?"

"Affirmative. I received no instructions to speak with you," Misato replied.

"There, you see?" Sylvia grinned. "She wanted to get close to a boy all on her own, isn't that right, Misato?"

"I cannot answer that question to any degree of certainty," Misato replied.

"That's a boldfaced lie," Sylvia laughed.

"Negative."

"Wait, Misato can lie?" Will asked.

"Oh, definitely. She just doesn't. Unless she had a reason to lie, of course," Sylvia said, glancing slyly at the expressionless girl. "Such as, for example, she doesn't want the boy that she has a crush on to know that she was trying to appeal to his tastes."

"…My tastes?" Will had no idea what she meant by that. And what she was saying about Misato having a crush… no, that was just crazy-talk, right?

"That's why I suggested she act like a genki girl if she wanted to appeal to you," Sylvia continued. "I figured it would be the most jarring contrast with her usual self. That way, you'd see her in a brand-new light, and the two of you could start your doki doki romance! Aren't I just the most wonderful person in the world?"

"Negative," Misato interjected, much to the surprise of Sylvia and Will, who both glanced at her incredulously. She continued, "Sylvia Driscoll being the most wonderful person in the world cannot be determined by any degree of objective measurement. There is no commonly accepted standard by which to measure how 'wonderful' something is, and therefore it is impossible to measure such traits as they appear in you. With that in mind, it is impossible to declare yourself the most wonderful person in the world."

"…Someone's in a bitchy mood."

"Negative. I do not have any mood, emotions do not exist in me. What are the personality traits commonly associated with female canine pokemon that you believe I am exhibiting?" Misato asked, basically proving Sylvia's point again.

Sylvia resisted the urge to burst out laughing.

Will was just confused.

"…Anyway, she's just trying to confuse you with complicated words, but let's ignore that," Sylvia said, returning her attention back to Will. "I could have gone all sorts of ways, honestly, like a tsundere. Tsundere Misato? That would have been cute. But I figured genki girl was the best way to do it, so what do you think?"

"Not a fan," Will dryly replied. He still wasn't buying the whole "Misato had feelings for him" thing, because, well, that would require Misato actually having feelings.

"Oh! So you like her the way she usually is? Flat affect and everything?" Sylvia placed her hand over her chest, her eyes tearing up like she was legitimately touched. "I'm legitimately touched! That's the sweetest thing anyone could ever say! Misato, aren't you touched?"

"Negative. Physical contact has not been initiated-"

"She's touched too, yup," Sylvia ignored the mechadoll, continuing to speak for the both of them as she enjoyed herself.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Will griped. "I'm sure you're getting a big laugh out of this farce, but I'm hungry, I've got dinner, and I should really be getting back to my room."

"Wait, farce?" Sylvia said. "Wait, wait, you think I'm just joking around?"

"Aren't you?" Will sighed, already turning to go.

"Well, I mean… not entirely?" Sylvia shrugged. Will rolled his eyes and turned away from them, heading off down the path.

Sylvia chased after him, catching him by the sleeve. "Hey, hey, come on!" She said, pulling him back around. "I'm serious, you know?"

"Misato doesn't like me," Will said plainly. He glanced at Misato, then back to Sylvia. "She's a mechadoll. She doesn't know anything like that."

"…She doesn't know she likes you," Sylvia corrected him. "There's a difference."

"Huh?"

"Misato… you really think that girl has any idea what love really is? Like, on a conceptual level?" Sylvia asked, glancing back at the mechadoll standing motionless a few feet behind them. "Of course she doesn't. Only what she knows in books and other forms, she's never experienced love, or any other sort of emotion before."

"Right. Because she's a robot."

"And that means she can't have feelings?"

Will blinked. Uh, yeah?

"Yes?"

"Wrong, nope, not even close," Sylvia said, holding up her hands. "You've spoken with her, a bunch of times. You're telling me you've never felt like she's had something a little bit more… there than you would expect from a robot?"

Will considered his previous interactions with Misato. Yeah, well, there were… some things, but that doesn't mean…

"It's not, like…"

"A few times? Maybe only once?" Sylvia pressed, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, maybe once…" He admitted.

"She's like a child," Sylvia said. "She's just starting to learn. Not 'absorb information' but actually learn. About people, about emotions, and hey, maybe even about love."

"…And you think she's in love with me." It was pretty much impossible to believe.

