Heroes of Kalos Abridged

by Zokolov

Fashionista and pyromaniac Serena is just like most young people of her age, her interests consisting of Pokémon, shopping and becoming the immortal ruler of Kalos. But to do that, she needs a loyal group of flunkies and must stay out of the International Police's reach. Based on a true story.

10. City of Sizzling Lights

Chapter Ten: City of Sizzling Lights

"Serena's journal: Shauna and I have returned to Lumiose City, my actions in the Power Plant having finally restored balance to this metropolis. It seems nothing can break Shauna's cheerful spirit, no matter how many times I tell her that this isn't some joyride. My plan, so intricate even someone as brilliant as me has trouble understand it at times, is about to enter a critical phase. Today, I shall not only earn my fifth badge, but defeat my sworn enemy once and for all! After I crushed his spirit in Cyllage City, that shouldn't be much of a problem. Now, on we go – no distractions!"

But instead, Serena and Shauna ended up having lunch at Café Triste, gorging down on as much food as they could, Serena almost going insane by the selection of cakes and treats they were offering.

"Serena's journal, addendum: All right, after that, there shall be no more distractions! Nothing will stand in my way! Nothing is going to stop me!"

But after Shauna's pleading, Serena and Shauna took a cab and went to Friseur Furfrou, a place where dandies and debutantes could spend extravagant sums of money on giving their Furfrou makeovers with varying degrees of style. Upon arrival, Shauna made a strangely serious observation on whether the Furfrou even wanted be prettied up like that and if this was more for their owners than for the Pokémon... then squeed and asked to trim Serena's Pokémon immediately after.

Though the snobby clerk at the store initially told Serena that only Furfrou grooming was allowed, Serena told Shauna told to close her eyes and count to then while she inflicted a burn on the clerk. After that, no one had any protests when Shauna started trimming and grooming Serena's Eevee while Serena patted it and threw Poké Puffs at it.

"Yes, eat well, my precious," Serena said to herself as she tossed treats at Eevee, who sat patiently on a cushion while Shauna tried different styles on it. "Grow large, evolve into a Flareon and incinerate all those who dare oppose me!"

"Hmm," Shauna pondered. "What do you think, Serena? Pompadour or dreadlocks?"

"Do either and I'll skin all your Pokémon," Serena threatened casually.

Shauna laughed, but Serena was only half-joking.

"So where are you going to get an evolutionary stone?" Shauna asked as she ran the brush through Eevee's cream-colored fur collar. "They're pretty hard to come by."

"Good question," Serena said and glanced at the other trimmers and their Pokémon who were huddling in a corner in fear of being burned, something which Shauna didn't seem to find odd at all. "Hey, Louis Vuitton!" Serena yelled at a particularly pompous-looking groomer. "Could you mind pointing me to a decent place that sells stones before I break yours?"

"The Suh... Stone Emporium!" the groomer stuttered. "Y-you can't miss it, it's right on this s-street, just one block away!"

"Perfect," Serena said and turned back to rub her Eevee behind its ear. "Then that's where we'll go as soon as you finish doing your thing, Shauna. Just make it look presentable and what in the name of Moltres is going on?!"

Serena and Shauna flinched and took a step backwards as Eevee suddenly closed its eyes and started glowing. It took Serena a while to realize that it was, in fact, evolution. Serena started panicking.

"Wait, no!" she yelled at Eevee, who seemed all too eager to evolve. "Unless you heard me talking and can turn into a Flareon without a stone, in which case, continue! But if not, stop! Bad! Shauna, what's going on here?!"

"Press B!" Shauna yelled.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Sorry~! Oh, I know, use an Everstone. We can get one at the Stone – oh, right..."

They were too late, though, as Eevee had already morphed into something different – and it was not a Flareon. It was bigger than Eevee, its body covered in pale, cream-colored fur, though its ears, tail and feet were bright pink. It had almost completely blue eyes except for white pupils and had two pink bows on it, one on its neck and the other one its left ears. Its most distinguishing features were two, long ribbon-like 'feelers' coming out from the bow on its neck, which the Pokémon was apparently able to move at will. It offered one feeler to Serena and smiled cutely, causing Serena to slowly grab the feeler and 'shake hands' with it, all the while staring at it.

"Oh. My. Gosh~!" Shauna squeed, Serena preparing her ears. "YOU GOT A SYLVEON! It's so... oh. Yeah. Right. You got a Sylveon. And, um, not a Flareon..."

Shauna took cover, as if preparing for the inevitable burst of rage that would ensue. Serena crouched so her eyes were at Sylveon's level, the Pokémon tilting its head as it smiled at Serena.

"It's..." Serena said.

Shauna cringed in anticipation.

"...ADORABLE!" Serena yelled and hugged her new Sylveon.

"Eh?" Shauna wondered. "But... he's not a fire-type..."

"I'm not even mad!" Serena said as she rubbed her cheek against the Sylveon's. "It's the fairy-type evolution, right? Fairy is, like, the second best type of all! All those dragons out there who think they are so tough – they all tremble at the might of fairy-types! And he's sooooooooooooooo beautiful, too!"

Shauna came out of her cover. "So you're okay with this?"

"I've wanted a fairy-type since I got here!" Serena said happily and fed another Poké Puff at the Sylveon. "As long as my team is still mostly fire-types, I'm good."

"You still want to go to the Stone Emporium?" Shauna asked.

"Maybe later. We seriously should get ready to do the thing."

"Serena's journal, second addendum: Two minutes later, we were on our merry way to the Stone Emporium."

As it happened, two familiar faces were hanging out in the stone shop. Tierno was happily and loudly chatting with Trevor, or to him, more accurately, as Trevor either wasn't listening or was pretending he wasn't listening. He was busy looking hungrily at the biggest and fanciest display case in the shop, a sign labeled 'Mega Stones' above it.

"Oh, hey, they made it!" Tierno said cheerfully and waved at Serena and Shauna. "Ser, Shaunee, hi!"

"Hi, Tierny~!" Shauna said while Serena muttered a vague greeting. "Why are you here?"

"We were just killing time until you two came," Tierno said. "We heard from the professor's two assistants that you were in the area-"

"How does everyone always know where I am?!" Serena raged.

"-and we figured that you'd probably want to check out the Mega Stones. Trevor seemed uh, pretty curious, too."

"You're damn right I wanted to check them out – move!" Serena said and shoved Shauna and Tierno aside as she worked her way next to Trevor.

There were seven different Mega Stones under the thick, most likely armored, glass, Serena recognizing one of them as the Lucarionite she already had. Trevor was staring at the stones intently, almost drooling on the glass.

"See anything you like, Trevor?" Serena asked.

Trevor scoffed and didn't even turn to look at Serena. "Unlikely," he grumbled. "None of these are useful to the Pokémon I have now, but once I own all the Pokémon in the world, these stones are as good as mine."

"Yeah, cool," Serena said. "Wonder if I could use any of these..."

A man in a fancy, purple suit, possibly an employee, though he reminded Serena of Mr. Bonding in a strange and unpleasant way, rubbed his hands together excitedly and walked over to Serena as he saw her gaze at the Mega Stones.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" the man asked Serena slyly. "They're incredibly hard to come by, but in co-operation with Sycamore's Pokémon Lab, our employees have searched Kalos tirelessly to find these. This in particular," the employee pointed at a gem that was black and white with a red center, "is our pride and joy: the Blazikenite."

Serena turned to stare at the man like a Houndour that just caught the scent of raw meat.

"Blazikenite?!" she repeated. "So it goes with-"

"Blaziken, I'm guessing," Trevor deadpanned.

"Shut up, Trevor," Serena said quickly as she stared at the man. "I'll take it. How much?"

"Judging by that fabulous outfit, I'd say you're clearly someone of the upper class," the man observed, "someone who isn't afraid of expenses. Someone who-"

"Tell me the price before I beat it out of you!"

"Um, yes, of course... for you, only five million!"

"円 5 000 000?!" Serena yelled. "Outrageous!"

"I thought we used pokédollars here," Trevor muttered.

"It depends on the translation," the man said stuffily, "and I assure you, miss, that our Mega Stones are of the finest quality, incredibly rare objects dating back generations-"

"Ah, shut up!"

Serena looked around the store. Even if the glass was reinforced, Combusken or Charizard could easily smash through it. But there was a huge human guard walking amidst the customers, staring at them like a hawk, and a Machoke in one corner and a Gurdurr in the other. Even the evolutionary stones couldn't be that important, so they most likely kept watch on the Mega Stones. Serena went over her chances: it was her after all, so why wouldn't she able to do it? But there was a big risk of Shauna, Tierno and Trevor getting caught in the crossfire... and then who'd carry out her menial tasks?

So, for now, Serena had to give up. But that Blazikenite... hardly anyone had Mega Stones, and those who did usually had just one of them. Serena had two already, and with a third one, Serena had no doubt that she'd be able to defeat anyone who came her way.

Trevor purchased a Thunderstone to evolve his Pikachu with, the group leaving immediately after that. The street was more crowded than ever, so Serena believed she could scheme without anyone overhearing.

"Lucario should have returned by now," Serena mused. "Wonder if something happened..."

"What are you planning, Ser~?" Shauna asked immediately. "Ooh, tell us! We'll help you!"

Serena sighed. "I sent Lucario to find the Looker Bureau for me. I want to know where his hideout is so I can be at least three steps ahead of him at all times."

"We know where it is," Tierno said suddenly and pulled Trevor closer to him, much to his discomfort – he wasn't fond of getting people germs on him.

Serena stared at Tierno. "You do?"

"Yup indeedy!" Tierno said proudly. "He took us there when he tried to use us as pawns. He was taking a pretty big risk, I gotta say. Probably though we'd either work for him without questioning or end up in jail – either way, he would have won. I mean, as if we'd ever betray you, Serena," Tierno laughed nervously. "Right, Trevs?"

Trevor just glared at Tierno.

