Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 3, Chapter 4
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It had been five days since Henrietta arrived at the Kalos region. Things had begun to settle into a routine of sorts for the Tristainian Princess. She'd wake up early in the morning, promptly call and talk with Louise for a while, both to get a general update on her progress while also catching up for lost time. It had been years since the two of them had properly seen each other, and since Henrietta had little else to do she figured it was appropriate to make up for all that lost time. Louise and her friend had made it to Coumarine City that morning, so now they were simply waiting for her and Professor Sycamore to arrive. Knowing that her friend was so close yet just out of reach made Henrietta feel tempted to simply go to Coumarine now, but she forced herself not to. Professor Sycamore's device wasn't ready yet, and if nothing else she was willing to be patient.
After her daily phone calls with Louise, Henrietta would then occupy her time with familiarizing herself more and more with the new world she found herself in. She had developed quite an interest in Earth's history and culture, particularly with how the world itself seemed to just keep changing. Especially in the past few years. Back in Halkegenia, everything was relatively stable. Sure, country borders frequently shifted from the small wars that happened on a seasonal basis, noble houses would rise and fall, and crowns would change hands as one generation gave room for the next. But otherwise not much of note changed. The culture, the government, the knowledge. Young mages had been taught the same magic spells for thousands of years, and the four Brimiric Kingdoms had been around for just as long.
Up until now, Henrietta found no issues with that. It provided a sense of security and familiarity to her, a comforting feeling in these troubling times for her. But now she recognized the truth. What Tristain believed to be holding on to tradition had well past that and into the realm of stagnation. Something that seemed anathema to Earth. One of the best pieces of evidence to support that was with a book detailing the history of Lumiose. It was a few years out of date, but it was more than enough to suit her needs. In the pages of that book were a series of photographs depicting the changing skyline of Lumiose. Within the span of a century, the sprawling city went from small and medium sized brick buildings to massive skyscrapers made of steel and glass. That amount of change in such a small timescale was unheard of in Halkegenia, and it showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, the rate of change seemed to be speeding up, which itself was ironically a problem as well. Things were changing so fast, people and countries often found it hard to adjust.
But it wasn't just the speed at which the world seemed to operate. It was the scale, too. Everything was bigger on Earth. The economies of countries, their ability to produce goods and grow food. The average serving size for the common individual was around what the nobility ate back in Tristain. Even the people themselves were, on average, noticeably taller than Henrietta's peers. A result of better nutrition during childhood, from what she understood. But not just the good things. Earth, while seemingly a land of milk and honey at first glance, was far from perfect. Wars and violence still infested this place, and the scales of those events put everything Halkegenia had in comparison to shame. The scale of the Great War, a global conflict that was waged decades prior horrified Henrietta at just how many lives were lost, entire cities and regions destroyed. A conflict of that scale would've destroyed Halkegenian civilization, but just a little more than eighty years later the countries had not only recovered but were bigger and more prosperous than ever.
All of this, and more, added up in Henrietta's mind. By now, she was beginning to come to a conclusion, one that she had already formed when she first arrived but now was practically confirmed. Life in Kalos, and Earth in general, was better in nearly all regards. Standards of living were higher, people lived longer and safer lives, had more access to resources. Sure, there were problems, but those could be overlooked or worked past. The most important part was that life was better in Kalos, and she wanted that for Tristain.
Henrietta was already thinking of ideas and drafting plans on what to do. Without outside help, she knew it would take years, if not generations, for her goal of Tristainian advancement to come to fruition. She probably won't even be alive to see it through, but that didn't mean she couldn't lay the foundation and set her country down the right path. There would be obstacles, of course. The people in power who benefited the most from the status quo would fight tooth and nail to keep things the way they were, and there was no guarantee that her successors would continue her mission, but Henrietta knew she couldn't let that stop her. She had to at least try.
In the back of her mind, a pessimistic thought tried to convince her that any attempts at actually changing Tristain for the better was doomed to failure, but she tried to ignore it.
But uplifting Tristain was a long ways away. Right now, she had much more immediate concerns. Chiefly the brown blocky pastry that Sina had given her.
"So…what did you call this?" Henrietta nervously asked, glancing between the apparent sweet and an enthusiastic Sina.
"This is a chocolate fudge brownie. Made it myself this morning," Sina announced, and Henrietta shifted her gaze back to the brownie.
"…It's brown," Henrietta pointed out, and Sina laughed.
"You know, Louise had that same reaction," the cheerful lab assistant revealed. With a smile on her face, she continued, "Just take a bite. Trust me, you're going to love it."
Henrietta nervously glanced to her side, where she saw the Snivy she had befriended in Sycamore's greenhouse looking up at her. She gave Henrietta an encouraging nod, which the Princess returned before shifting her gaze back towards the brownie. A sense of nervousness still permeated within her, but it was somewhat tempered by the knowledge that Sina hadn't led her astray in terms of food thus far. Not only that, but the sweets she had tried in Kalos already were quite delectable. There was little reason to believe that this brownie would be any different. She just wished it was a different color.
Taking a deep breath, Henrietta carefully cut off a piece of the brownie with her knife. Ignoring Sina's bemused chuckle, Henrietta inserted the piece into her mouth, then carefully began to chew. At once, her tongue was assaulted by a flavor she hadn't ever tasted before. It was sweet and creamy, sticking to her tastebuds long after she swallowed it. Craving more, Henrietta began to dig in, all the while practically feeling Sina's smile.
"See, I said you were going to love it," Sina declared as Henrietta finished her brownie.
Regaining her composure, Henrietta wiped away the crumbs along her mouth, then admitted, "Yes, it was…quite delicious. Thank you, Sina."
"You're welcome, Henrietta," Sina replied, then leaned back into her chair. They were quiet for a moment, then the assistant asked, "You want some more, don't you?"
