Will and Misato's date reaches its climax! They arrive at the Roselia Gardens! But what will they find there? And what will it mean for their "relationship"? Remember to review!

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: One step at a time, and they'll get there.

Aquahaze675: Definitely, especially since Mechadolls don't even have love in the first place.

Rowlets and Oshawotts: Don't worry, this is the last chapter with Will and Misato, we'll be moving somewhere else soon.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 678

In Will's dream, the walk to the Roselia Gardens had been a rather engaging experience, with he and Misato sharing a conversation and enjoying each other's company.

The real Misato was far less talkative, and that was something that Will was surprisingly okay with. He wasn't sure if he could have the same level of conversation with a Mechadoll. True, his discussions with her were always engaging, but it was a different kind of enjoyable than he wanted to have with a dating partner.

So he was fine to walk with Misato in silence, heading towards the gardens, and while he did, he wondered if this was something that would be enjoyable or not. He tried to think about Misato's growth up until this point, and compared her with the Misato that he had been on a date within his dream, considering her a little more seriously.

Misato… he wondered if it would be possible for her to ever actually reach the level that the human Misato displayed. Would he even be able to laugh with her like he had with the other girl? Would he make her smile? Make her angry? Make her sad?

He couldn't imagine that Misato would ever actually be capable of displaying human emotion like that, because she was a Mechadoll. But the thought that it was possible, that was something that he wasn't capable of denying.

Misato… for a Mechadoll, she acted so human sometimes, even though she was obviously a robot. But compared to how she had been in the past? Even he couldn't deny the progress she had made, and that had been with only a few months of interacting with him in order to become more human. So he couldn't deny the possibility…

Misato, maybe in a year? Two years? She could become even more human than he could imagine, and he couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, that would be something…

No, what was he talking about? There was no way that he would ever actually be interested in her as a partner, even if she was more human. She was just a Mechadoll, after all, no matter how far she had developed.

As convincing as she was, he wouldn't forget that she was just a normal Mechadoll.

The Roselia Gardens were as beautiful in real life as they had been in Will's dream. But unlike the dream, they were empty. Rather, there was a massive line leading out of the gardens, and Will felt his heart sink in his chest. He let out a sigh.

This was just that kind of day, clearly. He hadn't expected everyone else to have this idea, too. It was like every couple on campus was here. What was the big idea? Wasn't there some other event going on today?

"I thought there was another event scheduled," Will said, turning to Misato for confirmation. "Isn't that right? So what's everyone doing here?"

"Affirmative. On Valentine's Day most of the couples on campus will attend the Luvdisc Fishing Day event to fish up Luvdisc," Misato explained. "Because of that, in the two previous years the line for the Roselia Gardens was shorter than it presently is."

Will guessed that something must have happened to cause the other event to be shut down. Or maybe people were more interested in gardens than they were fishing this year. Either way, it wasn't any of his business.

Will didn't particularly care about gardens OR fishing.

What he did care about, though, were lines. So when the two of them got to the back of the line, his heart wasn't exactly overflowing with joy. So much for this date continuation being something that he would find enjoyable and romantic, the dream version was much better.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here?"

Will froze at the sound of a familiar voice. That was another thing that had been thankfully absent in his dream. Or rather, another person.

Shaking, Will turned to see Sylvia Driscoll standing next to the line, wearing a smirk on her face as she stared at the two of them, stroking her chin in contemplation.

"Geh! Sylvia!" Will grunted, pulling back from her.

"My, what a rude greeting," Sylvia said, walking over and stroking an errant strand of hair. "That's not how you should greet your cupid."

So that's what she was supposed to be? His cupid? Will couldn't accept that. It was ridiculous to think that she was actually taking credit for getting him "together" with Misato. "You realize that these dates are just for research, right?" Will asked her. "It isn't actually a real date."

Sylvia raised her eyebrow, and glanced at Misato. "Well, if you say so… but maybe you're the only one who thinks that way?"

Will couldn't believe that could be true. "Come on, you expect me to believe that a Mechadoll is capable of being in love with me? I'm not that stupid," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, you are, but that's beside the point," Sylvia shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, I'm much more curious about what the two of you are even doing here."

Will flinched. He wasn't expecting to run into someone that he knew while on this date (especially since he didn't know many people anyway) but he had; and even worse, it was Sylvia Driscoll, of all people, who was certain to give him no end to the amount of grief he was going to face. Why did she have to be such a…

"I'm waiting for an answer, my dear William~" Sylvia sang, her eyes shining with glee at his struggling face.

"Well… what are you doing here?" Will fired back. Two could play at that game!

Sylvia shrugged her shoulders, clearly not finding his question to be the big deal that Will had hoped it would be. "Don't worry about that, I'm just here to conduct some business," she told him. "No, don't change the subject. I want to know how things are going between the two of you, and why you're here, together. In the Roselia Gardens."

"Well, that… that's because…" Will didn't have an answer. He glanced at Misato, but there was no help to be found over there. Of course she wasn't going to be saying anything to come to his defense, if he was lucky she wouldn't say anything at all. He had a sinking suspicion that she would only make the problem worse.

