Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 1, Episode 16, Chapter 1
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Louise's shower the next morning was long and quiet, focusing more on the comfort the warm water provided than any actual hygiene. Her thoughts were jumbled in her mind, but at first she let herself be distracted by her shower. Only once she got out and allowed Saito to take his that the weight of it all came crashing back onto her. For the fifth time since she began her Pokémon journey, Louise had found herself in a dangerous situation, one that was explicitly her fault. She had been the one to find the Absolite, she had been the one to suggest using it, and she had been the one whose Pokémon went berserk because they weren't as close as they thought. Although she had gotten her Pokémon back the night before, the guilt still weighed tremendously on her mind, and she doubted it would go away anytime soon. Louise vowed then and there that this would never happen again, even if it meant never touching another Mega Stone.
At the same time, as she stared deeply into the wall, Louise couldn't help but feel a familiar sense of frustrated build up in her. Not towards herself, but towards Maindo. It reminded her of how she felt at times towards Kirche and the other students who bullied her back in the Tristain Academy of Magic. After Maindo's accusations, she felt insulted, ashamed, humiliated, and when compounded with everything that had building up the past few weeks, it was no wonder she finally fell apart. At least this time she had someone there to help pull her up.
Still, that did nothing to assuage the hatred she felt towards Maindo now. Before, she had always thought he was a bit of a jerk and a bully, but she believed, much like Saito did, that he could improve with time and care. Now she realized how naïve that belief was. Maindo was simply a bad Pokémon, one who needed to be expunged as soon as possible. Louise felt that Saito's decision to escort Maindo back to Lumiose before releasing him was far too generous, certainly more than what the Kirlia deserved, but at the same time she respected his decision. At least Saito was still able to look out for someone other than himself, unlike Maindo.
Which brought her once again to the core issue behind this entire situation. Maindo had convinced himself that he was the victim in all this, and more than anything else this infuriated her. Out of everyone here, Louise knew personally just what being a victim felt like. She had endured years of torment at the hands of her peers and teachers who had all but given up on her. There were many nights where had to force herself simply not to cry or scream until her throat went hoarse, so to have Maindo implicitly compare his situation to her was beyond insulting. Especially since he could have resolved the issue easily back when this all started. That was a luxury she was never afforded, a luxury she would have given anything to have.
In a way, Louise figured she did. After all, her desperate desire to prove everyone wrong and finally prove herself led to her meeting with Arceus, and everything that followed.
So focused on her own thoughts, Louise didn't even notice the water shutting off. When Saito finally exited the bathroom, the startled girl jumped slightly before recomposing himself. Saito gave no indications that he noticed, instead remaining silent as his damp hair air-dried. The two trainers stared at each other silently for a few moments, each trying to determine what to say, then Saito cleared his throat and broke the silence.
"So…" he began, then asked, "You feeling better?"
Louise was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I'm better. Thank you for…you know, last night."
"Don't mention it," Saito insisted, walking over to sit on Louise's bed next to her. "You're my best friend, Louise, and trust me when I say that you did not deserve that. You never did, and I promise you that will never happen again."
Louise looked at her friend then smiled softly. Saito smiled back, then he got back up and walked over to his bed, where he began packing up his items. At the same time, he announced, "So, I've been thinking about the next leg of our trip. We're pretty stocked up on supplies, so we shouldn't need to stop again anytime soon. If we leave right now, we can probably make it through Reflection Cave by early afternoon, but I say we take the time to enjoy ourselves a bit. Yesterday was…stressful, to put it lightly, so relaxing a bit would do us all some good."
"That sounds lovely," Louise admitted, getting up to pack away her stuff as well. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, unfortunately Geosenge Town is fairly small, so there isn't much to see," Saito replied, zipping his backpack closed, "and we've already seen the menhirs they're famous for. But, I think just sitting around and gorging ourselves on ice cream is a perfect way to pass the time."
Louise's face lit up, and Saito couldn't help but laugh. It had been a long time since she last had ice cream, and she was already salivating at the prospect of having it again.
"What's ice cream?" Derflinger asked, unfamiliar with the confection. Before Saito could answer, however, Louise decided that they didn't have enough time to explain and jumped off her bed and practically sprinted to the door.
