Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

'The nobles,' Zack said back, his pulse quickening. 'Did they say that? You're absolutely sure?'

Gabriel Leroux's death and its subsequent cover up. The creature's involvement, its appearance near Glittering Cave at the start of the rampage. Professor Sycamore covering for Flare on television. Now Helena's saying that Flare are working for the nobility? It can't all be coincidence. At first, his only concern had been coaching Helena through her league challenge, but starting with Leroux's death he'd slowly become drawn into something he wasn't sure he wanted a part of. He frowned. We can still get out.

'Can you do something for me?' he asked. 'I want you to hold off on your gym challenge for a little while. Just keep training your team and get stronger, but don't draw attention to yourself.'  

[Spinne Biss]

"I'm absolutely sure," Helena said. She got the feeling that Zack had stumbled into something bigger than him, that it was really worrying him. The same way the weight of things had gotten to Helena.

"Why? How are my gym battles related to the nobles and Team Flare?"  

[Marsuru]

Zack frowned. Every time someone on TV made the "keep them in the dark for their own good" decision, he wanted to punch them. Now when he was faced with that choice himself, he understood their position, at least a little bit.

He wasn't, however, a complete p***k.

'There's a good chance the nobles are rigging the pokémon league,' he said. Looking over Helena's shoulder in case anyone walked up disturbing them. 'Apparently people have gone missing, or even turned up dead. So don't be the nail that sticks out. At least until I can get to the bottom of this, you gotta be careful not to let them know how strong you're getting.

'And I don't know what they're using Flare for just yet, but I'm going to find out. Whatever it is got Ambrette Town wasted, so I'm guessing it's big.'  

[Spinne Biss]

"Until you get to the bottom of it?" Helena might be his younger sister, but she certainly wasn't twenty years younger than him or anything. Zack was about as much of a kid as she was.

"What are you going to do?"  

[Marsuru]

'Uh,' Zack shrugged. 'Get to the bottom of it?'  

[Spinne Biss]

"Zack, that's insane," Helena said, a little louder than she'd intended. "You're not a soldier or a police officer, you're just a guy. If I'm in danger by doing well in Pokemon battles, aren't you in even more danger by jumping into the Shinx's den?"  

[Marsuru]

Zack took in Helena's concerns with a grin. 'Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just promise me you'll keep your head down while I do this.'

He eased off, leaning against a pillar. 'You never told me how your gym match went.'  

[Spinne Biss]

"Nuh uh, you're not changing the subject." Helena had kept Zack in the dark to avoid him chasing after monsters. Now he was doing it all by himself, and it was a lot bigger, Helena thought, than he could imagine if he was so confidently trying to step in.

"You have to stay out of this. You're just going to get yourself hurt or worse, and that's stupid."  

[Marsuru]

'I've been getting in trouble all my life and I'm still standing,' Zack said with a smirk. 'If it makes you feel better, I don't plan on getting into any fights. I'll probably just spend an inordinate amount of time in the library, checking out old news articles and trainer magazines. Worst that'll happen is I'll get a paper cut.

'But if I'm right about all this, then you're better off doing what I say. But let's make one thing clear: we're not quitting the league. We're here to win. Agreed?'  

[Spinne Biss]

"I literally watched you charge a stampede," Helena retorted. "What are you going to do if something like that happens again? How can I trust that you'll stay in the library?"  

[Marsuru]

Zack sighed. That did sort of happen, yeah. Maybe this was why TV guys didn't like to clue people into stuff. If she didn't trust him now, there wasn't anything he could say to make her think otherwise. Time for a change in tactic.

'Because,' he said, 'shut up. I'm here to look after you, not the other way around. So stop with the stupid s**t, Helena, and tell me how your gym match went.'

Nailed it.  

[Spinne Biss]

"Yeah?" Helena's expression changed to reflect the blow. She didn't look hurt, but annoyed. "Well, my gym match went great, thanks for asking. You know what, I'll just go have another one tomorrow."

As she turned to leave, she said over her shoulder, "you got me back if anything happens because I'm so damn good, right?" Unless Zack stopped her, she'd walk away.  

[Marsuru]

But before Helena could leave, a voice screeched over the crowd of trainers, quickly followed by a flying furry flailing of limbs.

'I FOUND HER!'

Unless Helena had superhuman reflexes, she'd soon find that an Aipom had latched onto her head, grabbing hold by her hair while waving his tail hand in the air. A second later, a shortish teenage trainer burst out of the crowd, jaw dropped.

'No waaaay! Dude, you're like, Detective Einstein or something!' Wayne said. 'Hey, have you seen your brother? It's stupidly important that we talk to him right away. Or so I'm told.'  

[Spinne Biss]

"Oh god, why?!" Helena shouted as the monkey attached itself to her head. She'd grab at Aipom, trying to remove him, and hearing nothing that Wayne would say.  

[Marsuru]

'Uh, excuse me?' Wayne cleared his throat and asked louder while Helena flailed about trying to rid herself of Aipom. 'I don't think you heard me, but we're looking for your brother. I think he's-'

'Right here,' Zack growled, pushing past. At the sound of Zack's voice, Aipom looked up, grin spreading across his face while Helena's fingers clawed at him.
'Oh hey, Zack! I've been looking everywhere for-'

Aipom squeaked as Zack's fist collided, smearing the pokémon off Helena's head so that he hit the floor and bounced. Zack rounded on him as he rolled upright, shaking off the blow. Aipom then shrank under Zack's shadow, got picked up by a rough grab of his tail, and wound up dangling in front of the trainer's face.

'Gremlin,' he said, locking eyes with the upside-down pokémon. 'What the hell are you doing in Kalos?'
'I followed you here!' Gremlin the Aipom announced happily. 'You've no idea how dull it is without you. Hardly anyone ever attacks the new guy. I've had to start stealing from packages to push things along, but so far? No dice.'

Zack's glare could've cut through steel. He glanced about, realising that the crowd had largely stopped to gawk. Knowing from experience that some trainers wouldn't like him hitting a pokémon, deserved or not, he decided to get going.

'You, me, out,' he said, then turned, pointing at Wayne. 'And you. I don't know you.'
'Huh? Oh, I'm Wayne Lee, but most people call me Wayne. One time I got called Mr. Lee, but that was weird, so...'

Whatever Wayne had to say was lost on Zack, who looked at Helena, pursing his lips. 'I get that you're pissy. But you need to mind what I said and don't do anything stupid. I'll be here tonight; if you're serious about winning this league, meet me and we'll make it happen. Otherwise, I'm sending you home.'

Then it was Zack's turn to leave, dragging Gremlin behind him, bouncing and dancing on the end of his tail.

'Tch. Woooow,' Wayne said loudly to Helena. 'So that jerk's your brother, huh? Man, that must suck. I'm Wayne, but you can call me, uh, Wayne, I guess.'