Finally, time for the quarter-finals to really begin! Elaina vs. Naya, a match in brutality, damaging both sides!

Basetezotar: Well, who can say? Will Will ally with the Phantom? Or choose to be his own man? Well… what do you think? He is your character, after all. We'll find out soon…

Darkhammer: The politics will really begin heating up soon. Phantom's plans will hopefully Make Academy Great Again.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 68

"So… would you like me to start?" Elaina asked. The two sat facing each other on the same couch, Blake feeling uncomfortably close to the masked girl.

"Before that…" Blake said, frowning. "Won't you remove that mask? It's strange to have a conversation with someone when I can't see their face…"

"I think not," Elaina said, reaching up and pressing her palm against the cool surface of the porcelain. "I put this mask on to separate myself from the world. I won't take it off in front of other people again."

"I see."

"That man… the one with harmonia, Oscar… you told him that you don't possess the same ability I do."

"That's right," Blake said, nodding. "But I know a lot about it."

"Then can you tell me… how I can control it? This wretched power of mine… Do you know something?" Elaina lowered her hand and clenched it against her chest, the look of agony on her face concealed by her mask. "Gerard… he told me not to speak with you. But… but I need to know… something… anything!"

Her voice lowered to a whispering lilt, her body trembling.

"Please…"

"My brother would know," Blake said. "He's the only person I know who has ever managed to keep that power of his under control. Everyone else I've heard of…"

"Th-then! There is a way!" Elaina lunged forward, Blake flinching back. "Tell me! How can I-?"

"I-I already said, I don't know…" Blake said, flustered by her soft body pressing up against his. "If you want my advice… then… stop."

"…" Elaina moved away from him, sitting upright. "Stop?"

"Yes," Blake said, nodding. "Just stop using that power. Stop battling. Just… stop?"

"No." Elaina's voice turned harsh. "It isn't so simple as flipping a switch. Even without battling… even when I try not to use it… it seeps out of me. You don't understand! I tried… I tried so hard… I didn't ever want to hurt anyone! But the more I bottled it up… the more I resisted using it… before I knew it, it would just burst out and hurt people! So I… so Gerard…"

She calmed down, holding a hand over her chest, catching her breath. "Gerard told me that he's had experience dealing with harmonia users in the past. He said that if I kept restraining it, then it would continue to grow, no matter what I did, and it would keep affecting my pokemon, no matter what I did… but if I kept using it, like this… then even if I hurt people… I would eventually grow, and learn how to control it… just like any natural ability. The more I practice with it, the more control I'll be able to grow. So even though I don't want to… I can't stop! I can't!"

"Gerard is lying to you," Blake said calmly.

"He told me you'd say that," Elaina said. "He said you would try to create a wedge between the two of us. That you were trying to weaken him by manipulating me away from you."

"Of course he said that," Blake said. "And yet here you are."

"I am not some foolish girl who blindly believes everything she is told," Elaina said. "I wanted to speak with you myself. So that I could make my own decisions for myself."

"Then believe me when I tell you that he's using you," Blake said. "I don't know why, but he isn't trying to help you. He's trying to make you grow more powerful. I think… he wants to use you as a weapon."

"I know that, of course." Elaina said. "And… so what?"

"So what?!"

"I… am a tool for Gerard. I do not mind that. Even if he never sees me… even if he never…" She raised her head. "Gerard saved me! He reached out to me and gave me a place to belong! He promised to teach me to stop hurting others! He cared for me when everyone else only saw me as a monster! If I… if I can be of any use to Gerard, then I don't need anything else! I don't need a face! I don't need love! I don't need…"

Elaina's voice cracked, and she slumped down on the couch, trembling.

It's useless… Blake thought, staring sadly at the masked girl. No matter what I say now… she won't listen. She's completely devoted to him. But even so… I need to tell her the truth. If there's even a small chance I can save her, then…

"Listen… if you don't stop using that power… then I'll tell you what will happen. I've seen it for myself." Blake's expression hardened. "It started as a weird feeling whenever you were around pokemon, right? So faint, you didn't really notice it. But over time, it grew stronger and clearer, until you couldn't ignore it. Then you began hearing things, soft sounds at the edge of your ears. And as you kept battling, the voices grew louder. And when you could finally make out what you were saying, you realized it. They were your pokemon's voices."

"How did you-?"

Blake's expression softened, a distant look tinging his eyes.

"The more you listened, the more you felt it, their voices, their feelings, and then, soon enough, what they experienced. You became one with your pokemon, and then you realized it was always there. You would grow weaker and weaker while your pokemon grew stronger, like they were feeding off your strength. But before long you were able to endure the drain, and your powers grew stronger as the bond between you and your pokemon grew. But the stronger you got… the harder it became to control, am I right? And now… your harmonia is beyond your control. Like you said, it's seeping out of you, no matter how hard you try to restrain it. Boosting your pokemon, hurting others… it will only get worse."

"That's why-! That's why I have to-"

"It won't work," Blake said, shaking his head. "I've seen it before. In your current condition… it's like you're standing on the edge of a cliff. If you keep going down this path, it will eat away at you."

"What do you mean?"

