The shade of the weeping willows was not enough to stop the angry heat Odette was feeling. Her garish and floppy derby hat wasn't helping, either.
Having Enora at her feet only made it all worse.
It was barely twenty-three degrees outside, and she still felt like she was going to break into a harsh sweat, all from the heat of the anger bubbling in her back. Despite this, she hung off of Dorien, smiling back at the dead stares from the top one percent. Once in a while, she'd gaze off over the garden, past the stark white gazebos they were standing around, and over to the neatly kept rosebushes that bordered the gravel paths through the garden. At least those were nice to look at.
"What a darling sylveon! We don't see many of the eons around here," a woman said. "Is she for sale today?"
"I don't plan to sell her," Odette said quickly, resisting the urge to curse the bitch out. She pushed through an airy laugh like she'd observed some of the other socialites doing as they spoke.
"That's a shame. Sylveons, espeons, and umbreons are really difficult to find. They don't evolve with stones, you know?" the woman said, swishing her wine around in its glass. "What evolution coercion service did you use to get her to evolve? I've never seen one successfully put out a sylveon!"
Odette started blinking. She must have looked like a deerling in headlights because she had no idea what the woman was talking about.
"I..." she stuttered. "This might be a silly question, but what's a coercion service?"
The woman placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, my apologies, sweetheart. You're new around here," she said. "They're services that evolve some of our lovely Pokemon who don't do so with stones and other knickknacks. To fetch a higher price and whatnot!"
She gasped. "Wow, things like that exist? I went out of my way to get her to evolve myself!"
Odette was acutely aware of Enora's presence at her side, and it physically pained her to allow herself to say those words. Why Enora suddenly decided to come along to this particular outing, she wouldn't say. But it made putting on her act that much harder.
That's all it is. It's an act.
A convincing one at that because some of the patrons began to laugh.
"That's impressive. Are you sure she isn't for sale? I'm very interested," that same woman said.
Odette started to shake her head more aggressively than she meant to. She instinctively extended her leg slightly, trying to metaphorically block this lady from looking at Enora like she was something to covet. "No, I think I'm going to pass."
"I'd give you 1.5 billion for her."
"Well, I'd do 2 billion!" somebody else chimed in almost immediately as if they were waiting for a price to get thrown out.
Before Odette knew it, various numbers were being screamed at her, monetary amounts she never thought she'd have directed at her in her lifetime. Women raised their comically tiny parasols, and the men tipped their bowler hats and waved their decorative canes. The commotion caused a sense of panic to swell within her, and she was suddenly conflicted about what to do. She needed to stand her ground but didn't want to subject Enora to the horror. Odette wanted to pick her up, run, and never look back. She wasn't ready for this; she didn't think Enora was ready for this.
But she couldn't do that. They were way too deep. And Enora had decided to come today, and there was no backing out.
So, she did what her character would do. She shyly leaned into Dorien and grabbed hold of his jacket.
"Alright, alright," Dorien said, looping his arm around her shoulders and raising his other hand. This effectively ended the yelling as the present patrons silenced themselves to listen to him. "She's already made it clear she's not selling, so let's not overwhelm her, okay?"
As quickly as the crowd had piped up, they retreated back into themselves, going back to eyeing Enora like she was something to eat. It was hardly a preferable change, but one that Odette would make herself stomach for now. If anything, she was more shocked to hear Dorien acting like a decent human being.
"So sorry, Dorien. We don't want to scare her off," that woman said again.
"Really, not this one. You make such a beautiful couple," a man said.
She heard Dorien chuckle, and he reached up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. As much as she wanted to retreat, she fully leaned into it but couldn't quite look him in the eye. So, she did something repulsive-she turned her head into his hand and planted a soft kiss on his palm. Maybe he'd accept it as a thank you because she wouldn't say it out loud.
"I really am lucky, aren't I?" he asked. There was a purr in his voice that made her absolutely ill. "Odette was hands down the prettiest girl in our school. But she wouldn't let anybody near her, not even me."
"Wow, a heartbreaker, huh?" somebody commented.
"I was just never really into dating in high school," Odette laughed, looking over at him and bearing the friendliest smile she could muster.
Dorien chuckled again. "She really just has high standards, so of course, she decided that I was worth the time."
"When's the wedding?" another asked jokingly.
Dorien shrugged. "Soon, I hope. I'd be able to die happy if I could call this pretty thing my wife."
Lighthearted laughs traveled around the group again, but Odette couldn't even fake a grin for that. Hearing the word 'wife' fall out of Dorien's mouth, in her regard, unearthed feelings in her stomach that couldn't be adequately described. She'd start by saying she was just downright disturbed. Even if they really were dating, they'd only been at it for a couple of weeks. Was that really where his head was?
She inhaled deeply, trying to ward off the tickle in her back. Focus. She needed to focus. "Don't get ahead of yourself, I just turned twenty-two," she warned, letting the seriousness leak into her tone. But, she smacked him playfully on the chest and reeled herself back. "Though every day with him feels like a breath of fresh air. Even if we haven't been together that long, I could maybe anticipate a wedding relatively soon."
She exhausted herself just speaking that one sentence. It was becoming unbearable.
"Oh, I love young love!" a man piped up. "You're both in your prime, though. No better time to start thinking about building your family. Every big fortune needs an heir."
"And you'd both make such beautiful babies, my gods," somebody else interjected.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream so goddamn loud.
I. Am in. Control, she had to keep repeating to herself. This is an act, and it's not real. You are playing a part.
Odette began to paw at her throat and released a couple of timed coughs. She found it harder and harder to hold herself up the longer she suppressed the anger that was churning within her. "I'm a little hoarse," she said. "I need a drink."
Dorien smiled broadly. "Of course," he said. He held his free hand out to the group. "If you'll excuse us."
Odette turned around as soon as he loosened his grip on her and took a couple of long strides away from him. She wasn't sure where she was going, but as long as she could get some distance between her and that gods-awful conversation, she didn't care. She stopped next to a standalone table inhabited by a few others. They were speaking so loud that she was able to pick up on their conversation.
"10.4 million for the spinda?"
"I'll do 10.7 million. You won't find these markings on any ol' spinda."
The longer she'd been here, the more she understood what was happening.
When she looked around, she saw hundreds more shinies than she had at the gala. As she made her rounds with Dorien upon arriving, she'd bore witness to numerous impromptu auctions, just like the one right next to her. The gala was a social event, but this was a group auction.
Fucking deplorable, she thought.
"You really thought any of this was smart?" Enora groused quietly as she sat down next to Odette's feet.
"Don't start with me, I already know that-"
She was cut off by Dorien catching up to her. He locked his arms with her and placed a hand on hers. As if he were somehow concerned about her well-being.
"Sorry about that. Traders tend to get a little excited," he said. He sounded as sincere as he had when he calmed everyone down. As he spoke, a man in a vest sauntered by with a tray of white wine, and Dorien held a hand out to snap at him.
"Two here, good sir," he said. The waiter stopped and presented the tray, and Dorien plucked two of the glasses from it, handing the second one to Odette. She took it but didn't bother to take a sip. She hardly felt like putting alcohol in her system here would be a good idea.
She felt on higher alert than she had the last time, especially now that she was here parading Enora around. What she really wanted was a glass of water. Something for the rage, the tiredness.
"Oh, I'm sorry, are you a wine drinker, Enora?" Dorien asked. Odette watched as Enora shot him a dirty look.
"No. Ladies do not get inebriated," she said stiffly.
"Enora doesn't have a taste for alcohol," Odette said. "None of my partners do. Except for Isaur, but she's just a foodie."
Saying that out loud made her furrow her brow. None of her partners were drinkers, except for Isaur.
Huh...
Dorien shrugged before sipping from his glass. "Suit yourself, but this is the good stuff. You won't find this wine at any old tea party."
That's what they were calling this one, a tea party. A garden tea party. Before, it was a gala, and now it was a tea party. Instead of a grand ballroom, they conversed in a vast, exquisitely-kept garden. Fountains were buried among rows and rows of expertly trimmed flower bushes and towering trees. Of course, this place looked picturesque. According to what Odette had read about it, it was kept almost entirely by roserades, roselias, and budews. It was normally open to the public and was a stomping ground for ambitious trainers. But today, the whole area had been rented out for this event.
