With every step they took toward Hearthome City, Ursula's spirit seemed to rise higher and higher, with no ceiling in sight.
Hearthome City was by far the finest in all of Sinnoh. Not that other towns and cities did not have their own unique allure, because they did. Barring Oreburgh, of course. Jubilife City had its skyscrapers and as its name suggested, was full of life. Floaroma was covered in gorgeous flowers, and even Eterna, despite being caught halfway between a modern and rustic city, had its selling points.
Hearthome's selling point was culture, and it had more than those three combined. The Sinnoh College of Fine Arts was located here, with classes for art, literature, music, dance, theater, and even cuisine. Anyone and everyone who had talent came to hone their skills so that they would one day shine. The audience for a spectacle of such importance like the Hearthome Contest would be full of people who knew a star when they saw one.
This would be the place she left her mark. After a victory here, Ursula would book her ticket to the Grand Festival, and would never be overshadowed by untalented frauds ever again.
Now that their detour through Mt. Coronet had finished, and they were on the outskirts of the it was time to make her final preparations. Her Pokémon needed to be in absolute perfect condition. Ursula could not afford for someone with prestige to walk by and have a negative first impression of her.
Which is why they were currently here, at the store of a master who had decided Hearthome was the place to set up his shop. This was the property of the Berry Master, and he certainly lived up to his name. Unlike in Floaroma, where berries were left to grow naturally, aided by the numerous pollinators who flocked to the flower fields, the Berry Master had chosen to build a series of greenhouses. Each once was climate controlled so that berries from all sorts of regions could flourish.
The man had both generosity and business acumen, as well. He personally greeted everyone who walked in his doors, and offered a free selection of berries for them to take. It was almost impossible to refuse taking a basket and filling it with your favorites.
Not her two friends had much taste, or knowledge about these types of things. They were more focused on replenishing their restoratives and curatives, rather than taking advantage of the unbelievable selection.
Even though some of these berries were rare and oddly-shaped, Ursula had done her research. She knew their flavor, their nutritional profile, and what other berries they could be combined with to best enhance them once they became poffins. Unfortunately, most people did not have the same dedication to their craft as she did.
"Ok," The cashier said nervously, desperately flipping through an absolute encyclopedia as she tried to sort through Ursula's order. "These ones here are…"
"Watmel berries," Ursula said, which made the flustered cashier flash her a relieved grin.
"Thank you. She replaced the green and yellow berries and replaced them with a large red one with a black pit at the bottom. "Um, you wouldn't happen to know that these ones are, would you?"
Ursula did her best to wipe any traces of annoyance from her face, probably put there because this was taking so long. Still, the cashier had nothing to fear from her. Ursula liked to banter with her friends, but she would not stoop to needlessly denigrate the average person. Her primary targets were people who held themselves higher than they should, those who were arrogant enough to think they were better than her because of pure luck and circumstance. Ursula wouldn't hesitate to crush fools like that under her boot.
"Haban berries," she told the cashier, before the girl could get nervous again.
"I'm so lucky to have a customer that knows what she's buying. Sometimes people just buy whatever strikes their fancy. That only leaves these ones." The cashier held up a couple of spiky orange berries.
"Those ones are Lansat berries," Ursula informed her. "They really get a Pokémon's blood pumping, and thus are excellent to give to one at the start of a training session."
"I'm usually much better at this," the cashier admitted. "At least, during normal times. Whenever the Hearthome Contest comes around, it's just craziness. This year especially, once everyone learned about the changes. We have double the volume and it seems like every order has a rare berry that I've never heard before in it."
Ursula's heart skipped a beat at the cashier's sentence, though the other girl didn't seem to notice. "Your total comes out to nine hundred and seventy. We take cards or cash."
She handed a thousand-dollar note over. "What did you mean about the changes? And why do you have double the volume?" she asked, while the cashier was struggling to break open a roll of coins.
"Whoops!" Some of the coins went flying out of the roll, causing them to fly everywhere. The sound of metal hitting the ground made the door behind her open, and a man came out, still wearing his gardening gloves and with his pants stained with soil.
"Oh dear, Aimee. Not again!"
"One day you'll listen to me, boss, and break open these coin rolls before I get here. Instead of going straight to your gardens." The cashier ducked under the counter to retrieve the rest of the stray coins, leaving her boss to man the register. Ursula straightened her posture upon realizing that his man must be the Berry Master. She supposed a man whose craft involved crawling about on their hands and knees, planting and checking on his berries wouldn't be much concerned by appearances.
"Good morning, sir. Your employee was mentioning that you have had a surge in customers, and that the Hearthome Contest recently had a drastic change?"
"Oh, you don't know yet! Well, it's not surprising, because it was only agreed upon very recently, and there have been so many rumors about them reverting it back. I didn't put much stock in that though. Not when the staunchest supporter of the changes is such a well-known, respected figure, both within Hearthome City, and within the contest community."
"What is the change?" Ursula asked, trying to mask her impatience. "Will there be more contestants permitted to the battle rounds than usual?"
The Berry Master laughed. "No, it's much more drastic than that. The entire Hearthome Contest will be double performances! In the appeals, each coordinator will use two Pokémon, and then the battle rounds will all be double battles!"
