Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

Milo bristled, his wrinkles wrinkling in an unattractive fashion. 'You think I'll just take orders from rabble wandering in from the street?'

'Stand down, Milo.' Gurkinn. Zack recognised the voice immediately, and sure enough the old man stepped out of the stone igloo, straightening up, his spine creaking into place with an audible crack. Zack made sure not to stare at the sage's long, dangling eyebrows.

'It's quite alright, these are our guests,' Gurkinn said, bypassing the flustered guard, who had gone red in the face but nonetheless obeyed without complaint. The random villager hid his hands in his sleeves and bowed deep. Gurkinn excused him with a nod, then smiled at Zack and Salieri. 'I suggested you might return for training, Zack. I didn't think you would require medical attention as well. You- Ah, so I see. Come with me to the tower. You too, Salieri.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri nearly shrieked at being called 'rabble'. Thankfully Gurkinn intervened. Sal swallowed her pride with a gulp in the presence of the the community's leader. He held himself with the same kind of dignity as the elders of Agate Village back in Orre. "Hi, uh, okay. Thanks."

She followed Gurkinn as he led them to the tower proper. Oberon squeaked like a chew toy whenever she bounced with Sal's step. "So you're the Aura guy," Sal noted so astutely. "When you say 'I see', is that, like, a good 'I see', or...?" She definitely felt weird, but she wasn't sure if that was from the experience, or some kind of aftereffects, or from having just Teleported.  

[Marsuru]

'A neutral "I see" for now,' Gurkinn replied. He had the kind of mellow voice where even the worst news would seem okay. Zack noted that Gurkinn seemed to want to get them to the tower pretty quick, so he was likely playing down the true urgency of their situation. The tower loomed over the whole village, and it wasn't long before they were at its gates. Once again the ground rumbled and the massive, heavy doors parted. A silent attendant waited inside, and though she said nothing, Zack was sure she eyed Salieri and him with a hint of fear.

'Did something happen?' Zack asked, but Gurkinn just shook his head.
'Nothing you need to worry about. Here, my quarters are beneath the statue.'

A green copper Mega Lucario statue spanned the height of the tower. It stood watch for centuries, and at its wide, circular base was a door that looked just as old but not nearly as magnificent. Gurkinn undid the latch, and held the door open.

Inside the furnishings would be fairly basic. Nothing shabby but nothing too nice either. Lots of books and a corner dedicated to cooking populated by spice racks and full cupboards. There was another fire here, but unlike the one in the igloo it was contained by a fireplace. Gurkinn would sit, and indicate that Zack and Salieri should join him on the large, circular carpet.  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri settled onto the carpet in a crossed legged position, and saw the cooking corner. She looked her lips. It was dinner time, and she was starving.  

[Marsuru]

Zack had been about to sit down but stopped when Salieri did it first. Gurkinn completed the task of raising his mighty eyebrows, then smiled. Zack chose to stand by the bookcase at the opposite side of the small room, just beyond the reach of the fireplace's warm glow.

Gurkinn looked from Salieri to Zack and back. 'I'm glad you came here. Salieri, we have never met, but I trust you know who I am? Do you still feel the effects of your bond?'  

[Jump Einatz]

Zack's memories weren't as clear as her own, but Salieri still felt like she had lived through each one that she had witnessed. It made looking Zack in the eye difficult, especially since she had to assume he saw through many of her dark moments as well.

"Not really," said Sal, unable to pull her stare away from Gurkinn'a eyebrows. "I heard you're Gurkinn the Aura guy. How do you know who I am?" Concerned, Sal leaned in. "Are you in my brain right now?"  

[Marsuru]

'Only as much as you're in mine,' Gurkinn replied with a grandfatherly smile. The fire was warm, pleasant, even though they sat right before it. 'When an aura user exerts their power, they bond their aura to another. Inexperienced aura users might lose themselves, if they are not careful. I suspect that is what Mr Bonding tried to do to you two.'

Zack frowned. Gurkinn was just like half the psychics Zack had encountered. Reading his mind like a billboard. Gurkinn caught his eye and chuckled.

'I apologise, I see you're discomforted, but this is much faster than the alternative.'
Ignoring him, Zack said, 'Bonding's finished, but I don't think I'm alone in wanting to know if there are any side effects.'
'One does not survive a near complete merging of the souls unscathed,' Gurkinn said. 'You both still feel the other's presence, am I correct? Zack, do this old man a favour. Check the rack over there, do you see the jar labelled Lum Berry?'

It was a small jar, filled with chopped, dried berries. Zack tossed it over to Gurkinn, who plucked it from the air and unscrewed the lid.

'Imagine the fire is your aura in its natural state,' Gurkinn said, taking a pinch of Lum. He flicked the chopped berry powder into the flame, and it bloomed green on one side. The orange and green flames fought, equal, before orange gained the upper hand and forced green back. 'This is your aura at the moment. Both your natural aura, fueled by your soul, and the foreign aura, the result of your failed bond, inhabit the same space.'

Orange blazed, and overpowered green fully, extinguishing its rival flame, and the fireplace blazed peacefully once again.

'Over time, your natural aura will reassert itself,' Gurkinn said. 'For now, you may still be stuck with the occasional thought or feeling that does not belong to you, but who doesn't enjoy a little variety?'  

[Jump Einatz]

"This isn't the spice of life. It's like someone smothered a salad with variety sauce." Sal stopped herself before her metaphor ran away entirely. "How long will this last?"  

