Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Finally. They had him cornered. It was time to get some fucking answers.

One thing became crystal clear after their encounter in Terminus Cave: Team Flare wasn’t just a criminal gang up to mischief. They sought out the power of legendary Pokemon. Grunts spent exorbitant amounts of money to join. They were stealing power and Pokemon for some greater purpose. They had to find out why, before it was too late.

Alain appeared to be a special operative. A lone Lycanroc for the most part, battling anyone who used Mega Evolutions with his ferociously powerful Mega Charizard X. That’s how Calem first met him. Ever since he got his Key Stone from Korrina at the Tower of Mastery, that Mega Evolution specialist occasionally sought him out to beat the shit out of his Absol. 

He was fiercely confident in battle and even more fiercely distant in conversation. It was all business with him, aside from the glimpses of affection to his Pokemon that snuck through his facade every now and then. There was also that moment where Calem let loose a flirt in the boy’s direction and he seemed to falter for a bit. Of course nothing came of it, and thank Arceus it didn’t.

Because Alain was there in Terminus Cave, defending a massive Team Flare operation and even taking a major part in their battle against the legendary Pokemon. Calem barely made it out of that encounter, and that’s when combating the gang went from random side adventures on his journey to focused counter operations. Him, Sina and Dexio began working with investigators and police to sort out this threat, or how much of a threat they even were.

They needed information. They needed to know who, why and what to even begin taking real action here. Suspicions were cast over Lysandre, but accusing the philanthropist millionaire was way out of their reach. They needed to arrest a known member for interrogation. Put themselves in a position to take action instead of just reacting to their schemes all the time. 

So they began tracking down Alain. He was mostly on his own and it was easy enough keeping a tab on the few other mega evolution users he'd challenge. Also Sina and Dexio actually used to work with him at the Lumiose lab before he went on a journey to research that battle phenomenon, which made the reveal of his involvement with Team Flare quite the shock to them. They had to wonder what made that kind introvert they knew turn his back on the loving professor. 

All of that culminated in this confrontation. Calem followed him into Frost Cave while Sina and Dexio blocked off the entrances. Rubbing his hands against the cold, Calem navigated the cave system briskly, following the fresh footprints deeper in. Absol was already at his side, double checking their path with his nose.

And there he was. Spiky raven hair and mostly black attire, quite underdressed for the freezing environment. 

“Hello, Alain.” Calem called out bitterly.

The teen turned without surprise. “So. You found me this time. I assume you're not just here for a normal rematch?”

“Oh I'm very much here for a rematch, grunt.”

They glared at each other fiercely. “So be it.”

The power that shook the halls at their clash was immense. Mega Charizard X and Mega Absol traded blows over and over again, neither willing to lose. But Calem had to win this time. There was no way to interrogate or arrest him when his dragon was still in fighting fit condition. Even if Absol went down, he'd send his whole team out to make sure.

Thankfully, his partner pulled through by the skin of his teeth. Calem beat Alain for the very first time.

“Charizard!” He called out as his partner fell and reverted back to his orange scaled form. He covered his worry with a scoff and recalled his Pokemon. “Satisfied?” 

“Only once you tell me what Team Flare is up to.” Calem also recalled the tired Absol, immediately hovering a hand over his ace's Pokeball.

“I'm not here on a Flare mission.”

“I'm asking about your whole damn group!” He took a confrontational step forward.

Alain seemed mildly intrigued by the energy. “Why do you care so much?”

What a baffling response. “Why wouldn't I care?! You keep stealing and victimizing people, and you're messing with the forces of legendary Pokemon! So I ask you again.” Greninja appeared at his side, his voice lowered seriously. “What are you trying to do?”

His arms crossed. “None of your business.”

“Well I’m not letting you go until I get answers.”

“Wow, very law abiding citizen of you. What a hero.” He responded sarcastically. “Anyway, you got my answer and a clear plot to keep me caged regardless. Mind if I make sure my partner is all fine and healed?”

“Obviously I mind!” Contrary to his namesake, Calem couldn’t contain his irritation. Getting this right was too important.

“How cruel. What if he’s getting a cold in there?” There was a mocking undertone.

“Oh my Arceus stop stalling! You are now a known member of Team Flare. I will get you arrested!”

“See, what’s the point in telling you our secrets then? I’ll have to go through a better interrogation process anyways.” Alain subtly threw shade.

A moment of silence. There was truth to that. But the authorities had nothing aside from Calem’s account of events so far. They might not have the rights to keep him in custody. So he had to get something- anything- right now. It might’ve been his only chance. Maybe he’d have to play this card after all. “...What if I told the professor about you?”

That shifted the villain’s demeanor. “You think he’s gonna ground me or something? Put a bad note on my reference? What says you haven’t told him already?”

So that might really be a soft spot still… “I haven’t. Sina and Dexio didn’t want to break his heart like this.” He started sincerely.” But really, you’d be none the wiser of that with your cut contact and all.”

Alain’s hand clenched. “...It’s for his own good.”

“Is it really? Or is it just to protect yourself and your foppishly arrogant organization?”

“You don’t fucking know me! Stop playing amateur detective!” He stomped closer in his outburst.

This seemingly dislodged something from the ceiling. A glassy icicle shattered to the ground nearby. And in the second that Calem looked towards that, Alain began bolting in the other direction.