"Yes, please," Henrietta requested, handing Sina her empty plate. Sina laughed and shook her head, then took the dish and walked back to the kitchen.
"Louise had that same reaction," Sina noted. "She practically ate the entire thing. From what I've heard, the girl's developed quite the sweet tooth."
If the quality of sweets in Kalos was like what Henrietta had experienced thus far, that was of little surprise. Henrietta eagerly waited for her next brownie, then felt a weight press up her leg. Looking down, she noticed the Snivy looking up at her, politely asking to join her on the table. Henrietta smiled and obliged, leaning over to pick Snivy up and place the serpent on her lap.
Sina's smile widened as she approached, and she said, "You know, I'm so glad you and that Snivy have been getting along so well."
Henrietta nodded as she gently patted the Snivy's head, then replied, "Yes, I've come to greatly appreciate her company in these past few days. I'm beginning to see why your people value Pokémon companionship so much."
"Mm-hmm," Sina hummed, then handed the brownie-laden plate over to Henrietta. As the Princess eagerly prepared to dig in, she then asked, "Have you thought of a name for her, yet?"
"Actually, I have," Henrietta confirmed, then narrowed her eyes slightly and added, "I still can't understand why so many people on Earth don't give their Pokémon actual names."
"Yeah, Louise told us that, too," Sina chuckled while shaking her head.
"I'll bet," Henrietta replied, then looked down at the Snivy. Smiling gently, Henrietta revealed, "I've been calling her Fleur. It means 'flower' in my language."
Fleur perked up and smiled at the mention of her name, prompting Henrietta to smile and stroke her hand along the Snivy's head and spine, much to Fleur's content. A quiet, vibrating hiss that reminded Henrietta of a purr could be heard coming from the serpent, causing Henrietta's smile to widen even more.
Sina smiled warmly, then said, "It's a beautiful name."
Henrietta smiled towards Sina, then with her free hand went back to cutting apart her brownie. She saved a chunk of it for Fleur, who graciously took the offering. Together, the two began to dig in, all the while Sina watched with a satisfied gleam in her eyes.
The rest of the day went as normal for Princess Henrietta. Passing the time by reading in the greenhouse, learning more about Earth and its people, even experimenting with Earth's advanced technology. It was an ever present aspect of Earth society, overshadowing the role magic played in her own and rivaling if not surpassing the role of Pokémon in theirs. From her time observing the lives of commoners in Tristain, Henrietta wasn't surprised. In the absence of magic, people made tools to do the jobs for them and make work easier. The only real difference between what Tristain's people did and what Earth's could do was that Earth was able to make better tools.
Much, much better tools. Some of them were simple, such as lightbulbs, automatic doors, elevators, and even motorized vehicles. Those were things that magic could replicate in Tristain, it's just that most didn't bother. Why make an elevator when you could just levitate yourself and whatever you need to carry, the logic went. That and it was an effective status symbol to many nobles to have commoners do the work for them. It didn't stop her from spending several minutes just turning on and off the electrical appliances in utter fascination, much to her embarrassment when Professor Sycamore walked in on her doing it. The fact that Louise did the same thing did little to ease her comfort.
Then there were the tools that boggled Henrietta's mind. While she had come to greatly appreciate the practicality and value of the telephone, it was still hard to wrap her head around the concept of such a tiny device sending out vibrations through the air that completely passed through the body, into space, then bounced back to another identical device who repeated the process all over again instantly. That lead into the entire concept of the computer, which for some reason her mind kept reading as "electric brain" before it finally corrected itself after a day of confusion. Professor Sycamore theorized that whatever Mew did to let her read and understand Earth's languages wasn't as precise as what Arceus did to Louise when she was brought over. In any case, it was still hard for Henrietta to even begin to understand computer coding and circuits and everything that was involved in that process.
But there was only so much she could learn in one place over the span of a week. Even one was packed with knowledge as Professor Sycamore's laboratory. She knew that trying to cram it all in would be impossible. Much of what she had been learning was very surface level at best. So, instead of trying to learn everything, Henrietta focused on what was the most applicable to Tristain in the immediate short term. Computers, while incredibly useful, were right out. Tristain couldn't begin to have the necessary technology nor knowledge base to begin making one, much less know how to actually use it. Motors, on the other hand, were easier to make, especially since Professor Colbert was already making one. It couldn't be electrically powered like what Earth used, but apparently at one point engines were powered by steam. That sounded doable, especially with magic.
Henrietta supposed that, in order to truly see her dream of an advanced Tristain come to life, she could have to encourage the mixing of magic and technology, pushing both to their absolute limits. Something that, she knew, was going to encourage a lot of push back. Not just from those in power, but even the commoners. Tristain's culture was notoriously traditionalist, not helped by the wild experiments that are performed right outside the border in Gallia. Experiments that frequently crossed over and went on a rampage. It did little to encourage innovation in her country, especially with magic. The highest institution of magical learning in Tristain was more focused on recreating what used to be done in Brimir's time than concocting new solutions. Something that Henrietta know knew had to be changed.
Hopefully, it could be and Henrietta wouldn't just be walking into yet another brick wall.
But that was for later. Right now, Henrietta was sitting on the sofa watching the television with Fleur on her lap, staring towards the TV as well. They were the only ones in the room, with Professor Sycamore and his assistants in the labs conducting various experiments. At the moment, they were watching something called a movie, which was akin to a theatrical play just done with moving pictures, sound, and special effects that put anything Halkegenia's theatre groups to put out. The acting, as well, was superb. It hadn't taken long before she had gotten completely engrossed in the tale of Link and Princess Zelda as they fought to free the land of Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf. The fact that the heroes were seemingly elves barely even crossed her mind.
