Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Jump Einatz]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

Salieri tried to move back but Ratio grabbed her arm mid diss, ready to throw her and add injury to insult. Now that she was facing them she noticed the Aura Spheres for the first time, and in her head cursed Zack for being such an idiot. Sal let go of the baton, letting it drop while she grabbed right back at Ratio with the same arm he was grabbing. His grip was very strong. So was hers. This is probably a bad idea.

Her free hand returned Banksy to her Pokéball, removing all of Ratio's footing as he tried to throw Salieri. Still holding onto Ratio, Salieri kept her grip tough as the iron on his arms and the two of them would fall together. Using the same momentum he had thrown her with, now transferred to her, Sal yanked to bring Ratio back into the path of the Aura Spheres that were hunting him down. She'd bring himself close to him to hide her small frame against his, raising the chances that he'd take the brunt of the blasts.

[Damn straight! I am the strongest, weak piece of-] For the third time today, Reynard was struck in the middle of gloating by an attack. Ancile's Projected Brick Break burst through the last of her Scald and cut into her back, crashing her to the ground. Previously at full health, the Vaporeon was now on her last legs in one hit, struggling to get up while spitting out a clear liquid that must've been her blood. A huge pale blue cut streaked across her, leaking water. She needed a moment to catch her breath before she could even make a move.

Durendal, who was waiting to attack til he was safe from flying into Malis' Flamethrower, saw the Brick Break coming down upon him. There was only one way to avoid this attack in time, and that was to break out his trump card early. Dune abandoned his hope of using Assurance and switched on Fleché a la Mode, cloaking himself in crimson sparks and enhancing his reflexes just enough to dive backwards with the Brick Break passing by him. He landed on the ground next to Zack.

The Pawniard took one look at Lethal, and tried to grab the Clawitzer off of Zack's arm. He figured the Howitzer Pokémon would work better in his hands. Assuming the trainer or Pokémon let him, Dune would mount Lethal onto his shoulder and hover back upwards, aiming at Ancile and telling him to [Shoot something.]  

[Marsuru]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

Ratio fell with Salieri but didn't make a sound. He landed on top of her as the two Aura Spheres homed in on him, arcing around to chase their target. He could take the hit and remain standing, but that was wasteful. He could diffuse them, weak as they were, but that would leave him open. Instead, a moment before the Aura Spheres reached him and just as they lined up, he threw the box he'd been holding onto. The attacks exploded and blew the box apart, shattering it into fragments and spraying its contents onto the floor. Around half a dozen mega stones scattered, but Ratio didn't pay them any attention.

'Very close,' he said, sounding mildly impressed. The girl would surely be winded from the fall, especially with his weight landing on top of her. 'You're stronger than your brother. He'd be proud.'

Ratio raised his hand to the sky and caught Salieri's stun baton as it fell. Forcing her arms against her chest with one of his, he'd then turn the baton around into reverse grip and activate it. Its internal battery would whine, pulsing power through the baton's length. He would lower it onto an exposed part of Salieri's chest, jolting her with a 50,000 volt charge.

Ancile wouldn't give Dune and Zack much chance to bicker. Though not as ferocious as Ferox, the sword pokémon was every bit as deadly. He span through the air, his sword and shield snapping together with Magnet Rise, and used Power Trick to return full strength to the sword. As he shot towards the pokémon and trainer, Ancile would swing his sword in an upwards arc, aiming to cleave both targets in two with another Brick Break.

---

'Not a bad trick,' Zack said, having watched Dune narrowly escape Ancile's first Brick Break. He was less impressed when Durendal started trying to take his Clawitzer off him. He pulled Lethal back, frowning. 'No way, get your own.'

Surprised by Dune's grip on the pokémon, Zack would plant his foot on the blade pokémon's face and try forcing him off with that. 'I said get off!'

If Salieri allowed herself to be shocked by the stun baton, Serene would stand near her, watching. But she wouldn't do anything except observe with mild interest, as if in a trance.  

[Jump Einatz]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

Her chest rose and fell with her arms on top of it, gasping for air. Salieri glared at Ratio so hard she thought she could burn a hole through his mask. She couldn't help but feel like she could have avoided being in this position if she hadn't involved herself with Zack. But then Zack might be in this position, and Matheson would never forgive himself for it. The anger she felt wasn't directed at Ratio. That is, until he mentioned her brother.

Shock washed over her face as all her breath returned at once. "My brothURRRRAAAAAGGHHH!"

Salieri howled as her own weapon was used against her, convulsing under Ratio's weight with her head thrown back. Every inch of her filled with pain coursing up and down her body, but she fought through it long enough to bring her glare back in full force, leveling at Ratio a hatred that equaled his darkness in intensity. Her body wanted her to scream again, and instead she growled past the urge and uttered a guttural, "You hurt him, I'LL KILL YOU!" And her scream came back, until it died down into a whimper and she passed out from the pain.

Durendal stopped pulling on Lethal when he heard Salieri's cries for pain. He hadn't come in knowing what they'd do with Ratio if they defeated him. Dune was a planner, always keeping his cool and trying to figure out the rational, efficient way to deal with his problems. With Salieri coming under electric torture, Durendal decided with a very cool head that the best course of action was to decapitate Ratio as soon as possible.

He took one step forward, and then immediately tackled Zack and Lethal off to the side as Ancile swiped down into the ground. Brick Break tore it asunder, rippling up two waves of earth in its wake that the three of them barely managed to avoid. And then Durendal left Zack and Lethal on their own, flying straight as an arrow with all his boosted speed and strength backing him up to Slash Ratio's head off.

Ska jumped out from behind his hiding pillar as Ancile came down, dropped a Hurl Trap on the ground, and stepped on it. He blasted off, and as he zoomed he nabbed five Mega Stones off the ground from where they fell. He skidded to a stop close to another pillar a fair distance from Ratio and gave the assassin a nod.

"S'cool, you keep beatin' up teenagers, mate. Tried that myself bout half an hour ago," Ska grinned, stuffing the stones into his longcoat's pockets. He dropped a Plant Trap in front of him and folded his arms. "Finders keepers on your lunch box, though."  

[Marsuru]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

Ratio ignored Ska, ignored everything but the Pawniard rushing his way. It wanted blood, he barely had to touch its Aura to feel killing intent spilling from it in waves. Very well. Ancile slashed into the ground, then disappeared under it. The earth ripped up in a line streak, blowing apart barely in time. Ancile's shield shot up a split second before Dune's Slash made contact, forcing the attack away. The blade snapped into Ratio's hand and he Slashed sideways.

A simple attack, but faster than a more destructive one. He aimed to hammer his Aegislash's sword between Dune's ribs and crush what little scraps of metal accounted for the Pawniard's spine.

---

Zack hit the deck yet again, vaguely aware of someone talking like a pirate nearby, and forced himself up in time to see Dune racing to murder Ratio. While Zack didn't particularly want to get caught up in that kind of fight, he had no other choice. As pissed as Dune was, it didn't make him suddenly powerful enough to stand against Ratio's pokémon.

He looked around for options. Hazard was at a distinct disadvantage against an Aegislash. Malis was watching the fight nearby, and looked so nervous his scales took on a lighter shade of orange. It was his first time seeing such a high level pokémon, after all. Zack rushed the Charmander, grabbed him by the forearms, and sprinted to catch up with the Dune fight.

On his way, he shouted, 'Serene!'

The psychic type snapped out of her trance. She'd been staring at Salieri's unconscious body, mesmerised by the rise and fall of her breath, totally unconcerned by the fight happening beside her. She understood her master's command in an instant, and grabbed Salieri, then teleported her a good distance away from the fight.  