The gathering itself was being held right on the banks of the giant, yet very charming lake, sitting smack in the middle of the flora. It looked like the scene had been pulled from A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grande Jatte down to the socialites in their vintage tea dresses, suits, stupid little parasols, and fancy hats. Such beautiful scenery, tarnished by the sound of exchanging prices and the sight of Pokemon who just looked defeated as they followed their owners around.
A swell of laughter erupted from a group nearby, and Odette turned her head abruptly. Naturally, Noel stood in the middle as he raised his half-empty champagne glass, clinking it with an elderly woman standing next to him, beaming as if he'd just told a clever joke. He held Ru in a baby harness, strapped to his stomach. The bird was in the middle of downing what looked to be a cupcake.
It was good to see that at least Noel and his partner were having a nice time with the top-donor friends they'd made. She hoped he was getting some good information in that little circle because, at this point, she wanted nothing more than to head home.
But, they were in deep. She had people bidding on Enora, and Noel had a crowd. As uncomfortable as it felt, it was a good spot. If they left now, there was a chance they forfeited their standing, and they certainly couldn't afford that now.
Besides, they'd been there for almost two hours, and Odette had yet to see even a glimpse of silver hair...
"Do you know where I could find some water?" she asked.
Dorien stopped in his sip before nodding his head toward the bar that had been set up under one of the larger white gazebos.
"They'll certainly have some at the bar," he said. "Is the wine too much, Doll?"
"It must be. I feel like I'm going to vomit," she said. She didn't need to lie about that part.
Dorien sighed deeply. "Well, that's no good," he said, sticking out his lower lip. "Why don't you and Enora head up there, and I'll meet you in a bit? I have to go find the other boys; they're around here somewhere."
She definitely liked that suggestion. Time away from him was time well spent. He'd barely left her alone since they'd arrived, and if she was going to continue swallowing her rage, she'd need a break. Especially after that conversation.
"I'm okay with that," she said. She went ahead and pecked him on the cheek to ensure he wouldn't sweep her off into an unwanted kiss again. Gross, but the lesser of the two evils. He chuckled, then tapped her on the nose affectionately. He walked off after that, and Odette waited several seconds before turning on the heels of her character shoes, hiking up her dress with her free hand, and speed-walking to the bar.
"What do you think you are trying to accomplish here, Odette?" Enora hissed at her feet. "All you are doing is digging yourself into a nefarious situation that you are not knowledgeable enough to get out of on your own."
"I already told you," Odette replied in a louder whisper. She was panting heavily now, and the corners of her vision were starting to blur. She needed to get to a chair and sit down. "I'm not dropping this until we figure out what the fuck we saw. If you didn't want to get involved, then you shouldn't have asked me to bring you. If you wanted to tell me what a bad idea you thought this was, you had plenty of time to do that safe, at home. This is definitely not the place for you to be riding my dick."
Odette already felt on edge. She'd nearly sunk into a panic when Enora requested to accompany her out without really specifying why she'd had the change of heart. Having her there, nagging her about how stupid her efforts were, really wasn't helping anything. All it was really doing was frustrating her, and frustration never led to anything good.
"I needed to see it for myself. And now I am firm on the idea that we should not be here," Enora said as they made it to the bar. Odette threw herself onto one of the stools and sat down with the wine glass. Enora hopped up onto the empty one next to her.
Taking a cautious look around, Odette could see that the area was mostly empty, and even the single bartender was busy with other matters at the other end of the bar. She took the opportunity to hunch down to Enora's eye level, despite the sleepiness that weighed her body down.
"I get it, Enora," she said. "But believe me, if you saw what Isaur and I saw last week, you'd get it."
Enora returned her look with a similar level of intensity like she had no intention of backing down from her stance. Odette believed that much too because there was no swaying Enora from anything unless she put the work into it. But, if there was ever a time for Enora and her to be on the same page, it was now. She needed her to understand.
"I know you've been quiet about it since I told you what I was doing-what the team's doing," she continued, "but now that you're sitting here, looking at the other shinies around you, you need to talk to me. You can't ask to come along then get mad I brought you. If you have something to say, now's the damn time. Clearly, you wanted to see what was happening, or you'd have kept to yourself as you have been, right?"
After a long beat, Enora reluctantly turned her head, looking over the other attendees and their Pokemon. Odette followed her gaze and once again took the time to observe them.
A majority of them looked tired. Maybe not as tired as that malamar and that scizor had looked, but a lot of them walked with noticeably sluggish weight in their step. More noticeably, most exuded an aura of reluctance. They trailed behind their owners with gaits that made it clear they wanted to be anywhere else but there. Smiles were sparse, and cheerful mannerisms were even sparser.
"It's exactly what Isaur and I told you," she said. "From what we understand, some evil shit came out of those other Pokemon, and we have reason to believe that's happening to all the shinies here. Grandpa might know something about it, and Dorien definitely knows something about it, but we know nothing. And we're trying to change that."
Odette could see Enora's ears sinking lower and lower the more she spoke.
"I admittedly don't know what your hangup is. I know you don't like the danger aspect, but you won't tell me anything. I know this hits close to home for you, but I only know that from an assumptive level," she said. "Have you witnessed-"
Behind them, some cheers rang out. Odette and Enora turned around to see two people, a man, and a woman, shaking hands. At the woman's feet were a shiny plusle and minun, both holding onto each other. Those two didn't look sad, though. They looked scared.
The man gestured to them, and the minun shook its head. The woman spoke, and they both shook their heads at that time. The man rolled his eyes, and the woman handed him a pokeball. He called the minun back into the ball, pocketed it as he waved to the woman, then turned and walked off as if he'd just bought a jug of milk.
The plusle began to hobble after the man, but didn't get very far before the woman stepped in front of it. It stared off after the man, and Odette watched as its expression melted from one of anxiety to one of sheer anger.
Before she knew it, it was sparking up. Finally, a display of defiance. Odette involuntarily perked up.
But, the sparks died down as soon as they appeared, and the plusle slumped down to its knees, winded. The woman watched, disdained, as she pulled a device out of her pocket to examine it. It looked like a small radio, and Odette recognized it almost immediately. The police used it on rampaging Pokemon to calm them down and keep them from using their moves in a fit of their fury.
A fucking dampener. That explained so fucking much. Of course, these psychos would be walking around with devices to keep their bought trophies from fighting back. That was why none of them did; they must have known better. She had to wonder if they worked on the monstrous Pokemon too, but was far to stuck on the heartbreaking scene to think too much on it.
Odette wasn't a crier, but fuck...that sobered her up from her anger haze really fast.
Her eyes widened, and she turned back around and sat her arms on the counter. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Enora did the same. They didn't speak to each other for a while.
"My gods..." Enora whispered after gods knew how much time had passed.
"Do you get it now? You'd want somebody to do something about it if that was you, right?" Odette said in agreement. Enora nodded once in solidarity.
More silence swelled between them. At that point, Enora's ears had gone totally slack, and she slowly aimed her eyes toward the ground.
"You're shiny. And I don't know much about where you came from before you joined my team. But if this is too deep for you, I want you to know that you can tell me. Please."
"I..." she muttered. For a moment, it looked like she wouldn't finish her thought, but she steeled herself with a breath.
"I do not want to see you get hurt again. Watching what happened to you last year was unbearable, and I do not want anyone to have the opening to make you sink that low ever again." She fell silent to rub her cheek awkwardly. "And I am afraid we're dealing with parties who might make that happen if they could."
With an inward gasp, Odette bristled. Tension filled her shoulders, and she recoiled backward.
"This isn't...like that," she said. Her heartbeat picked up speed, and she could hear it in her ears.
"What happened with Deschamps was...unfortunate. But...this isn't like that. I'm paying attention. Noel's with me. I'm sure to have one of you with me at all times now, too."
"But then think upon what you are asking of all of us. You might be certain you will not get hurt, but what of me? Or Isaur, or Solene? Or Ange or Loïc?" Enora asked, finally looking up at her again. The intensity of her look caused Odette to catch her breath in her throat. Her internal rage and sorrow cocktail was quickly replaced by guilt.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I really am...so sorry."
