Pokemon X: A Ultimate Maid's Journey

by Lolitafreak88

An aspiring trainer with a complex about himself. A young maid who's done terrible things in the name of selfless devotion. Mysterious tampering has united them in the world of Kalos and as a splendid Pokemon journey unfolds, the road becomes steep. Unveiled secrets, evil plots by a red-streaked group, sightings of lost souls, league battles, and a quest to end the killing game.

1. Prologue

Pokemon X: A Ultimate Maid's Journey

By Snoopy Hoshi in Collaboration with Chaos Flash

Prologue

*WARNING! This story contains major spoilers for both the Pokemon X game and New Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony game and fans of either series who have yet to experience the full stories should not read this if they want to see things play out for themselves.*

Kalos, the ancient region. Site of a bloody history. Home to the high fashion, the arts, the evolving and ancient technologies, and the sacred sites of Pokemon. A region that was ripe for the taking and the reinvention. A region surrounded on all sides and a region that held the keys of this story and other ones as well.

Vaniville Town. The humble and quiet town of the region of Kalos, nestled in the Southern part of the region. The morning of which a new Pokemon journey was in the stages of beginning. It was a cozy brown building, a home nestled next to another one in a quaint-looking apartment complex. A Rhyhorn slept contently out in the front, settled in the serene shade of the tree out front and not far from these homey buildings was the exit gate leading straight towards the very first of a grand twenty-two route. The destiny of the fabled region lay in the footsteps of those who would be traveling along these routes and seeking their dreams. Who was to be chosen to answer the call of adventure? The name of the first participant was announced with the careful kindness of a loving and spirited female figure,

"Timothy! I'd hate for you to sleep through the alarm again. I know you were looking forward to today after all. Get up and at 'em!"

The young man she was talking to rubbed his eyes, rolling out of bed and getting ready for the day. He had a bright smile during this, with a Pidgey having flown into his room to try and rouse him from slumber. It proved to be successful as he laughed to himself sweetly and caught the Pidgey gently with his open palms and held them in front of him.

"Amelia, it's all good. We're gonna do great things together!" The young man known fully as Timothy Debouff spoke confidently. This sixteen-year-old stood at five feet and eight inches tall, weighed in at a respectable 140 pounds, sporting short black hair, light brown skin, and chocolate brown eyes. After a quick shower and a quick bathroom routine, he got to work putting on what he felt would be the best first impression on a trainer's look. He put on a plain white tee with light blue jeans and black lace-up ankle boots. He nodded fondly to himself with delight as he looked in his full-length mirror.

"Preparations set! … Now I just need to worry about making sure I get taken seriously through this journey." With a small sigh, he put his hands on his hips and briefly thought about what could be the end result of his Pokemon journey. He had desired to be strongly a Pokemon Trainer for so long and gone through a lot of unexpected occurrences and changes in his life to get to this point. He'd hate the idea of this journey ending in an unsatisfying way but meeting new people was something he was looking forward to.

"Either way, I can't take myself seriously if I'm on an empty stomach. Let's get this show on the road!" Reigniting his mood with an uplifting smile, he headed downstairs to meet up with his mother and see what she had made for him breakfast-wise. Amelia flew after her devoted Trainer with ease as she was going to be his true Starter in spirit.

In the cozy kitchen of the home, Timothy's mother, Mrs. Debouff gave her son a warm smile as she was preparing some omelets with ham and spinach and had a hot pot brewing of something cooking for dinner that night. She had brown hair, a blue tank-top, baggy pants with a fuzzy jacket tied around the waist, and red flats and she shared her son's eyes. She had a cheerful look on her face as she saw her son and her son's Pidgey take their places at the table.

"Good thing you didn't come down in your pajamas. I would've made sure you were absolutely ready before making a fashion faux pas." Mrs. Debouff chuckled. "Getcha yourself a drink though I'd recommend something healthy son."

"Will do mother. Will do." Timothy replied with a smile, carefully walking by a Fletchling who was considering a small family pet and was hopping about curious about the rush of activity. Timothy opened the fridge and gauged the options. It was an easy choice for him as he pulled out the milk carton and poured himself a glass of milk and took his seat at the table as his mother started getting ready to serve the food.

"So Tim. Following your own path instead of the good old Rhyhorn racing era of Pokemon. I'm so proud of you! Do you know what kind of team you are going to be building?" His mom asked with so much eagerness that it almost seemed she'd be going on the journey too.

"Well, I already know Amelia's gonna be sticking with me the whole way," Timothy responded, smiling at his Pidgey. "As for what I wanna have on my team...I'll just play it by ear. I'm not as much of a planner as Calem is."

"True. I'm glad you made a quick friend in him after the move. It'd have been disheartening otherwise. I bet you two are going to be the best of friends along this journey. Or maybe fierce rivals! Though as someone who has been in a competitive environment you gotta keep your cool at all times or you will make a mistake." His mother warned as she served him his breakfast.

"Yes mom, I know I can't be reckless," Her son responded. "I'm not gonna get myself hurt or anything."

A small look of concern reflected upon Mrs. Debouff's features. Timothy understood where his mother was coming from with that expression but both knew it was a thing of the past. He started eating his food with a satisfied smile at how good of a cook his mother was. That warmth in his enjoyment of the food cheered his mother up instantly. It was a sign of just how positive this opportunity was going to be for them as a family.

"And you also need to take time for yourself every now and then. There's a lot to enjoy in Kalos. Historical castles, some really neat geographical wonders, a lot of boutiques and cafes to entertain yourself in… You got a whole adventure to yourself kiddo." She said as she joined him at the table with her own plate of food.

"Sure do. But I'm gonna be spending it with Calem. Shauna too," Timothy nodded in agreement. "She's coming along too."

"Oh yeah, that chipper girl! Hehehe. I didn't know she would be so eager to start her Pokemon journey at such a young age but it goes to show she's a go-getter. You all should keep an eye on one another though. I know Shauna is quick to trust and Calem can show stubbornness. On a journey with friends, it's teamwork that makes the dream work." Amelia simply chuckled to herself. The Pidgey was used to the many motivational quotes and supportive spunk that Timothy's mother had shown throughout the time she had known Timothy as being his first Pokemon.

"You said it!" Her son smiled, enjoying his breakfast. The breakfast continued with a pretty quiet and warm atmosphere as Timothy Debouff took a sip of his milk and the world of Kalos continued in all parts of it.

The eight gym leaders of Kalos, each governing their own city and realm yet having individual careers of their own. An elderly man with a blue jacket wanders amongst a mysterious and folkloric-looking campground of sorts nuzzling and resting his hands on the many stray Pokemon wandering around the place. Despite the chill of the homeland he lives in, he radiates the kind warmth of a fire burning in a hearth. A mystical woman in deepest purple was meditating calmly in what seems to be a universe of her own undertaking. Her wisdom is boundless and describes her psyche as faultless. An ethereal-looking maiden was performing in the midst of an extravagant fashion show. Her modeling was a splendid complement to the enchanting garments that appeared to be her very own creation. A dorky blonde inventor was sharing ice cream with his younger sister at a cafe table in a busy metropolis. He was about to tell her about the latest upgrades he had made to his gym.

A sagely man with a cane was currently shearing some hedges in his own personal garden. His bright smile, radiant like sunlight, showed this was his life's passion and what brought him glee. A spirited young girl with a ponytail was currently doing martial arts with a very familiar Lucario in a hallowed tower. Both of them were clearly sweating and had been at this even earlier than anticipated, showing the power of their drive. A young man with an athletic build was fine-tuning his bike outside a bike shop as female onlookers watched him with delighted interest. He had a relaxed demeanor upon his expression as he carried out what he needed to get done for the day's events. A chipper blonde girl with a camera was seen walking around the town as she waved hello to a familiar acquaintance of hers. An older, darker-haired woman gleefully hugged her tightly as they were meeting up for the day.

The Elite Four, the greatest of the greats who despite being isolated most of the time as part of their duties, were not immune to a social life. One was a gallant man with blonde hair prepping the finest ingredients at a five-star gourmet restaurant. One was a purple-haired woman with sharp hair and a sharper tongue sharing the news of Kalos to the world. One was a chipper older woman who seemed to be feeding her several Dragon-Type Pokemon with a jovial look on her face. The final one was a sturdy-looking man in full armor who was demonstrating a jousting display to curious onlookers at a castle great.

And elsewhere… the wielders of fate and power, individuals of legend in their own unique ways carried out their business. A woman garnered in the greatest of white garments took poised steps down a familiar city as onlookers gazed in amazement at her. With a slight embarrassment in her smile, she headed for a studio of which glorious content and revolutionary cinematic experiences were made. A bold man with fiery red hair seemed to be talking to administrators at a particular building of scarlet red discussing ideas for a certain device that he had created. As they talked, something caught the man's attention from inside the building and he excused himself with a polite smile before entering it to see what the deal was. A strange and heavily tall man in a white beard, his expression hidden from the shadows of the forest he was dwelling in was seeking something desperately. No matter how far he looked and what rocks and bushes he overturned, all he had as a clue was a key around his neck and a preference for flowers as he moved about. Finally, a dashing young man in a lab coat was on a phone call with someone as a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle crawled and hopped excitedly around his feet. He was clearly looking forward to the new generation, the arrival of new trainers, as he was the Professor.

So life in Kalos continued… but someone's life was just beginning here. A bizarre sight could be seen in Vaniville Town and only above Vaniville Town. The sight of a teenage girl descending at a rapid pace like an ebony meteor in her dark yet elegant garments. She was barely conscious, dazed, and even feeling empty inside as if she had just woken up from a coma. Her descent was fast and she ended up with a thunderous crash, breaking through the aged roof of the DeBouff household. By the time she miraculously landed unharmed in the bed, the residents downstairs had felt the impact as their house shook. Amelia and Fletchling both cried out in shock and adjusted themselves in the air to recover from the bizarre sensation. For a moment neither mother nor son could process the odd occurrence and it was the mother who reacted first with disbelief present in her tone,

"Did… something just crash land into the house?" Timothy cleared his throat, which his mother seemed to acknowledge with a worried expression now. More so for the fact that the throat clear was being used as opposed to the possibility he was experiencing allergies.

The teenager in question was dressed in what could best be described as an haute couture maid uniform. A black, four white-buttoned apron embroidered in an elegant spider web pattern with a small school crest pin and shaped like a pinafore-style dress was worn over a separate white dress with a black collar. The dress had long frilly sleeves and a bubble skirt and also wore black lace and a black tight petticoat combination for her leggings. Her accessories included a frilly and lacy black headdress with a rule of four white pins keeping it in place and tight black gloves with silver rings as a curious design choice at the back of her hands. Grey high-heeled pinwheeled shoes laced with delicate white ribbons all contributed to a somewhat fanciful maid outfit and gave her a mixture of sophistication and professionalism. As for her own features, pale was an accurate depiction from her skin tone to her ashy sage-colored hair. The thing that perhaps best hinted at her not being cold altogether was her warm, green-colored eyes even if one was obscured by the long bangs of her shorter haircut.

"Mmhnn… w-what… wasn't I…?" As she came to be, the teenager finally stirred and realized she had landed upon a bed and was feeling a strange weariness that was most unwelcome. In her occupation as a maid, she should only have ever felt weary if she had finished a full day shift, not when she woke up in the morning. She tried to recollect her thoughts as it occurred to her nervous system that something had changed about her.

"I recall the trial… and what came next was… *Gasp!*" The teenager stared at her gloves and although in truth her gloves were perfectly intact, she saw a twisted glimpse of what they appeared as previously per her brain's quick reminder.

Shredded. Bloody. Blood-Spilling. Torn to shreds. Incapable of ever being used to do any sort of chore again. Throbbing in agonizing pain. Reaching out pathetically for anything to catch her before she crashed in a broken heap onto the-

"AHWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...!" The teenage girl howled in fright as she shook her hand and her head with the desperation of someone trying to ignore reality.

Miraculously for her security, when she looked again she saw what was the truth in that her hands were fine. In fact, she suddenly was surprised as the hands that her brain reminded her had become so numb from her pushing through enormous amounts of physical turmoil and pain were in perfect working order. As more of her usual sharp thinking and remembrance came to pass, she realized there was no reason to be happy about this. Even if she'd be lying to say it brought her relief. Amidst the rubble from the rooftop and that she could say daylight shining through suggested there was something off about her arrival here. It was a nice looking home though which was better than being anywhere in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles.

