Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a warm summer day, and Cecilia was running through the streets of Viridian City, her arms full of fabric samples and her pattern books. She was latelatelate to her very important meeting; one of the members of the Yveltal-damned Elite Four had asked for a consultation, and she had agreed, and she’d missed the first bus because of the road by the Center being closed (the Center had looked exploded , what the hell?) and now she was rushing to the taxi spot, hoping to get one as soon as possible. She needed to get to that appointment before noon, and the drive up to the Indigo Plateau was long enough. 

She mentally checked and double-checked to make sure she had everything she needed for the consultation; pattern books? Check. Fabric samples? Check. Phone? Check. Purse? Check. Calla and Peepo’s balls? Check. The form she’d filled out to confirm that yes, I have an appointment with Miss Lorelei of the Elite Four, and no, I’m not lying.

She hailed a taxi; one of the first she could see, and gave her destination; the Indigo Plateau. Once the taxi had arrived, she lept out and rushed into the building. She stopped as she stepped inside, and brushed her skirt out, before approaching the front desk. The receptionist peered at her, eyeing the two Pokéballs on her belt. 

Please tell me she’s not assuming I’m a challenger…

“Erm, I have an appointment here for eleven…”

The receptionist sighed, before speaking. “Name, and who’s the appointment with?” 

“Erm, Cecilia Wattle…the appointment is with Lorelei. A…erm…consultation?”

“So you’re the dressmaker? I’ll buzz you in, you’ll be meeting her in the second room on the right.”

Cecilia nodded quickly, before walking through the doors (not, as she had expected, the doors leading to the Battle Hall, but a side door, probably for administrative things) and looking for the room she had been directed to.

She found the room relatively quickly, and nudged the door open. It was a comfortable room, with plush couches and a television on one of the walls, as well as a window looking out over a lush garden. She stepped inside, before she stopped in her tracks. 

There’s a man in this room. Why is there a man in this room? Is it the wrong room? Did I accidentally wander into someone’s room?

The man stood, his cape (since when was he wearing a cape?) rustling as he did so. “Oh, sorry, Miss, er…”

“It’s, um, Wattle. Cecilia Wattle. I…erm, was told by the receptionist to go to the second room on the right? I’m meant to meet Lorelei?” Her mind buzzed and she wondered if she had gotten the room wrong. Had she? And who was this man anyway? She knew his face, but she couldn’t remember his name at all. He looked like the Champion, but she couldn’t remember which one!

“Ah! Yes, this is the right room. I’ll, erm. I’ll get out of your way. Sorry for…this.” He made a small gesture with his hand, before he made his way towards the door to leave. He paused when he got to the door, and hummed slightly. “It’s nice meeting you, I suppose.”

Cecilia wracked her brain as she tried to figure out who he was. Hugo had tried his best to make her remember the regional Elite Fours and Champions, but it hadn’t stuck; all those names got mixed up, but she knew that this man couldn’t be Alder Wright or Leon Newman, and he probably wasn’t Steven Stone or Wallace Quinn, seeing as they were outliers in that they tended to share a Championship. So that left Lance, Champion of both Kanto and Johto. Unless he was Bruno or Will, but she didn’t think he was Bruno (too slender), and Will was a Psychic specialist, and she knew what psychic resonance felt like. She nodded as she determined that, yes, this man was likely Lance.

“You’re…Lance, correct? Forgive me for not recognising you sooner, Mister Champion. Ah, I won’t keep you, I'm sure you're busy.” She nodded politely as he left the room, and she released Peepo so he could help her set everything up.

Lance hadn’t expected to run into someone who hadn’t known his name right off the bat in the Indigo Plateau’s residential hall, but he couldn’t say it was unwelcome; he tended to avoid interacting with the public for a reason, so meeting a civilian who didn’t recognise him right away was…refreshing. He still didn’t understand why Lorelei hadn’t just gone to Viridian City for her appointment, but the dressmaker was there, so he would have to deal with it.

Cecilia’s wrist hurt from writing and sketching for much of the day, but she and Lorelei had finally finalised a design for a ballgown for the elite trainer to wear, and now…it was late. 

Oh dear, is it that late already?

Cecilia glanced outside, surprised by the darkened sky outside. It had been totally light, the last time she’d looked out the large window.

“Oh dear…it’s rather late. Erm, Miss Lorelei, I’m afraid that I need to leave soon…or else I’ll not be home in time for dinner. I’m so sorry about cutting this short…”

“Cecilia, darling, it’s too late now to be out, you ought to join us for dinner! And besides, it’s my fault we ran so late…you could even stay the night, we certainly have room!”

Cecilia thought about it and hummed slightly. “I couldn’t put you out like that, Miss Lorelei. Besides, if I can get a taxi back to Viridian, I can just pick up some food on the way home. I’ll be fine, I have Calla and Peepo to help me!”

Lorelei tutted, before grabbing Cecilia’s hand. “No, I insist. The others will be fine if you’re there once I explain the situation, and besides, haven’t there been warnings out for Pokémon thieves? You’d be best to go back when it’s light out!” She giggled, before adding, “Besides, it’s been quite a while since I’ve had another girl over, and Agatha doesn’t like gossip nearly as much as I do!”

Cecilia sighed, before nodding. “Alright, I’ll stay the night. But really, you didn’t have to…I’d have been fine getting home myself, I swear! Oh, but what will I wear? I only have what I brought with me for the appointment.” She started packing up her things into her bag, and made a face. She couldn’t bear the thought of sleeping in nothing but her knickers…it wouldn’t be comfortable.

Lorelei laughed, before bending down to help Cecilia pick up her things. “I’ll lend you a nightdress of mine for the night, and I’m sure we can wash your clothes overnight, or you can just wear them again tomorrow. And I’ll arrange a car to get you back to Viridian tomorrow morning.”

Cecilia stood up and nodded firmly. “Alright, I suppose. Erm, I think that’s everything…thanks for helping me pack up. I promise I won’t bother you.”

Lorelei chuckled, before leading Cecilia out of the room and down a long hall, to where the residential quarters presumably were. “It’s no bother to me, honestly! Now,” she paused in front of a red door, “this will be your room for the night. Come on in, I’ll show you around! And then we can run down to my quarters and I’ll get you some nightclothes. Oh, and dinner is in half an hour!”

Dinner was…awkward, to say the least. The Elite Four weren’t talking, and Cecilia certainly wouldn’t start a conversation in the middle of the meal. So she just kept her eyes on her food, until Lorelei broke the silence with a question.

“So Cecilia, did you ever go on a journey? You mentioned having a couple of ‘mons?” 

Cecilia jolted back to reality and thought for a second. “Erm, not really…I never saw the point, and I wanted to finish school…I raised Calla from an egg, and she was my starter. I caught Peepo when I was in Kalos for a semester abroad.”

