Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 5, Chapter 1
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August 9th, 7:45 AM
Route 12 (Fourrage Road), Kalos Region
"Come on, Henrietta! You can do it! Keep going!" Saito encouraged the Tristainian Princess as they ran along a hiking trail that went past the coastline.
"I'm…trying…!" Henrietta replied through deep, heavy breaths. Sweat covered her body, and her legs felt like they were on fire. She wanted nothing more than to stop and rest, but with Louise right behind her and Saito in front that wasn't really an option. If she tried, they'd make her pick up the pace once again. Not to mention her royal pride refused to let herself give up. She'd see this through. Besides, she knew this torturous exercise was good for her, and eventually she'd get used to it. Louise certainly did, and if her best friend could do it, so could she.
Still, she couldn't help but sputter, "How…much…longer?"
"Just another mile, then we'll stop and take a break," Louise replied, speaking through short, careful breaths that kept her exhaustion in check.
Henrietta briefly slowed down as she hung her upper body forward, but soon she perked herself back up and regained her earlier stride. As they ran, they passed by the small clearing where their Pokémon were currently residing. Most were simply doing stretches or small exercises, preparing for the training session that they would be doing once the humans were done with their exercises for the day. Henrietta was actually going to participate this time, if only to bond more with Mer who she could see poking her head out a small hole in the dirt that Louise had made and Henrietta subsequently filled with magic. Fleur was standing next to the piscine, apparently talking to her about something.
It was sights like these that Henrietta became amazed at just how intelligent Pokémon were. Outside of familiars, who had their intelligence boosted by the runes magically branded onto them, Pokémon were naturally like this. They instinctively were able to understand and even communicate with humans, particularly those blessed with telepathic abilities, mostly Psychic-type Pokémon or those wielding more esoteric abilities such as Aura or psychokinetic energy that Ghost-type and Dark-type Pokémon could manipulate.
The Pokémon waved them by as they passed, and all three trainers returned the greeting with waves of their own. Once they were out of sight, Saito, Louise, and Henrietta turned their attention forward, continuing to press on and finish what they were doing. Henrietta knew this wasn't the last bit of exercise they would be doing today. Saito and Louise were planning on doing other aerobic exercises and Saito had even brought some weights. They would be using all of them, and Henrietta couldn't help but anticipate them with dread. Still, as the ruling sovereign of her nation in all but name, she wasn't going to back down. She'd see this through, even if it killed her.
"So they do this every day?" Mer asked as she gazed out onto all the other Pokémon as they prepared for their training, and Fleur nodded beside her.
"Yes, they do. Saito and Louise's teams are battlers and they take training and preparation very seriously," Fleur confirmed, momentarily locking eyes with Mer before shifting her attention forward once again.
The teams had separated themselves into two exclusive groups for now, Louise's to the right and Saito's to the left. Once the actual training began, undoubtedly they would intermingle like they always did. Esprit was telekinetically lifting large rocks up and down, her face scrunched up in exertion and concentration. Aile was flapping her wings at a tremendous rate, kicking up loose dirt, grass, and small rocks as she kept herself hovering in place. Gène practicing Dig, a new move he had learned thanks to the TMs that Louise had bought at the beginning of her journey, by tunneling through the earth. It wouldn't be very effective in the upcoming battle at Ramos, but Louise was trying to prepare for the future. After Ramos was Clemont, and Ground-type moves were super effective against Electric-type Pokémon. If nothing else, it would provide Gène new ways to evade danger. Auspice was also training with Gène, a tight cloth wrapped around her eyes as she honed her danger senses to detect and avoid Gène's attacks. Then there was Brennaraki, melting down large rocks into molten slag with Flamethrower and Fire Spin.
Saito's team were also hard at work. Ronin was sliding around on one of his scalchops like a surfboard, riding a wave of water while using the other razor-sharp shell to cut apart rocks and logs. Tanuki was doing handstand pushups, his body softly glowing a light blue as his Aura kept him in balance. Tengu and Shogun, meanwhile, were doing what could only be described as a game of cat and mouse, with Shogun stalking his prey on the ground while Tengu leapt from tree to tree in order to avoid his pursuer. They weren't actively targeting each other, instead the exercise was meant to hone Shogun's tracking instincts while helping Tengu master the art of stealth. Whenever Shogun managed to track the Nuzleaf down, the Tyrunt would briefly give chase and force Tengu into fleeing, where they would repeat the process over again and again. Maindo, as per usual, wasn't participating in the training with the others, although Fleur couldn't help but notice how several large objects were swirling around his head as he rested on a tree branch. Ōdachi wasn't actively training either, instead once again trying to get Maindo's attention from the base of the tree he was sitting on, although given how big she was getting Fleur supposed that would change soon. A fully grown Skarmory was just under six feet tall, and Ōdachi was about half that size. She wondered just how big Ōdachi would actually become, but only time would tell.
"Will…we be training, too?" Mer nervously asked, and Fleur nodded.
"We will be, yes. Henrietta thought it would be good for us," Fleur confirmed, and Mer averted her gaze.
"I'm not very good at battling," Mer quietly admitted while staring at her reflection in the water. "Every time I try, I get defeated almost instantly. That's why my last trainer gave up on me. I'm just a failure."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short," Fleur immediately comforted her new teammate, gently rubbing her serpentine tail over Mer's back fin. "Henrietta doesn't care how strong or weak you are. All she cares about is if you're happy. Besides, she has no interest in actually battling. All she wants is to bring out the best you she can."
"She doesn't want to battle?" Mer asked in surprise. "Then what does she want to do?"
"I'm…not exactly sure," Fleur admitted as she scratched her head. She then pumped her fist and proclaimed, "Whatever it is, though, we'll be there for her. She'd do the same for us."
