After Blake and Elaina have ended their fight, there is still some fallout to deal with. Are there any consequences that we haven't explored yet? Well, of course we have! We're going to find out what!

Rowlets and Oshawotts: Yes, it certainly does begin.

JoshGamerV: Hopefully she'll be able to.

KedharS: Did it end well, though?

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Yes, it definitely was a heartwarming one.

Guest: He definitely has become stronger. The question is, is he strong enough?

Guest 2: Mega stone? What's that? Never heard of one of those before.

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: They can't catch pokemon, but they can have more partner pokemon. Sango just doesn't want to, because she cares so much for Silver and doesn't want another partner.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 727

After Blake's fight with Elaina there was some serious fallout that needed to be addressed. Campus safety was called in to deal with things, which was about time that the freshmen excused themselves, not wanting to explain what was going on. In fact, with the exception of the Eight Leaders, most people had evacuated.

But before they all left, Blake had someone to pay his respects to. He walked up to Dokukage on shaking legs.

"Thank you for this," Blake said, taking the stone pendant off of his neck and handing it back to its original owner. He gave Dokukage an awkward smile. "I guess it really did come in handy after all," he said, laughing a little.

Dokukage didn't respond, silently taking back the necklace.

Blake stared awkwardly at him, shifting from one leg to another. He cleared his throat. "Okay, well, um, thanks for what you did for me," he smiled. "If not for your training, there would have been no way that I could have gotten as far as I did against her."

Blake looked down at the pokeball in his hand, which he had recalled Weiss into. "We really tried our best… and thanks to you, we were able to get through." He meaed up at Dokukage. "Thank you, master."

Dokukage closed his eyes and gave the shortest of nods. "You put everything you had into that battle. It was a match you can certainly be proud of. I had no doubt at all in your victory, with how much you've learned from me."

The man was an exceptionally good liar.

I can't believe it! This kid, he did something like that?! He beat ELAINA BISHOP?! Even I'm not sure if I could defeat her, what the hell is with this guy?! And he acts like it's not a big deal? He's just thanking me like it's nothing? Is this kid some kind of freak?! Dokukage needed to keep his calm. He had no idea how to explain this, to either himself or to campus safety. So he settled for pretending like nothing was wrong at all, even as he was screaming internally.

At the same time, Blake found himself smiling. "Well, I should probably get going, master," he laughed. "I wasn't able to do as much for Elaina as I'd hoped, so I'm going to have to keep training to get to a point when I can help her."

No, trust me, you've done more than enough! I would be shocked if there was anything more that you could have done, isn't doing the impossible enough for you?! Dokukage wanted to shout some sense into the kid in front of him, but that wasn't the ninja way. So he dismissed Blake with a sharp nod instead, even though he wanted to scream some sense at him.

Blake turned away and headed back to Aya, and the two walked off surrounded by a crowd of Blake's friends congratulating him.

While that was happening, Dokukage was tempted to disappear into the shadows before he had to explain to campus safety what had just happened.

Mainly, because there was something that he saw that he could explain. It had only happened for an instant, so maybe anyone else who saw it would have thought it was a trick of the light. Blake and Elaina might have thought differently, but they had been otherwise occupied. As for the others, well, they lacked the sharp eyes fo a trained shinobi, so most likely they hadn't seen anything amiss. But in the end, Dokukage had noticed, and he needed to think long and hard about what it was that he'd seen in that battle.

He was about to make a quick departure to think further about the incident, but he was stopped by the last person he wanted to talk to right now.

"Dokukage! Just the ninja I wanted to see!" Sylvia chirped, stepping in front of him. She wore a smirk that her Shuppet reflected, and Dokukage felt his heart sink in his chest. Oh no, god no, not her, I don't want to see her right now!

Dokukage had a very difficult time keeping his cool around Sylvia. It didn't help at all that she'd known him for quite some time, and had a rather unfortunate knack for seeing through his facades to guess at what he was thinking under his mask.

