After our quick jaunt to the Orre Region, we now return to the Pokemon Academy! What will our friends be up to now? Are they still recovering from what happened to Dakota? Hopefully, everyone will be feeling somewhat better.

The Pokemon Academy Best Girl 2 Finals are up and running! Who do you think is deserving of the title of Best Girl in the second year of the contest? Cast your votes! We've only gotten a few votes so far, and I know that a lot of people are reading, so come on guys! The poll's in the profile, who do you think deserves to take the crown?

Finalists: Sylvia, Marion, Sango

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: That certainly sounds like an exciting idea, I'll give you that. Wonder if it could really work…

KedharS: We'll just have to hope they all get the proper payoff.

Rowlets and Oshawotts: She definitely thinks in ways that lots of people aren't necessarily used to doing, that's for sure.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 706

"So when do you think we'll have classes again?" Blake asked. He was holding Aya's hand as the two walked through the snow.

"It should be sometime soon, I think," Ayame reasoned, tapping her chin. "I know the school is in a rush to get things 'back to normal' for lack of a better word. Still, it'll have to be sometime soon, considering how many gaps there have been in the semester."

"That's good," Blake nodded. "I'm hoping to get back towards a sense of normalcy myself, if I'm being honest."

What had happened to Dakota was tragic. But it wasn't something that Blake was focusing on. He had experienced pain before. But when he thought about what happened to Dakota, it just made him feel so…

A flash passed his mind. It was an image from a haze of memory. A dream he had forgotten until right now.

It was Dakota Evans standing in a pool, with blood draining out of a massive wound carved into her stomach. She was looking right at him, pain and sadness filling her face.

He'd had that dream the night before the attack. Was it prophetic? He didn't know. But maybe… maybe if he hadn't dismissed it so readily…

Maybe he could have done something. Saved her somehow, he didn't know. But what he did know was that right now, he wasn't much in the mood for a date.

"Hey, Aya, this is gonna sound really weird," Blake said, turning to his girlfriend, "but, um… would it be possible if, well… if I went to go Akira before we really get started on our date today?" He asked. "I just want to check up on how he's doing."

"Oh, come on!"

A scowl crossed Blake's face and he turned to look over his shoulder, where Olivia was following a few paces behind the two of them.

"You can't be serious, Blake, calling off your date to go talk to a guy like that? You know he's not going to talk to you, right? He's locked up in his room, probably in the midst of a stew of depression," Olivia reminded him. "Shouldn't you be devoting your time to your cute little girlfriend? I don't know much about committed relationships, but that's what I would do."

Blake gave her a dirty look. "I know that's what you would do, but I-"

"Boss, it's okay!" Ayame quickly interrupted him. "Look, I'm fine with it! Blake wants to make sure his friend is okay, that's all!"

She clutched his hand tighter and flashed her teeth in a sweet smile. "I love the fact that he's so sweet, willing to look out for Akira like that."

Olivia rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue, making a gagging sound.

"Hey, come on Olivia, what's with that attitude?" Blake griped. "You're in a really bad mood for some reason, why are you digging around in our relationship?"

"Because I'm concerned about the two of you!" Olivia scowled. "You realize that in a few weeks, Aya and I are going to be traveling to the Orre Region for the trip, right? The one for Seniors and Juniors? And that when we get back, it's only a couple months until graduation? You two have a whole lot less time than you think!"

Blake winced. He hadn't considered that. He cared about Akira, but…

"It's fine!" Ayame insisted, once again stepping up for him. She squeezed his hand. "Boss, it's fine, trust me! I don't care about stuff like that! And besides, Blake and I… we're going to be spending a lot of time apart anyway, right?"

She smiled at him again. "I mean… if we're going to try and make long-distance work, then it's good to get some practice in, right? And this trip sounds like the perfect chance for the two of us to do that, don't you think, boss?"

Olivia sighed. She could understand the logic in what Aya was trying to say, but she didn't agree with that judgment.

