Chapter Text
Harmony,
It has been 45 days since you left for your short “trip”. Why have you not been answering our calls?
Don’t bother answering that. We know what you have been up to. Give us a call ASAP.
You let out a heavy sigh, staring at the message your father had sent to your Rotom phone an hour ago. You were currently in Hotel Z, body sinking into your comfortable bed in room 202. Your alarm had gone off ages ago, yet you could not find the energy within yourself to drag yourself out of the solace of the room. From afar, you could hear the cries of Pokémon, either wild or battling, and the sounds of children running around to watch.
Your face was on the regional news this morning. Apparently, you are a Pokémon trainer in Lumiose now? The reporters from there were heaping praise upon praise upon you– it sent such awful chills up my spine. Now everyone in the region knows what a disgrace you are! The anchors reviewing the footage were absolutely appalled. Our social image is ruined! How dare you make your own mother feel this way? You know damn well we did not raise you to be this way. Your father wants to talk to you.
Not your mother too! You buried your face into your pillow to let out a muffled groan. The clock ticked for a few minutes before your body finally turned to its side to breathe again.
They scared you, so very much. You had refused to tell anyone in Lumiose City where you had been raised because it would raise so many eyebrows. After all, you were from the one region where Pokémon did not reside, a region that was vehemently against the idea of living alongside the monsters. A region where Pokémon were banned, period.
It was nicknamed the Anti Region, though it was officially known as the Anishbay Region. Regions like Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were known for leaving information about the Anti Region out of their textbooks due to its insignificance. Regions like Unova and Kalos, on the other hand, would usually at least leave a footnote.
In the Anti Region, everyone had a simple job that ranged from essential to simple. Your parents and their siblings were all civil service workers, and you were expected to be one too. There was another reason as well, but you did not like thinking about it. In school, you were raised to be aware of Pokémon, but to fear them and know that the other regions were batshit insane for the wish to live alongside them. Somewhere within you, you always knew that was wrong. But until a couple of months ago, you had given in to your written-out fate to match your family and to not stick out in any way. Your hair stayed natural, you never touched makeup, and you cheered along for the eventual extinction of Pokémon despite never meaning it.
Well, now you had gone and done the opposite. Your parents had been relatively quiet at first; perhaps they thought you had only extended your stay to learn more about how business is run in the city. But now that they had found out that you had chosen the path to become a Pokémon trainer, well, you were pretty fucked.
But hell no, you were not going home. You were going to stay in Lumiose City, the city you love and the city that AZ had asked you and your friends to protect.
To you, Team MZ was your family.
It was the afternoon by the time you had finally gone down that slow elevator and opened the front door to fresh air. You had no real destination in mind– you just needed a walk. Some fresh air would do you good, or so that’s how you thought.
So walk you did, taking in every breeze that brushed your cheeks and every chirp from the various Pokémon birds that you had come to love so much. You had always found it funny how uncontainable the birds were; no Wild Zone could ever succeed in keeping them from flying around and stealing everyone’s street food.
You waved to several people as you wandered, some of whom were people you had battled by request before, or had shown or given a pokémon that you had caught. Every greeting shouted in your direction was friendly, even from the Pokémon.
As you approached the plaza, you allowed your starter Pokémon to walk around with you, staring at the mossy tower from within Wild Zone 20. You left as soon as the Alpha Heracross and Sylveon came across you, ready to tear you and your Pokémon to shreds. Luckily, at the very least, you had gotten better at dodging attacks, and you were proud of that. You continued onward, basking in the warm sunlight.
You had no idea how, but your feet had taken you to AZ’s grave in Wild Zone 4 before you had known it. You dodged the ghost-type Pokémon as you made your way into the back of the zone, and your Starter sat with you as you gently stroked the gigantic headstone.
“AZ… what should I do? I want to protect my Pokémon. I want to protect Lumiose. I wish to stay here and lead the life I have finally attained. If I go back, I will never be able to leave again…”
You felt a couple of hot tears slide down your cheeks as you gritted your teeth. You missed the old man and his wise words very much. What would the 3,000 year old have said to you? Would he have agreed with you that you should stay? Or would he have advised you to go home?
