Vincent couldn’t help but be on edge as he watched the heist from the hidden spot Fox had left him in. Just from watching, he could understand kinda why she did it. She certainly was a sight to behold as she evaded the police, all the while using tricks and illusions that were just mind boggling. In fact, the sheer excitement was causing him to shake a little as the adrenaline pumped through his veins...wait, that was more than a lit...tle… the next thing he knew, his world exploded in pain, before he collapsed, falling out of the hiding spot, just as Fox and Jonathan passed by, the rest of the officers having been incapacitated.
“Vincent?!” Jonathan gasped, not expecting to see the boy here. Even Fox was caught off guard. However, any other thoughts left him when he saw how the boy looked like he was having a seizure.
Fox was the first to get to him, and checking his pulse, her eyes widened in alarm when she felt the erratic pulse. “His pulse is erratic. Its like he’s having a heart attack, but it's different somehow,” she said, causing Jonathan to stop short. “Okay, Jonathan. We don’t have time for our usual games. If we don’t do something, Vincent won’t make it. Truce for now?” Fox quickly said.
“...alright,” Jonathan sighed. As much as he wanted to catch her, right now, Vincent’s life was more important.
“You had a hidden tunnel like this in the woods?” Jonathan couldn’t help but ask in surprise when Fox actually brought him to one of her hideouts, Vincent’s life clearly more important to her. What REALLY surprised him was that when he got to the hideout, Bit was floating around there.
“Bit?! What are you doing here?!” he gasped.
Seeing Jonathan, Bit quickly went into the terminal that Alice had prepared for him. “Salutations to the pair of you, but time cannot be spared. Records from the facility have been dissected more thoroughly, and Vincent’s condition is now more properly understood.”
“But...how? What are you doing here of all places?” Jonathan gasped.
At this, Fox sighed. “I’ll explain later...its high time I did…” she said, before putting Vincent on the table.
“Indeed, her explanation can wait until later. This one cannot. Vincent was not the only one to be made, but he was the only one to survive,” the terminal declared.
“Explain,” Jonathan said.
“Thirty-six volunteers signed up for the Doctor’s initial project to fuse man and ‘mon. Vincent was the unofficial thirty-seventh subject. The previous subjects died after six months, their bodies tearing themselves apart in rejection of what had been done to them...but for some reason, Vincent lived.”
“Why is that? Why was it he was the only one to live?” Fox questioned.
“It is not known at this time,” Bit replied. “The Doctor spent some years trying to determine why Vincent lived, but when the answer kept eluding him, he turned to trying to bring Vincent’s powers beyond his capacity to understand Pokemon out.” The terminal whirred for a second, and when Bit spoke up again, he did so hesitantly. “This unit...is formulating a theory, even now...but it seems...far-fetched…”
“What is it? Spit it out, or Vincent might not live!” Jonathan demanded.
“There are two legends about Pokemon representative of Life and Death itself in this region...perhaps Xerneas would be able to provide us with answers where we have none?” Bit said, not liking the idea of invoking a Legendary’s name. But for Vincent…
“Xerneas? Can do. I can find a lead on where she likely is,” Fox said. “Just look for the trainer who was involved in the Team Flare incident. According to the underground, he was reported to have Xerneas in his possession.”
“Also,” Bit pitched in. “The initial subjects survived for six months...with the last one being where their body started to reject the modifications. This, bad as it is, will pass after a day or so...only to repeat as his body gets closer to the end of such a month,” the program elaborated.
“Then we’d better hurry!” Jonathan said, while Fox quickly looked through the data.
“Ah, my apologies, Fox. Do you desire for me to leave the terminal at this juncture?”
“No, stay in there. If you can help me find the trainer, then all the better,” Fox quickly said.
“For Vincent, gladly.” Images were quickly called up and dismissed, news articles and snippets of video flashing by. “Disseminating data,” the Porygon-Z stated, before a map of the Kalos region popped up, a line starting to be marked across it. “Projecting past path based on the most likely to be true stories.”
With that done, Fox stepped away, letting the program do his work. However, just as she did, Jonathan, grabbed her, and pinned her against the wall. “Alright, Fox. Talk! Why is Bit here? How do you know Vincent so well? Answer me!”
Fox sighed, before picking up a vial nearby. Removing her hat, she sprinkled a few drops on her hair, and before Jonathan’s eyes, the red color of her hair seemed to flow off, staining her outfit, revealing brown hair. Then Fox fished out a pair of reading glasses and put them on.
The moment Jonathan saw it, he felt like someone had poured a cold bucket of ice on him. “No...no...it can’t be!” he gasped as he stepped back.
“Its not. I’m really sorry Jonathan. I didn’t want you to find out like this,” Fox...no, Alice shook her head sadly.
“Path plotted,” Bit spoke up then, distracting the two. “Most likely location determined. The trainer we are seeking appears to have booked a room at Lumiose city and has been waiting there for a few days now. Unknown as to why.”
“Then we have no time to waste!” Alice said, before grabbing Jonathan by the arm. “Let’s go! I will explain everything later! For now, we have to save Vincent!”
“R-right!” Jonathan said, before grabbing Vincent and going.