Ursula's mouth fell open in shock, and she stood there uselessly for several seconds, gaping like a fish and chewing on air. When she finally managed to find her voice, the first emotion that spilled out of her was anger. "That's ridiculous! They can't change the format on a whim!"
"Oh, don't be like that!" the cashier chirped. "I know it's a surprise, but I think it's going to be really fun and exciting! Think of it this way; you get double the opportunities to show off your Pokémon!"
"That's right!" her boss added. "With your knowledge of Pokémon, you'll do splendidly. In fact, here's a special berry that I'll throw in, on the house, since you were nice enough to help Aimee here. It's called a Liechi berry, and I thought it was a mirage for the longest time, since I never once found one growing in the wild. I finally managed to source a few from Hoenn, and they've been growing great!"
"Right," the coordinator managed, biting her tongue. She was so furious that she couldn't not even provide a proper goodbye or talk to the Berry Master about such a rare specimen. She took her change, her purchases and the gift berries and left the store without so much of a thank you.
Her reddened face was very noticeable to her peers when she met them outside. Lucas looked at her in concern, while Luna raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What happened to you in the past fifteen minutes? Did you eat a super spicy berry or something?"
"No," she ground out. "I received the most unfortunate news. They have just decided that the upcoming contest is to be entirely conducted with two Pokémon. It is unbelievable! Disgraceful, even! I have half a mind to abstain in protest."
Her friends had backed up two steps at her outburst. "But to be clear, you are still planning to participate, right?" Lucas asked.
"Of course I'm going to participate," she snapped. "This is a major contest! I can't let any lesser deserving fools claim what is rightfully mine!"
"Well, good luck with that," Luna said. "Lucas and I will just leave you alone while you figure out your new appeal. See ya!" Both of her friends turned around, but they couldn't take one step before Ursula's voice rang out.
"Hold!" she said severely, and her two friends stopped in their tracks.
"You need to take responsibility for this," she directed her words at Luna. "It is your fault, after all, that we were so delayed in getting here, and that I have been put in this predicament. Rectify this by providing me with a suggestion for this double appeal that I have to participate in."
Ursula knew she was being rather bold. The expression on her friend's face was clearly one that was desperately trying to hold in laughter. Of course, they had all agreed to enjoy themselves in the wild, untamed beauty surrounding Mt. Coronet, and they certainly could not leave all the captured Pokémon in the hands of those poachers. Ursula had an ulterior motive in putting the blame on Luna.
Much as she despised it and would never admit it out loud, when it came to things such as thinking on one's feet and improvisation, Luna had her soundly beaten. It was why the other girl was such a capable battler. Unfortunately, that skill translated well to contest battles.
It was sheer fortune that Ursula had encountered someone with contest skills, who apparently had zero interest in entering one, or self-belief that she could compete in one. Whatever the case, Ursula made sure to reinforce that notion every opportunity she got, that Luna's contest ideas wouldn't amount to anything in her own hands. Ursula could ill-afford more competition, especially from someone who actually had some talent, and knew her inside out.
Better to encourage Luna on her gym path, so that she didn't give any time and consideration to any contest ideas she came up with, lest they lead to the other girl deciding to participate. That way, all of her ideas would remain fledglings that Ursula could use for herself.
That way, no one could accuse her of anything but being gifted an inch and taking a mile with it.
"Alright, Ursula. You already know that I think you shouldn't be repetitive with your appeals, and that you should get a new Pokémon. Why not get an Electric-type? I think it would pair well with Gible, considering you wouldn't have to worry about hurting Gible accidentally."
An Electric-type? It abhorred Ursula to mimic anything that that overrated blue-haired runt, her sworn rival, had picked for an appeal, but it had some merit. One, a lightning show easily captured the crowd's attention. Two, having another Pokémon would mean she would have some variability when it came to the double battles. Three, if such an appeal was good enough to put someone as untalented as Dawn through to the next round, it would be simple enough for her to pick up, time constrained as she was.
"If I were to capture an Electric-type, where would I go?" Ursula asked. "I cannot spend multiple days searching for one."
"Well, I don't know about that. Hey, Lucas, are there any abandoned power plants around here that Electric-types flock to?"
"Why do they need to be abandoned?" Lucas asked quizzically. "Electric-types are attracted to power sources in general. Valley Windworks has a large population, as does Sunyshore City. There's also lots of the Shinx line in southwest Sinnoh, and while it's not an Electric-type, Nosepass learns moves like Discharge and is found around Mt. Coronet."
Ursula moved quickly to squash that plan. "I am not backtracking to Mt. Coronet. Is there nowhere else to find Electric-types around here?"
She watched Lucas and Luna rack their brains until the taller of the two snapped his fingers with an "Aha!"
"I know where you can go. There's a mansion just south of Hearthome, and the owner likes to collect Electric Pokémon. You can capture one in his garden!"
"Or, you could charm him into giving you one. If it's a fancy, high society mansion, you should fit right in," Luna tacked on.
Ursula felt a twinge of irritation. Her mask had not slipped once from her face throughout her journey, but going to the abode of someone who was truly high society always carried a risk of being exposed. "Very well. You two would not fit right in, and I shall not risk this being a failure. I will go alone and meet you in Hearthome City once I obtain my new Pokémon."
Thankfully, neither Lucas or Luna noticed her nervousness, before they parted ways. Ursula watched her two companions walk down the pathway to the city she so desperately wanted to visit, allowing herself one sigh before she steeled her resolve and turned away, to the south instead.
