Chapter Text
Harmony stared at the tower, the Ange, glowing pink.
Vines like wires cracked down the tower, into the surrounding city.
“We have to save Urbain.” She didn't even quite hear what Lida said before, eyes cast at the angelic tower before them.
She got a call from Urbain.
Lida and Naveen were silent, lips pursed together.
“Harmony! Can you hear me? Gotta say, the view's incredible up here! I know Lumoise was big, but seeing it like this — thinking of all the people going about their lives, I appreciate it more than ever!” Harmony watched as he rocked side to side, staring at the city in front of him, away from the camera.
He shook his head (softly, like his neck would protest too far a movement) and his eyes shifted towards the camera. “Listen, Team MZ! It's up to us to protect this city, no matter what it takes!
Lida practically leapt towards the phone, settling on Harmony's shoulder. “Backing up for a second — I'm so glad you're alive! How are you not more scared for your life?!?”
The video was glitchy, snow cracking on the screen, not quite covering all of Urbain.
Naveen moved towards them, placing a hand on Harmony's other shoulder, eyebrows furrowed, “Urbain, what's going on up there? Are you alright? You have…”
“Yeah, I'm safe, I think. They’re Mega Floette’s… vines? I don’t know. They’re wrapping around me a bit, kind of like armor! Still, I think it’s taking a lot of her to keep me safe and to try and control this. The tower’s gone totally berserk — it's acting like a Rogue Mega Evolved Pokemon! She can't control it, I can’t, it's trying to fire off all her moves!”
Lida groaned. “This is bad. We should’ve just had Harmony go up there, shouldn’t we?” She’s nervous. Harmony knew how much Lida cared for Urbain.
There were times when they'd leave the hotel in the early morning and find their way to Lida's dance spot. He'd help her find a routine for her and her then-Staryu. He was a beacon of constant motivation and always made sure to pack snacks for their breaks. Their eyes would drift off to the rooftop that Urbain jumped off of when they first met. He almost crashed into Lida right then and there, but she was faster. It was then that they started talking, and they became fast friends.
She knew how strong Harmony was, maybe they could’ve controlled the Ange a little better. Of course, it isn’t that Urbain fell behind Harmony often, his A rank a symbol of that. If not Urbain, then probably Harmony, and she hated that thought all the same.
Urbain laughed before squinting past the camera. “Wait! I think— !”
“What is it?”
“I see Zygarde on a rooftop in the Magenta District! You should head there! I think it might be waiting for you! Hurry!”
“Er, Urbain… can you hold that thought a moment?”
“What for? We need Harmony to team up with Zygarde!”
It was then that a mega Gengar and mega Heracross walked towards them, bodies twitching with the excess energy, pain wracking through their bodies.
“I think the tower going rogue is causing other Pokemon to undergo Rogue Mega Evolution.”
Lida's feet widened and dug into the broken ground under her. “AZ was right! This is bad — we gotta fight!”
Harmony sighed and grabbed the Rotom phone and shoved it into her bag. They didn't have time for this.
Luckily, with their combined strength, the battle didn't last long.
Naveen sighed, “Good thing we managed to calm them.”
Lida looked back up at the tower and noticed a flat piece of rubble nearby, and began ushering everyone over to it, claiming she had an idea.
A strategy meeting. This was good. It'll keep them calm. It was routine, when the world wasn't actively ending. Harmony sighed to calm herself and stood at the rubble.
They all decided that they were going to make it Zygarde, that it was their best chance of helping everyone here. The issue, of course, was making it to Zygarde.
Their blessing came with a zip of electricity and the cold blue (or an electric pink, if you're Jacinthe) of holotech. One by one, each of their friends came, and Harmony couldn't help but tear up slightly as they showed their unwavering support to them.
Naveen tightened his fist again before swiping his hair out of his face for the fifth time in two minutes. “R-right! According to Urbain, who's up in the tower right now, we need to find a way to the Magenta District rooftops where Zygarde is waiting.”
His hand ghosted over one of his embroidered patches, one of the first ones.
Naveen, pressured by Urbain's questions, decided to demonstrate what he could do, using one of Urbain's suggestions. Urbain was amazed by what he could do, and immediately took him back to the Hotel to show AZ. Friends, the ghost of a smile went upon his lips as he first heard Urbain call him that. He stayed around the hotel after that, his presence becoming interwoven with the identity of the hotel, and Urbain was still insatiably curious about Naveen’s skills. Sometimes, it was simple things, going out to buy thread and new needles when his supplies were waning or growing dull. Other times, it was delivering his commissions as he helped around the city. He was a clumsy man most of the time, but his customers always said that their commissions came quickly in perfect condition.
Urbain piped up, “It’s better that I’m up here, then. There’s a lot of rogue mega evolved pokemon around, and we all know Harmony’s the better fighter here.” He took a deep breath, labored. “The Ange is using Floette’s power like one, too.”
The plan was set, the pathway cleared. It’s go time.
