Ayame has finally caught a Luvdisc! And not just any Luvdisc, a special, shiny, golden Luvdisc! What does that mean for the jinx? What is this super special prize that Marion seems so excited about? Let's see what other surprises Valentine's Day has in store for us!

Also, thank you to everyone who read my story "The Heir to the Dragon". I would appreciate if you continue to read and support it in the future! You can get there through my profile! The story is finally completed! Thank you for reading!

The Semi-Final Round of the second Pokemon Academy Best Girl contest has begun! Which three of these six girls will make it to the Finals? So far we've only got a few votes in, so show your support for your best girl and vote on the poll in my profile! We want this competition to be close, after all! Who's going to win?!

Semi-Finalists: Ayame, Sylvia, Marion, Sango, Elaina, Valerie

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Clearly, Ayame used the fishing method for shiny hunting, and she just didn't know it. As for my favorite shiny, hmm… definitely Zubat, since that was the first shiny I ever caught, in my FireRed game!

KedharS: You can trust it to be about fishing.

JoshGamerV: Well, obviously. But what specifically about fishing? That's the real question you've gotta ask yourself.

Aquahaze675: Well, I seriously doubt it.

Rowlets and Oshawotts: That pun will not go unforgotten, I'm sorry to say. You will live with that shame for the rest of your life.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 672

Ayame was stunned. A prize? She had won a prize for fishing up the shiny Luvdisc? It certainly made sense, that something like that would come with its own prize, but she wasn't sure what to make of it, even if it was something to be happy about, right?

What should she be expecting her prize to be? That was the real question here, after all. She looked expectantly at Marion, whose eyes were shining with glee.

"So, um… a prize, you said? Like, a special grand prize or something?" The grand prize for the contest was a romantic dinner. Would this prize be something even better than that, since it was such a special prize? Like a vacation, if she was lucky?

Ayame couldn't help get a little eager at the idea. Even Blake was starting to get interested, happy that Aya had won something.

Marion's big smile seemed to be a confirmation. "Exactly, you got it perfectly right! It's a super special grand prize! Just look!" She set her backpack down on the ground and began digging through it to find Ayame's grand prize. "Ah! There it is!"

Marion rose to her feet and presented it to the other girl.

"For the one who managed to fish up the golden Luvdisc, they will be granted an all-expenses paid stay, for 4 days and 3 nights…"

Ayame was teaming with eagerness. All expenses paid? To where? Alola? Maybe Galar? Or Kalos, she could visit Blake's home region!

Marion brandished a bright and shiny golden ticket. It was about as tacky as could be expected, but that didn't matter to Ayame. She took it from the other girl, and studied it.

As she saw the fishy design on the gaudy ticket, her hopes began to sink. She let out a sigh. She knew that Marion was probably about to say something that would make Ayame feel a whole lot less enthusiastic about winning this prize.

"…At the glorious Resort Marion! Where you can spend your time out on the high seas, fishing your hearts away, and looking at the countless fish pokemon in the ocean depths, specially preserved in a gorgeous ocean menagerie, while feasting upon the most scrumptious fish cuisine you've ever had!" Marion explained, talking up the wonderful resort. "This ticket is valid for two people, so you'll be able to enjoy everything the resort has to offer with the company of the one that you love the most! What do you think? Isn't this the most wonderful prize you could have imagined?"

Ayame was less than enthused. A fishing resort? She didn't even like fishing! As far as she was concerned, it shouldn't even be considered a real sport! Well… it could be worse. She would just ignore the "fishing" part and focus on the "resort" part. A resort was still a resort, and this resort was… wait a minute.

"Did you say Resort Marion? And why does it say 'name pending' on this ticket?" Ayame asked, studying the rather cheaply made golden ticket suspiciously. This had the smell of a big scam, and she wasn't buying.

Marion laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her hair.

"Well, uh… that's because, well…" Marion cleared her throat. The shifty look in her eyes wasn't helping Ayame's confidence in her.

"…It's somewhat… not built just yet," she explained, breaking out into sheepish laughter. "After all, I've still got a lot of work to do on it!"

"…So the grand prize…" Ayame muttered slowly, beginning to put the pieces together. They were forming a picture that she wasn't liking very much.

