So I want to take a moment to let everyone know something important. This story has been brought to the attention of Critics United. This is a group that I've interacted with before, that report and try to get removed stories that do not fall in line with the terms of service. And unfortunately, as a SYOC story, this story meets that criteria. So what were my options? I could never publish another chapter, delete all the chapters with characters submitted by reviewers, or I could ignore them and keep writing.

As you can see, I have chosen to do the latter. This story means the world to me. I won't destroy this wonderful thing I've created, nor will I just let it wither away and die. So I'm going to keep writing it, and Critics United will do what they feel is necessary. And ultimately, fate will decide. So what will the future of the Pokemon Academy be? I can't really answer that. All I can do is let you know that I am not going to end things. I will keep writing. Even if I have to move to another site. And if, someday, the day comes that this story is taken down, well, that's just the way things are. Nothing can be done.

But I don't want you to despair. We've created a discord for fans of this story to gather and seek refuge. If you've been reviewing this story regularly, I've likely already PM'd you the link to the discord. If you're someone who doesn't have an account, or someone I missed, and you would still like to join, the link to the discord is in my profile. I hope to see you there.

Thank you for all the dedication you've given to this story. It's because of your reactions and reviews that I can write every day and continue this journey one step at a time. I hope that you won't be lost in the shuffle if this story does inevitably get taken down. Please consider the discord. We're happy to greet you (and you get the chance to interact with me whenever you want and ask questions.)

Thank you for everything, I hope this isn't goodbye.

Aakareo Kokokuhikari: Thank you.

Guest: Hopefully I will be able to show them to you.

KedharS: True, he's a pretty average guy.

Hellraiserphoenix: I hope so, too. He's great, but he's not amazingly perfect.

Rowlets and Oshawotts: Good thing she doesn't have to please a mother-in-law, too.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 734

Ayame wiped her mouth and stood up from the toilet bowl, panting. She wiped her mouth off on the towel, and wiped the sweat from her brow, relieved to finally be done throwing up. Her anxiety had finally dropped down to more manageable levels.

A knock on the door made her flinch in shock. She had a suspicion she knew who it was. Popping a stick of gum into her mouth, she wiped her sweat off again and checked her appearance in the mirror, making sure she looked okay.

She didn't look like someone who had just spent the last half hour puking in the toilet bowl, so she went to the door to welcome her guest in.

"Blake!" Ayame said, her cheeks flushing in surprise. She was happy to see him, but at the same time, her stomach began to gurgle in embarrassment. She hadn't been expecting this, she still thought that Blake would be visiting Sango. "What… What are you doing here?" She asked awkwardly, like it wasn't obvious.

Blake raised his eyebrow. "That's what I should be asking you," he said. "The Miss Pokemon Academy Contest? Really?"

Ayame puffed her cheeks up. "Yes, really!" She huffed. "What's the matter with that? Can't I compete in a contest where I get to show off how beautiful I am? When I'm competing I feel just like a princess you know!"

Although, she silently added in embarrassment, everyone still calls me a prince, so that's a little embarrassing…

"I just can't imagine what the point is," Blake coolly replied. "After all, you're the most beautiful girl in the school, do you really need to enter a contest to prove it?"

Ayame's face lit up like a tamato berry, and she had to hold herself back from swatting at Blake in embarrassment.

"Don't-Don't say stuff like that!" She cried, covering her face with her hands. "Do you have any idea how anxious I was today, walking onstage knowing you were staring at me from the audience? I barely made it out!"

"Aww, that's the cutest thing in the world!" Blake giggled.

"It's not funny!" Ayame wailed. "Plus, I had to go through with the contest even though your brother was judging! That was even more embarrassing! The whole time I was up there, I was trying to look my best for Kanone Harker so he wouldn't think baly of me! Do you have any idea how stressful it is to put on your best performance so your boyfriend's family thinks you're a suitable partner for him? It's really anxiety-inducing!"

Blake immediately remembered spending time in Johto getting to know Aya's family, and how worried he had been back then.

"Um… I kind of do," he volunteered, even though he knew that Aya was probably dealing with a whole different level of stress considering his brother's reputation. "But I get your point, our families are definitely different."

Ayame sighed, walking over to the couch and slumping down, practically flinging herself over it. "It's just so stressful," she mumbled. "I really want to make a good impression, so I've been showing off to him, but at the same time…"

She let out another long sigh, and Blake couldn't help but feel a little miffed about that. It made him feel like Aya was more desperate for his brother to like her than she was about looking good for him, her boyfriend.

He knew his jealousy was irrational, but he couldn't help it; he didn't want Aya to be thinking about other guys, especially not hi famous and attractive brother! So to keep his emotions from getting the better of him, he walked over to the couch and sat down next to Aya, wrapping his arms around her in a possessive hug that surprised her.

