Chapter Four - Caught in a Web

Aria pursed her lips. She said nothing, instead busying herself with looking around at the street outside the alley. Her expression hardened, and she rose to her feet.

"I can't stay here. Not for long," she said. She extended a hand to Serena. "Here."

Serena hesitated for a moment before accepting Aria's hand. Aria took hold and pulled Serena to her feet.

The two of them stood with some distance between them. Serena dusted herself off, smoothing down the folds of her skirt. Opposite her, Aria stood with her hands in her back pockets, watching the street.

"You should get going," said Aria. "I don't think anyone has seen us. Not yet, anyway."

"I-"

Serena had too much to say to make any particular word come out of her mouth. Instead, she went silent and shook her head, staring at Aria in disbelief.

Before she could say anything, she heard a familiar buzzing sound and caught a whiff of a powerful, sweet aroma. She looked to the other end of the alley, and Aria looked with her. Ribombee flew up the alley in pursuit of pink, feathered Pokémon which Serena quickly recognized. It was Aria's Aromatisse.

Aria held out a Poké Ball and pressed the button. Aromatisse vanished in a flash. Ribombee came to an abrupt halt in midair, the source of the scent she had been chasing suddenly gone. Looking confused, she fluttered up to Serena's shoulder and landed there. Her dewy eyes blinked a few times. Only a moment later, she left Serena's shoulder again and fluttered around Aria's head in a circle, seemingly driven by curiosity. Aria froze in place and followed Ribombee with her eyes. She did not appear to enjoy the attention.

"Ribombee, come back, please," said Serena.

Ribombee did not listen. Instead, she lowered herself to eye level with Aria and hovered directly in front of her face. She seemed to be in awe. Aria drew back away from her a few inches.

Serena sighed and returned Ribombee to her ball.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Ribombee doesn't really understand the idea of personal space."

Aria nodded. Before she spoke again, Serena knew she was going to change the subject.

"Time to get going," said Aria. "You go first. I'll go the opposite way you go. We can't get caught together."

"What?"

"Hurry," said Aria. "I can't guarantee we'll be safe here for long."

"I… don't understand."

"I know," said Aria. "You need to go, though."

"No."

"Serena, please."

"No!"

Serena shook her head, indignant, almost offended. Aria folded her hands and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be this way," said Aria.

"I'm not leaving here without getting a chance to talk to you!" said Serena. "I've worked so hard to track you down! It's been driving me crazy for weeks!"

"I know," said Aria. "I wish it wasn't like this, I assure you."

"Why have you been avoiding me?" said Serena. "Why are you so worried about us being seen together? What happened?"

"Serena, please," said Aria. "This is serious. I need to leave, immediately if not sooner. It may already be too late."

"What are you talking about? What's going on? I don't understand!"

"Serena-"

"I know you have every reason to not want to talk to me, but please! Tell me what's going on! This is going to drive me insane!"

"Serena, I have to go. I'm sorry. I'll explain another time."

Aria turned to leave. Immediately, Serena turned to follow her.

"If you're leaving, I'm going with you!" said Serena. "I'm not letting you go without getting a chance to talk! Not after all this!"

Aria stopped and let out an exasperated sigh while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You really never do give up, do you?"

Serena gawked. The expression on Aria's face was impossible to read, some incomprehensible combination of amusement, admiration, resignation, and frustration. Taken off-guard for a moment, Serena shook her head.

"No," she said.

"Some things never change, do they?" said Aria.

"I… guess not."

"Look," said Aria. She folded her arms and stood facing Serena again. "We can't do this again, not even if the roles are reversed. You can't waste your time chasing me around the city. Things have become much more complicated since… then, and I have more than enough problems to handle right now as it is. I know that none of this makes sense, but please, I need you to believe me. You do not want to get yourself involved in this."

"Involved in what?"

Aria kept her lips shut tight for a moment while she searched for the words. She failed to find them.

"I can't explain it all. We don't have enough time. I have to get out of here."

"But why?"

"Please, please, understand. It's urgent."

"Are you in danger or something?" said Serena. "What's going on?"

"I have to go."

"But-"

"I have to go."

"Wait!"

Aria turned again to leave. Serena lunged toward her and grabbed her by the wrist.

"If you're going, I'm going with you!" said Serena.

Aria met eyes with Serena for a moment, then covered her face with her spare hand.

"Why do you have to be so insistent like this?" Aria groaned. Her voice raised when she spoke again. "You always do it at the worst times! Did you learn anything at all?"

Taken aback, Serena released her grip on Aria. There was subdued anger on Aria's face. It cut Serena to the core without another word. For a moment, the two of them stood there in silence.

A passing car broke the silence. Aria made another exasperated sigh. She looked disgusted with herself.

"Fine," she said. "Come on. Now. We don't have to go far."

"Wait, what? Really?"

"You're not going to give me any other choice, are you?"

"Um…"

Serena bit her lip. Aria rolled her eyes.

"It's what you wanted, isn't it?" said Aria. She poked her head out of the alley and looked both ways, then beckoned Serena to follow. "Come on."


The next several minutes passed in excruciating silence as Aria wordlessly led the way through several dimly-lit alleys, cutting a labyrinthine path through one of Lumiose City's most upscale shopping districts. Serena recognized the place from the few brief glimpses she got of it as they ducked behind building after building, although she was not certain when she ever would have had a reason to visit the place. She certainly had not been there on any of her delivery routes for Meyer. There was no chance that anyone who shopped here was in the market for ancient refurbished electronics.

