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What does it mean to be born special? It can be both a blessing and a curse. When a very special Pokemon is born on the grounds of a certain mansion, the master makes a hasty decision that may eventually prove both moot and justified. Or wrong on all accounts, time will tell.
Welcome to the roundtable. You're reading this because my attempt to get a story out in time for the reading circle failed when words didn't form correctly for most of the month. I tried to do it at the last minute but I felt too ill. Which is fine since it was mostly fun insanity (I really need to write more fun stuff). And also, the one that would've fit Trick-or-Treat is over 9000 words. But hey, I had this sitting in my backlog and it kinda fits City Secrets, so I used it as an excuse to edit, finish it off, and get it out. It's the prequel/prologue to the infamous Next Fic in Line of mine that I mostly made to get character dynamics down.
Here, you can expect minor language, allusions to crime, mentioning ERP (literally just mentioning it, the same as I'm doing here), questionable caretaking, the wrong idea about my series' overall tone if read in a vacuum, a slight lack of polish, and references to things that might make some of you feel old.
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A group of people and Pokemon stood ready to welcome a new life into the world. The sun was piercing through the fog to bathe the garden of the mansion in its warm rays. Hedges, bushes, and flowers of many kinds and colors surrounded the grounds. They were a testament to how much the master of the house loved Grass-type Pokemon.
The final bits of the egg shattered and evaporated into particles of light. In its place stood a tiny brown fox. A vague heart-shape marked the tip of its tail. It took several moments for it to open its eyes. The newborn Eevee squeaked.
The middle-aged man’s breath caught in his throat as just about everyone else let out a cheer or otherwise vocalized their acknowledgment. He leaned in. “Am I seeing things, or are its eyes purple?”
The head butler held his glasses as he leaned in. “Yes, I do believe you are correct, Monsieur Kolme. She is a partner Eevee.”
“Wow! I heard about those! They’re really really really rare! Congratulations, you two! And it’s nice to meet you!” The teenage servant with silvery-blue hair placed her hands together as she spoke to the Pokemon. She turned to the dark-haired woman. “See, Liang? It was worth coming to see this after all!”
“Guess so,” Liang had to concede with a chuckle and a nod to the parents. “I suppose this will be the talk of the town soon.”
“No, no, no,” Lucius muttered, clutching at his head. Kolme only at that moment noticed his wide eyes and disheveled stance. “No! Don’t tell anyone! This stays between all of us! Our secret!”
The others began to murmur. Even the Leafeon mother spoke up, although the Espeon father nodded slowly. Kolme shut his eyes. He also understood where this was headed.
“Maître Lucius?” the head butler spoke up. “May I ask for your reasoning?”
“The attention…” Lucius’ voice quavered. “Pierre, she doesn’t need all the attention she’d get.”
The first two words were enough to get the point across to most of the people present. The head butler gasped and solemnly nodded. “Of course. It is quite fortunate we have no visitors at the moment. You know you may rely on me to keep your every secret.” He put his hands behind his back and turned to them with a smile. His glasses shone. “I trust you can all do the same?”
Half of them agreed at once. Kolme understood the problem immediately, and the gardener quickly concurred. The other women dissented.
“You have to be joking,” Liang shook her head. “How are we going to keep this from guests?”
“We will keep her in the restricted areas while they are present,” Pierre did not miss a beat.
“What about her?! It’s not fair if she has to stay locked up!” the young woman protested.
The head butler looked to their master, who was ushering the Pokemon into the household with the gardener. He sighed heavily. “Life is sometimes unfair, Mademoiselle Ichiko.”
Months later…
The middle-aged man popped an allergy pill into his mouth, snatched up the glass of water, and gulped it down. The plants in and around the mansion always made him sneeze his face off if he didn’t. Luckily, it was paid for as part of his employee coverage. His boss was nothing but generous. But what he would give to take it with some coffee. It was six in the damn morning.
It was another day at work, his earliest to date. When people thought of the Backlots, they often thought of the place south of Hearthome City. This was a walled off corner of paradise in the valleys of Route 210. It had few staff and even fewer visitors. Boudewijn Averesch worked as a servant, one of five in service to Lucius Trevor Backlot. His employment had added a lot of wrinkles and gray hairs to his head, and days like these made him question if it was worth it.
The man looked himself over in the mirror. He gave his hair a quick comb, straightened out his white t-shirt – there was no dress code for servants at the mansion – rubbed his eyes, and made to leave.
The moment he stepped out of the door, a young woman with blue eyes and silvery-blue hair styled into a ponytail turned to look at him. Her mouth fell into a grin as she raised an arm and wildly waved it. “Good morning, Kolme!”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. That wasn’t his name, the head butler thought of it for the master. It was simply easier for the others to pronounce, write, and remember. He went stomping off before his damn conscience stopped him. This wasn’t her fault. “Morning, Ichiko,” he said while looking over his shoulder. “Got any clue why we’re being hauled out of bed now?”
“I’m sorry, I wish I did!” She bowed. Kolme sighed. She was always way too polite to everyone. Not that he hated it compared to those other two. “Mr. Gris just said to wake up and meet him in the foray!”
“It’s foyer. And he told me the same thing,” the man sighed. His hand flew to his forehead as it started squeezing. “Now I got a headache. Couldn’t he have given us a damn reason ahead of time?”
“Keep on grumbling.” A black-haired woman stepped out of her room with a harsh gray-eyed glare. Xiao Mei Liang snorted. “Maybe it’ll make it go away. Really, if you have so many problems with this place, why are you working here?”
“The money,” he answered. If he wasn’t paid so well, he would have quit a long time ago. He’d already saved up a good nest egg, and he was only 39. Nowhere else would’ve let him do that.
While their coworker rolled her eyes, Ichiko giggled at his quick and simple answer. “Morning, Liang!”
“Whatever.” She blew the younger woman off before turning to the fourth door in the hall. “Where’s Clover?”
