Chapter Fourteen - Breaking All Illusions
Lillie's voice trailed off in a whisper as she finished reading Aria's letter aloud. Atop her head, Ribombee whimpered. Lowering the paper, Lillie let the letter rest at her side, and she looked around the room. Disbelieving eyes stared back at her. She lowered her head.
Everyone was gathered in Clemont's room again. It was another impromptu strategy meeting, this time with one fewer participant. Lillie crossed one arm over her body and gripped her other arm with it as if trying to hold herself. She closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath, Aria's letter dangling at her side.
"I shouldn't have left her alone," said Lillie. "I thought she would be fine overnight. She seemed like she was in poor spirits, but I didn't think it was because of anything other than what happened yesterday. I didn't realize what she was planning to do."
"I doubt that there was any way for you to have known what she planned to do," said Clemont. "It is not your fault that she made the decision in secret. It seems perfectly clear why she would want to keep her intentions to herself. She knew that someone would have attempted to stop her."
Once again seated on Clemont's bed, Korrina folded her arms.
"I bet she was planning this the whole time," she said.
All eyes turned to look at Korrina. She bore a scowl on her face.
"Think about it," she said. "She refused our help, then went running back to Palermo. She probably didn't want any of us to get involved so that we didn't mess up any of Palermo's plans! She didn't want Ash to battle Palermo because she knew he would beat her!"
Lillie parted her lips, then looked up at Korrina and shook her head.
"I assure you I understand that the circumstances seem suspicious, but from what I know of Aria, I have no reason not to take her word at face value," said Lillie. "I really do believe that she has been telling us the truth the entire time. I have no reason to doubt her."
"She's an actress!" said Korrina. "She knows how to make it look like she's telling the truth!"
"True as that may be, I do not believe that any part of her involvement with us was an act," said Lillie.
"I know you weren't there, but she fooled all of us before!" said Korrina. "Did she tell you about that?"
Lillie hesitated for a moment to collect herself.
"I am aware of what happened when she first encountered you all in Monego City," she said.
"Then you know that she lied to all of us!" said Korrina.
"I also know that she attempted to make reparations for what she did," said Lillie. "Unless she is the greatest actress in the world, her feelings of regret about the tactics she used are sincere."
"And I bet I know who she learned those tactics from," said Korrina. "She did the same kind of stuff she says Palermo does! She tricked Serena!"
Korrina pointed at Serena as if presenting a damning piece of evidence before a court. Serena shifted awkwardly and bit down on her lip for a moment.
"She was very sorry about that," said Serena.
"Anyone can say that they're sorry about something," said Korrina. She locked onto Serena's eyes. "It doesn't have to mean anything."
Serena felt her stomach momentarily lurch as if punched in the gut. She doubted Korrina understood how relevant her words were.
"I second Serena's statement," said Lillie. "Aria may be uniquely capable of obscuring her feelings and presenting a façade to others, but I don't believe that the feelings she expressed to me were in any way a lie."
"And what makes you so sure about that?" said Korrina.
"I... don't know if you ever saw it, but Aria drops her façade sometimes," said Lillie. She looked at Serena. "She does it... when she's with people that she loves."
Serena wanted to curl up into a ball and vanish. She winced at the awkwardness as all eyes fell upon her. Clemont gestured in her direction.
"You were closer to Aria than anyone else here, I think," said Clemont. He hesitated for a moment before he continued. "Perhaps this is too personal a question, but I think it's of some strategic importance for us now. Do you believe that Aria's feelings for you were completely sincere?
Serena covered her face with both hands and let out a puff of air in embarrassment. When she uncovered her face a few seconds later, she pursed her lips for a moment, then met Clemont's eyes.
"Yes," she said with a nod. "I do."
"Again, I support Serena's view," said Lillie. "Aria did not express any romantic feelings toward me, but her friendship with me appeared to be completely genuine. I trust her."
Serena looked away from Lillie. She knew firsthand that if Aria had in fact deceived them, it would not be the first time an apparently genuine friend had betrayed Lillie's trust.
Tight-faced, Korrina pulled one knee up to her chest and rested her arm on top of it, looking away. In the silence that followed, Ash audibly scratched his head.
Bonnie stood up.
"So?" she said, holding out her arms in expectation of an explanation. "What are we gonna do?"
"I'm not sure," said Clemont.
"We can't just sit here!" said Bonnie.
"We may be forced to, considering the weather conditions expected tonight," said Clemont. "Even if Aria were still here with us, we likely would not have enough time to evacuate her from Kalos before the snow begins."
"So? We should do something before it snows!" said Bonnie.
"We shouldn't be hasty about this," said Clemont. "This is a serious situation."
"Oh, come on!" said Bonnie. "We can't just do nothing!"
"The trouble is that it is not clear what exactly we can do," said Clemont. "The most obvious course of action would be to attempt to rescue Aria, but it's unclear how we would do such a thing."
"Palermo lives in some kind of mansion, right?" said Ash.
Korrina nodded. She looked up at him.
"Yeah, she does," she said. "Serena and I have both been there."
"Can't we just break in or something?" he said.
Serena shook her head.
"I don't think that would work," she said.
"Why not?" said Ash.
"The place is really secure," said Serena. "There's a huge gate, and I'm sure there are cameras. She would see us coming."
"Guards, too," said Korrina. "I saw them before you showed up."
"They can't stop all of us!" said Ash.
"If whatever security detail Palermo has cannot stop all of us, I'm confident that the Lumiose City police can," said Clemont. "Likewise, I am confident that the police would arrive to stop us in a matter of minutes, and we would all surely be arrested and charged with trespassing, at a minimum. To the rest of the world, that's exactly what it would appear we are doing."
"It's exactly like Aria said," said Lillie. "Palermo has the law and the press on her side. She wouldn't have to do anything herself to stop us. Everything is already in her favor."
With his chin in his hand, Clemont nodded.
"Hmm, indeed," he said. "If Aria truly is back in her custody, Palermo is probably preparing some sort of press release about her return as we speak. If we were to rescue Aria from her, it would appear to the general public that we had abducted her. She could probably then frame us for having held Aria hostage for the last two months. I'm certain she has evidence that Aria was here the whole time. We'd be lucky to escape a prison sentence."
Ash folded his hands behind his neck and looked up at the ceiling for a while, thinking.
