A Chance at Redemption
She couldn't sleep.
She had everything she ever wanted and needed—her pokémon, a supple income (all in cash!), a roof over her head, and a bed to rest in at night. And yet, something felt wrong. Could it be? Was the dirty work finally getting to her? Or was it the green-eyed girl's words from mere hours ago that shook her to the core, haunting her so powerfully she couldn't bear to close her eyes?
The green-eyed girl's scream pierces the air as her friend's body falls to the floor. Frozen in fear, she can only watch as the Plasma grunt takes the capsule from her friend's limp grasp.
"Let's go, Ediva."
Stuck in a haze, the curly haired girl stares at the floor, eyes glazed over.
"Ediva!"
The girl's head snaps upwards. "R-right." She wrenches the pansear, Bernie, away from her and darts towards the grunt. Bernie and Fern, her former pansage, follow her. The grunt tugs at her, and she does nothing to resist this nor deter the monkey pokémon from following her.
"Quiana, wait!"
The addressed girl stops, resisting the grunt's pull. She wonders how the girl could ever remember her name, for she cannot return the favor.
The blonde girl inhales, trying to calm herself down. Then, she speaks with a voice as soft as a gentle breeze. "I…I remember the day you gave me Fern. I thought…like, wow, it must really hurt to give someone you love to someone else. But...I think you did it because you wanted Fern and Bernie to have a better life."
A mechanical voice buzzes from the grunt's uniform. "All units need to regroup, now. The police are on their way."
"Ediva," the grunt scowls through clenched teeth.
"I—I don't know exactly what Team Plasma's goal is, but it can't be good if they're willing to steal and hurt pokémon! And—and I don't think Fern or Bernie would want you to be a part of that…"
Quiana looks down at her former partners. Although the Pokémon long to be with her, maybe the blonde is right.
"No matter what you might think, there's always a chance to begin again! It's never too late to change..."
The risk of being in the wrong, and in turn harming her Pokémon, is enough. Quiana raises her head. She is about to jerk her wrist out of her comrade's grasp when his hold on tightens. He points at the blonde.
"Watchog, hypnosis."
"Ediva. Ediva. Ediva..."
Quiana gasps. She is no longer at Liberty Garden, nor is she lying in bed, trying to fight off the guilt that consumes her. Instead, she is walking down the grey halls of one of Team Plasma's many headquarters with an acquaintance.
"Are you alright?"
Quiana sighs. "Yeah, I just...I couldn't sleep at all last night."
Her friend, Amice, frowns. "Thinking about the pokémon?"
Quiana is silent, if only for a split second. "Yeah."
Amice rests her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know. But with the help of Victini, our gracious King will finally save them."
"You're right," Quiana turns to the girl, giving her a gracious smile. "Thank you."
The girls arrive at the entrance of a large, chapel-like auditorium. They check-in with the knight at the entrance and take their seats in one of the middle rows.
"I certainly am excited to hear Lord Ghetsis' speech," Amice looks at the black screen situated at the front of the room with awe. "He certainly has a way with words."
"I do wish we could hear more from our King, though," Quiana replies. In fact, she hasn't seen the King ever since she first joined Team Plasma and was knighted and re-named by him; he doesn't even make an appearance on the mandatory weekly sermons.
"Yes, me too."
The hushed voices die down as the knights close the doors to the auditorium. A few moments later, the screen flares to life. Everyone in the room drops into a kneel at the sight of Ghetsis. He commands the audience to recite their oath to secrecy and loyalty.
Quiana is quite good at this; she's always been a natural actress, so much so that everyone in her division thinks she's one of the most passionate members. Sometimes she almost convinces herself that she believes all this pomp; it's hard not to admire words coming from the mouths of such charismatic leaders, especially when one is practically cut off from the outside world. In fact, many of the knights, like Amice, forgo a salary altogether; they have been effectively immersed, absorbing the righteous fervor encouraged in their sermons. In other words, they believe it is their moral duty to liberate pokémon and serve their king.
But Quiana, for the most part, keeps a stable head on her shoulders. When she finds herself slipping, all she has to do is think of her grandmother, and how much she needs the money, and how all she needs to do is just pretend, because there's no other job that'll give you so much money so fast and a place to stay.
