Chapter Text
She felt like a bother.
Was she? Maybe she was. Maybe she wasn’t.
The thoughts ping-ponged left and right, bouncing against the walls of the brain. A tiny frown formed, full of concerns about her weekly visit.
“You’re more than welcome here,” he once said. “I—We are more than happy to have you visit every now and then.”
That was it.
‘Every now and then.’
A low sigh escaped a pretty frown. “Maybe I’m annoying him…” A mumble muffled against a black sleeve as she slumped forward on an armrest. Her mouth lightly pressed her arm. Her eyes and nose were free as empty glances were thrown inside the living room.
Her unease wasn’t met with assurance. None of the Team MZ members was present. Urbain went off to do some missions while getting his hands full with Quesartico CEO trainings. Lida told them that she would be out late; she found a quirky Starmie fan club that worried her at first but she warmed up immediately soon after. Naveen was the last to leave for the day, saying that he needed to send his finished commissions to some clients on the other side of the city.
In the end, it was just Seika.
Alone. Woeful. Full of uncertainty.
‘Seika…?’
Okay, maybe she wasn’t technically alone.
Head turned to the sound of a meek bark. “I’m fine, Mathis.” Her frown finally twitched to a smile. One hand moved to pat the Meganium’s head. Fingers moved upwards between the Herb Pokémon’s stamen-like feelers, earning her a playful bonk on the palm of her hand.
What a darling, she thought.
Not needing to make her starter worry any further, she sat up straight. “Am I annoying, Mathis?” The question was given, knowing full well that she couldn’t understand the Pokémon.
Well, maybe she did when Mathis quickly shook his head.
‘Why would I find you annoying?’ The starter, quite big for his stature, lowered his neck to meet her level. ‘You’re the sweetest and bravest trainer I know.’
Okay, maybe she didn’t fully understand him.
Still, a smile remained. “Thanks, boy.” Another pat on the head. Despite not being his actual first trainer, Mathis stuck with her through thick and thin. Maybe it was because they shared the same heritage. The Pokémon was practically hers now; if he was given a choice to go back to Urbain, he would deny in a heartbeat.
The Meganium proved his worth and love even before he had the ability to mega evolve.
That being said, he was at a huge disadvantage when it came to battling the Rust Syndicate’s boss’ Pokémon—
Damn it.
“Ugh!” Again, she slumped against the sofa. The sudden dramatics surprised Mathis, who then chirped in concern. “It’s nothing, boy.” A lousy groan escaped her as one arm covered her eyes.
Maybe she was overthinking it. Yeah, that was it.
Corbeau wasn’t a fake person. If he hated her presence, he would’ve kicked her out a long time ago. Hell, he might even ban her from entering his building—or worse, banish her out of Kalos.
Would he be too extreme to do that? Probably.
Would she put up a fight against him just as she had before when they first met? Definitely.
The man was not to be trifled with. But she knew she could hold her own ground against a Yakuza boss if push comes to shove—if there’s one thing she learned from her hometown: a villainous syndicate was just a group of defeatable trainers if you have trusty, powerful Pokémon by your side.
Then again, the Rust Syndicate wasn’t as villainous compared to Team Rocket—
“Oh!”
Suddenly, an idea popped inside her head.
“I know!” Arm plopped onto the armrest, once again surprising the gentle starter. Black eyes sparkled as she looked at him. “I can make some of my local dishes! I can visit today and surprise him with a little picnic!” The idea sounded perfect. “And then we’ll hang and chill until it’s night time, and then we can do the Royale together.” It was definitely foolproof.
“What do you think, Mathis?”
Instead of a nod, she was met with a doubtful stare.
“Oh, it’s fine!” It amazed and offended her that she understood that. “Come on, let’s go see what’s in the kitchen and whip up something good.” Not wasting another second, Seika happily hopped to her feet. “I’ll make extras so we can have it for dinner later once everyone’s back home.” Excitement now sparked in a pair of brilliant black irises. “Can you be a dear and call our friends to help?”
Said friends were snugged and napping inside their balls, completely unaware of their trainer’s spontaneous burst of motivation.
Mathis knew it was impossible to change her mind when she was set on something. ‘Fine…’ he sighed, then walked into the dining/strategy room to retrieve his other teammates—
Bonk.
“Ah,” was all that came out of Seika next after she saw Mathis’ body being blocked by the archway. A laughter was poorly stifled when she saw the poor Meganium turn his neck and look at her with the saddest expression possible. “Sorry, baby. I forgot.”
Everything was pissing him off.
From the intense workload to the idiotic requests, Corbeau was surprised he hadn’t mangled anyone yet.
Orange irises were drowned by blown pupils. Each blink only drew out a terrible headache. Each sight only drawled out a long, exasperated groan.