Mer supposed that made sense, but at the mention of her new trainer she couldn't help but ask, "By the way…are Henrietta and Louise actually from another world? That seems…strange to me."
"Yes, they are," Fleur answered.
"…How?"
"Louise made Arceus mad and Mew thought it would be a good idea to send Henrietta here to be with her best friend."
Mer blinked a few times, her mouth idly opening and closing as though she was trying to say something but was unable to. After a few moments, she forced herself to look away and replied, "I'm not even going to begin to try to process that."
"I wouldn't think too hard about it," Fleur advised with a small shrug. "The most important thing is that they're here with us now."
"Fair enough," Mer said, then paused for a heavy moment. "What about after?"
"What do you mean?"
"They're going to have to go home eventually, right?" Mer pointed out. "And I don't think Pokémon live where Henrietta and Louise came from. When they do finally go home…are we going with them?"
Fleur frowned, recognizing yet again the massive self-esteem issues that plagued Mer ever since her first trainer abandoned her. Truth be told, Fleur didn't know what would happen once Louise and Henrietta were granted by Arceus to go back to their homeworld. While Fleur would immensely prefer to go with Henrietta, there was the distinct possibility that they wouldn't be able to go with them for whatever reason. Perhaps the Halkegenian environment wasn't compatible with Pokémon. The local powers might not appreciate having Pokémon around, making it dangerous for them. Arceus might even just prevent it from happening in the first place. After all, he interrupted Louise's summoning and brought her to the Hall of Origin precisely because she was trying to summon something from Earth to Tristain.
But instead of voicing all those legitimate fears, Fleur decided to focus on her hopes and replied, "Yes. When Henrietta and Louise finally return home, I'm certain they'll take us with them."
Mer seemed satisfied with that answer, if still a little unsure of the ultimate outcome. But there was no point in worrying about that now. For the moment, it was best to remain focused on what was just up ahead. If the end of their journey in Kalos did prove to be the end of their time together, Fleur knew she'd cherish the memories she made. She and all the other Pokémon with them. If not, she looked forward to the new adventures that would await them in Tristain. But only time would tell.
The Pokémon continued their training, the hot sun blazing overhead in a cloudless sky. A cool ocean breeze kept them all comfortable, and overhead they could see flocks of Wingull and Pelipper flying around. A couple curious wild Pokémon, namely Pachirisu, a few Chatots, and even some Pinsir and Heracross were watching them from the tree line. None were approaching, simply letting their curiosity take hold of them for the moment, and the rest thought that was perfectly fine.
Eventually, Saito, Louise, and Henrietta returned from their run. Henrietta was utterly exhausted, although Fleur happy to note that Henrietta didn't seem to be as worn out as she was the first few times. Granted, it was only possible to go up from collapsed onto the ground, but the point stood that the princess was getting stronger. Given enough time, she wouldn't be having any issues at all. They weren't done yet, though, and after the humans rested for a few minutes and drank some water they continued their exercises. First were some aerobics, accompanied by pushups and sit-ups. Then came the actual weights, helpfully contained in the storage capsules that turned them into weightless energy just like their Pokéballs did.
As the humans trained their bodies, the Pokémon continued their exercises as well, shifting it up slightly to focus on new areas. Maindo watched it all from his perch, continuing to juggle the objects above his head with his mind. His face was utterly passive, hiding the strange tumultuous feelings he was having. On the one hand, he should be ecstatic. They were only one route away from Lumiose City, meaning he was one route away from finally being released and able to return to his home and family. But on the other hand, for some strange reason he couldn't quite explain, he felt like he was about to lose something important. He didn't like that feeling, and hoped to get this over with soon so that he wouldn't have to feel it anymore.
That was when he noticed Brennaraki, momentarily taking a break from her training, walk up to Ōdachi who was sitting down at the base of the tree and ask, "Hey, Ōdachi. You looking forward to starting your training soon?"
"Yep! Papa says I can start real soon!" Ōdachi announced, causing Brennaraki to smile and nod.
"We're all super excited to hear that. Just you wait, in no time you'll be flying around with Aile and the rest of us," Brennaraki replied, then she turned around and said, "Well, I need to get back to it. Louise is counting on me to win the upcoming battle, and I don't intend to let her down."
"Have fun!" Ōdachi cried out with a wave of her wing, watching Brennaraki go back to her original position. Maindo shrugged, not particularly caring what Brennaraki was doing, but he did focus his attention on Ōdachi herself as she, once again, began to squint her eyes in deep concentration. It was something she did often, particularly when trying to look at things that were far away. At first he dismissed it entirely, but now that it keeps happening, it was impossible to ignore now.
'Hey, kid?' Maindo telepathically called out to Ōdachi, causing the young Skarmory to look up at him happily.
"Hi, Maindo! Do you want to play now?" Ōdachi asked, but Maindo shook his head as he readjusted his position to where he was now sitting on the tree branch and his legs were hanging off the side instead of laying across it.
'Nah, maybe some other time,' Maindo gently replied. He then asked, 'Quick question, is there something in your eyes?'
"What do you mean?"
'You keep squinting.'
"Oh, that! Nah, I'm good. I'm doing it on purpose!"
Maindo narrowed his eyes, then he asked, "Okay…why are you squinting on purpose, then?"
"It makes things less blurry," Ōdachi revealed, causing Maindo's frown and worries to deepen.
Before he could inquire further, Saito and the others finished their exercises and he called out, "Alright, everyone! Gather around, we're going to start training now. Ōdachi, I want you to take part this time. Nothing serious, but I figure we can start doing some light exercises together."
"Yay!" Ōdachi happily squawked as she flapped toward to join her trainer and his team.
Maindo, however, quickly called out to everyone, 'Hey, idiot. I don't think it's a good idea to have Ōdachi start training yet.'