[Jump Einatz]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

There was no clang, no gong sound, nothing as Dune's Slash was rendered impossible against the Ghost's typing. A counterattack was coming, he knew. This was a duel, what he was made for. But his opponent, even more so. Ratio's sword came sideways and Durendal turned to meet it.

Magnet Rise left his body, and as gravity took over he activated it again. The move didn't flood his body with a magnetic field like normal, instead wrapping around his arms like it did in Parfum Palace. Durendal used Parade, and the blood red magnetic waves coursed down his arm and met in the middle, forming a barrier that met the Slash head on.

Dune struggled against the attack, his barrier stretching out until it tore apart and the sword caught him through the chest blades. The Pawniard was throttled backwards, accompanied by a shockwave that blew the grass right out of the ground. He blew past Skarada and lodged into the pillar behind the Flare Admin with a diagonal gash across his chest.

Ska looked over his shoulder, then back at the rest of the fight. "Bad time, then," he sighed, sounding slightly disappointed. He was hoping to gloat more, but they were far too busy. "241!"

The Armored Gardevoir came to his side and Teleported them away in a flash.

Everything was a blur to Dune. His body ached, his head swam. Salieri was gone, spirited away by Serene. He was grateful for that. The killing intent faded, lingering long enough to be replaced by a need to bring this man to justice. Matheson was right. He needed to be stopped, even if Dune had only a sliver of consciousness left to do it.

Durendal slowly shook himself out of the pillar, dropping out onto his knees. Grunting, he got up and activated Magnet Rise for real, flying up higher into the air. From here, he pointed down at Ratio, and then pulled his wrist up.

A Rock Tomb would come up from under Ratio, small slabs that would form cones to pin his feet in one place if the move was on target. As soon as he knew they were in place, Durendal would follow up by diving down and going for a normal elbow strike to Ratio's head if he got there for it, holding back his strength enough to only knock out the assassin.

On another side of the expanse, Reynard got to her feet, spitting onto the ground. [********.] Her Wish had come true, granting her half of her health back and bringing her to just over fifty percent. It was time for payback. With a flick of her tail, star shaped rays spun Swiftly straight ahead. They were aimed at Ratio's sword arm, the wrist specifically, trying to wrench Ancile from his grasp before Durendal came down.

Regardless of the outcome, Reynard went Seine mode and slithered through the grass, going closer to move in for real damage.  

[Marsuru]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

An attack from all sides. Not unexpected, but it was time for this sideshow to bow out. Rock Tomb took effect as long earthen fingers wrapped around Ratio's lower legs, circling and tightening until they merged into smooth rock. He could break free in a moment, but for now he'd become trapped.

Ratio threw Ancile's sword and shield in different directions as they activated Power Trick. The shield intercepted Reynard's Swift, absorbing any damage without worry thanks to its Ghost typing, then responded by launching a powerful Shock Wave; an expanding ball of electric power that would wash over and electrocute its surroundings. Even if she was sneaking along in Seine form, a Shock Wave anywhere in Reynard's vicinity would catch her in its radius. The sword half, now weaker than normal but more than enough to handle Dune, would rush to meet the Pawniard. If Dune was intent on attacking Ratio, then intercepting him would be a matter of judging his line of attack, then slicing through it with a Brick Break attack when he came close. Even with reduced strength, Ancile's sword would crush Dune's armour into dust.

---

As Ratio threw his pokémon to his sides, Zack rushed in with his own. He commanded a 'Heal Pulse!' and blasted Dune with Lethal's technique while passing. Serene doubled up on it from her position beside Salieri, both pink rays aiming to collide with Dune simultaneously. With any luck, two doses of Heal Pulse would give Dune enough health to survive a direct encounter with Ancile.

Zack swiped his arm holding Lethal to the side as he closed in on Ratio. The weight would allow him to swing his other arm that much faster, and his other arm held a surprise; a screaming Charmander who was clutching onto Zack's left arm the same way Lethal clutched onto the right, with his open mouth resting just above the trainer's fist.

He would aim a punch at Ratio's face, backed up by a blast of Malis's Flamethrower. The intense heat might not be enough to properly damage the assassin's pokémon, but it wouldn't have any trouble handling a human. Zack was counting on Ratio's mask to shield him from direct contact with the flames. He didn't want to kill him, after all, but a little wear and tear wouldn't go amiss. If the blow connected, Ratio would likely be blown free of the Rock Tomb trap and sent crashing onto his back.  

[Jump Einatz]

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

At such a close range, Reynard couldn't counter a Shock Wave. Being in Seine mode granted her more speed at the cost of her defenses, and so as she tried to squirm away she was caught in the attack, getting electrocuted while transitioning back to solid form. The Vaporeon coughed up a mote of smoke and collapsed.