The coordinator didn't make it very far. For some idiotic reason, A TV reporter and her cameraman had chosen the southern gate exit towards Pastoria as the perfect place to conduct their live report. What could these fools possibly be talking about?
"Normally, this is where we would be talking about the incredibly exciting Hearthome Contest, and what these changes would mean in the long run for the contest circuit, but we have a breaking story instead!" the reporter was saying.
Ursula leaned in. What in the world could take precedence over this ridiculous change to the contest format?
"The Solaceon Ruins have finally been made open to the public! Make sure you stop by, learn about the history of the region, and solve the puzzle within to obtain some wisdom that will last you a lifetime!"
If Ursula wasn't mad already, she was steaming now. How dare they waste her time with more historical nonsense!
"Meowth darling," she whispered to her Pokéball. "Clear a path for me."
Her adorable Pokémon took one look at the scene, and quickly had a disdaining expression to mirror hers. He slipped along the wall, unseen to the reporter who was so caught up in the interview, and sliced the cables of the camera clean through.
As quickly as the deed was done, he jumped straight into her arms, as the camera man cut off his interview in confusion. Ursula slipped by without a second thought. She had places to be, after all.
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The only break she afforded herself was to change into her finest set of clothes. Her friends may have laughed if they could see her, but Ursula knew that one's appearance was paramount when trying to make an impression.
Parasol in hand, she strolled towards the mansion's front door, trying not to gawk at the extravagance and opulence of this place, which would make her look out of place. Whoever the owner was, he had spared no expense to lavish this place to the finest degree. The fence posts on the wall looked to be gold plated, by the fact that they had zero damage even though they were exposed to the elements. The stone walkway she was stepping on was embedded with jewels, and the entire front yard had gleaming marble fountains and hedges trimmed to look like Pokémon.
There were several security guards patrolling the grounds with a variety of canine and Fighting-type Pokémon. None of them gave her any issue. In fact, a few guards actually tipped their cap in greeting, which only increased her confidence tenfold.
Ursula strode into the mansion like she owned the place, expecting a lavish welcome that a scion of a noble, wealthy house deserved. What she received instead was the sight of the beleaguered house staff running every which way.
One maid was scrubbing the floors, a butler was carefully wiping every speck of dust off the various vases paintings and were arrayed across the entrance hall, and another maid was painstakingly arranging flower bouquets, removing any one that even had the slightest of deformities.
A mumbled "welcome" was the only greeting she was afforded, which Ursula would not let stand. She had come here for an Electric-type, and she was not leaving until she had one.
The closest maid to her was the one arranging the flowers. "Excuse me," she said in her most arrogant voice. "I am beyond offended that you have not graced me with the reception someone befitting my station deserves. I demand to see the head of this household, so he can properly discipline you for your abhorrent behavior."
The middle-aged woman straightened and finally deigned to look at her. Her expression Ursula was reminded of Luna's infuriating habit of laughing and not taking her seriously when she tried to sound as commanding as possible.
"My deepest apologies," the maid said sarcastically, while giving a short curtsy. "As you can see, we are very busy today. You'll have to come back another time."
"Do you know who I am?" Ursula asked, doubling down.
The maid snorted in amusement. "No, but I know who you aren't, as well. You've got the look, and the manner of speech down, but I've seen my share of snooty rich kids to know you aren't actually one of them. So, tell me why you're actually here, and why I should bother talking to you."
Ursula could hardly believe that she had been seen through so easily. For the first time in forever, she dropped her persona. "How did you know?"
"One, you said 'excuse me'. Two, you don't have a butler behind you, catering to your every need. And three…" The woman bent down to grab the hem of Ursula's sundress, and rubbed the material between her fingers. "This is a lovely dress, but I've personally washed one just like it. I know it's from last year."
Having been so thoroughly dissected, there was nothing for Ursula to do except come clean. "Ok. My name is Ursula, and I'm actually a coordinator. I'm sure you know that there's a contest coming up in Hearthome, and I came here in search of an Electric-type Pokémon. I heard the owner collects them."
"Call me Monica. I'm the head maid of this estate," the woman introduced herself, offering her hand, which Ursula took and shook. "Nice to meet the actual you. Normally I'd be happy to help you, but I wasn't lying before. We are actually insanely busy. Mr. Aurelion's- that's the owner of this estate, granddaughter, has decided to visit on a whim. So, now we have to make sure everything is picture perfect for her arrival and until she leaves. The Trophy Garden is off limits to visitors right now."
The amount of distaste conveyed in that one word was startling. "Truly? Is there nothing that can be done? The contest is coming up, and I want to work with my new Pokémon as soon as possible."
Monica shook her head. "We're stretched super thin. Half our staff called out sick when they heard who was coming in. I mean, I don't blame them. In addition to being a nightmare, the little heiress always likes to stroke her ego, by battling and winning against us. If only we were allowed to beat her. Unfortunately, she'd throw a tantrum and get us fired if we did."
The more Ursula heard about this girl, the more she hated her. Without even meeting her, she sounded like all those wretched coordinators that Ursula despised, born with a silver spoon in their mouth, coasting on the coattails of their parents. There were so many sons and daughters of famous coordinators that took their parent's Pokémon and entered contests, and of course they ended up performing spectacularly. Here she was, trying to make in on her own merit, and the judges never had given her as much praise as those legacy coordinators.
