Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 1, Episode 9, Chapter 4
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During Louise's initial shopping spree before leaving for Santalune, one of the items Sycamore had insisted she purchase was a swimsuit. His reasoning was that she might need the garment should she decide to go swimming, either at a pool, in a river or lake, or along one of Kalos' many pristine beaches. At the time, she felt the suggestion was logical, and had readily agreed. At least until she saw what the people of Kalos considered swimwear. Far from the loose robes of home, Kalosians appeared to be quite content with showing much of their bare skin for everyone to see while wearing swimsuits. Many of the options practically looked like undergarments to her.
The fact that Sycamore only laughed when she pointed that out made irritated her somewhat.
In the end, she had chosen a simple red and white one-piece swimsuit, complete with red-trimmed goggles and red-and-white water shoes to complete the set. Saito himself had on him a pair of blue swim trunks with a white band along the center of the legs, blue-trimmed goggles, and blue-and-black water shoes. After they had changed and packed some supplies into loose hangs they hung over their backs, the pair set forth towards the beach. The morning sun was rising over the ocean, the light reflecting off the waves in a cascading gleam that was quite striking to behold. It also hurt slightly to look at, forcing Saito and Louise to wear a round and pointed pair of sunglasses, respectively.
When they finally arrived at the beach, they noticed a few beachgoers already there, with more trickling in at every moment. Some were lounging in the sun, others playing with Pokémon in a wide array of activities and sports. Louise could even see a few snorkelers poking their heads out from the waves, and her mind raced with the possibilities.
"How long did they say it would take to revive the Tyrunt, again?" she asked.
"Should be done sometime tonight, ready for pickup in the morning," Saito answered while laying out some beach towels for them to lay on. Thanking him for the action, Louise pulled her Luxury Balls out of her knapsack and released her Pokémon, Saito doing the same for his. The Pokémon stretched and yawned, feeling the sun's rays warm them up, and they smiled.
"So we have the whole day, then," Louise noted with a nod. Humming to herself, she began to tap her chin in thought, only for those thoughts to be broken upon hearing Saito chuckle.
"Louise, relax," he advised. "Today's an off-day. No need to plan everything out. Let's just have fun and do whatever comes to mind."
"I…" Louise sighed then nodded. "Yes, you're right. So, anything you want to do, first?"
"Personally, I'd to go swimming," Saito suggested while taking off his shirt and throwing it onto his towel, along with his sunglasses. Before Louise had a chance to speak up, Saito had already taken off down the beach and into the waves, the water breaking against him as he swam further out.
"SAITO!" Louise shouted indignantly, to which Saito laughed.
"Come on, Slowpoke! The water's fine!" he shouted back with a laugh. Louise starred at him for a moment then sighed. She gently placed her sunglasses on her towel, then turned to face Brennaraki to see the Fennekin had partially burrowed herself into the warm sand.
"Brennaraki, you're in charge," she declared, and the Fennekin yipped in affirmation. Louise then took off at a far more dignified pace to join her friend, wading into ocean next to him. She found the water to be surprisingly warm, a far cry from the cool waters of Tristain's beaches, and quickly decided that she liked it.
"So, care for a swim?" Saito coyly asked, and Louise smiled back.
"I'd love to."
As the pair swam beneath the gentle waves, they were both immediately assured that their decision to purchase goggles was a good one. Sprawling across the ground was a vast coral reef, brimming with a multitude of colors and species of animals Pokémon. Schools of fish and Remoraids swam like a living cloud, feeding on tiny plankton while keeping a careful eye on a few curious Carvanhas and Sharpedos eying them hungrily. Nestled along the coral reef were clams and Clampearls, gently opening and closing their shells as Horseas swam above them. A few scattered Octillerys rested on the coral, and off in the distance they could see a lone Mantine swimming near the surface.
'Wow…' Louise thought to herself as she took it all in. Had she been above the water, she might have even gasped. But, unfortunately, she didn't know the water breathing spell nor did she think she even could use it if she had. Keeping that in mind, Louise swam back up for air, gasping for breath once her head broke the surface. Looking back at the beach, Louise could see how they weren't too far out from it. More beach-goers had joined them at this point, having spent the past few hours simply enjoying the natural scenery underwater. Their Pokémon were still resting over by their towers, with Maindo, Espirit, and for some reason Derflinger having somehow acquired tanning mirrors and were using them to soak in the solar rays. Tanuki was constructing a sandcastle around the buried form of Brennaraki, who appeared to appreciate the hot sands covering her. Aile was currently fighting with some Wingulls over leftovers, and to her surprise, Tengu was sitting near the water's edge, simply staring out into the ocean with wonderous eyes. It was the most emotive she had seen the Seedot been ever since they had met. If she had to guess…
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt something clasp around her leg, and her body went very still. After a moment, sheer panic rippled through her body and with a shrill scream she kicked as hard as she could towards whatever had grabbed her. She felt her foot impact something hard, and a moment later a splash of water erupted next to her. Louise was about to attack it again, only to see Saito clutching his head in slight pain. After a moment of confusion, it dawned on her exactly what had transpired, and she angrily splashed water onto him in retaliation for his little prank.
"Saito, you jerk! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she accused, only to grow more irritated when he started to laugh. "Stop laughing, it's not funny!"
"It kinda is!" Saito countered while continuing to laugh. "Oh, man. I wish I could have seen your face!"
"Grrr…" Louise began to growl, and Saito slowly calmed himself, a mirthful expression never leaving his face. Behind them they could hear the faint sounds of laughing, and without needing to turn around Louise knew it was Saito's Pokémon laughing at her expense. She could hear a faint growl, and then a small Ember, not large enough to do any serious harm, was shot straight over Saito's head, forcing him to duck beneath the waves. When he resurfaced, Louise had a proud look on her face, and she turned to face her starter.
"Good job, Brennaraki," she said, and the still sand-covered Fennekin nodded, her irritated eyes never leaving the suddenly apologetic Saito. Louise continued to smile, only to notice that Ronin was missing. Saito began to notice it, too, and he began to shout towards Derflinger.
