Chapter 20 – Lysandre
Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…
Volan and Thrin fought hard against the Team Flare scientist Celosia, and a new enemy said to have once worked for another criminal organization, the Flare admin Lovrina and her unique and deadly Shadow Pokemon. Once she had enough of his resistance, Lovrina had her Pokemon attack him, then rendered all of his Pokemon unable to fight back while she joined Celosia against Thrin. Only with Sera's appearance and interference was Thrin able to get out with her life – and meanwhile, Ash and Sina worked to save Garchomp with help from Blaziken Mask, the superhero.
-.-.-.-.-.
The next morning, Professor Sycamore told Thrin and the others at breakfast that all of the Team Flare members that had attacked the lab had gotten away soon after they'd been chased off.
It was disappointing, sobering news. They'd battled their butts off against Team Flare last evening, Thrin especially, and Volan's Pokemon had been temporarily rendered out of commission and risked being stolen by Celosia and Lovrina. To say nothing about what Garchomp and Volan himself had gone through – Sina's Pokemon, by Professor Sycamore's estimate, had nearly been turned into a Shadow Pokemon that would serve Team Flare, and the Gurei boy was still sleeping soundly in another room in order to help recover from his injuries.
But at least breakfast was good. Emily Gurei – who had not gone home that night, preferring to stay at the lab to make sure her children and their Pokemon were alright after the attack – had gotten up extra early to have the meal all ready to go by the time everyone else woke up. She did not regret her decision, not with all the smiling faces cleaning their plates and begging her for seconds and thirds.
"Thrin, dear," she called out when everyone was putting their dishes away, "can you take a plate up to Volan's room? He should be hungry when he wakes up."
"Sure, Mom," the brownish-blond-haired girl replied, gladly taking the plate from her mother's hands.
Suddenly, Bernice was at her side, looking at her intently and trilling, "Unfeeeezant!"
"You want to come with me?" Thrin correctly interpreted, earning an affirmative nod from her brother's Starter.
Apparently overhearing this, a few of Volan's other Pokemon gathered around her and Bernice, looking at her pleadingly. Thrin stared at Edgar, Piper, Majesty, and Hydreigon in turn, immediately knowing that they wanted to come as well to check on their Trainer. When she cast her gaze out at Grunge and the rest of Volan's Pokemon, it was obvious that they wanted to see him as well, but were content to wait for him to be well enough to meet them on his own. They all seemed to understand that crowding around Volan's bed all at once wouldn't be the best idea, despite their own individual desires.
It's amazing how well I can read them, Thrin suddenly realized. Perhaps Volan's ability to speak to his Pokemon is starting to rub off on me.
She chuckled at the amusing thought. Stretching out her free arm, she allowed Piper and Edgar to perch there while the other three walked or hovered behind her. They left the kitchen and ascended several flights of stairs, then walked down a long, quiet hallway to reach the bedroom that Volan was staying in. It was a sparsely-furnished room, with only a bed sitting in the middle of the room and a dresser and desk standing on the sides. The only light in the room was provided by the desk's lamp, at least until Thrin flicked the light switch to turn the ceiling lights on.
In response to the lights turning on, Volan's eyes tightened, and then fluttered open. He squinted against the light and groaned lowly as he shuffled backwards, using the headboard to shift into a sitting position. He was wearing his pajamas – checkered pants and a plain white T-shirt – and a thick white cast around his right arm, which Professor Sycamore's assistants had diagnosed as broken.
In fact, he was looking at the cast now, his brow furrowed with confusion as he tried to work out how the heck he managed to break his arm overnight.
"Team Flare," Thrin answered the unspoken question for him. "That one with the pink hair had her Pokemon attack you. I'm just glad you're okay after that…"
The confusion cleared from his eyes. "Oh, that explains it, then," he nodded. "Arceus, this cast feels weird, though. I can't move my fingers. And it itches a bit."
However casual he sounded, in reality he was far more worried about this recent development than he let on. My arm's broken, he thought. It made him feel a little numb. I've only been journeying for almost a week, and already I sustain a serious injury. Am I just unlucky? With Team Flare still out there, this might only be the first of many…
That criminal organization had really shown how dangerous it truly was last night. Those ridiculous grunts had been right – there were far more threatening members of Team Flare than them. It made Volan feel apprehensive and unsure of himself. Team Plasma had been no problem, back in Unova, but this… this was a different story.