The dysfunction went all the way to the top, as well. Contest ribbons never expired, so a child could take their parent's ribbons and enter the Grand Festival! Or, someone with enough money could buy five ribbons and thus be qualified.
She personally knew for a fact that both of those had happened in the past.
It was a flagrantly corrupt system, in Ursula's opinion. When she was younger, she had thought that it was the way these people presented themselves that had made the difference, so she had adopted this persona to try and emulate them. Now, she knew the bitter truth.
"The owner's granddaughter you speak of. She sounds like an entitled, spoiled brat."
Monica sighed in frustration. "That's the understatement of the year. I don't think she's ever been told no in her life."
She must have been traveling with Luna too long, because the most devious, wicked plan was forming in Ursula's mind.
"Hire me."
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Monica had gone back to her flower arranging, but she whipped her head around at Ursula's words. "What?"
The more Ursula thought about it, the more confident she became. "You're understaffed, right? Hire me for the day. I'll do all the maid duties, and then I'll crush her in battle and send her home crying. In return, you get me into the Trophy Garden so I can catch an Electric-Pokémon."
The head maid hesitated, then laughed. "Well, you certainly have a coordinator's confidence. Alright, Ursula. As of this moment, you're officially one of us. Let's see if I can't find you a uniform in the back."
Monica led Ursula to a room on the left side with a finger to her lips to stay quiet. A second later, Ursula saw why; one of the maids was sleeping soundly on a bed inside the room. The head maid answered her unspoken question with a shrug of her shoulders. "We've all had too much work and not enough sleep these past few days. Better to take a nap than break something or hurt yourself because you are too tired."
"Why do you all work here then, if it is so miserable?"
"This is normally a great job," Monica corrected her, whilst rifling through the closet. "Mr. Aurelion is a great boss, and a very generous man. That's why people like you come to his gardens, because he's so happy to give away his Pokémon. He just has a massive blind spot when it comes to his granddaughter. Anyways, put this on."
A black and white maid outfit, identical to the ones everyone else was wearing, was thrust at her. "Make sure you tuck your hair in the cap. We can't let your hairstyle be seen by the heiress."
"Does this girl have a name?" Ursula asked, as she started to change into the maid clothes.
"Edith. We aren't allowed to call her that, so I don't really bother saying her name in the first place."
One more thing was given to her once Ursula was done changing outfits, and passed Monica's inspection. "We give tours of the garden, and this pamphlet has detailed information on the Pokémon so we can answer all sorts of questions. You can look through it, and hopefully you'll find what Pokémon will best help you in your contest." Monica reached over and pinched it shut when Ursula immediately started to flip through. "When you're on break, that is. Right now, we need to get to work."
The next few minutes were an absolute whirlwind for Ursula, of introductions, rules, and responsibilities. She was whisked away to the kitchens as soon as she had told Monica she was a talented cook, and partnered with a maid named Sophie, who had a kind smile but settled for nothing less than perfection.
"Every single item needs to be cut the same size and shape," Sophie reminded her, leaning over to look at Ursula's work as she prepared the appetizer course. The actual maid plucked a chocolate piece out from the charcuterie board and tossed it aside. "That one was too small."
Ursula didn't think it was, but knew better than to argue. She started to cut another piece from the expensive bar she had been given, adding it to the assortment of rare cheeses, berries, and sweets on top of the polished, carved board. "Are you sure you don't need any help on your end? You two are doing two courses, while I'm only doing one. I can get a Pokémon to help me also-"
"If it's not experienced in cooking, we can't risk it," Sophie cut her off firmly. "I've seasoned the steaks really well, and cut all the mushrooms and potatoes. All that's left is to cook everything. Fidough, how's the batter coming for the red velvet?"
Sophie's breadlike, canine Pokémon stopped stirring the batter with its mouth to let its trainer have a look. "I'd say it's ready, Fidough. Get out the pan and I'll pour it in." She eyed Ursula's work critically in the meantime. "That looks good to me. Go ahead and take a break, I'll finish up here."
She gratefully accepted and found a quiet corner to sit down. Ursula's hands were somewhat numb, from all the cooking she had done, but she managed to fumble open the pamphlet given to her without getting any finger cuts.
It certainly was as detailed as any Pokédex entry she had heard, perhaps moreso. The owner of the estate seemed to spare no expense importing rare and exotic Electric-types. Judging by the Pokémon she knew of: Pichu, Pikachu, Mareep, Pachirisu, Shinx, and Plusle and Minun, she would assume that the rest of the Pokémon were appealing or cute in some way.
Emolga, Helioptile, Pawmi, Togedemaru, and Oriciorio comprised the remainder of the list. Ursula wished she had the time to evaluate each Pokémon individually, because there were too many options for her to choose from. Her first choice would be Plusle and Minun, because of their synergy with each other; the appeals stage would be trivial with two Pokémon so incredibly in sync. Beyond the fact that it might be difficult to ask for two Pokémon, a part of Ursula felt like she had improved to the point where she should not be basing every decision on the appeals stage. Plusle and Minun would be easily countered by a single Ground-type in a double battle.
She had no more time to weigh it in her mind, as Sophie knocked on the wall to jerk her out of her musings.
