Twin Colors
By tremor3258
Chapter 11
Live Reporting
Note: I know some people aren't fans, there's a section in script format.
I'm back for the evening. We should talk properly. Rose had texted Mei again at last. Mei rolled her eyes. At least her sister had been talking to people. And she'd done something out of the city. Their classmates were nice, but for Victor, Kieran, and the two of them, most everyone were deadweights as far as battling went.
It was one thing to get in a bunch of fights with people for cash, so they'd get a new experience (and if they didn't know better, it was at least educational). Their classmates they would be with all year and just weren't worth challenging, so if Rose was giving them tips she was falling behind.
"What's up? Bad news?" Teff asked.
"You look like you lost an auction," Trigo commented.
"Sorry, my sister wants to catch up on the day. Not sure what she accomplished out there," Mei explained.
Teff looked at Victor, who shrugged. "They were just finishing up lunch when I met them. Before I came back to thrash Mei," he added after a moment. Mei bristled but her heart wasn't in it yet.
He coughed distinctly and continued, "And she managed to glimpse through my walls, so I wouldn't be so quick to think nothing's happening outside your circus."
"An Elite-grade trainer was there, she probably piggy-backed," Mei replied defensively.
"That's entirely likely!" Victor agreed cheerfully, "Of course you need good reflexes and awareness to spot the probe and manage to ride on it. So you nearly had a good argument!"
Mei sighed and bent to her phone to ignore him for a moment. Done battling at Mesagoza West. Kebabs amazing. Do you need dinner? She sent. Whatever was going on with their mother for funding at school, Mei would be flush for a bit after going through the local pet-owning teenagers like a Rillaboom through a banana store.
She looked down at Terpsi. Her starter was about finished under her napkin. "You want another set?" she asked.
The little Bounsweet tossed the napkin back and shook herself in a 'no' but smacked her lips. Mei nodded and poured another cup of water down. Terpsi started lapping it right up.
"My Sprigatito really doesn't drink like that," Teff observed.
"Bounsweet are tropical originally. It's a little dry here for them out of the forest's shade," Victor answered.
"They're pretty juicy plant Pokemon, so she needs to be kept well-watered," Mei said. Terpsi cheeped agreement in between gulps.
"Is she going to be able to keep hydrated when she evolves?" Teff asked.
"From what the Pokedex says, Steenee have a lot thicker skin, so she'll have an easier time maintaining hydration," Mei said. She reached down and patted Terpsi's leaves.
"You'll be so much tougher too," Mei crooned.
"Their final evolution gets tremendously strong, as strong as Golem," Victor said.
"Worried?" Mei asked with a grin.
"About Golem?" Victor said, his mouth curled up. "You don't train those for the battle circuit. They're vulnerable to almost half the elements and too slow to counterplay without having an advantage in power from the trainer. Almost everything will have something they're vulnerable too without even planning for Golem."
"Isn't grass vulnerable to a lot?" Trigo pointed out.
"Tsareena have decent speed and better elemental defenses," Victor said, before Mei could say anything. "Grass still isn't common, but the queen of Fruit Pokemon has a lot more options for counterplay on an even field."
"So really, it depends on the trainer, doesn't it?" Victor summarized. Mei nodded. That was a fair summary.
Mei's phone chimed again.
Dinner at cafeteria. Thought you might be back. Fading though, when at Naranja? Rose had sent.
"Oh she's falling asleep again already. My poor sister's sleep pattern is all messed up," Mei commented aloud.
"Last few days have been intense. The dorm has been pretty quiet, but I've woken up a few times myself in the night," Trigo sympathized.
"Do you need to head over?" Teff asked.
"I don't think I want to be out in the city after it gets dark anyway," Mei said.
"I think you should worry more about us, Miss Battler," Teff said.
"Yes, yes, I'll protect you," Mei assured, then glanced over at the food truck.
"One more round of kebabs though."
On my way soon, hope to be back in a half hour, she sent.
Mei made a mental note for her school life: Mesagoza is busier in the evening on weekends than in the morning. She'd been worse at handling noises and the crowd than normal on Thursday, but the press on the main roads felt even worse than the day she'd been stressed out. It took twice as long to get back to Naranja as it had taken to reach the West Pokemon Center.
The sun was setting past the city by the time they could see the stairs up to the Academy across the battle plaza. She was way over her initial time estimate and sent a hasty apologetic update to Rose.
It's fine, you're nearly here. I'm staying up, came back after a minute. Mei winced.
As they broke out of the crush to cross the inactive plaza, her mood was downright dire from being late and being in the city. A fair number of people were using the plaza as a shortcut, with a tight knot standing near the tape surrounding the hall Nemona had accidentally blown in it. With the street lights on, the dark scarring from the electrical burns contrasted the bright painted tile.
"Palkia around us they still haven't put a plate in place. It's been two days!" Mei said, lashing out on the court's behalf, happy to find an outlet for her annoyance.
"We've been lucky to not get any rain the last two days. That's going to be much nastier to repair if they don't," Trigo agreed.
"Can we see it? I haven't been up close yet," Teff asked.
"It's basically on the way," Mei noted. The four plus their Pokemon wandered up towards the hole, only for one of the cluster to break and hold them back.
"Sorry, we're taping at the moment," the woman said, wearing dark glasses with an earbud despite night setting in.
Mei tried to crane around but couldn't see past the woman with her height. Victor had a bit of an advantage there. "One of the local news stations, is my guess," Victor commented.
"One of," the woman muttered, but stepped back and gestured. Mei leaned over to get a better view. There were a few crew holding lights and a boom mike with a reporter in a suit kneeling next to the hole. The lights hadn't been obvious with the court lights blaring down.
Inside the ring of people, a couple Magnemite were bobbing around the sides keeping additional lights angled into the hole. A Belibolt was jiggling to keep charged as it held additional cords for the human crew's equipment.
A crew member not holding any equipment but wearing headphones saw them and spoke into a mike briefly. The woman held her ear. "You're all Naranja students, right? Want to be on TV for a couple questions? You've got good timing," she said.
"That remains to be seen," Mei groused under her breath.
"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," Trigo said. Mei shrugged. She was in a bad mood, and the stairs were a marathon, not a sprint. It was probably best not to climb while all huffy.
The director gestured them over and the extra lights shut off as the reporter stood up. The director pulled his headphones off as they got closer and spoke, "First-years, right? We're doing a segment on the court repairs. Someone in the city government looks like they're juggling funds to try and rush the repairs, and so Mike over there will just ask your thoughts." Mike, in the suit by the hole, waved but was working through a bottle of water.