Now the movie was ending, and Henrietta struggled to fight back the tears as Zelda reluctantly sent Link, the boy she had fought alongside for so long and had begun to fall in love with, back to his original time. It was something neither of the characters wanted, but both knew it was necessary. Henrietta was silent as she watched Zelda play a tune into the crystal blue Ocarina of Time, enveloping Link in a bright blue light as he and the world around him faded away. When the light disappeared, Link was once again a young boy in his home village, the Kokiri tribe going about their days, blissfully ignorant of the fate that originally befell them. When the movie closed on the words of Princess Zelda as Link turned towards the general direction of Hyrule, Henrietta felt a small tear trickle down her face as she smiled.
Only when the credits began to roll, showing Young Link's journey to reunite and warn Princess Zelda of Ganondorf's treachery, did Henrietta break her attention away from the television screen. Fleur was just as engrossed as she was, a warm smile blossoming across the serpent's face.
"Did you enjoy that?" Henrietta asked as she smiled down on the Snivy, who eagerly looked up, nodded, and hissed in agreement. Henrietta nodded back, then replied, "I enjoyed it, too."
Fleur vibrated and hissed in a particular pattern, punctuated by exaggerated movements of her tiny arms and tail. It took a moment for Henrietta to realize what she was saying, but then realized that Fleur was asking her a question. Once again, Henrietta was astounded towards just how intelligent Pokémon actually were, especially in comparison to other animal species, but she focused on trying to figure out what Fleur was asking her about. When Henrietta noticed that Fleur was repeatedly pointing towards the television, she finally began to get an inkling towards what Fleur was asking her about.
"Are you asking me what my favorite part of the movie was?" Henrietta asked, and Fleur eagerly nodded. The Princess smiled, an answer already in mind, and she replied, "I think my favorite part was Princess Zelda herself. How she disguised herself was Sheik, tirelessly fought to save her people from Ganondorf despite everyone just seeing her as the princess who needs to be rescued. How she was just as integral towards Ganondorf's defeat as Link himself was. It was…inspiring."
Indeed, Henrietta had quickly identified with many of the issues that Zelda had to face. They weren't completely identical, but the parallels were too obvious to be ignored. In any case, Zelda was certainly a better role model of a princess than many of the ones in tales that Henrietta had grown up with. Those were mostly just damsels locked away in towers waiting for a brave knight to came save her. While that was appealing in its own right, Henrietta preferred a bit more agency in her life.
When the credits finally ended, Henrietta began to rise up from the sofa, pausing briefly to let Fleur climb up to her shoulder. She turned off the television with a small black remote then turned around to walk towards the lab. The doors automatically opened for her, and she was immediately greeted by the sight of dozens of assistants and lab technicians hard at work on various experiments. Most were totally engrossed in their work, but a few noticed her arrival and warmly greeted her.
"Princess, how are you? Did you enjoy the movie?" one asked, and Henrietta nodded.
"It was lovely. Thank you for recommending it," she answered, the technician smiled.
"Princess, in a few minutes will you be okay with casting a few transmutation spells?" another asked, and Henrietta nodded once again. "Perfect. I'll go ahead and get it up, once they clean the chamber. Charizard left quite a mess."
Henrietta chuckled, then remarked, "I'll bet. He does tend to get carried away."
"You have no idea," the assistant grumbled, and Henrietta glanced towards the direction of the isolation chamber, where she could see workers scrubbing away thick scorch marks. Charizard was in the background, looking smug and proud of himself. Henrietta's laughter increased, then she continued on her way.
Finally arriving at Professor Sycamore's office, Henrietta racked her fist against the wood a few times. When she heard a mumbled voice coming from inside, she opened the door and entered his office. Professor Sycamore was there, putting in the finishing touches towards a silver rectangular box, the inside of which were six large spherical indents. On a small platform was a fist-sized orange crystal, a blue and red helix in the center.
"Is that a mega stone?" Henrietta asked, walking around Sycamore's desk to get a closer look at the gem.
"Yes, it is," Sycamore confirmed. "Specifically a Lucarionite that Louise and Saito recovered from Reflection Cave."
"They're supposed to be rare, right? How did they find it?"
"Funny story, actually," Sycamore admitted with a faint chuckle. "Saito and Louise were trying to cut through Reflection Cave to get to Shalour City when they came across a partially caved in tunnel. Seeing no other way around, Louise decided to blast the barrier down, which exposed an illegal mega stone mining operation being done by a Team Flare cell."
"Oh, my…" Henrietta muttered, worry leaping across her face, but Professor Sycamore waved her concerns off.
"Don't worry. There was a bit of a fight, but those criminals were both quickly apprehended," Sycamore revealed. "They then notified the police who arrested the entire cell. This Lucarionite was originally just a raw crystal Team Flare recovered. It was turned over to the police as part of its investigation, but once they were done they sent it to me as, technically, Saito and Louise were legally its discoverers. As such, it belonged to them. I've been using it as a test to make sure my storage unit successfully isolates mega stones from any keystones nearby."
"I see," Henrietta said as she and Fleur rubbed their hands across their chins. "Is it working?"
"Putting in the finishing touches now," Sycamore declared as he put in a few more components. Once he finished, he sealed the inner workings of the box then placed the Lucarionite inside. Closing the box and latching it tight, Sycamore moved a small keystone next to it. He placed both items into a larger box with a glass window, and he closed it tight before activating the device. Lines began to appear on a graph, which didn't make any sense to Henrietta yet Sycamore was able to read it easily.
"Hmm, mm-hmm," Sycamore hummed as more and more data was collected. After a few moments, he smiled and shut the machine off before turning towards Henrietta and saying, "I'll need to run a few more tests just to verify, but I think I got this. This box is, so far, successfully blocking keystone signals from the mega stone held inside."
