Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 5, Chapter 3

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August 10th, 1:06 PM

Coumarine City, Kalos Region

The walk back to the Pokémon Center was long and quiet. None of the party said a word, with Saito, Henrietta, and Derflinger occasionally settling their gazes on the sullen and dejected Louise. At first that was all they were doing, but it quickly became apparent that doing so was making Louise's mood worse. Henrietta had never seen Louise this depressed, her head hung low with strands of her hair dripping past her face, obscuring it from view. The Princess didn't know what to say or do in this situation. It reminded her somewhat of how her mother often looked nowadays, ever since her father died. She doubted it was anywhere near as severe, but the similarities were all too apparent.

When they finally reached the Pokémon Center, Louise immediately handed her injured Pokémon over to Nurse Joy, who took them back for treatment. Louise followed the nurse, with Saito, Henrietta, and Derflinger right behind her, eventually stopping to sit down and wait in a nearby, and empty, waiting room that offered a view of her injured Pokémon being treated through a glass window. Without saying a word, Louise sat down on a chair facing the window, but she couldn't bring herself to look up and watch the doctors and machines do their work. Instead, she clenched her hands together and looked down at her feet, refusing to meet her friends' gaze as they sat down beside her.

The silence was growing more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. The other three members of the party were glancing at each other, each wanting to say something but not entirely certain of what to say. Still, they knew this depressive atmosphere couldn't go on forever. Someone had to take that first step, and since no one else was willing to do so, Derflinger narrowed his eye then cleared his threat.

"So…that could've gone better," Derflinger bluntly said, causing Henrietta and Saito to shoot their attentions towards him.

"Derf!" Saito hissed at the inconsiderate reply, only for Derflinger to look right back at him.

"Don't 'Derf' me," Derflinger retorted before pointing his sash at Louise. "I'm only saying what actually happened."

"You didn't have to say it like that," Henrietta insisted, but Derflinger shook his head dismissively.

"I'm not one to mince words, and none of you were even willing to bring it up at all in the first place. Figured I might as well be the one to bring it up," Derflinger pointed out. "Louise lost, hard. Frankly, from where I'm standing, she deserved that loss, and I think she knows that, too. Don't you, Louise?"

Derflinger pointedly stared right at Louise's head, which continued to lean downward while avoiding anyone gazes. While Henrietta looked like she wanted to protest, and was about to do just that, Saito merely scrunched up his face. Although he didn't like to admit it, he agreed with the ancient Honedge. Ramos ran circles around Louise's Pokémon, and he more than earned that victory.

"The only reason why Louise lost was because Ramos cheated," Henrietta tried to claim. "He crippled her Pokémon with poison and paralysis, and she was unable to defend herself."

"Henrietta…that isn't cheating. Using status effects has always been a valid strategy for any Pokémon Trainer," Saito pointed out, but Henrietta was unconvinced.

"Even if it wasn't cheating, it was unfair," Henrietta claimed. "And where does he get off telling Louise that she focused too much on offense? He forced her into doing so and made no other option even possible. That 'criticism' was uncalled for."

Before either Saito or Derflinger could say anything, Louise quietly said, "Ramos was right."

"…What?" Henrietta said in surprise as she turned her head towards Louise, who still kept looking down at the ground rather than her friends.

"Ramos, Saito, Derflinger…they're right. I did not deserve that win, and everything Ramos told me was completely true," Louise declared, her voice still quiet and soft yet at the same time firm. "Going into that battle, I knew that Ramos liked to use status effects and the environment against his opponents. I saw him do just that to Saito right before I challenged him. But did I take advantage of that knowledge? Did I plan my team accordingly and use moves or strategies to mitigate the threat of those status conditions? No, I didn't."

Louise's voice increased in volume, and she continued to berate herself by saying, "When Ramos sent out his Jumpluff, I sent out Aile and tried to prove that my Flying-type was better than his. Even when he started using Aile's Tailwind against her, I just kept trying to one-up him, focusing purely on speed when it was becoming obvious that wasn't working. By the time I tried to swap Pokémon, Ramos was waiting for me and it was too late."

Her fists clenched together tightly, and Louise nearly shouted, "Brennaraki knows Magic Coat, a move that reflects status conditions back towards the opponent. That move was what allowed me to beat Viola, and since I knew Ramos liked to inflict status conditions, I could've led with Brennaraki and used it against him. Even if it didn't work, at least knowing that my Pokémon has a perfect counter to his favorite strategy would've given him pause. Hel, Esprit also knew Misty Terrain, which completely prevents status moves from working at all!

