Chapter 3

I wasn't woken up by my alarm clock that morning.

I felt four paws walking over me, and hot breath on my face. I pushed away at the source of it, then I opened my eyes.

And I remembered.

Oh, good. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "Good morning."

Growl came over and started pawing at me.

I pushed him away. "Stop that, silly." Man, he sure was adjusting to me quickly. It was surprising. I looked at the clock by my bed. It was nine. I don't have work today. I stretched my arms and got out of bed to make breakfast.

A few minutes later, I set down my napkin, having eaten breakfast, and I wondered what I'd do that day.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, I had work from ten to four. I had arrived at my apartment fairly late on Monday, too exhausted to do anything else. On Wednesday, I'd had the furniture to deal with, along with some other loose ends. Today was the first day I didn't have anything to do.

Well, I could just stay inside and mess around on my computer all day, I thought. There were a lot of changes I was adjusting to; just because my parents wanted me to be more active didn't mean I had to start right away.

I heard a whine from the ground below me. I looked down.

Growl was standing perfectly still, looking up at me expectantly. He had already finished the breakfast I had given him.

Oh, jeez. "What is it, boy?"

He ran around in circles a few times and then stopped by the door. He looked at me again.

He's not gonna let me just stay inside, is he? "Okay, okay. I did say we'd go out today. Just let me take care of some things, and I'll take you out on a walk."

He ran around in circles a few more times.

I lost track of time for a while; if you let them, side tasks will eat up more time than you think. However, at about ten thirty, I got off the computer, snapped on the belt, called Growl, closed and locked the apartment door, and we set out on our walk.

The street was pretty busy at this point. Made sense; this was probably one of the busiest streets in the city. I shouldered my way past several people, muttering awkward apologies to each one. I kept a close eye on my purse, afraid it would be snatched away in the crowd. After a while, though, the amount of people lessened, and I relaxed.

Growl had been well behaved throughout the entire thing, trotting along happily by my side. With his excitable nature, I half-expected him to go running off down an alley somewhere, even with his training. I guess he was a bit better than that, though.

The buildings in this city were pretty. In the city I used to live in, a lot of the buildings were fairly plain. Here, though, even if there was dirt and grime, an underlying beauty was still there.

Except for that one, I thought, looking at a building across the street. That one looks pretty bad.

It was about five minutes later that I realized I had no idea where I was going.

I stopped, pulse quickening. Crap. I reached into my purse for my C-Gear. It wasn't there; I must have left it at home. Crap, crap, crap. I started walking back the way I came, looking for something familiar. I'm pretty sure the apartment complex is just down this street, I thought. I hope. I stopped and stared.

A large crowd had gathered on the street. Large striped barriers blocked the way. I walked forward. Signs on the barriers said, "Off-limits for the Candlelight Parade, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m."

These barriers couldn't have been put up just five minutes ago. This must not be the street I came down. Sheesh, this was supposed to be a five-minute walk! I fought the fear rising up within me and turned around, continuing down the street. Maybe there's a detour somewhere that I can take. Or someplace with a map. There was a nearby alley. It looked innocent enough. I looked at Growl.

He sniffed at the walls close to the alley, then looked up at me, tail wagging.

I took that as an "okay." I inhaled deeply and started walking down the alley.

If anyone attacks me, I'll have my Pokémon out, I reminded myself. After a few minutes, and just when I thought I had given up, I got to the other end of the alley.

It opened up to a small, round courtyard with a red obelisk in the center. It was empty.

I sighed and sat down on the grass near the obelisk. How could things go like this? It was only supposed to be five minutes.

Growl did his business several feet away, then came over and sat down next to me, pawing me.

I scratched him behind the ears. "I'm such a genius, Growl. Seven months travelling on my own, and I get lost the first time I try to explore. Good job, me."

"You lost, lady?"

I jumped to my feet and spun around.

A young boy was standing nearby. His eyes were bright and curious. I noticed that he had his hand in his pocket.

He could help me. "Um, yeah. I'm looking for the Hotel Richissime. Do you know where it is?" I could find my way home from there, I was pretty sure.

He nodded and smiled. "Maybe."

Maybe? I smiled back at him, confused. "Why maybe?"

His smile spread into a full grin. "Depends on if you'll battle me."

