Lumiose City

You’re sure about this?

I’m sure. I can fly now, it makes sense.

+ All by yourself, though?

If we’re going to find the Lifegiver, we need to split up. I can cover more area from above. You continue on land.

+ If that’s what you want.

Thank you, Claire.

Claire takes off and flutters upwards.

See you later!

Bye Claire!

Cally! Over here!

I notice Serena near a café down the street, she’s beckoning me over. It seems urgent so I run over to her.

+ What’s up?

In the café, look! It’s Diantha!

Who dat?

+ Who?

You’re kidding, right? You’ve not seen her latest movie?

+ I’ve been bedridden for the better part of this year, so no. So she’s an actor? Who’s she talking to?

Lysandre, what’re you saying?

Wouldn’t it be better for your career to remain as youthful as you are now?

That’s a terrible idea! I’d be so bored playing the same roles over and over. I don’t want to be typecasted!

That must be Lysandre, owner of Lysandre Labs.

Hm? It looks like we have company.

Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.

You two must be Sycamore’s new assistants?

+ What makes you say that?

You have Pokémon with you and I saw you coming from Sycamore’s lab earlier. So unless that Pikachu is a pet I assume you’re trainers?

Well I’m definitely nobody’s pet, pal.

That’s nice, I’m a trainer too! When I’m not filming of course. Maybe we’ll battle some time. Anyway, Lysandre, I’ve got to go.

It was an honour to meet you!

Always nice to meet a fan!

Diantha leaves, almost as if she were in a hurry.

So, young trainers, what’s Sycamore’s new project?

We’re looking into Mega Evolution.

Oh really? How fascinating! Here, have a Holo Caster each. It’s the latest model, consider it a contribution from Lysandre Labs.

Lysandre hands us each a cellphone looking thing.

Thank you so much!

Good luck on your endeavour. I have… important things to do. Goodbye.

Something’s not quite right.

Route 5

We’re heading for Camphrier Town next. We’ll meet up with the others there. It’s just a stop on our way to–

Coming through, pardon me!

The skating girl zooms past with a pair of Lucario following. One of them stops in front of me and turns to face me.

You… your aura. So familiar, but…

+ Huh?

What’re you talking about?

Oh I’m so sorry, is Lucario bothering you? He must like something about your aura, they can sense things like that.

That’s amazing, could it have something to do with Cally having the gift?

You have the gift? Now that’s amazing. I’m Korrina, the gym leader for Shalour City. Cally, was it?

+ Uh yeah, and this is Serena.

Hi, we’re trainers. I hope to challenge your gym soon.

I’ll look forward to it. See you later! Come along, Lucario.

Right.

We travel along the road for a while until Serena is challenged by another trainer. I take the opportunity to rest by some tall grass.

You know that Fennekin isn’t that bad in a fight.

+ I suppose.

Mommy, why do Pokémon fight like that?

Oh… that’s complicated. Um…

Well well, look what we have here.

A handful of Scraggy surround us.

Looks like some trainer is hangin’ in our turf, Butch.

Yeah! This is our place!

That’s right, Al. And what do we do to trainers on our patch?

We beat ‘em up?

That’s right, Wyatt.

Oh gee, Butch, she’s got a bunch of Pokémon with her.

Then we’ll beat them up too, Jane. Get ‘em!

Mommy help!

But that one’s just a baby…

Back off or I’ll– Oh screw it imma zap you all anyway!

Joule starts zapping each Scraggy.

Crap, she knows thundershock! Run for it!

You won’t get away that easily! Cally!

I throw a Pokéball at the straggler. The ball clicks and is teleported away.

She got Jane!

Forget her, just run!

Congrats on the catch.

+ How did your battle go?

Oh just fine. Look, it’s Tierno!

Hey, I saw that battle from afar. You didn’t want to battle, Cally?

+ I was occupied.

Oh, well how about we battle?

+ But…

Come on, let’s go! Go Corphish!

+ Go Minnie!

Let’s do this.

+ Vine Whip!

Vice Grip!

Minnie whips at Corphish with her vines, Corphish scuttles up to Minnie and pinches her on the nose.

Ow ow ow!

+ Vine Whip!

Vice Grip!

Minnie slaps Corphish in the face with her vines while Corphish nips at her with it’s claws.

+ Vine Whip!

Vice Grip!

I’ve had enough of this!

Minne uses her vines to grab Corphish and slam it to the ground.

Still got it!

Still got what? Minnie, you’ve changed.

+ I guess you’ve been through a lot…

You have no idea.

Woah, you’ve got skills!

Yes she does, mind if I get next?

+ Fine.

Go Kadabra!

+ Go Bandit!

Let’s go!

