PMJ
Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands
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>no one posted at all
Chapter 9 highlights:
- Nye gets an idea
- Safiri lets her hair down
- Motfia happens (if you can call that dumpster fire a highlight)
- who's Evelyn?
- Eldan and Nye go for a walk
- it's friggin dope
This chapter ended up being larger than I thought it was going to be. It largely focuses on Eldan and Nye, since everyone else is busy playing Motfia.
Chapter 10 is another filler chapter where I planned on having a small battle. I'm torn on whether or not I want to do it. There is another thing I wanna do that should end up taking up the rest of the chapter. Just a bit of character building is all, nothing too major.
Chapter 11 is scheduled to be yet another filler chapter, but I honestly don't know what to put here. I might just scrap it and put whatever I plan for this chapter into chapter 10.
Chapter 12 (or 11) marks the start of the quarterfinals with Rose vs. Thresher. I hope you're excite because I know I am.
I am liking the pace I'm on. Assuming there are no more interludes, and each chapter takes a month, I should be done with this story by this time next year. Guess that's my goal, although with the way my life is right now I really don't know if I'll be able to finish this story. I'm gonna get as far as I can, though. Thanks for sticking with me.
Like this post once you've read it. Post feedback too. I'm looking at you, literally everyone who isn't Firo or Skyleaf, E S P E C I A L L Y @bbninjas and the new guy who likes but doesn't post.
Word count: 9415
"Okay, now move it up your body... just like that," Eldan instructed his Gardevoir. "Yeah, that's good. Can you breathe okay?"
The floor of the training area was filled with a blue sparkling mist, a product from failed attempts at altering Misty Terrain. Gardevoir had used some psychic power to put a thin barrier around her body before filling it with some of the mist, encasing her completely. It looked promising, but it wouldn't mean anything if she couldn't actually make use of it. On the other hand, if this test was successful, it would allow Gardevoir a temporary immunity to status conditions without allowing the same benefit to her opponent.
It didn't matter much to Eldan that his team didn't rely on status conditions all that much. An advantage was an advantage, and the watching the mist swirl around inside the barrier was interesting visually, and that was good enough for Eldan.
(It tickles my throat, but I can put shields around my mouth and nose to stop myself from breathing it in. However, it's too thick to see through.)
"What if you leave your eyes unguarded? Can you alter the barrier so only your eyes are exposed?"
(Of course. One moment.) She closed her eyes and did so, and then she opened them, able to see perfectly fine. She inspected her body, seeing the effect herself for the first time. Eldan smiled, pleased with the results, and Gardevoir did the same, although he couldn't see it through the mist.
"That looks great. Though I wonder if you can still be hit by status problems if they hit your eyes," Eldan noted.
(They can hit, but they will do nothing. The rest of my body is surrounded by the mist, and that will eliminate any ill effects.)
Eldan nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. All right, this'll be form beta. Drop your shields and..." he grinned as Nye opened the door to the training area, letting out some of the mist. "On second thought, take a break. We'll keep working in a minute."
He jogged over to where Nye was standing to greet her properly. "Good morning, Nye. Always a pleasure to see you. You're looking very lovely today," he finished, bowing extravagantly.
She was wearing a light blue sundress with a floral pattern, and her massive length of hair was tied into a single ponytail. She rolled her eyes a little at Eldan's display, but smiled at him nonetheless. "Good morning, Eldan. Practicing?" She looked past him, trying to see who his opponent was, but save for Gardevoir, he was alone in the huge arena. "Or..."
"Just doing some style training. What brings you here? Did you want a battle?"
Nye considered, but shook her head. "No. I didn't know you were here, but maybe there's something you can help me with."
Eldan bit down on what would have been his immediate response to an easy line like that. Instead, he said, "How can I help you? I'll do whatever I can."
She shifted in place a bit, clearly a little embarrassed. "I want to learn more about the way you battle. I've never seen anyone fight the way you do, and I would be very grateful if you would teach me how to do it before my quarterfinal match next week."
A sly smile came across Eldan's face. Come back with me to my room and I'll teach you how to do it all night, baby!
Nye's eyes narrowed at his obvious train of thought. "Really?"
"Hey, I didn't say it, you did," Eldan countered. "And I kept my thoughts to myself, that counts for something!"
"I suppose," Nye reluctantly agreed, rolling her eyes so hard Eldan thought they might roll out of her head. "Will you help me or not?"
"Of course, of course! Come on, I'll show you the latest move we've been working on." He placed a hand on the small of her back and lead her to where Gardevoir was waiting patiently. "Gardevoir, you remember Nye, right?"
(Of course. You're very skilled,) she telepathically told Nye. Unlike Rose's relatively young Gardevoir, Eldan's Gardevoir had no problems speaking to trainers who weren't her master. (You found a weakness in my defenses and exploited it, and it lead you to victory. Well done.)
"Th-thank you," Nye replied aloud, not expecting to receive praise from the Pokemon she'd defeated. "You did well yourself. I was just talking to Eldan about his battle style and asked to learn how to do it."
"That's right. And for all things stylish, you've come to the right place!" Eldan gestured openly with a hand. "For who better to teach you about alternative moves than I, the Sultan of Style, the Prince of Panache..."
(She's leaving.)
"...the Father of - hey wait!" He caught up to her, blocking her path so she couldn't leave.
"I'm serious, Eldan," Nye said, clearly not in the mood for his games. "If you're not going to teach me, then I'll--"
"All right! All right. I'm sorry," Eldan apologized, raising his hands in an effort to placate her. "I'll do what I can." He ushered her back to where Gardevoir was standing and took a breath. "As you know, I am the epitome of style and grace, and as such, it is only natural for my Pokemon to be the same. By teaching them different ways to use their attacks, it not only looks like something straight out of a Pokemon Contest, but gives them an edge in battle."
"Is that why you cut your Gardevoir's dress?" Nye asked. "To look different from other Gardevoir?"
(It gets in the way,) Gardevoir answered for him. (I can grow it back if need be, but it serves no beneficial purpose in battle. If an opponent manages to grab it, or if it gets caught on something, it would be disadvantageous to me. That's why we agreed to remove most of it.)
"I see." Nye considered this, wondering if there was anything like that she could do with her Pokemon.
"Pokemon use their attacks largely on instinct," Eldan explained. "When they learn a move, their brains already know exactly how to do it, even if it's the first time they've ever done it. You can have a row of Pokemon use the same attack, and it will look the same every time. I call those attacks 'form alpha.' It's the basic, bog standard version of an attack. When my Pokemon and I create a new version of an attack, I term it 'form beta' to differentiate it from the previous move. I haven't come up with variants on all my Pokemon's moves, and some attacks are easier to vary than others. Psyshock, for example, has two variants, one offensive and one defensive. Will-o-Wisp and Future Sight both have seven, the most I've ever come up with. Hydro Pump, on the other hand, doesn't have any variants. It's not really a move that can be used outside of its intended purpose, and that's fine; sometimes it helps to stick with the basics."
"How long does it take to do? Could my Pokemon learn something like that in time for my match?"
Eldan shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on how well your Pokemon take your instruction, exactly what kind of variant you're trying for, and what move it is you're varying. Like I said, some are easier than others. All my Future Sight variants do the same thing, but they look different. Different colors, different energy shapes, stuff like that. When you walked in, we'd been trying new versions of Misty Terrain." He turned to his Pokemon. "Think you can pull it off again?"
(Of course.)
"Then let's see Misty Terrain, form beta!"
A spot underneath Gardevoir's feet glowed light blue, and the sparkling mist issued forth as Gardevoir put a small barrier around her body. With a touch of psychic energy, she brought some of the mist into the barrier, filling it completely. Another moment passed as Gardevoir created gaps in the barrier for her to see out of, and the attack was finished.
"It's so pretty!" Nye exclaimed, watching the fairy energy swirl around Gardevoir's limbs. "You did this in one day?" she asked Eldan.
"A couple hours, yeah. Gardevoir is a Psychic-type, though, so it's a lot easier for her. Also, don't forget, years of practice." He frowned at all the mist that was leftover after the attack. "Looks like we'll need more practice if we want to eliminate the field advantage for our opponent, but in time, she'll get it. That's very good after only doing it once before. Excellent work, Gardevoir."
(Thank you, Eldan. I'm confident that I'll have it mastered by the time we go home.)
Nye was in awe at the sight of Gardevoir using her psychic powers to use Misty Terrain like that. It wasn't something she ever would have thought of herself. Could Musharna do something like that? she wondered. She thought back to her battle against Eldan and tried remembering all the move variations that he did. There was a theme common to all of them, she realized - none of his variants were of physical attacks, only special attacks and status moves.
That makes sense. None of his Pokemon are physically inclined.
She frowned as she realized that two of her three Pokemon were. Did that mean that Musharna was her only option?
"You all right?" Eldan asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," Nye replied. "Is it possible to vary physical attacks? I noticed that you didn't use any during our battle."
"It is, but due to the nature of physical attacks, it's harder to find ones that can be varied. Status moves are ripe for variation, though! Just because a Pokemon doesn't use special attacks doesn't mean they're entirely helpless. Now how about we get started, huh? Choose a Pokemon and Gardevoir and I will see what we can do."
* * * * * * * *
The weekend was a time of rest for the competitors that were still in the running for the grand prize, but Safiri was still hard at work - even if she was wearing dark blue silk pajamas. With no chance of any of the competitors seeing her - as they had no reason to enter the area where the Jewels rested, which was separate from the main dormitory wing - Safiri took this opportunity to clean her work outfits. The result was her current choice of attire. Doing work in her pajamas was something of a rarity for her, as she felt she had a better peace of mind when wearing the clothes she typically wore. It put her in a work mindset, and made concentrating on her task easier. Now all she could think about was how amazing the fabric felt against her skin, and why she couldn't get away with wearing this all the time.
Her hair was down - another rarity - and fell loosely over her chair and back. She'd planned on pinning it up, of course, but her pajamas had put her in such a relaxed mood that it never happened. Eventually, she'd decided that she was wasting daylight and it was time to get started on the day's tasks, pins or no pins. Though they had permission from Diamant to take it easy today - he'd actually scheduled them time off - Safiri was not one to rest when there was work to be done.
No point in putting it off until tomorrow...
The room was silent but for the sound of Safiri's fingers typing at her laptop, and the occasional click of the mouse as she cross-referenced information she'd need. Eventually, Safiri fell into the familiar rhythms of work, and she continued writing, comfortable pajamas all but forgotten. So focused was she that she didn't even bat an eyelash when her phone and laptop both started to ring. Seeing who it was, she sent the call to her laptop, allowed the caller to send and receive video, and connected them. In a moment, Diamant's face filled half of her screen. "Good morning, sir," Safiri greeted him pleasantly. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you this early."
"Ah, yes, it is pretty early there, isn't it?" Diamant rubbed his chin as if contemplating something. "Sorry, Safiri. Did I wake you?"
"No, sir, I've been awake for a while now. I've accomplished quite a bit."
"That's good to hear," Diamant replied. He wasn't offended by her insistence on working instead of relaxing, but he did worry that sometimes she was pushing herself too hard. "Though I can't say I remember the last time I saw you working in your pajamas."