"Come on! Let's go!" Louise insisted, waiting for Saito and Derflinger by the door.
Saito could only laugh more while she impatiently stepped in place, a small pouting frown on her face when he wasn't joining her fast enough. She didn't have to wait long, though, before he grabbed his backpack and hoisted it onto his shoulders. Then the two trainers and the ancient Honedge left the room and the hotel, ready to finally move on.
"Why have you guys hidden this from me?!" Derflinger shouted as he floated alongside Saito and Louise, holding a coffee-flavored ice cream cone in his sash and holding it up to his face. How, exactly, he was eating it eluded the others, but sure enough they saw bits and pieces mysteriously disappear as though bits were being taken out of them.
"Sorry, Derf," Saito apologized as he took a lick of his chocolate-flavored cone. Louise said nothing, merely, merely eating her strawberry ice cream out of a bowl with a spoon. As always, she managed to keep her face remarkably clean, which was in stark contrast to the brown mess covering Saito's lips.
"Seriously! We've been through, what, how many towns and this is the first time it's come up?! I feel betrayed!" Derflinger continued, taking another big bite out of his ice cream while Saito wiped his face clean with a napkin.
"Wait, does he even have a…?" Louise whispered under her breath, then shook her head. Who was she to deny someone the wonders of ice cream despite not having a mouth? If the gods willed it so, she would not pass judgement and merely accept them with open arms.
"Careful, Derf. You eat too fast and you'll—" Saito began, only for Derflinger to suddenly cringe as his eager overeating finally caught up with him. Saito sighed, then muttered, "You'll get brain freeze."
"Gagh! Ice cream! Why have you betrayed me?!" Derflinger wailed, still holding onto the confection while his eye was clenched shut from the pain. Louise, gingerly eating hers with care borne out of experience, gave him a gentle smile.
"Yeah, that happened to me the first time I had ice cream. It's not fun," she remarked, then she sighed and looked out over the mountains around them. "Still, ice cream is amazing. When I get back to Tristain, one of the first things I'm going to do is make some, then share it with everyone."
"Didn't everyone treat you like crap?" Saito asked, then Louise's grin turned dark.
"Which is why I won't tell them about brain freeze, so that I can watch them suffer," Louise declared. She then began to cackle, bringing her bowl closer to her face before taking another small spoonful of her treat.
"You're an evil little girl, aren't you?" Saito asked. Louise's cackling only grew louder in response, and Saito chuckled and shook his head.
The trio continued their trek up Route 11, and the crystals they had observed the night before grew more and more plentiful the closer they got to their destination. With the sun blazing overhead, they finally arrived within sight of Reflection Cave's entrance, where they saw a handful of hikers walking in and out. Rather than join them, however, Saito and Louise decided to take a break, and they walked off the trail towards a rest area. The ground beneath them was rocky, covered in grass and with trees surrounding them to the south and east. The northern boundary was marked by the cleared trail, while the west was blocked off by the rocky mountain itself, which had numerous reflective crystals jetting out of it. In fact, much of the mountain was covered in those crystals, which forced them not to directly look at it due to the sun reflecting off the crystals.
"Ah, Reflection Cave. It's been a long time since I've been in there," Derflinger remarked, looking up at the mountain without caring for the light shining into his eye.
"It's a popular tourist attraction around here," Saito explained as he pulled out some folding chairs for him and Louise.
"Was back in the day, too," Derflinger added. "Of course, back then it was more well known for…other things."
"Like what?" Louise asked as she unfolded her own chair.
"According to legend, the crystals inside the cave itself are so reflective that they don't just reflect you, they reflect a mirrored version of reality," Derflinger explained, then shrugged. "At least, that's what the locals said. I myself never saw it."
Saito and Louise stared at the ancient Honedge for a few moments, then they shrugged and Saito admitted, "Yeah, that does seem a little farfetched. Sounds cool, though."
Louise nodded in agreement. Although she and Derflinger both came from another world, it most certainly wasn't through reflective crystals. Derflinger hadn't outright admitted how he had arrived in Kalos six-thousand years ago, but she had to assume it was related to how she arrived: an intervention from Arceus.
