Fanning the Flames

8

It was an early morning for both Serena and Alex as they were suddenly jolted awake by a loud crash. Serena hurriedly dressed and gathered her things, leaving the room just in time to almost crash into Alex as he was leaving his.

"Hey, are you alright? I heard a crash and I thought-" Alex started, though he hesitated before rushing off down the stairs, leaving Serena little choice but to chase after him,

"Was he...worried about me? That's unlike him." She thought as she ran down the ramp to the ground floor of the Tower of Mastery. She was so preoccupied that she accidentally slammed into Alex, causing him to stumble before he felt two arms wrap around him from behind and pull him back. He glanced behind him to see a very red-faced Serena as she very deliberately avoided eye contact.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I guess I was lost in thought. Is everything okay down here?" Serena asked, noticing a very pleased Gurkinn and Lucario waiting for them.

"Good morning, you two layabouts! Rest well?" He shouted, causing the two of them to wince at the sudden loud voice of the old man. He certainly wasn't this enthusiastic last night.

"Grandfather, you don't need to be so loud this early in the morning! Were you and Lucario training again?"

Korrina skated into view, looking only slightly less weary than the two teenagers she passed by. Her Lucario chased after her, also looking quite annoyed over its sleep being interrupted. This appeared to be a daily occurrence based on their reactions.

"You have to seize the day at the crack of dawn, Korrina. I've been trying to instill this within you since you were a little girl." Gurkinn said, though Korrina ignored him as she bowed her head apologetically to Alex and Serena.

"I apologize for my grandfather's outburst this morning, but you should leave while you still can. I assume you're on your way to Coumarine City?"

Serena nodded as she adjusted her bag, the Mega Ring on her wrist glinting in the sunlight. It still filled her with a sense of pride that of all of Professor Sycamore's students, she had managed to gain the Mega Ring. The battles that she would fight in from now on were bound to be much more exciting, especially if a rematch with Alex were to come up. It was a nice thought, but the reminder of what a rematch could mean caused her heart to sink.

She knew deep down that their alliance was temporary, that someday soon, they would become enemies again. At first, she had only seen their alliance as a necessary act, that it was needed for the sake of Kalos, but now she didn't know if she would ever be able to live with those snarky one-liners he always seemed to have. Or his assistance with battles. Or his encouragement always coupled with that warm smile. Or how that small touch of him holding her hand during her first Mega Evolution was enough to make her heart flutter.

"We have to get going if we want to make it before sundown, so I suppose thank you for the sudden wake-up call, Master Gurkinn." Alex said, bowing his head respectfully to the old man, who for the first time since Alex and Serena had arrived last night, smiled at him.

"You may not have gained anything material from this visit to the Tower of Mastery, but I sense potential within you, young man. Potential for good."

Everyone in the room was stunned by the sudden declaration, even Alex. Potential for...good? He thought that Gurkinn had written him off as a lost cause, so this must have been a trick, right? Nevertheless, Alex said his thanks and left the tower, leaving little time for Serena to thank Korrina and Gurrkinn, though Korrina had whispered something before she left.

"Don't give up on him."

                                  ————

51 glanced down at the Holo-Caster in her hand for a moment as she edged around a building in Shalour City. Her holographic civilian outfit was active, but months spent on edge sneaking around didn't just disappear. She had only been given the hologram recently after being made 42's partner, causing her to wonder what kinds of resources did he have access to as a high-ranking Grunt. And why he was willing to throw it all away for the person he was supposed to be capturing.

"He better not be taking that joke I made about him having a crush seriously." She muttered, spotting two figures in the distance walking away from the large Tower across the lake. There was no one else with them, which seemed exceedingly suspicious for this early in the morning. 51 glanced down again at the Holo-Caster, the small blinking red dot that represented 42 in the same place as the taller of the two now strolling across the beach. No doubt the one beside him was the Trainer.

"Arceus above 42, what are you thinking?" 51 thought, the Trainer and 42 strolled by her without even noticing someone was watching. However, 51 could have sworn she saw a gold-colored iris glaring at her from over a pair of red glasses. It made her blood run cold as she hurriedly looked away, confirming her suspicions. 42 had become too friendly with the Trainer and had truly become what no one had thought possible: a traitor to Lysandre.

51 wasn't sure what to do. She was fiercely loyal to Team Flare (for better or worse), and she'd be damned if she was going to turn traitor now. But, 42 and her had been on decent terms for the short time they had known each other, and she had always taken him as someone to do the right thing in any scenario. Perhaps, this was the right thing to do, not for Team Flare of course but for the world.

51 was not a fool, she knew what would result from Team Flare's plans if they succeeded. She may have run away from home and made off with a hefty fortune to join Team Flare, but she couldn't help but feel guilty for assisting in the destruction of the world. Dying was terrifying, but she would no longer be a pawn in Lysandre's plans.

The finger that had been hovering over the button to call Xerosic had been poised to press, but 51 lifted her finger away from the screen. She pocketed the Holo-Caster and began making the walk to the Tower of Mastery. If she was going to openly defy a direct order, she would need assistance.

————

"What's the progress on finding the Legendary Pokémon, Aliana?"

Lysandre sat at the head of the table where he was currently meeting with his scientists and admins for a meeting, though the atmosphere was tense as the woman read over her research notes.

"We have deduced that X is in a forest in Kalos lying dormant in the form of a tree, based on a legend that I have managed to find from an ancient archive. I have only just recently deciphered the language so I have not detected the exact location." She said calmly, grateful her goggles hid the bulk of her face and masked the nervous expression on her face. To her surprise, Lysandre seemed satisfied with her response as he gave a curt nod. He then moved on to an Admin and asked about Y.

"Y has been detected in Allearth Forest also dormant in a cocoon. However, it is known to be volatile and if awoken could cause destruction prematurely. I have placed an order in for a sedative to be manufactured for such a large Pokémon. Once my team has received it we can retrieve Y at your command, Lysandre." She said smugly, ignoring the glares of all five scientists in the room. She had made the most progress out of everyone, she was sure of it. Until Bryony stood from her chair, a triumphant grin upon her face.

"Lysandre, permission to speak?" She asked calmly, the leader shocked at her outburst but gestured for her to continue.

"My team and I have said in the past that Z is not one single entity, but a myriad of cells and cores scattered across the land, ready to come together when needed. After a field survey, we have managed to capture one of Z's cores!"

"No way."
"Unbelievable."
"How is that possible?"
"Show us!"

"Hm, yes, show us this Core, Bryony." Lysandre said finally, all murmurs quieting as she pulled out a small containment case, only a small glass window visible in the case, an angry eye glaring out from it. It shook once, but Bryony kept the case stable as Lysandre leaned down to inspect the small creature.

"Fascinating. Simply marvelous! You have all done good work today, you should all be proud. However, we are not close to being done. Any of you who are not assigned to a team yet will assist in the creation of the sedative for X and Y. Admins, you are to relay this information to the Grunt Leaders of your divisions. We will need all hands on deck if we are to be successful, understood?"

"Yes, Lysandre!"

"Good. Dismissed."