"Is there something you need from me?" Dokukage tersely asked.

"'Is there something you need from me' god, you're just the most adorable thing ever!" Sylvia cackled. "So stuffy and formal, just like a ninja is supposed to be, how quaint! But now that you mention it, yes, there is something I need from you."

That was what Dokukage had feared to hear. Great, Sylvia wanted something from him. And when Sylvia wanted something, she was annoyingly persistent, much to his continued irritation. Not seeing any choice, he suppressed the sigh he had built up, and addressed Sylvia.

"What can I do to help you?" He asked, dreading her response.

"Oh, it's nothing toooooo major," Sylvia purred, twirling her hair and giggling. "I just need a little bit of information, that's all. And I hear you ninjas are good at that sort of thing, isn't that right? Got anything to say?"

Dokukage raised his eyebrow. "What is it that you want to know?" He asked.

"It's about that last battle," Sylvia said.

Dokukage raised his hand. "As a ninja, I am forbidden from revealing the secrets of my training style to you. I'm sorry."

Sylvia suppressed a laugh. "Please. Like I give a damn about the 'secrets' of teaching pokemon to use baton pass and substitute. No thanks. No, what I'm after is something a little bit more… unique and interesting, the kind of thing that would really catch someone's eye."

Dokukaga raised his eyebrow. He wasn't sure what she was insinuating. Sylvia sighed, and shrugged her shoulders.

"You're rather sharp and observant, Mr. Ninja, isn't that right? While you may be a bit of a goof, your skills are the real thing," Sylvia noted. Dokukage stood up a little prouder, even though he'd just been insulted by her.

"Yes, that goes without saying," Dokukage said, almost boasting.

"Then did you notice anything… weird going on with Blake and his Scizor in that fight?" Sylvia aske,d narrowing his eyes and scanning his face. "Anything about that pokemon that maybe wouldn't be normal?"

Dokukage had a very good idea of what Sylvia was insinuating. He had noticed it, and while he'd wanted to dismiss it as a trick of the light, he wasn't stupid, and knew that there was something amiss. Something he was very curious about himself…

And something he was absolutely not stupid enough to let Sylvia know anything about. The kind of girl she was, she might want to start subjecting Blake's Scizor to all manner of experiments that Dokukage wasn't okay with.

So Dokukage tried to play it off like he thought Sylvia was talking about something else entirely to throw her off the scent. "I am not sure what you mean. If you're referring to the movements he made, that is part of the fighting style I taught-"

Sylvia rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. "No, no, that's not what I'm talking about, don't play dumb," she griped. She narrowed her eyes, which began to shine with excitement. "No, no, I'm talking about something a little more exciting!"

Dokukage figured it wasn't going to be that easy. He remained silent, staring calmly at Sylvia while inside he was sweating like crazy. He didn't want to give anything away, so he let Sylvia speak first, and say what they were both thinking. It was moments like this he had perfected his poker face for, and he was going to make the best use of it that he could.

Sylvia decided enough was enough, and got to the chase.

"At the end there, when Blake was fighting against Elaina's Minior, when he sent out his Scizor, did you see anything odd?" Sylvia purred. "Any strange… transformations?"

Dokukage blinked. He widened his eyes, making sure to do it in a way that wouldn't suggest he was surprised that Sylvia had picked up on, but surprised in general, like he genuinely didn't understand what she was talking about.

Sylvia smirked, and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you're definitely improving, I would almost assume you didn't know what I'm talking about!" She laughed. "But I know better. You see, Dokukage, I can still read you like a book."

Dokukage resisted the urge to react. If he reacted, Sylvia would snap, and he would never hear the end of it.

"When that Minior exploded, and Blake threw himself out to protect Elaina from the blast, that Scizor leapt forward to shield the two of them from the blast, do you remember that?" Sylvia asked. "Yes, yes, of course you do, that was the amazing climax of the fight, you remember."

"Yes, I am aware," Dokukage replied.