Another back alley ejected them onto a relatively quiet street. Once again, the place seemed oddly familiar, but yet not at all. Aria checked in all directions, then led Serena across the street and into yet another alley, this one nothing more than a particularly narrow gap between two buildings. There was barely enough room to walk straight, the sides of the two buildings only inches from Serena's shoulders. There was a modern concrete façade on one side and old, dirty, drab brick on the other.

Aria stopped and knelt down in front of a hatch on the side of the brick building. After checking both directions one last time, she opened it. Serena could see nothing inside. Whatever lay beyond was completely black.

"In here," Aria whispered. Before Serena could protest, Aria crawled inside. With the rest of her body invisible, the gesture she made urging Serena to follow looked like a single arm reaching out to her from the darkness.

Serena dropped to her knees and stuck her head inside. She saw nothing. The air inside the hatch was stale. The characteristic smell of a damp, musty cellar hung heavy in the air. She hesitated to go any farther.

"Hurry!" Aria whispered. Serena could not see her at all, but only hear that she was beside her. "Careful not to hit your head!"

Not entirely willing, Serena crawled inside. The surface beneath her was rough and solid, and felt very dirty. As soon as her feet crossed the threshold, Aria shut the hatch behind her, leaving them in total darkness.

A moment later, there was a scratching noise followed by a whiff of brimstone and a burst of orange light. Serena turned her head and saw Aria holding a lit match between the tips of her fingers.

"Here," said Aria. "Quickly."

Aria held the match out to Serena. Hesitant due to the risk of burning herself, Serena awkwardly took it, then tried to hold it so that the flame was as far from her fingertips as possible.

There was far too much for Serena to take in during the few precious seconds of light. They were in a crawlspace beneath a building. They knelt on a rough concrete slab covered in dust and dirt, the old building's crumbling foundation. Above their heads, cobwebs hung between the beams which undoubtedly supported the floor. Pipes which spanned from the floor above to the ground below cast long, spindly shadows in the dancing light.

Behind them, Aria slid a rusty iron bar between two rungs on the hatch, a makeshift yet undoubtedly effective lock. A moment later, Serena winced as the creeping flame descended to her fingertips, and she dropped the match. The flame flickered for a moment before it snuffed out of existence. They were left in the dark again, now accompanied by a strong scent of smoke.

"Sorry," said Serena.

"No worries," said Aria. "We should be safe now, as long as we weren't followed."

"Who would follow you to a place like this?" said Serena. "What is this place?"

"You'll see once we go up," said Aria.

"Up?"

"There's an entrance to the first floor on the other side. I'll show you."

"I can't see a thing," said Serena.

"Me neither," said Aria. "Not yet, anyway. Give your eyes a couple of minutes to adjust. It's not actually as dark as it seems."

"Can't you just light another match?"

"It's pretty hard to crawl while holding one," said Aria. "Trust me, I've tried. Besides, my supply is running low as it is."

"Your supply?"

"I've only got a few left in the box."

"Can't you just, you know, buy some more?"

"I wish I could."

"What? You're rich!"

"Well, not exactly."

"You're the Kalos Queen!"

"Yes, I am," said Aria. "And you see where I am now. See metaphorically, anyway."

"I-"

Serena bit her tongue and held it between her teeth. Her face flushed with warmth. Shame washed over her. She had no place talking about Aria's fortune. She kept quiet. So did Aria.

A minute or two passed. Serena heard shuffling sounds as Aria undoubtedly began to move in the darkness. She squinted. A few feet away, she could just barely discern the sight of Aria's hands and face.

"Where are you going?" said Serena. "I still can't really see you."

"I guess it takes some practice, doesn't it?" said Aria. "Here."

Serena heard Aria approach, the shuffling drawing nearer.

"I can see you, at least," said Aria. "The white stripes on your sweater make it easy."

"Can't we just use our Pokémon for light or something?" said Serena.

"There isn't enough room down here," said Aria. "Delphox is too tall. If I called her out, she'd hit her head immediately. Pretty hard, actually. We learned that one the hard way, no pun intended. Poké Ball physics are weird like that."

"Hmm."

"Here," said Aria. "I don't want to surprise you. It's just me, not a monster."

Serena felt Aria's hand come in contact with the sleeve of her sweater.

"Can you find my arm?" said Aria.

"You mean with my hand?"

"Yes. The idea is that you place your hand on me and I lead the way."

"Oh. Um, okay."

Tentative, Serena reached for where it seemed Aria's arm should be. Her first attempt yielded nothing but air. She found it on her second try. She felt the smooth fabric of Aria's shirt.

"Alright, now try to find my back," said Aria. "You can keep your hand there, and we'll crawl together."

What followed was an ordeal. Serena awkwardly slid her hand up Aria's arm and onto her back. That was the easy part. Crawling in the dark in sync with Aria with one hand on her back was the hard part. It took a couple of minutes for the two of them to cross to the other side of the crawlspace.

When they stopped, Serena felt Aria reach upward, and she heard a lock turn. Then, her hand fell from Aria's back as Aria pushed upward and knelt fully upright, suddenly with enough space to do so.

There was light from above. It was dim, but it was enough to see. Serena watched as Aria climbed out of the hatch and pulled herself up onto the first floor. Serena shuffled over to the hatch and knelt upright. She found Aria standing before her, offering a hand again. Serena accepted it, and she stepped up into the building.

While Aria closed the hatch behind them, Serena took a few steps forward. She emerged from what seemed to be a utility closet, passing by what appeared to be a furnace and some kind of pump. The building was in total darkness save for the dim shafts of street light peeking in through the bare windows, and in silence aside from their footsteps. The sound of their steps echoed. The building was abandoned, seemingly completely empty of anything at all.

