Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

Sycamore Research Lab - Ground Floor Laboratory

'Oh man,' Sina stretched, cracking her back, her sigh elated. 'I am so glad that's over. Uh. It is over, right?'

The laboratory glimmered and gleamed in all the right places. When half a dozen two week old pokémon are given free reign over a lab, the results can be a little less than pristine. The once-cruddy floors now gave off ghostly reflections, picking up the overhead lights like miniature suns. The main circular specimen table had been scrubbed and sterilised, even down to the nooks and crannies of the drainage lip that ran along its outer edge. The work had been long and hard, then tedious once the pokémon were put back in their balls to make sure they stayed out of the way. By the time the two lab assistants were through, the sky was black.

'Hm. Actually...' Esme looked around the room tapping her lip. While the bulk of the work was done, there were a few things left to tidy up; scattered papers, glass tubes not sorted on their shelves, that sort of thing.
'Unless you're saying we can go home now, I'm going to stop you right there,' Sina said flatly, staggering to the exit. 'Today has been too looooooong.'

Sina slumped out of the doors and into the ground floor proper. It was definitely home time, Esme thought. The lab doors had swung shut, leaving her alone with the faint buzzing of the ceiling lamps. Esme went up to the shelves of pokéballs that decorated a wall, and peered through their lids. After some thought, she picked up three balls. The doors lay silent, promising against intrusion. Esme flicked the pokéball switches, and let them pop open with rapid flashes of light, like paparazzi bulbs at a scandal.

Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur stood in a tight cluster, rubbing tired eyes, caught sleeping in their balls. They were young, but now ready to be adopted by new trainers. With the league on, it wouldn't be surprising if trainers stopped by in the morning to pick these three up. And it was equally likely that they'd never return. Esme lowered herself to her knees, and petted Bulbasaur and Charmander lightly on their heads. Squirtle was squirming into Bulbasaur's bulb as if it were a pillow, a bead of drool slopping out of its mouth. Esme smiled at the warm pressure at her fingers; the pokémon leaning into her hands and returning the affection, eyes closed as they enjoyed it.

'I think I'm going to miss you three,' Esme said. She smiled, then swallowed and rubbed her eyes, whispering. 'Be safe.'

Sycamore Research Lab - The Guest Room

God dammit, Helena

Before Helena could take another breath, Zack did just about the only thing he could do. He flicked on her on the cheek, hard, right below the eye. 'Get out.' Then he'd flick her again. 'And go to bed!' And again, and again, until she got the message. The day had been long and taxing, and the last thing Zack was in the mood for was his sister's melodrama. He'd chase her out if he had to.

((I am also ready for that day also ninja ))  

[Jump Einatz]

((c**k a doodle doo! The next day begins! I'm starting it out with no proofreading, wooooooooo--))

Cyllage City – Montgomery Household

On the nightstand next to the guest bed, the screen of Sal’s Pokégear lit up. Instead of a normal alarm, Salieri’s wake up call was the radio. Music played, and slowly she stirred. Although she didn’t dream, the sleep had taken her mind off the pain of her wounds. Sal cringed as she sat up in bed, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and unwrapped the bandages.

The bruise on her head had faded slightly, and could be covered up with her bangs once her bandanna was tied back on. The Bullet Seeds that had struck her chest had pierced the skin, leaving behind small scars. Five of them, which positioned together resembled a star at the edge of her neckline. “Merde,” Sal grumbled as she balled up the dirty bandages and threw them into the wastebasket.

The time was 8 AM. Salieri wasn’t keen on waking up this early, but she needed all the time she could get today. Her Pokémon had all fallen asleep around the room. Dune and Biz in particular slept sitting up, back to back. It was very cute. She wondered where Veil was sleeping for a moment before the memory of yesterday came back, tugging at her heart.

Sal rubbed her face with the blanket, groaning, then sat up. “Rise and shine.”

She returned her Pokémon and put the bed back to its original location, making sure to avoid being in front of the window as she did so. When she had to be she peeked outside. No sign of The Sniper on the rooftops across the street.

The song on radio ended, transitioning into another. Before the next song could start, the host came on to say “Heyyyy, that was Santogold with Shove It. Just wanted to remind all you folks on the west coast tuning in to keep an eye out for displaced Water type Pokémon. Rumor has it that some of the specimens of Ambrette Town’s aquarium escaped after the stampede, so be on the look out. In lighter news, up next is-”

Sal shut off the Pokégear’s radio. Water types, huh? I’ve got bigger fish to fry than…than smaller…fish…I need a coffee or something…

She tiptoed out of the room and into Benedict’s foyer. Under normal circumstances she’d locate him in the house to let him know she was leaving, but there was work to be done. The less Benedict knew about her whereabouts, the safer he would be. Instead, she wrote a note--

Dear Benedict & Benedict’s parents,

Thanks for letting me stay the night. If you ever come to Lumiose City, I’ll return the favor. If not, I’ll still return the favor somehow. We’ll meet again sometime.

-Salieri Soledad

--and left the note on a wall next to the front door on her way out. Sal felt a little bad about leaving so abruptly after they were nice to her, but business was business. Without running into either of Benedict’s parents, she left the house and ducked into the Pokémon Center next door.

Cyllage City- Pokémon Center

After using the bathroom to shower, freshen up and change into a clean set of clothes, Salieri brought her team to the cafeteria for breakfast. There weren’t as many refugees hanging around the center as yesterday. Some had gone off to stay with family around Kalos, others had checked into hotels. Still, it was more crowded than usual for this time of day.

She doled out portions of free Pokéfood, supplied by the center, to her party. Biz and Dune, who had stayed up late practicing what Salieri asked them to learn, looked more exhausted than Banksy and Lupin. Nothing a few Ethers and Oran Berries wouldn’t fix. Once they ate and were back in their balls, Salieri had fruit and cereal, and was finally nursing her prized coffee.

“Ms. Soledad, I presume?”

Salieri looked over her shoulder at the dapper, smiling gentleman in a black suit behind her. He was lanky with crimson hair tied up in a long ponytail, and thin, sly looking eyes. In one of his hands was a briefcase. Sal didn’t like the look of him. Too corporate. “Who’s asking?”

“I’m a liason for Nicolette Nostrad.” He gestured to the chair in front of her. “May I?”

She coughed on the coffee in her mouth as her heart stopped and her eyes darted around the room for any signs of danger. Suddenly it felt like she and The Liason were the only people in the room. Even the Pokéballs on her belt felt far away. There was a part of her that wanted to strangle him, in hopes that somehow, somewhere, the mysterious Nicolette Nostrad would feel it.

Without taking her eyes off of him or his briefcase, she pushed out the chair with one of her legs. The Liason sat down and propped the briefcase onto the table. He clasped his hands together in front of his face, barely covering his smile. “How do I know you’re not lying to me?” she asked in a quiet, stern voice.
“Because I’m privy to your activities. Avoiding execution by Quillon is not something that goes past Lady Nostrad’s radar. And we both know what really happened in the Chateau, don’t we?”

Despite being in the midst of drinking, her throat ran dry. Her free hand fell lower to her hip, near the switchblade in her backpocket. “If you know all that, why didn’t she tell the police? Why are you here? Where is she?”
“Lady Nostrad would prefer to keep your situation low profile. Besides, we are aware of your…” The Liason paused to search for the right term. “I suppose ‘lineage’ is closest to the word I’d like to use. Consider this a courtesy for Arnaud-“
“Say my father’s name again,” she interrupted, trying to keep her voice level, “And it will be the last word you speak.”

The Liason’s smile didn’t falter as Salieri’s rage started to bubble. “Very well. I’ll get to the point.” He began to unlock his briefcase. “Whenever a trainer from Kalos shows enough promise in the league, one of my associates or I are tasked to approach them with this offer. You only have one badge, yes? In your case, the circumstances are unique. We are making this offer to you early.”

Salieri tensed up, ready to cut into The Liason with her knife if he pulled out a weapon. Instead, he pulled out a stack of documents. The Liason placed them on the table and spun them around for Salieri to see. Her head was swimming too much for her to do more than scan a few paragraphs. “…what is this?”

“To put it simply, this is a bribe, Ms. Soledad. We are willing to offer you a very, very large settlement of cash if you do two things for us.” He held up a finger. “The first is that you must resign from the Kalos league. Permanently.” He held up another finger. “The second is that you must stop your juvenile investigation into the affairs of the nobility. These terms are non negotiable.”

