"Eyes are feeling heavy but they never seem to close."
The underground hospital wing was dark, with only the buzz of overhead lights to keep the hallways dim. All rooms at the moment were empty, except for one.
"The fan blades on the ceiling spin but the air is never cold."
Blanche alone lay sprawled across his bed, resting his tired body and his tired heart. His eyes were transfixed on the roof, though he saw past them into nothingness.
"And even though you're next to me, I still feel so alone."
His Holo Caster rested in the crook of his arm, playing music quietly. The prominent violin was easier on his ears than the slamming of guitar chords.
"I just can't give you anything for you to call your own."
His eyes were red as always, though it had spread to his sclera. His hair was matted against his face, and his cheeks glistened with a dried sheen. His thoughts swirled as if he was speaking them aloud.
"And I can feel you breathing."
"I have no aura. I'm bandaged and bloodied by the most normal things. I'm fragile. I'm weak. And by all definitions, I'm not alive. Not that I ever was in the first place."
"And it's keeping me awake."
"The people here… why do they treat me like this? Do I deserve it? I'm just… me. Can I stay here? Can I take advantage of all of this kindness? I can't do that. It wouldn't be right. They're all so kind. Why am I here? I didn't want to be a hero. I wanted the easy way out, and I stuck myself on this path. This place isn't my home. I don't have a home."
"Can you feel it beating?"
Once a normal suburban house, he thought, now a dilapidated shack, likely on its way to being demolished. His hometown was completely unrecognizable. Vaniville, along with most of southern Kalos, was completely destroyed by an Ultra Beast. Lumiose-3 was a sprawling battleground of possibilities, both good and bad, and he'd tricked himself into becoming one of the combatants.
"My heart's sinking like a weight."
"I'm not a hero. I haven't done anything. I was dead weight. I need a machine just to be on equal footing. There's a hole in this world, and I have no hope of filling it in. Not when I have a pit just like it in my soul."
"Something I've been keeping locked away behind my lips."
"They thank me and say they owe me, but I just have to say no. Why would I say anything else? It's not like there's anything else I'm here for. Purpose? Who needs to hear about mine? Pity? Why should I ask for it? Pain? So what if I feel it?"
"I can feel it breaking free with each and every kiss."
"Who would give a damn if I left? They don't need me here, they made that much clear. They don't want me here, the Battery would have been junk anyway. They don't care, they don't need to. I don't need them to."
"I couldn't bear to hurt you but it's all so different now."
"A Pokémon? A friend? A partner? Why did I even bother asking? No person would want me around, least of all a monster that runs on friendship."
"Things that I was sure of, they have filled me up with doubt."
"Aura? AIAM fields? Since when were those real? If it weren't for all of this damn burning and itching and searing and bruising and cutting and everything, I'd think I was still dreaming."
"And I can feel you breathing."
"No, I've always been dreaming. And they're just dreams. Dreaming of a different past, one I could remember. Dreaming of a future with people, people I can connect with."
"And it's keeping me awake."
"And neither of those dreams are coming true anytime soon."
"Can you feel it beating?"
"God can't reach me here. I'm stuck here with no chance of advancing."
"My heart's sinking like a weight."
"Is this why grunts join evil teams? Because they feel stuck? Because they want to do something but they just can't?"
"I can feel you breathing."
"I don't want to be like that. I don't want to go that far off the deep end. I can't let myself become that kind of person, not… not again?"
"It's keeping me awake."
"Who am I? Am I a Trainer now? One of the main characters is missing, am I replacing him? Or am I just a background character, not even named? Did FLARE just pity me or are they trying to recruit me to destroy the world? Who am I on this side of the screen?"
"Could you stop my heart? It's always beating."
"I need… I need to find that out for myself. Isn't that the point of the Journey? I need to find out who I am. Who I was. Who I can be. I need to get stronger. Even if I don't have aura, I need to get stronger, I need to protect myself, and if I had any loved ones, I would need to protect them too. But I can't do any of that by just sitting here."
"Sinking like a weight."
Beyond the walled city of Lumiose-3, the environment was incredibly diverse. Suburbs existed outside the ring of skyscrapers that most considered to bind the city. To the west, there was a desert. To the north, there were rocky hills. To the east, there were wetlands and rivers. To the southwest, there were historic buildings and rolling plains.
And to the southeast, there was a visible trail of destruction. It was carved from the southern coast through the forest, through the flower fields, through everything there once was. A cone of ruined terrain made what occurred clear, even if nature had partially healed.