Finally, she figured knew why Enora was so reluctant. She really was asking so much of her.
It was one thing to play undercover cop for busting a drug ring, but they had since realized they were dealing with a much bigger problem. Trafficked Pokemon, being bounced around because they can create those demonic Pokemon. It had to have something to do with the drugs yet, but they weren't sure what.
Odette was asking Enora-and her entire team-to put themselves in a situation they might get hurt. Put themselves in a place where Pokemon were being harmed right in front of them, and just sit back and watch it happen, while perhaps risking becoming part of it. There was even a chance of Odette herself getting harmed through all this, while simultaneously forcing them to bear witness to that as well. Again.
The anxiety she felt whenever Dorien wrapped his arms around her, kissed her, or looked at her like he wanted to take her was astronomical. It matched her feelings as those socialites stared at Enora during that uncalled-for bid. Of course, she swallowed it down. She knew she was playing a part, and none of it was real...at least, that's what she told herself. She told herself it was worth having to deal with the unwanted affection and the attention on her shiny Pokemon to be able to get to the bottom of what was happening here. She could do that. But to ask Enora herself to do it too? And her team? That was a different story, and in the fervor of her efforts, she'd grown blind to it.
"I am asking...a lot of you," she said. "And I am just so sorry. That's why I wanted to talk about this, but I'm so caught up in my own head and not really thinking about what might be going through yours. Or Isaur's. Or Ange's. Or Solene's. Hell, even Loïc's."
For the first time since they arrived, Enora smiled. It caused Odette to grin, and they chuckled with each other. It was a much-needed break from the heavy.
"But," Odette continued, bringing them back to the topic at hand. "I am really invested in this. More invested than I probably have any business being. Because it's Grandpa, you know? And, that plusle, that minun, the malamar, the scizor...it's all of them too," she said as she gestured behind her, out toward the other despaired shinies.
It wasn't an immediate reaction, but Enora soon nodded.
"And we've found so much already. I can't really afford to forfeit all the time I've sunk into this yet, as much as you don't want to hear it. Things are nefarious, but I don't feel like I'm in danger. Yet."
Enora didn't respond that time.
"So, how about this," she offered. "If things start getting bad. If Dorien gets too handsy, somebody pulls out a gun, or somebody, like, dies...I'll pull out. Wipe my hands clean, forget it happened." She dusted her hands off and held them out to her sides. "That's me, though. I already told you this, but I don't want to make you do something you're that reluctant-"
The bartender finally approached, cleaning out a shot glass, effectively cutting her off.
"Can I get you two anything?" he asked.
Odette sighed. "Sparkling water."
"The same, sir," Enora added.
The bartender nodded and walked off to get it. About a minute of silence later, another presence moved up next to Odette's right side.
"I'll have what she's having," he called to the bartender as he sat down. Odette nearly jumped out of her skin because she immediately recognized the distinct scent of pecha smoke.
She cut her gaze to the right and expectantly found that head of silver and pair of bright blue eyes she'd been hunting for. Heat traveled to her face as Clovis looked back at her with a bright smile, even as he held a lit cigarette between his teeth.
"Fancy seeing you here," he greeted. "I hope you don't mind if I rain on your secluded parade."
She blinked rapidly, hoping that would somehow allow her to come up with a quick response. "I don't mind at all," she said. "I hate to disappoint, though. I'm sticking to non-alcoholic drinks today."
Clovis stifled a laugh as he waved at her dismissively. "Cheers to that," he said. "By the way, that is a lovely color on you."
She peered back down at the frilly pale pink dress she'd dawned on just before her eyes traveled to the pressed pink shirt he wore. There was a neatly folded handkerchief of the same color in his breast pocket; a nice touch. He also wore a pair of bright white pants that were being held up with matching suspender straps, a single ultra ball fixed to the left strap. The white bowtie wrapped the whole ensemble up perfectly-practically a gift bow asking to be pulled open.
Gods...
He looked absolutely adorable, in the most gorgeous type of way. And it only made it better than that pink shirt was somehow almost the same hue as her dress.
Stop. You can't even trust him yet, you don't know what his fucking deal is. Keep it together.
"Let me guess. Versace?" he asked. A hint of mischief flashed in his eyes as he reached up and grasped his cancer stick between his fingers. She legitimately smiled for the first time that day before rolling her eyes.
"No, my secondary school costume stash cleanout," she replied. "From our production of Hairspray. Dorien said 'tea party' and I figured I had nothing else that suited the scene."
He nodded approvingly as he inhaled a drag from the cigarette. "Well, if you don't mind my boldness, you certainly look dashing again."
Her mind was swimming. Again? Did that mean he thought she looked fine the first time they met? Shit, how did he even remember her from that? Even if they had talked for a while and had dinner together, how many people did this guy talk to a day? A week? How would he have remembered her unless he made a conscious effort to?
Then again, he tried to warn her not to come back. So, perhaps he was looking for her as a result of that?
Stop being a fucking moron!
The bartender returned with three glasses of sparkling water and sat them down. Clovis picked his up, nodding in thanks to the man, before quirking a brow at the latter two drinks.
"Thirsty?" he queried. It was there that Enora put her paws up on the counter and peered at him over Odette's shoulder.
"No, that one would be mine," she said.
Odette could see the sheer shock that came over Clovis's face, even as she grabbed her own glass and began chugging it. The immediate relief she felt from the bubbly hydration was well worth the wait. She'd nearly finished the drink entirely before setting it down again.
"Right," she said sheepishly. "I brought somebody new today. This is my friend, Enora. Enora, this is Clovis."
"Charmed, I'm sure," Enora said dubiously.
"I guess I forgot to mention she was, uh...shiny. She joined my team willingly, though. I found her digging through my dumpster."
Hopefully, he wouldn't get the wrong idea.
It was a long while before Clovis spoke again. He was evidently too busy cutting his eyes back and forth between Odette and Enora. Odette could practically hear his brain working, and she nearly cringed. She watched him pull the cigarette out of his mouth and drink from his glass.
"Funny," he said just after he swallowed his gulp. "I could have sworn by our conversation that you wouldn't get involved with something like this."
Fuck, she thought angrily.
She held up a defensive hand. "I'm not."
He set his glass down and then leaned his cheek on his hand. "Oh, really? How have your bids been today, then?"
"Haven't hosted any, and I don't plan to."
He flexed the corners of his lips, mulling the words over. He put the cigarette back in his mouth and took another drag before blowing the smoke up toward the gazebo ceiling.
"I was a tad shocked to see you here after my warning the other night, but now it's starting to make some more sense to me," he muttered.
The anger she'd managed to wade through previously was starting to flare back up again. She wasn't quite sure why, though. She knew where his head was, and it, of course, made sense. She supposed she was getting so upset because she couldn't bear the thought of this man she liked so much viewing her in such a negative light. Right?
This...this is real bullshit.
"Whatever you're thinking, I can assure you it's not true," she said as evenly as she could manage.
"What do you think I'm thinking?" He quirked a brow again. This time, it was a tad bit more serious.
"Commoner trainer who got incredibly lucky wants to figure out how to push that luck. Rest assured, it's not like that," she shot back.
"Quit it with the insolence, you have misunderstood the intent here!" Enora yipped. The suddenness of her outburst caused Odette to turn around to face her. Enora now wore a look of determination-like she also wanted to make it clear that Clovis's current assumptions were wrong.
"Then, what's your angle? It all seems pretty straightforward."
A nasty glare fell over her features as she looked back over at him. Her angered lips detached from her brain and began to run before she could think it over. "I could ask you the same thing, Clovis. What's a shut-in like you doing figure skate-"
She wanted to cover her mouth. She wanted to stop herself from asking such a pointed question like that. However, she needn't have bothered. Hands covered her mouth before she could finish talking, but they weren't hers.
It all happened so fast. She was talking, and the next thing she knew, Clovis was almost entirely out of his chair, lunging forward to press his hands over her mouth. She wasn't sure when he'd grabbed the handkerchief, but it was dangling between his fingers as he held it over her lips.
