The train whistled loudly as it pulled into the station, Ignis already having arrived a few minutes earlier. Seth and his crew emerged from the last carriage, their latest trip much less uneventful. Ignis had said he wanted to think for a while and decided to fly to Las Pegasus. The dragon landed just a few moments after the train arrived.
“Well, at least that trip was quieter,” Selena yawned, having slept the whole way. The Gabite grumbled in response, not exactly a morning ‘mon before breakfast. Or at any other time of the day, really. Both could really use some coffee...
“Can we please do what we came here to do with a minimum of fuss?” she groused.
“Someone isn’t a morning ‘Mon huh?” Rika giggled, and glanced at Seth. “At least you two have that in common.”
“That they do,” Fritter giggled. She looked around at the bright buildings of Las Pegasus and whistled. “Hoowey! This here is really somethin’ even bigger that Canterlot ah reckon!”
“Do you even know where they are?” Christine questioned. “I’m all for seeing sights, really, but I want to be reunited with Sam as soon as possible.”
“Not a clue,” Seth smiled. “But I do know we have to meet somepony named Captain Ace, perhaps he might know?”
“But we don’t know where he is either.” Selena said.
“I have an idea!” Ignis grinned and inhaled deeply. Letting out an earth-shattering roar, he unleashed a stream of flames into the sky. “Let’s get their attention instead~”
“Only you...” Seth groaned.
...I assume there’s a good reason that- oh hey Ignis! Fancy seeing you all here! Vincent’s voice was unmistakable as it rang out among the group. Still, you’re interrupting something at the moment...
“Ah, sorry ‘bout that,” Seth replied. “It’s just...”
“Where. Is. SAM!?!” Christine was getting irritated.
Oh heya Christine. Don’t you remember little ol’ Vincent? I see you still remember big bro.
Christine blinked. “Vincent doesn't have telepathy...”
“Actually, he kinda does now,” Seth replied out loud. “Remember? I told you he was a Kadabra now.”
“Being told is one thing. Actually seeing it is another. Or in this case, hearing it.”
Yeah, her distrust is kinda understandable. So! You lot here for me then? Cause it’d be...let’s go with better, if I came to you instead of the other way ‘round.
“Is there a problem?” Seth asked. “I could help if you need me to, it’s kinda my job now.”
...If you knew, you wouldn’t have said that. You really wouldn’t have. I just got done having Luke teach me Hypnosis, so I can amscray for a few hours if need be. Or would you rather wander the city on your own?
Just what the hell was he up to? Every time this kid was involved, Seth got a headache. “I suppose, Fritter and Rika want to spend some time with me and I think Ignis and Selena could use a little ‘alone time’. Oh, and I’ll keep an eye on Christine as well.”
Works for me. Just, uh… at this, the image of a restaurant floated into Seth’s mind, along with directions to it. Try to avoid this for a bit until I warn Sam at least? It’s where he works.
“So don’t tell Christine then? Got it.” Seth looked at the others and nodded, “It seems Vinny’s a bit busy now. Care to walk around the city for a bit?”
“Sounds good,” Selena replied with a yawn. “Though this place is a bit bright for my liking.”
“And hooooot,” Rika complained, hiding underneath Seth, using the mon as shade “I want ice-cream.”
“We’d be lucky to find that here,” Christine said. “Though this place suits me fine. I could run around for days and feel right at home...once I find my dashing swordsman, that is.”
“Swordsman?” Seth questioned. “You know Sam’s a Scizor right?”
Christine actually stopped for a moment before turning to look at Seth. “What. Did. You. Just. Say?”
“Yeah, Sam, Vincent and Lucy all evolved a short while after coming to Equestris apparently,” Seth answered. “I’d assume he’s still the same guy underneath though.”
The Gabite twitched a second time before letting off an inarticulate scream of rage and vanishing from sight...all save her red band, which was even now vanishing down the road.
“...Fuck.” Seth bolted after her, his eyes following her but he still had trouble as she got further away. “Vincent is going to fucking kill me...”
After a short while, the band stopped near one building before jumping on top of it and vanishing out of sight on the rooftops.
“So... I just unleashed a mentally damaged, invisible Gabite upon Las Pegasus...” Seth said aloud.
“Yeah, prolly not the best idea,” Selena said. “But you couldn’t know how she’d react.”
“And Vincent is busy with... something,” Seth muttered. “You think after the effort he went to to warn me about her, he’d pop right on over...”
Luke’s being protective of me ever since that thing I did in Canterlot with...anyways! Plus, Christine is wily; she has a Kecleon’s ability in every sense of the word. You’d have to outthink her to take her down successfully. He’s only just now agreed that you might need me. I can pop over if you’d like, or if Ignis is really spoiling for a fight...
Ignis sighed, “I’m kinda tired after flying from Ponyville... and that battle with Arceus has had me thinking lately...”
“Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind,” Seth replied. “I’d come to you, but I have no idea where you are...”
Like I said, better that I come to you. Just got out of the shower, so hold still!
With a blue flash, a familiar Kadabra popped into existence in front of Seth, holding his signature spoon. “I believe this is the point where I ask which way she went?” he stated.
Seth’s nose twitched and he recoiled slightly. No, nope, he was not gonna ask why his friend reeked of sex. “She uh, disappeared over that building there. Couldn’t you just use your Ping to find her?”
“Like I said, every sense.” Vincent idly twirled his spoon while continuing to answer. “I do that once, it’ll probably count as a Psychic-type move...and her typing will change to reflect that. Meaning the next one wouldn’t be as effective, and so on.”
“I’m aware of what she’s capable of,” Seth responded. “We’ve spent a great deal of time together, even trained her a bit.” Seth tried to find Christine’s scent, having memorised it over the last week in case this happened, but...
“You know, you’re rather distracting at the moment Vincent,” Seth replied as delicately as he could.
Vincent blushed while muttering something about underpriced shampoos. “I tried, I really did. But I had to take a quick shower, had to once I heard her roar. I’d have made it a little more inclusive, but there’s only so much you can do in one minute. Add to that that your nose is probably more sensitive than it ever was back on Earth…”
Seth reached into his bag and pulled out his Pokedex, one item he had received from Arceus at the Gala. It pinged as he scanned himself, curious about his nose.
The Pokedex pinged and responded in a mechanical tone. “The sense of smell in Luxray are well developed. Like all feline Pokemon, they possess a special olfactory organ on the roof of the mouth called a Jacobson’s organ.The Luxray grimaces (called Flehman) after smelling something, which passes the scent over this organ. Reproductive status is assessed using this method.”
“Well, there you have it,” Seth replied, quite surprised.
“Called it,” Vincent said. “So am I going alone because I reek, then, or are one of you willing to accompany me so we can properly strategize and bring her back to being level-headed? Come to think of it, what triggered this?”
“Seth here mentioned to that dragon that Sammy is a Scizor now,” Fritter responded. “Apparently, she didn’t take that very well.”