Lorelei cut in with another question. “What do you mean by that? Surely you’d want to try it out, at least? Even without attempting the gym circuit, there’s plenty of options.”

“Oh, erm…I just, well…I suppose I was always more focused on school, and by the time I was old enough, I was adjusting to being back in Kanto. It just…never came up, I suppose. Besides, my goals weren’t really…battle-oriented.”

The other woman nodded in understanding. “I suppose that makes sense. Are you from Kanto?”

Cecilia blinked, before nodding her head. “Maman is from Kalos, and Father’s from Johto, I think. I was born here, but I lived in Lumiose for a while before I moved back here. I suppose you could say that I’m from Kanto, but I’ve always felt more at home in Kalos. I’m fine with both languages, but I tend to stick to Kalosian with Maman and Hugo. Not with Father, he never bothered learning it.”

Once dinner was over, Cecilia meandered back to her room, hugging the nightdress that Lorelei had lent her as she finally located the red door that led into the comfortable room. She was tempted to collapse onto the wrought-iron bed, but stopped herself short and laid the nightdress on the bed instead, pulling out Calla and Peepo’s Pokéballs and releasing the ‘mons. 

“Hello, my dears…I’m sorry I kept you inside all day. I…would you like to see the gardens, with me? Lorelei showed me where they were and they’re really quite expansive. We could go take a walk before bed, and then I’ll call Hugo and ask for a pickup from the bus terminal, though he’ll say yes, for sure!” She listened to her companions chirp in response, before nodding. “Now, I’m not sure what the rules would be regarding travelling the halls, so I’ll have to return you both until we can get to the gardens, but it’s only a short walk. Is that ok with you two?”

The Pokémon nodded, and she returned them, before leaving her room to walk to the gardens. She’d passed them on the way back from dinner, and found the door outside quite confidently. Once she stepped outside, into the night air, she released Calla and Darling, and began to look around at some of the flowers outside.

Lance stroked Dragonite’s head as he breathed in the clear air of the garden. He didn’t normally spend much time in the gardens, but he missed his home in Blackthorn, and being surrounded by plants reminded him of his mother’s garden. He sat on one of the benches and listened to the chirps and calls of the flying and bug types around them; Pidgey and Butterfree and the like. It was relaxing, but it wasn’t home. It wasn’t the cold air of the mountains, or the calls of the dragons he’d grown up around.

His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet voice singing a song that he knew, and he could recognise, but he couldn’t name. It wasn’t Kantonian, he was fairly sure, and it certainly wasn’t Johtoan, in language or tone. It sounded similar to one of his mother’s records, but he just…couldn’t name it. 

And then it stopped, and the voice began to speak. It wasn’t close enough for him to hear everything, but he could make out a few words; someone speaking about a ‘wattle tree’, and then it stopped.

“Who’s there?”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you’ll be ok, Cecilia? I just want to be sure…you’re a good person, and I don’t want to lose a friend right after I’ve met them.” 

“I’ll be fine, Lorelei. It’s not a long trip, anyway, and I had the day off, anyway. Besides, now I know that I’ll be able to go see Maman! I’ll be alright, I’ll just be going to Viridian, and then on to Celadon. I promise, nothing bad will happen to me! I’m even going to be taking the bus to Celadon!”

“Mm, alright, but…stay safe. And call me when that mockup is done, I’m excited to see your work!” 

Cecilia laughed, before waving goodbye to Lorelei and stepping into the taxi. She closed the door, and the taxi set off, driving down the mountain to Cecilia’s home. It wasn’t a particularly riveting drive; mostly just rocks and trees. It meant that Cecilia could, at least, focus on other things.

Things like the gala she was sure to attend that evening; the new Kalosian champion was in Kanto, so there would, of course, be several events and fancy parties to welcome her. If she remembered, the Kalosian Champion was an actress and was doing some sort of press tour for a film as well, so her friends were likely to beg their way into her good graces for an invitation. They were almost parasitic, but they weren’t outright rude, at least. And Cecilia barely had anything they could use against her; she worked a stable and respectable job and was making headway in a competitive industry, she had a decent relationship with her family, and she took lavish vacations to Kalos yearly. She even had friends in the social elite of other regions, which was more than her socialite friends could say.

She rolled her wrist as she looked down at Calla’s Pokéball and hummed. She supposed that her not having a fully evolved team could be an item of gossip, but…considering Peepo needed a stone to evolve into a Gallade, it wasn’t uncommon to wait until an event to get one. Those evolution stones were expensive, and there would probably be an event at Evolution Mountain later in the year. Peepo had only recently expressed interest in evolving, anyway, and Calla had long since evolved from a Petilil. Besides, it wasn’t like her friends had full teams. Most of them only had one or two companions, and she was reasonably certain that none of them particularly cared for their Pokémon; they treated them as pets and nothing more.

Once the taxi finally stopped, Cecilia practically threw herself out of it and rushed into her apartment; it was barely big enough for one person to live comfortably, but it was home. She didn’t own a lot, either way; most of her sewing things were at the shop, and her two ‘mons were small enough to fit in the apartment most of the time, aside from the rare occasion she had visitors, though said visitors were almost always her older brother, Hugo. 

She grabbed the bag she’d packed for her visit and dumped the bag she’d brought to the Plateau on the kitchen island, before locking up the apartment and hurrying to the bus stop; she’d miss it if she didn’t. 

Finally, after hours of travel (not really, it had been two hours and she had slept for the majority of it), she arrived in Celadon City, and there, standing in the bus terminal, was her older brother, Hugo.

“Cece, you’re here! I wasn’t sure you’d make the bus in time!” He let out a laugh, before opening his arms up for a hug. “C’mere, I’ve missed you! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

She scoffed quietly, but leaned into his embrace. “We’d see each other more often if you actually called before going on your business trips. Where have you been, anyway? Last we talked, you were in fucking Johto , and now you’re back here?” 

He laughed, before patting her head. “Ah, we can talk more when we get to Maman’s. Father landed pretty early this morning, so he’s probably still sleeping. Time difference, you know?” 

She nodded as he started leading her to his car; a silver hatchback that he’d had for years , and whenever someone suggested he replace the old thing (seriously, that car had more health issues than her ancient landlord), he would blow up about how good and reliable it is . She reached over to fluff his hair as she slipped into the front seat and he started the car. 

“Are you seriously dying it green ? I thought you hated maintaining dyed hair, after the purple dye faded.” She was just teasing him, but she did hate that colour on him; he’d looked good back when he’d gone purple, but that had gone out the window fairly quickly. He’d look better with red, or even a dark blue, but not green .

