An old scent battered Kuzey's nostrils. The smell of the sea, somewhere near but out of sight as the wafting hint of brine flowed into his nostrils, then receded back with the tide. It was the smell of home, the villa on the coast of southwestern Paldea his parents owned. He could see it now, as inky black was dotted by blots of memory. The sandstone-tinted building was still clear in his mind, and he could recall the lines of clothes that hung on lines from the second story, drying in the winds on the high plateau. A beaten path twisted towards Alfornada, an hour's walk east on a clear day. But this was a clearer day than most, and he was headed west, off the path to a secret place. Not even his parents knew where he'd slip off to on a perfect day like this. The squawks of passing Wattrel and the salty breeze accompanied him on a gradual decline at the edge of the plateau, past a little outcropping of rocks he'd discovered were sturdy enough to climb over. And through there: a cave. It was small, barely high enough for him to stand straight, and it only ran a few dozen feet deep and wide; but that was plenty for a young boy out to build his own secret base. He was most secretive about it, only daring to sneak out one or two items in a trip; today, in his pack he carried a few posters of famous Pokemon Trainers he was going to attach to the walls. It'd make things feel homier.

He stooped down a little as he entered the cave and basked in his home away from home. A tattered throw rug his parents wouldn't miss let him wipe off his feet, and an old walking stick taped to misplaced bricks made a cozy hook to hang his bag on. He set to unzipping it and retrieving its contents, nodding to the blob in the corner as he unfurled the first poster: the current champion of the Johto region, the mighty Dragon Lady.

Kuzey blinked. He remembered this day clearly. And when it really happened, there definitely wasn't a blob. But when he turned to face it, the blob did the same.

Red eyes stared back. Nonthreatening, inscrutable orbs. Cold – no, heat tickled down the back of his neck and out across his shoulders. The red orbs just watched. He blinked at them. They [ ] back. Kuzey blinked a few more times, trying to find a word for the film of gold that stretched over the red for just an instant. It didn't come.

Words caught in his throat, and his heart fluttered. Yet he knew he had to speak. It was polite.

"Hello…?"

Hello.

And back in rolled the smell of brine. The must stirred the boy from his sleep; Kuzey stirred from a, yes, it seemed like he was in a bed somewhere. And at his side sat Herri. In a trenchcoat. Kuzey grimaced and pinched his nose the moment he saw her.

"That thing stinks."

"I know," Herri replied, tugging at a sleeve. "It's great. I feel hardboiled. Emma said I could wear it."

"Who's Emma?"

"Bonjour!" answered the big-haired woman standing just behind Herri, waving to the bedridden boy. "Emma of the Looker Investigative Bureau, at your service." A tiny Espurr on her shoulder mewed a greeting of its own. "And this is my partner, Mimi!" She thrust a hand out to him, a disarming smile at its back. "Charmed, Mr…?"

"K-Kuzey." He took her hand and shook it firmly. "Kuzey Ferris. Did you save us from those weirdos in the alley?"

"Saved is a strong word," she corrected with a tut. "I just stepped in when I was needed. Those three had already caught my attention before they caught you; I've gotta say, for your age you two make for promising Pokemon trainers!" A finger tapped at her chin as her eyes look up at nothing. "Reminds me of… me, when I was that age!"

Gingerly, Kuzey's fingers tapped the side of his face. Only a light stinging came in response. "You could have stepped in before I got domed, at least…"

She stuck her hands up apologetically and said "Sorry! I was surprised the guy went that far. It's been a long time since Lumiose had crooks who'd punch a kid." She crouched down a bit to inspect Kuzey's face, one eye opened wide at the reddened cheek. "He did a nice job patching you up though. Barely any swelling."

"Like I said," Kuzey repeated. "Weirdos. Do you know who they were?"

"Not a clue," Emma sighed, before sticking a single finger up with a grin. "Yet! Luckily, snooping into the unsnoopable is precisely what we do here at the Looker Bureau. You'll be happy to know, we've accepted you and your friends as clients!"

And as if on cue, the door to the room slammed open, and the girl with pink hair strode in with big, exaggerated steps. "Yoo-hoo! You guys done in here yet?"

Emma gestured to the girl. "Allow me to properly introduce Miss Mia; I understand she's your friend's doppelganger?"

Kuzey scrambled half out of the bed, one knee on the sheets as his other leg hit the floor. "I knew it! You look just like Herri!"

"Duh," Herri replied, tapping her fingers on the folding chair she occupied. "You're hours late, coward. We covered this already."

Mia scooched over to Herri, beaming with a positive – and positively giant – smile that felt wrong to Kuzey coming off a face that looked just like the blank slate of a girl he'd met prior. Her hands framed Herri's face before jetting back to spin around her own. "Gonzo, right? Spitting images!"

"So I didn't just imagine it." Kuzey rubbed a finger under his nose, pondering the absurdity of the scene in front of him. As Mia poked at Herri's face with both index fingers, and Herri squeezed Mia's calves with a tilted curious head, Emma was kind enough to catch him up to speed.

"Two identical girls, both pursued by mysterious forces. It has the makings of a great mystery, right? United by the oppressive symbology of the letter 'F'."

"It was all over the place I was!" Mia chimed in, carting herself over to Kuzey without skipping a beat. "I was in a big, white room with nothing but –"

"I'll guess," Kuzey interrupted. "A bag full of clothes, with a tag for somebody named 'Mia'?"

