Treasure Hunt

It was still very early in the morning – the sunrays had just started to insinuate the rise of the scorching star – when Calem held between his fingers a shiny cliff badge. I was quick to follow, becoming the proud possessor of one myself before noon... but it wasn't with as much ease as my neighbor. Having Azure been defeated by an earthquake on the first few turns, my recently befriended Tirtouga proved crucial in the last moments of the heated battle, when all the others were too weary to fight. And when the last foe fell, a much needed surprise awaited: Charmander evolved – he became bigger, stronger, and darker in color, too. His personality also changed: he seemed now much more serious and silent than his previous form.

With potions and revives, Shauna and Tierno managed to keep up, but Trevor was mercilessly defeated... I wished I had words to console his despondency, but the two of us were particularly bad at communicating. To ease my tension, Calem assured me that his sadness was nothing compared to what ours would have been if we had lost, and Trevor proved him right by pushing us immediately back to Ambrette to go see his scientist friend, as if he was finally done with his chores for the day and could now go play outside with the other kids.

Trevor's friend was a bald scientist with huge glasses – his hands shook a lot, he was clumsy and looked extremely frail – nothing like the idol Trevor seemed to make out of him, but I'm sure that all those complicated words and ideas I knew nothing of were what made him so interesting in Trevor's eyes.

The scientist gave us a tour to the lower lab, explaining the use of many of the big machines occupying space there and giving us a mindful on the origins of the fossil research they still conducted – not once did he mention the Professor's short residence on the upper floor. After that, he showed us the way to the glittering cave, where they had just discovered the hidden presence of fossils. His assistant had been there since morning digging up whatever he could find, and we could feel free to join him in our own mini-archeology experience. But the road there was a harsh and long one, and the sun was particularly hot that day, so neither Trevor nor I felt inclined to engage in any mining activity.

We watched the rest of the gang mount on Rhyhorns and set out to face the trials of the rocky route to glittering cave, then we returned to the lab so Trevor could watch as his friend worked – I only followed.

But even a fascinated guy such as Trevs was bound to get bored from all that silence, all those carefully planned and extremely slow movements filling the hours on the scientists' schedule – it wasn't interesting at all to watch them as they worked. I had mentioned Sycamore had been conducting his own research upstairs until yesterday, when he was scheduled to return to Lumiose, and Trevor, looking for something to excite his neurons, insisted that we sneak upstairs to gather whatever the Professor might have left behind, for keeping as trinkets, tokens and trophies as if the cynic Professor was indeed some sort of idol.

I blushed to think that Trevor and I might share a similarly intense interest in Sycamore, but his were based on much nobler causes, I soon reminded myself. His admiration sprung from the Professor's show of brilliance, discipline and devotion to research, while mine... I still couldn't tell, but I supposed it was based on the way my stomach swirled when I was around him.

Technically speaking, there wasn't any sort of impediment to us going upstairs to survey the vacated lodging – Trevor's friend gave him the liberty to roam about the lab to his curious wits' content, never mentioning any restriction. – Nonetheless, we waited until the way up was unwatched before mounting, and quickly closed the office's door behind us once we were inside.

"Is this where he retrieved the fossil?" Trevor looked around himself.

"That machine over there..." I pointed, boringly crossing the room.

"It looks different from the ones downstairs... bigger!" He marveled.

"Yeah, he said something about recreating... something..." I kicked a pile of crumpled papers that lay across the carpet.

"Their genetic code?" Trevor's eyes grew big.

"I guess... something like that. He did have only a small rock or so..."

"Wow! And he managed to recreate tirtouga anyway? ...wow!" He mused "I wonder if there are any notes on that around here..."

He reluctantly left the machine and headed to Sycamore's desk, going through papers.

"He left a lot behind! Strange, isn't it?!"

"Maybe he was in a hurry..." I lifted something from the shelf, then put it down again, losing interest.

"I can't imagine why he would be in a hurry after recreating a fossil like that. I would at least look for more where that came from."

"I don't know." I walked to the window and opened the curtains. It was there I was yesterday, watching the rain... The memory seemed more distant than it actually was, but it still managed to make my stomach spin around inside my belly.

"He even left his computer here, apparently... and it's on!"

