In this chapter, we continue with our excursion into the Caretaker Course facilities, along with the presence of a certain little unwanted guest…
Rosealine gold: Well, it's certainly someone interesting, I can promise you that.
KedharS: We don't know, maybe their follower has good intentions.
Hellraiserphoenix: Yeah, I don't get a whole lot of time to explore the other courses besides the Battle Course.
Aquahaze675: Someone we know? That'd be pretty boring and predictable, not sure about that.
Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings
Chapter 338
The nursery didn't have the same sense of grandeur that the underground structure did, but it was still quite a lovely facility. Unlike the more rustic, free-range area underground where pokemon could play as they wished, this was a much more modern building, like a kindergarten, Sango noted, or a preschool. She could see that there were blocks and stuffed pokemon dolls littering the playrooms, but to Sango's curiosity, no baby pokemon could be seen.
"Where are the baby pokemon?" Sango asked, turning to Serefina with a questioning look on her face.
"In here," Serefina whispered, holding her finger over her mouth. They stopped in front of a large door. "Shhh, it's naptime."
Sango and Maddi made sure to keep quiet. Serefina opened the door, and they walked into the pokemon nursery room, where the babies were sleeping.
Although she was told to be quiet, Sango gasped in surprise in spite of herself when she saw what was in the room. It reminded Sango of those clips she'd seen in tv shows of incubation rooms in hospitals where babies were kept. There were long rows of makeshift cribs, with glass domes over the top.
"These are sort of like incubators," Serefina explained, walking among the rows of cribs. Sango and Maddi glanced inside one of them and saw a Pichu snoring away, without a care in the world. It brought a smile to Sango's face.
"These pokemon require a proper environment of care, one that is very stable," Serefina explained. "That way we can keep their vitals at a manageable level. We don't let them play outside, either, while baby pokemon are growing up, it's better to let them grow at their own pace, in a controlled environment."
"Then!" Maddi's voice took on a tone of worry as she shot a glance at her Duskull. "Then I shouldn't have brought my Duskull outside?! Is he… is he going to-"
"No, no, he'll be fine," Serefina reassured the girl, surprised at how quickly Maddi's tough exterior turned into panic. "See? Isn't he acting the same as usual?"
Maddi looked at him again. He seemed fine.
"But what you just said, about a controlled environment…"
"That's for security reasons," Serefina explained. "We can't watch all pokemon at all times. The older, hardier ones can make it just fine without around-the-clock supervision, but just like with real babies, baby pokemon need someone looking after them at all times. It's not being out in the wild and exposed to the elements that gets them, it's the lack of supervision to make sure they don't hurt themselves, get lost, eat something strange, all sorts of things. Of course, their health is important to maintain after birth, but remember, pokemon are from the wild to begin with, they can survive just fine on their own, to a degree."
"Oh, I see," Maddi said, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Yep!" Serefina said, nodding, a smile crossing her face, illuminating the dimly lit room with its reassuring brightness. "Now, would you two like to see the room where we store the eggs? Just a quick peak."
"I do!" Sango practically shouted, nodding eagerly. There were some mumbles and stirring noises coming from the cribs around them, and she quickly shut her mouth. The last thing they needed right now were a bunch of cranky pokemon babies crying.
"Good, then let's leave these young ones to their naps, shall we?" Serefina whispered, pressing her finger to her lips and giving Sango a wink.
Sango nodded sheepishly. Serefina walked across the room to a door on the other side, taking a keyring off of her belt.
"You're allowed into the incubation room?" Maddi whispered to her. "I thought that students who weren't in the Caretaker Course didn't get keys to it? I mean, you might be kinda part of it, but aren't you still a sophomore?"
Serefina smiled.
"I have special permission, because I was accepted into one of the Breeding classes, even though those are usually restricted to Juniors and up," she explained. "Leanne took note of my work last year and agreed to let me sign up for Junior courses. I mean, isn't it the same with you, Maddi? Aren't you technically a junior in spite of your age?"
"…Fair enough," Maddi said, nodding, glancing at the red armband clipped to her jacket signifying she was in the Battler Course.
"…Still, though, that doesn't mean I should be letting other students in here," Serefina admitted, smiling sheepishly. "But I know you two, so I don't think it's that big a deal."
Serefina opened the door of the incubation room, and stepped inside, the pressurized door opening with a hiss.