Calem sighed as he stepped out of Lumiose City. Xerneas had been trying to tell him something for a while now, and though he didn’t know what, he felt that it was important, so he had waited here for a few days. And today, Xerneas was urging him to go by the Eastern exit.
What he wasn’t expecting was seeing two people running towards him, a young boy in their arms. At that moment, Xerneas’ Pokeball started shaking violently, before the Legendary broke free of the ball.
“Vincent Nurem,” She stated, before bowing her neck and touching Vincent’s forehead, her antlers shining brightly. “I am sorry it took so long for us to meet.”
“Wha...what’s happening?” the boy deliriously said, not quite sure what he was seeing.
“Wait...Xerneas...knows him?” Alice blinked.
“It...it looks like it…” Jonathan said, equally speechless.
“My counterpart knew the others like him,” Xerneas said as she began to glow, channeling as much of her power as she felt the boy could withstand. “And once he told me of them passing, I felt this young one about to join them. I did what I could from far away...but someone wasn’t always the best listener,” she said shooting a quick glance towards Calem, before looking at the other two humans that had brought Vincent to her. “Otherwise this might not be happening.”
“Well...can you help him?” Alice asked.
“Now that he is in my presence?” Xerneas said with a slight smirk. “There is a reason I am known as the Lady of Life. Vincent will not die this day...or any time soon. I will see to that.”
Her antlers caught the sunlight, and beams of color danced around the nearby area, before every one of them was focused on Vincent’s form. With a final dose of what could only be called raw power, the Legendary caused the boy’s form to glow as well.
After about ten seconds, Vincent stopped glowing, and stood on his own power. He blinked a few times, before reaching a hand up to his head. “My...headache. It’s gone.”
“As are all the other downsides of what that Doctor did to you,” Xerneas said. “You should live a long and healthy life...with occasional bursts of Psychic strength, but it won’t be painful for you anymore.”
“So...he’s gonna be okay?” Jonathan asked. “What...did you do?”
“Granted him enough of my essence and power, and his body took it and used it to...hmm, ‘bridge the gap’,” the Legendary said. “It was as though both halves were warring for dominance, but I’ve managed to negotiate a cease-fire within him. He shall live. Though if he starts getting headaches rapidly again, have him come see me…” Here she glanced over at Calem again. “Assuming someone makes it easy for me to be found.”
“Hey, understanding what you try to say isn’t always as easy as this,” Calem rejoined, before looking at the trio of strangers. “I’ll give you my number so that in case of emergencies with the kid here, you all will be able to reach out to me and Xerneas. Just, uh,” he said as he scribbled a set of digits down onto a scrap of paper, “Try to make sure you only use it in emergencies?”
“I…” Vincent reached up and gently stroked the Legendary’s form. “Thank you.”
“Not a problem, young one,” she said, smiling. “Just live your life. That is all I ask in return.”
“I will,” he stated. “Thanks to you, I will.”
After bringing Vincent back to his family, Jonathan brought Alice aside. “Okay, Alice, spill it. Why are you Fox? How long?!”
Alice just sighed. “Alright, follow me,” she said as she led him to her study. Pulling out a particular book, she opened it to reveal a switch. Pressing it, the book case started to move aside, revealing a stairway down. “Follow me. Everything will be clear soon.”
Walking down the stairs, Jonathan was surprised at what he found. Inside the hidden room, it was lined with pictures/paintings of various people. One thing in common was that they were all dressed in a familiar outfit, with an unmistakable hat in their hands. When his eyes fell on one particular painting, he gasped in surprise. “This is...Mr. Maximilion…” he said, recognizing Alice’s father.
“That’s right. Phantom Thief Fox. Every last one of them were members of my family. Jonathan, do you know why Fox exists in the first place?”
“Dunno. You’ve all been around for the last 500 years, and I doubt anyone was interested in a motive,” Jonathan said.
“Alright...I’ll start at the beginning,” she sighed. “Its a long story, but it started from the first Fox, 500 years ago. If I’m not mistaken it was in Orre...before it became the wasteland it is today. Even in those days life was hard, and people horded what little they had. My ancestor was a penniless orphan, and with how things were at the time, he had all but resigned himself that he was going to die. However, at the brink of it, a kind family aided him, a stranger and outsider. For the first time, he experienced true kindness,” she said, a distant look in her eyes. “However, once again, humanity’s ugly side reared its head. Another family, one who was high ranked, yet greedy and jealous of what they saw, hated how that family was happy despite being poor, so they decided to take the only thing they could think of. They took everything the family owned, and because they were highly ranked, they were able to...cover up their tracks. My ancestor, angered by that injustice, and wanting to repay their kindness, sought a way to help them. He tried talking to the people, yet they were afraid. He tried talking to the authorities, yet they turned him away. After a while, he came upon his answer. If the right way wasn’t going to give him his answer, then maybe the answer was in the wrong way. Taking a big gamble, he did the only thing he could think of, he stole what he could, initially intending to give it all to the family that helped him and tell them to run, but in the middle of that heist, he stumbled upon something else. Documents of the family’s dealings. That was when he realized another alternative. Taking the documents, he leaked them to the authorities, and shortly after, that family was exposed, and everything they had taken was returned.”