"Good! Then you should have noticed that, just for a second, Blake's Scizor began to shift and change, almost like he had transformed into a different appearance in the blink of an eye!" Sylvia said, putting up a look of mock surprise on her face. "Can you imagine? What a strange thing, I couldn't believe it, and I saw it with my own eyes!"

Dokukage wasn't amused. It was exactly what he had noticed, but of course he wasn't going to let that on to Sylvia Driscoll, of all people.

"So, do you happen to know why that would have happened?" Sylvia asked, twirling her hair between her fingers. "Because I'm dying to know, myself."

"I am not sure what you mean," Dokukage said, shaking his head. "I didn't see anything of the sort, I'm sorry."

Sylvia raised her eyebrow. The smile slid off of her face, which made Dokukage gulp internally. It seemed like the time for fun was gone.

"Don't treat me like an idiot, Dokukage," Sylvia said, keeping her voice calm even though she was radiating coldness. "You see, my memory is perfect. I can see everything, Dokukage, and I know what I saw. So that means the only thing that would work is that you didn't see it, and I did. Only, I know that you aren't that sort of guy. You're always watching and always observant, Dokukage, so if I saw something, I know you saw it, too. So let's not play the bullshit game with each other over this, 'kay sweetie?"

Dokukage knew his time of excuses had come to an end. "…Yes," he admitted. "I did see Blake's Scizor flash a little and his body shift into something else momentarily when he threw himself between Elaina's Minior and the trainers."

A wicked smile spread across Sylvia's lips, and he thought he could see her tongue dart out for a second. She was clearly excited about what she'd heard.

"…Perfect," she purred. "That's just perfect. So tell me, Dokukage, why do you think that happened? Do you think it could have been a sudden mutation? A miracle? A flash from the heavens, perhaps? What are your thoughts on the subject?"

Dokukage didn't reply.

"Well, there was something else I noticed besides the Scizor transforming," Sylvia said, tapping her finger against her chin. She pointed at the pendant Dokukage was still holding. "But first, tell me, what's that?"

Dokukage blinked, surprised at the change of subject. He was so surprised he didn't even consider duplicity. "This? This is a relic from my village," he replied, before remembering that he wasn't supposed to be talking about his village or their traditions. "I mean, never mind. I found it in a tourist trap, that is all."

"Ninjas are the kinds of people who buy souvenirs?" Sylvia smirked, raising her eyebrow. Then her jovial mood vanished. "I said, let's not bullshit things, okay?"

Dokukage had survived life and death training, faced off against accursed Shadow Pokemon with devastating abilities, and even had spent significant time in close proximity with women. But none of those horrifying experiences could ever compare to talking with Sylvia Driscoll when she was mad with him.

"Anyway, moving on, so that necklace is from your village?" Sylvia said, returning to his original admission. "Well, that's fine. See, so what I was saying, there was something curious I noticed about that necklace."

Dokukage was surprised. "What do you mean? It's only a good luck charm."

"…" Sylvia studied him like she wasn't sure if she trusted him or not. Eventually she decided that maybe he just didn't know any better.

"Well, when Blake was fighting against Elaina, and when his Scizor threw himself in front of that Minior, you know what I saw? It wasn't just that his Scizor had transformed into a different form momentarily, no, it was something else entirely."

Dokukage didn't understand what she was talking about, for real this time. Sylvia made a reference to how observant he was, and while that was true, he had only noticed the Scizor's form changing, he didn't know what she was referring to this time.

"That necklace?" Sylvia said, pointing at the stone embedded in the center of it. "I saw it. When that Scizor transformed… that necklace, for the briefest moment, flashed bright. So tell me, Dokukage, what's up with the necklace?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Dokukage said, and that was the truth. Normally, he would think that Sylvia was just messing with him, but no, she was deathly serious and he wasn't a fool enough to doubt her. "I honestly don't. I don't know what you're talking about, Sylvia."

