This chapter will conclude Elly's introduction mini-arc! What will we learn about our characters? In this chapter, we dive into much more detail of Blake's background, and we get to learn more than a little about Elly, as well. Let's find out! And don't forget to review!

Jay Hayden: It's more about her general insecurity than her appeal to Blake. That being said, Sango's ass is probably one of her better features.

Darkhammer: I can't imagine why.

Duskzilla: Well, Elly is pretty close to Serefina in terms of proportions. Maybe Sango just doesn't see Serefina as a potential rival.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 65

"So, um… what do you think?" Elly stepped out of the changing room and looked up at Blake nervously, rocking on the balls of her feet.

Blake had to bite his tongue. The dress Elly had picked out was rather simple, but it looked anything but plain when she wore it. The skirt was frilly white and seemed to flutter around her a she moved. It was covered in pink and yellow flowers, and the sleeves were made of a transparent fabric. It was her posture that really made her stand out though. As she looked up at him for approval, she clasped her hands together behind her back, which, combined with her rocking pushed her chest outward toward him like an offering. As much as he tried to retain his composure… he could still feel his cheeks fluster at the presentation.

"Um… Blake?" Elly asked, her voice worried now. "Is it… no good?"

"No, it's, um, great," Blake said, averting his eyes slightly. "You look nice." Elly's face blossomed with joy and she smiled widely, twirling around to show off.

"Well in that case, I think I'll wear it out," Elly said, walking over to the counter. She'd bought three dresses in all, and this wasn't the first one that had elicited a reaction from Blake. Something about her seemed off, though, in a way that may not have seemed odd to anyone else, but to Blake reminded him all too much of someone he knew well. Elly was… eager. Almost too eager. She ravenously devoured any compliments given to her, and seemed to hang on his every word. For someone she'd just met today, she was lending his opinion of her far too much weight. It reminded him of…

Blake shook his head to clear his thoughts as Elly walked back up to him, humming cheerily.

"So, are you done shopping?" Blake asked. Clothes shopping always made him uncomfortable, especially with girls.

"Aren't you going to get anything?" Elly asked.

"Ah, no, the kinds of clothes I like aren't in season yet," Blake said, glancing at the short-sleeved shirts. Elly's eyes narrowed, catching his gaze.

"You don't like t-shirts?" Elly asked, glancing at his casual-ware as if for the first time, noticing he was wearing long sleeves even though it was still quite warm outside.

"No," Blake murmured, crossing his arms and leaning back. Elly's eyes widened and she reached out to him.

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry!" She cried, her entire attitude shifting. "I didn't mean to… I was trying to keep things fun, and I just… I… I ruined it again, I'm sorry, please, just…"

"No, no, it's fine," Blake said, reaching out to place his hand on her upper arm. She was trembling. I thought so…

"But… you were so nice to me all day… and I said something so insensitive…" Elly rambled, nearly in tears. "I… This is why I…"

"Breathe," Blake said, moving his hand from her arm to a more gentle rest on her shoulder, making sure to give her space without physically pulling back from her. Elly inhaled, calming down, struggling to force a shaky smile onto her face.

"Hey, Elly, want to go somewhere and talk?" Blake asked.

"Are you sure?" Elly asked worriedly. "You aren't mad…?"

"No, of course not," Blake said, giving Elly the kindest smile he knew how. He was sure of it now, this girl was desperate. Desperate for affection, or approval, or maybe something else, he couldn't be sure, but he knew that she was so desperate for him to like her that he had to confront her about it.

Elly nodded, like he knew she would. She didn't want to risk upsetting him after all. It made Blake's stomach churn to be manipulating her like this, but he also knew it was healthier than just continuing on this outing like nothing was wrong. He'd been down that path before, and that path would only lead to Elly seeking out his approval more and more, possibly to the point of obsession. No thank you. At least if Sango was here, the girl's hunger for approval could be divided between the two of them. But as he was the sole recipient of her pursuits for affection, it put them in a position that he was absolutely not okay with

"When do you think Sango is going to come back?" Elly asked, the worry clear in her voice.