"Is this... some sort of safe haven...? Or is this heaven? Am I dead...? I... I know I was…" Being Executed. Thinking I had boldly defied fate in the name of my people only to end up climbing to a dead end and falling back to my demise... She thought as she whispered quietly to herself. She thought she was done for, that she was going to pay the price for thinking she had been so brilliant as to pull off a perfect crime under the justice of a twisted scenario. Now she was in someone's home? Maybe all that horrible Killing Game activity was a nightmare. Ultimately she came to a brief conclusion that the more she thought about the horrors before would likely kill any motivation she had to get out of this bed and she was a maid. THE ULTIMATE MAID. She couldn't falter under any circumstance if she had been requested to a household. She made to look for her master with her eyes when the door then opened to her… this room.

In the doorway stood Timothy, who looked quite startled by the bloodcurdling scream this girl let out. He didn't have anything to say, as the scene before him had a lot of things racing through his mind. Who was this lady? How did she fall through the roof? And what was she doing here? The teenage girl to her credit seemed just as confused but also looked rather guilty, putting a hand to her face as though she had said something out of line. Looking slightly away and down at an angle, she clarified as best she could.

"... I'm sorry for... whatever happened just moments ago." Timothy took the note from her refined and mature-sounding voice that she sounded not just ashamed but rather… petrified.

"No no, it's okay...it's just...what are you doing in my room?" He asked her.

"Your room?" The maid now suddenly felt a bit lost as her brain was now in full working order at this point. She definitely couldn't have somehow been healed and reappear somewhere in the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles. She definitely couldn't have been dreaming about the whole thing and ended up waking up in somebody's home that she didn't recall giving her a request. Something that she had experienced recently had to have been the truth of her location and that would, unfortunately, be that prison she had been in as it was the most recent and vivid in her mind. Such fantastical truths made her ask a rather juvenile but understandable question,

"Beg pardon, can you inform me your name? Or perhaps your… talent?"

"Talent…" Timothy wasn't quite sure why this maid-dressed woman would ask such a thing of him. He had talents, not just a singular talent. But for a name, that was easy. "Oh right, name! My name's Timothy DeBouff. But I just go by Tim. And you would be...?" The teenage girl, finally deciding to get out of the bed, stood up prim and proper in a posture that exemplified her role. It was time to be what she always knew she had been and had gotten her this far.

"Timothy DeBouff. It's a formal pleasure of mine to meet you. I am Kirumi Tojo. The Ultimate Maid. I'm... not really ready for service yet if I may apologize." She bowed her head slightly as her voice now seemed confident and reassured if slightly forced in actually making Timothy feel at ease. It seemed to work, for the most part.

"It's nice to meet you, Kirumi. Can't say I know what an 'Ultimate' is, honestly…" Tim scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle.

For a moment, Kirumi took this as a positive thing. A sign of relief if maybe that he didn't recognize 'Ultimate', then this wasn't the place where the 'Ultimate Hunt' had taken place. Something that had been revealed to her and all her classmates after the first trial. That somehow the reason she was like this was that she somehow did escape her execution after all and made it to freedom in a world free from the cruelty and despair that had been raining down on her like a squall.

"Could I have somehow made it to freedom then…?" She whispered to herself in the first bit of hope she had all day but Timothy heard her. He looked a little unsure of what she meant if she really was a maid. Did she run away and fall out of a plane? As comical as it sounded it made some sense to him but he was content in letting her continue. Kirumi seemed to catch onto Timothy awaiting her response and decided that she couldn't just carelessly express her emotions and lead her master to confusion.

"If I may, an Ultimate is one who possesses extraordinary talent in a field that has been recognized by Hope's Peak Academy. It is both a blessing... and a curse as recent events have shown me." Kirumi responded, folding her hands together.

"Huh...can't say I've ever heard of anything like that in the Kalos region," Tim mentioned, scratching the back of his head with his right hand and raising an eyebrow slightly. Hope's Peak Academy? He's never heard of such a thing here. It sounded a bit like something Shauna would've heard about in a rumor that she uncovered around the town.

"Kalos region? Is that like the regions of Kasai or Kanto in Japan?" Kirumi tilted her head slightly enough to express she was not familiar with that particular bit of geography.

"Um...one second." Tim went off to grab a map from his bedroom, returning with it to show Kirumi. Kirumi inwardly appreciated his patience with her as if he felt it necessary to show her the map himself, it meant he earnestly wanted to clarify it to her. "Here. Take a look for yourself."

Kirumi looked at the map and noticed it was a surprisingly well-made and recently made map. The overall land of this region was vaguely shaped like a star and had all manners of cities, farms, rivers, oceans, wind turbines, mountains, snow, trees, and even castles and a structure reminiscent of the legendary Stonehenge. As she traced each point of interest along with her map though, her concern and worry grew ever more present in her eyes. None of this was an actual country or region she recognized. If this really was Japan (Of which she also bitterly failed to be a proper Prime Minister clearly), then wouldn't Tim have told her which province it was in? It was a completely new region to her and that startled her greatly. As the Ultimate Maid, she had been taught and often called upon to study and read maps of various places to accompany her masters on trips or expeditions. As she could not recognize this map, this was a disgraceful failure to her ability.

"..." She went silent and stiff. Timothy quickly sensed by Kirumi's suddenly fragile body language and facial expression that something was seriously bothering her. As if the professional confidence she had made in her introduction was simply a brief attempt to look ok in front of him.

"Is...something the matter, Kirumi?" He asked, having no idea what she had just been through before crash landing in his house. If anything he was inclined to trust her more seeing she was genuinely down on herself. Why would someone with a hidden agenda look so fragile when they had the element of surprise on their side? Kirumi looked to Timothy, now suddenly feeling better but in a sarcastic sense.

"... If I may be frank... the mere idea that I've fallen through your house's ceiling is enough to indicate a lot is the matter…" She remarked. Then she decided inwardly she had no right to be so mocking towards her master and tried to recover her standing with a compliment.

"This map is beautifully drawn. Surely the cartographers of this region studied the area well."

"I was uh...gonna ask about that crashing noise," Tim admitted, looking up to see the cartoonishly Kirumi shaped hole in the ceiling. "You're not hurt or anything from that, are you?" Why do I get the feeling that the compliment towards the map was a pleasantry rather than something she actually meant? Timothy thought to himself.

Hurt was a massive understatement though indeed it seemed somehow her beautiful garments, her pure skin, and her very life essence was once again unhurt and ruined. Mentally though... she could still feel the grave sorrow of climbing up a thorny rope and seeing death flash before her eyes before it overcame her determination. There was also the fact she couldn't quite recall what happened to her between the moment she was about to hit the ground in death and the moment she actually crashed onto a bed. All she could vaguely recall was a sight of something of purest green and maybe a trembling sensation. Gripping one of her gloves tightly, Kirumi took a deep breath and realized that dwelling on that wasn't going to bring her security or her master comfort. She was now the Ultimate Maid and not Kirumi Tojo, the Culprit.

"I'm relatively fine... but certainly a bit shocked at the change of scenery. Normally if I was hired to a household I'd recall it vividly. Seeing as it is how I make a living and have earned my recognition among other things." Kirumi spoke with the first ounce of naturalness in her diction, lifting a finger to her chin in thought as she faced Timothy.

"Yeah, and I'd recall if mom asked for you...so, if you don't mind…" He would then clear his throat when suddenly, his whole demeanor seemed to change at the drop of a hat. He had a more calm expression. Deep down, Tim knew there was something going on here, but he didn't have any proof of it. There wasn't any Flying-type of hers coming down to get her, so she couldn't have fallen off that. And there wasn't anything above his house that could be climbed up to his knowledge. So any natural explanation that could tell him what happened wasn't there. He didn't act upon it, since Kirumi was clearly shaken up by this whole experience, as the young lad didn't want to rattle her any further. "It's not every day someone just up and falls out of the sky like that. I can tell you're new to Kalos."

Kirumi gave a small giggle, finding this sense of humor much more desirable than the jests of the Ultimate Supreme Leader she knew, and did a graceful curtsy.

"Well like a maid should, I'll become familiar with this new destination in due time as long as my masters give me requests on what I must do. That also means you are my master for the duration of you allowing me to stay here Timothy Debouff and I am in your debt." She declared her loyalty to him.

"This whole situation is weird. You falling through our ceiling, you being remarkably uninjured, and your expression at the Town Map shows you'd be wandering around aimlessly. So that's why…" He paused, realizing that there was no reason to push this issue further. He could tell that Kirumi was not from Kalos, and she didn't need an interrogation. What she needed was a friend, and he felt he had to be that friend. After all, this declaration she made showed she would be likely homeless if she didn't have someone to help her through this strange land in her eyes. He would clear his throat again, his demeanor shifted back to the more upbeat, cheerful Tim from a moment ago. "If you don't mind, how about I help you around?"

"Yes. If this is your household you must live in one of the towns shown on the map, correct?" Kirumi asked with a smile as her heart sang with a pleasant joy at the fact Timothy did not push her away. That moral quandary in the back of her mind was pointing out that she would've been likely sent away if she had been honest with the fact she had just murdered Ryoma Hoshi and been convicted for it to Tim but she ignored it. I… still want to live! Kirumi thought passionately to herself. Timothy nodded at her question and went back to the map to demonstrate,

"That's right. See that small town around the southeast? Left of the mountain range? That's where we are, Vaniville Town. I've lived here my whole life with mom." Tim pointed this out to Kirumi helpfully.

Kirumi pouted slightly. Where the Ultimate Academy had been was not by any known mountain structure from what she could see. There were skyscrapers which would normally suggest the accurate conclusion of it being in the middle of a city but even so it just added more confusion to how Kirumi ended up in this unknown region from having seemingly escaped her execution.

"Vaniville Town... and this town... does it have any particular faculties or cultural customs?" She asked honestly, believing in Timothy not trying to deceive her with these answers.

"Nah...it's a pretty small town here in Kalos," Tim answered, hearing his mother calling up to him.

"Timothy! What's going on up there?" Kirumi looked towards the open hallway and determined Timothy was living with his mother and that she likely had interrupted what was a normal routine for them.

"Hang on, mom! I'll be right there!" Tim turned to Kirumi. "Excuse me for a moment. I gotta fill her in on what's going on." He said as he quickly saddled over towards the door. Kirumi nodded in understanding.

"I'll wait patiently for your return. Also in the meantime, I ask nothing in return for all that you are doing for me. It's enough you haven't sent me out for rudely barging in through your ceiling." She said with humility.

"It's okay, Kirumi. That can be fixed. We'll just need to get a tarp out from the closet." He would hurry downstairs to fill his mother in on what just happened, giving Kirumi a moment to assess her current situation.

Kirumi wasted no time in somewhat impertinently investigating the room. She opened the closet, peered in the drawers, opened the window, and looked outside to see a beautiful view of what looked to be a bridge towards a small town, and looked in every nook and cranny. The presence of the video game player suggested it was a modern time period for certain (As time travel was increasingly within the realm of possibility in that killing game and not something she wanted) and the mirror and typical furniture and decor suggested it was completely normal. A perfectly fine young man's room. It should've brought her joy but it only heightened her confusion now as to what exactly happened to her.

"I... feel that there is no more Killing Game going on but if this is the outside world... Why is no one acting out of the ordinary? Or aware of things like the Ultimate Hunt?" She frowned deeply as her original delight in Timothy not knowing a thing about Ultimates only supported the other fearful truth of this scenario. That she was in some completely isolated country… or in even grander scope… alternate universe.

"..." She paced around the room before looking into the mirror and suddenly being overcome with the dread of what she had done. It was utterly hypocritical that she was to use the Ultimate Pianist's dying wish as an excuse to defend her 'innocence' to her classmates. Then again Kaede Akamatsu had been the first to murder... to try to hunt down the Mastermind. Kirumi never once heeded thoughts or devoted time to think of who the Mastermind may have been if they existed. Certainly Kokichi Oma seemed plausible right now after how he infuriated her in doing the right thing but she feared she'd never be able to sway or see her classmates again. Not after taking the life of one herself. Plus, her conclusion could be wrong and that would just be the final nail in the coffin of her having been any help to her classmates in the first place.

