Blake's finally confronted his brother about all the bullshit! And Kanone actually has the gall to not tell him about what happened in Agate Village? If Blake wants to learn the truth, then he'll have to use all his best pokemon to defeat Kanone. But will it be enough? Does he have the strength? And if he does this, will his pokemon still be in good enough condition to help Ayame? We'll have to find out. But it should be a very exciting match.

Jjjdunk1: Yes, it's going to be intense now!

KedharS: Oh, you haven't seen the half of it, Blake's being reckless and self-destructive like never before.

Hyphenman: It's tough love. Kanone knows if he tells Blake about Gwen and Samarra, Blake might do something stupid. And if he's going to do something stupid, he wants to at least make sure Blake's strong enough to handle the repercussions of his stupidity. Which is, in and of itself, pretty stupid as well. They may not share blood but they're definitely brothers.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1274

"What the hell?" Blake stared in shock at Sammy. The Samurott had transformed since he'd last seen her! That was the only explanation. He'd seen his brother's Samurott fight more than any of his other pokemon, he knew her appearance by heart. And while the pokemon standing in the garden's field was undoubtedly Sammy, there was no question that she was different.

"Here's what we'll do," Kanone said, putting things into plain terms. "Sammy has become a Water/Dark type. I'm sure you're aware of what type of pokemon Gwen specializes in, aren't you?"

Blake scowled.

"And she still couldn't win. No matter how valiantly she fought. So what makes you think that you, with your team, will be able to make a difference?" Kanone asked. He wasn't mocking Blake's ability, his eyes were adamant. He was genuinely searching for an answer from his brother, to see if it was possible for Blake to defeat Gwen in his current state.

And frankly, Blake wasn't sure if it was.

But he was going to try.

"You have three days to train," Kanone said. "And then our battle will be on the fourth day. It will be an exhibition match in front of the entire school. Use that time to prepare your team however you can to defeat Sammy. If you can't-"

"But that's not fair!" Sango shouted. "You can't!"

Kanone looked at her for the first time. "Excuse me, miss, I understand you're close to Blake, but this is a family matter, so if you would be so kind-"

"Blake can't spend that time training!" Sango exclaimed. "He's going to be entering the Pokeathlon himself! He needs to get his pokemon ready for THAT!"

Kanone frowned. "I understand that the event is an engaging one for the student body, but this is far more-"

"It's not about that!" Sango shouted, stomping her foot. "It's about Ayame! Blake needs to train in order to compete against her! He can't waste his time fighting against you! Please… this is his best chance at helping her get back her memories…"

Kanone narrowed his eyes. "Memories? What are you talking about?"

Alcea winced. She cleared her throat to get Kanone's attention. "After the… incident in Agate Village… it seems that Ayame Toujou has lost all memory of Blake. The entire reason Olivia organized this event is to see if it will help her get her memories back."

"Why am I just now hearing about this?!" Kanone exclaimed, standing up suddenly. His face was pale and twisted with concern. "If she lost her memories after that, then…"

He caught himself before he said too much, looking warily at Blake. His little brother was watching him intently, ready to catch him if he let anything slip. They shared a tense exchange of gazes before Kanone composed himself.

"…If that's the case… then it's truly a pity," he said. "But I won't negotiate on this point, Blake. I'm not going to just tell you what happened in the Orre Region if you're not ready to hear it. But in light of your complicated situation, I suppose we could postpone the test for after the-"

"It's fine," Blake cut him off. "I'll fight you at the exhibition match in four days."

Sango's jaw dropped.

"You can't!" She cried. "What about Ayame?"

Blake didn't even look at her.

"The sooner we resolve this, the sooner I can figure out how to help Gwen," Blake said evenly, not diverting his eyes from his brother's glare. "Am I wrong in thinking that Gwen's situation is time-sensitive?"

"Blake!" Sango couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You're not," Kanone admitted, shaking his head. "The sooner we can save Gwen the better. We can't afford to take this lightly."