Serena wandered toward the windows, the wooden floor gently creaking beneath her steps. She walked as slowly and delicately as she could. For some reason, it felt like a terrible idea to make any noise.

She stopped several steps short of the window and gazed at the street outside. The old building was badly out of place, a single crusty old relic from another era remaining in an otherwise modern district. That wasn't what drew Serena's attention, though. It was the signpost standing on the sidewalk in front of the building. She read the sign. Her jaw dropped.

Arietta School of Dance

Serena spun around and saw Aria standing near the entrance the room, her hands folded behind her back, watching her.

"This is your old dance school, isn't it?" said Serena.

"It is," said Aria. "Or more accurately, it was. It's long since abandoned now."

"What are you doing here, then?"

"Hiding," said Aria. "And with that in mind, please stay clear of the windows. I would put up curtains if I had them, but it would blow my cover. This place is supposed to be abandoned, after all."

Serena took another look out the window and then hurried toward Aria. Aria stepped out of the room and beckoned for Serena to follow. She led them into another room in the rear of the building. It was much smaller, and much darker. There were no windows.

But unlike the other rooms in the building, there were objects in it. In the faint light, Serena could not determine what they were.

"I would offer you a seat, but there isn't one, really," said Aria. "Feel free to pick your favorite spot on the floor."

"What is this?" said Serena.

"It was once a closet," said Aria. "It's my room now, more or less."

"Are you living here?"

"For the time being, yes."

"Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately."

Serena grasped at the empty air, momentarily at a loss.

"...what happened?" she asked.

"You probably could have guessed this much, but it's complicated," said Aria.

A terrible thought occurred to Serena.

"Did… did I do this to you?"

"No," said Aria. "I'm sure you can guess who is responsible for it, though."

"Palermo?"

"Naturally."

"What did she do?"

"It's a long story," said Aria. She leaned over and picked up some kind of large object, manipulating it with her hands. She handed it to Serena. "You might as well sit. Here. You can use this as a cushion."

Serena took the lumpy object from Aria. It was a scratchy emergency blanket, made from some sort of rough fabric.

Opposite her, Aria sat, leaning her back against the wall. Serena placed the folded blanket on the floor and did the same.

As she sat, her foot bumped into another lumpy object. Aria responded to the sound of it moving.

"My bed," she said. "An old sleeping bag."

"How did you end up like this?" said Serena. "What did she do?"

"She found out about what I did in Monego City," said Aria. "I don't know how, but honestly, it was foolish of me to ever think that she wouldn't. There were a million ways the information could have made it back to her to tell her something was amiss."

"I didn't tell her," said Serena.

"I know you didn't," said Aria. "She told me about your encounter."

Serena's heart seized with fear.

"She did?" she said.

"Yes. I don't think she knew then. Not the specifics, anyway. I do think she knew something had happened. Your ride with her piqued her curiosity."

"I swear I didn't tell her anything! I told her I didn't know where you were!"

"I know. Sometimes, though, what you don't say reveals everything."

Serena's heart accelerated and beat erratically as a ball of dread settled into her stomach.

"I… didn't mean to. I really, really didn't."

"I know you meant well," said Aria. "You don't know her, though. She knows how to read people like books."

"I didn't want to hurt you!" said Serena. "Even though it doesn't look like it, I swear I didn't! I never wanted to! I made a ton of mistakes, and I wish I could take them back, but I can't! I've been trying to find you so I could properly apologize!"

"You don't need to apologize to me," said Aria.

"Are you kidding?! Of course I need to apologize to you! Have you forgotten everything that happened?"

"You don't need to apologize for Palermo's actions. She did this, not you."

"But-"

"None of this would have happened if not for her," said Aria. "If she hadn't wanted to lure you under her influence in the first place, I never would have tried to lure you under mine, and you never would have become involved in any of this."

"That still doesn't excuse anything I did!"

"You're far too hard on yourself, you know."

"I deserve it!"

"No you don't."

"Why…"

Serena clenched her fists. She resisted the urge to beat them on the floor.

"Why aren't you mad at me?!"

"It's tough for me to be angry at anyone other than the woman who is actively ruining my life."

"I hurt you, too!"

Aria paused.

"Do you want me to yell at you?" she said.

"Maybe!" said Serena. "I just want anyone to give me what I deserve! I screwed up beyond my wildest imagination and everyone in the whole world has shrugged it off like it was nothing while I feel like I deserve the death penalty! The guilt I feel is driving me insane!"

"You don't deserve to be punished," said Aria.

"Why not?"

"Because it's clear that you're punishing yourself enough already."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?!"

"I would assume that's because it's obvious."

"It isn't obvious to me!"

"Nothing ever is."

Serena recoiled as though she had been slapped in the face. She sat there for several seconds in silence, astonished.

Aria changed the subject and continued.

"Palermo played you," she said. "Whatever you said or didn't say to her, she got enough information from you to point her in the right direction. It took her a while, but she figured out what I did. When she did, she was furious, and she responded in kind."

"What did she do?"

"She took everything."

"But how can she do that? How can she get away with that?"

"Palermo isn't just my mentor. She's my agent. That's how she has so much control over me."

"How does that give her the power to leave you like this? And why would she even do that? Doesn't she rely on you?"

"She didn't directly cause me to end up here," said Aria. "I did this to myself. I escaped from her. I ran away. I chose this."

"But… why here?"

"Mostly because I have nothing and this was the only place I could break into, but partly because it's such an obvious hiding spot that she would never try to look here. Refuge in audacity, you know? And also, legally she can't access this place. It belongs to the estate of Madame Arietta. I'm not supposed to be here either, but beggars can't be choosers."

