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 Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 3:03 pm
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Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 3:40 pm
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2015 12:18 pm
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Lumiose City - The Moreau Library
Esme blinked awake, dragging herself from a dreamless sleep. Feeling heavy, she twisted over, stretching out the knots, then rolled onto her side, coming face to face with a set of purple eyes. They stared blindly, empty and unfocused, right at Esme's face. It would have been creepier had Esme not gotten used to it, but her Espurr always slept with its eyes open. Esme sat up in bed, stifling a yawn. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but it had cleared her head. Where her mind once felt full, ready to burst in a flood of intangible thoughts, it was now cool and empty, if a little drained. Her Espurr twitched, sitting upright as if dragged by an invisible string. Then it stared at her and blinked once.
'Good afternoon, Chatite,' Esme said, yawning again and taking out her Holo Caster, slowly flicking through the display. The Espurr stood up, moving awkwardly like a clockwork doll. It doddered to the edge of the bed, hopped onto the carpet and sat down, staring at the wall.
The Holo Caster opened up the app for the PSS, the Pokémon trainer Search System. If a trainer opted in, then the PSS would track their location and whether or not they were willing to battle. It allowed savvy trainers a fast way of finding nearby opponents without approaching strangers in a crowd. It also let you call a Holo Caster you didn't have the number for. Esme finished her search, flicked the holographic display with her thumb a few times, and let the device dial.
When it finished, the screen flashed up and Esme said salut.
Route 4 - Lumiose Gatehouse
The battle raged, sounding tinny on the cheap TV. Most gym matches were over in a short but intense spurt of violence, but this fight dragged on. Helena had improved, Zack noticed, but she wasn't dominating. You needed more than just raw power to win a pokémon battle, especially against a skilled opponent. Zack would rather use weak pokémon that followed his orders over a powerful one that didn't, and Helena's Tyrantrum was firmly the latter. An untrained pokémon, no matter how clever it may be, was nothing more than a flailing beast. Hopefully this battle taught her that.
His Holo Caster beeped, snapping his attention from the fight. Zack frowned when he saw the caller. His thumb hovered over the holographic reject button, but in the end he relented, answering the call. His mind went back to the doors at Sycamore's lab, and how he had to swallow his embarrassment. Absolutely not, she'd said I am categorically not interested. By now Zack's embarrassment turned to irritation, and he wore it on his face when Esme's hologram beamed from the caster.
'What,' he asked flat.
'Salut, Zack,' Esme said in her lilty Kalosian accent, clear like a bell. If she noticed his tone, she ignored it and carried on. 'Did you see the Professor's interview?'
'Can't say I did,' Zack replied, glancing to the television to keep tabs on Helena's gym match. Emolga versus Tyrantrum, a battle for the ages.
'There was something strange about it,' Esme trailed off, and the call went silent while she thought. 'It just got me thinking. I need to talk to you about the cave, it's important.'
'Now's not the best time,' Zack said. 'I'm busy.'
'How busy? Come meet me.'
The trainer frowned. He looked to the television, to the long slog of a match without end. He looked to Malis, who had almost managed to pass out drunk and earn the mocking attention of some passing teenagers.
He sighed. 'Not very.'
Lumiose City - The Moreau Library
Esme left her room and locked the door with a clatter of keys, Chatite nipping at her heels. Or as close to nipping at it could manage without touching, or showing any interest in touching, her heels. It walked to her side, stood still, then looked at her expectantly, to see what would happen next. Esme patted herself down, making sure she hadn't left anything. Out was the track outfit and tied up hair, in was the oversized yellow v-neck, the short black leggings and sandals. Good and proper for someone who didn't plan on moving faster than a walk for the rest of the day. Satisfied, she went to unlock the gate, but barely managed a step.
There was a side table by the gate that locked Esme's room away from the library proper, and on the table was a tray. Esme's heart sank under a wave of guilt, and she glanced around for a clock. How long had she been sleeping exactly? The tea on the tray was cold, the last embers of warmth dying out. The sandwich had gone dry, edges curling. It had far too much butter plastered on the bread, but that was typical for Aunt Janvier. She was old, and could barely manage the gate, let alone the stairs all the way to the third floor. Esme winced at Chatite.
'I'm a horrible person,' she admitted, picking up the cup of tea. She necked it cold, a drop dribbling down her lip, and planted the empty cup back on its tray. Disgusting, Esme thought, but evidence well disposed of. She took the sandwich with her, and bit into it as she unlocked the gate.
---
'Nononononon! Ah, you cannot bring that in 'ere.' The shout came from downstairs, just at the door. Aunt Février hurried over with her bony fingers spread wide; a frail imitation of a barrier. The trainer stood still in the doorway, a Charmander hanging from his back with its head lolling about in a daze. 'This is a library. There is a sign!'
She pointed to the window, which had a black-lettered message attached to the glass, as well as a picture of a flame with a line through it. The trainer frowned. 'That sign's in Kalosian.'
'The rules apply to you too, Monsieur Zack,' Février said in her thick Kalosian drawl, the panic draining from her voice. 'Even if you do not speak, ah, even if you are not from Kalos.'
'Guess it is a bad idea,' Zack said to himself. He let the Charmander slide from his shoulders into a lump on the floor, then recalled it. 'Can I come in now?'
'Ah, oh yes, of course!' Février smiled, bunching up the wrinkles around her eyes and baring vaguely yellowed teeth. 'Come in, come in. Are you here for my Esme?'
'So the story goes,' Zack said stopping at the foot of the stairs when he spotted the girl in question. She stood on the bend at the top of the first staircase with her arms folded loosely, acting like she hadn't hurried down after hearing Aunt Février shout. Zack looked at her grumpily, and spread his arms. 'Here I am.'
'So you are,' Esme said, avoiding a smile. She started up the stairs, and paused at the railing. 'Are you coming or what?'
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 3:34 pm
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Cyllage City Pokémon Center
Being the custodian for a Pokémon Center was an unglamorous, relentless job. Cleaning up after human guests was one thing. Cleaning up after sick and wounded Pokémon was another. And the perfectly healthy ones still wandered the building, making messes wherever they went. Pokémon Centers were generally clean, especially in Kalos, and it was all thanks to the tireless, thankless works of the custodians.
One such custodian was almost done with his afternoon shift, which had been particularly trying since Pokémon Center traffic after the Route 9 stampede was at its peak. He tiredly wheeled his cart of cleaning supplies to the closet to put them away, but to his surprise the doorknob was turning on its own. Someone was inside the closet, behind the door. The custodian sighed and pulled out a mop, ready to strike at whatever Pokémon might be hiding in there. Self defense with mops was one of the first things taught in janitor school.
The closet door opening, but instead of leading into the closet as usual, it lead into a suite at the Coumarine Hotel. Salieri walked right out of it as Matheson held open the door. Behind him, Silas Doran and Jace lazed on the couch, looking defeated after the crushing turnaround in the football game that resulted in the Paladins losing.
Math was far peppier than that, no doubt due to Salieri. “So, I’ll call you tomorrow?”
Sal nodded, giving him a small smile. “Yeah.”
“Cool, cool…well, I’ll see you later then.”
“Later.”
Matheson closed the door and Salieri exhaled a pent up breath, running her hands through her hair. “Geez,” she mumbled to herself as she walked away, leaving the custodian all by himself.
The custodian opened the closet door, which once again lead a closet. Shrugging, he put away his cart and wiped his hands clean of the whole experience. “Shoulda been a lawyer…”
~~~~~~~
Sal had the chance to nosh on snacks at the suite, but neither she nor her party had gotten a chance to get a full meal since working up an appetite fighting The Sniper. In the cafeteria they got their chance to dig in, as Sal brought over trays of assorted fruits and meats for everyone to eat. While her Pokémon tore at the miniature feast, Sal took it slow, mind still muddled from before.