"In my - oh god!" Safiri blanched, mortified that she'd been caught dressed so casually. In a panic, she threw an arm over her chest to hide herself, despite the fact that her shirt was completely buttoned. Diamant watched with humor as she threw herself from her chair and off camera, spouting out apologies as she tried making her hair presentable. Finally, Safiri returned to her seat, hair hastily pinned, but still in her pajamas. "Forgive my outburst, sir, I was out of line."
Diamant took it all in stride and merely smiled at his subordinate and friend. "No worries, Safiri. I was going to say, I was glad to see you taking it easy. You know I always appreciate your willingness to work hard for me, but don't forget to enjoy yourself. Finish your report and then take the rest of the day off. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes sir," Safiri answered hesitantly. "I'm almost done with it."
"Of course. Now, I suppose you're wondering why I'm calling."
Safiri opened her mouth to reply, but realized that no, she hadn't wondered about the why part of it. Diamant was the boss; he could call whenever he wanted. But now that he mentioned it... "It is a little strange to hear from you at this time. Sir," she added.
"There was an incident a couple nights ago in regards to the DNA testing. Helmi reported that one of the samples was contaminated."
Safiri's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Contaminated? In what way?"
"She claims that one of the subjects' DNA had two samples in it. Before it was mixed, I mean. Apparently, that's a very big problem. She worked herself to exhaustion trying to retest all the samples to make sure nothing else was contaminated."
"Whose sample was contaminated?" Safiri asked, still slightly confused. She was so sure that she'd been careful when shipping the DNA back to headquarters; what could have gone wrong?
"Helmi only told me their subject number - six. I was hoping you could find out who it is for me so we can secure another sample. Not that I have any doubts that you handled the DNA with anything but the utmost care," he quickly added, not wanting her to feel offended at his assumption, "But Helmi insisted on a second sample..."
"Right, of course. The paper files are in my office, but I have copies of them on my computer. Just give me a moment... subject profiles... here we are. Number six is--" Safiri's breath caught as she saw Frisk staring back at her. She was smiling, but her eyes made it clear that it wasn't genuine. "Her name is Frisk Achra, sir... hm."
"Is something wrong?" Diamant asked, legitimately concerned. It was not like Safiri to be unsure of herself.
Safiri pursed her lips as she considered her answer. She was surely imagining things, but as long as she had him here, she'd get some real answers. "Sir, how many biots exist as of today?"
This wasn't a question Diamant was expecting, and he didn't know why she was asking when she should have already known the answer, but he answered her anyway. "As of today, there are five - you, Ruby, Esmeralda, Argenta, and Aura. Project Krista was shelved when we diverted the funds into Version Zero. We still have the blueprints for her written up, but you know all this already. Why do you ask?"
"This girl, Frisk... I disciplined her the other day for trying to go outside. When I looked at her, her eyes were red like fire. Like..."
"Like the old Sapphire biots used to do," Diamant finished for her. His voice turned serious. "You think she's a biot?"
"I don't know, sir, but you can understand why I ask. I didn't think anyone other than Diamant Industries even had the technology capable of creating biots," Safiri said, letting a little amazement slip into her voice.
"They don't. Or, rather, they shouldn't. It's possible that the scientists who worked on the first few Sapphire models sold the information to another company, but that would get them in a world of legal trouble. Still, we can't overrule the possibility... If she is a biot, she's not one of ours."
"It would explain the additional DNA," Safiri explained. "Creating a biot from only two sets of DNA, though? Isn't that inefficient?"
Diamant nodded. "It is, but if the company that created her is working with outdated science, it's possible that they don't know how to blend the DNA as well as Helmi can. Maybe she's an early model - it supports your statement about her red eyes."
"I'll get another sample from her, sir."
"See that you do. How is she doing in the tournament?"
A few clicks of the mouse, and, "She won her first match. Her next match is scheduled for Tuesday morning."
"Did you notice anything unusual about the battle? Did she employ old battle intelligence?"
"I wasn't watching the battle that closely, sir, forgive me," Safiri apologized. "You should ask Esmeralda."
"Ah, of course. That makes perfect sense. I will make a note to do just that. Thank you for your help in this matter, Safiri. That's all I have at this time. Is there anything else you wish to report?"
Safiri thought about the recent conversation she had with Ruby and Esmeralda. While Safiri didn't feel the need to bring up her feelings on her previous conversation with Diamant, Esmeralda's recent behavior was definitely concerning. Admitting that she had feelings for one of the competitors and throwing a battle just to make her feel better... though the latter was less important than the former, it was still unsettling.
And Safiri couldn't forget about the threat Esmeralda made in her office...
"If you walk out that door, I'll blow this whole operation!"
She'd never heard anything like that come from Esmeralda, ever. She knew that Esmeralda got emotional sometimes, but even Esmeralda knew how important this project was to the company, and to Mr. Diamant. She wouldn't really have sabotaged the operation... right?
Safiri let out a breath. She loved her sisters and would do anything to support them, but this project was bigger than any of them personally. Its success was paramount. Something had to be said. "Yes, sir. We need to talk about Esmeralda."
* * * * * * * *
A solid ninety minutes after they began, Eldan and Nye decided to call it quits after their stomachs decided that the two had trained long enough. Lunch was soon, and both competitors had worked up quite an appetite. Though Nye hadn't succeeded in teaching her Pokemon how to alter their attacks, she still felt it was a good learning experience, and she thanked him for trying.
"Not bad for your first time," Eldan noted, playfully jabbing Nye in the side as he held the door open for her.
"Come on, stop," came Nye's reply, gently pushing his arm away but making no other effort to stop him. She was well aware of the double meaning behind his statement, but was in such a good mood that she paid it no mind. "Do you really think it went well?"
"Honestly? Yeah," Eldan answered, slowing to Nye's pace as they walked together. "If you want, we can try again later."
He flashed a grin, not at all lecherous, and it was one Nye reciprocated. "I'd like that... thank you."
The two continued their walk in silence, each of them leaving the other to their own thoughts.
Eldan was on cloud nine; what was meant to be a simple training session turned out better than he could have hoped. He'd gotten to spend time with the object of his affection, instructed her on how to battle with style, and she hadn't hit him or yelled at him at all the entire time.
There were a couple times she wanted to, though. Maybe I should tone it down just a bit?
He considered this for a moment before chuckling to himself. Nah, it's fine. I didn't do it that much, right? She'd say something if it really bothered her.
A part of his mind reminded him that she did, in fact, say something, and quite often - often enough that sometimes he wondered if that would finally be the last straw and she gave up on him forever. He frowned a bit as he thought of that possibility. While it was true that his mouth gained him Nye's ire more than it didn't, he didn't think it was very fair of her or anyone else to assume that he hadn't changed for the better. Surely he had, right? There were many, many opportunities for him to make crude remarks, which he passed up, even when Nye wasn't around. He even tolerated being around that loser Quayle, for Kyro's sake, and that had been an exercise in restraint.
His frown intensified as he thought of how close Nye and Quayle were. What could she possibly see in him? It was mind-boggling to see them together, chatting like old friends, like he hadn't almost killed Rose's Gardevoir earlier this week, like he hadn't called Windra a stupid bitch as he went to strike her, like he hadn't started this whole 'new and improved' ruse only once it became clear that no one was going to take his shit anymore.
Eldan clenched his fists, trying to calm himself down and to not let Nye see the anger on his face. He knew that Nye hated talking to him about Quayle because of how heated their talks became. How she could still defend him, still associate with him and call him her friend... it didn't make sense.
"Give him another chance, like I gave you one! Don't make me regret that decision!"
Nye's words rang in his head. He wanted to give Quayle another chance like he wanted a hole in the head, but he couldn't deny the irony of the situation he was in.
I don't really have a choice, do I?
He looked over at Nye. She noticed him looking out of the corner of her eye, and she looked back at him with those cool blue eyes. "This is you," she said, scrunching her face in a mockery of what she could make of his expression. The sight and silliness of it blew away his foul mood, and immediately, Eldan's frown was gone, replaced with his trademark smile, and Nye smiled with him. "That's better. Something on your mind?"
"Mm," he replied, nodding. "Just thinking about stuff."
"Stuff. How specific!" Nye teased. "I bet I can guess what kind of stuff you're thinking about..."
"No, nothing like that, not this time," he corrected her.
Nye stopped in her tracks, holding a hand to her chest in faux shock. "No!" she exclaimed, mouth agape. "You mean your mind isn't a den of sin and impropriety?" She placed the back of her other hand on his forehead. "Are you ill? No, that's not it. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Eldan?"
Eldan laughed. "I know, I know, it's hard to believe, right?"
The two stood there as the moment passed, and an awkward silence followed where neither of them said anything to the other. Eldan found himself getting lost in her dark blue eyes, and he froze as he saw Nye slowly reaching for his sunglasses.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Eldan stammered, recoiling as her hand drew near.
"I want to see you," Nye answered. "Are you hiding something? Are you horribly disfigured under there?" A thought occurred to her, and she giggled. "You're not wearing red contacts underneath there, are you?"
"What? No, of course not. It's just part of the uniform. A very stylish part, I might add. These babies," he said, pointing to his shades, "are worth two grand. You can't just grab them, you'll smudge the lenses." He paused, considering. "Because it's you, I'll take them off for you, just this once. But don't go bragging that you got to see me out of uniform, all right? I won't be held responsible if you get harassed by my fans," he finished with a grin, carefully grabbing the rims of his glasses and delicately removing them from his face.
For the first time, Nye was able to look into Eldan's eyes. They were somewhat narrow, well hidden by his sunglasses, with hazel-colored irises. It was a little strange seeing Eldan's full face, since she wasn't used to it, but she couldn't deny that she liked what she saw. "You have really pretty eyes," she complimented him.
"They are nothing compared to yours," Eldan answered immediately, putting a hand on Nye's cheek. His heart stopped momentarily as his brain caught up to his body, and he belatedly realized that he was most likely a dead man. When brain and body were finally in sync again, and he realized that not only was he not dead, but Nye had not even made an effort to break away from him, he stepped a little closer.
"You should see yourself. You look like you want to tell me something," Nye all but whispered to him, wrapping an arm around his waist, enjoying the rare sight of his eyes.
Eldan nodded, very seriously, and he put his other hand around her. "Yes. I--"
Suddenly, a loud scream was heard from the cafeteria. The sound startled the two of them, and they separated from each other as fast as they could. Eldan and Nye looked at each other, unsure of what the source could be, then rushed to the scene before anyone else left their room and saw them. Upon arriving, they found Tsomu, hands on his head in panic, pacing back and forth around what appeared to be the remains of a cake. Bae fluttered nearby, visibly upset by the scene.
"Tsomu! What's wrong?" Eldan asked as the two made their way towards the troubled man.
Tsomu was still panicking, not quite listening to what Eldan was saying. "Someone... someone ate it... what am I gonna do? There's no way I can get another one made in time..."
Nye put her hands on Tsomu's shoulders, to get him to stop pacing, if nothing else. He was still visibly panicking, and breathing heavily. "What did someone eat? This cake?"
