Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 1, Episode 11, Chapter 2

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Elizabeth walked through the partially destroyed streets of Cyllage, watching as the citizens began to pick up the pieces. As she turned her head to take it all in, a pang of sadness coursed through the heiress' heart. She wondered just how many people were injured today, but at the same time anger bubbled from within. She was angry at those terrorists and psychopaths for bringing this devastation to them in the first place. What gave them the right to inflict pain and destruction on others? She was also angry at that stupid boy, the one who proclaimed to be Louise's best friend. Although Elizabeth wouldn't describe her and Louise as being anywhere near close, she honestly doubted that Saito was truly her friend. A friend wouldn't have left the other alone in the middle of warzone, after all, and Saito did it at least twice thus far. Elizabeth felt that Saito hung around Louise more out of a sense of deluded attraction rather than genuine friendship.

The thoughts running through her head stopped as she finally found herself before Janet's house. She couldn't help but sigh at its condition. The windows were cracked and shattered, broken brick lined the partially burnt lawn and sidewalks, and splinters of wood littered the ground. Fighting had obviously broken out here, but Elizabeth couldn't quite determine who it was that did it. After a few more moments of quiet reflection, Elizabeth shook her head and continued on towards her true destination. She had been recalled back to the PWE office, for what reason she didn't know. They didn't tell her what they wanted, but it was obvious that her exhibition match was cancelled. Even Versus, as focused as he was on the PWE circuit, wouldn't dare even think about trying to perform in the wake of a tragedy of this magnitude. But what did they want?

Elizabeth continued to stew in her thoughts as she continued walking, and before she knew it, she found herself at the office's front doors. Miraculously, the building was unblemished, as was the surrounding area. It appeared that either the fighting didn't reach this area, or the wrestlers were able to fight them off quickly. She pushed them open after noticing that the power was out, telling her that the PWE wasn't completely unaffected, and walked past the empty reception desk and up several flights of stairs. She didn't even bother trying the elevators, just knowing that they were out, and eventually she found herself at the main conference room. Elizabeth looked around, trying to see if anyone else was here, but found none. She debated whether or not to go inside, then shrugged and opened the door. The conference room was, outside of a few scattered papers and utensils, spotless, but the only person inside was Janet. She was sitting on a chair, a neutral expression plastered on her face, and she was regarding Elizabeth intensely.

"Oh, Janet," Elizabeth said, standing in front of the open door, "you're got here early, too. Where is every—"

"Close the door. Now," Janet demanded, her tone of voice leaving no room for argument. Elizabeth was taken aback for a moment, but soon complied.

"Sit," Janet again demanded, to which Elizabeth promptly sat down upon the closest chair to her. A heavy silence hung over the room, and Elizabeth felt no desire to be the one to break it. It was obvious to her now that Janet was angry, and as the older woman continued to stare at her, a pit began to form in Elizabeth's gut. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Janet moved her hands off her lap and rested them on top of the table.

"Do you," Janet coldly began, "have any idea what you just did?"

Confused, Elizabeth replied, "Um, I'm sorry? I don't—"

Before Elizabeth could finish her sentence, Janet opened a manila envelope and pulled out several pictures. She passed them across the table to Elizabeth, who separated them and gasped upon recognizing the scene being displayed. She saw herself battling against the Flare Admin, that false idol calling herself Coda Nakagawa. Louise was next to her in several of them, clearly battling a progressing case of Toxapex poisoning, and Raven's frozen body was glimpsed in the corner of a few.

"This is…" Elizabeth whispered, beginning to realize why Janet was so angry.

"That's right. Your entire battle against Coda was broadcasted live on TV, allowing me and anyone else watching to see everything." Janet nodded, then leaned forward. "Now, tell me, Elizabeth. Why do you think I am completely, utterly furious with you right now?"

Elizabeth gulped and looked back down at down at the photographs before looking back up at Janet.

"Because I put myself in danger fighting someone I had no business trying to," she offered. Slowly, Janet nodded, but the pit in Elizabeth's stomach refused to go away.

