Monday, June 19th, 1978, 1800

Eastern Vermilion Pokemon Center

After confirming their identities, Jed made a brief call to someone before informing them they would be picked up shortly.

They waited patiently in the street, filled with exhausted trainers returning home from their adventures. After a few awkward minutes where no one really said much, a finely crafted carriage led by two Ponyta arrived to pick them up, easily splitting the waves of trainers as they recognized the distinctive golden sigil imprinted on its side.

The driver hopped off the carriage, giving a nod of greeting to Jed before smoothly opening the door for them to climb into the luxurious ride.

The attendant quirked up his eyes at Anabelle but declined to comment on their appearance, even though Dani knew they looked more than a little ragged. After they settled in, the driver gave a quiet word to his pokemon, and the carriage took off as quickly as it could, given the busy state of the streets.

Guess we're traveling in style, thought Dani as she took in the sights from her vantage point above the crowds as she settled in for the journey up through the city.

Dani had never been up to the upper districts, only able to afford the cheap inns populated by rowdy sailors down in the bottom tier of the city. The pokemon centers were technically free, but they were almost always full unless you reserved a spot in advance, which was difficult to do while on the road.

According to Jed, they would be staying at the Citadel for their stay. Dani had seen the compound before, but who hadn't? It was impossible to miss the imposing building overlooking all of Vermilion with its high walls and elegant gardens.

However, despite the numbing energy filling her veins, she still felt a trickle of anticipation make itself known. It was a relief, honestly. She feared she had lost the ability to feel entirely.

Her battle with Kuon the previous season had been uneventful as only first badge matches could; she had timidly ordered her pokemon around while Kuon disinterestedly tested their strength with gym pokemon kept weak to use against beginning trainers.

Despite that, she barely scraped out a win with her team, which, at the time, had only consisted of Beedrill and Venonat. By this point, it was nearly a year ago, and she felt confident she had far surpassed the fifteen-year-old version of herself.

However, Dani wasn't nervous about battling Kuon; her badge was good for two years. If she wanted to, she could skip most of the gym battles until she reached Blair's gym in Saffron.

Rather, she feared how she might respond when she saw Mare. It had only been a few short hours, but it felt much longer, given what Ellie had shared. It was strange how finding out a single new piece of information re-colored earlier interactions with the boy.

Her face burned with shame when she thought of all the times Mare had offered her help and she had refused him, mistakenly believing he was looking down on her. She attributed his hurt look to pity when it was honest hurt feelings.

Ugh. I'm such an idiot.

Could she act the same? Would she suddenly feel something she didn't right now? Would Mare be able to tell she knew how he felt?

She couldn't decide which of Ellie's 'options' felt right to proceed with, either. Shutting Mare down completely didn't feel right, as she couldn't give a genuine answer about how she felt until she decided to release the numbing energy, which by this point felt like second nature to her.

'Friend-zoning' him seemed wrong, as well. Needlessly hurting Mare just so she could avoid her feelings felt cruel.

So, she was left with doing nothing.

The options swirled within her as they traveled through the city, yet she found no easy answers.

It was easy to stay silent; Ellie oohed and ahhed over every little thing, earning smiles from their otherwise stoic guide, who must have been proud of the city.

Her somewhat-friend's excitement was even mildly contagious, and the hint of a smile graced her lips at some of Ellie's more over-the-top reactions.

Not that Dani could blame her; it really was something. The first time she walked into Vermilion, she was awestruck by its sheer presence. Even Fuchsia's busiest days paled compared to an average day here in Vermilion.

People constantly bustled around accomplishing all manner of different tasks. From loading and unloading ships, to pokemon matches, to hawking wares on the streets, people thrived on the unique chaos endemic to port cities.

Normally, she felt stressed out by the milling masses of people, but her newfound calm also seemed to extend to crowds, for which she was grateful.

Ellie asked Jed a million questions, leaving Dani in peace for the entire ride. She appreciated the welcome distraction as it allowed her to organize her thoughts before the inevitable encounter.

Before long, they climbed through the city and were already approaching the Citadel. The day began fading to evening, and long shadows marred the road from the imposing stone walls surrounding the extensive property.

Without a word from their driver, the gates opened as if drawn by an invisible string, and the Ponyta continued through without interruption. The well-kept stone road was surrounded by lush foliage and continued for nearly a hundred meters before hitting a wide roundabout in front of yet another gate.

