Lysandre's Café

There was something uniquely special about a winter wonderland that escaped the tumult of holidays and dispensed the pressuring socialization imposed by it... Thoughts drifted easily along with the light snowflakes that swirled down the Snowbelle City sky!

I wasted the morning away by sitting on a bench by the gym, from where the city's limited movement could be watched. And there, I thought about Sycamore – about the word he used last: love. Had I ever admitted to that? Had I ever... allowed him to know? All the eight badges were mine, as I had planned, and now what else was there to do? ...My clock beeped: it was time to go!

"Strange choice for a place..." I sighed as I sat down. I had easily spotted Professor Sycamore from the door as the handsome gentleman on the back of the café who ran his fingers through his perfectly unkempt hair and enjoyed a regular black coffee while he read the newspaper. And was I so late? He seemed quite engaged in the chosen distraction.

"I figured it would be the last place you would have chosen to willingly enter..." he explained without having to pick up his eyes from his reading to recognize me "Therefore, the one café in Lumiose you had yet to visit!"

He folded the paper between unhurried fingers and placed it by his side as he leaned on the table and finally looked me in the eyes: he had a warm welcome smile, but not much beyond that.

"So now you have it! And was I wrong?!" he scrutinized.

"No..." I affirmed, looking around me "I would definitely not have come here if I could help it..."

Everything from the outside in was exceptionally red! And yet, somehow, it seemed to be the darkest, gloomiest place I had been inside in all of Lumiose: the lamps that hung on the wall struggled, barely enough to light up the crimson room! That being said, the unnerving choice of décor was not the reason behind my unwillingness to linger: The sign outside read "Lysandre's Café".

"Why, darling?" Sycamore's hand running across my face pulled me back to his eyes "Does the color of passion intimidate you now?"

"Nothing like that..." I gently pulled his hand away, judging, by the strange atmosphere the place inspired me, that I needed all my senses in check "Although I have to say it's pretty unpleasant..." and here I looked at the bartenders: together with the waiters, they all seemed to keep an eye on me! I cringed a little, and leaned forward to whisper and be heard "But are you sure it's okay to bring me specifically to Lysandre's place?!"

"There will be no safer place on earth today!" he smiled, picking up his cup and enjoying a sip "Knowing Lysandre as I do, he would allow no tongue to wag unpunished. That, and they have the finest pastries: I do intend to begin enlightening your palate!" he seriously acknowledged, lifting the menu from the small round table.

"But tell me, dear..." he delicately cleared his throat after a moment's silence "why have you offered me such a cold reception? No kisses or smiles from Miss Anne, now that she has beaten all of Kalos' gym leaders?" And he winked at me.

I blushed and couldn't keep the proud smile from crossing my lips.

"My congratulations!" Sycamore bowed his head.

"Thanks..." I embarrassedly replied.

All eyes were on me. They all weighed heavily! And yet, Sycamore carried on, most serene.

"A perfect opportunity for a celebration, wouldn't you say so? Allow me to think of something for today..." he smiled tranquilly as he went through the menu. I tried to emulate his calm: if he was this composed, why should I be beating myself up over a bunch of strangers looking at us – or at me, as it specifically felt? I limited myself to watching him and trying to move and sit as he did: elegant, composed and relaxed. The least I could do was to look good on the cameras, lest someone catches us...

And as I took such precaution, my mind was allowed to wonder through Sycamore's silent and busy attention: Why wasn't he worried about being seen with me? Was there a resolution I didn't know of? Was there something different, perhaps a change of priority or intentions?

I had seen them argue over me before, and it seemed like nearly suicide for him to take me to Lysandre's café. Though cynical, Sycamore was not that careless, and wouldn't willingly choose war over peace, so something must have changed. Perhaps because I had all the badges? - My heart grew warm with pride again - Or... Perhaps it was because I had collected them, but Charizard still hadn't managed to evolve? The bracelet around my wrist weighed and burned against my flesh, and now my chest was cold with apprehension: Was I of no use or interest to the research anymore? Had I officially failed? it was okay for me to decide to quit it, but an entirely different scenario and range of emotions to get kicked out of it!

"Is there something wrong?!" The whispered words escaped out of me without permission. Sycamore's blue, penetrating, chilled eyes rose from the menu to mine. Seconds later, a smile followed:

"Hardly!" He sighed, putting down that mean of distraction, too "I am merely taking the liberty to choose for you, if you will let me take you through another one of my favorite places in Kalos, that is!"

"Go ahead..." I shrugged, and Sycamore soon called out the waiter to place an order.

All eyes were on me... All of them were hard and strangely familiar! Where had I seen those faces before?

As we waited, Sycamore's hand drifted to mine on the table. Our fingers entwined, our eyes locked and he smiled.

...There was another hypothesis. What if he genuinely didn't care anymore? What if the public display was something actually meant to be seen? Did that mean we were... the word gave me instant vertigo…

...A couple?

Their heads turned, as if they could hear the thought. As if synchronized.

One... two hours were quickly past inside the shady place, enough for me to get quite used to its sickly illumination and overcome its influence over my disposition. And watching Sycamore, how could I nourish so many worries? He had never been so relaxed, not even my presence excited his nerves as it usually did.

I wiped my lips after the meal, and watched as Sycamore's collected eyes moved to the glass doors. A content smile stretched there when a subtle wind blew through the streets of Lumiose. He was more pensive, now even more distant in thoughts that seemed to amuse him into a sullen tranquility. I turned to watch the quiet buildings as he did: It was a rare Friday of small commotion, very few people could be seen surrounding the Prism tower that stretched prettily into the sky. A pleasant view, indeed...