The wind whipped through Blanche's hair as the sun hung above his head. The pain from the day before had not subsided. If he walked carefully, his sides wouldn't throb so badly.
He walked along a handrail on one of the highest paths in the city, just looking out at it all. He wasn't intending to jump, of course. That would be stupid, and there wasn't a point.
As he walked he passed by plenty of people, all with their own purposes and reasons, privy only to themselves, and sometimes not even then. They belonged in that world. A posh lady walked with their Furfrou, clutching her scarf tight. A pair of kids ran past, holding their Pichu and Azumarill into the air, showing them the heights. A Zororak walked past on its hind legs, black fur ruffling and red mane blowing in the wind. Blanche barely spared that last one a second look.
A map could only help so much, after all. If he was going to leave, he needed to find a path outward, a path forward.
Snow did not fall the night before, nor did it earlier that morning. A cover of gray clouds hung low from the sky as far as the eye could see.
He came across a platform that overlooked one of the MagLev stops, along with two stations of viewing binoculars. A ramp with levels dropped towards the ground, swirling around a support pillar.
The train station was bustling with people actually going to where they were supposed to. See, because even if he was busy angsting, for everyone else, it was Tuesday.
He stared off into space for a good few minutes. Those few minutes soon slipped into an hour. A world of possibilities, and he didn't have a clue where to go.
In the crowds below, there was a flash of sky-blue and tan cloth. It went mostly unnoticed, and he assumed that the blonde hair beneath was a trick of the light. When he saw an Audino following the person, bouncing along through the crowd, his eyes widened and he felt alertness strike his body like a gong.
He turned on his heel and started running down the ramp, apologizing to the people he scuffled past, until he arrived on the busy station platform. Wildy whipping his head around, he saw Audino and its Trainer once again.
"Hey, Ariel!"
Audino perked up, its bell-like ears twitching and its head turning at an uncanny degree.
The person it was following didn't stop. They were walking like a zombie, barely managing each step.
Audino trilled as Blanche approached and gave a small wave. It tugged at its Trainer's habit, making them pause.
"Hm…"
"Ariel?" Blanche circled around, brow non-visibly furrowed in confusion. "Oh, damn, are you alright?"
The girl's green eyes were puffy, and her hair disheveled beneath the veil. "Blanche?"
"Yeah, that's me, what are you doing here?" He asked, concern bleeding through into his voice. Did something go wrong? His backup plan was to go to her, not the other way around.
"I… I did something I shouldn't have…" Ariel tried to say, before her voice cracked and she lost her composure. Her expression tightened as she tried to hold back a sob. "Oh, Lord Helix, please forgive me…"
Blanche caught the girl as her stance shuddered, keeping her on her feet. "Hey, listen, are you okay?"
"Can I be honest?" She looked up at him, her voice cracking again.
"Of course!" He nearly shouted, panicking internally but trying to convince himself he could help.
"No…"
He managed to keep Ariel on her feet long enough to get her to a bench before she collapsed. Audino immediately jumped on as well, trailing its antennae around her and singing softly.
"Do you feel like talking about what happened?" Blanche offered.
"My sisters in Helix… they don't want me anymore." Her head fell into her hands as she choked out her words. "I… I don't know what happened. I was so happy to be back, I talked with the sisters and oriented myself in the new church… I don't know how it happened! I just remember the red and orange and heat. But now, I… I can't go back."
Blanche reached out for her shoulder to reassure her, but hesitated. His hand was halfway there, why couldn't he move?
"What do I do? My Lord has deemed me unworthy of grace… What else is there for me? Is this a step in Helix's plan? What is my purpose if I do not live for Him?"
Purpose?
His hand began lowering to his side. "Purpose…"
"I'm lost now, Blanche... I don't know where to go! Everything I've ever known… it's lost to me now. How do I keep going? Where do I go?"
You're asking the wrong amnesiac, he thought.
"Forward."
The words slipped from his lips before he was aware he was saying them. He immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, because since when in hell did he know anything about…
Purpose.
"Even if you have nothing, and you have no sense of direction, you can still go forward. Up, down, left, right, you can go anywhere, do anything… you belong in this world as much as anybody else."
Why the hell was he saying these things? He didn't have the right.
"We embark on a winding spiral path, becoming better than the people we were before."
No, stop it! Stop it, before I believe it too! Blanche felt like his head was about to be split open by a rod of gilded shadows.
"Isn't that what a double helix is? The hopes of the past, the dreams of the future? You've had hopes, haven't you? You've had dreams. Life… It's about finding your dreams and fulfilling them the best you can.