She thought back to what she saw on the news just yesterday morning, that Takamaru Takashi had quit the league under unknown circumstances. It must have been the same bribe, minus the part about the ‘juvenile investigation’. Because he was a foreigner, with no reason to stay in Kalos other than the league, it must have been easier to make that offer to him as early a one badge in. “We understand you have a need for this kind of money. You’ve left quite a paper trail with Lumiose City’s hospitals.” The Liason’s voice softened, not quite earnest sounding but less businesslike. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Take it now and be done with this mess. Lady Nostrad would like you to know this is the only time she will offer this deal to you.”

Salieri clenched her teeth. Every word The Liason spoke was a dose of venom to her dignity. “I don’t want your money. I will never want your money.” She held up the documents, shaking them in his face. “If this is what you thought I wanted, then you don’t know me at all. I want justice. I won’t stop til I get it.”
“Don’t be so hasty. You have twenty four hours to consider this deal.”
“I don’t need twenty four hours.”

She dropped the papers on the table and spilled the rest of her coffee all over them. The hot liquid soaked through immediately. The Liason’s smile was still present as she stood up. “We’re done here.”

Sal turned to walk away. “Lady Nostrad had a feeling you’d say no.”
“Yeah? What did she say to do if I refused?”
“Nothing. She said you would know what happens next. Thought she did make one thing specific. If you were to say yes, I was to depart with ‘Au revoir’. If not, I’d wish you ‘Adieu’. So adieu, Ms. Soledad.”
She spun back to face him. “I have a message for you to give to her.”

The Liason faced her and gestured for her to speak. With cold hard anger, she spat out, “Aprés moi, le déluge.”

He said nothing in response, still smiling. Salieri glared at him for a moment, then walked away. Before she exited the cafeteria, she looked over her shoulder.

He was gone.

((--ooooooooo!!))

((EDIT: The phrase 'Aprés moi, le déluge' was allegedly said by Louis XV only 15 years before the French Revolution. It means 'After me, the flood'. The saying roughly equates to 'I don't care what happens after I'm gone.' In this context, Salieri means 'After I'm done, there will be nothing left of you'.))  

[Marsuru]

((Previously, in the Present--))

Lumiose City - Southern Boulevard

The city was drenched in the yellow of early morning sun. Rows of trees lined the streets, offering speckled shade that moved in the breeze, and rays of light defined the skyline in silhouette. Esme jogged out of Estival Avenue, her backpack weighed down by a stack of books. Her hair was up in clips, and she wore a blue running outfit, black tank top, and a look of calm determination as she ignored the streams of people that were already populating the city streets. The pokémon centers were busy as expected, almost filled to capacity. She stole a glance through the glass doors as she passed. When rooms had become unavailable, trainers wound up sleeping in the lobby; on the floor, on benches, huddled up to one another and draped in coats. She almost felt guilty that the lab had been turning people away. Almost, but not quite.

Esme hurried up the steps and pulled out her headphones, letting them dangle from her partway-zipped hoodie. The old lock clacked open as usual, and once the door closed behind her, Esme was awash with silence. City sounds vanished, leaving an almost palpable kind of unsound, the kind that only revealed itself when you listened for it. She took off her shoes and went straight to the ground floor lab.

The chances were Professor Sycamore was still in bed. Dexio and Sina wouldn't be due for another few hours at least. She had the place to herself. Well, herself and the mysterious visitors who had taken nest upstairs. While she wondered why two trainers would get such preferential treatment, she hadn't asked. Most answers appeared on their own, if you let them. Esme went into the lab, which smelled fresh from last night's sterilisation, faintly of lemon. Every pokémon on the ball rack would need to be fed at some point during the morning, so Esme started with the six young pokémon from the night before. She put their pokéballs in a tray, then went for food.

Since the lab needed to remain sterile, Esme headed for the kitchen. She tipped a bag of pokémon feed over the half dozen bowls, then let the pokémon at them. Fennekin, Chespin and Bulbasaur seemed content to eat quietly but, as expected, Charmander, Squirtle and Froakie had trouble deciding exactly how breakfast was meant to work. It started with a sly flick of a food pellet that bounced off of Squirtle's head. But then, when the water type couldn't decide who'd done it, it had decided to swipe handfuls of its neighbour's food for itself, jamming them into its mouth and spraying them out in their faces. This hadn't gone over well, and before long, a brawl had broken out, with the bowls of food lying scattered and forgotten. The other three pokémon ate peacefully, having nothing to do with it.

'Really?' Esme sighed. Charmander was chewing on Squirtle's shoulder, while Froakie pounded on the fire type's head. Squirtled rolled about on its back, trying to yank both corners of Froakie's mouth from its face. They kicked and snarled, their bodies interlocked in a tangle. The kitchen lit up with light as Esme released another ball, and the three struggling pokémon came to a synchronised halt, looking at the newcomer. It was small, fluffy and purple, with two huge, staring eyes. The three starters looked to one another, then back at the Espurr, whose eyes began to glow.

'Voix Enjôleuse,' Esme said softly, and Espurr opened its mouth, letting loose a ringing sound, clear as a bell. It sent out a wave of power that struck the tangle of bodies, knocking them over and leaving them dizzy but calm. Disarming Voice dampened the emotions of an opponent, leaving them feeling drained, making it perfect for crowd controlling a petty squabble. Esme shook her head, and picked up the food bowls, setting them out again. This time, the young starters ate their breakfast quietly, barely sparing each other a glance. 'Merci, Chatelle.'

The Espurr rotated on the spot, staring emptily at her trainer with great affection, and was soon recalled to be put away. Esme took a break, leaning against the kitchen counter while the pokémon had their fill. This had been routine for years now, not that the pokémon would know that. She started rifling through her backpack for something to read when she glanced out of the window. Esme sucked her teeth and carried on picking through her books, then stopped. She did a double take at the window, not sure what she was looking at.

Sycamore Research Lab - The Gardens

'Whoa, whoa! Take it easy!' Zack said, his voice rising every second. Aerodactyl screeched in his face, flapping its wings angrily but not quite aggressively. It stomped around the middle of the rear gardens, which had been made into the shape of a pokéball with gravel tracing the outline, and tended fields of flowers filling out the colour. There was a small fountain at the absolute center that was supposed to be the pokéball's button, but for Zack it was just a useful source of water.

The pokémon screeched again, and Zack felt his temper flare hot as he imagined annoyed Kalosians berating him for the noise. But still, this was important. He waved Clauncher about threateningly, and as soon as the water type's nozzle pointed at Aerodactyl's face, its eyes were like saucers and it tensed up, staggering backward. Zack smiled to himself. Decent memory for a fossil.

'That's it,' he said in what was supposed to be a soothing voice, 'Stay right there. This will only hurt a little.'

Zack tipped a bottle of washing liquid into Clauncher's claw, then shook the pokémon hard. With a light squeeze of its abdomen, it released a soft spray of foamy water onto Aerodactyl's hide. The dinosaur turned its head away, growling but otherwise staying still. Then Zack grabbed a towel he'd stolen from Sycamore's guest bathroom and slapped it onto the wet hide and started to rub. It took some effort, but the thousand years of caked-in grime eventually started to loosen up and come free in great, dirty lumps. It spilled onto the gravel, pooling dark liquid at the trainer's feet. Zack worked his way around the giant Aerodactyl's body, starting at its core then working along the neck and wings. Sometimes it tried to pull away or wander off, but with a sharp look and a careful aim of Clauncher, Zack kept the beast under control.

When he needed water, Zack dunked Clauncher in the fountain, which started to bubble as the water type refilled. The towel was soon black, but Zack had thought ahead and taken the entire inventory, so it would be a good while before he ran out. Eventually, Aerodactyl started to look presentable, but some hopeless bits of dirt were caught between its scales, giving the look of a black cracked web covering its body. Zack stood back and wiped his brow. He paused, catching a malicious glint in Aerodactyl's eye, and barely had time to throw his arms up in defence as Aerodactyl shook itself off, unloading a tidal wave of spray over the trainer, leaving him dripping.

Even dry, he wouldn't have been much to look at. His bandages poked out of the neck and sleeves of his black, cave-covered shirt that had ripped in places. His white pants were now a horrible grey with gashes in the knees, the criss-crossing at the bottom having come undone in places where it poked out like unruly hair. And now his hands and feet were covered in black filth from cleaning Aerodactyl, with bits of mud smeared where he'd absent-mindedly touched or scratched himself while working. In short, Zack needed new clothes. Again.