"This certainly seems a fitting punishment for me to be thrust somewhere unexpected," Kirumi talked to herself and suddenly started being reminded that there was something that could be done for all she cared about, "but I'm still driven by selfless devotion... I still must know my people are safe and protected... warn them of Monokuma. And... maybe try to rescue those still trapped in the game. That's my only way to atone."

It was a beautiful situation and it was also a fair thing to do. For she had done the most selfish act possible as one who pledged herself to help tend to her classmate's needs. They were still at the mercy of more death and misery and the golden rule was that the game would only end with two still alive. Saving even one more than just two could be the salvation that'd redeem Kirumi and also relieve her of the fears she had for them. As distant she had made herself at times from them, she cared about them as people who listened to her and that made her feel included as opposed to older and apart from them. They were talented.

"All of them deserve to live." She amended her earlier thought to add in her selfless desire to see them safe. Timothy came in just in time to see Kirumi in a pose that looked like she was pumping up and looking fiercely determined in the mirror. He was holding a wrist-mounted-looking device in his hands and suddenly wondered if Kirumi was excited about something she found.

"Uh...Kirumi?" He spoke up to get her attention. "Were you looking through my underwear drawer?"

Kirumi flinched at both the unexpected question and the fact she had been so deep in her thoughts that Timothy genuinely snuck up on her. She turned around and despite blushing slightly, managed to give a composed response to him,

"I certainly would never perform such an insipid and depraved act, Tim. I'm sorry if I appeared to be irresponsible as a maid. I was just feeling better thinking about this Kalos and what I might find here." Although I do know one person depraved enough to do it quickly, Kirumi thought with disgust.

"Right…" Tim shook his head, taking Kirumi's word for it. "Alright, so here's what mom wants me to do. She went out to feed the Rhyhorn. Before she became a Rhyhorn racer, she worked as a doctor. Dad made this for us as a going away gift. Work reasons."

"A gift? That's truly generous of you to give me something like this." Though Kirumi sounded genuinely curious about it, she was more curious about this 'Rhyhorn'. It had to have been a pet but usually, the only pets that could be raced by someone was a horse or something more exotic like a camel or elephant. What was it…?

"Um, dad made this as a gift for me and mom to use," Tim clarified. "Lemme show you what it does. All I do is open it up like this…" He released a clasp on the device. "Presto! It can let us check on the physical health of anyone." It was useful in giving checkups and letting them see where they needed to administer treatment. Kirumi looked rather inspired.

"So your family specializes in medicine? I suppose that must mean you are very wealthy. What does it say for you?" She asked.

"Oh sure! I can show you." Tim went ahead and put the device on his right forearm, powering it on as he started to fiddle with it. Kirumi examined the display on the monitor curiously to see how accurate it's analysis would be.

"Strength: You got the makings of a true Hariyama! 8/10. Perception: You are about average in seeing what is believing. 5/10. Endurance: You've taken a Smack Down but still got to your feet! 7/10. Charisma: Starting to get to the point where your Cute Charm takes hold. 6/10. Intelligence: You are about average in measures of the mind! 5/10. Agility: Sometimes you get a head start and sometimes you feel like you are in a Trick Room. 3/10. Luck: You've won a few games at the Game Corner and that's good enough for me! 6/10. Tag Skills. Unarmed: Like many of the premiere Elite Four members, you fight as devastatingly strong with your body alongside your Pokemon instead of relying on them. Speech: You can move mountains and the masses with your voice and there's nothing you can't convey when you put your mind to it. Lockpick: Cracking codes, puzzles, and open doors, you will be any evil team bases worse nightmare! Traits. Skilled: Who says you can't be a prodigy and a diamond in the rough?" The full results were displayed in a chipper electronic tone.

"... Is it wrong to say that I'm not fully understanding the context of some of these descriptions? Though regardless, it sounds like you are brilliant as a person Timothy." Kirumi curtsied honorably at her master for being viewed so positively in the eyes of this device.

"Oh don't worry...it makes sense to mom and I," Tim responded, taking the device off. He had to admit Kirumi's compliments did make him feel happy but he inwardly hoped she wasn't trying to butter him up. He'd have to get to know her a bit better to determine how her compliments worked."Your turn, Kirumi. If you don't mind…" Kirumi nodded as Timothy pulled her sleeves up and put the device on her right wrist.

"Strength: Starting to really feel your peak physique like a Tyrogue ready to evolve! 7/10. Perception: Yikes, you might need to stop overthinking and consider what is going on around you. 3/10. Endurance: You've taken a Smack Down but you still got to your feet! 7/10. Charisma: You are able to speak your mind even if it's not always going to get people to listen to you and that's ok. 5/10. Intelligence: Wow! The heights of intelligence are yours as you give Alakazam a run for its money. 10/10. Agility: You are able to keep pace with others as well as yourself and that's going to get you far! 7/10. Luck: OOF! You're the type to constantly get Critted by opponent Pokemon and might want to invest in some charms. 1/10. Skills. Unarmed: Like many of the premiere Elite Four members, you fight as devastatingly strong with your body alongside your Pokemon instead of relying on them. Repair: It doesn't take long for you to see a problem and work out a solution to fix it, in social situations, in technology, and in any medium. Survival: Whether you are a Slurpuff in the kitchen or have the resourcefulness of a Hiker, you are able to fend for yourself out in a wild environment and that's a handy skill to have! Traits. Hot Blooded: When the going gets tough, you go all out and no one should count you out! Skilled: Who says you can't be a prodigy and a diamond in the rough?"

"Wow, you got a perfect ten! That's really rare, y'know." Timothy gave Kirumi a sincere smile.

Kirumi looked at this in a more inquisitive fashion as she reflected on what exactly it meant. Strength was accurate as she had built up impressive physique, stamina, and fortitude doing maid work as well as even more advanced work like infiltration and construction. Perception being low was odd as Kirumi felt she was very perceptive to her clients and their needs. Although it could also be referring to self-perception as well, Kirumi considered as she was reminded of the worst mistakes of her life such as leaving one master pleading for her to let him be and the murder trial of which her mistakes in the murder plan that she couldn't fix in time were exposed. Endurance was accurate from long hours spent in employment and the fact she had pushed herself to insane endeavors climbing up a thorny rope to try to save herself. The perfect intelligence was a pleasant surprise as it did confirm she wasn't a foolish person, that she had a strong logic and sensibility behind her mind. She had perfectly absorbed all she had learned in her work as the Ultimate Maid. Agility was not usually requested of a maid unless they needed to get something done within a certain deadline and she had participated in sports before back when she was younger so agility came naturally to her. Poor luck though… not something that anyone can truly improve or worsen so if it started at the worst, maybe someday she'd experience better luck. It ultimately served as a way for her to know what areas to improve, which was a healthier objective than having to think about keeping her sins a secret for the moment.

"This machine has quite the imagery and yet was especially apt in its conclusions. I say it's impeccable of your father to create such an invention. Anyone can use it for a multitude of purposes." Kirumi pointed out as she took the invention off with Timothy's instructions and handed it back.

"I know, my dad's an engineering genius!" Tim's beaming smile showed full amounts of pride in this. Kirumi had to smile a bit as well, recognizing the same spirit and confidence in his voice as one of her more sensible classmates back at the Academy. Someone she felt would be able to carry on as a voice of reason (And non-killer, her negativity reminded her) in her absence. Still, while she was warming up Timothy and recognized him as her confidant here, she had to make more things clear. If this was to be her employer while she tried to piece together her new purpose and situation then she had to cover a few key subjects.

"So your dad works in engineering while your mother rides… Rhyhorns. And what is your current occupation?"

"Oh, me? I don't really have a job, but you could say I'm a Pokemon Trainer." Timothy said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Kirumi had heard many, MANY off things during her unfortunate stay in the Killing Game. Of course, she had heard strange things from previous tenures as an Ultimate Maid but she knew that none of them held a candle to what her classmates spoke of. From Angie Yonaga's religious customs for her god Atua to Miu Iruma's vulgar statements and strange process behind choosing inventions to build to some of Tsumugi Shirogane's obscure anime references that she seemed to know instantaneously to how Korekiyo Shinguji could never quite read a room right and would express passionately his love for humanity. There was something about the fact that Timothy said a nonsensical word such as 'Pokemon' and then peppered in that he was a Trainer of an unknown word to her that made Kirumi give a genuinely flabbergasted expression. It broke her composure and she tilted her head as Timothy could read clearly she was struggling to make sense of the subject of Pokemon. He looked awkwardly left and right as she saw her visibly strain to come up with a proper image in mind.

"...Pokemon… Trainer…? Can you tell me what a Pokemon is… and what it does that indicates the need for training? Is it a domesticated creature or something found in the wild?" Kirumi had the common sense to deduce it was a kind of living being but her voice suggested she really hoped for clarification.

"Oh, right… I forgot." Timothy replied as he looked away for a moment.

Timothy was taken aback by Kirumi's lack of understanding a fundamental part of Kalos… for only a moment. After all, she already proved she was a stranger to this region and maybe she came from a place where there were no Pokemon around or to speak of. As hugely rare as it was in this day and age, it was still a very possible scenario. She would need to know about them and he was perfectly fine with answering her questions. Though it'd be easier if I had a Pokedex on hand that's for sure, he thought with a chuckle. Still he had to make sure Kirumi would believe him so he cleared his throat calmly and gave a sharp look towards Kirumi. Kirumi was a little perplexed why he cleared his throat but she was more than eager to listen to what he had to say,

"A Pokemon Trainer is someone who carries around a team of up to six creatures known as Pokemon. Some specialize in breeding, others battle with them. Some might say it's no different from illegal animal fights, but they apparently don't read, since it says in black and white that Pokemon faint, they don't die." Timothy added that last part with noticeable sarcasm as if he had dealt with such senseless folk in the past.

Kirumi folded one arm and rested her other arm on it as she held her chin and started to think carefully. This did clear up a lot of confusion behind the childish term and made it clear it was taken seriously in Kalos. An image would definitely help her figure what the potential limits of the Pokemon were in this world and normally she'd imagine that someone finding out about this could be easily startled. If they could fight after all then that would mean they could have aggressive tendencies or dangerous properties like venom or tentacles or quills and sharp teeth. Kirumi was braver than that and instead regarded these creatures as any interesting species of the animal kingdom. In fact, it made her rather sympathetic to them as she couldn't imagine such creatures wanting to learn and be forced to fight others of their kind. Why it'd be the kind of thing the Ultimate Entomologist would be enraged about. As for the Trainer aspect, it did give Kirumi a small hope that maybe she really was somewhere familiar to her.

"Well... it certainly sounds like a field an Ultimate could be found in. And do the Pokemon enjoy being trained in these fields? Forcing living creatures to do battle sounds a bit out-of-line if I had to be honest. It's no better than cockfights." With a sudden unconscious shiver, Kirumi also realized it sounded much like the cruel Killing Game she had succumbed to.

Timothy gave a small sigh. He had to admit that he had heard the horror stories of what cruel actions trainers could perform towards Pokemon. Whether they were imprisoning them and selling them off like goods at a market or abusing their breeding capabilities to obscene limits to making them target to vent out their anger and frustration on. His mother had raised him to respect and care for Pokemon as pure, wholesome beings. He would sooner give up on his Pokemon journey than risk being the kind of person to mistreat Pokemon so terribly. Though he knew that as far as Pokemon training goes, most trainers trained their Pokemon in an honest fashion. He would certainly show his friends and family that he could train a steadfast team and treat them as his lifelong companions in the process. Ultimately though, Kirumi's concerns were fair from someone who maybe didn't approve of the practice. He felt it was fair to oblige that she had a point.

"Unless the trainer is an absolute jerk, they enjoy battling with each other. But then you have those trainers who treat fainting as the same as death. It's like...no. That's just giving up on your partners because they 'lost' one time." Timothy's disgust for such locked-in behavior didn't go undetected by Kirumi.

"And does anyone get... hurt by the Pokemon during these battles?"