“I don’t want to rush you, but be quick. I… Floette’s,” He coughed as the vines writhe around him, flowers in blue and red blooming like shields to cover him, “I don’t know how much longer she’ll last.”
She nodded to Urbain, eyes set in determination.
Harmony made a break for it the moment she could, wind rushing past and billowing the very jacket Urbain gave her when she first joined Team MZ.
He’s calling her all the while as she ran further and further away from the tower. He looked… tired. She herself knew how tiring mega evolution could be, mega evolving her pokemon sometimes three times in one day with the rogue pokemon previously. Harmony herself didn’t know much cooking, but Urbain did so much to make her feel welcome, to make sure she feels okay after all of that.
Sometimes, after dinner, the four of them would clamber into the janky elevator and ride it all the way to the rooftop and sit there in silence as the tiredness hit them. Sometimes, AZ would join them, his long limbs creaking as he sat. He would softly smile as Urbain’s loud voice greeted him.
She would make Urbain’s signature dish for him, once they got out of there. Then, they’d stay on the rooftop, the four of them, and stare at the dark night sky, pretending they could actually see the stars.
Eventually, she reached Zygarde, Lida and Naveen not too far behind.
Zygarde was graceful as ever, standing guard. Harmony reached her hand out before a series of coughing broke the moment.
The video call had even more static, the vines writhing around him more and more, protective.
Harmony remembered once about how a distant relative placed a rib into the ground next to a tree and how the roots of the plant engulfed the bone in the days after. That protective grasping, of taking the nutrients of something, of gripping onto something and taking more and more until it disintegrates into nothingness, leaving only the impressions of your desperate clawing left…
“Urbain.”
His eye (one was shielded by a blooming flower) was shiny, wet, alive.
He smiled, it pulled up his skin, wrinkling near the corners of his eyes. “Sorry, did I ruin your moment?” He stared off for a little bit. “Floette… I don't know how much longer she can protect me. You have to help her.” He wheezes.
“And are you okay?” Her voice wavered.
“Yeah, Floette has my back. I'll be okay. It's warm here, like a hug.” His eye shifted right to left, left to right, past the camera lens.
Harmony took off her hat and redid her chignon, slightly damp from sweat.
She turned her gaze back to Zygarde, who looked to her with a knowing stare.
She made a promise to Urbain, all those days ago on that rooftop to protect Lumoise. She's only been here for those same amount of days, but she knows for a fact that this city was embodied by Urbain. To protect Lumoise would be to protect him.
She breathed out of her mouth. It's time.
It was a gorgeous rain of light. Harmony would've marveled at it if it wasn't blasting down on her, protection only through Zygarde.
The sound of wheezing coughing made her snap her eyes open. She placed her Rotom phone in her pocket to avoid it getting damaged. She needed to know if Urbain's okay.
She pulled it out, ground shaking as it pounded with the rain of light.
There were roots coming to wrap around his face, pulling his lips ever so slightly upward.
“Floette's fine, she's okay.” It wasn't so much as for Harmony than it was just filling the empty air.
“And you, Urbain? Are you okay?” She willed not to shut her eyes as the ground shook.
“Floette's okay.”
Another voice came from the call. “It looks like she's stopped the attack, Harmony, it's time for the offensive again!”
She shoved her phone back into her pocket and grabbed a pokeball from her waist. Zygarde flew off, trusting that she could handle this on her own.
She sighed, pushed a strand out of her hair, and released her Pokemon.
It was incredible. Zygarde's power on full display felt like hope on that dark night.
The sky was lit up with light like fireworks, as if everyone's heart in the city, Pokemon and human alike, was set on fire and floated up to the heavens.
It was gorgeous.
Her face hardened as she noticed a figure in the rubble below, a shock of blonde in the blue night.
She jumped over the railing, glided as she reached the bottom, and landed firmly on both feet just before the wreckage.
Urbain slid down a chunk of rubble, clutching Floette with everything he had. His footing was unstable, the uneven ground not helping him. He was still wrapped in the vines of the Rogue Ange, dark stalks snaking its way around his arms and into his sleeves.
Harmony rushed forward to greet Urbain, hunching over as if standing straight was too much.
He had a smile on his face, he always did. He showed Harmony Floette, his lips mouthing something about her being okay.
Floette shifted before sitting up. She tried floating, and she managed a couple seconds before Harmony reached out and caught her. She was small enough that she could be delicately laid upon her shoulder. She liked that when she was more conscious, to lounge around people's shoulders, and her tired eyes shined with gratitude.
Urbain watched the whole affair with blue, glassy eyes. They fist bumped, because of course, though Urbain hesitated, looking at Harmony's raised fist before smiling and returning the gesture.
In the dim light above, Harmony furrowed her eyebrows and squinted at Urbain. He looked pale.
He coughed, wracking his entire body, shaking the vines still stuck on him.
Harmony was about to reach out and ask if he was okay when Urbain collapsed forward.