He reacted quickly enough though, almost in a panic. “Grab him!” Swinging his arm in the enemy’s direction made Greninja execute on the command. His tongue untwisted from his neck and flicked towards the grunt’s leg. It tripped him up, right on the edge of an icy ledge. He fell with an audible thud.

Rushing after, Calem discovered him propping himself up from the floor, grasping his head and grunting in pain. That was certainly not a desired outcome, yikes. Part of him thought it might be a trick to lower his guard, but… Greninja was right there.

So he reached out. “Are you okay?”

Prone and snarling, Alain lashed out unsteadily. “Fuck off! This is futile! You’ll all be gone soon!”

The trainer’s blood ran cold. Wide eyes honed in on the scrambling heap. “...What do you mean?”

“We- Y-You- Gh--” He gasped, sitting up and immediately curling in on himself. Clutching his head even more firmly, his eyes locked shut and he started shaking.

Oh no, that was worrying. “Alain? Alain, what is it?”

“I hit my fucking head, asshole!” He reigned in his volume, no less aggressive.

“I- Well yes, but- Fuck, I didn’t mean to.” Calem regrettably considered his next move and offered his hand again. “Let’s get you out of here.” 

He swatted it away. “Get off! Leave me alone, pretty boy!”

“Pr-” As he reacted to that unprecedented comment, something burst through a wall behind them. A Piloswine, to be precise. It seemed agitated, but that was less of an immediate concern than the structural integrity of their surroundings. A quake rumbled overhead, dislodging snow and ice and rocks. 

Without thinking, Calem and Greninja scooped up Alain together and started running. Small bits of debris pelted them, but they avoided the worst of it. Once at a safe distance from the chaos, they stopped to catch their breaths. And then they noticed how the boy draped over their shoulders felt eerily limp. 

Filled with anxiety, they gradually propped him up on the ground. His eyes barely fluttered open. “Alain?! Can you hear me?! Don’t you dare- I need answers, please!”

Through the mental haze, Alain saw someone else in front of him. He didn’t register what was happening, only breathing out a painfully familiar title before slipping into unconsciousness.

“...Pro...fes...sor......”

Chapter Text

Calem and Greninja dragged the taller boy out of the cave, an arm slung over each of their shoulders. What a terrible time to learn firsthand how hard it was to carry an unconscious person. Calem nearly buckled under the weight and icy floor multiple times. The Pokemon held steady enough and kept a close eye on the vapors of Alain’s shallow breath. They felt guilty enough already for causing such harm to their enemy. It would be utterly horrifying for the situation to worsen.

Finally, they rounded a corner near the exit and met paths with Glaceon. Sina wasn’t far behind, gasping at the sight. “Calem! What happened?” She rushed in to get a closer look.

“I…” The words got caught in his throat. How much should he say now? All of it, if he wanted her to get the full picture, but getting out quicker was more important. “He- He hit his head trying to run and passed out.”

“Alain?” Sina waved her hand in front of his face. His eyes were slightly open, unfocused and unmoving. “Alain??” She repeated to no response. “...He’s still out of it, maybe waking up. Either way, we need a doctor.”

“Yeah, of course- Please help us carry him.” Urgency and fatigue carried his words.

She nodded, letting out her Abomasnow. They carefully transferred the lad into the Pokemon’s arms, focusing on swiftly but steadily making it out of the cave. 

Then Sina activated her Holo Caster and started a call. “Dexio, Looker. We got him, but he needs to go to the hospital. Head injury, barely conscious. Think we should just take the car back to town?”

While they kept discussing, Calem picked up on some barely audible mumblings from the injured. “仕‌…方‌…な‌い‌…” (shi…kata…nai…)

“What?” Calem got closer to his face. From what he could see of his eyes, the pupils were quite wide and barely locking onto him. “Hey, can you hear me?”

It took a moment, but he seemed to respond. “ううん... 暖かい...” (uun… attakai…)

Oh. Huh. He certainly didn’t expect… Kantonese? “What does that mean? You-” A sigh escaped him. He shouldn’t expect anything clear out of this delirium. “Whatever. We’re gonna get you help, okay? Just rest or something.”

Alain’s stream of near consciousness continued, a bit more slurred. “だめ... 救う... せかい... 果て...” (dame… sukuu… sekai… hate…)

Calem felt his skin crawl. He didn’t know a lot of Kantonese, but that seemed like an ominous string of half spoken, fearful words. Something about… No, and world? And remembering what he let slip earlier, ‘You’ll all be gone soon!’ …He needed clear answers. He had to get them. For everyone’s sake.

They made it to the car where Dexio waited with bated breath. Looker sat in the driver's seat, ready to leave. They asked Calem to sit in the front while the lab assistants would be in the back seats with Alain. 

As they moved him again, he slurred “Ddon't tell Syc-” before throwing up, thankfully onto the snowy ground outside the car. 

Dexio cringed as they dealt with it, rubbing his back and supporting him. “Thaaat's not good. Yikes.” 

Soon enough, they settled into the back seats with the sick boy lying over their laps. One of his arms covered his face as he breathed heavily.

“...What the hell happened to you?” Dexio wondered, mostly to himself.

Alain slowly shook his head. “独り... 悪い...” (hitori…warui…)

“Keep a good hold on him. The frosty roads might be rough.” Looker warned as he started the car. Despite the urgency, he prioritized keeping the vehicle stable. “So, what exactly happened?” He asked Calem calmly.

The trainer fiddled with the zipper of his jacket, swallowing his nerves and recapping the events.

“We’re gonna take good care of you.”

“Alain?”