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened more than Kuzey thought that face's could, and an open-mouthed smile praised him. "You're sharp! Or didja already glance at the answer sheet, Kuzey?"

He glanced for just an instant at the drearier girl behind her. "Something like that."

But something else bothered him. Did Herri say "hours late?" Twirling on his heel he grabbed the curtains beside the bed he'd been laying in, and pulled them open; in return he was granted by his first glimpse at the beauty of nighttime Lumiose. It was a narrow image from this alley window, but the gleaming swirl of lights teasing at the edge of the alley's end promised sights even greater than he'd taken in when he and Crest departed the train station early that morning.

"The concert," Kuzey gasped. "It'll be starting any moment!"

"Concert?" asked Emma.

"He wants to take me on a date," Herri replied.

"I want to get Herri to my aunt, to keep her safe from the kidnappers!"

"What's that about a date?" Mia interjected.

"You have a guardian here?" Emma asked.

"Bounvialle Ferris. She's a big DJ here in the city."

Emma snapped her fingers. "ViBonVi? That's excellent! I'll come with, Kuzey, and we can coordinate things with her. Let me go fetch some things, and we'll head to the concert immediately."

"That's great, she said it was at—"

"No need," Emma informed him, flashing a paper stub from the interior of her sleeve, tongue stuck out from a sideways smile. "I have a ticket!"

Emma raced out of the room, and clattering could be heard from somewhere else in the building as Kuzey gathered his bag from the bedside, and Crest's Pokeball from the table beside it. The little scrapper was released, to his immediate relief as the Charcadet stretched its arms out and expressed a fiery gout of a sigh. Mia practically slid to Crest's side with an adoring squeal.

"Oh, there's my little hero!" she exclaimed, taking the diminutive warrior's hand in both her own before giving a vigorous shake that lifted him right off the floor. "I didn't get the chance to thank you before!"

"Ch-Chaa-ca…" Crest tried to puff himself out to look a tad larger, as he humbly accepted the girl's adulation. Danger is just an everyday part of life to a Pokemon such as he, of course.

Skipping not a beat, Mia, stood back up and spun around to Kuzey, slapping both his shoulders with her squinting grin. "You too, Kuzey! I was in a real jam back there. You guys do the whole hero thing pretty well."

Kuzey turned away to hide the blush on his cheeks as he rubbed his left arm. "We're just, uh, glad you're okay, Mia. How long have those guys been chasing you?"

"Since last night, right about the time I came into the city." She giggled, seeming unperturbed by that fact. "Lucky they're pretty slow, since I don't have a Pokemon to fight 'em off."

A twitch in Kuzey's brow accentuated the grimace he made. "I think it's more that you're way too fast… wait, you don't have a Pokemon?"

Mia shook her head, so vigorous a motion that her shoulders went along for the ride, then smacked the bag at her side. "Nah. Just the rock."

"It's a cool rock," Herri praised, sidling up to her twin with something cupped in her palm. "Check out this one."

Mia's eyes brilliant eyes lit up even more as she gawked at the shining pebble from the pond that morning. "Oh, that's amazing!"

"Ya-ya!" agreed Yaya, peeping out from inside of Herri's hood.

The pair continued their granite girltalk as Kuzey led them back into the main office of the Bureau, where Emma tapped her foot on the tile; her hand matched the rhythm along her hip as she spoke with somebody on her phone.

"…Mm-hmm. All the same, I'd feel better if you were there, just in case. Appreciate it. See you later!"

"Who was that?" asked Kuzey.

"A friend. Just a little extra security for tonight." Emma dropped the phone in her pocket and waved the teens out the door with her. "We'll get going in a moment, just gotta check in downstairs before we head out." As they departed the Looker Bureau's office, Emma snatched the trenchcoat off of Herri and deposited back on the coat rack before closing the door behind her.

"Aw."

The group traveled down the hall of the building, moving to the stairwell past roving groups of people, young and old. Children ran down the hall playing imaginary games with Poochyena pups; an old biker done up in leather carried a hamper of laundry on one shoulder, taking care to hoist it above the giggling kids as they scurried past him and patting one on the head. At the stairwell they came to, a young couple with sunken eyes and t-shirts with Aunt Vi's face stylized on the front leaned over the railing and nodded to Emma as she passed.

"Weird investigators," Herri commented.

"Most of the building is a shelter," Emma replied. "The last owner passed the place on to me when he had to leave, and told me to do with it as I pleased. So, I made it a place where people who didn't have anywhere else to go could be safe." As the end of the first flight she reached over the banister to stroke the ear of a Zubat as it ascended up into the building's higher crannies. "Money's tight, and it's a lot of work. But the local League rep and plenty of locals chip in."

"Do you run this place all by yourself?" asked Kuzey, glancing down at the bits of bustle he could spot further down.

"Nah, I've got a partner. But they have a lot of stuff on their plate, and their duties take them all over the place. So I hold down the fort here. And besides!" She used a finger to tease at the Espurr on her shoulder, who purred at her in adoration. "Mimi here is the best assistant investigator a girl could ask for!"

"And what about that suit?!" Mia exclaimed, looking at Emma from an odd angle. "Did that come with the Bureau too?"

Emma chuckled and answered "No. That was… from another friend. Isn't it cool though?" She extended an arm over the rail as they went down the next flight, and in the fluorescent light Kuzey watched little spots play on her exposed arm. It was nigh-invisible, but she was still wearing it. "Built-in camouflage. I could even use it to look like a completely different person. Then there's the enhanced speed and strength, and a few other toys. For a long time I went by Essentia, and used it to guard the city from the shadows."