"Does this place even have electricity?"

"Not right now, no," said Aria. "No running water, either. All the utilities are shut off."

"How can you live here?"

"It's a roof over my head and a lock on the door."

"But, can't you, you know… go literally anywhere else?"

"No. She took everything."

"How? What does that even mean?"

"It's part of Palermo's trap. She preys on talented young girls with gullible parents. She offers to take the girl under her wing and teach her everything, handle everything, no trouble at all. She'll even serve as the girl's agent. Just think of all the connections she has! What an opportunity! How could you say no? So, bewitched by her fame, the parents sign a contract they don't understand that puts their daughter, and all of her assets, under Palermo's control."

"Is that legal?"

"Of course it is," said Aria. "She's armed to the teeth with lawyers. The contract is intentionally worded to deceive while remaining within the confines of the law."

"So she has all of your money?"

"She does now. It's not the first time she's taken it. She's used the threat of taking it as a way to control me in the past. The promise of instant bankruptcy with no legal recourse is a rather effective deterrent against her victims leaking all of this to the press. That, and she has a veritable army of cronies on her side at most major media outlets. The story would never get printed."

Serena remained silent. Aria continued.

"So, she found out about how I summoned you and your friends to her penthouse in Monego City and warned you about her trap. She retaliated by confiscating everything I owned. She left me with nothing to lose, so when there was a momentary lapse in her surveillance of me, I escaped. I've been hiding here since, trying to regroup."

"Don't you have that yacht? Why not go there?"

"I can't get there," said Aria. "I'm completely broke. That's why you found me working at a café under a false identity, so that I could earn enough money to find a way out of Lumiose. The trouble is that most of my pay has to go toward food and such, and also toward additional disguises."

"Aria…"

"It's dreadful, isn't it?"

"I'm so sorry."

"At least it's relatively easy to remain hidden in a place as big as Lumiose," said Aria. "Palermo has eyes all over the city, but I was already aware of that. That's why I took different routes to and from work every day, to confuse anyone watching. It worked well until you got involved."

Serena cringed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

Aria laughed.

"And your friend isn't much of a detective, by the way," she said. "I submitted my resignation as soon as I saw her in the café."

Serena groaned.

"Ugh, that was so dumb. I can't believe it actually cost you your job."

"It was my choice to leave," said Aria. "It was going to happen eventually. I can't stay in one place for too long. It makes it too easy to get caught. Unfortunately, you two were more likely to get me caught than anything else. You're not very stealthy."

"I tried my best. Korrina… may have tried her best, too."

"When you're on the run all the time, you become familiar with the feeling of being watched. It's easy to tell when you're being followed. You're persistent, though."

"Too much for my own good, apparently," said Serena.

"Kind of, yes," said Aria. "I was avoiding you for your safety as much as mine. I didn't want to get you involved in any of this. You've probably been under observation since you arrived in the city, though."

Serena shuddered.

"Seriously?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"That's… a pretty unpleasant thought."

"Palermo is willing to do anything to get what she wants, no matter how awful it is."

In the darkness, Serena simply nodded.

"I didn't want to get you involved in this for fear of what she might do to you," said Aria.

"What can she do?" said Serena. "She doesn't have any control over me. I didn't sign anything with her."

"She can drag your name through the mud in the press, for one," said Aria. "You are mostly immune to her typical tactics, though. No offense, but you don't have anything she would consider to be worth taking. Not yet, anyway."

"What do you mean not yet?"

"I hope you don't have to find out."

"Oh, come on!" said Serena. "Not more of your cryptic answers!"

"Palermo plays a long game, so to speak," said Aria. "She has her claws in everything. There's no way of knowing precisely what she's involved in at any given moment. She's always preparing to exert her influence anywhere she may need it. I know it's a vague answer, but she's impossible to fully predict."

"Do you think she's going to come after me?"

"If she discovers that you've been searching for me, she most likely will. And if she discovers that you've found me, she certainly will."

Serena's shoulders sank. She deflated in her seat. A protracted silence followed.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" said Serena.

"I don't think so," said Aria. "Nothing short of a blank check is going to be able to help me now."

Serena cringed at the mention of money.

"I wish I could help," she said.

"I wish anyone could help," said Aria. "I have nowhere to turn, though. I have no real friends. Palermo estranged me from my family. I haven't seen or even heard from my parents in years. I'm all alone."

Serena heard Aria shift in her seat.

"But… it's nice having you here with me, for now," said Aria.

"It-"

Serena stopped. Aria spoke again.

"I completely understand if this hasn't been a pleasant experience for you. This is all pretty terrible, actually. I'm sure this wasn't what you had in mind when you were seeking me."

"Well, no," said Serena. "I'm still really glad to finally get a chance to talk to you, though."

"I'm not sure why you wanted to see me so much," said Aria. "I definitely would have understood if you never wanted to see me again."

"How could you even think I wanted that?" said Serena. "I thought I made it totally clear how much I wanted to see you again!"

Aria laughed.

"What part of you throwing yourself off my yacht was supposed to tell me that?"

"Not that!" said Serena. "I mean my messages to you. Well, some of them, at least."

"Messages?"

"My emails to you!"

"What emails?"

Serena's blood ran cold. Her heart stopped, and she realized she was the greatest fool to ever live. A sickening sensation trickled down her spine and landed in her stomach. Her eyes went wide as she grabbed her head with both hands.

"Oh no…" she said.

"What?" said Aria. "What are you talking about?"

Her head still in her hands, Serena rose to her feet. Her pulse quickened.

"Oh no, no, no no no no no…"

"Wait, did you-"

Panic set in.