“She’s already waiting over there.” Ichiko pointed down the hall. “Let’s get going, guys. And let’s hope Mr. Pine is cooking breakfast for us!”
“Don’t care what he’s cooking as long as he has a pot of coffee ready,” Kolme muttered, a sentiment that both of them concurred with. Knowing things, Valentino probably got pulled out of bed the same way as them. If nothing else, he knew they wouldn’t be summoned without a good reason. What was it?
“So I beat Like a Dragon 0 last night!” Ichiko boasted out of the blue. “One hundred percent with all trophies!”
Liang didn’t even spare her a glance. “That’s good,” was all he could really say to it. He knew as much about games as she did about sports. He listened to her at least, since she listened to him. At that moment, he caught sight of the bags under her eyes. “I hope you didn’t stay up too late finishing.”
She paused. “I, um, might’ve. And then gotten to sleep after two.” The silver-haired girl pressed two fingers together and laughed nervously. She wildly waved her hands. “But I’m fine as long as I have some sleep!”
Kolme shook his head. “Eight ain’t enough for me these days.” Where the hell did she get all that energy from? It couldn’t all be youth. “So what’re you playing next?”
“That’s a good question,” the nineteen-year-old mused, pressing a finger to her forehead. “I might check out Undertale soon, that’s been getting some good reviews. The way people are saying ‘you have to play it this way!’ online is turning me off from it, though.”
“You’ve been working hard,” Liang gave some faux applause. “Think carefully. I’m sure the boss appreciates those contributions to the mansion.”
“It’s fine to have hobbies,” he muttered. For him, it was keeping up with the sports teams around Sinnoh.
Ichiko put her hands behind her back. “So what do you like to do in your spare time, Liang?”
“I don’t have spare time. I’m here to be a maid,” she scoffed, rolling her head.
Some would call Liang dedicated to her work. Even the head butler made time to relax, and he was more busy than all of them put together. Kolme would call her pretentious to her face if he wasn’t sure she had other interests. Why she would not talk to them about whatever they were was a fine question. Even Clover talked about her reading, the rare times she socialized.
The youngest servant clapped her hands. “Well, I guess if it’s fun to you!”
“I guess,” she muttered under her breath. Kolme wasn’t sure if Ichiko heard, but he certainly did.
The foyer of the mansion was a wide open area. Just as the place was surrounded by a garden, the green carpets and potted plants told visitors to expect much the same on the inside. There were six entrances: two each on the east and west walls, a set of ornate double doors on the north, and the path to the entry hall on the south. A small elevated section was at the back; it was simply two steps raised from the rest of the room.
All the human inhabitants of the manor were present, save for two. Clover turned to the trio and quietly adjusted her glasses. She was a short rose-haired woman who spent most of her time tending to the gardens alone, or reading in them. Valentino was sipping from a coffee mug off to the side while rubbing his bald scalp. Easily the tallest and most muscular one present, he served as a one-man kitchen crew. Finally, two of their three security guards were present: the nightwatchwoman Aoi, and Sonny, who had the evening shift.
Pierre Gris was standing at the back of the room. As usual, he was in a navy blue uniform with a red undershirt. For whatever purpose, there was a large monitor behind him. He placed an arm on his stomach and bowed. “Ah, thank you for coming.” He adjusted his glasses. “I apologize for the rather rude awakenings. Maître Lucius has some important news to share with everyone on our staff.”
The entire staff. One was conspicuous by her absence. Kolme thought about speaking up about it. His mind was in a haze, and someone else did anyway.
“Where’s Mrs. Sieve?” Ichiko inquired. She kept turning her head to the different doorways, as if expecting her to walk through one of them at any moment.
Pierre motioned to his left. “She is watching from the security room as per the norm for this hour, Mademoiselle Ichiko. I can assure you that she is present, in a manner of speaking.”
Kolme crossed his arms and tapped a foot on the floor. What the hell could be so serious that they woke everyone up – or kept them up in Aoi’s case – to talk to them? He was sure it was something; Mr. Backlot was eccentric, but he never did things without reason, even if it only made sense to him. That just gave him greater cause for concern.
Mercifully, the answers were on the way. Pierre opened the doors behind him, and a slim man stepped out. Lucius liked to dress casually: he had on a robe patterned with autumn leaves. He must have been up all night or gotten woken up the same way as them: there were bags under his eyes and his dyed black hair was disheveled.
“Thank you all for coming,” Lucius said listlessly. “I know it’s early, so I’ll cut to the chase. I believe that Aileen might be in danger.”
Aileen? It took Kolme a few moments to process that. That was the newest resident of the mansion, hatched from an egg three months ago. The child of Pierre and Lucius’ Pokemon, and born very special. Kolme admittedly was worried about it himself. Even if it somehow was never made a target for thieves, the media would be all over it if they knew.
“I-in danger how?” Clover stuttered, clutching at herself. Her voice was distinct. Everyone in the room listened to her the rare times she spoke. They all nodded. That could mean many things.
Pierre raised a remote control and switched on the monitor. “At 1:15am on October 29th, our security footage captured the following image.”
They had cameras watching the skies. Normally, all they recorded were clouds, heavenly bodies, and the odd bird or plane. At a cursory glance, this was simply the night sky, yet a distinct object obscured the stars. The sight of it made Kolme’s blood freeze. He recognized its shape, and when he looked closer, he spotted vague red lights. He was sure what it was.
“Huh? What’s that? What’s so special about it?” Ichiko impulsively blurted out.
Pierre and Lucius exchanged glances. The other servants seemed at a loss from their blank looks. Aoi was similarly scratching her head, but Sonny was staring with shock. He knew. And Kolme knew.
“That’s an airship, codenamed the Grauhäher-2 by Interpol,” he explained. If it had a real name, no one but the crew and its owner knew it. It was aptly named for the person who flew in it, and being the second after she abandoned the first to make an escape. “It belongs to a Pokemon Hunter who’s one of the most notorious international criminals in the world. Known only as J.”