Oh. A slight queasy feeling manifested in my gut. I tried not to let it show. "Sorry, but I don't battle."

"Yes, you do. I can tell."

"What?"

"'S the way you walk. And how you jump up. You're a Trainer, you are."

Great. I'm an open book. I smiled in a way that was hopefully polite. "Well, I don't battle anymore. Sorry."

"I won't tell you where Hotel Richissime is unless you battle me." He crossed his arms.

Fear spread through me and practically paralyzed me. I really, really don't want to battle. But I didn't have many other options. I unglued my tongue from the roof of my mouth. "Look, I…"

"Andy!"

We both turned to look at the source of the voice.

A young woman strode out of the alley and glared at the boy. "What's all this, then?"

The boy stumbled over his words. "I was just challenging her to a battle-"

"And she needed your help!" The young woman shook her head. "Honestly. Treating a lady in need like that. Shame on you."

The boy looked down at his feet. He mumbled something.

"Don't you 'sorry' me, I ain't the one you bothered. Say sorry to her." She gestured at me.

The boy turned to me. "Sorry," he said, louder this time.

I smiled, feeling awkward. "It's- it's okay. Just-"

"Andrew! Where are you? Come on, we need to go to the parade!" The voice was not the young woman's.

Andrew jumped, surprised. He looked between the young woman and me. "I, uh…"

The young woman sighed. "Oh, Andy, go on. Have fun at the parade. Just listen to people when they say 'no' next time, okay?"

The boy nodded and ran off.

I realized that my muscles had been tense the entire time. I slowly relaxed and let out a deep breath. Wow. Glad I got out of that one. I felt relieved until I realized I had been scared of a battle with a little boy. Then I felt embarrassed.

"So, you're lost?" The young woman came up to me.

"Pretty much." I let out a nervous laugh. I felt like such an idiot.

"Well, I'm the gal for you! I know this city like the back of my hand- oh, is this your Growlithe?"

Growl, who I had forgotten about, was sniffing at the young woman's feet.

The young woman knelt down and rubbed his head. "Oh, look at you! You're such a handsome guy, yes you are!"

He seemed to like her. He wiggled his butt playfully.

While she was playing with Growl, I took a better look at her.

She seemed to be about my age, with dark hair and dark blue eyes. Her curly hair was pulled into two large ponytails that came out from behind her head.

She seems nice, I thought.

After a few moments, she seemed to remember I was there, and stood up, clearing her throat. "Sorry, you're lost. Well, I'd be happy to help you get to the hotel, if you like!"

I belatedly realized that her accent from when she had been talking to Andrew had changed when she talked to me. Huh. "I don't want to bother you if you're busy, I just-"

She waved it off. "No, not at all! I'm not busy today, actually; in fact, I was just about to go to the parade."

The parade. "The… Candlelight Parade, right?"

"Sure is." She gave me a startled look. "Don't tell me you've never seen the Candlelight Parade?"

Had I? I was pretty sure I hadn't. "I… don't think so. I haven't been here very long."

"Oh, you have to see it! Can your business at the hotel wait?"

I blinked. Parades were crowded, and I wasn't a huge fan of crowds. Still… "Um, sure. I wasn't planning on doing much today, anyway."

Her face lit up. "Great! Awesome!" She stuck out her hand. "I'm Emma, by the way. Nice to meet you!"

I shook it. "Ebony."

"Ebony? Wow, that's a cool name. How'd you get it?"

I shrugged. "My mom told me my eyes were black when I was little."

We started walking towards the parade.

Growl trotted behind us.

Emma didn't stop talking to me. "So, where did you come from, if not from here?"

"I came from Unova. My parents sent me over here." I really hoped she wouldn't ask why.

She didn't. "Really? I've heard really interesting things about that place. So, this is the first time you've been over here?"

"Well, no, we have family over here. We've visited before, it's just the first time I'm, you know, staying here."

"Oh, cool!"

My feet were getting a bit tired. I don't think I've walked quite this much in some time. "And what about you? How long have you been here?"

She looked around. "Me? Pretty much my whole life. I was born here, and I lived on the streets for about sixteen years. Up until three years ago, that is."

On the streets? Sixteen years? "I… really?"

She nodded. "Yeah. A lot of people are surprised to hear that. I made do with what I had, but I'm in a much better place now."