"What if the police couldn't get there?" he said.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," said Clemont. "Are you suggesting a diversion of some sort? That would probably get us in even more trouble with law enforcement than attacking Palermo directly."
Ash let his hands down and stuffed them into his pockets. He looked at Clemont and shook his head.
"Nah, that's not what I mean," he said. "I mean the weather. You said it was gonna snow, right?"
"Yes, that's right," Clemont said with a nod. "Not until later in the day, though. We have several hours until the precipitation is due to start."
"That's when we should go," said Ash. "We can use the snow to our advantage. It's gonna be tough for cars to drive, but we can still get to Palermo's mansion on foot! It'll give us more time."
With his mouth hanging slightly open, Clemont stared at Ash. He blinked a few times.
"I'm... not so certain about that," said Clemont. "For one, we wouldn't be able to effectively escape with Aria even if everything went according to plan. Furthermore, there's a great deal of uncertainty in the forecast. It's not yet clear exactly when the snow will begin. Based on the current track of the storm, Lumiose City sits on the border between warm and cold air masses. The snow won't begin until the colder airmass pushes the warmer one out of the way, but the warm airmass is blocked by a stationary front to the east, and-"
"Oh, come on!" said Bonnie. "Do you have a better plan?"
"Well, no, but I have legitimate concerns!" said Clemont. "There are far too many variables in this plan that would have to be left up to chance!"
"I agree that this plan sounds risky, but it may be the best chance we have," said Lillie. "I think you raised a very important point about what Palermo might be planning to do next. Maybe she has Aria and that's all she wants, but she probably isn't comfortable with there being a group of trainers with a regional champion and two gym leaders among them who know her secrets. If the things Aria told us about her are true, Palermo probably is planning to frame us in some way. For her own protection, she can't let us escape."
A grim hush came over the room. Lillie folded her hands and pursed her lips, staring down at the floor. No one spoke for a while.
"We've gotta fight her," said Ash.
Korrina sighed. She flopped backward onto the bed again with her hands behind her head.
"We really do, don't we?" she said.
"I want to arrive at a different conclusion, but all evidence suggests that a direct confrontation is unavoidable," said Clemont. He took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. "Unfortunately, I fear that this may be exactly what Palermo wants us to do."
Serena's stomach squirmed. She felt the same fear.
The next several hours were tense. An uneasy silence permeated the house, only rarely interrupted by the sounds of preparation. There was little more for everyone to do than pack their bags and wait. Serena tried to eat, but she found that her appetite had gone missing. She made tea and took only a few sips from it before she realized two hours had passed and it had gone cold.
She sat on the edge of her bed with her bag in her lap. After dumping its contents out on the bed, she had sifted through the rubble and tried to eliminate everything except the items she truly needed. There wasn't much aside from her Poké Balls and her pair of boots. The boots were bulky enough that she decided they would slow her down too much if she wore them, and that she would rather carry them and put them on later if necessary.
Among the remaining objects scattered on the bed, she found one that stood out above all the rest – the handkerchief. She wasn't sure what use it would be, but it was lightweight enough that it didn't seem like it would be a problem to carry it. She tucked it safely into one of the pockets in her bag, deep inside.
Outside, the gray sky hung low and sickly overhead like a sheet of steel, looking like it would collapse any minute in anticipation. Cold wind tossed about sporadic mist, every now and then splattering against the window. Serena eyed a garment she had long since abandoned. Aria's scarf hung from the corner of the bed. The longer she stared at it, the more Serena became convinced that not only was there a draft in the room, but that it was blowing directly on the back of her neck. Begrudgingly, she took the scarf and began wrapping it around her neck.
As she did, the door opened. Lillie stepped inside. Ribombee buzzed in after her.
"Oh, good idea," said Lillie, her eyes landing on Serena. "We'll need to do everything we can to stay warm, I think."
Serena looked down at the lengths of the scarf in her hands for a moment.
"Yeah, we will," she said. "It feels weird, but I guess it makes sense that I would wear this while we try to save Aria, doesn't it?"
"There is something poetic about it, I suppose," said Lillie. She frowned and looked out the window. "In fact, I would say that it feels as though it were always meant to be."
Serena wrapped the scarf around her neck one last time and tightened both ends.
"What makes you say that?" said Serena.
"I... worry that I may have made a mistake," said Lillie. She frowned and looked down at her feet. "I'm beginning to get the impression that I may not be a very good judge of character. I've put my trust in a lot of people I never should have trusted at all."
Serena went stone-faced, trying to show no reaction at all to Lillie's words. Whether Lillie meant it or not, Serena knew she deserved to be included in the list of people who had abused Lillie's trust.
"I'm worried that Korrina may have a point," said Lillie. "I do trust Aria, but I'm not sure if I should. I'm not used to being able to trust others, and I'm so new to having friends that I'm never sure how to tell whether or not I should trust someone."
"I'm... sorry for that," said Serena.
Lillie glanced up at Serena and quickly shook her head.
"Oh, no, no!" said Lillie. "It's not your fault at all!"
"I was your first friend and I betrayed your trust as badly as possible," said Serena. "I definitely have something to do with it and you should let me own up to it. I'm not innocent, no matter how much you want to forgive me."
"Regardless of your culpability, I think you'll agree that this situation is a bit much for me to navigate when I'm so new to having friends," said Lillie. "I'm rather overwhelmed by it all."
"Me too."
"The thing is, you seem to handle pressure better than I do."
Serena snorted.
"Are you serious?" she said.
"Very much so," said Lillie. "You're much better at taking action than I am."
"I really doubt it."
"I know it to be true," said Lillie. "You doubt yourself because you think you're not strong enough. I... actually am weak."
Serena narrowed her eyes.
"You're one of the strongest people I know," she said. "It takes incredible strength for you to think about life the way you do after everything you've been through!"
"While you flatter me, that's not quite what I mean," said Lillie. "Given the circumstances we are about to face, the strength that I'm referring to is in battle."
"Oh."
Serena deflated a bit while Lillie hid her eyes. Her giant, floppy hat was gone, but the habit associated with it was not.
"That's why I need to ask you something," said Lillie. She extended a finger like a perch, and Ribombee landed on it.
"What is it?" said Serena. She met Ribombee's dewy eyes, and the two of them gazed at each other in silence for a moment.
"You have Ribombee's Poké Ball, don't you?" said Lillie.
