Not only did Blake and Sango run into Marion, but now they've met her roommates- and her roommates are Olivia and Ayame?! This must be fate. Or extremely bad luck. Or maybe it's both? Maybe this isn't that bad. The question is, how much has this trio changed in the three years since they were freshwomen? What are they like now?

The Elimination Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 4 has started! Make sure to get those votes in, we've only got a few so far! You can vote for up to 5 girls, so make sure your favorites have a chance to shine!

Nominated: Alcea, Ange, Ayame, Caelia, Callie, Chloe, Cynthia, Dakota, Donoma, Elaina, Gabrielle, Joyce, Kate, Maddi, Misato, Nikita, Rui, Sango, Sylvia, Vic

KedharS: Puts a lot of stuff into perspective, doesn't it?

Tambry96bj: Living with Marion is one of the most difficult things you can do. I know it would take better men than me.

Arbiter8991: Well, everything has a reason. It's not Ryoko's fault.

Leppyvstheworld: Yes. Yes they were.

Hyphenman: I think they all went through some changes in that time, but you're right, Marion definitely changed the least.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1343

It took a second for Blake and Sango to process what was happening. Fortunately, Olivia's outburst gave them time for another one of their famous telepathic communications. They glanced at one another to try and make sense of the situation.

Running into Ayame was shocking enough. Running into Marion was an even bigger problem. But now, they were in the same room as Marion, Olivia, and Ayame? And the three of them were roommates? Seriously?

…Upon further thinking, it made a surprising bit of sense. Olivia always seemed to have an odd grudge against Marion for some reason. If they were roommates in the first year, given Marion's… proclivities… it wouldn't be too far out there to think that she'd rubbed Olivia the wrong way.

A lot.

But frankly, Blake was just surprised at Ayame. He barely recognized her. Of course, her features were indistinguishable, even if she was hiding them with her bangs, and he could tell how tall she was even when she was sitting down.

But her attitude? The way she acted around everyone, so shy and withdrawn?

She was only supposed to act that way around him!

He felt his jealousy flare up as he considered the other boys in Ayame's classes. They got to see her acting so shy and adorable all the time? Unacceptable!

Ayame flinched. Blake realized he'd been staring at her, and quickly averted her eyes. But they just kept finding their way back to her. He couldn't help it! She was just too cute!

He had to control himself. He didn't want to drive her away… did he?

Was that the right thing to do in this situation? What was he supposed to be doing right now? Trying to get away from the people he knew?

He glanced at Sango. She seemed perplexed as well. They'd been with Marion all morning, and it wasn't like the universe had imploded on itself.

Maybe there was nothing to worry about?

That's right, he thought. Everything that's supposed to happen will happen. There's no sense in worrying about whether or not I'm in the right place. None of that matters. The only thing that matters is doing what needs to be done.

Ryoko had brought him here for a reason. So he would just keep doing what he would normally be doing and wait for that reason to manifest itself.

And in this situation, what he would normally be doing is staring at the adorable shy tomboy sitting across the room. So he did that.

Sango caught him in the side with her elbow.

"You're spooking her!" She whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Was he? Blake took another look. He saw a flash of hazel-gold from between Ayame's bangs, and for a moment he felt a spark in the air; that's right, she was definitely looking at him, too. While Marion and Sango tried to explain the whole situation to Olivia, he and Ayame shared a silent stare between one another that seemed to go on for an eternity.

"Well? What about him? Doesn't he have anything to say?" Olivia turned her scowl towards Blake and he snapped out of his haze, turning his attention to her.

"S-Sorry, what?" He stammered, turning red.

Olivia's expression soured. "Oh, I see. All you're doing is making eyes at Ayame, huh? Well, back off, creep! She's not into guys like you!"

"I-I wasn't really!"

Ayame waved her hands frantically. She reached over to her desk and picked up a notebook, and began scribbling in it. She held it up for them to see.

"He wasn't making eyes at me!" Was written in big letters across the page.

Good god. She was so shy she didn't even want to talk. Blake was completely blow away by her cuteness.

Ugh, it's too much! How can someone be that adorable?! He clutched his chest because he was pretty sure his heart had stopped beating. He just couldn't believe how cute that was.

"Well, whatever," Olivia muttered, calming down. "I trust you." She turned back to Marion. "I say again, what are you doing here? Why would you bring guys into our room?"

Marion blinked.

"Wait, what?!" It took a second for Sango to realize what Olivia had just implied. "Hey, wait a minute! I'm not-!"

"Claire! I'm so sorry!" Marion gasped. "I-I had no idea you were a boy! I just thought… well…"

"I'M NOT A BOY!" Sango screeched, turning red with fury. Blake had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. This was just priceless.

"Wait, seriously? So that skirt isn't a fashion statement then?" Olivia made a strange face. She was clearly put off by Sango's appearance, but was mature enough not to make a big deal out of it.

…Well, maybe that would have been true in three years' time. But the current Olivia was not nearly as mature as she would someday grow to be.

"Ha! You're a girl?" She doubled over laughing. "I can't believe that!"

She strutted over to Sango, staring her right in the eyes. She looked up and down Sango's body, not at all impressed by what she saw.