"Right, well," Tierno said and clapped his hands together. "Are we ready go see?"

"Lead the way," Serena smirked. "He better hope he has fire insurance..."

~o~O~o~

Taking a cab, the group quickly found their way to the northern part of town, specifically Rouge Plaza. From there, Tierno led Serena, Shaun and a half-reluctant and half-bloodthirsty Trevor who kept grumbling all the way, mostly about the things he'd like to do to Looker once they'd find him. After walking few minutes north from Rouge Plaza, Tierno led the others to a shady and littered back alley. Stopping in front of an innocuous-seeming building, Tierno eventually stopped.

"Your long wait is finally over!" he announced like a tip-hungry tour guide. "Before you rises the Looker Bureau, the headquarter of the most ruthless and manipulative detective in all of-"

"It's a restaurant," Serena deadpanned.

"Uh... what?"

Tierno turned around – indeed, the sign that used to say 'Looker Bureau' in huge letters had been removed. Instead, the sign now advertised good food from a region southeast from Kalos. Shauna was the only one who seemed pleased.

"Well, we already ate," she said, "but this place smells amazing!"

"This can't be it!" Tierno panicked and looked at Trevor. "We're in the right place, aren't we?"

"As much as I'd like to commit violent acts now," Serena deadpanned, "I think I'll let it slide this time. This city is huge, after all."

"No," Trevor said.

"Actually, Trevs, Serena's right," Shauna said kindly. "This city is pretty big."

"I meant," Trevor grumbled, "you're traveling with a genius here."

"Thank you, Trevor, but that doesn't help our case," Serena said. "What's up?"

"I meant m... ugh. Whatever. The point is, I don't make mistakes. This is the correct building. But based on the data from my map app... it looks like the sign on the roof has been removed, too."

Serena rubbed her chin in thought. As the four stood there staring, the restaurant's door opened and the restaurant's owner led two customers out.

"Thank you for your patronage and do come again!" she told the two, then turned to look at Serena and crew. "Welcome! Do you wish to have a taste of our wonderful food? We have three hundred different kinds of pizza toppings on stock!"

"Yes, please!" Shauna said excitedly.

"No, please," Serena said quickly. "What happened to the Looker Bureau? I thought it used to be here?"

The owner looked confused. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean. We've been here for decades. Now, if you're not going to buy anything, scram! You're scaring our customers!"

"Wow, rude," Tierno remarked.

But either way, the group had to leave. They went back to Rouge Plaza and sat on the first available bench, Serena squeezing the straps of her shoulder bag so hard that her claws were going through it. There was still no sight of Lucario and Serena felt her one chance of defeating Looker slip away.

"Come on, Serena~!" Shauna attempted encouragement. "How about we forget our problems with a big plate of lasagna, maybe with some garlic bread-"

"We're not doing that!" Serena snapped.

"Don't worry, Ser, just look on the bright side," Tierno said.

"Is there one to be found in this situation?"

"What? Oh, no, I meant the brighter side of that building. It looks like it's been freshly painted over or something... weird."

Serena didn't want to waste her time debating aesthetics so she quickly silenced Tierno with a glare. But what Tierno said sparked something in Serena's mind and made her start thinking. Maybe Looker had really left... he had probably sold his bureau to that restaurant and ran back to wherever he came from with his nonexistent tail between his undoubtedly hairy legs.

Yes. That's it. I won. He's out of my beautiful hair forever.

What Serena failed to realize was that someone had watched her and the group leave from the second floor of the building, through a partly boarded window. It was Looker, standing with his hands behind his back, having stared out of the window all afternoon. He smiled to himself as he saw the enraged look on Serena's face as she left. Soon after that, the owner who had sent the kids away knocked on the door and stepped into the room.

"Detective Looker," she said seriously. "Your plan seems to have worked."

"Thank you, detective," Looker told her. "I owe you one."

"The Lumiose Police may not be taking your concerns seriously, but I do! Just say the word and I'll help you capture her-"

"No need," Looker said dramatically. "I work alone. Rest assured, I alone will be the one to bring her to justice. Afterward, I shall accept any punishment about to come my way. For her actions are, in part, the fault of me and my tenacious spirit. Had I not pursued her so much in Unova, she wouldn't have..."

But the detective/fake owner had already left by the time Looker had begun his dramatic monologue. Shrugging, he went back to staring out of the window contemplatively.

Back at Rouge Plaza, Serena's grumbling and cursing to herself was interrupted by someone suddenly yelling Tierno's name and walking up to the group. It was a girl, shorter and probably slightly younger than Serena, with long and shaggy black hair and patched-up clothes.

"'Ey, Tierno!" the girl said confidently as she walked up Tierno and gave him a friendly punch in the shoulder – Tierno winced but took the hit in good spirit. "And the other one, too! What're you doing here in Lumiose again? Missed me, huh?"

Tierno smiled warmly at the girl. "To be honest, I was hoping to run into you again... I wanted to thank you somehow. Uh, Ser, Shaunee, this is Emma. She, uh, lives in Lumiose City-"

"Ah, put a sock in it, Tiern!" Emma said and crossed her arms "No need to gussy the truth. I live on the streets! But that don't mean you should feel sorry for me!"

"Right," Tierno said awkwardly. "Uh, Emma, I'd like you to meet my friends from Vaniville Town. This is Shauna, and this is Serena."

"Hi, nice to meet you, Emma~!" Shauna said cheerfully and grabbed Emma's hand without asking – Emma shook it but glanced at Shauna suspiciously. "I'm Shauna!"

"Yeah, I heard him the first time," Emma said.

"How do you know Tierno?" Shauna asked immediately, starting to talk quickly before Emma could even respond. "Oh, and what's it like to live on a street? Do you, like, have a specific one? Oh, I really love your hair~!"

Emma grabbed a lock of her hair self-consciously and glared at Shauna.

"You makin' fun of me, you bimbo?" she snapped. "Just 'cause I'm not all rich and fancy like you-"

"Emma, please!" Tierno interjected. "I'm sorry about Shauna, she can be... well, I honestly don't know anyone else like her. But as many people as there are worth hating in this world, this girl is not one of them."

"If you say so," Emma said but still eyed Shauna suspiciously, causing Shauna to stop smiling and move closer to Serena nervously. Emma then turned to look at Serena. "So what's your story, then? You look like you think you own this region!"

"Well, I don't quite yet," Serena laughed. "But seriously, I like you! Emma, was it? I'm Serena, your future ruler. I'm sure you've seen my PR video-"

"A what?" Emma asked.

"Serena," Tierno reminded.

"Oh, right, crap. Well, I'm going to tell you that your suffering is finally over, Emma. For I, Serena, have sworn that under my rule, things will be better for all. No more shall the strong trample over the weak and those they claim are unworthy, for in my world, there is only one who is truly strong – moi! And I will not trample-"

"Hey, Emma, is that a friend of yours?" Shauna asked suddenly, forgetting to be afraid and pointing over Emma's shoulder.

"I was in the middle of a speech!" Serena hissed.

Emma turned to look at where Shauna was pointing. An Espurr was watching from behind a lamppost, staring at the group creepily with unblinking eyes. Serena got shivers, as if the Espurr was going to offer her a contract or something.

"Yeah, that sweetie over there is Mimi," Emma said, her tone much warmer than before. "Come over here, Mimi, they're okay!"

"You haven't asked that thing to make you a magical girl, have you?" Serena asked cautiously as Mimi hobbled over to Emma. "Nothing good comes from that, you know!"

"Mimi is okay," Tierno assured. "She saved us from the police."

"Oh yeah, about that," Serena said and reluctantly took her eyes off the Espurr, but still kept her hand on Braixen's Poké Ball to be safe. "Is it really smart for you guys to be walking in broad daylight? I mean, if you get arrested, it'll be really inconvenient, and I have to get to Boutique Couture at some point."

"I'd like to see you try – not with the amount of style points you have," Trevor grumbled quietly.

"Professor Sycamore sorted it out with the police," Tierno said. "They won't try anything."

"Wish I knew someone big," Emma sighed. "Then me and Mimi wouldn't be bothered by the authorities anymore..."

"Cops just can't admit when they're wrong," Serena grumbled. "Just another thing that will change once I'm in power. Then I would be the one who'd judge people, not some prejudiced, trigger-happy jerks – they'd be the first to answer for their crimes!"

"But there's someone else in town who's really helped people here," Emma said suddenly. "That' what I came here to tell, actually. Hey, Tiern, you wanna go meet her? She's really cool!"

"Sounds good to me," Tierno said cheerfully and turned to Serena. "Whaddya say? It sounds like a good way to get your mind off you worries."

"Well, I was supposed to go to the gym, but I kind of want to meet this new big shot in town," Serena pondered. "Someone like that would make a big impact on my side."

"Is it okay if my friends come too?" Tierno asked Emma.

Emma put her hands on her hips and evaluated Shauna and Serena – especially the still-smiling Shauna – carefully. Finally, she nodded in approval.

"Yeah, why not," she said. "She's at Hibernal Avenue."

~o~O~o~

Emma and Mimi guided the group to a street corner in Hibernal Avenue, easily finding the spot by following the excited squeals and laughter of children – like nails on a chalkboard to Serena. Indeed, in the corner, a Haxorus and an Excadrill were playing with a bunch of small children, who, from looks of things, weren't exactly enjoying the most comfortable of lives either.

As the group arrived to the spot, a young woman carrying a box full of what appeared to be food arrived to the spot, calling after the children. Serena gasped when she recognized the fancy pink dress and tiara that she was wearing. Wondering how to get out of the situation quickly, Serena cringed as Emma called out for the woman loudly.

"'Ey! Ms. Iris!" she yelled. "Over here! I brought some friend!"

Iris, who was serving food to the children, raised her head and smiled as she recognized Serena, who shuddered as Iris started approaching them. Emma, Shauna and Tierno didn't seem notice anything, though. Shauna and Tierno were too busy squealing over Iris' wonderful outfit while Trevor said nothing, as usual.