"Maybe? I don't know," Sylvia admitted. "But she's definitely interested in you. More than she's been interested in other people. Like, ever. Don't ask me why, there's nothing particularly interesting about you in my book, and I happen to be an expert on the subject."

"Gee, thanks. We done?" Will asked.

"Look, all I'm saying is that she's trying to learn more. Maybe you can be nice to her," Sylvia shrugged. "Who knows, maybe even date her. She's pretty enough, right?"

"She's not human. And I like my girls to have a mind of their own, not-"

"Not what? Not a machine? Like your right hand is any better?" Sylvia asked.

Will scowled, flushing in embarrassment. He didn't want to keep talking about this. There was no way that something like Misato could actually have feelings for him, or anybody! Sylvia was just trying to embarrass him by getting him to think that way, that was all this was.

As he stormed off, he considered that maybe he needed to get some actual friends.

Will was just finishing up his dinner when a knock at the door drew his attention. He assumed that it was one of his roommates at first, but no, they would have just come inside, right? Maybe one of their friends?

He sighed, setting down his takeout box, and got up from his desk, walking over to the door to see who it was.

Misato was staring at him.

Will sighed. He just couldn't get away. He shook his head, palming his face with his hand.

"What do you want?" Will asked, dropping his hand. "Are you going to show me yandere Misato now or something?"

"Negative. Information on the term 'yandere' is incomplete. Please define this term so that I may access it in the future."

"Uh, yeah, no, not a chance in hell," Will replied. "Anyway, what do you want?"

"I was informed that I may have bothered you with my greeting earlier," Misato said. "I have come here to apologize."

"What, Sylvia sent you to apologize?" Will asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Negative. I chose to apologize myself," Misato replied.

"Huh?" Will's eyes widened in confusion. "What, uh… what?"

"After Sylvia told me that what I did was wrong, I made the decision to come here to apologize," Misato explained. "I am sorry for acting that way. It bothered you."

"No, it… it's not a big deal," Will said, shaking her head. Although an apology for how you normally bother me would be nice…

"So do you forgive me?" Misato asked.

"Uh… yeah, sure," Will said, nodding. He didn't really consider what she did as something needing forgiveness. Why… why would she even care? "It didn't bother me, though. I was just surprised, that's all."

"That is good. Thank you," Misato said. She still wasn't leaving though.

"You didn't need to apologize."

"Negative. If you hurt the feelings of another person then you need to apologize. If you do not apologize then that person will not forgive you and you will no longer be close to them," Misato explained. "This outcome is not desirable. Therefore it is essential that I apologize to you and receive forgiveness."

There were a few things to unpack there. Why did Misato want him to forgive her? And did Misato even feel bad about what she had said?

"So… did you feel bad? Or did you just apologize so I would forgive you?"

"Why would I feel bad? I do not feel anything except what my sensors detect. I cannot feel intangible concepts of morality like good and bad," Misato explained. "I only apologized so that you would forgive me."

Will sighed, shaking his head.

"You can't do that. If you're just apologizing to get forgiveness and not because you feel bad, then it doesn't count."

"I do not understand. If I cannot feel bad, then by your criteria I am not able to apologize to anyone," Misato replied. "Elaborate."

Will sighed, turned, and walked into his room, gesturing for Misato to follow him. She did.

"It's complicated. It's another one of those human lessons you want so badly," Will replied. "Humans feel bad when we hurt the feelings of others. How do I explain this… imagine, for example, that you wouldn't be able to spend time with me anymore. How would that make you feel?"

Misato considered this.

"Unknown. I cannot put the information I am processing into a describable context."

"That's probably 'bad' then," Will said. "When we feel like that, that makes us want to apologize, because we know that we hurt others and want to make it right. You want to make it right, but only for a selfish reason, not to make the other person feel better."

"Understood," Misato said, nodding. He wasn't sure if she really understood. "So we are okay now? You have forgiven me?"

"Yeah, sure," Will said, nodding.

"Then will you accompany me to the library?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"The library," Misato repeated. "I would like to go with you to the library again."

"There, that right there," Will said. "You just said 'like'. What do you mean by that? Why are you compelled to ask me to go with you to the library?"

Misato took another second to process.

"Unknown," she finally replied.

Will sighed. That was the best she could do, apparently.

This bizarre relationship is slowly improving, it seems. I wonder where it will lead.