"Volan, are you okay?" asked Bernice, fluttering up onto the bed to peer at him more closely.
He shook himself out of his thoughts and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, Bernice. It's not like I've had worse injuries before… if it weren't for Reshiram back then, I wouldn't even be here, remember?"
The rest of the Pokemon gathered around the bed, leaving Thrin standing in the doorway. "Still, we's been worried a heck-ton fer youse, Boss," Edgar offered.
"Chindah fletch Fletchindah," chirped Piper, rather flippantly. "I always knew you'd be alright. I wasn't too concerned."
Majesty merely made a soothing buzzing noise, while Hydreigon said nothing but gave the Gurei boy a very relieved look.
Volan felt a slight pressure near his leg as Thrin placed the plate of food she held in her hands onto the blankets, obviously meant for him. She then stepped further towards where he lay and leaned down to give him a heartfelt hug, which he awkwardly returned with his only available arm. He could feel her relaxing against him, letting him know exactly how worried she'd been about him and how relieved she was only just becoming now.
"I'm going to go tell everyone downstairs that you're awake, alright?" she said, pulling away after a second or two of contact. "You eat. Mom made it for you."
She stepped back and nodded to him, then turned and swept out of the room with a swish of her ponytail. Shutting the door behind her, she left Volan to be alone with his Pokemon.
When the *click* of the closing door echoed slightly throughout the empty hallway, Thrin let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. Knowing that her brother was going to be okay after the events of last night… it filled her with a joy she couldn't describe, banishing all traces of the previous apprehension that set her nerves a-tingling.
She exited the hallway and turned the corner, following the same pathway from the kitchen she'd taken to visit Volan. Startlingly, she bumped into someone coming the other way, which made her stumble.
"Oops, sorry!" she immediately apologized without even getting a good look at who she'd run into.
"That's quite alright, Miss Thrin," a deep voice she did not recognize responded.
Brushing herself off, Thrin curiously turned around to regard the stranger as he continued on his way. All she could see of him was that he was very tall and had bright red hair. Something, a vague suspicion perhaps, made her stop and consider him for a moment. She peered at his retreating figure for a good few seconds more, then she shrugged and resumed her walk back down to the kitchen. She'd ask Professor Sycamore about him later.
-.-.-.-.-.
"Youse is good now, yeah?" Edgar asked of Volan, once Thrin had left the room.
Pulling the plate onto his lap and picking up the fork, Volan shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and smiled at the Murkrow, as well as the other Pokemon, to assuage their fears. "Trust me, I'm alright. A broken arm isn't going to slow me down. We'll be out of here soon and then we can continue with our goal of winning the Kalos League."
"But Team Flare is still out there!" Bernice snapped with surprising severity. "Volan, without us to protect you, you're defenseless! Those three," she gestured dismissively to the Pokemon that made up his Kalos team so far, "may as well not even be there if you get attacked again!"
"Combeebee, bee Combee," Majesty spat acidly. "We will not hesitate to protect Our Highness, so do not belittle our dedication!"
Struck half-dumb by Bernice's harsh words, Volan hastily made a placating motion with his hand to calm Majesty down. His Starter had a really good point. She could've been more polite with it, but it was a point nonetheless.
"She's not trying to insult you," Volan said to the Combee. "Edgar, Piper, Majesty… you couldn't have done anything against the Flare people we fought last night, and you certainly couldn't do anything if they attacked us again on our journey. Until I can train you up to a higher level… well, we're vulnerable."
The three Kalosian Pokemon looked amongst each other in bewilderment, allowing that to sink in.
Finally, it was Edgar who first nodded his agreement. "Yeah, lady's got a point. Ain't no way I'm goin' back up against dat ting, see? Ting beat me like a wet mop."
"Fleeeeeh-chindah~," Piper added with a soft whistling note.
Bernice flapped up onto the bed so she could settle down at Volan's side. She warbled, "Volan, the way I see it, you don't have a choice. You need to have at least one of us on hand to fight Team Flare off. Otherwise you'll get something else broken, or Arceus forbid…"
She trailed off when Volan placed a gentle hand on her back, stroking her feathers in a way that silently assured her, It's alright, that's not going to happen. When she met his eyes, Volan smiled calmly at her, letting her know that it was alright. That he was alright.