“...No, no it wouldn’t,” Vincent replied. “She liked him because he was her dashing swordsman who made all sorts of promises about what we’d do when we got out while she was a Gible. I think she had an unhealthy fixation with her idea of him - a shining knight -, rather that what he actually was - a subject like the rest of us. So...now I don’t know where she would go. Hmm...Selena, Rika, I’ve just had a wonderful thought about how to bring her in, care to help?”
Selena was in mid-yawn when Vincent asked, causing her to cough. “Huh? What? What kind of help?” She poked at the jewel around her neck.
“I Ping, looking for her, most likely changing her to the Psychic type. Once I find her, I ought to be able to keep track and direct you to her, and well, I’m pretty sure two super-effective hits from you two ought to be able to knock her down a peg or three.” Vincent’s smirk was back, as well as a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Selena pondered. “Alright, I can do this myself, Rika’s been hitting the cake recently, might not be able to keep up.”
Rika spluttered and poked her tongue out. “S-shut up!, while as true as it may be, shut up!”
Selena nodded to Seth, who wore a smirk of his own. “Alright, will you need a little boost Selena?”
“She’s fast, so most likely...” Selena took a breath as Seth touched the gem around his own neck.
“When two hearts beat as one, out true power is unveiled! Selena! Mega Shinka!” Seth cried out as a ribbon of light erupted from the two, joining and becoming brighter. Once the light died down, Selena stood proudly in her Mega form.
“Alright Vincent, where is she?”
Vincent smiled and closed his eyes, holding his spoon up and speaking ‘aloud’ as he composed his Ping. Search parameters, Las Pegasus...or as much as I can, anyways. Bring up Dragon-types, especially if the type changes, aaaaand...PING!
The wave of blue erupted from the Kadabra’s cranium and rapidly swept out of view. A few seconds passed in silence as the energy did as its master bid.
“Oh, I see we aren’t the only one’s with new tricks either,” Ignis said with a bemused tone.
“So where am I headed? Selena asked, flexing her wings. The wave of blue light finished rebounding as she finished talking, and Vincent spun to face the south, holding his spoon up and looking at the skyline.
She’s on top of the shops of Seventh Street, heading south, still cloaked at the moment. At this rate, she’ll be...oh dear. On top of the Crown Jewel casino in no time. I’d suggest heading that way to intercept right about...now!
Selena gave a single nod as she took off with blinding speed, the inertia causing everyone to stumble a bit. It took very little time for the Absol to spot the mentioned Casino, and a slight shimmer standing atop it. The type change had caused her invisibility to drop a little, the shining sun doing the rest. Selena’s horn shone with a dark purple light as she dove at the dragon.
“Night Slash!”
The impact caused the invisibility to flicker even more, and the super-effective hit both lifted it and drove the slightly-crazed dragon to her knees. Christine hissed at the Absol as she found she could see herself again. “Get...LOST! Flamethrower!”
The attack bounced harmlessly off of Selena’s Protect. “I’m in my Mega form and thrice as strong as before. Stop this foolishness and return with me.”
“Let me BE!” the Gabite roared. “What I do is not really your business! Stone Edge!”
Selena dodged the attack, her body becoming a blur as she closed the gap and stared Christine straight in the eyes. “And I thought you agreed to stay with us until we found your beloved Sam. Vincent is with us and he can guide you to him. But you need to calm down or Seth will be forced to take you into custody.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “Please Christine, just trust us a little longer okay?”
“My swordsman is lost,” she grumbled. “So is your leverage. I’d rather just leave, but if you intend to make this interesting, then fine. Interesting is what it will be. Sand Attack!”
Selena growled, she couldn’t believe that she let her guard down like that. The blinding sand struck her, stinging her eyes as she jumped away. “You stubborn idiot! You think he’s changed that much? You won’t even see past your own delusion?” Her body shone with a pink light, small sparks falling off of her like embers from a dying flame. “Fine, you wanna play rough? Let’s Play Rough!!” She shot forwards, ignoring the pain in her eyes as she launched the super effective attack.
The dragon cried out in pain as the attack connected, causing her to fall more fully to the ground. “Oh you are going to regret doing that, you annoying...EARTHQUAKE!” Christine lifted her other arm, the one not supporting her, and slammed it into the ground even as her typing changed again.
“You idiot! There are innocent ponies around here!” Selena jumped from the building, her tail glowing with white light. “IRON TAIL!”
The final attack was too much for the mutated dragon, and she fell before the Absol, her body flashing as it returned to both her ‘normal’ color and type now that she had been knocked out.
Selena sighed as she returned to normal herself, but the damage had already been done. The street was a mess and several ponies, ones that had been caught in the attack were either crying out or staring at Selena and Christine.
“Well this is just fucking great,” Selena muttered. “She’s down... but we have a problem.”
I felt it from here...I assume you’re at the Casino?
Selena looked at the building... or what was left of it. The doorframe had collapsed and every window had shattered. The neon lights were broken and the sign was hanging on for dear life.
“Yeah... we are in so much trouble...”
Any victims besides her?
Selena looked around, “Some ponies with bruising and cuts. A lot of them a scared though and I think they’re starting to form a mob...”
I can be there in two seconds...a one and a-
The voice cut out as Vincent appeared in a flash of blue, floating serenely in the air before landing and placing one foot on top of the knocked out dragon. “My thanks for taking care of my wayward...what would be the best word to describe her?” He idly stroked his mustache as he pondered the question.
“A pain in the ass?” Selena suggested.
“It works,” Vincent said. “So...ponies, what is your issue? Bring your grievances forward, let me hear them.”
“And how’d I figure you’d be behind this?” One mare stepped forward. “Everytime there’s a disaster here, you seem to be front and centre!!”
“To be fair, Ace,” Vincent riposted, “I was helping to clean up the mess this time. I didn’t even start it. Heck, I’d be willing to bet that the Crown Jewel still has bits from my little redistribution packed away, labeled as ‘management retirement funds’ that they could use to fix this mess.”
There was a shout from the crowd as a Luxray leapt over them, landing near Vincent. “This... ah, this is actually my fault Ma’am.”
“And you are?” Ace redirected her anger at the new Pokemon.
“Seth Crescent, Special Operative for her Royal Highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” Seth parted the fur on his chest to show a silver collar with a sun and moon emblem on it. “I am supposed to report to a Captain Ace, have you seen him-”
“Seth,” Vincent said. “Yes. We have. She’s right there. Glaring at you and me now.”
“She? Ooh...” Seth bowed his head. “I am very sorry Captain, it would seem that my superior, Officer Grissom, failed to give me certain information.”
“Grissom... I should have known...” Ace gritted her teeth. “Well, you found me Mr. Crescent, and you appear to have brought quite a hoof-full of trouble with you as well.” This was going to be a PR nightmare, they’d only just started to smooth over the Pegasus Air incident. “We should continue this at the station, lest you feel like being lynched?”