"Not that I recall. Under the official rules of Pokemon Battles, the only active participants are the Pokemon while the Trainers issue commands and strategies for their Pokemon to follow. Outside of that, the only way that others get hurt happens if the trainers actively go out of their way to hurt others and are treated as a crime." Timothy nodded affirmatively. Kirumi paused momentarily as another somewhat negative but important possibility regarding these Pokemon came to mind.

"Has there ever been some sort of conspiracy or criminal activity or terrorist actions committed by Pokemon Trainers? If they are of noteworthy prowess and populace then I imagine that's a concern on people's mind at times?" Kirumi and Tim eye contact towards one another reflected that both of them were being as clear as they could be with their words.

"As for that...I've heard stories on the news about how Pokemon Trainers have dealt with problems like those. You'd think the authorities would've had them stamped out...but I digress." Timothy felt as if he had answered Kirumi's questions accurately enough and cleared his throat again. He then spoke in a more upbeat tone that Kirumi barely regarded as she was thinking more intently on what Tim had answered.

"I'd like you to just see it for yourself. Just so you can get the full picture." He said.

"Tim, have you ever heard of Monokuma? Or perhaps the Monokubs? Or Exisals?" Kirumi inquired with a deadly serious tone. She knew that such things were possibly unknown to the world outside of the Academy but she was hoping that maybe it'd explain how these monstrosities came to existence in the first place. If they were part of this Pokemon family. However, to her disappointment, Tim looked at her with a bewildered but friendly expression.

"No...?" Tim tilted his head curiously.

"... That doesn't make sense. Surely something that is otherworldly would fit the description of these Pokemon…" Kirumi's words came out like a bargaining statement and Tim felt the need to reassure her.

"Whatever they are, they don't seem like something you feel safe around. You don't need to worry about them. The Pokemon I'm looking to add to my team are going to be reliable and trustworthy."

"Are you sure it is safe to see these Pokemon?" Kirumi couldn't help but still feel a little self-conscious. The worries of the fact that nothing from her world over the past few days was even recognized by Timothy Debouff left her in a state where for once, she was completely caught off-guard. She'd be as helpless as she was in the Killing Game but in a different albeit more positive way. It was frustrating for someone of her work ethic to be unprepared and she was only just now starting to accept it.

"Well, as long as you're with me, Amelia and I can keep you safe from any Wild Pokemon attacks." To Kirumi's amazement, Tim pulled out a vaguely capsule-like toy with a red and white color scheme and a button in the middle and chuckled. Then he tossed it gently in the air where it suddenly opened with a fantastical and photonic red light that zigged and zagged before hitting a spot in the air. Then a shape of a bird began to form from that red light, all accentuated in sounds that reminded Kirumi of the chimes of certain machines or video games, and then she saw her first Pokemon. Amelia the Pidgey!

"Pidgey Pidgey!" Amelia seemed to be giving Kirumi a warm greeting as it landed on her left shoulder. Kirumi was pleasantly surprised to see not only that Amelia was very well-behaved and trusting of her, but also that it didn't look nearly as dangerous as she was concerned these Pokemon could get. Although she did notice after a moment Amelia seemed to be staring quite intently at her as if trying to determine her trustworthiness. Frowning slightly but finding it fair, Kirumi responded,

"It's certainly not an ordinary bird then... How did these Pokemon come to be discovered?" Amelia shook her head but Timothy just shrugged his shoulders.

"I dunno, I don't know the full history myself. Maybe my neighbors could tell you. They're meeting up in Aquacorde Town up north for an adventure." He pointed behind him to indicate he was intent on going out today.

An adventure. Kirumi was normally averse to an adventure unless it was with her master. After all, she had a lot of responsibilities in Japan as the Prime Minister and it was crucial for her to serve with selfless devotion rather than wanderlust. But with the advent of Pokemon suddenly appearing and yet no mention of Despair or Monokuma or Ultimates other than from herself... Maybe this adventure was a satisfactory conclusion to pursue for the current hour. It was proactive and something better to perform in than just sitting around in an idle and uncomfortable state and hoping for truths to make themselves apparent in time. She had to also repay Tim for his kindness and support towards her in spite of damaging his property and appearing a complete stranger. As Amelia flew back to her trainer's side, Kirumi held a hand out formally and made her intentions known,

"An adventure does sound like it could answer a lot of my own requests. If I may Tim, I'd be honored to accompany you and keep you safe with my own diligence."

To the young lad's ears, he was definitely interested in hearing where Kirumi came from and what she was talking about. Amelia was too, silently communicating to ask if this was a good idea. Tim gave a knowing nod, saying he was more than willing to lend a hand. "And I'll do whatever I can to help you out in kind. Let's get going!"

Timothy made his way downstairs and Kirumi in the meantime decided to try to clear some of the rubble she left on the bed from her crash. Taking it and discarding it in a trash can. She would've followed him but at the same time, she knew that he was probably talking to his mother to let her know about the plans they just made and didn't want to incur a disturbance. Once the room was left a bit tidier, Timothy came back up.

"Uh...right after we help her get the tarp on the roof." He gave an embarrassed smile as did Amelia who was perched on her trainer's arm.

"Yes, I'll be glad to assist her and you with that request." Kirumi nodded and made her way downstairs.

Timothy's introduction of Kirumi to his mom went swimmingly as even though the mother was a bit surprised to see her so put together for someone calling herself a 'maid', she appreciated that she was willing to patch up the mess she made. Not to mention that Kirumi wanted to be one of Tim's traveling companions and in her mind, new friends would make for an awesome journeying perspective. The three of them pulled out a ladder and took it outside once Kirumi fetched the tarp and with Tim holding the ladder steady and Amelia giving his mother the directions necessary to find the hole in the roof, the tarp was set! Tim's mother climbed back down and addressed Kirumi,

"Thanks for being so dutiful. I understand it would normally leave someone pretty shaken and not in the mood to do chores after having had a freak accident like crashing into somebody's home. I guess it just goes to show you are a responsible young woman for your age."

"I try to serve requests with the necessary accuracy, consistency, and responsibility that they expect from my services. I also believe that I'd like to learn more about the things that have inspired Tim to go on his journey in the first place." Kirumi responded.

Tim had to admit that if he didn't know any better, he'd believe that Kirumi was treating him like the center of her universe. It was an odd feeling having someone be this focused on helping him out of what was a work obligation. It was a little awkward and stifling since it made Kirumi seem as though she wasn't someone who had much of a social life and he would prefer getting to know her naturally. Still, he felt he had only scratched the surface of Kirumi and why she called herself the Ultimate Maid and seemed like she had undergone a lot for her age. It made him curious what sort of situations he'd undertake on this journey and how they would change him. Once it looked like he got the ok to go, Tim returned Amelia to her Pokeball and walked towards the gate of Vaniville, gesturing for Kirumi to follow him.

"Daylight's a wasting! C'mon Kirumi! We're going to start our adventure."

Kirumi on the other hand took this a lot more gravelly than Tim would know. She had nothing left to lose here and she already had permanently scarred her reputation by planning and performing a murder on a student her age. She had been consumed with panic at the time and so driven to protect the needs of the many over the few that she did something she wouldn't have ever fathomed before being part of the Killing Game. There was a clear fact about this Kalos that she had deduced which was that it obeyed regular laws. If her crime was to ever be exposed, she could easily be arrested for first-degree murder and stripped of more than just the Prime Minister position. She had to hide her horrors and simply adapt to what was meant to be a joyous occasion and opportunity similar to how one feels when first arriving at school. So with as graceful yet withdrawn of a smile she could muster in that moment, she followed after Tim.

Aquacorde town had a classic colonial appearance with several European-style apartment buildings and street lights elegantly placed by tables and chairs for meals. A magnificent and large bridge led out of the town and towards what looked to be a more meadowy area. The picturesque atmosphere was like something out of London or certain Western countries and gave Kirumi a pleasant feeling of comfort. She had gotten so used to the Ultimate Academy's visual offerings and facilities that naturally she felt constrained there, even when her Research Lab had opened up. Having the feeling of pure fresh air, involved daily life, and natural beauty again and being free was wonderful. Until it occurred to Kirumi that this was a rather selfish feeling to have when her other classmates were still suffering conditions that she had. An Ultimate Maid rarely puts her own needs before that of others, she thought, but seeing as I broke that creed as a culprit shouldn't I feel tied to that? Or is it wrong to carry on like I'm enjoying this? Before she could tackle this moral dilemma further, Tim ran ahead and waved hello to the friends he presumably was meeting.

"Calem! Shauna! Sorry if I was running late!" He called out to them excitedly. Kirumi raised her eyes to look at them.

Shauna, the girl, looked to be a bright girl a little younger than Kirumi with a similar skin tone to Angie's. She had a surprisingly fashionable if animated hairstyle of brown pigtails, luminous pale green eyes, a hot pink top with black accents and bows, jean shorts with black fabric edging the shorts, a black scrunchie on her left wrist, a matching over-the-shoulder messenger bag, and surprisingly bulky-looking pink boots with open straps, reaching up to a one-fourths of her calves, with a small heel. She had radiant and positive energy as she waved hello to Tim and the maid's first instinct was to trust her but her second one was that she did remind her a lot of Angie and even Tenko Chabishira to an extent. Was she as deceptively forceful as her female classmates?

"Not at all! You are right on schedule! You even brought… a friend? A cousin…? I've never seen her before but I'd love to get to know her." Shauna stammered a bit before sharing a rather kind-hearted sentiment.

Calem, the guy, was a bit more of a Shuichi type if Kirumi had to be honest. His posture reflected the detective's when he was showing more confidence after the first trial and his short hair had a similar dark ebony hue to the detectives. His skin, while pale, wasn't nearly as pale though and he had rich grey eyes the color of fresh stone. He wore a blue turtle-neck windbreaker with sporty white stripes, jeans, brown messenger boots similar to Korekiyo but shorter and perhaps a bit trendier in design, and a more mature-looking over-the-shoulder messenger bag in black. He gave Kirumi a more careful glance as it seemed all too apparent between him and Shauna that he was the more logical of the two. He said,

"Not a problem Tim. Though I have to question who she is that you'd bring her along to this meeting when this is our first introduction with her."

"This is Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid as she calls herself." Tim said as Kirumi slowly started to approach the two of them, albeit with uncharacteristically nervous steps. She realized that as far as she was concerned, this was equivalent to a homeless stranger walking up to two well-dressed individuals and trying to make an impression. If it weren't for her occupation forcing her to look immaculately presentable (And the numerous copies of this outfit provided for her by Monokuma at the Academy) and she'd probably have not tried to meet them on her own.

"Wow! A maid! So she must be really good at caretaking and cooking! It's great to meet you then! I'm Shauna!" Shauna looked excited by this reveal and waved hello excitedly to Kirumi. Kirumi wished so badly she could appreciate this act of welcoming energy but she felt uncertain of it all. Weren't her classmates about the same way when they first met but then things took a drastic turn for the worst?

"Ultimate Maid then? An apt title I'm sure. I'm Calem." Calem folded his arms and seemed like he was expecting Tim to fill them in on more information.

Tim had no qualms about this as he'd known both Calem and Shauna since they moved in. Calem was stoic and sensible with a passion for trying his best and occasionally coming off as an overachiever but always kept everyone's best interests in mind. Shauna saw a positive in everything, even in the worst of situations and was fond of cute things and making memories which made her great at making new friends. They were two sides of a coin as far as friend circle went and were really reliable and dependable. They gave Tim security in times he definitely needed it in the past, like when he was starting off a new life with his mom like this. Even with the unexpected variable standing next to them as far as their plans to go on a Pokemon Journey at the same time, he believed they would understand Kirumi's situation and be welcoming towards her. Especially since she looks really worried right now, he thought as Kirumi's head hung slightly lower than normal. He explained the circumstances of how Kirumi appeared in his household as well as some of their first interactions and how she had helped rebuild the house. Needless to say, his companions were surprised.

"Oh my…" Calem commented.

"And you two are Tim's... neighbors...? I'm not sure if I'll be able to offer my request until I get a good footing in Kalos but it's great to meet fellow Pokemon Trainers even if I myself am not one." Kirumi finally spoke but in a clearly forced attempt to change the subject.

"So... requests like in household work or catching people's Pokemon or helping others? That's really sweet of you to do for others!" Shauna cheerfully exclaimed, clasping her hands together like it was the cutest thing.