"What changed?" Herri asked.

"Less to guard," she told her. "It's been peaceful times, and most violent crime died out in Lumiose in the last few years. They say there's no place in the City of Light where shadows can take root." With a bit of an embarrassed face she poked her cheek and added "Plus, like half the city knows who I am under this thing anyway."

The group reached ground level and stepped out into a charming foyer done up in burgundy theming, empty saved for a bored girl at a receptionist's desk thumbing through a magazine on fashion, and a punk with a bright blue mess of hair camped by the front door. When they approached he smiled at Emma.

"Did like you said, boss. Eyes and ears on every corner. You'll know if they so much as peep out a manhole cover."

"Right on," she praised the punk, and clasped his hand with hers. "We're off, then. Hold down the fort!"

"Always do," said the man, giving a glance and polite half-nod to the teens as they followed their shepherd out into the street.

If Kuzey was impressed the first time he'd seen Lumiose City this morning, then tonight he was stunned. Emma ushered them out onto the street; from there, he and Crest could stare up and marvel. Nowhere he'd been in Paldea had been quite so tall as this place, nor so golden. Against a deep blue backdrop, the City of Light was more alive than ever with the sun down. Down Autumnal Avenue not a single shop was closed, inviting travelers inside with a glowing embrace. Emma stopped more than once to pat him on the back and keep him moving with Herri and Mia, who managed to gawk on the move.

It wasn't so far a trip; just down the Avenue, and ducking down a few side streets, they came to the side of the crystal blue river that cut through the heart of Lumiose City. Mia leaned over the guardrail and pointed out a flock of Ducklett traversing their own avenue, while Emma pointed to their destination: a large warehouse up against the river's edge, dubbed The Box by the bold neon sign flashing on the building's side.

Kuzey had never been to one of his aunt's concerts before, but as they cut down a sloping street toward the venue, multicolored lights beaming out the massive window panes along The Box's top, he thought back to the times Vi had come to visit him and his parents; the churning beats that came out of her room late at night seemed like they were still playing in his ears as the signature sound of Bounvialle pulsed out over the nighttime river.

A line of fans were condensed around the door, but Emma shook her head and waved them around to the back of the building, where a wide bouncer flanked by Machoke watched another door. She flashed her ticket at the cueball and smiled. "I'm sure Essentia and a few friends could get backstage?"

The bouncer glanced at the group and chuckled. "No need." Fishing a phone out of his leather vest, he turned it on and turned it to show the party a photo – of Kuzey.

"ViBonVi said to let her nephew and any of his guests in, full VIP treatment." The bouncer stepped aside, and one of the Machoke got the door, bowing and sweeping an arm to usher them in. "Help yourself to the food at the table; your aunt's out on the floor, Mr. Ferris, but this set oughta be done in a few minutes."

"Could you let her know I'm here?" asked Kuzey. Another chuckle from the big man.

"You're all she's talked about all day. Staff's probably seen more of your childhood than you from all the pictures. Trust me, she'll know you're here."

The backstage of The Box was abuzz with activity as staff, techs, and their Pokemon parties marched in every direction to coordinate Vi's performance. The wide space hosted a buffet table off in the corner, watched over diligently by a roadie and his Munchlax between bites of donut. A tech was sorting her way through a giant knot of wires, being assisted by a Pokemon that looked like a living bundle of wires itself. Kuzey didn't recognize it, but it buzzed patiently as it guided the tech untangling the mess enough to start moving new sound equipment up front for the next set. A grizzled old man stood by some monitors, barking instructions for the lighting techs as he, and now Kuzey, observed what was going on up on stage.

Vi, or right now, ViBonVi, was in her zone. At the head of a dense crowd in a tremendous open floor, streamers and banners with her face plastered at every angle, she stood tall over her elaborate mixer set, playing with the laptop at her side and the countless dials and knobs Kuzey couldn't name to guide the crowd to a wild and blaring beat. Her hips gyrated in intense rhythm to a grueling EDM pace, and tassels all down her sleeves and across her midsection were swirling in patterns. The multicolored lights streaking from every direction lit up the intense makeup she wore, sharp and expressive shapes that exaggerated every angle on her face, and contrasting on her dark skin in every new color that splashed across it. On her right, Loudred growled deep and rumbling notes to put a deep bass underneath the music, and to her left a Toxtricity distorted the sound from her equipment to give it a raw and primal edge.

The crowd matched ViBonVi's freak with their own, shaking and battering the floor with crazed energy, such that Kuzey could imagine the building shaking in their signature.

"Wow. Your aunt's hot."

Mia sputtered as an elbow hit her side, and a "Shut up!" assaulted her ear, but she just laughed at Kuzey's Cherrim-red face. "Weirdo!"

All the same. He was awestruck. He'd never gotten to see Aunt Vi perform, not like this. That boundless vivacity she had around him felt exhausting at times, but this was where it burned most brightly. A stage where everything she had could be displayed.

The group waited patiently for a few more songs, fetching sugary snacks from the buffet as they enjoyed the last few songs of ViBonVi's set, until the final note faded and the crowd roared one last time for the DJ, waving with both hands as she retreated out of sight.