Vincent looked at the angry ponies and snorted. “I could take ‘em. Don’t want to, but could. I’d rather see if Recover works on them, though. Most likely won’t, but it’s the thought that counts. And if you think I’m letting you take - ah there we go! - my ‘sister in captivity’ away, well, just look at what happened. I’d rather she wake up with familiar faces. Failing that, Luke could help me keep her subdued.”
“We could use a Heal Pulse user,” Seth said. “Is Lucy available?”
The Kadabra paused for a moment at the question before answering with no small degree of awkwardness. “While I did figure out how to get Bit to ‘teach’ moves...more like bloody write moves into our brains like they were hard drives...and she does know Heal Pulse now, she’s a bit...tied up at the moment.”
Seth suddenly put two and two together, remembering Vincent’s... peculiar scent. “Ah... well, ah, okay then.” He turned to the mob that was forming and touched his collar, activating one of the enchantments.
“Attention citizens of Las Pegasus!” The voice amplifier spell worked perfectly. “Medical treatment will be arriving shortly. You have the deepest apologies from Princess Celestia herself, this was an accident involving an unwell Pokemon. Your treatments will be fully paid for by the Crown, so may I please have some order?”
The crowd was understandably shocked, but their anger petered out none-the-less. Seth turned back to Ace and tapped the collar again to remove the enchantment. “Sorry about that, can we get some ponies from the local hospital here ASAP?”
Vincent raised a blue, glowing hand and quirked an eyebrow at the captain, as if to ask ‘should I?’ He did, after all, have access to Teleport.
“Go ahead,” Ace sighed. “Do try and keep our headaches to a minimum however, I have the feeling mine will grow exponentially soon enough.”
The line seemed to strike a chord in Vincent, as half-a-dozen ponies appeared between him and Ace. “Take your bloody help, I’m taking Christine home to those that can actually help her, you insensitive mare. I’ve been good about keeping myself and my powers in check…”
With that, the two former lab rats vanished, this time to Vincent’s home in the city.
Ace blinked, “Did I say something?”
“It’s a Kadabra thing, and he may have taken it the wrong way,” Seth explained. “Should we head to the station? I think we have some things to discuss?” The doctors and nurses got over their sudden surprise at being Teleported and went to work on the injured ponies. Ace nodded and motioned for Seth to follow her.
“We’ll hang around the city if you don’t mind?” Rika said. “You’re just gonna talk about boring stuff anyhow.”
“Alright, have fun then!” Seth replied. “See if you can find Vincent as well, I don’t think Captain Ace meant to insult him.”
“Will do,” Rika saluted. And with that, Seth headed off, leaving his Pokemon and marefriend to tackle the big city.
Seth had followed Captain Ace silently back to the station, the mare hadn’t said anything yet, but Seth could tell she was less than happy. Once they were inside the modest-sized building, Seth finally spoke.
“For what it’s worth Ma’am, I do apologise for all of this. I knew Christine was... unstable, but I thought it would be best for her to be with family.”
Ace let out a small, aggravated sigh and shook her head. “I’m not going to lie to you Crescent, things here are still on the very edge of chaos and we don’t even have Discord dicking around,” she stated flatly. “While I’m very grateful to the Princess for my recent bonus, along with Abby for requesting for me to get more, I’ve had my fill of Pokemon related disasters.”
“Which is why I’m here,” Seth replied. “I don’t know how much you were told, if you were even told anything...” Seth was going to have a serious talk with Grissom later. “I am now the head for a special task force created specifically to deal with Pokemon-related incidents. The reason I am here is one, for training purposes and two, to evaluate which towns need their own team. Setting this up is going to take time and money, so we will have to prioritise based on the urgency required.” He placed a paw on his nose, really missing the ability to pinch the bridge of it. “And given that this city is now home to over half a dozen of the Nurem clan... you need one pretty damned urgently.”
“Tell me about it,” the mare said with a stallion like grunt. “Right then, tell me exactly what you need to hear and I’ll do my best to get you the information that’s required to keep my city from devolving into a bunch of violent children every time a Pokemon steps outside a door.”
Seth nodded as he took a file from his bag. “Okay, well, we require a detailed report on any incidents that have occurred since we Pokemon have arrive, no matter how small or trivial. Also we need an expense report that covers said incidents, as well as how much ponypower has gone into resolving them, if they have been resolved.”
“Right...” Ace trailed off and ran a hoof through her mane, closing her eyes. “Of course, I can do that. Just give me a day or so, my files are excellent but things have been chaotic here, to say the very least.” She opened them. “Would you prefer one huge report or three smaller ones for bureaucracy's sake?”
“Whichever is easier for you Captain,” Seth smiled.
“Hah,” she laughed once. “Okay, come back tomorrow morning and either my husband or I will be on duty with the report ready.” She frowned. “And you said you needed training? What type?”
“Anything would be useful, I have the Pokemon way of doing things, but I’d like to see how a Pony handles the less law-abiding citizens.”
Ace nodded and then frowned faintly, clearly thinking about the request. “So you’d like to go through basic and then get some street experience?” she asked. “Or did you already get the basic training in Canterlot?”
“Hah, Grissom basically said, ‘best of luck’ and shoved me in your direction.”
A long suffering sigh left Ace’s lips. “Elitist Canterlot prick,” she grumbled before shaking her head. “But I’m not surprised really. Right then, I’ll give you the evening to get settled in either in our barracks or find your own accommodations. If you’re staying here you can have Abby and Kasai’s room, don’t worry, we got the stains out. At any rate, regardless of where you end up sleeping you’re to report here tomorrow morning at 6 AM for your first day of basic. Get here on time or you fail.”
“I really don’t want to know about those stains,” Seth replied dryly. “I met Abby and Kasai... and short of torching the room, I doubt I could sleep there. Don’t worry, I think we have a place lined up with Vincent, though that might be problematic as well, if his scent is anything to go by.”
“No offense to the kid, but everything he does is problematic,” Ace said, shaking her head. “But I do respect that he’s trying to do good work. Anyways, is there anything else you’d like to talk about before I get back to my work?”
“You have a lot to do, and I appreciate you taking to time out to assist me,” Seth replied honestly. “I’ll see you at 5:45 tomorrow Ma’am!” He punctuated the sentence with a salute.
“Good lion,” Ace replied with a small nod, returning the salute. “Dismissed.”
The Luxray saluted once more and then excused himself. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day...
Rika and Fritter walked side-by-side, taking in the sights of the big city. While it wasn’t quite as big as Canterlot, it was certainly brighter.
“This place reminds me of Nimbasa or Lumiose,” Rika commented. “But I think I like Canterlot a whole lot better.”
“Why’s that?” Fritter asked.
“Cause it’s where we met you,” Rika smiled. Fritter paused as her cheeks flushed red.
“That’s... thank you Rika,” Fritter moved up against her, pulling the small Pokemon close to her.
Rika cooed, then her ribbons suddenly tensed up as they passed a large apartment building. Noticing it, Fritter paused as well. “What’s wrong?”