"Yes!" he shouted into Nye's face, causing her to jump back. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm sorry, Nye, I just... ugh, this is a disaster! Someone... well, multiple someones from the looks of it... helped themselves to Windra's cake!"
The three looked over what was left of the cake. A section of it remained untouched, and Eldan and Nye could piece together what the entire thing might have looked like. On the untouched section, the letters "AY WIN" could be read on the side, but the rest was illegible due to all the tampering.
"Why did you bake Windra a cake?" Eldan asked, the curiosity getting the better of him.
"Today's her birthday. Someone called us after watching Windra's battle and told us her birthday was coming in a few days, and asked us to make her a cake and deliver her a message. He said he'd make a donation to Diamant Industries if we accepted. We ran it by Safiri, she cleared it, and we started this morning on it. It was meant to be a surprise for her. It wasn't out here for that long! How could so many people get to it? Ugh, I'm so mad!"
"I'm sorry, Tsomu," Nye consoled him. "It looks delicious."
"Yeah, it does," Tsomu replied, looking to Bae. "Search her. While you're at it, search him, too," he said, nodding at Eldan.
Ribombee flew all around Nye's person, carefully scenting her, checking for even the slightest trace of cake residue. After she was finished, she did the same to Eldan. Returning to her master's side, she shook her head, confirming neither were guilty.
"Okay, you guys are clean," Tsomu said, glancing at the clock. "Stick around. I'm going to get to the bottom of this once and for all."
With no matches scheduled for the day, Safiri, Ruby, and Esmeralda were free to join the competitors for lunch, but what was meant to be a normal lunch quickly devolved into a case of whodunit, with Detective Tsomu at the lead.
"There are cake thieves in our midst," he said, deadly serious. "Dirty, stinking cake thieves, who couldn't wait their turn for a piece of Windra's birthday cake!"
A few gasps were heard. Kiria, who was sitting at the same table as Windra, brought her in for a hug. "You didn't tell me it was your birthday! Happy birthday!"
Windra was not amused. "Yeah, I know I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone. How the hell did you find out, Tsomu?"
"That's not important," Tsomu said, dismissing her. "What matters is that some of you are dirty stinking cake thieves, and no one is leaving this room until I find out who."
Alex, rising from his seat, objected. "You cannot be serious." He looked to Safiri for support. "Tell me this is his idea of a joke."
"No, I'm afraid he's right," Safiri said, standing as well. "This cake was made at the request of an anonymous donor, in Windra's honor. It would reflect poorly on Diamant Industries if we reported that Windra was unable to enjoy her cake due to the misbehavior of others. As a show of faith, the three of us," she gestured towards Ruby and Esmeralda, "will also remain until the culprits are found, as we are all technically suspects."
"I'm innocent," Cody said, crossing his arms. "I don't even like cake, yeah? Just tastes weird to me."
"All the more reason you could be guilty!" Tsomu declared, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Here's what we're going to do. Eldan, Nye, you're free to go."
Complaints and dissent rang out through the crowd as the two wasted no time in leaving the cafeteria. "Quiet! Bae has already inspected them; they are clean. As for the rest of you, we'll put it to a vote. Majority rules. They'll step forward, Bae will inspect them. If you're clean, you can go. If you're guilty, no dessert for the remainder of the tournament!"
More dissent. "Yeah, yeah, tell someone who cares! You should have thought of that before you ate Windra's cake!"
"Is no one listening to me?!" Windra shouted. "How the hell did you know it was my birthday?! What donor? In my honor? I didn't even do anything! Will someone please tell me what's going on?!"
Tsomu continued to ignore her. "It's the case of the eaten cake! I and the rest of the patient competitors will enjoy what's left of this cake, while you dirty stinking cake thieves get nothing! The game starts now. Now choose!"
* * * * * * * *
The complaints of everyone forced to stay behind and play Tsomu's game were clearly audible even though the doors to the cafeteria were shut tight. Nye was glad that Tsomu had let her go; sitting around and arguing over who did or didn't eat Windra's cake seemed very boring, if she was being honest.
"Hey, wait up," Eldan called from behind her.
A week ago, if someone had told Nye that she would not just tolerate, but enjoy being around Eldan, she wouldn't have believed it. And if they'd said that they would eventually end up in each other's arms in the hallway, dangerously close to crossing a line, she would have laughed in their face. But there they were.
He is pretty cute without the glasses.
She was impressed by the amount of restraint Eldan had shown since their battle. True to his word, Eldan had significantly dialed back his lecherous behavior, making only minor comments, and only to her. He didn't even flirt with the other girls (or guys, she remembered with a smile), let alone solicit them for sex, which Nye appreciated a lot. It was clear that he was taking his promise to her seriously, and this helped Nye see Eldan in a new way.
She slowed down, but only a little, forcing him to walk quicker to keep up with her. Nye's room was closer to the cafeteria than Eldan's was, so it didn't take the two of them long to reach her room. She felt Eldan approach her from behind and wrap his arms around her; she allowed him a moment before turning around, twisting herself out of his loose grip. "I hope you aren't under the impression that I am going to invite you in or something along that line," she said, gently pushing him a step backwards.
"Well, to be honest, yeah, I was kinda hoping we could spend some more time together," Eldan admitted. "I had fun earlier, and it seemed like you were into it a little bit ago, so..."
Then invite me to do something! Do you have any idea how to court a lady?
"So..." Nye trailed off, not helping him in the slightest.
"So... can I come in?" He waggled his eyebrows.
Oh lord.
"What kind of lady do you think I am, Eldan?" Nye asked, equal parts curiosity and teasing in her voice. "Just because I was in your presence for a while and did not want to immediately bludgeon you with the nearest blunt object because of the filth that spews from your mouth on a regular basis does not mean I am going to invite you into my private quarters."
Now Eldan rolled his eyes, but since he was wearing his sunglasses again, Nye couldn't see it. He bowed low, taking one of Nye's hands in his own. "Oh, a thousand pardons, Lady Nye, I didn't--"
Nye suddenly snatched her hand away, causing Eldan to look up in confusion. "Don't call me that."
"Huh?"
Nye shooed an image of purple hair matted under a dark hood with a flowing black cape out of her mind. "Just call me Nye, okay?"
Eldan wasn't sure what the big deal was, but he wasn't about to refuse her request. "Sure... sorry. So what will you do now?"
"Excuse me?"
"You don't want to hang out with me, so I was wondering what you'll do now," Eldan clarified.
Giving up so easily? Nye thought of her suitor. Come on, use your imagination! ...On second thought, that's probably not a good idea. "Oh, I don't know. I may catch up on some reading, or take a nap," she answered, trying her best to sound terribly bored with either idea, hoping Eldan would take the hint.
"Wow, real fun," he deadpanned. "You wanna go out with me? Outside, I mean. Everyone's in the cafeteria playing Smell the Cake Eater or whatever with Tsomu, so no one would bother us."
"Hm, I suppose I could read later," Nye conceded, happy that this game was coming to an end. "Lead the way."
The two of them headed upstairs into the main lobby of Indigo Plateau, which was completely empty, as Safiri promised. A warm breeze blew onto them as they exited the building into the stadium, which was void of life outside of the two friends. As Eldan surveyed the fifty thousand empty seats, Nye stood close by, waiting for him to take command of this date.
It's not a date. Far from it. We just went outside, that's all.
The thought seemed hollow, even to her. The two of them were alone, spending time together, enjoying each other's company and entertaining the idea of a relationship.
If it looks like a Ducklett and quacks like a Ducklett...
All right, fine, so maybe this is sort of like a date. Besides, it's not like he could take her out on a real date, not while they were both stuck here. So this would have to do.
"...sit?"
"What?" Nye asked, taken out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."
"I said, where do you wanna sit? Plenty of seats to choose from," Eldan joked.
"Oh, could we walk and talk? I haven't been outside in days... I'd like to enjoy the sun a bit."
"Sure thing."
They stayed on the lowest level of the arena, walking in the area between the main stage and the lowest level of seating. At first, neither trainer said anything, simply enjoying the feeling of the sun. It was hot, but not humid, and although Nye enjoyed the fresh air and the warm weather, she found herself wishing she'd brought her hat to give her a little shade. She thought of the man next to her, immaculately dressed in his Team Flare uniform. It reminded her of their battle, when she imagined him "sweating with style," and she couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of it, now that they were in less stressful circumstances.
The sound of her voice prompted Eldan to respond. "Something funny?" he inquired. She explained her thoughts to him, and he let out a chuckle. "Our uniforms are made of a cotton/rayon blend, so they breathe very easily. I don't recall feeling overly uncomfortable during our fight, or right now, now that you mention it." He grinned. "I could have Aliana get your measurements, if you like. She's head of that department. You'd look stunning in a Team Flare uniform, although cutting and restyling your beautiful hair would be a crime. I could probably pull some strings, see if I can get them to allow you to keep those locks."
Nye balked at the idea. "Absolutely not. No offense to you or Team Flare, but I wouldn't be caught dead in such a garish outfit."
This didn't phase Eldan in the slightest. "None taken. To be honest, I thought the same thing when I first joined. I hadn't even worn a suit and tie before then."
Nye pounced on the opportunity to learn more about the man behind the uniform. "How long have you been with them?"
"Four years," he answered as they rounded a corner. "Officially, I'm still a Grunt, but I've been around longer than most people in the organization, so I'm respected more than your average lackey."
"No room for advancement, huh?" she joked.
"There really isn't. There are a few people with the admin rank in Team Flare, but it's mostly a formality. The admins run day-to-day things but each of them reports to one of Team Flare's lead scientists, who in turn reports to Lysandre. I've been around longer than most of the admins. I actually trained my commanding officer because I already knew how to do everything she needed to know."
"If that's true, why didn't you just take the job yourself?"
Eldan shrugged. "Didn't want it. Like I said, the admin title is pretty much in name only. The grunts in my division look up to and respect me, regardless of my official rank, and both Celosia - the head of my unit - and Lysandre have personally commended me for my loyalty and work for the team. That's the highest praise I can ask for."
Nye nodded, although she wished she'd asked a better question. While it was interesting to learn about his life in Team Flare, she was more interested in his life out of it.
"All right, it's my turn to ask you something," Eldan said suddenly. "Why don't you like being called 'Lady' Nye?"
Nye bristled at the phrase, but she calmed herself down and reminded herself that there was no way Eldan could know, and he was just trying to learn about her. "You know Quayle and I are old friends, right?"
Eldan let out a sound of disgust at hearing Quayle's name, but the glare Nye shot him in response shut him up. "Sorry. Go on."
"We met about eleven or twelve years ago, when I relocated to Celestic Town." She smiled, recalling the sweet young boy she befriended. "He was a very quiet child, largely kept to himself... he was teased a lot, although I don't know if the teasing was because he never socialized with anyone or if he never socialized with anyone because he was teased.
