Chapter Twenty: The First Course

"Are you certain it is her, are you absolutely positive?"

"Yes Viktor, I do think I am capable of identifying my grandmother!"

Cynthia's words echoed inside the room, her short, sharp tone ringing in both their ears. For a moment, she stared beadily back at Viktor, daring him to question her judgement again, but he stayed silent and turned his attention back to his machine. Part of Cynthia felt bad for snapping, but she was pleased to finally have some quiet about enduring Viktor's questions and doubts since she had entered his room. She needed to think about how they were going to proceed, and if their plan would even work now that Carolina was on the scene.

Her mind had been racing ever since she had left the boat. Cynthia had only disembarked Glory when she was certain her grandmother had gone, claiming she had misplaced something during their brief trip to explain the delay. Her excuse did not appease Joan or Peter, but Tiffany, the bubbly guide they had been assigned, had a schedule they just had to stick to, and she rushed them all away before suspicions could be raised. As they climbed the twisting stone staircase up to the Sinnoh Pokemon League, Cynthia kept expecting Carolina to emerge from the shadows again like some immortal nightmare creature, grabbing hold of her and announcing they were returning to Celestic Town.

The thought had been brief and irrational; Cynthia knew her grandmother was not the type to stalk in shadows, watching her experiments from another room being much more her style. However, Cynthia could not think properly, her mind too rattled by Carolina's surprise appearance, and it was hard to think straight when her entire plan seemed to be crumbling before her.

Cynthia barely registered all the features of the Island of Champions when they finally stepped into open air again; the rough lump of rock marking the end of Victory Road, the entrance building where they'd be staying, the massive stadium looming over everything. They were led into a foyer, a grand room filled with glittering chandeliers, golden finishing's and a towering staircase, stuff that made Joan 'ooh' and Flint and Volkner get excited, but Cynthia paid attention to none of it, eyes flickering around, mind racing, waiting for it all to end.

Once Tiffany had shown them their rooms and let them be until dinner, Cynthia had instantly dumped her belongings in her temporary wardrobe, double checked the book was there, and then left Gabite to guard over it. She had needed to explain things to Viktor, to voice her concerns aloud, and Cynthia had rushed across to the hallway to where Viktor was staying, the blonde haired boy waiting on attentively on his bed, as fearful as she had been…

Unfortunately, Viktor had become as stunned as her, unable to provide sound thoughts, and Cynthia was now content to sort this out internally. She could not sit still, her mind moving too quickly; Cynthia rapidly paced around the room, trying to release her sudden mixture of rage and shock before she screamed. She was soon sweating from the effort, her heart racing, but Cynthia had to stay active, she had to think about what to do next, but her thoughts kept falling back on her grandmother, her mind staying in the same dazed state it had been in since Carolina had emerged from the shadows.

I should have known, I should have known something else would get in our way, Cynthia thought bitterly to herself. I thought we had gotten our fair share of obstacles already, but of course there would be another one; the universe really does not want us to talk to Mr Adiem. In a way, Cynthia almost felt like laughing; it was her grandmother who had first sent her on the path of finding the book, whether she was aware of it or not, so it made sense that she would show up now that Cynthia had made it to the end.

This is just like you, isn't it? She thought, glaring viciously at the walls, imagining her proud, judgemental grandmother standing before her. You couldn't let us do anything without your approval. We had to be your test subjects; we had to be part of your research. Why would you need to test on Rattata and Bidoof when two fresh, youthful subjects were simply handed to you? By running away I've become an unforeseen anomaly, and you have had to come here to make sure I stick with your hypothesis.

She was angry, bitter and disheartened, it becoming clear to Cynthia that this situation was out of her hands, that she could no longer control anything that happened now whether she wanted to or not. Part of her wanted to give up now, the drive to fight and get answers lost under the brutal appearance of another, more personal obstacle.

However, if her grandmother had come here, if she had been waiting to see who was onboard Glory, than that meant something serious. Carolina would not leave her laboratory or even Celestic Town unless she had to, and if Arnold Adiem, the man she had been on the phone with all those months ago, was here, then the two were likely up to something. It was possible that they knew the encyclopaedia was missing and had made links with Cynthia's disappearance, but the fact Carolina had knew to wait here meant there could be more to all of this than Cynthia realised. She had to wonder if perhaps this had all been planned; the phone call, letting her run away, only showing up now, another one of Carolina's experiment in human behaviour. And if it was all an experiment, than she would be waiting to see what her granddaughter did next…

"We still have to confront him," Cynthia announced, coming to a stop and turning to face Viktor. Now that she stopped her rage came rushing back to her; Cynthia was tempted to simply track Carolina down right now and see if sending Gabite fitted with her expectations. However, Cynthia knew that she could not give up now, that the only way to outsmart her grandmother, the only way to make everything worthwhile, was to make sure she still got her answers, and that meant they needed to stay on plan.

