Let's see what the conclusion of Sylvia's match with Richard Harker is! Will Sylvia tell all? Or will Richard be forced to cancel Blake's engagement to Alcea? And how does Blake feel about all this? Let's find out, shall we?

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

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: As obsessive as Caelia is over Blake, I don't think she'd want to hurt him. At least not yet. She wouldn't want him to have to go through what she went through, she knows full well how miserable her existence is.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 232

Richard Harker was feeling pressure for the first time in a while when playing Go. As in the previous game, Sylvia had improved leaps and bounds over the course of their second. She was taking advantage of the weakness in his formation and making cuts, pushing him to take riskier plays. She made occasionally erratic moves, but they were working. It was vexing him considerably, considering that this was her second game.

It's like she's not even playing Go. Rather, she's reading me and figuring out my strategy, and deducing where the best place to play to cut me off is. That level of foresight can only be gained with years of experience and knowledge of your opponent, so for her to do it so readily… He felt like he was being hustled. But as much as he hated to admit it, Sylvia was an amateur. But at the same time, she was quite certainly a prodigy. Maybe she really was that smart…

What a monster, echoed Richard's thoughts as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. But still… she's playing from an advantage of three stones. Defending that advantage means her victory. I need…

The place where Richard needed to play in order to connect his territory had been filled by one of Sylvia's earlier random stone placements. How aggravating.

But I'm not losing. Even though Sylvia was remarkable, Richard still held the lead in points, slim that it was.

Neither side was going to resign. The match had entered into the end-game, and the two were playing equal. Richard held a slim advantage, but there was still murkiness. Very seldom did his games reach this point without the outcome being certain. But now it was almost over.

Richard scanned the board. There were no longer any gaps in his territory, nor any moves to make into Sylvia's territory. The game had reached its end, so he passed.

"Over already?" Sylvia asked, looking over the board. "…Guess so. Pass."

With both parties passing, the game ended. They removed the dead stones from the board, and began dividing up the territory. As they did, Richard's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No way…" Blake gasped, his mouth falling open in shock.

"Huh," Sylvia smiled. "Look at that! We have the same amount of territory, and the same number of captured stones!"

Ayame blinked.

"Wait, how does that…"

"It's a tie," Blake said, stunned.

"Impossible…" Richard looked over the board again, but the evidence was plain to see.

"A tie? Is that even possible?" Ayame asked.

"Not normally, because white is given a 6.5 or 8.5 point handicap for going second," Blake explained. "But for a game where handicap stones are placed, this is not the case. So it's entirely possible for a game to end in a tie. But the chance of it happening…"

"Very rare," Richard agreed.

"But it's more interesting this way, don't you think?" Sylvia giggled, running her fingers over the stones. "I mean, anyone can win or lose a game. But to get a tie… don't you think that's so much more fun?"

Richard paused, taking a look at the expression on her face. She wore a pensive smile, but beneath it there was far more, something he could barely see…

"Well, unfortunately it looks like our bet is a moot point," Sylvia sighed. "What a bummer, if I had only had another handicap stone I totally could have won… looks like three wasn't enough, after all…"

Her eyes were gleaming playfully, and Richard heard a distinct lack of sincerity in her tone.

This girl… while I was trying to win, was she aiming to tie the game? Is something like that even possible? Richard asked himself. No… it can't be, can it?

"I suppose there's nothing to be done but have another game?" Sylvia asked. She narrowed her eyes, staring deeply at Richard with a gaze that was more than a little intimidating for someone so young. "I'm really getting the sense that I have an affinity for this game… next time… only two handicap stones should be enough, don't you think?"

That look in her eye, like a cat playing with a mouse. He had little doubt that she'd be able to win handily even with a two stone handicap. She might even be able to win without any handicap at all. He'd spent a good many years polishing his skill at Go, and here came this young girl barely older than his daughter who was able to match him down to a tie after having played less games than a full hand would need to count.

"I think there is no need for that," Richard said, shaking his head. He coughed. "This has been *cough* quite an experience, but I find myself growing weary."

Sylvia blinked, and shrugged, rising from her seat.

