It was a warm summer day, and Cecilia was running through the streets of Viridian City, her arms full of fabric samples and her pattern books. She was latelatelate to her very important meeting; one of the members of the Yveltal-damned Elite Four had asked for a consultation, and she had agreed, and she'd missed the first bus because of the road by the Center being closed (the Center had looked exploded, what the hell?) and now she was rushing to the taxi spot, hoping to get one as soon as possible. She needed to get to that appointment before noon, and the drive up to the Indigo Plateau was long enough.
She mentally checked and double-checked to make sure she had everything she needed for the consultation; pattern books? Check. Fabric samples? Check. Phone? Check. Purse? Check. Calla and Peepo's balls? Check. The form she'd filled out to confirm that yes, I have an appointment with Miss Lorelei of the Elite Four, and no, I'm not lying.
She hailed a taxi; one of the first she could see, and gave her destination; the Indigo Plateau. Once the taxi had arrived, she lept out and rushed into the building. She stopped as she stepped inside, and brushed her skirt out, before approaching the front desk. The receptionist peered at her, eyeing the two Pokéballs on her belt.
Please tell me she's not assuming I'm a challenger…
"Erm, I have an appointment here for eleven…"
The receptionist sighed, before speaking. "Name, and who's the appointment with?"
"Erm, Cecilia Wattle…the appointment is with Lorelei. A…erm…consultation?"
"So you're the dressmaker? I'll buzz you in, you'll be meeting her in the second room on the right."
Cecilia nodded quickly, before walking through the doors (not, as she had expected, the doors leading to the Battle Hall, but a side door, probably for administrative things) and looking for the room she had been directed to.
She found the room relatively quickly, and nudged the door open. It was a comfortable room, with plush couches and a television on one of the walls, as well as a window looking out over a lush garden. She stepped inside, before she stopped in her tracks.
There's a man in this room. Why is there a man in this room? Is it the wrong room? Did I accidentally wander into someone's room?
The man stood, his cape (since when was he wearing a cape?) rustling as he did so. "Oh, sorry, Miss, er…"
"It's, um, Wattle. Cecilia Wattle. I…erm, was told by the receptionist to go to the second room on the right? I'm meant to meet Lorelei?" Her mind buzzed and she wondered if she had gotten the room wrong. Had she? And who was this man anyway? She knew his face, but she couldn't remember his name at all. He looked like the Champion, but she couldn't remember which one!
"Ah! Yes, this is the right room. I'll, erm. I'll get out of your way. Sorry for…this." He made a small gesture with his hand, before he made his way towards the door to leave. He paused when he got to the door, and hummed slightly. "It's nice meeting you, I suppose."
Cecilia wracked her brain as she tried to figure out who he was. Hugo had tried his best to make her remember the regional Elite Fours and Champions, but it hadn't stuck; all those names got mixed up, but she knew that this man couldn't be Alder Wright or Leon Newman, and he probably wasn't Steven Stone or Wallace Quinn, seeing as they were outliers in that they tended to share a Championship. So that left Lance, Champion of both Kanto and Johto. Unless he was Bruno or Will, but she didn't think he was Bruno (too slender), and Will was a Psychic specialist, and she knew what psychic resonance felt like. She nodded as she determined that, yes, this man was likely Lance.
"You're…Lance, correct? Forgive me for not recognising you sooner, Mister Champion. Ah, I won't keep you." She nodded politely as he left the room, and she released Peepo so he could help her set everything up.
Lance hadn't expected to run into someone who hadn't known his name right off the bat in the Indigo Plateau's residential hall, but he couldn't say it was unwelcome; he tended to avoid interacting with the public for a reason, so meeting a civilian who didn't recognise him right away was…refreshing. He still didn't understand why Lorelei hadn't just gone to Viridian City for her appointment, but the dressmaker was there, so he would have to deal with it.
Cecilia's wrist hurt from writing and sketching for much of the day, but she and Lorelei had finally finalised a design for a ballgown for the elite trainer to wear, and now…it was late.
Oh dear, is it that late already?
Cecilia glanced outside, surprised by the darkened sky outside. It had been totally light, the last time she'd looked out the large window.
"Oh dear…it's rather late. Erm, Miss Lorelei, I'm afraid that I need to leave soon…or else I'll not be home in time for dinner. I'm so sorry about cutting this short…"
"Cecilia, darling, it's too late now to be out, you ought to join us for dinner! And besides, it's my fault we ran so late…you could even stay the night, we certainly have room!"
Cecilia thought about it and hummed slightly. "I couldn't put you out like that, Miss Lorelei. Besides, if I can get a taxi back to Viridian, I can just pick up some food on the way home. I'll be fine, I have Calla and Peepo to help me!"
