Chapter Text
“Thanks, Meganium.”
Harmony gave her partner Pokemon a scratch as he took a branch into his jaws and pulled back a cane of bamboo.
Sunlight filtered through the rooftop forest, dappling the pea gravel and flashing across the holographic surface of a TM Disk, now almost within reach.
“Pretty up here, isn’t it?” Harmony said, stepping over shoots and stretching for the disk.
It was close enough to the edge that a strong enough breeze could send it into the courtyard below at any moment.
“Guess I’m not surprised somebody dropped something up here. I wonder what this building is, anyway? Doesn’t really fit in with anything else in Lumiose, does it?”
Meganium grunted impatiently as the cane creaked under the stress of his pull.
“Just a little more. I’ve almost…” Harmony grinned as her index and middle fingers pinched the edge of the disk, “…Got it!”
The snap of a limb heralded a hard smack to Harmony’s back. The gravel rooftop disappeared from beneath her feet to the tune of Meganium’s bleating, and the scenic view of Lumiose spun before disappearing behind something red, rectangular, and grinning.
Rotom phone!
In the midst of the free fall, her fingers closed around the device and the pull of gravity slowed. Relieved, Harmony steadied her breathing. Any moment now, her feet would be safely on the ground.
She surveyed the courtyard, flanked by wide, clear ponds full of lotus leaves and tall bamboo canes to match the rooftop forest. The sand she was suspended over had been painstakingly raked into intricate designs—something her Rotom phone had likely noticed first, if its efforts to carry her to the centermost path were any indicator.
But before she could make long awaited contact with solid ground, something closed around both of her biceps and yanked her back.
“Hey! We got an intruder over here!” A man in purple shades hollered, close to her ear.
“Whaddya think you’re doin’?!” a woman’s voice demanded from the opposite side. “Nobody’s allowed in here without permission.”
Harmony flailed as the realization of their grip on her arms set in. “No, wait! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to trespass! I was just—…”
“Let’s get her outta here,” the man interrupted, nodding his head toward the gate.
“Really, I can leave on my own! There’s no need to throw—…”
“This’ll teach ya!” the woman, also in purple shades, added.
“What’s going on out here?!” a deep voice boomed from behind.
The struggle toward the gate ceased, but the grip on Harmony’s arms remained. She shrank in the presence of a man so tall and wide that he completely eclipsed her view of anything beyond the front gate.
“Philippe!” The man in shades startled. “Sorry about the commotion! We just wanted to make sure this intruder didn’t interrupt the boss’s breakfast!”
Philippe heaved a sigh as he stroked his facial hair, ornamented with spiked steel charms that matched the ones trimming his suit. “I keep telling Mr. Corbeau it’s a liability to have a rooftop garden without a railing. Just… leave her to me.”
Whether she’d stumbled into a hive of organized crime or Lumiose’s alternative fashion mecca, Harmony wasn’t sure. But at least her feet were finally on the ground.
“You’re coming with me,” Philippe acknowledged her directly for the first time before a colossal hand fell over her shoulder. He spun her into an about face and shepherded her toward the dark building’s sliding glass door.
Hopefully, Meganium would still be waiting when she emerged.
***
Silence crashed over Harmony like a breaking surf as the door slid closed behind her. Was the glass soundproof? Or did the joyous noise of the city streets simply see fit to yield to the severe elegance of polished black marble and brass-trimmed recessed lighting upon entering? After deciding the latter wasn’t entirely out of the question, she decided it was best to follow suit.
Two rows of people flanked the path to the elevator, dressed and styled in the exact manner as her captors outside. They stood wordlessly at attention, but Harmony felt the weight of their covert stares. Had someone told her sound wasn’t allowed in this building at all, she would have believed it, until Philippe’s shoes moved against the floor behind her, breaking the silence and encouraging her to walk once more.
The elevator ride with Philippe was silent, too. Harmony clung to the corner, trying to seem as unintrusive as possible. Though it seemed a bit late for that now.
A bell chimed and the doors opened, revealing an office that was svelte beyond words. But neither the towering gold statue of a Kingambit, nor the wall-to-wall murals of dueling Steelix rendered in rich hues of violet caught her attention before the man sitting on one of the modern black couches to her left.
His sharp gold eyes, tempered behind a fashionable pair of round spectacles, locked with hers for a fraction of a second before moving higher. “Thank you, Philippe. Feel free to return to your previous task.”
Harmony felt the departure of Philippe’s presence, leaving her as the sole subject of the seated man’s scrutiny.
“Sit,” he gestured to the couch across the table. “Please.”
An ornamental bridge over a lighted pool of gravel facilitated Harmony’s trip to the seating area. Though now, each click of her shoes against a new polished surface seemed to compound the severity of her accidental intrusion. Hoping her well-mannered disposition would win this man’s favor, she complied.
The couch was deceptively soft. Whose hide had been sacrificed to make it so was a matter she quickly pushed from her realm of speculation. Thinking it untoward to look too comfortable, Harmony kept her back straight and away from the upholstery, folded her hands neatly in her lap, and waited to be further addressed.
“Are you injured?” the man asked, leaning forward where he sat and looking her over with what could have almost passed as concern.
“Not at all,” Harmony answered. “And I apologize for the intrusion. It was an accident. My name’s Harmony… by the way.”
The corner of his mouth quirked higher. “I know exactly who you are. Harmony.” He paused to push his glasses at the bridge. “A new face in Lumiose. And a trainer whose rapid ascension through the ranks of the Z-A Royale has caused quite a stir. But now that I’ve made it clear I know who you are, do you care to take a guess at me?”