I turned away from the wall then – the afore mentioned sofa faced the window from a distance, with its back turned to the door... I shook violently and felt the blood run up to my face as I beheld there the sleeping Professor. He was breathing, I took care to notice – an even, calm breath moving his chest up and down; his hand upon his chest, following the soft movement.

His shirt was half-open, from where a glimpse of his pale chest muscles escaped. His other hand hung from the couch, falling near a tumbled glass stained with wine – the carpet had done the job of absorbing all of the accidental liquid.

I walked closer in careful steps, trying to check how deep in sleep he was.

"Odd..." Trevor continued to nerd out, lifting a tablet on his hands.

I leaned closer to the Professor – was he really sleeping? If he was... did that mean I could watch every trace of his face without being noticed?

"Anne!" Trevor called.

I lifted my flustered face, ready to tell him to be quiet. "Is this you?" He completed, showing an old picture on the holographic screen. It was me, though barely recognizable, in an old school report.

"Anne, huh?" Before I could fully process the strangeness of the situation, a still sleeping Sycamore moaned. His lips stretched in a smile and his brows tensed over his eyes, in what seemed like a sleepwalking version of his most presumptuous and mean expression. "Come back for me, have you?"

"I...Is that...??!!" Trevor yelped hysterically.

"Professor Sycamore!" I clarified, and the man himself slowly opened his eyes – bluer still, now that an early afternoon light shone against them.

I stood still before him, frozen, with my head partially bent towards his, not knowing what to do. I hoped that if I stayed quiet and motionless for long enough, he would just fall back into sleep, regarding me as a dream if he happened to remember that particular moment.

But his iris danced across my face, taking me in.

"It is you, indeed..." He sighed, waking up "And here I thought all this noise came from a distant dream..."

Before I could react and stretch away from him, he snatched my wrist and, in a quick movement, pulled me onto him on the couch, crossing his arm on my back. I struggled to keep my feet on the floor; he observed me from his fresh and relaxed position with a tranquil smile, supporting his head on his arm, delicately enjoying my discomposure.

"Professor, please don't..." I whispered, looking for a way out without calling Trevor's attention.

"This is a delightful surprise..." his fingers entangled some of my hair locks "It's only natural that I should try to reward you as way of encouragement, is it not?" His hand began sliding down the outer line of my face with a firm and slow caress... I closed my eyes shut to avoid his eyes and tried to get a hold of myself.

His hand stopped at my chin, where his fingers held me, lifting my head. I could hear the mute, distinguished sound of his lips parting and his smile drawing nearer. He was going to kiss me... My body tensed, preparing, I tried to focus and control its reactions.

In those seconds, my brain forgot the struggle of keeping that scene from Trevor's knowledge, engaging in a survivor mode where there was only me and Sycamore, and his eyes, and his caresses for me to try my best to resist. So I, too, must have looked shocked when Trevor's voice sounded, a little too close:

"Aaaahhh!!! You said... you said he was gone!!!" he yelled.

I opened my eyes – he stood behind the couch, glaring at us. He blushed then – as soon as he noticed what Sycamore was about to do – and ran to the back of the desk, in a childish attempt to hide.

"Trevor!" I took the opportunity of Sycamore's distress and slid from his arms.

Sycamore sat up on the couch, completely dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry, I... We... thought you wouldn't be here!" I tried explaining.

"It turns into a nightmare, then!" He sighed, stressfully running his hand across his forehead "It was but a mockery, Trevor, my little friend" he smiled, stretching himself as he stood up "I will forgive the intrusion of both of you, if you'll only forget that some strange dream made me a sleepwalker, holding a careless, naughty girl who thought it would be fun to trip and fall on top of me!" His eyes grew cold and penetrating upon me – for though he smiled, I could see a different set of muscles twitching in annoyance.

"I'm sorry!!!" Trevor pleaded in a wet voice.

"I am sorry, too, that my best pupils should try to play such an evil prank on me..." he pursued mercilessly, wringing great discomfort from both me and Trevor. His smile stretched farther then, his eyes sunk into mine, plotting: "...but be so kind as to let me have a moment with the girl – I'm afraid you don't deserve to be scolded in the same way. Leave us, do?"