Aerodactyl grumped about, flicking water from its wings, and generally seeming uncomfortable. Zack couldn't deny his misgivings about training such a huge pokémon. He knew from experience that its own size could work against it, but its sheer power was too enticing. Besides, training a difficult pokémon could only benefit his skill. He still had to decide on a name.

'What are you doing here?'
Zack snapped away from his thoughts, glancing over his shoulder. He'd started to understand that a flat demand was about as good as a hello from her. 'Hey, Esme.'

She didn't look impressed. Though she eyed Aerodactyl uncertainly, her lack of surprise tipped Zack that she'd been expecting the creature. But mostly, she just looked him up and down then shook her head.

'A new suit, huh?'
'Brand new suit,' Zack replied, nodding quietly. She added a smile to her head shake and he broke a grin, then noticed the six starters crowded around Esme's legs. Three from Kanto and three he'd seen around Kalos. 'What's with the litter?'

Behind him, Aerodactyl stopped its stomping about and sniffed the air. It turned its head, laying eyes on the half dozen bite-sizes. A long tongue slithered out of its mouth and licked its lips. Its stomach rumbled lowly.

'Oh, they're starter pokémon for the new trainers,' Esme said, beaming at the young pokémon and earning cheery faces in return. Three at the back looked a little shell shocked, Zack noticed. 'We raise them at the lab, and then when they're ready...'
'You hand them off to strange kids who're probably gonna throw it straight in day care and sell the eggs,' Zack said sagely. Esme gave him a flat look, but he shrugged. 'It's true, I've seen it happen. Day care's a huge scam. It's basically holding pokémon for a ransom.'
'I used to work at the day care,' Esme glared.
'Uh, well, then you know. Clearly. And um. Okay, I'm gonna need a sec to work a way out of this one.'

Aerodactyl roared, its eyes pinpricks, charging hungrily for the starters. Its mouth fell agape, its breath stinging hot. The pokémon huddled tightly around Esme's legs, too scared to move, or let her move. Zack span on the spot and aimed Clauncher in one swift motion, then fired a bolt of water into Aerodactyl's open maw. It staggered, then tripped itself up, slamming onto the gravel where it continued to slide forward until the tip of its nose was mere feet from the huddle of pokémon.

'Right, that worked,' Zack said, spinning Clauncher around his fingers and letting it latch onto his belt. Esme stared blankly at him. 'And it does raise a good point. Any chance Aerodactyl can eat your food?'
'No,' Esme hissed. 'No, it can't. Just- just get it out of here. I don't even want to see it.'
'Esme, come on,' Zack started, growing distracted when a Charmander broke away from the rest of the group. It tip toed towards the subdued Aerodactyl, who followed it with beady eyes. Charmander reached over, and jabbed a finger on the end of Aerodactyl's snout, only to flinch back when the dinosaur spoke to it in a deep, rumbling growl, its jaw barely moving. Charmander eased up and cockily thumbed its chest, smirking a growl of a reply. At this, Aerodactyl snarled, its clawed wings scraping at the gravel while it began to rise. Zack ran forward.

'Alright, that's about enough,' he said quickly, getting between the two pokémon and picking Charmander up by the head, holding it one-handed like a ball while it dangled in his grip. Aerodactyl stopped rising while Charmander kicked about ineffectually, swinging its stubby arms to fight Zack, but only catching air.
'Zack, put it down,' Esme frowned, the rest of the pokémon bursting into laughter and pointing at the fire type. Tears began to brim at the Charmander's eyes.
'I will in a sec,' Zack said, bringing Charmander closer to his face and peering into its eyes. 'Once this thing promises it won't piss off the enormous dinosaur monster.'

Instead, Charmander's lips curled and it heaved in a lungful of air. Zack's heart skipped a beat. But instead of a powerful, flesh-searing flame, Charmander unleashed a thick, black, hot cloud of Smokescreen, which gushed from its mouth like a train letting off a burst of steam. A second after the assault began, it was over, the Smokescreen disintegrating on the lazy breeze. Zack was black from the neck up; every inch of skin covered in soot and ash, his hair caked in black crumbs. It got up his nose, stinging with a sharp smell.

Zack let Charmander drop to the floor so he could slowly wipe his eyes, smearing back the layers of filth. Charmander proudly dusted off its hands and returned to the group of pokémon for a hero's welcome. Zack blinked, testing out his eyesight. He could've imagined it, but he thought he saw Esme watching him with disbelief, smiling softly.  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City – Pokémon Center

“Let’s see it.”

Sal and her party were the only occupants in the stark white training room. They all preferred the fresh air and ocean breeze to the stuffy indoors, but until Salieri was sure The Sniper couldn’t get to her, she was avoiding the outdoors.

Durendal stepped forward and closed his eyes. Seconds later his armor began to sparkle brightly, polished down to a new sheen. “Voila! I knew you’d get it,” Sal said with a cocky smirk. Dune’s immense focus lent to him learning new moves qicker than his friends. The Pawniard blushed and rubbed the back of his head, shying from the praise. “Biz, show me what you’ve got.”

Biz Marquis stepped forward, concentrating deeply. He held out his palm. A small seed formed in his hand, not unlike the seeds used for Leech Seed. It swelled, crackled, and then burst with a tiny puff of detritus. “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!” Sal pumped her fist and clamped a hand down on Biz’s shoulder. “We’re going to turn that into Seed Bomb right now.”

[Hear that?] Biz Marquis asked his teammates, smug. [I’m the bomb.]
“Now c’mere ya little chicken nugget. We need some space.”
[Chicken nugget,] Lupin snickered. Even the corner of Banksy’s mouth turned up in amusement. Embarrassed, Biz followed Sal to a corner of the room.

“So Seed Bomb is what you just did, but with more oomph. Lots of oomph. Like, blow ‘em all up oomph. You’ll need to make a bigger seed, and you’ll need to charge it with more explosive growth.” I think. Salieri had never tutored Seed Bomb before, but now was the time. If Biz got Seed Bomb under his belt, it could become easier to give him the Bulletproof ability, and then their defense against The Sniper would be stronger. At least, that’s what Sal hoped.

“Get to work, I’ll be back soon.” She headed over to Lupin. The Kecleon looked up at her defiantly, arms crossed. “Here’s what you’re gonna do.”

She took TM 57 out of her bag and stared at the disc. It was the first item she ever obtained, years ago with different Pokémon. A wave of nostalgia threatened to come over her, but she pushed it down. All she had to do was push the disc into Lupin’s Pokéball, and the Kecleon knew the move. “Now you know Charge Beam. Try it out.”

Lupin didn’t feel any different, and didn’t understand what just happened, but he shrugged and faced the wall Sal was pointing to. Instinctively, he opened his mouth. Light pooled at the tip of his tongue, and from within himself he fired a breath of clustered electricity at the wall. The sparks danced on the wall upon contact, creating a small burn mark. “Good, good. Now Dune’s going to teach you Thunder Wave. The hard way.”

The Kecleon looked back to see Dune’s body crackling with red sparks. He gulped.

***********

An hour later, training was over. Sal checked out of the training room and healed up her Pokémon. The next stop was most definitely the Gym. After the visit from Nicolette’s Liason, Sal felt compelled to challenge the Gym as soon as possible to stick it in the mystery girl’s face. She hadn’t trained specifically for Grant’s Rock type Pokémon, but she had two type advantages against him, and confidence in her Pokémon’s abilities.

But first, she made a stop to the PC, and called home.

A pink haired nurse answered the phone. Salieri could see her living room in the background of the videochat. It brought back both warm feelings, and memories she wanted to forget. “Salieri!” the nurse exclaimed cheerfully. “It’s good to hear from you!”

“Likewise. I just transferred cash over to your account.” Sal hadn’t spent much of her winnings since she started training, only for the bare essentials. Almost all the cash she had gotten from beating Viola and the chump trainers she encountered between Route 4 and 9 was being used to pay for Arnaud’s medical care. I really wish I got to boost that Amulet Coin from Parfum Palace right about now. “How’s my father doing?”

The nurse’s pep faded, turning into a warm but professional bedside manner. “His condition hasn’t changed as far as I know. Your friend Mia has been here to visit a couple of times…the familiar face really helps him focus. She’s a nice girl.”
“Has he…” Salieri cleared her throat. “Has he mentioned me?”
“…he asked me twice when you and your brother are getting home from school.” The nurse put up a strong front, but it was clear that she found it difficult to talk about. Salieri recognized the front immediately. She could relate. “I’ve kept my answers simple, like you asked me too. I haven’t…I haven’t told him about Moze.”
“Thanks.”
“Would you like to talk to him? I’m sure he’d love to hear from you!”