"I empathized with him. I... didn't really have any friends at that age, either. I approached him and introduced myself, and I remember he had the cutest expression on his face, like he was stunned that a pretty, older girl like me was talking to him. We became fast friends, two lonely souls finding solace in the other's company. One day, a few years later, we were talking about our pasts, and I mentioned to him that I was born into wealth. Quayle was impressed by this and started calling me 'Lady' Nye. At first I thought he was doing it to be silly, like you did, but... he started doing it all the time. He wouldn't address me as anything else. It was grating after a while. I left my home to escape all of that, not to be reminded of it at every turn."
Eldan was struck silent, clearly not expecting this conversation to take such a serious turn. "What did you need escaping from?"
"My parents," Nye replied, sighing heavily. "I don't think either of them were ready to become parents, thinking back on it. For all their money, neither of them had a clue what it meant to be responsible for a child, and rather than give me up for adoption, they chose to raise me. And by they, I mean my nanny Sheila, who I loved dearly." She chuckled humorlessly. "I was closer to her than my actual mother. She taught me how to read and write, made sure I was well fed, had proper clothes for cold weather... you know, things parents are supposed to do."
Eldan could hear the bitterness in Nye's voice as she recounted her story and wondered if he should stop her, but she continued before he had a chance to interject. "I miss her terribly, but I'll always be grateful for the time we had, and for instilling in me a love of books and learning that I don't believe I would have had without her guidance."
"Did something... happen to her? She sounds wonderful, but you still left home, so..."
"When I was eight years old, while out on a walk with Sheila, I found a Munna sick and injured outside of town. I had barely heard of Pokemon, but knew some people kept them as pets. My parents had a strict policy against that, arguing that it was too much work and they didn't want to clean up after it. Sheila knew this, but after seeing how well Munna and I got along, Sheila captured it for me, and said that it was to be our little secret. We managed to keep it that way for almost two years.
"One day, when I was feeding Munna, my mother barged into my room unannounced and, well, that was that. She asked me where I got it, and I told her, proudly, that Sheila captured it for me. My mother asked Sheila if this was true, and she admitted it, so my mother fired her on the spot and demanded she leave. I stood between Sheila and my mother, refusing to let it happen. My mother grabbed me and pushed me out of the way, then marched Sheila out of my room, out of my house, and out of my life. I watched her leave from my bedroom window, screaming and crying that my mother had taken away one of the only people who I believed cared about me. I lashed out at her, telling her that I loved Sheila more than I loved her, and that Sheila was a better mother to me than she was. My mother responded by taking Munna and locking me in my bedroom, saying she would deal with me once my father got home from work."
Nye let out a breath. "I'm sorry. This isn't even what you asked about. I don't mean to be unloading all of this onto you. This was supposed to be a nice date."
"It's more than fine, Nye," Eldan replied, hesitantly touching the fingers of her left hand with the fingers of his right, and he was pleased when she silently linked their hands together. "I want to know all about you that I can."
Smiling sadly, she nodded, then continued. "There isn't much more to tell. Once my father came home, he and my mother argued for hours. Turns out he sided with me, saying that if I was able to care for a Pokemon for that long without them knowing, then obviously I could handle owning one. He finally came to see me late that night, and returned Munna to me. That night... was the beginning of the end, as far as their marriage was concerned. He and my mother fought constantly after that, arguing over what I was or wasn't ready for, how I should or should not be disciplined, where I should or should not go to school or become a trainer professionally. Things that they should have had a better handle on years ago.
"A few months later, my father told me that he and my mother were getting a divorce, and explained what that would entail. I blamed myself for their ruined marriage, and ran away the same day. I packed a bag, grabbed Munna, and left without leaving a note. I took a boat to Sinnoh, not knowing or caring where I was going, as long as it wasn't Unova. I ended up in Celestic Town after some time seeing the region, and met Quayle a short time after that." She looked over to Eldan, who was listening intently to her story, and gently squeezed his hand. "What about you? What was your life like before you joined Team Flare?"
Eldan laughed a little. "I used to joke that I have never had a life before Team Flare. My parents met at a Team Flare rally, years and years ago. They were interested in Team Flare's message, and though they didn't actually join, they supported them in other ways, volunteering, donating money... stuff like that. After I was born, they continued their work, dragging me along to various Team Flare functions whenever they would go. When I was fourteen, I saw a recruitment poster for Team Flare, so I decided to check it out. When they offered me a membership, I accepted it without asking my parents first. I wanted to stick it to them and show them that I was an adult and they could suck it if they didn't like it. Well, imagine my surprise when not only were they not mad, but they were actually happy to see me in the group. Go figure, right?"
Nye looked at the ground, away from Eldan, so he couldn't see the look of disappointment on her face. From what Eldan was saying, it sounded like Team Flare was his entire life, and she didn't know what that said about his life goals, considering what he'd told her already. "Do you ever see yourself leaving them?"
"Leaving Team Flare?" he asked, as though the very idea of it was impossible to fathom. "You know, yesterday Kiria asked me yesterday to leave Team Flare," he realized. He playfully jabbed her in the side with his elbow. "Heh, is there something you two know that I don't?"
Nye shook her head. They were approaching the final corner surrounding the arena, and they would be back at the entrance in a few minutes' time. "No, I just wonder what your ambitions are. What do you want to do with yourself? You've been a part of Team Flare longer than most people, but you're still at the bottom of the ladder, by choice. Don't you want more?"
"I have most of what I want already," Eldan countered. "Team Flare can't help me get the one thing I really want, though."
"And that is?"
Eldan squeezed her hand. "You, of course."
Nye quickly looked away from him, feeling her face get hot. "Don't say such ridiculous things."
"Why not? It's no secret how I feel about you. And I know you're starting to warm up to me, too. You wouldn't have called this a date otherwise." A satisfied grin exploded onto his face at Nye's stunned realization. "Yeah, just because I didn't derail your story right away doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention. Why are you surprised? Do you regret saying it?"
Oh, how she wanted to say yes, deny her words, deny her feelings, deny everything, but she wasn't sure either of them would believe it at this point. There was no going back now. "No, I don't," she said softly. "I mean, this isn't a typical date, but... I have enjoyed myself. I wanted to learn more about you, but it seems as though I did most of the talking..."
Eldan squeezed her hand again. "I'm not worried. We've got a whole week to... get to know each other."
He brushed up against her as he said it, and that familiar feeling of revulsion came rushing back to her, and she was momentarily surprised at how long it had been since she felt it. She extracted her hand from his with a jerk, as though touching him was making her physically ill, and she increased her walking pace. "You truly are disgusting," she spat, sounding more annoyed than angry. "I cannot believe I thought you were changing."
Eldan smiled despite Nye's actions. She'd already made her feelings clear, and he was confident he could safely crack a few jokes with her at this point. Her tone of voice as she chastised him wasn't lost on him, and it gave him confidence that soon, she'd be his. At the very least, she was still hilariously easy to fluster, so he would still have plenty of good-natured fun at her expense.
Something in the back of his mind told him not to press his luck too much, though. She was already a willing passenger in his boat; no point in needlessly rocking it.
Nye reached the doors leading inside a few steps ahead of Eldan, and she nearly ran into Frisk, who was on her way outside. "Hey, watch where you're going!"
"Sorry, sweetie," Nye apologized, stepping out of her way and allowing Frisk to pass. Right behind her was the huge form of Taikyu, and he nodded to her in greeting as he passed by. As soon as he was out the door, Nye slipped behind him and disappeared into the building.
* * * * * * * *
Windra was feeling pretty good about herself. It hadn't taken Tsomu long to give up in his search for whoever had eaten her cake, which meant she'd gotten off scot free. It was unlikely anyone would have suspected her in the first place, which made her victory all the more sweeter. But there was still something that was bothering her, so she headed back into the cafeteria, where Tsomu was sitting at a table alone. His face and eyes were red, streaked with tears. Windra felt bad for him and almost - almost - considered confessing, but then she remembered that giving up was for chumps and kept her mouth shut about that.
Seeing him so upset almost made her turn around and walk back out again. It wasn't like he was forthcoming earlier, and Windra didn't think he was going to be in a mood to talk right now either, but she wasn't about to give him a choice. The man knew something he shouldn't have, and she wasn't going to leave until she found out how.
She approached his table. He looked up at her briefly, then quickly tried wiping his eyes in a failed attempt to disguise the fact he'd been crying. "What do you want?" he spat, not looking at her. "Come to make fun of me?"
Windra sighed, hoping that he wasn't going to make this difficult for her. "You didn't answer me. How did you know it was my birthday, Tsomu? No one knew it was my birthday." A moment of realization as she remembered that that technically wasn't true. "Did Safiri tell you?"
"No," he said simply. "We got a call from some guy after your match. He asked us to make you a cake since your birthday was coming up, and he thought you could use some cheering up. Oh yeah," he added, remembering, "Hold on. He left a message for you too." He rose from his seat and disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments before coming out with a piece of paper. "He said it was kind of a long one, so he had me write it down. It was weird. Here."
Windra took the piece of paper, scanned its message.
Dearest Evelyn,
Sorry about your match. You did your best in the face of overwhelming odds, and that's all anyone can ask. I've asked these nice folks to make a cake for you, since your birthday is coming up and I'll be unable to do so myself. I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person, but just know that you are always on my mind and I can't wait to see you again. I'm in Hoenn now, so please look me up once the tournament is over.
She moved a hand to her mouth in disbelief at the contents of the note. She was almost certain of who'd dictated it, but she was very hesitant to believe. "Tsomu, who sent this?" she asked, equal parts fear, hope, and anger in her voice.
"I told you, some guy," Tsomu answered with a shrug. "He didn't give me a name. Once he finished talking and I read it back to him, he said that it was good. I told him there was no one here named Evelyn, but he assured me that I should give the note to you, and that you'd know what it meant. Then he thanked me and hung up." A pause. "Who's Evelyn?"
"Bastard," she muttered, gripping the paper tightly in a fist. "Just who does he think he is?!" she screamed, beginning to pace back and forth, gesturing with the note as she rambled. "Does he think he can just pull this kind of shit and expect everything to be fine?!"
"I... I don't know?" Tsomu offered, not having the slightest clue what Windra was going on about. "Who's Evelyn?" he asked again.
She sighed in frustration. "Evelyn is my real first name. I just go by my middle name." She suddenly turned on Tsomu, approaching him and pointing in his face. "But don't go running your mouth about it, got it? If I hear anyone else call me Evelyn, I'm kicking your ass."
"Okay, okay, chill out, Windra, geez. So you know who did this?"
"Yeah, I have an idea. Some asshole who thought it would be funny to abandon me."
Tsomu frowned. "Your dad?" he suggested.
"No, not my dad. Daddy sometimes, but not my dad," she joked, but the humor was quickly replaced by the dull anger she felt whenever she thought about... him. "Anyway, thanks for letting me know about this." She pocketed the letter and went to leave again, but she was stopped by a loud noise coming from her stomach. "When the hell is lunch?" she asked the competitor chef. I am going to eat my weight in cheesy noodles."
"It's, uh... actually been ready," Tsomu said sheepishly. "I had them keep it warm while I tried figuring out who ate your cake."
"You what? What are you sitting here for then?! Get in there and start hauling it out here before I waste away!"