Saito and the others rolled their eyes and released a groan, but Saito couldn't help but ask, "Is there a reason for that, Maindo?"
The dismissive tone in Saito's voice irked Maindo off tremendously, prompting the Kirlia to reply, 'I know you and the rest are some brainless meatheads who love to exercise all the time, but Ōdachi's still a little kid in case you've forgotten.'
"'Brainless?' Hah, coming from you, that's rich," Tanuki shot back with a mocking grin on his face, and Maindo snarled.
'Can it, Jedi Wannabe. You know I'm right,' Maindo spat, then pointed towards the youngster. 'More importantly, I'm concerned about her.'
"Did I just hear Maindo say he's concerned about someone?" Ronin asked in clear surprise. "Other than himself?"
"Nah, I heard it, too," Brennaraki confirmed while looking up at the sky. "Check the sky, it might be falling."
'Hah. Hah," Maindo dryly laughed, annoyance and anger seeping into his mental voice.
Saito frowned slightly, then he asked in clear concern, "Why exactly are you concerned about her, Maindo?"
Happy that the idiot was at least taking this somewhat seriously, Maindo admitted, 'I don't know, exactly, but she keeps squinting her eyes.'
Saito sighed in relief and replied, "Oh, that? I talked to Nurse Joy about it earlier, she said it's fine. Pokémon Ōdachi's age do this a lot. She'll grow out of it."
'Did you actually get her tested?'
"No, Nurse Joy said it wasn't that serious."
'Then get her tested, you moron!'
"I think we can trust the word of an actual doctor, Maindo," Saito pointed out as he frowned once again.
'Well I certainly don't! You and your little girlfriend may blindly place your trust in people, but not me. You need to get Ōdachi checked, or else-!'
"Or else what?" Saito forcibly interrupted, causing Maindo to shot his head back. "Or else what, Maindo? We're waiting."
Maindo didn't answer, and Saito nodded before continuing, "That's what I thought. Look, I appreciate your concern, but Ōdachi is fine. Aren't you, girl?"
"Yep!" Ōdachi happily answered with another flap of her wings.
"See?" Saito said while gesturing towards his Pokémon, only for Maindo to firmly shake his head.
'Ōdachi's barely a month old. She doesn't know if she's good or not!' Maindo proclaimed, wincing at the hurt look Ōdachi gave him.
"That's enough," Saito firmly ordered. "I know how to take care of my Pokémon, Maindo. If this keeps happening then I'll take her in, but right now she's fine."
Maindo glowered towards Saito, then muttered, 'Fine then. If you won't, I will.'
The Kirlia didn't elaborate any further on that, simply teleporting away from the clearing. Ōdachi watched him go with a sad look in her eyes, then perked up when Saito gently rubbed the top of her head.
"Hey, don't listen to him, girl. You're fine," Saito said with a smile on his face. "Now come on, let's practice your flying."
That seemed to perk Ōdachi up tremendously, and after Saito barked a few orders to his Pokémon the pair walked away to a relatively isolated spot to continue their training, all the while feeling the intense gaze Maindo was giving them from somewhere nearby.
The training took a few more hours, with it going until the noon sun rose high overhead. Henrietta had to admit that, compared to what Saito and Louise were doing, her training with Fleur and Mer was much lighter. This was due to both to their general inexperience in such things, only Mer had actually trained before and her previous trainer ultimately abandoned her over it, and the fact that they were much, much weaker than any of Saito and Louise's Pokémon. Even if Henrietta had just as much experience in training as her friends did, she couldn't even hope to force her Pokémon to live up to their standards. They simply wouldn't be able to handle it.
But Henrietta was perfectly fine with that. Besides, it wasn't as though they were actually planning on participating in the Gym Challenge like Saito and Louise were. They didn't need to push themselves nearly as hard. Instead, Henrietta focused her team's training on their general health and wellbeing. At first it was hard for her to quite understand what exactly to do, but after Saito and Louise gave her a few pointers she developed something of a routine. Fleur would run around on a tight, windy path marked by bright orange cones where she could frequently pause to fire off a Leafage attack or a similar move against a stationary target. Eventually Fleur would be attacking while on the move, and even further down the line the targets would be moving, but for now this was fine. Mer, on the other hand, was confined to the water. At first, the tiny, water-filled hole they made for her wasn't conducive to any actual training, but thankfully Shogun was more than happy to make it a long, shallow trough that Henrietta subsequently filled up. She then used her water magic to create a light current that Mer struggled to swim up.
"Come on, Mer. You can do it," Henrietta cheered her Pokémon on, crouching on the opposite end of the trough. Mer kept her eyes clenched shut, her rough, scaly body visibly shaking as she exerted herself. Try as she might, she was only able to make it nearly a quarter of the way through the narrow channel before she was unable to go any further. Her body relaxed, and the gentle current pushed her back into the tiny hole where she started.
Henrietta immediately stopped, and with a gentle smile on her face she walked over towards a dejected and downcast Mer while saying, "Hey, it's fine. You did really good."
Mer didn't seem to believe her, continuing to stare at the bottom of the pool before Henrietta gently picked her up. A surprised Mer stared up at Henrietta's face, who smiled and continued, "Don't worry. You and I are going to keep working together on this. When I first started training my magic, I was horrible. I could hardly get a spell to work at all, and I wanted to give up. But my friends, parents, and tutors kept pressing me, and now I'm a triangle-class mage. They refused to let me give up, and I'm going to do the same with you."
The grey piscine looked up at Henrietta in astonishment. While she didn't seem to fully believe Henrietta's claims, at the very least she looked hopeful. Henrietta smiled and hugged Mer gently against her chest, then she began walking away with Fleur by her feet as she said, "Come on, let's polish your scales. They look flakey and uncomfortable."