"But that's not what I did. Instead, I went into that Gym not to beat him but to impress my friends! The only strategy, if you can call it that, on my mind was to stroll in there and use type advantage like a caveman wielding a club! Not because it was smart but because it looked flashy! The only thing I did from the beginning was to increase the strength of my Pokémon and not weaken his! Hel, I hardly used those types of moves at all! I normally use several right at the start! When he started turning the battle in his favor, I panicked and doubled down on what I was doing despite it not working in the first place! I wasn't acting with reason, I was throwing things at the wall and hoping it stuck!"

Louise was now seething, breathing in and out harshly as she stewed in her anger. All Saito and Henrietta could do was stare at her silently, surprised at her outburst. After a few moments, Louise managed to calm herself, then she whispered, "I was distracted, overconfident, reckless, and now my Pokémon are injured because of it."

Henrietta's face fell as she stared at her friend, who was clearly still beating herself up on the inside. She glanced at Saito and Derflinger, who also looked visibly concerned. Clearing her throat, Henrietta started to say, "Louise, I—"

But she was interrupted as Louise suddenly stood up and announced, "I think I need to be alone for a while, clear my head. Sorry."

Without saying another word, Louise stood up and left the waiting room, stopping by the doctors to grab her recovered Pokémon before leaving the center entirely.

"Louise, wait!" Henrietta called out, trying to get up and rush after her, but Derflinger stopped her by lightly grabbing her arm with his sash.

"Don't, just leave her be," Derflinger said while shaking his head.

"But-!"

"The last thing Louise wants or needs right now is to have us be around her," Derflinger pointed out. "She's a strong girl, so she'll get through this. Just give her time and space."

Henrietta looked like she wanted to protest further, but after a few moments she released a sigh, relented, and sat back down. Clasping her hands together and propping her arms up on her knees before resting her chin on her hands, she quietly said, "Louise said she was trying to impress her friends… She was talking about me, wasn't she?"

"Most likely," Derflinger answered then released a sigh of his own. "I should've seen this coming. Anytime she talked about Tristain, her classmates, and her family, there was always a twinge of anger and resentment coming from her. But when she talked about you? All she could ever do was sing your praises. It's not a stretch to say she idolizes you, or at least that's the implication I got."

"He's right," Saito added, leaning backwards and resting his head on the wall. "When we went to Parfum Palace and met Princess Allie, she expected that Allie would be, well, like you. Regal, poised, elegant. Everything that nobility was supposed to represent. Instead all we got was a spoiled brat, and to say Louise was disappointed would be an understatement. She ended up berating her because she didn't live up to your example."

"That was the day I met her," Derflinger confirmed. "With all that in mind, and having her best and, from the sounds of it, only friend from her homeland show up? I'm not surprised she tried to impress you."

"But…I didn't want her to treat me like a Princess," Henrietta told them. "The last thing I want is to be treated like a Princess right now."

"I know, and Louise knows that, too," Saito replied. "But, Louise…well, if there's one thing I learned about her these past few months, it's that she needs validation. She can't just be assured in herself, she needs others to be assured of her as well. She's gotten better about that, but seeing you…I guess she regressed a bit."

"…Oh, I see," Henrietta whispered after a few moment, her face going downcast, then she asked, "So it's my fault, then."

"No, absolutely not, and frankly Louise would say the same thing right now," Derflinger rebuked. "Don't blame yourself."

"After everything you two said, it's hard not to," Henrietta admitted and released another sigh. "In any case, what's done is done. What happens now?"

"For now, we wait until Louise manages to pick herself back up," Derflinger announced. "She's a strong girl, so I imagine she'll be fine in a few hours at most. After that, we support her when she challenges Ramos again. Hopefully, she beat him this time."

"Not hopefully," Saito firmly declared. "When Louise gets through this, and she will, she's going to do what she should've done from the beginning. She's going to win, or at least give Ramos the fight of his life. And even if she doesn't win this rematch, she'll keep getting back up until she finally does beat him. I'm certain of it, and we'll be there to support her every step of the way."

Henrietta and Derflinger looked at Saito, then after a few moments they nodded in agreement.

