Sylvia continues from where she left off, slowly turning everyone and everything around her into tools to further her own enjoyment. God, what a bitch.

Aquahaze675: Well, "boring and predictable" is Sylvia's catchphrase, so that was certainly intentional.

KedharS: She'd probably enjoy it.

Rosealine gold: It's sad, everyone hates her in spite of having the best intentions in mind. Hers.

JoshGamerV: I don't hate her, I love her. I've missed her quite a lot actually.

FinLay Real: Sylvia's probably around 100 IQ points higher than every other character in the story (mechadolls not included), so I'm pretty sure she knows what she's playing with.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 339

"Sylvia, why the hell are you even here?" Serefina scowled. "All you've been doing is messing around with us. I have work to do, and I can't take up these girls' time forever. Now, if you don't have anything else, can you please leave?"

Sylvia shrugged.

"I told you before, I do have business to attend to," Sylvia replied. She turned to Maddi, her eyes shining with a predatory glint that put Maddi on guard. "After all, what mother doesn't show concern for her children?"

Maddi looked at her like she was an idiot.

My mother? My mother has been dead for years you lunatic! And you're only like a year or two older than me!

"What?" Serefina gasped, shocked. Sango rolled her eyes. Clearly Sylvia wasn't being literal here.

"Well, metaphorically speaking, of course," Sylvia giggled. "But that Duskull… is mine, you see, a child of my own making."

Maddi stepped in front of her pokemon, and raised her arms up defensively to shield him from Sylvia's gaze, staring at her.

"He's mine," she insisted. "You can't have him."

"Silly thing, if I wanted him I wouldn't have offered his egg up as a prize," Sylvia chuckled. She shook her head. "No, no, you see, that Duskull there… is a child of my very own Dusk."

Maddi's eyes widened slightly and she let out a silent gasp.

"Wait, really?" She asked, surprised.

"Really really! I figured why not let my own pokemon get in on this whole breeding thing? So I went to one of the people working at the breeding facility here, one of the nicer girls," she said, giving Serefina a pointed glance, "and she found a match for him! Then, boom, one egg, thank you very much!"

"Huh," Maddi said, glancing back at her Duskull.

"You picked it out yourself, the Duskull egg that I had carefully raised on my own until now," Sylvia grinned. She patted Maddi on the head. "I hope you take really good care of him. He's the child of my precious Dusk, after all."

"…So that's why you came here?" Serefina asked, still reluctant to trust a word that came out of Sylvia's mouth.

"I don't always need ulterior motives, you know," Sylvia chuckled, her eyes flashing at Serefina in a challenge. "I just happened to be walking by, when I saw cool old Maddi with a Duskull and realized what must have happened. So I came to see how she was treating him. But it's clear she really care about him a lot, so I'm glad."

She turned to back Maddi and put on a look of faux outrage.

"But still, you should have come to me, first, before you went to speak to Seri! Of all the people on campus, my knowledge of ghost pokemon simply cannot be beaten! I know all about taking care of them and raising them!"

She paused, and a complex look crossed her face.

"…Well that isn't quite true… Miss Lulu is far more knowledgeable than I… well, then of all the students my knowledge of the ghost type is unparalleled!"

She winked at Maddi.

"I'm not a member of the Eight Leaders for nothing, you know."

"…Because you cheated, right?" Maddi dryly replied.

"Oh! Such cruel words!" Sylvia moaned, placing her hand over her breast. "I prefer to think of it as 'taking advantage of my opponent's own incompetence' myself."

Maddi rolled her eyes.

"Still, I think you should take very good care of that Duskull, Maddi," Sylvia said, her tone becoming more serious, and yet with a note of kindness that no one could be certain was entirely faked. "I really think he'll grow up to be a lovely child."

Sylvia turned back to Serefina.

"Seri, give Akira and Dakota my regards, okay?" She winked. Finally, she turned to Sango, the warm smile on her face making Sango feel deathly cold.

"You just keep trying your hardest, little ranger," Sylvia said, patting Sango on the shoulder. "Who knows? If you keep an open mind, opportunity could strike any time."

Sylvia reached out and tapped her finger against Sango's chest, her smile taking on a wicked edge that made the girl flinch.

"That heart of yours needn't break just yet."

Sango gulped at the implication. Was Sylvia saying she would…?