Be born, find purpose, do your best, and die.
Why was he trying to do all of that in less than a month?
"Helix is a benevolent god, isn't he? Maybe he'd want you to find your purpose. When you really want something, all the world conspires to make your dream come true."
"I don't have any dreams, Blanche… I've always wanted to serve the Lord, it's how I was raised."
Blanche leaned back against the bench, closed his eyes, and sighed. "I wish I remembered more about religion than whatever I read in some book. I can't offer any solutions right now, I'll be honest. But really and truly, I believe that if you want a purpose, it will come to you, because you're a good person, Ariel. You're kind and generous and everything good in the world, even if you make mistakes. Even if you're lost and you think you're useless, you're not, because you have value as a living thing."
And really, he thought, that's the difference between you and me.
He became aware that at some point, he'd wrapped Ariel in a hug, pulling her tight against his chest. He felt her shivering sobs as she still tried to hold back her tears.
"Are you going to be safe here in the city?"
"I don't know… I just couldn't think of anywhere else to go. There's something strange about this city. It has gravity of its own. Now that I'm here… I don't know."
Blanche patted her shoulder. "I think I know someone that can help you with that.
He texted Professor Sycamore with his free hand, asking him to come to the north-most MagLev station off of Autumnal Avenue, as it was somewhat important. It was possible for him to get Ariel to the nearest plaza, but she seemed too tired to even walk, like she'd been awoken too early. Audino's humming had quickly put the girl into a half-sleep, occasionally broken by a hacked sob.
Augustine arrived after around twenty minutes, quickly spotting the pair. An albino and a nun, play it again, Sam.
"What seems to be the problem? Why you're not in school can wait."
I felt like shit and I didn't want to snap at anyone, he thought.
"I was playing hooky. My friend here is… was a nun? But she can't go back to her home church, and she's sort of lost."
"Did you know her before you forgot who you were?"
Blanche had to suppress a glare. "Professor, I get where you're coming from, but don't use science goggles right now, I'm not in the mood. Do you know any tolerant Helixian convents inside Lumiose-3?"
Augustine shook his head. "None that I can think of, I'm afraid. There are more than a few shrines to Mythical Pokémon on the outskirts, but…"
"That's like telling a Christian to start worshipping Pagan gods, Professor." Blanche bit his tongue, internally seething as the meanings of those words slipped away as quickly as they came to mind.
Augustine blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I… I don't know either, sir. Just tell me if there's somewhere she can stay. She helped me when I first woke up. I basically owe her and her Audino my life. If there's anything I can do, I'll do it."
"Well…" The Professor rubbed his chin. "Is she… No, she couldn't be an Esper, she wouldn't have been able to join the church in the first place. FLARE does subsidize room and board in the city, but I can't see a reason they'd employ her. Perhaps she could get an apprenticeship in a Pokémon Center?"
"Her hair's not nearly pink enough for that occupation."
"Well, that sort of thinking is a bit stereotypical, isn't it? Sure, the majority of nurses happen to be able to tie their lineage to the Joy family, but… That's not important right now!" The man declared. "Are you looking for something more permanent?"
"For the foreseeable future. How much is the rent in Lumiose-3?" According to Clemont, FLARE paid around 4,000,000 a year on average, which Blanche figured was around 40,000… USD, that's right.
"When FLARE alleviates the costs…" The Professor stopped speaking abruptly.
Blanche was worried by the glint that appeared in the man's eye and the slight smirk.
"Actually… Yes, I think I know somebody that can help you. I was actually already talking to them about a favor, and with FLARE's aid… I'll knock out two Flying-types with one stone! Fantastic!"
"Care to share your thoughts with the class, Professor?" He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Ah, ah, ah. That would be telling. Why don't we get your friend to the lab in the meantime?"
Ariel's grip on his jacket suddenly tightened. "No… I'm not an abomination of the Anti-Helix, I'm not!"
Anti-Helix? So, the Anti-Spiral and Satan rolled into one? Fun, he thought.
"He meant FLARE in general." He added, trying to calm her down. Whatever had happened wasn't his business unless she chose to entrust the information to him. "There's a nurse's office there, the beds are really comfortable, and I think you could use a nap."
"If you say so…" She hiccuped as he helped her to her feet and Audino hopped off the bench.
The Professor pulled a handkerchief from inside his lab coat, flourishing it in front of the girl. Which is to say, of course, he handed it to Ariel. "Here, use this if you need it. I'll show you to the Magenta Plaza entrance, since it's the second closest and Rouge is still being repaired."
