Valerie did not enjoy being away from Laverre. It was home, or as close a place could be to one. Still, as far as being away went, she could think of worse venues.

She was seated at a long rectangular wooden table in a lavishly ornate room. The building that housed them had started life as a cathedral, to what god she knew not. It may have been Arceus but the records had long since been lost. It didn't matter much nowadays as it now served as the headquarters for the Kalos League.

Her fellow caretakers sat at the table's side, with the head being occupied with the chairman for today's gathering.

The Gym Leaders were an eclectic group, filled with all different types and bound through their mutual love for Pokemon.

There were the youngest of them, Clemont and Korrina; both so eager to prove themselves worthy of their positions. It was cute to see them bumble along, figuring out how things worked. They both had bold ideas, not content to do what was always done. It was fitting for the newer generation.

Then came Grant and Viola. Those two were close to one another, often bickering like she imagined siblings would. Grant always reached for new heights, sometimes foolishly and Viola was not afraid to rebuke him for it. Valerie could admit Viola was her favorite. Her skill with a camera was exceptional, able to bring out a hint of the true beauty that dwelled within fairy types.

On the older spectrum lay Ramos and Wulfric. Both were kindhearted at their core but with far different exteriors. The former was a gentle summer breeze and the other a frigid iceberg. They tended to let the others discuss before weighing in, aware of their influence on the group.

"And that about wraps up the Haxorus mating season preparation. We'll be ready to jump in if the Rangers need extra hands."

Grant's words triggered her awareness. The monthly gym leaders' meeting was important to the running of Kalos but she always struggled to remain focused during them.

It was all just too human.

She had nothing against her species but ever since she was a little girl she knew being born a Pokemon would have been preferable.

Valeria has taken strides to become closer to them. From communing with wild Pokemon to the various outfits she designed, they were all meant to make her feel more like a Pokemon.

Indeed, until recently she believed herself to be as near a person could be to becoming a Pokemon.

Her lips quirked up at the memory and she raised her arm, using her long sleeve to hide the smile.

"Thank you, Grant." Malva, the chairman of this meeting, said good-naturedly. More accurately, her hologram did. It was a new option for them, to attend remotely. She was happy her fellows did not often have to use such a method. It was acceptable in emergencies but she did like seeing everyone.

The chairman for these monthly meetings rotated between Elite Four members and they had the misfortune of having the fire specialist today. Thankfully, her mouth was already covered so the others could not see the frown overcome her.

Pokemon were adept at spotting the true hearts of humans, it followed that Valerie had some skill in the area.

A plastic smile was not cause for concern. Valerie was a fashion model and many of her colleagues put on a facade when the job called for it. As a reporter and public figure, Malva would be practiced in the art. It was what hid behind the mask that caused her distaste, there was something ugly there.

"Korrina," The pink-haired woman continued and Valerie wondered how often those pretty lips mangled the truth. "You deferred the Reflection Cave incident to Grant, correct?"

"Yes!" Korrina stood with her usual enthusiasm. "It's under my jurisdiction but cave-ins are his forte so I thought it best to defer to his assessment." The boisterous girl retook her seat, nodding to the Rock specialist.

Her foul mood dissipated, seeing the younger generation learn was always a pleasant experience. When Korrina first joined their circle, she'd tried to handle all things herself. Now she had grown enough to know when to ask others for help.

"Back to me." Grant ran a hand through his hair, playing with one of the stones embedded within it. He'd started a trend with that look, despite not officially being the business. "The good news is there was nothing wrong with the sensors, they worked well Clemont so no need to worry about that." The young inventor sagged in relief, no doubt the event weighed heavily on him. "The bad is that this wasn't a natural cave-in. We haven't been able to pinpoint how it was done but the same move was used twice at the epicenter."

Valerie lowered her raised arm, resting her hands in her lap and schooling her features.

"Looks like a territory dispute getting out of hand to me," Viola commented, swiping through the pictures that had been provided prior to the meeting.

"That was my initial assumption." A hint of trepidation entered Grant's voice. "But, as you all know, two people were recovered. One was declared deceased on site while the other was in need of immediate medical care." Despite reading it ahead of time, the mood in the room visibly sank. Cave-ins, while not uncommon, rarely incurred actual fatalities. "Both of them, the live and the deceased, were misplaced somehow. At this time we're still searching for their present whereabouts. What makes it worse is that we weren't able to question the living one before he disappeared. The details are in the materials sent beforehand but it was a series of coincidences and lapses in procedures. The Ranger's internal governance board is reviewing the case."

