Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Jump Einatz]

Pokémon League Castle

"Enjoy the rest of your evening," Juliet said to the rest of the Leroux table. Then she led the way, walking with Elizabeth around the outskirts of the main floor with Kallikrates behind them. She was hoping to catch the eye of a server to get one last drink.

"My father would like to apologize for his lack of discretion. He wants you to know he told the whole nobility about Ratio with everyone's safety in mind." Juliet did her best to sound like she meant it. A difficult task, considering the insincere nature of the apology and that her heart wasn't in it.

Unable to spot a waiter anywhere, and tired of waiting for her next drink, Juliet took her flask out of her dress pocket and took a quick sip of whiskey. She held it out as an offering to Elizabeth.  

[Marsuru]

At which point, Elizabeth burst out laughing. The familiarity of the situation caught her off guard. In spite of Ratio, in spite of her father's death and her frustration with her own house, in spite of the numbness and rage that accompanied it, she couldn't help herself. She had to laugh.

'No, sorry, sorry,' she said, waving her hand to dismiss Juliet's offer. 'It's just my father used to send me to deliver messages all the time. I know exactly how you feel, but I don't think it ever quite drove me to drink.'

The ball passed them, bodies drifting like a river around rocks. Strange, surrounded as they were, Elizabeth felt it was safe enough to speak openly.

'I somehow doubt that's all you have bothering you,' Elizabeth said, smile lingering on her face. A reassuring smile, hopefully. 'Anything you want to get off your chest?'  

[Jump Einatz]

Juliet rose an eyebrow when Elizabeth laughed, nearly feeling dejected until Elizabeth commiserated. Being the deliverygirl for her father wasn't the reason she drank. At least, not the only one. Lately, as she began drinking more, she'd come to realize there were many reasons.

"Oh, there are so many things, Elizabeth," Juliet said with a wry smile, sliding her flask back into her pocket. "So many things, almost all of which must remain 'on' my chest. It's nothing personal, I just like my secrets. But there is one thing I can tell you that we now have in common."

She stopped walking and examined her nails, casually explaining herself. "I'll be blunt. It's clear to me you want vengeance for your father. I felt it in your sword. It's written all over your face, and none of them can read it. Ratio put Matheson in the hospital and I would like very much to make him suffer for it. Our motives differ but our goals are aligned."

Kallikrates circled around to Juliet's side, nuzzling her head against the noblewoman's leg while sizing Elizabeth up. "We're women of action. Capable. This is an important year for me and Ratio is becoming a threat on the horizon for what I want. Jullien doesn't care for your revenge. But you don't need him, when you could have me."  

[Marsuru]

Skin prickled across Elizabeth's back. What Juliet said, the sudden shift in tone, had deal with the devil written all over it. But why not? She had never trusted Lord Nostrad, and it was clear Elliot didn't trust her. Why fumble in the dark, denied any assistance, then refuse that which came openly? Still, she couldn't deny that chill. Juliet was a Nostrad after all. Her smile faded entirely.

'Revenge then,' Elizabeth said, holding out her hand.  

[Jump Einatz]

Juliet gave her a firm handshake, looking her right in the eye, and let go a second later.

"I was informed of a fresh crime scene by the Lumiose City police only half an hour ago. They spoke to Cyllage City's precinct and believe the criminal element remains the same, so they contacted me. Still, we can't simply leave this party now. Meet me at Hotel Richissime tomorrow morning."  

[Marsuru]

Pokémon League Castle - Elsewhere

This was likely how convicts felt on the way to the guillotine, Severin reflected as Beauthane marched him between clusters of nobility. He dared to hope there was no black-hooded Kingler awaiting him at the end of this walk, but with Beauthane you could never be too sure. The head waiter's knuckle pressed on the small of Severin's back like a knife, directing him down the stairs, around the edges of the main hall, and towards the kitchens. Severin's mind was awhirl, replaying his moment of insubordination on loop. A spot on a relatively clean sheet. Of course Beauthane had been witness to it, how could he not?

Whenever was the world fair?

'Don't speak, don't look at anyone. Keep moving.' Beauthane hissed. Severin could picture him, his hooked nose and flashing spectacles, with his combover plastered across his scalp like squashed grass. The nobility's own protector. The living, breathing shield who would maintain a fierce charade of their untouchability. In short, he was a highly useful tool, and Severin would soon need more like him.

They were just outside the kitchen doors when the calm, commanding voice stopped them in their tracks. 'Ah, Monsieur Beauthane, a pleasure to see you.'

Severin felt the knuckle leave his back, replaced instantly by a painful hand on his shoulder. He was bolted to the spot, not allowed to turn around. He could feel the tension, irritation mainly, coming through Beauthane's grip, soon replaced by another kind of tension.

'Who is- Lord Siebold! My lord, whatever are you doing so close to the kitchens?'
'Why, Monsieur Beauthane, I hope you aren't questioning the decisions of a Court noble?'
'Of course not, my lord. No, never.'
'Very good. I would hate for someone of your reputation to ever fall into a state of decline. Relax, my friend. I am merely here to speak with your head chef. I consider myself a culinarian, but I fear I am a mere novice in comparison to his mastery.'

Footsteps echoed, cutting through the background buzz of the ball. Siebold was right next to them. 'Ah, but who is this? Monsieur Lorel, is it?'

