Time to continue the training of Holly! Will Kate help her master the poison type? We can only hope.
As for the Best Girl nominations, still going strong. Anyone else left to add?
Currently Nominated: Sango, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Dakota, Ayame, Marion, Kitty, Serefina, Madison
KedharS: I don't know, if there's one thing that Kate is good at, it's raising poison types and using poison type moves. She might be able to teach Holly a few tricks.
Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Yup, toxic is really good. Especially against a trainer with healing strategies, and who you can't beat through normal moves. So Holly may stand a chance after all!
Hellraiserphoenix: Petilil, like most other pokemon, could learn toxic by TM prior to Generation 8.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 225
"Okay, let's get started!" Kate said, kneeling in the grass. She took out her computer, and set it down on the ground, flipping it open. She removed the disk from the casing and inserted into the disk drive, beginning the program.
"Um… what should I do?" Holly asked.
"Send out your Petilil, okay?" Kate asked. Holly nodded, reaching into her purse and taking out her pokeball, releasing her small grass pokemon.
Kate walked lowered her hand and beckoned the Petilil over. Petilil looked up at her trainer for permission. Holly nodded.
"Okay, Petilil, what I'm going to need you to do is take a look at this screen, okay?" Kate asked, gesturing to her open laptop. "This will help you learn a really good move, okay?"
"Pet," Petilil nodded. She turned and faced the screen, her bright red eyes blinking energetically. Kate pressed play, and the disk began going. A series of images flashed on the screen at a speed so fast neither Kate nor Holly could even really catch them in time.
"What's going on?" Holly asked, rubbing her eyes.
"This is how TMs work," Kate explained. "They're special programs that contain data on pokemon moves. When a pokemon watches one, the information on how to perform the move is transmitted to them subconsciously through subliminal images. So Petilil is having the data on performing toxic directly uploaded into her brain, as though it were a computer receiving an update."
"Whoa, that's so cool!" Holly gasped, her eyes shining with excitement.
Meanwhile, Petilil was focused on the series of images flashing into her mind, teaching her all there was to know about how to use one of the stronger status inflicting moves. Then, as quickly as the sequence started, it was suddenly over, and the screen went black. Petilil blinked, the images still flashing in her head. She flopped back, slightly dizzy. Holly knelt down and held her hands out to catch her.
The disk tray ejected from the computer, the disk melting away.
"What happened?" Holly gasped.
"It burned out," Kate explained, wiping away the smoke from the aftermath of the disk. "See, these are basic TMs that only get to be used once. Those are the only kinds that are allowed to be manufactured by school rules. It takes a lot of time to fabricate a TM, develop the programming, and install it into a disk. If students were allowed to manufacture infinite-use TMs, that could really mess up the economy, you know?"
"Oh, right, because then you could flood the market with infinite moves, and people could make a ton of money."
Oh, right she's the daughter of a businessman, Kate remembered.
"Wait…" Holly turned to Kate, a sour expression on her face.
"What now?" Kate asked, frowning.
"That means you can only use it once, right?"
"Well, yeah," Kate nodded. "I was working on adjust the program for the last two weeks, in order to download it onto a disk for Reed. But it's no big deal, I can just get started on another one. You're on a time deadline, right?"
"…Exactly," Holly agreed, nodding. "Of course one should defer to me and my greatness…"
Her voice didn't exactly hold the conviction that it probably should, though. She still looked pretty troubled.
"Well, in any case, let's get started!" Kate smiled. "Now, your Petilil can use toxic. But she still doesn't know exactly how to use it just yet. Unfortunately, none of my pokemon will be affected by it, so we'll need to track down some wild pokemon to test it on, sound good?"
"Okay," Holly said, nodding. "Come on, Petilil."
"Petil," Petilil nodded, still blinking rapidly as the images still swirled around in her head. She was still a little dizzy, so Holly reached down and picked her up.
"Stick with me so you don't get lost," Kate called over her shoulder as they walked into the forest. "Even with your own pokemon, this forest can still be pretty dangerous if you stumble onto a stronger wild pokemon."
Blake, meanwhile, was waiting for Kate to come back. She didn't tell him when they'd be done, or what he should do in the meantime. So he was just sort of sitting at the edge of the forest, a decent ways away from Pikachu dorm, not really doing all that much.
The sound of a twig snapped behind him, Blake turning back and looking behind him. That wouldn't be Kate and Holly. They'd walked into the forest, and this was coming from behind him.
"You guys done?" Blake asked. More crackling as a figure moved into clearer sight. She walked along the edge of the path leading towards Pikachu dorm, coming from the forest, but not where the girls had gone.
"Caelia?" Blake asked, blinking in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Walk," Caelia replied.
Blake glanced at her leg.
"Is your leg doing okay?"
"Doesn't hurt," Caelia replied. Blake rolled his eyes.