That name got them to react. Ichiko winced and turned away. Liang mouthed profane astonishment, Clover’s eyes widened, and Valentino gasped. The guards exchanged uncertain glances. This was out of their pay grade if it was true.
“Correct, Monsieur Kolme,” Pierre said with a grim nod. “Maître Lucius believes our newborn may become her target in the near future.”
It would not surprise him in the slightest. A rare mutation of a popular Pokemon would be a prime target for theft, moreso that it was a female. This was one case where Kolme did not blame his boss in the slightest for being secretive about it. He went so far as to only let it outside in the gardens at night, and never without other Pokemon to protect it. Even if it avoided that fate, it would be subject to media attention and trade offers from collectors. It all had to be harsh on the little Pokemon. It hurt to do this to her.
“Pardon me, Mr. Backlot,” Liang spoke up. “What if she was just passing by? I know she travels all over the world to do her ‘work’. Let’s not jump to conclusions.” She muttered something under her breath. He was unsure if it was prayer or snark. Maybe it was both.
“I thought that,” their boss replied, clutching at himself. “I was hoping that. But I had Pierre check to be sure. And we found this.”
Pierre pressed a button on the remote, bringing up a photo of a Seenit post. Kolme didn’t have his glasses, so he had to walk closer and squint to read it. The contents were damning. Somehow, it had gotten out there. Someone had talked.
He didn’t mean to, but his first thought was Ichiko. The moment he turned to her on instinct, she stomped a foot. “It wasn’t me!” she shouted.
“I have already determined who is responsible for this leak,” Pierre stated, his voice cutting through the room and silencing them all. He folded his hands behind his back and turned solemnly to Lucius.
Their boss lowered his head. Kolme’s muscles tightened. He had ranted bitterly in vague terms to a clerk on a visit to Cragmist Town when buying Pokemon food. He didn’t say what it was or even that it was a rare new Pokemon. Had they somehow put it together?
Lucius turned to each of them. Ichiko looked on the verge of tears: she had her hands balled into fists, she was squinting – no. She was crying. Kolme winced, having not meant to upset her. However, Lucius passed over her to look at Liang. She crossed her arms, curled her lip, and mouthed, “Really?” When his gaze fell upon him, Kolme soldiered up. His boss frowned at him with half-closed eyes, same as with everyone else. Kolme forced himself to look at him…
…then he couldn’t help but let it all out when he turned away to Clover. It looked like it wasn’t his fault after all. Questions were probably coming anyway. He was prepared to answer them truthfully.
It did not take much longer for Lucius to settle upon someone. When he turned to Aoi, his frown became noticeably deeper. His subsequent sigh hit a high register. “I am very disappointed in you, Ms. Durward.”
Kolme involuntarily quavered as a chill ran through his spine. It always managed to be uncannily eerie whenever Lucius called someone by their last name.
“Me?!” The teal-haired woman seethed, clenching her fists. “I swear, Mr. Backlot, I didn’t go spreading it, just like you asked.”
“I brought you in believing that I could trust you. I’m sad to see it was misplaced,” he said with a very slow shake of his head.
Kolme turned to try to exchange a glance with someone. Ichiko was off in her own world from the looks of it. Clover was dead silent and looking down at her feet. Sonny was glaring accusingly at his fellow guard. Liang turned when she noticed he had. She furrowed her brow and pinched her lips. It was all he needed to act.
“Excuse me,” he spoke up.
“Take it you got an explanation?” Liang chimed in ahead of him, tapping a foot. Asking what he, and likely the others, were wondering. “What’s this post got to do with her?”
They talked with Aoi less than they did with Clover. But from the few interactions he had with the nightwatchwoman, Kolme was sure she wasn’t the gossipy type. Had he misjudged her, or was there more to this accusation?
“That’s not me,” Aoi denied.
“No, because your online handle is Princess Liberty. However, you speak to your boyfriend over internet relay chat, do you not?” Pierre asked her with a smirk.
Kolme blinked. Internet relay chat? IRC? That was still around?
“Yes, we ERP. I mentioned it to him, but he wouldn’t go talking.” She again looked at the name, trying to make sense of it. She sounded out the first part of it. “Key… Kaiser… What? I don’t know who that person is.”
“Yes, but I do.” Pierre smirked. “I doxxed the man. 25 years, unemployed, self-important, lives with his parents.” He cleared his throat. “Pardon me. The critical matter is that the sole individual on his friend list on one particular forum he is a member of lives in Saffron City and works the night shift, same as your lover.”
“That doesn’t prove anything by itself,” Kolme again spoke up in Aoi’s defense. “It sounds circumstantial.”
“It sounds conclusive enough to me,” Sonny quickly said. “He told someone, they told someone. If something happens, it’s going to be your fault.”
“I agree with Sonny.” Lucius frowned and lowered his head. “I’m so sorry for this, Aoi. But you have broken my trust. I can’t afford to let that slide. You’re hereby relieved of your duties.”
Aoi sputtered. When it looked like Liang was about to step forward and start mouthing off, Kolme’s arm flew out and grabbed her by the shoulder. He shook his head. “Be rational,” he mouthed. Thankfully, she listened for once.
“Thank you all for coming on short notice,” Lucius said to them. “I’ll be in my office should anyone absolutely need me. I need to consider our options. For now, I just ask that you stay vigilant.”
The head butler opened the door, and Lucius stepped through. After it closed behind him and his footsteps faded, Pierre bowed formally to the now former guard. “I deeply apologize for this, Aoi. It was a personal request from Maître Lucius that I dig into this,” he lamented. “I will assist in your packing and set you up in a hotel for the week. If you need any help in finding employment or a place to live, do not hesitate to ask.”
The security guard held herself tightly. “Fine,” she rasped. She was trembling, and her eyes were watering. She walked off in a huff, heading in the direction of her quarters on the opposite wing of theirs. Kolme was unsure what to say, nor was anyone else. The most that anyone managed was Ichiko, a few syllables.