"Regardless of how you wound up here, Kirumi, it is good to meet you." Calem bowed his head slightly in a greeting before giving Tim a more knowing look. Shauna and Kirumi looked briefly lost before Calem continued, "Alright, so what do you need from me?"

"You are the know-it-all among us, maybe you can help us figure out how she got here." Tim offered.

"Ok, let me gather my thoughts." Calem, who liked a mental challenge, started thinking and folded his arms. Kirumi nodded and curtsied politely in response to this, showing she would listen accordingly. As the young Trainer thought on this, the more this story seemed very outlandish to him and certainly had ideas that he had never heard of in his life here in Kalos. That did mean it was crucial to get Kirumi's own perspective on things.

"So, let me see if I understand this...you claim to be from Japan, crashed through Tim's roof unharmed...and now you're here in Kalos. Did I get that right?" He asked finally.

"Yes. And I... was in a very important position in my home. It's imperative for me to return there as soon as possible if I can. Lest something worse happens than what already may…" Kirumi responded, eyes closed and brows furrowed. Tim, Calem, and Shauna shared looks of intrigue and a little worry at how grave Kirumi sounded.

"Something worse? Did... you get in some kind of trouble or are you hurt?" Shauna asked sincerely. Kirumi flinched. Shauna's question was innocent but to her, it felt like a pointed statement about how she was both of those things at once. She didn't imagine that she wouldn't succeed at her escape from her execution, much less the trial and so she was still reeling from the shame and guilt associated with unexpectedly surviving it all just now. Ryoma was dead because of her so morally she was in trouble. Then again, she considered with a more rational point of view, isn't it too early to be looking so vulnerable to new companions? She cleared her throat as politely as she could and expressed with a tired-looking appearance,

"Oh... I'm sorry... I'm usually a bit more controlled with my emotions..."

Tim frowned deeply at hearing this. 'Controlled?' Who wants to control their emotions when they should be in a situation of being earnest and honest with listeners? Still, Kirumi continued.

"I mean, for all, I know things between where I was and where I am right now are significantly different. I just know that there are people waiting for me at home. But right now I see that you want me to journey along on this adventure so I will fulfill that request." Calem's eyes widened and Tim detected this and cleared his throat subtly as he was aware Calem was about to share his theory.

"Thanks! But take some time to relax for yourself ok? Though to be fair I'm slightly nervous about this journey myself… It's just natural when it's something big and in the moment." Shauna pointed a finger up and looked eager.

Kirumi showed an appreciative smile and said,

"Thank you Shauna." This made Calem slightly feel guilty about what he was about to say as he wasn't sure how Kirumi would take it. Still, it was important to address what Kirumi was hoping to find out about her situation and coming here.

"I see...the only thing I can think of, Kirumi, is that the world you came from, and our world, are two different ones." He said with a calm tone.

Shauna looked utterly surprised at this proposition of what occurred while Tim bit his lip slightly. Kirumi's instinctive reaction was to stare at Calem with wide eyes and utter a small gasp. Feelings of confusion, shock, dismay, and contempt spiraled around Kirumi's head which eclipsed any self-loathing the Ultimate Maid had been feeling. A different world? That just simply wasn't feasibly possible in any situation in the world. Was this some sort of cruel joke Calem was playing on her? If she came from another world, that would mean the fates of the fallen like Kaede Akamatsu and Rantaro Amami were all for nothing! Her being here would be…. Well, the farthest thing from being able to make amends for the classmates she had struggled so viciously against for her own selfish purposes.

"I beg your pardon? That's a nonsensical theory." Kirumi pointed at Calem and spoke as bluntly but politely as she could. Tim hesitantly mouthed an 'easy there' to Kirumi before turning to Calem.

"Go on…" He urged.

"Kirumi, I think I can safely say these things you've mentioned...Monokuma, Exsials, Monokubs...there's no such mention of those things here in the Kalos region. And well, you've only just heard of Pokemon now, right?"

Kirumi placed her pointing finger onto her mouth in shock as the realization of this practical explanation hit her.

"Yes, this is the first I've heard of Pokemon. I've studied everything from Abdominal muscles to Zoology in the process of becoming a maid and something like that wouldn't have eluded me…"

"Which means, our world and your world are not one in the same. I know it might sound hard to believe...but it's the only thing that makes sense to me." Calem gestured at how resolute this conclusion had to be. It offended Kirumi though and both Tim and Shauna seemed to sense it as they saw Kirumi instinctively lower her hand from her mouth and instead clench her skirt tightly with it and the other hand.

"But the circumstances regarding my situation... it's impossible for them not to be known. For them to be a lie…" At this point, she was well aware that she had dared to question her master's friends but she just didn't want to accept that she had been separated entirely from her classmates. From her time period. From reality.

"What circumstances?" Calem raised an eyebrow as Kirumi's tone suggested there was much more to this than what he had been given from Tim. He wasn't about to let this slip go no matter if Kirumi was getting worked up or not. Tim on the other hand noticed Kirumi's voice was becoming tense and that some bystanders around Aquacorde Town were listening in with a mixture of confusion, inappropriate curiosity, and maybe some genuine concern. Tim didn't appreciate these kinds of looks and knew it would do more harm than good if they continued to make a scene.

"Perhaps we should talk about this...away from other people?" He urged. Shauna seemed willing to listen and even Calem suddenly considered Tim's point. Kirumi though wasn't listening. Rather, she was now suddenly infuriated and venting some of her anger and frustration that had been bottled up since her multiple failures after the trial concluded.

"The circumstances of why I've been completely isolated from family and friends! From a world of Ultimates! I don't approve of this manipulation and I don't approve that I once again am in a destiny that is not up to me! Is one of these Pokemon responsible for it? Have you dragged me here just for me to serve your requests?!"

Worried that Kirumi was about to start attacking her friends' character, Shauna stepped in the only way she knew how. By putting a comforting hand on Kirumi's shoulder.

"Hey... Tim's right! Kirumi you must be really stressed right now... and I get it. Falling from the sky is really abnormal and the two worlds thing IS a little strange… But we should do something down-to-earth for now I think." She implored Kirumi to relax a bit.

"If there is a Pokemon who did this, then hopefully we'll be able to find out about them. But Tim has a point...I fear we're causing a scene." Calem relented and Tim gave nothing more than a concerned expression about how quick to anger Kirumi was.

"...!" Kirumi frowned and gasped, suddenly feeling very powerless and foolish. These emotional actions and reactions that she was doing right now were making her no less mature than Miu of all people, let alone a Prime Minister. While she can't ever forgive the implication that what happened to her and to those she directly affected in the Killing Game had suddenly disappeared or that she had been separated from them forever, she knew that reckless abandon of proper behavior or even social savvy was not what earned her the Ultimate Maid title. She was not the Ultimate Prime Minister after all… she had a title of equal dignity first in her mind. She had to act like that and not push away her only ties to security, financial stability, and any clues to resolving this mystery she found herself in. She took a calm breath to compose herself and looked between a hopeful Shauna, a guilty Calem, and a strangely hard to read Tim.

"I understand… I suppose it's only fair for me to disclose what had happened to me prior to coming here to some extent if that is your request. And I apologize for losing my temper." She spoke as gently as she could. Fortunately for her, all three friends gave her warm, welcoming smiles that showed they accepted it. It would take a lot more than one emotional outburst for them to write off someone who needed help as a lost cause or undependable. Although there were some lingering thoughts of worry lingering in one of their minds…

"It's forgivable. If you'd follow me…" Calem led the way as the bystanders nearby went back to simply following their own routine. While Kirumi followed, however, Shauna pulled gently on Tim's sleeve and seemed to want to discuss something privately with him as Kirumi went with Calem.

"Tim…"

"Yeah Shauna?" The young lad asked. "Something bothering you?"

"So you said she really helped your mother out with the hole in the roof right? Was there anything else she said to you before you got here? I mean besides this whole Mono Mono thing and the Ultimate stuff?" Shauna asked in a way that emphasized she was rather confused about the whole thing and wanted to believe Kirumi.

"I'm gonna level with you...there's a lot of stuff I'm curious about myself," Tim answered, knowing he could always be honest with Shauna about these things. "For one, Calem's right - whatever world Kirumi came from, odds are she was lucky to escape it since this Monokuma guy sounds like nothing but trouble. And...well, she was surprised to find out I didn't have any 'Ultimate talent' whatever that is, so it's like...whatever world she came from wasn't enjoyable."

"Wasn't enjoyable?" Shauna looked a bit dismayed. "But… she sounds like she takes pride in her Ultimate Maid status. Although maybe it's because the people she knew in her world were Ultimates like her?"

"I dunno...but I don't want to push her about it," Tim responded. "She's clearly shaken up from the experience, and she doesn't need to be questioned about it. She just needs a friend to feel safe with. That's why I made the offer."

"So that means you trust her then?" Shauna looked expectantly at Tim. Tim had to relent internally that he was concerned about the situation going on with Kirumi, but what good was trust if you never gave it to someone who had no reason to break it? He'd trust her in spite of it all.

"Yes...I do. I could tell straight away she was being genuine," The young man replied. Shauna's mood was elevated by these words and she lifted a leg up excitedly.

"Great! Then I will trust her too!~ She's so beautiful and well-spoken, I feel kind of clumsy compared to her. I'm hoping she can give me some pointers on how to take good care of my Pokemon and have a fun time on the journey." She admitted. With that, Timothy cleared his throat, having finally relaxed.

"I'm sure she'll give all of us pointers in different fields. Even ones we weren't expecting." The two of them soon caught up to Kirumi and Calem who waited for them at the bridge. Tim came up to Kirumi as he felt he owed her a statement.

"Don't worry about Calem. Sure, he might be a bit rough around the edges, but he's the man with the plan." He winked.

"He does seem capable as a thinker. Still, if he's right and some Pokemon somehow is responsible for all of this... that leaves me effectively stranded." Kirumi confessed with disappointment.

Soon the four of them reached Route 1, the first of the legendary traveling roads of the Kalos Pokemon journey. In this case, it was also the most ordinary. a straight paved pathway, cutting between fertile shrubbery and trees. It was quiet which gave them time to converse freely and without worry.

"And that's what we're going to help you with. Now, firstly...if it truly was a Pokemon who did this, perhaps they must've been looking out for you. Kinda like a guardian angel." Calem observed.

Kirumi gave a somewhat curious look. Were there really such Pokemon with morals on such a high level? Or maybe lack thereof, considering they saved a killer like her. Still, it was the first victory she could take about this scenario. It was better than considering another bizarre interpretation of what might have happened to her like Atua saving her and proving Angie's ramblings were correct. Tim nodded in agreement and said,

"Yeah, you did mention that Monokuma thing...I don't know what it is, but it sounds like trouble."

Kirumi knew she had a lot to cover and it was best to get started now if these new friends were truly on her side. Now was the time to finally accept everything that happened and proceed forward.

"To first begin discussing Monokuma I have to discuss where I last was. I found myself in an Academy with several other Ultimates, big enough in numbers to suffice for a class. Our reason for being brought to the school was rather unclear but we were truly imprisoned by our captor Monokuma. He called this location the Ultimate Academy For Gifted Juveniles. We were given our own dormitories and rooms but were bound to the school grounds with no one coming to our aid. Furthermore there even appears to be lapses in my memories from before and after I ended up there." Kirumi clarified.

"What!?" Tim's response was a heated mixture of shock that that was an actual thing and sympathetic fury that Kirumi had to go through something like this. It was clearly a kidnapping crime and that was not something he'd ever tolerate. Shauna also looked rather upset by this. She couldn't imagine being with close friends and suddenly they were all called 'juveniles' and trapped in the Trainer's School or something like that. Calem had a more simplified reaction though his eyes indicated disapproval of these conditions as well.

"A lapse in your memories… hmm. Who were your fellow Ultimates?" Calem asked.

"A variety of colorful personalities and unshakeable feats in their fields. Ultimate Inventor, Ultimate Astronaut, Ultimate Artist, Ultimate Tennis Pro… Ultimate Pianist, and so on…" Kirumi couldn't help but bite her lip in slight tension recalling the title of the one she murdered. This went unnoticed by her friends who seemed dazzled by the variety of talents.