I felt ice possess my veins by the anticipation of being alone with him, when his eyes looked as they did.

"O-okay!" Trevor eagerly agreed, jumping from behind the desk to go.

"But... But Trevor!!" My own cowardice pleaded desperately "He was here with me... He deserves as much of a scold as I do! Let's play fair, alright?!" I walked back a few paces, preparing my own departure.

"Anne!!!" Trevor protested angrily.

I wish I had a way of telling him I wasn't trying to defend myself in blaming him, as much as trying to escape the privacy that Sycamore craved with eager, readable eyes.

"Putting Professor Sycamore against me..." He sounded broken-hearted.

"Impudent girl!" Sycamore smiled, holding a laugh at my misfortune.

I backed up a few paces, he followed me with persistent eyes: "Snitching on your friends as such..."

"Stop it!" I yelled as I could almost sense Trevor's tears beginning to well up.

"We must have a serious talk, don't we, darling?" He walked closer, aggressively cornering me, all the while cruelly mocking my nervousness "Go at once, Trevor!"

"Trevor, stay!" I escaped, crouching under Sycamore's arms that stretched to grab me by the shoulders and quickly picking myself up to reach Trevor....

Sycamore looked around with a quite entertained grin: Trevor was at the door, opening it in spite of my desperate plea... Behind it was the large, intimidating figure of Lysandre, his hand held out to hold the doorknob.

His eyes, too, widened in surprise – probably just as much as mine and Trevor's – but a quick, different reaction followed: Like a charging beast, he leapt forward and grabbed Trevor by the shirt, and it looked like he was ready to pull him up and launch him across the hallway outside, if it weren't for noticing Sycamore standing next to me – noticing Sycamore, yes, for I'm sure my presence there alone wouldn't have made a single difference, except, maybe, for inspiring a second attack after he was done with kicking Trevor out.

He slowly let the boy go and adjusted his posture – no sign of embarrassment crossed his hard face – and asked – no, demanded - in a coarse voice: "What is the meaning of this?"

He walked closer then – his superior height seemed to tower over me as he eyed me fiercely "What are these children doing here? Sycamore, I thought I told you to..."

"Spare me the sermon, monsieur..." Sycamore sighed impatiently, pacing across the room. "I am innocent!"

It looked like he was quite used to dealing with the enraged beast, promptly interrupting his fit and turning his back not to see how fuming he left it. Lysandre looked back at me with all that anger, and I thought I might get struck...

"Believe it or not, they broke into my lab..."

"With what intent have they done so?!" His angry eyes never left me, as if he was waiting for an excuse – or permission – to grab me as he had done to Trevor.

"How should I ever know?" Sycamore laughed lightly, petting Trevor on the head and bidding him move over – for he had hidden behind the Professor's desk.

"We...we just... we thought the Professor was gone..." – Trevor answered from his distant and scared position.

"Humf!" Lysandre grunted. Somehow the answer seemed to make him calmer, and an almost smile lurked across his lips, before they twisted back into a grimace: "More funny tricks like this one and you'll be lucky if you only get kicked out of the research... Trespassing is a crime... do you understand me?" He looked around, including Trevor in his threat.

"Y-yes sir..." Trevor acquiesced.

Lysandre looked back at me... and all I could do was face him back.

"Now leave... before I decide to let your parents' know what happened here..."

"Let's go, Anne!" Trevor called me, as I couldn't pull my eyes away from Lysandre's. "Professor, I'm sorry again!"

"Don't worry, my friend!" Sycamore smiled, now distracted clicking away at his computer and completely ignoring the wild west duel between Lysandre and I.

"Anne?" Trevor called again once at the door.

"Sure..." I sighed, realizing Lysandre wouldn't look away before I did, so I passed by his shoulder, feeling the humiliating weight of his eyes still following me.

Sycamore also followed my departure with lazy, slightly upset eyes, like a teenager who didn't get his way on something.

As we closed the door, I could see Lysandre approaching Sycamore with stiff, authoritarian shoulders.

"Come on, before we get into more trouble..." Trevor pulled me by the hand.

I struggled with the impression that Lysandre had some sort of control over Sycamore, however small...