But the Unfezant wasn't the only one that needed to be comforted, though.
"Y-Y-You're our Trainer, a-and it happened so fast, we c-couldn't do anything to stop it in time," Hydreigon trembled. He bowed his head – well, all of them – shamefully. "I-I failed you. If I'd b-been faster, you wouldn't have gotten hurt…"
Sighing, Volan took his hand away from Bernice and petted Hydreigon's muzzle soothingly. "You know I'd never blame you for that," he said, weariness making it into his voice, as he had certainly had this talk with the pessimistic dragon before. "You're my Pokemon. You're part of my team. And that attack came too quickly for any of you to stop it. It's not your fault."
The so-called 'Brutal' Pokemon flinched, seemingly taking Volan's words the wrong way. "S-Sorry… I'm always being negative and dragging the rest of you down. I-I know I should be more positive, but…"
Volan shushed him quietly. "Then why don't you start right now by letting me give you a proper name?"
It came as no surprise that Volan had tried to name Hydreigon soon after they'd finished moving to Vaniville Town. But he didn't let him, believing that he didn't deserve it and that he should first work to earn the trust of his new Trainer and new Pokemon companions. He'd done unspeakable things under Ghetsis' control, and two years after the Battle of Vertress, everyone had long since forgiven him – except himself.
"Come on, what do you say?" Volan encouraged, smiling again. "The only one stopping you from being part of our family is yourself, Hydreigon. So let me give you a name. It'll help, I promise."
Hesitantly, Hydreigon nodded. He wanted this, he really did – and he had for a long time, but ultimately, he was his own worst enemy. It wasn't an issue about being accepted by his master, or the other Pokemon, anymore. It was an issue about accepting himself.
Volan's smile spread at the simple, yet enormous in terms of meaning, gesture. It radiated relief and pride in the Dark-and-Dragon-type for overcoming his self-confidence problem to take that first step away from the dreadful past that held him back and wouldn't let go.
"Good," he said. "Then from now on, I'll call you Goryn."
He'd been working on a good nickname for Hydreigon for a long time now, so that he would be ready for the day Hydreigon finally started to let go of his past and made an effort to grow closer to the rest of the team. Goryn was what he'd come up with, short for Gorynych, a mythological draconic figure with three heads. He thought it'd be good, and now, he was happy to see Hydreigon – no, Goryn now, enthusiastically nodding along with tears leaking profusely from his eyes.
"I-I'll keep working to make you proud, Volan," Goryn promised. "I'll use my new name as a new beginning to build myself from the ground up."
Even Bernice, normally not one to open up to anyone that wasn't Volan (or sometimes Thrin), let out an encouraging trill to welcome her new, reborn teammate. And Edgar, Piper, and Majesty joined in, despite none of them knowing the three-headed Pokemon all that well. It was a heartwarming sight for Volan to see.
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door, which cut through the hopeful atmosphere and replaced it with an overbearing feeling of curiosity. Not good curiosity, though. Somehow, Volan didn't think that it was Thrin or anyone else he knew on the other side of that door.
"Yes?" he called, hesitantly.
The doorknob twisted open, and indeed, the person that walked inside was not someone he recognized. The man was tall, wearing an expensive black suit with matching pants and shoes, and had an impressive mane of fiery red hair. The expression on the man's face was stoic, combining with the rather professional manner in which he held himself to create the impression of an imposing figure. For a single, tense moment, the air felt almost too thick with tension to breathe.
Then the man smiled warmly, and his overbearing presence and business-like demeanor seemed to fade to almost nothing, like an invisible shield he only dropped when privately meeting someone he knew well. The transformation was flawless and mystifying, as if there was a completely different person standing in the shoes of the one that had been there only an instant before.
"Ah, Mister Volan," the man greeted, politely raising a hand to his chest. "Augustine told me I'd find you here. It's an honor, it truly is."
Bewildered, caught off guard, wary… none of those words or phrases could really describe the feeling that came over Volan just then. He was not expecting this… intimidating stranger to be so familiar with him.
The man strode forward to pull up a chair and sit down comfortably beside Volan's bed. The Pokemon immediately clustered more tightly around him, as clueless as Volan was about this person's intentions and far less willing to take chances with them.
