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"I didn't see anything," Helena said immediately. "Zack's in pretty bad shape but he'll make it. What happened to Ambrette town?" Helena had seen things when it all started but she didn't see the aftermath or even when things got bad.

Helena felt the knot in her stomach return at Salieri's words about Ambrette town. She knew there was nothing she could have done and took some small bit of solace from the fact that Zack wasn't there, but it didn't change the fact that the events were tragic.

"You mean the nobles are after your pokemon?" Helena asked in a quiet voice, sounding a bit more serious than she'd intended to. "Why? What pokemon are they?" She had seen Team Flare, the dogs of the nobility, go after Diancie already

If the nobility were after Salieri, and they were listening in, it was likely that Salieri had just put Helena in danger as well. The thought didn't bring her any comfort, especially when she was so close to Zack. Salieri had made one good point, though, they couldn't discuss this over the phone.

Helena couldn't vow to help Salieri if it meant making her a threat and putting herself, Zack, and the people at Professor Sycamore's lab in danger. At least, she couldn't do it over the phone.

"It's just a Horsea, Salieri," Helena said. "You're going to be fine, I'm sure nobody is after you or your Pokemon. Your Horsea probably just got hit by a stray attack from another trainer that was there." Helena knew the words were cruel, but she had to protect the people she cared for right now, and Salieri was more of an acquaintance than a friend.

"I have to make sure my brother is okay for now, that's my priority. If you still feel unsafe then we can find a place to meet later and talk about that. If you have the money, you could try and get a ride to Lumiose and we can talk then. For now just try not to be so paranoid." She forced her best positive tone into the words.

The next part was harder to say, but Helena surprised herself when she managed it. "They aren't bad people, Salieri. They're just like you and me."

"Salieri!" Helena said, louder than she'd intended to, trying to catch the girl's attention. "I'm sorry about your Horsea. Let me make it up to you, we should definitely hang out some time. Soon."

Lumiose City - Sycamore Pokémon Lab

Floorboards creaked as Sina lead Zack up the turns of the central staircase. Traditionally, the building was used as a town house for minor nobles and dated back a few hundred years, passed between families, marriages, and down bloodlines. Though repairs, maintenance, and the conversion to a pokémon lab had reshaped the structure, most of it remained unchanged. Four storeys tall, and the layout like a maze of corridors and side rooms, Sina always felt like a mouse in a maze whenever she explored. At times it felt like the house was revealing more of itself to her, trusting her with its secrets. Showing someone else the way netted the research aide a tinge of pride, though she had to slow her pace to let Zack keep up. Even though his complaints only extended as far as the occasional grunt or sharp breath, Sina could tell that despite the stoicism, Zack was in a lot of pain. At long last, they reached the top floor.

Like every other room in the building, the guest room was massive. A chandelier fashioned like a Chandelure hung from the tall ceiling, lifeless in the daytime, with each of its five candles extinguished. The chandelier reflected in mirrors of various sizes that were fixed to each wall, and if viewed at the right angle, looked like it was caught in an endless corridor, ever repeating. Any illumination came through cracks in the thick, heavy curtains, like blades of shining light, picking out fragments of floating dust. The double bed was an island in a sea of carpet that drowned in open floor space, and seemed minuscule despite its size. There were old, expensive-looking ornaments and paintings around the edges of the room, depicting family members of ages gone by. Sycamore had left them in when he inherited the building, saying that they had a right to stay in their old home. Though it was only really used when the research team had exhausted themselves, the guest room was well kept, having recently been seen to by a maid, and the air was fresh and clear.

Zack poured himself into the bed, which had a soft, deep mattress, and almost vanished within the plush, Swanna-feather duvet. He lay still as a rock, and for a worried second, Sina had a thought that he might not be breathing. She crept closer, standing over the bed. Sina leaned forward, peering around to look at Zack's face. His eyes were closed, and his dark shirt, covered in dried mud, didn't rise or fall. She leaned closer, right up until she felt her balance going, then bolted back when Zack shifted suddenly, heart pounding in her chest.

'Gagh! Don't- don't do that again!' she cried, feeling hot all over. 'I am too young to be having a heart attack.'
'Sina,' Zack murmured, 'Favour.' He started undoing his belt. The hot feeling quickly compounded on Sina's face, and didn't go away when Zack held the belt up for her, pokéballs hanging off it.
She took the belt, letting out a sharp breath. 'Again. Heart attack.' She looked at the pokéballs, six in a row. Five of the balls were a solid, bright red, while one was dim. 'I suppose you'll want these healed up. Did you know one of them's missing?'