"Hey, Derf! Do you know where Ronin went off to?"
"Nope!" he called back. "I think he went for a swim some time ago."
"Okay, thanks!" Saito nodded then turned to face Louise. The look on her face shouted, 'do you want to go look for him', and in response he shook his head. "Nah, he'll be fine. He's a Water-type, remember? Probably just taking the opportunity to swim in the ocean like he did in the Kalos River."
Louise nodded at that, understanding his logic. Her worried abated, she took a deep breath and submerged once again, Saito following shortly after.
Far away from their spot on the beach, submerged under the water, Ronin swam briskly among the corals. He couldn't remember the last time he was able to swim so freely. His time spent in the river was limited, as was his movement, but here in the ocean he was much freer. Free to swim however he wanted, wherever he wanted, all to his heart's content. It was liberating.
At least it was, before he accidentally swam straight into a Clauncher. The Oshawatt barely had time to register what had happened, much less attempt to apologize, before the wild Pokémon retaliated with a stream of bubbles, buffeting him underwater and sending him back.
Now equally irritated, Ronin forgo any further attempts towards piece and rocketed towards the Clauncher, pulling out his scalchop and swinging it into the crustacean's shell. The blow rocked the Clauncher's body, but it quickly retaliated by clasping its massive claw around Ronin's body and began using Vice Grip. Ronin screamed at the pressure, a wave of bubbles ejecting from his mouth, but his body then began to glow a dark orange. A moment later, he used Revenge to forcibly pry the Clauncher off of him, sending it hurtling back with a tumble. Not letting up, Ronin began swimming as fast as he could, a cone of water forming around him as he used Aqua Jet.
The Clauncher narrowed its eyes and shielded itself with its bigger arm, absorbing the jolt with a pained hiss, bubbles escaping from its mandibles and rising to the surface. It then aimed its claw at Ronin and fired a Water Pulse, ricocheting back to get some room while Ronin himself blocked the attack with his scalchop. The two parties glared at each other for a long moment, sizing the other up, when Ronin suddenly felt the need to breath. Breaking eye contact, he began to swim upwards, only to stop once he felt the claw clasp around his leg. In shock, Ronin glanced downwards to see the Clauncher holding him still, and then the Oshawatt grew very angry at the dishonorable act.
Using Aqua Jet once more, Ronin shot up and out of the water, a surprised Clauncher still holding on for dear life. Twisting his body into a half-flip while still in mid-air, Ronin pried the Clauncher off of him before sending him flying into the beach with a Razor Shell. The Clauncher slammed against the soft sand, forming a deep trough as it tumbled. Ronin, meanwhile, began to descend, but before hit the water he threw his scalchop down at an angle into a cascading wave. Taking advantage of his small stature, Ronin angled himself just right so that instead of sinking beneath the waves, he only dipped slightly. The angle provided him with enough momentum so that he soon began to surf the wave back towards the beach, straight towards a recovering Clauncher.
"Face this, you dishonorable cretin!" Ronin shouted as she raced towards it. The Clauncher, realizing its suddenly more limited movement options, opted to burrow slightly into the sand and turning itself into a makeshift artillery station. It began to fire attack after attack, consisting of a mixture of Water Guns, Water Pulses, Bubble, and even Bubblebeam, its emplacement allowing the Pokémon to enlarge its attacks considerably. Ronin, undeterred, merely skidded around the attacks, forming an Aqua Jet underneath his scalchop-turned-surfboard to boost his speed even further. When a particularly large Water Pulse shot towards him, Ronin turned upwards and flew high above the crest of the wave, doing a flip as he soared forward and over the surprised Clauncher.
Ronin landed behind the Pokémon just as the wave broke against the sand, washing up to his feet. Now in a panic, the Clauncher attempt to burrow his way out of the sand and face him, but Ronin merely hefted his scalchop skyward before slamming it down onto its back with another Razor Shell. Water sprayed forth in all directions, darkening the sand, and Ronin continued to press his advantage. Digging his paws into the sand, Ronin briefly grimaced at the heat before ripping the dazed Clauncher out, then slammed it repeatedly against the sand beside him. Now battered, the Clauncher was helpless as the angry Oshawatt rapidly sliced his scalchop using Fury Cutter, each attack growing more powerful than the last.
Finally, when the Clauncher slumped over, only then did Ronin allow himself to cease. With a grunt, he hefted the Clauncher onto his scalchop then dragged it towards the ocean, before hurling it in. A few moments after the loud splash, a dazed but angered Clauncher poked its head out towards Ronin, who stared right back and pointed his scalchop threateningly towards it. The Clauncher stared at him for a few moments, quietly weighing his odds, before he slowly sank back beneath the waves.
"Yeah, you better run," Ronin muttered as he began to walk back towards the others, a noticeable limp in his walk. When he finally arrived, he noticed how his trainer and Louise were still playing out in the beach, having now migrated from simply exploring the nearby reef to doing impromptu races between themselves. Ronin allowed himself to smirk at the sight of Saito easily winning.
"Ah, Ronin. You're back. How was—Holy crap, what happened to you!?" Tanuki suddenly shouted, causing the other Pokémon to look at the Oshawatt in concern. That concern grew to alarm when they saw how battered he was, and Espirit immediately threw her tanning mirror to the side and teleported over to him. Ronin sighed in relief as he felt the Heal Pulse wash over him.
"Thank you, Espirit," he said before looking back up at the others. Tengu began waddling over from her spot by the water and looked up at him with concerned eyes, and even Maindo glanced at him from the corner of his eyes.
"Swam into a grouchy Clauncher on accident, who attacked me," Ronin revealed, causing the Pokémon to raise their eyebrows in surprise.
"Ah, I see," Derflinger muttered, then paused for a moment. "Did you at least win?"
"Yes." Ronin couldn't hide the satisfaction in his voice, and Tanuki slapped Ronin on the shoulder in congratulations. When Ronin winced at the action, the Riolu immediately backed away with his paws raised upwards apologetically, while Espirit cutely glared at him.
