Happy New Year, everyone! Here is the other half of the fondue fight, as promised. However, I've been running down with a cold which has been impeding my writing, along with work and studies, so I wish I could have uploaded this chapter sooner! I can't believe it's been almost three weeks! Also, you must excuse me that I couldn't think of a better name for the chapter.
For the honoured Guest and DaX0315... I have seen my share of anime characters, heh... But that's another story.
For TrueLightHikari: heh, I do tend to get carried away with the side stories, but it's kind of a way to unload what's on my mind, you know?
So now, a serving of la pierre de boeuf bourguignonne will now be served to DaX0315, an honoured Guest, TrueLightHikari, LEGAL-EAGLE53 (sans basil, bien sur), and Psycres! Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter thirty-four: Fondue Fight II
"Oh my gosh!" Winona gasped, like almost everyone in the plaza. "What is that?!"
Even Wallace was speechless. The moment Cynthia lifted the cloche off her dish there was a burst of flame that erupted from beneath. Cynthia, already expecting that, moved her arm quickly enough so the flames wouldn't reach her, and the sight that followed was a fire from the dish itself!
Wallace rubbed his cheek where Winona had slapped him earlier. "Well… some say that they're both making fondues, so I'm expecting… cheese?"
"Then why does the air smell like chocolate?!"
Grant and Korrina exchanged glances. Apart from the colours they wore and having the same first letter in their names, they wondered how Wallace and Winona had ever ended up together. Just watching them how they talked and interacted suggested they were anything but a couple.
"Maybe it's cheese and chocolate – oh, I know! Chocolate-covered cheese!"
"That's… ew. Wallace, no," Winona said, whilst putting a hand over her eyes.
"But it's true, my dear!" Wallace said enthusiastically. "Look! Even Cynthia has some cheeses up her sleeve! Don't believe me?"
They watched Cynthia work away with the ongoing fire from her dish. Without a doubt, it was a fondue, but this fondue was different to what Steven had served. The air was sweeter, a little smokier, and definitely fiery. Cynthia took a bottle of cooking wine and added it carefully to the fondue, which evidently was chocolate being molten. With her free hand, she stirred the fondue with a prong and avoiding the flames.
"I'm telling you, if Steven does win this, I'm going to force Cynthia to eat at his restaurant someday," Wallace said.
"I don't think so, friend," Winona disagreed. "It doesn't look like a relationship is happening between them anytime soon."
The fire coming from Cynthia's fondue rose to its peak, and they slowly died down to an ever-decreasing level. In Cynthia's opinion, chocolate fondue was best served immediately after wine had been added to it. Otherwise, the flavours would never blend, and it would worse if the chocolate had hardened. She kept stirring the chocolate as much as she needed.
Cynthia had revealed the kind of dish she had prepared. There were arranged cheeses on the plate Cynthia had readied, along with a variety of other… what appeared to be ordinary or uninteresting food such as cauliflower, some strawberries and blueberries, and lettuce. In particular, there wasn't anything too special about the cheese – other than it had a creamy white colour and would cut into bite-size portions.
She began mixing the ingredients together, before Viola's eyes, to make… a salad of some sort. On top of that, she set the cheeses on the side with the strawberries and began cutting up a Pamtre berry. While the Pamtre berry looked firm, it was actually very soft and easy to cut. She took bits of the berry and sprinkled it over her salad – knowing they produced a rather salty flavour.
"I kind of forgot these, but no matter," Cynthia admitted.
"Oh, but things like these do happen," Wallace added. "Lisia did tell me that Martine said, and I quote, "They are in a love-hate relationship, so they're bound to come together in the end!" You see, Winona? I swear that by the end of this, their first date will be fabricated by me and it will happen in Lumiose City."
Winona shook her head.
"That sounds like the worst idea of all time, Wallace," she grumbled. "I don't know if they'll be up for that. But, granted, they've always looked good together."
Wallace clutched his chest. "Winona, dear, haven't I always set up perfect dates for you?"
"Sometimes good, and sometimes bad… and sometimes bad enough that I threatened to break up with you more than once," Winona replied, and then she shrugged. "And yet you are miraculously surviving…"
"Oh, is that why you're here, Wallace? To create a relationship or something?" Korrina jumped in. "Oh, wait, I know! Between Steven and Cynthia! Of course! I mean, what else? I've been reading the newspaper too, you know!"
Grant personally didn't know what else to say. Looking at the chocolate now, he had this sudden urge for chocolate. But then, he vowed that he wouldn't be touching any sweets for the week – unfortunately he was severely tempted by the scent of chocolate in the air. It did not help that the chocolate was right before his eyes and… Viola was having all of it.