“That was...the very first Fox? And the first crime lord he exposed then…” Jonathan said slowly. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but feel respect for the person he was learning about.
“And that was just the beginning,” she chuckled. “Seeing what his actions had done, my ancestor for the first time felt like he had found his calling. At first he wasn’t a Phantom Thief. He was just a thief who would sneak in, steal what he needed to expose his target, then give it to the police anonymously, while leaving a trail right back to his targets. However, he wasn’t quite good enough at hiding his tracks. A few years later, a group of bandits, hired by one of the people he had ‘ruined’, managed to trace him back to the family who had helped him in the beginning, and took them hostage, threatening to kill them if he did not show himself. Naturally, he had been ready and willing to give his life, but he knew that if they killed him, nothing would stop them from killing his dear friends anyway. Desperate for an answer, he prayed for an answer. What he got was a glimpse of a creature who’s image would forever be burned into his mind. A creature who could melt into the shadows, appear as anything it desired. Yes, at the time nobody knew what it was, but nowadays, we know that it was a Zoroark that he had seen. Inspired by it, he created one of the very first man made illusions of a large scale, as while he had little money, he had something far far more valuable. A bond of friendship with many of the Pokemon that lived in that area. Donning an outfit modeled after the creature that inspired him, and with the help of his friends, he managed to save his dear friends, all the while creating a spectacle that the people at the time would remember for generations. It was in that heist that he announced himself as Phantom Thief Fox, right before he and his friends fled the town. After that, time passed, he fell in love, married, had a child, and inspired by the tales, his child followed in his footsteps. This happened again and again with each generation, and before long, Phantom Thief Fox became a legend, even if each of them was a different person, but in the end, we all followed his footsteps, his desire to right the wrong that couldn’t be corrected by the so-called ‘right’ ways. And I’m proud to be the latest in this legacy,” she finished.
---
“Is that...that’s why Fox exists?”
“Like I said,” Vincent’s voice pitched in from the nearby stairs. Apparently he’d wandered in at some point during her story. “I trust her more than you.”
“Yeah...but…” Jonathan started.
“She rescued me,” Vincent said. “She got the rest of them out and helped me save Bit from being stuck there. And if she hadn’t come along, would you have ever found me?”
“I….” Jonathan tried to say...but Alice cut him off.
“Jonathan...I’m really, really sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. You’re my best friend, and that was never a lie,” Alice said sadly.
“Why should I believe you…” Jonathan said...though his voice lacked any real conviction.
“I know...I was scared. I was afraid of what might happen if you knew...but now...Jonathan, no matter what, I want you to know...this is how I really feel…” Alice said, and before Jonathan could react, she had pressed her lips against his, and pulled him into a kiss. Vincent looked away from the scene, pointedly not interested, waiting for one of them to talk again to signify that it was over.
Jonathan’s eyes widened, and his first instinct was to push away....but before long, he found himself pushing back against the kiss, deepening it. His thoughts were going miles per second. On one hand, he was a cop and she was a thief...but as they remained locked together, he started to realize...it didn’t matter to him. Here was the girl of his dreams kissing him on the lips, right after she had told him everything. Her reasons, her ideals, and really...he always did entertain the idea of reforming Fox if he ever caught her…
The two would have gone on, but they soon needed to breath. “Wow...just wow…” Jonathan sighed.
“Mmmhmm,” Alice sighed, leaning into him. “I’ve hid it for so long, but I won’t lie anymore. I love you, Jonathan Trace. You’re my best friend, and even though we were on opposite sides when I’m Fox, those feelings never changed.”
Jonathan hesitated for a bit...before hugging her back. “I...I need some time…” was all he could say, his mind still jumbled up.
“Take all the time you need. But please...I need to know how you really feel. Please, Jonathan,” Alice nodded as she slowly let him go, before he walked up the stairs, his mind very much a jumbled mess.
“Well,” Vincent said, looking back at Alice. “Really, that could have gone worse. And at least that’s one secret I don’t have to keep anymore. At least, not from him.”
Alice just nodded, though she watched his retreating form, an almost longing look in her eyes, before she sighed and went back to work, her mind also too troubled to respond to Vincent.
“Oh this promises to be pleasant,” the boy muttered, not liking the idea that he might be the only really functional one in the house.
Jonathan bursts through the doors to Alice’s...no, THEIR home as he ran with a folder in his hand.
“Jon? Where’s the fire?” Alice blinked.
“No time. Where’s Vincent?”
“He’s in the living room. Why?”
Jonathan quickly ran to the living room, where Vincent was reclining on a couch, looking at a spoon intently. Lucy sat nearby, and Sam was snickering behind a claw.
“Vincent!” he said, catching the boy’s attention.
“Shh!” he said in response. “Focusing.”
“Your mother called,” Jonathan said.
Vincent whipped his head around, and the spoon flew upwards, lodging itself into the ceiling. “Who called?”
“Your mother. She’s in Johto, and she just contacted my office. She asked me to take you to her,” Jonathan said, handing him her file. The boy opened it and went through the papers, raising an eyebrow.