Salieri froze up. She tried to answer the question, but kept losing the words, even thought she knew her answer was “No”. If Arnaud was lucid, and he knew what his daughter had been up to lately, it was fair to say he would not approve.

But he wasn’t lucid. He was sick. And that’s why she did what she did.

“Actually I have to go. Could you tell him I said hi?”
“Sure. Good luck, Salieri.”

Sal hung up the phone and exhaled a deep breath. I need to hit something…good things there’s a Gym in this town.

Cyllage City – Pokémon Gym

Salieri made her way through town by moving with the crowds, weaving between bodies and staying out of wide open spaces. It took longer to traverse that way, and it got her some stares, but it was better than getting shot at.

Cyllage Gym was positioned at the foot of the mountainside along the cycling roads, inside a man made cave. All she knew about Grant was that he had a penchant for extreme sports, especially rock climbing. So does he climb his own Pokémon? No, that’s a stupid question.

Without looking back, she wasted no time and walked into the gym.  

[Marsuru]

Route 14 - Laverre Nature Trail

Sunlight dappled the forest floor, streaming between dead branches that interlocked like scattered straw. A chill breeze rolled along the muddy earth, somehow frigid at the height of summer, and with it came the sour smell of the nearby swamp. It was here in the midst of the trees that a lone trainer made camp. A blanket lay on the ground, mud pooling over its edges, just inches from the trainer's head. On the highest hill, not far from camp, a Hitmonlee was on guard duty; it stood tall, arms folded and eyes closed, snoring quietly. Just as the Hitmonlee was about to reach the best part of its dream, a drawn out yawn dragged him awake.

'Ughhh! That was the worst night's sleep I've ever had!' said the dark haired teenager, stretching on his blanket. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, then leapt to his feet in a single jolt of his body. He stood up, brushing down his clothes. 'I guess that's what happens when you stay in a haunted forest. Oh well. Hey, Ronin, you hungry?'

The Hitmonlee woke up quickly at the prospect of food. He launched himself from the hilltop, landing effortlessly at the camp site below, his springy legs absorbing the impact. He looked around expectantly, wondering where breakfast was.

'Yeah, me too, man,' the trainer went on, collecting his things from the floor and stuffing them into his backpack. Ronin deflated slightly, pinching his brow. 'Next time, we're definitely bringing something to eat. And absolutely not just pokémon food, that stuff tastes terrible.'

He stuck out his tongue, and nearly bit it off when a shrill scream rattled through the forest, making him jump. It came from somewhere near the trail, and seemed to be moving.

'Sounds close by,' the trainer said, sharing a nod with Ronin and breaking into a run. People became trainers for all sorts of reasons: glory, wealth, ambition. Wayne was in it for the adventure. And nothing said adventure like an anonymous cry of terror. They crested a hill, sliding through thick brush and hopping over a trickling brook that smelled as bad as the swamp. The scream hadn't let up. It was high pitched and whiny, like it was coming from something small. Wayne and Ronin came out at the top of an incline, and below them was a dead end nestled in steep walls, and the source of the scream.

'I've finally got you, you insolent little pest!'

A fancy-looking guy and his Machamp were blocking the trail, inching towards a terrified little Aipom. The monkey pokémon was curled into a ball, holding its paws over its head. Wayne set his jaw and jumped forward, sliding down the steep slope. Ronin reached out after his trainer, but all he grabbed was air. Wayne hit the floor between Aipom and its attackers, standing tall with a smile on his face.

'Hey now,' Wayne said, grinning, 'Don't you know it's not nice to, uh... To fight something that can't fight back? Yeah, that works.'
'Get out of the way, you idiot!' the fancy guy shouted, screaming panic. 'It's going to escape!'
'Dude, it's just an Aipom,' Wayne replied, shaking his head. 'Sure it's a little weird seeing them here, but I bet pokémon think that about us all the time.'

The Machamp grabbed and hurled a boulder, which soared over Wayne's head, crashing into the back wall. Aipom rolled down the hill, foiled in its attempt to flee. Wayne's whole body froze up, his eyes wide while he stared at the wreckage of shattered rock.

'Oh geez. Oh maaaan, that was not necessary,' the Aipom squeaked, struggling to get off the ground and staring at the boulder that barely missed it. 'These nobility types don't know how to play nice.' It glared at the Machamp. 'Do you have any idea how close you came to squashing me?!'
'Not close enough!' the fancy noble growled, signalling for another assault. This time, the Machamp hulked forward, fists clenched hard with veins popping in its arms. It shoved Wayne aside, sending the teenager's back up against the side wall. The enormous pokémon's thick black shadow hung over Aipom, who stared back with eyes like pinpricks.

'You know,' Wayne said to the noble, 'I've never actually seen a talking pokémon before, have you? Cause I know they're a thing, but I heard they're super rare.'
The noble glanced in Wayne's direction then back to the impending slaughter. He seemed angry already, but with an extra layer of annoyed once Wayne tried conversing with him. 'Just stay out of it. Today's been bothersome enough without your mindless droning.'
'Okay, ouch, but also sorry,' Wayne said, 'Can't stay out of it. I'm way too heroic.'

The noble's expression slackened as he comprehended what Wayne said. At that same moment, Machamp raised all four of its fists over its head and started to swing down like a hammer that would rend Aipom's bones to powder. Also in that same moment, Ronin launched himself from the trees and aimed a Jump Kick at Machamp's head.

When the blow struck, the four-armed fight type was knocked off balance, its swing missing its target and wobbling off to the side. It staggered, but brought both feet down to stabilise itself. Ronin slid along the trail floor, and had to duck to avoid a double backhand from the Machamp as it span around to meet him.

Ronin's flexible legs allowed him to easily weave out of the way of the blows. When the backhand made Machamp's torso spin around, it was left wide open. Ronin then kicked skyward, its leg stretching to cover the difference in height. It kicked Machamp in the jaw, making its head snap back, then brought his heel down in the pokémon's face.

Dizzy, Machamp wobbled backwards and Ronin brought his leg into his chest, compressing his springy leg to charge up an excess of power. He paused, then rolled underneath Machamp and let the kick fly into the pokémon's butt, sending it flying over the trees, flapping its arms uselessly until it crash landed somewhere in the forest.

'My Machamp!' the noble cried, clutching his head. He raced in the direction that Machamp had been kicked, vanishing into the forest. Wayne sniffed decisively.
'Oh man, that was so cool,' the trainer grinned. Ronin folded his arms smugly, his composure shattering into shock when Wayne slapped him on the back. 'Next time though, you gotta use Blaze Kick for the send off. Then I can say something cool like "You're fired!" or "Lighten up!" Oh! We should totally call it the Reverse Meteor. I need to write this stuff down pronto.'

Ronin rolled his eyes, turning to the shivering Aipom. It hadn't moved from its spot. Its eyes were like saucers, its fur mangled from being chased through forest brush. In short, it looked pathetic. Too pathetic. Ronin's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

'Uh, hey,' the Aipom said. 'Boy, you really kicked its a**, eh? Heh.'
'I still can't believe you're talking,' Wayne said, grabbing the pokémon's attention. 'How'd you even learn to do that anyway?'
'That's a secret,' the Aipom smirked. 'Though one I'll share if you grant me a favour.'
'Alright,' Wayne said, then frowned. 'Wait, wait. We just saved you, so you already owe us one.'

The Aipom shook its head, grinning delightfully. 'Ahh, but didn't you say that you were a hero? Heroes don't charge for heroic deeds. It's part of the mystique.'
'I guess that's true,' Wayne said, rubbing his chin. 'Okay, so what do you need?'
'That's the spirit!' the Aipom squeaked, springing from the floor and darting up Wayne's side before finding a perch on his shoulder. 'I need you to get me to someone. His name is Zack Redgrave.'

Sycamore Research Lab - The Gardens

Zack frowned. 'I feel like something bad's going to happen.'

'Well,' Esme said, aiming Clauncher at his head. 'Yeah. Yeah, it will.' She squeezed the water type lightly and sent a burst of freezing cold water at Zack's face. It wasn't as strong as a regular Water Gun, but the pressure was enough to clear away the muck from Charmander's Smokescreen attack. After a few seconds, Zack's face was clear. After a few more, Esme stopped spraying water.