She blinked once, twice, three times before angling her eyes up toward him. He stared down at her with that same panic he held in his eyes when he'd accidentally dropped that hint on her the first time. This time, however, it was lingering.
He looked over toward a man who happened to be walking by and smiled. "No worries, she just cut her lip a little bit," he assured. The guy seemed to accept that explanation because he walked off. As he left, Clovis's expression morphed back into that same panicked look as he sat down and removed one hand from her mouth.
"Take the handkerchief," he said in a whisper. But, what struck her is that he said it in Galarian. She considered it before doing as he instructed. He sighed in what sounded to be relief as he removed his other hand and sat back down.
"Great, you understood," he said. Those words were in Galarian too.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "My Galarian is pretty good," she said, following his lead with the language switch. She didn't quite like how thick her accent sounded around the words, but she knew she could speak it well. "I'm also really good at not letting my screw-ups show on my face."
He laughed, though it sounded rather rancorous. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and snuffed it out on an ashtray that happened to be on the counter. He then chugged what was left of his water before slamming the glass back down. He clearly did it more aggressively than he intended because the 'BANG' that rang out made him flinch.
"Gods," he seethed through clenched teeth. "I know better. I really do know better."
"Undercover cops have blown their cover for less," she said quietly before lowering the handkerchief to her lap.
"I'm sure you would know, Miss Cinq-Mars. Your grandfather has been on the police force for years."
Her stomach dropped. The silence that followed compelled him to keep talking.
"Since you clarified that you did your research, I thought I'd return the favor."
She brought her hand to her face and began to scratch her cheek as she turned to lean her elbows on the bar. From the corner of her eye, she could see Clovis do the same.
She wondered how she should word her next question. She knew what a search for her name would bring up and wondered what exactly he found. If he was anywhere as thorough as she was…
"And?" she asked.
He released a huff as he began to tap his fingers on the granite. "The subject matter was less than savory, and I can bet my fortune it's not something you want to discuss with me."
She knew for sure she wasn't breathing normally at this point. She felt Enora place her paw on her hand and sent her a quiet nod.
"How'd you even research me without my last name?" she asked. "Did you ask Dorien for it?"
He didn't immediately respond, but when he did, he was quite sharp with his tone. "Hell no. Didn't want to pique his interest in my affairs. I had a name, and a face, and I knew you danced. It was a process of elimination, but I had the resources to figure it out," he explained.
She supposed with a billion dollars on hand, it was just that easy. She wanted to be upset, but how could she when she had a literal packet of information on him in her backpack? But why would he research her at all? Was it because he knew his slip-up and wanted to know how to keep her from squealing?
For some reason, she felt as if she was up shit's creek without a paddle. How was she supposed to maneuver this?
"I know you're supposed to be a shut-in who's helping your dad Charles run the Clair De Lune group. You also have a lot of fucking siblings," she said.
He hummed to himself for a while, then scoffed. "Just to correct you from earlier, I'm not a cop," he said.
"Right, you're actually a figure skater," she responded, barely loud enough to be heard.
She heard him exhale sharply. "Anything else?"
Yes. Yes. Yes.
"Any scandals I should know about?"
The look he gave her was perturbed. "No?" he replied. "Define scandals?"
"What do you think I mean by scandals?"
His brows remained knit as he continued staring at her. He eventually tilted his head.
"Are you asking if I'm a predator?"
"Well, are you?"
He exhaled sharply, eyes momentarily bugging out of his head in a state of disbelief. For a moment, it almost looked as if he'd whip her with a violent tongue-lashing. But just before his expression could become too intense, a sense of...understanding seemed to pass over his features.
"I respect the nerve to ask," he said. He spoke more calmly than she anticipated he would. The look he trained on her now was intense, but she held it, relentlessly hunting for any indication he might not have been speaking truthfully. "But rest assured, I wouldn't dream of being so," he paused briefly, trying to find the right word, "disgusting. If there's one thing I can promise you, it's that."
His eyes were as unyielding as his words. It felt like he was speaking to her with a sense of urgency at that moment. Like he wanted her to know that he was definitely telling the truth.
Somehow, that made her feel better. Just a little. It probably wasn't the best approach, but she needed to know.
"If you're done with the accusations, I'm going to ask you again," he said after a beat of silence. There was a new sternness in his tone that made her blood run cold. "What's your angle?"
She racked her brain for how she felt she could answer this. From her conversation with Noel just several days before, she'd had her share of hypotheses, and she'd been solely convinced that Clovis had something to do with Virtue Corp, and his alignment banked on where Virtue Corp stood. She didn't have much to run with on that account, but it seemed likely, given the other pieces they'd put together.
Of course, there was still the chance that he was simply a rich person who vehemently opposed the shiny trade, somehow. However, given that he'd gone out of his way to research her knowing he said something he shouldn't have said, her first hypothesis was looking more and more probable. If he was trying to hide an aspect of his past, there's no way he'd go as far as to internet stalk her too. If it were her, she'd deny it. Clovis apparently had more to hide, and that was all too clear.
But the biggest question stood: was Virtue Corp on their side, or were they more aligned with Team Enigma?
She didn't have time to think about it. She had to act fast. Answer fast.
"Figuring out what the fuck the shiny trade is. And where sacrilege is coming from," she said. Maybe she could appeal to the fact that they were on the same page concerning their hate for this institution.
He leaned back and crossed his arms, ducking his chin toward his chest as if he were sinking into deep thought. She decided that it'd be a good idea for her to wrap her thoughts up, lest she accidentally say too much.
"So whatever you're thinking? It's wrong. My intentions are good."
And she hoped she was on the right track.
He didn't move or give any acknowledgment of her words. At least, not until a snicker jolted his shoulders. Shaking his head, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. In a couple of motions, he seemed to have it down to a science, the stick was lit between his teeth. He then shot a look not at her but at Enora. He then gazed out over the garden, and Odette followed his look. Her eyes fell back on the woman who split up the plusle and minun, and she had half a mind to walk over there and punch her square in the jaw. The level of heartlessness was astronomical, she still couldn't fathom it.
"I believe you," Clovis suddenly declared, turning back around and resting his arms on the table.
Odette shot a look at him. "You do?" There was no goddamn way it was that easy.
"You are certain of that?" Enora chimed in.
With a few nods, he met her gaze as he exhaled some smoke. "I'm sure you've seen it. All these mini-auctions?" he asked. "Just the other day, at another one of these parties, I watched a man auction off a phantump to somebody. He later pulled out a pumpkaboo and the thing had no idea where her friend went. The look on her face when she realized was just-" he raised his hand to cut himself off and shook his head despairingly. "It's fucking haunting."
"I just watched someone split up a plusle and minun pair," Odette said numbly. His mannerisms and words looked promising to her. "One of them tried to fight back, and they have...fucking dampeners?"
Clovis exhaled sharply, and he took a deep drag. "Yeah, they do that. Wouldn't be able to keep such a strong hold on their 'mon without them," he said. "The people here do not care about their Pokemon. They care about the money that comes in from the trade, and..."
"...the things that come out of them."
Clovis sent her a hard, piercing look. "Sort of, yes." Another drag from the cigarette. He'd sucked it down almost halfway. "The point I'm trying to make," he said as he exhaled. He opened his mouth to continue but shook his head as he moved his gaze to Enora.
"Do you even want to be here?" he asked. "Be honest. With me and yourself."
Odette also looked over to the sylveon, both eager to hear that answer and to hide her surprise. Asking Enora directly what she was feeling? Nobody aside from Dorien's fake self had done that, and Clovis appeared dead set on hearing an answer, judging by the way he stared Enora down.
Enora's ears drooped for a moment, and her shoulders tensed as she realized she was in the spotlight again. She averted her eyes away, and just when Odette thought she would remain silent, she spoke.
"I do," Enora said sternly. "Where my partner goes, I go."
It was Odette's turn to widen her eyes, and Enora turned to meet her gaze.
She nodded again. Firmly. Absolutely.
She was in.
"I might disagree with her decisions sometimes, but I trust Odette with my life, and that will never change. She would do the same for me."