It took Serena a moment to realize what Lillie was suggesting. There were four Poké Balls in her bag. One of them was empty, as it had been since the day Lillie arrived. Serena reached into her bag and pulled it out.
"I do," said Serena.
"I never kept her in a ball," said Lillie. "I wasn't a trainer back then. When she stowed away in your spare Poké Ball with my note to you, she captured herself. As much as I love her, she's technically your Pokémon."
Ribombee tilted her head and looked up at Lillie, seemingly unsure of what was happening.
"Lillie, I can't-" Serena started. She cut herself off and shook her head. "I can't keep her. There's no way. It wouldn't be right."
"As much as she can belong to anyone, she belongs to you," said Lillie.
"No, no way," said Serena. She shook her head again. She held out the empty Poké Ball in her hand and attempted to give it to Lillie. "You can keep her. Here!"
Lillie pushed Serena's hand away.
"I cannot," said Lillie. "At least, not for tonight."
"Tonight?"
"You're a much more experienced trainer than I am," said Lillie. "I don't want it to come to this, but if Ribombee is forced into battle tonight, she should be under your command."
Ribombee glanced between the two of them. She looked nervous.
"Lillie..."
"Please," said Lillie. "I know that neither one of us can guarantee her safety, but I also know that you can put her abilities to much better use than I can. I'm terribly afraid that we are going to need all the help we can possibly get. I'm not asking you simply because of my fears, though. I'm asking you because it's for the good of everyone."
Serena thought for a while. While she tried to suppress the fear bubbling inside her own stomach, a stern look settled into her face. She met Lillie's eyes and held her gaze.
"I'll do my best," she said.
Serena gently pressed the button on the Poké Ball to Ribombee's forehead. In a flash of light, Ribombee disappeared inside.
"Thank you," said Lillie. She bowed her head graciously.
Serena silently hoped that she wasn't about to betray Lillie's trust once again.
Hours later, as the dim, obscured sun began to encroach upon the horizon, they departed. Their departure was delayed by Clemont's increasing panic that the snow was not going to arrive on time. Again and again, he fretted over the positioning of the cold front, concerned that it would arrive too late for any snow to fall at all. When they eventually left, there was no snow on the ground, but a few sparse flurries whirled about in the wind. Clemont insisted that they were leaving too soon, but no one else had the patience to wait any longer.
And so, the six of them collectively headed out into the streets of Lumiose City. Korrina led the way, with Ash right behind her. Bonnie brought up the rear, urging Clemont and Lillie along. Serena was in the middle, trailing behind Ash. Traffic was much lighter than normal, the streets mostly empty as everyone in the city seemed to have run to hide indoors, away from the storm. All was eerily quiet as they turned one final corner toward the river.
Serena grimaced as the wind pummeled her face and stung her eyes. Palermo's mansion loomed in the distance. The light from the late afternoon sun glared off the windows. The black iron and white marble seemed even more impenetrable in the daylight than it had at night.
"There it is, up ahead!" Korrina called back to everyone else, pointing at their destination. She then ran ahead, crossing the final street that separated them.
When Serena reached the street corner from which she had watched Korrina's crushing defeat, she noticed the mailbox there and stopped. There it still stood, like a signpost signaling the last vestige of safety. One step further, and she would be past the point of no return.
Up ahead, Ash stopped at the curb. Serena let her gaze linger on the mailbox for a moment longer, then passed it and walked up next to Ash. He gazed at the fortress ahead.
"So this is it, huh?" he said.
"Yes," said Serena. "This is it."
"I see why everyone said it would be so tough to break in," said Ash.
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
Neither one said anything for a while. Serena held a hand up toward her chest, then gripped her scarf with her icy fingers. Realizing how stiff they felt, she formed a fist and blew warm air onto them. Ash looked over at her while she rubbed her frigid hands together.
"You nervous?" he said.
"Very," Serena said, nodding.
"Me too," he said. "In a good way!"
"I'm definitely not nervous in a good way," said Serena. "I... I think we may be in over our heads, just like Aria said we would be."
"I've been in over my head more times than I can count," said Ash.
"I know," said Serena. "I was there for a lot of those times. This feels different, somehow. I don't know why. I can't really explain it."
Serena closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head.
"Maybe I'm overthinking all of this," she said. "I don't know anymore. I just want this to all be over. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
Ash shrugged.
"I think we'll be fine," he said. "I've done crazier things than this and been okay. Everything just kinda works out in the end, you know?"
"Ash."
Without thinking, Serena reached out to him. She placed her hand on his arm. Their eyes met.
"Please promise me something," said Serena.
"What?" said Ash.
"Please, promise me that if this doesn't work and we're all going to get in huge trouble, that you'll get out of here," said Serena. "Save yourself. If Aria was right and we're all going to end up in jail for this, don't join us. Don't throw your life away for this. You're too important. There's still so much good left for you to do. The world needs you. Don't worry about the rest of us. Especially... me."
"Huh?"
"I'm... not important," said Serena. "I'm not an amazing trainer or performer, or much of anything, really. I'm just a girl with a crush who made some mistakes and ended up in a crazy situation because of them. I-"
"You're wrong."
Ash gave her a sharp look. His eyes fierce, he looked as serious as Serena had ever seen him. But before he could say anything more, someone else spoke.
"So, this is the place?"
Lillie approached from behind, her eyes lingering on the mansion. Behind her, Clemont and Bonnie followed and then came to a stop.
"We need to find cover," said Clemont. "We should keep a low profile until the weather turns in our favor. We mustn't make our move too early. Stealth will be the key if we are to be successful."
"Hey! Open the gate!"
Across the street, Korrina banged her fists on the iron bars of the gate. Clemont groaned. His shoulders sank.
"So much for subtlety," he said, holding a palm to his forehead.
Lillie gave Clemont a confused look.
"I don't know Korrina that well, but I was under the impression that she is not particularly subtle about anything," she said.
"Nope!" said Bonnie. "That's why she's so great for him, though! If she didn't take charge for him, he'd never do anything."
"That's completely false, and you know it," said Clemont.
Bonnie confidently shut her eyes and shook her head.
"You're only here because of her, and you know it," she said.
"I-"
Clemont hung his head.
"I concede defeat," he said.
Across the street, Korrina stood in front of the gate with her hands on her hips, glaring at it.
"Don't make me hit this thing again!" said Korrina. "I'll tear it down if I have to!"