Wiping a hand over his face and through his hair, Zack swiped away a good chunk of wet. He gasped at the chill of it, but already the summer sun's warmth was burning through. He grabbed a towel from the stack he'd stolen and began drying off, then picked his shirt off the floor and put it back on, buttoning up the front. Esme wasn't watching, instead focusing on some flowers as they swayed in the breeze. The six starters were chasing each other around, playing hide and seek in the garden. Aerodactyl was back in its ball where it was safe from any lethal urges. Zack could spot where the Charmander was easily, since its flaming tail stuck out above the sea of flowers.

'Thanks,' Zack said to catch Esme's attention. 'For shooting me in the face. I appreciate it.'
'Any time,' Esme replied. 'But why not just shower inside?' She passed Clauncher back to Zack, who let the pokémon latch onto his belt. She gave him a coy look. 'Or are you the kind of guy who goes shirtless at every opportunity?'
'Not every opportunity.' Zack said. 'Sometimes the shirt just tears in revealing places but never actually comes off.'
'How dreadful,' Esme said as she set off walking towards the lab building. Zack watched her go for a second, trying not to stare. Instead, he looked back over the flowers, locating Charmander's flame.

He could use a pokémon like that. All he had to do was convince Professor Sycamore that it was a good idea, and that he was a responsible trainer. How hard could that be?  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Gym

The gym proper was contained in an excavated hole straight into the side of Kalos’s eastern mountain range. The interior of this relatively little pocket was a large cave space with high ceilings. In the rear end was an underground waterfall, with a bench to enjoy the view. Along one of the stone walls was a gigantic viewing screen, identical to the one in Santalune Gym, displaying the current match against the Gym Leader. But what drew Salieri’s eye first was the huge rocky hill in the center of the Gym. Rock walls with manmade holds were spaced out along the sides of the hill, providing trainers with a way up to the arena.

Trainers and rock climbing enthusiasts alike were peppered along the hill, building up a sweat. “Now this is a gym,” Salieri mused as the cracked her knuckles. The hill wouldn’t be a problem with her skillset. She approached it eagerly.

“Ah! Why hello there!" a tubby man in a Hawaiian shirt rushed over from his position at the gym entrance. He grinned at Salieri, though his eyes were hidden by a pair of black shades, making it difficult to tell if the grin was one of genuine warmth, or the kind of grin an Arbok might wear when it spies a Pidgey’s nest. "You must be a new challenger! I take it you've already reserved a number, Champ in Making?"

Champ in Making, hehehe I like that. Wait, reserved a number?...this is very familiar. Riiiight, it’s just a formality thing.

"Yeah, I'm after that guy," she said with a reassuring nod, pointing to the screen. “Hey, are you the Trainer Tips Guy? Do you have any tips on how to beat Grant?"
"Pfft... 'Trainer tips guy'..." the man laughed with a limp wave of his hand. "My name's Bert. I'm a talent scout, and uh, trainer tips guy."

Bert consulted a smart tablet that was tucked under his arm, and his grin shifted into disappointment. “Are you Salieri Soledad?”
Sal’s eyes narrowed. “That depends. Is there a problem?”
“Well it looks like you’ve lied about reserving a number for your last gym match.” Bert spun the tablet around so she could see the picture that Viola took of Salieri in Santalune Gym, photoshopped to make her a** look fatter. “You’ve been given a red flag. See? It’s that icon in the corner over there.”
“What?” Salieri was surprised, but tried not to let it show by compensating with outrage. “No way! Look at that girl’s a**, that’s a fat a**! I have a great a**!”
“No butts no cuts no coconuts. Everyone’s gotta reserve a number, regardless of posterior quality. Them’s the brakes, kid,” Bert sighed. “Fortunately for you, this is your first time, so you get off with a stern warning and a finger wag.”

He wagged his finger in her face. Sal pushed it away. “That’s not me! You can barely see my face in that picture, let me see some real proof.”

Bert tapped on the pad and brought up a video feed, taken from a security camera in Santalune Gym. The date on the feed was from two days ago.

Quote:

"Ah! Why hello there!" a tubby man in a Hawaiian shirt rushed over from his position at the gym entrance. He grinned at Salieri, though his eyes were hidden by a pair of black shades, making it difficult to tell if the grin was one of genuine warmth, or the kind of grin a Sharpedo might wear when spotting a Goldeen. "You must be a new challenger! I take it you've already reserved a number, Champ in Making?"

Salieri took in all of the interior. The surprisingly spry Tubby Man elicited raised eyebrows from Salieri.

"Yeah, I'm after that guy," she said with a reassuring nod, pointing to the screen. Sal tried to catch a glimpse of Viola's battle style while talking to the Tubby Man. "Hey, are you the Trainer Tips Guy? Do you have any tips on how to beat Viola?"

"Pfft... 'Trainer tips guy'..." the man laughed with a limp wave of his hand. "My name's Scott. I'm a talent scout, and uh, trainer tips guy."

He consulted a clip board that he had dangled on a length of cord around his neck. "Hm, that's funny, you don't look like a Jake, but I have absolutely no reason to question that. Once this battle is over, make your way down the webbing in the middle. It's perfectly safe, but if you're scared you can always take the stairs. No wheelchair access though, cause that's how we roll—"

“No way, this guy is must be my long lost twin or something. You must be experiencing some crazy déjà vu right now,” Bert said, finding the situation humorous. “You can reserve a number over there, at the merchandise counter.”

Sal;s mouth hung open at the video feed. She looked up at Bert, too flustered to figure out what words she wanted to use until she settled on an angry, “God damnit!” and stomped away to the counter.

Seconds later, Bert laughed. "Aha! I get that wheelchair joke."

*********

“Last in line,” Sal growled to herself, clenching her ticket in her fist as she sat on the waterfall viewing bench. “I’ll show them who’s last in line, I’ll back cut the crap out of those fools. Last in line bullshit…”

Seeking a distraction, Salieri took out her Pokégear and checked the news highlights. The headlines were about Ambrette Town, discussing the stampede and aftermath in great length. With a lack of solid information about what caused it aside from the police pointing fingers at Team Flare, the articles focused more on the effort to save the town and the reconstruction that was already underway.

Even though she didn’t go to Ambrette Town with saving it in mind, Salieri was curious about the reconstruction. She felt compelled to see what it was like the day after. The wide spread destruction was unlike anything she’d seen before. It was a morbid spectacle.

She scrolled though the other points of interest on her news feed. There was a prediction for a meteor shower to occur near Route 10 sometime tomorrow, one that occurred once every seven years. And in the sports section, the playoffs for Unovan Football were underway, with the Nimbasa City Strikers up against the Opelucid City Paladins in the evening. Salieri enjoyed the physicality and competitive nature of sports, especially Unovan Football. She didn’t know much about the rulings or players, but she wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to see huge dudes tackling each other into the dirt.

“Merde, I gotta see that game.” She remembered The Sniper could be lurking anywhere, and sighed. “If I’m not getting shot at, that is.”
“Excuse me? Are you Salieri?”

Sal craned her neck up at Rising Star trainer and her Solrock floating beside her. “Yeah. Whaddya want?”
“Well I was going to wait for you to stop talking to yourself, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen, so here I am.” The Rising Star grinned. “Let’s battle.”
“I’ll pass. I want my first battle to be against Grant today. Beat it kid.”
“What? You’re not allowed to refuse.”

Salieri stood up from the bench, suddenly becoming much more imposing. “What are you talking about?”
The Rising Star gulped as Salieri got uncomfortably close. “You don’t know? If you take a number, whoever is behind in you in line has the right to battle you for your spot. It’s more fun that way.”

Sal’s eyes widened. She did a double take at the rock climbing hill behind her. “So I don’t have to wait forever? I can just crush scrubs til I get to Grant?”
“Err, yeah.” The Rising Star’s confidence came back as she jabbed a thumb at her chest. “But you’ll have to beat me if you don’t want to drop a step.”

Salieri took out a Pokéball, smiling with an almost sadistic ferocity. “That won’t take long.”

********

Minutes later, Biz Marquis was standing with one foot on top of the Solrock’s unconscious form, flexing his muscles. Salieri gave the stunned Rising Star a pat on the back as she walked away, Biz in tow, to find the person ahead of her in line. “You’re right, this is more fun.”  