"Aya… I get it. You're a sweet girl. You want the two of you to be happy, and I get that you want to be a good girlfriend, but it's okay to be a little selfish too, don't you think?" Olivia pleaded. "Come on, you don't have to sacrifice everything for Blake's whims. I mean, has he even made up for the fact that he was gone for two weeks-"

"Olivia!" Ayame snapped harshly, startling the Empress. Ayame's glare was not something to be messed with. "I understand you're concerned," she said through gritted teeth. "But right now, this isn't something that you need to concern yourself with, do you understand? Blake and I, our relationship is something serious. And we're trying to move on from that. Holding old grudges over that sort of stuff won't help."

Blake was a little taken aback himself. He knew how fierce and tough Aya was, but this was the first time he remembered seeing Aya talk this way to the Empress.

Olivia was more familiar with it, but she was still a little stunned herself. "O-Okay, Aya, I get it, sorry. If you're sure, then that's okay. I was just worried."

"It's fine, a short detour isn't going to bother anyone," Ayame laughed, her pleasant attitude returning. "I think you're making too big a deal of this, boss."

Olivia scowled. But she could see that Aya had a point. "Well, excuse me for being worried about your relationship. But don't come complaining to me while we're in the Orre Region that Blake sent you a 'Dear John' letter."

"Olivia!" Ayame gasped, scandalized by her suggestion.

"Hey!" Blake gasped.

"I was kidding, I was kidding!" Olivia laughed. She turned to Blake and leveled a glare at him. "And you, don't even think about it, do I make myself clear? You aren't dumping her."

"I didn't even think about it!" Blake growled. Right now, there were more important things to consider. He turned his focus to Aya. "Anyway, forget this. Are you ready to go?"

Ayame smiled and nodded. They weren't going to spend any more time debating this with Olivia, that was just going to eat up more time in their schedule. Hand in hand, the couple walked across campus and headed towards Akira's room.

Akira peeked his head out the door. He looked pretty bad, like he hadn't gotten whole lot of sleep in the last… ever.

"Oh… Blake Harker and Ayame Toujou," Akira muttered. He turned his head to see Olivia a few steps away. "And the Empress, Olivia Himeko. What can I do for you three today?"

"I came to check on you," Blake said. "Akira, are you doing okay?"

"I'm doing fine," Akira scowled, his face showing just how not fine he was clearly doing. "Don't worry about me."

"You don't look fine," Ayame said, giving him a scowl in return. She didn't like when people refused to accept that they weren't doing okay. She wanted him to be honest with them, right now, this wasn't getting them anywhere.

"Well, it's my own business," Akira replied. "Blake is really worried! We all are!"

"You barely know me," Akira replied. His face softened. "Sorry, that was uncalled for," he apologized. "You're right, I'm not exactly in the best condition. But look, the thing is, I'm… it's complicated, that's all I can say."

Akira wasn't about to tell Ayame or Blake about Dakota's brain damage, or the µ Gene, or what had happened with Satsuki. There was a whole mess of stuff that he was concerned with, but he wasn't sure how much of it he should reveal to them.

So he kept his mouth shut and tried to avoid the subject completely.

Ayame wasn't happy with that either, and neither was Blake.

"Are you sure you're doing okay?" Blake asked softly. "Because you don't look like you're doing okay. And I know that… I know that if I was in the situation that you're in… if Aya had been attacked and was in a coma…"

He squeezed her hand, a shiver running down his spine. He bit his lip. "Look, Akira… it's just… it's important to think about. You're in pain, anyone can see that. But right now, I know… I know that you need a little bit more than this, and…"

He stammered for words, not sure what to say to make Akira feel better. He wasn't very good at comforting people.

Ayame was just as concerned as he was, and she wanted to do something to take care of him. She squeezed his hand, and then let it go, walking up between Blake and Akira.

"Akira, I don't know you very well, so you don't really have any reason to listen to what I'm going to say," Ayame admitted. "But I think it's important if you listen anyway, okay?"