Kuzey took a deep breath as he set down the cruller in his hand. "Guess I'd better brace—" Oh, much too late. Vi was upon him like a whirlwind, both arms wrapping her nephew in a vice as she swept him off the floor in a spin.

"KUZEY!" she hollered, still riding the high of her performance. "Did you see?! How was I?!"

"Y-You were great, Aunt Vi!" Kuzey choked out on the edge of suffocation. Just a few more dizzying spins passed before Vi set him down, giving him one last hug before giving him his space.

"And I see" she began as she clasped her hands together "you've got guests!" She leaned over and got a good look at Herri and Mia, who introduced themselves. "Such lovely names!" Then came the glance aside to her nephew, who just rolled her eyes as her no-good smirk. "Twins, you sly dog!"

"We're more like a charity case!" Mia teased.

"And I have dibs." Herri… also teased, Kuzey decided.

That was when Emma stepped forward, hand extended. "And I'm Emma; I don't believe we've met, but I'm a big fan of your work, Miss Bounvialle."

"Oh!" Vi blew straight past the handshake and drew Emma into a big hug with a slap on the back. "You're that lovely woman who runs the Looker Bureau! Of course I've heard of you as well, mademoiselle! What's got you all tangled up with my nephew?"

"That's actually why we're all here," Kuzey cut in. "A lot's happened today, and… and I really need your help."

Though the giddy smile remained, the teasing glint in his aunt's eye disappeared. Taking Kuzey by the hand, she led the others back toward her dressing room. "Tell me everything."

Draped across her chair, Vi shoveled ice cream into her mouth as she mulled over the story she'd just received. Herri and Mia sat on a plush sofa prodding at one another's faces while Emma and Kuzey occupied a pair of stools, Crest climbing around its little bars with Mimi chasing after him.

"Well, this is the last time I send you shopping unattended…"

"Aunt Vi, you've gotta—"

"I know, I know! Take this seriously." She tilted her neck back and with a dramatic sigh put the back of her hand against her forehead. "I'm just trying not to have a heart attack here, kiddo. My blood pressure's been through the roof for the last couple years, and the second I think I've got you here safe with me, this happens!"

Her legs swept out and she settled into a forward lean, glaring at her nephew. "I swear, you get it from your mother."

"Get what?" he asked, fidgeting under her withering gaze.

"The ability to turn the simplest task into a crisis!" Her paper bowl flopped to the floor empty as Vi stood up, stretching out her back and shaking her head in resignation. "I guess I should be praising you… you did stick your neck out for innocent people who needed help. But these guys you're talking about have me worried. If they've got a uniform, even if it's a weird one, there's probably more than just the three. And that symbol… a silver F." Vi rubbed a pair of fingers on her upper lip just beneath her nose, lost in thought. "It's only a hunch, but I think I know who we need to talk to next."

She stepped over to the couch and poked a single finger straight atop the heads of both girls lost in their face-exploration. "Hop to it, girls! We're going to see Professor Sy—"

This time Kuzey didn't imagine it. The building was shaking for real. A peal like thunder rocked the room and knocked him off his stool, splayed on the floor. Crest was beside him in a moment, coaxing him back up as the sound of fire alarms and terrified shrieks began to creep in through the dressing room's closed door.

"What just happened?" Vi gasped, dashing out of the room while the others hurried out a step behind. When they returned to the backstage monitoring station, high-definition video caught the streams of clubgoers barreling out of the main floor in a frenzy, while three hooded figures took the dance floor for themselves. Debris surrounded them from the shattered roof, detonated by explosives as bits of building material and shards of glass rained down on the hapless partiers caught beneath. The lankiest, Lenny, beside a hissing Krokorok, hopped from foot to foot flailing his arms around at the fleeing bystanders. "That's right! Get gone, losers, or we start thinning the herd!"

The big galoot Lonnie in contrast was using his massive size to point above the crowd to marked fire exists "Proceed out in an orderly and calm fashion! We're not here for you all, you'll be fine once you're out the doors!"

And then there was Libby, who – wait, she'd vanished from the viewscreen. Kuzey groaned and leaned in, asking "Where did she—"

A set of sharp teeth behind black lipstick sneered at the screen in an extreme closeup as Libby climbed up to the security camera, causing Kuzey to leap back with a yelp.

"Yell-oooooo?" she asked in some kind of singsong hiss. "Misses Escapees? Can you girls come out and play? I think we've got a score to settle after last time!"

"You tell 'em, Libs!" hollered Lenny, hidden from view behind Libby's manic face. "Let's see how they feel pressed under giant rocks!"

"That them?" Vi hissed, eyes narrow and fixed on the screen.

"Y-yeah," Kuzey replied.

"The dumb ones," Herri added.

"But how'd they get here?" asked Emma, brow creased in confusion. "We've got eyes on every route in the city right now. Nobody should've been able to get here undetected. Unless—"

"Unless this is the big one," Kuzey finished. "And they're not alone. I think we need to get out of here fast!"

"We should just bowl through them!" Mia declared. "Emma cooked 'em last time!"

Vi shook her head. "Those explosives could have destabilized the building. I won't risk you kids getting struck by falling debris. You'll need to take the quickest route out, same way you came in."

"Probably being dumb on purpose," Herri mused. "If they know we're here, they know that's where we'll go."

Vi hesitated, then glanced to Emma. "And if it's guarded, can I trust you to keep them safe?"

Emma gave a two-fingered salute to the DJ. "With my life!"