Someone had their hands all over him. They tried to pull him somewhere. Hospital? Was that it? “いいえ (iie), I’ll be fine. Jjust gimme a sec…” He tried brushing off the intruders, but his arm felt too heavy to do much and his head radiated too much pain to get up.

So he could do nothing as he was moved again, this time from a cramped space to a flat moving surface. Opening his eyes beyond squinting just sent a wave of dizziness over Alain, though he managed to take in that he was surrounded by way too many people. “Leave me al- lone…” 

But they didn’t. They poked and touched and talked over him. He groaned and objected and refused to engage, but couldn’t fight back with enough strength to be more than a nuisance. He particularly hated them shining something blinding in his eyes and the feeling of needles, but he just had to take it all. He was too out of it to resist in any meaningful way.

Eventually he started feeling less of anything. The rush in his hurt and confused mind quieted down. So he dared open his eyes again, just a little. And who immediately fell into his field of view? The handsome bastard with the long hair who got him into- and out of?- this mess, talking to others beyond the foot of the stretcher and meeting his gaze for a moment. 

And then it all became a blur. Most of this whole event would not even remain in his memories. Probably for the better, it was just a miserable time. 0/10, would not recommend to his worst enemy.

A day later, Alain awoke properly. He was confused at his surroundings, slowly working up his recollection of events up to this point. The furthest he got was a hazy memory of fighting Calem in Frost Cave and them talking after. That he felt trapped and tense, but not all that worried.

And now he was in a hospital with a muddled mind and aching head. He called in a nurse with the remote near him.

“Hello there. How are you feeling?” A young man walked in, going to take something from the foot of the bed. Alain couldn’t make out his features in the slightest, obviously having neither his contacts nor glasses at this time.

“...What happened?” He ignored the other’s question.

The nurse didn’t seem to mind and took a bit to finish reading up on Alain’s file. “Ah yes, you’ve been resting till now. You suffered a concussion yesterday and are now being cared for here in Dendemille General Hospital. The cold weather exposure almost made things worse, but-”

A sudden pressing question popped into Alain’s head. “Where’s Zardo?”

“...Your Pokemon? They should be at the hospital’s daycare. Any battle damage they may have had would’ve been taken care of by now.” The nurse assured.

That was good. If he could trust these people. “Can I see him?”

“Well… He’s a bit big for the room, and your… unique circumstances would prohibit it. You see, I wouldn’t know the details, but there’s some people who need to talk to you. It concerns how you are… technically under arrest.”

Great. Interrogation. With his mind all mushy. Just perfect. At least he knew they couldn’t get into the data on his holo caster. He could be sure of that. Alain took a bit more to gather his thoughts and respond. “Sigh , bring em in. Let’s get this over with.”

“Uh- We should do a check-up on you first. To assess your status and recovery.”

“ Fine. Then just do that first.” He replied irritably. The misery of this situation, being all useless and in the clutches of people trying to ‘help’ and probe him for information, was getting to him.

The nurse did not enjoy the curt tone, turning briskly. “I’ll get the doctor.”

Later that day, Looker and Calem made their way to Alain's room. To Calem, it felt like now or never would be the time to get ahead in this case. The teen would undoubtedly be a tough nut to crack, but he had a professional with him. Surely, they could get more than nothing out of him.

With a notepad full of somewhat messy writing in hand, the detective knocked twice on the door and entered after a delay.

Alain was sitting on the bed, leaning with one arm against a propped up knee and side eyeing them. He wore some basic pajamas and rectangular glasses, his hair just as ruffled as usual. He looked tired, but alert, certainly an improvement to last time. Overall, a novel appearance. Calem tried to ignore that he had feelings about that.

“Hello, Alain.” Looker let his assistant through before closing the door.

“...Hey.” Calem hesitantly greeted as a follow up, moving to set up two chairs next to the bed.

The patient stayed silent, passively glaring at them.

“I am detective Looker and this is my- technically informal- apprentice, Calem Vanille. We're currently investigating the organization known as Team Flare, and your involvement with them.” The man said affably. “First off, I'd like to confirm the facts with you.”

The background check they performed last evening… It was rather shocking what they found out. So completely different than anything Calem was used to, and yet they were the same age.

“Currently going by the surname Sycamore, 16 years old. Six years ago, you transferred from a Johtonian orphanage to intern at the Kalosian Pokemon lab under the foster care of professor Sycamore. And now you're working as a field research assistant for Lysandre labs. Is that all correct?”

“You know the facts.” He stated plainly.

“I'll take that as a yes!” Looker ticked off that section in his notes. “Before we move on to the core of things, do you have anything to tell us yourself?”

No hesitation. “I need a lawyer and an unbroken brain.” 

Looker returned a smile despite being a bit taken aback by the bluntness. “Yes, you're quite right. These are unfortunate circumstances we find ourselves in.”

“And I'm sorry you got hurt. I didn't mean for things to go this way.” Calem added honesty. 

Alain finally turned to face the investigators. “It was your fault, blondie?” He misspoke on the appellation, still unable to recall the details of what happened. 

The trainer blinked in confusion. “Who are you calling blondie??”

“You! …Wait-” He shook his head, wincing, then shifted his position to sit with his legs dangling over the edge of the bed. “Whatever. Elaborate.” His glare seemed piercing, though it was really just an unintended side effect from squinting due to a headache. 

Calem averted eye contact self-consciously. “Well, the short version is: I confronted you in Frost Cave, you tried getting away and in trying to stop you, I accidentally caused you to fall. Carried you out of the cave while you were passed out.”  