Foul play was afoot.

"Don't attribute malice to what can be simple incompetence," Malva interjected before anyone else could. "We've all been in the field. Rookies get put into messy situations and they spiral out of control. Mistakes happen."

"What of the other supposed witness."

Olympia directed at Valerie.

Valerie subtly crossed her fingers.

How silly of her to forget Olympia's presence! It had nothing to do with the woman's comments on her most recent set of attire. No, that would be a level of pettiness beyond what she was capable of. Moreover, why would she take to heart the critique of a woman whose cape would not look out of place as a rug in the room of an adolescent?

"The Mr. Mime is in good hands." Hers specifically, whose fingers straightened out. "The poor dear was found in a disturbed state by the Rangers. He remains inconsolable."

But not incomprehensible. In her efforts to become more like them, she gained the rare ability to communicate with her team on a deeper level than most. She could hold full, complex conversations with each one of them. The ability even extended to other Pokemon, in a more limited fashion. It was her proudest achievement.

"Should I visit?" Olympia pressed with a raised brow. Her earrings swayed, the psychic power wafting off her. "I do not doubt you but remember my talents are not slight."

Oh, the great and powerful Olympia coming to her aid. The strongest human psychic in existence. How grande an occasion for poor little Valerie. She should weep with gratitude.

"That won't be necessary. We've retrieved all we can and I would not want to damage his recovery."

Valerie put an end to that line of thinking. It would not do for another to learn what she had just yet.

A familiar presence brushed against her mind. Valerie did not mind the intrusion, letting it into the maze of thoughts.

The smooth skin of Olympia's nose gained a slight wrinkle. What fun this game was! To drag her adversary into the depths of her mind, confounding them at every turn and leaving them questioning their very existence. It was Olympia's own fault really, trying to read someone who emulated the vaunted fairies.

"Play nice you two," The oaf of a man Wulfric butted in with the grace of a Walrein. "I don't know what's gotten into you but whatever it is, you both lose. I win. End of story." He said with a finality that she knew all too well.

Olympia retracted her presence. Their eyes met and telepathy was not needed to convey what had to be said. They'd be playing a harmless trick on the man later for his transgressions against them. Relatively harmless that is, he was a big man after all.

"If the witness angle is moot then we don't have anything to go on." Malva cut in again. The pattern was not lost on Valerie. "Have the Rangers increase patrols but let's not get stuck here chasing ghosts." That is not what they should be chasing, but Valerie kept that to herself. "Next agenda item."

Valerie hummed to herself, low enough to not cause a disturbance.

Malva had always been a smidge impatient but it seemed more pronounced today. Did the others notice? Being the only one to pay attention was frustrating at times.

"Okay, my turn again." Korrina once again stood, her feet wide.

It was a fighter's stance and made Valerie want to scoop the girl up in a hug. The last time she had tried Valerie ended up on her back with the girl profusely apologizing. It was cute for the girl to think she could be hurt by something like that.

"At approximately 19:00 hours a nurse Joy reported a suspicious individual receiving services at the Shalour Pokemon Center. They had in their position a Pokeball registered by another trainer with a newly caught Carbink. Noticing they matched the description of someone wanted for Pokemon theft, assault with a Pokemon, and assault, the Nurse requested a license. No license was produced and they waited until an Officer Jenny could respond to the scene. The officer, who has since made a full recovery, attempted to apprehend the suspect when they were attacked. The assailant, allegedly named Tanya, skillfully subdued the officer and then maneuvered them into the path of a Thunder Fang. She then fled into the night and is still at large. The Sherrif from Geosenge confirmed they were the same after the fact. Although, the initial report from them was sparse in details."

A picture sprang to life at the center of the table, emitted by a projector. It was a delicate-looking girl. She was small and frail, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Even with her damp state in the picture, there was a sense of beauty conveyed.

"She'd be perfect for some shots of mine," Viola idly said and immediately gained a sheepish look at the stares at the stares she received. "Sorry, didn't mean to say that out loud."

Valerie did not begrudge her for that, it was natural for her to be entranced by the ethereal.

"Korrina," Ramos spoke for the first time, a grandfatherly smile on his face. "Is there something else you would like to add?"

The girl looked to suck on some sour and nodded.

"I had an encounter with the suspect during their escape but…Lucario stopped me. He claimed they were dangerous."