Chapter 9 highlights:
- Nye gets an idea
- Safiri lets her hair down
- Motfia happens (if you can call that dumpster fire a highlight)
- who's Evelyn?
- Eldan and Nye go for a walk
- it's friggin dope
This chapter ended up being larger than I thought it was going to be. It largely focuses on Eldan and Nye, since everyone else is busy playing Motfia.
Chapter 10 is another filler chapter where I planned on having a small battle. I'm torn on whether or not I want to do it. There is another thing I wanna do that should end up taking up the rest of the chapter. Just a bit of character building is all, nothing too major.
Chapter 11 is scheduled to be yet another filler chapter, but I honestly don't know what to put here. I might just scrap it and put whatever I plan for this chapter into chapter 10.
Chapter 12 (or 11) marks the start of the quarterfinals with Rose vs. Thresher. I hope you're excite because I know I am.
I am liking the pace I'm on. Assuming there are no more interludes, and each chapter takes a month, I should be done with this story by this time next year. Guess that's my goal, although with the way my life is right now I really don't know if I'll be able to finish this story. I'm gonna get as far as I can, though. Thanks for sticking with me.
Like this post once you've read it. Post feedback too. I'm looking at you, literally everyone who isn't Firo or Skyleaf, E S P E C I A L L Y @bbninjas and the new guy who likes but doesn't post.
Word count: 9415
Chapter 9: Coming Clean
"Okay, now move it up your body... just like that," Eldan instructed his Gardevoir. "Yeah, that's good. Can you breathe okay?"
The floor of the training area was filled with a blue sparkling mist, a product from failed attempts at altering Misty Terrain. Gardevoir had used some psychic power to put a thin barrier around her body before filling it with some of the mist, encasing her completely. It looked promising, but it wouldn't mean anything if she couldn't actually make use of it. On the other hand, if this test was successful, it would allow Gardevoir a temporary immunity to status conditions without allowing the same benefit to her opponent.
It didn't matter much to Eldan that his team didn't rely on status conditions all that much. An advantage was an advantage, and the watching the mist swirl around inside the barrier was interesting visually, and that was good enough for Eldan.
(It tickles my throat, but I can put shields around my mouth and nose to stop myself from breathing it in. However, it's too thick to see through.)
"What if you leave your eyes unguarded? Can you alter the barrier so only your eyes are exposed?"
(Of course. One moment.) She closed her eyes and did so, and then she opened them, able to see perfectly fine. She inspected her body, seeing the effect herself for the first time. Eldan smiled, pleased with the results, and Gardevoir did the same, although he couldn't see it through the mist.
"That looks great. Though I wonder if you can still be hit by status problems if they hit your eyes," Eldan noted.
(They can hit, but they will do nothing. The rest of my body is surrounded by the mist, and that will eliminate any ill effects.)
Eldan nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. All right, this'll be form beta. Drop your shields and..." he grinned as Nye opened the door to the training area, letting out some of the mist. "On second thought, take a break. We'll keep working in a minute."
He jogged over to where Nye was standing to greet her properly. "Good morning, Nye. Always a pleasure to see you. You're looking very lovely today," he finished, bowing extravagantly.
She was wearing a light blue sundress with a floral pattern, and her massive length of hair was tied into a single ponytail. She rolled her eyes a little at Eldan's display, but smiled at him nonetheless. "Good morning, Eldan. Practicing?" She looked past him, trying to see who his opponent was, but save for Gardevoir, he was alone in the huge arena. "Or..."
"Just doing some style training. What brings you here? Did you want a battle?"
Nye considered, but shook her head. "No. I didn't know you were here, but maybe there's something you can help me with."
Eldan bit down on what would have been his immediate response to an easy line like that. Instead, he said, "How can I help you? I'll do whatever I can."
She shifted in place a bit, clearly a little embarrassed. "I want to learn more about the way you battle. I've never seen anyone fight the way you do, and I would be very grateful if you would teach me how to do it before my quarterfinal match next week."
A sly smile came across Eldan's face. Come back with me to my room and I'll teach you how to do it all night, baby!
Nye's eyes narrowed at his obvious train of thought. "Really?"
"Hey, I didn't say it, you did," Eldan countered. "And I kept my thoughts to myself, that counts for something!"
"I suppose," Nye reluctantly agreed, rolling her eyes so hard Eldan thought they might roll out of her head. "Will you help me or not?"
"Of course, of course! Come on, I'll show you the latest move we've been working on." He placed a hand on the small of her back and lead her to where Gardevoir was waiting patiently. "Gardevoir, you remember Nye, right?"
(Of course. You're very skilled,) she telepathically told Nye. Unlike Rose's relatively young Gardevoir, Eldan's Gardevoir had no problems speaking to trainers who weren't her master. (You found a weakness in my defenses and exploited it, and it lead you to victory. Well done.)
"Th-thank you," Nye replied aloud, not expecting to receive praise from the Pokemon she'd defeated. "You did well yourself. I was just talking to Eldan about his battle style and asked to learn how to do it."
"That's right. And for all things stylish, you've come to the right place!" Eldan gestured openly with a hand. "For who better to teach you about alternative moves than I, the Sultan of Style, the Prince of Panache..."
(She's leaving.)
"...the Father of - hey wait!" He caught up to her, blocking her path so she couldn't leave.
"I'm serious, Eldan," Nye said, clearly not in the mood for his games. "If you're not going to teach me, then I'll--"
"All right! All right. I'm sorry," Eldan apologized, raising his hands in an effort to placate her. "I'll do what I can." He ushered her back to where Gardevoir was standing and took a breath. "As you know, I am the epitome of style and grace, and as such, it is only natural for my Pokemon to be the same. By teaching them different ways to use their attacks, it not only looks like something straight out of a Pokemon Contest, but gives them an edge in battle."
"Is that why you cut your Gardevoir's dress?" Nye asked. "To look different from other Gardevoir?"
(It gets in the way,) Gardevoir answered for him. (I can grow it back if need be, but it serves no beneficial purpose in battle. If an opponent manages to grab it, or if it gets caught on something, it would be disadvantageous to me. That's why we agreed to remove most of it.)
"I see." Nye considered this, wondering if there was anything like that she could do with her Pokemon.
"Pokemon use their attacks largely on instinct," Eldan explained. "When they learn a move, their brains already know exactly how to do it, even if it's the first time they've ever done it. You can have a row of Pokemon use the same attack, and it will look the same every time. I call those attacks 'form alpha.' It's the basic, bog standard version of an attack. When my Pokemon and I create a new version of an attack, I term it 'form beta' to differentiate it from the previous move. I haven't come up with variants on all my Pokemon's moves, and some attacks are easier to vary than others. Psyshock, for example, has two variants, one offensive and one defensive. Will-o-Wisp and Future Sight both have seven, the most I've ever come up with. Hydro Pump, on the other hand, doesn't have any variants. It's not really a move that can be used outside of its intended purpose, and that's fine; sometimes it helps to stick with the basics."
"How long does it take to do? Could my Pokemon learn something like that in time for my match?"
Eldan shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on how well your Pokemon take your instruction, exactly what kind of variant you're trying for, and what move it is you're varying. Like I said, some are easier than others. All my Future Sight variants do the same thing, but they look different. Different colors, different energy shapes, stuff like that. When you walked in, we'd been trying new versions of Misty Terrain." He turned to his Pokemon. "Think you can pull it off again?"
(Of course.)
"Then let's see Misty Terrain, form beta!"
A spot underneath Gardevoir's feet glowed light blue, and the sparkling mist issued forth as Gardevoir put a small barrier around her body. With a touch of psychic energy, she brought some of the mist into the barrier, filling it completely. Another moment passed as Gardevoir created gaps in the barrier for her to see out of, and the attack was finished.
"It's so pretty!" Nye exclaimed, watching the fairy energy swirl around Gardevoir's limbs. "You did this in one day?" she asked Eldan.
"A couple hours, yeah. Gardevoir is a Psychic-type, though, so it's a lot easier for her. Also, don't forget, years of practice." He frowned at all the mist that was leftover after the attack. "Looks like we'll need more practice if we want to eliminate the field advantage for our opponent, but in time, she'll get it. That's very good after only doing it once before. Excellent work, Gardevoir."
(Thank you, Eldan. I'm confident that I'll have it mastered by the time we go home.)
Nye was in awe at the sight of Gardevoir using her psychic powers to use Misty Terrain like that. It wasn't something she ever would have thought of herself. Could Musharna do something like that? she wondered. She thought back to her battle against Eldan and tried remembering all the move variations that he did. There was a theme common to all of them, she realized - none of his variants were of physical attacks, only special attacks and status moves.
That makes sense. None of his Pokemon are physically inclined.
She frowned as she realized that two of her three Pokemon were. Did that mean that Musharna was her only option?
"You all right?" Eldan asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," Nye replied. "Is it possible to vary physical attacks? I noticed that you didn't use any during our battle."
"It is, but due to the nature of physical attacks, it's harder to find ones that can be varied. Status moves are ripe for variation, though! Just because a Pokemon doesn't use special attacks doesn't mean they're entirely helpless. Now how about we get started, huh? Choose a Pokemon and Gardevoir and I will see what we can do."
* * * * * * * *
The weekend was a time of rest for the competitors that were still in the running for the grand prize, but Safiri was still hard at work - even if she was wearing dark blue silk pajamas. With no chance of any of the competitors seeing her - as they had no reason to enter the area where the Jewels rested, which was separate from the main dormitory wing - Safiri took this opportunity to clean her work outfits. The result was her current choice of attire. Doing work in her pajamas was something of a rarity for her, as she felt she had a better peace of mind when wearing the clothes she typically wore. It put her in a work mindset, and made concentrating on her task easier. Now all she could think about was how amazing the fabric felt against her skin, and why she couldn't get away with wearing this all the time.
Her hair was down - another rarity - and fell loosely over her chair and back. She'd planned on pinning it up, of course, but her pajamas had put her in such a relaxed mood that it never happened. Eventually, she'd decided that she was wasting daylight and it was time to get started on the day's tasks, pins or no pins. Though they had permission from Diamant to take it easy today - he'd actually scheduled them time off - Safiri was not one to rest when there was work to be done.
No point in putting it off until tomorrow...
The room was silent but for the sound of Safiri's fingers typing at her laptop, and the occasional click of the mouse as she cross-referenced information she'd need. Eventually, Safiri fell into the familiar rhythms of work, and she continued writing, comfortable pajamas all but forgotten. So focused was she that she didn't even bat an eyelash when her phone and laptop both started to ring. Seeing who it was, she sent the call to her laptop, allowed the caller to send and receive video, and connected them. In a moment, Diamant's face filled half of her screen. "Good morning, sir," Safiri greeted him pleasantly. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you this early."
"Ah, yes, it is pretty early there, isn't it?" Diamant rubbed his chin as if contemplating something. "Sorry, Safiri. Did I wake you?"
"No, sir, I've been awake for a while now. I've accomplished quite a bit."
"That's good to hear," Diamant replied. He wasn't offended by her insistence on working instead of relaxing, but he did worry that sometimes she was pushing herself too hard. "Though I can't say I remember the last time I saw you working in your pajamas."