“This place,” Rika stared at the building. “There are a lot of Pokemon in there, I can feel them... feel their need to be hugged.” And with that, she marched straight up to the front door, right past the nearby plaque that proclaimed they were walking into The Unity Building.
Upon opening the door, the Sylveon and Earth Pony females were met by a Leavanny with larger-than-normal arm-blades. She looked up at them from her book and blinked a few times. “Oh, visitors? Or tenants?” she asked.
Rika paused when the Leavanny greeted them. She had an aura that seemed... familiar. It was one like Titania gave off when she first showed up.
“Visitors,” Fritter replied, she adopted her noble accent before continuing. “My name is Apple Fritter and this is my beloved, Rika.”
The Leavanny nodded once before putting her book down. “I am Lala, and behind you by the door is-”
“WOBBUFFET!” the psychic nearly screamed at being mentioned.
Fritter suddenly lashed out in surprise, and stopped her hoof only a few millimeters from Wobbuffet’s face. The force behind the blow still gave off a gust of wind as it stopped, enough to tell the experienced Pokemon that he narrowly avoided being put through the wall.
“Ah- Ah’m so sorry!” Fritter quickly apologised, her accent dropping. “Ah didn’t mean to!”
“Wobbuffet likes sneaking up on ponies and ‘mon alike, and he’s a defensive powerhouse. I keep telling him not to, but he never listens. Though I get the feeling he will after this one. Won’t you?” The Leavanny smirked over to the blue blob, who was wiping off his forehead.
“Wobbuffet,” he said with a slight nod before retreating back to the door.
“Ah really didn’t mean to scare him,” Fritter said quietly, her ears flat against her head. If it wasn’t for her stupid, freaky strength...
“Hey, it’s alright,” Rika said, wrapping Fritter up in a hug. “No-one’s blaming you and no-one got hurt. Honestly, I nearly Moonblasted him myself.”
“Like I said, defensive powerhouse. He’d probably walk it off. So!” The Leavanny sat up a bit more straight behind the receptionist desk and looked over it at the guests. “You’ve met me and Wobbuffet. Are you here to see Jessie, James, Meowth, or any of the Nurem family?”
“VINNY’S HERE!?” Rika cried happily. “Lucky~”
“While we weren’t looking for him at the moment,” Fritter said, “We were coming to meet him eventually.”
-
“Mm. Floor three then. And take care, I think the family is going through something. Sam mentioned something about a Heat when he tried flirting with me this morning on his way to work.”
“You and Sam are an item?” Rika asked earnestly. “How’d he score a cutie like you?”
Despite the slight pause the Sylveon’s words had on her, Lala responded. “I am merely intrigued by him at this moment. It is not every day one finds one trained by their own father, after all. And despite his thicker chitin, he appears to have no difficulty dodging my attacks in the morning as retribution for his...cheesy lines. Such a feat is not easy for anyone. For most, it is downright impossible.”
“I’m so glad Ignis isn’t here,” Rika said with a sigh of relief. She paused and gave the Leavanny a hard stare. “Can I ask something strange? Do you know a Florges named Titania?”
“A fellow guild member, yes. How many have you run into?” To say that Rika had Lala’s interest would be akin to saying Arceus could be kind of a jerk.
“Quite a few, including a jerk named Weiss,” Rika said with a huff. “But Tani was the first one we met, waaaaay back when we first arrived on this world.”
Despite the insult to the guildmaster, Lala decided to ask the two in front of her a question relating to her father. “And did you happen to meet a Scizor named Char?”
Rika closed her eyes as she thought, a small habit she picked up from Seth. “Char... oooh, the one that called himself, ‘The Red Comet’?”
“So father is doing well, then,” the Leavanny said, sitting back down in her chair. “I thank you for the news, but I would ask that you refrain from insulting them in my presence.”
Rika nodded, “Well, he punched my Sethy for no reason, but sorry anyway.”
“Much appreciated. Like I said, the Nurem family is on floor three at the moment, apartment 301. Do take care, I’m not sure which member is afflicted with the Heat, but it’s something to keep in mind anyways.”
“Thanks for the tip Miss Lalah,” Rika smiled. And with that, the two girls headed upstairs to see their friends. It didn’t take too long to find the room and knock on the front door.
A familiar face answered the knock. A blue and pink form with a disconnected head opened the door and poked said head out of it. “Ah, Miss Fritter, Miss Rika, hello. Is there a reason behind your visit?”
“Itty Bitty~” Rika giggled, grabbing the head and hugging it. “We came to visit like we promised.”
“S’good to see y’all again,” Fritter agreed.
The program ticked a few times as his eyes focused on the Sylveon holding his head. “...I suppose I did something to deserve this,” he grumbled, pulling the rest of his body out and closing the door behind him. “Still, your timing could only have been worse if you arrived some weeks later. Did Lala inform you?”
Rika thought for a second, “Something about a Heat? She didn’t know much herself.” Rika poked at the Porygon’s head with a ribbon, “And what’s got you all pouty? Did you get locked out of a library or something?”
“I could be assembling my rudimentary computer right now, but the family is busy helping Subject Thir- I mean, Christine. Well, those that can are helping her, anyways. So I am on door duty, as Jeanne cannot reach the doorknob.” The program had hastily corrected himself from slipping back into the way he used to refer to the former subjects.
“Ah, so you can’t tinker?” Rika nodded. “Don’t worry Bitty, when Sethy gets here, you’ll prolly be free to do whatever. He had to go see the Town Guard about something.” A peculiar scent suddenly caught Rika’s nose... Oh, so that’s what they meant.
Bit dinged a few times before beeping in a negative manner. “Not advised. Luxray and Lucario share an egg group, and it is currently Lucy who is afflicted by a Heat. None of the family would take it well if something were to happen.”
Rika and Fritter paused and their expressions darkened. “If Sethy were to try anything...”
“That boy wouldn’t walk straight fer a month!” Fritter finished. “Seth is ours, an’ ah think he knows that.” A sly grin made its way onto her face. “An’ ah’d be more worried about Rika, she does like to tease after all~”
“Ooh! I hadn’t thought of that,” Rika giggled.
Bit looked between the two females before performing his version of a shrug; waving his arms up quickly before returning them to their normal state. “Still, the scent is likely to afflict him in some manner. I must remain on guard until Luke, Mage, or Vincent are free, or until Sam returns from work. And seeing as how there is delicate work going on, I doubt they would appreciate you entering at this juncture.”
“So we can’t come inside?” Rika giggled, causing Fritter to groan and facehoof. “Well, what should we do until then?”
“Jeanne is still free,” Bit clarified. “And I think she would not mind giving you a tour of our facilities...assuming one of you gave her a ride. She is a Bellossom, after all.”
“Ah don’t mind,” Fritter said. “One question... what’s a Bellossom?”
“I can show you in a moment,” Bit said before looking at the ribbon around his horn. “Assuming I am free to leave.”