An approving nod, and Vi turned away. But Kuzey grabbed her by a handful of tassels before she could move. "You're staying behind?"

She peered around at her nephew with a confident grin. "Just to buy you a little time. I'll catch up after I've taught these punks a lesson for ruining my gig!" She shook herself free, and patted Kuzey on the chest. "You've got your own responsibilities now, little stud! Get those girls out of here safe."

And with a sashay the performer strutted away, ready for the night's encore.

Kuzey's teeth gritted, and he shook his head even as the accompanying words failed to come out.

Kuzey… you're perfect.

She's walking away. Don't let her walk away. Stop them, you have to stop them all. If this is the last time you see her too—

A hand grasped his own, and the spell was broken. Herri met his gaze when he turned to her, and misty swirls of purple lured him back to the present, far away from that empty, lonely house on the plateau. Her eyebrows were raised just a hair higher than normal.

"…Herri?"

"Let's leave, coward."

He nodded, and they dashed for the door.

In that same moment, the mismatched hoods stood in a rough semicircle, muttering to one another as the damaged lights shot fractured patterns of color all across the ruined hall.

"This better be the right place," Libby griped. "We'd look like a bunch of nonces if we blew up a good party for no reason!"

"Boss-man said this is the spot," Lonnie promised. "They're here."

"They'd better be!" Lenny followed. "I want my runback after the humiliation that bubblegum brat gave me!"

"No bubblegum here, baby." A voice called their attention, up to the stage. Over them towered Bounvialle, right fist on her popped-out hip as her left juggled a pair of flashy black Luxury Balls. "But you three just busted up my favorite club in this city! So if you want to get chewed up and spat out, I'm happy to oblige!"

"Who's this tramp?!" sneered Lenny, who got a bonk on the arm from Lonnie.

"You don't know DJ ViBonVi?! Lenny, you're so uncultured it gives me headaches!"

"Can you two focus for ONE. MINUTE?!" Libby shrieked in frustration as she tossed a Pokeball. "Sneasle! Get out here and mince me a musician! Slash attack!"

Tumbling out of the tossed ball came the Dark-typed scamp, snickering as it brandished its oversized claws before leaping toward Vi. Not even breaking her pose, a single skilled finger flicked out one of her Luxury Balls, and in a white beam came the streak of her Electric bandmate: "Toxtricity! Dust it."

"TOX!" was its hollered answer, the yellow amped punk replied, winding up a vicious haymaker midair before it met the Sneasel. Its counter came around the side of Sneasel's face, avoiding the claws entirely as it connected with the short-eared female and let loose with a full voltage Shock.

The punch went down and to the side, pressing Sneasel deep into the floor as bolts of brilliant lightning danced all around both Pokemon, the force of the impact so strong it brought a few more chunks of the ceiling down around Libby – immediately squealing as she hopped away from the crumbling clay. Lonnie and Lenny took a step back, reevaluating the foe in front of them as Toxtricity stood up straight and dusted off its arm, just before popping its hip and pulling the same pose as its trainer.

"Now then," Vi started. "Which one of you's next?"

Emma led the pack as the four sprinted out the back door, but not two steps out threw her hands out to either side to stop their momentum. Kuzey was sandwiched between her and Mia as the group slid to stop, trying to look over her shoulder. "What gives?"

"That."

About thirty yards away from the rear entrance to The Box, was "that". Positioned under Lumiose City's Magenta Plateau, set neatly over the prominent river, rested a wide and long concrete pier suited for little, and so it stood empty. Save, tonight, for the figure that stood at its center. That figure was a young man, maybe in his mid-20s, and about average height. His slim figure was cut by bright red trousers, accentuated oddly by a black bolero jacket trimmed by floral white patterns. His hair was stark white, pulled back and swooping behind his head, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of slick shades that must have been killer to wear this late at night.

"Makes sense," Kuzey whispered. "The new one's even weirder than the last three."

But no, the shuddering of his chest told him this wasn't time to be joking. Not when he was stood over the unconscious bodies of the bouncer from before, and both his Machokes.

"Kuzey."

He nodded at Herri's statement. "I see it."

He saw the Liepard stalking around this stranger's legs, eyeing the two of them in particular. "This must be the one."

"I don't see an F," Herri whispered.

"You three," Emma commanded. "Stay behind me. No matter what."

And then the stranger began to move, the spurs on his cowboy boots jingling as they stepped over the motionless bulk of a Machoke, while his hands made a pair of goofy waves over-top his head. "Ho-ho! Ya made it! That's just what I like in a mark. Punctual. Predictable." The Liepard followed his gait, eager to stalk just a little closer as the hairs on Kuzey's neck stood straight.

"So you're with the ones in the hoods?" Emma questioned, not breaking from her protective stance. Kuzey couldn't see her face from this angle, but could hear the tension in her voice. He could already feel his heart beating in his chest, but as even the Espurr on Emma's shoulder's fur seemed to stand up, he got the distinct impression he wasn't afraid enough.

"Oh, with? Over, maybe," the man corrected. "See those are the rank-and-file. The grunts. I'm more of a… contracted expert in the field." He patted his jacket proudly, and struck a pose with his chest puffed out with a cheeky grin. Kuzey's eyes lingered on the oversized fang on the left side of the stranger's face, its silver luster catching the distant golden light of Lumiose still shining far above. "Name's Operative Celot."

"Sell-oat?"

"Suh-loat, I think."