"Who is she?" Shauna whispered.

"Ignorant fools," Trevor said when no one could answer. "She is the champion of the Unova League. Here to pretend to do good deeds and bolster her image, no doubt, the worthless-"

"Not now, Trevor!" Serena hissed.

"Yvonne!" Iris greeted Serena. "It's been too long! How's your journey coming along?"

"Who is she talking to?" Tierno wondered.

"You know each other?" Emma asked Iris, meaning Serena didn't have to reply.

"We met at the Battle Chateau," Iris explained. "That was a crazy adventure. How you've been, Yvonne?"

"I don't get it," Shauna said loudly, digging Serena deeper and making her cringe. "Is that your middle name or something? I mean, I like it, but it's no Se-"

"Shauna, I will stuff your Pokémon and put them on display in the Lumiose Museum if you don't stop," Serena hissed and instantly changed her expression to a fake smile. "Hi, Iris, it's been too long! It's going fine, I have four badges now, etc. I, uh, thought you'd be back in Unova by now, though..."

Iris sighed and turned to look at the children, who all gathered together and huddled closer to Haxorus and Excadrill to eat.

"I probably should have," she said sadly. "But there's important things I need to do here, too. I knew cities like Lumiose always have their darker side, but... it's different seeing it in person."

"Ms. Iris is helping us out!" Emma told everyone. "The kids in the city without families or who are poor or sick or otherwise in need are getting a lot of help and attention thanks to her!"

"Emma, please," Iris said modestly. "Really, Emma here has been a great help. I only met her just yesterday when I was getting started with my project. She knows this city inside out... the good and the bad parts of it. The first thing I did was getting these kids off the street. I organized them a place to stay in at night, and am currently looking into foster families, but as for Emma-"

"I already told you I don't want any of that!" Emma told Iris sternly. "I can survive on my own! And I'm too old to be taken care of by some adults anyway. Me and Mimi will survive together, like we always do."

Iris sighed. "She's been living on the dark alleys for over ten years," she explained to the group, who all looked very serious, except for Trevor, who looked like he wanted to be elsewhere, like always. "And I can't offer help to those who don't want it..."

"Others here need it more than me," Emma insisted.

"How are you organizing all of this?" Tierno asked Iris.

"Being a Champion isn't all just waiting for challengers and attending boring ceremonies," Iris said with a wink. "I have some authority even here. Plus a friend of mine staying in Lumiose has helped me organize this."

Friend of hers, Serena thought. If she's still here... what about him?

"Iris, can I ask you something?" Serena said suddenly. "When you came to Unova, did you bring someone with you?"

Iris raised her eyebrows at Serena.

"Uh, why do you ask?"

"Am I not allowed?" Serena countered.

"Well, it was an official flight, so I really can't – ah, excuse me for a moment."

As Iris' Xtransceiver started ringing, she withdrew to a more quiet place to have her conversation. Emma and Mimi went playing with the kids, allowing Serena to go on with her plan.

"All right, group meeting," she told Shauna, Tierno and Trevor and pulled them closer. "Under no circumstances can you reveal to Iris that my name is Serena. If you talk, I'll burn off your tongues. I won't even use my Pokémon, I'll do it myself with a smile on my face!"

"Why?" Tierno wondered.

"Looker, that's why!" Serena hissed.

"Serena, don't be worried about him~!" Shauna said nonchalantly. "He left, didn't he? And his base was replaced by the best restaurant ever! Can we go there tomorrow, by the way?"

"I know him better than you," Serena insisted. "He's not giving up that easily. Oh, now she's coming back! Remember, if you utter the word Serena in her presence again..."

Serena demonstrated what she'd do by pointing at her tongue, then made a sound that sounded like grease burning on a frying pan. The others shuddered while Serena turned to Iris, putting on a fake smile again.

"That was that friend of mine," Iris explained. "Apparently, there's a case that requires my attention. Some concerned parents have reported that their kids have been playing at dark alleys. Some junk about their reputations being tarnished and them not being able to get into good schools or something. But if the parents are concerned, I guess we should look into it."

"'We'?" Serena said incredulously.

"I was kind of hoping you'd help, Yvonne," Iris said. "You showed how capable you were back at the Battle Chateau, and I'm sure you've gotten even stronger since. I can't force you or anything, but I would appreciate it."

Serena scoffed. "Like I've got time for th- hang on second! You'd appreciate it, huh? You, the Unova champion, would be indebted to me?"

Iris looked confused. "What? Well, yeah, I would be grateful, sure..."

"Then it's settled!" Serena said and turned to her fr... accomplices. "Shauna, Tierno, Trevor! You stay here and keep the kids happy. Put on a little song and dance number for them, I don't care."

Emma walked up to Iris and Serena when she heard that.

"What's up?" she asked Iris. "Are you going somewhere?"

"You'll take care of things here for me, right?" Iris asked Emma. "I can't turn down a request like this, especially because that friend of mine is kinda short on cash and he'd say the local parents group would pay him 'enough dough to last a week'."

"Uh, sure," Emma said uncertainly.

~o~O~o~

Serena was hoping she had put on better walking shoes today, but had no time to change as Iris led her to South Boulevard. In a street corner near Restaurant Lé Nah, Iris stopped Serena and checked her map.

"This is one of the places they'd seen a bunch of kids hanging around," she explained. "Hopefully we can just talk to them, but..."

"Yeah, I'll help you, but why exactly do you need my help again?" Serena wondered.

"My friend sounded real worried on the phone," Iris said seriously. "We might be dealing with something serious, like a criminal organization trying to recruit children... or worse."

Serena was reminded of those freaks in orange suit back at the Power Plant and the Glittering Cave, but somehow doubted that working with children fit their style. I mean, who'd want to do that anyway? They were so damn annoying. Serena felt like going for her lighter every time she heard kids yelling stuff at stores or in the train back in Unova. The mere sound of their shrieking hurt her brain – most likely it would make an effective sound-based weapon. Gotta make a note of that, she thought.

"You can deal with children, right?" Iris asked.

"Of course, love 'em, lovely little things," Serena said right away. "Wouldn't dream of burning their lips off for being so annoying..."

"Huh?"

"Shall we go then?"

Iris and Serena sneaked into the alley, Serena getting a good glimpse of what went on in the shadows of all the glitz and glamor. She had heard of tourists from Kanto, Hoenn and so on get hit with severe culture shock when visiting Lumiose and finding out it was not what they expected, so much that they even named a syndrome after it. Serena wondered how they'd react if they ever stepped out from the confines of the fancy boulevards and into the dirty, dank, dark, Rattata-infested, run-down alleys that made up a big percentage of the city.

Of course, compared to what Serena had seen (and done) in Castelia City, it was nothing. So, she confidently stepped into the alley and used her lighter to illuminate the place. The alley was one of the darkest in the city, being in the shadows of some very tall buildings. Serena walked slowly, constantly checking her surroundings, making sure to scan every corner while Iris followed closely behind.

Suddenly, as soon as she saw something emerge from the shadows, she pushed Iris to the ground with one hand and used the other to open Combusken's Poké Ball. The Young Fowl immediately used Flame Charge on the arrival before Serena even had to say anything, knocking out what seemed to be a tall, thin yellow and green Pokémon that looked like it had both bug- and grass-type features.

"A Leavanny?!" Serena said as she saw the unconscious Pokémon hit the ground.

This was immediately followed by the Leavanny's trainer running to her Pokémon, calling out its name in shock. The girl couldn't be older than eleven or twelve, yet she was prepared to attack Serena and Iris for no apparent reason.

Another trainer with a Bonsly, who was even younger than the one with Leavanny, also came into view.

"What happened, Callie?" she asked.

"That sneaky girl hurt my Pokémon, Natalie!" the Leavanny's trainer whined. "Teach her a lesson!"

"Shouldn't you kids be in bed already?" Serena wondered. "When I was your age, we didn't play on dangerous alleys like a bunch of morons! We couldn't even move diagonally, so show some respect to your elders!"

"Yvonne, that's not helping!" Iris scolded. "Girls, are there any others here?" she asked the two politely. "We're here because your parents have been concerned-"

"All I know is that you're intruding on our property!" the Bonsly girl yelled. "This place is for kids only!"

"Do we count as adults?" Serena asked. "I mean, my style does make me look very mature for my age, but I still wouldn't say-"

"Bonsly, go!"

"I was in the middle of- whatever, Combusken go! Finish that thing off with Double Kick so we can deal with this brat!"

Combusken kicked the Bonsly twice, but recoiled while holding its foot in pain. Bonsly seemed to be no worse for wear.

"What the crap?!" Serena yelled. "What have you been feeding your stupid tree-rock thing?"

"You done?" the Bonsly's trainer asked mockingly. "Bonsly, Counter!"

Bonsy's body became outlined in orange and it fired an orange beam at the pained Combusken, knocking it out with one hit. Serena withdrew the Pokémon in utter disbelief.

"Okay," she said slowly and turned to Iris. "You wanna field this one?"

"I was hoping to solve this nonviolently," Iris sighed – the sheer ridiculousness of that idea made Serena question her logic -, "but okay. I think I'll use-"

But the kids would not stick around to test Iris. They withdrew their Pokémon and quickly ran further down the shadowy alley. Serena almost shot smoke from her ears, but managed to cool her temper, remembering Iris' presence.

"Oh, those darling little angels," Serena said and laughed fakely. "I guess we'll have to chase those blessed things."

"All right, but if we find them, we should talk to them instead of fighting them," Iris reminded.

"Yeah, yeah..."

Serena and Iris started following the kids, but the alley just seemed to go on and on. Serena wondered if any of the apartment buildings or businesses they passed even used their back doors, as there weren't any people around, just the occasional city-dwelling wild Pokémon like Meowth or Houndour, who quickly ran away when approached.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Serena fell on her knees as she felt great pain in her head. This was followed by her vision going blurry and ringing in her ears, Iris' panicked reaction seeming to come from somewhere far away. Serena had no idea what was going on, it was like her mind was being ripped away from the present day and transported to a completely different point in time and space.