"H-Hey!" She said, her face heating up in embarrassment. "Lemme go!"

"No," Blake huffed, hugging her even tighter. "I don't like the idea of other guys watching you show off to them! You should have told me that you were going to enter the contest, so this is your penalty, tight hug!"

Ayame sighed, pleased in spite of herself, and sunk back into the hug, a smile on her face. She wasn't exactly ready to go out there and perform, but right now, feeling Blake's support wrapping around her, she felt like she could even beat Olivia now.

"Thanks, Blake," she smiled, feeling her heartbeat return to normal. The twisting feeling in her guts began to settle. She wasn't as anxious as before, and was feeling a lot more relieved and relaxed now. "I can't wait. I'm going to do my best."

"If it makes you feel better," Blake murmured, "before I came here, went to go see my older brother. And he was really interested in you and how you were doing. It turns out that-" Blake cut himself off. That probably wasn't what Aya wanted to hear. Knowing that Kanone had come to the Pokemon Academy explicitly to see Aya would have made her incredibly stressed out, which wasn't what he wanted to do.

He wanted Aya to put on the best performance she could, even if he was going to get a little jealous about it.

But as jealous as he was, it also made him feel pleased, knowing how beautiful his girlfriend was, and how many people would see that and cheer for her. It brought a smile to his face as he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair.

"What?" Ayame asked, interested. "It turns out what?"

"…I'll tell you later," Blake murmured. He was too busy enjoying himself, feeling Aya wrapped up in his tight embrace. "In the meantime, you have a contest to excel at, don't you? Are you all ready and prepared?"

Ayame smiled. "Of course I am!"

As if on cue, a bell rang over the loudspeaker.

"The Miss Pokemon Academy Contest will be resuming in five minutes. At this time, all audience members are encouraged to return to your seats, and all competitors please begin the preparations for your contest performances."

Blake and Ayame glanced down from the speaker mounted on the wall, turning to look at each other. They laughed in spite of themselves.

"Well, so much for our private time together," Blake laughed, but he still didn't let her go. "I guess we'll have to catch up later, Aya."

"Yeah, I guess so," Ayame giggled. "But thank you, Blake, this really meant a lot to me, you coming here to check in."

This always happened. For one reason or another, she would always be incredibly anxious about Blake coming to see her before a big event. But when he eventually DID come, she realized how happy she was an all her nervousness was forgotten.

This always happened, every time. She didn't know why she kept being so anxious about it and wanted him to stay away.

This was just lovely and perfect, after all. She hugged him tightly, knowing they would have to part soon, and thanked him one more time. "Thank you, Blake, that really makes me feel better," she murmured, pulling her arms away. She pulled against him so he would know to let her free, and even though she could feel the reluctance, he still let her go.

"I'll be heading back to my seat then," Blake said, standing up and flashing her a smile. She beamed back up at him, her eyes twinkling. "Good luck, Aya. I'll be watching you shine."

"Thanks, Blake," she smiled. "I'll be sure to show you a performance that's going to wow you. You'll fall in love with me all over again."

"Too late," Blake cheekily remarked, skipping over to the door. He glanced back at her just in time to see her flip him off, wearing an equally cheeky expression on her face. He nodded and returned the gesture, a secret signal of their love, and headed back to his seat with a smile on his face.

When he got to his seat, he noted that most of the others still hadn't gotten back. The only people that were sitting down from their group was Claire. Well, and Kate, too, but she didn't really count. He waved to her anyway, and she nodded a grunt back at him.

"How was it? Did you enjoy your time with your girlfriend?" Claire asked, looking up at him as he sat down next to her. Surprisingly, she wasn't giving him a cheeky smile, she seemed 100% genuine as she looked into his eyes. That brought a smile to his lips.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Blake smirked. Claire hit him in the side with an elbow.

"You jerk," she giggled. "Come on, tell me the details!"

Blake glanced at Kate, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye, and realized that this probably wasn't the best place to be talking about his happy love life, considering Kate used to have (still had?) feelings for him.

"Sorry, but I don't think that's such a good idea," Blake said. Claire opened her mouth, about to tell him where he could shove it, but luckily he was saved at the last second by the arrival of Cynthia and the others, the group tromping through the crowd and taking their seats.

"Hey guys," Cynthia said, plopping down next to Maddi, "how'd your time with Ayame go, Blake? You two have some fuuuuuuun?" She drew out the "fun" with her tongue, making it sound as dirty as possible.

Blake rolled his eyes. Of course Cynthia always thought like that. "Sorry, I was just telling Claire that I'm not gonna say a word. Besides, the show's about to begin."