[Marsuru]

Zack could tell Salieri was tired. He was too, but at least he had the good sense to not make a verbal jackass of himself. Gurkinn's explanation put him at ease somewhat; he'd be back to normal eventually. The problem was that 'eventually' was an incredibly vague timeframe.

'Yeaaah,' he said, 'what she said.'

Dammit.

'Forgive me,' Gurkinn replied, 'old aura users forget how disconcerting it can be to bond with another.' Before Gurkinn could continue, the door echoed, slow and polite. Zack frowned, strode across the small dwelling and opened the door halfway. A pair of attendants waited, and compared to Milo their robes were shabbier and plainer. The first one looked past Zack and addressed Gurkinn.

'Master, your other guest wishes to speak with you.'
'Ah,' Gurkinn grunted and climbed to his feet. 'I can hardly contain my excitement. Zack, would you?'

Gurkinn was stooped halfway between the floor and upright, and Zack helped him the rest of the way. The old man redressed his robes, and gave the two trainers a firm smile.

'I have never seen an aura take longer than a day to reassert itself,' Gurkinn stopped at the door. 'You're both welcome to make use of the tower. There are living quarters further up. Now I must bid you both goodnight. Lou and Emmanuel can show you to your rooms.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri didn't expect this detour to end with free lodging for the night. Her luck wasn't entirely terrible today. Now she could find something to eat and make calls to Mia, Math and Ben. And get some training in too, if she was still awake at the end of this. Oberon's Heal Pulse didn't restore fatigue, and today's antics left her tired.

"Thanks," Sal said to Gurkinn with a nod. Part of her wanted to pick his brain about Mega Evolutions and Aura, but it could wait until the morning. She wasn't sure she could retain a lesson right now, or concentrate on anything other than his eyebrows. Seriously, they were monumental. Arnaud always told her not to stare, but it was like the eyebrows were staring right back at her.

She got to her feet and looked to Zack. "Well..."

They had spent the bulk of the day being attached to each other, tethered at the mind. In a way, now they knew each other better than most other people on Earth. To share that experience with Zack was disorienting to say the least. What could be said between them now that they weren't both already thinking?

Sal shrugged. "See ya."

And she would follow Lou up to the living quarters to grab a room and get her bearings.  

[Jump Einatz]

Battle Chateau – Jullien’s Gallery

Moonlight poked through the long windows of the noble building, casting a sleepy glow on all that was lit. Curfew was strict for the students at the Battle Chateau, and so handfuls of them made the most of their time, chatting together in the foyers or corridors or the gardens outside. Most of them spoke of the League, and how excited they were to join the competition when their tutelage was over and they received sponsorships.

Nicolette’s Liason couldn’t help eavesdropping as he glided through the halls on the way to Jullien. It was just the way he was raised. Most of the time he was quiet, inconspicuous, and could blend into a crowd. But when he was noticed, he stuck out like a sore thumb. And not because of his long blood red hair, kept in a tight ponytail that drooped to his waist. It was something about his presence, his Aura that was…off.

So the students paid him no mind as he made his way upstairs and opened a large set of gorgeous stained mahogany doors, leading him into an art gallery Jullien Nostrad claimed as his own.

The walls were lined with paintings, some ancient and some commissioned. Most of them displayed previous Court heads and other important figures of Kalosian history. Others were of events, battles and congregations. There were statues on the display floor of the same content, and relics of times long past.

Jullien himself was in a smaller back room. In the privacy of his workshop, he was more bare, the sleeves of his tunic rolled up as he leaned over a miniature model of modern day Lumiose City. Very carefully, with the finest of brushes, he was painting a tiny figurine, peering at it through reading glasses. “Surely this must be important, if you’re interrupting me in here,” Jullien said to the Liason without looking up.

The Liason straightened his black fedora and his matching suit. “Nicolette’s maintenance team has run into a few problems.”
“And she couldn’t be bothered to tell me herself?”
“She’s attending to those matters personally.” The Liason grinned his narrow, sly grin and held up his hands. “You know I’m just the messenger, Jullien.”
Jullien gave him a quick glance with an authoritative eye. Not many people could speak to him so casually. He returned to his work. “Abridge the specifics, if you will.”

“Asset #5 was decommissioned by a League trainer off of Route 10 a few days ago. He’s alive, but he won’t be active again.” The Liason slowly circled the table, admiring the top down and highly accurate view of Lumiose City. For now, it was hauntingly devoid of people or Pokémon. “Asset #8 was arrested this afternoon, beaten into submission. All the strings in the world couldn’t be pulled to release him. And I’m sure you’ve heard of the oil field?”
“Juliet informed me.” Jullien sighed wearily. “I’ve prepared a press release for that one.”
“You’re awfully calm about it.”
“Infuriated, actually. But I never go into battle with a muddled head. So I came here first.”
“The investigation off route is underway, but nothing has been found to link you to the oil field. Yet. Still, the asset you requested Nicolette repurpose, Asset #2, has also fallen. He’s dead.”

That was enough to get Jullien to push pause on his miniatures. He settled the tiny figure down and took off his glasses. “Who did it?”
“We aren’t sure, as of now. But witnesses can place Salieri Soledad at the scenes of the first two to fall. A foreign trainer, Zack Redgrave, was with the second in Coumarine City. And the police response unit to the oil fire claimed one Benedict Montgomery, one Roy Hunter, one Bridgette Basker, and two employees of the Lumiose Press to be present.”
“Lumiose Press?” Jullien rubbed his chin. “That’s a story in the making.”
“It is.”
“I need you to quash that immediately.”
“Consider it done.”