"Is it healed?"
Caelia blinked.
"Did you get permission from your doctor?"
"Yes." Caelia nodded. Blake sighed in relief.
"So you go for walks, huh?" Blake asked. "I thought you spent all your time locked up in your room."
"I do," Caelia replied. "But needed to get checkup. Pokemon center. Get pokemon back."
Blake's eyes widened.
"Oh, that's right! I heard that you fought against Alcea yesterday!"
Caelia nodded.
"Tried. Lost. Couldn't win, couldn't win, couldn't win…" Caelia muttered, shaking her head. "Pokemon hurt. Needed help. Came back today, picked them up."
"I see, it must have been a rough battle," Blake responded, Caelia nodding slightly in agreement. "Well, I heard that you lost. Did you at least try your best, though? I know that you must have put up a pretty good fight."
"…Yes," Caelia said. "…Sorry."
"Huh?" Blake tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Tried to beat her. Keep you here. She's taking you away. Didn't want… didn't want her to take you away. Not fair. Not fair. Stay here, stay here…" Caelia shook her head, her voice as numb and flat as always, but Blake still sensed some amount of emotion traced into it.
Blake sighed, shaking his head.
"Yeah, sorry, I know," Blake said, stepping a little closer to Caelia. He placed a hand on her shoulder (making sure that it was the one without the burns) to comfort her, even though he knew she couldn't feel it. "I heard about that, too. But you didn't have to do something like that, you know?"
"No, no, I did, I did," Caelia refused, shaking her head. "Can't have you leave, need…"
She looked into his eyes.
"Need you."
"You don't need me that badly," Blake said, shaking his head. "You just need to open up more to other people. I know you feel wary about that, but…"
"No. Can't. Not yet, no…" Caelia said adamantly. Blake had dealt with this a few times. His sister was exactly the same way. Talking to Caelia was a lot like talking to her, she was reliant on Blake just like Caelia was, and Blake wanted to help Caelia the same way.
"Caelia… I want to stay here, and part of that is so I can help you open up more," Blake insisted. Even though you don't seem to want that yourself…
Caelia didn't really respond to that.
"But see, the thing is," Blake continued, "you didn't have to fight Alcea over it. Alcea isn't the one taking me away. See, our parents want that from us. But the two of us… we can't control that at all. So… if you could, please don't keep bothering Alcea over it, okay? I'm going to do as best I can to convince my foster father and Alcea's parents to let me stay here. So just hold on for a little bit, okay? I promise I'm going to do my best to make sure I'm not going anywhere."
"…I see," Caelia nodded. "Okay."
"That's good," Blake sighed in relief. "Thanks for checking up on me, and being concerned over me, Caelia. I hope that you keep doing well, okay? And I'm going to keep doing my best."
Caelia nodded. She was glad that she had seen him coming off of that boat this morning, and followed after him. She had been wrong before. Alcea was taking him away. But she wasn't the one who could keep him here. She would find a way to force him to stay here. However she could.
"I'm going," Caelia said, stepping past him. "Pokemon. Need to rest."
Caelia walked past Blake and walked towards the Pikachu dorm, without looking behind her.
"Okay, see you!" Blake said, waving to her. That's good, so she doesn't need to cling to me all the time the way a certain someone always does. Hopefully she can take the next step to begin talking to other people. It's hard, due to her burns and her condition to connect with others. But still… I hope that she can eventually get the chance, even if I'm not here for her…
A frown crossed his face.
I know full well, after all, how difficult it can be if someone is entirely dependent on another person for their self-esteem and feeling of security. I don't want Caelia to have to deal with something as difficult and damaging as that.
Little did Blake realize, however, that where he was standing, not far off from the path leading past Pikachu Dorm, was well within the sight of Caelia's room. He was practically outside of her window. She could watch over him from the comfort of her room, and he wouldn't even notice. So of course she didn't need to stay with him. She was fully satisfied with sitting back and watching him from afar.
Just like she did every day. The road leading the main section of campus, where his classes took place, led him right past Pikachu Dorm. Caelia watched him from her window all the time. It made her feel close to him, just seeing that he was doing okay. She'd almost worked out his entire schedule at this point. It was essential for keeping an eye on him and making sure he wasn't doing anything unfair. So it wouldn't be fair if he was going to leave. She wouldn't allow him to leave her. She needed him by her side. Now she just had to figure out a way to keep him around.
"So just hold on for a little bit, okay? I promise I'm going to do my best to make sure I'm not going anywhere."
A small smile crossed Caelia's face as she looked out the window at the boy standing below, looking out towards the forest.
I understand, Blake. You want to stay here with me. Of course you do, of course, of course. You want to make me happy, you want to be with me. I'll help you however I can. I'll find a way to keep you here. Just wait for me, Blake. I heard you…
Blake felt a shiver run down his spine, which was surprising. Even though it was fall, the temperature hadn't quite taken a turn for the worse just yet. I guess winter's almost here…
Meanwhile, Kate and Holly were hard at work getting Petilil to master her toxic skills.