It seemed that some of his clients were obnoxious, more so than usual. In cases like these, he himself had to make himself known to get the job done. As much as he didn’t want to get his hands dirty—any dirtier than it already was—Corbeau found it frustrating that some people were utterly foolish or pompous (or both) to realize their wrongs until it literally slammed into their own brains.
The task was slightly annoying, but doable.
However, for it to be back-to-back for the past few days was beginning to snap a thin line of patience he had been stretching on.
“Stupid…” The word seethed through gritted teeth. “In—sufferable idiots—” Huffs of figurative smoke puffed through flared nostrils. Fingers cupped together and mouth pressed against his intertwined thumbs, Corbeau continued glaring at the vile names on the computer screen.
A ring on the intercom. A vein popped on the side of his head.
Beep, beep, it taunted him. Corbeau had half a mind to press the ‘accept’ button and curse to his heart content at the receptionist. Didn’t he just said to them and Phillippe to not disturb him at this hour? He thought he had made himself very, very clear. From the moment he entered the building to the second he stomped inside the elevator; his words were law when he demanded: “Do not bother me today.”
Beep, beep, beep.
The sound bounced off the walls like a fucking ping-pong ball.
Beep, beep, beep!
The more he heard it, the more he wanted to unleash Scolipede and crush the intercom into pieces.
Beep—
God—
—beep—
—fucking—
—BEEP—
—DAMN IT!
Luckily, the beeping stopped.
Unluckily, the elevator to his main office opened.
Head still lowered to the computer screen, Corbeau dragged his shaking hands upward to a throbbing forehead. “How—” It would seem that whoever decided to grace themselves today wanted to get a personal beating from him, “—many times did I tell you to not bother me today?”
SLAM!
“Are you THAT STUPI—?!”
Words died immediately. Fury fizzled to bafflement.
Because the second he raised his head and glared daggers at what he assumed either a client or his grunt, black pupils shrunk to dots at the sight of one lone girl who had long captured his heart.
And her expression was one that froze him entirely.
Her teal hair, dyed with streaks of deep black, was tied to a neat bun. Thick, beautiful bangs were tucked to one side of her ear, perfectly showing her face that bore such a painfully shocked look. Black eyes blinked once, twice, blurting out words that her mouth could not. While still adorned in mostly black, she now wore a deep purple smocked poplin dress, complimenting the essence of poison. Her usual black biker jacket was worn, further popping out the dress’ colour that matched his main type-coverage.
Still as a statue, Corbeau shakily brought his gaze downwards.
In her hands—in her trembling hands—was a picnic basket.
Silence was heavy. Too heavy.
Pale lips parted. Heavy breath departed.
A loud heartbeat made him breathless.
“I…” Finally, a pathetic attempt of a wheeze slithered out.
“Sorry to bother YOU!” The crack of her voice made the man jump in his seat. Wasting not a single second, Seika spun around and made a mad dash to the elevator. Not wanting him to see such pitiful tears, she frustratingly shook her head and stomped one foot inside the lift. The girl didn’t even turn around, instead slammed her fingers furiously onto the buttons so that the doors could close and she could get her out of here.
Corbeau was not one to be startled easily. However, it seemed that he had found his match. “Seika WAIT—!” The doors dinged close as he got off his seat. The chair almost thrown backwards; the yakuza boss now stood in complete aghast with sweaty palms pressed on the table.
His ears rang. His headache worsened.
However, when anger had fuelled him whole an hour ago, horror now drained him dry.
Seika was here.
She was here. She showed up today.
And she didn’t just show up in her usual attire. She didn’t just show up with the intention to battle him. Hell, she didn’t even just show up just to ask if there were any trivial tasks she should do for him as part of her little tease.
No.
No.
She looked different today. Dressed differently today.
And based on what she held, she definitely had something planned today—for him.
Fuck.
Like a static jolt on his body, Corbeau immediately banged one index finger on the button of his intercom. “Philippe!” God, his voice was cracking. “STOP HER!”
The second the elevator doors were opened, Seika was greeted with the most menacing second-in-command.
Scary as he was, Seika didn’t have the mood to feel afraid or intimidated.
“Tch—” One hand roughly swiped away her tears and eyeliner. As her foot stepped outside, the same hand swiftly reached for her Pokémon.
Philippe, one hand raised while the other quickly taking out his Skarmory, approached the girl carefully. “Seika,” he reassured her, voice thick with concern, “please calm down. Boss wants to talk to—”
Good God, she didn’t want to hear about him right now.
“Get—” Black eyes burned with streaks of red, “—out of my sight!” One hand enlarged a Luxury Ball and threw it up in the air. With a bright red flash, a Houndoom howled menacingly at his opponents.
