Cynthia, Sango, and Blake bought some Lava Cookies! How will everyone react to it? This chapter has a nice bit of bonding between the cast, where they share their cookies together. Will they like the cookies? Well, we'll have to find out! Meanwhile, we still need to think about what everyone is going to do for the rest of the day!
The Final Round of the Pokemon Academy Best Girl Contest 3 has begun! Get the votes going in soon! There are three girls in the finals! Who's going to win? Chloe? Cynthia? Or Vic? One of those girls will become the third best girl, so get those votes in as soon as possible! You've only got one vote this time, so make it count!
Finalists: Chloe, Cynthia, Vic
KedharS: Yup, she was revealed to have liked Blake for a long time! Supposing Sango is right… but it looks like she was right on the money.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 1042
It took several hours but they finally made it to the front of the line to order their Lava Cookies from the bakery.
But Sango still wasn't happy.
"One box per customer?" She grumbled, munching on a cookie as they walked back to the inn. "What kind of garbage is that?"
"It's just the way things are," Cynthia shrugged. "They've gotta do that, or else there will be a ton of people who would buy out all the stock, and then you'll never get ANY Lava Cookies at all, would that be better?"
"…No," Sango admitted reluctantly. "But still, you've gotta admit that it's just not fair! I could burn through this box in like twenty minutes!"
"Sango… there's like 50 cookies in here," Blake said, glancing at the reddish-orange cookies crammed to the edges of the red box.
Sango stared at him like he was an idiot. "…Maybe ten minutes!"
Cynthia just laughed.
"Well, I'm not going to eat all of mine," she said. "I'm planning on sharing them with everybody! What about you, Blake?"
"I think I'll have a few and then share the rest," he decided. "Oh, but I'll probably save some to bring back with me."
A knowing smirk crossed Cynthia's lips. "Oh, I see how it is," she giggled. "Bringing back some cookies for your cute little girlfriend?"
Blake's face turned scarlet. "I-I just think Aya would like them, that's all! You don't have to make a big deal out of it!"
"That's the cutest thing I've ever heard," Sango laughed, elbowing him in the stomach. "But yeah, Ayame'd probably love these. Anyone would, really." She fished into her box for another and split it in half, handing half to Silver and saving the rest for herself. "Huunng, god, these things are just… ooogh! Yes!"
"I'll have what she's having," Cynthia cackled, elbowing Blake in the stomach as well. He didn't look amused.
"My guts can only take so much," he groused, picking up the pace so he was out of elbowing range. "Leave me alone." The girls chased after him, sharing laughs. It was almost lunchtime by the time they got back to the inn.
"I'll go bring this up to the girls," Cynthia said, heading down the hall. "Blake, you wanna come and share yours, too? Sango, what about- oh, never mind."
Sango had set her box down in the cubby that had been reserved for her personal belongings in the entry hall, and was switching out her sneakers for running shoes.
"I need to get in a quick jog," she said, hopping to her feet. "Gotta work off those cookies you know! See ya!"
Seconds later she was back out the door, and Silver flew after her.
Blake followed Cynthia towards the girls' room. Cynthia raised her hand to knock on the wall to make sure everyone was decent, when the screen door slid open, revealing to both of their shock that was very much not the case.
Elaina, half-asleep, had exited looking for the bathroom. Her hair was a mess and her robe was displaced, revealing a large amount of cleavage. It looked like the garment was clinging to her figure, liable to slip right off her if she moved the wrong way.
She was right on display for Blake's eyes. He stared in jaw-dropping shock at her, not sure how to respond. And it was a considerable amount of time before Elaina's sleep-logged brain sobered up enough to realize what was happening. When she put the pieces together, she turned bright red with embarrassment.
"D-DON'T LOOK!" She screeched, pulling her robe shut with one hand while slamming the screen door with the other.
Cynthia whistled. "Damn. Thanks for the meal, am I right?" She laughed, elbowing Blake again. But just like last time, Blake wasn't amused.
"I can't believe that just happened," he groaned, massaging his temples.
