What's going on? Why is Misato so… human now? What does this mean? Is she a human? Or is it some big act? Will Will have to go on a real date after all? Something strange is going on here, and hopefully he can keep a clear head about it, otherwise this is going to get really awkward really fast. And that's supposed to be a bad thing, for some strange reason.

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

KedharS: He is looking sexually. He's just not doing sexually. It's one thing to use a sex doll, it's another to use a sex doll that can respond to you.

JoshGamerV: We'll see Satsuki again very soon, actually! It just might not be in a way that you would want…

Rowlets and Oshawotts: There is certainly going to be some stuff happening on this date, that's for sure, and more Valentine's Day events to get to. As for Alola, well… we'll actually be going there soon! And it will be tragic.

KyubiMaster9: That would certainly be nice, wouldn't it?

Thunder Fire: If only Misato was really such a nice, human girl, he would probably be a lot happier with his lot in life.

Aquahaze675: It certainly is interesting, isn't it? As for whether or not it's a dream, well… We'll have to find out, won't we?

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 675

Will could not understand what he was experiencing right now. Misato was…

Well, she wasn't Misato.

For one thing, there was no mountain of books that she was reading as fast as she could flip the pages. She had three books, two science fiction stories and, of all things, a cookbook, and checked them out with a smile.

Somehow, Will had found himself still on his date with Misato, but Misato wasn't the Misato that he knew. If Will didn't know better, he would think that she was human.

Hell, Will DIDN'T know better.

From every way he looked at her, from the way she walked to the way her face moved, even her breathing (which, yes, she was doing now) they all screamed "human."

There was no questioning it. Whatever had happened, whatever was going on, Will couldn't deny that the Misato Daisan he was walking with was completely human. They continued to travel across campus, Will too flustered by his current situation to even ask where they were going at the moment. This was just too weird.

"Hey, Misato, can I ask you something?" Will asked. He still felt uncomfortable about this, like it was all some sort of dream.

"Hmm?" Misato glanced at him, her small smile brightening her face in a way that never would have happened on a Mechadoll like the Misato he knew.

"Um, does the word 'Mechadoll' mean anything to you?" Will asked. He wanted to check to make sure that this wasn't some elaborate ruse. He didn't know how Misato would have mimicked a human heartbeat, or her increased body temperature, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility if this was a charade she was performing in order to make him think that she really was a human being instead of a Mechadoll.

…Then again, would she really admit that she was a Mechadoll, if she was pretending to be human to fool him?

"A Mechadoll?" Misato tilted her head to the side, giving Will a quizzical look. "No, I don't think I really know what that is, but it sounds pretty interesting. Is that, like, a robot or something?"

"Uh…" Will lost his train of thought for a second. Did he really expect Misato to give him another answer if she was lying about being a Mechadoll anyway? He shook his head, no sense in getting concerned about something like that, trying to figure out the truth if Misato was trying to hide it was a lot more trouble than it was worth. "It's an android of some kind, yeah."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Misato gave a slight chuckle, which was another startling action. After all, hearing Misato laugh was… well, she certainly wasn't very good at it. But that laugh had sounded natural.

And that look in her eyes…

There was something there that was so normal on any other girl, but for Misato was completely foreign. Normally, Misato's eyes were dead and cold, as would be expected of something lacking a human soul. Just eyes, like those on a doll, staring out with no emotion. But those weren't the eyes that Will was looking at right now. There was a sparkle there, a glimmer of life that chimed out "humanity" with a resounding song.

They weren't the eyes of Misato. They looked like hers, but they weren't. He still didn't believe that this girl really was Misato. No matter how much she looked like her… she just wasn't. Because she was a normal human.

That was actually rather refreshing.

Will didn't know if this was a dream, or some sort of miracle, or even the thin sliver of possibility that it was the most intricate performance that Misato had ever put on; but one thing was certain, he was currently on a date with a human girl.

…Shit! He was currently on a date with a human girl!

Will suddenly became very conscious of the fact that he was on a date with a girl. Not a Mechadoll, but a real girl with feelings that could be hurt. Suddenly, he found himself feeling a lot less confident about what he was doing here; he had never been on a real date before, and now here he was, thrust right into the center of one!

He opened his mouth to say something, but he caught himself. What was he doing, planning to make small talk? He could barely talk to real women. Misato wasn't exactly the best consultant for an issue like this, and his "dates" with her weren't suitable examples of dates to draw experience from. He had considered using them as practice, but… they were bad. The things they had done, had… had he done them with this Misato?

Had they already kissed? Had she… was she the same girl who had propositioned that he… Will's face turned bright red as the notion crossed his mind. Misato… this Misato, she was a normal girl, so there's no way, right?

He quickly shook those thoughts from his head.

"Will? Are you okay? You're acting kind of weird. I mean, weirder than usual…" Misato's voice pierced his thoughts, and he looked up, turning towards her. She was staring at him with a concerned expression. So that's what Misato's face would look like if she was concerned, Will briefly thought, but quickly pushed that notion aside. This wasn't Misato, after all, it was… well, he didn't know what it was- or, who she was, more specifically.