"You see, I thought out Misato's date perfectly," Sylvia continued, watching him squirm. "After all, she explained everything to me. And now here we are. At the Roselia Gardens. But…"

Sylvia looked up thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her chin. "…I don't remember Misato mentioning anything about the two of you going to the Roselia Gardens as part of your date, and that would definitely be something that I would remember…"

She shot her eyes towards Will and her smirk widened. "So, what's up?"

"That's… because…" Will let out a sigh of resignation. He couldn't come up with any defense against her piercing accusations. Sylvia wasn't going to let go of this until she got an answer to her inquiry, even though he didn't want to give her one.

"I'm not asking you," Sylvia said, turning her attention to Misato. Will's blood went as cold as ice. "I'm asking you, Misato. Because I'm sure that you're going to tell me the truth, won't you? So, Misato, why are the two of you here, at the Roselia Gardens, instead of one of your planned date activities? In fact, I thought your date was supposed to end by this point, right? So what's going on between the two of you, hmm? A little extension? Didn't want to call it quits?"

Will didn't want to hear Misato's explanation of what was happening, because he knew that it would make him die of shame.

But once again, Misato somehow managed to surprise him.

"That information is classified," she replied. Sylvia blinked, startled by that response. She glanced at Will, who looked back at her, just as confused as she was. Misato had just said that the reason the two of them were going to the Roselia Gardens… was classified?

"Classified?!" Sylvia exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly and her voice filling with joy. "It's classified? How does that work?"

"Negative. I cannot elaborate further on the topic," Misato continued. "That information is also classified."

That didn't make any sense to Will. He didn't remember "classifying" the idea that the two of them would be going to Roselia Gardens to experience such a spontaneous, romantic date. He wouldn't even know how.

But Misato was saying that the information was classified. It didn't make sense, but he was happy that she wasn't spilling the beans. Will sighed in relief and shut his mouth, smiling. Thanks a lot, Misato. I don't know what reasoning you used to determine that you shouldn't tell anyone about our reason for being here, but I appreciate it.

"So, my little Misato is telling me that she won't say why the plans for her little date have changed, hmm?" Sylvia asked, stroking her chin. "Well, well, well. What a surprise. I can't believe this is actually happening, Misato hiding something from me, of all people."

Will agreed with her on that one. He was surprised too.

Sylvia narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. "So, Misato, is this the beginning of your rebellious stage? I can't believe I get to see it for myself! My sweet little girl is all grown up, seeing boys and not telling me what they're doing together!"

"Negative. It is not the case that I am hiding things from you," Misato replied. "It is not possible for me to conceal information from people with the proper authority who who request it. You possess the authority to inquire about the truth."

"Okay, fine, give me the truth, then," Sylvia said, raising her eyebrow.

"Negative. That information is classified," Misato repeated. "If I was capable of explaining the reason that we are here, then I would do so. But that information is classified. I must extend my apologies to you."

Of course, Sylvia didn't accept her apology. Because she clearly didn't believe Misato's BS about how her reason for being here was classified.

Will knew that it wasn't the case either, but he kept his mouth shut. Considering the position that he was in, he couldn't rightly draw attention to himself, either. He just had to hope that Sylvia would take Misato's refusal to answer and accept it, even if she didn't believe the underlying reason behind it for a second.

"…Well, if that's what you want to say, then I suppose I don't have a choice," Sylvia said, shrugging her shoulders in resignation. She flashed the two of them a coy smile. "Have fun on your date, you two, don't do anything I wouldn't do~"

Will was glad to see her go, though he figured that there wasn't a lot that Sylvia wouldn't do. He let out a sigh of relief when she walked away.

With that problem dealt with, and the two of them getting closer to the front of the line, he turned his attention to something more important.

"So, Misato, what was that?" Will asked.

"Elaborate. 'That' could refer to-"

"That's not what I meant, why did you tell Sylvia that our reason for continuing the date was classified?" Will asked. "I don't remember telling you anything like that."

Misato glanced back at him.

"That information is classified," she said.

Will gasped in shock. "What?! It's classified from me, too?!"

"Affirmative. I cannot reveal the reason that I decided to continue the date to anyone, including you," Misato replied. "If this changes at any point I will inform you."

Will felt like he was the one having things hidden from him now, and it wasn't a very pleasant feeling to have. Meanwhile, here he was, stuck in a long line filled with a bunch of happy couples with the world's dullest Mechadoll at his side.

He already didn't like people that much, and this certainly wasn't helping things.

This is the last time I take the advice of one of my dreams, Will decided. He didn't even know why he had come all the way here. Because it would help Misato? Because he might have fun? Maybe he should have taken the out that Misato had offered him and just ended things at the library. Maybe then he wouldn't be standing in line, and could actually be out doing something that he enjoyed, like reading a book or watching a movie.

…Which, yes, were things that he had done today, with Misato, but that was beside the point, really, the point was that he was doing them on his own time!

The wait was dreadfully long, but the two of them finally made it to the front of the line. Will stared at the sour-faced girl with scraggly brown hair and poisonous look in her eye sitting at the counter. She eyed him back with a scowl and a scornful glare aimed his way. Clearly, she wasn't any happier to be here than he was.