The dimming of the lights caused Cynthia to immediately forget all about the whole business between Blake and Ayame, turning her attention eagerly to the stage to watch the contest begin, the curtains parting to reveal the judges and the bare stage. To her disappointment, Lukas walked out onstage instead.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" He declared. "We'll be beginning the Beauty Competition of the Miss Pokemon Academy Contest! For this contest, competitors will appeal the beauty of themselves and their pokemon, through a Pokemon Contest! But unlike a usual contest, they don't have to appeal with any particular moveset or category! Cool moves? Cute moves? Clever moves? They'll be viewed the same! It's all about using your pokemon's moves to their fullest extent! While our girls are showing off their performances, our judges will be rating them, and putting them in order from best to worst! The greatest performance will be awarded 10 points to their total, while the worst won't be given a single measly point! It's a bloodthirsty struggle, and I can't wait to see who comes out on top, can you?" He asked.

The audience answered with a roar of applause.

Lukas turned and gestured offstage. "So, let's show off our competitors and their lovely pokemon to the best of their ability! And believe me when I say that it's not going to be an easy contest! Because our first competitor is the expert of contests, the Empress of the Appeals Course, the one, the only, your three-crown champion and mine, Olivia Himeko!"

The Empress walked onstage with cool and composed as she always was, looking every bit as lovely as she had before. She took the spotlight, a beatific smile on her face.

"Showtime!" She declared, snapping a pokeball up from her waist and flung it into the air. "Cynthia!" The ball capsule flashed, a swirl of sand and blue flame dancing through the air as her Garchomp emerged from the pokeball, landing onstage with a roar that shook the building.

"It's her Garchomp!" Cynthia said excitedly, her eyes shining.

"A Garchomp… named Cynthia…" Claire murmured. She shot a meaningful look at Blake, who winced, thinking the same thing. Knowing Olivia's obsession with his mother, it was certain that she'd named her Garchomp after Cynthia herself.

"Cynthia, sand tomb!" Olivia ordered.

"Garchomp!" Cynthia roared, stomping her foot. A massive tornado of thick sand roared up around her, surging forward in a pillar of sand. The sand swirled in front of Olivia, who nodded to her partner and snapped her fingers.

"Flamethrower!"

Cynthia pulled her head back and let out another roar, bright blue flames erupting from her mouth, engulfing the massive swirling sand tornado.

"Whoa!" The non-Garchomp Cynthia exclaimed, her eyes shining excitedly. The flames struck the sand, sparks of color flying up off the surface. The judges were just as intrigued, even the dour Akira seemed interested. Ian nodded approvingly.

The flames grew hotter and with the heat they burned brighter, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. As a rainbow of gorgeous fire danced across the stage, it died down to reveal that the sand had been fused together into a massive pillar of glass that glittered with a multitude of colors from the different spotlights on the stage.

"Wow, that was amazing!" Claire applauded. She was a big fan of Pokemon Contests herself.

"Now, Cynthia, use swords dance!" Olivia ordered.

"GARCHOMP!" Cynthia raised her claws, the sharp fins on her arms shining as she surged forward, moving with speed and fluidity of a trained performer. She raised one fin and slashed deep into the glass pillar, shards of glass spraying out and glittering in the light.

Olivia smirked. "Continue, Cynthia, show them all how wonderful your beauty is! Keep going with your swords dance!"

Beauty in motion, Cynthia danced around the pillar of glass, fins and claws striking it from all sides and carving out chunks from the shiny smooth surface. As she continued her onslaught, wearing away the glass pillar more and more, an image began to take shape.

Like a sculptor with clay, Cynthia carved out a statue of herself from the glass, leaping back to reveal the beauty of her work for the judges to see. A complete replica of herself, a Garchomp carved of glass, stood imposingly in the center of the stage. Not a hint of roughness remained, it was smooth and sleek, a perfect replica.

Olivia and Cynthia turned to the crowd, and curtsied. They were supposed to be appealing to the judges, but Olivia always appealed to the audience first, that's what was essential for putting on an excellent performance.

It didn't matter because the judges still went wild, along with the audience.

"Wow!" Kanone said, applauding. "What a marvelous performance, your Garchomp created a perfect replica of itself! Such control and poise is amazing! Truly a beautiful work!"

"It was pretty good," Akira admitted. "Definitely caught my attention, even if it was a little long. I think that could use some work." Akira didn't really know what he was talking about, he was about the furthest thing from a Pokemon Contest expert as you could get, but he was just focusing on the negatives right now.

"I do think it was pretty long," Ian nodded in agreement, "but if you ask me, Akira, I think that it helped to build the anticipation."