Beauthane snatched at Severin's other shoulder and turned him around. He felt a sharp pressure on his back as Beauthane hissed, 'Stand up straighter, boy' in his ear.

'Finding ourselves in some trouble, are we, Lorel?' Lord Siebold asked, smiling. Severin didn't answer, not with Beauthane breathing down his neck.
'The boy committed an act of the utmost disrespect toward Baron Robillard, my lord. I am taking him to be punished fittingly.'
'Did he now?' Lord Siebold sounded amused. 'Well, I don't think that will be necessary. I'll take the boy off your hands, Beauthane. He can be my personal servant for the evening, I think that ought to be punishment enough, eh?'
'But my lord, he-' Beauthane wilted under the sudden shift in Lord Siebold's expression. The slightest of frowns. 'I mean, of course, an excellent idea, my lord.'

So it was that Lord Siebold took over Severin, much to Beauthane's silent, fuming dismay. The head waiter would not let this set back stop him; no doubt Severin would have a personal torture waiting for him when the night was through. Lord Siebold walked him along a quiet passage that ran parallel to the main hall, albeit a floor below. Along the wall were several double doors that led into private chambers, usually reserved for meetings for whatever event the league castle was used for that day.

'Did you really have to play with the poor man?' asked Severin once he was sure Beauthane was out of earshot.
Siebold smiled and said, 'He was asking for it.'
'I do hate to see a grown man snivel, even if it is Beauthane.'
'Very admirable of you to say. I'm afraid snivelling is the primarily language of most people I encounter. Sadly, you get used to it.'

Siebold stopped as they reached a particular set of doors. Severin could just about hear voices inside. Muffled, indistinct. A man and a woman.

'From the frying pan into the fire, Severin,' said Siebold, offering a weak smile. 'I am sorry, but after tonight's little gaffe, we'll be forced to talk strategy.'  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Connecting Cave
Most of the tricks were sleight of hand, reaction time, and focus. The second two were most important for coin flips, and it became relatively clear that this was what was most effective for the early part of Manny's training in mind reading. Telepathy was still possible, one way communication. It was how the pokemon called heads or tails, but nothing was sent back. That was the point. Manny had to read Benedict's mind on his own.

It felt like they were making some headway, the pokemon was waiting longer and longer before calling the toss in the air, and Benedict was almost certain that he was getting the hang of the trick, even if he wasn't quite able to read his trainer's mind that well. Still, the sendings had too much of a hint of question to them, uncertainty. He understood roughly when it took place, that timing mattered, but not enough for it to seem like mind reading fully.

Ben resolved to have the pokemon wear a blindfold or something when Sal's message came through.

Benedict Maximilian Montgomery

Don't worry about it. Thanks for getting it to me when you could."

He stared at Alexa's information for a bit after that, trying to think of some strategy while Inkay chased off some wild pokemon. How to approach her? The how mattered, as much as anything else. Too vague and she would probably ignore him, too up-front and both of them might be caught before they got anywhere at all with the story.

So what would be good bait? Something that could be used without her angrily rejecting his request after. That meant no promises he couldn't keep. It also meant any information he was going to give would potentially put her in danger. Was what they were after worth that? Part of him felt like sheltering this stranger from what he'd heard about Route 10.

But that was stupid. She was a journalist, and probably ten times more prepared for whatever might come than he was. So anything and everything he knew that could be used to trade her was on the table.

With a deep breath, Ben put in Alexa's information and started on his message to her.

Alexa's Phone

Benedict Maximilian Montgomery

I know this is coming from nowhere, but Esme told me I could reach you here. I need someone who might believe me.

 

[Jump Einatz]

Lumiose Press HQ

Lumiose City’s most well known media outlet had been prepared to run fluffy filler pieces that night until the snafu at Hotel Richissime occurred. Now the office brimmed with activity as everyone scrambled to gather their sources and report the story better than the rivaling companies did.

Alexa had long ago graduated to her own private office. Her most prized stories were often met with controversy but no one could deny that they sold papers. So giving her an office was a way of rewarding that effort while also shoving her aside where her conspiracy theories wouldn’t take up all the air in the pigpen. This was fine with her. She preferred to write alone. It was faster that way. Besides, with the door closed and the window open she was able to smoke as long as no one decided to tattle on her.

“You and I both know it was no accident, Chief,” she said in the phone cradled at her ear while she typed up an editorial, multi tasking like the professional she was. “This reeks of coverup-because Horton Balibar checked into that hotel this afternoon! We reported on that, and now he’s gone…no, never showed up at the ball.”

Alexa scrolled through the video clips her press team sent her, looking for any clue to a bigger story that someone may have missed. The hotel’s security team ran amok in the background but without any purpose that she could discern. Uncovering the real story would take actual leg work. “Chief, please, let me…fine…No, I understand, I’ll run the backup….okay.”

Growling alone, she hung up the phone and deleted the article she had been typing up about the signs of foul play at Hotel Richissime. Alexa had always prided herself in not playing into the deep pockets of the nobility and writing about actual news. But she couldn’t keep a job that way, not when her boss wanted stories that fit the Kalosian paradigm.