Jullien nodded and put his glasses back on. He returned to painting the figurine, held carefully between his fingertips. “The plan won’t be hindered by these setbacks, but if they stack up we will be exposed. I need the maintenance team to go all out on this one.”
“Consider that done, too.” The Liason got closer to Jullien and leaned in, eyeing the figurine. “The first one for the model, I see. Who is he?”

Jullien held up the figure. An old man with a long mane of white hair. “An old friend. His name is Arnaud.” He gently placed the Arnaud figure next to an apartment building in Rouge Plaza. “His condition isn’t quite this pristine, but I prefer to remember him how he was. Not as the man he’s become.”
“How cryptic. What has he become?”

Jullien’s eyes didn’t leave the figure. Carefully, he reached down and squeezed its tiny plastic head in a way that left an indent in the skull. “He is but a warning.”

Ratio’s Lair

Cottonballs bobbed up and down on air currents next to the underground waterfall that carved a line right through the cave Ratio used for a homebase. The constant sound of splashing water was as soothing as it was distracting. Moze embraced it while he thought of what he was going to say to Mia.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen Mia’s many calls and texts, or that he hadn’t listened to her voicemail. It was that he was ignoring it. She wanted consoling, and she didn’t know he was to blame for her stress. It would never be the right time to tell her. When his work with Ratio was over, she would understand. Everyone would. And then he could go home.

“Okay,” said Moze out loud, more to himself than to Shepard Fairy floating in circles over his head. He dialed her number. “No more stalling.”

It rang and rang. Moze thought she wouldn’t pick up, but then she did. And she said nothing. “Hello? Mia?”
“…where have you been, Moze?” she said in a weary tone.
“I’ve been hiking all day. I heard your message, and I saw on the news-“
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay?” He stood up and began to pace.

There was a short silence on her end. “Not really, no.”
“You’re, uh…” He was at a loss for words. This was strange. He almost always knew what to say, to anyone. A real smooth talker. But it was so hard to lie to her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not anymore…where are you? I can barely hear you.”

The sound of the waterfall was interference. Moze had been counting on it. It was an out, a way to escape this call if it got bad. “There’s like no service here, sorry. Mia, talk to me. I want to make this better.”
“It would be better if you were here. Can you come home?”

Moze gulped. “I…” He looked around for guidance but he wouldn’t find any in this dark cave, alone with his Whimsicott. “I can come home tomorrow. Just for a little bit.”
“Okay.”

Mia was usually a terse person, but she was terse with substance. This conversation was just call and response for her. “You sound pretty terrible.”
“Yeah. Well, I told you. I’m not great.”
“You’re gonna be fine, Mia-“
“There’s a lot going on today. Can I talk to you tomorrow? I’m getting another call.”
“Sure, yeah. See you later.”
“Goodnight, Moze.”
“I love you,” he said, but she had already hung up. Moze stared at his phone for a while before pocketing it.

“Cott cott,” cooed Shepard from up above, now hovering upside down with a tiny smile. Moze sighed.
“Shut up, man.”  

[Marsuru]

'See ya,' Zack said at the same time. He closed his eyes, sighed, at let Salieri climb the stairs first.

A half minute later, Emmanuel led Zack to his room, then left him alone. The oak door creaked shut, and Zack drew the bolt before getting a real look at where he'd spend the night. Each residence was built into the tower's external wall, and had square window frames big enough to sit in. Orange bleached from the sky as the sun sank into the ocean, leaving pale clouds and clusters of stars in its wake. Zack had stayed in worse places for free.

His right arm was still useless, tied up in its sling, except now it ached like a son of a b***h. He tried to think past it, but that meant remembering his training. Every time he took his mind back to the academy, Salieri stood alongside him. Zack shook his head, undid the strap on his bag, let it fall to the floor. If he allowed himself to reminisce, he'd start thinking about what he'd seen in Salieri's head and he didn't want that. Better to let those things fade and go forgotten before they drove him insane.

'Need a distraction,' he said, scanning the bookshelf for something to read. There were plenty of old tomes on spirituality and meditation, old religious rites and philosophy. Plenty of nonsense, but Zack needed nonsense that was entertaining. No novels or nothing, and he doubted there was a television anywhere on the island. His next best shot was his Holo Caster, check to see if they'd made the news. He was halfway through unhooking it from around his neck when he paused. Instead he took out his pokéballs and released his team.

Letting a full squad loose all at once was dazzling, and lit up Zack's window like a lighthouse beam. Fatass yawned and stretched, and Zack recalled him before he rolled over and crushed the bookcase. It was a wide room but not that wide. The trainer collapsed on his bed, expecting a hard mattress, but instead he sank into it. Guess being an acolyte wasn't complete s**t after all.

Malis glowered at him from across the room, but Zack ignored it. His attention was on Serene, who stared at him briefly, then parked on the rug before a hollow fireplace. Lethal looked about, and apparently decided he was good enough where he was and lay down. Zack almost jumped when a shadow hovered on the edge of his vision, but it turned out to be Hazard who rolled through the air in fits of silent giggles. Man, he hated ghosts.

Zack shook his head again. No he didn't. He sighed. 'Hey, everyone.'