So she pretends, lingering in a kneel for seconds longer while everyone else returns to their seats; when Ghetsis speaks, she eagerly nods at all the right words and leans forward in her chair. She likens it to the Sundays of her past when her grandma took her to church—she just had to look like she was paying attention to some pious old man when in reality she was daydreaming about being a star.
Not that she dreams anymore—no, far too silly for a fifteen-year-old girl to fantasize about the stage when her grandma's rent needs to be paid. She abandoned that dream long ago.
"...And I would like to conclude by acknowledging the success of our efforts to capture Victini by the Castelia department. The acquirement of this powerful and mysterious creature will aid us in liberating pokémon."
Liberating pokémon. The phrase buzzes in Quiana's head like a swarm of combee. What could that mean? It can't be what I've been doing.
Suddenly a bout of nausea sweeps over her. Has she really fallen this far? Has she really become so desperate to steal people's pokémon for money? Worse yet, has she really become so desperate to not just be a bystander, but a supporter of an organization whose members sometimes hurt the very pokémon they long to save?
Before she knows it, Ghetsis concludes his speech. She is about to stand up—sprint out of the room, even—when the lieutenant who supervised her on the mission to Liberty Garden steps up on the stage.
"If you'll please remain seated, I have an announcement to make. One of our night guards, who was to protect Victini from 1-5 a.m. before the transfer takes place tomorrow, has fallen ill. Will anyone—"
For some unfathomable reason, Quiana's hand shoots up. She remains the only one shocked by her actions.
"Ediva. Thank you. Please stay behind so I can brief you on your duties. Everyone else is dismissed."
Everyone files out of the chapel with an air of thoughtfulness; Ghetsis' speeches never failed to pull at the heartstrings. Amice rests a hand on Quiana's shoulder, and mouths a "good luck" before leaving. Quiana walks up to the stage, trying to conceal legs that feel like jello through a steadfast expression. It doesn't take long for her supervisor to brief her.
After concluding his briefing, he looks up from his paper and scrutinizes the girl. "You're lucky I even considered you after what happened at Liberty Garden."
The girl fights the urge to wince. Had she escaped his grasp on that historical island, things might be different. But her desire to flee almost cost her the trust of her superior.
"Consider this a chance at redemption."
She steadies herself, tightening her face into a stone-cold surface. "Yes sir."
"Good. You are dismissed."
As Quiana descends the stairs leading away from the stage, the blonde's words once again flash through her mind:
It's never too late to change.
The woman's head jerks up at the sound of an urgent rapping at her door. It takes her a moment to absorb her surroundings: once again, she has fallen asleep while analyzing the outcomes of her research. She sighs and rubs her temples, trying to pull herself together. The rapping continues. The woman looks at her watch.
"2 a.m.?!" She groans, allowing her head to collapse back into her arms. "Who could it be at this hour?"
Her hand blindly grasps about her desk in search for her poké ball. The knocking continues. She groans, lifts her head up, and grabs her poké ball. Her vision swirls from getting up too fast, but the urge to be courteous pushes her forward. After all, her early morning visitor hasn't stopped knocking; it must be urgent.
The woman peers through the peephole on her door. She gasps at the sight, grip tightening on her poké ball. Despite her unease, something about the strange visitor—especially what rests in her embrace—causes her to open the door.
"Are you Professor Burnet?" The words of the guest spill out, toppling over each other like the walls of a collapsing building.
"Yes. And you are? I mean, you're—how do you—"
"I'm Quiana. It's a long story. And we have to hurry."
The loud blare of multiple cross-transceivers blasts through the small hotel room. The teens jump, snapping to attention. Lamenting sleep, they groan and shift around in bed in an attempt to escape the cacophony. The ringing stops. It is eerily silent. Andrea, in fact, is about to seamlessly slip back into sleep when the cross-transceivers ring again.
"For fuck's sake!" Hilbert groans. "Whose cross-transceiver is that?"
"It's all of ours, dumbass," Andrea rolls her eyes as she descends the ladder of the bunk bed. She knows Hilbert's not a morning person, but his grumpiness can get really annoying really quickly. Andrea reaches her cross-transceiver and answers it before anyone can get out of bed, effectively silencing those belonging to her friends.