When Math’s friends returned to watch the game, she hadn’t gotten another chance to talk to him about anything substantial. The two of them barely spoke while watching the game. Occasionally she shot a glance at him, but whenever she thought he knew she was looking, she looked away. And whenever he did the same to her, she could never get the timing right to catch his eye. And so there wasn’t much to say about the rest of her time hanging out with nobles.
A date. Like an actual date. Though she was now more than knee deep in the Darkhorse Hunter conspiracy, it was something she'd been preparing for. Dating was not, even with Mia's constant nagging about getting laid. It was almost overwhelming to think about, but in a good way. Maybe it's a sign.
Salieri wasn’t paying much attention while she repacked Quacklin’s backpack. Faust’s tablet device was being sent back to Mia so the techhead could maybe get something useful out of it. She’d burned the dossier containing information on her, but she was also sending back the Scope Lens she took from Faust as a souvenir for Veillantif. “Is this too heavy?” Sal asked right after stuffing some fruit into the pack.
Quacklin’, who had been chewing on a piece of brisket shish kebabed onto his leek, put on the backpack to check. He shook his head. [It’d need to weigh, hmm, two and a half times this to faze the mighty Quacklin’.]
“Great. I’ll tell Mia you’re good to go. Remember, there’s some serious tech in there, so you’ve got to keep the backpack safe-“
Salieri paused to allow an epiphany to land. Her Pokémon watched her muse it over. “Backpack…Quackpack?” She grinned, pleased with herself. “Hey, that’s pretty good. Right guys?”
Dune and Biz quickly stuffed their mouths so they wouldn’t have to answer. Lupin facepalmed and Quacklin’ put a wing on Sal’s shoulder reassuringly. [I would stick with battling, Lady Salieri.]
“Guys, I don’t think you get the joke. Quackpack. Cause see, he’s a duck. He quacks. Funny, right?” With no reaction coming from her other Pokémon, Sal looked to Banksy in desperation, but the Torkoal had wisely retreated into her shell already. “…he’s a duck, so...”
[Please stop,] Lupin begged. [I’m embarrassed for you.]
[Hey, is my name funny to you?] Biz Marquis asked Lupin. [Cause she told me it was supposed to be funny.]
[Is it?]
“Youknowwhat?” Salieri stood up in a hurry, masking her failed attempt at a joke with an energy boost. “Everyone finish up. We’re going to the beach. Time for some training.”
Cyllage City Beachside
Without a Sniper trained on her back at every minute, Cyllage City was much easier for Salieri to enjoy. Even with the influx of refugees from the neighboring town, the beach was still long enough to support them all without getting crowded. Salieri took her party over to the edge close to Route 8, where a smooth rock formation in the sand became their base of operations.
“You remember how to get back, right?” Salieri asked Quacklin’. The Farfetch’d nodded. “Then you’re good to go. Good luck, Quacklin’. And thanks for coming all this way.”
He spread his wings wide. [Behold! A hero leaves your presence. I shall spread word of your feats during my travels. So long, fellow adventurers!] Quacklin’ flapped and flew away over the eastern horizon with a loud farewell quack. Sal and her Pokémon waved him goodbye.
“He talks a lot. Is he weird?” Sal asked her party. “He always seemed weird to me.”
Dune nodded in confirmation. [Yeah he’s weird,] Lupin chimed in. [It’s like he thinks he’s from the Middle Ages or some s**t.]
[Hey, that’s my sword master you’re talking about!] Biz fumed. [He’s been a badass for years!]
[Hmm, I see where you get it now.]
Biz growled and shook a fist, and Sal stood between her two green Pokémon. “Hey, no infighting. Let’s get serious for a second, okay?”
The Pokémon calmed down and stood at attention while Sal paced back and forth between them. “We pulled off something incredible today. I always knew I’d fight that man, but I didn’t think it would be like that…thing is, we got lucky. Very lucky. And that Vaporeon was there too. If fortune didn’t favor the bold, we might all be dead right now.”
Salieri wasn’t trying to be a downer. She wanted to be realistic. Her Pokémon, Biz especially, seemed too ready to pat themselves on the back when there was a lineup of stronger future opponents waiting for them. “We need to train harder, faster-“
A speck of blue on the side of a boulder caught Sal’s eye. She stopped her speech and wandered off the smooth rock to see what was there. It was her brother’s graffiti tag, the grotesque smiling sun that also adorned her bandanna. The paint was old, chipping away in many places by the waves crashing on the beach.
Salieri reached out to put a hand on Moze’s handiwork. There had been imitators before, those who thought they could get away with the same tag, but they could never do it as consistently as he could. There was magic in his work. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cool stone.
A small part of her, a part she considered naïve and childish, once thought that if Moze could see what she had been doing, and all the work she had put into fixing her family, then he would come back to her on her own. Faust had been defeated, and yet she still hadn’t heard a word from Moze in years. Sal wondered how he would even find out, if he could. She wondered that constantly, but it wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on. The thoughts were too painful.
Sal walked away from the tag and back to her confused party. “That was…it was nothing. Anyway, we need to train harder. And I’ve got some ideas. But first we’re taking a selfie.”
Her Pokémon exchanged glances while Sal turned on the photo app on her Pokégear, huddling them all into position. “It’s not for me, it’s for a friend. Smile. One, two, three!”
CLICK!
~~~~~~~
Thanks to Gym Leader Grant, Salieri had a fancy new TM that happened to work with most of her Pokémon. Technical Machines imbued mastery of a move within an instant, so it didn’t take long for Dune Biz and Lupin to get used to Rock Tomb. Using a TM did not qualify as training, however. That was simply a bonus prize.
Like usual, each one of her Pokémon was given a different task to work on. Biz Marquis’ was to hopefully prove true a theory Sal had. “So you’re part plant. Plants have seeds. Seeds grow plants. It’d make sense if you could make seeds in some of your attacks to grow more attacks, right?”
The theory perplexed the simple minded Biz. “I want this to happen so you can chain together more attacks. You’ve got some versatile moves, Biz, it’s time to turn them into combos. Try making seeds at the end of your Vine Whips, and lets see if you can turn those seeds into attacks of their own.”
Biz was left to test Sal’s hypothesis on one corner of the beach while Sal brought Lupin to a large boulder. “Turning invisible is cool. It’s not so cool if you can’t do anything with it. Focus Punch is perfect for you, since most Pokémon won’t see it coming, literally. Okay, take the stance.”
Lupin halfheartedly imitated Sal’s punching stance until Sal positioned him correctly like an action figure. “Now, concentrate your power into your fist. Forget everything else. When it feels like your fist is about to explode, punch the rock. Like this. HIYA!”
Sal punched the boulder, slowing down at the end so not to injure herself. “Like that, except give it your all. If it feels like you’re breaking your hand, Recover.”
[This is so stupid,] Lupin grumbled, not at all focused after Sal had moved on to Durendal. The Pawniard had taken a meditative pose next to Banksy, who basked lazily under the summer sun. Once again, Sal wasn’t even going to try to teach the Torkoal new tricks. Improving upon Durendal was the big project.
“Your Pressure is awesome. I’m pretty sure Grant was about to cry after you turned it on.” Sal sat down next to her Pawniard, who blushed at the praise. “Good work.” She punched him in the arm playfully, then shook off her fist in pain. His titanium armor was harder than it looked.
“Pressure is awesome, but that was never where I intended to stop. You have the Inner Focus to turn that Pressure into something else entirely. Remember when you first learned Fleché a la Mode?”
Dune couldn’t have forgotten if he tried. It had been days of Paralyzing himself and losing control of his motor functions, running into walls at high speeds and tripping over his own legs. All that work had been worth it in the long run. He nodded.
“Well, I think it’s time we invented your next mode, don’t you?”