Herri and Mia whispered to one another, ignorant to Celot as he stepped closer again.

"Might call me something of a… predator. See, what I do's I, I find and collect things that somebody with a big enough bag of cash has a strong need for. Flesh and materiel, mostly; and I bring that on back to 'em 'tween my teeth."

"A mercenary," Emma finished for him. He responded with a jovial smirk and a finger-gun shot her way.

"On the money! Whip-wit, this one. And you're… oh you're a Looker, ain'tcha?" Celot ran his hands back through his hair and chittered a laugh. "Seems my hunt's got me sidling up a little too close to the IP this go around."

"Then maybe you should quit while you're ahead," Emma cautioned. Suddenly, her clothes disappeared – the camouflage of her casual clothes melting away to reveal the Essentia Suit she was clad in, a Pokeball already grasped in her hand. "You seem new to this city, so let me warn you: we take poorly to crooks who threaten kids."

"You tell him, Miss Emma!" shouted Mia, hopping up and down in excitement.

"He's too slimy to get to call you a looker," said Herri.

"Heh. Agreed." Emma tossed the ball, and out came a tremendous pink Pokemon, snarling at Celot with its humongous jaws.

A buzzing came from Kuzey's pocket as a muffled voice announced: "Granbull! The Fairy Pokemon! Though timid by nature, its battle instincts awaken when stoked by rage! BZZT!"

"These kids are counting on us, Granbull! Let's do the Looker Bureau proud!"

"Gran-BULL!" hollered her big-toothed partner.

Celot cocked his head for to one side and smiled at the group. "Y'know that's a cute fella. But I'm more of a cat person." He snapped his fingers, and made a loose point at the Granbull. "Liepard! Din-dins!"

The lithe predator jolted forward, streaking in at odd angles as it closed the distance between itself and Granbull. But Emma was ready. "Bulldoze!"

"GR-GRAN!" Granbull dug its arm into the ground and tore up a spray of concrete that sprayed the air around Liepard. But the faster Pokemon darted between the rubble, twisting through the obstacles with perplexing agility until it was right in the Fairy-type's face.

"Iron Tail!" Its sharp tail went snicker-snack across Granbull's pained face, sounds like a metal bat ringing off the snarling Pokemon's head as it was clobbered relentlessly by the speedier foe. Granbull lashed out with more chunks of rubble, but Liepard simply spun around, toying with its prey as the devastating move drained the bigger Pokemon of stamina.

Until.

"Now!" Emma's call seemed to trigger something, as Granbull's closed eyes shot open, and its massive paw snatched Liepard's tail mid-swing. An amused "Oh?" slipped out of Celot as he leaned forward to watch, Granbull heaving Liepard up.

"Close Combat!"

And ho, it came back down with a thwacking noise against the pier's ruined ground. Liepard yowled in pain as it finally got a taste of its own medicine, Granbull returning a super-effective move of its own in a flurry of punches, throws, and dirty knees and elbows that started pasting the scrambling cat into the floor. Liepard's claws jutted out form all four paws, and in a wild squirming frenzy its Fury Swipes scratched every available inch of Granbull's skin, cutting deeper and deeper until it had to hesitate just for a moment – and Liepard escaped, darting back to Celot's side wheezing and hacking. For his part Celot was wheezing too, in laughter at his Pokemon's predicament.

"Man! You weren't expecting that, were ya?" he taunted the beast, who shot back an unappreciative hiss for the snideness.

Kuzey watched the Pokemon and Operative bicker, confusion swirling in his head. "Those two…"

"Hm?" grunted Herri.

"They're barely communicating, and fighting with each other." His fist tightened. "But I still get this sense… they're in sync."

On cue, Celot straightened his back out and rocked back on his heels. "That's enough of a breather, right pal? Get back in there and finish him this time. Use the good stuff."

Liepard's back arched, honing its claws for the next strike. And then it was gone. Granbull had only a moment to process its missing opponent before it rematerialized right beneath its jaws. "Grah?"

Liepard's tail struck precisely under Granbull's massive jaws, right at the bigger beast's neck. Kuzey recognized the Throat Chop attack at the same moment Granbull stepped back, choking on the pain and its own spit from the sudden strike as its eyes strained in shock. The Liepard took a playful leap back and took advantage of the pink Pokemon's confusion, spinning once more into the fray with a spinning barrage of Iron Tails and Fury Swipes. Brazen whacks and stinging cuts danced across Granbull's body as it was worn down.

"Emma!" Kuzey cried. "Call Granbull back! Do something!"

But she didn't answer. He couldn't see her face under the helmet she wore, but he could hear her strained breathing. Even as he yelled he understood it was pointless. If she recalled Granbull, that was time he and the girls were defenseless, and the Liepard could strike directly at them. Granbull was suffering, but not once had it complained. This timid Pokemon was taking the beating so that they wouldn't; and Emma hadn't had to ask it. This was the trust between her and her Pokemon… and the burden he was placing on them with his weakness.

There has to be something I can do!

"Yayamaskaa! Brutal Swing!"

All eyes turned to the spinning piece of clay that Herri had just tossed Liepard's way, manifesting its purple-eyed shadow in a thick striking shape that whooped the enemy across its back. Liepard was stunned, fleeing away in confusion at the new enemy that had entered the fray. And that was half the shock Celot had, jaw agape in more admiration than offense at the interloper. "Oh, you play dirty, kid! Respect!"

