The disclaimer can be found on the first chapter.
A/N:
I'm back! I know I should really study for finals, but I guess I'm going to have to wing it! Other than that, I'd like to thank all the awesome reviewers who were kind enough to share their opinions and review the story. Especially you, Golden-Owl, thanks a lot. Hopefully, this chapter won't disappoint all of you.
Oh, right, I forgot. In case you were wondering what exactly Calem said in the one line of verbatim he had in the previous chapter, bémol, in French, incidentally translates to 'flat', of the music kind. It's also a pun on Shauna being, well, you know… yeah.
Anyways, since Kalos is primarily based on France, North France, to be exact, there will be sprinklings of French over the entire story. While I don't speak French myself, Trix knows enough to make things a bit more amusing. All relevant translations will be at the bottom.
Well, let's not keep you waiting any further. Let's move!
A/N:
Hold on, one more note.
"Hey!" denotes verbal speech.
"Hey!" denotes Pokémon speech.
Hey! denotes telepathic thoughts.
That's it. On with the show!
"If you know what's good for you, you will WAKE UP, private!"
"Pipe down, Robyn. Sir Calem is obviously trying to remain sleeping, and I'd like to do the same, if you don't mind."
The Fletchling puffed out her feathers, "He's sleeping in like a Sunday-morning loving hippie! No man worth his salt would sleep until this late!"
"How would you know? Last all of us checked, you were most definitely fe- what are you planning on doing?"
Robyn took to the air. "If he isn't going to wake himself up, it falls to me as his section commander to make sure he is fit for the call of duty!"
Oberon let his face fall into his hands. Robyn had been a trade-over from a gentleman in Unova who had graciously received Madame Grace's elderly Clawitzer in return. As it turned out, the 'gentleman' had actually been a veteran of the Plasma Debacle (as the media referred to it), and had been one of the more, well, fervent commanders of Old Team Plasma.
As the saying went, 'Like trainer, like Pokémon'.
"Maggot, I will give you one more chance to wake up! Or I shall resort to violence, and you will not enjoy it!"
Unfortunately, to Calem's ears, all he heard was 'Fletch fletchling fletchling ling ling fletch fletchling!', and as with any normal 14-year old boy who was still lolling away in the dream realm, he merely turned over without so much as a sign that he was going to wake up anytime soon.
"You have chosen to keep silent, have you?! That is denying an order from a superior officer! For that, you WILL be punished!"
She flew around the whole room in a large arc, coming to rest just above her trainer's son's prone body. And then, she dived.
"TACKLE!"
Up until this point, Calem had been playing around in Aquacorde town with his mates. Or at least, he dreamed he was.
"WHO'S…THE…KING?"
"It appears that I am."
Everyone else groaned. Trevor never really did understand the concept of the King's game, and mostly used his turn on a boring dare, such as the next one.
"Okay, number 3 and 4, drink from your cups."
Wordlessly, Serena and Tierno took a long gulp. Today's Roastyke coffee tasted the same as every day before had, but it was so addicting, they all had to get one whenever they ordered.
"One more, then we split for the day? I need to go teach Gene some new moves."
Shauna shrugged. "Why not? We've got nothing left to discuss."
Putting the slips of paper back in the small bowl, they shook it a while before calling out the phrase for the last time that day.
"WHO'S…THE…KING?"
Everyone took one discreet look at the inside of their paper; in a certain person's case, the one beside her as well.
"Voilà!" Serena brought up the clearly marked sheet. "Now, for my order."
"Number 1, kiss me."
If you thought the person who peeked at her neighbour's slip was Serena, then congratulations, you're right.
Calem sweatdropped. He couldn't figure out which exactly which dare she was trying to exact payback for.
Was it the one where Shauna had to give her a new hairstyle? Or the one where she had to forcibly tickle Trevor?
While he was aware that Shauna had a crush on him, he always thought Serena treated him more or less as a very good friend, and not boyfriend material. Likely, she was doing this to make herself look available to the guys in Aquacorde, who all had crushes on the popular, blonde-haired beaut.
Ah, the obliviousness one's psyche can reach.
Still, an order was an order, and since he had agreed to the game in the first place, there was no backing out now. He leaned in closer, and closer, and…
Grabbed her cup and put it to his lips.
Two could play at that game.
Serena, who had opened her eyes at the sound of drinking, looked at Calem as though he had punched her in the face instead of merely finishing the rest of her coffee.
"What? It's an indirect kiss! Your lips touched the cup, then my lips touched the cup, and…"
He probably should have thought it out beforehand.
With eyes blazing in anger, and hair flaring in all directions, Serena provided the perfect voice to match her banshee image. She pulled back her leg.
"VOUS! VOUS ANDOUILLE!"
In tandem, Robyn's beak and Serena's steel-tipped hiking boots impacted Calem's stomach, jolting him out of what once was a fairly pleasant dream, and making him double up in pain, nursing his abdomen.