“I...recall you telling me about her, yes. But…” Here he sighed and looked at the far wall. “I suppose she’s the only one left for me to see,” he mused.
“I know it’ll be more like seeing a stranger, but I think you should at least meet her,” Jonathan said.
“I agree. You should give it a chance, Vincent,” Alice said as she walked into the room. “At the very least, it’ll give you both some closure.”
“I...how would I even start that conversation?” Vincent said, still giving the wall the thousand-yard stare.
“Er...hello?” Alice suggested with a weak chuckle when he said that. She honestly hadn’t considered that.
“There are worse options, I suppose,” the boy said with a chuckle. He then seemed to consider something and looked at the file. “The Johto region? That’s...not anywhere near us, is it?”
“On plane it would take us nearly a day to get there,” Alice nodded. “Johto is connected to Kanto, so we can take a plane to Kanto from Lumiose Airport.”
“And of course one of the regulations is that all trainer’s Pokemon must be in a Pokeball,” Vincent groused. “I really don’t like doing that to them, you know.”
“Well the only option is a ship then. But that would take us a week,” Jonathan started.
“Plus really, I think only Sam would need to be in his ball. Lucy and Bit should be small enough to be allowed out of their balls,” Alice added.
“Vincent, if it means you getting to see your mom sooner than a week, I’m fine with a day in the ball,” Sam pitched in, causing the boy to sigh.
“...Fine, I’ll go get their balls and put Sam in his when the time comes,” Vincent said. “Let’s just hope this whole thing isn’t a mistake.”
“Alright then, we’d better go soon then. The next flight is in a few hours,” Jonathan said. “Oh, and don’t worry about the money, I was given the money needed for a 2 way trip. Vincent was given money for only a one way trip though.”
“I’ll pay for my own ticket,” Alice nodded. The kid went upstairs and rummaged in his room, locating his bag and packing what few things he thought he would need for such a journey. A change of clothes, a few items to maintain his hygiene, and of course the balls for his family. He came back downstairs and looked at the table with a raised eyebrow.
“Huh...where’d the spoon go?” he questioned aloud.
“The spoon you were bending?” Alice questioned. “Wasn’t it right...here?” she blinked as true enough, it was missing. “...I did NOT take it.”
Sam snickered again and pointed upwards, drawing the attention of the humans to the embedded silverware in the ceiling.
“...Okay, I did not intend for that to happen,” Vincent stated.
“...I think the Abra DNA in you must have Evolved. I don’t remember Abra being strong enough to do that,” Jonathan deadpanned, while Alice nodded.
“It’s a good thing I’m trying to get practice, then,” the boy said, standing under the spoon and tilting his head. “Hmm. How to get it?”
Alice simply jumped up and plucked it out. “This is nothing to Fox,” she chuckled.
“My thanks,” Vincent said, holding his hand out for the spoon. Alice simply gave it to him, before she and Jonathan went to their rooms to pack up as well.
“Okay, so here we are. Lumiose Airport,” Jonathan said.
Vincent whistled at the sight, before sighing and grabbing Sam’s Pokeball. Sam nodded, ready to be returned so that everyone else would have no hold-ups in boarding. With a flash of red, the Scyther was gone for the time being.
“Let’s get this over with,” the boy groused.
“Aww...don’t be so grouchy, Vincent. Once we get our tickets, we’ll still have about 2 hours to get on the plane. We might as well enjoy the airport a bit,” Alice chuckled as they walked in.
“Hm...I should probably get some souvenirs for mom and dad,” he mused.
“Speaking of which...how are they reacting to...you know,” Alice sighed, referring to their recent relationship.
“...Dad looked all but ready to disown me at first...but they’ve cooled off. It helps that its you. They’re still a bit...iffy about me dating Fox,” he sighed, saying the last part quietly.
“My parents won’t stop teasing me about ‘how long before your parents will start saying they have outlaws for in laws’. That and how long before they become grandparents,” Alice deadpanned with a sweat drop. “They REALLY don’t mind the idea of...us...one bit.”
“Yeaaah….I can see that,” Jonathan sweatdropped, remembering how...lax her father could be at times. The man was a good man, even if a little eccentric.
“Relationships seem to be a complicated mess,” Vincent commented while Lucy sat on his shoulders like usual. “Really, you’re imposing the rules of society upon your own basic biological desires. I don’t see how it could ever end neatly.”
“It doesn’t,” they both deadpanned.
“Its one of the reasons why I think laws like Pokephilia are Tauros Shit as they are now,” Jonathan sighed.
“A law stating who you aren’t allowed to love does sound like a terribly complicated one to enforce,” the boy said with a nod. “And speciest as well. By enforcing it, you’re essentially saying that you don’t think Pokemon and humans are or should be equals.”
“Unfortunately most people don’t see it that way. They think anyone who loved a Pokemon was a depraved sicko for the simple fact that they ‘obviously’ trained their Pokemon for this purpose,” Jonathan said, before sticking out his tongue. “Just look at poor Gene Phillips. Its only recently that thanks to Seth Crescent that we’re cracking down on that law. Mainly we actually CHECK first before arresting.”
