Chapter Text
I was searching for what seemed like hours, and I still couldn’t seem to find the hotel my friends had told me to meet them at. I wandered through busy streets, dilapidated streets, alleys with groups of Trubbish and piles of sludge, but still not one dang hotel in sight. I sighed, slumping against a concrete wall, as the Trubbish behind me chortled. I didn’t even have any service thanks to the lack of roaming privileges with my Rotom Phone’s service company. Truly, I thought this would be easier.
“But of course, for a clumsy girl like me, that can never be the case…” I pushed off the wall, heading for the main thoroughfare once more, except I was stopped dead in my tracks by two men blocking the exit. Great, now I was lost in Lumiose and about to be mugged by these two clowns.
“You look pretty young to be out here all by yourself, you know?”
“She doesn’t even look like she’s from around here. Maybe she’s lost…say, are you looking for something? Maybe need some directions to somewhere?” Hands in their pockets, they both made a slouched start in my direction, chuckling when I recoiled.
“I don’t need your help, I’m fine on my own, thank you very much.” I tried to sound normal, strong-willed, even. Maybe they could be reasoned with, if it weren’t for the lack of confidence in my voice. Shit.
“Oh, c’mon, we can tell you’re not from around these parts, miss.” The slimy one on the left hissed out. I narrowed my gaze at them, etching their faces in my memory. The slimy one was wiry, snake-like, bony, yet poorly postured. Greasy brown hair with bangs slicked to his forehead, and it didn’t seem to be on purpose. The one on the right, definitely more hefty, could probably toss me back into the wall and knock me out with a rough shove. Bald, but had a beard. Beady eyes and a scar over his eyebrow. Yeah, he knew how to fight.
I smirked, acting tough. Fake it till you make it, right?
“Thanks, fellas, really. But I can handle myself,” a lie, obviously. How did I get here in the first place? No phone, no map, no sense of direction…. C’mon now, really? Wait, were they…?
“You’re… Pokémon trainers?”
Slimy and Baldy had pulled out PokeBalls from their pockets, flinging them up to send out an Ariados and a Houndoom. Well, this majorly sucked. I wasn’t a Pokémon trainer. Just a simple passerby. Regardless, I readied myself.
“Scolipede, Gunk Shot!” Suddenly, a new voice entered the scene. It was definitely on the smoother, nerdy side of tambers, visually almost like a pocket knife caressing a sliver of velvet.
I whipped my head around to see a rather menacing man with dark purple-black hair, a suit jacket with custom additions on the ends, and striking Amber eyes like a serpent’s behind his glasses. I was so startled by the Scolipede’s fervent attack that I slammed myself right up against the concrete wall in shock and awe. Who was this guy?
I snapped my attention back to the two men who dared to block my original path, both looking suddenly abnormally sweaty, as their chorus of “Houndoom, no!” and “Ariados, please!” cut through the air.
“M-M-Mister Corbeau, sir, p-p-please, we had no idea that she was with you—” Slimy chitters out sheepishly, but is immediately and powerfully interjected by our fellow clad in his stylish suit.
“Shut up. Scolipede, X-Scissor.” I watched as Slimy and Baldy scrambled with their PokeBalls, recalling their Ariados and Houndoom, slamming into each other as they fumbled about, trying to make their escape. Whoever this Mister Corbeau guy was, he must be a big deal in this city for those two to be running away like that and not even attempting to battle.
That knife on velvet rung in my ears once more: “Travelling without a partner Pokémon in a city like this is no good. You'd better catch yourself one if you want to make it out of situations like that in the future. Or better yet, don’t find yourself in those situations again, right?” I turned my head slowly at this mysterious man, blinking at him. My hands were clenched into tight fists, my nails digging into my clammy palms. Holy shit. He adjusted the cuff of his jacket sleeve, then flicked his gaze to meet mine. “Not one to say much, are ya?”
I shook my head gently, exhaling through my nose. “I, um, no, not really, I suppose. Sorry.”
“That’s no problem. Where were you headed? I’ll guide you there.”
Well, at least I knew he wasn’t going to be the one to jump me in some back alley of this city I barely knew. Right? He did just sic his Scolipede on those dudes, right?
“Oh, um… Hotel Z?”
“Ah, Hotel Z! Perfect, please follow me…um...?”
“Y/n?”
“Was that meant as a question, y/n?”
“No, I—j-just y/n”
A hint of a smile, or maybe it was just a smirk? It was hard to tell, honestly. And then, he bowed in my direction with one arm extended towards the exit of the alleyway.
“Right this way, then, Just Y/n.”
What city did I end up in exactly?
I followed this Corbeau character through the streets of Lumiose, taking sharp turns and shortcuts along the way. We crossed a bridge over some waterway at one point, and he told me the name, but I was only half paying attention. We also passed by some green hologram walls, to which Mister Corbeau told me I wasn’t allowed to enter unless I had a strong Pokémon, or I was with strong trainers.
“Over there is a rather ominous, out-of-place-looking building. It’s Kantonian built. That’s my office. Please find yourself there if you’re ever in need of assistance in this city, Just y/n.” Ominous was quite the adjective for it; it looked totally mysterious and even somewhat steeped in evil. Was this guy some kind of yakuza boss? Now I’m confused. We continued south for another few blocks until we reached a corridor that looked so unassuming, it’s no wonder I missed it the first few times I walked past it.
“And down here is Hotel Z. I would escort you to the door; however, there is probably someone inside that I am, quite frankly, trying to avoid at the moment.” I blinked at him. Someone like him was trying to avoid… someone else? That was surprising, especially after witnessing the way he took command earlier. I can’t imagine there’s anyone who could rattle this guy. But what did I know? I was new around here, after all.
“Oh, before I go, here. You should really catch a Pokémon of your own here in Lumiose. I would start with Wild Zones 1 or 2, whichever one resonates with you the most…” A beat of silence as he unceremoniously plops a Dusk Ball into my hands.
“Wh—”
“Nope, no arguments, that’s yours now, fair and square. Catch something good, y/n. Until then~”
So there I stood outside the main corridor of Hotel Z, watching this handsome hero of the hour saunter away, backpack slung over my shoulder, and a Dusk Ball in my possession. Lumiose sure has its characters, and now I’m one of them. Great.