"I- I didn't- Oh no, I- I'm so sorry, I- I-"

In the faint light, Serena saw the horrible realization dawn on Aria. Aria clasped both of her hands over her open mouth.

"I- I told her everything!" said Serena. "I thought it was you!"

Aria made a muffled, indecipherable sound.

"I thought you didn't respond because you were angry with me! But she- I can't- How? Why? Why am I so stupid?!"

Serena sank to her knees and covered her face.

"How could I fall for that? What is wrong with me?! How could I let her trick me again?"

Serena uncovered her face and saw that Aria had covered hers. Only her mouth was visible.

"I- I'm so sorry, Aria. I'm so, so sorry! I was so dumb! I had no idea, I-"

Aria moved her hands from her eyes to her mouth again and looked up at Serena. For lack of a better idea, Serena reached toward Aria. She placed a hand on Aria's shoulder. For a moment, she expected Aria to push her away.

But instead, when that moment passed, Serena jumped in surprise as Aria threw herself into her arms. She placed her head on top of Serena's shoulder and pulled her into a tight embrace. Serena froze.

"It's… it's okay…" Aria said, her voice a shaky whisper. "I know you didn't mean to. She tricked us both."

Neither spoke for some time. They knelt there together, Aria sniffling and Serena trying to breathe, or even to think. It was only after quite some time that Serena realized she had not returned Aria's embrace. Her arms remained limp by her sides.

Just as she raised her arms, they both heard a horrifying sound.

It was the sound of an engine slowing to a stop outside.

Aria sprang up from the floor and ran out of the room. Serena scrambled to her feet, slow to follow. By the time she was up, Aria had returned, with panic in her eyes.

"It's her!"

Serena's heart lurched and then pounded even harder. She ran back to the front room with Aria. Through the window, she saw the very same limousine which had picked her up from the front steps of the building on a hot summer day months ago.

"We've got to run!" said Serena. "Now!"

"There's nowhere to go!" said Aria. "I don't have anywhere else to hide!"

"Anywhere is better than here right now!"

"We can't even get out of here! Look! She's not alone! She'll have all the exits covered!"

Aria pointed out the window. Serena looked and saw Monsieur Pierre exit the limousine. He swiftly proceeded to another door, undoubtedly to open it for Palermo.

"Is there a back door?" said Serena.

"No! Only the front door and the crawlspace!"

Serena grimaced. She clenched one fist and gripped her bag tighter with her other hand.

"Then we'll have to fight our way out," she said.

"Are you serious?" said Aria.

"What other choice do we have?"

"Do you have any idea how strong Palermo is?"

The honest answer was no, but Serena did not have the time to consider it. Instead, she saw a flash of light and then heard a jingling sound as Pierre called out his Klefki and headed for the front door.

Serena pulled a Poké Ball from her bag.

"Get ready," she said.

A key slid into the lock. It rattled. Then, it turned. The door opened.

Pierre entered, holding a lantern. Klefki floated beside him. He surveyed the room. As soon as his eyes landed on Serena, she threw the ball.

"Pancham, Arm Thrust!"

Pancham erupted from the ball and went flying across the room toward the door. Pierre exclaimed and then ducked. Klefki went flying over his head out the door as Pancham landed a direct hit.

Pancham landed in front of Pierre and glared up at him. Both shared a moment of visible recognition and confusion. Serena interrupted it.

"Dark Pulse!"

Pancham complied and prepared to fire. Pierre hurried out the door and out of the way. From outside, he called an order as he scrambled down the front steps.

"Light Screen!"

Klefki vibrated, producing a jingling sound as it generated a shield. The Dark Pulse scattered off of it, only a minimal portion of it reaching its intended target.

Aria threw a Poké Ball of her own.

"Delphox, Mystical Fire!"

Aria's Delphox appeared and quickly summoned a ring of flame, then shot it out the open door. The ring closed as it passed through the Light Screen, much more of the attack breaking through. It hit Klefki, who went reeling through the air across the street before recovering.

Pancham ran out the door and stood on the top step. Serena approached the open door, with Aria and her Delphox behind her. Pierre spoke.

"She is here, madame," he said. "She has an accomplice."

"And I suspect we know who," said Palermo. Her sardonic tone made Serena's skin crawl. "Why don't we go properly greet our guest?"

"Indeed, madame."

Serena stepped forward. She emerged from the door and saw Palermo step past Monsieur Pierre. Their eyes met, and Palermo came to a halt. She folded her arms and smirked.

"Well, well, my dear," said Palermo. "Isn't this a charming reunion? It seems you simply cannot keep yourself from this place! Of course, I understand why."

Palermo pursed her lips in a satisfied smile. She looked expectantly at Serena. Serena clenched her fists, her teeth gritted. She trembled with anger, glaring daggers at Palermo. She said nothing. She knew this game all too well. Palermo had the conversational upper hand.

"Nothing to say?" said Palermo. "I would have expected more from you, but perhaps you exhausted all your words on Aria. I know you can be excruciatingly long-winded under the proper circumstances."

Serena fumed, her breath unsteady as she inhaled and exhaled sharply through her nose. She tried to force herself to ignore Palermo's words. She needed an escape route. There had to be a way out. There always was. She had seen Ash escape from far worse countless times.

"I understand that you are not particularly interested in making deals with me," said Palermo, "but in good faith, I have to make an offer to you before we do what I fear is inevitable. I am perfectly aware that Aria is hiding here. I am also aware that you intend to stop me, and that you are not capable of doing so. As such, to avoid an unnecessary fiasco, I offer to you these terms - You stand aside and permit me to retrieve Aria. I conveniently forget that you were ever involved in this affair and permit you to go on with the rest of your life as though nothing ever happened. We both wash our hands of this mess. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Do you accept?"