Still vague, but the story checked out. For lack of better responses, Alain just scoffed and glanced over at Looker.

He cleared his throat. “Regarding your ask, this isn't a formal interrogation. If we continue with any legal action, it will be dealt with after your recovery. Of course you still have the right to remain silent. Okay?”

And boy did he make use of his rights. Alain crossed his arms, put on a poker face and simply let the questions come his way.

Between each question, all that Looker received was silence. “The actions of Team Flare remain mostly undocumented, but within the last few months, Calem himself and others have witnessed a raid on Glittering Cave, the hostile takeover of both the power plant and the Pokeball factory, and of course an attempt to entrap Zygarde in Terminus Cave, in which you were allegedly also involved. Do you know what Team Flare’s goals are?”

“Are you part of the team or aiding them in some way?”

“Do you admit to being in Terminus Cave during the Zygarde incident?”

“Do you have information on any other members?” 

“Is Lysandre Fleur-De-Lis involved with Team Flare?”

This whole time, Calem examined Alain’s reactions closely for any possible crack. It was at this point that he saw something . It was subtle, but he tensed up in reaction to that question.

Less subtle was the breaking of his silence. “No. He’s my boss at Lysandre labs and friend to the professor. Nothing more.”

“I see…” Looker tapped his cheek with his pen, loosening up a bit. “What do you do for Lysandre labs?”

“Research mega evolution.”

“Isn’t that something Sycamore’s lab researches primarily? Why the change in workplace?”

Silence reigned again.

The detective hummed. “A bit personal, is it? Favorite candy bar?” He continued with a hint of whimsy.

Both boys did a double take at that.

“See, I don't mean to bribe you, but you do catch more Combee with honey. Unless of course your doctor has restricted what you can eat-”

“We’re done here.” Alain turned around, laid down and got under the covers. “I’m not engaging with such juvenile tactics.” Said the youngest in the room.

Looker seemed a bit disappointed, not dropping the friendly demeanour though. “Alright. Thank you for your time.” He simply got up and went to the exit. “We’ll keep you updated.”

Calem watched Looker give up in bewilderment, following him outside. “What was that? You throw him a curveball and just leave when he tells you to? I know what he is, we can’t just-”

“It’s okay.” The adult patted his shoulder, stopping him from working himself up too much. They continued walking and talking. “We’re just testing the waters. Obviously he’d have a hard time trusting us with our rapport skewing negatively. He’ll need some time to heal and settle. In the meantime, we’ll keep building our case.”

“So I just have to be patient and hunker down over data?” Calem bemoaned. How would he ever get his answers on what the bad guys were doing with all this.. bureaucracy?

“I think you could use your time more wisely and leave the boring paperwork to me. Like, you could keep him company, as an equal! Chip away at his walls with genuine kindness.”

Really? Spending his time with that sad sack who hated him? And who he hated in return?

Looker continued. “From what we know of his profile, loneliness or traumas- even coercion could be driving him to criminal activities. There’s a deeper story to this than just an angsty teen. And it seems you did get along well enough as rivals.”

Hmm… True enough. He knew Alain wasn’t all bad from the way he treated his Pokemon. At least Calem could give him that. But did he really want to pry into that guy’s tragic backstory and, like, fix him? Finesse and pluck at his heart strings only to get him arrested? Definitely not. Though… it wasn’t the worst face to spend more time with- No, no gay thoughts. Not in this situation. You have to be tactical and considerate! 

“...I’ll think about it.” More than he already did.

“Of course, of course. You can rely on this great detective for guidance and proper adulting!” He boasted with some irony, because as they passed by the cafeteria, Looker slowed down in realization. “Hmmm, have we had lunch at all?”

“Uhm… Only some joghurt?” Two lads, too occupied to think about the basic human necessities.

“No wonder I thought to ask him about snacks! Let’s take a break!” And without further ado, the detective started moving straight towards the coffee counter.

Calem followed behind, noticing his hunger now as well. He'd be able to think better later, probably, though It was hard to tune out and refocus.

Alain Sycamore… How do we deal with you?

Chapter Text

Back in front of those doors. Did he have a game plan? Theoretically, yes. Honestly the more realistic expectation was to just wing it, because he could already barely predict Alain in his non-concussed state.

So Calem knocked to announce his entry into the hospital room.

“I’m not accepting visitors at this time.” Alain spoke up almost immediately. He was standing by the window and looking outside, having seen Calem’s reflection in the glass without needing to turn around.

“Then I’m not here to visit you.” Closing the door behind him, he only took a few steps closer. “I’m here to pay my dues.”

The patient simply scoffed and crossed his arms.

Calem kept his cool. “What do you want? I’ll try to provide you with what's reasonable.”

“To get out of here . To be left alone .” He emphasized moodily.

“In a hospital? Fat chance.”

“Can leave against medical advice. I could sue you for… this.” He added pettily, blanking on the word assault.

The rebuttal was met with a deadpan expression. “We’re both minors. You’re under investigation. Try again.” 

“You’re not gonna do shit.”

“Come on, you gotta have more wants than that. Even something small, like a certain meal? A book?”

Alain slowly shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. It’s like Malso’s hierarchy of… no, pyramid- whatever. Can’t satisfy more luxury needs if the base isn’t covered.” 