There was an electric crackle, followed by the faintly metallic sound of a familiar voice speaking over an intercom.
"That will not be necessary, mademoiselle. Your patience for just a moment, please. You and your friends may enter."
Korrina gawked up at the intercom speaker. Serena's stomach made a noise that she hoped no one else heard. Either they had already been spotted, or they had been expected. Possibly both.
"Are they gonna let us in?" said Ash.
"Sounds like it," said Bonnie.
"Let's go!"
Ash ran out into the abandoned street. A few seconds later, everyone else followed. They all gathered in front of the gate with Korrina. The motor flared to life, and the gate slowly began to slide out of the way.
"I can't believe that worked!" said Korrina, beaming with pride as everyone else approached.
"I can," said Clemont. "You gave away our position! This was supposed to be a stealth mission!"
"Oh, come on," said Korrina. "There was no way she wasn't going to see us. This place is covered with cameras!"
Serena looked up and saw a camera mounted over the intercom speaker. It pointed directly at her. She saw the lens turn.
On the other side of the gate, all the way across the courtyard, the front door of the mansion opened. Monsieur Pierre stepped through it, with Klefki floating beside him. He closed the door behind him, then proceeded down the front steps. Walking stiffly with his arms tucked behind his back, he crossed the courtyard and approached the gate.
The gate came to a halt, fully open. Monsieur Pierre stopped a few steps short, facing everyone. He gave them a curt nod.
"Good evening," he said. "You are here to seek an audience with Madame Palermo, I presume?"
"Yes, obviously," said Korrina. She leered at Monsieur Pierre, her arms folded.
Monsieur Pierre glanced at Korrina.
"Mademoiselle, I regret to inform you that Madame Palermo is not interested in hosting a rematch with you," he said. "Rather, there is only one among you who she intends to entertain this evening."
"Well, too bad!" said Korrina. "We're all here! I've got help this time, and we're not leaving without a fight!"
Monsieur Pierre gave Korrina a disdainful look, and then his eyes landed squarely on Serena.
"Mademoiselle Serena is the only one who I am permitted to allow entrance inside," he said.
Serena's lips parted, and her eyes widened as she looked up at Monsieur Pierre.
"Me?" she said.
"Correct, mademoiselle."
"Aw, come on, you really expect us to fall for that?" said Korrina. "It's an obvious trap!"
"Yeah, there's no way we're letting Serena go inside alone!" said Ash, stepping forward. "Even if you don't let us in, we'll fight our way in! There's no way you can stop all of us!"
"You are correct that I cannot stop all of you, but there will be no need for you to use force to enter," said Pierre. "Madame Palermo only wishes to speak to Mademoiselle Serena, nothing more. No harm shall come of her."
"Yeah right!" said Bonnie. "Why should we believe you?"
"I may be many things, mademoiselle, but a liar is not among them," said Pierre.
Bonnie scoffed.
"What are you, some kind of cartoon character?"
"I am the attendant to the Kalos Queen and majordomo to Madame Palermo."
"Major what?" said Bonnie.
"It is my duty, mademoiselle, to act in the best interests of the Kalos Queen on her behalf. Likewise, it is also my duty to run Madame Palermo's household in accordance with her wishes. As such, I may only permit Mademoiselle Serena to enter the household tonight. The rest of you may enter the courtyard, but I cannot allow you any further."
Serena looked around and saw everyone exchanging uncertain glances. No one seemed to know what to do. She noticed Monsieur Pierre staring at her, waiting for a response. She looked up at him and took a step forward.
"I'll go," she said.
"What?" said Korrina. "You can't be serious!"
"I'll do it," said Serena. "I'll go in. I'd rather settle this on my own, without a fight. The rest of you stay out here and wait for me, okay?"
"Serena, are you certain about this?" said Lillie.
"Consider what may happen if you continue with this course of action," said Clemont. "We have no reason whatsoever to trust Palermo. Regardless of what we are told, we have every reason to believe that you will be in grave danger by yourself!"
"Serena?"
Serena met eyes with Ash. He was disbelieving, uncertain. Serena nodded at him.
"I know he can't stop you," she said. "If I don't come back, well... just break in. I know you can."
"Again, I assure you, such measures will not be necessary," said Pierre.
Ash steeled himself. He nodded.
"Be careful," he said.
"Are we agreed, then?" said Pierre.
"Yes," said Serena.
"Very well. This way, if you please."
For a few steps, everyone walked together through the gate into the courtyard. Then, Serena and Monsieur Pierre broke free from the rest of the group. Alone, the two of them proceeded their way up the walk and toward the front steps. Pierre's shoes clacked on the paving stones, the only sound interrupting the silence.
Past every hedge and statue along the way, Serena turned her head, searching for any sign of a trap. She found nothing at all. There was no one waiting to jump out, nor any indication of anything out of place. The only thing truly out of place was her.
She followed Monsieur Pierre up the steps, then stopped while he turned the doorknob and pulled open the giant, oaken door.
"Please, this way."
He bowed, then ushered her inside. Serena took one last moment to prepare herself, then stepped through the door.
Inside, she was greeted by dazzling light and the sound of her footsteps echoing on the marble floor. She craned her neck upward in awe. She stood inside a cavernous atrium. The glass dome ceiling stood four stories overhead. Everything in sight that was not shining marble was gleaming gold. Chandeliers dangled on chains from high above, filling the massive entryway with light. Tapestries hung from the walls, interspersed with elaborate paintings. Twin marble staircases flanked the hallway ahead, both leading to a balcony above. Above there, additional levels loomed beyond.
Serena couldn't even begin to imagine the value of the place. She wondered if the room in which she stood was by itself worth more than everything in Vaniville Town combined. She decided it probably was.
She turned around and saw Monsieur Pierre still in the doorway.
"Madame Palermo is presently occupied with another visitor, but she has been notified of your arrival and will be with you shortly," he said. "If you will excuse me, I must return to your friends in the courtyard."
Monsieur Pierre bowed, then stepped back outside and closed the door behind him. The sound echoed through the atrium.
A moment later, Serena heard another sound. Outside, Klefki jingled. The lock turned on the door.
She froze. She was locked inside.
A brief panic shot through her heart. Stunned, she tried and failed to comprehend what had just happened. She wasn't sure if what she had done was courageous or phenomenally stupid. She clenched her fists and felt sweat on her palms. She wondered if she had willingly walked into a trap, or thrown everything away for no good reason. Had she just sacrificed herself for nothing on a split-second decision?