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 10:12 am
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Route 8 Beachside
Only thirty minutes after asking her Pokémon to develop new techniques, Salieri had thrown them into battle again.
The northern part of Route 8’s beach was rapidly filling up with wild Pokémon. Bagons, Mienfoos and Drifloons came down from patches of tall grass on the cliffs, Claunchers and Cloysters crawled out of the ocean, and Binacles broke free from cracked boulders. They all convened around Durendal, Biz Marquis and Lupin, who were struggling to fight them off. Durendal’s Pressure had a secondary property that scared off weaker Pokémon while attracting stronger challengers. It essentially increased the chances of encountering higher level wild Pokémon by fifty percent, which made gaining experience a faster process as long as they could defeat their opponents.
The three Pokémon fought back to back, helping each other one up their tough yet untrained enemies. Salieri had gone over the basics of type effectiveness with them on a few occasions, which gave them an additional edge. If one of Sal’s Pokémon found their attacks weren’t working, another one would swap with them and try something new. It was learning experience and a slugfest rolled into one.
[Get somma this!] Biz yelled as he swung a Cloyster lassoed to a Vine Whip over his head like a mace into several incoming Pokémon. Clearly he was having a great time. Durendal was slightly embarrassed by Biz’s boisterous nature, watching as he struck his Metal Claws against a midair Binacle.
[At least one of us is having fun,] Lupin lazily groaned as he tied two Drifloons together without them noticing. Fighting was still not his forte, even moreso when it was multiple enemies, though he was getting the hang of it. He admired his handiwork as the two Drifloons tried to part ways, only to bump into each other again.
Salieri was far removed from the massive horde encounter, which from a distance looked like a dust cloud with limbs and attacks poking out of it almost comically. She was still sitting on the warm, smooth rock with Banksy, going over her Pokédex’s memory banks. Every now and then she looked up with the binoculars stolen from Faust to make sure her party was okay.
For Salieri, and most trainers worth their salt, training and studying were how they liked to have fun. It wasn’t just a career, it was a lifestyle. Watching a football game had been calming (except for when Matheson asked her out. Sal was trying not to think about it too much), and it had been just a brief detour from getting back to one of her life’s few true pleasures.
“Ivan, bring up the Hoenn Dex entries on Vaporeon again,” she asked her Pokédex, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly. The Pokédex laying on the rock before her whirred with activity until a picture of the Bubble Jet Pokémon came up on the screen along with a plethora of info. She had witnessed Vaporeon’s ability to turn into water firsthand. It was the ability to freely control water that she was apprehensive about. Pokémon with the power to manipulate elements were difficult to predict so long as they were good. This Vaporeon clearly showed off a fine degree of control over her own watery form. Sal knew if she tried to engage in combat near the ocean, they’d be beat.
“We’ll have to lure her into the city after we track her…if we track her, assuming she isn’t part of the ocean already. Merde…” Salieri yawned and lay down, sprawling out her arms and looking to the sky. “The footprint scan is useless if she can turn to water. Ivan, do you have some kind of, I don’t know, water scan?”
“I am designed to scan the biological data of Pokémon,” the A.I. pleasantly chimed. “If you’d like a water scan, may I suggest you check the weather?”
“Useless.” Salieri slapped a hand out blindly to hit the Pokédex. She missed. “What good is a Pokédex if you can’t find me a Pokémon?”
“I did not say that. I can scan for a Vaporeon.”
“You just said you couldn’t.”
“I cannot scan for signs of water. I can scan for a sentient body of water molecules linked together by neurological-”
“Stop, stop. So what, I have to get specific with you all of the sudden?”
“Beepboop yes.”
Salieri groaned. The trolling nature of her Pokédex was a sign to take a break. Being a trainer was fun, but it was also work. Now she felt like relaxing again. Lumiose City may have become relatively boring the older she got, yet it was still good for taking a breather. For the first time since she left, she was starting to miss Gotengo.
Some cosmic force must have sensed as much, because in the next few seconds she got a call from Mia. With a smile, Sal answered it on her Pokégear. “Did you get my message?”
Lumiose City - Gotengo
Mia’s party had not yet started. Getting a day party together on such short notice wasn’t immediately fruitful. While she waited on future drinking partners to arrive, the teens in the treehouse were shifting around the furniture to make an open space and setting up the sound system. Mia herself shuffled through a box of vinyl records, conversing with Sal in a videochat from the PC. The PC was fully set up but old, so the reception constantly tuned in and out.
“I made your selfie the PC’s wallpaper,” Mia assured Sal while tossing an album into a pile for whoever decided to DJ that night. “Your team is looking tougher. Everyone here thinks you’re doing great.”
“Great,” Sal sighed unenthusiastically. “That was supposed to be for you and Veil.”
“Then you’re in luck.”
On cue, Veillantif hopped over. She wasn’t as chipper as she used to be, but when she bounced into the screen’s view, she smiled at Salieri with her eyes. On screen, Sal was surprised. “Veil!”
“Pipipi,” the Horsea cooed, resting on the PC’s frame. Mia scooched away, raising her eyebrows.
“I’ll let you two have your moment.”
Salieri was smiling bigger than she had all day. “Veil, we beat him. I ruined that guy, you would’ve loved it.”
Veil leaned forward and put a fin on the screen, trying to touch her trainer. “Piii!”
“Do you want to rejoin the team?”
The Horsea looked past Sal, unfocused. She shook her head, then nodded at everything Sal could see from her side of the screen, at the birth of a new party. “You want to stay at Gotengo?”
“Pipi.”
Sal exhaled a deep breath. For a second she looked disappointed, but she smiled again. “As long as it’s what you want to do. Veil, can you get Mia back over here?”
Mia, who was only a few feet away, came back to the PC with a bundle of albums tucked under her arm. She straightened her glasses. “You’re speaking to her.”
Salieri became serious. “Mia, no one can know what happened with The Sniper. I don’t want the kids to get hurt because of me.”
“You think he’ll look for you again.”
“No. Definitely not him. But someone else, for sure.” Sal steeled her gaze. “Mia, you have to promise me-”
“Okay, Mom. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“I’d punch you if I could. Oh, Quacklin’s on his way back, I gave him a tablet Faust had on him. So if you could take a look at that-”
“Tablet, like computer tablet? I’m on it.”
“Cool. And, uh…”
Mia rose an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Nothing. Hey, I gotta go. My Pokémon are getting beaten up. I’ll talk to you later!”
“Kay. Peace out.”
Mia flicked off the call and the PC’s screen went black. There was definitely something else that Salieri had meant to say. She had known the Bandanna Girl long enough to sense that, but she wouldn’t prod. Secrets were important, and everyone had them.
Besides, any minute now a party would be underway. When it came to Gotengo, Mia tried to leave the drama out the door.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 4:56 pm
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Route 8 Beachside
The unconscious sparring partners of Salieri’s party -the ones that weren’t dragged off by their friends or captured by lowly passerby trainers- dotted the beach. Far from those wild Pokémon, Salieri trekked across the sound towards the city with her exhausted Pokémon in their balls, thinking about her Horsea.
She feels at home there, she just needs more time. She knows Faust won’t come back, she’ll be fine. Despite knowing that Veillantif was improving with her recovery, Sal still wanted the Horsea by her side. Not just because they were friends and Sal missed her, but because they needed Veil’s power more than ever moving forward. I can’t mess up with getting that Vaporeon.
Summer sun rays beamed down on the Earth, and for what felt to her like the kajillionth time in one day, Sal was a sweaty mess. Legs heavy and breath labored, the aches and pains of her wounds stung once more. Salieri thought she could just keep powering through as normal after Matheson’s treatment. Conquering Grant’s rock climbing mountain, hunting for The Sniper and an extra training session had proven to be the most intense workout she had experienced since training in Orre. A far cry from normal.