"Isn't it good they're fixing the court? You need good Pokemon courts in a city this size," Victor asked.
The director gave a thumbs up. "Absolutely," he said, "Ask that when we get the cameras on. Yeah, except someone screwed up on the court and its upgrades weren't installed correctly. Then today some big 'anonymous' donation came in under the 'Blazing Path Restoration Committee' earmarked for repairs." He actually made quote signs.
"If they patch it up fast, the city will have less pressure for a proper investigation. Also, it's been a bit of a slow week so we're picking up the story," the director admitted.
"That name is so dumb I like it," Teff remarked. He worked 'Blazing Path' over in his mouth a few times.
"Right, it sounds like a student thing, doesn't it? There were some initial thoughts when we spotted it that the Student President was making up for breaking it-" the director got interrupted.
"Nemona did nothing wrong!" Mei said hotly, "I saw that match. She spotted the fault faster than anyone else after it broke too! She's a wonderful trainer!"
"Really? You were an eyewitness?" the director asked, delighted. Mei nodded.
"Okay, maybe more than a few questions. But to continue, Nemona herself and her family certainly have funds of that level, but it didn't take much thought that she would either do it in her name as an apology or something like 'Pokemon Battle Lovers' for an anonymous donation. One of our interns looked a little further and it turned out to be tagged to a League email account. Which one, we didn't get, but those don't get handed out to part-timers," the director said excitedly.
"The League is responsible for inspecting the courts," Trigo said slowly. The director pointed at him.
"Naranja kids, always sharp!" he said, delighted, "Right so either the city or the League rushes in extra funds for repairs so everything is torn up for repairs before an investigation into the how and why of the upgrade, which wasn't cheap, getting botched."
Terpsi squeaked angrily and Mei nodded.
"She's absolutely right. Cover-ups are not okay," Mei said angrily. Teff nodded in agreement.
"We're both from Galar," he explained.
"Mike, you got to get over here and listen to these beautiful kids! We are hitting gold today!" the director said, delighted.
(Director – here's the transcript for the segment. Will Geeta let me go to sleep now? Penny)
INT: Mesagoza Dusk studios
CLOSE UP: Bero at desk
Bero:"And tonight's "Working for Justice" on "Mesagoza Dusk". The recent failure of Mesagoza's Central Battle Court, a city fixture for centuries. Tragic bad luck or corruption at work? Our city reporter Mike recorded this report earlier."
EXT: Battle Court. Mike kneeling near damage
Mike: "Thursday evening, the new fixture of the Naranja Battle Brawl, entertaining and edifying the community, nearly ended in injury when the court was overloaded. You can see the burn scarring behind me. Despite an upgrade this summer with expensive top-grade refined materials, the court suffered a fault. You can see the cabling melted in the hole."
ZOOM IN: Damaged undercourt layer
Mike (v/o): "The experts we talked to said this looked like a mechanical error on installation. Court repairs were on hold while an investigation went into possible misuse of taxpayer funds. The city council has been withholding funds while the investigation determined the damage. Earlier today, a sizable donation was given under the name of the 'Blazing Path Restoration Committee' to fund the start of repairs. A charity that has no other known actions or any history associated with it.
ZOOM OUT: Mike at hole, serious expression.
Mike: "A charity, however, that Working for Justice discovered is tied to high-level members of the Pokemon League. While the Chairwoman's association with Mesagoza's famed Academy was a necessity for supporting the Pokemon school through its recent scandals, the League typically keeps to its Gyms and out of Mesagozan politics. Working for Justice caught some new students to the institution returning from a day in the city, and asked their opinions."
EXT: Battle court, four kids and partner Pokemon present, Narnaja uniform. Chyron switches to each kid as interviewed.
ZOOM IN: Teff
Mike: "You're from Wyndon, what do you think of Paldea?"
Teff from Galar: "It's gorgeous. I haven't had a chance to see outside the city besides the plane in, but I love your weather here."
Mike: "And the League reallocating funds?"
Teff from Galar: "I think if the League doesn't want to dig something up, it's even more necessary to look at it. I don't believe Paldea is at any risk of a Darkest Day, but the former Chairman Rose thought he knew best too.
SWITCH TO: (Penny note: This was a cut but not labelled as such on the transcript. Mei was next in line but left to the end of the four) Trigo
Mike: "You're from Mesagoza yourself. So, you saw the infrastructure upgrades this summer?"
Trigo from Mesagoza (looking to left, amused): "Uh, That's right."
Trigo from Mesagoza (Looks into camera): "My Dad is a chef at Go-for-broke, and they do a lot of delivery work. It was a pain this summer, but he was sure the expanded sidewalks would pay off for foot traffic. It's a real shame on the court."
Mike: "What do you think of the project now?"
Trigo from Mesagoza: "I'm not sure what more to add. If the contractors didn't do their job, they should pay it back. And if the council picked the wrong contractors, I'd like to know. Are the sidewalks safe?"
Mike: "A very good question."
PAN TO: Victor
Victor from Kalos: "It's really a travesty if courts aren't keeping up with trainers. Legends protect us, this is the era of the Poke ball."
Mike: "What do you mean there?"
Victor from Kalos: "You can look almost anywhere in the last decade to see how new trainers are doing compared to trainers who started in the Apricorn days adjusting to the modern synthetic. Look how many young trainers have been beating Champions with decades of experience."
Mike: "You think this was jealousy?"
Victor from Kalos (suddenly cautious): "I didn't mean to imply that, but I can see how you would draw the conclusion. These courts are the only place safe in city-limits for high-level trainers to go all out. And Naranja has some of the best trainers in Mesagoza.
Mike: "Outside the League itself, you mean."
Victor from Kalos: "Well, obviously the League full-timers would be stronger than most students."
Mike: "Sorry, maybe you misunderstood. Let me rephrase. The League courts would be only other nearby battle courts capable of letting Champion-grade trainers train at their potential?"
Victor from Kalos (nettled): "Is this a joke on my Paldean? Of course, the League's private facilities would be as good or probably better."
CUT TO: Mei (Penny note: Mei's subtitled. I saw the broadcast and she's perfectly understandable. There are also some visible cuts, so there's more ranting than here.)
Mei from Galar: "Can't believe they would do something like that."
Mike: "They?"
Mei from Galar: "The Committee or what you said! I saw this battle. Champion Nemona's moves were well within the standards of great trainers worldwide. If anything, they were too simplistic at her level. My sister thinks she was holding back at the Brawl."
Mike: "You think the League is trying to put blame on Naranja's student council president?"
Mei from Galar: "What? Maybe? She was distraught – that move went background and nearly hurt a Pokemon because she thought the court would do its job. If a fire or water move had overloaded it, the crowd could easily have been seriously injured. Whoever did this was criminal!"
