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Route 7 – Riviere Walk

Levi shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "It was a spur of a moment thing ya know. I'm a guy, so when I a pretty girl I gotta go say 'hey'." Levi put his hands in his hoodie pockets. Helena was good looking to the youth, but she seemed a bit too up tight for Levi's spur of the moment, roguish life style. But he wasn't against trying to be a bad influence on an otherwise pretty face, especially one who knew how to battle.

"What about you? trading pick up lines back and forth then going right into a battle sounds like you found your self a dude who can handle the Sal." The sneak asked, cocking an eyebrow, wearing a congratulatory look. "Gonna have a follow up with the lucky guy?" Levi liked talking to Sal, she was easy to talk with and laid back. Well, when she wasn't out for revenge at least.

Camphrier Town – Pokémon Center

Jace Nostrad stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom of his suite, wiping the last of the Octazooka ink off his face with a damp towel. He took a second to examine the bruise around his cheek where Salieri had punched him, then looked at the grotesque smiling sun graffiti on the glass. “Damn.”

The door to the bathroom swung open, and another sponsored trainer, Matheson Leroux, burst in energetically from the bedroom. He was tall with a strong posture, short blond spiky hair and dark blue eyes. A Klefki floated at his side. His black trousers and rusty orange button down shirt were silky and expensive looking, those his grey sneakers were more ordinary and practical. A gold and crimson sponsorship jacket rested on his shoulders with a Devon Corp. logo on it’s back and arm.

“I don’t think she took anything else, I think all she wanted was your sponsorship swag. What did she look like again?” Math squinted at the bruise on Jace’s cheek, impressed. “Merde, was that really only one punch? Nice hook.” He paused, sucking his lips in with a guilty look. “Sorry, too soon?”

Jace stared at his fellow trainer for a moment. If he didn’t know that sincerity was the basis of Matheson’s nature, he’d probably think he was being facetious. “Too soon,” he sighed as he sat down on the rim of the bathtub. “She was tan with a long black ponytail. Scar to the side of her nose,” Jace explained, tracing the shape on his own face with a finger. “A little taller than five feet-“
“A five foot girl punched you out!?”
“I said a little taller!” Jace squeaked. “There was a blue bandanna on her head with that same stupid sun thing on it.”
“Why was she even here?”
“I don’t know, I thought she just wanted to make out or something because she was being all weird and coy. The next thing I knew, she blasted me in the face with her Horsea.” Jace buried his face in his hands. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Sounds like a lunatic. Interesting,” Matheson said with a smirk as he snapped a picture of Moze’s sun tag with his Holocaster. “Did you notify the Chateau yet?”
“Not a chance! I lost my card key once before. If my father finds out I lost another, he’ll be furious. You’re the only one I’ve told,” Jace sighed. “I feel like you’re enjoying this, Math.”
“What? No. I mean, yes. Sorry. I don’t enjoying you getting punched out, Jace, but this is the most interesting thing that’s happened all week. My horoscope was right, this was the perfect day to visit my alma mater.”

An alarm rung on Math’s Holocaster, familiar to both trainers. The Klefki at his side looked at him expectantly. Math’s excitement died down as he was dragged back into his routine life. “Magic Closet Key please, Metis.”

The Klefki jingled her many keys happily and unclasped her tiny arms to drop a pink, heart shaped, sparkling key into Math’s open hand. Math took a few steps back and pointed the key out in front of him. He turned it and pulled it back, as if opening a door. The air in front of him rippled, and slowly a soccer ball sized portal of pink, swirling energy floated where he had unlocked the Magic Closet.

Neither trainer were fazed, since Metis’s extradimensional Magic Room storage technique was run of the mill for them. Math stuck his arm inside, where it disappeared to parts unknown to Jace. “C’mon, where is it?” Math grumbled as he rummaged blindly. Finally he pulled his arm out, holding a bottle of prescription pills. The portal closed when he was done. “Hey, can I help you look for her? This sounds like it could be fun.”

Jace was about to ask Matheson for his help, but the older trainer beat him to the punch. “Yeah, that’d be great.”
“Thanks.” Matheson grabbed a cup off the bathroom sink and filled it up with water. “You know, it’d be much easier for me to find her if I don’t take these right now-“
“And you’d probably get yourself in trouble, as well. You can’t skip on your meds, Matheson.”
“…yeah, you’re right,” Math said reluctantly.

He popped the top off the bottle and took two pills out. “Did she say where she was from, or where she was going? She’s probably a trainer.”
“She didn’t.” Jace rubbed his chin as Matheson put both pills onto his tongue and took a swig of water. “…but if she’s not in Camphrier Town and she has my card key, she might be in the Chateau-“

Matheson spit everything in his mouth out into the sink in shock. “I didn’t think of that! Jace, she might be trying to hurt somebody else, maybe you were just the first step! This is serious!” Although still energetic, the levity in his demeanor was gone.
Jace stood up. “I know this is serious!”
“What are we still doing here? Metis, Magic Door Key, please!”

He handed back the Magic Closet Key, which Metis swapped with the indigo, arrow shaped sparkling Magic Door Key. Matheson closed the bathroom door and stuck the key into the lock. He turned it. “I’ll go east and back to the Chateau, you check out the rest of town.”
“Alright. Matheson?”

Matheson opened the bathroom door again. This time, it did not lead to the suite’s bedroom. Instead, it led to the sidewalk of Camphrier’s main street. Jace could see the Pokémon Center across the street from here. Math looked over his shoulder. “Yeah?”
“If you do find her, punch her in the face for me.”
“What? I don’t want to punch a stranger in the face.”
“She punched me in the face!”
“Exactly. Also don’t be petty about this.”
“I need my honor, Math! You have to do it!”
“...Fine. For you, I’ll punch her in the face.”
“Promise?” Jace asked, holding out a hand for a shake. Matheson obliged.
“Promise. Let’s go, Metis.”

Math and Metis went out the door and closed it behind them. Seconds later, Jace saw the bottle of pills on the counter, and the two pills in the sink. “Merde, Math!”

He opened the door, which led to the bedroom of his suite once again. Jace looked at the bottle in his hand, where the prescription tag said ‘Matheson Leroux: Relaxants For Obsessive Impulsive Disorder’.

“This could get weird.”

Camphrier Town

Once Matheson was one the street, he released a Vespiquen. The perfectly poised queen bee hovered at his side with her hands behind her back, awaiting his order. “Rhea, I’m looking for a girl that assaulted another sponsored trainer. Here’s what I have.”

He gave her Jace’s description of Salieri and then showed Rhea the picture of the sun tag on his Holocaster. Rhea responded by sending off a wave of her grubs to search the area. They flew out from underneath her dress-like lower half, each one shaped like a fist sized Combee with brown coloration. The grubs spread out and flew around in search of their two targets –Salieri and the Sun- as they went eastward towards Route 7.

Matheson and his two Pokémon went in the same direction, far behind the grubs given their slower pace. The grubs would relay information back to Rhea through their hive mind connection, and Rhea was able to tap into their vision to see what they saw.

When Matheson was fifteen, he graduated from his secondary training education at the Nostrad Chateau with a degree in Pokémon Tracking at the top of his class, second to only one other from his year. His skill when it came to finding his targets despite –or because of- his case of Obsessive Impulsive Disorder earned him prestige among the sponsored trainer community.

He put his hands in his pockets and let the breeze that accompanied the light drizzle run over him. I wonder what you’re looking for, lunatic girl.