Olivia smiled proudly, relishing the praise. She curtsied for the judges and audience one final time, and with a snap of her fingers, Cynthia smashed the statue into powder with a well-placed strike. Strutting off the stage with her head held high, she passed Alcea on her way back.

"Top that, 'Rose Queen'," Olivia sneered.

Alcea paused. She turned to Olivia and gave her a polite smile. "Wonderful performance, Olivia," she complimented.

Incensed, Olivia's face lit up, and she was tempted to curse Alcea out, but she held her tongue, turned, and stormed offstage.

"What a brilliant performance to open the competition with!" Lukas proclaimed. It looked like there were actual tears in his eyes. "And now, here comes a lady no less noble, with the grace of a true queen, Alcea Vermeil!"

Alcea strutted onstage. Unlike Olivia, she curtsied before her performance, first to the judges, then to Lukas, and then finally to the audience.

"Venus!" Alcea declared, flinging her pokeball into the air. "Laissez-nous danser!"

The ball capsule flashed, and in a swirl of petals Venus emerged from her pokeball, landing on the stage. She bellowed, her flower flexing in anticipation.

"Excellent, milady!" Kate gushed in excitement. "Venus is just perfect!" She was swooning.

"Olivia is a member of the Appeals Course, so of course she's used to stuff like this," Blake said. "But Alcea is a battler. I wonder if she can even begin to put on the same quality of performance."

"Hey!" Kate snapped, shooting him a dirty look. "What do you think you're saying?! Her highness is amazing! She can easily defeat that horrid Empress!"

"Venus, petal blizzard!" Alcea ordered. With a raise of her hand, Venus's flower flexed, and a swirl of petals rose up around her, filling the stage with a blizzard of razor-sharp blades that danced around trainer and pokemon.

"Whoa, it's so thick I can't even see what's happening," Cynthia said, amazed. "Is that… really suitable for a contest, though?"

"I assume that it's a performance, right?" Kitty asked.

The blizzard of petals was beautiful, particularly due to the amount of control Venus exerted over it. The petals danced around Venus and Alcea, and only Venus and Alcea, a perfect pillar without a single petal out of place.

And then, with a silent command, the petals froze in place, hovering in the air and held aloft by a hidden power, drifting slowly down to the ground like a gentle snow, covering the field with a carpet of flower petals.

The audience sighed at the beautiful image of Alcea like a fairy among the flowers.

But Alcea wasn't done yet. With a raise of her hand, Venus began to glow bright green. She sent a surge of energy down into the ground, covering the stage with a green aura, and suddenly the stage was covered in a field of grass.

"It's grassy terrain!" Nikita noted, her Bellossom knowing the same move. The petals began to tickle and dance against the blades of grass.

"Now, sunny day!" Alcea commanded, her first order. Amidst the carpet of grass, light began to shine from Venus's flower, and shot into the sky, a bright orb of sunlight illuminating the stage brighter than any of the spotlights. "And bloom, with growth!" Alcea finished with a wave of her hand.

Venus began to glow green again, and sent a pulse down into the grass.

And then the stage exploded. The petals were flung into the air once more, but not by the winds of petal blizzard. They were pushed aside, to make room for what came beneath. Buds shot out from the grass, growing larger and larger from the sunlight and from Venus's power, and in seconds the stage blossomed into a bed of beautiful flowers.

Alcea lowered herself into a curtsy, her performance complete.

The crowd was stunned in amazement. Olivia had carved out a gorgeous Garchomp, but Alcea had made the entire stage into a flowerbed. Kate, of course, went wild in response, shouting her praises for her highness.

"Milady! Gorgeous, milady!" She howled, leaping from her seat and clapping like it was a contest to see who could praise Alcea the loudest.

"It's so beautiful," Cynthia swooned.

"I'm impressed," Callie said, stunned. "She's an expert at pokemon battles, but I didn't expect a performance like that out of her."

"As expected," Julia smiled, knowing full well what Alcea was capable of.

"She's great," Claire giggled. "Just great! I love it! Talk about a lady!" She turned to Blake. "I can't believe you passed up the chance to marry a girl like that!"

Blake rolled his eyes.

"Amazing!" Akira gasped in surprise.

"Not bad at all," Ian agreed with a nod.

"I expected nothing less from someone of her caliber," Kanone complimented, applauding Alcea.

At Kanone's words, the corners of Alcea's mouth tugged up into a slight smile. She glanced across the stage at where Olivia stood waiting in the wings, the other girl fuming.

Alcea's eyes seemed to issue a challenge.

The Miss Pokemon Academy Contest is off to an amazing start! Our first and second place girls are all already battling it out for supremacy, but which one will be the winner? Hopefully we'll have the chance to see!