The blabbermouth is right, I need to take it easy, Sal thought as the ground beneath her feet changed from sand to paved stone. Thinking of Matheson made her think about her date. And thinking about her date made her more tired. She had been close to telling Mia about it, but she knew that Mia would hound her about it.
A pang of guilt rang through Sal’s brain. She would’ve told me, if it was her. Up until recently, there were no secrets between the two of them. They were like sisters. During their call Salieri told Mia all about fighting Grant and the Sniper, stories met with great interest and lauding. It was shown through simple nods, expressions and compliments, and considering Mia’s disposition this meant a lot. And when Sal got to the part with the spraypaint, she remembered Matheson’s reaction, and left it out.
The guilt pang quickly vanished, swapped out for a sense of indifference. I’ll tell her about the date after the fact, I don’t need that kind of hype. Yeah, Mia’s always telling me to get laid, but she doesn’t hook up with anybody. Such a flirt.
Salieri stopped in front of the Pokémon Center. On the other side of the street, Salieri took notice of the shops for the first time. Straight across from Benedict’s house was a boutique, and next to that was a wilderness store. A flash of inspiration later and gears turned in Sal’s brain. She rubbed her chin. “Hmm…”
Lumiose City - Gotengo
Music bumped from the treehouse’s loudspeakers, loud enough to fill the courtyard with sound echoed off its dilapidated cement walls. Water guns and food to cook on the grill outside showed up thanks to some generous Gotengo’ers, turning the day party into a beat-the-heat BBQ. Almost everyone there was hanging out outside, whether climbing the gigantic tree or partying under the shade. Fewer people had shown up than at the Summer League commencement bash, but the party was still off to a good start by Mia’s standards.
The hostess in question was in the center of a dancing mass, a nearly empty beer from her six pack in one hand and long flower skirt twirling around her. She and Salieri had been charismatic dancers since their early partying days. While Sal danced in a dynamic breakdancing manner, Mia was minimalistic yet sultry. The normally phlegmatic Mia shined in a different light, magnetic and moving with passion. Her eyes were almost always closed when she danced, like she was dreaming of somewhere else.
A nondescript guy who looked like he would fit into any crowd swayed over to Mia, giving her a thumbs up. “Great party, Mia!”
They shared a nonchalant high five. “Thanks, Crowd Guy.” Crowd Guy disappeared into his namesake and Mia kept dancing.
Needless to say, as with most teenage parties, this one had the teenage hormones Mia had joked to Zack about. So naturally, there were guys that saw Mia and wanted some hot nerd action. Tomas, a fitness junkie bro type from South Boulevard, shimmied his way up to her, dancing with arm gestures to show off his biceps. Mia opened an eye and saw his display. With a subtle coy smile, she danced a little closer, matching his rhythm.
They danced for about a minute, until Mia received a text:
Mia spun away to read the message. Still sporting that tiny smile, now for a different reason, she danced her way out of the crowd and stopped by the grill to get into conversation. Youngster Carter had taken over grill duties, clad in an apron and chef’s hat far too big for him. A Pansear stood at his side, providing fire when the coals began to die down.
Preppy Showoff I happen to be making good linguini
Preppy Showoff Hotel Richissime. Til sundown
By now Mia’s fleeting smile had departed entirely. A lump formed in her throat. She looked around to see if anyone had noticed her minor freak out, believing that she was emoting too much. She wasn’t, and no one did.
Preppy Showoff Short notice is all I’ve got
“Is that guy your boyfriend?” Carter asked her. Mia held the phone to her chest and shook her head.
“No, just some preppy showoff,” Mia sighed, playing off the question like the innocent prodding it was meant to be.
“I meant that guy.” Carter pointed his spatula to Tomas in the dance crowd, who winked at Mia. Mia gave him a tiny wave.
“I’d rather kiss a wookie,” she said flatly.
“What’s a wookie?”
“It’s a joke from before your time.”
“Oh.” Carter flipped a hamburger. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
Mia looked up from her phone. The fourteen year old scratched the back of his head and looked away. “Somebody’s precocious all of the sudden. You have a crush on me?”
“Gross, no!” Carter aggressively denied. “Just curious.” His eyes wandered over to Youngster Anais, his best friend, dancing innocently with people years older than her. Mia caught this longing gaze.
“Oh. I see how it is. Anais, huh? You’d be cute together.”
“WHAT? No, shut up Mia!” Now Carter’s face was beet red. “Why are you always trying to be a matchmaker?”
Mia shrugged. “It’s better than dealing with my own status.”
Carter rose an eyebrow, intrigued. A few beers in, and the closed book that was Mia started to show its foreword. “You mean your not-boyfriend-status?”
“…yes. My not-boyfriend-status.”
High above the courtyard, Quacklin’ flapped into view, making a slow spinning divebomb for maximum style points towards the party. Almost no one noticed. [Behold! The Knight of Castle Tree has come quack!]
Quacklin’ glided over to Mia, kneeling as best as a Farfetch’d could in front of her. [Lady Mia, I’ve coming bearing gifts and news. Master Salieri has defeated the-]
“Grab a drink, Quacklin’,” Mia interrupted, taking the knapsack from the duck and rummaging through its contents. “It’s too hot not to have water.”
As if they had been waiting for someone to say “water”, three kids bounced out from behind the grill and shot their super soakers at Quacklin’ simultaneously. He batted at their shots with his leek, to no avail. Angry and soaking, he quacked and chased after them.
Mia found the Faust’s tablet device Sal had mentioned. She spun it around, checking for a model number or general information. It was a Lysandre Labs model, new but not the newest. She pulled out her phone again.
Mia I have something u might like
“I’m stepping out for an hour,” Mia told Carter. “Make sure nobody dies until I get back, okay?”
Carter gave her a salute. Mia cupped her hands over her mouth and hollered to the dance crowd. “Anais! Carter wants to talk with you!”
The Youngster Girl perked up her head and nodded. A shiver ran down Carter’s spine. “What? No, I-dangit, Mia!”
But Mia was already on her way out.
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:42 am
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Lumiose City - Hotel Richissime
Hotel Richissime was the largest luxury hotel in all of Kalos, spanning fifty white and blue marble tile floors to the sky. A popular place for commuters to stay, sometimes even long term, the Hotel was always hiring new part-time employees to deal with the constant stream of guests. At this late afternoon hour, guests were coming and going in droves. Many of them were sitting in the air conditioned foyer, reading magazines or chatting on the couches.
Mia pushed through the revolving door and spotted Dr. Fennel amongst those on the couches. She was as animated and cutesy as ever, having a videochat on her laptop from the looks of things. Mia stood straight and adjusted her glasses. Despite being tipsy, she was the kind of drinker that could mask just how intoxicated she was. Now she channeled that alcohol level into swag, and made her way to the doctor.
“Hi, Dr. Fennel.”
“Mia!” Fennel squeaked in surprise.
“Am I interrupting-“ Mia asked as she sat on the couch opposite of the doctor.
“No no, just a sec!” Fennel looked to the screen. Mia couldn’t see their, but the caller didn’t seem to mind. “Sorry, let me call you right back.” She closed the laptop and gave Mia her full attention. “What’s up?”
“I’m sorry if I sounded rude in the Pokémon Center. I wasn’t in the best mood.” Mia said, getting straight to the point. She was straight faced but spoke confidently. “I am interested in working with you. I don’t have a resumé, but I’m good with computers. I’m really ******** good. I made an A.I. for fun once. I can prove I’m that good if you want.”
Dr. Fennel clasped her hands together and leaned forward, suddenly becoming more professional and not so cutesy looking. “Well, I appreciate the apology. Don’t worry about that. What made you change your mind?”
Mia leaned back in her seat. It was a combination of things. Seeing that Salieri could defeat a Darkhorse Hunter. Talking with Zack. Talking with her father. Talking with TK the other day. Realizing that just because she didn’t want an action packed adventure meant she should let her life slip away.