Odette resisted the urge to throw her arms around Enora, instead settling to place her hand on her head.
"Somebody kept asking me if I'd be willing to sell her earlier," she explained. "It made me ill."
"Indeed," Enora said.
"Well," Clovis said. "I stand corrected. No shiny Pokemon would choose to be here like this unless they really cared." Another drag from the cigarette. "And you wouldn't be repulsed by the idea of selling her like a stock unless you cared for her too."
Odette shared one last look with her trusted partner, who looked far less tense.
"Are you sure?" she mouthed.
"Yes. I am with you."
Odette anxiety subsided, and she felt significantly less screwed than she had just a few minutes before.
"I believe you. And...I apologize for jumping a gun," Clovis spoke.
She shrugged and shook her head, trying to appear as if she were mostly unfazed. "No harm done."
The pained smile he gave her said otherwise, and she understood why.
"Since we seem to be on the same page, though...do you trust me enough to answer some questions?" she pressed.
Clovis sighed very deeply at that. "Surely. I have some myself," he said. "And I propose we answer each other's questions sooner rather than later. But not here." He looked over his shoulder, and she decided to do the same.
"So, may I request that we put a pin in this?" he queried.
Her heartbeat picked up with a mixture of excitement and shock. But, she kept herself together. "I don't think I have a choice. I share your sentiment that this isn't the place," she said. "Though, how do I know you won't play dumb if I try to run you down again?"
She heard him suck his teeth as he turned his head to face her again and took that as an invitation to look at him as well. His eyes were aimed down at the table. Thinking again, most likely.
"Do you have your phone on you?" As Clovis spoke, he was digging into his pocket again. He withdrew the same Applin phone he'd dunked in the vase at the gala. The thing had to have been waterproof because he clicked it on, and it appeared to be working.
"Uh, yeah," Odette said. She reached into the pocket of her skirt and withdrew her own phone. She'd barely gotten it out before Clovis abruptly handed her his. She could see that he'd gone ahead and opened the 'New Contact' menu on it.
"Quickly now," he said.
It might have been a mix of that dumb girl crush and the sheer shock that he was so willing to exchange contacts, but she didn't stall a single second. She snatched the device and punched in her number and name, probably a little more eagerly than she intended to. Upon saving it, she gave it back to him. Clovis tapped the screen several times, and RotomPhone buzzed a second later.
"Bzzt! New text from New Contact: Clovis LeClair!" he said.
"There," Clovis said. "Now you have my number and a written confirmation that we've spoken."
He stood and placed the phone back in his pocket. "We'll be in touch." He switched back to speaking Kalosian, and he went ahead and bowed to her.
"It was a pleasure speaking again, Miss Cinq-Mars. I must make my rounds now, but I'll keep my eye out for you. Keep the handkerchief."
He winked, then walked into the nearby crowd as if nothing had happened. She watched him go, blinking as if she were again watching some sort of mirage fade from view. She exchanged shocked looks with Enora before fumbling to unlock her phone to view the message.
On this day, 1/20/20, Clovis LeClair and Odette Cinq-Mars spoke at a tea party. Clovis and Odette promised to answer each other's questions at a later date.
She read the message over and over again. When he said written proof, he really meant it.
"What do you make of that interaction?" Enora asked.
"I don't know," Odette said. "I think that worked out. But I'll believe it when I see it."
"I am inclined to agree."
She nodded. "Yeah, we definitely should go find them. Noel is going to flip out."
She still wasn't quite sure how to feel about the interaction that just went down. She'd need some time to dissect it, but she felt good about it for now. Her warm feelings for him aside, what just happened felt trustworthy to her now. If he were trying to evade her, he might not have even offered his phone for her number in the first place.
So many questions, but not enough answers. But, at least, she could cling to the hope that she'd get them answered. She also felt proud of herself for managing to snag his number. Of course, it wasn't the way she hoped, but she'd call it a win, all things considered.
"...I am sorry for raising my voice there," Enora said sheepishly. "But I was getting quite heated in the moment, I could not help myself."
Odette frowned, then scratched the sylveon behind the ear again. "It's okay. As I said, I think that worked out."
"But do you trust him? He struck me as rather sincere, but I would tread carefully."
"For now, I want to believe he can be of some assistance. There are too many factors pointing to him being at least somewhat truthful, and that's more than what we have now."
That was one thing she at least momentarily didn't have to fret about. The other issue at hand, though...
She sent Enora a wary look. "Are you sure about this? I don't want you to feel compelled to take part in this if you don't want to. That almost defeats the point, you know?"
Enora pawed her ear in a quick swipe before firmly shaking her head. She sat tall and puffed out her chest. "I have made up my mind, Odette. I am here now, and will be until we drop this," she announced. Odette couldn't help but smile at the display. That time, she allowed herself to go in for the hug.
"I mean it, though. You can cry 'uncle' whenever you want, and I won't blame you," Odette said quietly. "For real, okay?"
"Yes. I appreciate that, but it is not necessary."
Odette released her hold and sat back, feeling just slightly more triumphant. A welcome sensation gave the day she had so far.
"Let's go find Noel, then."
Odette weaved along the gravel trails. She'd wanted to walk by the lake, but many people seemed to be down there blatantly ignoring the "Beware of Gyarados!" signs positioned all around the perimeter. None of them appeared to care, though. She wondered if there had ever been an attack at a gathering like this. Trainers frequented those waters a lot, but did the gyarados go after people on land?
Her mind began to wander as she started to imagine herself in a situation of an attack, and her gaze traveled over to Enora, who was in front of her, walking along with Ru on her back. It'd been a while since she'd been involved in a battle with a wild Pokemon, but she supposed it wouldn't be anything she couldn't handle.
"Well. Your impulsivity paid off. Now you're in with the billionaire," Noel said, snapping her back to reality. She looked over at him as he handed her back her phone, an approving look on his face.
She shrugged as she took it, sliding it into her pocket next to Clovis's handkerchief. "He just started to piss me off, and I ran my mouth."
"And you stumped him enough to get him to admit it, at least indirectly. This is big," Noel said.
Another couple who happened to be taking a walk around the bushes too walked by, sending her and Noel polite nods as they went. She returned the gesture and only responded when she was sure they'd gone out of earshot.
"It's something. I'm still thinking about how this is supposed to go down," she said under her breath.
"From what I've seen in the movies, he's going to invite you to an empty, abandoned warehouse for a party," Noel said as he ran his hands through his slicked-back hair.
"That's not funny," Odette breathed. "And for your information, he seemed pretty offended I even insinuated he was a predator."
"Well, that's promising coming out of you. Regardless, wherever he invites you to, you're going to bring Enora and me right?"
At the sound of her name, Enora turned around and smiled. Ru chirped as well.
"I definitely wouldn't want to leave you out of the fun," she snapped. Especially now that Enora was at least tentatively on board. "And I'm obviously not dumb enough to walk off with a virtual stranger when we're investigating something criminal. Playing it safe and covering the bases."
She looked over her shoulder, ensuring they were still far from others as she spoke. The more they freely talked about this, the more anxious she felt herself becoming. Any one of these present snobs could have been listening in.
"Just making sure your formal police academy training wasn't for naught," Noel snickered, kicking a rock aside. His shoe scraped against the gravel, kicking some dust up in the process.
Odette kept her eyes peeled on the distant crowd, and she narrowed them as if that would somehow allow her to see better through the glasses on her face. She eventually caught sight of Dorien standing with Denis, Colin, Adam, and Lionel. As if fate wanted to tell her to go fuck herself, their eyes locked as soon as she noticed him, and he waved excitedly at her.
The smile she formed was bitter as she lazily returned it. Noel noticed her waving and followed her eyes. Upon noticing Dorien, he also began to wave, which was enough to get it to stop. Dorien abruptly dropped his hand and turned to converse with one of the other men. Colin, on the other hand, began to wave, thus prompting Noel to stop.
"Gods, not you," Noel groused.
"Why are you so mean to him? I mean, not that it matters because he's here," Odette mused, "but I didn't remember him being an ass to you."
