Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri gave Grant an offhanded wave goodbye. If he volunteered himself to hold off the Route 9 stampede, then he was a decent person at the very least. And so was Benedict, apparently. Mmm, not bad, womanizer.

She glanced quickly up to the mountain's range's cliffside. Because Salieri didn't know Cyllage City was Benedict's hometown, she wasn't sure what the endgame to his proposal was. The Pokémon Center was indeed overstuffed with Ambrette Town residents. She needed someplace more low key to plan her next move to counter The Sniper. Someplace indoors, away from possible vantage points. If Benedict was indeed offering some kind of shelter, Sal had to consider taking it.

It was also quite possible he was hoping for something physical to spring from this. Sal found herself scanning him over, head to toe, before returning to his eyes. I can make my mind up about THAT part later.

"I'm listening," Sal said to Benedict, folding her arms.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Benedict frowned for a moment. Saying what he was about to say pretty much meant that there wasn't going to be anything more physical going on at all. Even if he was willing to stay with his parents for one night, he certainly wasn't going to do anything while they were there. Besides, they'd probably give her the guest room, and making that move would be very obvious.

Doing the favor, however, might make them just friends. He could always try the hotel, but that gambler's instinct told him that would probably not be much better than the center. Still, there were worse fates than becoming friends with a pretty girl.

The frown slid away, replaced by his grin as he stepped towards the nurse's desk. "It's definitely a little weird, but my parents live in town. I can probably get them to let you stay the night for free." And then he'd find a room somewhere else. Given that Sal here had seen his interview, surely someone else might recognize him.

((I wonder if Benedict will ever remember he put his x-transceiver on silent?))  

[Jump Einatz]

((You can never be too sure that you haven't accidentally buttdial your parents))

"Really? I do like free..." Sal pretended to observe the center's interior, as if she was actually debating the decision. Of course she'd say yes. If there were parents involved she'd probably have her own room, where she could have peace of mind in a secluded spot to hide and brainstorm strategies.

She grinned right back at Benedict. "Crashing at your house sounds better than this dump," she said, mindless of hurting the feelings of any nearby employees. "I'll take you up on that favor, Ben."

((Or I guess wristdial, if it's a watch phone. Name's not as funny though))  

[Klarp Glornharm]

((I mean, he's also bound to have at least a bajillion messages, maybe even two. It also justifies him not being there for any of those calls Spinne mentioned.))

Benedict handed off his pokemon to the nurse with a nod. "I'll be back for them tomorrow. Thank you." He would turn his grin to the nurse, his best grin mind, and give her a wink before turning back to Sal.

"That's decided then. Mom will probably make your pokemon comfortable, at least." She was the masseuse, after all. "Any that don't need rest here, at least." He shrugged as if it wasn't that big a deal, and took a step back for Sal to do whatever she had to do at the desk. The only pokemon he might leave with her was Ricard, who he wasn't quite ready to reward. But he would need to talk to the pokemon. In an area that wasn't easy to fly away from. Like that gym he'd been at before.

"You don't suppose gym leaders have rooms for talking to stubborn pokemon, do you?" He asked.

((But I guess it's go into silent mode or let the ringer stay on while rampaging pokemon are all around.))  

[Jump Einatz]

Benedict's wink and smile for the nurse were not lost on Salieri. The bandanna girl held back a laugh. It's like he can't help himself. Boys will be boys. Guess I'm not so special after all. She held up her hands for a pass when the nurse's desk was opened up to her. Sal's party was at full health from the last visit.

"I have no idea. If you find out, let me know." Sal tapped at Banksy's Pokéball on her hip. "Torkoal problems...so, your parents must be pretty cool if you think they'll let me stay the night. How far is your house from here?" She was eager to get moving, but kept that desire to herself.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

((And that was when it occurred to me that I need Benedict's parents' personalities. Also, how could she not be special? How many girls does she think get to meet his parents?))

"I guess I can ask around then. Grant probably would have known." He sighed and shook his head. So he'd have to ask the guy if he saw him again. That or ask the gym leader. Whichever one he met first.