"She probably just needed to breathe," Blake said, gently guiding her out of the shop. "No need to worry. I'll text her, and she'll call when she's done with whatever it is she needs to do. Then she'll come back, sound good?"

"Yes," Elly nodded, though his comforting words didn't seem to have much of an impact. They stepped out onto the mall floor, the building growing more crowded now that the day was in full swing.

"Well, what do we have here?" A girl's voice called out, the chuckle in her tone making Blake's blood run cold.

Blake turned and Elly turned with him. It was the worst possible person to run into under these circumstances.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's Blake Harker and a cute girl I don't recognize," Dakota smirked. "And I must say, that's a rarity."

"Dakota. Leave them alone." Blake noticed that the world's most annoying reporter wasn't alone, for once, and was accompanied by someone he wouldn't have expected. Akira and Dakota, not a combination he expected to run into together. Or even see interacting in a non-combative manner. And yet here they were.

"I'm just curious~" Dakota smiled, stepping closer. Elly stepped back, moving behind Blake. "It's not often I run into a girl with specs like this that I haven't heard of before. She could give Serefina a run for her money…"

Dakota raised her head to look at Blake, smirking. "So what's the story here, Blake? You two on a date?"

If looks could kill, this redhead would be a pile of ashes. Dakota had unknowingly lobbed a grenade into Blake's lap with that question. He couldn't, of course, say yes, as that would put even more pressure on the already-struggling Elly to live up to her perception of his expectations for her. And depending on how he dismissed her question could end up shattering the poor girl even more.

Much to his surprise, however, he found rescue from another direction?"

"What about you two?" Elly asked with a sharpness he hadn't expected from her. "I wonder, judging by your presentation yesterday in your match, maybe the two of you are on a date?"

Dakota and Akira both turned red.

"It-it's not like that," Dakota said, at a volume that suggested a kernel of truth in Elly's accusation. "Akira broke my camera last night. So I had him come out with me today to buy a new one."

As though justifying her answer, Dakota held up a bag from the electronics store. Akira remained silent.

Blake was thoroughly impressed. Until now, he had been of the opinion that Elly was kind and cheerful, if slightly shy girl who had several issues with her self-esteem. In other words, not the type of person to put Dakota on the defensive in such a confrontational way.

"We're just friends," he added, Dakota frowning. If she suspected otherwise, she kept quiet about it, if only to keep her own circumstances quiet. She shrugged, and turned away.

"Come on, Akira, we're going," she sighed, Akira rolling his eyes and following after her, nodding apologetically to Blake.

Now that the two were alone again, Blake glanced at Elly with newfound respect.

"Wh-what?" Elly asked, looking down, blushing. "I-I know I don't seem like the kind of person to make outbursts like that, but, well…"

She glanced up at him, smiling. "I'm not as fragile as you might think." She giggled. "Maybe I just liked you treating me like a sweet little flower, Blake."

She bent over and held her hands behind her back, glancing up into his eyes, Blake flustering.

"Er… let's go, okay?" He asked. She giggled and nodded, following after him.

Sango was sitting on a bench in the mall, confused. Normally, she wasn't the type of person to feel insecure. Especially not about something like that. While she'd never thought she was better than those girls back in middle school who were obsessed with makeup and boys and their perfect hair and perfect nails, she still thought herself at least immune to them. She ignored the comments about her flat chest and her height, and she reveled in the feeling of her body filling out when she hit her growth spurt, putting to rest all the comments about her "gangliness". She took pride in being in good shape, after all. Simply put, "femininity" wasn't a huge priority in her life. Long hair had always been a pain in the ass, so she'd cut it all off. Hair products? Feh, spit was good enough, as long as it was clean. She didn't need to wear the newest styles, her clothes were comfortable, even if they were worn out. And makeup was a pain. Like, she'd go to all this trouble to put it on, and then she'd have to take it off at the end of the day. It was a waste of time and money.

So why was she bothered by it now? It didn't seem to make sense. She'd never cared about being girly before. Maybe…

"Sango, what's up?" Sango glanced up to see Cynthia standing in front of her, a look of concern on the redhead's face.

"Cynthia? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be training?" Sango asked.