"He wasn't," Noel said, something far more solemn caressing his tone. "He's an absolute sweetheart, the shiny trade shit aside. This is why I need to be assertive and clear that I'm not interested."
Odette's brow quirked. She knew Noel had his "commitment issues," but something about that seemed...extreme. But she had no room to be skeptical. She was no dating expert. Whatever worked for Noel would work for her.
"I'm more concerned with your man not liking me. I seem to have done a good job on that front," he smirked.
"Lucky you," Odette said. "Maybe you won't get invited to our wedding."
Eyes wide, Noel whipped back around to face her. "Who said anything about a wedding?"
"Oh, you didn't hear? Apparently, it's something he's thinking about. He'd be able to 'die happy' if he could call me his wife," she said sharply.
"Hell no," Noel spat. "You and I are getting married for the tax benefits before I let you meet that bitch at the end of the aisle."
That got a laugh out of her, and she absolutely needed it. She leaned her head against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his. "My knight in shining armor," she said, feigning a shrill voice. He chuckled and took that as an invitation to wrap his arm around her shoulders.
"I wonder how Denis is dealing with those flagrant ass comments. I think it'd be funny to see them go at it," Noel snickered.
She furrowed her brow, picking her head off his shoulder to peer up at him. "Why would Dorien and Denis go at it?"
Noel sent her a playfully puzzled look. "Denis had a thing for you, didn't he? Some jealous fighting between rich boys might make this more bearable."
"What the hell are you going on about? Denis never had a thing for me," she scoffed, confused. Noel looked positively taken aback. Like he was about to shake some sense into her.
"He asked you out twice."
"Huh?" She felt she would have recalled something like that, yet she was drawing blanks. "If he did, I definitely don't remember."
"Really? I could have sworn he did," Noel said. He seemed to relent because he shook his head in defeat. "But maybe I'm all screwed up by this sleuthing shit. Or you're just cold and are good at putting that shit out of your head."
"I do classify myself as pretty chilly."
I wouldn't forget that, she assured herself. But it was starting to feel like a false statement. Forgetting about Dorien's occupation, and now apparently forgetting Denis of all people had also had a thing for her? Did she really put that much of her secondary school days out of her head?
"What does it matter, though? They're both off the table. If your faith and reads on the silver delphox ring true, he's the one," Noel said.
That was something better to think about. "Really, now?"
Noel began to shake his head. "If he's not lying, he was hella forthright with the flirting. He looked at you like he would melt when we sat down for dinner the other night. When I said he thought you were pretty, I wasn't busting your balls."
"What are you going on about now?"
"See, this is why we're friends, Dee." He pinched her nose with his free hand, causing her to thrash her head to shake him off. "You pick up on everything but the flirting, and that's where I'm holding your slack."
Her expression didn't change. "Again, I ask. What the fuck are you going on about now?"
Noel dramatically rolled his eyes. "He was flirting with you so goddamn hard at the table, I'm surprised even you didn't notice," he said through a laugh. "If he weren't such a scary fucking enigma, I'd have asked for his number on your behalf."
This was news to her. While Noel certainly had a point, flirting was not her forte, she never once got the vibe that him talking to her was him trying to flirt. They were just...talking about her dancing. And he was telling her about things he knew about the wealthy, perhaps things he probably shouldn't have told a stranger such as herself…
Gods, was that flirting? Maybe it wasn't shocking she'd forgotten being asked out twice, this was clearly not her forte. And for all she knew, he was a part of a villainous organization...
Her face had morphed into a more contemplative expression, and Noel laughed heartily. He wriggled his arm out of her grasp and moved behind her, setting his hands on her shoulders to give her a half-hearted massage.
"Sweet, sweet, summer child Odette," he sang. She reached back and smacked him on his wrist.
"I don't do this dating thing, ass," she said. "Especially not now."
"Nothing's stopping you from window shopping, and you can't go wrong with the richest guy in the garden," Noel suggested. "Despite what we may or may not know about him. Ignorance is bliss sometimes."
While she listened to him talk, her eyes started to wander again. She didn't dare look back in the direction she saw Dorien and the other Lansat boys, lest she unintentionally beckoned them over. Instead, she was hunting for silver again. She thanked her lucky stars Clovis had decided to dye his hair such a ridiculous color because she found him easily among the sea of blonde, brunette, and black.
He was standing by a couple of other men, smoking yet another cigarette. His mouth moved as if he were talking, and his lips slowly but surely began to morph into a smile as his shoulders started to shake.
Gods, he even made laughing look dreamy. She didn't even know what the hell was so funny, and she felt the urge to giggle with him.
"I mean, fuck. Look at him," Noel said. "Honestly, once we figure him out, I bet I could make him have a bisexual awakening if I tried hard enough."
"I thought you said I could have him?"
"That's why I said bisexual instead of gay. We can share."
Odette formed a joking comeback but was interrupted by a shrill roar coming from the lake, followed by some surprised gasps and screams. She looked at Noel before rushing around the rosebush she was standing next to get a view of the lake. The sight of a gyarados rearing its head up out of the water, close to the bank, and near a group of people. Some of them scrambled back, but others actually lingered close. There was a distinct sound of laughter in the air now.
"So much for beware of the gyarados," Noel said, an air of disgust in his voice. "Bet they're going to make their poor shinies fight."
Odette had gotten a similar thought, and she didn't like the prospects of that. If any of the present shinies were as tired as the malamar and scizor had been, that wouldn't end well.
A man stepped forward from the small crowd. Heavyset, bald, suit didn't look like it fit well. He raised what she thought was a pokeball, and brought his thumb to his face.
"Desmocula, let's have some fun!" he shouted. The ball opened in a pop of maroon light, and he bit down on his thumb in the same manner Odette had seen Mr. and Mrs. Patenaude do during their battle.
"No fucking way," Noel said. He took the words right out of her mouth.
In another otherworldly show, a demonic Pokemon reared its head. This one didn't look like a fish or a leech. This one closely resembled a bat. Its ears were bigger than its head, and its fangs, dripping with a black substance, protruded from its jaw. Its wings were long, sporting a deep black color. They almost reminded Odette of a cape a vampire would wear. As soon as the monster had fully formed, it launched itself at the gyarados, with a shriek that made her flinch.
"W-what is that?" Enora queried. Her voice broke, most likely from the sheer bombshell she was witnessing. Even Ru looked surprised.
"Remember those Pokemon Isaur and I told you about?" Odette said. "Safe to assume that's one."
The heavyset man wasn't even calling out any moves. He was letting the horrific bat go to town on the serpent. They were matched in size, but it looked like Desmocula was faster. Every time the gyarados tried to whip it with its tail or go in for a bite, the bat was one step ahead. It zipped and zig-zagged around, landing violent nip after heavy slap, and it wasn't long before the gyarados as wobbling in exhaustion.
"Why not record it? You should have filmed the last ones you saw too!" Ru squeaked, pointing toward the fight. Noel bristled at the words.
"Good point," he said. He scrambled for his phone. "Why didn't we film the ones we saw before?"
It was an immediate lightbulb moment, and Odette dug into her pocket for her own phone. She'd been too shocked the first time to think of anything but the battle she was witnessing, but now, with a little more clearness, why wouldn't she try to film it? She wasn't sure what she could do with it, but she'd figure that out later. It was damning evidence as long as she didn't make it obvious what she was up to. Surely the wealthy had a "no cameras allowed" rule regarding these things, considering what a secret it is.
"That's weird," Noel said, tapping his phone screen aggressively. "It's telling me my camera app's disabled here."
Odette frowned as she powered on her phone. She didn't put it past Noel to overuse his phone memory, so that had to be the problem. Luckily, she barely used her camera, so she had plenty of room. She tapped on the app, and positioned herself to start filming by angling herself behind Noel so nobody directly to his left could see her.
"Bzzzzzt. Sorry, Odette. Camera's not working," RotomPhone said.
"What? What do you mean?" she asked. "I have no memory usage. How is it not working?
"Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt. Dunno! I can't pull it up. Something's blocking me from accessing it. Bzzzzt!"
Her mouth gaped as she returned attention to the one-sided battle. The gyarados looked like a ragdoll now, but Desmocula was still going at it.