"Petil!" Petilil cried, opening her mouth. An orb of toxic energy appeared in front of her mouth, and she spit it at a Zigzagoon, hitting the pokemon directly.
"Zig!" The Zigzagoon cried, the poison seeping into his fur.
"Nice hit, Petilil!" Holly cheered. "Now, use aromatherapy to take care of it, okay?"
"Pet!" Petilil nodded, her body glowing green. A soothing aroma wafted through the forest, the Zigzagoon's eyes widening in surprise. A smile crossed his face, and he let out a happy sigh as the poison worked itself out of his system.
"Bye, Zigzagoon!" Holly waved goodbye to the striped pokemon as he ran into the brush.
"Your aim's getting better," Kate complimented her. "And that was really sweet, using your Petilil's aromatherapy to heal the poison."
"Well, of course," Holly said, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. "It isn't fair to treat wild pokemon with brutality. A true noble character must act with benevolence towards her subjects, don't you agree?"
Kate rolled her eyes.
"Sure thing, kid."
Holly frowned, looking up at Kate nervously. She'd been doing that a lot for the last few hours. It was starting to get on Kate's nerves. If she had something to say, she should just come out and say it, why was she being so fidgety and embarrassed? It was annoying.
Zero self-awareness, that Kate.
"Um…"
"Yeah?" Kate asked, glancing at Holly.
"Why are you doing this?" Holly asked. "Because my sister told you to?"
"What do you mean?" Kate asked, confused.
"You don't like me, right?" Holly clarified.
"Nope, you're annoying. And I don't like how you're fawning over Blake. It's really gross, you're just a child."
"How can you be that mean?!" Holly cried out in shock.
"Because it's my nature," Kate shocked.
"Then why are you doing this, huh?!" Holly demanded, utterly confused. "Why are you being so nice and helping me learn how to use poison moves if you hate me?"
Kate rolled her eyes, sighing.
"Okay, like, 'hate' is a strong word," Kate explained, doing her classic "go too far out of habit and then backtracking to clarify her real feelings" trick.
"But you are my love rival, right?" Holly snapped.
"What?!" Kate exclaimed, her face bright red.
"You like Blake! I know, it's really obvious!"
"Sh-shut up!" Kate cried. "You're still a child, you don't know anything!"
"I have eyes! I can see clearly! You're trying to take away my husband you homewrecker!"
"He isn't yours!" Kate shot back. "He doesn't belong to anyone!"
The two glared at each other, huffing, tilting their noses up at each other, refusing to make eye-contact. Petilil bounced up to Holly's side, looking up at her worriedly.
Holly was the first to break the stalemate.
"So what is it? My sister told you to help me, right? I don't need her pity! I can beat her on my own! I'm not gonna use toxic after all!"
Kate winced, her scowl taking on a hint of sadness. She sighed.
"Look, her highness… she didn't say anything like that. I'm only supposed to keep an eye on you, that's not why I want to help you."
"Then why?" Holly demanded. "I don't want your charity! If you're pitying me, I didn't ask you to, commoner! You chose to sacrifice your TM for my sake, not me! I wouldn't have wanted you to do that, ever, got it?"
Kate sighed, shaking her head in frustration.
"It's a long story," she replied, looking around for a place to sit. There was a felled tree a close distance to them, presumably knocked over by a wild pokemon. She walked over to the makeshift bench, gesturing for Holly to follow, and sat down on it.
Holly looked at the tree, and the bark. She decided to stand. She wouldn't ruin her nice dress on some sticky, sappy tree.
"You're right, I did feel a little bad for you," Kate admitted. "See… you're a lot like Blake… but you also kind of remind me a lot of myself, you know?"
Holly scoffed at the idea that she could have anything in common with this frumpy commoner. Kate gave her a dirty look in response.
"I always… I've thought about her highness… Alcea… as a sister to look up to," Kate said. "So much so, that a while back, I tried to imitate her. And yet, here you are, trying so hard to overcome her, while I was just content with sitting back and staying in her shadow. I was fine with only being 'like' her highness, and not trying to be myself. So I guess seeing you try so hard to be better than her, to beat her…"
Kate looked up into Holly's eyes. Hers were surprisingly passionate.
"I guess what I'm saying is that I never even thought that beating her was possible. I've never tried to do it myself. I always convinced myself that someone like me… no way I could compete with someone like her."
"Of course not," Holly said, shaking her head. "My sister is amazing! She's beautiful and smart and talented, everyone looks up to her and loves her! Compared to her, someone like you is the commoner of commoners."