"Now I wonder how Viola will react, if she said Steven's fondue was so tasty…" Grant muttered.
Korrina nudged him, grinning.
"You really want a taste of that fondue, don't you, Grant? Still have an appetite for sweets, eh?"
"No!"
The smell of chocolate was such that it had enveloped the entire city block. Even at some point, locals from Cyllage City had to make their way to the end of the block where the square plaza was. Within the next hour, the commotion that was going on across the Stone Bakery was the talk of the town.
In fact, the news – and the aroma of chocolate that went with it – was such that it reached the doors of the local Pokémon Centre. Even though the aroma was far away, it still was enough for everyone to sense it, at least.
As it happened, Diantha was walking about the centre to the Poké Mart to buy a lunch. The doctor had advised her to avoid sugary drinks, no surprise, so Diantha stuck to water. At the end, she purchased a tuna salad sandwich for lunch. Sure, the taste would never hope to match the Stone Open she had eaten at Steven's, but as a hospital patient she had limited choice.
She ate her lunch in relative silence at one of the side tables, though she was constantly distracted by the scent of chocolate in the air. What was it that made Diantha so hungry for chocolate?
"Nurse," she said, waving to the one of bypassing nurses, "the kitchen isn't cooking a dessert, by any chance?"
"Non," the nurse replied. "Haven't you heard, mademoiselle Diantha? There is something of a cook-off between Steven and Cynthia going on right now. I don't know the details, but it's pretty intense. I've only heard the stories from visitors today who wanted their Pokémon healed."
This news was clearly a revelation to Diantha. Steven and Cynthia in a cook-off? As in a duel?! How could this have happened?! Wait, perhaps she ought not to jump to conclusions so early. But if Diantha was really going to get any more information on this, she had better find out for herself.
"Je veux partir," Diantha said.
"Non! Vous ne devez pas partir! Restez!" the nurse demanded. If Diantha had the wits, she could have walked out, but then again it didn't seem right to leave in hospital gowns. Plus, her Pokémon – resting at her room – probably would protest too.
But if something was really going on that had Steven involved, needless to say Cynthia, then Diantha felt like she had an obligation to check out what the former Champions were up to. Plus, it was also possible that their relationship could be under threat… Was it a coincidence that this happened after Steven had visited her with a gift basket and asked her questions?
"But… I need to go for a walk, at least," Diantha complained. "I haven't had fresh air for days. Please? Can't I go?"
As an aspiring actress and current Champion, Diantha predicted she must have some sort of influence over the people around her. Come on… If she could influence people right now, now would be the time! At least Diantha could be trusted.
The nurse looked like she was fighting a losing battle, and gave up. "Fine, but you have to be back in the hour. Otherwise, I'll have you locked up in your ward! You may be Champion, but your health is our concern. In fact…"
She looked to her Audino. "Audino, go follow Mademoiselle Diantha and make sure she gets back safely. If she doesn't come back, you can use force."
Diantha rolled her eyes and finished up her lunch before walking out of the centre with Audino following closely behind. The moment she did step out, however, she and Audino could smell the fragrance of chocolate in the air.
That smells fantastique! Diantha thought. Even the Audino following her had the same mindset and the set off together to trace the source of that delicious smell of chocolate. For Diantha, tracing the source was not hard, since there was only one place in mind where such a strong aroma would come from. Needless to say she had been there before.
Steven had cause for concern after Cynthia made her dramatic introduction to her dish. After the fire had been completely extinguished and the smoke had cleared, her dish was ready to be eaten. Viola had taken the liberty of shooting more pictures of the fondue.
"I will promise you that I'll get these published!" Viola said happily.
"I can only imagine," Cynthia smiled. "Bon appétit."
The crowd watched Viola pick up her fork – a clean one – and speared one of the strawberries. At face value, it was just an ordinary strawberry, but that had changed when Viola dipped the entire berry into the molten chocolate before removing it. Looking at the strawberry now, she could see molten chocolate quickly drip from the berry and onto the salad plate.
"Oh no," Viola muttered, "I got the chocolate on the salad…"
"Its fine," Cynthia assured. "Don't worry! You'll be in for a treat! No pun intended!"
Steven watched uncertainly as his eyes followed Viola's hand. The strawberry was eventually placed into her mouth…
A squeal of delight followed.
"Oh! What is this, Cynthia?" Viola exclaimed. "It's so… sweet… but there's this tint of saltiness and sourness within… and it's wrapping around the sweetness of the strawberry – like a… blanket! Or a coat! Oh, how do I describe this…?"
It wasn't just Steven's eyes that widened out of curiosity, but rather almost everyone else's. Grant, in particular, looked like he couldn't take much more of this, with Korrina playfully whispering to him to get a serving of the chocolate himself.