"Listen, blondie," Olivia sneered, ignoring the fact that she had blonde hair herself, "the pixie cut is MY thing, you got that? Cutting your hair short like that, trying to imitate me? It's frankly rather pathetic, I'd say."

"Wh-What?" Sango turned red. To an outside observer it might have looked like she was ashamed or embarrassed, but Blake knew his friend better than that.

No, that was the face Sango made when she was about to punch someone out. He winced, and braced for the fallout.

But surprisingly, Sango managed to contain herself. She didn't lose her temper, and took a deep breath, forcing herself out of Olivia's space.

"I don't know who you think you are," she said calmly, "but I'm not intimidated by you. I don't care about my appearance one bit."

Olivia snorted. "Yeah. That's obvious."

Still, Sango refused to baulk. "The only reason I'm here is because Marion invited me. And frankly? That pixie cut doesn't suit you at all."

Olivia turned pale. "What did you say?" She growled. "How dare you? This is a trend!" She pointed at her short hair, which barely reached her chin. "The cool, stylish look is what's in right now! I'll have you know that my stylishness and gorgeous looks are the reason I won the Miss Pokemon Academy Contest this year, even though I'm just a freshwoman! And a poser like you-"

"I'm not a poser," Sango cut her off. "I told you, I don't care. I cut my hair the way I want to cut my hair. That's all."

"Woo!" Marion cheered. "Way to go, Claire!"

Sango paused, realizing she was talking about her. In her haste, she'd forgotten her alias for a second. But she smiled proudly, happy to stand up to Olivia.

In the future, their relationship wouldn't be as hostile. Olivia would actually even help Sango out with her appearance, and when Sango beat her in the Miss Pokemon Academy Contest, she almost accepted her loss with dignity.

But again, that Olivia was years away. It was more clear than ever that they were in the past; the blonde had a lot of growing up to do.

"Listen, we didn't come here to trade fashion tips," Blake said, inserting himself into the conversation. He felt like he had to, or else Sango and Olivia would tear each other apart. "We just came here for some fishing poles."

"…I should have known," Olivia sneered, rolling her eyes. "It figures that the only people who would be friends with an annoying girl like her are other fishing freaks."

"Aww, come on Olivia!" Marion chirped, draping her arm over the stuck-up girl's shoulder. "You're my friend too, you know!"

"Back off!" Olivia snapped, pushing the fishing enthusiast away. "And comb your hair once in a while! It's a mess!"

Marion's tangled locks didn't exactly roll down her back like a ribbon, that was for sure. Blake wasn't even sure why her hair was this long in the first place.

"Ah, come on, you can always join us if you want!" Marion chirped. "Wouldn't that be great, Olivia? Ayame? Just the five of us, fishing in the river and having a blast?"

Olivia couldn't snort loud enough to show how little she thought of that idea. "Absolutely not. I'd rather be caught dead than to handle fish pokemon with my bare hands," she sniffed. "Besides, I have a date later, and I need to do my makeup."

She narrowed her eyes at Marion. "And fix my nails, thanks to you," she growled.

Marion laughed it off, apparently not at all bothered by how enraged the other girl was. She turned to Ayame.

"So? What about you?" She asked, holding a fishing pole out to Ayame. "Want to come along? It would really be a lot of fun!"

Ayame frantically shook her head from side to side. Blake frowned. That was too bad. He really wanted to go fishing with Ayame for once.

Well… maybe…

"Hey, come on," he said, approaching the tall girl. Ayame flinched, turning her wide eyes towards him. She shook a little, but didn't back away on the bed.

"Wouldn't it be fun? Hanging out and going fishing?" He asked. "It would be a nice break."

Ayame glanced shyly up at him, her face turning redder and redder. She clutched her notebook to her chest and lowered her head, and then, finally, nodded.

"…Okay…" The faintest whisper escaped her lips.

"Aww, yeah!" Marion cheered. "That's what I'm talking about!" She punched the air triumphantly. "Welcome to the club, Ayame! It's great to have you!"

Ayame tried to smile, but she didn't have a lot of experience with it.

Olivia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable. To think you would actually want to join them? I guess you are a meathead in the end… I shouldn't be too surprised."

Sango looked at her, and raised her eyebrow. In spite of everything Olivia had said about not being caught dead going fishing with them, she almost looked… bitter. Like she was jealous that they would all be going out together.

But that couldn't be, right? No way would the arrogant Olivia Himeko, the future Empress of the Pokemon Academy, be upset that she was too proud to go on a fishing trip with her roommates and some strangers.

Maybe she was though.

Either way, Sango and Blake were both given fishing poles by Marion, and the four headed out of the dorms and towards the river. Marion lead the way and Sango walked right alongside her, while Blake followed them and Ayame took the rear.

Blake kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure Ayame was still coming. Every once in a while, he thought he caught her looking his way. But he couldn't be sure because her bangs covered too much of her face to tell for certain.

"Anyway, Claire, don't be down," Marion said, patting Sango on the back. "I don't think what Olivia said about your hair was that bad at all."

"I'm not down," Sango replied.