"You will not take Aria," said Serena.

"My, that was quick," said Palermo. "Such a pity it has to come to this, but I suppose it can't be helped."

Palermo pulled a Poké Ball from her handbag. Pancham spit out the leaf in his mouth.

With no flair or fanfare whatsoever, Palermo pressed the button on the ball, and it opened with a flash of light.

"Florges, Moonblast."

Palermo's Florges materialized on the sidewalk, her elegant figure and plume of red flowers towering beside Palermo. With a lazy, almost uninterested sort of grace, she reached toward the night sky and summoned a ball of shimmering white energy.

"Dodge!" yelled Serena.

It was no use. Florges fired, and Pancham was caught at nearly point-blank range. Serena tried to run for the door but only managed to get one foot inside and cover her eyes before the blast hit. She felt the heat of the attack lash against her skin as the excess energy splashed off the building around her and evaporated.

The light faded, and Pancham lay there on the front step, blown over on his back. He was stunned, motionless aside from a vague twitch of his eyes. He did not get up.

Both furious and horrified, Serena returned Pancham to his ball. She reached for another.

"Sylveon, Swift!"

Sylveon burst from her ball and summoned a swarm of stars. She landed on the front step where Pancham had lain moments before. She fired at Florges.

But the stars bounced off of Klefki's Light Screen.

Surprised, Sylveon backed up a step. Klefki came floating up beside Florges.

"Reflect," Pierre commanded.

Klefki shuddered and made a jingling sound again, producing another barrier.

"I'm afraid you're going to need substantially more firepower than that, dear," said Palermo. "Although, it appears the odds are not in your favor in the first place. Two against one is hardly a fair fight, but it seems my protégé has chosen a rather inopportune time to vanish for you once again."

At that, Aria and her Delphox burst through the door and joined Serena on the front steps.

"Alas, I was mistaken!" said Palermo. "Aria, I assumed that you had momentarily returned to your senses and chosen not to participate in such a futile struggle. I know I taught you better than this. Please show some restraint where Serena cannot. Your time here is finished. You are cornered. You cannot win this fight. I implore you not to force me to resort to using force. It is completely unnecessary."

"Delphox, Fire Blast!"

Palermo frowned.

"Moonblast."

"Sylveon, Protect!"

Sylveon jumped in front of Delphox and summoned a shield. Delphox and Florges both prepared their attacks. They fired.

There was a blinding flash of heat and light as the attacks collided. Delphox's Fire Blast was smothered, and Sylveon absorbed the brunt of the blow. Her shield held. Defiant, she stood there in front of Florges, unscathed.

"Aria, this is senseless," said Palermo. "You can end this charade. I am asking you one final time. Please, give up this useless struggle."

"Why do you think I have any reason to listen to you?" said Aria. "You've already taken everything from me!"

"Surely even you can't possibly be naïve enough to believe that," said Palermo.

Aria clenched her teeth and recoiled from Palermo's statement, backing up an inch or two. Serena's heart missed a beat, and a cold sensation shot down her spine.

Palermo, with her arms confidently folded, advanced and stood at the foot of the front steps. Sylveon glared at her. Behind her, Florges remained aloof on the sidewalk, appearing to be utterly uninterested in the proceedings.

"Don't be foolish, Aria," said Palermo. "I understand completely why you wish to resist, but I also know that you're capable of understanding that there is no escape. This is futile, my dear. Quite frankly, I am appalled that you would even attempt such a coup. You never would have done such a thing before! But then again, perhaps someone else has been a poor influence on you."

Palermo's gaze settled on Serena. Serena's knuckles went white from clenching her fists harder than ever before. Palermo merely stared at Serena for a few seconds before shaking her head and returning her attention to Aria.

"Really, I don't know what you see in her," said Palermo. "What could you possibly see that would lead you to put your faith in her, and her alone, to fight on your behalf?"

"You saw something in me!" said Serena. "I know you wouldn't have wasted your time trying to convince me to work with you if you didn't think I had potential! And that was before I really knew Aria!"

Palermo nodded.

"All true," she said. "But as I am certain you understand by now, I had great plans for you and your future. Aria, on the other hand, intends to use you for a different purpose. She seems intent on allying herself with you as a means to destroy her present and her future, both of which I have given her, and both of which I own now and into perpetuity. She intends to throw it all away. A wastebasket comes to mind."

"Don't insult her!" said Aria. "She and I both know more than enough about you to put you behind bars for the rest of your life!"

"And you and I both know that I have spent my entire life cultivating a network of relationships with the media and the law designed to prevent such a thing from ever happening," said Palermo. "Terribly sorry, dearies, but time is up."

Palermo placed one foot on the bottom step. Her brow tightened.

"I won't pretend any longer that you have a choice in the matter. We have obligations to fulfill. You are coming with me. The only thing you get to decide is whether you do so quietly and reasonably or whether you risk both property damage and injury to you and your Pokémon. You may either stand down, or I shall remove you by force."

A tense silence of a few seconds followed. No one moved. Serena's heart thundered in her chest. Her eyes darted about, searching for an escape. There had to be a way, but she could not find it. They were cornered.

"Well?" said Palermo. "What will it be?"

Aria's face gripped with fear. Her jaw tight, she lowered her eyes. For an instant, Serena's heart was set to sink.

"Delphox, Fire Blast!"

Aria grabbed Serena by the wrist and pulled her through the door. Serena was barely able to speak to give Sylveon a command.

