Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

Lumiose City - Gotengo

'Luka McFly,' Esme said, reading from a stapled booklet. She slouched in a beanbag on the treehouse's ground floor, her feet resting against the wall. It had been nearly a year since Esme last set foot in Gotengo. When she stopped looking into darkhorse hunters, she also blanked Salieri, effectively ending their relationship. It felt strange to be back, like returning to school long after you'd graduated. She tapped a pen against her lip, more out of habit than in preparation to write anything, while Mia entered her research into the PC. 'From Unova. He went missing during the last league after getting two badges in a day. Apparently Luka sent a note home to say he would train in secret and to not worry. I doubt it.'

'Hey Esme,' said the little kid, poking his head around the door. Some scruffy little thing in a hand-me-down hoodie twice his size, pushing nine, maybe ten years old. Get them while they're young, Sal, why don't you? Esme had barely been there a quarter of an hour and this was the fifth time he'd bothered her. 'I know you said to leave you the hell alone but--'
'See, you do remember,' Esme replied, stuffing the booklet into her open satchel. Other papers stuck out the top, a fraction of the research she'd made on the nobility.
The boy went red in the face. 'Yeah well, you said I could come back when One Shot got here so...'

Esme raised her brow. Did she say that? Well, maybe she'd said something along those lines. Fine.

'Salieri's new street name really caught on, didn't it?' she said to Mia.  

[Jump Einatz]

Hidden Oil Field

"Noel!" Liam shouted over the ringing in his ears. His twin sister had a piece of pipe going through one of her legs. The pain was so extreme that all she could feel was heat. He took Noel's arm over his shoulder and hoisted her up, dragging them both after Benedict and the others.

The building rumbled over their heads, and debris loosened from the ceiling. Glass to the windows inside the monitor rooms shattered as they made their way back to the Archive Room. The door to it was still closed, but before their eyes, it was opened by an unseen force.

The Archive Room was small. In its center was an old computer, dusty from a lack of us, but the screen was still on. The monitor displayed an archaic calculating program, showing a graph over time from the last week. If anyone took the time to look at the monitor, they'd notice the graph displayed a slowly rising count of 'Z Cells' in the past week, but in the past minute the number had risen drastically until it was off the charts.

The computer was connected to a printer that never stopped creating the graphs on paper. Next to it was a bookshelf where someone had once logged the graphs together in binders, dated up to the last ten years.

At the floor of the bookshelf, there were a few items: TM 36 Sludge Bomb, TM 06 Toxic, and a Nugget.

At the other end of the room was another door marked Exit. It was closed until it also creaked opened slowly in the same manner as before.

The ceiling rumbled again.

Lumiose City - Cordoned Building

"No one's coming," Alexa said to Sazerac, pacing back and forth between few Warp Tiles on the ground. They were dull with inactivity. "Why is no one coming?"

Saz was looking out the wide window on the opposite side of the empty floor. He pointed with great dismay, and Alexa's eyes followed. Her jaw dropped.

From here in Lumiose she could see a smokestack on the horizon of the off route area she had been in just seconds ago. With one hand, she dialed Noel's number on her phone. With her other, she took a picture of the far away fire.  

[Marsuru]

Hidden Oil Field

'Okay, now can we plea-' The wall exploded, drowning Roy out. It wasn't as violent as before; the oil vat must've been further away, so only half the archive room was covered in collapsed debris. Beyond the hole lay a corridor of fire, and it steadily ate its way into the room. The heat was unbearable by now, stinging at Roy's exposed skin, saturating his clothes with warm, sticky sweat.

'Please get out of here,' he finished, grabbing Luxray's pokéball, popping it open. A lump of ceiling peeled away from the hole and smashed beside the electric type, who leaped away in surprise as flames licked at its feet. One more body would make it harder to squeeze through the corridors but the pokémon's X-ray eyes had a better shot of navigating them than the trainers did. 'Look for warp tiles,' Roy said, and when his pokémon gave him a confused look, he explained. 'They're like large floor tiles. Probably have a lot of machinery underneath. Let's escape this hell.'