“Does it matter?”
“The types of projects I want your kind of help with are huge. I don’t just need to know that you’re as good as your mom says you are, Mia. I need to know that, no offense, that you can be depended on.”
Mia clenched her teeth tightly. If she didn’t seem driven before, she certainly was now. “Whatever she tells you, I’m twice as good as that. And more dependable than my lineage would suggest. I mean, you can actually depend on me, for a change.”
Dr. Fennel nodded, mulling it over. Mia kept her poker face, secretly nervous that the doctor would turn her down. Luckily, Fennel smiled and said, “If you make a resumé and send it to the email on my card, I’m sure all of that will check out.”
Mia nodded in response. “Thanks for the second chance, doctor. Anyway, I’ve got to go.” She stood up. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Sure thing! Bye, Mia.”
Fennel gave Mia a cutsey wave as the girl left, stretching her facial muscles when she was out of the doctor’s sight. Can’t believe that worked. How sobering.
~~~~~
Mia approached the front desk and waited patiently for somebody to assist. Only a minute later, one of the part-time employees asked her, “How may I help you?”
“I’m here to visit one Kade Williams.”
“Is he expecting you?”
The attendant pointed to the elevators. “Fourty ninth floor, penthouse number three. Have a nice day.”
Mia rose her eyebrows at the word ‘penthouse’. I wonder how he swung that. She entered the elevator and rode alone towards the top. Elevators made her uncomfortable, giving her a claustrophobic feel and making her a little motion sick. On top of that, she was beginning to get Butterfrees in her stomach.
“Chill,” she told herself, checking out her reflection on the elevator’s mirrored walls. She was sweaty and sticky, but so was everyone else that went outside that day. Mia pushed her long curly brown hair behind her ears and was satisfied with her look.
The elevator opened. Mia stepped out, the one person in the hallway, and searched for penthouse number three. It was at the end of the hall, with no neighboring room. Mia closed her eyes. There was a big part of her that didn’t want to go in, that felt dirty thinking about it. The bigger part of her wanted to go in more than anything else.
She knocked on the door. “Come in~!” called a happy, relaxed male voice from the other side. Mia opened the door.
The penthouse was the size of an apartment, and better furnished than any apartment Mia had been in before. Expensive yet generic white furniture filled the living room. Its walls were thick glass windows, including a sliding door that led to a flowery balcony. “Room service,” Mia called back. She slipped off her sandals, sliding her feet across the smooth wood floor to the balcony. From here she could see the whole Lumiose City skyline. It was a breathtaking view. The table on the balcony was fully set with silverware and drinks, only missing the food.
“Is it just you?” came the voice from the kitchen area. Mia could smell pasta being made.
“Of course…What kind of name is Kade Williams?”
“Hey, I thought it sounded noble.”
“It sounded lame.”
“Well what would you call me?”
Mia folded her arms and turned around. “If I could, I’d just call you Moze.”
Moze Soledad stepped out from the kitchen into the living room. He resembled his sister greatly, sharing the same skin tone, eye and hair colors. Unlike Salieri, Moze was tall and his hair fell just past his ears, choppy in a charming bed head way. He had a warm smile on most of the time, which wasn’t strange until one noticed how tired his eyes seemed. Currently, Moze was wearing his unbuttoned prep school uniform.
“You can call me Moze here…”
He trailed off as soon as he met her eyes, and Mia was similarly lost. It had been half a year since they saw each other last but it felt much longer. “You okay?” Moze asked.
“Yeah. Are you?”
He flashed her his signature charming smile. “Now that you’re here, yeah.”
Mia slid her way over to Moze slowly, not losing track of his eyes for a second. When she was close enough, he reached to touch one of her curly locks. “Your hair is getting long.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“A comment. But I like it all the same.”
She got closer and reached up to his school jacket, feeling the buttons. “Is this a roleplay thing, or…?”
He grinned. “I thought I’d try to blend in. City youth look.”
“It’s too small on you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s been a while.”
“Is that new?” she asked, pointing to a tiny curved scar on his neck. He brought his hand up to it quickly, hiding it with a laugh.
“It’s nothing. I just got it from a training accident.”
The two of them were very close now, finding themselves breathing heavily. “I missed you.” Either one of them could have said that, and neither of them could hold out any longer, and it wasn’t clear who kissed who first, but it was clear that linguini wasn’t really on either of their minds. The pair became lip locked, uncaring of everything happening outside the penthouse in that moment.
~~~~~
“How is it?” Moze asked Mia from across the balcony’s table. A fresh breeze constantly traveled through, not enough to disrupt the set up but enough to cool things down. At this altitude, Mia wasn’t so hot anymore.
She swallowed some linguini. It was kind of bland, though Mia didn’t care much about how food tasted right now. “I don’t think linguini is your strong suit.”
“Damn. Thought I could be an iron chef.”
“Not in a million years. Soledads are terrible cooks.”
“Yeah? So Sal didn’t get the touch yet?”
“Again, not in a million years.” She gestured inside with her fork, swirling it in the air. “How can you afford this?”
“I can’t. I have a mysterious backer who can.”
“Yeah? Tell me about them.”
He shook his head, and told her through a bite of pasta, “Not my place to tell.”
Mia sucked her lips together. “That’s your answer for everything.”
“I know. Doesn’t make it less true.”
“Are they prettier than me?”
“Psssh. Giiiiiirl, please…oi, you said you had a surprise for me?”
Mia nodded, having forgotten. “Just a sec.” She got up and went to her purse in the living room. Mia pulled out Faust’s tablet, and stopped in hesitation. It was given to her by Salieri. Her best friend. His sister. If Sal knew who she was showing it to now, or if Sal knew what Mia was doing in general…Mia closed her eyes and pinched her nose. This is so ******** up.
She returned to thebalcony, losing some of the skip in her step. Moze must have noticed, as he asked with some concern. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s, uh…” She held up the tablet. “Salieri found the Sniper that stole Xavier and Prou from you. She beat him, for you.”
Moze’s eyes widened. His perpetual smile disappeared. Mia kept going. “This is a tablet she found on him. Sal gave it to me to look at, and I thought you’d want to see it for yourself.”
She held out the tablet. Moze touched it carefully, as if to check if it really existed. He spun it in his hands. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Just some scrapes and bruises.”
Moze put down the tablet and got up, running his hands through his hair and looking out at the Lumiose skyline. “How could you let her do that, Mia? I told you so many times, you should all stop looking for trouble with the noblility. It’s going to get her killed.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said, tightening her brow. “Sal is her own woman. If you want to keep her safe then you should go back to being your sister’s keeper.”
“You know I can’t.”
“But I don’t know why. You never tell me why.” Mia’s voice was still level but she was getting louder. “And I don’t know why I have to lie to my best friend about where you are-“
“Because I’m trying to keep you both safe. I don’t want to sound cliché, but the less you know the better.”
“Wow. Telling me that makes me feel soooo safe.”
“Do you think it’s easy for me to leave all of you here? Everyone I know but you thinks I’m a ghost.”
“It’s easy to say that when you don’t have to explain anything-“
Moze punched the table and looked at her, amber eyes ablaze. Now he resembled his sister even more, though when he was angry he made Salieri’s intimidation look like child’s play. “You have no idea what I’ve been through, Mia. Not at all. So get off your high horse for a second, because you’re a liar too-”
A rustling sound came from the far end of the balcony, where huge flower pots stuffed with tall plants grew. Mia was about to speak but Moze held up a finger to stop her. He was in a trance, going into a predatory mode like his sister was prone to doing.
Quietly, he grabbed a knife off the table and chucked it between the pots. It stuck into the wall with a solid thud, startling Mia. The rusting started up again, and a pair of Fletchling flew out from behind the pots.