Such thoughts crossed your mind as a very harsh gust of wind suddenly hit your face, blowing the tears away.
You let out a small chuckle.
“You’re right… I should be fine.”
“Oh? What are you doing here, kid?”
You immediately dried up the remaining tears that were stuck in your eyes before turning around to face Corbeau, the leader of the Rust Syndicate and one of the trainers you highly respected. He was ever so slightly shorter than you, but his presence was enough to erase any comments on his height. His low voice could command many, the veins that popped out on his forehead coursed solely with anger, and he could be very scary when his golden eyes pierced into your soul. Even during your first meeting with him, you remembered how his gaze kept you glued to the comfy black office sofa. Perhaps that was out of fear, but you were not sure at this point if that was all you had felt.
… But you knew the real him– a gentle sweetheart, who only wanted the best for his grunts and the city.
“Paying my respects to the old man. That’s all,” you said as you turned around to blink a few more times. You could not let him see you so distraught.
Not just because he was bound to tease you about it in some form. It was because no matter how much you knew you could trust the man, you did not need to involve him in your family drama. You did have a very valid reason for this, and it was the very reason why you had trouble even looking the man in the eye.
“I see. I was just about to pay my respects as well– since I was already in the area, of course.”
Oh, how his low voice and smirk made you feel so very warm in a way you had never felt before. Days after you defeated Hyperrogue Ange Floette with Zygarde to save Lumiose, you had very nervously confessed this to Lida. How your heart would beat faster around Corbeau, how every look he gave you made you want to run a mile.
After this conversation, she had very enthusiastically concluded that you most definitely had a crush on the man. It surprised you, as what appeared on her face was the very first truly genuine smile you had seen on her since AZ’s death.
“Lida, don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions just a little too quickly there? It could be something else for all we know.”
“Oh Naveen, like what? It’s a crush, I just know it! Oh, Harmony… you’re into short kings?”
“Lida!” You had gasped, hiding your face as the two friends laughed.
They reassured you that there was no judgment when it came to your type, just that they found it funny. You, meanwhile, continued to be embarrassed, as your brain took in the information like a hammer to your skull. A crush? On Corbeau? Your heart ached. How clear the outcome would be if you even so much as alluded to having such feelings for him to his face!
Naveen, despite being a quiet guy, eventually gave you the thumbs up, though he did heavily judge you for liking a man considered to be a mob boss. It was easy to make him shut up when you brought up his unhealthy obsession with Canari in response though.
“I do not have a crush on Canari! I am a fan, that is all!”
“Suuuuuuuure,” Lida giggled, throwing you a silly side eye.
Urbain was never let in on this conversation; you were not sure why, but Lida and Naveen seemed to want to keep it a secret from him. Not that it mattered much, you did not see him that often nowadays. As Quasartico Inc.’s new president, he had a lot on his shoulders.
A crush was a crush, and though you had never experienced one before, you were hoping for it to fade eventually. The last thing you needed was to fall in love with a man who would never reciprocate your feelings.
“He’s all yours. If you will excuse me Corbeau, I will leave you to it.”
You called back your starter Pokémon into its ball, and you began to walk away.
“Kid, are you feeling alright?”
“What?” You responded immediately, half gasping. Was he concerned?
“You seem to be in lower spirits. Why don’t you go get yourself a coffee? It would be bad for the city if its favorite Trainer were so down in the dumps.”
You rolled your eyes as he chuckled, flashing him a small smile in response. Ah yes, concern for the city. Not you.
“Fine. But only if you come with.”
Stupid Harmony! Why did you just say that?!
Your thoughts screamed at you as the smile on your face faltered.
“An invitation from you? How rare. Are you perhaps short on money?”
“No! No, I just, I’m sorry I asked!”