Zack replied with steady, heavy breathing that meant he was asleep. Sina shook her head. Today was a long one for everybody. She went back to the door with the pokéball belt slung over her forearm, then looked back while holding the handle. She sighed.

'Goodnight,' Sina smiled, creaking the door closed and drenching the room in dark.

The Round Table

The table lay in wait, shrouded by midnight black. Motes of blue light sometimes broke through the darkness, their shine magnified a thousandfold like miniature suns, flowing upward from mechanical pits of flame. Each pit was in place of a seat, and there were six in total, one for each missing member of the Court, spaced evenly around the room. Lord Jullien Nostrad sat waiting in his seat, hunched over, pain seething down his arm. His hands clenched into fists as he replayed the news over and over in his mind. Ratio took Diancie. His Diancie. The irony that Ratio would claim one of Nostrad's pokémon after Nostrad claimed one of his was not lost on the old lord, and it further stoked the flame of rage. Just when he thought he was one step ahead... He steadied himself. He needed to be calm for this meeting. Everything hinged on it.

To his right, on the only other physical seat in the room, was Drasna, the Elite of Dragon. His personal knight, and the public face of House Nostrad's overwhelming power. The dragons he was so well known for were trained by her; she was his military might incarnate. And she seemed unsure. Staring at him in the flicker of blue light as the hologram nodes remained silent. He couldn't blame her. Even in his rage, he couldn't blame her for her concern. He was losing control, like a mere commoner. He had to be better. For this to work, any of this, he needed to be better.

There was another in the room. If Drasna was Nostrad's sword, then Jean Pierre was his shield. At the back of the room by the wall, at the furthest reaches of dark. Nostrad cared little for what Jean thought, but with Ratio back, it was best to keep him close by. One of the mechanical pits blazed with blue fire, and then settled, its motes of light congealing into a transparent, life-sized form. Elliot Leroux sat at the round table. His white-blonde hair had come undone, no doubt the result of the disaster at the cave, yet appeared as blue as the rest of his holographic body. The pit beside Elliot blazed and Mavla, the Elite of Fire, appeared with her usual coy demeanour. She smiled at Nostrad like a cat toying with its prey. He wouldn't tolerate her were she not a rival for Drasna in raw power, and her loyalty was without question. He had made sure of that.

'Jullien,' Elliot said, his voice as clear as if he were actually in the room. Nostrad responded with a nod, keeping his hand closed over his other while he sat up straight, respectable. They need only wait for the remaining parties to arrive, and the meeting of the most powerful men and women in Kalos would begin.

Sycamore Pokémon Lab - The Stairs

Sina was lost in thought. Everything after the clash of Route 9 began felt like a daydream, as if she were in some void that she couldn't escape. Far be it from her to panic, but it was the strangest feeling she'd encountered in her life. A kind of limbo, where she was just waiting for the horribleness of reality to kick in. For now, she had to carry on like normal. Help the professor find some answers. Keep people safe as Defender Red. The belt felt heavy on her arm, but that, at least, was something she could deal with.

'Helena,' she said in surprise when the trainer caught her attention. Sina could see the resemblance to Zack. Both siblings had strong, solid features with deep, piercing eyes, the kind that seemed to see through everything at once. In a few more years, Helena could probably pass as a professional model, but not just yet. She still had a childish aura of vulnerability that she hadn't fully outgrown. More girl than woman. 'It is Helena, right? I'm Sina. Uh, I said that already.'

She carried on down the stairs, keeping the belt in hand. 'You really don't have to worry about going to the center. We've got one of those rejuvenation machines right here in the lab. I'll just throw the balls in there and they'll come out good as new. And I'm pretty sure the pokémon will too.'

Sycamore Pokémon Lab - The Stairs

'Ookaaay. Anyone ever tell you that you speak like a robot? You can relax, we're all friends here.' Sina took one of the balls from Zack's belt at random, and tossed it to the bottom of the stairs. Mid-throw she remembered that Zack had a Snorlax, and suddenly wished she'd done this outside. By luck and chance, it was Serene that came out of the pokéball. Helena hadn't been kidding. The poor thing's head had been practically caved in, with a deep gouge on one side where her skull should be, and a nasty splitting of skin that had cracked like dry earth. If it wasn't for the layer of caked-in muck and grime, there'd probably be blood all over the carpet. Serene was out cold.

'Oh wow. Yeah, definitely get her fixed up,' Sina said, wincing. 'Need me to take care of your guys too? The Kirlia will get seen to right away, but you'll be waiting hours for a regular appointment. Probably.'