+ Headbutt!

Confusion!

Bandit charges at Kadabra but freezes in place halfway there. Kadabra waves its spoon as Bandit raises from the ground.

Oh no…

Bandit is flung down the hill and slams head first into a tree, leaving a horrible mess.

Bandit!

Camphrier Town

Cally, you’ve not said a word since that battle.

Sorry about Bandit, by the way.

And you’ve been limping, too. Are your new shoes hurting you?

You haven’t been like this since–

+ My leg hurts.

Oh, is it an old injury, your scar?

+ Something like that.

Well Tierno and I are going to the PokéCenter, are you coming too?

+ I’ll just hang around for a bit.

Suit yourself.

I wander about the town for a while and eventually come across a rather nice looking mansion that’s open to the public so I decide to check it out.

I hate these old places.

+ How so?

No wires.

Hi Cally! You had the same idea too?

+ Uh, what idea?

They keep a lot of really old stuff in these chateaus, maybe the owner knows something.

Hello, I’m the proprietor of this establishment. What is is you think I know?

Oh, hi. Uh, do you know anything about Mega Evolution?

No I’m afraid I’ve never heard of–

We have a situation on Route 7!

What is it, Mayor?

The Snorlax is back and this time it’s sleeping on the bridge.

Oh boy I’ve never seen a Snorlax before!

Great, why do Snorlaxes always think they can sleep wherever they want.

Come on Cally, let’s have a look!

Route 7

See? Right on the bridge!

Zzzzzz…

Huh, I always thought they’d be bigger.

+ So how’re we going to move it?

Normally I’d use the PokéFlute but…

But what?

I gave it to the owner of Parfum Palace to pay off my debt with him, along with everything else of value I own.

Well let’s go get it! He should at least lend it back to you to help the town! Come on Cally, let’s go!

+ But–

Route 6

Parfum Palace is at the end of this road. It’s getting late, we should hurry!

You know I could’ve shocked that Snorlax until it moved, right?

+ I know, Joule, I know.

As we hurry up the road something darts from the treeline to my right and bumps into me.

Ow…

You really need to watch where you’re going.

Oh no, humans!

Nightingale? Is that you?

Lady Antheia! I’m so glad I found you!

Lady?

I was so worried when you didn’t come back.

What’s going on?

What’re you doing with these humans?

I enlisted their aid. This is Cally, she has the gift.

Then I insist I join you! Miss Cally please, I must join the search for the Lifegiver!

+ Um, okay?

Did that wild Audino just decide to go with you?

+ More or less, yeah.

Wow I’m jealous, that gift of yours really comes in handy!

Parfum Palace

It costs how much to get in?!

One thousand Pokéfrancs. Each. All proceeds go to the maintenance of the building… probably.

This is extortion, no wonder how the rich stay rich!

+ I’ll cover it. Here, take it.

Very good, you may enter.

The huge gates in front of the palace open up and we head inside to see a man running around in a panic.

My Furfrou! My darling Furfrou is missing! Oh where could she be?

Oh no, I’d be so upset if any of my Pokémon went missing. Can we help look?

We?

Oh thank you, I’ve looked all over indoors. Could you check the garden?

+ It’s getting dark…

Come on. Let’s go, Cally!

The garden is mostly a giant hedge maze. We spend quite a while looking until I stumble upon the Furfrou.

Who’re you?

Oh you found it! Your owner was so worried about you, Furfrou.

Owner?

Crap, he sent you to look for me?

+ Yeah… you ran away?

That guy is so clingy and I was so bored! I just wanted some peace for a while.

I guess it’s time to go back…

We get back to the mansion just after sunset, it really is a big hedge maze. Smokey got tired of taking the proper way back so she burned a path through the hedges, much to Furfrou’s delight.

Oh my darling Furfrou! Thank you for returning her to me!

No problem!

This calls for celebration! Oh Jeeves!

Myes, Monsieur?

Have the groundsmen prepare the fireworks!

Right away.

Oh boy, fireworks?

You can watch them from the balcony.

Shauna and I head upstairs to the main balcony overlooking the garden, I can still see some of the embers glowing in the dark where Smokey cheated the hedge maze.

I’ve had a really fun day!

+ Yeah?

The fireworks start, streaming into the sky above the garden and exploding into showers of bright, colourful sparks.

Pretty colours!

They really are.

Hey Mommy, look what I can do!

Hm?

Wheee!

Baker!

Hehe! Oh, my tail got smaller. Why does everything look a little smaller?

What a perfect way to end such a special day. You know I really like spending time with you, Cally.

+ Oh?

Shauna holds my hand while we watch the fireworks continue.

+ Oh…

Didn’t we come here to get something?