Mike (Penny note: There was a definite cut there. The background noise changed. I filtered it on this scene, and you can hear one of the crew just chanting 'thank you, thank you for these ratings' as a mantra, by the way): "So you think this was deliberate malevolence?"
Mei from Galar: "It wouldn't be the first Chairman this year doing something criminal for glory. Why does Paldea let your Champion run both halves of the League, by the way? Who is checking up on either?"
Mike: "That's a very good question, miss."
INT: Mesagoza Dusk studio
Bero: "That was Mike on the scene, working for a better Mesagoza. Naranja has always relied on the city of Mesagoza to help provide its students with the battle aspects of its world-class education. If student's can't be guaranteed that, what does that say for the region's future? "Working for Justice" promises to keep investigating.
(Miriam – see the attached, especially if you missed the news broadcast Saturday night. The Chairwoman isn't pleased. Several of the students interviewed are on her flagged list for special interest. The students certainly did nothing wrong to give their opinion, especially with the chaos in Galar. I would like to move up our discussion on your class to Monday rather than the end of the week, however – Clavell.)
"Thank you, thank you," the director kept babbling, shaking their hands one after another. "You all were great." Their Pokemon were back out, having been put up for filming.
"Really? I thought I stuttered," Trigo said.
"We can clean that up in editing. No one will be able to tell," the director assured him, "It'll probably air tonight or tomorrow. Stay tuned, because this is going to be gold! Hey, Palm? Can you get these kids some Great Balls or something?"
"I think we have a few rattling around in the van. I'll go check," the woman with the earpiece who stopped them earlier reported and jogged over to a news fan parked by the court.
"Ugh, it's nearly nine," Mei said, looking at the time. Getting to yell about people being stupid over the damned court was nice. She wasn't sure how much of her five minutes of ranting about Nemona getting used as a scapegoat would be used, but whatever. Mei felt better.
Sorry, got held up. Should be upstairs soon. Got a story, Mei sent.
I'm trying to stay up. Door is unlocked so come in, came an immediate reply. Hearing Rose so eager to hear about the day helped clear some of the last irritation.
"It may even get in tonight at eleven. This is probably the most interesting thing happening in town today. Feels bad for whoever interviewed the police when they actually caught a drive-by purse snatching, but that's the breaks," the director gloated.
"Sorry, maybe you misunderstood. Let me rephrase," Mei threw Mike's response at the director, as Victor grinned.
"It's getting late, and we have a lot to do before school starts. I'm not really worried about how fast your editing goes," Mei said.
The director's eyes narrowed, but then he laughed. "That's fair – you said you're from Galar?" he asked. Mei nodded.
"We may have to put subtitles up. Your accent's a little strange to parse. We don't keep the top eleven o'clock slot by overestimating our audience," he warned.
"Whatever," Mei said in Kantonian.
"Pardon?" the director said.
"Nothing," Mei continued in Galarian. Teff smirked.
"Now, now, don't overestimate your audience," Victor advised in Kalosian. Mei giggled.
"Who has the table with the translator app?" the director muttered.
"Sorry, didn't say anything bad. Paldea needs better programmers on its language software," Mei said.
"Yeah, we covered that in a two-parter earlier this summer. What a disaster for tourism that's been, on top of the Tera problem not dying down," the director said.
"I just hope this helps get the hole fixed properly," Mei said.
"Yeah, none of us need a court of this caliber yet, but the Battle Brawl was talked up in the school pamphlets," Victor said.
"I've seen a few and the school Champions are spectacular. I hope it's not gone too long," Trigo added.
"A little fire on the League to push the investigation should go a long way. It's probably one of the workers decided to steal from the till. The stuff they were packing in this court is so refined you can dope up a whole MRI worth of wiring to superconducting with a few grams," Mike said.
"Is it okay to just leave it out then?" Teff asked, alarmed.
"It's already been integrated. If you wanted to refine it back out you'd have better luck starting with a couple hundred Magnemite husks," the reporter said. One of the Magnemites holding area lighting bobbed in alarm as it was passing by.
"From shedding," Mike clarified. The Magnemite's eye swapped to happy and it buzzed as it continued to help pack up.
"We did a special on modern ranching a little while ago. Sue got a little shaken," the reporter said apologetically.
"I was born on one. It's a tough headspace," Mei acknowledged.
That down note led to the conversation trailing off. The hike up the stairs helped burn off some of dinner, and the group was then left waiting at the elevator.
Teff pushed the call button again. "C'mon already," he urged.
Mei would pace back and forth but her legs hurt from the stairs. She sat on a bench with Terpsi in her lap and tried to glare the elevator doors to open.
The older student running the desk put down his magazine. "They were hauling a baby grand piano and it took ten minutes to get it in the elevator," he stated.
"Who is they?" Victor said.
"Couple of the music students. At least, I hope they were music students. That would be a lot of work for a conversation piece," he finished with a chuckle.
"How long ago?" Mei snapped.
"The doors closed right before you got in the lobby," the watch student said. The classmates groaned.
Almost an hour after Rose sent her first text of the evening, Mei finally made it back to their floor. She stopped by the common area first, but there were only a couple of older students watching some drama and turned as she entered.
"That one?" one with light streaks in her dark hair asked.
"Yep," the other one with darker blue hair replied. A Sensu-style Oricorio popped up over the couch and angrily shook a fan at Mei. The first girl patted the Pokemon's head.
"You're the Ghost Gym trainer," Mei identified. The light-streaked young woman nodded her head.
"And you're definitely a natural talent. But some of us need to spend time meditating undisturbed to keep making progress," the Gym trainer snapped back.
"Mela's not here until late Sunday, so don't go stomping around again, all right?" the other girl warned. Mei nodded.
"See? Rookie mistake," the second girl said placatingly. The two of them grinned at Mei's brief bristle.
Mei lifted her nose in the air and trotted off, the Oricorio waving mockingly after her as the two went back to their program. She tapped on Rose's door but there wasn't an answer, though light was visible under the door. She was about to knock louder to be polite, but after a glance towards the kitchenette and considering, she tried the handle instead.
As Rose had promised it was unlocked. The overhead lights were on, but the kitchen area was empty, and the bathroom was open and unlit. Rose wasn't in either part of the suite visible from the door.
Mei strode forward to the bend in the dorm room to the study/sleeping area. Rose was cleaned up for bed in her Scalebacks pajamas sitting on the floor next to her bed with her head slumped forward. Her cat was asleep in a small bed and the Petilil was rooted in a pot snoozing.