“And thus sanity returns to the world,” Vincent said, before returning to snark. “Now if only it could have happened a little sooner…”
“Well, unfortunately, even now things aren’t so simple. A LOT of people still oppose the change. Old Hastings still isn’t happy about this,” Alice sighed.
“And when Old Hastings does something akin to what you two have for me,” Vincent fired back, “Then maybe he’ll be worth listening to.”
Both of them just shrugged, as they walked through the airport. “No comments there.”
Bit ticked as he floated behind the humans, idly processing the information. Perhaps when he had a free moment, he’d look up this Hastings with a bit more scrutiny…
“So which way are we going?” Vincent questioned his benefactors.
“Terminal 10. The plane goes straight to Johto,” Jonathan said. The teenager looked up and took note of the numbers before angling himself in the correct direction.
“You’re sure they won’t have a problem with Bit?” Vincent queried.
“...most likely? If not, just recall him till they are done,” Alice said.
“It’s just, he’s a Porygon-Z. And a plane, though massive, still operates on delicate systems. I think they may just have a small issue with him being out,” the boy pointed out.
“We’ll just see. If they ask you to keep him away, its better if you do. At least its just for the flight,” Alice nodded.
“If they ask me to return Lucy as well, I swear that I will turn right around,” the boy muttered darkly.
Both of them looked at the Riolu, then sweatdropped. “As long as she doesn’t try climbing up anywhere she shouldn’t I don’t think they’ll mind,” Jonathan said.
“I’ll be good,” Lucy said. “Promise!”
“You’d best be,” Vincent said, reaching up to give her ears a quick rub. “If I end up having to put you in your ball, I’ll turn around and look for a boat.”
“Yeah...please don’t do that,” Jonathan groaned.
The next hour or so was spent walking around the airport, grabbing a few souvenirs, and/or a few snacks. Before long, it was soon time to board the plane.
“Welcome to your first airplane ride. Hope you enjoy,” Alice chuckled as Vincent was seated behind her, while Jonathan was behind him.
“Something tells me a certain little height maniac certainly will,” Vincent laughed as Lucy squirmed in her seat.
“...please keep her in her seat if you can. She can look out the window, but PLEASE don’t let her crawl around anywhere else,” Alice sighed. The last thing they wanted was to be kicked off the plane.
“Yes miss Alice,” Lucy said, settling down a little bit. “I don’t want Vinny to be in trouble ‘cause of me…”
“Aww,” Vincent said, giving her a quick rub behind the ears. “Just be on your best behavior, Lucy, and everything should work out.”
The plane ride was relatively uneventful. Fortunately, the available on board entertainment screens proved adequate amusement for the duration of the long flight. Alice had been reading a mystery novel, while Jonathan had decided to watch a few crime dramas. Vincent and Lucy alternated between cartoons and re-runs of famous battles within the League.
“C’mon,” the Riolu muttered. “Get up, dodge it, come on, come- Noooo,” she moaned. “Aww, that was just an awful fight.”
“True,” Vincent agreed. “But then again, that Red seemed to know what he was doing, bringing Dark and Bug types to the Psychic gym.”
“Not surprising. Red’s the current Champion of Kanto, and has so far remained undefeated since he took the title,” Alice commented from where she was reading.
“...And how long ago was this?” Vincent asked, honestly curious. He hadn’t spent much time looking such things up when he was at the house.
“Let’s see...13 years ago, give or take,” Alice answered.
“That is quite a time to hold on to that tile,” the teenager replied, honestly impressed. “So...wait, how old was he when he took it?”
“17,” Jonathan chimed in.
“He...must be quite gifted, then,” Vincent said, falling silent as he thought about the ramifications.
“Well...he’s known to be pretty reclusive. Lots of time you can hears stories of how he would disappear from time to time, though he’s always present for a challenger when they show up,” Alice mused. “Personally, I prefer champions like Iris and Cynthia. I hear they’re quite friendly, and often journey around their regions, mingling with other trainers. There’s also Steven and Diantha, but since those two are pretty much celebrities, they have a pretty good reason to remain out of sight in public.”
“I wanna meet one!” Lucy chimed in, and Vincent laughed before giving her a quick scratch behind her ears.
“Hopefully not to fight them,” he commented.
“Yeah, I’d give you 5 seconds at most. Probably less,” Alice chuckled with a slight jab. “Next time if you want, I’m sure we could find Diantha. You just need to know where she’s shooting her next film or something. Also, I hear she sometimes likes to frequent a few cafes in Lumiose. Apparently she’s got a taste for some good chocolate cake.”
“Where did you learn that?” Jonathan chuckled. “The underground?”
“Gossip column. Most of it is crap, but some of it is pretty good.”
“Not everything Alice knows needs a shady origin,” Vincent commented. “Though with her, it is hard to tell sometimes.”
“I’ll take that as a complement,” Alice laughed as she went back to her novel.
“Well, here we are,” Alice said, stretching a bit as they stepped off the plane.
“Oooh, that feels goo-ack!” Vincent’s stretching was cut short as Lucy jumped into his chest, hugging him fiercely.
“Missed doing this,” She said into his shirt.
