Akira and Sylvia have talked about things, and are planning to go to Lavender Town to talk to Mr. Fuji! But what could that mean for the two of them? How does Akira feel about all this?

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Misty is definitely cute, and talented. The question is, would she be able to defeat Sylvia 6 on 6? I think she probably would, yes. She definitely has more experience.

KedharS: It's a fitting place for her.

Thunder Fire: Sylvia doesn't just give away drinks for free.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 829

After talking with Sylvia on the Cerulean Cape, Akira returned to the Cerulean City Gym and finally, finally, got a chance to sleep.

While he slept, he dreamt of Dakota.

Akira didn't always remember his dreams about her. Maybe it was a holdover from when he was young, and his nightmares about Satsuki had tormented him, causing his brain to stop retaining most of his dreams. Or maybe it was because he loved Dakota, and the pain from seeing her again, even while he slept, was just as awful as what had happened to Satsuki.

But because he so rarely recalled his dreams of Dakota, he had no way of knowing that most of the time, things were normal. They would spend time together on dates, or at his room back in the academy, or, very, very, VERY rarely… it was ten years later and they were a family.

The one time he remembered a dream like that in the morning he was so embarrassed he couldn't look her in the eye all day.

Now that Dakota was in her coma, the dreams of her were the only connection he still had to her. And it wasn't always a connection that brought him happiness. But luckily, it wasn't always sad, either. It was just a connection that was, and the two of them shared a bond.

So in spite of the pain he felt when he thought of her, he missed those dreams. He wanted them so badly. Going to sleep was a blessing and a curse for him, like whenever he thought about Dakota these days.

But he would take the curse if it meant he could have the blessing.

He would take the pain if he could see her again, have another one of those painful dreams that he loved so much.

And he was having one right now.

This dream wasn't normal though. There was something odd about it. Most of the time, it was either easy to tell when he was dreaming, or he had total belief that he was actually awake until he woke up for real. This time, he felt weird. Like things were both too fuzzy and too real at the same time. The sensations were overlapping like two worlds were colliding together, but he didn't feel anything was wrong with it either.

It was the strange feeling of being awake and asleep at the same time, and yet Akira didn't sense that he shouldn't be. So even though the context of his dream was nowhere near normal, in the dream itself he felt like there was nothing amiss.

But if he was in his right state of mind, he would have seen just how wrong this really was. Because he wasn't in Cerulean City anymore. Or even back at the Pokemon Academy. Or in his house ten years in the future.

He was home, standing at a familiar lake. He looked up at the falls and smiled, remembering all the good times he had there. But it wasn't Satsuki at his side.

"You're right, Aki. It's beautiful."

Dakota leaned her head on Akira's shoulder and smiled up at him. She was older than when he'd last seen her in person. Instead of 16, she looked like she was 19 or 20. More mature than she used to be, and he felt that he was, too. They were adults now.

Like how dreams often did, Akira remembered the years they had spent together. He couldn't recall the specifics, of course, his mind wasn't that vivid. But he knew that those years HAD happened, they had been together all this time.

No attack in the library. No coma. No µ Gene.

Dakota was just Dakota. And she couldn't be happier.

"You grew your hair out," Akira said. He wasn't sure why. Maybe because it was the first thing he noticed, even though it shouldn't seem that odd. But the part of him deep down inside that knew this was a dream had just blurted it out.

"What? Oh, this?" Dakota said, flicking her hair back. The real Dakota's hair danced around her shoulders. And while this one still wore it short on the sides, it trailed down to the middle of her back behind her, like a tail. "Come on, I've worn it like this for a while," she said, shrugging her shoulders. A smile twitched on the sides of her mouth. She was flattered that Akira was acknowledging her hair, he was always so sweet.

"Yeah, it… it looks nice," Akira mumbled, nodding. Everything was so hazy, but right now he knew this was right. He was happy with her.

Suddenly Akira remembered why he had brought Dakota here. He wanted to show her his home. Where he spent those happy days with Satsuki. He loved Dakota, and wanted her to be part of his life, the best and worst parts as well.

He wanted her to meet his family, too.

"Wanna go for a swim?" Dakota asked, pulling away from Akira and flashing a coy smile his way. She began to pull her shirt up over her head, revealing a red bikini top underneath. "Come on, there's all sorts of fun we can get up to in the water…"

She let the implication hang there as she kicked off her jeans and stepped back into the lake, goading him to follow after her. Akira smiled, definitely feeling the temptation. He approached her, and she let him, but he didn't jump into the water.

"I don't think we have time for that," Akira laughed, catching her by the waist and pulling her in for a hug. Just feeling her in his arms, so soft and warm and alive, it was the happiest he'd ever been. "You know my mom expects us to be back at the house for dinner."

Dakota wiggled her eyebrows. "I think someone might be overestimating his abilities a little too much, don't you think?"

Akira laughed. "Oh, so it's like that, is it?"