"The sensations you feel… right now, you're only feeling the pain of your pokemon. But there's a rush that accompanies it, or it will, anyway. Human brains aren't designed to experience the sensations from pokemon. It will begin wearing down your psyche, to the point you'll become dependent on the sensations that accompany using harmonia. It will spread through you, and you'll grow addicted to the rush it provides. And before long, the person who used to be will be completely consumed by harmonia. That's what awaits you if you keep using this power."

"Shut up!" Elaina shouted, jumping to her feet. "You're lying! You're lying!" She clutched her head, shaking. "This… I won't…"

"You don't understand," Blake said, standing up to face her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her. "What I've seen… you don't… you haven't seen the sweetest girl in the world become consumed by harmonia and turn into someone who wouldn't flinch at hurting others for the sake of strengthening her power!"

"I don't care about that," Elaina said harshly, shaking free of him. "You said it yourself, your brother managed to control this power. I'm not some weak, fragile little girl who would let this power of mine consume me! I will… until the end, I'll believe in Gerard, and control this power all on my own!"

She turned to leave, but stopped herself, glancing back at Blake.

"My match is next," she told him, stepping up to the door. "If you want to see my will, then watch it closely. I will show you that I won't lose to this power of mine."

"Elaina…" Blake walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She sighed and reached up, placing her fingers over his and tilting her head back to him.

"Blake… you are so kind… but in the end… you can't save anyone by being nice." She stepped out the door, closing him off from her behind it. Certainly not someone like me.

"Now, it's time for the quarter-finals to officially begin!" Lila and Darla shouted from the announcer's box. "Because these battles are being held in our special Grand Coliseum, it's time to demonstrate our state-of-the-art Battle Arena System!"

"Because it's been a few days, I should explain," Darla began. "We begin the match on one of the chosen fields. Then, once both trainers have lost three pokemon, the match will be paused while we set the stage for the next field."

"Oh! Then people can use that time to reselect pokemon, right Darla?" Lila asked.

"That's right, Lila. And, if you're on a field where you don't have an advantage of typing, you might get a new one! So it's the perfect time to reselect the pokemon you send out!"

"That's so smart, Darla!" Lila cheered.

"Now, here are our competitors!" Darla announced. "First, Elaina Bishop!"

Elaina stepped out to a chorus of boos from the audience. Whether or not the spectator's jeers bothered her was concealed by her mask, and she walked evenly up to the battlefield.

"That girl!" Ryoko said, her eyes widening. "Hum, she's got some power to her, it seems."

"Elaina entered this tournament as a dark horse, but quickly pulled ahead as the trainer to beat in this competition with her mysterious powers, strong pokemon, and ruthless fighting style, completely thrashing Roose Furr to make it to the quarter finals," Darla declared.

"Indeed, Darla, she's quite a fearsome foe," Lila said, trying to maintain a calm front, but her hands were trembling.

"But her opponent is no less ruthless," Darla reminded. "Naya Nadeshiko!"

Naya walked out onto the field to a markedly different reaction, the audience cheering for her as she wave, a smile touched with menace on her face.

"Naya defeated Nick Elwood with amazing brutality, but it seems that wasn't enough to sway the audience approval of her! Will she be able to defeat Elaina? The fans certainly think so! They're cheering her name!"

"What's up with that?" Sango exclaimed, frowning. "How can so many people be cheering for her after what she did to Nick? She's just as bad as Elaina!"

"Maybe…" Ryoko's serious voice drew the attention of the group toward her. "But at least she's still human."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked, confused.

"Look at them," Ryoko said, frowning. "I don't know what this Naya girl might have done… but the audience doesn't care. Because her opponent… that masked girl… she isn't normal. I've seen it many times before. No matter how bad one party may be… they're still seen as a 'normal' human. And so even if other 'normal' humans would reject or despise her under regular circumstances… they'll still flock to her side if her opponent is seen as something worse. That Elaina girl… they're calling her a monster. And if there's something humans love doing, it's ganging up upon monsters and things they see as unnatural."

"Wow…" Kitty said, frowning. "That almost makes me want to root for her…" She glanced at Julia's arm, and looked down. "Well… almost…"

"Well Alcea, it seems your pupil has certainly won the crowd to her side," Gerard said, staring out over the battlefield. "If only popular support was enough to win a pokemon battle."

"…" Alcea didn't fall for his taunt.

"Remaining silent, huh? Well, then let's watch with bated breath," Gerard shrugged. "We can see closely how my girl slaughters yours."

"Elaina Bishop…" Naya purred, holding her sleeve up in front of her face. "I'm pleased I get to fight against you in this match."

"Oh?"

"Indeed, Lady Alcea wished for me to fight you… to draw out your power… but now, my desires have changed…" Naya's face flushed red, and she licked her lips.

"Such a brutal and magnificent display… it's simply unbearable… more! Show me more! I want to fight against you full force… oh, it's amazing! Such power!"

She nearly doubled over, smiling widely.

"It's unbearable… an urge in my loins to see you beaten down into the dirt, just like my her highness! Now, show me the extent of your power, and satisfy my desire for a strong opponent!"