"That's certainly part of it," Janet admitted, "but not all. No, I could actually forgive that. You were trying to rescue Raven after she got captured while also trying to bring down the leader of the attack. If I were in your position, I'd likely do the same thing. But," Janet raised her hand and pointed towards Louise, "this right here is something entirely different."

Slowly, Elizabeth began to realize where the bulk of Janet's anger stemmed from. "Louise? Look, I tried to get her to leave when she got poisoned, but she wouldn't budge. Refused to even consider it, and by the time it got really bad it was too late."

"Okay, so basically what you're telling me is that your response to a girl poisoned by the most toxic Pokémon in the world was to ask her 'do you want to leave,' and when she stubbornly said no, you went 'alright,' and hoped for the best? Is that it?"

Elizabeth didn't answer. The words died in her throat, and slowly she felt enormous guilt and regret consume her soul. The look on her face must've told Janet that she was getting the desired response, and so she pressed on.

"Not only that, when you started fighting Coda, you decided that now the perfect time to start acting out your role. While your coworker was held captive and a girl you brought in to help you was dying. Then, to top it all off, you lost track of her when the battle was over, and had she not been found by a Pokémon Center employee, she would've succumbed to the toxin and died." Janet paused, and Elizabeth's face fell. "You could've gotten her killed, Elizabeth."

"It…it wasn't my fault. I tried to get her out," Elizabeth protested, but Janet held firm.

"Do you know how many times I've had to stop Raven and Erina from doing something stupid that could've hurt them? Do you know how many times they tried to get me to let them continue doing it, despite it being hazardous to their health? I've lost count, but each time it got out of hand, I've stepped in and stopped them despite their protests. Because I cared more about keeping them safe than their pride. About my pride, in the rare occasion. You didn't do that, and a girl was hospitalized because of it."

"I…I…" Elizabeth couldn't speak, and she felt tears pool in the corner of her eyes. "It's not my… Flare was the… She chose to…" Tears were flowing out of her eyes now, and Janet stared at her silently as the weight of the situation finally bore down on Elizabeth.

After a few moments, a satisfied Janet nodded and brought her hands together. "You made a mistake, Elizabeth, one that could've been very costly." She sighed and shook her head, and the cold, neutral look on her face softened. "Look, the meeting's not for a few more hours. You're not in trouble, so you don't have to worry about that. But, if you want my advice, I'd take a walk around town to cool your head. Alright?"

Elizabeth said nothing as she looked up at Janet with red, puffy eyes. She wiped the snot off her nose, then nodded before standing up and walking out of the room without saying a word. As the door closed, Janet sighed and leaned back against her chair, bringing her hand up to her brow and pinching it.

"Arceus, what a day."


Technically speaking, Louise wasn't clear to leave the Pokémon Center's medical ward for at least a few more days. But neither she nor Saito cared. After what their 'employees' did to her, they had to get out. She didn't feel safe to be in that building for a second longer.

That was a new feeling to Louise. Not feeling safe. When she first arrived in Kalos, she felt fear, sadness, anger, and a whole assortment of complex emotions that, as a sixteen-year-old girl, were overwhelming. But, despite the literally alien environment, she never truly felt that she was in danger. Definitely not secure, but not to the point where she felt she wasn't safe. It didn't hurt that she was found by Professor Sycamore almost immediately.

Now, however, was an entirely different situation. Louise had her DNA stolen right from under her nose. Her genetic makeup, what made her 'Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Vallière'. Her magic, her nobility, her personhood, it all came from her DNA, and it was taken from her by people she trusted. Louise couldn't even begin to describe the level of violation she felt. The feeling overshadowed and consumed everything else she might have felt in this moment. Louise wasn't angry, she wasn't scared or confused. Just a deep sense of violation.

The noblewoman shivered to herself as she was escorted out of the Pokémon Center by Officer Jenny towards her squad car. Saito was behind her, an intense scowl plastered across his face while he carried their belongings. Their destination was a hotel on the other side of Cyllage City. Agent Smith, apparently as recompense for both the baseless accusation against them and a result of the DNA theft, had managed to acquire a room for them. If nothing else, she could appreciate that.