You turned around and began a brisk speed walk towards the exit of the cemetery. It was unfortunate that no matter how quiet you were, the Gastly and Ekans would always notice your presence and would opt to follow that presence to the furthest extent they were allowed. You could see out of your peripheral vision how, with every crunch of the grass beneath your feet, another Gastly would turn around to face you. How an Ekans would raise its head. In your haste, a Gastly that had moved to follow you from behind had gone unnoticed, and it was ready to sneak up and knock you out. But just before it could hit you with a Dark Pulse, you felt someone grab your shoulder from behind to pull you away.
“Unfortunately, I do have business to attend to after this. That does not mean I wish to decline your kind invitation. Quite the opposite, in fact. I’ll be in touch.”
Goosebumps climbed up your arms as the mouth that had just finished whispering directly into your ear pulled away. You felt his powerful left hand push you out of the gate as you stood there slightly paralyzed. Humans could not use Pokémon moves, but if they could, you would say that he had just used Thunder Wave. You had no idea just how long you ended up standing there.
You did not end up getting yourself a coffee, instead opting to return to the hotel. You saw Urbain walking around on your way there, but all you gave the busy man was a smile and a wave.
You returned to your room, and by extension, your bed. In comfier clothes now, you wrapped yourself in the blankets, trying to keep as warm and calm as possible.
For the rest of the night, your phone continuously went off with phone calls from home. Every time your Rotom phone would light up, you would look away in fear. You knew you needed to pick up, but their yelling voices would flash back into your head, preventing you from having any semblance of confidence to be able to talk to them.
You continued to breathe in and out, attempting to control your shaking body until a profile picture that was not either your mother’s or your father’s popped up on your phone.
It was Corbeau’s.
“Hello, hello. How nice and comfy you must be in that hotel room.”
Oh, how wrong he was, as you were in the midst of sheer discomfort, but you kept it together so he would have no idea what was actually going through your head.
“Good evening to you, too, Beau. Did you finish your ‘business’? Unlike you, I do not have eyes to constantly know what you are doing.”
You heard a small chuckle. Okay, this was going smoothly so far. You ignored the incoming calls popping up in the corner.
“Beau, eh? You’re the first to call me that, kid.”
“Oh, I’ll go back to calling you Corbeau if–”
“No, no it’s fine. To answer your question, yes. The business went well. It involved subduing some troublemakers, making them pay us back for what they had taken. The usual.”
You felt a small shiver crawl up your spine. Even though you knew that the business was actually probably them chasing after a Pokémon that had stolen someone’s stuff, he still managed to make it sound like an actual scary crime.
“More importantly, are you free tomorrow afternoon? At one?”
“YES, I mean, yes. Yes, I am.”
Harmony, what the fuck was that loud ass yes? What if he thinks that was weird?
“Then meet me at the Nouveau Café near Centrico Plaza. It will be my treat.”
“Oh, uh, yes! Or I mean, no, I can pay for my own…”
“Treating you to a single cup of coffee after all you have done for Lumiose is a very small price to pay. Of course, if you order any more than that, then that’s on you.”
You laughed, slightly more capable of fully ignoring the calls. Well, actually, after this, maybe you can answer one now.
“Then I will see you at one tomorrow, Beau.”
“Very well, Harmony.”
You felt your heart sink just a little as the echo of his voice faded from the room, but now it was time for you to grow up a little.
The next time a call from your father came, you finally tapped on the button to answer it.
At the Rust Syndicate Headquarters, Corbeau was at his desk, a smirk plastered onto his face. He leaned back into his chair, legs crossed as he replayed the conversation he had just had with you in his head. It was nothing short of art. He was glad he had called you when you were in great spirits.
“She seemed enthusiastic, did she not, Philippe?”
“She did Mr. Corbeau. It was very kind of you to open up an hour of your schedule for her tomorrow.”
Philippe was formal on the outside, but inside, he was laughing so very hard. Corbeau leaving some time open for a coffee date? Maybe the things he deemed impossible could happen, all thanks to your presence. It did not evade Philippe that every time Corbeau would interact with you, he would return to the office with a smile on his face, new ideas for the city at the tip of his tongue. The good mood would fade immediately after anyone else talked to him, but it was clear that only when it came to you was his boss amused.
