Will continues his date with the human Misato! What will emerge from this? Will he gain some new understanding? Is this a new evolution of Misato, or something else? We'll have to find out, hopefully Will won't mess things up now that he's on a date with a girl!

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

Aquahaze675: Well, we'll have to find out, won't we?

Rowlets and Oshawotts: We'll see it in a flashback arc.

KedharS: In a manner of speaking, a certain type of fun.

P.N.H the IMMORTAL: He'll get better.

JoshGamerV: The Phantom's truth will come out eventually, don't worry.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 676

Will went on this date with an open mind, but right now… he was feeling a little weird.

Misato was a great girl, really, and they had a lot in common. There was just, well… it was hard to describe.

Part of Will wished that she wasn't Misato. That she was some other girl, someone who liked him for who he was. But the fact that she was Misato, it just… it made things seem strange to him. Seeing so many things that Misato would never say come out of a mouth that looked exactly like hers, it was hard to tell them apart.

Will couldn't believe that he actually… was he missing the old Misato? No, that was crazy. How could he? This one was the perfect girlfriend.

He was probably just feeling insecure since he had to impress a real girl now, instead of a Mechadoll devoid of emotions. That wasn't exactly an easy bar to clear. He didn't know how to be on a real date with a real girl…

No, he wasn't missing his time with Misato at all.

"Where are we going?" Will asked, looking curiously at Misato. She gave him a smile, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"It's a secret," she said, giving him a wink. The way her face flushed in embarrassment afterwards was simply adorable, she was trying to play the tease and was completely flubbing it. It was one of those things that Misato did, that made her so much different from the Misato that he knew.

It made him smile.

"Come on, don't be like that," Will laughed. "But okay, if you like, I'll be happy to wear a blindfold for you to fool me."

"No, no need for that," Misato giggled herself. "Besides, I really want to see what your reaction will be when we get there."

Now Will was concerned. Where was she taking him? They were going "off-book" now, as the Misato he knew had intended for the date to end after the library. But clearly, this Misato had other plans, which meant… What was it the other Misato had said?

Something about cutting things early, so as not to advance the date into territory that would be considered too romantic to be casual… right?

Will felt his face heat up. Misato was a human, not a Mechadoll, so… would she want to do things that the Mechadoll Misato would find unnecessary? Or even…

Get your head out of the gutter! She's a nice girl, and you two aren't at that stage yet! Will reminded himself. But then, he thought about it a little more, and realized that he actually didn't know what stage the two of them were at. With the Misato he knew, he had gotten to, well… if they were dating, they were at the kissing stage, and she had clearly intended for him to grope her, so was that where they were? Or… because this Misato was a human, had they gone even further?

Will was suddenly getting very nervous about their relationship, he felt like he was a stranger in his own dating life. He looked at Misato again, trying to study her as casually as possible. She really was beautiful. He had acknowledged that even when she was a Mechadoll, but seeing her like this, it was something else.

Her soft white skin, so much more lifelike now that it was real, the curvy figure of her body, so much more tempting now that he knew there was a real woman behind it, one who could desire him, her perfect, kissable mouth opened in shock, the beautiful look of embarrassment filling her wide eyes as she stared at him, the way her face turned bright red-

Wait.

"S-Stop looking at me like that!" Misato said, shielding herself a little with her arms and shying away from him slightly. Will wanted to slap himself in the face, what the hell was he thinking, perving out on his date like that?!

"S-Sorry, I was just-"

"Checking me out?" Misato asked. Will opened his mouth to try and deny it, but realized it was futile. He hung his head and nodded.

Misato's face turned a deeper shad of read, and she looked away from him again.

"W-Well, I mean… it-it's not like I don't… appreciate that you're looking at me, but…" Misato squirmed, clearly filled with a mixture of discomfort and joy. "It's really embarrassing, you know? This… This isn't the time…"

She swallowed, and stood up a little taller. "But what do you think?"