“Shut up, it was for a bet. Arthur said I wouldn’t do it, and Luca said he’d pay me about a thousand if I did it. So I did it.” He gestured one-handedly, while still keeping his eyes on the road; it wasn’t a long drive to Maman’s house, but the traffic tended to be worse going into the city than it was coming out at this time of day. 

The car stopped in front of the house and she laughed as she swung open the door and hopped out. “How is Maman, anyway? Or did you just drive from the airport to the bus terminal without saying hello?”

He got out and grinned at her, before grabbing her luggage from the boot of the car. “She’s great! She started taking a perfume-making class with Erika, apparently, and there’s a gala tonight. She mentioned wanting us to go, but I’m a bit jetlagged, so I’ll sit this one out.”

“That and your hair?”

“That and the hair. Believe me, I regret it now, but…you know what I’m like when I’m tipsy. Not the best vehicle for smart cosmetic decisions. At least it wasn’t a tattoo, like what Luca got. I think Ari was the only one of us who didn’t do something ungodly to her body, because Arthur got his ears pierced. He probably took them out pretty quickly though, because Xerneas knows he can’t mess up his ‘perfect image’ or whatever.”

They finally entered the house, and Cecilia rushed to embrace their mother.

Cecilia loved Maman. Maman had always given wonderful hugs–which must’ve been something that Hugo inherited–and Cecilia loved them. She loved her Maman’s perfume, too; a scent she got shipped in from Kalos three times a year. She adored everything about her Maman; the clothes, the hugs, the smell, everything .

So when her Maman told her over the phone that there’d be a gala that night, as a welcome for the Champion of Kalos’ tour of Kanto, she was ecstatic . Normally, Cecilia was neutral about galas. The clothes itched, the people were catty and rude or drunk out of their minds, and she didn’t get to talk to anyone she knew because her friends were all off mingling. But that was when she went with Father. When she was with Maman, they were much more enjoyable. Perhaps it was her Maman’s taste in dresses, but the ones her Maman had always suggested were far nicer; less tacky, nicer fabrics, and often shipped in from Lumiose City. That meant that, when she went to a gala with Maman (and sometimes with Father too), the dress was always the most fashionable dress there; last time, it had been a wonderful blue ensemble with a drop-waist and delicate lace, but that had been themed. This gala wasn’t, and her Maman had, with her consent, ordered a lovely dress of red velvet. It was probably one of her favourite dresses she’d ever worn for a gala, second only to the dress she’d been given for her eighteenth; that one had been blue, with a pattern of constellations all over the skirt. She adored that dress, and she was keeping it for another special occasion. If she ever got engaged, perhaps an engagement party? She’d purchased a bolt of the fabric when she’d purchased the dress so she could alter it if necessary, and she was sure she could talk Elesa into helping out with any alterations she might decide on. Elesa had the best suggestions, and while they rarely talked in person, she could always rely on her best friend to help out when she had artist’s block.

“Ah, ma chérie , you’re here! Wonderful, wonderful! And Hugo, mon chou , it has been so long! How was your trip to Johto? Did you have a nice time? And Cecilia, how has work been? You’ve been designing your own line, non ? The last designs you showed me were simply fabulous!”

The trio were sat in the sunroom, with tea that Maman had practically strong-armed Hugo into accepting. Cecilia didn’t mind it, as it was one of her favourite kinds (black tea, with some Pecha juice), and simply sipped at it while she listened to her mother speak.

“Ah, Johto was wonderful. Perfect weather for it. We started in Azalea Town, before we nipped to Goldenrod for a few meetings and then had to run up north to check on things in Mahogany Town. But everything was going smoothly, and we got everything we needed done.”

Maman nodded, before turning to Cecilia. “And you? How’s work going? Any daring commissions?”

Cecilia grinned and nodded. “Yes, actually! I’ve been commissioned by one of the Elite Four. It’s a gown, for the Anniversary Ball in two months. And I’ve started production on my own line. It’s going well for me, I’d say!”

Maman nodded, before taking another sip of her tea. “Well, you’ll have to tell me how that goes for you. Now, Kaede only arrived home this morning, so he’s rather tired from his trip and won’t be joining us tonight, but I’m sure you both will be coming to the gala tonight.”

Hugo shook his head and sighed. “Unfortunately, I’ve got a rather large amount of work to do, and I’m rather tired, so I’ll have to say no for tonight. But next time, for sure.”

Maman nodded and reached over to pat his cheek. “I’ll tell your friends you said hello, if I see them. Now, Hugo, go and rest. You look dead on your feet. Ay, Je savais que j'aurais dû aller chercher Cecilia à la place...^[1]”

“So, who else is going to be there, Maman? It’s for Champion Diantha, right? So will the Elite Four be there, or is it more aimed towards her acting, rather than her duties as a new champion? She’s doing a press tour for one of her films, too, isn’t she?”

Chapter Text

Lance despised galas. Ever since he’d become champion, they’d been one of the few things he hated. A whole lot of showboating and swanning about, designed to show off that you had money . They were slightly less insufferable in Johto, because at least then his family could be there as a buffer, but in Kanto, all he had was the Elite Four.

The new Champion of Kalos, Diantha Guillaume, was in Kanto for three reasons. First, to officially and publicly introduce her to the Kantonian Champion and his Elite Four, and secondly, to partake in an exhibition match against him. He was excited, but he was also scared shitless; there’d been some recent discoveries in Kalos about…something that boosted the power of Pokémon during battles. He hadn’t looked into it, but it terrified him. The third reason was for a press tour for her new movie, but that was less important. 

Lorelei jabbed him in the ribs as they exited the limousine to enter the venue; the Celadon City Game Corner. It was a luxurious venue, which fit the event they were at. Solely for the rich and famous, he could tell. Once they made it past the paps (without, he might add, causing a riot), the room opened up to a glittering spectacle of elaborate dresses and tuxedos, and he very quickly lost sight of the rest of the Elite Four.

Slipping over to one of the tables practically bowing down with hors d'oeuvres, he silently surveyed the room. He recognised a fair amount of the people there. Oh, that way was where the Beaumonts were, and over there was where Professor Oak would be, probably talking with the other few Pokémon Professors who were there. There were too many people, if you asked him. He could spot a few Gym Leaders amongst the crowd; there was Koga, and he must’ve brought Janine with him…and then over that way was Giovanni, talking to Odette Wattle. If he remembered correctly, her husband worked at a company in which Giovanni owned shares. Something about international branches? It wasn’t particularly important, and he had just resigned himself to standing alone until his speech when his eyes fell on someone far closer than Giovanni.

Cecilia was bored already. Maman had totted off to talk to some of her society friends, and Cecilia’s friends were all off chatting to…whoever. So there she was, gracelessly eating a piece of bread that had been lathered with butter and herbs. She had one hand cupped under her mouth to catch any crumbs, as getting crumbs or butter on her dress would horrify Maman and she was looking around as she ate.