Ambrette Town

Ambrette Town sat atop a steep cliff overlooking the bright sandy beach of Kalos’ western seaboard. Although it was smaller than Camphrier Town, it had twice the sights. The Aquarium was popular with tourists and locals alike, while the Fossil Lab was erected when the science of reviving ancient Pokémon became possible, making the town a small but important area of interest for researchers.

Jump stood outside the less sciencey Aquarium in front of a group of young hipster college students. The woman in the center of them held up a flyer for the others to see. “…oh, it’s Cave Rave. I thought it said-“
“That was a typo,” Jump informed her, quick to interrupt. “Secretary troubles.”

A short distance away, Kiedis and Hexum leaned against the Aquarium’s fence, watching the students laugh at Jump’s jokes. Hexum was busy reviewing the notes jotted on his memo pad while Kiedis watched the conversation with a glum expression. He was too far to hear it, but he knew the routine by now.

[Now he’s making a joke about the old flyers, to save face,] Kiedis grumbled. [In a second he’s gonna point at one of us to take the blame. Probably you.]

On cue, Jump jabbed a thumb backwards towards Hexum, and the students nodded in understanding. [Now he’s going to repeat some phrase he heard on TV so he can relate to them. Yep, there it is. And now he’s going to try charming one of the girls. Oh, it’s that one.]

Jump’s attention focused on the hipster student in the center, who tried to look unimpressed despite clearly looking at his abs through his shirt. [Same old same old. When he first said we were going to Kalos, you know what he told me? He said Kalos means ‘Honey Country’. What an asshat.]

Hexum looked up from his memo pad. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Kiedis sighed and shook his head. Jump brought the group of students over to his two Pokémon. “That’s the secretary and that’s the bouncer,” he told them, pointing to Hexum and Kiedis respectively. One of the girls bent over to see eye to eye with the little bear.
“Adorable! I love these things on his shoulders!” she squealed, reaching out to touch the tufts of fur. Despite having the frame of a Teddiursa, Kiedis bore some resemblance to an Ursaring. Namely, the fringes of fur on his shoulders and a small cream colored ring of fur on his chest.
Kiedis was unamused with her delight. He folded his arms and gave her a Leer. [Bite me, b***h.]

“O-kay then,” Jump said with a chuckle as he stood inbetween Kiedis and the students. “So, it starts at eight. Definitely come an hour later.”
The students looked to each other and nodded with mild interest, murmuring in agreement that arriving late was today’s arriving on time. “Yeah, we might be there. Aren’t Team Flare still fighting the police outside the cave, though?”
“Don’t even worry about it. I’m not letting anyone crash this,” Jump told them with a cocky thumbs up. “If you’re not a square, I’ll see you there.”

Some of the students stifled their giggles at the foreigner’s expense as they walked away. Jump stood proudly with his hands on his hips. “Yep, still got the charm. That girl with the nose ring was definitely into me.”

The Aura nodes on the back of Hexum’s head stood up. “…she seems a little young for you.”
“Twenty? Twenty isn’t young for me, a boss young man of twenty three.” His two Pokémon stared at him accusingly, to which he responded with just a wink. “Anyway, Hexum, what’s the status in front of Glittering Cave?”

The Lucario stood up, Aura still emanating outwards like an invisible radar. “…they’re still fighting out there. If anything it’s more intense than before. It looks like the police are trying to position a strike team at the front of the cave.”

“Ugh, these nutjobs are all killing the vibe. Alright, well we gotta get in to set up the speakers. No point in waiting, right?” Jump grinned ear to ear. Kiedis saw something change in his trainer’s eyes, a dangerous twinkle. The bear smirked. He missed that twinkle. “Let’s teach ‘em not to mess with any of my social events.”

Route 9

The trail to Glittering Cave was covered in a jagged path of rough edged rocks, which made traversing it on foot incredibly difficult. Those who wished to get across needed the help of Pokémon, prompting a Rhyhorn Rental Booth to be set up at the beginning of Route 9.

With the Route being closed off by the police to normal trainers, the only people on Route 9 were a small cadre of Team Flare grunts with the high ground at the mouth of Glittering Cave, and the squadron of elite officers attempting to gain territory. Most of them were mounted on Rock, Ground and Steel Pokémon that could move and fight comfortably on the extreme terrain, while the others made their way to the cave on the steeper, elevated mountainside.

At the moment, the two sides were at a standstill, with a small gap in the middle forming a no-man’s land. The squadron was hidden behind cover, whether created by Pokémon or behind large boulders. Team Flare, looking down on the jagged from the smooth weathered plateau, was busy practicing synchronized poses.

“Damn them! Damn them and their stylish shenanigans!” the Captain of the squadron grumbled from atop his Mamoswine, looking out from behind his cover. “It’s been hours and we can’t advance. Their defense is unrelenting, the timing of their poses is impeccable. Mother of god, look at those spins!” He turned to the officer next to him. “O’Brady, we can’t take much more of this well choreographed sass. Have we gained any new options?”

“Negative, Captain,” answered O’Brady, sitting on an Onix. “The rain is coming in stronger from the south. The overcast is blocking air support. The tunnels in the cave limit our underground approach. We’re basically blind down there, only a fool would attempt to proceed that way. Plus, look at this.” O’Brady lifted up his Holocaster, showing off a hologram of a social media news feed. “The term ‘Team Flare Poses’ is trending on search engines. It’s gone up fifteen percent since this morning. Their sass is now memetic, sir.”
“Well what good are we if we sit here, O’Brady? If we plan to sit still we may as well surrender. Radio every other position, tell them to prepare to make the next move. We’re going to mount a full offensive and curb that sass once and for all.”

At that moment, the ground at the center of the no-man’s land burst open. Rocky debris flew everywhere, kicking up a cloud of murky dust. Both sides stopped what they were doing, waiting to see what emerged.

When the dust cleared, Jump stood carefully balanced on two rocks with his hands in his pockets in front of a large hole, Kiedis and Hexum at his side. All three were coughing up dust. “Damn Kiedis, ‘eat my dust’ is a finger of speech!”
“Figure of speech,” Hexum corrected. Jump scoffed at the idea.
“Nah, that can’t be it. Doesn’t have the same touch.”
The Captain held up the megaphone he had used earlier in the day in an attempt to negotiate. “Attention civilian! You must vacate Route 9 immediately and return to beyond the barricade!”

Jump gave The Captain a serious glare, then leveled one back to Team Flare. “What the hell is this?” he asked both sides of the conflict. “What the hell is this? It’s pathetic!”

The officers looked to each other, confused. A Team Flare grunt cleared his throat. “We-“

“No! No excuses!” Jump yelled back, subduing the grunt with a finger point. He stepped back and spun so he could address both the police and Team Flare. “Look at you both, trying to push each other away and going nowhere. Where has this fighting gotten you, huh? You’ve both lost time just trying to ward the other way, and everything you’ve gained is something you’ve taken from someone else. The way you both struggle, endlessly, to achieve your goals stops you from feeling the pain of what energy you’ve already sacrificed to an ambition that will crush you both! You attempt to advance to prove your superiority, but all I see in front of me are lesser men that shed what prestige they may have held previously in favor of smug, temporary power.”

Many of the combatants looked away in guilt or shame. Hexum’s eyes widened. “Wow. He used the word prestige in a sentence.”