"Professor Juniper?" Andrea rubs her eyes. "What are—Why—"
The other teens perk up at the sound of the Professor's voice.
"Hi Andrea, sorry for calling so late. Is everyone else with you?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It appears something urgent is happening and I want to warn you all. I'm sending you an address; last I heard, you're all in Castelia, correct?"
"Yeah."
"Perfect. Please meet me at the address ASAP. See you guys soon."
"Ok, bye Professor."
The call ends. Andrea turns to her friends, who are all sitting up in their beds.
"I wonder what it could be," Cheren says. "Hopefully nothing too terrible has happened."
"Yeah," Bianca echoes his sentiment.
Silence replaces their pondering as the teens change out of their pajamas. Full of blossoming anticipation, they imagine what situation could be so urgent to warrant a warning from the professor.
Soon, the teens are wandering the cold, dimly lit streets of the city.
"Castelia Street?" Hilbert mumbles, looking at the green street sign. "Isn't this where all the businesses are?"
"I think so," Cheren answers. "Luckily it's not too far from our room, so if anything happens…"
"What do you mean?" Bianca's voice is high and trembling, like an instrument that needs to be tuned.
"The Professor did say she wanted to warn us…"
"Oh no…"
"We'll be ok, Bianca," Andrea wraps an arm around her friends shoulders. "Besides, you've got me by your side!"
Bianca giggles while Cheren rolls his eyes.
"And you've helped me beat Team Plasma twice! We can handle anything."
The teens reach a silver skyscraper. The lights of each visible window appear to be off. Cheren glances down at his cross-transceiver twice to make sure they're at the right building.
"This is it."
The teens brace themselves before walking into an empty building. Even the front desk is abandoned.
"It's suite 160," Cheren says. "According to the map that's on the sixteenth floor."
"S-six-sixteenth?!" Bianca cries. "How can a building be so...tall?"
"That's the city for you."
Knock knock knock.
"That must be them," The woman declares, walking over to the door. She peers through the peephole before eagerly welcoming in the teens.
"Professor Juniper! What's going on?"
"Hey kids. Before I explain everything I should probably make some introductions. Bianca and Andrea, you already know Dr. Fennel."
"Hello!" The scientist smiles, taking her eyes off a computer screen for only a split second.
"And this is Professor Burnet! She specializes in dreams and interdimensional studies."
"Hi! Nice to meet you all."
"And this is—"
"Quiana."
The girl sits next to Professor Burnet, who has wrapped her in a blanket and given her a cup of tea. The girl looks up, guilt swimming in her eyes. Bernie and Fern perk up at the sound of Andrea and Bianca's voices, but remain cuddled in Quiana's lap with a panpour.
Andrea is not sure what she should feel. Part of her heart burns with anger—this girl took away Bernie from her while she and Bianca were passed out, and she helped Team Plasma capture Victini. But something about the girl's vulnerable state softens her internal fire, and Bernie's newfound happiness reminds her of N's words to her on the rooftop:
It appears that everything will work out the way it should.
Andrea wishes she had been more adamant in asking N, well, what the hell does that mean? Especially because he never told her she has to make a choice. And a hard one, at that.
"Oh, it appears you know each other."
"I don't," Cheren says.
"Me neither," Hilbert adds. "What's going on?"
"I can explain," Quiana, who is still dressed in her Team Plasma uniform, spits out. So she begins her tale from the beginning: from when she met Andrea and Bianca, to how she ran into Team Plasma at one of their recruitment speeches.
"So...y'all ran into each other in the mansion at Liberty Garden?" Hilbert asks. "That's crazy…"
"Ok, am I the only one preoccupied with the fact that Team Plasma is basically a cult?" Cheren exclaims, eyes darting around in search for agreement.
"It seems like that's the only way to make sense of their actions," Professor Burnet replies. "Without all the ceremonies, rituals and undying devotion, Team Plasma is just an organization using criminal means to meet questionable ends."
Quiana nods. "She's right. Nothing about Team Plasma really made sense, but the offer was just too good to resist…"
Cheren tries his best not to judge, but it's hard. Joining for Team Plasma for money doesn't seem much better than the actions Team Plasma commits.