However, in contrast to its stony counterpart, this one was clearly ornamental, meant to impress any guests before they ever entered negotiations to gain even the slightest of advantages. And it worked; Dani couldn't help but feel awe at the work of art that dominated her attention, and she imagined visiting dignitaries were no different.

Intricate carvings that brought to mind howling storms and crackling electricity made up the entirety of the huge wooden structure, and the manor loomed ominously behind it. The Kumire sigil was featured prominently in the center of the arch. Two attendants waited with wooden smiles plastered to their faces as the carriage slowed to a halt.

"Wow," beamed Ellie with a wide smile as she peered out the window. "I lowkey forgot Mare was a big shot until now, but it looks like we're getting the royal treatment! They don't normally let just anyone up here, do they?"

"Chanse," agreed Anabelle, although Dani was certain the pokemon had no idea what visiting the Citadel represented.

"No, we do not," said Jed with a forced smile as he stepped out from the carriage, turning to help them down. "In fact, hardly anyone is allowed into the Citadel beyond members of the Kumire clan or its affiliates."

"Very cool," said Ellie, sounding suitably impressed.

"Indeed," agreed Jed, and this time, the smile appeared genuine.

"Chansey, chanse," parroted Anabelle in the same tone as the pokemon twirled around to take in their surroundings, her little mouth open in admiration of the scene.

"So, what's the plan going forward?" asked Dani as she followed the others out of the carriage and towards the entrance to the manor. "I'd love to bathe and change, if possible. And Ellie is covered with blood if you hadn't noticed."

"Not my fault!" defended Ellie as she picked at her shirt, crispy with Petal's blood from her earlier bout. "Although we definitely should get to a pokemon center as soon as possible."

At her remark, Jed signaled to one of the attendants, an aging woman with gray hair tied up in a tight bun, who leaped to respond. "These women have injured pokemon; please take their teams to the healing wing, if you would."

Jed turned to Dani. "The Kumire clan maintains extensive medical facilities; far superior to what you'll find in a regular pokemon center. Aja here," he gestured to the smiling attendant, "will take any injured pokemon for treatment. I assure you, there is no need to have your pokemon out and about while you're here. It's not the wild, after all."

Ellie shrugged, handing over her belt to Aja, who looked expectantly at Dani after tucking the pokemon away somewhere in the silken robes everyone except for them seemed to be wearing. "If you say so! Just make sure you take super good care of Petal; it's totally my fault she got banged up like that, but I'll do better next time! Thanks!"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"What about this Chansey here?" asked Jed with a frown at Anabelle, who was wearing a blue children's dress they had picked up from Fisherman's Village.

"She doesn't have a pokéball! We're just friends for now. Is it okay if she stays with me?" inquired Ellie while making Eevee eyes at the aging guard.

"Fine," Jed relented. "But if she disrupts dinner, we will provide you with a ball, or we'll forcibly remove her from the premises."

"Got it," gulped Ellie meekly. "You hear that Anabelle? No funny business."

"Chanse," nodded Anabelle, but she shot a petulant glare at Jed, who ignored her and turned to Dani.

"And you? Would you mind sending your team off with Aja?" asked Jed.

"No problem," said Dani as she followed suit, although it made her uncomfortable to return Chausette; they had hardly been separated since she caught her, and it felt like she was losing a part of herself. "My Scyther lost a limb recently. Would it be possible to regrow it? The injury was some days ago."

Jed smiled, giving a sharp nod of dismissal to the attendant, who hustled off to wherever the medical wing was located. "Of course. I was informed your pokemon were injured defending you from brigands while on the road; our medical staff will give such a valiant warriors the finest treatment."

Dani and Ellie cocked their heads in unison, glancing at each other in shared confusion.

Brigands? Who even uses that word anymore? And what is he talking about?

"Rigghhhtt," said Ellie with a forced laugh. "Brigands. Couldn't have said it better myself, right, Dani?"

The other girl looked at Dani with a knowing look, as if she was somehow supposed to interpret what Ellie wanted.

Am I supposed to play along? Adrien was hardly a brigand, more like an outright murderer, but Ellie seems to have a plan.

"Yes, that's accurate," she confirmed. However, Jed seemed to sense something was off, as evidenced by the crinkling of his brow. She moved the conversation along before he could delve into it. "In any case, as to my first question, can Ellie and I please bathe and make ourselves more presentable before we do anything else? We're disgusting. I can hardly imagine Kuon wants to dine with women in such a state."