Durendal's health was brought back to full by the Heal Pulses, which didn't slow him down in the slightest as he made his dive downwards. But even at full health, he couldn't stand up to a Fighting type technique delivered by a much stronger Pokémon. Dune met Ancile's Brick Break head on. The Aegislash broke through his guard and once again delivered a diagonal cut across the Pawniard's chest where the Heal Pulses had just stitched him up. His armor cracked open and he was flung back up into the air, out cold before he hit the ground seconds later.

~~~~~~

Salieri's eyes fluttered open a short distance away from the fight, and the dull noise of the battlefield became clearer to her. Struggling to stand, she got on one knee and released Banksy. The Torkoal regarded her with concern. "Time...to go..." she ordered with a strain in her voice.

Sal flopped herself onto the warm shell and Banksy turned on White Jet, ready to head back in and extract Zack and company. Salieri hated backing down from a fight. In this case, a fight that could lead to their deaths for nothing, she didn't feel that compunction.  

[Marsuru]

((A wild post!))

Route 10 - The Central Expanse

Zack had the advantage. Ratio's Aegislash had split itself apart to deal with Reynard and Dune, leaving Ratio defenceless, trapped in Dune's Rock Tomb constructs. Zack sprinted hard with Malis and Lethal wrapped around his arms, and swung his Malis-powered Flamethrower Punch at Ratio's face. Ratio tilted his head curiously, then his whole body tensed before bursting into movement. He pushed Zack's forearm up, leaning away from the blow as he diverted the Charmander's Flamethrower skyward in a brilliant burst of orange and white.

Half expecting a dodge, Zack rapped Lethal with his knuckle, telling the Clawitzer to propel himself backwards with a blast of Water Gun. Lethal span his trainer like a top, and Zack angled the pokémon at the side of Ratio's head for a crustacean-powered elbow smash.

Ratio tensed again, and raised his arm in a block that should've crumpled half-heartedly under Zack's strike. Instead, Zack's arm exploded in sharp agony. It felt as if Lethal had propelled his elbow into a wall of steel, the bones in his upper arm shattering under the strain. As Dune and Reynard collapsed, Ratio began his counter, and tapped Zack on the chest to push the trainer off balance. Malis abandoned ship, leaping from Zack's good arm to melt a Flamethrower from on high while Lethal proved too heavy and scuttled to the ground.

Aegislash dealt with Malis. The blade swung its flat into the Charmander's gut and disrupted the flamethrower, which burst like a feeble firework as Malis arced into the floor. The Charmander bounced once then lay still.

Zack stumbled but fought through the pain as it shot up and down his arm. It felt feverish, washing over him in great waves of fresh fire, willing him to submit, to fall under its heat. His arm dropped like lead, and every movement brought him fresh agony, but he couldn't quit here. He wouldn't lose this fight. Gritting his teeth as his foot came down, Zack snatched Ratio's arm and intended to drag the assassin off his feet, but Ratio didn't budge. Dune's Rock Tomb kept Ratio upright, and Ratio's fist snapped like lightning into Zack's cheek, blowing the trainer onto the deck. He slid, kicking up a cushion of dirt, before coming to a stop.

Ratio caught his Aegislash's sword and swung it down, stopping its tip an inch from Zack's face. The trainer's heart throbbed in his chest as he stared along the length of the blade, images of the two dead Flare grunts flashing through his mind.

'Don't try it,' Ratio said in a low voice, and it took a moment for Zack to realise who he was talking to. Feeling like his neck was in a vice, he managed to turn his head to the side, and saw Lethal lowering his cannon, glancing from Ratio to his master.

A noise came from Ratio's mask, something halfway between a grunt and a chuckle. 'A valid attempt, all of you. Without knowing who I am, you fought with all you had. Few possess such honed foolishness. You should be proud.'
'I'm not done yet,' Zack growled, leaning on his elbow. Though lying on his back with a blade at his throat and one arm in pieces, he wasn't entirely sure what else he could do.

'Zack Redgrave,' Ratio's mask angled itself towards the trainer. 'How many times will you doom yourself with arrogance? It is a sign of intelligence that one should learn from his mistakes. I am afraid it is a quality you are sorely ******** you,' Zack grunted, but his words were choked by the sudden sharpness in his chest. The Aegislash had pieced his skin, poking its tip into the flesh over Zack's heart.

'Look around you, Zack. Look at your fallen,' Ratio said calmly as he pushed Aegislash harder. Its cold steel slid deeper moment by moment, blood bubbling to the surface and staining Zack's shirt red. 'You did this. I had no intention of battle, yet you forced my hand and for what? For the promise of a noble? To protect your sister?'

The same half-chuckle echoed from Ratio's mask, but this one sent a wave of sweat down Zack's back. His words died as screams as Ratio pushed the sword in harder. Each rise of shaken breath caused the steel to slice his chest, each beat of his heart brought the blade tip closer to piercing it. Zack grit his teeth. There was a way out of this. Serene. Where was Serene? His fleeting hope dissolved the instant he turned his head. Zack saw Serene not far away, watching. She didn't seem the slightest bit concerned, observing with the same bored expression of a child staring at ants.

Zack's heart beat harder. The sword felt like a red hot tong pressed into his chest. It made Zack dizzy with pain and the world sway drunkenly as his head rested heavily on the dirt. He could see the pillars swimming and bending, feel the dark weight press down like a man drowning in shallow water. He was finished. Ready to slip away into a dark ocean.

'Helena's fate is far beyond your understanding.' Ratio pulled the Aegislash out, an inch of blood staining its tip red, and Zack broke the water's surface, coughing and spluttering for air. 'You speak of protection, but you merely coddle a flame that must grow into wildfire. I will spare your life as a service to Helena, but beware, Zack Redgrave.' Ratio swung Aegislash to his side, clearing the blade in an arc of fresh blood. 'Where she goes, you will never reach her.'

A screech split the air from the forest of pillars. Trees were snapped and blown aside as Antiq crashed through them, passing between a pair of stone columns. Her flesh was seared white and bloody, the life gone from her eyes as her wings stopped flapping. The giant of an Aerodactyl hit the earth, gouging a chunk away as Ska's traps exploded against her body. Bubbles soaked her scales, but the rock type didn't react. Hurl traps tried in vain to shift her, but only succeeded in making her twitch while smoke curled around her body.

And there, standing atop its wounded prey amidst the smoke, was Ferox. The Arcanine climbed up Antiq's back, flames spilling from her mouth like saliva, glowing orange through the smoky haze.

Zack had thought Ferox's appearance would end his hopes of winning this battle, but now he saw the opposite was true. And it was true, for the first time in this fight, Ratio was distracted. The assassin had looked away to observe the scene behind him, and Zack now had a moment to act. He had dissuaded Salieri from healing Matheson's arm before it was properly tended, but he had no such compunctions about doing it to himself. It was now or never.

'Heal Pulse!' Zack roared, and Lethal bolted into action at his side. The Clawitzer blasted Zack's arm with a rough jolt of pink healing power, snapping Zack's bones together painfully. In the same movement, Zack kicked Aegislash's hilt as hard as he could, knocking the sword skyward as he forced himself off the ground with his good arm.

Zack snatched the weapon from the air and turned on the spot. For a single, withering moment, his back was turned completely, but no attack came. It had no time to come. With all his might, Zack swung Ratio's own weapon at him, not caring where it landed so long as it dealt as much damage as possible. It caught Ratio on the ribs, making the assassin bend into the hit, but failed to penetrate his armour.

The trainer grit his teeth, and grabbed Aegislash's hilt with his other hand, intending to drag the sword out and go for another swipe, but he had run out of time. His moment was up. The Aegislash's sash came alive, wrapping around his arm, sucking the life out of him. The cloth bound itself tightly, and prevented Zack from letting go. And Ratio loomed over him, expression hidden behind his mask. He gripped Zack's hands and forced them upwards so that the Aegislash's sword was over their heads. Zack crashed to his knees, his strength leaving him, his body swelling with weight.

'The truth,' Ratio said, his voice ringing behind the metal mask. 'Has nothing to do with family, or money, or any of the petty lies you tell yourself. I can see it now, clear as day. You're enjoying this, aren't you? Then consider- Ferox!'