She bit down on her lip and looked around. The atrium was ominously beautiful, a blatant juxtaposition with its owner. Or perhaps, from a different perspective, a perfect mirror. The appearance was all superficial.
Serena flinched in fright as she heard a door open from somewhere rather far away. The sound echoed all around, reflecting off the solid marble surfaces again and again. Footsteps followed, all equally confusing. It was impossible to determine their origin. Serena looked around in all directions, failing to find any sign of anyone.
She jumped in surprise again when she heard a voice from above.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Serena's head and eyes shot upward. Aria stood behind the balcony railing on the second floor.
"I did everything I could to make it clear how dangerous this was," said Aria. "You should have listened."
"Aria!"
Serena's call echoed through the cavernous hall. From above, Aria met her eyes. Aria's face was joyless, her eyes heavy. As she held Serena's gaze, her expression did not change.
"I tried to save you all from this," said Aria. "It was the only thing I could do. Why couldn't you just let me go?"
"Because I care about you!"
"Evidently not enough to listen to my warnings."
"I loved you!"
Aria grimaced.
"Don't use that word," she said.
"I'll use it if I want to, because it's true!" said Serena. "That was how I felt about you, and I know that things can't ever be the same now, but I still care about you! We all do!"
"You don't get it," said Aria. "None of you do. No matter how many times I tried to tell you, you don't understand what you're dealing with."
"How could you just run back here to her after everything you've been through?" said Serena. "It doesn't make sense!"
"It doesn't make sense to you because you haven't had your hopes and dreams ground down to dust by her!" said Aria. "You don't understand how hopeless this has always been! You don't understand what she can do to you. She will burn you. She'll burn all of you. She'll even make you disappear, if that's what it takes."
Something about Aria's phrasing unsettled Serena.
"How can you give up like this after everything that's happened?" said Serena. "You did everything you could to resist her for so long! Why won't you fight back now that you have friends on your side?"
"Because she's still going to win!" said Aria. "She always does!"
"That's no reason to just give up!" said Serena. "This isn't over yet!"
"Leave your stupid promise with your childhood crush out of this!"
Aria gripped the railing up above, her knuckles white. She glared down at Serena. Serena returned the glare in kind.
"There's nothing stupid about it!" said Serena.
"Oh? And how much trouble have you made for yourself because you refused to give up, no matter what?" said Aria. "Look at where you are right now!"
"I'm here because I care about you, and I care about all of my friends!" said Serena. "You're not going to change that by telling me we can't win, and I'm not going to give up on fighting for the people I love!"
"I told you not to use that word!"
"I'll use it as much as I want, because it's true!" said Serena. "Whether or not things will ever be okay between the two of us again, even though we can't ever be together again, my feelings for you are still real! I didn't just stop caring about you because we broke up!"
"This would all be a lot easier if you had," said Aria.
"That's not how love and friendship work!"
"I tried to separate from you all!" said Aria. "I tried to protect you all from this!"
"I'm not going to let you do this, Aria!"
Something inside Aria's face twitched. Her lips parted, exposing her teeth. Her face tightened in anger. Through clenched teeth, she sputtered only the very beginnings of a word before it lost all form and collapsed into the sounds of frustration.
Then, she reached for a Poké Ball.
Without thinking, Serena reacted in a mere fraction of a second. Driven by instinct, she jammed her hand into her bag, found Delphox's Poké Ball as if pulled to it like a magnet, and threw it into the air.
An explosion followed. At the same time, both Aria's Delphox and Serena's Delphox materialized in a flash of light. Without command, both of them fired upon the other. A fireball flared and then erupted inside the atrium, bathing everything in intense heat and light. Serena held an arm up to shield her eyes as the shock wave blasted past her.
When she opened her eyes again a few moments later, the only sign that anything had happened was from the haze of smoke lingering in the air. Up above, Aria's Delphox stood atop the balcony railing. Serena's Delphox levitated in front of her, hovering at eye level. The two of them both held their wands at the ready, pointed at each other.
"Aria, why?!"
Her fists clenched, Serena shouted up at Aria from below. Aria held her sharp gaze on Serena, but said nothing.
"I'm trying to help you!" said Serena. "Why won't you let me?! You need it!"
"I don't want your help!" said Aria. "I don't want anyone's help!"
"You cried in my arms asking for my help!" said Serena. "You told me you needed a hero! You told me I was your hero!"
Aria's face flared with anger again.
"Fire Blast!"
Aria's Delphox growled, then shot a blast of flame from her mouth. In turn, without a command, Serena's Delphox did the same. Once again, Serena shielded her eyes from the exploding fireball, the chains of the chandeliers rattling high above.
This time, when Serena opened her eyes there was much more smoke. The carpet leading to the hall was singed black, with fumes steadily rising from it. The smell of burning fiber hung in the air.
"Aria, stop!"
"Again!"
Serena ran for the stairs. Before she could make it, she dropped to the floor and covered her head as another explosion of flame erupted overhead. When she stumbled back to her feet again, she saw smoke rising from the front door rug.
As fast as her feet would carry her, she ran up the stairs. Once more on her way up, she ducked to avoid the flames. Her own Delphox advanced, moving forward through the air. Aria's Delphox retreated, hopping down from the balcony railing and backing up into the hall. When Serena reached the top, her Delphox already had both feet on the ground on the second floor. The two Pokémon faced each other in the center of the hall, separating their two trainers.
"Aria, don't do this!" said Serena. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Then stop making me fight you!"
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are! I told you to stay out of this and you won't!"
"Fighting me doesn't fix that!"
"It's the only thing I can do!"
"No, it isn't!"
"Yes, it is!"
Aria's reply escalated into a shout. Serena saw her shake as the words left her mouth.
"I told you that the only thing Palermo hadn't taken from me was my dignity!" said Aria. "The only thing I had left was my ability to defy her! That was the only bit of free will I had! And now, I've become just another damsel in distress for you and your friends! I don't even need Ash to be involved to be reduced to nothing more than an object you all have to save! You're doing that all on your own!"
"You're not an object!" said Serena. "Why do you think I see you that way? You even told me that I was the only person who saw you for who you really are!"
"Then what am I to you?"
Serena shook her head as though Aria's question made no sense.
"You're Aria."
"That's not an answer!"
"It's the only answer!"