Chateau Leroux

Dusk had fallen along Route 7. The forests were alive with pokémon cries, marring the silence with rustles and scratches as Elizabeth looked out over the balcony. There was no view except the tops of trees in moonlight, but she wasn't there for it. She fingered her gloves, taking them off and on, making sure they were tight. The finest Rhydon leather; she could pick up a Magcargo in these things. She lived in a mansion, ate the finest foods, wore the finest clothes, learned from the finest tutors. Being a noble afforded her such privileges. It served to elevate her, she wore it as armour to separate her from the common masses.

But her father's death changed all that.

When Ratio threw Gabriel Leroux from that window, he pierced her armour, and she came crashing down. She tightened her glove until her fingers hurt, checked her rapier was looped properly through her belt, then pushed aside the balcony doors. Inside the mansion was furnished in gold and red, spanning across an enormous entrance hall where a grand staircase led into the upper rooms. Elizabeth, along with the more important branch Lerouxs, lived in the chateau's east wing. Guards wearing the Leroux family crest stood at each door, the first line of defence in a Ratio attack. She could go into the east wing, set aside her sword and rest for the night. With her father's funeral tomorrow, Elizabeth needed all the sleep she could get.

Instead she went west, to where Elliot and his family lived. The guard moved to intercept her but she commanded him to stand aside.

'I'm afraid I cannot, madame,' said the guard, his pale blue eyes quivering like a trapped animal. Some common-born meat shield made to boss around a court noble? He had every right to be frightened.
'You dare refuse me in my own home?' Elizabeth replied, looking like her mother once had at her most fearsome.
'Lord Leroux has commanded it, madame,' said the guard. Slow, almost tripped over his words, avoided eye contact. 'The word is the assassin can change form. He could be anyone. For the lord's safety-'
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. 'If I were the assassin I would kill you where you stand. Since you are lucky and I am not, I am only thinking about it. Now stand aside.'

The guard swallowed, nodded, and unlocked the door. Elizabeth strode in without a second glance, nor a thought for the man's lost job. Elliot had avoided her since their conversation on the balcony. Zack Redgrave refused to tell her anything. Everyone she spoke to, be they common or a fellow noble, had given her nothing save the barest scraps of information. Was she the only person on the planet who wanted justice for her father?

Familiar hallways became a blur of paintings and cabinets. Other guards left their posts to follow her, accumulating in a huddled mass of concerned umms and ahhs, until finally she reached Elliot's study. He would be here at this time, doing whatever it was that house heads did with their evenings. Her guess seemed to be right, as the hallway leading into the study was crowded with guards.

'Lady Elizabeth,' one of them gasped. The group who had trailed her stopped behind, and Elizabeth found herself surrounded. 'We received no word that you would be coming.'
'Apologies,' said another near the door. He plucked a pokéball from his belt, and made sure she knew it. 'But you must leave now. It is for everyone's safety.'

---

Lord Elliot Leroux backed into his desk. Ratio prowled toward him, his footfalls silent on the study's deep carpet. The assassin's ragged cloak shifted in nonexistent breeze, concealing his body save his extremities. All Elliot could see amidst the living mass of black cloth was the white, animal mask, and armoured, claw-like limbs.

There were shouts outside. The guards. Elliot recognised Elizabeth's voice in the fray, as commanding as her mother's but as cold as her father's. She wanted in. If she had her way she would be face to face with her father's killer, and that could not happen.

'Can't you do something?' he asked Ratio, who stopped pacing at once. The assassin looked toward the door and shook his head.
'An aura as fiery as that would resist any attempt to calm it. Once she begins to quieten on her own, I can help her along, but until then it would be like, ah,' Ratio rolled the words around before speaking them, 'like pissing in the wind.'

'Then we must wrap up,' Elliot said, squeezing his hands together. 'I cannot keep taking long breaks the same time each night. Someone will start to ask questions, and questions always find their way back to Lord Nostrad.'
Ratio stared directly at him. His face was hidden by that mask, unknowable. Was he studying him dispassionately? Or smirking in mockery. 'Your uncle was murdered and you are grieving. Nobody will ask questions.'
'Don't be so sure, Ratio. I have spent the past ten years with Lord Nostrad while you were rotting in that cell. I know the threat he poses.'

'Do you?' Ratio rounded on Elliot, the edge of anger in his voice. 'Do you truly think you know him better than me? You lived under his thumb but I, Elliot, have lived under his knife. Would you like me to show you the kindness of Jullien Nostrad?'

Ratio's mask peeled back, but at the first glimpse beneath it, Elliot turned away. The shouts outside the door grew louder. Amidst the voices Elliot heard the pop of a pokéball, and a deep roar.

'If you know him, then you should know why I have to be extra cautious. If he finds out-'
'He won't,' Ratio said. 'Nostrad is powerful and paranoid, and very, very smart. But he is also blinded by pride. He relies too heavily on the system he inherited, and his belief that his power can never be taken. As long as he thinks he owns you, he will never suspect you.'
'He can read minds, Ratio.'
'Have you continued the exercises I showed you?' Ratio asked. Elliot nodded. 'Then unless you foolishly choose to spend an excessive amount of time with him, you have nothing to fear.'

One final roar echoed beyond the door before they flew off their hinges, leaving a giant robotic fist in their place. Elizabeth's Golurk lowered its arm and soldiered into the study, having to duck to get past the door frame. Elizabeth marched alongside it, tailed by a pair of roughed-up, exhausted guards.

'Elliot,' Elizabeth shouted across the study, voice echoing in its high ceiling. 'I have had enough of you avoiding me, Elliot. And who the hell is this?'
'Kero Lafleche,' Ratio replied. 'I am a private contractor looking to boost your security. From the looks of things, you are in dire need of my services. I would shake your hand, Lady Elizabeth, but you appear to be holding a sword in it.'