“Are you both really so different? It’s not right, to bind someone with the law, or with exclusivity, when you’ll all come together anyway. This is not a call to arms, but a call to action. If fighting doesn’t work, there must be another way. I ask of you, to make a choice. Are you going to keep up this futility until you can’t lift a muscle to take it back?” Jump paused. He eyed the police squadron. “Or are you guys gonna bounce so I can throw a dope party in this cave?”

The Captain stared back at Jump, dumbfounded. “…What?”
“Like, you’re invited if you can chill the ******** out, but if you guys are shutting it down that’s just not cool. My minions have been helping me set this s**t up for like three days now, give ‘em a break.”
“…Are you with Team Flare?”
Jump rolled his eyes condescendingly. “Obviously, dude, look at how my outfit matches their color scheme. I’m an Admin.”

The Captain exchanged a glance with O’Brady, before roaring into the megaphone. “Detain the Team Flare admin!”

O’Brady’s Onix slapped its tail into the side of the cliff, loosening boulders and dropping then towards the intruding trio. With his hands still in his pockets, Jump leapt backwards, landing yet again with his feet pressing against the smooth edges of jagged rock. He zigged and zagged towards the mouth of the cave, each time making sure he landed on safe footing while avoiding the falling stones. Kiedis and Hexum didn’t dodge the Rock Slide like Jump did. With his eyes closed in meditation, Hexum rose up his palms and created a dome of blue Aura energy above them, shielding the Pokémon from the boulders like an umbrella would stop the rain.

The Captain made note of Jump’s astounding legwork and mobility before ordering his Mamoswine to fire a salvo of Icicle Spear while the Admin was mid jump. Kiedis’ ears perked up, and he jumped in between the attack and his trainer, shattering each spear of frost with a barrage of Fire Punches. “Thanks for the save,” Jump told his bear with a grin as he finally landed on smooth ground.

Kiedis did not look back to check on Jump’s safety. His eyes were firmly planted on one of the officers positioned at the far end of the squadron. Specifically, they were on the officer’s sidebag. The bear’s nose picked up on the scent in an instant: apples and honey.

[I’ll get to the cave later,] Kiedis told Jump as he cracked his little bear knuckles. [I have to jack that guy’s honey.]
“Kiedis wants to provide outside support,” Hexum relayed to Jump. Jump shrugged.
“Whatever Kiedis, you’re the bouncer. Do what you gotta do.” The Admin turned to all of his grunts, who bowed their heads at him. “You should all be ashamed. I told you it’s step pivot pivot step step. You dropped a crucial spin, we’re gonna have to practice these poses again later before I totally prestige you guys.”
“Apologies, sir,” a grunt answered, doing his best to ignore Jump's misuse of the word 'prestige'. “Should we continue guarding the outside of the cave?”

Jump looked over his shoulder as Kiedis began to walk back towards the squadron. The jagged rocks seemed to not affect the little bear as he walked, and despite his tiny adorable frame some of the officers looked intimidated. “Sure, you can watch Kiedis go to town on these guys if you want. I’ll need three of you to help me set up the speakers though. C’mon, chop chop.”

Jump clapped his hands, and three grunts followed him and Hexum into the cave. One of the officers in the squadron that was scaling the Cliffside on his Venusaur squinted at Kiedis. “It’s just a Teddiursa! What are you waiting for? Venusaur, Vine Whip!”

A slender vine sprouted from the bulb on the Pokémon’s back and darted at Kiedis. Unfaltering in his walk, Kiedis grabbed the vine before it made contact and yanked it hard. The Venusaur’s eyes bulged as its hefty body was lifted off the Cliffside and swung into the side of O’Brady’s Onix with a heave of Kiedis’ mighty arms, toppling both Pokémon to the rocky floor.

The Captain gulped. “Well slap my a** and call me Shirley, looks like we’re in for a fight, boys.”
Kiedis snarled. [This won’t be much of a fight. No one’s leaving here til I get that honey.]

Camphrier Town

Levi grinned to himself under his bandana. Judging from the dudes Devon Co sponsor coat, He was probably a friend or relative of the guy Sal gangked her Devon Co. coat off of.

That was faster that expected

"I dont have the faintest idea as to who you could be referring too" Levi answered back mockingly, Letting his posture drop into a form that was either ready to run, fight or parkour the ******** outta dodge.

Camphrier Town

Levi's hidden smile faltered somewhat, confused by The sponsored trainers sudden and relatively odd behavior. Whats this guys malfunction. is he tweaking or something?

"Nah man, Its symbolic. for er.... Revenge I think. Yea lets go with that." Levi replied, shaking his spray paint can back and forth before walking over and fixing the smudge Matheson made.

Although the small in stature trainer was oblivious to the flying grubs, Zeke however was not. The small fire canine was wary of the flying maggots, and was poised to counter strike should the need arise. The fire dog Pokemon was uneasy with the proximity his trainer as in comparison to the sponsored trainer.

"And yea, Maybe im lying to you, maybe not. What of it?" Levi didn't like this guy. For one, he was a sponsor, And two, he was acting funky. Unpredictable, And unpredictability irritated Levi. He didn't like not being able to read a situation.

Route 9

The most recently deployed squadron of elite officers were in the process of heaing back to Ambrette Town. All of their Pokémon had been recalled, and together they limped and carried each other to the exit. With their fighting ability and spirit crushed by Kiedis, there was no point in staying anymore. They’d have to send in another squadron to proceed.

Route 9 was now home to several small craters in addition to its signature jagged rocks. Standing in the middle of one such crater was Kiedis, grunting while chugging down stolen honey with his bear hands. A couple of crushed police cruisers littered the entrance, but aside from that property damage was at a minimum.

Kiedis had considered leaving no survivors. If they reported on his fighting style it could prove to be a hassle in the future. Ultimately he decided that a trail of corpses wasn’t worth the hassle either. Besides, he had his honey now. All was right with the world.

[Hrm.] The little bear looked back to the cave mouth. [Thank Arceus I don’t have to set up that party.]

Glittering Cave

The first part of the cave was a wide open space, lit up by shining stalactite crystals sporting a myriad of bright colors. The space held a few different tunnels, some with tracks for mine carts to venture through the darkness and some without. Jump and three Team Flare grunts were busy setting up a loudspeaker system along the cave walls while Hexum leaned against one of the walls, holding a red solo cup while chatting with the first and only party guest.

“Someday I’d like to get an education, maybe in Hoenn. I’ve always heard Hoenn’s school had good science programs…people have told me it’d be unorthodox since I don’t have thumbs –and also I’m a Pokémon- but I think I can prove them wrong.” The Lucario looked down at his thumbless paws, then adjusted his glasses sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’ve been rambling. So, um, what do you do for a living?”

The Kangaskhan he had been hitting on rose an eyebrow. With a sigh, she opened the pouch on her stomach. Hexum peeked in and heard a tiny growl. He gulped, took a long sip form his cup, and walked away.

“Jump, is this almost done?” he asked his trainer. “I’m making a fool out of myself here. I need your help talking to women-“
“Women?” Jump’s ears perked up and he spun around. “There are women here?...oh, like Pokémon women. Goddamnit Hexum, you tease.”
“There is still one human woman here, Jump. You should probably go find her, tell her everything outside the cave is fine.”

Jump stared blankly at Hexum. The Lucario stared back until he got the cue that Jump had no idea who he was talking about. “Your boss. Aliana.”
“Right, right. I was literally about to say that.”
“I’m sure.”
“Can you hold it down up here? I don’t want you making things awkward when the first guests arrive.”
“What?” Hexum stood up straight and poised. “I’m not awkward.”
“Haha, yeah. O-kay man. Just start the sound check with Knee Deep in five minutes. The Funkadelic version, of course. I want those speakers so loud that we make an earthquake.”