"Sorry to hear that," she smiled. "I suppose we'll have to postpone our rematch. In the meantime, I simply must look deeper into this game, it's quite a lot of fun. I see why you like it so much. How odd that chess is so much more popular, when this is such a richer game to play."

"But are you sure you're okay with this? My leaving without informing you of anything?"

"It would be wise of you not to underestimate the Harker family," Sephiria spoke up, Sylvia turning to the fellow blonde. "That you suspect foul play is enough. I'm arranging to contact the proper authorities to look into this claim. Our insurance will go over the wreckage as well. The truth will come out. Your game was ultimately pointless."

Sylvia smiled. She wasn't happy being undermined, but she'd already got what she wanted anyhow.

"Well, it is as you say, of course," Sylvia grinned. She bowed her head to Richard. "Then I shall take my leave. Thank you for the games."

"Thank you for the games," Richard Harker replied with a nod.

Sylvia turned and headed towards the door, pausing to glance at Blake and Ayame.

"Blake, come see me sometime if you'd like to know more, I'll be sure to give you a thorough… debriefing," Sylvia purred. "In the meantime… it might benefit you to have a talk with your friend Caelia Auburne. It's certain to be… informative."

And with that, Sylvia flounced out of the room, her Shuppet following behind her.

"Quite an interesting young lady," Richard murmured, coughing. "Blake… I think it's time we discuss what our next steps will be."

He glanced at Ayame pointedly. Ayame nodded, rising from her seat and heading outside.

"I'll take my leave as well, sir," Sephiria said, following after her. She glanced at Blake. "I believe this is a conversation that should be resolved between family."

"Thank you," Richard nodded. The two women left, and only Blake and Richard remained in the room.

"Shall we continue our discussion?" Blake asked. Richard nodded.

"You insist that you refuse to marry Alcea Vermeil?" Richard asked.

"I refuse," Blake confirmed.

"And you are willing to bear the consequences for that decision?"

"I am," Blake stated. "Even if it means I will lose my connection with your family, your support, even if I lose the happiness I had built until now… my decision is the same."

"And this is how you repay my family for the 8 years of gratitude we showed you, taking you in as one of our own?"

Blake winced, unable to meet Richard's harsh gaze for a brief moment. But he raised his head, staring his foster father in the eye.

"I am grateful to your family for all you have done for me these past 8 years," Blake replied. "If not for your kindness, I would not have lived the life I live now. True, there were many times that were painful, but I never once regretted you adopting me. Thanks to your generosity, I, who was left with nothing, not even memories, could receive the love of a mother and father, and a brother and sister who I cherish. You provided me with many great opportunities, including the opportunity to come here. And coming here, I have made many wonderful friends who I love and cherish."

"It seems you do owe my family a great deal," Richard nodded. "Who will pay for your tuition, should you follow through with your threat?"

"I'll figure something out," Blake replied.

"So for all I've done, you will not cede to my request?" Richard asked. That look in his eye… it almost felt like he was testing Blake somehow.

I see… so he wants to see if I have the resolve to go through with something like this, Blake realized. It's true, I do value my family more than anything. But as grateful as I am…

"I am grateful to you. And I know this is a debt that I can't repay. But even so… my life is my life. I want to stay here, with my friends. I won't be a puppet for the Harker family, or a tool for a business agreement. Even if that means severing our relationship here and now, I refuse to comply with your engagement."

Richard stared at him in silence for a long while. He turned and glanced out of the window at the low afternoon sun, and coughed.

"Your reason… is this… for her sake?"

Blake winced. That was something he couldn't help but admit was the case.

"…I won't deny that your concerns are correct," Blake admitted. "But it isn't just that. I… I want to find my own future, with my own hands. And more than that… the people I have here… they make me happy. Growing up… the only people who I could consider friends were Claire and my siblings. But now… I have so many people here who I want to spend more time with. So that's why."

"And you're certain of this," Richard confirmed, "even though this path might lead you to hardship in the future?"

Blake nodded.

"I know that you don't want it, that you've resigned yourself. But… I still haven't given up. I won't ever give up. So even if it hurts… I want to see this through until the end."