Seconds later she received Benedict’s text. Intriguing, sure, but without more details it was just buzzwords. And she had no idea who this informant was. Alexa was a very busy woman who couldn’t be bothered chasing dragons. So as she searched up the name displayed on her Holocaster, Benedict Maximillian Montgomery, she texted him back:

Alexa Horvath

I just scheduled you for a meeting. 10 AM tmrw, at Lumiose Press

Alexa Horvath

If you’re serious then show up

((And now I believe we are ready for Day 6!!))  

[Jump Einatz]

((Day Siiiiiiiix mutha flarpers!!))

Reflection Cave

“I really hate clowns.”

Mist parted around Salieri’s ankles as she shifted into battle stance and tossed out a Pokéball. It was early in the morning, and the only people Salieri had seen were dedicated Hikers and Ruin Maniacs so far. Pokémon’s sleep schedules weren’t as simple, so she’d seen lots of them. Currently she was face to face with a squad of Mr. Mimes, each one battling a different member of her team. Next to the blue crystal cave walls that mirrored their surroundings, the whole battle was deflected. It was slightly surreal, watching the fight from so many angles.

The plan was to go directly to Shalour City, grinding experience points on the way as a warm up to training. There was no way Ska and his entire crew were hiding in Geosenge Town, a small village that basically served as a checkpoint between Shalour City and the cave. If he wasn’t stationed around Cyllage City then the next best bet was to check Shalour. The sooner she got her hands on him the better, because last night she got distracted by another curveball.

Mia had kept her story brief: she saw Ratio attack the hotel. Yes, she was okay. No, he didn’t kill anyone. She spoke fast but she remained terse. It was a rare moment where Sal heard genuine anxiety in her best friend’s voice. Ratio may not have hurt her, but Mia was not okay. Salieri wanted to know more, needed to. She offered to go home to Lumiose City. Mia insisted it wasn’t necessary.

“I have to go, I need to sort this out. I’ll call you when I get my new phone.” That’s the last thing Mia had said before the call ended. It left Salieri confused and paranoid once again. Fortunately, Matheson had calmed her down before she decided to take a Teleporter back to Lumiose at midnight. Sal thanked him for the perspective, made out with him for ten minutes and said goodnight before going to sleep at the Center.

This morning she made haste to get moving as soon as possible. Geosenge was a quick Banksy ride away, and Sal picked up supplies and breakfast in the outpost town. It had been only an hour since she woke up and already Sal was in a horde battle. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Resting up made her think clearer but it didn’t give her much ease. Sal was anxious to find out what happened to Mia, and why Skarada was in Kalos, and how she could beat Ratio. Training was a welcome distraction.

Reynard entered the battlefield, yawning and arching her back like a cat. “Nya~.” She saw a Mr. Mime flinching side to side, being pounded by an unseen force. No doubt it was Lupin, probably Licking from a safe range.

[Arrrgh dumb dumb dumb!] Biz Marquis slugged punch after punch at a Mr. Mime, only hitting the invisible barrier of solid air in front of him. It took him a while to see how futile it was, and once he did he tried Rolling Out into the wall instead. The Chesnaught curled into a spiky ball and plowed ahead, The Barrier held him in place, and the continued force of the spin caused Biz to start burrowing into the ground.

[Hehe, what a moron,] Rey chuckled to herself. Durendal was taking on two Mr. Mimes at once, flipping and dashing between their Psybeams. The Psybeams wouldn’t hurt Durendal anyway, but the wild Pokémon didn’t know that and it helped him train his already considerable agility. Rey decided it was a waste of a decent warm up opponent, so she jumped into that battle.

[So you tried to kill that guy yesterday, what’s that about?] she asked, splashing into the center of the fray and blocking a Psybeam with a blast of Scalding water. Dune gave her a quick glare then got back to work, slicing an incoming Psybeam in half like butter. It split beyond him and cracked the mirror wall. Clearly he wasn’t going to talk about it. Rey shrugged. [I’m not judging you. Just didn’t peg you for the type.]

As quickly as her question had been ignored, she lost interest in the answer, and the two of them made short work of their opponents. Salieri considered catching a downed Mr. Mime only for a second, and decided against it just as fast. Gotengo was no place for creepy clowns. Instead she went back to texting Matheson about how much fun she had yesterday despite the near death experiences, an observation he agreed with using a smiley face and a football emoji. Wow there’s really good cell service in this cave.

Lupin became visible, leaning against a rock next to the Mr. Mime he had just defeated. That left only Biz, who was ended up Digging his way underground by mistake. Salieri scanned the cave floor, waiting for Biz to pop up. The Mr. Mime he had been fighting tread lightly, anticipating an attack to come soon.

Biz’s thick armored fist emerged from the ground right next to the Mr. Mime. [GOTCHA!] came his voice from below. The fist lingered, then became a grasping hand. [Oh, I mean…] He burst his other fist up from the ground straight into Mr. Mime’s Mime Jr, securing a definitive victory. [GOTCHA!]

“New move. Nice.” Salieri checked the map in her hands while Biz Marquis brought his whole body up from underground and dusted the crystal shards off his shoulders. “We should be out of here soon-“

BOOOOOM!

All five of them heard the crashing rumble echo through the cave. It shook the walls and the ground, causing them to lose balance and Biz to fall flat on his face. Durendal moved to cover Salieri, who looked up thinking the whole place could collapse in a second. The tremor was over just after.

