Hidden secrets of Battle Bond
Chapter 35,
Philippe waited at the café for his guests to arrive. Still dressed in what he was before did make an extra effort to do his hair and shave any hairs on his chin. Wearing his best cologne he did want a make a good impression on the singer that caught his eye. Tapping his finger on the table impatiently waiting for her to show up he looked at the time.
The bell on the door of the café ran meaning others came in. Seeing the Kalos Queen and her male friend enter they were then followed by the singer that won the contest he announced. Wearing a dress that resembled the Pokémon she shared a form with he was blown away.
"Wow!"
Philippe saw Serena and Ash take a table a bit away from his and Nina moved towards him. Swallowing a lump in his throat he tried to play it off cool. Nina using her special sight saw his happiness at seeing her and she feared the worst. Looking around the café she saw some girls jealous glances to her sitting with Philippe.
"You look great." He complimented her.
"It's less work then my opera dress. Serena said I should dress proper for the act and it would make the Gym Leader happy." At the Performers insistence she wore the furisode Valerie gave her. Philippe got up from his table and moved her chair back like a gent.
"I can handle a chair myself thank you." Her independence strong as ever he moved his hands away from the chair.
From the other table were Ash and Serena were seated the Performer glanced over Ash's shoulder. Him seeing Serena trying to spy on Nina read her facial features to how it went. The doubtful look told him not well.
"So why did you set her up like that with him?" Since his few dates with the Queen Ash got a little more perceptive about this romance thing. Serena looked at him telling him why she did it.
"I recognized the look in Philippe's eyes. It's the same look I had when I was trying to find you and give back your handkerchief." Full of dreams and crushes as a young girl love can make you do weird things from changing into a different person and becoming a more childlike self.
"If it is she can see it." Reminding Serena about Nina's good sight Ash brushed her hand which brought all her attention to him.
"So you have a plan for your next Performance?" Anything to distract her from Nina and Philippe.
"I want to debut Illumise and Minccino at the next one. But I don't know where to go yet for it." After Fran's pointers with the flying Pokémon and Minccino already being prepared as a show Pokémon with Madeleine's training she wanted to surprise everyone with her new partners.
"I'm sorry I couldn't take you to Valerie's store. I know how much you love it." Even if he promised it Serena didn't mind.
"We still got some time after Nina's duet with Philippe. The store doesn't close till six. We need to go there anyway since Nina needs to get her opera dress fixed." The singers dress got damaged and dirty from racing on Arcanine and the explosion the Zygarde core made after it.
"And that dress you asked Valerie to make you?"
"Nowhere near finished."
The special commission she made for the dress she saw at the Battle Bond temple that belonged to the queen on the mural. Their orders came in and they enjoyed each others company till they saw Nina and Philippe leave. Not wanting to miss it they headed to Valerie's walkway and waited in the back area this time providing a view from the stage behind the curtain.
Nina and Philippe took the stage with their Pokémon. The male dressed in the same suit as yesterday they began to sing drawing in a new crowd. Ash took Serena's hand and started pulling her in dancing backstage. She got the clue and moved along with him. As Nina, Primarina, Phillippe and his Lapras did their duet Serena thought about the sign that everyone gets to see when they arrive here. Nina finally grabbed the opportunity to chase her dream, Ash took Serena willingly for a dance and she got Valerie to design a dream dress for while her former evil predecessor is on a path of redemption willing to train her.
"The city of otherworldly dreams. Guess it's true."
"The Gym Leader isn't here. Oh well."
A young boy with blue hair with tiny spikes, black eyes, blue jacket and white shorts not reaching his knees was wandering the streets of Lumiose City. Having just arrived in the Kalos region from Sinnoh he made a quick stop at Lumiose City Gym he wanted to get a badge as a quick souvenir but decided on not challenging the gym in the end. Seeing a robot instead of a human being the robot explained that his creator is currently out of town and his return is unknown but it would take on challengers in his stead.
"I thought you'd be more upset."
A girl with him dressed in a green skirt, white top and a yellow bow in her short hair talked to him as she so often did.
"It is what it is." He shrugged his shoulders to his partner.
"You're so laid back it's infuriating."
The girl saying her catchphrase the two were childhood friends. They've been travelling together for a bit on the girls insistence when the boy didn't care too much. There only were a few instances where the boy got motivated to try and she was trying to get it to happen more often outside of Pokémon battles.
Still they had another purpose here. An event nobody in Sinnoh can explain was happening to the male and she was redirected by an accomplished professor in the field of Pokémon. Getting the address from him the girl eventually decided to take a taxi cause she and him got continuously lost in the big city. Growing up on a big town themselves Lumiose City was massive even by their standards.
"Here we are kids. Sycamore's lab."
Thanking the driver and paying him for his service the two got out and made his way up the small flight of stairs. The front door unlocked they stepped inside.
"Excuse me! Professor Sycamore!?" The girl called out with the boy just staring out in the distance. They suddenly saw a Pokémon walking up high on the rails of the second floor staircase.
A tiny orange fox Pokémon was walking over the railing twirling.
"What are you?!" The girl startled the fox and it lost its balance. The girl noticed it and ran to where the fox was falling down and caught it in the nick of time.
"Got you!" The girl said victoriously as she took a closer look as she didn't see it up close before.