“...I just realized. You are SO lucky that Pokephilia isn’t strictly illegal anymore...unless its abusive. With how Lucy acts, all it would take is some jerk pointing and you’d have police on you in minutes,” Jonathan idly commented.
“In which case I would ask them how they intend to Evolve any ‘mon that requires a close, caring, loving bond with their trainer and not get called out for the same,” Vincent replied while shifting Lucy to her customary shoulder perch.
“Well...most people think a little different in that sense. Then again, like I said, Tauros Shit law,” Jonathan deadpanned.
“That’s the truth,” Alice shrugged.
“I’m pretty sure it had about fifty truck-sized holes in it the moment it was written,” the teenage Trainer said with an eye-roll. “But let’s not waste too much more time. I’d like to get out of here, let Sam out, and then we can see about finding...her...”
“Right,” they both nodded. Once they were out of the airport, several Pokeballs opened up, revealing their entire team.
“Okay, so where did she say she would be again?” Alice asked.
“She’s in Azalea Town I believe. We’re in Olivine City,” Jonathan answered.
“Okay, onward then!” Alice laughed, before they headed straight for said town.
A few days later…
“Ah, its been a long time since I’ve had to rough it out like this,” Alice sighed nostalgically.
“Not surprising. Both of us were never interested in the league to begin with, so we didn’t spend all that long for a Pokemon Journey,” Jonathan nodded.
“I think I read about that,” Vincent observed. “Something about sending the youth off with a starter Pokemon, some balls, and some funds to make their way in the world? Or am I mistaken?”
“More or less. Its not mandatory, and mostly based on choice. So really, most people come back better for it,” Alice said.
“Everyone has to start somewhere and get experience somehow,” Sam observed. “Seeing the world is a good way to figure where you want to go and what you want to do.”
“And you would know that how?” Vincent retorted. “You spent most of your time with one old man in one city, learning...something. You never told me.”
“And you don’t want to know, kid,” the bug replied instantly. “I’ll tell you when you’re older, maybe.”
The teenager sighed and looked to the adults. “He always says that and never does.”
“...old man huh? Why do I feel like I heard something about this before…” Alice mused.
“If you did, somehow I think we don’t want to know,” Jonathan deadpanned.
“The old guy lived in Celadon...I think,” Sam said. “That’s what everyone else called it.”
Both of them looked at each other with a deadpan look. “The legendary pervert? Vincent, trust us. You do NOT want to know.”
“How bad could it be?” the teenager said with an eye-roll. In response, Sam leaned in to Jon’s ear and whispered.
“...that’s warrant for arrest AND 10 years at least in jail,” the officer blinked.
“...Okay, one of you is exaggerating, and I’m not sure who,” Vincent said, still disbelieving. Sam shrugged and decided to whisper the same thing to Alice.
“...forget arrest. How was he not murdered by an angry mob of women,” she deadpanned.
“...And suddenly I’ve reached a conclusion,” the teenager said. “You can keep your secrets, Sam.”
“Thank you!” the bug cheered.
“Speaking of which, here we are. Azalea Town,” Howl commented as true enough they had arrived.
“Finally. Hey Jonathan, why don’t we go challenge the gym here? For old times sake,” Heat suggested.
“You wouldn’t have much fun. Azalea Gym is a Bug-type gym. You have the clear advantage,” Alice commented.
“Awwww…”
“Anyway, let’s find the hotel. Ms. Jeanne should be there,” Jonathan quickly said.
“I...hope so,” Vincent said, swallowing thickly. “I still don’t know what I’m going to say…”
Later, after searching the town, they soon found the hotel. Shortly after, they were waiting in the hotel lobby, having talked to the manager.
“She’ll be here soon,” Jonathan said.
“I just...I’m not sure. There’s far too many emotions warring for control at the moment,” the boy replied, running a hand through his hair nervously. “I barely even know her. Files can only do so much. For all I know, this is a mistake, coming here…”
“Well, we’ve gone this far. We might as well finish it. Don’t go chickening out on us now, Vincent, or I’ll shackle you to the table,” Alice smiled with a half joke as she held up a pair of handcuffs she had swiped from a passing police officer.
“...I know I should comment, but I’ve been with you long enough to know that some things just aren’t worth commenting on,” Jonathan sighed as he checked for his cuffs. They were still there.
“And that’s supposed to make me less nervous?” the boy asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No, but it shows you’ve got worse things to worry about,” Alice said with a slight troll grin.
“I, on the other claw, don’t think Bit or I need to be here,” Sam said, snagging a hold of the program and starting to walk off. “So I think we’ll go see the sights...and give you fewer chances to distract yourself or claim that you need to leave early.”
“Good boys,” Alice chuckled. “Speaking of which….Ms. Jeanne, I presume,” she chuckled as she turned to see the woman.
“Aaaand now I think we should be out of the way,” Jonathan smiled as he pulled his girl aside.
There was a quiet beauty to her, Vincent would reflect. Someone who had probably been very gorgeous once, and only had it...muted through age. And stress. She was roughly his height...maybe an inch or two taller, with green eyes and blonde hair. The one thing that halted Vincent from trying to flee any further was simple:
She looked to be just as nervous as he felt. Vincent settled himself back in his seat and Lucy sat back in his lap, looking up at the unfamiliar lady.
