5

"Seriously, how can you not appreciate the awesomeness of Serefina's body?" Cynthia demanded. "I am not having this argument with you," Blake said, frowning.

"Cynthia, you do realize that the body isn't the only thing that matters, right?" Akira asked.

"Hey, what happened to Kitty and Julia?" Sango asked, looking around. The two girls had disappeared.

"Thanks for coming with me…" Kitty said, looking down. The two girls were walking through the forest, just wandering aimlessly. "I don't… do good with large groups…"

"Yeah, same with me," Julia said, nodding. "I can do fine with a few good friends, but so many people… it can be kind of unnerving."

Kitty and Julia laughed softly.

"I love your hair," Julia said, smiling. "That

white color is amazing, it's like silk."

Julia reached her hand up, running it through Kitty's silky smooth hair, Kitty blushing slightly. "Mine is kind of messy, and it isn't even one color," Julia explained, gesturing to her hair, which was lightened at the tips.

"What kind of pokemon do you have…?" Kitty asked.

"I like dark and fire types," Julia said, smiling. "My favorite's Wolfie." Julia released her Poochyena from its pokeball.

"Amazing," Kitty said, kneeling down next to Wolfie. "You've taken good care of her." "I've also got Blaze and Nuri, too," Julia said, releasing a Growlithe and a Vulpix. Kitty's eyes brightened, and she gestured for the pokemon to come closer.

The Growlithe licked her outstretched hand and the Vulpix curled up next to her, purring.

"They really seem to like you," Julia said, smiling. "I've got a few more, but…"

"No, this is fine," Kitty said, smiling. "See, I've always got along well with feline and canine type pokemon, just like your Growlithe and Poochyena, and even Vulpix."

Kitty held up a pokeball, and released a Persian from it. The Persian stretched, purring, and laid down on the ground. She also released a Growlithe, just like Julia.

"This is Meomo, my Persian, and Larosa, my Growlithe," Kitty said, looking up at Julia. Her shyness seemed to be gone, her pale face bright with excitement.

"Amazing…" Julia and Kitty whipped their heads around to see a man walk up to them, mumbling something or another.

"Okay, fine, I admit that breasts aren't the ONLY thing that matters," Cynthia sighed. "But I still think they're the best."

"Good," Sango sighed. "Can we move on now?"

"You guys did quite well," Serefina said, gesturing for the Poochyena to run back to her. "…Except for Sango. Now then, you all can have a free period for the rest of class."

Serefina gestured for the Poochyena to follow her. Cynthia watched after her, blood trickling from her nose.

"Okay, I get your point," Cynthia said, nodding. The Poochyena with black spots turned his head to Blake and barked, running off.

"Aw, you made a friend," Sango grinned.

"So, are any of you thinking about becoming members of the Battle Course?" Akira asked, Blake and Sango turning to him.

"I am, but Sango…"

"I'm gonna be a ranger," Sango explained.

"Oh, I'm a battler!" Cynthia said, smiling.

"Kumari, come on out," Akira said, tossing out a pokeball, which a Beartic emerged from. It flexed its arms, and stroked its chest.

"Whoa, that guy looks pretty tough," Cynthia said, grinning, moving around the bear pokemon to look at it from each angle.

"This is Kumari, my partner," Akira said, patting the Beartic on the back. "He's pretty strong, and he's always got my back."

Akira turned to them, grinning. "Anyone thing that you can match my guy?"

"Oh yeah!" Cynthia said, grinning. "Let's go! Tristan, come on out!"

Cynthia tossed out a pokeball, which her Breloom emerged from.

"You guys are seriously battling?" Blake asked, he and Sango moving back, as well as Dakota.

"Tristan, full force, let's go!" Cynthia cheered, her Breloom charging at the Beartic. Tristan swung a mach punch at Kumari, knocking him backwards. Tristan then opened his mouth, firing a blast of seeds right at the ice type.

"Ice beam," Akira ordered, Kumari opening his mouth and firing a beam of ice at the seeds, freezing them solid and hitting Tristan, who cried out in pain as the ice began to cover over his body. "Tristan!" Cynthia cried out.

"Aqua jet!" Akira said, Kumari coating his body in a veil of water and charging at Tristan. Kumari opened his mouth and fired an ice beam, freezing over the water, slamming into Tristan. Tristan flew backwards and hit the water, sinking. He bobbed up a few seconds later, encased in ice.

"Return," Cynthia sighed, disappointed, returning Tristan back to his pokeball. She turned to Akira and grinned. "That guy is pretty powerful, though! I better train up to beat him!"

"Way to go," Akira said, smiling, patting Kumari on the back. The bear pokemon beamed, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Hah, that wasn't so great," Dakota said, shrugging. "I mean, my Faux can beat that guy."