"Rose?" Mei asked cautiously. Rose's head jerked up and then went back down.
"Mei? Giratina wants… petals there in the south sector… why am I here?" she mumbled into her knees. Her head lifted and her eyes fluttered open, gleaming brightly. It wasn't clear to Mei if she was awake or talking in a dream.
"Rose, it's fine. Let's get you into bed," Mei said. She set Terpsi down to carefully approach. Rose's head turned to face her but her eyes were staring in the distance.
"No! Stayed up, electric in the morning. Got to talk. Something's coming. Paldea. Mom is… there are Tauros stampeding in the East Sector!" Rose mumbled, getting louder. Mei was leaning towards 'Rose is asleep' at this point.
Mei stepped over and lightly grabbed Rose's shoulder to shake her awake.
She wasn't expecting the scream. Mei and Terpsi screamed back in response. Mei jumped away with enough of a trainer boost that Rose's desk creaked as she hit it.
Rose's scream stopped and her eyes flew open again, still shining. She mimed pulling a Poke ball from her belt and throwing it, though neither was present. She looked around wildly, still not seeing.
"Okay, that is it," came an angry voice from the hallway, and the hairs on Mei's neck rose as the cold breath of a ghost Pokemon brushed against her neck. She whirled to see a Shuppet half-phased through the wall giggling at her with his horn glowing.
"Watch it," she chided him, too furious to be scared. Stunned, the Shuppet backed up until only his eyes were visible on this side of the wall.
"How did you make Bozo do that?" said the Gym trainer, coming around the bend and shocked past her anger.
"She's Giratina's-" Rose sleepily began. She was trying to use the bed to stand, but missed and smacked her hand on the floor instead.
"Ow!" Rose yelped, and Ivy turned in his sleep. "No, need your sleep. Didn't realize I was using you. Both of you. No sun now. Not fair. Stay asleep. Gotta stand for myself," Rose advised, still sounding dreamy. Rose tried again and this time made it to her feet. She swayed with her head bobbing forward.
"Rose, maybe you should," Mei started and there was a sudden cackle behind her. She stopped and shivered as Bozo put a claw of eldritch energy on her shoulder.
"I don't sure you should get close. What did you say she was?" the Gym trainer asked.
"Giratina's favorite. Even if she didn't ride. Everyone's favorite really," Rose said, dazed.
Mei swallowed, as the grip on her shoulder tightened. Glancing with just her eyes she could see some of the color leaving the Gym trainer's face.
"Maybe you should come to the hall," the Gym trainer phrased as not a suggestion.
"Rose is my sister! She invited me to talk," Mei said.
"She promised to come! I tried to stay up. Did I fall asleep? It got harder and harder when the sun went down. Something I can't focus on. They had to go to sleep, and I had to sit down for a second," Rose said. She started walking towards Mei but missed a step. She caught herself against her desk chair. Mei started to raise a hand but found herself being pulled backwards.
Rose giggled. "Floor is uneven and broken. Good for me then. Bad dreams. I can remember them now, but am I dreaming? I was pulling so much. Something trying to get in. Just bad dreams again and again. Or good dreams of a bad place. I'm so sorry Mei. All this. It's all my fault," Rose stopped and suddenly started sobbing.
Rose suddenly shouted through the tears, "Mei, you can't just let the memories grab you. Trust in the spirits. I know it's not what you wanted, and it isn't easy. It's not what you would have wanted. Not this thing you got turned into. I don't know how to fix it. No hints for this, not a whisper. A broken little girl who doesn't fit anywhere and can't fix anything. Only broken people want to deal with me and Mei isn't broken."
She suddenly wiped her eyes clear of tears, and Mei realized her eyes weren't just gleaming, they were actually glowing, a green tinged white. Mei couldn't think when Rose had ever gone this deep.
"I'm sorry you had to come deal with me! But don't fall in with the knight to try and get away! I know you can control it, better than me if you just try, Mei!" Rose wailed. She tried to take a step forward and instead slumped to the floor, legs out.
"Your sister's elementally sensitive. Oh shit. Your sister's sensitive and she's trying to pull with her Pokemon asleep. And she's pulling anyway," the ghost trainer said, frightened.
"She's always been good at listening for clues," Mei said weakly.
"Doesn't she have a talisman for bedtime?" the Gym trainer asked.
"What?" Mei said.
"Lady of Good Dreams give me strength," the ghost trainer said, utterly exasperated. She motioned slightly to her Pokemon. Bozo the Shuppet pulled Mei the rest of the way over to his trainer before floating away. Rose saw Mei moving away and made a gesture to grab Mei, then looked at her hand surprised when she only got air.
"Those two little ones say your sister's barely a trainer, so she isn't deliberately channeling. But her eyes are glowing, and you haven't freaked out about it. You knew," the gym trainer accused, "Your parents knew and let an elemental sensitive become a battle trainer without prepping her."
"I've never heard this could be trouble before! She's always been picking up from around her, and it hasn't been a problem! No one ever said anything!" Mei protested.
"Everyone probably figured you knew," the gym Trainer muttered, "But she's ten times more sensitive at least to this as a battle trainer. It should route through her Pokemon. We can fix it though. I should have something." The trainer jogged to the door.
"Hailey! Get my bag from the couch!" she shouted.
Mei started to move back to Rose but the trainer whirled around and speared her with a look. Bozo flew in front of her and produced a warning Ghost Claw from under his 'skirt'. Mei glared and the Shuppet's eyes widened. Backed by his trainer he held firm.
"Oh no you don't. She doesn't want to deal with you. She called you Giratina's friend," the trainer said.
There is no possible way I can explain that without Rose and I sounding crazy or worse right now, Mei realized.
"No! Everyone likes Mei! She got a favor even though she helped cause the problem!" Rose protested. She staggered to her feet again.
"She's the one who's supposed to be here! I'm not, I think. It's why I get in the way and drag stuff down, but she'll take me away. Mei and I had to share a room all the time, you know? She wouldn't have a Champion in her and she could just go off to become Champion without worrying. Instead, she got me and that thing." Rose finished and her head bowed forward again.
Mei's guts churned as Rose kept talking. Terpsi squeaked confrontationally but Mei shook her head. They couldn't win, and with poor Rose in her state, she'd probably end up in the crossfire. Dragons, she still didn't' seem aware there were people here.
"That's downright babbling," the ghost trainer decided. Hailey, the other girl, ran up with a bag decorated with purple sigils and two concert flyers for Ryme pasted on.
"What in the Cycle's going on?" Hailey asked.
"Bad vibes getting into her. She didn't know to screen them out," the ghost trainer explained.