"Of course not," Blake scowled. "Knowing you, if time wasn't a factor, you wouldn't have come to me this soon. So fine, I'll take your test on Friday. And I'll win."

Kanone smiled. "I hope you will." He recalled Sammy to her pokeball, and made to leave. But not before turning to Alcea and favoring her with a smile as well.

"Excellent tea as always," he said, kissing her hand, causing her to blush out of reflex. She quickly composed herself.

"O-Oui, of course," Alcea said. She turned to Blake and Sango. "I apologize for the tense situation, is there anything I can get you two?"

"I have to go train," Blake said, shaking his head. He turned to leave and then paused. "…Actually…"

"Blake, what are you thinking?!" Sango demanded as she stormed after him.

"I'm thinking that I need Kate's support for this, believe it or not," Blake replied, entering her number into his phone.

"That's not what I meant! I meant taking this challenge in general!" She exclaimed. "And don't you already have Kate's cell?!"

"I periodically purge her from my contacts list."

"That's so mean! …Wait, we're not done talking about this!"

Blake stopped, and turned to Sango. His eyes were cold. "We are done," he said. "There's nothing else to talk about. I'm doing this, Sango."

Sango winced. "B-But… but Ayame… you could be throwing away your best chance at helping her… at getting back together with her…"

A wave of pain crossed Blake's face. He sighed.

"…I know that," he admitted. "But Ayame… she's doing better than I thought. At first, I was afraid that, without being able to remember me, she'd regressed to her previous self-destructive behaviors. That's why I was so adamant about bringing back her memories. But since then, I've realized… she doesn't need her memories of me to keep being the same strong, amazing person she always is. She doesn't need me."

Sango didn't buy his BS for one second. "That's just rationalizing!" She shouted, stomping her foot. She jammed her finger into Blake's chest. "You're just telling yourself that to make yourself feel better! You want to bring her memories back more than anyone! But you also want to help your sister! So since you think you can't have both, you've convinced yourself that you don't really want one! When we both know that's complete CRAP!"

"And what about you?" Blake replied, scowling.

Sango was taken aback. "…M-Me?"

Blake leaned in, narrowing his eyes. "Why are you so adamant about this?" He asked. "Do you really want to see me dating Ayame again that badly?"

"O-Of course I do…" Sango mumbled, not sure what he was implying.

Blake grabbed her hand, pulling it away from his chest, and leaned in closer. "Is that really the case?" He questioned. "Forget for a second about me helping Ayame. Do you, Sango, really want me to go out with her?"

"What are you saying?" Sango's heart was pounding wildly. Blake's eyes were staring right into hers. His face was so close that she thought he was going to kiss her.

"I'm saying… that maybe you should try being a little bit more honest with what you really want," Blake whispered. His face got even closer to hers. There was no doubt in Sango's mind now what he was trying to do.

SMACK!

The sound of a slap echoed across the field.

"You're despicable," Sango spat, her face red and her eyes filled with tears. She ran off through the grass with Silver floating quickly after her, leaving Blake alone.

"…Twice in one day, huh?" Blake nursed the red spot on his cheek, newly-inflamed from the second strike. "…Is that the sort of dramatic moment that gets your viewers going?"

Dakota popped out of the bushes with a surprised look on her face.

"…You caught me, huh? Wow. Not bad," she said, walking over to him.

"Kanone Harker came to the Pokemon Academy to have tea with the Gardening Club. Knowing that, it was obvious you'd be poking around here somewhere," Blake replied.

"You're really using your head," Dakota smirked. Then her face softened. "Was that… really necessary, though?"

Blake raised his eyebrow. "You, showing actual concern? And here I thought you'd be thrilled to run a story about how crazy my dating life has gone."

Dakota scowled. "You must know how that girl feels about you. That was just cruel, treating her like that!"

"I'm not going to take advice on how to treat people from the girl who published an article mocking the confession of the boy she liked," Blake testily replied. Dakota winced.

"But then… why?"

"Sango needs to get over me," Blake said. "It's as simple as that. Maybe there was a nicer, cleaner way to end things, but this was the quickest way. I can't focus on doing what I have to do if I'm still conflicted about where Sango and I stand."

