Pokémon Legends: Court of Kings

[Marsuru]

Zack felt a pang of guilt when Helena said how she'd been feeling. He hadn't been the most supportive brother in the world, and that was the consequence. Really, what did he think would happen.

Trying to think of Helena as an adult rather than his kid sister was still new ground for the trainer, and the limits were tested when she explained how she'd been coping with her stress. A big bed full of girls. Maybe she'd been hanging around with Deathwish too much.

'Hey, order me the Robby burger,' Zack said to Helena when the waiter arrived, 'and fries.'

Zack looked Henrietta up and down, trying to figure her out. His big brother instincts were in play sure enough, but he reminded himself not to give her a hard time.

'So, Henrietta,' he said, 'you challenging the league or something?'  

[Spinne Biss]

As Helena stepped away to place the orders, Henrietta's eyes fell on Zack once it was just the two of them.

"I-i am, I got my fourth ba-adge yesterday." When she looked at him it was without eye contact. She'd stare at his forehead, or his cheek, or his shoulder. Eye contact was clearly difficult for her.

The league challenge had helped the girl become more confident, but she was still a shy and introverted person at heart.

She wanted to ask him if he was two. It was a courtesy after all. But there was a more pressing question on her lips. "Hel, she k-keeps secrets sometimes for b-bad reasons. Has she told you about Jean-Pi-pierre?"  

[Jump Einatz]

Sal's straw made a vacuous slurping noise, the sign that her drink was done, while she assessed Vigant. Robin appeared to favor Fire and Dragon types. The combination was nothing if not flashy. "Reynard, you're up. Stay patient." The fish dog thing barked in anticipation, trotting to the other side of the field. When she and Vigant were in position, the Vaporeon immediately blasted an Ice Beam from her mouth at the slime dragon. It was the exact opposite of patience, which was why Sal had chosen her first. Rey needed to learn that slow and steady sometimes won the race. And Sal wanted her to take some licks in the process.

"I dunno if you guys wanna like, talk or whatever?" Sal said to both her and Robin's sidelined Pokémon. "If you wanna scrimmage on the sides be my guest. Like, please do that." She tossed her empty drink over her shoulder (it landed in a recycling bin) and walked over to Robin's trainer box. The battle was informal. No sense in talking at each other from a distance.

"Hate to break it to you, but it's one of a kind," Sal said, tugging at the fabric while boarding Robin's box. She sat down and let her legs dangle over the sides while watching Reynard try to gain the upper hand. Viewing from the sides let her pick out her team's strengths and weaknesses in a way she couldn't see as a participant. Changing perspectives was important for understanding how others saw your team. "It belonged to the Hurricane. He's my brother."

The same brother that was keeping tabs on her, some way, somehow. Sal looked over her shoulder briefly. If it wasn't through Ivan, then how? Another Pokémon? She nodded at Robin's Pokémon. "You're no slouch yourself. Someone like you should be making waves in the league." It didn't take an experienced trainer to know that Robin's team was nothing if not powerful.  

[Klarp Glornharm]

Robby Tobb didn't often work the front of a joint like this, but when you were a master who had taught the cooks, the next step was to let them prove they could do it right while overseeing everything. Truthfully he was only really in this region's branch for two reasons. Proper training for his new restaurant branch. And because the Redgraves were here.

Step one was done, and step two had just walked inside to order. "Helena." Robby said, grin splitting his face. Robby's Delights back home had taken off, and Unovan Delights in foreign regions were something of a hit too. The person who was supposed to be taking the orders watched Robby step from just off-camera to give Helena a big hug.

"'Sbeen awhile. Y'doin' kay?"  

[Marsuru]

As an introvert himself, Zack appreciated the effort it must have taken Henrietta to talk to him this much. But ********, she needed a speak therapist or something. He nodded along through her stuttering, and his eyes flashed when Henrietta mentioned Jean Pierre.

'Once or twice,' he said, 'What'd she tell you?'

Zack felt something tug at his shirt and looked down. It was a decidedly ice cream-less Serene. Woops. He sat up straight and shouted into the shop, 'Helena! Get some ice cream too!'

---

Robin suddenly remembered what Zack had said about Moze. He was the one the nobles had attacked and sent Salieri on the path of revenge. It was a sentiment that Robin understood all too well.