"What… what are you talking about?" Sango asked, her voice hoarse with fear. Her throat felt scratchy and she tried to swallow, but her mouth refused to moisten. "I… I really don't understand what you mean by that…"

Sylvia smirked. She leaned in close until her mouth was right beside Sango's ear. Her body was radiating a chilling atmosphere that Sango couldn't be certain was attributed solely to her cold skin from the outside. And yet, the cold girl's breath was hot against Sango's ear. It sent a shiver running down her spine, causing Sango to freeze in place.

"Well, you don't think sweet little Guinevere is going to sit by and do nothing when her beloved older brother gets a boyfriend, now do you?" Sylvia's whispery voice scratched at Sango's ear like a spider web, and she felt her body turn to ice. For a moment, Sango felt like she had been struck blind, because her vision narrowed down into a tiny pinprick of light as she stared numbly out into the distance, her brain not registering what was in front of her as Sylvia's words sunk into her thoughts. She began to tremble. She… what is she?

"You… but that's…" Sango finally managed to stutter out. "How do you…?"

Sylvia leaned back and took a deep breath, the perfect look of mature composure.

"Now, now, Sango, no one likes a girl who tries to pry into someone else's secrets," Sylvia told her, relishing the hypocrisy of her statement as she bathed in the panic stricken across Sango's face. Her lips curled up into a smirk.

"Well, good luck!" She murmured, turning from Sango and heading toward the exit. She glanced at Maddi and smiled. "Maddi, once again, I hope that you take good care of that Duskull, okay? He's quite an adorable one."

She waved a hand fleetingly.

"Farewell, all! I've got a hot date I must be getting to, I can't play around with you girls all day, you know!"

And with that, she disappeared from the room, as smooth as a phantom, disappearing as suddenly as she had appeared.

"Was she really only here to talk to Maddi about her Duskull?" Serefina wondered, wincing suspiciously. She didn't trust anything that came out of Sylvia's mouth. I don't believe her when she says she won't be doing anything to Ayame and Blake's relationship, either… I should probably take the time to warn Ayame about this…

"Sorry, do you two mind if I make a phone call?" Serefina asked, reaching into her bag and fetching her phone. Sango and Maddi shrugged.

Ayame and Blake were walking to the battlefield where Blake and Elaina would be fighting against Julia and Reiner. Ayame's phone began ringing, and she reached into the pocket of her jacket and withdrew it.

"Hello? Serefina?" Ayame answered, raising her hand to Blake to tell him to wait. "Hey, what's up? Haven't heard from you in a hot minute! Hey, did you hear? Blake and I are-"

"I know," Serefina replied. "Congratulations, by the way! But I want to talk to you about something serious first."

"…Okay," Ayame said, her relaxed posture tensing as she engaged fully with the conversation. "What is it?"

"Do you know Sylvia Driscoll?"

Ayame's expression soured immediately.

"Why?" She growled.

"She has a certain… fascination with Blake," Serefina said. "Normally I'd mind my own business, but Sylvia's the sort of person to play with someone's happiness if it would be worth a few laughs, and that's just for people she barely knows. If she's really interested in Blake, then be careful. She might be trying to split you guys up somehow."

Ayame laughed.

"Thanks for your concern, Serefina," Ayame smiled. "But you don't need to worry about me. Blake and I are rock-solid, we can withstand the manipulations of some conniving little minx."

Serefina scowled. That wasn't what she had in mind. Ayame might not be worried about Sylvia, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't be.

Serefina let out a long sigh.

"Look, Ayame, if you don't think it's a big deal I don't really know what to tell you, but if you ask me, you should at least speak with the Empress about it. I'm not her biggest fan, but I know she looks out for you, so at least let her know, okay? For your own sake."

"Sure thing, Serefina, I'll pass it on," Ayame said. She didn't think Sylvia was THAT big of a deal, since Blake was her boyfriend and Sylvia was less than a blip on his radar, but if it would make Serefina feel better, she would. "Thanks for the info."

"Take care of yourself, Ayame, and don't be a stranger!" Serefina reminded her. "You are in the Caretaker Course after all, I'd like to see you show up at least once in a while!"

"Sure thing, sure thing," Ayame laughed, hanging up. She turned back and caught up to Blake.

"So what was that about?"

"Just a sweet little underclasswoman being her sweet self," Ayame giggled. Serefina was really such a nice girl. "Oh, but I better call the boss like I said!"

Ayame opened her contacts list and called Olivia as they walked, but the message went straight to voicemail.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot," Ayame groaned. "She's got a date set up today, I won't be able to reach her, damn it."