“Yori.” Her voice levelled. Hoarse. “Flamethrower.”
The Dark Pokémon was quick on his feet. Like a shadow to his trainer, he rocketed towards his target. Sensing animosity in his trainer’s tone, Yori delighted in the suddenly violent energy and released a spiral of fuming flames. The attack hit the Skarmory right in his center, burning the Armour Bird Pokémon before he could take flight.
Before Philippe could even think about issuing a command—
“Heat Wave.”
In seconds, a ring of fire burst from below Skarmory, engulfing him whole and immediately knocking him out with burns on his poor wings.
Everything was happening too fast.
As the man returned his fallen Pokémon, another ring of fire suddenly formed a few steps in front of him. The room quickly felt hot, filling the area with smoke and removing anyone’s ability to properly see.
Despite it all, Philippe was able to feel the girl running right past him.
However, he was too late.
“WAIT!” He turned, then coughed deeply as he watched Seika disappear into the main entrance.
It hurt.
It fucking hurt and it hurt even more to feel embarrassment puncturing deep into her heart.
When the front door of the Rust Syndicate building was opened, a scream almost burst out of her to see a sea of grunts.
Unluckily for all of them, shame and heartbreak were ruining her rationality.
“Are you fucking—!” Tears were gone yet dry trails splotched flushed cheeks. While Yori stood in front of her, ready for another round of arson, his trainer felt otherwise.
She just wanted to get out of her before he shows up.
One hand shoved out a Nest Ball. “Just leave me—” The ball was thrown upwards, “—ALONE!”
Another bright red flash.
This time, one lone Pokémon—a terrifying Alpha—slammed so hard onto the ground that some of the grunts actually dropped to their butts in either shock or fear.
Unlike Yori, Aidil could sense exactly what his trainer felt. No words needed.
And right now, judging by how she deeply felt, what she needed, she would get.
Without a word from Seika, the Gallade crossed his blade-like arms. An aura of thick, powerful psychic energy rapidly surrounded him.
Before any of the grunt’s Pokémon could do a thing, Aidil spread his arms wide open.
In a single blink, every human and Pokémon that weren’t Seika or her team were sent floating up in the air.
Screams and shrieks filled the Rust Syndicate’s front garden. They floated and hovered, spinning in circles and even spiralling up and down. Unable to grasp at the situation they were thrown into, some began to throw alarmed commands. To their dismay, their Pokémon were just as baffled, unable to shoot a move and instead flailed about in trepidation at the mighty telekinetic energy.
Amidst the chaos, Seika only shook her head and began running towards the exit.
“SEIKA!”
Fucking. Hell.
It hurt that his voice stopped her.
It hurt that his voice, panicked and strained, pierced her heart.
Hands tightly gripped the handle of the picnic basket. Seika only had her head lowered.
He made it.
He finally made it.
Barging out through the front entrance, Corbeau panted and gasped in a mixture of dread and fatigue. “SEIKA!” Her name slurred out without a thought. Widened eyes spotted her first, then almost bulged out to see his grunts and their Pokémon hovering and yelping helplessly in the air.
Screw that. He needed to fix the situation with her first and fast.
“Seika—Seika wait—” Breathless. He needed to catch his breath. Gone was his intimidating persona that poured fear into the heart of many. Gone was his refined image that labelled him as the most dashing man in all of Lumiose City.
His glasses were in disarray. His hair was mess. His face was flushed red. Horribly so.
As the man stepped forward, closer to the shaking girl, “Seika…” one hand reached towards her.
Fix this.
He needed to fix this.
“I’m—” Trembling lips parted, “—sor-”
Orange eyes dulled in horror once she turned—finally turned—to face him.
As if a spell had him entranced, Corbeau once again felt every nerve in his body freeze.
For all he saw was her: Tearful. Frowning. Anguished.
The air felt extremely heavy.
All happened in a matter of heartbeats. First, he saw her. The next, she disappeared in a gleam of purple light.
Once Aidil’s psychic energy was no longer present, all human and Pokémon fell to the ground like rag dolls. Luckily, Philippe’s Steelix was quick to appear and stand as a shield above Corbeau. This meant poorly for the grunts who landed on the Iron Snake Pokémon’s body though, causing their backs or heads or any parts of their bodies to feel excruciating pain before sliding limply off the Pokémon.
Now, the garden was echoed with groans and literal grunts.
Philippe appeared immediately after, scanning the mess before giving his full attention to his static leader. “Boss?”
The powerful man in all of Lumiose City remained frozen, one hand outstretched still to where she had stood.
Philippe’s voice. The grunts’ grunts.
None of them reached Corbeau at all.
For all he could hear, all he could see, was the most heartbreaking expression she had ever worn.
And it was all his fault.