Category: Pokémon
Rating: M
Couples: ?/OC
Warnings: AU, hint of rape/character death
Chapter: 1
Copyright: Characters & places © By Game Freak, Plot © by me
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"Well… damnit." Diantha muttered darkly. She was sitting in the kitchen of the League Castle, one hand holding the spoon she was using to eat her cereal. The other held the letter on official League stationary that had arrived with the mail this morning.
"It has got to be bad for you to be cursing after coffee." Malva meandered inside, still in her bathrobe and aiming for the pot of coffee on the counter. "Even if I doubt that your drink still constitutes coffee."
"Not all of us can drink it black as sin." The brown-haired female countered. "And I have a good reason for it." She held out the letter. "I'm being charged with – among others – criminal negligence."
"Wait what?" The Fire-type user whirled around, grabbing the offered paper. "Why?"
"For failing to notice the Team Flare-mess." She nearly stabbed her cereal with her spoon.
"Shouldn't that be me for actually being part of it!?" The other female dropped onto a chair at the table herself, putting down the frankly oversized mug of pure black coffee in front of her.
"Apparently I am more too blame since I am the Champion or something." Diantha dropped her spoon, losing her appetite the more she thought about it. "Worse, they froze my assets in preparation for the trail. 'So I can focus on the trail and not be tempted to leave the region'..." She sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"That's ridiculous." Wikstrom entered as Malva spoke, waving the letter around. "Completely aside of how asinine three quarters of these charges are, how do they expect you to get a lawyer now? Especially one that would dare take on the Pokémon League!? Those do not come cheap by any means."
"I am well aware of the prices high-end lawyers have, Malva..." Kalos' Champion remembered the bill she had gotten after being in a dispute with a director who decided halfway to not wanting to pay her fee for appearing in the movie. And worse, considering she still had millions worth of assets, she probably was not eligible for someone representing her Pro Deo. "I'm going to see if they can't be reasoned with after breakfast."
"I can join?" Malva purred.
"Aren't you intending to hunt down Team Flare?" Wikstrom joined the two at the table, having overheard most of their conversation from in the corridor.
"Gotta prioritize." The Elite Four pointed out. "Besides, as a reporter, I think I am morally obliged to report on this."
"Malva..."
"Chill. I'm on your side, Diantha." The Fire-type user grinned widely. "I'll torch'em for you."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The Pokémon League had its' own Holo-chatgroup, allowing the members to share news with one another. Within three hours of Diantha returning to from her attempt to reason with the League officials, the news of the imminent trail was spread through it.
"This… this is madness." Wulfric looked at the woman beside him. They had been eating lunch together by the time they had noticed the news. "How could she have known if even you didn't see anything?"
"People always desire a scapegoat." Olympia studied the Holocaster in her hand. "With Lysandre gone – and probably dead, considering what happened – they need someone to blame for the destruction and fear."
"But Diantha? I saw Lumiose City, I can agree with someone being blamed, but why her?" The Ice-type Gym Leader looked from her to his own Holo Caster.
"The same reason a government will be blamed for a famine through drought. They are the ones in charge." The purple-haired woman mused, free hand toying with the bangle around her wrist. "We should get to the Castle, see if anything can be done. If anything, we must present a united front."
He merely nodded, waving the waitress over so they could pay and leave. "So much for enjoying a quiet day before the gyms reopen."
"Are you getting old by chance?" She lead the way to the car parked outside, pulling the keys out of seeming thin air.
"Perhaps I am." He countered with a smirk. "Looking forward to being the last Gym people have to challenge?"
"Nonsense, I'll just send one of my assistants to take over yours. I can do without the paperwork." She slipped into the driver's seat, opening the door for him with a light mental tap. "Ice-types are not that complicated."
"At least I didn't get defeated with my own attack." He squeezed himself into the car, wondering why she had only such a small vehicle. "Honestly, you should have seen that coming or something."
"At least I didn't lose while having a type-advantage." Olympia's eyes briefly narrowed as she started navigating lunch-time traffic in Anistar City. "How could you lose to a Water-type?"
"I think we can safely say that Ash's Greninja is not a regular Water-type."
Their friendly squabble was interrupted when Olympia's Holo Caster rang. A male looking like he was her brother – because, in fact, he was her brother – popped up. "Hey Oly."
"Two things; I am driving so keep it short, and stop calling me that." She refused to look at him, leaving him to stare at her profile while Wulfric was holding the device.
"You can't really expect me to say 'Olympia' all the time, can you? Anyway, my 25th wedding-anniversary is coming up in three months. Are you attending?" The man carried a serene smirk that would have send people running had she been wearing it.
"I swear you start this earlier each year." She briefly glanced over. "What happened to 'card a month before'?"
"You complained that was too late to ask you." He countered flatly. "You coming or not."
"I am driving." She rolled her eyes. "I'll call you this evening."