Emma seems a lot more complicated than I thought. "Well, I'm glad you're in a better place. What happened?" I stopped, surprised by how bold I was being. "If you don't mind me asking, that is." Why does this girl make me talk?

She seemed surprised. "Huh? Oh! Well…" She thought for a moment. "I met this nice man. He gave me a home. And a job."

My eyebrows went up. "Just like that?"

"Yeah! And now I'm much happier for it. I get to help people!"

My curiosity really kicked in. "You help people? How?"

"Well, I'm a consultant," she replied. "People come to me with problems, like when they can't find something, and I help them."

"Oh." I couldn't think to say anything else.

We were silent for just a little while after that. Then she spoke again. "So! You don't know about the Candlelight Parade?"

"Not really, no."

"Well, today, three years ago, Team Flare nearly destroyed Kalos, and the world! But luckily, they were stopped, so every year since then we've taken this day to celebrate the beauty of Kalos, and the fact that we're still alive."

"Oh, right!" We had heard of Team Flare in Unova. "So, this parade is a yearly thing?"

"Yup! And tomorrow is the anniversary of the Great War. Tonight, we light a whole bunch of candles to honor the lives that were lost. That's why it's called the Candlelight Parade."

I had to admit, I found all of this really interesting. How did I not know about this? "What else happens today?"

"Well, let's see. It's fairly recent, so we have stuff like games, food…" She listed the different kinds of festivities during the rest of the walk to the parade.

What was supposed to be a five-minute walk turned into a five-hour trip through Lumiose City and the Candlelight Parade. Emma seemed to know where all the attractions were, despite the fact that this event was created only a few years ago. It was like a GPS was built into her brain; she wasn't kidding when she said how well she knew the city.

The large crowds and noise overwhelmed me very quickly. I didn't think I would last fifteen minutes, let alone five hours. But Emma seemed to notice when I got overwhelmed, and would take me to quieter places to relax for a while. Overall, it was pretty fun.

Still, that didn't stop me from being dead tired by the time we had finished seeing the sights.

It was about four thirty, and we were walking down one of the quieter streets.

"The last event of the evening starts at eight and goes to midnight," she told me. "It's the candle-lighting ceremony, and it's one of my favorite parts. Everything is just so quiet, you know? And there are all these lit candles, it's beautiful."

"Emma," I replied, my voice slightly husky from dehydration and exhaustion. "I don't think I can stay up that late. I think Growl and I need to go home now." I looked down at my belt. Growl had kept up for a long time through all the excitement, but even he had lost his energy about an hour ago.

"Oh, okay, sure! Yeah, we've been walking around all day, makes sense. The whole ceremony is broadcasted on television anyway, so you probably could catch it there, if you wanted. It's just that it's nice to see in person- hey, are you thirsty?"

"Huh? Um, sure." I'd had one or two bottles of water earlier (with subsequent bathroom trips), but it had been a while, and we had walked quite a distance.

Emma peered ahead on the street, then turned back to me, a slightly sheepish look on her face. "Could I show you one last place? It's just up the street here. It's nice and quiet, and there won't be many people there with the Parade going on. It'll be really quick."

I was exhausted. I needed to go home, where it was warm and safe. Still, I was thirsty, and if it was just a quiet and quick stop like she said… "Okay."

"Great! It's a very nice place, don't worry." She took my hand and led me up the street.

The place she showed me to was called ManaTea, and it was unlike any café I'd seen. The entire place was a cascade of vibrant colors that challenged the eye. Pictures of Pokémon and drinks covered the walls. The furniture had a very modern and sleek design. This "place" felt like something from another dimension.

Emma was right about it being quiet, though; the only people here besides the baristas were someone reading a magazine in a seat in the corner and a rebelliously dressed (is that a punk style?) man sitting at the counter.

Emma gestured toward the large menu above the counter. "Take your time to pick, there's no rush!"

Pick? I looked at the menu.

I thought the hotel food had bizarre names, but this place seemed to top that. Pretty much all of the menu items were drinks, but they were named in such a way that it was impossible to tell what exactly they were, or what they tasted like. I mean, they listed the ingredients under each drink, but… but…

My tired mind couldn't process the amount of choices. I gave Emma a helpless look.