“Hello Vincent,” she said softly, sitting opposite him. He absently took in that she was wearing clothes that seemed to have been woven to be durable...and that there were a few holes here and there.
“Hello Jeanne,” he replied, not quite ready to call her his mother just yet. She winced slightly at the name.
“I suppose I deserve that,” she said in response. “I’ll...be honest, a part of me was hoping you would call me some form of ‘mother,’ but I can understand why you wouldn’t.”
“I’m just not comfortable with it,” he replied. “I understand that you did what you could to find me, but the fact remains...only he was there, and I don’t even like to think of him as…”
By this point, Vincent had glanced away and was breathing erratically, but Lucy reached up and patted his cheek, drawing him back from...wherever his memories had led him. Jeanne smiled and looked at the Riolu. “And is this your partner?” she asked.
“Little sister, partner ‘mon, friend and family,” the boy replied, causing the woman to pause for a moment before her smile returned.
“Well it’s nice that you keep her so close to your heart then, especially as that’s one of the things needed for her to Evolve,” Jeanne commented.
“Well aware,” Vincent replied with a small smile. “Lucy, don’t be shy. Say hi.”
The Riolu climbed out of Vincent’s lap and walked across the table to stand in front of the lady. “You’re pretty,” she commented, sticking out a paw in greeting.
Jeanne took the proffered appendage and gave it a light shake while making sure to keep eye contact with the small fighting-type. “And hello to you too,” she said, before letting go. Lucy turned back to Vincent and took her usual perch back, causing him to sigh in frustration.
“I don’t know why she doesn’t ever stop,” he said. “All I know is that she loves it up there.”
“She probably likes seeing things before they see her,” Jeanne said with a slight giggle. “You two are just perfect for one another.”
Vincent was silent for a good ten seconds as he considered how he wanted to phrase his question. “I’m...not going to ask where you were. I’m not going to ask what you were doing. The files Jon gave me made those things quite clear. What I am going to ask is...what you saw in him.”
Jeanne slumped and sighed, looking at nothing in particular before she started to reply. “Like that second broadcast said, he was once a normal man. And Rupert, while clueless to begin with, was devoted to his work. Once I got it into his head that I liked him and wanted to see him, he was devoted to me as well.” She turned slightly and smiled at her son before continuing. “He would do any and everything to make sure that I wasn’t mad at him, and he used to be kind and caring. If not for those few twists of fate...then maybe we wouldn’t be meeting this late in your life.”
“I see,” Vincent replied, taking in the information and saving it away for later use. Jeanne suddenly grabbed his hands with her own.
“I’m...glad to have seen you, Vincent,” she said, before standing up and walking out of the lobby. “Now let’s see if we can find your friends. I have a few things I want to tell and ask them.”
The boy blinked a few times before he got up as well, following after the lady who gave birth to him.
“So...how do you think Vincent is doing?” Alice asked as she and Jonathan sat on a bench not far from the hotel, their Pokemon running around free.
“Worried about him not working things out with his mom?” Jonathan smiled, putting an arm around her shoulder.
“No, more that we weren’t there for moral support since SOMEBODY decided to pull us out first,” she chuckled, elbowing him lightly.
“Oh don’t worry. He’ll be fine. Besides, he’s got Lucy with him. He’ll be fine,” Jonathan reassured.
“Ah, well you two didn’t go far at all, did you?” Jeanne said as she stepped out of the hotel, Vincent not far behind her.
“He’s technically our responsibility, so yeah, we couldn’t go far,” Jonathan said back.
“Sides, he’s been like a little brother to us. We wouldn’t just leave him,” Alice added with a chuckle. “I take it things are going well,” she said.
“Well enough,” Vincent replied.
“Yes, but you two have lives outside of this little town,” Jeanne said. “Which leads me to what I wanted to ask you.” She paused for a moment before staring at them both intently. “I want you to take Vincent with you when you go back.”
Both of them stopped short. “Wait...what?” they both sputtered.
“I would love to have been there for Vincent throughout his life,” Jeanne sighed wistfully. “But the fact of the matter is, through no fault of my own, I wasn’t. And I would be a fool not to recognize the bonds he’s made with the pair of you,” she observed, then chuckled. “Or the bonds you two share with one another.”
“W-well, thank you. We promise we’ll take good care of him,” Alice said.
“Yeah. You can count on us,” Jonathan nodded. “But...are you sure about this? He’s your son. Wouldn’t you at least consider maybe coming with us?”
“I would like to, true,” Jeanne said, but shook her head and looked at the old Slowpoke Well. “But I still have a few things to do. Just because my son is found doesn’t mean there isn’t still something to do to fight inequality. Besides, did you think I would just turn him over without a small fuss?” Here she winked at the pair.
“...ooohh!” Alice blinked, before chuckling. “I see where he got his devious side from.”
“My condition is quite simple, dears,” Jeanne said, before nodding at the nearby Pokecenter. “I’m going to work to build up my reputation and a modest amount of funds again, get back into the Coordinator line of work...but until the time comes when I can come to him? Sundays mornings, I’ll call, and he’d best be free.”
