“Oh, fuck, that was great,” I panted as Nadia collapsed on top of me. We were both sweaty and out of breath, enjoying the post-sex high. She slid off and rested on the bed, eyes closed and a small smile gracing her face.
“I didn’t know I was capable of that,” Nadia said breathlessly, looking at the soaked sheets at the foot of the bed. I smiled widely, satisfaction plastered all over my face. She smacked me lightly, saying, “Get that shit-eating grin off your face.”
“How can I?” I asked. “Not only did I win that battle, but I was able to get you to finish thrice. I'm damned proud of myself, ya know?”
Nadia laughed at that. “I won’t lie, I’m very impressed with your Pokémon. But don’t get too ahead of yourself. You’re not bad for a guy, but there are plenty of women that can do a better job.”
“Oh, shut up and let me stroke my ego for a minute,” I said as I grabbed a blanket off the floor. Nadia’s bedroom, conveniently located above her restaurant, was a bit too cold to stay naked and sweaty without some sort of cover. Nadia snuggled up to me before reaching down.
“Wouldn’t you rather I stroke something else for you?” Nadia said in a sultry tone. My blood immediately rushed down. I think I’m gonna need an anti-horny shield whenever I hang out with her now.
“You ever heard of the glorious number sixty-nine?” I asked.
0-0-0-0-0
[Augustine POV, Lumiose City]
Araceli has proved to be a wonderfully capable Trainer over the last day. Just like Calem, Serena, and their group of friends before Lysandre’s plot, Araceli is showing just how valuable Trainers can be.
“So, you said that the portals have opened in several regions but are mostly concentrated in Kalos and Alola, right?” she asked.
“In Alola and here in Kalos, it’s the demons that Calem and a few select others have been actively finding and dealing with,” I answered her.
“Paldea has been dealing with an emergency, but that one is Pokémon related, right?” she continued.
“Oui. Paldea officially sent out a request for aid to help with their emergency. We’ve found out that Pokémon from the past and future have somehow found their way to modern times and have begun attacking cities and villages,” I said. “We’ve sent out what we can spare, but we have our own troubles here.”
“And while all of this is happening, the executives have been trying to gain full control of the League by replacing you, Calem, and anyone in the Elite 4 that is likely to agree with you?”
I began to feel like I was missing a very obvious piece of the puzzle. “Yes, though it is mostly the executives that have high-stakes in major corporations. Honestly, the only reason I haven’t been ousted from my position in the League is my prestige as a researcher and the fact that I’m a Champion-level Trainer.”
“That… I never knew you were that strong,” Araceli said with wide eyes.
“I don’t like to advertise it because it will impede my research, but I’ve gone a few rounds with both Diantha and Calem. I’ve even sported some wins,” I said with a smile. “But since I’ve never officially competed in a tournament, most don’t know.”
“Interesting. That means we’ve got some extra firepower. That’s good because I think we’ve got a serious conspiracy of some sort,” she said in an unbefitting seriousness. “Marco mentioned something about the Trainer advocate group Team Flux. Apparently they want him to join their meeting in Santalune Forest tomorrow.”
“At the same time that Ariana mentioned she was going to be there?” I asked, my heart beating slightly harder.
“Yes, and at the same time the League wants to have a meeting with you and Calem,” she said.
“They do? I wasn’t told anything,” I told her. She pulled out a card that I recognized from Jermaine’s desk. She handed it to me before saying, “Jermaine asked me to give this to you when I walked in. Apparently, it is urgent.”
“Merde. Do you think they are trying to keep us away from Santalune Forest?”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Well,” she started, “from what you’ve told me, I know they want to keep their eyes on you. You have a group doing something in the forest, the League bringing in the Champion and professor for a meeting in the middle of a still-secret demonic incursion that is also affecting Alola, and Paldea is dealing with a similar invasion of Pokémon from the past and future. My only question is, why Paldea? If this was planned, wouldn’t it make more sense to involve Unova or Galar?”
I closed my eyes to think, just as confused. It didn’t make sense that all of this could be planned. Hell, the only person capable of planning something like this in Kalos would be Olympia given that she commonly manipulates the spatial aspects of her gym. But she was on his and Calem’s side, and didn’t have the power to pull something like this off by herself.
‘Well, she does seem to have consistent communication with Hoopa.’
“Paldea does seem to be a random target, though I did hear something about their Professors researching time travel,” I said. “In fact, they were trying to find a way to get their so-called Paradox Pokémon to live in harmony with the region’s native species. I had no clue as to what that meant, but I think the Paradox Pokémon may be Pokémon found as a result of successful time travel.
“Actually, that may be it! The League has been trying to establish a foothold in Paldea for years now, most likely to profit from the research they are conducting there. If the Paldean Professors, Sada and Turo, I believe, managed to make it work, Paldea is a potential goldmine with such young and impressive technology.”
“That makes sense, but I still don't know how the demons are involved,” Araceli said, her face scrunching up in thought. “It’s been several months and we still don’t know much about where they come from.”
“Marco did say that they come from an alternate, hellish dimension. From the sounds of it, it doesn’t seem to be connected to everything else at all. However, the timing is impeccable,” I said, mostly to myself. The information Marco received from Giratina made it seem more like a random event, similar to when Giratina showed up on Mt. Coronet to take Cyrus. Though the fact that Giratina was somehow involved with this as well makes it a suspicious coincidence.