"Sorry…"
'Honestly, Tanuki. You know better than to do that,' she chastised, and Tanuki hung his head in shame.
"I know…"
The other Pokémon chuckled at the exchange before making some room for Ronin to sit down. As he did, he allowed himself to fall back onto the sand and feel the sun's rays wash over him. He then closed his eyes and began to rest.
A few more hours had past by the time Ronin finally awoke. The sun was now beginning to dip down, telling him it was well past noon, and a quick glance around told him that the other Pokémon had migrated down towards the water, playfully splashing each other with reckless abandon. Even Maindo appeared to be getting in on the fun, albeit with a much more malicious look to his splashes the others' more lighthearted ones. The lone exception to this was Tengu, who was currently resting in soft bed of sand while absorbing water from a water bottle carefully atop her cap. She seemed to be content, enjoying the pleasant warmth of the sand and the ocean breeze.
"Enjoying yourself?" Ronin asked the Seedot, and after a moment she opened one eye towards him then slightly nodded. She then went back to her previous routine, and Ronin nodded to himself. It wasn't hard for him to realize why Tengu, already a reclusive and laidback Pokémon, was acting in such a manner. The beach was a brand-new environment for her, far from the vast forest Tengu previously called home.
Ronin looked back out towards the beach, seeing that Louise and Saito had surfaced once again. Bright smiles were on both of their faces, and Ronin couldn't help but grin.
"GAAGH!" Louise suddenly screeched, shocking Saito and the others. She then grew mad for some reason and splashed Saito in apparent retaliation, much to his confusion.
"Hey, what was that for?" he asked while wiping the water from his goggles.
"I told you to stop touching my leg," Louise stated with a huff, but when Saito merely looked confused at her accusation, her expression began to soften.
"Uh… I didn't touch your leg," Saito admitted, and Louise's eyebrow shot up.
"Then who did?" she asked herself, only to feel another weight on her leg. Poking her head down beneath the water, Louise was greeted by the sight of a small Tentacool wrapped around her leg, apparently resting. She simply stared at it for a moment in complete silence, and when the Tentacool finally noticed Louise staring at it, the Pokémon looked up towards her.
"… AAAGH!" Louise screamed, a flurry of bubbles erupting from her mouth as she flailed and kicked, trying to dislodge the Tentacool from her leg. For a moment the squid-like Pokémon held on for dear life before Louise finally kicked her leg violently out the water's surface, sending it flying like a catapult. Not resting for an instant, Louise began swimming back to the beach as fast as possible, not hearing the sound of Saito's uproarious laughter behind her until she was well past the water's edge. She breathed in and out deeply, slowly registering Saito's laughter and blushing heavily.
"St-Stop it! It's not funny!" Louise, quickly rising to her feet, shouted as Saito swam back up to the beach, still laughing as hard as he could. The other Pokémon's laughter did nothing to abate her embarrassment, and in a huff, she stomped over to her towel and sat down.
"Come on, Louise. It was funny," Saito chuckled but Louise only huffed and dramatically turned her head away from him. Sighing to himself, Saito turned to look down the beach and then back at Louise. "I saw an ice cream stand down a ways. Want anything?"
Louise, her eyes still closed, thought for a moment before answering, "Chocolate, two scoops."
"You love your chocolate," Saito chuckled, and Louise childishly stuck her tongue out towards him. Shaking his head, Saito began walking down the beach towards a nearby stand, Louise watching him out of the corner of her eye.
"What is with you and chocolate, by the way?" Derflinger asked.
"Tristain doesn't have chocolate back home," Louise answered.
"You sure about that? I mean, you forgot that people back home knew about extinction just yesterday."
"Th-That was… Why am I defending myself to you!?" Louise, blushing in embarrassment from her misconception, shouted at the Honedge, who raised his sash up in appeasement.
"Relax, pinky. I was just joking," Derflinger stated, and Louise sighed. It was then that Saito returned, two ice creams in hand.
"Louise," he said as handed Louise her ice cream, who happily took it and began to lick. Saito sat down next to her and began to eat his as well before beginning to speak once again, "So, wanna head back to the hotel then check out the aquarium?"
"Mmm… Maybe," Louise replied after taking a lick, "After all, you said it yourself. No need to plan everything out today."
"Fair enough," Saito replied with an appreciative grin. The two continued eating their ice cream in comfortable silence, content to feel the ocean breeze wash over them and smell the salt in the air. Louise paused for a minute then breathed in deeply, smiling after releasing her breath.
"Something on your mind?" Derflinger asked, and Louise could feel everyone's attention drift towards her. After a moment, Louise began to speak.
"You know, when I first arrived in Kalos… That was probably the single worst day in my life. Nothing else comes close," she noted, causing Saito to nod in his head in understanding.
"Getting sucked into a new world, losing everything you've ever known… I couldn't imagine going through that, again" he admitted, but Louise shook her head.
"It wasn't just that. Just everything that led up to it. A lifetime of failure seemingly culminating in the success I'd always craved, only to seemingly have snatched away by a wrathful being calling Himself a God because I wasn't worthy in His eyes. Then I just had to open my mouth, and he took me up on my offer to send me to Kalos."
"Sounds like something Arceus would do…" Derflinger muttered. "He always was a touch overdramatic and kinda over-the-top at times."
"Yeah…" Louise paused for a moment. "I still don't like Him. Don't think I ever really will. But I will say one thing. After spending the last few months here, seeing Kalos, traveling with my team and you… I think I can honestly say that this is the best time of my life. Nothing else comes close," Louise punctuated her last remark with smile, and Saito smiled back. He then raised his ice cream up like a glass.
"To more fun times," he stated, and Louise raised her ice cream up to join him.
"And to proving that stupid llama wrong," Louise replied, and the two went to eat their ice cream one again.