"We take especially good care of the babies," Serefina explained, stepping into the room and beckoning for Sango and Maddi to follow. The girls and their pokemon followed Serefina into the room, looking around. There were dozens and dozens of eggs lined on shelves, each one in a special glass container similar to the cribs in the other room.
"But the eggs are something special. Every egg needs appropriate care and love, so it isn't as simple as leaving them to their own devices, or looking over them. We store them here, maintaining their temperatures, and let the pokemon within them grow. The incubators aren't enough, though."
Serefina stepped forward and ran her hand along the shelf, staring at each of the eggs individually, reading the ID numbers stamped on their incubators and the data card in front of each one.
"We also work on shifts, making sure that each egg is held by another person for at least 5 minutes every day."
"Seriously?" Maddi gasped, surprised. "But there are so many!"
"Well, we can carry multiples," Serefina explained, laughing sheepishly. "But you're right, there are a lot of eggs, and taking care of them is quite a tight job! But anything to help the pokemon within grow stronger, that's what I say."
A warm smile crossed her face and turned back to look at the eggs.
"It's important that even before they're born, these young pokemon get to know the love of another living being," she murmured.
Sango and Maddi smiled at that, too. It was such a kindhearted sentiment, perfect for a sweet girl like Serefina.
…And the moment was ruined by the echo of clapping hands ringing out from behind the three girls, the motions and tone resounding in a mocking fashion that drew the attention of everyone in the room, three heads (and two pokemon) turning to see who it was.
"Touching sentiment," a cool, mocking voice purred. "You Caretakers are really such a boring and predictable bunch. Not that your kindness is a bad thing, of course. You do such… great work, after all, Sweet Serefina."
The blood drained from Serefina's face as she stared at the blonde girl leaning back against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest. As usual, Sylvia wore an elegant gothic dress, colored in black with white frills and lace, a black parasol at her side. She clapped her black gloved hands, a rueful smirk painted across her face as her blue eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Sylvia Driscoll!" Serefina growled. The blood had returned to her face, and brought reinforcements with it. She flushed red in anger and stormed across the room, stunning Sango, who barely stepped aside in time for Serefina to pass her. Serefina was MAD. Sango couldn't remember ever seeing her like this before.
Maddi also held back, a little surprised as well.
"You! What are you doing here, you… you?!" Serefina hissed, jamming her finger in Sylvia's chest as she glared down at the shorter girl.
Sylvia's mouth fell open in mock surprise, and she held a hand over her breast as though she were scandalized by Serefina's behavior.
"Why, I never!" Sylvia gasped. "I had no idea you could be so rude and disrespectful!"
"To you?" Serefina snapped. "You're god damn right."
Sango's jaw dropped wide open. Now she was swearing?
"My, such foul language!" Sylvia held her hand over her mouth, her blue eyes widening in shock. "Think of the children! Do you want young pokemon hearing you use that kind of language? Is that what a future Pokemon Breeder would do?"
Serefina ground her teeth together so hard Sango could hear the grinding sound, wincing in sympathy for the sophomore.
"Get out," Serefina growled.
"…Not very welcoming of you," Sylvia smirked.
"You're not welcome here," Serefina replied. "I haven't forgiven you for what you did to Dakota and Akira, you bit… er, witch!?"
"Oh, yes, I let them move past their tension, resolve their conflicts, get closure with their past, and ultimately brought them together as a happy couple," Sylvia dryly replied, her eyes flaring in challenge as a smirk crossed her face. "What a horrible, wicked thing I did, I must be the worst girl in the whole world."
"Got my vote," Serefina growled. Sylvia shrugged.
"I helped the two of them get together, I'm a regular matchmaker," Sylvia purred, her voice smooth as grease and twice as slick. She reached up and clapped Serefina on the side of her cheek, smiling. "You must be more tolerant. Don't hold these pointless grudges anymore, you'll be a much happier girl, don't you think, Seri?"
"Don't you dare call me that," Serefina snarled.
Sylvia stepped back and raised her hands in front of her in surrender, but her eyes were still sparkling playfully.
Sylvia stepped around Serefina and strolled into the room, stretching her arms, her eyes scanning over the rows of eggs, her lips curling up into a smile as she twirled her parasol over her shoulder.
"You know, Seri," she said, turning back to the taller girl, Serefina's eyes flashing dangerously at Sylvia. She was still calling her that nickname! Serefina growled a warning.
If Serefina's rage was doing anything to Sylvia other than amusing her, it didn't show on the odd girl's face.