Dakota scowled. "Well, I can't say I dislike such candid dedication to the one you love," she replied. "But she was right about one thing. You are rationalizing, Blake Harker. You're doing it right fucking now."

Blake's only response was a glare.

"You're giving up on helping your girlfriend, you just tossed your best friend aside, what is this? A race to the bottom, then?" Dakota met his glare with one of her own. "I've seen a lot of people fall far, Blake, but you're definitely in the running for biggest dumbass of them all."

"If that's what you think, I won't argue," Blake replied. "But I'm going to make one thing clear right now. And you can write this down in your tabloid blog or wherever the hell the school's letting you publish those hacky pieces of yours: I have no intention of giving up on Ayame. I am going to bring back her memories. And I'm entering the Pokeathlon competition. I don't give a damn how much training I have to do. Rationalizing? Choosing one thing over the other? I'm fucking done with that."

"S-Seriously?" Dakota's jaw dropped.

"You're goddamn right. Screw having to make a choice!" He shouted. "I've been making these fucking impossible choices my entire life! Ayame? Gwen? I have to give up helping one in order to help the other? Who fucking says? I've given up so goddamn much up until this point, and I'm done! Starting now, I'm taking it all back. I'm not compromising or rationalizing shit."

A shaky smile crossed Dakota's lips. She was already writing Blake's war declaration in her head. "This… this is going to be really something…!"

Blake smirked. "I should hope so."

"And you'll give me an exclusive interview, won't you, my darling Blake?" Dakota asked, strolling over to him and catching his chin in her hand. "After you defeat your brother, of course. I want full, exclusive rights. First pick."

Blake responded with a glare. "And why the hell would I agree to that?"

Dakota smirked. "Because if you do… I'll get you an introduction to someone who will be able to help you defeat your brother, that's why."

Blake's first response was surprise. Then he smiled.

Sango, however, was not smiling. She was fuming and cursing Blake's name, thinking of all manner of ways she wanted to hurt him. Most of all, though, she wanted a salve for the ache in her heart. Blake had no right to treat her like that, none!

She really didn't mean to take her anger out on the door she was pounding at with her fist.

"Maddi! Maddi are you in there?!" Sango wailed.

"Sango? What are you doing here?" Maddi opened the door, confused.

"You won't believe what just happened!" Sango exclaimed, storming into her bedroom with Silver hot on her heels. "The nerve! That incredibly stupid, mean jerkface!"

"…Yes, please, come in," Maddi said dryly, closing the door. "It's good to see you too. How was spring break? Have fun? As for me, Orre was okay. A little complicated. A bit of a mixup with terrorists, nothing TOO serious…"

Her sardonic words were completely lost on Sango as the blonde wailed into Maddi's pillowcase. Maddi just sighed, having been subject to what basically amounted to a home invasion twice now in as many days.

"It's not fair, that stupid jerk!" Sango pounded the bed in frustration. "Who does he think he is? Acting like such a big shot, pretending he can do all this by himself! I just wanted to help him, that… that jerk!"

Most people cursed more when they got angry. Apparently Sango's vocabulary reverted to kindergarten insults.

"…What happened," Maddi sighed, not seeing any release from this as long as Sango was in such a bad mood.

Sango immediately unloaded everything that had happened to her today.

"…And then he tried to kiss me! Can you believe that?! He tried to kiss me because he KNEW I'd slap him and storm off! Why does he have to be such an insensitive prick?! Why can't he let his friends try to HELP him?!"

Contrary to Blake's assumption, Sango was not as poor a judge of his character as he gave her credit for. She'd seen through his ploy immediately, of course, and knew he was pushing her away for his own good.

The effect was the same: Sango was still pissed off at him.

"So you're angry at Blake because he picked helping his sister over helping Ayame, is that it?" Maddi clarified.

"That's right! All because of that stupid, mean sister of his!" Sango scowled. "And now Ayame's not going to be able to regain her memories! It's not fair! She might be acting all tough and cool, but she's definitely suffering!"