He slid his arm under Noel's arm, ready to help Liam support his sister's weight, giving him a strained nod. Nobody else was going to die today.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Everything seemed to be in a hurry to go wrong. Ben took the time to look over everything, giving his eyes enough time to focus on it, but not to read it, before moving on. Manny could help...

Another explosion went off, and Ben started becoming more certain they would all die. He didn't go first this time, instead he would direct the rest to move first and bring up the rear.

He had gotten. Them into it, even if it was just because he had contacted Alexa. If one of them deserved to not make it out, it was him. The rest had dealt with enough. "Injured first when we find it." He said. It was obvious, but fear might cause people not to follow without being told at least once.

And when they found the pad, he would go through last unless someone forced him. Assuming, of course, there was a pad to find.  

[Jump Einatz]

Gotengo

Mia's fingers ran across the keys with smooth precision, typing up everything Esme said word to word in easy to read files. At this pace, Esme's research on the Darkhorse Hunters could be digitized within a matter of days. Useful for a trainer in the Kalos league on the road.

Each description of missing trainers, or patterned 'accidents' surrounding dead ones, made Mia feel a little closer to throwing up. But she didn't let it show, hiding it behind her usual indifferent composure as she just shrugged without looking back at Esme from the PC. "It's better than One Hit Wonder, that's harder to misconstrue."

"-we're not going out, ya little ********!" growled Salieri outside the treehouse. She and Zack walked hand in hand into the main room, and Sal took the first chance she got to glomp on Mia with one arm. "Miaaaa~" she said in singsong, changing moods entirely at the sight of her platonic life partner.
"One Shot," Mia said back with a grin, causing a chill to run down Sal's back. The trainer let go of the techie and turned up her nose.
"I'm eternally betrayed," Sal pouted, smirking again when she saw Esme. "Esme! Good to see you back here." For some reason, she now had butterflies in her stomach. "Have you been working out? You look good."  

[Spinne Biss]

Hidden Oil Field

Smoke rose through the holes in the cieling, but it didn't stop the smoke from being all around them, as the whole facility continued to burn. Bridgette's eyes stung, and she squinted to keep sight of everyone else. Tears from the irritation rolled down her cheeks and she'd cover up her coughs with her remaining arm as she followed after everyone.

Benedict brought up the rear, and Bridgette looked back to make sure he was still there as they continued onward.  

[Jump Einatz]

((No one took the free stuff? It's such a bargain!))

Hidden Oil Field

Even if Noel had the cellphone service to receive a call underground, she was in no position to answer one. She continued to hobble along with the help of Roy and Liam. The entered the next hall half a minute before the fire reach the archive room.

Luxray would be able to see through the two doors down the hall, and each one contained a Warp Tile. One of the doors ahead of them creaked open, just like the others did. The Warp Tile behind that door glowed to life, activated by something unseen before going back to its inert stage.

"I'll take her through," said Liam, bearing more of Noel's weight as he carried her into the open room. He gave Roy a nod, a silent thank you, as he entered. He helped Noel onto the tile first. She fell to her knees, and disappeared.

Liam stepped on next, and as he did, the ceiling collapsed around him. Dust clouded everyone's vision, but Luxray would see a steel beam go through Liam's stomach as the boy disappeared on the tile with a scream.

Now there was only one escape room left. The fire crawled up behind Ben, Bridgette and Roy.

Lumiose City - Cordoned Building

Another Warp Tile flashed to life. Alexa spun to see who it was.

It was the naked phantom of Viola, shambling forward just as she had before. Sazerac could tell by her trainer's reaction that there was indeed something standing there. Alexa gulped as she walked backwards slowly, matching the Curse step for step.

Noel appeared seconds later, and Liam followed suit, gurgling blood as he laid down on the floor. "Liam, no!" Noel cried, pulling herself towards her brother. "Alexa, we need help!"

"Go to them," Alexa hissed to Sazerac. The Vivillon did not want to leave her trainer's side. "No one can slow this thing down, just...please, Saz."