"Something important?" Blake asked. Ayame shook her head and shrugged.

"Not really, no."

The two continued walking to the battlefield, unaware of what awaited them.

Meanwhile, across campus, Olivia was waiting in her favorite tea café, awaiting for her date to show up as she browsed on her phone. She saw Ayame's voice flash on her screen and was about to answer, when she saw that her date had entered. She sent Ayame to voicemail and looked up, putting a professional smile on her face.

"Sorry I'm so late, sweetie," Sylvia walked up to her, a sickly sweet smile crossing her face as she sat down across from Olivia. "I met an old friend and got to chatting, and just lost track of time completely! You know how it is."

Olivia glowered at her.

"Don't call me 'sweetie'," she said. Sylvia smirked.

"How cold, and here I invited you on a date just so that we could get closer! Why would you accept my asking out if you were going to be so mean?" Sylvia pouted.

"Let's call it a curiosity," Olivia replied coolly. "You are certainly a curious person, after all, Miss Sylvia Driscoll. Or should I call you-"

"I think that's enough," Sylvia smiled, the icy tone in her voice seeping into the smile on her face, which was frozen.

The two sat together, the waitress trembling with anxiety as she approached the two blondes cautiously, the atmosphere causing other patrons to give their table a wide birth.

"I'd like a black coffee, please," Sylvia said sweetly.

"This is a tea café, Sylvia," Olivia commented, taking a sip from her cup to punctuate her point.

"Come to a tea café and sipping tea? My, I can't imagine such an ordinary date," Sylvia smiled, touching her hand to her cheek. She turned to the waitress. "Black coffee, please."

"Y-yes," the waitress said, nodding.

Olivia rolled her eyes. This was one of the nicest spots to order tea, and the girl was getting coffee.

"Oh, and bring some sugar cubes, if you would!" Sylvia called after her.

"I thought you wanted it black?" Olivia asked, raising her eyebrow.

"You never can tell, can you?" Sylvia giggled. "Like you said, I'm a… 'curious' person, after all. I'm quite flattered, getting such high praise from you. Though I must say, I'm quite injured that you didn't want to go on an honest date with me, Empress. I got my little old hopes up for nothing."

"Sorry, but you see, you just aren't my type," Olivia smiled.

"Oh? Not pretty enough for you? I'm hurt," Sylvia pouted.

"I have an… aversion to bleach bottle blondes," Olivia responded. "I'd prefer an honest brunette to a girl who dies her hair to hide herself away from others."

"Oh, you like?" Sylvia asked, bouncing her blonde locks with her hand. "It's actually a product you endorsed, thank you for showing it!"

"Why did you want to go on a date with me?" Olivia asked. "You aren't so foolish to believe that I would actually enjoy your company, and I'm certain you wouldn't enjoy mine. So you must have some ulterior motive."

Sylvia smirked.

"You sell yourself too short, princess."

"Don't call me that," Olivia growled.

The light in Sylvia's eyes grew brighter.

"I've heard you don't like being called that," Sylvia mused. "I wonder why? Not just because of your last name… and I can't imagine you're SO arrogant that you would insist on not being called 'princess' because it is beneath your actual title, no… hmm… there must be something more to it, I can see it in your eyes…"

Olivia was quite certain that the only thing reflected in her eyes was a calm yet scornful hatred of the girl sitting in front of her.

"…Ah, well, no matter. I'm probably just overthinking it. But as I was saying, you're selling yourself far too short. I actually enjoy your company quite a bit, you know."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, you see, someone like you is… fascinating for me," Sylvia said. The waitress arrived with Sylvia's coffee and a small cup of sugar cubes, interrupting the flow of the conversation. Sylvia thanked her and accepted the tray, looking down absentmindedly at her coffee as she stripped off her glove and turned a cube of sugar over in her pale white fingers.

"That's the joy of stardom," Olivia scoffed. "Someone like you would never understand."

Sylvia's eye twitched imperceptibly, and Olivia knew she'd struck a nerve. She took another sip from her tea, awaiting the girl's response. Sylvia hadn't even touched her coffee, her attention still occupied with the sugar.

"Fair enough," Sylvia admitted, holding the small white box up to her eye and getting a close look at it, as though she were inspecting every grain. "I was never much one for popularity. Though I must say, I'm quite envious of your prolific career. I don't think I could ever cut it in show-business."

Olivia scoffed.

"Now who's selling themselves too short?"