"I see…" Richard nodded. "I see…"

Richard turned back to face Blake, looking him in the eye.

"The duty of a parent is to care for their children, and work to ensure the best future they can achieve," Richard said quietly, keeping his voice low to prevent another coughing fit. "I am not someone who can call himself your father, but I still want to look after you and help you find happiness."

"I know that, of course," Blake smiled.

"And that's why I cannot approve of your decision to stay here," Richard explained. "But… it is not my decision to make. As you said, you are your own person. I cannot compel you to leave with me, nor can I force you into a wedding that you do not want. I had hoped that by taking you away from this place, and giving you the future I envisioned, would bring you happiness. Compel you to give up on pursuing this fool's errand of yours, when I know that it will only burden you with greater pain."

Blake's eyes widened. A feeling of hope began to burn in his chest as he hung on to every word Richard spoke.

"My decision was made, keeping in mind the you that I have known up until now. Withdrawn and isolated, treating those around you with superficial decorum," Richard continued. "Someone who pretended to be a normal person to acclimate to those around you. Someone who could not and would not connect to anyone out of fear of being abandoned. Because you had always been that type of person, I assumed that nothing would have changed. But that assumption was erroneous. It seems that you have made a great deal of friends at this place. That short redhead, the blonde, that white-haired girl, and the one with the stern face… the fishing girl, Marion Rivers, that girl Ayame, who sat beside you the entire time you were here, to support you, and many others, I'm sure… It seems that you are no longer the little boy who would shut himself off from strangers and only connect with a scant few."

"So you're saying that I can stay?" Blake asked, trying to keep from sounding too hopeful.

"Since our family fell apart, I have always feared that this crusade of yours would bring you nothing but despair. Having lost so much already, I wanted to protect myself from losing anything more. But now… if you feel pain, you will have others around you, to give you support. If you fall, there will be those who will help you stand back on your feet. So even if things go as I fear they will… you are stronger now than you were back in those days. It isn't just your strength… but the strength of you and your friends, helping and supporting each other."

A nostalgic smile crossed his face.

"I too, know what it is like to have precious friends who will always lend you support in difficult times."

Blake swallowed. It still stung, but the pain felt so much less.

"I will… postpone you leaving the school," Richard stated. "You have made this decision, knowing the full weight of the potential consequences you face. As long as you can do that, then I will support you choice. I'm done being the stubborn fool trying to keep you safe for my own selfish desire. Whatever pain this path brings you, I'm certain you will rise above it the stronger man."

A scowl crossed his face and his brow furrowed.

"If this has taught me anything, then it's the fact that I alone do not have the power to protect you from the world. Whether sabotage or a mere accident, we can't protect those we love from everything. Not even a woman stronger than any trainer I've known."

Blake nodded. They both knew that to be all too true.

"So the engagement is off, then," Blake said, sighing in relief. He felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. While he had never needed Richard's permission, getting his blessing still made him feel relieved. He had been prepared to give up everything, but that didn't mean he had wanted to.

"No. This and that are separate issues."

"What?!" Blake's cry of shock was a little too rough on his throat, and the sudden volume change sent a wave of agony down into his lungs that brought out a wave of coughing.

"I've permitted you to continue attending this school. Nothing more. I still fully intend on having you marry Alcea Vermeil upon your graduation."

"I don't want that, though," Blake replied.

"Oh? Then do you have another partner in mind?"

"…Well, no, but…"

"Then what is the issue?"

Blake wasn't sure how to respond. It wasn't like he had some big moral objection to marrying Alcea. His biggest concern with this engagement had always been dropping out of school and leaving his friends behind. Now that that was no longer a factor of the engagement, and he was forced to analyze the marriage from purely the standpoint of whether or not he wanted to marry Alcea, he couldn't say for certain whether or not he was immediately opposed to it.

"I don't love her," Blake replied. "I don't want to marry someone I don't love."

"I see," Richard said, nodding. "So you want me to call of the engagement, then?"

"Yes."

"And are you willing to bear the consequences of that decision?"