“What the ********?” Mia asked flatly. Moze came back from his hunting trance and looked at her with some shame.
“I thought…I thought someone could’ve been watching us. Sorry. I’m sorry.” Moze sighed in regret and softened up, sitting back down. “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“I know your life’s been tough but mine isn’t easy either. Especially with this.” She gestured between the two of them.
“You’re right, I know. You’re the only friend I have right now, Mia. You know how to keep your cool, and you know how to keep a secret. I can’t trust anyone but you.”
“If anyone deserves your trust, it’s her.”
Moze looked away and nodded in agreement. “I know that too. I’m a lousy brother. But from everything you and Revok tell me about Sal, I just don’t think she’s ready to know what I’m up to. She’s too…loose cannon. If she makes a mistake she’s done for. I made a mess of things, and I’m going to fix it, and I’m going to put my family back together. And I need your help. It isn’t fair of me to ask, but I need you to keep lying to her. You can’t let her know where I am.”
I don’t even know where you are most of the time. Her heart was heavy, which is how it felt every time she snuck off to meet Moze in private. Moze had always been there for Mia. He stopped bullies from teasing her when she was a kid. He taught her how to drink well. He caught Bass the Noibat for her. He was her first kiss, and if everything between them worked out, he’d be her only kiss. And now he was all alone, with only her to turn to. She would do whatever she could for Moze. She just wished it wasn’t behind Salieri’s back.
“Chill, I’m still with you. Can we drop the drama? I don’t want our time together to turn into a soap.”
Moze leaned back and held up his hands. “Drama dropped…so, how did Sal beat this Faust guy?”
“You just said-“
“Just cause she’s doing something stupid doesn’t mean I’m not proud of my sis. How’d she do it? I hope it was humiliating.”
Asking about the man who shot him in cold blood and stole two of his Pokémon seemed like a drama magnet, but Moze was chipper about it. The Soledads are so weird. “He was looking for her since yesterday. Shot her down once, but she recovered and chased him down today. I’m not going into the details-“
“C’mon, I’m all about the details-“
“But she tore apart Route 10 to hunt him down. While he was shooting at her. Not the best plan, but somehow it worked. She questioned him afterwards but didn’t get anything useful except for a name. Do you know who Alanza Taine is?”
Moze’s ears perked up. He rubbed his chin trying to recall where he had heard that name. “No. I have no clue.”
A Gambler was one of the four Darkhorse Hunters Moze had first mentioned right after he quit the league and got his memories wiped by Nicolette Nostrad. Mia hypothesized that Alanza was probably the second of the four that battled Moze, but she didn’t raise the theory in front of him. “Oh well. Back to the drawing board.”
“Oh hey, tangent, but speaking of family members, how is Arnaud doing?”
The two of them were barely keeping the drama at bay, but they had a lot to discuss, and not a lot of time. It was just the nature of their meeting. The more Mia thought about how these secret meetings went, the more she resented their secrecy. “Yeah, he’s doing about the same.”
“That’s good, I guess. He’s tough as nails. If he knew Sal was dueling with snipers he’d destroy her.”
The end of Mia’s mouth curved up to subtly grin at the thought. “How did Arnaud end up with not one, but two sadistic crazy children? The man is a saint.”
“Hehe. The best laid plans of mice and men…”
“He stills thinks you’re around, sometimes.”
Moze stared off into the distance, his smile looking half empty while he daydreamed of days long past. “Does he now…”
Mia sighed and shifted him back so she could sit on his lap. “Mozart Soledad. Look at me.” He looked at her. “Even if you can’t tell me what’s going on with you, I still have your back, okay?” She gulped, physically swallowing her pride as she allowed herself enough emotion to say, “I need you too.”
“Whaaaaa? The holier-than-thou whiz kid prodigy needs meeeee~?” Moze rolled over, holding himself up above her. “I’m touched.”
“Don’t push it,” Mia started, but she was interrupted by a tickle. Incredibly susceptible to being tickled, Mia practically screamed with laughter, struggling to break free from the giggly torture. Moze stopped and let her catch her breath. “If you do that again, I might kill you.”
“You can try.”
He kissed her. She kissed him back. They made out. You know how it goes.
~~~~~
And one hour later, the door to the penthouse creaked open. Mia slipped out, back in all of her clothes with disheveled hair she tried to adjust as she walked. Moze, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist poked his head out of the door. “I’ll hit you up soon, okay?” he whispered loudly.
“You’d better,” Mia threatened flatly.
“Mia. Pssst, Mia.”
She turned to face him. “You wanted to know why I trust you. It’s a whole bunch of reasons. But mostly, it’s because I love you.” He paused, in case she was going to say it back. She didn’t say anything. “You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.”
With a wink and a wave, he shut the door, leaving Mia with a Deerling in the headlights expression alone in the fancy white marble hallway. The elevator opened as soon as she touched the button, and with no one but her inside as it went down, she slunk down to the floor and rubbed her face into her hands on the verge of tears. “Mia Mia Mia,” she groaned to herself, “What’re you doing with your life?”
And when the elevator door opened at the lobby, Mia was poised as her usual stoic sardonic self, ready to return to a party that had no meaning. Until the next time she saw her boyfriend, she'd keep going through the motions, trying to keep Salieri from getting herself killed while working on oddjobs for Moze without any details. People would see a girl they couldn't faze, and she'd keep that up as long as she had to. Because now, she was leaving him behind with a song stuck in her head.
He loves you, ye~ah y~ah ye~ah...
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:50 pm
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Lumiose City - Across Town
White swirling clouds were slathered across the Lumiose sky like an impressionist painting, standing stark against its deep afternoon blue. As the day wore on, the city's buzz multiplied with queuing traffic and commuters eager to escape work. Roads and pavements that were empty minutes before were filled with stationary cars and pedestrians squeezing through the narrow gaps between their bumpers. High above the noise and chaos, Marie-Claire Courbet rode the elevator to her office. Courbet was tall and prissy, and always wore her hair in a bun. She stood straight-backed in her expensive Von Silver, and walked with her chin tipped slightly up, so that she looked down her nose at everyone she passed. She had every right to feel important. She was, after all, very important indeed.
'Ah, Madame Courbet,' said Élise, her secretary, from behind her desk. 'There is a Monsieur Lussier here to see you about a logistics report. He didn't have an appointment, so...'
'You let him in my office,' Courbet said. When Élise nodded, Courbet rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, doing little to mask her displeasure. Élise shrank in her seat as Courbet strode past, pushing open her office door.
The office was beautiful, open and modern, but it had little in the way of decoration beside a small statue of a Dragonair gifted by the Nostrad family, which took pride of place on Courbet's desk. The window stood from ceiling to floor, framing a distant cloud specked with swollen patches of dark. The visitor sat casually on Courbet's sleek leather sofa in the centre of the office. He was a man of his early thirties with short, dark hair and a deep tan. His only real distinguishing feature was a long, slender nose that bent slightly to the left. He grinned despite Courbet's distasteful scowl.
'Explain why you're here,' said Courbet, folding her arms while her uninvited guest heaved himself to his feet. 'Make it quick. I'm quite busy.'
'Hm, so I see,' Monsieur Lussier eyed Courbet's briefcase before fixing her with a grin like a Sharpedo on a Goldeen. 'I won't take too much of your time. Sébastien Lussier, at your service. I'm here on a Court matter. A rather sensitive Court matter, in fact.'
He reached into his pocket and produced a gold ring with a chest engraved on a flat edge. The crest was an ancient symbol representing the Court of Kings, unknown to any outside its inner workings. It was shaped vaguely like a star, where the top half of the star had four arms, and bottom half three, the outer arms of a greater thickness than the inners. The only way to get one of these rings was to be a high ranking court noble, or to be on the personal business of one. Courbet's eyes flashed when she saw it, and she re-evaluated Lussier a second later.