“No problem. Sunday’s my day off anyway,” Alice chuckled.
“Mostly cause you like to be her on Saturdays,” Vincent snickered under his breath.
“Well then,” Jeanne said, puzzled for a moment before brushing whatever they’d been talking about to the side. “Call the Pokecenter the Sunday morning when you get back, and I’ll write your number down and do it myself afterwards.”
“Done. But...we should still be here for a few more days at least,” Alice commented.
“Yeah, I can arrange for my ticket to change the date of when I get back...assuming my superiors will let me do that,” Jonathan nodded. “Actually, they DID say I’ve been racking up on vacation time. Maybe this would be a good time to burn through some of it.”
“Going to take Heat up on his idea of challenging the gym then, Jon?” Vincent questioned with a bit of a chuckle.
“Eh why not. I already have 5 Kalos badges. Might as well get a few Johto badges while I’m at it,” he chuckled.
“If you’re going to do that,” Jeanne commented, “Then I’ll come along to watch.”
“Sure, it could be fun,” Alice chuckled.
“Well that was easy,” Jonathan smiled as he held up his new Hive Badge to the sun, the light glinting off it.
“Not hard, considering you have a Combusken and a Noibat. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how Heat isn’t already a Blaziken with how strong he already is. Echo should be a Noivern by now too,” Alice commented.
“And you lot keep telling me that this little bundle of hyper should be a Lucario by now, but we can all see how true that’s been,” Vincent commented, tickling Lucy, who had in a rare moment consented to being carried instead of riding Vincent’s shoulders.
“Well, we’ve got good reason to say that. She’s pretty strong, plus she’s been so happy since you got out. The only thing you’d need now at this rate is for her to thrash a strong opponent,” Alice defended. “As for Heat, you know how he likes to fight. By all means, he should have racked up enough experience to Evolve.”
“Well then, let’s ask.” Vincent turned to the latest victor over the Bug gym and quirked an eyebrow. “Heat? There any reason in particular you aren’t a Blaziken? You wouldn’t be holding back your Evolution on purpose, now would you?”
“Nope. Why would you think that?” Heat blinked. “Heck, when I evolve I say we should totally go to Shalour, and maybe find a Blazikenite. I’d totally want to go Mega.”
“...and that leaves us at square one,” Jonathan sighed.
“Pardon me, dears, but did you all just…?” Jeanne was befuddled to say the least. “I mean, I know some trainers claim to understand their partners, but…”
“Well, Vincent’s technically part Abra now, though we’re pretty sure its evolved into Kadabra with how strong his psychic powers have been lately,” Alice commented. “Jonathan’s just been with Heat for so long, talking to him is a no brainer for him.”
“I...see,” Jeanne replied softly. “And yourself? Any reason it looked like you caught a part of what he was saying?”
Alice pulled out an ear piece. “My cousins a genius and a tech geek. He’s been designing this translator for humans to use, wanting to break the old language barrier between human and ‘mon. Guess who’s the lucky test subject,” she said sarcastically at the end, remembering how often the thing would go haywire after a while, nearly causing her to go deaf in one ear.
“Do tell me he wasn’t using your latest addition to your lives to do his research,” Jeanne said, crossing her arms as she considered the idea.
“Nah, Vincents never even MET him. He sends stuff over to me all the time. Heck, its been a while since I’ve seen him out of his lab. I think I saw him looking a little pale the last time he sent a photo,” Alice shrugged.
“Well then, I wouldn’t mind an earpiece myself...nor would many of the more sane members of the Rangers, I don’t think,” Jeanne said. “I’m sure I have a list around here somewhere of Rangers who I’ve met who were nice folk. It’s exactly the sort of thing we could use.”
“No can do. This thing is far from ready. Sure it works, but it keeps having static. Not to mention it tends to try to drag my hearing down with it when it dies,” Alice deadpanned.
“Alice, outta curiosity, which would have been better?” Vincent questioned. “Your earpiece dying, or hearing what Sam had to say not too long ago?”
“...my earpiece dying. At least I can’t understand it.”
Sam just chuckled. “And that was the intro course,” he said with another laugh.
“...say anything else and I will personally wash your mouth out with soap,” Alice stated, her voice deadly calm.
“Shutting up,” the bug said, drawing a claw over his mouth.
“...Do I want to know?” Jeanne and Vincent asked at the same time.
“Not if you don’t want to feel like tearing your ears off,” the girl deadpanned.
“...Alice dear, I do hope you’ll keep a good eye on that Scyther,” Jeanne said, shooting Sam a glare that he could feel.
“Done,” Alice glared as well. “Now then, what shall we do? Is there anything interesting going on?” she asked.
Suddenly the ground tremored, shaking up the whole town. When it subsided, all attention was on the various tv screens, all of which were showing the same thing.
“We interrupt all programs for a special report!” the newscasters all looked frantic. “This just in, a mysterious new landmass has suddenly appeared in the middle of the oceans near the Unova region! We have yet to be able to investigate, but all authorities assure that they will get to the bottom of this immediately!”
“...when I said anything interesting, I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!!!!” Alice shouted to the sky.
Greetings citizens of Earth both old and new. I am Arceus, and I have returned.