She laughed and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Okay! I'll order for you this time. But don't blame me if it's not what you want!" She walked up to the counter.

The barista, who had been waiting patiently for us, smiled. "Hi, welcome to ManaTea, what can I get for you two?"

"I'd like a Bubblebeam with Oran bubbles, and she'll have… hmm… a Mystical Fire with Magost bubbles."

The barista repeated the order and put it into the card reader. "All right, your total will be 300 Pokédollars."

300 Pokédollars? Wow, that's actually pretty cheap.

Emma reached into her purse to pull out an ID.

I felt bad. "Emma, you don't have to pay for me. I should-"

"Don't be silly! I'm the one who dragged you all over the place today. It's the least I can do! My treat." She gave her ID to the barista, who slid it through the card reader and gave it back to her. She led me to the counter, where we sat.

She had said that she dragged me all over the place… that sounded wrong. I cleared my throat. "Actually, you know, I had a lot of fun today." It had been exhausting, overwhelming, and sometimes kind of terrifying, but still. Fun.

Emma seemed cheered by that. "I'm really glad! The Candlelight Parade is a lot of fun. I didn't really have anyone to go with, and Mimi doesn't really like parades, so I'm glad I got to meet you."

Somehow, despite the fact that I was an awkward person with no social skills, I had made a friend. In one day. Wow. Wait. Who's Mimi? I was about to ask her when the barista set the drinks in front of us.

They were clear plastic cups with colorful contents and large straws. The sides of the cups were emblazoned with the head of a Manaphy. Must be where the name comes from. I looked closer. There were… things in the bottom of the drinks. What were they?

Emma took her drink and punctured the plastic seal on the top with her straw. "What you do, see, is you put the end of the straw at the bottom, and you suck up the gummies through the straw! The gummies can come in the shapes of Pokémon, but I always feel bad eating them, so I just order Bubbles instead."

This was so weird. I had never seen anything like this before. I punctured the seal on the top, like she had, and then I took a sip.

It was actually pretty good. Something about the taste wasn't completely to my liking though. "Hey, this is-"

Emma was looking away from me, out the window of the restaurant. She didn't respond to me. She seemed… tense, actually.

What happened? "Emma?"

She turned to me, an apologetic look on her face. "I-I'm really sorry, but there's something I have to do. You can keep my drink. I'll see you later, bye!" She leapt off of her seat and ran out of the café.

I sat there, stunned.

What was that about?

I looked over at her drink. It looked nice, but… I'm not drinking that. Still, I felt awkward just disposing of it. I picked up the two drinks and moved to a small table nearby.

Now that Emma was gone, suddenly everything seemed unsettling to me. It shouldn't matter that she isn't here, I thought glumly. I traveled for seven months. Still, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about my surroundings.

I sipped at my drink, trying to quell the rising anxiety in my chest. It'll be okay. There's probably a taxi service. I can call a cab and I'll be able to get home. Besides, this place wasn't exactly scary. The only people here were the baristas, that strange man at the counter, and the person reading the magazine in the corner-

The person reading the magazine lowered it the slightest bit, and I got a glimpse of his face.

A jolt ran through my body.

It was Thomas.

He didn't look much different from when I last saw him in Aquacorde. He was wearing the same coat and hat as before.

It felt surreal to see him again. I didn't know exactly why I was so fascinated by seeing him, but I was. What has he been up to here?

His eyes met mine, and a brief look of alarm passed over his face, then he held up the magazine so I couldn't see his face.

He was such a strange person. I really couldn't understand his behavior. Does he… not want to be seen? I was extremely curious about what he would say if I went over and talked to him, but my shyness got the better of me. He doesn't seem to want to talk. I quietly sipped at my drink, but I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Or maybe he just doesn't want to talk to me. The thought was kind of sad.

"Oy."

I nearly jumped out of my seat. "Huh? What?"

It was the man from the counter. He had come over to my table and was staring at me. "Yeh. I totally feel it."

I had no idea what to say. "I, uh…"

"Felt it when yeh first walked in. Yer a Trainer, ain't ya? A good one, too. I can see it in yer eyes."

Oh, not this again. I cleared my throat. "Look, I-"

He sat down in a seat next to me. "C'mon, let's hear it, then. What kind of Pokémon ya got on yer?" I could smell his breath. He'd had more than tea.

