Chapter Text
Cal let out a quiet breath. Taking in the Kalosian hills from the train window. It felt surreal to be in such a place after so much time. Her old heart felt almost excited. As if she was about to embark on a brand new adventure.
Unknown to her however was a small green creature watching her. Its single eye bore into the back of her skull. With nay a moments hesitation it kept into the open bag. Eye still focused on the trainer.
Cal broke from her thoughts as the train slowed to a stop. They were here. Lumiose, the crown jewel of the Kalos region. Home to Prism Tower.
She grabbed her bag and exited the train. Taking one last look at the countryside before leaving it all behind her. A low smirk on her face she walked through the final hurdle, a turnstile. With little fanfare she walked out onto the street.
Nostalgia hit her full force. It might have been decades ago but some things haven’t changed. Lumiose looked just as lively as she remembered. The streets were crowded with human and Pokémon alike. Taxis taking new arrivals to their destinations, a Pangoro directing traffic.
She felt a smile grow upon her cheeks. A welcome feeling of familiarity washing over her as she took it all in.
“Hey, excuse me miss! With the bag!”
She heard a voice call out. Her head swiveling to find its owner. A boy looking at most eighteen with blue eyes and two toned hair, bleach blonde roots with pink at the fringes. He had a ratty old brown jacket with a blue t-shirt with graphic pokeball design. His pants were white compression sweats meant for jogging. Looking lower his shoes were blue and pink sneakers matching his hair and shirt perfectly.
Surrounding the boy were three Pokémon that Calliope did a double take upon seeing. A Chickorita, Totadile and Tepig. These weren’t pokemon you’d see everyday. In fact none of them were even native to Kalos.
He must have noticed her staring as he waved her over. Calliope letting herself be distracted by the strange boy.
“Hi, I’m Urbaine!” The kid’s smile blinded her like a sun.
“I uh noticed you taking in the sights and thought you might be a tourist. What with that bag and all. So I thought you’d be perfect for an ad for the Hotel Z!” He went on stammering a bit.
Calliope chuckled. “You caught me, certified tourist right here.
The names Calliope.” She said with a smile. Offering a hand to him.
Which Urbaine reciprocated with an awkward fist bump. Making Calliope full blown belly laugh. She rubbed a tear from her cheek trying to regain her composure.
“Man, I haven’t laughed like that in a while.” Calliope said still smirking.
Urbaine’s cheeks were dusted with a light blush but to his credit he stayed on task. “So does that mean you’d be willing to film an ad?”
The kid’s eyes filled with hope and Calliope couldn’t bring herself to disappoint the kid.
“Sure kid, I’ll help you.”
“Awesome!” He exclaimed as his rotomphone jumped out of his pocket ready to record.
“Alright all you gotta say is ‘Hotel Z is the best place to stay in all of Lumiose’. It doesn’t matter if you’re staying somewhere else.” The kid was all but bouncing while giving her direction.
Calliope was about to start when they were interrupted by a billboard coming to life.
A woman in a fashionable dress appeared on the board starting to talk about an urban redevelopment plan. Building a place for people and Pokémon to share. She let Skiddo out of its pokeball as she went on to explain the concept of wildzones. Areas of the city that were cordoned off to allow Pokémon to live within city bound without causing trouble.
To Calliope it sounded completely idiotic. She knew well from experience just how dangerous wild Pokémon could be. She had tuned out the broadcast after that. Instead moving her gaze to movement at the corner of her eye.
A Pancham trying to act sneaky while everyone was distracted. She watched it pull her bag down the street. Stopping to stare at her. The little panda ruffian winked at her before farting into an alley down the street.
That must have been when the broadcast had ended cause Urbaine was suddenly asking her about her bag.
“Oh a Pancham stole it.” She said with an innocent look on her cerulean eyes.
“And you just let it!?” He screamed looking increasingly worried.
“It’s fine kid, I can track it with my arcphone.” She said pulling out an ancient looking device that despite its age still looked pristine. It’s white and gold frame as clean as the day it was made.