"Hey, come on! It was an accident, you don't need to feel so bad," Cynthia said. "It's not like I knew this was going to happen either! What's she doing, just waking up at this hour? It's almost lunch you know, I had no idea!"
"I-I had to!" Elaina sputtered, sliding the door open. She was no longer in her robe, dressed in a very conservative navy sundress instead. Not a speck of her chest was visible in the least. "It was the jet lag! Besides, I normally wake up around now!"
"Really? Yikes," Cynthia winced. She liked staying inside as much as the next girl, but not waking up before noon was a bit of a line. "What do you do all night?"
Elaina's cheeks flushed and she quickly averted her eyes. "Oh, uh, you know. Pokemon training," she mumbled.
Cynthia wasn't buying it. "At night? Don't your birds fight better during the day though? What's up with that?"
"W-Well, you know how it is!" Elaina said loudly. "Gotta practice, practice, practice! Besides, there's a sky and the wind during the night, too!"
Well, she was obviously lying, but given that this was something sensitive, Cynthia decided not to push her luck.
"Well, I'm just glad you're finally awake," she laughed. Then she made a move to pat Elaina on the shoulder, but caught herself before she could go too far. After all, it wasn't right to treat her like that. The way Elaina visibly relaxed after flinching previously assured Cynthia that she'd made the right decision.
"So, uh… any plans this afternoon?" Blake awkwardly asked. Elaina flinched. She opened her mouth to come up with a good suggestion, but to her embarrassment the only thing that escaped was a tired yawn.
She turned even redder after that happened, and quickly looked away. Cynthia resisted the urge to break out laughing.
"If I had to guess, I'd say that she's looking to catch up on her sleep," the redhead snickered. "But hey, Elaina, if you want to wake up, I have the perfect thing for you."
Elaina stared suspiciously at Cynthia, sliding the door closed until it was just a crack. "It's not… drugs, is it?" She asked.
Cynthia could see Elaina was actually worried, and had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. She just shook her head.
"Trust me, Elaina, it's not drugs," Blake assured her. He was also trying to not let his amusement show on the surface. "We wouldn't give you stuff like that, I promise."
She slid the door open slightly. "Well… alright," she sighed. "I guess I'll try some, then, what are these things?"
"They're called Lava Cookies, Lavaridge Town's specialty," Cynthia said, cracking the box open and handing her one. "Try 'em! They're delicious!"
"Okay…" Elaina held up the cookie and took a deep breath. She nearly choked on the stinging aroma from all the spices. "Wheeew! That's… hoo, that's really… wow!" She sucked it up and took a bite, coughing a little.
"Hey, hey, you okay?" Cynthia asked, reaching out instinctively but shrinking back again. "If you're not used to spicy foods, you don't have to-"
"No, it… it's delicious!" Elaina coughed out. Her eyes were watering and her face was flushed, but she was smiling. "How can it be so spicy but so sweet at the same time? It's amazing!" Even as she said that she was having trouble getting it down. By the time she finally did, it was clear that she wasn't in the best of shape. Spicy food apparently disagreed with her.
"So, uh… you okay?" Blake asked.
Elaina wiped the crumbs off her mouth and nodded. "It's… I'm fine," she assured him, smiling weakly. "That cookie was really good, but…"
"You're not sure if you want another one? Well that's no problem, more for the rest of us," Cynthia grinned.
"No, it's not that," Elaina shook her head. "I do want another one, I just… don't know if I'll be able to eat it, you know?"
Her smile was still shaking.
Blake shrugged. "Well, alright then. Hey, do you know where the others are? We wanted to share the cookies around a little since the line to go buy them is so long."
Elaina shook her head. "Caelia's inside, but I don't know where everyone else is right now, I'm sorry…" She looked down, like she was ashamed of the fact that she wasn't more help. Cynthia was quick to assure her that it wasn't a problem.
"Don't sweat it!" She laughed, and Elaina shot her a confused glance given how sweaty and uncomfortable she felt. Cynthia quickly followed it up by putting the box of cookies down and flashing a reassuring grin. "We'll go find the others, and then it'll be cookie time! Meanwhile, help yourself to another Lava Cookie or two!"