Kuzey and Mia turned back to Herri, who faced them both with her flat expression. "This guy's a criminal. Let's ignore the rules and kick his butt together."

Two nods, and two "Rights!" were her response. Kuzey and Herri maneuvered to either side of Emma to stand beside her, while Mia crept out of sight. She looked at the two, the visor on her helmet opening up to reveal the immense disapproval on her face. "What are you two doing? I can't let you put yourselves in danger."

"We're already in danger," Herri rebutted.

"All we're doing is defending ourselves," said Kuzey.

"Cha-ca-CHAA!" Crest leaped off Kuzey's shoulder and squared up beside Granbull, who'd managed to get back on its feet and regain its breath. It glanced to the two little Pokemon who'd joined it, and approved with a grunt.

"Good ethos," replied Celot with a brief round of applause. His hands parted – revealing two more Pokeballs in his hands. "Y'know I hear Kalos's big on these triple battles! We'll give it a whirl, sure."

The outlandish attacker tossed each ball in the air and made snapping gestures at each, using the impact of his fingers to flick the balls into the fray. Both opened to reveal more cat Pokemon – an electric-type Luxio squaring up against Herri and Yaya, while a fire-type Torracat stood on the tips of its paws, prepared to square up with Emma's Granbull. Liepard had switched targets, now prowling off to the side as it eyed Crest, who returned the glare with gusto. He had a score to settle with that cat. But Kuzey was suddenly less sure, staring at the confident seat Celot's grin had nestled into. Could this man seriously control three Pokemon at once in battle?

"Oh, yes," he sneered, turning his head just enough to tell Kuzey he was staring right at him. "I can. And GO!"

No time to strategize, the Liepard was dashing straight for Crest as round 2 came underway. There was no brush to take advantage of this time around – but there was debris from Granbull's Bulldoze scattered across the ground in big chunks. "Into the rubble!" Kuzey yelled, and Crest obeyed, narrowly rolling under the initial swipe from Liepard into the field of rocks. Crest hopped from clear space to clear space, beginning to pepper Liepard with Ember attacks as it dashed in after him; and it nearly tripped. The cat was too nimble and regained its footing in time to flip over a short Flame Charge, but Kuzey felt emboldened by that. The terrain was too rough for the bigger Pokemon to get around it as easily as a Charcadet could. That was going to even out the speed factor.

The Liepard dove in again, and as a stray claw caught on an outcropping of concrete chunks Crest snuck right beneath the cat and fired an Ember into its belly. Liepard flung itself away yowling in pain as its tail smashed down into Crest, knocking him down to the floor and pinning him there. It came around for another swipe –

"Throw the dirt!"

Kuzey's command registered, and the scrappy little Charcadet took whatever it could scoop in its hand and tossed it straight into Liepard's eyes. The dirty trick blinded the thing, and its head flung back to cry out in frustration. "That's right, how's it feel?!" Kuzey taunted as Crest blasted it square in the chest with another Ember, forcing it back several steps and freeing him – square into Granbull's path as the Torracat flung it backward with a Double Kick. Liepard was knocked square on its face by the bigger Pokemon's impact and Emma took advantage.

"Close Combat, Granbull! Toss 'em!"

The big pink dog snarled in acknowledgment and took Liepard by the tail yet again, flinging it straight into Torracat as it leapt to them with Fire Fang prepared. The beast's flames singed Liepard's belly, and the swing sent it hurtling back toward Herri's battle, where Yaya's Brutal Swing managed to catch both of Celot's cats in a single wide strike. Torracat barely skipped a beat and dashed into Granbull once again; its Bite sunk into Granbull's leg, hanging on ferociously as a Bulldoze attack rocked it in a spray of painful debris.

Luxio let loose with a Discharge, crackling bolts shooting off at every angle while Yaya used its loose form to narrowly dodge the shots. A Spark was more effective, the attacker slamming right into the clay fragment that formed the Yamask's corporeal segment; the little ghost was pinned to the ground, electricity coursing through it as it countered with a Night Shade pounding the Luxio's head with pulsing dark energy. "Drive 'em mad," Herri ordered.

In the midst of it all, Liepard stood back up. It was battered and bruised, shivering from the beating it took, but focused all the same on the Charcadet who'd eluded it.

Crest steadied itself on his feet, and glanced back at Kuzey, who returned his partner's determination. His knees weren't knocking this time. His heart was beating a mile a minute, but as he steadied himself, and focused in on his opponent, his own fears were fading into the periphery. It was time to put a stop to this.

Celot had turned himself to face Kuzey now, and was focused on the boy. Waiting to see what he'd do. His hand raised, and he commanded "Liepard! Night Slash!"

The cat charged, a clear path set. Low and straight-on, it was prepared for Crest's clever dodge from before. It won't work this time. Kuzey grinned.

"Good thing that's not our plan! Crest, Fire Spin!"

"CHAA-ca!" Crest's arms spun around its little body, sparking embers that quickly grew from swirls, to arms, to a solid spinning gout of flame nearly twelve feet high. A gout that Liepard's locked-in charge had no time to avoid in its haggard state. A yowl of misery was all the poor thing could respond with before it dove headfirst into the flaming tornado, getting caught in the current as it spun around and above; up and up it ascended, so quickly the other battling Pokemon stopped to behold its trip – until at last it was spewed from the top of the cyclone in a smoking trail.