Ariel had fallen into a deep sleep the minute they'd arrived at the FLARE medical wing. She must have used all of her energy just to get here, Blanche thought.
He leaned against the wall in the dim room as Sycamore stood in the doorway. "What's your idea, Professor?"
"It's actually a solution to a problem I've been having with some Pokémon I've been taking care of. They're quite scared of Aveline, and I've been talking with an old friend of mine to see if they can take care of them. And even with the FLARE support she already gets, it would be a little too much strain. But if that support were doubled… I could wrap that all up and finally get to analyzing Clemont's design for a wave-motion gun!"
Blanche sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "Yeah, alright. How are you going to double the support, though? Send a requisition form that'll get filed in three months?"
"Ah, not quite. In the capacity that I take care of those three, I'm not acting as a FLARE employee. I would ask the UR, but they are as bureaucratic as you'd think. I'm holding onto the Pokémon until next year, so I need to find a solution quickly."
"And… what does this have to do with anything?" His patience was wearing thin.
"Well, my friend- A magnificent woman, you'll adore her- Is already taking care of a FLARE employee, along with three other children and three or so Pokémon. If she were to have another employee living with her…"
"Oh. I see… Wait, how the hell do you fit seven people and six, no, seven Pokémon in a single house?"
"It's one of those row houses. They have them in Unova and western Orre."
"Sounds like a full house."
"It's bigger on the inside, I assure you. Let me just give her a call, and I'll take you all over in a few hours."
"Just like that?"
The Professor raised an eyebrow. "Just like what?"
"I mean… who just fosters kids for no reason so easily? That doesn't make sense."
"There is a reason, however. And even if there weren't, it would still be perfectly justified. Your friend is a nun, and you're a good kid."
Blanche blinked. "What?"
"Again, what do you mean?"
"I'm not… I'm just some guy, Professor. I agree with you on the first part, Ariel's one of the nicest people I've ever met, but I'm pretty average."
"That's rather ironic, considering you're an Esper."
"I'm not an Esper, sir, I'm a weakling that can only sometimes be like everyone else."
"Blanche, I hope you don't mind me calling you that… Is this why you were skipping school? Are you being bullied?"
"No! I mean, who would even take the time of day? But… Well, I don't really deserve to stay here. I barely did anything yesterday, you said as much yourself."
"What?" The Professor actually seemed offended. "I would never."
"God, this will sound like whining, but yeah, you did. You just went on and on about how Serena's so smart when I came up with the idea to-"
"Blanche, can you see out of the back of your head?"
"If I could, I'd be looking at the plaster," he spat.
"That's what it's like for Espers. They have to think in extra dimensions, like they have an extra sense. Serena listened to your idea, she's definitely grateful, even if she's not good at showing it. To you, it's magic. To her, it's like she has to use muscles that she doesn't have. Of course, weighing down Underwood's wings was a good idea. But if you want recognition for just that, you don't understand how FLARE works. I said you both did good. And for someone who doesn't have any memories or formal education, you sure know a thing or two about physics. I could point that out, I could say it's strange, but you don't want that. Do you or do you not want pity? If you don't, that's fine. If you do, then you're just like anyone else."
"What?"
"Emotions don't make you weak, Blanche. They make you stronger, if anything else. The power of friendship has been observed to make Espers stronger. There's no room for cynicism here. There's a difference between wanting pity and needing it. Compassion is natural to desire. But for some reason, I see you deny that you need it. What's the issue there, hm?"
"Sir…"
"Maybe the reason you don't have an AIAM field is that your desires are so weak that it simply doesn't generate. Maybe it's not because of your memory loss or whatever happened to you, but it's because you refuse to accept the strength that kindness gives you."
"I'm… pretty sure it's not that."
"Then what is it? Drop the sarcasm for one minute and think!" The Professor pointed a finger at him, and though his voice became no louder, it seemed to reverberate in his ears. "If you don't have a clue about something, then you need to look. That's how we scientists do it. You're far from average. If Professor Krane ever checks his email inbox, he'll be here to meet you faster than you can say, "Metagross, Mega-Evolve!" I don't know what your issue is, because ultimately, it doesn't matter what I know. I'm a Pokémon Professor, not a people professor."
"Could've fooled me."
"The flamboyant idiot facade works on a surface level. Plus, it keeps the UR on my back and off of the people who are actually getting work done. And really, it's quite funny to see how people react. But my point is, Blanche, that you need an attitude adjustment. You're not useless, and as soon as Clemont clears the high from something he built actually working, you're going to be much more so. You only hold yourself back when you think like that."