Benedict started out of the pokemon center first. "Well, it'll be a long and arduous journey. Through the most dangerous obstacles." He stepped outside of the center, and turned right. Anyone from town knew it was to the left of the center, if you were facing the doors. "Even your torkoal might have problems rea-"

He stopped outside of the building and gestured to it. "Right there." Assuming Salieri actually followed, he wouldn't have looked like a crazy person talking to himself.  

[Jump Einatz]

((The kind of parents that would raise a gentleman. And not so fun fact: Sal's got low self esteem about actual dating so she tries to use dudes before she thinks they might use her.))

"Voila!" Salieri said, half sarcastically and half glad. It was a very convenient location. "What peril. Here I thought-"

The sign advertising the massage parlor became apparent. Not at all what she was expecting. Then again, she wasn't expecting anything in particular, just the idea of a casanova's house. It dawned on Salieri that she really knew nothing about Benedict. "Your family owns a massage parlor?"  

[Klarp Glornharm]

((That is a surprisingly fun fact.))

"My mom, anyway. She works from home." Benedict replied with a shrug. "She massages pokemon, usually. Says that it makes them more friendly to the trainers." He stood there, working up the courage to actually go inside. It wasn't a very fun idea, going in and having to talk to them.

"Dad trains Rapidashes." She might be curious about that too, Benedict realized. "Not super lucrative, with all the new technology, but he says it's a decent enough business. Trainers that can't handle psychic types and teleporting use them to get around while still getting a look at the wild pokemon. I say most people that want 'em are just interested in having them for races and gambling."

Another deep breath and he was opening the door. "Bonjour Mère!" He called, and looked over to where she usually was. Near the table with a tablecloth, in perfect sight of a television. It looked wooden, but Benedict was sure it couldn't be. Not with some of the heavy pokemon he'd seen put on it.

She looked up, a lady with short brown hair and matching eyes. "Benedict! Salut." She was smiling. Her face said she was relieved about something, but she was busy with some trainer's pikachu and wasn't voicing that concern. Rubber gloves covered her hands, a tradition with electric types, and he was sure those shoes had rubber soles. The trainer was watching television.

"Ça va?" Benedict asked, smiling in spite of himself.

"Je suis très bien. Et toi?"

"Eh. Comme ci comme ça."

If Salieri came in after him, his mother would turn her attention to her. "Bonjour Mademoiselle. I will be with you in just a moment." She would obviously not be connecting Sal with Benedict, and all through her conversation with her son, who had moved away from the door, she hadn't stopped the massaging of the pikachu.  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri paused in the doorway. Back in Lumiose City, Gotengo was the hub for most of her social interactions. When it wasn't the treehouse, it was the streets or the school. Rarely did she visit a friend's house besides Mia's, and even rarer still did she meet their parents. This was uncharted territory for her.

Benedict's mother regarded her with the International language instead of Kalosian. With her dark skin and amber eyes, Salieri didn't look the part. It was doubtful she even hailed from Kalos, but it was even harder to place her ethnicity, as she knew firsthand. "I'm with your son, actually," Salieri told Benedict's mother in Kalosian with a small wave. "My name's Salieri Soledad."

((I'd look up the french translations, but time is money. And my current rate per second is like $9.26))  

[Klarp Glornharm]

((I was gonna put a translated version instead, but I wanted to practice the, like, four sentences I know in French.))

Missus Montgomery took the cue and spoke her next words in Kalosian. "With my-"* She looked at Benedict, surprise showing. "You haven't been gone that long, and you're already bringing home a girl?"* She asked. She seemed happy about it, and Benedict it was because she was misunderstanding completely.