"Sorry, but we need to go. Edith's here."
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The nervousness that was infecting the staff of the manor was palpable, as every employee was in attendance for the arrival of the owner's granddaughter. Ursula had heard the horror stories, but surely they were exaggerations. No one could possibly find any faults with their work. The lobby was so clean that it was sparking, and her shoes squeaked on the engraved tile floor with every step she took. They had even rolled out a red carpet!
It wasn't her opinion that mattered though. What mattered was the thoughts of the girl walking through the front door. Even if she hadn't heard the numerous horror stories, Ursula would instantly dislike Edith. The coordinator could tell the other girl's dress was brand new, and probably hadn't seen the inside of a department store, and her golden hair was magnificently curled to where it bounced with every step she took. Edith even was wearing a gaudy diamond encrusted tiara, and had a manservant behind her, ready to be ordered.
That's not what stuck out about her appearance, though. The first feature was her extremely slappable face. And the second was that her boots were covered in mud. Had she walked through a rainstorm that Ursula had somehow missed as she was working?
"Ah, there's my perfect granddaughter," Mr. Aurelion said, greeting the girl with an air kiss on each cheek. "How was your stay at Resort Gorgeous? Did the Sevii Islands treat you ok?"
"The resort was fabulous, Papi," Edith replied. "White sands, crystal clear water, endless sunshine. The only problem was the service. Those moronic, backwards island folk had no clue how to treat a lady."
"Well, you'll always be my little princess here," her grandfather promised. "Come, let's get you settled in. They've got a fabulous lunch prepared for you today. Where is your luggage?"
"Outside," Edith replied, looking back at the door. The heiress put her hand to her cheek in mock horror. "Goodness! Look at all this mud in here! How dare you not clean this up! What if I were to slip and fall?"
Then you would have deserved it, Ursula thought viciously. Thankfully, it wasn't her who was forced to get on her hands and knees and scrub the floors clean of the mud that Edith had tracked in, though her relief was short lived. She and the rest of the staff were tasked with bringing Edith's items to her room. Which the heiress had left all the way at the front gate of the estate, not right outside the door.
"Does she really expect us to bring these all the way inside and to her room by hand?" Ursula grumbled to herself.
"I told you, nightmare is underselling it when it comes to Edith," one of the maids who overheard her commiserated.
The dark cloud that had descended over the estate with Edith's arrival continued into the most miserable lunch session Ursula had ever experienced. It started with tea, which Edith first complained was too hot, then too cold, then too sweet, then too bitter, until the nightmare of a girl finally declared that she was tired of tasting terrible tea and stale snacks (though Ursula had helped make them fresh) and to start bringing the food.
At least Edith's butler was the one actually pouring the tea, and not any of the staff. That didn't save them from having to clean up the shards of broken cups that the blonde witch threw to the ground every time she was dissatisfied. Of course, the girl had demanded to eat on her own, and so her grandfather was not here to see the extent of her viciousness. Not that the man would have done anything, Ursula assumed.
Teatime being over meant that it was time for the walking migraine to judge Ursula's own dish, and while she was expecting unwarranted and undeserved criticism, it still hurt.
"This one is too sour," Edith griped, throwing away items over her shoulder. "This piece of cheese is too fat. And this piece of chocolate is too hard! Furthermore, they all taste terrible! Whoever made this, get over here, now!"
Ursula bit the inside of her cheek to make sure she wouldn't say what she really wanted to say to the other girl she was being evaluated.
"Well, you must be new," Edith finally said. "I certainly would have remembered such an ugly face. It matches your hideous outfit. But I suppose you have no taste in anything. How dare you give me such a disgusting combination to start my meal."
The coordinator could barely believe what she was hearing. It wasn't like she actually cooked anything for it to taste bad! Besides, she had sampled all of the items she had put on the board, and they were all of the highest quality, imported from around the world.
Edith sneered at her. "Don't believe me, do you? Try it for yourself. Hold out your hand, you stupid harlot." Ursula stared at the ingredients in her palm. You were supposed to try them individually, not all at once!
But that's just what Edith intended. "Eat it!" she screamed, and Ursula desperately wanted to throw the food right in the other girl's purpling face. It was only catching Monica's look across the room that calmed down Ursula enough to swallow her pride and all this food without a word. As Ursula marched back to her place amongst the rest of the staff, she swore internally that Edith would get what she deserved soon enough.
The rest of the board was thrown onto the floor just like the various tea cups. "Bring me the next course! And it better be good!"
This one was of course the only one that hadn't been cooked yet. Not that Edith knew, or cared. Three minutes later, the spoiled brat was throwing another tantrum. "Where is it! How can you keep me waiting for so long! Wilson!" she all but screamed, and her butler was at her side in a flash. "Get my food, now!"
As her now named manservant did everything for his mistress, Wilson was gone in a flash. After they could hear a brief argument in the kitchen, the man came out with a plate of the steak, potatoes and mushrooms that Ursula had seen previously.
Even from where she was standing she could tell the potatoes were undercooked. And when Wilson cut into the steak for his mistress, it was still really red inside. "First they give me a horrible tasting appetizer, and then they can't even cook the next course right!" Edith screeched. "Get me whichever useless cook created this abomination, Wilson. Now!"