Sadly, the Vivillon fluttered up and above the Curse she could not perceive to try and work some magic on Liam's more pertinent wound.  

[Marsuru]

((Mama always said if a strange room offers you something free don't believe a word it say))

Gotengo

Zack rolled his eyes throughout all Sal's interactions with the Gotengoers, especially Mia. It was weird, a growing part of him felt like she was his old friend too. It made him miss his actual friends, but before he could grow wistful he spotted Esme on the beanbag and forgot all about them. She still looked worn down from her wine binge, and it had only been a few hours since he last saw her, but he could swear she got more beautiful each time they met. Then he heard Salieri open her mouth.

'Um, yes. A little,' Esme said, taken aback by how friendly Salieri was being. Her eyes flicked to where Zack and Sal were holding hands, then back to eye contact. 'I jog to work sometimes too...'

She frowned. Mia had said something was going on with Zack and Salieri but refused to elaborate. She pretended Zack wasn't there. Zack, on the other hand, felt his hormones kick into gear. Salieri felt what he felt so there was only one thing he could do, ethically-speaking. And that was make himself mentally objectify Esme as much as possible. 'Jesus those legs, ******** perfect my god umf, christ those lips--'

And so on. He just had to nudge his primal side a little to get the ball rolling.

Hidden Oil Field

'Hurry it up!' Roy called over the heat and smoke and sirens, doing his best to take the ceiling's sudden collapse in stride. Luxray looked horrified, backing away from the destroyed ceiling. Roy grabbed his pokémon by the scruff of its neck and dragged it roughly toward the right direction. Luxray snapped into focus, bounding into the next room. Roy held the door open, and would shove the other two trainers through if they showed the slightest sign of hesitation.

'Get the hell out of here. Now!'  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Roy would shove Ben through the door, and with a hiss would rush Bridgette onto the warp pad. She wasn't part of this all, even if she had inserted herself into it pretty hard. Didn't mean she should die for it. Once she was gone, he would honor Roy's wishes and step on next. Assuming more horrible things didn't go wrong.  

[Spinne Biss]

Hidden Oil Field

Bridgette would shout "rude!" to Benedict as he rushed her, and she was warped away.

Lumiose City - Cordoned Building

"and you're also a meanie head!" Bridgette shouted, realized where she was, and quickly stepped off the pad.  

[Marsuru]

Hidden Oil Field

'Go go go!' Roy felt Ben dragging his feet and panic set in. Another vat blew somewhere in the distance, sending up a brilliant orange burst of flame that cast through the holes in the ceiling like a laser show. Smoke filled the air, fire on their heels. Roy shoved Ben onto the warp tile as Luxray hopped up beside them, and the three glowed white before vanishing in a flash.

Lumiose City - Cordoned Building

Roy froze in place as he reappeared, still with his hands raised from shoving Benedict. He glanced around without moving his head, then released a heavy breath.

'Phew,' he said. His stomach lurched when the warp tile rippled and sparked, then snapped with a huge crack across its surface. Roy sighed again. 'I think we broke it.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Lumiose City - Cordoned Building

Just like Alexa had, each and every one of them would be able to see the fire far on the horizon. And not just them. Anyone Lumiosians on the northeastern side of town with a high enough elevation to see over the walls would be looking at it too. And in the other towns surrounding those routes, the smoke would be visible.

Sazerac and Noel had set up a wrap of String Shot around Liam's wound, ignoring Noel's for the time being. The bleeding was slowed, but it hadn't stopped. Noel had just called an ambulance, and it was going to meet them outside as close as possible once they figured out where they were.

"You're alive," Alexa said, not able to express relief as she stared her Curse down from across the room. A stairwell that led three floors down and outside the building was out the door behind her. "That's great. This thing is still chasing me though. I can't stay here."

The least she could have done after she and Ben had brought these poor souls along for their trip was to stay with the twins and make sure they were safe. But she couldn't do that. "I'm so sorry."

Sazerac fluttered up to Roy, Bridgette and Ben, gesturing for them to help pull Liam and Noel outside. They'd have to be delicate with Liam. He was losing consciousness and blood fast.