Louise didn't know where she was going when she left the Pokémon Center. All she knew was that she needed to be alone, and simply followed whatever aimless path her feet took her on. She absentmindedly wandered across Coumarine City, feeling the salty and cool ocean breeze gently wash over her skin. Admittedly, the sensation felt pleasant, but she didn't particularly care for it at this time. Louise ignored the other pedestrians and their Pokémon passing her by, a few of which noticed her sullen disposition and either awkwardly stared and got out of the way or otherwise left her be. She appreciated that. The last thing she wanted was to be disturbed right now, not when she had so much on her mind.

By this point in her journey, Louise was no stranger to defeat. She had lost plenty of times before. Her first few battles against Saito and Viola resulted in her getting defeated handily, arguably worse than what she experienced today. She knew going into Ramos' gym that it was certainly possible for her to lose once again. After all, Ramos was a Gym Leader, one of the strongest trainers in the entire region. It was his job to push her to the limit, to test every inch of her abilities as a Pokémon Trainer and the strength of the bonds she had with her Pokémon. It was less of a battle and more of a test, a test that, in this instance, she failed.

Yet, despite knowing what it felt like to lose, as well as understanding and accepting why she lost, Louise still felt horrible. It was hard to understand why. Normally, she would've bounced back by now, recovered from the sting of defeat and already planning her comeback. But that's not what the was doing. In fact, she was doing the exact opposite, content to wallow in her depression rather than do anything productive.

If her parents could see her now, Louise knew, they'd be disappointed. Granted, in her experience, her parents being disappointed in their youngest daughter was generally the default. She wasn't skilled and versatile in traditional forms magic like her eldest sister, Éléonore, nor was she beautiful and kind like her elder sister Cattleya. She was just Louise the Zero, unassuming and unsuccessful in every traditional aspect of being a noblewoman. Louise hated that 'runic name,' though it had been months since anyone called her that. But the pain was still fresh in her mind, despite being so far removed from it.

She wondered if that was why she was feeling so upset right now. When she was first taken to the Kalos Region, she was lost, scared, and confused. Not to mention angry. But, in time, she found a place for herself in this new world. She made new, genuine friends who appreciated her, skills and talents that she could hone and truly call her own. Louise made a purpose for herself in Kalos. Sure, being a Pokémon Trainer wasn't as grandiose as ruling a duchy or kingdom, but it was a goal she decided for herself. It was a goal she had made tremendous strides towards achieving on her own merits.

Louise was a good Pokémon Trainer, and she liked it.

Then, in first true chance to prove that to her oldest friend from childhood, the ruler of her entire country and the epitome of what nobility was supposed to mean, she lost. She didn't just lose. Louise got destroyed, and it wasn't because Ramos just used stronger Pokémon than she did or she was held back by inexperience. By this point, Louise knew what she was doing, with plenty of wins knocked under her belt. She had prepared for weeks to take on Ramos, training extensively and researching everything she could about him on the internet.

And yet, as soon as Henrietta entered the picture, none of that mattered. She battled like she had never been in a battle before, only concerned with brute force and not paying attention at all to the broader picture. It was utterly humiliating, and to happen right in front of Henrietta no less. It was as though she hadn't progressed at all. That everything she had done and worked for had been utterly pointless.

At this moment, Louise didn't feel like an accomplished trainer having the time of her life. She felt like that lonely girl keeping herself locked in her room, banging her head against the desk at yet another spectacular failure.

Eventually, the cool ocean breeze made way for still, dry and hot air. South of Coumarine City, nestled under the shadow of a small mountain range, lay a vast, rocky desert. Route 13, the Lumiose Badlands according to the map on her Pokédex. Part of Louise was honestly taken back by the sight of such desolation. She had never seen a desert in the flesh before. Sure, she heard stories passed down the Vallière family about crusades into the Holy Land centuries before, and the southern region of the Hespérian Peninsula (which somewhat reminded Louise of the Paldea Region in many ways, funnily enough) was also a rocky desert environment. But she had never seen one in person before. Her homeland was covered in grassy fields and thick woodlands. Here, though, everything just looked barren.

A fitting place to mope, Louise figured. Wiping away a sheen of sweat which appeared on her forehead and taking a drink of water from her reusable bottle, Louise entered the badlands. Almost immediately she could tell a vast difference walking in this environment than along the coast. For one, each step kicked up a small cloud of dust and sand, and the ground itself was extremely hard and dry. A far cry from the soft dirt she had grown accustomed to. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, allowing the hot sun to bear down on her relentlessly. With nothing overhead to provide shade, Louise was forced to take another drink of water just to remain cool.