"Oh, you want to battle, then?" Akira asked, turning to her. "I can take down some two-bit reporter in my sleep."

"Two-bit?" Dakota sputtered. "How dare you? You think you're some tough trainer, but you're not hot stuff at all!"

Dakota stormed off as Serefina walked back, smiling.

"Back already?" Akira asked, surprised.

"Yup," Serefina said, smiling. "I came here to play with some of my pokemon. I also wanted to see what Blake's pokemon were like."

"Why?" Blake asked

"Your caretaking skills were truly impressive," Serefina explained. "So I was wondering if I could see some of your pokemon, to see how you've taken care of them?"

"Um, sure, I guess…" Blake said, nodding. He released his pokemon from their pokeballs; Wortortle, Scyther, Boldore, Servine, and an Kadabra.

"Wow!" Sango said, her eyes widening in surprise, as this was the first time she'd seen most of Blake's pokemon. "Your Scyther is really cool, Blake!"

"Hear that, buddy ?" Blake asked, grinning. "You're cool." Scyther turned to Sango, and nodded in thanks.

"Who it this guy?" Cynthia asked "It's my Kadabra," Blake explained. "He doesn't like battling that much, but when she does battle he enjoys it very much."

"Well, I think he's pretty cool," Cynthia said, touching the psychic pokemon with her hand.

"Here are some of my friends," Serefina said, waving her pokemon over. A Phanpy ran over to her from the shade of a tree, nuzzling up to Serefina's leg.

"Oh, what a cute pokemon!" Sango said, smiling, the Phanpy blushing in embarrassment.

"This is Trunks, my Phanpy," Serefina said, smiling. "Over there is Tortimer, my Torkoal, and Freddy, my Teddiursa."

Serefina pointed to the tree Phanpy had been under. A Torkoal was laying on the ground, asleep, a Teddiursa curled up beside him for warmth.

"I don't let my Vigoroth out of his pokeball that often because he's very hyper and violent, but my Banette should be…"

A ghostly hand smacked Cynthia on the head, Cynthia whirling around to see no one there.

"What the heck?" Cynthia asked, looking around, frowning.

"Barneby!" Serefina said strictly. A Banette appeared in front of her, a sheepish expression on his face.

"Sorry," Serefina sighed. "No, it's totally fine," Cynthia said, smiling. "Although, if you wanted to make it up to me, some quid pro quo would be-"

"Yeah, no," Blake said, pulling her hand away.

Meanwhile, Wartortle was looking around for something to do. His eyes landed on Kumari, and they narrowed. The water pokemon scurried up to the bear, banging his small claw hand on his chest and glaring at him.

Kumari looked down, scratching his neck in confusion.

"Wartortle!" Wartortle cried, aggressively pointing his left hand at Kumari, seemingly desiring a fight.

"Sci," Scyther stepped between the two, gesturing a hand towards Wartortle suggest he move back. Wartortle sighed, scuttling back a few feet, keeping his eyes trained on Kumari.

"Scyther," Scyther said, gesturing towards Wartortle. "Bear," Kumari said, nodding. "Beartic." Kumari pointed a claw at itself and then at Scyther.

"Sci?" Scyther asked, surprised.

"Beartic," Kumari said, nodding, his expression turning serious.

"I wonder what they're saying?" Sango said, interested.

"The Scyther was apologizing for that Wartortle trying to start a fight," a voice said. Everyone turned to see a man walk up to them, frowning. Behind him, Julia and Kitty followed.

The man was wearing the uniform of a student, but carried a more serious air. He held a cane in his right hand, and wore a pair of sunglasses. A wicked scar curved up from across his lip to just past his left eye. He had pale brown hair, and a frown.

"Meanwhile, the Beartic was saying that there was not a problem, and that it wanted to fight to begin with."

"How do you know that?" Sango asked, surprised.

"It's my ability, the student chuckled. "I can hear things, the true feelings of pokemon, and what their words mean."

"You speak pokemon?" Cynthia asked, surprised.

"Not the words, no," the student said, shaking his head. "But I can feel their voices, the intention behind their words."

"Wow, that's amazing…" Sango said.

"I am Oscar Silph," the student said, frowning. "It is nice to meet all of you…"

The man limped up towards Blake, leading with his cane. He stopped in front of Blake, staring at him from behind his sunglasses.

"'I want to fight'," Oscar said.

"Excuse me?" Blake asked, confused.

"That's what the pokemon you kept in its ball is saying," Oscar said. "'I want to fight'."

Blake wrapped his fingers around the pokeball at his waist.

"It's alright," Oscar said, smiling, placing his hand on Blake's shoulder. "I understand what it's like to have a pokemon you can't quite control."