Elliot's heart was in his ears. Standing beside him, instead of the twisted masked creature he had just spoken to, was a middle aged, handsome man with long auburn hair. He dressed smart, like a noble, and his eyes even crinkled when he smiled.

'We are so sorry, Lord Leroux,' the guards said, one holding the other up, 'Lady Elizabeth ah, refused to be refused.'
'So I see,' Elliot said. 'Leave us. Elizabeth, if you wished to see me, you need only ask, perhaps at a more convenient time.'
'I have asked, Elliot. And hounded. For days you ignore me. For days you pretend to have more important things to do than find my father's killer.'
'Now is not the best time. Monsieur Lafleche-'

'I don't give a s**t about Monsieur Lafleche,' Elizabeth snapped, swiping her sword so violently Elliot winced. She paused, made eye contact with Ratio, and said, 'no offence.'
'Rarely am I offended,' Ratio replied with a smile. 'Especially not by beautiful women, and especially not when they have such an enormous pokémon at their back.'
'I understand your pain,' Elliot said to Elizabeth, and she lowered her sword. 'The unthinkable has happened, and for it to be Gabriel is crushing. But this is not how we act. Nobility is not a stick to beat the masses with, it is a responsibility. We conduct ourselves properly, and do not fly off the handle the instant things do not go our way.'

'This is not just things not going my way, Elliot. This is my father.'
'As I said, I understand,' Elliot replied. 'But my first duty is to the house, to keep it together when its foundations are shaken. I see now that I have failed somewhat, but make no mistake that revenge is a distant second.'

Elizabeth met him with an ugly smile. 'Not all of us have the luxury of hiding behind our house. Perhaps the time is not right after all. Please, tell me when you decide to stop being a coward, because it is either that or you are too ignorant to help me. I don't need either. Good day, Monsieur Lafleche.'

Ratio waved goodbye as Elizabeth turned on her heel. She looped her sword back into her belt and gestured to her Golurk, who followed her into the hall, its heavy footfalls disappearing into the ether. Elliot pinched his brow.

'Please,' he said quietly, in case any guards were nearby. 'Please tell me that Gabriel had to die.'
All the good humour bled from Kero Lafleche's face. Though flesh and blood, it was as much a mask as the white shell Ratio usually wore. 'Gabriel led the operation to locate and unearth the weapon. He had ties to every inch of the court's operation, and enthused over the plan more than any of you.' Ratio paused, then looked Elliot in the eye. 'I did not need to kill him, but yes, he had to die.'

The Tower of Mastery

'Holy s**t, I needed that,' Zack said, closing the bathroom door, and returning to his room. His pokémon had made themselves at home. Malis was busy tearing pages from books to feed to the fire he'd started in the fireplace while Serene warmed herself in front of it. Lethal sat in the window bay, flinching and frothing at the mouth as Hazard nipped in and out of the wall to poke the pokémon.

Zack smiled to himself. This was his team now. He hadn't given much thought to his old team, but reliving Salieri's memories meant he relived his own. There were a lot of things he didn't want to look in the eye. Before the academy, he'd been as wide eyed as any of the other kids, but the place had a way of wearing you down. He rarely let his pokémon out of their balls except to battle, but this was nice.

'You guys hungry?' he asked, and immediately drew four hungry gazes. Serene even drooled a little, while Malis held a book so close to the fire that it burst into flame without him realising. 'Alright. Serene, come with me. Lethal, make sure Malis doesn't burn the tower down. Hazard, come get me if he does.'

Serene hopped to her feet and doddered up to her trainer. She took him by the hand, and they vanished in a flash of light, only to reappear at the base of the tower. Night had truly fallen, but lanterns lined the township's streets. Silence blanketed the town, and Zack felt like his every footstep would wake everyone up. He licked his lips and glanced this way and that. They had to keep food somewhere.

With flickers of light, the two teleported around town, reappearing further down the street, in people's bedrooms, in pokémon stables, in the guard station atop the wall, until finally they located the canteen. It was a large, circular building filled with rows of benches pointing outward from the center, which had a double-size statue of a Lucario with a circular base. Zack could've bet money that if you viewed the whole thing from above, it'd look like a pokéball.

'Over here,' he whispered, leading Serene to the kitchens. The store cupboard was unlocked, its door swinging open with oiled grace. They went inside and Zack passed Serene an empty potato sack from a pile near the door. The Kirlia started to struggle as Zack filled the sack with handfuls of food. Eventually, he took pity on her.

'Try lifting it with Psyshock,' he said. Serene looked at him puzzled. 'You used it to beat that guy's brains in. Remember?'

Serene nodded, then closed her eyes in concentration. The potato sack quivered as pink sparks manifested in front of the psychic type, but she failed to make anything happen. Zack frowned.

'Guess you could only use those moves cause I knew them,' he said. The battle at the pokémon center had been his weirdest one yet. Halfway merged into Salieri, they had taken Serene's body for a joyride, except Serene was still in control. Sort of. For a minute, all three of them were blended together, and Serene fed on the power of Zack and Salieri's experience. At least, that was what Zack thought had happened. He knelt down and clapped Serene on the back. 'We'll get you there. Now that I know you can kick that much a**, I expect you to do it on a regular basis.'

