It was cold, yet at the same time there was a strange feeling of warmth wrapped around her. She was tired, dizzy, and her stomach was preforming an exceedingly unpleasant circus act inside of her. She gripped whatever was closest to her as tightly as possible, while struggling to piece together her thoughts.
"Manon, are you alright?"
Manon moaned, fighting the urge to rub her head to ease the dull aching. When she finally opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself high above the ground on Charizard's back, safely in Alain's arms as he held her close. His familiar, icy gaze was locked solely on her. It took a moment for Manon to remember that he had even asked her a question.
"Y-Yeah, I think so. My head hurts a bit . . ." She mumbled under her breath, still fairly dazed. "What happened, Alain?" Her gaze left his face to watch the sky as they soared above the faint lights of Lumiose City. The sun was just beginning to rise in the distance. Hues of pinks and oranges spread out over the open air, even painting the clouds a delicate cream colour. Just beyond Lumiose, by the shore of Cyllage, a giant mass of threatening black clouds was visible, slowly spreading across the region. The eye of the storm was expanding. Eventually all of Kalos would be swallowed by its greed.
"We escaped from Lysandre's lab." Alain started, letting a gentle smile slip onto his face. "We saved Chespie too." He reached for something behind his back, and Manon's eyes widened when he pulled out her hat for her to see. She reached for it immediately and he held it up higher so that it was just beyond the reach of her impatient fingers. "You lost control while trying to use mega evolution again . . . I was really worried about you . . ."
The memories were foggy, but Manon could recall feeling Alain holding her, cradling his arms around her when her emotions started overwhelming her. Her gut suddenly grew heavy, and she stopped grabbing for her hat and instead threw her arms around Alain's waist, making him flinch slightly. "I'm sorry, Alain . . . I know you told me not to use mega evolution, but Molly couldn't have battled those Pokémon without it . . . We wouldn't have been able to get away! I know I need to practice more bu-" She was cut off by Alain, who pushed her hat into her face.
"I know you're trying, so stop apologizing. You're safe and we got away, it's done now." He sighed, leaning back as she pouted and fixed her hat so that it wasn't blocking her vision completely.
"I'm still sorry." She grumbled, crossing her arms but quickly gripping onto Charizard again when she began to wobble precariously. "That won't change no matter what you say."
"Yeah, yeah . . ." Alain shook his head tiredly. He tightened his grasp on Charizard's rough skin and tapped the dragon's stomach lightly with the heel of his boot, signaling that they were getting close to Sycamore's lab. Charizard grunted a reply before steadily descending. His wings spread out wider and Manon squeezed his shoulders as the air began to rush around them faster than before.
Alain pressed himself closer to Manon as the wind picked up. Within minutes they reached the lab gates. Alain helped Manon off of his Pokémon, and Charizard grumbled with relief as he shook the stiffness from his wings, glad to be free of the weight of two trainers on his back, and even more glad when Alain recalled him for a long rest.
Manon hadn't even gotten to the door when Wallace, followed by Steven and Sycamore, rushed out to greet them. He practically scooped Manon up into his arms, lifting her and squishing her briefly so that she couldn't breathe.
"You had us worried sick, darling!" Wallace scolded, as he let her feet touch the ground again. "We saw the explosion from here and we assumed the worst." His eyes narrowed and Manon stiffened at his disappointment. She only shrunk more when Sycamore stepped forward as well, fully aware that she was in deep trouble with the professor.
"We were very worried. Especially when I noticed that the Key Stone and Mawilite were missing from my office." Sycamore took a deep breath and leaned down a bit so that he was closer to Manon's face. "Would you like to explain to me what you were thinking when you stole them?"
"I mean, I didn't really steal the-" Manon squealed as Alain shoved his hand against the back of her head, making her bow.
"She apologizes deeply." Alain interrupted, shooting her a hard glare that warned her to keep quiet. "I apologize as well. I was aware that she had taken them and I didn't tell you."
The two waited for a severe lecture, but were more than shocked when Sycamore simply sighed and laughed at them, making them raise themselves instantly. Manon bit her lip, her eyes darting to meet with Alain's as they tried to piece together Sycamore's reaction. He was still laughing, and even Wallace was looking dumbfounded. Steven however, simply smiled to himself and waited as if he understood the situation completely.
