With Cynthia overjoyed after her meeting, let's turn back time a little bit to see what some of the other characters are doing. Today's a pretty important day, actually, and we might do well to check up on another important character! How's Ayame holding up? Is she still able to resist Blake's advances, or are cracks starting to show up in her defense? Whatever the answer is, she's still as strong-willed as ever, and we'll have to see what becomes of the situation!

KedharS: Yep, nice little relaxing chapters are definitely some of the best ones around. I'm glad that Cynthia's overjoyed, and that Julia and Kitty are having fun with Kitty's new (or old) Kangaskhan as well! Nice, wholesome fun.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: I suppose we'll have to see what Serefina's alluding to. But yes, it's nice to get some relaxing breather chapters after the intensity that was the Orre Region arc, considering how much story that took up. Heck, it's just nice to have the majority of the cast back at school again, it feels like it's been ages! As for your request for characters who typically aren't the main focus to take the lead… sorry, what did you think the Orre Region was, lol? Ayame and Alcea were the closest things to characters who get main focus who starred in that arc, it was primarily for a lot of lesser and side characters to shine!

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1270

Ayame sprung out of bed covered in sweat. She looked around the room, seeing darkness surround her, and she shivered.

A dream… it was just a dream…

She'd been having dreams like that a lot. Where she'd spring up awake, covered in sweat, desperately yearning for something that she just couldn't quite place.

Of course, the intellectual in her knew exactly what she was yearning for. She wasn't a fool. Her brain was reminding her of her boyfriend.

Blake Harker.

A boy she had supposedly fallen in love with, and yet couldn't remember anything about.

Ayame had been talking with Olivia for a long time about Blake. Olivia had been happy to talk with her, probably hoping that if she talked up Blake enough, then Ayame would be willing to become his girlfriend. And if she was willing to talk, Ayame was willing to listen. She'd been trying to learn as much about him as she possibly could. Not because she liked him or wanted to get back together with him; her motives were much more selfish than that.

Blake was trying to get back together with her. If she could understand the kind of person he was and why he wanted to do that, then maybe she could find some way to convince him that they weren't compatible and he'd leave her alone.

What was my other self thinking? She wondered, flopping back down in bed. She stared up at the black ceiling and tried to put herself into the mental space of her previous self.

Sure, Blake was cute. He would probably have been her type, if she had any interest in dating. And from what Olivia had told her, he had helped her out significantly; it was because of Blake that she had such a great relationship with the other members of the track club now. And it was because of Blake that she was friends with Sango.

Ayame remembered those events. But her brain wouldn't let her associate them with him. That's why she was here now, still thinking about him, trying to pull those fragments out of her skull and understand them.

Because of Blake… I feel so strange. It's like my brain is a puzzle with some of the pieces missing, she thought. She was actually starting to resent the poor boy for liking her. Once she realized that, she rolled over in bed and forced herself not to think that way. Whatever else he was, however annoying he might be, Olivia had made it clear just how much he genuinely cared for her. He wanted to make her happy. That was why he was pursuing her in the first place, after all.

She couldn't hate or resent someone who loved her that much. It just didn't feel right. She clenched her jaw and focused herself, trying not to be overwhelmed. But her heart ached.

Maybe this crushing loneliness was why I sought him out before… As much as Ayame hated to admit it, being disconnected from her past memories was jarring. She couldn't associate properly. And most importantly…

She wanted someone to hug her on dark nights like this, when she couldn't get to sleep. But even with all those urges, she didn't feel the need to go after Blake. Because without her prior feelings for him, she could see things rationally, and that's how she knew that there was no future in their relationship.

Blake was a freshman and she was a senior. That right there was disqualifying enough. In less than two months she would be gone from the Pokemon Academy for good, and they would never see each other again.

What was she supposed to do? Stay his boyfriend while she went to go compete in Pokeathlon Tournaments? Was that what her prior self was planning to do? Just maintain some shoddy long-distance relationship until they eventually drifted apart and broke up?

No way. She wouldn't have it. She had no intention of turning into that situation. Her old self had been a fool to want to keep a boy around she would eventually end up broken-hearted by, and Ayame refused to be a fool herself.

She recalled Maddi's conversation with her earlier that day, talking about how everyone was trying to force her into something that she wasn't comfortable with. That girl had predicted it perfectly. Ayame wasn't comfortable with how comfortable Olivia seemed to be at asserting that she and Blake were meant to be together. Just because the Empress was happy in her relationship now, that didn't mean Ayame had to want the same for herself.

Ayame had asserted the feelings needed to be something that came from within, that they couldn't be forced just because someone wanted two people together badly enough. And she couldn't agree more, not having feelings for Blake whatsoever.

Even if she did wonder what things would be like, that wasn't enough of a reason to risk herself. She would just get through these last few months without thinking about Blake, and then she'd never have to think about him again.

Ayame hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until she heard a knock on the door waking her up. She snapped awake and sat up in bed, confused at who could be calling on her at this hour. It wasn't that early in the morning, of course, but still not a decent time to ask after someone, so why-

Her thoughts froze in her mind when she opened the door and saw who it was that had come to her bedroom.