"That's good!" Marion nodded. "See, I actually think, your hair? It's pretty sweet if I'm being honest. I like that short cut!"

"Really?" Sango asked, surprised. "But why do you wear yours so long then?"

"Eh, it's such a bother getting it cut," Marion shrugged. "I just let it grow long, it's not a big deal at all, you know?"

Sango couldn't believe what she was hearing. Well, actually, she could believe it, because it was Marion. While Marion wouldn't be winning any beauty contests, she could look cute in the right light. So long as her personality wasn't factored in.

But personal hygiene? That was one area that the tomboy didn't really care much about. Even less than Sango. She always smelled like fish, after all!

So yeah, the fact that she didn't bother cutting her hair and just let it grow wild like this made a lot of sense.

"Honestly though? Seeing your hair like that…" Marion scrunched up her face thoughtfully, and stroked her chin. "I've got it! I'll cut mine short, too!"

"Wait, what?" Sango's jaw dropped.

"See, if I cut my hair short, then we'll be twins!" Marion giggled. "Really the only reason I had it long in the first place is because my mom has long hair. And, well, you kind of remind me of her, Claire!"

"R-Really? I do?" Sango was surprised. She didn't know the first thing about Marion's mom, actually. "Why?"

"Because she's also blonde."

Sango stared at her.

"That's… it?"

Marion nodded. "Yup."

"…Huh."

Sango thought that there'd be a little bit more to it than that. But then, Marion wasn't exactly that complicated of a person.

"So that's that!" Marion asserted, placing her hands on her hips. "We're going for pixie cuts this summer!"

Oh yeah. Olivia would just LOVE that. Sango rolled her eyes, expecting to get chewed out by the blonde once again.

Maybe she'd actually punch Olivia next time. That would be nice.

While Marion and Sango chatted it up, Blake thought that this would be a good time to more formally introduce himself to Ayame. The shy tomboy was clearly flustered and not very social at this point in her life, and she might appreciate making a new friend.

Wait… this isn't cheating, is it? He wondered. Making a move on your girlfriend's past self… no, no way was that cheating! He quickly shook his mind free of that thought, and turned back to Ayame. She was looking at him again.

Ayame flinched when she caught him staring at her, and nearly tripped over her own feet. She felt a nauseous feeling well up in her stomach again, like yesterday when she'd run into him. She didn't know where it came from, but it was really bothering her.

I only feel this sick when I'm nervous… so why am I nervous? Is it because… I don't ever talk to boys? Is that it?

For all her tomboyish qualities, Ayame was a serious wallflower. Talking to boys just wasn't something she'd ever been comfortable with. Especially because most of them always teased her about how tall she was, and how much she looked like a guy.

There was only so much a poor girl could take.

But Rei wasn't like that… right?

"Um…" She struggled to say hello. That was the polite thing to do, right? Especially since she'd run into him and knocked him over earlier.

But she just couldn't do it.

Blake introduced himself first.

"Hi, nice to meet you," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm Bla- err, Rei."

"Blaire Rei?" Ayame tilted her head to the side. She'd been so confused by the name that she actually managed to say something.

Blake turned red, which she found somewhat amusing. Unlike the other guys she knew, he seemed harmless at least.

"Not Blaire, I just… well, I got mixed up," he said sheepishly. "My name's Rei. Just Rei."

Ayame opened her mouth to say her own name, only to remember that he knew it somehow. He'd said it the day she ran into him.

How strange. Was he in one of her classes?

She tucked her fishing pole under her arm and scribbled something into her notebook.

"Do I know you?" She asked with the pages, holding it up for him to see.

He flinched, turning a little red. Then he quickly shook his head.

"N-No, I don't think we've ever met before."

He was a bad liar.

She frowned.

"But, uh… I've been… watching you."

Oh. Well that was…

…Wait, what?

She squeaked, her eyes widening behind her bangs.

He'd been… watching her? That was a really disturbing thing to say. She remembered when Olivia made a huge fuss about a boy stalking her, and had managed to get him kicked out of school.

But that boy was a creep, and Rei… Rei doesn't seem that creepy. She didn't know what to think. Ayame knew that she should find someone basically admitting to stalking to be creepy, but the more she talked to him, or rather, communicated with her notebook, the less nervous she seemed to be.

"Sorry, that must sound really creepy. I swear it's not!" He said. "It's just, well…"

He seemed to be trying to say something, but didn't know how to word it. Then Ayame realized something. She quickly scribbled on her notebook again.

"You mean you saw me running at an event?" She asked.

Blake's eyes widened. "Y-Yeah," he said, nodding, relieved that she'd extended a lifeline to him. She didn't find this creepy or suspicious at all? That was amazing. "That's it."

Ayame giggled. Then she turned red. Wait… that means Rei's seen me running before!? On the track!? The thought that Ayame had a fan was too much for her brain to process. She practically self-destructed right there.

Whelp. Isn't this adorable. I'll admit, the only reason I did this arc was because I was going through withdrawal on cute Blake x Ayame moments and needed to put some in. That's the purpose of this arc, wholesome romance fluff with a shy tomboy. And Sango's here too. And she's also a shy tomboy, in a way. …But no romance with her.