[Marsuru]

Sycamore Research Lab

Inside the lab was dark compared to the garden. Zack dropped the pile of used towels on the floor with the clean ones and went hunting for a fridge. Esme was on her holo caster by the time Zack located the kitchen, speaking to a pajama-clad Sina in her rapid Kalosian lilt. Though he didn't care much for the Kalosian language, Zack had to admit that it had its moments. It was only somewhat ruined by the sight of Professor Sycamore slumping into the kitchen wearing nothing but his boxers and a lab coat.

'Hey, Professor,' Zack said, opening the refrigerator and rummaging around. His day would improve significantly if he could find some kind of meat-on-a-stick.
'Morning, uh, you,' Sycamore grumbled, still half asleep. He itched at his stubble and reached past Zack, grabbing a carton of milk for himself.

Esme beeped off her holo caster and called over. 'The wonder twins are on their way.'
'Ugh, this early?' Sycamore sighed, breaking into a yawn. He took a long glug from his milk then put it on the counter. 'Guess I ought to find some pants. Jack, make me a coffee will you?'
'It's Zack.'
Sycamore blinked, bleary-eyed. 'What did I say?'

'Why don't you get moving?' Esme asked pointedly, guiding Sycamore by the shoulders to the kitchen door. 'I'll get your coffee ready. We're studying an Aerodactyl today, remember?'
'Hm. Yeah. You're one of the good ones, Esme,' Sycamore yawned, slouching off upstairs. Zack watched him go with a puzzled frown.

'That is one weird man,' he said finally. Esme set off walking, sparing Zack a glance over her shoulder.
'He's not the strangest guy I know,' she smiled, and Zack felt his cheeks prickle.
'Hey,' he called, following her out of the kitchen, 'You're talking about Dexio, right? Esme!'

---

'Now that the gang's back together, let's do this thing.'

Professor Sycamore had them all gathered in a circle in the ground floor lab. Zack glanced around the room; there was Sina, who looked more tired than Sycamore had that morning, Dexio, who was wide awake and buzzing with anticipation, Esme, half-sitting on a counter with her arms folded, Sycamore, at the foot of the round research table, and finally himself. Aerodactyl barely fit on the massive research table, its wings draped over the edge. Dexio had administered a hefty dose of tranquilliser, which needed a second dose to take effect. Aerodactyl was groggy, but not completely out of it, staring blankly at the humans and only occasionally licking its lips.

'Will this be safe?' Sina asked, eyeing Aerodactyl's teeth with trepidation. 'I mean, I'm not scared or anything but that thing could swallow any one of us whole.'
'Hmm. I doubt that,' Dexio said, 'The chances are it'd need to bite us in half before any swallowing went on.' Sina frowned at him. 'I suppose it's a good thing our friend Zack will be on hand to jump in should the need arise.'
'I'm not hanging around while you do this,' Zack said, holding up his hands. 'I've got better things to do than babysit you lot.'
'Yeah, like what?' Sina teased. 'Hit the high street and pick out a new wardrobe? Because I can get behind that. No offence, but you look a little homeless.'

'More than a little, I'd say,' Dexio cut in. 'But let's not bring too much attention to Zackary's dire attire, hilarious as it may be.'
'Wait, his real name's Zackary? Now that's hilarious,' said a smirking Sina.

By now Zack's face was beet red, and he looked about ready to blow. 'My name's not Zackary. I'm going to leave now. If Helena asks, tell her I'm training. I don't know if I'll be back.'

Zack stormed off, letting the lab doors swing shut behind him. Sina was the first to speak up. 'You know, I can never get a bead on that guy.'
'Tell me about it,' Esme said, pushing off from her counter. 'Can we get this over with? I don't want to be here when those drugs wear off.'
'Yes,' Professor Sycamore said, snapping on a rubber glove. 'Alright, team. Gear up and pick an orifice. We've got some researchin' to do.'  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Benedict found himself, once more, waking up in a strange location. For a moment, he found himself confused. The bed wasn't especially soft, either that or the ground had gotten softer. He found that his arm was numb. Dead. A voice underneath the fog of grogginess told him that it was going to be the worst thing ever when he actually got up. Well, not ever. But that realization also brought attention to his arm.

After a moment, he realized that he wasn't staring at a very beautiful rock, he was staring at a decently pretty woman. She was a little older than him, still young enough to be reasonably competing in the pokemon league without any sign she was talented. Benedict turned his head back towards the ceiling and took a breath. That was right, he was in a hotel room. She'd recognized him from his interview.

I guess it wasn't a small one like I thought. Probably have messages on the transceiver. From friends. It had been on silent since the battle, and he'd forgotten about it until now. With a sigh, Benedict reached over to wake up... What was her name?

****************************

Benedict wasn't sure what had surprised him more, the messages on the transceiver or that the woman was entirely fine with him slipping away after a quick shower. Maybe too okay with it, actually. I hope she's not married. Or dating someone. I'll surf that Lapras when it surfaces.

As for the messages, he was still debating what to do about them. Most of them. Well... Some of them. He wasn't at all interested in that one sponsoring rash ointment. Whoever took the job advertising that was probably a grade-A sucker. What was more mysterious, in a way, was how they'd gotten his proper transceiver number...

Probably his parents or something. Of course she forgot to say anything while I was actually home. And Arceus forbid they actually message him telling him about doing that.

Benedict looked up a moment later, and found himself staring at his home. He could go in. Give them a piece of his mind. But the youth didn't want to do that. He bypassed it and went to the center to pick up his pokemon. They needed to get some training in, some of them just to become accustomed to him, others mostly to warm up before the gym match. Ricard... He was going to confront that one soon. Not yet, but soon.

*********

"One. Two. One. Two. Try and draw the poison out of your pores. Get the whole arm covered. And one. Two. Jab. jab. Yeah. Keep that up for now." Essence was swinging at nothing, maintaining her "quick on your feet" style as she punched. It would be a lot easier if he could get a padding of some kind, but whatever was used would be covered in poison when she learned poison jab. It'd be injected with poison from the poison sting she was basing the moves off of at the least.

Ben turned his attention to the rest of the pokemon. He remembered the annoying movements from Sal's pokemon. Aerial ace. Francis was practicing it, using memorized movements from his time practicing mirror move while watching the fight. The movements were off, Benedict knew, but the flying type was on his way to it.

Madeleine was moving strangely, in what the trainer assumed was some kind of fighting style. She was flowing forward, every step sliding into a different motion that might have been a punch or a kick. He frowned at that and shook his head. She had listened when he said to train, but developing a move had been disastrous. She was stubborn, and seemed to think she knew exactly how to move for what he described, even when he was clearly correct. He let her do her dance to practice and turned to the other two.

Inkay and Rhyhorn, unlike the others, were practicing together. Jerath wasn't so much learning a new move as helping Cal to do it. Cal was focusing the psychic energy that let her use psywave to try and make it into a proper psychic. Apparently, Jerath was rushing her and her job was to stop him with that, as he showed he could push through the psywave and reach her...

"You got close that time." He called to Inkay. "Just a little more and you'll do it." The pokemon seemed to take pride in that, overreached herself, and ended up getting a particularly nasty stomp to the body-face-thing. Benedict rushed over to see if she was okay.

((And next time, we will join him as he rushes over to the gym.))  

[Marsuru]

Route 14 - Laverre Nature Trail

And so our heroes continued their travels through Laverre Forest with Lumiose City set firmly in their sights. For a place said to be haunted, the land was peaceful and calm, and surprisingly sunny. Wayne Lee lead the way with his new companion, Aipom, perched on his shoulder. Completing the trio, Ronin walked behind, ever alert for signs of attack, but mostly just bored. Though a forest of dead and lively trees jumbled together over soggy swampland held peculiar beauty in its tranquillity, such sights weren't for everyone. It'd be a good while before reaching the city, a feeling not at all exasperated when the talking Aipom started talking.

'Ahh, you have no idea how great it is to stop running,' Aipom groaned. He held tightly to a bundle of cloth that made a sash-like backpack, kicking his legs absently from his place on Wayne's shoulder. 'You know that noble chased me all night? What a nut.'
'Why'd he even do that anyway?' Wayne asked. 'He seemed pissed.'
'Let's just say I used my "Thief" skill to "steal" from him.'
'Oh. What'd you take?'
'You mean besides his wallet? How old are you, kid?' Aipom asked, peering at Wayne's face like a suspicious bouncer.
'Fourteen.'
'Then it's gonna be another few years before I'd feel comfortable telling you what else I stole.' Aipom relaxed, and resumed his idle kicking.