"Are you sure about that?" Viktor asked cautiously. "I mean, I want to find out about the book as much as you do, believe me, but what if we get caught before we even reach Adiem? Somehow they both know what we are up to and they are just waiting to foil us." "Yes, I am positive," Cynthia replied quickly, her voice ringing as she spoke. "I have travelled too far and sacrificed too much about myself to give up on this now, and I am certainly not going to throw it all away because of my bloody grandmother! Volkner and Flint have their special training session tonight, and if I know Carolina, she will want to wrap up whatever business she has here as quickly as possible. The training session will be the first time we are all meant to be in the same place, so I bet they will act then while we are all distracted."

"But, if we are sticking to the same plan, there will be two people inconspicuously missing from that little match?" Viktor asked, and Cynthia smiled and nodded. It was times like this that made her glad she had someone else working with her, someone else to make this difficult times easy. As much as Viktor worried her, and as much as she hated herself for sacrificing her own beliefs and her own morals, right now he was the lesser of two problems, and Cynthia was going to need him if there was any chance of getting past her grandmother. She forced their argument to the back of her mind, locking it away for now, and when she looked at him she saw her only true ally in the world right now, and the only person that could help her end this tonight.

A voice sounded out in the hallway, and Cynthia snapped out of her thoughts, dread quickly replacing her rage.

"Crap, I keep forgetting about Volkner," she hissed, staring at the door as the young boy's voice got louder and closer. "I better get back to him before he starts to suspect something."

"Yeah, we can't let anything else get in our way," Viktor agreed quickly.

"Make sure you drink that stuff just before dinner, not too early or it will ruin everything," Cynthia said quickly as she rushed towards the door. She paused, her hand touching the handle, thinking about what would unfold over the next few hours. "This is going to work; even with that old bitch here, I just know this is going to work."

"Me too," Viktor said with a determined nod, and Cynthia beamed back before slipping out the door, feeling good about the night ahead for the first time that day.

The second the door swung shut, Viktor stopped smiling, staring enviously at it as he heard Cynthia rattle an excuse for Volkner. It had been painful, watching all the officials doting over Volkner and Flint when they arrived, when Viktor knew very well that he and Cynthia deserved all the praise, and now his cousin was once again getting in the way of their final goal; it was enough to drive Viktor mad.

Viktor had kept his voice calm over the past half hour, not wanting to frighten or worry Cynthia while their argument still lingered on their minds, but his own rage was boiling away beneath his wholesome charade. He had felt so good about bringing down Minerva, and Viktor had planned on using that boost to keep him going while Volkner and Flint reaped the rewards that should have been his. Having another threat to their goal put before them had brought his joy crashing down, and Viktor had struggled to keep his anger in check now that their plan was even riskier than before.

However, Viktor had reason to relax now. Cynthia was not going to let her grandmothers reappearance get in their way, his stifled rage seemed to have work, and things were back on track. The little brown bottle Cynthia had given him this morning sat in his pocket, and once he drunk it; there would be no turning back.

No one is going to care about Volkner and Flintin a few hours, Viktor thought, a sly smile creeping onto his face as he heard Cynthia lead Volkner away. Not when we get our answers – then we will be the real winners. And for the first time in weeks, Viktor worked on his project with nothing else on his mind; no more distractions, no more obstacles or threats or worries, everything was working out the way he wanted it to, and Viktor couldn't be happier.

In a few hours time when they headed down to dinner, Cynthia had calmed down enough that she could now pay attention to the finer details around her. As part of their prize, Volkner, Flint and their guests were being housed in apartments that were usually reserved for visiting gym leaders or other prominent people, and, as such, the facilities were simply impeccable. They were spread out across five luxurious rooms, each spotlessly clean with gigantic beds and private bathrooms, decorated with fresh flowers and exquisite artwork. Cream coloured walls with gold detail carried from the rooms to the hallways outside, their feet being carried by the lush, deep carpet, and windows that glittered like diamonds provided magnificent views of the endless ocean around them.