Harmony frowned. He was wearing a lapel pin bearing the same emblem that was emblazoned across everything else in the building, but she couldn’t begin to guess what it represented. No name tag in sight, either. “Sorry, I’m not sure. Like you said, I’m new to Lumiose.”
“I’m the owner of this building,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And if you’re going to be gallivanting around this city with your Pokemon, you ought to know that there are hefty fines for trespassing.” He rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “Not that anyone cares, now that Lumiose has become overrun by wild pokemon. Trainers like you who’ve flocked to the Royale have started hopping across rooftops without a second thought. But I’ll have you know, it’s a serious injury liability and something I’m not willing to let slide.”
Harmony further straightened her posture, hoping the burning in her cheeks wasn’t a symptom of a neon look of incredulity painted across her face. “I promise, it won’t happen again. I just saw the bamboo garden and…” she rummaged through her satchel and pulled out a disk. “…then I noticed someone dropped a TM—this one, in fact! You can have it, since you own the building and all.”
“You liked my bamboo garden?”
“Looks like it’s for Dragon Pulse. I was going to teach it to my Ampharos, but—…”
Was that a smile? If so, it quickly disappeared.
“Philippe said it was a bad idea. But sometimes even with a private office, it’s hard to get any alone time.”
“Wait, what?” Harmony shook her head. “Philippe only said it was a liability without a railing. Which… I guess the fact that I fell off the roof strengthens his argument? But… wait. You never told me your name.”
He planted both feet on the floor and sat up straight. His expression hardened once more.
“So I didn’t. How rude of me. I’m Corbeau. Of the Rust Syndicate.”
“Corbeau.” Harmony nodded, standing. “Glad we could meet. Though my apologies again for the circumstances. I hope you’ll forgive me. And… once you have a railing, it will serve as a reminder for trainers like me to stay out.”
Corbeau frowned. “I haven’t dismissed you. There’s still the matter of your debt.”
Harmony raised a brow over her shoulder, already several steps away. “I promise, truly, it won’t happen again.”
Corbeau stood in kind, clasping his hands behind his back. “Just to ensure that.” He looked her over. “Well. I can’t assume you’re able to pay the fine for trespassing if you’re running around Lumiose dressed from the clearance racks of Passage du Palais. So I’ll grant you the opportunity to work off your debt.”
Harmony spun on her toes, clenching her fists. “That’s it! I’m done trying to be polite! An apology isn’t enough after I nearly cracked my skull on the Paldean marble statues in your stupid fancy garden?! No way am I working for you!”
“Allow me to further persuade you. I take it your partner is a Meganium?”
Something prickly rose and ached in her throat. Hot tears began to well. “If you’ve done anything to hurt Meganium, trespassing will be the least of your worries! I’ll burn this building to the ground, along with all the fancy things in it!”
Corbeau laughed, striding toward the elegant desk at the center of the office and retrieving a box. “Now that’s an empty threat, though an amusing one, nonetheless. I’ve heard you’re a grass specialist, of all things. What are you going to do, call in a brigade of arsonist Pumpkaboo? My Scolipede might enjoy them as a snack, actually. And speaking of snacks… May I offer you a Lumiose galette?”
“What makes you think I’m in any mood to accept baked goods from you?”
“Your Meganium certainly has been enjoying them. Come have a look for yourself.” Corbeau gestured in invitation.
After a second thought, Harmony accepted, padding cautiously closer to look behind Corbeau’s desk before gasping in horror.
Three empty, open galette boxes were strewn over a bed of crumbs, on which slept Meganium, with one of the confections still half-eaten, beneath the weight of his snoring, sugar-covered face.
“Meganium! Wake up!” Harmony lunged forward.
“Ah ah ah,” Corbeau seized her wrist, then raised a finger to lecture her. “You wouldn’t wake your dear Pokemon from a post-meal nap, would you? That would be cruel.”
“How dare you?!”
Corbeau shrugged. “Oh, just complete one little job for me while Meganium finishes his nap. Then we can both forget this whole thing happened. I won’t even make you sweep up the mess he made under my desk.”
Determined, Harmony narrowed her gaze. “Why don’t we settle this with a Pokemon battle?”
Corbeau sneered. “Last I heard, you were just promoted to rank F. Challenge me properly when you’re at rank D. But I’m guessing you’ll want your Meganium back long before then.”
“Ugh! Why are you doing this?”
“To teach foolhardy tourists like you a lesson in respecting the locals of Lumiose. I’m really being quite generous.” He loosened his grip on her wrist, turning it in his hand. “Now, do we have a deal, or not?”
Harmony bristled as his thumb brushed the underside of her wrist. A gesture she couldn’t discern as intentional or not.
“I’ll do it. As long as you promise Meganium stays safe. He was… my first Pokemon. And he means a lot to me. Since you’re a trainer yourself, I’m sure you understand.”
Corbeau stepped carefully around Meganium’s tail and reached for a file on the far side of his desk. “Your instructions are in here, along with a map. Also… here.” He tossed his Rotom phone into the air.
Harmony flinched as the phone twirled around her before stopping to hover at eye-level. “What’s this for?”
“Put your number in so I can check on you. That way you’ll have mine, too. Call if there are any problems.”
Reluctantly, Harmony added her number to his contacts. “There won’t be. Don’t… call me for anything else.”
“You’re flattering yourself,” he teased, re-emerging from behind his desk and leaning closer than necessary to press the file into her arms. “Though I must admit… I’ve never seen anyone look so lovely on a budget.”