As if reading his mind, Quiana sighs. "I know that's terrible, but life is hard for people like me…"
Andrea sympathizes for the girl. Although her skin is not as dark as Quiana's, Andrea has always felt out-of-place and hyper visible in a small town full of fair-skinned people.
"And I'm trying to make things right," Quiana continues, turning to Bianca. "You—you said it's never too late to change...That's why I brought Victini here...so that someone could help…"
Bianca rushes towards the girl, embracing her in a warm hug. "You did the right thing."
The hug is enough for Quiana to break down and cry out years worth of hardship, of struggle. Bianca rubs her back and hushes words of comfort.
"I-I—" Quiana sniffles, "I don't know if we'll be able to open it because only the head scientist of Team Plasma can, but I had to try to get help anyways."
"Thank you for doing that," Professor Juniper says. "With the three of us, we've already been able to make some progress on opening the capsule."
"Speaking of which," Dr. Fennel adds from across the room, "I need your guys' help. I reached a particularly testy series of code."
The two scientists make their way over to their friend, peering at the computer screen.
"Wow…" Professor Burnet breathes.
Professor Juniper sighs. "I should've paid more attention in my computer science classes…"
"Yeah, me too," Dr. Fennel agrees. "But...this code...it does look familiar."
Professor Burnet smiles, brimming with hope. "Well, familiar is good, right?"
Eyebrows furrowed, Dr. Fennel doesn't tear her eyes away from the computer screen. "Not necessarily. This code...it's far beyond sophisticated. Very few people are this good at coding."
Meanwhile, the teens sit around Quiana and ask her about Team Plasma. The girl seems distracted, often turning around to check on the scientists.
"Quiana? You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm just...nervous. We only have a couple hours left until they realize Victini is gone, and there's a tracking device on the capsule…"
The teens turn to the scientists' work area. Andrea's eyes land on Victini, who, despite being cramped into an uncomfortable position, is sleeping soundly within the capsule.
"Anyways, um, I'm so sorry."
The teens turn back to Quiana, who is running shaky fingers through her long curly hair.
"Not just for everything I've done, but for what I did at Liberty Garden. I should've done something and…and not let Bernie and Fern follow me. That probably scared you guys."
It takes a while for someone to formulate a response.
"It's funny," Andrea begins, smiling at the memory she is about to share. "I talked to a friend the other night. He could tell that Bernie missed you, and said that everything would work out the way it should. I think running into you…" she pauses, trying to find the right words. "I think running into you was a sign that Bernie belongs with you. As stupid as it sounds—"
"No, no," Quiana shakes her head. "I get that."
"Wait a second," Bianca squints, turns to Andrea, and points an accusatory finger at her. "You told me you were talking to your mom."
Andrea bristles. "Um—"
"So Bianca was right!" Hilbert exclaims. "You were talking to—"
"Ok, that's enough!" Andrea cuts him off with a nervous laugh.
"Drea!" Bianca pouts. "You have to tell me these things!"
"Bianca, you have to understand that some people wish to keep things private."
Andrea's eyes widen. Was Cheren actually defending her for once?
"That being said," he continues, "it is rather intriguing to wonder why people wish to keep certain things secret."
Andrea groans, burying her face in her hands.
Quiana's eyes flit back and forth between the teens as they continue to banter. Finally Bianca turns to the girl, seeing her in a state of utter confusion.
"Anyways!" Bianca exclaims. "I think Andrea's right! I think Bernie and Fern should be with their mother!"
Andrea, mouth agape, turns to Bianca. Bianca continues to soothe Quiana with her maternal smile.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"Huh?"
"All of you, I...I'm not a good person...I literally joined a low-key terrorist organization for money," she scoffs, eyes stinging with tears.
"You did what you had to do to make it," Andrea says.
"I don't deserve...this," she whispers, gesturing to the cup of tea and blanket wrapped around her with limp arms.
"That's not true!" Bianca asserts, brimming with the urge to jump to the girl's defense. "Maybe you did make mistakes in the past, but you're doing all you can to make up for it. That's amazing."
"The past is gone, but the future holds many possibilities for change."