"Do we have any Ultimates in Kalos Calem? Tim...?" Shauna asked, quickly warming up to the concept. Much to her disappointment, both boys shook their heads no.

"None that I've heard of." Tim said.

"Afraid not." Calem followed up.

"Aww…" Shauna moped at first but then perked up with an idea, "Maybe one of us can be the Ultimate Pokemon Trainer!" It was at this comment that Kirumi finally decided Shauna's upbeat nature was refreshing as opposed to impersonal and she let herself smile and even indulge her friends in her humor.

"Well... I believe that occupation is taken by Tim already. *Chuckles*" The maid's joke got a hearty laugh out of Tim.

"If you say so!" Shauna nudged Tim fondly as if she approved of this decision. Calem also gave a small smile but it quickly went away as he went back to the topic at hand.

"Now, Monokuma...what is it?" Kirumi took a deep breath as it took a lot out of her to even mention that horrendous being.

"As I was saying, we were trapped in this Prison BY Monokuma. The best way to describe him is the visual of a black and white bear, two sides of drastic extremes in morality. But make no mistake, his intentions bred pure malice and he wanted me and my classmates to kill one another in the effort to escape from spending the rest of our lives there." Kirumi explained.

A bitter silence followed as all three of the Kalos friends gave shocked glances at one another and felt deeply disturbed. Shauna looked the most pale while Tim and Calem both looked rather determined after hearing this. They knew of bear-like Pokemon in the Pokedex but this Monokuma seemed not only to have the notoriety of Legendaries, but also absolutely no chill. They had put Kirumi through something indescribably nightmarish and explained a lot about how shaken she had been and acted recalling her past. Something like that was likely going to be encountered by Kirumi again if she ever came back to that world and they instinctively preferred she wouldn't have to go face him alone.

"Sounds like a demented Teddiursa…" Calem remarked dryly.

"I was right, he is bad news." Tim said with a 'that settles it' tone.

"And retaliation was rendered impossible by a number of things he did... Exisals that served as perhaps HIS Pokemon... his Monokub siblings who while apparently just for jest also had power... Motives to make us succumb to temptation including that of a time limit that spearheaded the first murder... and the only possible escape route, the Death Road of Despair... Well, it didn't pan out well for us when we tried it several times. All I could do... was work as hard as I could as the Ultimate Maid for everyone's sake." Kirumi added with a grim nod and folded her hands.

"I don't blame you for trying that, Kirumi…" Tim said from the bottom of his heart. Now it was all becoming really clear why Kirumi held so strongly to her Ultimate title and didn't take lightly the idea of being in this other world. Something like that being swept under the rug would be near impossible.

"And the others are still stuck there?" Calem inquired. Kirumi nodded again and looked away as she felt deep concern in that moment for all of them. So did he as he had a stark moment of realization and turned to Tim and Calem.

"You don't think…" Calem muttered with interest.

"If a Pokemon really is responsible for this… for you coming here and meeting us... I hope we find them on our journey." Tim said hopefully.

"All the more reason to get you situated, Kirumi." Calem agreed.

"That sounds really bad...! But I'm pretty sure nothing like that could've happened here or would happen… Still if there is a Pokemon like that with such powers that's yet to be found, Calem and Tim's right! There's always a way to get back armed and ready to save your friends!" Shauna who took the longest to emotionally process these nightmarish reveals finally spoke up with a joyous wish.

Kirumi in this moment looked at them with respect and admiration. It was the kind of unity Kaede had always wanted from the class in the Academy and it was a tragedy it never came to pass. Here though, Kirumi could carry out Kaede's wish (The one she had already turned her back on but she wanted to believe things could play out differently with this new chance) and have a united front capable of standing up to Monokuma. Provided right now all of them were just beginning and didn't have a single Pokemon to their name. They'd have to work really hard and try to build up their skills in order to be able to surmount that despair. For Kirumi it was also a chance to learn something new to better herself as an Ultimate Maid and maybe the Pokemon she met would appeal to her. It is equivalent to having exotic pets after all, Kirumi thought relaxedly.

"It'd be a miracle to find my old classmates again and free them from that place... so I appreciate your support as my new friends. Thank you." Kirumi curtsied politely in gratitude. Her friends all nodded in surefire confidence of their loyalty to her.

"We'll do whatever we can. I have just the thing to start us off," He pulled out a canister with three PokeBalls inside, "you're going to need a Starter Pokemon. In these three are the Fire-type Fennekin, the Water-type Froakie, and the Grass-type Chespin." He then summoned the three Pokemon in front of Kirumi for her to see. The Fox, the Bubble Frog, and the Spiny Nut Pokemon. Kirumi for a moment was awe-struck seeing how drastically different they were from Amelia. Learning about this 'types' business made her suddenly anxious if this would be too complicated for her to learn in time to actually progress as a Pokemon Trainer.

"Wait... you are giving me a Pokemon to use...? That's a request even I have never fathomed receiving. Are you sure I can use one effectively?" She asked, more out of necessity than fishing for compliments. At this comment, Tim patted her on the back and Calem gave her a genuine smile of trust.

"You'll need one for the road ahead. Trust me." He stated.

Kirumi wonders if Gonta could somehow help her with this if she reunited with him but otherwise these Pokemon were likely no bugs. She stared at the three Pokemon and noticed how adorable they were but also how different they were from normal animals. Eyes, colors, shapes, small details like the horns, the scarf-life fur, the broom-like tail... if they did have some unique powers... maybe they'd be enough to help her out in this adventure and for what they promised to do for her. To break the Killing Game. Plus, in a way, she could imagine if she would ever get to show her classmates these creatures that it'd bring them joy. She could see Himiko Yumeno claiming one as her familiar or Korekiyo Shinguji remarking favorably on their origins. It was really a best of both worlds scenario.

"So each of these Pokemon has attributes, yes? And if these types pertain to their attributes, can they control these powers?" Kirumi asked for more information.

"That's correct." Calem said. The Three Pokemon stood at attention, all looking perfectly harmless and patient for Kirumi. As comforting as it was, Kirumi had no idea what to base a proper decision on which Pokemon to choose. The only idea she had was that she could approach this similar to how a familiar agency she knew had clients choose which butler to hire.

"..." Kirumi started by firmly picking up the Froakie and staring into his eyes to see how he'd respond. Her icy, serious stare demanded attention and respect.

The Froakie didn't even flinch and met Kirumi's eye contact with similar focus and respect. She tried it on the Fennekin next who looked confused by the gesture. Chespin on the other hand looked embarrassed at being stared at so intently and it whimpered in a shy manner from the act. Shauna looked a bit surprised by Kirumi's approach and whisper about it to Tim,

"Huh, she's being very business-like about it. Most trainers wouldn't do something like this when choosing their Pokemon, certainly not me."

Tim would then clear his throat and return Shauna's whisper with one of his own,

"Well I'm pretty sure they didn't get their Ultimate Titles out of a cereal box." Tim noted how Kirumi was taking this decision seriously. Some trainers just picked whichever one looked the coolest or cutest, and ran with it. Kirumi on the other hand was taking this decision about as seriously as an Ace Trainer would. It was quite an unusual sight for him, but considering her professional manner, this shouldn't have been as much of a shock. It's very different from how he befriended Amelia, who showed up at his windowsill one day, he gave her some food, and she kept coming back. That's how he got his 'starter'.

"If I may, I'd like to make my decision." Kirumi finally spoke after setting all the Pokemon down and facing her friends.

"Sure! Don't hesitate!" Shauna exclaimed, clearly excited to see who Kirumi would select.

"Who will you choose?" Calem asked with a careful gesture.

"I've selected the Frog Pokemon. Froakie I believe it's called." Kirumi declared.

To her, the element of water represented her sin. She had sent Ryoma to a watery grave and drowned him. She herself was unphased by water just as she had been rather unphased committing the murder once it was clear Ryoma had voluntarily given up on everything. Yet look where that had gotten her. Had this supposed Pokemon who brought her here hadn't interfered, she would've crashed to the ground and been a corpse. Water was life-giving and essential and she had gone and turned it into a life-ender and it didn't prove essential to what she was aiming to achieve. By giving the Water-Type Pokemon a chance, she would turn the element of water back into something that did something good. She could wash herself metaphorically of her sins (Provided no one found out about it in the first place) and redeem herself for using water in such a cruel, merciless way. As elegant as the Fennekin was and as earnest as Chespin was, she saw in Froakie the calmness she needed to execute this personal request. She saw in them the same unbridled potential as her most successful masters and she wasn't going to let Froakie down.

"Would you like to give your Pokemon a nickname?" Shauna asked curiously. While she, Tim, and Calem didn't know why Kirumi had made this decision, they were pleased to see her take a step forward into involving herself in their journey. They wanted to keep encouraging her to be herself.

"Is that a request?" Kirumi asked as she held Froakie up high and saw that Froakie looked honored to be her chosen Pokemon.

"It was more of a question, Kirumi." Tim responded though he deeply resisted the urge to facepalm. Does the Ultimate Maid interpret every question as a request to fulfill, he thought in slight exasperation. He was hopeful she would eventually grow out of this unnecessary work ethic while they were doing this adventure.

"Hmm... I'll have to decline with the nickname then. I believe paying proper respect to their native species is what one of my friends would recommend." Kirumi replied sincerely. She believed that any species' original name was a perfectly fitting epitaph for their identity that didn't need changing.

"Ok! My partner is Fennekin! Wow! We go together great! The two of us are just way-ay-ay too cute! " Shauna took Fennekin once it was settled and the Fox Pokemon seemed to resonate fondly with Shauna's energy.

"I look forward to working with you, Chespin." Calem said to his Grass-type Starter. The two of them exchanged fist bumps of confidence.

Froakie seemed a little sensitive to Shauna's energy as she and the Fennekin exchanged a bit of a song with each other. Kirumi carefully tried to calm Froakie's nerves by lowering him and petting him fondly on the nose with a delicate finger. Tom tried to talk to the little guy with a sweet charm,

"That's...how Shauna is. She's a real ball of sunshine."

"I don't have any personal qualms with her energy though I can see why Froakie might exercise caution. I've learned the hard way that one of my classmates who seemed very much a spirited, positive girl was deeply devout to her god Atua and would even ask for blood offerings." Kirumi shared.

"Ooooooookay, I won't pry any further." Tim cleared his throat, this time to dispel the awkwardness rather than what he normally used them for. For what it was worth, Shauna and Fennekin stopped singing and Froakie seemed to be more at ease after that brief talk.

"So, ready to head out, Kirumi? I can show you the basics of being a Pokemon Trainer on the way to our first stop." Calem suggested. Froakie nodded as they were ready to fight strongly for their Trainer. Kirumi was more excited than she had ever been regarding being a Pokemon Trainer and so she responded with the first sign of genuine excitement that the people around her heard from her,

"Yes, I'm sure me and Froakie would appreciate that." Shauna giggled to herself though. Even when she was excited, Kirumi still spoke exceptionally politely.

"Then let's get going, people!" Tim, who was also pumped to finally get started on what he had been striving towards for years, led the way.

Now on the road, Calem would give Kirumi a crash course on being a Pokemon Trainer. Much of it was what Tim had already told her though he also notified her of different rules for certain battles, what the ultimate objective of a trainer was which was to be crowned a regional champion, and also that the best way to succeed as a Trainer was through diligence and empathy. When it was all done he gave what he called a Pokedex to her and she had to admit it made her uncomfortable at first. The red device, similar to a PDA, reminded her all too much of a certain Monokuma-certified invention of the Killing Game. When she turned it on though, she found it was mostly full of blank 'entries' of sorts except for one that showed an image of Froakie and a Pokeball icon next to it. She would click on it and find it listed an entry on Froakie and also told her the nature of him was Timid and characteristic was Lost in Thought.

"A Pokedex... this... is quite similar to the Monopads we were given... except there are no rules listed here." She admitted with heightened relief. Tim cleared his throat again, something which caught Kirumi's eye this time as she realized he had been doing this multiple times today. Based on the uncertain expression in Shauna's eye and how Tim looked serious, she wondered if they were concerned about her mention of a 'Monopad'.