---

Malis almost lost his tail when Zack and Serene got back. He had fallen fast asleep in front of the fire, snoring his head off, while Lethal held his tail away from the rug to keep it not-on-fire. When the room lit up with the light of a Teleport, the Clawitzer jumped out of his figurative shell.

'Back,' Zack said, as Malis scratched furiously at Lethal's claw while Hazard rolled about laughing. 'Knock it off. Serene, give it to them.'

The Kirlia tipped the sack over, letting its contents spill onto the floor. Malis forgot the sharp pain in his tail as his jaw went slack, and he pounced on the largest chunk of dried meat he could see. Serene chewed on a Rawst poffin while Lethal tried and failed to scoop large quantities of food into his mouth with his big claw, and Hazard vacuumed up as much food as possible by phasing across the floor with her mouth wide open. Zack saved the rest of the bag for Fatass and put it at the side of his bed while his pokémon ate.

He lay back, propping his head up with his good arm as he kicked off his shoes. It had been a long, long day. Hell, a long week. And they still had a way to go before Helena was ready for the league. He had his own job to do now as well. Salieri wanted to avenge Moze and Arnaud, and now he had to help her. Maybe that would put the ghosts of her memories to rest. He thought of Autumnal Avenue, of Arnaud being cursed by that Hex, and it made him sick to his stomach.

Zack sat up again, and fished his holo caster from his neck. Arnaud was trapped in his own head, bed ridden and completely unaware of the mess his daughter had made of herself. Zack turned his caster on and dialed. It rang through, so he dialed again, wracked with a guilt he wasn't sure he owned. Finally, the call went through, an a familiar hologram lit up the room.

She was a pretty woman, except for the scars that mottled her eyelids. Glass from the accident. She wore dark glasses out in public, and joked that if she didn't then kids might think she was scary enough to be a pokémon. Zack didn't think it was very funny.

'Hey, mom,' he said, looking at the bed.
'Oh? Who is this?' Kaitlyn replied, making an exaggerated display of being blind. 'It sounds almost like my son, except he never, ever calls me so it can't possibly be him.'
Zack frowned. 'Maybe he doesn't like wasting his time.'
Kaitlyn grinned. 'I love you too, hun.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Tower Of Mastery

The room Lou had led Salieri to was nearly identical to Zack’s. The only differences were the books on the shelves, but their subject matter was more or less the same. Salieri wasn’t in the mood to read dry non fiction, but she used to love getting absorbed in myths and legends from days long past. Right now, anything to distract her from Zack’s lingering feelings and memories would be welcomed, but first she had work to do.

She needed to touch base with Mia, to tell her friend that she was her own woman again. She needed to do the same with Matheson, but more importantly she wanted to figure out what he meant when he said that the photo of her and Zack holding hands was good for everybody. Who said something like that, anyway? Benedict hadn’t reached out to Salieri in a while either, and Sal was getting worried about him as well.

Three people she needed to talk to, at least. She had hoped to squeeze in some extra training before going to sleep, but after she had raided a pantry to feed herself and her team, her Pokémon were all lazing about across the room. Oberon was snuggled tightly against Biz’s huge slumped frame against the wall, sleeptalking in an alien language while Biz yawned. Durendal was halfway out the windowframe, dangling his legs outside and looking at the starry night sky on the Kalosian sea.

Banksy wasn’t far off, retracted into her shell as usual. She still didn’t know Salieri had seen Prou today. Banksy and Prou used to be close. Salieri knew she had to tell Banksy about it. So many conversations to be had, and all Sal wanted was a little alone time. That would have to come with sleep.

The only one of her Pokémon not present, and not tired, was Reynard, who had slipped out to find the nearest empty space on the Tower’s island for personal training. Before she left, Salieri had given her a dressing down about the Gym Battle with Korrina.

“I learned something important today,” Sal had told Rey. “When the chips are down, and you’re not a fan of your only ally, they’re still your only ally. You have to trust them.” And when Rey had just scoffed at that idea, Sal had gone on to say, “I also learned that when you b***h me out you get your a** handed to you and it embarrasses both of us, so if you won’t listen to me next time then why would I even let you try again?”

That had been enough to give Reynard pause, and the Vaporeon slunk away as a puddle to go practice her Ice Beam or brood or something. Salieri didn’t care so much. Her human allies were whom she needed to talk to.

First she sent a text to Benedict. The last time they spoke, Sal had directed him to Mia. He said that he had a lot to say, but he had to say it in person. Maybe he was more paranoid than she was. In any case, Salieri wanted to know what was going on. With any luck, maybe Ben hadn’t been attacked by a wacky Darkhorse Hunter. At least he hadn’t been glued to another person all day.

Sal to Benedict

So what’s up? If you need to talk in person, I’ll be in Shalour City tomorrow

Next, she called up Mia. After a few rings, Mia answered. “Hey. Is this Zackieri?”
“My other half is unattached, thank Arceus,” Sal sighed, sitting on her bed. It was a soft mattress. “We found the guy, kicked his a**, nuff said.”
“Yeah? That easy, huh?”
“Yep.” Salieri didn’t even think about explaining the rest. Maybe another day. “Yep, that easy. Nothing else. The dude’s locked up now for sure. All that’s damaged now is my rep.”
“I know. You should see what they’re saying about you online.”
Sal’s ears perked up. “People talk about me online?”
“Trainer Net. There’s a forum about the league.” Mia clicked her tongue, and Sal imagined the gearhead was in front of a PC right now. “You actually got some fans for your battle against Grant-

Her phone began to chime. Sal moved her Pokégear away from her ear for a second and checked the screen. A call on the other line, from the same unknown number. Sal ignored it and returned to Mia.