Louise, Saito, and Officer Jenny arrived at the squad car, Jenny opening the back door for Louise to pile inside while Saito placed their belongings in the trunk. Derflinger had already floated inside, and Louise was holding Brennaraki in her lap. In her current state, Louise didn't want to feel alone, and the presence of her starter was a massive help. She heard a heavy thud as Saito slammed the trunk closed, and she couldn't help but jump slightly. Saito didn't notice as he stomped towards the open car door, then sat down and closed it hard behind him.

"Hotel Cyllage, correct?" Officer Jenny gently asked, and Louise nodded. "Alright. Just sit back and relax."

"…Thank you," Louise quietly said, turning her head to look out the window as the engine started and the car began to roll away.

"Ms. Vallière," Jenny began, continuing to drive the car through the smoking, heavily scarred streets, "I want you to know that we are taking this matter very seriously. We will find them and bring them to justice, I assure you."

"What will happen when you do?" Saito asked, leaning towards the center of the car.

"At minimum? Twenty years. Given the nature and circumstance of the offense, it will likely be longer. Life, if I had to guess," Jenny responded, but Saito frowned.

"Life would be too lenient," he mumbled. Officer Jenny didn't say anything, knowing that the boy's words stemmed from a protective instinct towards his friend. Louise couldn't help but smile softly, hearing how dedicated her best friend was to her. Still, that smile lasted for only a moment, and she turned her attention back towards the streets.

With the fighting now fully subsided, she could see the heavy wounds it had inflicted in all its macabre glory. Wrecked vehicles lined the streets, shards of broken glass littered the pavement and had the sunlight reflect off of them and into Louise's eyes. Thick clouds of billowing black smoke rose into the air, with faint orange glows visible in some of them. Sirens could be heard, and occasionally an ambulance or police car would speed by, their destination unknown to her. Several buildings, housing shops and homes, were broken apart, their stonework facades laying on the ground as nothing more than rubble among the shards of glass. Burnt paper fluttered in the wind, black soot and scorch marks marred the insides, and occasionally Louise could even see flecks of ash fall from above.

"So senseless," Jenny muttered. "What did Cyllage do to deserve this?"

"Nothing," Louise immediately answered. "Nothing at all."

Saito nodded at her declaration, agreeing with it wholeheartedly. Although he had never been to Cyllage before today, he had seen pictures and videos of it. The city was beautiful, a wonderous coastal and mountain town that attracted some of the best people in Kalos. Now, much of it was broken, all so the perpetrators could break out more of their own. Undoubtedly to commit further atrocities. Saito thought he disliked Team Flare after news of their activities came to light, which had only increased after the Riviere Daycare. But now? He hated Team Flare with an undying passion.

Without saying a word, Derflinger looked at Saito from the corner of his eye. The boy's protective instinct towards Louise was admirable, but in the Honedge's opinion, Saito needed to cool his jets. Before he did something drastic and foolhardy. Now wasn't the time for such a discussion, not with Officer Jenny around, but he'd have it soon enough. So, he was content to remain quiet for now.

They turned down a street, and Louise's, Saito's, and Jenny's eyes were immediately drawn to teams of humans and Pokémon working together to douse a nearby fire. Simipours, Azumarills, Vaporeons, and Golducks shot jets of water into the flames alongside human firefighters. Nearby, police officers and their Pokémon partners held captured members of Team Flare to the wall, reading them their rights and confiscating their Pokémon and various other belongings. Further down the street, they saw Machamps, Rhyhorns, and Conkledurrs moving rubble out of the way, some already beginning to put the shattered buildings together again. Everyone smiled at the sight, and Jenny nodded.

"You see that?" Jenny asked, slowing the squad car down to a gentle stop to allow the construction crews to do their work. When Saito and Louise nodded, Jenny continued. "That right there is what people like Team Flare and Team Plasma and all the other criminal teams across the world just don't understand. They think that people and Pokémon can be broken, beaten down. That they can just run right over us and destroy our lives without a care in the world. But what they don't realize is that people and Pokémon simply don't give up, even if things get bad. Bad things happen sometimes, and it's horrible when they happen, but by working together, humans and Pokémon are able to pick up the pieces and start anew. Forge a better, stronger future together as one."

Louise smiled and Jenny's words. "I like the sound of that," she admitted, and Jenny smiled.