"Oh?" Sylvia blinked, looking up to Olivia. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I think you can play a role quite well, if I'm being honest," she replied. Olivia's eyes narrowed. "Looks, talent, networking, all those things are important. But the most essential tool for someone like me? It's this."

Olivia raised her hand and pointed at the side of her head.

"Well not all of us can be born a natural blonde, you know."

Olivia didn't take the bait. She simply lowered her hand and took another sip of tea.

"You know, Sylvia, I may be one of the very few people on this island who doesn't underestimate you intelligence."

Sylvia smirked at that.

"Why, how sweet of you."

"I'm being serious," Olivia said. "Just a sophomore, and yet you're such a trusted member of the Phantom's organization."

"…Well, I wouldn't say 'trusted'…"

"An outcast, a nobody, and yet you're still someone, how odd is that…" Olivia mused, setting her cup down. She leaned forward and stroked her chin thoughtfully.

Sylvia answered with a placid smile and a shrug.

"From what I hear, you pride yourself on being unpredictable," Olivia said. "That's why I actually trust you quite a bit."

"…Oh?"

"An unpredictable person can always be counted on to be unpredictable," Olivia replied.

"That would be rather boring and predictable, don't you think?" Sylvia mused.

"Maybe so," Olivia nodded. "But that's why I'm quite certain that you aren't Richard Valon's little lackey."

Olivia narrowed her eyes into a glare.

"I'm sure Richard thinks he's gotten you all under his thumb," Olivia murmured. "But that's because he prides himself on being smarter than everyone around him. Me, though? I'm not so arrogant as to think my intellect is anywhere close to comparable to yours."

Sylvia's smile grew wider. She reached out her hand, holding the sugar cube over her cooling coffee.

"That," she replied, crushing the cube between her finger and her thumb, grinding the white flakes into the coffee, "makes you smarter than he is, at least."

Sylvia leaned back in her chair, licking the lingering grains of sugar off of her fingers.

"My ambitions can't be sated simply by being his little fix-it girl, after all. I'm not someone interested in his big picture, or what he plans this year. You seniors have one more semester remaining and then it's adios, and after that, I wonder what happens?"

Sylvia's eyes flashed with excitement as she picked up two more sugar cubes, crushing them over her coffee one by one.

"The Phantom has his plans, you've got your plans, the Commander has HIS plans, and as for the Mermaid, well… I don't even think she'd bother to spell 'plan'. But my plans, well… my plans are a lot less… 'planny'."

Olivia raised her eyebrow.

"You see, when everything goes as scheduled, it's such a boring existence," Sylvia explained. "Murasaki Kanou, now there was a girl whose life was a plan. One long, dreary, planned life, just filing the days away. She did what was expected, what was asked, she was on her way to living a simple, meager existence. Following her plan, she would have become some brilliant scientist, I imagine, contemplating the secrets of the universe like all the other brilliant people. She was smart enough to see all sorts of plans for her future, and the outcomes that would occur if she implemented them. And she found them all dreadfully boring. To escape from all that, well… that's how she found herself on a bridge one cold winter's night…"

Another cube crushed.

"And now here I am."

"I'm still waiting to hear about why you asked me out," Olivia coolly replied.

"I just wanted a nice, long chat," Sylvia replied, picking up another sugar cube and turning it over in her fingers, not looking at Olivia at all. "You said I was a curious person, Olivia? Well I'm afraid the same doesn't apply for you. In fact, I find you quite boring, if I may be so honest. Oh, certainly, you're quite pretty. But a lot of girls are pretty. You're rather clever, though so are many other people. You certainly stand out on a stage, and I can understand your appeal, don't get me wrong, but as a person, well… there's simply nothing about you that stands out, is there? That's why you dress yourself up in those pretty clothes, those stylish hairdos, that perfect makeup, all to take advantage of your best feature, that pretty body you were born with."

If Sylvia thought her words would bother Olivia, Olivia could confidently say she was wrong. She'd heard time and again that her only strong suit was her looks. She didn't need to defend herself to someone like this. But at the same time, she heard no scorn in Sylvia's voice. She wasn't trying to insult her. It seemed that she was building to a bigger point, and if Olivia wanted to hear it, she shouldn't lose her temper.

"Now, Ayame Toujou and Blake Harker? Now, they are people who interest me," Sylvia replied. She tightened her grip on the sugar cube as Olivia's face tightened.