But he was going to try hard not to keep mistaking her for Misato.

"Yeah, um, sorry," Will said, letting out a sheepish chuckle. He tried to play it off as not that big of a deal. "Sorry, that dream, wow, I guess my mind is still a little off-kilter." Will let out a yawn, to help sell the idea.

"Oh, I hope it's nothing serious…" God, she really was concerned about him. Was this what legitimate support from another person was like? If this really was a dream, it definitely wasn't one that Will wanted to wake up from.

"No, just… my memory is really jumbled," Will said. "Our date today, though… how has it been so far? For you, I mean." He gave a sheepish smile at the girl he was currently walking with. "Sorry if I'm not good company."

Misato shook her head, giving a small smile. "No, I'm having a great time," she assured him. "Though, those pancakes this morning were a little intimidating, I have to admit."

"I know, right?" Will laughed. He was starting to feel a little more comfortable interacting with this girl. "That breakfast was delicious and I ate a lot, but now that I've given the food time to settle… ugh." He rubbed his stomach, it was sitting pretty poorly.

"Really heavy, right?" Misato made a queasy face. "I wish you'd talked me out of getting it."

"Well, uh…" Will wasn't sure what to say. Obviously, his memories of their breakfast probably went a lot differently than what this Misato remembered, considering that it was an entirely different Misato that he had eaten with. He felt that this Misato hadn't done the same awkward "say ah" experiment that his Misato had.

"…Plus, when we did that 'say ah' thing… I really felt like I was going to die of embarrassment," Misato added, her cheeks flushing. "Stuff like that, I mean… I know it's Valentine's Day, but…" She glanced up at Will, her eyes watering. Her lower lip quivered. "That's… really embarrassing, public displays of affection aren't my thing…"

Ugh… she was so cute! He felt like an arrow of cuteness had pierced his heart, and nearly knocked him off of his feet. But it wasn't just cuteness that was stabbing him right now, it was his feeling of shame and disgust in himself as well.

Doing the "say ah" with a Mechadoll had been enough to make him want to die. But doing it in public with a real girl like this? It wasn't something that he could bring himself to believe that any version of him could have done!

"I-I'm sorry… that's not really my thing, either," Will admitted, his guilty conscience forcing an apology out of him.

"No, you don't need to apologize!" Misato quickly clarified, waving her hands frantically. "It… it was my suggestion, after all…"

She lowered her head, her face bright red with shame. Will took a stab in the dark at what the reason for her decision could have been.

"I mean, was it… because you wanted to experience dating for real?" Will asked. That had been the reasoning behind the Mechadoll Misato's actions, and he wondered if that was the same reasoning that this Misato had used herself.

Misato nodded sheepishly, staring up at him. "I mean… this is my first… real relationship, after all," she quietly told him.

Ugh, another stab of cuteness pierced him in the heart. This Misato was just the most adorable thing he'd ever seen, and now she was telling him that the two of them were in a relationship? He was actually dating a girl this cute?

It wasn't just Misato experimenting on dates with him to understand what dating was like, no, this was a real relationship with a girl who had decided to date him because she liked him. That was something he couldn't deny, and the thought of it…

The thought of it made Will's face turn as red as Misato's. It was just the kind of conversation that he wasn't equipped to handling. Maybe the Will that this Misato knew was capable of saying stuff like that with a straight face, but Will certainly wasn't. He had zero relationship experience whatsoever, and now he found himself dating a 10 out of 10 beauty like this?

It was giving Will a new appreciation for the Misato that he knew. Was this what Misato would be like if she was a real human? Was it something that she could be someday, if she had the opportunity to grow and experience more human experiences?

It was possible. And the notion frightened him. But he couldn't deny that it was something that made him curious, the idea that maybe, just maybe… Maybe if Misato could really become human enough to be this cute, then…

Wait, what are you thinking about?! Will yelled at himself, shaking his head frantically. He couldn't believe that he was actually thinking that there was a possibility of him and Misato going out together like an actual couple.

Because… they weren't. Even if she acted just like this Misato, she was still a Mechadoll. And…

Wait, maybe this Misato really was his Misato. Maybe she was gaslighting him into thinking that she was just a normal human, and-

Will shook his head again. He kept having thoughts that he didn't want to be having. This just wasn't a respectful way to think about the girl that he was currently seeing; she wasn't a Mechadoll, she was a real person, and thinking about her as anything else was just being disrespectful!

He would rather be an idiot than risk looking down on a girl this cute.

Will regathered his thoughts, and decided to change his perspective. There was no sense in worrying about something like that. It was more important to think about where they would be going from here, and enjoying their date for what it was.

"Don't worry, I'm feeling better," Will assured Misato, her confused and concerned expression easing off and getting replaced with a look of calm relief.