Zack rocked to the side like a doll on a string. Hot jaws closed over his gut, hooked teeth sinking into the meat like knives. An Arcanine's fire spilled from its maw and Zack was dragged from this world and into the black.  

[Jump Einatz]

((Heads up: As of this post I'm taking over as Jullien Nostrad))

Cyllage City - Hospital

“No, no more tests. I’m fine. Where’s Matheson?”

The moment Salieri entered the hospital with Zack over her shoulder, the staff had separated them and forced an examination on her. Using technical terms they told her what she already knew: she was hurt, and she’d be fine. Specifically speaking, Ferox's explosive attacks had dished out several bruises and a few fractures on her arms and rib cage, a black eye, and Ratio had ran a few hundred volts through her body. The injuries she suffered weren't as bad as the ones the boys went through and were more easily treated, yet still her muscles and bones ached. She shouldn't have been standing, yet she claimed to be okay. The doctors were impressed with her body’s ability to take punishment, especially after seeing the scars The Sniper had given her. Sal chalked it up to always eating her fruit, and put on her basic outfit again, which was not torn to shreds.

Her Pokémon and Zack’s had been shipped off to the Pokémon Center in emergency vehicles. They told her that the wicked gash on Durendal’s chest was manageable, but they didn’t know how much blood the Pawniard lost. That was twice now that he’d be scarred because of a fight she wasn’t ready for. Despite all she still had to check on, the guilt was a constant in the back of her mind.

Zack was put into an emergency room. Apparently, he had falsely mended himself with a Heal Pulse without setting the broken bones, and had to undergo a procedure to fix it. It was exactly what he had told her not to do with Matheson. Now she knew why.

I need to call Helena. Sal wasn’t sure his sister would answer her call anyway. She hadn’t been responsive for the last one, and she couldn’t have cared less the last time Sal was in danger. Before she made that call, she searched for Matheson’s room, and found it at the very end of a crowded ward. The police, the real ones, had moved in on Route 10 after Ratio had cleared out and recovered the bodies of half a dozen Flare Grunts with a variety of injuries. Whispers in the hall told her that Route 10’s terrain had been scorched and torn apart, but the pillars remained intact and standing.

His room was small, and private. He was in a hospital gown, hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor that beeped steadily. Sal tiptoed to the side of his bed, hesitating to reach out. She pulled back his gown over his chest and saw a horrendous bruise. After seeing that, she’d leave the rest up to her imagination.

The lights flickered. KZZZZT. It sounded like something shorted out. Salieri already had an aversion to hospitals, after spending so much time in them for Arnaud’s sake. This only made things more eerie. And now she got the sinking feeling that even though the door never opened, there was someone standing behind her.

A frigid, sharp point of steel pressed lightly into her back. Her paranoia was spot on this time. “Get your hands off of him and step to your right.”

The young woman’s voice was delicate, light but cold as her steel. Was it a knife, or a sword? Judging by the distance of her voice, it seemed like the latter. Salieri grew tense and gulped. She was in no position to fight back. Reluctantly, she shuffled to her right. “Who are you?”

Now she saw herself in a mirror next to Matheson’s bed, and could see the person behind her in the reflection. A young noblewoman with sharp features and short brown wavy hair, wearing a green royal jacket with an orange ascot. The color scheme screamed House Nostrad. From behind her floated a Rotom, who buzzed with an innocent grin aimed at Sal. Being an avid hater of Ghosts, Sal gave it a snarl, and the Rotom shied away to hide behind its trainer’s head.

“I’m Juliet Nostrad. You must be Salieri Soledad.”
“How do you know my name?” growled Sal. She held disdain for most nobles, but House Nostrad in particular earned more of her ire. Jullien Nostrad, Head of the House, was the one who excommunicated Arnaud from nobility. “Are you spying on me?”

Juliet held up a clipboard with her other hand. It had Salieri's medical information from her examination. Sal responded with a sheepish, “Oh.”
“Matheson’s Vespiquen identified you as involved with the Route 10 incident when your Torkoal rode in here. As a noble of a Court House, I exercise my right to take over police questioning of you, a suspect in the crime. What happened to him?”
Salieri steeled herself again. Of course there would be questioning. “First of all, I’m the one who saved his life out there. And if you keep sticking me with that the only thing you’ll get from me is punched to the floor.”
“Mmm.” Juliet smiled, amused by the notion. “Confident for someone who is literally pinned.”
“At least I’m not a coward! Put your toy away and face me like a woman.”
“If this was a fight I would. But it’s not. This is an interrogation.” The sword’s tip pressed slightly harder, nearing the force needed to draw blood. “Now talk.”

They became quiet and the sound of medical equipment hummed as loud as ever. A sputtering cough from Matheson broke the tension as he stirred, blinking. “…oh noooo…” His eyes went from Sal to Juliet repeatedly. “This is my nightmare.”

“Matheson!” Salieri went to his side, Juliet’s threats be damned, and kneeled next to his bed. “Math you idiot, I told you not to go to Route 10. Are you okay? Tell me everything that happened to you out there.”

Juliet sheathed her sword. When she laid eyes on Math he sharp features softened with relief, if just for a moment. “Don’t hound him. He’s just been through a trauma.” Juliet got to Matheson’s other side and looked him over with great concern. “…who did this to you? Where are they? Tell me everything that happened to you out there.”

Matheson pinched himself to make sure he was dreaming. He was not. One hand on his head, he pointed to the two girls. “Sal, this is Juliet. My fiancé. Jules, this is Salieri. We were, uh, on a date.” He rubbed the back of his head and grinned through the pain of two broken ribs, a broken arm and a slew of minor injuries. “You know what? In any other context that would all sound terrible but I think it came out pretty good.”

“It didn’t,” both girls said at once. Salieri stood up and cleared her throat. So this was the anonymous fiancé she had heard about. Before she could speak again, Juliet held out a hand.
“I apologize for getting off on the wrong foot with you,” Juliet told her, not quite smiling but with no ice in her tone. “Matheson can be nonsensical, but he has a way with people. Any friend of his is a…friend of mine.” That part was said through clenched teeth.
Salieri was taken aback by the apology. She expected this encounter to come to blows just seconds ago. It was much more awkward than that now. She shook Juliet’s hand for a little time as possible. Their grips were overly tight. “It’s fine. I, uh…yeah, we were on a date.”
“I know. He just said that. I assume he told you the nature of our relationship?”
“Your marriage is arranged and you’re both not down, right?”
“…yes. We are ‘not down’ with this arrangement.” Juliet gave Salieri a once over. “So you’re the girl he was going on about yesterday. I thought you’d be…taller.”

As Salieri fumed over that comment, Matheson grabbed Juliet’s arm. “W-what are you doing here? How did you know?”
“After that Krookodile wrestling incident I made myself an emergency contact for you. We were notified the moment you entered the hospital.”
“We?”

The door to the room swung open, grabbing the attention of the three. In walked Jullien Nostrad in all his regal glory, robes billowing to the floor and a stony expression on his face. Matheson sat up straight in his bed. Juliet gave her dad a quick bow. “Father.”

Salieri’s heart pounded. This was a man responsible for taking her father’s former life away. She had never been this close before. He didn’t deserve to walk around when Arnaud couldn’t. Sal’s eyes darted around the room for a needle, a scalpel, Juliet’s sword, anything that could even the score.

“Juliet.” Jullien regarded his daughter with a nod, ignored Salieri entirely as if her venom meant nothing, and stood in front of the bed with his arms behind his back. “Matheson. You’ve gotten yourself in trouble once more, I see. How are you healing?”

Matheson nodded. “Yeah. I mean, yes sir. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Juliet tapped Math’s broken arm. He groaned. “It’s worse. I was just about to start asking him what had occurred.”
“And what were you wasting time with beforehand?” Jullien asked airily, not looking at Juliet. Juliet looked away, embarrassed. “I apologize for my daughter, Matheson. She distracts easily. Now tell me. Was it Ratio?”

Salieri’s ears perked up. Math gulped. “Yes, it was.”