Quiana's eyes widen at the spectacled boys' words.
"He's right," Hilbert says. "He's a know-it-all, but sometimes he actually says something cool."
Cheren is not sure whether to feel flattered or attacked. He rolls his eyes, but a soft smile is present on his face.
"So what are you gonna do now?" Bianca asks.
Quiana looks down at the table. "I don't know. I might go back home to my grandma, but she'd just kick me out again."
She spots the concern on Bianca's face and waves her hands emphatically. "Not like that! She just...wants me to follow my dreams and not worry about her."
"What are your dreams?"
Quiana looks over Bianca's shoulder and sees Andrea gazing at her with a curious glimmer in her eyes.
"Huh...I've been thinking so much about helping my grandmother out that I haven't really thought about it. But...I used to want to be a star..."
Bianca gasps. "That's it!"
"What?"
"I know what to do! You're gonna join us on our journey to Nimbasa! That's the best place for a star," Bianca nods confidently to herself.
"You'd...you'd do that for me?"
"Why not?" Hilbert smiles. "The more the merrier."
"But first," Bianca interrupts, "You're definitely gonna need to trash that Plasma uniform."
The teens spill at the seams with laughter. A sunny warmth spreads through the scene, relaxing their muscles and hearts as they continue to giggle until their stomachs ache.
After the laughter collapses into silence, Bianca asks, "So, do you have a cross-transceiver?"
"No…" Quiana answers. "I was gonna buy one once I got to the city but—"
"No problem!" Bianca exclaims. "You can use mine to buy something from an online boutique, download it to my closet app, and transmit it! You don't even have to worry about paying me back."
"No. I have plenty of money. I will pay you back."
"Ok, no prob," Bianca says, handing the girl her cross-transceiver. "This is literally, like, the best day ever. I made a new friend, get to help her become a star, and my birthday is in a couple days?!"
A bright smile graces Professor Juniper's face as she watches the teens discuss plans for Bianca's birthday.
"Well, I would like to explore the city a little more!" She beams. "Oh! Also, there's a movie playing at the vintage movie theater that I've always wanted to see! It's called The Masters of Fate."
"That sounds cheesy."
"Hey!" Bianca pouts. "Why are you so, like, anti-love?!"
Cheren sighs. "I'm not "anti-love" per se, but rather anti-melodrama."
"Ugh, whatever."
"What's it about?" Andrea asks, her curiosity intrigued at the mention of one of her guilty pleasures.
"Well, it's—"
An airy hiss interrupts her. The teens whip their heads around. Their eyes land on the opened capsule.
Dr. Fennel grins. "We...we did it!"
The two professors gasp in a mixture of shock and relief. They rush forward, entrapping their friend into a tight hug.
"Ok, ok, focus girls," Professor Burnet says. "Ok. We need to run a couple tests on Victini to make sure it's healthy. Kids, can you—um, I hate to ask this, but can you dispose of this capsule?"
"Of course!" Bianca readily replies, not yet realizing the severity of such a task.
"Great, thank you," Dr. Fennel responds in a sing-song voice as she passes the capsule to the teens.
"Quiana, you should stay in case anyone from Team Plasma has caught on and is looking for you," Cheren suggests.
"Yeah, you're probably right," the girl sighs. "I'd like to help, but—"
"Sweetie, you've helped more than enough," Professor Burnet reassures.
"Yeah!" Bianca chimes in. "Just keep looking for a new outfit, ok? When the shops open we can go looking for more clothes and supplies for your journey!"
Quiana smiles. "That sounds nice."
The teens wish the scientists good luck before leaving Professor Burnet's office. It is still dark out by the time they exit the building, but there is a hint of light blue blurring into the sky, as if the ocean is spilling its color into the horizon.
"Let's throw it in the trash where it belongs," Andrea scowls at the thought of a device used to imprison a powerful pokémon and subdue its powers against its will. A shocking realization hits her like a punch to the stomach.
Is that how N feels about poké balls? Am I a hypocrite?
Her wandering thoughts numb her mind like a powerful anesthesia, detaching her from her surroundings.
Is that why dad didn't keep his pokémon in poké balls? Am I...Am I in the wrong?