“Well I’ll come with you. It’s my fault I distracted you and that Pokémon swiped it.” Urbaine insisted.
Calliope let out a sigh already knowing this was going to be an ordeal. “Alright just keep up.”
Calliope broke out into a dead sprint jumping over Pokémon and sidestepping people that got in her way. It wasn’t long until she had caught up to the bag thief.
She leaned against the wall when the Pancham failed to notice her. Crossing her arms and letting a foot rest against the brick of the building. Making sure to be as dramatic as possible. She let out a long exaggerated sigh as a smirk affixed itself to her lips.
“It wouldn’t be a trip to Lumiose without getting mugged now would it?” She spoke with a smile in her voice.
It was then that the Pancham jumped. And she meant jumped it reached almost a meter in the air. It’s two trainers turning to face her.
“I take it you’re the owner of this here bag?” The man asked in thick Unovan accent.
He was a heavy set man with hair stylized to resemble an ultra ball. His dark eyes had a challenging look about them. Wearing a blue grey jacket, red shirt and camo shorts. The guy looked every bit a stereotypical thug.
“Andre, I don’t like the look of this girl.” The girl spoke up with trepidation.
She had red hair dark skin and charcoal eyes. She wore a white t-shirt with a green backpack. Skinny jeans and black and white sneakers.
“It’s fine Andi, the girl doesn’t even have any Pokémon.” The guy, Andre said with a smirk.
The guy of course was correct. The Pokémon that Calliope had brought with her were all in the bag they stole.
“But look at her! She’s so confident and her clothes aren’t the type someone wears unless they’re active.” Andi countered.
Calliope took a moment to look down and really pay attention to what she was wearing. A deep purple leather jacket with yellow embellishments, dark skinny jeans with purple slashes in them and purple and pink dress shoes that doubled as running shoes. Of course her signature mini top hat black with a green stripe sat off set on her head.
Calliope’s lips cocked up in a devilish grin. Her deep blue lipstick making the expression all the more pronounced.
“We don’t have to do this, just hand over my bag and we’ll forget this ever happened.” She said in a delightfully sweet voice that betrayed her feelings.
The two trainers took an involuntary step back. Clearly intimidated by her.
“It’s n-not like we wanted it anyway.” Andi stuttered out.
“No! I won’t let some girl bully us into submission with just words!” Andre yelled his hands bawled into fists.
It was that moment that Urbaine finally caught up. At his appearance the two stooges’ eyes widened.
“Aww no, not you.” Andre’s face deflated all the fight suddenly gone.
“You two again? How many times do I gotta talk some sense into you?” Urbaine asked though the question was clearly rhetorical.
“N-not today!” Andre shouted before turning and running, Andi not far behind.
Pancham waved before skipping after its trainers.
“Do those guys cause trouble often?” Calliope asked as she retreated her bag.
Urbaine sighed. “More often than you’d think. I try to chase em off but they always pop back up.”
“Like a diglet.” Calliope added.
Urbaine snorted. “Yeah I suppose that’s accurate.”
“I believe I still owe you an ad.” Calliope smirked at the boy.
By the time they had finished filming the sun had set. And with it Calliope found out about another change Lumiose had undergone since her last visit.
Her surroundings were suddenly glowing red. And Urbaine looked like he just bit into something sour.
“Talk about rotten luck, I didn’t even realize it was getting late.” He scowled.
“Judging by the confusion on your face you don’t know what’s going on. We’re in one of the battle zones for the Z-A Royale. In here it’s on sight, if a trainer spots you it’s time to fight.” Urbaine explained.
Calliope let out a low chuckle. “Oh is that all? You had me worried for a second.”
She reached into her bag pulling out a pokeball. She looked up at Urbaine and smiled. At the same time letting out her current partner, a Hisuian Zoroark named Marshmallow.
“I’ve never seen a Pokémon like that.” Urbaine commented, eyes glued to the Pokémon in front of him.
“Not many do, Marshmallow here is the last of her kind.” Calliope explained.