"Lunch break," Cynthia said, holding up a takeout box of Chinese food. She sat down on the bench next to Sango. "So what's up?"

"Well, it's a long story," Sango sighed, and began relaying everything to Cynthia. It was abridged, but accurate.

Cynthia nodded silently, frowning.

"That Claire girl…" Cynthia huffed. "I don't like her." Sango rolled her eyes.

"No, I mean it! Making you feel bad… if you get all sensitive about this, now I can't tease you anymore! I can't make fun of your body now if it actually makes you insecure!" Cynthia groaned.

"I don't know…" Sango said, frowning, staring at her knees. "Just… I felt so anxious around that girl, Elly, you know? Like… like I wasn't right. I haven't felt like that before… so I don't know…"

"…Yup, I thought so," Cynthia sighed. "That's 'feminine insecurity' alright."

"…" Sango stared at her.

"Look, Sango, long story short, it's totally normal for you to feel that you don't measure up to other girls," Cynthia said, placing her hand on Sango's shoulder sympathetically. "Especially ones like this Elly girl and Serefina. Man…"

She wiped the drool from her lip and continued.

"I know it better than most," Cynthia sighed. "You think I like being short? Or that my breasts aren't that big, or that I've got a little bit of flab on my waist, even when I'm so skinny everywhere else?"

Cynthia reached up and grabbed a fringe of hair hanging over her face.

"Look. Let's be honest. My hair? It's amazing. It's so beautiful, right? But I have to wear it short, because whenever I tried to grow it out, well… It grew out. Not down. Out." Cynthia sighed, turning her head back to Sango. "The point is, I'm not perfect. And I'm okay with that. Even though being around girls like Serefina and Julia and you make me feel like… well, like I'm lacking… I don't let it get to me. I smile to myself and tell myself how cute and special I am! It doesn't make those insecurities go away, of course, but it lets me focus on the parts of me that are amazing, instead of worrying about the parts of me that aren't, you know?"

Sango slowly nodded.

"Cynthia…" She said, glancing at her friend. "You… you really feel insecure around me?" Sango was honestly surprised. As the least girly person she knew, there was no way that such a girly-girl like Cynthia could ever find something to envy in her.

"Duh, of course!" Cynthia said, placing a hand on her arm. "I mean… you're in super good shape, you know? Remember when we went hiking, and I almost died? I'd kill to have muscles like yours, especially since you aren't, like, super-buff or anything. You're still cute even though you're in such great shape!"

"I… I'm cute?" Sango asked, her cheeks turning pink.

"Yeah, of course you-" Cynthia's eyes widened and mouth fell open. "Wait, did you not…"

"W-well, I mean, I don't wear cute clothes… or makeup… and I'm always sweaty… and, and you even said-!"

"Sango, do you know why I keep trying to dress you up in cute outfits?" Cynthia asked. Sango could think of about a dozen reasons, and a dozen more that were safe for children under the age of 18, but she kept her mouth shut.

"It's because I want to bring out that cuteness!" Cynthia explained. "Look, you're super-cute, or, well, you could be, if you put, like, half a pound of effort into it. But that's not the point!"

"It isn't?"

"No, right now, the point is that you need to be confident that even when you're dirty, and sweaty, and haven't changed your underwear in, like, 3 days-"

"That was one time!" Sango interjected, her cheeks bright red.

"Whatever. The point is, that even without having to go through all that stuff, you're still a total cutie. Maybe not my type, of course, but all those things you think are flaws are totally a part of your charm."

"My… charm?"

"Yup," Cynthia nodded. "A lot of guys like the sporty look. Now, you still need to maintain a bare minimum of personal hygiene, of course, but-"

"I DO!"

"But," Cynthia continued, "you're totally a winner in my book, 'kay?"

"Thanks, Cynthia," Sango smiled. "I actually feel kind of better."

"Yup, happy to help," Cynthia said, smiling. "So, this Elly girl, can I meet her?"

"Sure, we can go meet up with Blake," Sango said, Cynthia's expression freezing.

"On… on second thought, never mind," Cynthia said, shaking her head. "Things will just… be weird. Make sure to get some pictures instead, okay?"

