Time to see who won the Escape Room contest! Who's going home with some brand new eggs? And what else will Sylvia have in store, I wonder?

As for the Best Girl nominations, still going strong. Anyone else left to add?

Currently Nominated: Sango, Cynthia, Elaina, Kate, Dakota, Ayame, Marion, Kitty, Serefina, Madison

Pokemonking0924: Maybe he'll give her a piece of something else, too.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Couple? I wouldn't necessarily call them that. Yet.

Rosealine gold: Thanks for your kind words. I'll add her to the list.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 195

Both parties stepped out of the Escape Rooms and into the lobbies of their routes, and exited out into the main lobby, staring at each other in surprise.

"What the heck?" Cynthia exclaimed, staring at Reiner and his group. "We didn't get here first?! No way! But we finished those challenges so fast!"

"Um, did we come in first?" Kitty asked, confused.

"Allow me to clarify," Sylvia purred, walking into the lobby from her private viewing room. All heads turned to look at her. Sylvia strolled up between the two groups, batting her eyes at Blake and then turning to look at Misato and Reiner.

"You both did such an admirable job," Sylvia replied. "However… although you both finished so close to each other, and both finished before the one-hour mark, one of your teams was just a liiiiiittle faster than the others. The Room of Courage was completed at 56:17, and the Room of Knowledge… was completed at 55:49! And that means…"

Sylvia walked over to Blake and raised his arm into the air.

"…the team who escaped the Room of Knowledge is the winner!"

"Whoooo!" Cynthia cheered, jumping into the air, her twintails flying around and her wig nearly fell off. "We did it!"

"Aww, well…" Kitty sighed, looking down.

"And, as the winners of this little… competition, that means your team has the right to choose any three eggs from our prize bin! Now please, make your choices!"

Cynthia ran past her other teammates and peered over the edge of the containers, spying on the individual incubators with glistening eyes. She reached in and grabbed one, lifting it up.

"This one! It's just so perfect!" Cynthia cooed, cradling the egg like a baby. It was a light sky blue, nearly white. "How pretty! Are you a water type, sweetie? Ooh! Or maybe an ice type? Or a sweet and adorable little dragon type?"

"What about you two?" Blake asked, glancing at Julia. Julia waved her hand dismissively.

"I have a full party. I'm not that interested in raising an egg. I'm not the most maternal girl in the world."

"…I don't need it," Caelia murmured. "Blake should get the egg."

Blake blinked.

"That makes sense," Cynthia agreed. "If it wasn't for Blake's quick thinking in the last room, we would have lost! Blake should definitely get an egg, too!"

Blake shrugged and looked over the selection. There were eggs of all different colors and types. He chose one that was a deep purplish-blue with purple stripes. It reminded him of Ryoko.

"And for the last egg…" Cynthia frowned. "Maddi! Come on, come here! Which one do you want?"

Cynthia cradled her egg in one hand and dragged Maddi over to the box, the girl peering over the edge. Maddi blinked, studying the eggs. She saw one that really seemed to speak to her. It was a brownish-grey, with white markings that vaguely resembled bones. She reached for it.

"W-wait!" Cynthia and Maddi turned to see Nikita standing there, a confused and frustrated look on her face.

"What's up?" Cynthia asked, confused.

"That… why does she get one?" Nikita asked. "I… I mean, no offense, but… she barely did anything! I… I solved a bunch of the puzzles! Way more than you, Cynthia! I… why can't… why can't I have an egg? I… I tried so hard to win… and I… I…"

Nikita was nearly crying.

"I don't really…" Maddi quietly spoke up, but Cynthia interrupted her.

"No! Maddi deserves to get an egg!" Cynthia objected. "She… she didn't want to come in the first place. I… I made her come. She didn't want to, but… I wanted her to have fun. So… so that's… I want her to get an egg out of it, at least…"

Maddi blinked, looking at Cynthia's teary face in a new light.

"…But what about me?" Nikita asked quietly. "I want one too… why do you get one but I can't?"

Nikita looked at Cynthia, the desperation on her face obvious to the redhead.