It was a decidedly uncomfortable experience that she wasn't a fan of. Normally, she'd already be planning how to pass through this area quickly and efficiently, that way they wouldn't have to endure the heat for long. What supplies they'd need and landmarks to potentially visit along the way. But right now she just felt tired. Finding a large, flat rock, Louise decided to sit down on top of it, and so she did after walking over to it.

The rock itself was alongside the edge of a small cliff, offering a grand view of the badlands in its entirety. In the distance she could see the Kalos Power Plant nestled inside a small canyon, a tall structure comprised of metal spikes angled towards a central tower in a pyramid-like manner. A monorail connected the power plant to Lumiose City, but she couldn't see any powerlines anywhere. She wondered if they were underground or used some other method to distribute power across the Kalos Region. Louise figured it didn't really matter.

Gazing further out into the badlands, at first Louise couldn't see any signs of life. There wasn't a bird in the sky, nor could she see any trainers hiking their way across it. There was a highway that cut through the badlands that had cars and trucks speeding through it, but that didn't really count in her opinion. They were just passing through as fast as possible, not sticking around if they could help it.

After a while, though, much to her surprise Louise began to actually notice signs of life. There wasn't a lot compared to other locations and environments she'd passed through. But, despite the harsh and barely livable conditions, she could still find the odd Pokémon here and there. Geodudes, Gravelers, and Golems huddled and rolled around near the large buttes and mesas that pockmarked the desert. Digletts and Dugtrios burrowed their way through the hard dirt, avoiding the small holes dug by Trapinches hoping to snag unwary prey. She could even see some Slugma and Magcargo bathing in the hot sun, not at all concerned by the harsh heat. If anything, they were thriving in it.

She couldn't see anything else, though. Idly, Louise wondered if there were any other species that called the badlands home, but for now she couldn't be bothered to actually look. Instead, she curled up her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, then sat there silently and motionlessly, her eyes never leaving the scene in front of her.

It wasn't long before Louise lost track of time. Frankly, she hadn't been paying much attention to the time at all after she left the Pokémon Center. All she could tell was that several hours had passed since she took off, and the sun was hanging lower in the sky. A quick glance at her Pokédex told her it was roughly 5:30 in the afternoon. Part of her told the young girl that she should probably start heading back by now if only to make sure her friends wouldn't get worried. But the rest didn't want to leave her rock, and that was the part that won out.

As she continued to sit and stare out over the badlands, she heard one of her Luxury Balls open by itself. Quickly glancing down, she saw Brennaraki take a seat next to her. She looked just as sad and depressed as Louise did, looking up at her trainer with heavy eyes before affectionately rubbing her head against Louise's thigh.

"Oh, Brennaraki…" Louise gently whispered as she reached down to affectionately rub behind the Fennekin's ears. "You don't need to be upset."

Brennaraki evidently disagreed as she slowly shook her head and averted her gaze, deciding to look out over the desert as well. Releasing a sigh, Louise then said, "It wasn't your fault, girl. We lost because of me. I messed up…"

She felt Brennaraki gently place her paw against Louise's leg, and she felt a dam burst as her emotions began to spill out, "It's just…what am I doing? What have I been doing? I've been…throwing myself towards this goal of being champion. A goal that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't even matter. Why? Was it to prove something to myself? Prove that I'm not a failure, that I'm more than just a Zero?"

She mirthlessly laughed, then continued, "Well, then why am I in the exact same place as before?! Did I just…delude myself into thinking I've improved? That I'm somehow stronger and better now just because I've won a few shiny badges? And yet, despite everything I've done and all of my accomplishments, as soon as my past catches up to me, I forget all of it. Is this what's going to happen when I return home? Am I just going to ignore all that I've seen and learned?"

Tears began to fall down Louise's cheeks as she wailed, "Are they…are they right? Am I really just a Zero?"

The only sound that could be heard was Louise's muffled sobbing as she cried into her curled-up knees. An eternity seemed to pass, even though it was just a few minutes. Eventually, though, Louise was interrupted by more of her Luxury Balls opening. Soon she was surrounded by her Pokémon, and to her surprise they can to bring themselves close to her, wrapping the young girl in a warm, comfortable embrace. It took her a moment to realize what they were doing, but soon she was beside herself as she sobbed into Auspice's white fur.