“Not relevant. You gotta be bored and miserable just sitting here on your own-”

“And you think your charm and action’s enough to reverse that? You’re just making things worse.” He snapped back, tensing up angrily.

His exasperation was bubbling up. “I’m honestly trying not to-” 

“出てけ (deteke).”

“What?”

Alain whipped around and yelled “Fuck off!” 

And Calem nearly did. The guy before him emitted some strong menace. Except it was also plainly evident how sick he still was. Dark bags under his eyes, pale face, unsteady and hunched posture, pained expression… The trainer really did want to alleviate some of this pain. No way he'd give in that easily, but at least he turned away for the moment.

Then Alain did, leaning his head against the window. “...I just wanna see my Pokemon.” He mumbled lowly.

There it was. It was barely audible, but he got the message. That was something Calem should be able to accomplish. Something that might crack the other’s walls. How didn’t he consider that earlier? The two clearly had a strong bond. 
Since he got what he needed to proceed, he honored the earlier request and left the room without another word.

Calem had an easy enough time locating the hospital’s Pokemon daycare. He had a harder time pleading his case for letting a big, powerful Pokemon into the room of his potentially criminal trainer. It seemed safer and more comfortable than bringing Alain to the daycare, in his opinion, and Calem could have his own Pokemon babysitting them to make sure they didn’t cause mayhem.
It was a risky move, but he wanted to extend that olive branch. Honestly, he could sympathize. The grunt may have been a loner, but he would have always had Charizard around. Anyone needed someone to be close to, even if it was a beast that could incinerate a man.

So how hard would it be to talk to such a beast about the ground rules of visiting his trainer? He’d just have to find out.

His Clefable was probably the best partner of his for the assist here. She was kind, understanding and bulky enough to defend against retaliation. She might even consider this to just be a playdate of sorts.

The Charizard was mostly kept in his Pokeball outside of the necessary care needed. A way to keep him pacified, perhaps. The ball was quite ordinary, barely a unique feature to it besides a few hints of wear and tear. 

Taking a breath to brace himself for the encounter, Calem released Charizard from his Pokeball. The big lizard materialized, took in his surroundings and simply stood there for now. He seemed wary, but not aggressive.

“Hello, Charizard. I’m sure you remember me, Calem, and this is my Clefable, Star. We’re not just here to chat- although, we kinda are- but for an important reason.”

The Pokemon gave a low rumble, head tilting forward. His message seemingly being ‘Get to the point.’  

He tugged at this jacket collar. “...I don’t know if people told you what’s going on yet, so I’ll just summarize that after our last fight, Alain got hurt.” He left out the part where it was his fault. No need to invite the wrath of a pseudo dragon.
“Which is why you’re at this hospital- well, he is. And you’re here at the daycare, because he’d have trouble taking care of you in that small room and with his injury and the fact that he’s being investigated for criminal activities-” ‘Oh my Arceus stop rambling to the creature.’
“Anyways! I made arrangements with the staff to allow you two to meet again.”

Charizard perked up, taking a few steps closer.

“With a few rules to keep in mind!” Calem held up a finger in a halting gesture. “I’ll be supervising you with my own Pokemon, because you’ll behave and not cause a ruckus. Just visit your trainer and not leave the hospital. He’s getting better, I think, but he still needs to rest.”

The lizard kept approaching.

“ And you’ll need to make room if the doctors come in for treatment. And return here to the daycare outside of visiting hours-”
He paused when Charizard got into reaching distance, leaning back nervously.

Looking over at Star, she seemed unbothered by the approach.

“Uhm… Do you understand? …Are you alright?”

Without further ado, Charizard booped his Pokeball with his nose and went back inside. Clearly, he was eager to move on.

Calem sighed with a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“I thought I made myself clear, Sparkles.” Alain glowered at the other trainer from his bed.

“Looove how you keep refusing to call me by my name, Grunt. It’s Calem, by the way, in case this is a symptom of your brain damage.” He sassed back.

“I wish. Forgetting you would lessen my headache tenfold.”

“Also, I did listen. Not that it was clear, but I’m here to give you what you really want.”

Alain glared sceptically, until he saw the red and white orb that Calem placed onto his bedside table. Despite its lack of customization, it seemed he could immediately recognize it as his own. Didn’t stop him from hesitating in disbelief.

A flash of light originating from Calem’s other hand gave way to his Greninja. “Don’t mind me and Fresca standing over here in this corner. Just making sure you don’t fly out of that window and such.” 

The guy’s gaze flickered between his babysitters and the Pokeball, as if to gauge if this was a trick. He couldn’t think clearly enough for this without the throbbing in his head growing intolerable, so he simply caved and released his partner.

Charizard immediately honed in on his trainer, his flaming tail tip curling upwards. A happy little roar escaped his maw as he leaned over the edge of the bed and nuzzled Alain.

“Hey.” He couldn’t stop his expression from softening up, reaching out to pet his partner and even shifting his position for a hug. “Good to see you.”

An affectionate rumble managed to gently tug at the corners of Alain’s mouth. Quite the rare sight. “I’ll be fine.” He leaned out of the hug to take a better look. “You?”

“Rawr!” He flexed his arms confidently.

“Good.”

Zardo leaned back in, tilting his head for his own inquiry.

“...Fell down in the cave.” He gave a sharp look towards Calem and Fresca. “ Someone tripped me up.”

Charizard whipped around and growled at the realization. 

“I didn't mean to hurt him! And I already said sorry multiple times!” He defended himself.