"That's right! It's a reservation! The moment my hotel resort and conservatory is built, you're going to be able to stay there, all expenses paid! We'll be happy to have you!" Marion assured Ayame. Ayame's eye twitched.

"…And when's that going to be?" Ayame asked. She didn't exactly trust Marion's word on the matter, after all.

Marion's smile was sheepish, but bright as the sun's reflection on the surface of the water. "Um… a few years, probably? I haven't even graduated yet, so…"

That was enough of an answer for Ayame.

"…Yeah, I don't need this." Ayame pushed the ticket back into Marion's hands.

"Oh, come on!" Marion groaned. "It's totally worth it, trust me! I'd love to have you! Someone of your ability, managing to fish up the shiny Luvdisc on your very first try?" She tried to force the ticket back into Ayame's hands. "I just can't wait to see more of your gallant figure fishing, Ayame Toujou! Come on, please? It'll only be a few years, I promise!"

"How is this a prize?!" Ayame demanded.

"Think of it as an investment!" Marion countered.

"I would much prefer you just give me the money!" Ayame replied, crossing her hands indignantly in front of her chest.

"But if I give you the money, you won't stay at the resort!" Marion wailed. "Come on, it's going to be amazing! Please?"

"Come on, Aya, it sounds like it could actually be fun," Blake said, smiling encouragingly at his girlfriend. Ayame glanced at him and sighed. It wasn't fair, why was it so hard for her to say no to that pleading look in his eye.

"Yeah, listen to your boyfriend!" Marion said, nodding her head vigorously. "You two can make a trip out of it!"

"…Err…" Ayame glanced at Blake, a little flustered. Blake wasn't exactly the biggest fan of fishing, sure, but like Ayame he was probably focusing on the resort part of the trip. And Ayame had to admit, staying at a resort would definitely be an amazing romantic experience that the two of them could share, especially if it was as amazing as Marion was making it out to be. But could she really accept it as a prize?

Well… it was free… it's not like she had been expecting something else when she had come here, the point was just to catch a Luvdisc in the first place, this prize was just a bonus. And even if it would only take a few years…

"Well, I don't know…" Ayame said, still not convinced. It certainly sounded nice, but she wasn't exactly confident in Marion's ability to run a resort hotel, even if it was one that was focused on fishing. But it was free…

Marion sighed, her smiling face clouding over in disappointment. "Yeah, don't worry, I get it," she said, nodding. "It's not exactly the easiest thing to do, I know. I'm sure you'd want to stay at a real resort that's already been completed…"

Ayame gave a small smile that was almost reassuring. She nodded her head. "I'm glad you understand," she agreed. "It's not you, honestly, it's just…"

"Yeah, don't worry!" Marion said, her smile returning. She patted Ayame on the shoulder and gave her a good-natured wink. "I can imagine why you would be uneasy about making plans with your boyfriend that far in advance. It must be hard to imagine the two of you lasting together that long, isn't that right?"

Ayame's eye twitched. "…What?"

Marion shrugged her shoulders. "If you aren't confident that the two of you can make things last, then you're right, it doesn't make sense to begin scheduling date plans for years in the future. Don't worry about it, it's too much pressure, I get it. I'll try and fine something a little more 'right now' for a prize, since you'll probably break up by then…"

Ayame knew she was being played, but she didn't care. She growled at Marion, and snatched the ticket from her hands. "Give that to me," she snarled.

"Yay! I just knew that you'd love it!" Marion crowed triumphantly.

Blake sighed, and shook his head. He couldn't believe that had worked. But he was glad that the two of them would be going together to the resort. Contrary to what Marion proclaimed, Blake had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the two of them would still be together when she completed her resort hotel, and they would be among the first guests.

"It's okay, Aya," he said, patting Aya on the shoulder. "I'm looking forward to it, aren't you? It's something that we'll be able to do together."

Ayame let the irritation slip off of her face, and smiled back at him. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for the prize, Marion."

"Happy to help! When you take the trip, be sure to tell your friends about how great it is!" Marion chirped, nodding her head eagerly.