"I'm not sure why there would be rules listed in a Pokedex. It's more of an encyclopedia than a personal data assistant." Calem further confirmed how it was a unique and much more wholesome device.

"What's a Monopad anyway?" Shauna asked as she put a hand on her hip.

"Well, the Killing Game Monokuma made us endure carried with it certain rules on how to conduct ourselves and what was and wasn't allowed.. All of these were listed on the Monopad and the rules could be amended anytime our captor wished. Normally I admire and follow rules perfectly for whatever masters I serve but I certainly did object to the validity and design of Monokuma's rules." Kirumi admitted with a slight huff and held her arms out.

During the time she was in the Academy, it had only ever been an annoyance to her at worst and the part about the fact only two would survive at the end of the game was very foreboding but she hadn't paid too much heed to it. Looking back, now she realized why that rule existed. It was a taunt of saying that people could and would succumb to the opportunities presented by the Killing Game and everyone would go back to doing these Class Trials until either a killer succeeded in getting away with their crime, or two were left. It was troubling to think about now. Interestingly enough, she felt that when Tim looked at her with a serious gaze in his eyes, that he was reading her thoughts exactly. That these rules were twisted and just another sick act forced on her by Monokuma.

"All three of us do too." Tim replied with a determination that once more reminded Kirumi of the Ultimate Astronaut.

"You betcha!" Shauna chimed in and nodded, followed by Calem nodding in support as well. Kirumi was touched.

"So Pokemon here must be very populous and diverse for an encyclopedia to be created for them. Who invented this device?" Kirumi asked in a graceful way of changing the topic

"It was invented by a man named Professor Oak in the Kanto region. You are right about the vast numbers of them as well. It's been reported there are at least over 700 Pokemon species and counting at present time." Calem clarified.

Kirumi was genuinely floored upon hearing this. If these Pokemon had such incredible powers that would be considered superpowers in her world, for there to be 700 of them and more indicated that this was practically a universe worth of powerful beings on one planet. It made her realize maybe there was a distinct possibility of a Pokemon with the incredible power to take her to this world yet, it also made her somewhat wonder… How had this world not been utterly destroyed if Pokemon had such unfathomable power and varieties of abilities? Or rather how was it so practically normal whereas the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles had been so maddening with no such creatures? It only heightened the possibility that Monokuma was a Pokemon in his own right if he had that kind of power and authority to bring them all down to their knees but in that sense… wouldn't it make thinking about THESE Pokemon seem small scale? If this region hadn't gone through anything terrible or been destroyed like what Kirumi would suspect would happen then surely it meant Pokemon as a whole were not an aggressive or easily exploited species. Also says a lot about the human populace that they are able to not descend into anarchy over them, Kirumi considered. Maybe it is possible to find utopia with such-

"Ahem! Kirumi… you are seriously zoning out right now." Tim cleared his throat again and this actually got through to Kirumi who had been distracted on a brainstorm. Kirumi frowned and shook her head, regretting getting so caught up in her reasoning. No wonder I didn't outsmart Shuichi, she thought snidely to herself.

"Sorry, I was just surprised by hearing how many species there actually are." She admitted.

"Aww… it's ok! To any newcomer to Pokemon it is a pretty amazing fun fact!" Shauna gave her some support.

"As for this Kanto you mentioned. It is... different from the Kanto I am familiar with… I suppose that's fine. Now in regards to harnessing Froakie's true potential as a Pokemon... how do I go about doing that? Training animals is far different from taking care of them and I've ever exactly been asked to discipline a pet before." The Ultimate Maid implored. Froakie looked rather offended by Kirumi calling him a 'pet' AND an 'animal' but he decided to forgive his trainer as he realized she was entirely new to this.

"For the regions of the world, there are six notable other ones. The other regions that I'm familiar with aside from those two are...Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and two we recently heard about - Alola and Galar." Calem answered.

"As for how to do that training...hey Shauna, how about you show Kirumi how to do that?" Tim asked his friend with a cheerful wink. Shauna looked excited by this as she always wanted to be a role model.

"Sure thing! Let's go Kirumi!" Kirumi held out a hand first to catch everyone's attention as she realized when Shauna called her by her name it was important to clarify how she wanted to be addressed.

"If I may, can I request that you call me 'Tojo-San' as a nickname?' It might be good to hide my identity from anyone who would pose trouble to us by using my last name and using honorifics like in Japan if the custom here is to address everyone by their first name like a Western nation would."

"Tojo's your last name right? Of course! I'm hunky-dory with that! But like Tim said... you're gonna be my opponent in my Pokemon-battling debut!" Shauna struck a cutesy pose that she felt emphasized the confidence she now had with Fennekin on her team. Kirumi, flustered by both the sudden change of events and Shauna's pose, looked over to Tim and Calem.

"That's fine by me." Calem responded, shrugging his shoulders with a smile.

"Sure thing, Tojo-san!" Tim then cheekily leaned over to her. "Sorry to put you on the spot like this, but we're doing it because we care."

He was really beginning to enjoy Kirumi's company as his grin showed. She had pleasantly surprised him by being really eager towards learning about Pokemon and showing attentiveness and patience. It was a neat contrast to his other friends as all of them had known so much about Pokemon and knew what they wanted to do during their journeys like their choice of Pokemon but Kirumi was new. She represented someone discovering for herself how she was to battle and what her strengths were as a Trainer and her preferences. It showed that it was helping the Ultimate Maid to loosen up a bit more and as a result, there were more opportunities for excitement and growth opportunities for all of them. Tim really was beginning to consider Kirumi's sudden drop-in a blessing in disguise.

"V-very well… I'll meet Shauna's challenge as effectively as I can." Kirumi said as she straightened her skirts and checked her Pokedex for a list of moves that her male Froakie could perform. Froakie to his credit, was all too ready to engage in battle, staring down Fennekin quietly.

"Hmm... it appears my Pokedex is letting me know what moves Froakie possesses. Pound, Growl, and Bubble…" Kirumi read aloud to herself what the device shared with her. It was pleasantly informative on the move types, their effects, and even how often they could be used.

"Now if I had to deduce based on the logic of elements, water douses fire and if Bubble is the unique water movie of Water-Type Pokemon then… Froakie, use Bubble against Shauna's Fennekin!" Kirumi issued her first official command as a Pokemon Trainer with succinct aplomb. Froakie's stream of Bubbles flew forth with impressive speed for his size, pelting Fennekin who was caught off-guard by Kirumi's confidence.

"Oh yikes! Uhh… Tackle Fennekin!" Shauna tried to recover, sending her Fennekin to barrel into Froakie who recovered easily enough to his feet. Kirumi continued with the same repeat order and this time, the super effective damage was enough to make the Fennekin fall to the ground in a state of unconsciousness that did NOT sit well with Kirumi.

"*Gasps* Have I killed it?!" Just as she was about to panic though, she noticed Froakie croaking cheerfully and their body flash a white shine in a quick second. It calmed Kirumi enough to remember she was not in a Killing Game.

"And wait a moment... Froakie flashed brightly for a moment there…" She murmured.

"It's fainted...not dead. Also, I believe Froakie earned enough experience points to level up and become stronger." Tim clarified carefully for Kirumi so she wouldn't misunderstand as Shauna ran to her fainted Fennekin.

"Hey! I wasn't done watching my cute Li'l Fennekin yet! But good job winning your first battle Tojo-san!" Shauna said in good sportsmanship as she returned Fennekin to its Poke Ball.

Oh... so it's simply unconscious... that makes things a bit more of a pleasant sensation then. Not to mention the evidence that the victory has shown progress in me as a Trainer." Suddenly Kirumi noticed some paper bills flung in her direction that she caught instinctively as many objects had flown towards in the past from frisbee to basketballs. She knew by now how to catch them like a second instinct. She was still surprised it happened though.

"Did... someone just toss money aimlessly in my direction?" Kirumi inquired after putting them in her pockets (And realizing she at some point had lost her notepad with the information of her classmate's needs and schedules in said pocket, no doubt from when her dress was shredded in the Execution).

"After a battle, the victor is paid a small sum of money by the loser." Calem explained as Tim whistled innocently as it seemed he was the one who paid Kirumi her spoils of victory for his friend.

Kirumi wasn't sure what to make of this. It was oddly similar to a bet or gamble or what some of her masters would call a 'fantasy league' in which payments were given to those who made or earned their victory from the opponent's own funds. This seemed awfully exploitative for what seemed like a peaceful sport and she wasn't sure how she felt about this. Not to mention taking money from either of her friends was the last thing she should be doing as the Ultimate Maid. She was paid properly in income and salary, not from beating her friends at games.

"Is that really a prudent method of making money...?" She pointed her finger up in concern as doubt crossed her face.

Tim could acknowledge that Kirumi had a point. It was a prudent way of losing money if you weren't too terribly good at Pokemon battling, though it depended on the circumstances. For some who came from nothing, there were some who couldn't afford to lose. Those who came from wealthy backgrounds could be able to endure some losses on their lonesome. As for himself, he was leaning towards the second extreme, but he had a more humble living situation rather than a massive mansion. And besides, having a large estate meant there was more stuff that needed cleaning, so he preferred his home in Vaniville.

"It's definitely a rule that exists for Pokemon Trainers and it's important for anyone starting a journey to come in with the necessary funds needed to carry it out. At least in Kalos everyone is typically middle-class economic-wise and would be easily able to pay the winner if they lose a battle but I understand that other regions aren't so economically balanced. It's just the nature of the game and you are free to decide whether or not you want to keep money out of it." Tim responded clearly with his thoughts on the situation.

Kirumi was content with that answer though it honestly did make her more curious about not just this region's attributes as a society but even the many other regions. Who was acting the role of the government here for example? Still, she knew she didn't want to be caught overthinking again and so she turned her attention to the newfound cash she had.

"Come to think of it... this money feels and looks different from Japanese yen. Does Kalos use its own currency?" Kirumi asked as she took a closer look at the money and realized it was marked with the designs of Pokeballs, Pokemon, and a different symbol to symbolize the actual currency. If anything it most closely resembled the greenback dollar bills of the west.

"Pokemon regions have their own universal currency known as Poke. It's what we call it for short." Calem answered her question yet again. She was really admiring how fluently he explained all her questions that she feared would reflect poorly in showing her inexperience without condescension and with perfect eloquence.

"So it must be of a fairly good value then. Alright, I'll be sure to save and treasure my funds till I need them most." Kirumi spoke casually as this was always in her nature to do so regarding money. At that moment, Tim who was prying into his Pokedex excitedly noticed something astonishing.

"Woah, this must be the newest model! Check it out - it shows your Pokemon's level and stats right there." Tim pointed out where. Kirumi checked her Pokedex and indeed saw that there was another section that showed more information about her Pokemon beyond the moves Froakie possessed.

"I see... so this is how you train them for Pokemon battling. Intuitive." The Ultimate Maid nodded in approval.

"Ok so I think we should probably speed this up a bit and get going! You should also check in with your mom Tim and show her Kirumi's new Pokemon! Tell your mom I said hi for me!" Shauna suggested as she healed up her Froakie.

Tim agreed that they definitely needed to update his mother before they really left Vaniville Town for good. Not to mention that with all the other reveals and details that Kirumi had shared, the journey could potentially have new factors that it didn't originally have. It was pressing to be careful about what they shared and it seemed Calem had already thought of this.

"We'll meet up in Santalune Forest. Once we pass through there, we'll be in Santalune City. Tim, you should go with Tojo-san and let her know where you're going. Our parents already knew, but this whole business with Monokuma and whatnot, well...it'll be our little secret, got it?" Calem proposed an oath. Shauna accepted it easily with a nod of her head.

"You got it." Tim shook Calem's hand on it.

"That'd be beneficial. If someone else other than us raises the name of Monokuma or Ultimates then that should give us reason to be cautious. At the moment this information is exclusive to the four of us so we shouldn't proceed in paranoia on this journey." Kirumi reasoned.

"Yeah, good idea." Tim nodded. Kirumi seemed to be really adept at keeping everyone steady and sure of themselves. It was an admirable quality he had to admit and something he could probably work on. He often had trouble making people be sure of him and it was a reason he had to try to think ahead of others.

"Let's get on going, Shauna! See you around, Tojo-san." Calem bid farewell as he and Shauna went further down the path towards their destination.