"As do I," she said, continuing to patiently wait for the crews to let them pass. A Machamp began to clear a path for them, then once one was made it moved to the side and threw two of his arms back, the other two ushering them forward. Jenny nodded at the Superpower Pokémon, then moved the squad car out of park and drove off once again.

Similar scenes to what they had previously seen played out throughout the rest of their trip to the Cyllage Hotel. Destruction and the efforts to rebuild. It formed a delicate harmony, but as they drew closer and closer to the Cyllage Hotel, the level of destruction steadily decreased. It was still there, but compared to the rest of the city, it was remarkably intact. The answer as to why that was the case was immediately apparent by the level of Pokémon trainers in the vicinity, along with several dozen Flare cells laying broken along the streets and in the process of being arrested.

Saito couldn't help but snort. "Yeah, good luck with trying to attack a place popular year-round with Pokémon trainers, dumbasses."

"Yeah, not their smartest move." Jenny frowned. "Neither was attacking Cyllage. Hell's coming their way after this."

Saito and Louise nodded just as Jenny pulled the car in front of the hotel. They stopped, then opened the doors and exited the vehicle. At the same time, Jenny popped open the trunk, allowing Saito to gather their belongings. She led them to the receptionist, a young brunette wearing a maid uniform who recognized the police woman immediately and began typing into her computer.

"Officer Jenny," the receptionist said, the nametag on her chest reading 'Amelie'. "Are these two Saito Hiraga and Louise Vallière?"

"Yes, they are," Jenny answered. "Do you mind escorting them to their room? I have to get back out there."

"Of course! Ms. Vallière, Mr. Hiraga, please follow me," Amelie asked, taking their bags from Saito's hands. The young woman showed surprising strength, easily carrying the bags with little to no issue as she led them towards the elevators. Officer Jenny watched them go, then turned around and walked back to her squad car once the trio entered the elevator and began to ascend to the top floor.

"I have to say," Amelie began to make idle conversation as the elevator car continued to ascend, "you two were lucky. Before this whole mess, we only had one room left, and you guys got it."

"Lucky us," Saito replied, internally wondering whether or not Agent Smith screwed over someone to get them the room. Amelie, blind to his concerns, smiled and chuckled.

"Indeed!"

The car doors opened, allowing them to exit the elevator and walk into a semi-crowded hallway. Trainers and Pokémon hustled down and back the Pokéball-patterned carpet, but other than moving around Saito, Louise, and Amelie, didn't pay them much attention. Finally, the trio arrived at their suite, Room 6004.

"Here we are," Amelie announced as she opened the door, allowing Saito, Louise, and Derflinger to enter. In contrast to the rest of the city, the room was in pristine condition. A dark blue carpet covered in various patterns of different types of Pokéballs covered the floor, and the wall was covered in a white-and-blue-striped wallpaper which showed various different Pokémon in vertical columns. Two twin beds sat before a flat screen TV sitting atop a large drawer, with a nightstand in between the two beds. A large lamp sat on top of the nightstand, and a single alarm clock was beside it.

"It's very nice," Louise quickly appraised, which Saito silently agreed with. Amelie, her eyes closed, smiled and clapped her hands together.

"Splendid!" she declared before stepping back towards the door. "I must return to my duties downstairs, but please feel free to call for any assistance you may need. Also, given the day's events, all room service is complimentary for the foreseeable future, so please help yourselves to any accommodation you desire."

"We'll keep that in mind," Louise said. "Thank you, Amelie."

"You are welcome, Ms. Vallière," Amelie replied. "Have a wonderful rest of your day."

With that, Amelie bowed and left the room, gently closing it behind her. Once again, Saito and Louise were left alone, and the two turned to face each other. Neither knew what to say, then Saito coughed and moved towards their belongings.

"I'll…get us unpacked," he stated, opening his backpack to pull out his wrinkled and crumpled clothes. He cringed at their state and knew he would have to get them washed. But he placed them aside, preparing to move on to the next item when he heard a bag unzip beside him. He turned his head to look at Louise, who was unloading her own bag. She paused when she noticed him staring at her, and she puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.