'Sorry, I didn't realise,' she said, watching Vigant hold up a flaming palm to catch the Ice Beam and disappear in the resulting mist. 'I didn't have any brothers until I enrolled at the academy. They did nothing but cause me grief, but that's family for you. It's cool that you wear that. Why'd they call him the Hurricane?'

Reptilia looked over and spread his wings, but Robin waved him back down with a wordless "No no don't use it"  

[Spinne Biss]

Henrietta counted each point off on her fingers, "he's a s-stalker, he has mind control p-powers, he wants to kidnap her, and he's L-lord Nostrad's personal bodyguard." It was all sensational and terrifying, but Henrietta had so far encountered a stampede of wild Pokemon that almost destroyed a town, and a terrorist attack by pirates on Shalour City. In both circumstances, Helena had charged right in. Incredible situations followed incredible people, the pink haired trainer figured.

"D-does that cover everything?"

Inside, Helena almost squealed at the sight of the chef himself. "Robby!" she practically jumped into him with the biggest hug she could manage. "I can't believe it's you!" Pulling herself back only a step, she'd look up at him. "I'm not hallucinating, right?"  

[Klarp Glornharm]

"Ah'm here fer real. Ah own th'place. Ya remember m'place back home yeah? 'Sdoin' real good." Robby placed his hands on his hips looking at the newly minted Pokemon trainer. She'd been doing real well in the league. Batter'n most people. Lots of folks gave up on it right quick. "Ya got drawn h're by th'food righ'? 'S my recipe from home. Good food done right an' flashy 'nough to catch Kalos'ns attent'n. Ya've b'n doin' good 'n the League, yeah? A sponsie. 'Snot easy t'do."  

[Jump Einatz]

Inside the mist, Reynard's silhouette became a whip of water snaking through the air in search of her opponent before disappearing. Salieri could hear the sounds of battle and her Vaporeon yapping, but she could barely see it. She rolled her eyes. So much for spectating. "Get outta there Rey, I can't see s**t!" Sal called over, cupping her hands over her mouth to help project her voice. She was still trying to keep her volume low.

Robin considered her academy classmates as family? That tracked with what she knew from Zack's history. Sal pondered a timeline where she had enrolled in a trainer's academy instead of public school. It would've put some much needed structure in her life. Of course, then she would've never had Gotengo, and would've never met Mia. Not that that mattered. It totally didn't matter. More to the point, she would've probably turned out to be a horrible rapper instead of a mic prodigy.

"Moze was an unknown that took the League by storm. A hurricane. He was the projected favorite to win during his year. I know people play up the accomplishments of their families, but his have receipts." Salieri talked Moze up, but not without warrant. She'd watched all his matches and the news on him feverishly. Every caster claimed his win was probable compared to his competition. His strength was palpable. Tellingly, according to Esme and Mia's database, all the known and suspected victims of the Darkhorse Hunters were taken out by single hunters. All except for Moze. It had taken three hunters and the boss herself to keep Moze out of the league.

"...but, ah, he didn't win. So now I have to." Salieri stared off into the mist. "I won't see another noble become champion." Normally, she'd say that type of thing with firm conviction. The night had taken its toll on her delivery.

Sal tilted her head at Robin, toying with a question she had that was, hopefully, harmless to the relations of her crew. "Do you know a Benedict Montgomery?"  

[Marsuru]

That's the guy who's been harassing Zack's sister? He'd spent enough time around the Tower to know that mind control powers were most likely Aura, like Ratio and Gurkinn. It had been weird and a little violating whenever Gurkinn used his powers on him, and Gurkinn was on his side. Zack didn't enjoy the thought of somebody with those powers when they had all the arrogance and entitlement of the worst the nobility had to offer.

'Yeah, I hope so,' Zack replied, going quiet. Serene climbed onto the fourth seat at the table, her head barely clearing the top. She looked at Henrietta and smiled.

---

Moze sounded like the kind of trainer that Robin would have loved to battle. She wondered why Moze couldn't just give the league another go - Zack hadn't gone into that much detail - but judging by Salieri's vibe when she spoke about her brother, it wasn't a wise question to ask.

Vigant reappeared out of the mist cloud as Reynard entered. Her fingers crackled with electricity and she snapped them at the cloud to electrify it and give anything inside a good shock. She held back quite a bit to figuratively shock Reynard more than anything, the pokémon battle equivalent to towel whipping somebody's butt.