"That doesn't make any sense."
She tried to dwell on it some more, but her focus sunk into the battle upon noticing that the gyarados fell completely limp. A knockout.
Wait...no. The bat wasn't stopping. The gyarados was not fighting back, and Desmocula was still ripping into it.
"Stop," she muttered, somehow hoping that would end the battle. "It's done. What are you doing?"
Nothing happened. The "battle" continued, and blood began filling the water. What made it worse was that she could hear the heavyset man laughing.
"Keep it up, Desmocula! No mercy!"
"Mercy's gone, he's killing it," Odette said loudly. Her lower back started to prickle, and it picked up intensity faster than it usually did. She looked at Noel, who just looked clueless. He was as lost on what to do as she was.
Desmocula went in for another attack, and in a swift bite, it tore off one of the gyarados' whiskers. It didn't even flinch.
She couldn't take it anymore. She'd been walking around despondent Pokemon all day and witnessing the worst of the worst of mankind. She could no longer sit by and watch this happen. Her anger was bubbling over into a violent froth.
Before considering her options, she was already halfway toward the bank.
"Stop! It fainted! You're done!" she bellowed, stomping up to the overweight man. He apparently didn't hear her because he looked surprised when she got to him and grabbed him by the fabric of his sleeve.
"Call that thing back," she seethed. "You're gonna kill it!"
"Bah!" the man spat, swatting at her. "Get away, little one. You don't know what you're fuckin' talkin' about. One less gyarados won't kill anybody, ya know?"
He turned back around, and Odette's vision swam. Without a moment's hesitation, she lunged for the Pokeball in his hand.
"Hey!" he yelped. "I said keep back!"
He wrestled with her, and Odette discovered that there was indeed strength between all that fat. In a single push, he sent her stumbling backward. The force of her head and back hitting the grass knocked the wind out of her, and she coughed violently.
"I should press charges for harassment, you fuckin' bitch. Let me do my thing, and you crawl back from where ya came and do yours."
He stomped back to watch the fight, leaving Odette struggling to recollect herself.
She'd been trying so hard all day to keep it together. She'd been trying so hard to keep herself in control. She dealt with kissing Dorien, discussing marriage with him, getting lectured by Clovis, and watching the shiny trade function. The day had been hell on earth, and she'd managed to keep herself under control and act the part just to find just a smidge of information.
All of that was out the window now. As she pushed herself to sit up, all she could see was red. She reached for a rock.
I'll fucking teach you to push me.
She forced herself to stand and reared back to peg it right at the back of his bald head. However, she was stopped from doing so by that same demonic screech.
"AAAHREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
She looked back up to see the abomination flying back toward the bank. It had left the gyarados floating lifeless on the lake. It landed with a harsh 'thump' on the grass, and the man extended his arms and flexed the pokeball toward it.
"Desmocula, return-"
The man was cut off by the twisted bat pushing him aside, sending him flying to the side. Odette watched in a mix of surprise and delight as he rolled away. However, the surprise and delight were short-lived when she looked back toward the Pokemon and saw it glaring toxic daggers at her. Tarry saliva drilled to the ground as Desmocula crouched low, growling dangerously.
Odette tensed, her anger subsiding and morphing into fear. That fear grew in size as the demon took a step toward her. Instinctively, she stepped backward, dropping the rock, and that was apparently the only invite Desmocula needed. With a hiss, it lunged.
It all happened in an instant. As the giant bat terror flew toward her, an intense ringing filled her ears, quickly becoming so deafening that she could hear nothing else-not the snarl of Desmocula, or the screams of the onlookers. All sound was absorbed in the ringing, and she could do nothing but cover her head.
Then, it was like something had taken over. Pure, undiluted fury-unlike she'd ever felt before-engulfed her whole being, and she suddenly felt like she was on fire. But the fire was...empowering? She suddenly felt energized, strong, and almost...good?
However, this will wasn't her own. Her conscious thoughts still managed to break through.
What's happening? What's happening? Stop ringing! Brace!
While all she wanted to do was cover her head, something invisible compelled her to stand upright and look this thing in the face. As she stood upright and opened her eyes, she found that she could only see from her right, as the left had gone dark.
...what the fuck is happ-
Her thoughts and the ringing were abruptly interrupted by her own voice.
B̴̨̭̓̋̃Ī̸̱̮̙̝̘͂̚͜Ţ̸̮̱̽̊C̴͖̭̙̱̓̏͠H̸̠̑͝,̷̤͍̈͊̒̓̏͝ ̶͖̭̝̺̖̒̅̐͜Į̸̖̣͍̞̩̓͗̓̅͠ ̸̦̬͂H̸͕̙̓͑̓̉̒͝Ö̵̧̩́͝P̵̤̎̓͆̆È̴̡̲̻̰̼ ̷̰͍̠͔̝̻̏̃̓͐͑̚T̵̟͚̞͌̽͌Ḩ̸͔̭̗̺̂̽̒̓͝E̵̛̹͂ ̷͕̣̥̀͒̏͝ͅF̶̥̳͕̆͊̿̑͛̌Ų̷̤̭̏̊̉̚͜͝Ç̶̼̦̱͈͈̆̋̋K̸͔̺͚̦͚̯̋̆͗̇ ̶͔̬̮͓̊̏̊͛̉Y̷̩͚͛̊̎͒͝Ò̴̱ͅƯ̴̠̐́̽̉ ̸̬̬̻̼͈̉͂D̷̯͍͍̜͇̐̍͑̆͜͠O̷̗̒̈́̈́!̷̪̯͒͛́ ̶̧͇̭͖͌͐̅B̷̢̧̺̣̟̓͂̋̈̋͘I̸̞͍͍̔T̵͚̖̅E̴̢͉͕̭̯͌̉͝ ̵̦͓͚̬̉͂͜M̸̢̛̭̮̲̟͒̿̂Y̷͕͎͘͜ ̶̡͎͔̖̝̪͗͌̌̒̋V̴̧̘̩̙̑͛̊͛͝Ĕ̵̲̝̩̫̮̈̂̓̾̊S̵̮̜̉̒͒̈́̓̀͜͜Ṡ̷͎̥͕Ę̶̀̈́̈́͋̾L̷̜͈͇̩̗̱͋̌̅̋̚,̴̨̠̦͛̄̑̽͐͜ ̷̦͚̩̪̙͐͊̎S̷̡͕͕̟̋̆Ȩ̴͕̪͙́̾̕E̶̞͚̙̓͛͛̚ͅ ̸̘͇́̇̈́̍̐̀W̶͖̏́̒͋̍Ḣ̴̡̘̭̓͆́̏̚ͅA̷̪̝͋T̷̡̲̤͎͌́ ̷̢̪̗̏͊̓͒ͅͅF̸̺̜̋̒U̵̡̧̘̟͋̈́̓͊̾͘C̵̡̗̰̘̫͛͜K̸̦̉̆͘I̸̘͈͋N̷̬̲̬̅̍̋̃͑͝G̴͈̙̤̲̊̃͘ ̴̢̝͔̘͉̣̑̑͝H̵̪̙͙͓͖̍͋̓͗̃A̵͓̬͔͕͌͐̌P̶̺͂͌͐̓̊̕P̷̧̻̎̽͛͊̍Ę̶̥̦̲̠̦̀N̵̻̖̮͌̂̊͘̚S̷̝͖̖͋̿!̴̛̩͍
Desmocula winced in pain and fell onto its side, writhing and barking as if it were being attacked. It whined in agony as it scrambled back onto all-fours, scurried back toward the heavyset man, then disappeared into the pokeball he'd dropped in a flash of maroon light.
The silence that now lingered was tense. The ringing had gone, and Odette was left with the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears and her breathing picking up intensity. Her eyes remained locked on that pokeball as she searched her brain for an explanation of what had just happened.
That...was her voice. But it wasn't. It sounded like her, but it sounded distorted. Like it was being broadcasted through a weak radio station. Even more so, what had that done to that Pokemon?
Blinking, she very quickly became aware of how heavy she felt. She felt like she wasn't getting enough air, and her head quickly fogged up. She could also feel tears streaming down her face on the left side. When had she started crying?