“As I feared.” Jullien sighed with grim reality. “I will need to hear the rest of this, of course. But not now.” He turned to face Salieri, squinting at her like she was disgusting. “You there, you were also present on Route 10. You must tell me everything that happened out there.”

“What?” Salieri crossed her arms and stared right back at him. “I’m not telling you a damn thing.”

Matheson and Juliet’s eyes grew wide. A long pause was indication enough that she said the wrong thing. Jullien remained level but was clearly insulted. “What is your reason for impeding our investigation?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“I do. For trivial reasons. You’re Salieri Soledad. I saw you improvise Damp to defeat a Sudowoodo in your last gym match on TV. The image amused me. It caused me to chuckle.” From the way he talked, Salieri assumed he had never laughed before unless it was in an evil way. “That aside, all facts about you are insignificant. I need answers.”
“I’m the daughter of Arnaud Soledad. Formerly Arnaud Nostrad.” She stepped forward, eyes locked with rising determination and anger in her voice. “You stripped his title away. He lived in squalor because of that. We had nothing. You took everything from the kindest man I’ve ever known. I won’t tell you a damn thing because I hate you.”

Jullien seemed surprised. Arnaud’s was a name he hadn’t expected to hear any time soon. “Perhaps I wasn’t being clear. I demand answers. And I will get them from you, one way or another.” He stepped closer as well, looming over Sal like a statue. “Disrespecting a man like me will land you in more trouble than Mr. Leroux over here. Would you rather have me call the police in here? All it takes is a snap of my fingers to get you detained, for as long as I desire.”
Sal growled. “On what grounds.”
“Because I am not fond of you, either.”

Sal looked to Matheson for help and read his eyes. Math didn’t like Jullien either. But he looked like he wanted Sal to tell Jullien what he wanted to know. The threat must have been very real. Salieri stepped back, putting a lid on her seething fury. “I got to Route 10. It was covered in traps-”
“What kind of traps?” Jullien asked, airy again now that Sal was under his control. It irked her even more.
Skarada’s stupid troll traps. “Booby traps? Whatever. Team Flare attacked me, I beat them, I found an Arcanine mauling Matheson.” The mention of that made Math squirm in his seat, and Juliet put a calming hand on his shoulder. Sal was instantly jealous. “I got Math out of there and called up-“ She needed a definition for Zack. Certainly not friend. “Some guy I know for backup.”
“Who is this person?”
“Zack Redgrave. He’s in ICU.”
Jullien made a mental note of this, and nodded a silent order to his daughter. “Continue.”
“Math’s Vespiquen got him out of there. Before he left, he told me the man who’s Arcanine attacked him was named Ratio…but you knew that already.” Salieri wanted to know everything Jullien did, but the man didn’t say a word, so she kept talking. “We found Ratio, he had some woman with him. She was knocked out and wearing another ridiculous Flare outfit. We fought Ratio, he beat us. Here we are.”
“How terse. Surely there is more.” Jullien rubbed his chin. “Do you know what he was after? What his involvement with Team Flare?”
He wanted a lunchbox. “I have no idea.”
“Is there anything he told you? Anything at all?”
He knows my brother. “No.”

Jullien breathed deep. “This doesn’t give us much to go on. But it’s a start.” He turned to Matheson. “I will contact you tomorrow to discuss this matter further. Tonight, however, is the benefit ball for Ambrette Town and I mustn’t be late. Good day, Matheson. I wish you the swiftest of recoveries.”
“Goodbye, sir,” Math said and Jullien started for the door right past Salieri.
“Hey! Who is this Ratio guy?” she called to him. He hadn’t even thanked her.
“No one to concern yourself with,” Jullien told her, not looking back. “He’s not interested in urchins. Juliet, I shall see you at the ball.”
“Goodbye, father.”

Jullien left, taking the sound out of the room with him, until Matheson clutched his sheets and asked, “Do my parents know I’m here?”
“They told me they were out of the country on business. They can’t come back for a few days.” Juliet tilted her head. “I thought they called you already.”
“They didn’t.” Matheson looked down sadly.

Salieri was still staring at the door. For as long as she could remember, she had an image of Jullien Nostrad painted in her brain. It wasn’t too far off from the truth, except the real thing lacked horns and a pitchfork. “Salieri, my father shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. I’m sorry. This is embarrassing.”

She faced Juliet. Salieri wasn’t sure how to feel about her. She knew nothing about the girl and the odds of them getting along were stacked against them. Math’s fiancé, a Nostrad noblewoman who introduced herself with a weapon to the back. Daughter of a man high on her revenge list. Yet her apology seemed genuine, and Jullien didn’t seem to treat her all that well either. Besides, Matheson trusted her. “It’s not your fault that your dad is a colossal...it's fine,” Sal shrugged, not meeting Juliet’s eyes.
“Would you mind giving us the room? I need to speak to Matheson alone.”
“Sure.” Salieri needed to be alone as well, with just her thoughts to make sense of it all. “I’ll be back later.”

“Salieri, you saved my life.” Matheson sat up, now beaming as he talked about it. “I don’t know what to say. Thanks, for starters.”
“Don’t mention it. I owe you a few, anyway” she said, smiling right back at him. Juliet shrank back, eyes out the window.
“I knew you’d come eventually.”
Sal just nodded. “We’ll talk, okay?”
He nodded too. She gave him a tiny wave and left them alone.  

[Marsuru]

(( scream OVER MY DEAD BOD-okay))

Lumiose City - Some Time Ago

Wayne hammered to a halt and doubled over. He considered himself a fairly excellent runner, but there was a profound difference between running around for fun and running for your life, or at least your good health. It didn't help that Gremlin had clung to his face for the duration.

'What? Whaaaat? I didn't tell you to stop! That crazy woman could be right behind us!' squealed the Aipom in question, peeking over Wayne's right ear.

Standing up, Wayne pulled Gremlin from his face, wincing a little as the nubs dug into his cheek, and took a deep breath. Breathing. Breathing was nice.

'I dunno...' he said, letting his voice settle. 'Unless she jumped out of a window too. Though I think maybe she did. I think that's like a custom here,' the trainer said, placing Gremlin back on his shoulders. 'What I don't get is why she was throwing rocks at us.'
'Don't sweat it,' Gremlin said, patting Wayne on the back of the head. 'Some people are just unreasonable like that.'

'Yeah. Where are we anyway?' Wayne looked about, and for the first time noticed the crowds and the stalls and the gigantic tower with a rollercoaster coiling around it and the wario-looking chef who was staring at them open-mouthed beside his three flexing Hariyama Brothers... 'Oh.'

Lumiose City - Now

'Step up! Step right up! Why don't you try one of these delicious, uh, what are these things anyway?'

'No talk, boy! You work for me now!' Chef Wario shouted from behind the stall, his face turned from flushed purple as he glared at Wayne to an amiable shade of rosy pink when he went back to his customers.
'Oh yeah.' Wayne held his sign higher over his head. It was all in Kalosian, and apparently helped advertise Chef Wario's stall, but judging from the smirks Wayne received, he suspected it might say something else. He shrugged it off. Working was fun. 'You having a good time down there, Demo?'

The Typhlosion didn't reply, he was too busy trembling on the spot, eye bulging, as he squeezed out another burst of flame to heat the stove above him. Chef Wario said his gas stove was out of order, but Wayne had doubts about that too. Still, this was way better than getting beat up by legendary TV heroes like the Hariyama Brothers. Plus there was some queen nearby, and Chef Wario said any fighting could get them into trouble.

'Nice job, Ronin!' Wayne shouted over his shoulder. The Hitmonlee didn't respond, instead maintaining his utmost concentration as he beat dough into shape with a flurry of kicks. The Hariyama Brother inspecting his progress nodded approval as the Hitmonlee lowered his foot back into the tray of seasoning. 'I guess he didn't hear me.'

Although Wayne quite enjoyed being The Sign Bearer, he had to admit it was getting quite tiresome, and his arms were more or less ready to drop off. But he didn't have it nearly as bad as poor Gremlin. The Aipom's mouth had landed him on the worst job of all; dirty dishes duty. Every customer at Chef Wario's stall returned their dish to a station next to it, where Gremlin sat on a tall stool. Using his multitude of limbs, he was a dish cleaning-drying machine; or he would be if he didn't spend the whole time sulking. His little nub hands proved just that bit too clumsy, and every now and then Gremlin dropped a plate, which would launch Chef Wario into a barrage of mean-sounding Kalosian insults.