“Merde! Everyone okay!” Salieri asked. They all sounded off dazed Pokémon cries. Sal spun on her foot, eyes darting about looking for the source. She gulped. “The hell was that?” It was too loud for a wild Pokémon, or was it? It could be the result of a battle. Salieri doubted she was under attack by Ratio or a Darkhorse Hunter, yet annoyingly enough she couldn’t shake the suspicion. Cautiously, she ventured down the next corridor on the way out of the cave, and in the direction of the noise. Her team followed behind her.

When she got to a much more open room in the cave, she saw what had happened: a hole had opened in the ceiling, letting a thick beam of morning light shine down. It illuminated chunk of smoldering rock splattered in an impact zone on the ground.

A meteor had crashed through Reflection Cave.

“Daaaaaaamn.” Sal and each of her Pokémon, even the unflappable Reynard, marveled at the nature of what lay before them. Something from out of this world, close enough to touch. Carefully they got closer to its perimeter. Sal looked up at the hole and new convenient cave exit. “The weather didn’t say meteors…”

What Salieri didn’t know is that this meteor had collided with another meteor on its way over Earth, causing that meteor to split into shards, one of which Juliet had destroyed over Route 10 the day before. The meteor that landed in Reflection Cave was not a space rock, but a highly refined space metal. And it was no ordinary metal. It was technology, from a far off planet. Or at least, it was. Now it was unrecognizable, melting scrap.

Something shifted in the center of the meteor wreckage, causing the five observers to startle back and get into fighting positions. “Don’t move,” Salieri hissed, taking out her switchblade.

[Izzat an alien?] Biz gasped. [It’s an alien.]
[No way,] Lupin said. [It was nothing.]
“Shut up!”

The rubble shifted again, and something small and pink came out of it. A Cleffa stepped up. Stray embers threatened to singe her, but fizzled against her Magic Guard. She frantically sifted through the meteor remnants, searching for something. Then she noticed everyone gathered around her, and a dark, calculating look flashed in her eyes before tears welled up and she started bawling. Reynard released a sharp laugh of relief.

[It’s a kid,] she exhaled. Salieri put away the switchblade.
“It’s a baby.” And it’s adorable! Salieri whipped out Ivan. “Ivan, that thing came from space.”
“Beepboop that’s one theory. The commonly accepted theory is that Cleffa is attracted to places where meteors drop. The theory you proposed is considered by the scientific community to be asinine,” Ivan explained with pep.
“Cleffa, huh…No.” Sal looked up at the hole again. “No, it definitely fell here too, just look at it. Ouf, this is nuts. This is so nuts.”
“I am not programmed to agree with you.”

Salieri took a few more steps forward. Cleffa flinched back and Durendal flew up to Sal’s side, concerned in the face of the unknown. Sal didn’t seem frightened at all. She held up her hands. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s cool.” She squatted down and pointed up. “Did you come from up there?”

Cleffa looked up and nodded. “Bon dieu…uh, do you come in peace?” Cleffa didn’t respond to that one. “Cause I’m not trying to fight you, this is just really, really insane. I’ve never met an alien before.” She looked at the rest of the rubble. “Are you alone?”

That question caused Cleffa to start bawling again. “Oh geez,” Sal winced. “…Ivan, give me Cleffa’s entry and extended data.”
“Correct vocal validation required.”
“Please,” Sal said through clenched teeth. The Dex dinged, and Sal looked at the entry page. Two more evolutuons, a big movepool, good abilities. This Pokémon fell from space in front of her. It had to be a sign. Salieri had been precise about selecting her team thus far, and someone with Cleffa’s skillset could be a good fit. Besides, she was a stranger on Earth, and Salieri didn’t feel like she could leave this baby in a cave with a clear conscience even with everything else at stake in her life. This is a terrible idea.

“Hey, come with me.” Sal held out a hand and Cleffa’s cries slowed. “You hungry? We can get food. If you eat food. Come on, just stop crying already. I’ll help you figure out what’s going on.”

Cleffa reached out with a tiny nub arm to touch Salieri’s hand. She made contact, held it, and then broke down again. Salieri picked up Cleffa and put the alien up to her chest, cradling her like a baby. “Ooooookay cutie, you’re okay. Shhhhh,” she said in a cutesy voice that was solely reserved for babies. “Shut up little guy, shuuuut up. You’re okay.”

Biz looked over to Durendal, who was just as surprised as the other Pokémon. [Um, what’s happening?] Dune shrugged.
[You’re gonna get a space virus,] Lupin cringed.
Reynard’s eyes went wide. [Did she just become a mom?]

((Sal's profile has been updated with the new guy. Say hello to Oberon))  

[Marsuru]

((Hello to Oberon! mrgreen ninja ))

Cyllage City - Hospital

'Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour! Wake up you sleepy head! You are listening to Pokémon March right here on Kalos Sound~'

Upbeat music kicked Zack awake, dragging him from a blissfully dreamless sleep. He turned over, tried blocking the sound by wrapping his pillow around his head and ducking under the thin, hospital covers. Luckily, he hadn't been too hopeful that he'd get back to sleep; the door soon opened and pumps click-clacked across the floor.