Lorelei tutted, before grabbing Cecilia's hand. "No, I insist. The others will be fine if you're there once I explain the situation, and besides, haven't there been warnings out for Pokémon thieves? You'd be best to go back when it's light out!" She giggled, before adding, "Besides, it's been quite a while since I've had another girl over, and Agatha doesn't like gossip nearly as much as I do!"
Cecilia sighed, before nodding. "Alright, I'll stay the night. But really, you didn't have to…I'd have been fine getting home myself, I swear! Oh, but what will I wear? I only have what I brought with me for the appointment." She started packing up her things into her bag, and made a face. She couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in nothing but her knickers…it wouldn't be comfortable.
Lorelei laughed, before bending down to help Cecilia pick up her things. "I'll lend you a nightdress of mine for the night, and I'm sure we can wash your clothes overnight, or you can just wear them again tomorrow. And I'll arrange a car to get you back to Viridian tomorrow morning."
Cecilia stood up and nodded firmly. "Alright, I suppose. Erm, I think that's everything…thanks for helping me pack up. I promise I won't bother you."
Lorelei chuckled, before leading Cecilia out of the room and down a long hall, to where the residential quarters presumably were. "It's no bother to me, honestly! Now," she paused in front of a red door, "this will be your room for the night. Come on in, I'll show you around! And then we can run down to my quarters and I'll get you some nightclothes. Oh, and dinner is in half an hour!"
Dinner was…awkward, to say the least. The Elite Four weren't talking, and Cecilia certainly wouldn't start a conversation in the middle of the meal. So she just kept her eyes on her food, until Lorelei broke the silence with a question.
"So Cecilia, did you ever go on a journey? You mentioned having a couple of 'mons?"
Cecilia jolted back to reality and thought for a second. "Erm, not really…I never saw the point, and I wanted to finish school…I raised Calla from an egg, and she was my starter. I caught Peepo when I was in Kalos for a semester abroad."
Lorelei cut in with another question. "What do you mean by that? Surely you'd want to try it out, at least? Even without attempting the gym circuit, there's plenty of options."
"Oh, erm…I just, well…I suppose I was always more focused on school, and by the time I was old enough, I was adjusting to being back in Kanto. It just…never came up, I suppose. Besides, my goals weren't really…battle-oriented."
The other woman nodded in understanding. "I suppose that makes sense. Are you from Kanto?"
Cecilia blinked, before nodding her head. "Maman is from Kalos, and Father's from Johto, I think. I was born here, but I lived in Lumiose for a while before I moved back here. I suppose you could say that I'm from Kanto, but I've always felt more at home in Kalos. I'm fine with both languages, but I tend to stick to Kalosian with Maman and Hugo. Not with Father, he never bothered learning it."
Once dinner was over, Cecilia meandered back to her room, hugging the nightdress that Lorelei had lent her as she finally located the red door that led into the comfortable room. She was tempted to collapse onto the wrought-iron bed, but stopped herself short and laid the nightdress on the bed instead, pulling out Calla and Peepo's Pokéballs and releasing the 'mons.
"Hello, my dears…I'm sorry I kept you inside all day. I…would you like to see the gardens, with me? Lorelei showed me where they were and they're really quite expansive. We could go take a walk before bed, and then I'll call Hugo and ask for a pickup from the bus terminal, though he'll say yes, for sure!" She listened to her companions chirp in response, before nodding. "Now, I'm not sure what the rules would be regarding travelling the halls, so I'll have to return you both until we can get to the gardens, but it's only a short walk. Is that ok with you two?"
The Pokémon nodded, and she returned them, before leaving her room to walk to the gardens. She'd passed them on the way back from dinner, and found the door outside quite confidently. Once she stepped outside, into the night air, she released Calla and Darling, and began to look around at some of the flowers outside.
Lance stroked Dragonite's head as he breathed in the clear air of the garden. He didn't normally spend much time in the gardens, but he missed his home in Blackthorn, and being surrounded by plants reminded him of his mother's garden. He sat on one of the benches and listened to the chirps and calls of the flying and bug types around them; Pidgey and Butterfree and the like. It was relaxing, but it wasn't home. It wasn't the cold air of the mountains, or the calls of the dragons he'd grown up around.
His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet voice singing a song that he knew, and he could recognise, but he couldn't name. It wasn't Kantonian, he was fairly sure, and it certainly wasn't Johtoan, in language or tone. It sounded similar to one of his mother's records, but he just…couldn't name it.
And then it stopped, and the voice began to speak. It wasn't close enough for him to hear everything, but he could make out a few words; someone speaking about a 'wattle tree', and then it stopped.
"Who's there?"