“As for the rest of you. Maître Lucius has told me you are free to return to bed if you wish,” Pierre turned to say before he made to follow her. “He apologizes deeply for waking you so early.”
“That’s good! Thank you!” Ichiko squeaked, bowing to them. “I think I’ll take you up on that.”
Liang snorted and shook her head at the youngest servant. “Weren’t you the one who just said you’re fine as long as you have a little sleep?”
“Yeah, well. I changed my mind!” She shuffled her feet and giggled nervously. “How ‘bout you guys?”
Liang responded by walking away to the south, out of the mansion. If she did something rash, it was all on her. Kolme, for his part, figured that he may as well stay up now that he was awake. “I’ll take some coffee, thanks.”
“Consider it ready in ten minutes,” Valentino said, heading over to the kitchen at that.
“Okay! Good luck, Kolme!” Ichiko clapped her hands and turned to the remaining person. “What about you, Clover?”
“I’ll stay up.” She started off in the direction of the dining hall. With a smile, Kolme waved good night (in a sense) to Ichiko before following his coworker.
Valentino had brewed them up an extra strong blend that he only broke out for occasions like these. It was one of the most bitter things Kolme had ever tasted in his entire life. It made Rabuta Berries seem mild. In other words, it was damn good coffee.
They sat there in relative silence for the first few minutes. The only sounds in the large but empty dining room were them eating and drinking, and the low humming of the heater. Clover rarely talked of her own accord. She’d speak when spoken to, but tended to be terse when she didn’t really want to socialize.
“So what do you make of this?” he asked her between sips.
“I don’t know,” she answered immediately and without so much as looking.
That was the extent of their conversation. It was likely that she didn’t want to dwell on it, so he left it at that.
Liang entered with a scowl around ten minutes later. She was holding a plate with eggs and rice on them in one hand, and a mug of tea in another. She took the seat across from them.
“This is Tauros crap,” she muttered. “I talked to Aoi before she left. Apparently, her boyfriend didn’t leak anything. He lost his phone, and thinks the person who found it must have had a peek before she returned it. If that’s even how it got out.”
“I take it that didn’t change Lucius’ mind?” he inquired. Somewhat rhetorically. He already had a feeling what the answer was.
“Of course not.” If there was at least one bit of common ground he could find with Liang, it was occasionally feeling disgruntled about their job. “Damn. Firing a good staff member over an accident and overreacting because of some criminal.”
Kolme placed his coffee mug down and crossed his arms. “I’m not saying I agree with the decision to dismiss Aoi. But if that Pokemon Hunter might be involved, we have to take this seriously.”
“Yes, that is very reasonable. I’m sure she has the time to look over every little unsubstantiated rumor on the internet, and is coming to steal the boss’ rare Pokemon because of it.” Liang grumbled.
“Not her,” he stated. “She’s a mercenary, so it’d be a client who saw it and believed it enough to hire her. I figure he already put in a down payment.”
The Chinese woman leered at him from across the table. “You don’t seriously believe this garbage, do you?”
“Not particularly.” His response elicited a wry smirk from Liang. He took a sip from his mug before continuing. “But as they say in my language, a warned man counts as two. In other words, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.”
“I suppose not,” Liang conceded, shaking her head. “But against her? And with Backlot having cried wolf so many times they blocked emergency service calls?”
“The International Police have been after her for decades,” Kolme replied. “If there’s a chance to catch her, I think they’ll take it.” Another sip, emptying his cup. “Just my thoughts, anyway.”
“I doubt we’ll see trouble like that. And hopefully that post spreads,” Liang said a little lower while leaning over the table. “Things will be bad for a bit, but it’ll be business as usual once this passes.”
“I know.” It was starting to become a hassle. How long would it be until a guest found out about Aileen? It wasn’t like they could force them to keep quiet. Having had time to think about it just now, maybe it was best to get it done and over with.
“So knowing the boss, we’ll have some company again soon,” Liang remarked.
Kolme crossed his arms. He wasn’t sure how Lucius had enough sway over the Officials to have them send an agent over whenever he wanted, but the fact remained that he did. Maybe it had something to do with his work as a legal advisor. They were different company from the traveling trainers who sometimes came by, if nothing else.
“I hope they don’t bother me,” Clover suddenly spoke up.
The rose-haired woman primarily worked in the gardens. She read among the flowers when taking a break or otherwise not on duty. The last time they had an official called in as extra security? It ended with Lucius removing him from the grounds for making Clover feel uncomfortable (to put it lightly), and complaining about the agent to his superiors. For all his faults and quirks, Lucius looked after his employees.
“Maybe he’ll make whoever they’re sending work the night shift,” Liang snorted with a cruel chuckle.
“Probably,” Kolme replied without a shred of irony. They had his sympathies. “But I wouldn’t worry too much about that happening again, Clover.”
It was enough of a reassurance for her. With that, their conversation came to a halt. The three of them finished off breakfast without a further word to each other. He went and got a second cup, and on thinking further, a few strips of bacon. Clover was the first to finish, and sat quietly afterward. Uncharacteristically waiting for them. She must have been more bothered by what happened than she let on.
“We should get to work soon,” Liang declared immediately after finishing her food. “Time’s wasting. And Ichiko decided to sleep in, so we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
Clover concurred, immediately hobbling to her feet. Kolme leaned back in his chair. “I’m going to have another coffee before that.”
“Fine, have fun,” Liang waved and smirked. “And don’t drown in your cup.”
“Screw off.” He wasn’t in the mood for her snark this morning. He waited until the women left before continuing to sip coffee alone.
He sat there for over ten minutes with just his thoughts to keep him company. Life was never dull at Lucius Backlot’s manor. The perks were nice. But if it was not for the money, he would have quit a long time ago. His dream situation would be for an even bigger offer to come along. If one did, he would take it in a heartbeat.