Now it was Sophie's turn to get insulted for doing nothing wrong. Honestly, how much audacity did Edith have? She didn't even give Sophie enough time to cook and then had the gall to state that it was undercooked! "I should have known it was you. How many years have you worked here, stupid? And after all this time, you. Still. Can't. Cook. Anything. Correctly!" Edith punctuated every word by slamming her hand on the table. The heiress picked up the steak and flung it straight at Sophie, sauce and all, smearing over the maid's outfit. As if that wasn't enough, she then grabbed a handful of potatoes and mushrooms and threw those straight in the other girl's face as well.
Ursula could not believe Sophie's composure. How was she standing there, taking this unfair slander and abuse with a demure smile? "Would you like me to recook it, my lady?"
"Don't bother. Just bring me dessert," Edith muttered hatefully.
Sophie went back and brought out a slice of the red velvet cake, frosted with cream cheese icing. Edith was about to put her fork in it when she paused. "Who made this? Stupid here again?"
When Sophie nodded, Edith picked up the plate and threw it to the ground, cake and all. "I already know it's going to taste awful if you made it. Wilson, get my Papi, and bring him to the battlegrounds. It's time to take my revenge on this useless staff for making this terrible lunch."
Ursula made sure she was next to Sophie as the assembled staff slowly made their way out to the western wing of the estate, where the battles were to take place. "How did you keep your composure like that? You didn't even argue with her!" Ursula asked her temporary coworker.
Sophie chuckled dryly. "Because I know in my heart that I'm good at what I do. When you have that self-belief in yourself, you don't need validation from other people, and you don't need to tell people that you're good. Whatever Edith says to me goes in one ear and out the other, and I couldn't bother less about what her opinion is."
Despite her casual tone, Ursula felt Sophie's words all the way to her core. Her tendency to tell everyone and their mother about how great a coordinator she was born from her not having enough confidence and belief in her own abilities. Thus, she constantly needed validation from others. She thought about it all the way until Monica pulled her aside before the start of the first battle.
"Usually, I'm the one going last, but it's going to be you this time," the head maid explained. "I already told you we aren't allowed to beat her, and we can't really weaken her Pokémon either. I can't even use Metronome on my Clefable, because I might risk a Hyper Beam. So, don't expect much help from us. Also, she sometimes changes the rules on a whim, so be prepared for that." Monica squeezed her shoulder and left her, as Mr. Aurelion started to speak."
"As is a proud tradition at my estate, anyone can come in to challenge five of the Pokémon maids that I have on my staff. Only the best and most accomplished of people can achieve victory in this challenge." Ursula noticed Edith looking very proud at her grandfather's words. "In addition, I promise to grant anything within my power to the victor. Today's challenger is the lovely Edith!"
The nightmare gave a big show, waving and strutting around the battlefield until Edith finally took her spot on one side, as Ursula and the rest of the employees were forced to clap and cheer for her. Sophie was not allowed the same reception when she took her spot on the field.
Right away, Ursula saw how handicapped her compatriots were. All the maids seemed to favor Fairy-type Pokémon, but the strongest attacks Fidough was allowed to use were Tackle and Bite, and it quickly went down, as did the next maid's Marill.
The third battle was more interesting, but not because it was close. This maid used a Pokémon called Dedenne, and her Pokémon used one of the most captivating Electric-moves Ursula had ever seen. Dedenne sent up an orb of electricity which fired off tendrils in every single direction, taking up the whole battlefield. What's more, the orb sent down a bolt of lightning that looked to be healing Dedenne, by the way it turned green.
Of course, the maid still lost, but Ursula's mind was spinning with possibilities. Isn't that what Luna always prattled on about? Versatility, so her Pokémon weren't always doing the same things? A move like that, which covered a massive area, dealt damage, and healed the user was incredible. Either she would get Plusle and Minun for their inbuilt synergy, or she would take her friend's advice and get a Pokémon that knew that move.
Monica was next, which Edith, who taunted every opponent after their defeat, had to comment on. "Oh? Tired of waiting to the end, to lose Monica?" The head maid gave Edith a smile that looked more like a grimace to Ursula, and sent out her Clefable, which put up a spirited effort, but ultimately was defeated as well.
Finally, after so much waiting, it was Ursula's turn. Edith raised one manicured eyebrow at her. "You're the last one? Well, it matters not. Every last one of you is a loser, anyways. It's so boring, that I want to use my second Pokémon for this one, in a double battle. Come on Furfrou! You and Snubbull are going to win this easily."
Ursula had only seen Edith's tiara wearing Snubbull up until this point, and her second Pokémon was another canine that somehow had a haircut to match its trainer. Ursula gave a quick silent prayer to the stylist who had to put up with Edith for the hours it must have taken to do Furfrou's fur. She sent out Gible and Masquerain to match, and immediately, Edith narrowed her eyes.
"Those are different Pokémon than everyone else has…"
Snubbull bared its massive fangs at her Pokémon, making them both flinch backwards slightly, but when Masquerain took to the air and unfurled her wings, the intimidating pattern made Snubbull and Furfrou do the same. Ursula thought about her options right before the battle began. All she knew was Snubbull was a Fairy-type, so Dragon-type moves would all be blocked by it. The other thing Ursula suspected was that the other girl didn't have a plan for someone who really attacked her Pokémon with an intent to win. Good thing that was exactly what she was here to do.