“Unless there’s a demon that’s coordinating all of this in the shadows to make it easier to invade!” Araceli exclaimed, her sure expression telling me she was certain that was the answer.
“Or maybe we don’t have enough information yet,” I said in an attempt to quell her energy. “For now, we must continue to investigate. I’m going to contact some of the Gym Leaders and try to organize a meeting. They all need the information we have if we want to find a solution quickly.”
“That’s good. Is there anything you want me to do?”
I thought for a bit, trying to find something she could do. I was planning to call the Gym Leaders I knew were with me, namely Ramos, Grant, Valerie, Wulfric, Olympia, Wikstrom, and Diantha. I knew, no matter what, they’d stand by my side. Though it wouldn’t hurt to get in contact with the rest.
“I think it would be best if you give some of the Gym Leaders a visit,” I told Araceli. “I’ll give you a few official notes I have so they know that it’s official business with me. However, I want you to be careful.”
“Why is that?” she asked. “Wouldn’t the Gym Leaders follow you and Calem since they’ve already fought alongside both of you against Team Flare?”
“Yes, they did,” I sighed, “but I am a bit worried that the League has enough sway with some of them. It would be best for you to go since you’ve recently interacted with them and will be a relatively neutral person despite being in my lab. If they have sided with the execs, they may try to persuade you to join to stop helping me. In that case you can leave. If not, give them the notes.”
“Sounds good, Professor Sycamore.”
“You can call me Augustine. Especially since we’re working together against the League executives.”
*ping*
Araceli looked at her phone. “Huh, it’s a PokéDB notification. Apparently Marco just finished a battle with his date, Nadia.”
“Nadia?” I asked. The name sounded familiar, most likely from a previous tournament or conference.
“Yes, she opened up a new restaurant in town, Ditto’s Palate. It’s been making some waves on PokéDB,” Araceli answered.
“Ah, yes, Nadia Maise,” I said once my memory came back to me. “Her father was a wonderful researcher that I’ve had the pleasure of working with a few times. Nadia was a competent Trainer, though she unfortunately joined the Sinnoh Conference tournament and lost to Lucas quite miserably. I heard she retired after that. I’m glad to know she’s doing alright for herself.”
“You’re telling me. Their battle is ferocious,” Araceli said before showing me the video.
We watched as both released their first Pokémon, Nadia’s Appletun versus Marco’s Aegislash. Appletun sent out a wave of an orange acid, most likely its Apple Acid attack. Aegislash sank into a nearby shadow, avoiding the move. Appletun looked around, trying to gauge where its foe was going to strike. However, it could do nothing as Aegislash emerged from underneath, sending Appletun into the air. She unleashed a devastating combination of Slash and Night Slash before condensing several different energies into one. Aegislash then rushed forward with Shadow Sneak and ended the fight.
Nina immediately recalled the apple pie and sent out a dog made out of bread: Dachsbun. The baked dog immediately Snarled at Aegislash, who used Protect to prevent damage and mask her dive into the shadows. Dachsbun immediately surrounded itself with Psychic-type energy with what looked to be Agility and then hid itself behind a Substitute. Just as Aegislash emerged to attack, Dachsbun pulled a Baton from nowhere and tossed it into the air, automatically being replaced by Machamp.
The now speed-buffed fighter shrugged off Aegislash’s Flash Cannon without the Substitute breaking, which was followed by an immediate simple jab covered with Dark-type energy. The energy exploded the moment it hit, sending Aegislash flying. Marco replaced his Pokémon with a shiny Volcarona. It wasted no time sending a Hurricane at Machamp. The Fighting-type couldn’t escape the move, so it persevered through the storm and rushed the giant bug.
I was mesmerized watching the battle, which culminated in a fight between Marco’s starter, Nautilus the Malamar, and Nadia’s own Psychic, Alakazam. Though short, it proved to be the most impressive show of skill and finesse. The two Pokémon bobbed and weaved through their attacks, often redirecting the opponent’s moves. It ended with Nautilus showcasing a new combination of moves, which seemed to be made of Night Slash and Throat Chop.
“Fuck,” I heard Araceli say as she slumped down into a seat. “Is this what I have to compete with?”
“Well, if you want to challenge Calem, yes. Though, it may be the bare minimum for getting involved in this plot,” I said grimly. As impressive as the fight was, it barely tipped a toe into the levels at which the Elite 4 and Champions of each region were at. And they seemed to be struggling with whatever was going on.
“Damnit, and Marco said he could go toe-to-toe with me,” she chuckled. “He’d wipe the floor with me, is more like it. Well, I guess I should get to training then.”
“That would be good, but I would like it if you could help me visit some people. I think you can start with Clemont and then head over to Korrina and Viola.”
“Sounds good, Professor. I’ll let you know what they say,” she responded before leaving. Now that I was by myself, I sat at my desk. I looked at the picture of my family. I felt a pit of dread in my stomach, my heart telling me I should spend some time with them.
‘The phone calls could wait until the morning, I guess.’ I thought to myself.