Wayne was mid sign-twirl when he heard a loud voice from just before the stall. 'Ah ha ha ha! TV's Chef Wario and the Hariyama Brothers. Here to embarrass yourselves for yet another festival, I see!'
'Ugh,' Chef Wario grimaced. 'I hate that nickname. Just who are you supposed to be?'

The newcomer was a dark-skinned girl with shoulder-length hair who wore a white suit that matched with the blond boy beside her. She pointed her chin at the squat chef and smirked. 'Don't play coy with me! You must curse the name Chef Sina every night before bed! And the name Assistant Chef Dexio, I suppose.'

That was probably the blond guy, Wayne thought. Dexio was very pale and had his hand over his mouth, watching Gremlin handle dishes from the corner of his eye. Wayne caught him muttering the word 'unsanitary.'

'Oh. You two,' Chef Wario said. 'You wish to buy something?'
'N-no,' Chef Sina frowned. 'Weren't you listening? I said we're rivals!'
Chef Wario stared at her for a second, then burst out laughing. Shaking his head with a smile on his face, he went back to serving customers. Chef Sina fumed.

'Ughhh! That man!' Sina pursed her lips. 'Assistant Chef, go set up the stall. We can beat him. This time the judges won't be bought and paid for! Not by him at least.'
'I still have a very bad feeling about this, Si-- Chef Sina,' Assistant Chef Dexio said, turning his back to Gremlin. 'I can appreciate that you take this festival cook-off seriously, but I have to admit I'm somewhat apprehensive regarding the level of preparation you put into it.'
'What's that supposed to mean?' Sina glowered, hands on her hips.
'Um, well, I just question how sound your logic is. Just because you eat exclusively at expensive cafés doesn't mean you know how to cook like expensive cafés.'

'Pfft! You don't know what you're talking about, Dex.' Sina waved him off as she strutted towards her stall, directly opposite Chef Wario's. 'I'm a natural gourmet! And this time I'll prove it... by any means necessary.'  

[Jump Einatz]

Lumiose City – Rouge Plaza

Rouge Plaza was abuzz with people flittering back and forth between the Ambrette Town benefit and the good old streets of Lumiose City. The on foot hustle left the streets congested. Jaywalkers turned the grid into traffic. At a crosswalk was where Moze saw Horton Balibar again. The politician was flanked by two of hi guars, the same ones Moze had seen earlier at the hotel.

Moze was a few yards away, keeping a short distance to allow people to pass between himself and his target. He had out his crossword once more, jotting down notes about Horton and the behavior of his guards. Spying on Horton was supposed to be a simple task, but Moze felt more uncomfortable the more he did it. There were rumors that Horton was dirty, a politician just trying to make a profit, but he seemed like an ordinary if wealthy man.

“I’m not sure about this,” Moze whispered to the Whimsicott hiding in his shirt pocket. A few people looked at him like he was crazy and talking to himself. Moze paid them no mind. “I want to talk to him about it.”

Shepard Fairey’s answer was a puff of cotton to Moze’s face. “I’m serious,” he said, batting it away. “All this reconnaissance doesn’t feel right. I feel grimy spying on this dude. And about tonight-“

The screeching of tires demanded his attention. Moze looked up to see that a car had floored the brakes to a stop, leaving skid marks on the road. Next to the car was an elderly man on the ground. Horton had his arm around the man, already picking him up. A crowd of nosy Kalosians had already gathered to watch, so Moze inserted himself into the scene. “What just happened?” he asked a Parasol Lady.

“That car was trying to run the light, I think. And that noble, Horton Balibar I believe?” She pointed with her parasol. “He pulled that old man out of the way just in time.”
Moze’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“The kindness of strangers, huh?”
“Yeah.”

Moze watched for a few more seconds as Horton dusted the man off and made sure he was okay. Somehow, a reporter had been nearby. Probably paparazzi waiting in the wings. They were already snapping pictures, and Horton was shaking the man’s hand. Moze ducked out of the crowd back into Rouge Plaza’s alleys.

“Time out, Shepard Fairey.” Moze made the T with his hands and Shepard Fairey swirled out of his pocket back to full size, riding on a whirlwind and clutching his feet.
“Cott?”
“You just saw that, right? He saved a stranger’s life.” Moze ran his hands through his hair. “He can’t be that bad, can he? Bad people don’t do that kind of thing. He isn’t bad enough for us to…” Moze leaned against the brick wall, sighing with his hands in his pockets. “What you want to do, I don’t think he deserves.”

The Whimsicott’s smile tightened. Cotton balls began to float around the alleyway, and a dull ringing sound filled Moze’s ears. “Cottttt.”
“Stop it, I know you’re doing this,” Moze complained, cupping his ears. “You’re not going to change my mind like that…”

Out the corner of his eye, Moze saw a man smoking a cigarette behind Lysandre Café. He had a mustache and a gold earring. The same description Carter gave of the Potion Extract dealer when Moze shook him down at Gotengo. Pascale. This was the man putting that vile drug into the hands of children. The same drug that had afflicted Moze himself, and would’ve killed him if he hadn’t gotten lucky. “Now that guy, over there?” Moze nodded at Pascale’s direction. “Help me take care of him, and we can talk with the boss about this Horton thing.”

The ringing got louder. Moze could’ve sworn there was another sound in the background, something like children screaming. He looked around and saw that no one else in the sparse alley was affected. “It’s that or I walk!” he growled at Shepard Fairey, who spun over him with that ever present grin.

The Whimsicott stopped moving. His lips parted to reveal his sharptoothed smile, and he squinted at Moze in a way he never had before. The rows of knife like teeth and that look in his eyes reminded Moze of a predatory Pokémon. Something that wanted to eat him.

The cottonballs dispersed and the ringing noise left with them. Moze tapped his ears, agitated. “Thanks,” he muttered. He looked into a pane of broken glass to check his reflection. Moze adjusted his posture, looking cautious but not paranoid. Like someone who knew how to buy drugs. Shepared Fairey zipped back into his shirt pocket and he walked over to Pascale, leaning against the same wall as the mustached man a few feet away.

“Hey. Are you Pascale?”
Pascale tapped the ash off his cigarette, not looking Moze in the eye. “What’s it to you?”
“A friend of mine told me your name. Said you were good for something I need.” Moze checked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was listening.
“Which friend is that?”
“A kid named Carter.”
Pascale scoffed. “That kid? What are you, twenty? How do you know Carter?”
“Old friend. So are you good or not?”

Pascale shook his head and stomped out the end of his cigarette. “Yeah, whatever your deal is, I’m not buying it.” He began to walk away. Moze stepped away from the wall.
“I know you’re holding Potion Extract. Is that something you want to keep on the DL?”

The dealer turned around, getting very close to Moze. “You threatening me?”
“I am. Are you the man I’m looking for, or does someone else have to know about this conversation?”
“…yeah, I’m the ******** man.”
“Good. Shepard, put him in the pipe.”

Before Pascale could respond, Shepard Fairey flew out from Moze’s pocket and grabbed the dealer’s arm. He used his compression technique to squish Pascale into a small dark ball, and stuffed him into a pipe jutting out of the brick wall. “What the ******** is this!?” Pascale’s voice echoed from inside the pipe. “What the ******** is happening!?”

A dark look came over Moze’s face. “Tell me who your supplier is and I’ll get you out of there.”
“Like hell I will! I’m gonna kill you for this man, I swear-“
“A human body can’t stand being compressed for too long. Your bones, your flesh, they’ll all start to adjust to the shape of the pipe permanently. And you’ll be stuck in there until someone finds you. Which might never happen, if I bury this pipe.”
“You’re…kidding…me…” Pascale’s voice was less shrill now, more labored.
“Is it getting harder to breathe Your lungs are running out of room for air. You’ll be wheezing every breath for the rest of your life. Unless you tell me. Right now.” Moze leaned towards the pipe. “Who’s the supplier?”

“Gah…he, he puts the stuff on the streets man…tells me to deal it to people in the slums…gah…the more…the more addicts there are….the more the neighborhood turns to crap, the cheaper…the cheaper it is to flip the housing….making a profit, turn it around…”

This is more than a drug scheme. Moze clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. There was someone so unjust that they’d systematically ruin lives for a dollar. The lives of the people in his city. “Give me a name.”
“Urrrrg….Horton…Balibar…”