With everything laid out, Saito and Louise released their Pokémon. With the exception of Maindo, who remained in his Pokéball, the others stretched out on grass then turned to face Louise. She herself was focused on Auspice, who was avoiding her gaze entirely. Her body language screamed nothing more than shame and regret. The rest of Louise's Pokémon clearly felt the same, and remained silent as Louise walked over to her Absol and kneeled in front of her. This caused Auspice to slowly shift her attention towards her trainer. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, then Louise wrapped her arms around Auspice's neck to pull her into a hug.
"It's okay. I'm sorry," she apologized, burying her face into Auspice's white fur. After a few moments of surprise, Auspice nestled her head against Louise's, then wrapped her paw around Louise's back to return the affectionate gesture. Soon after, the rest of Louise's Pokémon came up, wanting to offer comfort to their trainer while also displaying that they held no ill-will towards their partner. They had already done this the night before, but clearly Auspice still felt guilty. Louise felt she still did, and it would take some time for both of their guilt and regret to ebb away completely.
Louise then broke away from the hug and stood back up, turning towards Saito with a neutral expression. Saito was looking right back at her, holding Maindo's Pokéball in his hand while his Pokémon stared up at it angrily. Louise's Pokémon joined them, and Brennaraki snarled loudly as steam erupted out of her ears. Saito and his Pokémon had explained the situation to Louise's team after she had fallen asleep the night before, and all of them still felt as infuriated with Maindo now as they did then.
"Before I send him out," Saito said, his voice firm, "I need you all to promise me not to attack him."
The Pokémon stared at him for a moment, then slowly Saito's nodded one by one. Louise's Pokémon soon followed, with the exception of Brennaraki whose ears began to steam even more. Esprit then looked at the shiny Fennekin who yipped in response, and she nodded before turning back to Saito.
'Brennaraki says no promises,' she translated. The tone of her mental voice told everyone that the normally kind and gentle Pokémon was in somewhat of an agreement with Louise's starter.
"Brennaraki," Louise chided, causing Brennaraki to look up at her in shock. "Don't. He's not worth it."
Louise's Pokémon looked up at their trainer then back at Brennaraki. The Fennekin looked as though she wanted to protest, but when Louise intensified her stare, Brennaraki relented and sighed before nodding. Saito nodded back, then he threw out Maindo's Pokéball. The male Kirlia was sent out onto the field, and he looked around to see everyone glaring hatefully at him. He merely stared back, then let out a small smirk.
'Sup, losers,' he greeted, giving them a wave. Clearly he had no regret over his actions from the night before. If anything, the smug tone of his voice sounded as though he felt victorious.
But, instead of getting the rise out of everyone he clearly expected, instead the other Pokémon simply turned around and ignored him. Outside of Saito filling a bowl with Pokémon Food and placing it at his feet, no one interacted with him at all. Maindo was left alone as the other Pokémon gathered around and began to eat, happily chatting among themselves and paying him no heed outside of a few angered glares whenever he entered their frame of view.
The smug smirk on Maindo's face fell into a frown, and he called out, 'Whatever, I don't care. I'll be gone in a few weeks anyway.'
No one responded, although he could have sworn that most of the Pokémon gave relieved smiles at the news, almost as though they were happier about it than he was. An uneasy feeling began to fill Maindo's gut, but he ignored it and grabbed his bowl before teleporting away. He landed on top of a large branch on the opposite side of the clearing, where he could watch everyone.
Maindo watched as all the Pokémon ate and conversed with one another, and thanks to his psychic abilities he was able to follow everything that was being said. To his surprise, he never once came up, and even when they broke up to start a short training session, he was as far away from their thoughts as possible. The only time he ever came up was when they thought about what would happen after he would be released, and every time the thought made them feel joy.
He then spat onto the ground and grumbled, 'So what if they're ignoring me. Let them. I got what I wanted…'
Maindo tore into his meal irritably, well and truly alone for the first time since his capture.
Louise and Saito trained for around an hour, and after a quick rest decided it was time to get going. They hoped to make it through Reflection Cave before sundown, and if they were to have any hope of doing so, they needed to leave now. Once they packed up their gear and returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs, they strapped their backpacks over their shoulders and hiked back up the mountain.