'Good morning. And how are you feeling today?' Nurse Berthe said, making Zack scrunch into a ball.
'Awake,' growled Zack. In truth, the aches and pains he'd battled through yesterday were back in full force. His stomach prickled with intermittant stabbing pains while his arm felt like someone had replaced the bones with barbed wire.
'In a lovely mood too, from the sound of things,' Berthe continued in her hefty Kalosian accent. 'Nurse Blissngale has worked through the night, and you will be pleased to know that, in her professional opinion, you are ready to be discharged. I am sure we will all be glad to see you on your merry way.'

---

Zack stepped from the shower into a steam-filled bathroom, dripping wet with his hair plastered to his skull. He towelled dry, and dressed in the complementary clothes the hospital had provided to replace the tattered rags he'd been dragged in wearing. The pair of medium-grey cargo pants were passable, but the happy shade of blue on the shirt was too much for his liking. Still, he slipped them on, and went to check his hair.

No doubt wind and dirt from the day's activities would destroy any attempts at styling it, but Zack liked to get his hair right before he left. He wiped a little window of clarity in the mirror and towelled his head into a hedgehog, then sculpted with his hands. By the time he was done, the wall fan had worked its magic. The steamy mirror had cleared, and Zack stood looking at himself. Still in one piece. Still alive.

He had avoided looking at it in the shower, but he couldn't hide forever. Better to get it over and done with, accept that the mistake was real and learn from it. He lifted his shirt and looked at the scar. The first thought that sprang to mind was that the Arcanine had a deceptively large mouth. Blissngale had done a good job of smoothing and adding flexibility to the scar tissue, so that the only real deviation from Zack's healthy flesh was the colour. From his waist to his chest, Zack's right side was a deep, blood red curve. He turned, seeing that the colour went around his side and mirrored on his back, ending just before his spine.

If it had been much worse, he probably wouldn't be standing here. Zack swallowed and lowered his shirt.

He looked himself in the eye, shook off the weakness, got into character and smiled. 'Getting sloppy in your old age, Zack.'

---

Nurse Berthe was waiting in the hallway that lead to the patient service rooms when Zack returned from the shower. Beside her was a jovial middle-aged doctor in a pair of bottle cap glasses, and Blissngale, the Blissey who had treated Zack's injuries. Zack noticed a black patch of cloth held across Berthe's arms and frowned.

'Ah, Monsieur Redgrave,' the doctor opened his arms.
'Don't call me that.'
'Zack, Zack, how very good it is to see you mobile. Who would recognise the trainer so unceremoniously dumped on our doorstep?' The man, Doctor Boissieu if Zack recalled correctly, clapped his hands together and held them there. 'You are a very lucky young man, and it is thanks to the tireless efforts of Nurse Blissngale here that you are up and on your feet so quickly.'

He paused, and Zack recognised it as one of those times he was supposed to say something. Nurse Berthe cleared her throat, then tipped her head toward the wobbling pink mass at their feet.

'Oh,' Zack said, looking past the pokémon. 'Thanks.'
'Splendid,' grinned Doctor Boissieu. 'Now Zack, are you feeling any pain in your right arm?'
Tons. 'A little.'
'I thought you might be. Nurse Blissngale has successfully repaired the splintering in your arm, but you still suffered numerous fractures. The bones, they are brittle and liable to break again if exposed to too much trauma. Fixing them again would be, ah, complicated.'

'Well, I'll be careful,' Zack said, starting off walking, overtaken with a sinking feeling at what the black cloth might be.
'Of course, of course. And to help you be careful, I am going to insist that you wear this sling.'

Zack stopped cold. Doctor Boissieu lifted the cloth from Berthe's arms and stretched it end to end, almost matching his grin.

'I'm not wearing that.'
'Ah?' Doctor Boissieu's smile faded. 'Then I am afraid we are going to have a problem. I have a duty of care towards you, my patient, and I am afraid I cannot discharge you unless I am happy with your health, or certain of your continued recovery. Of course, I would very much like to see you fit and on your way, but if you insist you will not wear the sling...'

Zack closed his eyes and sighed. Outside of Esme and her Aunts, Kalosians could go ******** themselves. He'd just take the sling off once he got outside. He could put up with some pain, it was hardly new to him.

'Fine, I'll wear the damn sling,' Zack said, but no sooner had the words left his mouth than Doctor Boissieu nodded to Blissngale, who hopped up to Zack and tapped him on the shoulder. He felt a sensation similar to Heal Pulse, and his arm went dead from the shoulder down. It waggled at his side like jelly, and proved too heavy to lift even a little. Zack worked his mouth in silent outrage, not sure who to swear at first.

'Through years of study, Nurse Blissngale has attained a mastery over human anatomy,' boasted the doctor. 'Her Heal Pulse will continue to work the affected area for a period of 48 hours, and serve to strengthen your bones to full health. You may, ah, feel some numbness. But on the bright side, at least you are no longer in any pain.'

---

So this was Cyllage City. Zack hadn't had time to acquaint himself with the place before rushing into combat. He noticed several cyclists like the ones he'd seen from his hospital window racing along the roads. There were very few cars to worry about; most people were either walking, cycling or skating. It was nice. The sea air drifted from the west, salty but refreshing, much unlike the thick, city air of Lumiose.

His reflection looked back at him from the window of a sportswear shop. The black sling bound his arm tight against his torso, with his right hand tucked near his left elbow. There were a few glances in his direction, but mostly from out-of-town trainers. He guessed broken bones weren't too uncommon a sight in Cyllage, and could see how Blissngale honed her craft.