Mer hastily nodded in agreement, prompting Henrietta to chuckle before settling down on a park bench. Using a kit she had purchased in town, Henrietta began to carefully polish Mer's body. Any excess scales were peeled away, allowing for fresh ones to come to the surface. When the princess was complete, Mer's body was shiny and smooth, a far cry from her previous appearance. Not wanting to be left out, Fleur immediately hopped onto Henrietta's lap when she moved Mer into a floating sphere of water, allowing the Snivy to be worked on as well. Her scales were cleaned, polished, and peeled when needed, and excess leaf growth on her tail was carefully trimmed away.
Once the grooming was complete, the trio sat back and watched as Saito and Louise continued their training. They were finishing up, so they didn't have to wait long before they were done. The pair of trainers joined their friend at the table, where they took a quick lunch break with Saito filling up bowls with premade Pokémon food while Louise set the table for themselves. Mer's was simply dropped into the sphere, where she happily gobbled them up.
As the Pokémon happily dug into their meals, Henrietta asked, "So, are you two looking forward to the Pokémon Showcase?"
"Honestly, yeah," Saito admitted. "I've lived in nearly every region over the years thanks to my parents' jobs, and they have Pokémon Contests in a lot of them. They're a lot of fun."
"Are Contests similar to Showcases?" Henrietta asked, and Saito nodded.
"Yes, but from what I understand Showcases are exclusive to the Kalos region. Worldwide, Pokémon Contests are far more popular," Saito explained. "The chief difference is that Pokémon Contests are all about the Pokémon, with Coordinators only directing their Pokémon from the sidelines like Trainers do in battles, whereas Showcases have both the Performer and the Pokémon being active participants. Also, only girls can participate. Contests are open to everybody."
"Ah, I see," Henrietta replied, pausing to take a bite out of her sandwich and a drink of water. "What about you, Louise? Are you excited?"
"I think it'll be interesting," Louise confirmed, then she continued eating her meal while refusing to say anything more.
While Louise did genuinely expect to have a good time at the Showcase, she honestly was looking forward much more to the gym battle she and Saito were set to have the next day. It would be the first time Henrietta would be able to see her in a proper Pokémon Battle against a skilled opponent. Elizabeth didn't really count, even if she had admittedly improved substantially since their last encounter. Ramos would be a substantially more impressive opponent, and Louise had every intention of defeating him in a way that would impress her best friend. It was hard for Louise to contain her excitement, but she managed.
Henrietta, meanwhile, simply smiled at her friend. She knew that Showcases weren't exactly Louise's thing, hence why she went on the Battle Circuit when she began her journey, but at least she was showing interest. More importantly, it highlighted a growing realization and issue that Henrietta was having. Namely, what she was going to do for the remainder of her time in Kalos. While simply relaxing and travelling around the region with her friends was exciting in and of itself, watching Saito and Louise practice and train so hard for their upcoming gym battle served as a stark reminder that Henrietta didn't have a comparable goal to strive for. She was just following their lead, and that made Henrietta somewhat uncomfortable. Like she was a third wheel simply taking up space. She wanted to find something that she could do, something that she could actively strive for, but she had no idea what. All she knew was that she didn't want to be a battler, but other than that she had no idea.
Once everyone was finished with their meal, and the Pokémon were fully rested, they packed up their training site and prepared to leave. The Pokémon were returned to their Pokéballs, and together they made their way back towards Coumarine City, which was awash in activity by the time they arrived. Large banners announcing the Pokémon Showcase were displayed everywhere, telling everyone where and when the Showcase would be held. It made it easy to figure out exactly where to go. All they had to do was follow the brightly colored signs and crowds of people.
Eventually, they found themselves standing before a large stadium in the shape of a dodecagon. Forest green pillars lined the sides of the grey building, with a light-green dome on the top. The front and back of the building had three golden staircases, with a smaller in the middle and two larger ones on each side. The sides of the building also had a single staircase each, allowing easy entry for the thousands of spectators to get inside. With the sheer number of people around them, it was a daunting display, particularly the long line of people trying to get tickets.
Luckily, with the passes that Ariana gave them, Saito, Louise and Henrietta were able to bypass the massive line of people entirely and make their way straight towards the front entrance. Flashing the passes to the doorman, they were given strange wand-like devices before being directed inside and told to go up the flight of stairs towards the booths. There they saw Calem and his younger sister Joceline waiting for them. Joceline was happily waving in their direction, which prompted the trio to warmly smile before making their way over.
"Hey, guys!" Calem greeted them as they came up the escalator. "Thanks for giving us these tickets. Joceline's crazy for these Showcases, so you made her day."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Joceline exclaimed while jumping up and down, prompting Saito to laugh.
"You're welcome, but honestly you should be thanking Henrietta. She's the one who got us those passes," Saito told them, prompting Joceline to immediately latch onto the Princess much to Louise's mortification and the boy's amusement.
"Thank you!" Joceline proclaimed, and Henrietta laughed good-naturedly as she patted the top of Joceline's head.
"You're welcome," Henrietta said before Calem gently pulled Joceline off of her.
They spent a few minutes catching up on what they had been doing since they last saw each other the day before. Apparently Calem would have to leave in the morning to go back into his delivery runs, but he was happy that he would be able to enjoy the last day of his vacation like this. Once they were fully caught up, the group made their way towards their private booth, which consisted of two small rows of three chairs each. One of the chairs was already taken, and much to their surprise they saw that it was being held by Ariana whose head turned towards them once she heard their approach.
"Henrietta, you're here!" Ariana happily declared, standing up and joyfully spreading her arms wide towards the Princess and her friends.
"Ariana? Are you watching the Showcase with us, too?" Henrietta asked in genuine curiosity, but Ariana shook her head.