It was no more than two minutes after she had decided to stick by the table that was simply loaded with decadent foods that she made eye contact with someone. Someone who she had…barely spoken to. Ah. The Kanto-Johto Champion, Lance Blackthorn. She couldn’t remember much about him, but she did know that the Champion trained dragon types. And that he wore a cape. And, would you look at that, he was wearing a cape, even in full formal attire. What she did know was that she had made a fool of herself in front of him barely a day ago, and here he was, making eye contact with her. If she were anywhere else, she might’ve challenged him to a battle (and lost, unless he had a younger pokemon he was training), but alas. Here she was, sitting in the lap of luxury in Celadon City instead.

“...Hi.”

He startled as she spoke, before responding. “Hi. Erm, Cecilia, was it? Funny seeing you here…”

She nodded, before tapping her chin. “Yes, I’m Cecilia. I suppose I should’ve expected to see you here, as Champion. Maman did say that the Elite Four would be here…”

He shrugged, and she made a decision. She’d seen that there wasn’t much of the delicious bread left, so she held up her plate and offered it to him. “Want some? It’s pain à l'ail , it’s from Southern Kalos. It’s quite good, if a bit crumbly. I’ve been eating it all night.”

He accepted it and took a small bite. His eyes widened and he quickly finished the rest. “That was very good, thanks for offering it. Erm…so, you’re here with your mother?”

She nodded. “My brother and Father would’ve come, but Hugo is busy with his work and Father is sleeping off his jetlag. So it’s just me and Maman tonight. How about you?”

“Ah, I’m here with the Elite Four. I think some of the Gym Leaders are here, but I’m not sure who. Lorelei is talking to one of the professors, but I’m not sure which one. Bruno is probably just staying around for Goodshow’s speech and then he’ll dip, this isn’t his scene. And I think Agatha is talking to Blaine or Oak, but I haven’t seen her. The Johto Elites are all over the place, so I’ve barely seen them. As far as I’m aware, the only gym leaders here are Erika, Blaine, Koga and Giovanni. I think Erika is just out of obligation, but I’m not sure about the rest.”

She nodded. That made sense; the rest were…well, she wasn’t sure about Brock Ishida, but the Waterflowers were likely busy in Cerulean, and Sabrina never attended events like this. She wasn’t sure about the good Lieutenant, but…well, they were probably better off avoiding that particular discussion, lest it become overly political. “Well, I can tell you that my friends are probably all interrogating Henry Barnett, and Maman is probably talking to her society friends. I think some of them were talking about using psychic types for sleep remedies or something, but you’d have to ask her. It’s the kind of thing Maman isn’t particularly interested in, but she does know her stuff.”

“Mhm. So Henry Barnett is…he’s the heir to the Barnett fortune, yes? Why would your friends be interrogating him?”

She let out a laugh, and grinned as she spoke. “He’s engaged to Charlise, so they’re giving him the shovel talk. That and, of course, determining whether he’s actually able to provide for our darling Charlise. Honestly, I don’t understand it, but they’ve always been like that.”

He hummed in understanding, as he thought about it. He couldn’t say it was totally unreasonable, seeing as he’d probably do the same for Clair, if he was in that position. He did, after all, care about his cousin and wanted to see her happy. He still didn’t fully understand it, but well…whatever floats their boat, or whatever. Their Lapras? Hm, that was something to think about…

“Uh, Mister Champion? You still there?” A hand was waved in front of his face, and he jolted out of his thoughts. He looked around, before his eyes landed on a clock.

“Oh, I’ve got to go…speeches and all. Bye, I guess.”

Cecilia blinked and waved slightly, shrugging as she watched him leave. Well, she probably wouldn’t have to see him again for some time, so perhaps they’d both forget the awkwardness of that interaction in time, though she supposed they’d have to see.

“So, Father, how was Alola? Did you have a nice time there? You were meeting with…Lusamine, correct?” Hugo poured himself a cup of tea as the family sat around the table in the dining room for breakfast; a full breakfast, with pancakes, hashbrowns, beans and plenty of toast.

“Alola was lovely, and the meeting went well. If we play our cards right, we’ll have a deal fully laid out by the end of the year!”

“Well, Father, did you meet anyone interesting? I’ve been meaning to look into some Alolan fashion for work, but I’ve been so busy with work that there’s barely been time!”

He nodded, before taking a bite of his toast. He swallowed before answering. “I met the Kahuna of Melemele Island, Hala. And their soon-to-be Professor. I believe he’s just finishing up his dissertation. Something about ‘Z-moves’, I believe he said. Smart young man, I must say. If you ever head out there, I feel he could be a smart match for you, Cecilia. It’s about time you stop dithering and think about settling down. Hugo, don’t you agree?”

Hugo and Cecilia both groaned, and Maman stayed silent. They all knew that an argument was inevitable, as it always was when Father brought up the topic.

“Father, please not at breakfast? I have a bus to catch soon, and then I have a fitting when I get back to Viridian. We can talk about this tonight, after I’m home. Unless you’re off on another trip?”

He sighed, but accepted defeat. “Very well. But we will be discussing this further soon. You really do need to start thinking about marriage; your friend Charlise has already gotten engaged, and they’re trying to find the Beaumont boy to set up his wedding to Miss Jessebelle. Now, I did keep my promise to get you two souvenirs. If we’re nearly done with breakfast, I believe it may be a good time to give them to you.”

The siblings nodded in agreement, and their father left the dining room to fetch the gifts. Once he returned, he handed them two boxes; one small rectangular box for Hugo, and one tall cylindrical box for Cecilia. She gestured for Hugo to open his first, and he grinned as he did so.

Inside his gift box was a pair of opal cufflinks, next to a pair of opal earrings. He blushed, and quietly thanked Father for the gifts.

“They’re custom, you know? And the earrings are so you can match with your wife, when you get married. The opals were especially hard to get hold of; I had to contact one of my associates in Unova to get them even shipped to Alola, but the artisan who made them was very talented, wouldn’t you say?”

Cecilia stayed silent, but everything he was saying was making her nervous about the gift he’d given her. Would it be a hat, or something? She shuddered at the thought. Her father’s taste wasn’t…the best. Especially when it came to anything fashion related. 

“Cecilia, wouldn’t you like to open yours? I got the help of some of the locals to choose your gift, you know!”

She nervously opened the box, and gasped as she realised what was inside. It was an incubator , with an egg inside! An egg she didn’t recognise, though she could likely take it to a Professor to see if they recognised it. Perhaps she could call Augustine about it?

“Father, I’m not sure what to say…this is wonderful! But what is it? What Pokémon is it?” She held it up in the incubator and peered closer at it from all sides. It was white, with a pattern of small blue flowers.