"I tried so hard… I helped as much as Blake… if Maddi and Blake get one, why don't I? Why do you get one? It's not… it's not fair! You just ran out searching for stuff! You didn't solve any puzzles, why do you get one and not me?"

"That's… I…" Cynthia looked down at the beautiful egg in her arms. She already loved it like it was her own child. The pain on Nikita's face was hard to stomach, but… but-!

"But… but this is mine," Cynthia said, hugging the egg to her chest protectively. "I… I don't want to, I…"

Nikita and Cynthia were nearly in tears. Maddi frowned. She didn't really want that egg in the first place… she really should give it up for them, right?

"Guys, I don't-" Blake began to speak up, but Caelia stepped in front of him, her icy glare freezing him in his tracks.

"No." She coldly rebuked him. "Giving gifts to other girls. Not fair. Not fair. Not fair not fair not fair not-"

Blake gulped, taking a step back out of reflex and dropping the subject. He suddenly became very scared of Caelia.

As the discussion was reaching its peak, Sylvia decided now was the perfect time to begin lobbing curveballs. So she turned to the other team.

"You lot might not have won, but you still completed your escape in under an hour. That means, you get to choose an egg of your own, as well! Who's it gonna be?"

"Negative. I do not require an egg," Misato automatically replied, taking herself out of contention.

"And I already have an egg I'm looking after," Kitty said, thinking back to the egg she'd lovingly wrapped up in her comforter before leaving that morning.

"Nick should get it!" Callie said.

"I don't really care one way or the other," Will sighed. "An egg's an egg."

"Um, actually…" Reiner spoke up, glancing at Nick, "is it okay if I take this one?"

Nick blinked. Reiner's face was usually pretty serious, but there was something different about it this time. He nodded his head.

"Sure."

Reiner smiled, and walked over to the egg bin.

"Nick? What are you doing?" Callie huffed, stomping her foot. "We could have raised that egg together! Don't you want to raise a baby pokemon with me?"

"That sounds like it's moving a little fast," Nick replied, his face turning bright red in front of Callie's insistent glare.

"What, so you don't want a baby with me?!" She exclaimed.

Sylvia chuckled. There wasn't a right answer to that question, that was for sure.

Reiner looked over the selection of eggs, and found one that was a deep shade of ebony. He picked it up, and then turned to the others.

"Nikita."

"What?" Nikita snapped, turning her tear-stricken face towards her boyfriend.

"Um… here."

Reiner held out his hand, glancing away from her, his face red. Nikita blinked, looking at the egg.

"Wha?" She gasped, her mouth falling open.

"Y-you wanted one, right?" Reiner said, scratching his cheek. "So I just thought… I mean… if you don't want it, that's fine, but-"

"I want it!" Nikita gasped, snatching the egg from his hand and holding it close to her chest, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Cynthia looked at Nikita's smiling face and smiled herself, rocking her egg reassuringly.

"Nikita," Cynthia said quietly. Nikita turned away from Reiner to glance back at Cynthia, her dark face turning shameful.

"Cynthia, I, about what I said, I-I didn't mean that you were useless, I was just… I'm so sorry, I-"

"Shush," Cynthia said, pressing her finger up to Nikita's mouth, smiling. "It's fine, don't even worry!"

"A-are you sure?" Nikita asked. "You… you don't want to stop being friends?"

Cynthia blinked, and burst out laughing.

"What are you, stupid?!" She cackled. "I wouldn't spurn a friendship over something like this! In fact… Maddi! Blake!"

"Huh?" Blake glanced at her. Maddi ignored her, staring down at her egg. Cynthi frowned, and grabbed Maddi's head, turning her to look.

"So I was thinking, that since the four of us are raising pokemon eggs, why don't we all work together? You know, like a group? We can hang out and look after our eggs, and when they hatch, we can all gather together and play with our pokemon together? What do you guys think? Sounds like fun, right?"

"Uh, um, sure," Nikita said, nodding, just happy that her temper hadn't cost her her new friend.

Blake shrugged.

"Maddi?" Cynthia looked at Maddi hopefully, her red-lensed eyes glistening with hopefulness.