"That's great news!" Henrietta said with a wide smile on her face. She was more than aware of just why this device was so necessary. Louise had gone over her encounters with mega evolution quite extensively. Sycamore had made and given Louise another device previously, but unfortunately it didn't prove to live up to the task. This one, by all accounts, should.
Henrietta then let herself become serious, and she asked, "Does that mean we'll be ready to leave tomorrow morning?"
"We should, yes," Sycamore confirmed. "My plan was for us to drive up first thing in the morning. Does that work for you?"
"It does, yes," Henrietta answered. She then glanced at Fleur, and more quietly asked, "What…about Fleur?"
Sycamore pursed his lips as he turned to look at her, then said, "Well, Henrietta…that depends on you two."
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple: do you want Fleur to come with you to Louise, and does she want to stay with you?" Sycamore revealed, and Henrietta's and Fleur's eyes widened.
Sycamore nodded sagely, then added, "If it were up to me, I'd be all for it. But, for something as important as this, it's not up to me. It's all up to you two."
"I…I see," Henrietta replied, hanging her head in slight unease. Fleur was doing the same thing, and Sycamore understood the complex emotions they were both having immediately. It was something that he had seen countless times before when young trainers were choosing their partners. He was certain that he already knew how this was going to end, but it wasn't his place to rush through it.
"Tell you what," Sycamore offered. "How about you and Fleur take a walk around Route 4? Give yourselves time to think it over? This is an important decision, and not one you can rush."
Henrietta looked at Professor Sycamore, then she and Fleur nodded as she replied, "That sounds wonderful, actually."
Sycamore nodded back, then asked, "Do you need Sina, Dexio or I to drive you over?"
"No," Henrietta refused, politely shaking her head. "I know the way."
Sycamore nodded in understanding, then said, "Alright. I'll see you when you get back. Take a phone with you, just in case."
"I will. Thank you," Henrietta thanked Professor Sycamore, then politely turned around and began to walk away.
Sycamore watched her leave, his eyes tracking her through the windows of his office. Only when she disappeared did Sycamore release a sigh and go back to his work. While he knew that Henrietta's and Fleur's minds must be racing at a mile a minute, he wasn't worried. If anything, he was more convinced than ever. Which is why he carefully pulled out another device from his desk, a purple Pokédex meant just for his latest house guest.
Henrietta hadn't spent her entire time in Lumiose stuck inside Sycamore's lab. Sina and Dexio had taken her all over the city, visiting various locales, stores, restaurants and more. During that time, she had developed an understanding towards the city's layout. As such, it was easy to find her way to Route 4. Rather than take public transportation, Henrietta and Fleur opted to walk so that they could have as much time as possible to think things over. The Princess was no stranger to making big decisions, with the past year being filled with them. But, somehow, this particular decision felt bigger than the others. She supposed it was due to how personal it was.
As she walked with Fleur perched on her shoulder, Henrietta took the time to look at the city around her. It was an eclectic mixture of small brick buildings that proudly displayed their age and large skyscrapers with glass-and-steel edifices. She knew, based off her research, that the brick buildings were considered to be old-fashioned and the skyscrapers were modern architecture, but to her it was all new and certainly much more advanced than the wooden and occasionally stone buildings of Tristainia. An unique atmosphere was created, one that both proudly displayed the region's rich heritage while also displaying its drive to continue improving. Even now, Henrietta could see several buildings being constructed by crews of humans and Pokémon, particularly Fighting-types such as Machokes, Machamps, Gurdurrs and Conkeldurrs. A few Magmars and Electabuzzes could also be seeing welding steel beams together or assisting with the electrical wiring. Everyone was working side by side in perfect harmony, not just at the construction sites but everywhere Henrietta went.
She had grown to love seeing it, and she couldn't help but let out a faint smile. That smile disappeared after a few moments, however, as she glanced at Fleur, causing her to remember why she was out there in the first place. Now was not the time to get lost in people watching. Henrietta had to focus, just as Fleur was doing the same.
Truthfully, Henrietta would love to have Fleur come with her. She had grown to appreciate her company over the past few days. But everything she had learned about the relationship between humans and Pokémon told her about just how important a starter was. It was comparable to a marriage, at least to some. If Henrietta decided to take Fleur with her when she went to reunite with Louise, that is what Fleur would become: Henrietta's starter Pokémon. It was obvious that both Professor Sycamore and his assistants wanted that to happen, and Henrietta suspected that Fleur wanted to as well.
But another key thing to note, and perhaps the biggest reason why Henrietta was so hesitant to accept the offer, was the inherent competitiveness that all Pokémon had. While Fleur was a pacifist by heart, she still had a competitive streak in her. She wanted to improve, to get better and refused to stagnate. An honorable quality, but not one that Henrietta felt that she could properly nurture. Henrietta had no real plans for what she was going to do in Kalos once she reunited with Louise besides staying with her. She'd worry about what happened next afterwards. All she knew was that Louise was going to keep trying for the Pokémon League, something that Henrietta had no desire to participate in.
If Henrietta accepted Fleur as her starter, would she be depriving Fleur of her future? Henrietta didn't know, and that scared her more than anything else.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the southern gate. Built into an ancient stone wall, built centuries ago and now meticulously maintained to preserve the city's heritage, the wall reminded Henrietta of Tristainia. Dozens of people were walking in and out of the city, and Henrietta kept going until she finally entered Route 4, otherwise known as Parterre Way. While the route opened up tremendously the further it got away from Lumiose City, the initial area was a meticulously planned out and groomed garden. Filled with hedgerows, fields of flowers, trimmed trees and a large fountain in the center, Henrietta could see scores of people and Pokémon going about their days. Some were peacefully having picnics, others were playing or training. There was a sense of tranquility in the air, one that made both Henrietta and Fleur smile.