Taking the opportunity to scratch behind Marshmallow’s ear. Marshmallow leaned into the touch letting out a satisfied trill.
“Alright bud anyone we see will be out for a battle so be ready.” She smiled softly at her zoroark.
With a nod from Marshmallow they were off. Urbaine took the lead and Calliope was keen to follow. He knew more of Lumiose than she after all.
Though it wasn’t long before they encountered their first obstacle. Urbaine tried to explain the situation but the woman in front of them was having none of it. To be honest neither would Calliope if she was put in the same position. Besides Calliope had been itching for a fight since those bag thieves ran off.
Calliope locked eyes with her Pokémon and nodded. Marshmallow jumped in front of her ready to defend her master. They were both pumped for this, not having a proper battle in months.
The woman didn’t disappoint sending out a Diggersby. The giant rodent wasting no time burrowing into the ground.
“Keep your senses sharp Marshmallow.” Calliope commanded.
Marshmallow nodded and jumped into the air just as Diggersby leapt from the ground. The attack missed. Marshmallow threw a dark pulse in retaliation
Diggersby being knocked back by the blow but otherwise unscathed. This time the rabbit used double edge to close the distance. Only for the pokemon to go straight through it’s opponent.
“What! It’s a ghost type!?” The opposing trainer exclaimed.
“Marshmallow time to end this, Giga Impact!”
The ghost normal type smiled and threw itself at Diggersby with all its might.
“This isn’t the end! Not yet, Diggersby use Iron Head!” The rabbit’s head hardened like steel as it lunged for its opponent.
The two met in a clash, the force of the attacks causing a small shockwave. But only one Pokémon was sent sailing, Diggersby. Knocked unconscious by the mighty blow.
The woman grit her teeth before sending out her next Pokémon Clefable.
“You think you got me in a corner? I work best under pressure!” She shouted with a feral grin affixed her face.
“Moon Blast!” The trainer called.
The clefable glowing with an ethereal white light. Before blasting a condensed beam of energy at Marshmallow.
“Marshmallow, use bitter malice.” Calliope spoke in serene calm.
Marshmallow obedient as ever snarled at the clefable. A grim eeriness washed over the battlefield as Marshmallows glared at the fairy type.
Just as the moon blast was about to connect the clefable fell over. Unconscious from the other worldly attack.
“What?” The girl questioned, her confusion palpable.
Unfortunately for her Calliope didn’t feel like explaining. She walked right past the defeated trainer. Urbaine rushing to catch up.
They continued on without issue until they made it to the exit. Finding it to be occupied by three trainers with powerful Pokémon.
Calliope could probably beat them but it’d be close. But if they all ganged up on her it wouldn’t be pretty. She reached for her bag to pull out a potion only to find it once again missing.
Urbaine let out a nervous laugh. “I might have sent Tepig and Chickorita away with your bag while you were busy fighting the girl back there.”
Calliope let out an annoyed exhale from her nose. “You couldn’t have asked me first!?”
“You were busy!” Urbaine was clearly uncomfortable what with the fidgeting under her stare.
“It’s fine, it’ll be fine. Everything is going to be fine.” Calliope kept repeating hoping that her repeating the mantra would make it so.
And it did! Just as the group of trainers descended upon them a Floette appeared. Interrupting the crowd. But it wasn’t just any Floette, this one had a black flower.
Calliope let out a low snort. “Well I’ll be.”
“Floette, don’t hit them!” Urbaine screamed out a look of genuine fear on his face.
Floette either acknowledged Urbaine’s plea or never intended to harm them in the first place. As it let loose Light of Ruin, a massive purple pink beam rushed forth as thick as a truck. The beam barreled on into the horizon.
The trainers fled with pure terror on their faces. Clearing the way for Calliope and Urbaine. Calliope only taking the time to put Marshmallow back in her ball before leaving as well.
Urbaine led her to Hotel Z. Where upon entering a familiar face stared back at her.
“Calliope?” The towering giant of a man AZ questioned with a look of shock and hope warring on his face.
“It’s been a long time, old friend.” Cal smirked.