"Andi? Hello? You there?"
The fog clouding Andrea's thoughts clear, and she snaps back into the present.
"Yeah, I'm just...tired. Anyways, what were you saying?"
"Cheren was saying that that's a dumb idea because it can be traced back easily."
Cheren frowns. "I didn't say "dumb," but—"
Andrea scoffs. "If my idea is so dumb then what's yours?"
"Simple," Cheren replies. "Throw it into the sea. That way there's a chance of ruining the capsule, thus rendering it untraceable. Plus, the currents will carry it away, so if the tracker does manage to stay intact—"
"Wow Cheren, you're a genius!"
Cheren's face heats up at the compliment, but he manages to reply with a steely, "Thank you, Bianca."
Andrea crosses her arms. She bites her lip and looks away from her friends. Finally, she gives in with a heavy sigh. "Ok. Fine."
The teens hurry towards the wharf. They whip their heads around every corner and alley, minds on high alert and wary of the threat of Team Plasma.
"We really have gotten ourselves quite wrapped up in this Plasma mess, haven't we?" Cheren sighs. "You know, I can't help but wonder, Andi, if you had never confronted those grunts in Accumula, would all of this have happened?"
Cheren awaits the girl's fiery response. But nothing comes. He turns around to look at her. Her eyes are glued to a distant point, her mind far from the present.
"Hey, isn't it kind of funny," she begins, completely ignoring Cheren's inquiry, "how this little capsule is kind of like a poké ball?"
"Huh?"
"I mean—I just—thought it was kind of funny," she shrugs, a forced attempt at nonchalance. "...That it's kind of like a poké ball. Yeah."
Cheren, Bianca, and Hilbert exchange looks of confusion.
"...Because it confines pokémon?"
"Yeah."
"What you seem to have not taken into consideration," Cheren continues, "is that poké balls were created to befriend pokémon, not to entrap them or use them for malicious purposes."
"I mean, yeah, but I'm sure, like, some people use them for those things, right?"
"I think you've been spending too much time with that N guy," Hilbert interjects.
"I don't think you get to say who I spend too much time with, Hilbert," Andrea retorts as bitterness clouds her senses. "Besides, I've always thought about that."
"Oh really?" Hilbert presses.
"Yup. My dad never kept pokémon in poké balls because he said it was like keeping them in cages."
"Do you actually believe that?"
Andrea falters. She often wishes her dad stayed just so she could question his logic; in fact, she has a lot of questions she longs to ask him.
Finally, she utters, "I...I don't know! But I've always thought about it!"
"I mean, you use poké balls so there's no way you actually could believe it."
Andrea sighs and rolls her eyes. "I guess…Anyways, since when have you been so stubborn about this sort of thing?"
"I'm not being stubborn! I'm being pragmatic. Jot that down, Cheren, I can use big words too," Hilbert preens.
She scoffs. "Whatever. I'm sure someday I'll discover the truth of it all...and how pokémon really feel…"
"Ok, now you're really sounding like that weirdo."
Cheren and Bianca wince at each other as the conversation quickly rolls downhill.
Andrea closes in on Hilbert. "Don't call him that."
Hilbert stares back, unfazed by the girl's anger. After analyzing her for a few moments, he scoffs, and looks up and down. "So it's like that, huh?"
She squints. "Like what?"
"Whatever."
"No, say it."
Hilbert stays silent.
"Like what?" Andrea repeats, louder this time.
"That's enough," Cheren intervenes, gliding between the two. "You two are going to wake up the whole city if you continue arguing."
Andrea scowls, forcing herself to look forward. They have already arrived at the wharf, and have almost made it to the end of the longest pier. They continue their trek in silence, only speaking when the pier ends.
"Here," Bianca says, handing the capsule to Andrea. "You have the best throw out of all of us."
Andrea takes the object. She rolls her right shoulder, swings her arm back, and tosses the capsule with all of her force—a force full of frustration and conflict and anger. The capsule flies far in the air before splashing into the ocean.
"Well, that was anticlimactic."
Hilbert is the first to leave. Cheren and Bianca rush after him. Andrea lingers until they are off of the pier, far away enough for her to feel alone. She gazes at the endless sea that reminds her so much of her father's eyes, wondering if it would take her to him if she were to fall into its deep embrace.