"Uh…"

"I told you, if you have the resolve to do something, and accept the consequences of doing it, then I will support your decision. Your school life only has ramifications for you. But this is a decision that will reflect on your family as a whole. Going back on our agreement now will more than likely put us in bad standing with the Vermeils. That would affect our business, and could lead to downsizing and layoffs. Those are lives we are talking about. I'm asking you if you have the resolve to bear that burden on your shoulders.

Blake gulped.

"I would like… to discuss things with Alcea once more," Blake finally replied. "Neither one of us wishes for this wedding to go forward. Because of that, I believe that it should be possible to come to an agreement that can bring things to a close, benefiting all the parties involved. Is that okay with you?"

"I already told you," Richard replied. "You're not the same child you used to be. If you're willing to bear the consequences for your decisions, then I will not oppose you in doing what you wish to do. That's what it means to be an adult. If you don't want to go through with this marriage but also do not want to damage our company and its reputation, then find a solution where that can be done. Otherwise, you must make a choice, and accept the consequences of that choice. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Blake said, nodding.

A small smile crossed Richard's face. It seemed that there wouldn't be anything to worry about, either way. A partnership with the Vermeils was still possible, even if it wasn't done through marriage. If Blake and the Vermeil girl could work out a way to do it, then that would certainly be in all their best interests. So he was fine seeing how this would all shake out.

"I find myself growing weary now," Richard replied. "You may take your leave."

He gestured to the goban sitting on the bed.

"Take that with you, as well, bring it back to your friend," he added. "And send her my thanks as well. It's a pity we weren't able to get in a game of our own."

"Next time," Blake promised, placing the bowls on the wooden grid and lifting it up. Geez, it really was heavy. Ayame was carrying this with her broken ribs?

"Yes, next time…" Richard echoed, nodding. "Send in Sephiria as you leave, as well."

Blake headed to the door. Richard leaned back in the bed, stretching his legs.

"Blake. One last thing, before you go."

"Hmm?"

"If it were possible… would you like to meet your mother?"

Blake paused.

"Isn't she still…?"

Richard shook his head.

"No. Not my wife. I mean the woman who gave birth to you."

Blake's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.

"She got in contact with me some time ago. I fully believe that she is telling the truth about her claim. If you wish, I would be able to arrange a meeting between the two of you."

Blake didn't know how to feel about what he was saying. That was a bombshell he had not expected. All his life, Blake had not had even the slightest inkling about his real family. All he knew about his past before the Harkers was what he had learned about related to the Village of the Demons incident, other various articles, and second-hand information from Pokemon Rangers and Professor Reinhart. His birth parents had always been an abstract concept to him, not something really worth thinking of. He knew, of course, that he must have had them. But he also knew that he had been raised in an orphanage. During which time, he had undergone severe trauma, as evidenced by the scars covering his body even now.

And now his mother wanted to see him?

What kind of woman was she? It would be one thing if his parents were dead. That had been what he had always assumed. But no, his mother, his real mother, was apparently alive. Which meant that he hadn't been orphaned. He had been abandoned. His real parents had tossed him aside like he was trash, and now his mother was saying she wanted to meet him? He should be furious, he should want nothing to do with her.

And yet, part of him was saying he should meet up with her all the same.

Maybe nothing would change. He couldn't imagine a reason to forgive her. Or maybe he didn't want to, after what he had gone through. And yet, part of him said that he would always be hung up on this if he didn't get closure. That's what he needed? That was always what people said was needed.

"You can take your time to think about it," Richard replied. "I know this is an important decision to make. I had intended to keep this from you until you were older… but I've recently been confronted with my own mortality, and decided that I would not want to deny you of this chance."

"That's okay," Blake said, forcing a smile onto his face. "I… only have one mother. So you needn't concern yourself with my feelings on the matter."

"…I see," Richard said, nodding. "Very well, then. Contact me if you change your mind."

Blake probably wouldn't. Whatever her reasons might have been, the past was the past. Blake would put those difficult times behind him, and move forward with his life all on his own.

So Blake finally gets permission from his father to stay at the Pokemon Academy! But the matter isn't completely settled yet! Will he and Alcea be able to call off the engagement, as well?