I began to feel more nervous than before. "I don't battle anymore. I'm not a Trainer."

His eyes widened. "Wooooooooot?"

The situation would have been comical if I wasn't so scared. I looked over at Thomas to see what he was doing.

He was still absorbed in that magazine. Or at least, he seemed to be.

"Nahhh, yer jokin'. Yeh gotta be. Nobody just gives up on battlin'."

I looked back at the punk guy. "I did."

He tried to process this, then shook his head. He raised and flopped his hand on my shoulder. "Nah. Yeh know what yer problem is?" His words were slightly slurred together.

I opened my mouth, but couldn't think of a response.

"Yeh've just forgotten how fun battlin' is, that's what. C'mon. Let's go outside."

Oh Arceus, someone save me. I shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

"Nah, yer not. Yer vibes're all tangled up. Like a Tangela." He let out a hiccupy laugh at his joke. "A good battle'll straighten yeh out."

I was way too tired for this.

Thomas got up and swiftly walked over to the door.

I saw this as my chance. I spoke in a low voice, "I have to go. Look, take this drink." I pushed Emma's drink at the man, picked up mine, and threw it in a garbage bin. I waited until Thomas had exited through the doors, then followed him out.

"Work on yer vibes, lady," I heard the man inside say before the doors shut.

It was only when I got outside and felt the bite of the night air that I realized I had no idea what I was doing.

Thomas was walking away.

I knew it would be dumb to follow him. Dumb and creepy. So what if I saw him? I should just go home. I might see him another time. Maybe. I watched as he ducked into a narrow alley. Don't be a creeper. I turned to call a cab.

But something caught my eye.

A group of people- five people- went into the alley behind him.

A feeling nagged at my gut. I'm being paranoid. They're just… five people…

It didn't seem right.

I took out Growl's Poké Ball and let him out.

Growl, having rested for an hour, already seemed energetic again. He jumped up and whined with excitement.

I shushed him. "Not now, Growl. We need to be quiet."

He sat, but his tail was still wagging.

I gestured him along, and we snuck into the alley.

It didn't take us long to catch up to them. The five people had cornered Thomas in a small courtyard ahead. They seemed fairly innocent looking at first glance; their clothing was casual, normal.

Then I saw the black cloth masks that they wore.

It sent a chill up my spine.

Thomas was standing on a pile of metal crates. Oddly enough, he didn't seem too alarmed. His eyes were alert, but calm.

I perched near the entrance to the courtyard, kept a hand on Growl, and listened.

"…two point five thousand, but you have to tell me who you work for," Thomas was saying.

"Shut the hell up. Give us the money, or we'll take it from you." It was one of the people at the front who spoke.

They're robbing him. I had left my C-Gear at home. I couldn't call the police.

Thomas didn't seem fazed. "You don't seem confident about catching me, or you'd have done it by now. Tell me who you work for, and I'll pay you."

The five people looked at each other. Finally, two of the people pulled Poké Balls out of their jackets and threw them out.

A pair of Mightyena appeared and started growling.

Thomas face became grim.

Oh, shit. Oh, shit, shit, shit. Shit. I should really do something. I looked at Growl. Let's see. He knows Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Bite, and Odor Sleuth. I looked at the five people.

Most of them were turned away from me. If Growl or I tried to attack them head on, though, their Mightyena would easily catch us. And I doubted they would "play fair."

"You give us your money or we set the Mightyena on you."

Over the courtyard, there was a large awning. The supports…

A frightful plan formed in my head.

I'm not sure if this will really work, but… I turned to Growl. "Growl, I need you to do something." I whispered a series of commands to him.

His tail gave a confirmative wag and he was off.

I really hope this works.

Thomas's assailants hadn't done anything else yet. "You're running out of time. Make your decision."

Growl let out a burst of flame.

One of the supports started to burn.

If Growl takes too long, they might notice the smoke, I thought. I tightly gripped my bag.

Thomas spotted Growl, and the awning.

I held my breath.

Thomas looked away, his face suddenly anxious. "Wait. Fine. I'll give you the money. Just… give me a second." He started to rummage through the bag he carried.

The people didn't call back the Mightyena. "Toss us the bag."

"No, please. It'll only take a minute." He continued to go through the bag.