“You’ll have to see, I suppose. I got it from a daycare there, they said it’s owner hadn’t wanted it, so they were giving it away. I thought you could raise it, and maybe it’ll be something cute!”

Cecilia nodded, before she hummed and checked her phone. Her eyes bulged as she saw the time, and she stood up quickly. “Sorry to cut this short, Father, but my bus leaves in an hour! I’ll see you next time! Hugo, can you drive me to the terminal?”

Chapter Text

“It’s not like I asked him to saddle me with an egg, Elesa! He just…ugh, he gave it to me and expected me to be grateful, and it’s cool that he got me something, I don’t think an egg is quite the gift he was hoping it would be! And just after he mentioned maybe trying to set me up with someone! He won’t get off my ass about it!”

“Cecilia, you know what he’s like. And besides, why don’t you just give the egg to a daycare or something? Or even to someone else to raise?”

“That’s the thing, Elesa. I know Father, and I know he’d never give me an egg he got legally; he’d only give me an egg if he was trying to get rid of it! Maman would give me an egg she got from the proper authorities, but Father would never ! I’m scared he stole it, and if I take it to the authorities they’ll arrest me! The same thing could happen if I left it at a daycare! And I don’t want to just abandon it, that’d be cruel! That’d make me nearly as bad as a Rocket!”

“Well, I might not know how you feel, but surely one of your friends in Viridian could help! What about…what’s their name? Yuki? They could help, surely! And you’re nowhere near as bad as a Rocket; you’d have to be much more cruel and catty for that. At least as cruel as the twins’ boss; he’s such a bastard, but they’ve been working on planning a strike with the rail union, so they might break him.”

“I don’t…Elesa, I can’t ask for help. Yuki works full-time, anyway. They wouldn’t have time to help. And they live on the other side of the city, so that’s a big fat no. I mean, I’m close to the main Center, so I could talk to Eloise…she’s the local Joy, and she’s quite nice…” Cecilia groaned, and rubbed her nose. “I just don’t know…I’ll have the time; it’s sort of slow right now, I’m not swamped down with work and Amanda’s been giving me a light load so I can work on my collection…”

“That sounds perfectly acceptable to me! If anything, I’d say you should make friends with her; having a Joy on your side can only be a benefit to you! And if you have the time, surely adding another member to your team wouldn’t go astray. You don’t really have much to lose!” 

“Oh, I suppose so. Anyway, I’m just coming up on my place, so I’ll chat later! Oh, and if you see the twins, tell them I said hi, and that I’ll try visiting during spring, just before my trip to Kalos. I’d rather they know well in advance so I don’t catch them at a bad time. And besides, it’ll be after the Indigo League Conference and the Silver League Conference, so flights will be much cheaper than they would be at any other time.”

“You’re a gem, Cece! I’ll tell Burgh, too, and we can get lunch together while you’re here, ok? Maybe Skylar too? Depends on how the season’s going. I’ll invite the twins too, but their schedules might change on a whim, and it’ll depend when the strike happens. But we’ll do our best to plan around it.”

Cecilia approached the Gym, box in hand. Her appointment with Mr Giovanni couldn’t be missed, and it was imperative that she be on time. Of course, she was technically fifteen minutes early, but…well, he was certainly a character, that was for sure. She had met him before (though not at the gala she’d attended the night before), and he was strict, with high standards and a penchant for intimidating any of the workers at the store they sent. Well, any of the workers except for her.

If anything, he reminded her of Father. They were both strict, with hard faces and a classic fashion sense that consisted almost entirely of suits. They were both hard to please, however, unlike Father, Mr Giovanni did not seem to be particularly cruel. Instead, he only seemed to be strict and straight-laced, with a no-nonsense attitude.

She approached the front desk of the gym, ignoring the child sitting next to the receptionist and who was doing what looked to be homework of some sort.

“Hello, Matilda! I’m here to drop off Mr Giovanni’s suit, shall I just leave it with you?”

“Ah, Cecilia! No, I’m about to finish my shift, but Silver can show you into the apartment, and you can leave it there. How’s that sound?” 

The kid—a pale boy with red hair who was wearing the uniform of a local school—protested quietly, before a glare from the receptionist shushed him with a look.

“Dad’s in a meeting, Tilda, I can’t just let a stranger into the apartment! Why can’t you let me take it in?”

“Because, young man, you won’t know where to put it. Best if Cecilia meets with your father to hang it up correctly. And she’s not exactly a stranger, your father has met her before.” She looked at Cecilia. “Now, does this one have different care instructions? The last was a wool suit, correct? I presume it’s similar?”

Cecilia shook her head. “It’s a cotton suit, this time. And Amanda wanted me to make sure it’s all correct so we can replicate it if need be, without making many adjustments.” 

Matilda nodded, before glancing at Silver. “Silver, be a dear and show Cecilia into the apartment, and wait there until your father finishes his meeting. If his schedule was correct, it should be finishing in less than ten minutes.”

Silver groaned, before standing up and walking around to the front of the reception desk. He roughly grabbed Cecilia’s arm and started dragging her towards the door that she could assume lead to the apartment, and she could hear Matilda call for the next visitor.

Cecilia gently set down the large box on a glass table, and glanced around the room. It was fancy , fancier than her own apartment, which could be expected, as Mr Giovanni was rather wealthy. But it did surprise her that it was seemingly fancier than the house her parents lived in, and far more modern. If her memory served her correctly, a fair number of the Gyms in Kanto were located in or near historical sites, but she couldn’t remember if the Viridian Gym was one such Gym. 

She looked at the child who had accompanied her, and tilted her head as she watched him. Matilda had called him Silver, if she recalled correctly. He looked in her direction, and poked his tongue out as he flicked open a book that Cecilia could tell was titled The Secret Language of Flowers . Not the type of book she’d expect a kid who was probably around twelve to be reading but…whatever. It was his decision to read whatever he so desired.

“Why are you here, anyway? Apart from the suit. Doesn’t your shop have loads of employees who can deliver it? What made you so special?” 

“I’ve met your father before, and Matilda and I are acquainted enough that she knows me by sight. Besides, your father is an…intimidating man, and the shop doesn’t have nearly as many employees as you’d assume. It’s Amanda, me, and about three others, and the other three are all busy with other commissions. So that left Amanda or I to deliver it and…well, Amanda and Mr Giovanni don’t exactly…get on with each other. They’re plenty cordial, but Amanda won’t stay in a room with him longer than necessary. Les amoureux abandonnés et tout. ^[2] ” She chose her words carefully, as she didn’t want to accidentally insult the child’s father; with her luck, he’d end up challenging her to a Battle if she did so, and she really didn’t want to deal with the mess that came with Battles right at that moment. Finding a referee was annoying, setting everything up with the accounts was annoying, and she only had Peepo with her; Calla was back in Celadon for a check-up with Doctor Kimura; Peepo’s was next week.