A "Pard!" of pain spewed out of the Dark-type's mouth as it hit the concrete hard, and rolled onto its side groaning. The cyclone dispersed, leaving Crest kneeling exhausted – and victorious. Kuzey's fists tightened so much he thought his nails would cut him, but he couldn't loosen them as exhilaration shook through his body. His first win. He'd battled beside his partner, and he'd won.

And then that clapping came again from Celot. "Congrats!" he exclaimed, pulling out a Pokeball to recall his unconscious Liepard. "That's a tough little thing you've got for a partner there. You're pretty good."

And then his hand reached for his belt, and retrieved a purple ball. As it widened in Celot's hand, the "M" mark on its top became visible – and every muscle in Emma and Kuzey's bodies tensed. "But don't count your Torchic 'fore they hatch, kid. I think I've still got another Pokemon."

"That's a-"

"A Master Ball!" Kuzey finished. Herri's head turned.

"Master Ball?"

"A ball that can capture any Pokemon without fail," Emma responded.

"They came up in my classes," Kuzey continued. "They're so rare that nobody would ever use one unless…"

"Unless something special were inside!" Celot concluded. "And oh, this one's extra-dextra-special. Near and dear to my heart, really. Why don't I show you?"

"PASS!" Lost in the confusion of the battle, Mia had slipped wide and far around the combatants in the shadows beneath the plaza hanging above. And now, from behind the dandy Operative, she wound up her rock and gave it a professional pitcher's toss –

THUD. Straight into Celot's waiting hand, never even bothering to turn back her way.

"Huh?" The pink-haired girl, baffled, took a step backward in confusion.

"I'm busy, kid," scolded Celot. "Hold onto this for me." With a shove, he shunted the rock straight back to Mia, who let out a pain "Oof" as it bowled her straight over.

"Mia." Herri stepped forward to move her way, but Celot held his now-free finger aloft.

"Up-up-up. First I show you my surprise." With another snap, the Master Ball was flung into the battlefield – and from it came a cat Pokemon, yet unlike any of the ones before.

Unlike the others, Kuzey's blood froze still in his veins the moment he saw it. A white, sloping body pocked with crystalline protrusions swirled around as it lurked forward. Massive, elongated teeth like swords jutted from the top of its mouth, pockets of ice coalescing around their tips. He fell straight backwards, eliciting a "Kuzey?" from Emma as his hands began shuffling on their own, attempting to push him away. They couldn't stay here. His heart tried to beat like a jackhammer, but the frigid air held it still.

"What is that?" Emma questioned.

"C-Ch…" Kuzey's stuttering caught her and Herri's attention, and at last they saw what was in his eyes. The terror. "Chien-Pao!"

"BZZT! Chien-Pao! The Ruinous Pokemon! No further data available! BZZT No further data—"

"Ho-ho!" whooped Celot, traipsing a little closer now as a finger picked at his silver fang. "So you know this Pokemon? That saves me an introduction. But still, first impressions are the most important…" He turned to the white, ruinous beast at his side and clicked his tongue. "Let's kick this partnership off right, slick. Show me a Blizzard."

The icicle-like whiskers on Chien-Pao's face bristled as it turned to face its opponents, Torracat and Luxio sprinting out of its way as it approached. Its mouth opened, and not a cry but a sound like mountains splitting crashed out of the mysterious Pokemon's throat. Ice-flecked gusts bellowed from Chien-Pao with gale-force strength, and Granbull and Yaya had only an instant before it struck. But in that instant, Crest leaped in front of its comrades, screaming a battle-cry that could not be made out over the howling of the wind and unleashing another Fire Spin. Every spark he could find flocked to his side, and formed a buffer of heat in front of the Pokemon and their trainers.

A second later, that buffer was snuffed. Like it was plucked from the air itself, the cushion of flame became nothing in the swirling bitter wind. Herri soundlessly smacked against the wall of The Box, Yaya against her chest as a layer of frost coated her unconscious body. Emma fared little better, managing to cushion Granbull's impact with the strength of her suit only to find its joints locked in place by the ice crystals.

Crest was flung the furthest, and skidded to a halt at Kuzey's feet – but when he tried to reach for his Pokemon, he found his skin stuck to the concrete in a layer of ice. The chill sent spikes of pain along his limbs, and he could only watch helplessly as Chien-Pao returned to Celot's side. It had won the battle in only a single move. "Now that is a predator!" Celot praised, tossing what looked like a treat from his pants pocket to the Pokemon. "Ain't it just perfect for me, kid?"

Celot finally bothered to close the rest of the distance, sliding along the layer of ice like a kid at a skating rink, even taking the time to spin before coming up to Kuzey and leaning down. The boy could see his reflection on the surface of that silver fang, taunting him from its spot in the Operative's smug smile. "I think we make a pretty perfect pair; eh? Eh?"

Ice was all Kuzey could feel, prodding at every inch of him as he was stuck in place. Even blinking was impossible as he glared up at that fang. That smile. Those invisible eyes staring down at him behind black lenses. "W-w-w-w"

Celot leaned a little closer. "Sorry, I don't speak cold. W-w-w-what?"

A crunch. Kuzey's left arm came free, and punched Celot square in the nose; the Operative stepped back, uproarious in surprised laughter as streams of blood began to drip down the boy's arm. The white frost stained red across his chest as Kuzey pointed his raised arm at Celot.

"W-w-why? Why?! Why do YOU have La Primera's Pokemon?!"