"Sure, Cynthia. Whatever." Sango rolled her eyes.

"You sure you're good?" Cynthia asked.

"Yup," Sango said, smiling. Her worries and feelings of self-consciousness had all but vanished. She didn't even feel weirdly about Blake anymore, it was like a veil had been lifted.

"Cool," Cynthia grinned, hopping to her feet. "And hey, if you ever want clothing advice, or help with makeup, I'll totally be there. You need all the help you can get, after all!"

"Sure, Cynthia," Sango chuckled, standing up as well. "And hey, if you're really that envious of my physique, I'd be happy to help! I've got an excellent diet and exercise regimen that will totally tighten your core and-"

"Sango," Cynthia interrupted, holding her hand up. "I said I would kill for muscles like yours. Not work hard for them."

With that, Cynthia chuckled to herself and skipped off happily.

Meanwhile, Blake and Elly had reached the roof.

"Whoa…" Elly gasped, once again amazed. The roof of the mall was like a meadow, with rose bushes lining the edges and forming small paths through the gardens. The shade of trees and the calming wind brought an even greater touch of nature to the rooftop, and a water feature was made to resemble a small stream with a fountain in the center.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like it," Blake said. "Apparently, Alcea and the gardening club thought that a boring old rooftop lounge wasn't good enough, so they had the entire roof of the building into a mini garden park. And, well, you seemed to like the forest and you were talking about the sky, and I just thought…"

"It's beautiful," Elly nodded, stepping out into the wonderland in front of her. She closed her eyes and opened her arms, feeling the caress of the wind take hold of her. She spun around for a few moments, feeling the sky dance around her, before coming to a stop. She turned toward Blake and smiled.

"So you wanted to talk?" She asked.

"Yeah, um, it's about today," Blake said. "Please, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, but…"

He paused, trying to figure out what the best way to do this was. Then, he decided the best way to do it was just to confront the issue head-on. He took her by the hand and walk over to one of the benches.

"Elly… I know we just met and all, but promise me you won't talk about this with anyone, okay?"

"Who could I talk about it with?" Elly asked, her voice veiled in sadness. Blake solemnly nodded, and rolled his sleeves up. As she saw his arms, Elly's eyes widened and she gasped, holding her hand over her mouth.

"Are those…"

"Scars," Blake nodded. His forearms were covered in old scars and welts. Some were clearly from blades, while others were far more jagged, as though they had been scraped open by something. Some were the result of burns, with small marks pocketing his flesh that might have come from cigarettes, while other, larger areas were the results of something Elly couldn't even begin to guess.

"Are they…" Elly asked, reaching out instinctively toward him. "How did…"

She lowered her arm and fell silent.

"They're old," Blake said. "Older than I can remember."

"Older than you can remember?" Elly asked, surprised. "But how…"

"My oldest memories are from when I was seven years old," Blake said quietly. He decided not to tell her everything. Just the part that would matter to her. He still didn't want to relive the other parts if he didn't have to. "I woke up in a hospital. I was in critical condition. Apparently, I had been in an orphanage before then. But the orphanage had burned down, and I had been the only survivor. That's as far as I can remember. But I can remember the pain. At the time, my arms and legs had been broken and improperly set many times. The pain, it…"

And like that, it began coming back. His body remembered the pain, and Blake began trembling out of reflex.

"I-I'm sorry," Elly said worriedly. "Are you…"

"I'm fine," he lied, shaking his head. "It's just… when I remember, sometimes it…"

Elly didn't say a word. She reached into her bag and withdrew her flute. She stood from the bench and turned to face Blake, wordlessly lifting the wooden flute to her lips and she began to play.

As the notes began, the wind began to stir, and it gently reached out toward Blake. Listening to Elly's song, he felt himself begin to ease back from that darkness and the memory of those black flames. He pulled back from the pain, and his body began to calm down, the feeling in his arms returning.

Elly finished her song and looked worriedly at him.

"Sorry, I… it's an old song. My mother used to play it for me when I was very little. Even now, it still brings comfort to me when I'm feeling sad." Elly closed her eyes and held her flute up to her breast. "It's a song of healing. The pain I feel from my loneliness…"

She sat down next to him and placed her hand over his, looking into his eyes.