Also, it hurt like a-

Serena was gazing at her unconscious mother through a window in Mistralton Hospital. A doctor nearby was telling her something, but Serena could hardly listen to her, her face blank as she just stared through the glass.

"...should make a recovery soon, but she may have suffered permanent damage," the doctor explained. "She should be fairly lucid and normal, just as you know her now, for the most part, but she might have moments when she is not herself. Also, I doubt she'll ever take part in a Rhyhorn race again."

"What can I do for her?" Serena asked the doctor immediately. "How can I make her better?"

The doctor smiled sadly. "Supporting her is what you should concentrate on for now. It's a sad thing, but Rhyhorn racers suffer accidents like these very often. As time goes by, she will more or less make a full recovery, but I believe early retirement is still the sensible option. It's a shame, too. Not many Unovans may tune in for her, but we had a Kalosian patient see her earlier today and he was incredibly excited to see the great Grace."

"Mom always said she wanted to live in Kalos," Serena muttered.

Serena couldn't believe it to be an accident. These things didn't just 'happen'. Grace had rivals, the rivals had sponsors, and surely someone, somewhere would benefit from her early retirement. Serena would make sure to hunt them down, and when she'd wake up, Grace's injury would have been avenged tenfold.

Serena woke up on the ground, with no recollection how she ended up collapsing at first. Ignoring Iris' attempts to help her, Serena looked around her wildly and planned to send out Braixen, hoping to smoke out whoever was messing with her brain.

Until it happened again, when Serena found herself a year in the past, having a friendly discussion with a restaurant owner in Nimbasa City.

"I don't owe you anything!" the owner snapped. "Now get out of here, we're closed!"

Serena noticed the man was carrying a locked metal box.

"Counting your profits for the day?" Serena asked him. "How did you make them, exactly? Expired ingredients? Reduced benefits for your employers? 'Saving' in repair and maintenance costs?"

"I am an honest businessman!" the owner objected.

"In that case, you'll be able to pay what you owe my mother and I," Serena said coldly. "She carried your stupid logo in every race for five months!"

"The contract was for six, and if she can't race anymore, then I want nothing to do with her!" the owner said. "Racers and lining up for my sponsorship money, you know."

Serena sighed slightly and walked over to the windows of the restaurant, brushing the fancy curtains with her hands.

"Exquisite material," Serena observed. "And highly flammable, too. Candles everywhere, a menu full of flambeed foods... and the nearest fire station must be pretty far. You do have fire insurance, don't you?"

"Um, yes, but what does that have to do with-"

Serena smirked and took out her lighter. "Good."

Serena was practically shaking as she came to, Iris helping her up. But it didn't take long for Serena to find herself somewhere else again, this time at her home in Anville Town, watching Grace stare at her collection of trophies, medals and memorabilia from her racer days.

"I knew I couldn't keep on doing this forever," Grace remarked sadly, "but to give up racing already... I thought I had years of it ahead of me, traveling to many different regions, meeting contestants from all over the world, all that."

"I'm sorry," Serena said, unable to think of anything comforting – it was funny how easy it was to say something when Grace was either unconscious or just elsewhere, but now that the two were face to face, all Serena could think was how miserable her mom was now.

But Grace managed to put on a weary smile. "It's not your fault," Grace said. "And we're getting by, right? We have plenty of money saved, a nice house, plenty of food for Rhyhorn-"

Rhyhorn stomped into the room at that very moment. Ever since Grace's injury, Rhyhorn had gotten lazier and more disobedient. Usually, she wasn't allowed to be inside except for in certain rooms, but now she went wherever she wanted, Grace not having the energy to reprimand her. Serena had tried to get Rhyhorn back into racing, but it had taken a long while for them to get used to each other.

"Oh, dear," Grace could only say as Rhyhorn left deep dents on the floor as she walked. "Serena, can I count on you to do something?"

"Of course!"

"From now on, treat Rhyhorn like she's your own Pokémon. Feel free to use her however you wish."

The flashback changed again, this time skipping ahead to Serena in Nimbasa City. A man in a brown trench coat and his Croagunk who wore a deerstalker hat had ambushed her as she left from the premises of another place she had burned down. Even after months had passed, she still had been unable to find out who caused her mother's accident... but there were plenty of shady people all over Unova to feel her wrath in the meantime. The man, apparently a detective, couldn't prove anything yet, though, so he instead had a chat with Serena in his office. As little as she trusted the authorities, she got a good feeling about the man, except for his weird way of speaking and refusing to tell his name.

"I understand your objective," the detective said after a long period of silence.

"Y... you do?"

Serena had not expected this, however. So far, everyone she had come into contact with, criminal or authority, had been dishonest or otherwise shady. But the detective before her seemed... different.

"Now let me tell you something, it will only take a minute of your time," he said. "Yes, three minutes of your time is all I need. Once those ten minutes have passed, you are free to depart. However! Let me begin: you are the daughter of the great Rhyhorn racer Grace, are you not?"

"Yes," Serena admitted, cursing the fact that she had run into the only person in Unova who was passionate about Rhyhorn racing anymore.

"Fear not, I only ask out of interest," the detective assured. "Where I work, they frequently hold these races. I have seen your mother compete twice in my lifetime – you could call me a fan. I saw you in a news report about her, though it neglected to mention your name."

"Serena," she admitted – the guy seemed bright enough, and would probably get that information somehow, so there was no use hiding it.

The detective nodded. "A pleasure to meet you, Serena. Apologizes for this. The nature of your mother's accident was not only tragic for her, but for fans everywhere. But to take that out on people-"

"Only because I'm just positive that it wasn't an accident!" Serena snapped. "And now my mom will never get to do what she loves the most again, and has to retire in the stinky armpit of Anville Town, which is already the stinky armpit of Unov-"

Serena realized she had said something she probably shouldn't have, but if she played her cards right, that detail probably wouldn't bite her back. Probably. And this guy would probably dig that information up anyway.

"Point is," Serena continued, "this region is full of people about to exploit her because she's semi-famous but in a bad position. And people who just generally keep messing with me and my mother! Why shouldn't they suffer?"

"You are most right," the detective answered calmly. "Besides, so far, you haven't done anything too bad. But the law applies to us all, tricky as it can be, and taking it into our own hands, while sometimes necessary, always bears consequences. Which is why you'll make it through with a warning today."

Serena sighed and prepared to get up. "Thank you, detective, I-"

"Just one thing!" the detective said suddenly, his finger dramatically in the air. "The people you've attacked so far have been criminals and otherwise unpleasant people, true, but theft is still a theft. All of those people have reported that they're missing valuables. Most of these have probably been acquired through illegal means, but all the more reason to find out their whereabouts. If there's anything you know about them, please tell me now."

Serena looked at the detective straight in the eye. "No," she said plainly.

The detective nodded. "You may leave, Serena. Thank you for your time."

Memories were flooding back into Serena's mind again, whether she wanted it or not. As much as she had appreciated Looker back then, she wasn't going to tell him the truth. Everyone who had neglected to pay or help her mother like they were supposed to had a building burned down and valuables stolen from them – karmic justice, after all. Serena had stashed everything into an abandoned barn near Anville Town.

Serena also made sure to find out just who this detective was, and after scaring enough people, had confirmed his identity as Looker, not a private eye and certainly not working in any Unovan police department, but in the International Police. This made Serena even more certain that she needed to get her, Grace and all her loot out from Unova as soon as possible. It was just a shame Looker had gotten to her first, which is why Serena and Rhyhorn did the next best thing: they destroyed the barn.

Serena and Looker prepared to confront in each other in the burning barn. 'Ending things peacefully' was not a phrase in Serena's vocabulary, so she prepared to have Rhyhorn fight Looker's Croagunk. The latter attempted a Sucker Punch attack, but Serena had anticipated it and ordered Rhyhorn to use Harden, taking hardly any damage from the attack. Rhyhorn then retaliated with Headbutt, sending the Croagunk flying, and before the poison-type could get up, Serena ruthlessly ordered a Stomp on the Croagunk's legs, preventing it from getting up anymore.

"Croagunk!" Looker yelled, his earlier pleasantness almost gone, though he still tried to smooth things out as he turned to face Serena. "Very impressive, though I must confess that I am not much of a Pokémon trainer. Croagunk is my partner, not a tool to be used. If he gets hurt..."

"He can still recover from that," Serena said as she patted Rhyhorn. "What are you going to do now?"

Looker narrowed his eyes at Serena. "Don't think you've won yet," he said. "Even if I have no evidence now, there's still a hundred other ways to make sure you'll end up paying for your crimes! That is, unless you surrender and confess, which may get you off more easily. The Nimbasa Police will-"

"Nice try, detective Looker," Serena mocked, catching the detective off guard, "but you're not the only one here with a brain. I know you're from the International Police. I was a bit worried at first, until I found out more about you. You got promoted after arresting those Sage guys, right? So now you work pretty much alone, with complete operational freedom, the International Police funding you without question. But you still need evidence to use in court, and since you're the only one who knows about me..."

Looker crossed his arms. He glanced at Croagunk with worry, but soon turned back to Serena.

"Impressive," he said, "but it changes nothing. I can still salvage enough evidence and arrest you. While the International Police keeps you locked up, I'll have enough time to gather everything else I need to get you locked up for a long time-"

"Yeah, no," Serena said casually. "Rhyhorn, Rock Blast!"

Three silver-colored glowing orbs appeared from Rhyhorn's body, quickly turning into solid rocks that Rhyhorn fired at the barn's support beams and ceiling. The barn then began to collapse faster than expected. Panicked, Looker's first reaction was to rush to save his Croagunk – just as Serena had expected. While those two would make their escape, Serena hopped on Rhyhorn and rode out of the collapsing barn, crashing through the wall, Rhyhorn making her way through the flames like they were just grass.