Not well enough, though. The dragon turned around in anger. Greninja readied himself for action as well.

“Stop.” Surprisingly, Alain intervened firmly. “It's not worth it. If you behave, you might be able to stay longer.”

“I-” The words got caught in his throat. “...I guess, yeah. You're limited to visiting hours regardless, but you wouldn’t be allowed to stay if you misbehaved.” He clarified, kind of baffled that the Team Flare grunt would listen to these rules.

Charizard begrudgingly stepped down with a growl and huffed out some smoke. For the time being, he settled on the ground in a loafing position, acting just as much as Alain's protector as Fresca did for Calem. 

Everyone was glaring at each other.

After a bit of tense silence, Calem commented pettily “You should be glad I managed to arrange this in the first place. After all, you're the villains.”

Alain hesitated to respond, crossing his arms and keeping his voice down. “Our cause is just. Things will get better.”

Taken aback by the fact that a dialog was actually happening, Calem took a moment to recalibrate. He pulled up one of the chairs in the room to sit at a fair distance from Alain and his murder dragon, while staying in direct line of sight. 

Fresca preferred sitting down on the floor, keeping his eyes on the other Pokemon. 

“Then what did you mean when you said ‘You’ll all be gone soon?’” The inquiry carried a grave tone.

The grunt’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“In the cave! You said that- more like yelled that- after you fell!”

There was a pause as he searched his scrambled memories. “I don't remember that. I don't even remember the fall- We've been over that, right?”

“Right- But regardless, I did hear you say that. Very clearly.”

“You're taking the ramblings of a concussed guy seriously?”

“Yes, I am.” Calem straightened up indomitably. “Because when you were way out of it later, you spoke Johtonian. So right after you fell, you were aware enough to not default to your native language.”

Alain stared back, expression unreadable. “...Believe what you will. I have nothing to say on this.”
He sunk down into his bedsheets and turned away. “Now would you mind shutting up and letting me rest? I'm trying to get out of this place in a doctor-recommended way.” 

Calem frowned with conviction and offense, about to retort strongly. 

However, Fresca put a hand on his arm. He croaked calmly to ground his trainer.

…Right, slow and steady. He already chipped at the guy's armor with Charizard's presence. ‘Patience. You catch more Combee with honey, or however that saying goes.’

“Fine. I'll go get lunch.” He spat out, leaving his Greninja on guard duty while he exited the room.
After slamming the door a bit too forcefully, he took a deep breath and groaned loudly in frustration. He was not, in fact, very patient. Nor did he easily tolerate that abrasive behavior from his evil crush.

Alain sighed, trying to gain some semblance of comfort. 

Zardo got back up to check on him, rumbling affectionately. 

“I'm way beyond tired.” He stated through half lidded eyes. “This shit is messing with my sleep. Not like it wasn't a problem before too. It's kinda just worse. Especially ‘cause I literally can't think too much without suffering for it.”
He turned over to lay on his side, facing away from the window. “So… no plans so far, except to just wait it out. Hopefully this’ll subside soon.”

The lizard whined sympathetically, laying his head on the bed in front of the tired boy, who started lightly petting him.

When Calem returned a while later with food for everyone, Charizard's head rested under the soundly asleep Alain’s hand. Fresca sat comfortably in the corner of the room.

So… that situation was a bit awkward to linger in. Also a cute sight. Oh well. He quietly placed the sleeping pair’s meal on the bedside table, settled down on the floor by Fresca and quietly minded his own business for the time being.

Between bites, he texted Sina and Dexio to see if one of them would take a shift watching the two. Clearly, they were both happier and more cooperative while together. He just had to stubbornly keep chipping at that shell.

Chapter Text

“You can't be serious!” 

“I'm sorry, Calem. We don't have enough evidence. The case wouldn't go through.” 

Looker got up from behind his desk at the Dendemille police station, which he was borrowing for the time being. In an effort to reassure his young assistant, he placed a hand on his shoulder. “We'll investigate elsewhere.”

Calem pulled away, fists clenched. It wasn’t easy to reign in his outburst, contrary to his namesake. “But he's right there! I can't just let him get away with this! They're planning something awful, I know it!”

“And we won't let- whatever that is- happen. He's just one of many people involved.” The detective remained steady and patient.

“He’s still helping them achieve that goal!”

He sat back down to center himself. “Can't we do something- anything to stop him? Like… Like getting the professor involved?”

“Can't force him through the hand of the law,” Looker shook his head. However, contrary to the previous vibes, he flashed a smirk. “But you could always try… the power of friendship!” He just barely suppressed the urge to add jazz hands.

“...Detective, this is serious,” Calem leered.

“I know! Just- hear me out. Besides the antagonism, you two do seem to be on a similar wavelength. Same age, strong, smart trainers, and before this whole mess you were already Mega Evolution rivals. You could still get along, if he keeps out of trouble.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re suggesting that I fix him? …Or beat him up?” Clearly, the second option would be preferred.

“Well, when you put it like that…” the detective cupped his chin in faux thoughtfulness, “Why not both?”

That wasn’t convincing in the slightest. But… Maybe…  

Calem shook his head a little. “I'll think about- something.”

“I'm sure you will, partner!” Looker patted his shoulder enthusiastically.

“Either way, with this matter in your capable hands, I'm heading back out to investigate soon.” He returned to sit at the desk, straightening out a stack of papers. “I'll keep you updated!”

“Same here.” The inklings of a plan were starting to form, so he needed to actually ponder and formulate it further. 