'So I see,' said Courbet, placing her briefcase on the floor and standing upright again. Lussier was tall, well over six foot, but Courbet rivalled him still. 'Forgive me, but I don't recall hearing of a Sébastien Lussier.'
'Oh, you will,' Lussier grinned. 'But let's not waste time, eh? You're quite busy. Before I go any further, would you mind telling me if this office is secure?'
'Of course it is,' Courbet snipped. Lussier smiled, tapping his temple, then pointing at his door.
'Send her away. Then we'll talk.'
Courbet didn't seem to enjoy being ordered around by a strange guest, especially not in her own office. Blazing silently, she strode to her desk and pressed a button by a two-way microphone.
'Élise, please wait in the break room.'
'Madame?' the secretary's voice buzzed from the speaker.
'Just do it.'
'Yes, Madame Courbet,' said Élise, her voice vanishing with a crackly pop.
Lussier waited a few seconds, giving Élise time to vacate. He stood staring out the window, smiling at the sky, and when he was finished, he went up to the door and locked it with a click.
'Much better,' he said, striding over and picking up Courbet's briefcase.
'What do you think-'
'Marie-Claire Courbet,' Lussier said, his voice taking on a dark tint that stopped her dead. 'Thirty eight years old, unmarried, no children. Graduated from Université de Lumiose with a first class business degree, and founded Courbet Acquisitions in the same year. Some time ago you were approached by a mutual friend of ours, Lord Gabriel Leroux.'
Courbet swallowed, but her throat was like sandpaper. A cold, empty feeling flooded her office, emanating from Lussier, who continued to smile at her.
'The honourable Lord Leroux gave you a task, one you eagerly took on: to uncover the locations of two very dangerous pokémon for four very dangerous families. He informs me that you're almost finished, and I'm here to collect.'
'Gabrield Leroux is dead,' said Courbet, stepping back when Lussier stepped forward.
'I'm quite aware,' Lussier smiled, holding his arms at his side. 'After all...'
He shifted. His suit became mangled and ragged, ripping into long strips of black fabric that hung from his body like a fraying cloak. Metal leaked out of his arms and legs, encasing them in sharp, segmented armour. Lussier's face disappeared. It melted, his eyeholes turning black as they dissolved away from his body. Just before it merged with his cloak, shapeless and colourless, the discarded face became very simple, nothing more than a line and two dots. For a moment, it appeared as if there was a second, entirely different face behind Lussier's, but it was quickly hidden by a white steel mask. Its markings were animalistic and indecipherable, like no script Courbet had ever seen.
Her face slackened as the creature stepped toward her. He made no sound as he moved, and that magnified the sense of emptiness coming from him; a deep, dark well of nothing. Courbet tried to scream, but the creature choked her voice with a lift of his hand, and fastened his fingers around her throat.
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:16 pm
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The Moreau Library - Esme's Room
Chatite stood on guard, or at least that's how it looked. Every time Zack went left, Chatite tottered that way and cut him off. When he went right, same thing, with the Espurr always staring past him, eyes on nothing. The trainer frowned, wondering if he could just kick it out of the way, but he doubted Esme would like that. She'd already gone in, but it seemed that Chatite had other ideas when it came to Zack.
'Just get out the way,' said Zack as he tried stepping over the psychic type, but Chatite doddered backwards to cut him off. 'Seriously?'
'Chatite, let him in,' Esme called without looking. She was sat at the desk that spanned the length of one wall, near her bedroom window, clicking at her computer to make it start up.
The Espurr turned her head on the spot, reminding Zack of the Exorcist for a second. It looked horrified, or as horrified as it could look while showing zero emotion. With one last silent glance at Zack, Chatite wandered into the room and slumped onto its side at the foot of the bed like a dead doll. Zack went in and looked around for the first time.
The first thing he noticed was scent of Esme's perfume hanging heavy in the air, thick but somehow warm and enticing. The second was the double bed that took up about a third of the room, dressed in layers and layers of multicoloured blankets, over which was an arch of bookshelves. Esme's collection rivalled his own assortment of beaten up paperbacks at home, if one discounted the library, of course. Zack spotted a photograph on Esme's bedside table. It showed her arm in arm with a guy, a huge pink, star-like gem set in the background. The guy looked skinny, with dark hair hanging past his face, and a wide, toothy grin. Zack's stomach turned over.
'That your boy?' he asked. Esme glanced at where Zack was pointing, but only for a second.
'Ahuh,' she said, pulling out a chair from the long desk that spanned the length of the far wall, underneath the window. 'Allard.'
'Allard,' Zack repeated. He glanced about for another seat, but there didn't seem to be any. Rather than claiming Esme's bed, he chose to stand.
'Gonna tell me what this's about?' Zack asked.
'Yep,' Esme said with a brief smile. She leant forward and wrung her hands, going quiet for a moment, ordering her words. 'Okay. So you definitely saw Team Flare in the cave, didn't you?' Zack nodded. 'And they were trying to capture Diancie?'
Zack sighed. 'Yeah. Diancie is real, by the way.'
'So the thing is, the Professor went on TV today and said he didn't think Team Flare were to blame for all those pokémon going haywire on Route 9. He actually defended them. Suggested they were trying to prevent the outbreak. But if they didn't cause it, who did? Nobody else was around, so it had to be them, right?'
Or the creature, Zack thought. But somehow he doubted it. He frowned. 'You think the Professor's hiding something.'
'Oh, I know he's hiding something. I just don't know why.'
'Maybe he just didn't want to go on national television and let potential terrorists know he was on to them.'
'No, it's not that.' Esme looked thoughtful. 'You've not been in Kalos very long, so you might not have realised...' She trailed off, wrestling with something. 'But there's something wrong with this country.'
Zack nearly laughed. 'Really?'
Esme ran her hand through her hair and sighed deep. 'Have a look at this.'
She shifted away from her monitor to let Zack see the windows she had open. He leant in to get a better look, clicking through each box. Esme had collected headlines and news reports. Some were pokémon or league related, others were to do with business and finance. She'd even made a chart of major businessmen, nobles and Kalosian public figures, each represented with a little picture and a line summarising their relationship. Zack was suddenly reminded of Salieri, albeit a much more organised version.
'That's all a little out of date, but you get the idea, don't you?' Esme said. Zack didn't say anything. He was too afraid that something sarcastic or insulting might slip out. Just his luck that the girl turned out to be a conspiracy theorist. Esme sighed impatiently, and pointed at the screen where she'd compiled a list of previous winners of the pokémon league.
'Every time we host the pokémon league, a noble wins.' said Esme, moving to another list. 'Anyone who's not a noble either drops out of the competition or loses in the opening rounds.' When Zack didn't say anything, she carried on. 'Everyone else just shrugs and accepts it, like it's natural. Some big name sponsored trainers have failed their league challenge while demonstrably less skilled nobility have won.'
'That is strange,' Zack admitted. He'd faced his share of noble trainers by now, and besides a generally poncey attitude, they were on par with common trainers. 'Suggests the league is rigged, but it doesn't prove anything.'
'Not on its own, but look here.' Esme opened up her browser. It immediately opened on a video of baby Growlithe crawling over each other in a crate, none of them quite able to stand up yet.
'Yeah, I think I'm starting to see it now,' said Zack with a sideways smirk. Esme's cheeks blossomed pink.
'So I like cute s**t,' she grumbled, clicking off the tab and onto a news site written in National.
There was a section on league news, which was understandably filled with new updates and hot topics. Gym challenge results were posted, with new ones coming in every few minutes. Zack spotted Helena's name on there, but that wasn't what Esme wanted to show him. She went to a day old article titled "Rookie Favourite Takashi Quits League" with a photo of a teenager who had silver hair. He had apparently been well regarded for his performance against Viola, but suddenly quit the league and returned to Johto. It was a short story, just one of many similar, buried by more popular articles. Promising trainers who gave up before they could get too big.