"Oh, that's good," Misato sighed, and smiled a little. "I was really kind of worried, but I'm glad to see that you're doing better!"

"Yeah, I am," Will said, nodding. "Sorry, that dream really did take a lot out of me. But I don't want to think about that right now. What's next for our date?"

This Misato was different from his Misato. So he believed that his date with her wasn't going to end things with just a trip to the library, he knew that there must be other stuff planned.

His suspicions were proven quickly, as Misato flashed him a smile and nodded her head, her eyes shining with excitement and hope.

"Yeah, next we can get lunch!" She suggested, and Will thought that sounded just fine. He would be going on a real date for once, and he was actually kind of looking forward to it. This date might just be something that he might enjoy.

For lunch, the two of them had hamburgers, one of Will's favorite meals. He was actually realizing that he was enjoying himself. Misato was a lot like him, actually, she liked a lot of the same things that he did, reading, computers, training pokemon, it was like he was looking at a glimpse of something that he could have, satisfaction in a relationship.

Through careful questions and double-meanings, Will had also been doing some casual interrogations to get to the bottom of what was going on here. He learned from this Misato that much of their relationship was very similar to how things had been with the Misato that he knew, the Mechadoll, only altered to reflect the fact that Misato was a human.

She was still working for the Phantom, and was still a senior. She had still come to him, all those months ago, at the Fall Festival Tournament, and convinced him to take a dive. But unlike his Misato, who had been ordered to continue observing him, she had been interested in something more. She had begun spending time with him of her own accord, because she honestly liked his company.

Hearing that, it had touched Will in a way that he hadn't realized until now was possible. The idea that a girl could meet him, like him for who he was, and eventually wind up going out with him? It was the kind of thing that he wouldn't believe could be real.

He was really starting to fear that this was a dream. Some sleazy fantasy he had whipped up as a result of his time in the library and how present Misato had been in his thoughts up until now. But that idea was quickly dismissed.

He didn't WANT this to be a dream! Not just because he wanted this Misato to be real, but because… if this was a dream…

Then that meant that he was dreaming about Misato. He was dreaming about Misato being a human girl, who had feelings for him, and the two of them were going out.

That was not a place he wanted to be mentally. He was already having enough difficulty reminding himself that Misato was a Mechadoll and not a human recently, he really didn't need to add dating fantasies into the mix.

It's not a dream. This is real, he told himself, forcing himself to believe it. The girl sitting in front of you drinking the extra-large milkshake she bought so the two of you could share before she ended up getting cold feet is real.

Misato was staring at him with love in her eyes, quickly sucking her shake through a straw. She ended up going too fast and began hiccupping, her face turning bright red in embarrassment as she realized he was staring at her.

If only the real Misato could be this cute… No, what am I thinking? This is the real Misato!

"Umm… do you want some?" Misato timidly asked. She held her shake out to him, but her hands were shaking already. Clearly, the idea of sharing a second-hand kiss with him was way beyond her comfort zone.

It was such a contrast with the Misato he knew, Will just couldn't believe it!

If this were the other Misato, she would have coldly demanded that we share it, even though she doesn't need to drink, Will thought, forcing himself not to laugh at the mental image of Misato insistently plopping a large milkshake between the two of them. He couldn't help himself, a chuckle slipped out of his lips.

"Hey! Are you laughing at me?" Misato demanded, pouting. Will realized what he had done and frantically clarified that that wasn't the case.

"No, not at all!" He assured her, shaking his head quickly. "I was just thinking about… a friend of mine, and how amusing it would be if she was here."

Misato raised her eyebrow. For a moment, he caught sight of the Misato he recognized, because her face had transformed into a cold mask. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Understood. You were thinking about another woman during our date?"

Yikes, even her voice was back to that emotionless tone. He had gotten so used to hearing it from Misato that it was almost nostalgic, but right now was no time to be reminiscing. Because unlike his Misato, this one was more than capable of emotion, which meant she was taking special care to be as cold as possible.

Even a novice at dating like himself could tell this was a serious red flag.

"No, it's not like that!" Will protested. "She's just a friend, honestly! I would never have those kinds of thoughts about her in a million years."

"…Okay then," Misato said, a bit more emotion entering her voice. Thankfully, it didn't sound like rage. It sounded more inquisitive, and almost… teasing?

He figured out why when she followed up her innocuous comment with a question.

"Is she prettier than me?"

How the hell was he supposed to answer THAT?

"…I can honestly say that between the two of you, there would be no point in even trying to compare," Will truthfully answered.

That seemed to placate Misato, and her smile quickly returned.

Okay, Mechadoll Misato was certainly annoying, and an even bigger pain in the ass to navigate than this Misato, but he had certainly not felt this level of terror from her.

I don't even know what's good or bad at this point, Will had to admit to himself. But there was still date to be had.

Will's date with this strange "human" Misato continues! What will result from this? I wonder if he'll learn anything new about Misato, or about himself? We'll have to find out!