"What? I can take care of myself," she insisted in a familiar, haughty tone. Saito couldn't help but smile and he shook his head.

"And here I was thinking I was your maid," Saito joked, and Louise smiled.

"Oh, trust me, Saito. You are many things, but 'maid' is not one of them. Plus, for you, the proper term is 'servant', or perhaps 'menial'."

"I should hope so. Otherwise, you'd be paying me." Saito paused, then shot Louise a wry grin. "Of course, given your spending habits, maybe I should hope you'd be paying me. Would certainly be a—"

Louise quickly shut him up by throwing a pillow into his face, which Saito immediately laughed off. Louise joined in, their laughter merging into a lighthearted chorus that lifted their spirits. This continued for several minutes, the two continuing to lightly rib each other as they set about unpacking their things and putting them into the appropriate place. Their Pokémon were let out of their Pokéballs, and they placed themselves on various bits of furniture scattered around the room. Ronin and Esprit helped their trainers put everything away, while the others rested their tired and aching muscles. When they were finally complete, Saito and Louise sat across from each other on their respectively claimed beds, then looked at each other.

"So, what's the plan?" Saito asked, letting Louise set the stage. Louise looked at her friend, then sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know," she admitted. "Frankly, after the past couple of weeks, I'm just so…tired. I want to rest, more than anything."

"You and me, both," Saito agreed. He saw how tired Louise was, the heavy bags under her eyes, and he nodded at her. "Tell you what. How about you go to sleep while I check on some things."

"That sounds—" Louise paused to let out a long yawn, and her eyes began to droop. "That sounds lovely."

Louise, without even bothering to get under her covers, rested her head on the pillow, and almost immediately fell asleep. Saito watched her softly breathe in and out with a soft smile, then quietly walked over to the foot of her bed to grab a throw blanket resting there. He covered her body with it, and her sleeping form subconsciously grabbed hold of it to draw it closer to her body. Her Pokémon looked at him with appreciative gazes, and Brennaraki snuggled in-between her arms as she, too, began to rest. Auspice slept at her feet, Aile and Esprit by her head, and soon soft snores filled the room.

Saito watched them for a few more seconds, then turned towards a nearby table and chair with a small frown. Quietly, he pulled out his Pokédex from his pocket and took Louise's from the nightstand, then laid them both on the table. Before he sat down, he pulled out a small tool kit, one used to maintain the Pokédexes, and began to disassemble both.

He had 'lost' his Pokédex during the battle, which was later found at the very same Pokémon Center they originally went to. At first, he accepted the explanation given, but after recent revelations, he'd be stupid to take them at their word. That crime-infested building held his Pokédex for several hours, at least, and had Louise in-person for several hours as well. If they were willing to steal her DNA, what might they be interested in with their Pokédexes? They had already checked to see if anything was stolen, which so far hadn't proved to be the case, but Saito couldn't take any chances.

To his frustration, as he stared at two completely disassembled Pokédexes, he found nothing. Normally, he would have taken it at that and dismissed himself as being paranoid, but he knew that something was off. Saito couldn't take the risk, and so he reassembled the Pokédexes before stashing both in his pocket.

"Derf, I'll be back," he declared as he walked towards the door.

"Where ya' going?" he asked as Saito's Pokémon, even Maindo after Tanuki nudged the Ralts along, joined their trainer.

"I saw an electronics shop nearby on the way over here, one that wasn't destroyed, and I want to make sure that no one tampered with our Pokédexes," Saito revealed. Derflinger nodded appreciatively, understanding exactly where Saito's head was at. The boy returned his Pokémon to their Pokéballs, then quietly made his way out the door. Now alone with Louise, Derflinger took the time to look at the sleeping girl. She looked so vulnerable yet simultaneously protected in her present state, what with all the Pokémon resting alongside her.

Derflinger thought back to Saito's earlier declaration, and right then and there he found himself making a similar vow. He'd only known these kids for a few weeks, but already if they were to come to harm again, he vowed that blood would be shed.


Getting to the electronics shop was fairly easy, in Saito's opinion. When he arrived, he found only the shop keeper checking on the outside of his store, a few Magnemites floating around and zapping electronics with bursts of electricity. Judging by the flickering lights, they were likely doing repair work.