The dining room where they were being served dinner was the cherry on top. It was big enough to house about three hundred people, with the largest chandelier Cynthia had ever seen hanging above the several dozen tables, but tonight there were only eight people. Cynthia sat on side opposite Viktor, Volkner to her right and Flint to his. Joan and Peter sat opposite them, while Ned the cheesy photographer and Tiffany shoved in at the end.

"This place is even fancier than Café Green," Joan whispered in a carrying voice to Peter when their first course; a creamy orange soup served in bowls that looked brand new, being carried in by individual waiters in three piece suits.

"Café Green is a hole compared to this place!" Peter boomed with unnecessary volume. Cynthia noticed his right hand clasped around a large glass filled with frothy amber liquid and smiled; she was pleased that he was getting a little drunk, as it would make her and Viktor's disappearance less obvious if fewer people were paying attention. She was trying not to look at Viktor, wanting to give Volkner all the attention, but her eyes quickly wavered towards her ally, and Viktor briefly looked at her and winked; their plan had official begun.

"I must say, when I saw that we would be having dinner I did not think we would be in this exquisite ballroom!" Joan announced to the table. "It is so nice not to have to cook – and this food is simply delicious!" She added, eyes widening as she took her first sip. The grandmother glanced across at the table, judging everyone's reactions, and her eyes soon fell upon Cynthia.

"How are you finding everything dear?" Joan asked with forced sweetness. "Look at me getting all giddy about this little slice of luxury when you have been living this style of life for the past few weeks!"

"Oh no, our holiday hasn't been nearly as fancy as this," Cynthia replied with a smile, though she directed it at Tiffany, trying to avoid eye contact with her latest enemy.

"Oh, is that so? I imagined you were staying someone fabulous! What is the name of your hotel again?" She asked, her voice calm and flat but the judging look in her eyes not fooling anyone. Cynthia tensed up, knowing the old woman was waiting to catch her out; did she suspect Cynthia was lying about where she was staying, or was she just hoping that Cynthia and her family were at some low level, overcrowded back alley motel?

"The Seaside Hotel; it is lovely there, but nothing compared to this," Cynthia replied with a sugary sweet smile. "Everything here is much cleaner and this food is simply delicious – the best I've had since I have been in Sunyshore!" Joan smiled stiffly back and went back to her soup, and Cynthia copied her, smirking into her spoon; nothing was going to get to her tonight, not when she was so close to finishing the journey she begun months ago. Getting in a few digs at the bitter old woman felt freeing and empowering, gearing Cynthia up for the challenge ahead, and whether Joan knew she was lying or not, none of it would matter by morning. Cynthia felt almost rebellious, trapped at this table with people she had spent weeks having to lie to, knowing that soon it would all be over.

"So boys, what Pokemon are you going to be training tonight?" Tiffany said shrilly, her grating voice drawing all their attention. Her eyes were magnified by her thick red glasses that perched on her button nose, and they were focussed almost manically on Volkner and Flint. She seemed like a parody of a human being, and Cynthia had to resist the urge to laugh. However, it was clear that the bubbly guide had sensed some tension and was doing her best to keep her clients happy.

"Monferno and Luxio definitely, they are our strongest Pokemon but they need to be stronger!" Volkner said, eyes dancing with excitement like they did whenever their battle came up. "Then probably our Eevee after them; they have similar moves and we have some ideas for some combination moves."

"Did you consider evolving them before you came out here?" Ned the cameraman asked through a thick helping of soup. "Having a Vaporeon or whatever on your team would have been a real asset tomorrow."

"We could have evolved them before we left, but Volkner had other things on his mind the past few days and we barely had time to train," Flint replied, his face cold and stony. A tense silence fell across the table, broken only by Viktor as he vigorously downed his soup. Volkner abandoned his bowl though and turned towards his friend.

"It means that if you had been focussed on our training, then we could have gotten the Eevee to a point where they could evolve, then we would have more evolved Pokemon on our team and stand a decent chance at winning tomorrow!" Flint turned to look at Volkner as he spoke, but his eyes wavered for too long beyond him, settling for several seconds on Cynthia while he spat his words into the air. It was clear to everyone what the red haired boy was implying, including Volkner, who tensed up beside Cynthia.

"It would have taken more than a few days to get them to the right level," Volkner replied quickly, stammering over his words. "Besides, we can't afford to buy two evolution stones anyway!"