“Mr. Corbeau, if it is not too personal, may I pose a question to you?”
“Depends on the question.”
“How do you feel about Harmony?”
There was a beat of silence.
“She’s an incredible trainer.”
Another beat.
“... Anything else?
“Else? Hm, she’s an amazing trainer, that is how I feel.”
Philippe felt some frustration boil from within him that he immediately subdued.
“How do you feel about her other than how she battles with Pokémon? Like looks, voice, personality…”
Philippe was certain his boss would say something more now.
“She looks like a nice young lady and has a voice that all Pokémon would love. Philippe, what are you trying to get at with these questions?”
“Nothing, sir. Please forget I asked.”
Philippe wanted to physically facepalm so badly, but he opted to do it against a brick wall later instead.
“Although…” Corbeau grabbed a nearby mirror, turning it to face himself. He did not particularly like his face, though he had been told quite often that he was quite the handsome man. But that was not what he wanted to look at.
“... Her hair has pink streaks that match my retainer… and my suit. I find that quite endearing.”
Philippe sighed in relief, you did have some hope after all.
The next morning, you were in bed again, your eyes puffy from crying. The warmth from the covers was no longer warm enough to keep you safe. Nothing felt safe anymore, not after that conversation.
“Come home tomorrow! You’ll regret it if you don’t, Harmony! You have such a beautifully set life over here… Why do you insist on raising those… creatures?”
“They’re ‘Pokémon’! And I love them! I love this city! Why don’t you understand? I want to do what I can here! I want to live here! I belong here!”
“Absolutely not, young lady. I don’t know where such a foul mouth came from, but we need to put you in your place.”
“I’d like to see you try! Fuck you for trying to pull your own child away from their happiness!”
“Your happiness? What about ours?!”
“I’m sorry I could not fulfill all the wishes you wanted me to. But I’m happy now, please understand. You can even disown me if you desire. I am thankful that you provided for me until now, but I can support myself and–”
“Enough. Come home tomorrow, Harmony. First thing. Do NOT ignore this warning. Your lovely little city may not come out unscathed if you don’t.”
You naturally ‘ignored’ the warning and were still in Lumiose, but you were uneasy about it. What could they do to drag you back? Your parents were constantly swamped with work, so it was not as if they could come personally drag you back, so what gave? You were not sure, but it took you an awful long time to calm yourself down.
And… what if they were serious about the city? The place you had vowed to protect? What would they do….
When the clock turned to 12:50, you panicked. You had not forgotten your little meet-up, but you could not make yourself feel ready for it, no matter what you did. You dressed up, did your hair so that the pink highlights were more obvious, and put a smile on your face, but you still felt empty.
You reluctantly rushed over, arriving at one on the dot. Corbeau was already at one of the seats, sipping on his own coffee. In front of the other seat, there was a coffee already placed, which was a Burn-Up Roast he had already ordered for you. He had asked Grisham and Griselle what you had normally ordered, and ignored their smirks as they served it to him. You sat down, catching a thumbs-up from both of them as they giggled to one another.
“Punctual today, aren’t you, kid?”
“Yes, I apologize that I was almost late. I was… thinking about something.”
“You were deep in thought? It must be about something quite severe to put you in such a position. Normally, you run into action without much thought.”
You pursed your lips as you sipped on the dark coffee, wondering just how much you could say to him. Would he recognize the region if you mentioned it?
Would he help you if you asked?
“Beau, how would you feel if I left the city?”
The way his cup hit the table almost made it seem as if you had told him something potentially devastating.
“What did you just say? You can’t possibly be–”
“Oh! No no, I haven’t… decided yet.”
“Decided? Are you truly considering leaving? Leaving this city behind?”
“I don’t want to leave, it’s just, I may not have a choice and–”
“This city needs you! Harmony, why are you even considering leaving the family you have here?”