'These are the lucky ones,' Esme said. 'Sometimes people go missing. Sometimes they turn up dead. The best they get is an article like these or a mention on the news. We're told to feel sad about such horrible accidents, but that's it. Life goes on.'
There was an unmistakable tinge of bitterness to her lovely Kalosian voice. Sycamore's interview had set something off in Esme, some anger she normally kept well hidden. Zack didn't like it. He much preferred the cute girl he found huddled over a stack of books, the one who almost made him want to beg for her time of day. He cursed himself for such naivety. He nearly asked why all this was so important to her when a headline caught his eye.
It was a small block of text down the side of the screen, linking to the full story. Esme nearly scrolled past, but Zack caught her hand and guided it back up. His mouth going dry, he clicked and opened the story.
LEROUX DEATH FOUND TO BE NATURAL
The sudden death of Court noble Gabriel Leroux was determined to be a result of natural causes, according to police.
Lord Gabriel Leroux, 67, died of heart failure in his city home on South Boulevard in Lumiose City.
Leroux, who had been taking medication, collapsed against a nearby window pane, which gave way.
His body was found on the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Leroux was a noted philanthropist who funded several campaigns to end poverty in Kalos.
'Huh,' Zack said, after a few seconds. 'So that's bullshit.'
'You don't believe them?'
'I probably would've done, but I saw Gabriel Leroux die. And unless heart attacks take the form of psychopaths in halloween costumes, this article's full of s**t.'
'It's not the only one,' said Esme.
Zack finally sat down, clasping his hands together as he landed on the corner of the bed. The real reason behind Gabriel Leroux's death was being covered up. If this was true, then was the rest? He met Esme's eye, feeling ashamed for doubting her. He remembered Salieri, how she'd warned him about how the nobility operated, but instead he'd laughed in her face.
'It's ******** up, isn't it?' Esme said, trying to coax a smile out of Zack with her own, but neither of them properly managed one. 'I try to ignore it. It's hard, but I've learned. Sina would be pissed if she knew I was showing you this; she thinks it's crazy. And you know, maybe she nearly had me convinced it was too. But I can't just ignore what I saw with the Professor. It's too personal.'
'You think that's related to this? To the trainers and the pokémon league?'
Esme nodded quietly. 'Yeah, I do. The same people who do this want Team Flare out of the spotlight. It could be the nobles, it could be someone else. I really don't know.'
That wasn't the worst of it, Zack thought. Right now, his little sister was on a league challenge. What would happen to her if she became too successful? Would she be one of those trainers who suddenly goes missing, or would it be worse? What would happen to him if the nobles decided to eliminate witnesses to Gabriel Leroux's murder? He swallowed.
'Why did you show me this?' he asked. 'Why me? Specifically.'
Esme's mouth hung open. She hadn't been expecting that. She caught herself quickly, and started to frown. 'There's no reason specifically. I can't tell Sina or she'd blow, and Dexio can't keep secrets at all. I thought you'd understand.'
Zack nodded, though he wasn't entirely satisfied. There was something wrong with Kalos, and it was more than mysterious assassins and dickheads in silly outfits. It was something more sinister, bubbling under the surface. He tried to reason his way out of it, but his gut told him that Esme was right, and it wasn't something he could ignore either.
'Alright. I believe you,' he said, looking Esme in the eye. 'God knows I wish I didn't, but there it is. I do.'
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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 5:43 pm
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Lumiose City - Estival Avenue
Zack felt strange as he walked the city streets. After his conversation with Esme, it felt as if he lost his blinders but received a heavy weight in return. He watched people walking by: the trainers and their pokémon, the window shoppers, the haughty nobility. Before he'd just assumed that there were shadowy forces pulling the strings in every region, but it was so abstract that it hardly mattered. It didn't effect him directly, so he could pretend it wasn't happening. Now he was seeing the evidence and he couldn't ignore it. They were targeting trainers just like him, and that made it personal. His family was at risk, and it made him sick.
Sickness didn't last long with Zack Redgrave. It was just a matter of time until he got angry. He tingled with the same urge he had before intervening in a fight, and he had nowhere to direct it. Zack didn't know what he was going to do yet, but he had to do something.
'Hold on,' he said. As he slowed to a stop, so did Esme. 'Anywhere near here that's quiet?'
'Sure, this way,' she said, leading him to the mouth of the alley by the Loto-ID Center. It was relatively free of people, making it quieter than the rest of the street, turning the constant rumble of people to a mere buzz.
Zack took out his new Holo Caster and, with some help from Esme, found Helena on the PSS. First thing first; make sure she's okay. He called Helena, and hoped she wouldn't take too long to respond.
If she answered, Zack would say, 'Hey.' And then, 'We need to talk. In person. Where are you?'
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:13 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 1:43 pm
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Lumiose City - Estival Avenue
Zack sighed. He occasionally wished that more people had psychic powers so that he didn't have to bother with introductions. Alas, that world, this was not.
'Esme,' he said, pointing at her, then nodded to the hologram. 'Helena. My sister.'
'Hey, Helena,' said Esme with a nod.
'Just stay where you are, I'm coming to get you,' Zack said, turning the Holo Caster off.
'Don't waste any time, do you?' Esme said. Zack felt himself go hot.
'Yeah, well, I just wanna make sure she's safe, y'know?' he said, looking away.
'Ahuh. While you're doing that, I'm going back to the lab to see what the Professor's got to say. If I can, I'll find out who told him to cover for Team Flare, or at least why he did it.'
Zack frowned. 'Don't let him bullshit you.'
'Just who do you think you're talking to?' grinned Esme.
They set off. It would've been a longer walk, but Esme knew the shortcuts through the backroads and side alleys. Zack immediately felt very lost, half-expecting a run in with some unsavouries, but he trusted her navigation, and they soon came out near the Center. Esme split off towards the lab, while Zack went inside the pokémon center.
'Hey, Helena!' he shouted over the crowds of coming and going trainers. Some of them turned around, eyeing him like he was being weird, but Zack didn't really care. He just needed to get his sister's attention. 'Get over here!'
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:20 pm
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Lumiose City - Pokemon Center
"Hi," Helena said back.
Once the call ended, Helena looked over to Bridgette who had several pancakes stuffed in her mouth. They didn't all fit, and the majority of them hung from her lips, held on by her teeth.
Bridgette looked back with a look that said, 'you're weird for staring.'
"You know, I'll think about your offer, and get back to you." Helena got up to retrieve her Pokemon while Bridgette said, through a mouth full of food, "obey, hadf un!"
Zack arrived soon after Helena got her Pokemon. She gave him a small wave as she approached. "What's up?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 2:39 pm
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 9:56 am
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Helena didn't immediately adjust to the change in mood. One second she was recovering from her loss and eating pancakes, now Zack was asking about something far above them. It brought her back to what had sat in her mind all day - sometimes pushed closer to the back of her mind, other times it was in the forefront.
Helena caught herself staring at Zack, looking a combination of bewildered and absent minded. "Um," she turned her head away from him for a moment, her eyes cast to the side. After a second she looked back to him.
"They were after Diancie." She hoped Zack wasn't still upset about being embarrassed infront of everyone. "They had this whole plan. They did a lot of talking too." Despite Zack's words, Helena still felt hesitant to tell him about Ratio. As she spoke, she was already constructing the lie in her head.
"I didn't catch everything, but they talked about Diancie, and they talked about the nobility. They tried to capture Diancie too, but they..." Helena recalled the horrible, bloody event. "failed. They couldn't do it. They said something else, too." Helena constructed the false dialogue in her head as she spoke. She couldn't remember names of noble families off the top of her head, but she skipped over that part. "I'm pretty sure they're working for the nobles."
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