But there was no sense in hoping for a hypothetical. Until when and if that happened, he had a job to do. Kolme downed the last drops of his coffee and went to do just that.
Welcome to the roundtable. You're reading this because my attempt to get a story out in time for the reading circle failed when words didn't form correctly for most of the month. I tried to do it at the last minute but I felt too ill. Which is fine since it was mostly fun insanity (I really need to write more fun stuff). And also, the one that would've fit Trick-or-Treat is over 9000 words. But hey, I had this sitting in my backlog and it kinda fits City Secrets, so I used it as an excuse to edit, finish it off, and get it out. It's the prequel/prologue to the infamous Next Fic in Line of mine that I mostly made to get character dynamics down.
Here, you can expect minor language, allusions to crime, mentioning ERP (literally just mentioning it, the same as I'm doing here), questionable caretaking, the wrong idea about my series' overall tone if read in a vacuum, a slight lack of polish, and references to things that might make some of you feel old.
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A group of people and Pokemon stood ready to welcome a new life into the world. The sun was piercing through the fog to bathe the garden of the mansion in its warm rays. Hedges, bushes, and flowers of many kinds and colors surrounded the grounds. They were a testament to how much the master of the house loved Grass-type Pokemon.
The final bits of the egg shattered and evaporated into particles of light. In its place stood a tiny brown fox. A vague heart-shape marked the tip of its tail. It took several moments for it to open its eyes. The newborn Eevee squeaked.
The middle-aged man’s breath caught in his throat as just about everyone else let out a cheer or otherwise vocalized their acknowledgment. He leaned in. “Am I seeing things, or are its eyes purple?”
The head butler held his glasses as he leaned in. “Yes, I do believe you are correct, Monsieur Kolme. She is a partner Eevee.”
“Wow! I heard about those! They’re really really really rare! Congratulations, you two! And it’s nice to meet you!” The teenage servant with silvery-blue hair placed her hands together as she spoke to the Pokemon. She turned to the dark-haired woman. “See, Liang? It was worth coming to see this after all!”
“Guess so,” Liang had to concede with a chuckle and a nod to the parents. “I suppose this will be the talk of the town soon.”
“No, no, no,” Lucius muttered, clutching at his head. Kolme only at that moment noticed his wide eyes and disheveled stance. “No! Don’t tell anyone! This stays between all of us! Our secret!”
The others began to murmur. Even the Leafeon mother spoke up, although the Espeon father nodded slowly. Kolme shut his eyes. He also understood where this was headed.
“Maître Lucius?” the head butler spoke up. “May I ask for your reasoning?”
“The attention…” Lucius’ voice quavered. “Pierre, she doesn’t need all the attention she’d get.”
The first two words were enough to get the point across to most of the people present. The head butler gasped and solemnly nodded. “Of course. It is quite fortunate we have no visitors at the moment. You know you may rely on me to keep your every secret.” He put his hands behind his back and turned to them with a smile. His glasses shone. “I trust you can all do the same?”
Half of them agreed at once. Kolme understood the problem immediately, and the gardener quickly concurred. The other women dissented.
“You have to be joking,” Liang shook her head. “How are we going to keep this from guests?”
“We will keep her in the restricted areas while they are present,” Pierre did not miss a beat.
“What about her?! It’s not fair if she has to stay locked up!” the young woman protested.
The head butler looked to their master, who was ushering the Pokemon into the household with the gardener. He sighed heavily. “Life is sometimes unfair, Mademoiselle Ichiko.”
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Months later…
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The middle-aged man popped an allergy pill into his mouth, snatched up the glass of water, and gulped it down. The plants in and around the mansion always made him sneeze his face off if he didn’t. Luckily, it was paid for as part of his employee coverage. His boss was nothing but generous. But what he would give to take it with some coffee. It was six in the damn morning.
It was another day at work, his earliest to date. When people thought of the Backlots, they often thought of the place south of Hearthome City. This was a walled off corner of paradise in the valleys of Route 210. It had few staff and even fewer visitors. Boudewijn Averesch worked as a servant, one of five in service to Lucius Trevor Backlot. His employment had added a lot of wrinkles and gray hairs to his head, and days like these made him question if it was worth it.
The man looked himself over in the mirror. He gave his hair a quick comb, straightened out his white t-shirt – there was no dress code for servants at the mansion – rubbed his eyes, and made to leave.
The moment he stepped out of the door, a young woman with blue eyes and silvery-blue hair styled into a ponytail turned to look at him. Her mouth fell into a grin as she raised an arm and wildly waved it. “Good morning, Kolme!”
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. That wasn’t his name, the head butler thought of it for the master. It was simply easier for the others to pronounce, write, and remember. He went stomping off before his damn conscience stopped him. This wasn’t her fault. “Morning, Ichiko,” he said while looking over his shoulder. “Got any clue why we’re being hauled out of bed now?”
“I’m sorry, I wish I did!” She bowed. Kolme sighed. She was always way too polite to everyone. Not that he hated it compared to those other two. “Mr. Gris just said to wake up and meet him in the foray!”
“It’s foyer. And he told me the same thing,” the man sighed. His hand flew to his forehead as it started squeezing. “Now I got a headache. Couldn’t he have given us a damn reason ahead of time?”
“Keep on grumbling.” A black-haired woman stepped out of her room with a harsh gray-eyed glare. Xiao Mei Liang snorted. “Maybe it’ll make it go away. Really, if you have so many problems with this place, why are you working here?”
“The money,” he answered. If he wasn’t paid so well, he would have quit a long time ago. He’d already saved up a good nest egg, and he was only 39. Nowhere else would’ve let him do that.
While their coworker rolled her eyes, Ichiko giggled at his quick and simple answer. “Morning, Liang!”
“Whatever.” She blew the younger woman off before turning to the fourth door in the hall. “Where’s Clover?”
“She’s already waiting over there.” Ichiko pointed down the hall. “Let’s get going, guys. And let’s hope Mr. Pine is cooking breakfast for us!”