"No, actually. I just wanted to help you guys settle in," Ariana answered as the others piled into the booth. "Tell me, have any of you been to a Pokémon Showcase before?"
"No, but I have gone to Pokémon Contests," Saito answered, and Ariana nodded with a smile on her face.
"Oh, I've competed in a few of those before. They're a lot of fun," Ariana mentioned. "Anyway, Showcases are fairly straightforward. They're divided up into two sections. The first is the Theme Performance. Each theme and its activity is completely random, and has three Performers per round competing to advance. Whoever wins advances to the second section, the Freestyle Performance. There the Performer and their Pokémon put on a dazzling display of their choosing. It can be anything. A dance, a musical, anything you can think of."
"Hmm, that sounds interesting," Louise admitted, then held up the bulky, plastic wand she was given. "What about these?"
"That is a glow caster," Ariana explained. "While some of the Theme Performances are decided by a panel of judges, others are decided by the audience. More importantly, the winner of the Freestyle Performance is entirely decided by the audience, so it helps to make yours stand out."
"Really? Huh, the Contests I've been to are entirely decided by judges," Saito mentioned as he rubbed his chin.
"The organizers like for the Pokémon Showcase to be decided by the people. Helps the audience feel like they're a part of the experience," Ariana explained.
"What happens when you win?" Henrietta asked, and Ariana smiled.
"If a Performer is declared the winner of a Pokémon Showcase, they are awarded a Princess Key," Ariana told them. "A performer only needs three to advance to the Master Class, the Showcase equivalent to the Pokémon League. There's no Theme Performances, only Freestyle. Whoever wins the finals is declared the Kalos Queen, decided by the entirety of Kalos."
"Aria is the current Kalos Queen, and there's no way she's going to lose!" Joceline declared, and Ariana couldn't help but chuckle.
"You never know. There might be someone out there just waiting to become the next Kalos Queen," Ariana said, then waved at everyone while saying, "Well, I have to go. I hope you enjoy the performance!"
The others bid Ariana goodbye, and the young woman disappeared behind the velvet curtain which closed behind her. With that, Henrietta and the others sat down, patiently waiting for the Showcase to begin. At first the group of friends quietly talked among themselves, but as time went on Henrietta couldn't help but glance down at the Pokéballs held in her hip pouch. Eventually an idea came to mind, and with a smile she pulled hers out and released both Fleur and Mer beside her.
"Henrietta, what are you doing?" Louise asked, and Henrietta smiled while creating a floating sphere of water for Mer to float in, much to Calem's and Joceline's astonishment, and letting Fleur crawl up to her shoulder.
"I figured it would be fun to let Fleur and Mer watch this as well," Henrietta explained herself while Calem absentmindedly poked the water sphere that Mer was floating in, causing ripples to spread across its surface.
"Hey, uh…how'd you make this?" Calem asked.
"I'm a water mage," Henrietta answered, and both Calem and Joceline stared at her. While Joceline's expression slowly transformed into that of open wonder, Calem openly tried to keep himself as composed as possible.
"…Yeah, I'm going to need a bit more than that once this is over," Calem admitted, and Henrietta happily nodded.
"Of course," she replied as Saito and Louise followed her example and released both Ronin and Brennaraki out of their Pokéballs as well. Unlike Henrietta, they had far too many Pokémon and most of them were too big for the booth to comfortably hold them all. The same applied to Calem, who opted against releasing his Pokémon out of their balls.
As the group settled into their seats and their trainer's laps, the lights began to dim, causing Joceline to happily proclaim, "It's starting!"
A hush fell over the crowd, and everyone waited with bated breath as a spotlight shone onto the center of the stage. Before long, a blond man a blue and black coat and top hat with white lines dividing the two colors appearance on stage. In his hand was a wooden staff with a golden microphone on top and what appeared to be a Pokémon that looked like a keychain floating beside him. Henrietta immediately pulled out her purple Pokédex, and while it took a bit to properly zoom in and get the Pokémon in focus, eventually she was able to get a scan.
"Klefki, the Key Ring Pokémon," the Pokédex announced. "A Steel/Fairy-type Pokémon native to the Kalos region, it feeds on metal ions by using its horn. Klefki likes to collect keys, even sneaking into people's homes to steal them. Once it has obtained a key, it will refuse to give it up, leading many to give Klefki important keys willingly in order to prevent theft."
"Hmm, that's interesting," Henrietta admitted, trying and failing to understand how a Pokémon could develop in a way that made it look and operate just like a living keychain. She eventually decided that it was best to just roll with it and assume it was yet another mystery of the Pokémon world.
Her attention was further drawn to the stage when the man began to loudly speak into his cane, "Welcome, everyone, to the Coumarine City Pokémon Showcase! I am Monsieur Pierre, and I'm happy to announce that this showcase is set to begin!"
The crowd cheered, and while Henrietta and Louise were able to keep themselves composed and merely giving a polite clap, the Earth natives had no such reservations as they joined in on the applause. Particularly Joceline, who was now standing up on her chair and yelling into her cupped hands like they were a megaphone.
"We have a wonderful Showcase for you all today. Before we begin, give it up to our lovely ladies performing for you all today!" Monsieur Pierre continued, waving his arm to the side as the line of Performers, all wearing elaborate and beautiful dresses emerged on stage with their partner Pokémon. The applause increased, and the girls smiled and waved back, some with far more confidence than others.
"Yes, these girls are giving everything they have as they strive to become the next Kalos Queen," Pierre proclaimed. "But that isn't all. With me today is a very special guest, none other than our current Kalos Queen herself, Aria!"
A loud gasp rushed through the crowd as Aria emerged on stage, her Delphox walking right beside her. The Kalos Queen looked strangely familiar to Henrietta and the others, but they weren't able to fully understand why at first. It was only when Aria began to speak, thanking both the crowd and the performers for letting her be with them today that they realized why she looked so familiar.