“-but uh, that last match against Korrina-”
“I don’t wanna know,” Sal sighed, laying back and looking at the ceiling. “It wasn’t my best moment.”
“No kidding. And that’s on top of the Bond.”
“Great,” Sal sighed sarcastically.
“So you’re sure that whole thing is over?”
“Uh, yes. No side effects or anything, definitely not.”
Mia paused. “It sounds like there are side effects.”
“Hardly. Just some…residual feelings.”
“If you say so.”

Sal was in no way ready to explain what she went through to Mia. She didn’t want to think about Zack’s memories more than she had to. Of course his dickery didn’t exist in a vacuum, but she never thought she’d actually go through his life story first hand. At the same time, Salieir felt like she was keeping things from Mia more than ever. She still hadn’t told the whole story about what she did to Faust. And she hadn’t told Mia about how Ivan was missing either. Mia had poured a lot of time into developing Ivan. Sal felt the need to come clear about losing Mia's brain child.

“Hey, Mia-“
“So your friend Benedict showed up at Gotengo, and he’s mad sketchy.”

Sal backtracked mentally, once again staving off telling Mia the whole truth of things as this issue came into play. “Sketchy? What are you talking about?”
"I mean you need to stop sending me people I don't know without clearing them first. Common courtesy, Sal."
"What was sketchy, Mia?"

Mia went on to explain an abridged version of events from her point of view, including a second hand account of Ben’s experience at the oil field, which had Salieri pacing back and forth in her room. Sal, thorough as she was, asked many questions about The Stalker’s abilities and gimmicks but all Mia could explain was the Curse.

The story left Salieri boggled. And she thought her day was bad. “Merde, that’s…intense.”
“I know. And he didn’t even say thank you-”
“Not that. Mia, I’m gonna try to talk Ben out of this idea.”
“So you don’t like it either?
“What do you think?” Sal asked rhetorically. The idea of a dangerous unseen terror following Benedict around was disconcerting enough. The idea that he wanted that to happen to sic it onto an enemy was almost worse. “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”
“Got it. G’night, Sal.”
“Thanks, love you.”

Salieri blew a kiss into the receiver, which Mia hung up for. Sal sent Benedict a few more quick texts.

Sal to Benedict

Mia told me what happened. DON’T TAKE THE CURSE! Let’s talk about this in the morning?[

She hoped he read that before he did something rash. If Salieri knew how dangerous the woods were going to be, she wouldn’t have sent Ben to talk with Alexa alone. She couldn’t help feeling like this was partially her responsibility, even though Ben had volunteered. Maybe because a Darkhorse Hunter was involved. Or maybe because she didn’t want this to plague Ben anymore.

Salieri geared herself up mentally for her last call of the night, one to Matheson. After psyching herself up, she made the call. Math answered almost instantly.

“Hi!”
“Hey,” said Sal, taken off guard by how jolly he was. “Um, I’m unbound now.”
“Really? That’s great! How did you guys do it? Oh oh, did you run really fast in the opposite direction from-”
“We just found the guy and beat him up, Math.”
“Awww man. Sorry, didn’t mean to sound disappointed, I just thought there was more to it than that.”
“Yeah, I hate to disappoint you,” Sal said flatly. “But my suffering was short lived.”
“Was it really that bad?” Math asked. “You could’ve been stuck with someone worse.”
“I guess.” Classic Matheson, always looking for a silver lining. “I notice you weren’t jealous of the hand holding. That was nice.”
“Should I have been? Hey, were you jealous that Zack was hitting on me?”
“No, it’s just-wait, what? No.” Sal got down to business. “What did you mean when you said the handholding helps, politics-wise?”
“I mean I’m Juliet’s fiancé, and being with you doesn’t change that overnight.”

Salieri fell onto her bed, and looking up at the ceiling with her phone tucked to her ear. Matheson went on. “Nobles have a lot of expectations placed on them, and if I just told everyone you and I were a thing now it wouldn’t go so well. It’s something I need to ease my parents into. Or, uh, I need to ease them out of this marriage. Anything to avoid that, really.”
“So, what, are you saying it’s better if people don’t know?”
“I…hmm.” Math pondered that. “I guess I am saying that.”
“Way to be blunt.” Sal could feel her anger vein bulging on her forehead. “So you want me to be your secret?”
“Not exactly, just not like a public thing that everyone knows,” he elaborated, oblivious to her annoyance. “Does that make sense?”
“You know, we went on one date. That doesn’t mean we’re dateing, we’re just…getting there.”
“Yeah sure, but-”
“And you don’t have to worry about your reputation, Math, cause if you’re that ashamed of me we won’t be doing this much longer.”
Silence came from his end of the line, until he said, “That’s not what I’m saying, Sal. Nobles don’t usually go out with normal citizens, and you’re not really noble friendly. It’d stir up something. We could both get in trouble.”
“I don’t care. I’m already in trouble. I’m sick of treading lightly, definitely not going to do that with you-“

The same unknown number called her again. At this point, Salieri was at the limit of her patience. “I have a call waiting. We can talk about this later.”
“I, uh…okay. Goodnight, Sal.”
“Bye,” Sal said curtly, switching calls in a huff. “Hello?”
“You’re a hard girl to reach, you know that?”

To the uninitiated, Skarada’s voice was gruff but could be alluring. To Sal, it just made her squirm. She sprang up from her bed. “Skarada.”
“The one and only.”