"And THAT, Berry, is how we do it in Unova!" Robyn yelled, before flying back downstairs to her nest.
…I swear I had nothing to do with this.
I believe *ow* you. What time is it? *ow*
Eight forty-five, sir.
Calem's eyes shot open. Eight forty-five? Wow, that's late. What's for breakfast?
The usual.
He got up out of bed. Better go get changed, then. I can't keep Mum waiting any longer.
Oberon took a quick bow. I'll prepare the showers, sir.
~One hot shower later~
"Ah! Nothing better to take after a long night's rest."
He towelled off the rest of the water before walking towards the mirror to check his outfit.
"White undershirt, check. Jeans, check. Hat and sunglasses?"
With a flourish, he flipped his sunglasses into the air and caught it with the front of his hat.
"Check. I guess I'll just go grab my jacket from downstairs."
The tantalizing aroma of Gogoat cheese wafted in as Calem made his way down. He turned right, towards the kitchen.
And promptly walked straight into Tierno, who was practicing his waltz.
"Oops! Sorry, Calem! I didn't know you were going to come out from there!"
He merely shook his hand, and replied, "Not a problem, though I would like to know why you're here."
A voice piped up from the sofa, "We were in the neighbourhood. You were asleep. Your mother makes very good sandwiches."
He didn't have to glance at the stockings hanging out of the side of the sofa to guess that it was Serena. He suppressed an involuntary shudder.
"Just the two of you here today? That seems rather odd."
Serena got up, still nibbling on one half of a sandwich. "Trevor's still terrified of Obi. I couldn't get him to come over for all the Durin Berries in the world. As for Shauna…"
As yesterday's events flashed before his eyes, Calem's face burned up.
"Yeah, so, the two of us are here to, well, escort you."
Calem's face immediately cleared up. "Escort me? Why, exactly?"
Serena finished off the rest of her sandwich before replying. "Augustine Sycamore. Does his name ring a bell?"
"It does to me."
The trio stared at Calem's mother, Mrs. Grace Lambert.
"Augustine was once a suitor for my affections, back in my glory days as a Rhyhorn racer. The lengths he and Valentin would go for my hand were spectacular."
"Valentin?" Tierno asked.
Calem felt a swelling sense of pride as he spoke, "My dad."
His mother nodded, and continued, "Eventually, he knew he wasn't going to win, so Augustine stepped down from the plate and ended up becoming a professor instead. As for Valentin, well, you know how it turned out."
Serena shrugged. "If we're done taking a trip down memory lane, I'd like to continue. The Prof. wants five kids to go on a journey of sorts, and he got us to be his lackeys."
Madame Grace threw her head back and laughed. "So that's his little scheme, huh? Send my kid away on another one of those Pokédex-completing missions, then swoop in and court me when my husband's away? I knew he was a casanova, but, really?"
The four shared a brief chuckle, and a slight retch, courtesy of Calem, before Serena cleared her throat. "In any case, he does want the five of us to go all around Kalos and experience, firsthand, what it's like to be a Trainer. At the same time, I do believe I can go conquer all the gyms and the League as well, so why not?"
Calem nodded; he shared the same goal of someday being a Champion.
Tierno, who had said the least about all of this so far, put one hand on Calem's shoulder. "Let's go, then. Trevs and Shauna are waiting at Aquacorde with a gift from the Professor, and they're only going to open it when all five of us arrive."
Calem nodded. "You guys go on first. I need to go grab my bag. Same place as usual?"
"Chokato's Soft-Serve Joint. If you're not shaking,"
The three of them finished in unison, "You need another cup!" before breaking up in chuckles.
"Toodles! Don't keep a lady waiting!"
"Who ever said you were a lady?"
"I take offense to that!"
Calem shook his head as he walked up the stairs once more. He didn't quite remember how he had made friends with all of them, but he was sure it was definitely bound to last.
Going somewhere, sir?
Oberon shuffled over. I heard everything from upstairs. Congratulations on your new 'promotion'.
Calem ruffled his lime-green hair and smiled. Don't worry, Oberon, I'll be fine. Kalos is very safe; that's the reason Mum moved here in the first place!
He proceeded to slide his blue jacket on and picked up the black sling bag hanging on his chair.
If it's too much to ask, sir, can I come along with you?
Calem pondered this briefly. He came to a decision.
On two conditions: One, stay close to me, unless I say otherwise. I promised my father I would take care of you, and I don't plan on breaking it.
Oberon nodded his head earnestly.
Two, do not, under any circumstance, try and take revenge on Trevor.
If he had fingers, he would have crossed them behind his back before answering, I promise not to mentally scar him in any way.
Calem picked up the Ball by the side of his bed. He flicked it at Oberon, who tapped it as it sailed down in an arc. Two seconds later, an ordinary Premier Ball lay on the ground.
Ready to go, sir?
He placed Oberon's ball in the front pouch, before calmly slipping on his sunglasses.
"Let's move."
A/N:
Voilà – Ta da
Vous! Vous Andouille! – You! You idiot!