Why, even Wallace looked curious!
"It's like there's a different… Oh my gosh, what kind of aftertaste is this?!" Viola said. "I tasted chocolate and strawberry at first, but there's this lingering savouriness that makes up for it afterward. It's like I'm enjoying two meals in a single bite!"
Although tempted to have another strawberry, Viola speared one of the cheeses and held it up at first.
"This is Moomoo milk cheese, isn't it?" she said. "Good call, Cynthia. I can't recall the last time I've had this cheese. It must have been years."
"Trust me," Cynthia said, such that Steven shook his head, "add chocolate onto it, and I trust you'll get something much better."
Viola looked a little weirded out by this proposal, so after she had added one more photo shoot she dipped the cheese into the chocolate. To be brutally honest, Viola had serious doubts whether this would taste good. The creamy and original texture of Moomoo milk cheese was a type that wasn't easily messed around with. Adding chocolate to it, therefore, made offset the balance of the flavour.
But when Viola ate the cheese, she was spoken for.
What is this?! This is like… an entirely different flavour! Viola thought. I can taste the cheese – the same Moomoo milk cheese with its flavour undisturbed – but somehow, the chocolate is like offering extra support to strengthen its flavour! A tangy spiciness is blending the creaminess with spice such that there's no telling how many possible flavours could be produced! Yet, the chocolate – with its initial sweetness – is as if it's selecting the right flavour to go with the cheese! It's incredible!
"Oh my gosh! Cynthia!" Viola shouted, amazed. "What did you put into this fondue?"
Cynthia looked very pleased at how her fondue turned out, judging from Viola's reaction.
One night, after all that had happened with her adventure, Viola was quietly walking along a seawall. The adventure was exhausting, but it was well worthwhile. Wearing a gray coat in light of how windy it was, Viola gazed at the view of the ocean beside her. There were plenty of Miltank and Tauros roaming on the pasture behind her – which was to say odd, being so close to the seaside.
She looked up and saw the stars, and how brightly they shined. The night was calm, just like the ocean before it. The moonlight took centre stage, yes, but the millions of stars were in the limelight. Breathtaking, the sight was.
While Viola slowly sipped a glass of champagne, her lonely walk was interrupted by the sound of cracking in the air. Looking up again, she saw a burst of sparks in the air plus many more subsequent explosions.
Fireworks.
That's what they were.
Colours of bright orange and pink burst into the lifeless canvas of midnight blue. Viola couldn't tell where it came from, but one thing was for certain: the sparks were bringing the sky into life. It was surprising how each new burst of light illuminated the sky in a different image.
However, the same could be said for the ocean below which was reflecting the fireworks' image. Yet the waters… were producing something else. It was like the colours shown on the water were ones that were meant to match and follow what was being shown above. The waves danced in patterns in unison with each explosion – and the colours continuously bursting from the fireworks were embodied into the waves themselves.
The sight was magnificent. What had been a blank canvas was now brilliantly painted into something else. That was for certain. The stars mingled with the brief sparks and produced brilliance indescribable to Viola. It was such that not even taking a photo could capture what was going on before her eyes.
"Do you mind if I toast to your success?" someone, a handsome man, said.
Viola turned to the stranger, who was also holding a champagne glass, and smiled. "Certainly," Viola replied, holding up her glass to toast.
"It's the Oran berry," Cynthia explained. "I used plenty of them in the fondue so that there would be a blend of flavours of all sorts underneath all that sweetness on the surface. It's sort of like finding a secret treasure, you know? The Oran berry is well known to embody a wonderful mix of flavours, so whenever you eat something with this fondue, you are guaranteed to get a flavour complementary to what you tasted in the first place."
Steven stayed silent, as if unsure of what to say.
"Furthermore, you could say that using Oran berries could hint a surprise in each bite, as you've obviously experienced," Cynthia asserted. "While at face value, you would be tasting chocolate over what you've dipped it with – the Moomoo milk cheese, in this case – the flavour of the cheese mingles with the Oran berry such that the latter will find the right flavour to complement it with. You could dip a celery stick into this fondue and you'll find that the flavour won't be the same!"
Viola had been attending a celebratory party for some time. For the time being, she was sipping a cocktail and enjoying several conversations with her peers. Nevertheless, this didn't mean her camera was far away from her. On the contrary, this party involved watching a showcase of new fashion designs.
Well, if knowing that what would appear here could be the trend in the future, then how could Viola not resist?! Amongst the many tables and drinks in this atmosphere, there was a wide runway that divided the room in two. In anticipation, Viola tried to get a closer look, and incidentally bumped into the same handsome man she had met earlier.
"Fancy meeting you here," he greeted.