"Blight!" Rose agreed mournfully, her head snapping up, "Running through Paldea, and she's scared enough she's throwing her pride away."
"Okay, obviously grass because I have eyes and those two little ones. Does she have any sub-specialties? Her eyes aren't glowing green, and that's suspicious. We're working on the fly here, and it'll be easier if I know," the ghost trainer said. She rummaged into her bag, finally pulling out a sheath of paper in triumph.
"The other one was ground! I used to be. I thought maybe still with Mom but I'm not rooted," Rose offered, "Always good with Earthquakes back then. Big old Alium kept me grounded. He was so sweet. I miss them and that's not fair since they were never mine, and my dear friends are here. I think they're out there still, though. I hope they are, that someone didn't sacrifice to this. Azucena and Ivy are patient with weird little me. The sideshow." Rose slumped against the deck, suddenly exhausted.
"Grass and ground?" the trainer said doubtfully, "Not what I would have picked."
"That was then," Rose dazedly assured, tracing a finger on the desk. "It never was here, any time. It's all broken up now my training. There may be something, not sure what. Mom never cared enough to look. It would explain some things. There was a beautiful stream I needed to show Mei. It was important that I might not be completely useless. There was another place but there's too much noise now."
"Mom loves you, Rose. I love you," Mei said softly.
"Mom did a lot! It's part of why it hurts so bad, and I can't decide where I stop. There's a life where I'm not 'and Rose' but I didn't want to know and I need to like this," Rose said. She paused, confused.
"There's someone else here? I'm not supposed to talk about this, was I?" she asked.
Mei glanced over, the ghost trainer had pulled out a few pens and was holding them to the light. Sensing she was being looked at, she made continuing motions with a free hand.
"Tell me about the stream, if it was important," Mei urged.
"It felt like it was somewhere with answers. Alamy couldn't feel power, but I did. I hoped it meant something. Trees used to care but they're too big or too important to mind or care now. You might be trees still. She never checked you over closely either, Mei, did she? She never wanted to. She wanted it all to go away and always be quiet. Paldea's supposed to be quiet, but it's only because everyone wasn't doing anything. That stopped," Rose explained.
"Mei, there's something bad here and you'll have to help fix it if you're going to be Champion. Close, too close, running out of time," Rose suddenly muttered, then stopped focusing on the desk and looked right at Mei, though her eyes were focused past here.
"Mei, if there's anything you listen to me right now, it needs to be this. We're not hiding from Gabriel. There's something else. I can't hear it now, she's kept it hidden too long," Rose said urgently.
"Do either of you get anywhere with water?" the ghost trainer asked. She was holding up a turquoise piece of paper, considering.
"We lived in a desert in Galar, and it didn't seem to drain us. My other one's Fuecoco," Mei said, miserable. What was going on here? Terpsi sent frantic calming emotions, and Mei tried to relax. Someone who knew what they were doing was here.
"Pome and Terpsi are so nice," Rose agreed, dazed again, "I'm glad we came to Paldea to meet them and my lovelies. Galar was good but we weren't transplanted properly Mei. Something broke Mom badly and nothing ever got a hint of it. I've never been strong enough or good enough. But we know why that is now, don't we?"
Rose took a couple staggering steps forward and Bozo hissed, turning around. His horn glowed briefly but then he shook his head.
"She's too scattered for there to be emotions to drain," the ghost trainer explained.
"Should I hold her?" Mei said. Bozo spun back warningly towards Mei but didn't extend claws again.
"Only if it looks like she's going to hurt herself. Nothing's moved in, so it's not ghosts directly," the trainer said. She glanced at Mei.
"What now?" Mei asked.
"You probably should get that looked into for yourself. Bozo usually only listens to me," the trainer noted.
"Not. The. Problem," Mei hissed.
"It's me. I'm the problem!" Rose said brightly then sobbed.
"When things are going great, everyone just looks past me. But there are two, no three, looking right now, aren't they?" Rose stated then suddenly stepped backwards, staggering, and slumped to the floor again. She looked up and focused on Mei, her eyes dimming to natural green.
"Mei? It's bad right now. It's never been like this. Did you finally come? There's too much coming in, I can't follow and it makes me keep listening," Rose pleaded. She shook her head and swallowed. When she reopened her eyes, they were glowing brighter again.
"Try the fourth one," Rose advised, "That's all I can do. Things have started to notice I'm here. No one wants me and I'm tired."
The ghost trainer looked at the sheath of papers and counted back, pulling one that was bright silver.
"Interesting," she muttered.
"I want you Rose," Mei pleaded. Team Flare hadn't been much for psychics or ghosts. She had nothing for experience with this. And it sounded like this should be simple.
Maybe you should know, but it was easier being seeds and keeping Mom's attention than looking on your own, wasn't it? A treacherous voice that sounded like Mei's own, not even the Knight's, whispered in her head. She grimaced. This wasn't the time for what-could-have-beens.
"Why interesting?" Haily prompted, still by the door.
"No moon tonight and she wanted that one," the ghost trainer said.
"I am very happy to get a metaphysics lecture afterwards, but we can table that for now?" Mei asked. Rose started to get up again.
"Rose, please, just go to bed! You need sleep!" Mei pleaded.
"She does! And I wanted to! Being a hero's dangerous but I couldn't leave it be. Even if I'm just scraps for the dragons. Why didn't you come, Mei? You're the one this is for! Pokemon like you. People don't mind talking to you, and you don't mind either. Mom likes to talk to you!" Rose said, her voice at the end twisting with malice.
"Rose, of course Mo-" Mei started but Rose held up a warning finger.
"She's fighting on too many fronts to believe that right now, Mei," Rose said. Her voice was suddenly deeper. Older, much older. And very tired.
"She's pulled me up as a last resort and she hates me. She doesn't know how else to handle it," the Ranger explained, "But dragons know, she's trying to push me down and good for her, but I don't have enough emotional weight to hold long. I'm a paper-thin illusion of another self to buy time. She's thrown me up as a voice she can focus on she knows she loathes. She's quite clever."
"Keep talking then," Mei advised. She glanced over at the ghost trainer, who gave a hurried nod. She had the silver piece of paper up on the wall and scrawled on it.
"What's Rose's favorite color, Mei?" the Ranger asked.
"Purple, obviously," Mei said, a bit confused. This was a sudden turn to more normal ground.
"Mine was red. Yours is red. The Knight couldn't avoid red," the Ranger noted.
Rose leaned forward and her voice was suddenly lighter for a moment as she spoke, "Mirrors have helped, when you do the talisman."
"Obviously, this isn't amateur hour," the ghost trainer muttered.