"You know, I think this little guy might finally hatch soon," Saito declared as he held his Pokémon Egg in his arms. True to his word, Louise and Derflinger could see the egg twitch on occasion.
"Looks like you're right. I reckon it'll hatch within the week," Derflinger remarked, giving the egg his version of a smile.
"I wonder what it'll be?" Louise wondered aloud, giving the egg a soft smile as well.
"We'll find out soon enough," Saito replied, then he and the other stopped as they reached the entrance to the cave. Gently placing the egg container at his feet, Saito strapped on his headlight, and Louise did the same. Once the light was properly strapped on, Saito picked back up his egg and prepared to enter Reflection Cave.
"You kids and your fancy flashlights. Back in my day, we had to make do with torches! They were hot, and fill the cave with smoke! And we enjoyed it!" Derflinger playfully teased his two travelling companions, who rolled their eyes before turning the lights on. Before they could enter, however, Derflinger called out, "Seriously, though, you two don't need those. The crystals in the cave reflect light well enough to see."
"Oh, okay," Saito said, but he kept his headlight strapped to his head regardless. Louise did the same, and all three then entered the cave.
As Derflinger revealed, they didn't need their flashlights in order to see where they were going. Although the light was admittedly dim, there was enough of it reflecting off the crystals lining the cave walls and ceiling to guide their way. The light was dim for the most part, but the thicker crystals sparkled in various colors. Red and green seemed to be predominant, but there many blue and crystals as well. Numerous passageways crisscrossed their path, which made the cave seem like a labyrinth, but instead of traversing them they stuck to the large central tunnel, figuring that would take them to their destination.
"Wow, they really are mirrors," Louise noted as they passed back a crystal that ran up from the ground all the way to the ceiling. The image was slightly distorted due to the way the crystal formed, but it enough to capture her attention. Beside her, she saw Saito bounding up in down in front of another crystal, this one's image much more distorted. One moment, Saito appeared far skinnier and taller in the reflection, then the next he was short and rotund. Deciding to test this for herself, Louise walked over to another crystal, and found that her reflection was wavy. She giggled at the sight, and after a few more moments of messing around with other reflective crystals, she, Saito, and Derflinger moved on.
"Now that I've seen these up close, I can totally see why people thought the crystals showed other worlds," Saito said as they rounded a corner heading into an inclined passageway.
"I know what you mean," Louise said, readjusting her backpack at the same time. When they reached the top of the incline, however, to their dismay they saw that it was a dead end.
Sighing in defeat, the two trainers turned around and walked back down the way they came. At the same time, Louise pulled out her Pokédex and pulled up a map of Reflection Cave that she had downloaded the night before. Due to them being deep underground underneath a mountain, there wasn't a dot detailing exactly where they were, but after taking a moment to collect their bearings, she found where they were.
"Okay, it looks like we need to take this passage," Louise detailed, using her finger to highlight the tunnel in question, "then head along this path until we reach the end."
She traced a route for them on the Pokédex's touchscreen, and Saito took a moment to study it before nodding in acceptance. Keeping the Pokédex out as their guide, they backtracked a fair ways before taking a side passageway they had passed earlier. As they walked, they heard the sounds of Pokémon all around them. Some were directly overhead, such as the soft breathing of sleeping Woobats and the low groans of Ferroseeds deeply lodged into the ceiling. Chimes from Chinglings were also heard echoing off the walls, providing soothing atmosphere that made everyone feel relaxed. As a Solosis passed by in front of them, the heard the soft warbling of his liquid body shifting ever so slightly, and beneath their feet they heard and felt Carbinks and Roggenrolas burrowing new tunnels for their use.
Saito figured that was how these caves were made, now that he thought about it. Rock-type Pokémon would dig new tunnels in search of nutrients, and over time they would connect to each other and become big enough for other Pokémon to traverse them. In time, the caves grew larger and larger, culminating into an entire ecosystem, one that was unique to the rest of Kalos. If there was one thing Saito loved the most about going onto this journal, it was the chance to explore locales such as this. Had he stayed home, he never would have been able to see this in person.