Jump pat the Lucario on the back and headed down into one of the tunnels.

****

There weren’t as many crystals deeper into the Glittering Cave. Jump lost his way a few times, but thankfully his speaker system was strewn about the tunnels as well for better acoustics. He was able to follow the wire trail to find his boss, Flare Scientist Aliana. The short haired stylish leader was accompanied by a few Flare grunts, tinkering with a tablet device to track specific energy readings. “Yo boss, how’s it going down here? Working hard or hardly working?”

Aliana adjusted her visor and glanced at Jump before returning her attention to the device. “I assume the police won’t be making their way here any time soon.”
“Yep, Kiedis took care of that. So uh, you found it yet or what?”
A tiny vein bulged on Aliana’s head. “Our readings are getting stronger. Diancie should be close, maybe directly below us. As long as nothing disturbs its slumber, we should be able to remove it from the cave without a problem.”
“Uh huh.” Jump put his hands into his pockets. Science talk went way over his head. Even in the simplest terms he didn’t get it. “So like, it’s sleeping? No alarm clock?”
“No. No alarm clock. Loud noises don’t occur naturally down here barring a tectonix shift and exceptional Pokémon cries…which reminds me, you didn’t set up that idiotic loudspeaker system, did you?”

Jump crossed his arms. “No, I did not,” he informed her defensively. It is NOT idiotic. “Stop treating me like I’m dumb or something. I have good ideas too, yanno. I set up this whole party and replaced the rape-y flyers with good ones.”

Aliana turned around and got close to Jump, narrowing her gaze at his eyes. It made the Flare Admin uncomfortable. “We’ve come too far into this tunnel to let our mission be foiled by your incompetence, do you understand?”
“No! I don’t understand!”

The Scientist looked him up and down. For most problems, she could use her superior mind to get through the obstacle. Jump could not be swayed by such tactics, so she’d have to change her strategy.

“If you don’t mess anything up, I’ll let you see my left n****e.”
“Deal.” Jump spun away to head back to the cave entrance. “Adios, boss. I’ll make sure this place is foil-proof.”

A minute later, Funkadelic began to play through the entire tunnel system. Dust shook from the cave ceilings with every thump of the bass. Aliana took off her visor and stared at the cave walls. The Flare grunts behind her gulped at her growing anger.

"I will kill that man."

Glittering Cave

The cave hummed with a faint rhythmic pulse and Zack tasted blood. He lay still for a moment, willing himself to move as his brains wormed their way through a crack in his skull. Jewels embedded in the cave walls glimmered like stars. Zack wondered how many were in his imagination as he shook off the pain. Dirt ground between his fingers. He climbed to his feet. Outside, the earth sighed with a throng of bodies, their cries echoing through the tunnels like a great, chilling yawn. Rock rumbled with movement. A sharp pain bit at Zack's gum, and he reached into his mouth, twisting a loose molar free. He put the tooth in his pocket and spat a thick glob of blood at the ground.

'Where are you?' he growled, scanning the area. Memories of the few seconds before he blacked out reasserted themselves, and he looked to the gorge. Deep inside the cave, it was a great black pit with the faint sound of running water coming from the bottom, its walls sheer and slick. A mine cart track was suspended in the middle of the gorge, running endlessly into the darkness. Heart pounding and gut burning for payback, Zack climbed into a cart and yanked the release lever. It did nothing for a second, then its motor kicked into gear, churning the wheels one revolution, then another faster, until it went speeding into the abyss.

Route 8 - Muraille Coast

Waves swept over the sand and soaked it dark, moving lazily back and forth, sparkling in the daylight. Trainers battled by the strand line with a small crowd watching, the battle reaching its climax. Psyduck squealed as the sun disappeared, a great circular shadow spreading on the sand around it. A moment later it was crushed, and wind kicked up a dusty, gritty cloud. The onlookers didn't cheer, except for one or two who quickly shut up, and most winced empathetically. The Snorlax was snoring the second the battle was over, and the little girl in charge of the Psyduck started to cry.

She rushed over to where the Snorlax lay, and tugged at its arm. It was a four year old trying to lift a tonne, however, so she tried to dig under it when shifting proved futile, scooping out rapid handfuls of sand. The Snorlax vanished in a haze of red light. The girl, clutching her swim ring, knelt next to her flattened, dizzy Psyduck and howled.

'You're a bad man!' she cried, sneering at the other trainer. The dispersing crowed generally shared her expression and sentiment, but Zack only shrugged.
'You wouldn't have lost if you didn't suck so much,' he said as the girl put her Psyduck back in its ball and hurried to her parents. If looks could kill, Zack would've died on the spot, but instead he gave them a cheery wave and walked off.

This was a while before Zack would find himself lying face first in Glittering Cave, back when his biggest concern was the impending meet up with Esme. He wore a predominantly white suit courtesy of Viro von Silver, which had intricate, black, criss-crossing lines that started heavy at the cuffs on his sleeves and pants, then gradually became sparser as they travelled to the torso. He was promised that it was the height of fashion, and it certainly turned a few heads. He imagined his old clothes were gathered in a pile somewhere, burning.

He looked towards Ambrette Town in the distance, just a few rooftops over a rocky gap on the horizon, then light flashed at his side. Serene, his Kirlia, stood at attention and seemed almost giddy. Zack stopped walking, felt his heart race, then grinned.

'Time then?' And Serene nodded. She hopped from a small boulder, and grabbed Zack's pants leg. A second later, they vanished in a whirl of light, leaving behind a wispy burst of sand that dissolved on the breeze.

Ambrette Town

Esmeralda Moreau waited just outside the center doors, looking disinterested in everything. Zack and Serene first went to the teleport zone at the pokémon center, then teleported again right in front of her. If she was surprised, it didn't show. Zack landed after a short drop from the teleport, and straightened up to his full height. She stared at him for a second with a frown, which soon broke down into a short smile.

'Hey,' Zack said. A crowd left the centre and milled past, boxing them in with chattering bodies. 'So either I'm crazy, or that was the longest hour of all time.'
'Obviously you're crazy,' Esme replied, pulling her Holo Caster from her pocket and checked the display. 'It's only been… ah.' She put it away, squinting while she smirked. 'What took you so long?'

Zack had actually been ready for a long time, but he figured he'd play along. He held his hands out to the side to show off his new clothes. 'I was a little busy. What do you think? I've gone native.'

Esme looked him up and down. 'It's a start,' she said. 'But it'll take more than clothes to impress me, Mr. Redgrave.'

'Well, I was hoping my charm and good looks would do the rest,' Zack said, grinning. Esme went quiet, and just smiled mirthlessly. Zack swallowed then cleared his throat. 'So anyway, how'd you like to get something to eat? There's like a million little cafes around here.'

'And you think you know the best one.' Esme shook her head. Her blonde hair was tied in messy knots and draped over her shoulders, and shook with the motion. Every time he'd been near Esme, Zack felt utterly disarmed, and it seemed like only good fortune that he could even get his mouth to work. Esme wasn't the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, but he couldn't stop the little things from jumping out at him. The way her hair danced when she moved her head, or the wrinkle of her cheek that came when she suppressed a smile. 'Come with me, Unova Boy. I'll show you what's what.'