The gym was around here somewhere, but Zack wasn't too interested right now. He supposed he ought to catch a few of the gym leader's battles so he could coach Helena properly, but remembered with dread how their last conversation had ended. He had put too much pressure on her, and she wasn't coping well with her run-in with Ratio. That was the thing with his little sister; for as long as he could remember, anything he could do, she could do better, given time. That was why he had such faith in her ability to win the league. If Zack could do it, which he almost certainly could if he wanted, then Helena should walk it. But at the end of the day, she was still just a kid on her first pokémon journey.

When daredevilling around the regions with your pokémon was your favourite hobby, you could forget how easily people freak out.

Zack checked into the pokémon center after a short walk around Cyllage. His team had been brought in, mostly in bad shape, and he was here to collect. The receptionist called up his details and asked him to wait. Zack pretended he hadn't caught the cautious glint in her eye. Uh oh, serial pokémon abuser is in the building. It wasn't his first time getting that look.

He kicked back on the surprisingly comfortable lobby seats and watched the people pass. Each time the doors swished open, he glanced over with reserved interest. Robin could walk through any moment, if she deigned a supply run to the Center was necessary anyway. No way they would have a joyous reunion, and the sling would either serve in his defence or prevent him from mounting one entirely.

With some guilt, he realised he had hardly thought of her in this past year. Everything had changed at home, he told himself, perfectly reasonable explanation. But the other pricked at his mind, and far more tantalising; the suggestion that he may just be a dickwad.

'Zack Redgrave?' the receptionist called, looking up from her desk. Zack climbed to his feet, a little awkwardly since he was now missing an arm, and walked over. His return tray had only five of his six pokéballs. In response to his 'what gives?' expression, the nurse said, 'Your Aerodactyl was severely injured by the gas explosion, we're still treating it for numerous burn wounds. As I am sure you are about to ask, it is stable, but very weak.'

As he was not, in fact, about to ask, Zack treated the extra information as a blow to his conscience. Poor little guy, still fighting the good fight, like a low-rent Jiminy Cricket. Zack took his remaining pokéballs back to the lobby, tried to fasten them along his belt, and found it difficult. His belt was designed under the assumption that the wearer had both hands, which meant three holster spots around the back of each hip.

He could fit three on his left side, where they were easily accessible, and two on the right, where he struggled to reach with his arm in the way. The left three would have to be the ones he would use the most often, and perhaps due to a shadow of blame aimed at Lethal, the Clawitzer didn't make the cut. He relegated the arm-shattering crustacean to the right hip with Fatass, and put Hazard, Malis and Serene on the left. There, not so bad. He'd never had to think so much about arranging his pokéballs. He felt like some nervous rookie.

'Time to move,' Zack said to himself as he neared the Center doors and the mega stone he'd picked up from Route 10 rocked around the bottom of his backpack. Salieri had guessed that Ratio was on Route 10 for the stones, and Zack very much disliked the idea of Ratio amassing more power. Their encounter had left the trainer half dead and he wouldn't fare any better in a rematch if he didn't shape up quick. The fastest way to close the gap between them, Zack thought, was with the mega stones.

And so the Center doors closed behind him and he took in that salty Cyllage air. Onward to Shalour City.  

[Marsuru]

Lumiose City - The Moreau Library

The sun never used to be so bright. It filtered through the lace curtain like hellfire, forcing Esme's eyes closed as the beat drummed wild at her brain. She turned over, thirsty, with the room still spinning, and found something cold and hard pressing against her stomach. In a dozey daze, she reached under the covers, grasped the strange, empty glass object and raised it to her face.

'Ah,' she said, squinting at the label. 'Hello wine. When did you get here?'

Esme's stomach gurgled and a clawing sensation reached up her throat. Best not to avoid the signs. She turned her legs to the side and collided with more cold, hard objects, which clinked together in a little tune. When her feet touched the carpet, all the objects fell out and rolled around, smelling strongly of Chardonnay.

'I see you brought some friends,' she said, trying to focus. Esme stood up a little too fast and caught the wall for balance, then headed to the toilet to be sick. Apparently, she had become somewhat intoxicated the night before. She vaguely remembered venturing into the cellar, but the rest was either a haze or just outright redacted.

In her defence, she thought as she came back into her bedroom wiping her lip, she had made a major decision last night. She was going to get justice for Allard, and team up with Salieri to do it. Simple, right? Except the last time she had been anywhere near finding anything, someone had pulled the plug and threatened to kill her. Hence the wine.

She collapsed back on her bed and stared at the ceiling for a while, watching it shift colours as the clouds passed outside. Then she summoned the will to feel around for her Holo Caster and called work.

'Allo allo?' answered the Professor, his hologram shining brightly from the caster. Goodness, it must be late if he's so presentable. Esme glanced at the clock. Half past nine. He must be making an effort. 'Esme! You look, ah, it is nice for you to call.'
'Professor, I'm too sick to come in today,' Esme said, resting her forearm across her eyeballs. 'I think it is a virus, or maybe something I ate?'
'How terrible,' said the Professor, aghast, 'well I may not be a human doctor but it is clear to me that you need plenty of rest. Do not forget to drink fluids, preferably water, and eat. You must eat, Esme, force yourself if necessary!'
'I will. Thanks, Professor. Sorry for letting you down.'