She smiled back at him. "Well, come on," she whispered into his ear. "Prove me wrong."

Akira was tempted alright. But before he could say anything, his vision blurred somehow. He saw a shimmer of something. Dakota looked… different somehow. It was still her, but… it wasn't her. And there was a flash of bright pink in his eyes before the world spun.

He wasn't at the lakeside anymore.

He was home.

Dakota was dressed again, and they were sitting down for a nice family meal.

"So you're the Dakota Evans we've heard so much about!" Akira's dad commented. "Akira says you're a journalist? That's quite impressive for someone so young!"

"Why thank you!" Dakota smiled at him. "I have your son to thank. If he wasn't such a skilled trainer going so far in the pro leagues, then all those private interviews I published wouldn't have taken off like they did."

"You're so sweet, Dakota! I can see why my son likes you!" Akira's mom complimented her. "And your hair, I just love it! It's so bright! I haven't seen hair that color before!"

"Thank you," Dakota said, bouncing her red locks playfully with her hand. For a second they seemed to shimmer. Something happened to them, and they weren't red anymore. But before Akira could really focus on it they were back to normal.

"So Akira, speaking about the pro leagues, shouldn't you be training right now?" His dad asked, turning to Akira with a quizzical look in his eye. "I can't say I don't appreciate you coming home to spend time with your family, but there are more important things to focus on."

"Oh, dear, don't say that!" His mom huffed, lightly slapping her husband on the wrist. "I'm happy that Akira's here! Clearly he came because he wanted to show off such a pretty girlfriend, it's okay if he takes a few days off of training!"

She turned back to him. "You're always welcome here, sweetheart. Come back any time you feel like it, okay?"

Akira nodded. A pang of guilt struck him as he did. For a brief instant he acknowledged this was a dream, remembering that in the real world, he so rarely ever returned home due to the bad memories he had of Satsuki's death.

"And that goes for you, too, Dakota," she said, turning to Dakota next. "Whenever you feel like you want to come here, feel free! This town might be small and we don't have much compared to you Kalosian city folk, but I'd like for you to think of here as a second home, if you'd be okay with that. And us as a second family."

Dakota's surprise was plain to see. She blushed and glanced at Akira, then looked back at his parents and nodded shyly. "Y-Yeah," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "That's okay, I guess, thank you. I'd like that a lot."

Akira felt happy that his family was taking to Dakota so well. The Dakota he knew was rude and annoying, and difficult to like. But it seemed like she'd grown so much in the years they'd been dating each other. That was something that made him feel better.

"And who knows? In a few years, maybe you'll end up becoming part of this family for real," Akira's mom wondered.

That caused Dakota to flush as red as her hair. She glanced at Akira, but the look in her eyes was less "horrified" and more "well… it's not like it's out of the question."

Akira realized that he had no idea where they were in their relationship. They'd been dating since high school, but how close were they, really? Dakota seemed comfortable with sex, so they'd at least gone that far, but were they dating seriously? Could it be that they were already planning a future together, and were engaged?

He didn't put it together that his confusion about their relationship status was because this wasn't real, and was just a dream. He just waved that away, the way you always do in dreams when things don't make sense. Instead, he turned his attention back to his family and continued to talk about Dakota and their relationship. He had no idea what words were coming out of his mouth, but he just kept speaking them. It was odd, like watching yourself play a role from inside your own head.

"Akira, I was thinking, since you've already shown Dakota around town today, after dinner perhaps you would like to go outside for a nice walk? In case you have anything you'd like to say to her?" His mother gave him a pointed look, and at that moment Akira felt something heavy in his pocket. He took it out and checked it under the table.

It was an engagement ring.

So that was the plan. That was why they were here. He had brought Dakota to his hometown, showing her his favorite childhood spot at the lake, where he spent his happiest days with Satsuki, all in order to propose to her.

As he was realizing this, he looked up and met Dakota's eyes, and saw another flash of pink. He could see it clearly now, for the briefest of seconds, Dakota's hair was bright pink. Her lips curled up into a smile, and the world spun again.

Akira found himself at the lake once more, but now it was night. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face, but Dakota seemed to glow in front of him. She was alive with light, and he realized that the lake was glowing with the lights of Bug type pokemon.

"I'm glad you brought me here," Dakota whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close, kissing him on the cheek. "It really is beautiful."

"I'm glad you could see it," Akira breathed, turning her so they could both stare out over the gorgeous lake. "This was always my favorite spot when I was a kid, and I wanted to share it with you, Dakota, because… because it's my home."

That's what the lake was. Home. Even though Satsuki was gone, this was still their special place. It felt good to share that with the woman he loved.

The engagement ring was burning a hole in his pocket. Yes. Now is the time. It's the perfect time, you have to do it now!

Akira pulled away from her, and Dakota turned to him, surprised. "Hey, Aki, what's up? Something wrong? Or are you not in the mood for cuddles?" She was smiling when she said it, but Akira could see the tension in her eyes. He was glad that he'd be able to take that away.