Rose stiffened and the Ranger continued, "Harder question. What's her favorite story?"
"What?" Mei asked.
"Story. I'll take a tv show as much as a book. Something fiction Rose loves," the Ranger said, and Rose grimaced.
"We're running low on time. It's pressing in enough I can't get to the point," the Ranger warned.
"Don't listen to them, then. I'm right here, listen to me. I love you Rose," Mei urged.
"Favorite story," the Ranger insisted.
"Rose doesn't usually read fiction!" Mei wailed, "She reads tourism books and wildlife guides and those silly art collection sets that are usually at higher resolution online these days!"
"If she remembers you said that later, she's going to take back that set of Kalosian second dynasty tapestry prints," the Ranger warned. Mei winced despite the situation's gravity. She wasn't halfway through that one.
"The Ranger Kellyn series?" Mei hazarded.
The Ranger gave a groan and Rose's body language shifted. "Those are fun!" Rose said brightly, "They're all a team even if it's one human on their own. You know all the others still care for her if she she's separated and even if you have to be a lone hero they love you."
Rose paused and put a pained hand to her forehead. "Mei, please listen to her. Farther back," Rose pled.
"Like younger? In Jubilife or Solaceon? You had those Teddy the Ursaring books but you didn't take those to Galar," Mei said. The curse of a good memory when picking something was plenty of options.
"Deeper," the Ranger stressed.
"Why can't you just tell me?" Mei said, gritting her teeth. Of all the times to be difficult about something.
"Because you should be able to answer! Ask me yours later!" Rose said bitterly.
"You should know. It's right at the source, and it's right at Netty's first question," the Ranger said, then stumbled backwards, grabbing onto the desk chair to stay up.
"She's not having fun anymore. The other one's all torn up now," Rose said, growing pale, "Better hurry."
"Netty?" Mei asked.
"Me!" the ghost trainer said from where she was still scribbling. She looked at her work critically for a moment.
"Ryme is right. I do need to work on my calligraphy," she muttered.
"The source," Mei prompted.
"Claws and fangs, they exact a toll," Rose sing-sang, tired.
"That sounds old," Hailey said.
"It's a myth on why trainer violence is limited when we have patches, part of Sinnoh's myths," Mei answered, distracted. Her eyes widened.
"I'm an idiot," Mei said. She looked Rose up and down properly. Rose was ready for bed. Hair down, makeup cleared off, and jewelry removed.
"Rose where do you keep your necklace?" Mei asked.
Rose smiled and nodded, but then winced and shook her head. "You found the source but they're too close. I barely can stay," she whispered.
Mei growled, "Queen idiot in the kingdom of idiots." She reached for her own copy of the Trio symbol and pulled hard enough the clasp snapped open. Bozo floated aside and Mei rushed to Rose, pressing the necklace into her hand.
Rose staggered, then straightened like a weight had been removed. "It's a start," she muttered, "Yours is good but I know mine. Might be enough." Stumbling, Rose started towards her bed.
"Got it!" Netty called and held the silver paper out triumphantly. It was covered with symbols Mei didn't recognize. She skipped across the room and tapped it on Rose's forehead.
Ivy and Azucena suddenly shifted in their sleep. Mei would swear later she could smell roses and hibiscus. The glow in Rose's eyes died down to the normal gleaming when she was focused inward and Mei sighed in relief.
"Not done, but that's better," Rose said, sounding amused. She looked down at her hand and gently gave Mei her necklace back.
"Top drawer, in a box next to my socks," she informed Mei. Mei rushed to the dresser and found a small jewelry box. Opening it up had the necklace on top. Mei pulled it out and handed it to Rose.
Rose's hand trembled holding it for several seconds, then she gently opened the clasp and put it around her neck. She blinked a few times, her eyes normal, and worked her mouth as if dry.
"Mei, when did you get here? Did I fall asleep? Did we talk? Where's your Pokemon?" Rose asked. She turned to survey the room and jumped in surprise at Netty and the Shuppet.
"Sorry, I can take that," Netty said, pulling the piece of paper free. There was no change to Rose's visage.
"Mei, are we playing a game?" Rose asked nervously, "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name." Rose gave a deep bow, politeness taking over in the face of surprise.
"Netty. You were asleep on the floor when your sister came in," Netty answered. Rose nodded, then yawned and her eyes fluttered.
"You were too tired for us to talk Rose. Terpsi's over by the door. We'll talk in the morning. I can do breakfast, okay?" Mei proposed. Netty nodded slightly.
"Oh. Good night, then?" Rose asked, confused. Mei, Bozo, and Netty walked towards the door and Rose sleepily escorted them out. Terpsi cautiously got to her feet near the door.
"Oh, hello there, Terpsi? Are you alright? You seem all sad," Rose said, then yawned.
Terpsi sniffed and tried to put on a brave face.
"We had a long day," Mei said, and picked Terpsi up in her arms as they went out of the room.
Mei paused at the doorframe. "Oh, Rose, sorry. I had a bet with Netty. What's my favorite story?" she asked.
Rose giggled. "It's the Knights of Kalos's Pyroar order against King AZ, during the rebellion, silly," Rose said, shaking her head at the obviousness of it.
She turned to Netty. "She always liked Sir Sargassum, you see, because he had a Ferrothorn," she explained. Netty gave a taut smile.
Rose looked the ghost trainer over and then nodded. "I did talk to you earlier. I'm glad you made up," Rose realized, "Mei can be a little intense but means well."
"Go to sleep Rose. Leave the necklace on," Mei instructed.
Rose glanced down in surprise at her neck, then shrugged.
"If you say so? What were we doing?" Rose asked, then yawned again.
"Right, right, doing what I'm told," Rose mumbled and closed the door. There was the click of a lock, and the lights went out below the door.
Mei fell to the ground, no strength in her legs and her hands trembling. She could feel tears well in her eyes and she covered her mouth to avoid a scream.
"That got too close," Netty whispered.
"Netty, is now really the time?" Hailey asked.
"Great dragons, she thinks she's worthless," Mei whispered in horror.
"Something was whispering it to her – because someone wasn't responsible," Netty said, motioning them to the kitchenette. Hailey and Netty started walking but Mei sat motionless, staring in the distance. Netty sighed and then walked back and squatted down.
"She doesn't think anyone cares, on at least some level. If you want to prove her wrong, come now," Netty ordered.
Ice, Mei thought. No, Ice wasn't what she needed. That champion's lifeless mask, to keep everything Flare was doing to her and around her at a remove. That it didn't have to affect her. She grabbed onto it. Mei breathed deeply a few times, and when she looked up her eyes were dry. Terpsi squeaked in worry but that wasn't important now, and Mei held a finger to her lips.