"Honestly, I should have expected as much from you two." Sycamore said as he placed a firm hand on Manon's shoulder. He gave her a hearty shake before he turned back to his lab and ushered everyone inside. Manon simply stood, frozen in place as Wallace and Sycamore disappeared into the laboratory. She looked to Steven for some sort of explanation, but he shook his head good heartedly.
"He's just glad that you two made it back safely. He cares for you very much." Steven motioned to the open lab doors before heading inside himself, leaving just Manon and Alain outside, the sun at their backs as a new day dawned behind them.
"That went better than I expected." Manon stated after an awkward minute of silence. She shuffled her feet to get her blood moving again. Her entire body had gone frigid ever since Sycamore had looked at her, only now had it begun to thaw.
Alain merely nodded in agreement, slightly dazed himself. "I suppose this will be a good lesson for you." He said once he had pulled himself together.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm saying, I hope you've learned that stealing things is wrong."
"But I didn't steal them! He's the one that gave them to me!" Manon retorted, throwing out her arms and puffing out her cheeks in absolute denial.
"And then when he took them back, you went and snatched them from his office." Alain raised his voice a bit, trying to get through her stubborn shield.
"Because they're mine and I needed them."
It didn't work.
"I'm going to get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning . . ." Alain muttered as he rubbed his head and shuffled past Manon into the lab. Manon, realizing that she was the only one left outside, hurried in as well. They would save the explaining for after they had gotten some well deserved sleep.
"So, Lysandre really is the one behind the storm . . ." Sycamore sighed, setting his coffee onto the table. It was a shortly after 4pm when Alain had finally woken up. Sycamore requested that they all get together to talk about what had happened, and that meant waking up Manon as well, which hadn't gone as smoothly as it could have. Once the younger girl was finally awake and in a slightly more coherent mindset, everyone gathered together on the couches on bottom floor. Wallace, being a gentleman, had prepared coffee for everyone, and a hot chocolate for Manon.
"I wish it wasn't true, I'm sorry Sycamore." Alain found himself unable to look the professor in the eyes. Though he had been completely unaware of Lysandre's plan, he still felt responsible.
"He won't be able to stay at his lab anymore . . ." Steven murmured, a finger at his lip. He raised his head and looked towards Alain with a hesitant gleam in his eyes. "Do you have any idea where he may relocate?"
"I don't." Alain wasted no time with his reply. Manon had only just convinced him to feel welcomed by Steven, Wallace, and Sycamore. He wasn't in a hurry to have them suspecting him of anything again anytime soon.
Wallace, who had been impatiently tapping his foot while the others talked, coughed loudly as if to clear his throat, making him the center of attention. "Did we ever find out what this gruesome man wanted Manon for? I don't know about all of you but I am very worried about her safety." There was an edge to his voice that Alain didn't miss.
"No, he didn't say . . ." Alain found himself looking towards Manon, who's eyes were plastered to her lap. She didn't quite look scared, just frustrated with the entire situation that she had become involved in.
"I don't care why he wanted me. All that matters now is that Chespie is safe here with the professor." She muttered, her fingers curling into tight fists.
Sycamore nodded silently to her and looked back to Wallace, who didn't seem pleased with Manon's answer. The Water type champion was chewing his lip feverishly, and his slender fingers drummed against his knee. "Regardless," Sycamore began, causing Wallace to raise his head. "We will continue to keep an eye on you to make sure Lysandre doesn't try anything. Is that okay, Manon?"
Manon agreed quickly, and Alain saw Wallace relaxing a bit as well. Professor Sycamore had managed to take care of two Pidoves with one stone without causing any uproar. "Did you manage to figure out anything more about the storm?" Alain asked as the professor set his coffee onto the small table between them. "Anything would help us right now."
"I've made a few discoveries but unfortunately it's nothing major, and I don't know how much more I can do. The storm itself has been too spontaneous to predict, but I can confirm that the eye of it has not moved since settling on the shore of Cyllage."