As Serena came to again, the pain still hadn't stopped, and despite her best attempts to resist it, she was pulled back into the past one last time...

Serena was going through a bunch of maps in her room, occasionally throwing a treat at Rhyhorn while mumbling out loud. This was the morning after the barn incident, which probably effectively ensured that there was no going back from her decision to get out of the region as fast as possible. However, she couldn't decide where she should go.

"Hmm, there's Sinnoh... nah, not in this generation, way too cold," she mumbled. "Hoenn... hah, as if that'll ever happen! Orre is close by, but I dunno... my mad fire skills won't do much good in the desert. Well, then there's Kalos. You liked Kalos, didn't you Rhyhorn? I've always wanted to go, and mom says that Lumiose City is a really amazing place, but then again... the culture over there is probably way too different. Well, then there's Holon-"

Serena's musings were interrupted by a knock on the door. With Grace having gone to the doctor's for a checkup, Serena had to drag herself out of bed, walk down the stairs and get the door.

"If you're selling something, it better be fireproof," Serena said as she opened the door, "because I've had enough of - ****!"

The one on the door was Looker, a grim expression on his face as he stared down on Serena.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," he muttered.

This was the first time anyone had made Serena nervous. But no matter what, she wouldn't show it to anyone.

"Okay, you found me, I'm reasonably impressed," she said, "but so what? My mom's famous, I have to deal with it. If you could arrest me, you'd have done it the second I opened the door. So what do you want?"

"Dear Serena, it's not about what I want," Looker said quietly – his boisterous, nasal voice was gone as he instead spoke threateningly softly. "It's about what I need. It's about what is right. You may have lied to me and hurt me, I can take that. But what would poor Croagunk say if he were here now?"

"...what?" Serena asked quietly.

Oh no. He doesn't mean...

"Consider this a warning, Serena," Looker said as he turned to leave. "Enjoy your freedom while you can. I don't care if I have to do it all by myself and walk to the very end of the world, I will find you and bring you down."

As Looker started walking away, Serena called after him. "Looker!" she yelled. "What happened to Croagunk?"

"You happened to him!" Looker yelled without turning as he stomped away. "But he doesn't have to worry for long – once I make sure you'll never walk free again, we can all be at peace!"

Breathing heavily and her hands shaking, Serena closed the door. All she could see in her mind was Rhyhorn stomping on Croagunk's legs and Looker's desperate lunge to help his Pokémon. She didn't mind hurting people. She didn't mind defending herself from violent wild Pokémon. But to do that to a Pokémon that was only doing what it felt was right and what its trainer wanted...

Serena shook her head. Terrible or not, she wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It was a necessity – she would not go to jail and leave her mother alone for something that was completely just. Now she had all the more reason to find a new place to stay.

As she headed back upstairs, Serena's heart almost stopped when someone knocked on the door again. But as she opened the door cautiously, it just turned out to be her mom.

"I'm back!" Grace announced cheerfully and stepped in. "Guess what? As I walked home, I noticed a train full of people arriving to the station. There were tourists from probably every possible corner in the world! I even talked to this Kalosian family. They had a daughter about your age..."

Serena woke up, feeling the pain in her head suddenly go away. Though shaky and sweaty, she felt no other ill effects from what just happened, and could now see and hear everything clearly, Iris holding her up and screaming into her ear.

"I'm fine," Serena told her and made her let go. "What happened to me?"

"It had to be a psychic attack," Iris theorized. "Take a look!"

Iris seemed to be pointing at thin air. But as Serena looked closer and saw Iris' finger hit something solid, she realized there was an invisible wall stopping them from advancing further into the alley. Serena tried to touch it – it felt like a thick, completely smooth brick wall, impossible to go through without a Pokémon.

"Whatever did it, it has to be close by," Iris said. "Once the Pokémon leaves the area, the wall should quickly deteriorate, then fade away completely."

"Then it looks like this is a job for Braixen," Serena said and grabbed its Poké Ball. "Go-"

"Wait!" Iris yelled and grabbed Serena's hand. "You need to seriously listen to me this time! Look!"

Serena looked: an Espurr was staring at her and Iris from the other side of the wall, as if mockingly. At first Serena just assumed it was one of the many wild ones she had seen on her earlier visit... until Emma walked into view, followed by the two girls Serena and Iris had been chasing, along with a lot of other children.

"Sorry 'bout that," Emma said. "Mimi, you can take down the wall now!"

"Emma, no!" the girl with the Bonsly protested. "This was supposed to be our sacred place!"

"Oh, put a sock in it!" Emma snapped at the girl. "Play nice, both of you! How'd you like to get left out just 'cause you're old and stuff?"

"We're not old," Serena protested. "You're just brats!"

"Besides, you can trust them," Emma said, glanced at Serena, and added: "Well, you can trust Iris right here."

"Emma, what in the world is going on?" Iris asked. "Are these friend of yours?"

Emma nodded. "Don't think that I'm greedy or sumthin'," she said sadly, "but they can't come to see me very often – and they're the only friends I really have here. I don't want you to get them into trouble."

Iris sighed in relief. "We won't," she promised. "If anything, this should only make those Concerned Parents happy. Not many people's kids are kindhearted enough to help out someone who... well..."

"I know I live on the street, you don't have to waltz around that part," Emma said firmly. "But thanks. And sorry 'bout what Mimi did to you, Serena. She didn't mean no harm, but when someone is chasing after me or people I like, Mimi can get a little defensive..."

"Serena?" Iris wondered. "I thought your name was Yvonne."

Serena cringed. Flank my life, she thought.

"Yvonne?" Emma laughed. "That's an odd name. Tierno said your name was Serena, and he's been talking about you a lot, you know!"

"Nya~!" Mimi offered her two cents.

Serena wanted to blow up this whole alley to get rid of this awkward situation. But sadly, it would probably not aid her in her quest.

~o~O~o~

As Serena, Iris, Emma and Mimi returned to Hibernal Avenue, Serena explained the situation the best she could. She initially said that 'Serena' was just a stage name she used while making PR videos, but since Iris wasn't fooled, she eventually had to tell the truth. And by truth, we mean a highly modified version of the truth with a few bold-faced lies thrown in.

Serena did confess to being the one Looker had pursued and admitted to knowing him, but since the police had let her go back in Cyllage City, she could easily claim that Looker had just made a mistake pursuing her. Even better, by telling that, Serena got Iris to confess that Looker was still in Kalos, albeit apparently on a 'vacation' and having turned the Looker Bureau from a detective agency to an organization that helped those in need, only charging money from those who could afford it. Serena didn't believe one second of it, and sadly Iris would also not tell where Looker's new base of operations was. In the end, Serena was able to paint a picture of herself as a misunderstood victim and present the whole thing as a misunderstanding. As Iris seemed quite fond of Looker, Serena didn't want to demonize him too much – there was always a PR video where she could do that.

Emma hadn't listened to most of it, which was probably good, and spent most of the trip playing with Mimi. Even though she was 16, Emma reminded Serena of someone much younger than that. Thinking about her made Serena feel oddly melancholy, something she wasn't used to.

In the end, Iris went back to taking care of the kids while Tierno and Trevor said they'd head to see Trevor's sister, who lived in the city. However, Shauna seemed insistent on heading to the Prism Tower, apparently having heard that, with the power problems fixed, there was going to be a big spectacle as they would light it – not on fire, though. Serena just said they'd catch it from the news that evening or something.

"But Serrrreeee-na~!" Shauna said in a voice that made Serena's headache come back. "This is a unique chance! I mean, you can see the tower quite far, but ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted to see it from up close. Can we please, go, please?"

"But-"

"Pleaeeeeeeeeese?"

"The Prism Tower is pretty amazing," Emma chimed in. "Apparently the Lumiose City Gym is at the very top of it."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Serena said. "Onwards to, uh..."

"Centrico Plaza," Emma said. "Straight in that direction, it's pretty hard to miss that huge tower."

Emma looked like she wanted to say something else, too, but was having an internal struggle of sorts. Serena just thought she had gas or something, but Shauna quickly noticed it.

"What's up, Emma~?" she asked cheerfully.

"C... Can I come too?" Emma asked bashfully. "I mean, I won't get in the way of your battle or anything, I just want to see them light the tower. They usually don't let me too close to it – the guards think I'm always begging for money or something... but if I'm with you, I don't think they'll do anything."

Serena felt a mix of guilt, pity and burning rage inside her, feeling all the more motivated to take over the region. Then again, she had been intending on making certain areas 'stylish people only' – zones, but perhaps she could extend that to inner stylishness as well... or at least buy Emma some decent clothes.

"Of course you can come with us," Serena said.

"Yeah, the more the merrier~!" Shauna said and immediately dashed towards the Prism Tower, it's top clearly visible in the horizon.

Emma decided to leave Mimi with the kids, and as she and Serena tried to catch up with the hyperactive Shauna, Emma explained that Mimi wasn't 'her Pokémon' but her friend, when Serena asked why Mimi wasn't in a Poké Ball. Furthermore, she added, a bit darkly, that she couldn't really afford Poké Balls either. Usually, Serena would have responded with sarcasm and an insult, but decided against it for now.

Serena and Emma eventually caught up with Shauna at Centrico Plaza, and with no buildings in the way, they were finally able to see the Prism Tower in all its glory. Standing at over one thousand feet, or 320 meters, the tower was a high-tech building decorated with plenty of lights that all the tourists usually swarmed in to see. A great source of pride for Kalosian and a symbol of not only Lumiose City but the entirety of Kalos, the tower was located smack dab in the middle of the city, with a view of the whole region opening from the observatory at the top.

"All right, great timing~!" Shauna squeed and could barely stay in her shoes. "They're about to turn on the lights."