“Beau I’m simply just not… strong enough to go against what they tell me to do. If they hurt anyone, I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive myself.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” Corbeau began to ask you, before his Rotom phone began to ring. One of his grunts was asking him to come immediately to the train station to settle a matter with a disgruntled man.
“... We’ll finish this another time. But kid, if you dare leave, I will never, ever forgive you.”
Corbeau walked away with an audible huff, leaving you alone at the table.
“What was that all about?” Griselle immediately ran over to join you at the table, clearly curious about the drama, but also concerned for your well-being as she pulled you into a hug.
“Griselle, if anyone asks you where I live or where to find me… could you lie and tell them you don’t know me? Same goes for Grisham.”
“Oh, okay. But why?”
So to Griselle (and to Grisham who had been listening), you cautiously spilled your family drama. And she held your hands through it, getting so enraged by the end of it that the entire table had flipped over.
“Don’t worry Harmony, we’ll protect you and this city together.” Grisham smiled, handing you a coffee on the house.
You had never hated Pokémon the way you were supposed to. The way you were expected to. You had always had a small fascination with them, which you kept hidden. Maybe that was why…When you had read an article in a magazine about Lumiose, you just simply had to go. Your parents had just given you the name of a man they expected you to marry, and the name of the job you were going to hold, but you wanted neither. With a deep breath, you lied to your parents about your interest in businesses run in cities and how you wanted to learn from them before fully settling. It took an awful lot of bullshit and convincing, but they finally gave in when you promised that it would only be for a week, and that you would no longer leave the region after this one trip. A sweet child like you who had never broken the rules before was surely telling the truth, right?
Well, here you were. Six Pokémon by your side, friends to call your family, and a city to protect.
When yet another call from your father popped up, you answered it at the coffee table you had managed to set back up.
“Harmony, why are you still in that blasted city?”
“I told you, I am not leaving.”
A strangled cry rang out, your father’s voice becoming louder with irritation coating every crevice.
“DO NOT say that we did not warn you. By tonight, you will be back home, and when you are home, we are putting you in your place. First by cutting that nasty hair.”
You hung up, not sure why he specifically knew that you did not have much longer there.
You nervously strolled the city afterward, your different demeanor clearly exuding from you. Some folk came up to ask what was up, while others simply offered you a piece of candy, hoping it would help. The people were really too kind to you.
“Hey Harmony, have you seen this flyer?”
A young man came up to you, holding out an unfamiliar piece of paper. You almost dropped it the moment it was handed to you, but you allowed your grip to tighten on it instead.
It was a flyer for the Anishbay Region, highlighting the cons of Pokémon and how nice life was on that island.
“The people who were handing these out were telling really scary stories about people who had been real hurt by Pokémon. Do you think it’s true?”
You pat the kid’s head.
“I know it’s not. Say, can I keep this flyer?”
The kid nodded with a smile.
You ran to the center of town, you had to stop whatever was happening. If they spread these made-up tales about Pokémon, people would never see them the same way again! Then what would become of Quasartico Inc.’s goal?
“Oh, if it isn’t my darling Harmony.”
You froze on the spot. You knew who that was, and you did not want to even hear that voice.
“Grandpa, why are you here?”
“Why? Well, I’m just your worried ol’ grandpa, here to get you after you overstayed your visit here in this grand city! Don’t you want to return to the quiet life? One with no monsters, and none of this… smell.
“Grandpa… I know the whole story, you don’t have to tell me. You were attached by a Beartic once, and ever since then, you have hated Pokémon, I know. But I am different. I love Pokémon. I am a Pokémon trainer. So I will stay here and protect this city.”
“You forgot the best part, where the man who founded the Anishbay Region is me.”
“Does it look like I care grandpa?! Please, leave me be.” “See, I can’t do that. If we are going to keep the land that region is on, we have to have you marry into the family that can afford it. You are not going anywhere, Harmony. You are coming home with me tonight, and that is final.”
“I will not comply.”
You turned around and began to walk away when he called out to you once more.
“Then we will destroy this city with our own hands. Hurting people isn’t so hard with or without the monsters. Stab a man, and he’ll die.”