The smile went away when Henrietta glanced at Fleur, then she released a sigh and head, "We should…probably find a place to sit down."
Fleur nodded in agreement, and together the two walked away from the sparse crowds. While the two of them probably could just pick any spot to sit down and talk, getting as much privacy as possible felt like the most appropriate thing to do. What they were going to be talking about was very personal, and the last thing Henrietta wanted was for people to eavesdrop on them. Their path took them past the field of flowers and patches of tall grass, away from the people and Pokémon walking to and from Lumiose. When they reached the trees, Henrietta thought that might have been enough, but there were still people around them. They kept going, past the trees and into the forest surrounding them.
Almost immediately, Henrietta began to regret her decision. She had never gone outside into the wilderness before, and it was markedly different than the neatly maintained roads that everyone else was using. She was tempted to turn around and leave, but Fleur suddenly hopped off her shoulder and stood protectively in front. The Snivy turned around to look up and smile towards Henrietta, and the Princess felt at ease.
"Thank you, Fleur," Henrietta said, and Fleur nodded at her before the two of them began to walk side by side. At first, neither said anything, basking in the silence of the forest. But soon the silence turned awkward, and Henrietta felt the need to say something, anything, to break the ice. The right words, however, refused to come to mind.
Then she heard Fleur's body purr, and suddenly she knew what she had to say. Henrietta took a deep breath, then began to speak, "I want you to come with me."
Fleur was slightly surprised by Henrietta's admission, but remained respectfully quiet as Henrietta continued, "Back in Tristain, we don't have Pokémon. The closest things that match are magical creatures like dragons, wyverns, and phoenixes, but people don't really interact with them like people do with Pokémon here. It's much more…adversarial. We do have familiars, though. Do you know what they are?"
Fleur shook her head, and Henrietta explained, "Familiars are creatures that are magically bound to a mage. We reach out using a spell devised by the Founder himself, and it selects the most compatible familiar for a mage. The bond between mage and familiar is supposed to be one of the strongest in existence. In a way, it's like the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon."
Henrietta hung her head and sighed, carefully stepping over a few exposed roots before admitted, "Not all mages summon familiars…including me. I never needed to. My water affinity was obvious as soon as I could begin to cast magic, so my parents never taught me the spell in favor of focusing on other duties more suitable for a princess. Dancing, singing, music, formal etiquette. As I grew older, they started giving me more responsibilities, mostly small events that balls and parties for the nobility. I enjoyed doing those, actually. It made me feel like I was actually accomplishing something, and it was at one of those balls that I met the love of my life."
Fleur grew starry eyed at Henrietta's admission, and the Princess smiled before her face became flat once again. A faint frown crossed her lips, then she said, "Then…my father passed away a year ago. He collapsed in the garden right in front of my mother, and by the time healers got to him he was already gone. Some suspected foul play, but it was simply a random heart attack. My mother never recovered, and fell so deeply into her grief that she showed no signs of climbing out of. Which was a problem, because the responsibilities of ruling Tristain fell onto her. It was a task she was…unable to carry out, so I stepped in to lead in her head."
Henrietta's frown turned into a scowl, and she gripped her fists tightly together as she continued, "It was a responsibility I wasn't prepared for in the slightest. I went from managing balls to having to deal with complicated security arrangements, border conflicts, the economy, and power squabbles between the noble houses. Not to mention the Church. None of my supposed allies supported me. If anything, they thought I was weak. Many tried to take advantage of me."
Fleur frowned and sympathetically placed her tiny hand on Henrietta's leg. The Princess smiled at the gesture, but then her scowl returned in full force. She added, "Then, just to make matters worse, our longtime ally Albion fell into civil war. A war that the rebels, Reconquista, were poised to win. I wanted to lend aid, but Tristain was in no position to do so. We were defenseless without Albion's support, and everyone knew it. Especially Reconquista, who planned on conquering us before moving on to the rest of the continent. My people were about to be slaughtered, so I did the only thing I could possibly do to protect them: I offered myself to the emperor of Germania as a wife in exchange for Tristain's protection. A man I didn't know, didn't love, and one I knew didn't really care about my people like I did. I was sacrificing my happiness for my country."
Henrietta let out a growl, then muttered, "But did anyone appreciate my sacrifice? Understand what I was giving up? No, they didn't. They didn't care that my life, my future, had been ripped away from me. I was practically a pawn to them, nothing more."
The Princess of Tristain seethed, and she felt Fleur continue to rub her hand on her leg. After a few moments, Henrietta began to calm down, and she looked into Fleur's eyes. Henrietta adopted a neutral expression, then kneeled to Fleur's level and quietly said, "Fleur, the point I'm trying to make is that I don't want what happened to me to happen to you. I'm…afraid that I won't be able to provide you what you want."
Fleur tilted her head in confusion, and Henrietta explained, "Competition. Growth. You still have room to improve. I…I don't. My future has been decided for me, by powers outside of my control. If you come with me…that'll be your fate as well."
Fleur sadly looked up at Henrietta, wanting to say something and protest but unable to. Both of them stared at each other in silence, the noise of the forest the only thing that could be heard. Then, much to their surprise, they began to hear a rustle coming from a nearby bush. Henrietta and Fleur shot up in alarm, with Fleur taking up a protective stance in front of the Princess while Henrietta pulled out and aimed her wand.
"Who's there?!" Henrietta shouted, fear seeping into her voice. "Reveal yourself!"
No one said a word, but the rustling increased. Henrietta and Fleur took a few steps back, a spell on Henrietta's lips while Fleur prepared an attack of her own. Then a tall figure began to emerge out of the bush and into plain view, and Henrietta's eyes widen in recognition.
"AZ?" Henrietta gasped in surprise as the tall vagrant revealed himself. A thick scarf was covering his lower face, but he was gazing at both of them with uninterested eyes.