"…Well… I would have this if it wasn't for you speaking up for me," Maddi said, unable to meet Cynthia's gaze. "So I guess I wouldn't mind meeting up every now and then…"

"Really?!" Cynthia gushed, pulling Maddi into a big hug. "Really, really?!"

"Really," Maddi dryly replied. "No hugging."

Cynthia opened her arms and stepped back, unable to keep the overjoyed smile off of her face.

"Um…" Cynthia turned to see Kitty looking at her hopefully as well.

"Hm?" Cynthia asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Can… can I do it too? The egg thing…?" Kitty asked. "I got a pokemon egg from Marion… and I'm taking care of it… and I was wondering-"

"Of course!" Cynthia cried, hugging her. She nuzzled her cheek against Kitty's. "It's gonna be so much fun, Kitty!"

"Lovely!" Sylvia said, clapping. "What a touching story of friendship! Now then, since your business here is completed, have a nice day!"

"Ahem."

Sylvia's smile faltered when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glanced behind her to see Will's frowning face.

"Yes, Sweet William?" Sylvia asked, giving him a sweet-as-sugar smile.

"Where's our pokepoints?" Will demanded. "You said that everyone gets 100 pokepoints per 1 minute left on the clock."

Sylvia's smile slid off her face, and she scowled, shoving him aside and walking around the reception desk, picking up a card reader, grumbling. After everyone collected their winnings and their belongings, they said their goodbyes to a less-than-thrilled Sylvia. Blake turned to leave, but Sylvia grabbed him by the wrist.

"Anything you want to say?" Sylvia purred, her lips curling into a smile.

Blake narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth, and Sylvia placed her finger over it to cut him off. She shook her head, batting her eyes flirtatiously at him.

"Not yet, sweetie," Sylvia whispered, batting her eyelashes. "We need a more appropriate venue to have our discussion."

She removed her finger and stepped back, giving him a wink.

"Besides… I think our audience might not like things to go much further than this…"

Blake glanced over his shoulder to see Caelia looming in front of the door, her blue eye staring at the two of them from under her hair, her face unreadable but still sending a chill down his spine. Sylvia might have a point. Blake turned and walked out the door to greet Caelia, Sylvia watching after him.

"See you at the party tonight, Blake~" Sylvia called after him. Blake's blood went cold.

Caelia stared up at Blake as he walked out the door.

"Hey, um, do you want-" Blake glanced at where his friends were waiting for him. "Want to come hang out with us?"

"No." Caelia replied.

"Um, okay then," Blake said, nodding. "Well, thanks for all the help today, and, thanks for the Mimikyu doll. And for saying I could have the egg."

"Of course," Caelia dryly replied. She was still staring at him. Blake peeked over her shoulder, to see Cynthia making a "what's taking you so long?" face.

"So, uh, I have to go now, so… bye," Blake awkwardly said goodbye to Caelia, who didn't say a word. He walked around her and headed back to the others, Caelie turning and watching him leave.

Misato and Will split up with the group and went their own way, the original group resuming their walk toward the festival. Blake glanced over his shoulder. Caelia was still standing there in the distance, facing in their direction.

"Okay, guys!" Cynthia cheered. "What do we do next? I don't know about you, but I'm starving! I haven't eaten all morning!"

"I could eat," Julia agreed. "What about you, Kitty?"

"I'm hungry," Kitty said, holding her stomach.

"I don't care," Nikita cooed, nuzzling her cheek against her dark egg, Reiner smiling as he looked at her.

"Maddi, what about you?" Cynthia asked. "Want to go eat?"

"…Sure," Maddi said, nodding. She wasn't holding her egg like Cynthia and Nikita, having instead stored it in her backpack like Blake did.

"Today's gonna be a blast!" Cynthia cheered. It was still barely lunchtime, and they had a whole day's worth of activities still left to get through! Cynthia had already won the best prize of all, and now they could just take things easy.

It was going to be a great day.

Cynthia stood outside Maddi's room, tapping her foot. She glanced out the hall window, at the sun setting on the horizon.