Then he felt the rumbling under his feet increase ever so slightly, which he felt was odd. Louise felt it too, and they stopped walking to try and figure out what was going on. After a moment, the rumbling subsided, and both trainers looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and moving on.
"Turn…here," Louise said as they came across another passageway, this one angling downwards.
Following after her, Saito looked around as he spotted a Wobbufett standing on a perch overlooking them, seemingly oblivious to everything around it until they directly under it. Then the Pokémon leaned over to look at them, which caused Saito to look up as well. After a few moments, the Wobbufett straightened and, for some reason, gave Saito what seemed to him like a salute, then released a loud "Waagh!" before shuffling off to parts unknown.
Saito stared at where the strange Pokémon once resided, then gave Derflinger a sideways glance who merely shrugged and said, "Wobbufett have always been weird. Nothing new there."
After a few moments of silence, Saito nodded in agreement, then he and the ancient Honedge ran back up to rejoin Louise. To their surprise, however, the path that they were supposed to take was blocked off by a pile of rubble, one that looked quite recent.
"Okay, seriously?" Saito asked, throwing his arms to the side while Louise groaned. Hanging his head, he asked Louise, "Is there another path?"
"Yes, but we'd have to go all the way back to the entrance," Louise complained, furrowing her brow in anger.
"Ugh, we've already been walking through this place for hours. I do not want to have to do it all over again."
"Neither do I. Luckily, I have a solution," Louise revealed, stowing away her Pokédex in favor of her wand. Saito looked at her then shifted his attention towards the collapsed passageway, then back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"You sure that's safe?" Saito asked, and Louise promptly released Esprit who happily waved to Saito.
"It's either this, or we don't make it to Shalour City until nightfall, at the earliest," Louise said, giving Saito a sideways glance. After a moment, Saito nodded, then he sent out Tanuki to assist as well.
"Figured having two extrasensory Pokémon out is better than one," Saito stated. Earlier, he might have pulled out Maindo, but seeing as how Maindo was no longer part of his team, Tanuki and his Aura Sight would have to make do. It wouldn't be enough to see through the wall of collapsed rock, but when combined with Esprit's psychic powers, they'd be able to tell if something bad was about to happen.
Louise nodded, then her wand close to her face as she concentrated. Focusing on a boulder towards the top of the mound, Louise shouted, "Rock Smash!"
As she intended, a small explosion rang out. The boom echoed slightly around the cave, spooking a few Pokémon around them and causing a couple of Woobats to wake up and fly off. Smiling apologetically in their direction, who were now perched on the opposite side of the tunnel and giving them angered glares and chirps for the disruption, Louise inspected her work. The boulder she had destroyed was reduced to nothing more than small pebbles and chunks of rock, and the cave itself was still structurally sound.
'Good job! Now, hit this one,' Esprit declared, pointing towards another rock. Louise blew that up as well, and when Tanuki gave his suggestion, Louise followed. One by one, a series of careful explosions cleared the path, and soon only a thin wall of rock blocked their way.
"One more outta do it," Saito said, and Louise nodded before pointing her wand at the thin wall.
"Brick Break!" Louise said, and a small series of explosions rang out that cracked open the entire wall. After a moment, it fell away into dust, blocking their view and making everyone present cough and close their eyes to shield them.
"Gagh-gah! Ahh, I can taste it!" Saito grumbled, but soon his vision was returning as his discomfort going away. When he opened his eyes, both he and Louise were covered in a fine layer of rocky dust, giving their clothes and skin a grey appearance. The passageway itself was still obscured by a thicker cloud of dust, but they paid it no heed.
"Told you it would work," Louise declared, giving a smug smile and putting her wand away. "Now we can—"
Louise's words died in her throat as the dust finally dissipated fully. She stared out into the newly reopened path, and Saito followed her gaze then felt his jaw slacken at what he saw. On the opposite side, they saw a pair of surprised Team Flare grunts staring at them, holding large unrefined crystals in their hands, a pushcart next to them holding boxes of similar gems. A long, heavy silence fell between the group, then the grunts dropped what they were holding and pulled out a Pokéball each.
"Oh, Arceus dammit!" Saito shouted as he dived to the side, taking Louise to safety as the Team Flare grunts released an Electrike and a Houndour, who immediately attacked with a Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, respectively.