"Unfortunately, no," said Jed with a look of pity. "We're already running late; I imagine everyone awaits us. However, as you may know, Kuon is a war veteran many times over; his standards of acceptability are more than a bit distorted after years of service. Bathing is often a luxury in such settings, so I suspect your fears are baseless."

"It'll be fine," consoled Ellie as she gave Dani a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You look great! Besides, everyone will be focused on how stinky Mare is, anyway! People will hardly notice us."

Jed chuckled at the comment. "Actually, Master Seiichi has likely bathed and changed at this point; he arrived at the center nearly two hours ago before traveling up to the Citadel with Kuon."

Ellie gasped, her confident face turning into an expression of horror. "Not fair! Jed, no! You can't let us go to dinner like this! I'm covered in blood!"

"A badge of honor, then. No one at this dinner is a stranger to blood, I assure you," replied Jed, but his tone was final.

Dani rolled her eyes at how quickly Ellie changed her tune, even if she agreed with the other girl to a certain extent. "Lead on, then. Let's get this over with. The sooner we have dinner, the sooner I can bathe," she said, wistfully holding up her dusty braid with a forlorn look.

"Indeed. Follow me," responded Jed as he headed towards the entrance without a backward glance.

Dani waited a moment before following, letting Jed pull ahead slightly, before taking the opportunity to whisper to Ellie as discretely as she could. "What's going on? What's this about brigands?"

Ellie glanced at Jed before whispering, "Mare clearly doesn't want us talking—"

"What are you girls whispering about?" Interjected an unfamiliar voice from behind them, startling the two girls. It was a woman's voice but deeper than any Dani had ever heard.

An elderly woman with a friendly smile emerged from the shadows behind them. She had grey hair, going on white, which was done up in a complex, swirling mess of loops and tassels. She wore a vibrant orange kimono that looked like it cost more than Dani's mom made in a year.

Ellie, reacting swiftly, swirled about, pasting on an easygoing smile. "Nothing much, ma'am. Just commenting on the beautiful architecture. The names Eleanor, but you can call me Ellie! Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

How does she change like that so fast?

Dani was yet again shocked and impressed at Ellie's formidable social skills but didn't want to be completely outdone. She turned to face the aging newcomer, settling into a formal bow. "Dani Fiore at your service, ma'am."

The older woman raised her eyebrows, taking in the two young women, one covered liberally in blood and dirt. "My, my. What lovely manners. I'm Eliza Kumire, but you can just call me Liza! Welcome to my humble abode."

She dropped her voice, whispering conspiratorially. "Mare, the darling he is, asked me to take care of you two before dinner."

"Ladies?" called Jed, who had just realized they were no longer following him.

"In a minute, dear Jed! Go on ahead without us. Distract my idiot husband while I get these girls something nice to wear; we'll be naught but a few moments."

"Liza…" sighed Jed. "Kuon gave clear instructions; they were to be brought here without delay. I'm sorry, but orders are orders."

"Jed. Walk. Away. I'll not say it again. We'll be naught but a few moments. Or do I need to talk to your wife?" The woman's voice was still kind, but it had notes of steel in it now.

Jed sighed again, rubbing his brow as if to ward off a burgeoning headache. "Fine. But you owe me one. Just promise to be quick?"

"Consider it done," replied Liza as she turned to take in the two young women, gesturing with her eyes to an offshoot from the main path. "Come with me. I feel bad pulling rank on Jed like that. He is an excellent soldier, but it wouldn't be fair for you to walk into your first formal dinner in such a state."

The two young women nodded wordlessly, more than happy to follow their newfound savior wherever she might lead, as long as the dream of a bath was still alive.

They followed Liza through a number of twists, eventually making their way toward a decent-sized building; steam could easily be seen rising from vents built into the ceiling.

"No way," breathed Ellie as she recognized the structure, turning to Liza with wide eyes. "We're seriously getting to take a bath?"

"Well, more like a quick dip, but yes. Hurry," urged Liza with a chuckle at the earnest reaction. "I promised to be quick. I'll go find some clothes while you girls clean up. You have ten minutes and not an instant longer."

"Thank you," said Dani, trying to impart as much gratitude as she could, already imagining the feeling of fully clean hair for the first time in weeks.