"Flamethrower!"
Serena hurried to take a step back as Aria's Delphox fired again, this time shooting a jet of flame from her wand. Serena's Delphox matched the attack, blocking it with a Flamethrower of her own. The two jets of flame collided halfway between the two of them and splashed off each other, creating a temporary wall of fire. When it faded, the plastic leaves of a fake plant in a vase were left smoldering.
The smell was noxious. Serena coughed.
"What are you doing?" said Serena. "Fighting me isn't going to help anything! Palermo isn't going to have a chance to burn me if you burn us both alive first!"
"Just stop," said Aria. "Stop it. Leave. Now, while you still can."
"Monsieur Pierre locked the door behind me!"
"Do you really think you can't get out?" said Aria. "He locked it to keep everyone else from coming in! What kind of front door would lock someone inside?"
Serena's face fell slack in surprise. She blinked a couple of times.
"Wait. You know that everyone else is here?"
"Of course I do!" said Aria. "It's exactly like Palermo planned!"
"She... planned this?"
"Yes! That's why you need to stop this! If you get out of here right now, then maybe things won't go according to her plan!"
"Why are you fighting me, then?" said Serena. "Why didn't you just tell me that? We could have both just left already, together!"
"Because I can't go with you."
"What? Why not?"
"Because she'll go after you all again," said Aria. "She won't stop. If I go with you, none of you will ever be safe. She'll destroy your lives."
Serena bit down on her lip and looked aside for a moment. She exhaled sharply.
"I can't just leave you here!" she said.
"You have to," said Aria. "Get out, now! Before it's too late!"
"Maybe you think it's hopeless, and maybe it really is, but I'm not afraid to fight for you!" said Serena. "Our friends aren't afraid, either!"
"Just go."
"We can get you out of here," said Serena. "The Aether Foundation's jet should be here by now. All we have to do is protect you until the storm passes, and then you'll be free!"
"I won't be free at all!" said Aria. "That place was Lillie's personal prison! If I go there, I won't be able to leave for as long as Palermo lives! It will become my prison, too!"
"It has to be better than her exploiting and abusing you!"
"And you all will likely be forced to permanently exile yourselves there, too, because you're going to end up in an actual prison if you try to fight Palermo!"
"Being stuck there in the middle of the ocean with you would still be better than living here in fear."
"I can't ask you all to do that for me!" said Aria. "I'm not worth it!"
"You're worth it to me!"
"The only reason you're so willing to do any of this is because you think that you're not worth anything yourself!"
"I-"
Serena bit her tongue. Not even fifteen minutes ago, she had told Ash almost precisely that.
"So go, now," said Aria.
Serena shook her head.
"No."
"Go, before I make you leave."
"I won't."
"Fire Blast!"
Serena scrambled several steps backward before throwing herself onto the floor and covering her head. In the tighter corridors of the hall, the intensity of the ensuing fireball and explosion was magnified. The billowing fire was funneled down the hall, and it swept over her. Her eyes shut tight, she grimaced as the heat from the blast lashed her with searing pain.
When it passed, she opened her eyes and lay prone for a few seconds. Taking heavy breaths, she saw the white marble charred black, and tongues of flame dancing on the rug that lined the hall. She looked over her shoulder to confirm that she herself was not on fire, then sprang up to her feet.
"That's enough!" Serena shouted, her fists clenched and quivering.
"Again!"
Aria's Delphox fired another blast. This time, Serena's Delphox did not respond in kind. Instead, her eyes flared with indigo light, and she waved her wand. With a wide, sweeping motion, she intercepted the incoming blast and dispersed it, as if scattering it to the wind.
The seconds that followed were deafeningly quiet. Aria's momentary astonishment soon gave way to anger once again. To Serena's surprise, Aria's Delphox not only mirrored Aria's emotions, but showed them even more intensely.
Aria said nothing, but her Delphox moved. She raised her wand and shot another Flamethrower at Serena's Delphox. Calmly, Serena's Delphox flourished her wand and swept the Flamethrower out of the way. The jet of flame scattered off the marble wall, leaving behind nothing more than a charred black spot.
Aria's Delphox roared. A wild melee ensued.
As quickly as she could, Aria's Delphox fired off attack after attack in a frenzy of flames, sending blistering fire streaming in every direction. Serena watched in stunned silence as her own Delphox responded with comparatively mystifying grace, calmly but swiftly sweeping and spinning around as if choreographing a dance inside the fire. With every twist and turn and flick of her wand, Serena's Delphox swept the flames away, making them dissipate into thin air.
The assault came to an end when Aria's Delphox staggered backward and gasped for air. Heaving for breath, she glared at her opponent, fangs bared. Serena's Delphox took a step forward.
Then, Aria's Delphox reared back and set the world on fire.
Yet again, Serena threw herself to the ground, this time behind her own Delphox. She was convinced she felt the floor shake from the raw power. The blast roared down the hall, blowing away the decorations on the walls and toppling statues and vases. And yet, despite the cacophony, Serena opened her eyes when she realized something.
She didn't feel any heat.
Serena looked up, and she saw her Delphox projecting some sort of shield from her wand, enclosing them both in a bubble. In disbelief, Serena rose to her feet.
The blast had faded, but the flames had not. Everything combustible had finally succumbed. The hall was engulfed in an inferno. There was no sign of Aria or her Delphox, both of them obscured from sight by the towering wall of flames ahead.
Serena's Delphox stepped forward. Serena followed, not wanting to accidentally slip outside the shield.
To her horror, when Delphox stopped, she let the shield down.
Serena only had enough time to gasp before she saw what Delphox did next. With both hands held up as if throwing open the doors of a wardrobe, Delphox parted the sea of fire.
Feeling the flames lashing at her back, Serena's astonishment lasted only a moment before survival instinct took over and she ran through the tunnel Delphox had created. It was not until she arrived on the far side that she realized what awaited her.
Aria's Delphox was doubled over on all fours, out of breath and exhausted. Aria herself knelt beside her, a hand on her back. Serena and her own Delphox stood awkwardly over the two of them.
Aria looked up. Behind Serena, the wall of fire closed again. Aria closed her eyes, and she held her Delphox close, pressing her forehead against Delphox's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "I know you did your best. We both did."
Aria pulled out a Poké Ball once again. She pressed it to her Delphox's back. Her Delphox vanished a moment later, drawn back into the ball. On her knees, Aria sighed, then looked up at Serena.