"You leave them alone," Olivia said. "If you think I would let you-"

"Let me? Let me do what?" Sylvia snorted. "What do you think you could do to stop me? Is this where you make some sort of threat? Attempt to use your influence as one of the Daevas to… what, exactly? Crush me? You don't understand me at all, Olivia. Just because you're self-aware enough to understand your limits, you think that gives you some measure of control here? You can't threaten me. See, that's where you and I are different."

"There's a lot of ways we're different," Olivia growled.

"You dress yourself up in your pretty clothes, style your beautiful blonde hair, paint your face into flawless perfection, and for what? All so people won't see how empty you are inside. How, deep down, you're just a normal person. Maybe a little prettier, maybe a little more popular, but all you are is just another face in the crowd. But me? I accept that. I relish in it. And at the same time, I rise above it. So what will you do? Start a war? Bring the fight to Richard Valon and his forces, maybe ally yourself with the Commander to do it? Sweetie, that's just what I'm hoping for! The Phantom prides himself on being able to figure out what everyone wants, but he has no idea what it is I'm really after, and neither do you."

"…So what are you after?" Olivia scowled.

Sylvia looked back and forth, and lowered her head, leaning in close to Olivia. Against her better judgment, the curious girl leaned in to hear what the sophomore had to say.

"Nothing," Sylvia whispered.

Olivia blinked, surprised. She pulled back from Sylvia and looked at her like she was crazy. Sylvia leaned back in her chair and shrugged.

"That's it. Nothing. Not one little thing. Like I said, you all have your plans, but me?" Sylvia shook her head. "I'm only interested in whatever it is that will catch my interest. You want a war? Love it. Plan to shut me up some other way? Bring it. My only interest in this world is quashing this unending pit of boredom that I feel welling up inside me every minute of every day… and I'll take any actions I see fit to sate it. So make your threats if they make you feel better, princess. But whatever direction this goes, I plan to enjoy it wholeheartedly.

Olivia glared at the girl in front of her. Sylvia really didn't care about a damn thing.

"See, that's why I'm so enamored with Blake," she purred. "Oh, he certainly loves that girl Ayame with all his heart. But in the end, well… he's not without his demons. You can see it in his eyes."

"Blake and Aya, they… why would you want to do something to them? Just for your own filthy enjoyment, you plan to ruin their happiness?!" Olivia finally lost her cool, rising to her feet, glaring down at the calm girl dress in black in front of her.

Sylvia smirked.

"You misunderstand me completely, Olivia Himeko. What a pity. No, no, if I may be so honest… I actually prefer them together."

Olivia didn't know what to say to that.

"If you'd like to stop drawing attention in such a way unsuited to your position, might you take a seat?" Sylvia politely asked. Olivia looked around. She was clearly making a scene. She quickly returned to her seat. "Now, as I was saying before, I actually quite like Blake and Ayame dating. That girl… she's so incredibly pure and sweet. She's been hurt so badly before, and that's why you're so protective of her… you don't want to see her get hurt again. But Blake, well…"

Sylvia smirked. She lifted up the last sugar cube over her coffee, and threateningly crushed it in her grasp, the sugar trickling down into the dark liquid.

"I look forward to seeing what will come from it, let's just say that. Blake and Ayame being together, well… that has all the makings of a wonderful show. I can't wait to see how things turn out."

"They'll be happy together," Olivia insisted. "I know it."

"Maybe they will be happy together," Sylvia shrugged. "In the end, we can't quite say…"

She traced her finger along the rim of her coffee cup.

"Human irrationality is quite a predictable thing if you know how to look for it," Sylvia replied, finally lifting the cup from her plate. "It's what makes them all so frustrating. My enjoyment comes from seeing the stress such irrationality places upon a person, as they struggle along. I want them to have a happy ending, I really do, and that's why, well…"

She shrugged, and lifted the cup to her lips. Before she sipped from it, she looked pointedly at Olivia.

"The best treats are the ones you savor, wouldn't you agree? The buildup, the tension to eating it, you don't just devour your favorite meal. You appreciate each and every bite as it slowly whittles down into an empty plate. And I plan to dine my fill on their wonderful love. Because no matter how much time and effort you might put into something, well…"

She raised the cup to Olivia in a toast, and with a tilt of her wrist sent the coffee cascading down to floor, not even giving it a single taste.

And Sylvia continues to assert herself. Strange how someone so honest and upfront about what she wants can be one the characters whose intentions are the most inscrutable.