"Victini is in good health!" Professor Juniper grins as she briefs the teens on their test results.
"We also analyzed its dreams! It dreamed of you!" Dr. Fennel exclaims, emphatically pointing at Andrea.
The girl's eyes widen. She hasn't talked since her fight with Hilbert, so she finds it hard to form words. She raises a limp hand and points to herself. "Me? Me?"
"Yes!" Dr. Fennel replies.
"It also dreamed about its home, but that's not abnormal. You, on the other hand…" Professor Burnet hums in thought. "It's quite interesting. Perhaps Victini has something special in store for you."
Victini squeals and flies towards Andrea, hovering around the girl's head.
"So, uh, what should I do?"
"Well, that's up to you," Professor Juniper exclaims. "But it could be good to have a strong trainer by its side just in case Team Plasma tries to look for it. Besides, it seems curious about you. Drawn to you, even."
Andrea blinks, trying to process what the professor is suggesting. "So…"
"We created a special poké ball that gives you a greater chance at capturing Victini if you choose to have it join you," Professor Juniper continues. "But I must remind you that Victini is a very strong pokémon with powerful psychic abilities."
"Psychic abilities, huh?" Andrea grins at the pokémon.
"I trust you would be very responsible, but I wanted to let you know before you decide."
Andrea stares into the Pokémon's blue eyes. It tilts its head and stares back at her, gaze full of curiosity.
"So? What do you say?"
Andrea turns to Professor Juniper. "I...I still can't believe this is happening, but...I'll do it."
Professor Juniper smiles and faces her colleagues. Professor Burnet grabs a white poké ball from her work station and hands it to Andrea.
"It works like a normal poké ball," she explains. "As long as it makes contact with Victini and Victini is willing to join you, it should work."
Andrea holds the poké ball and turns to the mythical creature. Her friends stare in equal parts awe, envy, and shock; after all, how often is it that a pokémon spoken of in legends wants to befriend one of your best friends?
Andrea approaches Victini and holds out her hand. The pokémon immediately ducks its head under her hand and rubs it against her palm. Andrea pets it for a few moments before replacing her hand with the special poké ball. Victini inspects it before pressing the center button. The poké ball absorbs Victini and falls to the ground. Time stops as everyone watches the poké ball rock back and forth three times. Andrea holds her breath as the poké ball stills, expecting Victini to pop out and reject her. But it clicks resolutely.
Andrea picks up the poké ball and releases Victini.
"Welcome to the team, Victini!" Andrea exclaims. She grabs two poké balls from her belt loop and throws them into the air. Her oshawott and petilil appear into the room, eyes immediately landing on the strange pokémon. "This is Kai. This is Gardenia. Kai and Gardenia, meet Victini."
The pokémon get along immediately. Victini uses its psychic powers to levitate the pokémon. Kai and Gardenia stare at each other in wonder and shock before squealing with glee. Victini releases them, flies over to Quiana, and nuzzles her cheek. She gasps and giggles, and before she knows it the pokémon glides back to Andrea.
"Well, thank you kids so much for your help. You should get some rest."
"Oh, right," Hilbert stretches, not caring to stifle or hide a drawn-out yawn. "It's super fucking early."
Professor Juniper laughs. "Yes, quite. I'll see you guys later!"
"Bye Professor!" Bianca exclaims, intertwining her arm with that of Quiana's. "Come on! You can get a single room right next to ours...hopefully!"
"Remember to be careful!" Professor Juniper's calls after them as they leave Professor Burnet's lab. She releases a breath she was not aware she was holding when the door shuts.
"That's a great group of kids, Aurea."
Professor Juniper turns to her colleague. "I know. Talk about the right mixture of determined, kind, and intelligent. And special, too; not everyone can earn the respect of a mythical pokémon."
An uncomfortable silence pervades the laboratory.
"But getting them involved...was that right of me? I could never forgive myself if I put them in a lot of danger."
"You had to warn them," Dr. Fennel reassures, brushing a stray hair out of the woman's face. Professor Juniper bristles at the touch, but it is not an unwelcome gesture. Over Dr. Fennel's shoulder, Professor Juniper spots Professor Burnet raising an eyebrow at her.