"I'm so, so sorry," said Aria.
"We've got to get out of here!" said Serena.
"You need to," said Aria. "I'm staying here."
"Are you insane?" said Serena.
"This place isn't going to burn down," said Aria. "I'll be fine."
"Come on!"
Serena swiped a hand down at Aria and grabbed her by the arm. Aria pulled away.
"Stop!" said Aria. "I'm not going with you!"
"You'll die if you stay here!"
Serena grabbed Aria's arm again. This time, Aria shoved her away.
"I said stop!"
"You're going to get yourself killed!"
"So what?" said Aria. "It would probably be better that way."
"Aria!"
"Go! Forget about me!"
"I will never forget about you!"
"You don't need me!" said Aria.
"Yes, I do!"
"No, you don't! Nobody does!"
"I do need you!"
"No you don't!"
Aria's piercing shout brought momentary silence to the hall in its wake. Serena froze. Aria seethed, quivering with anger.
"I've been trying to show you that the entire time!" said Aria. "You define yourself by the other people in your life! You don't need anyone, but you refuse to see it! That's what holds you back!"
"But... I care about you!"
"Don't you dare define my worth based on what I'm worth to you!"
"I... I didn't mean to hurt you!" said Serena. "I never wanted to-"
"I know that, and it's not fair!"
"Huh?"
Aria clenched her fists, then sank to all fours. With her eyes clenched shut, she beat her fists on the floor and screamed.
"It's not fair!"
Her face pressed to the floor, Aria covered her head with her hands and sobbed.
Serena averted her eyes. She gazed at her feet. Her stomach churned. Aria shook as she cried.
"No, it's not," Serena said, much quieter than before. "I... wish I could fix it. I don't know if I can."
Aria sobbed for a while longer before trying to speak. When she did, her voice was twisted and waterlogged.
"I just wanted a girlfriend, and my own friends, and my own life! Why can't I have that?"
Serena assumed that Palermo was too obvious an answer.
What was also too obvious was how right Aria was. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair. The fact that life wasn't fair was practically a cliché. For the first time, though, Serena felt like she truly understood what it meant.
She had nothing to say. There was nothing she could say. There was no way she could fix it, no way she could make it better, no way she could change anything.
Before she could make a fool out of herself by trying to say something meaningful, the flames roared and lashed at her back. Serena scurried a few steps forward, trying to escape their reach. The end of the hallway was not far ahead.
"We've got to get out of here," said Serena. She leaned over by Aria's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Aria swatted her hand away.
"Leave me. Go. Just go."
"Absolutely not!"
Serena seized Aria by the wrist and pulled. Aria stumbled forward. Her head snapped up to glare at Serena, livid.
"I said-"
"I don't care what you said!" said Serena. "I don't care what you think about it! I care about you too much to leave you behind. This has nothing to do with me needing you for anything and everything to do with you deserving better than this. I don't care if I have to drag you the entire way! I am not leaving you behind! That's final!"
Aria stared at Serena for a second, then snatched her wrist away from Serena's grip.
"Fine," she said, rising to her feet. She refused to meet Serena's eyes. "This way, then."
Aria led Serena and Delphox to the end of the hall and pushed open a door that looked like it was a closet. It was dark inside. Aria stepped inside it and flipped a switch on the wall.
Serena raised an eyebrow. It was a closet.
"Huh?" she said.
"There's roof access in here," said Aria. "Look."
Aria pointed to the far side of the closet, a portion of the opposite wall hidden from sight from outside. A ladder led to unseen heights above.
"Can't we go down?" said Serena.
"The only way to reach the first floor from here is the staircases in the atrium," said Aria. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to try to get there, even with your Delphox's protection."
"How are we going to get down from the roof, though?" said Serena. "Is there another ladder or something?"
"Your Delphox can levitate things, can't she?" said Aria.
Serena gave Delphox a furtive glance. She supposed Aria's plan was good enough given the situation.
In relative silence, the three of them ascended the ladder. Serena supposed it was some sort of maintenance access shaft. Aria led the way. At the top of each level, she had to stop and unlock a hatch to the next floor.
A minute or two later, when Aria opened yet another hatch, Serena saw light. The light was soon followed by a gust of cold air.
"We're here," said Aria.
Aria stepped up onto the roof. As she dusted herself off, Serena joined her. The sky was darker than when she had last seen it. The air was colder than before. Flurries swirled about in the air, ever so slightly heavier than before. She could only imagine the panic attack Clemont was having. His fears about the snow not arriving on time seemed to be coming true.
"I would call this a pleasant surprise, but I think you'll agree with me that this is neither much of a surprise nor particularly pleasant."
Serena gasped. Beside her, Aria jumped in fright. Both of them spun around.
With her hands inside the pockets of her long coat and her silvery gray scarf billowing in the wind, Palermo stood behind them, a short distance away on the opposite side of the access hatch. Beside her, Florges stood as cold and aloof as ever.
Delphox was only halfway through the hatch. She snapped her head in Florges' direction and growled. Florges gave Delphox no more response than a momentary, dismissive glance.
When Delphox pulled herself fully up onto the roof, Palermo took a step forward. She pulled one hand out of her pocket, then snapped her fingers. Spontaneously, the hatch shut itself. The brief, almost unnoticeable flash in Florges' eyes was the only indication as to who had actually done it.
Palermo put her hand back in her coat pocket and turned away. She meandered toward the edge of the roof.
"Fancy meeting both of you up here," she said. "Rather chilly this evening, isn't it, girls?"
Serena glanced at Aria. Neither one of them said anything.
"Pity we couldn't have more cooperative weather, but the view from here is unparalleled, I must say," said Palermo. She stopped near the edge of the roof and looked back over her shoulder. "As luck would have it, you two are just in time."
"In time for what?" said Serena.
"Why, isn't that the question of the day?" said Palermo. "Come closer, my dear. You will see for yourself soon enough."
Serena's brow tightened.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," she said.
Palermo turned away again and lightly shook her head.
"I would urge you to reconsider your pointless stubbornness, but I'm confident you'll change your position on the matter in short order anyway."
"I'm not changing my mind about anything!" said Serena.
"How dreadfully dull of you," said Palermo, not even bothering to look back. "I would blame your useful idiot of a lover for it, but it's perfectly clear that you come by it naturally."
Serena could not remember ever being offended in more ways at the same time.