"Princess," AZ replied after a moment. He briefly glanced at Fleur, then said, "I see you have a Pokémon now, and new clothes."
"Um, actually…" Henrietta began, only for AZ to turn away and keep going. Taken aback, Henrietta watched him leave with a burlap sack hung over his shoulders. For a brief moment, she considered letting the man be, but an intense curiosity overcame her and Fleur.
"Hey, wait!" Henrietta yelled, rushing after AZ who didn't break his stride. Quickly catching up to him, who barely acknowledged her existence with a slight glance, Henrietta asked, "What are you doing out here?"
"Personal business, same as you," AZ curtly answered as he continued to walk at a brisk pace. Henrietta stared up at him, then narrowed her eyes.
"…How much did you hear?" Henrietta asked.
"Enough," AZ answered, refusing to elaborate more, but Henrietta wasn't satisfied with that.
"That was supposed to be a private conversation," she pointed out, only for AZ to shrug his shoulders.
"I don't normally insert myself into other people's business, but you talk loud," AZ revealed, causing Henrietta to momentarily fumble. AZ kept going, his face softening as he added, "If it matters, you have my sympathies. Losing a loved one is…never pleasant."
"…Thank you," Henrietta whispered. She continued stopped and turning around, but somehow she felt compelled to keep walking with the elderly man. So she and Fleur did, neither of the party saying a word.
Soon they found themselves on a cliffside overlooking a small gorge. On the cliff was a tall tree with a thick trunk and large canopy. Henrietta noticed that there were a few hard fruits sprouting from the tree, brown in color and quite numerous. There were also a few growths of a bright orange stone ejecting from nearby rocks, with the light reflecting off of it. Her attention was drawn to these items, but AZ ignored them as he sat down, his back against the tree. Unfurling his burlap sack, AZ began to take out small tool kit then, much to Henrietta's surprise, one of the hard fruits and a chunk of stone.
"What are you doing?" Henrietta asked as AZ began to work on the materials, but he didn't respond.
Cracking open the hard shell in a way that left it mostly intact, AZ scooped the juicy flesh held within and began to eat some of it, storing the rest for later. He then began to carefully apply portions of the orange stone on the inside of the hollowed out shell, forming an overlapping triangle-grid pattern. Once he was done, AZ took more items out of his tool kit, including small metal rings, a latch, hinges and a small bit of powder. As more and more of it came into shape, Henrietta began to recognize it for what it was, especially when he began to apply a red and light brown paint job.
"It's…a Pokéball," Henrietta gasped, and AZ merely held the small device in front of him.
"Yes, it is," he finally admitted. "This is an old design from when the Sinnoh region was still called Hisui, one that people used for hundreds of years before Pokéballs were mass produced."
"Pokéballs are made from apricorns?"
"They used to be, but not anymore," AZ clarified. "They are based off of them, though. People in the Johto region were the first to realize that Pokémon could hide themselves in the hollowed-out shells of apricorns. Never for very long, and mostly to hide from predators or dangerous elements, but they could do it. In time, master craftsmen learned how to make the first Pokéballs from specially grown apricorns, and when combined with tumblestone, a Pokémon could be held within indefinitely with no harm to the creature."
"…How is that possible?" Henrietta muttered, glancing at the apricorns growing on the tree and Fleur, who was several times larger than it. Even the Snivy looked confused at her supposed ability.
"There are any theories and stories that try to explain why," AZ revealed. "None have proven satisfactory to me. All that matters is that they can, and their ability to do so is why they became known as Pokémon, short for 'Pocket Monster.'"
"…I see," Henrietta mumbled, deciding to ask Professor Sycamore about Pokémon's ability to hide themselves in apricorns when she returned to the lap. Letting her curiosity rise again, she asked, "Why do you use these old-fashioned Pokéballs instead of buying new ones from the store?"
"I prefer to live on my own," AZ answered as he began to make another, "and not need to rely on the conveniences of modern civilization. Besides, I don't have much money, and this is a good source of food if nothing else. Apricorns are packed with nutrients."
"Oh…" Henrietta said, feeling a little bit embarrassed over her faux pass. Of course the homeless man wouldn't have the resources to simply buy whatever he wanted or needed. Reaching into her bag, Henrietta prepared to pull out some money and say, "If you need money, I have—"
"I don't need your charity," AZ curtly refused, catching Henrietta off guard. He glanced up at her, then softly added, "But thank you. Your concern is appreciated, if unwarranted."
Henrietta stared at AZ for a moment, then nodded. For a moment, she stood there, unsure of what to do. The temptation to turn around and leave the old man to his devices entered her mind, but her attention kept drifting to the handmade Pokéballs he was stacking up next to him. Curiosity built up, and finally she crouched to get a better look.
"These are…really well made," Henrietta declared, and AZ gruffed as he continued to work. Glancing up at him, Henrietta quietly asked, "Are they…easy to make?"
AZ paused for a moment, then admitted, "I have been doing this for many, many years, and have gained plenty of experience since then. The process is simple but cumbersome, especially if you are just starting out. Once you get the hang of it, and know what you're doing, anyone can make a Pokéball by themselves with just a few minutes of work."
Henrietta stared at the Pokéballs, then quietly asked, "Can you…show me how?"
She looked up at AZ, who stopped what he was doing entirely and turned his head to face her. They stared into each other eyes, neither blinking nor looking away. For a moment, Henrietta thought that AZ would refuse, then he sighed and nodded.
"Fine, but you have to do everything I say," AZ said. "Understand?"
"Of course," Henrietta replied, her and Fleur nodding vigorously. AZ nodded back, then leaned against the tree and pointed up at the fruits growing above.
"First you need one brown apricorn and one chunk of tumblestone," AZ revealed, and Henrietta's head swiveled between the tree and tumblestone crystal nearby. "Grab one of each, then bring it to me."