"..."
"I'm going to the lab, alright? Just… think for a while. I'm not your parent, so I won't tell you what to do. I'll be back here in a few hours to take you both there. Let your friend get some rest. I bet you could use some too."
Blanche could only stare into space as Augustine left and the room became much dimmer.
Maybe, he thought even as he tried to quell the idea, he's right.
Ariel was still a bit sleepy when the Professor returned, but she'd woken up just from the sound of the door opening. Audino was still humming, but it had quieted to the point where he had to focus to hear it.
It was later in the afternoon as the Professor led them from Jauna Plaza towards Hibernal Avenue and took them a few streets parallel and to the east of the main street. They were lined with all kinds of shops and stalls. People and their Pokémon seemed to be trickling through the neighborhood from school already.
"The neighborhood is called Little Kanto," the Professor explained. "It's still in the city proper, but it's more natural, hence the name. Not as natural as say, Johto, but you likely understand. She actually is from Kanto, but she had moved to Vaniville Town down south before the Heavens Shattered."
"How do you know her, then?"
"Ah, well, it's an interesting story. I'll tell you when you're older, but the sum of it involved a metric ton of Mareep fur, a blackout in Goldenrod City, and a hungry Rhyhorn."
"...Actually, never mind."
The house was separated from the other row houses by a pair of narrow divots, barely large enough to hold trash cans, though for some reason it still had side windows. The bricks were a muddy brown, sectioned with tan plaster. The roof was a dulled red, held up by three rows of windows and a distinct gray foundation. The yard was small, nearly non-existent, and shared between the neighboring houses. The separations were only clear by the paths that led to the divots in the wall.
A bushy tree shaded a napping Rhyhorn from the sun, which awoke as Sycamore swung open the creaky metal gate.
It rumbled, standing from the slate it was napping on. The minerals in its rocky body glinted in the sunlight as it shook its head and seemed to sniff the air.
Its, ahem, stony gaze turned to him growled at such a low pitch he thought it could have been a rockslide.
"Ah, crap," Blanche held his arms in front of him and braced for impact. He heard it moving towards him, but he didn't feel the impact.
"Rhyhorn, down!" Sycamore yelled before the Pokémon revealed that it was in fact, trying to tackle the older man instead. "No! Not my lab coat!"
At the cost of the Professor's fortune, Blanche would not have to take any additional pain reliever that night.
"Who on Earth…" A voice said as the elevated door opened. A mature-looking woman in a black tank top leaned out and blinked at the Professor currently being attacked in her front yard.
"Ah!" Sycamore squealed before his voice dropped an octave. "Afternoon, Grace."
Blanche couldn't help but scoff before the world dropped in around him and some thoughts finally snapped into place.
Grace was the player character's mother in the game, which made the fact she didn't look much older than Sycamore a little creepy, but that was probably because, in fiction-land, no one looks their age.
"Ah. Rhyhorn, down!" The woman commanded and her Pokémon obeyed, crawling off of the Professor and going back to sleep under the tree. "Right, why don't you all come inside?"
"I see Rhyhorn hasn't gotten out of shape since you retired," Sycamore said, shaking his lapels to get the dirt off as they entered what could literally be a set for television. The most living-room living-room he'd ever seen, or that he could remember seeing. There was an attached kitchen, a huge dining table, and obviously, a staircase across the room.
"You clearly have. With all the talk about your stamina and agility, you should have been able to dodge."
Blanche gagged, though he covered it as a cough. Ariel and Audino tilted their heads in unison, the confusion clear on the former's face, and the same nothing-behind-the-eyes on the latter's. Blanche decided that he would devote the entire rest of his life to making sure she would never need to know.
"Eh… It simply didn't occur to me."
"Why is dodging a subroutine? It's not that complex, Augustine."
Where have I seen this one before, he wondered.
"Are these the two you talked to me about?"
"Two, Professor?" Blanche prodded.
"Well… yes, what did you expect?"
"Ariel to live here and I would keep living inside the headquarters."
"That's not how it works. There would be a lot more fraud if people could just say they lived somewhere, get the money, then live somewhere else for free."
"Oh. Shiiiiii- I mean, yeah, that makes sense."
"So, you'd be Blanche?" The woman cupped her chin, taking a closer look. "And you're Ariel?" She asked as she turned to the nun.
"Yep."
"Yes, Madame."