"Well its not like my pokemon does not listen to me but it's just that he wants to battle really often and gets into fights with other pokemons. Either way, thanks," Blake said, nodding.

"Well then, Blake, how interesting," Akira said, Blake turning to face him. "What do you mean?"

"If our pokemon want to fight, don't you think we should let them?" Akira asked, his lips curling into a smile.

"Scyther, that okay with you?" Blake asked, turning to his Scyther. Scyther looked to him, and nodded. "War!" Wartortle called, clapping his hands together in excitement.

"Excellent!" Everyone turned to see Dakota appear before them, holding her camera up.

"What are you doing here?" Akira demanded.

"I've returned…" Dakota giggled, "in order to fully record this battle for posterity!"

"Seriously?" Akira sighed.

"You don't understand, fool," Dakota said, shaking her head in a mocking fashion. "Remember, you placed 4th in the school tournament last year, even though you were a freshman at the time. You're quite the rising star, even I've written an article on you."

"I remember that article," Akira snarled, narrowing his eyes, Dakota smirking.

"Anyways," Dakota continued, ignoring Akira's anger, "if you two are going to battle, I think we can make this quite a spectacle, don't you?"

"What kind of spectacle?"

"An official match!" Dakota said, grinning. "With an audience, an official judge, and the honorable I, Dakota Evans, will be an MC!"

"NO."

"Oh, come on, Akira, don't be like that!" Dakota said, wrapping an arm around Blake's chest and pulling him in close to her. "I'm sure Blake here would want to be part of an official match, wouldn't you Blake?"

"Um, not really," Blake said, pulling away from her.

"No need to be shy, you'll get to show off all of your skills and techniques before a live audience! And give me a week of media news and hype I'm sure I can make the seats positively PACKED!"

"Come on, Blake, you've gotta do it!" Cynthia said, her eyes brimming with excitement. She was practically jumping in midair.

"Seriously?" Blake sighed.

"The noise, the lights, the cheering, it's all amazing!" Cynthia said. "It's such an awesome feeling, if I were in your position, fighting in front of all those people, showing off the great strength of your pokemon! It's such a rush!"

"…I'll take your word for it," Blake said, nodding. "I'm fine with a casual battle to see who's better, but I don't want some sort of super intense event or anything."

"Oh, come on, Blake!" Cynthia huffed. "Tournaments in this school won't be casual, right? It's better to get over your stage fright now, since there isn't anything that important on the line, don't you think?"

"…I guess…"

"Oh, also, I might be willing to offer a pokepoint prize to whoever wins," Dakota said, smirking.

"Seriously?" Akira asked. "I'm fine with it, then."

"I assumed as much," Dakota said, nodding. "Nothing major, just 100 points."

"Why would you offer a cash prize, though?" Akira asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Simple," Dakota said, smirking. "Whoever wins, I'll be able to get an exclusive story for next week's edition. I'll have access to an exclusive interview, sound good?"

"What makes you think I want to get interviewed?" Akira asked, frowning.

"Well, no one said you were going to win, did they? Besides, 'Freshman Trainer Defeats 4th Place Tournament Finalist' is a much more appealing title."

"I agree," Cynthia said, nodding.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to win and muck up your plans, how about that?" Akira said, smirking.

"…" Dakota said, frowning. "'Sophomore Bully Annihilates Heartbroken Freshman' could be a good working title."

"Hack."

"Seriously? You're calling me a hack?" Dakota exclaimed, irritated.

"Half your 'breaking news' stories are lies, and the other half are exaggerated to the extent where you can't even find out the original source material. That's not journalism, that's Fox News."

"Should you really be making a joke about that?" Dakota asked, Akira shrugging.

"Well, anyways," Dakota said, turning to Blake, "it looks like you're the last one to make your decision, isn't that right?"

"…I guess," Blake said.

"Come on, Blake!" Cynthia exclaimed. "You've gotta do it, you've just gotta!"

"I agree with her," Sango said, nodding eagerly. "It'll be pretty cool, seeing one of us fighting an official school match!"

"And I'LL be there," Cynthia said, grabbing Blake by the shoulders, "to cheer you on!"

"…What?" Blake asked.

"Come, Sango!" Cynthia said, grabbing Sango by the wrist. "We shall go now, I've got to show you some of my cheerleading outfits!"

"…Wait, no!" Sango exclaimed, struggling against Cynthia's iron grip. "I don't do that well with outfits or the like!"

"Come on, Sango, you've got the perfect body for it!" Cynthia laughed.

Sango looked over to the others with a look of desperation as she was being dragged away.

"Sorry," Blake mouthed, Sango hanging her head in defeat.

"So, what's it going to be, Blake?" Dakota asked.

"…Fine, I'll fight…" Blake sighed, shaking his head.