"Sylveon, Moonblast! Then run!"

Chaos followed. Serena and Aria fell through the open door and tripped over each other, both falling to the floor. A blast of blinding light and vicious heat swelled behind them. Serena felt footsteps both familiar and unfamiliar trod over her as she struggled to her feet. Sylveon and Delphox trampled over her and Aria as they scrambled inside.

Aria was the first to her feet. She slammed the door shut and turned the lock.

"Delphox, melt the lock!"

Aria's Delphox ignited the tip of her wand and inserted it into the keyhole. Then, there was a white jet of flame. A second later, the doorknob and all the metal fixtures surrounding it were left red-hot and bent, sagging under their own weight. Smoke wafted from the door.

Aria began to run toward the rear of the room. Serena followed. She spoke, and both of them stopped in their tracks.

"Are we trapped in here now?" said Serena. "What if this place catches on fire?!"

"I don't know! I'm not thinking that far ahead!"

"We can't go out the crawlspace, can we? Can we go through a window?"

"Maybe? I-"

Aria was interrupted by an earsplitting crack. The front door glowed a deep indigo, then gave way and shot splinters in all directions as it was ripped from its hinges. The door shot forward into the room, heading directly toward them. Sylveon jumped in the way and fired a Swift at it, the array of stars all becoming lodged in the door before it slammed into her.

Serena gasped. The door went tumbling, cartwheeling into another room before crashing into a wall. Sylveon skidded across the floor before crashing into another wall, limp.

Serena dropped to her knees and scooped Sylveon up in her arms. Before she could determine how badly Sylveon was hurt, Aria pulled her arm and yanked her into the next room. A moment later, she, Aria, and Delphox all went silent. Delphox snuffed out the flame on her wand.

The entire opposite wall was one gigantic mirror, spanning from ceiling to floor. The entrance of the building was visible in the mirror near the corner of the room. A ghostly figure appeared in it. Wreathed in indigo light, eyes glowing like sickly stars, Florges levitated through the open hole where the door used to be. Instantly, Serena felt a piercing ache right between her eyes.

Florges hovered there, deathly still. Palermo appeared behind her, ascending the front steps. As silently as she could, Serena reached into her bag. She withdrew two Poké Balls from it.

Aria glanced at her, her lips parted. Serena held a finger up to her own lips, urging Aria to remain silent. She inhaled a long, deep, shaky breath.

Then, she opened both balls at the same time. Sylveon vanished. Her own Delphox appeared. Florges' head snapped in their direction, and her eyes glowed brighter still.

Serena's Delphox materialized beside Aria's. Serena once again shushed Aria, this time holding a finger up to both her lips and Aria's, a fierce glare on her face. Aria complied. Despite the lack of words, she knew Aria had many, many questions.

Especially because of what happened next.

Otherwise motionless, Serena's Delphox shifted her eyes toward the wall of mirrors. She caught the reflection of Florges' eyes. A moment later, she left the ground, her own eyes shining bright, her entire body wreathed in a deep indigo light. Aria's Delphox looked at her agape, remaining firmly on the ground.

Serena's Delphox hovered and floated into the doorway. She and Florges stared each other down. Serena felt a pull in the pit of her stomach, not unlike the feeling of a roller coaster forcing her in an unexpected direction.

Delphox raised her wand. The flame at the tip erupted to life. Palermo stepped up next to Florges. Seemingly amused, she appraised the new competitor.

"Well, it seems you've kept yourself busier than I anticipated," said Palermo. "Learned a few new tricks during your self-imposed exile, did you?"

The pit of Serena's stomach dropped again. Did Palermo know? How could she? It made no sense. It made her head hurt worse than ever.

"Such a pity that your friend is far too weak to be able to help you," said Palermo.

Still uncertain, Serena watched Delphox hover in the doorway, motionless. She wasn't certain how she knew it, but something was amiss. Something wasn't right.

Delphox's eyes flashed with light. Then, both Serena and Aria covered their mouths as Aria's Delphox rose into the air.

Unlike her doppelganger, Aria's Delphox looked wildly uncomfortable with the development. Her eyes were not aglow. She was not in control. For a moment, Serena wanted to panic. Was Florges doing it? Were they about to be attacked from behind their own defenses?

Before she could form a coherent thought in her head, everything went dead silent. Her sight vanished. All of her senses momentarily arrested, a single, silent word echoed through her empty head.

Go.

Serena's senses returned. She knew. She grabbed Aria by the wrist and pulled her back against the wall, remaining out of sight.

Aria's Delphox, continuing to float against her will, hovered through the air and was shunted into place beside Serena and Aria.

Aria looked at her Delphox. They exchanged a wordless glance, then Aria looked at Serena, mimicking the fear and confusion in her Delphox's face. With a single, silent nod, Serena tried her best to communicate to them that it was okay.

"Shall we?" said Palermo.

Serena's Delphox shrieked and flew forward, leaving a trail of flame in her wake which soon evaporated into thin air. There was a flash of heat, and of orange light mixed with indigo. A rush of hot air blew through the building.

In the mirror, Serena saw Florges' Moonblast ensnared in midair, trapped in the constricting circlet of Delphox's Mystical Fire. The two combatants rose slowly higher into the air, approaching the ceiling as they struggled for dominance, each attempting to exert their will and force their attack through.

Aria pulled back from Serena's grip, but Serena did not let go. Aria responded by grabbing Serena's arm in turn.

"This whole place is going to come down if those attacks hit!" said Aria.

The floor rumbled beneath their feet. The panes of glass rattled in the windows. Dust fell from the ceiling.

"We need to go! Now!" said Aria.