"Are you kidding me? Ariana was…Aria?" Henrietta muttered, with the other teenagers in a similar state of shock.
"I GOT TO MEET THE KALOS QUEEN!" Joceline loudly proclaimed, but soon their attention was drawn back towards the stage.
"I'm honored to be here today and see the next generation of Pokémon Performers," Aria boldly declared. "While there will be only one winner today, they are all worthy of praise."
"Well said, Aria," Monsieur Pierre said, then pointed up as a screen descended from above the stage. "Let us now see what the Theme Performance today shall be!"
A large wheel containing multiple symbols appeared on the screen. The topmost symbol was highlighted, then the light began to turn as each symbol flashed before their very eyes. Both the audience and the assembled Performers stared up at the screen in heavy anticipation, waiting to see what would be the selected theme for today's Showcase. After a few moments, the spinning light began to slow down, then it settled on an image of a Rhyhorn.
"Rhyhorn Herding!" Monsieur Pierre announced as the crowd roared.
"Ah, one of my favorites! I'm so jealous!" Aria added as she clapped her hands together. "The rules are simple. Performers and their Pokémon must herd the most Rhyhorn over to their side of the stage within the allotted time. Anything goes, even stealing Rhyhorn from other Performers. Whoever has the most at the end advances to the next round!"
The large stage began to part and lower, leaving Monsieur Pierre, Aria, and the other Performers on the top level as the rest transformed before their very eyes. Several plates shaped like pieces of a pie were raised up from an underground basement level, each one covered in dirt and neatly trimmed grass. Once the pieces were locked in place, a herd of Rhyhorn was let up from the depths where they began to spread out and graze on the offered grass.
"Let the Showcase begin!" Monsieur Pierre proudly declared, waving his staff high above his head as his Klefki rose above everyone, shining brightly and spreading sparkles everywhere as the crowd cheered.
It didn't take long for the Theme Performance to begin. Rather than having every single Performer go at once, which would've been a hectic and chaotic affair no matter how they tried to manage it, instead the fifteen girls were divided up into five groups of three. Between each round was a brief pause for the technicians to reset the field, making it to where every Performer started on an even playing field. The Performers also changed out of their dresses into something far more appropriate to the task of herding Rhyhorn, with their new outfits looking like they wouldn't be out of place on a ranch.
At the beginning of each round, three girls and their team of Pokémon, usually a pair at most although one girl used three, descended onto their section of the grassy field. The Rhyhorn were clearly trained, or at the very least calm and comfortable around the presence of humans so they didn't react at first. Once the round was officially started by Klefki letting out a ringing chime-like sound, the girls immediately went to work to try and gather as many Rhyhorn as possible.
No two girls used the exact same strategy towards accomplishing their task, although some were clearly more skilled than others. Most simply ran around haphazardly, trying to round up as many Rhyhorn as possible to little success. One poor girl and her Rattata would barely manage to lure one over to her side, only for one that she had already herded to slip away while her back was turned. She was practically crying at the end, but thankfully her competitors immediately went to cheer her up afterwards. Others weren't able to even get that, with the Rhyhorn simply roaming around or eating the grass at their leisure.
The Performers who were far more skilled and experienced had much more success during their attempts, with their strategies becoming spectacles in their own right. One girl used her Beautifly and Dustox to fly over the Rhyhorn, leaving trails of various powders and spores that lured the Rhyhorn into an easily manipulatable state, allowing her to simply call them to her like they were her pets. Another had her Flaffy illuminate the ball at the end of her tail, luring the Rhyhorn towards it like a moth to a flame. One particularly devious performer had her Skitty spam Attract to every Rhyhorn in sight, including those already herded by other Performers and making it so that nothing anyone else did would get them to move from her spot. She had half the entire herd almost as soon as the round began.
Ultimately, only five Performers, one from each round, advanced to the Freestyle Performance. Those who lost were thanked for their performance regardless, then ushered into a closed-off segment of the front row laid out specifically for them. A brief recess came between the two sections, allowing the Performers to change back into their elaborate dresses, rest from the first activity, and go over any last minute plans for how they would win the audience over in the Freestyle Performance. The recess also allowed the audience to talk among themselves or get up from their seats to get snacks and use the restroom.
Aside from Saito and Calem momentarily leaving to get them all some drinks and snacks, the rest of the group remained at their seats where they discussed the first round. Joceline was by far the most openly enthusiastic, positively gushing about what all the Pokémon Performers did for their entertainment. She did feel horrible for the girl who didn't manage to herd a single Rhyhorn, as did Henrietta and Louise, but she also felt that the girl using the Skitty was cheating. While Henrietta certainly thought it was distasteful and lacked honor, she could not deny that it was a valid strategy that worked in her favor. If there was one thing that Henrietta learned in her year of courtroom politics it was that whenever you had an advantage you pressed it. More often than not Henrietta didn't have the advantage, but the point remained. Louise was of a similar opinion, if a bit sterner in her tone to the point where Henrietta couldn't tell if she approved or disapproved of the tactic in general.
But eventually, the recess ended and the performers came back out for their final performances of the evening. Each one was wearing an elaborate and unique dress, some simple and refined while others were grand and extravagant. Their Pokémon were similarly ordained with ribbons, amulets, and other decorative pieces of clothing and jewelry. How they were clothed depended on what quality the Performer was hoping to accentuate, mostly beauty or cuteness.
One by one, the Performer and her team stepped up onto the stage, the room darkened except for the spotlights shining down upon them. After a few moments to calm their nerves, the performances began. Almost immediately, Henrietta and everyone in the performance hall became enraptured by the displays. The more experienced and skilled Performers moved in perfect harmony with their Pokémon, each movement accentuating the other. Moves which Henrietta had previously only seen used in offensive capabilities were now being repurposed to create something new. Fire and electricity created sparks that hung in the air, casting vibrant yet gentle light on the Performers and Pokémon. Ice froze water, crafting grand sculptures of either shapes, people, or Pokémon.