Terpsi looked at her reproachfully. "You're right," Mei said, and shook her head. A Kalosian accent slipping in would cause more questions. She had to hold it all in. She held out her arms. Hailey and Netty each grabbed one to pull her to her feet, and they walked to the common area.
"It helps she has a lot of faith as an anchor. She has focused a lot on that necklace. She's stronger than I thought given how new she is," Netty continued in a conversational tone once they were far enough away. She swapped Bozo back to her Oricorio, who looked at Mei suspiciously before starting to preen.
Hailey and Netty took the couch, with Mei stiffly sitting on a nearby chair. Terpsi bounded into her lap and Mei clutched her possessively.
If I cuddle, I know I'm going to break down she sent as a warning. Terpsi relaxed and didn't press the issue.
Netty started digging through her bag again and Mei refused to fill the dead air.
It got too much for Hailey. "What was that personality thing she did?" Hailey asked.
Mei opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Even for Rose's sake, she couldn't break that secret.
"Ranger Kellyn?" Netty hazarded, not looking up.
Mei took the lifeline. "You know with kids, playing heroes and villains," she said flatly, trying to be dismissive.
"It threw them off the scent, brilliant improv," Netty complimented.
Mei trembled but held together, barely. "Threw what off the scent?" she asked calmly.
Netty looked up and over Mei, clearly surprised. "There are humans who don't connect well with Pokemon. There are Pokemon the same way. Some on both sides try to use the other instead of connecting," Netty said, a matter of course.
"Ghosts and psychics reach out spiritually all the time. Their natural powers and the competitive drive lead to pranks. There's a few fairies and dark types that do it too. You sister was listening hard, though, and some things are strong enough in those cases they can start talking back," Netty said.
"She probably would have tried to walk out of here to be something's 'trainer' with them calling all the shots," Netty reflected.
"Netty," Hailey warned, looking at Mei.
"She held it off though," Netty said hastily, "She probably wouldn't have managed the door, but people have hurt themselves falling downstairs."
"Some ancient Gogoat was trying to use my sister as a battle battery," Mei summarized, disbelieving.
Netty nodded, then stopped. "Well," she said, considering, "Probably some Tsareena, around here. The wild ones are naturally very controlling. No offense," she added to Terpsi, who nodded, understanding. Crawling up from the bottom of the food chain took spirit.
"You said this is easily preventable?" Hailey asked, pushing the conversation along.
"It's a basic mental health concern. Doctors are supposed to tell patients. A couple minor purification seals to disrupt the larger elemental aura is enough to stop a clear signal. A Psychic would need more, but those are easy to detect and get training. A ward doesn't need much power to keep the connection from being 'legible'. It doesn't have to try and actually block a Pokemon move like a court, so it's easy to do," Netty said.
"Does she need a grass specialist?" Mei asked, voice flat.
"I'd take her down to the chapel for whatever shaman or priest is on duty and get a quick purification. She needs more sleep, too. If her bond with her Pokemon develops more, even sleeping they should be able to carry the load. A more nocturnal Pokemon would be a good long-term solution too," Netty said.
Mei grabbed the edges of the chair, and her knuckles went white. "We've had a hectic couple of days. She was waiting up to talk to me," Mei admitted.
"You want some irony?" Netty asked. Mei shook her head.
Netty continued anyway, "If you had just ghosted her tonight, then she would have probably fallen further asleep and screened it out besides a few bad dreams."
Mei's countenance cracked. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she demanded, outraged. Terpsi squeaked defiance, even as Netty's Oricorio held up a fan in warning.
"If someone refers to you as admired by Giratina, you two probably need some space," Netty said gently, after a warning look to her bird.
"What's Giratina?" Hailey asked.
"A legend, rarely seen. The origin of ghost-types, if you go by some myths. Created by the Original One to handle all the 'exceptions', and lives on the reverse side of existence. Some legends say it guards against our universe against the eldritch. Others say the Original One gave it all the concepts of 'rebellion' so they could be contained outside the universe. It's not a common myth on this continent, but Ryme dedicated her third album to it," Netty said.
Mei forcibly unhooked her hands from the chair and put them back around Terpsi, trying to rebuild the mask.
"How am I supposed to know Giratina?" she asked coldly.
"That's some ego you leap right to knowing a legend," Netty said, amused.
Mei blinked in surprise. "Right. That'd be insanely rare," Mei said slowly. A cover story was coming together in her mind.
"We've both been under a lot of stress since becoming trainers. It's been, wow, about two and a half days total," Mei counted. She made a show of rubbing her eyes.
"I got hit hard with trainer shock from the bond on the first day," Mei admitted, "And the health teacher put Rose into challenge lock all day, apparently."
"Apparently?" Netty echoed, "How do you not notice someone needing a match a whole day?"
Mei smiled for real. "You said it, she's strong," Mei said proudly. Terpsi cheeped an urgent addendum and Mei fell back to her mask.
"She doesn't like to bother people," Mei acknowledged her Bounsweet's addition.
Netty and Hailey stared at the pair for a bit.
"You both battle-synched right away then?" Netty asked. Mei nodded. The ghost trainer groaned.
"This is a battle trainer thing?" Hailey asked. Netty nodded and Hailey rolled her eyes.
"Hailey's a pet trainer. She's full-term in the STEM track," Netty explained.
"We both grew up in Montenevera," Hailey explained. Mei didn't really care but nodded stonily.
"Some people are just sensitive period, without a natural affinity. Those cases ghost trainers usually get called in when the sleepwalking starts," Netty noted.
"I could barely keep my eyes open on the first day. It didn't happen to me," Mei reported.
"You have more self-assurance and weren't looking for something to support. Pokemon are such individuals they happened to cover you better. Or, more likely, just because you've got all that Grass running through you for power doesn't mean you're tuned in the same way. Identical twins aren't actually identical. They cover that in Sinnoh?" Netty challenged.
"Galar," Mei corrected, with forcible mildness, "Yes they did, but I thought Pokemon style and type preferences set early."
"They can change, and some of it is what people see or point out to you, and as your sister said, maybe they weren't looking hard. It's one of those enduring mysteries. Why does one baby in a family go rock and another ghost?" Netty asked.
"Trainers have some weird gaps there," Hailey commented.
"What tunes some people into an element, and a preference can become strong quickly, isn't really known," Netty said.
She hesitated, then added, "There's a few bad apples. There's a theory that gets batted around that understanding the source of how we draw up more power to Pokemon, and what shapes it, is too abusable for evil, and not needed for good to know. Our world may be under a blanket ban from having that knowledge." Hailey shivered.