Henrietta nodded in acceptance, then stood up and backed away from the tree. She held out her wand and prepared to cast a spell to bring one of the fruits down to her, only for Fleur to jump up and catch her attention. Realizing that the Snivy wanted to help, Henrietta nodded and put away her ancestral family wand. She pointed at the tree, and Snivy immediately complied with the order by firing a small green leave at one of the fruits. It shot right through the stem, falling to the ground where it was caught by Henrietta.
With one of her prizes in hand, Henrietta and Fleur jogged over to the tumblestone where once again the Snivy eagerly offered to help. Henrietta accepted the offer and watched as Fleur slammed her body against the orange crystal. Much to their surprise, the entire thing shattered, spreading several large chunks around a startled Fleur.
"Oh! Fleur, are you okay?" Henrietta asked in concern, then sighed in relief when the Snivy picked herself back up and nodded. Henrietta nodded back, then turned towards AZ and asked, "Is this supposed to do that?"
"Yes. Tumblestone is very fragile," AZ dismissed. "And don't worry, it'll regrow in a few days."
"Ah. That's good," Henrietta said, then picked up one of the larger chunks of tumblestone and walked back over to AZ. She sat down across from him, the apricorn in one hand and the tumblestone in the other. AZ stared into her eyes, then nodded in acceptance.
"Alright. Now that you have what you need, the first step is cracking open the apricorn," AZ explained, handing her a small chisel and hammer. "It's as hard as rock, so you're going to need this."
Henrietta nodded, then carefully placed the apricorn on her lap. Positioning the hammer and chisel in its dead center, she began to carefully pound away. True to AZ' word, the apricorn was incredibly hard and durable. Even after a few minutes of pounding, she barely made a dent. Then, with a forceful push, she finally breached the shell, only for the crack to spiderweb out and cover much of the shell.
"Oh no!" Henrietta yelped in alarm, not intending for the crack to be as extensive as it was.
"It's alright. Get another then try again. This time, don't be as forceful," AZ advised. "Find the natural weak point then press upon it. If you try to force it, all you'll do is break what you're trying to build."
Henrietta nodded, then she and Fleur grabbed another apricorn off the tree. Once again, she began trying to carefully crack open the apricorn, but sadly had the same result. She grabbed another, then another once that broke. Again and again, she replaced the broken apricorns with a unblemished one, slowly getting better each time. At one point, she accidentally sliced the chisel against her finger, but a quick application of water magic healed it up. AZ had already seen her magic before, so he didn't react in the slightest which confirmed her suspicions.
By the time Henrietta finally managed to successfully crack open an apricorn the correct way, the sun had begun to set. But she didn't care and she joyously proclaimed, "I did it!"
"Yes, but you haven't finished yet. Don't celebrate until the job is done," AZ advised. Henrietta collected herself and nodded, and AZ nodded back before pointing at the shard of tumblestone beside her. He then said, "Next, carefully break apart the tumblestone and arrange the shards into an even grid on the top and bottom of the apricorn."
Henrietta did as instructed, using the hammer to carefully break apart the tumblestone. Unfortunately, her first attempt shattered the tumblestone shards into too large and uneven pieces, unusable for her purposes. She and Fleur reluctantly went over to grab another, plus a few more just in case. Bringing them back to her work area, Henrietta broke another only this time the shards were reduced to a fine powder. It took a few more tries, but not as much as cracking the apricorn, before she finally managed to get the crystals into an appropriate size and shape. She then began to take an offered adhesive from AZ and press the crystals into the hollowed-out shell.
Luckily, compared to the previous steps it was much easier for Henrietta to complete. Once the top and bottom halves of the apricorn were covered in a fine layer of tumblestone, Henrietta was given a set of hinges and metal rings to apply to the shell. This time AZ much more carefully walked her through the process, guiding her each step of the way. Slowly and methodically, more of the Pokéball came into being, becoming more and more recognizable with each addition. Finally as Henrietta put in a dash of black powder through a hole in the top and latched it shut, she was given the same paints AZ used which she then applied to the Pokéball. With a quick application of magic, the entire device was complete, and Henrietta couldn't help but smile in victory as AZ inspected it.
"Hmm. Hmm," AZ grumbled as he looked the Pokéball over from top to bottom. Henrietta had a smile on her face that only grew when AZ handed it back and admitted, "It's good."
"Yes!" Henrietta cheered, Fleur jumping up in victory beside her.
"I have to admit, I'm impressed. Most people trying to take this up take several days to get the hang of it. You did it in just a few hours."
"Oh, no. Thank you," Henrietta politely dismissed as she waved him off. "Honestly it's just…I was taught some arts and crafts when I was younger. It's been years since I did anything with it, but I just…went off of that."
AZ nodded, then declared, "You have a talent, Henrietta. There's no reason to dismiss it."
"I… Thank you," Henrietta said, then held up the Pokéball to stare into it. Unlike the manufactured ones that she saw at the store, there wasn't a reflection staring up at her, but Henrietta didn't mind that. If anything, she was just proud that she was able to make this in the first place with her own two hands. It felt good, and she wondered if all craftsmen felt this way.
"So," AZ broke the silence, "are you going to use it?"
Surprised, Henrietta looked up at AZ and asked, "Use it? What do you mean?"
"I mean, are you going to use it to catch Fleur?" AZ said, tilting his head towards the Snivy.
Once again, unease filled Henrietta's heart, and she began to stammer, "I…I don't…"
Before she could continue, AZ held up his palm to silence her. As he lowered his hand, AZ stared deeply into her eyes then asked, "What is it that you want, Henrietta?"
Henrietta was silent, and AZ furrowed his brow as she asked, "What do you want? Do you want Fleur to come with you to your friend?"
