Olivia has appeared! What does she have in store? Will she bring anything new to the table, new conflicts perhaps? Or just there to be a cool flirt and provide some fanservice and teasing? What will the reaction of our characters, namely Violet, be to the presence of this rather fetching lesbian beauty? I think they might make a cute couple if I'm being honest.

Thunder Fire: Death by blood loss, what an awful way to go.

Aquahaze675: They might be going, but there's nothing to worry about. They might not be going alone, after all. No one says we have to spend the entire story at the inn.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 442

In front of Violet was the most beautiful girl she had ever laid eyes on. Darla and Lila called her an "Empress" and seeing her majesty, Violet couldn't say anything to the contrary. Her name was Olivia Himeko, and she stood proudly in the entranceway with an air of regality. Her skin was a lovely alabaster flushed with beauty, pristine and immaculate like a doll. A river of gold cascaded down her back, so finely straightened that not a single strand was out of place. Her blue eyes were deeper than the oceans of Hoenn, and alongside the calm, mature smile gave the Empress a sense of being far older than she appeared to be. And if one thought that her beauty ended at her face and hair, they would be mistaken. Glancing down her body, one could see that her curves were the epitome of sensuality and temptation, full breasts and a tight waist wrapped in a silky black dress shining with gold accoutrements and crimson lace. The bodice was altered to reveal milky white cleavage that Violet could not help but be drawn to, as the seductive smile on her face seemed to encourage her to look.

Blood spurted out of Violet's nose and she fell to the floor, writing Olivia's name in her blood as she lay dying on the floor.

"Hah! Perfect!" Cynthia cackled, holding her sides.

"My, Cynthia, Sango, how nice to see you!" Olivia said, her face brightening. She strolled around the body without missing a blink, standing over the shorter Cynthia, still seated in her chair. "What brings you to these parts? Are you girls also staying here?"

"Staying here? Hah!" Cynthia smirked, slapping her hand against her chest and rising to her feet, standing proudly. "My grandparents own this inn!"

Olivia blinked, surprised.

"My, how lucky! Would that I could have my own hot spring… alas, I may have to purchase one. Is it quite enjoyable?"

"Oh, yeah, they're the best!" Cynthia cackled, nodding her head.

"E-Excuse me!"

Olivia's head turned and she and Cynthia glanced over to see Violet standing up, wiping her nose. Her eyes were shining eagerly.

"Oh, hello there," Olivia smiled. "And you are?"

Violet calmed herself down and ran a hand through her drying hair to straighten it, putting a seductive expression onto her face. She walked to Olivia and stared the younger girl in the eye, giving her an alluring smile.

"My name is Violet," Violet breathed. "Violet Fafnir. And would you mind so terribly telling me who I have the pleasure to speak with?"

Olivia smiled, her eyes flaring as the gears in her head began to turn.

"Olivia Himeko, the Empress," Olivia introduced herself. "It is a pleasure to meet you, miss. If, for no other reason than the excitement that comes from meeting someone who is not yet… familiar of me, or my work."

"Oh?" Violet asked, raising her eyebrow. "And what work would that be, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm a model," Olivia replied. "Working with beauty products, hair, makeup, perfumes, clothing, you name it, and I've promoted a brand of it." Her voice took on a more breathy, seductive air. "And they're always the most alluring brands."

Violet's heart skipped a beat as her stomach plummeted. She could feel her face growing hot just looking into those seductive, half-lidded eyes.

"I believe it," Violet smiled, putting on a seductive smile of her own. "After all, you're the most alluring woman I've ever had the pleasure to meet."

She stepped into Olivia's personal space, and seeing no rejection on the part of the other girl, reached a hand out and ran her fingers along Olivia's cheek. Olivia didn't shirk away from her. Instead, she seemed to lean closer.

"I know I am," Olivia purred, running her fingers along the lining of Violet's bathrobe. "Alas…"

In an instant, Olivia parted from Violet, her touch leaving a wondrous memory on the redhead. Instead, Olivia stepped back and turned to Cynthia. She tilted the other redhead's face towards hers, and pressed her ruby red lips against Cynthia's, to the shock of everyone there.

Cynthia's face turned a deeper shade of scarlet than her hair, her eyes wide with disbelief as she felt Olivia's tongue running against hers.