They walked in companionable silence for a time. Few trainers journeyed this route so they didn't see anyone, and Ronin seemed to be warding off wild pokémon well enough, so they weren't attacked either. Wayne kept glancing at Aipom curiously, until he could no longer contain the questions welling up inside.

'So this guy we're looking for. What's he look like?'
Aipom shrugged. 'I dunno. Like a human, I guess.'
'Gee, that's helpful. You do know people actually look different to one another? We're not like pokémon.'
'That's a relief! I'd hate to think humans are anything like pokémon.' Aipom smirked, then sighed when Wayne started sulking. 'Alright. He's got dark hair and he's pink. Yellowy-pink. I'll know it when I see it.'
'This guy then. Is he your trainer? Is that why you're looking for him?'
'Pfft. No, he's more like... my employee.'
'Wow, I had no idea you were a businessmon.'
'I have certain skills. You'd be surprised what a lucrative business being a cute, adorable critter can be.'

Wayne nodded his understanding. 'Who can talk.'
'That helps. But it's mostly in the slight of hand.' As he spoke, Aipom's dangling tail reached down Wayne's back and plucked a pokéball from the trainer's belt. He swung the tail around so Wayne could see, then flicked the ball into the air.
'Hey, be careful with that!' Wayne lurched forward and grabbed the ball in both hands, clutching it to his chest. 'My pokémon are trained to be living weapons. Call one out for no reason, and who knows what could happen.'
Aipom cocked his head. 'You don't know what'd happen? Doesn't sound like you've trained them at all to me.'
'Whaaaat. I'm an amazing trainer! Tell him, Ronin.'

The Hitmonlee made a noise that didn't quite sound like agreement, but didn't sound too negative either. It sounded like a snort of laughter said in pokémon language. Aipom nodded knowingly.

'I hear ya, buddy,' he said. Wayne frowned.
'Wait, so you mean you could translate what Ronin's saying?'
'Well duh. I'm bilingual.'
'...I don't know why you felt the need to broadcast that, but whatever. It's fine by me. Everyone has their piece of the pie, or so they say.'
'Nobody says that, Wayne. You can make a pie analogy out of anything, but still, that's not something people say.'
'Tsh. I bet Ronin would say it.'
'Heh, yeah. He would.' Aipom agreed, and they both looked over at Ronin, smirking.

Ronin rolled his eyes and muttered something in Hitmonlese.

'What'd he say?'
'Something about there being two of them.'
'Two of what?'
'What am I, a psychic type?' Aipom paused, then leapt to his feet, pointing at the line of buildings that emerged from over the treetops. 'Oh sweet, look over there! It's a city!'
'Awesome, we didn't get lost!' Wayne grinned at the sight of Lumiose, not far off now. Losing his patience for walking, Wayne broke into a run. 'Come on, Ronin! It's waffle day at the pokémon center!'  

[Marsuru]

Lumiose City - Vernal Avenue

Zack rounded the alley corner and slammed his back to the wall. Cries of 'Murderer!' preceded an agitated rabble, who ran past his location without so much as a glance. He stayed quiet, tense, making sure they'd truly gone, then slumped to the floor. The trainer spared himself a sigh, and a frustrated rub of his hair. He should've known this would happen.

Not a minute ago, Zack had been walking the high street, trying to relocate Boutique Couture. Though he hadn't appreciated the way she'd gone about making it, Sina had a point about his clothes. A replacement outfit was just the thing, and with any luck he'd get another freebie. What he hadn't expected was the boutique greeter to take one look at him, and scream at the top of her lungs. After that, things just kind of escalated, right until the point where Viro Von Silver himself descended to the shop floor. Quite literally, in fact. For one eyeful of what Zack had done to his precious suit was all it took to overwhelm the sensitive stylist, sending him crashing to the tiles in a melodramatic faint.

The only real question, Zack thought, was whether they thought he'd murdered Viro, or just Viro's outfit. Knowing what he did about Kalosians, he couldn't confidently say which would be treated more seriously. He got to his feet and checked the coast was clear, peeking around the alley exit. Rolling his sleeves up in an effort to hide their ripped fabric, Zack joined the flow of the crowd. The sun rose ever higher as morning shifted into mid morning; precious daylight was being wasted, and Zack didn't fancy training at night.

I need mobility. And a store where I'm less likely to get arrested on sight. God damn Kalosians.

Southern Boulevard - South Pokémon Center

Tired faces greeted Zack as he entered the pokémon center. From what he could tell, most of the refugees from the Ambrette Town rampage had healed up and moved on, but there were still a few too exhausted or shocked to have left. He wouldn't be surprised if people decided to quit on the league entirely, a thought that he couldn't deny gave him a small sense of satisfaction. He doubted most trainers could handle the kind of life or death experience the rampage had become. It wasn't like it was covered in school text books.

'Hey, I wanna make an inquiry,' he said to the receptionist at the front desk. She smiled brightly, but Zack could see fatigue reflected in her dull eyes.
'Yes, and what would that be?'
'A girl came in and dropped off a Kirlia yesterday. Name's Serene. I need to know what kind of state it's in. I'm its trainer.'

The receptionist nodded, turning to her computer screen. 'I'll just be a moment,' she said, opening searches and scrolling through menus. 'Zack Redgrave? Your Kirlia is still in a critical condition. It suffered severe trauma to the head as well as multiple fractures. The doctors have reduced the swelling, but it'll be a long time before we can treat it with standard methods. It's been hit and miss for a good while, I don't think anybody expected it to last this long.'
'Oh,' Zack said, frowning. He could feel his conscience start to nag about his responsibility as a trainer, but ignored it. Getting all maudlin was the last thing he needed to do.
'Were you fighting in the outbreak?' the receptionist asked, rereading Serene's problems to herself and giving Zack a pitying look.
'Huh?'
'On Route 9. I think it's terrible what happened. I've never see so many injured pokémon. I can't imagine what it's like at Cyllage City; it must be a nightmare.'
'Yeah, probably,' Zack said, walking off.

Serene was out of action, which meant he couldn't teleport to the clothes shop in Santalune City. It was too far out of his way for a shopping trip, especially when he had to get back to the lab to pick up Aerodactyl. There might be other clothes stores in Lumiose City, but if they were anything like Boutique Couture, the less he knew the better. Besides, given Viro's reaction, Zack expected he'd be blacklisted from every store in town at the very least.

He found a clear bench and kicked back, watching the crowd. If he couldn't buy clothes, he had to find some other way to get them. Near the exit to the center's arenas, laughing and joking with a pair of interested girls, was a trainer of Zack's height and build. He wore a white shirt with black trim, along with a pair of red cargo pants whose pockets were marked off by gold stripes. Good enough. Zack stood up and took a sharp breath, getting into character. He smirked, heading over to the trainer with his arms held wide.

'Hey, Limpdick! Ever see Terminator?'

---

The trainer wasn't bad, he'd give him that. Attacking with a Crobat to Zack's Clauncher, he should've had it in the bag. The more a trainer knew what they were doing, the harder it was to exploit the gaps in their strategy. A single mistake could unravel the best laid plans, and everyone made mistakes. The gaps were always there, you just had to know where to look. This trainer's mistake was twofold: first was his conceit, fuelled by a desire to impress the girls he'd been chatting up, and second was thinking that an evolutionary advantage would be enough to tip the scales in his favour.

Crobat flitted above the arena, its already impressive speed bolstered by two uses of Agility. It was barely a flicker against the sky, and Zack had long stopped bothering to track its movements. Each time it tried to catch Clauncher with a Confuse Ray, it slowed, allowing Clauncher to speed backwards out of the way on a jet of Water Gun. Zack had already set about increasing Clauncher's attack potential, maxing it out with three uses of Swords Dance. He'd even thrown in a couple of Crabhammers, which had no chance of hitting such a fast opponent, but let the other trainer think he was going all out with his attacks. It was almost comical the way Clauncher swung its claw, striking air seconds after Crobat had shot by, moving in comparative slow motion.

'I grow tired of this battle!' the trainer announced. 'End it, Crobat. Giga Drain!'

There. The Crobat slowed, becoming visible while it charged a beam of shimmering green light. Whatever the light touched would be drained of its energy, which fed Crobat, replenishing its life force. It was a vampiric attack that would likely defeat Clauncher in one blow.