Seconds later, Pascale was yanked out of the pipe, inflated back to normal size. He gasped for air on his back, skin red and tears in his eyes. Moze and Shepard Fairey were gone.  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Pokémon Center

The nurses told Salieri her Pokémon were still being mended, so Salieri was forced to wait. She had taken up the whole couch in the waiting room to lie down and rest, but no one gave her lip about it. Clearly her bruises were fresh. No one wanted to disturb an injured person, especially in a place of medical attention. Before she could call Mia, she had a text message to send out first.

Sal to Lady Redgrave

Your brother is in the hospital. Call me when you get this.

Sal to Lady Redgrave

And I’m not the one who put him in there. Promise.

Helena hadn’t answered her last call. When she didn’t want to help Salieri with fighting The Sniper, that was something Sal could understand. It was a lot to ask for, especially since they were still unfamiliar with each other. But now she came across as flaky. Sal wasn’t sure if Helena was subtly more trouble than her brother was. For Zack’s sake, she hoped Helena got the message soon.

Mia wasn’t answering her phone. Normally Sal would assume that meant Mia fell off the face of the earth, but she knew it was because Mia was at work. A temp job at Hotel Richissime. Something nice and normal. Salieri needed someone nice and normal to talk to. She wanted to feel that way again, because thinking about Ratio made her skin crawl like she was being electrocuted all over again.

He knows who I am. He knows who Moze is. Salieri closed her eyes and played back her memories of the fight, painful as they were. Any other clues that were dropped were lost on her. It had all happened very quickly. This man was unlike any other she’d ever faced. And she thought she saw it all in Orre.

“Damnit.” She got to the memory of losing her stun baton. Her brand new stun baton. I just got that yesterday! It was a small price to pay for keeping her life intact. Then again, if Matheson and Zack hadn’t been so gung-ho, she wouldn’t have lost anything at all. But she couldn’t blame Matheson for trying to do the right thing. Zack, on the other hand, she blamed almost entirely. Yet at the end of it all, it was her decision to tag along on a hunt for a madman. She blamed herself. Was there anything to gain from this?

He knows my brother. Do they have a relationship? Is it past tense?

Ratio aside, there was also the matter of Team Flare, something Jullien hadn’t concerned himself with. He hadn’t concerned himself with anything other than Ratio. Surely he knew much more about that man then he was willing to tell. And Matheson knew more too. She made a note to ask him when she returned to the hospital.

Salieri didn’t concern herself with Team Flare either. They were goons, nowhere near her goals or endgame. Skarada, on the other hand, was an issue. She had several run-ins with the pirate captain in Orre, most of them unpleasant. Whatever he was after in Kalos was a part of something greater. Skarada, Team Flare, the nobles. They all had Ratio in common. What does that mean for me? Is Ska going to get in my way?

[Okay, one more time.] Biz Marquis’ voice came from down the hall. It was deeper then it used to be but the cadence was the same. Sal had nearly forgotten he had evolved. She got off the couch and saw her party of five hobbling closer. Her new Chesnught was putting his arms together, showing off his Spiky Shield. [On, off, on, off. Hehehe, that’s pretty badass right?]

[No one cares about your weird pointy eczema,] Reynard grumbled with a pout.
Biz was confused. [Eczema?]
[She’s talking about your spikes,] Lupin sighed. Understanding, Biz snickered and leaned over the Vaporeon.
[You’re just mad cause I damaged the big bad wolf and you didn’t. Nyeh.]
[Grrrrr, YOU got knocked out, like, second!] Reynard barked, steam rising from her skin.
[Yeah but I damaged her. What did you do today?]

Reynard muttered a string of curses, literally steaming as Salieri approached them all. “You guys are all okay?” she asked, hesitant. They nodded and she reeled them all in for a group hug as close as she could with her small arms, relieved. “Thank god.” Sal stepped back from her party, who were a mixture of relieved as well and agitated, and took a long look at Biz Marquis. “Damn Biz, look at you! Not a chicken nugget anymore, huh?”

Biz grinned and flexed for his admirers, but Salieri had already moved on. “Lupin, I didn’t think you had it in you to do what you did. Thanks. You too Rey, you’re both troopers.” The two of them just shrugged, not accustomed to praise. “Banksy, you must already know none of us would be here without you. And Dune-“

Durendal stood behind everyone else. When Salieri saw the long new scar that ran along his chest, she knew why. Sal’s pride in herself and her team deflated. “…no…no, it happened again…”

She got dropped to her knees to get on his level, examining his scar more closely. Her other Pokémon backed away to give them a moment. She wanted to touch it but it was too soon. Dune looked away, ashamed. But not as ashamed as Salieri. “I just told you…I just told you the other day I wouldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to. Like get into these kinds of fights, you know? And then this…does it hurt?”

Dune didn’t want to admit that it still hurt, despite the excellent medical care. For a warrior of his kind, the pain was more emotional then anything else. The scar was a mark of a flaw in his fighting style. He didn’t want to lie either. So he said nothing. Tears welled up in Salieri’s eyes. “This is my fault. I-I brought you into this fight, I didn’t even need to…oh god, this is my fault. I did it again.” It wasn’t the first time her ambition got the people she cared about hurt. Just the most recent. She pressed her forehead against Durendal’s. The closest thing he’d ever gotten to a hug. “I’m sorry Dune, I’m so sorry.”

Her Pokémon, except for Reynard, were surprised. [What? What’s the big deal?] she asked. They didn’t know that Salieri never apologized to everyone. Durendal shook his head and gave his trainer a pat on the back.

[Shhh. It’s okay, Master Salieri. It’s not your fault.] She didn’t know what he was saying. But it sounded kind.  

[Spinne Biss]

[Anistar City - View of the sea, lit by the shade of the giant crystal]

The whole world felt like a surreal ocean of chaos and order. What she knew, what she didn't know, what she'd learned - it all contributed to a feeling that things had changed. A part of it felt so natural, and that's what scared her the most.

Helena looked down at her holocaster, reading Salieri's message for the dozenth time. She wanted nothing more than to rush to her brother's side, to call Salieri and demand what happened, to ease the anxiety that she felt.

It was for this reaosn that she turned to the Scizor beside her, and decided to finish their business. "Are you ready to see Alice?"

The scizor was covered in dents, in discolorations like scraped metal - bruises. His flesh was metallic, solid, and so when it broke it was a terrifying sight. Helena had learned all of this watching him fight, watching him risk his life, and seeing him almost die. So she knew, more so because she had ordered it, that the fine coat of blood and gore that covered him was not his own. There were going to be questions, and the worst part was that Helena knew she could give confident answers about how it had all happened.

Écarlate nodded, and Helena could see it in his eyes as well, the surreal calmness at their choices. Briefly, she wondered if he had felt it worse, since their opponents were Pokemon, but she knew that she couldn't dwell. Not without losing grip on the things that she needed to do. It was this reason as well that she didn't reply to Salieri's message, even though it made her holocaster feel so much heavier than it was.

[Between Route 14 and 16 - Before Arrival]

Seeing Tyrant fall tied a knot in Helena's stomach, but everything moved too quickly to hold on to it. Instead, she pulled him back to her in the red light of his pokeball. Écarlate was uncomfortable, but capable, and Helena hung from his back, one arm tightly clung around his neck.

A triple agility accelerated his movements, allowing them to ignore their attackers, but that required getting past them first, and that wasn't easy.

The world felt both fast and slow, everything passing by too quickly, and happening too close together to process, but slow enough for her to react to.

Before them was Goodra, it's adorable demeanor striking fear into Helena's heart. They couldn't fight, not against Pokemon this powerful. Écarlate could hold his own against one, with the orders of a good trainer he could probably even win. However, the Scizor had taken too much damage for that to be possible.