"I know why you're bringing up your past," she said. "To make it easier for me."

"That's…"

"You're quite kind," Elly smiled. "So don't feel guilty. You aren't manipulating me. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't tell you anything. So while I might not be ready to tell you everything… I can still tell you a little."

"Elly, it's not…" Blake tried to explain, but Elly shook her head.

"I know you picked up on it," she said. "I'm really no good at being friends with people. I always try to hard… because I'm afraid of being alone."

"You said you were in an orphanage, didn't you?" Elly asked. "We have that in common. But I remember."

She looked up at the sky. Blake could see tears in her eyes, but she wasn't crying. She was… remembering crying, it felt like.

"I don't know if I ever had a father. What I remember of my mother is very little." Elly turned the flute over in her hands. "When I was very young, I was found in front of a shrine in a far-off island region called Alola. I was asleep with just this flute. A last gift from my mother."

"I was abandoned. But while some parents would abandon an unwanted child as a baby, I was old enough to have memories of my mother… and that made it hurt so much worse."

She was really crying now. Blake reached up to wipe her tears, but she handled it herself.

"If you lived in an orphanage I'm sure you can guess what happened next," Elly continued. "I was a cute little girl at the time. A lot of families wanted me. And then… they didn't. Whatever I did… No, because I did anything at all… I would always be sent back. 'We don't want her', 'that girl isn't right' those were the words I would be lucky to hear. And if that wasn't enough… because I was strange, the friends I made in the orphanage eventually abandoned me as well. The caretakers, the children, regardless of age… No one wanted to even come close to me. The only real friends I even had were my pokemon. They were the only ones who didn't care that I was so different. That I such a freak."

"You're not a freak," Blake said softly.

"Oh, Blake," Elly said, her voice oddly venomous. "You're so sweet. But I don't mind. Being a freak means I'm strong enough on my own."

Blake could tell she was lying, and she knew he could tell. But neither of them said a word. He just let her wipe her tears away.

"I know it must have been a nuisance having to look after me today…" Elly muttered. "You could have been training, and instead you have to spend it with me. At the very least, I wanted… I wanted you to have some fun. But now it looks like even that…"

"Elly, it's okay," Blake said, shaking his head. "Really, it is. A nuisance? You aren't a nuisance. I had a lot of fun with you today. And hell, the day isn't even over yet! There's still a ton of fun for us to have. But please… you don't need to try so hard. I know that it might be hard for you to hear, but it doesn't matter. Whatever you do to me won't make me not want to hang out with you anymore."

"…Really?" Elly asked. "So you noticed…"

"You're not the only one who spent their childhood desperate for affection," Blake noted, with a touch more bitterness than he liked. "I know what it's like to try and change yourself in the hope that it will make everyone around you like you more. Because there's nothing more fearful than being alone. So you say whatever you can think of, do whatever you can, just so you don't get rejected by everyone else. But you don't have to do that with me. Or Sango. No matter who you are, we'll still accept you all the same."

"…Thank you, Blake," Elly said, rising to her feet, smiling. "You really are so sweet."

Blake's phone beeped. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at it.

"Sango's done, and she wants to meet up," he said. Elly's face lit up again, and she nodded eagerly.

"Wow, I can't believe that this school has a movie theater!" Elly gasped. "And they bring you food right to your seat!"

"It's called a cinebar," Sango explained. "No, it has nothing to do with the island."

"Like cinema+bar," Blake noted. Elly nodded in understanding.

"So, what next?" Sango asked. "It's getting pretty late, Elly, want to come back to our dorm? We can watch some TV or something. I think you'll really like my roommates. …Well, Julia anyway."

"Thank you, I appreciate your offer," Elly smiled. "But… I have to go."

"Really?" Sango asked, frowning. "But there's so much stuff we didn't get to talk about! And… I mean, you're sure this is enough?"

"Yes," Elly nodded, holding a hand over her chest. She glanced first at Sango, then at Blake. "Today… it was so much more than I could have hoped for. My first experience with human friends… I'll make sure to treasure it."