That and more was put on display by the Pokémon for the audience, but it wasn't just the Pokémon. The Performers themselves were working just as hard. Some put on a carefully choreographed dance that was accentuated or enhanced by the moves of their Pokémon. Others assisted the Pokémon directly in whatever task they were doing, such as using a hammer to create purposeful chips and cracks in an ice sculpture that, once it was complete, caused certain segments of the ice to fall away and reveal the actual design.
At the end of each performance, the audience erupted into a round of applause. Saito, Calem and Joceline joined in fully, yelling and clapping as loud as they could. Louise was much more subdued, heartfully clapping and smiling at what she'd seen but otherwise trying to maintain a refined and composed posture. Henrietta, however, found that she was captured by the performances that she couldn't even move. Her mind was racing at the drive, passion, and all the hard work needed for each performance to turn out the way they did. Sure, a few of them fumbled, and it quickly became clear that some were better than others, but the fact remained that what they were doing was, frankly, beautiful to the young princess.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she barely even noticed when it was time to finally cast their vote, and she quickly do so for her favorite performance of the evening: a girl singing a lovely song while her Aromatisse created an aethereal glow around them. Ultimately, the girl who made the ice sculpture became the winner, and she was awarded with one of the three Princess Keys she needed to advance to the Master Rank. Both the audience and her opponents joined in the celebration, and the girl herself was ecstatic. Particularly when Aria and Pierre stepped forward to present her earned award.
After that, the audience began to filter out, naturally flowing along the staircases out to the nearby doors. Henrietta and her group waited a few minutes for the crowd to die down, that way they wouldn't be caught up in the middle of the orderly chaos. This allowed them plenty of time to talk to one another about the Showcase itself and its Performers, whether they enjoyed it or not and which performer was their favorite. Henrietta remained silent through most of it, preferring to keep to her thoughts.
When the crowd finally died down enough to where they could comfortably leave, they got up from their seats and prepared to turn around. Just as Henrietta prepared to do so, however, she turned her attention towards Aria who was still talking to all the Performers with a wide smile on her face. She was too far away to be heard, but from the smiles and thoughtful looks on all their faces, Henrietta could tell that Aria was both congratulating them and also giving the girls some much needed advice. After a few moments, Aria momentarily noticed Henrietta, and she smiled and waved before going back to talking to all the Performers. No words needed to be spoken, even if Henrietta could hear her from all the way up in this booth, but the message was received regardless.
At that moment, as Henrietta got one last look at the Showcase Hall and all the Performers and Pokémon who brought it to life, she came to a decision. Nodding to herself and clenching her fist, Henrietta turned around and joined her friends as they walked out of the building. Once they exited, Calem and Joceline had to bid the others goodbye. Saito, Louise, and Henrietta had to leave to as well, particularly as their stomachs began to growl. Luckily their hotel wasn't too far from the Showcase, meaning they were able to get there quickly and drop off their Pokémon so that they could quickly be fed. Derflinger was sleeping on a chair in the corner, the ancient Honedge having decided not to go to the Showcase with them earlier as he just wanted to get in some much needed sleep. Henrietta thought he was just being lazy.
"Hey, you're back," Derflinger said after releasing a yawn and stretching his ribbon all the way back. "How was the Showcase?"
"It was a lot of fun, actually," Saito admitted as he filled his Pokémon's bowls with food pellets and berries.
"I thought so as well," Louise added as she did the same for her Pokémon, who immediately began to dig in. "I still prefer Pokémon Battles, but you can't help but admire the effort those girls put into their performances."
"Yeah, no kidding," Saito agreed with a nod. "What about you, Henrietta?"
When Henrietta didn't immediately respond, the others turned to look at her in curiosity and slight concern. They found Henrietta sitting on her bed staring out the nearby window, her face firm and resolute.
"Henrietta?" Louise asked, managing to catch her friend's attention.
"Oh, sorry," the Princess apologized. "I was just…thinking."
"About what?" Derflinger asked, tilting his body to the side slightly.
Henrietta glanced one more time out the window, then took a deep breath, stood up, and began to say, "It's just… When I first arrived here, I was completely focused on getting my bearings. I still am. Every day I learn something new about this world, and it's incredible. But after joining with you and Saito, Louise, I couldn't help but notice you two…have a bigger goal in mind than just wandering around and doing whatever you want. I'm just…here, following you two."
Alarmed, Louise quickly replied, "Henrietta, that was not our—"
"Louise, trust me. Neither you nor Saito did anything wrong," Henrietta interrupted her friend. "Honestly, I would've been completely fine with just following you two. Founder knows it's a lot less stressful than courtroom politics."
'Give it a few months and you might change your mind,' Maindo couldn't help but mockingly interject as he worked on something in the corner, but the others ignored him.
"But part of me still wanted to do something. Something that I could work my way towards. A goal," Henrietta admitted as she gestured towards Saito and Louise with an outstretched palm. "Both of you are going after the Pokémon League Championship. Everything you've done here has been in pursuit of that goal, and both of you have become so much stronger while doing it."
"Well…yeah, but you don't like battling," Saito pointed out, and Henrietta nodding.
"Yes, it's not really for me. Too violent for my tastes," she confirmed as she folded her hands in front of her waist. "But, even if I didn't want to battle, I knew that there was something I could do here with Pokémon. I just didn't know what.
Henrietta paused and turned to look out the window towards a trio of red balloons that had a black Pokémon Showcase symbol on it. She smiled, then said, "Then I saw all those girls perform… All the time and effort they put into those performances… How much fun they were having… It was mesmerizing, and I think I finally know what I want to do."