The words of Absolon and Grant struck out in her head, and visions of Tyrant's massacre played alongside them. They felt vivid, and yet ethereal all at once. "We're moving quickly," she told the Scizor as they rocketed toward their obstacle, and it prepared to strike them down in their attempt to pass. Helena gulped, and held her voice steady, afraid of it shaking, of fear getting the better of her - of anxiety slowing them down. "If you aim for its eyes, we can tear right through it."

Écarlate seemed to understand the order. There were no moves he used, the Pokemon didn't act with his claws, instead he jumped, and moved over Goodra's attack. Helena didn't pay attention to what it was, but she was sure that Écarlate saw it clearly. What Helena did catch was the metalic leg crashing into - and then through - the Goodra's right eye. She heard, clearer than she could stomach - the sound of the eye popping, of the frame of the eye socket crunching and breaking, and the squish, though she wasn't sure if she'd imagined that last sound, of Écarlate's foot tearing through Goodra's brain.

They landed, Goodra spasmed, Écarlate tore his foot free, and they kept moving. Helena swallowed the vomit that rushed into her mouth through her throat, and felt it burn all the way down.

"We're almost safe," Helena said, even as the both of them saw the collection of Pokemon that gathered in their path. Closer together, compact and ready to stop them. It was going to be harder to get through.

They were going to have to do something horrible to survive.

"I need you to listen closely," Helena said, and Écarlate nodded, and she felt sick with herself for how quickly the process came to her, and closer to Écarlate for being right there with her, just as ******** up as she felt.

[Anistar City Hospital - Present]

It wasn't until Helena saw the look of the look on the doctor's faces that she realized how she must look. She only felt detached, however, as her next thought was realizing that she was fine with meeting Alice this way. Bruised, cut, covered in blood and little bits of gore she knew was not her own. Écarlate, with his scarlet skin, must have looked noticably cleaner by comparison, because nobody paid him any mind.

It was easy enough to check in, harder to assure everyone that she was fine. Helena got Alice's room number from the lobby, and started her way up. Everything suddenly felt slower, longer. The walk, the ride up the elevator, the walk down the hall - even opening Alice's door.

And the world froze when she saw the girl.

Covered in bandages, one leg propped up in a cast. Her hair, pretty but a bird's nest of tangles was mostly visible, the only part covered was the same part that covered one of Alice's eyes, and almost half of her face. One eye, her mouth, one cheek, and her nose were all free of any cloth or bandage.

The girl was awake, and gasped audibly when her eyes fell on the Scizor.

"Écarlate?" She had a Kalosian accent, and Helena couldn't remember if the girl had originally been from here or not. The Scizor rushed to his traner's side at that, and Helena stood in the doorway.

The girl looked at Helena, from head to toe, before turning back to her Pokemon, and she began to fuss over him, and Écarlate began to speak, though his words gibberish, and Helena knew he was fussing over her too.

Helena stood in the doorway for a solid minute, watching the two, until she knew they were going to be preoccupied. Every second had caused her more anxiety, more worry for her brother, until she couldn't stand it anymore. Stepping into the hallway, Helena brought up Salieri's name on her holocaster, and pressed call.  

[Jump Einatz]

Cyllage City Hospital

The talk about town was that both police blockades had prevented people from seeing what was really going on inside Route 10. All they heard were the roars of battle, and all they saw was wind and flames. The cops said it was a gas leak, but no one believed it. Salieri wasn’t listening to the ridiculous rumors on her walk to the hospital. She knew the truth. What she was thinking about was her next move.

Juliet Nostrad walked out the automatic doors, coming face to face with Salieri. The two of them stopped. Juliet straightened out and cleared her throat. Now that she didn’t think Sal was the one who put Math into the hospital, Juliet regarded her with same delicate and poised manner she used with the Court. Her noble voice. “Salieri.”

Sal forced a smile. It may have been a result of her own beat up image, but she couldn’t help thinking about how put together Juliet looked. A calculated kind of beautiful, with a posture and confidence to match. There must have been a good reason she was arranged to be Matheson’s wife. Sal tried not to think about that. “Juliet. How is he?”
“Chatty. Disoriented. He’s sufficiently normal.” She spoke of him with a fondness that was genuine. The coldness that had been in her voice before thawed. “Matheson speaks highly of you. I’ve been told your date was going well.”
Tact was not one of Math’s strong suits. “I, uh…can’t believe he told you that.” Sal crossed her arms. “Look, I like him. But I don’t want to enter some drama. I’ve got plenty of baggage on my own. So if he means more to you than just-“
“Oh no. No, I don’t have feelings for Matheson,” Juliet said quickly with a curt laugh. “He’s-no. It’s as you said before. I am not down with this arrangement. I’d prefer to be his friend.”
The ever present weight on Sal’s shoulders felt a little lighter. “Okay, good. I wasn’t sure how you felt, since you stuck a sword to my spine over him.“
“Ah. I’m sorry about that. I got a little carried away.” She sounded more at ease than sorry. “These are tense times. What with Glittering Cave, this Route 10 mystery, and the league on top of it all. Anyway, it’s our fathers you’ll have to contend with if you want to win his heart. They’re quite keen on this marriage of Houses. Believe me, I’ve tried to talk them into thinking otherwise.”
Sal blushed and looked away, trying to scowl. “Win his heart? So corny. I’m not trying to be that.”

Juliet tilted her head. “Really?” She stepped closer, on course to passing Sal. “What are you trying to be, exactly?”
Salieri now realized how that may have sounded. “I didn’t mean-“
“I have heard about you before. I heard you attacked a noble named Antoine a few days ago. I heard you punched out Jace as well.” Juliet became less affable. “Are those normal days for you, or just very bad ones?”

Like a switch, Salieri turned off Ms. Nice Guy and got tough. “You don’t know a thing about me. I just saved his life.”
“Yes. Today. If you’re looking for trouble then you could be putting him in danger tomorrow.”
“It sounds like you’re looking for trouble. Right now.” Sal’s amber eyes sparked. “If you really don’t care about our relationship, then back off.”
Juliet scoffed as if Sal’s agitation were cute. “I don’t care for Matheson romantically. Platonically speaking, we’re quite involved. I want to make sure he’s happy.” Juliet stopped right next to Sal, facing her opposite direction. Softly and seriously, she said, “He means the world to me. So at the risk of playing out this cliché, if you hurt Matheson in any way, shape or form, I will find a way to hurt you back so much more, in ways humankind has yet to fathom.”

Now it was Sal’s turn to scoff. Juliet played the revenge game as well, it seemed. That threat wasn’t half bad. “Cute. You don’t have to worry about that. Not that I’m scared of you anyway.”
“No, no you’re not.” Juliet touched her chin and walked past Sal, curious and airy yet again. “I wonder what you are scared of…kidding, of course. Zaida.”

Her Rotom rose from her orange holocaster, which turned the standard white when the Pokémon left it’s circuitry. Sal had a short shiver of the creeped out variety as Juliet beelined to a telephone pole. She gave Salieri another smile, which at this point was impossible for Sal to tell if it was sincere, and said “Good luck. You’re going to need it. Zaida, let’s go to Route 10. I’d like to see this site myself.”

Zaida obliged and grabbed Juliet with a plasma arm. In a blink Juliet was converted to similarly colored plasma, and the two of them dove into the telephone pole. Then they were gone.

“Ouf.” Even though she was leaning heavily towards wanting nothing to do with Juliet Nostrad, she had to admit that was cool.

Her phone went off. It was Helena. Salieri shook off her conversation with Juliet as best as she could and walked into the hospital while answering. “It’s about time. Do you not know how to use a phone, or?”  

[Spinne Biss]

]Anistar City - Hospital]

"I;m sorry, Salieri," Helena said, sounding tired and worried all at once. "It's been a hard few days. How is he? Is Zack okay?" Of course he's not okay. "Is he..." Helena turned toward Alice's room, and felt a sudden desire to be in a million places at once. Here, there, back at the route rethinking every choice she made, home in Unova. "I should be there, I'm so sorry. Can you tell him I'm sorry? Is he going to be okay? I should call him, can I call him?" Every word took the steadyness out of her voice. More panicked, afraid, sad, depressed. By the end of it, her voice cracked, and she felt the tears in her eyes.

"Where is he? I'll be right there, I just..." I have to take care of this, first.

"What happened?"