"What, so I can check you out now?" Will asked, surprised. Maybe it was because he was so used to Misato being emotionless, but he was startled by how much her emotions seemed to shift from moment to moment.

"Just, um… just the dress, please," Misato said, shrinking a little. "I really tried hard on my appearance today, so…"

"Didn't I already tell you before, when I first saw you?" Will asked. He remembered when Misato had thanked him for complimenting her appearance. His Misato, not this human one. She had put on a fake smile and thanked him, and he had found it unnerving. He wondered what this Misato's reaction would be.

"W-Well, yeah, but…" Her eyes shifted from side to side. "I'd still like to hear it…"

Well, Will might feel like he was dying of embarrassment by loading on the compliments, but he supposed that he couldn't help himself when he was dealing with a girl this cute. He would have to swallow his pride and tell the truth.

That was the manly thing to do, after all.

"I think you look great, really," Will said. "That dress really suits you, Misato."

When Will had complimented Misato's changes, he hadn't done so nearly as passionately. And in turn, the response he had received was a smile that was a close approximation of joy, but not anything truly emotive.

That wasn't the case now. Misato stared at him, and her face lit up in both excitement and embarrassment, and it brought a smile to Will's lips in turn. Misato really appreciated his compliment, and that was something that a Mechadoll could never do.

Why are you still thinking about her? Will chastised himself. Focus on this Misato right now, she's the one you're with.

If only it was that easy. Like it or not, there was another girl in Will's life with the name of Misato, and a face that was identical, even if it was devoid of all the humanity that currently colored this one. Comparisons were going to be drawn, there was no helping it.

Will wished he could just forget about his Misato, he really did. But she was there, looming over the other girl's shoulder like a specter, a memory that just wouldn't go away, even though he was trying to give a different Misato, a human Misato, his attention.

Maybe it was pointless. Will wondered if he could really enjoy this date with a human girl who liked him if he kept trying to ignore her. Maybe that was the point of this, he should confront Misato head-on and acknowledge the similarities, without trying to pretend like the other Misato he knew didn't exist. But why, why was he still thinking about her?

He decided to change the topic away from the Misato he knew, back towards something else entirely, the thing he had originally been curious about. Just how far in their relationship were they? Were they even at the kissing stage?

The problem was, he couldn't ask that without seeming crass as hell. He had to find some way to bring that up without seeming too blunt about it, and luckily this date had given him the perfect access point to do it.

"So, what did you think of that movie we saw earlier?" Will asked. The Mechadoll Misato had some very interesting thoughts about proper theater-going procedures, and he wondered if this Misato would be any different.

"Ugh, I hated it," Misato griped. "Romcoms are awful, I can't believe Sylvia recommended we watch one just because it's traditional. If you ask me, a good book is more than enough!"

Amen to that, Will thought. But still, that hadn't quite confirmed his question. "Yeah, I hated it too, especially romcoms, the writing is just so… ugh!"

"I know, right? You want romance, read me some Don Quixote, that's more my thing," Misato agreed with him, laughing.

Don Quixote, Will knew that book. He'd vaguely heard the other Misato reference it, too. It seemed that she liked it, as much as she was capable of liking things, anyway. That was another point of similarity between the two of them, even if they were so different.

"Yeah, but… I guess movies have their advantages," Will said casually. "Especially in a dark movie theater, watching with someone you like, there's an intimacy there that, well… I'm sure you know what I mean, right?"

Misato stared at him for a second, before turning bright red. "Oh! Oh, oh, oh, you were talking about… oh!"

She shielded her face with her hands, and Will felt his heart start to race. She hadn't confirmed it exactly, but… something had definitely happened between the two of them in that movie theater in this world, that was for sure.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to shake his alternate self's hand, or punch him in the face.

"So, you didn't think that was a little… forward?" Will asked.