"Ah, I mean, yes ma'am." He was trying to avoid gratuitous French-Kalosian because it made him feel pretentious just listening to people sprinkle the words into what he understood as English.
"Hm… From what I've gotten out of the kids, you seem to be a pretty good kid. Shauna did say some strange things."
"Aren't they leaving school right about now?"
"Well, Serena mentioned you when I asked how her day was yesterday with only a little bit of prodding, and Trevor and Tierno started arguing about something you did or didn't do with Shauna."
"I didn't do anything, I hope you believe me when I say that."
"It took a while, but Serena clarified it for me. I completely understand how that was an awkward situation."
"It happens," he shrugged.
"And Ariel… Obviously, you're a nun, so you're trustworthy. Your partner is an Audino, right? They're a pretty cute little blob, I have to say."
The blonde's expression brightened into an actual smile, and she said, "Thank you! I believe your Rhyhorn is as beautiful as yourself."
"Aw, you're so precious!" Grace pulled Ariel into a hug, laughing out, "I'm keeping you for sure!"
Blanche was briefly hit with that wave of emotion that accompanied cute girls doing cute things but managed to recover before Audino could give him that look that always made him self-conscious. Well, more than usual.
The Professor coughed into his fist. "Well, I also have the three Pokémon I asked you about. They're all still very small, I'll be paying for their food and everything. I'm sure they'll acclimate quickly, just make sure the kids don't train them. They're supposed to be starter Pokémon, after all."
Puzzle pieces in his brain finally clicked into place as the Professor pulled a clip of three Pokéballs from inside his coat.
"Now, Blanche, Ariel, these are very rare Pokémon. It was only through a friend of mine that I managed to obtain the set. Traditionally, the three most distinguished students in a year would receive one of these Pokémon each, however, they've become much rarer in recent years. You can befriend them, but you will not be their Trainers, nor will the others. Is that alright?"
"Well, it's not like I deserve to be a Trainer, so that's fine by me."
"Um… yes, sir."
"Very well!" The Professor pulled the first Pokéball from his belt. "First, the Grass-type Spiny Nut Pokémon, Chespin!"
A bipedal porcupine appeared in a blast of light. Blanche had never directly seen a Pokéball in action, only having noticed its effects in his periphery. Watching it directly was strange. The caps separated, and inside was only a sphere of white light. It spiraled out and bounced onto the floor, before reforming into the Pokémon's shape and fading.
Chespin's head was covered in grassy green spines, looking more like rabbit ears than anything else. Its body and face were covered in caramel fur, accented by a pink button nose and brown on its arms and in a triangle on its forehead. It was larger than he expected, coming up to his calves at around a foot tall.
"Chespin's a little prickly if you get too close to him or the others, but he'll open up eventually, I'm sure."
"And next, we have the Fire-type Fox Pokémon, Fennekin!"
A yellow-furred fox appeared on the floor. Its bushy tail and the puffs in its ears were a bright orange-red, along with its eyes. It looked around the room, sniffing, before it bowed its head to them.
Blanche didn't mean disrespect, but he couldn't resist saying, "Chrome is better."
The Professor blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I don't know either, forget about it."
"Lastly, we have the Water-type Bubble Frog Pokémon, Froakie!"
An aqua-blue frog appeared on its hind feet. Its front hands looked like the gloves of a gentleman thief. A similarly white bubbly puff wrapped around its neck, swaying slightly. Two cotton-like puffs looked like binoculars in front of its eyes, bisected by a deep blue stripe running down its back.
"Make sure you keep an eye on this one! If she gets the sense there's something she wants, she's going to try and take it," Sycamore warned jokingly.
The three Pokémon noted each other's presence before scattering to the wind. Chespin waddled over to Audino and tried to shake its hand. Fennekin jumped from the floor straight onto the Professor's head, before turning to look around the room. Froakie tilted its head, looking at the stairs at the far end of the room. Its eyes gleamed, almost like Clemont's goggles.
"Froakie, no!" The Professor's hand shot out, but to no avail.
If the Pokémon could speak, it likely would have said, "Froakie, yes," as it took off like a rocket and bounced up the stairway, jumping from the first step to the handrail to the wall and further from there.
"Ah…" The Professor withdrew his arm, grinning awkwardly. "I suppose I should return her."
"Don't bother," Blanche said, already turning. "You all relax, I'll get them."
As he walked up the stairs, his eyes traced over the quickly popping trail of bubbles. In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that the door opened, but he chose to try and catch the rogue frog Pokémon first.