Terpsi chirped up a reminder about interference and Mei nodded.
"We seem to be getting diverted. I'll take Rose to the chapel tomorrow on campus. Should I tell her about this?" Mei asked. Netty's expression switched from thoughtful and she nodded.
"On the fugue state? Yes, but carefully. I know I'm giving you shit here about what she said, but some of what she said was whatever was trying to get in trying to push you away. Not everything is what she feels, or it grossly exaggerated. Some of it is though, so you two need a deep talk, I think. I'm not a therapist. Some of it may be things she doesn't realize she feels. But be gentle. You're both new trainers. You may not realize this consciously yet, but our instincts are 'use Pokemon' in a stressful situation," Netty warned.
"I know that," Mei said softly.
"Sure, but do you feel it? If you have an argument with someone, would your first thought four days ago be that you needed to have a fight before it was settled?" Netty asked. Mei said nothing, thinking of Victor, and Netty nodded again when Mei didn't answer.
"This is why I said no," Hailey said flatly.
"There really are a lot of upsides. You really are missing-out," Netty said, sing-song. This was clearly an old debate. Hailey stuck her tongue out in response.
"I don't know your sister at all. Or you, really. Short-term, a couple seals under the mattress will be enough. Whoever's manning the chapel can give better specifics after looking her over. It probably wouldn't hurt to get some for you too," Netty said.
"And from what you've been saying, for our careers we should look if we're natural dual-types," Mei said.
"You two are walking greenhouses and you never checked anything else was growing in there?" Netty asked, shocked.
"Everyone looked at us and saw green. All the time," Mei said, still flatly. Though if they'd ever been examined for that, their mother would have handled the paperwork and discussions when they were young.
Terpsi rubbed against Mei reassuringly as she trembled internally. Rose had talked about how things seemed to be missing. That was a lot more important than it had been a couple hours ago.
"It's probably buried deep since we both got grass Pokemon to encourage the main. Is there a good way to check?" Mei asked.
"Medical diagnostic equipment isn't great when Pokemon-affected phenomenon begin. At Naranja you can probably get a master-level trainer to probe both of you, which would be a good start. Your sister's aware something's off so she's working on it, at least subconsciously," Netty said.
"Head to the biology labs when they're open next week," Hailey suggested, "Exposure to Pokemon helps develop affinity, right? When you're not already aligned?"
Netty pointed at her friend. "Good suggestion," she complimented, "I wouldn't say it's a big deal normally, but I bet both of you being out of balance isn't helping the stress. Unless you normally go around waking everyone up."
Mei didn't react to that, instead continuing the conversation. "That would explain a few things. It hasn't been… quite how our mother described them," Mei said. It wasn't quite the other experiences, from what Mei knew and Rose had described.
It may be time to put more thought into that over some direct.. continuation.
Netty gave Mei a flat look. "Your mother just told you that's how training was?" Netty asked. Mei nodded. Netty put her head in her hands, and Hailey patted her back consolingly.
"Why even keep the Gym system around? Even in Galar they give training?" Netty mumbled through her hands.
"Our mother completed the Sinnoh gym challenge when she was young," Mei protested, though not very strongly. Netty looked up, hair in her eyes, then buried her face again.
While Netty mourned the ignorance of youth, Hailey observed, "You don't seem in a rush to tell her what happened here."
Mei's mask was steady enough she could answer right away. "I can guess my mother's reaction and it would probably be to pull Rose out of Naranja. We're financially dependent to attend," Mei said. Hannah had been worried about power looking for them. A strong Pokemon, even through coincidence, could have her panic. Isolating Rose just as she was finding people seemed to Mei the worst option.
"You're both legally adults, even if you're sharing a residence. Though the money problem sucks," Netty said, finally looking up.
"I know those arguments," Hailey muttered.
"Dendra's brains are all muscles, but they're training muscles. I'm here to get my combat skills up fast, especially with Rica," Netty said, pointing to her bird, who bowed.
"Tell Professor Dendra exactly what you told me and give extra details what feels different. Both of you. It won't take her long to figure out what training materials you should have been getting," Netty instructed.
"Anything else?" Mei asked.
"When Mela gets back tomorrow, I'm going to let her know," Netty warned, "She won't have it go anywhere else. She's been there once, and if it happens to either of you again, and you're out in the halls, she'll know to be able to handle it correctly. I won't be here past the first Treasure Hunt."
"Also – you owe me one. A good-sized one, especially after your little show this morning," Netty said, briefly scowling. Mei swallowed, and even the Knight quailed. When ghost trainers talked about favors or contracts, they meant it.
Mei's eyes glimmered with tears as she shoved the Knight aside. Mei didn't have those direct fears of being a thrall, and owing just one was a bargain after everything. "Absolutely," she said relieved.
"Good," Netty said simply.
"Thank you. I'm going to go scream into a pillow then," Mei said, starting to shake. The two waved.
"Your sister will be fine the rest of the night," Netty said with sudden warmth, "And don't feel bad when the tears start again. There's no shame in it." Netty briefly looked away. There was something in her past, but Mei really didn't care at this point.
Mei stood, holding onto Terpsi, now clutching her. This wasn't time for Kalos, she had to hold it together a bit longer. She managed to walk, not run, away from the common area.
"Just one favor from that?" Hailey asked when Mei's door closed.
"She's a bit of an ass, but I think that trainer owing me a favor will have a big payout someday. This is an investment," Netty predicted.
Mei held it to the door closed. Pome left his Poke ball with a puff of expanding air after the door clicked shut. Mei, trembling, reached down to pet him. She staggered towards the bed. Terpsi looked, and after consideration, jumped up to lock the door shut.
The ten-year-old finished breaking through as Mei jumped in the bed. She pushed her face into the pillow and screamed in anguish as it muffled the sound to only she and her partners could hear. Tears streamed down her face.
"Rose, oh what did we do to you?" Mei whispered once she had control enough to breathe. Terpsi and Pome jumped in bed, and she clutched both for support as tears continued to well.
Tomorrow. She would do something to make it better tomorrow. The start of an answer. Something.
Mei glanced at the wall. Rose needed sleep now. She hugged her Pokemon and Mei thought dark thoughts of herself.
Notes: Reminder, Nemona's basically the only one who calls it the Academy Ace tournament. Even the news isn't using the official title.
This was going to be a short section as connective tissue to the end of the weekend.
Instead, sensationalist news reporting and editing of school children, and a brief Pokemon exorcism. Ended up a bit intense to write.
Sorry, characters.
If it helps lighten the mood, imagine Geeta spit-taking when she catches the news this evening.