Blake Harker.

"Ayame, I-"

She slammed the door in his face. But he kept knocking insistently.

"Ayame!" He called. "Ayame, come on, I'm just here to talk!"

"I have nothing to say to you!" Ayame spat at him. She was still flustered from her conversation with Maddi the day before. Why did he have to keep bugging her like this? Why couldn't he take the hint and leave her alone? She was trying not to resent him, but he really made it difficult when he kept forcing his way into her life.

He was still smiling. Still acting like there was nothing wrong. She couldn't see it through the door but she knew, she just knew he was making that same lovestruck face he had that day on the pier, when he'd seen her back for the first time.

The more she pictured that face, the stronger it stood out in her mind. Ayame didn't have any memories of Blake, at least not at first. Samarra had robbed her of those. But she hadn't stopped the tomboy from forming new memories, and that was exactly what she did. She could concentrate and think hard about Blake now, since she had memories of him that began when he came back to school.

Right now, though, those memories weren't pleasant. She didn't want to think about them, but since he showed back up she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Just go away!" Ayame shouted. "I already told you I'm not interested!"

Ready to ignore him, she turned and walked back to bed, intent on going back to sleep. She didn't have classes to prepare for today, after all, the schedule was still trying to adjust for all the juniors and seniors that had returned from the Orre Region. So she didn't need to concern herself with what that was doing. Whatever Blake wanted, she was certain that it was some feeble attempt to-

"It's about Sango!" Blake called through the door, and she paused.

Sango?

Ayame turned back to the door, cautious. She didn't know Blake well, but from what Olivia told her, he wasn't a manipulative guy. When he could be, he was incredibly honest. And it didn't sound like he was lying.

Besides, if he turned out to be a liar after all, she could just break his nose.

"What about Sango?" She asked suspiciously, stopping out side the door.

"It's complicated, I really don't want to have this conversation through the hall," Blake begged. "Please, can you let me inside?"

Ayame sighed. She was probably going to regret this. Scratch that, she knew she was going to regret this.

So why did she still let him in?

It was like her body had some sort of pathological refusal to disobey the boy when he was asking for help.

Chalk that up to another grievance she had against her previous self.

Ayame opened the door and let Blake inside. He looked a little surprised, as if he hadn't expected her to actually allow him inside. She said nothing, stepping out of the way so he could enter her room, which he did so casually.

Ayame was actually stunned at how easy it was. He didn't seem bothered at all by the fact he was in her bedroom. Then she realized that he'd probably gotten used to it when they were dating.

That's right, she and Blake had sex. She wasn't a virgin anymore. That was something else she could hold over her past self; Ayame really needed to start making a list at some point.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've been in here," Blake said, strolling around the room and touching everything, much to Ayame's annoyance. She'd let him in for a reason, and he was abusing her trust like this.

"Didn't you say you had something you wanted to talk to me about?" She prodded him, wanting him to just sit down, shut up, and just tell her what was going on so she could kick him out of her bedroom already. "Something about Sango?"

Blake blinked. "Yeah, it's really important," he said, scanning her stuffed pokemon absentmindedly. Of all of them, the stuffed Dubwooloo was her favorite. She couldn't quite explain why, considering it was newer than most of them, and yet it was certainly well-loved; almost as well-loved as the stuffed pokemon from her childhood.

He picked it up and smile, and Ayame couldn't help but smile too. There was something about seeing that scene that just made her…

A flash of memory, Blake presenting her with something, a present, and then… no, nothing, it completely faded out of her mind.

"Well, what is it?" Ayame asked, irritated that her memory had been interrupted. Blake looked up at her, and she could see from his serious expression that he wasn't here just to play around. She sat down on her bed and stared at him, urging him to explain.

"Before that… you're Sango's friend, right?" He clarified. "So you care about how she feels?"

"Yeah, of course," Ayame said, rolling her eyes. It was the most obvious thing in the world. Of course she cared about her friend, why wouldn't she? "Are you a fucking moron? Sango's one of my friends, I care about her a lot."

"Oh, good," Blake sighed in relief. "I was really worried that with your memory so messed up, you wouldn't be friends anymore."

"If you're just here to test me on my friendship with Sango, you can fucking leave," Ayame said, a little annoyed. Sango was her friend, yes, and she didn't like the idea of having to justify it to anybody. Even her former boyfriend.

Especially her former boyfriend.

"It's not about that," Blake assured her. "I just…"

He looked nervous; antsy, even. She leaned forward curiously.

"Go on," she urged him.

"Well… what about me?" He asked.

Ayame's expression soured.

"What about you?" She asked, trying not to growl.

"…Well… am I your friend?" Blake asked. "Do you care about me?"

That was a much more loaded question, and one Ayame wasn't sure she was qualified to answer. She wasn't sure what he was after, either. Blake had been pressing her, telling her that he was going to make her fall back in love with him.

Now he wanted to know if they were friends?

Is he trying to work his way back up to a relationship? Ayame wondered. It was the only reason for that question that made sense.