The Gurei boy glanced left and right at his Pokemon, noting their suspicion. Clearing his throat, he began, "Excuse me… not to be rude, but who are you, exactly?"
Shock could be seen on the man's bearded face, although it flickered away surprisingly fleetingly, to be replaced with that same kind smile. "Mon dieu, I had forgotten. You and your family are from Unova, yes? No wonder you don't know who I am."
In a sitting position, the man could not bow in greeting, so he simply inclined his head and introduced himself, "Mister Volan, I am Lysandre – owner of Lysandre Labs and good friend of Augustine Sycamore's."
"… Lysandre Labs," Volan repeated, after a slight pause. "That name I have heard before…"
"Permit me to explain," Lysandre volunteered, netting his fingers together conversationally. "Lysandre Labs is a company I formed with the intention of making the world a better place – yes, for people and Pokemon alike. We specialize in holographic technology, which we spent years researching before finally successfully utilizing it. Every holographic device in Kalos you see has been made by Lysandre Labs, purely for the good of the world and those that live in it. It is rich and fulfilling work, because you see, my dream is to create a brand-new world in which no-one suffers or is unhappy. I believe that with every new piece of technology we develop, we bring the world closer to a thing of utmost beauty."
Admittedly, Volan had seen several of these holographic devices in Kalos already, and he had been growing curious about them. News bulletin boards all over the Lumiose streets, the video phones at home, the Pokedexes, even the healing machines and computer screens used in Pokemon Centers… so they were all the result of this man's ambitions.
Amazing, he couldn't help but think.
However, although he put on a calm face as he processed this, Volan was in inner turmoil. There was something about Lysandre that threw him off. Part of him, the part that still persisted in him even after all these years, wanted him to revert back to his old ways – put up an icy, cold-hearted façade and not take any chances with trusting this stranger. It was something he still felt every time he met someone new, but it really seemed to come to the surface this time. What was it about Lysandre he didn't want to trust?
But Volan knew he was better than this. In his travels across Unova, he'd met many people that had proved time and time again that they could be trusted. Some of them he even trusted with his very life. He'd learned that some people were worth trusting, no matter how much he didn't want to at first.
The impression Lysandre was clearly trying to make was of a kind-hearted and charismatic person. Ghetsis had crafted the same kind of public image to hide his true intentions, and yet Volan had immediately known he wasn't to be trusted. But it had been because of Reshiram, who was no longer a part of him, that he was able to discern the truth…
Reshiram wasn't with him now. It was up to his own gut to help him make the choice being presented to him.
Did he trust Lysandre or not?
… He should give Lysandre the benefit of the doubt.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," he responded at last.
"No, no, the pleasure's all mine," Lysandre laughed, a soft and delighted sound. "Mister Volan, it is to my understanding that you are the one that played the biggest role in the Battle of Vertress. You saved Unova, and quite possibly the world. As someone whose greatest dream is to build a more beautiful world, you are an inspiration. You have my gratitude for what you've done in the past. That's something I've wanted to tell you personally for a long time."
Well, Volan couldn't help but feel flattered by Lysandre's words. He'd been thanked for his pivotal role in securing the safety of Unova by many people – Trainers, Gym Leaders, and even Alder, the Champion of Unova. But it felt extra gratifying to be given such sincere thanks by someone like this imposing and influential man, someone from a completely different region.
"Thank you," the Gurei boy said. "I admit, I'm very glad most people don't make such a big deal about what I've done – my life would be far more difficult if they did – but, ah, it's always nice to hear that I've made an impression. Especially from people like you. People more experienced and more important than me, I mean."
Nodding, Lysandre agreed, "I imagine it is. But think nothing of it, Mister Volan. You've done more for the sake of improving this flawed world than most others will ever do in their lifetimes. You are important. Remember that."
His eyes flicked to the cast Volan wore on his broken arm, and his expression darkened the slightest bit. "Really, it is appalling to see such foul people as Team Flare running amok in Kalos. After all I've done to improve things, some still have the gall to act so selfishly."
Not knowing what to say to that, Volan shrugged instead and kept his mouth closed.
"My apologies," Lysandre chuckled, noticing his discomfort. "I really do not like such selfishness. It throws ugly stains on what would otherwise be a beautiful world. If people would simply act less for themselves and more for others, everything would be much better."