"You say that I should get out, but… are you sure you're supposed to be here?" Sylvia questioned, holding a gloved finger to her chin and tilting her head to the side quizzically. "I mean, certainly, you might have permission to be here, but what about these two young ladies?"
Sylvia smirked.
"I mean, as long as we're following the rules, and good little Seri wouldn't want to break the rules, now would she? Oh, no, you're far too boring and predictable to do something like that, Seri."
Serefina's eye twitched.
"What are you doing here?" Serefina demanded. "Did you come here just to mess with me?"
Sylvia blinked.
"Well, not 'just'-"
"Get out!"
"Is that how you treat a fellow prospective member of the Caretaker Course?" Sylvia gasped. "Why, I'm shocked!"
"YOU," Serefina said, unable to believe what she was hearing, "YOU are a prospective of this field? Why do I find that so hard to believe?"
"…Because you're mean and closeminded?" Sylvia offered.
Serefina was trying very, very hard to keep herself composed.
"I've been doing a lot of thinking since I so nicely helped Dakota and Akira get together," Sylvia said, strolling over to the eggs. "I've been feeling such a pit in my heart, Seri! I've been soooo bad, and I think that I need to be a little more loving! Kind and sweet, taking care of pokemon and sharing allll the goodness in my heart."
Serefina stormed after her. She was not amused. Sango felt like it might be warmer out in the snow than it was in the room right now.
"…No, no, not one bit," Sylvia admitted, raising her hands in defeat. Her eyes slid past Serefina and landed on Maddi, her smirk widening.
"Then why are you here?" Serefina asked.
Sylvia spun her parasol in her hand, and pointed it at Maddi.
"Oh, just a little something or other," she said. "I was outside taking a stroll, and I just happened to see something interesting, so I thought I'd tag along. That being said…"
Sylvia shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself as her body trembled.
"It's, uh, kinda a shitty experience walking around in heavy snowfall in a dress like this with zero insulation, you wouldn't happen to have a blanket and some cocoa, would you?"
"WEAR A JACKET," Serefina snapped.
Sylvia snorted and rolled her eyes, like Serefina had just suggested smearing mud over her body to warm up.
"A jacket? Do you know how boring and predictable it would be to wear a jacket because it's snowing?" She asked. "Please. I'm not much one for trends."
"Trends, what, you mean like not dying of hypothermia?!"
"I'm not much one for contradicting my style," Sylvia replied.
"Then freeze to death!"
"What, are you worried about me, Seri? You really are a saint, you can even be concerned for someone you can't stand. I'm honestly touched, really."
Sylvia strolled forward and reached up, tilting Serefina's chin down so they were staring eye to eye. She smiled.
"I hate a girl who's so predictably kind. I would just love to see you actually do something unusual and just snap. Want to punch me in the face? I think that would be healthy for you to release all this tension, if I'm being frank."
Serefina took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, softly brushing Sylvia's hand aside when she really just wanted to break it.
"Sylvia, I have no intention of being violent with you," Serefina smiled, a smile as false as the one that Sylvia always wore. "But I would request you take your leave, if you have no business here. If you like, we can lend you a parka."
"Oh?" Sylvia shrugged, stepping back from Serefina. "How boring. But Seri, I'm not done with my business, you know."
"I don't really care," Serefina said, crossing her arms under her huge chest. "You don't have any business here, as far as I'm concerned."
"Well, luckily, this isn't anything that concerns you," Sylvia smiled, patting her on the shoulder and walking past her, over to where Maddi was standing. "This young lady on the other hand, well, she and I have some things to discuss."
"Maddi?" Sango glanced at Maddi in confusion.
"Leave her alone, Sylvia," Serefina groaned.
"What do you want?" Maddi glared at Sylvia from behind her bangs. Her Duskull floated down in front of her, almost protective, which Maddi found herself appreciating quite a bit.
"My, how soon we forget," Sylvia purred. "Who do you think it was that gave you this little darling of a Duskull?"
Maddi looked away, a guilty expression on her face. That was right, Sylvia had been the one to give them the eggs for prizes.
"See? Exactly," Sylva purred, leaning in closer to the girl. "Aren't you so happy you have a Duskull now? If not for me, you wouldn't. And you didn't even introduce us? I'm shocked, Maddi, simply shocked, I know you aren't a very social person, but still..."
"What's she talking about?" Sango asked, glancing at Maddi.