Olivia broke the kiss after a few seconds, licking her lips and turning to Violet, smiling coyly at the completely flummoxed older woman. Cynthia dropped from her hands and collapsed to the ground like all the bones in her body were turned into jelly.

"I appreciate your attentions, Violet, but I must say that your cute little sister is more my type. I'm sure you understand," Olivia purred.

"Uh… um…" Violet had never experienced someone that she was interested in being more attracted to her dorky little sister than to her. It… it didn't make any sense.

Sango resisted the urge to break out laughing. Seeing Violet struggle to figure out what was going on was hilarious. Lila and Darla were just done, this whole farce clearly a pain in both their asses. At least Lila was able to mask her irritation with the veneer of a calm smile, while Darla, as usual, made no secret of her discontent.

But the crowning moment of hilarity was Cynthia, who had regained her balance and rose to her feet, standing proudly and looking down on everyone around her, in spite of being the shortest person in the lobby.

"What's the matter, Red?" Cynthia smugly declared, her face beaming with light. She had been waiting for this moment for as long as she could remember. "Is it so startling that a woman would find me more appealing than you?"

Violet fumed at her, Cynthia's haughty words snapping her out of confusion and was now filling her with irritation. She stormed over to her sister, her eyes locked into a narrow, fierce glare that washed off of Cynthia's smug face like water.

Olivia stepped aside and stood back, eager to see the fireworks. While the two sisters began to bicker, she turned her attention to Sango.

"So, Sango, how are things?" Olivia asked. "Are you, Maddi, and Cynthia getting along?"

"…It's exhausting," Sango admitted, sighing.

"Well, it could be worse," Olivia laughed. "I was just speaking with Aya, and apparently she and Blake had an encounter with a group known as the Children of the Oracles. Actual terrorists, what are the odds of that?"

Sango's blood went cold.

"N-No way, are you serious?" Sango asked, her voice trembling.

"You think I would lie about such things?" Olivia asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Just… the Children of the Oracles, they actually…"

"So you're aware of them?" Olivia asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"We've… interacted with them before," Sango said. "Um… when Ayame told you about them, did she mention, um… anybody… else? Someone special, perhaps? Or Blake acting weirdly?"

Sango was trying to find a way to probe Olivia for information about Blake's sister without actually coming clean about his sister being part of the organization. It was a difficult tightrope for her to walk, that was for sure.

"Not that I know of," Olivia said, shaking her head. She still cast a suspicious eye on the other girl, not sure what Sango was hiding.

"I-I see, and they're okay? That's good, then," Sango said, nodding. "So, um… what brings you guys to Hoenn, anyway? I would think you'd want to visit in the summer."

"My summers are busy with swimsuit contracts," Olivia replied, waving her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes. "No, right now is the best time to visit. After all…"

Olivia reached into her designer purse and withdrew a case, popping it open to reveal its contents to Sango. The inside of the case was lined with silk, and small indents were pushed into the material, twenty in all, divided into four rows of five. Half the indents were filled with ribbons of five colors in two rows, the lower row being a trace more elegant and gaudy than the top row. The two rows beneath them were vacant, just waiting to be filled.

"Halfway done," Olivia replied.

"W-wow, that's amazing," Sango said. She wasn't a fan of pokemon contests so she had no idea how amazing it really was, but she figured that empty praise would be enough to satisfy the Empress and her ego.

"It is, isn't it?" Olivia laughed. "My team and I have conquered the Normal Rank contests in Verdanturf Town, and the Super Rank contests in Fallarbor Town. Next, I shall be competing in the Hyper Rank contests in Slateport City."

"Oh, I see," Sango said, nodding. She didn't really get it, but she was just nodding dumbly to make it seem like she was paying attention. But in terms of her interests, contests were about as low on her priority scale as it could get.

Olivia, of course, picked up on this lack of interest, and gave Sango an unsatisfied scowl.

"Forgive me, but it doesn't seem like you hold that much interest in pokemon contests, am I wrong?" Olivia asked.

Sango flinched. She couldn't stand up to the cold look in Olivia's eyes. It held a harshness that was fitting for one known as "the Empress".

"That's… I mean…"

"Empress, don't you think it's time for us to be headed to Slateport?" Lila asked. "It is still early in the evening, but we would not want to be late for our hotel reservations. Furthermore, we must get everyone signed up for the Hyper Rank contests before they close, and it will take several hours to drive down to Slateport. Do you think we could be going?"