Battle Chateau

The black oak doors unbolted and, with a judder, swung open. Greeters came out in pairs, but Elizabeth strode past the lot, and entered the bright foyer of the Battle Chateau. The Leroux insignia on her shoulder cloak told of her station as a high ranking Court noble, and the greeters cowed and bowed. She stopped in the centre of the patterned marble. Rust squeaked on an old door, footsteps echoed, and Lord Nostrad appeared with Elite Four member Siebold at his side. The old Court paranoia played at the back of Elizabeth's mind when she saw the members of two other Court houses together, but she silenced it for now.

As she approached Nostrad, Siebold slinked away. She caught a glimpse of his face and it seemed troubled, deep in thought. Lord Nostrad looked at her as he always did, eyes alight with superiority. Her hand instinctively brushed her rapier's sheath.

'Ah, Lady Elizabeth,' Nostrad said, holding out his arms. 'To what do I owe the, ah, unannounced pleasure?'
'I'd like to speak with you. Alone if possible.' Elizabeth said. She looked over her shoulder, black bangs of hair falling past her eyes. The greeters were astute eavesdroppers, well learned in the art of listening while otherwise engaged. Right now, they were politely ushering Siebold from the foyer, warm smiles and polite tones, but their thoughts were far from the young lord.

'I think I have a good idea what this is about,' Nostrad said, pleased. 'Come, I have a study on this floor that should suit our purposes.'
'Many thanks, my Lord,' Elizabeth replied. He lead her through a passageway beside the main staircase and down a long corridor. Somewhere near the end, they came to a room with a locked door. Unlike the mechanical lock that handled the underground prison, this one was a modern, holographic palm reader. Nostrad stood straight, and waved his hand in front of the door. Light rippled with tiny blue squares like disturbed water, settling once Nostrad's hand was behind his back. The door unlocked with a click, and swung open. Elizabeth stopped short of rolling her eyes. Boys and their toys.

The study itself was comfortable but lacked the furnishings Elizabeth had expected. In her mind's eye, Nostrad decorated his every room with large portraits of himself and his family crests. There would be bookcases and shelves filled with memorabilia of times passed, constant reminders of the greatness of House Nostrad. Instead, there was just a desk with a built-in computer, a table beside a large double window that looked out onto the grounds, and a pair of stuffed leather armchairs. The chairs seemed old and worn, and probably outdated anything else in the room. Nostrad spent time here.

The old lord gestured for her to sit, then sat behind the desk, arching his fingers together.

'I am sorry to hear about Gabriel,' Nostrad said, 'He was young, his death untimely. And the manner… distasteful.'
'I can think of some stronger words,' Elizabeth said, earning Nostrad's smile. It reminded her of a scavenger greedily descending on a corpse. This was a mistake. The door closed on its own and locked with a clack.

'Gabriel and I shared a great many views. There were disagreements of course, but I think we were like of mind.'

Nostrad casually placed a gnarled hand on the desk, pocked by a splatter of purple-black spots. He followed Elizabeth's gaze and snatched his hand back, hiding it in his lap. Elizabeth understood it to be a disfigurement from years earlier, but had no idea as to what had caused it. It could have been injury or disease, but she couldn't dwell on the distraction.

'My father was forced to make unenviable decisions,' Elizabeth said, meeting the old man's eye, 'I know he wasn't popular, but he was a good man at heart. He didn't deserve to die.'
'And you want to know who killed him.'

Nostrad's words hit like a hammer to the heart. She thought she'd have to do a little more coaxing, but this was perfect. Elizabeth forced herself to get a handle on her excitement. Nostrad was calm, and if she couldn't match that then she'd fall for any little trap he set for her. He watched her every motion as she tilted her head back, showing interest without appearing too keen.

'That's right,' she said. The murderer would suffer. 'I want them caught and brought to justice.'
'Of course, I'd be happy to help,' Nostrad smiled like a snake. 'But before I commit myself, I would like to resolve one small issue. House Leroux has just as much power as my own; I would think that losing a beloved uncle would stir it into action, yet you come to me. Is there a particular reason why you aren't speaking with Elliot?'

Lord Elliot Leroux had warned Elizabeth that pursuing her father's killer would be dangerous. It implied he knew information that could help, but thought sharing it was too much of a risk. Elizabeth shifted in her seat.

'It's complicated,' she said. Nostrad was quiet, so she continued. 'Elliot - Lord Leroux - feels that investigating my father's killer would be dangerous. I understand where he's coming from, but he's wrong if he thinks I'll just bungle my way into an assassin's blade. I need to do this, and I came here because I think you can help. And I think you want to help.'

Nostrad looked through Elizabeth for a moment, as if his eyes had lost focus. Then she sensed tension brew as a thought occurred to him. 'Interesting. Then I will do my utmost to assist you. The very idea that a Court noble could be preyed upon without retaliation is absurd. However, there is a condition that I must insist upon before we go any further.'

Elizabeth's heart thundered once. 'Name it.'

'For our investigation to proceed smoothly, it is imperative that few people know it exists. I am sure you're aware that even in Court houses, there are eyes and ears everywhere. You must do your utmost to keep our alliance a secret, even from Elliot. Do you understand?'

Elizabeth met Nostrad's cold, watery eyes. An age passed until finally she nodded. 'I'll do whatever it takes.'

Ambrette Town - The Coast

The far south of Ambrette Town was made up of cliffs and sand. Where Muraille Coast had been trainers and pokémon, the southern coastline was swimmers and sunbathers, strewn lazily on the sand or attacking the waves head on. Esme took her shoes off and stepped onto the sand while Zack lagged behind, taking longer to remove his boots, and he had to jog to catch up. They headed towards a seaside bar elevated on rock, waves slopping at its base. The floor was made of polished, even stone, while the main building was constructed out of thick, dark wood, the tables and chairs all curves and glass.

Esme took a seat on the outer terrace, kept in the shade by a thatched roof that let the occasional speck of light cast through. By the time Zack sat down and started brushing sand from his feet, Esme had placed a thick black book on the table between them.

Zack stared at it for a second. In the years it had taken him to construct the notebook, he'd used anything he could find to jot down notes or act as bookmarks; bits of old maps, napkins from the pokémon center cafeteria, even a few pages ripped out of other books he'd found useful. Every last piece was still in there, but arranged a little differently. The notebook had been read front to back.

'How fast do you read?' Zack asked, not looking up from the notebook, sliding it to his side of the table.
'I literally live in a library,' Esme replied, simple as that. The silence hung in the air for an awkward second. Zack was about to say something to fill it, but to his surprise, Esme took that step. 'And work means I have to read a lot too. It's not so bad.'
'And that's college work, right?' Zack said, carefully placing the notebook in his bag where it belonged. He was sure he'd discussed this with Esme already, but couldn't remember the details. He felt the strong urge to slap his past self for losing focus.
'No, no. I'm an aide to Professor Sycamore.'

Zack nodded slowly, having no idea who Professor Sycamore was. Well, clearly he was a professor. Esme studied pokémon biology, so he must be a pokémon professor. And that likely meant he was involved with recruiting trainers as research assistants, giving out pokémon and pokédexes as bribes. Probably some dusty old man.

'Salut,' said the waiter on his way over. He wasn't typically dressed for the role; shorts and a shirt with sandals. The only thing that gave his job away was the apron with the bar's logo on the front. 'Hey guys. What're you eating?'