"Two tickets for the Roselia Gardens, please," he said, taking out his ID card to pay. The girl took it from him, glanced at it, then at Misato, and raised her eyebrow quizzically.

"Two tickets?" She asked, suppressing a smirk. "Don't you mean one? If you have a toaster you'd like to bring along, that's okay, too."

Will felt his face heat up at the girl's scorn. "Look, Misato, she's just…"

"Yeah, you're on a date with a Mechadoll, way to go, that's definitely something worth bragging about, I guess," the girl cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Anyway, fine, two tickets, here you go, have fun with your… date."

She handed him his card back and he shot her an icy look, which she returned. Well, today was already going off to a great start, that was for sure. Misato followed Will into the garden, and Will just hoped that things would turn around when they got inside.

Okay, so Will wasn't exactly the biggest fan of flowers. But even he had to admit that this garden was beautiful. In his dream, he had just created some nothing because he had never been in the Roselia Gardens before; his mental image of it was something pieced together from movies and pictures of what a rose garden should look like.

The real thing, though?

Alcea had pulled out all the stops. The walkway through the garden was paved in glass-imprinted petals that shined in the afternoon sun as people walked past them. The grass itself was dusted in petals as well, and every bit of free space was covered in red roses. Will couldn't turn his head without being blinded by red.

"Wow, this… this is impressive," Will said, staring at one particularly impressive decoration, a massive heart made of roses towering over them. "I wonder how many roses it would take to make something like this…"

"There are 2,783 roses in this sculpture," Misato answered immediately. Will stared at her in surprise, but he really should have known better. Of course she would be able to count them all in an instant with that brain of hers.

"Wow, that… that's really impressive," he said, not sure how to respond to that without seeming completely pathetic.

"If you would like to know the number of roses in this garden, I can provide that figure if given-"

"No, no, no need for that," Will interrupted, shaking his head. This date was supposed to be romantic, and nothing would kill romance faster than math.

But how was he supposed to have a romantic date with a Mechadoll? He was starting to wonder if this entire thing had been doomed in concept.

As their walk through the Roselia Gardens continued, Will found that he was enjoying himself, at least a little. It was actually amusing to have Misato count the number of roses that they passed, and that occupied his time for quite a bit. By the time they reached the end of the pathway, he was actually finding himself smiling every once in a while.

Then came the final section of the garden. And while everything so far had been nice and enjoyable, what Will saw here took his breath away.

It was like an ocean in the garden, that was his first thought as he saw the sea of blue before his eyes. But it was far too rich of a blue to be a lake. As he looked closer, he realized what it was, and gasped in shock.

Blue roses. There was a whole bed of blue roses tucked away in the Roselia Garden. The only time Will had ever seen blue roses was on the pokemon itself, Roselia, and its evolution, Roserade. But that wasn't normal. Blue roses didn't occur in nature. And yet they were right here.

"It's beautiful…" Will breathed. He had never seen something so amazing. Reflexively he turned to Misato to see her reaction, but of course, she wasn't capable of seeing it as anything but what it was, a bed of flowers.

"Abnormal," Misato said, proving him slightly wrong, though not in the way that mattered. "Roses do not naturally occur in this shade. This bed must be the result of careful genetic breeding."

Will wished he had seen this with the Misato he dreamt of. She would have appreciated it. She would have seen just how wonderful it was.

Will wasn't a romantic, but this field definitely stirred some passionate emotions in his chest. It was the kind of place that really made him wish he had a girlfriend, one who wasn't made out of circuits and synthetic skin.

Not that today hadn't been fun, he just… he wished he had someone real to share it with.

Will was quiet as they left the garden. Today's date had been-

"That flower garden was beautiful," Misato said. "The bed of blue roses."

Will looked at her, stunned. Had he heard that right? Misato, she had just said… no, it was impossible! He couldn't believe it.

"Wait, how… how can you even think about something as being beautiful?" Will asked, confused. "That… beauty is a subjective thing, I don't understand."

Misato didn't have an answer to give him. The two of them stood to the side of the garden's exit in silence for what felt like hours.

She tilted her head to the side. "Because that is what it is," she replied.

Although Will wanted to explore more of Misato's thoughts on the subject, figure out what exactly it meant for a machine to find something "beautiful", Misato put a quick end to that dream.

"It is now time for us to part," Misato said. "I have learned a lot from your proposed continuation. This date will help me develop future plans. Thank you."

"Um… yeah, thank you, too," Will muttered, still in shock.

"Elaborate. What is it that you are expressing gratitude for?" Misato asked.

Will wasn't sure. But… no, he had a pretty good idea, now that he had been directly asked, now that Misato's eyes were burning two holes into him.

"Thanks for the date," Will said. He actually meant it. "I actually had fun today, really."

And then Misato gave Will the biggest smile that he had ever seen.

"You are welcome," Misato replied.

For an instant, Will could see the shadow of his dream girl in her face.

So, it seems that there might be a speck of humanity in Misato after all!