'Oh, Benedict and I go waaay back to... two days ago,' Robin said, watching the battle. She had wound up at his birthday party and things kind of escalated from there. Oh god, she thought, glancing sideways at Sal. Was Benedict a mutual friend? 'He's... nice. He's my date to a dinner party tonight. Why'd you ask?'  

[Spinne Biss]

Henrietta watched Zack as the conversation started to fall away. He wasn't as harsh or off-putting as Helena had made him out to be when she was venting, but she still felt nervous about making casual conversation.

Looking at Serene she'd smile softly and then look to Zack. "Can she have candy?" She'd produce a chocolate bar from her purse.

***

Helena spoke fluent Robby, and while some people might get lost in the thick drawl of the man combined with his deep voice, she had grown up with him.

"I'm kicking the leagues butt so far. I might have seven or eight badges by the end of the week."

Looking outside to Zack and Henrietta she'd add, "you have to come say hello. We want burgers, by the way. Three of them. And ice cream."  

[Marsuru]

Outside random bouts of kindness, Zack had never really thought too much about his pokémon's sweet tooths. He knew that pokémon like Growlithe or Houndour got sick if they ate chocolate, but he wasn't exactly the expert in pokémon nutrition and biology. Esme would know, but Zack and Esme weren't talking. Just thinking about that threatened to bring his headache roaring back.

'I dunno, can you?' he asked Serene, but the psychic's big round eyes were already quivering at the sight of the chocolate and Zack sighed. 'That does look like a yes.'  

[Spinne Biss]

With a soft laugh closer to a giggle than anything else, Henrietta would unwrap half of the candy bar and then hand it to Serene. Turning her gaze to Zack she'd take a good look at him.

There was an uncanny resemblance between the two Redgrave siblings. It wouldn't take more than a casual glance to see that the two of them are related. Still, he wasn't as cute as his sister to Henrietta.

"Hel said you used to be a trainer, i-is this your first time in Kalos?"  

[Marsuru]

Zack started to feel himself getting impatient. How long did it take order a couple of burgers? It wasn't as if there was a queue. Zack had rushed over because he wanted to spend time with his sister, but instead he got landed with her friend. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with Henrietta but, for a fitting analogy, it was like ordering a Robby Tobb burger and getting a sandwich.

'Erm, yeah, for a while,' Zack said. He had trained for half his life and developed a team that would rock these Kalosian turds to their core, then been forced to sell each and every one of his pokémon to stop his mom from being sued into oblivion before wasting a year of his life running multiple jobs to keep food on his family's table. Luckily, it wasn't a touchy subject. 'I travelled for a while with some friends, but Kalos was kind of off limits so we just never came. It's very, uh...'

Superficial? Corrupt? Arrogant? Rude?

'Aesthetic.'  

[Klarp Glornharm]

On the one hand, Robby wanted to cook for his friends after so long. On the other, he wanted to spend time with them while they were here. And honestly, he could think of no one better to judge his newly trained cooks than the Redgraves... On the other hand, he could always give them a coupon to judge his trainees later.

"Y'g't't. Robby replied, and stretched. "D'n tell Zack. W'n' 't t'be a s'prise." And with a wink, the large fellow would move uncannily quickly to the kitchen. If Helena stayed and listened in, she'd hear Robby calling in near-flawless Kalosian with a near-flawless Kalosian accent and whipping his cooks into high gear.  

[Spinne Biss]

Helena got the distinct impression that his Kalosian lacked a number of essential apostrophes and that the people of Kalos would never truly get the full Robby experience. But that was their problem.

Outside Henrietta nodded. "I would describe it like those dramatic tv shows that have twists back to back like 'I'm actually your brother, and I'm pregnant with your child, and our father is dead, and I stabbed you - yesterday.'"

That's when Helena returned. Her face was all lit up with a smile from having seen Robby and as she took her seat she'd look at Serene. There was nothing graceful about eating chocolate, and the sight of the tiny Pokemon doing so caused her to laugh.

"Can she have that?" She looked between the two of them.

"I th-think so."

"Well, it's Zack's problem if she can't." She'd say and stick her tongue out briefly at her brother.