“Ah, whoops?” Rika let Bit go and smiled. “Sorry Bitty.”
Bit did his version of a smile, something you’d have to look at his eyes for, as he briefly altered the eyes to show off small smiles instead of interlocked rings. “Forgiven. One moment…”
With that, the program opened the door and closed it again, and a stretch of time passed for the fairy and the mare.
“Ah’m surprised that he didn’t comment on the fact that we’re both dating Seth,” Fritter mentioned. Hasn’t stopped everyone else from doing so.
“Well, it’s not like we outright mentioned it,” Rika responded. “Could be he doesn’t know, or just doesn’t care.”
“True enough, he’s still a cute little feller though, kinda like those little toy ponies with the bobbly heads.”
The door opened again, and an elderly Bellossom walked out, looking up at the mare and the Sylveon. “Oh, hello there, dears. I’m Jeanne, and if I’m not mistaken, you know the others?”
Rika nodded, “Yes, my name is Rika Crescent and this is Apple Fritter. We met Vinny and the others when they visited Canterlot last week. We might also be responsible for his lovey-dovey-ness with Lulu.”
Jeanne blinked a few times before smiling and making to hug Rika. “And good on you for doing it, they love one another so much that I’m sure they’ll pull through even this with no more sanity lost among them.”
Rika gladly hugged the Bellossom, she knew she was right. Many Pokemon here needed hugs.
“So I take it you’ll be our guide while they’re... intertwined?” Fritter asked, her Canterlot accent back in front of the new Pokemon.
Jeanne giggled a bit before disentangling herself from Rika and responding to Fritter. “While Lucy is a bit...tied up at the moment, Luke, Mage, and Vincent are helping a very strange Gabite. Which is why Bit’s on door duty, normally it’d be Mage. I can guide you around the place, there’s plenty to see. Most of it is in the basement, though there is the garden on the roof.”
Fritter’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Y’all have a garden of the roof!?”
“Well that didn’t last long,” Rika giggled, chuckling at the record speed that Fritter dropped her accent. “Mention farming and she’s in her element.”
“She’ll like it up there, but let’s save that for later, then. James is probably still making sure the plants have water at this time of day, now that I think about it.” The plant looked from the pony to the Eevolution, a spark of mischief in her eye as she asked the next question.
“Sooo...which one of you do I get to ride?”
“Oh my, so forward~” Rika giggled. “You’d never be able to keep up though.”
“Ah’ll be yer method of transportation,” Fritter sighed. This was going to be one of those days wasn’t it? As if Abby wasn’t bad enough…
“I just can’t help myself, dear,” the Bellossom said as she drew closer to the mare. “I’ve been trying to compete with Luke as to who can make more dirty jokes, so as to effect Vincent, and sometimes it slips out without my noticing around others.”
“Rika’s the same, ‘cept she just does it cause she’s Rika,” Fritter said, leaning down so Jeanne could climb up.
“Oh hush,” Rika said. “You don’t mind when I talk like that in bed.”
Apple Fritter said nothing, but her red face spoke volumes.
“The basement, then,” the elder of the three said as she settled in on the pony’s back. “There’s a few things down there, and as long as you two promise not to touch, we might be able to look at what Bit’s been up to as well.”
“Fii~nee,” Rika said when Fritter looked at her. “I won’t touch the shiny things.”
“Well then,” Fritter got back up. “Let’s go!”
The trip down was four stories of stairs that, thankfully, were still pony-friendly. Once the small party arrived in the basement, the heater and air-conditioner were obvious, as well as the fact that they’d been modified from anything that could be considered normal.
Fritter looked at the modern conveniences. “Wha? What is half of this stuff?”
“Air con, a heater... ohh, you totally teched out this apartment!” Rika exclaimed. “Aw, I wish we had air-con...”
“It only works because of Bit’s Ice Beam, dear,” Jeanne explained while slipping off the pony. Walking over and opening up a compartment in the side, she continued to explain. “While they have a backup that runs off the generator in the next room, they’d work better if we had an Ice-type to chill the air in here. And the heater,” she continued, walking over to the next one, “Works off of similar principles with Fire-types. Assuming Jessie ever learns how to control her fires, this one won’t be an issue either.”
“Pokemon power huh?” Rika commented. “Well, as long as Bitty doesn’t try and use Sethy as a battery...”
“Ah doubt Bit would do that,” Fritter giggled. “But this is pretty ingenious.”
“He might ask for a quick charge from Seth, but not a whole lot - he doesn’t like using his Charge Beam for the generator. Says something about how he’s just putting power in to take it out later when he needs it again. And the others did ask him to stop siphoning electricity from the city grid for himself as well.” The plant looked into the next room and nodded. “Right, the generator is in here, as well as Bit’s workspace. I’m trusting you two!”
“Hai, we won’t touch!” Rika saluted.
“We promise,” Apple Fritter agreed. “Ah hate it when somepony messes up mah farm tools.”
In the next room, a generator was hooked up to a capacitor, along with a fuse box for the whole building. In another corner…
...Well, it looked like a very primitive computer had exploded and had a few magical additions made to it along the way. Chalk had been used to write out calculations or circle some parts, and wires connected nearly every part of the whole mess.
“This looks... messy,” Rika commented.
“Mah brain hurts,” Fritter said, looking at the mathematical equations. “Wait, are those magic crystals?”
“It’s probably best not to question how he makes his computer, dear. Only that it’s something for him to focus on with all the knowledge Genesect traded with him. Let’s just hope he succeeds, otherwise he’ll be sulky about not understanding magic for days.”
“Seth tried to explain compu-thingies when he showed me his Pokedex... ah still don’t get them.”
“And I find that adorable for some reason,” Rika giggled. “But a magic computer? That would really be something. I know Sethy wants to get phones working more than anything.”
“Bit probably has information on that as well,” Jeanne said with a shrug. “Nobody’s asked because he’s oh-so-busy on his computer.”
Apple Fritter looked at the cluttered workshop, but couldn’t make hooves or tails of anything that was in here. She just wanted to see the rooftop garden, and how these Pokemon grew their Berries.
Rika gave one last look around, “Well, we should probably leave. I think I can feels Bit’s pressure for us to get out from here.”
Jeanne nodded and drew close to Apple Fritter. “A wise idea. So long as nobody touches anything, he’s merely peeved that others enter his workspace. I think his time outside of a computer is negatively effecting him.”
“Heh, well let’s go then!” Apple Fritter said excitedly and trotted cheerfully out of the room. The mare narrowly avoided knocking over a toolbox on her way out, the heavy case caught by Rika at the last second.
“Watch it Appleflank,” she giggled. “That would not have ended well.”
“Eheh, sorry bout that,” Fritter replied sheepishly.
Jeanne sighed and wiped a hand over her forehead at the aversion of the near disaster. Then she took note of where the two had gotten to and jogged after them. “Wait a moment, you forgot about me!”
Apple Fritter paused as Rika lifted the elderly Bellossom up and placed her on the mares back.