“Don’t care what he’s cooking as long as he has a pot of coffee ready,” Kolme muttered, a sentiment that both of them concurred with. Knowing things, Valentino probably got pulled out of bed the same way as them. If nothing else, he knew they wouldn’t be summoned without a good reason. What was it?
“So I beat Like a Dragon 0 last night!” Ichiko boasted out of the blue. “One hundred percent with all trophies!”
Liang didn’t even spare her a glance. “That’s good,” was all he could really say to it. He knew as much about games as she did about sports. He listened to her at least, since she listened to him. At that moment, he caught sight of the bags under her eyes. “I hope you didn’t stay up too late finishing.”
She paused. “I, um, might’ve. And then gotten to sleep after two.” The silver-haired girl pressed two fingers together and laughed nervously. She wildly waved her hands. “But I’m fine as long as I have some sleep!”
Kolme shook his head. “Eight ain’t enough for me these days.” Where the hell did she get all that energy from? It couldn’t all be youth. “So what’re you playing next?”
“That’s a good question,” the nineteen-year-old mused, pressing a finger to her forehead. “I might check out Undertale soon, that’s been getting some good reviews. The way people are saying ‘you have to play it this way!’ online is turning me off from it, though.”
“You’ve been working hard,” Liang gave some faux applause. “Think carefully. I’m sure the boss appreciates those contributions to the mansion.”
“It’s fine to have hobbies,” he muttered. For him, it was keeping up with the sports teams around Sinnoh.
Ichiko put her hands behind her back. “So what do you like to do in your spare time, Liang?”
“I don’t have spare time. I’m here to be a maid,” she scoffed, rolling her head.
Some would call Liang dedicated to her work. Even the head butler made time to relax, and he was more busy than all of them put together. Kolme would call her pretentious to her face if he wasn’t sure she had other interests. Why she would not talk to them about whatever they were was a fine question. Even Clover talked about her reading, the rare times she socialized.
The youngest servant clapped her hands. “Well, I guess if it’s fun to you!”
“I guess,” she muttered under her breath. Kolme wasn’t sure if Ichiko heard, but he certainly did.
---
The foyer of the mansion was a wide open area. Just as the place was surrounded by a garden, the green carpets and potted plants told visitors to expect much the same on the inside. There were six entrances: two each on the east and west walls, a set of ornate double doors on the north, and the path to the entry hall on the south. A small elevated section was at the back; it was simply two steps raised from the rest of the room.
All the human inhabitants of the manor were present, save for two. Clover turned to the trio and quietly adjusted her glasses. She was a short rose-haired woman who spent most of her time tending to the gardens alone, or reading in them. Valentino was sipping from a coffee mug off to the side while rubbing his bald scalp. Easily the tallest and most muscular one present, he served as a one-man kitchen crew. Finally, two of their three security guards were present: the nightwatchwoman Aoi, and Sonny, who had the evening shift.
Pierre Gris was standing at the back of the room. As usual, he was in a navy blue uniform with a red undershirt. For whatever purpose, there was a large monitor behind him. He placed an arm on his stomach and bowed. “Ah, thank you for coming.” He adjusted his glasses. “I apologize for the rather rude awakenings. Maître Lucius has some important news to share with everyone on our staff.”
The entire staff. One was conspicuous by her absence. Kolme thought about speaking up about it. His mind was in a haze, and someone else did anyway.
“Where’s Mrs. Sieve?” Ichiko inquired. She kept turning her head to the different doorways, as if expecting her to walk through one of them at any moment.
Pierre motioned to his left. “She is watching from the security room as per the norm for this hour, Mademoiselle Ichiko. I can assure you that she is present, in a manner of speaking.”
Kolme crossed his arms and tapped a foot on the floor. What the hell could be so serious that they woke everyone up – or kept them up in Aoi’s case – to talk to them? He was sure it was something; Mr. Backlot was eccentric, but he never did things without reason, even if it only made sense to him. That just gave him greater cause for concern.
Mercifully, the answers were on the way. Pierre opened the doors behind him, and a slim man stepped out. Lucius liked to dress casually: he had on a robe patterned with autumn leaves. He must have been up all night or gotten woken up the same way as them: there were bags under his eyes and his dyed black hair was disheveled.
“Thank you all for coming,” Lucius said listlessly. “I know it’s early, so I’ll cut to the chase. I believe that Aileen might be in danger.”
Aileen? It took Kolme a few moments to process that. That was the newest resident of the mansion, hatched from an egg three months ago. The child of Pierre and Lucius’ Pokemon, and born very special. Kolme admittedly was worried about it himself. Even if it somehow was never made a target for thieves, the media would be all over it if they knew.
“I-in danger how?” Clover stuttered, clutching at herself. Her voice was distinct. Everyone in the room listened to her the rare times she spoke. They all nodded. That could mean many things.
Pierre raised a remote control and switched on the monitor. “At 1:15am on October 29th, our security footage captured the following image.”
They had cameras watching the skies. Normally, all they recorded were clouds, heavenly bodies, and the odd bird or plane. At a cursory glance, this was simply the night sky, yet a distinct object obscured the stars. The sight of it made Kolme’s blood freeze. He recognized its shape, and when he looked closer, he spotted vague red lights. He was sure what it was.
“Huh? What’s that? What’s so special about it?” Ichiko impulsively blurted out.
Pierre and Lucius exchanged glances. The other servants seemed at a loss from their blank looks. Aoi was similarly scratching her head, but Sonny was staring with shock. He knew. And Kolme knew.
“That’s an airship, codenamed the Grauhäher-2 by Interpol,” he explained. If it had a real name, no one but the crew and its owner knew it. It was aptly named for the person who flew in it, and being the second after she abandoned the first to make an escape. “It belongs to a Pokemon Hunter who’s one of the most notorious international criminals in the world. Known only as J.”
That name got them to react. Ichiko winced and turned away. Liang mouthed profane astonishment, Clover’s eyes widened, and Valentino gasped. The guards exchanged uncertain glances. This was out of their pay grade if it was true.