Some may see that as the mark of a bad trainer, to have your Pokemon disobey you. However, Lucario were a peculiar species able to sense things many would not. Additionally, that one was partially raised by the former gym leader Gurkinn.

The girl was strong. That much Valerie already knew.

"Let's stick to facts," Clemont began, pushing up his glasses. "Based on the report from Geosenge Town, all she has is a Mawile. That along with a freshly caught Carbink doesn't pose much of a threat."

Hmm, she would have to schedule some time to battle the boy.

"I agree," Malva stated. "She's not a league priority. The matter should rest with local law enforcement. No need to make a mountain out of a Diglet hole."

It was a reasonable suggestion, one Valerie would ordinarily not bat an eye at.

Valerie leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling and fluttering her long lashes.

"Hey now, this is still our responsibility." Korrina banged on the table. "If Lucario said she was dangerous that's a big deal." She turned to Clemont with an intense stare, causing the boy to squirm in his seat. "Any idea who she is? I'm guessing you ran her through the database."

"I did. No matches though, sorry." Were the boy's cheeks blushing? Oh my. Wasn't this a development? How fun! She would have to schedule tea with them both.

"At the risk of stating the obvious, do we think she has anything to do with Reflection Cave?" Grant had a rare look of concentration as he spoke. "That's the path from Geosenge Town so the timing is suspicious."

Valerie did not think one so in tune with Pokemon could be black in heart, regardless of the allegations leveled against her. There was more to the story.

"We can't discount it," Ramos added his piece with a clang of his cane. "Olympia, did you see anything?"

Olympia closed her eyes and mumbled under her breath, her power suffused the room. Valerie suspected it was more for theatre than anything else.

"The stars are silent on this." The psychic said simply and Valerie put a herculean amount of effort into stifling the giggle that threatened to erupt from her lips. "Her fate is unknown"

She couldn't help it, a small burst escaping her before she regained control. How impolite of her!

"Anything to add Val?" Grant asked, leaning forward with his arms on the table.

"No," Valerie shook her head, the butchering of her name sobering her up slightly. "I was remembering something."

She'd not spoken any falsehood, merely omitting that her memory was related. Well, not hers but the Mr. Mime's. It had taken time but he had shared his story, and what a story that was! Her heart beat with anticipation.

"You canvased Geosenge?" Wulfric broke the silence that followed her outburst and directed a question to Korrina

"That's right. Like I said, their report wasn't great so I went over to question people personally. They didn't have much to say though."

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Wulfric scratched his beard in thought, a contemplative look on him as he read the report.

"I see you talked to a baker who sold her some sweets. Y'know, most kids these days call them cream puffs. I haven't heard anyone use the word profiterole in a while, outside of certain circles that is. With the way she handled herself…it's a long shot but I'll start knocking on doors and seeing if anyone's missing. I suggest you all do the same."

The implication was of the girl's higher birth, Valerie did not think it incorrect per se but they were unlikely to have any luck.

"Will do, certainly looks like some of my relatives that's for sure." Viola agreed readily and Valerie wondered if there were ulterior motives at play. "Someone has to know something. This isn't Alola, she couldn't have appeared out of thin air."

How little she knew of the world.

"Fine," Malva said in a clipped tone. "But if we're going to pursue this anything you gather should go through me, as the Elite Four member I'll coordinate. Now, next item. Something about a safari? Care to elaborate Korrina."

She did but her words fell away from Valerie's attention. They were back to human matters while Valerie dwelled on what she had learned.

A human indistinguishable from a fairy, it was a dream she reached for. A dream she'd been beaten to, if the Mr. Mime was correct. Far from being upset, she was enamored by the prospect of meeting her. She wished to glean what insight she could from the girl known as Tanya.

She wondered if that was her birth name or if they had named her that after spiriting her away. There had always been rumors of fairies spiriting away children but they had been just that, rumors. Even her team was tight-lipped on the matter.

Tanya, the shortened form of Tatiana a derivative of the ancient name Tatius.

Fairy Queen

Valerie would let her friends stumble in the dark for now while she pursued in earnest. If her thoughts rang true then confronting the girl would be folly, if not then what harm did a few days or weeks do?

And the humor of Olympia trying to divine a true Fairy? Well, that tasted sweeter than any poffin she'd ever eaten.

—

In his facility nestled underneath the bustling Lumiose City, Lysandre cut the feed. There would be a report prepared for him in short order by one of his secretaries but words on a page were inadequate if one wanted to keep a finger on the pulse of a region.