Misato peeked up at him through her fingers, and he could hear her audibly gulp. She gave a shaky nod, lowering her hands. She twirled her fingers against each other as she fumbled for words. If she were any more embarrassed she would probably spontaneously combust.

"It was… a little," she admitted. She smiled shyly. "But, I mean… it wasn't exactly like… I was that against it, or anything."

Will swallowed. Not that against it?

"I mean, you just caught me by surprise, is all," she continued. "And your hand, it was so… warm and gentle, and with how forceful you were, just… just grabbing me like that, it really… it really made my heart feel all tingly."

Oh wow, he really had done it. The two of them had-

"I didn't know that someone holding my hand in a movie theater could feel so wonderful!" Misato finished, her bright smile dispelling all traces of perversion.

Ah. Punching it was.

"Yeah, I… I really just wanted to hold your hand, so… yeah," Will said, steering into the actions of his other self.

Misato giggled.

Will was still confused. Misato… she really was an odd one. She seemed almost… haphazard in her emotions, sometimes she was funny, sometimes she was angry, she was usually pretty happy, but she could also get flustered and embarrassed, too. He had been spending over an hour talking to her now, and he was still no closer to understanding what was going on in that head of hers.

Even regular humans didn't tend to be this tempestuous with their personalities, at least as far as he knew. She was so much of a contrast to the emotionless Mechadoll that it was astounding. He was enjoying her, though, and their date. It was something that he hadn't realized he had wanted until he had it.

So why did everything still feel so off?

When Will set eyes upon Misato's surprise, he understood why she had held off on telling him. It was really quite something. She had taken him to the Roselia Garden, set up by Alcea Vermeil and the Gardening Club. Through means he couldn't begin to guess, the garden of roses was fully reborn, shining beautifully and throbbing with life.

Will had never expected something like this.

"The Roselia Gardens?" He asked incredulously, looking at Misato. She smiled, and nodded.

"I mean… we both feel way more comfortable doing stuff like reading, you know?" Misato said. "So we never go to places like this. I was thinking about ideas for memorable and romantic dates, and the thought of walking through a garden together…"

Misato let her voice trail off, looking hopefully at Will. Clearly, she wanted him to assure her that it was okay, before she made another move.

Will was happy to do it.

"I think it's a great idea!" Will said. "We can take it easy and go for a stroll."

Going for a stroll? Misato the Mechadoll would never have come up with something like that. He was interested to see what it would be like.

And it was very beautiful, that couldn't be denied.

"Look at these roses, aren't they lovely?" Will asked, turning to Misato.

"I like roses," Misato mused, her eyes glazing over with whimsy. It was such a human expression, it was surprising to see it on Misato's face.

Will felt that he would be seeing a lot of surprising emotions on her face, the more time they spent together.

Because he kept thinking of Misato. The Mechadoll, not the human. The human was a better date in every way, but…

Why was it the Mechadoll that he kept thinking about? He couldn't understand it. Maybe there really was something going on with him.

"Will, what's up?" Misato asked, looking at him, a concerned expression returning to her face. "I knew it, the rose garden was a bad decision, wasn't it? We should have just stayed in the library like I thought, instead of something like this…"

"No, I… I love the garden, really, I do!" Will said. Well, he liked the idea of it, anyway. He wasn't a fan of gardening, after all. But what it meant, that was significant to him. Because it was something romantic that Misato had come up with herself.

She wasn't a Mechadoll, going through programmed ideas. She was a human who had her own ideas, things she wanted to do.

And that was something he needed in a partner, something that his Misato was incapable of. Not that she was a partner or anything, she was a Mechadoll, after all, that was simply impossible! So what were these strange feelings?

"…You don't look like you're having that much fun," Misato said, staring at him with suspicion. He didn't like the way she looked at him. It was like she was judging him, like his words were hurting her, and he couldn't stand that feeling.

Will let out a sigh.

"I am, honestly," he said. "It's just… something feels weird. Wrong, somehow, I can't describe it."