For a second, Sycamore's disposition reminded me that of my mother when we were at the beach one particular holiday during my childhood – we would sit at a restaurant and just wait for the hours to pass, watching the distant waves rocking. There was nowhere to be, nothing to do... only a more pleasant perspective awaited after that one, the near future was safe from stress.

Those were Sycamore's eyes there: not a shadow of obligation tainted them as they dived into the pleasantness of a very still day.

Meanwhile, I had started to feel a strange, almost dreadful energy emanating from my Pokeballs: someone was worried.

"Huh?" Sycamore exclaimed, awaking from his daydream as I pulled my bag open and looked inside it, my palm open, ready to pick up the ball of disturbance, but finding myself too puzzled to do it. "What is the matter, dear?" he lazily asked.

My hand was frozen before I could touch the Pokeballs: they all seemed to vibrate with different levels of commotion. And why did it suddenly affect me so much? Perhaps I was feeling it, too...

"What is wrong?!" he repeated more emphatically as I looked gravely inside my bag.

"Nothing..." I closed it, shaking my head and deciding it might be just my imagination "For a second I thought I... uhm... Nothing!"

"Huh..." Sycamore smiled to the side, and broke into a very casual speech about Couriway Town: about the place's history, and how he would love to return once more and take his time there with me...

However interesting, his nostalgic descriptions of how the town used to be and what had changed couldn't reach my attention too much: my heart pulsated in a different rhythm, moved by the swirling distress of my Pokémon. It chased away the last drop of security I felt!

"I hope you have no plans after this, darling..." he sighed, potentially noticing my restless distance and calling me back with something of my interest: "I am decided we should later retire to my house and enjoy ourselves for the rest of the day" he smiled, measuring the reaction on my face "I'm afraid I possess a rare bird that doesn't enjoy the freedom of the outside so much, for she looks utterly indisposed!"

I shook my head with a short negative and allowed my view to wander while I processed an answer. My eyes laid accidentally on the small TV on the corner near the door: There seemed to be a tumult happening on the news.

"Actually, I..." I started, but quickly lost my attention to the screen.

"You what, darling?!" Sycamore chased it back.

"Actually..." I immediately lost focus, tensing my eyebrows as I tried to read news ticker scrolling sideways on the bottom of the screen, for the sound itself was on mute, or too low to be heard from the back, where we were. "...I was thinking of starting to train for..." I managed to half-finish the sentence as Sycamore subtly grimaced with impatience over my delay.

The words on the distant, small TV read things like "Mayhem", "Escaping" and "Time", as well as something about Lysandre.

"Hey, can you raise the volume on that?!!" I looked back with an urgent plea to the waiter, hoping the tension would have possessed the entire café by now.

Everyone inside looked at me, of course – My distress surprising all of them. Again, their eyes weighed... but no one listened.

"Anne, Dear..." Sycamore started his composed, mocking laugh and his hands calmly stretched, holding mine on the table.

I was up before I could fully feel them! I walked to the TV, my blood being replaced by some cold liquid as the feeling of calamity possessed me: The look on the reporter's face through the mute screen, people running behind her, negative words being tactically stressed... quiet, empty Lumiose just outside!

"Are you guys not seeing this?!" I looked around, appalled – no one cared. Everyone carried on with their meals only stopping to look at me as if I was some sort of freak disturbing their dull enjoyment.

Looking back, Lysandre's face was on the TV in the recording of a Holo-Caster call. The small letters bellow explained something about a statement. I narrowed my eyes, trying harder to read them.

"Darling, pray sit down! You are making quite the scene..." Sycamore asked from the table, seemingly embarrassed out of reason.

Then the same news changed to a new location, to just another mysterious calamity I couldn't fathom – I had been to that place: it was the Pokéball factory in Laverre city. Calem, Shauna and the rest were all there – as were a bunch of Team Flare grunts! My eyes grew wide... the impulse was immediate!

"Anne!!" Sycamore yelled, standing up so fast the chair fell behind him.

I had burst open the doors, running outside as fast as I could!

***

I had reached Prism tower, running north from Lysandre's café, when I heard Sycamore calling me between my heavy breathing. I looked back briefly – he stood far away. I knew what his opinion would be if I stopped. I knew how important his help could be, but how useless to ask and trust it! I shoved a hand inside my bag and pulled out the first pokeball that came to reach, hoping it would be the right one: without stopping, I threw it up and sent out Talonflame. He let out his shrill cry as he flew up in the sky – after a pirouette, he dove down and stopped to hover next to me. I needed not issue any order – his trusting eyes were ready: I held on to his back and we flew high up. I looked back in time to see Sycamore racing shortly after us, then stopping halfway, now only capable of following with his eyes. He was the only person I could see standing outdoors in the entire Lumiose now...

It felt strange to simply leave like that... It felt odd to watch him from a distance and not know exactly what his expression showed as he watched us fly away. It was a burden in my heart to choose, and ultimately, it was all that was left for me to do: the right decision!

"Alright..." I sighed, saying my own farewell to the small professor looking up from the distance. I tightened my arms around Talonflame – flying wasn't like anything I had done before, and though I could feel the danger in it, I also felt the excitement. "Let's go to Laverre!!" I commanded both myself and my Pokémon- we were going to help our friends!