Seeing no reason to disagree with that, Volan merely nodded.
With a grunt, Lysandre stood up from his seat and smiled again at him, saying, "Anyway, I simply came up here to wish you well after your fight with Team Flare." When Volan blinked, he continued, "Yes, Augustine told me about what happened when I came through the door this morning. Or at least, what's left of it."
He glanced back down at Volan's arm and added, "I'd recommend having that looked at the next time you find yourself at a Pokemon Center. Their healing technology is incredible for Pokemon, but there's no reason not to use it for people when necessary."
Now there was a point. Volan couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before, but he remembered from the Unova League and Battle of Vertress that Pokemon Centers were more than capable of treating humans, too, if such a situation ever came up.
"Thank you, sir," he replied to Lysandre's advice.
Another amused chuckle came from the red-haired man. "Just 'Lysandre' is fine. While I understand your intentions, 'sir' simply makes me feel old."
Having not expected this, Volan managed a weak laugh of his own. "If you insist, then," he conceded. "Are you leaving?"
"Yes," Lysandre confirmed politely. "I merely stopped by the lab to check on my friend Augustine – and you, of course, once I'd learned you were here. It's goodbye for now, but who knows, fate may not be done with us just yet. Perhaps we will meet again."
Perhaps… Volan repeated to himself, although he felt no joy in the thought of such a reunion. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, despite his decision to trust in Lysandre.
But without Reshiram there to guide him anymore, Volan had nothing but his heart. And it was telling him to give the man a chance. He was no longer the person he once was.
"Give my regards to Miss Thrin," Lysandre said, starting towards the door. "She seems like a Trainer with potential still untapped within her. And of course, I wish you the best of luck in the Kalos League this year."
He disappeared behind the door with those final words, shutting it quietly behind him with a *click*.
"I… don't know what to think of him," Bernice noted, the first of the Pokemon to speak up. "He seemed friendly enough, but something feels… off."
"Ah, youse wasn't da only one," said Edgar, sounding relieved. "I thought it was just me, y'know?"
Regarding his Pokemon with significant consideration, Volan slowly and cautiously nodded along. "I've decided to trust him… for now," he told them. "I think he genuinely cares. About us, and about what he's doing for Kalos."
A frown curled the corners of his mouth downwards, and he added with some trepidation, "But just in case… we should keep an eye on him."
-.-.-.-.-.
After finishing his breakfast, Volan and his Pokemon headed back down to the main lobby and found everyone hanging out there. Not before the Gurei boy attempted to use the nearest bathroom, though, which left him with a realization that continued to nag at him even as he approached his friends.
In the lobby, it was obvious that the doorway would need patching up. Garchomp had flown a hole straight through the upper part of the wall, completely obliterating the window and the surrounding concrete, while the door hung halfway off of its hinges from a badly-battered doorframe. No-one present was paying attention to this, though, content with socializing among themselves while they hoisted their backpacks onto their shoulders and prepared to head back out into the great Kalos yonder. However, Volan couldn't help but notice that, out of all of them, Serena was missing.
"Hey, look who's up," greeted Calem, waving. "Are you alright, Volan? Arm doing okay after it got… um…"
"Beat up?" Volan tried, with some degree of sarcasm. "Crushed? How about shattered – or would you prefer mangled?"
The dark-haired boy laughed. "Okay, I guess I was wrong in assuming you'd be sensitive about which adjective I used for your 'mangled' arm." He winked when he uttered the second-last word, then went on, "But seriously, no trouble? You seem bothered by something."
In fact, Volan was, when he thought back to the issue in the bathroom he'd just been mulling over. With some degree of thought, he replied, "Yes, how am I supposed to take a shower with this blasted thing on?"
"That's your problem," Thrin grinned at her brother before Calem could give a serious answer. "I'd consider stocking up on deodorant for the next couple of weeks – or for however long it takes today's technology to knit your bones back together."
Volan took a playful swing at her with his cast-swaddled arm. She ducked, her ponytail momentarily flying upwards as she did so, causing the armored appendage to smack into Tierno's shoulder instead.
"Whoops!" the larger boy laughed out in a carefree manner. "You trying to give me a broken arm, V-Meister?"