“Thanks for all the hard work. I’ll get back to it too.” Calem got up and excused himself from the office.

“Thank you as well. Goodbye, for now!”

Alain was taking a walk around the inner yard, to stretch his weary muscles. He wore the same clothes he did in the cave, considering it was a fairly chilly day. Charizard flew rounds overhead, and Sina was keeping her eyes on them.

When Calem found his way to them, they were in the middle of a conversation. 

“...at least let me tell him how you're doing. Or- Well, that you're okay,” she backpeddled.

“He knows that already. My boss keeps him updated. No need for any of them to get worried over my temporary ailment, or otherwise.” Alain’s voice had a forced coldness to it, and he avoided looking in her direction.

On the other end, Sina was very engaged. “This isn’t just about worry. Him- and the lab’s Pokemon- care about you. And I don’t know if you need to hear this, but when people care about you, they tend to miss you when you’re gone.”

“Why are you so hung up on this? We were co-workers, at most.”

“Because I care about the lab, and you’re a part of it. Is it really too much to ask if you could show your face at the place you live?”

He stopped her, noticing Calem’s approach. “Enough. Looks like sparkles wants his turn to interrogate me.”

“Oh I don’t mind if she wants to keep drilling you about your issues,” he sassed.

Sina hesitated, then let out a misty sigh. “No, I’ll drop it. I said what needed to be said.

“Just consider it.” One more poignant look at the young man and she walked off.

“You care about professor Sycamore too, don’t you?” Calem started after a short bout of silence.

The other trainer crossed his arms. “...I can take care of myself.” 

“Okay, dodging the question again.” Not a surprising reaction at this point. 

“Anyway, I have a different one. Mind sitting down?”

“I do mind. Been laying about for too long.”

He shrugged. An understandable sentiment. “Fine then. Suit yourself.”

Charizard landed nearby and walked over to Alain, nudging the boy for pets.

As usual, the Pokemon’s proximity lessened his sour attitude. Just a bit. “So? Spit it out.”

“What’s your goal? As in, what do you do on your journey?

“Journey and destination are two different things.”

“But you do things for a goal.” Calem over-emphasized the words with clarifying annoyance. “I know you do research and fight other megas. Just wanted to know if there was more to it.”

Alain searched his expression for some kind of hidden agenda. There had to be one, but the question did seem genuine. And his answer wasn’t revealing. “That’s the jist of it. I gather data and information through practical application and investigating places related to it.”

“For team Flare’s benefit?”

“For my job. At Lysandre Labs.” 

“Not Sycamore’s Pokemon Lab?”

“Where are you going with this?” He pushed up his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I swear, you people- just get to the point you're trying to make!”

“I’m leading into it! That question was to check if… our goals are compatible,” he mumbled, knowing how ridiculous that sounded with their context.

Alain looked understandably perturbed, tilting his head and furrowing his brows.

A sigh grounded Calem again, finding composure for the pitch. “Look. Legally? You’re off the hook. But you’re on our radar. With the reasonable evidence we do have, it won’t take many slip-ups for you to be persecuted. I want to assure you won’t even participate in incriminating behavior, thus supporting team Flare’s activities. 

“So I’m offering you a deal. We start traveling together from here on out. I keep you out of working with the organization, and in return I won’t interfere with them either.” His expression was fully coated in seriousness, gaze piercing.

The grunt reacted with computing delay. A baffled chuckle escaped him as he wrapped his head around the idea. “You- How do you come up with this stuff? You must be mental- or a masochist, actively proposing to travel with someone you hate.”

“It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. To keep the people I do like safe.” He didn’t falter.

Something about that line may have hit a nerve, if the look Alain and his Pokemon shared was anything to go by.

“Frankly, I’m doing you a favor,” Calem continued. “You're just a grunt, right? You don't lead missions, just execute them. I have been a major thorn in your side during multiple incidents. Both the team and countermeasures against them will keep going, but neither of us will be involved. At most, a net neutral.”

“That’s what you think. If I don’t comply, I just get to go free, no?”

“If you decline, I will hunt down your operations even more fiercely.” Trying to step closer to get in the man’s face was met with a warning growl from Charizard. The energy remained, at a reasonable distance. “I will be your downfall, mark my words.”

Alain took that act even less seriously. “Cringe. Stalker behavior. You're obsessed,” he heckled.

The other practically growled back, the tension boiling over. “This has absolutely nothing to do with my attraction to you!”

His eyes widened, dumbfounded at the out of nowhere confession. “I- What??”

Fuck. How did that slip out?? ...No backing out at this point, though. We double down in this household. 

Calem turned his red face away. “Oh I hate that I have a crush on you. We’re literally enemies. But a crush is meaningless if the feelings behind it are just surface level, and I can simply choose to not execute on this attraction.”

Alain backed away a bit. His body language conveyed discomfort, his cheeks brushed red. “Well now I have even less reason to go with you! Having you hate-lust over me all day??”

“Don't pretend like it isn't at least slightly mutual!”

“Where the fuck do you get your audacity from?!”

“When you call me shit like pretty boy or sparkles!”

“When would I-” He shook his head, wincing slightly as the lingering brain damage made itself known.  And then he masked neutrality. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a fashion guy, you pay attention to your appearance. It’s just factual.”

What a weird excuse. “There’s more to finding someone pretty than their clothes and hair.”

“Now you're just fishing for compliments.”

“Fuck off, like I need your validation.” Just drop it, this isn’t the time. “...But I do need you to stop helping criminals.