"I know," Kate sighed. "That's why I hoped, at least, that someone like me, someone who's only ever lived in her shadow… might have a chance at reaching her. I love her highness. And I don't ever want to see her lose. But… I came so close to seeing that very thing yesterday. She was pushed to the edge, but even though someone like me was doing it… I wasn't happy. It's not that I want her to fail. I just… I just wish that it would be possible, that someone like me… I want her highness to acknowledge someone like us."
"I'm not like you!" Holly protested. "Little miss surrender! I'm going to beat Alcea! You gave up without even trying!"
"I know," Kate said, shaking her head glumly. "I know."
Holly's frown darkened. This presumptuous girl who until now had been spewing such anger towards her was sitting there, resigned, taking all the scorn and abuse Holly was throwing at her. And that made Holly feel bad. She felt like the villain now, and not the heroine. Why wasn't this poison girl sticking up for herself?!
"Alcea saved me at a very dark time in my life," Kate whispered. "Back when I was alone, with nothing and no one. I've always been hated by others, chastised and derided because of this or that. My father is just some guy who stumbled upon an amazing formula for perfume mixed from Skuntank stink and Grimer sludge, and built the family fortune on that. You're right. I'm just a commoner born from a commoner who got a little lucky. I don't deserve to stand on the same stage as her highness. But even then… her highness still… she still wanted to be my friend."
Kate wiped her eyes.
"I don't… have any friends," Kate admitted. "Besides Alcea. My one and only friend was a girl named Valerie. Back when all the other girls were bullying me and making fun of me for loving poison types, Valerie was the only one who would talk to me. We were friends, and she was always there to make me feel better… god, why am I telling you this?"
Kate shook her head, standing up.
"Just forget I said anything," Kate said.
"No, I… I want to know," Holly said, looking up at her. "If… if you don't mind, I mean. After all… Blake listened to my story, so I'm sure, if he were here, he'd want to listen to yours. And as his future wife, it is my duty to listen to the concerns of his friends, and help them! Think of my generosity as payment for teaching my Petilil how to use toxic!"
Kate blinked, surprised, and then continued to explain more of her history to Holly.
"Valerie was my only friend. I could put up with the suffering I went through in school, as long as she was there to comfort me afterwards. But then everything changed, and… she wasn't."
Just remembering what happened to her friendship with Val made Kate want to cry.
"Val, she… see, bullies aren't just content with one target. Before long… she became targeted by them due to being my friend. But see, they didn't have anything against her. They only hated me, because I was the weirdo who loved poison pokemon. And that's why, the other girls… they told her that if she wanted to stop getting ignored and bullied by them, all she had to do was stop being my friend. And… that's what she did. One day, she stopped inviting me over to her house. She stopped returning my calls. And when I finally talked to her in person, she told me exactly what had happened. To think that I had caused my friend so much pain… of course I didn't blame her for breaking things off with me. And then I was really alone. I hated myself, and everyone around me after that. And that… that was when I saw your sister for the first time. She… the way she was adored by everyone… she was everything that I wasn't. So I came to the pokemon academy to get close to her, to try to be like her. But in the end… I was just lying to myself."
Kate smiled a sad smile, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Just like Blake helped you… he helped me, too. I focused on grass pokemon like Alcea so people wouldn't hate me. So people wouldn't make fun of her highness for being around a poison pokemon trainer. The pokemon I loved took my place to belong back at my previous school, and I didn't want that to happen again. But in the end… it was still a lie. I couldn't hide who I really was, what I really loved. And Blake helped me through that. Blake and Alcea together. They both showed that they were willing to accept me for who I was, and that's why I love them so much."
"…W-wait! Wait, wait, WAIT!" Kate exclaimed, her face turning bright red as what she'd just said sank in. "Wh-wh-when I said 'love' just now, I don't mean romantically! No, no, just… you know, as friends! I love them as friends, because they accepted me as a friend! Don't take it to mean the wrong way or anything!"
Holly resisted the urge to laugh.
"I don't like you very much either," Holly admitted. "You're annoying and mean. But I guess you can also be nice, too. And someone who likes my sister that much can't be a bad person. And you're trying to help me and Petilil. So I've decided, after me and Blake get married, you can come be our maid! What do you think? Isn't that a generous offer? I don't care if you love poison types or bug types or even ghost types! I'll accept you no matter what!"
Holly extended a hand to Kate, a big, warm smile on her face.
"So come serve me, commoner!"
Kate smiled, and brought her hand down on Holly's skull in a swift chop.
"How dare you strike your mistress you scullery maid?!"
"Who the hell would want to work for a brat like you, huh!?"
The two glared at each other angrily, the previous tender moment entirely forgotten. But as snappish as they were towards one another, there was a little less tension than there had been that morning. While they certainly weren't anything close to friends, an understanding had developed between the two of them, and that brought a smile to their hearts, even when their faces were scowling.
Good, that's nice. Kate's made another friend, kind of.