Akira reached into his pocket and retrieved the ring, getting down on one knee and showing it to her. Even though the real Akira was nowhere near ready to propose to Dakota, even though Dakota was asleep in a coma, he just knew that this was right. It felt right. It felt like if he didn't go through with it, didn't tell her how he felt, then all of this would be for nothing.

"Dakota… I know we don't always get along," he found himself saying. "But when I'm with you, I realize that you… that there's no one I would rather-"

"I'm going to have to stop you right there," Dakota interrupted him, which came as a surprise. Not the interruption part, he knew Dakota well enough to know that she would interrupt him about just about anything.

But he was surprised by the sadness he saw in her eyes. Tears welled up and streamed down her face, and she shook her head.

"Dakota?" He asked, feeling like he'd gotten slapped across the face. Why… what was wrong? Why was she looking at him like that?

"You are the sweetest man I know," she whispered, stepping closer to him. She reached out and placed her hand over his, her warm fingers running along the box. She took it from him. "You're so great and kind, I just find myself at a loss for words. I wish… I wish I could tell you… tell you yes, that I love you and want to be with you."

Akira's heart sank. He shook his head in disbelief. No. No. What was she saying? No, that wasn't true, that… why would she be telling him this.

"I can't," she whispered, wiping the tears away with one hand and lifting the box from his grip with the other. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you that I love you. I can't… accept your proposal," she apologized, stepping away from him.

She turned towards the lake, and flung the ring away. It landed in the water with the faintest of splashes.

Akira was horrified at what had happened. He was too shaken to even stand.

Dakota turned back to him, and she looked even more horrified than he was. It was like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

"I can't be with you. Because none of this is real."

Akira couldn't understand what she was saying. "Dakota, that… that's not true, I don't… please, tell me what you mean!"

"This world… this world isn't ours. This is your dream. A false reality, where nothing is what it seems, and nothing can be how you want it. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. But I'm not your Dakota. Your Dakota… you know that she's… you know."

Akira could see her in a new light now. And she wasn't Dakota. She was identical, but she wasn't her.

"Right now, I have Dakota's thoughts… her memories. But I'm not her. I'm just… not. I don't know… what I am, but… Dakota is…" The girl who looked like Dakota stepped back, the water of the lake creeping up her legs as she descended into it.

As she moved away from him, Akira looked on in horror as he saw blood begin to spread out across her chest and stomach.

"This is what happened to her, do you remember?" She asked, raising her bloodstained hands to Akira. "She's lost. Gone. I'm sorry."

"No!" Akira shouted, stomping through the water over to her. "She's not gone, she's not! She's still alive, and I'm going to save her!"

He grabbed her by the arms and shook her.

The girl smiled at him.

"She's asleep," she whispered. "And so am I. We're both sleeping, waiting for the day we can wake up. When that time comes… I hope she remembers you. I hope we both remember you."

The girl raised her hand and stroked Akira's cheek, smearing blood across his face. As she did, blood rolled down the corner of her lips. It looked like she was coming apart from the inside, and for a moment Akira saw something he'd prayed he'd never see again.

The bloodstained figure in front of him with glassy, lifeless eyes, was the Dakota he'd seen that day in the library.

Dakota after her attack.

He wanted to cry, scream, reject this figure. But he couldn't, because she was real.

"Time's running out," the girl whispered. "Sleeping Beauty is waking up soon, and what's she going to do?"

Her words were like a song. Akira found the engagement ring in his hand again.

"This is for her. If you want. Your Dakota is waiting for you, Akira. I love you. So does she. We're the same, and… no."

She was still crying.

"I can't wait to meet you," she smiled. "I liked having dinner with your family."

The world turned pink around her, and Akira saw a flash of pink streak through her. Her hair was shining so brightly it was blinding.

He snapped awake, sweat pouring out of him. The sunlight streamed in through the window.

"What… What the hell?" He asked, sitting up. He was confused. He remembered seeing Dakota… wait, was that Dakota? Yes, it certainly was, but at the same time…

The memories of the dream flowed back to him. No. She had looked like Dakota, but only physically. The real parts of her, what made her "his" Dakota… they were there. But they were changed, altered, like she wasn't herself.

The closest equivalent he could think of was the idea that the Dakota he saw in his dream was like a Dakota from a parallel universe or an alternate timeline. She was "his" Dakota, but at the same time it was clear that she wasn't quite "his".

She was the same, but different.

But that's okay. It was just a dream. It wasn't like it-

He froze. Suddenly, he remembered what Professor Decker had warned them about concerning the µ Gene.

Dakota might come back to him. But she wouldn't be Dakota. She would be different. Warped. Off.

If she woke up, would she even be the Dakota he remembered? Or would she be something else?

Across the planet, Dakota Evans' eyes opened.

Well, that was quite a strange dream! What could it mean?! What's happening?