Gotengo

"Jog? Work? Oh you." Salieri laughed the kind of laugh you fake when you're trying to make the person you like feel welcome, but then caught herself afterwards. Why did I do that? That wasn't funny, that wasn't even a joke. "I, uh..."

Mia swiveled around in her chair so they could all see the PC. "Esme's got years of Darkhorse Hunting research, but it's all in books. I'm bringing our girl into the computer age."
"Upgrades, nice. That's smart." Sal nodded to Esme. "You're so smart. And, uh, I'm not really myself today, so consider my foot in my mouth."

Sal burst into an awkward laugh to cover up how weird she was being. Of course, it didn't work. Her cheeks were pink. "Mia, did you makethethingorwhat?"
"Mmm, yes and no. Wait here for a sec."

Mia ran up the spiral staircase up to her workshop. While she was gone, Salieri cleared her throat. "Uh, this is Zack. He's whatever. Pretend he's not here." Sal stepped in front of Zack and took a seat on the beanbag chair in front of her, letting her bonded arm dangle from Zack's above her head just so she could get closer to Esme. "So what's up?"  

[Marsuru]

Lumiose City - Cordoned Building

'It's where?' Roy looked around the room. A futile gesture, he knew, but he couldn't just pretend that thing wasn't in the room with them. 'Okay, tell me where and run. Maybe I can shock it or, I don't know, paralyze it or- or something.'

Gotengo

'So should I go now or...?' the kid asked, raising his eyebrows at the weird way One Shot was acting.

'Hmm yeah, that's right,' Zack thought, his cheeks tinging red. Sal's closeness to Esme fed right back into him. He swallowed. 'No, no, this is wrong. Gotta fight it. Think unsexy thoughts. Water beats fire, fire beats grass, grass beats water, water beats rock, rock beats-'

'You know, I thought this would be awkward,' Esme said, sliding out of the beanbag. She glanced between Sal, who was creeping her out a bit, and the expression on Zack's face, which she did not like. 'And do not get me wrong, it is. Just in a very, very different way to what I expected. What is with the holding hands?'  

[Jump Einatz]

Gotengo

Sal waved the kid out of the room. "Sorry Jerry, the grown ups are talking." Then she focused on Esme again, and her sultry everything. Or unsultry? For some reason all she could think of now was type effectiveness, but she knew she didn't want Esme to think this was too much to handle. Then the older girl might leave for a second time.

"This is gonna sound weird, but Zack and I met a Cofagrigus that put our hands together. We can't. Let. Go." She said the last part through grit teeth. "We've tried everything, and if that isn't bad enough, we're also sharing...emotions...huh."

Salieri tilted her head to the side. A thought occurred to her. Suddenly she looked up at Zack with wide eyes and a smile made from her mouth forming an 'O'. Unexpectedly, she now had an answer to the question she asked Zack much earlier today.  

[Marsuru]

Gotengo

Why did Zack suddenly feel so triumphant? He frowned, then died a little inside. ********,' Esme had practically disappeared into the wall to keep out of Salieri's reach. 'You're stuck together. And you're sharing,' she glanced at Zack, 'emotions.'

Zack's irritation had tipped water on his hot fires of passion, so now all he felt towards Esme was a warm kind of longing. Completely reasonable and, he hoped, completely controllable on Salieri's end. He met Esme's eye for a fleeting second, then she disappeared into her satchel, rifling through sheets of paper.

'It's very inconvenient,' he said. Her satchel put his notebook to shame. It was organised, neat, with uniform paper sizes and type. It didn't take Esme long to locate the right bunch of stapled paper.
'Ah, I found it,' she said, peeling the first page back. It looked like a case file of some kind. At a glance, Zack saw a bunch of dates and place names with descriptions beside them. 'I think you were attacked by a darkhorse hunter.'
'That doesn't make any sense,' Zack said, still feeling hot with embarrassment after his crush got outed, and therefore slightly resentful towards Salieri. 'One Shot doesn't have enough badges.'