Had a beachball not suddenly slam into Louise's face, splattering her ice cream all over her face, that's all she would have done. A heavy silence descended into the group as everyone stared in numb shock at the completely surprised Louise. The ice cream, still partially attached to its waffle cone, clung to the side of Louise's face as she stared forward in completely shock. Slowly, she turned her eyes to stare at the frozen treat, watching as it slid off her cheek and splatter against the sand. She then turned her eyes to stare at Saito, who looked torn between being amused at her new appearance and looking sympathetic or horrified to avoid focusing her anger at him.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Louise heard a woman call out. Slowly, Louise turned her head to glare at the source, seeing two women in bikinis race towards her. Both of them sported a healthy tan, one a brunette and the other a blonde, and the horrified look on the blonde's face told Louise exactly who it was that hit her.
"You…You..." Louise stammered, abject rage beginning to fill her body just as the two women pulled out a cloth from their bags and began to wipe the ice cream off.
"I am so sorry," the blonde started, "We were playing volleyball and I hit the ball the ball too hard. I did not mean to do that."
Louise, rather than reply, began to seethe and breath in and out with increasing vigor, causing Saito to look towards the two beach girls.
"Yeah, you two might want to go," Saito advised, giving the two a slightly angry look. Clearly ashamed, the two began to walk away, only for the brunette to face Saito one last time.
"We're sorry for hitting your little sister. Do you want us to get her a new ice cream?" she innocently asked, and a look of horror crossed Saito's face.
"Oh, here we go…" Derflinger moaned just as Louise turned her head with an audible creak towards the brunette.
"How… How old do you think I am?"
"Um… Fourteen?" the brunette guessed, and Louise's gaze briefly drifted down, first to the women across from her then to her own body. Afterwards, Louise angrily shot up to her feet.
"I am sixteen, not a child!" Louise shouted, causing the blonde to wince at her friend's mistake. "And I don't want another ice cream from the likes of you!"
"Well, what do you want?" the brunette asked, and Louise's eyes travelled towards a pair of Pokéballs strapped to their waists. Immediately, Louise pointed towards them dramatically.
"I challenge you two to a Pokémon battle!" she announced, causing the two women to look at each other then back to Louise. A confident smirk crossed their faces, and they nodded.
"You're on."
After clearing away the beach towels and other assorted items from the area, the group of trainers had claimed their spot of beach as an impromptu battle arena. A small gathering of spectators had formed around them, and the two pairs of trainers stood across from one other.
"This will be a two-on-two double battle between Marie and Antoinette versus Louise and Saito!" Derflinger announced, taking the role of referee for the upcoming battle. Louise nodded at the announcement. Originally, she had fully intended to face the two women on her own, but Saito had insisted on being her partner during this battle. Eventually, she relented and now the two of them stood side-by-side once again.
"Marie, are you sure its okay to have a Pokémon be the referee?" Antoinette asked while brushing aside her blonde hair.
"Oy! I'll have you know I took the online certification class, thank you very much! I am League certified!" Derflinger shouted back indignantly.
"Wait, is that what you were doing all day on my Pokédex a few days ago?" Saito suddenly asked, but the Honedge ignored him. The boy sighed then stared back towards the women stoically, waiting for Derflinger to give the signal.
"Begin!"
As soon as the words left Derflinger's non-existent mouth, the trainers leaped into action.
"Aile!" Louise shouted as she threw a Luxury Ball into the open air.
"Tengu!" Saito joined her at the same time, tossing Tengu's Pokéball onto the sandy beach.
"Go, Staryu!" Marie declared while lobbing a Net Ball just as Antoinette threw out her own.
"Wingull, show them what you've got!"
The four Pokémon burst onto the field, and Louise and Saito were greeted by the familiar sight of a Wingull hovering in place. Next to it, however, was a Pokémon she hadn't seen before. It was an orange five-star-shaped creature with a gold centerpiece that was adorned with an embedded ruby in its core. Quickly, Louise took out her Pokédex and scanned it.
"Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon. Bottom-feeders that dwell on the ocean floor, Staryu's are highly resilient creatures. So long as the central core remained undamaged, they can regenerate lost limbs with ease."
"Hmm…" Louise hummed to herself before glancing towards Saito, whom she saw was doing the same thing. Strategies began to run through her head, focusing on how their current matchup would fair against their opponents. Then, with a final nod, she sprang into action.
"Aile, use Quick Attack on Wingull!" she ordered, and at once Aile disappeared into a blur then slammed into the Wingull. With a loud and shrill cry, the bird was sent fluttering back, but it recovered and glared at the Fletchling angrily.
"So, if that's how you want to play it… Wingull, use Quick Attack right back!" Antoinette declared as the Wingull did as instructed. It slammed into Aile in a blur, its larger mass sending the Fletchling hurtling towards the ground. She quickly pushed herself off the ground, however, and her body began to glow in a purple sheen as Louise ordered her to use Agility.
Saito, meanwhile, focused on having Tengu using Growth, knowing that the more stationary Seedot would be unable to even attempt dodging. Noticing this, the Staryu's center gem briefly glowed red before hurtling itself towards her with Rapid Spin.
"Bide!" Saito immediately ordered, and Tengu halted her latest Growth and braced herself, her body glowing white just as the Staryu slammed into her. Tengu was flung back across the sand, rolling across the ground before skidding to a halt. She then forced herself back to her feet just as the Staryu began firing a barrage of Swift towards her. Her body still braced, Tengu met the shooting stars head on, shuddering at each impact as a cloud of dust and sand formed around her. Eventually, the cloud fully consumed her, and only then did the barrage cease.
As the dust began to settle, the Staryu watched it warily only for the cloud to be forcibly parted by a wide beam as the Bide released its pent-up energy. Staryu attempted to fly down to avoid the blast but was unable to prevent the top portion of its body from being struck, causing it to flip uncontrollably.
"Bullet Seed!" Saito ordered, hoping to take advantage of Staryu's current predicament. Almost immediately, Tengu aimed the top of her cap towards the Staryu and fired tiny seeds towards it like bullets from a machine gun. The seeds struck the flailing Staryu, the Grass-type assault proving to be highly effective against the Water-type. However, the Staryu then righted itself and began flying away, Tengu adjusting her aim accordingly.