"A friend."* He corrected. "I'm bringing home a friend."*

"Right. A friend."* She turned to Salieri with a smile on her face, finally stopping with the pikachu. It was asleep anyway. "I'm Madame Montgomery. Or Missus Montgomery, if that's more comfortable for you."*

Benedict gave Sal a sheepish grin and gestured to his friend as he turned back to his mother. "She needs a place to stay for the night."*

"Of course she can stay here. But not in your room."*

"I didn't expect her to stay in my room."*

"Excuse me." His mother had turned her attention from them for the moment, and to the trainer that was staring at them like they were crazy. Or speaking gibberish. Him she was speaking to in the International language. "Your pokemon is ready for you. Have a nice day." He took the hint, returned his pikachu and left.

"So Salieri..."* She started, and Benedict cut her off before she could continue.

"I'll take you to the guest room."* He started that way quickly, hoping she took the hint and started after him. The sooner she was comfortable, the sooner he could get out of there.

((*Kalosian translated for non-Kalosian speakers.))  

[Jump Einatz]

"Sounds good. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Montgomery." Salieri gave Benedict's mom another little wave and smile before following after Benedict. When push came to shove, Salieri could muster up some manners to converse with adults. Still, small talk with parents was not her forte. "Thanks for letting me stay."

Sal followed him down the hall. "Your mom seems nice...does she ever do human massages?"  

[Klarp Glornharm]

"Not usually. There are plenty of people that do that, so she specialized in pokemon." Benedict replied. "Trainers come around when they're trying to buy friendship, not so much for massages for themselves."

He stopped outside of a door that would lead to a pretty plain room. No real decorations, just a bed inside, as if it was only really made for sleeping in. "That's the guest room. It should do for a night's sleep at least."  

[Jump Einatz]

Salieri poked her head inside to take a look at the quaint bedroom. With her current level of exhaustion, any bed would be comfy. "It's just right." The last few times a boy had invited her to their house, the parents weren't home, or there was some kind of sneaking around. It was becoming increasingly clear that this wasn't a ploy by Benedict to get with her. He was just being generous. Previously, whenever a guy brought her to their house alone, it was to get laid. Between that and the way Moze used to fool around with girls, a certain expectation had been building in her mind. Benedict's sincerity was a surprise and a relief.

"Benedict..." She closed her eyes, shook her head with a grin, then looked back at him. "When I met you and said you weren't sincere, I take it back. Thanks for not bringing me back here just to make out."

Sal would follow up by giving him a punch in the arm. A sign of affection. She stepped through the room's doorway. "I'll see you in the morning." And unless he had something else to add, she'd give him an "Au Revoir," and close the door.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Benedict wouldn't be able to resist the opening. "Well, we can still do that too if that's what you wanted." He'd say, grin back on his face. He wasn't expecting her to actually take him up on that offer, and if she didn't, he'd walk away once the door was shut with a "Bonsoir." And after that, the plan was clearly to go to the hotel. He might be willing to talk with his parents for a short while for a friend, but he didn't want to sleep there if it could be helped.  

[Jump Einatz]

“Maybe some other night,” Salieri tacked on before closing the door. She took a deep, decompressing breath, and slid down to the floor with her back to the door. Safe at last. There was a window in the bedroom, but the only sniping vantage points from there were atop the neighboring buildings. Nevertheless, she wouldn’t sleep near the window tonight.

Salieri let out all of her Pokémon. Banksy, as slow as a turtle, moved to the other side of the room to fall asleep inside her shell. Durendal and Biz Marquis flanked the newly caught Kecleon, eyeing him closely. The Kecleon’s eyes shifted. No one liked being stared at. “So what’s your deal?” she questioned while playing catch with herself using the Kecleon’s Pokéball. “You came a long way for a wild Pokémon just to find me. Were you looking for some closure for the Parfum Palace?”

Revenge was almost always her first guess, and this time it was right. The Kecleon folded his arms and stuck out his long tongue at her. “I would’ve boosted my score if you didn’t get in my way,” Sal sneered. “You’re the one that owes me.” The Kecleon was surprised with her audacity, but she continued. “You’re on my team now, so get used to it. Now, the last time I checked, a Kecleon couldn’t change the color of its stripe. How’d you make it disappear? And how’d you make my stuff disappear too?”