"What do you know about Ash?" she said. "You've never met him!"
"Indeed, I have not," said Palermo. "His reputation precedes him, though. It's a shame that I am unavailable to greet him personally tonight, but alas, I have been indisposed."
Palermo shifted her stance and glanced back at Serena and Aria.
"I pride myself on being an excellent host, but I admit, it is rather improper of me to have arranged a meeting between two of my guests without their knowledge. It's hardly an excuse, but there are some extenuating circumstances this evening."
Palermo smiled, and she turned to look down below again. Before Serena could say anything, she heard an unexpected sound.
It was the sound of an engine. Down below, a vehicle rolled to a stop, then went silent.
"Ah, splendid," said Palermo. "Punctual as always."
Unable to wait any longer, Serena walked over to the edge of the roof and stopped, keeping her distance from Palermo. She looked down.
Four stories below, a white limousine sat parked just short of the courtyard. Ash and the others stood in the courtyard, watching it. Monsieur Pierre remained at his post at the front steps, blocking entry to the mansion.
One of the limousine's rear doors opened. A figure stepped out. Serena's jaw dropped.
It was Diantha.
"No..." Serena whispered.
"On the contrary, yes, actually," said Palermo, looking in her direction and giving her a slight nod.
Down below, Ash stepped forward from the group. Diantha approached from the opposite direction.
"Ash!" said Diantha.
"Diantha?" said Ash. "Is that really you?"
"Yes, it is," said Diantha. She stopped, still quite some distance away from him. Seemingly uncertain if he should continue, Ash also stopped.
"I can't believe it!" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Unfortunately, I have to ask the same question of you and all of your friends," said Diantha.
"Huh?"
"When Aria returned last night, Palermo contacted me and told me she had an urgent matter to discuss with me," said Diantha. "I just finished discussing it with her, as a matter of fact. She told me it had to do with Aria's safety, although I never imagined what it would be."
Ash didn't seem to know how to respond.
"Did... did she tell you?"
"She told me that the reason Aria had been missing for so long was that your friend Serena extorted her for money," said Diantha. "And then, when that wasn't enough, your friends helped hold Aria captive for monthsbecause Serena had some sort of sick, twisted love for her!"
"What?!" said Ash.
"She also told me that she was aware of the connection between you and the rest of your friends who did this, and that she was afraid that you would come here to try to take Aria back since she escaped."
"Are you kidding?" said Ash.
"I'm completely serious," said Diantha. She folded her arms. "I recommend you take this seriously, too. This is a very serious matter."
"It's all a lie!"
"What is?" said Diantha. "Your heroic act? Palermo showed me evidence, Ash! She has emails that prove that Serena was after Aria's money. She has letters that prove you knew about Serena's involvement in this situation and that you were coming back to help her."
Serena's heart stopped. Aghast, she turned to look at Palermo.
Palermo withdrew an object from each pocket. From one, a stack of envelopes. From another, a lighter.
Delphox brandished her wand and pointed it at Palermo. From behind Palermo, Florges turned around and held a palm out toward Delphox. Both of them flared with energy, each blocking the other.
Palermo flicked the lighter, then touched the envelopes to the flame.
"Don't worry. I have copies."
Palermo tossed the burning envelopes into the wind. Spontaneously, Serena let out a strangled cry caught somewhere between a scream and a whimper. As if trying to chase them as they fluttered to the ground, Serena dropped to her knees and leaned over the edge of the roof, extending her arm in a hopeless attempt to reach out to them. She was not even close.
Tears flooded her eyes, obscuring her vision as the smoldering remains of the letters left trails of smoke that vanished into the frigid evening air, the ashes scattering in the wind. She sank to all fours.
The next thing she knew, she felt Aria's hands on her shoulders, pulling her back from the edge. She covered her mouth with one hand. She only heard what happened next.
"Palermo took my letters?" said Ash.
"She had a search warrant," said Diantha.
"What?"
"It's all over, Ash," said Diantha. "There's more than enough evidence to send every single one of you to prison. The only problem is getting you there in the first place."
"It's not true!"
"You can save your talk for when you're in police custody," said Diantha. "You'll need it then."
"We didn't do it!" said Ash. "We were trying to help Aria! Palermo's lying!"
"Palermo has done more good for me and for the people of Kalos than you ever have or could," said Diantha. "Tell me, did you merely stop Team Flare because it was convenient for you?"
"I- What are you doing?"
There was the sound of a Poké Ball opening.
"I'm doing what the police cannot," said Diantha. "I'm stopping you."
Serena wasn't sure when she had last felt her heart take a beat. She was cold all over, inside and out. Her brain had halted, completely numb from shock.
Palermo turned to face Serena. She smiled.
"The tabloids and the gossip rags will all tell you that Aria is the greatest apprentice I ever mentored," said Palermo. "In a sense, that is true. Aria is perhaps the greatest performer in the history of the art form. She is certainly the greatest performer I have ever mentored, but that doesn't tell the whole story."
Aria helped pull Serena upright onto her knees again.
"Diantha was never the Kalos Queen, but that has more to do with me than it does with her," said Palermo. "She unquestionably had the talent for it. As it so happens, I correctly deduced that she possessed incredible potential when I first encountered her as a young girl. What I failed to predict was how correct I was."
Serena forced herself to breathe. She blinked several times, clearing the tears from her eyes. She swallowed. Down below, she saw Pikachu standing opposite Diantha's Goodra in the center of the courtyard.
"Pokémon prodigies are common, but prodigies of her caliber are not," said Palermo. "Diantha first achieved mega evolution with her Gardevoir when she was eleven years old. I knew long before then that I was outclassed. As such, I had long since begun nudging her away from the performance circuit and toward competitive battling. Attempting to control her as her fame and power grew would have jeopardized my entire enterprise. Unlike all the others, she alone possessed the strength to fight back."
Palermo turned her gaze back to the courtyard. She smiled warmly.
"I relinquished her from my grasp before I ever truly controlled her, before she ever saw any sign from me that I was engaging in anything untoward. And so, her career as an actress blossomed, she ascended through the ranks to claim the league championship, and I made an ally out of the strongest trainer in Kalos. After all, my dear, there is always a greater power."
Palermo's eyes gleamed, filled with pride and fond regard. Serena squirmed at the sight of her.
"Diantha, the champion of Kalos, and my greatest protégé."