The trail led further into the new corridor rather than up the stairs, so he walked past a couple of doors before coming one that was ajar.
His first thought was cake, as he leaned into the bedroom. The walls were a pasty yellow, the furniture made of birch, and the rug and bed a bright, suffocating pink. He just barely managed to glimpse Froakie running under the bed.
He sighed and got onto all fours to look under. Froakie was doing something, but with the low light, he couldn't tell. He clicked his tongue a few times, unsure of exactly how to catch a frog.
Because of that, he didn't hear the many footfalls coming up the stairs.
"Froakie, here, girl." He pushed himself under the bed far enough for the frame to reach his lower back, doing half of a pushup to maneuver right.
"Ribiribiribi…" It… cooed? A page turned somewhere in front of Froakie, though it had its back to him.
"Gotcha!" He said, clasping the small frog in his hands.
"Gotcha!" Yelled someone else, as they yanked Blanche out from under the bed from his ankles.
"RIBIRIBIRIBI!"
Blanche's vision was partially obscured by the angle and his shirt falling over his face, his neck was at a pretty uncomfortable angle.
How a girl not much taller than five feet managed to hold him like that and not look silly was unknown to him. That was a lie, actually. It was because the look of absolute rage in Shauna's eyes only made him think of fear.
Froakie was struggling in his hands, but wouldn't let go of the book it was reading.
"...Is that Twilight?" He asked the frog, before he was dropped slightly and he learned of completely new nerves in his neck.
"Mummy…" Shauna growled.
Fully aware of how ridiculous he looked and that he was about to start bleeding into the carpet, he didn't snark, and instead said a very simple sentence. "I can explain."
This is known to have a similar effect to telling someone angry to calm down. Which is to say…
"YOU-"
God help me, he sighed mentally.
Blanche worked out a crick in his neck as he sat at a dining table with the five other teenagers. Ariel had properly introduced herself to them, and from what he pieced together, had mentioned he went upstairs to obvious consequences.
"Again, it's not my fault," he responded as Shauna complained again.
"You should have gotten someone that wasn't you to get Froakie!" She yelled, holding the struggling frog in her arms like a teddy bear.
She actually believed his reason for being there, but that was after his story had been confirmed by Ariel, Grace, and Sycamore, who'd left soon afterwards. It was just that Blanche was Blanche, a crime to be punished cruelly and unusually. Naturally.
"That would have been rude. And lazy. She probably would have run out by the time I got Ariel or Mrs. Grace."
"Whatever! You just wanted an excuse to go in my room!"
"Again, I didn't know it was your room. Also, do you really read Twilight?" He'd scanned the pages and saw familiar names, but not the actual cover. "Like, with the GTS being so crazy, that takes guts and stuff. Respect."
The tan girl turned a brick-red in the face. "Well, uh…"
"She keeps her appropriate books on the bookshelf," Serena said, blank-faced and cutting the core out of an apple. She tossed it to Chespin, who hopped into the air to catch it in its almond-shaped mouth.
"Serena! You can't say that to a creep like him!"
"I agree, I don't think I wanted to know that. Except for the creep part, I mean, it's just a series of very unfortunate coincidences."
"I don't understand," Ariel said, tilting her head. Tierno seemed really impressed at the fact that nuns were actually real, and in fact, Blanche once felt the same.
"And you never will, Ariel. Don't think about it too hard, for your own sake."
"...If you say so."
Grace returned from wherever she'd been upstairs, walked over to the table, and clapped her hands. "So! Now that we have guests, I think it would be completely fair to redivide chores! What do you all say?"
Shauna groaned, and Trevor looked reluctant. Blanche shrugged because it wasn't like he was doing much else with his time.
"I can cook," he said simply. "Probably," he added. He hadn't forgotten how to do math or sketch with a pencil, so even if cooking was an art or a science, he'd probably manage. "And whatever else is needed, of course."
"I can feed the Pokémon," Ariel offered.
"I'll do laundry so the pervert can keep his hands off my underwear," Shauna said.
"Okay, that's just uncalled for," Blanche replied dryly.
"You shouldn't say things like that!" Ariel said, flushing slightly.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"
"Like I'd want to wash frisbees on a string."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"Um," Trevor interrupted what would soon become a one-sided shouting match, "I'll sweep and clean the floors. I think the vacuum would scare the Pokémon right now."
"I'll do the trash after I get home from the dance studio, I swear." Tierno was a dancer, Blanche remembered, it likely took a lot of time and effort.
Serena looked at her mother dully. "I believe there aren't any additional duties."