Zack hadn't even looked at his menu. He caught a glimpse of Esme smirking at him as she looked up at the waiter, turning the smirk into a flirty grin before giving her order. Was she trying to make him jealous? It was working. Zack read through his menu. The names were all in Kalosian with the National translation in smaller text underneath, making the process drag out. He rubbed his cheek while reading. Esme and the waiter had finished talking, their gazes now burning holes in Zack's head. Heavy footsteps pounded the stone steps up to the terrace.

'Hey, Zack Redgrave!' the owner of the footsteps had a broad accent, definitely Unovan. Familiar. 'Remember me?'

Zack couldn't say, not right away. By the time he looked up, a fat right hook smashed into his cheek and ripped him out of his seat. He toppled, dragging the table with him. The tablecloth went flying, and the condiments shattered on the deck with a tinkle of glass. Zack hit the guard rail with his back and landed in a slump. He had to shake it off and quick.

'You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.' The Unovan grabbed Zack by fistfuls of his new suit and dragged him to his feet. Strong, no doubt about it. He was taller than Zack, and broad. Zack wasn't bad himself, but the Unovan had him beat, physically at least. Zack rolled his head like he was dazed, using the seconds to recover. He felt the Unovan shift, pulling his fist into a backswing, and that's when Zack retaliated.

The backswing was the part of the punch with the least amount of momentum, and therefore the easiest part to control. Zack snatched out, grabbing the Unovan by the forearm and pushing it back. He shifted him around, throwing his bodyweight forward, and using the second of surprise to dominate the fight. Now the Unovan had his back to the rail, and Zack still in his grasp. The trainer shot up, and smashed the guy's nose with his forehead. Then he reached down and grabbed the Unovan by the ankle, throwing it up and sending him tumbling over the rail and onto the sand.

'Better call an ambulance,' Zack said to the waiter without looking. He caught a glance at Esme, who looked horrified, backed up against a table. Whether she was horrified at him or for him, he couldn't tell. He didn't want to know right now. Zack climbed over railing, dropping onto the sand.

The Unovan had scrambled backward to get some distance. Zack now had a good look at him, but it still took a second to place his face. He was built like an athlete, dark black, and had a shaved head with two stubby ears that stuck out at right angles. It was the lack of fat that made him hard to recognise. A face changes with its owner's weight, and where the Unovan's features were once podgy and soft, they were now chiselled sharp. Zack stopped breathing.

'Kelly?' he gasped as his stomach dropped. The Unovan met his eye and smiled, his bloody nose staining his teeth red.
'Hey, Zack,' Kelly replied, wiping his lip with his sleeve. 'Saw you on TV. Just had to catch up. Talk about old times.'
'Kelly, I'm sorry,' Zack said, all his fight leaving him. He took a step forward, hand out. Kelly clenched his fists, banging his waist.
'No! No, you don't get to be sorry!' he snarled. Zack spotted tears in his eyes and swallowed. 'You b*****d. I thought we were friends!'

Zack's head buzzed. By now he should have been getting to know Esme and wondering how long the food would take. He felt like that was still happening somewhere, that this was all a weird dream, and when it was over things would snap back to the way they were supposed to be. He almost missed Kelly taking out a pokéball.

'Always told myself I'd beat you one day,' Kelly said, turning the ball over in his hand. 'Guess today's the day.'

He lobbed the ball, generating a Mienshao that Zack recognised as a Mienfoo named Tatton. It flexed, swished its long arms into a ready stance, bouncing from one foot to the other. Then a second later, it shot forward, blowing up a shower of sand in its wake. Zack fumbled a ball, throwing out Hazard, his Haunter. He had to fight this. Fire rekindled in his gut. He wasn't going to lie down and lose.

Hazard started off with a Confuse Ray, grinning madly as she launched the bubbling purple beam. Knock the opponent off stride and force an opening, then overwhelm with sheer power. Zack Theory 101. Tatton countered by bending low and sprinting below Hazard's beam, like it knew what to expect, not missing a beat. Zack had Hazard back off, using her air advantage, then level a Psywave.

The attack was a scattering of psychic power, much less predictable than Confuse Ray. As Zack recalled, Mienfoo evolved at a high level, meaning that Tatton almost certainly had a power and experience advantage over Hazard. Psywave would be Hazard's one super effective move. The attack popped and exploded like a cone of fireworks going from Hazard towards Tatton. The Mienshao span, launching itself into a sideways flip while still going forward. Its arms swept around it, a pink, translucent plate of light attached to the tip of each. Then it gathered the Psywave up, scooping it between its two Reflect shields and moulding it into a glowing, bubbling ball.

Tatton landed, then threw its arms to the side, releasing the Psywave into empty space. The shields disintegrated, apparently a one-time use per generation. Hazard dropped her grin. Zack called for a Toxic, and Hazard immediately flooded the battle area with a thin, deadly haze, which she spewed out of her body like steam from an old train. Tatton skipped forward once again, the gap between it and Hazard now practically nothing. Just a few feet of air space. It slammed a paw onto the deck, surging it with power from a Force Palm. The sand exploded upwards, mingling with Hazard's Toxic, making the air thick and murky.

The two combatants were mere shadows from an outsider's perspective. Tatton's shadow vanished, so Zack had Hazard escape the toxic sand-cloud by flying upward. Tatton wasn't in the air, which meant it had to be at ground level, still in the cloud. Zack commanded another Psybeam, aiming to nuke the battleground from above. Hazard lobbed the scattershot blast of psychic energy downward, swamping the toxic cloud, crashing into the beach with a roar. More sand showered, the Toxic vaporised. Tatton stood at the centre of the blast, not moving. The air was clear, the sand shining like glass.

Hazard went lower, exhausted from throwing such a huge version of its attack. Zack stared. Tatton wasn't just stationary, it didn't even seem harmed. Zack's eyes went wide when Kelly ordered a Payback attack. A Dark type move, twice as strong as normal because Tatton was hit before using it, and twice as strong again because Hazard was weak to Dark. Tatton vanished, then reappeared a little higher than the ghost type. Kelly had been taking it easy, hiding Tatton's true strength and speed, throwing Zack off stride, forcing an opening. Zack Theory 101.

The Haunter hit the deck with a bounce rather than just phasing through the sand. If she had any bones, they would have been broken, no question. Tatton's movements were snappy, seeming to consist only of start and end points, with the motion in between a blur, even to Zack's practised eye. He recalled Hazard, and had no idea what to do next.

'That was pathetic. At least give me a challenge,' Kelly glared, his bloody nose dried already. Tatton took a step forward, Zack took one back. 'Where are your real pokémon? You insult me. Even now.'

'You've changed, Kelly,' Zack said, glancing at Tatton, then back to Kelly, mind working furiously to find a solution. 'Can't say it's for the better.'
'Like I care what you think,' Kelly spat.
'You used to care a whole lot, as I recall,' Zack replied. He couldn't say how much Kelly hated him, but it had to be a lot, considering. He didn't know how far Kelly was willing to go to get revenge.
'Yeah. Well that was then.' Kelly and Tatton started forward, but a blast was levelled at Tatton's feet. It screamed through the air, loud and invisible except for the rippling light. The impact point exploded, Tatton landed some distance away, skidding backwards.

Esme leant over the railing with a glare, hair blowing in the sea wind. A white Meowstic, the evolved form of the pokémon Zack saw loitering around her library, stood on the rail, its ears twitching. Kelly seemed taken aback, almost embarrassed. He gave Zack another look, then recalled Tatton.

'You get off easy, this time,' he said. 'But I'll be back. You can count on that, Zack.'