Akira was a little taken aback, but he nodded all the same. "Uh, yeah, sure… I guess…"

"Is Dakota okay?" Ayame asked softly.

"I… I don't know," Akira admitted. Again, he wasn't sure how much he was supposed to say to her. But he still wanted to tell somebody.

"What do you mean you don't know? Didn't you talk to the doctors?" Ayame asked. "What did they say?"

"The doctors said… well… Dakota's in a coma," Akira finally told her. "She's sleeping in the hospital bed right now, and… they say that she… she isn't…" He kept the tremble out of his voice, and refocused himself. "The doctors said that she isn't okay. She might not wake up."

Ayame winced in pain. That was hard to hear. She knew Dakota's injuries were critical, but in this situation…

"That… that must be very difficult for you," she admitted. "I hope that things are doing better, though. Maybe… maybe she'll wake up?"

It seemed rather hollow.

This was the point where Akira was knowledgeable, but couldn't reveal what he knew. It wasn't as simple as a coma, or even brain damage. Not with the µ Gene involved. No, there was something else to think about at the moment.

"Okay, um… it's possible," he admitted. But he could suggest otherwise. "Dakota is… she could… well, I don't know how to say this…"

Ayame could see a glimpse of how he was feeling. And clearly, he wasn't feeling very good. But there was something else there, something that she wasn't sure about.

"I love her, and I'm worried," Akira finally said, breaking down a little. Tears began to stream down his cheeks. "I've been hoping that she'd wake up soon, that… that she'd be okay, but… But-! I can't, I just can't…"

He couldn't bring himself to figure out how to help her. It was all just too much to keep it contained. "She might wake up, but…"

He sobered up quickly. "Sorry about this," he apologized. "This is a really tough time right now. Can you please, just… please. Please go."

Without another word, Akira shut the door on Blake and Ayame. They were both hurt, and both of them wanted to help, but right now, there wasn't anything much to say to him. So with one final look at the door, and then at each other, they turned and walked down the hall.

Olivia stayed behind for a moment. She glanced at Akira's door for, and then shook her head, heading out after the two of them.

While Blake and Ayame got started on their date for real, there was someone else who was still dealing with the issue of Dakota's injuries the same way Akira was.

Serefina was in a rather tough position. Mainly, because he roommate wasn't someone who could chaperone her, because, well…

The answer was obvious.

But she didn't let that stop her. She had gone on her hands and knees to Eli, her best friend, pleading with her to serve as an escort. They might not have been roommates, but thankfully they were still in the same dormitory.

So Eli would escort Serefina to the Kangaskhan Hall, where she would get started on her Caretaking Duties. Just because there was no class that didn't mean that her other responsibilities were forgotten, she still had to work with her pokemon.

Eli didn't have anything to do, so she was happy to help out. She might not have been aiming for the Caretaker Course, but she was still a member of the Pokemon Friends club and as a member she wanted to do whatever she could.

And Serefina could use the extra hands. Because a lot of students were taking the opportunity to get out of their responsibilities. Serefina couldn't say for sure that everyone reporting absent out of fear of being attacked by the killer were actually faking, but she had her suspicions.

It didn't matter though. Even if she was here by herself she was going to help out as best as she could, because she loved pokemon and she loved working to take care of them!

"Seri? What's wrong?"

Serefina blinked, looking up from the cage she was scrubbing. Eli was standing over her with a concerned expression on her face.

"Eli? What's up?" Serefina asked, confused.

"Are you okay? You're crying," Eli said, pointing at her face. Serefina gasped, realizing that her eyes were filled with tears. So that was why everything had been so blurry.

"This… This is… wow, I didn't expect… sorry," Eli apologized, hanging her head. "Sorry, I guess I'm still bothered…"

"Your roommate got attacked, Seri," Eli said, crouching down next to her friend and placing a hand on her back. "It might have been a week ago, but that's something that would traumatize most people. I can't imagine what you're going through…"

Serefina sniffled and shook her head. "She'll… She'll be fine, I'm sure of it," Serefina said, more to reassure herself than Eli. She wanted to believe that Dakota would be fine, but… she couldn't help but fear the worst.