"If there were any products you needed dear I would have paid for them," Joan said quickly, her eyes falling upon Cynthia.

"Even if we couldn't have evolved them, we still should have been training more than we did!" Flint snapped, and this time he blatantly looked at Cynthia. She stared awkwardly at her soup, wondering if her soup was deep enough to drown in; she had been buttering up to Volkner, trying to get him to bring Viktor along but at the same time trying not to make it suspicious. "What have you two even been doing that was so important? Hanging around with her family, getting them to pamper you? They must be some rich snobs to be staying at the Seaside Hotel for over a month!"

"No, I haven't even met her family!"

"Has anyone?" Joan hissed into her spoon. Volkner paused and turned towards Cynthia, and she looked around to meet his gaze; he looked so young there, staring sadly and quizzically at her, perhaps for the first time seeing her through the eyes of his grandmother and best friend.

Cynthia's joy came plummeting down, evaporating as fast as it had arrived. She was fine with outsmarting her grandmother, and it would be worth seeing Joan's face when her scandalized suspicions were proved correct, but Cynthia kept forgetting about the true human factor in all this. Volkner never should have been involved, especially after the reaction their only kiss had caused; Cynthia was imagining some of the reactions when she and Viktor emerged triumphant, but she could not bear to picture how saddened Volkner would be when she broke his little heart, his first love turning out have been a cruel ruse all along.

Suddenly, Viktor leapt to his feet. Cynthia was the only one who noticed at first, having been waiting for several minutes now. It was not until he began retching that Joan and Tiffany turned to him, but everyone was watching by the time Viktor projectile vomited across the table.

"HOLY CRAP!" Peter yelled, trying to stand and instead stumbling backwards and flipping over his chair. Flint let out a hoot of laughter, either at the vomit or the sight of the falling man, but no one else made a noise; Joan was leaping up and already in grandmother mode, grabbing napkins and pulling Viktor towards her in order to dab at his mouth, while Tiffany and Ned had both jumped up, staring at the vomit as if a Skuntank had just entered the dining room and began cleaning itself upon the table. Cynthia did her best to look shocked, hands over face and doing her best to not stare at the murky yellow liquid streaming across the table, but the free side of her that was making itself known that night felt like laughing; the colour of Viktor's vomit was exactly the same shade of cream as the walls, and the unfortunate similarity was too hilarious not to snigger at.

"We need to get you back up to your bedroom straight away!" Joan exclaimed hysterically, vigorously dabbing Viktor's chin at the same time as she tried leading him away from the table. "I don't know what was in this soup, but I shall be talking to the chef when I return!" Viktor queasily followed along, his face pale, stumbling weakly as he walked, and to the untrained eye he appeared genuinely ill. However, when he reached the dining halls towering double doors, Viktor briefly glanced over his shoulder; and Cynthia saw a brightness in his eyes that did not match his sick-stained face.

All according to plan, Cynthia thought triumphantly. The Sunyshore Market had been less crowded when she had returned last night, but it had still taken her a while to get to the very back of the ancient market, back to the seediest tables where tall loners and yellow teethed women had all watched her like prey. However, she managed to find a table she'd overheard several mothers discussing at the park one morning, a stall where its bearded proprietor was said to sell a concoction for every occasion. The tiny brown bottle she had shelled out most of her remaining money for had just a droplet of amber liquid, enough to cause a slow but violent reaction in the stomach, slow enough to fake vomiting at just the right moment. The man had been curious as to why someone would want to make themselves violently ill, but Cynthia had simply explained it was merely an excuse, one that few people could doubt…

"Did you see his face?" Flint snorted once Viktor had left the room. He had collapsed into his seat, laughing raucously and banging his fists on the table. Tiffany looked shocked by his reaction, but Cynthia was pleased someone was amused, the tension at the table lessening. She watched Volkner as their table cloth was removed along with the soup no one felt like having anymore, the blonde boy now laughing with his best friend, unable to stop himself. For now, his scared, curious face was gone, but it would be back; if everything went according to plan, his joy would be crushed by the end of the evening.

He's young, he will recover, they will all recover… she told herself, trying to believe those words as her eyes moved between Volkner, Peter and Joan's vacated seat. But there is no stopping it now… no stopping us now; our plan is in motion and by the end of the night, it will all be over. I just hope that one day you will forgive me…