"I…yes," Henrietta admitted, then AZ turned to look at Fleur.
"And you? What do you want?"
Fleur was nervous and looked to the side, then regained her composure and nodded. AZ turned his attack back to Henrietta, then said, "Both you and Fleur want to be together as a team. What is stopping you?"
"I… I don't think…" Henrietta stammered, then took a deep breath to regain her composure. Staring back into AZ' eyes, she admitted, "I don't think I can give her what she wants, what she needs."
"Who are you to say that?" AZ retorted, catching Henrietta off guard. "You are concerned with what others expect of you, and so far have been twisting yourself trying to conform to them. How has that worked out for you so far?"
"…Not well," Henrietta admitted, and AZ nodded.
"Indeed," AZ stated, his voice neutral but having a presence that reminded Henrietta of the great kings of old somehow. He continued, "It is wise for anyone, especially a ruler, to acknowledge the wants and desires of those around them. No one is an island, and trying to act as such leads only to ruin. But you cannot live your life by what others demand of you. You are as much a human being as you are a princess, and that means following what your heart desires when you are able."
"Are…are you saying that I should stay with Fleur?"
"I'm saying the choice is up to you, not anyone else," AZ clarified, and Henrietta stared at him. She gulped loudly, then once again stared at the Pokéball she just finished making. After a few moments, she steeled herself and came to a decision, then turned to face Fleur who was already looking up at her.
"Fleur, do…do you want to come with me?" Henrietta asked, offering the Pokéball. Fleur stared at her then, without a saying a word, unlatched the front of the Pokéball. A bright blue light enveloped the Snivy as she was sucked in, and Henrietta felt the Pokéball shake back and forth. After the third movement, the ball went still, and a small firework shot up and exploded above the top of the Pokéball over her head.
"Congratulations," AZ declared as Henrietta stared into the Pokéball, a wide smile blossoming across her face.
"I…thank you, AZ," Henrietta gently said as she turned to face the elderly man. AZ merely nodded, then gathered up the discarded tools and put them back in the toolbox. To Henrietta's surprise, he presented it to her instead of putting it back in his burlap sack.
"Oh no, I can't take this," Henrietta tried to refuse, but AZ merely continued to hold it out.
"Take it. I can always get a new one," AZ replied, his words and their meaning striking deep into Henrietta's heart. Gratefully, she took the offered box then placed it into her bag, along with a few shards of tumblestone and brown apricorns.
AZ glanced towards the horizon, then said, "It's getting late. You should probably get going."
Henrietta stared towards the setting sun and nodded, then said, "Yes, Professor Sycamore will be getting worried soon. Thank you, AZ. I hope we meet again."
AZ gruffed in response, continuing to sit as Henrietta politely bowed towards him, then she turned around and began to walk out of the forest. As she did, she released Fleur from her Pokémon, and the newly formed duo of Trainer and Pokémon walked side by side. AZ couldn't help but let a ghost of a smile grace across his lips, then he turned his attention back towards the horizon, memories of a time long since past and a once-friendship he still held dear filling his thoughts.
"Here we are. Your Snivy is in perfect health," Nurse Joy announced as she handed Henrietta back her Pokéball. "I have to admit, I haven't one of these types of Pokéballs in a long time. Did you make it yourself?"
"I did, actually," Henrietta admitted, and Nurse Joy smiled.
"You have quite a gift. I hope you continue to use it," Nurse Joy said, then waved Henrietta goodbye. "Good luck on your journey. We hope to see you again!"
Henrietta nodded towards the kind nurse, then stepped out of the Pokémon Center. There, waiting next to a black sedan, was Professor Sycamore. He had a kind smile on his face, the back door of the vehicle open and waiting for Henrietta to sit down.
"Did you get everything you needed?" Professor Sycamore asked, and Henrietta nodded.
"Yes. My registration has been filled out, medical records updated, and everything else I needed to do," Henrietta revealed, shivering slightly and rubbing her hand over the bandage wrapped around her elbow. When she learned that she had to do a few routine medical examinations, she didn't think anything of it at first. In retrospect, she should've heeded Louise's warnings.
"That's good to hear. Now hop in. Louise has already called me five times, and I'd rather not be late," Sycamore announced in a joking tone, but Henrietta got the sense that he was also telling the truth.
Henrietta couldn't help but giggle, then got into the car and strapped herself in. Sycamore closed the door behind her, then got into the driver seat and started the engine. As the car began to move, Henrietta released Fleur from her Pokéball, who got up on her lap and joined her in staring out the window. Soon they were moving at a fast pace, much faster and smoother than any horse drawn carriage, out of Lumiose City. Despite not knowing what was going to happen next, Henrietta couldn't help but feel excited.
One thing was for certain. She was given this opportunity for a reason, and she intended to make the most of it.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter of Outsiders. Special thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this chapter to life.
Henrietta officially has her first Pokemon, the Snivy named Fleur. She has also embarked on her own Pokemon journey as she sets off to reunite with Louise. Their reunion next chapter is going to be something I think all of you are going to enjoy. We certainly are.
I'm glad so many of you liked Henrietta's initial forays into Lumiose. They were a lot of fun to write down. Doing culture clash like that is always something we enjoy doing. And I'm also glad so many of you approved of Snivy, or Fleur as she is now called, being Henrietta's starter. Initially we were going to have her be a Chikorita, and the name Fleur actually was derived from the flower Meganiums have around their necks. But then we decided that Snivys, being based off of royalty, was a better fit. Also, as you guys can clearly see, I am definitely incorporating stuff from Legends: Arceus. I'm currently playing through the game right now and I'm having a blast. Expect more in the future.
Let us know what you guys think. If any of you have a TV Tropes account, any assistance in updating the page would be greatly appreciated. We hope you enjoy!