"Yeah, whatever," Ayame glowered, still mad at getting played. But she turned to Blake, and her eyes filled up with love. She slipped the ticket into her bag, and took him by the hands, looking into his eyes with a warm gaze.

Blake felt his face grow hot. Thoughts of Marion, the ticket, and the hypothetical trip were the last things on his mind, right now everything was about Aya.

"Besides, there's still something else we still have to do for our relationship, isn't that right?" Ayame asked, glancing down at the tanks next to the two of them. It was the reason that they had come in the first place.

"Oh! Right, I totally forgot!" Blake gasped, snapping out of his fugue as he followed her gaze to the tanks where their Luvdisc were sitting, the two pokemon staring up at the humans who caught them, a knowing look in their eyes.

"That's right!" Marion gasped, nodding her head eagerly. "You guys still have to take your little Luvdiscs and let them go together, I totally forgot!"

That was something that was a lot more important than some dumb trip. Blake and Ayame were ready to guarantee the future of their relationship here and now, even if the jinx wasn't necessarily real. It was real enough for the two of them.

And that was what really mattered in the end, after all. How the two of them felt about their future, and the steps they would take to ensure it. That's why they were here, to ensure things would go well in the end.

It was time to let the Luvdisc go.

Blake and Ayame knelt down and picked up their fish tanks. The others paused what they were doing and came over to watch, interested.

Sango in particular was surprised by the fact that she didn't feel upset when she saw that apparently Blake and Ayame, if the jinx was to be believed, would remain together forever after having both caught and released their own Luvdiscs.

A small smile crossed her face. Maybe this means that I'm already starting to get over him, she wondered hopefully.

That made her feel a little sad, but she didn't let her sadness get the better of her. That was how she was supposed to be feeling, after all, happy that the two of them would be together and sad that she was getting over things slowly.

"My heart's pounding in my chest," Ayame admitted, smiling shyly at Blake. She left out the part about the nausea, figuring he didn't need to know that.

Blake smiled back at her. "Yeah, mine too," he admitted. "I'm not going to lie, Aya, I'm really happy. To be doing this here with you… to have the opportunity to be here with you at all, it really means a lot to me, so-"

"Get on with it!" Cynthia heckled. "Hurry it up before we all get busted for the two of you illegally fishing in the lake!"

Blake shot her a dirty look, but he had to admit that Cynthia did have a point. There would be time for ceremonies and proclamations later, right now what was important was that they released the Luvdisc together.

"…Together?" Ayame asked, holding her breath hopefully. Blake smiled at her, and she let it out in a sigh of relief.

The two of them knelt down next to the lake and tilted their tanks, the water rushing out of them and falling into the lake, and the duo of Luvdisc flowing with it, the two pokemon swimming off to join the others.

Blake felt like a great weight had been lifted off of his chest. He stood, lighter than ever, and looked out at the water for a moment more before turning to take in the beautiful girl standing beside him. Aya was staring back at him, her eyes shining with warmth.

"Well, we… we did it," Ayame grinned, taking Blake by the hand. "I guess that means we're jinxed now? Or cursed? Whatever it's supposed to be."

Blake smiled, wincing a little. "Can we please call it something better than that?" He pleaded. "I don't want us to keep calling our relationship cursed, I'm sure you can imagine."

Ayame burst out laughing. "Fuck, yeah, fair enough!" She cackled. "Well, how about 'blessed' then, does that work?"

Blake nodded. That worked out just fine.

The two stared into each other's eyes, sharing an unspoken moment of preciousness between the two of them.

And of course, Cynthia had to be the one to open her big mouth and ruin it.

"Hey, Marion, I have a question about the jinx. I mean, the way it works, is that if you release two Luvdisc together, then the couple is supposed to be happy forever, right?" Cynthia clarified. She didn't like bringing it up, but…

Okay, well, while she was happy for Blake and Ayame and everything, she was still Cynthia, and couldn't resist the opportunity for a little fun at their expense.

Marion scrunched up her face, confused about Cynthia's question. "Yeah, that's what's supposed to happen, why do you ask?"

"Well, I mean… this tradition's only been going on for how long?" Cynthia clarified. "I mean, I assume you're the one who made it a big thing, right?"