"Of course, dear. Now hurry along," Liza said, with a shooing gesture as she turned to scrounge up some clothes that might fit the two girls.

"Thanks!" chimed in Ellie, who was excitedly opening the door to the baths with Anabelle trailing behind. "We'll be quick!"

Dani followed her in, taking in the inside of the structure. There were dim lights spaced equally around the steaming pool, and it was rich with various herbal scents she concluded came from the dizzying array of colored vials set at the pool's edge.

The girls shed their clothes, slipping into the steaming water with sighs of contentment as the hot water soaked into their weary bodies. Anabelle just watched from the side, not wanting to get her dress wet.

They passed the next few minutes without a word, silently washing off weeks of built-up grime that had collected without easy access to a normal bath.

"Help. I'm dead," joked Ellie as she stared up at the ceiling, mindlessly blowing bubbles into the water.

"No kidding," Dani agreed, counting down their few remaining moments in her head; there were far too few for her liking. "Thank the Legendaries Liza talked Jed out of sending us right into things without a chance to clean up. We'll have to thank Mare later."

"Ugh. Don't remind me; I just want to stay here forever!" groaned Ellie as she turned to face her. "So, are you excited?"

Dani cocked her head. "Excited for what?"

"A fancy dinner, of course. What else? I bet they have a private chef!" Ellie grinned. "The fanciest meal I ever had was breakfast with the Seiichi's; I bet this is much nicer!"

"You might be right," Dani mused, envisioning a table laden with all manner of delicacies imported from the many regions Vermilion traded with. Her stomach growled loudly, earning a raucous laugh from Ellie.

"It's good to see you're still human! I was worried I'd lost you entirely!"

"I still get hungry," grumbled Dani defensively. "I haven't changed completely, you know? Despite what you might think of me, I'm still just a girl."

"I can tell," joked Ellie with a wink, causing Dani's face to heat up in embarrassment. "There's a reason our good friend Mare has the hots for you! Your abs are crazy, dude. You put most guys to shame."

"Stop," protested Dani weakly. "It's not that bad, is it?"

"Relax, dude," placated Elie with barely contained mirth. "You're, like, way too self-conscious. I'm just giving you shit. Nothing wrong with being in shape."

"Right," agreed Dani, feeling better from the reassurances. "I wonder what clothes Liza will bring us, too."

Ellie shrugged. "Probably some fancy robes like everyone else is wearing, doncha' think? They seem pretty formal here. Everyone at Mare's house was wearing stuff like this, too. I wonder what color they'll pick out for you?"

"Hopefully, nothing too bright. I hate bright colors. I feel like it makes me look even paler than I already am,” said Dani as she examined her arms. Even after weeks in the sun, her skin hadn't lost its alabaster complexion. If anything, her skin looked even lighter, if that were possible.

"Yeah, that checks out. You are super pale. What's the deal with that?" asked Ellie curiously.

"Your guess is as good as mine. It's just always been that way. No matter how much time I spend in the sun, it doesn't change much. I've gotten used to it."

"It's really pretty," said Ellie quietly. "I think most girls would be super jealous of you." She cleared her throat. "Annnywayyss. I bet Liza picks out a nice dark grey for you; that's what I would pick out if I were forced to. It would go nice with your eyes and hair."

"Grey would be acceptable," agreed Dani, envisioning herself in a grey silk kimono. The image was pleasing, she had to admit. "Regardless, I'm grateful for the chance to clean up."

"Yeah, no doubt," replied Ellie with a nod. "Before she returns, we should settle on a game plan going forward. Clearly, something is up. I don't know the details, but it seems obvious we shouldn't mention Adrien and company unless Mare does first. Sound like a deal?"

"I suppose so, but I want an explanation afterward. What Adrien did was wrong. Why should we avoid talking about what happened?"

"Dunno. It's not our call. We're just accessories to the big things going on here, it seems to me. Better not to rock the boat if we can help it," suggested Ellie. "I'm sure we'll be able to talk to Mare soon enough."

"Okay," said Dani reluctantly. "You're probably right, but it doesn't sit well with me. Why do you thi—"

They were interrupted as the door opened with a thud, and Liza stormed in, cradling two silken garments. "You girls ready? It's about time. Hurry and get dressed. These are for you. I wish you the best of luck at your first dinner party! I'm sure we'll all have a lovely time. After all, you must be excited to meet Mare's mother!”