"In my - oh god!" Safiri blanched, mortified that she'd been caught dressed so casually. In a panic, she threw an arm over her chest to hide herself, despite the fact that her shirt was completely buttoned. Diamant watched with humor as she threw herself from her chair and off camera, spouting out apologies as she tried making her hair presentable. Finally, Safiri returned to her seat, hair hastily pinned, but still in her pajamas. "Forgive my outburst, sir, I was out of line."
Diamant took it all in stride and merely smiled at his subordinate and friend. "No worries, Safiri. I was going to say, I was glad to see you taking it easy. You know I always appreciate your willingness to work hard for me, but don't forget to enjoy yourself. Finish your report and then take the rest of the day off. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes sir," Safiri answered hesitantly. "I'm almost done with it."
"Of course. Now, I suppose you're wondering why I'm calling."
Safiri opened her mouth to reply, but realized that no, she hadn't wondered about the why part of it. Diamant was the boss; he could call whenever he wanted. But now that he mentioned it... "It is a little strange to hear from you at this time. Sir," she added.
"There was an incident a couple nights ago in regards to the DNA testing. Helmi reported that one of the samples was contaminated."
Safiri's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Contaminated? In what way?"
"She claims that one of the subjects' DNA had two samples in it. Before it was mixed, I mean. Apparently, that's a very big problem. She worked herself to exhaustion trying to retest all the samples to make sure nothing else was contaminated."
"Whose sample was contaminated?" Safiri asked, still slightly confused. She was so sure that she'd been careful when shipping the DNA back to headquarters; what could have gone wrong?
"Helmi only told me their subject number - six. I was hoping you could find out who it is for me so we can secure another sample. Not that I have any doubts that you handled the DNA with anything but the utmost care," he quickly added, not wanting her to feel offended at his assumption, "But Helmi insisted on a second sample..."
"Right, of course. The paper files are in my office, but I have copies of them on my computer. Just give me a moment... subject profiles... here we are. Number six is--" Safiri's breath caught as she saw Frisk staring back at her. She was smiling, but her eyes made it clear that it wasn't genuine. "Her name is Frisk Achra, sir... hm."
"Is something wrong?" Diamant asked, legitimately concerned. It was not like Safiri to be unsure of herself.
Safiri pursed her lips as she considered her answer. She was surely imagining things, but as long as she had him here, she'd get some real answers. "Sir, how many biots exist as of today?"
This wasn't a question Diamant was expecting, and he didn't know why she was asking when she should have already known the answer, but he answered her anyway. "As of today, there are five - you, Ruby, Esmeralda, Argenta, and Aura. Project Krista was shelved when we diverted the funds into Version Zero. We still have the blueprints for her written up, but you know all this already. Why do you ask?"
"This girl, Frisk... I disciplined her the other day for trying to go outside. When I looked at her, her eyes were red like fire. Like..."
"Like the old Sapphire biots used to do," Diamant finished for her. His voice turned serious. "You think she's a biot?"
"I don't know, sir, but you can understand why I ask. I didn't think anyone other than Diamant Industries even had the technology capable of creating biots," Safiri said, letting a little amazement slip into her voice.
"They don't. Or, rather, they shouldn't. It's possible that the scientists who worked on the first few Sapphire models sold the information to another company, but that would get them in a world of legal trouble. Still, we can't overrule the possibility... If she is a biot, she's not one of ours."
"It would explain the additional DNA," Safiri explained. "Creating a biot from only two sets of DNA, though? Isn't that inefficient?"
Diamant nodded. "It is, but if the company that created her is working with outdated science, it's possible that they don't know how to blend the DNA as well as Helmi can. Maybe she's an early model - it supports your statement about her red eyes."
"I'll get another sample from her, sir."
"See that you do. How is she doing in the tournament?"
A few clicks of the mouse, and, "She won her first match. Her next match is scheduled for Tuesday morning."
"Did you notice anything unusual about the battle? Did she employ old battle intelligence?"
"I wasn't watching the battle that closely, sir, forgive me," Safiri apologized. "You should ask Esmeralda."
"Ah, of course. That makes perfect sense. I will make a note to do just that. Thank you for your help in this matter, Safiri. That's all I have at this time. Is there anything else you wish to report?"
Safiri thought about the recent conversation she had with Ruby and Esmeralda. While Safiri didn't feel the need to bring up her feelings on her previous conversation with Diamant, Esmeralda's recent behavior was definitely concerning. Admitting that she had feelings for one of the competitors and throwing a battle just to make her feel better... though the latter was less important than the former, it was still unsettling.
And Safiri couldn't forget about the threat Esmeralda made in her office...
"If you walk out that door, I'll blow this whole operation!"
She'd never heard anything like that come from Esmeralda, ever. She knew that Esmeralda got emotional sometimes, but even Esmeralda knew how important this project was to the company, and to Mr. Diamant. She wouldn't really have sabotaged the operation... right?
Safiri let out a breath. She loved her sisters and would do anything to support them, but this project was bigger than any of them personally. Its success was paramount. Something had to be said. "Yes, sir. We need to talk about Esmeralda."
* * * * * * * *
A solid ninety minutes after they began, Eldan and Nye decided to call it quits after their stomachs decided that the two had trained long enough. Lunch was soon, and both competitors had worked up quite an appetite. Though Nye hadn't succeeded in teaching her Pokemon how to alter their attacks, she still felt it was a good learning experience, and she thanked him for trying.
"Not bad for your first time," Eldan noted, playfully jabbing Nye in the side as he held the door open for her.
"Come on, stop," came Nye's reply, gently pushing his arm away but making no other effort to stop him. She was well aware of the double meaning behind his statement, but was in such a good mood that she paid it no mind. "Do you really think it went well?"
"Honestly? Yeah," Eldan answered, slowing to Nye's pace as they walked together. "If you want, we can try again later."
He flashed a grin, not at all lecherous, and it was one Nye reciprocated. "I'd like that... thank you."
The two continued their walk in silence, each of them leaving the other to their own thoughts.
Eldan was on cloud nine; what was meant to be a simple training session turned out better than he could have hoped. He'd gotten to spend time with the object of his affection, instructed her on how to battle with style, and she hadn't hit him or yelled at him at all the entire time.
There were a couple times she wanted to, though. Maybe I should tone it down just a bit?
He considered this for a moment before chuckling to himself. Nah, it's fine. I didn't do it that much, right? She'd say something if it really bothered her.
A part of his mind reminded him that she did, in fact, say something, and quite often - often enough that sometimes he wondered if that would finally be the last straw and she gave up on him forever. He frowned a bit as he thought of that possibility. While it was true that his mouth gained him Nye's ire more than it didn't, he didn't think it was very fair of her or anyone else to assume that he hadn't changed for the better. Surely he had, right? There were many, many opportunities for him to make crude remarks, which he passed up, even when Nye wasn't around. He even tolerated being around that loser Quayle, for Kyro's sake, and that had been an exercise in restraint.
His frown intensified as he thought of how close Nye and Quayle were. What could she possibly see in him? It was mind-boggling to see them together, chatting like old friends, like he hadn't almost killed Rose's Gardevoir earlier this week, like he hadn't called Windra a stupid bitch as he went to strike her, like he hadn't started this whole 'new and improved' ruse only once it became clear that no one was going to take his shit anymore.
Eldan clenched his fists, trying to calm himself down and to not let Nye see the anger on his face. He knew that Nye hated talking to him about Quayle because of how heated their talks became. How she could still defend him, still associate with him and call him her friend... it didn't make sense.
"Give him another chance, like I gave you one! Don't make me regret that decision!"
Nye's words rang in his head. He wanted to give Quayle another chance like he wanted a hole in the head, but he couldn't deny the irony of the situation he was in.
I don't really have a choice, do I?
He looked over at Nye. She noticed him looking out of the corner of her eye, and she looked back at him with those cool blue eyes. "This is you," she said, scrunching her face in a mockery of what she could make of his expression. The sight and silliness of it blew away his foul mood, and immediately, Eldan's frown was gone, replaced with his trademark smile, and Nye smiled with him. "That's better. Something on your mind?"
"Mm," he replied, nodding. "Just thinking about stuff."
"Stuff. How specific!" Nye teased. "I bet I can guess what kind of stuff you're thinking about..."
"No, nothing like that, not this time," he corrected her.
Nye stopped in her tracks, holding a hand to her chest in faux shock. "No!" she exclaimed, mouth agape. "You mean your mind isn't a den of sin and impropriety?" She placed the back of her other hand on his forehead. "Are you ill? No, that's not it. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Eldan?"
Eldan laughed. "I know, I know, it's hard to believe, right?"
The two stood there as the moment passed, and an awkward silence followed where neither of them said anything to the other. Eldan found himself getting lost in her dark blue eyes, and he froze as he saw Nye slowly reaching for his sunglasses.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Eldan stammered, recoiling as her hand drew near.
"I want to see you," Nye answered. "Are you hiding something? Are you horribly disfigured under there?" A thought occurred to her, and she giggled. "You're not wearing red contacts underneath there, are you?"
"What? No, of course not. It's just part of the uniform. A very stylish part, I might add. These babies," he said, pointing to his shades, "are worth two grand. You can't just grab them, you'll smudge the lenses." He paused, considering. "Because it's you, I'll take them off for you, just this once. But don't go bragging that you got to see me out of uniform, all right? I won't be held responsible if you get harassed by my fans," he finished with a grin, carefully grabbing the rims of his glasses and delicately removing them from his face.
For the first time, Nye was able to look into Eldan's eyes. They were somewhat narrow, well hidden by his sunglasses, with hazel-colored irises. It was a little strange seeing Eldan's full face, since she wasn't used to it, but she couldn't deny that she liked what she saw. "You have really pretty eyes," she complimented him.
"They are nothing compared to yours," Eldan answered immediately, putting a hand on Nye's cheek. His heart stopped momentarily as his brain caught up to his body, and he belatedly realized that he was most likely a dead man. When brain and body were finally in sync again, and he realized that not only was he not dead, but Nye had not even made an effort to break away from him, he stepped a little closer.
"You should see yourself. You look like you want to tell me something," Nye all but whispered to him, wrapping an arm around his waist, enjoying the rare sight of his eyes.
Eldan nodded, very seriously, and he put his other hand around her. "Yes. I--"
Suddenly, a loud scream was heard from the cafeteria. The sound startled the two of them, and they separated from each other as fast as they could. Eldan and Nye looked at each other, unsure of what the source could be, then rushed to the scene before anyone else left their room and saw them. Upon arriving, they found Tsomu, hands on his head in panic, pacing back and forth around what appeared to be the remains of a cake. Bae fluttered nearby, visibly upset by the scene.
"Tsomu! What's wrong?" Eldan asked as the two made their way towards the troubled man.
Tsomu was still panicking, not quite listening to what Eldan was saying. "Someone... someone ate it... what am I gonna do? There's no way I can get another one made in time..."
Nye put her hands on Tsomu's shoulders, to get him to stop pacing, if nothing else. He was still visibly panicking, and breathing heavily. "What did someone eat? This cake?"