"Um," Saito began, looking towards the dead neon store sign to read the name 'Victor's Electronics', "Victor?"

"Hmm?" the man turned around, confirming to Saito that Victor was indeed the man's name. Victor saw Saito and immediately understood exactly what Saito wanted, and prepared to wave him off. "Sorry, kid. We're closed today. Gotta repair my shop after what Flare did."

"I understand that," Saito insisted as he stepped forward, pulling out both his and Louise's Pokédexes, "but I assure you that this is urgent."

Victor looked at the Pokédexes and raised an eyebrow. "Are they broken? If they are, kid I'm sorry but you'll have to wait a few days. I can't—"

"Both of these Pokédexes were held by members of Team Flare who were disguised as nurses at the nearby Pokémon Center for several hours," Saito interrupted, causing Victor's attention to focus entirely on the young boy. The Magnemites did as well, and Saito continued. "I don't know if they tampered with them or not."

Quietly, Victor took the Pokédexes from Saito's hands, looked them over and immediately appraised them.

"You already checked?" Victor asked, and Saito nodded.

"Yes, but I don't know what to look for," Saito admitted. Victor looked at the young boy, then nodded.

"Follow me," he said, leading Saito inside the remains of his shop. The Magnemites followed after him, and soon they entered the back room. The electrician grabbed some nearby tools and began to work. Compared to Saito, the man was obviously much more experienced as he quickly and efficiently pulled the electronic devices apart. Saito was impressed but stayed silent, allowing the man to work. After a few minutes, however, the man stopped and grabbed a pair of tweezers.

"There you are…" he mumbled to himself, pulling out a small, black, circular device that was attached to the motherboard of Saito's Pokédex.

"What is it?" Saito asked, eyeing the device with suspicion.

"This," Victor replied, holding the device up, "is a bug. I've seen these before. It would have tracked any outgoing and incoming transmissions to your Pokédex. Texts, calls, scans, emails, wire transfers, anything that would have gone through your Pokédex it would have picked up. You were right, kid."

Saito silently looked at the man, then back at the small bug. He glared intensely at it and held out his hand for the device. Victor dropped it into Saito's hands before turning his attention to Louise's, allowing Saito to walk over to a nearby workbench, grab a hammer off a wall, and smash the bug as hard as he could.


Just as he feared, both his and Louise's Pokédexes were tampered with. As much as he wanted to, Saito couldn't bring himself to walk back to Hotel Cyllage after Victor finished with his complimentary service. He was far too angry for that, and instead he decided to occupy his time by stomping around the city. His hands were deep in his pockets, and he was lurching forward with a deep scowl on his face. A few passerby gave him a wide berth, not wanting to catch his ire, but most simply gave him an understanding nod. They rightfully assumed that his anger was focused on Flare, and they'd be correct. Still, Saito knew he'd calm down eventually. He just needed to walk it off.

He eventually found himself in one of Cyllage's many Pokémon Battling Arenas. Like most, it was an open-air pit, with spectator stands on either side behind a retaining wall. It was in remarkably good condition, with of course a few scattered pieces of rubble littering the dirt floor. The white chalk lines that marked the interior was also gone, but all in all, the damage wasn't anything more than an hour's worth of maintenance to fix. In the aftermath of Flare's attack, he supposed it was a blessing.

Then, across the arena on the opposite side of the street, Saito saw her. He would recognize her green hair anywhere, not to mention the expensive clothes. She was no longer wearing her gaudy wrestling uniform, having obviously changed out of it, and was back to wearing her normal attire. Her head was hung low, but Saito suddenly didn't care about that as he found himself stomping across the arena straight towards her.

"Hey!" Saito shouted, catching Elizabeth's attention and startling her.

"Huh, what?" she gasped, looking around for the source of the voice. When she saw Saito stomping towards her, the confused and forlorn expression shifted to one of unmasked annoyance. She rolled her eyes and looked down on him. "Ah, great. You again. What do you want?"