Their runaway had been featured in the meeting. It had been expected with the level of violence in both incidents being a step above the norm. Malva's performance had been acceptable. He recognized there was a balance that needed to be achieved, pushing too hard for a quick wrap-up would invite suspicion so when that failed the natural choice would be to take charge of the investigation instead. It was about staying in control.

Like with that Safari project the old man Gurkinn was now proposing, Lysandre Labs would invest early to establish a foothold on a reliable supply of Mega Stones.

Malva was one of his precious few competent subordinates. His personal army had an abundance of zeal but was alarmingly bereft of common sense. On one hand, it meant they did what he demanded with little question. On the other, it meant he needed to micromanage every situation lest they find a way to imploud even the simplest of assignments.

As a shining example of this, they'd managed to lose a girl who couldn't be over the age of 12. Having her walk out without a second look was enough to have the admin on duty demoted but then, despite knowing what she'd taken, they'd sent low-ranking grunts to capture her. Needless to say, the admin responsible had filled the vacancy left by his former subordinate.

Really, what did they expect when sending Pokemon not fit for a single badge after that Mawile. A Pokemon raised by the unofficial second in command of his organization wouldn't fall to mere grunts.

How she had enlisted its support, he could admit to being a tad curious about.

Was that curiosity enough to approve the retrieval teams Xerosic continuously requested to be dispatched?

No.

Lysandre was a man of ambition. In order to reach it, he could not afford to be bogged down in the minute. In more layman's terms, he focused on the big picture.

The girl knew the location of one of their primary facilities, their most important considering it was the nearest to the Ultimate Weapon.

That was a problem. However, she was still a child. She'd displayed ability in evading them and confronting the officer but she had been under Xerosic's tutelage. That much was expected.

A week had passed without any sign of her. Children were not complex creatures, if she meant to expose them she would have done so by now. He suspected her to have either run to wherever it was she called home or fled the region. Perhaps both.

No, the teams dedicated to her retrieval were much better used to search for the key ingredients to his plan.

Xerneas and Yveltal, he was getting close to discovering them. They were both instruments of this world's salvation. One to grant his chosen select eternal life and the other to cleanse the world of its filth.

Humans.

Disgusting, greedy things. When he was younger and far more naive, he'd tried to help them. So much of his time, money, and effort went into supporting them.

It had been a mistake but the lesson it granted him was invaluable.

Those who he provided for grew dependent on him. Rather than work to support themselves and aid others, they simply took and took. There was no end to it, left to their own devices they'd consume every last shred of beauty this world still had.

They needed to be stopped.

It wasn't an easy task, indeed it weighed heavily on him. However, the world needed a savior. It needed him.

Of course, even someone with his resources and acumen needed some assistance. That was why he founded Team Flare. His natural charisma had the fools flock to his banner. It was absurd, that they would believe he would let them into his perfect world just because they paid for their entrance. Some would be chosen but the majority? They would be cleansed with the rest.

He found it pitiful that many worthy individuals would be consigned to oblivion with them. The Gym Leaders were good examples of this, they were paragons of society. If everyone in the region shared their traits, he would be spared from the responsibility of completing this crucial task.

They were not flawless, and their greatest sin was their softness. As much as he wanted to save them, he knew they would not understand. They would not be able to make the hard choice, the necessary choice.

If he could only convince them of his righteous cause…but alas it wasn't meant to be.

There was only one among them he could conceivably see as joining his cause. Valerie understood the wretchedness of humans, that was why she took great pains in imitating magnificent beings such as Pokemon. Unfortunately, she was the least reliable of the lot. At a glance, she appeared poised and polite. Past that veneer, the nature of her air-headedness began to show. It was exemplified in this past meeting as the two teenagers in attendance were able to keep on task while her head was in the clouds. It was an embarrassing display.

She wasn't worth the risk of convincing, none of them were.

Sacrifices, regrettable but acceptable ones.

His Holo Caster pinged, signaling the receipt of a priority email. Its contents were largely welcome.

Testing with the Ancient Absorbers they discovered on Route 10 was going well, if it continued at this pace then the need for capturing the pair of legendaries would be lessened. It would be a cruel affair, draining hundreds if not thousands of Pokemon of their life force to power the weapon. However, it was poetic to have their life be used to wipe out those who polluted their world. Hopefully, they'd find the legendaries and not need to enact that particular contingency.