Serena, though, was drawn to the sound of bickering coming from nearby. Two young people with blonde hair, a boy with thick glasses about Serena's age carrying a weird-looking a machine on his back, and a much younger girl, were arguing about something.

"Have a little faith in me!" the boy said proudly. "I checked all the wirings and circuits myself, so don't worry!"

"That's the part I'm worried about," the girl muttered. "But if you insist, fire away..."

"Look, look!" Shauna yelled and pointed at the two awkwardly like a kid with a complete lack of manners – even Emma felt awkward about that. "Those are Clemont and Bonnie!"

"That's good for them," Serena remarked.

"Clemont's the gym leader," Emma pointed out.

"Oh, yeah, that!" Shauna said. "And Bonnie is his sister. But Clemont is also good at inventing things! He makes all kinds of devices."

"All right, everything is ready!" Clemont suddenly yelled, making his sister flinch. "Remember: the future is now, thanks to SCIENCE! Prism Tower lighting system... ACTIVATE!"

This sudden shout was followed by a less-than-impressive display when Clemont just slowly took a remote controller from his pocket and pressed a button.

But it was worth it: even in the middle of the day, it was cloudy enough for a spectacular display. As all the lights in Prism Tower were lit, both inside and outside the building itself, the logo above the entrance glowing particularly brightly, being a picture of a Poké Ball with a lightning bolt going across it. Everyone in attendance gasped in awe, Shauna in particular making a really exaggerated sound. Serena was reasonably impressed... but once she was in control, she'd make the Prism Tower even fancier. Emma also stared at the light show, standing on her toes as she tried to take it all in. Her facial expression hadn't changed, but her eyes were so wide you could see the tower's light reflecting off them. Seeing her reaction evoked some strange feelings in Serena.

Must be a bad galette I ate or something.

"That," Shauna said, "was-"

"Don't shout!" Serena warned.

"Well, it was!" Shauna protested as she stared at the light show even after the tourists around them started walking away. "I guess you can call this feeling being 'entranced', right? Plus now I'll have another great memory with you, Serena~!"

"What does that mean?" Emma asked quietly.

"Oh, I'm all about collecting good memories and just having fun on this trip~!" Shauna told her cheerfully. "I'm kind of just goofing around – oh, just kidding," she said as Serena glanced at her. "I'm also helping Serena and my other friends realize their own dreams. And who knows, maybe I'll find out what I want to do on this journey. But even if I don't, the time I spent with all of you is much more important."

Emma smiled a bit as she looked up at the Prism Tower. Serena cleared her throat before things got too touchy-feely.

"Yeah, well, whatever," she said. "Now it's time to ask that nerdy guy for a battle!"

Serena marched up to Clemont and Bonnie, Shauna and Emma following. Clemont was busy bragging to Bonnie, since no one else seemed to pay attention to a famous gym leader's presence. The light reflected off his glasses ad obscured his eyes, making him look creepy.

"Ah, excellent!" Clemont announced with a chuckle. "My Prism Tower lighting system worked brilliantly, just like all my inventions!"

"Yeah, right," Bonnie scoffed, noticing Serena and the others coming. "Get real for a second, you have challengers coming- wait, is that Shauna?!"

"Hi, guys~!" Shauna greeted the two. "I almost forgot to mention this to you, Ser! Oh, uh, Clemont, Bonnie, these are Serena and Emma! Clemont and Bonnie are friends of mine!"

"We, uh, sure are," Bonnie said awkwardly.

"Clemont even gave me a device for solving puzzles, but it feels like a shame to use it, so I haven't done anything with it yet~."

Serena was sure to make a note of that.

"Cool," Serena said nonchalantly. "You, four-eyes, I want a badge. Lose to me so I can get it."

"Ah, I like your confidence, Ms. Serena!" Clemont said. "We'll see how you'll think once I show you my true power! But before I do that... would you like a tour of the best place in the tower?"

"The observation... place?" Emma asked.

"The snack bar?" Shauna hoped.

"The torture chambers?" Serena suggested.

"Uh.. no. My inner sanctum, my refuge from the toiling of a gym leader's busy life – my laboratory!"

"Oh, here we go," Bonnie sighed.

"If we do that, can we get on with the battle, then?" Serena asked, to which Clemont nodded. "All right, then, guess we're doing this. Do you... want to come with us, Emma?"

Huh, Serena wondered. Where did that come from?

"To be honest, I've always wanted to see a gym battle," Emma said hopefully. "I mean, I said I wouldn't bother ya, but-"

"As long as you're physically not in the way, we'll be fine," Serena said. "C'mon!"

"Fantastic!" Clemont announced and dashed into his lab – but could only run a few seconds before the weird machine he was carrying took its toll on his geek physique, so he just walked slowly inside the tower.

The others followed, Bonnie tugging Serena's arm and making her crouch closer.

"Just be ready to run in case something explodes," she whispered. "Not all of his projects go as well as he'd hope. But he's still a great inventor! He designed the Virtual Training Environment which you trainers can use to beef up your Pokémon-"

"I wasn't told there was one!" Serena protested.

"-and the Player Search System™," Bonnie finished.

"What's that supposed to be?" Serena wondered.

"Uh, long story," Bonnie said. "And he supplied energy to most of this city during the blackout – good thing some heroic soul was able to fix the problem in the Power Plant."

Serena smiled smugly.

"I bet the Masked Heroes did it!" Bonnie squealed. "They're the defenders of justice in Kalos!"

"Oh, that is bull-"

"Also, you better be ready when you fight my brother!" Bonnie warned suddenly. "He's strong!"

Serena glanced at Clemont, who had to stop walking to catch his breath. Bonnie sighed.

"Well, his Pokémon are strong," she elaborated. "All of his Pokémon are of the Electric-type, so I hope you brought your Paralyze Heals!"

"I think Shauna has her bag full of those by now."

The group went into the tower and used a special elevator only Clemont had access to. Instead of going to the top like Emma had hoped, Clemont took the group to the tower's basement. When Clemont had mentioned a 'laboratory', Serena expected a cutting-edge, sterile facility with an army of scientist working day and night, whom Serena could boss around and develop a doomsday device and some decent, affordable cosmetics. But instead it was just a dark, dank basement full of weird junk, like the lair of some mad (and poor) scientist. Clemont giggled gleefully as he stepped out the elevator and told about his inventions, successful or otherwise.

"You should invent some lights down here," Emma said, interrupting Clemont's rant about his automatic shoelace-tying device.

"Fool!" Clemont sand dramatically and adjusted his glasses, even though it wasn't necessary. "Some of these devices are top-secret, like the nuclear-powered toothbrush. And forget I said anything about the nuclear-powered toothbrush, by the way!"

"This is all... nice," Serena lied, "but have you thought about developing a machine that grants immortality?"

"It's on my bucket list," Clemont said casually, "but I have developed something even better!"

"Clemont," Bonnie warned.

Clemont didn't seem to hear, though. "I have developed a nigh-invulnerable creature who needs no food, water or air, working on solar power and a backup generator that works even in total darkness, gaining energy from any source she can find – electrical devices, lightning, even bio-electricity from living things. Fiercely devoted to her purpose, she is better than an immortal human – a walking, talking indestructible robot!"

"You said it was a cyborg," Bonnie grumbled. "Also, why did you tell this to them?!"

Clemont just seemed to realize what he had said. "Oh... well I'll be. And like I told you many times, Bonnie, it doesn't matter what you call her. She's practically a human being, only superior in every possible way... my proudest creation," he sniffed.

Serena's eye twitched. She flashed back to what happened at the Battle Chateau, and again at the Power Plant. The robot maid that just wouldn't stop even at the face of fire, powerful Pokémon attacks or huge falls. The one that would follow her to the edges of the world.

Serena moved too fast for anyone to stop her, grabbing Clemont by his collar and pinning him against a large crate full of discarded gadgets.

"You did it!" she hissed at Clemont, who was suddenly too scared to protest. "You created that... thing! The Camille-Julia-maid-thing! The one that almost killed me! You insane piece of... I ought to burn off your eyelids right here!"

Serena then tossed Clemont on the floor, next to his horrified-looking sister. Emma looked shocked at this sudden display of brutality and stepped slightly away from the others. Even Shauna didn't look too happy.

But for once, Serena actually had a reason to be violent.

"But I won't just yet," she told Clemont quietly. "Instead, I'm giving you one chance to explain yourself."

"I told you it was a bad idea," Bonnie told her brother as she helped him stand up. "I hope you're ready to make up for that!"

"Hey, the idea was one of my best, and that's saying something," Clemont said. "The execution, on the other hand... well, everything looked fine on paper."

But when Bonnie glared at him, Clemont sighed, hung his head in shame and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry for the trouble my awesome invention brought you, Ms. Serena," he said. "But I still think that with a few adjustments-"

"Yeah, just spit it out already," Serena warned.

"Oh, right. I let her-"

"Stop talking about it like it's a person, it's so creepy," Bonnie complained.

Clemont sighed. "I let her out on a test drive. The point was to send her to the Battle Chateau to see if people would be fooled. First I programmed her to catch a random Pokémon, then sent her to test it out. She was about to record all the battles and conversations she had and bring the data back to me... but there might have been an error or two in the code. Specifically the part where she is able to modify her primary goals as the situation sees fit."

"That is, if she loses, she will try to capture the Pokémon who beat her," Serena guessed. "That about right?"

Clemont nodded in shame. "I merely wanted an unstoppable robot army," he wailed. "Isn't that what everyone dreams of?"

"I can sympathize with that – and I'll contact you once I'm in charge, by the way. Now, what have you heard about our dear friend Terminator-chan since?"

Clemont scratched his neck awkwardly. "Nothing. I mean, I knew something was wrong, but I was busy at the gym. I did install a tracking chip in her, but... it stopped working ages ago."

"Yeah, probably because I burned it," Serena said nonchalantly. "And most of your stupid robot."

"WHAT?!"