The out-of-nowhere nickname came so unexpectedly that Volan almost did a double take. As it was, though, he stopped for maybe half a second before shaking off the surprise and replying, "Sorry about that, Tierno. Are you and Calem and Shauna setting off on your journey again?"
It wasn't Tierno that answered him, but Shauna. "Yep!" she beamed. "We zigzagreed that we'd head toward Camphrier Town. The castle there is very old, so we figure that there might be some cluebat about Mega Evolution we can find for the professor!"
"Plus, it's along the quickest path to Cyllage City, which is where Tierno and I hope to earn our next badge," Calem added.
He always spoke in such a calm, measured tone that sometimes Volan didn't think there was much more to him than that. Calem really never showed that much emotion other than his usual polite, collected demeanor. On a bad day, that endlessly patient smile could rub Volan the wrong way. He found it difficult to get close to him as a result – although he still considered him a friend. Oftentimes, he found himself wondering whether or not Calem was hiding something beneath the endless calm…
The sight of Shauna gleefully hugging Thrin goodbye brought him out of his thoughts. The tanned girl chirped, "We'd better be going if we don't want to be doublate! Seel you later!"
The departing group of three exchanged final farewells with the others, making promises to meet up with each other again next time they got the chance. Calem, Tierno, and Shauna walked out the door and disappeared onto the street, leaving the Gurei siblings and Trevor alone.
A small pause ensued in which the three that remained simply stared after their friends.
"So, are you still coming with us, Trevor?" Thrin asked, breaking the silence.
He flinched slightly, as if he hadn't been expecting her to speak to him. "O-Oh, yes. That is, if you w-wouldn't mind."
"Before we do, though, we should go find Professor Sycamore and say goodbye," noted Volan. Then he glanced around at his Pokemon that still surrounded him and added as an afterthought, "And I'd like to do the same to the rest of my Pokemon, too, come to think of it…"
When they turned around with the intention of heading to the greenhouse, though, it was to see Professor Sycamore walking through the door that led there, followed by Emily Gurei and the shiny Froakie.
Emily, in particular, was delighted to see Volan up and about, although Sycamore was quite pleased as well. Mother and son exchanged a brief hug (as much as they were able to with Volan only being able to move his arm to a limited degree), then the professor offered him a handshake, which he accepted wholeheartedly with his undamaged hand. Meanwhile, Thrin greeted Froakie by crouching down to pat her head, which the ice-blue Water-type allowed.
"That first part won't be necessary, because I'm right here," Sycamore joked at Volan's previous comment. "It's marvelous to see you up and about again. You gave us quite the scare last night, being unconscious like that. However, I do believe I owe you a thank-you for your deeds yesterday."
"If you weren't there, then Augustine would no doubt be being forced to work for those awful Team Flare people by now," Emily added, smiling at her teenaged children – although Volan did notice that the smile was tighter than usual.
Automatically, Volan thought, She wishes we'd stayed out of it for our own safety. He glanced down at his arm with a tiny pang of guilt. Case in point… but surely she knows it could've turned out much worse if we hadn't been there.
"And of course, Sina has her Garchomp back," continued Professor Sycamore. "She couldn't be happier – Dexio, too."
There was a knowing smile on his face, prompting Volan – and Thrin as well, from the look of it – to wonder what exactly he was insinuating.
Professor Sycamore went on, "Volan, I understand you met my friend Lysandre when he came to visit this morning. He's an important man here in Kalos – to have the admiration of someone so great and influential is not something just anyone can boast about."
He felt Thrin's gaze on the back of his neck and knew he'd have some explaining to do later. But for now, Volan simply felt awkward, not knowing what to say to the professor's words, as was always the case whenever his past achievements were brought up and lavishly complimented.
"Keeeeee…" yawned Froakie just then, momentarily startling them out of their thoughts.
"Did you go and get Sera to come here and help us yesterday?" the Gurei girl inquired, which made Volan take pause. He hadn't known about this, most likely because he'd been unconscious at the time.
"Froakie froak," the Bubble Frog Pokemon replied with a curt nod.
In response to this, Thrin reached out to give Froakie a quick, loose embrace that respected the amphibian's personal space. Froakie looked slightly uncomfortable, but seemed to take the show of affection in stride.
"Sera was here?" questioned Volan.