“Then how’d you meet him? Was it another delivery?” His question surprised her, but she supposed it was just childish curiosity. Of course a child would want to know how a strange woman knew his father if she wasn’t an employee.

“Oh, erm…my brother works for him, and brought me along to a few company events. Holiday parties and the like. And we half run in the same circles in society. Actually, I believe he might know my father to a degree; Father used to work for Mr Giovanni’s mother, after all.”

Silver tilted his head in slight confusion and made a face. “What do you mean, ‘same circles in society’? What society are you talking about?”

“Oh, erm…well, I grew up fairly wealthy, and as such, tend to go to a fair amount of events when I’m with my parents, and some of those events have Gym Leaders attending too. Mostly in a sort-of host position, as the representative of the city that the event is taking place in, but sometimes just as an attendee. Like last night, there were about…I believe four Gym Leaders in attendance? Although that was an event held by the League, so it might be different.” She shrugged, picking a piece of lint off her cardigan. “Although I’m much more familiar with Kalosian society; I attend most events that occur while I’m there. And my cousin is invited to a fair few, so I often accompany him.”

Silver nodded, and they both sat there for a moment in complete and total silence. Then, a man with short dark hair walked in, and Cecilia recognised him immediately. This was her father’s friend, her city’s gym leader, and one of the best paying clients they had at Lumiose Bespoke.

Giovanni was tall and imposing, wearing a grey suit with cropped dark hair. Cecilia had always sort of questioned his fashion sense; surely he wore something more comfortable in his own home?

He strutted into the room, and both Silver and Cecilia stood up. Cecilia bowed, while Silver simply nodded to his father before collecting his book and leaving the room, leaving Cecilia with Mister Giovanni alone. 

“To business then, Miss Wattle. May I see my order?”

Cecilia nodded and opened the box, gently removing the tissue paper that enclosed the suit. It was an orange suit with a green waistcoat and cream shirt; not a colour combination she’d personally choose, but…well, he had ordered it. It wasn’t her place to openly criticise someone else’s fashion choices, but…it was certainly gaudy. Certainly not what she’d expected of the Gym Leader, but everyone had their own tastes. If his taste wasn’t up to scratch, that was his issue, and not hers. Perhaps he wanted to make a statement? She hadn’t thought of him as the type, but he was a gym leader, so perhaps he was intending to champion a change in the local area?

“It’s a bengaline shell with satin lining, and the waistcoat is cotton drill with satin lining. The shirt is a linen and cotton blend for easy laundering, and it should be relatively easy to move in. The whole suit, has, of course, been treated with a fairly move-proof coating, which we can maintain at your request. We’ve also taken the liberty to include several spaces for Pokéballs to be stored, as per your prior requests.”

He nodded as he inspected the suit, before clapping his hands together loudly. “Well then, if that is all, I do believe I have a battle to attend to. Was there anything else?”

“Erm, Amanda just wanted to ask if the suit was of a suitable design, or if we’d need to alter the pattern in the future, but I suppose you should be able to call about that if there’s any issues. I…erm, the payment-”

“Yes, I’m well aware of the issue with the payment. I have one of my people fixing it, it should go through by tomorrow. Is that everything?”

Cecilia nodded firmly, and he pulled out his wallet, before his pulled out several notes and handed them to her. “As a thank you for delivering it. I suppose I should be seeing you again. Do give your brother my regards, won’t you?” 

She bowed her head and made to leave, before pausing. “Mister Giovanni, your son is rather kind. Give him my regards, will you?”

Giovanni nodded, and then gestured for her to leave.

Cecilia | June 7, 2011

Hey Hugo, just checking in! I’m planning my trip to Kalos for this year, did you want to go at the same time?

Delivered

Cecilia | June 10, 2011

Hey Hugo, I was wondering if you got my message? I’m booking my flights tomorrow, so if you wanted to go together I need to know by then.

Delivered

Cecilia | June 15, 2011

Hugo, have you been getting my messages? Maman hasn’t heard from you since the gala and we’re both worried. 

Delivered

Cecilia | June 18, 2011

Hugo? You haven’t answered your phone in a while, can you text me back soon?

Read 4:32PM, June 19, 2011

Hugo | June 19, 2011

Sorry Cecilia, I was in Unova! My phone broke but I just got it fixed. Do you want to meet at the Viridian City Central Pokémon Centre once you finish work today?

Delivered

Chapter Text

Cecilia carried the egg everywhere with her; she couldn’t help it. She knew that eggs needed a certain amount of interaction with others to hatch, and they needed warmth, so…what else was she to do? She did to leave it with Eloise Joy when she had work, but seeing as though she lived barely a block away from the Center, it was easy enough to drop off before she went to work. 

She hadn’t really ever been to a Center as frequently as she did now, but…well, she wanted whatever was in the egg to be as healthy as could be when it hatched, which should be any day; Eloise had said that it was probably a couple days overdue. If it hadn’t hatched by the end of the week, they’d probably have to manually hatch it to ensure that nothing was wrong. Either that, or she’d take it to a professional. Not that Eloise wasn’t professional, but manually hatching eggs was–according to everything she had read online–a tricky business. So she’d probably see about setting up an appointment with the nearest professional. Who that was, she wasn’t quite sure. Perhaps Professor Oak? He wasn’t far, only an hour’s drive away in Pallet Town. The other options she could think of was a breeder on Scissor Street, and she really didn’t want to have to go all the way to Celadon for one errand.

Now, Cecilia was aware of a fair few facts about the Center in Viridian City. First, it was one of the biggest in Kanto, due to it’s proximity to Victory Road and the eighth Gym. Second, it was the closest to Viridian Airport, the second busiest airport in Kanto. And third, it was the Center her brother often went to after a long interregional flight. The final fact was that there was three Nurse Joys serving it; Eloise, Pippa, and Carmella. She had only met Eloise and Carmella, as Pippa worked the late shift, but it was a higher number than most Centres. Most had one or two, whereas the Viridian Centre had three rostered on constantly, with another two on rotation in case of emergency. 

Clearly, it was quite the busy centre. The airport didn’t even have it’s own centre; they just ferried everyone through Viridian. 

So really, it was quite inevitable that she’d run into Hugo while she was there. After all, he’d just gotten back from an impromptu trip to…Unova, she believed. She wondered if he’d seen Elesa while he was there; it’d been a while since they’d managed to have a chat in any way other than over text, what with the time difference and Elesa’s work as a gym leader and model, but perhaps she could go there for a week or so, and just cut her trip to Kalos short. She hadn’t put in her leave form yet, so perhaps she could afford to take an extra week off…it was certainly something to consider, that was for sure.