Edith, cheater that she was, didn't even wait for the battle to officially start before making her first command. "Snubbull, Bite! Furfrou, Headbutt!"
Ursula scoffed. "Masquerain, Air Slash on Snubbull! Gible, Tackle on Snubbull!"
The Fairy-type flinched upon being actually being hit by a real move, and Gile charged straight into it, knocking it back several feet. Furfrou retaliated against Gible, but yowled in pain upon contact with Gible's rough scales.
"What are you doing! You can't do that to my Pokémon!" Edith complained, sounding just like her Furfrou while stomping her feet.
"I can and I will," Ursula said, getting the other girl to gasp and widen her eyes. "Masquerain, Bubblebeam!"
"You'll pay for this!" Edith promised. "Furfrou, Snubbull, use Snarl!" The visible sound wave from their snarls popped all of Masquerain's bubbles into mist, and both of Ursula's Pokémon winced at the sound.
"Go for Icy Wind!"
"Furfrou, Cotton Guard! Snubbull, Incinerate!" This time Snubbull breathed fire to counter their Ice-type move, while Furfrou's fur seemed to harden into something like armor. Gible was looking up at Ursula for something to do, but he was best up close, which wasn't ideal against a Fairy-type who was also better up close, and a now armored Pokémon. Maybe if she split the battle up…
"Gible, use Sand Tomb on Furfrou!" The grains of dirt from the battlefield they were on came together into tentacles, rising and wrapping around the struggling Normal-type and preventing it from moving more than a few inches in any direction..
"You imbecile! Do you know how long we spent on Furfrou's fur to make it look so beautiful?"
Ursula ignored her. "Keep that Sand Tomb up to weaken it for as long as you can, Gible. Masquerain will finish Snubbull and then you two can defeat Furfrou together."
"The only Pokémon that are going to be defeated are yours! Snubbull, Thunder Wave!"
Masquerain didn't even need Ursula to tell her to hide behind Gible when the weak electric shock was headed her way. The move did nothing to her Ground-type, who continued to keep Sand Tomb on Furfrou, who was slowly getting weaker as it lost energy trying to fight against the move.
"You were supposed to let that hit!" Edith complained again, and finally Ursula was ready to retaliate, now that the battle was firmly in her favor.
"I'm not here to do anything but beat you and teach you a lesson!" Ursula taunted. "Masquerain, Water Pulse on Snubbull!"
"Snarl, just like before!"
With only Snubbull using the attack, and against a ball of water as opposed to a bubble, Snarl did not counter the move. Instead, Snubbull was doused in a blast of water that Ursula was quick to follow up on.
"Now, Icy Wind! Edith, inexperienced in an actual, competitive, battle, was a bit too slow in calling for Incinerate to match Icy Wind again. Snubbull was frozen to the floor, and only after did Edith furiously order her Pokémon to melt the ice with its Fire-type attack.
Not that Ursula was going to wait for that to happen. "Finish this with Air Slash!" Snubbull wasn't even paying attention, and collapsed in a heap when the two blades of air collided with it.
Seeing Snubbull go down, Gible finally released a panting and tired Furfrou from its sandy prison. "Use Cotton Guard again! They won't be able to touch you!" a fuming Edith shouted.
This time, Ursula did laugh at her opponent's expense. "Dragon Rage and Air Slash, go!" All that armored fur did nothing against the combined power of her Pokémon's attacks, and Furfrou went down as well.
"No, no, no, no, no! You can't do that to me! I'm a winner, and you're a loser! Papi!" The girl's enraged screams immediately quieted as tears started to well in her eyes. "Papi, she's made me cry! She's ruined my stay here! I want her fired! I want her fired now, and I don't want to ever see her ever again when I come here!"
She had been warned that a tantrum would be coming upon Edith's defeat, but causing it by defeating her was incredibly satisfying. Ursula recalled her Pokémon and thanked them before Mr. Aurelion turned to her apologetically.
"I'm very sorry, but my granddaughter's happiness is paramount." The man squinted to look at her face. "Apologies, but I personally know all my staff, and I don't for some reason know your name."
Ursula took off her maid cap and tossed it to the side. "That's because I've only been here one day, sir."
The man couldn't look any more surprised. "You were just hired today?"
Monica stepped in to cover for her. "Ursula's a coordinator, Mr. Aurelion. She came here today wanting to visit your Trophy Garden to get a Pokémon for the upcoming contest in Hearthome. I told her if she helped out today, we could do so. After all, the winner of this competition does get a prize…"
Mr. Aurelion looked thoughtful, but Ursula should have suspected something when Edith's sniffling stopped and a wicked gleam appeared in her eye. The heiress shuffled over and tugged at her grandfather's arm. "Papi, can you book me a hotel in Hearthome City? For some reason, I have the urge to go participate in the contest," she asked, locking eyes with Ursula as she did, wordlessly promising revenge was on the cards. "Can I catch a couple of Pokémon from your garden? Like Plusle and Minun, maybe?"
"Of course, sweety. You can have the whole thing to yourself to get to know them." Mr. Aurelion put his arm around Edith, who turned around and stuck her tongue out childishly as she was led off. Ursula was left staring at their retreating forms numbly. How had this happened?
It was only the congratulations of everyone as they also filed out that pulled Ursula from her stupor. Monica was the last, standing in front of Ursula with a determined look on her face.