"Yes!" he shouted into Nye's face, causing her to jump back. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm sorry, Nye, I just... ugh, this is a disaster! Someone... well, multiple someones from the looks of it... helped themselves to Windra's cake!"
The three looked over what was left of the cake. A section of it remained untouched, and Eldan and Nye could piece together what the entire thing might have looked like. On the untouched section, the letters "AY WIN" could be read on the side, but the rest was illegible due to all the tampering.
"Why did you bake Windra a cake?" Eldan asked, the curiosity getting the better of him.
"Today's her birthday. Someone called us after watching Windra's battle and told us her birthday was coming in a few days, and asked us to make her a cake and deliver her a message. He said he'd make a donation to Diamant Industries if we accepted. We ran it by Safiri, she cleared it, and we started this morning on it. It was meant to be a surprise for her. It wasn't out here for that long! How could so many people get to it? Ugh, I'm so mad!"
"I'm sorry, Tsomu," Nye consoled him. "It looks delicious."
"Yeah, it does," Tsomu replied, looking to Bae. "Search her. While you're at it, search him, too," he said, nodding at Eldan.
Ribombee flew all around Nye's person, carefully scenting her, checking for even the slightest trace of cake residue. After she was finished, she did the same to Eldan. Returning to her master's side, she shook her head, confirming neither were guilty.
"Okay, you guys are clean," Tsomu said, glancing at the clock. "Stick around. I'm going to get to the bottom of this once and for all."
With no matches scheduled for the day, Safiri, Ruby, and Esmeralda were free to join the competitors for lunch, but what was meant to be a normal lunch quickly devolved into a case of whodunit, with Detective Tsomu at the lead.
"There are cake thieves in our midst," he said, deadly serious. "Dirty, stinking cake thieves, who couldn't wait their turn for a piece of Windra's birthday cake!"
A few gasps were heard. Kiria, who was sitting at the same table as Windra, brought her in for a hug. "You didn't tell me it was your birthday! Happy birthday!"
Windra was not amused. "Yeah, I know I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone. How the hell did you find out, Tsomu?"
"That's not important," Tsomu said, dismissing her. "What matters is that some of you are dirty stinking cake thieves, and no one is leaving this room until I find out who."
Alex, rising from his seat, objected. "You cannot be serious." He looked to Safiri for support. "Tell me this is his idea of a joke."
"No, I'm afraid he's right," Safiri said, standing as well. "This cake was made at the request of an anonymous donor, in Windra's honor. It would reflect poorly on Diamant Industries if we reported that Windra was unable to enjoy her cake due to the misbehavior of others. As a show of faith, the three of us," she gestured towards Ruby and Esmeralda, "will also remain until the culprits are found, as we are all technically suspects."
"I'm innocent," Cody said, crossing his arms. "I don't even like cake, yeah? Just tastes weird to me."
"All the more reason you could be guilty!" Tsomu declared, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Here's what we're going to do. Eldan, Nye, you're free to go."
Complaints and dissent rang out through the crowd as the two wasted no time in leaving the cafeteria. "Quiet! Bae has already inspected them; they are clean. As for the rest of you, we'll put it to a vote. Majority rules. They'll step forward, Bae will inspect them. If you're clean, you can go. If you're guilty, no dessert for the remainder of the tournament!"
More dissent. "Yeah, yeah, tell someone who cares! You should have thought of that before you ate Windra's cake!"
"Is no one listening to me?!" Windra shouted. "How the hell did you know it was my birthday?! What donor? In my honor? I didn't even do anything! Will someone please tell me what's going on?!"
Tsomu continued to ignore her. "It's the case of the eaten cake! I and the rest of the patient competitors will enjoy what's left of this cake, while you dirty stinking cake thieves get nothing! The game starts now. Now choose!"
* * * * * * * *
The complaints of everyone forced to stay behind and play Tsomu's game were clearly audible even though the doors to the cafeteria were shut tight. Nye was glad that Tsomu had let her go; sitting around and arguing over who did or didn't eat Windra's cake seemed very boring, if she was being honest.
"Hey, wait up," Eldan called from behind her.
A week ago, if someone had told Nye that she would not just tolerate, but enjoy being around Eldan, she wouldn't have believed it. And if they'd said that they would eventually end up in each other's arms in the hallway, dangerously close to crossing a line, she would have laughed in their face. But there they were.
He is pretty cute without the glasses.
She was impressed by the amount of restraint Eldan had shown since their battle. True to his word, Eldan had significantly dialed back his lecherous behavior, making only minor comments, and only to her. He didn't even flirt with the other girls (or guys, she remembered with a smile), let alone solicit them for sex, which Nye appreciated a lot. It was clear that he was taking his promise to her seriously, and this helped Nye see Eldan in a new way.
She slowed down, but only a little, forcing him to walk quicker to keep up with her. Nye's room was closer to the cafeteria than Eldan's was, so it didn't take the two of them long to reach her room. She felt Eldan approach her from behind and wrap his arms around her; she allowed him a moment before turning around, twisting herself out of his loose grip. "I hope you aren't under the impression that I am going to invite you in or something along that line," she said, gently pushing him a step backwards.
"Well, to be honest, yeah, I was kinda hoping we could spend some more time together," Eldan admitted. "I had fun earlier, and it seemed like you were into it a little bit ago, so..."
Then invite me to do something! Do you have any idea how to court a lady?
"So..." Nye trailed off, not helping him in the slightest.
"So... can I come in?" He waggled his eyebrows.
Oh lord.
"What kind of lady do you think I am, Eldan?" Nye asked, equal parts curiosity and teasing in her voice. "Just because I was in your presence for a while and did not want to immediately bludgeon you with the nearest blunt object because of the filth that spews from your mouth on a regular basis does not mean I am going to invite you into my private quarters."
Now Eldan rolled his eyes, but since he was wearing his sunglasses again, Nye couldn't see it. He bowed low, taking one of Nye's hands in his own. "Oh, a thousand pardons, Lady Nye, I didn't--"
Nye suddenly snatched her hand away, causing Eldan to look up in confusion. "Don't call me that."
"Huh?"
Nye shooed an image of purple hair matted under a dark hood with a flowing black cape out of her mind. "Just call me Nye, okay?"
Eldan wasn't sure what the big deal was, but he wasn't about to refuse her request. "Sure... sorry. So what will you do now?"
"Excuse me?"
"You don't want to hang out with me, so I was wondering what you'll do now," Eldan clarified.
Giving up so easily? Nye thought of her suitor. Come on, use your imagination! ...On second thought, that's probably not a good idea. "Oh, I don't know. I may catch up on some reading, or take a nap," she answered, trying her best to sound terribly bored with either idea, hoping Eldan would take the hint.
"Wow, real fun," he deadpanned. "You wanna go out with me? Outside, I mean. Everyone's in the cafeteria playing Smell the Cake Eater or whatever with Tsomu, so no one would bother us."
"Hm, I suppose I could read later," Nye conceded, happy that this game was coming to an end. "Lead the way."
The two of them headed upstairs into the main lobby of Indigo Plateau, which was completely empty, as Safiri promised. A warm breeze blew onto them as they exited the building into the stadium, which was void of life outside of the two friends. As Eldan surveyed the fifty thousand empty seats, Nye stood close by, waiting for him to take command of this date.
It's not a date. Far from it. We just went outside, that's all.
The thought seemed hollow, even to her. The two of them were alone, spending time together, enjoying each other's company and entertaining the idea of a relationship.
If it looks like a Ducklett and quacks like a Ducklett...
All right, fine, so maybe this is sort of like a date. Besides, it's not like he could take her out on a real date, not while they were both stuck here. So this would have to do.
"...sit?"
"What?" Nye asked, taken out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."
"I said, where do you wanna sit? Plenty of seats to choose from," Eldan joked.
"Oh, could we walk and talk? I haven't been outside in days... I'd like to enjoy the sun a bit."
"Sure thing."
They stayed on the lowest level of the arena, walking in the area between the main stage and the lowest level of seating. At first, neither trainer said anything, simply enjoying the feeling of the sun. It was hot, but not humid, and although Nye enjoyed the fresh air and the warm weather, she found herself wishing she'd brought her hat to give her a little shade. She thought of the man next to her, immaculately dressed in his Team Flare uniform. It reminded her of their battle, when she imagined him "sweating with style," and she couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of it, now that they were in less stressful circumstances.
The sound of her voice prompted Eldan to respond. "Something funny?" he inquired. She explained her thoughts to him, and he let out a chuckle. "Our uniforms are made of a cotton/rayon blend, so they breathe very easily. I don't recall feeling overly uncomfortable during our fight, or right now, now that you mention it." He grinned. "I could have Aliana get your measurements, if you like. She's head of that department. You'd look stunning in a Team Flare uniform, although cutting and restyling your beautiful hair would be a crime. I could probably pull some strings, see if I can get them to allow you to keep those locks."
Nye balked at the idea. "Absolutely not. No offense to you or Team Flare, but I wouldn't be caught dead in such a garish outfit."
This didn't phase Eldan in the slightest. "None taken. To be honest, I thought the same thing when I first joined. I hadn't even worn a suit and tie before then."
Nye pounced on the opportunity to learn more about the man behind the uniform. "How long have you been with them?"
"Four years," he answered as they rounded a corner. "Officially, I'm still a Grunt, but I've been around longer than most people in the organization, so I'm respected more than your average lackey."
"No room for advancement, huh?" she joked.
"There really isn't. There are a few people with the admin rank in Team Flare, but it's mostly a formality. The admins run day-to-day things but each of them reports to one of Team Flare's lead scientists, who in turn reports to Lysandre. I've been around longer than most of the admins. I actually trained my commanding officer because I already knew how to do everything she needed to know."
"If that's true, why didn't you just take the job yourself?"
Eldan shrugged. "Didn't want it. Like I said, the admin title is pretty much in name only. The grunts in my division look up to and respect me, regardless of my official rank, and both Celosia - the head of my unit - and Lysandre have personally commended me for my loyalty and work for the team. That's the highest praise I can ask for."
Nye nodded, although she wished she'd asked a better question. While it was interesting to learn about his life in Team Flare, she was more interested in his life out of it.
"All right, it's my turn to ask you something," Eldan said suddenly. "Why don't you like being called 'Lady' Nye?"
Nye bristled at the phrase, but she calmed herself down and reminded herself that there was no way Eldan could know, and he was just trying to learn about her. "You know Quayle and I are old friends, right?"
Eldan let out a sound of disgust at hearing Quayle's name, but the glare Nye shot him in response shut him up. "Sorry. Go on."
"We met about eleven or twelve years ago, when I relocated to Celestic Town." She smiled, recalling the sweet young boy she befriended. "He was a very quiet child, largely kept to himself... he was teased a lot, although I don't know if the teasing was because he never socialized with anyone or if he never socialized with anyone because he was teased.