"Uh… okay then…" Elaina said, a little flustered by how quickly Cynthia ran off. Blake turned to Elaina and gave her a weak smile, leaving.
Elaina glanced at the box of Lava Cookies. They were sooooo delicious, but the temptation came at a price.
It's okay, she reassured herself. They're just a little tasty. That's not worth how spicy they are, you don't need any more. It was nice to try them, but that's all.
Feeling exhausted after the draining morning, Blake returned to his room with his own box of cookies to pack up with his stuff. When he got there, he saw that unlike the girls, the boys were a little lazier this morning. Will and Reiner had both stayed in the room to read, while Nick was playing a video game. Aidan was the only one who was gone.
"Yo, what's up?" Reiner asked, glancing up from his book. "Where have you been all morning? We were looking for you."
"Sango dragged me into this huge line to go cookie shopping," Blake said, holding up the box of Lava Cookies. "I had to wait for like two hours. Worth it, though, these are delicious. You guys want any?" He offered.
"Oh, yeah, those are delicious," Reiner said, standing up. "I've always wanted to try 'em, but we never had the chance on the field trip." He walked over and grabbed a couple cookies, taking a bite out of one of them.
"…OH man!" He said through bites, quickly devouring both cookies. "These are as delicious as I remember!" He turned to Nick. "Dude, you've got to try some of these!"
Nick grabbed one and took a bite, and he loved it too. Will, not as close to Blake as the others but still curious, asked if he could have one as well. Blake nodded and he took one, agreeing with the consensus that the cookies were delicious.
"So where's Aidan?" Blake asked, looking around for the last guy in their group.
"The old guy who runs this place asked him for help," Will said between bites of spicy cookie. "Something about Aidan being perfect for doing some of the heavy lifting around the place. He seemed pretty okay with it."
"He's Cynthia's grandpa you know," Blake said, frowning. "And also, don't you think maybe you guys could have helped out a little too? We're guests staying here for free, after all."
"Fair enough," Reiner admitted. "But you're not going to see me lifting any boulders to move out of the way, I'll tell you that right now. That's what pokemon are for."
"I'll help too," Nick agreed. "But first, would it be cool if I have another cookie? I want to mail one to Callie to try."
"Uh… yeah, that should be fine," Blake nodded. "What about the rest of you? Anyone you want to send cookies too? If not, I'll keep the rest."
"Nikita hates spicy food, so none for me," Reiner said, shaking his head. Then he smirked. "What about you, Will? Gonna send any to that robot girlfriend of yours?"
Will gave Reiner a sour look and didn't say anything. Reiner just laughed. "I guess she's not the type of robot who eats stuff, huh? Oh well."
"Reiner, stop being a dick," Blake groaned, shaking his head. "Anyway, I'll leave the rest here, if Aidan comes back, tell him he can have some, okay?"
"Wait, Blake, where are you going?" Nick asked.
"I'm going to actually volunteer to led a hand around here," Blake replied. If no one else was going to help, he might as well pitch in.
Blake walked down the hall, and stopped outside of the girls' room. The door was still wide open, and he could hear some munching coming from inside. His curiosity overcame his sense of decorum, and he couldn't help taking a peak inside.
Elaina was curled up into a little ball, nibbling on cookies like a Pachirisu chewing berries.
"…That good, huh?" He couldn't help teasing her. So this was what it was like being Cynthia, huh? It wasn't so bad.
Elaina jumped a mile into the air, her face red.
"I-I wasn't! I just… um…" She was desperately trying to come up with an excuse, but with a third of the cookies gone and her face littered with crumbs, the evidence was damning. She hung her head in shame.
"I think Cynthia said to take one or two," Blake smirked, leaning in the doorway. "Not clean out the entire box."
"I-I… I couldn't help it!" She wailed, shielding her face with her hands like Blake's smirk would cause her to burn. "One more turned into two, and then… and then this all happened!"
"I was gone for like five minutes," he replied. Elaina could only look shameful. Just in time for Cynthia to return with the other girls.
"So, uh… what happened here?" She asked, raising her eyebrow as she examined the scene of the crime. The floor was littered with crumbs and cookie wrappers, and Elaina's fingers and lips were stained reddish-orange.
