"Strange choice for a place…" I sighed as I sat down. I had easily spotted Professor Sycamore from the door as the handsome gentleman on the back of the café who ran his fingers through his messy hair and enjoyed a regular black coffee while he read the newspaper. And was I so late? He seemed quite engaged in the chosen distraction.
"I figured it would be the last place you would have chosen to willingly enter…" he explained without having to pick up his eyes from his reading to recognize me "Therefore, the one café in Lumiose you had yet to visit!"
He folded the paper between his rushless fingers and placed it by his side as he leaned on the table and finally looked me in the eyes: he had a warm welcome smile, but not much beyond that.
"So now you have it! And was I wrong?!" he scrutinized.
"No…" I affirmed, looking around me "I would definitely not have come here if I could help it…"
Everything from the outside in was exceptionally red! And yet, somehow, it seemed to be the darkest, gloomiest place I had been inside in Lumiose: the lamps that hung on the wall struggled, being barely enough to light the crimson room! However, the unnerving choice of environment was not the reason behind my unwillingness to linger: The sign outside read "Lysandre's Café".
"Why, darling?" Sycamore's hand running across my face pulled me back to his eyes "Does the color of passion intimidate you now?"
"Nothing like that…" I gently pulled his hand away, judging, by the strange atmosphere the place inspired me, that I needed all my senses in check "Although I have to say It's pretty unpleasant…" and here I looked at the bartenders: them, and the waiters… they all seemed to have an eye on me! I cringed a little, and leaned forward to whisper and be heard "But are you sure it's okay to bring me specifically to Lysandre's place?!"
"There will be no safer place on earth today!" he smiled, picking up his cup and enjoying a sip "Knowing Lysandre as I do, he would allow no tongue to wag unpunished. That, and they have the finest pastries: I do intend to begin enlightening your palate!" he seriously acknowledged, lifting the menu from the small round table.
"But tell me, dear…" he delicately cleared his throat after a moment's silence "why have you offered me such a cold reception? No kisses or smiles from Miss Anne, now that she has beaten all of Kalos' gyms?" And he winked at me.
I blushed and couldn't keep the proud smile from crossing my lips.
"My congratulations!" Sycamore bowed his head.
"Thanks…" I embarrassedly replied.
All eyes were on me. They all weighed heavily!
"A perfect opportunity for a celebration, wouldn't you say so? Allow me to think up of something for today…" Sycamore smiled tranquilly as he went through the menu. I tried to emulate his calm: if he was this composed, why should I be beating myself up over a bunch of strangers looking at us – or at me, as it specifically felt? I limited myself to watching him and trying to move and sit as he did: elegant, composed and relaxed. The least I could do was to look good on the cameras, lest someone might catch us…
And as I took such precaution, my mind was allowed to wonder through Sycamore's silent and busy attention: Why wasn't he worried about being seen with me? Was there a resolution I didn't know of? Was there something different, perhaps a change of priority or intentions?
I had seen them talk, and it looked like nothing but suicide for him to take me to Lysandre's café. Though cynical, Sycamore was not that careless, and wouldn't willingly choose a fight over peace, so something must have changed. Perhaps because I had all the badges? - My heart grew warm with pride again - …Perhaps because I had collected them, but Charizard still hadn't managed to evolve? The bracelet around my wrist weighed and burned against my flesh, and now my chest was cold with apprehension: it was okay for me to decide to quit the research, but entirely different to get kicked out of it!
"Is there something wrong?!" The whispered words escaped out of me without permission. Sycamore's blue, penetrating, chilled eyes rose from the menu to mine. Seconds later, a smile followed:
"Hardly!" He sighed, putting down that mean of distraction, too "I am merely taking the liberty to choose for you, if you will let me take you through another one of my favorite places in Kalos, that is!"
"Go ahead…" I shrugged, and Sycamore soon called out the waiter to make an order.
All eyes were on me… All of them were hard and strangely familiar! Where had I seen those faces before?
As we waited, Sycamore's hand drifted to mine on the table. Our fingers entwined, our eyes locked and he smiled.
…There was another hypothesis. What if he genuinely didn't care anymore? What if the public display was something actually meant to be seen? Did that mean we were… the word gave me instant vertigo.
…A couple?
One… two hours were quickly past inside the shady place, enough for me to get quite used to its sickly illumination and overcome its influence over my disposition. And watching Sycamore, how could I nourish so many worries? He had never been so relaxed, not even my presence excited his nerves as it usually did.