Maddi scratched her cheek. "Well… maybe she's fine with things as they are now? It's not like she NEEDS to get back her memories of Blake…"

"But it's not fine!" Sango protested. "She might think it is, but I've talked with her, I can tell that she's hurt! And she doesn't even KNOW what she's lost, either! I swear, this is horrible! I don't know how she lost her memories, but when I get my hands on the one who's responsible for this…"

Sango made a choking gesture, mimicking wringing the person's neck. An immense weight of pressure dropped down on Maddi from Sango's unintentional guilt-trip.

"That's, uh… something…" She mumbled, averting her eyes.

"Aargh, I swear, if that's how Blake wants to play it, then fine!" Sango exclaimed, punching her hand. "I'll take care of this myself!"

Maddi raised her eyebrow. "Huh?"

Sango turned to her, brown eyes burning with ambition. "I need to enter the Pokeathlon Competition myself!" She declared. "I thought I would be content just organizing it, but I realized now, the only way I'll be able to make a difference is if I'm right there with them!"

"Castform!" Silver nodded in agreement.

Maddi glanced at the Castform. "Uh… don't you need at least three pokemon to compete in a Pokeathlon, though?"

Sango stared at Maddi, wicked thoughts brewing in her mind.

"Yes… and that's why I came here, Madison…" She said, emanating a dark aura as she rose from the bed, smiling like a villainess. "I need your help with this more than anyone."

"Uh…" For the first time Maddi became acutely aware of the difference in physicality between her and her best friend. She actually felt intimidated by Sango's smile.

"I need your pokemon, Maddi!" Sango clasped her hands around the other girl's. "Please, loan me a team or two, so I can train them to win the Pokeathlon!"

"…Not happening," Maddi bluntly rebuked her.

Sango's jaw dropped and she released Maddi's hands.

"What?! Why not?!" She cried. "You have entire teams of pokemon trained up! How many pokemon is it…? 3 x 18 = 51, right?!"

"54," Maddi corrected her, astounded at how bad Sango was at basic math.

"Whatever! You get what I'm saying! This is important!" Sango pleaded. "You can spare just ONE team for me, right?"

"It's not that simple," Maddi replied. "Do you know how intense a Pokeathlon is? It's a competition that requires trainers to be perfectly in sync with their pokemon. Skilled athletes take years to achieve that level of coordination. It's not something you can accomplish with a borrowed team in only a few days of training."

"I don't care! I'll make do somehow!"

"Even if you could, my pokemon aren't conditioned for it," Maddi said, crossing her arms and scowling. "I want to help, Sango, but I need to work on my own relationships with my pokemon, too. I can't just lend them out willy-nilly. They're trainer for battles, not jogging."

"There's really no way?" Sango winced, her eyes watering.

Maddi sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "But you'll have to find someone else to borrow pokemon from if you want to compete."

"But everyone else is going to be entering the tournament themselves!" Sango wailed. "Olivia's offering some fabulous prize in order to draw in competitors! Even the other Ranger Course students are considering joining! MARION'S competing, and not even SHE would loan out her fish pokemon! No one's going to let me just borrow their pokemon!"

"And neither am I."

Defeated, Sango sighed and flopped back on the bed.

"Why can't I catch a break?" Sango mumbled. "I just wish there was someone at this school with a team of well-trained pokemon who has zero interest in school events like this."

Even if there was, though, the chances they'd lend their team to a complete stranger like me are next to zero, she silently added, staring up at Maddi's ceiling in resignation.

As Sango threw herself a pity party, her ear caught the sound of music coming through the wall, the soulful timbre of a flute.

"THAT'S IT!" She shouted, springing up from Maddi's bed.

What did Sango realize?! What's she going to do next? Is there any chance she and Blake could repair their relationship? And who is this mysterious person Dakota's going to introduce Blake to? How will he get strong enough to defeat his brother? And most importantly, what's this fabulous prize Olivia is offering up to the winner? It's got to be something really cool, I imagine!