"What's keeping you so long?" Cynthia asked, knocking on Maddi's door. "Aren't you done changing?"

"I changed my mind," Maddi muttered from behind the door. "This is way more embarrassing than I expected…"

"Come on, you'll look great!" Cynthia reassured her. Maddi opened the door, looking down, her frustration radiating off of her in the form of silent hostility.

"…I was right!" Cynthia smiled. "You're amazing!"

Maddi didn't feel amazing. She felt like a dork.

Admittedly, it wasn't as embarrassing as Cynthia's tutu, but it was still not something she would normally choose to wear for herself, even if she DID love Totodiles so much. Cynthia even went to the trouble of remaking it so that it was the same color as a shiny Totodile. The costume itself was a deep, aqua-colored greenish-blue hoodie and similarly colored pants, with a long tail down her waist. Deep blue spines went down the back of the outfit, made out of wire and cloth. The hood of the hoodie was the best part, though, at least in Cynthia's opinion. That was the Totodile's head. The collar and hood were lined with white felt teeth to make a pseudo-mouth, and there were golden eyes on the sides. The hood was made especially large so that you could drape it all the way over your head if you wanted to. And Maddi had a feeling she would want to, considering how embarrassed she felt in the costume, however cute it might have been.

Cynthia hugged Maddi tightly, rubbing her cheek against the girl. Maddi pulled her hood down so her fce was covered completely, much to Cynthia's joy.

"That's the spirit!" Cynthia cheered. "How's your egg doing? Are you keeping it nice and warm?"

Maddi glanced back at her backpack. She'd set it down on her blanket. Maddi turned to Cynthia and shrugged.

"Okay, awesome!" Cynthia said, smiling. "Let's get a move-on, then!"

Cynthia draped her arm over Maddi's shoulder, much to her disdain, and headed down the hall. They left the Pikachu Dorms, and headed towards Olivia's special dormitory, where the party was going to be held.

"So Blake says he's gonna meet us up on the way there!" Cynthia said, smiling.

Maddi sighed. She wasn't much of the gossiping type, and she'd been listening to Cynthia blabbing ALL. DAY. Hopefully, she'd be able to ditch the girl as soon as the party got underway. She had to admit, reluctantly, that she had revised her opinion of the loud and energetic girl somewhat, and that she wasn't really as bad as Maddi thought she was. In small doses, at the very least. But she'd experienced a very, very, LARGE dose of Cynthia that day, and enough really was enough.

"I wonder what he's dressed up as! Ooooh, I can't wait! Maybe he went as his Scizor, Weiss! Or maybe…"

Meanwhile, Maddi and Cynthia were not the only students preparing for Olivia's fancy costume party that evening.

Sylvia was getting changed in her room, ecstatic to show off her new costume. Sure, the Gothitelle outfit suited her, but it would be far too boring to wear the same costume to the night party that she'd worn during the day. Especially since her costume served quite a… special purpose outside of its appearance. Honestly, it really wasn't her style. It didn't suit her at all, which ironically suited her just fine. She wasn't going as Sylvia tonight. She was going as someone else entirely.

Sylvia looked in the mirror, putting the last finishing touches on her makeup. It wasn't perfect. It might not even work. But all it had to do was throw Blake off of his game. After all, the rumor about Blake being the child from the Village of Demons wasn't the only rumor involving him that had reached her clever little ears. And this one was something that would be far more fun to take advantage of.

A shiver went down her spine, her heart pounding in her chest. What would his reaction be to seeing her like this?

Mysterious backstories are one thing, dear Blake… but tabloid gossip? Now that's a far more exploitable topic. I wonder if this is what it's like to fall in love with someone? To want to see just how the little puppy yaps for your attention…

Sylvia licked her lips, stepping back from the mirror. She was all ready to go.

"Be prepared, Blake," Sylvia hummed. "Our conversation will be quite stimulating, I can promise you that."

So what is Sylvia's costume for the evening going to be? And for that matter, what's Blake's? Any guesses? We'll have to see in the next chapter! Will Blake be able to resist Sylvia's feminine wiles?