“Sorry Jeannie~” the Sylveon giggled.
The plant settled back in on the mare’s back and nodded. “At least you stopped. Right then, to the roof?”
The Bellossom suddenly had to grab on tightly as Fritter practically raced up the stairs, a large grin on her face. Rika just trailed behind, grinning at her mare’s antics.
Once they’d reached the top, Fritter practically squeed with excitement when she laid eye on the beautiful garden.
“It’s... amazing!” she whispered.
The noise had drawn the attention of a nearby Roserade, and he stepped out from between two flowering plants. “Ah, hello again Jeanne...and who are they?” he questioned while pointing one bouquet at her companions.
Jeanne hopped down and walked over to the other plant-type. “The mare is Apple Fritter, and the Sylveon is Rika. They’re here to visit and see the things we do and how we do them, James dear.”
Apple Fritter was getting over her initial excitement and was now taking a more professional eye to the garden. “Let’s see, ya’ll have a nice set up here. This glass provides some excellent shade and the layout of the garden itself is good. Not too much space between each plant and... hmm... do y’all have irrigation? Watering this many plants by hoof would be quite the chore.”
“Not yet I’m afraid,” James said with a bit of a slump. “And despite the water tower on that corner,” he pointed it out while continuing, “We have no Water-types in residence to help keep it filled, so at the moment it runs off the city. Had we a sprinkler system like we keep looking for, this would be easy, but Bit’s a bit busy today. Said something about being shanghaied into being a door guard.”
“Vincent and Luke and Mage are trying to help one of the subjects, James,” Jeanne explained. “He was the only one they could ask.”
“Well, why don’t ah help out?” Fritter offered. “Ah know what kinda system would be perfect fer this place. As long as y’all have the Bits that is.”
James blinked a few times before looking at Fritter slowly. “That...would be perfect. I just got done checking for weeds and seeing which ones needed watering, so as long as Miss Jeanne and Miss Rika stay here to keep watch for any Bug-types, I would be willing to look with you. Vincent has given us a few leftover funds, not a lot, to purchase a system that catches our eye. I can go get those and meet you in the lobby if you’d like.”
Rika flexed her ribbons and grinned sadistically. “Oh don’t worry rose-boy, no little buggies will touch these berries.”
Jeanne merely smiled and touched one of the flowers on her head. “I might not be one for combat, but I do know a few incapacitating moves myself.”
Rika tilted her head, “You don’t know any attacking moves?” She was suddenly standing in front of the small plant Pokemon. “Heehee, let’s change that shall we?”
Fritter shuddered and grabbed James. “Okay, we better leave.” She gave her beloved a worried look. “ByeRikahaveagreattimeandtrynottokillher!”
Jeanne looked up and smiled. “Dear, you really shouldn’t have gotten that close. Maybe when you wake up, you’ll be more reasonable. Sleep Powder.”
Rika jumped back and grabbed a nearby Chesto berry, crunching down on it as the sleep begun to take hold.
“Ooh, that’s naughty~” she giggled. “Safeguard!” the aura surrounded her, protecting her from further status effects. “Don’t be like that, I just want to teach you an attack or two.”
“Pity,” Jeanne said. “Status moves like that are all I know. And I’m of the opinion that you’re a bit too enthusiastic in your approach. But there’s one thing that I have over you still.” The Bellossom was still smiling, even as she described her situation.
“Yeah, sorry... I get a bit...” Rika hung her head as she trailed off. She didn’t like getting like that, Titania still flinched on occasion around her. “Nevermind, I’ll just... stand over there...”
Jeanne drew close and laid a tiny hand on Rika’s leg. “Dear, you just need to calm down a bit when you get like that. I didn’t say I didn’t want to know, I merely didn’t want to be subject to more pain than I’ve felt before. Which would be an achievement, by the way, considering who I was married to.” She then huffed and crossed her arms while muttering.
“Wha? NO! Nononononoo! I wasn’t going to hurt you!” Rika gasped as tears stung the corner of her eyes. Jeanne wordlessly opened her arms, the universal signal for ‘hug.’
Rika nodded and hugged the little Grass-type. “Sorry, I’ll try to be... calmer in the future.” She nodded, of all the traits she inherited from her parents, it had to be their insanity. She stayed for a minute or two before breaking the hug. “Okay, moves... I can do that.” She closed her eyes as she thought, what could a Bellossom learn that she could teach.... oh? A small grin crossed her face. “Yeah... that’ll do nicely~”
“Let’s not forget to keep watch as well. I’m not sure how many Bugs James has to fend off, but it’s not a few.”
Jeanne and Rika were rudely interrupted by a new voice that came from above them, with a droning wingbeat accompanying it. “Oh, you know, just a Ledyba or two a day tend to wander up here, but that was then.”
Rika glanced upwards, a small scowl on her face. “Now what?”
The next thing either of them saw was a small swarm of Ledyba, and in front of them were half-a-dozen Ledians as well. The one in front spoke up next. “That’s mostly because the others can’t fly up here as easily...oh, and did I happen to mention I’m tired of hearing my little brothers and sisters cry about not getting any of the largest garden in the city?”
Rika sighed, okay let’s try Seth’s way first. “This is a private garden, but once it’s harvested I’m sure it’s owners would share should you ask. Vinny wouldn’t be so heartless as to turn away starving children.”
He seemed to think about it for a moment, even humming, before shaking his head. “Nah, this way is easier, gets more food in their bellies. And hey, thanks for telling us that the usual defender is out. This’ll be a snap.” He raised his right arms to the sky before pointing them at the garden below. “Go for it!”
With those words, the swarm descended.
There was a blur from Rika, as one of her ribbons snapped like a whip and a nearby cinderblock fell, neatly cleaved in two.
“Last. Chance.” she said, taking a breath and trying to remain calm. At her display, the swarm had stopped, but the Ledians landed around the pair of Rika and Jeanne, apparently not impressed.
“Okay, so you know a move or two,” the original leader stated. “Just means we need to get you out of the way before we get at the Berries.”
Rika shuddered. “Calm, calm... must remain calm. Jeannie? I’m finding this most difficult at the moment. Please let these gentlebugs know that I’m trying my very best not to embarrass them in front of their kids.”
“Shh dear. I think I can get them to back off.” The elderly Bellossom walked forward to the de facto leader and smiled. “Now I’m going to tell you two things, two very small things. And then I’m going to let you judge how to best handle the situation,” she said calmly.
“And what’s that?” he questioned.
“First, this garden is property of Vincent Nurem.”
At that statement, silence descended on the roof, save for the droning wings from above. The Ledian in front of her gulped thickly before daring to speak up again. “And...second?”
Jeanne actually glared before replying. “And second, he’s my son. So which is worse? The situation you were just in, or the situation you’re in now?”
After another moment, the Ledian on the roof took off like shots, leading the swarm up and away. “We’ll be back!” was the sentiment, though whether it would be in peace or with a larger swarm was unknown. Jeanne sighed and slumped a little, thankful her bluff had worked.