She bit her lip and let out a long sigh. "That's complicated," she answered honestly.

"Yeah, I figured it would be," Blake nodded glumly.

Ayame really did feel bad for him. He'd lost his girlfriend so suddenly, and meanwhile, she was there. She imagined what it would be like, to love someone and then lose them so totally and yet have them right there in front of you.

She arrived at the conclusion that it must be something like losing the person you like, and then meeting their twin sibling. No matter how much they might have reminded you of the person you loved, they AREN'T that person, and they never will be.

"I'm sorry I can't say more than that," she apologized. "I think you're an okay guy, Blake, I really do, heck, you're a good guy. But honestly… we aren't friends."

Blake frowned, clearly disappointed by that answer. When she saw that expression she felt a wave of nausea roll over her, convincing her to backtrack that slightly.

"But I do care about you!" She blurted out. "Even if we aren't friends, Blake, you still mean a lot to me, really, you do."

She clutched her chest, which was aching.

"I just… I just can't remember you well enough," she admitted.

Blake nodded slightly, apparently accepting that answer.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked gently. "If I told you to keep a secret… and to not tell anyone, ever, would you do it?"

Ayame considered that. She was never that good at keeping secrets. And keeping one Blake's secrets seemed like a problem. It would no-doubt leading to them getting closer, which could even lead to them dating. If this was one of Olivia's ploys, it was certainly a well-thought-out one. But she couldn't give her friend the satisfaction.

She opened her mouth to say "no", and found out she couldn't. She stared at Blake's frustrated face, trying to find it in her to just tell him no, but no matter how hard she tried it just wouldn't work. Something in her, some small part, refused to disappoint him.

"…I can do my best," she admitted.

"Really?" Blake asked, lighting up.

"But just to be clear!" Ayame said, raising her finger, "if I think this is a dangerous or problematic secret, then I'm not going to keep it! I'm going to tell somebody, understood?"

Blake frowned. "Please… please don't. It's not just a secret about me, it involves someone else, too," he begged.

Then Ayame finally remembered the entire reason that she'd let Blake into her room to talk with her in the first place.

Sango. The secret was about Sango.

"Is this… about Sango?" Ayame asked a question she already knew the answer to. His solemn not only confirmed it.

She sighed. This was about to get complicated.

"Blake, if Sango told you some secret, I'm not about to lie about it to her," Ayame asserted. "So you can just get the fuck out if that's what this is."

Her stomach was already twisting out of guilt. She didn't like going behind her friend's back like she was doing here.

Blake shook his head. "It's not a secret she told me. It's… it's more complicated than that, but I promise, it's nothing bad."

She could see the desperation on his face. Keeping this secret was really torturing him. She wanted to help, but could she trust herself?

She wasn't sure. She took a deep breath, and nodded.

"I can listen. If you're sure. But do you really want me to listen to this secret?" She asked. "After all, we aren't friends anymore. I can't comfort you like… well, I guess, like I did in the past."

Olivia hadn't only told Ayame about all the things Blake had done for her. She'd also told her all the things that she had done for Blake.

It honestly sounded like a touching relationship. But this was more important to deal with.

"So go on. You can tell me."

"I guess…" Blake let out a sigh. "Listen, Ayame, I just want to make it clear that I'm not telling you this as some sort of plan, or scheme, or anything like that. So if you think this is just some trick I'm pulling to get you to love me, I promise, it's not."

"Then what is it?" Ayame asked evenly. She didn't believe for a second that he would do something like that, use her friendship with Sango and concern about her to try and weasel his way into her heart again.

After all, if Blake was the kind of person who could do something like that, Ayame never would have fallen for him in the first place.

Regardless of which Ayame it was. Even her old self deserved at least that much credit.

Blake was really troubled. He clearly wasn't faking.

"Even if you don't care about me like that anymore, Ayame, I still love you. And if I had this situation before you lost your memories, I would have still gone to you with it, because I trust your judgment more than anyone's."

"R-Really?" Ayame asked, surprised.

"Really," Blake nodded. "Because you have such a firm moral compass, Ayame. You have passion and heart, and refuse to back down when you know you're doing something right. And those are really admirable qualities."

Ayame felt her cheeks flushing. She tried to force them to stop, but it was no use.

"So, I mean, um… about that secret…" If he kept talking like this, then she'd have to kick him out. She wasn't about to be seduced by his sweet words.

Blake took another deep breath, his lips quivering as he tried to find a way to say something that he knew he needed to say.

"I know that Sango is in love with me," Blake said, finally releasing the secret he'd been bottling up all this time. "I heard her confess her feelings for me to someone else. And I honestly don't know what I should do about that."

Ayame stared at him. Her whole world came crashing down as she tried to figure out what she was supposed to say.

Yikes! Blake dropped a pretty big bombshell! He was loading up that heavy artillery for a while in the time he was offscreen! What's Ayame's reaction going to be? And how does Blake's little revelation affect her feelings? Is this the reason why Blake and Sango were nowhere to be seen when Cynthia came back from her meeting? What sort of confrontation are the three of them going to have? It should be interesting!