"Well, just help if they need it. Can I trust you all to get that all done?" The woman's gray jumpsuit tied around her waist flapped ominously.
Soon enough, she was met by a chorus of "Yes, ma'am."
"Good. You're all free for the night. Blanche, Ariel, there's a guest room on the third floor with two beds, so you and Audino can get settled in."
"Hold on!" Shauna shouted, slamming her hands on the table. "The same room? Mrs. Grace, you can't do that! He's a pervert and she's a girl!"
"She's a nun," Blanche added. "Also, I'm not. For the fifteenth time."
"You shouldn't insult a guest," Serena said distantly.
"Well, I know, but…"
"I actually agree with Shauna, though." He looked over to what was essentially the dorm mother. "That would be weird."
The woman facepalmed, laughing slightly. "I thought you two were siblings for a second, with how you came in a pair. That's my bad. The hair might be close, but it doesn't match. Right, there are actually a few empty guest rooms. They built this place with larger Pokémon in mind, but someone put up more walls at some point. We'll have to get you two some new clothes, but for now, welcome!"
"Thank you."
"Yes, thank you!"
"Aw, it's no problem. But to make sure, do you two know about the open door rule?"
"I'm guessing it involves open doors?"
"Yes! There will be no hanky-panky in my household!"
Blanche gagged and laughed at the same time, never a good combination.
"Hanky… panky?" Ariel tilted her head. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
Shauna jumped in and said, "See, when a girl and a girl, or when a boy and a girl, or… actually, it might just be quicker to skip to the end of the list. When two people like each other very much, weird, flowery music starts playing, and then they…"
"Shauna," Blanche said, glaring at the jumpy girl. "Serious business. Stop talking. And also, I'd like to make a point; How are you going to say things like that and then call me a pervert?"
"See, you're a teenage boy, it's different."
Trevor and Tierno seemed too tired to be offended, and they'd likely heard it before.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Blanche spoke with a higher pitch, mocking the girl, before dropping his voice to normal and looking at her dryly. "Pervert."
"Mummy!"
"Ponytails."
"Er… Color contacts!"
"Real eye color, fun fact."
"Bleach-blond!"
"Still real."
"Lame hair!"
"The hell did you say about my hair?" He slammed a fist on the table, making Fennekin poke its head up from Trevor's lap and look around for the disturbance before he laughed and relaxed. "Nah, I still don't care. Washboard."
Lightning seemed to crackle around her for a split second as she shot out of her chair. "Hey! That's just mean!"
"...Are you kidding? You making fun of the fact I get beat up every week isn't being mean but what I say is?"
"I was joking! Well, for most of the stuff."
"You know I can't help that, right? As much as you can't help being who you are. It's just as unfair. And you know what? Making fun of people for something they can't change ain't right. I'm just giving as good as I get."
"But… there's no way you actually need to wear all of that! It's decorative, isn't it?"
He placed his forehead on the table and pointed at what he guessed was a splotch of blood on his bandages. "Working at FLARE makes this more manageable. I'll probably keep the bandages on after I'm done healing anyway. It's not like anyone wants to see what's under them anyway."
"I'm… I'm going to bed. Good night, everyone." Shauna quickly ran up the stairs, before reappearing a second later to point at Blanche. "And stay out of my room!"
"Nothing worth seeing in there," he said as she disappeared again. He became aware that Tierno, Trevor, and Ariel were staring at him, while Serena had walked off and gotten something to drink. "What?"
"That… that was a little far, B-meister," Tierno said.
"What? She was insulting me! I'm not going to let someone say things like that about me! That's how rumors get started"
"Shauna's not really the type to start rumors," Trevor said weakly.
"That's not the point!"
"Listen, B-meister, I see where you're coming from," Tierno shrugged, "Shauna's… a little energetic. She doesn't think things all the way through sometimes. It's kind of a game. Imagine two Pokémon practice-battling, but one of them actually hits the other one real bad."
"But I didn't start it!"
"I'm not saying you did," Tierno offered. "You don't have to apologize, even if I'd rather us all be friends. I'm just letting you know."
"I've had a long day, man." He pushed back the chair and stood up. "I think I just… I'm going to get some rest. Good night, everyone. Gera- Serena, please help Ariel get to bed, I'm turning in early."
The stoic girl nodded and he retreated to the steps.
"Blanche…" Ariel's voice carried easily through the distance. Audino trilled sadly, sensing the emotions of its Trainer.
"Sorry you had to see me like that," he replied, looking anywhere but back towards her as he went to find his room.