"Grrgh! Esprit, Disarming Voice!" Louise ordered as she and Saito got up to their feet.
Esprit, having taking cover behind a corner, broke free and screamed as loudly as she could, the Fairy-type infused soundwaves slamming into both the Electrike and the Houndour. The Dark-type Houndour was more affected, cringing in pain and trying its best to block out the noise with its paws.
Seeing his opening, Saito shouted, "Tanuki, use Force Palm on the Houndour!"
Tanuki complied with the order immediately, jumping into the wall behind him before rebounding into the Houndour. At the same time, Espirit ceased her screaming, and Houndour could only barely glance up before the Riolu slammed his Aura-covered paw into its face. The blow sent it crashing into a wall, knocking it unconscious.
"Why you little-! Electrike, Thunder Wave!"
"Tanuki, get outta there!" Saito screamed out, but Tanuki was unable to get away in time before a bolt of electricity shot out and enveloped the Riolu.
Feeling the electricity coursing through is body, Tanuki fell to the ground a twitching mess. Now suffering from paralysis, he was helpless to protect himself as the Electrike prepared to finish him off with another Thunderbolt, only for a Psybeam to slam into the Electrike's side. The blow sent it crashing into the pushcart, sending all the gathered crystals scattering along the cave floor.
"Good job, Esprit!" Louise shouted, then Saito ran up and tackled one of the Team Flare grunts as he tried to flee. As Saito began to beat the terrorist, the other lost her nerve and attempted to flee, only for Derflinger to cut her off and point the blade of his sword right at her neck. Louise walked up right behind her, pointing her wand threateningly, silently daring the grunt to try anything.
"Return your Pokémon, now," she ordered, the tone of her voice absolute.
Taking a loud gulp, the Team Flare grunt returned the Electrike, then Saito forced his prisoner to do the same. Saito then took off his backpack and fished inside for some climbing rope, which he then used to bound both terrorists by their wrists and ankles. Only then did Saito use a Paralyze Heal on Tanuki, curing him of his status condition and allowing the Riolu to move around freely once again. Leaning the Team Flare grunts up against the wall, Saito and Louise stood over them, Derflinger and their Pokémon standing watch.
"Esprit, put them to sleep with Hypnosis, please," Louise requested. Esprit immediately complied, and both terrorists fell into a deep slumber. The trainer nodded then looked around to try and see if there was anyone else, but luckily they appeared to be alone. Sighing in relief, she joined Saito in inspecting the what the criminals had on hand, which were various papers, books, hammers, and picks.
"Looks like they were mining these crystals out," Saito noted, holding up the hand tools to show Louise. "Which is illegal, as it might disturb the wildlife and the simple fact that trainers come through this area often. They could have caused a cave in."
"I guess that's why the tunnel caved in here," Louise suggested. "Either it was an accident, or they did it on purpose to serve as a shield."
"Sounds likely," Saito replied, flipping through the notebooks. "According to this, these two managed to find amethysts, rubies, sapphires, a few emeralds, and a diamond."
"Illegal gem mine?"
"Maybe? The words they're using make it seem like those weren't what they were really looking for."
"Then what were they looking for?" Louise asked, standing over the pile of jagged crystals. It was then that she saw, underneath a pile of crystals, one that had a helix in the center. At once it dawned on her, and she said, "Saito, look."
The Unovan boy stood up and walked over, and after a few moments he saw what Louise was referring to. His eyes widening, he reached down and gently picked up the uncut Mega Stone. It was a dull orange in color, with a red and blue helix embedded deep into the crystal's center.
"These bastards were trying to illegally mine Mega Stones," Saito realized, clutching the gem tightly in his hands.
After witnessing firsthand the power of Mega Evolution, Louise could easily understand exactly where Team Flare was coming from. Not to mention it followed their previous logic of attempting to steal Pokémon fossils and fossil revitalization equipment. If they could raise an army of Mega Evolved Pokémon, they'd be a much greater threat. That could not happen, and she clenched her fist in anger.
Without saying a word, Louise stomped down the passageway, and Saito nodded before stowing the uncut Mega Stone into his backpack then followed after her.