"Oh, bonsoir," Viola greeted back. "What brings you here?"
"For the same reason you are here," he replied, smiling. "You could imagine what kinds of designs that are waiting behind these walls." After, he turned his gaze to the end of the runway, where he was expecting models to appear. Subsequently, Viola put down her cocktail and waited for the show to start.
The first model appeared wearing designer clothes with a fedora and a flower-printed dress. She had a satchel hanging over her shoulder.
"That's styling already!" Viola's companion remarked. Viola, though, felt compelled to take pictures of the styles she was seeing. Quickly she reached for her camera.
"But the next style is different! It's all… white!" Viola said, as the next model appeared. The model looked as if she was dressed for the summer, with a white sundress, white handbag, white high heels, and a white sunhat. What kind of a design was this?! Not conventional, for sure.
The bottom line was that it was surprisingly fun to just stand and wait in anticipation for new models and styles to appear. Not to mention it was well combined with the atmosphere of sipping a cocktail whilst taking pictures after a long adventure. The show was rewarding, and it felt like Viola was having a moment of peace.
The next style she saw was what appeared to be a dash of red and maroon, which didn't appear to stand out at face value. But the more Viola looked at it, she detected that it was really the ruby earrings that stole the limelight. As a result, the rubies seemed to somehow illuminate the overall appearance.
"As long as you're here," Viola's companion said, "why not go on the runway yourself?"
"Oh!" Viola blushed. "I can't. I'm just a photographer!"
But he chuckled and took her hand, saying, "Venez avec moi."
Now Viola didn't know if she should be really embarrassed that she had ended up at the back of the runway. She was hiding behind the wall, and in the process of picking new styles to present. Even so, she had to go through plenty of other things like putting on makeup and nail polish. Seriously, did she have to go through so much?
Sitting here in front of a mirror, Viola was already wearing a sparkling slim green dress with a touch of dark blue and black. Her hair was down and tied in a ponytail as she normally would for gatherings at the Battle Château, but if she thought the dress was enough, she was badly mistaken.
This was because there was one thing missing.
"Nail polish?" Viola said, raising her eyebrows. The assistant nodded and pressed the bottle into her hands. Viola had to complain, though. "But I'm not the type to wear nail polish!"
"It will go well with your dress," the assistant said. "That I promise."
Uncertain, but not reluctant, Viola applied the polish, with its gleaming colours such that they sparkled along with her dress. Somehow… the polish complemented the dress and it stood out very well, as if it were very noticeable. Viola could tell, as she added more polish.
"Agh!" she muttered angrily, as she applied the polish improperly and some of it got onto her skin. As well, because of her sudden movement, the polish on her nail looked bad!
"Je peux vous aider," the assistant said, and immediately Viola had her nail and the skin around it wiped clean. It only took a minute or so, and by then, Viola was ready to re-apply the polish. This time, Viola did it carefully.
"What kind of shoes did you choose, mademoiselle?" the assistant said, suddenly.
"Oh, je ne sais pas," Viola replied embarrassingly. After all, she only had as much time as to wear the dress she was given. Who told her she had to pick shoes?! Because she was too busy applying the nail polish, the assistant went out of her way to bring the entire set of shoes Viola could choose from. With a quiet, "merci," Viola kept applying the polish and half-heartedly deciding which shoes to wear.
To complement her dress and her nails with a certain kind of shoe was… up to her, Viola supposed, but wasn't that contradictory?
"Attendez!" Viola cried. "Isn't this dress supposed to come with shoes, anyway? Why should I choose?"
"Because the designer wants you to choose, since he reckons you have the right mind for it," she replied. "Besides, he's over there."
Viola looked to her side and, lo and behold, saw it was none other than the handsome man she had met. He seemed amused at Viola's shocked expression and then proceeded to look at the shoes. "Well, what do you think? The shoes are here, at the right time, so what better than to pick the right one for you now?"
Viola had finished applying whatever nail polish she needed and looked in the full-body mirror in the room. After some thought, she looked at the choice of shoes. Whatever pair she picked, it had to match with what she was wearing, obviously. But now it was up to Viola herself to decide which shoe made the perfect pair with her dress. Like the handsome designer said, the shoes were here at the right time. Needless to say the right place.
Within the next minute, Viola was standing nervously before the start of the runway. She certainly hoped that whatever her choice of shoes was, it was the best one. Many models that had lined up with her were already walking. Soon enough, Viola herself would be part of the showcase of various styles out there tonight.
Silently and nervously, she stepped onto the runway.
There we have it. Cynthia's comeback with her own fondue! Review, and you can have a serving of the Oran berry chocolate fondue too!
In the next chapter, we'll see the conclusion of the fondues...