He's buying us time. I looked over at Growl.

The second support was burning. Just one left.

Thomas looked up from the bag. "I don't have it with me," he said, his voice shaky.

"That's it-"

The last support snapped.

The awning came crashing down. The robbers were caught in the cloth. The fire fizzled out.

I only had the briefest of moments to notice that Growl was safe before Thomas was suddenly beside me. His eyes scanned me, then he said, "Come on," and started running down the alley.

Holy shit. This is happening. I retrieved Growl, who was sprinting up to me, and I ran after Thomas.

He was waiting for me right where the alley met the street. Without explanation, he handed me his coat, now turned inside out. "Put this on."

"I- what-"

"Quickly."

I put it on. It fit, but it felt kind of weird on me. It was still warm.

He took off his hat, linked arms with me, and suddenly we were walking down the street.

I have no idea what's going on. I opened my mouth to speak. "I-"

"You were just telling me about your apartment."

I started. "Huh?"

His whole demeanor had changed. He looked at me… oddly. Admiringly. He smiled. "Your new apartment? You said you'd found this nice place."

I was so taken off-guard by what he said that it took me a moment to formulate a response. "Yes…" He's… acting. Does he think we're being followed-? "Yes. It's pretty great. It's got… a great view." I wasn't sure I was doing so well.

"Really? Well-" He leaned a little closer to me. "-I guess you'll have to show me sometime."

Oh. Oh. That's what we're pretending to be. My cheeks flushed. I turned my head away.

He continued. "Anyway, there's this wonderful restaurant I went to the other day."

I looked back at him and tried to seem curious. "Really? What's it called?"

"I think it was…"

The "conversation" continued for a few more minutes. We talked about places we had seen in the city and foods we had eaten (which wasn't much on my part, since I hadn't spent much time in this city). He seemed to be a lot better at acting than I was; I kept stumbling over my words.

Finally, we had reached a street that had a lot more people in it, and he pulled me into a small nook.

Good. Answers. I opened my mouth to speak, but his question hit me like a Vine Whip.

"What were you doing back there?"

I was shocked. "What?"

He shook his head. "Just… what did you think you were doing?"

Now I was angry. Angry and tired. "Hey, you're welcome. It's not like I had to save you or anything."

"You could have just called the police. Thatmight have been a little safer than lighting things on fire."

"Well…" I struggled to find words. "I forgot my C-Gear. So, I couldn't. Call the police." Which meant that I had to light things on fire. It was kind of a flimsy explanation.

He gazed out into the street with a weary look.

Okay, now it's my turn for questions. "Who were those people?"

"Muggers. Who did you think?"

"Well, you asked who they were working for."

He gave me a sharp look. He didn't expect me to notice that. "…Yes. I thought they might have been working for somebody."

I waited.

He shook his head again. "Look. I appreciate the help you gave me. But I'm not the kind of person you should get involved with. Or follow down alleys."

"I wasn't following you. I was following the muggers." It was true. I had decided against following him.

He was unimpressed. "You were going to follow me."

I was irritated. "No."

"Well, regardless of what you were planning, we're parting ways now. Have a safe trip home. Don't go down any more dark alleys." And with that, he turned around and left.

Whatever. I saved you. Feeling exhausted, I started to leave the nook.

"Ebony?"

I spun around. "Huh?" He remembered my name.

Thomas had returned. "I… need my coat back."

"Oh." I forgot I was wearing it. I took it off and gave it back to him, feeling sheepish. "Here."

He took it. "Thanks." He left.

Everything hurt. I needed to go home. I ventured out of the nook to find the nearest cab.

About an hour later, I was collapsed on the bed in my apartment, thoughts whirling around my head. Thomas. Emma. I had met two people today, both who left me in a state of confusion. Both of whom I wasn't sure I'd see again.

Growl was draped over me. I had given him a load of Poké Puffs for his hard work today.

I scratched him behind the ears.

He let out a sleepy moan.

"Yeah," I sighed, "I'm tired, too." I looked out the bedroom window.

The streets were glowing.

Wait, that's right. It must be the candle-lighting ceremony. I pushed Growl aside, got off the bed, and went up to the window.

Emma was right.

It was beautiful.

I let the beauty of it wash away my thoughts.