Steven typed the new information into his own Holo Caster while Sycamore finished speaking. Once the professor went silent, the champion spoke up. "Seeing as Alain and Manon destroyed Lysandre's laboratory, it could be safe to say that he'll head to the eye of the storm to keep watch on it." When he received a few questioning glances, he clarified his reasoning. "Lysandre knows that we're trying to stop him, therefor he knows that we'll be heading to Cyllage as fast as possible. He's not going to let anything disturb the storm he has created, so he's going to want to be as close to it as possible. Does that make sense?"
"Wow, Steven, you're really smart! No wonder you're a champion" Manon grinned eagerly, downing the rest of her hot chocolate before instantly choking a bit and sticking out her slightly burned tongue. "We should go to Cyllage as soon as possible!" She finished slowly, her words a bit slurred as she held her mouth open slightly.
"How intense has the damage been to areas other than Cyllage?" Alain's question earned him a pout from Manon, who obviously was eager to get back to adventuring, but he ignored her for the sake of gaining as much information as possible.
"There have been scattered changes all over the Kalos region. Some places have only experienced some heat fluctuations, while others have experienced sudden blizzards or heat waves . . . You saw that for yourself when you went to Snowbelle." Sycamore waited a moment to catch his breath as everyone recalled the horrible blizzard that had struck Snowbelle while they were there. The mention of the blizzard cause Manon's spine to shiver, and it brought up a few unpleasant memories for Alain as well. "I hate to say it, but it's impossible to predict where these disasters will strike before they happen. They're too random, and too sudden. All we can do is stay on our toes and hope that if one is to strike, people will be prepared for it."
"It would be best if we bought some fresh travelling necessities before departing on our journey." Wallace chimed in extravagantly as he rose from his place on the couch, holding his hand out to Steven, who begrudgingly took it. "We thank you for all of your hard work Sycamore, dear. By tomorrow morning we will be out of your hair, I assure you."
"You've been no trouble at all." Sycamore said with a gentle smile. "I have to say that I've enjoyed having some extra people around. It makes my work less lonely."
Hearing this, Manon grinned cheekily and bounced on her toes where she stood. "I'll come back anytime to see all the Pokémon! After we save the entire Kalos region of course." Her hands had found her hips by the time she declared herself a hero, and she held her head high, even as Steven, Wallace, and Sycamore began to chuckle, only puffing out her cheeks slightly at them.
It was time for another shopping trip . . .
Manon was happily skipping just a few steps ahead of Alain as they, along with Steven and Wallace, made their way back to Sycamore's lab after a long trip of shopping for traveling supplies. Manon had, of course, made Alain spend some extra cash on unnecessary treats. He would have objected if he hadn't been a prisoner to Wallace's unwavering glare, and Manon's begging eyes. In the end, he bought two packs of gummies for Manon to munch on. He prayed to Arceus that maybe it would at least keep her occupied while they traveled, so that she didn't wander off somewhere and end up getting stuck in some sort of ditch.
The sun was beginning to fall behind the towering buildings, and a few dark clouds crawled across the sky above their heads. They made Alain's gut lurch unexpectedly, but he swallowed the unease and cast it aside as simple anxiety. Once they made it back to Sycamore's lab they could quickly organize their bags and settle down for the night. He could review some battle strategies while laying in bed, not having to worry about any more stressful conversations.
"Hey, Alain! How many gummies do you think I can eat in one minute?" Manon called over her shoulder, a devilish smile playing at her lips as she clutched her bag of candies.
"Enough to get a stomach ache." Alain replied flatly without looking up at her.
"You're really no fun . . ." Manon muttered, intending for it to go unheard, but not succeeding.
Steven and Wallace both shared an amused laugh behind Alain, making him shake his head. He didn't feel up to Manon's jokes, and he certainly didn't feel up to dealing with any remarks from Wallace or Steven. Escaping from Lysandre's lab had been stressful enough, especially when he had to carry an unconscious Manon into the sky with him. In addition to that, his sleep schedule would be a nightmare to fix. It wasn't really that great to begin with . . .
Drip.
Alain paused in his steps, looking up at the sky again. It had grown darker, and the clouds had doubled in size within the last few minutes.
Drip. Drip.