Kelly took out another pokéball, releasing a Hydreigon from inside. It looked swollen and strong, sitting on the sand with its scaly flesh gleaming in the sun. It had a curdling, clicky growl, two of its heads snapping absently, the middle keeping its eyes resting dangerously on Zack. Kelly climbed onto its back, and a second later it beat its powerful wings, leaving the earth and taking to the sky. Zack watched until Kelly became a dot in the clouds, and for even longer until he was sure he'd vanished, then breathed out.

He was vaguely aware of Esme landing behind him and hurrying over. His eyes were glassy, out of focus. She shook him by the shoulder, calling his name. Zack snapped back, reality hitting him all at once. He stared at his hands like they held answers.

Nothing.

Ambrette Town - Pokémon Center

'Are you going to tell me what that was about?'

The pokémon center buzzed like always. Trainers hurried about like always, chattered, shopped and traded like always. Everything the same, except not. The sun didn't seem as bright, sounds were further away. Zack had other things to worry about after Kelly, but seeing him again, seeing his rage, and it all came rushing back, threatening to crush him like a tidal wave. Esme had given him odd looks ever since Kelly left. They weren't the kind of amused looks she'd given previously. Now he only saw confusion, and a drop of fear.

'Do you want to know?' Zack said as Esme sat on the bench beside him, her legs slipping into his peripheral vision.
'I did ask.'
'It's a long story,' Zack replied.
'Tell me.'
'Not today.'

Esme sighed. She lifted her glasses and pinched her brow, just for a second. 'Okay. So I stayed up a little late last night. And, as it turns out, getting up past midday means I have extra chores. I was running late, and knee deep in our dishevelled stock room when I told my aunts who I was meeting. As soon as I did that, they said all was forgiven and let me go right away. I think they like you.'
'They're probably a little old for me,' Zack said, forcing a smile. Esme smiled back, her face tingeing red.
'Yes. Well,' Esme looked away. She took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. 'I like you too. I guess.'

The cold pit in Zack's stomach suddenly flushed with warmth. Esme said, 'Not many people would take on a gang of street thugs to help some strangers. You'd have to be stupid, brave, or insane. And you're too much of a dork to be insane.'
'Mercy,' Zack said. Esme stared, realised, then smiled.
'Thus proving my point. And it's merci, you clown. M-air-cee.' She stood up. Zack paused, then did the same.
'I'll try to remember that,' he said. He looked Esme in the eye for a second. She wasn't frowning or smirking or acting distant, and she didn't look away. Nothing jumped out at him, yet everything did. Zack wasn't much of a hugger, but he did his best, folding the Kalosian girl into his chest. She froze solid for a moment, like she didn't know what to do, then patted him softly on the back. Zack felt heads turn from passersby, but couldn't find it in him to care.

'I guess what I'm trying to say,' Esme continued from the crook of Zack's neck, 'Is that you're a good person, Zack. Believe me, I have better things to do than spend time with losers. Whatever happened with your friend, it doesn't define you. What you do going forward is what counts.'
'Yeah,' Zack nodded, letting the words settle.
'You can let go of me now.'

Ambrette Town

Esme bought a ticket back to Lumiose City, and a center pokémon teleported her away. Zack watched the space where she had been for a few seconds then sighed, ruffling his hair. He had Hazard healed at the counter, then left the pokémon center behind. Originally he'd come to Ambrette to check out the siege at Glittering Cave, but the police had the whole place locked down, and he lost interest in trying to sneak past. There was nothing else for him here, or so he thought.

Zack glanced in the direction of Route 9, past the trail of craggy spikes that needed a pokémon to bypass, and up the side of a rocky outcrop. He stopped walking. Someone was standing on the edge of the cliff, dressed head to toe in black. Zack called on Serene, had her teleport him to a tall roof on the east side of town to get a better look. At this range, Zack couldn't make out the figure's spiked gauntlets or ragged, flowing cloak, but he didn't need to. All he needed to see was the bone white mask that covered the creature's head.

'It's him,' Zack breathed. The monster he'd seen murder Gabriel Leroux. The one he'd tried to research at the Moreau Library, but found nothing. He had to get over there. Zack checked the route before him, and worked out the distance. By the time he looked back, the creature had vanished.

At his command, Serene hopped on Zack's shoulder and they teleported over, but stopped short when they slammed hard into an invisible wall. The sky rippled, and Zack fell ten feet onto his back, which knocked the air out of him. Serene landed more gracefully at his side, and Zack turned over and looked up, coughing. At first, it looked like nothing, but he could see the faint flicker of light where the air seemed to bend slightly. A teleportation blocker; must have been erected by the police to stop trainers from doing exactly what he just tried to do. Zack climbed to his feet, slightly stooped as he recovered. Further south, a news crew was standing patiently just before the blocker while a cordon of cops prevented them from going further. Some of them noticed Zack and pointed him out, while others were busy checking equipment, making calls or looking bored.

The horizon rumbled. Faintly at first, but then it started to scream.

Zack stood upright. Serene shivered at his side, clutching herself to keep steady. The cries were one and a million at once. A monstrous chorus, a stadium of screams times a thousand. It made Zack nauseous. He recalled Serene in a whip of red light and started forward, passing through the blocker as if it wasn’t even there, and stopped at the top of an incline. On the horizon, he could see the police fleeing the cave, riding on the backs of their pokémon. A battered Onix carried three, its face a panic. It toppled, the cops flying into the sharp rocks. The earth below shifted, crumbling as subterranean pokémon crawled out, squirming through the dirt.

Sandile, Helioptile, Hippopotas, Carbink. They broke through every inch of the route, between the rocks and soil, their eyes blank, mouths open and moaning. Their limbs thrashed and they panicked. Hundreds of pokémon, everything Route 9 had to offer, and they were charging for Ambrette Town.

Zack's mouth hung open. The news crew exploded, shouting and filming the scene, underpaid techs running for their lives. The way he saw it, he had two options: forward or back. Someone had to protect the town, and there were dozens of trainers on the beach, a stone's throw away. He didn't take long to decide.

Route 9

A short way into Route 9, a stable hand wrestled with a Rhyhorn's reins. When the earth wasn't stirring up a frenzy, and Glittering Cave wasn't the host of a stylish outfit, trainers could hire Rhyhorn to traverse Route 9 safely on their backs. Now the Rhyhorn were going crazy in their stable, whether through fear or the same madness that drove the oncoming horde, it was hard to say. The stable hand was a scrawny kid, probably not used to dealing with the usually docile Rhyhorn when they got out of control. The pokémon reared, and slammed its front legs down, roaring. The teenager was yanked forward, hit the dirt, and released the reins, letting them fly.

A gloved fist snatched them in its grasp. Zack swung around the back of the frenzied rock type as it reared again, stumpy feet kicking air. He put his feet on its spine, tapped a ball to summon Clauncher, and twirled the pokémon like a pistol before blasting a jet of water on Rhyhorn's rump. The rock pokémon cried louder than ever and smashed its way through the stable fence, Zack standing on its back and wrenching its reins to the side, directing it into the horde.

Rhyhorn smashed its way up the rocky path, encouraged by painful jets of Water Gun. Zack braced himself as they reached the teeming mass of pokémon. A Hippopotas stood in their way. Zack swung his aim up with Clauncher, let the opening come, and squeezed. The water type blasted the inside of Hippopotas's mouth, and it flew onto its hind legs. Rhyhorn ploughed on through, and it fell to the side with a heavy crash. Each time the rock type smashed into another pokémon, it threatened to buck Zack clear, but he held on tight, staying upright and blasting whatever got in the way with Clauncher.