It was then that Tengu was knocked back by the Wingull, who had used a Wing Attack to throw her off. As the Seedot righted herself, a thoroughly wet Aile shook herself dry and used Quick Attack to strike the Wingull away just as the Staryu straightened herself.
"Staryu, use Recover!" Marie declared with a dramatic point. Staryu's gem glowed in acknowledgement, and then the entire Pokémon began to glow in a healing light as its wounds began to visibly heal, bruises disappearing and cuts sealing.
"Dammit…" Saito cursed as he thought of ways to counteract this development. He knew that any small wounds they would inflict onto the Staryu would be healed, making this battle into a war of attrition. It was also clear to him that the Wingull's similar speed and greater size had put it at an advantage to Aile, which watching them spar overhead with pecks and wingbeats easily showed. The Fletchling was getting whittled down ever so slowly, and as the Staryu began to assault Tengu with yet another barrage of Swift, Saito's eyes glanced towards the sun.
"Saito, what are you planning?" Louise asked him in a whisper, and Saito then nodded.
"We have to take that Staryu out first with a single, big blow. Otherwise it'll just heal from anything we throw at it."
"I figured. Any ideas?"
"Just one, but I need you to keep both distracted."
"On it. Aile, use Roost then follow it up with a Tailwind!"
Aile chirped in acknowledgement before resting on the ground, a white glow enveloping her and ruffling her feathers. Her bruises then disappeared, and she quickly flew upwards to escape a Water Gun attack from both Pokémon. As she rose, Aile created a Tailwind that increased her speed even further.
"Now, Razor Wind!" Louise shouted. Aile immediately began flapping her wings as fast and hard as she could, generating slices of air that shot forth towards the Wingull and Staryu, buffeting them heavily. Although the Staryu halted a bit, the Wingull narrowed its gaze and flew towards the Fletchling, aiming to use Peck on her. However, just as the Pokémon grew closer, Aile flew down under its belly, rotating herself as she did and quickly using Peck on the exposed underside. Wingull screeched in slight pain and retaliated with Wing Attack, only for Aile to use Quick Attack on the Staryu to escape, interrupting the Star Shape Pokémon's Swift assault on an immobile Tengu.
A small orb of green energy was slowly forming on the top of the Seedot's cap, accumulating more and more sunlight with each passing second. Staryu and Marie had recognized what Saito was trying to do almost immediately, given how the orb was the telltale sign of an imminent Solar Beam attack. Should it hit, it would undoubtedly eliminate Staryu from the fight almost immediately. Not even its Recover would be able to save it, even as the Pokémon used the move in question to heal itself of its latest wounds. It attempted to ignore the Fletchling and refocused its attention toward Tengu, only for Aile to suddenly use Quick Attack on its core, following it up with a hard-hitting Wing Attack-Peck combo. Reeling back, Staryu's gem flashed dangerously and responded with a Barrage of Swift, the attacks racing towards Aile's speeding form.
"Aile, fly towards the Wingull!" Louise commanded. When Aile squawked in surprise, Louise continued, "Trust me, just do it!"
Aile looked at her trainer for a second longer before complying, flying towards the Wingull as fast as she could, the Swift stars still racing towards her. Aile could hear them whistle as they grew ever closer, and in front of her she saw Wingull flying down with its wings glowing white, telling her it was prepared to use Wing Attack on her. Aile wanted to fly away, but Louise ordered her to keep going and so Aile did. As she grew closer to the Wingull, Aile felt the need to close her eyes.
"Down!" Louise suddenly shouted, and Aile did so just as the Wingull prepared to strike her. The striking wings missed entirely, surprising the Wingull. That surprise turned into pain as much of the Swift stars hit it instead, obscuring the Pokémon in a cloud of dust and causing it to cry out in pain. A few stars managed to avoid the Wingull, flying down and striking Aile's back and causing her to flop to the ground. Staryu, clearly angered, made to attack the recovering Aile, only for its attention to turn back towards Tengu. The orb of solar energy had grown to such a point where it was nearly the size of the Seedot's entire body, and a wicked cross had crossed her face.
"Now! Use Solar Beam!" Saito ordered. Staryu's gem flashed in alarm before a giant green beam of solar energy shot forth, enveloping the Water-type entirely. The beam passed several spectators safely overhead, although many instinctively ducked to avoid the blast. When the beam finally dissipated, a slightly charred Staryu feebly floated in mid-air, its gem blinking rapidly before finally going dull. Then the Pokémon fell to the ground with a slight thud, down for the count.
"Staryu is unable to battle!" Derflinger announced, and Marie sighed while recalling her Pokémon.
"You did well, Staryu. Take a nice rest," she said before turning towards Antoinette. "Avenge me, sis!"
"Stop being so dramatic," the sister replied with a smirk, having every intention to do so. The look on Wingull's face showed that it, too, intended to avenge its fallen partner, and it soon let out a Supersonic cry towards Aile. The soundwaves rattled Aile's brain, and she shook her head to try and drown it out. Her vision became blurry, and her movements became erratic.
"Crap, she's confused!" Saito noted, and Louise looked on in worry.
"Aile, snap out of it!" she said with worry, and to her credit the Fletchling tried to do so only to instead accidentally hit herself with her wing, causing her to fall towards the ground. Worried, Tengu hobbled over towards her prone form, the pain she was feeling causing her to do so slowly. Wingull then turned its attention towards Tengu and flew towards her with a Wing Attack at the ready. Knowing she wasn't going to dodge it, Tengu used Bide in an attempt to protect herself, but that didn't stop the super-effective blow from sending her flying back. Tengu, when she finally stopped, felt that the world was on fire, only for another blow to send her hurtling to the ground once again. In the corner of her eye, she could see Aile struggling to reorient herself, and with a determined groan Tengu forced herself onto her feet one last time. As the Wingull raced towards Tengu, the Seedot felt the stored energy unleash itself and slam into the Wingull's body, sending it hurtling skyward. A moment later, Tengu fell to the ground in a faint.