Saito stopped at the edge of the arena, looking up at her furiously. Elizabeth looked back down on him. She knew he was likely still angry about what happened to Louise, and part of her felt like she could say something along the lines of how she knows now it was a mistake to keep her along, but the rest of her felt it wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth it, and with a huff she prepared to turn around and leave.

"It's your fault," Saito finally declared, stopping Elizabeth in her tracks.

"Okay, what did I do this time?" she asked, turning around to look Saito in the eye as a small group of spectators gathered around in curiosity. Saito said nothing, and Elizabeth nodded in satisfaction before turning around again.

"The Pokémon Center she was taken to," Saito quietly said, stopping Elizabeth cold, "it didn't use actual nurses. They were harboring Team Flare fugitives prior to the attack, and when Louise got there, they stole from her. Took her DNA while treating her and violated her trust."

Elizabeth wasn't looking at Saito, but she couldn't mask the look of shock and horror on her face for anyone else to see.

"They…they did what?" she asked, and Saito angrily nodded.

"That's right," he answered, stepping forward, "and because of you, she was put into a situation that allowed for that violation to happen!"

Elizabeth was stunned into silence, but then she turned around and angrily glared at Saito once again.

"Are you seriously blaming me for that?" she accused. Saito's glare was more than enough to answer her, and Elizabeth felt her body shake. How dare he insult her in a such a manner? Of course, what happened to Louise was horrific, and even she doubted he would've lied about something of that magnitude, but to turn around and say it was because of her was borderline slander. Not to mention insulting of the highest degree. Her teeth ground together, and she was clenching her fists hard enough to where the knuckles were bone white, and just as Saito was about to speak again, Elizabeth to cut him off.

"You know what," Elizabeth declared as she walked along the side of the retaining wall towards a set of downward sloping stairs, "if you're so insistent on blaming me for everything, let's go ahead and get this over with."

She pulled out a Pokéball, telling Saito what her intention was. He studied her for a moment, then nodded and pulled out one of his own.

"You're on."

[~][~]

Hello, everyone! We're back, and with the latest chapter of Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate, Grendel4823, wildrook, and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this story to life. Unfortunately, Firebird Zoom has decided to leave the project in order to pursue other things, and I graciously thank her for all the help she's provided to this story over the years.

Another calm chapter, which was desperately needed after several chapters of hectic, non-stop chaos. But, unfortunately it appears that the conflict between Saito and Elizabeth will be rearing its ugly head soon. As for how it's resolved, you'll have to wait and see next time. Speaking of, I aim to bring Outsiders back to its normal schedule, so I aim to bring out the next chapter within two weeks.

Now, onto the Q&A:

Kithrin: I'll show Arceus' thoughts on Louise's current status eventually, but ultimately he's not needed at the moment. I'm more focused on Louise and Saito, more than anything.

EvaShinobiKaiserKnight: You'll have to wait and see what we have planned for the theft of Louise's DNA in the coming chapters. I'm glad you like the story!

Boyzilla: Don't worry, the next few chapters are going to be much calmer. It's needed, after everything they've been through.

Vein Bloodborne: Yep, the whole 'Nurse Joy was a Flare Sympathizer' was meant to help highlight that each Joy, despite appearing to be clones of each other, are their own person. This one was a sympathizer who thought Lysandre would make the world a better place, and something terrible happened to our heroes because of it. Expect to see ramifications of this betrayal in the future.

keybladelight: Yep, DNA theft is a serious thing, and we wanted to show that. As for a Gym Battle, it's coming. Just, stuff has to calm down a bit more in the meantime.

DRMAK: No, it'll be temporary. The way we saw it, Pokemon-World technology was advanced enough to justify making such a thing be a temporary thing. At the same time, we did recognize the potential for character growth, hence why we had it set for a month in the first place. One of the things Louise is growing about is not taking what she previously had for granted, and sight is one of those things.

: It was reluctant because Nurse Joy knew that, should she be found it, her head would be on the line and there was a possibility of something going wrong. The attack on Cyllage proved to be too much for her to rationalize away, hence why she turned them in. Incidentally, that's why the disguised Flare 'nurses' were freaking out so much. They were rightfully worried about Joy turning them in at any moment.

That's it for this time. I hope you all enjoy! Let us know what you think!