“Seriously!?” Rika said, “How often does that actually work?”
“More often than you’d think, considering who I was once married to,” Jeanne said sadly. “He used to be so nice, so devoted...and then…” This time it was the Bellossom who was nearing tears.
Rika didn’t ask, she just hugged. “It’ll be alright, you have your son back at least, and from the looks... and smells, I’m guessing you’ll have grandkids before long.”
Jeanne hiccuped before nodding. “I hope they’re as good as their father...and I hope Lucy returns to rationality soon, I can’t wait to hug her again for making my boy so happy.”
“The first Heat for a canine or feline Pokemon is always the worst, you should have seen mine...” Rika remembered that night. “It shouldn’t last too long.” She cast a glance at the retreating bugs, well at least they wouldn’t be a problem... for now.
“So. You were planning a thing, am I right? Something about teaching me a move, maybe?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking... Solar Beam!”
“Sounds involved…” Jeanne said. “Are you sure you can do that?”
“Well, the concept should be similar to Moonblast, and if I were a Leafeon, then I could learn it.” She looked around, “It’s nice and sunny out, so absorbing sunlight shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Just remember dear, I’ve no practice with offensive moves…” Jeanne made sure she wasn’t standing under any of the glass and looked back to the Sylveon.
“Well, you’re not gonna be using it right off of the bat... unless you’re some sort of savant,” Rika motioned for Jeanne to stand in the sun. “First you need to practice absorbing sunlight.”
“Easy enough,” the Bellossom said while making sure that her skirt was still clean enough from the earlier altercation. “I could stand in the sun all day.”
“Easier said than done,” Rika replied. “Absorb too much and you run the risk of exploding!”
The elder of the pair blinked before looking at Rika with an expression that just screamed ‘I do not believe you.’ “You’re joking, right?”
“Wow... you are a tough nut to crack,” Rika smiled. “Yes, I am kidding, but just standing there won’t do anything. You need to focus and absorb the solar power... umm...” She tried to think of how best to explain it. “Sorry, this is the first time I’ve had to instruct a human before.”
“Bet it’s novel, doing things the other way around, isn’t it?” Jeanne couldn’t quite contain the snickers. “Imagine the number of Pokemon teaching their Trainers on the first day. Oh, the irony!”
“It is pretty funny,” Rika giggled. “You should have seen Seth back then. He really wasn’t used to having four feet, and he constantly fell over... still does on occasion.” She smiled at those memories, she really did love him, no matter what form he took. Seth was still Seth after all.
“Okay, let’s continue. First, close your eyes and tell me what you feel, standing in the sun like that.”
Jeanne did as she was bid and hummed a little before responding. “Warm...happy, for some reason...oooh, and it tingles a bit. I’d put it down to just being a Grass-type, but I would have to have some basis for comparison.”
“Okay, that tingling is good,” Rika grinned. “It means that you’re absorbing small amounts of solar energy. Focus on that feeling, see what happens.”
Unconsciously, the Bellossom stretched out her arms and did a small turn so she was more directly facing the sun, sighing as she did. “You’ll tell me when something starts happening, right?”
“Like your flowers lighting up like a Christmas tree?” Rika mentioned, staring at the glowing flowers. She couldn’t believe how easy this woman was making it look.
“Yes, something like th-...it’s already happening, isn’t it?”
“Okay, this is happening a lot faster than I thought it would,” Rika said calmly. “You already seem to be building up a Solar Beam... now you need to discharge that energy. I’d say stop, but you have too much already, so you’ll need to use it.” She thought for a second, “Hmm, okay! I want you push the energy down, kinda like... taking a wizz.”
“Dear, you need to work on your analogies,” Jeanne said with a wince. “And if it went ‘down,’ wouldn’t it hit the roof? Or are you merely telling me to harmlessly release it?”
“Release, yeah, that sounds better,” Rika nodded. “You should feel a warm, fuzzy feeling all over if you do it right.”
The glow on Jeanne’s body continued to accumulate for a moment more, before starting to lessen and dissipate. “Done,” she said, opening her eyes at last. “That felt...very rewarding, for some reason.”
Rika nodded and sighed, “That’s because instead of learning Solar Beam, I have no idea how, but you used Synthesis instead.”
“Just my luck,” the Bellossom said with a sigh. “I tried to use things like Magical Leaf and Vine Whip when I first got this body, but all I managed to do was things like Stun Spore and Sleep Powder. I got very good at those, though.”
“Well, Bellossom can’t learn Vine Whip,” Rika pointed out. “But you seem to have an affinity for status and healing. Maybe you could learn Protect or Safeguard?”
“Maybe,” Jeanne said with a shrug. “Still not giving up on Solar Beam, though. I’d like to have at least one move in my repertoire should I need it. So...while I sit over here and practice, anything else you want to know, Miss Rika?”
“Hmm, well you have the energy absorption down, maybe Giga Drain might be an option as well?” Rika sat down, yelping when she sat on a particularly hot section of concrete. “Owwie, um, well... how did you find Vinny?”
“No idea,” Jeanne said, slowly turning in place. “Went to sleep in a jungle one night, woke up on their front door the next morning. Was quite a surprise when my son was the one who woke me up, but I’ve stuck by his side ever since...except when he took after his father and went up to Canterlot on his own, but that’s another story.”
“Vinny came back to Canterlot?” Rika tilted her head. “He never came and saw us, what was he doing there?”
“Saying ‘hello’ to a certain ambassador for breaking his replacement father figure,” Jeanne said blandly. “He also used something he calls Total Recall. Go on, guess why he didn’t say hi.”
Rika pondered, Vincent went to see an ambassador... the only one of those she knew of was Mewtwo... he didn’t did he? And Total Recall? Wasn’t that some really bad movie?
“Did he go to see Mewtwo?” Rika asked, “Cause after the incident with those mind-controlled Pokemon, I didn’t think Mewtwo would want to see anyone for a while.”
“He certainly took interest in Luke, a Gallade, and the first one Vincent met who actually cared about him. Enough of an interest that the poor dear was a broken shell of a ‘mon. Vincent went out to correct that. As said by both him and Bit, you don’t hurt a member of our family and not expect some form of payback.” Jeanne’s face now had a scowl on it. “The boy is as headstrong as Rupert, and it’s probably only thanks to the others that he’s still sane.”
“But why would Mewtwo...?” Rika was confused as to why Mewtwo would attack an innocent Pokemon... oh no! “This Luke... did he have particularly strong mental defenses?”
Jeanne turned back to Rika and nodded. “At least, when he was normal, or so Vincent tells me. Vincent’s run into two psychic tutors, and he holds Luke dear to his heart. Apparently, Luke could stand toe-to-toe with a normal Metagross, and the Metagross Vincent met, one Xavier....it’s likely only a Legendary could do the same with him. He just keeps running into gifted teachers, my boy. It’s almost enough to make me wonder what he’ll be like as an Alakazam.”