If he was tracking her call, Mia’s software would have pinged it by now. Salieri walked to her window and checked outside for unwanted guests. Then she locked her door. “What do you want?”
“I wanted to catch up with an old crewmate. Is that so much to ask?”
“Too little too late. This is a collect call. You gotta pay.”
“Yeah? What’s the price?”
“I want Prou back.”

Ska laughed. “Right down to business, yeah? That’s fine, I’ll skip the preamble. I have Prou. And wouldn’t you know it, but I have something else you might like too. Little talking box, calls itself Ivan?”

Salieri’s mouth slowly dropped open. Ska had her Pokédex. How did that even happen? Did he get it off of her somehow during that scuffle in the city? Maybe Keasbey had whammied her with a time stop when she wasn’t paying attention. “You mother fu-“
“Whoa there, let’s leave our mothers out of this. I’m at a disadvantage in that department, you don’t even have one.”
“What do you want, Skarada?”

He took a long breath, savoring her tension. “A trade. I have your things. You have my Sablenite. I hate to be a stereotype, but I’m calling a parlay.”  

[Jump Einatz]

Shalour City Gym

Bright sunbeams poured in through the windows of the gym, giving an awakening glow to the indoor skatepark. Even during morning traffic there were skaters trying to hone their skills on the rails and half pipes. They arrived early to beat the rush. Trainers aiming to challenge Korrina did the same.

With so many distractions and decisions to make, Salieri had been up late, staring at the ceiling while she tried to go to sleep. She dreamed that she and Kelly were at the volcano again, and he begged her to help him, and she couldn't make the choice. A jolt of coffee in the morning cleared Zack's memory out of her head once more, even though she hated drinking the stuff. Too bitter for her taste.

She meant to get to the Gym at eight, but it was nine when she arrived. With a short line ahead of her, Salieri sat in the bleachers, trying to get her head in the game while waiting. Ska's proposal weighed on her, but he had given her until noon to answer. Matheson's hung over her head as well, but neither of them mattered here. This was the Pokémon League.

Incoming trainers would approach her for battle to vie for a higher number in line, but Biz Marquis beat them down and defended her position. After the most recent battle, Salieri rolled Biz's Pokéball in her hand. The Chesnaught was still clumsy at inconvenient times, but he was really coming into his own. Such an advancement from the scrub of a Chespin that stole her bandanna in Sycamore's lab. Thinking back on what a pain it could have been to fish him out of the Wonder Trade, Sal smiled. It had been more than worth it.

Biz was reliable, but if Korrina used Hawlucha he'd be at a huge disadvantage. And if Reynard was worth taming, now was the time to test it. Sal mulled it over, then released her Vaporeon. She curled up onto the bench and yawned. "I don't wanna lose with the same Pokémon to the same person twice. If you want another shot, it's yours."

Sal's eyes narrowed. "But if you won't listen to what I say, and you make a fool of us both again, then there's no point in keeping you on my team. I don't wanna lose with the same Pokémon to the same person twice if it's because they don't belong. You get me, Reynard? If you want the glory, you need to earn it. Do you want the shot?"

Reynard gave her a sidelong glance for what seemed like five minutes. Then she looked away, uneasy. Salieri knew the look. Rey was deciding if following orders was worth sacrificing her independence. "This isn't about putting you under my thumb," Sal assured her. "It's about kicking a**."

That resonated with Reynard. She looked at Salieri and gave her a reluctant nod. Sal hid it, but she was relieved that she didn't have to bench another Pokémon into Gotengo. "Good. Let's talk tactics again."

Rey had heard Salieri go over strategies at breakfast that morning. It was a blur, mostly because the Pokémon wasn't paying attention, and so she only
remembered keywords and pieces. Despite the urge to nod off, Rey listened up this time.

"Hawlucha's Attract and Encore are a real pain. I actually thought it'd be funny if I taught you Attract as a counter, but that's not how I want to win. Not here, anyway. We'll talk about it later, that's totally still on the table." Rey opened her mouth to yelp a protest, but Sal held up a hand to interrupt that interruption. "I've got some ideas how to work around it. But that's not the most important part. This is Korrina's Gym, but the field isn't just in her favor. We can tip those scales to our side."

The mermaid dog was curious now. She tilted her head. Sal leaned in with a wicked smirk. "Here's what we're gonna try out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When her turn was finally up, Salieri stepped onto the challenger's box at one side of the modified boxing ring that served as the battleground. This time she was more aware of the cameras broadcasting the battle on TV. Reruns could be the death of her reputation if she didn't recover now. She only left with any dignity after her defeat yesterday because Zack had willed it through the bond. That had been an upside.

Then again, half the reason it was such an embarrassing loss was because they had been holding hands. The upside was evened out.

Salieri put on her tough front, folding her arms as the spotlights lit up behind them. "Korrina! I'm back, and I have just one question!"

She released Reynard into the ring and caught the ball as it returned. "Is this building up to code?"  

[Marsuru]

Shalour City Gym

Korrina finished her victory lap as Salieri approached the arena, landing a sweet flip and skidding to a halt in her trainer box. The crowd wasn't much of a crowd this early in the morning, but the ones who were there lit the gym with a round of cheers. Korrina flicked a lock of hair from her face and sent a Smirk Attack Salieri's way.

'I feel like that's the set up for something,' she said, clocking Reynard and heading to her rack to pick out Hawlucha's ball. 'So what, you're not content with yesterday's embarrassment, you have to try out your stand up routine too?'