"…Dating me… feels wrong?" Her voice was only getting smaller and smaller, and the light in her eyes was slowly going out. Damn it, that hadn't been what he had meant to say at all! Aargh, why was it so hard to tell her what he meant?!

"No, it doesn't! Dating you is great!" Will said, grabbing her arms and shaking her. He realized what he had done, and pulled back, startled. "It's just… I'm the one who feels wrong. You're so great, and you're really sweet, but…"

It just wasn't right.

"I guess my mind's somewhere else right now," he admitted. "You deserve to go on a date like this with someone who can really appreciate it, really appreciate you. And right now, I don't know if I'm that sort of guy."

Why was he saying these things? Why did he feel this way? He was dating a beauty like Misato, a human girl who understood him in a way that no other girl ever had, one who liked him for who he was, and wanted to be with him, and he was pushing her away. Because he didn't want to be with her? He didn't want to be happy? Because he felt happy right now, spending time with her. He was throwing it all away, and… over what?

Some memories of a Mechadoll that he found more of an annoyance than anything real?

"Sorry, I must… I must sound like a total idiot," Will said, hanging his head. "I guess… maybe I think that you're wasted on someone like me."

He peeked up at her, expecting… what did he expect? Scorn? Hurt? A look of heartbreak that would make him feel like he'd been stabbed in the gut?

That wasn't what she showed him, though. She just gave him a sweet smile, gazing at him like she understood everything. But how could she?

"I'm not wasted on you," she giggled, reaching out and cupping his cheek. Her hands were so warm. "I like you, Will, you're the one I want to be with. Because you're a bit of a goof, just like you're being right now."

"Yeah, but-"

"If you don't stop messing around, then I'll have to convince you," Misato huffed. She stepped closer to him, and the two stared deeply into each other's eyes. "Just like this." Misato leaned in further, and pressed her lips against Will. They were so soft and warm.

Will's eyes snapped open and he shot his arms out in surprise, startled by the kiss. "Misato! What, what was…"

Wait, looking around, he realized he wasn't in the garden, he was still in the library, sitting on that couch! Well, more laying on it, really. And Misato was crouched over him, her face nearly pressed against his as she looked closely at him.

She was so close that he could see the look on her face. It was blank and impassive, all the light in her eyes was gone.

It had all been a dream. Misato the human, the way they got along together, and had fun on their date, that kiss…

None of it had been real. He couldn't believe it. He had dreamed of kissing girls before, and that kiss, it had felt more real than anything he had ever dreamed up. But he had to acknowledge that it had been a dream. And understanding that crushed him. He let out a sigh, and sat up, turning to Misato. The real Misato, not the girl from his dreams.

"What were you doing staring at me like that?" He asked, confused.

"You had fallen asleep. I was observing you," she answered.

He suddenly had a very terrifying thought. "Um… I didn't… say anything, did I?" He asked, hoping to god that he hadn't mentioned anything in his dreams that would let on the truth to Misato.

"Negative. You produced no words at all," Misato confirmed. He sighed with relief. He attempted to stand up, and realized that certain things were making that decision… hard. That kiss… it was still rattling around in his mind. It had just felt so… passionate. That was the kind of kiss that a Mechadoll like Misato would never be able to replicate, even with all the kisses they had shared.

Will's face turned bright red. "Um… a-anyway, I-I have to go to the bathroom and… wash my face," Will said, flustered. He shambled up and shuffled away, crouched over slightly. As much as he missed the Misato he had dreamed about, and as real as she still seemed to him even now, he couldn't believe that he was actually happy that Misato the Mechadoll was here, since she wouldn't judge him for… something like this.

With his attention elsewhere, he didn't see Misato straighten up and turn her eyes towards his back.

She brought her fingers to her lips.

Well, it seems that Misato may not be as immune as Will thinks she is! Now that the dream is gone, what will come from this, I wonder?