"Yepperino, I was the one who came up with the event myself!" Marion proudly declared, slapping herself on the stomach and holding her head up high. "Quite a brilliant decision, if I do say so myself! Getting couples to fish up to their heart's content!"

"…So did you just make up the jinx?" Cynthia pressed. Blake and Ayame both scowled at Cynthia, who winced at the pressure of their gazes. But it was a valid question, and she wanted to make sure that her friends would be happy in their relationship without fooling themselves into thinking it was because of some bogus jinx.

After all, Marion's "special prize" was a stay at a resort that didn't exist yet, there wasn't much that Cynthia would put past her.

"What?! I would never do that!" Marion protested, shaking her head. "I didn't make up anything, that jinx has been passed down for years! It's 100% legit, I promise! I'm just the one who had the smart idea to turn it into a school event!"

Everyone sighed a collective sigh of relief.

"For a moment I was worried there," Ayame admitted, chuckling.

"So Luvdisc were always native in this pond, then?" Sango asked. "Because we moved a couple dozen of them." Or more like over one hundred… she silently added.

"Yes, most definitely!" Marion said, nodding her head eagerly. "The lake usually has all sorts of pokemon in it, at various times of year! Even though they usually don't come close to the surface very often in winter. See, that's the reason why we had to thaw out the lake, and bring a bunch more of them in, so that more people could catch them!"

Sango narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She didn't like the sound of that. "Wait, what do you mean? You guys moved Luvdisc into the lake to improve the odds? I know you brought them in, but I thought that was just because… well…" Actually, Sango hadn't really thought about it until just that moment. But thinking about it, it sounded…

Unfair?

"Yeah, normally, due to the wide variety of fish in the lake, catching a Luvdisc was like… a 1% chance!" Marion explained. "So for a couple to catch a pair of them? The chances of that happening were, like, astronomical! So the jinx just kind of spread, that since the couple was dedicated enough to do it, then they would be together forever!"

She put her hands on her hips and gave another proud smile.

"That's why I had such a great idea like this!" She explained. "By moving the other pokemon out of the lake during Valentine's Day and filling it with a bunch more Luvdisc, that way all the couples have a chance to get one! Isn't that just the best?! Now everybody gets the chance to find eternal happiness, and we make a ton of money for the aquarium!"

Everyone took a moment to let this sink in.

Ayame had been smiling, but now her expression was sour. Blake let out a sigh and shook his head in disbelief. Cynthia suppressed a snicker, expecting something like this was going to happen, while Aidan just stood there with a dumb look on his face, not having any idea what was going on.

Sango buried her face in her hands.

"Come on, seriously?!" Sango protested. "You totally ruined the jinx with that!"

Marion looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

"What am I talking about?!" Sango sputtered. "Before you came along, the jinx was some sacred thing, two people who were fated to be together, working hard to ensure their mutual happiness together in the future! The fact that it was next to impossible to catch a pair of Luvdisc in the lake is what made the jinx actually matter! No wonder it was real, it was practically fate! But you-! You!"

Marion tilted her head to the side. "Me what?"

"You totally ruined that!" Sango groaned. "You commercialized the whole thing! Now catching a pair of Luvdisc is as easy as flinging a rod into the water!"

"I know!" Marion giggled, nodding her head in agreement. "Isn't that great?"

"No, it's not great!" Sango exclaimed. "You've watered down the jinx to the point where you've probably broken it! You totally ruined what it was supposed to be about, dang it, Marion, what the matter with you sometimes?!"

"…But more people are happy fishing and we get more money!" Marion protested, puffing up her cheeks and adjusting her straw hat. She didn't get why Sango was so against this, it made perfect sense to her!

Sango let out a frustrated scream at all the time she'd wasted on something so pointless and sterilized as this.

Meanwhile, Blake and Ayame turned to look each other. With this new revelation, the idea that the jinx might now work out for them, one would expect the couple to feel upset, or cheated.

But they smiled, and reached out to hold each other's hand.

Forget the jinx, that wasn't what was really important. They were going to be happy together, with or without a jinx.

Aw, that's a nice, wholesome moment to share between the two of them. Where will Valentine's Day take us next, I wonder?