Sylvia blinked, narrowing her eyes. She wasn't sure if she believed him. But he seemed like he was telling the truth…

Finally, she decided that he wouldn't be lying about this if he knew she would know he was lying, which means he really had missed it.

"…Well, if you don't know anything, then there's no point in pressing further," Sylvia sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "I was hoping that it would be some sort of ninja art of transformation that you taught him, but it seems that even though you noticed his pokemon changing, you don't know why it happened…"

Sylvia stroked her chin, a wicked smile crossing her face. "Well, it's something to think about, anyway! Have fun, Dokukage, in the meantime I've got some other stuff to do! Thanks for helping Blake with his training, it really made that match a heck of a lot more interesting! Ciao, sweetie!"

She blew him a kiss, turned, and flounced off, her Shuppet following after her, leaving Dokukage to consider what she had just told him.

Dokukage looked down at the pendant in his hand. He wondered, was it connected to what he had seen with Blake's Scizor? There was no reason for Sylvia to lie, but at the same time, he couldn't imagine what the connection would be…

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Right now, there was no sense in overthinking things. It was something to be curious about, and he was definitely going to be more careful about wearing it in the future, but for now…

Is it something special about Blake's Scizor? Or could it also affect mine… I wonder, is it possible for my pokemon to get even stronger?

Dokukage had to keep from getting swept up in excitement at the possibility of his pokemon achieving a new form. This was a strange, possibly dangerous thing that he was dealing with, and he had to be careful.

Sylvia, on the other hand, was the opposite of careful. As she walked towards the Sandbox, she contemplated what she had just seen.

So it wasn't just Akira's Gyarados. Blake's Scizor had also transformed, even though it shouldn't be able to evolve any further. That was rather curious. And unlike Akira's Gyarados, his Scizor hadn't just gotten a little bigger with some sharpening scales and fins, no, for a moment it was like he had turned into an entirely different pokemon!

That was really something. Could Scizor share whatever gene it was that made the Gyarados transform? Was there some sort of connection there? Professor Decker had hypothesized that every Gyarados was capable of that transformation, did that mean every Scizor was capable of what happened to Blake's Scizor?

It was certainly possible. And Sylvia hoped that she could see it again. Because what had happened twice would certainly happen thrice.

The real curious thing was the necklace, Sylvia noted with an amusing chuckle. She seemed light and smiley on the surface, but inside the wheels were turning. So that necklace of Dokukage's definitely reacted to Blake's Scizor. In fact, that might have been what triggered the transformation in the first place… And now that I think about it… wasn't Akira wearing a necklace of his own, when his Gyarados began to transform?

She narrowed her eyes, and thought back to what had happened back during the battle. She hadn't seen Akira's necklace flash, but she hadn't been close enough at the time to get a really good look… so it was entirely possible! Certainly…

They both wore necklaces with stones on them… could those stones be connected to the transformation of their pokemon? It's possible… that could be the missing factor in the transformations, what the professor was thinking about. Sort of like an evolution stone, but not the same. Instead of, say, evolving an Eevee with a Fire Stone, it's like the pokemon reacted to that stone and changed form temporarily, resulting in that…

It would definitely require further study. She wasn't sure of the underlying circumstances. Akira had worn that necklace before, after all, when he fought against Elaina. He'd worn it in all his fights with his Gyarados, she was pretty sure, but this was the first time Blake had worn that necklace…

No, it's not just the stone, Sylvia confirmed, shaking her head. It definitely plays a role, but there's something else involved, another contributing factor. Something that I need to keep in mind… I wonder, what it could be…

Sylvia loved a good puzzle, especially one that she didn't know the answer to. It stimulated her little grey cells and made her want to tear it apart until she figured out the truth. There was a hypothesis about that third factor she was working towards, and she couldn't wait until it had solidified.

And once she'd developed that hypothesis, it would be time to put it to the test. That was the really fun part!

Sylvia is scheming again! We just can't catch a break! Can we please scale back the tense moments, and have a moment to relax, please?