Rika gulped, “A few days ago... there was, an incident. A Unicorn brainwashed a bunch of Pokemon, up to and including an Alakazam. He used magic that replaced the victim’s memories, and also applied strong mental defenses to stop his work from coming undone.” Rika’s ribbons lost their life as they drooped to the ground, her glossy gaze just staring off into the distance. “Mewtwo offered to help us, and it was thanks to him tearing down the mental walls of the Alakazam we captured that we were able to discover Control’s plans... but that was a trap and some of us almost died. But, if Luke was wandering around the castle... there’s a chance that Mewtwo mistook him for another victim, and Mewtwo himself became a victim of his own curiosity...”
“Well, he got that curiosity cured, that pesky cat,” Jeanne said, grinning sharkishly. “Unless Vincent was lying about how far back through his memories his move went, then I can’t see Mewtwo being curious ever again.”
“Sweet Arceus,” Rika sighed. “You know, I think I’m going to leave this topic alone. What about you? Any questions for this now terrified Sylveon?”
“Hmm, just a few, dear. See, it’s been a long time since my last, ahem, encounter, so I need to brush up on my lexicon if I’m to stand any chance in that apartment. Luke and Sam have histories, but I’m mostly stuck with what little I knew before Rupert. Any chance you could help?”
“Um, let’s pretend I have no idea what you’re talking about?” Rika replied dryly. “What kind of help?”
“That little joke when we met? That’s about the limit of my double-entendre skills. It’s been a while.” Jeanne finished her small dance and looked to the Sylveon with a sigh. “It’s no fair that the males in the apartment are better at that than me...I need something to fight back with.”
“Um, well...” To be honest, Rka had nothing. “I don’t really know any...”
“So what was that with Apple Fritter, then?” The Bellossom tilted her head to one side in curiosity.
“Did I say something weird?”
“I quote, ‘You don’t mind when I talk like that in bed.’ I figured that meant you knew something.”
“Oh, ah, I just say stuff like how beautiful she is and that she tastes like apples and ah...” Rika blushed furiously. She was too embarrassed to say anything else. Jeanne merely chuckled and hugged the cherry-red Sylveon.
“Oh, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? Well then, when you calm down, why don’t you tell me which of your family would be better suited to this, if not you?”
“Selena, definitely Selena,” Rika squeaked. She recalled the conversation that Absol had with Abby. “She looks tsundere on the outside, but she a real perv.”
“Mmm. How will I recognize her?” Jeanne still hadn’t let go, thinking that Rika might need the comfort for the moment.
“Huh? Oh, Selly’s an Absol and the one that beat Christine... twice.” Now that she thought about it, Ignis and Selena had some impressive wins under their belt since coming to Equestria, Rika had none.
“Ah, excellent. Well then, I should probably meet her for a few reasons.” At that point, the Bellossom slipped up onto Rika’s back and patted her a few times. “So why don’t you show me where she is, dear?”
“I don’t know where she is,” Rika said, “Her and Ignis went off to find something to do before we came here. Maybe Vincent could spare a moment to find them?”
“They’re a wee bit busy working on fixing Christine as much as they can. The two main issues are her obsession with Sam’s Scyther form and her out-of-control anger...individually, Vincent could handle either, but together?...Still, a ride back to the lobby at least, that way I can ambush them as they come in, would be appreciated.”
“Righto then, off to the lobby!” Rika was feeling a bit better, but her cheeks were still a touch pink. She headed downstairs just as the front door opened, revealing a tired-looking Luxray.
“SETHY!!” Rika forgot all about her passenger as she leapt forward, hugging her beloved Luxray. Said Bellossom found herself a victim of physics, as holding on tighter to her ride only ended up with her on Seth’s back once it came to a sudden end.
“Oh dear, terribly sorry about this,” she said from her new perch. “Some days I wonder what Arceus was thinking, turning me into a Bellossom.”
Seth nodded, “Turning a lovely lady into a lovely flower... I think it’s fitting. Oh, my name is Seth Crescent, might I ask yours?”
“I’m Jeanne, and I think I got that much from Rika here. Rika, darling, I don’t think Seth wanted to be mummified just yet.”
“Mmnope, wanna hug~” Rika cooed. Seth sighed, but didn’t bother prying her off.
“Well, I can tell from here that Vincent is still... busy,” Seth commented. “Is there somewhere we can go until it’s safe to return?”
“Bit’s on door duty, dear. Unless you have a penchant for ignoring those interested in you and going after the female in Heat, you should be fine. And even if you do, I’m sure Rika and Fritter will catch you before you get too far.”
“I-what!?” Seth took a step back. “I would never do such a thing!”
“Seth’s pretty loyal,” Rika agreed. “I know I don’t have to worry about him, but we should find Selly and Iggy, they still don’t know where we are.”
Jeanne giggled and put a hand over her mouth. “Oh, apparently you didn’t know. This is Las Pegasus, dear. You can find anything for the right price. How long ago was it that you lost track of them?”
“Shortly before we separated... so about an hour or so?” Seth replied. “Ignis wouldn’t be too hard to find, he’s not exactly subtle.”
“As that roar proved,” Jeanne deadpanned before brightening up. “Bet you five bits they found a bar already~”
“None of us drink, so I doubt it.” Seth thought for a moment, “Selena’s been feeling out of sorts lately, so Ignis is probably trying to cheer her up. Hmm...” Seth tapped his chin with his paw as Rika finally let go of him. “Is there a bakery around here?”
“None that I know of, but there is a place that does remarkable Italian food, thanks to their chef. Does that help?”
“Yep, that might do it,” Seth nodded, “Would you like a ride Mrs Jeanne?”
“To Fredrick’s and Sam and your friends, hopefully, then?” She inquired semi-sarcastically as she settled in on top of the Luxray.
“Lucky, Sethy’s fur is simply divine~” Rika cooed. “I love riding him.”
Seth smirked as he leaned in close, “And maybe soon, I’ll ride you?”
That did it, Rika’s face erupted red and she nearly fainted on the spot. Jeanne merely chuckled and leaned over so that both of them could hear her. “You sure I need to go all the way to Selena to get tutored in how to best make a double-entendre? I think I could pick up a few things on the walk over, dear.”
“Hm, what’s that?” Seth asked. He looked to Rika for an explanation, but the Sylveon just stood there, her mouth slightly open and her face bright red.
“I’ll explain on the way over. That is, assuming we’re all going, and that’s not just an impressive sculpture designed to look like the cutest Sylveon ever.” Saying that Jeanne was enjoying teasing Rika would be a slight understatement.
“She is pretty adorable,” Seth agreed. He leaned down and placed his head under her belly, hoisting her onto his back. “Okay, please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for take off. This is the express route to find our acquaintances, bathroom breaks will be permitted. Get comfy and enjoy your ride~”
Jeanne gulped audibly and tightened her grip on Seth’s fur. She hoped it would be enough to keep her attached for the ride...