“Correct, Monsieur Kolme,” Pierre said with a grim nod. “Maître Lucius believes our newborn may become her target in the near future.”
It would not surprise him in the slightest. A rare mutation of a popular Pokemon would be a prime target for theft, moreso that it was a female. This was one case where Kolme did not blame his boss in the slightest for being secretive about it. He went so far as to only let it outside in the gardens at night, and never without other Pokemon to protect it. Even if it avoided that fate, it would be subject to media attention and trade offers from collectors. It all had to be harsh on the little Pokemon. It hurt to do this to her.
“Pardon me, Mr. Backlot,” Liang spoke up. “What if she was just passing by? I know she travels all over the world to do her ‘work’. Let’s not jump to conclusions.” She muttered something under her breath. He was unsure if it was prayer or snark. Maybe it was both.
“I thought that,” their boss replied, clutching at himself. “I was hoping that. But I had Pierre check to be sure. And we found this.”
Pierre pressed a button on the remote, bringing up a photo of a Seenit post. Kolme didn’t have his glasses, so he had to walk closer and squint to read it. The contents were damning. Somehow, it had gotten out there. Someone had talked.
He didn’t mean to, but his first thought was Ichiko. The moment he turned to her on instinct, she stomped a foot. “It wasn’t me!” she shouted.
“I have already determined who is responsible for this leak,” Pierre stated, his voice cutting through the room and silencing them all. He folded his hands behind his back and turned solemnly to Lucius.
Their boss lowered his head. Kolme’s muscles tightened. He had ranted bitterly in vague terms to a clerk on a visit to Cragmist Town when buying Pokemon food. He didn’t say what it was or even that it was a rare new Pokemon. Had they somehow put it together?
Lucius turned to each of them. Ichiko looked on the verge of tears: she had her hands balled into fists, she was squinting – no. She was crying. Kolme winced, having not meant to upset her. However, Lucius passed over her to look at Liang. She crossed her arms, curled her lip, and mouthed, “Really?” When his gaze fell upon him, Kolme soldiered up. His boss frowned at him with half-closed eyes, same as with everyone else. Kolme forced himself to look at him…
…then he couldn’t help but let it all out when he turned away to Clover. It looked like it wasn’t his fault after all. Questions were probably coming anyway. He was prepared to answer them truthfully.
It did not take much longer for Lucius to settle upon someone. When he turned to Aoi, his frown became noticeably deeper. His subsequent sigh hit a high register. “I am very disappointed in you, Ms. Durward.”
Kolme involuntarily quavered as a chill ran through his spine. It always managed to be uncannily eerie whenever Lucius called someone by their last name.
“Me?!” The teal-haired woman seethed, clenching her fists. “I swear, Mr. Backlot, I didn’t go spreading it, just like you asked.”
“I brought you in believing that I could trust you. I’m sad to see it was misplaced,” he said with a very slow shake of his head.
Kolme turned to try to exchange a glance with someone. Ichiko was off in her own world from the looks of it. Clover was dead silent and looking down at her feet. Sonny was glaring accusingly at his fellow guard. Liang turned when she noticed he had. She furrowed her brow and pinched her lips. It was all he needed to act.
“Excuse me,” he spoke up.
“Take it you got an explanation?” Liang chimed in ahead of him, tapping a foot. Asking what he, and likely the others, were wondering. “What’s this post got to do with her?”
They talked with Aoi less than they did with Clover. But from the few interactions he had with the nightwatchwoman, Kolme was sure she wasn’t the gossipy type. Had he misjudged her, or was there more to this accusation?
“That’s not me,” Aoi denied.
“No, because your online handle is Princess Liberty. However, you speak to your boyfriend over internet relay chat, do you not?” Pierre asked her with a smirk.
Kolme blinked. Internet relay chat? IRC? That was still around?
“Yes, we ERP. I mentioned it to him, but he wouldn’t go talking.” She again looked at the name, trying to make sense of it. She sounded out the first part of it. “Key… Kaiser… What? I don’t know who that person is.”
“Yes, but I do.” Pierre smirked. “I doxxed the man. 25 years, unemployed, self-important, lives with his parents.” He cleared his throat. “Pardon me. The critical matter is that the sole individual on his friend list on one particular forum he is a member of lives in Saffron City and works the night shift, same as your lover.”
“That doesn’t prove anything by itself,” Kolme again spoke up in Aoi’s defense. “It sounds circumstantial.”
“It sounds conclusive enough to me,” Sonny quickly said. “He told someone, they told someone. If something happens, it’s going to be your fault.”
“I agree with Sonny.” Lucius frowned and lowered his head. “I’m so sorry for this, Aoi. But you have broken my trust. I can’t afford to let that slide. You’re hereby relieved of your duties.”
Aoi sputtered. When it looked like Liang was about to step forward and start mouthing off, Kolme’s arm flew out and grabbed her by the shoulder. He shook his head. “Be rational,” he mouthed. Thankfully, she listened for once.
“Thank you all for coming on short notice,” Lucius said to them. “I’ll be in my office should anyone absolutely need me. I need to consider our options. For now, I just ask that you stay vigilant.”
The head butler opened the door, and Lucius stepped through. After it closed behind him and his footsteps faded, Pierre bowed formally to the now former guard. “I deeply apologize for this, Aoi. It was a personal request from Maître Lucius that I dig into this,” he lamented. “I will assist in your packing and set you up in a hotel for the week. If you need any help in finding employment or a place to live, do not hesitate to ask.”
The security guard held herself tightly. “Fine,” she rasped. She was trembling, and her eyes were watering. She walked off in a huff, heading in the direction of her quarters on the opposite wing of theirs. Kolme was unsure what to say, nor was anyone else. The most that anyone managed was Ichiko, a few syllables.
“As for the rest of you. Maître Lucius has told me you are free to return to bed if you wish,” Pierre turned to say before he made to follow her. “He apologizes deeply for waking you so early.”