She was panting now, and her legs began to wobble. Nonetheless, she still found the energy to raise her hand to her cheek and hastily wipe the tears away. But, as she moved her hand away from her face, she saw a speck of deep red. She examined her hand and found her fingers coated in blood.
Everything went black after that.
"O? Dee? Hey, come on back! Follow the sound of my voice!"
"Step back, give her some air. Somebody get her some water!
"On it."
"Odette? Please wake up, I am right here."
Odette groaned, and she tried to force her eyes open as she rocked her head from side to side. She felt the grass rustle beneath her as she did and a set of hands on her cheeks, lightly patting her back to consciousness.
"That's it! Hey buddy. Open your eyes and look at me." That was definitely Noel. She could barely make out his silhouette as her eyes adjusted to the light. With a few blinks, she could see his worried yet smiling face.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, madlad," he laughed. "You scared me."
"Noel...what...?"
"You fainted. That Pokemon lunged at you, and you passed out," he explained. He ran his finger over her cheekbone. "Don't know when the hell it cut you in the damn eye, though."
She continued to blink the involuntary sleep away, bringing her hand to her face to rub her eyes. She was startled yet again to find more blood coming from her left, and it was enough to get her to sit up on her own.
"Easy, easy. Go slow, give your brain a second to recuperate."
A hand fell against her lower back, and turning her head in the direction it felt like it was coming from, she saw it was none other than Clovis. He grinned nervously when their eyes met, gripping her shoulder with his other hand.
"Hi, there," he greeted. "Do you know who I am?"
She nodded dazedly. "You're Clovis. I'm Odette. We're in a garden," she said flatly.
He pursed his lips, looking somewhat impressed. "Alright, that's a fantastic sign."
"Thank goodness, I was getting worried!"
Odette moved her attention to Enora, who had crawled into her lap and stared up at her with worried eyes. Odette placed a hand on her head and thumbed her forehead. "I'm awake. I'm awake. Not going anywhere..."
She trailed off just in time for Dorien to jog up, holding a full glass of water. He kneeled in front of her.
"Good, good, you're sitting up. Here, drink," he said, panting. He held the water out to her, and she took it steadily, carefully. She wanted to ensure she'd regained full motor function before she went about snatching things from people.
She wordlessly chugged the water, which did wonders in restoring her to her usual headspace. She no longer felt clouded and tired and instead felt like she could stand. So, she did.
"Whoa, are you sure this is a good idea?" Noel asked, holding his arms out to catch her if she fell. She only stumbled but caught her balance rather quickly.
"I'm good," Odette assured him as she nodded to herself. That was very far from the truth regarding her mental state, but she at least felt like she could drive her motorcycle home now, and that's all she wanted to do. She wanted to get out of here and away from whatever she just bore witness to.
What did I do?
"I think we can go now. I'm ready to go."
"No shot you're operating a bike after just fainting. I'll go call us a Lyft, and we'll come back and get the motorcycle tomorrow," Noel insisted.
"I can drive you home if you'd like?" Dorien offered.
Noel shot him a playfully rancorous grin. "Thaaaaaanks, sweetie, but I think we're good. I got this."
At least Noel could offhandedly curve Dorien without much consequence. It must have been nice.
Clovis interjected into the exchange by raising his hand. "I get free ride share, actually. Let me call it for you," he offered.
Noel looked at him thoughtfully, then clapped his hands together. "I'll take you up on that, good sir."
"My phone's charging at the bar, come on," Clovis said, motioning for Noel to follow him back toward the bar. As they walked away, Odette could hear Clovis telling people to clear out. Odette had been so caught up in her own head that she didn't even notice that there had been a semi-large crowd of patrons gathered around, including the more familiar faces, and they began to dissipate upon Clovis's insistence. That only left her alone with Dorien, and she huffed to herself. She couldn't make any remarks before he had his arms around her.
"Sorry, I-" she started to say.
"Odette," he cut her off.
The raw tension in his voice was jarring. She stiffened her shoulders with a start, and her tired expression turned to something more concerned as she looked up at him. She was jarred for the second time around upon seeing how wildly he was staring at her. His eyes were shining with a harsh mix of seriousness and that malice he seemed to have on standby. It might have been the lasting effects of fainting, or the confusion from what just happened, but she felt an immediate sense of panic.
"Dorien, what are you-?" she tried to ask, leaning away from him, but he jolted her back toward him.
"I need you to tell me how you just did that," he said.
She lowered her brows. There was absolutely no way for her to correctly compute that question because it made no sense to her. "How I did what? What are you talking about? Fainting?"
"No, no, no, no," he said. He sounded like he was on the verge of yelling. "How you hurt Desmocula. How did you do that? You need to tell me."
This was the first time her flight-or-fight senses came to full fruition. Her brain settled on fight because she couldn't run with him on her like this.
"What are you going on about?" she said frantically, leaning her full body weight backward and digging her heel into the ground, allowing herself leverage to push him off of her. However, he was adamant that he not let her go because his grip on her hips tightened. So much so that it actually hurt.
"Don't lie to me. I saw what you did," he said. "I won't tell anybody. You need to talk to me about it."
Her breathing picked up speed, and with whatever might she could muster, she pushed him off. "Stop grabbing me like that," she yelled.
"Keep your hands off of her!" Enora barked simultaneously.
"Yeah!" Ru chimed in.
It was the volume of her voice that finally caused him to let go. When they parted, Enora moved into the space between them and began to arch her back ferociously, now dead set on attacking if need be. Ru followed at her tail, fanning out her small wings for added threat. Not long after, Clovis and Noel come jogging back over. Clovis walked toward Dorien first before looking over at Odette.
"What's going on here?" he asked. "Are we good?'
Dorien huffed, then adjusted his coat. That frantic expression flew off his face, only to be replaced with one of concern. It was that damn easy for him. "All is fine. I think she's still a little confused."
"Confused about what?" Noel inquired, walking up next to Odette and slinging his arm around her shoulders.
Meanwhile, Odette parted her lips to scream an insult but found she wasn't getting enough air anymore. As her breathing sped up, it seemed her lungs shrunk. She was quickly reduced to a panting mess, and whatever heat she'd felt in that moment of strength against Desmocula was long gone. Now, she just felt cold.
"Hey, are you okay?" Clovis asked. He walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder again, and Dorien was at his heels.
"Wait, she's pale," Dorien said, his voice rising. "Doll, are you okay? Do you need more water?"
The words formed in her head, but she couldn't speak. She could only focus on breathing. She felt she might suffocate if she stopped for any reason.
Why is this happening now? she thought as some newfound panic began to set in. This is the last thing that needs to happen now, no, no no, I need to be focused...
In a flash of movement, Noel was now in front of her. He ran his hands over her shoulders, trying to generate warmth. "Dee has a history of hypotension. This is one hundred percent an episode; somebody needs to call an ambulance," he instructed calmly.
"Wait, hypotension is...low blood pressure? You can have low blood pressure episodes?" Dorien wondered.
"Yes. Call the fucking paramedics," Noel raised his voice.
"Cancelling the ride, calling," Clovis said. He had his phone in his hand now, and with a few timed taps, he was holding it to his ear.
She wanted to focus on him and his silver hair, but her vision fogged along with her head, and she suddenly couldn't stand it anymore. She lowered herself to the ground, aided by Noel and soon Enora and Ru, when she got closer to the grass.
"You're good. All's good," Noel said, still rubbing her shoulders. He was beaming at her, but his eyes weren't crinkled with the smile. "Focus on your breathing, keep your eyes on me, alright?"
Her blood pressure had always been an issue, but bad drops like this were few and far between. Why an episode started now, she'd never know. Karma for not helping that waiter the other night?
Or...what if it had something to do with that voice she'd just heard? That voice that was hers but wasn't. The way it was the thing that scared that Pokemon off. The way Dorien wanted so badly to know what it was when she didn't even know herself.
She was by no means looking forward to the ambulance ride she was in for, and she definitely wasn't looking forward to the IV drip that undoubtedly had her name on it by now.
But, if it got her the hell away from Dorien for the time being, at least until she could think clearly, she'd suck it up.