The Kecleon’s shoulders slumped in defeat with a sigh. He pointed down at his stomach so they would all watch, and then proceeded to rapidly grow green scales identical to the others on his body. The scales covered up his stripe, and from there he changed the color of his whole body to purple, then back to normal. Salieri couldn’t check her Pokédex to know for sure what move the Kecleon was using, but based on what she knew about certain reptiles, she had an idea of what was going on. “So you grow your scales on yourself and other things to change their color. Maybe it’s Recover…fine, here’s what we’re gonna do.”

She pointed to Durendal. “If The Sniper attacks again, we need you to cover us. Rock Polish decreases the drag on your body, doubling your speed. It’s a little harder to learn for a Steel type, but you’re pretty smart. Think on it, okay?”

Dune gave her a diligent bow and moved to a corner of the room to practice. Sal got up and, quietly as she could, moved the bed to be away from the window. “Biz, The Sniper definitely has a Remoraid or Octillery. That puts you on point for our defense. You need to become Bulletproof so he can’t use his Octazooka.”

A sweatdrop appeared on Biz’s forehead. Previous training for Bulletproof consisted of Veil firing Octazookas at him non stop. It was unpleasant. “I have an idea, but we can’t really train it up in this room. For now, I want you to concentrate on making seeds. Like for Leech Seeds, but don’t let them trigger. Hold that energy in.” Biz was confused, but he nodded and sat down, visibly trying to will the seeds into existence. Tomorrow, Salieri would teach him Seed Bomb for real.

Her attention landed on the Kecleon. “And you, you connard,” she said with a point, “You need a name…there’s this author that made up a character, a gentleman thief, who starred in a bunch of his stories. You’re no gentleman, but you are a thief, so…your name is Lupin now.”

Sal plopped down on the bed. “Lupin, you get the night off. But if you try to leave, you’re have to answer to them again, so just relax.” She yawned. “Welcome to the crew.”

Lupin wasn’t keen on his new nickname or crew, but with no other option he chose a corner of the room and coiled up to sleep. As all her Pokémon either went to sleep or trained quietly, Salieri flopped back down on the bed. It was comfier than it looked. Now that she had things taken care of for the night, and a plan for the morning, she could finally try to relax.

She wondered what it would be like to see Benedict in the morning. When everyone partied hard into the night at Gotengo, it’d often end up as a large coed sleepover. Sal could count on one hand the number of times she’d slept at a guy’s house without any other friends around. Three out of those five times, the guy only wanted one thing from her. At first it made her feel desired. Shortly after that, it made her feel like a prize. A trophy to put on the shelf and nothing more. One boy had bragged about making out with “Moze’s little sister”, and even Mia didn’t know how much that bothered her. Who she was played second fiddle to the male objective.

Benedict gave off a similar impression at first. Thankfully it turned around very fast. He’d proved he wasn’t just a one note womanizer. It was to a point that Salieri was starting to feel guilty for using him. I don’t want to get him involved with the nobles…but I want to be his friend. Having no pressure to play the dating game was very calming.

Her mind wandered to the other boy of note she met today: Matheson. Matheson wasn’t like Benedict at all. Benedict seemed like the kind of guy who thought every word of his sentences through, for great effect. Math had consistent verbal diarrhea. Talking to him was like being on a rollercoaster. There was one thing the two of them had in common. They were good people.

Sal reached up to her cheek, rubbing where he had punched her in the face hours ago. It felt like it was a long time. “Idiot,” she mumbled to herself. Math made no secret of hiding his attraction to her, but one of the unspoken rules of pursuing the girl was that you never punched them in the face. The pain was long gone, but the time she spent in that cabin lingered. “…idiot…”

When this Sniper business is over, I should call him, she thought as her tired eyes began to close. Her subconscious rewound through time, all the way back to her first kiss, and as she began to think of the mystery boy and their one day together, Salieri drifted off to sleep.

((I'm all set for the next day if you guys are))