I wiped my lips after the meal, and watched as Sycamore's collected eyes moved to the door. A content smile stretched there when a subtle wind blew through the streets of Lumiose. He was more pensive, now even more distant in thoughts that seemed to amuse him into a sullen tranquility. I turned to watch the quiet buildings as he did: It was a rare Friday of small commotion, very few people could be seen surrounding the Prism tower that stretched prettily into the sky. A pleasant view, indeed…
For a second, Sycamore's disposition reminded me that of my mother when we were at the beach one particular holiday in my childhood – we would sit at a restaurant and just wait for the hours to pass watching the distant waves rocking. There was nowhere to be, nothing to do… only a more pleasant perspective awaited after that one.
Those were Sycamore's eyes there: not a shadow of obligation tainted them as they dived into the pleasantness of a very still day.
Meanwhile, I had started to feel a strange, almost dreary energy emanating from my Pokeballs: someone was worried.
"Huh?" Sycamore exclaimed, awaking from his daydream as I pulled my bag open and looked inside it, my palm open, ready to pick up the ball of disturbance, but finding myself too puzzled to do it. "What is the matter, dear?" he lazily asked.
My hand was frozen before I could touch the pokeballs: they all vibrated in different levels of apprehension. And why did it suddenly affect me so much? Perhaps I was feeling it, too…
"What is wrong?!" he repeated more emphatically as I looked gravely inside my bag.
"Nothing…" I closed it, shaking my head and deciding it might be just my imagination "For a second I thought I… uhm… Nothing!"
"Huh…" Sycamore smiled to the side, and broke into a very casual speech about Couriway Town: about the place's history, and how he would love to return once more and take his time there with me…
However interesting, his nostalgic descriptions of how the town used to be and what had changed couldn't reach my attention too much: my heart pulsated in a different rhythm, moved by the swirling distress of my Pokémon. It chased away the last drop of security I felt!
"I hope you have no plans after this, darling…" he sighed, potentially noticing my restless distance and calling me back with something of my interest: "I am decided we should later retire to my house and enjoy ourselves for the rest of the day" he smiled, measuring the reaction on my face "I fear I possess a little bird that doesn't enjoy the freedom of the outside so much, for she looks utterly indisposed!"
I shook my head with a short negative and allowed my view to wander while I processed an answer. My eyes laid accidentally on the small TV on the corner near the door: There seemed to be a commotion happening on the news.
"Actually, I…" I started, but quickly lost my attention to the screen.
"You what, darling?!" Sycamore chased it back.
"Actually…" I immediately lost focus, tensing my eyebrows as I tried to read the letters going on below the reporter, for the sound itself was on mute, or too low to be heard from the back, where we were. "…I was thinking of starting to train for…" I managed to half-finish the sentence as Sycamore subtly grimaced with impatience over my delay.
The words on the distant, small TV read things like "Mayhem", "Escaping" and "Time", as well as something about Lysandre.
"Hey, can you raise the volume on that?!" I looked back in an urgent plea to the waiter, hoping the tension would have possessed the entire café by now.
Everyone present looked at me, of course – My distress surprising all of them. Again, their eyes weighed… but no one listened.
"Anne, Dear…" Sycamore started his composed, mocking laugh and his hands calmly stretched, holding mine on the table.
I was up before I could fully feel them! I walked to the TV, my blood being replaced by cold as the feeling of calamity possessed me: The look on the reporter's face through the mute glass, people running behind her, negative words being tactically stressed… quiet, empty Lumiose right outside!
"Are you guys not seeing this?!" I looked back, atoned – no one cared. Everyone carried on with their meals only stopping to look at me as if I was some sort of nuisance disturbing their dull enjoyment.
Looking back, Lysandre's face was on the TV in the recording of a Holo-Caster call. The small letters bellow explained something about a statement. I narrowed my eyes, trying harder to read them.
"Darling, what is this scene all about?!" Sycamore asked from the table, not quite bothering to come after me.
Then the same news changed to a new location, to just another mysterious calamity I couldn't fathom – I had been to that place: it was the Pokéball factory in Laverre city. Calem, Shauna and the rest were all there – as were a bunch of Team Flare grunts! My eyes grew wide… the urge was instantaneous then!
"Anne!" Sycamore yelled, standing up so fast the chair fell behind him.
I had burst open the door, running outside as fast as I could!