"But it gets better, she came back. We saw her just recently at the Power Plant. I'd say you did a pretty good job, since you could fool this guy I know into thinking she was a human... but then again, he was kind of a moron, so whatever. I tried to destroy her again-"

Clemont looked like he was on the verge of fainting.

"-but I have a feeling she'll be back for more. She's taken a shine to me, I guess. And hey, who wouldn't?"

"Clemont, get it together!" Bonnie snapped at her brother. "Of course she tried to destroy that thing, it almost killed her!"

"I know, but you have to understand," Clemont told Serena. "I wanted to help people with my inventions."

"With an army of robots?" Emma wondered.

"I think outside the box!" Clemont said.

"Well, at least you told me, so I won't burn you just now," Serena said. "I just have three questions for you. One, can we stop her?"

"Yes!" Clemont said urgently. "Without having to destroy her! If she comes, we'll be ready. All my inventions have a kill switch, hers being a voice code that should allow me to rewrite her programming."

"Two, once I am the immortal leader of Kalos, will you work for me?"

"...what?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of on a mission of conquest here, but don't worry, it's all beneficial for y'all. Once I become immortal, I will organize a little coup d'état, becoming this region's Champion as well as its supreme ruler. So far, I have the support of many gym leaders and other individuals behind me, but I could always use more. And your inventions can change our region to a paradise – what do you say?"

Clemont and Bonnie glanced at each other nervously, clearly confused by Serena's speech.

"...sure?" Clemont said uncertainly.

"Great! Now, my third and final question: why exactly did you build the robot to look like that?"

Clemont seemed embarrassed and didn't answer. When Serena was about to ask again, something exploded. Everyone took cover, Serena believing it to be just another one of Clemont's inventions.

But when another explosion shook the whole lab, Serena realized what was going on. Something blasted its way down into the basement, destroying a big chunk of the ceiling. The maid robot had returned, looking no worse for wear despite nearly being destroyed before. Clemont shuddered and hid behind a crate as the robot slowly turned its mechanical eyes at him.

"Master_Clemont," she said in a monotonous voice.

"Y-yes," Clemont stuttered and slowly came out from hiding. "Yes, I am your m-master. And, um, I'm telling you to, uh, get a grip! Stop attacking people and destroying things! Activate emergency override, would you, Camille."

"That_is_no_longer_this_unit's_preferred_title."

"...huh?"

"Yeah, she calls herself Julia now," Serena said.

"Incorrect," the robot said. "Unit's_preferred_title: Human Extermination Unit #004263, all rights reserved ©"

"What a stupid name," Serena said.

"Initiating_comeback: did_Marchioness_Serena_possibly_pick_her_clothes_in_low_visibility_or_from_a_waste_disposal_unit?"

Serena snorted. "Wow, whoever reprogrammed your bot must have been a sassy one."

"Well, unless they tampered with my code too much, it should still work," Clemont said and cleared his throat. "Uh, HEU004263, activate the emergency override system."

The robot confirmed that this had worked with a satisfying 'ding' sound. "Awaiting_voice_code," she said.

"Bonnie, what was the code again?" Clemont asked.

"...what?!" Bonnie shrieked at her brother in panic. "You never told me that!"

"Didn't I tell you to hold on to her instruction manual?"

"No!"

"Oh, right, I didn't have time to write one. See, this why being a gym leader can really suck sometimes, there's so little time to – oh. Well, I'm screwed."

"Invalid_code. Master_Clemont's_assertion_is_correct. Preparing_to_appropriate_Pokémon_and_to_eliminate_threat."

"Nice going, you dork!" Serena said and grabbed a Poké Ball. "Fortunately, I'm here. Braixen!"

Seeing that she was out of her ball, though, Serena's Braixen crossed her arms, closed her eyes and turned away snootily. Serena sighed.

"Sorry, I know I promised take you some place nice," Serena said, "and I know you're not keen on fighting that robot again... but I have a strategy which will ensure that we'll never see her again! Don't use fire, but use Psychic and lift her into the air!"

Braixen complied, grabbed the twig she kept on her tail and pointed it at the robot, using it like a magician used her wand. The stick and the robot both glowed bright blue as Braixen concentrated... but nothing seemed to happen. Braixen grimaced and focused even harder, but the robo-maid wouldn't budge.

"They must have made my robot heavier to increase durability!" Clemont cursed. "The fiends! Though it was actually a good idea, probably something I should have done..."

"All right, I never leave home without a backup plan," Serena said confidently. "Braixen, Psyshock!"

Braixen raised her wand again... and nothing happened. Even Braixen herself was frustrated, snarling at the robot maid and looking a lot more eager to fight than before.

"Why?!" Serena wailed.

"It's not a Pokémon, but a machine!" Emma yelled from the sidelines. "You can't use that move against something that has no mind!"

"*** **** ******* ****!" Serena cursed.

However, no one could hear what she said over the sound of the robot maid charging to retaliate, picking up a heavy crate without any problems and throwing it at Braixen. Serena couldn't see if Braixen got out of the way, having to duck as pieces of wood and metal went flying everywhere.

"Get everyone out of here, now!" Serena yelled at Shauna. "Not you, though," she added when Clemont was about to run away, too. "Aren't you suppose to be the gym leader? And you're kind of responsible for this mess – plus I think she has a thing for you."

"Preparing_to_assimilate_Master_Clemont."

"See, she's saying 'I love you'," Serena mocked.

"Cut it out!" Clemont cried as the robot started slowly creeping up on him. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Defeat it, I don't care how! I have to find my Braixen."

Serena left Clemont to his own devices, and while Clemont was shaking all over, he didn't retreat but tossed out a Poké Ball of his own. He summoned a lizard-like Pokémon with a black head and neck, a yellow torso and a long, black-tipped yellow tail. It also had an orange frilled sun-shaped collar around its neck.

"Heliolisk!" Clemont commanded his Pokémon. "Thunderbolt!"

But even being blasted with ten thousand volts of electricity did little to graze the robot, who merely absorbed all the energy into herself. Clemont stopped to nod appreciatively.

"Ah, right, my greatest feature," he said proudly. "But never fear, I will overcome this obstacle with the power of my mind! Now, if her power core is what enables her to do all this, I just have to overload it somehow. First, I'll have to scramble her systems. Heliolisk, Eerie Impulse!"

Heliolisk released a bizarre wave of invisible energy towards the robot, which finally caused her to stop, her speech coming out a garbled mess:

"ErrrOooor! YoUr dEvice doesn't suPPPPPPort this versiOn of this softWARRRRRRRe!"

"You poor thing," Clemont sighed. "Don't worry, I'll reverse whatever those evil people to you as soon as I can shut you down. Heliolisk, use Thu-!"

"Master," the robot maid said suddenly, her monotonous voice sounding more pitiful than ever. "Ppppleease..."

Clemont stopped before he could finish his attack, gasping as he saw the robot extend her arms, as if pleading for help. This hesitation cost him, however, as the robot suddenly charged towards him and kicked him in the knee. The sheer force of the impact made Clemont scream out and fall.

"Gotcha!.wav," the robot said and grabbed Heliolisk's Poké Ball from Clemont's hand.

Clemont was powerless to resist as the robot recalled Heliolisk and absorbed the Poké Ball into some kind of container inside her.

Meanwhile, Serena had found Braixen, injured but mostly okay, buried under a pile of debris. Helping the fire-type get back up on her feet, Serena went over her chances. Combusken couldn't fight after what that annoying Bonsly did to it and Lucario was who knew where. Talonflame hadn't made a dent on the robot before, and she was even stronger now. Charizard could probably stand up to her – and potentially burn down the whole place.

"Okay, good thing my backup plans always have backup plans," Serena told Braixen. "Let's just make a run for it, huh? Here!"

Serena crouched and allowed Braixen to climb on her back, though the Pokémon's pride was clearly hurt from doing so. Since she was light, Serena could easily carry Braixen and run, about to shout at Clemont to do the same – only to notice him helplessly on the ground as the maid robot stole the rest of his Pokémon.

"Oh, be more useless, why don't you!" Serena grunted and dropped Braixen. "Uh, not you, I meant the nerd, of course. Braixen, you better get out of here. The elevator probably still works – go!"

Braixen didn't want to do so, but Serena practically pushed her into the elevator. She had just remembered that she did have another Pokémon in stock – too bad he hadn't really been tested in a battle yet except for that little scuffle with the Dugtrio.

"Sylveon, go!" Serena yelled, throwing caution in the wind.

Serena's new fairy-type happily wrapped his feelers around Serena and tried to nuzzle against her, but Serena pointed him in the direction of the threat. As soon as they had announced the new type, Serena had done research into it, but hadn't ever owned a fairy-type before.

"I know that thing looks human, but don't even think about holding back. Use Dazzling Gleam!" Serena yelled.

Sylveon blinded the robot with a powerful flash of light. Making a protesting noise, the robot stopped stealing Clemont's Pokémon and turned to face Sylveon.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," Serena mused. "Sylveon: MOON PRISM POWERRRRR!"

Sylveon looked confused.

"And when I say that, I mean Moonblast," Serena clarified. "So, uh, use Moonblast, please."

Sylveon nodded happily, spread all of his feelers wide open and fired a powerful pink orb of energy at the maid robot, who was clearly staggering, making lots of noise and tremor as it tried to maintain its balance. Serena snapped her fingers.

"Of course!" she said. "The bigger they are... Sylveon, go out there and trip her!"

Sylveon seemed to be enjoying himself, practically skipping over to the robot and wrapping his feelers around her legs, trying to make her fall. But with his shorter, ear feelers exposed, the robot managed to grab and lift Sylveon by them. His cheery expression gone, Sylveon was squealing in pain and struggling against the robot's grip.

"Sylveon!" Serena yelled. "Try another Dazzling Gl-"

But the robot started to mercilessly spin Sylveon around, preventing him from attacking or doing anything else. Serena thought about her options, but she wouldn't have time to think long: Sylveon's feelers could snap in half at this rate.