“That’s good! Thank you!” Ichiko squeaked, bowing to them. “I think I’ll take you up on that.”
Liang snorted and shook her head at the youngest servant. “Weren’t you the one who just said you’re fine as long as you have a little sleep?”
“Yeah, well. I changed my mind!” She shuffled her feet and giggled nervously. “How ‘bout you guys?”
Liang responded by walking away to the south, out of the mansion. If she did something rash, it was all on her. Kolme, for his part, figured that he may as well stay up now that he was awake. “I’ll take some coffee, thanks.”
“Consider it ready in ten minutes,” Valentino said, heading over to the kitchen at that.
“Okay! Good luck, Kolme!” Ichiko clapped her hands and turned to the remaining person. “What about you, Clover?”
“I’ll stay up.” She started off in the direction of the dining hall. With a smile, Kolme waved good night (in a sense) to Ichiko before following his coworker.
##########
Valentino had brewed them up an extra strong blend that he only broke out for occasions like these. It was one of the most bitter things Kolme had ever tasted in his entire life. It made Rabuta Berries seem mild. In other words, it was damn good coffee.
They sat there in relative silence for the first few minutes. The only sounds in the large but empty dining room were them eating and drinking, and the low humming of the heater. Clover rarely talked of her own accord. She’d speak when spoken to, but tended to be terse when she didn’t really want to socialize.
“So what do you make of this?” he asked her between sips.
“I don’t know,” she answered immediately and without so much as looking.
That was the extent of their conversation. It was likely that she didn’t want to dwell on it, so he left it at that.
Liang entered with a scowl around ten minutes later. She was holding a plate with eggs and rice on them in one hand, and a mug of tea in another. She took the seat across from them.
“This is Tauros crap,” she muttered. “I talked to Aoi before she left. Apparently, her boyfriend didn’t leak anything. He lost his phone, and thinks the person who found it must have had a peek before she returned it. If that’s even how it got out.”
“I take it that didn’t change Lucius’ mind?” he inquired. Somewhat rhetorically. He already had a feeling what the answer was.
“Of course not.” If there was at least one bit of common ground he could find with Liang, it was occasionally feeling disgruntled about their job. “Damn. Firing a good staff member over an accident and overreacting because of some criminal.”
Kolme placed his coffee mug down and crossed his arms. “I’m not saying I agree with the decision to dismiss Aoi. But if that Pokemon Hunter might be involved, we have to take this seriously.”
“Yes, that is very reasonable. I’m sure she has the time to look over every little unsubstantiated rumor on the internet, and is coming to steal the boss’ rare Pokemon because of it.” Liang grumbled.
“Not her,” he stated. “She’s a mercenary, so it’d be a client who saw it and believed it enough to hire her. I figure he already put in a down payment.”
The Chinese woman leered at him from across the table. “You don’t seriously believe this garbage, do you?”
“Not particularly.” His response elicited a wry smirk from Liang. He took a sip from his mug before continuing. “But as they say in my language, a warned man counts as two. In other words, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.”
“I suppose not,” Liang conceded, shaking her head. “But against her? And with Backlot having cried wolf so many times they blocked emergency service calls?”
“The International Police have been after her for decades,” Kolme replied. “If there’s a chance to catch her, I think they’ll take it.” Another sip, emptying his cup. “Just my thoughts, anyway.”
“I doubt we’ll see trouble like that. And hopefully that post spreads,” Liang said a little lower while leaning over the table. “Things will be bad for a bit, but it’ll be business as usual once this passes.”
“I know.” It was starting to become a hassle. How long would it be until a guest found out about Aileen? It wasn’t like they could force them to keep quiet. Having had time to think about it just now, maybe it was best to get it done and over with.
“So knowing the boss, we’ll have some company again soon,” Liang remarked.
Kolme crossed his arms. He wasn’t sure how Lucius had enough sway over the Officials to have them send an agent over whenever he wanted, but the fact remained that he did. Maybe it had something to do with his work as a legal advisor. They were different company from the traveling trainers who sometimes came by, if nothing else.
“I hope they don’t bother me,” Clover suddenly spoke up.
The rose-haired woman primarily worked in the gardens. She read among the flowers when taking a break or otherwise not on duty. The last time they had an official called in as extra security? It ended with Lucius removing him from the grounds for making Clover feel uncomfortable (to put it lightly), and complaining about the agent to his superiors. For all his faults and quirks, Lucius looked after his employees.
“Maybe he’ll make whoever they’re sending work the night shift,” Liang snorted with a cruel chuckle.
“Probably,” Kolme replied without a shred of irony. They had his sympathies. “But I wouldn’t worry too much about that happening again, Clover.”
It was enough of a reassurance for her. With that, their conversation came to a halt. The three of them finished off breakfast without a further word to each other. He went and got a second cup, and on thinking further, a few strips of bacon. Clover was the first to finish, and sat quietly afterward. Uncharacteristically waiting for them. She must have been more bothered by what happened than she let on.
“We should get to work soon,” Liang declared immediately after finishing her food. “Time’s wasting. And Ichiko decided to sleep in, so we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
Clover concurred, immediately hobbling to her feet. Kolme leaned back in his chair. “I’m going to have another coffee before that.”
“Fine, have fun,” Liang waved and smirked. “And don’t drown in your cup.”
“Screw off.” He wasn’t in the mood for her snark this morning. He waited until the women left before continuing to sip coffee alone.
He sat there for over ten minutes with just his thoughts to keep him company. Life was never dull at Lucius Backlot’s manor. The perks were nice. But if it was not for the money, he would have quit a long time ago. His dream situation would be for an even bigger offer to come along. If one did, he would take it in a heartbeat.
But there was no sense in hoping for a hypothetical. Until when and if that happened, he had a job to do. Kolme downed the last drops of his coffee and went to do just that.
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Normally I'd have fixed that but. Better late than never I guess.