'Close the front valve,' Zack said, and Clauncher understood immediately. Clauncher's main claw handled its water attacks, and consisted of two valves, which it could open and close autonomously. When it used Water Gun, it opened the front valve to initiate the attack, and the rear valve on contact, preventing recoil, which would unintentionally launch it backwards. When it used Water Gun to move about, the rear valve stayed shut. So by opening the rear valve and keeping the front one closed then blasting out water, Clauncher propelled itself claw-first at whatever target it aimed at; a technique it wouldn't learn on its own for a good while yet. Aqua Jet.

Giga Drain shot out from Crobat, and Clauncher sped to meet it, riding on a tower of water that dyed the arena floor black. The Crobat's confidence shattered like glass when Clauncher smashed its Giga Drain with Aqua Jet, driving through and crashing its claw into Crobat's face. The bat pokémon nearly dropped from the sky, but managed to hang on with a fierce flapping of its wings. It regained its balance, but only in time to look up and see Clauncher coming back down, inches away, its claw shining with the power of Crabhammer.

This time the attack connected, bringing with it a dull boom that popped Zack's eardrums and wobbled the center's windows. Crobat shot to the earth, plunging into the arena with an explosion of dirt. The dust settled in a matter of moments, leaving behind Crobat's broken body, well and truly unconscious. Clauncher span as it fell down, and Zack caught it without looking, swiping it to the side to remove excess water before clipping it to his belt.

The other trainer stood dumbfounded. The girls who'd been watching were gone, and he was left slack-jawed and silent. Zack could sense an extra layer of misery coming from him given their bet. When he was at school, it was standard to wager a pokémon on the outcome of the battle. Whoever won got to pick one of the loser's pokémon and add it to their team; to forgo that privilege was seen as a massive insult. When Zack approached the trainer with these terms and revealed which pokémon he'd be battling with, the trainer had been more than happy to accept. But that was then.

'I can't believe you didn't win,' Zack said, making his way over. 'Really. I'm shocked.'
'Oh shut up and get it over with,' the trainer sneered. He stood up and met Zack's eye, putting on a good front, though the sadness and shame was all too apparent behind his glare. He recalled Crobat, then unbuckled his belt, holding it up for Zack to take his pick.
Zack looked it over, then shook his head. 'On second thoughts, there's something I want more.' He paused, holding up his hands. 'Uh... not- not that. Although I do want to get into your pants. Ha.'

Lumiose City - Southern Boulevard

A short while later, Zack was back on the streets with a slightly used set of clothes. He didn't get the odd looks he received when dressed poorly, or the looks of admiration from wearing a brand new Von Silver. He just blended in, which was fine by him. He could still use a shower, and a shave was definitely due, but thanks to the wardrobe change and the Potion antidote working its magic, he felt normal for the first time in ages. He stretched in the sun as a taxi drove past, then crossed the street to Sycamore's lab. He wondered whether Helena was up yet, but considering the state she was in the previous evening, he imagined she wasn't. Remembering the trainers who were struggling to cope with the pokémon rampage, he realised that Helena could be just like them.

She was, after all, just a kid.  

[Marsuru]

((I should probably just edit this into my last post, but we'll never inflate the page count like that ninja ))

Route 7 - Battle Chateau

A serpent slithered in the ocean blue sky, deftly swimming along air currents, its great scales gleaming in the summer sun. Elizabeth Leroux rode her Gyarados side saddle, one knee up in her chest as she watched the world roll by far below. If you've ever flown on an airplane, the sight of a miniature dollhouse world might be familiar, but seeing as Elizabeth saw, with nothing blocking the way, wind rushing in her ears, the expanse of sky stretching into the horizon in every direction, the effect was a world apart. The Chateau approached, and Elizabeth guided Gyarados into its front courtyard. Guards and servants alike scattered with fright as Gyarados came to a rest, a low groan escaping its mouth. Elizabeth dismounted, and Gyarados disintegrated into a whipping whirl of light, that snapped shut inside its pokéball.

'L-Lady Elizabeth!' an old greeter stammered, rushing over for the obligatory scrape and grovel. 'What a joy to see you. Um. Back so soon?'
'Lord Nostrad sent for me,' Elizabeth said, remembering to be wary of the hired help, especially the greeters. 'Something about a business venture, I'm not sure of the details.'
'Ah, but of course,' the greeter said, bowing serenely, despite his hat hanging lopsided on his head from where he'd been fleeing. He turned to one of his juniors and snapped his fingers. 'Open the doors!'

---

The greeter lead Elizabeth inside, speaking his pleasantries, talking of everything and nothing. Her fingers brushed her rapier once she was into the Chateau proper, an instinct she was thankful for. Even when going into business with a Nostrad, only a fool would consider them a friend. The house of dragons was considered by most to be the strongest court house, and they didn't earn that reputation by being nice.

'Please come this way,' the greeter said, leading Elizabeth up the stairs and into a side passage. Then they took a turn onto a balcony that overlooked the interior courtyard. It was an open square area bordered by the Chateau. Sunlight made the balcony's white brick hot to touch, but Elizabeth leant against it anyway. During term time, one might expect the courtyard to be filled with students moving between classes, or practising their training. But since the league was in session, it was practically deserted, with only a dozen or so occupying the yard.

Elizabeth watched them over her shoulder, her short hair breezing past her eyes. She glanced back to see the greeter was still bowing at her, waiting to be dismissed.

'My lord will be with you shortly,' he said, interlacing his fingers and speaking pleasantly. 'Is there anything you require in the meantime?'
'I'm alright. You can go,' Elizabeth said.
'If that is what my lady wishes,' the greeter bowed, turned, and made a swift exit. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed for a moment. She doubted he'd have gone far.  

[Jump Einatz]

Route 7 - Battle Chateau

Elizabeth would soon hear the rhythmic steps of a woman approaching, one a few ears younger than herself. Sporting the green, orange and gold colors common to House Nostrad via her noblewoman's jacket and sash, this young woman also had a rapier sheathed at her side. She carried herself with dignified posture, moving with purpose and deliberation like many other high nobles did. Her name was Juliet Nostrad, and she was the daughter of the man Elizabeth had come to see.

"Elizabeth Leroux." Juliet held her hands behind her back, regarding Elizabeth with a faint smile and unreadable eyes. A few paces behind Juliet was a Pokémon distinctive enough to be her calling card, a Shiny Ninetales dubbed Kallikrates. Never seeing the inside of a Pokéball, Kallikrates was also known amongst the nobility as The Teumessian Fox for precisely that reason. The Ninetales appeared disinterested in her surroundings, as if the polish and grandeur of the Chateau was putting her to sleep.

"It's been ages," Juliet said warmly to Elizabeth, holding out a hand for a handshake. "I'd say this was a surprise, if my father hadn't spoiled it by already telling me you were to visit today."  

[Marsuru]

'Juliet,' Elizabeth said warmly, taking her hand for a brief shake. It had been a long time, years in fact. The little Juliet she knew had fast grown into a woman. And a Nostrad woman, through and through, she thought, glancing at the Ninetails. It was just like them to display power so casually. The Ninetails was beautiful of course, but Elizabeth quickly found herself wondering more about its strengths in battle; an old trainer's habit.

'It's good seeing you,' Elizabeth said. Though it didn't bode well for Lord Nostrad's powers of discretion. 'You grew up. It's like looking at your mother.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Juliet ran a hand through her hair and looked away. It wasn't a large gesture, but compared to her dignified composure from seconds ago, it almost seemed bashful. "I appreciate that. I'm sure it would mean the world to my mother, if she could hear you say it."

With a deep breath, the bashfulness subsided, as did Juliet's ghost of a smile. "I heard you've just lost a parent as well. I'm so sorry to hear about your father, Elizabeth." If Elizabeth would allow it, Juliet would clamp a hand on her shoulder in a gesture of comfort. With her reserved way of carrying herself, Juliet wasn't known for emoting, but the empathy in her voice was still clear. "My condolences."  

[Marsuru]

Elizabeth barely felt Juliet's hand. Her father's death was a fresh wound, like a part of her had been ripped away. In many ways, life hadn't changed much, and she was often able to shift her sorrow to the back of her mind. It was a way of coping, she thought, to ignore the pain as best she could, lest the sadness and fury drive her over the edge. But like looking in the mirror after a horrible scarring, there were times when she was forced to confront the reality. It was all she could do not to cry.

'Thank you,' she whispered, stepping away from the balcony. The wind carried leaves into the courtyard, where they swirled as if possessed. Elizabeth watched them fly apart and scatter. 'Rumour has it,' she said, looking Juliet in the eye and smiling, 'That you've become quite the duellist. Care to give me a demonstration?'