Despite the single, crystal clear word that lingered in her head, Serena remained rooted to the spot. She wanted to see. She was certain Delphox could do it. It would only take a little more energy, just a bit more effort to force Florges' attack back, and when that happened, they would surely win.

But the turn in the tide she was waiting for did not come. Instead, the giant mirror along the wall cracked right along her line of sight, then splintered in countless directions like a jagged web. Then, many things happened all at once.

Aria's Delphox, pulled by a force beyond her control, was dragged into the fray. Flying through the air with a roar, she shot a Fire Blast at Florges. Palermo's exclamation of confusion was drowned out by the ensuing explosion of fire and light. A deafening sound assaulted Serena's ears as she and Aria sprinted out of the room. Every pane of glass in the building shattered, shards of the giant mirror chasing their heels as they ran.

They entered a vacant room in the rear of the building, empty aside from a few fragments of the freshly-destroyed window on the floor. Without a word or even a glance, they both ran for the open window hole and jumped through it, first Aria and then Serena.

For the brief, fleeting moment she was in the air, Serena was surprised to see the ground farther down than she expected, a drop of almost a full story instead of a few feet. Before she had a chance to rationalize any of it or even scream, she tucked in her limbs and prepared to roll, an instinctive reaction from far too many close calls on her adventures with Ash.

She grunted as she landed on rough asphalt and rolled to a stop, crashing into several trash cans. She hurried to her feet, suddenly realizing that she had not landed with Aria.

From inside the building, there was another flash of light followed by a crash. From a short distance away, there was a cry for help. Serena turned and saw Monsieur Pierre forcing Aria away, holding her arms in place behind her back. Unable to reach her bag, it slipped from her shoulders and dragged on the ground while her hands squirmed uselessly in Pierre's grip.

"Serena!"

Serena ran after Pierre.

"Stop!" she yelled.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Serena stopped in her tracks. Klefki floated down from above, stopping directly in front of her face. Serena pulled back a few inches. Klefki jingled its keys at her.

Pierre took notice. He turned back and faced Serena. Aria continued to struggle in his grip. He did not appear agitated. Rather, he appeared apologetic, almost mournful as she spoke.

"Forgive me, mademoiselle, but in the interest of the Kalos Queen I must halt your advance."

"Let her go right now!" said Serena.

"My apologies, mademoiselle, but I cannot allow that," said Pierre. "It is in the Kalos Queen's best interests that she comply and come with me."

Pierre turned to leave, forcing Aria along with him. Klefki vibrated.

"I will not let you take her!"

Serena grit her teeth, expecting Klefki to strike. She reached into her bag for her final Poké Ball. Before she could remove it from her bag, it opened on its own. Ribombee burst out of it and materialized in front of Klefki. Surprised, Klefki flinched and stopped vibrating. Ribombee hummed. Serena raised her hand to call an attack.

"Mademoiselle!" said Pierre. "I implore you to cease this at once!"

Serena had no idea what to do. Never, not even once, had she ever before attempted to battle with Ribombee. She knew none of her moves. She wasn't sure she had ever seen Ribombee use a move.

But in her moment of hesitation, Ribombee conjured a ball of what appeared to be pollen and fluff. She shot it right into Klefki's face. Dust billowed everywhere, and Klefki swerved through the air, bouncing off the building, the ground, and other stray objects in the alley as it sputtered and coughed uncontrollably.

Before Serena could register what had happened, Ribombee zoomed away in pursuit of Monsieur Pierre. Before she could say or do anything, Ribombee prepared to strike again.

"Mademoiselle!"

Ribombee fired another ball of pollen. Pierre gasped and gagged, staggering to his knees. Visibly holding her breath and squinting in the ensuing cloud of dust, Aria broke free and ran toward Serena, with Ribombee right behind her.

Moments later, while both Klefki and Pierre continued to sputter and cough, both Serena's and Aria's Delphox flew out the open window and landed in the alley. Behind them, an indigo glow approached.

Aria pulled her bag back onto her shoulder, reached into it, and threw another ball. Aromatisse appeared again.

"Aromatisse, Skuntank fragrance!" said Aria. Immediately she turned to Serena and began to push her the opposite way down the alley. "Run!"

Aromatisse let out a visibly heinous puff of gas. Serena did not stick around to experience the smell for herself. Immediately heeding Aria's words, she recalled Ribombee and her Delphox to their balls and ran. Aria did the same with Aromatisse and her Delphox. Moments later, they emerged onto the street.

Serena looked both ways. It was mostly empty. She turned back and saw Aria looking around frantically, panic in her eyes.

"Where are we supposed to go now?!" said Aria.

Once again, Serena grabbed Aria's wrist.

"This way!" she said. She pulled Aria out into the empty street and crossed to the other side.

Continuing to pull on Aria's arm, Serena ran.

"Where are we going?" said Aria.

"The only place we can go!" said Serena.

Minutes passed with silence aside from heavy breaths and the clatter of footsteps on the sidewalk. At some point, Serena let go of Aria's wrist. She wasn't sure when. She remained sure that Aria was right behind her the entire way.

They crossed street after street, making their way into a more populated residential area. Their pace slowed as they weaved through the perpetual crowds gathered at the intersections, then quickened again then they turned onto a lazy lane, one with nothing but streetlamps and parked cars and lights in the windows.

Serena ran up the front steps of the familiar house and turned the knob on the door. She was relieved to find it unlocked. She threw it open, ushered Aria inside, and then hurried to close it behind them. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the house while Serena turned the lock and then also the deadbolt for good measure.

And when she turned around, she found Clemont, Bonnie, and Korrina staring at her and Aria.