"Thank you for the tip. You kids did the right thing. We'll take care of everything from here," Officer Jenny said as Louise and Saito finished their testimony. Behind them, they saw teams of police officers and their Pokémon enter Reflection Cave. On the other side of the mountain, they knew that police from Shalour City were also taking part in the raid, blocking the hopefully oblivious Team Flare off from escape.
"You're welcome, Officer Jenny," Saito replied, holding up the uncut crystal. "Will you need this for evidence?"
"For the time being, yes," she answered, carefully taking the Mega Stone from Saito's hands before stowing it away in an evidence bag. "But, once we finish this investigation, we'll give it back to you since you're the ones who found it. Is there an address we can mail it to?"
"Just send it to Professor Sycamore's lab," Louise suggested. Officer Jenny nodded, then closed up her notebook.
"Once again, thank you. Who knows how long this might have gone on had you two not stumbled across it," she reiterated, and both Louise and Saito nodded.
"How long before we can go through Reflection Cave to get to Shalour City?" Louise asked, and Officer Jenny hummed while bringing her finger to her lips as she through.
"My guess, about a day. We're closing off the entire cave. After what Team Flare did to Cyllage, we're not taking any chances."
"We understand that perfectly."
Officer Jenny nodded again, then revealed, "We'll send a notice out once the cave is cleared. In the meantime, we'll set you back up with a hotel room in Geosenge Town, all expenses paid. Think of it as a reward for turning them in."
Saito and Louise nodded, then waved goodbye at Officer Jenny as she left them to rejoin her fellow officers. With their part in the situation resolved, Louise and Saito turned back around and walked back to Geosenge Town, not bothering to stand around and watch as more and more officers went inside Reflection Cave.
"You know, for a moment there I thought you were doing to try and take them down yourself," Derflinger pointed out, and Louise shook her head.
"In a way, we did," Louise said, then shrugged. "Honestly, though, I've been through enough Team Flare actions to last me a lifetime. Don't get me wrong, if we stumble upon something and there's no one else to take care of it, I'll gladly step in and put a stop to it. But this time, since we caught them off-guard, there was an opportunity to let the police handle it. Certainly less dangerous for us."
"Hear, hear," Saito chanted in agreement, and both he and Louise smiled at each other as they continued hiking back to Geosenge Town, both silently agreeing to make their way back up through Reflection Cave as soon as they received the word.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here's the latest chapter of Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate, Grendel4823, and Yuri Combat for their help in bringing this to life.
Our heroes have finally recovered from the ordeals from the previous day, but unfortunately their journey was interrupted by a familiar foe. This time, though, Louise and Saito did something no one could have expected: go away and call the police, letting them handle it. Sure, it delayed them a bit, but it was for the best.
Now, onto the Q&A:
mathdump: Yep, Derflinger is a wild Pokemon just hanging around them, since he didn't want to be captured. As for Saito's team, the way we've designed it when compared to Louise is meant to be fairly even.
Impstar: I have plans for Maindo, you'll just have to wait and see what they are.
KiroZen: Yeah, this was a long time coming, and Maindo deserved everything he got.
keybladelight: Where Maindo goes from here is a very important part of his character arc. Whether that means he learns from his mistakes or does not will be revealed in due time.
You're correct that, at the moment, Saito and Louise are firmly in the friendzone. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Of course, how their relationship develops will be a key focus going forward.
Avro 683 Lancaster: At the moment, though, she still fully intends on going home.
.549: Yeah, had he not been so stubborn or prideful, none of this would have happened. Also, this goes to you and everyone: stay safe out there and be careful. Wear a mask and practice social distancing whenever possible.
Vein Bloodborne: Things have definitely come to a head here, and now where things go next is going to be very interesting.
Shadowwolf of phantasms: You'll have to see where things go from here.
That's it for this time. Before I sign off, I have an announcement. You might have noticed that I started a new Familiar of Zero story called Familiar Evil. Like Outsiders, it's another reverse summon, only this time with Resident Evil. Yeah, a happy, sweet story it is not, and I'm super excited to show you guys what I have store for it. Feel free to give it a look and let me know what you think!
Let us know what you guys think, and I hope you enjoy! See you all next time!