Saito and Louise glanced at each other, beginning to sense where Henrietta was going with this. Their suspicions were confirmed when Henrietta smiled and boldly declared, "I've decided that I'm going to participate in these Pokémon Showcases. I don't care if I win or not, they look like they can be a lot of fun. Besides, it would be nice to be judged by my own performance only and not what others expect of me."
There was a hint of resentment in her voice, but it lasted for only a moment. Saito and Louise looked at each other, then they smiled and Louise replied, "That sounds great!"
"Yeah. I bet you'll do great in Showcases as a Performer," Saito added, flashing a smile and thumbs up to Princess Henrietta who smiled in relief.
"Thank you," Henrietta sincerely said as she held her hands to her chest. She then frowned slightly and asked, "This won't cut into your gym challenge, will not?"
"Not at all," Saito insisted, dismissing her worried with a wave of his hand. "Do you know how many travelling parties have both Trainers and Coordinators or Performers in them? Quite a few, and they don't have any issues whatsoever."
"And, according to the Pokédex," Louise added, the device in question opened in her hand, "the next one is in Laverre City a month from now. There's also a Pokémon Gym there, so Saito and I were going that way anyway."
"Perfect! See, no problem at all," Saito told Henrietta, who sighed in relief.
The Princess then turned towards her Pokémon, who were looking up at her in anticipation. Mer looked more nervous than Fleur, but she seemed to at least be trying to perk herself up. Henrietta softly smiled, then kneeled close to her Pokémon and asked, "Do you two want to do this with me? I won't do anything if you don't want to."
Fleur nodded immediately in agreement, clearly excited about the possibilities now afforded to them. Mer, on the other hand, seemed far more unsure and was seemingly shrinking in on herself. Knowing the Feebas' history, it wasn't hard to figure out why she seemed so nervous. She was afraid of dragging Henrietta and Fleur down, or at least holding them back. Yet, even as she shrunk back, she kept shifting her attention between Henrietta and Fleur, clearing wanting to help but unsure as to how. That was when Fleur, with a soft smile on her face, gently placed her tail on Mer's side in a reassuring gesture. They locked eyes with one another and, after Fleur hissed a few words of encouragement that Henrietta felt like she could understand, Mer nodded towards her trainer. She still looked nervous and unsure of herself, but at the same time was determined to help her team with all she had.
Henrietta smiled gratefully, happy that her starter was able to help their friend. She then declared, "Alright. From now on, the three of us are going to work our hardest to be the best Pokémon Performers we can be, and we're going to have as much fun as possible while doing it."
As Fleur and Mer cheered in agreement, Henrietta couldn't help but laugh with Saito and Louise looking down on them with happy smiles on their faces. They didn't know how, exactly, things would turn out after this, and despite knowing it wouldn't cut too much into their schedule it would be an added challenge they'd have to overcome. But they knew they were up for it, and it meant Henrietta and her Pokémon were happy that was enough for them.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter of Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this chapter to life.
Henrietta's personal goal for her Pokemon Journey has now been revealed. As many of you theorized, she is indeed going to be participating in Pokemon Showcases as a Performer. There were two main reasons for this decision. One, it allowed her to stand out from Saito and Louise. The two of them are both doing the Gym Challenge and adding a third would be unnecessary at this point. It wouldn't add anything to story. By having Henrietta become a Performer, it allows her exhibitions to be unique and add more flavor to the story being told. It would be far more interesting to do two gym battles and a showcase instead of three gym battles against the same person. Second, we legitimately felt that being a Performer was more in line with Henrietta's personality than being a Trainer.
Up next is Saito and Lousie's Gym Battles against the Gym Leader of Coumarine City, Ramos. I think you guys are really going to enjoy what we have in store for the rest of this episode and beyond. Lots of really interesting things are coming your way.
I'm glad so many of you enjoyed the Alola OVA we posted last time. We had a blast bringing it to life, and it means a lot to us that these one-off chapters have received this much praise and attention. These OVAs are designed to be snapshots of what would otherwise be legitimate stories/spin-offs on their own accord. I'm unlikely to continue them past similar one-shots set in the same general timeline of these OVAs, but they allow me to explore other avenues of this crossover that the main story simply can't give me. We're already in the midst of planning the next OVA which I intend to get out around Christmas time. It won't be a sequel to either Alolan Paradise or Kanto Adventures, but one that you guys will equally find engaging.
Now, the reason why I had everyone brough to the Alolan Region for this OVA was too fold. One, since I'm not doing a story set in Alola, I don't have to worry about cast bloat like I do in the actual story. This was a one-shot based entirely around the Valliere family drama, using Alola as a backdrop. I could've simply made it to where it was only the Valliere family who was brought over, but we felt that the idea of bringing everyone over from FoZ to Alola was a lot more fun. I wouldn't have been able to introduce Kirche to her Pokemon Soulmate, a Salazzle (yes, it is a perfect Pokemon for her), for example.
And yeah, the confrontation between Louise and her family was really the entire point of this OVA. The emotional centerpiece, much like Louise's relationship with her Gyarados, Leviatian, was in the Kanto Adventures OVA. It's one thing to simply show you all a fun little setpiece in a different timeline. But if there's one thing I have learned from writing the Hunters of Justice: Elseworlds, it's that giving these one-offs meaning of their own makes it much more engaging and impactful.
Now, that isn't to say that just because it happened in the OVA means it won't happen in the actual story. It certainly is a possibility that a confrontation does ensue between Louise and her family once she returns to Tristain. It also might not happen at all. Only time will tell.
That's it for now. Let us know what you guys think. If any of you have a TV Tropes account, any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page would be greatly appreciated. Hope you all enjoy, and we'll see you all next time!