"Tengu is unable to battle! It is now Aile vs Wingull!" Derflinger announced and Saito returned his Pokémon. Aile then shook herself out of her confusion. As she struggled to right herself, she could see that the Wingull was in just as dire straits as she was. Quickly, Aile used Roost to heal some of her wounds, and she felt the strain on her body dissipate slightly. Still, she had to end the battle quickly.
"Alright, girl. Time to try out that new move," Louise muttered under her breath as the Wingull steadied itself. "Now, use Steel Wing!"
Aile let out a shrill cry as she raced towards her opponent, feeling the Tailwind die out as she did. Undeterred, Wingull charged up a Water Pulse and shot it towards the Fletchling. Rather than move around it, Aile forced herself into a spin and corkscrewed through the orb of water, feeling it explode behind her. Surprised, the Wingull attempted to fly away only to feel the steel-encased wing of Aile slam into its belly. Air rushed out of its lungs and it fell to the ground in a heap, breathing heavily and feeling its head spin. Aile, not wanting to let up, slammed another Steel Wing onto Wingull's back, burrowing her deeper into the ground. She attacked the larger bird repeatedly and without pause until finally Derflinger spoke up.
"That's enough. Wingull is unable to battle," he said, and with a heavy breath Aile fluttered away. She could see the thoroughly unconscious Wingull. Antoinette sighed and returned the Pokémon before looking towards Louise and Saito.
"Well, that was a good match," she declared with a smile, and Louise let out a victorious grunt before tossing the women two Full Restores. Catching them easily, Marie and Antoinette smiled. "Thanks."
"Yeah, yeah," Louise muttered before returning Aile and walking away. Saito and the others watched her leave, likely towards the Pokémon Center, and the women turned to face the boy.
"Fiery one, isn't she?" Marie noted, and Saito nodded.
"Yeah, she kinda is at times. She'll calm down in a bit, though. Thanks for the battle." Saito smiled and then extended out his hand. Marie and Antoinette smiled, and each shook it before bidding each other farewell.
The two raced to the nearest Pokémon Center, where they saw Louise waiting patiently outside. Together, they walked inside and handed Nurse Joy both of their parties, and as the nurse took the Luxury Balls and Pokéballs inside, the two trainers sat down on a nearby bench and grabbed some magazines. Silently, they then began to read.
"… Thanks for helping me," Louise told him, and Saito nodded.
"No problem. Anything for a friend."
"So," Diego said, taking a sip of his coffee, "Do you have any questions?"
Elizabeth glanced around nervously. Diego, Janet, Raven, and Erina all sat around a circular table at a patio cafe. Diego had insisted that the place had the perfect atmosphere for a script reading, but the verdette wasn't quite so sure. "Isn't this place a little too… public?" she replied, "Won't knowing that this is all rehearsed, I don't know, dilute the experience?"
"Dilute the experience!? Hah!" Janet cried, placing her gas mask on the table, "You sound like my scriptwriter!"
"Scriptwriter?" Elizabeth queried back, confused, "I thought you said you were retired?"
"She is," Raven said, staring dejectedly into her glass of iced water, "She just happens to be the MC and the owner of the local PWE stadium."
"I really don't like to advertise it," Janet said, cutting Elizabeth off, "I'd prefer if you kept that to yourself as well."
"O-oh," Elizabeth said, "Got it."
"So, to summarize," Erina began, "Me and Raven are going to warm up the crowd with 'Hunter' and 'Executioner' vying for Diego's favor, then the newbie comes in with the intent to usurp Diego."
"I don't think we need to practice your parts at all," Janet said, fiddling with the filters on her gas mask, "Arceus knows you two do that enough outside of PWE."
"Excuse me!?" Raven and Erina shouted in tandem.
"Not over Diego specifically," Janet clarified, "but you two really do fight a lot."
"She had her bird tie my hair to a door!" Raven cried indignantly.
"Unfezant doesn't have hands, nor is she physic," Erina countered, "You have no proof it was me."
"WHY YOU!"
"Ladies!" Diego cried, gnashing his teeth together in a rather audible manner, "You're both beautiful. Now, could we please get moving."
Nobody said anything for a moment.
"Elizabeth," Erina said, "That's your cue."
"Sorry," the verdette said, flipping through her script, "I didn't know we were practicing again.
"So we meet at last, Diego Brando," Elizabeth declared theatrically, "I look forward to seeing you grovel at— What was that face for, Janet?"
"Oh? Sorry. It wasn't anything to do with your act," the pigtailed woman apologized, "This place can't seem to decide what blend of tea to use."
"Yes, I've noticed that as well," Diego added, "They seem to be switching randomly between the Galar blend, the Unova blend, the Johto blend, and the local stuff almost at random. What's worse is that they don't even seem to bother informing their customers that a switch has been made."
"'s not my problem," Raven said, draining her glass before slamming it back down with enough force to cause some of the liquid inside to splash out, "I prefer whiskey, after all."
Elizabeth flinched, bad memories aside, she was certain that Raven had emptied her glass at least five times since they'd first sat down, yet it was still as full as when it had been given to her.
"I don't know," Elizabeth said, putting the mystery of the glass out of her mind, "None of these lines really seem to fit me well."
"Well, that's certainly an issue," Diego said with a smile on his face, "After all, we can't have a flat performance for your debut, can we?"
"No, we certainly can't," Elizabeth said in reply, a frown marring her continence, "But, aren't we stuck with this?"
"You aren't, actually. Why do you think we're doing this right now?" Janet supplied, "Inez won't like me saying this, but—"
"Raven," Erina interjected, her posture stiffening, "Guess who just showed up."
"Nice try, Erina," Raven scoffed, "You're not pulling that one on me again."
Erina's eyes went cold as she slowly extracted herself from her seat. Her movements were almost feline in their fluency, but wrong for this situation. Remaining silent was all well and good, but experience had taught the verdette that a gait meant for sneaking up on wild Pokémon tended to be wasteful, or even get one caught if used on a sentry. Elizabeth unconsciously placed a hand on her right arm, only to find smooth skin instead of the jagged scar that should have been there. Her arm shouldn't be this thin.