It was a very tactful suggestion, coming from a girl who could sense that her partner, Darla, was about as desperate to leave as possible, glaring daggers at Cynthia and Violet and their scuffle.

"Indeed, we must be going," Olivia admitted. "Unfortunately, our sushi will have to be postponed to a later date. But don't worry, I have gratefully gorged myself on this amusing display of sibling love. Now, let's go, Sango."

"Right, let's…" Sango's voice trailed off as she let Olivia's words sink in. "…Wait, what?!"

"You're coming with us, no?" Olivia asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "To the Hyper Contests?"

"Um, no!" Sango exclaimed, shaking her head.

Olivia scowled, crossing her arms in front of her generous chest. "Were you not paying attention? You don't understand the beauty of contests at all. And thus, you'll be coming with me. I'll be educating you all about the greatness that is pokemon contests. I think that witnessing my magnificent performance should be more than enough to change your perspective."

She smirked.

"So, you'll be coming with us."

"But I don't want to!" Sango protested.

"Ooh! I do! I do!" Cynthia said, waving her hand frantically, eager to go to Slateport with the Empress. She wanted a front row seat to Olivia demonstrating her contest abilities and the beauty and grace of her performance. "Can I come? Please let me come!"

"Certainly," Olivia smiled, giving the shorter girl a wink. "The more the merrier, that's what I say. I'm looking forward to the chance to demonstrate my magnificent performance, the more adoring fans, the better."

She turned to Violet, casting her eyes into a seductive glance.

"And you? Are you interested in coming as well, Violet?"

Violet's face flushed and she averted her eyes for a second. Regaining her bearings she put a coy smile on, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I'd love to, seeing your beauty in action," Violet purred.

"Come on, Sango, you too!" Cynthia said, slapping Sango on the back. "Don't be a wet blanket!"

"But-"

"It will only be for a few days," Olivia assured her. "In fact, you may only be gone for tomorrow. Then, you can take a bus right back up. Wouldn't that be fine?"

Sango scowled.

Olivia sighed, looking down.

"I see, so you're willing to give pokemon battling a chance, but are unwilling to even glance upon pokemon contests," Olivia held the back of her hand against her forehead and swooned in mock-sadness. "I had no idea that you were such a hypocrite…"

Olivia's continued performance was irritating Sango. She could see that Olivia was playing her, and at the same time she couldn't exactly refute what she was saying. She knew she wasn't giving contests a fair shake, but at the same time, she didn't exactly want to spend the following day sitting in the stands with a bunch of sweaty fans watching someone show off to the crowd. It wasn't her opinion of a good time.

"Oh, well," Cynthia sighed. "I guess that means you'll have to work on digging up that pond all by yourself tomorrow, then, since Violet and I will be in Slateport City…"

Sango's eye twitched in irritation. She felt like she was about to burst a blood vessel as she seethed at Cynthia. Cynthia merely smirked in response, and shrugged her shoulders.

"…Fine, I'll go," Sango scowled. "But what are we going to tell Maddi? And plus, I gotta get a change of clothes, and-"

"Yippeee!" Cynthia cheered, ignoring the reasonable points that Sango had just raised, leaping up into the air with joy. "I'll go get my stuff right now!"

Without letting Sango have even the slightest chance to get a word in edgewise, Cynthia darted down the hall, headed back for their room.

"I-I'll go get changed, too," Violet said, clearing her throat, shooting another glance at Olivia. She headed off to her own room, right behind Cynthia. Violet was going to find some clothes that would really wow the girl.

Sango sighed, glancing at Silver. Her Castform shook his head apologetically. Her shoulders slumped and she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. Sango's irritation was likewise shared with Darla, who scowled at Olivia, not at all pleased that the Empress had agreed to let those girls come with them, even if it was just for the night and the next day. Not that she was going to say anything, of course, bringing something like that up would be problematic in its own way for someone in Darla's position. Lila just patted her on the shoulder, as if to say "it's okay, just bear with it."

Cynthia dashed down the hall, shooting past her room and running straight for Maddi's. She rattled her fist against the door eagerly, shouting "MaddiMaddiMaddiMaddiMaddiMaddi!" Until Maddi finally opened the door.