Serena was about to charge at the robot and deal with it herself, when she suddenly saw someone else with the same idea lurking on top of a nearby crate. Before the robot could notice her, Emma lunged from the shadows, armed with two sharp metal blades. She jumped on the robot's back and stabbed the metal blades right into the robot's eyes, forcing her to let go of Sylveon. Serena caught the dizzy Pokémon just in time and withdrew it before anything worse could happen. Emma also managed to gracefully jump away before the robot captured her. She was now stumbling around blindly, her sensors most likely destroyed, but Serena knew it wouldn't take long for her to fix herself.

"I thought I told you to get out," Serena said. "But more importantly – whuh?!"

"Yeah, you learn some tricks while living on the streets," Emma said. "You have no idea – and be thankful for that!"

"I am," Serena said. "Hurry, let's grab Clemont and run – he's still important to me."

Delirious from the pain in his leg, Clemont didn't do anything but mutter incoherently as Serena and Emma grabbed him and started dragging him towards the elevator. But they still weren't fast enough. The robot grabbed a large crate and easily tossed it at the elevator, destroying it. Serena, Emma and Clemont were practically cornered as the robot slowly crept up towards them, making a loud thump at every step.

"Preparing_to_absorb_enemy_humans," the robot announced. "Commencing_Pokémon_hijack_mode."

Serena went for a Poké Ball again, this time Talonflame's, but it looked desperate, and there was no guarantee Talonflame would even survive against something like that.

However, the robot eventually stopped as a burst of fire out of nowhere hit her. Set alight, she had to do the same thing she did at the Power Plant and absorb the flames into herself before turning to face the one who had shot her.

Braixen had jumped into the room from the opening that the robot created, determinedly pointing her wand at the robot, who turned around and started to advance on her instead.

"No," grunted Clemont, who seemed to have regained his ability to talk. "Fire and electricity don't do anything against her..."

"Well I reject your reality, Clemont!" Serena snapped. "There's always some way to get around things. You can do it, Braixen! Beat the metal crap out of her!"

Braixen put her stick back in her tail and crossed her arms again, this time with a smug expression on her face. Serena didn't understand why until she saw her glow and grow bigger. Becoming almost twice as tall as before and gaining a new coat of fur that resembled a dark red robe, Braixen successfully evolved into her final form: Delphox.

"Yes!" Serena praised. "I've been waiting for this moment."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"As soon as Fennekin evolved into Braixen, I looked into what it would become after that – and what it could do. Delphox, use Mystical Fire!"

"What did I just tell you?!" Clemont cried. "And we're right in her line of fire!"

"You'll see," Serena smiled.

The tip of the stick Delphox was carrying suddenly set on fire, Delphox aimed it at the maid robot, who didn't seem to care about the sudden evolution. Delphox spun her wand in the air, creating a powerful vortex of fire that she launched at the robot. The maid robot merely extended her arms, ready to absorb the attack, only for Delphox to easily navigate the flame around the robot. Clemont cringed as it looked like the fire was coming their way, but it merely swerved around the robot, hitting her right in the back.

Eventually, the robot was trapped in a tempest of fire, unable to move anywhere. She attempted to suck the heat into herself again, but the flames just kept going.

"ErrrOOoOOrrrrrr!" the robot complained. "Core_temperature_beyond_critical_range. Shutting_down_vital_programs. Critical er-"

"And now, Grass Knot!" Serena commanded.

The mystical vortex of fire disappeared, and with a flick of her wand, Delphox created a long rope made of grass, tying it around the charred robot's leg and bringing her down. Upon impact, the robot's head came off and rolled harmlessly away as she finally shut herself down.

More than almost anything in the world, almost as much as immortality, Serena hoped she'd never have to deal with that robot again.

~o~O~o~

The group managed to get out through the hole in the ceiling, reuniting in the first floor. Delphox was powerful enough to levitate the headless robot over, too, with Clemont getting his Pokémon back from it.

Outside the Prism Tower, Clemont was about to be taken to a hospital, but managed to give one more parting thing to Serena: the Voltage Badge, shaped like a golden shield with lightning bolts coming out of it.

"What?!" Serena wailed as she held the badge between her fingers. "But I wanted to battle you for it!"

"You saved me, my gym and my Pokémon," Clemont grunted. "That's all the proof of your worthiness as a trainer I need. Your Delphox must have held back evolving a lot, deciding to do it at the right moment. Thank her for me, too."

"I get a badge without even battling?" Serena muttered as she put it in her case next to the four others. "That's just silly!"

But, she accepted it anyway. Bonnie accompanied Clemont as he was put in ambulance and delivered away. Immediately as the ambulance left, two young people - a woman and a man - dressed in gaudy white outfits and weird masks arrived to the scene.

"Damnation, we seemed to be late again!" the woman announced. "But it seems that justice has been served!"

"Indeed, and it appears the same person we had to thank for solving the Power Plant crisis has done it again," the man said, gazing at Serena. "Thank you very much, Se- uh, thank you, miss!"

"Hey, it's Sina and Dexio~!" Shauna said. "Hi, guys!"

"Who are these Sina and Dexio you speak of?" the woman wondered. "We're the Masked Heroes, the defenders of Kalos! Though Sina sounds like an extravagantly beautiful name for a truly gorgeous woman!"

"And Dexio sounds okay," the man said.

"Is this a joke?" Serena asked. "Hey, were you the ones who hogged the credit for my Power Plant job? Give that credit back, I need it!"

"Oh, my, it seems justice is needed elsewhere," the woman said suddenly. "Masked Heroes, away!"

And the two left the scene as confusingly as they had arrived. Emma, who seemed to have enough of dealing with freaky people, decided to leave.

"Thanks for showing me that battle – and for everything else, too," Emma told Serena. "I hope you'll stay in Lumiose for a while."

"There are a lot of things I haven't checked out yet," Serena mused. "I might just do that. Thanks for your help, too! Will you be okay on you own?"

"Hey, I know every corner of this city," Emma boasted as she left. "I gotta go find Mimi. Later!"

Serena and Shauna left Centrico Plaza to the opposite direction to find the nearest Pokémon Center while Emma skipped her merry way back to where Mimi most likely was with a smile on her face. It had been a while since she had a day this memorable – and since she met people like Tierno, Serena and the others.

Collecting good memories, huh, Emma thought to herself.

"Excuse me, Emma!"

Emma immediately retreated a few feet and assumed a fighting stance – hearing an adult call out her name was never a good thing. But she relaxed a bit as she recognized the man in the brown trench coat who had addressed her.

"Oh, you're Ms. Iris' friend!" she said. "Looker, right?"

"At your service," Looker announced with a slight bow. "Iris sent me to find you. You have spoken about this with her a couple of times already, but I'm going to make you an offer nonetheless. May we talk about this in my office?"

~o~O~o~

Location: Looker Bureau, shady side of Lumiose City, Kalos

"Wow," Emma said as she walked around the office, peeking into every closet and pretty much touching everything without permission, which Looker quietly tolerated, secretly infuriated that he'd had to organize everything again. "You have a fine place here, old man! Sure is warmer in here than on the alleys, too!"

"Indeed – though I should mention up front that I'm not merely doing charity work. I'm actually a private detective, though you'll have to excuse the state of my office. I can only use the second floor in this building due to an, ahem, a disagreement with some authorities."

"Oh, I know how that is," Emma said as she opened the drawers on Looker's desk and peeked into every one of them. "Damn cops and other big shots always tryin' to stop me and Mimi from living in peace!"

"But your peace and freedom come at a cost, do they not?" Looker asked slyly. "Pardon my bluntness, but having to constantly worry about food, being on the mercy of the elements... that is not a life I'd hope on anyone, especially someone as young and good-natured as you. Iris has praised the work you've done with the younger orphans here."

"Aww, shucks, Mr. Looker," Emma laughed. "Nice as your flatterin' is, why don't you get to the point – what did you say about that assistant business?"

"The job is yours if you want it," Looker said. "Together we can do what the authorities can't, and make this city a better place! And you'd be able to live here in peace – I reside in a motel on the outskirts of town nowadays, meaning you have this office all to yourself after hours. And let's not forget that you'd have all the food you could want!"

Emma was practically drooling at the idea, but shook her head.

"Sorry, Mr. Looker," she said, "but like I told to Iris... Mimi likes it better on the streets. And I can't abandon her. We stick together! And she isn't too friendly with adults."

"Which is why," Looker said with his hand on his chest, "I shall make it my personal mission to earn Mimi's trust. The invitation extends to her as well, you know. From what Iris told me, you and her are inseparable."

Emma seemed to be on the fence, shifting her weight from one foot to another while thinking it over. Looker could practically hear her stomach growling.

"I'll... ask Mimi about it!" she said finally. "I'll go pick her up and we'll come back, okay?"

"Absolutely," Looker said. "As long as you remember this: don't tell anyone but Iris about me, okay? Apart from the trouble with the authorities I mentioned, the criminal element in this city might get scared off if they know a detective with guts as hard-boiled as mine are is in town."

"I won't," Emma said, smiling at the way Looker spoke. "I'll be right back!"

Looker smiled back as Emma dashed out of the office, the smiling turning into a smirk as he put his hands behind his back and walked to the window again, staring at the brightly glowing Prism Tower that loomed in the distance.

Just as planned, he thought. Your move, Serena.

---

"Well, that sure took forever - but at least there was a lot of stuff. And I got an awesome new Sylveon and Delphox! Rest assured, now that I have the fifth badge, I will definitely focus on destroying my hated enemies, Looker and those freaks in orange suits. And I should probably add a lot of other chumps to that list, too - like people who fear fedoras and cargo shorts together. I'm definitely not going to slack off - but before anything, I gotta check out the Boutique Couture! I may stay in Lumiose City for a little while longer, so you'll see what happens, in... ugh, this feels so cheesy... in the next chapter. Yay. Serena rules you!"