Louise didn't know how long she cried, only that doing so somehow made her feel better so she kept doing it. Eventually, the tears dried up, no longer able to flow. Her eyes stung from the salt, and her throat felt parched. Yet, somehow the sadness that been plaguing her these past few hours seemed lessened. It was still there, but no longer felt all encompassing.

"Thank you. I…I needed that," Louise admitted as she finally broke away from her Pokémon. Wiping away the excess from her eyes and nose, Louise smiled at her concerned Pokémon who affectionately rubbed their heads against her body. Her smile faltered after a moment, then she said, "I'm sorry…"

'You don't need to be sorry, Louise. It's fine,' Esprit insisted, lightly patting her hand against Louise's leg. 'We get it.'

Louise sniffled once again, then smiled as Brennaraki reared herself up on her hind legs to affectionately lick Louise's cheek. She couldn't help but laugh at that, then she returned the gesture by once again scratching behind her ears, prompting the Fennekin to lean her head further into Louise's fingers.

"Heh, you like that, don't you?" Louise asked, and when Brennaraki yipped in confirmation Louise gave a few more final scratches. Only then did she finally stop and stand up, stretching out her arms, legs, and back before saying, "Thank you. I'm still…kind of upset, but I feel much better that."

'All we want is for you to be happy,' Esprit claimed as she looked up at her trainer. 'I've only known you for a few months, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that you're one of the strongest people I've ever known. I don't think anyone else in your position would've stood like you did. Sure, we lost. But we'll get right back up and, next time, we'll kick Ramos' butt.'

Louise wanted to believe that, and much of her did. But that nagging, self-defeating part of her mind was still holding her back. It wanted to make her stay and continue wallowing in her self-pity, but the rest of Louise prevented her from that. Right now it was getting late, and she had to return to her friends.

"Hopefully Henrietta hasn't assembled a search party. That would be embarrassing," Louise joked and laughed to herself, with her Pokémon doing the same. She prepared to return her Pokémon to their Luxury Balls then turn away back to Coumarine City but, just before she did, she decided to take one last look out over the desolate badlands. There still wasn't much to look at, and many of the Pokémon she had seen before had migrated elsewhere, but it kept her mind at ease somehow.

Then, just as she nodded to herself and prepared to turn away, she saw something moving in the distance, the sun reflecting into her eyes.

"What the…?" Louise said as she held her hand over her face to protect herself from the intense gleam. Slightly parting her fingers and keeping her eyelids narrow, she peeked out towards its direction. It was hard to make out fully, but the reflection was obviously coming from something that was mobile.

A sense of trepidation began to rise up in her, and Louise slowly pulled out her Pokédex and activated its camera function. Peering through the lens, she zoomed in as much as she possible could towards the creature. At first the image was blurry, but soon she was able to enhance the quality, and what she saw made her gasp.

It was obviously a Pokémon, one that stood up on two legs in a bipedal manner. It's body was covered in shiny metal armor, the arms, legs, and head a deep crimson while the arms, chest, and belly were black. Large blades were attached to the forearms and helmet, and two razor-sharp disks came out of its stomach. More importantly, however, the Pokémon was limping severely, holding one of its arms close to its chest, and it was covered in scratches and bruises, some of which looked quite old.

"Oh Founder…" Louise gasped. She was about to order Auspice to race down, but the Absol was already gone, bounding down the rocky cliffside towards the Pokémon. She reached it just as it finally collapsed, and by leaning down and using her horn for leverage she hoisted the Pokémon across her back. Auspice then turned around and ran back to Louise and her Pokémon as fast as she could, with Louise pulling out all the medical supplies she had on hand.

"Put it on the rock here," Louise ordered once Auspice returned.

Auspice immediately complied with the order, with the rest of Louise's Pokémon helping to gently slide the injured creature off of the Absol's back and onto the smooth rock. Esprit was on it immediately, gently inserting an orb of Life Dew into its dry mouth while Louise carefully applied potions and salves to the many wounds crossing its armored body.

As the team continued to work, the exhausted Pokémon opened its eyes briefly and locked eyes with her. It only lasted a moment, but Louise could practically feel its pain and regret. Then the Pokémon slipped back into unconsciousness, and Louise could barely bite back a curse.

"This isn't working," Louise declared as she quickly realized that the Pokémon's state was too severe for field medicine to work. No, they needed a proper medical facility. Scrunching up her face, Louise turned to her Pokémon and ordered, "Help me get it back on top of Auspice. Auspice, can you carry us to the Pokémon Center?"