"Besides, they ran into Team Plasma at the Dreamyard and handled it just fine!"
The moment shatters. Professor Juniper's eyebrows furrow together. "They what?"
"Yeah! Team Plasma was trying to steal dream mist to use it to enter people's dreams and convince them to liberate pokémon. They even went as far as to harm Bianca's poor munna...But then Bianca and Andrea swooped in and saved the day!"
"Why didn't you tell me this?!"
Dr. Fennel titters with shame. "I actually was going to tell you...and then I kind of forgot?"
Professor Juniper sighs while Professor Burnet tries to stifle a series of giggles. "Di, di, di," Professor Juniper chides, smiling at the way her friend beams at the old nickname, "sometimes I wonder…"
"I don't mean to interrupt," Professor Burnet says, a smirk evident in her voice, "but you guys are always free to crash here if you don't feel like using the teleporter. I have a couple extra cots you can use."
Dr. Fennel gasps, a wide smile splitting her face in half. "How could I say no to a sleepover?"
"Just like the good ol' days!"
Professor Juniper cannot stop the glee from flooding her heart at the resurgence of memories of them sharing a dorm in college. "I think I'll take you up on that offer, Leila. I'm exhausted, and it'd be nice to catch up with each other in the morning."
"Then it's settled!"
Still, Professor Juniper cannot shake the worry that pervades her consciousness. After all, they had a device with a tracker in her friend's laboratory, and Quiana's former superior is aware that she somehow knows Andrea and Bianca.
"The capsule was last detected on Castelia Pier, but before that it was detected at 640 Castelia Street."
Ghetsis' fist clenches underneath his desk. "Thank you. You are free to go."
The blonde man in a lab coat glances at his superior with a detached smile before leaving his office. A few moments later, a few knights replace him. They all kneel before Ghetsis.
"This is Elric," one of them motions to the man between her and her comrade, "the knight lieutenant who gave Ediva the responsibility to guard Victini."
Ghetsis glares at the man. "Do explain why you put Ediva in such a position when merely a day before she had shown familiarity with enemies of our cause?"
The lieutenant cannot meet Ghetsis' gaze. "W-well, sire, she was the first to volunteer to fill the sp-spot left vacant by an ill knight, and—"
"Did it ever occur to you that she had volunteered only to take what is rightfully ours?"
Elric gulps, shaking his head. "N-no, no, sire...Other than the incident at Liberty Garden, Edi-Ediva had always been very, very passionate about our cause."
The once composed lieutenant continues to tremble as Ghetsis burns a hole through his head with his fatal gaze. "If it were not for our rather unfortunate circumstances and need for more knights, I would have you adequately punished and banished."
Elric drops onto both knees, still trembling as his hands hold up his body. "Thank you for your mercy, sire."
Ghetsis wants to scoff at the pathetic display. He instead looks down at the papers that lay on his desk.
"However, you are demoted. From now on you are to remain a mere knight."
His eyes widen in shock. "B-but sire!"
Ghetsis looks up from his papers. The cruel glimmer in his eye is enough to silence Elric. Ghetsis' lips stretch into a smile at his underling's silence.
"Dismissed."
The two grunts at Elric's side drag him out of the room. He stumbles, struggling to snap out of his state of shock. The heavy doors shut behind them. The same two grunts re-enter the room.
"Sire," they kneel, again. "Would you like us to order an attack on the girl and her friends?"
Ghetsis says nothing as he watches the knight commanders, statuesque in their stillness, remain on their knees.
"Not now. Wait a couple of weeks. Lull them into a false state of security. But wait for my order."
"Of course, sire."
"You may leave."
Finally, he is alone. He flips through the various reports about the Event on his desk before pushing them aside. Anger brims beneath his composed surface, causing his hand to tremble.
The only thought that can calm him is the soon-to-be arrival of the Shadow Triad, which can only mean one thing: They have succeeded in their mission and secured a meeting with the girl's father.
A/N: Thank you all SO SO much for keeping up with my story! please feel free to leave a review and/or shoot me a message! I really appreciate every ounce of support y'all have given me :)