"If you mean the girl with the black clothes and the shiny Skorupi, then yes," confirmed Professor Sycamore. "She distracted the Team Flare women long enough for your Pokemon to drive them away, Volan. But she didn't stay long – she returned Froakie, believing her to be under Thrin's ownership, and then left without another word. It was all very mysterious."
Volan could remember as clear as day how Thrin had fought Sera with Froakie's help, which was probably why the menacing girl was under such an impression. But honestly, he wasn't sure how long Froakie would be sticking around. The plan was to find her a competent Trainer that could protect and raise her, as Sycamore had originally intended when he gave her out to that new Trainer several years ago.
He voiced his concerns to Thrin, and she asked Froakie if she'd like to keep sticking around so that they could continue their mission to find a Trainer to look after her. After only a moment of thought, Froakie nodded her pale blue head and clambered up Thrin's body so that she could rest once more in the Gurei girl's backpack.
At the sight of Froakie comfortably hanging her head outside of the bag's confines, Sycamore laughed out loud. "Marvelous! It was a pleasure to see you again, Froakie, and here's hoping all goes well with your future Trainer."
He reached over Thrin's shoulder to rub Froakie's head, stepping close to Thrin in order to do so. While Froakie gurgled happily at the attention, Thrin looked up at the handsome middle-aged man and blushed furiously, although with a borderline giddy smile on her face.
Feeling a brushing of feathers against his neck as Edgar fluttered impatiently on his shoulder, Volan knew that his Pokemon were getting restless. It was high time he brought Bernice and Goryn back to the others, while he took his Kalos team back on the road and began their training again. Piper and Majesty especially.
"Could you hold on a moment, you two?" asked Professor Sycamore, who was noticing that the Gurei siblings seemed to be ready to leave. "There's one more thing I'd like to talk to you about, if you'll give me a minute."
Without waiting for a reply, the professor slipped back through the half-closed door and left the room. Volan and Thrin glanced at their mother, who was staring after Sycamore as he disappeared, while Trevor hung back and fiddled with his camera awkwardly.
"You two…" Emily spoke up with a hefty sigh. "I know I've stressed this before, but… please be careful on your journey. I thought it was going to be dangerous, but after the events of last night…"
"Mom," Volan interrupted, shaking his head, "we promise we're not going to go looking for trouble. We'll only engage with Team Flare if it's absolutely necessary."
"That might be more often than we hope for, considering that they're most definitely hunting us down…" muttered Thrin.
"Thank you, Thrin, for pointing out that which really did not need to be pointed out," Volan shot back at her. "Yes, Kalos is dangerous enough without a criminal organization on our tails, but that doesn't mean we should totally throw safety out the window."
"You know that wasn't what I was getting at," his sister insisted. "I was just… giving ourselves a reminder that trouble is occasionally going to come to us instead of the other way around, I guess."
The sound of the door creaking open interrupted whatever Emily was going to say in reply to her children and the worrisome points they brought up. Professor Sycamore stepped through and extended his hands toward Volan and Thrin – each of them held flat red devices in their palms, identical to Trevor's Pokedex.
"Wow, thanks!" exclaimed Thrin, eagerly taking the one being handed to her.
"As with Calem and the others, they're the very latest model," Emily told her, proudly. "Lysandre actually brought them himself this morning. He and Augustine are good friends, so they're always willing to come through for each other when one of them needs a favor."
"Lysandre is a good man with powerful dreams and great vision," Sycamore nodded along, passing the second 'dex to Volan. "I'm lucky to know him so well."
Although momentarily confused by the use of the word 'vision', Volan quickly came to the epiphany that Sycamore was talking about Lysandre's motives about making the world a better place.
Heh, and for a moment I thought he was commenting on his eyesight, he snickered to himself. That threw me for a loop, I have to say.
"The Pokedex will provide you with information on about eight hundred species of Pokemon," lectured Professor Sycamore, gesturing to the holographic encylopedias. "It gives all the basics about the Pokemon you scan, which is pretty standard, I'd think… but in your case, Volan and Thrin, there's a secondary function."
The teenagers glanced up at him and blinked in confusion.
"You're able to contact my lab through the Pokedex and automatically transport one of your Pokemon to your side," he explained. "Since the circumstances are quite worrisome for you two, and you have powerful Pokemon here at the lab, I thought ahead of time that it would be an incredibly useful function for emergencies. It's one-way, though, so you'd have to send whatever Pokemon you summoned back via the video-phones at the Pokemon Center."