'Think nothing of it,' said Professor Sycamore with a smile. 'Ah, but Esme? You were off yesterday as well. I can forgive today, but try not to make a habit of it. There are plenty of other students who'd kill to be in your position. Let's not make it easy for them, eh?'
'...yes, Professor.'

The thinly-veiled threat barely put a dampener on the end of their call, but Esme was still glad to drop the Holo Caster onto the floor where it could be ignored. She was cold. Lying around in your underwear with the window open would do that to a person, apparently. She somehow wormed her way back under her covers, where it was blessedly warm, but found another cold, hard object touching her leg. This one had something furry attached to it.

Swearing in frustration, but curious, Esme sat up, reached under the quilt and pulled out a semi-conscious Espurr who still clung to a bottle. Wine sloshed around at the bottom of it and the Espurr dribbled, then with an almighty retch, repainted the wall above Esme's bed.

She flinched away and dropped the pokémon onto the bed with a squeak. The Espurr groaned, flopping its limbs around like a lethargic squid. Esme sighed, kneading her nose with thumb. 'Okay. Fine. Thank you very much, Chatite. I am officially up.'  

[Spinne Biss]

[After The Celebrations - The Night Before]

[Ahahahahahaha, as if you pathetic losers could face me and survive!] The tiny Meltic shouted, its voice a squeak from its fully minimized form. The blasts of flame it shot kept the opponent Pokemon on edge, while the Darmanitan and Galvantula capitalized on the openings.

The three on three battle had been going on for what felt like an eternity. Helena felt the fast paced feel of it, but was pulled from her focus by Henrietta who had her back to it all. She wasn't a calm and collected person. Timid in a lot of ways, introverted, with a soft voice that wasn't used to shouting.

Azucena was around, but busy. Helena could tell that Henrietta was thankful for the company. As the stage equipment that K-Rok had used for his set was put away, and the festival was being cleared out with only workers left to dismantle and move on, trucks packing the streets and alleyways, Henrietta had been left mostly alone and mostly bored.

"Apparently I have a 'great figure' for underwear modeling," Henrietta explained, her face bright red at the memory. Something that, Helena had been told, would have never been brought up if she hadn't had her clothes burned off by another weird incident. Something Helena would never have known if Azucena hadn't brought it up in one of her rare moments around the two girls during the last hour.

For someone so prone to being hit by Pokemon attacks, you'd think she'd pay more attention to her battles. Helena was impatient, wanting to coordinate her efforts. Écarlate, Feather, and Loki fought hard against the other three Pokemon, and it was hard to see who exactly had the upper hand.

"Can you pay attention, please," Helena said and Henrietta looked back at the battle with an "oh, yeah."

It was just in time for both of them to catch the Darmantian and Galvantula falling. It only took a moment more for Helena's three Pokemon to jump toward Melty. Helena was almost too caught up in the moment to notice that Henrietta didn't seem surprised, or worried.

[Fools!] Melty's squeaky voice sounded, [Welcome to the Inferno!]

Just as the trio got close, a pillar of fire erupted, Melty as its center point. Henrietta stared into it, impassive to the show, and Helena shielded her eyes, barely catching the sillhouettes of her Pokemon, caught in the flames.

When it died, all that remained were the fallen forms of her Pokemon. That and Melty, no longer a tiny Litwick. Its new form, Lampent, floated at the center of what had been the pillar, its own gaze as impassive as Henrietta's. It was silent.

"Holy s**t," spoke Grant, his voice catching both girls off-guard before either one of them could comment. "That is some firepower." He stood nearby, behind Helena, his arms crossed and his face painted impressed. Both girls looked at him.

"W-what are you doing here?" Henrietta asked before Helena could, thought she was sure that she'd have stammered twice as much as the future underwear model.

"I called him," Azucena said, emerging from behind the stage, nodding her thanks to a few Machokes as they carried the last of her equipment toward a nearby truck.

"Why?" Helena asked.

"Because you seemed angry, and I thought you two were probably going to hit it off."

"You should have asked me," Helena said, recalling her Pokemon as she refused to make eye contact with the sponsored trainer.

Azucena pressed her lips together, and Grant scratched his head.

"You know," Grant said, stepping around into Helena's view, "we do need to talk." As their eyes met, both teens blushed.

"You slammed a door in my face," Helena said.

"Would you believe you made me really nervous?"

"I would not believe that."

"Why not?"

"Um," Helena's blush flared across her cheeks, and her gaze shot down to the ground.

"Um what?"

"Nevermind," she shook her head.

"Nevermind? Is this going to be one of those self esteem things? Like you can't believe a guy like me would be nervous over a girl like you?"

"I said drop it," Helena said, her eyes raising to look at him, though not in the eyes. She only felt more flustered as he spoke.

"I think we should talk about it. I want to talk about it."

"No," Helena said, her voice stern. She glared at Grant, looking him in the eyes this time. She could have swore he flinched.

"Why not?"

"Because I have too much going on for this."

"Like what? Are you not doing well in the league?"

"What? No, forget the league. It's personal family stuff."

"Oh, that sounds made up," Grant said.

Helena sighed. "Look, I'm leaving, thanks for the match Henrietta," the teen said as she turned, only to see that the two girls were gone. "Oh, nevermind then."

"You could at least tell me upfront if you're not interested. I'm sorry about the door thing," Grant said, not missing a beat.