Auspice immediately nodded and barked affirmatively, and Louise nodded back before she and her other Pokémon lifted the injured creature onto Auspice's back. As they did, the armored hand of the Pokémon fell over, and a shard of an old, shattered blade clattered onto the ground. Louise's eyes were immediately drawn to it, and while she didn't know what the object was exactly she knew it was somehow important to the Pokémon. With that in mind, she carefully picked it up then put it in her backpack.

As she returned all of her Pokémon except for Auspice into their Luxury Balls, she prepared to gently place herself onto Auspice's back much like she would if she were horseback riding. It wasn't easy to do so, as Auspice was no where near as big and didn't even have a saddle, on top of having to carefully lean the injured Pokémon's back against her chest. But she was able to secure herself with a handful of Auspice's fur, using her other arm to secure the Pokémon in place.

"Alright, we're good!" Louise claimed, and Auspice immediately let out a bark before bounding away as fast as she could back to the city.

"She's been gone for a long time," Henrietta murmured as she paced back and forth in the front lobby of the Pokémon Center.

"I told you she needed space. Looks like she just…needed a lot of it," Derflinger mentioned, and Henrietta shot him a glare before resuming her pacing.

"We should go out and find her," Henrietta suggested, bordering on an order, but Saito shook his head.

"Henrietta, trust me. Louise is fine," Saito said while holding up his palm. "Besides, she has her Pokémon with her, and there's no way any of them would let anything bad happen to her."

"Yeah, she's probably on her way back right now," Derflinger added.

"But…" Henrietta tried to protest, but after a moment she hung her head, sighed, then replied, "Fine, but when Louise gets back she's getting a stern talking to."

"Heh-heh, okay Mom," Saito joked, prompting the Princess to smile and roll her eyes.

Henrietta was about talk back, perhaps even by playing into Saito's joke in order to add onto it. But, just as she opened her mouth, the front doors of the Pokémon Center automatically opened. To Henrietta's relief, she saw that it was Louise finally returning from her alone time. That relief, however, was short-lived once she noticed that Louise was riding on Auspice's back, holding an injured Pokémon to her chest and with a alarmed look on her face.

"Nurse Joy!" Louise shouted as Auspice ran right past Saito, Henrietta, and Derflinger before skidding to a halt right in front of the nurse's desk.

Nurse Joy acted immediately, already jumping out of her seat and grabbing a nearby gurney to wheel around to Louise as she slid off of Auspice's back. She then ordered, "Help me put him on."

As Louise slid off of Auspice's back and began to hoist the injured Pokémon up, Saito and Henrietta ran over to join her. They all ignored the alarmed and curious looks the other patrons of the Pokémon Center were sending their way, keeping their attention squarely on the Pokémon itself. With Henrietta helping Louise with the Pokémon's shoulders and Saito holding its legs, they carefully lifted it off of Auspice's back then gently placed it on top of the gurney. As soon as it was secured, Nurse Joy immediately turned around and pushed the gurney through the back door towards the medical center, with the three trainers and Derflinger right behind her.

"Louise, what happened?!" Saito demanded, rapidly shifting his gaze between Louise and the Pokémon she rescued.

"I don't know!" Louise admitted. "I was just about to head back when I saw this Pokémon by itself in the Badlands! He looked like he was about to die and nothing we did was working!"

"You did the right thing," Nurse Joy said as they entered the medical room. Rolling the gurney to the back wall, she carefully inserted an IV drip into the creature's arm and began to move the three trainers and Derflinger out. "I know you're worried, but you can't be in here right now. Please stay in the waiting room, and I will let you know what happens."

Louise looked like she wanted to protest, but Saito gently grabbing her shoulder snapped her out of whatever state she was in. She gave one last look to the injured creature laying in the bed, then nodded at Nurse Joy before leaving. The young girl immediately made a beeline to the adjacent waiting room, parking herself in front of the glass window as a few other nurses and doctors arrived to begin working on the Pokémon itself.

"What is it?" Henrietta finally asked, prompting Louise to realize that, in her panic, she never actually scanned the Pokémon with her Pokédex. Deciding to rectify that, she pulled her device out and scanned the Pokémon she rescued.