Still, it was best to be prepared. After all, it was his duty to see this through and he wouldn't give anything less than his best. To that effect, he'd begun hoarding Pokeballs to mass capture Pokemon in the event they needed them to fuel the weapon. He'd even gone so far as to import them from abroad.

And now, one of the hubs he'd been shipping them in from had reported the disappearance of three grunts. It was irksome to have his timetable shifted because some low-ranking grunts decided now was a good time to abandon their pledge to him.

Team Flare had never had a defector, they were all content to follow him. Was this a sign of things changing? Had the success of one inspired dissent among others? He'd have to circulate a memo to his admins to increase their vigilance on the rank and file.

At the end of the message was yet another request from Xerosic, stressing the importance of his test subject.

The expansion suit program wasn't essential. Lysandre had only approved it to keep the genius satiated. A bored Xerosic was a dangerous Xerosic. The added strength and agility it granted its wearer would not go amiss for some special operations but ultimately, whatever they could accomplish a Pokemon could better. There would be value in the Pokemon theft feature Xerosic proposed but that was still in the development phase.

Frankly, Lysandre would give the man hundreds of orphans if it would stop the incessant messages. He'd even offered something to that effect.

But no.

Xerosic was set on the one subject.

It was enough to drive a lesser man mad.

Lysandre checked his watch, there were 15 minutes until his next appointment. It was a board meeting for some inane charity. Pointless but appearances needed to be maintained.

With the time left, he decided to see what about this girl drove Xerosic to such lengths and activated his Holo Caster. His thumb navigated their central database, finding his subordinate's files. Scrolling to the video logs, he selected one at random.

The image of Xerosic and the girl played on the screen. They were stood near each other with Xerosic holding a tablet and the girl standing at attention. Her posture was crisp, he could find no flaws in it.

"The calibrations I've implemented should have improved strength by 3.13% percent but the data collected on your most recent change indicates only a 3.01% increase."

Xerosic had a habit of speaking to himself at times. To Lysandre's surprise, the girl responded promptly.

"Sir! I would hesitate to draw conclusions from a single day of testing. While your machine may be functioning within the desired parameters, my body may be accumulating strain after days of repeated physical excursion. I would request more measures be put in place to ensure I am in the optimal physical condition for these examinations."

She ended with a perfect bow.

Lysandre's brow furrowed slightly. Children were fairly malleable, he'd never considered what the result of a child molded by Xerosic would look like and it gave him a vague sense of unease.

He checked the timestamp of the video, wondering how long she'd been schooled by the genius at the time of recording.

Six days.

That couldn't be right. It must have been uploaded at a later date.

He searched for older files and Xerosic's meticulous nature in documentation came in useful, there were plenty to choose from.

Another recording was played.

And another.

And another.

He stopped when he saw her extol the virtues of Team Flare a day into her short tenure with the fervency a veteran in his organization would struggle to match.

Xerosic had a warped perspective, he understood that. But it wasn't as if she was isolated, she worked with numerous researchers and the occasional admin.

So how.

How did NO ONE notice the oddity surrounding her?

His Holo Caster shattered against the wall.

How were his smartest subordinates such glaring imbeciles? Did no one stop to question why the girl they'd picked up from the gutters was able to discuss economics and statistical analysis? For Arceus' sake, she was somersaulting and dodging beanbag rounds within the first week!

Were they all blind? This was in no way how any normal child would act let alone a common street rat!

When the Gym Leaders had speculated her to be of higher birth he'd found it amusing. He'd been assured by Xerosic that she had no blood relation to any house.

He'd taken it at face value but given what he'd just learned, he decided to check himself. Opening the drawer of his desk and retrieving one of the many spare Holo Casters inside, he searched for her medical records. A sigh of relief left his lips, the DNA did indeed indicate she was not related to any noble family on record.

He felt his temper start to rise again as he read on. He could admit to not knowing the realities of street life for orphans. Things like malnutrition and knife wounds seemed reasonable.

Bullet wounds and signs of explosive trauma were very much not.

It was like the girl had been through a war.

A headache was beginning to form. Was it too much to ask for reliable subordinates?

The girl wasn't normal, it was clear she'd been groomed by someone. Who that someone was could be problematic. But, if she had any backing he would have expected them to be knocking on his door already.

Perhaps the runway angle was not incorrect. Loathe as he was to do so, he'd reach out to contemporaries overseas and inquire as to any recently displaced operatives.

And maybe reconsider Xerosic's request.

After he had a long conversation with the man of what constituted normal.