But Elesa and the struggles of international friendships aside, Cecilia had expected to run into Hugo at some point, and she was well aware that it would probably happen at the Pokémon Center.

Cecilia had just finished her working day when she saw Hugo for the first time in weeks, at the Center where she was picking up the egg and getting Calla and Peepo checked over; they’d run into a trainer on the way over and had an impromptu battle, which was…rather easy, seeing as they had been using a Poliwag, and Calla had an easy type advantage. Still, it was better to take the opportunity to get them both checked over.

“Cecilia! I didn’t expect to see you here!” Hugo’s voice was loud, and it boomed through the main foyer of the Center. Cecilia, who had been talking to Nurse Joy, turned around to glare at the source of the sound, before continuing her conversation.

After a couple of minutes, she nodded a farewell to Eloise, who handed over the egg, and finally started walking to Hugo. Once she stopped, she let out Calla and put her hands on her hips. “Hugo, did you need to be so…loud? I thought you’d be tired, what with that long flight and the time difference.”

Hugo laughed and tapped Cecilia on the nose. “Well, petite sœur , I was simply excited to see you! It’s been weeks since you last visited Maman and Father, and I’ve been in Unova for such a long time, I missed you and Maman and Father! So I decided that I’d visit you before I went to visit home.”

“Hugo, it’s been three weeks. Less than a month. I’ve been busy, anyway. Lots of work to do, lots of stuff to take care of…and not to mention I’ve been preparing for the egg to hatch. I’ve been busy , Hugo. I’ll visit next week or something, Amanda is giving me next Friday off. Well, I have an appointment in the morning, and then I’ll go visit. But still, you could’ve called. You have your Pokégear, don’t you?” Cecilia knew for a fact that her brother had both a phone and his Pokégear; she’d seen him posting on Chattr the day before, but he hadn’t called in nearly two weeks. He hadn’t even texted; she’d been nearly tearing out her hair in worry. Usually he at least texted, or called from a public phone.

“My Pokégear broke while I was in Unova, I’ve been meaning to swing by Saffron to get it fixed. And my phone died on the plane!”

Cecilia levelled him with a look that said I know you’re lying , but Hugo steamrolled ahead. 

“You finished work, right? Did you need to go shopping? I have a couple of hours before I need to get my bus, so we should hang out! It’s been ages, and I saw some awesome stuff in Unova that I wanted to tell you about.”

Cecilia pinched her brow and groaned quietly. “Alright, fine, I needed to get some groceries anyway. Let’s go, the market is this way.”

Cecilia pointed at the ribbon she wanted and handed the money over to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper passed her the spool and nodded, waving a farewell to her. She could feel eyes on her back as she turned around to face Hugo again.

"Yes, Hugo?" Her brother was startled out of his thoughts as he looked at her with a confused look.

"Cecilia, I didn't...say anything. Are you alright?"

She shook her head and tapped her chin. "But you were watching me, right? I could've sworn someone was watching me.” Her brow furrowed and she looked around slightly with a confused expression.

Hugo glanced around and put an arm around her. "Cecilia...no one here was watching you. Are you sure you're alright? I shouldn't have pushed you into coming with me, this was a mistake…you’re probably just tired from work."

She rolled her eyes and shoved him away from her. "I know that feeling, Hugo. Someone was watching me, I know it! It was probably a Pokémon, that's it.” She looked over his shoulder, her face lighting up as she saw something in the distance. “Oh, there's some nice jewellery! Excuse me, coming through!"

She hurried away from Hugo, leaving him to wonder what in Yveltal's name she had been talking about as he hurried after her.

Cecilia approached the stand, looking over the brooches and necklaces with careful eyes. They were all beautiful; she could see a pair of earrings made with carved Salamence scales, and a bracelet with a Starmie’s gem. 

“Excuse me, what Pokémon is that?” She pointed at a delicate brooch of a ghost-type Pokémon holding something; it looks carved from ice, and she suspected that it would be cold to the touch.

“Ah, that’s a Froslass. Native to Sinnoh, and that brooch is carved from Eternal Ice; we found a deposit up near Snowpoint a few years back. One of the locals thinks it’s from the Hisui period.” He shrugged and picked it up. “You want it? It’s 53, and I’ll wrap it up all nice.”

She nodded, and pulled out her purse to pay for the brooch; her mother would love it, she was sure. In her peripheral vision, she could see Hugo making his way towards her, and she waved to get his attention.

“Hugo, over here!” She stood up on her tiptoes as she watched her brother walk towards her, before her vision was blocked by a tall and imposing figure stepping in front of her.

She rolled her eyes and went back to her conversation with the seller, finalising the purchase. Next to her, she heard a deep sigh as the mass of fabric shifted to reveal a familiar uniform; the Champion, Lance.

“Excuse me, which of these was it that was made of Prism Scales?” The seller pointed at a few of the pieces in response, and Cecilia remained silent as he picked out his purchase of choice. She didn’t particularly care to disrupt such an important person’s shopping trip, nor did she care to get the attention of the people around her who would surely riot if they saw Lance. Besides, they had barely talked, so she could hardly consider him an acquaintance, let alone a friend. It wouldn’t be polite to interrupt him, so she wouldn’t talk to him unless necessary.

Hugo practically materialised next to her, before tapping Cecilia on the head.

“Hey Cecilia. Why’d you run off on me like that?” 

“I saw some nice jewellery over here! And look at this, I bought it for Maman! It’s a Froslass, I thought it’s go nice with her blue cardigan!”

He nodded and looked at the table of brooches and jewellery, before shrugging. “I probably won’t buy anything here today. Was that everything you wanted to do? You had to get your groceries, yes?”

“I wanted to go and get some more tea from the Johto Tea Company’s stand, it’s…somewhere over there.” She waved a hand in the general direction of the stand. Hugo nodded and grabbed her arm.

Cecilia could barely get a word out as he yanked her away from the jewellery stand and she slammed into the person who’d been standing next to her.

Oh, dear.

Chapter Text

“Ah, I’m so sorry!” Cecilia quickly bowed her head in apology as Hugo let go of her arm.

“Oh, it’s alright, I was probably in the way! Erm…Cecilia, isn’t it? You’re Lorelei’s dressmaker for the anniversary ball in a few weeks, right?” His voice was slightly scratchy and she could see a tiredness in his eyes, one that hadn’t been there the previous times they’d spoken. Had something happened? He was champion of two regions, so he probably had a lot to do…that was probably it.

“Oh, yes, I am. Why did you ask? If she wants an update, we’ve got a fitting on Friday, so everything should be ready by then.” Cecilia tilted her head slightly and Lance shrugged. She wasn’t sure why he’d brought it up, but perhaps Lorelei had to cancel the meeting and she’d been out when the call had come in?