“If you accept, you can keep up your research while I finish my last two gyms. Heck, you could challenge the league yourself. I’m sure there will be many strong trainers, who use mega evolution, participating. Among gym leaders, too. And you can keep fighting my Absol on the way.” He knew the deal needed to be sweetened as much as it could be, especially considering Alain’s reaction. 

Not that Calem looked forward to doing this either, but it was the best solution he could come up with. And who knows? Maybe Alain wasn’t a lost cause. Maybe his research was legit and he only helped team Flare out on the side. Judging by the bond he had with Charizard, and presumably the professor, he didn’t fully lack kindness or care either.

“...You’re ridiculous,” was all the grunt could quietly seem to muster at this point.

“Right back at you. I’m giving you two days to finalize your answer. Once you walk out of this hospital, it's either truce or war. Think this through.”

Without another word, Alain took out Charizard’s Pokeball from inside his coat and recalled him. Then he made his way back into the building. 

Sina was waiting for him behind the doors, so Calem made no effort to follow. Instead, he plopped down to sit on the nearest bench and breathed out mist into the chilly air. The tension almost made him forget how cold Dendemille was, even this close to noon. 

Maybe he should spend the rest of the day training…

The night before being released from the hospital, Alain made sure to get his belongings in order. Though he didn’t carry anything incriminating, obviously, he didn’t want to have Calem looking over his shoulder while he packed. Also Zardo might have buried his nose in the bag again, full of silly energy.

So he packed by his lonesome. Banishing his glasses in favor of returning to contact lenses, setting out the clothes to be worn the following day while packing up the rest, ignoring the blue jacket that Calem forgot on the coat hangers…

All in all, there wasn’t much to do, but he felt too restless. The deal- or ultimatum- still wasn’t sealed, but there was little time left to avoid dealing with it. The thought of being around that guy 24/7 was exhausting him already, not to mention the anxiety over ghosting his responsibilities. 

If he couldn’t be strong enough, useful enough… There wouldn’t be a place for him in the new world. But how useful could he be if he was stalked by a detective?

As his thoughts drifted, his hands wrapped around his Holo-Caster. Untouched. A secure, encrypted connection to its inventor…

Alain scanned the dimly lit room. Of course he was alone, and the door was closed. This may have been the only chance he had.

So with a few quick taps and a deep breath to steel his nerves, he called Lysandre.

Just a few seconds later, he realized how poor the timing was. It was nearly 11pm, for Arceus’ sake! This was a terrible idea, there was no way this could go well-

“Alain.” 

He was startled out of his thoughts. “D-Director, I vehemently apologize for my absence. And for contacting you at such a late time.”

Lysandre’s powerful voice reverberated in the quiet room. The volume wasn’t high at all, but that’s what it felt like. Words that demanded the boy’s undivided attention.

“...Forgiveness granted. I was informed of your hospitalization. Mind filling me in on the details?”

“I… do not recall most of it myself, as I suffered a head injury, but I was confronted by Calem Vanille in Frost Cave. Since he witnessed me during the Zygarde mission, he got an actual detective on our case. So I couldn’t contact you- anyone sooner, because they pretty much detained me for questioning. Since they got no proof of anything, I’m free to go, but they’ll keep scrutinizing me and looking for any suspicious behavior.” He clarified as precisely as he could.

“So… they have a lead. Through you.”

Oh no. Did he imagine that threatening undertone? “They got nothing substantial through me, sir- I swear! And I won’t give them anything, nor do I want to abandon our cause. I can keep doing field research and gathering energy, a-and…” he faltered at the suggestion. 

“Speak up, boy. What is on that sharp mind of yours?” Lysandre urged patiently. 

“Would it help if I became champion?”

“The Pokemon League champion? Here in Kalos?”

Alain nodded, before realizing the call was voice-only. “Yes.”

“Hmm… Malva already has the league covered, but I suppose it wouldn’t hinder my plans if Diantha was dethroned. I doubt the time commitment would be highly beneficial, considering your talents and our estimated launch time.” Another net neutral, mostly.

“How did the idea come to you?”

He took a moment to phrase it right. “...They gave me two options. Either I join Calem on his league-oriented travels, and both of us stay away from team Flare, or I go free, and he’ll get in the way of our business even more. If I agree to his terms, this may only result in my absence from missions and minimal contact with the team from here on out. I can still do everything one would expect from a researcher of Lysandre labs.

“As for the league… He made the reasonable point that gym leaders and league challengers are likely to use mega evolution,” Alain added, dread filling the following quiet of his boss’ delayed answer.

“I see… It’s a shame you got caught, but thankfully your role has always been outside the usual purview. As long as you continue supplying energy, your place in our ranks will remain.”

A massive weight fell from his chest. “Thank you, sir. I will become the strongest, and keep them out of sight of our goals,” he affirmed, securing his conviction. 

“I won't falter.”

“Correct. Failure is not an option for those who wish to make the world beautiful.” The call ended swiftly after that.

Alain did not register the small click across the room over his own drumming heartbeat.

The following morning, Calem waited outside the hospital room, arms crossed over his blue jacket and leaning against the wall. 

Once Alain stepped out with his meager belongings, he faced him directly. Full eye contact. Anticipating the answer. “So?”

Alain glared back, taking a looong breath in and out. He wasn't pleased in the slightest with the answer he was about to give, but the decision was made. It just needed to be actualized.

“...Deal.”