"Alright! Back to my place!" Tim announced after doing some stretching.

Once they returned to the house, they gave Timothy's mother a thorough rundown on how the meeting went, who chose which Starter Pokemon, the first battle, and also how Kirumi was slowly but surely getting a handle on her own direction of a Pokemon journey. Tim surprisingly shared with his mother the information regarding Kirumi's backstory and the Killing Game, believing that if anyone should know and could still be responsible for said information it would be his mother. Normally Kirumi imagined some of her classmates in the Killing Game would've strongly disapproved of such a decision. She herself understood the thought process behind the decision and didn't think it would hurt if Tim's mother wasn't journeying with them in the first place.

"I see...so that's what's happening…" The mother said at the time. She took the news surprisingly well though much like her son had been very upset to hear what Kirumi had been through.

Tim was currently checking things out in his room, likely more on the Pokedex as well as making sure he had a few more essentials now that he was really traveling alongside someone while Kirumi had done most of the explaining on her own terms. Tim's mother also gave Kirumi some of their breakfast and milk to feast on since the maid seemed as though she could use a meal on the account they weren't sure when the last time she had eaten was. Kirumi was pleased with the simple recipe and that it was executed well as she had no qualms about the meal though she was once again thinking while she had time to herself.

"There's only 12 of us left…" She muttered quietly to herself regarding the number of Ultimates still alive in the Academy.

Should she take too long and that means more than just three lives would be lost… If these Pokemon have such incredible power... she'd need to pursue that now. To use their powers virtuously to atone for being responsible for one of those lost lives. But what comes after that... and how she would get by now was... dangerous territory for her mind to think about. She could probably find work but without a family or home, she would have to be insanely lucky to win the favor of an employer who would possibly see her as a fake or ingenuine maid. The idea was that it was likely she wouldn't be able to return 'home' home even if she did return to save her friends but perhaps that in itself was too early a call to make? She didn't even know half of this region yet. She doubted it could end up worse than the Killing Game but she wasn't sure if there was anything troubling going on or if there were unsavory folks.

"Hey, Kirumi, was it?" Tim's mother interrupted Kirumi's train of thought and caused the Maid to jump slightly in her seat.

"Yes. Please address me as Tojo-San." Kirumi responded as politely as she could. It was at this moment that Tim came back downstairs, readily packed.

"Alright then. Tojo-san, I don't know what to make of this whole nonsense regarding Monokuma...but if it makes you feel any better, I've never heard of anything like that happening in the Kalos region. And hey, it's a good thing you wound up in our house. My boy is always willing to jump headfirst into danger to help those he cares about." The mother couldn't help but share what she wanted to let Kirumi know.

"Aww, Mom…" Tim gave an embarrassed smile.

Kirumi was now certain that Tim really was like Kaito Momota, that he carried the same compassionate heart and will to help others unconditionally as the Luminary of the Stars did. Even if Kaito had been a strong reason for her undoing in the Class Trial as he not only backed up her main scapegoat Maki and figured out she had understood her own motive, she didn't hold harsh feelings against him. He had done too much good for her to pettily despise him for doing what would be realistically the right thing for his and everyone's survival in the game, albeit he was a bit reckless with his physical actions.

"Ultimately I would've preferred to walk into your house than crash into it but this is definitely a fortunate turn of events. I'll keep him safe and guided as an Ultimate Maid can." Kirumi said with a bright and graceful smile.

"Maybe that Pokemon was a guardian angel for you to save you so suddenly, especially if Monokuma was like that...but why do you think it chose you, Tojo-san?" Tim asked. He was partly hoping to get a bit more into Kirumi's own perspective on this.

Kirumi suddenly looks uneasy, if a bit disturbed. Taking away... Ryoma's life was because of a calculated and motive-driven choice of hers. She had acted heartlessly in the trial, voting for Shuichi despite knowing it was a pitiful deed. Then attempting to run away from her fate rather than accept it with grace. If something like this was to happen in the first place... then wouldn't a victim like Rantaro be more suited? Or even Kaede with her pure intent and leadership? It seemed a strange turn of hypocrisy for the universe to deem her worthy to escape the Killing Game and potentially end it. Or maybe this was a test considering she didn't have a feasible way to end it at the moment and it wanted her to do this as a second chance. It still didn't make Kirumi feel all the better about this situation or that she had to keep her sins a secret for the meantime.

"Maybe it's due to my particular talents...?" A lie but also a reasonable enough conclusion. Kirumi unconsciously decided to make it a goal of hers on this adventure to find out if this was something she was destined to do and selected carefully. That this choice hopefully wasn't something that just happened to her because she killed someone and was being executed at that particular moment. Even so, she would not falter in attempting to serve her role no matter why she was picked as it was the selfless thing to do. Despite lying, Tim and his mother didn't detect it.

"Could be, could be. Maybe with your skillset you might be able to save them...but it's gonna be a long road. You're prepared to walk it, correct?" Tim's mother folded her arms and sounded expectant and a bit serious.

"That's... a request where my conviction knows I can and shall do it. It's my selfless devotion for my friends that drives me forward and I'd never want any more lives to be lost." Kirumi placed a hand over her heart and made a solemn (If hypocritical to her past actions) vow.

"That's what I like to hear. If you want you can refer to me as Mrs. DeBouff." Tim's mother opened up to her.

Tim was glad to see that they were getting along well. His mother had done a lot in her life and been celebrated for her achievements. He was hoping to have the kind of admirable legacy that she did with Pokemon and he felt there was a real chance here with this coming journey. Kirumi Tojo coming into the picture also brought up the idea of a tense and mysterious quest to find a Pokemon powerful enough and likely Legendary enough to have done this and earning their respect to get to go back and face down Monokuma. He would not back down from saving lives if he couldn't help it though he wondered if there was more to this Killing Game business and the reason it happened that they were led to believe. It's going to be one heck of a series of coming days that's for sure, Tim thought. After a grin and pat on the back, Mrs. DeBouff had one last thing to tell Kirumi,

"Before you go, there's something else. If you want to reach your full potential with Pokemon, I suggest you take the Kalos League challenge like my son is."

"The Kalos League Challenge?" Kirumi wondered aloud.

"Across the Kalos region, and every other region...well, I'm not sure what Alola and Galar do, but anyway. There are 8 gyms scattered across Kalos, each specializing in a certain type. You go there, beat the gym leader, and get 8 badges that will let you take on the Kalos League for a shot at becoming the region champion." Mrs. DeBouff said.

Kirumi found that quite straightforward and was intrigued by the fact that she assumed Pokemon Battling would be done in a tournament-style format. This felt a bit more personal and less competitive by having a Trainer go through what seemed to be the same set of battles in a specific order. Maybe the idea was that Trainers fought against other Trainers during the intervals between Gyms and before reaching the League as a gauntlet to get strong enough to complete the challenge. Either way, she would have to face it if she wanted to serve Tim and his mother dutifully.

"I... I understand... I must be prepared and train my Pokemon well if I am able to succeed. What sort of benefits does becoming Region Champion entail?" Kirumi asked a simple question. Mrs. DeBouff merely shrugged, showing this was not her area of expertise.

"Can't say I know, I've never gone for it before. But maybe after taking on the path to champion...you can use your Pokemon to help save your friends. It's just a suggestion.

"True... as threatening as the Exisals were... if these Pokemon hold such powers they would be able to actually stand a chance against them and the mastermind." Kirumi agreed with this logic.

"That's the spirit, Tojo-san!" Tim exclaimed with an excitable gesture. This prompted Kirumi to finish her meal quickly, place her dish and cup neatly in the sink, and bow politely to Mrs. DeBouff.

"So our first Gym is somewhere nearby I take it? We must head there immediately after we've trained substantially enough." Kirumi declared.

"That's right. If you keep heading north your first gym is in Santalune City. The gym there specializes in Bug types." Mrs. DeBouff smiled as she got up herself to start washing dishes. Kirumi was quickly reminded of one of her classmates and the fact she had doubted whether or not bugs could be Pokemon. I wonder if Gonta would take offense to bugs being used for battle or be in awe of the fact Pokemon can be bugs, she thought in intrigue.

"So I should have the upper hand! Let's get going!" Tim looked excited as he knew Amelia was a Flying-Type and would be strong in this scenario. He ran out of the house as if the Gym was right around the corner. Mrs. DeBouff chuckled at her son's charisma and shook her head as if knowing that he had occasionally gotten into trouble acting like this before. Still, she looked back at Kirumi and called out to her before the Ultimate Maid could step out after him,

"Tojo-san...all I ask is that you take care of my son. After my husband moved to Hoenn for a job opportunity, Timothy's the only family I got here in Kalos. But, I'm pretty sure you can handle him."

Kirumi was a little saddened to hear this. She knew it was perfectly natural in Japanese society for such a situation to occur but she could imagine the lack of a father figure in an important moment of a child's life like this could lead to some emotional angst. Tim seemed to think the world of his father based on how he described him while demonstrating the invention so there at least wasn't any noticeable conflict between them. She did know that her mother was maybe worried about the potential 'what-if' involving Tim and Kirumi standing up against Monokuma and the Killing Game. Mrs. DeBouff couldn't be there at that moment to protect her son so it would rest entirely in the gloved hands of the Ultimate Maid. A killer. It was truly ironic. Still, now was not the time to show weakness or untrustworthiness and she understood that what was done was done. No amount of complaints could change the fact Rantaro, Kaede, and Ryoma were gone. She had to protect who she could still protect. Not to mention Timothy DeBouff had great potential and strength of character that caught her eye… as well as an odd tendency to clear his throat often.

"Normally I do not gravitate towards being fashioned to a mom role. If you are asking me after so selflessly not casting me aside for my rude intrusion into your home I'd be honored to help him out as much as possible. I also want to see what he is capable of…" Kirumi explained and shared her interest in Tim's potential with his mother.

"Just make sure he doesn't get badly hurt out there. Is that good for you?" Mrs. DeBouff chuckled at Kirumi's sensitivity to being referred to as a mother.

"Understood Mrs. DeBouff. Good luck on your next Rhyhorn Race... I'm glad it is all coming together now for our journey." Kirumi curtsied elegantly one last time before making her first official steps as a Pokemon Trainer.

"Thank ya. Go get 'em, Tojo-san! Show this region what you can do!" Mrs. DeBouff insisted positively before getting back to her chores the moment Kirumi closed the door on her way out.

Kirumi sighed softly to herself the moment she stepped outside and looked up at the sky. Once she saw a fake, crudely drawn sky that sealed her doom. Now this beautiful warmth, the bright blue, and the fluffy clouds that she was witnessing at this moment symbolized relief and freedom. It filled her with a very encouraging feeling she had tried to feel as best she could in the Killing Game but it had always been dashed. Hope... for the first time since she entered that Trial Room that day... she's felt hope again. Hopes for something better than what could've been. And for that, she would gladly serve as the Ultimate Maid for Tim and for the friends she had to make amends with.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note Flash: Before the chapter ends, I wanna give a huge shoutout to Lolita here for writing this let's play out for me, and helping me actually appreciate the Kalos campaign again. I used to think that the Kalos campaign was boring due to how piss easy it is, but he convinced me otherwise with this playthrough. It's the prequel to our story Pokemon Sun: A Ranger's Trials, so be sure to check that out on . I'm sure you'll love it. That's all from me, and now to the guy transcribing this from script format to story format.

Authors Note Lolitafreak88: So yeah this story is our Roleplay Love Child that stemmed from wanting to give a certain New Danganronpa V3 Character some love and put her in the shoes of the protagonist of Pokemon X, the game I got at the time. It was a playthrough that was really exciting and fun with twists and turns and surprising battles and so I believe that you'll all love and appreciate this story! Also yes, Tierno and Trevor were written out in our roleplay of this because it would've been character overload with Kirumi involved and we don't think those two are particularly memorable characters in the Pokemon pantheon nor the most cohesive rivals. It instead lets us dedicate more time to fleshing out Calem who has to be here by default and Shauna who is easily the most fun rival of the bunch. Any other changes that we made throughout our playthrough will be addressed when we get to it but as of right now, we followed the story of Pokemon X to a T so don't worry about that my readers! I hope you enjoy this creative crossover and have a blast!