"Who are you?"
"Fennekin!" The Pokémon saying the word the girl figured it was what the species was called.
"Nice to meet you Fennekin. I'm Lucy." The girl used her finger and rubbed the nose of the Fire type. It sneezed a few embers flying from its nose as she giggled at the cute Pokémon. The master of the household looked down from the second floor and made his way down.
"I'm sorry. This one likes to show off a lot. It's been this way since it's seen Kalos Queen and her Braixen perform in a rerun."
"The Kalos Queen. That's Serena right?" The girl asked the man in his labcoat. He nodded as he introduced himself.
"I am Augustine Sycamore. Welcome to my laboratory. How can I help you?"
"I'm Lucy and this is Evan." The girl introduced herself and her friend. Evan gave a little wave not caring much for manners unlike Lucy.
"I have some questions for you if you would like to answer."
"Ask and we'll see if I can help. What is the topic?"
"We're from Johto, Canalave City. We were journeying through Sinnoh together but when I heard about an event I came dragging him here."
"Which event if I may ask?"
"The one where a Greninja and Shiftry look a lot like their trainers." Sycamore smiled as his research extended into that skill lately after his encounters with the duo of master Decidueye and student Primarina. Diantha had told him who the Decidueye trainer really was in the end and he would love to sit down with him to talk Battle Bond for days.
"Interesting, come in further." Sycamore invited them in for a cup of tea. Sitting in a room with a table in the middle his assistants poured in something to drink for both.
"Pokémon looking a lot like their trainers. Can you go deeper into it?" Again it was the girl that took the word.
"Well. Evan's Toxicroak can evolve but it's only for a moment before he changes back. I thought it was Mega Evolution first but Professor Rowan said it wasn't because they don't need a Mega Stone. He send me here to you because you've been studying Mega Evolution and might know what's happening to his Toxicroak."
"Professor Rowan? That brings me back." Professor Sycamore actually studied under Professor Rowan a bit in the field of evolution before moving to Kalos. The renowned researcher taught him a lot before dedicating himself to Mega Evolution.
"Are you feeling tired yourself after Toxicroak evolves?" Sycamore asked Evan. The boy blandly looked around as if he didn't wanted to be here
"Not tired as in tired. But tired I guess." Lucy puffed her cheeks at Evan's indifference again.
"Yes. After a battle he says it feels like he's been in one as well and he can barely stand on his feet."
"Can he do it on command?" Sycamore asked as he knew the other three can do it with the greatest of ease.
"No. He tried but only after battling for some time can they do it. I don't know where it comes from or how they do it." Lucy finished talking. To Sycamore it sounded a lot like when Ash Greninja was beginning to control its powers.
"I can only tell you a little about what your friend can do. I do know others who know everything about what's happening to you and your Pokémon."
He grabbed the remote for a TV. Connecting and scrambling through screens he found the recording he was looking for. Dressed in a lavish white dress surrounded by Pokémon a silver haired girl sang with her Pokémon.
"A music number?" Lucy didn't understand why he put it on. The song and her singing were beautiful but it wasn't why she and Evan came…
The Primarina was covered up by an orb of water. The orb changed shape and it formed into a harp with the Soloist Pokémon taking on traits of the singing girl.
"That Pokémon does the same as Toxicroak!" Lucy yelled in excitement. Thete being more of them now they had options to choose from the Greninja trainer or the Primarina singer.
"Can you tell us where they are so we can ask them? Evan would like to know what's happening with him and Toxicroak."
"Not really."
Sycamore smiled at their weird dynamic. The girl that was easily excited and the boy that more often shrugged his shoulders at something.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable and let me contact them? If you're lucky they'll come to you." Having Serena's number on speed dial Sycamore wanted to call her anyway after Nina's performance.
"Isn't that great!? We get to meet the Kalos Queen and find out what's happening to you and Toxicroak!" Lucy happy they got to solve this mystery soon.
"Sure, whatever."
"You're so lazy it's infuriating!"
Nina and Philippe had finished their duet under a huge success. The two singers stood across each other with Ash and Serena waiting in front of the Poke Center.
"Is there really no way for me to convince you to come with me?" Philippe really wanted her to accompany him on his travels or at least back to Johto so he can incorporate her in his plays and songs.
"No. I already promised someone else who'd guide and manage me. Maybe in the future we'll meet again but I have to get some business in order first. And I'm not interested in you the way you are with me."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Philippe stammered at her accusation. It was just a professional thing between them.
"I got a great eye for these things. I don't know if you're attracted to my voice or the rest of me but I'm not interested in you beyond music."
Serena felt a little pity for the singer.
"Did she have to be so blunt?"
"It's who she is." Ash told Serena. Philippe looked sad though. He reached into his pocket and handed her a small piece of paper.
"In that case, my card. Contact me if you change your mind."
"I won't."
They waved goodbye as the soprano headed to his next destination. The three finally had a moment to breath and would discuss their next move after a good nights sleep. Nurse Joy came up to them and told them that Professor Sycamore requested they'd call him. Nina ignored it while Ash and Serena did. After a short conversation with the researcher and him telling the two visitors he has Ash and Serena would tell the singer their next step was decided.
Time to go back to Lumiose City.
A new one already? But Ash just beat the last one.
But is the Toxicroak good or evil?
See you around.