"Pathetic," Elaina said, shaking her head. "Simply pathetic. I won't waste any consideration on someone like you."

"Yes! Exactly! Don't hold anything back! Show me your full strength, so I can feel it in my body!" Naya urged.

"Well now that both sides have exchanged pleasantries," Darla shrugged.

"Was that what it was?" Lila asked.

"Now, let's set the stage!" Darla announced. A large roulette wheel appeared on the screen of the television, and began spinning quickly, pulling to a stop on a symbol of a leaf.

"Grass Stage 4! Rose Thorn Field!" The stadium began rumbling and the battlefield sunk into the ground.

"What an excellent battlefield," Naya murmured as the battlefield rose up to greet them, a briar field surrounded by large, thorny bushes and wide roses, their spiny tendrils spreading across the battlefield.

"A grass field is a good starting point for Naya," Lila noted. "But they'll have to watch their steps."

"But Elaina is a flying user," Darla reminded her. "So it might not go so smoothly, don't forget."

"True," Lila admitted. "She's really tough. Naya might be in a tough position."

"We'll see," Elaina said, frowning. "Let's begin already! Noctre! Go!"

"Same start as always, I see," Naya giggled, staring at the Noivern. "Let's see what we can do about that… Rey, go."

Naya threw out a pokeball, which her Ferrothorn emerged from.

"It seems that Naya has decided to rely on her Ferrothorn," Darla noted.

"Will that be enough?" Lila asked.

"You wanted to see my power?" Elaina asked. "Then we'll show it to you! Noctre, blow her Ferrothorn away with hurricane!"

"Rey, ingrain," Naya ordered. Rey raised his large vines and slammed them into the ground, rooting his body in place. Noctre flapped his long wings, creating a massive tornado in front of his body. With a swipe, he sent the tornado roaring across the field, throwing the briar patches into disarray as long thorn stems were tossed across the field. The wind struck Rey, shaking his body, but the grass type remained firmly rooted in place. The wind pushed past his body, spinning toward Naya. Her smile widened.

"Oh no!" Lila cried.

"It's heading right toward her!" Darla exclaimed.

Naya's eyes widened and she smiled, holding her hands out. The wind struck her head on, sending her tumbling backwards. She rose to her feet, shaking, a wide smile on her face. Blood trickled down from her temple and she wiped it away, licking her fingers clean.

"Amazing! Such amazing strength! You can inflict such damage with a single attack, just as a side effect! Oh, I can hardly stand it! You're the opponent I've been waiting for! Someone who can make me feel such exquisite pain… and gives me the opportunity to inflict such pain in response…"

"Rey!" Naya shouted. "Use spikes!"

"Spikes?" Lila asked.

"But that won't have any effect on a flying type!" Darla gasped.

"Oh no?" Naya asked. The spines on Rey's body grew bigger and split apart to send a barrage of spikes across the battlefield.

"Dodge them, and use another hurricane," Elaina ordered. Noctre flapped his wings and evaded the layers of spikes launched through the air, spreading his wings open to let loose a blast of wind at the grass type.

"Rey, pin missile," Naya ordered. Rey turned his body so the large spike on his head was pointed at Noctre, and he began spewing a swift barrage of needles from it.

Elaina ordered Noctre to change up his tactics, and the flying pokemon dove low to avoid the attacks, flying toward Rey, preparing for an air slash to dig the grass pokemon out from the ground.

"Grass knot," Naya said. Rey sent a pulse of energy through the ground and into the battlefield itself, and the thorny branches strewn across the ground leapt to life. They shot up and wrapped around Noctre, squeezing tightly down on the bat pokemon and driving their thorny surfaces into Noctre's body.

"Noi!" Noctre wailed, the painful thorns digging into him.

"Aaaaah!" Elaina shouted, feeling her skin ripped apart by the jagged rose bushes.

"Does it hurt?" Naya panted, licking her lips. "It hurts, doesn't it? Finally… finally! I knew it… when I first heard about this power of yours… the power to share your sensations with your pokemon… I knew that you were the perfect opponent for me! The one I've been looking for! I can't hurt trainers in a normal battle, but against you, any attacks I inflict on your pokemon are also dealt to you! And whenever you strike, it feels so wonderful! Oh, I'm so envious! If only I could possess that power of yours… what ecstasy you must be feeling… let me experience it!"

"What…" Elaina panted, "is wrong with you?"

"Oh?" Naya asked, tilting her head to the side. "Funny, I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand. I know full well that my… predilections are far from normal, but I wonder why you sound so disgusted. You're the same, aren't you? Don't you relish it? The joy of inflicting pain on others, and having pain inflicted on oneself… it's incomparable to anything! And yet you won't accept me? You won't share in my pleasure?"

"No… you're sick," Elaina growled. "To take pleasure out of hurting other people… I can't stand someone like you."

"…" Naya frowned. "It seems you do not understand. How disappointing. But no matter, we have all the time in the world. I will take great pleasure in carving my pleasure into your skin, until you become the beautiful foe that I so desire."

The battle between Naya and Elaina is heating up. Which one will emerge victorious? And whoever wins… will the end result be something we would want to see?