"Yeah, but don't worry," Sango said. "Tomorrow we can do something even better! Or maybe this weekend. Hey, want to join the Pokemon Friends Club with Blake? I think it would be a lot of fun for you, and-"

"Thank you, but I can't," Elly said, shaking her head. "For me… there isn't a tomorrow."

"…What?" Sango asked quietly.

"This is… the last day I will be able to do something like this," Elly said, the sadness evident in her voice.

"What?! Why?" Sango demanded. "What, are you moving or something? You're leaving school?"

"Something like that," Elly nodded. She looked apologetically at Blake, who remained silent. The pain on his face was obvious, though, which was no small comfort to Elly.

"But it's not fair!" Sango said, frowning. "We're your friends now, and you still have to…"

"Still… today was happy." Elly interrupted. "The happiest I've been in so very long."

"No!" Sango said, shaking her head angrily, trying not to cry. "We're friends! Friends don't just stop and go like that!"

Elly said nothing, she just gave Sango a defeated, apologetic look. Blake understood where she was coming from. For someone like Elly, Sango's reaction would be rather painful. And yet the girl was brave enough to speak to them in the first place, because she cared about them. Even though it might ruin her perfect day, she still cared enough to tell them goodbye.

"Elly, can I see your phone?" Blake asked.

"My phone?" Elly tilted her head.

"I'm going to give you my number," Blake explained. "Call it if you want, whenever you want. We're friends now, remember? Even if we can't see each other anymore after this, that doesn't mean we'll stop being friends."

"Yeah, that's right!" Sango cried. "Me too! You gotta exchange numbers with me, too! No way I'm just going to let you go off all by yourself again! Now you've got a future top ranger guarding your back! So if you need help with anything, just give me a call, got it?"

"Yes…" Elly said, wiping her eyes with her arm. "Thank you both so much."

After they exchanged numbers with Elly, she bid each of them goodbye. Blake glanced after her only to catch her look back at him, the two staring at each other silently before going their separate ways.

"This stinks," Sango fumed. "First I leave, making her feel bad, and now I don't even get the chance to make up for it!"

"It's okay," Blake reassured her, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm sure she knows that even if she's not here, she's still our friend."

Elly stopped outside the door to her room, holding her hands in front of her chest. This feeling of happiness hadn't been felt in a long time. She'd thought she'd gotten over the idea of having friends, but even now, even when she knew it was impossible… it still made her feel good. Even if Blake and Sango didn't know everything about her, she still wanted to, at the very least, remember them as friends. Even if they might reject me one day.

She sighed and walked into her room.

"Well, it seems you had quite the interesting day, if you're coming back this late," Gerard murmured, standing up from his seat.

"Is it so wrong for me to want to spend time out of this birdcage?" She asked.

"Not at all," Gerard said, shaking his head. "It's just unusual. Especially for you to go outside without this."

Gerard held Elaina's mask out to her. The gaze of the stoic porcelain face seemed almost accusing. She glanced away and took it from his hand, sliding it over her face. Her skin froze as it touched her.

"I just wanted a breath of fresh air," Elaina murmured. "I didn't expect to be gone so long. Things… happened."

"And how was it?" Gerard asked.

Fun. It was the most fun she'd had in years. Elaina remained silent.

"I made friends," Elaina finally said. "But not really. They don't see 'me' after all. They already know just how much of a monster I really am. They wouldn't want to be friends with someone like that."

"Exactly," Gerard said, nodding. "I'm glad you've realized that."

"I never forgot it," Elaina corrected. "I just hoped that it wouldn't be true." But it always is.

"Never again," she murmured. "I won't have to see them again. Not without this mask."

"Good. Now, get some rest," Gerard smiled. "You have a long day tomorrow."

"Yes," Elaina nodded. She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward in anticipation, but Gerard walked right past her and out the door. She sighed and collapsed onto her bed.

He didn't even notice my new dress…

Elaina removed her mask and began to strip off her clothes. She stepped into the shower and began to cry.

Oh man. This one took a lot out of me. I meant to write this back to back with the previous chapter, but it took longer than I expected. I need to sit down for a little bit. I don't like writing real stuff like this. And next chapter is even worse.