"Geez, what?" Maddi snapped, glaring at Cynthia.

"You'll never guess who just showed up!" Cynthia said, her eyes shining brightly. "Olivia Himeko! She came to pick up Darla and Lila- Oh, yeah, they're here, too, by the way, they've been here for a few days! But forget that! I have the best news EVER!"

Maddi sincerely doubted that.

Cynthia didn't even wait for Maddi to inquire further, already going right on ahead with explaining "not only is she here, but guess what? She invited us to go check out her contest performance in Slateport City! We'll be spending the whole day there tomorrow! Want to come? I promise, it's going to be amazing!"

Maddi stared at Cynthia like she had just suggested Maddi go skinny-dipping in a volcano. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What about me made you think that going to watch a pokemon contest would be something that I was interested in?" Maddi asked.

"…Yeah, sorry, I guess I just got a little excited," Cynthia admitted, scratching her head sheepishly, giving Maddi a smile. "Don't worry. You don't have to come. We'll be gone tonight, and probably all day tomorrow, we might not come back until the day after next. So you'll have this place to yourself for a while."

"…Okay," Maddi said, nodding. She had a strange look in her eye, Cynthia noticed, like she was thinking some things over. "…Have fun."

With that, Maddi closed the door and Cyntha ran off to go get packed and pick up Aud, to take care of her. A few minutes later she was waiting eagerly in the lobby alongside Sango, both girls prepared to go and waiting on Violet.

Violet stepped out into the lobby, dressed to kill. She wore a dress that was a deep green, with a plunging neckline that revealed her cleavage. It brought the red out in her hair, which had been brushed out straight and pulled up into a ponytail to reveal her nape.

"Wow, sis," Cynthia gaped, stunned by her sister's appearance. Olivia gave an approving whistle that made Violet's face light up with joy.

"Why, thank you," Violet smiled, her blue eyes smoldering as she eyed Olivia in return, the two women checking each other out. But if they were both interested, Olivia was doing a much better job at hiding it, remaining as casual as always.

"So can we go?" Darla asked, tapping her foot impatiently. Lila shushed her.

"Yes, I think that's fine," Olivia said, glancing at Aud's carrying case with a smile as she admired the small white pokemon. "You did get permission from your guardians, right you two?"

"I took that responsibility on for myself," Violet said proudly, stepping in front of Cynthia and placing a proud hand over her chest, eager to show off another good side of herself for the elegant girl she had fallen in lust over. "I'm happy to take care of my beloved little sister and her friend."

Sango and Cynthia shared a sideways glance.

"…Well, great then!" Olivia chirped. "Let's get-"

"Excuse me."

Everyone turned to see Maddi walk into the lobby, her backpack over her shoulder and Grim floating beside her. Her expression was unreadable as she looked out across the room, much to the surprise of Cynthia and Sango.

"Maddi? I thought you weren't coming!" Cynthia said, clutching Aud's carrying case tighter and trying not to sound too hopeful over the prospect.

"…Seriously? I can't believe you would be up for this," Sango said, noting that Maddi was dressed for travel rather than coming to see them off.

"…I reconsidered," Maddi said, glancing at Olivia for a second before turning her attention back to Cynthia and Sango. "I mean, if it's still okay for me to come and all."

Cynthia glanced at Olivia, who shrugged her shoulders. For a moment she considered saying no, since Maddi was working with Alden Volt, one of her rivals, but at the same time, Cynthia was technically allied with him as well, and Sango and Marion were supposedly really close too. So there wasn't really any reason to turn Maddi down specifically.

"Sure, why not?" Olivia decided. "The more the merrier, like I said!"

And with that, Olivia turned on her heel and headed out into the night, the others following after her like the pied piper.

Maddi was in the rear, following behind Cynthia, smiling a little to herself. While she wasn't interested in contests at all, she was interested in Olivia Himeko, and what she might be planning. Maddi had already tried to get some info out of Marion Rivers, to no success, but she might have a better chance of getting close to the Empress and figuring things out about her. Those were the ulterior motives she possessed, the ones that would make it potentially worthwhile for her to, at the very least, put up with the discomfort that came with attending a concert or two.

So Maddi's got schemes, and the girls are heading to Slateport to watch a contest! And yes, I am fully aware that it is far, FAR too late into this story for us to actually be getting our first view of pokemon contests. I get it.