'Help! Please help me!'

The three cops that had been bucked by the Onix were trapped on a flat island in the middle of the swarm. Two were clearly injured, bleeding and unconscious and apparently dragged to safety by the third guy who was still awake. They were safe now, but it wouldn't be long before the horde overran that small island. Their Onix had already vanished, unconscious and overrun. Zack grit his teeth and tucked Clauncher under his arm. He lobbed a pokéball over and the cop caught it with his fingertips before it fell into the rampaging sea.

Sacrificing Fletchinder was hardly ideal, but he had no other choice. Zack didn't look back, the cops cries of thanks lost to the chaos. They crested the top of Route 9 and found the battleground.

Rhyhorn drove into a rock wall and Zack went flying over the top. He got the plateau under him, and hit it rolling. Momentum carried him forward, and he came to a stop in the shadow of Glittering Cave. He coughed, climbing to his feet and putting Clauncher back in its ball with some blurry red sparks. Rhyhorn was nowhere to be seen, lost somewhere with the rest of the frenzied pokémon. The earth was pocked and scarred by battle. More pokémon fled through gaps in the cave wall ahead, but circled on the lower land, making the plateau a kind of safe haven.

Zack ached already. His new suit's white faded with dirt and dust. He was one pokémon down and the rest were lacking, and the cave mouth yawned before him like a gateway to hell. Time to move.

Glittering Cave – Tunnel System

The tunnels shook as Pokémon stampeded out of their habitat, driven away by the manmade phenomenon. Their cries and stomps mixed in with the Funkadelic song that was still playing throughout the cave. Although Jump had messed up spectacularly, he did manage to set up a sound system that wouldn’t budge even in the face of an earthquake. In a furious and confused way, Aliana found herself slightly impressed by his skewed priorities.

The Flare Scientist strode with purpose deeper into the tunnels, undeterred by the chaotic sounds coming from the surface. A hunched over Druddigon dragged its feet behind her, occasionally leveling a Leer at any wild Pokémon that dared to get close. Most of the rampage was taking place in the first level of the cave and Route 9, but the stragglers deeper in the tunnels still posed a mild threat. Aliana’s grunts were thankful for their boss’s power and state of mind, for they were ready to s**t themselves.

“It’s awake,” she told them, eyes glued to her tablet device. The hologram display had every inch of the tunnels that Team Flare had already explored mapped out. One blinking green light stood out in the translucent blue map, and it was on the move in an unmapped area. “That idiot’s sound system reached into the deeper levels of the cave. Diancie is mobile.”

She stopped walking, lost in thought and unafraid as long as Druddigon was alongside her. The Pokémon of legend they had come to obtain was no doubt the cause of the wild Pokémon stampede, possibly as a defense mechanism to protect its habitat from unwanted stylish peons or partiers. If Jump hadn’t been so insistent on creating a sound system, Team Flare would’ve had more time to map out the area. Now Diancie had a chance of slipping from their grasp via an unknown route.

Suddenly, an epiphany flashed through the scientist’s mind. “Call Jump. Tell him to keep the music on,” she commanded while tapping furiously at her touch screen. “We’ll use the sound waves to map out the rest of the caves and trap Diancie. It’ll have nowhere to go.”

Glittering Cave – Party Room

All tunnels, whether they had mining tracks in place or were naturally created, led to the large nearly circular room that once served as the mine’s old fashioned command center just after the cave’s mouth. This created a bottleneck effect, and the steady stream of wild Pokémon running to flee the cave all had to pass through this area. By some ironic miracle, none of them had come close to damaging Jump’s sound system that caused this panic in the first place.

The few grunts Jump had recruited to set up his party were running around in the midst of the sea of bodies just to keep afloat. Though most of the Pokémon did not attack them directly, some had stopped to vent their anger at these most obvious targets.

In sharp contrast to his grunts, Jump was actually having fun, barring mild annoyance that his party had been postponed. His boundless energy was in full play as he hopped along the tops of the rushing Rock and Ground types like stepping stones in a river, making his way across the room to one of a few mine carts.

“She’s a freak~” he sang to himself as shoved his heel at a rusty pipe jutting out of one of the carts. With a few kicks it came loose, and Jump picked it up just as a Helioptile jumped his direction. In one spin, he turned around and smacked the lizard aside with the pipe. “Never missing a beat, yeeeeah~Hey Hexum, status report?”

His Lucario swayed to and fro between the lesser Pokémon that dove at him, remaining calm in the midst of the crowd. The black lobes on the back of his head stood at attention, a sign that he was using his Aura to predict the movements in his surroundings. “Be specific,” he called back as he used one hand to vault over a passing Hippopotas.

Jump watched his Lucario’s maneuver and found it to be sufficiently cool looking. He mimicked the move as he made his way to an elevated and unoccupied patch of earth. “What’s the ETA for this party to drop?”

Hexum landed on the same platform and the two of them circled back to back. With smooth tai-chi esque movements, Hexum blocked incoming danger, swiping it away with jabs clad in blue Aura. “Forget it, Jump.”
“This’ll be over in like five-ish minutes. Don’t be such a fun sucker.”
“No one’s going to party at ground zero.”
“Really? You can’t think of anyone who’d have a good time right about now?”
“…actually…”

Glittering Cave – Cave Mouth

The mouth of the cave was nearly devoid of wild Pokémon despite the riot on Route 9 suggesting otherwise. After getting through Jump’s party room, the natural exit to take would be the cave mouth outside unless the Pokémon in question could simply carve their own path through the stone wall. There was one obstacle currently present that made the cave mouth too much of a risk regardless of current circumstance, causing the stampede to avoid that direction and exit Glittering Cave through the cave’s gaps.

A Krookodile broke free of the pack, flanked by a few loyal Sandile, to rush out of the cave mouth. The crimson beast lurched forward on all fours, unprepared to face the anger of the crystalline maiden from below yet willing to take its chances with whatever silhouette was standing amongst the unconscious Pokémon ahead. The closer Krookodile got, the smaller and weaker the silhouette looked.

Kiedis squinted at the big alligator monster and the smaller alligator monsters coming his way. [I haven’t seen one of these yet,] he mused with a savage smile. Krookodile’s Intimidate activated when it came within range, causing a strange tingle in the Hibernator Pokémon that made his muscles weaker. But the Intimidation did nothing to the bear psychologically.

Bulk Up made Kiedis’s muscles tense once more, and with a berserker’s scowl he leapt forward and hammered both of his fists into the ground. The earth swelled and ruptured before him, carving a straight path to the Krookodile’s posse like a crack of lightning. The Earthquake blasted all of the crocs into the air. The Sandile were knocked out before they even hit the ground. Krookodile smashed down, struggling to even kneel.

Kiedis took a few steps forward, locking eyes with his defiant opponent. The bear’s chest swelled up, and he unleashed a deafening Roar. The Krookodile winced before limping away in shame.

[This is actually the best party I’ve been too in a long time,] Kiedis said to himself with a chuckle. A new, familiar yet unexpected scent lingered in his powerful nostrils. The bear spun around and saw Zack entering the cave mouth. Of all the many, many people Jump had invited to the party, Zack had seemed the sixth least interested in attending. Then again, Kiedis doubted the Unovan was coming for a party.

“Ursa,” he grunted to Zack with a nod. He gestured for Zack to follow while he cracked his neck and walked deeper into the cave.