“Ah, my cousin was asking about it; she saw some of Lorelei’s photos of the gown so far and wanted to inquire about a commission of her own, she said. The date of Blackthorn City’s Anniversary has been finalised and she mentioned needing an outfit for it, and she heard that your store was a good place to go for it.”

Hugo cut in with a sound of protest as Cecilia nodded in vague agreement. She could do that; Lance was related to the Gym Leader of Blackthorn City, Clair, so that must be the cousin he was talking about. She had met the woman before, during a family trip to Johto in her teens, but that had been a brief meeting while her father discussed…something with Clair’s guardian. The details were fuzzy, but she could definitely remember meeting the gym leader before. Besides, she would probably end up going to Johto sometime that year, to visit Goldenrod City, so stopping by Blackthorn wouldn’t be too hard.

“Wait, Cecilia, didn’t you want to visit the tea shop? We should get there before it closes, it’s getting late!”

“Hugo, it’s barely six thirty! Your bus is at half-past seven, isn’t it? We’ve got plenty of time, and it’s the night market! It closes later tonight. But we should move to a less crowded area if we’re to continue talking; we’re just in the way, standing here. I think there’s a seating area over that way, but I could be wrong.” She waved a hand in a general direction, and the group slowly began moving to the seating area. Once they had arrived, Cecilia gestured to Hugo and grinned brightly. “Lance, this is my brother, Hugo. He works for…Hugo, what company was it again? I know that Giovanni is a major shareholder but I can’t for the life of me remember the name.”

“I work in international operations and support for Innovex. And yes, you’re right that he’s a major shareholder.” Hugo nodded his head at Lance, before he pulled out a Pokéball and raised an eyebrow in question. “Mind if I let out Scout? I had to keep him in his ball during the flight and we haven’t gotten much fresh air since we landed. I want him to have a chance to wander around before we get the bus back to Celadon.”

Lance shook his head, and Hugo lightly tossed the Pokéball, releasing a Breloom which started walking around the small seating area, exploring. 

“Where’d you catch him, if you don’t mind me asking? I haven’t seen a Breloom in Kanto before, only really in Hoenn.” 

Hugo shrugged, before gesturing vaguely with his hand. “Same as Cecilia with Calla. He was my starter, I got him as an egg. Our father is…interesting, when it comes to his preferences for Pokémon, I’ll tell you that. Maman is far looser, but she tends to go for fairy-types when she gets a choice. Father, on the other hand, goes for poison and grass types. Hence, for both our starters, we got a grass type.”

Cecilia hummed in agreement and released Calla, who sat at one of the other tables in the area. “Both times, he missed birthdays and thought an egg would be a good excuse for missing them. It was disappointing for Hugo, but I didn’t really care; if I hadn’t gotten Calla, I would’ve gotten a Pokémon anyway. Maman was planning on giving me a…Togepi, I think? One of the cutesy ones, but I’m not sure about Hugo.”

Lance nodded, before he pulled out a Great Ball and looked at it with a wistful look. “I see. I got Guinevere for my coming-of-age, and she’s been with me ever since. We’ve been through a lot together. But I’ll not let her out here because…well, she’s a bit big .”

Cecilia nodded and gently tapped the incubator rhythmically. “That makes sense. I normally have Calla or Peepo out when I’m shopping; especially now, with the egg that Father gave me. I don’t have enough hands to carry everything, and my bag isn’t big enough to carry it.” She shrugged, before turning to look at something a short way away; an old clocktower that overlooked the market and the neighbourhood where the Pokémon Centre was. “Hugo, your bus was at half past, right?”

Hugo grunted to the affirmative and Cecilia gestured vaguely at the clocktower before speaking. “It’s already seven, so you should probably get going…you’ll miss the bus if you don’t. Besides, we’ve gotta pick up your team, don’t we?”

Hugo nodded and stood up, bowing before he turned to face Lance. “It was cool meeting you. I hope we can chat again soon, if you don’t mind.” Then, he turned back to Cecilia. “You don’t have to walk me back to the Centre, I’ll be fine. I’ll call you when I get home, alright?”

“So, do your team have a theme for their names? I mean, I’ve only got Calla and Peepo, so there’s not really a theme there, but some trainers keep a theme for nicknames.”

Lance was quiet as he thought about his answer, before he responded. “I suppose that a large number of their nicknames come from classical literature; mostly Galarian, but there’s a bit from all over the place. Guinevere’s came from the same stories as Morgan and Elaine. Morgan and Elaine are the younger of the three, but they came from the same clutch. Guinevere is the oldest, and she’s…getting up there in years. I think she’ll retire from battling over the next few years. We’ve also got Arthur and Merlin, from the same legends. I…used to have Percival, but he stays in Blackthorn with Clair now.”

Cecilia nodded, before she hummed slightly. “They’re nice names. I’m sure the names are significant to you, but…it’s a bit over my head, honestly. It’s fine though, naming your team is a bit like naming a child, isn’t it? You’ve gotta think hard about it…though it must be different for pro trainers, I’d assume.”

“Probably is; I don’t tend to use their names in broadcast matches, just in case. It’s a delicate system, and if someone were to figure it out…well, the results wouldn’t be good for anyone. But yes, I suppose it is like naming a child in some respects. Especially for the ones we raise from eggs.”

“You’re right about that. Sometimes a name just sticks; I was visiting my cousin a bit after I caught Peepo and he decided then and there that he wanted to be Peepo, and the name came from a children’s book! But Calla, I named her after a calla lilly, because, well…she’s a Lilligant, you know?”

Lance nodded in understanding and the two sat in calm silence for a moment before it was broken by a shrill noise from Lance’s pocket. Cecilia let out a quiet eep! as Lance flipped open his Pokégear and sighed tiredly.

“I’d best be heading off; my flight leaves soon, and I can’t exactly miss it. Er, perhaps we’ll see each other again? It was nice talking to someone who’s not, well…a pro trainer. I…don’t get to do that much, at least not talking about battling.” He rubbed his neck nervously and blushed, and Cecilia nodded. The pair shivered as a cold wind blew through and a faint sound roaring in the distance was echoed through the small square.

“Here, let me put my contact info into your Pokégear, in case you wanted to chat again sometime! I tend to travel a bit for work, so I might not be available all the time, but if it’s just on the phone or texting, it should be fine!”

He handed her his Pokégear, and she punched in her contact details before waving him off. “Now go, you can’t miss your flight! Not that I know where you’re going but flights can be expensive and I don’t want an increase in my registration fees to pay for your missed flight! Vite, vite ! ”

Somewhere dark and dreary, a ghost flew through topsy-turvy buildings and floating islands, a single red eye watching a world not its own. It let out a roar, and the world seemed to pause and shiver, before the red eye turned to watch another world; a blond traveller, weary with the weight of his unknown sin.