She wasn't sure if she was crying tears of joy, or tears of happiness. Ever since the treatment her friend had undergone, Serefina's feelings were all in a tizzy, worried about what had happened to her and what might happen.

Dakota's condition was complicated. She was in a coma right now. The doctors had said it was a miracle, they could detect that Dakota's brain activity was restored, where none had been before. She was, in theory, fully functional.

Serefina couldn't believe it. Dakota's family had reported to Akira in tears that things were looking up, that they could expect Dakota to wake up at any moment, and how wonderful that was. Serefina thought it was wonderful, too.

…But Serefina still couldn't believe it. She wasn't sure what was going on, or how likely it would be that her friend would actually wake up. It felt like a dream. Just the other day she and Akira had been told that she was brain dead, and they had gone to Professor Decker to get that bizarre µ Gene to try and fix her condition.

And somehow, against all odds, it had worked.

But she wasn't sure how well it had worked. Dakota hadn't actually woken up, after all, and there was no telling when she would.

So was it a time to be happy? She couldn't be sure. The only thing she was sure of was that she missed Dakota, and she wanted her friend back. It wasn't the same, going to bed without the dull glow of a laptop and the clacking of keys in her ears, or waking up in the morning without the sound of wild laughter.

Serefina took a deep breath, and let out a sigh. She felt better, now that she wasn't crying, but she needed to regain her composure. She took off her gloves and wiped her eyes, standing up and setting the cage down. Eli stood up with her.

"Are you feeling better?" Eli asked quietly.

Serefina grinned. "Yeah, I'm doing a little better," she admitted. "Things… Things are still rough, but I'm doing a lot better. Don't worry about it, Eli."

Eli was worried, very worried. Serefina was a sweet and caring girl, and one of her friends had just been attacked! Knowing what she knew about her best friend, she was surprised that Serefina could even walk straight, let alone get her work done and smile while doing it!

But she could see that Serefina was trying her hardest. And if her friend was doing her best to be normal, then Eli was going to help her be normal. She wasn't going to be the one to put unnecessary pressure on Serefina, tough as she was.

If Serefina needed her to be a comforting shoulder to cry on, then Eli would be that. If she needed someone to treat her normally and pretend like there wasn't anything wrong, then Eli would do that, too.

Whatever Serefina needed to be okay. That's what it meant to Eli, to be her friend.

"Ah!" Serefina gasped, and Eli turned, not sure what had surprised her friend and broken her concentration on how sad she was. But when Eli saw who it was, a sigh of relief escaped her lips, and a smile spread across her face.

It was Kitty, and her friend, Julia. Kitty was great for putting a smile on Serefina's face, she was one of the sweetest girls that Eli knew. Serefina talked all the time about how she helped Serefina with her caretaking duties, even though she was going to enter the Battle Course!

Kitty was really the cute breath of kindness that brightened up the Pokemon Friends Club, just seeing her was enough to make Eli feel like Serefina's, (and hers) worries were no more. "Kitty!" Eli greeted her with a wave. "And Julia! What brings you two here?"

Kitty smiled. It was a shaky smile, not like her usual ones, and for a second, Eli was worried. But the girl quickly recovered, gesturing to her friend.

"Julia and I, we… we were wondering if we could help out?" Kitty asked. She sounded so tough and brave, even though she was usually so timid! Eli felt like she was just about to die from the cuteness, it just wasn't fair!

"Of course!" Serefina exclaimed, giving an award-winning, sun-beating, 100%-authentic accept-no-substitutes Serefina smile. "We'd be overjoyed to have your help, girls!"

Eli watched on as Serefina explained what needed to be done to the two first-years, a smile on her face. It looked like her friend was going to be okay.

Serefina is doing better! Hopefully, Kitty and Julia can get some help from her. Akira on the other hand… He's not handling this great, it seems. Hope things turn out better for him.