"Bisharp, the Sword Blade Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pawniard," the Pokédex revealed, it's electronic voice the only thing that could be heard inside the room. "This Steel/Dark-type Pokémon rules over packs of Pawniard with literal iron fists, being the pack member who exclusively finishes off prey while keeping a close eye on its members to ensure none will betray it. Bisharps often fight other Bisharps for the right to be the pack alpha, and whoever loses, or has its head blade chipped or damaged, is cast out. These chipped blades are then kept by the new alpha as trophies, becoming known as Leader's Crests."

As Louise pursed her lips and slowly put the Pokédex away, Derflinger spoke up and said, "I think it's safe to say what happened to him."

After a moment, Louise nodded in understanding, her eyes never leaving the injured Bisharp as the doctors and nurses continued to work on him. She slowly reached behind her shoulder into her backpack and pulled out the blade shard that the Bisharp had been holding. It must've been his Leader's Crest.

"Hmm, it says that Bisharps aren't from around here," Saito added, reading the Bisharp's entry on his own Pokédex. "They're found up in the mountains along Route 15, not the Lumiose Badlands. How did it get here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Derflinger spoke up. "This Bisharp was the alpha of its pack and was challenged by another Bisharp. Either from another pack or from a Pawniard that evolved under its care, it doesn't really matter. What's important is that this guy lost that challenge and was cast out, eventually wandering here."

"Arceus…" Saito murmured. He could only imagine the ordeal that this Bisharp had go through and how long it had been doing so. Judging by the scars and wounds that covered his body, this Bisharp had clearly been through a lot.

Henrietta couldn't help but bring her hand up to cover her lips, but Louise remained utterly silent and transfixed on the Bisharp as the hours ticked. At one point, Saito did briefly leave to go get some takeout, but otherwise they remained sitting or standing in that room. The question of why Louise didn't teleport back to the Pokémon Center with Esprit was raised, but Louise immediately answered that she tried on the way back, but Esprit wasn't able to teleport a Dark-type with them and Louise didn't have any spare Luxury Balls on hand. It didn't really matter. In the end, Louise was able to get the Bisharp to the Pokémon Center in time, and by the looks of things probably saved his life.

Hours later, Nurse Joy finally entered the waiting room. She folded her arms in front of her waist then announced, "The Bisharp is going to be fine, but you're lucky you got him to us when you did. He was severely dehydrated and had numerous fractures, bruises, and pulled muscles, some of which looked like they had untreated for weeks. Just a few hours later and I don't think he would've made it."

Once again, Louise pursed her lips and glanced towards the Bisharp, who was now sitting upright against the back wall his bed was pressed up against. Noticing this, Nurse Joy smiled and offered, "Right now, all he needs is rest. You can go in if you want."

Louise thought it over for a moment, then nodded and gratefully replied, "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

Glancing back towards her friends, who bid her to go on with nods of their own, Louise gently moved past Nurse Joy and pushed open the door into the medical room. Without saying a word, she walked over and sat down beside the bed, with the Bisharp idly glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. Louise picked up the medical chart and read it over, grimacing at the state of its treated wounds. To her, it looked as though Nurse Joy had somewhat undersold just how injured he actually was.

Putting it aside for now, Louise turned back to the Bisharp, gently smiled, then asked, "How are you doing?"

The Bisharp didn't say anything, and Louise mirthlessly chuckled to herself before admitted, "Yeah, that's…probably a stupid question. Do you know where you are?"

Once again the Bisharp didn't say anything but was now openly staring at her. Seeing this as progress, Louise answered, "Well, you're in a Pokémon Center. It's a place where people treat Pokémon like you. After I found you out in the Badlands and saw how injured you were, I brought you here. Nurse Joy says you're going to be fine."

That managed to get a response out of the Pokémon, and he gratefully bowed his head towards Louise. She smiled and waved her hands around dismissively, saying, "No, no. It's fine, really. I was just in the right place at the right time. I'm just happy that you're going to be alright."

Pausing for a moment, Louise reached into her backpack and pulled out the recovered Leader's Crest. She held it up to the Bisharp and added, "I think this belongs to you. You dropped it earlier."

The Bisharp focused his attention onto the blade shard and, after a moment, tentatively reached out to grab it. But he stopped himself, then withdrew his hand, hung his head dejectedly, and released a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong?" Louise asked, worry seeping into her voice as she tried to return the Leader's Crest again. "It's yours."

To her surprise, the Bisharp gently pushed the shard away while shaking his head, then hugged himself close and looked away. It took a moment to realize what was going on, but soon she recognized that look and feeling. It was one she had practically a lifetime of experience in, some of it quite recently. A look of shame, depression, and failure.