Elizabeth dug her nails in, almost drawing blood from the sheer pressure. Then, despite her instincts screaming otherwise, she turned to follow Erina's gaze.
Nothing caught her eyes immediately, then she saw her. The first thing that came to mind was a playing card: the Jack of Clubs. Silver hair framed a pale face with wide-set, jade eyes, much in contrast to the dark clothing she wore. A bright red tattoo sat under her left eye, almost looking like a tear of blood at this distance. Elizabeth frowned, this was obviously someone Erina knew from her time with Team Rocket, but she didn't look Kantonian at all. Maybe it was just her clothes, but her face looked more Unova than anything.
Almost as if she knew she was being watched, the Jack turned to face Elizabeth's table. For a moment, nothing happened, then her eyes widened, presumably haven seen Erina. Without wasting a second, the silver-haired woman whipped around and ran away as fast as she could.
"Get back here!" Erina shouted, vaulting over the table and sprinted after the Jack.
"Convincing, but you're not getting me that easily!" Raven called after her fellow wrestler. Taking another sip from her glass, her lips twitched downwards as she saw Elizabeth's face. "Weren't your eyes red earlier?"
Elizabeth sighed, "First off, they're maroon, not red. Secondly, I don't know what you're talking about."
"BS," Raven scoffed, leaning uncomfortably close to the verdette, "Your eyes were red when we sat down. They're green now."
"You know, Erina wasn't trying to trick you," Elizabeth deflected, "She actually saw someone."
"Oh? Describe 'em for me, then," Raven said, lifting her glass to her lips.
"She was this Jack of Clubs-looking gal," Elizabeth started, "She had silver hair and pale green eyes, but the most striking thing about her was the red teardrop tattoo she had under her left eye, like so." The verdette placed her finger on about where she remembered the tattoo being.
Raven spat out her drink at Elizabeth's words. "Hanan Kotch! Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"
With that, Raven all but flipped out of her seat and took off after Erina.
Janet pinched her nose at her colleagues' actions. "Ghastly," she said, releasing the aforementioned Pokémon, "Make sure those two idiots don't get arrested again."
"Again?" Elizabeth asked in shock.
"Trust me," Diego cut in, "You don't want to know."
"As I was saying," Janet spoke up, "Inez, my scriptwriter, might throw a fit, but you could probably work with her to get the script changed more to your liking. Once she gets over her initial irritation, I'm sure she'd be happy to tailor your persona closer to your actual personality."
"But, before we do that," Diego added, "we might as well run through this at least once to see if there's anything worth salvaging."
"Good idea, Diego," Elizabeth conceded, "From the top, I guess."
Saito and Louise had spent several hours at the beach before retiring back to the hotel, where they changed into their casual clothes and went into the beachfront aquarium. By the time they finally left the building, the sun had long since set, and the half-moon was rising above.
"Geez, what time is it?" Saito asked as he looked at the moon. Louise pulled out her Pokédex to check.
"Says here it's about… 11 P.M.," she replied, and Saito instinctively let out a yawn in response.
"Sure feels like it. Well, time to hit the hay."
Louise nodded at that and together the two began heading back to the hotel. Derflinger hovered next to them as they walked along the night streets. Occasionally, a car would pass by on its way to wherever it was going, and overhead they could hear the cries of Zubats chasing after small insects. Rattatas scurried across the ground through garbage cans, which Louise made a pointed effort to avoid. She yawned tiredly when they neared the front door of the hotel, and Saito moved to open the door for her.
"After you," he said, and Louise rolled her eyes.
"My, such a gentleman," she gently mocked, smiling nonetheless. Saito smiled back, only for his gaze to be directed elsewhere. His eyes narrowed as he tried to make out what he was seeing, and a confused Louise turned around to see a dark quadrupedal Pokémon standing behind a streetlamp. She walked forward slowly, Saito gently closing the door behind him and walking next to her. As they did, the Pokémon stepped forward to reveal the white fur of an Absol, who was staring right at them.
The two trainers felt their breath hitch as both sides stared at each other. In the back of Saito's mind, he felt that the Pokémon seemed familiar, but he was instead focused on what exactly the Absol's presence entailed. Any doubt he or Louise had towards the species' ability to predict disasters by merely being there was thoroughly crushed out during the Daycare Siege, so seeing one in Ambrette meant nothing good. Suddenly, the Absol ran out into the darkness, pausing for a moment at an intersection to look back towards them before taking off again.
"…Okay, that's not—" Saito began, only for Louise to quickly take off after the Absol. "Louise, wait!"
Louise ignored him as she continued to chase after the Absol. As she did, she quickly noticed how the Absol was keeping sure to have Louise stay in sight, and she quickly realized it was leading her somewhere. Her eyes narrowed, she continued chasing after the Absol before finally stopping in front of a large building, the Absol nowhere to be found.
"Where did it…" she muttered to herself as she spun around in all directions, trying to find the creature. A moment later, Saito came running after her, a worried Derflinger hovering behind him.
"Geez, Louise… Warn a guy next time," Saito stated as he caught his breath. After doing so, he looked at the building in front of him and recognized it as the Ambrette Fossil Museum. Eyes narrowed in suspicion, he walked towards the front door and checked the door, finding it to be locked.
"Door's locked," he revealed, but neither he nor Louise were convinced. They looked at each other for a moment then quietly released their Pokémon. At first, the six of them were confused as to why they were out so late, but a quick rundown by Derflinger caused them to go on high-alert. Louise then gestured Saito to go right, while she herself continued left.
The two separated, walking along the sides of the building and inspecting each and every corner for something amiss. There were no obvious signs of a break-in. No shattered windows or walls, no tampered electronics. Nothing. That only caused Louise's tension to rise even more, until finally she met with Saito again at the back door. Judging by the semi-truck loaded into the docking bay, it appeared to be a crew entrance. Normally, that wouldn't have surprised either of them.
The fact that the door was slightly ajar was.