"She was hungry," Blake explained mirthfully. "Maybe next time she shouldn't skip breakfast." He was trying to keep his joking from being too serious in case Elaina responded negatively, but it seemed unnecessary.
Elaina could only nod.
"Are those Lava Cookies?" Kitty asked, her eyes widening. She'd always wanted to try one, but had never had the chance. She started to drool.
"That's right!" Cynthia chirped. "Lavaridge's specialty!"
"So that's what this is about," Julia realized. "You said you had something important to show us, but I didn't think it would be this."
"You guys want some? I know you said last night you wanted to try them at least once, so I made sure to get the biggest box they had! …Even if it's mostly empty now," she said, shooting Elaina an accusatory look that was mostly good-natured. Elaina meekly averted her eyes.
"I could have a few," Julia admitted. "Though I can't say I wasn't expecting something a little more exciting."
"Ah, that stuff will come later, for now, it's cookie time!" Cynthia practically shoved Kitty into the room, plopping down next to the cookie box, which she snaked away from Alcea's gluttonous stare. "Who wants some!"
All three girls raised their hands. A glance from Cynthia made Elaina lower hers.
The response to the Lava Cookies was… surprising. Kitty, to Cynthia and Blake's amazement, didn't spit it out immediately for being too spicy, in spite of her complaints of last night's dinner. She was actually gushing about how delicious it tasted. Julia, on the other hand…
"It's… alright," she muttered, making a face that suggested her description was overly-generous. "I can't say I'm a huge fan…"
"You don't like it?!" Cynthia was shocked. She was the first person she met who wasn't a fan of Lava Cookies.
"I don't… not like it," Julia said defensively. "It's just… I don't know, spicy and sweet don't go together very well, that's all. At least not for me."
"Julia would have preferred if it was 100% spicy," Blake smirked. Julia glared at him. "What? I'm just saying it like it is."
"Well, you can keep your opinions to yourself," Julia huffed. She finished off her cookie and didn't take another.
"Well, I suppose we all have our tastes," Cynthia shrugged. "More for me, then." She turned to Kitty and offered her more, and then to Elaina. Surprisingly, neither girl took another.
"I don't wanna put on too much weight," Kitty explained. "It's vacation, I need to pace myself on the junk food or else I'll bloat."
"I want more," Elaina whined. "But my mouth stings!" Indeed, beneath the smear of orange-red crumbs, Elaina's lips were starting to get swollen. That was just what happened when you ate so many Lava Cookies in one sitting.
That only left one person. Cynthia turned to Caelia and walked over to her, box in hand. Caelia glanced at her just as the redhead reached her, an unusual occurrence.
"Hey there Caelia! Nice battle earlier! Want a cookie to show no hard feelings?" Cynthia asked, offering the box.
"No…. no point," Caelia said, shaking her head. From the way the others spoke, these cookies were delicious, and they would be wasted on someone like her who couldn't taste them.
But Cynthia didn't accept that as an answer. "No way!" She scowled. "Come on, Caelia, just one! I want you to try it!" Secretly she was hoping that the barrage of flavors and feelings would cause some senses to return to the brunette, slim a hope as that may have been.
Caelia blinked. Then, reluctantly, she took the cookie Cynthia offered.
After a few minutes of futilely trying to open the wrapper, Cynthia did it for her, and Caelia took a bite of the cookie.
Just as she thought. It didn't taste like anything at all. She couldn't even feel it.
"…Pointless," Caelia muttered, holding the cookie away from her, offering it to Cynthia. "Can't… even taste it." She shook her head.
Cynthia wasn't discouraged. "That's fine!" She smiled. "You can still finish the rest of it!"
"…Really?" Caelia asked, blinking.
"Yeah! Even if you can't taste it," Cynthia assured her. "After all, we're eating cookies today as friends! That's what really matters!"
Caelia wasn't sure what she meant by that, but kept eating the cookie anyway. She still couldn't taste it, though.
Just a little bit of bonding over cookies! But what's the rest of the plan for today?