"I empathized with him. I... didn't really have any friends at that age, either. I approached him and introduced myself, and I remember he had the cutest expression on his face, like he was stunned that a pretty, older girl like me was talking to him. We became fast friends, two lonely souls finding solace in the other's company. One day, a few years later, we were talking about our pasts, and I mentioned to him that I was born into wealth. Quayle was impressed by this and started calling me 'Lady' Nye. At first I thought he was doing it to be silly, like you did, but... he started doing it all the time. He wouldn't address me as anything else. It was grating after a while. I left my home to escape all of that, not to be reminded of it at every turn."
Eldan was struck silent, clearly not expecting this conversation to take such a serious turn. "What did you need escaping from?"
"My parents," Nye replied, sighing heavily. "I don't think either of them were ready to become parents, thinking back on it. For all their money, neither of them had a clue what it meant to be responsible for a child, and rather than give me up for adoption, they chose to raise me. And by they, I mean my nanny Sheila, who I loved dearly." She chuckled humorlessly. "I was closer to her than my actual mother. She taught me how to read and write, made sure I was well fed, had proper clothes for cold weather... you know, things parents are supposed to do."
Eldan could hear the bitterness in Nye's voice as she recounted her story and wondered if he should stop her, but she continued before he had a chance to interject. "I miss her terribly, but I'll always be grateful for the time we had, and for instilling in me a love of books and learning that I don't believe I would have had without her guidance."
"Did something... happen to her? She sounds wonderful, but you still left home, so..."
"When I was eight years old, while out on a walk with Sheila, I found a Munna sick and injured outside of town. I had barely heard of Pokemon, but knew some people kept them as pets. My parents had a strict policy against that, arguing that it was too much work and they didn't want to clean up after it. Sheila knew this, but after seeing how well Munna and I got along, Sheila captured it for me, and said that it was to be our little secret. We managed to keep it that way for almost two years.
"One day, when I was feeding Munna, my mother barged into my room unannounced and, well, that was that. She asked me where I got it, and I told her, proudly, that Sheila captured it for me. My mother asked Sheila if this was true, and she admitted it, so my mother fired her on the spot and demanded she leave. I stood between Sheila and my mother, refusing to let it happen. My mother grabbed me and pushed me out of the way, then marched Sheila out of my room, out of my house, and out of my life. I watched her leave from my bedroom window, screaming and crying that my mother had taken away one of the only people who I believed cared about me. I lashed out at her, telling her that I loved Sheila more than I loved her, and that Sheila was a better mother to me than she was. My mother responded by taking Munna and locking me in my bedroom, saying she would deal with me once my father got home from work."
Nye let out a breath. "I'm sorry. This isn't even what you asked about. I don't mean to be unloading all of this onto you. This was supposed to be a nice date."
"It's more than fine, Nye," Eldan replied, hesitantly touching the fingers of her left hand with the fingers of his right, and he was pleased when she silently linked their hands together. "I want to know all about you that I can."
Smiling sadly, she nodded, then continued. "There isn't much more to tell. Once my father came home, he and my mother argued for hours. Turns out he sided with me, saying that if I was able to care for a Pokemon for that long without them knowing, then obviously I could handle owning one. He finally came to see me late that night, and returned Munna to me. That night... was the beginning of the end, as far as their marriage was concerned. He and my mother fought constantly after that, arguing over what I was or wasn't ready for, how I should or should not be disciplined, where I should or should not go to school or become a trainer professionally. Things that they should have had a better handle on years ago.
"A few months later, my father told me that he and my mother were getting a divorce, and explained what that would entail. I blamed myself for their ruined marriage, and ran away the same day. I packed a bag, grabbed Munna, and left without leaving a note. I took a boat to Sinnoh, not knowing or caring where I was going, as long as it wasn't Unova. I ended up in Celestic Town after some time seeing the region, and met Quayle a short time after that." She looked over to Eldan, who was listening intently to her story, and gently squeezed his hand. "What about you? What was your life like before you joined Team Flare?"
Eldan laughed a little. "I used to joke that I have never had a life before Team Flare. My parents met at a Team Flare rally, years and years ago. They were interested in Team Flare's message, and though they didn't actually join, they supported them in other ways, volunteering, donating money... stuff like that. After I was born, they continued their work, dragging me along to various Team Flare functions whenever they would go. When I was fourteen, I saw a recruitment poster for Team Flare, so I decided to check it out. When they offered me a membership, I accepted it without asking my parents first. I wanted to stick it to them and show them that I was an adult and they could suck it if they didn't like it. Well, imagine my surprise when not only were they not mad, but they were actually happy to see me in the group. Go figure, right?"
Nye looked at the ground, away from Eldan, so he couldn't see the look of disappointment on her face. From what Eldan was saying, it sounded like Team Flare was his entire life, and she didn't know what that said about his life goals, considering what he'd told her already. "Do you ever see yourself leaving them?"
"Leaving Team Flare?" he asked, as though the very idea of it was impossible to fathom. "You know, yesterday Kiria asked me yesterday to leave Team Flare," he realized. He playfully jabbed her in the side with his elbow. "Heh, is there something you two know that I don't?"
Nye shook her head. They were approaching the final corner surrounding the arena, and they would be back at the entrance in a few minutes' time. "No, I just wonder what your ambitions are. What do you want to do with yourself? You've been a part of Team Flare longer than most people, but you're still at the bottom of the ladder, by choice. Don't you want more?"
"I have most of what I want already," Eldan countered. "Team Flare can't help me get the one thing I really want, though."
"And that is?"
Eldan squeezed her hand. "You, of course."
Nye quickly looked away from him, feeling her face get hot. "Don't say such ridiculous things."
"Why not? It's no secret how I feel about you. And I know you're starting to warm up to me, too. You wouldn't have called this a date otherwise." A satisfied grin exploded onto his face at Nye's stunned realization. "Yeah, just because I didn't derail your story right away doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention. Why are you surprised? Do you regret saying it?"
Oh, how she wanted to say yes, deny her words, deny her feelings, deny everything, but she wasn't sure either of them would believe it at this point. There was no going back now. "No, I don't," she said softly. "I mean, this isn't a typical date, but... I have enjoyed myself. I wanted to learn more about you, but it seems as though I did most of the talking..."
Eldan squeezed her hand again. "I'm not worried. We've got a whole week to... get to know each other."
He brushed up against her as he said it, and that familiar feeling of revulsion came rushing back to her, and she was momentarily surprised at how long it had been since she felt it. She extracted her hand from his with a jerk, as though touching him was making her physically ill, and she increased her walking pace. "You truly are disgusting," she spat, sounding more annoyed than angry. "I cannot believe I thought you were changing."
Eldan smiled despite Nye's actions. She'd already made her feelings clear, and he was confident he could safely crack a few jokes with her at this point. Her tone of voice as she chastised him wasn't lost on him, and it gave him confidence that soon, she'd be his. At the very least, she was still hilariously easy to fluster, so he would still have plenty of good-natured fun at her expense.
Something in the back of his mind told him not to press his luck too much, though. She was already a willing passenger in his boat; no point in needlessly rocking it.
Nye reached the doors leading inside a few steps ahead of Eldan, and she nearly ran into Frisk, who was on her way outside. "Hey, watch where you're going!"
"Sorry, sweetie," Nye apologized, stepping out of her way and allowing Frisk to pass. Right behind her was the huge form of Taikyu, and he nodded to her in greeting as he passed by. As soon as he was out the door, Nye slipped behind him and disappeared into the building.
* * * * * * * *
Windra was feeling pretty good about herself. It hadn't taken Tsomu long to give up in his search for whoever had eaten her cake, which meant she'd gotten off scot free. It was unlikely anyone would have suspected her in the first place, which made her victory all the more sweeter. But there was still something that was bothering her, so she headed back into the cafeteria, where Tsomu was sitting at a table alone. His face and eyes were red, streaked with tears. Windra felt bad for him and almost - almost - considered confessing, but then she remembered that giving up was for chumps and kept her mouth shut about that.
Seeing him so upset almost made her turn around and walk back out again. It wasn't like he was forthcoming earlier, and Windra didn't think he was going to be in a mood to talk right now either, but she wasn't about to give him a choice. The man knew something he shouldn't have, and she wasn't going to leave until she found out how.
She approached his table. He looked up at her briefly, then quickly tried wiping his eyes in a failed attempt to disguise the fact he'd been crying. "What do you want?" he spat, not looking at her. "Come to make fun of me?"
Windra sighed, hoping that he wasn't going to make this difficult for her. "You didn't answer me. How did you know it was my birthday, Tsomu? No one knew it was my birthday." A moment of realization as she remembered that that technically wasn't true. "Did Safiri tell you?"
"No," he said simply. "We got a call from some guy after your match. He asked us to make you a cake since your birthday was coming up, and he thought you could use some cheering up. Oh yeah," he added, remembering, "Hold on. He left a message for you too." He rose from his seat and disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments before coming out with a piece of paper. "He said it was kind of a long one, so he had me write it down. It was weird. Here."
Windra took the piece of paper, scanned its message.
Dearest Evelyn,
Sorry about your match. You did your best in the face of overwhelming odds, and that's all anyone can ask. I've asked these nice folks to make a cake for you, since your birthday is coming up and I'll be unable to do so myself. I'm sorry I couldn't be there in person, but just know that you are always on my mind and I can't wait to see you again. I'm in Hoenn now, so please look me up once the tournament is over.
She moved a hand to her mouth in disbelief at the contents of the note. She was almost certain of who'd dictated it, but she was very hesitant to believe. "Tsomu, who sent this?" she asked, equal parts fear, hope, and anger in her voice.
"I told you, some guy," Tsomu answered with a shrug. "He didn't give me a name. Once he finished talking and I read it back to him, he said that it was good. I told him there was no one here named Evelyn, but he assured me that I should give the note to you, and that you'd know what it meant. Then he thanked me and hung up." A pause. "Who's Evelyn?"
"Bastard," she muttered, gripping the paper tightly in a fist. "Just who does he think he is?!" she screamed, beginning to pace back and forth, gesturing with the note as she rambled. "Does he think he can just pull this kind of shit and expect everything to be fine?!"
"I... I don't know?" Tsomu offered, not having the slightest clue what Windra was going on about. "Who's Evelyn?" he asked again.
She sighed in frustration. "Evelyn is my real first name. I just go by my middle name." She suddenly turned on Tsomu, approaching him and pointing in his face. "But don't go running your mouth about it, got it? If I hear anyone else call me Evelyn, I'm kicking your ass."
"Okay, okay, chill out, Windra, geez. So you know who did this?"
"Yeah, I have an idea. Some asshole who thought it would be funny to abandon me."
Tsomu frowned. "Your dad?" he suggested.
"No, not my dad. Daddy sometimes, but not my dad," she joked, but the humor was quickly replaced by the dull anger she felt whenever she thought about... him. "Anyway, thanks for letting me know about this." She pocketed the letter and went to leave again, but she was stopped by a loud noise coming from her stomach. "When the hell is lunch?" she asked the competitor chef. I am going to eat my weight in cheesy noodles."
"It's, uh... actually been ready," Tsomu said sheepishly. "I had them keep it warm while I tried figuring out who ate your cake."
"You what? What are you sitting here for then?! Get in there and start hauling it out here before I waste away!"
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