"Hey, hey. It's going to be fine," Louise tried to say, but it was obvious that the Bisharp didn't believe her as he sunk further in on himself. Deciding to sit on the bed next to the Bisharp's feet, Louise continued, "Look, I… I admit, I don't know exactly what you went through, but I think I have a good idea. But you can't let that keep you down."

The Bisharp appeared unconvinced as he glanced at her, and Louise hardened her face before continuing, "I'm serious. Take it from me, I'm no stranger to failure. I've failed my entire life, really. The more it happened, the more I failed and the more people derided or gave up on me, the more I wanted to just…give up."

Louise released a heavy sigh while hanging her head, and although she wasn't looking at the Bisharp at the moment, she could feel its eyes on her. She then admitted, "It was only recently that I started to not think of myself as a failure. That I was…more than that. But it's hard to shake those feelings away, especially when you reach another setback."

Looking up into an adjacent wall and clenching her fist, Louise then said, "But that's why you have to keep going. To keep picking yourself back up and pressing forward. Because if you don't, if you come to agree that you're a failure…well, then you truly have lost."

Louise didn't know who she was talking to at this point, either the Bisharp or herself, as she declared, "Sure, you lost this time, and everything you've done up until this point feels like a waste of time. But it would only be a waste if you let it. You need to stand back up, tall and proud, and keep going even if the entire world is telling you to stand down. Not just to prove them wrong but yourself as well. That you're more than just a failure."

As Louise finished her declaration, she noticed that her breathing started getting heavier and her fist growing tighter and tighter. She instantly relaxed, feeling somewhat embarrassed at losing control of herself. Then she turned back to face the Bisharp, and to her surprise saw that he appeared to be utterly transfixed by what she was saying. Chuckling awkwardly, Louise rubbed the back of her head and smiled.

"Sorry about that. Was…kinda going through some issues of my own earlier," Louise said, then she noticed Nurse Joy and a few other doctors standing beside the door. Taking that as her cue to leave, Louise got up from the bed and told the Bisharp, "I have to go. But trust me when I say that you can't let this beat you down. You're stronger than you know."

With that, Louise stepped out of the room, feeling the Bisharp's eyes following her. Returning to her friends, she gave the Bisharp one last look then waved goodbye before leaving the medical wing entirely. As the party walked towards their room, Louise's mind was swirling over the events of the past few hours. To her surprise, she felt her earlier depression be subdued in many ways. It was still there, but no longer as omnipresent. In its place was a newfound sense of determination, one that made her clench fist firmly and steel her gaze.

"Louise, are you okay?" Henrietta asked, and after a moment Louise nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Louise declared, then suddenly broke away from the group and started moving towards the back courtyard. "If you'll excuse me, I got work to do."

Saito and Henrietta watched Louise go, and as she exited the Pokémon Center and called out her Pokémon, they couldn't help but smile at seeing their friend back to her old spirits. Without saying a word, the pair exited the building to join her, and Derflinger smiled and chuckled to himself before doing the same.

[~][~]

Happy Thanksgiving, 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.

Louise has recovered from her devastating loss at Ramos' hands, and is now more than willing to get back up on that saddle and challenge him again. But what does this encounter with the injured Bisharp entail? Only time will tell.

I'm glad so many of you liked the first round of the Ramos battles. A lot of thought went into how it all played out. While Louise's loss was brutal, ultimately we felt it was necessary for her character development.

Apologies for any confusion regarding the psychic attacks initially working on Tengu. That was an error we missed as both myself and my editors were under the mistaken assumption that the Seedot line didn't gain the Dark-type until they evolved into Shiftry. That was our mistake it has been corrected.

Regarding the debate on whether using magic in a Showcase is legal or not, it's one where both sides do have a legitimate point. Both Saito and Louise are correct with what they were saying, and ultimately it is up to Henrietta to decide whether it's appropriate to use her magic in a showcase or not.

I must reiterate that I do not take suggestions or pitches for my stories. I have a plan already in place for how the story unfolds, and we don't intend to deviate from it. Now ideas brought forward in audience speculation that falls in line with what we are already planning can be considered, but outright requests are ignored. Also, I do not believe I have to say this, but do not post links to Discords or other websites on my story. I shouldn't have had to say that, but here we are.

That's it for this time. Let us know what you guys think. If any of you have a TV Tropes account, I would appreciate any assistance in updating the TV Tropes page. We hope you enjoy!