"Oh? Didn't you ever wonder how those friends of yours got their eggs?" Sylvia asked, smiling. "It was a prize for the event that I ran at the Pokemon Day Festival."
"…Okay then," Sango said. She didn't actually know Sylvia all that well. She'd been told things about her, but she was pretty sure this was the first time that she and Sylvia had even been in the same room. She was just as… odd as Blake made her out to be.
Sylvia eyed Sango up and down.
"So you're Sango Akana, eh?" Sylvia asked. Her smirk widened, and her eyes glinted in a way that made Sango's throat dry up.
"I hear you and Blake are quite close," Sylvia purred. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, how are things going between the two of you?"
"Going? They… what?" Sango looked at her, confused.
Sylvia smirked.
"It's all over you, you know, how you feel about him?"
Sango swallowed and her face went pale. Serefina's eyes widened in surprise and Maddi raised an eyebrow, glancing at the flustered ranger-to-be.
"I-I don't… I don't particularly…"
"Sure, sure," Sylvia smiled. She clapped her hands together. "Oh! That's right, I forgot! Blake's going out with Ayame now!"
Her lips curled up into grin filled with malevolence as she turned away from Sango, staring off into the distance.
"Seems like he's finally decided… I simply must send my regards to the happy couple."
Sango scowled.
"Leave her alone!" Serefina growled, storming over to Sylvia. "Ayame… she was so eager to get close to him, you better not do anything to mess it up!"
"Oh, that's right, she's your senpai in the Caretaker Course," Sylvia sniggered, her eyes narrowing into a threatening glare while her lips maintained her wicked grin. "I don't know what you're so afraid of, Seri, I was just planning on sending my regards."
"Fuck your regards," Serefina growled. "You better not! Or I'll… I'll…!"
Sylvia blinked eagerly. This should be good.
"Well, I… I don't know what! But you better not!"
"…Very threatening," Sylvia scoffed. "Downright intimidating. Care to try again?"
"Sylvia! I'm warning you!"
Sylvia sighed, clearly that was as far as Serefina was willing to go in terms of actual threats. She didn't have much to threaten her with, so Sylvia simply wasn't feeling it. She really hoped that Serefina would get mad and really hit her, that would be satisfying, seeing such a kind, sweet girl snapping like that. But Serefina was just too much of a good girl.
Completely boring, as usual…
Sylvia stared Serefina down. The ghost girl was getting antsy. She'd had her fun with Akira and Dakota, but that had only lasted for a little while. And for some reason, Misato wouldn't do anything with Will. She was hoping to play with Blake a little more, but he went and got himself a girlfriend, and the Phantom had made it abundantly clear that she was NOT to interfere. One wrong step could start a war between the Phantom's faction and the Empress's faction.
…Now, that fact alone would be enough incentive for Sylvia to make a move, but she was already on thin ice with the Phantom after she had failed to seize control of the Newspaper Club, and if she was caught messing up Blake and Ayame's relationship, well…
That would result in the rare kind of surprise that Sylvia didn't particularly like. So as much as she would have liked throwing herself at Blake and gaslighting Ayame until the girl broke, she would have to play nice.
…At least, as long as she wasn't caught.
"Don't worry, Seri," Sylvia purred, stroking Serefina's cheek, giving the taller girl a smile that said she absolutely should be worrying. "I know you think I'm such an evil person, but I really have the best of intentions. Things worked out for Akira and Dakota, right?"
Serefina didn't have a rebuttal to that, so she settled for an icy glare.
"And besides, I'm a total shipper for those two," Sylvia lied. "They're just adorable. Even if their relationship doesn't have quite the… fire I would like. Guess they're just that compatible, don't you girls think?"
No one wanted to even talk to Sylvia, so she seized the room like it was her stage.
"You can trust me," the paragon of untrustworthiness assured Serefina. "I promise you, I will not do anything to Ayame or Blake. I won't say a word, I won't even go near them. I won't do a single thing to break apart their relationship, okay?"
Serefina didn't believe the girl for a minute, and let her know with another icy glare. Sylvia smiled back in response.
She didn't need to do anything… direct, after all.
There was a nice little partially-burned powder keg already primed to go off, and the only sparks Sylvia needed to light her fuse were a few choice little details on the happy couple she might have been in the dark about.
And Sylvia was a girl who just loved watching fireworks.
Sylvia returns! And, as usual, she brings with her quite the storm.