“You are not serious!”
“I am. The fall of this town would all be your fault; the only plus would be how much easier it would be to then explain the dangers of Pokémon. The people as they are now don’t seem to understand. Especially that… short upstart of a man who claims to be the leader of some mob.”
Corbeau. So the man he had to deal with earlier was your grandpa…
“Why would you go this far?”
“You are the only piece of the puzzle that has yet to fit. But we can cut you to size, so very easily.”
Your grandpa grabbed your wrist, pulling you towards the train station. You tried to pull away, but to no avail, and you could not fight that much anyway. You spotted several familiar faces from the Anti Region around, clearly all men who had followed your grandpa just in case he really did need to destroy the city.
If leaving the city was safer for it then…
“I believe I made it quite clear, sir, that you were to leave earlier. You are not welcome in this city.”
The deep voice that had rang out from behind you was one that secretly brought you joy and comfort, but you held your breath and refused to turn around. Corbeau sounded so very angry, to the point that the consonants he voiced beat in your stomach like a drum.
“And I believe I told you that I had a granddaughter to grab. I found her, so I will be taking her with me.”
“Unfortunately for you, sir, by law you cannot remove her from this city.”
“By law?”
“She owes me money, you see. And until she pays it back, she has to stay here.”
Money?! You owed Corbeau money? Since when?
“Bah! I will just pay you the amount here. How much is it?”
“I will tell you if you manage to defeat me in a Pokémon battle.”
A gust of wind blew by, and a crowd drew near to the station to see what was up.
And at the center was your grandpa, who had no Pokémon to fight with. Only a knife easily deflected by said Pokémon. Had you perhaps freaked out for no reason?
“What a dumb sentence that is. I do not own any Pokémon. Just tell me the amount she owes.”
“I believe I made myself quite clear. If you will not battle…”
Turned around, you did not see how fast Corbeau had managed to approach your grandpa and remove his hand from your wrist. You felt his fingers intertwine with yours instead, pulling you backward into his chest.
“... Then I ask that you kindly return her to me.”
Before your grandpa could react, you were dragged back into the city, Corbeau holding your hand tightly. Philippe stepped in, staring the old man down as he scowled in defeat.
Corbeau never let go of your hand until you were safely inside his office. When you arrived, he threw you towards one of the black couches, which you awkwardly tripped forward onto. With a sigh, he sat across from you, his forehead veins larger than you had ever recalled them being.
“Explain.”
“Whoa, can you at least tell me how much I owe you first?”
“... What?”
“Money. How much do I owe you? You know, before the interest builds up.”
Corbeau picked up his glasses for a second to pinch the bridge of his nose. You were… something else.
“300 Pokédollars. For your coffee.”
“Didn’t you say that was your treat?”
“Did I? I don’t recall signing a contract.”
… What a silly excuse. The man really had to find roundabout ways to excuse his kindness, didn’t he?
“The interest is going up, by the way, the further you delay your explanation of this whole debacle.”
So, like you had explained it to Griselle and Grisham earlier, you explained it all to the quiet mob leader. How your grandfather had started the region, how it almost felt like a cult, how you had been raised, and what you were expected to do now that you were a full-fledged adult. Visually, Corbeau seemed unimpressed, but if you had taken a glance at his hands, you would have seen the tight grasp he had of his pants.
“I did not wish to involve you in my family’s drama.”
“I am flattered you had such a wish. Too bad it did not come true in the slightest.”
“Beau, what do I do? I fear he may already know about Hotel Z and–”
“You stay here for the night. We have guest rooms. I suggest you make use of one.”
Philippe, who had just returned from shoving your grandpa away, scratched the back of his head as he heard this comment.
“Mr. Corbeau, all of the guest rooms are currently taken by souls whom we decided to give room and board to while they find a place to work here in town. I’m afraid there is no available room–”
“Then she can STAY IN MINE. How difficult do you have to make this?”
The side eye you gave Philippe, and the one he returned, was a conversation within itself.
“What the fuck do I do?"
“Good luck.”