Silently, the two crept forward and pushed the door open, seeing that the hallway was cloaked in darkness. The security camera, normally blinking red and moving about, was instead still and turned off. They couldn't hear anything from within, and after a moment the two trainers looked at each other. Louise then nodded, and when Saito nodded back, he pulled out his Pokédex and dialed 9-1-1.
"Hello, officer?" he talked into the phone while Louise maintained a lookout. "Yes, I'm at the Ambrette Fossil Museum with my friend. We think there's a burglary in progress. The back door was left unlocked and the security cameras appear to be off."
Louise tuned out the rest of his conversation with the police officer, who began asking him a myriad array of questions while maintaining that they move away from the premises immediately. Part of Louise wanted to do just that, but another part told her to press forward and investigate herself. Eventually, she silently crept into the museum, with her Pokémon following behind.
"Uh, Saito?" Derflinger poked Saito's back with his sash, but the boy waved him off. Derflinger poked again, harder this time, and when Saito sharply turned around, his rebuke died on his lips as he took in the noticeable lack of pink at the considerably more open door.
"Sir? Saito, are you there?" the voice of Officer Jenny spoke through the speaker, and Saito quickly responded with a resigned tone.
"My friend just went inside," he revealed. Before he could hear the officer's demand for him to stay put, he hung up and walked inside, gently closing the door behind him. He saw Louise a few ways ahead of him, staring into a room, and he crept up behind her then gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, and Louise pointed her finger inside. Saito followed her gaze and his eyes widened at the sight of a slumped over security guard sitting at a guard station, the monitors all turned off. Quietly, he crouch-walked over and checked his pulse, sighing in relief after realizing the man was merely asleep.
"Must have been a Hypnosis," he guessed, but when Louise snarled and prepared to go forward, Saito grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Louise, wait a moment."
"We have to stop them! Who knows who else the thieves have hurt?"
"Absolutely not," he insisted. "The police are on their way. Let them handle this."
"But…" Louise began, but Saito silenced her with a firm stare. After a moment, Louise closed her eyes and nodded, and the two began to head back towards the back door.
They crept through the hallways and quickly found themselves at the back door, but when they tried to open it, they found that it wouldn't budge. Alarm rising, Saito tried to jiggle it loose, but the door handle wouldn't budge.
"Oh, no…" Louise whispered, and like Deerling in headlights they were motionless as the loading bay door next to them suddenly opened.
"You're lucky we locked the door. What would have happened had CZ or the boss been the one to find out before us?" a voice chastised her partner, who groaned in annoyance.
"Hey, get off my back, will ya? Besides, it was only unlocked for, like, five minutes."
"Yeah, five minutes for someone to, I don't know, sneak in, discover our entire operation, and get us all thrown in jail? I can't go back to prison, and I'm not going because of your screw up."
"Oh, please. You're paranoid. No one's going to get—" the grunt's declaration was halted as she and her partner exited the loading bay, only to find a frozen Saito, Louise, Derflinger and all the other Pokémon staring right at each other. The two trainers immediately noticed the tell-tale uniform of a Team Flare grunt, a bright orange suit and tie with blood-red sunglasses. A pregnant pause enveloped the group as both sides tried to determine what exactly to do, but when the grunts reached for their Pokéballs Louise instinctively acted.
"Fireball!"
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long wait. Things kind of happened. But, things are picking up now, and I hope you guys all enjoy!
Now, onto the Q&A:
victor janus: Yeah, we figured that, given Louise's current situation, she would be the type of person to rise early. After all, she's gone all in on becoming a champion to prove her worth, and as such that determination is changing her habits a bit.
As for Saito, you are correct that he has a lot of baggage. But, we felt that our story would be improved by him being here. Louise is still the main character of course, but Saito is an important part of her story. So is the relationship between them.
Drewd00d: Don't worry about it. It took me a month to get this chapter out.
I'm glad that you are enjoying how things are progressing! One of the things that we strive to do is to show how everyone's relationships between each other has progressed. That is, after all, the true emotional core for our story. The awesome battles would mean nothing if you didn't care for the characters, after all.
As for the Tyrunt and Louise's Pokemon, don't worry. We have plans for all of them, and they will be just as interesting and powerful as Saito's. We strove really hard to keep them balanced, and I'm certain you'll like what you'll see.
The Jurassic Park characters are simply fun little references. They don't mean anything in the broader universe. Is there a Jurassic Park equivalent movie? Maybe, but they aren't the same characters as the Jurassic Park expies shown in this current arc.
Yep, Team Flare coming back is to be expected. We've been building up to it for the entire arc. The Ambrette Cell isn't like Maxwell's cell, being slightly less competent as the first one, but they are no less dangerous.
Funnily enough, although Carnegie and CZ were not based off of Roman and Neo, I am a part of two RWBY fanfictions at the moment! Both of them are crossovers and one I'm simply the editor for, but I'm certain you would enjoy them. I am one of the editors for Of Elder Scrolls and Huntsmen: Dragon Rose, a RWBY/The Elder Scrolls crossover where RWBY find themselves in Skyrim right before Alduin attacks, and they are thus thrusted into an end-of-the-world prophecy, and I am writing Hunters of Justice, a RWBY/DC Comics crossover where teams RWBY and JNPR are boomtubed to Earth after Brainiac invades, bottles, and subsequently destroys Remnant, where they are meet the Justice League and start to become superheroes. Both stories are a lot of fun, and if you enjoy what you or anyone enjoy what you see here I'm certain you would enjoy the other stories I'm a part of.
No, this isn't a shameless plug, why do you ask?
Kiri Kaitou Clover: Welcome back! I'm happy that you're still with us, and are enjoying the story so much. All of what you said, Louise's character development/being a believable protagonist, Elizabeth's development, Saito being his own person, all of the Pokemon's personalities, all of that is something we've strived to showcase to their fullest potential. I'm happy you're enjoying this story so much.
Avro 683 Lancaster: Louise will be going back to Halkegenia eventually. What happens at that point, well you'll have to see.
That's all for today! I hope you'll all enjoy!