Small droplets stained the streets as rain began to spit from the sky. Manon let out a tiny squeal and held her candy close to her chest as the group sprinted down the busy streets. What had started off as a light rainfall quickly evolved into something much worse. Within minutes, lightning ripped through the dark, and thunder pounded against their ears. Manon froze in place as the ground seemed to shake from the noise. Sirens wailed throughout Lumiose City as the wind picked up. Powerful gusts surged through the streets and knocked over trash cans, sending litter scattering everywhere, even throwing it back up into the air. Lampposts and tree branches swung wildly in place while citizens rushed in panicked hordes to find their homes before the weather could get even worse.
"A-Alain! What's going on?!" Manon shouted above the wind, holding her hat against her head in hopes of keeping it from being lost to the wind forever. He could hardly see her through the pelting rain.
There's only one explanation for the weather changing this suddenly . . . Alain thought as he gave Manon a light push to get her running again, being sure to stay right behind her. He didn't trust her to not be swept right off of her feet by the gale. They had to get back to Sycamore's lab as soon as possible.
"This has to be because of Lysandre's storm." Steven grunted between breaths as he raced beside Alain, with Wallace on his opposite side. "There's no other explanation."
"I know." Alain replied breathlessly, seeing Sycamore's lab in the distance.
With a final push, they all barreled through the doors, almost crashing to the ground in a soaking puddle. Wallace slammed the door shut as they all caught their breaths. They almost didn't notice Sycamore hurtling down the stares towards them.
"Thank Arceus you're all okay!" He let out a loud groan of relief and pulled at his hair anxiously. "I was worried when I heard the sirens . . . I'm guessing you're all thinking what I am?"
"It's the storm . . ." Manon held her hat tighter as she spoke, her playful attitude had vanished completely. "The storm is affecting the weather around Lumiose."
Sycamore frowned, confirming her fears. "There's no other way to explain this . . . Lysandre's storm is now causing chaos in the capital of Kalos. We need to stop him as soon as possible. If the weather is this bad here, who knows how bad it is near the eye of the storm . . ."
Wallace placed his hands over Manon's trembling shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. "For all we know there might not be a Cyllage City anymore . . . And if there is, what could possibly be left of it?"
Before Sycamore could reply, a deafening banging berated the front door. Manon flinched instantly and grabbed onto Wallace's hands while Sycamore approached the quaking door cautiously.
"OPEN THE DOOR! WE KNOW SHE'S IN THERE!"
Sycamore gritted his teeth and Alain instantly rushed over to Manon, standing in front of her protectively. "Sycamore, we need to get out of here. Those are Lysandre's grunts." He hissed in a low voice, hoping the men attacking the front door wouldn't hear him.
Without any hesitation, Sycamore motioned to the back of the laboratory. There was a door that they could sneak out of in one of the far rooms. If the professor was able to hold off the grunts for just a few minutes they could easily get away. Once they were out they would just have to make their way to Camphrier town, head through the Connecting Cave, and find a route to Cyllage from Ambrette.
"We're breaking in by force!" The grunts hollered, accompanied by the sound of multiple Pokémon being released.
Alain grabbed Manon's hand harshly and pulled her with him as he rushed to the back of the lab. Steven and Wallace were right at his back, while Sycamore stayed to keep the grunts away. They had just made it out of the main room when a deafening CRASH came from the entrance. The grunts had used their Pokémon to burst through the door.
"Where is the girl?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about. There's nobody here except me and my assistants." Sycamore's voice traveled through the lab as Alain led everybody to the back door. He could feel his gut twist at the sound of tumbling furniture and shattering windows. He would owe the professor big time for helping them escape like this.
"Alain!" Manon cried out, trying to yank her hand away from him. "Alain, what about Chespie?! What if they find Chespie?"
Alain didn't stop, he was strong enough to drag her against her will. "They aren't after Chespie, and Sycamore can handle a few grunts. What matters now is that they don't know where you are!"
Thud, thud, thud!
The sound of heavy footsteps pounded towards where they were, and Alain hurried everyone out the back door before sneaking out himself. With a final glance over his shoulder at Sycamore's lab, Alain followed the others through the treacherous weather towards the gate leading to Route 5.
Thank you, Sycamore . . . I'm sorry for everything.