"It's not you," Helena said.

"Then what is it?"

The girl sighed again. "Okay, fine. This crazy guy wants to kidnap me and he put my brother in the hospital," Helena said.

"Ohhh, the patriarchy," Grant said. "Like, sex trafficking or something, right?"

"What? No, it's a whole government conspiracy thing."

"I said stop making stuff up."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not!" Helena shouted, and Grant went quiet. The girl looked at him as he stared at her, taken aback. "I'm not lying. A lot of people are putting themselves in danger over this, my brother is one of them. I don't know what to do about it either, because they're so dead set on this idea that I'm wrong, and I'm not. We should just go home, or into hiding, or something." Helena didn't notice that she'd started crying, not until she felt Grant cup her cheek. She looked up at him, vision distorted by tears.

"Hey," he said softly. She wiped her eyes and looked at him, suddenly feeling out of breath.

"Start from the beginning."  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Connecting Cave -Yesterday-

Ben stared at the text and took a deep breath. A meeting in person. Ten AM. Lumiose. She was meeting him at least, so Esme was probably the right person to mention. He couldn't imagine the rest was enough to pique her curiosity. "Sorry Manny. We have a long walk ahead, so we'll have teach the rest of this later." If he was going to get there and ready for the meeting by ten in the morning, he had to go.

"Bright side, you're going to get your chance to train physically too." With a quick motion to return Cal, Ben started on his way towards Lumiose, intent on finding out just what Manny could do.

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

Lumiose City -Today-

Lumiose wasn't as crowded as some of the other places he'd been to, it turned out. At least, he was able to find a room in the pokemon center on short notice. The decision had been made on his journey, he couldn't show up to that meeting tired. At least, not more tired than walking to the city would make him. Manny had seemed pretty happy with the choice, and he hoped all his pokemon had felt the same.

He picked them up from their routine check-up that morning. He'd woken himself up enough to make sure that he wouldn't pass out at the meeting. They'd probably still be tough enough to defend him should anything go wrong.

Hopefully it wouldn't go too wrong this early.

The trip to the Lumiose Press wasn't very long, at least not after already being in Lumiose anyway, and the walk was a good way to get the blood flowing. He ran through plans in his head, what to say, what not to say, but couldn't find anything that felt right.

Still, when the time came, he ignored all his concerns and walked into Lumiose Press with his head held high. There wasn't time for doubt, just for action.

Well, okay, plenty of time for doubt, but the action would help drown it out.  

[Jump Einatz]

Lumiose Press

If Benedict found himself in the main lobby of the multi floor building, he'd find a peppy secretary who definitely embraced his morning coffee behind a desk, answering many phone calls and jotting down memos. The secretary waved Ben over. "Hi, are you Alexa's ten o'clock? She's on floor thirty, office to the left at the end of the hall."

Hotel Richissime

"Don't touch that with your hands."

The hotel was experiencing marginally less activity than usual, due to numerous checkouts after yesterday's antics and the police sectioning off the penthouse at the top floor as a crime scene. Yellow tape blocked one end of the hallway where CSI's snapped pictures, checked for fingerprints and upturned every nook and cranny for a hint to Horton's disappearance.

Juliet was the only person behind the yellow tape who wasn't on the police force, yet she had the power to command them all. Purple slime was still splattered about the kitchen and walls. Juliet used a pencil to poke off a chunk of the goo, then pinched it between her fingers. A squeamish cop behind her shuddered. "Ewww, you touched it with your hands."

"It was a Goodra, no doubt about it." Juliet ran the goo off her fingers in the kitchen sink. "You're sure there were no witnesses on the top floor?"
The cop recomposed himself. "No, we canvassed twice for witnesses. Everyone in the lobby was asleep but no one on the top floor came out of their rooms. They heard the struggle and stayed inside."

Kallikrates sniffed along the ground, hoping to pick up something unique with her heightened sense of smell. It wasn't as good as some Pokémon but it was better than a human's. She noticed a jar of coins on the coffee table, half of them poured out onto the floor.

"What about the girl?" Juliet asked as she joined Kallikrates, squatting down to the floor and checking the shag carpet.
"Miriam Aviad? She didn't show up for work today. She's a temp but we got her contact information. Someone's paying her a visit later."
"You can call that officer off, I'll check on Ms. Aviad myself." She looked at the TV, checking if there was a camera for videochats. No such luck. The promised privacy of the penthouse was working against her.

Next to the TV was a ball of cotton. Juliet pinched it between her fingers, studying it closely. "Has Elizabeth Leroux come yet?"
"No ma'am. When she does you'll be the first to know."
Irritation stung her briefly, only because she detested being called ma'am. "Good. And if you're team is done with them, I'd like to see the physical copies of the security tapes."
The cop scratched his head. "Sure thing ma'am, but like I said before, it's all corrupted. There was a magnetic wipe. You think you'll get something off of them?"

Juliet shrugged. Kallikrates giggled like she was privy to a secret. "I have my ways."  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Ben glanced at the secretary and nodded briefly, then moved on with those new-found directions and started on his way to the meeting, for reals this time. After going up to the thirtieth floor, and walking to the correct office, and not at all going to the wrong office at any point, he found himself outside her door.

Then he knocked, waited for her to call that he could come in, and would do just that.