"Wipe that sad look off your face. I owe you way too much for beating the brat and getting her out of our hair earlier than expected to not go through with our plan."
"How am I supposed to go to the Trophy Garden now, though? You heard her! She'll scream and throw another fit as soon as I show my face."
Monica grabbed her arm and started leading her. Ursula almost stumbled at the sudden movement, but managed to keep her footing, until they were at yet another door in the mansion. Monica ushered her inside and then followed her.
As soon as the lights were turned on, Ursula gasped. "This is-"
"Mr. Aurelion's office," the head maid confirmed. "No one will look for you here. Just wait while I get everything ready. Do you have a Pokémon in mind?"
"I was going to ask for Plusle and Minun at first," Ursula admitted. "There's one thing. Do any of the Pokémon in the garden know that move that Dedenne used during the Pokémon battle?"
"Parabolic Charge is the name of it, and yeah, there is one," Monica confirmed. "Sit tight until I come back, alright?"
Ursula assumed the wait would be fifteen minutes or so, not two whole hours. It felt longer, considering she didn't really want to leave evidence she was here by letting her Pokémon out to keep her company. Eventually, Monica and Sophie returned, carrying a number of items, and a large bag.
Sophie held the bag open as Monica showcased each item up before putting it inside. "The Trophy Garden is clear of anyone else. We have your clothes, your well-earned paycheck for a very hard day of work, and another pamphlet with all the details on your new Pokémon. It's called Helioptile, and while it is an Electric-type, it likes the sun as much as a Grass-type would."
Well, that would certainly make it easier to integrate, considering her other Pokémon liked the sun quite a bit as well, Ursula figured.
"We also included some food that Electric-type Pokémon absolutely adore, and a recipe on how to make it for my little protégé," Sophie teased. "And this for you to capture it."
The last item was a Pokéball, though it was like no Ursula had ever seen. It was black like an Ultra Ball, but had gold and red stripes instead. Upon closer inspection, the gold didn't look like paint.
"Is this really gold plated?" Ursula asked, to which she got two nods.
"Sure is. They don't call it a Luxury Ball for nothing. Supposedly, it's really comfortable, so Pokémon like it. Not that you don't have to continue to treat them well. But that shouldn't be a problem for you, from what I've seen," Monica explained. "Anyways, you're not supposed to be here anymore, so we're going to have to sneak you in. Watch carefully."
Monica went up to the statue of a Pokémon in the back of the room, which Ursula had spent several minutes observing while she had been waiting. She hadn't been able to decide what was. It had draconic and serpentine features, like a Gyarados, only its face was much kinder.
"What Pokémon is that?" she questioned Sophie, as Monica stood on her tiptoes and ran her hand down the Pokémon's neck until she found a camouflaged switch. When flicked, the head of the Pokémon statue lowered to be almost horizontal, and the wall behind it swung away to reveal a passage behind it.
"It's called Drampa. Mr. Aurelion had it commissioned because it loves children, and so does he. This passage leads to the Trophy Garden. There's an identical one at the other end, so remember what Monica did so you can close it up."
"You're going to have to sneak out of there yourself. There's a gate at the back, and then a few days worth of woods between here and Hearthome, but you should be fine."
"Thank you," Ursula said honestly. "You didn't have to go so far for me."
"Actually, we did." Sophie refuted, though she accepted the thanks nonetheless. "Good luck, with everything that's in your future."
Ursula was just about to go through the secret passage, when Monica's voice rang out. "One last thing, Ursula. I don't know why you've decided to put on a different persona to who you actually are, but I personally like you much more like this. I think that everyone else in your life would prefer the real you, as well."
The coordinator didn't trust herself to reply to that, waving goodbye instead and making her way down the tunnel. It wasn't frightening, after what they had been through, and because she could see light at the end.
As soon as Ursula closed the secret passage the same way she had seen Monica open it, she was swarmed by a host of Electric-types, who apparently knew exactly what was going to occur when a human came by to visit them. Ursula noticed with a tinge of regret that there were no Plusle and Minun present, but she quickly shook off her disappointment.
All of their eyes followed the bag of treats when Ursula pulled them out, and while some left, satisfied by their favorite foods, many stayed around, including her potential newest Pokémon.
It seemed that the ones who remained were familiar with this process. Several of them looked up from their meals eagerly when she pulled out the Luxury Ball given to her.
Most of the Pokémon were mammalian, but she quickly locked eyes with the sole reptilian, and she could see its eyes light up. The other Pokémon around looked on with undisguised jealousy.
Still, Ursula wanted it to know what it was getting into. She crouched down to meet it at eye level.
"Hello, Helioptile. I know that you currently live in comfort and have it easy. I can't promise that it will always be like it is now. What I can say, if you do join me, is that I'll always treat you well, and you'll have a chance to grow, showcase what you can do, and make lots of friends. Are you still interested?
The Electric-type hopped up and down and gave a happy cheer. Ursula couldn't help but smile in return as she tossed the Luxury Ball at it. The ball only wiggled for a few seconds before a satisfying click indicated she had been successful.
It didn't occur to Ursula once, while she made her way to the back of the garden, unlatched the gate, and slipped outside, or while she plotted her course back to Hearthome, that she had used her regular voice when she talked to Helioptile.