Awed, Volan looked back down at the device in his hand and almost reverently stroked its shiny, brand-new surface. "I don't know what to say," he remarked. "This is incredible."
"So you can call on me whenever you need help!" Bernice trilled, stretching her wings excitedly.
"Or m-me," said Goryn, sounding hopeful. "I hope I can be useful if you ever meet Team Flare again."
"Chindah, Fleeeeh-chindah~," chirruped Piper. She twitched her head downwards in a respectful nod towards Professor Sycamore. "He really thinks ahead, I'll admit that."
Even Majesty had a comment to make. "Combeebee, bee Combee. I do feel a lot safer, knowing that Your Highness has such powerful soldiers to call on anytime."
Pocketing the Pokedex, which felt slightly cool against his thigh, Volan shook Professor Sycamore's hand again in thanks. Thrin did the same, although she turned bright red and giggled to herself when his hand touched hers. She stopped when Volan nudged her sharply, having the decency to look embarrassed with herself.
A noise from behind made the siblings turn around to see Dexio and Sina entering from another doorway with identical smiles on their faces, followed closely by a tired-looking Garchomp. Other than clear exhaustion, the Dragon-and-Ground-type did not appear any worse for wear after the stressful events of last night.
"Thanks for everything, you two!" Sina chirped. "Garchomp's feeling fine after a good night's rest and a quick checkup, and most importantly, she's safe from Team Flare!"
Dexio looked thoughtful as he continued for her, "Well, it was really Blaziken Mask and that other boy who actually took care of Garchomp. But we heard that you two took on a Team Flare admin, and… well, that's really impressive."
Exchanging a glance, Volan and Thrin grinned. It made both of them feel good to know that, after everything, Garchomp was fine and suffering no ill effects from her near-possession.
"You two are off now?" guessed Sina. "Good luck on your journey then, you guys!"
"We often travel to various places around Kalos on errands for Professor Sycamore, so perhaps we'll see each other again," remarked Dexio. "Until then, Sina and I are company enough for each other."
Then, unexpectedly, the blond-haired assistant leaned over to press a kiss to Sina's cheek, which made her giggle appreciatively.
Volan looked over to see that Thrin's eyebrows were raised significantly. He let out a chuckle at her expression, to which she replied with a chuckle of her own.
"Should we get going, then?" the Gurei girl asked. "If we want to head to Cyllage City next, we need to go through Route 5, which I think we can reach if we head to the west side of Lumiose."
"Sounds like there's lots of ground to cover, then," Volan said. "Can we check out the Gym in this city first, though? We're already in town, so…"
"Fair enough," she replied with a nod.
Their next course of action now decided upon, all that was left to do was say their final farewells. With Trevor again at their side, Volan and Thrin said goodbye to the professor, his assistants, and their mother, who all wished them luck and promised to be rooting for them on their journey to the Kalos League.
They'd been through more than they'd bargained for when they first arrived in Lumiose, but it was time to wrap up their stay and continue onwards.
-.-.-.-.-.
Poor Hydreigon, waiting this long to accept a nickname simply because he doesn't feel he's good enough. Goryn does refer to Gorynych, a three-headed dragon, but there's also a second meaning that you probably won't get. It'll definitely be explained later on.
I was looking forward to this chapter for a while, because it's where I introduce Lysandre! He's interesting in the games for sure, and really cool in the anime, where I feel his personality and motives are really driven home. Can't wait to write more about him!
Now that everything's been cleared up, we're returning to Volan's and Thrin's normal Kalos teams again. Hope you look forward to the next chapter!
Lysandre: "Please review."
Next chapter: Budding Rivalry! Thrin vs Calem!
Chapter Question #16: Did you find Lysandre a good villain in X and Y?
I thought he was very interesting, more of a tragic character than the standard Pokemon villain. He was more generic in the anime, though. I think he was the only character I preferred in the games than the TV show.
-.-.-.-.-.
Volan's Kalos Team:
Edgar (Murkrow, male)
Ability: Super Luck
Piper (Fletchinder, female)
Ability: Flame Body
Majesty (Combee, female)
Ability: Honey Gather
Thrin's Kalos Team:
Akuma (Vivillon, male)
Ability: Compound Eyes